PHILLY BOXING HISTORY - September 22, 2015  
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WILLIAMS CRUSHES CUELLO
 
Story b
y John DiSanto
Photos by Suzanne Teresa / PBC
 

 
   

It was a long night of fights Tuesday night at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA. However, junior middleweight Julian Williams did his part in shortening the night for and at the same time propelled his career closer to a world title fight than ever before. 

Williams blasted out Luciano Cuello, of Madrid, Spain, just 93 seconds into the opening round of their scheduled ten-rounder. The WBC Continental Americas 154-pound title bout was the evening’s main event and was nationally televised by Fox Sports 1. 

Williams drilled Cuello with a sharp right hand early in the fight, and the ramrod punch set the tone for the quick annihilation. After J-Rock Williams landed a few more stiff rights, Cuello’s left eye began to swell. A moment later, another right hand by Williams staggered the Spaniard, and suddenly the end seemed near.

Williams followed Cuello to the ropes and fired away until referee Gary Rosato jumped in to save Cuello. Luciano stayed on his feet throughout, but was never in the fight. This was an impressive blowout by Williams, 21-0-1, 13 KOs, 1 NC, against perhaps, on paper, the toughest challenge of his young career. With the abbreviated victory, Williams defended his belt and pushed himself closer to a real breakthrough fight.

Seated at ringside was former junior middleweight champion Austin Trout, and Williams gave him a look after destroying Cuello, 35-4, 17 KOs.  Trout and Williams exchanged friendly callouts while Julian’s fans chanted, “We want Trout!” 

“I knew I was getting to him early and I just stayed vicious,” Williams said after the bout. “It was a straight right that I landed on him to end things. I saw his left eye bubble up immediately.” 

Williams’ performance was a major statement to the boxing world that he is ready for the top talent in the division. 

“I may be the fastest super welterweight in the world,” Williams said. “I’m accurate enough to hit guys when I want to. I’ve fought undefeated prospects and former champions. I’ll fight anybody. I don’t hate Trout at all. He’s just higher ranked than me and one of the guys in my way.” 

The defeated Cuello was accepting of his quick loss.

“I’ve fought some great fighters in my career, and Williams is as strong as any of them.” 


FLORES TKO12 CUSULITO

In the TV opener, Mexican Moises Flores defended his Interim WBA junior featherweight title by stopping Luis Cusulito of Argentina, at 57 seconds of round 12. It was a grueling, two-way battle for eleven rounds, before Flores, 24-0, 17 KOs, stepped on the gas in the final round. Flores caught Cusulito, 21-2, 19 KOs, with a jarring right and then poured it on until referee Benjy Esteves stopped the fight.

With the fight winding down to the final bell, Flores was ahead on my scorecard. Then just when it appeared the Mexican would win on points, he landed the punch that drained Cusulito and put him sudden danger. Flores seized the moment and closed the show with the gritty KO to defend his title, in a truly thrilling fight.


PLANT W8 FREEMAN

Super middleweight Caleb Plant remained undefeated, 10-0, 8 KOs, with a dominant eight-round points win over Jamar Freeman, 13-5-2, 7 KOs. Plant knocked Freeman down in round three, but wasn't able to repeat the feat or come very close to a stoppage ever again during the contest. Instead he just kept pressing the action and throwing punches in the workmanlike win. The fight was televised between the other two TV bouts.  


ALVAREZ W6 QUINONES

In a see-sawing welterweight contest, Ken Alvarez, 7-2-2, 3 KOs, beat Sammy Quinones, 9-4, 4 KOs, by 6-round majority decision. Alvarez started fast, but hit the canvas in round three. The knockdown energized Quinones, and he went on to make up lost ground and build a slight lead on my card. However in the final round, Alvarez put a tiring Quinones down twice with flurries to the body. The sudden surge earned Alvarez the decision by scores of 58-53, 57-54 and 56-56. My card favored Alvarez 56-55.


GONGORA W6 GBENGA

In a 6-round super middleweight bout, Carlos Gongora, 3-0, 1 KO, put veteran Michael Gbenga, 20-23, 20 KO, on the canvas twice in the sixth and final round, but could not finish him off.  Gongora went on to win the decision by three landslide scores of 59-53.


NEWMAN TKO2 MAYEDO

In the first of two swing bouts that occurred after the main event, cruiserweight Earl Newman, 7-0, 6 KOs, scored a second round TKO over Leovsy Mayedo, 8-2, 5 KOs, in a scheduled six rounder. Newman almost earned the stoppage in the opening round, but Mayedo escaped the close call. In the next round, Newman picked up where he had left off and dropped his foe with a wide left hook. Mayedo got to his feet by the count of nine, but referee Gary Rosato stopped the fight at 2:09 of round two.


DAVIS WDQ6 SANCHEZ

In the walkout bout, middleweight Kyrone Davis, 9-0, 4 KOs, won by disqualification over Alex Sanchez, 6-7-1, 2 KOs, at 1:41 of the sixth and final round. Davis dominated the action throughout. Sanchez was penalized one point in round two for pushing Davis to the canvas. In the final round, after warnings for hitting on the break and more pushing, referee Benjy Esteves ended the bout and called it a disqualification victory for Davis. The time was 1:41 of the sixth.


SERRANO W4 WISE

In early action, lightweight Ismael Serrano, 4-1, 1 KO, defeated Seifullah Jihad Wise, 2-1, by four-round unanimous decision. Wise lost a point for holding, and the official scores were 40-35, 39-36 and 38-37, all for Serrano.


COLBERT W4 CARMONA

Featherweight Chris Colbert, 3-0, 2 KO, topped Jose Carmona, 0-2, with a one-sided unanimous four-round decision. All three scores were 40-36.


HERNANDEZ W4 NUNO

In a bloody junior middleweight fight, Nicholas Hernandez, 2-1, overcame a cut left eye to score a four-round unanimous decision over Rick Nuno, 2-1, 1 KO. Hernandez dropped Nuno in round three and won by scores of 40-36 and 40-35 twice.

The Tuesday night crowd for this Kings Promotions card was modest, but the fans were fully engaged in the ten-bout show.

   
 

 

 
 


John DiSanto - Bethlehem, PA - September 22, 2015
 

 
     
 

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