Yoenis Téllez Ko 7 Johan González (Photograph Joseph Correa-Premier Boxing Champions)
Yoenis Téllez is enjoyable to observe. He’s in fixed movement, continually attacking. He has had solely 9 fights and the Cuban expatriate feels he’s prepared for the elite at 154 kilos.
On Saturday night time, he made a robust assertion by stopping veteran Johan Gonzalez at 1:57 of the seventh spherical within the co-feature of the Bakhram Murtazaliev-Tim Tszyu IBF junior middleweight title struggle in a PBC occasion on Amazon Prime Video on the Caribe Royale Resort, in Orlando, Florida.
The 24-year-old Téllez (9-0, 7 knockouts) knocked down González (35-4, 34 KOs) a complete of thrice.
“We have been dealing with a really skilled fighter with a terrific coach in Ismael Salas, so I knew it might not be simple,” Tellez stated. “I was simply following the directions of my nook in order that I might get the win.
“A very powerful weapon I’ve is the desire to turn into world champion and the motivation to make my nation proud. Ever since I left my nation, I’ve wished to win for them.
“I’m right here to struggle and let my workforce care for getting me massive alternatives and nice opponents. I’m keen to struggle anyone.”
After 4, it was simple to see the struggle at 2 rounds every. Tellez was participating with looping proper fingers, and double left hooks to the physique, whereas Gonzalez saved coming ahead.
However the pounding was having a telling impact on Gonzalez.
Gonzalez began the sixth very effectively. However Tellez shortly turned the move. His velocity started making a distinction, after which it confirmed, when he unfurled a proper that dropped Gonzalez close to the tip of the spherical with a proper.
Tellez labored completely different angles, working at shut vary within the seventh. A left hook dropped Gonzalez a second time within the struggle and third in his profession. Tellez lastly completed it with a proper at 1:57 of the seventh, sending down Gonzalez a 3rd time.
“I wasn’t correctly following what my nook informed me to do and that’s what price me the struggle,” Gonzalez stated. “Tellez is an effective fighter and prospect. I feel I might have made the struggle higher for myself if I had been extra disciplined.”
César Tapia and Endry Saavedra struggle to majority draw
Endry Saavedra knocked down César Tapia thrice, twice within the third and as soon as within the ninth, and in some way the judges scored the 10-round middleweight battle and potential struggle of the 12 months a majority draw.
Decide Harold Hunt scored it 94-92 for Tapia, whereas Michael Ross and Efrain Lebron scoring it a 93-93 draw.
Endry Saavedra knocked down César Tapia three time and completed with a majority draw (Photograph by Joseph Correa-Premier Boxing Champions)
Saavedra was left in disbelief.
“Everybody noticed the struggle and I do know the followers right here believed that I received,” he stated. I can solely do my job. The judges needed to do theirs. I assumed I might have gotten him out of there as a result of I’m a Mexican warrior. I did every thing I might and left every thing within the ring.
“I used to be shocked he saved getting up, particularly after the second knockdown. However he’s a Mexican and he wasn’t going to exit simply.”
Saavedra wished to make it an inside struggle, and within the opening spherical, he did. Saavedra (16-1-1, 13 KOs) appeared to get the higher of Tapia early, however Tapia rocked Saavedra again with a whirling left hook. It was a good spherical. Within the second, Saavedra began effectively once more. Tapia (17-0-1, 10 KOs) lined up Saavedra with an overhand proper.
With 1:34 left within the third, Saavedra landed a brief proper on Tapia. With 1:06 left within the third, Saavedra landed a left that had Tapia backing up and in bother.
Tapia collapsed beneath a brief left hook. He rose on the depend of eight. It was the primary time in his profession Tapia was down. With 20 seconds left within the spherical, Tapia was down once more. He returned again to his nook with a swollen proper eye.
“He was getting me with some brief pictures on the within and taking my legs and I simply needed to maintain working him and keep within the struggle,” Tapia stated about Saavedra. “I used to be ready for 10 arduous rounds. I really feel prefer it might have gone both means. It was a troublesome struggle.
“I knew he was going to deliver the struggle and I simply tried to take benefit once I had openings. I’m glad we might give the followers a terrific struggle.”
Tapia got here again within the fourth, however he couldn’t maintain Saavedra off of him. Saavedra saved pounding Tapia to the physique, making it harder to recuperate from the knockdowns within the third.
Between the fourth and fifth, Tapia’s nook requested him if he had his composure again.
Seemingly down, seemingly out, Tapia delivered a pulverizing proper that dropped Saavedra within the remaining seconds of the fifth.
Revitalized, Tapia went after Saavedra once more within the sixth. Tapia had Saavedra in bother within the remaining seconds, touchdown physique pictures.
By the seventh, Tapia’s proper eye was swollen nearly shut.
Within the ninth, Saavedra dropped Tapia a 3rd time with a proper uppercut. Tapia didn’t go simply. He landed heavy pictures within the tenth, together with a proper uppercut. Tapia wanted a knockout to win, or so it appeared, attempting to reconnect with the precise.
As the ultimate seconds ticked away, the gang justifiably stood and applauded.
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Journal/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America.
Comply with @JSantoliquito
