In a recent event at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, NY, Bob Arum from Top Rank presented the Main Event featuring O’Shaquie Foster, the 2012 Olympian and WBC World Super Featherweight champion. Foster managed to retain his title in a split decision victory over Abraham Nova after 12 lackluster rounds, with Foster scoring the lone knockdown.
The fight saw Foster, hailing from Houston, TX, with a record of 22-2 (12), facing off against Nova, with a record of 23-2 (16) from Puerto Rico and Albany, NY. Nova started off strong in the second round, pushing forward with jabs and looping rights, while Foster struggled to land significant punches. Foster switched to a southpaw stance in the third round, eventually taking control of the round with minimal action from Nova.
As the fight progressed, Nova landed looping rights in the fourth round and continued to use his elbows and forearms in the fifth, drawing blood from Foster’s mouth. Despite a lack of action in the sixth round, Nova managed to back Foster into the ropes in the seventh, landing uppercuts and drawing blood once again. Foster fought back in the eighth round, landing a left hook that knocked Nova off balance.
In the later rounds, both fighters showed signs of fatigue, with Nova pushing for the title in the ninth round. The fight ended with Foster countering Nova’s attacks and landing a crucial left hook in the twelfth round, resulting in a knockdown. The judges scored the fight 115-112, 114-113, and 116-111 in favor of Foster.
In the co-feature of the event, Bryan Chevalier from Bayamon, PR, faced off against Andres Cortes from Las Vegas, NV. Cortes managed to secure a victory by stoppage at 2:17 of the fourth round in a scheduled 10-round bout, handing Chevalier his second loss.
In the opening rounds, Cortes was able to land more powerful punches to both the body and head of Chevalier, despite being shorter in stature. Chevalier’s trainer warned him between rounds to start throwing punches, or else the fight would be stopped. However, in the third round, Cortes continued to dominate, pushing Chevalier into the ropes and delivering a relentless beating.
Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington, with a record of 11-0 (7), hailing from Brownsville Brooklyn, NY, faced off against southpaw Bernard “La Maquina” Torres, with a record of 18-2 (8), from PH and Grand, Norway. Carrington managed to knock out Torres in the fourth round of their scheduled 10-round bout, claiming the vacant NABF, WBA, and WBO Inter-Continental featherweight titles. Despite a strong start from Torres in the first round, Carrington took control in the second and third rounds, outlanding his opponent.
Olympian Welter Delante “Tiger” Johnson, boasting a record of 12-0 (6) from Cleveland, OH, went up against southpaw Paulo Galdino, with a record of 13-8-2 (9) from Sao Paulo, BRZ. Johnson managed to stop Galdino in the first round of their scheduled 8-round fight, landing a series of powerful punches that left Galdino defenseless. Referee Ricky Gonzalez called a halt to the bout at 2:49 of the first round.
Olympian southpaw Middle Euri Cedeno, with a record of 8-0-1 (7) from La Romana, DR, faced off against Antonio Todd, with a record of 16-10 (9) from Atlanta, GA. Cedeno was able to stop Todd in the fifth round of their scheduled 8-round match, with Referee Benjy Esteves stepping in at 2:39 of the round. Cedeno dominated the early rounds, with Todd struggling to mount any defense. Despite a brief comeback from Todd in the second and third rounds, Cedeno’s relentless attack eventually led to the stoppage.
Vianello managed to knock Johnson down five times in the first round before the referee called a stop to the fight.
In a sensational boxing event, Arnold “AG” Gonzalez emerged victorious over Charles Stanford in a thrilling match that went the distance. Gonzalez, hailing from New York, NY, showcased his skills and dominated his opponent from Cincinnati, OH, over 6 rounds. The fight saw Gonzalez landing a powerful left hook to the body in the third round, setting the tone for the rest of the match. Despite Stanford’s efforts to fight back in the final round, Gonzalez’s early lead secured him the win with scores of 58-56, 59-55 twice.
The action continued with Super Feather Ofacio “The Sniper” Falcon taking on southpaw Edward Ceballos in a fierce battle. Falcon, representing The Bronx, NY, displayed superior speed and precision, overwhelming his opponent from Phoenix, AZ, over 6 rounds. Despite a brief setback in the fourth round when Ceballos drew blood from Falcon’s nose, the latter rallied back in the final round with a decisive right uppercut that sealed his victory. The judges scored the match 60-54 and 58-56 in Falcon’s favor.
In another exciting bout, Middle Isaah Flaherty faced off against Julien “Black Dragon” Baptiste in a hard-fought contest. Flaherty, fighting out of Queens, NY, showcased his determination and skill as he outworked Baptiste round after round. Despite a cut on Flaherty’s scalp early in the match, he maintained his composure and dominated his opponent from Woburn, MASS, over 6 rounds. The judges were unanimous in their decision, scoring all rounds 60-54 in Flaherty’s favor. Referee Benjy Esteves oversaw the action, with Ring Announcer Mark Shunock keeping the crowd engaged throughout the event.
According to the Source boxingnews24.com