Flores Stops Wattley in Erie

By Matt Thompson at ringside

Wilfredo “El Bravo Vega” Flores (6-0, 2 KOs) scored an impressive fifth round stoppage of Alden Wattley (3-1, 3 KOs) Saturday night in a battle of unbeaten lightweights at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, PA on Saturday night. In the co-feature of the exciting Pro-Am show presented by Ernie Bizzarro’s Bizzarro Promotions, super welterweight Ivan “The Hurricane” Hernandez (2-3-1, 2 KOs) spoiled the debut of local cage fighting star Jeremiah Yeager with an explosive second round stoppage.

It was a near perfect night for rising lightweight Wilfredo “El Bravo Vega” Flores, who scored a fifth-round stoppage of Alden Wattley in the scheduled six round main event of evening.

The formerly unbeaten Wattley looked to be a dangerous opponent as he entered the ring with all three previous victories as a professional coming by way of knockout. Right from the opening bell the shorter Wattley pressed the action as he went toe-to toe with Flores. A cut resulted next to the right eye of Flores from an accidental clash of heads during the skirmishes, but that wouldn’t deter the lightning quick southpaw as he forced Wattley to the corner with a hard three punched combination and then had him covering from three devastating hooks that landed under the ribcage as the bell sounded to end the opening round.

The shorter Wattley appeared to have no answer for the mixture of combinations and movement of Flores in the first two minutes of the second round. Flores sent Wattley back to the ropes again with two straight shots on the button. Wattley tried to fight back with hard counters, but Flores slipped most of them and then continued the assault with hooks underneath. The pressure forced Wattley to be defensive and cover as the round ended.

Flores was on his “A” game as he slowed the advances of Wattley with crisp two and three punch combinations throughout the third, while picking his spots to step in and out of the pocket with crisp shots throughout.

By the end of fourth round, Wattley’s corner was pleading with him to back Flores up and that he had lost all four rounds. It wouldn’t work though as Flores controlled the fifth round, with combinations to Wattley’s head and body. Wattley withered from the attack and could only cover in the corner as the fifth round came to a close.

Wattley’s trainer had seen enough and waived the fight off in the corner at the end of the fifth round.

In a four-round super welterweight co-feature of the evening, Buffalo, New York’s Ivan “The Hurricane” Hernandez (2-3-1 2 KOs) spoiled the professional boxing debut of Erie, Pa cage fighter Jeremiah Yeager with a come from behind devastating second round knockout.

Yeager, a regular on Bizzarro Promotions cage fighting shows, look confident in the opening round, as he rocked Hernandez with a right hand and then forced him to retreat to the ropes with a three-punch combination. Hernandez clinched and regained his composure, but Yeager continued to press the attack, as he pounded away with heavy hooks. Yeager dropped his hands and pleaded with Hernandez to trade with him. That would be his big mistake.

Yeager continued to press the action in the second as he rocked Hernandez with a two-punch combination and then moments later a lead left had the Hurricane in trouble. Yeager went in for the kill and dropped his right to cock it. Hernandez saw the opening and unleashed a picture perfect overhand right that landed flush on the jaw of the cage star. Yeager rocked forward before falling hard on his back. It was clear that Yeager would not beat the ten count and Referee Ernie Sharif waived fight off at 1:03 of the second round.

Brown impressive in debut

Erie PA lightweight Elliot Brown looked good right from the opening bell in his debut against five veteran Wytama Faulk. Brown was the sharper fighter as he landed a counter check hook that dropped Faulk with just his second punch of the fight. It was more of a flash knockdown and Faulk rose to his feet. Brown had Faulk fighting off his back foot with sharp shots. Faulk tried to counter, but Brown was in control, landing heavy single shots as the opening round came to a close.

Faulk called for the ringside Physician to the corner and Dr. Joseph Leone III determined that Faulk may have possible broken ribs and waived the fight off.

The loss drops Wytama Faulk to 1-5.

Murphy overwhelms Leegrand

Journeyman super featherweight and late replacement Matt Murphy (3-16-3, 2 KOs) proved he is still dangerous, in pulling the upset unanimous victory over Julius “The future” Leegrand (4-3-1, 1 KO).

Both fighters started the fight exchanging wild flurries in the center of the ring with Julius Leegrand getting the better of it. The fight changed as the pace slowed in the final thirty seconds of the round allowing Murphy’s big single shots to push Leegrand to the ropes.

Murphy appeared to gain confidence and stepped up the attack throughout round two. Leegrand moved and boxed, but Murphy continued to chop away with hooks and heavy shots.

Leegrand tried to box and move again in the third with hopes of Murphy tiring, but he would not let up and forced him to constantly fight with his back to the ropes.

Murphy pounded away throughout the fourth round, but ran out of gas with a minute to go, allowing Leegrand one last chance as he rocked him in the final seconds with a right hand and followed up with a powerful three punch combination. Murphy clinched and the final bell sounded before Leegrand could inflict any real damage.

All three judges saw the bout in favor of Matt Murphy by scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37 respectively for the unanimous decision victory.

Dyer wears down Blankenship

In the opening bout of the evening, undefeated lightweight Jahmal Dyer (4-0, 3 KOs) used a heavy dose of bodywork throughout the final three rounds to eventually wear down Roger “Monster” Blankenship and capture the four-round unanimous decision victory by scores of 40-36 and 39-37 x 2.

The six-bout amateur portion of the card was entertaining with Promoter Ernie Bizzarro’s cousin Chucky Bizzarro scoring an impressive stoppage Mike Lowry.

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