By Kurt Wolfheimer at ringside
Hard Hitting Promotions’ own undefeated super featherweight prospect Christian Tapia (14-0, 12Kos) captured the WBC Continental Americas title with a tough ten round unanimous decision victory over fellow Puerto Rican Luis Lebron (18-3, 11K0s) at the Live Casino and Hotel Philadelphia.
The fight was a battle of height versus determination. In the opening round as Lebron hurt the shorter Tapia. Lebron tried to pull the upset early, but Tapia was able to clinch and recover. In the early rounds, Lebron was able to put Tapia against the ropes and land some big shots. It changed as the rounds progressed. Tapia was winning on the inside and countering well. Tapia stepped on the gas in the seventh and eighth rounds as both traded away. He appeared ahead on the scorecards and boxed his way until the final bell.
All three judges had the bout in favor of Christian Tapia by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93. The win capped off what was an outstanding seven fight card Promoted by Hard Hitting Promotions.
Welterweight Brandon “The Gift” Pizarro (17-1-1, 10Kos) returned to the city brotherly love in dramatic fashion with an explosive fourth round knockout of heavy-handed Brazilian Vitor Jones (16-7, 10KOs). Jones tried to make the fight early with heavy hooks while pressing forward. Pizarro moved well and shot sharp combinations behind his sharp jabs. In round three he seemed to be breaking him down with solid bodywork. Jones backed up for the first time in the fourth round. Pizarro seized the opportunity and unloaded a heavy uppercut followed up with a liver shot. Jones stepped back and collapsed to the floor in excruciating pain. He tried get up but fell back to the canvas for the ten count.
“It just feels great to win like this in front of all fans and family.” Said Brandon Pizarro afterward. “We knew that he was heavy puncher and we wanted to work underneath, and it would bring him down. It worked out just as planned.”
Tough welterweight Ryan Pino (11-7-8, 5Kos) pulled the big upset in handing highly touted former amateur star Dezmond “The Technician” Lucas (5-1, 2KO’s) the first loss of his professional career by scores of 59-55, 58-56 and 57-57 for the Majority decision victory. The card appeared much closer than the scorecards indicated as Lucas controlled the fight with his long jabs, but Pino was relentless and connected with enough combinations to squeeze out the victory.
Philly Middleweight prospect Jan Carlos Rivera (5-1, 4Kos) bounced back from the first loss his career with a one-sided six round unanimous decision victory over tough journeyman Michael Oquendo 16-14, 13KOs by scores of 60-54 across the board.
A spectacular four round super flyweight contest between debuting super flyweights brought the near sellout crowd to their feet throughout as Nicaraguan Juan Gutierrez and Allentown, PA’s Jeffrey Villanueva went toe to toe throughout the contest. It was Villanueva who was the sharper fighter and found his mark in the fourth that sent Gutierrez to the canvas with a counter right. Gutierrez rose to his feet just before the bell sounded to end the contest. All three judges scored the fight the same 39-35 x 3 in favor of Jeffrey Villanueva for the crowd-pleasing unanimous decision victory.
Undefeated middleweight Brendan O’Callaghan lost for the first time as a professional against tall and rangy Philadelphian Derrick Vann. O’Callaghan could never figure out the distance of the much taller Philadelphian. Vann clipped the shorter Irishman which put him on the canvas in the opening round. It was catchup from there but he tired from the looping shots from Vann. O’Callaghan tried to make a final chance to change the tide in the fourth and final round but was sent back to the canvas with a counter right but survived until the final bell. All Three judges saw the fight in favor of debuting Derrick Vann by sores of 40-36, 39-36 and 38-36 for the unanimous decision victory.
The battle of two welterweights trying to get into the winning circle opened the card at the Live Casino and Hotel Philadelphia. It was Puerto Rico’s Cesar Espinel Maldonado 1-2 made quick work of Philly’s Anthony Ramirez 0-2. Maldonado came out quickly with heavy 2-punch combinations the head and body of the Philadelphian. Ramirez appeared to be weathering the storm when a hook sent him face first to the canvas. Ramirez rose to his feet but was in no shape to continue and the bout was stopped at 2:52 of round one for the TKO victory.