Puerto Rico’s undefeated rising star in the junior welterweight division Danielito ‘El Zorro’ Zorrilla scored an eight round unanimous decision over tough challenger Ryan Pino to be crowned as the new national champion of the Professional Boxing Commission of Puerto Rico at the Antonio R. Barceló Coliseum in Toa Baja.
Zorrilla (10-0 with 8 KOs) took the win after taking the best part of the fight between the third and eighth round, including knocking down Pino (8-4 with 4 KOs) in the third round to get the cards to his favor to the sound of 79-72 on one of them and 78-73 on the other two.
“The strategy worked,” said Zorrilla after the victory. “Pino has an elusive style and the fight is eight rounds, so we took the first two rounds to read his moves and let him throw a lot. For the third, he began to lower the intensity and to lower his hands, began to enter my blows and I knocked him down. That changed the fight.”
Pino’s fall in the third round occurred after Zorrilla connected him with a solid combination of power hooks. Then in the fourth episode, Zorrilla went out to try to finish off Pino and almost did it, managing to shake his rival twice with straight faces while Pino was on the ropes. Instantly it seemed that the referee would stop the fight but Pino managed to survive the onslaught and continue the fight.
“I put it wrong but he did not trust me because he has enough. Sometimes it can wear you out by throwing a lot of blows and it takes a toll on you. I kept on being fed and the victory came, which is the important thing, “Zorrilla said, adding that he was ready to return to action for the month of February as part of the return of the WBA super feather world champion Alberto ‘El Explosivo ‘Machado. “We are going to rest a little and eat a little pig, but quickly to continue training and prepare for the next thing to come.”