It was the last fight of the year for Golden Boy and the event delivered as most hardcores predicted earlier in the week. The main event was a fight of the year contender as welterweights Alexis Rocha (25-2-1, 16 KOs) and Raul Curiel (15-0-1, 13 KOs) went to war at the Toyota Center in Ontario, CA. Ultimately, the judges could not settle on a winner, so the main event ended up being a majority draw (116-112 Rocha, 114-114 & 114-114).
The opening round didn’t show much except Rocha establishing his right jab while Curiel waited for the right shot. Curiel’s power was noticeable as his punches made Rocha step back each time. The second round was all Curiel as he landed some four-punch combinations that stunned Rocha. Although Rocha finished the round strongly, Curiel’s big punching power was the story of the round. Rocha took back control of the fight in the third round with his right jab and overhand left. Curiel chased Rocha around the ring, which played right into Rocha’s gameplan.
Rocha continued to dictate the pace throughout the fourth round as Curiel couldn’t quite get in rhythm. Rocha used his mid-range distance to pump his right jab without getting himself into danger. The fifth round was more of Rocha dictating the pace with his footwork and spacing. Rocha never allowed himself to stay in the pocket too long, making Curiel continually reset. Rocha decided to move forward in the sixth round, but that didn’t work out for him, as Curiel caught him with a series of right uppercuts. Rocha landed a flurry towards the end of the round, but it was not enough to win it.
A slugfest broke out in the seventh round, which wasn’t good for Rocha. Curiel landed a six-punch combination that buzzed Rocha. Up to this point, Rocha kept his distance, but being in close range benefited Curiel and allowed him to land some big shots. The slugfest continued throughout the eighth round, but Rocha’s reflexes reacted slower as he took some clean shots. Curiel kept coming forward and landing the harder shots.
Rocha had a much better ninth round after going to war with Curiel during rounds seven and eight. Curiel landed some heavy leather but the difference in this round was that Rocha countered with a two-punch combination that was just as hard. The tenth round was wild as the ebb and flow was insane. Rocha would land some huge combinations, but then Curiel would come roaring back with combinations of his own. Neither man was looking to stand down, which bled into the 11th round.
The last round saw both fighters go out swinging as neither felt they had the fight won. Both corners told their fighters they needed the last round to win the fight, and they left it all in the ring.
Charles Conwell Crushes Gerardo Vergara In Seven Rounds
Charles Conwell STOPS Gerardo Vergara 😤#RochaCuriel | LIVE on DAZN pic.twitter.com/7i3LujcPFN
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 15, 2024
Charles Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) showed exactly why he’s been avoided up to this point of his career. Conwell stopped Gerardo Vergara (20-1, 13 KOs) in the seventh round of their fight as he continues to make a case as the junior middleweight division’s top contender.
The opening round was a little slow for both fighters. Conwell established a solid left jab, while Vergara did the same with his right jab. The crowd began to boo throughout the round, but both fighters were being very patient with their punch output. Conwell turned up the pressure in the second round, and Vergara quickly realized he was up against a level of opponent he hadn’t faced before. Conwell began to rip left hooks to Vergara’s body, making him step back each time.
In the third round, it was all Conwell with the straight right-hand landing cleanly on the face of Vergara. The punches began to affect Vergara as he smiled but kept moving backward, which is usually a sign of a fighter feeling his opponent’s punches. Conwell played possum a bit in the fourth round, and after Vergara landed, he came right back with a straight right hand. Conwell would land right uppercuts and more straight right hands to the head of Vergara. Conwell was clearly controlling the fight up to this point.
The fifth and sixth rounds were more of Conwell dominating, and in the seventh, Conwell used a combination of a left hook and a right uppercut to hurt Vergara badly. While hurt, Vergara staggered to the ropes, and Conwell continued to tee off on him, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight.
Undercard Results
John “Scrappy” Ramirez (14-1, 9 KOs) earned a unanimous decision victory against Ephraim Bui (10-1, 8 KOs), but it wasn’t easy. All three judges saw this fight identical 97-93. Bui was tough, and when they began to fight on the inside, Ramirez landed some clean counter right hands while Bui was relentless with the number of punches he was throwing. An accidental headbutt in the third round caused a cut over the right eye of Bui. The rest of the fight saw back-and-forth action, but Ramirez came out on top and is now in line for a big fight in 2025.
It was a competitive fight between two 35-year-old former champions as, Marlen Esparza (14-2,1 KO) and Arely Mucino (32-4-2, 11 KOs) left it all in the ring. It was a very physical fight, but in the end, Esparza earned the unanimous decision victory. The judges saw this fight 98-92, 98-92 and 97-93 for Esparza. With this fight, her career continues, and a fight with the undisputed champion Gabriela Fundora could be in her future.
To open up the DAZN telecast, super featherweights Victor Morales (13-0, 9 KOs) and Ivan Guardado (16-3-1, 6 KOs) put on a helluva fight. Morales, who was moving up from featherweight, quickly realized that this wasn’t the same and that he would have to work harder to earn a victory. Although Guardado was game, his right eye was nearly closed, and the doctor stepped in and recommended that the fight be stopped. Morales earns the 8th round TKO.
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