Eric Priest stayed focused over the course of ten rounds against Tyler Howard at Commerce Casino in Commerce, CA, on Thursday night, atop the “Golden Boy Fight Night” card. No, the 26-year-old didn’t announce himself as a current threat to the top class at 160. But this UD10 victory, by scores of 100-90 times three, suggests Priest is a prospect with promise, working toward contender status.
The middleweight Priest, from Kansas, came in 14-0 with 8 KOs. The Crossville, Tennessee native Howard, age 31, entered with a 20-2 mark. A WBA regional belt was up for grabs. Beto Duran did blow by blow and received support from analysts Gabriela Fundora, the undisputed flyweight ace, and Alexis Rocha, a GBP feature player. They noted that Priest passed the test as a headliner; he drew a good crowd.
The fight callers: @DuranSports, @GabrielaFundor3 in her blow by blow debut and @AlexisRocha777 https://t.co/yRQFXifMoZ pic.twitter.com/AcxnDwkjzk
— Michael Woods (@Woodsy1069) January 24, 2025
In the first, Priest looked a head taller. Both assessed and got loose in the center of the ring. Priest got loose and busier midway through. Howard looked to be quite respectful of Priest, preferring analysis over action. In round two, Priest kept the distance he wanted with a long jab. Fundora noted with Duran that Priest looked looser than they’d seen previously. Howard didn’t change much from the first; he was still getting data, I guess.
In the third, quick jabs came from the ex-Wilhelmina model. Howard did perk up some; he closed the distance a bit but still seemed a step behind. In round four, Priest kept the good rhythm, jabbed, slid, and piled up points. Howard’s nose got redder as the jab diet continued. Trainer Bobby Benton rightly asked Howard for more than one shot at a time. It didn’t happen. Trainer Julian Chua suggested Priest ramp it up a bit and surge when the opportunity arose after the fifth.
Priest has thrown 159 jabs so far 👀#PriestHoward | LIVE on our YouTube channel and DAZN
WATCH HERE: https://t.co/sPJTWixiqp pic.twitter.com/9lXlVZEvPE— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) January 24, 2025
Priest took the sixth, staying with the formula, moving when and where he wanted. Howard didn’t have the answers or maybe the skills to answer questions posed by Priest through seven. He did look for spots, but he was usually too slow with counters. “You can do it son. We believe in you,” trainer Benton said to Howard before round 8, with more compassion than conviction.
Nothing too much distinguishes round 8 from 9. Howard stayed in the game, and Priest didn’t seem like an imminent threat to get a stop. He didn’t in the tenth, so we went to the cards.
“The Patriot” Panthen Stays Unbeaten
In the co-feature, watchers saw Deaundre Pettus (from SC; 12-3 entering) versus Jordan ‘The Patriot’ Panthen (entering 10-0 with 9 KOs; from Hawaii, upstate NY; debuting for GBP), a bull-riding/ranch hand, in a middleweight clash. Thomas Taylor reffed. After ten rounds, the busier man had his hand raised. Panthen— his face bore nasty marks from battle. He smiled, though, hearing the scores in his favor, 100-90, 98-92, 97-93.
In the first, Panthen repped the patriotic stripes trunks and edged forward. Pettus went on that back foot; he didn’t want to taste the full power, especially so early. A head clash, accidental, nicked Panthen. By 3/4 the way through, Pettus realized he could hang, I think. Julian Chua spoke to Panthen in between rounds.
In the second, Panthen, who, by the way, is a “barker,” stayed aggressive. Pettus, face to face, looked at least one weight class bigger— would his size aid him in maybe wearing down Panthen a lil bit down the line? Pettus watched for long periods, so Panthen’s volume stood out in the third. But by round three, Panthen’s busyness slowed. He tried to clown Pettus after rounds two and three.
Co-Feature Up For Grabs
By the fifth, Pettus looked like he was feeling good. His timing had improved, and he’d tasted what he assumed was Panthens’ best. The left eye of Panthen had the ref asking the doc to do a strong assessment. A right uppercut from Pettus scored a couple of times through six. Panthen got more active with a vivified sixth, but a straight right from Pettus may have stole it. Four rounds on the board; who wanted it more? Panthen’s face looked rugged—now his nose dripped—but he was busier in the seventh.
To the eighth: Panthen started fast, forcing Pettus to match. Pettus backed up Panthen. Was Panthen trying to walk him into something? Too often, maybe, Pettus found himself on the ropes, blocking. And not usually throwing…Pesky Panthen dropped double left hooks to the body, part of a varied, high-volume repertoire.
Both men reached round nine for the first time. Panthen’s aggression continued; his energy and output looked better than his foes’. Pettus landed a big right in almost every round. Panthen kept barking and throwing with admirable verve. In the tenth, Pettus threw more, acknowledging the tight fight. Then he slowed, and Panthen went into the typical mode, the more aggressive athlete. The tenth ended, and we went to the cards.
Next: Super welterweights in a six round bout. David Ramirez (17-3 with 12 KOs; age 32; from Costa Rica) met Grant Flores (from Coachella, CA; age 20).
Flores came in at 7-0 with five stops. The lanky Flores knew he had the skills edge from the start. He stalked, pumped the jab as he advanced, and stayed tall. The stop came late in round two, after consistent pressure: your winner, Flores. An uppercut at 2:59 did the damage.
Young Cayden Griffiths Impresses
Cayden Griffiths (2-0 entering; from Coachella, CA), 18 years old, fought Mark Misiura (age 30; from Scranton, PA) in a catchweight welterweight plus bout.
Griffiths has been doing this since he was 8, with Joel Diaz and company. He had control of the real estate from the start. His hand speed looks above average, and it is obvious gym work has seasoned him beyond his years. A body shot, left hook to the side, sent Misiura down. He couldn’t beat the count— a KO came for Griffiths at the 1:42 of round two. The winner said after in the ring that he felt pleased to be fighting in Los Angeles.
In the second TV fight, super bantamweight Jordan Fuentes (2-0 entering; age 19) from Fresno, CA, met 23-year-old Brandon Badillo (0-2-1 entering; from TN, lives in SC) in a four-rounder.
Two lefties worked in close on each other, but without an inside trench game, to start. Fuentes has more seasoning; he stayed calm and focused throughout. In the third, Badillo hit the deck for the first time as a pro off a step-back hook. Badillo stayed aloft and to the card they went. The winner, Jordan Fuentes, by scores of 40-35 times three. Fuentes started his career 2-2 and has been steadier since. Overall, Rocha thought he could be busier and force the issue. Duran and Fundora agreed. All three lauded the outing.
Sanchez vs. Cruz Kicks Things Off
In the show opener on DAZN, Leo Sanchez, from Cathedral City, CA met Joseph Cruz in a six rounds or fewer scrap. With “Bazooka” stitched on his belt, the lefty Sanchez started fast and stayed busy. The Mexican Cruz, age 24, was back to the ropes as Sanchez raked him for most of the second. Things settled in from there.
After six rounds, your winner via UD (60×54 times three): the 22-year-old Sanchez rose to 7-0 with 6 KOs, and the loser went to 10-12 (stopped 6 times). The winner did well to maintain his stamina while in high-volume mode.
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