Exciting Undercard at Paul vs. Chavez Jr Event
The undercard of the highly anticipated Paul vs. Chavez Jr event, held at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, delivered an exhilarating night of boxing featuring impressive performances from numerous fighters.
Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez Defends Titles
Leading the card, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez successfully defended his WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles, enhancing his impressive record to 48 victories and a single defeat, with 30 of those wins coming by way of knockout.
Facing off against former IBF and WBA champion Yuniel Dorticós, who is now 27-3 with 25 knockouts, Ramirez showcased his superior skill set across twelve rounds. Judges awarded him the victory with scores of 117-110 and 115-112 on two cards after a hard-fought battle, marking a significant accomplishment over the mandatory challenger.
Notable Performances from Other Fighters
Mexican welterweight Raul Curiel also made headlines, extending his record to 16 wins out of 17 bouts with a striking fourth-round knockout of Uruguayan Victor Rodriguez, who experienced the first defeat of his career (now 12-1). Curiel’s victory marked his 14th stoppage, solidifying his undefeated status at 16-0-1.
Avious Griffin added to his impressive resume, improving to 17-1 with 16 KOs after defeating Julian Rodriguez late in their fight, winning decisively in the final moments. Meanwhile, Floyd Schofield stepped back into the spotlight following his previous challenges with Shakur Stevenson, showcasing his talent by quickly dispatching former IBF super featherweight champion Tevin Farmer in the first round with a knockout after dropping him three times. Schofield now boasts a remarkable record of 19-0 with 13 KOs, while Farmer falls to 33-9-1.
Women’s Boxing Highlights
On the women’s side, former UFC titleholder and boxing Hall of Famer Holly Holm made a notable return to the ring by defeating Yolanda Vega in a bout that marked her debut with Most Valuable Promotions. With this victory, Holm improved her record to 34 wins, 2 losses, and 3 draws, while handing Vega her first loss in 12 fights. Holm expressed her ambitions for a potential world title shot later this year, eyeing future matchups against notable fighters like Stephanie Han, Amanda Serrano, or Katie Taylor.
Preliminary Card Highlights
The preliminary card showcased heavyweight Joshua Edwards, who has drawn comparisons to Deontay Wilder. Edwards maintained his perfect knockout ratio, achieving his second first-round KO victory in just three professional fights against Dominicc Hardy. Other winners included Joel Iriarte, who went 8-0 with a unanimous decision victory over Kevin Johnson, and Alexander Gueche, who also achieved a similar 8-0 record against Vincent Avina.
Conclusion
Overall, the DAZN Pay-Per-View event not only highlighted burgeoning talent but also laid the groundwork for potential future championship clashes among several fighters in attendance.
