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Gary Russell Floors Christopher Perez Four Times in Third-Round TKO Win;
Erislandy Lara Cruises to Victory Over Freddy Hernandez in Bloody Battle
Catch the Replay on Tuesday, July 3
At 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME®
At 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME®
INDIO, Calif. (July 1, 2012) – Cornelius “K9” Bundrage defended his International Boxing Federation (IBF) Junior Middleweight World Championship for the second time against Cory Spinks, the man he won it from nearly two years ago. In a rough-and-tumble fight, Bundrage dropped Spinks four times en route to a seventh-round technical knockout. In the co-featured bout on ShoBox: The New Generation, 2011 Prospect of the Year Gary Russell Jr. pounded Christopher Perez onto the canvas four times before scoring a third-round technical knockout. Opening the telecast from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Erislandy Lara won an entertaining, bloody unanimous 10-round decision over Freddy Hernandez by the scores of 99-90, 98-91 and 95-94.
When Bundrage (32-4, 19 KO’s), of Detroit, Mich., and Spinks (39-7, 11 KO’s), of St. Louis, Mo., tangled for the IBF junior middleweight belt in 2010, the two produced a clinch-filled battle before Bundrage stopped Spinks to claim the crown.
Second verse same as the first.
Last night’s ShoBox main event saw Bundrage land an overhand right in the first round that sent Spinks to the canvas and indicated that it might be another early night for the son of former World ChampionLeon Spinks. Spinks, however, was able to regain his composure and pushed the fight into the middle rounds.
Rough tactics, mauling and grabbing dominated much of the fight before Bundrage’s right hand returned in the seventh round. Similar to the first round, Bundrage landed another overhand right that floored Spinks. Spinks rose to his feet but Bundrage stalked him and scored two more knockdowns before referee Ray Corona stopped the fight at 2:32 of round seven.
“It took a while for me to get going,” said Bundrage following his title defense. “I felt like I was going to get him. You can’t stand up to all that fire.”
Spinks was respectful in defeat. “My stuff just wasn’t coming off right,” said the St. Louis native. “The best man won tonight and I take my hat off to him.”
In the co-featured attraction, Perez (23-3, 14 KO’s), of Culiacan, Mexico, held his own for one round before Russell Jr. (20-0, 12 KO’s), of Capitol Heights, Md., completely dominated his taller Mexican opponent. In the second round, southpaw Russell Jr. countered off a right and sent Perez to the canvas with a left hand-right hook combination.
Showing no lack of sharpness after the longest layoff of his pro career, Russell Jr. continued to showcase his blistering hand speed in the third with more combinations and short, well-placed punches. After registering three more knockdowns, referee Pat Russell called off the fight at 1:41 of the third round.
Lara (17-1-1, 11 KO’s), of Houston, Texas, by way of Guantanamo, Cuba, kicked off the evening with a performance that further solidified his place amongst the elite of the 154-pound division. Sharpshooting from all angles, the dangerous former amateur standout peppered Hernandez (30-3, 20 KO’s), of Lynwood, Calif., by way of Mexico City, with power shots throughout the contest. Hernandez gave a gritty effort but could only muster up glimpses of the tough fight he had hoped to give Lara.
Lara head-butted Hernandez in the sixth which left Hernandez demonstrably annoyed. The butts did not end there as the two fighters clashed heads in the beginning of the seventh which produced a large vertical cut over the right eye of Hernandez. Referee Wayne Hedgepeth deducted a point from Lara for the foul. With bloody teeming from his forehead, Hernandez forged ahead and lasted through the final three rounds, but could not match his opponent’s talents and Lara’s hand was raised in victory.
Prior to the telecast in a scheduled eight-round welterweight bout, rising prospect Antonio Orozco (15-0, 11 KO’s), of San Diego, Calif., scored a lopsided technical knockout over Albert Cruz Jr. (9-4, 8 KO’s) when referee Pat Russell stopped the fight after round three at the advice of the ringside physician.
The ShoBox telecast will re-air this Tuesday, July 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME® and be available on SHOWTIME On Demand from July 1 through July 29.
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