Lenier Pero Beats Jordan Thompson In Orlando

Heavyweight 2016 Olympian and No. 2 WBA contender Lenier 13-0 (8) defeated the former IBF EBU Cruiser champion Jordan Thompson (15-2 (12) by a 10-round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Caribe Royale Orlando, in Orlando, Florida.

(Credit: Zachariah Delgado Matchroom Boxing Fight)

In the first round, the taller Thompson, almost 40 pounds heavier than he was in his last fight some two years ago in an IBF cruiser world title fight, was stopped. Southpaw Pero was 98-19 in the amateurs.

Pero came forward as Thompson used his jab, taking a close round. In the second rounds midway point a left from Pero on the chin drove Thompson several steps into the ropes later shown stepping on the foot of Thompson.

In the third round’s opening minute, Pero landed a low blow, causing referee Christopher Young to give Thompson several minutes to rest. In the final minute, Pero landed a shot to the chest of Thompson, taking all three rounds.

In the fourth round’s final minute, Thompson stood in a corner as Pero landed left shots to the body, taking another round. In the fifth round, Thompson had his best round, starting with a jab and landing lead rights to the body of Pero. In the sixth round, it was another good round for Thompson, very similar to the previous round.

In the seventh round’s midway point, Thompson was hit low again by Pero and got a minute to rest. With less than a minute to go, Pero landed another low punch, causing referee Young to finally take a point. That’s three straight rounds; it seems Thompson has taken after dropping the first four.

In the eighth round’s second half, both went to the body of one another in one of the better rounds of the fight. Pero seems to be slowing down somewhat. Through 8 rounds, Thompson threw more, but Pero landed more. In the ninth round, with 30 seconds remaining, Pero rocked Thompson with an overhand left to the chin, having him almost out on his feet.

In the tenth and final round, both were landing big shots, knowing the fight may be on the line, with Thompson landing more.

The scores were 97-93, 96-93, and 97-93.

Junior middleweight former Cuban amateur champion and WBA Continental Americas champion Yoelvis ‘Lajoya’ Gomez (9-1-1 (7 KOs) retained his title on a 10-round majority draw against Antraveous ‘Yamz’ Ingram (12-0-1 (6 KOs). However, Gomez seemed to have won.

In the first round with over 250 amateur bouts, Gomez is the shorter of the two as the local fighter, Ingram, has plenty of fans rooting behind him.

In the first two rounds, the shorter Gomez goes to the body as Ingram uses his reach, landing jabs, with Gomez taking both rounds. In the third round’s midway point, Gomez landed a combination to the chin, hurting Ingram, making him hold on.

In the fourth round, Ingram came back well as the shorter Gomez seemed to be slowing down. In the fifth round’s midway point, Gomez missed a right hook and fell to the canvas. In the final minute, Gomez hurt Ingram with an overhand left to the chin as he grabbed Gomez.

At the bell, he walked to his corner on shaky legs. In the sixth round, again fighting a southpaw with his hands held in front of his face, Ingram cannot handle the power of the shorter Gomez. A right hook from Gomez in the final seconds hurt Ingram.

In the seventh round, Ingram got his second wind and dominated Gomez until the final minute of the round, when Gomez returned to form, landing lefts and overhand lefts to the chin of Ingram. In the eighth round, Ingram came back well in the first minute. Midway Gomez took over, hurting Ingram with shots to the head, followed by punches to the body, having Ingram bleeding from the mouth and nose.

In the ninth round, Ingram did well until the final minute when Gomez landed numerous right hooks to the chin. In the tenth and final round, it was Gomez dominating, with Ingram running around without throwing much, having never fought over six rounds before. Big round for Gomez.

The scores were 96-94 for Gomez, 96-94 for Ingram, and 95-95. Again, Gomez looked like a winner, but Ingram landed more punches in the end. Mosaminio Montanini was the referee.

Cruiserweight Olympian Pat Brown (5-0 (5 KOs) knocked out Felix Valera, 24-9 (21 KOs) at 1:34 of the second round of a scheduled 10 rounds, scoring two knockdowns.

In the first round, the 37-year-old Valera, compared to the 25-year-old Brown, with Brown having a 3” height advantage, made his US debut. Brown used an effective jab to take the round. At the start of the second round, Valera’s trainer lifted him from the stool, and then the ring physician checked his forehead.

In the second round, in the first minute, a left hook on the ear from Brown dropped Valera for an 8-count from referee Alicia Collins. Brown came right at him and again dropped him with a left hook to the chin as Referee Collins waved it off.

In the chief support bout, junior middleweight 2024 Olympic Bronze Medalist Omari Jones, 4-0 (4 KOs) knocked out Yusuph ‘Mr. Mwanza’ Metu (12-3 (9 KOs) at 1:31 of the third round of a scheduled six rounds.

In the first round, Jones used his jab for the most part. Midway, he rocked Metu with a right to the chin. A left hook and right on the chin in the last 30 seconds from Jones, and down went Metu for an 8-count from referee Massimino Montanini.

In the second round’s halfway point, Jones rocked Metu with a right on the chin. In the final minute, Jones landed four rights on the chin of Metu.

In the third round, Jones landed a left hook on the damaged left eye, causing Metu to walk away and drop to the canvas as referee Montani waved it off as he got up.

Junior middleweight 2024 Olympian southpaw Nishant Dev, 4-0 (2 KOs) dominated a game Juan Carlos Campos Medina (4-3 (3 KOs) by a six-round unanimous decision.

In the first round, the taller southpaw seemed to have a balance problem as Medina slipped to the canvas twice, with referee Christopher Young calling it a slip, though the second one looked like a punch from Dev to the body may have done it. In the second round, Dev brought blood from the Nose of Medina. In the final seconds, Nev rocked Medina with a left on the chin, making him fall into the arms of Nev.

In the third round, Nev continued to outland the shorter Medina, whose nose continues to bleed. A right uppercut from Nev was the highlight of the round on the chin of Medina in the last minute.

In the fourth round, Medina would walk Nev to the ropes but get countered with Medina’s blood even on the chest of Nev from the face of Medina.

In the fifth round’s halfway point, Medina took Nev to the canvas. Nev kept going to the body with uppercuts, taking another round. In the sixth and final round, both southpaws are landing with Medina landing uppercuts to the body and putting his head in the chest of the taller Nev, in his best round, though it may not be his first, he won. His nose had stopped bleeding by the corner in the round.

The scores were 60-54, 60-54, and 60-54.

The ring Announcer was David Diamante.