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Salita Promotions brought their Big Time Boxing series to the island of Puerto Rico, featuring a full host of Boricua boxers taking on an international squad of opponents. The NABO lightweight title was contested between Joshua Pagan and Maliek Montgomery, while the WBC Latino super bantamweight title up for grabs between Ashleyann Lozada and Melissa Odessa Parker.
Grand Rapids, MI’s Pagan took on Las Vegas resident Maliek Montgomery in a scheduled ten rounder for the NABO lightweight title. After a fast paced first round, which seemed to favor Montgomery, he suffered a cut on his left eyebrow in round two, ruled from a punch. That cut seemed to spur Montgomery on with reckless abandon. Pagan did his best to box under control and not get drawn into a dog fight with Montgomery. Two thirds of the way through round four, the referee called time to have Montgomery’s cut examined, but the doctor allowed the action to continue.
Pagan’s ring generalship took over for the next couple of rounds, but suddenly in round six with about 30 seconds to go, Montgomery seemed to hurt his foe, finishing the round with a multi-punch combination against a listless Pagan. Pagan resumed control in the seventh, and Montgomery used his negotiating skills before round eight started, after the doctor examining him said, “You’re bleeding heavily my friend,” then proceeded to allow the action to continue! Despite Montgomery holding his own throughout the fight, referee Ramon Peña decided he had seen enough blood and stepped in to stop the bout 2:44 of the ninth round. Pagan improves to 14-0, 5 KOs. The gutsy Montgomery losses his second straight, falling to 20-2, 18 KOs. Pagan is now the NABO champion.
Puerto Rico’s first female Olympian- Ashleyann Lozada battled Melissa Odessa Parker for the WBC Latino super bantamweight title. Lozada’s ring monicker is La Maquina (The Machine), while Parker goes by La Bela Bestia (The Beautiful Beast). Parker appeared to get the best of round one, seemingly scoring a knockdown with a right jab to the chest, which the referee ruled a slip. Things seemed to go Parker’s way in the second round as well, but Lozada turned up the energy in round three, landing some fast combinations and controlling the round.
Round four saw blood begin to stream from Parker’s nose, courtesy of Lozada’s combinations. Lozada’s footwork and speed allowed her to pull away towards the end, in what was a close fight in the early rounds. The judges saw it a bit wide at 79-73 and 80-72 twice for the new WBC Latino super bantamweight female champion, Ashleyann Lozada, now 3-0, 1 KO. The tough luck Parker slides to 6-4-1, 2 KOs.
Local featherweight Felix Parrilla dropped Kenneth Taylor with a left uppercut late in round one, then again in round three for referee Billy Rosario’s full count at 2:38 of the round. Parrilla improves to 12-0, 10 KOs. Taylor drops to 15-6-2, 6 KOs.
In the opening televised fight, local gal Kiria Tapia took on Argentinian Marianela Soledad Ramirez in a super lightweight barn burner over eight rounds. Tapia had too much for the naturally smaller Ramirez, despite Ramirez doing everything she could to match Tapia in the punch department.All three judges tallied the scores at 80-72 for Tapia, who improves to 8-0, 1 KO. Soledad Ramirez falls to 13-10-2, 6 KOs.
