By Jake Donovan
Felix Verdejo was extended the distance for the third time in his past four fights, but remains unbeaten after outpointing Mexico's Jose Luis Rodriguez over 10 rounds Saturday evening in his hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Scores were 99-91 (twice) and 98-92 in favor of Verdejo, who was roughed up a bit but managed to prevail in front of a raucous crowd of 6,626 at Coliseo Roberto Clemente.
The night was all about keeping the island's favorite son active after a troubling 2015 campaign that only produced three fights due to his chronically injured hand which has since been surgically repaired and fully healed.
Verdejo managed to live up to the showcase aspect of the night, boxing well in the early round as Rodriguez - a late replacement from Mexico who accepted the fight on less than two weeks notice - struggled was being picked apart while figuring out the best way to close the gap. He found the answer in round four, landing significant shots for the first time in the fight and enjoying mild success in the middle rounds.
After getting tagged more than to which he's grown accustomed, Verdejo swung momentum back in his favor with a strong power surge late in round six. It was his most explosive sequence of the fight, as he spent his remaining time boxing and attempting to keep distance from the stalking Rodriguez.
It worked to a degree, but was forced to fend off shaky moments in rounds nine and ten. Rodriguez landed flush punches upstairs, bloodying the mouth of Verdejo in round nine and believes to have scored a knockdown midway through the 10th and final frame, only for the referee to correctly rule it a push.
The crowd let out a collective sigh of relief, as Verdejo regained his composure and finished strong despite the constant pressure applied by a desperate but care-free Rodriguez, who falls to 18-9 in snapping a four-fight win streak while fighting outside of Mexico for the first time in his career.
Verdejo (21-0, 14KOs), meanwhile, continues to enjoy familiar settings for his ring appearances. Saturday's bout was his second in this venue in the span of three fights. The lone bout in between came at Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York City this past February, with a return trip in store for June 11 versus a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
In the televised co-feature, Christopher Diaz survived a major scare from Ray Ximenez to prevail by unanimous decision in a terrific clash between unbeaten prospects.
The judges scored the bout 77-75, 78-74 and a ridiculous card of 80-72 in favor of Diaz, who dropped to his knees in tears while soaking in the emotional win.
Prospects in this era are used to being groomed on the way up, but Diaz and Ximenez not only agreed to a showdown at this stage of their respected careers, but fought as if promoter Top Rank only had one contract left that would go to whomever won the fight. There was no feeling out process as both put their full arsenal on display over eight furiously paced rounds.
The biggest difference in the fight was Diaz' more telling blows, throwing punches with greater conviction and - especially in the eyes of the official who had it 80-72 - leaving the more lasting impression.
What made the fight more competitive was his insistence in allowing Ximenez to work his way inside rather than control the fight from a distance. The 23-year old from Dallas, Texas seized the moment whenever such opportunity was made available, allowing for two-way action that often brought the crowd to its feet.
Both were given a well-deserved round of applause by fight's end, but only one winner could prevail. That honor rightfully went to Diaz, the charismatic 21-year old from Barranquitas - roughly 90 minutes southwest of San Juan - who improves to 16-0 (10KOs).
The night marked the 11th time in their respective careers in which Diaz and Verdejo were paired on the same show, not including two scheduled events in 2015 where Diaz appeared but Verdejo had to drop out due to injury.
Both bouts aired via one-hour tape delay on Unimas in the United States as part of the network's Solo Boxeo series.
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com Twitter: @JakeNDaBox