David Benavidez has no shortage of HUGE fights on his radar. In an exclusive interview with BoxingScene, Jose Benavidez Sr. makes it clear that David still wants the biggest names at 175lbs including Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. Benavidez has previously said those are two fights he wants to make as he pursues more titles and major challenges. But there’s another name that could make things very interesting: Andy Ruiz Jr. Jose discusses the possibility of an all-Mexican showdown between Benavidez and the former heavyweight champion, along with David’s plans across multiple divisions. And with a potential Jai Opetaia showdown also building after the pair came face-to-face following Opetaia’s latest victory, Benavidez has some massive options ahead.
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In the evening’s opening bout, Sharahya "PuebloRican" Taina-Moreu used her significant reach advantage and impressive skills to outpoint and shut out Janaisa Morandin in the New Mexican’s pro debut. The former nine-time amateur titlist took an aggressive approach to outmaneuver her opponent.
4 Rounds – Lightweight - Sharahya "PuebloRican" Taina-Moreu (1-0) of Albuquerque, N.M. wins by UD (3x, 40-35). Janaisa Morandin (0-2) of Florianopolis, Brazil
Pro debuting Daniel Gonzales scored an impressive KO against a game Michael Ruiz in the second bout. Both fighters came out swinging in the first round, but Gonzales took control in the second, dropping Ruiz once and pouncing immediately after to finish off Ruiz off officially at 3:00 of round two.
4 Rounds – Lightweight - Daniel Gonzalez (1-0, 1 KO) of Iselin, N.J. defeats Michael Ruiz (0-2) of Toms River, N.J. by 2RD KO (3:00).
Nadim Solloum dominated Antonio Ocles, pounding away with a combination of body and head shots leading to an early stoppage with Ocles calling it quits at 3:00 of round two.
8 Rounds – Super Middleweight - Nadim Salloum (11-1, 5 KOs) of Brooklyn, N.Y. defeats Antonio Ocles (12-12, 3 KO) of Quito, Ecuador by 2RD TKO (3:00).
In the main event, popular New Jersey middleweight Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna cruised to his six straight victory, scoring a third-round knockout over Juan Manuel “El Principito” Witt to retain his World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedelatin Middleweight Championship belt. LaManna, the WBA’s #4 rated Middleweight, pushed the action early and often against his South American counterpart, looking confident utilizing an effectively jab. He turned on the pressure in the third round, dropping Witt three times en route to the victory before a partisan crowd of supporters, his 23rd fight in the resort fight town.
WBA Fedelatin Middleweight Championship - 10 Rounds – Middleweight - Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna (36-5-1, 15 KOs) of Millville, N.J. defeats Juan Manuel “El Principito” Witt (33-2-2, 25 KOs) of Campana, Argentina by 3RD KO.
In a junior middleweight showdown between local rivals, Justin “Time“ Figueroa (6-0, 5 KOs) earned a hard fought win over Jeff “Relentless” Lentz (5-1, 1 KOs) of Egg Harbor Township, N.J. Fighting in his first six-round contest, the former Holy Spirit High School graduate got past his toughest opponent to date in Lentz, a season 12 competitor on The Ultimate Fighter. The pace picked up in the last three rounds with each fighter becoming more aggressive with Figueroa, who had finished all his previous opponents by knockout, continuing to unleash some heavy shots but Lentz remained resilient to the end.
6 Rounds – Junior Middleweight - Justin “Time“ Figueroa (6-0, 5 KOs) of Atlantic City, N.J. defeats Jeff “Relentless” Lentz (5-2, 1 KOs) of Egg Harbor Township, N.J. by UD (58-56, 2x 59-55).
The show concluded in dramatic fashion with Kristian Prenga living up to his growing reputation as a lethal knockout artist. Before a boisterous and vocal legion of supporters, the Albanian heavyweight delivered a devastating one-punch right hand that floored Santander Sligado to end the evening.
WBA Fedecentro Heavyweight Championship - 10 Rounds – Heavyweight
Kristian Prenga of Mirdite, Albania (14-1, 14 KOs) defeats Santander Sligado (32-16, 26 KOs) of Arboletes, Colombia by 1RD KO (1:22).
