By Ryan Burton
Last night Roy Jones Jr. defeated Paul Vasquez by first round knockout in front of a packed house at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, FL.
On the undercard heralded amateur Fes Batista won his pro debut with a thrilling unanimous decision victory over Lawrence Purifoy.
Batista recovered from an early knockdown to dominate the final three rounds. He scored a knockdown of his own and stunned his opponent several times.
"It was an excellent fight. A win on Lady Gaga's birthday. What more can I say?" Batista told BoxingScene.com.
Batista credits Lady Gaga's music with saving his life when he was a victim of racism and bullying while growing up in the United Kingdom. It was so bad that contemplated committing suicide.
Batista, who is of Pakistani descent, was proud to put on an entertaining performance in his pro debut and hopes to inspire others with his exploits in and out of the ring.
"Less than five years ago I was suicidal. Now I'm fighting and winning on a legend Roy Jones Jr. card on Lady Gaga's birthday. I'm so blessed and grateful.
"Less than five years ago I was a victim of racism and bullying to the brink of suicide. Now I'm in an amazing arena in front of almost 10,000 people in America, the land of opportunity, winning my first pro fight after coming back from adversity. If you have a dream go out and chase it. God bless America," said Batista.
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