By Ryan Burton
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada - In a battle for the BKB middleweight championship, Gabe Rosado retained his world title when he battled Curtis Stevens to a seven round majority draw. The scores were 69-63 for Stevens, and the two remaining judges scored it a 66-66 draw. Unofficial BKB scorer, trainer Robert Garcia, scored the fight for Rosado by a point.
Rosado was busier in the first round and took the action to Stevens, who wasn't applying the expected pressure or big punch combinations. Stevens appeared to stun Rosado at the start of the second and let his hands go to follow up. Rosado quickly tied him up to get out of trouble. The third round was close with both having their moments. The fourth round was close and Rosado seemed to have the edge.
In the fifth, Rosado was winning the round but then Stevens landed a short left hook to drop him in the closing seconds. The sixth was also close and possibly stolen by Rosado at the end with a flurry of shots, but Stevens was landing some heavy lumber. Rosado boxed well in the seventh and final round, but Stevens was applying pressure and landed several good shots to make it close and Rosado did himself no favors by showboating at the end.
