Jalil Hackett resumed his winning ways in a big way.
Hackett, a 22-year-old Washington, D.C., native, picked up his best win to date with a third-round knockout of unbeaten Elijah Vines. A pair of knockdowns left Philadelphia’s Vines unable to convince referee Thomas Taylor that he was able to continue. The bout was stopped at 33 seconds of Round 3 in their DAZN-aired middleweight bout Thursday evening at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
There was a pre-fight dispute over the actual weight for the scheduled six-round contest. The listed junior middleweight affair saw Vines come in at 153.6 pounds. Hackett – who already has a history of struggling with weight – came in at a beefy 157 pounds, which his team insisted was the contracted limit.
Nevertheless, the fight moved forward and produced the first knockout of the night three bouts into the inaugural edition of “The Underdog,” a forthcoming monthly series formed by boxing financier Turki Alalshikh’s Ring Magazine.
Hackett, 10-1 (8 KOs), hadn’t fought since a shocking split decision defeat to Jose Roman last December 7. An injury forced him to withdraw from their planned rematch earlier this March. He immediately made his presence felt in this fight, his come-forward style directly in line with the scouting report.
Vines wasn’t without his moments, as he landed a few power shots late in the opening round. It was the highlight of his night, as the second round marked the beginning of the end. Hackett struck with a left hook to the chin that forced Vines’ knees to dip. Another left hook connected to the temple as the unbeaten Philly native slumped to the canvas.
Vines beat the count and made it out of the round, but his night wouldn’t last much longer than that.
A right hand by Hackett froze Vines in place, with a follow-up right uppercut and left hook forcing the second knockdown of the night. Vines, 8-1 (7 KOs), once again rose to his feet, but his body language and verbal responses to Taylor’s commands were enough to convince the ring official to call an end to the fight.
Hackett threatened to quit boxing and get a job at Walmart if he wasn’t able to win this fight. Thursday’s performance instead provided a clear look at the talent of the former amateur standout whom Mayweather Promotions signed as a pro and was later picked up by Matchroom Boxing.
The fight provided a much-needed shot in the arm, after a beyond-dragged-out intro to a show that already went live nearly 20 minutes late, followed by two distance fights to begin the night.
Rising junior featherweight prospect Emiliano Alvarado, 9-0 (5 KOs), preserved his perfect record but was forced to sweat out an awfully scored majority decision over Juan Garcia, 7-1 (2 KOs). An 18-year-old, Robert Garcia-trained boxer from Palm Springs, California, Alvarado won by scores of 58-56 and 60-54 to overrule a 57-57 card turned in by judge Tim Cheatham.
The opening bout was much closer to the “Tom and Jerry” type of fights that Alalshikh despises than the promised night of non-stop action. In the end, Jamar Talley claimed a six-round unanimous decision over journeyman Anthony Holloway in their cruiserweight contest.
Scores were 60-54, 60-54 and 59-55 for Talley, who is trained by Brian “Bomac” McIntyre and a gym mate of four-division champ Terence Crawford, 41-0 (31 KOs), who is set to challenge undisputed 168lbs titleholder Saul “Canelo” Alvarez this Saturday on Netflix from Allegiant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.
The card also marked the latest step in the career of Justin Viloria.
The 21-year-old southpaw and nephew of former two-division titlist Brian Viloria outpointed Joshafat Ortiz in their eight-round junior lightweight battle. Scores were 80-72, 80-72 and 80-72 for Viloria, who was spared a blown first-round knockdown call after replays showed that he was sent down from a push.
The balance of the bout saw Viloria initiate the action, while Ortiz offered constant movement and little interest in engaging. Viloria took a few rounds to slow down the mobile Ortiz before he imposed his will in the fifth.
Ortiz managed to catch a reckless Viloria with a right hand midway through the sixth, though Viloria shook it off and resumed his attack.
Viloria, 10-0 (7 KOs), spent the final two rounds following around Ortiz, 13-2 (6 KOs), who circled the ring and engaged only during counter opportunities.
Hackett-Vines and the preceding bouts aired on a show topped by WBO flyweight titlist Anthony Olascuaga, 9-1 (6 KOs), in a mandatory defense against Puerto Rico’s Juan Carlos Camacho, 19-1 (8 KOs).
