Jamel Herring-Jonathan Oquendo Undercard Results From Las Vegas

Benjamin Whitaker knocked off an undefeated fighter Saturday night for the first time in five years.

San Antonio’s Whitaker out-worked D’Andre Smith in their six-round junior middleweight match and won a unanimous decision at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. Whitaker won on the scorecards of judges Adalaide Byrd (60-54), Lisa Giampa (60-54) and Patricia Morse Jarman (59-55).

The 28-year-old Smith simply was too inactive to have a chance to beat Whitaker. The Decatur, Georgia, native fell to 8-1 (5 KOs). The 36-year-old Whitaker improved to 14-4 (3 KOs) and bounced back from a six-round, majority-decision defeat to Belarus’ Vlad Panin (8-1, 4 KOs) in his last fight, June 25 at MGM Grand Conference Center.

ESPN+ streamed Whitaker’s win as the fourth of seven fights on the Jamel Herring-Jonathan Oquendo undercard. 

Whitaker’s straight right hand hit Smith about 1:10 into the sixth round. Smith was busier early in the fifth round than he had been, but neither fighter was particularly accurate in those three minutes.

A left hook by Smith knocked Whitaker off balance early in the fourth round. Whitaker landed a left, then a right as Smith moved into the ropes with about a minute remaining in the fourth round.

Whitaker landed two hard lefts to Smith’s body in the final minute of the third round. Smith’s left hook hit Whitaker with about 20 seconds left in the second round.

Smith’s left hook caught Whitaker just before the bell sounded to end the first round.

Whitaker connected with a left and then a right at just about the midway mark of the opening round. Whitaker’s left hook got Smith’s attention 50 seconds into the first round.

Earlier Saturday night, Ruben Cervera needed only one shot to finish Rennard Oliver.

Cervera’s devastating right hand left Oliver slumped against the ropes and prompted referee Russell Mora to quickly stop their junior lightweight fight in the second round. Cervera landed a second right hand before Mora moved into position to protect Oliver, but it was the Colombian’s first shot that effectively ended their scheduled six-rounder at 1:42 of the second round.

Cervera improved to 13-2 and produced his 11th knockout. New Orleans’ Oliver (7-3-3, 0 KOs) lost by knockout for the first time as a pro.

Oliver went down with 35 seconds to go in the opening round. Mora initially called it a knockdown, but he changed it to a slip between rounds thanks to the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s instant replay system.

Cervera caught Oliver with a left hook as Oliver moved backward with 1:25 to go in the first round. Cervera suffered a cut above his left eye early in the first round, the result of an accidental head-butt.

In the bout before Cervera’s victory, Edward Vazquez survived a second-round knockdown to remain unbeaten.

Vazquez got dropped early in the second round and had difficulty dealing with Adan Ochoa’s pressure at times, but the Fort Worth, Texas, native won a unanimous decision in their six-round junior lightweight fight. Each judge – Tim Cheatham (58-55), Lisa Giampa (58-55) and Julie Lederman (57-56) – scored their fight for Vazquez (8-0, 1 KO).

Los Angeles’ Ochoa (11-2, 4 KOs) had his nine-fight winning streak snapped.

Ochoa’s right drilled Vazquez to the side of his head right after the halfway point of the sixth round. Vazquez’s combination landed about 20 seconds later, but Ochoa pressed forward.

Vazquez’s left-right combination connected just after the midway mark of the fifth round. With just under a minute remaining in the fifth, Vazquez’s left hook landed.

Vazquez spent most of the first three rounds in retreat, but he pressed the action during the second half of the fourth round. He nailed Ochoa with a straight right with 27 seconds left in that round.

Vazquez and Ochoa traded body and head shots just before the halfway point of the third round. Ochoa remained the aggressor throughout the third round

Ochoa’s overhand right sent Vazquez to the canvas just 21 seconds into the second round. Vazquez fell awkwardly, face first, to the canvas, but he got up quickly and completed the round on steady legs.

Vazquez landed a left hook with just under a minute to go in the opening round. A left hook by Ochoa backed up Vazquez with just under 20 seconds remaining in the first round.

In the first fight Saturday night, Rashiem Jefferson displayed poise and precision.

The 19-year-old prospect picked apart Jose Martinez with straight left hands and right hooks, mostly defended himself well and easily won their four-round featherweight fight. Judges Adalaide Byrd (40-36), Patricia Morse Jarman (39-37) and Ricardo Ocasio (40-36) scored the fight for Jefferson, a southpaw from Philadelphia who improved to 2-0.

Los Angeles’ Martinez slipped to 2-2.

An aggressive Martinez tried to pressure Jefferson in the final round, but Jefferson handled it well. He hit Martinez with numerous counter right hooks in those final three minutes.

Jefferson’s counter left hit Martinez 25 seconds into the third round. Mora called for a break with 54 seconds to go in the third round, so that Martinez could reinsert his mouthpiece.

Martinez tried to rough up Jefferson during the third round, but Jefferson remained composed and stuck to boxing.

A short, right hook by Jefferson caught Martinez with about 1:05 to go in the second round. Jefferson landed another right hook with approximately 25 seconds to go in the second.

Jefferson landed several left hands during the first round, when Martinez tried to get inside, often with his head down.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.