Nico Hernandez wows Wichita with stoppage of Robert Ledesma

2016 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez made the local fans in Wichita, Kansas, happy by stopping Robert Ledesma in the second round Friday at the Charles Koch Arena.

The bout, which was stopped at 1 minute and 12 seconds of the second, served as the co-feature for heavyweight Deontay Wilder’s return.

Hernandez, a Wichita native, was coming off a two-year layoff and fighting at bantamweight but showed no rust against his overmatched opponent. As the crowd cheered his name – “Nico, Nico, Nico” – he ripped at Ledesma’s body, dropping him with a series of hooks to end the first round. Hernandez again sent Ledesma to the canvas in Round 2. A right hook to the body sent Ledesma down for the final time.

Hernandez improved to 12-0 (5 KOs). Ledesma, a 38-year-old from San Antonio, fell to 3-15-1 (2 KOs).

Cuban heavyweight Gustavo Trujillo, who trains out of Miami, earned a sixth-round technical knockout over Lateef Kayode, of Hollywood, California. The time of the stoppage was 2 minutes and 15 seconds.

Trujillo, 32 – and 10 years younger than Kayode, who is 42 – controlled the entire fight. Trujillo rocked Kayode in the third, then continued the assault, rocking and mauling his opponent on the ropes as Kayode mounted only a limited amount of offense back. In the sixth, Trujillo unleashed a flurry of punches that forced Kayode’s corner to inform the referee that their fighter couldn’t continue. 

Trujillo is now 8-0 (7 KOs), and Kayode is 22-6 (17 KOs).

Cruiserweight Aaron Casper, of Augusta, Georgia, won a six-round unanimous decision over Jeff Page Jnr, of Andover, Kansas. The scores were 59-55, 59-55 and 58-56 for Casper. 

Casper, who improved to 9-11-2 (5 KOs), might not have a distinguished record, but he has been active: this was his fifth fight of the year. Page showed rust in coming off an eight-year layoff and fighting in a new weight class. Page, 34, once fought former light heavyweight titleholder Artur Beterbiev, but he got outboxed by Casper in a hometown fight. Page’s record is now 18-4 (12 KOs).

Eric Valencia, of Garden City, Kansas, earned a first-round technical knockout over Willie Harris, of Lewisville, Texas. The time was 58 seconds of the round. The first right hand of the fight from Valencia dropped Harris. A left hook from Valencia knocked the wind out of Harris, who had a delayed reaction to the blow and took a considerable amount of time to get to his feet.

Valencia, 21, is now 4-0 (4 KOs). Harris, 20, is 0-2 as a pro. 

Heavyweight John Cantrell, of Topeka, Kansas, knocked out Franklin Sparks, of Springfield, Missouri, in the first round. The time of the stoppage was 1 minute and 43 seconds. A left hook from Cantrell, known as “The Ironman,” dropped Sparks in Round 1. Although Sparks got to his feet, he was unable to continue.

Cantrell, 35, is now 14-0 (13 KOs), while Sparks, 40, is 4-5 (3 KOs). 

Junior welterweight Jorge Carlos, of Olathe, Kansas, knocked out Jay Krupp, of Pensacola, Florida, in the first round. The time of the stoppage was 1 minute, 24 seconds. Carlos, 25, landed a left hook to the body that sent Krupp down in the first round, but Krupp got up. Carlos went back to the body, landing another left hook on Krupp, who winced in pain on the canvas and was slow to get up after being counted out.

Carlos is now 10-0 (9 KOs), while Krupp – after returning to the ring following a 10-year hiatus – dropped to 18-11 (8 KOs).

Undefeated 19-year-old super middleweight Marco Romero, of Olathe, knocked out 43-year-old Andre Amaro, of Honolulu, Hawaii, in the first round. The time of the stoppage was 1 minute, 12 seconds. Romero landed a left hook followed by an overhand right that sent Amaro to the canvas, where he would stay.

Romero improved to 9-0 (8 KOs), while Amaro fell to 2-1 (2 KOs). Romero is now riding a five-fight knockout streak. He had fought only 13 days prior, on June 14, stopping Nafys Anas Garner in the second round.

In the opening bout, a battle of Wichita featherweights making their pro debuts saw Chancey Wilson win a four-round unanimous decision over Joshua Richey. A right hook by the southpaw Wilson, followed by a series of punches, sent Richey down in Round 2. Two judges scored the bout 40-35, while one had it 39-36.

Wilson is now 1-0, and Richey fell to 0-1.

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.