Oscar Collazo can enjoy dealer’s choice for his first career title fight.
The unbeaten Puerto Rican southpaw became a double mandatory challenger after a statement-making fifth-round knockout over Mexico’s Yudel Reyes. Collazo floored Reyes twice in the fateful round, the latter producing the stoppage at 2:59 of round five in their DAZN-aired opener Saturday evening at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California.
Collazo entered the fight as the number-one ranked strawweight contender with the WBA. Saturday saw the diminutive Boricua also emerge as the mandatory challenger for newly crowned WBO 105-pound champ Melvin Jerusalem, who won the belt with a second-round knockout of Masataka Taniguchi earlier this month.
The title eliminator was originally to come in the form of an all-Boricua showdown, but that changed when former WBO strawweight titlist Wilfredo ‘Bimbito’ Mendez withdrew after suffering a back injury during training camp.
Monterrey’s Reyes (15-2, 5KOs) accepted the fight on two weeks’ notice and was game early in the bout. Collazo—a 26-year-old southpaw from Villalba, Puerto Rico who is represented by co-promoters Promociones Miguel Cotto and Golden Boy Promotions—was successful with his right jab up top and downstairs but Reyes was able to find a home for his left hook to the body.
Reyes attempted to neutralize Collazo’s attack with lead left hooks and straight right hands. Collazo quickly adjusted and connected with right hooks both to the body and chin of Reyes, who stepped well up in competition.
Collazo was denied a knockdown call early in round four. Reyes was shook by a right hook but Collazo’s attempt at a follow-up left turned more into a cupping of Reyes’ head as he sent him to the canvas. It was ruled a push, though Reyes did not appear to have his faculties fully intact.
No punches were wasted in round five. Collazo struck early, badly rocking Reyes with a right hook before sending him to the canvas. Reyes beat the count but was on unsteady legs for the balance of the fight. Collazo remained poised, picking his shots before letting his hands go in the final 20 seconds of the contest. Reyes was out on his feet before the final two punches sent him crashing to the canvas. The bout was immediately brough to a halt as Collazo climbed the corner ring post in celebration.
Collazo improved to 6-0 with four knockouts. The win came six months after outpointing former WBO titlist Vic Saludar in their WBA strawweight title eliminator last July 16 in Los Angeles. He will now have his choice between Jerusalem for the WBO belt and the winner of the March 1 WBA title consolidation clash between Thammanoon Niyomtrong and Erick Rosa.
Headlining the show, local favorite Alexis Rocha (21-1, 13KOs) of nearby Santa Ana faces Ghana’s George Ashie (33-5-1, 25KOs) in a scheduled twelve-round, welterweight contest.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
