Sulaiman Segawa proved once again that he is a featherweight contender.
Segawa picked up a seventh-round technical knockout over Bryan Acosta on Friday at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C. The time of stoppage was 2 minutes, 59 seconds.
Segawa, a crafty 34-year-old veteran from Silver Spring, Maryland, stayed on the move and had Acosta walking into his punches from the start. His awkward style gave Acosta problems, as he landed several glancing blows to start the fight. Segawa then landed a right hook that dazed Acosta in the second round. The two exchanged punches, dazing each other as the fans applauded the action. Acosta’s answer was to walk forward and look for a fight with Segawa.
Acosta, a 27-year-old from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico – and traditionally a slow starter – had success in the fifth as he began to pressure Segawa, landing big shots to end the round. But Segawa’s movement continued to give Acosta issues, halting Acosta’s momentum.
At the start of the seventh, Segawa, brimming with confidence, landed a right hook that dropped Acosta. When he got back to his feet, Acosta wasn’t looking to hold but rather punch with his opponent. Segawa continued to unleash on Acosta, who showed toughness but wasn’t able to respond as the referee called off the fight as the round ended.
Segawa, who is rated No. 6 in the WBC featherweight rankings, is now 18-5-1 (7 KOs) after rebounding from his majority decision loss to featherweight contender Bruce Carrington. Acosta is now 20-2 (8 KOs), having lost two fights in a row. Acosta fell to Ramon Cardenas in February in a junior featherweight bout.
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.
