Undefeated 19-year-old welterweight standout Emiliano Moreno made a statement with an eight-round unanimous decision over 34-year-old Rashield Williams in the co-feature on “Wednesday Night Fights” at the ProBox TV Events Center in Plant City, Florida.
The scores were 79-73 on all three scorecards for Moreno.
Moreno (10-0, 5 KOs) allowed Williams (11-3, 9 KOs) to come forward, reminiscent of Subriel Matias, looking to land a big punch. Moreno, from Long Beach, California, gracefully moved around the ring in the first round, while Williams, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, by way of Nassau, Bahamas, failed to cut off the ring and simply followed him.
In Round 2, Moreno's punch volume dramatically increased, while Williams’ right hands inched closer. Williams began to increase his volume, keeping his hands and feet in position to always throw punches and stay defensively responsible.
The third round saw Moreno engage in a spirited exchange on the ropes, landing a right hand and left hook that led to a flurry of punches. In the fourth and fifth rounds, Moreno kept busy at range, but when Williams got close, he let his hands go. By the sixth, blood began to flow from Williams' nose. Moreno maintained a solid body attack and a good jab that kept Williams at range, but in the seventh, Williams became more active with his combinations. However, Williams didn't have enough tools in the second half of the fight to close the distance, as Moreno, one of the most composed teenagers in professional boxing, controlled the action with his jab.
Junior welterweight Clarence Booth spoiled the return of Jonathan Navarro – but didn’t walk away with the victory.
All the judges scored the fight 76-75 for Navarro, resulting in a unanimous decision, despite boos from the crowd.
Navarro (18-0, 9 KOs) faced Booth (21-11, 13 KOs), who showed no respect for the 27-year-old from East Los Angeles. A right hand from Navarro that landed on Booth's elbow forced Booth into the ropes, resulting in a knockdown count, which proved to be the difference in the fight. Navarro quickly found his rhythm, with the early knockdown serving as a welcome back to the ring.
In the second round, Booth, who told ProBox TV telecasters in pre-fight meetings that he planned to wear down Navarro, landed a solid right hand. Despite some good moments from Navarro, Booth's awkward approach troubled his opponent, especially as Navarro appeared to be dealing with a bicep injury, abandoning his jab by the third round. Broadcaster and former titleholder Chris Algieri noted that the injury might be the reason Navarro wasn’t using his jab, contributing to Booth's best round of the fight and increasing his confidence.
By the fourth round, Booth appeared to be fighting a one-handed Navarro, using his physical strength to his advantage. Navarro, despite the injury, refused to back down or quit. Undeterred by his record, Booth persistently pressed forward, catching Navarro whenever he hesitated. By the sixth round, Navarro's limited ability to use his left hand – and thus his jab, one of his best weapons – allowed Booth to dominate.
Booth, a world-class inside fighter, capitalized on Navarro's inability to use his jab and should have had a marquee win. Despite being compromised, Navarro displayed a game and classy effort, winning rounds and never looking for a way out. His flawed victory overshadowed the grit he showed.
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
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