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Amir Imam (17-0, 14 KOs) scored a 10-round unanimous decision win against Walter Castillo (25-3, 18 KOs) at the StubHub center in Carson, California.
The 140-pound fight was the co-main event of the Showtime-televised card that featured Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a 9th-round stoppage loss against Andrzej Fonfara.
Imam, 24, of Albany, New York, used a long reach advantage to keep Castillo away from him in Round 1, but Castillo came back in Round 2 to land punches of his own.
This back-and-forth action characterized the fight for the early rounds, before Imam was able control the fight more effectively in the middle and later rounds.
Castillo, a 26-year-old native of Nicaragua, was a live dog going into the 10th and final round, but Imam’s long jab was too overwhelming for Castillo to do any damage in the final round.
Imam won with scores of 99-91, 100-90 and 98-92.
“I outboxed him. I outclassed him,” said Imam, who feels he is ready for any titlist at 140 pounds.
Imam walked away with boos, but it was undeserved–the young fighter dominated almost every round and is ready for the best in his division.
