On the eve of the Welterweight showdown between Manny Pacquaio and Timothy Bradley, Gilberto Ramirez (28-0, 22 KOs) scored a fifth-round knockout over Giovani Lorenzo (33-7, 25 KOs) in a Super Middleweight bout at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight was the main event of a card presented by Top Rank Promotions and ESPN2
Ramirez began the fight quickly, giving up his height and reach advantage in order to engage with Lorenzo. Ramirez landed body shots, hooks, and short uppercuts on an overwhelmed Lorenzo.
Lorenzo was hurt at the very end of the first round, after which Ramirez continued his domination over Lorenzo into the second and third rounds. Ramirez easily backed Lorenzo onto the ropes, landing thudding body shots on his much shorter opponent.
Lorenzo was knocked down in the third round as he was smothered by a barrage of punches. Lorenzo was able to continue after an eight-count, but his body language suggested that he was not able to continue.
Ramirez continued stalking Lorenzo but was stopped after the referee noticed that he had landed a shot below the belt. It was a break in the action that allowed Lorenzo to a recover, but he was clearly not the same. It merely allowed Lorenzo to take more punches and to delay the inevitable.
After surviving into the fifth round, Lorenzo’s glove hit the ground three times, but it was only seen and counted twice by referee Jay Nady. Lorenzo’s corner subsequently stopped the fight, a stoppage that would have been more appropriate in the third round.
Gilberto Ramirez won the NABF and NABO Super Middleweight titles, moved up in the Super Middleweight rankings and is now guaranteed a fight in the Marquez vs. Alvarado undercard.
In the co-main event, Jesse Hart (13-0, 10 KOs) defeated Samuel Clarkson (10-3, 6 KOs) in an eight-round Super Middleweight bout.
Hart came into the fight with seven first-round knockouts and an impressive amateur career in which he won three national tournaments at the 165-pound weight limit.
Hart began the first eight-round fight of his career by throwing a hard but consistent jab. Southpaws are normally susceptible to the straight left hand, but Hart was not able to really land them on Clarkson until the second round.
Hart was clearly much stronger than Clarkson, as his power and pressure forced Clarkson to take a knee in the fourth round. Hart’s right hands were landing much easier than earlier, forcing Clarkson to the canvas yet again before the round ended.
Hart dominated the rest of the fight but was unable to finish an opponent he was clearly stronger and better skilled than. Hart often smothered his own right-hand offense, rather than keeping it long and throwing it from a distance.
Hart’s height and reach advantage could have been put to better use if he had known how to throw the right from a distance. Nevertheless, he went to easily win all eight rounds.
All judges scored the bout 80-70.
All photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank
