Big unanimous decision win for @WILLIEMONROEJR over @BVWARRIOR on @ESPNBoxing. Gran triunfo de Monroe en @ESPNBoxeo. pic.twitter.com/DKeJQcQXYE
— Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) January 17, 2015
In his first fight since winning ESPN’s Boxcino Middleweight tournament in 2014, Willie Monroe Jr. (18-1, 6 KOs) scored a unanimous decision win over veteran gatekeeper Bryan Vera (23-8, 14 KOs) at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York.
The 10-round fight headlined a card by Banner Promotions and aired on ESPN2 in the U.S.
Monroe, 28, of Rochester, New York, boxed effectively from the outside before getting comfortable enough to land hands and right hooks from the outside.
Vera, 33, who had just been knocked out by Gabriel Rosado in a BKB Boxing fight late last year, was unable to close the distance against Monroe.
The Forth Worth, Texas native did a better job landing shots to Monroe’s in Rounds 4 and 5, but Monroe would quickly regain control in the fight to land powerful left hands into the final rounds.
The judges scored the fight 98-91, 97-92, and 99-90.
In the co-main event, Brandon Adams (14-1, 9 KOs) knocked out Lekan Byfield (6-6-2, 1 KO) in the second round of a scheduled eight-round Middleweight fight.
Adams landed a counter right hand that immediately dropped Byfield in Round 1. Adams was not able to capitalize, however, until he returned to the jab in Round 2 and eventually stopped Byfield.
In the first televised bout, Greg Jackson (3-1-1, 1 KO) recovered from a second-round knockdown to stop Cornelius Whitlock (3-1-2, 2 KOs) in the third round of a scheduled four-round Welterweight fight.
Henry Lundy was supposed to take on Peter Petrov in the co-main event, but did not make weight yesterday.
