Last Friday, the 8th of December, Boxlab Promotions threw down the gauntlet for the second year running at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, FL, hosting the World Boxing Association (WBA) KO Drugs Night of Champions. This rumble was the prelude to the WBA’s 102nd annual shindig, also at the Caribe Royale.
In the headliner, Venezuela’s own Fradimil Macayo clinched the WBA Fedelatin lightweight crown in a ten round unanimous decision against Miami’s Cuban warrior, Idalberto Umara. Making his U.S. debut, Macayo was like a whirlwind, even scoring a knockdown in round seven. Umara tried his best to turn the tides, but Macayo was just too much.
The judges scored it 97-92, 96-93, and 95-94.
With this triumph, Macayo’s record jumps to an impressive 17-1 with 13 KO’s, while Umara’s record takes a hit, falling to 11-2 with 8 KO’s.
In another jaw-dropping fight, junior welterweight sensation Kevin Hayler Brown KO’d Marcos Jimenez after five rounds, snatching the WBA Continental Americas championship. Brown, a blur of fists, landed shot after shot, while Jimenez, stubborn as a mule, refused to back down, turning it into a brawl. But alas, that was a fatal error.
Round five saw Brown deliver a powerhouse combo, sending Jimenez to the mat. Jimenez got up but found himself on the canvas again after a lethal left to the body. He rose once more, fighting like a cornered beast until the bell.
But in the end, Jimenez’s corner threw in the towel between rounds five and six.
Brown, now a formidable 4-0 with 3 KO’s, is the first to stop Jimenez in over a decade. Jimenez, with his history of going toe-to-toe with world-class fighters, now stands at 25-11 with 17 KO’s.
Rising junior middleweight Jeovanny “El Rayo” Estela blasted Mexico’s Juan Egana Elizalde in less than a round. Estela, the hometown hero, quickly sent Elizalde to dreamland. A massive right hand later, and Elizalde was down again, prompting Referee Massimo Montanini to call it quits at 1:39.
Estela now stands undefeated at 14-0 with 5 KO’s, while Elizalde stumbles to 11-3 with 11 KO’s.
Middleweight standout Euri “La Bazooka” Cedeno, 7-0-1 with 5 KO’s, outclassed the unbeaten Yoanki Urrutia in an eight round unanimous decision. Cedeno, an Olympic alum, dominated the bout, even scoring a knockdown in round one.
The judges called it 79-72 and 80-71 twice.
Cedeno marches on with his undefeated streak, while Urrutia, out of Miami via Cuba, drops to 13-1 with 5 KO’s.
Boxlab Promotions is coming back to the Caribe Royale on December 15 for “Most Valuable Prospects IV”, headlined by Jake Paul vs Andre August. Catch it live on DAZN, in partnership with Most Valuable Promotions.
Undercard results were a mixed bag of knockouts and unanimous decisions, featuring fighters from across the globe, each proving their mettle in the ring.