Last night, Plant City, Florida was alive with the thrill of boxing as Wednesday Night Fights made a comeback. In the spotlight was a WBA world title eliminator, a super featherweight face-off between the skillful Georgian Otar Eranosyan and ex-world champ from Venezuela, Roger Gutierrez. They battled it out in ProBox TV’s main event, a thrilling 12-rounder with the winner earning a shot at Hector Luis Garcia, who snatched Gutierrez’s title last year.
From the get-go, this midweek spectacle was a roller-coaster. Round 1 saw Eranosyan displaying finesse, dancing around the ring, and throwing dazzling combinations. Gutierrez had his work cut out for him, but the Venezuelan warrior was far from rattled.
Round 2 kicked off with Gutierrez, showing a fresh determination, unleashing a ferocious right hand that sent Eranosyan sprawling to the canvas. Eranosyan was quick to rise, but Gutierrez’s onslaught nearly sent him packing early. Powerful right hands and hooks had Eranosyan reeling, but he steadied the ship and turned the tables for the rest of the round. Still, Gutierrez won the round 10-8.
Eranosyan’s slip in Round 2 proved a turning point. The talented Georgian found his groove from Round 3, dictating the fight with jabs, uppercuts, and left hooks. Gutierrez remained a threat, but Eranosyan’s relentless assault saw his opponent wilting.
By Round 7, Gutierrez’s fatigue was showing, and Eranosyan was in the driver’s seat, landing punishing body shots. The Georgian even channeled some Roy Jones Jr. flair, sensing victory was in sight.
The drama continued into Round 8, with Gutierrez losing a point for holding, then getting floored with just 18 seconds left. He managed to stand, but the end was inevitable. Amid confusion and a concerning delay from the doctor, Gutierrez was deemed unable to continue.
The scores: Eranosyan remains unbeaten at 14-0 (7 KOs) and now finds himself in line for the WBA super featherweight world title. Gutierrez’s record shifts to 27-5-1 (21 KOs).
In other action, Petros Ananyan staged a thrilling comeback to knock out Christian Baez (19-3, 17 KOs) in Round 7 of their super lightweight bout. Down on the scorecards, Ananyan’s knockout was a show-stealing exclamation point on a night filled with boxing drama.
