Towering at 6-foot-2, Freudis Rojas locked horns with the steadfast Diego Sanchez in Showtime’s broadcast opener. The fight, a welterweight duel, ended 58 seconds into the seventh round, with Rojas claiming the win and elevating his flawless record to 11-0, each win stamped with a knockout. This decision was spurred by referee Tony Weeks, who stepped in following Sanchez’s team’s request.
Evidently, Sanchez’s corner started getting worried when their fighter was bombarded with a staggering 159 punches, landing a mere 51 in return. According to CompuBox data, Rojas managed to land 47% of his power punches, dishing out an average of about 23 punches per round. Sanchez, in spite of his unwavering attempts, found himself on the receiving end of a mounting number of unreturned blows leading up to the fight’s ending.
Rojas: “He was one tough cookie. He just kept bringing the heat,” admitted Rojas. For him, crossing into the fifth round and beyond was an enlightening journey, one he deemed crucial for growth at the professional level. “The crowd adores a scrap, frankly, the more rounds, the better,” remarked Rojas, viewing the fight as a significant opportunity likely to usher in new avenues for him.
Rojas’s left-handed fighting style and imposing build handed him a notable advantage over the 5-foot-7 Sanchez. With a barrage of jabs and southpaw strikes, he kept his adversary at arm’s length. Sanchez’s left eye began to swell shut in the second round, a direct consequence of Rojas’s ceaseless and precise punches.
Despite being outclassed (his record is 19-3, with 16 KOs), Sanchez didn’t falter without a fight. He pressed on, landing a robust right hand and a left uppercut in the fifth round, forcing Rojas to sit up and pay attention. Regardless, it was undeniably Rojas’s moment, a fighter who boasts an amateur win over headline act Martin and has sparred with elite boxers like Terence Crawford, Jaron Ennis, and Alberto Puello. All of Sanchez’s losses have been to undefeated challengers.