Jesus Cuellar retained the WBA Interim Featherweight title with a 5th round stoppage over Ruben Tamayo and the Little Creek Casino in Shelton, Washington.
in round four, Cuellar sent Tamayo o the canvas with a right hand. Just moments later body shot sent Cullerar down for a 3nd tine in the round. Cuellar dropped Tamayo with another body shot in round five and the bout was stopped at 1:48 of round five.
Cuellar, 126 lbs of Argentina is now 26-1 with 20 knockouts. Tamayao, 124 1/2 lbs of Mexico is now 25-5-4.
“I’m very happy I could close out the year headlining on national television on SHOWTIME and also on Argentina’s public channel. That was a dream come true.’’
Cuellar doesn’t know what’s next, but says he wouldn’t mind a fight against former three-time world champion Abner Mares.
“I really wanted to make a good impression on the fans tonight and I’m looking forward to fighting often again next year,’’ Cuellar said. “There are a lot of possibilities, but I think the fighter I’d like to fight is Abner Mares, who I met recently in Las Vegas. He approached me and we took a picture together and then he tweeted it out, saying he wanted to fight me. Well, I’d like to fight him, too. It would be a really exciting fight for the fans.’’
Cuellar, a six-time Argentine national amateur champion and two-time South American amateur champion, is unbeaten as a professional since suffering his lone loss in October 2011.
His trainer, Robert Garcia, says Cuellar is still a work-in-progress and will continue to improve.
“We haven’t seen the best of Cuellar, not by a longshot,’’ Garcia said. “He’s making good progress from fight to fight, but still has things to learn. Little by little, though, he is getting better. There is not a fighter as dedicated as he is. He’s very disciplined, trains hard, spars hard and does everything to the extreme.
“With more time, I really expect great things out of him.’’
Former world title challenger Gary Russell Jr. pounded out an easy 10-round unanimous decision over veteran Chris Martin in a Featherweight bout.
Russell dominated the action showing blistering hand speed and hard combinations. Russell continued to pepper Martin with short, quick punches and Martin, who tried hard just did not have the speed to compete with Russell. The bout was never in question as Russell won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91.
Russell, 126 1/2 lbs is now 25-1. Martin, 126 lbs of Chula Vista, CA is now 28-5-3.
Russell landed 293-845 punches. Martin was 67-353
“I’m O.K., pretty cool with the result and my performance,’’ said the talented, quick-fisted Russell who dominated from the outset. “I wanted to totally outbox Martin and I did. I wanted to get in some rounds, get some of the ring rust off and I did that too. I felt real comfortable in there. I wanted to box and show good ring generalship. It’s going to be a big 2015 for me.’’
Good looking Jr. Middleweight prospect Julian Williams dominated Jarmar Freeman and scored an 8th round stoppage in a scheduled 10-round bout.
Williams dominated the fight by using his exceptional handspeed and combination punching for which Freeman had no answer for.
In round seven, Williams landed a perfect right hand that sent Freeman to a knee. Williams landed a huge flurry that sent Freeman down for a second time in the round. In round eight, Williams landed about six right hands that crumbled Freeman in the corner and the fight was stopped at 29 seconds of round eight.
Williams, 153 3/4 lbs of Philadelphia is now 18-0-1 with 11 knockouts. Freeman, 153 1/4 lbs of Wilson, NC is now 13-4-2.
“I knew he’d be tough, but it feels good to win by knockout,’’ said Williams, the new WBC Continental Americas 154-pound champion. “It’s crazy but this was my fourth scheduled 10-round and fourth knockout.
“Tonight, I just wanted to show patience and pace myself. My last fight was very disappointing to me. I rushed everything. I know I have to keep improving. When I watch tapes of my fights, I am not looking to admire myself but to see where I can improve.
“I’d like to improve 25 percent each time out. A lot of prospects get satisfied with early success, but I’m not like that. The 154-pound division is loaded. The top five guys, even the bottom five are all really tough. I want to be ready for all of them when my turn comes up.’
Punch stats saw Williams lands 136-367. Freeman was just 22-172
Julius Jackson scored a 9th round stoppage over Jonathan Nelson in a scheduled 10-round Super Middleweight bout.
Jackson scored a knockdown in round one when he landed a series of rights that stunned Nelson and then he took a knee. Jackson dominated the first half of the fight as he landed power shots from distance.
Nelson had a brief comeback with some good counter shots in round six. Jackson came back to have a solid round seven and then dropped Nelson from a perfect right in round eight. The fight was stopped a round later after Jackson landed a few more telling blows at 28 seconds of round nine.
Jackson, 168 lbs of Virgin Islands is now 19-0 with 15 knockouts. Nelson, 167 1/2 lbs of Little Rock, Arkansas is now 19-2.
Jackson landed 186-468 punches while Nelson was just 68-200
“He was a tough fighter, much tougher than I thought,’’ said Jackson, 27, a five-year-pro and the son of former WBA Super Welterweight and two-time WBC Middleweight Champion Julian “The Hawk” Jackson and the older brother of super middleweight and fellow-2008 Olympian John Jackson. “He could take a punch. I don’t think I hit him that hard at the end. I feel a combination of punches may have worn him down a little.
“These are the kinds of fights I want, and hope to have. I want to prove myself to myself and these are the kinds of fights that will do it. I am happy with my performance tonight.’’
Offered Nelson, “I’m disappointed in losing but I think I gained a few fans along the way. I will definitely learn from this fight.’’
