Yoenis Téllez Ko 7 Johan González (Photo Joseph Correa-Premier Boxing Champions)
Yoenis Téllez is fun to watch. He is constantly on the move and constantly attacking. He’s only had nine fights and the Cuban expat feels he’s ready for the elite at 154 pounds.
On Saturday night, he made a strong statement by stopping veteran Johan Gonzalez at 1:57 of the seventh round on Saturday night in the co-feature of the Bakhram Murtazaliev-Tim Tszyu IBF junior middleweight title fight in PBC event on Prime Video at the Caribe Royale Resort, in Orlando, Florida.
The 24-year-old Téllez (9-0, 7 knockouts) knocked down González (35-4, 34 KOs) a total of three times.
“We faced a very experienced fighter with a good trainer in Ismael Salas, so I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Tellez said. “I just followed the instructions from my corner so I could get the win.
“The most important weapon I have is the will to become world champion and the motivation to make my country proud. Ever since I left my country, I wanted to win for them.
“I’m here to fight and let my team take care of getting me big opportunities and big opponents. I’m willing to fight anyone.”
After four it was easy to see the fight at 2 rounds each. Tellez was busy with looping right hands and double left hooks to the body, while Gonzalez kept coming forward.
But the bump had a telling effect on Gonzalez.
Gonzalez started the sixth very well. But Tellez quickly turned the tide. His speed started to make a difference, and then it showed when he unfurled a right that dropped Gonzalez with a right near the end of the round.
Tellez worked different angles and worked at close range in the seventh. A left hook dropped Gonzalez for a second time in the fight and a third time in his career. Tellez finally finished it off with a right at 1:57 of the seventh, sending Gonzalez down a third time.
“I didn’t properly follow what my corner told me to do and that’s what cost me the fight,” Gonzalez said. “Tellez is a good fighter and a good prospect. I think I could have made the fight better for myself if I had been more disciplined.”
César Tapia and Endry Saavedra fight to a majority tie
Endry Saavedra knocked down César Tapia three times, twice in the third and once in the ninth, and somehow the judges made the 10-round middleweight fight and potential fight of the year a majority draw, with Harold Hunt who scored it 94-92 for Tapia while Michael Ross and Efrain Lebron scored it 93-93.
Endry Saavedra knocked down César Tapia three times and ended in a majority draw (Photo by Joseph Correa-Premier Boxing Champions)
Saavedra was left in disbelief.
“Everyone saw the fight and I know the fans here believed that I won,” he said. I can only do my job. The judges had to do theirs. I thought I could get him out of there because I’m a Mexican fighter. I did everything I could and left everything in the ring.
“I was surprised that he kept getting up, especially after the second down. But he’s Mexican and he wouldn’t go out easily.”
Saavedra wanted to make it an inside fight, and in the opening round he did. Saavedra (16-1-1, 13 KOs) appeared to get the better of Tapia early, but Tapia rocked Saavedra back with a whirling left hook. It was an even round. In the second, Saavedra started well again. Tapia (17-0-1, 10 KOs) floored Saavedra with an overhand right.
With 1:34 left in the third, Saavedra landed a short header on Tapia. With 1:06 left in the third, Saavedra landed a left that had Tapi backed up and in trouble. Tapia collapsed under a short left hook. He got up on the count of eight. It was the first time in his career that Tapia was down and the first time in his career that he was down. With 20 seconds left in the round, Tapia was down again. He returned to his corner with a swollen right eye.
“He got me with some short shots on the inside and took my legs and I just had to keep working and stay in the fight,” Tapia said of Saavedra. “I was prepared for 10 hard rounds. I feel like it could have gone either way. It was a tough battle.
“I knew he was going to bring the fight and I just tried to take advantage when I had openings. I’m glad we were able to give the fans a great fight.”
Tapia came back in the fourth, but he couldn’t keep Saavedra off him. Saavedra kept pounding Tapia to the body, making it more difficult to recover from the takedown in the third.
Between the fourth and fifth, Tapia’s corner asked him if he had his composure back.
Seemingly down, seemingly out, Tapia delivered a pulverizing right that dropped Saavedra in the final seconds of the fifth.
Revived, Tapia chased Saavedra again in the sixth. Tapia had Saavedra in trouble again in the final seconds of the sixth, landing body shots.
In the seventh, Tapia’s right eye was almost swollen shut.
In the ninth, Saavedra dropped Tapia a third time with a right uppercut. Tapia did not go easy. He landed heavy shots in the 10th, including a big right uppercut. Tapia needed a knockout to win and tried to connect again with the right.
As the final seconds ticked away, the crowd stood and applauded.
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has worked for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito
