LAS VEGAS – Super middleweight prospect Diego Pacheco took his time before hitting Enrique Collazo.
After four slow rounds that Pacheco dominated, he dropped Collazo hard in the fifth round and finished him off in the follow-up attack to win a regional title in the final fight before the start of the Canelo Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovkin III pay-per. -see Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
Pacheco, in his first fight since his recently announced contract extension with Matchroom Boxing, landed a powerful right hand in the fifth round that sent Collazo (16-3-1, 11 KOs), 33, a 2012 Puerto Rican Olympian, to the canvas . He was reeling, but he beat the count and responded well enough to referee Celestino Ruiz that he was allowed to continue, but Pacheco was on top of him.
He forced a still-shaky Collazo to the ropes and after Pacheco (16-0, 13 KOs), 21, of Los Angeles, landed a few more punches, Ruiz stepped in and stopped him at 2 minutes, 29 seconds.
Castro lashes out at Mendoza
Lightweight prospect Marc Castro dominated Kevin Montiel Mendoza en route to a fifth-round knockout.
Castro (8-0, 6 KOs), 22, of Fresno, Calif., appearing on his fifth Alvarez undercard, was in total control when, just before the bell to end the fourth round, he landed a flown right that doubled Mendoza and sent him to the ropes.
Castro spent the fifth round pounding the retiring Mendoza (6-2-2 3 KOs), 23, of Mexico, with clean punches before landing a powerful right uppercut that dropped Mendoza hard, prompting referee Tony Weeks stopping the fight without a count at the end. 1 minute, 40 seconds.
Tie between Aponte and Molina
Canelo Promotions prospect Fernando Molina and Aaron Aponte fought to a split draw in their junior welterweight bout in which they were both knocked down. One of the judges had it 75-75 and the other two judges each had it 76-74, one for Aponte and one for Molina.
Aponte (6-0-1, 2 KOs), 21, of Hialeah, Fla., scored a knockdown late in the second round when he landed a short left hand, though he also appeared to push Molina (8-0-1, 3 KOs ), 20, from Mexico.
Molina rocked Aponte in the fourth and then dropped him late in the fifth round with a clean right hook followed by a right hand.
Herrera wins by tec. dec.
Bantamweight Anthony Herrera (3-0-1, 2 KOs), 21, of Los Angeles, scored a fifth-round shutout technical decision against Delvin McKinley (4-4-1, 4 KOs), 26 years, from New Orleans, in a scheduled six-rounder.
Herrera won 50-45 in a dominant performance, but the fight was stopped 19 seconds into the fifth round because an accidental headbutt left McKinley dazed with swelling around his right eye.
