NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 23: Bruce Carrington (left) and Jose Argel (right) trade blows during their featherweight bout at the Prudential Center on September 23, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ – Henry Lebron earned the most significant victory of his young career thus far, defeating Andy Vences by an eight-round unanimous decision on Friday at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ
The 25-year-old southpaw from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico was victorious by scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74 in the junior lightweight bout, which was the final bout on the Shakur Stevenson-Robson Conceicao card before the The ESPN broadcast began.
Lebron (17-0, 10 KOs), who boxes in a manner reminiscent of Sergio Martinez, leaning right hand down to draw opponents into counter attacks, used his right jab and counter hook to control range against the aggressive Vences (23-4-1, 12 KOs) of San Jose, California.
Both fighters had to fight cuts due to headbutts, with Vences suffering a cut to the corner of his right eye in the first and Lebron suffering a larger cut above his left eyebrow in the second.
Lebron began to assert control of the fight in the second half, surprising Vences with an opposing left hand and opening combinations to the head and body in the sixth round.
Lebron got further away from Vences in the eighth, landing power shots with impunity. Lebron took his foot off the gas in the final 30 seconds, allowing Vences to launch one last flurry to no avail before the final bell.
Lebron is ranked no. 9 by the WBO at 130 pounds. Vences, once a rising prospect, has now lost four of his last five bouts.
Bruce Carrington put on a dazzling display of precise striking, defeating the determined but outgunned Jose Argel by decision in six rounds in their featherweight bout. “Shu Shu” Carrington (5-0, 3 KOs) went 60-54 on all three scorecards in what was his first time over the distance since his pro debut a year ago.
Carrington, 25, of Brooklyn, New York, was throwing punches like he wanted to be done soon, mixing hooks and hooks with his left hand and ripping through the body with both hands. He showed far more punch selection and focus than most fighters with only a handful of pro fights.
Argel (9-5, 3 KOs) of Santiago, Chile, showed a strong chin but was spitting blood from the second half of the fight.
Carrington had won the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials but was unable to compete in Tokyo as the Americas Olympic boxing qualifier was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Algiers, 28, has only been stopped once by Haven Brady Jr. earlier this year.
Misael Lopez took a significant step in correcting the course of his career, outpointing Orlando Gonzalez in an 8-round welterweight bout between once-defeated fighters. All three judges scored the fight in favor of López (14-1, 5 KOs) led by Jamel Herring of Denver via Agua Prieta, Mexico, with scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75.
The 26-year-old Lopez records his third straight victory since his sixth-round knockout loss to Jordan White in March 2021. Gonzalez (18-2, 11 KOs) of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico had success with his southpaw style in some points, but Lopez used close angles to find the openings in his defense.
Gonzalez has now lost two of his last three, including a unanimous decision to former Olympian Robeisy Ramirez in October 2021.
Floyd Diaz (7-0, 2 KOs) overcame an early career test of a determined opponent, outpointing Juan Hernandez Martinez by unanimous decision in their six-round junior featherweight bout. Both fighters were hurt in the fight, with Diaz of Las Vegas scoring a knockdown with a right hand to end the third, and Hernandez (2-2-1) of Gomez Palacio, Mexico upsetting Diaz in the second and fifth rounds. Diaz, 19, closed out the show strong, hurting Hernandez with a right hook and overhand in the final stanza to solidify his victory.
