Cuban Yoenis Tellez (9-0, 7 KO) defeated Johan Gonzalez (35-4, 34 KO) in the seventh round in a super welterweight fight. Tellez dropped Gonzalez three times in the final two rounds, with the last stoppage coming at 1:57 of the seventh round.
Tellez, 24, currently trains in Stafford, Texas under famed Ronnie Shields and showed off his explosive tools in his fifth fight at the Caribe Royale Resort. While Tellez seemed in control through the first rounds, Gonzalez remained competitive and eager to return fire.
“We were up against a very experienced player under the guidance of a great coach in Ismael Salas, so I knew it wouldn’t be effortless,” Tellez said. “I just followed my corner’s instructions so I could win.”
Tellez’s power began to shine in round six as he delivered an incredibly straight right hand that knocked out Gonzalez behind schedule in the round. Gonzalez got up and saw the bell for round seven, but he hit him with a perfect left hook that sent Gonzalez to the mat and almost went through the ropes.
“The most crucial weapon I have is the will to become world champion and the motivation to make my country proud,” Tellez said. “Ever since I left my country, I wanted to win for them.”
“I didn’t properly follow what my corner told me to do and that cost me the fight,” Gonzalez said. “Tellez is a good player and a good prospect. I think if I had been more disciplined, I could have handled this fight better.
Gonzalez again showed his eagerness to continue the fight, but Tellez wasted no time in landing another right hook that knocked Gonzalez to the ground and forced referee Emil Lombardi to wave the fight away.
“I’m here to fight and let my team take care of giving me great opportunities and great opponents,” Tellez said. “I’m ready to fight anyone.”
Kicking off the action on Prime Video, undefeated Mateo Tapia (17-0-1, 10 KO) and fierce Endry Saavedra (16-1-1, 13 KO) fought to a majority draw in an explosive 10-round middleweight fight that saw both men they hit the canvas. Ultimately, one judge’s score of 94-92 for Tapia was replaced by two scores of 93-93.
The action began to heat up in the second round when Saavedra forced Tapia to the ropes and unloaded by connecting with a sore right hand that knocked Tapia down in the final minute of the round. Tapia got up, but Saavedra continued to follow him around the ring and dropped him again before the bell rang to end the round.
“I thought I could get him out of there because I’m a Mexican fighter,” Saavedra said. “I did everything I could and I left everything in the ring. I was surprised he still got up, especially after the second time he was knocked down. But he’s Mexican and he wasn’t going to leave that easily.
“He was getting me in with some tiny shots from the inside and grabbing my legs, and I just had to keep working on him and stay in the fight,” Tapia said.
Saavedra appeared to be in control of the fight until round five, when Tapia responded electrically, knocking his opponent down with a perfectly timed counter right that knocked him to the ground. Saavedra looked more tired for several rounds after the knockdown as Tapia was able to consistently find his offense and avoid the shot he took.
The tide turned in Saavedra’s favor in round nine when he was able to close the distance on Tapia and stayed in the pocket before finally exhausting him and forcing Tapia to the mat again. Tapia showed heart once again to make it to the end of the round and landed some brutal right hands on Saavedra in the final frame. Tapia won the final round on all three cards and earned a draw.
“I was prepared for 10 hard rounds,” Tapia said. “I feel like it could have gone either way. It was a strenuous fight. I knew he was going to make a fight and I just tried to take advantage of it when I had opportunities. I’m glad we were able to give the fans a great fight.”
“Everyone saw the fight and I know the fans believed I won,” Saavedra said. “I can only do my job. The referees had to do their job.”
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