Joey Spencer overcomes late surge against Miguel Angel Hernandez, wins majority decision

Joey Spencer survived a tough test to secure a majority decision over the previously unbeaten Miguel Angel Hernandez. The judges scored the fight 95-95, 97-93, and 98-92 for Spencer. Upon hearing the decision, Hernandez exited the ring immediately. 

The middleweights were the co-feature of Salita Promotions’ “Big Time Boxing USA” taking place at Dort Federal Event Center, in Flint, Michigan. 

“I felt like the rounds he won, he won pretty convincingly,” Spencer said in his post-fight interview. “But I felt like the rounds I won, maybe they were a little thinner, but I think the cleaner shots, the ring generalship, and the defense I showed separated us.”

Spencer also hinted at a return to a lower weight class. “I need to be at 154,” Spencer said. “Maybe 147—we’ve got to decide what we’re going to do.”

The fight opened with Spencer using his movement to stay out of Hernandez’s range, but Hernandez pushed forward, landing a solid jab behind a right hand midway through the first round that caught Spencer’s attention. By the second, Hernandez kept pressing Spencer, pinning him to the ropes and landing combinations, though Spencer closed the round with a sharp uppercut.

Spencer began to adjust in the third round, finding success at range and landing clean counter shots. He landed his best punch of the fight—a right uppercut—in the fourth, slowing Hernandez’s aggressive pace and clearly taking the round.

The fifth followed a similar pattern as Spencer’s hand speed and timing nullified Hernandez’s pressure. However, Hernandez roared back in the sixth with volume punching that left Spencer visibly fatigued.

The seventh and eighth rounds were grueling. Spencer relied on lateral movement to stay elusive, while Hernandez maintained his workmanlike approach, landing combinations and keeping Spencer on the ropes. The eighth round, in particular, featured dramatic moments, with Hernandez landing flurries as Spencer appeared to hold on to survive the round.

In the final round, Spencer heeded advice from his trainer and father, Jason Spencer, to stay off the ropes and use his legs. Spencer clinched effectively and kept the fight in the center of the ring, nullifying much of Hernandez’s offense.

The fight ended with both boxers believing they had done enough to win. Ultimately, Spencer’s cleaner punching and adjustments edged out Hernandez’s relentless pressure in a close fight. 

With the win, Spencer improves to 19-1 (11 KOs), marking his third consecutive victory since his loss to Jesus Ramos Jnr. Hernandez, now 9-1 (7 KOs), suffers the first defeat of his career in a closely contested fight.

Following the bout, Spencer hinted that this might be his last fight at the 160lbs limit.

Worthington outclasses Pavilus

Women’s junior welterweight Samantha Worthington improved to 10-0 (7 KOs) with a commanding unanimous decision victory over her toughest opponent to date, Jaica Pavilus, who now holds a deceptive record of 4-7-1 (1 KO). Despite her losing record, Pavilus had previously upset Chiara Dituri in March and Mia Ellis in 2022.

The judges scored the bout 60-54 in favor of Worthington.

Worthington, fighting out of Folsom, California, showcased her power early, opening the fight with a barrage of straight punches and power shots to establish control over the smaller Pavilus, who hails from New York. Worthington delivered an unrelenting volume of punches and her aggressive style left Pavilus unable to find a rhythm.

The fight wasn’t without drama, as Pavilus, 27, landed an overhand right in the final minute of the sixth and final round. The punch appeared to open a cut over Worthington’s left eye, leaving her bloodied but undeterred as she fought to the final bell.

The bout was scheduled for six two-minute rounds, an ideal lens to display Worthington’s relentless pace and power. Pavilus, despite the loss, remains a much better fighter than her record suggests.

Worthington is co-promoted by Claressa Shields’ T-Rex Promotions and Salita Promotions.

Da’Velle Smith hangs on

Super middleweight Da’Velle Smith, fighting out of Detroit, Michigan, earned a majority decision win over William Townsel of Virginia Beach in the TV opener Saturday night. The bout will likely serve as either a cautionary tale or a valuable learning experience for Smith.

The judges scored the fight 76-76, 77-75, and 78-74 in favor of Smith.

The fight began with a controversial sequence in the first round. Smith, 24, dropped the 29-year-old Townsel with a straight right hand after eluding a poorly timed left from his opponent, but the knockdown was ruled a slip. In the second round, Smith landed another straight right as Townsel missed and claimed the punch landed behind his head.

Despite a challenging start, Townsel found his rhythm in the fourth round, landing clean left hands from his southpaw stance and forcing exchanges. By the fifth, Townsel began walking Smith down, with Smith struggling to maintain distance where he found success early, but Smith stayed active with his punches.

Townsel dominated the sixth and seventh rounds, with Smith largely on the defensive and visibly fatigued as he entered uncharted territory in his first professional fight past six rounds. Midway through the seventh, Townsel landed a crushing left hand that forced Smith to hold.

In the eighth and final round, Townsel continued to press forward as Smith’s punch output dropped significantly from earlier rounds. By the final bell, Smith appeared exhausted, but his early work was enough to secure the win.

Smith improves to 11-0 (8 KOs), while Townsel’s three-fight win streak is over, and as he falls to 8-2 (6 KOs).