Antraveous Ingram stops Cruse Stewart in five in Orlando prelims

Junior middleweight Antraveous Ingram delivered a dramatic finish to his bout with veteran Cruse Stewart on Friday, stopping him via technical knockout in the fifth round at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida.

The bout, which closed out the preliminaries portion of the “Most Valuable Prospects 8” show, came at 1:31 of the fifth.

Ingram (8-0, 3 KOs), representing nearby Kissimmee, Florida, started with fireworks, aggressively engaging Stewart (8-4, 6 KOs), who sought to land powerful body shots and exchange punches. Ingram made an impact with a series of notable punches toward the end of the first round, probably winning that round.

Despite his 6-foot-1 frame, Ingram struggled with distance management early and often fought on the inside, allowing Stewart in the second round to catch him with a clubbing overhand left. Stewart’s willingness to trade punches created challenges for Ingram, who relied on his physical advantages.

Ingram appeared to hurt Stewart with a body shot in the second round but was countered by a right hand while seeking more offense. Stewart’s toughness and body-targeting tactics exploited Ingram’s excessive movement, leading to fatigue. However, Ingram rallied, rocking Stewart with a series of shots and coming close to ending it with a short right uppercut, only for Stewart to respond with a right hand and left hook.

The fourth round marked a turning point as Stewart landed a right hand that rocked Ingram. Following a clinch, Ingram landed a right-hand body shot that pushed Stewart to the ropes, then causing him to take a knee after a glancing right hand and left hook.

Although Stewart had earlier rallied with his offense after being rocked, he could not recover at this point, signaling the beginning of the end.

In the fifth, Ingram took full control, pressing Stewart and forcing him to take another knee from a body shot, at which point the bout was stopped.

Despite a 10-year age gap between Ingram (25) and Stewart (35), the bout showcased sharp competitiveness and revealed both fighters’ strengths and needed areas of improvement.

Earlier on the card, women’s bantamweight Bree Howling (8-0, 2 KOs) secured an eight-round unanimous decision victory over Beata Dudek (4-4, 4 KOs), with all three judges scoring the bout 80-72.

Howling demonstrated her prowess early on, using a sharp jab to control the fight from the start, often doubling it up. Despite the disparity in the fighters’ records, the bout provided Howling with valuable experience. Dudek, showing veteran skills in Rounds 2 and 3, landed effective shots that moderated Howling’s aggressive tactics. While Dudek’s record may not impress, her experience against tough opponents was evident.

Howling’s jab remained effective in Round 4, causing noticeable swelling and affecting Dudek’s approach, as she shifted to a defensive posture rather than pursuing victory.

Despite dominating every round, Howling faced enough resistance from Dudek to prevent a stoppage. Howling’s composure and diverse skills underscored her potential as a title contender. In the sixth round, Howling increased her pressure, breaking down Dudek with a varied punch attack. The seventh featured solid offense from Howling, though Dudek landed a right hand to keep Howling cautious. Despite seeking a stoppage, Howling found Dudek to be resilient until the final bell.

Additionally, women’s junior bantamweight Nat “No Love” Dove (3-0) earned a four-round unanimous decision over Wendy Villegas (2-4, 2 KOs), with all three judges scoring the bout 40-36.

Dove was composed in the first round, easily winning it. In the second, she landed an overhand right – a technique highlighted by her coach, DJ Walton, who is also the trainer and father of Javon Walton. In Round 3, Dove demonstrated her versatility by mixing power punches with tactical boxing, keeping Villegas off balance. By the fourth, Dove was cruising to victory, still having yet to lose a round as a professional. Despite her nearly flawless performance, Dove is still seeking her first knockout as a pro.

In the opener, lightweight Harley Mederos (7-0, 6 KOs) delivered a dominant performance, stopping Nikolai Buzolin (9-10, 5 KOs) with a TKO in the third round at 1:24.

Mederos focused on powerful punches, largely neglecting technique and the jab. He dropped Buzolin with a right hand at the end of the first round and followed up with a body shot that floored Buzolin again in the second.

In the third, a low blow from Mederos temporarily halted the action, but Buzolin could not regain his footing. A left hook from Mederos knocked Buzolin down again, and Mederos swarmed him, pushing him to the canvas, which could have been ruled a knockdown. The bout was stopped immediately after.

Buzolin had previously been stopped in the second round by prospect Curmel Moton in July.

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.