Cuban heavyweight Herich Ruiz (6-0, 4 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Travorus Barnes (6-1, 5 KOs) of Summit, Mississippi, in the main preliminary bout of “Most Valuable Promotions 9” on Friday at Coliseo Roger L. Mendoza in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
Despite the matchup of two heavy punchers, the fight was marked by hesitation from both fighters, resulting in a slow-paced contest.
The first round saw Ruiz, 29, using an active jab while Barnes kept a high guard, as noted by former four-division titleholder Nonito Donaire on the broadcast. Trained by Ismael Salas, Ruiz maintained a cautious pace and was the busier fighter, though neither boxer threw much in the early rounds. Ruiz began to press forward toward the end of the second round, but each man fought cautiously, wary of the other’s power.
In the third round, Barnes, 28, showed more aggression as the pace picked up slightly. By the fourth, Barnes pressed forward more, but Ruiz, the heavy favorite, pushed him back into the ropes. The action resembled a sparring session, though Ruiz landed some of his best body shots in the fifth.
Ruiz’s jab, though not consistently landing cleanly, managed to keep Barnes on the back foot. Despite Ruiz taking control of the second half of the fight, the pace remained slow, with Barnes having some success in the seventh. However, Ruiz’s defense and elusiveness limited Barnes’ output, and the fight continued to drag.
The final round reflected the overall lack of intensity, with Ruiz landing a few solid body shots but waiting until the last minute to show more aggression. Ruiz clearly won the fight, but Barnes managed to go the distance, reaching the final bell.
The judges scored the bout 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73 in favor of Ruiz.
Also on the card, junior lightweight William Colon (5-0, 3 KOs) secured a second-round technical knockout over fellow Puerto Rico’s Jan Pomales (7-4, 4 KOs).
Colon, 20, dropped the 27-year-old Pomales with a well-timed jab about two minutes into the first round. In the second round, both fighters traded heavy punches, but an overhand right from Colon sent Pomales to the canvas during a 50-50 exchange to start the round. Moments later, Colon landed a powerful pull-counter right hand, flooring Pomales for the third time in the round. Though Pomales attempted to beat the count, his corner stopped the fight. The official stoppage came at 1:22 of the second round.
In the opening bout, Puerto Rican featherweight Carlos De Leon (2-0, 1 KO) secured a four-round unanimous decision over Chicago’s Levale Whittington (1-0-1, 1 KO).
Whittington, 25, started strong, switching stances in the first round, but De Leon, 19, used a mix of craft and power to slow the pace. By the end of the second round, De Leon’s heavy punches were taking a toll on Whittington. In the fourth, a series of left and right hooks pushed Whittington back, leaving him standing but no longer throwing punches. A hard left hand rocked Whittington as the fighters traded until the final bell.
Judges scored the fight 39-37, 40-36 and 40-36 in favor of De Leon.
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.
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