Junior welterweight Kevin Brown scored his most significant victory yet on Friday night, taking a unanimous decision over John Bauza in the main event at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida.
Scores went 98-91, 97-92 and 96-93 for Bauza.
Brown (6-0, 4 KOs) set the tone early, dropping Bauza (18-2, 8 KOs) with a powerful straight right hand to the body in the first round. It looked like Puerto Rico’s Bauza might not make it past that frame, but he got up determined to make it a contest.
Despite the early knockdown, Bauza battled back, exchanging punches with Brown, a 30-year-old from Cuba who is being fast-tracked due to his age and extensive amateur background. Brown, with lightning-quick reflexes and sharp counterpunching, consistently edged the exchanges, but Bauza, 26, refused to be outclassed.
By the fight’s conclusion, there was little doubt Brown had won, but Bauza had delivered a strong account of himself and given Brown a serious test in his professional development.
The co-feature was more decisive, as junior welterweight Hendri Cedeno (14-0, 11 KOs), from the Dominican Republic, stopped Georgia’s Enriko Gogokhia (13-2-2, 8 KOs). Cedeno, 26, dominated the fight, overwhelming the 33-year-old Gogokhia en route to a stoppage victory in the fifth round.
For Cedeno, it marked his most high-profile win yet, while Gogokhia’s rough stretch continued. After two draws against Kent Cruz and a loss to Samuel Teah in Cedeno’s previous three fights, this stoppage marks his fourth consecutive bout without a win. Cedeno hasn’t tasted victory since 2021, a reminder of how unforgiving the sport can be.
In another bout, Cuban middleweight Yoelvis Gomez (8-1, 7 KOs) walked down Diego Allan Ferreira Iablonski (11-3, 7 KOs), stopping him in the fourth round with a crushing overhand left that folded his opponent, ending the contest.
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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