Alan D. Picasso TKO5 Damien Vazquez... Alan David “El Rey” Picasso, 123 lbs., of Mexico City battled Las Vegas' “Sugar” Damien Vazquez, 122.2 lbs., in a competitive super bantamweight contest to highlight the Canelo-Munguia off-TV undercard at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The southpaw Vazquez, a former world title challenger, applied pressure winging hooks while Picasso focused on countershots early on. The bout featured plenty of exchanges in close quarters, which mostly favored the Mexican. Picasso, a pro since age 16, found success digging hooks to Vazquez’s midsection then coming up top with his straight right hand. An extended barrage with Vazquez absorbing punishment against the ropes forced the referee to halt the contest at the 2:11 mark of round five. Rated #2 in the WBC, Picasso, now 28-0-1 (16 KOs), is on the verge of a WBC title opportunity. The WBC title is held by undisputed super bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue, who defends his crown on May 6th in Japan against Luis Nery. Vazquez saw his record dip to 17-4-1 (10 KOs).
William Scull W8 Sean Hemphil... Cuban William “El Indomable” Scull, 167.2 lbs., earned a unanimous eight-round decision win against a game “Silky” Sean Hemphill. Scull, the IBF #1 super middleweight contender, had a methodical approach throughout, not wasting any punches while waiting for openings. He often fought on the backfoot with his hands down by his waist. Hemphill, 167.4 lbs., was dropped to a knee in the fifth, but was not hurt and fought back aggressively over the second half. Scorecards read 79-72, 78-73, and 76-75. Scull earned his ranking by defeating Evgeny Shvedenko in an IBF eliminator in July 2022. Based in Berlin, Germany, Scull, now 22-0 (9 KOs), made his US debut tonight. Hemphill, of New Orleans, LA, fell to 16-2 (10 KOs).
Julian Bridges W6 Jabin Chollet... In the opening bout,junior welterweight Jabin Chollet, 139.8 lbs., of San Diego, suffered the first loss of his career via six-round unanimous decision against Julian Bridges, 138.4 lbs., of Antioch, CA. Bridges improved to 5-0 (2 KOs), while Chollet, a Junior Olympics silver medalist, is now 9-1 (7 KOs).
