Thursday, February 23, 2023 | Sony Hall, New York, NY
Broadcast: YouTube (BoxingInsider.com)
Promoter: Larry Goldberg, Boxing Insider Promotions
Boxing Insider Promotions kicked off 2023 with a five-fight card at Sony Hall headlined by Heather Hardy, who dedicated the evening to her late trainer and mentor Hector Roca. Roca, one of boxing’s most respected cornermen, had passed away on January 3 at the age of 82. The night before he died, he put his hand over Hardy’s and told her: “Baby, they all think you’re past your prime, but you didn’t hit it yet. This is going to be your year.” Hardy came to fight.
MAIN EVENT
Heather “The Heat” Hardy (24-2, 4 KOs) def. Taynna Cardoso (5-2, 1 KO)
Lightweight — 8 Rounds, 2-Minute Rounds
Result: Majority Decision (78-74, 77-75, 76-76)
Weights: Hardy 134 — Cardoso 133½
Hardy came out throwing from the opening bell, setting a punishing pace in honor of Roca. The 41-year-old former WBO featherweight champion let her hands go in combination and went to the body early and often, but Cardoso — the former Brazilian champion from Jundiai, Sao Paulo — was no pushover. The Brazilian fired back with sharp counters and clean shots between Hardy’s combinations, particularly in the early rounds when she seemed to be landing the crisper punches.
As the fight progressed and the body work accumulated, Hardy began getting the better of the exchanges. The rounds were competitive throughout, and one judge had it even at 76-76, but the other two saw Hardy’s volume and aggression as the difference at 78-74 and 77-75. Hardy improved to 24-2 and immediately called for a rematch with Amanda Serrano.
Tsendbaatar “Chinggis Khaan” Erdenebat (5-0, 3 KOs) def. Giovanni Gutierrez (11-4-1)
Lightweight — 6 Rounds
Result: TKO Round 3 (1:46)
Weights: Erdenebat 134½ — Gutierrez 134¾
The two-time Mongolian Olympian made his U.S. debut in emphatic fashion. Erdenebat, who competed in the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Games and won gold at the 2018 Asian Games, landed hard and clean from the first bell, hurting Gutierrez repeatedly. A low blow briefly halted the action in the second, but Erdenebat picked up right where he left off in the third, closing the show at 1:46 of the round. “This is my U.S. debut and this is my fifth pro fight — I was here to impress the audience, the fans and the promoters,” Erdenebat said through an interpreter. “I’m here to take over, not take part.” He would go on to sign with DiBella Entertainment and spar with Ryan Garcia ahead of the Gervonta Davis fight.
Terell “The Problem Child” Bostic (8-1, 1 KO) def. Clay “3rd Degree” Burns (10-17-2, 4 KOs)
Junior Welterweight — 6 Rounds
Result: Unanimous Decision
Weights: Bostic 137½ — Burns 135¼
Wyandanch, Long Island’s Terell Bostic made his New York City debut and picked up a workmanlike decision over the awkward Clay Burns. It wasn’t easy — Burns’ unorthodox style kept Bostic off-balance at times — but Bostic used his jab effectively and scored a knockdown with an uppercut in the third round. He even switched to southpaw late to show his versatility. Scores were split between a one-point margin on one card and a seven-point margin on another.
Michael Hughes (W) def. Nelson Morales (L)
Result: Unanimous Decision (4 Rounds)
Hughes picked up a four-round unanimous decision over Morales to open the card.
Frederic “French Revolution” Julan (W) def. Decarlo “3mendo” Perez (L)
Light Heavyweight — 8 Rounds
Result: Unanimous Decision
Brooklyn’s Frederic Julan outpointed South Jersey’s Decarlo Perez over eight rounds in the co-feature. Perez, making his second appearance on a Boxing Insider card after losing to Nadim Salloum in December, came up short again.
Boxing Insider Fight Night 3 was the promotion’s third event at Sony Hall in Times Square. For more results and upcoming events, visit Boxing Insider Promotions.
