By: Sean Crose

The Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas hosted a card of boxing that was aired live on various ESPN affiliates on Thursday night. The card began with 12-2 Maricela Cornejo facing the 3-1 Franchon Crews Dezurn for the WBC Female Super Featherweight title. Cornejo, who signed with Golden Boy Promotions in 2017, fought to keep range and tie up her foe during the first portion of the bout. Dezurn, however, kept pressing the attack. Cornejo held her own through the middle rounds, but Dezurn continued to relentlessly attack. Even in the later rounds, things stayed effectively the same. Dezurn came forward while Cornejo employed footwork and attempted to hold her opponent off with her jab.

In the end, the judges rewarded Dezurn’s aggression with the WBC belt, via majority decision.

The main event featured undefeated Kazach Ruslan Madyiez (12-0) against Pablo Cesar Cano (30-7-1) in a junior welterweight 10 rounder. Cano came out aggressively against the up and comer. Madyiez, on the other hand, decided early on to remain patient, to employ his footwork, and to pick his shots. The second round essentially offered more of the same. The question started to arise as to whether (or when) Madyiez’ more deliberate strategy would begin paying off. Cano kept up the pressure in the third, but Madyiez was able to land clean at times. Unfortunately for Cano, a head butt bloodied his face up at round’s end.

Cano tossed a terrific combination at the start of the fourth, leaving the impression that, if the man could hit harder, he could have had his opponent in real trouble. The fifth showed more of the same. The active Cano was starting to make it seem as if Madyiez’ patience was betraying him. Then, however, Madyiez rocked his man hard at the end of the round. It was an accidental butt, though, that truly damaged Cano’s face at round’s end. So serious was the cut that the fight was stopped. Maydiez was at first given a TKO victory, even though Cano’s savage gash may well have come from the butt, which had occurred just before Maydiez landed the shot that rocked Cano.

After reviewing the tape, the officials decided that the cut did indeed open with the head butt, rather than the punch. This led to the fight going to the cards…and Cano winning a unanimous decision victory. Cano’s activity and work rate had paid off.

In a walkout bout afterwards, Raul Curiel, 4-0, engaged in a scheduled 6 rounder with fellow welterweight Ryan Pino, 8-2. Curiel walked away with a UD win.

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