BRADLEY & LOMACHENKO SHINE VIA KO WINS INSIDE THOMAS & MACK CENTER FROM LAS VEGAS

Photo Credit : Chris Farina – Top Rank

It had never been done before and due to Rios’ retirement following the post fight boxing presser in Las Vegas, it will never be done again. ‎After 30 plus fights on his ledger it took WBO champion, Tim Bradley Jr (33-1-1 w/13 KOs), all of 9 rounds to hand Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios (33-3-1 w/24 KOs) his first KO loss as they headlined from the Thomas & Mack Center in a scheduled 12-round championship bout. During the first few rounds Bradley gave Rios the fight that he wanted, a back and forth, toe-to-toe type of tilt where someone would land flush and the other would do the same, but harder. Bradley took his man’s best and Rios did the same, or so it seemed. Then midway into the 3rd round Bradley must’ve gotten and earful from his new trainer, Teddy Atlas and switched to a whole other gear. One that purists, analysts and even the harshest of critics knew that he had but opted to leave in the dressing room for his last few bouts.

He boxed. Masterfully.

Bradley implemented countless angles, he spun his man at will, snapped his head back with 2 or 3-punch combinations and turned the corner before Rios knew what hit him. In the post fight interview the Mexican-American slugger admitted that his Californian adversary hurt him with a body shot in round 2. Bradley acknowledged that he noticed it and “wanted to set it up” so he went back upstairs. Bradley also lead with a gorgeous overhand right, it rarely missed and crashed unto the face of Rios like a snowball. ‎In the 5th Round Bradley led with an overhand right that caught Rios so clean on the face it looked like sweat flew into press row forcing the Texas-born warrior’s head to spin around like a top.

If Rios evem got close to asserting himself into the fight Bradley wrapped him up, perfectly timing any and all of his foe’s attacks to the head or body constantly disrupting the former WBO Lightweight champion’s rhythm. Rios smiled when caught with one if not 4 punches but Bradley saw through his poker face. He turned up the heat and started cooking in his kitchen of destruction putting together the finishing touches on his most recent masterpiece that he was ready to serve to the HBO audience, the live fans in attendance and the rest of the world. He didn’t shy from the stick and move plan, only modified it in the final round of the one-sided battle. He pushed Rios backwards with an assault of punches via hooks, looping shots and that overhand right that hit all night then threw the killshot. A sneaky short shot to the body, Rios crumbled to the canvas. His body gave out, his knees buckled, his will unbroken but his physical frame in shambles. Rios , as everyone knew he would, rose to his feet and Bradley rushed him as his back was along the ropes. “Desert Storm” swarmed his man with a barrage as Rios leaned back helpless before referee Tony Weeks stepped in.
Once the dust settled Tim Bradley was victorious via KO at (‎2:49) of Round number 9 over a man with a historically granite chin. However, Bradley proved if you break the body, the head will fall.

The win makes Tim Bradley Jr the first to stop Brandon Rios as he simultaneously retired him from the sport. Rios would go on to say that “my mind is made up” when asked by press if the right opponent could lure him back into the ring. Bradley reasserted that his new coach’s methods worked. He gave full credit to Teddy Atlas for the victory saying that his technique “is old school..it really works”.

This was the best way Bradley could end the year and his options should be not only many but also financially superb. For Rios, he can retire before the age of 30 and enjoy his fame, riches and fortune having won over many a fan and did what most said he could not accomplish in such a difficult and unforgiving sport.
LOMACHENKO KO’S KOASICHA IN 10 ROUNDS
The co-main event for Bradley vs. Rios featured WBO Featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko (5-1 w/2 KOs) put on a boxing clinic against a very game Romulo Koasicha (25-5 w/15 KOs) ‎before stopping him in 10 rounds to defend his WBO Featherweight championship.
The San Luis Potosi, Mexico representative didn’t go quietly into the night as he stood in front of his adversary for the bulk of the fight. Rarely did a clinch take place from Koasicha which ironically enough would not have been too bad of an idea. He boxed, moved as best as he could and threw his best leather at the Ukraine fighter when it was time to stand and bang. Sadly, for his valiant effort the Mexican warrior was punished by his foe’s quickness combined with the accuracy of a marksman.

Lomachenko saw that his opponent would break so he opted to go to the body in the championship rounds starting in the 10th. He moved, stuck his foe, landed a combination then backed away as Koasicha turtled up. Lomachenko switched angles and threw an all-power left hook to the body that shut down his man’s body.
Romulo Koasicha went down to the canvas on his knees, bent over in horrible pain. Referee Chris Byrd reached the end of his count marking the end of the contest.

The official time of the stoppage came at (2:35) of Round 10 as Vasyl Lomachenko successfully defends his WBO featherweight strap closing out the year in style.
In the swing bout of the night that took place one the main card went off the air, Jesse Garcia. (1-0) took on Rodolfo Zamora (0-2) in a 4-round Super Featherweight match. Garcia ‎was making his pro debut and did so effectively with a fan friendly style of ducking shots, dipping and throwing big overhand punches. In the 2nd Round with about 30 seconds left Garcia connected flush with a wide looping shot that knocked the spit out of his foe sending him instantly to the canvas. Zamora beat the count but was in really bad shape and referee Kenny Bayless almost jumped in after a straight Garcia landed. The fight ending shot came in the following round when Garcia popped his jab then threw the big overhand right shot in the same corner where he had just landed the punch on his man the previous round.

The TKO came officially in Round 3 giving ‎Jesse Garcia the big KO win and a successful professional boxing debut.