By: Sean Crose
Showtime’s ShoBox returned Friday night with a three fight televised card broadcast live from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The 9-0 super featherweight Rosalindo Morales started things off by battling the 8-0 Julian Gonzalez in a scheduled eight rounder. The first round, although not slow, was something of a feeling out process for both fighters – until Morales was dropped had by a Gonzalez right. Suffice to say, Morales beat the count. Yet he still looked out of it in his corner in between rounds.
With that in mind, Morales had a better second, moving forward to get to his man despite the blood trickling down his face. Gonzalez was once again able to land well in the third. Gonzalez proceeded to rock his man in the fourth, leading the referee to stop the fight.
The 12-0 Artem Brusov and the 7-0 Artif Oberlton were up next, squaring off in a scheduled eight round light heavyweight affair. Both men threw some heavy leather in the first. Brusov looked strong, even though a head butt caused blood to streak down his face. Olberton asserted himself in the second with quick, hard, accurate punches. By the third, it was Olberton who was clearly controlling the tempo of the fight.
Brusov fought hard in the fourth, but he couldn’t get in effectively on his man to make anything truly happen. With that being said Brusev was able to land at times in the fifth, but Olberton was largely able to employ his southpaw jab to good effect. Krusev kept things competitive enough in the sixth, but was it enough?
The seventh saw Krusev continue to try to get to his man – with no great effect. Olberton’s defense was just too sharp. A second accidental headbutt punctuated the eighth. It was of no consequence. Olberton walked out of the ring with his eighth strait win, courtesy the judges’ unanimous decision ruling.
It was time for the main event. The 11-0 David Stevens was taking on the 14-0 Sean Hemphill in a super middleweight throwdown that was scheduled for eight.
Hemphill proved to be smooth and illusive in the first, keeping Stevens at bay with a long and sharp jab. That jab told the story of the second, though Stevens did find his man in the final minute of the round. Hemphill looked like he was slowing down a bit in the third, which allowed Stevens to get to him. Hemphill was able to reassert himself a bit more in the fourth, though Stevens kept pushing toward him while firing away.
Stevens was able to rock his man in the fifth, though Hemphill took it well. The sixth was a grueling affair. Stevens hit hard, but Hemphill was able to do good work on the inside. The fighters continued to grind away in the seventh. By the eighth and final round, the two warriors continued to bang away at one another. Then, with seconds left, Stevens sent Hemphill down in thunderous fashion. Hemphill beat the count, but Stevens moved in to end things before the final bell.
And he did just that. The referee stopped the fight before the conclusion of the round.
