HBO with Golden Boy and Top Rank Promotions delivered an explosive night to the Boxing After Dark series. Broadcast from the DC Armory in the District of Columbia and commentated by Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman, Roy Jones Jr., and Bernard Hopkins. The card featured a heavyweight main event between Luis Ortiz and fill in opponent Tony Thompson. Though the luster of the main event may have been diminshed by the absence of Ortiz’s original opponent Alexander Dimitrenko. The co-feature between Sadam Ali and Jesse Vargas for Timothy Bradley Jr’s vacated WBO welterweight belt subsidized the event.
Luis Ortiz vs. Tony Thompson Heavyweight 12rd.
It became apparent in the 1st, that it was going to be a difficult night for Thompson. The first solid left by Ortiz had Thompson on the canvas. Thompson would survive the round but only to be a live punching bag for the dominant Ortiz. Down again at the end of the third, Thompson was on the road to nowhere. Thompson attempted to stretch it out by allowing the ropes to absorb the power of Ortiz. However, it was a failed attempt due to a crushing left by Ortiz in the sixth. Failing to regain his feet Thompson loses to Ortiz via ko6. Luis Ortiz remains undefeated and improves to 25-0.
Sadam Ali vs. Jessie Vargas Welterweight 12rd. For Vacated WBO Welterweight Title
Trading rounds most of the night , Ali would use straight combinations to keep Vargas at arms length while Vargas controlled the ring with counter left hooks. However, it was an especially clean left that landed on the right eye of Ali in the opening moments of the fourth that would ultimately spell his demise. With Ali’s vision depleting, Vargas exploited the weakness by landing increasingly effective shots. Ali stayed competitive through the sixth, but was saved by the bell in the seventh after Vargas caught his jaw clean with an overhand right. Finding his legs between rounds, Ali continued but wasn’t able to last. Vargas placed the diminished Ali on the canvas twice in the eighth before the referee finally brought the match to an end. Jessie Vargas wins via TKO8 improving to 27-1 and becoming the new WBO welterweight champion.
Boxing Reads 