By David P. Greisman
Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City - Phil Lo Greco survived some frightening moments against Daniel Sostre but was able to remain undefeated, scoring a seventh-round technical knockout. Sostre hurt in the first round with a right hand, then put him down shortly thereafter with a left. Lo Greco was fortunate in that the round was nearly over. By the beginning of the second, he had his legs back beneath him, pushing Sostre to the ropes. Yet Sostre hit and hurt him again with a right hand a left hook
Lo Greco (149 pounds) pushed through it, digging to Sostre’s body and continuing to throw heavy shots at his head. It was a brave strategy considering that Sostre (146 pounds) had shown an ability to hurt him, but Sostre soon began to keep his mouth open, gulping for air. Lo Greco hammered Sostre against the ropes in the sixth. While Sostre looked hurt at times, he remained standing. They returned to the ropes in the seventh. Sostre covered up, but he didn’t look to be in danger. Nevertheless, the referee stepped in, calling an end to the bout and bringing on boos from the audience. The time of the stoppage was :45.
Lo Greco, 28, of Toronto, is now 25-0 (14 KOs). Sostre, 28, of Highland, N.Y., is now 11-8-1, 4 KOs.
Former junior welterweight title challenger Demetrius Hopkins, now appearing on non-televised undercards and fighting at 154.5 pounds, scored a technical knockout over Joshua Snyder (158 pounds) in the fifth round of their scheduled eight-round bout.
Hopkins scored what was ruled a knockdown early in the fifth, when a right hand put Snyder’s knee momentarily on the canvas. A little later, Hopkins visibly hurt Snyder with a left hand to the head, and then even more so with a right hand high on the head. Hopkins then pummeled Snyder on the ropes until the referee stepped in. The time of the stoppage was 1:26.
Hopkins, 32, of Philadelphia, is now 32-2-1 (12 KOs). Snyder, 33, of York, Pa., is now 9-8-1, (3 KOs).
Julian Williams (154 pounds) defeated Jonuel Tapia (154.5 pounds) by seventh-round technical knockout. The time of the stoppage was 2:10. Williams, 22, of Philadelphia, 10-0-1, (5 KOs). Tapia, 22, of Bronx, N.Y., falls to 8-3-1, (5 KOs).
Junior welterweight Zachary Ochoa (140.5 pounds) didn’t need long to knock down Michael Salcido, putting him on the canvas with a right hand as he walked out from the opening bell. Ochoa also didn’t need long to end the fight, putting Salcido (145 pounds) down twice more to get the first-round technical knockout.
The second knockdown was a delayed flooring from a hard body shot. The final knockdown came off a combination of a right hand and left hook that left Salcido flat on his back. The time of the stoppage was 2:09.
Ochoa, of New York City, is now 3-0 (3 KOs). Salcido, 25, of Casa Grande, Ariz., is now 1-5 with no knockouts.
In the show’s opener, junior lightweight Terron Grant won by technical knockout knocking Abraham Esquivel down three times in the first round, each coming as the result of a sustained barrage to the body and head. Esquivel got up each time from the canvas, but his corner had seen enough after the third flooring and walked up the ring steps with towel in hand. The time of the stoppage was 2:14.
Grant, 22, of White Plains, Md., improves to 5-0 (3 KOs). Esquivel, 28, of Monterey, Mexico, falls to 5-3 (3 KOs).
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