By Victor Salazar

Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford, Connecticut- In the main event on ESPN 2’s Friday Night Fights, Puerto Rico’s  Reynaldo Ojeda (17-0, 9 KO’s)  defeated the rugged veteran  Monty Meza Clay(36-5, 22 KO’s) of Pennsylvania by unanimous decision in a lightweight contest. The scores were 99-91, 99-91, 98-92.

Early on, Ojeda was up to the task boxing and handling Clay’s pressure. Clay’s best chance to win the fight was to get inside. But as he tried to get inside, he would eat right hands of Ojeda. But that wouldn’t stop Clay as he kept coming forward.

Clay would have some success with the right hand in the 3rd round as both men started to open up. Clay was getting closer in the 3rd round trying to stop Ojeda from moving. But would Clay go to the body to stop Ojeda’s movement?

As the 4th started it was much of the same. Clay coming in with ineffective aggression with no jab and following Ojeda as he would catch Clay with right hands as per the story of the fight.

In the 5th Ojeda hurt Clay with left to the body that stopped Clay in his tracks. This time it was Ojeda on the offensive sitting down on his punches and even had Clay on the ropes. In close, it did give Clay openings but it was Ojeda getting the better of the inside exchanges.

Ojeda went back to moving in the 6th, controlling where he wanted to be and where he didn’t as Clay could not effectively set traps or keep Ojeda in or on the ropes.

As if Clay didn’t have enough problems, a clash of heads in the 8th opened up a cut on the right brow.

Clay had his best punches land in the 9th as a 1-2 landed on Ojeda as he was backing up. But then Clay resorted to much of what happened throughout the fight; chasing Ojeda. He would throw but not land.

They went to the 10th and Ojeda stuck to the same script he had done for 9 of the 10 rounds; move, box, and counter his way to a decision.

Luis Perez (20-0, 10 KO’s), the local prospect from New Haven defeated Colombian Jonathan Perez (33-11, 27 KO’s) by a 5th round stoppage in a fun in an junior featherweight contest. Perez was looking to keep his knockout streak of 2015 going as he was 2-0 with 2 KO’s in 2015 thus far. Perez has been in with the better competition so Rosa would have to earn it and that he did.

The story of this fight was about the aggression and body punches of Rosa versus the distance and counter punching of Perez. Rosa, the body puncher would test the belt line early of Perez early even being warned for a low shot in round 2. Throughout the fight, Rosa would switch from orthodox to southpaw. But the switch would give Perez opportunities when Rosa would jump in.

In the 3rd, Perez would do his best work countering an over aggressive Rosa.

The 4th round however he would not be able to do the same. Rosa went all over Perez, keeping the pressure on Perez by stalking him and landing ferocious body shots. In one instant, Perez went to the ground after holding on to Rosa in between his attacks. Rosa hit him while he was on a knee forcing referee Mike Ortega to take a point away.

That may have been the worst thing to happen for Perez as it kicked Rosa into high gear to end the 4th and then in the 5th with his aggression and body shots.

Ultimately Rosa continued the same work throughout the 5 leading the stoppage of Perez of 2:29 of the 5th round.

Ukraine’s Ivan Golub (8-0, 6 KO’s) defeated very late replacement Henry Beckford (2-2,1KO) by 5th round TKO to open up the second to last Friday Night Fights Card on ESPN2. Golub started the fight early with a big left hand in round 1. Golub, a much more experienced amateur with over 300 fights to Beckford’s 40 showed it early on with multiple combinations to the body and to the head early on.

The fight was also a sloppy early one with both fighter throwing wide shots. Beckford’s best work came in the 3rd when he landed a big 1-2 catching Golub coming in. But that was the most success he would have.

Golub took over because of his continued body attack dedication. It served him as Beckford got the call yesterday to take this fight.

In the 5th round Golub landed a big left uppercut to the body that scored a knockdown. After that occurrence, it was only a matter of time as Golub scored combinations throughout the rest of the round foricing the referee to stop the contest a 2:17 of the 5th round.