H2O Sylve took a unanimous decision win over veteran former champion JoJo Diaz at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California.
Sylve used his speed and movement in the early going, but Diaz came on strong in the bout’s second half, making it closer on the scorecards but ultimately coming up short by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 twice.
“I knew this was going to be a tough fight because JoJo is a former world champion and a veteran who has seen everything in the sport,” said H2O. “My game plan was to stay disciplined, use my movement, and box smart. He came on strong late, but I felt I controlled the fight and did what I needed to do to get the victory. This win is another step toward becoming a world champion. I’m on my way to the top.”
They headlined MF Pro’s first show in the US, and Diaz is now 34-10-1 (15 KOs), while Sylve improved to 14-1 (10 KOs).
In the co-feature, lightweight contender Devin Cushing moved to 19-0 (14 KOs) with a decision over J’Hon Ingram, who is now 9-1 (7 KOs).
“I knew J’Hon was going to come in prepared and give me a tough fight,” said Cushing. “He’s a talented fighter, and he made me work for every round. I stayed patient, listened to my corner, and focused on landing the cleaner shots. I knew I had to box my way to victory, and all the hard work paid off. I’m ready for anyone in the lightweight division. I want all the big names.”
Southpaw Amir “Cashman” Anderson defeated Jonas Sylvain over 10 rounds, handing Sylvain the first loss of his career. Sylvain is now 9-1-1 (5 KOs).
Anderson is 8-0 (7 KOs) and was in control throughout.
“I feel great,” said Anderson. “This was the first time I’ve gone 10 rounds as a professional, and it was important for me to show that I can maintain my focus, conditioning, and boxing skills from the first bell to the last. Jonas was a tough opponent, but I stayed patient, followed the game plan, and proved that I can do more than just knock people out.”
Highly rated 140-pound contender Ernesto “Tito” Mercado improved to 19-0 with 18 knockouts, taking out veteran Juan Carlos Burgos, 36-9-3 (22 KOs), in two rounds. A right hook-left hook sent the former title challenger to the canvas, and when he made it back to his feet, Mercado applied the finishing touches and the referee stepped in.
“I knew I had to stay patient and break him down,” said Mercado. “Burgos is a tough, experienced fighter who has been in with some of the best, but I’m different. Once I found my rhythm, I started landing the shots I wanted and knew it was only a matter of time before I got him out of there.”
There were also wins for welterweight David Lopez, who is 9-0 (7 KOs) after a first-round stoppage of Joey Borrero, who falls to 12-3 (9 KOs), and super flyweight debutant Kayla Gomez, who defeated fellow first-timer Shayntain Creer over four rounds, 60-54 across the board.
In other action, Ethan Smith, 5-0 (3 KOs), defeated Madrigal Rodriguez, 10-11 (8 KOs), by second-round knockout at 168 pounds. Daniel Mercado went to 1-0 (1 KO) with a first-round stoppage of Alejandro Medina, 4-10 (4 KOs), at 154 pounds. At super bantamweight, Daniel Gudino is now 5-0 (5 KOs) after a second-round win over Alejandro Herrera, 5-7-1.
