Sammy Vasquez Decisions Emmanuel Lartey to Remain Unbeaten in ShoBox Main Event

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The raucous crowd inside the Consol Energy Arena in Pittsburgh, Penn., got what they came to see as local hero Sammy Vasquez, Jr. beat up Emmanuel Lartey in the main event of the ShoBox: the New Generation-televised card. Vasquez was all over his welterweight foe from the start, landing dozens of shots to the head and body en route to a lopsided unanimous decision victory.

Lartey had his moments in the tussle, but they were too few and far between to be effective throughout to make the fight competitive. Vasquez, a former Army Reservist who did two tours of combat duty in Iraq, was in total control and won almost every round. Though he never scored any knockdowns, it appeared as though Lartey might have been stopped in the later periods.

Related » Vasquez vs. Lartey Play-by-Play

The native of Ghana -- who now resides in the Bronx -- began slowing down and appeared less and less interested in being in there, but he hung tough until the end. There was no doubt as to whom would have his hand raised as Vasquez won via tallies of 99-91 (twice) and 100-90 to improve to 18-0 (13 KOs), though his knockout streak of eight came to an end. Sherdog also scored it for the local contender, but a somewhat closer margin of 98-92. Lartey fell to 17-3 with 8 KOs and 1 no contest.

Baker shocks Savigne, knocks him out in second

In the chief-support bout, unheralded but unbeaten Craig Baker was expected to get obliterated by highly-touted prospect and former multiple-time Cuban amateur champion Humberto Savigne. Early in the first, it seemed as though that was going to happen when Baker was rocked by a pair of right hands.

However, “El Don” failed to put the Baytown, Texas, fighter away and it cost him. Baker stormed back during the second half of the opening round and then badly rocked Savigne midway through the second. A left/right after a savage onslaught dropped Savigne onto his face and when he struggled to his feet, he stumbled face-first into the ropes. He barely got to his feet, where he staggered around and clung to the ropes to stay upright. Veteran referee Ernie Sharif had seen enough and halted the light heavyweight brawl. The official time of the TKO came at 1:58 of the second, allowing Baker to bolster his pro ledger to 16-0 with his 12th knockout. Savigne was stopped for the second time in his career; he now stands at 12-2 with 9 KOs.

Marrero wins wild knockdown-infested fight with Rizo

In one of the most exciting brawls of the early portion of 2015, Dominican Republic’s Claudio Marrero survived a near knockout to knock down Orlando Rizo four times, and won a unanimous decision in a wild skirmish. Marrero floored “El Naval” with a vicious left hand early in the second, but when Rizo was able to clear his head, he badly rocked his foe with a huge left hook. Marrero’s legs buckled and after he was nailed again by the same punch, he was in great peril of being stopped.

But “The Matrix” stormed back in the third with a dizzying array of shots to the head and body, punctuated by two left hands that felled Rizo again. The tough Nicaraguan naval officer climbed back to his feet but he was eventually floored later in the frame from a sizzling left/right combo. Rizo was knocked off his feet again in the fifth from a double left hook, but he was somehow able to survive the round and eventually the entire fight.

Marrero had done so much damage and won virtually every round of the fight and was awarded a lopsided unanimous decision at the end. The official scores were 78-70, 8-68 and 78-71 for Marero, who rose to 18-1 with 11 KOs. Sherdog also had it for the entertaining featherweight, but by the margin of 80-69. Rizo, for his game effort, fell to 18-6 with 11 KOs.