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Alex Bray, Kaipo Gallegos & Carlos De Leon
Score Knockout Victories In Orlando
Boxlab Promotions’ undefeated trio of Alex Bray (12-0, 9
KOs), Kaipo Gallegos (13-0-1, 10 KOs), and Carlos De Leon
(9-0, 7 KOs) made the most of their opportunities Friday
night, August 28, as all three scored impressive stoppage
victories during the inaugural Project Series at Caribe
Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.
The event, promoted by Matchroom Boxing and Boxlab
Promotions and broadcast live on DAZN, gave each fighter an
opportunity to perform on a major platform. By the end of
the night, Bray, Gallegos and De Leon had all made strong
statements with the type of performances that should lead to
even bigger opportunities.
ALEX BRAY BREAKS DOWN ANTRAVEOUS INGRAM IN CO-MAIN EVENT
In the 10-round co-main event, Bray successfully defended
his WBA Continental Latin America Super Welterweight title,
handing Antraveous Ingram (13-1, 7 KOs) the first loss of
his professional career after Ingram was unable to answer
the bell for the ninth round.
From the opening bell, Bray made his intentions clear. He
consistently walked Ingram down, applied pressure and
invested heavily in the body. Those punishing shots began to
add up as the fight went on, with Bray gradually breaking
down his previously unbeaten opponent.
After eight physically demanding rounds, Ingram remained on
his stool, giving Bray another stoppage victory and a
significant win over an undefeated opponent.
With the victory, Bray now holds the WBA Continental Latin
America Super Welterweight and NABO Junior Middleweight
titles as he continues his climb in the 154-pound division.
“I wanted to show the world my talent, and I feel like I did
that,” said Bray. “I knew he was a good fighter and I
respected his undefeated record, but once the fight started,
I wanted him to feel my pressure every second. I kept going
to the body because I could see it was taking something out
of him. Eventually, that work caught up with him. I'm happy
with the win, but I'm still hungry. I want to keep stepping
up, keep collecting belts and prove that I belong with the
best fighters in this division.”
KAIPO GALLEGOS DELIVERS DRAMATIC FINAL-ROUND STOPPAGE
Gallegos had to work for his victory against a determined
Desmond Lyons (11-3, 2 KOs), but when the opportunity
finally came, the unbeaten lightweight made sure he didn't
let it get away.
The two traded momentum during the early rounds of their
scheduled eight-round lightweight bout, with Lyons providing
Gallegos with a competitive test. As the fight progressed,
however, Gallegos began to find his rhythm, settle into the
action and take greater control. That patience paid off in
the eighth and final round.
Gallegos connected with a powerful right hook that sent
Lyons to the canvas. Lyons managed to get back to his feet,
but Gallegos sensed the finish and immediately went after
him. A barrage of unanswered punches followed, forcing the
referee to step in and stop the contest late in the round.
It was an impressive finish for Gallegos, who improved to
13-0-1 with his 10th professional knockout.
“He made me work tonight, and I think that's going to make
me a better fighter,” said Gallegos. “Early on, there was a
lot of back-and-forth action, and I had to be patient
instead of forcing things. Once I got his timing down, I
felt the fight starting to come my way. When I landed that
right hook in the eighth and saw him go down, I knew I had
to jump on the opportunity. Getting the stoppage in the
final round felt great, especially against a tough guy who
came to fight. These are the kinds of fights that help
prepare me for the next level.”
CARLOS DE LEON BECOMES FIRST TO STOP MAXWEL MONTES
Opening the main card, De Leon delivered a performance that
immediately got the night moving in the right direction for
Boxlab Promotions. Facing the experienced Maxwel Montes
(13-6-1, 7 KOs), De Leon knew he was dealing with an
opponent who had never been stopped as a professional. By
the end of the sixth round, that distinction was gone.
De Leon consistently landed clean, damaging punches
throughout the fight, gradually wearing Montes down. The
punishment eventually became too much, prompting the referee
to stop the contest at the conclusion of the sixth round.
The victory made De Leon the first fighter to stop Montes
and moved the unbeaten prospect to 9-0 with seven knockouts.
“That means a lot to me because nobody had been able to stop
him before,” said De Leon. “I wasn't going into the fight
thinking I had to get the knockout. I just wanted to box
smart, land clean punches and let the fight come to me. As
the rounds went on, I could see the shots were taking their
toll. To be the first guy to stop a tough, experienced
fighter like Montes tells me that I'm moving in the right
direction. I'm proud of the performance, but there is still
a lot of work ahead of me.”
AMAURY PIEDRA PLEASED WITH BOXLAB TRIO
For Boxlab Promotions President Amaury Piedra, watching
three of the company's undefeated fighters earn stoppage
victories on the same night was rewarding, particularly
because each fighter was tested in a different way.
Bray had to impose his will against an undefeated opponent.
Gallegos had to make adjustments before finding a dramatic
late finish. De Leon was asked to solve a durable veteran
who had never previously been stopped. All three found a way
to get the job done.
“I couldn't be happier with the way Alex, Kaipo and Carlos
performed,” said Piedra. “What impressed me wasn't simply
that all three got knockouts. It was how they got them. Alex
systematically broke down an undefeated fighter with
pressure and body work. Kaipo stayed composed in a
competitive fight, figured his opponent out and finished him
when the opportunity came. Carlos became the first man to
stop a very durable fighter in Maxwel Montes. Those
performances tell you these guys are growing and learning
every time they step into the ring.”
Piedra believes Friday night's results are another
indication that all three fighters are ready to continue
raising the level of competition.
“We're going to keep moving them forward,” Piedra continued.
“We don't want easy fights just to protect records. We want
the right fights that will develop them, move them up the
rankings and eventually put them in position to fight for
world titles. They all took another important step tonight,
and I'm proud of them. The future is very bright for these
three young men, and I believe boxing fans are going to be
hearing their names a lot more.”
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