Oscar Collazo outpoints Gerardo Zapata, retains WBO 105-pound title

Oscar Collazo celebrates the thrid defense of his WBO 105-pound title. Photo by Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

Jun

Oscar Collazo survived a rough second round against Gerardo Zapata en route to outworking and outclassing the tough Nicaraguan over 12 brisk rounds in defense of his WBO 105-pound title on Friday at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. Collazo won by scores of 119-109 (twice) and 117-111.

The special Golden Boy Promotions/DAZN show was part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame induction weekend and was witnessed by inductees past and present, including Marco Antonio Barrera (class of 2017) and Ricky Hatton (class of 2024).

Collazo (10-0, 7 KOs), The Ring’s No. 2-rated strawweight, made the third defense of the WBO belt once held by fellow Puerto Rican Ivan Calderon, one of the 2024 inductees who was also present.

Calderon, who made 12 defenses of the WBO 105-pound belt (before a long title reign at 108 pounds), was a slick, mobile and ring-savvy southpaw. Collazo is also a southpaw, but the 27-year-old New Jersey native (who fights out of Villalba, Puerto Rico) is more aggressive, offense-minded and flat-footed, which gave Zapata (14-2-1, 5 KOs) the opportunity to clock him with a big right hook 2 minutes into Round 2.

Collazo was instantly given a case of the “stanky leg” as he tried to maneuver away from the follow-up attack from the rangy 29-year-old challenger from Managua (currently training out of Maywood, California).

Zapata had his moments with punches like this. Photo by Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

Collazo had a clear advantage in speed and technique, but Zapata, an awkward and long-armed southpaw, proved to be dangerous with his well-timed counterpunches.

“He caught me with a good shot,” Collazo said. “I slept on my defense there. I smiled at him because he got me, but I managed to box through it.”

Collazo’s bread and butter is smart pressure and a thumping body attack, but he showed he’s able to box on the fly when need be, and the second round was his time to move as Zapata went on the hunt.

Collazo kept his composure and continued to stick and move in Round 3. Zapata remained aggressive and looked to connect with serious heat, but Collazo’s sneaky body shots gradually took the steam from his punches through Rounds 4 and 5.

As Zapata slowed down, Collazo became more aggressive, taking more risks by staying in the pocket to load up with body-head combos.

“I wasn’t entirely happy with my performance tonight because of the second round, but I knew I had control of the fight by the sixth,” he said.

Collazo continually pressed Zapata to the ropes from Round 7 on, outworking the challenger as he gradually wore him down.

Collazo punished Zapata down the stretch of their strawweight bout. Photo by Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

By the championship rounds, Collazo could afford to take his foot off the gas pedal a bit and showcase some of his defensive prowess.

“I heard some Puerto Rican fans yell ‘Ole!’ when I slipped under his punches in the 12th round,” he said. “I showed a little of Calderon in there.”

Welterweight prospect Eric Tudor made quick work of Roddricus Livsey, halting the 41-year-old Atlanta native with a brutal right hand to the rib cage in the opening round of their scheduled 10-round co-main event.

Tudor (11-1, 7 KOs), a tall and rangy 22-year-old from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, used his reach and speed to control the action from a distance before lowering the body shot boom that left Livsey (12-3-1, 9 KOs) writhing in pain on all fours during referee Charlie Fitch’s 10 count.

Eric Tudor’s body attack was on point. Photo by Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

Unbeaten junior welterweight Mykquan Williams stopped Willmark Brito in the third round of their scheduled eight-round bout.

Williams (21-0-2, 10 KOs) patiently set up his electric knockout by beating his southpaw opponent to the punch with sharp jabs and straight rights to the body in Round 1 and 2. In Round 3, Williams stepped in closer to Brito and timed short right hands to the jaw that rocked the 36-year-old Venezuelan journeyman who was only two months removed from a first-round stoppage loss.

In the final seconds of the round, Williams made it back-to-back KO losses for Brito (12-6-2, 10 KOs) by blasting him sideways to the canvas with another short right.

Williams, of East Hartford, Connecticut is managed by Jakie Kallen, one of the 2024 IBHOF inductees.

In the most entertaining undercard bout on the Golden Boy Promotions/DAZN show, David Stevens and Sergio Lopez thrilled the crowd with a 2-minute shootout, ultimately won by Stevens who had to survive multiple wobbly moments during the first minute of action. Williams, badly staggered with the first punch Lopez landed, looked on the verge of going down at least twice but caught himself by tackling his wild-swinging antagonist.

David Stevens remained on his feet (barely) with a few tackles. Photo by Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

Stevens (14-1, 10 KOs), a Ronnie Shields-trained super middleweight from Reading, Pennsylvania, pulled it out by dropping his aggressive Argentine adversary with a cross-hook combination just before the 2-minute mark. Lopez (14-6, 10 KOs) landed flat on his face but somehow beat referee Charlie Fitch’s 10 count. However, a quick follow up attack immediately dropped Lopez again, prompting Fitch to wave the bout at 2:13 of the opening round.