Results
- Angelo Leo UD-12 Tramaine Williams (117-111, 118-110, 118-110)
- Ra’eese Aleem TKO-10 Marcus Bates (2:18)
- Joe George KO-9 Marcos Escudero (3:00)
Round By Round
Angelo Leo vs Tramaine Williams
Round 1: Leo blocks a jab as he tries to press forward. William tries to keep a jab in his face and lands one. Straight right hand lead from Leo falls short. Straight left hand from Williams makes partial contact. Leo throws a left hook to the body. Williams misses on a jab upstairs, but then lands a clean left hand to the head. Another left hand lead comes from Williams and makes contact. Williams comes forward behind two shots that Leo is able to pull away from. Jab comes from Williams again. Williams 10-9.
Round 2: Jab from Williams gets blocked upstairs. Counter left uppercut makes a little contact for Williams. Leo tries his own jab to the body. Jab lands for Williams as Leo steps in. Left to the body lands for Leo this time. Counter uppercut lands for Williams, the making partial contact on a straight left to the head. Leo works the body during a clinch. Jab lands for Williams who then slips an attack from Leo. Counter left hand lands clean for Williams. Another left hand from Williams makes contact. I think Williams is boxing well early. Williams 10-9, 20-18.
Round 3: Jab lands for Williams over the top. Straight right hand lands for Leo this time. Now Leo tries to close the distance and land some power on Williams since he’s having big problems boxing him at range. Straight left hand lands upstairs for Williams. Jab and left hand misses for Williams. Now Leo partially lands a right hook upstairs. Both fighters trade shots at center ring. Leo lands a jab. Leo misses on a couple of punches that followed a couple of feints. Counter left hand lands for Williams. I think Williams is still mostly controlling the action. Williams 10-9.
Round 4: Jab from Williams makes contact and Leo tries to come back with a couple of his own punches. Williams is able to circle and pivot away from much of Leo’s attack. Leo turns southpaw for a moment but it doesn’t stick as he goes back to orthodox and tries to impose his size on Williams. Four punches from Leo fall short. Straight left lead falls short for Williams this time. Left to the body makes contact for Leo as he works the clinch. Jab lands for Leo upstairs. Leo starts working the body with both hands on the inside. I’ll slightly edge this round to Leo. Leo 10-9, 37-39.
Round 5: Leo comes out southpaw and then switches right back and lands a left hook to the body. Jab to the body makes contact for Williams. Jab lands for Williams upstairs. Williams probes with a few jabs and then shoots one down to the body. Stiff jab from Leo makes contact. Williams lands his own jab upstairs. Williams tries a one-two as Leo covers up. Jab lands over the top for Williams. Close round but I’ll edge it to Leo on his aggression. Leo 10-9.
Round 6: Jab comes from Leo but doesn’t find the range. Lead right hand from Leo misses but he tries to shoeshine some body punches downstairs. Left hand gets in for Williams at close range. Williams throws a straight right hand to the gut on the inside. Leo lands a good left hook to the body. Williams is standing in the pocket for long stretches now which is giving Leo the chance to lean on the smaller Williams. Now Williams gets a break because Leo lands a low blow on the inside, he’s taking some time to recover. Counter left from Williams makes partial contact. Both fighters trade body shots at close range. Jab lands for Williams at the bell. Leo 10-9, 57-57.
Round 7: Lead right from Leo falls short. Williams misses on a straight left. Leo works both hands on the inside as Williams is standing in the pocket and letting Leo get the kind of fight he wants. More body punches come from Leo on the inside, then he sneaks in an uppercut. Williams is fighting a dumb fight right now, keeping this fight at this range. Leo lands a couple of right hands, then a left hook to the body. Four body punches land for Leo at close range. Leo 10-9.
Round 8: Williams trainer asks him to keep this fight on the outside but we’ll see. Leo comes out southpaw again and misses on a couple of punches. Jab lands upstairs for Williams. Counter left hand gets in for Williams. Williams is moving again, which is good, but he’s not pulling the trigger as much. Left to the body lands for Leo. Double right hand gets in for Leo. Leo continues to come forward and impose his size and combination punching. Jab lands upstairs for Leo now. Leo 10-9, 77-75.
Round 9: Jab from Leo falls short. Leo presses forward and Williams tries to counter off the ropes. Straight left hand doesn’t land clean for Williams. Jab lands for Williams upstairs but Leo comes right back forward and misses on a wide right hook. Jab lands for Williams again to the head, then a straight left to the body. Leo starts throwing more body shots. Leo lands a right hand upstairs with Williams in the corner. More body shots come from Leo on the inside. Several hard body shots come from Leo to end the round. Leo 10-9.
Round 10: Williams’ corner tells him to stop playing into Leo’s game, fighting on the inside. Williams stands there and Leo lands a straight shot to the body. Right hook from Leo misses but he makes contact on the follow up attack. Wide right hook from Leo misses badly. Now Leo makes a little contact on a big left hook. Jab lands for Leo upstairs. Leo lands more body shots and Williams is just trying to roll the punches as best as he can. Two hooks on the inside land upstairs for Leo and now Williams lands a low blow that gets Leo some time to walk it off. Leo doesn’t take much time because he’s got the momentum. Right hook gets in upstairs for Leo. Leo 10-9, 97-93.
Round 11: Leo leads with a double jab that doesn’t find the range. Leo is coming forward aggressively and looking to strafe Williams with punches to the body and head. Right uppercut lands for Leo to the body. Williams tries a counter uppercut but can’t land it clean. Leo tries to dig back down to the body and then throws a few quick, short shots on the inside. Left to the body lands for Leo. Williams is too worn down to do much other than to defend himself and counter in spots. Leo 10-9.
Round 12: Leo still coming forward and throwing in combination. Left lands over the top for Leo in an exchange. Jab lands for Leo. Left hook gets in to the body for Leo this time. Straight right hand gets in for Leo as Williams is on the ropes. Right hand gets in over the top for Leo again and Williams is retreating. Leo 10-9. I’ve got it a clear win for Leo, 117-111.
Ra’eese Aleem vs Marcus Bates
Round 1: Both fighters come to center ring and throw a number of feints at one another. Aleem tries a lead left hook that misses. Aleem tries to jab his way in range but Bates stays ready, looking for a counter. Bates misses on two counter shots. Now Badtes lands a counter right hook during an exchange. Aleem stalks Bates around the ring and misses on a hook upstairs. Bates tries to time a right hand counter but pulls the trigger too early. Counter jab lands for Bates. Right hand lands for Bates as Aleem lands a hook of his own. I think Bates boxed pretty well and lands a couple of good counters in this round. Bates 10-9.
Round 2: Aleem presses forward and then lets go on a jab that makes partial contact. Bates tries a jab to the body. Aleem throws three punches in combination but can’t land the shots too well. Good body shots land for Aleem with Bates looking to defend upstairs. Counter left hand makes contact for Aleem. Now Aleem misses on a wide left hand. Jab from ALeem misses but pushes Bates back. Right hand to the body lands well for Aleem. Now a hard left hook lands upstairs and gets Bates’ strict attention. Good round for Aleem. Aleem 10-9, 19-19.
Round 3: Aleem measures with a couple jabs, then feints, then throws two more jabs that fall short .Jab lands for Aleem this time, though. Both fighters trade jabs at center ring. Right hand lead falls short for Aleem. Now Aleem throws four punches and snaps Bates’ head with the last shot. Jab to the body lands for Aleem. Uppercut gets in for Aleem as he tries to land thudding shorts on Bates. Right hand to the body scores well for Aleem and pushes Bates back to the ropes. Right hand lead lands for Aleem after he feints the jab. Aleem lands a hard right hand to the body to start a combination, then lands a jab as Bates tries to exit. Bates looks a little shook up at the bell. Aleem 10-9.
Round 4: Jab from Aleem misses. Bates is strictly waiting to counter but is having problems when Aleem leads in combination. Jab from Bates falls short. Both fighters trade with Bates along the ropes. Left hand gets in for Alem with Bates in the corner. Left hook makes partial contact upstairs for Aleem. Right hand lands back down to the body for Aleem. Now Bates lands a jab from the corner. Right hand followed by a jab comes from Aleem. Uppercut lands for Aleem this time. Straight right hand to the body lands yet again for Aleem. Aleem 10-9, 39-37.
Round 5: Lead left hook from Aleem gets blocked. Right hook from Aleem gets blocked as well. Aleem digs to the body after throwing two shots upstairs and lands that one well. Aleem looks like he feels Bates is fading and is trying to set him up for a big shot. Right hook lands to the body for Aleem as Bates tries to counter with a hook upstairs. Jab lands for Bates. Aleem comes back down to the body with his own jab. Bates lands an uppercut and Aleem walks through it and throws his own shot. Right hand lands back to the body for Aleem. Aleem 10-9.
Round 6: Jab from Bates gets parried. Right hand lands for Aleem down to the body. Five jabs come from Aleem which puts Bates on the defensive. Jab to the body scores for Aleem. Bates paws with a jab and then reaches on a right hand that falls short. Both fighters trade jabs. Left hook gets in for Aleem as Bates tries to tie up the other hand. Right hand to the body lands for Aleem. Bates really hasn’t tried to change much of anything in his approach and it’s really making things pretty easy for Aleem to keep doing what he’s doing. Right hook lands to the body for Aleem. Aleem 10-9, 59-55.
Round 7: Bates corner tells him that he’s going to have to start getting after it now and throwing more punches for the rest of this fight — they know he’s down big on the cards. Jab from Bates misses upstairs. Jab to the body lands to the body. Aleem comes back with a couple of shots that Bates tries to catch on his gloves. Right hand from Aleem misses as Bates ducks down. Jab to the body lands for Bates but Aleem lands a straight right to the body and Bates has to escape. Jab lands for Aleem. Double left hook comes from Aleem. Uppercut lands for Aleem now. Aleem is picking his spots to throw to the body and head. Hard right hook to the body lands for Aleem, then a left hook. Bates is being broke down and isn’t nearly as mobile as he was up to this point. Aleem 10-9.
Round 8: Jab from Aleem falls just short. Clean right hand lead buckles Bates knees. Aleem is on the hunt for a kill now that Bates has been showing signs of breaking down under the pressure and body attack. Left hook to the body, then the head lands for Aleem. Right hand to the body lands well for Aleem. Bates is starting to take punishment in the last few rounds. Bates is covering up in the corner and Bates can’t do much but try to hope to land a hail mary counter. Jab lands clean for Aleeem. Right hand lands for Bates but he can’t keep Aleem off of him. Aleem 10-9, 79-73.
Round 9: Right hand goes upside Bates head and he takes an awkward couple of steps. Right hand lands to the body for Aleem. Counter left hand lands upstairs for Aleem. Aleem looks upstairs and downstairs as he strafes Bates with shots. Left hook to the head and body comes from Aleem, then a jab lands. Double jab lands and then a Aleem fires more lefts to the body. Jab lands for Bates. Three punches come back from Aleem, then a hard right hand to the body. Aleem 10-9.
Round 10: Referee warns that he’s going to pull the plug on this fight is Bates doesn’t make a stand and start fighting back. Jab lands for Aleem to the body. Jab lands upstairs for Aleem. Jab makes contact for Aleem again. Clean jab from Aleem snaps Bates’ head. Hard right to the body lands for Aleem, bringing Bates’ hands down. Aleem lands more body shots after tracking Bates’ down, then a hard left hook that makes Bates turn his back and the referee immediately steps in to stop the fight. Aleem TKO-10.
Joe George vs Marcos Escudero
Round 1: Escudero comes out attacking straight away and walks into a right hand from George. Escudero comes forward with three more punches but George gets in a jab upstairs. Escudero tries to jab his way forward and George tries to time a left uppercut that doesn’t land clean. Escudero throws an ineffective combination. Geroge ducks a right hand along the ropes. Jab to the body lands for George. Escudero presses forward some more and misses on a left hook upstairs. Jab makes a little contact for Geroge who then whiffs on a right hand as he ducks down. George lands a counter left this time. Escudero continues to apply pressure as he tries to keep George along the ropes. I think George takes this round but he’s going to have to get Escudero’s respect. George 10-9.
Round 2: George falls short with a jab, then misses on a wide left hook lead. Escudero tries a right hand that George is able to duck. A couple of body shots land for George before tying up Escudero. Escudero lands a couple body shots of his own now. George tries to look to the body with a jab before moving laterally. Hard left lands to the body for Escudero as he gets George trapped on the ropes. Counter right hand misses for George. Both fighters trade hooks at center ring. Left to the body scores for George, Escudero returns fire with some if his own punches as George covers up. Jab lands upstairs for George. Counter left makes partial contact for George as Escudero presses forward. I’ll slightly edge this round to Escudero. Escudero 10-9, 19-19.
Round 3: George misses on a lead jab. Now George jabs to the body and makes contact. Three punches come from George but they don’t make much contact. Stiff jab gets in for George. Now Escudero tries to go to the body but can’t keep George in range. Clean left hook lands well for George. Counter left hand for George lands well again. Escudero throws a few punches but doesn’t land them well. Pretty good round of boxing for George. George 10-9.
Round 4: Both fighters trade hooks as Escudero comes forward. George tries a check hook but Escudero stands in and throws a number of punches to the body and head as George keeps a tight guard along the ropes. Jab from George misses off the ropes. Jab to the body scores for George. A number of power shots from Escudero make contact as George covers up along the ropes again. Left hook lands downstairs for Escudero. Jab makes a little contact for Escudero this time. Jab to the body makes contact for George. Escudero 10-9, 38-38.
Round 5: Jab from George gets blocked. Now George fires off a quick combination at center ring. Lead right hand from George falls short. Escudero gets George back to the ropes and works both hands to the body and head as George covers up. Leaping left hook from George falls short. Escudero throws a left to the body with George back on the ropes again. Escudero continues to outwork George for most of this round, especially once he gets George along the ropes. Clean check hook lands for George but Escudero starts throwing more body shots with George along the ropes again. Escudero 10-9.
Round 6: Jab from George misses. George just misses on a counter left hook but takes center ring and then throws three punches that don’t land clean. Left to the body lands for Escudero, who then throws a few more as George covers up. Uppercut from Escudero makes solid contact between the guard. George throws his own body shot not and then gets back to center ring and throws one jab before finding himself back along the ropes again. Left hook lands to the body for Escudero at the end of a short combination. Jab lands clean for Escudero. Escudero 10-9, 58-56.
Round 7: Right hand from Escudero makes partial contact. George misses on a right hand upstairs. Now Escudero misses on two shots before falling to the canvas. Check hook makes a little contact for George. Escudero throws a combination — not much lands clean but he’s clearly outworking George. Left to the body lands for Escudero again as George covers up along the ropes. More body shots make contact for Escudero with George covering up. Both fighters trade shots at center ring. Another combination comes from Escudero and George must be tired because he’s hardly throwing. Escudero 10-9.
Round 8: Both fighters trade jabs to start the round. George lets go on a number of punches but can’t sustain much momentum as he ends up getting pushed back to the ropes and covering up while Escudero unloads. Jab to the body lands for George. Right hand from Escudero makes some contact upstairs. George ducks a jab upstairs. Left to the body lands for Escudero. Another combination comes from Escudero as George tries to escape the ropes. Well-timed right hand knocks Escudero down but the referee rules it a slip! Not sure that was the right call but, Escudero 10-9, 78-74.
Round 9: Escudero misses on a hook. George starts throwing some shots but Escudero meets him as they both exchange but now GEORGE LANDS A MONSTER LEFT UPPERCUT THAT PUTS ESCUDERO DOWN AND OUT! George KO-9.
Tonight at 9 pm ET on Showtime, the premium network’s coverage of PBC boxing returns, headlined by a main event for the vacant WBO junior featherweight title.
Wil Esco will be on the round by round call for all three bouts this evening.
In the main event, we were supposed to see Stephen Fulton Jr vs Angelo Leo, but Fulton had a positive coronavirus test mid-week, and has been replaced by Tramaine Williams, who was meant to be in the co-feature. Leo, 26, and Williams, 27, are both looking to really break through, obviously, with a vacant major title up for grabs, recently given up by Emanuel Navarrete.
The new co-feature is another 122-pound, a WBA eliminator between Ra’eese Aleem and short notice opponent Marcus Bates. They’ve met before, with Aleem winning an eight-round decision in 2018.
The opener is another rematch, this one at light heavyweight, between Joe George and Marcos Escudero. George beat Escudero by split decision on ShoBox last November.
Join us tonight!
Full Card (SHO, 9:00 pm ET)
- Angelo Leo (19-0, 9 KO) vs Tramaine Williams (19-0, 6 KO), junior featherweights, 12 rounds
- Ra’eese Aleem (16-0, 10 KO) vs Marcus Bates (11-1-1, 8 KO), rematch, junior featherweights, 12 rounds
- Joe George (10-0, 6 KO) vs Marcos Escudero (10-1, 9 KO), rematch, light heavyweights, 10 rounds