Gabriel Rosado, 21-5, 13 KOs, Philadelphia, earned a shot at the IBF junior middleweight world title with a 10th round TKO of Charles Whittaker, Cayman Islands, 36-13-2, 21 KOs, in the main event at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA. The title eliminator bout was scheduled for 12 rounds. Rosado knocked Whittaker down four times, once in the fifth, once in the seventh and twice in the tenth, before referee Steve Smoger stopped the fight at 1:50 of round ten. Check out the recap of the event here, including photos and a schedule for the rebroadcast of the event.
NBC Sports Network will re-air the September 21st “Fight Night” broadcast on Monday, September 24th at 9PM ET.
Also on the broadcast in a spectacular show of power, light heavyweight Sergey Kovalev, Chelyabinsk, Russia, 19-0-1, 16 KOs, stopped Buffalo, NY’s Lionell Thompson, 12-2, 8 KOs, at 14 seconds of round number three. Thompson hit the deck twice in round two, and once again in the third before referee Gary Rosato halted the fight.
Miami welterweight Antwone Smith, 22-4-1, 12 KOs, scored an upset victory over previously undefeated Ronald Cruz, 17-1, 12 KOs, with a 10-round split decision. Cruz lost for the first time as a professional before a near-sellout hometown Bethlehem crowd. Judge George Hill scored the fight 96-94 for Cruz, but both Dave Braslow and David Greer overruled with scores of 94-94 for Smith.
ROSADO – WHITTAKER RE-AIR SCHEDULE
- Monday, September 24 – 9 p.m.
- Tuesday, September 25 – 1 a.m.
2012-2013 NBC SPORTS NETWORK FIGHT NIGHT SCHEDULE
- Saturday, December 8- 9 p.m. – 11 p.m.
- Saturday, December 22 – 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
- Saturday, January 19 – 9 p.m. – 11 p.m.
- Saturday, March 9 – 9 p.m. – 11 p.m.
