On Friday, April 26, Yoenis Tellez (8-0, 6 KOs), the highly rated Cuban light middleweight prospect, defeated the previously unbeaten Joseph Jackson (19-1, 15 KOs) by unanimous decision at the Caribe Royale Casino in Orlando, Florida, with all three judges scoring it a shutout 100-89 in favour of Tellez. The entire Most Valuable Prospects card was shown live on DAZN, and promoted by Most Valuable Promotions.
Most Valuable Prospects: Yoenis Tellez Impresses in Main Event
Most Valuable Prospects: Yoenis Tellez vs. Joseph Jackson Recap
From the opening bell, Tellez showed why he’s so highly rated, as he impressed with the accuracy and power of his punches, which were clearly troubling Jackson. The American fighter tried his best to shake off the Cuban but was caught with a big left hand, sending him to the canvas in round two. He got to his feet and tied up the Cuban fighter to survive the round.
Tellez was never out of cruise control, as he dictated the pace and showcased his power and variety of punches. Jackson hit Tellez in round four with a low blow, which left the Cuban on the canvas in pain. He recovered to continue his assault, landing big body shots on Jackson, who showed his toughness.
Read More: Tellez Defeats Livan Navarro
After the second-round knockdown, it was clear Jackson was in survival mode. Despite the knockout not coming, it was another impressive showing from Tellez. The Cuban fighter again rocked the Greensboro native in the final round, who needed all his experience to survive until the final bell. Tellez clearly has a bright future, and attention now turns to what comes next for this exciting 23-year-old prospect.
Post Fight Quotes
“Much respect to my opponent Jackson, it was a heck of a fight,” said Tellez. through a translator.
“This goes to show that this generation of Cubans, we don’t run.” He continued: “We stand, we fight, that’s what we do.”
“This generation of Cubans doesn’t run.” 🇨🇺#TellezJackson pic.twitter.com/NUP4Xj5o4R
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) April 27, 2024
Undercard
Benigno Aguilar (12-0-1, 4 KOs) once again got the best of Alexander Rios Vega (8-2, 3 KOs) in their lightweight rematch, with the judges scoring the bout 78-76, 79-73 and 79-73, all in favour of Aguilar. The Florida native impressed with the accuracy and power of his punches.
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Heavy-handed DeMichael Harris (11-0-1, 10 KOs) won by fifth-round TKO in a super featherweight bout against Blas Ezequiel Caro (11-8, 5 KOs).
Jan Paul Rivera-Pizarro (9-0, 5 KOs) impressed with a dominating performance against David Perez (9-1, 2 KOs) in their featherweight contest, winning 60-54. He used his jab brilliantly and put together some nice combinations, making him one to watch for the future.
Dainier Pero (7-0, 5 KOs) defeated Jose Mario Tamez (4-4, 1 KO) in the first round of their heavyweight bout, with a brutal left hook to the body, forcing the referee to wave off the contest.