Premier Boxing Champions presented a heavyweight-studded card tonight on FOX. The main event featured respected Cuban heavyweight Luis Ortiz (32-2, 27 KOs) taking on Alexander Flores (18-3-1, 16 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Ortiz wasted no time, applying offensive pressure from the first bell while Flores attempted to utilize his youth and mobility to make Ortiz move his 41-year-old legs.

 

Less than a minute into the first round, Ortiz caught Flores with a right hook to the body that dropped the American fighter. Flores also seemed to injure himself on the way down, and he wasn’t able to make the count from referee Tom Taylor.

 

Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez (16-0, 12 KOs) faced American Brian Howard (15-4, 12 KOs) in a 10-round contest. Both fighters proved to be skillful, and Howard gave Sanchez trouble for as long as he could. In the third round, Sanchez threw a nice combination and caught Howard first with the hook then the right hand, dropping the latter.

 

Howard made the count, though, and came back somewhat in the next round. Sanchez trapped Howard on the ropes, and though Howard did defend himself well, he took more clean shots than the referee was comfortable with, and the fight was waved off. Hopefully we’ll see both talented fighters again soon.

 

Earlier, Michael Coffie (11-0, 8 KOs) faced Joey Abell (35-11, 33 KOs) in a heavyweight 8-round bout. In round two, Abell seemed to sustain an injury, which Coffie capitalized on and dropped him. Abell wasn’t able to continue, and the reason was disclosed as an injured bicep.

 

The first fight on the broadcast featured heavyweights Carlos Negron (22-3, 18 KOs) and Rafael Rios (11-3, 8 KOs) in a six-rounder. Neither man showed much in the way of defense, and at heavyweight that can only mean one thing. After taking too many punches, Rios went down in the second from an accidental foul (a punch behind the head). He returned to the action but continued taking punishment, getting dropped once again before the referee put a stop to it.