Roy Jones Junior Boxing
August 8, 2025 |
 Legends Casino
Toppenish , Washington |
The main event on the Roy Jones Jr card at Legends Casino in Toppenish, Washington was a battle to determine who would wear the Middleweight WBA Interim Female Championship Title belt. Natasha Spence (8-8-2 6KO) faced Maricela Cornejo (19-7 7KO) in the six round fight that proved to be a contest featuring a puncher against a boxer.
Both women threw a lot of scoring shots in the opening round. Spence was able to land the heavier punches and many of those came because she was able to pressure Cornejo and create angles that allowed Spence to land body shots. Through the round Cornejo looked to keep some distance and connect with punches coming off her reach advantage. Cornejo did catch Spence stepping in a few times, and though those punches landed, they did not stop Spence from coming forward. Spence was the aggressor in the second round as she pinned Cornejo on the ropes early, backing her into the corner and landing a number of short combinations to the taller Cornejo’s body. Much of the round saw the women standing close, and while in close they exchanged body shots. Spence’s were short and landed hard, while Cornejo tried to shoot her right at Spence’s head.
Spence landed a number of wide looping rights in the third round, and that kept Cornejo on the move. Those punches provided an opening for Cornejo to throw shots up the middle, and she was able to land some, but again not enough to keep Spence from coming forward. As the round drew to a close, Spence pinned Cornejo on the ropes and landed scoring punches to Cornejo’s body. The fourth round got a little scrappy at the midpoint as the two momentarily threw out the idea of boxing and simply threw wild and angry punches at each other. Spence’s right was controlling the last minute of the round until Cornejo threw a series of right hands that caught Spence’s head as the round ended.
Spence barreled forward in the opening moments of the fifth round and as she did, there was a clash of heads. Referee Joel Scobie called time to warn Spence about coming forward with her head, then took a look at Cornejo’s left eye. Cornejo was deemed ok and she closed the round throwing combinations to try to counter Spence’s power. The sixth round was the culmination of Spence fighting as the solid puncher while Cornejo, who boxed, could not land enough punches to counter Spence’s power. Much of the round was fought in close causing the referee to step in and break them apart.
After six rounds the judges scored the fight 60-54; 59-55; and 58-54 all in favor of Natasha Spence who would wear the championship belt.
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Spence landed hevy shots to Cornejo's body
Cornejo scored when she took advantage of her reach |
Murphy dropped Sierra early in the first |
Yakima's Andrew Murphy returned to Legends Casino to face Jeremiah Sierra in a middleweight bout scheduled for eight rounds. Murphy entered the fight riding a ten win streak; Sierra came in with a four win streak.
The two men were cautious in the opening moments of the first round. Murphy fired his jab to keep Sierra moving. Sierra answered with his jab, though he was unable to land many. As the round progressed the action quickened. Murphy began to throw combinations at Sierra's body; Sierra had to resort to counter punches. Murphy threw a straight right and followed that with a left to drop Sierra at the 1:50 mark. Sierra rose to continue, but his legs were unsteady. Murphy pursued Sierra and pinned him in the corner. Sierra was able to spin out of trouble, but Murphy soon had him pinned in the corner across the ring where Murphy landed a series of hard body shots. this time as Sierra turned to move out of the corner, Murphy caught him with a speedy combination that sent Sierra to the canvas. Though Sierra rose, he was on wobbly legs. Referee Joel Scobie waved the fight to an end at 2:29 of the first round.
Murphy would remain unbeaten behind the TKO win. |
Unbeaten heavyweight Joshua Juarez stepped into the ring to face Oscar Cortes in a bout scheduled for eight rounds. Eight of Juarez's twelve wins have come by way of knockout, and he had dispensed of his last three opponents in that manner. Cortes had an impressive knockout ratio as well with just over half of his wins coming by knockout, but he had been on the losing end of the knockout in his last three fights.
Juarez answered the opening bell stepping across the ring and throwing heavy punches. Cortes covered up, but doing so provided Juarez the opportunity to land hard body shots. Juarez backed Cortes toward the corner and landed a thunderous right that dropped Cortes. Cortes sat up, but did not rise until after referee Joel Scobie had reached ten.
Juarez extended his knockout streak to four and remained unbeaten.
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Juarez knocked Cortes down in the corner |
Young's right dropped Funkhouser to end the fight |
Lightweight Chris Young has shown the ability to throw power punches and win fights without going the distance. Derick Funkhouser took the fight on relatively short notice, showing he has no fear of facing such power.
Funkhouser initiated the contact early in the opening round as he stepped to the center of the ring and threw his jab at Young. Young was patient, and when an opening occurred he threw a right that landed to Funkhouser's head. That punch staggered Funkhouser, but he did not drop. However, Young quickly jumped back to the attack and landed a right hand that did send Funkhouser to the canvas. Funkhouser rose to continue, but Young battered him into the ropes where Young landed a series of combinations followed by a hard shot that landed to Funkhouser's head and again dropped him to the canvas. Referee Joel Scobie quickly stepped in to wave the fight to an end.
Young would collect the TKO victory at 1:01 of the first round.
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The fight that opened the show featured junior middleweights Alvin Welch and Jovanis Pallares. Pallares entered the fight coming off a TKO win in his debut while Welch lost to the tough Anthony Cruz Herrera in his debut.
Both men showed solid boxing skill in the opening round as they worked off their jab to set up body shots. Pallares was able to gain a slight edge in landing punches in the round. Welch was more active in the second round as he threw his right hand at Pallares' head. Some of those punches landed, and that slowed Pallares' punch output as he had to cover up to avoid getting hit.
Welch had a solid third round as he continued to land his right. Welch caught Pallares with body shots while occasionally firing a punch to Pallares' head. Pallares moved to take the fight in close and land punches to Welch's body. Pallares controlled the action early in the fourth round as continued to use his jab to set up the ability to land body shots. Both Men were tiring, and when Welch lost his mouthpiece it provided an opportunity for both to regroup. The two men closed the round trading punches, though it was Pallares that landed more often.
After four rounds, one judge scored the bout 39-37 for Pallares, the other two saw it even at 38. The fight would end in a majority draw. |
Pallares shoots his right at Welch |
The Ring Card Girl |
Natasha Spence and Team celebrate winning the WBA belt |
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