By John DiSanto at ringside
Photos: Darryl Cobb Jr.

In the main event at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, Philadelphian Ray Robinson, 23-2, 12 KOs, pounded away at Brazilian Claudinei Lacerda, 18-17-1, 13 KOs, for nearly seven full rounds before referee Benjy Esteves stepped in to save Lacerda from further punishment at 2:30 of round seven. Lacerda managed to stay on his feet throughout and landed a few potshots, but Robinson was in charge through the entire fight. The win was Robinson’s 12th in a row.

Philly lightweight Branden Pizarro, 4-0, 2 KOs, knocked down Matt Murphy, 2-10-1, 4 KOs, in the second round, but the blue-haired boxer from St. Louis survived the onslaught and extended Pizarro to the full four round limit. However, Pizarro won every round and took the official decision by three scores of 40-35.

In a bantamweight fight scheduled for six rounds, Christian Carto kept his record perfect, 8-0, 8 KOs, with a 4th round TKO of Rudolph Hedge, 10-5-3, 4 KOs. Carto controlled the action all night, landing numerous hard shots. Hedge’s corner stopped the fight after the 4th ended. The time was 3:00 of round four.

In a 4- round junior welterweight bout, Philly’s Jeremy Cuevas, 3-0, 2 KOs, was extended past the second round for the first time in his career. However, Cuevas, of Philadelphia, won all four rounds against Buffalo’s Jack Grady, 0-5-1, and took the official unanimous decision by three 40-36 scores.

Junior lightweight Gadwin Rosa, 3-0, 2 KOs, made short work of fellow Floridian Wytama Faulk,1-3, in their scheduled 4-rounder. Rosa dropped Faulk with a left hook in round one, and then moments later, put the southpaw down for the count with a right hand. Referee Benjy Esteves reached the count of ten at 2:14 of the first round.

In the show opener at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, featherweight Vidal Rivera, 5-0, 4 KOs, stopped San Juan’s Jesus Feliciano,0-3, after two full rounds. Rivera, Camden, NJ, easily won the first two rounds before Feliciano’s corner asked referee Ronald Bashir to stop it. The official time was 3:00 of round two.