Reno boxers Kenny Davis Jr., Peter Cortez victorious
Kenny Davis Jr. lands a left to the chin of Philip Schwartz on Friday in the opening bout.
Kenny “Pack-a-Punch” Davis Jr. lived up to his name en route to his first professional win Friday at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino.
It was the opening bout of the Roy Jones Jr-Joey Gilbert promoted fight, featuring a six-bout card headlined by the main event of Kendo Castaneda vs. Stan Martyniouk.
The Reno native topped lightweight opponent Philip Schwartz by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 40-36. Davis is 1-2 in three professional fights. Schwartz, from Stockton, California, dropped to 0-3.
Davis rocked Schwartz a few times but could not put him down.
“He had long arms and awkward style,” Davis said.
From the opening bell, Davis landed powerful blows to the head of the long-dreadlocked southpaw Schwartz. Schwartz countered with a left-handed hook that put a mouse under Davis’ right eye in the first round.
Davis expended his energy looking for the knockout blow in the fourth and final round. But Schwartz stayed on his feet and landed a few counters of his own. Davis secured the victory with a a left hook during the final seconds.
Boxing, Davis said, is helping him “turn his life around. I started down a dark path. I will back in the gym on Monday.”
Reno’s Peter Cortez has Daquan Mays on the ropes in the second round.
Reno’s Peter Cortez scores second round TKO
Midway through the first round, referee Jay Nady issued a warning to super lightweight Daquan Mays: “Hold one more time and you’re in trouble!” It was too late. The Dayton, Ohio native already was in serious trouble.
Reno native Peter Cortez secured a second-round TKO, improving to 2-1 with two knockouts. Mays, who came into tonight’s fight undefeated, fell to 3-1.
Cortez landed several vicious combinations to Mays’ upper body and kept him on the ropes for most of the second round. Mays eluded enough of the blows to survive. Nady appeared close to stopping the fight. The fight was called to an end before the third round began.
With every blow, Cortez received screams and shouts of support from the hometown crowd. He didn’t disappoint.
Rosalinda Rodriguez, right, goes toe to to with Myrka Aguayo.
Rosalinda Rodriguez move to 11-0 with easy decision
Rosalinda Rodriguez defeated Myrka Aguayo by unanimous decision. Two judges had it 60-54 and one had it 59-55.
Rodriguez improved to 11-0 with two knockouts in her boxing career. The Miami, Florida native was dominant over the six-, two-minute round bout.
She took control over the final two rounds with quick jabs to the body. The fatigued Agauyo hung on in the sixth, even smiling during the closing moments.
Kenny Davis Jr. lands a left to the chin of Philip Schwartz on Friday in the opening bout.
Referee Robert Byrd raises Kenny Davis Jr.’s hand in victory.
Peter Cortez- DaquanMays
Rosalinda Rodriguez-Myrka Aguayo
ABOUT Isaiah Burrows
Tahoe Onstage sportswriter Isaiah Burrows also is a general assignment reporter for CarsonNow.org, an online news source in Carson City. He is a journalism major at the University of Nevada, Reno, where is the sports editor of the Sagebrush student newspaper. He is the Reno Aces beat writer for Tahoe Onstage.
