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SportsTranscript
00:00 - Gentlemen, you received instructions in the dressing room.
00:03 I expect a good, clean fight.
00:05 Protect yourselves at all times.
00:07 Obey my commands at all times.
00:08 Touch 'em up.
00:09 - All right, we're just about ready to go
00:13 in our first spot.
00:14 We're here on Swerve Combat
00:16 from Bally's Twin River, Lincoln.
00:17 Kinjo Espada making his pro debut,
00:19 his CES promotional debut as well.
00:22 Ray, CES and Jimmy Burchfield so confident in Espada,
00:25 they just signed him to a multi-year contract
00:27 before ever seeing him throw a single punch in the ring.
00:30 So there's something going on here.
00:31 I think we're in for some kind of a treat
00:33 one way or the other.
00:34 - I hope so.
00:35 Espada looked real good.
00:35 - Yes. - Coming out real good.
00:37 You know, you never seen a guy
00:38 who come back from his background to come into boxing.
00:41 - Very big, well-built, 150 pounder.
00:44 Probably will fight mostly at well to weight on a full camp.
00:47 But certainly looks a lot bigger.
00:50 - He definitely looks a lot bigger.
00:52 His calves are enormous.
00:54 - It's all that Muay Thai training.
00:57 Those guys are strong, solid all-around fighters.
00:59 Gonzalez, of course, again, no slouch himself.
01:02 He's come back nicely since that four-year layoff
01:05 at his first fight back at the Park Theater in 2023.
01:10 - And I love that he has Malone as a trainer.
01:13 Malone is a great trainer.
01:14 - Yes.
01:15 - He's gonna keep Gonzalez intact
01:18 and, you know, standing outside, keep that jab on him.
01:21 Don't let Espada come inside.
01:23 As we said earlier, he's big.
01:25 Muay Thai fighters love to fight inside.
01:27 That, they do know how to do.
01:28 - Espada, again, we mentioned, trained by his father,
01:33 Brian Johnson, also in his corner.
01:34 He's taken him under his wing
01:36 since they relocated to Rhode Island as a family.
01:39 Very interesting movement by Espada, too.
01:44 Almost like stalking his prey,
01:46 the way he moves side to side.
01:48 What do you think of his stance so far?
01:50 - Well, Espada, he's switching his styles,
01:52 which you know you're gonna do in Muay Thai
01:55 or MMA and all that.
01:56 I don't like it, really, but with Gonzalez,
02:00 all you gotta do is keep that down the middle.
02:02 Put everything down the middle.
02:03 Be patient, he's gonna come at you.
02:05 Like he got caught right there with an overhand right.
02:07 - Two good overhand rights there by Gonzalez.
02:10 You've seen some mistakes a little bit early on here
02:12 by Espada, and that's expected in a pro debut.
02:15 - This whole fight here for Espada
02:17 is gonna be with the corner.
02:18 You know, can they calm him down?
02:20 Can they get him to do the right things?
02:22 Like I said, it's dangerous taking Gonzalez
02:25 who already has four boxing fights.
02:27 Espada, we don't know how many really boxing fights he has.
02:30 - No.
02:31 - He said he just loves coming back to it,
02:32 but have we seen him in the amateurs?
02:35 - Garner is camp.
02:36 He only had one amateur boxing fight, 62 Muay Thai fights.
02:40 That's a big difference.
02:41 - That's a hell of a difference.
02:43 No, he is patient, but here he goes switching again.
02:51 Off that switch, he's gonna catch him with a square.
02:54 When Espada squares up, all Gonzalez can do
02:57 is come straight down with that right hand.
02:59 - Final 30 seconds here of the first round.
03:01 It's scheduled for four in the welterweight division.
03:04 Espada in the black trunks, Gonzalez in the blue.
03:06 - Again, Espada, as soon as he gets inside,
03:10 he switches back into his right hand stance.
03:14 - Hmm.
03:14 He's strong, you can see the belt of him.
03:24 - Sure.
03:24 - But he's trying to chop over too much.
03:27 He's gonna get caught with his own left hook.
03:29 - He's trying to land that overhand right.
03:31 That little left jab coming out.
03:32 There it is again. - Here he goes.
03:33 He's squaring right up.
03:34 - One round in the books.
03:37 - That round there, I gave that to Gonzalez.
03:40 You know, he's very patient, letting Espada come in.
03:42 Espada's, you know, he's switching styles.
03:45 And my thing is, when I see a fighter switching styles,
03:49 they're not confident what they wanna do.
03:51 You know, call me wrong, call me right, that's how I feel.
03:55 - Now that's a very interesting perspective on it, Ray.
03:57 So some fighters may switch to throw the opponent
04:00 off balance, and you say sometimes it's just a lack
04:02 of confidence in the fighter, which may very well
04:04 be the case here for somebody for the first time
04:06 getting in that ring as a pro boxer
04:08 against someone who's a little more established.
04:10 Gonzalez had a pretty good amateur background,
04:12 not an extensive heat background,
04:14 but certainly more than what Espada has.
04:16 - Yes, he had more than one fight as an amateur.
04:19 You know, with Malone in this corner,
04:21 I think Malone's gonna tell him, look, just stay back,
04:24 let him run in, as soon as he runs in,
04:26 put that right hand right over the top
04:28 and come with a left hook.
04:29 For Espada, you know, he's gotta try to work his way in,
04:33 don't walk his way in, he's gotta jab his way in.
04:36 - What's interesting to me here as we get ready
04:39 for round number two is Gonzalez also fought
04:42 a pro Muay Thai fighter in Yesen Verdugo
04:45 and scored the win by knockout.
04:46 He's probably thinking, why do these Muay Thai guys
04:48 keep picking on me?
04:49 I've already got rid of one of them.
04:51 - Espada came out with a little bit more emphasis out there.
04:54 He's throwing punches, but you know, he's still letting it,
04:58 he's still switching it, as soon as he gets inside,
05:01 he wants to switch that feet.
05:02 - Round number two, scheduled for four.
05:07 Once again, you're watching CES Boxing Homecoming
05:10 on Swerve Combat.
05:12 Michael Parente and Sucre-Rea all there.
05:14 Here for the next few hours, bringing you all the action.
05:19 Gonzalez, eight, one there,
05:20 a nice exchange here in the corner.
05:22 - Yup, Espada caught him there with a wild right hook.
05:24 Espada's bending down, he's going down
05:28 to Espada's height, Gonzalez, I mean.
05:31 He's going down and he's getting caught
05:34 with that three, four, with the left hook or right hook.
05:37 (crowd cheering)
05:40 - There goes Espada again with that looping right hand,
05:44 not trying to work the body.
05:45 - Gonzalez is in the wrong spot, he's gotta stay long.
05:51 Keep that jab on him.
05:53 - Oh, he always talked about having a height advantage,
05:55 but it's not an advantage if you don't use it.
05:57 - Yes, exactly, you use it by keeping that jab in his face.
06:00 - And like you said too, Ray, prior to the fight,
06:03 these Muay Thai fighters love to fight on the inside.
06:07 And that's where you don't wanna be.
06:08 He's used to fighting inside.
06:10 - That's really the way that Espada will win the fight,
06:13 is if he's able to get close enough to Gonzalez,
06:14 which so far he's been able to do in this round,
06:17 at least better than the first round.
06:18 - He's letting Espada walk into him getting too close.
06:21 Fights ain't won by one punch, it's won by combinations.
06:25 These fighters are not Mike Tyson.
06:28 (laughing)
06:30 We'd love them to be.
06:31 - Sure, you find one of those diamonds in the rough,
06:35 they go a long way.
06:36 And C.S. hoping that they found one of Espada,
06:40 who they just signed to a multi-year contract,
06:43 and here he is making his debut
06:45 against the very tough Jeff Gonzalez.
06:46 - Espada's looking very well this round here.
06:50 And Gonzalez is allowing that.
06:52 He's allowing Espada to walk in
06:54 without putting that jab on him.
06:56 As soon as he gets close, he's digging that body
06:58 and coming over with that left hook or right hook.
07:04 - Referee Ricky Gonzalez on top of the action,
07:06 they'd like to see a little less clinching.
07:08 Nice right hand, now that time Gonzalez punching down.
07:10 - Exactly, he waited, missed, and connected.
07:13 - And that's that advantage you talked about,
07:16 don't fight down to the shorter opponent's level.
07:19 - See, he's letting Espada right now walk in too close.
07:23 That jab should be on him.
07:24 Oh, beautiful left hook by Espada.
07:34 Espada working off the ropes, nice flurry again,
07:36 and a little late action here.
07:38 Ricky Gonzalez gonna give a warning.
07:40 Much better action this time by Espada.
07:42 What did you see differently this round than the first?
07:45 - Well, Gonzalez allowing Espada to walk in
07:47 and get in closer instead of the first time
07:49 he had that jab on him.
07:50 He was making him take something for coming in.
07:53 (upbeat music)
08:02 (upbeat music)
08:05 (upbeat music)
08:07 (upbeat music)
08:10 (upbeat music)
08:15 (upbeat music)
08:31 (upbeat music)
08:34 - Welcome back to Swerve Combat,
08:45 round number three of the scheduled four round
08:47 well-to-weight bout.
08:49 Kenjo Espada taking on Jeff Gonzalez,
08:51 and Michael Parenti and Ray Alvarez
08:53 bringing you all the action here
08:54 from Valley's Twin River Lincoln.
08:55 Much better second round for Espada.
09:00 - In theory, probably an even fight here
09:02 as we go to the last two rounds.
09:03 So it'll be very interesting from an adjustment standpoint
09:06 to see what both sides do there.
09:08 And again, they meet in the middle.
09:11 Espada again loving, like you said,
09:13 ready to rip through the body on the inside.
09:15 - Gonzalez allowing Espada to come in.
09:17 I mean, the Muay Thai fighter,
09:18 that they love to fight inside.
09:20 As you can see, a lot of times, you know,
09:23 they're taught as Muay Thai, when you're inside,
09:26 continue fighting, let the referee pull your part.
09:29 So in boxing, you know,
09:30 we taught a fighter the same thing.
09:33 You're not supposed to do that.
09:35 So Espada's continuing punching with,
09:36 hey, let him do what he's gotta do.
09:38 - I'm with you on that,
09:39 until the referee says otherwise.
09:41 Keep throwing those shots.
09:42 There's Gonzalez trying to use that jab,
09:44 use that reach to his advantage.
09:46 Oh! - Oh, again!
09:49 Beautiful jump and left hook.
09:51 - Just leaping in with that left,
09:52 and he caught Gonzalez flush.
09:55 - Gonzalez, for some reason, wants to fight inside.
09:57 He keep him on a distance.
09:59 - Nice right hand now by Gonzalez.
10:03 - When he uses them long punches,
10:05 them one-twos right down the pipe,
10:06 he's got it, but he's allowing Espada to come in tight.
10:10 - And this is where, if you're Gonzalez, Ray,
10:12 maybe you mix in an uppercut or two
10:13 when Espada's on the way in.
10:15 That sometimes can slow the progress.
10:17 Easier said than done.
10:18 - But he's sticking his head up high.
10:20 - Yeah.
10:22 - He drops some hands,
10:23 and he's trying to rumble inside the middle.
10:27 - He should just keep him on the outside of that jab.
10:29 Let him rush in.
10:31 See, there was an uppercut right there, beautiful.
10:33 When Espada jumped in, he hit him with a left uppercut.
10:35 - Yep.
10:36 There's that potential weapon for Gonzalez
10:39 that could maybe set the tide here,
10:40 but Gonzalez again going to the body.
10:42 - But that's exactly where Espada wants him to be.
10:45 He's falling right into Espada's game plan.
10:47 - Under a minute to go in round three.
10:56 Nice, the left hook there by Gonzalez.
10:59 Missed with a looping right,
11:00 and Espada almost caught him with the right on the way in.
11:03 - Tried to throw a spinning back kick on that one, I think.
11:10 - Espada's got some very sneaky movement, Ray,
11:12 to get out of trouble.
11:13 And despite the fact that he likes to play on the inside,
11:19 still remains somewhat elusive as a target.
11:22 - It's a good combination of skills.
11:25 Final 10 seconds here, round three.
11:27 - If Gonzalez wants to fight inside,
11:29 put Espada back on the ropes, like he's doing right now.
11:32 That's where he wants to keep.
11:34 - Little slip by there by Espada,
11:36 Gonzalez following it perfectly,
11:38 or Ricky Gonzalez, rather.
11:39 And that's the end of round number three.
11:41 So again, Ray, you're seeing Espada
11:43 making his way on the inside, doing what he has to do.
11:47 Again, a pretty good round for the debut fighter.
11:49 - At that round there, I gave to Gonzalez.
11:51 He did fight inside, as you saw there,
11:54 but he was connecting with the better shots.
11:56 He was coming around, fighting his height.
11:59 Espada was mostly trying to grab and hold and punch,
12:02 which Muay Thai fighters do do.
12:04 But Gonzalez definitely looked better that round.
12:07 I gave him that round there.
12:08 I gave him two rounds to one for Gonzalez.
12:11 See, that's where he wants to keep Espada, on the ropes.
12:14 In the middle of the ring, you're keeping your head up high
12:16 and you're vulnerable for them wild punches.
12:18 See, he's allowing him to run it, and there he goes, high.
12:23 - High quality fights.
12:25 Let's go!
12:26 - One more round to go here
12:27 in this opening bout on Swear of Combat.
12:29 We thank you once again for joining us.
12:31 Jeff Gonzalez in the blue trunks.
12:44 Kinjo Espada in the black, ready for one more round.
12:52 - Today, I think if Gonzalez wins this round here,
12:53 he might just get a draw.
12:55 - That could very well be the case.
12:57 It's very tough to decide
12:58 how the judges may have seen round three.
13:00 You and I, you know, we saw it from different perspectives.
13:04 I'm not sure that I disagree with your take on it,
13:06 'cause I think Gonzalez did do a better job there
13:08 adjusting to Espada fighting on the inside.
13:10 - Espada's, I mean, Gonzalez continuing
13:15 wanting to fight inside.
13:17 I mean, he's got that six foot reach
13:19 and long reach in his hands.
13:22 Why allow him to come inside?
13:23 He wants to fight inside.
13:29 - I will mention our good friend Peter Zimbal
13:31 reminded me that Ricky Gonzalez just ref
13:33 that big Anthony Joshua fight in Saudi Arabia.
13:35 So nice to see him back here in Rhode Island.
13:38 - Definitely, it's good to see, you know,
13:40 one of our own referees out there
13:42 reffing this such a big fight.
13:43 - And a massive fight, absolute massive fight.
13:45 Great assignment and a great job by Ricky Gonzalez
13:47 that night, also again doing a great job tonight as well.
13:49 - He always does a great job.
13:51 - Gonzalez trying to get that separation right,
13:54 and it's tough 'cause Espada comes right in on the inside.
13:57 - That's exactly what Muay Thai fighters do.
14:00 They wanna get inside and, you know,
14:02 use their grappling and grabbing.
14:05 - Is that a leap jab?
14:06 Now you're seeing Gonzalez trying to work that reach.
14:09 - He's finally starting to listen to his partner, I believe.
14:12 - Gonzalez trying to dive in with that overhand right.
14:17 - A little saw in the jaw, Espada again now on the inside,
14:19 there he goes with a four-five punch combo.
14:21 But you're seeing a lot of this too, Ray,
14:25 you're getting tangled up here.
14:27 - He's getting tangled up, he's allowing the rush inside,
14:30 and they keep that jab on him.
14:32 I can see Gonzalez got a little bit more wind
14:34 than Espada.
14:35 He's letting him walk in without putting that jab on him.
14:38 There's no reason to wing that right hand,
14:40 throw it straight down the middle.
14:41 - Espada doing a good job seeing it coming.
14:46 He's been able to get out of the way
14:47 of most of what Gonzalez has thrown,
14:48 and he's done his best work on the inside,
14:50 as we've mentioned.
14:51 - Right there, he wants to keep that jab on him.
14:52 Espada just, just jump right in.
14:55 There he goes switching again.
14:58 You're gonna switch, throw a punch off it.
15:00 - Very good action here in this opening bout
15:06 on Sword Combat.
15:07 Once again, Michael Parente and Sucre Ray Oliveira
15:11 bringing you all the action.
15:12 - Gonzalez fighting a better fight this round here,
15:14 much better, much better.
15:15 He's keeping that jab, he's staying tall,
15:17 he's on the move, punching move.
15:18 - I think depending on these last 20 seconds,
15:20 Gonzalez might eke this one out, Ray.
15:22 - I believe so, you know.
15:25 My opinion, but I got him definitely winning
15:27 this round here.
15:28 It takes one punch to change a fight.
15:31 10 seconds, Espada gotta do something here,
15:37 let it all out.
15:42 And that'll do it, four rounds in the books.
15:44 Kenjo Espada in his pro debut against Jeff Gonzalez,
15:47 a very interesting fight.
15:49 Tough to score some of these rounds.
15:51 Some of this action was very back and forth throughout.
15:55 You and I think that Gonzalez may have just
15:56 eke this one out by a nose,
15:59 and we'll see how the judges score it as well.
16:01 As you mentioned in the pre-fight buildup,
16:03 just a very interesting fight in general for Espada,
16:06 coming in with only one amateur boxing bout
16:09 and taking on in his pro debut,
16:10 Espada with four pro fights under his belt
16:13 and Jeff Gonzalez.
16:14 I think perhaps in their first fight with CS,
16:17 wanted to make a statement.
16:18 If you come out there and beat a guy like Jeff Gonzalez
16:20 in your first pro fight, it really sets a trajectory.
16:24 It also sets up a lot of pressure
16:26 in ensuing bouts as well.
16:27 So it'd be interesting to see what happens here
16:29 if he does not get the decision
16:30 of what direction they go in,
16:31 and once they circle back and get it back in the ring.
16:33 But we don't really know what that decision's
16:35 gonna be just yet.
16:36 I saw some nice things from Espada,
16:39 some things that also you gotta work on as well.
16:41 - You saw a bunch of things he could work on.
16:43 We see all these fighters with four rounds that come on,
16:46 they all got a bunch of things wrong,
16:47 but Espada also showed us that he has the ability
16:49 to be a boxer.
16:51 I mean, he was in there, he looked pretty good,
16:54 you know, switching the feet, calm that down a little.
16:57 I know he does that in the Muay Thai,
16:59 but calm it down.
17:00 If you're gonna switch with your feet,
17:01 let a punch come off that
17:02 and put some punches down the middle.
17:04 As Gonzalez, I see him rising up
17:08 but this fight here, I think he stood even on here.
17:11 He allowed Espada to come inside,
17:13 he didn't use his distance until the fourth round,
17:16 then he finally, that's a corner,
17:17 who adjusted him and made him look,
17:20 stay on the outside, stay tall,
17:22 keep pumping that straight down the middle.
17:24 - Well, I think you're right, Ray,
17:25 in that you rarely see a four round fight
17:27 and there isn't something to work on
17:29 with the fighters that are in the ring, right?
17:30 There's always something to take back to the drawing board,
17:33 back into the gym the next time you step in there.
17:35 So it's never perfect, even in a fight where you win
17:38 and you blow somebody out in 40 seconds,
17:40 there's always something to take back
17:42 and think about going into the next fight.
17:43 So, it'd be very interesting to see
17:45 what both sides work on here.
17:46 - Yes.
17:47 - Gonzalez, win or lose, is still in that trajectory
17:50 at 29 years of age, trying to make that leap.
17:52 He had some time off, he lost four years of his career
17:55 and what, for many fighters, is their prime.
17:57 - Yeah.
17:58 - And in this day and age, I think in the 30s
18:00 can still be prime for fighters,
18:01 how fighters train and the diets that they work on now
18:07 and all the other training methods that have improved
18:09 so much over the years, it's a different game now.
18:11 So, certainly by no means is Gonzalez
18:13 heading in the other direction, but you know,
18:15 this again is a make or break year.
18:16 He had three fights last year,
18:18 he's already got his first one under his belt
18:20 in March of 2024.
18:22 You could see him two or three more times
18:24 and start to be in the conversation for bigger fights
18:26 and that's really where it starts.
18:28 - Yes.
18:28 - Now, with Kenjo Espada, we'll see what happens here,
18:31 but we're just about ready to find out who won this bout.
18:34 (crowd chanting)
18:37 I believe now we finally have a decision,
18:41 so let's send it with that said,
18:43 back up to Margaret Cresa, who's gonna find out
18:45 and tell us who the winner is.
18:47 (bell ringing)
18:51 - Ladies and gentlemen, after four tough rounds of boxing,
18:56 we go to the judges' scorecards.
19:00 Judge Eddie Sconcio scores the bout 39-37
19:05 in favor of Gonzalez.
19:07 Judge Robert Pelino scores the bout 39-37
19:13 in favor of Espada.
19:15 And Judge Ken Ezzo scores the bout 38-38.
19:25 Ladies and gentlemen, this is a draw.
19:28 (crowd chanting)
19:31 - Ray, you said that would be a possibility
19:35 and I had a feeling when they had the two cards
19:37 going either way that the third judge would see it even
19:39 and they did and of course 39-37.