WORCESTER, Mass. – World Boxing Council (WBC) U.S. Junior Middleweight Champion Josniel “TG” Castro (14-1, 8 KOs) turned in a dominating performance last Friday night against previously undefeated Denzel “Double Impact” Whitley (14-1, 8 KOs) in the main event on the “Worcester Championship Boxing” card, presented by Granite Chin Promotions (GCP), at DCU Event Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Fighting out of Boca Raton, Florida, Castro made his first title defense memorable by out-boxing Whitley for a 10-round unanimous decision (100-90, 99-91, 98-92). Castro’s crisp jab set-up his point-scoring combinations and also prevented Whitley from gaining any momentum throughout the clash.
Whitley, of Holyoke (MA), is the NABF welterweight champion who moved up in weight to challenge Puerto Rico-native Castro.
“I’m at a different level,” Castro said after the fight about the statement he had made in the ring. “I’ve been working very hard. I just fought here (Worcester) in August, but my manager (Chuck Shearns) wanted to make this fight, so we did. I worked on my jab and showed I could land it – up and down – in the fight. The best is yet to come.”
In the co-featured event, undefeated Kevin “Big Gulp” Nagle (10-0, 8 KOs) peppered a game Jake “No Love” Paradise (8-4, 8 KOs), the former Massachusetts Cruiserweight Champion fighting in front of a hometown crowd, who suffered an injury to his left knee in the first round. Nagle, of Scituate (MA), consistently trapped the immobile Paradise and connected with combinations from various angles to win a fourth-round technical knockout and capture the vacant WBC U.S. Silver Heavyweight title.
Popular Worcester welterweight Dan “Grafton Hill’s Favorite Son” Docimo (1-0, 1 KO) thought he had notched his second victory when Jaequez Jones (0-3) went down in the opening round and couldn’t continue. However, the referee ruled that Docimo had pushed Jones, who hit his head on the mat and was too injured to continue, resulting in a “no contest”.
Haitian junior middleweight Edwine Humaine, Jr., fighting out of Springfield (MA), improved to 10-0 (8 KOs) with a first-round knockout of Jimmy “The Quiet Storm” Williams (18-16-2, 6 KOs) with a short body-shot that Williams was unable to recover from.
Hometown favorite Khiary “Too Sharp” Gray (19-7, 14 KOs) outclassed veteran middleweight Daniel “Daniel “The Hudson Valley Kid” Sostre (13-27-2, 5 KOs) enroute to an explosive ending late in the sixth round. The fighters were trash talking throughout the bout and Gray eventually caught him with a powerful right that knocked out Sostre in a neutral corner.
Two-time New England Golden Gloves Champion Justin “The Bandit” Laporte (2-0,2 KOs), fighting out of nearby Millbury (MA), won a one-sided, four-round unanimous decision over junior middleweight Rakim Johnson (7-24-1, 5 KOs) in an entertaining match from start to finish. Laporte scored two knockdowns in each of the second and third rounds, although he was buzzed a few times himself. A left uppercut sent the resilient Johnson down again in the fourth and final round, but he somehow made it to his feet, and he was still standing at the end of the fight. Laporte, a southpaw, is a U.S. Marine, licensed realtor and college student (Nichols College).
Another two-time New England Golden Gloves Champion, Jhon “Dwave” Devers Rodriguez (2-0, 2 KOs), floored middleweight Tymar Miles (0-4) three times in round one, all the result of an overhand right, forcing the referee to wave off the fight after the third knockdown. Born in Puerto Rico, Rodriguez fights out of Worcester.
In the opening bout of the evening, 17-year-old Chicopee (MA) junior middleweight Adrian Valdez Reyes (2-0, 2 KOs) dropped Tracey Coppedge (0-5) twice in the opening round, the second time on the canvas earned Reyes the knockout victory as Coppedge was unable to beat the count after a left dropped him.
“Worcester Championship Boxing” Official Results:
MAIN EVENT – WBC U.S. JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Josniel Castro (14-1, 8 KOs), Champion, Boca Raton, FL
WDEC (100-90, 99-91, 98-92)
Denzel Whitley (14-1, 8 KOs), Challenger, Holyoke, MA
(Castro retained the WBC US junior middleweight title)
CO-FEATURE – VACANT WBC U.S. SILVER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Kevin Nagle (10-0, 8 KOs), Scituate, MA
WTKO4 (1 :45).
Jake Paradise (8-4, 8 KOs), Worcester, MA
(Nagle won the WBC US Silver heavyweight title)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Khiary Gray (19-7, 14 KOs), Worcester, MA
WKO6 (2:21)
Daniel Sostre (13-27-2, 5 KOs), San Juan, Puerto Rico
Jhon Devers Rodriguez (2-0, 2 KOs), Worcester, MA
WTKO1 (1:00)
Tymar Miles (0-4), Poughkeepsie, NY
JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Edwine Humaine, Jr. (8-0, 9 KOs), Springfield, MA
WKO1 (3:00)
Jimmy Williams (18-16-2, 6 KOs), New Haven, CT
Justin Laporte (2-0, 1 KO), Millbury, MA
WDEC4 (40-32, 39-33, 39-33)
Rakim Johnson (7-24-1, 5 KOs), Indianapolis, IN
Adrian Valdez Reyes 2-0 (2 KOs), Chicopee, MA
WKO1 (1:09)
Tracey Coppedge (0-5), Wilson, NC
WELTERWEIGHTS
Dan Docimo (1-0, 1 KO), Worcester, MA
NC1 (0:28)
Jaequez Jones (0-4), Rocky Mount, NC
Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.
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