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Oscar Collazo halts Yudel Reyes in five, wins WBO 105-pound title elimination bout

Oscar Collazo. Photo by Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy
Fighters Network
28
Jan

INGLEWOOD, California – Oscar Collazo believes he is ready to face the top fighters of the 105-pound division. His impressive knockout win over Yudel Reyes could be convincing enough to put him on that path.

Collazo dropped Reyes twice in the fifth round of their WBO title elimination bout on the Alexis Rocha-George Ashie undercard on Saturday, ending matters with an emphatic knockout win to improve to 6-0, 4 KOs.

From the opening bell, Reyes was game, finding success connecting lead and counter right hands to the head of Collazo, but the Puerto Rican southpaw found success utilizing his quickness to move in and out of Reyes’ reach, connecting with right-left combinations.

By the fourth round, Collazo found his rhythm, finishing each combination with a sweeping right hook to the head of Reyes. Collazo also mixed in lead right hooks to the head.



About halfway through the fifth round, a combination staggered Reyes. Collazo followed it up by landing a vicious right that dropped Reyes to the canvas. Reyes beat the count, and to his credit, fought back bravely.

Moments before the bell sounded to end the round, Reyes again was staggered by a left-right combination to the head. Collazo followed up by landing a vicious left that dropped Reyes flat on his back. Referee Gerard White immediately stopped the bout at 2:59.

Collazo was originally scheduled to fight countryman Wilfredo Mendez, who is ranked No. 5 by The Ring. Mendez withdrew from the fight weeks ago, reportedly due to an injury suffered in training camp.

Collazo, who resides in Villalba, Puerto Rico, had not fought since July 16, overcoming a knockdown to win a hard-fought unanimous decision over Victorio Saludar of the Philippines.

Reyes, who resides in Monterey, Mexico, drops to 15-2, 5 KOs. He had won his previous three fights.

Preliminary action

Junior welterweight Alejandro Reyes defeated Jose Zaragoza of Sedalia, Missouri by unanimous decision. Scores were 58-56, 58-56, and 60-54 for Reyes, who improves to 10-0, 5 KOs. Reyes resides in Mexicali, Mexico.

In featherweight action, San Diego’s Adan Palma improved to 5-0, 4 KOs, defeating Pedro Salome (3-2-2, 1 KO) by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 40-35 in favor of Palma, who dropped Salome once at the end of the third round.

In the opening bout of the Golden Boy Promotions card held at YouTube Theater, junior lightweight Danny Garcia of Westminster, Colorado, who is managed by Joel De La Hoya, defeated Colombia’s Jonathan Perez by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 40-36 in favor of Garcia, who improves to 4-0, 3 KOs.

 

Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at [email protected]

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