Alexis Rocha Scored Impressive KO In Golden Boy Main Event

Golden Boy Promotions had to scramble for a new main event Saturday night in L.A., when rising star Vergil Ortiz fell ill and was hospitalized. And, California Welterweight Alexis Rocha took advantage of his opportunity with a dominant showing/TKO of previously unbeaten but older Blair Cobbs.

The 24 year old Rocha was the more aggressive and more powerful punching of the two southpaws, as he dropped Cobbs in the eight round with a hard right. And, then he eventually stopped Cobbs just :44 seconds into the ninth to improve to 19-1, 13 KOs

How @AlexisRocha777 is feeling after is KO victory.#RochaCobbs @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/uFCdPUfMsr

— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) March 20, 2022

Rocha, who had previously lost a tough contest to Rashidi Ellis by decision in October of 2020, was simply the better fighter on this night. He repeatedly scored with right jabs and left hooks behind them rocking Cobbs a couple of times in the early rounds.

He eventually wore the Vegas resident down and finished him with a flurry of punches at the beginning of the ninth of the scheduled 10 rounds.

“I will give myself a C,” Rocha said to DAZN post fight. “I got the knockout, but I know I could’ve done a lot better. He was running around, he was very awkward at first. It was hard for me to adjust….

“It took me quite a while (to get the win), because I wasn’t really listening to my coach,”

The Rocha-Cobbs bout was needed to be elevated from co-feature to main event, when Ortiz had to stop training, was hospitalized and was diagnosed with with a condition called rhabdomyolysis. That is something that happens when an injury releases myoglobin into the blood. And, it’s serious enough to debilitate a person due to the bad protein clogging the system and can even be a fatal condition, if left untreated.

The top five ranked Welterweight Ortiz is better and there is hope that the man who’s scored KOs in all 18 of his pro bouts will make a full recovery.

The fighter who he was to have fought, England’s Michael McKinson, was found a late replacement on just 48 hours notice in Alex Martin and the light hitting McKinson scored another decision win. That put him at 22-0, with just 2 KOs.