SAUNDERS DROPS COCERES THREE TIMES FOR 11TH ROUND STOPPAGE AT STAPLES CENTER (PHOTOS)
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 10 Nov 2019
Photos by Jhay Otamias / PhilBoxing.com.
Billy Joe Saunders of Britain retained his WBO super middleweight crown by stopping erstwhile undefeated Marcelo Esteban Coceres of Argentina in the 11th round at the Staples Center Saturday night (Sunday in Manila).
The fight was competitive in the first 10 round but changed dramatically when Saunders caught Coceres with a left-right combo in the second minute of the 11th round that dropped the Argentine for the first time. Saunders followed it up with a picture-perfect right uppercut to the chin for Coceres's second trip to the canvas. Sensing blood, Saunders, who came to fight in the United States for the first time to impress the American crowd, threw a barrage of punches at Coceres who went down for the third time as Referee Ray Corono stepped in to stop the contest and didn't bother to count. Time: 1:59 of the 11th round.
Saunders first won his WBO belt against Andy Lee in 2015 and defended it three times. vacated the title in October last year after a failed drug test preempting the WBO who was set to suspend him for six month for the transgression. Saunders recaptured the belt when he defeated Shefat Isufi of Serbia in May this year in Stevenage north of London.
After his win, Saunders called out Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez who currently holds titles in the middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.
Saunders upped his undefeated record to 29 wins with 14 wins inside the distance while Coceres, the former WBO Latino middleweight champion, suffered his first defeat and dropped to 28-1-1 with 15KOs.
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