The Friday noche Telefutura Boxeo series did what comes natural in delivering a twin-bill of fistic action - opens with Super flyweights Juan Mercedes and Jose Bernal in a duel for the WBO Latino bauble, and closes with Alex De Jesus and Bulmaro Solis in hotly contested scheduled ten round main event.

Mercedes - Bernal was nip-n-tuck over the first half with a younger Mercedes having the edge - then, at the turn, a stronger, methodical, aggressive in style Mercedes began to wear down the age 37 veteran foe.

Finally, stanza twelve, and a stunning ending at the 1:59 seconds mark courtesy of a perfectly timed Mercedes counter left-hook that closed the show.

Post Scripts: Mercedes (20-1, 14 KO) ~ age 25 - a transplanted Dominican now calling Puerto Rico home entered WBO #9 - WBA #11- the sensational finis last noche earned a minor league bauble - showed good movement and skills and should grow to contending level down that proverbial pike.
                    Bernal (27-9, 18KO) ~ age 37 one heavy albatross to carry - the Colombian a legitimate warrior but the future is yesterday. Hung tough while on receiving end of constant pressure from Mercedes until the tank ran dry. Brain trust should choose carefully if Jose wishes to continue.

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The jr. welter feature attraction paired undefeated southpaws Alex De Jesus and Bulmaro Solis in what opened on a hot note and continued that way until the 1:07 mark of stanza four - major difference of the two is De Jesus had the polish and poise to go with good punching power while Solis was strictly of jab-left hand “one-two” vintage.

Solis did show true grit from the start - the unbeaten novice, after ten wins all coming by stoppage, was accustomed to seeing the opposition fall when the port side bombs found the target - not to be on this outing with most power punches missing, and the few that scored had little impact on De Jesus.

Over three stanzas it’s the local kid tossing a shutout, the end would come in round four as De Jesus drops Solis with big right hook - reaction is altered version of the old Zab Judah hucklebuck before landing on the canvas.

Startling to see Solis beat the count - then the fool in charge, referee Jose Rivera, allows De Jesus a bit more batting practice on a helplessly beaten victim before waving it off - clearly the only one in the house that couldn’t see the knockout was already scored.

Closing Comments: De Jesus ( 15-0, 10 KO) ~ age 24 - positives are poise and polish - toss in a chin, and working from the port side. The finishing combinations were impressive - no haste, no waste. Clearly a kid to watch in a tough division.
                               Solis ( 10-1, 10 KO) ~ age 23 - has room to grow but in serious need of tutoring to go with the tall at 5-11 frame. Tough to a point, but previously nurtured on pugilistic pabulum - thus the inflated resumé coming in.

                               Referee Jose Rivera ~ think maybe this clown purchased the “Body Bag” sobriquet from Steve “Smog” Smoger, who once was tardy in pulling the plug on terminal patients. Opening bout a very busy affair and he gives zero breathing room - on the job Jose quickly breaks “clinches” before they have a chance of occurring.