To some, Friday night was supposed to be all about setting Vyacheslav Shabranskyy up for a potential world title bout in 2017. Instead, it just might bring Sullivan Barrera another big opportunity after losing to world lightweight champion Andre Ward earlier this year.
Sullivan Barrera lands a short right hook on Vyacheslav Shabranskyy during their bout at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on December 16, 2016. Barrera won the fight.
Sullivan looked every bit the part of a world title contender in a seventh round technical knockout victory over Shabranskyy at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, which helped provide one of the most explosive boxing cards of the year.
Shabranskyy, who was previously unbeaten and listed No. 6 on The Ring magazine pound-for-pound rankings, knocked Barrera to the canvas in the first round, but Barrera seemed to dominate the remainder of the fight, knocking Shabranskyy down in the second, fifth and seventh rounds. The bout was stopped after Shabranskyy hit the floor for the third time.
“This win is for all the boxing fans outs there,” Barrera said. “I want to specifically thank my trainer, Derik Santos. He sat me down, we watched the tapes, and he said to me, ‘Sullivan, this is what you have to do to get the win.”
After the loss to Ward in March, which was Barrera’s first career loss, some wondered what would become of the 34-year-old. Shabranskyy provided an opportunity for redemption after some said the best of Barrera had come and gone.
He proved a lot of folks wrong Friday night.
“Of course we would never expect this,” Shabranskyy said. “We will decide next steps after we get over this.”
In the co-main event, challenger Rashidi Ellis (17-0, 12 KOs) claimed the International Boxing Federation North American welterweight title with a first round knockout of Eddie Gomez. Gomez, who brought the red championship belt from New York, was knocked to the canvas on a devastating right hook a minute into the bout, and was put down again, this time for good, just a minute and 19 seconds into the fight.
As Gomez (19-2) hit the floor a second time and nearly rolled out of the ring near his corner, Ellis turned, his eyes widening, and rushed his corner where he climbed the ropes with his arms raised.
Sullivan Barrera, in white gloves, during his fight against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy during their bout at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on December 16, 2016. Barrera won the fight.
The knockout was, in a word, spectacular, and with a national audience watching, the win could do wonders for the Lynn, Mass. native and his career potential.
“It gave me a chance to show the world my talent,” said Ellis, who said was extra motivated by the birth of his first child, a son, two weeks ago.
Mexico’s Francisco Vargas, who won The Ring magazine’s 2015 Fight of the Year in a bloody slugfest over Japan’s Takashi Miura, was in the house promoting his Jan. 20 Miguel Berchelt at Fantasy Springs. He stepped into the ring and addressed fans just prior to the start of the HBO Latino telecast. Vargas (23-0-2, 17 knockouts) will put his World Boxing Council super featherweight title on the line against Berchelt (30-1) in one of the most anticipated matchups to come to Fantasy Springs in recent memory.
Moments earlier, Indio’s Javier Padilla had stopped Tijuana’s Jose Mora just 44 seconds into the second round. It was Padilla’s second knockout in as many fights to start what some in the Coachella Valley believe will be a promising career.
“I’ve always said that the hardest part of boxing is training and losing weight,” said Padilla, 19. “When I get into the ring, it’s fun, and with my training I know what to do.”
Former boxer and Indio trainer Antonio Diaz, who’s trained Padilla for seven years, praised Padilla’s ability to follow instruction.
“He was composed, he took his time,” Diaz said. “We told him what to do, what shots to look out for, and sure enough he did exactly what we told him.”
To open the card, Ryan Martin remained unbeaten (18-0) in the lightweight ranks with a fourth round stoppage win over Yardley Suarez (19-6) of Sacramento. Martin, 22, is one of the rising stars in the division, and is expected to have big opportunities in 2017.
Following Martin’s win, Alexis Rocha of Santa Ana moved to 6-0 in the super welterweight division with a unanimous decision win over Los Angeles prospect Abraham Calderon (1-4).
Perhaps the most impressive win over the untelevised undercard came in the third super lightweight bout when Vergil Ortiz Jr. landed a brutal left hook that knocked out Nestor Garcia in the first round of their bout, just before Vargas stepped into the ring and the HBO Latino broadcast began. Ortiz, who like Padilla has trained in Indio and had Antonio Diaz in his corner, moved to 3-0 with the win.
Javier Padilla, of Indio defeated Jose Mora of Tijuana, Mexico during their bout at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on December 16, 2016.
“He’s going to be someone to watch,” trainer Joel Diaz said of Ortiz last month. “A lot of times it takes 10 or more fights to know if a fighter is going to be any good. I don’t think we need that many with Vergil.”
Santa Ana’s Ronny Rios advanced to 27-1 when Roy Tapia of East Los Angeles did not emerge from his corner following the sixth round of their 10-round featherweight bout. Rios didn’t exhibit the power to end the fight by knockout, but blasted Tapia with a number of big shots during the bout. Tapia is now 12-2-2.
The night, however, largely belonged to Barrera. There are a lot of potential opponents, but he wants a shot at the lone man who was able to beat him.
“This proves that my career in boxing is alive,” he said. “I want a rematch with Andre Ward.”
Find sports reporter Andrew John on Twitter: @Andrew_L_John. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.
Vyacheslav Shabranskyy lands a stiff jab on Sullivan Barrera during their bout at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on December 16, 2016. Barrera won the fight.