Ray Jay Bermudez TKO2 Bergman Aguilar Professional boxing returned to Massachusetts for the first time in 1½ years, due to pandemic restrictions, as Vertex Promotions presented it first show at Moseley’s On The Charles in Dedham, Massachusetts. Junior welterweight Ray Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (13-0, 10 KOs) lived up to his nickname, stopping an overmatched Bergman “The Snake” Aguilar (15-9-1, 5 KOs) in round two. Bermudez, fighting out of Troy, New York, dropped Aguilar, a former super featherweight champion, in the second round with an overhand right. Three left hooks to the body put Aguilar on the canvas again, and the end came moments later when Bermudez decked his Nicaraguan opponent for a third and final time with a left hook to the body that left Agular grimacing in pain. He was unable to beat the count. Pre-fight, Bermudez correctly predicted Aguilar wouldn’t last past five rounds. “I saw that his body was open and that was the way to attack him,” Bermudez said after the fight. “I went to work and knew and wouldn’t last too long. I’m ready to fight anybody my team picks. I’m ready for the big dogs! I’ve been trained out of Boston (with his uncle, head trainer Hector Bermudez) the last four years and have a nice fan-base. I’m like fighting in New England.”
Jim Perella TKO3 Rakim Johnson ... In the co-feature, welterweight Jim “The Slim Reaper” Perella (8-0, 6 KOs) overcame the first knockdown of his young career, albeit it from a questionable shot that appeared to hit Perella behind the head, en route to a third-round win by technical knockout of Rakim Johnson (6-12-1, 5 KOs). Perella, fighting out of Mansfield, MA, has a strong amateur pedigree having won the New England USA New England and New England Golden Gloves four times each. He boxed effectively, using his jab to set-up his other punches, and other than the flash knockdown in the second round, he cruised past Johnson. Perella registered knockdowns in the first with a big right hand, followed two rounds later by a body shot, and then another liver shot to close the show midway through the third.
MORE RESULTS
Francis “Frank The Tank” Hogan (7-0, 7 KOs) nearly went the distance for the first time in his pro career, but halfway through the sixth and final round, the southpaw finished strong with a left that Isiah “Murder” Hart (6-2-1, 4 KOs) was unable to withstand. Hart was also floored in the second round by a pair of lefts from Hogan, the reigning New Hampshire 154-pound champion, as well as a 2019 New England Golden Gloves champion.
Boston lightweight Jonathan de Pina (5-1, 3 KOs) pitched a shutout against journeyman “Money” Mike Fowler (7-38, 2 KOs), winning all six rounds for a unanimous decision victory. Pina dropped Fowler twice, once in the second and again in the third, by consistently trapping him the ropes, but Fowler was able to survive.
Weymouth, MA welterweight Eric “Gladiator” Goff (3-0, 3 KOs) bested Austin Reed Ward (0-7), who was knocked down in the opening round by an overhand right, and a barrage of unanswered punches led to a stoppage in the middle of the first round.
In a fight between pro-debuting welterweights, Boston’s James Murrin took a close but unanimous four-round decision from Michael Oller Da Silva. Murrin’s aggression put him in early control, but Da Silva got back in the fight with a knockdown to make it close in the judges’ scoring (39-37, 38-37, 38-37).
Worcester, MA junior lightweight Alex Rivera (1-0, 1 KOs) turned in a powerful pro debut, battering Richard Bernard (1-4-1) from the opening bell until a 3-punch combination in the opening round resulted in a knockout.
The first fight of the night only lasted 30-seconds as Boston cruiserweight Bernard Joseph (2-0, 2 KOs) needed only one well-placed body shot to put Francisco Neto (1-14-1, 1 KO) on his knees and aching in obvious pain.
