PBC on Bounce: Jamal James Survives Knockdown, Topples Juan Carlos Abreu

Here's another look at the shot that dropped Jamal Harris in round 1 against Willie Jones! #PBConBounce pic.twitter.com/DhO9kkpm3E

— PBC (@premierboxing) September 19, 2015

Jamal James looked terrific for the first three rounds of his main event bout against Juan Carlos Abreu on the latest PBC on Bounce TV. He was moving well, using his rangy jab to set up counters. His length and distance perplexed the much shorter Dominican early on and it looked like it was going to be easy.

Then disaster nearly struck.

A wild, loopy overhand right crashed on top of the Minnesotan’s head, sending him to the canvas along the ropes in the fourth. Replays later revealed that he was more off-balance than anything, but for that short moment in time, the tides had turned in Abreu’s favor.

Abreu continued to pound away foe and the crowd inside Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla. rose to their feet. But James, using his instincts, was able to time Abreu’s attacks using his jab.

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Abreu (18-2-1, 17 KOs) was still swinging wildly at James, who was backing off. Late in the sixth, a monster left hook rocked Juan Carlos and it forced the former amateur star to stumble backward. A flurry by James sent him to the canvas and from that point on, James out-boxed his opponent.

“He was an exceptional opponent. He came out and did his thing,” James said after being declared the winner via unanimous decision. “I knew he was strong. He kind of rushed me and I didn’t think he’d rush me like that. Our legs were getting tangled up, but I was able to adapt.”

James (18-0, 9 KOs) was awarded the verdict via tallies of 97-91 and 96-92 (twice) in arguably the toughest fight of his young career.

“When you got a slugger in there, you can’t slug with a slugger,” James said. “He was a tough guy and it was a great experience. I learned that I have that will power. When you’re in there with a tough opponent, you just have to push it and keep going.”

Junior middleweight prospect Erickson Lubin looked sensational in pounding out a sixth-round stoppage over the unbelievably tough Orlando Lora. Lubin was relentless with his unwavering pressure to the head and body and he rocked the Mexican repeatedly.

Lubin used a stiff jab from his southpaw stance and whenever he could, he hammered him with a lead left and an array of lethal shots to the body. He broke Lora down after he scored a knockdown in the second, and by the time the sixth rolled around, Lora was ready to go.

Lubin, from Orlando, chased Lora into a corner and plugged away from all angles. A massive left to the head rocked Lora badly, and after a series of unanswered blows rattled off his gloves and head, Lora’s corner threw in the towel just as veteran third man Frank Santore jumped in to the stop it.

The official time of the TKO came 58 seconds into the sixth, allowing Lubin to improve to 12-0 with his ninth knockout. For his efforts, Lora dipped to 31-6-2 with 19 KOs.

Promising contender Wilky Campfort had to pick himself up off the canvas in the first after Ronaldo Montes felled him with a left to the head. When he dusted himself off and cleared the cobwebs, he was too much for Montes.

Campfort drilled his foe with an overhand right followed by an uppercut on the inside, evening the score with knockdowns. Montes forced a torrid slugfest, but Campfort was doing more damage. Finally, the Haitian-born, Tampa-based fighter floored Montes with another overhand right with about a minute left. Montes tried to fight back, but Campfort was all over him, finally sending him to the canvas on a hellacious left hook to the jaw.

Montes was out and the fight was called off with just a second remaining in the round. Campfort bolstered his pro ledger to 21-1 (12) while Montes, from Colombia, dropped to 16-3, with 14 KOs.

In the night’s swing bout, Willie Jones (5-0, 2 KOs) was almost disqualified after nailing Jamal Harris (3-1, 1 KO) well after the bell to end the first. He was docked two points from referee Telis Assimenios, but from there, he kept his cool and dominated the rest of the way. Jones won a unanimous six-round decision with scores of 57-55 and 58-54 (twice).