NJ faves Valencia, Gonzalez, Penaranda score wins in Carteret
Photo: Jean Pierre Valencia lands a right hand on DePriest Johnson. Photo by David Algranati/TheFightPhotos
Saturday night in Carteret looked like the N.J. Golden Gloves finals as some of the Garden State’s best homegrown talent took the stage at the Performing Arts Center in separate bouts.
In a four-round junior middleweight fight, Jean Pierre Valencia went the distance for the first time as a professional, scoring a unanimous decision over Houston’s DePriest Johnson. All three judges scored the fight 40-35 in favor of Valencia (3-0, 2 knockouts), a 25-year-old who was born in Esmeraldas, Ecuador and now resides in Irvington, N.J.
Valencia, a 2023 National Golden Gloves bronze medalist, was the aggressor throughout, hunting down the mobile and elusive southpaw Johnson (2-4) with heavy body shots and power punches with both hands. Valencia scored the bout’s only knockdown in the first round with a left hook, but Johnson showed great resolve and determination to remain standing the rest of the way.
Afterwards, Valencia said he felt overwhelmed by the loud support of the crowd.
“Wow, I felt like a superstar when I came out. The public was screaming and the music and the lights were the best part of the event. I felt that this fight was a good experience. After winning, the public was happy and congratulated me,” said Valencia.
The win is the third for Valencia since he turned professional in June. Valencia expected back in the ring again on Feb. 1 at Prudential Center as part of the Damian Knyba vs. Andrzej Wawrzyk undercard.
“Dangerous” Danny Gonzalez lived up to his nickname, starching Danny Murray with a single left hook at 2:34 of the first round. Gonzalez (5-0, 5 KOs), who was coming off his breakout KO win over Gabriel Gerena in October, wasted little time in dismissing Murray (7-8) of Lanoka Harbor, N.J. Gonzalez, 29, of Iselin, N.J. darted in and out with combinations before trapping Murray against the ropes for the finishing blow.
Gonzalez is expected back in the ring again on March 8 in Atlantic City.
Justin Penaranda, the explosive 25-year-old lightweight from Bayonne, N.J., scored a vicious first round KO in his professional debut, finishing Desmond Carr (0-2) of Philadelphia at 1:44 of the first round. Penaranda, a 5-time N.J. state amateur champion, first put Carr in trouble with a 1-2-3 combination, before the dazed Carr was sent to the canvas with a cleanup right hand. The fight was stopped after Carr was unable to continue due to the damage inflicted.
Muhammad “The Time Bomb” Noori (2-0, 1 KO) scored an explosive win in his second pro fight, airing out Michael Land (1-7-1, 1 KO) with body shots to score a first round knockout win in their four-round featherweight bout. The Bridgewater, N.J. resident dropped the southpaw Lamb with a straight right hand to the body that had everyone in attendance groaning, before finishing him off with another body punch at the 2:44 mark.
In other results, Paul Bamba (19-3, 18 KOs) scored the biggest win of his career, stopping former title challenger Rogelio “Porky” Medina at 3:00 of the sixth round to win the vacant WBA “gold” cruiserweight. The Puerto Rico-born New Yorker engaged in a back and forth war which saw both fighters repeatedly rocked, with the 35-year-old Bamba scoring the fight’s only knockdown in the third round. Bamba had one famous supporter at ringside – his manager and R&B legend NeYo, who also sang the pre-fight national anthem.
Bamba has voiced his interest in fighting Jake Paul next should he win this belt.
Christopher Houston (1-0) of Brooklyn, N.Y. made a successful transition to the pro ranks, defeating tough trialhorse Michael Ruiz (1-6-1) of Toms River, N.J. by unanimous decision in their four-round junior lightweight bout. Houston, the reigning 132-pound open class New York Ring Masters champion, used his awkward southpaw movement and right jab to keep the aggressive Ruiz off balance to win the decision.
Houston had Yoel Judah, the father of two-division pro champion Zab Judah, in his corner.
The show was promoted by Alex Barbosa’s R&B Promotions.
Other results:
Carlos Gonzalez (14-0, 13 KOs) TKO-2 Gregorio Lebron (24-10, 18 KOs)
Thomas Blumenfeld (7-0, 6 KOs) TKO-2 Kerim Morkoc (4-1, 4 KOs)
Richard Johnson (4-0, 2 KOs) UD-4 Carlo Ricci (0-3)