Fight fans were in shock after a veteran underdog laid out a rising star with one of the most brutal knockouts you will ever see.
Gabriel Rosado’s one-hitter quitter is as brutal as it gets.
The boxing world went into meltdown after the 35-year-old flattened Bektemir Melikuziev with the right hand from hell in their fight on the undercard of Jaime Munguia’s WBO Intercontinental middleweight title defence against Kamil Szeremeta.
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Melikuziev was undefeated across eight professional fights before Sunday (AEST) but was reduced to rubble courtesy of a vicious hook from Rosado in the third round that sealed a massive upset in Texas.
Rosado was on the back foot for much of the opening two rounds as his 25-year-old opponent dominated the early exchanges. Melikuziev, who won a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, was a red-hot favourite coming into the fight but the bookies didn’t bank on Rosado’s overhand right spoiling the party.
Rosado’s punch cracked Melikuziev on the chin and his lights were out before he hit the floor as he tumbled forward onto the canvas.
Boxing commentators and pundits went wild. One of the TV callers was in hysterics as he called it a “knockout of the year contender”.
Respected boxing scribe Dan Rafael wrote on Twitter: “OMG! @KingGabRosado just scored a KO of the year candidate! He erased Bektemir ‘Bully’ Melikuziev with an overhand right in the third round. Huge win for Rosado and an upset. Perfect shot on the button!
“Here is a crushing a KO as you will ever see!”
ESPN’s Ben baby wrote: “Put that Gabe Rosado KO down for Knockout of the Year. My word.”
Former boxing reporter Josh Katzowitz added: “Holy crap. That’s the biggest victory of Gabe Rosado’s career. Came out of nowhere to just KO the hell out of Bek the Bully.
“I can assure you it’s a KO of the year candidate. And it came out of nowhere. In fact, Rosado was basically getting his a** kicked and seemed like he was gonna be TKO’d himself soon.”
Combat sports journalist Felix Chavez said it was the “biggest win of Rosado’s career” as Rosado called out Munguia after his stunning victory.
Before today Rosado had lost 13 of his 40 fights, some of those coming against the likes of Gennady Golovkin, Brit Martin Murray and former WBA middleweight world champ Daniel Jacobs.
With The Sun
