CES Rhode Wars 5 Results

By Scott Ploof
Photos By Will Paul

Classic Entertainment and Sports returned to the Park Theatre in
Cranston, Rhode Island on Saturday night with Rhode Wars 5, headlined
by undefeated lightweight Gianni Liguori (5‑0‑1, 4 KOs), who added
another stoppage win to his record with a fourth‑round TKO over Deonta
Williamson (3‑7, 3 KOs).

Liguori opened the bout aggressively, firing hooks with intent in the
opening round and immediately establishing control. In the second, he
showcased sharp head movement while continuing to pressure Williamson,
who struggled to keep pace. Late in the round, Williamson dropped to a
knee and took a standing eight count, appearing hurt or fatigued.

The damage accumulated further in the third, and when Williamson
returned to his corner at the bell, he showed little sign of recovery.
His corner informed the referee he would not continue, giving Liguori
the stoppage victory after three dominant rounds.

The co‑feature ended almost as soon as it began, with undefeated
welterweight Lamont Powell (7‑0, 3 KOs) needing just 23 seconds to
dispatch Colombia’s Rodolfo Puentes (21‑14‑2, 16 KOs). One perfectly
timed overhand right was all it took.

Powell opened the bout with immediate intent, stepping forward behind
a probing jab as Puentes circled cautiously. The moment Puentes dipped
to his left, Powell uncorked a looping right hand that crashed cleanly
across the jaw. Puentes dropped hard, stunned and unable to beat the
count as the referee waved the fight off before the crowd had even
settled into their seats.

The lightning‑quick finish adds another knockout to Powell’s growing
résumé and reinforces his reputation as a dangerous starter capable of
ending a fight at any moment. Puentes, a seasoned veteran with power
of his own, never had the chance to get into rhythm before the
decisive blow landed.

North Providence native Thomas Evans (1‑0) made a successful hometown
debut, sweeping all four rounds on the scorecards in a unanimous 40–36
victory over Michigan’s Katriel Young (2‑6, 2 KOs). The bout showcased
Evans’ fast hands, sharp jab, and aggressive temperament as he
controlled the action from the opening bell to the final moments.

Evans came out blazing in the first round, landing hooks at will and
forcing Young backward. Young managed a brief counter midway through
the frame, but Evans closed the round with a thudding right hook to
the body that drew a reaction from the crowd. Tensions spiked at the
bell when Evans continued pressing forward, prompting the referee to
intervene as the fighters separated.

The second round saw Evans settle into a rhythm behind a strong jab,
mixing in combinations and targeting the body with increasing
frequency. Young stayed composed but struggled to keep Evans off him
as the pressure mounted.

In the third, Evans was warned for holding behind the head during an
exchange, but the infraction did little to slow his momentum. He
continued to dictate the pace, outworking Young and landing the
cleaner, heavier shots.

Evans closed the fight in dominant fashion, hurting Young in the final
moments with a series of combinations. Despite the late surge, Young
stayed on his feet, surviving to the final bell.

Ireland’s rising welterweight prospect Cian Duggan (5‑0, 5 KOs) kept
his perfect knockout streak intact Saturday night, stopping veteran
David Minter (4‑9, 3 KOs) with a punishing body attack at 2:52 of the
third round.

Duggan set the tone early behind a sharp, disciplined right jab in the
opening round. Each time Minter tried to press forward, Duggan met him
with clean counters, slipping inside the pressure and answering with
crisp combinations. In the closing seconds of the round, Duggan landed
a heavy right hook that drew a reaction from the crowd and signaled
the momentum firmly shifting in his direction.

As the fight progressed, Duggan’s precision and conditioning became
increasingly apparent. He consistently beat Minter to the punch,
mixing in well‑timed counters and digging to the body with authority.
Minter, who came forward gamely, began to show signs of fatigue as
Duggan’s body work accumulated.

The end came late in the third, when Duggan unleashed a series of
vicious shots to the midsection. One final body punch folded Minter to
the canvas, where he remained on a knee as the referee counted him
out.

Light heavyweight prospect Nicholas Pecora (1‑0, 1 KO) earned the
first victory of his professional career Saturday night, though the
bout ended in an unusual and abrupt fashion. Pecora was credited with
a first‑round knockout after opponent Jacob Fawley (0‑1) appeared to
suffer a shoulder dislocation while throwing a punch.

The injury occurred less than a minute into the opening round. As
Fawley stepped forward with a right hand, his shoulder seemed to give
out mid‑motion, sending him to the canvas in visible pain. Pecora
stepped back as the referee issued the count, while Fawley remained on
the mat clutching his shoulder and unable to rise.

The referee reached ten at the 57‑second mark, officially awarding
Pecora the stoppage victory. While the ending was anticlimactic for a
fighter looking to showcase his skills in his debut, the win
nonetheless marks a successful start to Pecora’s professional career.

Fall River’s Axel Lopez stepped into the ring Saturday night looking
for another knockout, but he walked away with something just as
valuable: four full rounds of experience and a clean sweep on the
scorecards. Lopez (4‑0, 3 KOs) outboxed and outmuscled veteran Stephen
Davis (1‑9‑1, 1 KO) to earn a unanimous 40–36 decision.

Lopez wasted no time establishing his presence. His jab snapped Davis’
head back repeatedly in the opening frame, pinning the Rhode Island
fighter along the ropes and forcing him into a defensive shell. The
second round brought the first real surge of offense, as Lopez
unleashed a burst of hooks upstairs and downstairs that had the crowd
buzzing. Davis showed toughness, answering with counters when he
could, but Lopez’s combinations were simply sharper.

As the fight wore on, Lopez settled into a confident rhythm. He mixed
power shots with steady pressure, walking Davis down and dictating
every exchange. Davis stayed on his feet and refused to fold, but
Lopez’s accuracy and work rate left no doubt. When the final bell
rang, the judges confirmed what had been clear from the opening
minute: a shutout victory for the rising Fall River welterweight.

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