FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Ramon Cardenas scored a brutal knockout of Erik Robles Ayala on Thursday at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The pair were well-matched, and it looked like the game Robles was going to be a hard night’s work for Cardenas, who was competing for the first time since his loss to undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue in May. It didn’t turn out that way, however, and Cardenas walked his opponent on to a beautifully timed right hand, rendering him unconscious at 1 minute and 21 seconds of Round 5. The win also marked the first for Cardenas under his new trainer, Manny Robles.
Both fighters were feeling each other out early in the contest, with Cardenas, now 27-2 (15 KOs), choosing to stay out of range as Robles fired a wild hook from afar. Cardenas, 30, started to step things up in the second, pushing Robles back and firing a right hand that knocked him into the ropes. Robles, 25, came out swinging in the third and planted a left hand on top of Cardenas’ skull. Robles was having the better of it, pushing Cardenas around the ring, but he got greedy. Cardenas waited for Robles to come in with a wild shot, but this time he timed him beautifully, sending Robles to the canvas with a peach of a left hook. Robles was hurt badly but returned to his feet and was hurt again by the round’s close.
The success of the third seemed to spark something in Cardenas, and he came out for the fourth with a real spring in his step. Cardenas thumped his jab into Robles’ face and then planted a right hand downstairs that brought a wince from his foe. Robles fought back hard in the fifth, but it was his undoing. Robles was having a good round, but again he got greedy, lunging in wildly to land a left hand. Cardenas timed Robles with a superb overhand right, turning the lights out on his opponent before he hit the floor. Robles awoke and attempted to get up, but his body betrayed him, and the referee waved it off. Robles fell to 16-4 (10 KOs) with the defeat.
In the ProBox TV co-feature, Olympic gold medalist Hebert Conceicao Sousa picked up a dominant win over the extremely tough Elias Espadas.
Conceicao, a middleweight from Brazil and now 10-0 (5 KOs), dominated throughout the contest, battering his opponent with both hands. Somehow Espadas, now 23-8-1 (16 KOs), just wouldn’t budge, no matter what Conceicao threw at him while chasing a stoppage.
An injury to Conceicao’s hand in Round 9 meant that there would be no late stoppage, and Espadas even pushed forward in an attempt to salvage something from the one-handed Conceicao.
The bout was scored 99-90 and 100-89 (twice) in favor of Conceicao after 10 entertaining rounds.
Tom Ivers is a lifelong fight fan and former amateur boxer who has a master’s degree in sports journalism. He had his first bout in 2013 and spent the majority of his career at the Salisbury Amateur Boxing Club in Liverpool, England, where he won two regional titles. Tom joined BoxingScene in 2024 and is now a key part of the UK and social media teams. You can reach him @tomosivers on X and Instagram.
