Jordan White Stuns the Boxing World – Breaking News
Jordan White needed just two punches to announce himself as a force to be reckoned with in the super featherweight division, scoring one of the best Knockouts of the Year and one of the best KOs in the 22-year history of SHOBOX: The New Generation Friday night in the main event live on SHOWTIME from Wind Creek Casino in Bethlehem, Pa. The stunning one-punch KO of Eridson Garcia can be seen HERE.
“The first time I hit him with that shot, I knew I hurt him because he stumbled back and smiled at me,” said the 25-year-old White. “And then the second one, I put him to sleep. Anybody that gets hit by me will be put to sleep. My dad said I would get him with that hook.”
White, from Waldorf, Md., is trained by his father and Bill Haney, the father of Undisputed Lightweight World Champion Devin Haney, who was quick to join the in-ring celebration via FaceTime shortly after White’s victory. White and Haney were teammates and roommates on the Junior National travel team and are close friends.
After a storied amateur career that saw him earn victories over the likes of Brandun Lee and Vergil Ortiz, Jr., White capitalized on his second SHOBOX appearance by landing a counter left hook flush on the chin of Garcia, immediately ending the fight at 1:57 of the first round. White’s first appearance on SHOBOX came more than two years ago when he scored a sixth-round TKO over Misael Lopez. White now feels he’s ready to make himself a household name in the 130-pound division.
“I always felt like I was a contender, but I just needed the world to see it,” he said. “I’m ready for anybody that comes my way, whether it’s Chris Colbert or anybody else in the division.”
In a battle of SHOBOX returnees looking to advance to contender status in the super welterweight division, Paul Kroll (10-0-2, 6 KOs) and Guido Schramm (16-1-2, 9 KOs) fought to a spirited majority draw that saw plenty of two-way action. Judge John McKaie’s ruling of 77-75 in favor for Kroll was overruled by two scorecards that read 76-76.
Both fighters felt they had done enough to earn the judges’ decision.
“I feel like I won the fight,” said Philadelphia’s Kroll, who also fought to a draw on SHOBOX in 2022. “It was a good, competitive fight but I landed the cleaner shots.”
“I felt I won the fight by at least a point,” said Argentina’s Schramm, who earned a decision victory in his SHOBOX debut just four months ago. “He fought a little dirty and the ref didn’t call it. Not to take away that he is skilled, but I feel won that fight. He got home field advantage. Kroll is a good fighter, but he didn’t really hurt me.”
Schramm was the aggressor from the opening bell, with Kroll effectively landing punches on the counter. The punch stats reflected the even, difficult-to-score nature of the fight. Schramm out-landed Kroll 169 to 166 in total punches, including a 61 to 41 connect advantage in the final two rounds. Kroll landed 138 of 312 power shots (44%) compared to 154 of 396 (39%) for Schramm.
Both Kroll and Schramm showed a willingness to sign up for a rematch.
“I will run it back if he wants to,” said Kroll. “He landed cleaner punches in maybe two or three rounds, but the other five or six, I clearly won. The judges saw what they saw and I make no excuses, but I won that fight.”
“I would like the rematch, but at 10 rounds and not in Pennsylvania,” said Schramm. “I’ll fight him anywhere else but not here in his home. I fought him in his house and I got a draw, anywhere else I would have won.”
It was all Julian Gonzalez in the telecast opener between undefeated super featherweights from Pennsylvania as the 21-year-old cruised to a unanimous decision over Johnny Spell. The Reading, Pa. native, Gonzalez (11-0-1, 9 KOs) will travel the 40 miles home with a state title and bragging rights in tow, winning with scores of 79-73 and 78-74 twice over Pittsburgh’s Spell (8-1, 4 KOs).
After a feeling-out first round, Gonzalez turned up the pressure in rounds two and three, finding a consistent home for his overhand right that inflicted damage on Spell and bloodied his nose. Spell was on the retreat after being rocked late in the third but was able to hold on and make it out of the round.
“I felt good in there, but there’s always room for improvement,” said Gonzalez, who made his SHOBOX debut at Wind Creek Casino in January. “I give myself a C+ or a B-. I hit him hard in the third round and hurt him, so I started rushing in and my corner told me to slow down. I hurt him almost every round. I feel I could have worked the body a little more.”
Spell had his moments in fifth and sixth, but he was ultimately outworked over the eight rounds. Gonzalez connected on 140 of 418 punches (33%) compared to 95 of 324 (29%) for Spell and Gonzalez held a big edge in power shots connected, 64-25.
Spell returned to the ring just a year after being shot five times in an act of senseless gun violence in August 2022, showing plenty of character to push the talented Gonzalez over eight rounds.
“I just need to get back in the lab,” said Spell. “I knew what I was up against and I knew what I had to do. I bit down but just came up short.”
International Boxing Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins called the action with former world champion Raul Márquez and veteran combat sports reporter and MORNING KOMBAT host Brian Campbell also serving as an expert analyst, and Hall of Famer Steve Farhood remotely performing unofficial scoring duties. SHOBOX: The New Generation was executive produced by Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
Friday’s SHOBOX telecast will replay on SHOWTIME EXTREME® on Tuesday, August 8 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
The card was promoted by Kings Promotions.
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