The knockout didn’t come as expected, but Efe Ajagba’s Top Rank debut ended with his hand raised.
Ajagba (14-0, 11 KOs) notched a 10-round unanimous decision over Jonnie Rice (13-6-1, 9 KOs) in the co-feature to Jose Pedraza vs Javier Molina.
Controlling the distance with his jab, Ajagba cruised to victory by scores of 99-91 2x and 98-92.
Ajagba hurt his right hand in the fight, only the second time he’s gone the distance in his career.
In undercard bouts:
Featherweight: Robeisy Ramirez (5-1, 3 KOs) UD 8 Felix Caraballo (13-3-2, 9 KOs). Scores: 80-72 2x and 79-73.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Ramirez pitched a near-shutout over Caraballo, a native of Puerto Rico who lost via sixth-round stoppage to former featherweight world champion Shakur Stevenson in June.
Ramirez has now won five straight since a shocking split decision defeat in his professional debut.
Junior Middleweight: Leo Ruiz (8-0, 5 KOs) UD 6 Rodrigo Solis (4-5-1, 2 KOs). Scores: 59-53 2x and 58-54.
Ruiz laid a beating on Solis, a native of Cancun, Mexico, who accepted the fight on four days’ notice.
Solis, however, lasted the distance against top prospect Ruiz, who has sparred the likes of unified junior welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez and top welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz.
Super Middleweight: Christian Montano (10-0, 7 KOs) UD 6 Ryan Adams (7-3-1, 6 KOs). Scores: 60-54 2x and 58-56.
Montano, in his first fight in nearly 18 months, returned with a workmanlike decision victory.
Lightweight: Bryan Lua (6-0, 3 KOs) KO 2 Luis Norambuena (4-7-1). Lua had not fought in more than two years and made up for some lost time,
knocking out Norambuena with a left hook late in the second round.
Welterweight: Jahi Tucker (1-0, 1 KO) TKO 1 Deandre Anderson (1-2). Tucker needed only 2:56 to prevail in his pro debut, stopping Anderson on his feet following a flurry of punches.
Anderson, also a pro MMA fighter, was coming off a split decision win against a previously unbeaten fighter.
Welterweight: Kasir Goldston (1-0) UD 4 Isaiah Varnell (3-3, 2 KOs). Scores: 40-36 and 39-37 2x.
The 17-year-old Goldston, from Albany, N.Y., had to go the distance in his first pro outing and swept the fourth round on all three judges’ cards to secure the win.
