Co-featured on the Michael Hunter undercard in a ten-round welterweight clash, ‘The Fighting Pride of Huntington, NY’ Chris Algieri, (25-3, 9 KOs) made his triumphant return to the ring with a dominant decision victory over veteran southpaw Mikkel LesPierre, (22-3-1, 10 KOs).
Scores for Algieri read 100-90 (twice) and 99-91.
Displaying his full arsenal of world-class skills throughout the fight, including blistering shots to the body, the former world champion Algieri left no doubt he could compete at the top levels of the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions after a two-year layoff.
Algieri’s claim to fame is sharing the ring with Manny Pacquiao.
Competing for the vacant IBF-USBA Welterweight Title, Brooklyn’s Ivan Golub (20-1, 15 KOs) won a ten-round unanimous decision over Eric Walker (20-4, 9 KOs).
Dropping Walker in the fifth and ninth rounds, the more active Golub was victorious by scores of 98-90, 97-91 and 96-92. Golub has now won seven fights in a row dating back to June 2017.
Top light heavyweight contender ‘Irish’ Joe Ward (4-1, 2 KOs) continued to impress with a dominant six-round decision over previously unbeaten Tory Williams (5-1-1, 4 KOs). Scores were 60-54 from all three judges.
In front of a large crowd of cheering faithful, Ward used a consistent body attack to break down Williams despite suffering a cut from an accidental headbutt in the fifth round.
Junior welterweight prospect Aaron Aponte, making his Madison Square Garden debut, improved to 4-0 as the 20-year-old Floridian stopped Gerardo Gonzalez, (2-1-0, 1 KOs) in the second round.
Aponte impressed the New York City faithful as he dropped Gonzalez three times enroute to the stoppage by referee Sparkle Lee at the 30 mark.
Highly decorated amateur Christina Cruz made her long-awaited pro debut in the flyweight division winning a spirited four-round decision over Indeya Smith (1-3-1, 1 KO), of Dallas, TX.
The New York City native Cruz was victorious by majority decision scores of 40-36, 39-37 and 38-38.
