Lorenzo Parra Breaks Down Pierce in Two Rounds, Curmel Moton Stops Flores

Second-round knockout at 1:44 earns minor featherweight belt and alters WBA, WBO rankings

Lorenzo Parra knocks out Elijah Pierce at 1:44 of the second round Saturday night at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York. The victory secures a minor featherweight title and shakes up the WBA and WBO rankings at 126 pounds.

Parra, 31, started patiently. Pierce, a southpaw, had early success with straight left hands to the body and used his feet to keep Parra at range in the opening round. Parra stayed composed, edging forward behind a measured jab and waiting for Pierce to settle along the ropes.

Midway through the second, Parra closed distance with his lead hand and stepped Pierce back. He pinned him near the strands and let his hands go. A short right hand landed clean, followed by a left hook and another right that snapped Pierce’s head back. Pierce went rigid and stopped responding, prompting referee Ricky Gonzalez to intervene immediately.

Power at close range ended it.

The finish came after a competitive start, but once Parra set his feet inside punching distance, the gap in authority showed. Pierce, 29, had entered on a 12-fight winning run and held high rankings with both the WBA and WBO. He fell to 21-3 with 17 knockouts.

Parra improves to 24-1-1 with 18 knockouts and extends his unbeaten stretch to 11 fights since his lone defeat in 2017. The minor belt strengthens his standing in a featherweight division that moves through sanctioning body positioning and mandatory rotations. With Pierce rated near the top, the result places Parra into the conversation for a sanctioned title opportunity at 126 pounds.

Lorenzo Parra: “I knew I was going to get a knockout. It was an easy fight for me. Pierce was ranked No. 2 in the WBO so hopefully next I get Rafael Espinoza because I should be ranked pretty high. I’m going to become a world champion. That’s what I’ve been working for.”

Curmel Moton Stops Wilfredo Flores in Two

The 19-year-old controlled the action from the opening bell and forced a late stoppage in his first scheduled 10-round bout. Moton improved to 9-0 (7 KOs) with the victory. Flores added another loss to his record.

Moton took the center of the ring from the opening bell. He worked behind a stiff jab, ripped hooks to the body, and let short combinations go that kept Flores backing up and rebuilding his stance. When Flores tried to fire back, Moton was already in range, edging him toward the ropes and keeping him there.

In the second round, Moton closed the distance. He pressed in, dug to the body, then snapped shots upstairs. Flores was forced into the corner, taking punches and unable to create space or put anything together in return.

When Flores shelled up under a series of clean punches and stopped punching in return, the referee stepped in late in the round and waved it off. Flores had nothing coming back.

Flores had seen enough by the end of the round and offered no protest. The referee stepped in and stopped it. The official result went down as a second-round TKO.

Curmel Moton: “I’m in the gym working hard. I’ll be back in there on Monday. Floyd (Mayweather) has a couple of fights coming up this year. I’m going to get in the gym and stay ready in case I get that call. No pressure. At the end of the day, I’ve been doing this my whole life, and I get to show out and give the fans what they want to see.”

Moton, guided early by Floyd Mayweather Jnr, has drawn attention for his work in the Mayweather Gym. The social media following came with it.

The fight marked Moton’s first outing under Manny Pacquiao’s banner after a short layoff and a move up in scheduled rounds. He stayed composed and in control across the two rounds that were fought.

For a 19-year-old prospect taking on a more experienced opponent in his first scheduled 10-rounder, it was a convincing performance that reinforces his standing among the sport’s rising young talents and suggests he is ready for a gradual increase in opposition this year.

Full Results:

Bryce Mills TKO4 Tobias Green (1:23)
Curmel Moton KO2 Wilfredo Flores (5:00)
Rodrigo Mosquera III UD4 Khalil Sanders (40-34, 40-36, 40-36)
Brandon Poulard KO1 Charles Scott Jr. (2:40)
Shera Mae Patricio UD6 Maribel Ramirez (59-55, 59-55, 60-54)
Damiana Andrello UD4 Jessica Radtke (39-37, 40-36, 40-36)
Katrina Scalzo SD4 Michelle Cook (39-37 Scalzo, 38-38, 40-36 Cook)