Showtime may have set up shop in the nation’s capital this weekend, but the New England region was well represented throughout the main card. Leading the way, Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade earned a unanimous decision victory against Maryland’s own Demond Nicholson in his super middleweight debut. Then, the heir apparent to the region, “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis, made his way to the ring for a 12-round battle with Roiman Villa. While Ellis was heavily favored, Villa posed a tough test with heavy hands and a 96% knockout percentage.
“Speedy” Rashidi Ellis looked every bit of the contender he was promoted to be through the first six rounds. However, the fight turned in the seventh round as Villa began to successfully put more pressure on his undefeated opponent. Villa was able to hurt Ellis in the 10th round before sending him to the canvas twice in the 12th round. In the end, the heavy hands of the Venezuelan fighter a majority decision as the judges scored it 113-113, 114-112 and 114-112 for Villa.
“My corner told me to knock him down (in the 12th round). I couldn’t do it on the first try but I kept going,” Villa said after the fight.
“I thought he just fell on the last knockdown so I wasn’t sure (if it was a knockdown).”
Moving forward, Villa has positioned himself for a number of interesting fights at welterweight. Blair Cobbs, Jaron “Boots” Ennis, Vergil Ortiz Jr. or Eimantas Stanionis are all potential opponents for the upset-minded fighter. As for Ellis, the future is uncertain. Prior to the fight, it appeared that he could be in line for a bout with Jaron “Boots” Ennis. Following the first loss of his career, it is unlikely that he’d get a shot at the Philadelphia native any time soon.
WOW, What a comeback ?
Roiman Villa scores the upset win over Ellis via majority decision. #DavisGarcia #EllisVilla pic.twitter.com/pRmYhFyReV
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) January 8, 2023
