ALEXIS Rocha returns to action tonight at the Toyota Arena, Ontario, where he takes on Raul Curiel. While not quite make or break for both men, the winner badly needs that vital career boost. Oscar De La Hoya has thrown these two together because the end result will be almost guaranteed excitement.
It’s hard to believe that Rocha is 27 years old with 27 fights. The California ticket seller feels like a battle-hardened veteran. Make no mistake, Rocha’s career is on the line here. Every time he seems on the verge of that next step to a world title shot, he gets picked off.
In a 2020 battle of unbeaten contenders, Rashidi Ellis used all his moves to outbox Rocha and win a decision. Backed by Golden Boy Promotions, Alexis regrouped and reeled off seven straight wins; it looked like the Ellis loss was out of the system. Step forward Giovani Santillan, who travelled over from Top Rank to enemy turf, went toe-to-toe with ‘Lex’ and stopped him in six rounds. On that occasion, Rocha suddenly looked a little old and worn out.
Since that second (much heavier) defeat, Rocha has tried to box a little more and not get hit as much after Santillan used his face as a heavy bag. His opponent this evening will try his best to pull Rocha out of that comfort zone and back where he belongs: slugging it out.
Raul Curiel is a 2016 Mexican Olympian trained by Freddie Roach. The wily old fox will no doubt tell his charge to bring the dog back out of Rocha. The fans will lap it up, Rocha will likely fall back into old habits, and it will become a firefight.
Curiel is highly active and unafraid to engage. 13 of his 15 wins have ended in knockout. If Rocha can’t stick and move across 10 rounds of this NABF and WBO welterweight clash, then he could abruptly become number 14.
