LUCAS BAHDI showcased his dynamite power – and not an awful lot else – before securing a unanimous decision victory over former WBA super-featherweight champion Roger Gutierrez.
‘Prince’ claimed the most meaningful win of his career in Orlando, Florida, earlier this morning, featuring on an MVP Promotions card headlined by Yankiel Rivera vs Angelino Cordova.
In doing so, Bahdi, 20-0 (15 KOs), took himself one step closer towards a world title shot, with scorecards of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 all swinging in his favour following a sixth-round knockdown.
A cagey opener saw plenty of faints, and no small amount of posturing, from both men, yet it was Bahdi who edged the round with his greater activity.
Again, no great deal of action was delivered in the second round, though a sharp right hand from Bahdi nonetheless offered an early sign of his notorious power.
Gutierrez, 29-7-1 (22 KOs), then seemed to momentarily trouble his opponent with a promising flurry – albeit with most shots landing on gloves and elbows – towards the end of the third frame.
After a closely-contested fifth round, the seasoned campaigner then stabbed Bahdi with a snapping right hand upstairs, enjoying an encouraging start to the sixth session.
Later that round, though, Gutierrez found himself on the receiving end of a far more destructive right hand, spiteful enough to send him crashing down to the canvas.
Despite getting back to his feet, the 30-year-old appeared to be on unsteady legs – and was perhaps even there for the taking – only to then be saved by the bell moments later.
Bahdi, unsurprisingly, resumed his onslaught in the seventh round, catching his opponent with another promising right hand, before seeing out the three minutes with a more measured approach.
The Canadian then continued to land cleanly on Gutierrez but, without the same potency behind each attack, remained unable to floor the sturdy campaigner for a second time.
By the later rounds, Bahdi had firmly cemented his control, but it must be said that, other than his firepower, the 31-year-old offered very little by way of world-class attributes.
He did, indeed, continue to outwork his vastly experienced opponent, yet it must also be said that Gutierrez, by the ninth round, seemed to have far less wind in his sails.
The Venezuelan then rediscovered elements of his earlier intensity in the final two rounds but, at that point, any chance of an upset victory had well and truly passed him by.
After getting his hand raised – and, in turn, becoming the WBA’s number-one ranked contender at 135lbs – Bahdi wasted little time before calling out Gervonta Davis, who still holds the full black and gold world title.
“I’m coming after the champion [Davis],” Bahdi said in his post-fight interview.
“Obviously, [Jake Paul is] fighting him [on November 14] so, Jake, don’t beat him up too bad. I still want him, too.”
Even with Davis gearing up for a Mickey Mouse exhibition against Paul, one can only suspect that a fighter of his calibre would prove too advanced for Bahdi, who has proven to be a solid yet unspectacular contender.
