Jesus Rojas has some explaining to do.
For the second time in five fights, a barrage of illegal maneuvers from Rojas has led to the premature ending of a fight.
Jorge Lara took on Rojas as part of the opening bout to the premiere of Premier Boxing Champions on Fox Sports 1 on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Lara (27-0-2, 19 KO’s) was left unable to continue after a series of “accidental” head-butts from Rojas left bad cuts over his left and right eyes in round six.
The fight ended in a draw.
In the state of California, a fight can go to the scorecards after four rounds if the action has to be stopped due to an accidental foul.
Lara was beating Rojas to the punch for the first couple rounds with right hands and crisp uppercuts on the inside.
Less than a minute into round two, Rojas landed with a combination of fouls, a low blow and a headbutt that caused the cut above the right eye.
In very un-Jesus like fashion, Rojas landed another head-butt a mere eight seconds after action resumed that opened up the cut above the left eye.
But, wait…an encore!
Rojas nailed Lara again with a butt less than a minute into round six; it didn’t appear that Reiss caught it.
The ringside physician ruled that Lara was unable to continue at the conclusion of round six.
Lara’s injuries are so severe; he has to undergo plastic surgery on Saturday to repair the wounds.
Even if the surgery is successful, Lara will be out for at least six months.
If the surgery isn’t successful, who knows what’s going to happen.
This looked reminiscent to Rojas’s fight in June 2012 on the Pacquiao-Bradley undercard against Mexican legend Jorge Arce.
After getting knocked down 17 seconds into the Arce fight, Rojas came back to control the round, but was warned for elbows, and landed a couple of shots behind the head.
In the second round, Rojas commenced the action with a combination of dirty shots and a lone legal one, a headbutt followed by a low-blow, a kidney punch, and a shot behind the ear.
Arce was left unable to continue, and the fight declared a no contest while Rojas labeled Arce a coward following the match.
Rojas fouled Lara four times in six rounds and Arce five times in one and barely part of the second.
The California State Athletic Commission needs to be forceful here to protect the integrity of the sport.
Antonio Margarito was only suspended a year for using plaster so it’s hard to imagine the CSAC giving Rojas a penalty more severe, although it should consider the possibility.
If anyone has been acting like a coward, it’s been Rojas.
