Alexis Rocha spent the entire pre-fight buildup fielding questions about a potential shot at WBO welterweight champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford.
If such a fight is on the horizon, the fighting pride of Santa Ana, California made an emphatic statement to plead his case.
A vicious right hook by Rocha sent Ghana’s George Ashie face-first to the canvas, forcing an immediate stoppage in their DAZN-aired main event Saturday evening at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. Rocha scored two knockdowns on the night, the latter producing the end of the fight at round seven.
The win not only extended Rocha’s current six-fight win streak but preserved his place in line as—for the moment—the highest-ranked available contender for Crawford’s WBO crown.
“I’m ready for the big names,” Rocha told DAZN’s Chris Mannix. “Errol Spence doesn’t want to fight Crawford for some reason. He’s fighting [former unified WBC/WBA welterweight titlist Keith] Thurman. I’m next in the WBO, I want Crawford next.”
Crawford met with Golden Boy Promotions, Rocha’s promoter, long enough for a photo opportunity. The social media posts documenting the session immediately went viral and motivated Rocha to send a message.
Ashie entered the fight on very short notice, replacing an injured Anthony ‘Juice’ Young at the start of fight week. The assignment meant a move up in weight—and class—for the Accra, Ghana native, a career lightweight who only recently began to campaign in the 140-pound junior welterweight division.
The stateside debut for Ashie ended with his first defeat in more than four years as he fell 33-6-2 (25KOs).
Rocha improved to 22-1 with fourteen knockouts. The win was his sixth in a row since an October 2020 defeat to Rashidi Ellis, including now having stopped each of his last five opponents
The run includes a ninth-round knockout of unbeaten Blair Cobbs in their makeshift DAZN headliner last March 19 at USC Galen Center in Los Angeles. The show was to have been headlined by Vergil Ortiz Jr. (19-0, 19KOs), who was hospitalized and was forced to withdraw just ahead of fight week.
Rocha is number three in the same rankings, one spot below Thurman (30-1, 22KOs) who will face Spence—the reigning WBA/WBC/IBF welterweight titlist whose belts won’t be at stake for their meeting targeted for late spring.
Story by George Opoku Boateng
