Oscar Perez Remains Unbeaten, Outpoints Christian Medina In Co-Main Event on DAZN
HOUSTON, Texas – December 13, 2024 – Rising contender Marquis “The 0 Snatcher” Taylor (18-1-2, 3 KOs) overcame an early knockdown to outpoint Ivan Pandzic (15-3-1, 9 KOs) on Friday night, scoring a one-sided unanimous decision victory (98-91 on all three cards) and successfully defending his NABF Middleweight Title for the second time in the main event of Red Owl Boxing’s BOXFEST XIII live on DAZN from the “Owl’s Nest” in Houston.
After a strong start in the first two rounds, the 31-year-old Taylor, who’s now trained by former two-time 147-pound titleholder and Red Owl Boxing commentator “Showtime” Shawn Porter, was caught by a right hand and dropped by the 33-year-old Pandzic. It marked the first time that Taylor was knocked down in his professional career.
The Houston native quickly rebounded, however, and the story of the fight, as echoed by commentator and former world title challenger Paulie Malignaggi, was Taylor’s ability to throw first and his ability to dictate the pace of the fight due to the constant pressure he put on “The Cobra.”
“He did great,” Taylor said of Porter’s debut as a head trainer. “He kept his composure as a trainer. He didn’t get panicky. Nothing like that. When something went wrong, he stayed calm. He kept me calm and just told me what I had to do and I did it and it worked.”
On the inside, Taylor was able to make it a rough and rugged fight where he was able to land the more significant blows, while Pandzic seemed to have difficulty mounting a sustained attack over the course of the bout.
“For me, I’m always looking to see, does a fighter waver? Does a fighter lose composure? He never did,” Porter said in the ring following the bout. “He listened to me all the way to the final round.
“We got a little ways to go, and I’m looking forward to the journey,” added Porter.
With six-straight victories overall and three consecutive in 2024, Taylor, who the WBC confirmed earlier in the week would be elevated into the top-15 at 160 pounds with a victory over Pandzic, is looking to continue his momentum in 2025 and he has his sights set on a meeting with Austin “Ammo” Williams.
“As a fighter, we always want to fight the most, but I’m not going to lie. I want Austin “Ammo” Williams next,” Taylor said. “Let’s go. I want him next.
“I want my shot,” he added. “Let’s go. I think that should be my next fight. I think that’s a perfect fight for both of us.”
In the co-main event of the evening, Oscar “El Chato” Perez (12-0-2, 7 KOs) remained undefeated, scoring a unanimous decision victory (78-74, 79-73 x2) over Cristian Medina (8-2-1, 5 KOs) in a grueling eight-round affair.
Through two rounds, Perez was the far more active fighter, throwing in volume and landing to the body with little in return from Medina. In what turned out to be an action-packed third round, however, Medina came alive, landing some notable uppercuts as both men traded blows.
In the fourth round, the 24-year-old Perez, a southpaw from Houston, picked it up a bit, throwing more than “Vikingo,” and landing a powerful hook in addition to solid body shots.
The second half of the fight proved to be more of the same, as Medina, a 24-year-old Mexican, continued to press forward and apply pressure, tiring Perez and landing when he threw, but not throwing enough to make a significant impact. Perez, although fatigued, served as the more active of the two in terms of punches thrown, using his movement to defend against the pressure and mixing up his shots to score points.
In the final round, both fighters left it all in the ring, exchanging shots with both men landing. In the end, however, it was Perez who was given the nod by the ringside judges, picking up his fourth win of 2024.
Also on the main card, 24-year-old Houston native Bre’yon “Grindtime” Gorham (18-0, 15 KOs) extended his professional record to a perfect 18-0, scoring a vicious third-round knockout victory over Alan Ayala (11-5, 7 KOs).
Making his third appearance in the “Owl’s Nest” in 2024, Gorham, who was coming off a stoppage victory over Luis Manuel Baltazar at a BOXFEST event in May, started off fast, using his speed and athleticism to set the pace, while mixing a strong jab with powerful shots to the head and body.
In the third round, the rising 140-pound prospect put a stamp on an already impressive performance, landing a brutal left uppercut that sent Ayala to the canvas, forcing the referee to stop the bout without a count and handing Gorham yet another stoppage victory as he continues to climb the ranks.
“I was just sticking to the game plan like my coach was saying,” Gorham said in the ring after the bout. “Working behind the one [and] closing the distance. He told me last time to close the distance and it opened that shot up perfectly.
“Just to keep progressing and keep getting better,” Gorham added of his plans for 2025. “Keep going up the ladder and keep getting better in the gym, keep listening to the coaches. It’s big plans for 2025. We just signed with OTX. We’re gonna make history together, man.”
Earlier on DAZN, Houston’s own Giovanni Marquez (12-0, 6 KOs) scored a hard-fought, yet one-sided unanimous decision victory (80-72 x2, 79-73) over Cristian Dominguez (13-7, 6 KOs) in an eight-round 140-pound bout, maintaining his undefeated professional record in the process.
“Today, we fought a tough, rugged guy that’s very durable,” Marquez said in the ring following the bout. “He’s never been stopped and I had to show that I can box. I have skills and usually, we see me knocking guys out, but today, I felt my versatility and boxing ability.”
Making his fourth appearance in the “Owl’s Nest,” the 23-year-old Marquez, the son of former world champion Raul Marquez, dominated the early portion of the fight, outboxing “The Secret Weapon” by establishing his jab and mixing up his attack to the head and body.
It was in the sixth round of the fight, however, when Marquez had his best moment, landing a vicious left hook set up by a right uppercut that hurt the 33-year-old Dominguez. With his opponent on the ropes, Marquez unloaded with a barrage of big shots, but as he had done for the entirety of the bout, Dominguez remained resilient, withstanding the onslaught and making it to the end of the round.
The final two rounds of the bout were relatively competitive, although it was Marquez who was landing the more significant shots as he worked his way to a unanimous decision victory.
After a successful 2024 campaign that saw him go 4-0, Marquez now has his sights set on bigger challenges in 2025.
“In 2025, I’m looking forward to a great year,” he said. “We went 4-0 this year, fought a lot in my hometown, and I hope to keep fighting in my hometown next year, too, here at Red Owl. Shoutout Red Owl and Gabriel Fanous. Shoutout to my promoter, Overtime, and next year, I want to step up the competition, and show as the competition rises, so do my performances. Kurt Scoby - that’s the fight to make next year.”
Opening up the main card on DAZN, fast-rising 19-year-old prospect Troy “The Bank” Nash, Jr. (3-0, 1 KO) made quick work of David De Leon (0-1), dropping the 30-year-old multiple times before scoring a second-round stoppage victory in his return to the “Owl’s Nest.”
After a slow start to the opening round, Nash, a 15-time National Champion as an amateur, began to pick it up, hurting De Leon with a body shot and landing a few powerful shots to the head as the round came to a close.
In the second round, Colorado’s Nash picked up right where he left off, dropping De Leon, who was making his professional debut, with a vicious body shot. De Leon barely beat the count and it was clear that the end was near, as “The Bank” then landed a left hook to the head that once again sent De Leon to the canvas and forced referee Alejandro Leon to halt the action.
“It was a great excitement right there,” Nash said in the ring following the bout. “My first one in the pros - get my first stoppage. I loved the Houston crowd - everyone in here cheering me on and everything. It was a great experience.”
Calling all the action from Houston was former world title contender Paulie Malignaggi, who filled in for Porter as expert analyst, joined by blow-by-blow commentator Corey Erdman who has called fights around the world ranging from professional debuts to world title fights. Veteran ring announcer Lupe Contreras handled all in-ring duties while Sofia Gutierrez provided viewers at home with real-time insights as Red Owl Boxing’s roving reporter. Tonight's full five-fight telecast will be available to watch on-demand on DAZN with subscription.
ABOUT RED OWL BOXING
Red Owl Boxing is a media company that specializes in delivering world-class events from its state-of-the-art sports facilities in the United States and Canada. Red Owl Boxing aims to bring structure to boxing’s middle class by highlighting tomorrow’s future stars and contenders in action-packed fights. Red Owl Boxing launched in 2021 by Canada-based entrepreneur Gabriel Fanous who owns and operates cutting-edge event spaces in Houston, Texas, and Brampton, Ontario, both of which provide premier event experiences and hospitality packages.
Click here if you’re interested in learning more about being featured on the BOXFEST series.
