Big blow puts Cardenas on the map
Fresh off a spectacular second-round knockout in September in his hometown, Ramon Cardenas still was considered a relative unknown.
Even at 23-1 and ranked in the top 10 in the world by the WBA, he had a lot to prove on the big stage.
But all that changed on a mild winter night in Plant City, Fla.
With a single punch — a textbook right hand, short and sweet and perfectly placed — Cardenas shattered the jaw of Israel Rodriguez Picazo of Mexico in the sixth round of their 10-round bout and rearranged the narrative surrounding the 28-year-old San Antonio super bantamweight.
“This was a statement win for me,” he said. “It says I’m here. I’ve arrived.”
Arrived, indeed. His destruction of the No. 4 fighter in the world in Picazo might not win many “Knockout of the Year” awards, but it likely will elevate Cardenas from relative obscurity to championship contender in the 122pound weight division.
The showdown between the two worldranked super bantamweights headlined an eight-bout card Feb. 16 at the Whitesands Events Center in Plant City, 25 miles east of Tampa, and streamed live on Probox TV.
Both fighters came in riding lengthy winning streaks.
Picazo (30-6, 20 KOS) had not lost since 2019, a streak of 15 straight fights. Cardenas (24-1, 13 KOS) hadn’t tasted defeat since 2017, a string of 12 consecutive bouts.
His most recent victory came Sept. 15 at the Boeing Center at Tech Port when he stunned Rafael Pedroza of Panama with a second-round KO.
Picazo, who at 25 is three years younger than Cardenas, enjoyed 3-inch advantages in both height (5-foot-8) and reach (69 inches).
He capitalized on each from the opening bell, winning the first two rounds by being the aggressor and landing mostly power punches to surge to an early lead.
Slowly, Cardenas began to figure out his foe and settle in in rounds three and four.
Both fighters suffered cuts from a clash of heads in the fifth. Then in the sixth Cardenas, fighting on the inside, delivered a crushing blow to the jaw of Picazo that changed everything.
The Mexican fighter’s mouth filled with blood and immediately began to swell.
“I didn’t think much of it at first,” Cardenas said. “Then I could tell he was really hurt. His teeth weren’t where they were supposed to be.”
At the end of the round, the ring doctor was summoned to assess the damage, which was severe.
“Oh, dear, yes, we’re done here,” the doctor responded when asked by Picazo’s corner if the fight should be stopped.
Cardenas sped past new trainer, Joel Diaz, jumped on the top turnbuckle, then fell to his knees in celebration.
Afterward, ringside observers, including Probox TV analyst Paulie Malignaggi, a former world champion, described Picazo’s shattered jaw as the worst they had ever seen.
As brutal and bloody as the outcome was, it appears to have provided jet fuel to Cardenas’ career. His new manager, Michel Miller, said Cardenas likely will be rated as high as No. 2 by the WBA when the new ratings come out.
And with undefeated Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue reportedly vacating all four of his belts at 122 pounds to move up in weight, the result would be a gaping hole at the top of the division and a possible world title shot for Cardenas later this year, Miller said.
Not bad for a fighter whose manager hadn’t even heard of Cardenas until he signed with him a little more than a year ago. San Antonio’s list of elite fighters begins with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, followed by Mario Barrios and now Cardenas.
“He’s got a lot of potential,” Miller said of Cardenas. “People are going to know his name now. It’s his time to shine.”