Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (September 20, 2016)–Middleweight contender Willie Monroe, Jr. won the WBO Inter-Continental title this past Saturday night with a solid 12-round unanimous decision over Gabriel Rosado.
The bout served as the co-feature to Canelo Alvarez’ 9th round stoppage over Liam Smith, where he captured the WBO junior middleweight title in front of 51,240 fans at AT&T Stadium.
Monroe boxed with precision and accuracy, befuddling Rosado throughout the contest as he continuously beat his opponent to the punch.
“Based on what he was saying at the press conference, I expected Gabe to try to knock me out,” said Monroe.
The Rochester native, Monroe mixed up his attack as he countered with his left hand and set up a lot of his offense with a piston-like jab.
“Once I got into my rhythm, I knew he would be two steps behind me, and that’s what happened. I started to notice that in the 3rd round that my jab was controlling the fight. Then he started reacting off a lot of my feints. He is a strong fighter, durable, and he has heavy hands.”
Monroe was generally pleased to be able to win this important bout in front of over 51,000 fans.
“That was pretty cool. It was a little nerving to be able to perform in front of that many screaming fans.”
With the win, plans are in motion for a fall showdown with Alvarez or a chance at the WBO Middleweight title.
“I am excited about what is next. Whether It is Canelo or Billy Joe Saunders, I am just excited about everything that will come in my future.”
“I am very proud of Willie,” stated Artie Pelullo, Banner Promotions President. “He showed how talented he is in fighting Gabriel Rosado. Rosado is not an easy guy to fight., and Willie dominated the pace of the entire fight. There are big fights in Willie’s future, as he is one of the top middleweights in the world.”