OAKLAND – Amari Jones was not going to disappoint – especially in front of Oakland royalty.
With legendary Oakland rappers Mistah F.A.B, Philthy Rich and Kamaiyah sitting ringside and in front of a sold-out crowd at the Oakland Marriott City Center, Jones made quick work of Mexican-born fighter Daniel Echeverria as he knocked him out with a body shot in the third round on Saturday night to remain undefeated at 13-0 while picking up his 12th knockout of his career.
“It felt good to be at home,” Jones told the Bay Area News Group on Saturday night. “All these big names came out from Mistah F.A.B to Philthy Rich to DaBoii to Kamaiyah. So many big names came out from the Bay Area. It’s cool for them to know they got a champ at home.”
The swag and the confidence oozed out of Jones from the time he strolled into the ring. Rocking a velvet leather jacket, Jones was walked in by Vallejo-based rapper DaBoii who performed his hit song “Free DaBoii.”
From the opening bell, Jones looked calm and collected, making sure to pick his shots wisely. Knowing Echeverria had struggled to cut down to the agreed-upon 160-pound weight limit the day before, Jones peppered the 32-year-old boxer with hooks to the liver.
The work to the body paid off as he went upstairs and stunned Echeverria with a rocket of a straight left hand that momentarily put him against the ropes.
In the second round, Jones scored a knockdown when he fired a right hook to Echeverria’s rib cage that sent him straight to the canvas. The knockdown only fueled the hometown crowd as fans were on their feet waiting for when Jones would land the knockout blow.
The 1,000-plus fans packed inside the convention center did not have to wait long.
A minute into the third round, Jones connected with another right hook to Echeverria’s liver, sending him to the canvas a second time. After seeing one too many body blows, referee Dan Stell had seen enough and waved his arms in the air to signal the fight was over.
“We had seen early that his body was soft,” Jones said. “He had to cut some extra pounds yesterday. The game plan was to go to the body and finish him.”
The win marks Jones’ 13th straight victory since becoming a pro in 2021 and has now finished his last five opponents.
With each finish, Jones continues to build his case as one of the most exciting young fighters in the sport. He hopes that Saturday’s victory will help in setting up a championship fight in the near future.
“I just want a fight that’s going to get me closer to a title,” Jones said. “I’m going after those belts. Anybody, any contender, I want every one of them. There’s not one specific person, but any one of them is a fight I want.”
San Ramon’s Kyle Lacanlale (126 pounds) and Concord’s Braulio Ceja Navarro (132 pounds) impressed in their first fights as pros with each finishing their opponents in spectacular ways.
Navarro dominated Sacramento’s Jaycee King, winning by TKO 32 seconds into the third round after a nasty 1-2 combo rocked the 33-year-old brawler.
“It was an honor to be here in front of all my family and friends,” Navarro said. “I just feel blessed to be able to do that.”
Lacanlale didn’t need much time to show why he is one of the sport’s rising prospects. The Filipino speedster landed a hard liver shot to Michael Hernandez who dropped to the floor wincing. The Banning, California native couldn’t continue and Lacanlale celebrated his first win as a pro with his father and coach Lyndon in his corner.
There was something poetic about the way Dante Kirkman moves in the boxing ring.
The Stanford senior, who doubles as a pro boxer and an Art Practice major, ducked, weaved and blocked many of Miguel Soto-Garcia’s punches on Saturday night en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Kirkman landed clean combinations to Soto-Garcia’s body and head for four straight rounds, which all but sealed the win for the Palo Alto native. Kirkman is now 2-0 to start his professional career.
Garcia didn’t have a great start to his super featherweight fight against Giovanni Gutierrez, but a strong finish kept the 22-year-old undefeated in his 11th pro bout.
Garcia took advantage of a fatigued Gutierrez in the late stages of a six-round fight as he knocked down the Nicaraguan boxer with a check left hook in the fourth round.
The Pittsburg product eventually won by unanimous decision and was cheered by the East Bay crowd as he walked back to the dressing room.
