Cordale Booker faced a tough battle for victory.
Booker defeated former world title challenger Greg Vendetti by unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. The scores were 99-91, 99-91, and 98-92 for Booker, improving his record to 22-1-0 with 10 KOs.
The victory may have seemed one-sided on paper, but Vendetti put up a strong fight, displaying his determination. He remained aggressive throughout the match, constantly pressing forward and attempting to land punches on Booker.
Despite Vendetti’s relentless effort, Booker remained composed and landed crucial strikes, including an uppercut and left hook to Vendetti’s head. He also targeted Vendetti’s body with successful attacks from mid-range.
In the ninth round, Vendetti managed to momentarily hurt Booker with an uppercut to his jaw, but Booker quickly regained control. Both fighters continued to trade blows until the final bell.
Booker, 32, who is coached by Paul Guarino and resides near Stamford, has been on a winning streak, securing victories in his last five fights. Vendetti, 33, from Wakefield, Massachusetts, has suffered three losses in his last four fights.
In another match, featherweight contender Ricky de los Santos of Providence, Rhode Island, triumphed over Nathan Martinez in a unanimous decision, further cementing his 12-1-0 record with 3 KOs.
Junior lightweight Alejandro Paulino also claimed a victory, defeating D’Angelo Keys of Houston, Texas, with all three judges scoring the fight 79-71 in favor of Paulino, who now boasts an undefeated record of 16-0-0 with 13 KOs.
The event also featured middleweight Francis Hogan, flyweight contender Angel Gonzalez, and lightweight Kevin Walsh, who all emerged victorious in their respective matches.
Jimmy Burchfield Sr. promoted the card.
Francisco A. Salazar has been writing for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and overseas since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. You can contact him at: [email protected]
