Kevin Anton Outworks Freudis Rojas, Stays Unbeaten in ProBox Main Event

Kevin Anton passed another important test Friday night, outworking Freudis Rojas over 10 rounds to retain his WBC Continental Americas junior middleweight title at Rawhide Western Town & Event Center in Chandler, Arizona. Anton won by unanimous decision with scores of 98-91, 98-91 and 97-92, improving to 15-0 with 12 knockouts. Rojas had success early, but Anton’s sustained pressure and unusually high punch output increasingly took control as the fight progressed.

The matchup was a useful measuring stick for the 6-foot-3 southpaw. Rojas, a former World Championships bronze medalist who trains in Houston, brought comparable height, southpaw angles and legitimate amateur pedigree. Anton responded by setting a demanding pace, particularly through the middle and late rounds. Compubox numbers cited after the fight credited Anton with 193 landed punches from 1,078 thrown, compared with 123 of 519 for Rojas. A seventh-round point deduction for holding also hurt Rojas on the cards.

Anton entered the night ranked just outside the WBC’s top 15 at 154 pounds, so the bigger story is what comes next. He has now followed July’s wide decision over veteran Vladimir Hernandez with another 10-round victory against a credible opponent. The knockout streak has slowed, but Anton is showing he can maintain pressure and win rounds when opponents survive his power — an important step as he moves toward world-ranked competition.