Newark, NJ — Jahi Tucker (15-1-1, 6 KOs) emerged victorious in a much-anticipated grudge match against Lorenzo Simpson (15-3, 9 KOs), earning a unanimous decision win over 10 hard-fought rounds. The judges scored it 96-94 and 97-93 twice, capping off weeks of online trash talk with a definitive result inside the ropes.
From the opening bell, the fight lived up to the tension, with both men stepping into the pocket and letting their hands go. Simpson found early success with crisp body uppercuts and straight left hands upstairs, but Tucker responded with heavier, more frequent power shots that began to swing momentum in his favor.
In the middle rounds, Tucker ramped up the pressure. Walking Simpson down with fearless aggression in rounds four and five, he absorbed counter shots but overwhelmed Simpson with volume and tenacity. By the sixth, he shifted tactics — boxing from the outside, picking off shots with slick footwork, and landing clean right hands and sneaky left uppercuts.
The final rounds saw Tucker blend styles effectively, alternating between pressure fighting and boxing off the back foot. Though Simpson never stopped trying to turn the tide, Tucker consistently got the better of the exchanges.
“I wanted it more,” Tucker said after the fight. “He’s a great fighter, but it was crunch time for me. We’re both trying to feed our families. This wasn’t personal — just two competitors going at it.”
Knyba Dominates, Stops Siwy in Polish Heavyweight Clash
In a battle of Polish heavyweights, Damian Knyba (16-0, 10 KOs) remained undefeated with an eighth-round stoppage of Marcin Siwy (25-1-1, 12 KOs).
Towering at 6’7″, Knyba used his height and reach masterfully to control distance. Early clinch-heavy rounds gave way to cleaner work from Knyba as he began landing to the body and through Siwy’s high guard in rounds five and six.
By round seven, Siwy — bloodied and fading — had no answer for Knyba’s right hand. After absorbing heavy punishment through the eighth, Siwy was deemed unfit to continue by his corner.
Undercard Results:
Junior Welterweight: Brandun Lee (30-0, 23 KOs) cruised to a shutout UD over Elias Araujo (22-6, 9 KOs) — 80-72 x3.
Junior Middleweight: Dwyke Flemmings Jr. (11-0, 10 KOs) made quick work of Demian Fernandez (15-7, 5 KOs) with a TKO at 2:09 of Round 1.
Junior Featherweight: Lisandra Contreras (1-0) impressed in her pro debut with a 40-35 x3 UD over Montana Weems (1-1, 1 KO).
Heavyweight: Norman Neely (16-1, 11 KOs) stopped James Willis (6-2-1, 5 KOs) in the first round — TKO at 2:08.
Welterweight: Muadh Abdus-Salaam (1-0) edged Roberto Cantos (1-4) by MD — Scores: 38-38, 39-37, 40-36.
Junior Middleweight: Kahshad Elliot (5-0, 4 KOs) earned a UD over Titus Ashe (1-1, 1 KO) — Scores: 38-35, 38-36 x2.
Heavyweight: Jamar Talley (3-0, 3 KOs) blitzed Kurt Fleming (3-1, 2 KOs) with a Round 2 TKO — Time: 1:08.
Light Heavyweight: Arjan Iseni (4-0, 4 KOs) stayed perfect with a second-round TKO over Kaine Tomlinson Jr. (1-1, 1 KO) — Time: 1:03
