In what was supposed to be a stepping stone fight for Bektemir “Bully” Melikuziev, a shift in favor for Gabe Rosado was instead the story of that night.
It was generally expected that Melikuziev would handle Rosado and use him as a building block to further his career and get bigger names. However, what came that night was an unexpected outcome in which Rosado perfectly timed Melikuziev to catch him with a brutal overhand right in the third round that ended the fight. In the first round, Melikuziev was able to overwhelm Rosado and force him to take a knee. But from then on Rosado took the reins of the fight and started countering effectively and ultimately timed him to knock the “bully” out cold.
Rosado has a watchable quality about him that stems from his ability to entertain a crowd. His fights are often violent, toe-to-toe clashes that earn the respect of the boxing community. Rosado has emphasized before that he’s been handed the short end of the stick multiple times in his fights. In addition, he hasn’t always been given an advanced or even sufficient notice before fights, and despite that fact he doesn’t turn them down. Even though his treatment in the sport is questionable, Rosado has managed to accrue an impressive boxing career, fighting some of the sport’s biggest names and fighting in the world’s biggest venues. Regardless of his record, he continues to earn respect for his heart and maintain the interest of the boxing world.
Rosado’s entertainment quality doesn’t rely solely on his display of blood and guts, but also on his underrated boxing IQ and dedication to the sport. He has always been a student of the game, always keen on improving and adding to his craft by constantly working and practically living in the gym. Just as the saying goes, he doesn’t have to get ready because he stays ready. Rosado makes his fights competitive, utilizing some of the sport’s oldest tricks and never shying away from battle. He understands the movements of the sport; he sees the right angles, sets up his shots, and is an intuitive counterpuncher. Yet, against the top performers of the sport, he tends to fall short in what someone who has studied Rosado’s career would say is partly due to a mixture of unfortunate circumstances like doctor’s stoppages and questionable decisions. Rosado has mentioned before that he wants Jaime Munguia, and after Saturday’s performance in El Paso, Texas, it could be a fight that many would pay to see.
