Unbeaten Miami boxer Socarras looks like a featherweight title contender

Hairon Socarras realizes his fights now feature additional importance. As a result, the Miami resident has reached a pivotal phase in his eight-year professional career which demands optimal performance.

When he entered the ring for his co-main event bout against Jesus Martinez on Friday night at Seminole Hard Rock Events Center, Socarras was introduced as a world title contender. The World Boxing Association recently listed Socarras, 26, as its seventh-ranked featherweight.

And Socarras firmly validated the sanctioning body’s assessment with his convincing victory over Martinez. Applying repeated pressure with relentless body shots that set up a fifth-round knockdown, Socarras scored a technical knockout win after Martinez failed to answer the bell for the sixth round.

“I try not to put too much attention at the recognition,” Socarras said in his dressing room after the fight. “In the end, what matters is the job you do inside the ring. I studied my opponent very thoroughly.

“We did the work we planned for. We are working very hard because there are bigger challenges coming.”

Socarras (22-0-3, 14 KOs) preached patience as he prepared for Martinez (22-8). In addition to the body attack, Socarras was effective with a lead jab and tactically switched stances between orthodox and southpaw to frustrate Martinez.

The body work gradually wore Martinez down and Socarras found the opening to floor his Colombian opponent with a left hook to the chin late in the fifth round. Martinez lasted the round but in the minute’s rest preceding the sixth round, his cornermen instructed referee Frank Santore to stop the fight.

“My team has been emphasizing to work on the lead shots,” Socarras said. “My lateral movement helped me a lot. I feel very happy with the job we did today.”

Although honored with his recognition as an elite featherweight, Socarras said he does not use it as a motivator for future fights. Socarras, who moved to the United States from his native Cuba at nine years old, understands the path to his new status featured personal setbacks, such as his mother’s death, when he was 13.

“Life has its high and low moments,” Socarras said. “A true champion is one who absorbs a blow, gets up and continues to battle. That is one of the lessons my dad has taught me ever since we lost our mom. He worked hard to support me and my brother.

“That is one of my motivations as well as my two children and my wife, who helps and looks out for me always. That makes me better every day.”

Socarras’ fellow countrymen and Miami residents Livan Navarro and Irosvani Duvergel also won their respective bouts in Friday’s show. Navarro and Duvergel won unanimous decisions over Breidis Prescott and Jerhed Fenderson, respectively.

The three judges scored the welterweight bout for Navarro 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74. Navarro improved to 11-0.

Duvergel and Fenderson engaged in the most intense bout of the card, exemplified by the third round of their six-round light-heavyweight match. Fenderson floored Duvergel early in the round before Duvergel recovered and dropped him twice.

Duvergel (6-0) scored another knockdown in the fifth but Fenderson rallied and repeatedly chased a tiring Duvergel in the final round. Duvergel’s three knockdowns were sufficient to win 59-54 on two judges’ scorecards and 59-53 on the third.

▪ In other bouts: Cooper City cruiserweight Blake Davis won a unanimous decision over Quintell Thompson; junior welterweight Logan Yoon won a unanimous decision over Robert Frankel; junior middleweight Derrick Cuevas won a unanimous decision over Albert Mensah; heavyweight Ivan Dychko scored a TKO over Ray Austin at 1:48 of the third round.

▪ Although HBO no longer broadcasts live fights, the network continues to feature boxing-themed programming. On Tuesday night, HBO will telecast “What’s My Name – Muhammad Ali,” a documentary chronicling the life and career of the legendary heavyweight champion. The film profiles Ali’s rise to stardom that made him one of the most popular athletes of the 20th century as well as his three-year boxing suspension for refusing military service. The two-hour and 40 minute telecast starts at 8.

▪ Judge Harold Lederman, who became one of HBO’s most beloved boxing personalities as the unofficial arbiter of the network’s fight broadcasts since 1986, died Saturday after a battle with cancer. A part-time Pompano Beach resident, Lederman was 79.

Lederman began his career as a judge in 1967 and joined HBO 19 years later. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015.