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Lightweight Jeremiah ‘Low Key’ Nakathila 23-2 (19) sprang the upset to defeat former WBC super featherweight champion Miguel ‘El Alacran’ Berchelt 38-3 (34) in six rounds at Resorts World Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
Mexican Berchelt, 30, was returning to the ring for the first time since his brutal stoppage at the hands of Oscar Valdez in February last year – a fight that saw him one the canvas three times. Moving up to lightweight was expected to rejuvenate his career and it appeared the choice of opponent was perfect, with 32-year-old Namibian Nakathila also moving up in weight.
That thinking proved to be wrong as Nakathila took the fight to Berchelt, nailing him early and often with a stiff jab, an accurate straight right hand and a mean left rip to the body. Berchelt was backing up by the second round as Nakathila hunted him down. In the third the former world champion was dropped by a counter left jab.
Things didn’t get much better for Berchelt in the fourth as Nakathila teed off on him early going and had him reeling backwards on wobbly legs. But in the fifth Berchelt made his last stand, landing some hard shots on Nakathila who seemed to take the round off. Even though Berchelt had moments of success, his legs never seemed fully under him.
Nakathila shifted up a few gears in the sixth, nailing Berchelt with hard shots to the head. The right cross was a particularly effective weapon, dislodging Berchelt’s mouthpiece and providing him with a moment of respite when the corner were called on to rinse it and put it back in.
That respite would not last long. Nakathila went straight back to work, bashing Berchelt from pillar to post. Berchelt returned to his corner with blood streaming from his nose.
The one-sided nature of the bout was enough to see referee Russell Mora step in between rounds and call a halt to the contest. All three judges – Tim Cheatham, Dave Moretti and Steve Weisfeld – had Nakathila ahead 60-53.
“I’m a little bit surprised,” Berchelt said. “I thought I was in a condition to continue, but the referee decided to stop the fight. He’s the ultimate authority. I have to respect that, but I wanted to continue.
“I’m going to get up. I’m going to rise from this. The great champions are not the ones who fall. The great champions are those who rise, and I will go home, spend time with my family, visit with them, get some rest, and I am going to come back stronger than ever.”
Nakathila said: “From the first round, my corner told me to take my time. I know what I have. I knew it would be difficult for him to reach the 10th round. It wasn’t so easy, but I made it look easy. He didn’t really bother me, the way he swung. I just got back to my game plan and I capitalised.
“Luckily, [he couldn’t continue]. I was going to knock him out or put him to sleep in a bad way. Luckily, he saw it coming and decided he couldn’t come back.”
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