Alexis Rocha: A win over Santiago Dominguez puts me in a position for a title shot
Alexis Rocha believes in the draft and has proven that she is still a top-10 contender.
Rocha, ranked No. 9 by The Ring at 147 pounds, will face undefeated Santiago Dominguez in a mandatory crossover fight Friday night at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. The 10-round bout will headline a five-fight Golden Boy Fight Night card on DAZN (9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT).
Southpaw Rocha (24-2, 16 knockouts), who grew up in Santa Ana, California, won his last fight on March 30, a seventh-round knockout of Fredrick Lawson. In his previous fight on October 21, Rocha was knocked out several times before losing by knockout to previously undefeated Giovani Santillan.
Santillan's loss snapped a seven-fight winning streak dating back to a decision loss to Rashidi Ellis in October 2020.
Rocha is the younger brother of former junior featherweight champion Ronny Rios, who provided guidance and training to Rocha after his loss to Santillan.
“The most important piece of advice he gave me was to keep my head up,” Rocha told The Ring Tuesday. “He has been there for a long time. I didn't want to start doubting myself and my abilities. I gave myself time to move forward mentally and confidently.
Santillan's defeat demoted Rocha in the Ring rankings, and also cost him his WBO No. 1 ranking.
Dominguez (27-0, 20 KOs), a native of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico and now living in Phoenix, Arizona, also fought on the March 30 card, winning by split decision over Jose Luis Sanchez. Rocha is confident that a statement victory over Dominguez will solidify his standing among the best welterweights in the world.
“I have to focus on what I have to do (tonight),” said Rocha, who made his debut in March 2016 and has since fought under the Golden Boy banner. “If he's going to be aggressive, I'll get used to that. I can bring it with me, but I know if I need a punch. I can box and take out my opponent. I want to show that (tonight).
“I can take my time and I can be aggressive when I need to be. I'm able to settle down, and I've been able to time my opponent. I can finish things when my enemy is hurt.
“I truly believe and have shown that I am a top 10 player. A win (tonight) will put me in a position to win the world title very soon. I can, 100 percent, be better. You haven't seen the best version of Alexis Rocha yet. “
The 27-year-old showed he was able to bounce back from a loss to Ellis to win a world title against Ring Magazine and undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford. Can he do the same after his knockout loss to Santillan?
A win over Lawson is a good start, and a statement win over Dominguez would confirm that Rocha is a legitimate welterweight contender.
Rocha believes he is back on track and a win over Dominguez will cement his status as a serious fighter.
“I am satisfied where I am,” said Rocha. “I learn from my loss. I look at what I have done. I take the good and the bad lightly. I'm working with (trainer) Hector Lopez to get better with each fight.
“I don't think boxing fans have ever seen a better one than me. 100 percent. I am getting bigger and stronger every day. I'm more muscular than when I was 18. It's getting a little harder to lose weight because of my metabolism, but I'm very strong at this weight.”
On Thursday's scale, Rocha weighed 146.4 kilograms. Dominguez came in at 146.8 pounds.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has handled boxing in Southern California and internationally since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. They can be reached at [email protected]
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