Duke Ragan defeats D'Angelo Fuentes in featherweight boxing match Saturday in Las Vegas
Duke Ragan, a Cincinnati native and Western Hills High School graduate who won a silver medal for Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Aug. 2021, defeated D'Angelo Fuentes in a featherweight bout Saturday in Las Vegas on ESPN+, on the undercard of the Teofimo Lopez-Pedro Campa super lightweight match.
Ragan improved to 7-0, winning a unanimous decision in six rounds against Fuentes, who suffered his first loss. Ragan, who had a large contingent of family from Cincinnati on hand, won by scores of 59-55 and 58-56 twice.
"I felt good about my fight. I'd give myself a B or B-. I finished strong. I got caught with a couple shots early in the fight but I took it and I bounced back," Ragan said afterward. "I'm at my best when I sit down on my punches, keep my hands up and touch the body and don't force my shots."
Ragan put off his return to professional boxing after the death of his father last December. He earned a unanimous victory in April and remained undefeated as a pro in May with a win against Victorino Gonzalez, at the same Resorts World Las Vegas venue where he won against Fuentes.
Daugherty: A boxing achievement Duke Ragan can't easily share
Last September, Ragan's cousin, Jayvon Garnett, was handed his first loss by unanimous decision against featherweight Luis Reynaldo Nuñez on Showtime.
Garnett talked to The Enquirer about his reaction to Ragan winning silver in the Olympics:
"We started together and as kids we did so many tournaments together. Just to see him do those things has really motivated me to use my God-given talents. I was at home watching when he won the silver and was just so excited for him. My city, Cincinnati, is kind of small and everyone here knows everyone. There was a big celebration and it was a big accomplishment coming from where we come from."
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Duke Ragan defeats D'Angelo Fuentes in featherweight boxing match
