Jake Giuriceo went into Friday’s bout against Winston Mathis hoping to get good work in preparation for a hedlining gig at Cene Park in August.  Giuriceo got his wish defeating Mathis by unanimous decision in their six round Jr. Welterweight contest.  Mathis was not a punching bag though and did give The Bull problems at times.

Giuriceo was the aggressor most of the fight and dictated both the pace and the action from almost bell to bell, every round.  Mathis caught a strong Giuriceo left hook about halfway through round three which triggered an arsenal of shots by Giuriceo over the last minute of the third.  By the end of the fourth, Giuriceo was tagging Mathis with some serious body shots, doubling over the Georgia native more than once.

The judges awarded Giuriceo (12-0-1) the decision with score of 60-54, 59-55, and 59-55.  The Campbell, Ohio fighter was sharp in his scoring made good decisions and was well trained for the contest.  Credit to Keith Burnside (below) and Joseph Corvino for keeping Giuriceo very focused in the days leading up to this match.

A very spiritual person, Giuriceo wore trunks that had “Jesus” name everywhere and in different colors and thanked God after the fight for getting through it without harm.

“He was a very tough opponent and knew when to hold and not to hold, I was surprised”, Commented Giuriceo afterwards.  “My heart made the difference.  I was standing there thinking, man, should I keep bouncing with this dude? He was a very tough opponent.  I feel really tuned up and ready for August.”

Giuriceo will headline an outdoor card at Cene Park on August 13.  When details become available, you can read them here.