On Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19-year-old Zaquin Moses made his long-awaited professional boxing debut as he defeated Michael Ruiz by unanimous decision.
The match against Ruiz was never in doubt, as Moses was in full control of the match from start to finish. He showed versatile offense and solid defense as he cruised to his first win as a pro.
As an amateur, Zaquin Moses was a 3-time national champion. He put everyone on notice at the amateur level when he defeated Curmel Moton in March 2023. Moses was very successful as an amateur, but on the night of November 9, he began a new chapter in his journey of boxed
In the opening round of his pro debut, Moses looked extremely poised as he took his time and consistently landed his southpaw jab. Midway through the first round, Moses stunned Ruiz when he landed a hard right hand.
Moses continued to calmly work his jab in the second round as he targeted Ruiz’s body. As the second round progressed, Moses was able to land strong combinations on several occasions. Halfway through his pro debut, Moses swept the first two rounds with his accuracy, and good punch placement.
In the opening minute of the third round, Ruiz was able to connect with a solid right hand, but Moses responded by landing a three-punch combination. In the 4th and final round, Moses started the round by landing a hard left hand shot.
Seconds later, Moses connected with a hard right hand that visibly hurt Ruiz. Moses was on the attack as he seemed to go for the knockout, but Ruiz was able to survive and go to the last round. At the conclusion of the 4-round contest, the three judges scored 40-36 in favor of the winner, Zaquin Moses.
Zaquin Moses (1-0) is the younger cousin of WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson. During his post-fight interview with IFL TV, Moses credited Stevenson with being prepared for the moment while talking about the advice Stevenson gave him before the fight.
“To stay focused and have fun. You perform at your best when you’re having fun. Don’t let the moment be bigger than it is.”
