Chaldean cousins Mansour, Ballo deliver knockout show for fans
Dante Ulanday - News Moderator 
San Diego-based cousins and hot boxing prospects Jonny Mansour and Julius Ballo delivered highly entertaining fights ending in victories in their first pro fight on the same card Saturday in Los Angeles.
The cousins doubtless heard the roaring cheers from their hometown fans, who packed the Ace Studios venue throughout their bouts.
Following a flashy ring entrance from a Rolls-Royce, Mansour dominated in his third outing of 2025.
Mansour (5-0, 2 KOs) faced no real challenge from Marc Antonio Juarez Rodriguez of Mexico (12-9-3, 5 KOs) in their six-round lightweight bout. Mansour disarmed Rodriguez with his jab, winning every round on the 60-54 scorecards for a shutout win.
Mansour has solid footwork, good handspeed, and exceptional poise developed through his amateur experience. He snapped Rodriguez’ head back with his jab, followed up by hooks. Rodriguez has a solid chin, and he gave Mansour the chance to sharpen his skills.
In the final round with Rodriguez under his control, Mansour engaged in a bit of dancing and showboating in the final minute of the fight to the delight of his supporters.
(Photo courtesy Bash Boxing and 555 Media)
It has been a rough year for Mansour, whose mother passed away due to colon cancer the day after Mansour’s last win in May. He dedicated Saturday’s fight to her. Overcoming his challenges outside the ring was as big a victory as the one inside the ring.
“My family has faced some obstacles,” said Mansour after the win. “Rest in peace, Mom. This victory’s for you.”
Ballo (2-0) took on a last-minute opponent in Juan Centeno of Nicaragua (10-25-4, 2 KOs), moving up two weight divisions to do so. His amateur experience where last-minute changes are common served him well, as Ballo won every round on all three judges scorecards (60-53) for a shutout.
Ballo is quickly gaining a reputation as one of American boxing’s most exciting rising stars with
an aggressive style in the ring and an outgoing personality outside the ring.
Ballo shows impressive maturity at age 22 in just his second pro fight. Acting as the ring general, Ballo drilled Centeno with a left hook to the body in the fourth round, forcing Centeno to step back and take a knee to survive.
Ballo kept up the pressure with combinations of body punching and head shots, pouring it on in
the final two rounds, but Centeno heard the final bell for a moral victory.
Bello, who is signed with Top Rank, expects to return to the ring on January 31 at Madison Square Garden as part of the championship fight between American lightweights Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson.
It offers tremendous exposure for Ballo, who already has two million social media followers.
