Showing posts with label Panama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Panama. Show all posts

Saturday, 10 August 2013

Anselmo Moreno v William Urina

The slippery Anselmo Moreno (34-2-1, 12), the man at Bantamweight, returned to the ring for the first time since losing to Abner Mares last year, at Super Bantamweight, and successfully defended his WBA "super" title with a clear decision over Colombian challenger William Urina (24-3, 20).

Moreno, known as "Chemito", was forced into an unfamiliar in the opening round, that of the attack as Urina tried to play counter puncher against one of the best in the sport. Unfortunately for Urina he was simply unable to counter the beautiful jab of Moreno which was connecting time and time again.

After 2 rounds of trying to counter Urina had to turn to plan and let his shots go first. He already 2 rounds in the hole and he had kept trying to fight as the counter puncher he'd have been shut out 120-108 without really putting up much of a fight. Unfortunately for Urina Plan B was no more effective than Plan A and almost every time he let his hands go he was forced to take 2 or 3 sharp counters in return.

The more Urina fell behind on the score cards the harder he tried to push the action and the more he was countered by Moreno who during several of the middle rounds was having a field day with a fighter who almost looked made to order. In fact for several rounds this looked like little more than a sparring session for Moreno who was so much better than Urina that he was hardly breaking a sweat to thoroughly out box a game but limited challenger.

By the end of round 7 Urina's head had started to drop. He, like many other Moreno opponents, was beginning to ask himself how he could land a clean blow on Moreno. It was like watching a man try to fight his shadow with the shadow punching back in beautiful clusters.

By round 10 it was clear Moreno was having fun, he was starting to almost neglect his excellent jab instead choosing to flurry to the body of Urina, his hands were dropping and whilst not being out-and-out disrespectful it was obvious he was doing whatever he wanted. It was hard to believe that this was a fighter who had been out of the ring since last November yet he was just looking so crisp and so smooth every round.

In the championship rounds it was clear that Urina would need a miracle. He was going to have to stop Moreno if he was going to win though of course it's rather hard to stop someone you can hardly catch clean and it proved to be beyond Urina's capabilities. Although  he tried his hardest in the final round, possibly the only one he won, he was unable to ever come close to hurting Moreno never mind stopping him.

Nehomar Cermeno v Oscar Escandon

The first of two world titles fights on "Las Vegas II" card in Panama saw an incredibly close and thoroughly competitive bout as Nehomar Cermeno (22-5-1, 13) narrowly claimed the interim WBA Super Bantamweight title thanks to a split decision over the previously unbeaten Oscar Escandon (22-1, 15) of Colombia

The opening round was a great one for Escandon who applied constant pressure and made Cermeno look uncomfortable from the off. The intention seemed clear from the Colombian, he was going to come forward, blast the body and try to wear down Cermeno both mentally and physically.

In the second round Cermeno started to utilise his hand speed and foot work much more effectively as he slid along the ropes and landed his jabs before Escandon managed to get his punches off. It was obvious when Cermeno was letting his crisp jab go that he could neutralise the pressure of Escandon but appeared to be using up a lot of energy to try and stay from the determined Colombian.

The speed and skill of Cermeno saw him taking round 3 though Escandon managed to fight back and take round 4 thanks to a great finish to the round in which he seemed to stun Cermeno for a few seconds. Unfortunately for Escandon the shot that stunned Cermeno came too close to the bell for him to really capitalise and he was never again able to land a similar shot.

Having been stunned in round 4 Cermeno stepped up a gear and appeared to sweep many of the middle rounds as he threw more, moved more and generally made Escandon look like a slow trudging fighter. Escandon of course isn't that slow though he was unable to cut the ring off and it allowed Cermeno to look quicker than he really was.

With Cermeno taking a string of rounds it was obvious the pressure going into the final few rounds was on Escandon who appeared to take round 9 as Cermeno slowed. It seemed as if the pressure and body work of Escandon was taking it's effect on Cermeno and after a competitive round 10, one of the bouts few swing rounds, it seemed like it was all to play for in the championship rounds.

It appeared that neither man thought he'd secured the bout and they both stood their ground in the final two rounds trying to make sure they won the exchanges and the favour of the judges. It appeared that there was very little to really split them again in round 11, although Cermeno did manage to back up Escandon for one of the very few times.

With everything seemingly still in the balance going into the final round both men put it on the line though it appeared that the championship experience helped Cermeno just do enough to claim the round as he kept Escandon busy with his flick-like jab.

The close nature of the bout was reflected in the score cards with Escandon winning 116-113 on one card, though that judge was over-ruled by cards of 115-113 and 117-111 in favour of Cermeno.

I had it it 116-113 Cermeno and although  117-111 was unreflective of the bout I can genuinely see how the judge got that score.

With the victory Cermeno resurrects his career which looked all but over and although Escandon lost his unbeaten record he will have taken a lot from this bout and will almost certainly come back a better fighter.

Sunday, 17 March 2013

Alberto Rossel v Walter Tello

Peruvian veteran Alberto Rossel (30-8-0-1, 13) retained his WBA "interim" Light Flyweight title as he claimed a decision over Panamanian Walter Tello (18-7, 7) in a very forgettable fight that would have helped neither man really make a name for themselves with international fans.

The bout started slowly with a round that could have gone either way as neither man really forced the action, Tello was the slightly more aggressive though he was caught by several counters whilst Rossel almost refused to open up in a fight. Sadly the opening round was a precursor to many similar rounds that saw very little clean action with neither man taking too many risks, though Rossel did seem to open up a bit in round 4.


The fight finally started to come alive, at least for a short time, in round 6 as Tello started to show off his defensively ability in an amusing round that saw Tello compared, by the commentator on ATV (the Peruvian channel airing the bout), to Floyd Mayweather Jr with his shoulder roll. Whilst defensively Tello was impressive during the round he didn't really make a claim to winning it due to a total lack off offense.

Tello's offensive issues were further demonstrated in round 8 as he over-committed to an attack and literally threw himself to the canvas. Surprisingly it was one of Tello's better rounds as he clearly decided to attack for once and managed some success. Interestingly Tello also claimed round 9 on my card as he again showed some aggressiveness and probably took round 10 to as the challenger finally looked like he fancied his chanced of upsetting the champion

Whilst many of the rounds were highlighted by just a few moments by one man or the other, the fight ended on a surprising high as both men gave the crowd a real grandstand finish tagging each other in the centre of the ring with neither relenting until the bell to finally give the the viewers something to remember. Sadly for myself it was too little too late to enjoy the actual bout, though it was enough to help Rossel retain his title in front of his home fans.

John Riel Casimero v Luis Alberto Rios

Filipino road warrior John Riel Casimero (18-2, 10) managed to retain his IBF Light Flyweight title by winning on the road once again as he out pointed Panamanian Luis Alberto Rios (18-2-1, 13) in a genuinely forgettable fight.

The fight started with the typical feeling out round that Rios taking a number of jabs from the more skillful looking Casimero who appeared to be the quicker and more intelligent fighter. Sadly however the feeling out round seemed to repeat it's self round after round as neither man really managed to open with more than the odd power shot here and there. Sadly the bout seemed to see both men posing and seeking counter opportunities rather than forcing the pace an this lead to a number of dull and uneventful rounds.

Although Casimero was by far the better boxer the better blows in a number of the later rounds came from the challenger who started to land his power shots, though rarely managed to land more than a single one here and there as the bout continued to be dominated by jabs. Sadly for Rios however he had given up too many rounds by the time he had started to land his bigger shots for them to really count on the judges cards.

Despite myself, and TYC Sports, seeing the bout as being relatively close (due to the fact both men did very little in a number of rounds) the official scoring had Casimero as a very clear winner winning by very wide margins with cards that suggested it was a dominating performance when really it wasn't.

Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Adrian Hernandez v Dirceu Cabarca

WBC Light Flyweight champion Adrian Hernandez (26-2-1, 16) made the first world title defense of the year as he took a routine decision victory over undeserving challenger Dirceu Cabarca (13-7, 5) of Panama.

The Panamanian challenger, fighting for the first time in a bout scheduled to go beyond 8 rounds, had very little success as Hernandez, a skilled fighter himself really looked in cruise control from the off, despite a minor worry in round 6.

Hernandez started the bout well and appeared to want an early night as he ramped up the pressure in a number of the early rounds, though after Cabarca withstood the early onslaught Hernandez soon seemed content on just having a work out, giving some rounds away as a result of what looked more and more like a public sparring session.

With the Light Flyweight division expected to change dramatically in 2013 (with Roman Gonzalez expected to move to Flyweight being the most notable change) it's nice to see Hernandez on the board already for the year (especially with it being just 2 months since he defeated Kompayak Porpramook for the title), though we do expect tougher opponents later this year.

For me Light Flyweight is one of the most interesting divisions in the sport with the likes of Hernandez, Kazuto Ioka, Donnie Nietes, John Riel Casimero, Raul Garcia, Roman Gonzalez (if he remains at the the weight), Paipharob Kokietgym and Juan Francisco Estrada so fighters like Cabarca really shouldn't be seen in the title picture again.

Monday, 5 November 2012

Roberto Vasquez v John Mark Apolinario

Panama's Roberto Vasquez (32-5-1, 22) failed in his attempt to claim the WBA "interim" Bantamweight title this past weekend as he could only score a draw with relatively unknown Filipino John Mark Apolinario (17-2-2, 4).

Vasquez, a former champion down at Light Flyweight and Flyweight, was expected to have the experience and know-how to defeat Apolinario who hadn't fought in close to a year, however the 22 year old co-challenger relished the opportunity of being in a title fight and refused to be intimidated by his experienced opponent.

Although neither man was fighting at home, as they went to Argentina, it was thought that the destination of the bout would favour Vasquez, who has fought through out the world (including his native Panama, Mexico, Dominican Republic, France and Japan) as opposed to Apolinario who was fighting for the first time outside of his homeland. Surprisingly however Apolinario didn't look like a fighter fighting out of his homeland for the first time and was thoroughly impressive in a very close battle.

The close and competitive nature of the bout was seen clearly in the scoring as two judges (Gustavo Estrella and Jesus Cova) scored it level at 114-114 whilst a third judge (Uriel Aguilera) could only see 1 clear round between them, scoring the bout 115-113 for Vasquez, leaving the "interim" belt vacant.

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Diego Gabriel Chavez v Jose Miranda

Argentinian Diego Gabriel Chaves (22-0, 18) successfully made the first defense of his WBA "interim" Welterweight title as he swiftly and easily dispatched of over-matched Panamanian Jose Miranda (12-12-3, 8).

The match, a mismatch from the day it was signed really was just a pointless defense for Chaves who had all the advantages-speed, power, skills and size and it showed from the off. Miranda started badly looking totally outclassed as Chaves looked to land hard shots one after the other and actually wobbled Miranda late in the round.

Chaves' power showed early in the second round as he dropped Miranda hard. Whilst the Panamanian recovered to his feet after the knock down he never really recovered and Chaves went in for the finish forcing referee Roberto Ramirez Sr. to step and in finish the bout with Miranda defenseless on the ropes.

Despite the fact I like Chaves I really don't like matches like this and hopefully the Argentinian will be looking for a tougher bout next as this really was a mismatch to be ashamed of. With genuine power and a fun to watch style Chaves has the potential to make his name in the US, following in the footsteps of contemporaries Lucas Matthysse and Marcos Maidana, in fact a Chaves v Maidana fight may well be a bout that fight fans would view as a treat. For now however Chaves will still be celebrating his first title defense.

Saturday, 1 September 2012

Moruti Mthalane v Ricardo Nunez

In the final world title fight of the weekend we saw the IBF Flyweight title defended by South African Moruti Mthalane (29-2, 20) who viciously stopped the Panamanian challenger Ricardo Nunez (24-3, 20) in a fight of the year contender.

The bout started excellently for the champion who dropped the challenger with a single shot in the opening round. Although Nunez recovered to his feet he took a shelling to end the round and it appeared as if we were going to have a very early night on our hands as the champion couldn't miss. The champion again had the better of the action in the following round as he blocked most of Nunez's attacks and landed some picture perfect counters that appeared to shake the challenger time and time again.

In round 3 the bout took a total 180 and Nunez's relentless aggression was rewarded as he dropped the champion in the late stages of the round after the two men had had a tear up of a round. Nunez continued his onslaught successfully in the following round as he leveled the scores on my card at 37-37. Mthalane was forced mostly to cover up doing the 4th as Nunez went hell for leather looking to end the bout early.

At the start of the 5th it was Mthalane looked ragged as he swung and miss and it seemed as if South African boxing was going to have a nightmare of a night as Nunez kept throwing trying to again drop the champion. Although Mthalane was starting to look tired at the end of the round the challenger couldn't capitalise as the tempo of the fight started to drop after a crazy start.

Round 6 was the most nip and tuck of the rounds with both men having solid spells but neither man really standing out, though it was obvious that Nunez was on the verge of punching himself out. His crisp aggressive punching had started to look less crisp, his defense had started to look more porous and whilst it was the challenger bringing the fight it was also the challenger being tagged the harder. The following round saw Mthalane regain control of the bout against a visibly tiring Nunez who was starting to look incredibly inefficient as Mthalane snapped his head back and forced him backwards. It appeared as if the talented South African was about to take the fight down the stretch anticipating that Nunez would wear himself out.

The end of the bout came in round 8 with Mthalane taking advantage of Nunez's slower hands and lower work rate, everything the champion was throwing was landing and snapping the head of the challenger back. A single show seemed to hurt the challenger and the champion pounced unleashing a flurry, this had Nunez in trouble and trying to run across the ring to freedom. Mthalane refused to let his pray go and unleashed one of the most devastating and prolonged attacks you will see in a boxing ring this year as he volleyed a none stop combination to the head of Nunez. The referee stood idly by as Nunez took 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 clean blows, the referee seemed to want to give the challenger every chance but the fight was done as he kept watching on 13, 14,15,16 Mthalane wasn't going to stop until the referee called the bout. Nunez's unconscious was draped between the ropes by the time the referee had seen enough and finally stepped in several seconds too late.

Nunez looked to be awake by the time the broadcast cut off but he certainly looked to be a man who had taken a lot of unnecessary punishment due to some awful officiating.

For Nunez I expect a very long rest, at 24 I hope it's not the end of his career at the top level as he's fun to watch but the prolonged punishment at the end of the bout may well see his career all but done.

I'd also expect Mthalane to take a break, put his feet up and watch, with the rest of the world, as Brian Viloria and Hernan Marquez battle in a unification at Flyweight. I can only assume that Mthalane will be looking at the winner of that bout as his #1 target for next time out, maybe even on a major show in the US.