In the first title fight of the weekend we saw the now laughable WBA "interim" title on the line. The bout, which pitted Russia's Dmitry Chudinov (12-0-2, 8) against Colombia's Juan Camilo Novoa (22-6-1, 20) looked like an interesting contest between big punchers on paper though was a long way from being a bout that anyone would consider a "world title bout. In fact you'd be hard pushed to find anyone, other than the WBA, who rated either man in the top 20 Middleweights on the planet.
The fight started in an entertaining manner with both fighters standing toe to toe and taking it in turns to unload on the other. It was a clear round for Chudinov though it seemed as if neither man was going to be able to take the other out early.
As it turned the fight became a case of Chudinov grinding down Novoa who by round 3 was already starting to crumble. The Colombian's attacks became less and less regular and it seemed that we were on the way to the end of the fight.
The reprieve, if you can call it that, for Novoa came in round 4 when a clash of heads opened up a cut on Chudinov. Unfortunately the cut didn't seem distract the Russian just fire him up as he stepped on the gas and made it clear that he wanted to destroy Novoa.
Novoa did well to see out the remaining time in round 4 and then see out round 5 but by the end of the fifth he was looking like a done fighter. Chudinov sensed as much and made sure that Novoa wasn't going to see out round 6.
Showing posts with label WBA Interim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WBA Interim. Show all posts
Saturday, 21 December 2013
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Hekkie Budler v Hugo Hernan Verchelli
With all the US action this past weekend it's easy to forget that the first world title fight of the weekend was actually in South Africa as Hekkie Budler (24-1, 7) took on Argentina's little known Hugo Hernan Verchelli (11-2, 6) in a bout for the WBA interim Minimumweight title.
The fight, which took place in Budler's home area of Gauteng was viewed by some as a solid match up. Instead however it turned out, as I assumed, to be a mismatch as Verchelli's inexperience around this sort of level was exposed very early on.
Budler set off with an all action style and by the end of the first round it appeared that this was the Budler of old, the Budler who had created a buzz due to being so fun and exciting. Although Verchelli saw out the early storm he was always struggling to work his way back in to things and he lacked the power or the skills needed to prevent Budler from fighting like a buzzsaw.
It wasn't long until Budler's power and work rate took it's toll on Verchelli who was dropped 3 times in round 4 before the referee was forced to wave the contest off.
With the victory Budler adds the WBA "interim" title to his IBO title and opens the door to a major international contest with another top guy at 105lbs.
The fight, which took place in Budler's home area of Gauteng was viewed by some as a solid match up. Instead however it turned out, as I assumed, to be a mismatch as Verchelli's inexperience around this sort of level was exposed very early on.
Budler set off with an all action style and by the end of the first round it appeared that this was the Budler of old, the Budler who had created a buzz due to being so fun and exciting. Although Verchelli saw out the early storm he was always struggling to work his way back in to things and he lacked the power or the skills needed to prevent Budler from fighting like a buzzsaw.
It wasn't long until Budler's power and work rate took it's toll on Verchelli who was dropped 3 times in round 4 before the referee was forced to wave the contest off.
With the victory Budler adds the WBA "interim" title to his IBO title and opens the door to a major international contest with another top guy at 105lbs.
Sunday, 27 October 2013
Bryan Vasquez v Rene Gonzalez
The most under the radar world title fight of this past weekend saw Costa Rican Bryan Vasquez (32-1, 17) becoming a 2-time WBA "interim" Super Featherweight champion.
The 26 year old Vasquez, known to some as "El Tequito", took on little known Nicaraguan visitor Rene Gonzalez (31-6-1-1, 23). Although Gonzalez isn't known to the wider boxing public he's a fighter who has been mixing on the fringes of world level for a while though often coming up short against the likes of Daniel Estrada, Humberto Mauro Gutierrez and Urbano Antillon.
Once again Gonzalez came up short, albeit in a controversial and somewhat confusing ending.
The fight started evenly with Gonzalez arguably fighting the better though Vasquez was clearly the crowd favourite fighting in front of his home fan. It was perhaps the crowds reaction to Vasquez's work that helped make the judges minds up in regards to the scoring, though it was certainly close. Vasquez was slightly the aggressor whilst Gonzalez was the more controlled man looking to fight off the defensive.
After 4 rounds it seemed like it was nip and tuck. Either guy could have been in the lead.
Sadly as the bout was beginning to really warm up an accidental clash of heads left Vasquez with a badly cut eye. Due to the accidental nature of the bout the judges score cards were called for. Of course due to the technical decision ruling the incomplete fifth round was also scored. This saw the judges coming back with scores that mostly reflected the close nature of the bout with a card of 48-48, 49.5-47.5 and 49-46.5 (yes using half point scoring!) with two of the 3 judges ruling Vasquez the winner.
The 26 year old Vasquez, known to some as "El Tequito", took on little known Nicaraguan visitor Rene Gonzalez (31-6-1-1, 23). Although Gonzalez isn't known to the wider boxing public he's a fighter who has been mixing on the fringes of world level for a while though often coming up short against the likes of Daniel Estrada, Humberto Mauro Gutierrez and Urbano Antillon.
Once again Gonzalez came up short, albeit in a controversial and somewhat confusing ending.
The fight started evenly with Gonzalez arguably fighting the better though Vasquez was clearly the crowd favourite fighting in front of his home fan. It was perhaps the crowds reaction to Vasquez's work that helped make the judges minds up in regards to the scoring, though it was certainly close. Vasquez was slightly the aggressor whilst Gonzalez was the more controlled man looking to fight off the defensive.
After 4 rounds it seemed like it was nip and tuck. Either guy could have been in the lead.
Sadly as the bout was beginning to really warm up an accidental clash of heads left Vasquez with a badly cut eye. Due to the accidental nature of the bout the judges score cards were called for. Of course due to the technical decision ruling the incomplete fifth round was also scored. This saw the judges coming back with scores that mostly reflected the close nature of the bout with a card of 48-48, 49.5-47.5 and 49-46.5 (yes using half point scoring!) with two of the 3 judges ruling Vasquez the winner.
Monday, 30 September 2013
Alberto Rossel v Jose Alfredo Zuniga
With the boxing world's attention shared between Canada, where Adonis Stevenson schooled Tavoris Cloud, and the US, where Julio Cesar Chavez Jr took a controversial victory over Brian Vera it's fair to say that not many looked towards Peru where Alberto Rossel (31-8, 13) successfully defended his WBA "interim" Light Flyweight title for the third time.
Battling little known Mexican Jose Alfredo Zuniga (11-5-1, 5), Rossel was viewed, at least on paper, as a sure fire winner. Unfortunately for him however, boxing is done in the ring and not on paper and with Zuniga on a confidence high after a victory over Luis Ceja last time out.
The confidence of Zuniga was obvious from the off and it showed as Rossel took several rounds to get to grips wit the reach and height of the taller and longer Zuniga who clearly took round 3 before Rossel found a new gear in round 4, a clear Rossel round.
Rossel, grew and grew from his fourth success with Zuniga failing to really cope with the frustrating Peruvian veteran who, in all honesty, can be a night mare to watch as well as a nightmare to fight.
Interestingly, despite the bout looking like a competitive but clear Rossel victory one judge, Panamanian David Singh, somehow scored the bout 117-117, giving 6 even rounds. Whilst it may seem odd some of the action was some what messy and could be the reason for such an odd card. Thankfully the other two judges did manage to see "the right winner" scoring it 117-114 and 116-113, also both noting a 10-10 round in their cards, to give Rossel his 7th straight victory
Battling little known Mexican Jose Alfredo Zuniga (11-5-1, 5), Rossel was viewed, at least on paper, as a sure fire winner. Unfortunately for him however, boxing is done in the ring and not on paper and with Zuniga on a confidence high after a victory over Luis Ceja last time out.
The confidence of Zuniga was obvious from the off and it showed as Rossel took several rounds to get to grips wit the reach and height of the taller and longer Zuniga who clearly took round 3 before Rossel found a new gear in round 4, a clear Rossel round.
Rossel, grew and grew from his fourth success with Zuniga failing to really cope with the frustrating Peruvian veteran who, in all honesty, can be a night mare to watch as well as a nightmare to fight.
Interestingly, despite the bout looking like a competitive but clear Rossel victory one judge, Panamanian David Singh, somehow scored the bout 117-117, giving 6 even rounds. Whilst it may seem odd some of the action was some what messy and could be the reason for such an odd card. Thankfully the other two judges did manage to see "the right winner" scoring it 117-114 and 116-113, also both noting a 10-10 round in their cards, to give Rossel his 7th straight victory
Saturday, 10 August 2013
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.
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.
Thursday, 1 August 2013
Kompayak Porpramook v Koki Eto
After last Saturday's war between Omar Figueroa and Nihito Arakwa it may have been fair to say that it'd take a long time until we saw a better fight, surprisingly however it took less than a week as Kompayak Porpramook (50-5, 35) and Koki Eto (14-2-1, 10) put on a fight for the ages.
The opening round saw Eto boxing well behind his jab and using his reach for almost 2 minutes before exploding in to an all-out assault on the Thai who appeared to suffer a knockdown only moments from the bell. Instead of ruling a knockdown the referee gave Porpramook the benefit of the doubt and ruled it a slip.
The opening round had been a bit one sided though was fought and excellent pace, what few could have expected however was what was to come around the following 4 rounds were fought at an electric pace with both men just landing bombs on each other with little regard of what was coming their way. The action looked less like boxing and more like a video game as bombs were traded time and time again with neither man taking a backwards step.
Through the first 5 rounds the action was close with neither man really able to establish themselves as the dominant force. Surprisingly in round Eto seemed to get back on his toes and try boxing more than he had in the previous few rounds. Although the Japanese fighter tried to create the distance he would have liked he was dragged back in to a war by Porpramook who refused to allow this battle to turn into a boxing contests.
Unfortunately for Porpramook he appeared to start tiring as we entered the second half of the bout and although he held his own in round 7 he really struggled to in the later rounds as Eto called on unfathomable energy reserves to claim round 8.
Rather oddly the television broadcast cut away between rounds 8 and 9 and didn't return until round 10 meaning that I have no idea what happened in round 9, though from what I saw of round 10 Porpramook was starting to really struggle with the pace of the action.
In round 11 the Thai tank was looking completely void of gas and Eto, whilst clearly tiring himself easily out worked the Thai champion who was unable to keep up the pace with with Eto who's youth was doing him major favours in out working the champion.
Despite looking tired in round 11 Eto charged out in round 12 seemingly under the belief he needed a KO to take the title. His assault was something special straight from the bell and he had Porpramook reeling all over the place from the off. Unfortunately the first assault was eventually seen off by Porpramook who did all he could to remain upright.
Amazingly Eto would mount 1 more explosive attack, this time sending Porpramook down to the canvas for the only official knockdown of the fight.
I'm not sure whether the knockdown was needed or not but Eto had done enough to take the decision and become the first Japanese born fighter in history to claim a world title on Thai soil thanks to this amazing performance.
If you were unable to catch the fight on Thai Channel 7 make sure you find it online and watch it, you will not be disappointed!
The opening round saw Eto boxing well behind his jab and using his reach for almost 2 minutes before exploding in to an all-out assault on the Thai who appeared to suffer a knockdown only moments from the bell. Instead of ruling a knockdown the referee gave Porpramook the benefit of the doubt and ruled it a slip.
The opening round had been a bit one sided though was fought and excellent pace, what few could have expected however was what was to come around the following 4 rounds were fought at an electric pace with both men just landing bombs on each other with little regard of what was coming their way. The action looked less like boxing and more like a video game as bombs were traded time and time again with neither man taking a backwards step.
Through the first 5 rounds the action was close with neither man really able to establish themselves as the dominant force. Surprisingly in round Eto seemed to get back on his toes and try boxing more than he had in the previous few rounds. Although the Japanese fighter tried to create the distance he would have liked he was dragged back in to a war by Porpramook who refused to allow this battle to turn into a boxing contests.
Unfortunately for Porpramook he appeared to start tiring as we entered the second half of the bout and although he held his own in round 7 he really struggled to in the later rounds as Eto called on unfathomable energy reserves to claim round 8.
Rather oddly the television broadcast cut away between rounds 8 and 9 and didn't return until round 10 meaning that I have no idea what happened in round 9, though from what I saw of round 10 Porpramook was starting to really struggle with the pace of the action.
In round 11 the Thai tank was looking completely void of gas and Eto, whilst clearly tiring himself easily out worked the Thai champion who was unable to keep up the pace with with Eto who's youth was doing him major favours in out working the champion.
Despite looking tired in round 11 Eto charged out in round 12 seemingly under the belief he needed a KO to take the title. His assault was something special straight from the bell and he had Porpramook reeling all over the place from the off. Unfortunately the first assault was eventually seen off by Porpramook who did all he could to remain upright.
Amazingly Eto would mount 1 more explosive attack, this time sending Porpramook down to the canvas for the only official knockdown of the fight.
I'm not sure whether the knockdown was needed or not but Eto had done enough to take the decision and become the first Japanese born fighter in history to claim a world title on Thai soil thanks to this amazing performance.
If you were unable to catch the fight on Thai Channel 7 make sure you find it online and watch it, you will not be disappointed!
Saturday, 27 July 2013
Diego Gabriel Chaves v Keith Thurman
Unbeaten American Keith Thurman (21-0-0-1, 19) successfully claimed the WBA interim Welterweight by scoring his biggest win so far, stopping Argentinian Diego Gabriel Chaves (22-1, 18).
The fight started in exciting fashion as both men traded shots with the fight starting in the fashion many expected. The fireworks, whilst not relentless where certainly exciting and seemed to suggest there was no way that the judges would be needed.
The same exciting action continued through the first 4 rounds with Thurman gradually growing into the bout and getting more success. Originally he looked to be getting tagged a fair bit more than he'd have liked and his nose was actually bloodied at the end of round 3 though in round 4 he certainly took the round, arguably his first.
After an excellent round 5 that was brilliant to watch with both men landing huge head shots from both the bout suddenly took a major turn as both men started to box. The trading had taken a break as jabs became the order of the day with both men seemingly becoming aware of the other mans power. This tactical battle seemed to suit Thurman who was longer and faster than Chaves and was getting his jab off and moving well.
The boxing continued for a few rounds as Thurman started to take control of the bout slightly with his boxing and although the men started to trade up a big more in rounds 7 and 8 it seemed neither man could really take control of the trade sequences. It appeared every time one man had success the other would come back and land their own 2 or 3 punch combination.
In round 9 the bout took a huge turn with Thurman landing a lovely body shut that sent Chaves down. Although Chaves regained his feet and saw out the round it was obvious the body shot had left lingering effects and Thurman immediately went on the assault at the start of the tenth before sending Chaves down again and forcing a 10th round stoppage.
With Thurman now the interim champion and Broner the "regular" WBA champion a bout between them two would seeming to be the logical one.
The fight started in exciting fashion as both men traded shots with the fight starting in the fashion many expected. The fireworks, whilst not relentless where certainly exciting and seemed to suggest there was no way that the judges would be needed.
The same exciting action continued through the first 4 rounds with Thurman gradually growing into the bout and getting more success. Originally he looked to be getting tagged a fair bit more than he'd have liked and his nose was actually bloodied at the end of round 3 though in round 4 he certainly took the round, arguably his first.
After an excellent round 5 that was brilliant to watch with both men landing huge head shots from both the bout suddenly took a major turn as both men started to box. The trading had taken a break as jabs became the order of the day with both men seemingly becoming aware of the other mans power. This tactical battle seemed to suit Thurman who was longer and faster than Chaves and was getting his jab off and moving well.
The boxing continued for a few rounds as Thurman started to take control of the bout slightly with his boxing and although the men started to trade up a big more in rounds 7 and 8 it seemed neither man could really take control of the trade sequences. It appeared every time one man had success the other would come back and land their own 2 or 3 punch combination.
In round 9 the bout took a huge turn with Thurman landing a lovely body shut that sent Chaves down. Although Chaves regained his feet and saw out the round it was obvious the body shot had left lingering effects and Thurman immediately went on the assault at the start of the tenth before sending Chaves down again and forcing a 10th round stoppage.
With Thurman now the interim champion and Broner the "regular" WBA champion a bout between them two would seeming to be the logical one.
Saturday, 8 June 2013
Erislandy Lara v Alfredo Angulo
In what was the best fight of the night Erislandy Lara (18-1-2, 12) became the WBA "interim" Light Middleweight title as he stopped Mexican Alfredo Angulo (22-3, 18).
The opening round was sensational for Lara as the Cuban showed off his excellent boxing ability and landed a huge number of massive straight lefts, several of which seemed to rock Angulo to his boots. Lara's boxing seemed to also do enough to claim a second round, though Angulo was starting to get in to range and tag the Cuban's body.
Angulo's body work seemed to start to pay off in round 3 as he claimed his first round and really started to go to work on Lara's midsection with powerful blows all thrown with bad intentions. It appeared the body shots were thrown with the intention of slowing Lara's legs down as much as anything else and keep the often elusive Cuban in the same place for more than just a few moments.
The determined body work of "El Perro" really helped the Mexican in round 4 as he dropped Lara for the first time in Lara's career.
Despite being knocked down Lara got back to his feet an actually looked much crisper the in the few proceeding rounds as he moved excellently and showed off his amazing boxing ability, making Angulo look slow and foolish. Despite moving well however Lara was expanding huge amounts of energy in an attempt to keep Angulo away from him as the Mexican stalked continually.
Angulo would drop Lara for a second time in round 9. It appeared that if a stoppage was going to be caused it would be from Angulo.
Unexpectedly in round 10 Lara landed 2 big left hands that forced Angulo to turn his back and walk away with left eye massively swollen and badly disfigured. The fact that Angulo turned his back forced the referee's hand as he declared Lara the winner, and new champion by 10th round TKO.
Whilst some maybe writing Angulo off following this loss the injury really did seem like a freak incident and shouldn't leave anyone questioning Angulo's heart. Instead those fans should be wishing Angulo a swift recovery as this could be a career threatening injury. For Lara this result certainly puts him into the mix at the world stage.
The opening round was sensational for Lara as the Cuban showed off his excellent boxing ability and landed a huge number of massive straight lefts, several of which seemed to rock Angulo to his boots. Lara's boxing seemed to also do enough to claim a second round, though Angulo was starting to get in to range and tag the Cuban's body.
Angulo's body work seemed to start to pay off in round 3 as he claimed his first round and really started to go to work on Lara's midsection with powerful blows all thrown with bad intentions. It appeared the body shots were thrown with the intention of slowing Lara's legs down as much as anything else and keep the often elusive Cuban in the same place for more than just a few moments.
The determined body work of "El Perro" really helped the Mexican in round 4 as he dropped Lara for the first time in Lara's career.
Despite being knocked down Lara got back to his feet an actually looked much crisper the in the few proceeding rounds as he moved excellently and showed off his amazing boxing ability, making Angulo look slow and foolish. Despite moving well however Lara was expanding huge amounts of energy in an attempt to keep Angulo away from him as the Mexican stalked continually.
Angulo would drop Lara for a second time in round 9. It appeared that if a stoppage was going to be caused it would be from Angulo.
Unexpectedly in round 10 Lara landed 2 big left hands that forced Angulo to turn his back and walk away with left eye massively swollen and badly disfigured. The fact that Angulo turned his back forced the referee's hand as he declared Lara the winner, and new champion by 10th round TKO.
Whilst some maybe writing Angulo off following this loss the injury really did seem like a freak incident and shouldn't leave anyone questioning Angulo's heart. Instead those fans should be wishing Angulo a swift recovery as this could be a career threatening injury. For Lara this result certainly puts him into the mix at the world stage.
Yuriorkis Gamboa v Darleys Perez
The often entertaining Yuriorkis Gamboa (23-0, 16) may have claimed the WBA "interim" Lightweight title by out pointing the previously unbeaten Darley's Perez (28-1, 19) though he'll have made absolutely no new fans on this performance. In all honesty he may well have turned fans, promoters and television networks against him with this awfully tedious performance.
The bout started moderately well as a chess match with Gamboa dropping Perez at the end of the opening round after being caught with a solid counter or two himself. Sadly however the bout failed to take off as both men played a very cagey game of chess for 12 rounds with little of note landed by either man.
Gamboa, often seen as one of the sports most exciting fighters, failed to ever push the action like he seemed capable of and instead was happy to land single fast shots then move and move and move whilst throwing a number of shots from a distance that had no hope of landing. Perez, standing outside of range for the vast part of the fight repeatedly looked for single counters and almost refused to lead in fear of being caught by a counter himself.
With both men being negative there was little wonder that the crowd booed throughout and let their feelings be known. They had been let down and whilst Perez's limitations were obvious Gamboa could, and should, have provided so much more, despite this being his first fight at 135lbs.
With 2 less than impressive performances by Gamboa his already small fan base may well start turning their back on him with performances like this.
The bout started moderately well as a chess match with Gamboa dropping Perez at the end of the opening round after being caught with a solid counter or two himself. Sadly however the bout failed to take off as both men played a very cagey game of chess for 12 rounds with little of note landed by either man.
Gamboa, often seen as one of the sports most exciting fighters, failed to ever push the action like he seemed capable of and instead was happy to land single fast shots then move and move and move whilst throwing a number of shots from a distance that had no hope of landing. Perez, standing outside of range for the vast part of the fight repeatedly looked for single counters and almost refused to lead in fear of being caught by a counter himself.
With both men being negative there was little wonder that the crowd booed throughout and let their feelings be known. They had been let down and whilst Perez's limitations were obvious Gamboa could, and should, have provided so much more, despite this being his first fight at 135lbs.
With 2 less than impressive performances by Gamboa his already small fan base may well start turning their back on him with performances like this.
Friday, 26 April 2013
Kompayak Porpramook v Jean Piero Perez
Over the past year or two Thai boxing has been on a visible slide with the country actually have 0 world champions. That changed today when former WBC Light Flyweight champion Kompayak Porpramook (50-4, 35) stopped Venezuelan Jean Piero Perez (20-6-1, 14) to claim the interim WBA Flyweight title.
The bout started well for Perez who had a good first round using his jab and movement to maintain a solid distance between himself and the Thai. Although the Thai fighter came back late in the round it was certainly a good round for the Venezuelan who was backing off the back foot well.
Sadly for Perez the success that Porpramook had late in the round grew through a very dominating second round that saw the Thai cutting off the distance excellently. Although Perez coped well with much of the pressure he did seem hurt at one point as Porpramook began to target the body, an effective tactic in the heat of Thailand.
Porpramook had continued success in round 3 as he walked through the attacks of Perez and seemed to wobble the Venezuelan who was just unable to keep Porpramook off him. At the end of the round the Thai seemed to be storming the fight having established himself mentally as the stronger fighter and as the aggressor.
Things took a turn in Perez's favour in round 4 as he worked hard and kept Porpramook from throwing too much back. Although Perez probably did enough to claim the round in terms of his work many of his attacks were ineffective as he landed on the gloves of the Thai who, whilst throwing much less, appeared to land the telling shot to the body as he continued his tactic of breaking down the co-challenger.
Having put a lot in to round 4 Perez was attacked hard in round 5 as the Thai looked for an early finish. Perez appeared hurt numerous times though saw out the storm as Porpramook went in for the kill. It was obvious that the pressure of Porpramook and the conditions were taking their toll on the Venezuelan who was starting to take a bit of a beating. The beating of round 5 continued into the next as Porpramook hurt Perez early then went on a sustained attack with Perez trapped in the corner before the referee was forced in to wave the bout off.
The bout started well for Perez who had a good first round using his jab and movement to maintain a solid distance between himself and the Thai. Although the Thai fighter came back late in the round it was certainly a good round for the Venezuelan who was backing off the back foot well.
Sadly for Perez the success that Porpramook had late in the round grew through a very dominating second round that saw the Thai cutting off the distance excellently. Although Perez coped well with much of the pressure he did seem hurt at one point as Porpramook began to target the body, an effective tactic in the heat of Thailand.
Porpramook had continued success in round 3 as he walked through the attacks of Perez and seemed to wobble the Venezuelan who was just unable to keep Porpramook off him. At the end of the round the Thai seemed to be storming the fight having established himself mentally as the stronger fighter and as the aggressor.
Things took a turn in Perez's favour in round 4 as he worked hard and kept Porpramook from throwing too much back. Although Perez probably did enough to claim the round in terms of his work many of his attacks were ineffective as he landed on the gloves of the Thai who, whilst throwing much less, appeared to land the telling shot to the body as he continued his tactic of breaking down the co-challenger.
Having put a lot in to round 4 Perez was attacked hard in round 5 as the Thai looked for an early finish. Perez appeared hurt numerous times though saw out the storm as Porpramook went in for the kill. It was obvious that the pressure of Porpramook and the conditions were taking their toll on the Venezuelan who was starting to take a bit of a beating. The beating of round 5 continued into the next as Porpramook hurt Perez early then went on a sustained attack with Perez trapped in the corner before the referee was forced in to wave the bout off.
Sunday, 17 March 2013
Roberto Vasquez v John Mark Apolinario II
Less than a week since reports broke about the WBA possibly doing away with "Interim" titles, we saw a rematch between Panamanian Robert Vasquez (32-5-2, 22) and Filipino John Mark Apolinario (17-2-3, 4) for the WBA interim Bantamweight title. Rather surprisingly the title remained "vacant" as the two men fought to a draw, the second successive bout.
The two men, who fought for the first time just 4 months ago, drew when they first met in Argentina with neither man managing to get an upper hand for any stretch of time. This time however things looked different, things seemed to be flowing wonderfully for the Panamanian who had previously held titles at both Light Flyweight and Flyweight.
At the mid way point in the bout it was very easy to feel that Vasquez was in a clear lead. He wasn't beating the ever loving snot out of Apolinario but he was clearly winning more rounds than he was losing and he was at home with the fans getting well behind him. According to Argentinian television station "TYC Sports" Vasquez had bagged 5 of the first 6 rounds and was surely on his way to the title.
Vasquez continued to look a class better than his lesser known opponent in the second half of the fight as he showed his experience and seemed to sweep the second half of the fight to what appeared on paper to be a clear decision. Vasquez's domination of the bout had seen Argentinian TV score it 119-109 in his favour and seemingly saw him claiming the title by clear decision. The came the judges decision which rather oddly saw the bout much, much close than most scoring it 116-112 each way and 115-115 to leave us a majority draw.
Interestingly when the men first met it was viewed that Apolinario was robbed, this time however it seems that Vasquez was denied a clear victory in a shocking case of boxing karma.
The two men, who fought for the first time just 4 months ago, drew when they first met in Argentina with neither man managing to get an upper hand for any stretch of time. This time however things looked different, things seemed to be flowing wonderfully for the Panamanian who had previously held titles at both Light Flyweight and Flyweight.
At the mid way point in the bout it was very easy to feel that Vasquez was in a clear lead. He wasn't beating the ever loving snot out of Apolinario but he was clearly winning more rounds than he was losing and he was at home with the fans getting well behind him. According to Argentinian television station "TYC Sports" Vasquez had bagged 5 of the first 6 rounds and was surely on his way to the title.
Vasquez continued to look a class better than his lesser known opponent in the second half of the fight as he showed his experience and seemed to sweep the second half of the fight to what appeared on paper to be a clear decision. Vasquez's domination of the bout had seen Argentinian TV score it 119-109 in his favour and seemingly saw him claiming the title by clear decision. The came the judges decision which rather oddly saw the bout much, much close than most scoring it 116-112 each way and 115-115 to leave us a majority draw.
Interestingly when the men first met it was viewed that Apolinario was robbed, this time however it seems that Vasquez was denied a clear victory in a shocking case of boxing karma.
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.
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.
Saturday, 8 December 2012
Yuriorkis Gamboa v Michael Farenas
The long awaited return to the ring for Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa (22-0, 16) saw the talented Cuban claiming the interim WBA Super Featherweight title as he defeated the unheralded Filipino Michael Farenas (34-4-4-1, 26). Despite the fact Farenas was all but unknown prior to this fight he proved to be a genuinely worthy adversary for Gamboa's return to the ring after 14 months out.
The opening round saw Gamboa looking like he had never been away as the fast handed Cuban landed some wonderful combinations on Farenas who struggled to catch him before he got away. The hand speed was again evident in the following round as Gamboa dropped Farenas who immediately got up as if nothing had happened.
Sadly for Farenas head clashes in the third round saw him suffering two massive cuts that bled through out the remainder of the fight. Despite the cuts however Farenas refused to go away and refused to just roll over and instead he rocked Gamboa at the start of the fourth round as he proved he had the power to hurt the Cuban. Although Gamboa seemed to take the round off it was still interesting to see that Farenas had the power to rock him.
Farenas showed again in round 5 that he wasn't there just to collect the pay day he willingly traded with Gamboa and really brought the action to the Cuban. Whilst Gamboa showed he was a class above his Filipino opponent he also seemed to be slowing and this allowed Farenas chances to land to both the head and body of Gamboa. The battling between the two saw Gamboa rocked in the 6th and 8th however he dropped Farenas in the 7th to really open up the lead on the scorecards.
Due to how much Farenas' shots were hurting Gamboa it only made sense for Gamboa to start to use his boxing skills and box cautiously and that's what he started to do for long periods of rounds. In round 9 however Gamboa went for the finish and was surprisingly dropped by a beauty of a shot by Farenas that seemed to not only drop Gamboa but also scramble his legs for the rest of the round. Sadly for Farenas he couldn't capitalise and Gamboa eventually recovered and appeared to do enough to reestablish himself over the later rounds as he took a clear decision.
Whilst I feel the cards were wide, Gamboa was a clear winner, though he's a fighter who needed a fight like this, a grueling 12 rounds against a crude but tough and hurtful fighter to really shake off every bit of rust that he'll have acquired due to his long lay off.
For Farenas this was the sort of showing that shows he belongs in the ring with the top fighters, for Gamboa it was him saying "I'm back".
The opening round saw Gamboa looking like he had never been away as the fast handed Cuban landed some wonderful combinations on Farenas who struggled to catch him before he got away. The hand speed was again evident in the following round as Gamboa dropped Farenas who immediately got up as if nothing had happened.
Sadly for Farenas head clashes in the third round saw him suffering two massive cuts that bled through out the remainder of the fight. Despite the cuts however Farenas refused to go away and refused to just roll over and instead he rocked Gamboa at the start of the fourth round as he proved he had the power to hurt the Cuban. Although Gamboa seemed to take the round off it was still interesting to see that Farenas had the power to rock him.
Farenas showed again in round 5 that he wasn't there just to collect the pay day he willingly traded with Gamboa and really brought the action to the Cuban. Whilst Gamboa showed he was a class above his Filipino opponent he also seemed to be slowing and this allowed Farenas chances to land to both the head and body of Gamboa. The battling between the two saw Gamboa rocked in the 6th and 8th however he dropped Farenas in the 7th to really open up the lead on the scorecards.
Due to how much Farenas' shots were hurting Gamboa it only made sense for Gamboa to start to use his boxing skills and box cautiously and that's what he started to do for long periods of rounds. In round 9 however Gamboa went for the finish and was surprisingly dropped by a beauty of a shot by Farenas that seemed to not only drop Gamboa but also scramble his legs for the rest of the round. Sadly for Farenas he couldn't capitalise and Gamboa eventually recovered and appeared to do enough to reestablish himself over the later rounds as he took a clear decision.
Whilst I feel the cards were wide, Gamboa was a clear winner, though he's a fighter who needed a fight like this, a grueling 12 rounds against a crude but tough and hurtful fighter to really shake off every bit of rust that he'll have acquired due to his long lay off.
For Farenas this was the sort of showing that shows he belongs in the ring with the top fighters, for Gamboa it was him saying "I'm back".
Javier Fortuna v Patrick Hyland
Unbeaten Javier Fortuna (21-0-0-1, 15) claimed the interim WBA Featherweight title as he defeated Irishman Patrick Hyland (27-1, 12) in a relatively unexciting 12 round affair that was really a fight of two halves.
Fortuna started brightly using his great handspeed, unusual angles and easily claimed the first 5 rounds against a very passive Hyland. Whilst Hyland did block a number of Fortuna's shots he simply didn't fire enough back in those early rounds to claim even a share of a round until round 6. In round 6 Hyland started to fire back a little more and he certainly gave himself a chance to claim the round.
After Fortuna was caught in round 6 the life seemed to suddenly get sucked out of the bout as Fortuna choose to use his boxing ability to box and move and move and move. Hyland fought on the front foot and came forward relentlessly for the final 6 rounds however he simply couldn't catch Fortuna with enough clean shots to claim more than the odd round or two. It just seemed like Hyland was far too passive with Fortuna slowing his own work down and stealing rounds with the odd bit of flashy work here and there.
Although there was some bad blood with both men lading low and the odd shot after the bell by Fortuna there wasn't a great deal of angry aggression by Hyland which effectively cost him the bout on the cards.
This bout probably proved that neither fighter is quite there for a genuine top fight at the division. Fortuna is talented but doesn't hit as hard as his record demonstrates and Hyland, whilst tough simply doesn't do enough to to earn a decision and he also lacks the world level power that he'd need to make an impression amongst the best in the division.
Fortuna started brightly using his great handspeed, unusual angles and easily claimed the first 5 rounds against a very passive Hyland. Whilst Hyland did block a number of Fortuna's shots he simply didn't fire enough back in those early rounds to claim even a share of a round until round 6. In round 6 Hyland started to fire back a little more and he certainly gave himself a chance to claim the round.
After Fortuna was caught in round 6 the life seemed to suddenly get sucked out of the bout as Fortuna choose to use his boxing ability to box and move and move and move. Hyland fought on the front foot and came forward relentlessly for the final 6 rounds however he simply couldn't catch Fortuna with enough clean shots to claim more than the odd round or two. It just seemed like Hyland was far too passive with Fortuna slowing his own work down and stealing rounds with the odd bit of flashy work here and there.
Although there was some bad blood with both men lading low and the odd shot after the bell by Fortuna there wasn't a great deal of angry aggression by Hyland which effectively cost him the bout on the cards.
This bout probably proved that neither fighter is quite there for a genuine top fight at the division. Fortuna is talented but doesn't hit as hard as his record demonstrates and Hyland, whilst tough simply doesn't do enough to to earn a decision and he also lacks the world level power that he'd need to make an impression amongst the best in the division.
Saturday, 24 November 2012
Martin Murray v Jorge Navarro
Unbeaten Brit Martin Murry (25-0-1, 11) claimed the WBA Interim Middleweight title by stopping the previously unbeaten Venezuelan Jorga Navarro (12-1, 10) in what often appeared to be a public sparring session.
The difference in class was obvious from the opening round as Murray boxed off the back foot and controlled Navarro before dropping him late in the round. Although Murray went for the early finish he failed to stop Navarro with a late flurry in the round however it was obvious he was thoroughly in charge.
Murray's domination continue through the following 4 rounds as Murray slowly dictated the fight, showing off numerous defensive tricks as he made Navarro look slow, clumsy and wild. Sadly however Murray seemed unwilling to commit to taking Navvaro out too early as he instead got rounds under his belt and refused to force the issue.
In round 6 Murray eventually turned up the heat and dropped Navarro for a second time before turning up the heat and rocking the Venezuelan's head all over the place forcing Navarro's corner to throw in the towel whilst the referee seemed unwilling to stop the fight.
Whilst this was an impressive victory for Murray and a notable win, it was also a very, very easy win and if Murray thinks the world stage is going to be this easy he will have a rude awakening, however he did his job. The question as to how Navarro got such a high profile fight is something I really cannot answer.
The difference in class was obvious from the opening round as Murray boxed off the back foot and controlled Navarro before dropping him late in the round. Although Murray went for the early finish he failed to stop Navarro with a late flurry in the round however it was obvious he was thoroughly in charge.
Murray's domination continue through the following 4 rounds as Murray slowly dictated the fight, showing off numerous defensive tricks as he made Navarro look slow, clumsy and wild. Sadly however Murray seemed unwilling to commit to taking Navvaro out too early as he instead got rounds under his belt and refused to force the issue.
In round 6 Murray eventually turned up the heat and dropped Navarro for a second time before turning up the heat and rocking the Venezuelan's head all over the place forcing Navarro's corner to throw in the towel whilst the referee seemed unwilling to stop the fight.
Whilst this was an impressive victory for Murray and a notable win, it was also a very, very easy win and if Murray thinks the world stage is going to be this easy he will have a rude awakening, however he did his job. The question as to how Navarro got such a high profile fight is something I really cannot answer.
Scott Quigg v Rendall Munroe
Young Englishman Scott Quigg (25-0-1, 18) successfully claimed the WBA "interim" Super Bantamweight title as he beat countryman Rendall Munroe (24-3-1, 10) via 6th round TKO in an excellent performance.
The opening round was the best for Munroe as the former binman from Leicester arguably just stole the round, though it didn't take long for Quigg to find his distance and box from the back foot allowing Munroe to come to him. With Quigg boxing on the back foot, he was finding things very easy as he landed time and time again to Munroe's body with sickening accurate shots.
Although Munroe kept coming forward he was finding it hard to land anything clean whilst he, himself, was being slowly broken down as Quigg was using his natural size and speed to take advantage of the older, slower man. In fact in rounds 2 and 3 Quigg barely got touched as he landed counter-after-counter on Munroe.
Munroe had slightly more success in rounds 4 and 5 than he had had in the previous 2 rounds though they were both rounds where Quigg continued to bash in the hurtful body shots. It was just a round later that Munroe would be dropped with a body shot, before being stopped soon afterwards with another body shot that put him down.
This likely spells the end of Munroe's career who was stopped for the first time here, though for Quigg the world is his oyster. He could either look for a major domestic clash with Carl Frampton or alternative the winner of the upcoming bout between Guillermo Rigondeaux and Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym.
The opening round was the best for Munroe as the former binman from Leicester arguably just stole the round, though it didn't take long for Quigg to find his distance and box from the back foot allowing Munroe to come to him. With Quigg boxing on the back foot, he was finding things very easy as he landed time and time again to Munroe's body with sickening accurate shots.
Although Munroe kept coming forward he was finding it hard to land anything clean whilst he, himself, was being slowly broken down as Quigg was using his natural size and speed to take advantage of the older, slower man. In fact in rounds 2 and 3 Quigg barely got touched as he landed counter-after-counter on Munroe.
Munroe had slightly more success in rounds 4 and 5 than he had had in the previous 2 rounds though they were both rounds where Quigg continued to bash in the hurtful body shots. It was just a round later that Munroe would be dropped with a body shot, before being stopped soon afterwards with another body shot that put him down.
This likely spells the end of Munroe's career who was stopped for the first time here, though for Quigg the world is his oyster. He could either look for a major domestic clash with Carl Frampton or alternative the winner of the upcoming bout between Guillermo Rigondeaux and Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym.
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Stanyslav Kashtanov v Server Yemurlayev
Stanyslav Kashtanov (30-1, 16) came out on top in the all Ukrainian bout for the WBA "interim" Super Middleweight title as he out pointed previous unbeaten countryman Server Yemurlayev (22-1, 8) via a split decision.
Kashtanov started the bout well, avoiding the hard jabs of Yemurlayev who was either missing completely or having his jabs blocked. With Yemurlayev missing many of his shots, it allowed Kashtanov to take an early lead, however Yemurlayev did have some success and may have just nicked the fourth round.
Despite Yemurlayev's success in round 4, it didn't take long for Kashtanov to re-stake his control in the bout taking the middle rounds to really open up a gap in the scoring on most cards. By round 9 it looked like a clear decision for Kashtanov was on the cards, but then Yemurlayev started to fight back and arguably showed his best as he clearly won 2 of the last 3 rounds bringing the scores to look more competitive, even if he did still clearly lose.
Shocking the score cards were read out to give Kashtanov only a split decision victory with scores of 116-112, 118-110 (in favour of Kashtanov) and the frankly ludicrous 115-113 in favour of Server Yemurlayev.
Kashtanov started the bout well, avoiding the hard jabs of Yemurlayev who was either missing completely or having his jabs blocked. With Yemurlayev missing many of his shots, it allowed Kashtanov to take an early lead, however Yemurlayev did have some success and may have just nicked the fourth round.
Despite Yemurlayev's success in round 4, it didn't take long for Kashtanov to re-stake his control in the bout taking the middle rounds to really open up a gap in the scoring on most cards. By round 9 it looked like a clear decision for Kashtanov was on the cards, but then Yemurlayev started to fight back and arguably showed his best as he clearly won 2 of the last 3 rounds bringing the scores to look more competitive, even if he did still clearly lose.
Shocking the score cards were read out to give Kashtanov only a split decision victory with scores of 116-112, 118-110 (in favour of Kashtanov) and the frankly ludicrous 115-113 in favour of Server Yemurlayev.
Juan Carlos Reveco v Julian Rivera
Argentinian Juan Carlos Reveco (29-1, 16) successfully retained his "interim" WBA Flyweight title as he scored a very clear and very easy decision victory over Mexican challenger Julian Rivera (13-7, 2).
Reveco, a talented fighter was in control from the start to the end against a very limited Mexican who, although being game, was thoroughly out classed and out-boxed from bell to bell. Whilst Reveco was in cruise control through out, he couldn't put Rivera away as he claimed only a 12 round decision with scores of 120-107 across the board.
With this victory Reveco has tried to put himself #1 in the queue to face the winner of the up coming WBA "super" and WBC Flyweight title unification bout between Hernan "Tyson" Marquez and Brian Viloria (which takes place on November 17th). However it seems the WBA has upgraded Reveco to the "regular" champion and he's certainly got a target on his back as Roman Gonzalez is expected to view him as an "easier title" at Flyweight, as long as Gonzalez gets past his own up coming bout (also November 17th).
For Rivera this was a case of knowing your place and not upsetting the applecart, and that's what he did. He was there to make up the numbers and not much else.
Reveco, a talented fighter was in control from the start to the end against a very limited Mexican who, although being game, was thoroughly out classed and out-boxed from bell to bell. Whilst Reveco was in cruise control through out, he couldn't put Rivera away as he claimed only a 12 round decision with scores of 120-107 across the board.
With this victory Reveco has tried to put himself #1 in the queue to face the winner of the up coming WBA "super" and WBC Flyweight title unification bout between Hernan "Tyson" Marquez and Brian Viloria (which takes place on November 17th). However it seems the WBA has upgraded Reveco to the "regular" champion and he's certainly got a target on his back as Roman Gonzalez is expected to view him as an "easier title" at Flyweight, as long as Gonzalez gets past his own up coming bout (also November 17th).
For Rivera this was a case of knowing your place and not upsetting the applecart, and that's what he did. He was there to make up the numbers and not much else.
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)