In a crossroads fight with retirement implications, Peter Manfredo scored an early knockdown to coast to a unanimous decision over Daniel Edouard.
Through the first three rounds, Edouard outworked Manfredo, moving in and out with sharp hooks. When Edouard did stay inside, he beat Manfredo to the punch with digging hooks downstairs. Manfredo appeared much slower, and failed to land anything significant.
Manfredo’s fortunes changed in the fourth. Lulled into carelessness by the previous rounds, Edouard pulled back out a clinch with his hands down. Manfredo fired off a short, sneaky right hook that short-circuited Edouard’s equilibrium. He bounced off the ropes before collapsing on his face. He beat the count, but would have no legs for the rest of the bout.
From rounds 5-7, Manfredo would find a consistent home for the straight right and left hook. Each time it landed clean, Edouard would be stunned and forced to clinch. While Manfredo never pressed for the KO, he stayed in firm control and took the lead.
Through rounds eight and nine, Edouard became more sloppy and desperate. His punches had no snap, and his left eye badly swelled. Manfredo stayed very workmanlike, keeping Edouard off-balance with jabs and left hooks.
Before the 12th, Manfredo’s father and trainer, Peter Manfredo Sr, told his son that Daniel Edouard was “gone,” and ready to be taken out. Whether due to fatigue or cautiousness, Manfredo did not act on his father’s urgency, but still easily carried the stanza with clean punching.
Final scorecards read 97-92 and 98-91 twice, all for Manfredo Jr, who improves to 37-6 (20 KOs). Daniel Eduoard, who said he would retire if he lost, fell to 23-4-2 (14 KOs), losing his second straight fight.
On the undercard, a determined Edwin Rodriguez (18-0, 13 KOs) worked through a left rotator cuff tear to score a unanimous decision over Aaron Pryor Jr (15-3, 11 KOs). Final scores read 96-93, 98-91, and 97-92.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 