*UPDATE* 3:13AM – That’s all from fight night. More news from this night of boxing will be published on Sunday.
NEW YORK CITY — Tonight, BeatsBoxingMayhem will be live from Madison Square Garden providing live updates for every fight. Check back often here and on Twitter for commentary on the entire night of boxing.
GOLOVKIN GETS CONTROVERSIAL DECISION OVER JACOBS: This one lived up to the billing of “Big Drama Show.” There was high tension throughout the 12 rounds. Was Jacobs gaining momentum? Was Golovkin one shot away from ending it? I had Jacobs surging in the championship rounds to even it up at 104 headed into the 12th round.
The 12th was a clear GGG round; I felt Golovkin’s shots had more impact. That and the earlier knockdown (also controversial), was enough to give Golovkin a narrow 114-113 win on my card.
Neither guy’s stock should drop. GGG pressed the fight and attempted to walk down a much larger man with a dangerous punch. And Jacobs utilized a sound strategy of movement and switch-hitting to confuse Golovkin. If those boos directed at Golovkin during his post-fight interview are any indication, Jacobs will finally get some respect in his hometown.
RUNGVISAI STUNS CHOCOLATITO: What a war. Chocolatito was dropped by a balance shot to the body in the first, cut by a butt in the third, and facing the brute strength of a natural super flyweight. Gonzalez looked to be in trouble banging with the bigger man, but his accuracy and combinations got him back in it by the middle rounds.
From in the arena, I thought the critical mistake Chocolatito made came in the late rounds. I had him getting outworked in rounds 9-11, but sealing the deal with a strong 12th to take it 114-112. Instead, the judges had it 114-112 twice for Rungvisai and 113-113.
I couldn’t cosign the booing for Rungvisai. Yes, the favorite lost, but we got a great fight from both men. One thing that can’t be questioned is that Chocolatito is completely maxed out at this weight. This is around the age smaller fighters start to decline, so K2 needs to maximize the elite-level fights he has left, namely the Inoue and Estrada fights should Gonzalez get by Rungvisai in the rematch.
CARLOS CUADRAS UD10 DAVID CARMONA: Carlos Cuadras’s decision win over David Carmona may have given Roman Gonzalez a blueprint for an easier rematch. The normally fleet-footed Cuadras opted for a more stationary approach that allowed him to counter with power. Unfortunately for Cuadras, he’s not used to leading, making for awkward exchanges and him lunging to initiate offense.
Cuadras never got out of first gear and it nearly cost him. In terms of excitement, the most interesting moments in the late rounds came from Carmona getting rough. He stunned Cuadras with a hard overhand right in the seventh and hurt him to the body in the eighth. Carmona also was the more active over the last two rounds. The judges saw it differently, giving Cuadras the unanimous decision with scores of97-93 twice and 96-94.
This Cuadras was a far-cry from the one we saw lump up Gonzalez last year. Maybe he underestimated Carmona. Whatever the reason, Cuadras better get it together before the inevitable Gonzalez rematch.
RYAN MARTIN TKO8 BRYANT CRUZ: Ryan Martin improved his undefeated record with a dominant stoppage over Bryant Cruz. Martin used his size and reach advantage to keep the bout at mid-range where his size and reach allowed for repeated left hook counters and body work. Although Cruz remained scrappy, the punishment began visibly taking a toll in the fifth when he was hurt by a straight right.
The remaining action was one-way traffic with Cruz getting strafed any time he went to the ropes. It was this scenario in the eighth that put an end to the fight. Martin’s record improves to 18-0, 11 KOs.
UNTELEVISED UNDERCARD
ANDY LEE UD8 DE’ANDRE LEATHERWOOD: 14 months of inactivity resulted in a disappointing return for veteran Andy Lee, who won a lackluster unanimous decision over unheralded De’Andre Leatherwood. Lee spent most of the fight waiting for big counter punching opportunities that never came. While Leatherwood’s output was equally low, the career journeyman did manage to land at least one or two clean right-hand counters per round that kept Lee cautious.
The crowd began letting both men have it just two minutes into the fight. Yells of “Wake up, Andy!” and ‘C’mon, Andy!” were heard periodically throughout the night from diehard supporters.
Sensing the fight slipping away, Lee took m0re chances in rounds 6-8. Lee got the better of their sporadic exchanges via his formidable left hand, but Leatherwood was never in serious danger. Nonetheless, Lee aggression was viewed favorably by the judges, and he won the decision via scores of 80-72, 78-74, and 79-73.
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