As usual before every boxing fight of any significance the speculations on what would happen and who would win were abundant. Does Scott Pemberton have anything left after all the tremendous wars he has fought the last few years? Can Manfredo bounce back from a questionable loss to Mora? And will Manfredo be able to deal with Pemberton’s power? Boxer vs. Puncher and Youth vs. Experience were what this fight was exactly about.

From the onset of the fight it was obvious that Manfredo’s hand speed was far superior to Pemberton's. Peter used his jab and overhand rights to control the pace of the fight and to move Pemberton back. Scott on the other hand landed almost nothing as he remained defensive for much of the first round. The speed, the head movement, and the jab were all decisively working in favor of Manfredo Jr.

In round 2 Manfredo continued his dominance while at the same time showing skillful movement and accurate punching. Most importantly, he was able to use good head movement to get on the inside without getting hit. Despite his apparent dominance, Manfredo never lost sight of Pemberton's dangerous right hand. At this point of the fight it was apparent that Scott Pemberton did seem a step slower and that all the punishment he received throughout his career had finally caught up with him for good.

At the start of round 3 Manfredo was able to land a clean left hook right on the chin that visibly staggered Pemberton. Instead of rushing in carelessly, Manfredo showed maturity by using angles to launch a right hand down the middle through Pemberton's guard, followed by an uppercut that put Scott down to the canvas. Visibly hurt, Pemberton beat the count hoping perhaps to catch the overeager Manfredo coming straight in. Once again Peter showed good judgment by using head movement to get in close. Once in close Manfredo was able to dominate the taller fighter with solid hooks to the body and right hands upstairs. One looping right hand caught Pemberton flush as he was trying to step back causing him to fly into the ropes for the second knockdown of the fight. Once again Pemberton beat the count, but with his legs visibly gone the referee was forced to stop the fight after two clean Manfredo right hands hurt the now defenseless Scott Pemberton.

The official time of the KO victory was 2 minutes 6 seconds of round number three. Peter Manfredo not only out-boxed the puncher but he also managed to out-punch him as well. While Pemberton certainly looked old and slow it was still a solid win for Manfredo, who showed the great skill which seemed to have left him during the first season of the show The Contender.

It seems like Freddy Roach is making a big difference in Peter as a fighter. Manfredo looked more confident and skillful in this fight against Pemberton as well as in his rematch against Mora which most ringside observers thought he had won. It will be interesting to see how well Manfredo does against some of the top ten guys in the super middleweight division. While there is some talk about a third fight against Sergio Mora, Manfredo would probably be better served  by fighting the top fighters and trying to get himself into a position to be a true contender for the title.  

Questions? Comments? Email Oleg Bershadsky

2-12-2006    

 

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