BURTON NIPS LORENZO - ASSIST SMOGER By George J. Elsasser

Last eyeballed Courtney Burton back in July of this year ... and the 25 year-old new kid on the block caught the eye in a showcase upset performance over talented veteran Angel Manfredy

Burton called all the shots before stopping Manfredy with explosive finish in number eight ... and only a cynic would suggest maybe Angel baby at lightweight had reached the wrong side of the slope.

One thing is certain ... Burton put it all together with Manfredy ... used size, speed and punching power to disassemble a previously durable Manfredy ... only fighter doing it better with Angel was Mayweather Jr. back in December of 1996 with 2nd round starching in WBC Super-Feather title bout.

Entering last noche's Burton - Francisco Lorenzo meeting for some ignominious '35 pound strap - a sort of stepping stone to a more valid belt - it appeared Courtney had himself a gimme to display the varied skills while facing a 5'3" Dominican with little more than a big heart going for himself.

And then the opening bell ... and what we see is the taller Burton using none of the physical advantages at his disposal ... missing was anything resembling a jab ... what we get is a start to finish inside mauling, grappling, foul fest affair with Lorenzo seemingly outworking the bigger hitting Burton.

Back in them bad old days this type affair would have losing fighter dismiss it as a case of "not getting off" ~ could be the big Manfredy score had Burton overlooking the smaller lightweight with little punching power as a legit threat.

My early notes had the stamina question a factor ... or maybe the unknown Lorenzo chin construction ~ wrong!

The big intangible arrived in the form of third man in the ring Steve- the smog- Smoger ... once upon a time way back in April 23,1988 in some French town of Berck-Sur-Mer, the smog is working vacant IBF Welter title fite between Simon Brown and Tyrone Trice ~ a brutal affair that ended in chapter 14 with Trice falling into the arms of Smoger.

Was at that moment I re-christened the smog to "Body Bag" Smoger ... and deservingly so ... that one made Gatti-Ward a chess match in relativity ... but that was yesterday ... and last night's Smoger ball-dropper you ask?

It arrives in candle nine ... and thru eight it's anyone's guess come scoring department ... my edge had Lorenzo on work ethic ... much the busier and Burton just couldn't get off ... enter Smoger.

Scenario: Lorenzo on the attack ... in a hurry ... lunges ... is short of mark when he slips and falls forward ... replay shows Burton misses target with right hand ~ and there's Smog with confused look calling it a knockdown - and then the coup-de-grace in final candle with a tiring Lorenzo once again in forward gear ... catches harmless looping right hand around back of neck and is down from more a push than a clean punch ... Smog calls it knockdown and scoring reflects couple 10-8s for Burton.

Tally goes Burton 116-113, 115-114 - Lorenzo 115-113 ... the beef here isn't in the scoring of the judges ... neither fighter clearly collared a round ... was a given it would be a tough scoring assignment ... but the today third man theme is clearly in need of rewriting.

Suggestion: when the referee's work reflects self-aggrandizement the next move should see him attired in circus clown costume ~ and with Steve "Body Bag" Smoger reduced to today buffoon qualifies as first test.

Semper fi,

GEL

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