The August 31 Friday noche Telefutura offering featured past champion Yory Boy Campas and journeyman Norberto Bravo in a duel of age 36 seniors - up for grabs the IBA Americas strap.

Took no more than three stanzas to see this was no gift for the career crowd pleasing Campas, in kept appointment 100 - and would go to the judges after ten entertaining rounds of competitive action.

Yory Boy had the better skills - left-hook power shots to the body set up accurate combinations to the head - prior to stanza four the guess was the effective body work would likely be the key to victory.

Bravo claims a close round three - then, a strong Campos stanza four - and enter third man in charge "Rockhead Rocky" Burke on the scene with two warnings to Campas for low blows.

Stanza five Campas abandons the body assault - and with it a energized Bravo grabs the round - then stanza six and the plot thickens as Burke charges Yory Boy a point for low blow - a Campas 10-9 stanza converts to 9-9.

Stanzas seven through ten result in one for me and one for you with Bravo grabbing candles 8 and 9 and Campas winning seven and ten - and with the judges balloting having it Campas 95-94 on all cards it was wise for Yory Boy to close the final round with effective mix of body and head combinations.

My unofficial had it Campas 95-94 in points and 5-4-1 under round by round method - still, were it not for the stanza six debit, it would have been a more comfortable Campas 6-4 in rounds.

Post Scripts: Yory Boy Campas ( 90-10, 72 KO) ~ age 36 and this fight number 100 spawns a minor league bauble - the message should be for class act Campas to call it a career. Competitive yes … but only among the Triple A clientele.
                        Norberto Bravo (24-14-3, 13KO) ~ age 36 - tough hombre but short on skills and no room to improve at this point. Needs a new calling.
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Semi-final a battle for the IBA Featherweight prize with Tomas Villa (18-5-3, 12 KO) in with Omar Lizarraga of 16-4, 12 fame - and battle they did to a majority draw decision that went Villa 94-92; 93-93, 93-93 on the official ballots.

This contest a dandy of a table setter for the main event with fireworks from start to finish - Villa the younger at age 24 to Lizarraga’s 32 - show opens with a right hand bomb that drops Villa.

The kid survives the round but is damaged goods with cut to right eyelid - still, after Lizarraga snatches stanza two, a relentless Villa offense would stem the tide - and down to the wire it would be nip-n-tuck.
Only blemish to a solid pairing was another referee in role of screwing up a High Mass - Tony Zaino the culprit - has himself a battle royal, and with Lizarraga tiring, loses mouthpiece during stanza eight -  bingo - point deduction.

Not enough attention for the incompetent camera loving ring gendarme, so he debits both fighters in closing round ten - take a pick, one for holding and one for low blow.

Villa gets the nod from one judge 94-92 - others had it all square, thus the majority draw. Without the Tony Zaino intrusions this one goes unanimous Villa.

Closing comments: Both Villa and Lizarraga earn small club ESPN-ShoBox main event recognition - neither valid prospect-contender level.

GEL  -