Seems Michael baby, at age 30, is battling some type of post male-menopause boxing malady ... says he's outgrown collecting these small club trinkets and wants a shot at one of them bigger straps out there.
Anyway, he gets my attention ... and then the opening bell: doesn't take long to see Clark has skills ... good balance coupled with quick hands ... and following opening 3-minutes Antonio is behind on points.
Stanza two sees Clark looking good ... then he fails to see a picture-perfect Ramirez left hook ... arrives following a right hand aimed at the tummy - and Clark is on his derriere - my thoughts at this point is maybe we got ourselves a fight after all.
I'm bringing up round three for one reason only ... to assure fite fans some things in today boxing is alive and well ... as in referees screwing up a fite version of that proverbial "high mass" ... enter Toby Gibson.
Ramirez catches a soft right hand to the kisser ... stumbles off balance and hits the deck with smile on his handsome face ... knockdown? ... hell no, until Gibson goes the politically correct route ~ as in the glove touched the guy and caused the fall ~ end of story.
Regardless ... from number four on it is pretty much Clark ahead by a couple lengths come the run to the wire ... Ramirez had an edge in action packed candle eleven, but not enough to claim the less than cherished NABF bauble.
Scoring went unanimous for Clark at 115-111, 115-111, 116-111 ... my unofficial saw it 114-112 in points and 7-5 in rounds.
Post Scripts: Take here on veteran Clark is he should be content and comfy in role of top gun at clubfight level ... should use the prize to negotiate a busy ESPN schedule - chinny-chin-chin not nearly equal to the nifty boxing skills ... and the brain trust should encourage a change in mind set ... what should have been a gimme nearly converted to disaster when fighting Ramirez' fight.
Undercard: Show opened with four rounder ... l'heavy affair had one Joe Spina at 8-0 with 6 KOs facing 30-year old Rodney Moore at 4-6-3 with uno KO ... Enuf said? Not really ... mismatch for most part with Spina taking rounds one to three in cakewalk ... scores knockdown in third candle - Moore survives and actually begins fighting back in stanza four ... wins the round on my card ... scoring goes 39-36 on all cards.
Comments: Think the Spina "team" - and isn't that a stretch - should maybe take the reins. Not exactly a kid at age 26, and a now nine-fight resume loaded with home cooking ... is all left-hand with assorted Hail Mary cheap seats tosses ... worse, he does a sad attempt at hot-dogging. Projection here is the ring career will be yesterday's news before age 30.
Co-Feature feather 10-rounder went unanimous with Juan Ruiz improving to 16-1, 5 by ko over Phillip Payne who drops to 13-9-1, 5 by stoppage. Ruiz earned the nod via work ethic ... busy, busy, busy ... but for an aggressive stylist he also comes up very short in the punching department. Payne needs a career change ... at age 33 there's no future out there in the boxing biz ... decent technician but also anemic in the clout department.
Semper fi,
GEL
Checked out this week's ESPN clubfight offering ... wanted a first peek at this NABF lightweight belt holder Michael Clark defending the strap against made to order challenger in Antonio Ramirez.
10-18-2003