-Photo Credit: Chris Farina/Top Rank-

The past HBO Saturday "After Dark" double dip left little for the imagination - you like down and dirty, and free of the ol’ Marquis Queensberry rules, yours was the welterweight opener with space cadet Joshua Clottey in with Colombian straight man Rich Gutierrez - toss in Dr. (strangeglove man in charge) Lou Moret  and we have all bases covered.

First the ring walk - Gutierrez enters without flair, other than angry look, as if someone had stolen his protective metal cup, his was pretty much straight as the proverbial arrow - then Clottey - at first the reaction here was, somebody take a urine specimen, if he ain’t on drugs he’s flat out nut job.

Then the opening bell - Clottey looking good over one and two with quicker hands while scoring with power punches to the body - then Gutierrez with the edge in stanza three.

Now stanza four and Clottey down from low blow - lunatic Lou Moret belatedly reacts to the Clottey dramatics and charges Gutierrez a point deduction for the infraction - round five it’s a pay back with Gutierrez down from Clottey low blow - Moret charges Clottey a point after noticing the Colombian was also cut alongside eye from "inadvertent" head butt.

At this point what we got was a back alley brawl with no cure for what ails - two tough guys with minimal sweet science skills - translation, a battle in the trenches - unfortunately, the not very good Dr. Moret had no clue but to rant on, round after round over assorted rules violations.

A very entertaining, albeit deviation from the norm, somehow made it to the finish line - scoring favored Clottey by majority decision of  116-110, 115-111, 113-113 - my unofficial had it Clottey 114-112 in points and 6-4-2 under round by round method.

Post Scripts: Clottey ~  now a veteran age 29, with glittering rap sheet of 30 wins with 29 via KO and a single DQ loss. Nothing dull about this guy but not the puncher the stats imply. Could possibly snatch one of the fractured baubles but think he avoid the welter Mayweather, Margarito, Baldomir, Judah clientele. A Collazo or Cintron pairing would likely reveal much about all concerned.
                      Gutierrez - age 28 and 22-1, 13 KO’s - a bonafide tough hombre - not title timber but crowd pleaser - once word is out, he should get all the work he’s looking for. Not boxing skills level for title consideration.
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Then the feature bout of the evening -  a Jr. Welter mismatch with past lightweight champ Stevie Johnston facing former ‘40 pound shareholder Vivian Harris - problem with this pairing is in the calendar.

"Little But Bad" Johnston is no longer the super quick southpaw of yesteryear - more naughty than bad today at a now age 33, and campaigning among the 140 gang.   

Harris at age 28 and a tall jr. welter at 5-11 quickly hinted this would be a early nite’s work as he drops Johnston twice in opening stanza - was clearly a matter of size and power, over a smaller and once far superior ring technician in the Denver, CO port sider.

Johnston would hit the deck a total of four times over six and change one sided rounds - only stanzas three and six went to the ever game little man - a hint of what Stevie once was.

End came at 2:25 of numero seven with Johnston down from monster right hand that was followed by a barrage before referee Raul Caiz Jr. called it  a no-mas.

Harris graduates to 27-2-1, 18 KO’s - Johnston now at 26-3-1, 18 KO’s.

Closing Comments: Vivian Harris ~ the transplanted Guyanan now calling Brooklyn, USA home is interesting watch - good size and good right hand power. Still, not a good bet if in with the 140 elite of a Hatton, Cotto, Castillo, Witter, Maussa. But good bet among the six and under members of the jr. welter crowd.
                                  Stevie Johnston ~ as the kiddie fables began, once upon a time, Stevie was pretty special - a past champion that once gave the other guy advantages of size and strength, and then routinely schooled them. But today is today, and evidence of what happened last noche spells sayonara.
                                 Referees of the evening: personally, I prefer ladies of the evening over watching fool man in charge Dr. Lou Moret screwing up still another High Mass. The repetitive "stop holding," "stop that" and assorted nonsense has reached the limits. Even out in 'make believe California here I come land,' this clown should be limited to scoring fights and not ring official.        
                                  Raul Caiz Jr. ~ another that misses the boat. The dramatic shouts and gestures no longer in vogue - that is, if they ever were.- in need of help.
                                 And this: HBO still rules - the BAD segment betters the opposition - the card was entertaining - but Lennox, Fran, Maxie clearly not up to the commentator task. Lewis lacks a hint of animation - more mannequin than human. Charles not fight convincing - Maxie more hysterian than historian. A change desperately  in order.

GEL