Junior welter contender Juan Urango, and
young, touted junior middle “Mean” Joe Greene lit up the Hard
Rock Casino, Hollywood, Florida with respective KO and TKO
finishers.
The ESPN WNF co-feature attraction opened
with Greene the undefeated Queens, N.Y. power puncher with 13
of his 18 wins arriving by knockout facing Joshua Okine of
Ghana, at 18-3-1, 12 KOs.
Okine arriving on four day notice surprises
with no hint of rust - has the better over round one tactical
action, displaying excellent boxing skills against a Greene
with decent technique - still, “Mean” Joe, off the mark while
loading up, looks the bigger puncher of the two.
Then stanza two with the Ghanaian grabbing
it the old fashioned way - courtesy of not one, but two Greene
power punches finding the target below the DMZ - referee Frank
Santana docks “Mean” Greene a point for the infractions.
Stanza three it’s Greene abandoning the
body punching, is outscored by the lighter punching Okine with
the better accuracy - still, oh - three on my card, the
Brooklyn born, Queens transplant, looks far the bigger puncher
of the two.
A regrouping Greene begins turning it
around in candle four when converting effectively to
counter-punch mode - and with it, we have the Okine edge in
points after six stanzas reduced to a 57-56 margin.
Now it’s Okine claiming seven and eight via
accuracy over power strikes off the target - then stanza nine
and the scribbling becomes academic - a Greene bomb drops the
game Okine - beats the count but is dressed for the kill with
a barrage the finisher with Santore calling it no-mas at 2:00
mark of numero nine.
Post Scripts:
-
Joe Greene (19-0, 14 KOs) ~ age 22 - legit
prospect with room to grow - the power from the port side
birth given. The technique the needed extra once gaining
discipline. Too quick to load up with heavy artillery. Circle
the name, still a baby.
-
Joshua Okine (18-4-1, 12 KOs) ~ young
veteran at age 28 - nice skills but cheated at birth in power
department - future label carries 'handle with care' warning.
-
Referee Frank Santore ~ could use a long
vacation.
………………………………................................................................................................
This one a mismatch - quality contender and past champion
(Urango) facing age 31 Vilches arriving with 62 past kept
appointments - and all went as choreographed - opening stanza
lower two ring ropes keep Vilches upright and we have a
referee Tommy Kimmons “standing eight” count.
Urango on the offense and snatching numbers two and three
while completely in charge - then stanza four with an evil
finis - a Urango lead left hand from the southpaw side is
followed by a vicious and perfectly executed right hook to the
jaw.
Vilches out before landing on the canvas flat on his back - no
movement for near a full minute - scary until resuming
consciousness with house medics hovering over him.
Time of mismatch 1:45 of stanza four.
Post Scripts:
-
Juan Urango (20-1-1, 16 KOs) ~ prime time
age 27 with proven knockout punching power. Southpaw a
plus, albeit not big one as he’s strictly walk in and keep it
busy in style. The today field lists (WBC) Witter; (WBA)
Kotelnik; (IBF) Malignaggi; (WBO) Ricardo Torres among the
possible. Malignaggi the likely one, but for the fight fan a
Ricardo Torres shootout a natural barn burner.
-
Carlos Vilches (53-8-2, 31 KOs) ~ age 31 -
no longer contender level - the scary finale last noche speaks
more of retirement than future considerations.
………………………………...........................................................................................
Closing Comments:
-
Commentary department: Tessitore comments
during Greene-Okine firefight over the Ghanaian punch output
slowing down (reading from Punch-stat report of little
consequence) in stanza three. So would mine, had I been power
punched by “Mean” Greene in the vitals.
**** Heavyweight 4-round fill-in saw Miami, Venezuelan
transplant Wilmer Vazquez - a 6’ 7” at 268 lbs. giant going to
6-0, 4 KO’s in a one-sided mugging of Rodney Wallace that
entered at pampered 4-0, 4 KO’s. End arrived at 1:45 of round
three. Immediate thoughts from the back roads of my mind was a
TV sitcom Addams Family - with Vazquez in role of Lurch
wearing boxing gloves.
To view this spectacular finish, visit
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YNA7dSBPh1M
