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Ricardo Gutierrez - Luis
Abregu
-- Photo
Credit: Tom Casino/Showtime --
Defending WBC lightweight champion
Edwin Valero displayed uncommon valor while staying the
course, to wear down and take the fight out of challenger
Antonio DeMarco, who conceded on his stool end of round
nine.
Valero quickly took control from the
opening bell the busier of the two - the taller DeMarco
had some success in using the height (5’10) advantage
over the 5’7 ˝ Valero - loses the round but manages to
cut the champion on the right cheek.
Then a telling round two saw Valero
cut badly in the forehead from accidental DeMarco counter
left elbow, when the punch came up short, and the follow
through elbow did the damage - still, Valero took the
round.
The Venezuelan warrior continued in
control even with the corner cut man unable to stop the
leaking forehead wound - still, Valero would have nothing
keeping him from his appointed rounds.
The big surprise coming from the
“magic lantern” had both Gus Johnson and Al
Bernstein seeing a new version of Valero, that round
after round was displaying boxing skills to go with the
prior walk-in bomb tossing.
Valero was much the quicker of the two
- from start to finish he’d dart in and out with combos
and short bursts of power punches to body and head.
Coupled with the effective offensive was an ability to
slip and dodge the incoming in a battle of southpaws.
With the ongoing non-stop battering
and DeMarco showing no signs in turning things around, he
agreed to the collective corner tossing in the proverbial
towel between stanzas nine and ten.
Post Scripts: Edwin Valero ( 27-0, 27
KOs) ~ age 28 - this first peek is surely a lasting one -
forget for a moment about the prior scalps taken -
considering the nasty second round scalp wound having
him wearing the red war paint over 27 minutes of fistic
combat, and never once slowing down certifies him in my
book as one tough hombre whoever the opponent.
Antonio DeMarco ( 23-2-1, 17 KOs) ~
age 24 - needs more development - was in over his head
among a tough lightweight field. Jury still out on the
future.
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Luis Abregu, undefeated, age 27 at
5’ 10", and ranked at WBC #6 and IBF # 10 welterweight was
showcased against unranked veteran Rich Gutierrez, age 31
in the co-feature.
Abregu answers opening bell the
quicker and showing the better skills - then stanza two
it’s Abregu on the canvas courtesy of a Gutierrez left
hook and it looked like we had a fight going.
Then numero tres with Gutierrez down
- Abregu counter left hook that set the stage for a
unanimous decision win.
Surprise in this one was the Gutierrez
durability that saw him claiming the closing stanzas nine
and ten.
Official scoring went unanimous Abregu
98-90; 97-91; 97-91 - my unofficial saw it Abregu 95-93
in points and 6-4 under round by round method.
Post Scripts: Luis Abregu ( 29-0, 23
KOs) ~ uses size well behind the left jab - good movement
makes the Argentine an entertaining club fighter. Welter
division too loaded to see the 27 year old a realistic
title threat.
Ricardo Gutierrez
(24-4, 14 KOs) - Made it a tough one for the undefeated
favorite - closed the stronger over final two candles.
Club fight walk in style that limited his earlier
potential
Closing comments: The Showtime
Saturday special scored an "A" that had the Monterrey,
Mexico live clientele out of its seats from start to
finish. Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein an ideal fit -
Far-out Farhood with the post fight interviews another
total waste for the viewers.
GEL -
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II
(June-December 2009)
2-6-2010
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