Fernando David Saucedo vs. Jorge Luis Rodríguez RBR

8am Argie time, per TyC. :good

 

...but they might just be showing Reveco. (in fact, probably)

 

...6am EST, in other words.

 

Courtesy of F-news:

"Saucedo easily defeats Rodriguez
Two-time former world title challenger Fernando David “El Vasco” Saucedo (58-6-3, 10 KOs) scored a one-sided ten round unanimous decision against journeyman Jorge Luis Rodriguez (19-11-1, 2 KOs) on Saturday night in a lightweight clash at the Anfiteatro Municipal in La Falda, Cordoba, Argentina. Saucedo, rated WBO #12 at lightweight, won by scores of 99.5-93, 99-93.5, 99.5-92.5 in a bout that had the crowd booing."

 

The main event wasn't very nourishing. Tasty side dishes though.

 

Based on the other night, I think El Vasco's done.

I mean, he could hang around comfortably thrashing all the domestic scene's creme de la creme for another few years if he wants, but as far as stepping out beyond those confines again - he's done.

That version of him that fought Rodríguez doesn't go the distance with Barthelemy in a rematch. (and that's even allowing for the very reasonable and I'd even say likely premise that he fought down to Rodríguez's level)

All in all he actually had a solid enough career for a guy with no power to speak of. His only unavenged blemishes are: losses to a handful of elites (Kid Blast, Popó, Dragon, and Skinny Hussein - two of them HOF material, one borderline, and one remains to be seen) and the draw with Ivan Fiorletta, a capable mixer at European level.

All his other blemishes - two losses and two draws - came at the hands of domestic foes and were avenged, in some cases many times over. Granted, his best actual victories were also over mere domestic foes, with the standouts being Rocky Medina (former Argentine super bantamweight champ and WBO 122lb world title challenger), El Duke Bustos (whose record is horrible yet reflects a brutal schedule), and Chilean glass cannon Huracán Paredes (not from Argentina, granted, but in roughly the same class as Bustos and below Medina) and Mexican banger Sireno Aparicio (ditto from Paredes) - but he acquitted himself well enough in his steps up to make up for that and leave room to evaluate him as floating somewhere in the ether between "higher than Argentine level" and shy of world class. Nedal Hussein described him as an awkward, cagey guy to fight and found his style utterly perplexing. Freitas in his prime couldn't put him away even after flooring him late. John and Barthelemy couldn't so much as put him down (and in both fights Saucedo, while still awkward, elected to stand and trade a bit more than he did with Hussein or Freitas) over twelve.

For a natural super featherweight, 33 is old - and for someone that relies on tricky maneuvering, this is around when the legs go. The excruciating Rodríguez affair was evidentiary of that process having begun.

So, :respect to a guy who made the most of what he did have and earned his place as longtime fixture in his nation's TV rotation.

 

Okay, got it, everybody's too cool to show any love to someone who isn't world championship grade or featured on American television multiple times (Saucedo had just the one Showtime appearance in the loss to Rances) but gives a consistently honest accounting of themselves between the ropes and developed ways to be effective in lieu of natural talent, never getting stopped even by HOF opponents through a combination of canny awkwardness, gumption and grit.

Philistines. :bart

 

Fair point. :yep

I'm reading through my RBR and cracking up at some of the comments (including my own)


*

 

...for the record, though, Barthelemy is the one that has produced more unwatchable fights than Saucedo. (who is generally not bad to watch outside that and this recent struggle with Rodríguez, when it was mostly the very negative Rodríguez's fault)