Canal Indigo: Adonis Stevenson vs. Badou Gabriel Jack & Óscar Andres Rivas vs. Herve Hubeaux RBR

Round 5

Hubeaux is landing the overwhelming majority of the head shots now, circling just outside Rivas' effective range, pouring in jabs & crosses. Rivas is spearing the body and landing stiff jabs on the waistband anytime Hubeaux is close enough to. Rivas is blocking some jabs but unable to keep his guard fixed together for too long, seeming to lose his concentration after Hubeaux lulls him with a couple of light jabs, and getting caught with a quicker variant of the jab when his gloves separate momentarily. Rivas is getting nothing but touches downstairs, mostly jabs at this point. Hubeaux is catching every attempted combo upstairs on his forearms and countering. Rivas looking tired and discouraged. Hubeaux down late, causes some excitement from the peanut gallery but clear slip, correctly ruled by the ref.

10-9 Hubeaux, close

48-47 Rivas

 

Round 6

Hubeaux is attacking the head of Rivas with double jabs, stepping to his left and putting in the right cross on the dome. Rivas is partially squatting, taking a quarter-turn with his upper body instead of adjusting his feet to square up to Hubeaux, and firing a range-finding 1-2. Hubeaux is squeezing his elbows together or letting them flare out to catch either jabs on the navel or hooks on the side respectively from Rivas. Hubeaux cracks Rivas with a nice fluid pull-counter right while in mid-step laterally. Hubeaux is able to get a light flurry on the face of Rivas while turning him, eating a hard right on the body in the process. Hubeaux is muscled into a corner, Rivas grinding his shoulder into his midsection. Ref orders a break. Rivas jabs into the guard. Hubeaux is standing upright, left glove at his waist, right held up below his chin ready to hover into the defensive zone. Rivas having a hard time connecting, telegraphing everything, very sluggish and tired looking. Hubeaux not particularly fast or slick defensively, but enough so to make Rivas look a bit foolish here.

10-9 Hubeaux

57-57

 

Kaboom not doing a lot to justify the years' worth of hype (for which I've personally been largely responsible) - or my decision to watch this in lieu of Russell vs. Diaz live.

 

Round 7

Hubeaux is still able to coast around Rivas, jabbing him with impunity. Rivas by now has proven woefully under-equipped for a pure jabbing battle with Hubeaux, but for some reason he is keeping the right hand mostly sheathed. Perhaps injured earlier on, in the first three rounds? Could explain his reticence to fire it and his overall pained expression in the last few. Rivas taking another sessions mostly off, just following, trying a few stiff body jabs, getting flurried casually in the face as Hubeaux dances around him keeping a wide berth.

10-9 Hubeaux

67-66 Hubeaux

 

Round 8

Hubeaux is dancing away behind a cutie-pie jab. Rivas is flinging in backhanded combos on the body, starting to incorporate the right hand more. Apparently if he did hurt it earlier it was just a temporary bruise or sprain and he's able to punch through it and get some functional use from it, perhaps able to ignore the pain due to sheer adrenaline. BIG slashing rights by Rivas up top walking forward. Hubeaux scrambling to retreat, a bit surprised by these new signs of life from the KO artist. Rivas falling to his left to dodge the jab and slashing down hard with the right, Hubeaux just barely able to dodge in time. Hubeaux is circling to his left, hugging the ropes, flicking jabs up top and taking counter jabs on the ribs in return as Rivas bends forward and reaches in. Rivas scoring with body jabs as both leads & counters now, getting into a nice rhythm.

10-9 Rivas

76-76

 

Round 9

Hubeaux is cutting the rug, putting lots of distance between them and then hyper-extending the left with a very defensive jab. Rivas is reaching in with a hard counter jab, mostly thudding into Hubeaux's exposed armpit. Rivas is walking him down, trying a 1-2 from mid-range when he gets that close, briefly, Hubeaux quickly scuttling off to one side. Rivas is nailing Hubeaux on the breastplate with a 1-2 bending deeply inside, letting his lead left leg straighten into a tripod with his right planted far behind. Hubeaux just flat out running now, very little offense.

10-9 Rivas

86-85 Rivas

 

...and, this is officially the last time I ever miss a world class title fight in favor of watching you live, Kaboom.

 

Round 10

Hubeaux is circling and putting up his earmuffs, occasionally playing a short game of jabby patty-cake with Rivas. Hubeaux is showboating a little, shimmying inside with a Philly shell and jerking back to make Rivas miss his jab, but also missing his own at the same time, flashing it just for show. Rivas muscles his way in and grinds his forearm and elbow into Hubeaux's face after missing the chest entirely with his first while executing what probably was meant to be a hook. Rivas pushes Hubeaux against the ropes and lumps in a few unspectacular but heavy body shots under the elbows. Those are really the only touches for either man all round, so Rivas gets it by default.

10-9 Rivas

96-94 Rivas

 

I've already been keeping my peripheral vision on that match on TV (watching this on my laptop) but yeah, would've rather been giving it my full attention.

That sucks for you bro.

 

Official cards:

99-91
100-90
100-90

UD for Óscar Andres "I'm Probably Not Allowed To Go By Kaboom Anymore" Rivas