the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Tomonobu Shimizu SD12 Hugo Cazares

Honestly can't remember if this superflyweight clash was straight up or not. Cazares, a veteran by this point (2014) had gone to the Japanese well a lot - they're hardly corrupt out there but on the other hand you're only going to survive so many close fights (the first Cazares-Nashiro fight is one of the fights that remains tragically lost to the internet). Wonjongkam victim Shimizu does have the right profile - youngish still, but very fresh. Shimizu takes the first with busier hands and aggression, Cazares finds him nonchalantly with the head when they bump up - the Japanese widely retreats to distance and uses fast, straight punches to do his scoring. Cazares eventually works his way back in though having won a wrestling exchange and absolutely lashes his man with a left hook, stealing a close round for me.

Good, close rounds these. Cazares boxes in a way your dad would approve of; no flash, hands high, ring centre. Shimizu is quick enough to keep ahead of this but there were signs int eh second that Cazares had found him. Head clashes abound. Cazares appears to be both instigating them and receiving the bulk of the referee's sympathy Cazares switches in the fourth though he comes so square over that lead leg that it hardly matters. Cazares ups the pressure in the fifth, hands low, perma-feinting with both, Shimizu looks unimpressed overall but it's a Cazares round for all that both men end it fighting ragged.

Cazares is boxing southpaw but is mixing up his leads as single shots with disturbing frequency, it's risky but Shimizu isn't taking full advantage - there's a very nice lead trailing uppercut, then he works inside. No fluid combos and he's getting hit but it's surely clear he is outlanding his man now. He even seems to have Shimizu momentarily hurt in the final seconds. Cazares returns to his conservative style in the seventh, high hands, incremental pressure, more caution. It doesn't work for him and he loses the round, but i'm not sure he has the energy for perma-feints and high pressure. He slings some punches in the eighth though - Shimizu basically shells up and waits for the first 35 seconds. Cazares is now infighting and losing. Shimizu's engine is the better. Cazares is driven to the ropes. Great action. Cazares gives ground, hands low. Both men miss and are very tired. Excruciating round to score.

Shmizu stings 9 and 10 together and it's almost always the case that the man who does that is there or thereabotus at the end - Cazares needs both on my card for the draw and i don't think he'll get them. It's Shimizu who is doing the holding, but he is also doing the cleaner punching, while Cazares does the pressuring but is notpunching enough or well enough to justify it. Cazars has the experience though - he knows what is required and bring pressure and two-handedness in the eleventh, cautious enough that he's not on the wire but hot enough that opportunities present themselves. When Shimizu tries to reciprocate, Cazares actually circles on his toes and minimises what he has to take until he's ready to go again. Many, many headclashes have occur din this fight. At least one every other round. Very, very close eleventh and that's three close rounds i've given Cazres now (one for Shimizu) - there can be no cries of robbery in this fight, impossible. Still, it's close enough that it remains on the line for me going into the twelfth.

I saw it for Shimizu giving me a card 115-113 in favour of the Japanese.

Cazares:2,5,6,8,11,
Shimizu:1,3,4,7,9,10,12.

Official: 115-113, 115-113, 113-114.

 

Omar Narvaez SD12 Felipe Orucuta

The first fight was close as I remember it. Omar, who defines whatever diametrically opposes "cleared out the division" may be the worst 3 year number one we've ever seen, but he was pretty much indesputably the best superfly post-Vic pre-Inoue. Felipe was probably the best fighter he beat.

Omar really does appear to know where he is in the ring at all times and he cuts it off well too. Here, he looks for the range early, tries to measure Felipe's range and they exchange a few single shots. Felipe looks a good bit bigger but he's interested in the body. Felipe is warned for low blows in the second - looks like bull****. These are beltline bodyshots i'd say - Argentine crowd woesn't like it though. Narvaez made a good start to this round with counters, but he actually looks a little uncomfortable here. It's the size difference. This is a good start from Felipe, applying pressure, scoring hard looking shots to the body.

Narvaez scores with two hard counters to poach the third, but his solution is dangerous because it is essentially defensive. He gives ground, he takes a quick step out when he feels the ropes for any length of time, he covers up well and parries. What this means is Felipe is applying pressure, almost exclusively, moving forwards, almost exclusively, and throwing more punches. Narvaez is reliant upon doing the clean work. His counters are effective though in 3 and 4; it's a good adjustment. Hard, close rounds, a hard fight to box and a hard one to score. It's a very good fight to watch.

Felipe stops the clever Narvaez comeback in five through six, fifth arguable, sixth clear. He is unquestionably landing the more hurtful punches, that is beyond doubt and that makes this a dangerous game - pati-cake isn't cutting it in response. Narvaez knows this and wings more dangerous punches (for both) in the seventh. He also squabbles his way out of the corner a couple of times. It's enough, though Felipe makes it so close with pressure and bodywork. Narvaez needed that round. If he'd lost that one he's close to cast adrift. Instead he once again closes the gap. He's taking more chances in the pocket now and he's getting away with it because Felipe is struggling to match the concise punching. This is a fun rally, a thoughtful rally.

Great ninth, Omar takes charge early but Felipe remains consistent and forces the Argentine to give ground with a body attack. Very difficult round to score - very difficult. Referee - refuses to pander to the crowd who boo these beltline shots this round. Great, great hustle from Felipe, he just will not let Omar rest. This is looking like a draw. One or the other fighter will have to win 11 and 12 both in order to take it and I just can't see that that would happen. Unless someone folds - it's been a real pace, and that's Felipe's doing and desire.

Screaming match between referee and Omar's corner between the 11th and 12th, the referee having warned Felipe for low blows yet again but taken no points. I don't see anything that bad but you just don't know what the referee has said about "these trunks are high" or whatever. Either way, Felipe out-worked Omar down the straight to pull out the 115-113 win for me and also feels like the winner. I'm pretty sure, closing each round the stronger, throwing more punches, he would have got the nod on neutral territory.

Omar:3,4,7,8,10,
Felipe:1,2,5,6,9,11,12.

Official: 115-113, 115-113, 110-118.

All three official scorecards are not unreasonable, weirdly.

 

Omar Narvaez MD12 Felipe Orucuta

Weird first round given what's gone already. Omar is aggressive, coming forwards hands high, looking to lead with the southpaw jab, trying to crowd Felipe who is once again looking for bodyshots early. Second round though he moves onto the backfoot and looks for long jabs upstairs. It makes for a good, close round, but i'm inclined to edge it to Omar on the aggression. Felipe edges the third though and clearly takes the fourth, though Narvaez does counter him hard on one or two occasions even in that round. The big difference is that Felipe's activity has forced Omar to move and in moving, he's opened up space for Felipe to fill with those long punches and his physical body. It looks more like the first fight again now, which is a hard fight for him to win. Five out of eight remaining rounds is a lot. He begins the fifth using the exact plan in the first fight, mobile with a mobile defence. It's very good though, he even manages to parry shots to his ribs. Orucuta receives his first warning for low blows in the fifth and it was indeed two low blows. Clear Felipe round though and he has really built up a head of steam in taking the lead.

The rounds are close, but Narvaez is clearly being beaten; it's the optics as much as anything else, he'll get cornered once ever round and hit about a bit. He's not out of it, but he needs more every minute to rescue this. I'd say it's beyond him now, personally. He clearly lost the last third of the last fight, 4-0 on Argenitne tv. So what's the plan? It appears to be "complain to the ref" which Omar does frequently about elbows, heads and low-blows, mostly without cause. He does probably land all of the best punches of the seventh and it was enough for him to scrape it - arguably - on my card. Just getting outworked and pushed around. Still, he lifts a key round in the form of the ninth, just about out-squabbling his man and landing one or two nice uppercuts, still ceding ground though - he needs 10,11 and 12 to win on my card and I just can't see it with this plan. He wins a bizarre tenth though, clearly out-worked but his defensive work is exceptional. He really measures Felipe defensively in this round and lands just enough counters to make it his round. It's fascinating watching, actually.

And he lands his two best punches of the fight early in the eleventh! Two straight hard right hands that momentarily rattle Felipe and bring Omar on at a charge - he's really attacking his man and takes the round with aggressive flurries - looks knackered with forty seconds remaining though. Still, huge round in the context of the fight which means Omar now can't lose on my card.

Fiar play. He won the twelfth, too. Almost like he just decided, "not tonight."

Omar:1,2,7,9,10,11,12.
Felipe:3,4,5,6,8.

115-113 Omar Narvaez

Official: 114-114, 116-112, 116-112.

 

Omar Narvaez UD12 Cesar Seda

Probably the second best fighter Narvaez met, Seda had dusted some good guys coming off losses. This one actually had a bit of glamour attached because they had done something like 55 fights between them unbeaten.

Two southpaws, both pretty perched, too, Narvaez again visually the smaller man. Seda is quicker, too. Another tough assignment so far characterised by missing on both sides, but it's Seda who has the better of it. Seda feints well with the trailing hand in the third, and is warned for the second time for low blows. Narvaez's habit of waiting is infuriating - he's struggling a little bit here on the surface but just because he's permanently waiting. Narvaez has a great start to the round though, and a better end, stinging Seda with punches. He's lethal when a man tries to move across him. He's not powerful, or swift, but he's very succinct. The problem is he misses a little too much for this waiting style IMO. It calls for very great accuracy.

Seda get the better of the fifth early, swift, long punches, good mobility - it's like Narvaez has spooked him a bit in three and four. Seda has a point deducted for low blows and probably loses the round after Narvaez closes the stronger. Good round of boxing. and an absolutely crucial sixth coming up. Narvaez wins it opening up big time, including to the body, best round i've seen him box today, he's all over Seda - brilliant timing on the attack. After winning the seventh, too, Narvaez all but has it in the bag.

Seda was a little better than his ranking though I think (8).

Narvaez:3,4,5*,6,7,9,10,11.
Seda:1,2,8,12.

*Seda has a point removed for low blows.

116-111 Narvaez.