DKP: Adrien Jerome Broner vs. William Hutchinson & Guillermo Rigondeaux Ortíz vs. Charles Andino RBR

Ahmed Elbiali vs. Rodolfo Gómez Jr., 10 rounds @ light heavyweight

 

Good chance "The American Pharaoh" vs. "Cobrita" will steal the show and be the best fight on the card (low bar though it may be) - although both are most well-known for having faced vastly more popular and distinguished fighters on the downslide of their careers.

Elbiali you may best remember as the young Egyptian upstart, then-unbeaten, who stood in Jean Pascal's way as he began to rebuild from the losses to Kovalev twice and Eléider Álvarez - only to get stopped in 6. Gómez's big claim to fame is being the second-to-last boxer to face (and beat) Ricardo Mayorga. Both of those occurred in late 2017 or early 2018, and neither has made very big waves since then...with time running short as they are 32 and 34 respectively.

They're a pair of all-offense brawlers, though, so it'll be fun at least, even if neither is knocking on Bivol's or Beterbiev's door.

 

Guy had a weak chin and got caught and hurt. Could he then have gotten up? Sure, that's my opinion as well - but that isn't what a "fix" is. That's just finding a soft resting spot on the canvas after not liking how the opponent's power tastes.

It being a "fix" in the sense that JMM was in on it with him or he deliberately ate that punch at that moment, like it was scripted WWE style? Nonsense.

 

Er...of course right after I promise fireworks the first round is a timid and cagey boxing lesson by Gómez, with Elbiali held in a thrall doing nothing but get jabbed in the face and hooked on the body.

10-9 Gómez

 

Theme of the night - did you know Rigondeaux or Broner did? Or that Don King still promoted?

 

Elbiali found his mojo in the second, became more aggressive - but didn't really connect with anything major upstairs. Just clobbered the flanks (some kidney shots and some legal scoring blows) as Gómez bent down and leaned in to clinch after failing to dissuade him with sloppy mid-range uppercuts.

10-9 Elbiali

19-19

 

So it's been the same fight all three rounds, with Gómez fleeing and pot-shotting - difference is that Elbiali couldn't or wouldn't cut the ring off and throw punches in the first, and has done so in the subsequent pair.

10-9 Elbiali, 29-28 Elbiali, big strength advantage, driving Gómez into the ropes in exchanges, making the Mexican-Texan look fragile.

 

Gómez being methodically walked down & broken down, but when he goes down it's from an incidental low blow. Ref gives him a minute to walk it off. Gómez hurt again moments after time-in and tries playing it up like he got hit low again - commentators all rush to call BS and fortunately, ref isn't buying it.

10-9 Elbiali, just zooming in, banging the drum, muscling off clinches.

39-37 Elbiali

JFC! Another soccer player flop "sell" of a so-called low-blow from Gómez literally at the bell. He's rolling around dramatically under the bottom rope, clutching at his groin. Elbiali waves at the crowd, shrugging and laughing. The ref looks nonplussed. I think Gómez just wants out. Let's see what happens...

Nate Campbell yelling that all he saw land were clean shots just above the belt-line. Mancini thinks a couple did get in low.

 

Hell, just earlier today we had a thread asking sincerely whether he was on his way to being Mayweather level if Maidana hadn't derailed him.