Julio César De La Cruz Peraza vs. Dilan Prašović RBR

Since the Mexican card is still being preempted by soccer, let's try Cuba.

This content is protected

This content is protected

This content is protected

This content is protected

This content is protected

 

@Aburius @Accurate @anjawnaymiz @AntonioMartin1 @ArseBandit @Arch Stanton @ash234 @Badbot @Banana-Rama @BaronSamedi @bbjc @Beale @Big Ukrainian @BoB Box @Boxed Ears @Boxing2019 @Boxing Prospect @Braindamage @BCS8 @Bustajay @C.J. @Cafe @catchwtboxing @chacal @Chuck Norris @CST80 @cuchulain @Curlew @CutThroatFade @Dance84 @Dangerwood84 @deltrotter @Ding ding ding! @dinovelvet @Dorrian_Grey @DoubleJab666 @drenlou @Drew101 @Drinquor @Dubblechin @elmaldito @exocet76 @Flo_Raiden @Fogger @George Crowcroft @GK BOX @gollumsluvslave @Goose @GotchaHat @HamburgBuam @Hanz Cholo @heerko koois @Heisenberg @Here's Johnny @Holler @hoopsman @iamthegreatest @Inglis_1 @IntentionalButt @ipitythefool @IsaL @It's Ovah @Jake LaMotta @joe91 @JohnThomas1 @JordanK2406 @JOSEY WALES @JunlongXiFan @Kapparino @KingKO @kirk @KiwiMan @Komaster @kostya by ko @LeavemealoneKoooogs @LilButt @lobk @Loudon @Max Thunder @McGrain @MidniteProwler @miniq @mirkofilipovic @MVC! @nellybc @Noel857 @Notepad12 @NullaLexInk @Oddone @oiky @oldcanvasback @Oreet Cha! @Pepsi Dioxide @Perkin Warbeck @peter_uk @Pimp C @pincai @PinoyProdigy @Plumber From Liverpool @Power_tek @Reg @Reinhardt @Reppin501 @robert ungurean @Robney @Rock0052 @RockyMarciano @roeknott @Rollin @rorschach51 @roughdiamond @Rubber Glove Sandwich @Rumsfeld @Russell @Sammy123 @sasto @Scotty Cork @Serge @Shay Sonya @ShovelHook @sid @Smudge_ @sniffmybadger @Sonny1 @splatter69 @SquaredCircle @Stiff Jab @TBC-ASAP @The Professor @tinman @titanic @UnleashtheFURY @uranage @Vantage_West @vast @WhataRock @Willie Maeket @Who_Necks @Wizbit1013 @Ibetthisuserdoesn'texistlol @Iknewitlol @Imthebestguesser

...how's that for a clarion roll-call?

 

Julio César De La Cruz Peraza vs. Dilan Prašović, 12 rounds @ heavyweight

 

This is a WBA final eliminator. That means the Cuban amateur legend, nicknamed "La Sombra" (two-time Olympic gold medalist and 5x gold medalist at the AIBA world championships) is theoretically in position to become a heavyweight world titlist in just his 5th pro bout.

In his way stands a gritty Montenegrin glass cannon with a 2½″ height advantage on La Cruz, at 6'2". Fifteen of Prašović's eighteen victories have come via KO, as have all five of his losses.

 

Round 1

Prašović is meeting La Cruz in the middle of the ring, going jab for jab. Lots of lean-away movements by La Cruz, rolling his neck and twitching away to dodge with his feet remaining set in place. Prašović changing his guard, looking for an opening. Prašović tries a right on the body but pulls it as La Cruz feints a counter. Prašović caught with a quick light right up top. La Cruz taps in with a couple of jabs, letting Prašović block them before hammering down with a right. Ref breaking up clinches quickly when they fall together. La Cruz tagging Prašović with the fastball right from outside. La Cruz lands a hook and Prašović loses his gum shield. Time out to replace. Time in. Big two-piece by Prašović, swinging and missing as La Cruz ducks in and holds. La Cruz rides a Prašović jab back as far as he can dip above the waist, then slingshots in with a right.

10-9 La Cruz

 

Round 2

Prašović is holding up goalposts, screening out La Cruz's jab. Prašović fakes a body jab, and instead RIPS a left hook into the jaw as La Cruz lowers his arms. KNOCKDOWN! Prašović swoops in to capitalize. La Cruz glides along the ropes and then swims out for open waters, tossing fast scything combinations in diagonals to fend Prašović off. Hooking exchanges forced by Prašović, but La Cruz throws a wet blanket on the action by clinching. Ref not letting them stay in embrace for long. Prašović eats an uppercut while attempting to hook his way in. La Cruz is almost flattened by another step-in left hook from Prašović. La Cruz wrestles Prašović's arms down, pinning them at his sides until the ref extricates them. La Cruz then BOPS his opponent on the nose with an overhand right and down goes Prašović!!! Half a minute left in the round. Prašović careful now, easing off. Prašović now using head movement to jerk away from La Cruz's jab. Another ovrehand right from La Cruz is partially blocked, and has Prašović stumbling. Saved by the bell.

10-9 ...Prašović, close (this is what you do when both men score knockdowns btw, under a 10 point must system. You treat both knockdowns as canceling each other out and just score the round 10-9 as normal for who you think won most of it aside from the KD's.)

19-19

 

Crazy round.

 

Round 3

Prašović is bum-rushed by La Cruz and pushes him away. Lots of ducking and twitching by Prašović, nervous. Prašović lunges in with a right hand up top, and La Cruz takes a half-step back while pawing out a jab, then retracts the hand to zap Prašović with a quick 1-2, dropping him again. Ref gives him a chance to continue. Prašović is off his game, throwing wild looping rights and missing badly. Big counter left hook from La Cruz almost from behind Prašović, drops him hard. Ref gives Prašović yet another chance. La Cruz going to work. Big shots scoring for the Cuban, while the Montenegrin loads up and whiffs his own hooks. Uppercut on the face and quick slashing left hook on the liver from La Cruz puts Prašović down a third time, and that is it.

KO3!!!!

 

Crazy fight.

 

La Cruz's teammates Lázaro Álvarez, Arlen López, and Erislandy Álvarez all fought on the undercard.

 

That'll be their fourth meeting; JCLC won twice in the amateurs, and Gahdzimagomedov defeated him in IBA Pro a couple of years ago. So even if the Russian wins they'll be deadlocked and need a fifth for a tiebreaker.

 

Full card:

This content is protected

 

The fact that it was a WBA final eliminator tonight indicates that La Cruz at least is eyeing a "real" HW championship - at some point. I'm certainly not holding my breath for him to win the Usyk's Final Two Retirement Bouts Sweepstakes.

A year from now, beating somebody like Fabio Wardley or Michael Hunter (the current #1 and #2 ranked heavyweights by the WBA) for a vacant title is a far more realistic looking path than challenging Usyk while he's still around.