ShoBox: Rico Ramos vs. Alejandro Valdez & Don George vs. Cornelius White RBR

Round 3

WOAH!!!!!!! BIG LEAD RIGHT HAND FROM RAMOS SNAPS VALDEZ'S HEAD BACK, FROM OUTTA NOWHERE!!!!! Valdez recovers pretty quickly, impressively. Valdez comes right back to pouring on the pressure and pushes the newly confident Ramos back into a corner, perhaps dealing a blow to Rico's psyche by showing that he can take his best and come right back. Ramos keeps using his very quick and nimble feet to stay just outside of Valdez's range. Ramos hooks his way out of a corner and then clinches when Valdez lurches after him on the way by. Another leaping hook by Ramos is combined with a right hand, and both might have landed if his feet were set but just nick Valdez's head as it is. Valdez keeps fighting as though he were the shorter and more compact boxer despite towering above Ramos...pressuring relentlessly with his head down. Ramos lands a clapping hook at the bell.

 

Darnell Walker (Rico's trainer): We need boom-boom. Come on, boom-boom, nahmsaying?

 

Round 4

Valdez carries Ramos right into a corner, where Ramos starts flashing out hooks to get free. Ramos is using his feet to dart in and out but finding very few offensive opportunities as Valdez keeps marching in on him and hurling long straight jabs and crosses. Nice hookercut from Ramos as he strafes by Valdez. Ramos again leaping-hooks his way into a clinch, and it only makes very slight contact. Hard body shots by Valdez. Ramos answers with a combo upstairs. Right uppercut to the chin by Ramos, while backing up. Ramos is showing off some of his impressive offensive arsenal as Valdez forces him to brawl. Valdez mugs Ramos and wraps him up until the bell.

 

Round 5

Ramos sticks with the leaping hook as his tactic to slow Valdez down. Lots of brief catch-and-release clinches. Ramos is rabbit-punched as he spins and exposes his back in the clinches. Ramos pokes away with his jab and slaps away at Valdez's now-orthodox jab (or maybe it's just a left hand and his stance isn't set). Valdez back to southpaw. They lean foreheads together and each flurries the body from underneath. Valdez backs him into a corner and steps right up in his chest when Ramos flurries high at him, grabbing and smashing him in the back.

49-46 Ramos

 

Darnell Walker's phrasing cracks me up.

"Gimme some toes! Ooh yeah, toes! (does a little happy dance) Like that! "

 

Round 6

Valdez keeps firing the southpaw 1-2 and lobbing some low lead lefts to the body, while Ramos switches defensive tacks by now covering up to deflect most of those long shots and then ripping uppercuts when in range. Ramos circles wide, and tries to get some smooth boxing going. Valdez keeps whirling toward him, slinging his wiry arms consistently but without much speed. Ramos' offense is now one-and-done as he is resorting more and more quickly to clinching.

There might have been little enough from Ramos to give Valdez that one.

 

Alejandro Valdez has a pretty hilarious trainer, himself!

"You know how dogs are? Fight like a dog, OK? Move your head all around. Don't give yourself to him. Come on. Throw hard!!! Use all your force, and win the fight!"

Now that's coaching!

 

Round 7

Valdez follows Ramos into a corner and eats several hooks and uppercuts from the smaller man. Valdez keeps lunging with jabs to the body and forcing Ramos to clinch when he catches up to him (every few steps with his long gait despite Ramos' speed). A bevy of clinches. The referee warns both to watch their heads on the inside. Valdez again gets Ramos in a corner and drives his shoulder into his chest, like a wrestler. Valdez is flipping up pitty-pat uppercuts on the inside but scoring. Ramos suddenly gets off a quick right hand at the bell, but that was his first clean shot in minutes.