Óscar Andrés Rivas vs. Ryan Rozicki & Terry Geffrard Osias vs. Joaquin Adrián Murrieta Lucio RBR

Round 6

Rozicki has a hard time moving Rivas this round, as the bigger man finds more success positioning himself atop Rozicki and leaning his bulk down on him. Sort of a game of stacking-hands-on-top, battle of wills at ring centre. Rivas gets in a few spiteful combos, taking a crouching half-step outside and then roaring in with the 1-2-3 banging into the chin as Rozicki tries shrimping away. Clubbing overhands scoring for Rivas as he grapples Rozicki down into a submissive position. Rozicki still dangerous coming up with the odd hook.

10-9 Rivas

57-57

 

Round 7

Rozicki has the forearms curled up against his face and keeps grinding in doing good work, landing body shots and straight combos when they step apart - but Rivas still imposing his physicality. Rivas with some massive power shot combinations in spurts - uppercuts strung together with hooks. Really good infighting both ways, in a phonebooth most of the way, very clean, little to no clinching.

10-9 Rivas, barely

67-66 Rivas

 

No reason Evgeny can't get next (first to challenge the inaugural champ) - he's still ranked just behind Rivas at #2.

 

Round 8

Rozicki yakking it up with Rivas in the middle of the ring, brash as you please, unafraid...you love to see it. Not a backward step from the Nova Scotian. For all his superior strength Rivas can't shrug Rozicki off him for more than a moment. Rozicki slamming home with line drive rights after slightly dipping at the knees to drop half a level, then collapsing atop Rivas and wrestling him over the GYM logo. Both still infighting contentedly, smacking the body, then pushing apart with stiff jabs on each other's mouth.

10-9 Rozicki, close

76-76

 

We both saw the smoke...and he brought some fire.

 

Round 9

Rozicki starting to not close the distance quite fast enough to avoid Rivas catching him at ideal range for his effective but ponderous shots, thudding at full extension on the chin and stunning Rozicki, but his recovery powers are vast. Rozicki throwing big looping rights up close and trading freely and evenly with Rivas when atop him, but when there is that extra foot or so between them Rivas is catching the slowing and tiring Rozicki at the very end of his reaching punches, hurting him worse than Rozicki lets on with his poker face and timely clinches.

10-9 Rivas

86-85 Rivas