Solo Boxeo Tecate: Chris Martin vs. Jose Araiza/Luis Grajeda vs. Alan Sanchez RBR

Here we go. :bbb

 

Round 1

Martin keeps a strong jab pumping out, saving energy while Araiza lunges at him with low-reaching pairs of haymakers. Martin recoils his jab in time to drop his arms down and deflect most of the body shots. Martin lands a nice 1-2 after missing an uppercut. Araiza now abandons his body assault and tries to trade jabs with Martin but is at a disadvantage in reach, speed, and snap. Araiza resumes his focus on the body but Martin still defending well.

10-9 Martin

 

Round 2

Martin tucks his elbows in together across his belly to defend against the sustained low attack of Araiza and looks to catch him with a check hook off the backward step. Martin is still being very conservative with his counterpunching, throwing one or two and resuming his defensive stance when it's clear he has the speed to throw longer combos on the slower Araiza. Martin got caught with a rare head shot and responded by wailing on Araiza with both hands. Araiza now takes on the role of the jabbing and retreating counterpuncher. Martin begins turning the tables on him with long reaching bodyshots.

20-18 Martin

 

Round 3

Martin is eschewing the jab and leading with straight right hands and uppercuts, building on them with series of hooks to the face and body while Araiza continues aiming low under Martin's elbows. Martin catches Araiza with a particularly stiff hook that has the crowd roaring for a finish but it's too late in the round and Araiza stood up to it fairly well.

30-27 Martin

 

Round 4

Araiza comes forward with overhand rights thrown way over his own head to try and land on Martin's. Martin eagerly greets him with stiff jabs and lead right hands, working in the right hook where he can and really whacking Araiza well with it. Araiza catches Martin with one of his overhand rights after putting a fat hook in front of it. Martin then punishes him with a minute's worth of left hook and right hand combinations while Araiza tries to cover up and absorb as much as he can on his arms.

 

Round 5

Araiza is gamely trying to contend with Martin's jab by coming in low to press into Martin's chest and then push off and land his own jabs to set up an overhand right. Martin is trying to tear Araiza's ears off with hooks, and is now taking over the bulk of the connected body punching. Araiza cleaves to his gameplan, sticking in close and winging overhand rights and does get one to club on the side of Martin's head at the end of the round. That was Araiza's best of the night.

 

Round 6

Martin is now laying down a foundation of long right hands to the body and building up combos that mash up the face of Araiza. The referee rules it a slip when Araiza sinks to his knees after a stiff jab to the lip. Araiza gets up and rocks Martin slightly with an inside hook thrown overhead at the taller man. That was Araiza's best punch tonight, but like his good work in the 5th round it isn't enough.

 

Round 7

Martin looks like he wants to get this over with, but he isn't a huge puncher. Araiza goes back to his 5th round ways, hustling on his feet to stay squared up in front of Martin and launching his fists skyward while Martin tries to back into good countering range. They hook together and Martin eats a hard one but simultaneously drops Araiza with his. Martin now rips hooks to the body when Araiza rises, and follows up with a very hard right hand that smashes into the soft cartilage atop Araiza's nose. Araiza keeps punching right to the bell, really making Martin work in there. Brave but outclassed, he is.

 

Round 8

A HARD right hand from Martin lands to start thing off. Araiza paws with his jab and clenches his fists up under his chin as Martin waits his turn to throw one prolonged and accurate combination after another. Martin is throwing at a measured pace, sacrificing speed and maybe pop in favor of sheer volume. Araiza backs away and tries to slap away the jab of Martin, and is dropped by a hard left hook to the chest thrown by Martin at a diagonal angle from a low crouch as Araiza's hands are thus occupied.

It's over. Araiza is still sitting by the ropes recovering from the punch (and general accumulation).

This is Martin's twentieth win but only his sixth stoppage. Usually more of a technician, he showed good patience and pacing as a finisher here.

 

Well, Araiza was a step backward from Chris Avalos IMO. If Martin can get back on the right track and get big fights at super bantamweight he can do good things. The division's fairly open for someone like him, with the only huge threat being Nishioka.

He did fight down to Araiza's level a bit - but really got up for Avalos. As long as he stays sharp and remembers what got him this far (excellent defense and counterpunching) he can create problems for almost anybody at the weight.

 

Luis Grajeda vs. Alan Sanchez

Round 1

Sanchez keeps trying to put a jab on Grajeda's torso but Grajeda is jabbing with him and won't let him get off more than one shot at a time before his vision is obscured by Grajeda's own quick jab. Sanchez tries leading with a right to the body but can't seem to get through on Grajeda. They fight into a corner and Grajeda goes down, complaining of a headbutt. It's ruled a slip. The replay shows Sanchez did billygoat him right in the face.

10-9 Grajeda

 

Round 2

Grajeda is still using his jab to discourage Sanchez from opening up. A Grajeda right hand lands as Sanchez ducks low to find a new angle of attack. Sanchez now backing away from the jab and throwing his own defensively. Sanchez is looking a bit tight-wound, flinching and looking away as he blocks Grajeda's jabs. They jab together and Sanchez is barely putting effort into landing his as he moves laterally. Sanchez throws a hook at the moving target and then resets to observe his behavior a bit. Sanchez doesn't betray much, bouncing on his toes and throwing very few punches, having a right hand blocked. WOAH! Grajeda down from a 1-2 near the end of the round but beats the count.

10-8 Sanchez but only because the round was somewhat close up until that point (it was on its way to being 10-9 Grajeda, but not by a huge margin).

 

Round 3

Sanchez is hyperactive, bouncing on his toes in a wide orbit of Grajeda, running in and out to throw the 1-2, and leaving his chin hanging in the air when he does, also losing his balance a bit when he hops out of range. Grajeda keeps calm, looking to get in jabbing range but can't quite pin Sanchez down. Sanchez ducks a hook and lands a hard right hand inside and they trade to the bell.

Good round, closed out with a nice combination by Grajeda but he did too little before that.

29-27 Sanchez