"In Harm's Way" Top Rank PPV & undercard RBR.

Preliminaries (until 9pm):

http://www.toprank.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?catid=0

 

Up next is a lightweight 4-rounder between Jessie Roman and Johnny Frazier.

 

Yeah, they said Wolak-Pinzon is on deck. So if that's part of the PPV, this is probably the last free streaming bout.

 

This ring announcer has laryngitis. :blood

 

Round 1

Roman jabs with calm assertion, hanging back a bit as Frazier inches forward and paws. Roman connects with a straight right hand that catches Frazier off balance and wobbles him. Frazier tries a few swatting counters while backing up but doesn't catch anything. Roman is now walking forward behind a jab, trying to set up a right hand as Frazier alternately looks to flinch while in reverse or stop and meet Roman with an overhand right of his own.

10-9 Roman

 

Round 2

Frazier is getting a bit more reckless in slapping his way in a'la Calzaghe. Roman is nailing him with heavy jabs and short straight right hands. Roman isn't really showing much killer instinct, letting Frazier take the lead. Frazier does swarm his way in and land some incidental leather. Roman is sharper but simply doesn't take enough opportunities to counter.

19-19

 

Round 3

Roman pecks with the double jab and shuffles back to the outside to circle lazily. Frazier adopts a wide stance and ekes his way inside cautiously, flipping his wrist down from his guard to slap away Roman's defensive jab. Frazier gets a bit cocky and runs right in but gets his head snapped back with an unseen jab. Frazier keeps trying to slap his way in and catches the side of Roman's head with his palms a few times. Roman lands when he counters down the middle but doesn't do it often. Nice double jab from Roman backs Frazier up. Roman misses a 1-2 as Frazier hops out of the pocket. Frazier is bowing, up and down on his way in and very aware of the straight counters of Roman. Frazier suddenly explodes with a flurry that has Roman escaping.

29-28 Frazier

 

Activity is killing technique here.

 

Round 4

Roman finally sits down on a couple of counters as Frazier pours on the punches. He is still largely lackadaisical, with only the occasional 1-2 and no combos of any other variety. Frazier looks for an opening and snakes in a lead right through Roman's gloves. Frazier windmills with a double overhand right to the top of the dome as Roman plugs his face with a straight cross. Frazier gets Roman on the ropes and wings punches from side to side ferociously. Roman backs him away with a straight right. They exchange their way into a clinch, but Roman is landing some sharp punches that have Frazier shaken.

Draw

 

Officially it's 40-36, 40-36 & 39-37 for Roman. :conf

It's not that surprising really - and really not that much of a travesty even though it's two rounds off from my card. Frazier did enough in the 2nd and 3rd (or rather, he did enough compared to the very little that Roman did) to convince me, but I can see how he might not have put his stamp on them for some judges.

 

I'm actually excited for all 4 PPV fights.

The favorites have exciting styles:

Nonito Donaire (called the Flash for a reason; nice and technical jack-of-all trades)
Pawel Wolak (I've seen him live, blood-and-guts type)
Humberto Soto (new and improved, looking very sharp lately)
Mikey Garcia (one of my favorite prospects at the moment)

...and they're all matched competitively.

This event is no worse off for losing Chavez-Gomez, honestly.