Akira Yaegashi vs. Edgar Sosa RBR

Round 2

Murata is stalking and dropping torpedo rights on the body as Peterson backs up and shoots long-armed flurries at Murata's waistline. 1-2 up top by Murata. Peterson is trapped on the ropes and leaps out with a spray of wild punches. Murata steps back and gives him room to exit, then patiently starts anew, stalking and picking his spots with jabs and clubbing rights while conveyor-belting through Peterson's messy smokescreen of counters, blocking most of them. Hard 1-2 by Murata.

10-9 Murata

20-18 Murata

 

Round 3

Murata is scoring with the jab and dropping in heavy right hands up top as Peterson turns away from him and raises both arms upright in a purely defensive posture. Inauspicious body language from Peterson as Murata begins opening up. Uppercut combos to the body by Murata stepping in boldly, dismissive of Peterson's desperate lashing counters from off the ropes. Peterson is managing to avert or protect his chin for the most part, but Murata is mixing in hard body shots and still targeting and finding the face of Peterson with his crisp power shots from a pace out.

10-9 Murata

30-27 Murata

 

I don't get the impression that Peterson is all that bad, just fighting scared here and maybe overwhelmed by the occasion with Murata creating so much buzz and this being in Japan...

Peterson is 6'1", rangy, and obviously has good defensive instincts (or rather, recovery & preservation instincts as he is unable to avoid getting hit in the first place) at least. He is also 13-1 (8.) suggesting a bit of pop and his only loss was a MD to fellow Midwestern prospect Ceressor Fort - who actually has a couple of solid journeyman names on his ledger.

Murata is turning him into a ***** here. 2nd pro bout. :shock:

 

Round 4

Murata is hammering down on Peterson's face with the right hand like a meteor behind the straight paralyzing jab, causing Peterson to wobble and flail his arms out but somehow keep himself up. Peterson is holding onto Murata, flurrying, and skipping away, everything he can do to avoid taking consecutive shots. Murata is having to work, following Peterson around the ring, but always finds him, always making headway with the jab, and invariably hurting Peterson when he gets there.

10-9 Murata

40-36 Murata

 

Round 5

ENORMOUS RIGHT HAND BY MURATA!! Peterson has one heck of a chin on him. ANOTHER RIGHT HAND. Peterson is shoved into the ropes and Murata keeps blasting him with straights. Peterson flurries and slaps a long hook out at Murata's sideburns while scurrying away from the ropes. Murata steps in, BIG RIGHT HAND. Peterson again on the ropes but again flashes his way free. How is there yet to be a knockdown here? Peterson has eaten some night-ending punches. Big 1-2 by Murata but Peterson rolls with it, nearly falling but righting himself and circling with his very long jab flicking out in Murata's face and then lingering as the arm is left in his path to obstruct.

10-9 Murata

50-45 Murata

 

Round 6

Murata is chasing Peterson down with the single hard-thrust jab and paddling his forehead with it, bringing in looping rights on the body and chops on the face as Peterson backs straight up and uses wriggling movement and leans aside to slip what he can, leaving his long arms out in the way to deflect what else he can, but getting hit with loads of clean shots. Long uppercut by Murata. Peterson is flicking his jab up from the hip at Murata from outside after ducking and sliding out to safety.

10-9 Murata

60-54 Murata

 

You don't see that stopping me.


...or are you the kind of person with a job you actually care about? :think

 

Yeah. Peterson is playing to survive here, rather than for victory.

It's too bad, as he obviously has a modicum of talent and could be really testing Murata (of course, also risking getting KTFO) and think of the paydays that would open up for him to upset the celebrated gold medalist!

 

Round 7

Murata is landing his single jab on the face and putting together chopping rights in combination with the jab as Peterson bends over and paws a weak jab at the body. Murata is coming forward and peppering the face of Peterson with jabs and chopping rights but Peterson still won't go down, although he comes very close a few times. Finally after over two minutes of nonstop circling, leaning, slumping, and slipping - along with getting lit up by hard blows, Peterson begins to look exhausted and grabs hold of Murata until the bell.

10-9 Murata

70-63 Murata