Boxeo Telemundo: Orlando Cruz vs. Aalan Martinez RBR

Round 4

Lacayo is backed up by a spray of left hooks and 1-2s. Sanchez is piling it on. Lacayo sways back, trying to appear relaxed and unruffled. Whipping underhand right uppercut to the body from outside by Lacayo, while sliding his feet further from Sanchez. Jabs by Lacayo while doubling over to shrink himself into a small target. Sanchez clubs him on the back, eagerly taking whatever he can get. Sanchez cracks Lacayo with a left hook rushing forward abruptly and then rams another right across his spine as Lacayo turns it to him in a duck. Sanchez presses forward and catches a few light jabs from Lacayo on his tightly pressed forearms. Sanchez throws a combo and Lacayo ducks with his neck below Sanchez's waist, getting caught in a headlock. Big right hands by Sanchez. Lacayo leans down and over, putting his left arm up to form a defensive barrier and shrugging it into Sanchez. More clubbing rights by Sanchez.

10-9 Sanchez

38-38

 

Official cards:

40-36
38-38
38-38

Split draw.

 

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With this Latino title defense, Cruz further solidified himself as the WBO #1 contender. Mikey Garcia's camp has mentioned him as the strongest possibility to be first to challenge Mikey for the world championship he wrested from Orlando Salido in January.

He is actively calling for it, and is honestly more deserving than his countryman Juan Manuel Lopez. (whom Top Rank is attempting to help cut in line)

 

I'll assume that was sarcasm, but I will say that Cruz is both more deserving of a date with Garcia (not that kind of - I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that, I just don't think Mikey...although, who knows? :conf He doesn't have any girlfriends, does he? The kid is a sharp dresser...) - and, stylistically, he would match up better than Lopez. Orlando would still be a big underdog, but less of a slaughter-waiting-to-happen than JuanMa would be.

 

:bart His resume is better than JML's since beating a borderline-shot Rafael Marquez in 2010.

Lopez is 2-2, and has beaten Mike Oliver and Adilmar Santos - both less impressive than all four of Cruz's defenses in that same time span.

 

It's like the opposite of the Griffith-Paret effect. :yep

Instead of anger fueled by a hateful epithet (he says everyone has been incredibly supportive of him and he's been surrounded by positivity ever since) he now feels more confident and comfortable letting his freak flag fly, which seems to have manifested as extra swagger and increased aggression in the ring.

 

:rofl