CBS Sports Net: Steve Claggett vs. Chris van Heerden RBR

Wheelock has it 68-65 Claggett.

 

Round 8

van Heerden is slowing down, staying in close and flashing both hands in a flurrying whir, but Claggett is finding him with clubbing rights. van Heerden is cut on the left cheek, with a mouse forming around the eye. Claggett is jabbing into van Heerden's upheld right forearm, pressing in and slamming down with the right.

10-9 Claggett

79-73 van Heerden

 

Round 9

van Heerden is laboring his way around Claggett, no longer as fleet of foot as he was earlier. van Heerden trying a shoveling right upper-hook from the side while trotting past Claggett. van Heerden point-scoring in bursts, touching Claggett when he wants to but not discouraging him with his very light shots. van Heerden's gum shield knocked loose by a jab. Fixed. Time in. Claggett is applying steady pressure and picking his spots now, conservative with the right hands and cracking hard when he gets van Heerden in range.

10-9 Claggett

88-83 van Heerden

 

Round 10

van Heerden is gliding counterclockwise and sweeping a long right hook up top, embedded into Claggett's sideburns. Claggett is marching him down and taking van Heerden's outstretched right glove pressed into his frontalis. van Heerden leaves it suspended, using it to freeze Claggett in the same manner Wladimir Klitschko often does, moving his entire body forward to keep the fist glued to Claggett's head instead of recoiling and snapping it out like a proper jab. Claggett is powering his way in close and jabbing at van Heerden's face, causing him to scrunch his guard up high and tight, clearing a lane for Claggett to double an uppercut into the bottom of van Heerden's chin.

10-9 Claggett

97-93 van Heerden

 

Well, the CBS Sports Net crew have about the opposite score as me, so who knows. Claggett might get the nod if the official judges agree with the former WBC featherweight champ, the former voice of Monday Night Raw, and the former MMA judge/commentator. :conf

 

I'm seeing lots of even cards on Twitter, or van Heerden up by a little closer than I have.

 

Official cards:

Glenn Trowbridge 95-95
Robert Hoyle 97-93
Patricia Morse-Jarman 97-93

MD for van Heerden

 

Oh thank goodness, experienced judges.

Of course the idiots calling play by play for CBS are now acting "shocked" at the decision.

 

Both game for a rematch.

 

Actually CVH, after saying he thought it was close and saying that he felt like "Claggett and I are both winners tonight", backtracked a little and said he would prefer to move on to something bigger now rather than look backward. He did say if a rematch was put in his path he wouldn't be against it, but what he really wants next is a bigger fight.

 

Actually him versus Ponomarev would be very interesting.

Both are strong guys with high work rates but not too much power, good at combination punching en pointe while moving, and both capable of being slick but also prone to extended lapses in defensive concentration when they start to 'zone'. They have two common opponents: both outpointing Claggett but dropping a few rounds to him, and both defeating Cosme Rivera (Ponomarev by shutout UD10, while van Heerden retired him on his stool after 4)

 

I found the performance a little disappointing, actually (even though I agreed with the judges and didn't see the controversy the commentators did, since Claggett's mostly ineffective aggression in the first half didn't make an impression on me) - the way he faded down the stretch with such a mediocre combatant suggests that he'd get his **** pushed in by any top 15 welter putting that kind of pressure on him. Especially in a 12-rounder, since he was sputtering and unable to avoid getting hit regularly by the eighth.