Custio Clayton vs. Diego Ramírez & Steven Michael Rolls vs. Gilberto Pereira dos Santos RBR

Normatov has taken several rounds to rev up but now seems to be in a groove. He finally dropped Hernández legitimately in the seventh, with a vicious right hook on the body (previously Uriel been round-trip onto the canvas thrice, all either slips or pushes/cuffing shots behind the neck, in rounds 2, 4, & 6).

Normatov once he is flowing seems dangerous offensively, but I don't like how lazily he carries his fists down almost by his ankles while stalking. Hernández is probably too gassed, hurt, slow-handed and short & stubby to make him pay for it, but it seems like an unearned level of arrogance.

 

Official cards:

80-71 x3

UD for Normatov

 

As far as Uzbek prospects go, for me personally Normatov might not even make a top 15 p4p... and he sure as hell is a distant #2 at 154lb after Israil Madrimov.

 

Steven Michael Rolls vs. Gilberto Pereira dos Santos, 10 rounds @ super middleweight

 

Rolls has a 4" height and 7" reach advantage over Pereira dos Santos.

 

Yeah, doesn't seem totally unfair. He can box a bit, clearly, but I'm not sure I'll ever be too chuffed to see him in action.

 

Round 1

Rolls is walking Pereira dos Santos onto long jabs and then poking at the gut with a short right hand or leaning to his left and slapping a double hook on the other side of the Brazilian's torso. Lots of awkward grappling in the center of the ring as Pereira dos Santos muscles his way inside behind a high guard and then intertwining his arms with Rolls'. Very sloppy and stop-and-go action. The few clean shots are landed by Rolls on the outside, but a lot of his jabs are hitting Pereira dos Santos' gloves.

10-9 Rolls

 

If I'm Gennady Golovkin, the idea of anybody watching this is mortifying. Here's a very recent opponent of mine, being made to look "meh" by a late-notice 42 year old Brazilian journeyman.

 

Round 2

Pereira dos Santos is getting jabbed in the chest as Rolls drops a level to find a new target, since the pinky edge of Pereira dos Santos' fists keeps screening out the jab up top. Pereira dos Santos is flurrying in with scooping body combos and then dropping big windmill overhands as he gets Rolls laid up on the ropes, but Rolls is able to block & roll with everything until buoying himself out to wide open space in the middle of the ring and resume jabbing into and through Pereira dos Santos' guard and occasionally hooking off the jab into his flanks.

10-9 Rolls

20-18 Rolls

 

Round 3

Pereira dos Santos is cruising forward as Rolls pops off quick 1-2s. Now dipping to his left, Rolls starts digging into the ribs with left hooks. Pereira dos Santos is pinching his forearms together, covering his face with his palms and huching forward so that his elbows cover him nearly to his crotch, and then wading in with telegraphed wide hooks before reassembling his guard. Rolls is countering with uppercuts that split that guard straight up the middle, and consistently jabbing Pereira dos Santos on the belt line from outside.

10-9 Rolls

30-27 Rolls

 

Round 4

Pereira dos Santos is walking into solid uppercuts but hardly batting an eyelash. Rolls is starting to light him up, allowing Pereira dos Santos to get inside and then countering with heavy uppercuts with both hands. Rolls backs Pereira dos Santos into a corner and starts whipping him downstairs with big pendulous shots. Pereira dos Santos goes down to his knees and rides the referee's count until nine. The ref waves as Pereira dos Santos begins shooting to his feet and then lodges some bad faith 'complaint'.

KO4!!!