Danny Green vs. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk & Chris John vs. Stas Merdov RBR

Round 1

Merdov slaps out a long hook and pokes a right while backing up. Merdov throws no less than thirty, forty weak jabs just churning the air. John is just watching as Merdov shadowboxes with just his jab. BIG LEFT HOOK BY JOHN. Merdov recovers instantly. Stiff jab by John, stuffed up into Merdov's chin. Merdov has slowed his endless parade of wavy jabs-at-nothing, but is still backing up. John doubles a jab to the body scooting forward. Right hand by John, grazes. Merdov backs out wide and lets his long left arm extend all the way out. John scurries in past the jab with a tilt of his head and pops him with a hook. John dodges another jab and throws a big overhand right but it claps against Merdov's shoulder.

10-9 John

 

:deal

 

Fortunately for me, it looks like Merdov can't handle John's power - so this probably isn't bound for twelve. :thumbsup

 

Round 2

Several jabs by Merdov on the back foot, none landing. John ducks in and lands a big right hand on the taller man. The challenger bounces off the ropes and flees behind more jabs. Another duck-under and another right hand for John. Constant stalking. Constant jabbing by Merdov, to no effect. Another duck under. RIGHT HAND!! KNOCKDOWN!! Merdov beats the count but is shaky. A minute left in the round. John bashes with a high left hook. Right hand!! Merdov stands in the pocket and tries to bang it out with John! Maybe his legs are gone and he feels he has no choice but to try? Now Merdov starts backing up again but catches John with an uppercut. At the same time John lands a straight right. Merdov is hurt again and backed up. One more big right by John. Merdov bounces off the ropes and back into another right.

10-8 John

20-17

 

Round 3

Left hook and right hand combos are favored by John as he comes forward. Merdov tries to fold his arms and swing out with a frenzied attack of uppercuts and hooks from odd angles to keep John out. Both are landing a bit, although John is cautious in his approach and using good head movement and some slick shoulder pops and fade-away moves. Merdov jabs out and John is able to just lean in beneath the jabs and unload power shots up close. Big left hooks and right hands by John. Minimal jabs used by John, but they land effectively to the body and keep him braced and measured to land his high-reaching power punches on the inside. Merdov jabs and backs up.

30-26 CJ

 

Round 4

John is chopping away like a little buzzsaw, catching the much taller man on the sides of the head with high-reaching shots and just maneuvering right through his asteroid field of jabs. John can't miss and Merdov can't touch him. This is a bad mismatch. Merdov's nose is blood and his eyes puffy. Merdov tries some pendulum hooks to the body, but John checks them on an elbow. High jabs to the face by John, now just playing with Merdov. Slick shoulder roll by John, and he lets some Merdov jabs just slide past his neck.

40-35 John

 

I think the Polish commentators just compared Chris John to Manny Pacquiao. :think (they definitely used their names in the same sentence, right when John was darting in and launching a burst of power punches)

 

Round 5

Merdov is trying to slap down at John's head with a 1-2 but is getting ducked and hooked to the body. Nice body work by John, landing some devastating wind-sapping hooks. Merdov is hanging in there, trying to locate John with his jab. John beats him at his own game, sliding off to his left to get Merdov swatting at air and then stuffing two hard high jabs of his own in the Ukrainian's face. Back to the left hook/right hand combo coming in for John. Merdov is desperately pumping jabs and right hands, one of the latter for every 4-5 of the former. John is caught by a right to the forehead but walks through it. John rolls side to side on the way in, and lands a high jab. Hook to the body by John. Merdov is missing more jabs. Hook to the jaw by John. Right hand to the body by John. Right hand by Merdov at close range.

50-44 John