ESPN: Alejandro Luna vs. Naim Nelson & David Benavidez vs. Denis Douglin RBR

Round 1

Luna throwing left hooks at the liver and slapping down with a right hand into Nelson's turtle shell. Scooping right on the body by Nelson knocks Luna back a step. More hooks downstairs by Luna. Nelson tries again with the right on the body, this one straight and pushed, rubbing harmlessly against the chest. Wide left hook by Nelson missed. Luna is waiting his turn and slapping down with the right against Nelson's neck.

10-9 Luna, busier. Neither very clean or effective. Nelson EXTREMELY slow-handed.

 

Round 2

Luna is shooting jabs into Nelson's Adam's apple to back him up, then whipping left hooks into his side. Luna walks into a counter uppercut by Nelson. Right hands crashing down into the knuckle pads of Nelson's guard to bat his guard down. Luna switches now and tries right uppercuts on the body and left hooks below the ear. Nelson just circling away, squaring up with the high guard and trying jabs. Uppercut inside by Luna.

10-9 Luna

20-18 Luna

 

Round 3

Nelson is stepping out and trying to line Luna up at the end of his jab. Right crosses and left hooks by Nelson missing badly as Luna sees them coming and ducks. Luna is pushing his left forearm into Nelson's ribs and bracing against him before slapping down with rights up top and then digging body shots with both hands, head down, burrowing in close. More hooks by Nelson ducked easily by Luna. Wild uppercuts from both at point blank, missing as either target sways back. Light right hand looped in by Nelson.

10-9 Luna

30-27 Luna

 

Round 4

Delayed start; Nelson's shoe untied. Luna is pressing in, whipping at the body. Luna switches to southpaw. Double right jabs by Luna before lobbing the left uppercut from outside stomping in to close the distance. Nelson is holding up the goalposts and sometimes pushing both forearms out to catch Luna's blows and reverse their momentum to shove him back. A few counter jabs from Nelson. Luna outworking him.

10-9 Luna

40-36 Luna

 

"I guess I'm not having dessert. :conf"

 

Round 5

Luna is reaching down with left hooks on the hip, exposing the back of his neck to Nelson's descending ski-lift right hand. Luna is dribbling combos into Nelson's guard, pit-pat, just gaining entry, then slapping the body. Occasional straight right counters by Nelson on the backfoot, not enough to hold Luna off nor enough work to keep him in the game on points scored.

10-9 Luna

50-45 Luna

 

Round 6

Nelson is keeping a greater distance now, circling wide of Luna and making him reach with his pit-pat combos upstairs - and more importantly, not reach with his body shots as Nelson denies him any terrain inside. Nelson just tossing a light pot shot counter jab with the occasional push-right when navigating a corner.

10-9 Nelson

59-55 Luna

 

Round 7

Luna is rededicating himself to prying his way in. Light rockets upstairs with the right by Luna, bouncing off Nelson's glove, disguising the slapping left hook downstairs as Luna takes a shift-step in with it. Nelson trying to jab and move as in the sixth but Luna consistently leaping into his bubble and putting together high right handed throat pokes and swatting left hooks.

10-9 Luna

69-64 Luna

 

After 7 rounds I'm no closer to remembering whether I've seen Nelson before.

Just picturing how Mickey Bey vs. Nelson might look in my head is putting me to sleep. High chance that's what happened last time, or I just blocked out the memory because it was so bad.


Needless to say, while Nelson isn't here to lie down as short-notice replacement, he is most assuredly not an upgrade over Stephen Ormond in terms of the entertainment value of the match-up. :!:

 

Round 8

Luna is swarming in with body shots and lead sweeping uppercuts from by his knees. Nelson is stepping out of range and popping the light jab. Luna switches to southpaw and tries some wide-arcing butterfly-wing shots with both hands attempting to cut the ring off. Nelson shuffles quickly around him, spiraling out to create space, then steps in with a stiff, short right hand on the mouth to halt Luna's advance. Another.

10-9 Nelson

78-74 Luna