ESPN: Mark DeLuca vs. Ramsés Agatón & Jason Quigley vs. Daniel Rosario Cruiz RBR

Quigley? Eh, yeah, not his shining hour. (plus I don't think he's elite, anyway - probably can start measuring his waist for a world title but he won't be a division kingpin or anything)

You should've seen Yamaguchi, though, if you want to see overrated.

 

Round 5

Rosario Cruz is looking a bit fatigued as we pass the halfway mark. Rosario Cruz is throwing fat punches, getting countered on a regular basis. Quigley is working the body a bit more now. Quigley still mostly just hyper-extending with the left jab while letting Rosario Cruz approach him, giving him too much respect.

10-9 Quigley

50-45 Quigley

 

Round 6

Quigley is looping rights and Rosario Cruz is barely ducking, getting scratched on the brow. Body shots by Quigley. Rosario Cruz is throwing a very sloppy, loosey-goosey right uppercut, traveling in a squiggly line. He isn't the slickest man out there but you can't hit Quigley with squigglies. Double left hook by Quigley up top. Quigley drops and hurts Rosario Cruz with a liver shot left hook. Rosario Cruz up but hurt, a minute left. Quigley all over him, rights harpooning the body. Another left on the liver. Rosario Cruz getting twisted and spun around with the force of the body punches, trying his best to land a hail Mary haymaker on Quigley but too slow and tired. Quigley hitting the body hard. Right hand by Rosario Cruz. Quigley lands a flush right hand, doubles it up, triples, just chopping Rosario Cruz. BIG left hook. Rosario Cruz down again.

TKO6!!

 

Five pedestrian rounds vindicated by an impressive one from Quigley.

 

April McManus could get it.

 

I put them on the same tier, myself. Both talented, but not going to conquer the universe. I'm not sure Quigley would do nearly as well as Gausha, though, if he followed his footsteps and challenged Lara.

 

IB Funfact:

I fought in a smoker with Mark DeLuca's brother (not with as in against him, but on the same fight card, although we might've light-sparred a couple of rounds during my then-coach's fast-paced rotations involving a bunch of guys...and I've trained alongside both a fair amount back in the day), know him not all that well personally but just by reputation in the area, hard worker, smart boxer. His uncle was my longtime barber, small world.

 

Mark DeLuca vs. Ramsés Agatón, 10 rounds @ light middleweight

 

I've never understood why Mark blew off 4 years of his prime. His uncle would tell me (this was in like 2012/3, smack in the middle of his big layoff) that he never quit the sport, and was always in training year-round and planning to continue his career. His record sat at 8-0 for a long time, not sure if there were managerial issues or what, and eventually I became skeptical he'd ever progress. Cool to see a local guy make a comeback after so much time on the shelf and punch his way onto a nationally televised main event.

Funny thing is, everybody around here was, back then, MUCH higher on this other kid who actually did turn out to be the kind of flash in the pan DeLuca seemed in danger of becoming: http://boxrec.com/en/boxer/656959 (although it has been 4 years now, so maybe Gerald is due for a comeback of his own )