ESPN2 FNF: Brandon Adams vs. Willie Monroe Jr. & Petr Petrov vs. Fernando Carcamo RBR

Round 7

Monroe is flinching and moving away, flicking out right jabs from a low cradle with Adams pursuing behind left hooks and feints. Monroe is keeping Adams no closer than mid-range at the end of his quick double right jab, barking as he throws on the go. Adams is waiting until he is close to let his jab go, raising it up to shave Monroe's short coiffure with it. Big straight flurry by Monroe while cornered, exploding from a crouch and landing cleanly on the face of Adams several times before moving off to his left.

10-9 Monroe

68-65 Monroe

 

Round 8

Monroe is pushing the double right jab stepping in, then rolling his weight back off the ball of his lead foot and circling right instead of fully dropping anchor, giving Adams no chance to counter him. Monroe lets himself get pushed onto the ropes and smacks Adams with right hooks across the jaw. Adams works the body and covers up tight leaning in on Monroe, working some uppercuts and roundhouse rights on the left hip. Monroe is sitting on the middle rope for buoyancy and landing nice short right hooks on the body and chin, pressing upward into Adams with his shoulder crashing into his mouth while at rest. After several of these exchanges, Monroe ties up. Clever stuff inside by Monroe.

10-9 Monroe

78-74 Monroe

 

Yeah, that was surprising and impressive.

 

Atlas keeps harping on it, but it does bear repeating:

Monroe's edge in amateur experience over Adams: 140 to 6.

 

Stats in the eighth:

Monroe 24 of 56, 43%
Adams 28 of 61, 46%

 

Round 9

Monroe is circling to his left, keeping his right arm cradled low, placing single jabs on the face or straight lefts on the body of Adams or sweeping up right hooks as he passes the ropes to avoid getting trapped. Adams is marching his man down, watching and withholding punches until he gets close, work rate still very low although his defense is responsible on the approach. Monroe is dancing around him in wide steps, much fleeter and taking full advantage of it. Long right jabs tickling Adams' guard. Monroe is dancing, crossing his feet, shuffling, showboating, showing off. Adams tries punishing him with a jab but gets slipped and countered while Monroe is still dancing.

10-9 Monroe

88-83 Monroe

 

Round 10

Monroe is slapping the double right hook into Adams' face while backing into the ropes, Adams plugging him on the body with a right and then dropping a left hook as Monroe rolls out the side door. Adams is chasing Monroe but minding the force-field, wary of the jab and quick left hand lead, never getting all the way inside, showing jab feints. Adams tentative coming in. Adams moves in and out, thinking about jabbing but pulling it at the last moment. Big chopping right by Adams, seizing the day. Monroe sits back and takes it on the raised left arm. Quick circling by Monroe, ducking by the ropes and coming up to hug Adams, stalling. Lead right from too far out by Adams, caught into another clinch. Adams works in a few light kidney punches until Mark Nelson breaks them. Right up-jab from a crouch by Monroe. Extended shoeshine on the forehead by Monroe. Adams rips a big left hook across the stomach charging in, but Monroe sucks himself in and skates off to the side, landing a fast counter on the face.

10-9 Monroe

98-92 Monroe

 

Monroe is SPENT! Look at the way he is huffing on his stool.

Maybe if this had been a 12-rounder, despite Adams having no experience at those depths, it could have gotten interesting. :think

 

Atlas has it 98-92 to Monroe Jr.

Fans scoring on Facebook agree.