ESPN2 Thursday Night Fights: Jose Manuel Lopez vs. Aaron Martinez RBR

Round 1

Martinez is approaching with diagonal steps in and to his left, faking a right hand lead downstairs. Lopez floats up a left jab while turning and keeping up with him. Body shots by Lopez as he edges Martinez into the ropes. Martinez steps out and sticks a jab in Lopez's face at mid-range. 1-1-2 into the gloves by Martinez. Lopez is holding out the left mitt, catching and parrying. Lopez uses feints while pressuring Martinez into the ropes. Martinez rushes out to his left and then charges in with a double left hook, caught on the backs of the gloves. Right hand by Lopez. Jabs stuck in by Lopez, swerving back and dodging a counter left hook from Martinez. Clinch. Lopez puts out a jab and pulls back as Martinez counters with his own jab, both missing and wrists scrubbing together. Lopez jabs Martinez in the belly as Martinez is lying in wait on the ropes, letting some of his weight settle into them. Martinez slides along the ropes, tracing a ninety degree turn, putting out right hand leads. Lopez is staying far out enough to make Martinez miss, and jabbing in on him.

10-9 Lopez

 

Pretty clear opener for Josesito. He just does everything better.

 

Round 2

Martinez is backing up and squeezing his guard over his cheeks as Lopez thrusts jabs on him coming forward. Lopez is cautious about using range and footwork to score jabs but always stay within a quick step of the outer perimeter. Martinez counters and snaps Lopez's head back with a carefully placed jab. Lopez is doubling the left jab, showing but not firing the right cross, keeping it loaded in the chamber up by his chin. 1-2-3 by Lopez, only connecting with the body hook as Martinez puts up his arms and hops backward into the ropes.

10-9 Lopez

20-18 Lopez

 

Round 3

Martinez is getting bulled into the ropes as Lopez works the body with big whipping left hooks and hammering rights. Martinez counters with left hooks after bouncing off the ropes and into Lopez. Clinch and tussle. Lopez is popping right hands just above the waist and falling into clinches as Martinez jabs him in the head. Lopez doubles a jab on the body and brings a right hand up top. Martinez clamps both arms around Lopez's neck and jerks him into the ropes by it. Both flurry on the body.

10-9 Lopez

30-27 Lopez

 

There will be another edition of "ESPN2 Thursday Night Fights" the week of "The Moment".

May 1st, the main event:

Roberto "La Amenaza" Garcia vs. Victor Manuel "Mermelada" Cayo, 154lbs.

 

Round 4

Martinez is drifting around the ring, circling in a defensive shell, left arm low and right crossed upward against his chest. Lopez is jabbing the body, uncontested over the low left. Lopez is picking Martinez apart from outside, content to pot shot as Martinez mugs and poses while moving. Lopez is landing nothing but jabs on the body, and that accounts for all the connection done by either. Lopez is walking Martinez down, jabbing him on the belt line while ducking Martinez's counter jab. Lopez throws a few jab feints and then leads with a right hand on the chest. Martinez counters with a 1-2. Lopez opens up into a hooking combo as Martinez lets his back fall against the ropes.

10-9 Lopez

40-36 Lopez

 

Yeah, that much posturing and showboating while getting shut out (as he is on my card and most ringside journalists', per Twitter) is silly.