ESPN2 WNF: Mark Davis vs. Michael Farenas & Billy Dib vs. Alberto Garza RBR

Yeah but he can bang and Davis has never faced a puncher.

(I'm favoring Davis as well, but there is that element of uncertainty regarding his whiskers as there always is when a major amateur talent is matched soft for so long...though it doesn't always necessarily mean anything. Remember how everyone insisted Russell was packing glass for that same reason? Well, nope, he wasn't...)

 

Round 1

Farenas is cutting the ring off and blasting Davis with hard southpaw 1-2s straight down the middle. Davis is shuffling out and shimmying, dropping into a Philly shell, catching some of Farenas' right jabs and chopping lefts on the backs of his arms. Davis barks and tosses out flurries and jabs while leaning in reverse, barely touching Farenas. Lead left feint by Farenas, pulled and thrown halfway a second time and pulled again. Farenas is testing Davis' reactions. Farenas closes in and cuffs Davis across the back of the head with a left as Davis is squatting down. Davis jabs and hooks in the pocket, barking, Farenas blocking and ducking away. Farenas picks off the left jab with his right glove on the outside.

10-9 Farenas

 

Round 2

Farenas is reaching in with lefts on the body. Davis plays keep-away, tossing out light left jabs into the face of Farenas. Big left hand wound up and chopped hard on the in-step by Farenas. Davis blocks it while circling. Barking jabs by Davis, voluntarily backing into the ropes and dropping his left arm, right glove up by his tucked chin, leaning back, doing his Mayweather impersonation. Farenas is catching body shots between his gloves and countering with flash jabs up top. Davis backs into the ropes and is caught in a one-armed clinch, Farenas slamming with his free left up top. Davis counters with a right uppercut and flurries on the head of Farenas, pushing him onto the ropes. Farenas is held off by a jab on the guard as Davis circles left. Davis switches directions, backing further out, skimming the ropes with his backside. Farenas stays low, marching in, showing but not throwing the jab. BIG left hand on the body by Farenas. Another left falls just short as Davis backpedals.

10-9 Davis, close - almost stolen late (but really Farenas just landed once in that last sequence and not super flush)

19-19