ESPN5: David Andreo Pumar Peñalosa vs. Twalib Shabani Tuwa RBR

Melvin López vs. Renan Selorio Portes, 8 rounds @ super bantamweight

 

They couldn't have found a better Filipino 122lb journeyman for Melo López?

With all due respect, Portes is WAY down the list (the Philippines super bantam scene is actually stacked with everything from solid trial horses to a couple of fringe world class guys) and this seems like a stagnant move for the Nicaraguan at this stage of his career...

 

Yeah, I was right...Portes is ranked #32 of 70 on Boxrec..

Somebody like Edison Berwela (#15) would be a far more compelling step up for López.

 

Yeah, not much happened, López hasn't really left first gear, but yeah Portes is just kinda surviving in there.

 

Exactly. What's the point of this degree of mismatch?

 

20-18 López, playing front-foot pattycake with his right glove pawing down at Portes' left and looking to clear a lane for the big left hand, which he only throws like once per minute. Very anticlimactic stuff. Portes clinching whenever he can.

 

Plus the placement of this on the card is confusing. The crowd was pumped up after Tapales, why subject them to this and kill the mood before the main event?