Fernando Montiel vs. Alvaro Perez & Aaron Herrera vs. Carlos Velasquez RBR

Weird. The Box Azteca unofficial scorer gave the first two rounds to Velasquez. :huh

Favoring ineffective aggression I guess. I mean, not totally ineffective - he just didn't do enough good work to offset Herrera's jab in either round IMO.

 

The Nicaraguan is fighting in the more Mexican style while Herrera is trying to be more of a slick outboxer.

If the official judges are like the announcing team with their criteria and things continue like this, there could be an upset. :think

 

Round 3

Herrera mixes in a few more hooks to his previously jab-heavy repertoire, but is still moving a lot. Herrera throws everything with one heel off the ground. Velasquez is targeting the body a bit more now. A few punches stray low. Herrera is given a break as one strays quite low. Herrera throws slapping hook combos as he turns Velasquez now. Again Velasquez goes a bit low as he drives his fists forward indiscriminately. Herrera gets another moment and Velasquez gets a serious warning. More slapping flurries by Herrera, flinging either fist up from his sides while standing right in front of Velasquez. Herrera gets tagged a couple of times but lands much more.

30-27 Herrera

Close to a deduction there.

 

The Box Azteca scorer still has it the exact opposite as me.

 

Round 4

Herrera turns over some hooks to the face of Velasquez while springing back and forth and to the left. Velasquez is digging his 1-2 at mid-level now, trying to chop Herrera down from range. Herrera is jabbing right over Velasquez when he ducks in, and they're clinching roughly with a few breaks needed. Both men using their arms to grind inside. Herrera has less of a taste for the physicality and backs out into a corner. Velasquez cleaves right to him and they grind together again. Velasquez drops some slow jabs to the body, but Herrera has nowhere to go except straight back into the corner so he just takes them (opting to protect his head). Velasquez now lifts his jab up to head level and lures Herrera into some toe to toe exchanging.

10-9 Velasquez

39-37 Herrera

Watch, the TV guys will give that one to Herrera.

 

Round 5

Herrera is really landing those left hooks with authority on the side of Velasquez's head, totally unimpeded. Either Herrera doesn't pack as much power as his record suggests or Velasquez has titanium grafted to his skull. They clinch together, with a tired Velasquez leaning and mauling a bit. Arm punches by Velasquez. Herrera is countering at iwll now, again favoring his jab. Herrera is mixing in some flurries to the body. Velasquez is letting punches fly, and working in some uppercuts with bad intentions as they trade furiously - but Herrera is faster and more accurate and able to pull out of the way of most of Velasquez's shots.

10-9 Herrera

49-46 Herrera

 

Round 6

Herrera is leading with those hooks now, squatting and bursting up with his knees snapping straight to generate more pop - abandoning the jab that served him well up until now. Velasquez is leaning into him, grabbing and folding his arms up and generally shoving him around. Velasquez is using ineffective roughness on the inside as a wear-down tactic rather than trying to score. It is working. A few body shots from Velasquez as Herrera pulls out and looks less than enthusiastic about mixing it back up. Velasquez keeps shouldering into him at th emiddle and then pounding away with wide-slicing tenderizers to the sides. Herrera is landing a few counter jabs and body flurries (straying a bit low himself) but getting manhandled.

10-9 Velasquez

48-46 Herrera

 

Box Azteca and I have agreed on scoring two rounds in a row! :shock: Is hell freezing?

 

Round 7

Herrera is now coming forward, with Velasquez stepping back to leave a trail of jabs. Strange role reversal. Herrera commits to the pressure and pecks into the guard of Velasquez with a high-snapping jab. Velasquez is only slightly less comfortable adapting to the counter-punching role, staying just barely squared up to Herrera as he turns him with crossover steps and tosses his 1-2 on the pass-by.

10-9 Herrera

68-65 Aaron Herrera

 

Round 8

They are navigating around the Tecate logo and trading jabs, pretty much all near the center of the ring. Herrera is getting his with some stupid shots now, really bold as he presses forward. Velasquez could be gassing here, as there are openings for him but his punches seem to lack their earlier menace. Herrera rocks him with a hook. Velasquez leans in and works short punches on the inside. Frequent clinching, but the referee is liberally permitting them to sort it out themselves. Herrera works diligently to extricate his ensnared limbs and keep hitting Velasquez. The 1-2 to the body reappears for Velasquez, but he isn't really sharp with it. Velasquez is lit up with short hooks to the face and soft flurries to the body. Nasty exchange at the bell, as both pick it up.

10-9 Herrera

78-74

 

Round 9

Herrera lands a flush jab to the face. A hook. Five more jabs. The crowd is getting antsy. Velasquez is just taking everything. Herrera jabs his face hard, and quadruples it. Velasquez is still hanging tough, trying to dig left and right uppercuts to the ribs and simultaneously corral Herrera in by grabbing and pinching him at the sides between his gloves. Herrera is able to keep anchored and land his jab. Velasquez circles out to the right and looks to push his own jab up into Herrera's face but is too slow and too weak of arm. He resorts to stepping in to clinch. Velasquez goes back to bombing his way in, and grazes Herrera a few times but doesn't both him enough to interrupt the steady flow of jabs. Herrera is hopping on his toes, not looking totally fresh but in better condition than Velasquez. Jabs and short hooks to the face by Herrera. Velasquez waves his fist to the crowd after the bell. Not sure what that's about.

10-9 Herrera

88-83 Herrera