Anyone else catch this one? I just watched a rerun they were giving on Versus. Very entertaining bout. Both guys knocked down and hurt, Montiel to come back and TKO Melendez with a wicked body shot in the 12th. In the end, the experienced paid off and proved to be the deciding factor in the fight. I couldn't help but look into each fighter's record a bit closer on boxrec and noticed Melendez hasn't fought since then. That fight seemed to be pretty brutal on Melendez and wouldn't be surprised if he is never the same afterwards. Hope can continue with his career.
I admit I was a bit impressed with Fernando. At the beginning, I thought he was a bit loose with his defense, but he proved to tighten up as the fight progressed and he adjusted accordingly. He boxed when he needed to box and brawled when he needed to. He behaved like a seasoned veteran.
Fernando Montiel is a great fighter, definately one of the best of the lower weightclasses. He has great technique, timing, power, a good chin and one of the best body attacks in boxing (especially his left hook). He mixes up his punches well, doubling the left hook and switching from body to head with an array of punches. When neccesary he can box decently from the outside using his jab to measure his combos, although he more effective mid-range. His biggest problem is he struggles against southpaws, slick boxers and his defence is average (not awful though). I doubt any fighter 118 and below can stand toe to toe with him and win, as his continually body attack is enough to wear down anyone. I think he beats everyone from 115 and down, except for Mijares.
