Fox Sports 1: Antonio Tarver vs. Mike Sheppard & Thomas Williams vs. Yusaf Mack RBR

Round 1

Caballero is circling and patiently locating Cruz with the left jab as Cruz strafes and pumps a strong right jab into the air, following with some left crosses that whistle in dangerously close to Caballero's jaw. Cruz is showing no fear, bouncing around Caballero at mid-range and bringing the fight to him, but staying mobile and wary of counters. Hard right to the body by Caballero, probably securing him the otherwise close round.

10-9 Caballero

 

He is game for sure.

 

Round 2

Caballero is putting together left hooks above the ear and hard right straights & uppercuts to the body to back Cruz up. Double and triple right jabs by Cruz hopping around Caballero, tossing javelin left crosses from his own throat and telegraphing and pushing them a bit as he sells out for power. Caballero is circling and blocking, getting his touches in combination while countering the bursting attacks of Cruz, usually with his punctuating body shots but with a few straight rights down the pipe denting the chin of Cruz.

10-9 Caballero

20-18 Caballero

 

Round 3

Caballero is caught with a left uppercut moving in, and then holds onto Cruz's back with one arm while flapping the other fist into his side. Cruz is backing up, stretching up his right jab, then squatting and waiting for Caballero with a right hook ambush. Caballero sticks his left jab out sideways as he crab-walks in, and Cruz steps in with a straight right jab facing up to him. Caballero holds and pounds the body of Cruz, then spins him out of the clinch. Caballero drops Cruz on the mat with a hip-check as they get tangled up inside. Time in. Double right hook on the mouth by Cruz. Caballero raises his gloves and blocks the remainder of Cruz's assault before digging a hard right downstairs. Caballero drops his chin to his chest and slaps in a left hook as Cruz is firing on him. Right hand by Caballero pushing Cruz away from the ropes after ricocheting his shoulders off them. Short right hook by Cruz. Right hand to the body by Caballero.

10-9 Caballero

30-27 Caballero

 

Round 4

Caballero is walking into Cruz's 1-2s and blocking about half of them as he claps him on the neck with the 1-2 and flips up some body combos. Caballero is backing Cruz up with the body shots and eating some crossbow-bolt left hands on the nose. Caballero finishes off a body combo with a left hook to back Cruz up. Cruz keeps sitting back and setting traps but is forced to pack up and move on when Caballero brings in the wrecking balls downstairs.

10-9 Caballero but close, this one arguable for Cruz

40-36 Caballero

 

Round 5

Caballero is leading with jabs into the guard and then hammering with the right hand or bringing it upward into the ribcage of Cruz. A few right upper-hooks by Cruz moving inside and tying up. Caballero is dropping his skull downward center-line into Cruz, navigating in between Cruz's 1-2 and propelling himself off with a left hook before Cruz reassembles his guard. Body shots by Caballero. Chopping lefts by Cruz trying to gain space.

10-9 Caballero

50-45 Caballero

 

A few rounds thus far have that feel of having almost qualified for sympathy rounds for Cruz, but not quite...

 

Stats in the fifth:

Caballero 29 of 75, 39%

Cruz 8 of 46, 17%

 

Round 6

Caballero is jumping in past Cruz's right jabs, left chops, and right hooks in combination, and landing left hooks on the jaw with the right hand following. Caballero is sweeping uppercuts to the chest and gunning the jab out into Cruz's face. Brave stands taken by Cruz, holding ground in the pocket and throwing punches in bunches, ultimately forced to yield when Caballero presses in and begins to pepper him with body shots. Big solar plexus right hand by Caballero, and Cruz goes down hard. He beats the count and scraps in close with Caballero in the final ten seconds.

10-8 Caballero

60-53 Caballero

 

:nod

He is often actually touching Caballero more, and even with cleaner stuff - but Caballero's edge in pop is just so obvious. Every shot is worth five of Cruz's. If this were the amateurs (under the now archaic system of scoring) he might actually be ahead...but alas...

 

Round 7

Caballero is putting in the body shots and tanking in through Cruz's 1-2, gloves pinned on either side of his face. Caballero drops Cruz with a right downstairs midway into the round, continuing to flurry at Cruz's head as his knees dip in premonition of his fall. Cruz is up, looking shaky. Cruz throws punches while backing up but Caballero is patiently stalking and varying his attack high and low. Cruz is pushed into a corner with right hands and begins to sag, and is waved off.

TKO7!!