GAB: Juan Martin Elorde vs. Samsul Maarif & Juan Miguel Elorde vs. Shohei Kawashima RBR

(Rounds 9 onward continue in Video #2 in the OP)

 

Round 9

Kawashima is pressing in, leaning fro side to side, looking for different angles to score the jab, planting it on the stomach of Elorde and into his teeth.
Kawashima is forcing Elorde on the defensive yet again, caught around the waist and putting Elorde in an unintentional headlock, disentangled by the peerless Danrex Tapdasan. Kawashima is following, prodding with the jab, but not reaching. Elorde not countering much, just skating along the ropes, feinting with the jab downstairs. A couple of Kawashima right hands get through falling atop him. Kawashima relentless in the final twenty seconds.

10-9 Kawashima

86-85 Kawashima

 

Elorde showing a good chin, I'll give him that much. Kawashima landed some right handed bombs there in the ninth...

 

Round 10

Kawashima is jabbing into first the left glove of Elorde, then his right, keeping him guessing, applying heavy pressure. Elorde moving either glove downward to intercept Kawashima's jab, batting it below his chest while calculating his next move. Kawashima gives him no time for game planning, bearing down upon him with a heavy right hand. At the halfway mark this is Kawashima's round to lose. Kawashima double-jabbing in and Elorde ducks to land a couple of tap-tap left hooks on the upper right hip. Kawashima is landing his jab stepping in and out, nearly backing Elorde into a corner, then landing a right hand atop the scalp as Elorde ducks in to clinch. 1-2 by Kawashima, grazing, Elorde ties up again. Kawashima fakes a jab down low and then steps in jabbing high. Elorde abandons his post on the ropes and skitters off to his left, out to open ground. A couple of light body shots bowling-balled in by Elorde while running past Kawashima.

10-9 Kawashima

96-94 Kawashima

 

Commentators reluctantly admitting Kawashima has bossed the last few rounds, but I'm not altogether sure they gave him any of the first seven...

 

Round 11

Kawashima and Elorde both flurry, coming together in awkward clinches, more than once. Tapdasan having to get involved for much of the first minute. Neither has done anything noteworthy. Kawashima now pressuring, sticking the jab in the face but falling short as Elorde goes up on his toes and quickens his pace. Hard right on the body from Kawashima diving in. Tapdasan calls timeout for Elorde's gloves to be re-taped by his corner. Time in. Kawashima is jabbing into Elorde's left glove to keep it docked in the hangar, and plunging hard right hands into the midsection or in a shallow decline from shoulder height into Elorde's jaw. They clinch and Elorde loads up on a big looping right in the pocket, spinning himself around with momentum as he misses when Kawashima steps outside.

10-9 Kawashima

106-103 Kawashima

 

Commentators muttering about it being close, now sounding kinda nervous..

 

Round 12

Kawashima is jabbing Elorde into a corner and takes a couple of hard left hooks on the body, then slashes upward with a right against the cheekbone. Elorde with a combination now, before they collapse into a clinch. Now a hard axing right hand from Kawashima. They clinch again. Jab on the body from Kawashima. Elorde wraps him up and whacks him on the back with his free hand until Tapdasan calls break. Jab on the body from Elorde. Super close round, up for grabs with ninety seconds remaining. Elorde dancing away on his toes, showing the jab, withdrawing ever further and then swerving away from the ropes. Hurtful right on the body delivered from light years away by Kawashima. Big powerful hooking flurries downstairs by Elorde jumping in, tying up, then leaping outside to start over. They clinch and Kawashima bashes with his free right hand. Tapdasan splits them up once more encouraging a final desperate firefight after the warning ten second clap. Both men are firing hard at close range, a little messy but the crowd is loving it.

10-9 Elorde, super close

115-113 Kawashima

 

Loads of mutual respect between the combatants as they await the verdict. Both grinning as they shake hands. They know they just put on a hell of a nice show, for purists and otherwise.

 

"Very scientific fight" says the biased co-commentator. On that much we agree.

 

Official cards:

Gil Coves 115-113
Martino Rigona 117-111 (wtf, that is way too wide for either guy...)
Bruce McTavish 117-111 (uh-oh...)

UD for Juan Miguel Elorde

 

@CST80 @PinoyProdigy @Drew101 need a second/third/fourth opinion here...

IMO this was a daylight robbery...maybe wouldn't seem that way if all three judges had the 115-113 score for Elorde, but only three rounds for Kawashima is a VERY hard pill to swallow...

 

I think draw or 115-113 either way is the only acceptable range, depending on the couple of really close rounds..