Golden Boy legal stream! Fight Night Club RBR

Final fight.

2-time Club Nokia alumnus Salvador Rios vs. Gerardo Melendrez

Round 1

Rios runs (literally) around Melendrez and throws quick jabs and tries to bring a cross over but can't before the clinches. Melendrez keeps his gloves pinned together on the outside and quickly looks for the grab up close. Rios lands a 1-2 before a clinch, and Melendrez slaps him with a hook as they break. Rios lands a few sloppy glancing shots while Melendrez tries to plant his head into his chest and swing yo-yo shots to the body. Rios lands a right hand as Melendrez tries to put a combo together that just never takes off.

10-9 Rios

 

Round 2

The two punch together, and land together with hooks in the middle ofthe ring. Melendrez keeps slapping with his, and Rios backs himself up to the ropes. Melendrez walks him into the adjacent set and stays on him. This is good pressure from the man without a professional win to his credit. Rios seems surprised by it and hugs the ropes while trotting away. Melendrez lands a big right hand that tips the forehead of Rios parallel with the ceiling. He nearly lands another a moment later. Melendrez is grabbing him and roughing him up inside. Rios is just trying to get away, and comes off the ropes with a wild right haymaker that nearly gets him countered with another right hand. The referee takes a point abruptly from Melendrez for a low blow - there may not have been a warning. When Rios is ready to continue Melendrez gets back in his grill and smothers him.

I was going to give that to Melendrez 10-9, but with the foul it's now 9-9.

19-18 Rios

 

Round 3

Melendrez is hanging tough, timing Rios with left hooks and keeping himself glued to the younger fighter. Rios tries to club him away with right hands but can't shake him and Melendrez forces him to clumsily bounce from one set of ropes to the next. Melendrez holds and hits and Rios yanks free and runs. The pattern repeats. Rios lands a glancing right hands and Melendrez storms through it to land a left hook flush. Melendrez hitting the body when Rios pushes his head down (unintentional). Nice hook to the body by Melendrez. They both hold and hit. Rios misses a wild right hand coming off the ropes.

28-28

 

Round 4

Very wild and ugly action, but it is action. The very patient crowd remaining is enjoying the effort from both warriors and shouting encouragement to them. Both are landing now, often at the same time and with big looping shots. In between they clinch and wrestle, and Melendrez chases Rios until they start all over again. Melendrez lands a nice hook, and a nice short right hand a moment later. Rios slugs him in the body a couple of times and gets back on his bike. Melendrez misses about five punches as Rios shrimps up on the ropes. They clinch and Melendrez slaps him in the mouth with a hook. A Rios hook grazes the top of Melendrez's head and he rips another hook at Rios. Again they land together.

I'll call the round (and fight) a draw. I don't often do that.

If forced to pick someone, it'd be Melendrez.

 

38-37 Rios
38-37 Melendrez
38-37 Rios

It isn't Gerardo's day. Tough luck. Previously in his professional career, he had a 4-round draw and another 4-round split decision loss...both against boxers making their debut...and both were in summer of 2003! :blood That is one long layoff.

 

For those who didn't know, undefeated Jesse Vargas was set to face Lanard "The Fightin' Fireman" Lane this Thursday. When Lane withdrew with an injury a month ago they found a very solid replacement in Jose Armando Santa Cruz.

The main event is only an 8 rounder, so the card (which starts streaming at 11pm EST) should have room to showcase a few more prospects - possibly including Jamie "The Nuisance" Kavanagh, Bastie "The Beast" Samir, and/or Michael Finney - who are a combined 19-0 (17). :good

 

He is talented. His style is neither conventionally "Mexican" nor is it the Mayweather style. He's a sharp, high-guard boxer-puncher.

You can get a look at him in the archives here, in a Club Nokia fight from last September:
[ame]http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/9923639[/ame]
(his fight starts at 6:30)


I'd have picked Vargas over Lane, and over Santa Cruz.

As it is, now Santa Cruz is out and has been replaced by Cristian Favela. atsch

It should be a very easy win for Vargas. The test will be whether he can stop him, which is nearly impossible to do with Favela. That would be a big statement.

I don't expect any real drama, though - unless Favela pulls a Titsworth and kisses him:
http://www.noukate.com/videos/les_idiots/1692-Le_bisou_du_boxeur.html

 

BTW, on the undercard of that September show you can see Jamie Kavanagh at about an hour in:
[ame]http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/9921821[/ame]

 

Here we go.

Jamie Kavanagh vs. Ramon Flores is up first.

 

Round 1

Kavanagh throws a wide hook and is countered with a low right to the body and HURT!! Kavanagh circles left and jabs to keep Flores from taking advantage. Kavanagh is boxing well and seems to have recuperated. Flores keeps digging down low with his jabs, probably looking to set up another right hand to the windbag. Wild leaping hook from Flores. Kavanagh just defends with a tight guard while circling and countering calmly with jabs and 1-2s. Flores is getting hit in the face by just about everything Kavanagh throws at him, but they're all pitty pats. Flores sticks a jab in Kavanagh's face and has his arm slapped away. Kavanagh again takes a straight shot to the body while hooking wide inside, bouncing harmlessly off his chest this time as he backs against the ropes. Flores pokes away with long swats with either hand as Kavanagh keeps turning and countering him. Flores throws a big hook before the bell that is blocked but makes a loud noise and excites the crowd.

10-9 JK

 

Round 2

Flores is aggressive, looping wide shots at Kavanagh while coming forward in a low bent-knee squat. Kavanagh changes directions and pops off a few straight but soft flurries. Kavanagh suddenly digs in and puts some torque on a powerful hook to the body that earns him some cheers. Kavanagh is throwing lead hooks instead of jabs now as he circles left more quickly than Flores can spin around to keep up. Flores flicks out jabs but they are telegraphed and not straight, allowing Kavanagh to avoid them. The lead right, however, nails Kavanagh on the chin and surprises him!! Kavanagh jabs to the body and ducks a wild Flores hook.

Again, Kavanagh did the better work for most of the round although Flores landed the best single shot (again with the right hand).

20-18 JK

 

Round 3

Kavanagh uses his quicker feet to stay on the outside trickling out his jab and setting up hard hooks to the body with both hands as he steps forward and artfully dodges the wild and awkward counter punching attempts of Flores on the way out. Flores does catch him a few times pulling back at different angles. Flores can't reach him on the outside, missing badly with his jab as usual. Flores tries to line up the right hand that has brought him success but throws himself far off balance and into a clinch. Kavanagh slips some punches at close range and peppers Flores with short chopping counter blows. Flores again punctuates the round with a wild hook and Kavanagh just deflects it with a halfway extended jab.

30-27

 

Round 4

Flores is throwing heavy shots, but without any form. Kavanagh is ducking and letting Flores' gloves slide across his back and using lots of lateral movement. Kavanagh doesn't have time to get much tidy punching off as he backs away, but is landing a bit more cleanly. Flores keeps up the pressure and clubs away at Kavanagh against the ropes, catching him with a couple of rabbit punches and some body shots. Kavanagh pushes out of a clinch and lands a HARD thudding combo to the top/side of Flores' head as Flores ducks down. Kavanagh is starting to put some snap on and is making frequent, noisy contact with Flores' skull.

40-36