Hanna Gabriel vs. Melisenda Perez II & Bryan Vazquez vs. Santos Martinez II RBR

Round 10

Velez paws with her right jab a few times to lull Cooper in, and then takes a big swipe with a hard right hook but doesn't quite spring the trap successfully. Cooper comes in straight and tall, using quick feet to stay atop Velez and sharp-shooting with lead rights. Velez catches her coming in low and drives the bottom of her elbow into her cornrows. A lot of negative tactics from Velez, now - running around, leaping off the ropes to grab. Both raise their arms at the bell. Velez's people hoist her up for a piggyback ride around the ring, as do Cooper's. :yep Ada Velez is now doing jumping jacks for the crowd.

97-93 Cooper

 

:yep


Oddly enough, the male fight that opened the card actually WAS nine rounds. :huh That might be how they roll down in San Jose unless there are belts on the line (irrespective of gender)

The girls all get 10 since these are title bouts.

 

Split decision

96-94 Velez
96-94 Velez
96-94 Cooper



:shock:

 

At least the other North American girl managed to not get robbed blind down there. :conf

 

It's almost Hanna time! :happy

They're interviewing her mom and brother now at ringside.

 

Ring walks.

The venue is an outdoor ring taking up a tiny corner of a soccer stadium.

20 year old Kansas City native Melisenda Perez comes out to some generic rap - and doesn't appear to have lost much of the excess chub since the last time she challenged Gabriel a few months back (and got stopped in the 10th). :verysad

I'd be really surprised if she even made the 154lb limit, tbh. She is very short for the division, but still...

 

7-4-1

Their last fight wasn't even all that competitive; I'm not entirely sure why a rematch was ordered or why Perez deserves another crack at the WBO light middleweight title (especially since she's fought once since the last time and lost to a welterweight journeywoman). :?

This is basically another showcase for Miss Gabriel. Hopefully she comes through big. I'm looking for an earlier stoppage.

 

HG comes out flanked by rows of sparkly pyrotechnics. She's also out to rap, but it's the super-fast kind (a'la "Twizta", but in Spanish).

Big crowd response.

She's wearing a leggy red pull-over hoodie and tight black shorts. Yum. Hair pulled back in a massive braid; otherwise it would be an obstruction to the action as she's got a lot of it.

 

Lots of fanfare.

They show off Gabriel's title belt, and then Laura Canchilla - the president of Costa Rica - presents her with a plaque. :shock:

This is a big deal down there.