Julio César La Cruz vs. Madiyar Ogli Saydraximov & Arlen López Cardona vs. Luis Antonio Tejada RBR

Round 3

César La Cruz is making Saydraximov miss with everything now - straight, looping, and overhand punches. César La Cruz is dancing around languidly, with high economy of movement, doing just enough to avoid getting hit and lashing out at times with serpentine precision strikes, always from a low hand position. Saydraximov runs at him with a right hand lead "superman punch", as you'd expect dodged by a mile.

10-9 César La Cruz

29-28 César La Cruz

 

Round 4

César La Cruz is refusing to do more than play around with Saydraximov, insisting he attack first so he can show off his oily defensive maneuvers and pot shot with counters. Saydraximov brushes him with a few descending right hands while he's ducking and César La Cruz ties up just long enough to stall and reset.

10-9 César La Cruz

39-37 César La Cruz

 

Round 5

Extremely low output, the Brit commentator pointing out that it's been zero punches either way almost half a minute in. Saydraximov being more studied and cautious, unwilling to miss and get countered as often. Saydraximov is landing a bit better as a result, however - hammering the body and making César La Cruz clinch. Double jab by Saydraximov, slipped but causing César La Cruz to duck in place and be a sitting target for a chopping right hand. Saydraximov throwing a lot, missing most but barely catching César La Cruz with a fair amount too. Mostly just behind the back defensive movement and clinching from César La Cruz this round (plus a couple of rabbit punches)

10-9 Saydraximov

48-47 César La Cruz

 

Even the Cuban fans in the comments aren't exactly loving César La Cruz's performance.

I wonder if Arlen López or Erislandy Álvarez mightn't have been wiser choices of headliner.

There's the appreciation of the sweet science, sure, but then there's just being boring and cheap to a fault when not really necessary.

 

Round 6

Saydraximov being busier and staying in close. César La Cruz is getting touched with jabs, and occasionally even by power shots as he is jerking away - right hands bowled in behind the jab or wound up left hooks catching him as he leans outside. César La Cruz is still defending well, and avoiding most of Saydraximov's attacks - but not all of them, and he isn't putting himself on the scoreboard at all.

10-9 Saydraximov

57-57

 

Round 7

César La Cruz is back to trotting around laterally and tossing pot shots. A little more pep in his step now. César La Cruz scoring jabs and playing keepaway with quick feet, upper body bends, or clinching. Saydraximov expending energy trying to make a big moment happen for himself but not able to make anything stick.

10-9 César La Cruz

67-66 César La Cruz

 

Round 8

César La Cruz is letting his knuckles dangle below the hem of his trunks, wiggling in front of Saydraximov, baiting him. Saydraximov is trying with measured shots, either singles or two-pieces, and César La Cruz is flitting away or ducking and tying up. Saydraximov's gum shield comes out. César La Cruz is sticking jabs and then slamming himself into Saydraximov, cupping his neck in his right arm. Wild exchanges inside, both missing and getting in some incidental fouls as they fall together. Cut on the left cheekbone of Saydraximov.

10-9 César La Cruz

77-75 César La Cruz

 

Yeah, really dreadful main event.

 

Round 9

César La Cruz is continuing to do the bare minimum, showboating and refusing to engage despite the growing restless murmurs of the crowd. César La Cruz down, slip, front feet got tangled. César La Cruz is dancing around, out of range, with Saydraximov reluctant to fire until he can cut the ring off. César La Cruz with pot shot jabs once in a blue moon.

10-9 César La Cruz

87-84 César La Cruz

 

Round 10

Lots of evasion from César La Cruz. Lots of evasion, and clinching, and stalling. Saydraximov is tired, carrying his own hands low, and seems a bit deflated, half-hearted in his sporadic assaults now. Saydraximov switches southpaw and tries hacking his way in close with a right hook after feinting with the left. César La Cruz is still relying on fast defensive twitching above the waist and rubbernecking to dodge shots and sprinkling in the odd counter jab or right. Round ends 25 seconds early for some reason. (rewound and checked, clock started counting down from 3:00 when the action began but the ten second clap came at 0:35)

10-9 César La Cruz

97-93 César La Cruz

 

César La Cruz frustratingly seems like with his talent he ought to have been able to dominate that from bell to bell, in far more crowd-pleasing but no less safe fashion.

 

UD for César La Cruz, completing a Cuban clean sweep.

He now holds the IBA cruiserweight world title which has lain dormant for ten years, last worn by Mairis Briedis who retired last week (if you missed the memo).

Honestly wouldn't hate seeing the Latvian change his mind and come pummel this creep to regain it.

 

No card details reported to BoxRec... No individual judges' scorecards... Final round of the main event mysteriously ending half a minute ahead of schedule with the heavy favorite on his bike protecting a lead...

Honestly, if we weren't expecting all kinds of weird sketchy shenanigans from IBA, then we weren't paying attention all along.