Khasan Uvaysovich Baysangurov vs. Paul Ramón Valenzuela Cuesta RBR

I knew it would be, PVJ is better than his record suggests. (and the three stoppage losses are deceptive; only one was an actual KO instead of a retirement or injury stoppage, and that was Jaime Munguia, and it wasn't even a great stoppage, Valenzuela had been dropped heavily a couple of times but kept getting up and was lucid and stopped standing)

 

Round 3

Baysangurov is pressuring Valenzuela behind the jab and controlling his arms on the inside so he can't get off any body shots. Valenzuela is hissing and flurrying high & low with hooks. Baysangurov walks him into a corner and dips to his left to dig in a left hook downstairs while Valenzuela is headhunting with his own. Low blow. Valenzuela given a minute to recover. Baysangurov looks sincerely apologetic. Tie in. Baysangurov with ultra fast jabs, hooking off them, all of a sudden showing some dizzying hand speed and backing Valenzuela into the ropes in a counter-windmilling crouch.

10-9 Baysangurov

29-28 Baysangurov

 

Round 4

Baysangurov now doing some masterful work, pressing Valenzuela back with pinpoint straight combos down the gangplank and then sweeping out left hooks & hook-feints to discourage Valenzuela from slipping out the side door to his right. Valenzuela taking some lumps downstairs but overall connecting at the much higher clip with his both fists trained on Valenzuela's bobbing and tilting head. Valenzuela unable to battle his way clear of the ropes with the big right hands clearly loaded up with the intention of doing so, and finding himself still trapped but exacerbated by being out of position frequently.

10-9 Baysangurov

39-37 Baysangurov

 

Very mature performance from Khasan.

 

Oh I forgot - even though this is part of the 56th WBC annual convention gala, the Intercontinental middleweight title Baysangurov is defending is actually the WBA's.

So no open scoring.

 

Round 5

Baysangurov is gliding in and out of range, letting Valenzuela bowl in body shots or lunge up top with haymakers, and is just evading and making miss if he has enough separation, or simply wriggling his way in to smother Valenzuela's work - and countering him effectively when spots present themselves. Valenzuela is ripping away, throwing big hooks in short bursts, but can't consistently find any quality. Baysangurov jabs Valenzuela on the brow and then in the Adam's apple in quick succession before Valenzuela can even wind up a telegraphed punch before the bell.

10-9 Baysangurov

49-46 Baysangurov

 

Huh. Slow motion replay shows a few more of Valenzuela's shots got through in the 5th than I thought. At least one really nice flush hook and one right hand on the button.

 

Round 6

Baysangurov cracks Valenzuela with a double hook on the face, backing him into the ropes. Valenzuela is using a cross-armed guard, slashing over the top at Baysangurov with his back to the ropes. Valenzuela lands some rights on the throat as Baysangurov is jabbing and crossing in on him. Clinch. Break. Body jab by Valenzuela, now coming forward. Valenzuela ducks & slips a few Baysangurov jabs and is caught with a solid short straight right while peppering Baysangurov's chest with light raking shots. Whipping left hook downstairs by Valenzuela. Grueling pace and distance now. Baysangurov rips a big looping right and knocks Valenzuela into the ropes, bouncing forward into a clinch. Baysangurov now loading up, getting cocky. They're punching their way into tangled up clinches every few seconds now.

10-9 Baysangurov, but not all 1-way traffic.

59-55 Baysangurov

 

@minemax @Kokiri @Somachenko you guys ditch me? This is a really good fight, I can't be the only one watching.

 

Round 7

Baysangurov is giving Valenzuela space, letting him slash forth, nothing coming really close to landing. All Baysangurov needs to do is sway back against the ropes and straighten himself up tall and Valenzuela can't reach him with anything. When Valenzuela tires and backs off Baysangurov starts to come forward now. Valenzuela is throwing ambush overhand rights and baps Baysangurov on the cheekbone with a couple. Baysangurov keeps approaching, but a little more cautiously & respectfully. Baysangurov jabs the face and pulls back abruptly, as Valenzuela flicks a counter jab downstairs that just grazes his waistband. Body to head shoeshine by Valenzuela, probably a dozen punches of which half scored very gingerly, the entire sequence countered by a single powerful left hook by Baysangurov after sinking back on the ropes to buoy himself and launch forward. Valenzuela rocked.

10-9 Baysangurov

69-64 Baysangurov

 

That last sequence there was kind of a microcosm of the fight. Lots of good honest effort from Valenzuela, stymied by a bit of cleverness and quality from Baysangurov.