King's Box: Anthony Mercado Reyes vs. Victor Vázquez & Raeese Aleem vs. Alcides Santiago Cintrón RBR

Nope, sorry, meant descending order. Most impressed with Aleem, easily.

 

Round 1

Mercado is snapping the jab while zigzagging by Vázquez with short quick steps and then swinging wide at the side of the head with the right once he's flanking him, landing from side angle despite telegraphing. Vázquez is answering back with uppercut & hook combinations ducking and weaving in low, now pressuring aggressively, switching his stance every couple of steps doing a Dempsey shift. Mercado tries lining up a 1-2 circling away but is getting clobbered by the overhand left hand leads of Vázquez.

10-9 Vázquez, dominated the last two after Mercado had a strong opening minute.

 

"Clubman" Mercado is 11-4 (10) and "Flaco" Vázquez is 10-4 (4) - but looks the heavier puncher so far.

Both have been stopped a couple of times. Doubt this goes a full eight at this pace.

 

Round 2

Vázquez is hooking in with the right and digging hard into the biceps, throat and lower mandible of Mercado with his left uppercut, content to let it land wherever it can, spamming it on the inside, letting his upper half sway to his right in the pocket when not punching to drift outside Mercado's 1-2 strike zone. Mercado finally turns the tables on him and starts to find his range with short right hands, buzzing the southpaw and then driving him into the ropes, pummeling his body and raining combos down on him while Vázquez attempts to grind in against him and work left uppercuts. Vázquez badly hurt.

10-9 Mercado

19-19

 

Amen. I poured myself a half glass of red wine to kill off the bottle and was sure I'd not only be able to finish it but have time at some point to crack a beer taking leisurely sips while viewing this main event. Not bloody likely the way things are going.

 

Round 3

Vázquez is attacking in spurts, hooks up top and scooping body shots, now boxing orthodox. Mercado sandbags him at the very tip of a long right hand and buzzes him. Mercado keeps rolling right hands over the top and has Vázquez very wobbly. Vázquez is battling off the ropes, flailing his arms, but doesn't go down. The ref intervenes, pushing them apart so he can apply the standing eight count to Vázquez, saying the ropes were holding him up. Vázquez is too weakened and fatigued to put up much argument though he clearly disagrees. Vázquez sucking wind and flurries it out until the bell with Mercado. Headbutt, and Vázquez has a cut eye while Mercado has a bloody nose.

10-8 Mercado

29-27 Mercado

 

Yeah his instincts to fight back were admirable but that wild flailing belies him never having been properly trained on what to do when hurt. All it did was get him tagged up even worse.

 

Round 4

Trading BIG hooks in the center of the ring. Vázquez has now opened a big cut at the corner of Mercado's right eye. Mercado is hurt! Vázquez unloading! Big hooks slung in wide but fast arcs off either hip! The ref splits them up and has the doctor come look at Mercado's eye. If this doesn't go 4 rounds it becomes a ND. Time in, Mercado is cleared to go. Vázquez is shoeshining the body and then chops Mercado across the face HARD with a right. Mercado battling now, a mirror image of Vázquez in the previous round, flailing off the ropes but clearly out of it. Vázquez is hammering him and has a minute left on the round clock. Mercado windmills his right hand and flops into clinches, clinging to Vázquez as long as he can. Mercado takes advantage of a lulling Vázquez, who may have blown his wad, and pushes HIM on the ropes with a series of paintbrush-downstroking right hands. Vázquez now rallies, landing some overhand rights behind a fluttering double and triple watch the birdie jab.

10-9 Vázquez

38-37 Mercado

 

Commentator just mentioned that he's spending the between round minute break to dab the blood spatter off his laptop.

"I need some Windex.."

 

Both guys, honestly.