Léster Normandy Martínez Tut vs. Isaiah Steen RBR

If the names sound familiar, that is most likely because:

1. Léster "El Orgulloso" Martínez made his ambitious professional debut with a stoppage over an old, shot, but unpredictable and dangerous until the last Ricardo Mayorga, effectively retiring El Matador.
2. Isaiah "Z-Wop" Steen is the (obviously) formerly undefeated prospect that Sena "Lord of the Ring" Agbeko upset to become world ranked and earn his opportunity next week versus David Morrell.

Martínez has quietly racked up a 14-0 record over semi-decent opposition, but nothing to definitively prove that his beginner's luck beating a big name on his maiden voyage wasn't a fluke. Steen for his part was 16-0 before the Agbeko banana peel but his biggest achievement was a close UD over fellow unbeaten prospect Kalvin "Hot Sauce" Henderson. Both have twelve kayos.

This is for each guy a "show me" fight - even if on a cheapo PPV. Separating wheat from the chaff.

 

Between the low-production-value soft lighting and his jacket I'm ready to start randomly yelling swears and waking up the whole neighborhood myself. Or violently throwing up.

 

Round 1

Steen is jabbing the right armpit, chest, and face of Martínez while moving left. Martínez stalking, pushing out his own jab, leaving himself open but inviting the leads so he can feel out a spot for a counter. Martínez finds him with a stone-skipping right hand over the crossed arms. Steen felt the power and backed off. They come together firing and clinch, ref warns for rabbit punches. Flurry on the body from Steen and Martínez lays a 1-2 on his dome, making his thick braid fly.

10-9 Martínez

 

Round 2

Martínez is slicing his way inside with a 1-2, locating the head of Steen wherever it may roam. Steen doing a lot of half-crouching and diving in to hold, but getting nailed with hard right crosses. Lots of body shots and jab/overhand combos above the guard by Steen while moving on his toes. Crowd begins to chant for action once things hit a lull with Steen on the backfoot. Martínez scrubs him on the upper lip with a reach-in left hook. Steen diving in and grabbing Martínez around the waist. Ref weirdly seems to be warning Martínez for a foul? Or maybe he's asking if he's okay, as he sort of got inadvertently headbutted in the junk there. Ref finally warns Steen to watch those bull horns.

10-9 Martínez

20-18 Martínez

 

So we haven't seen how Steen reacts to adversity? (getting rocked)

 

Round 3

Martínez is slamming rights down into the head of Steen. Clinch attempt. Down goes Steen. He argues, but as soon as the ref calls time in Martínez continues just fanning him with heavy rights. Steen tries stepping in with a flurry but catches a stray left jab on the chin and does a little wobbly-leg dance. Martínez determined not to let Steen clinch, letting out a gatling-gun jab to deter them and punishing him with brutal right crosses when he dives in. Steen having trouble shaking the cobwebs, looking to just survive the round. He does.

10-8 Martínez

30-26 Martínez

 

Z-Wop can't hang 7 more.

 

Round 4

Martínez is putting a finishing hook on his 1-2 now. Steen is doubling jabs, taking a step back, and hurling a right hand in desperate to buy himself some breathing room. Martínez just stomps through it all, hitting for power. Martínez down, slip. Clinching and whacks behind the head by Steen. Ref just straight up throwing karate chops up into Steen's arms to pry him loose from Martínez while yelling at him, since he isn't listening to break orders. Threaten a point deduction, bro...

10-9 Martínez

40-35 Martínez