Murphys Boxing: Mark DeLuca vs. James Williams & Gary O'Sullivan vs. Khiary Gray-Pitts RBR

Khiary is sort of a punk. He walked out while Spike was giving him props over the PA in his victory interview, saying "he deserves the nickname Too Sharp" (which on the basis of this performance at least was pretty generously flattering) and not even turning around to acknowledge him with a salute or anything.

 

Yeah, there's a threshold, and if you've been watching boxing a long time you just sort of know. Some guys have that aura that even when getting pistol-whipped you feel like there's still a 20% chance of a reversal of fortune. If you have a situation where the chance is less than 1%, though, stop it, regardless of whether it "seems like a good moment"; they can both literally be standing there with their arms by their sides...if one guy has been getting licked and has zero plausible means to reasonably expect an upset, yank the plug.

 

I'm going to listen to the Dropkick Murphys' concert while watching Spence vs. García - reasons threefold:

1. fuck TV boxing commentary, 90% is absolutely inane drivel.
2. so I can know when to switch back to watch & score DeLuca vs. Williams.
   
3. I kinda like the Dropkicks.

 

Mark DeLuca vs. James Williams, 10 rounds @ light middleweight

 

Round 1

DeLuca is cutting his way in past the long jab of Williams, creeping in while rowing out his right jab and then swerving quickly down and diagonally to his left, folding like a lawn chair to get beneath the 1-2 of Williams and then uncorking a high left hand from the crouch. DeLuca coming very close to blasting Williams flush on the face with that rocket left, glancing him with it a few times. Williams pawing with the left jab and pivots by the ropes after baiting DeLuca to rush in with a big scything hook which ends up whiffing.

10-9 DeLuca, close

 

Round 2

DeLuca is dancing in and jabbing off the right hip, then extending it out from his chest idiosyncratically like an elastic physical therapy band. Williams is keeping him at bay with the long jab unfurling as he takes wide steps around the middle of the ring. DeLuca rushes in and scores with a blinding fast sudden left hand lead. Williams clinches. DeLuca stalking, feinting the right jab up top and then chipping away on the belt line with it beneath Williams' elbows. DeLuca squats under a Williams looping right as they circle in close.

10-9 DeLuca

20-18 DeLuca

 

Round 3

DeLuca is diving in and working left hands slung high over the shoulder. Williams is rocking-chairing away on his long spindly legs, flurrying at the back & top of DeLuca's skull while hovering atop him momentarily, sometimes torn by indecision as to whether drape himself over DeLuca to swallow him in a clinch or keep sticking & moving. DeLuca is leaning, twisting & weaving on the way in, mixing in feints & real jabs, and slipping the Williams' jab. Left uppercut downstairs by DeLuca.

10-9 DeLuca

30-27 DeLuca

 

Round 4

DeLuca is ripping BIG leaping looping lefts from behind the rear hip, flying across the ring, up off his heels, nicking the bottom of Williams' chin and setting him reeling. Williams plants his feet and counters with uppercuts as DeLuca does a Dempsey shift inside, pumping in both hands with power shots. DeLuca remains orthodox for a spell, cutting the ring off, whipping left hooks up top from a tight peek-a-boo guard. Williams is lashing down on him with his long arms, then drawing him into clinches. Good body shots by DeLuca. Jabs and wavy rights up top by Williams, missing over the head as DeLuca bends forward.

10-9 DeLuca

40-36 DeLuca

 

Round 5

DeLuca is defending well, using the old-timey boxing stance, right fist up wedged against his chin and throat, left arm held in a low sling, body twisted 45 degrees away from Williams, able to slip most of his straight punches and duck his hooks - but Williams working more. Williams is just shoeshining nonstop from medium range and then sweeping his gloves over DeLuca's backside when they press together. DeLuca unable to do much except block & slip in between the clinches - a few body shots late, but not enough to steal it.

10-9 Williams

49-46 DeLuca

 

Round 6

DeLuca is starting orthodox, jabbing his way around the carousel, and then switches to lefty. Williams very disorganized, throwing long wide shots, DeLuca easily ducking and/or turning aside to roll with them. DeLuca cleaving in close and pumping into the body. Williams chops down with right hands across the back of DeLuca's neck. DeLuca rams Williams into the corner post. Ref splits them up. DeLuca jabbing with the left again, off the hip. Williams traps DeLuca's right arm with his left clamped down against his own body. Williams doubles some jabs into the chest after the break. DeLuca caught in a headlock. Williams lashes his back. Body shots by DeLuca.

10-9 DeLuca

59-55 DeLuca

 

Round 7

DeLuca is switching off, both his stance and elevation, sometimes letting Williams lead and sometimes going on the front-foot himself. DeLuca showing different looks, snapping out the jab with whichever hand is out front, scoring from up by his ear or down below the waistband. DeLuca walking Williams down and coming at him from different angles. Williams just reacting, roping out jabs over the head and then lassoing haphazardly with the gangly right arm.

10-9 DeLuca

69-64 DeLuca

 

Hmm...the commentator said they would be going offline very briefly when the stream hit the 4 hour mark (as that is Facebook's limit) but they would immediately put up a new video embed, so all viewers had to do was refresh the Dropkick Murphys' page...but uh, it's been a few minutes and there is no follow-up post yet...