NBC Sports: Gabriel Rosado vs. Charles Whittaker & Ronald Cruz vs. Antwone Smith RBR

Round 8

Smith is catching jabs and rights from Cruz at waist-level on his horizontally turned left forearm, countering with up-jabs out of the stance as he backs up. Cruz tries to slap the body with a right hook as he turns southpaw. Smith is gun-shy, drifting to the ropes as Cruz stalks him as a lefty. Right hook slaps to the body and straight lefts to the nose by Cruz as Smith times his shoulder roll a bit too slowly.

10-9 Cruz

78-74 Smith

 

Punch stats in the eighth:

Smith 6 of 19, 32%

Cruz 27 of 51, 53%

atsch

I mean, Cruz won it clearly, but those numbers are absurd.

 

Round 9

Smith catches Cruz muscling into him in the middle of the ring, and chops him with a hard right to the body that buys him some respect. Cruz advances more cautiously, turning southpaw again. Right jabs by Cruz building into combinations of arm punches, headhunting. Smith counters him with the southpaw-killer lead right hand straight down the pipe, and HURTS Cruz!! Left hook follow-up by Smith. Cruz shakes it off and keeps coming forward, flurrying off the right jab. Smith barks and counters in quick bursts, then leans back and rolls into a ball, peeking up over his left shoulder. Lead rights by Smith, and a cuffing left hook. Left hook to the body by Smith. Cruz is spun into a corner and Smith shoeshines to the body. They clinch and Cruz gets his head pushed down. WILD windmilled Cruz right hand after a missed jab, and Smith catches him in a clinch.

10-9 Smith

88-83 Smith

 

INCREDIBLY clear round for Smith, even if he hadn't hurt Cruz with that right hand, and Flores & co. score it to Cruz!!! :-(