Snipes was a contender — really difficult, herky-jerky style that gave some people problems and a sneaky good right hand. Ribalta was a journeyman/gatekeeper type. Durable, could hang in there but a level below Snipes. Renaldo 10-round decision, fairly easily.
Snipes by unanimous decision. Better class of fighter, and that right could get through for a knockdown.
If Snipes is at his best, he wins, but Ribalta can take a punch and was a pretty good boxer when he really got in there. It's going to a decision any way you look at it, so it's just up to the fighters to make something out of the fight for themselves.
Snipes hit Holmes so hard that if Ribalta was standing there, the shockwave dispersing through the air would knock him out.
This sure looks like one of those bouts where Snipes shows up with his b game. Cannot picture him in best form for an opponent like this. Very well could be like the Frank fight and Snipes barely winning or dropping a decision to a guy he had no right to lose to. The difference between his A game and his B game was about as big of a dropoff as any heavyweight at the time--when we had a handful. But Snipes being Snipes could come back from a flat effort against Ribalta in his next bout and get the nod over a Bruno or Morrison & get a nice upset win.
