Ryan James Sabal Racaza vs. Prell Nialda Tupas & Benjan Ypon Manangquil vs. Hinata Maruta RBR

****, really? Who the heck scored it a shutout for Maruta? (for whom I was rooting, btw)

 

Manangquil vs. Maruta, rounds 7 & 8 (second viewing)

Here is my viewing area now, with a very stable WiFi connection, so this is pretty optimal conditions:

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Round 7

Manangquil is jabbing up into Maruta's guard, then hooks off the jab, blocked. Maruta lands a right, Manangquil a left. They parry jabs, Manangquil loses his balance, sliding backward, nearly stumbles. Manangquil leans in on Maruta, digging a few body shots. Maruta shoeshines the body and chops on Manangquil's shoulder with a right. They step together and Maruta lands a short right hand. Uppercut by Maruta blocked. 1-2 blocked. Manangquil throws some weak uppercuts at the body as they spin in the center of the ring, Maruta not letting him land cleanly by turning him every time he throws. 1-2 scores for Maruta. Harpooning left hand downstairs scores for Manangquil. Maruta throws a lazy lead right, easily picked off. Maruta steps forward and pins Manangquil's face between his gloves while hunching over him. They remain locked in position for a moment catching their breath. Maruta throws several 1-2s, mostly hitting gloves. Manangquil winding up can-opener body shots with both hands, none doing any more than graze as he keeps his legs unglued while staggering laterally. Maruta just whirling in place and pumping out weak straight combos.

10-9 Maruta

68-65 Maruta


Round 8

Manangquil is leaning in and clanging overhand lefts into the chest and right hooks on the flanks. Maruta is lathering up chopping combos off the jab but the range is too short for him to get off effectively, Manangquil wending his way into his chest and staying put. Maruta's shots mostly bouncing off the clavicles or biceps. 1-2 by Maruta blocked, although Manangquil loses his footing and nearly goes to all fours. Ref waves both arms to clarify it wasn't a KD. They are clinching sloppily and frequently now. Maruta hopping in place to get the juices flowing. Manangquil reaches up and bops him over the left ear with a right hook. Maruta stands off at mid-range rattling off 1-2s, all blocked. Maruta tries a lead uppercut from too far out, doesn't reach. Manangquil taking swipes at the body, very arm-weary, just wet noodles. Both throwing sloppy flurries and missing.

10-9 Manangquil, close

77-75 Maruta



Well, alright.

I did indeed get it wrong. Maruta deserved the nod. On the 5" display with choppy WiFi, the body shots of Mananquil looked more effective than magnification reveals them in reality to have been. I still think Maruta's work in the last two rounds was very ragged & sloppy - my opinion regarding his work hasn't changed in the slightest, actually. He finished rather poorly. What has changed is my estimation of Manangquil's own work relative to his in those frames. I saw Manangquil whipping shots at the body and just assumed from Maruta's body language that most of them were landing. In fact, precious few did. As ragged & sloppy as his work may have been it was still a higher volume & rate of connection (of cleaner blows to boot) than what Benjan put forth.

Mea culpa.

@CST80 @PinoyProdigy @f1ght3rz

PS this doesn't change the fact that I don't let outside factors influence my scoring, @f1ght3rz - something that is long & well established here and that someone as new as you doesn't get to question. There's a difference between an honest mistake or misconstruing visual cues under sub-optimal conditions, and compromised objectivity.