Score this fight: Stephen McAfee v Colin O'Donovan - 6x3

Round 1

O'Donovan is using lots of movement, controlling the action with his southpaw jab. A bit of errant foot placement here and there, taking wastefully long steps - quick but undisciplined footwork, having to drag and fumble into position with the rear heel at times just to realign himself and keep balance. McAfee keeps his compass out, patiently twirling around to square up to his true north objective and pecking his way inside with double & triple jabs on the guard, knocking O'Donovan's gloves back into his face. Undeterred when he isn't able to get in a clean lick before O'Donovan goes prancing into a retreat, McAfee just starts the process over calmly, and is able to catch O'Donovan flush on the lateral trot with a couple of beauts, looping the right hand into his temple.

10-9 McAfee, tight

 

Round 2

O'Donovan is pushing the right jab into the face and feinting with a right hook off the jab but not actually firing it, just staying McAfee's pressure momentarily to buy himself a bit of clearance to reset. McAfee is leaping at him with body to head combos whenever he can trap O'Donovan in the corner and doing some damage, freezing O'Donovan up but finding him too resilient & defensively responsible to finish up. McAfee keeps banging as O'Donovan turtles up, letting McAfee win the frame but perhaps unwisely eschew conservation of energy for it being this early...

10-9 McAfee

20-18 McAfee

 

Round 3

O'Donovan is starting to find a rhythm, crouching and shooting an up-jab into the underside of the mandible and then buoying himself in an outward spiral from McAfee with a parting kiss with the right hook. McAfee is attempting desperately to line up a big KO shot but can not quite time his counters with the precision needed; credit to O'Donovan for some creative zigging & zagging, proving slippery enough to avoid punishment while still remaining in range to get in a few pokes of his own.

10-9 O'Donovan

29-28 McAfee

 

Round 4

O'Donovan is unloading jabs and lead right hooks, occasionally flashing a 2- or 3-piece combo in a quick two-fisted blur pitched forward on the ball of each foot before reeling away to box from range. O'Donovan putting out the right jab to steady himself, brace against the neck & head of McAfee, and turn him in order to cover his escape, once more taking his measure on the outside. The pattern seems to bother McAfee, who grows increasingly wild in his efforts to make O'Donovan stand pat with him, lunging from too far out, loading up but not scoring well.

10-9 O'Donovan

38-38

 

Round 5

O'Donovan is just toying with McAfee now, showing off that he's capable of feats of ambulation the more stolid & straightforward McAfee simply isn't. Not to say that McAfee is slow or clumsy (in fact he's never far off the mark and is throwing good textbook punches that end up juuuust shy), he just doesn't have that natural dancer's grace - isn't as light on his toes or sure of his own balance. O'Donovan doing figure-eights and pirouettes around him, making him miss, and popping him with right hooks, including a CORKER of a shot in the final half-minute, delivered while sprung from a crouch, amazed that didn't have more of an effect on McAfee.

10-9 O'Donovan

48-47 O'Donovan

 

Round 6

O'Donovan is under fire now, McAfee redoubling his efforts, much untidier stuff, just winging hooks with either hand and clattering his wrists against the sides of the head as O'Donovan shells up passively. O'Donovan spending lots of time on the back-foot, worming his way up behind the guard of McAfee from below with sneaky crowbar uppercuts, but only connecting lightly and not discouraging McAfee. Hard right hands by McAfee punctuating his combos now as he keeps O'Donovan running & ducking, ignoring the counter flurries. BIG right hand lead on the button from McAfee, with another nearly as good on its heels, but O'Donovan rallies with a jab and uppercut hurtling forward to push McAfee off and earn some breathing room. McAfee is tired, allowing O'Donovan to pummel him against the ropes for a moment. Turn switch, now O'Donovan with his back on a turnbuckle as McAfee rains overhands down upon him. O'Donovan now, jabs and shoveled left hands on the chin at mid-range.

10-9 O'Donovan, very close

58-56 O'Donovan

 

I see O'Donovan vs. McAfee II (for the Boxing Union of Ireland Celtic super featherweight title) will be getting main event honors on Saturday but will it be televised or streamed anywhere live or are we going to have to wait on another upload ex post facto?

 

Rounds 1, 2 and 6 were all, btw, very much in the balance so this is the sort of fight where a shutout for O'Donovan is every bit as reasonable as having it a draw, IMO.

The only crystal-clear sessions were the stretch from 3 until 5, and that was all one-way traffic for Colin. So the only card that wouldn't be acceptable would be one that had O'Donovan losing, since he swept cleanly a stretch equivalent to half the fight.

The extra two rounds make the rematch VERY interesting...

 

One more note: both these guys, hitherto unheralded and obscure as they are outside the Éire (McAfee is ranked 7th of 8 at super feather in the country on BoxRec) look to have better pro technique already, to my eyes, than mega hyped John Joe Nevin. Or at the very least, better than he looked himself 3 fights into his pro career. I remember him looking truly and disappointingly woeful, much sloppier than either of these lads.

 

O'Donovan win 4-2
Rd. 1 McAfee
Rd. 2 McAfee
Rd. 3 - 6 O'Donovan

O'Donovan is obviously the more skilled fighter of the two. Much better footwork, punching form, and excellent vision. He clearly won this fight. McAfee is just a crude winger that puts his head down and swings for the fences.

 

Oh wow many thanks for this,what a great fight,not surprised they gotten so much respect.
If ever there was a case for even rounds then this is it,draw seems right to me.
If pushed I’d favour Donavon,he looked more composed,had the better defence and looked to be sitting on his punches more as appose to his opponent trying for the same power by throwing himself off his feet each time.
Ask Isal and Shadow to score it using the Canelo method,to you and me that means working out who hits the hardest lol

 

Lol what do I know,I need educating CST80