Sergey Kovalev vs. Vyacheslav Shabranskyy RBR

Round 6

Gamboa is using Sosa for target practice. 1-2s stepping in, then sliding out before Sosa can retaliate. Gamboa is catching a few clubbing right hands across the side of the head but quickly tying up by pinning Sosa's arms beneath his own pits whenever he gets even slightly buzzed. Gamboa is using his vastly superior hand and foot speed to stay a few chess moves ahead of Sosa, making the occasional miscalculation but not paying for it as Sosa isn't the sharpest hitter.

10-9 Gamboa

59-55 Gamboa

 

Round 7

Sosa at the very beginning of the round connects on a trawling left hook that brushes the back of the head while Gamboa is bowing low, and Gamboa happens to buckle at the knees and, per the ref, drags his knuckles on the canvas (unclear from the HBO camera angle whether he did) necessitating a standing eight count even though Gamboa isn't hurt. Gamboa is moments later threatened with a point deduction - and possibly a three point deficit/four point swing from what this would've been had it gone along with the pattern building in the 4th-6th - for holding. Gamboa is still holding a bit, yet is cautious to let go before he can incur the official's wrath. Sosa is clubbing away on the back of the skull as Gamboa dives in and threshing with body shots after Gamboa jumps in to clamp onto him. Gamboa mostly concentrating on defense and minding the ref's instructions and so doesn't mount a lot of significant offense.

10-8 Sosa

67-65 Gamboa