Shobox: Mike Jones vs. Irving Garcia & Antwone Smith vs. Lanardo Tyner RBR

No ESPN2 spoilers, please. That one's on my DVR.

Hey, how many more chances were there going to be to see BB King at the House of Blues? :conf

 

Round 3

Jones is showing some fierce, fast and focused combination punching now. Uppercuts and hooks sail smoothly toward their target and it's all Garcia can do to try to move out of the way following the first punch in each sequence after his head snaps back. Jones ducks down and thrusts his left bicep out to intercept some counter fire from Garcia and bangs away with hard hooks and uppercuts to Garcia's body. Garcia lunges with his jab and tries to back Jones up. Jones lands SEVEN HOOKS to the jaw and pecs on a swiftly moving target. BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG! Hook, uppercut, hook combination as Garcia charged in and landed a right but paid for it. Garcia jabs at faceward and Jones plugs him in the belly at the end of the round.

 

Round 4

Garcia rams his way into Jones with a short-armed flurry, and then steps back out and tries to jab and move. Jones quickly cuts the distance with his longer and sharper jab, but not letting go once in range. Garcia putting his all into the 1-2, over and over. Jones tagging him with the jab, almost like a cat's-paw. Jones leads with an uppercut but lands awkwardly leaned up against Garcia, who staggers off balance. Jones digs to the body and Garcia is wobbly. Garcia jabs and bounces backward on his feet trying to shake it off. More jabs miss from Garcia as he backs up, focused more on keeping distance than scoring with the jab.

 

Round 5

Hooks to the body, and right hand side-arm hammers pounding the force of Garcia's ribcage. Garcia backs into the ropes and here comes Jones! A wild flurry has Garcia hurt. his hands dropping, but he throws an arm out in return albeit unaimed and opening him up to further punishment. Jones lands a series of hooks and looping right hands to the head and then a huge left hook wound up behind Jones' head hits Garcia square in the balls.

Randy Neumann counts him out while he sits there on his butt, lucid but in pain!

It was a foregone conclusion that Jones would have stopped him this round, but the ending is unsatisfying.

 

It took me a while to come around to Mike Jones for some reason, but my stubborn resistance has all but melted into a thoroughly impressed puddle.

He is indeed a very legitimate top prospect, and a beautiful combination & body puncher. He's quick, athletic, moderately responsible on D, and exhibited good instincts when his prey showed weakness.