ShoBox: Rubén Villa IV vs. Luis Alberto López & Michael Dutchover vs. Rosekie Biaco Cristobal RBR

L-O-fucking-L at Barry Tompkins attempting to check Steve Farhood and mansplain to him "weeeeeell, actually, it probably is too early to start throwing around comparisons like THAT", when Farhood makes a comment about Villa having some Mayweather-like aspects to his game.

a) I'm pretty sure he wasn't saying RV4 is the new TBE.

b) trust me, the man you're condescending to KSAB more than you ever will, I don't care if you do have a decade or two chronologically on him.. know your role & stay in your lane, play-by-play guy..

 

Round 6

López is no longer even making incidental contact, and is eating more right jabs than ever. Villa has now worked himself into a rhythm, diligently breaking up López's own awkward lurching rhythm, halting each scurry inward to attack with a well-placed right hook on the body or jab opening his neck like a Pez dispenser. Villa keeping the left hand largely holstered, but still effectively blasting López with it when need be to keep him from getting dishonest and rushing in with a hail Mary.

10-9 Villa

60-54 Villa

 

Hard to call a mismatch (where the KO isn't on the table) and keep it fresh over the long haul, they're eminently more listenable than Atlas & Tessitore used to be in this same position..

 

Round 7

López is following as Villa works the jab & 1-2, ever on the move. López is starting to bull his way in as Villa tires slightly. López painting Villa's face with a downward-brushing jab, his palm scrubbing from just above the corner of the right eyebrow down to where his beard starts just below his earlobe. López managing to keep Villa on the very end of that left jab, but not able to plant that big right hand he keeps attempting to put behind it. Villa finally explodes late with a power flurry to steal it.

10-9 Villa, close

70-63 Villa

 

Round 8

López is diving in headfirst now, back planked, face level with his own waist as he winds up and hurls giant right hands in like sandbags from outside. Villa leaps clear of them and scuttles in with quick needlepoint right jabs, never giving López any lingering target. Villa so quick and nimble on his feet. López clumsily twirling in failed attempts to square up with Villa, getting stung with gnat-like counters from every angle.

10-9 Villa

80-72 Villa

 

In his defense this was his biggest step up yet. The best opponent either has fought yet is Ray Ximenez Jr. (whom López defeated by TD in February)

For his first time going this deep, and with somebody as strong & tough as López, this performance isn't scaring me off the "RV4 is a slick as hell prospect" bandwagon.

 

Round 9

López is visibly fatigued, now taking a couple of reluctant steps toward Villa but then reining up short and just waving his arms like a baby T-Rex with no real intention of crossing the gap. Villa is sidling up next to him, plugging the body with an underhanded left, backing off, resetting, coming at him from a different angle, rolling under a López jab, letting it pass by his jugular, and cutting inside with his own jab.

10-9 Villa

80-71 Villa

 

Round 10

López is clinching a lot now. Villa pushes down on the head to suppress the blatant headbutt attempts. The ref intervenes and both men complain. He is pretty even-handed about it, telling Villa to stop pushing down on the back of the head and López to cut the shit as well. López now starts to gain a little traction, looping hard right hands into the side of the head. Villa getting baited into a bit of a brawl with him, landing his soft 1-2s but getting caught with some counter uppercuts in the pocket. Villa now turns it around in the last minute, pressing López into the ropes with a vigorous force-feeding of right jabs. Another looping right on the lower jaw by López. 1-2 flush by Villa. Both men flurry until the bell. Sloppy clinch.

10-9 Villa, close

100-90 Villa