Solo Boxeo en UniMás: Alex Saucedo vs. Wilberth López & Mike Alvarado vs. Matthew Strode RBR

Round 3

Saucedo becoming increasingly aggressive, drilling López on the face with a high 1-2 as he backs him into the ropes. López is pushing his right jab and following up with left crosses and sweeping right hooks as he steps around Saucedo, giving him a wide berth, not willing to stand and trade. Saucedo just walking through López's power shots willingly just to stick him with a jab. Saucedo momentarily slowed as López connects with a couple of flush jabs, but no power behind them, rolling up Saucedo's face with López's palm nestled up beneath his nostrils by the end but barely pushing his head back. One more spirited combo by Saucedo at the bell.

10-9 Saucedo

30-26 Saucedo

 

Round 4

López is jabbing persistently into López's rib cage, now more conservative with his output. A few heavy lead rights on the face eliciting cheers from the crowd, but López isn't engaging with him long enough for Saucedo to string together many concatenate shots. López dancing around, throwing pot shot right jabs, playing keep-away. Saucedo not wasting energy throwing from too far out, just closing distance as best he can, making the most of the brief interludes at short range when López is pivoting away from the ropes.

10-9 Saucedo

40-35 Saucedo

 

Round 5

López is running, flat out running. Saucedo is stepping in and rocking him with high left hooks, delivered at shoulder-height and catching López on the kisser, turning his neck involuntarily. López, however, is taking off the edge from most of these with constant lateral movement on his toes and is already baring his cheek in anticipation to ride each punch when Saucedo loads up, as though López expects to be hit and realizes he isn't going to block or dodge the blows. López just in there emptying the veteran's bag of tricks in order to not get KTFO. Lots of directional changes by López, running from bell to bell, putting out a few perfunctory southpaw jabs to body and head but without ever setting his feet, landing almost nothing.

10-9 Saucedo

50-44 Saucedo

 

Round 6

López is starting to rub a few of his long basting-brush southpaw jabs against Saucedo's forehead at range as he trots away, luring Saucedo into their path. Saucedo is hunkering down and keeping his chin well covered but leaving his cranial north pole undefended. López is taking advantage, pumping light jabs into Saucedo's brow while not allowing the shorter fighter anywhere near him. Surprisingly effective stuff from a guy that hasn't demonstrated any desire or belief in winning a round (let alone the fight) hitherto. López now feeling his oats, just popping Saucedo high on the face with jabs over and over. Saucedo exhibiting very poor instincts cutting off the ring, just a moth to flame, walking into a gentle snowfall of lengthy push-jabs, each flake melting all over his face. Occasionally he will roar to life with a lunging right hand and graze as López's back is along the ropes, but nothing really clean for Saucedo in this frame. Perhaps tired out from the previous five? Bored/frustrated & losing focus?

10-9 López

59-54 Saucedo

 

Round 7

López is tripling his jab now, giving Saucedo pause. López takes advantage of Saucedo's momentary uncertainty and jumps in with a sloppy left uppercut, getting a piece of Saucedo's chest. López very confident now, bouncing around on his toes. López trading jabs with Saucedo now to escape the corner, throwing a wild left uppercut as he strafes clear of the pocket, while narrowly missing by sheer luck a heavy but telegraphed Saucedo right cross. Saucedo is reaching up with his jab, headhunting, unable to get in close. López caresses him with octopus-tentacle right jabs and backs straight into a corner, lulling Saucedo in, then shimmying out the side door when Saucedo gets wild and misses a hook, López bopping him with a soft left to add insult to injury.

10-9 López, closer

68-64 Saucedo

 

Confirmed: the main event, at least for TV broadcast purposes here on Solo Boxeo, will indeed be Michael Conlan in his sophomore effort in the pros.

 

Round 8

López is moving clockwise, leaving plenty of space between himself and Saucedo, exploiting his reach advantage. Saucedo will block a couple of jabs on his left wrist and then get caught by a surprise third as López fires in an unpredictable staccato rhythm from outside, constantly bobbling his bent right arm so you're never sure whether he's just twitching or punching. López being extremely negative but also making a bit of contact on Saucedo's face, however light, and keeping the unbeaten prospect from ever posting up in a spot to do the same.

10-9 López

77-74 Saucedo

 

Early on this seemed like an easy blowout, last thing I expected was for López to hang on and then actually bag a few consecutive rounds near the end. Disappointing night at the office for Cholo, especially for this being his twenty-fifth outing; he needs to work on some things in the gym.

 

Official cards:

Morley 78-73
Jacubko 78-73
Echo 77-74

UD for Alex Saucedo

 

Michael Conlan vs. Alfredo Chanez, 6 rounds @ super bantamweight

 

Round 1

Conlan is quick to assert his left jab as Chanez dives in and wings a blind left hook overhead. Conlan remains calm in the face of Chanez's messy charges, most of which seem to be with an eye toward clinching rather than connecting leather. Chanez just keeps dive-bombing Conlan's waist and falls onto the canvas. Ref correctly rules a slip as Conlan steps backward respectfully, not looking to unduly take credit where none was earned. Moments later Conlan does legitimately knock down Chanez with his first combination thrown in earnest. Quick 1-2-3 with a scything follow-up right just grazing on the way down. Chanez up and rushing in toward Conlan, attempting to bury his face into Conlan's torso and shoeshine the body. Conlan doesn't let him, backing him off with rapid short combos and then working an uppercut at mid-range. Chanez getting beaten up, but showing toughness. Chanez writhes under Conlan's assault, which has now shifted its target onto Chanez's flanks. Chanez's face is already bloody and his sides welted, and Conlan has maybe loosed a dozen blows all told.

10-8 Conlan

 

Round 2

Conlan is now switching to southpaw, drilling Chanez easily with the 1-2 no matter from which stance. Conlan just having fun in there, Chanez treated like a clay pigeon. Chanez shipping lots of punishment. Chanez starts to clown a bit, and then launches a few wild haymakers off the hip before diving in to hold. Conlan is cool as a cucumber, waiting for the ref to order a break and then fluidly switching stances and lining up 1-2s on the face. Chanez fakes a low blow and sells it while genuflecting and crying crocodile tears in the middle of the ring. Slow motion replay shows a counter body uppercut from Conlan landing a good 4" above his groin, at the upper edge of the belt line, as Conlan put his left arm out like a clothesline to hang a wild Chanez overhand right out to dry. Even the commentators are laughing at Chanez's dramatics as he now puts his forehead onto the mat as though in the midst of an Islamic prayer. Time in finally called. No further signs of pain on Chanez's face as he starts hopping around. Hmm, impressive powers of "recovery". Conlan sticks him with a few more 1-2s and Chanez partially blocks them while cowering against the ropes.

10-9 Conlan

20-17 Conlan

 

Round 3

Conlan is pumping left uppercuts into Chanez's stomach while prodding him into the ropes with a right jab. The ref warns Conlan for leaning on Chanez and pinning him with his arm. Chanez leaps at Conlan with a sloppy body hook and Conlan lets fly a straight right and they collide into a clinch. Another break. Another clinch. Another break. Conlan firing hard combos at the head but Chanez ducking and then ramming himself into Conlan, forcing clinches. Wild looping rights on the body as Conlan gets frustrated, lashing Chanez across the kidneys. Ref warns him. Double right jab from Conlan, now southpaw again, to Chanez's body. Left cross upstairs just misses as Chanez recedes in a crouch. Double left upper-hook on the jaw inside by Conlan followed by a right hook, executing the footwork shift on the way in, stance-less. Flood of hooks inside by Conlan, smothering a bit of his own work but landing enough. Chanez in pain, looking for a soft spot on the canvas, hurtles down and curls into a ball. Forget about the count - the ref did.

TKO3!!!

 

Replay shows one SPITEFUL right hook on the body landing near the end for Conlan, initially that had looked just like accumulation making Chanez want to hit the showers but that may in fact have been a clean one punch KO. He starts grimacing when it lands and doesn't stop even while rolling around on the canvas.

 

Conlan is touting his 2ish year old daughter (or excessively long-haired and pretty son...in pink shoes) on his shoulder and damn is that kid as exuberant as they are cute. Probably has no idea wtf is going on but just feeding off the happy energy in Da's corner. Practically have their little fists pumping in the air with a mile-wide grin and eyes brighter than fluorescent lights.