Thammanoon Niyomtrong vs. Toto Landero RBR

Round 11

Niyomtrong is jabbing in, crossing his left arm over his face to absorb Landero's defensive flurries, and shooting the right as Landero scampers off the ropes just praying to be a difficult to hit moving target. Niyomtrong is letting the Landero jab tickle his chin as he comes in, fists gathered up beneath his chest ready to nock & loose arrows to Landero's body. Lots of clinches. Niyomtrong is jabbing in closer and closer, still not throwing lots of power shots, just making Landero nervous and baiting him into going on the attack, then backing up and blocking most of the jabs and flurries to make Landero waste more energy. Niyomtrong giving away this one in perhaps a gambit to stop Landero in the next and final round..

10-9 Landero

105-104 Landero

 

Round 12

Niyomtrong is ceding ground as Landero throws jabs and looping or shoveling rights at the body. Landero moving in letting both hands go and backing Niyomtrong up, then running back his own footprints, leaving plenty of distance between them, dictating when and where they're engaging. Niyomtrong mostly just crouching and covering up, not letting the punches go for two full minutes. What is he waiting for? Clinch. Break. Landero attacks, slapping Niyomtrong on the sides of the face with both hands and backing him into a corner. Niyomtrong has inexplicably given away this entire round, and on my card, the fight!

10-9 Landero

115-113 Landero

 

He had absolutely no business being so thin on experience and fighting for the first time away from home, and doing this well in a world title match against a respected champ. Very impressed.

 

Official cards:

??
??
??

I think a split decision, each of the first two scorecards excited one guy or the other...

Niyomtrong retains belt.

 

I'm really interested to know what the scores were. If there was like a 119-109 in there we know there was literally nothing Landero could have done (except, uh, knock out Knockout...)

 

They're showing a swing bout. I think I heard the English words "super fly". Whoever the house fighter is (another lefty), he's fighting either the swarthiest Pinoy ever seen or, more likely, an Indonesian.

Both tall as hell for super fly, though. Each as tall as the ref, so unless he's a midget..