the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Hiroto Kyoguchi UD12 Jose Argumedo

I thought Jose actually out-winged Kyoguchi in the first but you can see how it's going to go. One of these boys has a jab and a guard to match, the other, quite a bit wilder. And yeah, in the second round, a mix of lead rights, right uppercuts and right-hand counters puts Kyoguchi in charge. He's not winging bombs yet, but he's clearly out punching the more aggressive Argumendo. Mexican is not for going away though and I thought he just about speared his way to the third, long jab, nice feint and right hand to the body to open, too. In fact, I have Argumendo insisting his way tot the fourth, too. Kyoguchi probably landing the better stuff in a fight so far defined by chaos and missing as much as hitting, but Argumendo is more aggressive and he is slinging some mud. Kyoguchi just isn't establishing the jab, it's like he's bein drawn into the chaos. Needs to unchian himself, or start landing some serious combos, fast.

One thing that has surprised is the angel-faced Kyoguchi's foul tactics. He's used forearms, pushed with the head, rabbit punches, and has been admonished by the referee for failing to listen. Messy bodywork brings him the sixth though. He's marginally better at making space for himself when they clinch. And they clinch a lot. THis is a bizarre route to victory if it turns out to be such. Slung uppercuts and hooks to the gut while they clinch. The double left hook Kyoguchi lands to put Argumendo on ***** street in the ninth is the highlight of a muggy fight.

Still, an interesting recovery from a bad start.

Kyoguchi:2,6,7,8,9*,10,12.
Argumendo:1,3,4,5,11.

115-112 Kyoguchi.

*Argumendo down

 

Kazuto Ioka UD 12 Akira Yaegashi

I pretty much mis-remembered Ioka as a fighter. Weird when that happens. Anyway, he does well with the jab in the first here but a stalking Yaegashi does well with the 1-2 and steals it I reckon. he did the marginally better work in the second for me, too, matching his right to Ioka's left jab, but Ioa scored the best punch fo the fight so far, a right hand right on Yaegashi's swelling eye to steal another close one. He starts the third flurrying well, too, Yaegashi and even drives Ioka around the ring at one point. Why do I remember this one-sided to Ioka? Must change up in the second half.

First half I have it 3-3 and it feels very very drawish so far, lots of indeterminate squabbles, slightly different punching styles...Yaegashis left eye is swelling very badly though and that might be the difference. Some uppercut Yaegashi drops to take the fifth, Ioka beat him up a bit in the sixth though I thought, though he's fighting Yaegashi's fight. He's just faster at putting two together though, maybe he does take over in the second half. Yaegashi remains bold though.

Seven feels very important and it's interesting too. I get the sense that Yaegashi is trying to wait a bit more, hoping to meaningfully counter in swathes and this might be due to the limited vision he has in that bad eye. He arguably outfights Ioka for spells none-the-less but I think that Ioka landed too much grief here. He hasn't taken over, but it really might be coming. It kind of does. Yaegashi remains violent and engaged by Ioka is just touching, touching, staying reasonably busy, minimising risk while scoring with shots. I like the performance. Yaegashi picks up the tenth when he desperately needs it but he can't quite stitch them together.

I think he would have won this fight if his eye were OK though, maybe. Still, it's Ioka that remains composed and that may always have been the case. It's Ioka who kept his spring later, too.

Ioka:1,3,5,7,8,9,11.
Yaegashi:2,4,6,10,12.

115-113 Ioka.

 

Byron Rojas UD12 Hekkie Budler

Upset this. God bless him, Rojas refused to pay the sanctioning fee so he couldn't win the strap.

Rojas looks fast and compact in the first, clearly thinks he can out-speed Budler to points. And in the first, it definitely works. Flashing punches, one-handed or two, looks to land on the midriff to kick off, they're getting a bit more hooky as the round progresses. But he works in combos, too, poor variety, very good speed. Budler, the veteran, is patient but clearly ships the first.

Rojas is working off the left hand, but he will hook or cut with it as a lead before doubling it up and looking for the right, also likes the traditional jab. You can here the gunslap punches he's throwing, its a nice sound. Budler allows himself to moved back a little bit then flashes out of the retreat, that's his best success, but Rojas counters him beautifully at one point in the second - I thought Budler would find his way first in countering the left. Budler has a nasty cut on his left eye, corner does a great job on it between rounds though - Rojas clearly still takes the third and is running away with it a bit for me. He's grabbed ring centre and although he's a bit static, Budler looks like he doesn't fancy the job of taking it away from him at the moment.

Budler does the right thing and sloooows it right down in the fourth, moves a bit, punches a bit, moves a bit more, keeps Rojas moving or distant and it works for him, he out slings Rojas and slips enough of what comes the other way. This way though, he is able to measure his superior punching and defence against Rojas's harder work and harder punches. Another headclash, another cut for Budler. Fifth and sixth are very close, I have one, either way, Budler feels far away from a win right now though. Rojas has zero fear of throwing with him, leading on him, and Budler has done zip to change that. Right hand to the body is a new wrinkle from Rojas, Budler responds by targeting the body with his left. It makes for a close, close eighth round that Budler just nicks for me.

Big ninth for Budler and it looks like he might win the fight, for the first time. He's met Rojas all the way on the inside, literally trying to push him back and hitting him to the body. Rojas appears perturbed and for the first time isn't out-working his man. The fight is really on, good adjustment. Wow, Rojas comes roaring back with a low guard and meathook power-punches backed by zero jab and a bad attitude. That's impressive indeed. The shootout in the last round is great, Budler looks the little more tired of the two but lands some good punches, Rojas continues to make the round and the fight. Both it and the twelfth are close which means a draw ould have been fine and i'm surprised it didn't occur to be honest - but i Have it for Rojas, and by way of cleaner punching int he twelfth, of all things.

Rojas:1,2,3,6,7,10,12.
Budler:4,5,8,9,11.

115-113 Rojas.

 

I don't. I should. I'd go so far to say that about 80 percent of them are in this thread and nowhere else.