Thompson Boxing: Manuel Méndez vs. Gilberto Espinoza & Isaac Zárate vs. Ramiro Robles RBR

Round 3

Zárate is shuffling in retreat & clinching nonstop as Robles keeps leaping at him with the superman left, targeting Zárate's cut eye. Zárate twisting himself down by the ropes and ensnaring Robles' waist but getting thrashed downstairs by Robles' free hands. Cuffing shots on the chin by Robles at close range, ducking & straightening wildly, bucking like a bronco to keep Zárate from being able to effectively tie him up.

10-9 Robles

29-28 Zárate

 

Cut was ruled by the ref as being from a punch - so if we complete 4 rounds and this gets stopped due to it the result will be a TKO for Robles and not a technical decision going to judges' scorecards...

 

Round 4

Low blow from Zárate. Time in. Robles is blasting his way in with the high left hand lead, then once Zárate is posted up in the corner turning himself partially away, Robles starts pounding the body with both hands. Zárate is caught on the right eye by another left hand from Robles, who now starts to bop him with right hooks as Zárate favors the injured side of his face with his pick-offs. Robles is causing the swelling to exacerbate, forcing Zárate's eye to gradually shut from the impact of his left hands. Robles patiently jabbing his way in, ducking the return fire of Zárate, and plugging away downstairs until Zárate sprints from the ropes into his sights with the long lead left.

10-9 Robles

38-38

 

Steve Kim has it 39-37 Robles.

 

Round 5

Zárate is dropping anchor and throwing big pendulous uppercuts to stave Robles off, to no avail. Big wrecking ball body shots of his own scoring consistently for Robles, as are jabs up top with big floor-to-ceiling uppercuts grazing the face as Zárate is forced to back straight up or tie Robles up. Lots of wild swinging in the final minute with both missing and clearly growing arm-weary. Robles keeping up a blistering pace and Zárate increasingly uncomfortable with it.

10-9 Robles

48-47 Robles

 

Round 6

Zárate is looking for one big Hail Mary shot to turn things around. He lands a big left but then so does Robles a moment later. Zárate is wrenching on the right arm of Robles after trapping a missed jab under his armpit. Zárate is able to score a couple of combinations off the jab while getting superior positioning at mid-range. Robles claps down with a right hand across the back of the neck of Zárate while jumping atop him. Leaping jab by Robles. Zárate backed up into the ropes, bouncing off them, pitches forward and clinches. Robles is scoring with the leaping lead left, over and over, sending sweat flying off Zárate's head and making him hold. Robles taps on the nose with the right jab and hammers him into a corner with the left. Big left hand in response from Zárate but he can't back Robles off. Couple of short clubbing lefts from Robles.

10-9 Robles

58-56 Robles

 

Steve Kim gave Zárate the sixth and has it 58-56 Robles.

 

Round 7

Zárate is by turns clinching and getting racketed into the net like a birdie in peewee badminton. Robles is yanking his arms loose as Zárate clamps his arms down over them to trap them, fists popping out from Zárate's underarms and returning a moment later to clatter against the ribs or up on his face. Zárate is getting in a few swipes here and there but mostly just spoiling and buying time. His team has mitigated a lot of the swelling over his eye but it still has to be affecting his vision.

10-9 Robles

68-65 Robles

 

Round 8

Zárate is starting to mount a belated comeback here, up on his toes, looking focused, landing jabs and 1-2s. Robles is shoving his own jab past Zárate's and prodding him into the ropes, willingly eating shots to press in close. Robles ducks a few wild desperate hooks from a frustrated Zárate, bouncing around him and needling him with the left hand. Robles is stepping halfway in, arching his back, falling out to one side and coming up with another left as Zárate misses a flurry.

10-9 Robles

78-74 Robles

 

Steve Kim has it 78-74 Robles.

 

Official cards:

Ray Corona 77-75
Zac Young 77-75
Rudy Barragan 78-74

UD for Isaac Zárate

 

Wow, that's a bad decision.

 

Oh right, I can do that now...

Hm.

Question is, do I revert to my "classic" avatar from 2006-2016 (Johnny Tapia with his arm draped over Marco Antonio Barrera directly after they fought) - or the ones that newbies might know me by, that I wore for 1½ years before losing the av bet with Drew (me about to get socked by Tony DeMarco in front of the statue of him in my neighborhood) - or should I just keep Bradley digging a left hook into Holt's body?

Or pick a new, fourth image?

Or go avatar-less?

SO MANY CHOICES!

Does this warrant a poll? Or is asking people to vote on what avatar someone else uses just peak "taking an internet forum too seriously"?

 

Damn, you know what - I think upon previous attempts to hunt down that MAB-Tapia image the verdict was that I had no idea how the hell to find it online, and the laptop on which I had it saved is long since kaput and didn't get backed up (it had a large steak knife slashed through it by my brother - aiming for me - during a psychotic break).

Shame, was feeling a little wistful for that one.