Vicente Esobedo vs. Juan Ruiz RBR

Juan Ruiz = the modern Mexican-American super featherweight George Chuvalo. :deal

 

Not just getting carried away with this spectacle before us, but looking at his entire career in retrospective - I think there's a case Ruiz has the best chin of any active boxer. One of the very best, at least. We are talking top five, lock.

He has never been down. The way he fights, that is just loco. Faced some serious punchers, and always like this.

I think he'd have gone the distance with Valero, Pacquiao, Montiel, Donaire, any of the big hitters in his weight range since he turned pro at the turn of the century...

 

Round 6

Escobedo is teeing off!! There are starting to be signs of fissure in that iron chin!! Ruiz is having to lean in, no longer throwing as many body punches - just clasping onto Escobedo!! The younger man shakes him off with a shimmy of the hip and keeps BOMBING him with hooks to the head!! Ruiz is taking monster shots, looking more and more affected but still not backing up a single step!! Escobedo mixes up to head and body!! Ruiz dips a few times, but always snaps back upright!

60-54 Escobedo

 

Round 7

Escobedo is folding his arms up against himself, letting Ruiz push him back and reach around for body pecks, and easily blocking all his higher climbing overhands with fists hovering by his face. Escobedo patiently slams down on Ruiz's own body, giving a taste of his own medicine. That is doing the trick!! The iron chinned warrior is wilting a bit when Escobedo hits him downstairs! That's the key! Cuffing left hook to the back of the head as Ruiz is bowed forward, and down goes Ruiz. The ref waves his arms at his sides, saying no knockdown. Slip.

70-63 Escobedo

 

Round 8

Hard right curled down to the body by Escobedo. Big hooks to the head!! They push in close together and the ref is concerned about heads. Ruiz throws a wild right hand windmill and gets countered with a stiff jab. Escobedo seems to have grown bored of teeing off on Ruiz and is now practicing his defense, slipping and gyrating on the outside. WHIPPING combo to the face by Escobedo suddenly rushing forward. Jab, right, hook, right, jab - all landing. Ruiz doesn't blink. Body shots by Ruiz. Escobedo is pushed against the ropes. He shoves back, almost out to center ring. Ruiz persists, and Escobedo is against the adjacent set of ropes getting chopped to the body. Escobedo lands jabs and then clubbing rights to the back of the head as Ruiz ducks and exposes it while dishing out his body shots.

80-72 Escobedo

 

Starting to agree. It's obvious that nobody in Ruiz's corner is a family member or anyone else too concerned with his welfare..

He's just way too brave for his own good, and by his body language you'd think he still imagines himself to be one punch away from turning it all around. :blood

 

Round 9

Escobedo doesn't want to hurt this guy anymore (or he's sick of the body punches...or both). He's circling out wide, flicking long jabs at Ruiz. The old man is disappointed by this turn of events but there is not much he can do about it with the stark difference in foot speed. He seems resigned to the fact that if Escobedo is going to run, let him run. He just moseys in at his own pace and goes through the motions of attacking the body. Escobedo is sticking him with jabs to the body before he gets halfway there. Ruiz pushes in against Escobedo but gets tied up trying to muscle inside. Escobedo has a jab ducked. The ref is keeping them apart as the inside stuff is getting messy.

90-81 Escobedo

 

Escobedo doesn't want to sit on his stool, defiantly standing and mouthing off to his cornerman until convinced to "sit the **** down".

Ruiz is bringing out the macho maniac in him.

 

Round 10

A quick embrace before the bell. Down to business. High jab by Escobedo, and Ruiz submerges past it to jab at the body, not quite reaching. Clubbing shots by Escobedo as Ruiz pushes in against him and gets him in a hug. Arms all knotted up. Left hook to the face by Escobedo. Harder left hook to the gut. Ruiz pushes in and holds. Now a sneaky double left hook to the lungs by Ruiz after Escobedo thought he was trying to catch a rest and relaxed himself! Ruiz is swinging high and wide, deciding it's time finally to switch from body to head. Escobedo is boxing smart from mid-range, keeping Ruiz out with jabs and tying him up when he dives inside, pushing down on his shaggy titanium head with a forearm. BIG COMBO BY ESCOBEDO!! Uppercuts and overhands!! Ruiz is hurt and holding!! Oh damn!! Thirty seconds remaining!! High drama!! Can Escobedo become the first EVER?!?! Quick combo, stifled as Ruiz dives against him and holds. Ruiz grabs both of Escobedo's arms and pins them together. Escobedo pulls free, lands a BIG right hand and Ruiz wobbles - but stays up. Final bell.

100-90 Escobedo