Yvan Mendy vs. Jesús Arévalo & Johann Duhaupas vs. Newfel Ouatah RBR

Yvan Mendy vs. Jesús Arévalo, 12 rounds @ lightweight

 

This is for the WBC 135lb Silver title (1st defense of Mendy)

 

Jesús "Víboro (The Viper)" Arévalo has a puncher's record but has never fought outside Mexico, and saw action just nine weeks ago versus Cristian Mijares, losing a wide UD10.

 

French and Mexican national anthems.

 

...the former of which is being performed on, uh, live miked violin, apparently.

 

The Lion and the Viper, this is like a Game of Thrones episode, I'm ****ing PUMPED!!!

 

Ouatah needs to either work on his conditioning or stop fighting burly iron-chinned fatties that can just walk him down and make him quit.

 

Round 1

Arévalo is quick to meet the champ in the middle of the ring, nettling him with jabs. Mendy blocks all of Arévalo's jabs and sets the record straight with the first one he throws on just who the sharper hitter is here. Arévalo is briefly stung, gives a short approving nod of respect and continues to peck away, except now keeping a respectfully high & tight guard against his chin. Mendy is content to cruise in reverse, bobbing in place on his rubbery heels, lining up Arévalo with nicely timed pot-shot jabs and 1-2s countering the Mexican's high push-jabs into Mendy's forearms and chunky uppercut combos shoveled into the waist. Nice clash of styles here; Mendy the patient counter-puncher, economically headhunting on the backfoot while Arévalo is manically shaken by an invisible hand from side to side on the way in before making nervous leaps inside to hook the body. Very nip and tuck round, edging the champ's way for the cleaner stuff, but little in this so far.

10-9 Mendy

 

Round 2

Arévalo is unable to breach Mendy's turtle shell with his jabs, having to reach up a bit uncomfortably due to Mendy's superior height and either shoot the jab from his own nose level or put it on an incline - either way dampening the quality and 'zip' of the punch. Mendy is controlling the distance and pace, starting to work in some cheeky lightning-fast combos off his counter jabs, darting in snake-like with a left hook off the jab and finishing with a short right through Arévalo's gloves. Arévalo throwing fewer body punches than in the first, sucked into a fencing duel with Mendy at mid-range, which DEFINITELY favors Mendy. All of Arévalo's 1-2s up top are easily blocked, nothing whatsoever getting through, not a speck of leather touching Mendy except on his own gloves & wraps.

10-9 Mendy

20-18 Mendy

 

Mendy is quite a tidy boxer, innit?

Arévalo doesn't even look all that bad, fairly decent contender actually on the eye test, just outclassed here so far.