Yves Ulysse Jr vs. Stephen James Claggett II & Óscar Manuel Negrete Padilla vs. Joshua Franco II RBR

Round 7

Negrete is winging hooks, clanging off the outstretched jabbing arm of Franco. Nice 1-2s by Franco, hissing through his teeth as he connects in multiples. Negrete doing lots of holding now. Franco in control with the jab, and now actually scoring more on the body with the sneaky left hook. Negrete pounding the kidneys in the clinch with his right hand, on the ref's blind side, and lands some rabbit punches after pushing down on Franco's head. Very few legal scoring blows from Negrete so far 90 seconds into this round. Big looping rights by Negrete, partially blocked. They swap jabs and Franco starts to inch forward, landing his with a bit more authority. Nice body jab by Franco. 1-2 up top by Franco. Negrete rushes him and tries hacking down on the skull with the right but is entangled in a sloppy clinch. Franco shoves him off and into the ropes with a jab. Another clinch.

10-9 Franco

68-65 Negrete

 

Fischer has it 69-64 Negrete. I really thought Franco deserved the 7th pretty clearly, if you ignored all of Negrete's fouls.

 

Round 8

Negrete answers the bell with a huge charging superman right and nearly drops Franco. Negrete is forcing inside exchanges on Franco, getting off with twos and threes, usually leading with a hook, and then stepping out. Franco is finding himself ever a step behind, reacting to what Negrete is doing instead of dictating. A couple of nice double uppercut salvos by Franco inside but he can never capitalize before Negrete withdraws and resets. Missing overhand rights on the way in, Franco is tapped with jabs on the face and body hooks. Late hit by Franco and the ref warns him.

10-9 Negrete, close

78-74 Negrete

 

Again, heck of a solid Thursday night co-feature.

This would've made for a passing fair ESPN2 FNF or ShoBox headliner back in the day.

 

Dougie Fischer scored the last round (eighth) 10-10 even.

 

My only real issue with his card is giving Negrete the seventh. All he landed were fouls.

 

Round 9

Negrete is nudging Franco away with his bent left arm, then sweeping out with the right hand in wide corkscrew fashion, not reaching. Franco is burrowing his way inside, hunkered down low, shoeshines on the body, uppercuts on the flat underside of the chin, even as Negrete swallows him up in clinches and clap him behind his ear with the left hook after feigning a straight right lead. Nice uppercut late by Franco.

10-9 Franco, close

87-84 Negrete

 

Coachman and Fischer say that Franco definitely ought to need a knockdown to win.

Fischer has it 89-83 Negrete, which seems extraordinarily generous.

 

Round 10

Negrete is tying up as Franco ropes out a bevy of straight ramrod punches, hissing through his teeth with the vigor. Negrete is sidling in, dipping into a deep lean, floating a jab, missing as he steps out and showboating anyway, both arms in the air. Franco is walking him down, chasing, throwing a right, pulling it, dodging Negrete's combo with a short leap backward and then slinging himself in with a left hook.

10-9 Franco, close

96-94 Negrete