El Paso, TX, USA: Super Bantam: Carl Frampton (21-0) W PTS 12 Alejandro Gonzalez (25-2-2). Super Fly: McJoe Arroyo (17-0) W TEC DEC 10 Arthur Villanueva (27-1). Super Middle: Julio Cesar Chavez (49-2-1) W PTS 12 Marcos Reyes (33-3). Heavy: Chris Arreola (36-4-1,1ND) DREW 10 Fred Kassi (18-3-1). Super Light: Amir Imam (18-0) W KO 4 Fernando Angulo (29-10). Light Heavy: Steve Lovett (13-0,1ND) W TKO 4 Jinner Guerrero (8-5).
Frampton vs. Gonzalez
Frampton overcomes first round shocks to outpoint Gonzalez and retain his IBF title. Within the first 40 seconds of the fight a left jab caught Frampton as he moved in and sent him back on his haunches with his gloves touching the canvas. He was up immediately but had to take the eight count. He then tracked the much taller Mexican around the ring scoring with some hard left hooks to the body and right crosses. As he was ducking and moving in to attack a downward chopping right from Gonzalez made Frampton dip at the knees with his right glove touching the canvas. He was up immediately but he had to take the second protection count in the round and the bell went as the count was completed. It was a great first round for Gonzalez and Frampton had a lot of ground to make up. The Belfast boxer went back to tracking Gonzalez and putting him on the back foot and in trying to counter a right from Gonzalez strayed very low and he was warned by the referee. The Mexican was trying to get on the front foot and use his jab to drive Frampton back but Frampton was again scoring with good hooks to the body. Gonzalez was warned twice in the third for low punches and deducted a point but had a good spell when they traded in mid round only for Frampton to use a stiff jab and left hooks to dominate the late stage of the round with Gonzalez landing another low punch right on the bell but this was a light glancing shot. Frampton began to dominate the rounds as despite giving away height and reach he was able to use the strength of his own jab to force Gonzalez back and was getting home with hard left hooks and he shook Gonzalez with a hard uppercut in the fifth and with a couple of right crosses in the sixth. Gonzalez was trying to stay busy and throwing lots of punches but Frampton was being more selective and was the harder puncher. He was standing in the pocket and scoring with hard combinations with Gonzalez only getting through with occasion shots and falling behind in the points. Frampton bossed the fight until the ninth when Gonzalez had his best round since the first. Knowing he was behind on points the Mexican was forced to come forward and take the fight to Frampton but any slight chance disappeared in the eleventh when he landed a low left hook and lost another point. In the last Frampton was content to let Gonzalez come forward and counter and he landed a good right cross which Gonzalez did well to absorb and it was the Frampton counters that took the last round. Scores 116-108 twice and 115-109. Frampton was defending his IBF title for the second time. He will not have been totally happy with his first USA fight but let’s not overegg the first round. Both punches owed something to balance and Frampton was not shaken or stirred by either knockdown and went on to win almost all of the remaining rounds. His jab was his major weapon driving through the Mexican’s defence and setting up the right crosses and left hooks that followed. It now looks as though the 28-year-old from Belfast is contemplating moving up to feather but “The Jackal” at 5’5” (165cm) might find it tough with bigger guys such as Nicholas Walters. The 22-year-old Gonzalez, a pro since he was 17, just lacked the power or experience to deal with the pressure put on him by Frampton. He has time and I can see him growing to feather or super feather in the future.
Arroyo vs. Villanueva
Arroyo wins the vacant IBF title with technical decision over Villanueva. This was one of those fights where styles don’t mix well and we get a messy untidy fight. The first round was close with Villanueva using his right as the standard response to a southpaw and Arroyo getting home with some hard hooks. There was not a great deal of action in the second and third with Villanueva just the busier and by the fourth the crowd was getting restive at the lack of action. They both tried to step up the pace in the fifth but heads were banging together and Villanueva was warned to watch his head work with Arroyo probably taking the round. They clashed heads again in the sixth and this time the referee deducted a point from Villanueva and the round turned nasty with both fighters roughing things up. A clash of heads in the seventh saw Villanueva cut above his right eye and he had to pass an inspection to let the fight continue. At this stage the fight seemed to be close and despite passing a couple oof inspections Villanueva realised that the cut would soon lead to an end of the fight so he tried to step up his aggression in the eighth and ninth but Arroyo was able to take advantage of the openings Villanueva was leaving . Villanueva started the tenth landing some hard punches but a couple of lefts from Arroyo brought the blood flowing from Villanueva’s cut and the fight was stopped and decided on the score cards. Arroyo was in front on all three cards by 98-91 twice and 97-92 which did not justice to the efforts of Villanueva or reflect the action and was booed long and loud by the crowd. The 29-year-old Puerto Rican Arroyo , one of pro boxing twins, has wins over Herman Marquez and Mark Anthony Geraldo but is still a low profile fighter at this time as these are not big wins. Strangely it was twin McWilliams who was the big star as an amateur but he lost a split decision to Amnat Ruenroeng for the IBF flyweight title in November so brother McJoe has beaten him to a title in the pros. Villanueva can feel aggrieved if not about the decision then definitely the scoring. The 26-year-old “King Arthur” has wins over Marco Demecillo, Henry Maldonado and Julio Cesar Miranda and once his cut heals he will be back pitching for another title shot.
Chavez vs. Reyes
Chavez wins but disappoints and fails to make the weight to add to the disappointment. The weight difference was a big factor. Reyes was busier and quicker but he could not hurt Chavez whereas Chavez was both able to rock Reyes and use his additional weight to bull his fellow Mexican around. Chavez took the first two rounds but looked listless in the third and Reyes dominated the fourth firing combinations through the guard of Chavez . The fifth saw Chavez come alive again as he was using his jab to open Reyes up for hard combinations and the sixth, seventh and eighth went to Chavez. Although Reyes was again throwing and scoring more the big punches were coming from Chavez. A clash of heads saw Chavez cut over his left eye and the referee harshly penalised Reyes with a point deduction and Reyes did not have the power to get the kayo he needed in the last round. Scores 98-91, 97-92 and 96-93 for Chavez. It was a winning performance from the point of view of the verdict but not when it comes to satisfying the critics. Being the son of the great Julio Cesar has mostly been a blessing for Junior but he is still being measured by his dad’s standards and is falling a long way short and showing a lack of discipline. He explained away an unimpressive performance by revealing he hurt his left hand in the third round. He made a mistake in going up to light heavy to face Andrzej Fonfara but he is not looking very convincing at super middle. He is still a big name but looking shop-worn. Reyes, 27, lost only one of his first 33 fights but lost a majority decision to Abraham Han in October at middleweight which is his true home.
Arreola vs. Kassi
Arreola just escapes with a draw but can’t have been happy with his performance. The virtually unknown Kassi was matching Arreola early absorbing some heavy shots from the former title challenger and getting home with enough meaty body punches to have edged in front after three rounds. Arreola stirred himself somewhat from the fourth and it was his body attacks catching the eyes but rights from Kassi were getting through to Arreola. Both continued to score with heavy clubbing punches but neither fighter seemed able to badly shake the other and it was a slugging match without much in the way of movement or defence on show. Arreola was both taller and heavier than Kassi but he did not make much use of either advantage. It was entertaining if slow paced fight and a fight that Arreola could not afford to lose. He did more pressing over the second half of the fight to perhaps have a slight edge but he did nothing to further his hopes of another title shot. Scores 95-95 twice and 96-94 for Arreola. The 34-year-old “Nightmare” is only rated by the WBC and then at No 11 so there are plenty ahead of him in the queue for a shot at Deontay Wilder. This was a big result for 35-year-old Kassi in his eleventh year as a pro. The fighter from Cameroon was having only his second fight in two years and last time out in 2013 he was knocked out in seven rounds by Amir Mansour so he looked a safe fight for Arreola but nearly proved to be a banana skin. He will have plenty of offers now.
Imam vs. Angulo
Imam knocks out Angulo to underline his talent and get close to a shot at the WBC title. The tall young fighter used his speed and height and reach edges to box on the outside . Angulo used his experience to keep pressing Imam trying to get within range to land one of his wild swings which made things interesting even if he was not having a great deal of success. He needed to get Imam on the ropes and keep him there but Imam was too smart and Angulo had to walk through some stiff counters for what little he did achieve. He was walking forward again in the fourth and as he leant in Imam landed a jab and then a chopping right which sent Angulo face down on the canvas and the referee waived the fight off without a count. The 24-year-old “Young Master” from Albany makes it 15 wins by KO/TKO. This was an eliminator to establish a challenger for the winner of the fight between Viktor Postol and Lucas Matthysse for the vacant WBC title with Imam being rated No 3 and Angulo No 8. Imam battled his way through a last chance qualifier to reach the US Olympic Trials but lost twice to Errol Spence and missed out on a berth in London. He was by no means the main attraction here but with wins over Yordanis Ugas, Santos Benavides, Fidel Maldonado, Walter Castillo and now Angulo he soon will be topping big shows. Angulo, 34, has been around the block a few times losing a wide decision to Juan Diaz for the WBA light title in 2006 and to Lenny Zappavigna for the IBO title in 2010 but had won his last five fights.
Lovett vs. Guerrero
Australian Lovett halts Guerrero to remain unbeaten. The fight was competitive early but then the strength and aggression of Lovett began to break Guerrero down. Lovett maintained the pressure and Guerrero had nothing left in the fourth and was put down by a hard punch and was in no condition to continue. The 30-year-old former Australian amateur champion has 11 wins by KO/TKO and has six inside the distance wins and a no decision in his last seven fights . Ecuadorian Guerrero, 32, is now 2-5 in his last 7 fights.
