TOP RANK BOXING

BY JOHN MASTALIR jmastalir@yahoo.com

NOT MUCH AVIALABLE ANYMORE ON THE SMALL BOXING CARD MENU HERE IN LAS VEGAS.

NOT TRUE SATURDAY NIGHT !

EXCELLENT BOXING AT THE HARD ROCK ...GREAT VENUE.....NICE COMPETITION.

THERE ARE REASONS THAT  HALL OF FAME PROMOTER BOB ARUM STANDS AT THE HEAD OF EVERY PROMOTION CLASS AND THIS EVENT ENCOMPASSED ALL THE DETAILS.

GOOD VENUE...GOOD PROMOTION...GOOD CONTINUITY...GOOD MAIN EVENT AND LOTS OF GUYS THAT WANTED TO FIGHT.

BOY IF ONLY THEY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT AWFUL LOUD MUSIC BEFTWEEN FIGHTS AND BETWEEN ROUNDS....AS THE OLDEST FAN-REPORTER .......IT IS A REAL LOAD TO SUFFER THROUGH.

THEY STARTED EARLY AND DID NOT QUIT, WITH FIGHTS AFTER THE MAIN EVENT....I GOT THE REPLAY ON SPANISH TV 38 LASVEGAS AFTER THE EVENT....PERFECT FOR TURNING THE AUDIO OFF !

KICKOFF BOUT...MICHAEL FINNEY 12-0....6TH ROUND TKO OVER RAUL TOVAR 10-7-1...THESE GUYS CAME TO FIGHT.

ALSO COMING TO FIGHT WERE FEATHERWEIGHTS GIORGI MTCHEDISHVILI 8-6-1 AND GABINO SAENZ 10-0-1 WHO PUT THE PUNCH STAT TEAM INTO OVER DRIVE...THESE TWO OPENED THE TV CARD AND SLUGGED IT OUT FOR 18 MINUTES WITHOUT STOPPING....ONE OF THE MOST PLEASUREABLE EVENTS IN RECENT HISTORY....NEITHER REAL GREAT....BUT BOTH SLUGGERS ...SAENA GOT THE 60-54......59-55 AND 58-56 UNANIMOUS CALL.

JESUS GUTIERREZ 8-0-1 UNANIMOUS DECISION OVER DANIEL CALZADA 7-8-2..SUPER LIGHTWEIGHTS.

MAIN EVENT....WHAT A MESS....JUAN CARLOS SANCHEZ 16-1-1 FAILED TO MAKE WEIGHT BY 2 OZ. AND LOST HIS TITLE ......ROBERTO DOMINGO SOSA 24-1 MADE WEIGHT BUT LOST THE FIGHT TO SANCHEZ 117-110...117-110...AND 116-111....REFEREE ROBERT BYRD...AN ALLEDGED HALLOF FAMER HAD A HELL OF A TIME GETTING OUT OF THE ROAD OF THE FIGHTERS....AT LEAST THREE TIMES....INTERESTING THAT WHEN I WENT TO THE FIGHT RECORDS WEB SITE....I FOUND FIVE PAGES OF JUAN SANCHEZS....WHAT DOES THAT MEAN...?

NOW THE BIG FIGHT ON THE CARD....LAS VEGAN JESSIE MAGDALENO 15-0...KNOCKS OUT HENRY MALDONADO 16-2 AT 2.53 OF THE FOURTH ROUND.....TALK ABOUT SPEED...MAGDALENO REALLY HAS IT  AND LIKES TO USE IT....NICE FAN FRIENDLY BOXER WITH STRONG LOCAL SUPPORT....HOPE I LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE HIM FIGHT AGAIN.

WISH I HAD LEFT AFTER THIS ONE BUT I STAYED FOR ANOTHER 40 SECONDS TO SEE AN AWFUL HEAVYWEIGHT FIRST ROUND KNOCKOUT......LOOKS LIKE AFTER 40 YEARS OF COVERING BOXING AND TYSON....AND HOLMES.....AND HOLYFIELD...... AND RIDDOCK..... AND SMITH....AND TUA THAT I WILL NEVER AGAIN SEE A REAL GOOD HEAVYWEIGHT....MAYBE JUST AS WELL I SAW BARRERA AND MORALES 3 TIMES.

THANKS TO TOP RANK AND THE  HARD ROCK LAS VEGAS FOR A NICE BOXING EVENING...

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