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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 4659610, member: 289"] I watched the Canelo Alvarez card on DAZN: Olesander Guozdyk (19-1, 15-1KOs coming in and the #6 light heavy per BoxRec) pounded out Richards Bolotniks (19-6-1, 8-4 #27) in six rounds. I only caught the end. Nathan DeVon Rodriguez, a sharp-looking 18 year old featherweight, (11-0 with 7KOs, #98 for now) had a tough fight with Alexander Mejia, (19-5, 8-2 #100). The difference was that Rodriguez showed more movement. Rodriquez won a split decision. When he reached his 20's, he'll probably join the crowd at lightweight. Keep an eye on him. he ahs all the moves and all the punches. Stevie Spark, (16-2, 14-1 the #13junior welterweight, (he's listed asa super lightweight but it's the same thing), clearly had the better of a competitive bout with #10 Gabriel Gollaz (26-3-1, 16-1). All the rounds were completive but Sparks had a jab and Gollaz did not and I had sparks winning every round but the 6th, when Gollaz got him with a good body shot and knocked him to the canvas. Sparks got up, very shaky, but was able to avoid Gollaz for the rest of the round and got his jab going again. But Gollaz had something even more powerful than a jab going for him: he is a native and resident of Guadalajara, Mexico and that's where the fight was taking place. He won a split decision. :cool: Julio Cesar Martinez, (19-2, 14-0, the #14 flyweight), of Mexico City was supposed to make short work of a Panamaian named Ronal Batista, (15-2, 9-1 #69). But Batista came out moving and firing while Martinez seemed to be in a shell. The announcers said he "seemed confused". It was a little like the first Louis-Conn fight where the underdog boxed rings around the favorite and got over-confident. First he lost a point for punching after the bell. It just seemed sun fun! Then Martinez decked him in the 7ths and that turned the fight around. Batista started backing up and Martinez went after him, winning four rounds in a row before the ref stopped it in 11th without complaint. Canelo Alvarez came out in the middle of what looked like a Radio City Music Hall that seemed to contradict his business-like image. I'd never heard of John Ryder but it was clear when they stood together that Ryder was as big and strong as Canel was. He's been knocked out once, early in his career when he tried to campaign as a middle weight but making that weight was too much for him. He proved to be a good defensive fighter, with good head and body movement and the ability to block punches. What he was lacking was a jab or much genuine power. Canelo still has those things but his defense and stamina aren't what they once were. He's also become a one-punch at a time fighter, although Ryder forced him into that tonight with effective counter-punches that prevented any combinations. But Canelo is more inclined to that approach himself in recent bouts. He's never bene a middle weight Mike Tyson. He's won his bouts with a steady, unrelenting approach and an accumulation of blows. He's come to like hiding behind his peek-a-boo defense and throwing haymakers out of it and he's just not as good a fighter that way. Still, after a nothing first round, I gave Canel four rounds in a row. In the third he broke Ryder's nose and he became choked with blood. In the fifth, he knocked him down with a body shot. Ryder grabbed the ropes but looked to his corner as if to ask "Do we really want to do this?" The decision was quick: he got up and started punching. Alvarez was unable to deliver the combinations to take him out. the rest of the fight became Ryder's steady flow of lesser punches vs. Alvarez's "let's end this now" punches. I gave Ryder three rounds, Canelo three rounds and had one even for a final score of 117-112. Two judges his it 118-109 and one had it 120-107. I didn't get the punch count but I guess it didn't matter. They interviewed Eddie Hearn afterwards and he said Alvarez just wants to fight Bivol again, that the "Beterbiev fight" (against Bivol) was 'impossible" so that's the only one that makes any sense and he promised to make it happen. He didn't mention David Benavidez. This is what's wrong with boxing. I think Alvarez should consider retirement. [/QUOTE]

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