Photo: Elizabeth Cruz
The opener featured a couple of knockout artists in Badou Jack and Alexander Brand. Both were undefeated, allowing only two of their previous opponents to make it to the final bell. The way they went after it, few expected this one to end in anything but another brutal KO. Although he was a big underdog, Brand seemed to confuse Jack who often times seemed unable to pull the trigger. As the fight went on however, Jack seemed to find his range and they both bombed away with heavy shots. It’s remarkable that neither went down, as both showed they had iron chins.
In the end, Jack walked away with the split decision. The scoring was a bit suspect as Brand’s corner clearly thought he won. I would have scored it a draw at best for Jack, but it will hardly rank as one of the greatest roberries of all time. Both fighters deserved praise for putting on a great show.
The main event saw Olympic silver medalist Yudel Jhonson take on late replacement Willie Nelson, fresh off tour and high from smoking pot for the last 60 years. No, not that Willie Nelson. This Willie Nelson is a freakish 6’3 1/2 and looks nothing like the old hippie. What amazed me is how Jhonson’s people would accept Nelson as the replacement. Nelson’s style is something you prepare for in a week. Being that tall and long, you need a lot more time to prepare. And it was ovious from the opening bell that Jhonson was having great problems dealing with the massive reach of Nelson. Despite the difficulties, Jhonson (12-1 8 KO’s) did find his mark frequently, and the two had a war. Trading early knockdows, it was surprising this fight went the distance.
Photo: Elizabeth Cruz
The earlier action on the card saw every fight end within the first two rounds. Mitch Williams (4-2-1 4 KO’s) made quick work of Reno’s Carlos Gaytan (3-1-1) with a TKO in the first. Yunieski Gonzalez (8-0 5 KO’s) equaled that, taking out Carlos Reyes (5-4-1) easily in the first. Roberto Acevedo (4-0 3 KO’s) had to work a bit longer, taking until round 2 to finish of Martinez Porter (1-2).
After the televised portion of the card came to an end, Rancies Barthelemy (16-0 11 KO’s), who trains locally at the Long Life Fit gym, remained undefeated as he won a unanimous decision over the tough, but outclassed Robert Osiobe. Barthelemy appears to have a bright future moving forward.
When the final bell rang, the fans in attendance, and those watching at home had to be pleased with the fights they got to see. Not every card is a winner, but this one definitely was. It might not have had the biggest names, but for true entertainment value, it is one of the better ones you can hope to see. Quick knockouts, fierce action, and almost no periods of dull inactivity. Let’s hope we get to see more cards like this in the future. If we do, things might actually look up for boxing.
