After watching Kessler/Froch last night, watching the HBO Boxing After Dark 4/24/10 undercard for the heavyweight fight is like night and day, skill-wise. I was tempted to skip over this TiVo'd undercard fight to get to the heavyweight fight I'm most interested in, but stopping to watch the Alfredo Angulo v. Joel Julio fight was a big mistake, if that was my goal. The matchup is not terribly unlike the Kessler/Froch matchup: an outside fighter with pop fighting more conventionally (Kessler/Julio) against a pursuing pressure fighter with slower hands (Froch/Angulo). That's where the similarity ends, however.
The Angulo/Julio fight is being contested at a much higher skill level. Julio, circling the wrong way into Angulo's potential right hand, is pinpointing many of his jabs and crosses and when he misses, it's because of Angulo's bobbing head or deflecting punches. Angulo meanwhile, is the ever-persistent pursuer, waiting for Julio to tire. Julio circles endlessly jabbing, crossing and moving. Julio is clearly winning and has won every round up to this moment, halfway through the fifth, but I wonder no matter how much more fit Julio looks than I've seen him in past fights, if he can keep it up. Angulo seems to be conserving energy and trying to wear out the mercurial Julio. There's no question that Julio is in better shape than in times past, but moving as much as he is is tough for another seven rounds in the face of the constant and granite-chinned pressure of Angulo.
Coming in, I'd have called this for Angulo. Not because he's the more skilled boxer. He's not. He is more determined and less likely to fade. Julio indeed is supremely skilled and, especially where he trains properly, he is an elite level fighter...but Angulo is a very determined pressure fighter with heavy hands who seems like he can't be hurt and counterpunches well. With a minute left in the sixth, the round is far more even. I still lean it to Julio and could see several of these rounds going Angulo's way, but so far halfway through, I've got every round for Julio.
Harold Lederman has it three to three and though I seldom give too much credence to his unofficial card, I wonder if I'm paying too much attention to typing and not enough to following the fight. I'll remedy that now.
I see Angulo slowing a bit, not walking in with abandon as he pursues. This tells me that Julio's power has his attention. The seventh clearly goes to Julio on my card, making it a shutout. If this fight goes on this way, Julio can't lose...unless he fades...which I suspect he will. Against Angulo, fading just a bit means destruction. Julio is used to being able to take a little bit of time here and there off, especially after he's spent 20 plus minutes softening up his opponent. The problem is that there's no softening up Alfredo Angulo. After eight, Julio still edges Angulo on my card, continuing his shutout.
Max Kellerman intones that Julio looks like he's running now more than earlier in the fight and there's some legitimacy to that, however I'm not seeing Angulo being particularly effective. Julio is making Angulo miss and touching Angulo as he circles. Julio is cut over the left eye by a punch, but although Angulo mercilessly advances, the better work is still done by Julio. He's shutting Angulo out. Can he keep it up? He's looking more tired in the corner. Lederman has the last five rounds for Angulo??? what fight is he watching? I see Julio getting away nearly every time. He opines that Julio is hitting Angulo "here and there, but nothing serious", but that is a function of Angulo's granite chin, not the solidity of Julio's punching.
That said, I will agree (and uninfluenced by Mr. Lederman), that finally the tenth round goes to Angulo as Angulo's pressure reaches and surpasses the tipping point. On my card, that makes it 9 to 1 roundwise.
Julio has tried to grab and hold a few times throughout the fight, but Angulo wants none of it. And Julio is dropped! ...and it's waved off! I guess the referee felt Julio couldn't continue. Wow...a sudden end to the fight and in a way that makes sense. I had it in a landslide for Julio, but I never doubted the possibility that Angulo would catch up in the late rounds. Angulo just puts in his work, keeps up his pressure, takes to give and eventually gets his man. Great fight.
Now to Arreola v. Adamek!
As I expected, Adamek is giving away 33 pounds at the weigh-in. The first round looks evenly contested. No great speed advantage to either fighter. Hard to call as they both get in some shots. The size advantage, while marked, doesn't look too great...though I think it will tell as we proceed. 10-9 for Adamek.
The HBO team points out Adamek's long pro and amateur resume, which unusually outstrips Arreola's own. To his credit, Adamek is indeed showing skill and poise and Arreola is having trouble hitting Adamek while Adamek counters. Adamek's not getting out entirely untouched, but he's getting the better of it. Second round goes to Adamek too, making it 20-18 for Adamek. Keep in mind that if Adamek gets in trouble, it will happen like a lightning strike and Arreola is a hungry and angry finisher.
Another round in the books for Adamek making it 30-27 and the question becomes can he do enough damage to Arreola to take his heart away. Kellerman calls Adamek a "top twenty pound for pound guy", which I don't necessarily agree with...but he does look technically sound and is plying his speed advantage.
Now Adamek "looks a little wobbly" according to Bob Papa and I've seen that once or twice when Arreola really lands hard. In the second half of the round, Adamek turns the tide back, landing repeatedly cleanly. The HBO team talks about how Adamek looks wobbly as the round ends, but he does enough on my card to take it, going up 40-36.
Max Kellerman seems to score more by general impression than by punches landed as he gives round 4 to Arreola. I disagree, though I like Chris a lot as a heavyweight fighter. Adamek is making him pay for his typical aggression. Arreola though, is accustomed to taking to give. Can Adamek do enough damage? Adamek in trouble! His footwork is poor, according to the commentators and that looks accurate. Arreola not ready to finish him...but maybe he's just waiting. Arreola takes his first round and takes it clearly, making it 49-46 still favoring Arreola.
The replay shows that it's a JAB that put Adamek off his game. And that's the punching power advantage of a natural heavy like Arreola versus a blown up technician with pop like Adamek. He won't survive in the rarified air of the heavyweight division, even if he survives tonight. Adamek starts to obviously run as Adamek is no longer offensive and only showing offense to try to keep Arreola off and to get away. Another clear round for Arreola, making it 58-56 for Adamek.
Lederman has it the the exact opposite way, which is heartening because I seldom agree with Lederman. I think Adamek takes the momentum back in the seventh, landing and moving and looking rejuvenated, while Arreola is reduced to his pursuit of the fight's beginning. That one goes to Adamek, making it 68-65 favoring Adamek.
We're into round eight and I didn't think it would go this far, so the question becomes: will Arreola break down Adamek or will Adamek be able to stay away? Arreola is not able to cut off the ring effectively. Adamek is clearly convinced that he will not be able to KO Arreola, so he's on his horse and concentrating on staying away from danger. Probably smart because he's making Arreola have to chase him, which Arreola doesn't seem able to effectively do. That one also goes to Adamek, widening the margin to 78-74 in his favor.
In the ninth, Arreola again reduced to the chase while Adamek punches and dances away. Adamek is gaining confidence back and starting to mix exchanges with backing away. If he keeps the stay-away and punch and run strategy, he'll win. Arreola lands big! Adamek is hurt with two minutes left. Arreola not finishing...which will cost him this fight, if Adamek recovers. THIS may be a conditioning issue for Arreola. Arreola can't close the show despite Adamek's being wobbled because he's gassed. He's not really showing it, except for failing to press his advantage...but it's there. Arreola is not throwing his right hand much in the second half. He saves the round for himself at the end, though Adamek clearly recovered, making it 87-84 favoring Adamek.
In the tenth, Arreola presses his advantage and takes a close round where Adamek is looking tired: 96-94
In the eleventh, Arreola comes out smoking. Adamek not moving as much, as if his feet are slowed. Adamek willing to trade more...which is a bad strategy for him. Arreola has more opportunities and keeps trying to press his advantage. Arreola is hurt in his right bicep, according to his corner...he throws it and winces obviously. Arreola takes the round, though Adamek tries to play to the crowd at the end. My score moves to 105-104 in Adamek's favor.
Final round begins and I'm going to watch. Adamek standing in and exchanging...and getting the better of it in the first minute. Arreola blinking away blood and eating punches coming in. They lean on each other halfway. Adamek clearly has plenty left and he's moving more and trying to stay away, then hugging. Adamek fighting smart, if not entertainingly. Arreola ends the fight having almost not landed a single punch cleanly, and holds his hand up high...to me almost admitting that he knows he didn't do enough. The last round goes to Adamek, making my final tally 115-113 for Adamek.
Much credit to Adamek for fighting smart enough of the time. It almost went as I predicted, but Adamek is too skilled and had enough of a quickness advantage to take it, at least on my card: . It's in Arreola's backyard, so we'll see...
The official scorecards come down: 114-114 even; 115-113; 117-111 for Adamek in a majority decision. Great fight. Fair result.
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