I love boxing, but this fight was God awful.
Miguel Vazquez improved his record to 33-3 after he outclassed Mercito Gesta in an absolute yawner. Gesta's record fell to 26-1, but the performance was so bad, he deserved two losses.
Judge John McKaie scored the fight 117-111, C.J. Ross scored it 118-110 and Patricia Jarman had it 119-109.
I'm not sure how Gesta was awarded any rounds in this fight. He did absolutely nothing. As a matter of fact, the fight was so void of entertainment, both fighter's stock took a dip after this.
Vazquez was clearly the more skilled fighter, but his style won't attract the bigger names. He lacks power to excite fans, but he's a round-winner.
That screams low commercial appeal, and a high level of difficulty for top fighters. Good luck finding a ton of contenders willing to fight you with that dynamic in place.
Here is my round-by-round analysis and highlights—if any moment in the fight is worthy of the word.
Round 1
Gesta was content to try to find his range and timing in the first round. He seemed a bit befuddled by Vazquez's speed. He even spread his arms wide at the close of the round, as if to say: "You can't hurt me."
That may be the case, but Gesta clearly needed to get busier in the coming rounds.
Round 2
Vazquez is easily controlling the fight up to this point. His hands and feet are faster. Gesta shows in this round that he clearly isn't prepared for Vazquez.
Round 3
Roy Jones Jr. begins to make fun of Gesta's "game plan" to try and wait Vazquez's mobility out. Vazquez is rail thin and has always shown excellent stamina.
If I could have sent a message to Gesta at this point, I would have said: "Good luck with that."
Round 4
Gesta lands perhaps his best shots of the fight in this round. He began to bang the body a bit, but it wasn't enough to win the round.
He is trying to turn up the tempo, but it's becoming painfully obvious, he can only defeat a fighter who isn't mobile.
Round 5
You always know when commentators are getting bored with the in-ring action. They are prompted to begin stories about things or people in the crowd.
This round, Roy, Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant spoke on Vazquez's suspended trainer, per Ring Magazine, who is somehow in the arena yelling instructions from 10 rows back.
This is wrong in so many ways; first, a trainer suspended for allegedly loading the gloves of his fighter shouldn't be allowed in the building. Secondly, Vazquez doesn't need it.
He continues to dismantle Gesta.
Round 6
Vazquez moves halfway through a boring domination of Gesta. The story of this fight could be told with this phrase: jab, straight right, then step away.
It's like a dance step, but Gesta hasn't learned the routine. I have it six rounds to none for Vazquez.
Round 7
Merchant took time to compliment Vazquez's beard in this round. Yeah, it got that bad.
Vazquez won another round easily. I won't lie, this was a difficult fight to cover on a round-by-round basis, so I totally feel the HBO crew's pain.
Round 8
Something must be wrong, I've found myself agreeing with Merchant too often tonight.
After yet another one-sided—yet harmless—round for Vazquez, Merchant asks: "Can we make this an eight-round fight?"
Round 9
The announcers are literally more entertaining than the fight.
At the 45-second mark, Roy asked for a DJ. In between the ninth and 10th round, the broadcast cut to a segment where Manny Pacquiao was interviewing Merchant, as if Merchant were Pacquiao.
That brief segment was more entertaining than nine rounds of action to this point.
Round 10
I'm praying for this fight to end by way of KO, TKO, blackout, ring collapse or something. I'd take anything to put us all out of our misery.
Someone has to tell Gesta; the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result.
He's been plodding after Vazquez without cutting off the ring all night. All evening he's been pitty-patted into a shutout through 10 rounds.
Round 11
Roy may have given Vazquez a new nickname. He said the Mexican's style was like a water moccasin—it's not cute, but it's deadly.
God help us, there is only one more round.
Round 12
Finally, they let us off the hook.
As expected, Vazquez outboxed and outdanced Gesta for another round. This has to be the easiest 12-0 shutout in the history of boxing in my eyes.
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