Black Star News boxing writer believes Lara was robbed
[BoxingGlove Notes]
It is almost impossible to understand or comprehend how fight judges see and judge a boxing match which will alter or deter a fighter’s career.
Saturday night at the M.G.M. Grand Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara closely but thoroughly out-boxed the “new” Golden Boy, Saul “El Canelo” Alvarez and yet 2 “blind mice” fight judges of a set of 3 “awarded” Alvarez their so-called “fair” decision.
The other judge although somewhat questionable called it a draw, thereby Alvarez just like Floyd Mayweather in his fight with Marcos Maidana on May 3rd, 2014, was “gifted” with a majority vote decision in his favor making him the winner.
Maybe it was an early birthday present since Alvarez will be celebrating his 24th birthday shortly. However, this “decision” demonstrated the need for State Athletic Boxing Commissions to investigate thoroughly the qualifications or honesty of these ring officials.
Most assuredly the fight was very close to the point that it could’ve been called a draw, but Lara no matter how closely he fought Alvarez, actually out-boxed him the majority of the rounds.
Certainly many argued the fact that Lara “ran” most of the time in a lot of the rounds, but that was not running, it was the same offensive tactics that Floyd Mayweather and Bernard Hopkins utilize in their fights.
Evasive moves, “hit and run” like Lara’s, is exactly what he indicated to us at the press conferences that he would use against Alvarez which he has called, “Cuban style boxing”. This type of boxing style is employed by many other Cuban fighters such as current undefeated I.B.F. Super Featherweight Champion, Guillermo Rigondeaux, another fighter who defected with Lara from Cuba.
As Lara moved from side to side he threw very few punches which caused some fans to yell, “stop running, get in there and fight”, that is why they felt he lost, including the fact that they were Canelo Alvarez’ fans.
At the post fight ring interview Alvarez stated that “Lara ran all night, and he if wanted to ‘run’ he should’ve joined a marathon.” Alvarez perhaps also forgot that as Lara was running, he was counter-punching him effectively and in the 5th round caused a severe bruise on his right eye.
By the 8th round, Chepo Reynoso, Canelo Alvarez’ long-time trainer was pleading with him to “do something, because you are losing the fight”.
Lara did indeed throw enough punches in my opinion to win the rounds, and the fight, but his error was when he stopped moving and leaned up against the ropes, “rope-a-dope” style, he allowed Alvarez to hit him especially to the body, and if he had connected to the head, Canelo would’ve scored a knockout since Lara’s ability to take head punches is questionable.
Those offensive point scoring moments for Alvarez were really few and far- between, because he missed more than he connected effective punches which could’ve turned the fight in his favor.
Canelo Alvarez would sometimes throw 4 to 5 punch combinations and completely miss his target, Lara. So how could he be the victor in this career defining fight for both?
The only positive result of this fight if any, is the fact that Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy Promotions, President, refused to promote this fight as a world championship fight since Lara is the current and reigning W.B.A. Junior Middleweight Champion. In this loss Lara still gets to keep his title, and will still be able to defend it against worthy opponents, such as Demetrius Andrade current W.B.O. 154 pound champ, whom he defeated in amateur competition.
There were some rounds like the 4th, 6th & 7th where Alvarez seemed to begin to take control of the fight especially when he cut Lara’s right eye with a vicious left upper cut in the 7th round which cause Lara to slow down, but there also were several rounds at least 3, by my count that you could call even because they were very competitively close.
It seems to me that perhaps the only way Alvarez fights well and looks powerful is when he has a stationary target that resembles a gym punching bag like Josesito Lopez, but fighting fluid boxers who move a lot like Floyd Mayweather, Austin Trout, and certainly Erislandy Lara, he will always have problems, and probably lose like I know he did last night.
As close as this was fight was, Lara was still the clear-cut winner, over a tiring and confused Alvarez, who’s entire corner “breathed” a sigh of relief when his hand was raised in victory.
Re-match? I sincerely doubt it since Canelo Alvarez didn’t seem interested although Lara of course demanded it, stating, “I beat him, he knows it, and he just received an early birthday-24th –present.”
Still emotionally bitter, Lara then stated, “I left Cuba to avoid it’s communism and corruption and I find it here in boxing”.
The fight judges of course disagreed in their scoring such as, Dave Moretti-115/113 for Alvarez, Jerry Roth-115/113 for Lara, and Levi Martinez-117/111 for Alvarez. I sincerely don’t know what fight he was watching.
This Black Star News writer’s score was 116/ 112 for Lara.
What awaits Erislandy Lara in boxing is a big mystery, but the “doors” are wide open for the Golden Boy, Canelo Alvarez because the attempt now is too match him against Miguel Cotto, the newly crowned W.B.C. Middleweight Champion.
You lose and you are “rewarded” more lucrative fights. Where was the “honor & glory” in this fight when the decision was so questionable? Your guess is as good as mine.
BoxingGlove Notes News Flash:
Floyd “Money” Mayweather was in New York City this past Monday, July 14, 2014 to kick-off a 5 City open to the public press tour to officially announce the long demanded rematch with Marcos “El Chino” Maidana. The fight will take place at the M.G.M. Grand Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, September 13, 2014.
So stay “tuned” my Black Star News readers, I’ll have more to say about this mega fight soon.
