The undercards leading up to Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia did not disappoint. FightsATW brings you a recap of the PPV undercard.
Arnold Barboza Jr Earns A Forgettable Split Decision
Arnold Barboza Jr (29-0, 11 KOs) had it all lined up for him as the co-main, and if he delivered a big win, the future would look bright. Sean McComb (18-1, 5 KOs) didn’t get the memo, and although Barboza earned the split decision victory, McComb made him look bad. The judges scored this one: 98-92 McComb, 96-94 Barboza, and 97-93 Barboza.
McComb dictated the pace of the first round by using a good right jab and footwork that saw him utilizing the whole ring. Barboza was chasing him around instead of trying to cut off the ring. Although Barboza was able to land some right hands in the second round, it seemed as if McComb was throwing more and had the better ring generalship. Barboza picked up the pace and landed effective body punches in the third round, and in the fourth, Barboza closed the distance in spots while McComb saw success on the inside.
Rounds five through ten were all about McComb using his footwork and right jab to get away from Barboza, who had no clue how to cut the ring off and get in close. This fight was a wakeup call for Barboza, who now needs another fight to restart his momentum.
A Nasty Cut Leads To A Technical Decision Victory For ‘Bek The Bully’
It was the prettiest of victories, but Bektimir ‘Bek The Bully’ Melikuziev (14-1, 10 KOs) scored a unanimous technical decision over Pierre Dibombe (22-1-1, 12 KOs) in a fight that was stopped after six rounds due to a nasty cut over Melikuziev’s left eye. The judges saw this one 79-73, 79-73 and 78-74 for Melikuziev.
In the first round, a clash of heads caused a cut over Dibombe’s right eye. Melikuziev caught Dibombe with a straight left hand that buzzed him. In the second round, Dibombe landed a big right hand that caught Melikuziev’s attention.
Melikuziev kept jumping in with the straight left hand in the third round, but he was countered by Dibombe, which made him hesitate towards the end of the third round. The fourth round was more of the same, but in the fifth, a nasty cut over the left eye of Melikuziev was caused by a headbutt. Melikuziev then landed a left hand that scored the fight’s first & only knockdown. The sixth and seventh rounds were a little sloppy, but at the start of the eighth, the doctor examined Melikuziev, and he recommended that the fight be stopped.
David Jimenez Scores A Unanimous Decision Over ‘Scrappy’ Ramirez
David Jimenez (16-1, 11 KOs) shook up the super-flyweight division as he defeated John ‘Scrappy’ Ramirez(13-1, 9 KOs) by unanimous decision. The judges saw this one 117-111, 117-111, and 116-112, all for Jimenez, who was emotional after hearing his name as the new interim WBA super flyweight champion.
Jimenez displayed a hard left hook early as it immediately caught Ramirez’s attention in the first round. Ramirez then kept his right hand up and dictated the pace with his left jab. Jimenez outworked Ramirez in the second round and the third round, saw both fighters exchange up close as the fight began to take place in a phone booth. They both had their moments, and it was a hard to round to score.
Ramirez had a ton of success with his counter right hand whenever Jimenez charged in. Jimenez pinned Ramirez to the ropes and would land 4-5 punch combinations, making it difficult for Ramirez to get off the ropes. Ramirez tried to avoid staying on the inside and kept the fight at mid-range. Jimenez’s pressure allowed him to land some of his punches when Ramirez could not stay on the outside.
Rounds six through twelve were all about Jimenez putting the pressure on Ramirez and landing more punches than Ramirez. It was a spirited effort and a decision Jimenez truly earned.
Charles Conwell Punishes Nathaniel Gallimore To Open the DAZN PPV
After being out of the ring for 14 months, Charles Conwell (19-0, 14 KOs) puts on a punishing performance as he stopped Nathaniel Gallimore (22-8-1, 17 KOs) in the sixth round of their fight.
It was a jab fest at the beginning of the first round, and both fighters were trying to shake off their ring rust. Towards the end of the round, Conwell landed a hard left hook to the body that opened up the overhand right by Conwell, which buzzed Gallimore. Conwell remained patient in the second round and only threw punches when he was in the right position. Then, towards the end of the round, Conwell landed a right uppercut after a shoulder roll, which again buzzed Gallimore.
Conwell started to pour it on in the third round, which led the referee to look closely at Gallimore since he was taking a ton of punishment. Gallimore picked up the pace in the fourth round as he knew the referee was watching him. Conwell took the round off a bit.
In the fifth round, Conwell landed some big right hands that had Gallimore on shaky legs, but he survived the round. Conwell jumped on Gallimore in the sixth round, and after a barrage of punches, the referee stepped in and stopped the fight.
This article first appeared on Fights Around The World and was syndicated with permission.
