ACTION PACKED
Lara clears the crowd after Charlo destroys Lubin and Hurd wins a thriller
Some of the world’s best superwelterweights clash in Brooklyn
ONCE upon a time someone came up with the idea of having a walkout bout. The purpose was to diminish crowd congestion that was exiting after the main event. In what is surely a first, WBA superwelterweight champion Erislandy
Lara’s unanimous 12-round decision over Terrell Gausha that topped the bill at The Barclays Center, served as both a world title fight and the crowd reducer. Rarely do people leave an arena when the headline match is in progress, but as the fight progressed, the 7,643 in attendance diminished.
There were boos, but as the fight wore on those remaining decided to create their own entertainment. A chant engulfed the arena: “This is boring!”
Anyone familiar with Lara’s history should not have been surprised. The Houston-based Cuban, has never been a model for excitement. He is tactically brilliant from the outside, controlling fights off his southpaw jab and throwing long lefts to the chin and body. Lara teases us with an occasional burst of punches, but rarely sustains them. He wins fights, but rarely makes new fans. Of all the elite fighters in the world, he is arguably the least appealing to watch.
The 34-year-old did provide a brief highlight in the fourth round when a left uppercut dropped Gausha for a count of three. For the most part, though, Lara was content to stay one step ahead of the challenger who resides in Cleveland.
The problem for Gausha was that his style mirrored Lara’s. Gausha tried to match skills with Lara which few can, and as he moved forward in the later rounds, he lacked the power to pose a substantial threat. Gausha, a 2012 USA Olympian, was solid, but just a level below. A roundby-round recap would be more boring than the fight itself.
For the record, it was scored 117-110 by judges Steve Weisfeld and Don Trella (and Boxing News), while Julie Lederman notched 116-111. Charlie Fitch refereed.
Only time will tell if Jermell Charlo’s sensational first round stoppage of
Erickson Lubin was an aberration of sorts or a true reflection of the gulf in talent between the two. Even Charlo’s most ardent supporters never saw this coming. Most gave the defending WBC super-welterweight champion a slight lean based on experience, but at the same time acknowledged that Lubin, 22, was a star in the making. But one punch changed everything. Physically, Lubin was not damaged, at least not in the long term, but mentally it will be a tough road back.
It was a prototypical feeling-out session until Lubin bent his body straight into the path of a short right hook from the champion. The punch connected on the lower part of his jaw, causing the Orlando fighter to swoon, crashing hard. He lay on the canvas for a few seconds
A CHANT ENGULFED THE ARENA: ‘THIS IS BORING!’
trying to move, but seemed partly paralyzed by the blow. At six, referee Harvey Dock stopped counting and waved it off. A couple of seconds later Lubin staggered up showing he would have beaten the count, but was clearly in no condition to continue. The time was 2-41.
An animated Charlo immediately called out IBF champion Jarrett Hurd, - who was also in action here - in the aftermath. You will rarely see a fight that produces the same level of action as seen in Hurd’s successful title defence over former champion Austin Trout. In the end Hurd’s physical advantages overcame Trout’s superior skills.
Shedding his 16 months of ring rust, Trout from New Mexico, jumped off to a big lead taking the first four rounds. Trout hit Hurd with seemingly everything he threw, but was made to work hard as the action took its toll. The champion, from Maryland, kept coming forward imposing himself on the challenger. The pace was nothing short of furious and the crowd was in raptures over the wide open exchanges.
In the fifth, the savage tide started to turn as Hurd’s heavy blows were getting through. Trout would be shaken, but the southpaw always fought back valiantly. A right in the sixth round had Trout reeling into the ropes where he nearly went down, and Hurd’s left eye was cut badly in the seventh, adding another twist to the thrilling encounter.
Trout was continuing to land cleanly, but Hurd walked through the blows to hurt his enemy twice in the eighth. The ending, while not yet inevitable, was starting to come into focus.
Hurd applied less pressure in the ninth which was a welcome reprieve for Trout whose right eye had suddenly swelled up. However, it was the calm before the storm.
An exhausted Trout was hurt again late in the 10th, and was wobbly when he walked back to his corner. It was wisely stopped between rounds.
In becoming the first to stop Trout, Hurd got an impressive result, but also was hit with alarming regularity. He would not be able to get away with that if he fought Charlo.
At the time of the stoppage Hurd led on the scorecards of judges Frank Lombardi and Ron Mcnair 96-94, John Mckaie 97-93. Eddie Claudio refereed.
THE VERDICT Charlo a superstar in the making, while Hurd and Trout should also take a bow.