(credit: Tom Casino, Showtime)
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Keep coming back here for updates on the undercard for Showtime's main event of Lucas Matthysse-Lamont Peterson (junior welterweight). It's a DEEP card, in terms of number of fights, which I previewed here. Highlights — among the "names", anyway — include Anthony Peterson, Shawn Porter and Devon Alexander, as well as other brothers of famous fighters or 2012 Olympians.
Because the first fight was at 3:30 p.m., I opted to show up a little late and therefor missed the first three bouts, all TKOs for lightweights Robert Easter, Jr. and Jamel Herring and bantamweight Rau'Shee Warren. The live results will go in reverse chronological order.
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Devon Alexander was aggressive against Lee Purdy with essentially one hand, his right, and got a stoppage win in what might have been an attempt to win the fans back over a la fellow weltereweight Timothy Bradley fighting so aggressively against Ruslan Provodnikov. Alexander said after the fight that he hurt his left hand in the very 1st round, but it didn't stop the wipeout. Alexander took the ultra-hittable Purdy to the All-You-Can-Eat Uppercut Buffet at Ponderosa, and stood in the pocket to make himself available for exchanges. Purdy landed one good one in the 1st to create the appearance of a potentially competitive fight, although Purdy didn't get competitive again at all until the end of the 5th, which continued into the 6th. Alexander resumed control, but at the end of the 7th, there was no sign Purdy was in any trouble or interested in quitting. His corner saw it differently, and halted it; his trainer (Darren Barker — huh?) said he was worried about his nose taking damage, although his nose looked fine to me. Alexander might be back December against Amir Khan, which now figures as a battle between one fighter trying to become more offensive (Alexander) and another trying to become more defensive (Khan). It's a decent match-up, one that could decide who fights Floyd Mayweather in 2014.
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Bantamweight brother of Amir Khan Haroon scored a quick 1st round knockout of 0-5 Vicente Medellin, first dropping him with a right hand to the head then putting him down for good with a left to the body. Amir's advice to his brother about being patient didn't have much use this time, against this opponent, anyway.
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Shawn Porter outclassed Phil Lo Greco in every measurable category en route to a two-knockdown unanimous decision. Lo Greco was tough and offered nothing else to Porter, and just being tough usually isn't enough. Porter was far, far, faster with his hands and quicker on his feet, and the welterweight/junior middleweight turned in an outstanding performance, rarely getting hit and strafing Lo Greco with left uppercuts, left hooks, right hands and a nasty body assault. The first knockdown, in the 8th, was partially a slip but a blow did land, so it was ruled correctly. The second knockdown came as a result of Lo Greco storming out in the 10th like a madman, and after he got dropped hard by two right hands, it served as another reminder of why most boxers don't "go for broke" like that, because it practically guarantees taking heavy damage. Lo Greco vs. anyone more limited would be fun; Porter, who feels like he's been around forever, rebounds from a disappointing performance against Julio Diaz and it ought to be sink or swim for him next time out.
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I didn't expect Otis Griffin to give Thomas WIlliams any kind of challenge, but he did, especially early, as the light heavyweight prospect struggled with Griffin's tricky defense and movement. Williams, too, appeared slightly sluggish early, and his technique wasn't as sharp as usual. Williams eventually began loading up and finding a home for his big punches, especially along the ropes when he tracked the savvy vet. I gave Griffin two rounds, but Williams won it 80-72 and 79-73 (times two) in a fight that will help him grow down the line. His trainer George Peterson said he wanted his pupil to get rounds more than he wanted him to score a knockout, and that's what he got.
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British 2012 Olympian Anthony Ogogo won his second pro fight as easily as new pro boxers usually win their second pro fights, swelling up and bloodying Edgar Perez but never having him hurt en route to a unanimous decision. So, maybe he actually won it LESS easily, because even light-hitting 2012 Olympian Rau'Shee Warren had a knockout on this card. Ogogo (middleweight) had a good work rate and used his size advantage to keep Perez where he wanted him, and Perez might've landed one solid shot the whole fight, in the 6th. The judges had it 60-54 and 60-53, so I guess the last one thought Ogogo so dominated a round as to get a 10-8 score. These early pro bouts are often miserable to watch, so I'm not sure why Showtime Extreme aired it other than maybe Golden Boy really, really wanted to showcase the American debut of Ogogo.
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Bantamweight Cesar Seda, he of the mysterious backward-moving career since a career-boosting close loss to Omar Narvaez, beat Miguel Tamayo by the myserious scores of 79-73, 80-72 and… 80-70? This was a one-sided fight, no doubt, with only the 3rd remotely competitive as Tamayo traded body shots with Seda. Seda hurt Tamayo in the 6th with long left hands and with big combinations in the 8th, although Tamayo fought hard throughout even if he could've dispensed with glove-touching after every referee break or low blow incident. But how does a judge give Seda two 10-8 rounds? the 6th and the 8th, apparently, were the ones that judge went with. Anyway, your guess is as good as mine about what Seda will do next. Another eight-rounder, maybe, or maybe he's ready to resume contender status.
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One of the brothers on the card was Anthony Peterson, and the lightweight looked good for two rounds before the bout was farcically stopped. Peterson apparently brok Dominic Salcido's nose and the doctor waived it off, but Salcido told me he wanted to and was able to continue. His honker did look swollen and broken, but he wasn't bleeding at all and it was weird. It was good that Peterson got back in the ring after fighting so rarely lately, and he looked sharp and powerful and accurate, and rarely got hit in return. It's just unfortunate that it had to end in such a way as to upset the gathered 20 people who arrived early and wanted to see a bout end legimately.
