Unrated Miguel Vazquez outboxed lightweight contender Breidis Prescott to a split-decision win on ESPN2.The rematch between Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto is being targeted for June 30.
Vazquez upsets Prescott on FNF
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Miguel Vazquez scored a tremendous upset by outpointing world-ranked lightweight Breidis Prescott in the 10-round main event of an ESPN2-televised card from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Friday. Prescott, a hard-punching Colombian best known for his one-round KO of Amir Khan last September, suffered the first loss of his professional career. Vazquez, a crafty 22-year-old Mexican prospect who had fought most of his career at heavier weights, got up from a first-round knockdown to peck and poke his way to a split-decision victory, winning by scores of 96-93 and 95-94. The judge who scored the bout 97-92 for Prescott (21-1, 18 knockouts) should be suspended along with Vazquez’s managers Antonio Margarito and Javier Capetillo. There’s no way Prescott won seven rounds against Vazquez, who consistently beat the 26-year-old slugger to the jab beginning in the second round. After a strong first round in which he put Vazquez down with a stiff jab, Prescott, THE RING’s No. 7-rated lightweight coming into Friday’s bout, had no answer for the Guadalajara native’s consistent left stick, subtle upper-body movement and footwork. Over the first half of the bout, Vazquez (25-3, 12 KOs) frustrated Prescott by staying outside of the contender’s heavy rangy jab, or by slipping it from mid-range, before countering with his own more-accurate jab. Vazquez often stepped to his right causing Prescott to reach with his big right hand, which opened up counter-punch opportunities. Vazquez’s tactics effectively nullified Prescott’s vaunted power, and the “cutie” started applying pressure, occasionally dropping head-twisting right cross-left hook combinations, over the second half of the bout. The look on Prescott’s face between the ninth and 10th rounds told the story of the fight. Prescott appeared stressed, dejected and tired even though he hadn’t taken any serious punishment during the pedestrian-paced bout. He was a beaten man before the final bell sounded, and it was Vazquez’s brains that won over Prescott’s brawn. In the co-featured bouts of the Friday Night Fights broadcast, two former Cuban amateur stars improved their undefeated professional records. Junior middleweight prospect Erislandy Lara (7-0, 4 KOs) got in six rounds of work against veteran journeyman Darnell Boone (16-12-2, 6 KOs), winning a comfortable unanimous decision by scores of 60-54 (twice) and 59-55 in an uneventful bout. Boone, a sometimes spoiler who has given numerous middleweight and super middleweight prospects tough outings, never threatened Lara but was occasionally able to frustrate the former amateur world champion with his awkward style and survival tactics. Lara, a sharp-shooting southpaw, scored with his left hand from a distance but was often tied up or smothered whenever the two fighters were in close. Two-time Olympic champ (2000 and 2004) Guillermo Rigondeaux (2-0, 2 KOs) made short work of Robert Guillen (4-3-2), dropping the 33-year-old ex-con for the count with counter left to the body at 2:57 of the first round of their scheduled six-round junior featherweight contest. The surgical southpaw nailed Guillen as the journeyman lunged forward with an overhand right. Guillen writhed in pain on the canvas until referee Kenny Bayless waved the bout off. Doug Fischer can be reached at dougiefischer@yahoo.com |
