Boxing News – July 04, 2019

ACTION

★★★★★ OUTSTANDING ★★★★ GOOD ★★★ FAIR ★★ DISAPPOINTING ★ RUBBISH

Reporters’ star ratings for main events and undercards are based on in-ring entertainment, competitiveness and whether overall expectation was met

Photos: ED MULHOLLAND/MATCHROOM

12 lBOXING NEWSlJULY 4, 2019 http://www.boxingnewsonline.net

EARMUFFS:

Jimenez covers up

as Yafai targets him

with a left hook

JOB DONE

★★ YAFAI-JIMENEZ

★★★ REST OF CARD

Yafai

can look

ahead to a

potential

unification

fight after

fulfilling his

mandatory

obligation,

writes

Paul

Wheeler

PROVIDENCE, RI

JUNE 29

AL YAFAI

maintained his

status as Britain’s

longest-reigning

current world titlist

by unanimously

outpointing

mandatory challenger Norbelto

Jimenez in what was the fifth defence of

his WBA super-flyweight strap.

The fight wasn’t an aesthetically

pleasing spectacle, but to be fair to Yafai,

the awkward Jimenez is a difficult man

to look good against. The 28-year-old

Dominican was constantly on the move,

and when Yafai did manage to pin him

down, Jimenez would grab hold of the

Birmingham boxer. This spoiling tactic led

to a point deduction for the Villa Duarte

resident in the fourth round.

Yafai, 30, tried his best to make

things happen by pressing the action

throughout. He mixed his attacks to

head and body and displayed fast fists.

However, Jimenez’s

frustrating approach made

it extremely difficult for

the champion to establish

any sort of rhythm.

A wide left hook caused

Jimenez to stagger slightly

in the second, although

it was partly a slip. In the

next session, a short left

hook from Yafai forced

the two-time WBA title

contestant to back-pedal

again.

After dropping to his knees following

a low left hand from Yafai in the fifth,

Jimenez was given time to recover by

referee Danny Schiavone. The Caribbean

native also complained about a shot

below the belt at the end of the stanza.

During this round, a head collision left

Yafai with a cut on his hairline. The West

Midlander claimed after the contest that

the blood dripping down into his eyes

had impaired his vision.

In the eighth, Yafai was

fortunate not to have a

point taken away after a

pair of low blows – a right

then a left – led Jimenez

to sag down to all fours.

The Brit was able to score

an official knockdown

in the 12th and final

frame, though. A cuffing

left hook sent Jimenez

tumbling with not long

left to run in the bout.

Yafai, who revealed afterwards that

he had perforated both of his eardrums

during the scrappy encounter, came out

on top by comprehensive tallies of 119-

107 (Eddie Scuncio), 118-108 (Nelson

Vazquez) and 117-109 (Lynne Carter).

K

‘I WANT THE

ESTRADA

FIGHT. I LOVE

THAT FIGHT.

I WANT ALL

THE BIG GUYS’