Everybody fought true to form at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California during Saturday’s Showtime triple header, and despite no upsets on the card, it was a pretty entertaining show.
In the main event, defending IBF middleweight titlist, Cornelius “K9” Bundrage (32-4, 19 KOs) was as crude as ever, delivering a sloppy, caveman-like drubbing to the faded, dead-legged former slickster, Cory Spinks (39-7, 11 KOs) en route to a TKO 7 victory.
The pattern was set in the first round, when a wide, sloppy overhand right connected on Spinks’ chin and sent the former welterweight and junior middleweight world titlist to the canvas. Spinks would beat the count, but would be walking on stiff legs for the rest of the contest.
After five rounds of sloppy wrestling/mugging/mauling, Bundrage finally re-touched Spinks’ chin with the same sloppy right hand and sent him back to the canvas.
Clearly hurt, Spinks would beat the count, but find himself back on the canvas seconds later. From that point on, the end was near as Spinks did all he could to remain upright and try to stop the crude, but strong IBF champ from finishing things up. But there was too much time to kill and Spinks had nothing left. One more solid right hand from Bundrage sent the challenger back to the canvas and officially put an end to the contest.
As a ridiculous aside, two judges– Gwen Adair and Robert Byrd– actually had Spinks ahead, 57-56 at the time of the stoppage.
Gary Russell Jr. (20-0, 12 KOs) proved too quick, too strong, and, generally, just too good for Mexico’s Christopher Perez 23-3 (14 KOs) with a fairly easy third round TKO victory.
After a feeling out round, Russell turned on the gas in the second and made it painfully clear that Perez was just not going to be much of a challenge.
Perez would hit the canvas in the second round, then be sent almost through the ropes with a blazing-quick left hand in the third. The 23-year-old Mexican kept on fighting, though, and found himself back on the canvas later in the third round after a sharp Russell combination. Perez would beat the count once again, but suffer one last knockdown in the same round, this time from a right hand. Four knockdowns in about a round and a half of action was enough for referee Pat Russell, who called an end to the contest immediately after Perez’s last trip to the canvas.
In the televised opener, Erislandy Lara (17-1-1, 11 KOs) fought beautifully against a tough, determined Freddy Hernandez (30-3, 20 KOs) and took a solid ten round decision by scores of 98-91, 99-90, and an odd 95-94.
Lara reaffirmed his high boxing IQ with a style that alternated between strategic retreats and smart counter punching against a Hernandez who was all about offense.
To his credit, despite being technically and tactically outclassed, Hernandez was game and aggressive enough to keep the rounds competitive throughout. But sporting a cut over his right eye (caused by a headbutt) and several other nicks and abrasions, it was clear, by the end of the contest, that it wasn’t Hernandez who was getting the best of the offensive exchanges.
It was a solid effort from both fighters, but as expected, Lara was just the significantly better fighter.
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