Carl Frampton successfully defended his IBF super bantamweight title by decisioning Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. after 12 rounds of action?
Saturday afternoon at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas, Carl ?The Jackal? Frampton (21-0, 14 KOs) from Belfast, Northern Ireland, successfully defended his IBF super bantamweight title by decisioning Alejandro ?Cobrita? Gonzalez Jr. (25-2-2, 15 KOs), from Tijuana, Baja California,Mexico, by scores of 115-109 and 116-108 twice after 12 rounds of action.
Fighting out of the blue corner in white trunks with green trim, Frampton was making his US debut. Celebrated in the United Kingdom for his skill, heart, and elevated fighting instincts, the chauvinists on this side of the pond weren?t sure what to expect. Is he for real? Is he all that he?s cracked up to be?
There may be some truth in advertising after all. Carl Frampton is the real deal. He?s the genuine article.
His opponent this afternoon, fighting out of the red corner in black trunks with gold trim, came to fight. The son of a former featherweight champion, Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. has the pedigree and verve to one day become champ. But he?s only 22, a kid fighting a grown man, and not yet seasoned enough to compete with a fighter as refined as Carl Frampton.
In the opening round it looked like Frampton might be more hype than bite. Gonzalez dropped The Jackal twice, once in the opening seconds when the fighters traded left hooks, and again in the closing seconds with a right behind the ear to win the round 10-7. Frampton had promised to knock out Cobrita. He was trying too hard to be true to his word. Enthusiasm is no substitute for composure, but that composure was to come and in spades.
It didn?t take long for Frampton to settle down. In fact it hardly took any time at all. After a slow start in the second, he began working off his textbook jab, landing combinations and a left hook. Gonzalez was still riding high after the opening stanza and landed a beautiful 1-2 followed by an uppercut, but Frampton was taking charge of the fight and wasn?t about to let go.
Gonzalez was deducted a point in the third for a low blow, after two warnings from the referee, Mark Calo-Oy. He was also deducted a point in the 11th. But Frampton wasn?t about allow shots south of the border, or shots north of the border for that matter, to deter him from his mission, which was to put on a great performance for discerning fight fans here in the United States.
Frampton proceeded to win every round after the first. Some rounds were closer than others, but there never any doubt who the superior fighter was. Gonzalez wasn?t bad. On the contrary, he?s a good fighter who will get better over time. But Frampton is exceptional. His balance is terrific. Every punch in the book is in his arsenal. His ring IQ is off the charts. He is a little great fighter.
?I wanted to win by knockout,? said Frampton after the fight. ?It didn?t happen. I?m disappointed, but I?ll re-evaluate and move on.?
Frampton may have been disappointed that he didn?t send Gonzalez to the moon, but the tough kid from Belfast has earned our respect. Watching him fight is like watching an old-school fighter in black and white. Watching him fight is just one more reason boxing matters.
