Z GORRES expectedly romped off with the win, but disappointed those who expected a knockout victory.
Not me, though. I admit I was pining for an impressive stoppage win, but after the first few rounds, I knew it wasn?t coming.
That Z will never be much of a puncher was quite evident last Saturday night, when he threw everything but the kitchen sink at Nick Otieno, but the latter still kept coming forward.
With a body that seemed sculpted out of rock, Otieno pressed the attack with his slow deliberate movements, and absorbed Z?s best bombs on the way in.
TOO HARD. I think Z was trying too hard for the kayo and was headhunting right from the get-go. He did shift to an effective body attack in rounds 3 and 4 which noticeably affected the Kenyan.
But quite inexplicably, he abandoned it and in the middle rounds began going for the head again, all to no avail. Sure, he shook and rocked Otieno a few times, but the sturdy Kenyan was clearly going nowhere.
Had he invested in the body early, he could have dramatically increased his chances for the knockout in the later rounds.
I also noticed that Z spreads his legs too far wide in a stance which causes him to lose balance when he tries to move laterally at times or when he gets hit with a punch thrown from a side angle.
Since he?s a very good defensive fighter, those blows do not land clean, but because of his wide-apart stance, a slight push sometimes causes him to fall down which doesn?t look quite impressive.
In the Otieno fight, he fell down again quite a few times. This can be costly in big-time fights because a referee might mistakenly rule it as a knockdown as in the Darchinyan fight. And even if it it?s not, a fighter who flops around the ring, isn?t exactly likely to win more fans.
SHARP. Was Malcolm ?Eagle Eye? Tu?acao sharp? Couldn?t say, really. Sure he was his usual effective self, but you never really know with a fight that lasts only less than three minutes.
But the fight illustrates an earlier point I made about hitting an opponent?s arms or shoulders to weaken him or tire him. Indeed, while they might not what you call prime target areas, they technically still are legal areas for hitting.
And when you get the TKO because your opponent suffered an injury in his arm as a result of legal blow, you get the win nonetheless. Can?t think of any fighter who wouldn?t want that anyway.
In the meantime, Malcolm needs to get some rounds in and so I?m reiterating my call for a doubleheader featuring Malcolm and Donnie ?Ahas? Neites to be aptly dubbed as ?Snake in the Eagle?s Shadow.? Any takers?
OOPS. Speaking of Malcolm, Last Rounder Roel Tariman e-mailed me to point out that Malcolm beat Medgoen Singsurat via TKO in round 7 and not via UD as I averted to in my previous column.
Thanks for the assist Roel. As I write this, I am on the phone with my optometrist inquiring about a new pair of contact lenses to make my eagle-eyed like Malcolm.
THE SMELLS. There is something raw and unfiltered emanating from live boxing matches that never comes across to the television audience. The sights are one thing and the sounds are another. But add to that the smells, and you get one hell of an unforgettable experience.
Last Saturday, I was with a good friend who holds the rank of Major in our army, but who never had the chance to catch a live professional boxing bout.
Lets just say, that from where we were seated, my friend got treated to an experience you can never get when you don?t get a ticket and opt for the remote control instead.
LAST ROUND. It?s on Citibank?s Irene Faye Tero who recently celebrated her birthday. Cheers!
