Another PBC on FS1 is in the books. It was a predictable mixed bag as the main event was an obvious mismatch despite the fact that Yordenis Ugas (19-3, 9 KOs) came in on just one day’s notice, but thankfully the co-feature was a pretty good, fairly well matched bout that delivered as promised. Former heavyweight titlist Charles Martin (24-1-1, 22 KOs) also returned off air and was featured in highlights.
As I discussed in the preview for this card, Nelson Lara (17-8-4, 9 KOs) is not a good fighter. Yordenis is a good fighter, maybe even better than that if he continues to put it all together. This fight was boxing at its worst: Good fighter punches not good fighter until not good fighter falls down. It took two rounds. I appreciate Ugas stepping up to save the card on virtually no notice, but he knew he was in for an easy payday here the moment he got the call.
What is more interesting is the fact that Mario Barrios did not continue to take this fight. Yes, Lara came in ten pounds overweight and it would have technically been a junior welterweight in against a junior middleweight, but Lara is not really a junior middleweight and just came in soft. Two fights ago he made lightweight even. All an overweight Nelson Lara represented was an even easier opponent than the already farcical foe Barrios had signed up to fight to begin with. I understand the urge to protect an unbeaten record, but this was still a curious decision.
The real fight that made this show worth watching was the co-feature in which Georgian “The Wolf ” Levan Ghvamichava (18-3-1, 13 KOs) won a competitive but clear decision over 2012 Mexican Olympian Oscar Molina (13-2-1, 10 KOs). Almost every round was competitive and reasonably close, but The Wolf won almost all of them. This was one of those fights where the scores can be spot on yet still not accurately reflect how close the bout actually was. If one fighter narrowly wins every round, then he scores a shut out even though he was only narrowly the better fighter.
Ghvamichava didn’t necessarily shut Molina out, but at the same time I wouldn’t object to a card that came back claiming that he did. A consummate pro, Levan used steady, calm pressure behind a consistent double jab to work his way inside and then bang the body. Molina tried to box and did well in spurts, but his often one shot counter attacks were simply just outpointed by Ghvamichava’s volume and effective aggression. This wasn’t a fight of the year candidate by any means, but it was a quality professional fight that I am glad was broadcast. Molina is now 0-2-1 in his last three against good opposition and may need a step down, but I am curious to see where they book The Wolf next. I will be watching.
Former heavyweight titlist and Anthony Joshua KO victim Charles Martin returned off the broadcast against a get well opponent that he stopped in the second round. Also aired was a post-main event filler bout in which now 8-1 (4 KOs) junior middleweight Julius Dyis of Mississippi stopped now 2-6 (1 KO) Taif Harris of California in the third round after three knockdowns.
