Lopez defeats Lomachenko in Las Vegas

Teofimo López, defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko, this Saturday, in the “Bubble” of the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lopez took advantage of a slow start from the Ukrainian to build a notable advantage on the judges’ scorecards.

The judges gave Lopez scores of 119-109, 117-111 and 116- 112.

Loma hardly threw a punch in round one, dancing and evading. In round two Lopez started going for the body being more aggressive, with Loma confining himself to a several jabs and a brief flurry. And so, it went on until the sixth, with Lopez chasing and Loma floating like a butterfly, minus any sustained or probing bee sting. Cautiously if not obdurately unwilling to engage meaningfully or significantly.

At long last Loma started to come to life and engaged in the sixth. After Lopez connected to both his body and head, Loma retaliated with a sharp right to the head and two stiff right jabs to the face, only to feel a right to the midriff and a stinging right uppercut to the head only moments before the  bell.

By the seventh, Lopez`s left eye was swelling purplish. The very few punches Loma had thrown had been accurate and found their target, but in lonely singles rather than clusters or bunches.

Lopez was becoming noticeably more aggressive especially with rights and body shots. A clash of heads in the eighth. Loma`s right jab was finally finding a home, albeit occasionally. In the ninth Lopez lowered his hands and Loma capitalized with snappy jabs and left hooks. Loma cutting the distance in the tenth only to be caught with a hard counter right by Lopez. Loma`s jabs and follow ups were  landing.

Finally, Loma decided to exchange in the eleventh and it was thrilling but a so brief half minute, with Lopez`s punches to the body curbing and stemming the tide.

Big exchanges in the last round and then an accidental clash of heads which opened a jagged slice just under Lopez`s right eyebrow, less than thirty seconds before the bell.

Billed, touted and trumpeted as fight of the year, it developed in a frustratingly tactical manner.  Dreary, in a lonely stadium, with only crumbs of comfort for purists, who could spot glimpses, glints and glimmers of ring generalship. It sometimes glowed, but never caught fire.

The Great Willie Pep once promised to win a round without throwing a single punch, although he did sneak several in. The art of self-defense is admirable, avoiding and slipping punches, but you have to regularly, rather than spasmodically deliver them.  the noticeable dearth of blows  from Loma during the   first half of the fight, firmly placed him far behind,  and he never caught up.

Credit to Lopez for sticking to his task throughout a difficult night, in which he drew on boxing brains, rather than utilizing the largely latent threat of brawn.

The specter of Richard Comey previously crumpling after being clobbered by a blockbuster Lopez right, Inhibitingly hung in the air… all night.