Chilemba defeats Miranda, fails to impress

By Boxing News - 02/03/2012 - Comments

Image: Chilemba defeats Miranda, fails to impressBy Jim Dower: light heavyweight contender Isaac Chilemba (19-1-1, 9 KO’s) defeated former middleweight and super middleweight title challenger Edison Miranda (35-7, 30 KO’s) by a convincing 10 round unanimous decision on Friday night at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The final judges’ scores were 96-92, 97-91 and 96-92, all for the 24-year-old Chilemba. That’s not to say that Chilemba was very impressive because he didn’t look that great. His constant clinching, slapping punches and lack of speed and power showcased his limitations. Chilemba looked better than Miranda, but that’s about all you can say. A good light heavyweight like Chad Dawson, Beibut Shumenov or Tavoris Cloud would have no problems beating Chilemba and there’s nothing he could do to change any of that. He’s a better fighter than Miranda, but as far as the top fighters go, Chilemba is a level below them in my estimation.

The loss puts Miranda’s once promising career in a question. He’s now lost four out of his last seven fights and is heading towards journeyman status. It’s sad because at middleweight, Miranda wasn’t a bad fighter. He could really punch at 160 and was one of the best fighters in the division. However, Miranda ate his way out of the division and had steadily moved up. Miranda isn’t the same fighter he once at fighting at light heavyweight. His power isn’t the same at this weight and lacks the height to compete with taller fighters like the 6’1” Chilemba.

In the opening round, Miranda started off jabbing and landed some nice left hands to the body and head. A good uppercut seemed to rattle Chilemba. There wasn’t much action in this round.

In the second round, Chilemba started off with some jabs and then landed a quick 1-2. However, Miranda came back with some uppercuts and hurt Chilemba followed by a left to the midsection.

Chilemba came back in the 3rd behind his good outside work and right hand shots. Miranda, however, wasn’t done yet, as he continued to land hard body shots and big rights in this round. Miranda was cut over his left eye from a clash of heads in the round. It was a close round. Chilemba looked good in making Miranda miss and hitting him with counter shots. However, Miranda landed some really big shots in this round and his punches had a lot more power on them.

In the 4th, Miranda was holding and hitting early. He didn’t like the clinching by Chilemba and took the opportunity to tag him hard when he was being held. Chilemba tried to take the fight to the outside but Miranda continued to walk him down and land big shots. Chilemba fired back but his punches lacked snap and seemed more like slaps.

Both fighters lost a point for throwing rabbit punches in the 5th. It looked the referee was a tad bit hasty in calling he fouls but it’s better to have referee keeping the fight clean than one that lets guys do what they want to do. Miranda landed some huge right hands in this round to win it. At this point in the fight, Chilemba is far behind on my scorecard due to Miranda’s much bigger shots and constant pressure.
Chilemba fought well in the 6th, nailing Miranda from the outside and tying him up when he came in close. Miranda looked to be tiring and the blood from his cut was a serious problem. He didn’t throw enough punches in this round.

In the 7th, Chilemba hurt Miranda with a series of big right hands that had Miranda holding on. Miranda’s left eye looked even worse and he appears to be fighting with sight in only one eye.

Miranda got hit with a lot of right hands in the 8th, as he clearly can’t see out of his left eye and is totally gassed out. Miranda can’t see the punches coming and looks helpless. That headbutt sure did help Chilemba because without the cut, this fight might be clearly in Miranda’s hands.

Chilemba dominated the action on the outside in the 9th, but he too looks kind of tired and his slapping punches look even weaker than in previous rounds. Miranda landed some nice body shots near the end of the round.

Miranda landed a nice right hand early in the 10th, but Chilemba came back with some combinations and outworked Miranda for the remainder of the round.

***

In the undercard action, undefeated super featherweight prospect Rances Bathelemy (15-0, 11 KO’s) easily defeated previously unbeaten Hylon Williams Jr. (15-1, 3 KO’s) by a lopsided eight round unanimous decision. The final judges’ scores were 79-73, 79-73 and 80-72, all for the 25-year-old Bathelemy.

Bathelemy, 5’11”, towered over the shorter 5’7” Williams Jr., peppering with jabs, combos and giving him problems with movement.

In the round one, Bathelemy stayed on the outside jabbing away at Williams and landing some nice counter shots. Williams showed excellent hand speed. Williams landed a some powerful body shots to the rail thin Bathelemy and landed well to the head as the round ended.

Bathelemy and Williams traded early in the round on the inside with Bathelemy landing the bigger shots and giving Williams problems. Bathelemy hit Williams with some big uppercuts that snapped his head back followed by some straight right hands. Williams fought off the ropes but was hurt by a nice right hand from Bathelemy.

In the 3rd round, Williams started off quickly landing some weak shots in rapid fashion but his punches had no effect on Bathelemy, who came back with some hard uppercuts in close to get Williams’ attention. Bathelemy throwing good left hand shots and using a lot of switching from southpaw to orthodox and back again to try and trick Williams.

Bathelemy easily winning and giving Williams a lot of problems.
In the 4th round, Bathelemy kept Williams trapped on the outside using jabs and movement to control the action. Bathelemy landed a few good uppercuts but mostly it was round of jabbing. Not much action to speak of. Williams looks overmatched.

Bathelemy taunted Williams in the 5th, dropping his hands and daring him to come in to try and land. Williams just looked like he already had given up. Bathelemy landed well on the inside and connected with some nice body shots and uppercuts.

In the 6th, Bathelemy took the action to the ropes and worked Williams over with combinations to the head and body. On the outside, Bathelemy jabbed Williams at will, keeping him under control and pretty much helpless at all times. Bathelemy began to taunt Williams again towards the end of the round, and looked bored. Bathelemy finishes the round with a strong left.

Bathelemy landing more uppercuts in the 7th, hurting Williams and continuing to blast him with combinations. Williams staying in close and Bathelemy doesn’t seem to mind, as he’s dominating him there about as good as on the outside. Williams looks to have been hurt twice in this round. Bathelemy landed a lot of uppercuts and seems to overuse this punch.

In the 8th, Williams fought a little, landing some hard combinations and fighting with more energy. However, Bathelemy continued to nail him with uppercuts on the inside. On the outside, Bathelemy working Williams with jabs and avoiding his power shots.

Overall, it was a good performance from Bathelemy. He was too tall and skilled for Williams to deal with and he had no real answer for all of Bathelemy’s advantages in this fight.

***

In a battle of unbeaten heavyweights, Russian Magomed Abdusalamov (13-0, 13 KO’s) kept his perfect knockout string alive with a 2nd round TKO of Cuban Pedro Rodriguez (8-1, 6 KO’s). Abdusalamov, 30, hurt Rodriguez with a big left to the head to score a quick knockout in the 2nd while on the ropes.

Rodriguez, who didn’t look to be in the best of shape, started off in a hurry in the 1st round, landing a lot of right hands and lefts to the body that had Abdusalamov covering up for much of the round.
The fight turned around in the 2nd, after a brief series of nice shots from Rodriguez, Abdusalamov came firing back landing nice body shots that put Rodriguez on the ropes where he finished him off with a nice left hook.

It was a good win for Abdusalamov but I can’t see this guy doing much in the heavyweight division. He needs more power and there are better heavyweights around right now that would likely flatten this guy.



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