By Adam Baskin: Adrien ‘The Problem” Broner claims Rashidi Ellis was “robbed” by the judges in his 12 round majority decision against the exciting knockout artist Roiman Villa (26-1, 24 KOs) in their IBF welterweight title eliminator last Saturday night at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C.
The judges scored the fight as follows:
- 114-112
- 114-112
- 113-113
This writer had Villa winning 115-111 over the badly exposed Rashidi, whose career may never be the same after this defeat and the punishment he absorbed.
The Rashidi-Villa fight was like a modern-day version of the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Medrick Taylor I bout in March 1990. In that fight, Chavez fell behind early but rallied with his pressure & power shots to score a 12th round knockout in the last Seconds. Sadly, Taylor was never the same fighter after the loss.
‘Speedy’ Rashidi (24-1, 15 KOs) outboxed Villa through the first five rounds, but then physically crumbled from the sixth round, getting battered by a fresher & stronger fighter from rounds 6 to 12.
Where things really fell apart for the 29-year-old former Golden Boy-promoted Rashidi was in the twelfth, when he was knocked down three times and was on the verge of being KO’d at the time the final bell sounded to save him from suffering that fate.
Interestingly, the referee failed to give Villa credit for one of the knockdowns in the 12th, but luckily the blown call didn’t ruin the fight’s outcome.
“They robbed Ellis,” said Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner about Rashidi Ellis’ loss to Roiman Villa last Saturday night in their IBF welterweight title eliminator in Washington, D.C.
Many boxing fans disagree with Broner’s assessment of the Rashidi vs. Villa fight, as it was clear that Ellis collapsed under the pressure and hard shots from the Colombian starting from the sixth round.
You’d be hard-pressed to give Rashidi any rounds in the second half of the fight, and with the two knockdowns that he suffered in the 12th round, it’s impossible to conclude that he deserved the victory.
“I want the rematch right away,” Rashidi said after the fight. “I thought I was dictating the fight. I don’t know what happened. I totally disagree with the decision.
“I was winning most of the rounds. Yeah, he had the knockdown, but other than that, I was winning most of the rounds,” said Rashidi.
It would be a good idea for Rashidi to avoid pushing for a rematch with Villa because this guy is bad news for him. His power and pressure are too much for him, and if they fight again, Rashidi’s career, such as it is at this point, will be over.
Another loss for Rashidi will likely see his fights buried at the bottom of the cards and not given any television exposure.