Middle-round success proves decisive as Duarte takes close fight over twelve rounds
Oscar Duarte (31-2-1, 23 KOs) beat Angel Fierro (24-5-2, 18 KOs) by split decision (115-113, 116-112, 112-116) over twelve rounds in Las Vegas. His stronger work in the middle rounds proved decisive in a close fight.
Duarte’s edge came from the more damaging stretches, particularly in the middle rounds when he was able to back Fierro up and let his hands go in bursts. A flashpoint came in the fourth, when Duarte dropped Fierro after the bell in a sequence that added to the tension of the fight, and he followed that with a strong fifth round that left Fierro unsteady. Those moments gave Duarte the kind of separation that mattered when the scorecards were read.
Fierro didn’t go away and had his own success, especially when he was able to push Duarte back and force exchanges at a higher pace. He threw enough and landed enough to make several rounds difficult to score, which was reflected in the split decision. Duarte, though, stayed composed and picked his spots more effectively over the back half of the fight.
Angel looked like a different animal tonight. Coming in 3.4 pounds over the limit is no small thing at 140 pounds, and by the time they stepped into the ring, he clearly had the frame of a much larger man. You could see it in those exchanges where he was able to bully Duarte into the ropes and just out-muscle him in the clinches.
The result keeps Duarte in the mix at 140 pounds after missing out on a title opportunity against IBF champion Richardson Hitchins earlier this year. It wasn’t a dominant showing, but he found the rounds he needed against a tough opponent who made him work for every minute.
