By: Matthew N. Becher
In the latest installment of Showtimes series, ShoBox: The Next Generation, the fights were presented live from the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The first fight of the night gave us a shocking knock out upset between Odom and Clarkson.
The rest of the night was left to the undefeated fighters. Where every fighter fought to keep their respective “0” in tact.
What we got were a lot of good, exciting fights, and a main event that may have shown us the beginning of a future champion in Antoine Douglas.
Adam Lopez (12-0 6KO) vs. Eliezer Aquino (17-0-1 11KO): Featherweights
Aquino is fighting for the first time outside his native Dominican Republic and is quickly welcomed to the states by being knocked down quickly in the first round by a right hand counter. Lopez is fighting orthodox while Aquino is Southpaw. A clash of heads happens multiple times throughout the fight. The overhand right seems to be the weapon of choice for Aquino.
Aquino has a great over hand right and throws lots of power punches, continues to go forward and throws first. Lopez has a hard time keeping Aquino off of him and unable to set up his own punches.
The smaller Aquino brings the fight to Lopez, making Lopez uncomfortable with in fighting. Lopez starts to land some heavy body shots, planting his feet when he punches in the fourth round. Lopez starts to box more instead of trading shots with the resilient Aquino.
Aquino starts to slow down in the fifth round, not throwing as many punches as earlier. Lopez sitting down on his punches more and bringing the fight to his pace.
In the seventh , Aquino comes out in a feverish pace and Lopez is entering the 7th round for the first time in his career. Aquino is starting to show fatigue, throwing wild shots that aren’t landing.
Lopez begins to pull away towards the end of the fight, but Aquino never lets down and fights back until the very end.
95-95, 96-93, 96-93 MD Lopez
Arif Magomedov (15-0 9KO) vs. Derrick Webster (19-0 10KO): Middleweights
Looking at the tale of the tape of this fight, you would think that Derrick Webster had a very good advantage at controlling this fight. Webster stands an extremely tall 6’4” to Arif Magomedov’s 5’10” and Webster sports an 8 inch reach advantage. Keeping Magomedov at the end of a jab would seem like the only thing you would have to do. But that was more easily said then done.
Magomedov stalked Webster for the entire ten rounds of the fight. Easily getting inside an almost non existent jab of Webster.
Magomedov threw very heavy body punches for the majority of the fight, while showing a great defensive guard, practically blocking all of Websters punches.
Magomedov continued to use the game plan of stalking the taller fighter and landing body shot after body shot.
In the 7th round, Webster begins to breath out of his mouth. The body shots have begun to take their toll and Websters hands drop leaving his head open for two right hands, dropping Webster to the canvas.
Webster went down again with 19 seconds left in the tenth (final) round. And Magomedov improves his undefeated record.
99-89 (3x) Magomedov UD
Istvan Szili (18-0-2 8KO) vs. Antoine Douglas (17-0-1 11KO): Middleweights
Szili is a straight forward, power shot fighter. He tries to muscle Douglas into the ropes or into a corner and load up with power shots.
Douglas has a five inch reach advantage, but didn’t just use his jab, but also did a great job in fighting. Douglas uses the ring well, lands his punches and gets out. Douglas then stands toe to toe, lands a great combination of punches and drops Szili with a right to the chin. Szili is definitely hurt but able to get up as the bell ends the second round.
The third round begins, Szili comes out swinging and is countered immediately with a left, right and is dropped. He gets up once again, but is knocked down almost immediately, as his legs were completely gone. The ref waves off the fight, and Douglas gets another win on ShoBox.
Douglas TKO Rd. 3 0:29
Jerry Odom (13-1 12KO) vs. Samuel Clarkson (14-3 8KO): Super Middleweights
Odom comes out in the orthodox stance, while Clarkson comes out southpaw. Both men fight with flat feet while they try and establish their jabs. Odom starts adding some combinations in the second and backs away, he works Clarksons body, but as the naturally bigger man, Clarkson lands a big right hand at the end of the second round and jumps all over Odom. Odom is knocked down for the first time in his career by a right uppercut.
Clarkson and Odom start a quick exchange at the beginning of third. Odom goes down quickly in the round and pops right back up. Clarkson goes in for the kill and knocks Odom down for the third time in the fight. Odom again pops up immediately after being knocked down, never taking the full eight count. Clarkson attacks again and Odom does not fight back or try and hold onto Clarkson. The Ref steps in and stops the fight.
Clarkson TKO 3 1:15
