Mark Robinson for Matchroom Boxing
It truly was viva Mexico on Saturday as Mauricio Lara and Luis Nery scored huge victories in different parts of the world. Both were pushed to the limit, eventually they overcame and found ways to win. Overall, it was an entertaining and memorable day/night of boxing on DAZN.
In the afternoon fare from Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England, Matchroom's marathon card was capped off by the headlining bout featuring WBA featherweight titlist, Leigh Wood, against the hard-charging, Mauricio Lara, who is no stranger to the UK.
Despite being the challenger, it was Lara who was tabbed by many pundits to take this bout, it was believed that his all-out aggression and power, would simply overwhelm Wood. But in this bout, outside of some rocky moments in the second, it was the technical precision and tactical superiority of Wood that was carrying the day.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
While Lara was always dangerous, it was Wood who was effectively employing counter-punching tactics, and had Lara uncharacteristically passive in the first half of the fight. The majority of the meaningful shots were landed by the defending champion, but it was Lara with the heavier hands, who remained dangerous throughout.
But just as you got the sense that Wood was starting to control things and had tamed Lara, near the end of the seventh frame he made the mistake of hooking with a hooker, and paid the price as he flattened stiff.
Orale.
As he staggered up on his feet, just as the bout was going to be resumed by referee Michael Alexander, a towel flew in from the hands of trainer, Ben Davison. The fight was then waved off, much to the dismay of Wood at 2:54 of the round.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
There is a ton of debate about the decision made by Davison over his decision. It says here that there was still time in the round for Lara to pounce in that round, and even if Wood survives it, there were still five rounds remaining. Lara showed that his left hook remained lethal. It was prudent to have his boxer live to fight another day.
At the time of the stoppage, Wood was ahead on all three cards (58-56, 58-56 and 59-55). In the immediate aftermath, Lara unleashed a loogie in the direction of his old nemesis, Josh Warrington, who he has already knocked out and then had a unsatisfying technical draw with in their rematch after a clash of heads. There's no doubt he'd like to clear up that issue. It's reported that Wood possesses a rematch clause with Lara.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
So with that said, it looks like moving forward that Lara will be as visible as the London Bridge to English fans.
Later on this Saturday night from the Fox Theater in Pomona, California, war was waged between junior featherweights, Luis Nery, and Azat Hovinissyan, in what was a WBC elimination bout,
It was bloody, brutal and violent.
For 11 rounds, they went back-and-forth, neither man wanting to cede control.
Cris Esqueda/GBP
While it was Hovinissyan who pressed forward and kept banging away at the body of his southpaw foe, Nery possessed the sharper punches. As the rounds went on, the intensity of the action only increased with both men laying leather on one another. Hovinnisyan's face was bruised and bloodied early on, but he kept pressing forward, undaunted by the damage he was taking.
The pivotal moment in this pitched battle came in the 10th, for most of this stanza it was 'Crazy A' who stuck inside the pocket and chipped away downstairs. But while his spirit was willing, much of the snap from his punches had dissipated, and Nery caught him as he pulled back with a sizzling left, dazing Hovinissyan and then a few follow up shots sent him down.
He survived the round, and then Hovinissyan gamely fought on in the 11th, but once again it was a few well-placed counter left hands from Nery that had him staggering, nearly out on his feet. Ray Corona made the prudent decision to end things.
Cris Esqueda/GBP
This was the type of fight that belonged at the Olympic Auditorium in the 70's. That's the highest compliment you could pay to these two men.
All of this was on DAZN. Which lately has risen in price more than eggs.
Coming into this weekend of bouts, there was plenty of chatter -- mostly negative -- about their recent price hike, which now sees a year subscription to the streaming platform go for $224.99. It's a far cry from 2018 when it was not only much cheaper, but came with the promise of not having to shell out for pay-per-view events.
I've enjoyed my subscription to DAZN (and because of the nature of my job, will keep it) but many others simply will not. Judging by what I saw on Twitter this past weekend many have already made their decision to ditch DAZN. At this point I'm thinking of investing in Firestick stocks.
Yeah, things have changed, as Fat Joe once eloquently stated, ''Yesterday's price, is NOT today's price." This was a case of over-promising and under-delivering to many people.
But there's no denying the quality of fights they broadcast on Saturday. The question is, was it worth the price of their subscription?
