The third saw Guerrero starting to pressure more to get inside and throwing more combinations as the fight seemed to moving in Guerrero’s direction as he began throwing his left hand with greater frequency. Smith also began working to the body throwing hooks to Guerrero’s midsection, often landing low.

The fourth saw more of the same as Guerrero was using his jab to dictate the pace and was connecting with lefts up the middle with accuracy. As the fifth round continued, Guerrero’s corner was pressing him to maintain his pressure and it seemed like they felt Guerrero could end the bout.

The sixth, however, was a different story as Smith started to turn the momentum in his favor by throwing powerful overhand rights forcing Guerrero to cover up more, not allowing him to use his jab. Although Smith won the round, his advantage was negated due a point deduction from referee Randy Phillips for low blows.

Guerrero realized that Smith had a strong round and looked to halt any advantage Smith was building and came on strong in the seventh. “I knew that he came out hard the sixth round and I knew he couldn’t keep that pace.”

Smith kept on the pressure and landed and threw a hard hook right toward the end of the seventh and the fight was on. By the eighth, Smith was looking to land power shots, not backing up to Guerrero’s pressure when he landed a solid right to the side of Guerrero’s head and scored the only knockdown of the fight.

Smith kept Guerrero on the defensive as the ninth round went on and Smith kept throwing the overhand right that had dropped Guerrero in the previous round. Guerrero’s movement also slowed in the ninth and he was feeling the ropes on his back for a good part of the round.

As the fighters tired in the tenth, both loaded up trying to land a game changer yet it was Guerrero who was able to take the round with a series of solid left hands in the final minute.

“He came to fight and I give him all the credit in the world.” Guerrero said after the fight.

Porter Keeps his Zero against Robinson

Shawn Porter remained undefeated with a unanimous decision of a game Ray Robinson. Porter now stands at 16-0 (12), while Robinson suffered his second defeat against 11 wins and 4 KOs.

Early on, Porter pressured Robinson working to negate his opponent’s height and reach advantage with solid counterpunching and bodywork. The third round saw Robinson use more movement and better lateral movement to begin establishing his jab and scoring on Porter. Toward the end of the round, Porter did land a solid shot that reminded Robinson to keep up his movement.

In the fourth, Robinson again used movement at his jab to keep the stronger Porter at bay and seemed to frustrate Porter as, during a clinch, he wrestled Robinson to the canvas. With the formula evening up the bout Robinson maintained his jab while avoiding Porter’s right hand.

As the sixth began, Robinson seemed to be tiring and his movement slowed enough for Porter to dig a straight right to his midsection that slowed Robinson down before Porter landed a series of punches before landing the hard overhand right, sending Robinson to the floor.

The seventh round served as a “stay alive” round for Robinson as worked to recover from the damage of the sixth. The eighth saw a fired-up Porter again try to get Robinson out but once it appeared that Robinson would last, Porter spent the last two rounds moving, with his right hand at the ready if the opportunity arose. It didn’t.

The judges’ scores were: 99-89, 97-92, and 98-91.

Dallas Jr. Wins Uninspired “ShoBox” Debut over Lane

If it is important for prospects to be “TV friendly” as they look to gain exposure and more television dates, then don’t expect to see much of Mike Dallas Jr., 15-0-1 (5) and Lanard Lane,12-1 (7), in the near future. Dallas Jr. did just enough to win an eight-round unanimous decision over Lane by the tally of 78-74 on all three scorecards.

Both fighters started the fight in a defensive posture and neither did much throughout the fight to establish themselves as possible contenders at the 147-pound division.

Lane fought backing up throughout the fight while Dallas often made lunging attempts to land punches with such efforts ending in clinches.

Dallas, however, was the more aggressive fighter and clearly did enough to win the decision.

Denis Douglin vs. Marteze Logan,  light middleweights, six rounds

Former amateur standout Denis Douglin stepped up in class to face trial horse Marteze Logan. From the opening bell, it was all Douglin as he frequently backed Logan up before digging hard left and right hooks to the midsection.

Douglin hurt Logan in the third round with a straight left and a stoppage appeared imminent yet the veteran Logan held on. By the fourth round, Logan had his legs back. Douglin abandoned his body attack by the fifth, working to the head with Logan fighting almost exclusively with his back to the ropes. As Douglin continued landing against Logan, the referee stepped in to halt the bout although Logan was not hurt, nor seemed in danger.

Bobby Bryant vs. Andrew Hurley,  welterweight, four rounds

Local prospect Bryant had little trouble dispatching of now 2-17 Hurley in just 1:39 seconds into the first round. Bryant used his left twice to send Hurley to the canvas before backing him into a corner and unleashing a barrage of punches that caused the stoppage and improved Bryant to 5-0 (4).