By Daniel “Tex” Cohen

8:29- Moments before the showdown between Rogers Mtagwa and Yuriorkis Gamboa, I can’t help but empathize with Mtagwa more than his opponent. It’s not that I dislike Gamboa. I suppose I would just like to see a grizzled old veteran with a less than snazzy record take on an undefeated fighter with a notoriously questionable chin and gain a moment in the sun. I know a Mtagwa championship reign wouldn’t last forever, but damn it if he doesn’t deserve it.

8:50- Perhaps I’m susceptible to propaganda, but I am actually a little moved by the HBO Gamboa introductory feature piece. Selling your gold medal to pay for your daughter’s birthday is touching.

There’s a story here that we see time and time again but fail to acknowledge: Cuba has problems. I know every country has its issues, but this is a story that is particularly pertinent to Boxing. If we are going to identify internal issues dealing with sanctioning bodies, we should also try to scoop our best and brightest when they are in a rough and tumble situation. We’re an internationalist community anyway, right?

9:05- Mtagwa just got clipped with several hooks in round one. He looks out of sorts. Gamboa, meanwhile, is moving beautifully.

9:08- The knockdown at the end of round one looks legit on replay. The crowd is oohing and aahing with every Gamboa power shot. There are plenty of oohs and aahs. Mtagwa looks hurt every few moments, and he goes down again. It’s too early in the fight to be in this much trouble.

9:10- Just like that, Steve Smoger stops the fight. I’m a bit shocked with the performance. Gamboa looked spectacular. I wonder if Mtagwa had a good night or if Juan Manuel Lopez had a bad night when the journeyman almost knocked Lopez out.

9:15- Max Kellerman is interviewing Gamboa regarding a Lopez-Gamboa matchup if Lopez wins tonight. The fighter gives the stereotypical pugilistic answer: “I will fight whoever is put in front of me.”

9:23- Juan Manuel Lopez is a bit cocky, but I would be too if I was a Puerto Rican champion fighting at Madison Square Garden.

9:27: RIP for Miguel Cotto’s father.

9:32- Lopez is fighting well early in the first round, moving and shaking well. The one-two combinations are landing solidly, with shots entering Luevano’s kitchen over his guard.

9:34- Luevano has a good jab. Rosenbaum just pointed out that Luevano should go to the body early. He’s right. Lopez uses his legs and stamina to burn many of his opponents. His speed and power will decrease if he gets the air taken out of him a little.

9:35- These southpaws are trading some hard shots. The pace is far slower in this fight. Luevao showed up in that round, using his jab more. I think Lopez still took the round, but it was more even.

9:39- Lopez is catching Luevano in the third round, snagging his opposition with short, accurate combination in varied bunches. Luevano is hanging tough, firing back to the body. He loses the round, but those body shots were smart.

9:42- The difference here will be whether or not Lopez slows down. If we see a slower version of the Puerto Rican, Luevano will have an opening. Otherwise, consider this another win for the undefeated fighter.

9:43- Luevano is a little bloody. Lederman just made a good point, suggesting that Luevano should be swinging his power shots more. Those left hands aren’t coming, and crashing a few home might retake some momentum. Lopez is winning this round, but Luevano is just a bit closer to giving him trouble.

9:47- Luevano is loading up a bit. Lopez is on the spot, camped out and dug in for war. This has turned into a firefight. Phone-booth close trench warfare is the heart and soul of Boxing. Lopez is up on the cards and I don’t see him losing steam yet. If Luevano is going to win this fight, he needs to burn rubber down the stretch of the fight.

9:52- The volume of the crowd has decreased in correlation with the action of the fight. Luevano is back on the outside of the fight. The shots are getting lower. Lopez is establishing better and better control with each passing moment.

The last two rounds have been pivotal rounds. Luevano has not slowed down Lopez.

9:56- Sure enough, Lopez just scored himself a knockout and unified the belts. The beginning of the end started with a solid right uppercut and finished the fight with a garden variety of hooks and crosses. Luevano looked a little like he got blasted out of a cannon.

9:58- Lennox Lewis makes a good point. You don’t get paid for overtime in Boxing.

10:00- Lopez just told Max Kellerman, “It was a tough fight… He’s not the toughest but he was a tough fight.” I don’t know if I find that honest, respectable or just as cocky as I would expect it to be.

10:01- Lopez discusses Gamboa, Israel Vazquez, and Rafael Marquez as possible opponents for the future. The HBO broadcast just ended about forty-five minutes early, which gives me just enough time to see the Rockets lose to the Bulls.

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