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11/26/2007 Archived Entry: "Pollack's Review: Vargas v. Mayorga card"
Pollack's Review: Vargas v. Mayorga card
By Adam Pollack
Courtesy of Boxing Press
Karmazin v. Garcia. Garcia went down in 1st from left hook to the body. A couple rounds later, a four punch combination sent him down again - left hook to the body, right to head, and those two punches repeated again. I think it was the hook to the body that did the real damage. The referee could have counted to 20 and he wasn't getting up. Karmazin too quick and strong, and Garcia is basically a B level fighter with a padded record who can't take a punch and doesn't belong in these fights.
Cintron v. Feliciano - Interesting fight really. Cintron nailed Feliciano with clean hard punches throughout - and guess what - Feliciano didn't budge. The guy kept coming, throwing slow powder puff arm punches with almost nothing on them, but kept throwing them almost nonstop - and landing quite often. Cintron has absoluetly zero inside game. Feliciano demonstrated enough inside game and just enough defense and pressure that it really threw Kermit off - missing a lot, fighting only in spurts, and getting hit a lot. When Cintron finally started listening to Emanuel Steward and using his legs, his superiority was clear from the outside, but when he stopped moving and allowed Feliciano to outwork him on the inside, he was getting hit quite often, especially with the right uppercut. Cintron is quite hittable.
I felt that based on how well Feliciano was taking Kermit's punches throughout the fight, the stoppage was a bit premature, but Cintron did hit Feliciano with a number of clean and solid punches in combination that had Feliciano a bit stunned. But I really think Feliciano's legs were still there. He wasn't even going backwards and wasn't even on the ropes. Cintron rolled around on the ground afterwards and acted like he had hurt his hand or something.
Prior to this fight, I thought Cintron had enough power to give Paul Williams something to think about, and he still might, but the problem he will have with Williams is that Paul is southpaw, can throw nonstop (keeps a way better pace than Cintron), has height and reach, and a whole lot more pop than Feliciano, and excellent conditioning, much better than Cintron. So, don't be surprised if Cintron finds a way out of that fight. Personally, I think Paul Williams is THE best welterweight in the world, and that includes Floyd Mayweather.
Vargas v. Mayorga - Vargas was a mere shell of himself. He looked shot. Slow and lethargic, with a minimal punch output, very little fire or zip, and his chin is just gone. That said, he still tried and actually made it competitive throughout, especially during the middle rounds. But the youg Vargas would have easily picked Mayorga apart. I have to credit Mayorga for showing up in much better shape than he has as of late. He had his bad rounds, but always came back. He showed more passion, more combinations, better punch output, bettter speed than Fernando, and his chin did not give out. That said, he beat a guy who was basically done for, so he shone in part because of what he was in there with. Vargas is still much technically sounder, and picks his punches better than the occasionally wild and amateurish Mayorga, but this fight was won with physical condition and sharpness and superior chin.
Mayorga was able to deck Fernando in the 1st with a wild nonstop flailing of punches, as Fernando was too defensive and cautious, covering up - his head down as a right came over the top and knocked him off his feet. He again decked him late in the fight with a flash knockdown because Fernando pulled away with his legs square and his head up in the air - again the right hand - Mayorga's most effective weapon, doing the trick. Mayorga continually landed his right hand counter punch off of Fernando's slow jab.
Mayorga occasionally had him hurt enough that Fernando would move around and play defense and do enough to play it off, but not enough to win the round. Mayorga often won rounds with greater activity level, and Fernando not wanting to engage too much, or being too slow to do so.
Mayorga occasionally had his spots where his defense went to pieces, and he got hit with a lot of right hands to the body and head, and he also had rounds where you thought maybe he was finally hitting the wall from all his activity, and Fernando would start hitting him. However, Fernando simply could not keep it up on a consistent basis. Vargas was slow on his feet, and could not pick up gears very often in order to take greater advantage of his good moments, and so Mayorga would regroup.
A decent and interesting fight between two B guys who cannot beat an A fighter, at least not at this point in their careers.
