By Jake Donovan
A rough fight week for Alfredo Angulo spilled over into the first half of his HBO-televised co-feature bout with Joel Julio. Patience turned out to be of virtue, as the Mexican puncher rallied in the second half to seize control and eventually stop the faded fringe contender in the eleventh round Saturday night at the Citizenz Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California.
The fight cost Angulo $15,000 after failing to arrive on time for Friday’s weigh-in (where he registered at 153 ¾ lb, compared to 153 ¼ lb for Julio), but provided him with something far more important to the 27-year old at this stage of his career – forward progress.
The first round appeared to follow the suggested script for the matchup – Angulo throwing hard and often, while Julio looked like the faded former heavily hyped fighter on his last legs.
Something then switched in the second round. Julio went from simply moving and avoiding the incoming, to moving and throwing purposeful punches. The fight plan appeared to follow the blueprint laid out by Kermit Cintron, an athletic puncher who scored the upset over Angulo a year ago in a bout that also aired on HBO Boxing After Dark.
Julio continued to circle and jab while Angulo plodded rather than cut off the ring. The Mexican slugger threatened to turn the tide in the fourth round, blocking a Julio right and catching the Colombian with a left hook. To his credit, Julio took the shots well and resumed control of the fight well before rounds end.
Angulo finished strong in the fifth and sixth rounds, but after giving away most of both rounds and never being able to land that one punch to truly gain control of the fight. The movement clearly frustrated Angulo, as Julio boxed wisely, never allowing his opponent to plant his feet long enough to offer a sustained attack.
With that much movement for a noted puncher, it was suspected that Julio would eventually slow down. His press agents offered reports in the weeks leading up to the fight that he was working with a new strength and conditioning team for this fight, complete with the obligatory quotes of being the best shape of his career.
It appeared to be the case for the first six rounds, but Julio was far less effective with the strategy in the second half of the bout. With each passing round, Angulo was closing the gap. Julio continued to circle, but his punch output had dramatically increased, particularly the number of effective punches thrown or landed.
A right hand midway through the eighth provided Angulo with his first major rally of the fight. The shot was followed up by a left hook and another right, sending Julio into retreat mode and conceding momentum in the process.
The ninth saw Angulo remember to target the body, but also come back often enough upstairs to open a cut over Julio’s right eyelid. Julio made it out of the round unscathed, but his demeanor was enough to cause his corner to unleash a profanity-riddled tirade.
The gist of it was a demand for more punches, but Julio never honored his trainer’s wishes. Angulo sensed that Julio was beginning to run on fumes, and took his time to set up his power shots, applying pressure and even working behind his jab.
For all of the work put in, it would only take a single right hand to finally end the show. Angulo targeted the body early in the eleventh, keeping Julio well within his punching range for much of the round. He was close enough to launch a corker of a right hand, bouncing off of Julio’s chin and sending him face first to the canvas.
Referee Raul Caiz offered his count and gave Julio every chance to recover, but saw that the Colombian was done, wrapping his arm around the back of his head as he waved off the fight.
The official time was 1:39 of the eleventh round.
It was a win that Angulo desperately needed, not just in terms of career progression but after a long and frustrating fight week that left him slighted and a little bit poorer.
Through it all, Angulo was still able to disprove the suggestion that he’s a one-dimensional plodder who will struggle as soon as he steps up in class. The win over Julio gives him three straight as he improves to 18-1 (15KO) in scoring by far the most impressive victory of his career in addition to the sensational highlight-reel knockout that came of the evening.
For Joel Julio, it’s hard to envision a career revival at this point. Once a heavily hyped undefeated prospect, the Colombian banger has failed to rise to the occasion once he was no longer afforded the opportunity to feast on the usual suspects.
Though only 25 years old, Julio has been a pro for nine years and is clearly on the downside. The bout marks the third loss in his past four fights, as he falls to 35-4 (31KO).
While the highlight reel win provides Angulo with in-ring glory, respect beyond the ropes continues to be a struggle. Tabbed as a diva prior to the bout, conflicting fight week reports over his whereabouts and failure to make the weigh-in on time certainly didn’t help his image.
Such was reflected at fight’s end, when the final announcement was met with a mixture of jeers and cheers from the crowd on hand.
Eventually, winning cures all. As long as Angulo can continue to end the night with his arm raised in victory, respect on both sides of the ropes will eventually follow.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.