By Jake Donovan
It was a night advertised as 30 potential rounds of action between the three scheduled bouts, so loaded that the ESPN2 Friday Night Fights producers didn’t even bother to schedule an in-studio guest.
The grand total wound up getting sliced by 70%, but certainly didn’t lack action or its share of highlight reel moments.
Topping the show was an early entry for 2010 Knockout of the Year, as Ed Paredes scored an explosive second-round knockout in a hate-fueled rematch with previously unbeaten Joey Hernandez at the NSU Arena in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The bitter rivals fought to a controversial draw on ESPN2 last August, in a bout that included a knockdown and a body slam, but no winner in the end.
Paredes took care of that in a big way this time around.
Action was hinted at in the opening round, though a frame marred with a series of start-and-stops. Any time either fighter would get any sort of offensive flow going, the other would move in and clinch to immediately cease the action.
Hernandez attempted to apply the same strategy in round two; Paredes wasn’t anywhere nearly as willing, instead more interested in giving the fans their money’s worth.
He would, and then some.
The two fighters found themselves trading in center ring, clearly a strategy that wasn’t going to benefit Hernandez, who once again sought means to reset. Attempting to come in on the inside, the squat southpaw left himself open for a booming left hook from Paredes. The shot caught Hernandez flush on the chin, sending him to the canvas for the full ten count from referee Samuel Burgos.
The official time was 1:21 of the second round.
Once upon a time, Paredes had real career promise, but lacked the proper team to advance his career. Things changed for the better when he moved to Florida, at one point rattling off ten straight wins before suffering an upset knockout loss in 2007.
Another 10-fight win streak followed, including becoming the only fighter to hang a loss on current red-hot surprise prospect Antwone Smith. Paredes suffered another minor setback in dropping a 10-round decision to late replacement Carlos Molina last year.
He is now unbeaten in his last four, including avenging an earlier loss to Venegas , and now making the score 1-0-1 against Hernandez as he improves to 24-3-1 (15KO).
Hernandez suffers his first loss as a pro, dipping to 15-1-1 (8KO). He entered this fight having not fought since the draw to Paredes last August, which leaves the Miami-based southpaw winless since last March.
JOHNSON REMAINS IN TITLE HUNT
To say Glen Johnson refuses to show his age wouldn’t be entirely truthful, as it’s clear the 41-year old has lost more than a step or two in recent years.
But that doesn’t mean he has to go away quietly.
The former light heavyweight titlist and 2004 Fighter of the Year continues to cheat Father Time and will get at least one more crack at alphabet glory, thanks to his spirited sixth round stoppage of Yusaf Mack in the televised co-main event.
It was as quality of a fight as you can ask for on a Friday Night Fights telecast, which is only fitting considering it landed on the series by accident. Johnson and Mack were originally scheduled to collide last weekend in Las Vegas, only for their bout to get relocated after the Shane Mosley-Andre Berto main event fell through, canceling the entire show altogether.
Luckily, ESPN2 was able to slide the bout into its schedule, resulting in a mere six-day delay rather than a cancellation altogether.
Both fighters were grateful going in, though chances are Mack is wishing this one went the way of the proverbial scrap heap.
Things started out well for Mack, who jumped out to a quick lead while Johnson – by his own admission – took a couple of rounds to get going.
Johnson turned up the intensity in round three, never looking back as Mack struggled both to keep the tough old man off of him, and effectively mix boxing and banging.
Most of the rounds were fast-paced, but terrific two-way action was on display in a furiously fought fifth round. It was the last time in the fight Mack could claim to be competitive; Johnson scored a knockdown early in the sixth courtesy of a right hand following a series of jabs, a sequence that truly proved to serve as the beginning of the end.
Mack managed to beat the count, but would be sent to the canvas twice more before referee Frank Gentile decided to end matters at 2:21 of the sixth round.
The performance puts Johnson in the win column after having looked his age for much of last November’s rematch with divisional best Chad Dawson. In addition to improving to 49-13-2 (34KO), Johnson is now in position to challenge undefeated titlist Tavoris Cloud.
Though 11 years younger than the 41-year old Johnson, it’s quite possible that we’ve seen the last of Mack at or near the top level. The talent is there and – given the state of the light heavyweight division in recent years – you’d have to believe that time is on his side at just 30 years old.
However, Friday marked his third stoppage loss, each coming on nights where he dared to step up in competition. A career revival threatened to surface after last year’s stirring win over fringe contender Chris Henry, but it’s apparent that Mack has reverted back to old form as he dips to 28-3-2 (17KO).
RIGONDEAUX MAKES QUICK WORK OF LANDEROS
Earlier in the week, two-time Olympic Gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux vowed to donate his entire purse to the relief efforts in disaster-stricken Haiti.
It would be the only charitable effort he would provide for this particular fight.
The Cuban super bantamweight prospect scored the quickest stoppage of his young career, needing only 28 seconds to dispose of battle-tested Mexican journeyman Adolfo Landeros in the opening bout of the telecast.
It was clear from the outset that the skill set and hand speed of Rigondeaux would be way too much for Landeros to handle.
Even with that in mind, the ending still proved to be as shocking as it was sudden. Rigondeaux came over the top with a right hand from his southpaw stance, before unloading with a laser-quick left hand to the body. Landeros winced and then collapsed; falling to his side and then shaking his head to inform referee Samuel Burgos that his night was done well before he had a chance to get going.
The post-fight medical attention paid to Landeros lasted considerably longer than the fight itself, as the Mexican was asked to stay put on the canvas for precautionary measures.
Rigondeaux advances to 5-0 (4KO) with the win, his first of 2010 after enjoying a 2009 campaign that saw four fights in just over seven months, against the type of competition not often seen in the infancy of one’s career.
Landeros suffers his third straight stoppage as he falls to 20-13-1 (9KO).
The show was presented by DeCubas Presents.
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 .