By Jake Donovan
The plan for Deandre Latimore was to repeat his 2008 win over Sechew Powell before moving on to seek revenge against crosstown rival Cory Spinks.
Instead, it was Powell who gained revenge while avoiding a repeat of past shortcomings.
The Brooklyn native coming alive in the second half of his rematch with Latimore to take a well-deserved majority decision in the televised main event Friday evening at the Choctaw Gaming Center in Durant, Oklahoma.
Latimore weighed in at 153 ¾ lb, slightly below the junior middleweight limit. Powell came in at a near-career low 152 lb.
The first couple of rounds were all Latimore, solely based on aggression. Powell played keep away while trying to assess the best course of action for his attack while Latimore controlled the distance and the tempo largely on the strength of his right jab.
A couple of anxious moments surfaced early, when Latimore managed to pin Powell in a corner and let his hands go, though never quite landing anything of major significance.
Powell, who spent most of the early portion of the fight circling around the ring and his back often touching the ropes, picked up the pace in the third round. Latimore was still able to work his way inside, only be met with countering body shots and uppercuts.
Momentum changed often in the fourth round. Powell opened the frame with his best sequence of the fight – consecutive left hands, the latter dislodging Latimore’s mouthpiece. The punches appeared to awaken the St. Louis native, who turned up the heat later in the round and repeatedly scored with one-twos and right hooks.
An adventurous fourth round led to a considerably slower paced fifth. Latimore continued to work behind the jab, but allowed Powell to clinch whenever the two met on the inside. The round prompted Latimore to put more behind his jab in the sixth.
Powell was willing to let his hands go a bit more in this frame, but only in counterpunching mode, always either waiting for Latimore to finish or tying up to prevent further incoming.
Things changed up as the second half of the alphabet title unifier was underway. Powell dictated the pace for the first time in the fight, primarily due to Latimore wading in and abandoning his jab.
Contending with a resurging Powell as well as a cut over a right eye that was also beginning to swell shut, Latimore returned to controlled aggression in the latter portion of the fight. Powell continued to move, jabbing in reverse while moving out of Latimore’s effective punching range.
Sensing the fight was his, Powell played keep away in the final round. For whatever reason, Latimore never went full throttle, moving forward but surprisingly not letting his hands go or working to cut off the ring. He instead fought down the stretch like a man expecting the knockout opportunity to present itself rather than set up his opponent for a dramatic ending.
The tactic ultimately cost him on the scorecards.
Judge Chris Flores saw the bout 114-114, while ringside scorers Gerald Ritter and David Sutherland rightfully had Powell winning by margins of 116-112 and 117-111, respectively.
The win is Powell’s third straight as he improves to 26-2 (15KO). More importantly, it puts him in the exact position he was in prior to his first fight with Latimore – on the doorstep of his first major title challenge.
It could be a longer than expected wait for the Brooklyn native, however. Cory Spinks was set to defend his belt against Cornelius Bundrage a week from Friday on the very same ESPN2 airwaves, only for a contract dispute between the network and promoter Don King resulting in yet another postponement for the proposed matchup.
Perhaps the delay will give Latimore time to get back in line. He took this fight with the intention of winning the eliminator and forcing yet another rematch, this against crosstown rival Spinks, who edged him out in their backyard battle nearly a year ago.
Instead of moving towards his second title shot, Latimore instead loses for the second time in his past three fights, dropping to 20-3 (16KO) in the process.
UNDERCARD: RODRIGUEZ SHINES IN ESPN2 FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS DEBUT
Undefeated super middleweight prospect Edwin Rodriguez had every intention of making a statement in his nationwide televised debut. He accomplished that goal in emphatic fashion, scoring a first round knockout over George Armenta in the televised opener.
The quick exit didn’t give Rodriguez the full opportunity to showcase his skills, but the message was still delivered loud and clear that he’s a legitimate prospect in a division that continues to grow in talent.
Matched against the normally durable Armenta, Rodriguez planned to focus on the body early in efforts to break down an opponent who’d never before been stopped as a pro.
It turned out that a body attack was all that he needed. A right hand and left hook downstairs sent Armenta to his knees, where he remained as referee Gary Ritter counted him out.
The official time was 0:47 of the opening round.
Rodriguez advances to 14-0 (10KO) with the win; Armenta suffers the first stoppage loss of his pro career as he falls to 13-6 (11KO).
The win marked Rodriguez’ first fight of 2010 after an active first two years as a pro that saw the Dominican cram 13 fights into a 22-month span. Having gone four months between fights, he plans to make up for lost time with another bout already lined up for late April.
The plan, according to manager Larry Army, is to fight him often this year, with at least four televised fights by the end of the year before moving into title contention by 2011.
In other action, unbeaten welterweight prospect Prenice Brewer (15-0-1, 6KO) won a six-round unanimous decision over game challenger Christopher Fernandez (18-9-1, 11KO). Scores were 59-55 (2x) and 58-56.
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 .
