By Cliff Rold
If it turns out to have been the least of the action over the course of the five Saturdays it kicked off, fans are set for a consistent thrill ride unlike any in the sport in recent years. If it turns out to be the best of the action, it will be because Yonnhy Perez (20-0, 14 KO) and Joseph Agbeko (27-2, 22 KO) worked hard to set the bar that high.
We’ll see in the coming week if fights like Chad Dawson-Glen Johnson II and Nicolay Valuev-David Haye can keep up. For now, one wonders if the fighters have caught their breath yet because for twelve rounds in Las Vegas it was the boxing equivalent of a marathon.
The lasting image of the fight may well have come after the scorecards were read. Agbeko, having heard he was no longer the holder of the IBF belt at 118 lbs., wore an expression of anguish and exasperation. He’d fought one hell of a fight, done everything possible to win and yet was forced to learn, as we all do occasionally, one of life’s most bitter lessons.
Sometimes, the best one can offer is not good enough.
Let’s go to the report card.
Grades
Pre: Speed – Agbeko B; Perez B+/Post: B+/A-
Pre: Power – Agbeko B; Perez B/Post: Same
Pre: Defense – Agbeko B; Perez B/Post: Same
Pre: Intangibles – Agbeko A; Perez A/Post: Same
Both men appeared quicker than given credit for in the pre-fight review. Perez was especially crisp. While the final tallied scores seemed wide (this corner had Perez winning by a point), it’s easy to see what made it hard to score against him in the close rounds. His assault is non-stop, three and four shot combinations resulting in lots of missed shots but plenty getting through. He overwhelms defenses and, for viewers, sometimes the senses. Not that Agbeko was just looking to pot shot. After falling behind early, he ratcheted up his own output to get into and keep pace in the bout.
It’s hard to tell if both men’s knockout numbers are more a product of modern matchmaking or both just have epic chins. It’s probably a little of both. Perez and Agbeko both took big, nasty shots more than once and kept on.
The amount of leather traded might have made defense seem an afterthought but there was a lot of good, subtle work going on. Both men probably through well over 1,000 shots (no punch stats supplied); they certainly were not hit flush by that many. Agbeko used solid head movement while working his way back into the bout and Perez did a good job of mitigating impact with his arms, shoulders and forearms.
That’s enough about defense.
Let’s face it. The reason this fight will still be talked about when it’s time for Fight of the Year honors was the offense. Because neither man was ever in serious trouble, because the flow was so consistent, it might have lacked the drama of a Marquez-Diaz or Mtagwa-Lopez for some.
Fair enough.
However, the inner stuff both men showed here was of the same merit and the fact that both stayed at it, step for step, makes it perhaps a more impressive bout. Perez and Agbeko were playing a personal game of ‘can you top it’ from first bell to last. That took remarkable conviction, stamina, and desire from both. It’s one thing to come from behind for a knockout, another to will through possibly getting knocked out…
…but for two guys with solid power to bang away and refuse to even think about buckling? That was special and both men deserve a round of applause, of thanks, from the fans who tuned in.
It was probably the best fight at Bantamweight since Johnny Tapia and Paulie Ayala put on the Fight of the Year in 1999.
Looking Ahead
Going into the crystal ball, one word stands out: rematch.
Let’s see Perez-Agbeko II sooner than later.
It doesn’t have to be next, though who would argue if it was? 2004 Mexican Olympian Abner Mares (19-0, 12 KO) might. He’s the highest rated contender in the IBF ratings and ready to step into a potential mandatory position. Perez-Mares could be a war every bit as tantalizing as what was witnessed on Saturday. Perez could also hope for unification with the most makeable fight coming against WBO titlist Fernando Montiel (39-2-2, 29 KO).
Hardcore followers can always hope for the best of course, and that would be seeing how the volume of Perez plays against the laser accuracy and improved power of the best Bantamweight in the world, Japan’s Hozumi Hasegawa (27-2, 11 KO). Hasegawa has scored four straight wins by knockout but none have been against the sort of offensive terror Perez presents.
Geography and politics probably make that one a non-starter…but we can hope for more.
If Agbeko can not immediately get back to Perez, his exposure in four consecutive televised thrillers should help him to stay relevant. Fans know, win OR lose, Agbeko brings a money’s worth experience. If Perez does not go at unification, Agbeko versus any of the other titlists would be must-see.
Correction: In two separate pieces last week, this author made reference to Agbeko losing a WBA title fight to Wladimir Sidorenko in 2004. That was in error. While a minor title belt from that organization was at stake, (one of) their world title(s) was not. Further, the pre-fight report card prior to Agbeko-Perez should have read 3-0, rather than 3-1, in world title fights for Agbeko. Apologies for the error.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
