Kirkland Stops Julio; Ortiz Impresses Again; Guerrero Fight Ends Early
The HBO Boxing card on Saturday, March 7th from San Jose, California had three fights scheduled for a combined 32 rounds. There would be less than 10 rounds of total action, as every fight ended early. Prospects James Kirkland and Victor Ortiz both shined, while San Jose's favorite son, Robert Guerrero, had his fight end disappointingly early.
Robert Guerrero vs Daud Yordan
In the first fight of the evening, Daud Yordan of Indonesia was set to square off against hometown hero Robert Guerrero. Guerrero had been out of action for a year before stepping into the ring earlier this year in a tune-up fight. After a highly spirited round and a half, Guerrero was accidentally head butted by Yordan. The clash of heads opened up an inch long gash over the right eyebrow of Guerrero.
Immediately it was clear that the cut was bothering Guerrero, as he backpedaled and pawed at his eye. The blood was dripping straight into his eye, and he said he could not see. The referee was therefore forced to end the bout, which after less than 2 rounds of action gets recorded as a No Contest. If the fight had gone 4 rounds or more, it would have gone to the scorecards.
Victor Ortiz vs Mike Arnaoutis
Junior welterweight super prospect Victor Ortiz continued his soaring ascent straight to the top of the division. Arnaoutis, a world title challenger in the past, was supposed to have been the toughest challenge for Vicious Victor thus far in his career. The first round saw a somewhat tight Ortiz control the action with his jab. Arnaoutis was inactive, and seemed timid facing the raw power of Ortiz.
In the second round, Ortiz opened up his arsenal more. He clearly made the choice after round 1 to go into stalking mode, and cut off the ring as Arnaoutis tried to bounce around. His powerful shots audibly thudded each time they landed, even when blocked.
Ortiz slipped a punch from Arnaoutis then launched a perfect straight left that landed flush against Arnaoutis's jaw. Arnaoutis retreated to the corner and Ortiz unleashed a furious assault. The attack culminated with a right uppercut that put Arnaoutis out on his feet, before the referee jumped in and ended the fight.
With Nate Campbell joining the 140 lb division, and possibly being promoted by Ortiz promoter Golden Boy, a Campbell-Ortiz fight could be a logical next.
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James Kirkland vs Joel Julio
It was not long ago that Joel Julio was one of the hottest prospects in all of boxing. Julio was a methodical power puncher, and undefeated. After suffering several setbacks and looking unimpressive in other wins, Julio was relegated to the opponent role against current rising prospect Kirkland.
In this contest of power punching junior middleweights, the combatants provided seesaw action and a thrilling brawl. From the opening bell, Kirkland was all aggression. He was essentially running straight into Julio and forcing him to retreat around the ring on a continual basis. Julio tried to launch counters while retreating, and at times buzzed Kirkand with straight right hands.
At times the two men stood toe to toe and slugged it out. It appeared that lesser fighters would have been knocked out several times over, as hard shots landed freely. Eventually the pressure would be too much for Julio, and the fight would be stopped before the 7th round. Julio has now lost 2 fights in a row, while Kirkland remains undefeated and looks toward bigger challenges. However he may perform against the top flight competition in the division, he will certainly provide an exciting and entertaining ride.
By Jake Emen
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer & Director of Boxing Content