Mixed Results for Ex-Contenders
Fan favorite Alfonso Gomez (18-3-2) outworked Ben Tackie (29-8-1) over ten rounds to earn a unanimous decision: 97-93 and 98-92 twice. Gomez, who continues to climb the welterweight ranks, may face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in early 2008 in what would be an intriguing match-up.
Things did not go equally well for previously undefeated middleweight Sergio Mora and he's got no one but himself to blame. Mora (19-0-1) did some good body work late in the fight but was generally outhustled by Elvin Ayala (18-2-1) and the entertaining ten rounder was ruled a draw: 96-94 Ayala, 95-95 and a clueless 99-91 for Mora. Mora quickly left the ring after the decision was announced as if he had been robbed.
It was Mora's first bout in over a year but ring rust wasn't the problem. The reality is that Mora has grown accustomed to being awarded close decisions and this time it didn't go his way.
Comments
Mora is used to getting close calls but he also looked a lot worse than he did 14 months ago. He may have not been a defensive wizard before, but his defense appears to have gotten worse. Ayala hit him flush pretty easy especially the first half of the fight; if Ayala was a puncher then Mora would have been in serious trouble and may have been knocked out by someone like Pavlik, Miranda, or maybe even Taylor. If he would had to still fight Ouma instead then he would have been beaten. I have to give credit to Ayala though; he came to fight and not just be the opponent. I don’t know if it was ring rust, his mental state after turning down a title shot, or if that Ayala was just as good. Who knows but if this keeps him from getting another shot then he will fell pretty stupid, but maybe it was his “destiny” to turn down the title shot since he may have gotten hurt in that fight.
Gomez looked good against Tackie. A couple more fights he may get a title shot; I would like to see him win a title, but that will be hard since he is in the toughest weight class. I think he is a great boxer skill wise, but he has always seemed to trail off in later rounds. He has better stamina in rounds 6 & 7 than he used too but he still needs to keep working on it so he can eventually go 12 rounds. I see that as the major thing holding him back. If it was a fight 8 rounds or less he could hang in there with most other fighters, but too bad a title fight is twelve rounds.
Mora is an opponent for better class fighters who train properly.
It is obvious now that the competition stiffens Mora is just your average fighter who comes off like he is better than what he knows to be the truth.