Collazo crushes Ortiz; Gomez & Arnett make big impressions

By Peter Wells:


Once in a lifetime: Collazo (left) lands a devastating right hand

While many fighters fulfil the potential bestowed on their shoulders, their are still those few that fail to live up to the hype. Mistakes are made, complacency sets in and loses mount up. Victor Ortiz hoped that last night he would not be a victim again, but that is exactly what he was, as the man many considered as the next "Golden Boy" was the recipient of a knockout reel right hand - in NBA terms, Victor Ortiz was posterized.

As for Luis Collazo, the Brooklyn native is finally seeing the grass on the other side, and it seems to be a lot greener as Collazo finally won a contest labelled as a "big fight". A wild but wonderful right hand swung Ortiz's way, landing flush on the point of Ortiz's chin - a one in a million punch - leaving referee Benjy Esteves Jr to count the favourite out.

Collazo 35-5(18) will now be in line for a few more handy pay checks, he may possibly be lined up as Danny Garcia's opponent when the Light Welterweight ruler moves up to 147lbs. A rematch with Andre Berto also makes sense as a crowd pleasing spectacle.

One must wonder where Ortiz 29-5-2(22) can go from here, so much was riding on a fight he was expected to win, and win big. Instead he lost, and lost big. Ortiz is still a big name fighter and will likely still be in line for big paydays if he decides to carry on in the cruellest of industries. But ultimately this defeat leaves promoters Golden Boy in a tough situation, Ortiz seems too big of a name to become a stepping stone for prospects on the brink of world titles, but how can they justify concentrating on rebuilding Ortiz when they have so many other fighters on their books.

Two of those fighters featured in the headliner as Eddie Gomez outscored Daquan Arnett in a battle of young unbeaten prospects.

The defeat Arnett 11-1(7) suffered will likely effect him, but only in a positive way as he showed his own potential in a fantastically enjoyable tactical 10 rounder.


Future stars: Both at 21, Gomez (left) & Arnett (right) have bright futures

Gomez 16-0(10) won the contest with explosive bursts of punches that Arnett couldn't compete with, but at range the two engaged in the type of tactical warfare expected from much more experienced combatants. To say I was impressed with these two would be an understatement as they both showed a maturity that simply cannot be taught.

Gomez and Arnett switched tactics several times throughout the fight, making adjustments to gain advantages in a contest with several close rounds that could have gone either way. Ultimately Gomez switching from a flat-footed approach to constantly bouncing on his toes allowed him to set up blistering combinations before retreating relatively unharmed.

Arnett had his moments though, when he was able to keep Gomez behind the jab he looked in control, but possibly the only downside to his performance was that he did not work enough when Gomez was at arms length.

In the 7th round Gomez looked as though he was on the verge of stopping Arnett when a pin-point left to the ribs sent the slightly younger - both are 21 - Arnett to the canvas. But Arnett rose from the deck and survived a final minute barrage, during which he took several huge right hands that highlighted how good his chin is.



League's above: Russell Jr (left) dominates Tamayo

Gomez carried the momentum for the remainder of the contest but Arnett was still very competitive as he made adjustments to his defence, switching to the 'Mayweather' stance which denied Gomez landing any more clean lefts to the body. The switch in stance also brought along the best punch of the fight for Arnett as he slipped an overhand right before returning fire with a peach of a straight right hand on the button.

Gomez took the contest by scores of 98-91 and 97-92 twice, but it was both fighters that took the plaudits after showcasing their skills and giving fans a glimpse of the future at Light Middleweight.

Gary Russell Jr also came out with some air time as he improved to 24-0(14) scoring a 4th round knockout against a completely outclassed Miguel Tamayo 15-8-2(13). 2012 Olympian Marcus Browne also moved to 9-0(7) with a shutout win.