George Arias Defeats The Undefeated Cassius Chaney in a Snoozer
A battle of heavyweights took place at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom as Cassius Chaney (21-1, 14 KOs) took on George Arias (17-0, 7 KOs) in a ten-round contest. Chaney has been moved slowly in his career. But in his last fight, he fought in his first ten-round fight as he defeated Shawdell Winders in August 2021.
He fought an Arias whose career has also moved at a snail’s pace. Having signed a deal with manager Dmitry Salita and promoter Lou DiBella earlier this year, the 29-year-old was looking to make a statement. Given their empty resumes, it was a solid match.
At 6’6”, Chaney used his jab and length to set the tone and gain control of the center of the ring. With a six-inch disadvantage in height, one would think Arias would try to get inside and work the body. Instead, he decided to fight outside in the first and second rounds.
Arias began to turn things around somewhat after stunning Chaney with a leaping left hook early in the third. However, he failed to capitalize with any significant shots that would have any lasting impact.
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NOT THE MOST THRILLING AFFAIR
Ineffectiveness and a lack of execution by both men defined the middle rounds. Arias continued to be aggressive but made things difficult because he didn’t jab enough as he was coming forward. Meanwhile, Chaney would not let his hands go. There were plenty of moments where he had open opportunities to land, but he kept the gun in the holster. It became tedious to watch as a result. It was a similar pattern in the later rounds.
Arias’ work-rate proved to be the difference, as he won by split decision (96-94 Chaney, 99-91 Arias, 97-93 Arias). While this reporter agrees with the verdict, the winner failed to distinguish himself from his performance. Overall, the bout was underwhelming, to put it politely.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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