Daniel Matellon Wins Close Phone Booth Fight Against Jose Argumedo
WBA Interim light flyweight champion Daniel “El Verdugo” Matellon (11-0-2, 6ko) gets passed former champion Jose “Tecuala” Argumedo (24-4-1, 15ko) in a “winner takes all” fight with a possible shot at WBA “super” champion Hiroto Kyoguchi.
Argumedo is a former IBF minimumweight champion who had three successful title defenses before losing to Kyoguchi in July 2017. He has moved up to light flyweight again and would love nothing more than to avenge that title loss. Currently ranked number two by the WBA, a victory would have put him in position to get that rematch.
Matellon is one of those Cuban fighters with an extensive amateur background. Over the past five years, he has been honing his skills in Panama. The WBA interim champion has been sparing with some good fighters, learning the “tricks of the trade” for inside fighting. He does not want to be viewed as another “safety first” type of fighter.
THE BLOOD CAME EARLY IN THIS PHONE BOOTH FIGHT
This fight started out with high energy as Argumedo quickly came out on the attack going to the body of the WBA interim champion. However, Matellon responded by going to the body, landing hard thudding left and right hooks.
In the third round, an accidental clash of heads caused a cut over the right eye of Argumedo. However, that did not stop the former champion from fighting hard by bullying the Cuban against the ropes attacking the body. Matellon responded landing a hard right-hand counter that momentarily stunned the former champion.
The champ was making a huge mistake allowing it to be a phone booth fight instead of using his more superior boxing skills. The aggressive fighting style of the former champion was keeping the Cuban against the ropes by landing those hard hooks to the body.
TALE OF TWO HALVES
Matellon started using his feet towards the end of the fight, taking advantage of a fatigued Argumedo. He was landing good counter right hands. When he switched to southpaw, he dug a collection of right hands to the body.
The tenth round was full of action as Matellon turned it up letting his hands go and finally using his more superior boxing skills. Argumedo was stunned by a good left hook, but kept coming forward and throwing punches which could influence the judges.
As the fight was coming to a close, it was the same script with Matellon looking to counter with hooks and uppercuts. However, Argumedo continued to press forward throwing body shots. But the sharp counter-punching of the Cuban started becoming very visible and a divide in the fight started to become apparent.
When the final bell sounded, it was a question of what style would the judges like more. The aggressive fighting style of the former champion or the crisp accurate counter-punching of the WBA interim champion.
One judge scored it 117-111 while the other two had it 115-113 all for the Matellon. 3kingsboxing.com agreed with the latter two judges. Matellon picking up the pace in the second-half of the fight proved to be the difference.
By: Garrisson Bland
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