Negrete v Franco
After ten rounds of an evenly fought grudge match, Joshua “El Profesor” Franco (15-1-2, 7 KO’s) versus Oscar “Jaguar” Negrete (18-2-2, 7 KO’s) ended in an unsurprising draw. It was their third consecutive fight, two of which have now officially ended in a split decision draw.
The Breakdown
Negrete opened this third contest in strong fashion with pressure and great body work, and easily claimed the first two rounds. His familiar foe did not appear to be as warm as the Jaguar and seemed on the edge of falling into a quick points-deficit. However, in the third period, Franco snapped into gear by using his feet strategically and finding the range on his hooks to the body and jabs to the face. By all estimation, Franco took rounds three and four.
With the arrival of fifth period, the fight became a judges’ nightmare! Both Franco and Negrete came forward, went to the head and body well, and displayed a great deal of grit. To make matters worse, there were no knockdowns or any clear moments when one of the combatants was blatantly hurt. Quickly after one boxer scored a blow, the other answered. Negrete connected frequently with his rounded hooks, while Franco found a home for his stiff jab and straight right.
In the end, the judges couldn’t make up their minds either. One card went for each, while the third was a draw, resulting in a three-way draw.
It’s unlikely that we’ll see this bout again, at least not any time soon. For the moment, it’s safe to say that these two athletes are an extremely even match-up. It’s time to let them face another foe. For whatever its worth, Negrete can lay claim to the only victory of the trilogy. The Jaguar won the second bout by split-decision win.
By: Bakari Simpson
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