By Albert J. Howell at ringside: Lightweights Breidis Prescott and Miguel Vazquez fought a tantalizing, ten-round main event as part of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights televised live from the Planet Hollywood Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Prescott, best known for his first round knockout of Amir Khan last September, scored an early opening round knockdown. But, the skilled boxer Vazquez found a way to mitigate Prescott’s power advantage and earned an upset victory via split decision.
In the opening stanza, Prescott scored early with a left jab. Vazquez retaliated with a sweeping right hook upstairs. Prescott began to let his patented bombs fly with an overhand right followed by a right hook to the gut. The body shot damaged Vazquez setting him up for the next punch. A Prescott power jab put Vazquez down on the seat of his pants. It is not ordinary for a boxer let alone a lightweight to score a knockdown off a jab, but then again Prescott is no ordinary puncher. The highly-ranked power-boxer is endowed with heavyweight force in both hands. Vazquez recovered from the knockdown and scored with a counter right. Prescott fired back an explosive overhand right to end the action in the first. It was a 10-8 round for the quick-starting Prescott.
Prescott struck first tagging Vazquez with a counter overhand right to commence the action in the second session. Vazquez answered back with a left jab. Not to be outdone, Prescott shot back a power jab that snapped back the head of his foe. Trying to lure Prescott into a jabbing contest, Vazquez began to double up on his signature punch the left jab. Prescott negotiated the activity back to his strength power punching. A left hook by Prescott smashed into the side of Vazquez’ skull. The hook was followed by an overhand right that also landed to the cranium. Vazquez went right back to the jab. A Prescott left hook to the midsection rocked Vazquez. The second stanza was another big round for the rocket-launching pugilist from Colombia.
An ax-hammer right by Prescott stunned his adversary. Two more overhand rights hurt Vazquez. A right hook by Prescott slammed into the side of Vazquez’ body. After shaking off the initial onslaught in the third session, Vazquez scored with two right hands of his own followed by a left jab. Finding his rhythm, Vazquez caught Prescott coming in with two left jabs. A left hook by Vazquez tagged his adversary’s midsection. Awakened, Prescott caught Vazquez coming in with a left. The third round marked the turning of the tide in this bout. While Prescott owned the first two sessions, Vazquez began to find his timing in the third.
With the wind to his back, Vazquez emerged from his stool intent to dictate the action going forward. Vazquez landed a triple jab to begin the action in the fourth. Determined to put the momentum back in his corner, Prescott loaded up on his punches more than ever aiming for that one torpedo shot that would send his opposition into tomorrow land. Prescott found his mark with a left uppercut followed by a power jab. Intent on taking away his opponent’s strength advantage, Vazquez rushed Prescott forcing the power-boxer onto his heels. With his enemy’s back to the ropes, Vazquez landed his best combinations of the round. Vazquez landed the cleaner shots throughout the fourth session clearly winning the round.
The competitors traded jabs to commence the fifth. A Prescott overhand right connected to the side of his rival’s head. Putting his adversary back on his heels once again, Vazquez showed a gutsy desire to trade power punches with Prescott’s back to the ropes. In the fifth round, it became obvious that Vazquez was out-boxing the man from Colombia who had no answer for his opponent’s left jab. Mixing in his power shots, Vazquez connected with a left to the solar plexus of his puzzled foe. An overhand right followed by a left to the gut scored for Vazquez. It was Vazquez’ best combination of the fight and a damaged Prescott was forced to clinch. Vazquez put the fifth round in the bank.
The battlers began the sixth as they did the fifth by trading jabs. Vazquez landed a one-two combination. The adjustment Vazquez made in the third neutralized Prescott’s power game and Prescott was beginning to show his frustration. Vazquez rushed Prescott forcing his opposition to the ropes where the two boxers traded colorful power punches to the delight of the crowd. It was the best exchange of the fight. A left by Vazquez crushed into the solar plexus of Prescott. Vazquez continued with three left jabs. Prescott responded with a big overhand right that landed flush. It was a huge shot but not enough to sway the round his way. Vazquez maintained his advantage.
At the midway point, it was clear that Vazquez’ ring generalship was earning him rounds. Vazquez scored with two jabs followed by a perfectly-timed sweeping left hook that caught his adversary coming in. Prescott’s left eye was beginning to show swelling. A Vazquez left hook dug into the side of Prescott’s body. Another jab by Vazquez found its mark. Prescott was finding it increasingly difficult to score and now with his left eye swelling the urgency of the situation was becoming apparent.
Vazquez started the eighth stanza quickly landing a double jab followed by a one-two combination. Vazquez timing was on while Prescott was having trouble finding his assailant. Two more left jabs crushed into Prescott’s face forcing the hurt and discouraged pugilist to hold. Two more jabs connected for Vazquez begging the question as to whether Prescott could see the jabs coming. With his eye continuing to swell, Prescott let his hands go. A Prescott overhand right tagged the chest of his adversary. Not to be outdone, Vazquez retaliated with a left hook to Prescott’s chest. Vazquez banked another round thanks to his left jab.
Clearly in command of the contest, Vazquez crushed a one-two combination into the side of Prescott’s head. The two boxers traded jabs in the center of the ring. A brutal left jab by Vazquez found its mark snapping back the head of his foe. Prescott fired back a sweeping right across Vazquez’ face. Vazquez scored with a right uppercut on the inside under the chin of his competitor. The ninth stanza proved to be a difficult round to score as there were not a lot of flush punches landed as compared with previous sessions.
In the tenth and final round, it was Prescott who scored first with a jab. Prescott followed up with a one-two combination. Vazquez wisely clinched as the combination had an adverse affect on him. A big overhand right landed for Prescott. Vazquez retaliated with a huge left hook that smashed into the face of his foe. It was Vazquez’ best shot of the round and turned the tide of the final stanza. Whereas Prescott controlled the first half of the round, the second half was owned by Vazquez. The round was the tale of two halves with the gargantuan Vazquez left hook midway through the round marking the demarcation point. It was another difficult round to score.
Prescott won the first two rounds scoring a knockdown in the first. The tide turned in the third session with Vazquez taking control of the bout from the third stanza through the eighth round. Both the ninth and tenth stanzas proved difficult to score with neither boxer demonstrating a clear advantage in either of the final two sessions. The electrifying bout went to the scorecards. The first judge scored the bout 95-94 for Vazquez. The second judge scored the contest 97-92 for Prescott. And, the final scorecard read 96-93 for Vazquez who was announced the winner by split decision. It was Prescott’s first loss as a professional.
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