• 9 months ago
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Transcript
00:00 - Okay guys, anything below here I'm gonna call, okay?
00:03 This is your belt line, all right?
00:06 Remember, three commands, stop, break, and box.
00:07 When I say break, step back, clean,
00:08 keep your hands up at all times.
00:10 Touch 'em up, good luck.
00:11 - 10 rounds for the vacant WBC
00:16 International Lightweight Championship.
00:18 Antonio Perez, 8-0-5 knockouts.
00:22 He's in the purple and gold.
00:25 Liddell Haskell-Rhodes, 29-5 and won 14 knockouts.
00:30 He's in the red and leopard trunks.
00:33 Mark Abrams ringside here at the Casino Miami
00:39 along with boxing legend Christy Martin
00:42 and manager champions Carl King.
00:45 He hasn't managed an AI champion yet,
00:50 but that might be soon.
00:53 - Ooh.
00:53 - What do we see early here?
00:59 - Well, you know what?
01:03 I'm not sure who's winning the fashion show.
01:06 Both guys have flashy outfits.
01:10 - We are in Miami.
01:11 - Perez does seem to have great hand speed though.
01:19 - He does have good speed,
01:21 but he's putting a jab out there
01:23 that's missing by a lot of distance.
01:27 So I don't know if he's trying to find his distance
01:28 or exactly what he's trying to do with that jab.
01:31 - He just tagged Rhodes with a good left hook.
01:35 - Well, he's being awful cautious,
01:39 which is probably wise at this stage of the fight,
01:41 one minute in.
01:42 - He's gonna try to figure out this guy
01:47 that has three times the experience.
01:51 - Four times experience.
01:52 - Good right hand from Rhodes.
01:54 - Perez changing angles.
02:01 I don't know how many amateur fights he had,
02:03 but I'm gonna guess he had a lot.
02:04 How many amateur fights did he have, Mark?
02:06 - 85.
02:07 - 85, wow.
02:08 - Perez told me he was 77 and eight.
02:10 Rhodes had 27 amateur fights.
02:14 - The only thing I, if I was Rhodes,
02:17 I'd be wondering which one is it that I'm fighting.
02:20 Did they slick the bigger one in on me or what?
02:22 You know, 'cause this brother, they are identical twins.
02:25 - Perez is coming off best win of his career
02:32 back here on June 9th,
02:33 a eight round unanimous decision over Nigel Finnell,
02:38 13 and two.
02:39 Rhodes, two fights ago,
02:42 went the distance with Floyd Schofield
02:44 in a spirited battle,
02:46 then came back and stopped Ariel Mesquita
02:48 in one round back on October the 28th
02:51 in his hometown of Oklahoma City.
02:53 - And we all know that Schofield is getting lots of praise
02:57 from pretty much every direction in boxing.
03:00 So if he was able to go out there
03:01 and go very competitive rounds with Schofield,
03:04 that says a lot about his ability.
03:07 - No, you can tell he has some skills.
03:10 It's like you wanna see him
03:11 as the fight settles in a little bit.
03:14 - Combination from Perez.
03:16 (crowd cheering)
03:19 Perez has a style that is, to me,
03:27 the hardest in boxing to fight.
03:29 He's a southpaw that moves continuously.
03:32 He just will not sit still long enough
03:34 for you to unload your combinations.
03:36 - Now he looked like he was fighting orthodox
03:39 in the beginning, right? - He fought orthodox
03:40 for probably the first two minutes of this round.
03:43 So we ended round one scheduled for 10.
03:45 (crowd applauding)
03:48 - That sometimes worries me
03:52 when a guy switches up that early in the fight.
03:55 I don't personally know how to read that.
04:00 - I think always it makes you wonder,
04:02 like something I'm doing doesn't work.
04:03 So let me try my number two.
04:06 - Well, it's either that,
04:07 or he just wants to keep showing them different looks
04:09 throughout the fight, I guess.
04:11 - Okay, maybe that's it.
04:14 (laughs)
04:16 - Boy, I think we're in for a lot of action, though.
04:19 - Sometimes it also says that a fighter maybe hurt his hand.
04:30 So instead of throwing the big right hand,
04:32 he wants to keep the right hand protected
04:34 and use his left more.
04:35 - Well, we will see as the fight progresses.
04:38 (bell rings)
04:43 - Round two scheduled for 10,
04:44 the WBC International Lightweight Championship fight.
04:49 Antonio Perez and Liddell Haskell-Rhodes.
04:52 I've seen Haskell, I've seen Liddell.
04:58 I asked him, what do you prefer?
05:01 He said either, so I'm gonna just call 'em both.
05:11 - Well, I'm sure he would like you to call him the winner,
05:15 no matter what.
05:15 - He can call me, as long as he gets his hand raised,
05:17 he can call me anything.
05:18 Perez started boxing at the age of 11.
05:22 Just said boxing was always around the family.
05:24 - He has that identical twin brother that fights as well.
05:29 So can you imagine the household?
05:34 - I'm sure they kept that mother on pins and needles.
05:40 - Perez definitely believes that Rhodes is his toughest test,
05:43 but he's not gonna look tough for me.
05:46 See what the next eight and a half rounds entail
05:52 for Antonio Perez.
05:54 Perez flicking the jab out.
06:04 - Back to fight Northodox again.
06:06 Maybe that's just the first time I've seen him.
06:10 - He fought here in June.
06:13 Left hook from Antonio Perez.
06:20 Like Carl mentioned, Rhodes didn't start fighting
06:24 until he was 23 years old.
06:26 Like he said, he just didn't wanna get a job.
06:28 He was a football player and wrestled,
06:30 and his cousin boxed, so he decided to try it.
06:34 At 27 amateur fights later, he became a pro,
06:38 and has had a solid career, 29-5 and one with 14 knockouts.
06:42 - Kinda makes you wonder what it would have been like
06:45 if he had younger experience.
06:47 - Exactly.
06:48 - 'Cause apparently he caught on real quick.
06:51 - To me, it looks as though he's having a little bit
07:01 of a hard time keeping up with his foot speed of Perez,
07:05 and that, so he's loading up with one big shot,
07:08 hoping that this one big shot's gonna land
07:10 and slow him down.
07:11 - Well, you know, primarily that, you know,
07:14 that's the difference in 36 and 21.
07:17 You got a lot more energy at 21.
07:21 - Amen, Carl.
07:24 - Overhand right.
07:25 - See, he felt like he should've pulled the trigger
07:33 right there, that was his spot.
07:36 - Mm-hmm.
07:36 - End of round number two.
07:41 - Yeah, Perez's youth is showing, you know.
07:50 It just seems that he has much more energy.
07:56 - He's a little more relaxed and carefree,
07:59 and I'm just gonna get this done.
08:02 - And it seems like Rhodes is, you know,
08:04 like trying to figure it out and, you know,
08:08 wanting to make sure that he lands the right shot
08:10 or throws the right shot.
08:12 - As he walked back to his corner after that round,
08:14 he kinda shook his head at his corner like,
08:15 "Okay, I got it now."
08:16 So let's see, did he figure him out
08:18 and he can see what he can land?
08:20 - Well, one thing, I don't like when a fighter
08:30 keeps his arms up on the ropes like that,
08:32 doesn't rest his shoulders.
08:34 That's the trainer's fault.
08:36 - It's always surprising to me when I see
08:38 trainers with this kind of experience,
08:40 letting their fighters relax on the ropes.
08:43 - Trainer of Antonio Perez is Jose Martinez.
08:46 Rhodes is trained by Chris Benchos-Giovatsky,
08:52 along with Fareed Samad.
08:54 - Glad you didn't ask me that, that's for sure.
08:58 - Yeah, I love the phonetic writing.
09:00 (laughs)
09:02 - Left from Perez misses.
09:04 Good combination from Perez.
09:15 - Perez has a really impressive hand speed.
09:18 - Yeah, right from distance now from Perez.
09:21 - And that's what's giving Rhodes
09:23 the most problem is the hand speed.
09:27 - Hard right from distance now from Perez.
09:30 Fakes with the left, lands a right.
09:31 Good right over the top again.
09:34 Good right from Rhodes.
09:45 - Nice right hand, came back with a good left hook by Perez.
09:48 - Actually picking up here in round three.
09:50 This fight on paper, I thought was gonna turn
09:55 into something like this, it's starting to heat up now.
09:58 - Fight didn't broke out.
10:02 - I mean this is a, pardon the pun,
10:11 a cross Rhodes kind of fight.
10:14 You have the eight no kid trying to move up.
10:18 Rhodes trying to stay there, trying to stay as a fringe
10:22 and maybe turn himself into a legit contender.
10:26 (crowd cheering)
10:29 - Yeah, this is a very interesting fight.
10:32 - Hard right from distance again from Perez.
10:34 Perez is laying these chopping right hands again,
10:38 another one.
10:39 Left hook.
10:42 These are really wide shots.
10:47 - And he definitely is trying to get him out of there.
10:50 That's for sure, he's punching with bad intentions.
10:53 - For sure he is.
10:54 Those big right hands are almost landing
10:56 toward the back of his head.
10:58 Maybe because Rhodes is leaning in just a little bit,
11:02 but they're far back.
11:04 - The only one who's been able to get Rhodes out there
11:07 was a former 130 pound world champion,
11:09 a big puncher from my neck of the woods, Jason Sosa.
11:13 He's only been stopped once in 35 fights.
11:17 - That's for the guy that only had 20 amateur fights.
11:21 That's pretty remarkable, and starting at such a late age.
11:26 - Pretty big round three for Antonio Perez.
11:33 There's a count.
11:37 These shots are very wide, but they're getting through.
11:40 (crowd cheering)
11:43 You agree Carl Christie?
11:46 I mean, he's throwing them from his,
11:48 he's winding up from his hip.
11:50 - He's throwing very wide.
11:51 It seems as if Rhodes could just time it
11:54 and like slip and roll, pull him and come back with a hook.
11:57 But you know, he's not able to do that.
12:00 - You kind of wait for that.
12:02 You wonder if he sees that, I'm sure he does,
12:04 but can he pull it off is the question.
12:07 The hand speed is very apparent.
12:13 - It seems like he should be able to see
12:17 that big right hand coming, roll under it,
12:19 and come back with his own left hook.
12:22 - Yeah, you would think, 'cause it is telegraphed for sure.
12:26 - Everyone watching on social media,
12:30 like and subscribe to whatever channel you're watching,
12:35 whether it's the YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.
12:39 It's called X now.
12:42 Round number four, scheduled for 10,
12:46 the WBC International Lightweight Championship.
12:50 As Carl and both Christie would tell you,
12:53 these fights are very important
12:54 because what comes along with the belt,
12:57 which probably is more important is a world ranking.
13:00 - That's important.
13:04 But for a guy like Perez,
13:06 he should not be concerned too much
13:09 for world rankings at this stage.
13:12 This is his ninth fight.
13:13 He needs to get some more experience
13:16 and he's gonna learn a lot from this fight,
13:19 no matter what the outcome may be.
13:21 - But what it does, it gets you in line for things.
13:26 You start being eligible to fight for certain titles.
13:29 - Makes people start to take notice
13:32 of what you're doing in your career,
13:34 what moves you're making.
13:36 And then they're also always looking for that next opponent.
13:38 So who should I fight next?
13:39 Well, it might put you in line to be that next one.
13:42 - He told me his dream is to fight Shakur Stevenson.
13:45 - He's asking a lot.
13:49 - Maybe they've asked,
13:52 did they meet each other in the amateurs?
13:55 - It's a very interesting question.
13:56 I don't know.
13:57 - I don't think they did.
13:58 - I got a lot of respect for Shakur Stevenson.
14:04 I think he's one of the best out there right now.
14:07 - Tremendous technician in there.
14:10 Here's a right from Adele Rhodes.
14:13 Right misses from Perez, first try to push a right hand.
14:23 - A right hand lead at that.
14:39 Rhodes lands a counter.
14:40 - Rhodes is getting a little closer with his punches.
14:44 Like you can see him just start to get there
14:47 a little more often than they have been.
14:49 - He's finding that range.
14:51 Just missing by a little bit.
14:54 - Little by little.
14:55 - This is one of these fights where Rhodes has been in places.
14:58 Is it his job to take Perez to those places
15:03 that he's never been?
15:04 - Well, they say you gotta take them to deep waters
15:08 and then drown them.
15:09 - But even apply pressure to land some good shots in there,
15:16 maybe put Perez more on the back foot.
15:20 - Has Perez gone 10 rounds yet?
15:22 - His last fight, he won an eight over Fennel.
15:26 So I believe that was his long distance.
15:29 Left and a right from Perez.
15:33 (crowd cheering)
15:36 - Put the body shot to Rhodes as we end round four.
15:43 - And Perez has thrown a lot of shots,
15:46 has thrown a lot of big shots.
15:47 So we'll see, is he gonna have the conditioning
15:49 when we get into the later rounds?
15:51 And that may be the old veterans game plan.
15:54 - Yeah, you know, and you gotta wonder,
15:56 is the power what his record indicates?
16:00 Five knockouts and eight victories.
16:03 It just seems that, you know, maybe not as,
16:07 I guess, impressive as it would look on paper.
16:12 - You see some of the action of round four?
16:17 - You know, he's still switching
16:20 from southpaw back to orthodox.
16:22 I'm beginning to believe that's his style of fighting.
16:27 - I think you're right.
16:28 That's just what he does, who he is,
16:30 and what he's comfortable, both ways.
16:32 - 'Cause he seems very comfortable doing it.
16:34 - Round number five.
16:43 Between Antonio Perez and Liddell Rhodes.
16:49 Right from Rhodes.
16:59 Right misses from Perez.
17:01 - Perez has slowed down.
17:02 He's no longer like moving, you know,
17:05 round and round and round.
17:06 He actually is slowing down and throwing his punches.
17:08 - And you learn that as time goes on.
17:12 That's that youth, that youthful energy.
17:15 - The right hand over the top from Perez.
17:21 Left to the body.
17:24 Rhodes misses with a right to the body.
17:26 - But it seemed to be, Mark,
17:28 it seemed to be throwing one punch at a time.
17:31 It's not like actually, you know, putting them together.
17:34 - Both these guys, there's one in a hold there
17:37 from Antonio Perez.
17:39 - Again and again.
17:46 - There's a little flurry from Rhodes.
17:53 (crowd shouting)
17:56 - Yeah, both of these guys are relying on one and done.
18:04 - Right, one shot.
18:05 - They were both, especially Perez
18:06 was throwing combinations earlier.
18:08 - Two good right hands from Perez,
18:10 but they, like you said, they were one at a time.
18:12 - Well, that pace will slow you down
18:14 if your conditioning will show up one way or the other.
18:19 (crowd shouting)
18:22 - Good shot from Rhodes.
18:28 - Good guy, he's giving them his kidney.
18:34 Go ahead.
18:34 - Yeah, and that doesn't feel good
18:38 to get hit in the back of your kidney.
18:40 - No.
18:41 - Back and forth on the inside.
18:45 (crowd shouting)
18:48 - A right from Rhodes.
18:55 (crowd shouting)
18:57 - Again, Rhodes with the right hand.
19:17 Right to the body from Rhodes.
19:21 - You know, we're almost halfway through,
19:24 and you gotta wonder if this pace is gonna be,
19:28 if they're gonna be able to sustain that pace
19:31 as it gets closer to the eighth, ninth, tenth round.
19:35 - It slowed down a little bit from a couple rounds ago
19:41 as Perez gets in a right hand
19:43 as we end round five scheduled for 10.
19:46 (crowd applauding)
19:49 (upbeat music)
19:51 (crowd shouting)
19:54 (upbeat music)
20:23 - Perez is laser focused with his coach.
20:27 He's 100% listening to every word.
20:30 Sometimes we see fighters looking out in the crowd
20:34 and talking to other people and their friends,
20:36 and Perez is laser focused.
20:40 - Start the second half of this WBC International
20:44 Lightweight Championship fight
20:45 between Antonio Perez and the Purple and Gold,
20:49 Liddell Rhodes and the Red and Leopard.
20:53 Mark Avins along with Carl King,
20:58 Christy Martin ringside here, Casino Miami Highline.
21:02 Just looking at that Leopard, guys, makes me feel warm.
21:09 There's a right from Perez.
21:15 - Having felt warm this entire trip here.
21:18 (laughing)
21:20 - Nice little jab from Antonio Perez.
21:24 There was a left from, and a good right inside from Perez.
21:41 Right from Rhodes, left to the body,
21:47 counter right from Perez.
21:48 - Perez is using his range effectively.
21:56 Staying away, using his longer arms to jab,
21:59 making it a little more difficult for Rhodes
22:03 to get in and land the shots he wants to land.
22:06 - He's really smooth on the inside.
22:08 He catches and fires back almost everything
22:11 that Rhodes is throwing at his weight.
22:14 - Yeah.
22:15 Perez jumps in with a jab to the body,
22:31 comes back with a right over the top.
22:33 - Nice jab.
22:35 - Yeah, Perez knows getting back to the boxing
22:37 that he was doing early in the fight.
22:42 - Just kind of jumping in with jabs,
22:44 sticking right hands out.
22:45 - I think this is actually the best strategy for him.
22:51 He's hitting, not getting hit.
22:53 - Which is the name of the game.
22:56 - Showing his speed.
22:57 - Couple nice--
22:57 - He's landing some beautiful jabs.
22:59 - Couple nice jabs, snap the head back of Rhodes.
23:01 Good, solid round six for Antonio Perez.
23:07 Right over the top hits a lot of glove.
23:09 - Yeah, this is his best strategy, isn't it?
23:12 As opposed to trying to one shot knock a guy out.
23:15 You know, that wasn't working as effectively as this is.
23:20 - Nice tie up.
23:26 Come to the end of round six.
23:34 As Perez misses with a right over the top.
23:37 Good right hand from Rhodes.
23:39 And a left from Perez to punctuate the round.
23:42 (crowd applauding)
23:45 - Nice score, nice score!
23:47 - Good action here.
24:13 Round six as we see it, Carl and Christy.
24:16 - Rhodes was coming, trying to come in,
24:20 but Perez was able to beat him to the punch.
24:22 - Yeah, I thought that was a good round for Perez.
24:24 You know, he boxed, he used his length,
24:27 his jab, you know, and his movement was good.
24:31 - He got back to what was working for him.
24:34 - Sometimes a guy gets caught up in what,
24:37 I'm gonna knock the guy out and he,
24:40 and that's not sometimes your best move.
24:42 (crowd applauding)
24:46 - Round seven scheduled for 10.
24:47 Antonio Perez and Haskell Rhodes.
24:57 Jab from Perez.
25:07 Right to the body from Rhodes.
25:12 (crowd applauding)
25:15 - This is certainly a great test.
25:19 It's a really good test for Perez.
25:21 - Perez is gonna learn so much,
25:24 and when they go back to the gym,
25:26 so many things he can work on.
25:28 He'll know what works, what doesn't work,
25:31 what he can get better at.
25:33 - He'll be a much better fighter,
25:35 learning from this fight.
25:37 Like you said, he'll-
25:38 - They may tell him to stop switching
25:40 back into the orthodox style.
25:42 He's fought pretty well.
25:44 - And they might tell him,
25:44 instead of throwing that overhand right,
25:46 straighten it out and throw a straight right.
25:48 - Exactly. - At least every now and then.
25:49 Mix it up.
25:50 - It does work, you know.
25:54 - It's landing, but it's landing so high on his head.
26:00 If he could just throw it straight, right down the pipe.
26:03 Might be a whole different outcome.
26:06 - Combination from Perez.
26:07 Good jab from Perez.
26:09 (crowd cheering)
26:11 There's a left hook from Rhodes.
26:19 Trying to rough Perez up on the inside.
26:22 Good jab from Perez.
26:29 I think both guys starting to tire a little bit.
26:32 We may see some more contact.
26:37 Waiting on that second win here in round seven.
26:40 And once that kicks in, maybe we'll have a strong finish.
26:44 - Good right from Rhodes on the inside.
26:49 Good right over the top.
27:03 Oh, Perez misses with the right hand.
27:08 Rhodes has definitely made him fight
27:11 pretty much every minute of every round.
27:14 And therefore we're talking about
27:16 he's gonna learn so much, he will be.
27:18 He's a great opponent for him, actually.
27:20 - I think Rhodes-- - Absolutely.
27:21 - And good right from Rhodes, right from Perez.
27:25 - At this stage of his career,
27:28 to be able to go 10 rounds,
27:30 to be able to do it with a seasoned veteran,
27:34 and to do it pretty fairly easily.
27:37 - He's keeping his composure.
27:39 He's not at any point gone crazy.
27:42 No more punches.
27:43 Good shots.
27:44 - Now some blood coming out of the nostril of Haskell Rhodes.
27:48 Some of the, what's it called,
27:56 the artwork of Antonio Perez is starting to show up.
28:02 But he certainly looks like a promising young fighter
28:05 that has a bright, bright future in front of him.
28:08 - And he was arguing a little bit this week
28:10 with he's going back and forth with Antonio "Bang" Williams.
28:13 So this could be a fight that could be in the makings
28:16 for a card or two down the line.
28:18 - Well, that could be very interesting.
28:21 - I'm sure that can be made.
28:26 - Yeah, Mr. Williams looked a little big.
28:32 Looks a little, moved up a couple weight classes
28:35 since the last fight.
28:36 - You know, Carl, that's the hardest thing as a fighter,
28:41 to keep your weight within limits of their fight weight.
28:46 - I asked Rhodes what he thought of Perez.
28:48 He said he's an athletic kid who fights like a young kid.
28:52 And I'm gonna make him fight the whole three minutes
28:55 of every round.
28:57 And he actually relishes this opportunity
28:59 to fight this young Antonio Perez.
29:02 - Right up until you don't, you know.
29:07 Rhodes has got to put more together than what he's doing
29:14 in order to try to have the upset victory.
29:17 Just seems that he's letting Perez get off a little more
29:22 than what I would expect.
29:24 - He may have underestimated the speed,
29:27 the foot speed as much as the hand speed.
29:28 - Yeah.
29:30 - He's just not gonna sit there in front of you
29:31 and let you get your punches off.
29:34 - Little left inside for Antonio Perez.
29:37 (crowd talking)
29:39 - Swelling under the left eye now of Rhodes.
30:06 - Seems to me that the right hand is open for Rhodes.
30:09 I'm not sure he's can pull the trigger though.
30:12 Just seems like he's there and then it's not.
30:15 - It's like we can see it, but he can't.
30:17 - Right.
30:18 - So maybe he does see it
30:19 and he just can't pull the trigger.
30:21 - Good right from distance again from Perez.
30:29 There's seven rounds.
30:35 Unofficially, I'm just keeping the score in my head.
30:38 Got Perez up maybe six to one, five to two.
30:42 Does that sound about right?
30:44 - I think you're right.
30:45 About right.
30:47 - Christy?
30:48 - I think so, absolutely.
30:49 I mean, Rhodes has been in the fight,
30:52 but he hasn't, maybe we give him one round.
30:55 Not give him, he earned one round.
30:57 - Good jab to the face again.
31:01 See the blood streaming down around the nose area.
31:04 There's a right from Perez.
31:10 - Perez looks like he still has really good, strong power.
31:16 - Good jab.
31:17 I mean, Rhodes is, I mean, he's still there.
31:23 I think there may be an opportunity for Perez
31:25 if he wants to step it up a little bit.
31:26 Maybe he's, you know, he's bloodied and battered him.
31:29 So maybe try to break him down a little bit more.
31:32 - It looks like the opportunity is there.
31:35 - It's there.
31:36 - Perez seems fresh though.
31:44 He does seem fresh.
31:46 He's the fresher of the two for sure.
31:48 - I agree with you.
31:53 And he's really the one that's done the work.
31:54 He's both been moving with his legs
31:57 and throwing really strong combinations.
32:00 - You know, for a youngster, you know,
32:04 he's handling this distance, in my opinion, very well.
32:08 We're going into the ninth round.
32:11 You know, I've seen a lot of young fighters
32:14 with eight fights not be able to do that.
32:17 - Well, he said if he wins this fight,
32:18 he's gonna be ready for whatever.
32:20 I don't know whatever means, but it's, you know,
32:22 he looks like and sounds like, you know,
32:26 it's another step forward, step up kind of fight.
32:30 Perez seems like he'd be down for that.
32:32 - I think you're right.
32:33 Now, there has been fighters in the past.
32:35 Leon Spinks, the title in seven fights,
32:37 Noman Checo.
32:39 - Well, those are major amateur Olympic gold medal winners.
32:43 - Yeah, that's true too.
32:45 - But yeah, I mean, I agree with, you know,
32:50 what you were saying that, you know what,
32:53 he just beat, you know, he's beating up a guy who,
32:57 you know, Schofield, you know, went 10 rounds with,
33:00 and he's probably winning easier.
33:03 - He's definitely made it look easy.
33:13 And I don't think there's been any time
33:15 that we felt that he was in trouble.
33:18 Maybe he slowed his pace down there in the three and four,
33:21 but.
33:23 - Only trouble I seen him do,
33:24 it was self-imposed when he's switching back and forth
33:28 early on in the fight.
33:29 And that really didn't bother him as much
33:33 as it bothered me.
33:34 - Left hook from Rhodes.
33:41 Perez got in a shot in between.
33:45 Perez starting to mouth a little bit towards Rhodes.
33:50 Rhodes misses with a right.
33:52 (crowd chattering)
33:54 Back to the jab is Antonio Perez,
33:56 comes behind with the right hand.
33:58 Perez has dictated the pace through most of this fight.
34:10 Kind of boxed him from the outside,
34:14 and he tries to land a straight left hand.
34:17 Now he's back to the orthodox, excuse me,
34:19 the southpaw stance.
34:21 (crowd chattering)
34:23 - He's comfortable, he's confident.
34:24 He's really just,
34:26 I think he's gonna coast through these last two rounds.
34:29 - Yeah, that's what it looks like to me.
34:32 He's having it his way.
34:34 - Having a little fun.
34:36 - He's just being cautious.
34:37 - Here I am, you can't hit me.
34:38 - Right.
34:39 - Being cautious,
34:40 definitely feels he's got enough rounds in the bank.
34:43 - Goes back to what Chrissy said earlier
34:45 about the superior footwork.
34:47 That's on display right now,
34:50 as you see it.
34:52 - Here's a quick right hook from Antonio Perez.
34:55 Yeah, he's having fun.
35:09 - He's having fun, but you know, as a fan,
35:11 you don't really wanna see him just move around.
35:13 You wanna see him close the show.
35:15 (crowd chattering)
35:18 - 20 seconds, 20 seconds.
35:23 - Jab from Perez.
35:25 - 20 seconds.
35:28 - Chrissy, let me ask you this.
35:30 Does a fighter at some point,
35:32 like in the ninth round,
35:33 say, "Well, listen, all I gotta do
35:35 "is get through to one more round."
35:37 Does that ever cross your mind?
35:39 And you're winning like this?
35:42 - I think it does,
35:43 but I also think that different people
35:46 have something in them that you just can't let it be.
35:49 You just have to keep going out there
35:51 and trying to get the knockout,
35:52 trying to get the stoppage,
35:54 because the truth is, it's boxing.
35:55 We never know what the decision's gonna look like.
35:58 - Spoken, very good point.
36:00 - Spoken like a seek and destroy kind of fighter
36:02 that Chrissy was.
36:03 - Oh, man.
36:04 - Yeah, we didn't go to the scorecards too often
36:08 when she was in the ring.
36:11 We made sure the ambulances were on standby.
36:14 - That's a whole thing.
36:17 Boxing's crazy,
36:18 and you may be going forward the whole time
36:20 thinking you're pressing the fight,
36:22 such as Perez is dictating the pace,
36:24 and some judge out there is seeing it the other way,
36:28 and that you were getting pushed or forced
36:30 into making those decisions,
36:31 and they give the other guy rounds.
36:33 - Now, that is so true.
36:34 - Widely made in the hands.
36:35 - Yes.
36:36 And we have seen some strange things in this business.
36:41 - That's probably an understatement.
36:43 (laughing)
36:44 - I'm trying to be nice.
36:45 - Round 10.
36:51 Antonio Perez and Liddell Haskell-Rhodes.
36:57 - I think both guys' faces showing some physical
37:03 marks of this fight.
37:06 - Right from Perez.
37:09 - And Perez, maybe he's won every round up to this point,
37:13 I think he wants to close the show
37:14 at least by winning this round.
37:15 He may not continue to go for the knockout,
37:17 but use that hand speed, use the foot movement,
37:20 change angles, and pitch a shutout.
37:23 - Looks like he has a mark on his forehead
37:28 could possibly come from a clash of heads.
37:31 I don't know if that's possible with a punch,
37:33 but he's really showing his skills now.
37:37 - Good right hand, and down goes Rhodes.
37:39 - He hit him while on the ground,
37:42 but they're just gonna call regular knockdown.
37:44 - Gotta be careful.
37:49 - Let's see if Perez, who has just under two minutes,
37:53 wants to close the show in style here.
37:55 Good right from Perez.
38:05 - So we know that Rhodes is looking for that right hand
38:09 to come over the top.
38:10 If he would change the angle
38:11 and shoot it right down the middle,
38:13 it would be good night.
38:14 - Yes.
38:15 He needs to straighten that right hand out.
38:21 There it is again.
38:23 - There's a right to the top of the head,
38:25 and Rhodes is in trouble.
38:27 Rhodes is trying to fight back.
38:30 - Perez is trying to show us that he is a true warrior,
38:32 and he does want to close the show.
38:34 - Hard left hook, left to the body.
38:36 Perez sizing Rhodes up,
38:38 and this is with the left.
38:40 Rhodes telling Perez to come on,
38:45 right hand from Perez.
38:48 Under a minute to go here in the 10th and final round.
38:55 - He had Rhodes in serious trouble a little while ago.
39:07 Right from Rhodes, Rhodes just really has nothing left
39:10 on his punches.
39:11 A lot of arm punches as we're 30 seconds
39:17 from the end of this fight.
39:19 Rhodes misses with the right.
39:29 Perez just, why is he just holding?
39:32 See, he's well ahead on the scorecards, presumably.
39:37 - Big shots again.
39:39 Rhodes right to the top of the head.
39:43 They roll the top of the head, and down goes Rhodes again.
39:46 Fight comes to a conclusion.
39:56 Two big knockdowns in round 10 for Antonio Perez.
40:01 - Big statement by Perez tonight, I think.
40:05 - I agree, big, big statement.
40:08 That was impressive for 21 years old,
40:12 and only nine professional fights.
40:16 - Nine professional fights compared to 35.
40:19 - Right.
40:20 - And yeah, the experience, not just 35 fights.
40:24 He had been against good competition,
40:26 like top level guys.
40:28 - That was a good test for Perez
40:32 to show that he's ready to take the next step.
40:35 - He'll sleep good tonight.
40:38 - Oh yeah, he sure will.
40:39 - Perez twin brother in there with him, right?
40:55 - Yeah.
40:56 Yeah, they had me baffled this week.
41:00 I mean, didn't I just see one was short,
41:02 one went long, bad, and like, what?
41:04 Okay, wait a minute.
41:05 I'm just curious,
41:12 does his brother fight as good as he does?
41:16 - Hopefully we can see that next.
41:17 Speaking of, when's the next card gonna be, Carl?
41:24 - Well, I believe it's gonna be February.
41:27 - February.
41:28 - I think we're looking at February.
41:30 - Well, we have the decision and the numbers.
41:32 Let's hope to ring announcer Jeremiah Gallegos.
41:35 - Ladies and gentlemen,
41:41 we go the distance at this championship attraction.
41:46 Two warriors going at it here tonight.
41:49 How about a huge round of applause
41:51 for their performance here in the ring from Casino Miami.
41:58 And now we go to the judges' score cards.
42:01 Here are the totals.
42:04 All three judges see this contest identical,
42:09 100 to 88.
42:12 To the winner by unanimous decision
42:18 and now crowned the WBC International Lightweight Champion,
42:26 the Fighting Pride of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,
42:31 and still undefeated,
42:34 Antonio "Bam Bam" Bennett.
42:38 - There you have it, a shutout plus two knockdowns,
42:48 100 to 88 on all three cards.
42:51 Surprise Rhodes didn't get around,
42:52 but a relatively easy win, wide margin for Antonio Perez.
42:57 Carl?
42:59 I think in the...

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