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By: Sean Crose
The 29-0 junior welterweight Arnold Barboza squared off against the 18-1 Sean McComb in the co-main event of Saturday’s Devin Haney-Ryan Garcia card at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The Barboza-McComb match was scheduled for 10 rounds. Southpaw McComb pushed the action in the first. Barboza, on the other hand, remained patient. It became apparent in the second that Barboza was dealing with an awkward, fairly high volume puncher. What’s more, Barboza had clearly decided that the winning strategy would be to wear his man down. Yet the lanky McComb continued to throw off Barboza’s timing in the third.
Barboza decided to pick up the pace in the fourth. He was able to land, but the taller McComb was still giving him problems. The pace was slower in the fifth, but McComb was still keeping Barboza from getting into a rhythm. McComb continued to look good in the sixth, throwing a lot and employing a slippery defense. By the seventh it looked as if Barboza didn’t have any answers for his tall, frustrating opponent. Whenever he landed well, McComb would fire right back. Had Barboza been a harder hitter, things perhaps might have been different. Still, when Barboza managed to land, it was clear he was still in the fight.
That didn’t keep the fans from voicing their frustration in the eighth, for Barboza simply didn’t appear to have the tools to get the better of his opponent. McComb didn’t land with power, but he landed frequently. Even in the ninth round, Barboza couldn’t seem to make anything happen. McComb’s style seemed to have a mental and physical edge over the the betting favorite. The tenth and final round may have actually gone to Barboza, who had a solid three minutes for himself.
After the final bell had sounded, the judges awarded Barboza a split decision victory.
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