Here is this week's ESPN Friday Night Fights recaps. I deal in straightforwardness, you guys.
Juan Antonio Rodriguez MD-8 Yenifel Vicente
Vicente is a super bantamweight by trade and took this fight on eight days notice. He was the much smaller man, but was in it throughout, losing on scores of 77-75, 77-75, and 76-76, which seemed fair enough. Rodriguez (26-4, 23 KO) was originally supposed to face Arash Usmanee as the B-side of the main event. Given what we saw tonight, Usmanee would have had no real trouble with the southpaw. Vicente falls to 25-2-2 (17 KO), but he was fighting two weight classes above his normal division.
Zahir Raheem UD-10 Bayan Jargal
Scores were 99-91, 99-91, and 97-93. After about four rounds, I admit I pretty much tuned out. It was the same old Zahir Raheem fight, dirt dull and less palatable every round. Jargal (17-5-3, 11 KO) is losing steam as a consistent TV choice. You either have to notch some wins or force action. Raheem, 37, improves to 35-3 (21 KO).
Lateef Kayode TKO-6 Jonte Willis
Kayode towered over the club fighter who was listed at 5'11" but looked closer to 5'9". That or Kayode's a bit taller than his 6'1" listing. Either way, it wasn't much of a fight. The stoppage wasn't impressive and Kayode isn't any better as a heavyweight than he was as a cruiserweight. His future is in Europe, which he seems determined to avoid. Kayode is now 20-0 (16 KO), with Willis falling to 9-8-1 (3 KO).
Other Highlights
During the Fight Plan, Saul mimed putting a key into an ignition and starting a car.
Teddy Atlas went on a rampage about not reversing last week's controversial official decision in the Rances Barthelemy win over Argenis Mendez, despite it obviously needing to be changed to a no-contest. Atlas made comparisons to football or whatever, as if that has anything to do with boxing. He was simply wrong on this one.
Atlas later went on a rampage about a loose rope being dangerous for the fighters. It's OK to slug dudes after the bell and win that way, though. Because it makes a fighter happy to win a world title by getting a knockout after the bell.