In the final Premier Boxing Champions show of the year, a pair of heavy-handed young men take center stage on Fox Sports 1 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Super featherweight prospect Omar Douglas (15-0, 11 KO) headlines the main event opposite Frank De Alba (17-1-2, 6 KO), who has not lost since his pro debut , while welterweight puncher Miguel Cruz (11-0, 10 KO) faces Virgil Green (11-3, 4 KO). Douglas' first appearance on PBC saw him batter Braulio Santos for a unanimous decision win.
We'll also have an assortment of swing fights and other assorted donnybrooks. I'll be taking coverage duty for the night, so be sure to stick around. I get lonely.
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Omar Douglas def. Frank De Alba by (95-95, 96-94, 97-93)
Miguel Cruz def. Virgil Green by TKO at 1:36 of Round Seven
Christopher Brooker vs. Leo Hall by unanimous decision (80-72, 79-73 x2)
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Omar Douglas vs. Frank De Alba
Round one: Omar Douglas sporting the giant hair wrap once again.
Lead right connects for Douglas. Douglas showing a sharp jab, eats a combination. One minute in. Southpaw jabs from De Alba, then a combination to the body. Lead rights from Douglas, straight left by De Alba. They tie up. One minute to go. Douglas continues to stalk him and they exchange inside. Another lead right by Douglas. Body shots. De Alba answers in kind. De Alba sneaks in a right downstairs, eats another right hand and clinches. 10-9 Douglas.
Round two: De Alba ties up early. 2-3 by Douglas. combination from De Alba in return. Douglas sneaks in an uppercut and left hook. Hard shots by both men inside and now Douglas is connecting. Clinch. One minute in. Another uppercut by Douglas. Douglas trying to chisel away when De Alba clinches. Lead right by Douglas. Douglas' are the bigger punches thus far as he presses forward. One minute to go. Counter hook by De Alba. Lead right lands for Douglas. Short right hook lands for De Alba at the end of a combination. Straight left splits Douglas' guard and De Alba lands a left at the bell. 10-9, 20-28 Douglas.
Round three: 1-2 by De Alba. They clinch and both men connect at point-blank. Solid counters by De Alba. Douglas pops him with a lead right and gets clinched. One minute in. Douglas pursues, gets clinched and they trade hooks. Straight rights by Douglas. Big counter left from De Alba, who then tries to clinch. Douglas seems invigorated and is pressing forward, throwing to the head and body. One minute to go. Clinch. Right hook by De Alba. Douglas tries to open up on the ropes, gets clinched. Douglas remains aggressive, eats another straight left. 10-9 De Alba, 29-28 Douglas.
Round four: De Alba doing better off his back foot than earler, still clinching when needed. Right hook on the exit. Neither lands in a point-blank exchange. De Alba to the body, right hook upstairs. One minute in. Douglas just isn't landing clean anymore. As I say that, both men connect well on the ropes. De Alba scoring very well this round. One minute to go. Straight left by Douglas trying to slam home body shots, warned for hitting the back of the head. Another straight left by De Alba.Lead right by Douglas to end things. 10-9 De Alba, 38-38.
Round five: Douglas still finding success with the lead right, following it u p with a body shot. De Alba clinches. Douglas starting to land well on the inside. Good uppercut. One minute in. Heavy combinations by Douglas. 3-2-2 lands. De Alba's making a mistake trying to engage this close. Uppercut, body shot. Brutal combinations by Douglas. De Alba's taking them well but not getting out of the way. De Alba to the body, then a right hook on the exit. One minute to go. Douglas with a left hook on the exit. Hard right hook by De Alba, Douglas takes it. Douglas cracks hi mwith another left hook on the exit. 10-9, 48-47 Douglas.
Round six: Left hook by Douglas on the inside. Lead right connects. Body shot, left hook. Another left hook. De Alba sneaks in a right hook and clinches. Lead left from De Alba. Uppercut by Douglas. Right hook from De Alba. One minute in. Douglas again pops him with the lead right. Glancing uppercut from De Alba. Solid ring cutting by Douglas. De Alba finding more success circling in the second minute. Body shot by De Alba. One minute to go. Douglas rips to the body. De Alba bounces a two-piece off the guard. Douglas with a lead right and left hook. Another lead right by Douglas; he can't miss with that right now. Still, De Alba round. 10-9 same, 57-57.
Round seven: Lead left by De Alba, who's pivoting well. Lead right by Douglas. Right hook from De Alba. Solid uppercut by Douglas. One minute in. Douglas isn't enjoying the kind of success pressuring he did earlier on. He is landing some solid uppercuts and a left hook as De Alba lands some hard shots of his own. One minute to go. Phone booth fight in the center. Douglas' lead right and left to the body continue to be his best shots, but he's getting outlanded here. Douglas body shot, 1-2 by De Alba. Nice exchanges. 10-9. 67-66 De Alba.
Round eight: Exchanging at range to start the round. Right uppercut slips through for De Alba. Right uppercut by Douglas, ten some swatting body shots. De Alba to the body. Again. One minute in; left hand upstairs. Douglas comes back with an uppercut. Combinations from both men. Clinch. More combinations. Hard shots by De Alba. Right hook connects. Suddenly, a left hook from Douglas stuns De Alba, who ties up. One minute to go. De Alba still throwing but might not be fully recovered. Uppercut lands for him. Counter elft form De Alba, left hook by Douglas. Hard left hands by both men. Douglas keeps swinging until the bell. Great round. 10-9 Douglas, 76-76.
Round nine: De Alba keeping up the combination work. Douglas' punches, hard as they are, just aren't landing clean for the most part. Nice upercut by De Alba, sweeping right by Douglas. One minute in. Clinch. They trade uppercuts. Lead right by Douglas. Back to the inside. Nice combination from De Alba backs Douglas off. Douglas still finding a lot of success with the lead right. One minute to go. Hard left hand, then a check hook from De Alba. Right hook upstairs. Clubbing shots by Douglas. They continue to trade until the bell. 10-9, 86-85 De Alba.
Round ten: Straight left by De Alba. Douglas clubs away inside. Combinations from De Alba, lead right by Douglas. De Alba counter left. Douglas again with the lead right. One minute in. Hard hook and left straight by De Alba, met by a hook from Douglas. De Alba shrugs off a hard left. Clinch. Counter left hand. One minute to go. Douglas sneaks in an uppercut. Lead right lands, clinch. Another counter left from De Alba. Hard combinations from Douglas. Douglas unloads a bit, eats a harder combo in return. 10-9, 96-94 De Alba. I think about 96-94 either way wouldn't be too bad.
Final result: Douglas def. De Alba by majority decision
Miguel Cruz vs. Virgil Green
Round one: Green the taller man as they exchange jabs. They swing, Cruz lands a left hook. Body blows by Green. One minute in. Cruz with a right downstairs. Left hook to the body. Clinch. They trade again to the body. One minute to go. Cruz pursuing, running into jabs but lands a hard right over the top. Green with a right hand as he pivots. Solid right by Green. 10-9 same.
Round two: The jab battle resumes. Cruz to the body, tries to go upstairs. Another overhand right from Cruz, clinch. They clinch and Green goes to the body, then exits with a 1-2. Exchange inside, clinch. Cruz continuing to advance, lands a good hook. Power definitely favors Cruz at the moment, although Green isn't doing badly off his back foot. Right cross by Cruz, who's landing at an increased clip. One minute to go. Both dig to the body. Clinch. Green lands a counter hook before the bell. 10-9 Cruz, 19-19.
Round three: Cruz pursuing with the jab. Greed digs to the body, then pivots off with a left hook. Clinch. Clinch. Green landing counters fairly well. One minute in. Body shots by Cruz. Counter right lands for Green after a series of Cruz jabs. Cross counter by the Puerto Rican. Good exchange, left hook by Cruz. One minute to go. 1-2 by Green. Clinch. Flurry by Green. 1-2 downstairs by Cruz. Hard left hook connects before the bell. 10-9, 29-28 Green.
Round four: Round starts with more jabbing on both sides. Solid combination by Cruz. Cruz still moving forward, landing jabs. Counters from Green. One minute in. Clinch. Overhand right by Cruz lands clean. Clinch. More jab exchanges in the center. One minute to go. BIG right hand by Cruz. 1-2 lands and Green clinches. Clinch. Cross counter by Cruz again, then a left hook that takes out Green's legs. Green chicken-dances around the ring until he manages to tie up and survive the round. 10-9 Cruz, 38-38.
Round five: Another lead right by Cruz, then to the body. Quick exchange. Clinch. Cruz's jab has some heat behind it. Another right hand seems to sting Green. He manages to circle out. One minute in. Lead right by Cruz. Clinch. Clinch. Long right hand staggers Green again. Green ties up and Cruz tries to bash away with lefts. One mintue to go. Another cross counter lands. They trade punches in the clinch. Green doing a lot of clinching, eats a body shot. 10-9, 48-47 Cruz.
Round six: Back to jabbing in the center. Clinch. Green keeps bringing his jab back low. Glancing right by Cruz. Left hook low-high by Cruz. One minute in. Counter jabs by Green. Green to the body. Another right hand by Cruz. One minute to go. 3-2 from Cruz, walking through a check hook. Clinch. Green goes downstairs, as does Cruz. 10-9, 58-56 Cruz.
Round seven: Cruz continuing his forward march. Green has started clinching whenever he sees the right hand coming, but fails to do so at a critical juncture and eats a monstrous overhand right. He wobbles to the mat, but manages to make it up. Excessive clinching by Green, whose legs aren't there. One minute in. All he's doing right now is clinching. Cruz blasts him with a 1-2 that stiffens him, then sends him careening down with follow-up shots right as the referee steps in.
Final result: Cruz def. Green by TKO
Christopher Brooker vs. Leo Hall
Round one: Hall eats a lead right early. Brooker continuing to press forward, digs into the body in the corner. Solid shots by Booker. Clinch. Overhand right by Brooker, doing work on the ropes. One minute in. Uppercut hits home; Hall just content to cover up at the moment. Counter left lands for Hall, clinch. Another overhand right by Brooker, then a left hand inside as he again takes him to the ropes and digs away. One minute to go. They separate. Solid right cross by Hall, clinch. Brooker with a hook on the exit. Both swing inside and Brooker lands another right before the bell. 10-9 Brooker.
Round two: Brooker staying aggressive. Jabs from Hall. Clinch. Both connect inside as Brooker takes him to the ropes. Hall counter uppercut misses. More inside work by Brooker. One minute in. Hall still looking for the uppercut on the shorter Brooker, who again forces his way inside. Right cross by Hall. Lead right by Brooker in return, clinch. One minute to go. They trade at close range, both landing. Glancing overhand by Brooker. Brooker cracks him with another before the bell. 10-9, 20-18 Brooker.
Round three: Hall still looking to jab, Brooker answering. They get inside and Brooker whacks him with another right hand. Left hook. into the clinch. They separate, then go right back in and trade shots. Clinch. Nice uppercut by Hall, who fires some counters. One minute in. Hall alnds some decent shots with his back on the ropes, eats one as he reverses. Brooker just smothering him; not enough coming back from Hall. Hall circles out and resumes jabbing. 1-2-3 by Brooker, uppercut by Hall. One minute to go. Big hook and overhand right by Brooker; Hall's taking them well so far but not winning rounds. They exchange at point-blank range. 10-9, 30-27 Brooker.
Round four: Brooker gets right back on the inside and goes to work. Halls counters just aren't enough to keep Brooker off. Back to the center, Hall surrenders the inside and gets taken to the ropes. One minute in. Hall now jabbing in the center and lands a good 1-2. Body shot, Brooker comes back with an overhand right. Solid uppercut by Hall, clinch. One minute to go. Hall's doing fine for himself at a distance. He's still getting pushed to the ropes far too easily but he's winning this round. Solid body shots from Hall. 10-9 Hall, 39-37 Brooker.
Round five: Brooker digs in a right to the body to start. He's still finding his way inside. Body work, right hand up top. Hall can't win this fight with his back on the ropes like this. One minute in. Hall's jab is doing work at range, he's just not making the opportunities to use it. Brooker keeps pressing forward, taking Hall to the ropes. Brooker with a left hook and cross inside, takes him to the ropes again. One minute to go. Hall working the lead hand, fires a 1-2 before getting clinched. 3-2 by Brooker and an overhand right. Hall lands some solid shots, but can't back Brooker off before the bell. 10-9, 49-46 Brooker.
Round six: More of the same, Brooker shoving him to the ropes and landing around and through the guard. Hall's landing, just not with enough power or volume. Brooker to the body. One minute in. They jab in the center. Uppercut by Hall. Left hook by Brooker and Hall tries to open up against the ropes. Clinch. Brooker inside once more. One minute to go. Left hook by Brooker, then body work. Hard shots by Brooker against the ropes. Overhand right and left hook land clean. Brooker continues to advance and Hall tries to come back before the bell. 10-9, 59-55 Brooker.
Round seven: Hall still can't stop Brooker. Hall manages to advance some, clinches. Fight paused to remove lose tape. One minute in. The go right back to swinging on the restart. More clubbing shots inside by the shorter man. Brooker's tying up or at least getting inside every time they restart. One minute to go. Hall's jab landing, as does a looping right by Brooker. Another hard right hand from Brooker, Hall takes it well. Brooker backs him to the ropes, clinch. Clinch, counter uppercut by Hall at the bell. 10-9, 69-64 Brooker.
Round eight: They continue to engage inside to start the round. Hall's just not using lateral movement. Brooker still backing him up, winging shots. Hall's launching the counter uppercut with mixed success. Hall backs him tot he ropes, Brooker pushes him back. One minute in. Solid rights by Brooker inside. Brooker taunting a bit. Hall whacks him with some short hooks in response. One minute to go. Left upeprcut by Hall, right hand by Brooker and they roughhouse inside. Brooker clinches up after they're separated. 1-2 by Brooker and he continues to advance. Clinch. 10-9, 79-73 Brooker.
Final result: Brooker def. Hall by unanimous decision