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The prospects all came through tonight on Fox Sports 1, though each in decidedly different fashion.
Featherweight prospect Miguel Flores showed his ability to deal with adversity, overcoming a very game Mario Briones over ten competitive rounds. The two tore into each other with brutal body shots and effective combination work, but it was Flores' speed and crisp punching that carried the day.
Flores (19-0, 9 KO) immediately went to work with his signature hook to the body and a sizzling jab, but willingly engaged Briones (27-5-2, 20 KO) in mid-ring firefights. The two maintained an impressive pace, each averaging over 70 punches a round, and they both fought through cuts to continue their war.
Each round was close but, save for a couple, fairly clear for Flores, who won with one 98-92 score and two 100-90s. The latter aren't exactly scandalous, but I do believe Briones won at least one round.
Flores definitely seems ready for a step up; the only issue I saw was a lack of power, as he never did rock Briones despite landing over 300 punches. Still, this was a good learning experience for him; he looks like he's got the goods.
In the second bout, former Olympic Trials competitor Bryant Perrella had zero issues with Ramon Ayala en route to a second-round corner stoppage. Perrella (13-0, 12 KO) battered Ayala with brutal combinations from the opening bell, using a stiff jab, check hook, and straight left to great effect. Ayala (25-6-1, 13 KO) seemed resigned to defeat and spent more time clinching than anything else, although he did land a handful of power shots he failed to set up.
After two one-sided rounds, Ayala's corner made the correct decision to stop it. Perrella did exactly what he needed to do against an overmatched foe; hopefully, we'll see him tested in the near future.
The opening fight saw light heavyweight prospect Ahmed Elbiali put on another shaky performance, edging former middleweight Andrew Hernandez by decision. Despite clearly giving up a considerable amount of size, Hernandez (10-4-1, 2 KO) controlled the early rounds with a sharp jab and effective footwork. Elbiali (14-0, 11 KO) showed decent ring cutting, but still lacks an effective jab and is over-reliant on the lead right hand.
Midway through the eight-round clash, Elbiali found success simply overpowering Hernandez, bullying him into the ropes and going to work with short combinations and effective body shots. Perhaps due to those body blows, Hernandez's output dropped, allowing the big Egyptian to bank rounds through activity. He never managed to rattle Hernandez, however, and continued eating jabs until the final bell.
Elbiali ultimately won with one score of 78-74 (too wide) and two of 77-75 (reasonable), but he just doesn't look like a blue chipper. Though the power is there, he's easy to hit, has no conviction behind his jab when he even bothers to use it, and smothers his own work against the ropes. He could be good for fun slugfests, at least.
For quick results and round-by-round coverage of the night's proceedings, click here.