Welterweight Blair Cobbs has become known for his pro wrestling presentation and his action fights, but tonight in Anaheim, the 30-year-old sorta-prospect failed to impress and drew the ire of the crowd at the Honda Center, winning a split decision over Samuel Kotey.
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In all fairness, Cobbs (14-0-1, 9 KO) deserved the win here, and Carla Caiz’ 95-94 Kotey card is plenty questionable. Cobbs took the other cards 96-93 twice, and BLH scored the fight 97-92 two times.
Cobbs wasn’t his usual aggressive, vulnerable self in this fight, boxing off the back foot far more often while the 36-year-old Kotey (23-3, 16 KO) struggled to mount a consistent offense at any point, though he did come forward most of the night.
Cobbs significantly outworked and outlanded Kotey overall, but the crowd were booing from the second round on and only stopped for any length of time in a more exciting sixth round, when Cobbs came out swinging after his corner got on his case a bit. But even by the end of that round, he was back to the earlier, more cautious approach.
It’s not the worst idea for Cobbs, who had most of us thinking that while he was exciting, he was doomed to get chinned bad when he steps up in competition. A more measured approach may prevent that, or he might find himself forced to fight more “like himself” against someone better than Kotey, who didn’t have much in the ring.
“I gotta hand it to him, he had a hellafied chin,” Cobbs said after the fight. “I hit him and he just kept coming. He was a wonderful, good fighter. That guy was tough. He had a tough chin. I’m trying to get more patient, trying to set up shots. It was just a really good performance as far as boxing technique.”
Asked about being booed and playing, in pro wrestling terms, “the heel,” Cobbs said he welcomes whatever reaction he gets.
“I come and I conquer. This is what it’s all about, the passion. So give me the boos, baby!”
There is talk of Cobbs being back in “early May,” which could line him up to return on the May 2 Canelo Alvarez undercard.