Argi Cortes got here dangerously near pulling off a serious upset towards the world junior bantamweight champion in his earlier outing.
The previous title challenger almost landed on the other finish this time round.
Cortes was required to outlive two knockdowns and sweat out the judges’ scorecards in taking a ten-round, cut up determination win over Erick Omar Lopez. Cortes received by scores of 95-92 and 95-92, overruling a dissenting card of 96-91 for Lopez to say a slim win of their DAZN co-feature Saturday night from Enviornment Astros in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Cortes entered the bout driving loads of momentum following his robust exhibiting in a slim loss to lineal 115-pound king Juan Francisco Estrada on September 3 in Hermosillo, Mexico. The Nacho Beristain-guided contender from Mexico Metropolis was clearly the extra polished and disciplined of the co-feature members and former sparring companions on Saturday however was compelled to cope with an early deficit. An trade close to the middle of the ring noticed Cortes land on the within after which dodge a proper hand, solely to fall again and onto the canvas.
The sequence gave the impression to be extra of a push than the product of an precise landed punch, however the sequence was dominated a knockdown and Cortes issued a compulsory eight rely. An effort to regain floor throughout the spherical noticed Cortes drive Lopez to the ropes and fireplace off a mix. He left his chin within the air simply lengthy sufficient to get hit with a proper hand that compelled him to take a backward step.
Cortes resumed management of the motion in a productive spherical three. Lopez was cussed, refusing to fade away and managed to land an occasional left hook and looping proper hand. Cortes pushed via these moments and drove Lopez to the ropes, the place he landed a proper hand to the temple.
A gradual jab was employed by Cortes in spherical 4, which saved the fleshy Lopez at bay. The taller and slimmer Cortes was in a position to observe with straight proper arms, most of which had been defended by Lopez however efficient sufficient to forestall a counterattack from the 28-year-old native spoiler.
Extra adversity was dealt in spherical six, as Cortes noticed a major momentum shift squandered by a second knockdown name. Lopez was in a position to get away with leaning on high of Cortes’ higher again, driving residence a left hook to the physique as Cortes was on his option to the canvas. A rely was issued, leaving Cortes no higher than even on the scorecards via six rounds with the 2 knockdown calls.
The specter of an upset was considerably dulled in spherical seven. Lopez was dealt some extent deduction as a result of extreme rabbit punching, the infraction occurring early within the spherical. Cortes capitalized, returning to fundamentals and forcing Lopez again on the defensive.
Lopez hit the canvas in spherical eight. Nevertheless, he prevented a knockdown name because the sequence was not accompanied by a clear punch and precisely dominated a slip. Cortes was nonetheless in a position to win the spherical with clear boxing, doing extra of the identical in a slowed however regular spherical 9 for the previous title challenger. Lopez fought in spurts, whereas spending the remainder of the time behind an earmuff protection in his greatest effort to defend towards Cortes’ jab.
A final-ditch effort was supplied by Lopez within the tenth and last spherical. Cortes discovered himself again on the canvas, although this time appropriately dominated a slip. Lopez continued to return ahead, touchdown a left hook within the last minute of the spherical. Cortes got here again with a proper hand to snap again the pinnacle of Lopez inside the ultimate 30 seconds. Lopez landed a proper hand simply earlier than the bell however Cortes gathered himself in time to keep away from a follow-up assault as he made it to the bell.
Cortes returned to the win column as his document improved to 24-3-2, (10KOs), although shedding a number of the luster that accompanied his robust exhibiting towards Estrada earlier this 12 months. Lopez is now 16-7-2 (10KOs), winless in his final three begins however prone to acquire alternatives following his valiant effort.
Headlining the present, Tijuana’s Jaime Munguia (40-0, 32KOs)— unbeaten former WBO junior middleweight titlist—faces Argentina’s Gonzalo Gaston Coria (21-5, 8KOs) in a scheduled ten-round middleweight bout.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox