Chris Arreola def. Seth Mitchell, KO round 1 2:26
Heading into this Heavyweight showdown, the question was if Seth Mitchell could survive the early power assault of Chris Arreola. The answer? A definitive no. Arreola came in carefully, but with aggression, looking to land heavy shots quickly on the notoriously weak-chinned Mitchell. It didn’t take long before Arreola landed a clean shot that staggered Mitchell. From there, it was only a matter of time. Arreola kept the pressure up, Mitchell never could recover, and the fight was waved off. Mitchell was upset about the stoppage, but he was not defending himself and turning away from Arreola, which means it’s time for the fight to end.
The other big story here is that Arreola came in at 242 pounds. His dedication has always been the biggest hurdle for Arreola to clear, and here, he looked focused and ready. This fight sets him back up as a viable Heavyweight contender, while at the same time effectively ending Mitchell’s hopes to ever reach the higher levels of the division.
Here’s the finish, courtesy of Zombie Prophet:
Efrain Esquivias def. Rafael Marquez, KO round 9 0:19
In the Showtime opener, all-time great Rafael Marquez was knocked out in 9 rounds at the hands of Efrain Esquivias. Marquez started the fight strong, winning the opening rounds. But as the fight progressed, Esquivias found a home for his straight right hand and Marquez never was able to make the adjustment. In the opening seconds of round 9, Esquivias again landed that right, and this time, it was enough. This was a good performance from Esquivias, but clearly also a case of age catching up to Marquez.
Post-fight, Marquez said he would consider retirement, though remained vague about his future. A later report during the broadcast revealed that Marquez had been sent to the hospital after the fight. For his part, Esquivias called out Leo Santa Cruz in the post-fight.
Gifs of the finish, again courtesy of Zombie Prophet:
About the author
