Heavyweight prospect Efe Ajagba (17-1, 13 KOs) beat Stephan Shaw (18-1, 13 KOs) in a boring 10 spherical unanimous resolution on Saturday evening of their major occasion combat on a Prime Rank-promoted card on the Turning Stone in Verona, New York.
The larger & stronger 2016 Olympian Ajagba was the busier fighter of the 2, pushing the motion all evening and doing just a bit bit greater than the ultra-cautious 30-year-old Shaw, who confirmed no sense of urgency through the contest.
Shaw moved often across the ring and would often stand completely nonetheless, ready for Ajagba to toss something so he might counter it. Sadly, Shaw did not counter typically sufficient, and when he did, he typically got here up brief as a consequence of his lack of attain.
Ajagba confirmed vulnerability on the within and at medium distance, however Shaw did not benefit from this. Shaw is a wonderful mixture puncher and he usually unloads on his opponents at shut vary, however tonight, he wasn’t doing something on the within. Had he let his arms go, he might have gotten the higher of Ajagba, who confirmed that he’s not able to getting leverage on his energy pictures in shut.
The followers at ringside booed the dearth of motion, letting each fighters know their displeasure on the boring efforts from each. Sadly, the booing did not inspire Ajagba & Shaw to be extra prepared to let their arms go. In equity to Ajagba, he’s a diamond within the tough, and nonetheless studying the commerce, so it wasn’t a shock that he was holding again.
Moreover, Ajagba not too long ago misplaced a one-sided 10 spherical resolution to Frank Sanchez, and that have has impacted him.
Ajagba was unusually conservative tonight, not unloading repeated proper hand energy pictures like he often does. One motive for that’s that Ajagba was getting countered often by Shaw within the first quarter of the combat, and that resulted within the Nigerian fighter being reluctant to load up on his proper arms.
The scores have been 96-94, 96-94, and 96-94.
Shaw appeared like he mentally gave up after the sixth spherical, and targeted on not getting hit in rounds seven by means of ten.
This efficiency from each fighters confirmed that they lack the power to compete with the top-tier heavyweights. Ajagba has proven no enchancment from his loss to Frank Sanchez, and he’ll be simple work for anybody ranked within the prime 15.
As for Shaw, he’s too timid to be counted on to beat any of the contenders. His promoter Lou Dibella obtained it mistaken together with his perception that this man has the products to go someplace within the division.
If Shaw can’t beat a one-dimensional heavyweight like Ajagba, he’s obtained no probability towards the highest 15 contenders. Ajagba isn’t ranked within the prime 15 for good motive. He lacks expertise.
Prime Rank might want to decide on what they wish to do with Ajagba as a result of he’s 28, and he’s not able to be put in towards any contender.
One of many ESPN commentators talked about that Joe Joyce could be an excellent possibility for Ajagba now. This author disagrees. Placing Ajagba in with Joyce would doubtless wreck his profession as a result of he could be simple work for the British heavyweight.
Jonnie Rice defeats Guido Vianello
Beforehand unbeaten heavyweight prospect Guido Vianello (10-1-1, 9 KOs) suffered his first profession defeat, shedding to journeyman Jonnie Rice (16-6-1, 11 KOs) by seventh spherical lower stoppage.
Vianello was lower over his left eye within the sixth spherical from a right-hand punch from Rice. The bout was halted a spherical later after the ringside physician examined the harm and informed the referee that the combat wanted to be halted.
Referee Benjy Esteves surprisingly, was able to have the combat go to the scorecards as a result of he thought Vianello’s lower was brought on by a headbutt. Thankfully, the fee spoke to Esteves and let him know that the lower was from a punch.
After Esteves watched a video replay of the punch that precipitated the harm, he modified his ruling from the lower being brought on by a headbutt to that of a punch, which gave Rice the victory.
On the time of the stoppage, Vianello was nicely forward of the competition by the scores 59-55, 59-55, and 58-56.
Like the principle occasion, the Vianello vs. Rice combat was boring and lacked motion from the fighters. The followers sporadically booed the fighters, making an attempt to inspire them, nevertheless it did not work.
