Highlights
–Miguel Vazquez controlled the first three rounds behind his jab, firing with movement from range. The onetime 135-pound champion sustained his pace into the sixth, alternately jumping in and unleashing successfully with both hands.
–Algenis Mendez had a big seventh round, which he appeared to be winning behind his jab and left hook before referee Gregorio Alvarez penalized Vazquez a point for holding.
–Mendez began to time Vazquez more in the ninth and 10th, catching him off the jab with the left hook, most notably with a shot that caused sweat to spray from the Mexican’s head early in the final round.
They call Miguel Vazquez “The Puppet,” but an initially perplexed Algenis Mendez found a way to control his opponent's strings.
Outhustled, roughhoused and beaten to the punch by his Mexican rival through the middle rounds, Mendez staged a late rally behind his jab and left hook to earn a unanimous decision in a 135-pound clash of former champions.
In a battle of boxers competing for the second time since being dethroned as titleholders, Algenis Mendez (23-3-1, 12 KOs) won by scores of 99-90, 97-92 and 95-94.
Miguel Vazquez (35-4, 13 KOs)—a 28-year-old Mexican whose unorthodox style is atypical of his countrymen’s traditional warrior search-and-destroy mentality—outlanded Mendez 111-101 overall. He also briefly shook Mendez with a third-round, right hand-left hook combination before later being stunned himself by a right-left combo at round’s end.
Until that point, Mendez struggled to land his jab or establish a rhythm with his setups. He also frequently missed windups with his right hand and his check left hook as Vazquez continued to force the action and frustrate the Dominican by clenching, pushing and leading with his head.
Mendez began to turn the momentum with a big seventh round, which he appeared to be winning behind his jab and left hook before referee Gregorio Alvarez deducted a point from Vazquez for holding.
From that point, Mendez began to time Vazquez successfully through the ninth and 10th rounds, catching him off the jab with the left hook, including a telling shot early in the final round that caused sweat to spray from his rival’s head.
Algenis Mendez rocks Miguel Vazquez with a left hand during their 135-pound bout in San Antonio. Mendez prevailed by unanimous decision. (Josh Jordan/Premier Boxing Champions)
