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 © Mary Ann Owen boxinginlasvegas.com |
In a nice warm up for tomorrow night’s Mosley-Vargas showdown, top ranked light welterweight Juan Lazcano pounded out a unanimous ten round decision over Ben Tackie at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. All three judges scored the entertaining scrap 98-92, or eight rounds to two for Lazcano. What probably |
stood out to those in attendance by fight’s end on the Golden Boy Promotions card, was the world class chin of Ghanian Ben Tackie. Thirty two year old Tackie has been the distance with some of world’s best 140 pounders, such as Ricky Hatton and Kostya Tszyu, and has now never been stopped in a 34 professional bouts.
El Paso native Lazcano started out well in round one, establishing an effective jab and putting together a few combinations to easily take the opening round. Round two started the same but Tackie appeared to hurt Lazcano and had him reeling backwards with relentless pressure in the last 30 seconds of the round, enough for two judges to give the round to Tackie.
Lazcano reestablished his jab and let his hands go in combinations to regain control of the fight in rounds three and four, although one judge gave the fourth to Tackie. An astonishing pace was being set by the fighters, as Lazcano had to fire away just to keep the pressuring
Tackie off of him and gain some respect.
Lazcano decided to stand toe to toe with Tackie in rounds five and six, and it appeared to be a dangerous tactic for Lazcano since the teak tough Tackie is so hard to discourage and move backward with punches. Despite Lazcano landing solid jabs, rights, and left uppercuts, Tackie never appeared hurt and hustled enough to take round six on all the judge’s scorecards. A low blow (perhaps retaliatory) during the round from Lazcano appeared to give him the thirty second break he needed mid-round.
The pace finally slowed a bit and round seven was hanging in the balance until Lazcano let loose and landed some booming combinations, enough to move Tackie and get the crowd going at round’s end. At this point Lazcano started to take over, landing more emphatically with his punches to easily take round eight.
The Freddie Roach trained Lazcano was in complete control in round nine, opening the frame with a huge left hook, moving, boxing smoothly and tying up Tackie on the inside when needed. Before the round’s end, Lazcano landed a few bombs that would have dropped many fighters. The ringside doctor took a good look at Tackie before letting him start the tenth and final round. Lazcano proceeded to land alarmingly big punches early in the tenth, possibly in hopes of being the first to stop Tackie, but Tackie wouldn’t allow it and kept throwing to the final bell.
The well earned decision brought Lazcano’s record to 36-3-1 (27), while Tackie fell to 27-6-1 (16). Lazcano had spent most of his career in the 135 pound lightweight division, but now looks settled at 140 pounds and ready to take on a top 10 fighter.
