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If Eddie Chambers hopes to get a world heavyweight title fight based on his winning performance Friday night against Sam Peter, he should take his own advice as he recalled, “I could have done a lot more tonight, but the jab was working extremely well,” after the bout.
Chambers worked around an effective jab to keep the bigger Peter away, but seldom followed up with a solid right hand, earning a majority decision at the first boxing event to take place at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theater.
Peter carried the most weight of any fight in his career and moved forward throughout the bout, landing jabs and straight punches to the chest, but never seriously threatened Chambers.
“Peter was doing a pretty good job countering when I threw my jab,” Chambers said, explaining the lack of the right hand. “I was a little slow in finishing with the right.”
Chambers displayed good hand speed and moved enough to wear out Peter, who had a stalking game plan but didn’t hurt Chambers. Both men appeared in less than ideal shape, Chambers hitting 236 pounds and Peter at 265.
Chambers takes a record of 34-1 (18) to plead his case for a title shot, but nothing compelling from this effort. Peter goes to 30-3, his second loss in a row, after failing to answer the bell against world champion Vitali Klitschko last year. He appeared tired in the late rounds against Chambers. The 26 year old Chambers appeared content to jab and circle, never engaging the bigger Peter and letting his fast hands explode.
Chambers’ trainer Rob Murray Sr., has repeatedly said Chambers is the most talented fighter he’s worked with but rated this performance of his fighter a ‘B’.
Fighting out of the legendary ‘Blue Horizon’ in Philadelphia, ‘Fast Eddie’ shows flashes of brilliant combinations and crisp up and down jabs, but when the fans near ringside yell for ‘More Philly style,” the consensus is they expect more from this still-young heavyweight.
His right hand, when he did land, were the best punches of the night for Chambers, who followed his left jab late in the fight with the right, but seldom before.
Consider it a solid, if not spectacular effort, in a style that might get absorbed against the swarming ‘from all angles’ approach of another big fighter like Klitschko.
One judge scored the bout a draw, another judge scoring it nine rounds to one for Chambers. The third judge scored a more realistic six rounds to four, for Chambers.
The Nokia Theater audience was most engaged when local fighters John Molina, Javier Molina, and Shawn Estrada all scored easy victories against hand-picked opponents.
Lightweight John Molina took early punches against the ropes from a swarming Carlos Vinan in the first round before breaking down the tiring fighter in the second with straight right hands. His record goes to 16-0.
2008 US Olympian Estrada, 3-0 (3), scored an easy three-knockdown first round win against Ray Craig in the super middleweight division.
19 year old welterweight and 2008 Olympian Javier Molina finished up high school this year after his Olympic boxing experience, said he was already reading text messages from his friends, who watched him on ESPN Friday Night Fights, an hour after his pro-debut win over Jamie Cabrera.
Molina scored a second round knockout using accurate punches with both hands and slick movement to go to 1-0 (1).
“It’s school during the day, afternoons are for training and gym work,” Molina said, explaining how he balances his professional career with education, working with long-time trainer Robert Luna.
Ishmael Sillakh stopped Carlos Reyes with a body punch in a third round knockout in light heavyweight action.
