Sometimes, boxing fans need a reminder that fights aren’t won or lost on pre-fight betting lines, and sometimes it comes down to which fighter is able to dig the deepest when things aren’t going their way. Despite being a -900 favorite, Mario Barrios only had to dig deep to manage a split draw against Abel Ramos and retain his WBC welterweight championship in the Netflix stream for Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul.
Barrios landed a heavy right hand in the first round that trapped Ramos’ leg, nearly resulting in a knockdown. There was no “almost” in the second round, when another Barrios right hand dropped Ramos to the canvas.
As the round ticked on, it seemed Barrios was in good control and set to retain his world title. Next, the champion caught Ramos’ own right hand. In round 6, Ramos connected clean with a right and dropped Barrios. While Barrios was able to beat the count, Ramos’ right hand continued to sneak through and around Barrios’ guard, turning the contest into a real fight and test of will.
There will also be CBS Sports Live coverage Fights with round-by-round scoring and blow-by-blow updates to keep you up to date throughout the night.
By the end of the fight, both men were routinely bleeding while connecting — and staying connected. Defense seemingly goes out the window, but on a stage as big as the Tyson vs. Paul undercard, being exciting can pay long-term dividends more than raising your hand.
Barrios eventually managed to weather the worst of the storm, though, as he continued to land punches and slowly regained some control, but nothing came easy for either.
After the conclusion of 12 brutal rounds of action, the official scorecards read 114-112 for Ramos, 116-110 for Barrios and 113-113 for an even split draw.
The only sensible move for either fighter would be a rematch, but Ramos hasn’t entered the ring as the true WBC No. 1 contender, so the opportunity for the challenger may not come again.
“I know it was a close fight,” Barrios said. “I knew Abel was going to come for everything. … I was finding success in the first round but he was able to build and adjust and it was a battle.”
Barrios said the sixth-round knockdown didn’t affect him late but admitted he was caught up in something he didn’t see and it affected him in the moment.
“I said in all the interviews, I prepared myself for a tough 12 rounds,” Barrios said. “That’s what I got.”
Ramos was respectful after the draw and saw no reason to complain about the result.
“It was a great fight for the fans,” Ramos said. “When you get two Mexican fighters like us, you get great action, for sure.”
In the main event, 27-year-old Jake Paul circled 58-year-old Mike Tyson and led him to the finish line instead of going to the finish line. While there was plenty of intrigue about how Tyson would fare at this advanced age against a relative newcomer, the fight never came close to meeting fans’ expectations. This was thanks in part to larger gloves and smaller rounds. In the end, Paul earned a unanimous decision by wide margins on all three scorecards.
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