When welterweight contender Diego Chaves fought Brandon Rios this past August, in what was a foul-filled bout, Chaves was disqualified in the ninth round by referee Vic Drakulich, who had seen enough of the fouls.
If it is considered a foul in boxing, it is more than likely it made an appearance in the Rios-Chaves fight. Elbowing, head-butts, wrestling, the list goes on, albeit Chaves did not commit a foul at the time of the disqualification. Drakulich simply responded to Rios’s complaining and decided that Chaves was the instigator that evening. A sad way to end the fight, considering that Chaves was ahead on two of the three scorecards at the time of the DQ.
Chaves (23-2, 19 KOs), 28, a former interim welterweight titlist, is back in Las Vegas to fight former welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr., who is looking to recover from his first professional defeat at the hands of Manny Pacquiao. Bradley says he is ready for the dirty tactics when the two fighters meet in the main event as part of a tripleheader Saturday evening in a 12-round, non-title bout (HBO, 10 ET/PT) at the Cosmopolitan.
Timothy Bradley has improved drastically since his controversial split decision victory against Manny Pacquiao in their first bout. After a brutal bout with Ruslan Provodnikov, we saw Bradley fight a completely different fight against Juan Manuel Marquez, which earned him a victory. If Bradley fights the smart, technical fight, this should be easy for Bradley, but will it be easy? Let’s find out.
Round 1: Bradley goes to work on the outside and scores with several hooks. Bradley and Chaves exchange punches at the center of the ring, but Bradley got the better of it. Bradley is back on his bicycle and lands some quick body shots. Chaves cuts off Bradley and puts him in a headlock. Bradley shoves him away. Chaves lands with a short uppercut and follows up with a jab. Bradley gets away.
Round 1 Winner: Bradley 10-9
Round 2: Bradley is back to work on the outside of the ring, landing a quick hook to the body and to the head. Bradley scores with the cross. Chaves lands some good body shots inside. Bradley scores with a crisp uppercut and Chaves is unable to counter as Bradley gets away.
Round 2 Winner: Bradley 20-18 Bradley
Round 3: Bradley hurts Chaves with a right cross that catches him flush. Bradley nails Chaves with an uppercut, but Chaves counters Bradley with a strong hook. Bradley is wobbled a bit with that shot. Chaves attempts to hold onto Bradley, but the Desert Storm pushes him away and lands a quick uppercut. Chaves is fighting Bradley’s fight and it is hurting him.
Round 3 Winner: Bradley 30-27 Bradley
Round 4: Bradley is moving from side to side, peppering Chaves with the jab and working on Chaves’s body effectively. Chaves traps Bradley in the corner and lands a couple of shots, but Bradley lands a quick combination to the head and disrupts his rhythm. Bradley is throwing punches in bunches and that is something Chaves is simply unable to do.
Round 4 Winner: Bradley 40-36 Bradley
Round 5: Bradley scores with the hook. Chaves misses with the jab, but tags Bradley with the cross and traps him in the corner. Chaves is going after Bradley’s body. This could change the fight. Bradley nails Chaves with an uppercut along the ropes. Chaves lands a powerful combination to the head of Bradley. Bradley has to hold on. Chaves follows that up with a cross. That was the best Chaves has looked all fight.
Round 5 Winner: Chaves 49-46 Bradley
Round 6: Bradley is back on his bicycle as Chaves attempts to cut off the ring, hitting Bradley with a cross to the ribs. Bradley scores with the uppercut. What a jab from Chaves, a jab that had some power behind it. Bradley goes after the body again and Chaves absorbs two shots to the body and Chaves throws a combination, but Bradley is nowhere to be found. The cross to the head lands for Bradley, followed by a combination to the body. Chaves has no answer here in the sixth.
Round 6 Winner: Bradley 59-55 Bradley
Round 7: Bradley scores to the body, he feints downstairs and gets Chaves with the uppercut right on the chin. Bradley continues to find success with the body shots. Chaves’s jab is fast and accurate, but Bradley is very fluid in his movement. Chaves lands with the short hook, but Bradley lands with a huge right hand to end the seventh.
Round 7 Winner: Bradley 69-64 Bradley
Round 8: Bradley doubles up on the jab to start the round. Chaves hurts Bradley with a vicious hook. Bradley holds on to Chaves and is urging him to bring it on. Chaves walks right into a Bradley uppercut. Bradley is doing an incredible job of working the body and head of Chaves effectively. Bradley lands to the body, then lands with an uppercut, and gets back to jabbing at Chaves’s midsection. Chaves is starting to hit lower and lower and the referee is warning him for dirty tactics.
Round 8 Winner: Bradley 79-73 Bradley
Round 9: Bradley scores with the uppercut and uses his quick hand speed to jab at Chaves, who has poor head movement. Chaves also seems like he is tiring out the longer they go. Chaves sneaks the jab in there. Bradley scores with the uppercut from outside and scores with a body combination. Chaves ducked right into a Bradley uppercut and it’s becoming more clear that Chaves is going to need a KO to win this fight.
Round 9 Winner: Bradley 89-82 Bradley
Round 10: Bradley scores with two right hands and a quick left hook to the body. Desert Storm continues to pop Chaves with the jab. Bradley traps Chaves in the corner and Bradley gets tagged with a big cross from Chaves. Bradley was stunned by that shot. Bradley gets back to the outside in a hurry and lands to the body of Chaves. Bradley scores with a series of hooks to the head and another combination. Although Bradley clearly landed more shots, Chaves managed to stun Bradley on the ropes. That was good enough to win the round.
Round 10 Winner: Chaves 98-92 Bradley
Round 11: Bradley scores with a hook to the body. A combination from Chaves hurts Bradley and he is going to have to hang on. Bradley nails Chaves with a series of hard jabs and gets away. Bradley scores with another two-punch combination and attacks Chaves’s body once again.
Round 11 Winner: Bradley 108-101
Round 12: Bradley is on his bicycle. Chaves is exhausted and is chasing Bradley, but he knows he has no hope in winning this fight. Bradley lands with the uppercut, jabs to the head, and jabs to the body. Bradley lands a two-punch body combination. This fight is over.
Round 12 Winner: Bradley 118-110
Winner: Timothy Bradley by Unanimous Decision
