Greg Jackson (4-1, 2 KOs) and Cornelius Whitlock (3-2-2, 2 KOs) put on a very entertaining show in just three rounds. Both fighters displayed solid boxing abilities, but Jackson’s height, grit, and maturity gave him the edge in an impressive performance.
In the opening round both fighters were very conservative and doing a very good job of not overcommitting, which prevented themselves from being susceptible to countering opportunities. Jackson being the taller fighter was able to outpoint Whitlock by maintaining the fight in long range and having a consistent offensive output. Whitlock would land his punches, but would go into defensive lapses by staying flatfooted for a few seconds and Jackson would take advantage of this every time.
In the second round the fight was undergoing the same tenure of Whitlock landing some shots, but his offensive output was not enough to win the rounds, but then Jackson for the first time got careless in the fight and threw a left uppercut from close range with his head up in the air and Whitlock landed a solid overhand right counter and scored a knockdown. Jackson after beating the 10 count seemed to be on unsteady legs, and focused solely on the defensive aspect of his game. He managed to recuperate relatively quickly and survived the round.
The third round was a mirror image of the first round. Jackson was able to reestablish his range, and continue to outpoint Whitlock. Despite Whitlock having great athletic ability, yet again he remained a bit flat-footed in spurts and that was to his demise in the fight. Jackson managed to trap Whitlock in the corner and began unleashing hard combinations from the outside, and Whitlock did not slip away and was receiving heavy fire, which led to a 3rd round TKO stoppage.
Jackson certainly seems like a promising prospect. Despite being 26 years old with a record of 4-1 with two knockout victories, he displayed the skillset and certain necessary intangibles to eventually become a top contender in the welterweight division. He showed that he knows his identity as a fighter by fighting tall and throwing his punches from long distance. He showed the ability to recover from a devastating shot, and maintain the game plan the very next round. He also showed that he knows how to finish a fighter in an intelligent manner. Jackson proved that he is an intelligent gifted fighter, who has the potential to go a long way in the sport of boxing.
