Welcome to another installment of UndercarDVR, where we review what you need to see from this week in combat sports. We go fight by fight to see whether it needs to be watched, deleted, or put in fast forward.
An HBO Saturday night card featured the debut of Andre Ward at light heavyweight as he took on the solid gatekeeper and steady hand Sullivan Barrera in the main event. Ward looked to make an impression at the new weight class as he walks closer to a showdown with Sergey Kovalev. Plus, Joseph Diaz looks to defend his NABF trinket at featherweight against Jayson Velez!
Get your remotes ready.
Andre Ward defeated Sullivan Barrera by unanimous decision in a light heavyweight bout.
- Completely as expected here. Ward clearly outclassed Barrera and dropped him in the third as he coasted to an easy decision. Ward likely wanted some ring time and to get used to the potential differences at light heavyweight. Still, this is the kind of fight Ward needs to make a statement in as it is his second fight after a lengthy layoff due to injuries and promoter disputes. Ward undoubtedly has the ability to hang with the likes of the Kovalevs and Stevensons, but if you had to show this fight as evidence, it would be one tough sell.
- As usual, it depends what you are looking for here. If you are watching to see what Ward has at light heavyweight or how he is slowly shaking off the ring rust, then I’d say it’s worth taking a look in fast forward. However, performance-based decision here says that you could read a recap, watch a Vine of the knockdown, and go on about your day without worrying about having missed something. Only technique analysts need to really apply here. Verdict: Skip.
Joseph Diaz Jr. defeated Jayson Velez by unanimous decision in a featherweight bout to retain the NABF Featherweight Championship.
- While this was a lot more competitive and Velez was able to acquit himself well, this is another fight that played out exactly as expected. The Olympian had too much for Velez and looks to be honing his skills a bit more each fight before he jumps into those deep waters head-first.
- This was a decent enough fight with enough competition to not call it one-sided, but not really enough success on the part of Velez to call it close either. Diaz is worth watching though and having a dance partner that will challenge him goes a long way. Have your finger on the pause button for certain sequences and maybe getting those slow-motion recaps in between the rounds to see what Diaz has to offer the game long-term. Verdict: Fast Forward.
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