ESPN Fight Night: Prescott & Lopez Win Big

Lightweight contender Breidis Prescott managed to easily cruise by and Venezuela?s junior welterweight contender Patrick Lopez stormed past Prenice Brewer to hand him his first defeat on Friday.

The UIC Pavilion saw a couple of interesting matches as Colombia?s Prescott (23-2, 19 KOs) attempted to prove his two consecutive losses in 2009 were aberrations of poor preparation in out maneuvering Harrison Cuello (19-13-3). Lopez beat down Cleveland?s Brewer.

First, let?s look at Brewer.

The long limbed speedster has trampled over tepid opposition in his young pro career despite 17 pro bouts. Meanwhile, Lopez was battling it out with superior opposition in the rough fight cards of Southern California where usually he was the defensive counterpuncher.

Not in this fight.

Lopez (20-2, 12 KOs) quickly surmised that Brewer (15-1-1) was very defensive and did not carry a big punch. Once that was revealed the Venezuelan fighter known as ?El Elegante? began whipping big shots to the body from both sides. Brewer?s antidote was to simply cover up as best he could.

?He was not ready for tonight,? said Teddy Atlas the ESPN analyst.

It wasn?t nearly enough.

While Brewer was fighting opposition that rarely had a decent record, Lopez was battling some rough boys in the California boxing rings. Even his sparring was difficult in working with guys that exhibited more speed than Brewer. Try sparring rounds with Timothy Bradley or Dominic Salcido.

Coincidentally, Lopez, Bradley, Salcido and the last man to beat El Elegante all fight under Thompson Boxing Promotions. Whoever fights that company?s fighters usually ends up on the losing side.

Need more proof?

Yonnhy Perez the IBF bantamweight titleholder fights under that banner too as well as Julio Diaz the former world champion.

In the lightweight fight it was Prescott who badly needed a win after having a dismal year in 2009. He beat Jason Davis earlier this year and needed to convince the boxing world he was a high caliber prizefighter.

Cuello came in with his protective cup belt hiked up to his ribs. To add to this, he kept complaining that Prescott was hitting him low. I guess nobody told him body shots are legal. Part of the problem is the referee should have forced Cuello to drop that belt.

No matter, Prescott easily controlled the fight from the outside against the southpaw. All three judges scored it for the Colombian whose claim to fame was knocking out Amir Khan in 2008.