FNF Review: Jimenez Upsets Anchondo

Mike Anchondo used to refer to himself as “Mighty” Mike, but after a demeaning episode when he lost his title by being overweight, he dropped that moniker. In DC on Friday evening, Anchondo got dropped, period, by Darling Jimenez in the main event of ESPN's Friday Night Fights at the DC Armory in Washington, DC.

The 25-year-old Anchondo, you might remember, lost a 130 pound title when he couldn't make weight for a fight with Jorge Berrios in April 2005. This was only his third fight since the scale fiasco.  The 27-year-old Jiminez is a four-time NY Golden Gloves champion, born in the Dominican Republic, who lives in the Bronx, NY.

Anchondo went to the canvas in the second, as Jiminez stunned him with a left hook, and followed with a flurry. The former titlist arose with clear eyes, and fought back effectively. Jiminez didn't help his cause, as he chased the hurt foe wildly. The round ended one minute early, by the way.

“Is that incompetence or something else?” Teddy Atlas asked.

Jiminez finished the abbreviated round lefty, and started the third lefthanded as well. Atlas didn't like it, and Jimenez went back to the conventional stance. Both men invested in their power shots, and it paid off royally for Jimenez when he landed a left hook that dropped Anchondo like a Balsam Fir in December.

The ref waved it off immediately. The official time was 2:05 in the third. The hook came after Anchondo missed with an uppercut and was following with a left hook of his own. His was late, and Jimenez' was on time, and on target.

Jiminez (23-2-2), we heard, left home for training for the first time, and it showed. Anchondo (27-2) outlanded Jimenez, 220 to 135, but the New Yorker made his tosses count.

In studio, Brian Kenny talked with Shane Mosley, an equity partner in Golden Boy Promotions, who sparred with ODLH in Puerto Rico. Mosley, in Las Vegas, said that sparring caused him to lose six or seven pounds per session. He gave Oscar some Mayweather style, fast jabs, tons of feints, and SSM thinks Oscar is ready. He said Oscar shouldn't rush in, that Floyd will give Oscar fits early, but feels Oscar will put Floyd down.

“I think Oscar is the bigger, faster, stronger puncher,” he said.

Mosley thinks he'll fight Floyd next, after Oscar tries his hand.

Teddy Atlas interacted with Kenny, and stated that the May 5th fight needs to live up to the hype. Both fighters need to take chances, Atlas said, and give the fans, who will be forking over a healthy sum, good bang for their buck. Oscar will have to use his height to his advantage, to negate Floyd's speed, and Floyd will have to take it to Oscar to press the issue.

“They have to do things to allow the sport to prosper,” Atlas said.

Don't be fooled by Oscar's outing against Mayorga, Atlas said. He's slow, and wide, and he'll make you look good. “You have to throw that out a little bit,” he said. Oscar didn't behave like he wanted to win at all costs when he fought Hopkins, or against Trinidad, or late against Quartey, the analyst said. On May 5, he'll have to do better. Teddy's pick? “I'm gonna give Oscar a damn good chance. I'm gonna go out there, Oscar by decision,” Atlas ventured, after kenny prodded him to go out on the limb.

An ESPN poll showed a 50-50 split among respondents who were asked who they think will win on May 5th. Our TSS poll shows that 60% of people who answered our query (see bottom of the home page) think that the fight will live up to expectations.

In a support bout, Vernon Paris (14-0) beat Alain Hernandez (9-5-1) in an eight round lightweight match. Paris was shot in July 2006, but has gotten back on track since the incident. He stopped Hernandez (KO) at 2:31 of the seventh.

In the kickoff bout, Hector Sanchez (11-0) bettered Armando Cordova (23-25-2) in a scheduled four round junior welter scrap. The judges scored it 40-36 times three.

In the closer, Earl Cole met William Wilson in a welterweight fight. Cole (2-0) took the nod over Wilson (0-2).
 
Programming note: Yory Boy Campas, still a most useful and dangerous fighter, will show what he's got left on Wednesday Night Fights next week. He'll meet Eromosele Albert at 9PM Eastern.