By: Sean Crose
Former two-time title winner Jose Pedraza, 29-4, battled for the right on Saturday night as he faced fellow former world titleholder Richard Commey, 30-4, in a division match weight after 10 scheduled rounds at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The match, titled an ESPN card, represents each boxer must win, as both have tasted defeat in their most recent bouts.
The fighter appeared fiercely in the first time, seemingly not interested in engaging in a sensory process. Commey combines his punches well in the second, fighting with more grace than his foes. Just past the first minutes of the round, Pedraza was irritable. Commey continued to do his job well into the third round, but there was no doubt that Pedraza continued to fight. However, it is clear that in the fourth season, Commey is the more active of the two warriors.
Pedraza occasionally threw and landed in the fifth round, but none of the punches really worked. With that, Pedraza became more fit in the sixth round, throwing and moving stronger. Commey, however, it is a point to shoot back. The seventh was a close, high-octane incident. Things slowed down a bit on day eight, but still competitive. Commey made his jab powerfully in the ninth, while Pedraza put his punches together well. In fact, it appeared later in the ring that Commey may have been injured.
Commey broke down in the tenth while Pedraza had some impressive shots of his own. It was a tough, arduous battle. The aggregate scores of the referees ultimately decide the match a draw. Earlier in the TV card there were some scary live types. Heavyweight Jared Anderson knocked out Miljan Rovcanin in the second round while heavyweight Richard Torrez knocked out Marco Antonio Canedo just seconds after the opening bell. It took a terrifying few minutes before Canedo could be helped back onto his stool.
