ALFONSO GOMEZ W tech. dec. 6 JESUS SOTO KARASS

RINGSIDE REPORT: The anticipated rousing welterweight battle between Alfonso Gomez and Jesus Soto Karass was living up to expectations when the scheduled 10-rounder ended on an anticlimactic technical decision in Gomez’s favour on the Pacquiao-Cotto superfight show in Las Vegas.

Gomez boxed and countered beautifully to pile up points but the very tough Soto Karass was coming on strongly when the fight was stopped in the sixth due to a blood-gushing cut over Gomez’s right eye. Losing two points for low blows cost Soto Karass a technical draw, with Gomez deservedly getting the unanimous decision by scores of 58-54, 57-55 and 57-55 again.There were moments in the fight where Gomez looked world class, especially in the second and third rounds, when he scored with stiff jabs and jarring right hands and had Soto Karass missing amateurishly.

Soto Karass had a big fifth round, though, when he began to get on target with his own jab and right hand, and he seemed to be hurting Gomez in this round. 

There was a sense that the momentum had shifted in favour of Soto Karass in the sixth, with Gomez under pressure and wiping away the blood that flowed from the cut over his eye. Soto Karass’ hopes of overtaking Gomez’s early lead were dashed, though, when the ringside doctor advised referee Vic Drakulich to intervene after two minutes, 14 seconds of the round in a scheduled 10-rounder.