LANARDO TYNER TKO9 ANTWONE SMITH

Once the ShoBox commentary team informed viewers that Antwone Smith had been fighting a virus all week, I feared the worst. Sure enough, Smith wilted and was overpowered in the ninth round by Lanardo Tyner in an excellent welterweight bout on ShoBox.
 
Perhaps Tyner would have won had Smith been at his best. The underdog from Houston, TX (but originally from Detroit) fought the best fight of his career. He punched hard and often in both the orthodox and southpaw stances. Smith did well with inside fighting but Tyner often had the last word. I had the impression that Tyner was enjoying the fight while Smith was struggling.
 
When Smith’s right eye began to swell and close the end was near. (At the end of the seventh I wrote in my notebook: “S will lose this!”) It looked as if Smith had nothing left in the ninth, and I was glad to see the referee wave the finish when the battered fighter from Florida got up from a knockdown.
 
Tyner, 34, gave his career a tremendous boost; I am not sure that Smith, although only 23, can come back from a hammering such as this. Even though Smith was in front on one judge’s card, he was clearly getting the worst of matters and defeats such as this can be very demoralising for a young fighter.