Close Fight! Arreola Split Decisions Kauffman, DeMarco Misses Golden Opportunity
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
*Photo Credit: PBC
San Antonio, Texas (December 13th, 2015)– If Travis Kauffman had his way, last night would have been ‘His Time’. Dropping Chris Arreola in round three, Kauffman dominated the first eight rounds of the fight and appeared to win the fight on the cards. The first round, and a few of the other rounds, were somewhat close. Kauffman clearly was the busier fighter. It was not to be. The 12 rounder was televised on NBC’s Premiere Boxing Champions, Saturday, December 12, 2015.
The morning of the co-main event bout at A T & T Center in San Antonio, Texas, the Kauffman versus Arreola heavyweight bout was switched from 10 rounds to 12 rounds, a late decision which in the end was clearly designed by someone benefit Mr. Arreola. The idea behind the move was Arreola, with hard core experience as the loser against Vitali Klitschko, Tomasz Adamek, and Bermane Stiverne twice, had fought the 12 round distance two times as a professional, winning one over Manuel Quezada. Kauffman had gone ten rounds only once, and was untested in the eleventh and twelfth round uncharted waters.
Kauffman is a former sparring partner of Arreola, and both men are friends going back quite a while. During the bout, Arreola frequently put his hands down and motioned Kauffman to mix it more, but Kauffman stuck to his corner game plan and boxing with a purpose, picking his shots while maintaining a good defense. His stick to the game plan approach appeared to frustrate Arreola all night. Kauffman’s best success came in the first eight rounds because his offensive output was dominant and consistent, with a number of clean power shots landed. Arreola had his moments, but the last four rounds were his best.
When the scorecards emerged, Kauffman had only to win one of the final few rounds outright to win a unanimous decision. You got the feeling no matter how well Kauffman did, the Premier Boxing forces that be, would still find some protected way for the fading Arreola, whose career at this point will never go anywhere at this point (but still thinks he is due another world title shot payday), to somehow escape with a 12 round razor decision.
Kauffman’s trainer, Naazim Richardson, had the perfect game plan, He had his fighter crisply working the body of Arreola with power body shots, immediately followed by head shots, whenever the openings could be found. Arreola survived, but took a rough beating to the body in the process from Kauffman. Over the last four rounds, Kauffman’s offensive output slowed down, enabling the tiring Arreola to get back into the fight, and move ahead in the punch count at bout’s end. The interesting bout still appeared to have Kauffman slightly ahead on points on the scorecards for the win, but it was close due to Arreola’s coming on in the final four rounds.
In the round 12, Arreola threw a dirty elbow to the face of Kauffman, who responded by countering Arreola and staggering him across the ring. Kauffman could still have won the bout on the horrible scorecards if he had dropped Arreola with the final round punch.
A rematch of this 12 round bout is a definite must, but is doubtful considering how far Arreola has been protected. This was an excellent TV bout for NBC and Premier Boxing Champions, and Kauffman’s best performance. If not Arreola again, Kauffman could try a ten rounder against Derric Rossy or Fred Kassi (who drew with Arreola) in his next outing.
Entering the ninth round, Arreola’s cause appeared lost, but he was saved when Kauffman threw a low blow, giving Arreola a five minute rest period-and the round due to the foul. The low blow, for which no point was deducted, was a major key to understanding the scorecards, because the judges may have been swayed by the influence of the foul to give Arreola back the momentum in the bout. Also figuring in was the largely Hispanic Texas Mexican pro-Arreola crowd. Also Arreola is not just Mexican, he is well known, as opposed to Kauffman not being well known. This factor could have helped Arreola on the cards to win a close round or two which perhaps could have and should have gone to Kauffman.
This was a close bout which could have gone a point or two in either direction on the cards based on the styles of the fighters, and given the conditions surrounding the bout. The fact Chris Arreola is Mexican and a known, and Kauffman was neither, could have affected the scorecards. Yes, it was a close fight-but the result fell short of reporters calling it a robbery. Kauffman felt he beat Arreola and won the bout. A second knockdown would have helped Kauffman’s cause, or if Kauffman had an impressive round between rounds nine and 12.
Result: Chris Arreola Win Split Decision 12 Travis Kauffman, Heavyweights
Scoring: 114-113, 114-113 Arreola. 114-113 Kauffman. Referee: Mark Calo-Oy
Arreola was down in the third round.
Kauffman warned for low blow in ninth round. Five minute rest period for Arreola.
In the other co-main event in San Antonio, Texas, Omar Figueroa Jr., 26-0-1 with 18 knockouts, Weslaco, Texas, won a 12 round decision over Antonio De Marco in the wrong weight class. Figueroa and DeMarco fought at 154 pounds junior middleweight, after both showed up overweight. It was an exciting NBC bout, excepting Figueroa is a super lightweight, and DeMarco is a lightweight. Their obesity did not figure into the telecast.
Figueroa threw over 1000 punches, DeMarco over 500. Nonetheless Demarco came on strong with power shots the last four rounds as Figueroa began to tire. DeMarco came close to scoring a knockdown in the final two rounds, and it would have made a difference. If DeMarco had scored only one knockdown and picked up one point anywhere, the bout would have been a majority draw in the least or a win for DeMarco in the best. DeMarco’s last three opponents had a combined record of 72-0-1, and that is a truly crazy quality of opponent to have to face. A former world lightweight champion, the bottom line for the hard working DeMarco is he had no luck on the cards against promoter favored fighters.
The obese nature of this bout left both fighters in a situation where their management has to ponder where they should fight next. It isn’t in the junior middleweight division, where both of these overweight lightweights would get eaten. If you are not going to prepare adequately and make the weight, you should not take a bout, excepting Figueroa was the hometown favorite in his native Texas. Scoring in this bout appeared neutral and fair.
Result: Omar Figueroa Jr. Win 12 Antonio DeMarco, Junior Middleweights
Scoring: 115-113, 115-1213, 116-112 Figueroa. Referee: Jon Schorle
DeMarco warned for low blow in tenth round. Five minute rest period for Figueroa.
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