Chris Colbert Comes Off Deck in First to Win Razor Close Decision over Jose Valenzuela
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Las Vegas, NV (March 26th, 2023)– After getting decked for a flash knockdown in the first round leaning in at close quarters, Chris Colbert came back to barely outbox Jose Valenzuela to win a razor close 10 round unanimous decision in his lightweight debut, in a crossroads bout for both boxers, on the undercard at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, Premier Boxing champion Showtime Pay-Per-View, Saturday night, March 25, 2023.
Colbert, 17-1 with six knockouts, down 10-8 on all three scorecards after the first round, had some good rounds and some off rounds, particularly when his left eye and right eye got hit and blurred his vision briefly, enabling southpaw Valenzuela, 12-2 with eight knockouts, Renton, Washington, to trap him in corners and along the ropes and wail away with power shots.
Colbert did best as a jab puncher and counterpuncher at close quarters, switching from orthodox to southpaw and back to confuse Valenzuela. The rounds were close. Still, Valenzuela appeared to have won the bout on points going into round nine by virtue of power punches and total punches landed.
Colbert surprisingly won rounds nine and ten on two of the judges’ scorecards. Valenzuela needed only to win one of them, but other than a flurry with less than five seconds left in the bout, Valenzuela was inactive in the last two rounds, and won only the last two rounds on the scorecard of only one judge. Colbert was throwing punches and won the last two rounds and the bout by the razor close margin on 95-94 on all three scorecards. The crowd booed, and Valenzuela protested, but Valenzuela did win either of the final two rounds with the relatively close bout on the table. Valenzuela won on the punch count. Perhaps a questionable decision. Colbert proved in the last two rounds he wanted to win, ultimately proving to be the difference. All three judges saw the bout the same way, which is hard to quarrel with in a television bout. Valenzuela landed 132 punches overall to Colbert’s 124. Valenzuela landed 117 power shots to Colbert’s 77, while Colbert landed 47 jabs to Valenzuela’s 15
Result: Chris Colbert Win 10 Jose Valenzuela, Lightweights
Colbert was down in first. Scoring: 95-94, 95-94, 95-94 Colbert. Referee: Celestino Ruiz
Other MGM Grand Undercard Results
Cody Crowley Win Majority Decision 12 Abel Ramos, Welterweight
22-0 Canadian Crowley wins brutal war. Scoring: 114-114 draw. 116-112, 115-113 Crowley.
Jesus Alejandro Ramos Win TKO 7 Joseph Spencer, Super Welterweights (1:25)
In battle of unbeaten super welterweights, 20-0 Arizona super welterweight prospect Ramos had more experience. and it showed. Spencer, down in first round, took a brutal beating.
Kevin Gonzalez Win 10 Jose Sanmartin, Super Bantamweights
26-0-1 Mexican Gonzalez taken 10 round distance for third time in career. Not a close bout.
Orestes Velazquez Win 10 Marcelino Nicolas Lopez, Welterweights
Miami’s unbeaten Cuban prospect Velazquez goes 10 round distance for first time in career.
COMMENTS
English