Maicelo-Rodriguez Opening Bout at Revel Casino Ends in a Late Knockout Classic
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent-Ringside
*Photo Credit – Robert Brizel
Atlantic City, NJ (August 19th, 2013)–On arrival at The Revel Resort and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on August 17, 2013, the first bout had just gotten underway. The Revel Arena was largely empty. Not knowing where to go, I took a seat in the rear of a table set back from the ringside, and quietly watched the first bout unfold. The entire arena had an eerie silence, an uncanny quiet perhaps due to the fact this was a boxing card at an unknown venue in uncharted waters. The effective was somewhat surreal, somewhat startling at that particular moment in time. The two fighters in the ring appeared a bit cautious to the venue as well. The ring advertised promoter Gary Shaw, and the over headlights had ‘HBO Boxing’ banners attached, but at 7 PM on a Saturday night, the start of the event was quiet curiosity.
Lightweights Jonathan ‘La Cobra’ Maicelo,a Peruvian now out of North Bergen, new Jersey, and Alejandro Rodriguez of Guadalajara, Mexico, were scheduled on BoxRec and on the bout sheet for eight rounds, but the bout turned out to be a ten rounder. The concept is unique in that it is most unusual for the opening bout on a professional boxing card to be for ten rounds. Usually it is a preliminary bout for four rounds. Few spectators were present at the start of the first bout anyway. A ten rounder is a strange starting bout.
At the bout began, Amicelo threw tentative jabs moving side to side and had good hand and foot speed. Rodriguez was getting hit somewhat due to his holding a low left hand, but his defense was decent and he tried to counter but missed most times. In the fifth Rodriguez got a time out due to an unintentional head butt. By round six, Maicelo had won the first five rounds and had established a consistent hard jab. Rodriguez had a decent defense and good movement, and even managed to land some effective counters and an occasional straight jab. The bout was being fought in center ring, a technical tactical war without much holding.
By round eight, Maicelo was scoring with many head shot power shots. Rodriguez was busier trying to throw more counters than before, but was holding now as he was getting hit more. In round nine, Maicelo was landing an arsenal of straight jabs and overhand right hand power shots. Rodriguez could not block all of the punches coming in, so he tried to counter and continued to hold when he could, but he was fading.
At 12 seconds of the tenth round, an overhand power shot to the head from Maicelo dropped Rodriguez to one knee, where he was counted out by referee Allen Huggins at 22 seconds of the tenth round. The bout was ordinary, yet extraordinary. One would think a fighter proficient enough to reach the tenth round under such circumstances could survive three minutes longer and go the distance, but it was not to be. The Real Combat Media photographs accompanying this story are among the first ever taken during a professional boxing bout at The Revel Resort and Casino in Atlantic City.
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