New York’s Fight of The Year! 2-4 Mexican Ringer Luna Takes Prospect On Trip To Hell
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Make no mistake about it. Albany, New York 2-4 Mexican fighter Raphael Luna is a ringer, who from the looks of it, had to have at least a couple hundred amateur fights south of the border at an early age. Short, and not particularly muscular, Luna has been around the block and then some. Kazakhstan junior welterweight prospect Dimash Niyakov, 4-0, now fighting out of Brooklyn, New York, found out the hard way boxing records mean nothing. More often than not, the promoter’s fighter gets the nod even when the hard working opponent clearly wins the bout.
Not so when a Mexican fighter comes to New York City. Confucius say: watch out!
The strange scene unfolded on Wednesday evening, December 18, 2013, in the preliminary bout to the main event at Webster Hall in New York City. For two rounds, the taller Niyazov stayed at distance range, and Luna took his best shots. It seemed impossible, incredible Luna didn’t fall and go. Stubborn Luna refused to go. Luna saved some energy, and let Niyazov punch himself out a bit. Midway through the third, the bout began to turn and the crowd watching the preliminary to the main event at Webster Hall in New York City went wild for the Mexican underdog.
Luna changed the game plan, came forward and fought his way inside on his taller opponent. Luna bullied the inexperienced Niyazov into the ropes and cut off the ring. Surprise! Unable to run anywhere, and powerless to escape, Niyazov was forced to fight toe to toe with Luna for the remainder of the fight.
Niyazov landed a few big shots, but Luna shook them off and kept attacking like a little Chihuahua pit bull mix. In rounds four, five and six, Luna gave Niyazov a frightful beating. Niyazov either held, or landed a few counters. It was life and death at best, and proved so entertaining even referee Steve Willis was all admiration for Luna with a smile, and let the bout run. The Mexican proceeded to torture the visiting Kazakhstan fighter from pillar to post, and the crowd came to life smelling the blood of a minor upset.
In the end, one judge had it for Luna. While the other two judges scored it a draw. It was no draw, though. Luna clearly won the last four rounds of the six rounder with hard inside jabs to the body and head, and ruthless power shots. There were calls for a rematch for eight rounds, and boxer-promoter Dmitriy Salita said he would consider the rematch for his next card. The real message of the bout was this: a fighter’s record don’t mean nothing, and a fighter’s physical appearance don’t mean nothing. Luna came to fight, and turned the ring into a Mexican war. Niyazov got taken on a trip to hell in the fight of the year in New York City, which, though most did not get to see it, as usual came unexpectedly from nowhere. You never know when a great fight is going to occur, and the crowd watching the preliminary bout to the main event at Webster Hall got its money’s worth and then some.
Result: Raphael Luna Majority Draw 6 Dimash Nayazov, Junior Welterweights
Scoring: 58-56 for Raphael Luna. 57-57-57, 57-57 Draw. Referee; Steve Willis
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