Right fight fans, let’s see if we can keep this boxing metaphor going.
The champ and the challenger traded rounds again today with Maverick fastest in the morning and Marc on the canvas twice, but they weren’t big punches and he was up again before the count started. Nevertheless, FP3 was scored as another round to the challenger although not by as big a margin as you’d think. FP4, as usual, was a tie.
And so on to the crucial fifth … qualifying, the first chance for a decisive move. Until the final moments, it looked as if the challenger had it by a narrow margin despite an early flurry from the champ. Then, in the closing seconds, Marquez opened up to take the round by a significant margin. On my scorecard, the contenders are level, although I would understand if another judge had the champion very slightly ahead.
That does not alter the fact that a challenger has landed telling punches on the champ for the very first time in eight bouts in the USA. Marc may be in front on points but this fight is far from over.
Meanwhile, there were one or two rumblings ringside from a couple of old sluggers. Valentino “The Goat” Rossi and Jorge ”Gorgeous George” Lorenzo both announced their intentions to make comebacks in the very near future.
Right, I’ve run out of boxing similes. Let me know if I’ve missed any obvious ones.
