[PilotMan]

Here we go!

Lee Drydon 8-2-1(4) v. Betillo Sanchez 9-6-1(3)

This fight is scheduled for six rounds.

Round one was a great start for Lee. He was told to be cautious and look for opportunities to counterpunch. I was anticipating Sanchez really coming forward, and he needed to be able to see the openings. Drydon landed many more punches, and despite his power, Sanchez really didn’t look worse the wear. A few more like this and I would be happy.

Round two was pretty even. Sanchez was much more defensive and picked his spots. He was more effective at controlling the ring. Drydon may need to be a bit busier. So far noone has really landed any huge shots. This is a longer fight so there is still time. Drydon is not an aggressive fighter, however, I would like to see him land more shots. He is in great shape, and I am not worried about him tiring.

What a sloppy fight. Both men missed more punches than they landed. It was horrid. Drydon stood up a lot more in this round. Both men seemed to be comfortable trading jabs and not much more. A hook or an uppercut there. Neither was able to really control the round. Something needs to happen in the next round.

Another fairly messy round. Sanchez did his best, and boy is he a tough nut to crack. He isn’t phased by anything. Sanchez seemed to control most of the round, especially with the jab. Lee needs to find a solid round and turn this thing around. Have a round that stands out, and makes him look like the winner. Sanchez’s defense isn’t that great, we need to find a way to exploit that.

A war would be the best way to describe round five. Both men traded combinations, and both took the most damage that either had taken through the whole fight. Drydon is in danger of letting his streak fade away. This is a huge round. He has to prove that he is the better fighter. Sanchez is a tough fighter, he has not backed down and has controlled the last couple of rounds. What can Lee do to turn the tables?

Lee let it all hang out for round six. This was going to be the deciding factor. He didn’t force the pace but he did load up on as many shots as he could. Defense wasn’t much of an issue, but he avoided being hit by the combos that had plagued him most of the last 5 rounds. A number of huge shots landed and as the round progressed it looked like Sanchez was finally tiring. He absorbed a good jab-jab-hook and reeled back against the ropes. It was followed by a shot to the ribs that buckled his knees and sent him to the canvas. He struggled and managed to get up by the 5 count. He took the 8, but Lee pressed him and landed two more heavy blows before the end of the round. Sanchez was out. It was only the ropes and the bell that saved him from a TKO in this one. Now it goes to the judges. Here is how they scored it.