ESPN2'S FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS: RESULTS

Jesse Brinkley W 12 Curtis Stevens Unanimous Decision, 117-109, 118-108, 119-107

Jesse Brinkley showed good improvement in front of a hometown crowd winning a unanimous decision. Curtis Stevens' prediction of an early night never came, he said he would end the fight in less then 50 seconds. As Brinkley weathered the early storm the tide changed for him and it never came back. All those long hours in camp with Peter Manfredo Sr paid off because as Stevens got weaker Brinkley got stronger. Stevens did well in the first 2 rounds and he put a huge welt under Brinkleys eye, but he became discouraged when he kept coming. Brinkley knocked down Curtis in both the 5Th and 12Th rounds. Peter Manfredo Sr decided to corner Brinkley Friday night instead of his own son who bares his name. It might not have been a great advantage because he was kicked out of the corner after the 8Th. He was kicked out for running into the ring and pushing Stevens to the ropes while the fighters fought passed the bell in the fifth. None the less Brinkley stuck to the game plan and dominated the rest of the fight. He sometimes moved straight back and didn't hold his gloves up high enough. Even so this Contender series fighter looked better then we have ever seen him in the past. He is now the number 2 ranked super middleweight in the world according to the IBF, not such a great prize because for his efforts he is that much closer to fighting Lucian Bute.



Raymond Serrano W 8 Ronnie Warrior Jr Unanimous decision, 79-73, 79-73, 79-73
Serrano easily, but lazily beat Ronnie Warrior Jr last night at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno Nevada. Warrior didn't show much offense and only had 2 decent rounds in which he was effective. I only scored the 6Th and 7Th for him and all the rest of the 8 rounds for his opponent. Serrano is undefeated at 12-0 now but if he wants to keep it that way he will have to show much improvement. He was fighting a man who really wasn't fighting back and he still got hit a few times and he didn't try to finish. Warrior Jr proves to not live up to his name sake and drops to 13-2-1.

Nick Thomas deathwish72@gmail.com