On Saturday night in New York, Sean McComb appeared to be robbed of one of the great victories in modern boxing.
The Belfast southpaw made a mockery of the odds when he outboxed 1-10 favorite Arnold Barboza Jr. at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, but seemingly did so with ease and style.
The 31-year-old, coached by Pete Taylor, appeared to have taken a big chance with both gloved hands, but fell victim to a dismal scorecard of 92-98, 96-94, 97-93. .
Although it didn’t happen Rocky-style, it looked like McComb was predicting a “Rocky Balboa” moment.
McComb had too much skill, movement, and ring generalship for a fighter who was tied to big names throughout the fight week.
This public nuisance proved to be a nuisance so severe as to make the previously undefeated fighter look ordinary, but two of the three judges didn’t see it that way, and he I felt like I couldn’t win the game.
The audience, commentators, and many respected ringsiders particularly disagreed with the 97-93 score in Barboza’s favor, but it’s not their opinions that matter.
McComb certainly didn’t look overwhelmed by the occasion in the first match and had the better start of the two matches. He was busy for the first three minutes, but it was clear Barboza was having a hard time understanding him. The Holy Trinity graduate’s movement, quick hands and variety of attacks also baffled the American, and he defeated the Irish fighter in the round.
The second run was more competitive as the California native closed off space and worked his body up. This was an approach that accelerated McComb’s pace, but he worked well, allowing combinations before departing.
The work speed, fast hands and angles continued in the third round, with a mark appearing under the world #9’s eye. The Belfast man had little power and at the home corner he slowed down, but he was winning the round.
The Public Nuisance team seemed to be in control through four games, but Barboza was lacking ideas and disappointed, especially when McComb showed his inside game when he temporarily held Barboza down. it was.
The southpaw found the perfect distance to target the Californian and hit the half mark with plenty of time to spare. The Belfast class of fighters shone, relaxed, controlled and confident. Sure he wasn’t always aggressive and never really hurt Barboza, but for the majority of the rounds it looked like he was winning.
What was supposed to be a showcase for the Golden Boy fighter quickly turned into something shocking, and by the end of the sixth round, Barboza appeared to be heading into knockout territory.
Barboza stood up a bit in the seventh round and invited McComb to come, which led to him landing some solid shots in what was probably the best stanza for the Red Corner fighter.
Barboza’s hopes of a comeback were dashed by the end of the eighth inning, but McComb controlled the pace and struck from distances that suited him, seemingly derailing the fight from the pre-fight favorite.
Going into the ninth inning, Pete Taylor called for the “public nuisance” to keep moving to deny Barboza a chance to return to the game. He did as instructed, but apparently those were rounds he wasn’t supposed to survive but chase.
The consensus at the final bell was McComb’s victory, and although many Irish argued that the neutrality would have been a much closer contest, few had won the way the judges thought.
