Long time Pacquiao spar mate finally gets a break
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 28 Jul 2012
Atlantic City, NJ ? Raymundo ?Ray? Beltran 25-6 (17 KOs) is so used in losing closely fought contests against top prospects that when ring announcer Joe Antonacci announced him as the Majority Decision winner Friday night, his face was one of disbelief.
The 31 year old hard-nosed Mexican pugilist ran away with an upset victory over top lightweight prospect, Henry Lundy 22-1-1 (11 KOs) of neighboring Philadelphia at the Resorts Hotel and Casino in the famed Boardwalk of Atlantic City.
Beltran figured out in two tightly fought contests against unbeaten boxers Luis Ramos Jr. and Sharif Bogere, the last two defeats in his record.
His performance against them made him an ideal opponent to the 28 year old Philly fighter who has both title and big pay day hopes.
But Beltran, who has been a long time sparring partner of Manny Pacquiao in numerous of his training camps came up strong and aggressive in a fight that headlined ESPN?s Friday Night Fights.
Beltran started working with Pacquiao back in 2004 when the pound for pound standout faced Juan Manuel Marquez for the second time. He has been a familiar face in camp and in the ring then of the Filipino slugger.
A left hook in the second round set the tone for the Mexican who used that weapon from then on. A round later, the same punch connected on Lundy whose back was against the ropes. That hurt the American fighter who took more shots from the rampaging Beltran.
Lundy took those shots by Beltran and managed to sneak a left hook of his own. That punch stunned and halted Beltran in one of the most exciting finish to a round of the weekly fight series by ESPN.
Beltran and Lundy then engaged in a see-saw battle against each other from then on. Lundy jabbed his opponent successfully while Beltran continued his aggression. Lundy used his speed and good ring movement to evade the bulldozing Mexican. But Beltran?s come forward style forced him a number of times against the ropes which made him vulnerable to his opponent?s attacks.
Beltran?s aggression and Lundy?s lack of it defined the fight and the eventual outcome of it. One judge scored the fight even at 95 a piece while two judges had Beltran winning with identical scores of 96-94.
The win gave Beltran who traveled across the country to Lundy?s territory the NABF lightweight title which the Philly fighter won last year. It also erased the stigma of his two disappointing and close defeats to Ramos and Bogere.
Small guys do get a break sometimes.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rich Mazon .
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