Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, Florida, USA. The vacant belt of the WBO Latin American champion in the second flyweight (up to 52.2 kg) was played by the Mexican ex-challenger Axel Aragon Vega (15-5-1, 8 KOs) and the undefeated
Angelino Cordova (17-0-1, 12 KOs) from Venezuela. A very controversial victory was given to the Venezuelan.
Small and stocky, Vega fought in “peak-a-boo” style a la peak Mike Tyson. He quickly reduced the distance, drove him to the ropes, kneaded a seasoned amateur (he even played in the WSB) Cordoba with body blows, hit in the 3rd round, moved below the belt in the 4th three-minute period.
The Venezuelan played well in the center of the ring: jabbed, moved, sometimes he managed to fail and counter. But the superiority of the aggressor in firepower had an effect – at least Cordova had a hard time enduring the missed blows to the body, although he denied this during the battle with constant nods of his head.
After the equator, the Venezuelan switched to survival mode: he practically did not shoot back, he only ran away and knitted an opponent in clinches. Cordova showed himself much better in the 9th round – he hit Vega’s left eye with a right hook, but gave up the decisive three-minute period without a fight. True, at the same time, for some reason, he played in front of the audience, copying the movements of Muhammad Ali.
Judges score: 97-93 Cordova (what?), 97-93 Vega and 98-92 Cordova (are you kidding me?).
Cordova SD 10.
Fight contender for most controversial decision of the year.