Jeff Fenech WTD4 Carlos Zarate

[McGrain]

Great action up until the stoppage which was obviously dissappoointing. Fenech scores a flash KD (ruled a slip) in the first seconds and then Jeff is all over Zarate like a rash with those horrible short chopping punches and mauling style. Zarate was in all sorts of trouble. His body blows were straying low (though I do feel the referee was warning him for bordeline shots) and he was struggling to get off in time to keep Fenech off him.

I think this is a wonderful fight, if a little sad for us Zarate fans, that doesn't get enough love from the fans because of the unsatisfactory result.

How do you fellas think this one would have finished up? Was the KO inevitable? Could Zarate have toughed it out?

How do you see this one going prime for prime?

[McGrain]

Round two is a really interesting one...Zarate hits Fenech with a few flush punches and he has found a bit of range with his left hook to the body (but was warned by the ref to keep them up at the end of the round) and Fenech became a little hesitant perhaps...he looks to me like he is trying to protect himself from the left-hook lead to the body (no wonder). He's boxing at distance a bit more and successfully establishing his jab. Zarate does have some success getting out of his way though.

Zarate lost a point in the third for low blows. The referee was literally right there, so I may be wrong, but it looks to me like the blow was not low. If it was, then so was the punch Jeff threw moments berfore, and it is not as low as the one he would throw a few moments later. Both these guys are insanely tough.

[Flea Man]

hmm....fenech had a great chin but prime for prime i think zarate would time fenech coming in and have him in trouble. not sure whether zarate would stop him, so i'll say he wins the decision. big shame is that fenech continues to be underrated.

[flamengo]

Prime4Prime..?? Fenech does not deserve his name mentioned in the same breath as Zarate.

The bullshit, shenanigans, mis-matches, promotional hype and 'weigh-in tricks' over ride his realistic credentials..

[My2Sense]

How do you fellas think this one would have finished up? Was the KO inevitable? Could Zarate have toughed it out?

Fenech was really giving it to Zarate. It was good for Zarate that the fight ended suddenly like it did.

I always thought that stoppage was very surprising. The cut didn't look that bad, and Fenech was actually demanding he be allowed to continue.


How do you see this one going prime for prime?

Fenech was such an awesome-looking fighter at 118 and 122, I wouldn't be surprised if he beat him in their primes too. I certainly would favor him at 122. 118 is harder to tell - even though Fenech still looked great there, he was relatively inexperienced and perhaps sometimes weight drained.

[McGrain]

I always thought that stoppage was very surprising. The cut didn't look that bad, and Fenech was actually demanding he be allowed to continue.

I agree. Do you have the aftermath on film? It is very strange. At first the referee appears to be shouting that it was a "deliberate butt...take a point of him [appears to point at Zarate] if I stop it". Then, he is going around roaring at the judges shouting "did you see [the butt]?" And getting a variety of answers. Then the ring announcer seems to be reading out a decision.

Chaos.


Fenech was such an awesome-looking fighter at 118 and 122, I wouldn't be surprised if he beat him in their primes too. I certainly would favor him at 122. 118 is harder to tell - even though Fenech still looked great there, he was relatively inexperienced and I think sometimes weight drained.

I thought Zarate looked like he was struggling to get his punches off in the normal way and he is an awfully hard hitter...a younger version would have had a lot more success for sure and perhaps could have found his way around Zarate's belt-line a bit better...and those punches would tell.

Although I am leaning towards Zarate it would be anything but easy, and a great, great fight. I honestly think this one had more legs than you indicate if it had been allowed to go on.

Do you agree with me that Fenech was looking a little ginger about those left hooks in round 2?

[MRBILL]

Yeah, I got the fight..... Not bad until that bullshit ending.... Zarate looked like he could carry on, but he was age 35 or 36 and fighting at 125 pounds or so, If I'm thinking right........ Anyway, Jeff Fenech was too young and strong and was gonna kick Zarate's ass anyway, in my opinion... The ending sucked..........

MR.BILL:twisted:

[My2Sense]

Do you agree with me that Fenech was looking a little ginger about those left hooks in round 2?

I might have to watch it again, but I didn't get any sense that Fenech was being bothered by any of Zarate's punches, at least not yet anyway.

I suppose it is theoretically possible that Zarate's body shots could eventually take a toll on Fenech later in the fight. But until that happened (assuming it was ever actually going to happen), Zarate was going to keep getting his head bashed it.

[COULDHAVEBEEN]

Zarate had nearly 7 years off, what might have been his prime years, after losing (ripped off in his opinion and many others) against Pintor. He strung together a dozen or so fairly cheap wins in his comeback prior to meeting Fenech, but it was by no means a prime Zarate that Fenech stopped.

Interestingly, Zarate has been quoted as saying Fenech is one of the few fighters that he fought who would have troubled him in his prime.

Perhaps a great compliment? Perhaps he's being overgenerous to Fenech?

For what it's worth, I think Fenech would have done much better than many of Zarate's other prime time opponents. But beat him, I doubt it.

[Boilermaker]

Prime4Prime..?? Fenech does not deserve his name mentioned in the same breath as Zarate.

The bullshit, shenanigans, mis-matches, promotional hype and 'weigh-in tricks' over ride his realistic credentials..

I have to be honest, i think i might have got sucked in to the Promotional hype, shenanigans, mismatches and weigh in tricks. My recollection is that this version of Fenech was absolutely awesome and totally outclassed Zarate with zero trouble. Strange ending, maybe but really, there was no doubt that Fenech wins this fight, although i suppose it is possible that Fenech were to break his hands on Zarates head and thus have some problems.

Obviously Zarate was so far past prime that it means nothing, but i really cant see anyone hanging with this version of Fenech. (Brittle Hands aside).

Saying that, i havent seen most of Fenechs fights for a while, and the older Fenech was prone to being KOd by the big shot, so it is certainly possible and even likely that many fighters could KO Fenech, it is just that the promotional hype and shenanigans is still blinding me. Fenech wins by UD or KO, even in Zarates prime, for mine.

[red cobra]

Zarate was never the same after Gomez destroyed him.

[COULDHAVEBEEN]

Zarate was never the same after Gomez destroyed him.

Probably on the money Cobra.

Zarate had so much trouble trying to make weight against Gomez it wouldn't have helped his cause much in that bout. But to his credit he did give Pintor a war (one which of course many, including him, thought he won).

[WhataRock]

Jeff was all over him but Zarate certainly had his moments..Jeff is always all over his opponant but its doesnt necessarily mean he is dominating them, he was eating his fair share of shots. It was a shame it ended there.

Fair go flamey...Jeff could certainly be talked about in the same breath as Carlos but he isnt on his level at bantam from what I have seen...I would side with Zarate to get him more times then not.
Though Jeff in his prime was an amazing specimen of a physically imposing and ultra fit swarmer.

He gets generally a little underrated by most..He would have upset a lot of people's modern favorites and given just about any of the greats from 118-126 a bloody good run for their money.

A few aussies let their personal feelings on the man get in the way..He isnt one of my favorite Australian fighters and yes his out of the ring bullshit has its fair share to do with that..But that doesnt change the fact he is probably the best Aussie born fighter Ive seen on film.

[McGrain]

I might have to watch it again, but I didn't get any sense that Fenech was being bothered by any of Zarate's punches, at least not yet anyway.

I think the beltline stuff was certainly troubling him. Zarate gets the better of a stretch of round 2 imo. If you take another look let me know what you think.

[Flea Man]

Probably on the money Cobra.

Zarate had so much trouble trying to make weight against Gomez it wouldn't have helped his cause much in that bout. But to his credit he did give Pintor a war (one which of course many, including him, thought he won).

You mean he had trouble moving up?

[WhataRock]

You mean he had trouble moving up?


He took like 3 or 4 goes to make the weight for that fight I think flea..For some reason he really struggled actually.

[Flea Man]

He took like 3 or 4 goes to make the weight for that fight I think flea..For some reason he really struggled actually.

I guess he didn't bother training hard. Really hard to fathom that, and strange I wasn't aware as it's one of my favourite fights.

Cagey first three rounds then Gomez gets into fifth gear and batters Zarate. Bit naughty hitting him when he's down but it's heat of the moment stuff and in Puerto Rico, don't think it would've changed anything. As the towel comes in Zarate looks dishevelled and disheartened.

Shame, as the victory doesn't seem as great now knowing Zarate had trouble making the weight.

Is there any credence in Gomez undertraining for the Sanchez fight? Again, as in Zarate-Gomez I don't think it would make a difference to the outcome.

[My2Sense]

Is there any credence in Gomez undertraining for the Sanchez fight?

Yeah, there was some talk of Gomez struggling to make weight for that fight too, despite also coming up in weight.