Highlights
–Juan Carlos Abreu was outboxed by the taller Jamal James over the first three rounds, but got back into the fight after being credited with a fourth-round knockdown, even though James seemed to hit the canvas not because of a punch, but because his feet got tangled.
–The 6-foot-2 James, who had a four-inch height edge against Abreu, rebounded with a sixth-round knockdown, using a left hook to stun Abreu, followed by a finishing right. Abreu had been hurt by a right cross, several blows earlier.
–Right hands hurt both men during a rock-em, sock-em seventh—easily the most exciting round of the fight—with James getting the better of the exchange and sustaining that momentum for the remainder of the fight.
Jamal James struggled to fight his kind of fight, hit the canvas (albeit questionably) and absorbed as much punishment as he has in his pro career. But in the end, the Minneapolis native’s 18th career fight ended the same way as the previous 17: with his hand raised in victory.
In a rough-and-tumble contest, James survived a knockdown, scored one of his own and ultimately used his four-inch height advantage to pull away from Juan Carlos Abreu in a 10-round unanimous-decision victory at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida,
A 27-year-old boxer-puncher, the 6-foot-2 James (18-0, 9 KOs) prevailed in the 147-pound bout by scores of 97-91, and, 96-92, twice.
Early in the fight, Abreu (18-2-1, 17 KOs) clearly was the aggressor, pushing James against the ropes and landing on several occasions while fighting in close. It wasn’t until the middle rounds when James turned the tables and began getting the better of the hammer-fisted Abreu by fighting from distance in the center of the ring.
James hit the canvas on two occasions in the fourth, first becoming entangled in the bottom rope, then rising and going down from a clear slip as ruled by referee Tellis Assemenios.
But the rangy fighter regained his composure in the sixth, when he used a right hand followed by a left to floor the 28-year-old Abreu.
An earlier right cross hurt Abreu, who appeared to be out on his feet. Even though Abreu was wobbly, James was unable to put the finishing touches on the knockout artist. However, he used his superior boxing skills to close the fight strong and keep his perfect record intact.
Jamal James gets inside with a left hand during his victory over Juan Carlos Abreu in Winter Park, Florida. (Suzanne Teresa/Premier Boxing Champions)
