09.01.04 – By Jason Bell: Nate Campbell vs Daniel Attah – This fight started with Campbell coming in dominating the earlier rounds by flooring Attah twice, once in the first round and again in the second round. Attah immediately stepped up his game plan and started to take over after such a threatening onslaught. He swarmed Campbell an landed some nice flush shots. He then employed the Ruiz tactic by getting off first and then holding and clinching Campbell whenever he was in striking distance. Although Attah scored some impressive shots, nothing seemed to bother Nate. The excessive holding got Nate off his gameplan because he stopped using his jab and just leaned back throwing body shots and uppercuts. Nate Campbell worked the body nicely. Later on in the 7th round Attah was deducted a point for holding. His constant leaning on Campbell left him open to some crisp combinations that floored him again in the 11th round. Nate Campbell struggled for a while after his impressive lead into the fight but fought on to win a unamious decision over a game Attah. I actually thought the fight was a little closer than what the judges scored but it was a solid win nonetheless.
Jermain Taylor vs Alex Rios
Jermain knocked out Rios in 54 seconds into the 1st round. He landed a solid bod punch and finished with a right hook to the top of Rios’s head. Rios fell back hard into the corner. He took a while to get up but looked fine afterwards. Taylor needs to seriously step his competition level up. These exhibition matches are fine an everything but if he thinks this will prepare him for Bernard Hopkins, he has another thing coming. Taylor should fight Robert Allen or Howard Eastman. Eastman might seem a little too much of a leap but Allen is at least in the right direction. Taylor gives the fans good fights but lets see him get tested too every now and then. Rios predicted that he would win a split decision. I’ve never heard someone predict that they would win a close decision. Taylor looks promising but to say he could beat Hopkins in the near future , say in a years time, well don’t hold your breath.