Round Up: Marroquin Overcomes Sanchez’s Jab

Fight:  ROBERTO MARROQUIN, 18-0, 14 KOs, Dallas vs. GILBERTO SANCHEZ LEON, 28-8-2, 10 KOs, Mexicali

Division:  Featherweight – 8 Rounds

Result:  Marroquin Wins By Unanimous Decision

Detail:  This was a tough fight for the up-and-coming Marroquin. Sanchez used his considerable reach–two inches by the announcer’s estimate–to keep Marroquin at bay and, in the process, bruised the 21-year-old’s face. But though Sanchez used his left jab effectively, he was unable to capitalize by throwing combinations, leaving himself vulnerable to Marroquin’s power. Indeed, in the third and fifth, Marroquin managed to close the gap and throw some head-rocking left hooks that almost dropped Sanchez to the canvas. To his credit, however, the vet soldiered on to finish the fight on his feet. He just didn’t do enough to best the hard-punching Marroquin, who adds another scalp to his ever-growing collection. The judges scored it 78-74, 77-75, and 77-75.