Eddie Chambers Takes a Majority Decision over Sam Peter

Eddie Chambers Takes a Majority Decision over Sam Peter

By Gabriel Montoya, MaxBoxing.com (Mar 28, 2009) This article provided by MaxBoxing

In a crossroads bout, “Fast” Eddie Chambers (34-1 with 18 KOs) scored a workmanlike majority decision over Sam Peter (30-3 with 23 KOs) in a ten round bout at the Nokia Center in Los Angeles, CA. The card was the first to be held at the venue, a theater usually used for concert events. It wasn’t the prettiest or exciting of fights but it was tight and competitive as both men fought hard to close to the bout.

The action started as a jab fest as both men looked to establish the beginnings of their offense. Peter, normally

a headhunter, worked to the body more than usual; shooting his jab downstairs in doubles and singles. Hard jab for Peter landed to the head of Chambers who returned fire with a double of his own. It was a tight first round but Peter seemed to have the edge in aggression and active jab.

In the second, the jab fest would continue as Chambers circled using his and Peter stalked slowly behind his own. Peter would be warned for a low blow but it didn’t seem to affect Chambers who stepped up his jab output and even threw a right hand behind it.

The action heated up in the third as Peter got Chambers on the ropes and let his hands go. Peter shot a right to the body and Chambers stuck him with the jab in answer as he spun off them. The sweat flew off Peter’s head as Chambers landed his best shot of the night thus far, a jab, jab right hand that got Peter’s attention and stopped him in his tracks momentarily. Peter looked a little winded at this point but pressed forward. Peter would lunge after him near the bell but would get countered with jabs and left hook for his trouble.

Peter let his hands go in the fourth but was getting blocked and countered for his trouble. Chambers moved well in this round and kept Peter tame with his jab. Peter would get warned for a low blow but Chambers took it well. Peter landed a couple hard jabs at the bell along with a partially blocked right hand. Neither man had really taken charge at this point in the fight though Chambers seemdd a little mor effective.

Peter came out working his jab in the fifth and Chambers, despite being tagged too often, seemed a bit wary of his power. Peter pressed forward looking for a home for his right hand but Chambers moved well enough not to let that happen. Two body shots got through for Peter. A right for Chambers countered. Peter came back with a one-two of his own but Chambers nodded “No,” which probably menat it hurt. Jab, jab, right hand from Peter but it’s blocked and Chambers comes back with a hook. A right for Chambers seemed to incense Peter who chased him down with wild shots at the bell.

Chambers seemed to take control in the fifth and sixth round, working behind his jab and keeping Peter off balance, unable to effectively get his offense going. He would switch lead hands, landing his jab with both the right and the left. Peter still kept up his decent body attack but the fight was slipping from him.

Peter pressed forward in the eighth, however, pumping his jab. He was at this point the more active fighter but not the more accurate. Chambers was that as he worked behind his jab and tight, high guard, picking his spots and moving away when there was no opening. Chambers took advantage of Peter’s desperation as he landed a hard uppercut as Peter came swarming in wide open. Peter would answer with a right but it was clear at this stage that Chambers could take his power.

It was role reversal in the ninth as Peter backed off behind his jab and Chambers stalked and picked his spots. Peter would get in a stiff jab and right hand but Chambers kept it close with a one-two of his own. They traded jabs and rights but it was Chambers who seemed to have more snap on his shots at this point. He was talking to Peter, blocking his shots and answering with jabs, letting Peter know he was in control.

In the tenth, both men fought like the fight was on the table. Peter stepped up his aggression, throwing the right hand and getting a little careless, allowing Chambers to counter effectively while moving along the ropes. Both men’s camps were screaming for their guy to let their hands go and both happily obliged, giving more effort in this round than any other. Both men traded down the stretch but it was the more accurate shots vs. Peter’s slower, wild, thudding blows that won the night for Eddie. Scores were 95-95, 96-94, and 99-91.

The undercard

In his pro debut, Olympian Javier Molina (1-0) stopped (Jaime Cabrera (0-1) at 1:50 of the second round. It was an impressive debut for the amateur stalwart (153-13). His first pro punch was a jab as he came out strong, patient and confident, looking to establish his presence and take control from the outset. Cabrera dug to the body but Molina took it well. Cabrera flurried upstairs but was blocked and immediately countered with a tight left hook. Molina slowly began to unfurl his arsenal as the round went on. A left to the body later became a double left to the body and head. He tried working in a right hand lead that would pay off later. A hard hook to the body followed by a hook upstairs rocked Cabrera and suddenly his aggressive approach seemed tentative. The speed of Molina bothered him but the power was going to be more of a problem. Molina went back to the jab and showed nice patience walking down his foe at the bell.

Molina started the second with a one-two. He spun off the ropes as Cabrera came in and dug his left hook to the body. It was all Molina now as he got in a right hand off the jab followed by a lead right that got things heading south for Cabrera. He wobbled to the canvas as Molina gave him another for good measure. He would rise on shaky legs and it was clean up duty as Molina got in a left that sent him down and out as the ref waived it off. A solid debut for a bright young prospect.

John Molina (16-0 with 11 KOs) made it harder than he needed to and still got the stoppage against Carlos Vinan, Jr. 8-7-3 with 1 KO). Vinan came out fierce, throwing leather from all angles while churning his short legs forward and against the taller Molina. Molina seemed like he didn’t know what to do with the hard charging opponent and quickly gave up his height while lying on the ropes. Vinan kept up the volume punching while Molina looked to counter but even still, Molina ate some unnecessary leather using this tactic. The crowd was digging it though as Molina landed a solid 1-2 off the ropes that didn’t deter Vinan at all. But by rounds, end, Vinan, who kept the pressure on throughout, was bleeding from the nose and despite staying with the game plan (such as it was), seemed worse for wear. It was like watching a kamikaze pilot having second thoughts and then saying “Screwit. I’m here already. Might as well keep going.” The action heated up in the corner at rounds end as both let go with abandon and got tangled feet, tumbling to the canvas.

In the second, Molina came out with the jab but quickly abandoned it as Vinan stayed the course, throwing his shots and letting it all hang out and closing the gap. Molina circled away from the ropes and ate a left hook for his trouble. Molina came back with hooks of his own with a right hand behind. He seemed to be getting to the target more and more. Vinan, however, kept winging shot after shot. Finally, Molina dug to the body and found pay dirt as Vinan winced and looked visibly bothered by the shot. A left, right to the head followed by a left to the body got things headed towards the end as Vinan began to wind down despite still throwing leather. Molina ramped it up however, digging to the body, shooting shots upstairs and getting Vinan going to the point where finally , the ref stepped in and mercifully waived it off.

Afterward, Molina said “Entertaining fight. It was a fight not a boxing match. He was a veteran who came to fight. It was a good crowd and we gave them a good show. My corner told me to stay in the corner and look for openings. Wait and pick him apart. First round was kind of a blur. Second round I was able to get off my shots.”

Shawn Estrada (3-0 with 3 KOs) looked impressive in dropping Ray Craig (5-5with 2 KOs) three times en route to a first round stoppage. Craig seemed shaky as Estrada flurried with shots from the get go. It was unclear what punch exactly dropped him as Craig teetered under the non-stop barrage of shots. At this early stage, it’s hard to tell what Estrada brings to the table but he is at least, an exciting action fighter.

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Gabriel at: maxgmontoya@gmail.com.
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