Gary Beriguette VS Kamal Muhammad: Swing Fights Happen

"Swing fights happen" should be a saying. In a listed light middleweight contest on FS1, the relative unknowns Gary Beriguette and Kamal Muhammad squared off. They didn't know if they'd be getting their chance for the cameras, waiting in the wings, in case earlier fights ended quickly enough, and they came out dry but hungry.


In round one, Beriguette fought as roughly as he could, as they incessantly found themselves tying up, in clinches for a large part of his offensive assault, with Beriguette trying to out-wrestle and out-hustle Muhammad. Commentator Paulie Malignaggi says he's winning through activity though smothering his offense. Muhammad simply cannot seem to punch with him on the inside and is not doing well until he catches Beriguette for an apparent glove touch as he stings him just enough while trying to barrel his way inside. Even at that, this was not the cleanest looking knockdown. Beriguette gets a standing eight count (he's perfectly fine, it looks to me) and that is the only reason Muhammad gets that round. It's customary to give a 10/8 when there's a knockdown. I am too bothered by it being one single, not particularly impactful shot to win him the round and I would have it only a 10/9 for Muhammad.


In round two, Beriguette comes out highly aggressive and powers Muhammad to the ground with some punching and what looks like a headbutt on top of that, earning his own knockdown. It's about as good as Muhammad's knockdown. Messy. He's not letting a four-rounder get away on a weak knockdown. Beriguette digs into Muhammad's body mercilessly. He is a complete mugger in his style. Perhaps he is smothering some of his own work, sure, but he's smothering almost all of Muhammad's work in the process. Muhammad has no idea how to breathe in there, let alone wage his own offense. Slow motion replay shows Beriguette come in with fist and head and Muhammad dip down with his own head, causing the head clash that put a gash high on the side of Muhammad's head.


In round three, Muhammad does what is in his limited power to keep the fight long but Beriguette is simply much stronger and takes control every time. Beriguette is cut too, on the eye, by likely more headbutting. Beriguette has been putting forth one nasty, nasty fight, and it's worked just fine. In round four, the final round, more bullying from Beriguette. If this is representative of his style, "The Bully" Beriguette would not be a bad nickname at all.

He clubs and mauls and pushes and pins Muhammad back to the ropes and doesn't lose a whole minute of any round while doing so. Muhammad simply has nothing to either prevent this or wage a fight from that range and Gary takes this round as well. Muhammad tried pushing out a few jabs with little purpose behind them. That was, in essence, all he showed capable of doing to prevent being bullied. A clear decision for Gary Beriguette, UD4. It isn't pretty, but swing fights happen.









PS: This match aired on the nineteenth of August, 2013-I've just received my DVR back to post about this match recently.


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Basement Gym Boxing