Abner Mares shook his head like the punch didn’t hurt him—and so Arturo Santos Reyes gave him another.
And another.
And another, firing his fists like a human Howitzer.
Eyes, knuckles, crowd member vocal cords—this was the kind of fight where everything was swollen afterwards.
In a grueling, all-action battle, Mares and Reyes went toe-to-toe in this bruising slugfest that Mares eventually won by unanimous decision.
Even though he lost, though, Reyes surely won the hearts of boxing fans with his gutty performance.
Mares built momentum for himself early with a second-round knockdown following a left hook-right hand combination.
But Reyes stormed back, hammering Mares relentlessly throughout the fight, resulting in a particularly scintillating eighth round.
Mares, who was feeling under the weather in the days leading up to the fight, landed the crisper shots, though, and as the fight wore on, his combination punching and body work began to take its toll on Reyes.
Then, in round nine, Mares walloped Reyes with a massive right hand that was among the decisive blows of the fight.
Still, whenever Mares really started to get a roll, Reyes found a way to punch his back into the fray.
When it was all said and done, the crowd roared in approval, raising their voices in unison with Mares’ elevated fist.