Chicago, Illinois – Oscar Duarte (30-2-1, 23 KO) faces Kenneth Sims Jr Saturday night at Credit One Arena’s WBA Ultra Lightweight Knockout (22-3-1, 8 KOS) in Chicago, Illinois.
Judges Mike Fitzgerald (115-113) and Nathan Palmer (116-112) scored for Duarte, while Al Gallardo scored a draw (114-114). Both boxers won the same number of total punches in the match, but it was Duarte’s pressure that gave him the advantage, landing more powerful punches, 172 to 110 (compubox). His strategy is to exert tremendous pressure and attack the body to minimize Sims’ lateral movement. According to Duarte, he didn’t think Sims’ fist was too strong, but felt that it was his speed and timing that made him a tough opponent. This is the fourth consecutive victory for the Oscar and the 30th in his career.
Oscar showed visible improvements under coach Robert Garcia; his offense and defense have improved. In this game, his defense appears tighter, similar to Canelo Alvarez. When asked about his defensive progress, he said: “Yes, Robert Garcia is my training camp and they have been instilling defense into me. Robert Garcia is one of the most talented horses in boxing, and Duarte went to Spar with these skilled boxers, which allowed him to grow and improve in the ring. Now he is looking for the best fights with the department and hopes to fight the champions at 140.”
Duarte was asked about the current champion, which one he wanted to fight: “I would choose Pitbull Cruz, subriel Matias or Gary Antuanne’s Russell. Whichever champion, I would win the championship, and whoever walked my path, I would take them away.” The best match for fans is against interim WBC super lightweight champion Pitbull Cruz. It will pique fan interest, bringing two Mexican fighters against each other. It is rumored that in the work between the Golden Boys Promotion and Prime Boxing Championship, this will be Keith Thurman vs. Vergil Ortiz, Frank Martin and Arnold Barboza Jr.
Duarte also mentioned that once he became the champion, he wanted to avenge Ryan Garcia because he thought it was an unstable score he wanted to solve.
Last updated on August 4, 20125
