.jpg)
Axel Aragon Vega couldn’t believe what he heard when the scores were read aloud.
The former two-time title challenger was certain that he did more than enough to turn away unbeaten Angelino Cordova in their ten-round junior flyweight bout. Judge William Glover (97-93) was the only one who saw things that way, as judges Tina Griffith (97-93) and Alex Levin (98-92) awarded Cordova a stunning and highly questionable split decision win in their co-feature bout Friday evening on ProBox TV from Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.
The verdict was met with a chorus of boos from the Boricua-heavy crowd who’ve become familiar with the diminutive Mexican through his time on the Boxeo Telemundo circuit.
Vega learned long ago how to negate the physical advantages of his bigger foes. The former title challenger was relentlessly aggressive, working his way inside and digging to the lean body of the 5’4” Cordova. Vega nearly had a knockdown in the opening seconds of the fight, though a trip to the canvas by Cordova was ruled a slip by referee Emil Lombardi.
Vega hurt Cordova several times in round two, particularly with his left hook downstairs. Cordova struggled to contend with the straightforward style of ‘El Mini,’ often pushed to the ropes after attempting to bring the fight to the center of the ring.
Cordova enjoyed a power surge late in round three. Vega continued to target the body but stayed in the pocket too long and was countered with right hands by the unbeaten Venezuelan.
Vega resumed control in round four, plowing forward and scoring with left hooks and whipping right hands. Cordova was clearly buzzed by a right hand late in the round but somehow managed to sell the referee on a low blow that never occurred. Time was called, buying some time for Cordova as Vega waved his arms in disgust.
The middle rounds saw Cordova attempt to box more, enjoying modest success when getting on his toes and jabbing Vega at the center of the ring. Vega didn’t waste any punches during those sequences, reserving his energy for the later rounds.
Cordova began to showboat, waving his right hand and daring Vega to come forward. Vega was cautious in accommodating the request, working his way inside without falling for his opponent’s traps. Cordova found himself on the canvas late in round seven, though more from a tackle than anything else.
Vega poured on the offense in round eight, while Cordova was forced to contend with a cut at the edge of his left eyelid. Cordova attempted to utilize lateral movement but was unable to avoid the constant pressure applied by Vega or the ripping body shots by the diminutive Mexican.
The ninth round saw Cordova plant his feet and commit more to his punches. Both boxers complained of rabbit punching but managed to work through the assorted fouls and clinching. Cordova connected with a pair of right hands, which Vega took well but did not return fire for the first time in the fight.
Vega went back to basics in the tenth and final round. He stalked Cordova around the ring, punching through the Venezuelan’s guard at times as was determined to impose his will. Cordova remained confident that a victory was within reach, playing to the crowd with his variation of the ‘Ali Shuffle’ in the final minute. His confidence was well justified once the scorecards were read as he improves to 17-0-1 (12KOs).
Vega falls to 15-5-1 (8KOs), having now lost three of his last five starts. Two fights ago, he suffered an untimely injury resulting in a fifth-round stoppage to unbeaten WBA junior flyweight titlist Hiroto Kyoguchi last March in Dallas. Vega rebounded with a ten-round decision over Armando Hernandez last October in Mexico City but now returns to the drawing board after being forced to deal with the disputed outcome on Friday.
“I’m not sure where I go next,” Vega told Florida Hall of Fame-elected announcer Claudia Trejos. “I have to get over this robbery—that’s what it was, a robbery—before I decide on my future but I would love to once again challenge for a world title.”
Headlining the show, Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez (25-3-1, 14KOs) attempts the first defense of his WBO junior flyweight title against Mark Anthony Barriga (11-1, 2KOs), a former title challenger from the Philippines.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox