By: Sean Cross
34-2 super middleweight Jose Uzcategui takes on 13-0 Vladimir Shishkin on the Michelle Rivera-Frank Marin undercard Saturday night at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. The fight was a title eliminator and was scheduled for 12 rounds. Uzcategui landed well in the opening minute. Uzkategui has been on the hunt while Shiskin has been adventuring throughout the chapter.
The second round was fast paced, although it was becoming clear that Uzcategui was hitting the better of the two men. Still, in the final round, Uzcategui became more aggressive. A third sees Shishkin come alive and pepper the man with a one-two. The fourth round was full of action, with both men trading hard shots.
Things remained close in the fifth, though Uzcategui’s shots could hurt the man. Although Shishkin was never able to completely overcome his veteran opponent’s aggressive, penetrating and striking style, each fighter had his moments. Credit should go to Shishkin in the seventh, as he simply did not allow himself to break under the weight of Uzkategi’s aggressiveness.
Uzcategui landed cleanly and in the eighth, but Shishkin’s punches were finding their target in spectacular fashion. Both men traded sharp blows in the ninth in what was an extremely high-octane affair. Uzkategui’s pressure pushed him into the tenth, although Shishkin certainly landed some good shots. However, Uzcategui continued to put pressure on the eleven.
The twelfth and final round saw both men swing and land as they did in a generally entertaining affair. In the end, it was Shishkin who walked away with a unanimous win.
