By: Sean Cross
It really wasn’t a bad fight, at least not until the wall was gone. Love, a native of Cleveland, Montana, was putting his 18-0-1 undefeated record in front of his hometown. His opponent, 15-2 Steve Sparks in a scheduled 12 round junior welterweight affair. The DAZN broadcast fight had an electric air as the crowd cheered on the man in love.
Love employed speed and superior footwork as the first round landed the big spark well. Love continued to fight well in the second, but it wasn’t enough to keep Sparks from dispatching him with a powerful right. Love got up and was able to do the entire round well enough. The third was a high-pressure chess match that kept the action from stuttering.
One thing that was clear in the fourth was that Spark was not afraid to fight dirt as it occasionally took to the rough. Love, however, was able to reveal the man throughout the cycle. That being said, Spark finds Love in his corner midway through the chapter and picks up the pace. Likewise, Sparks hit hard in the fifth. Then came the sixth. An accidental headshot cut to Love’s face. The doctor gave him the look and let the fight continue.
Suffice to say, after a few more moments of action, Love pushes Spark to the ropes. That was not particularly unusual. But things got really weird when Love leaned on Spark and Spark went over the ropes and landed on the mat. After much confusion, it became clear that love had been rejected. Really crazy ending
