London based welterweight Ashley Theophane snatched a win from the jaws of defeat on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights this week. American contender and favorite, Delvin Rodriguez was expected to win the challenge but Theophane rallied late to score the majority decision. The final scores were 95-95, 96-94, and 96-94, all barely in Ashley’s favor. Theophane now improves to 27-4-1. He lost his previous two bouts that were shown on US television in early 2010 and 2008 but made up for it with this hearty effort in July.

Initially Delvin Rodriguez controlled the action with his stiff jab and quick pace. He seemed to get off first and had better composure. As the moment fell evenly on the two men, Theophane started dropping looping shots over the top and the men exchanged heavy right hands throughout the contest. By the third round the Brit was working inside and pounding Delvin’s body, trying to slow him down. However, it was Rodriguez who landed the more dominant combinations, the eye-catchers, and he probably won the first half of the fight. But eventually Delvin began to tire. He wasn’t holding his hands as high and stopped peppering the jab. Theophane never gave up and saw his chance.

The middle rounds were well contested and even affairs that could have gone either way, but the tide turned late in the seventh as Theophane picked up steam. Rodriguez slowed down, thanks to Ashley’s repeated inside work and solid combinations. Ashley turned in a consistently gritty performance to outland his man in the eighth but was pummelled by Rodriguez early in the ninth. Delvin tried desperately to close the show, but the London “Treasure” quick-stepped the canvas to avoid further damage.

In the tenth and final round, both men knew the fight was in the air. They fought with resilience and fervor, both landing the hardest shots they could muster. Rodriguez seemed to land the more flush shots, straight and hard. Theophane, for his part, continued looping his wild efforts – missing most, but landing a few. It was probably the few wide rights in the final thirty seconds which connected that gave the British ambassador his victory. It was a close battle, as evidenced by the tight scorecards, and the crowd rewarded both men with a standing ovation long after the final bell.

This fight represents a setback for Delvin, now 25-5-2. He was doing well in the 147 pound ranks, drawing once with Isaac Hlatshwayo and losing a SD to him; then beating the 20-1 Shamone Alvarez in early 2009; and most recently scoring a solid UD over Mike Arnaoutis in April this year for the USBA welterweight title. Where he stands now, after this loss, remains to be seen. But no matter what, he gave the fans an inspiring and gutsy performance. For Ashley “Treasure” Theophane, this fight will serve to revive his career. He’s fought mostly no-hopers and weak locals for the last few years and beaten most of them, but this was a significant step up. It will be worth seeing what the resilient and hard-tacked 29 year old Londoner will do with it.

In the undercard, middleweight Andy Lee scored a fifth round body shot KO of someone called James Brian Cook. The fight was un-televised and was more about Lee keeping busy than anything else. He dropped Cook in the 4th, but it was called a low blow, then finished the fight in the fifth with a dominating left hook to the body. The fight was scheduled for eight rounds and Lee now improves to 22-1 with 16 KOs. He’s hoping to be in consideration for the winner of the upcoming Matthew Macklin vs Darren Barker UK extravaganza.

In the televised portion of the undercard Francisco Sierra dominated Don George for a TD. Neither man showed much in terms of defense so there was plenty of head snapping shots to ooh and aah the viewers. But Sierra clearly ruled the roost, even knocking George down in the seventh. There was one moment of controversy as Sierra loaded up a combination at the bell of the same round. He landed a left before the bell and a right immediately after the bell. George was rewarded a 5 minute respite for the “foul” and at least one commentator believed Francisco deserved to be DQ’d. George’s camp clearly hoped for the same thing and stopped the bout. But the officials in Miami, Oklahoma didn’t see it that way. They did take two points away from Sierra – two?? – and went to the scorecards. The final judgement went on to it’s obvious conclusion with Sierra as the winner, even with the deductions, and the right man came out on top despite the drama.

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