Just days before Floyd Mayweather danced for eight passive rounds against the grandson of a mob boss, Eric Armit watched two current professionals who still believe they have something to offer the boxing world. Jarrett Hurd and Jeison Rosario were once unified world title holders. Now, it’s hard to see what they have left to offer at the top.
NOW campaigning at super-middleweight, two former super-welterweight title holders ended all even after 10 entertaining rounds. It was a good start from Jarrett Hurd. Over the first two rounds, he was shooting strong jabs upwards from hip level and although Rosario managed to score with some useful hooks in the second, Hurd again did most of the scoring.
Hurd had an even better third as the action picked up. As they swapped punches Rosario was being caught with some heavy combinations. The fight swung Rosario’s way in the fourth and fifth.
He was still getting caught by Hurd’s jabs but he was working at a higher pace, focusing on Hurd’s body and banging home bursts of hooks. With Hurd against the ropes in the fifth he fired a series of hooks and then a hefty push, which had Hurd sliding down between the ropes and almost out of the ring. no count was administered.
Rosario outpunched Hurd in the sixth and seventh, with Hurd’s output dropping. Hurd came back into the fight in the eighth and ninth, landing some meaty body punches to offset Rosario’s higher work rate.
Rosario staged a big finish in the tenth, landing a bunch of rights to the head to make the fight close. the scores read 96-94 Hurd, 96-94 Rosario and 95-95, creating a split draw which looked about right.
Hurd lost his IBF/IBO/WBA super-welterweight titles to Julian Williams in 2019 and was pushed out of the picture with consecutive losses against Luis Arias and Jose Armando Resendiz. He then moved up to super-middleweight with a win over Tyi Edmonds in December.
Rosario won the three titles by beating Williams but lost them to Jermell Charlo in his first defence and was knocked out in five rounds by Brian Mendoza in 2022.
Where either man goes next is anybody’s guess. Perhaps a rematch would be beneficial to their career progress, as this Pro Box TV main eventer was of good value.
