Machado v. Fierro 3.18.21 No mixing no mastering
Ring City USA. Live from Alberque Olimpico in Salinas Puerto Rico. Main event tonight is Alberto Machado (22–2, 18KOs) vs. Angel Fierro (17–1–1 (13KOS). Crossroad fights is how they are branding this. Awkward production, but every fight needs a story. The fight is outside. I love an outdoor brawl. Hector Tanajara was supposed to be fighting Machado, not sure what happened there. Fierro took the fight on two-weeks’ notice. He understands his only chance is knocking Machado out. This fight is a showcase for Machado.
These men are not paid a lot of money to fight tonight. I do love the thrill and excitement of a humongous event prizefight. But there is something nastier about this level of the business. Feral. ShoBox (when it’s on) tries to feature guys coming up. But it’s complicated. Guys coming up that might sell need to be protected. The men are investments. Cashing out at a $1,000 steak dinner + boxing match at the Holiday Inn Ballroom where I fell in love with this business could be a very expensive, and wasteful, mistake. I don’t know what I’m trying to do with these. It’s not literary. I could be just watching something, getting stoned, and typing messages into a stream. I like the graphic design, the aesthetics of Ring City USA. It’s not reporting either. Very, very few people will watch this fight. It will not be a cultural moment. It is specifically random. A specifically random fight between two men who are not where they want to be — not where they thought they’d be, perhaps — in their careers, needing to make a statement, fighting for relevance, fighting to be noticed, against a man, but also against all of the other forces and distractions and peers, competitors, men just like him, better than him probably, hotter than him probably, trying to steal his eyeballs, viewed by fanatics, perverts of all persuasions, insomniacs, druggies, on american television on a Thursday in March, 2021.
The women are fighting in the undercard. I like the way boxing sexualizes men but do not like the way boxing sexualizes women and I worry so much about whether or not I should say this, type it, even think it, because it feels, instinctually, misogynistic/sexist, but it does seem, to me at least in the way it arrives in my consciousness, to be a matter of my personal sexual preferences, and ultimately that may say something negative about my view of the roles of men and women, that I’m defending and upholding the patriarchy, something I definitely don’t want to do because fuck every oppressive power system, but I am a man with preferences and desires, shaped as they certainly were by a conservative southern structure strung around me like an albatross when I was coming up, but I just decide to say it and hope it is received with love.
When they ask what it was like to write surrounded by these fucking puritanical assholes.
Round 1 — Machado with beautiful timing, both of them landing some decent shots up to then, flash knockdown of Fierro. Fierro has to know he’s going to have to knock Machado out to have a chance, starting off in the hole.
Round 2 — With thirteen seconds left in the round Machado lands flush again, Fierro knocked down again. He jumps right back up again.
Round 3 — Machado hurts Fierro with precision, it’s mean and exact. I don’t see how this could become competitive.
Round 4 — Hit and don’t get hit. I need to bring this to my writing. More strategy on when-where to publish — what to work on. A year ago, I never thought I’d be considering something like that. I feel good about myself. Some of Fierro’s body work is working. The problem with doing this live is I have to live with observations on the fight that end up hilariously wrong. Fierro won that round, somehow.
Round 5 — Fierro is fighting with confidence. He’s still leaving himself open for a brutal head shot but so far he’s just quick enough with his movement. Machado is trying to re-establish himself as the bully, begins to a bit at the end of the round.
Round 6 — A stunning, one shot knockout for Fierro. It’s over. A shocking upset. The hometown fighter falls.
