Easy access at the tip of your fingers, subscribe to our daily ePaper version of our New Era Newspaper.
Home / Lionhearted Hitman stretches Beltran to the limit … wins new fans in USA
Lionhearted Hitman stretches Beltran to the limit … wins new fans in USA
2018-02-19Staff Report 2 Otniel Hembapu Windhoek-Although he narrowly missed out on a lifetime opportunity to clinch the coveted WBO lightweight world title over the weekend, Namibia’s former world champion Paulus ‘Hitman’ Moses – at age 39 – surprised all and sundry with his speed, accuracy and power when he delivered a never-seen-before performance that made him stretch Mexican-American opponent Raymundo Beltran to the limit. Moses narrowly lost to Beltran during their action-packed world championship fight for the vacant WBO lightweight world title in Nevada, USA in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Namibian broadcaster NBC TV televised the fight live. Despite the three judges scoring 116-112, 117-111 and 117-111 in favour of the 36-year-old Beltran, the scorecard was however not the true reflection of the fight, as it was much closer and far from what the judges scored. The Namibian veteran boxer went into Saturday’s fight as a heavy underdog and had little pressure on him in terms of confidence and psychologically, while a lot was at stake for Beltran, who is a native of Mexico living with his wife and three children in Phoenix in the States. Beltran’s work visa expires in about two years and his attorney told him that by defeating Moses for the title, his green card would probably be secured, which will eventually give him permanent residence status in the United States. With the victory, Beltran will now qualify as an “extraordinary athlete” and his dream of securing his green card will finally be realized. But it was not a walk in the park for Beltran as Moses gave as good as he got from the Mexican, with the Namibian leaving Beltran with two deep cuts on both eyes and a swollen face as his speed, painful accuracy and power many a time made the experienced Beltran look like a greenhorn in the business of trading leather. In all honesty, despite the judges’ scorecards, it was a gritty, action-packed, bloody battle hallmarked by bad eye cuts, blood-stained faces and dotting sounds of heavy head and body shots as both boxers had their eyes firmly fixed on the ultimate prize – the WBO world lightweight crown. Beltran started the fight strong, and closed strong, with Moses making it a debate in the middle rounds and Moses’ polished performance was further evidenced by Beltran’s face at the end of the contest. Moses, fighting in the United States for the first time, was classy in defeat, giving credit to Beltran. “We put on a heck of a fight for the fans, but one must win and one must lose,” Moses said. “All credit to Beltran. He’s an excellent fighter.” Meanwhile, Beltran said: “I had to push it. He was a very tough opponent, a very tough fighter, very experienced. It was hard to figure him out because he was coming in very close, his head forward. The plan was to go on the inside, but his head was a problem, so I had to use my jab more often. He was very clever, very smart. He blocked very well. I had to figure him out. He was throwing and coming forward with his head so I had to keep my distance more. But it was a great fight. He had a very good jab. He surprised me with a couple of good punches, but right away I thought about my family and everything I have been through in my career, so I gave it my all. I made my career the tough way, and now I’m a champion.” - Additional info: kwese.espn.com 2018-02-19Staff Report 2
