NEW YORK – Juan Carrillo looked like he would tear through Richard Vansiclen by early in the fourth round of their televised light heavyweight fight Friday night in Verona, New York.
Vansiclen came back to drop Carrillo in that fourth round, however, and made their 10-round bout between southpaws very competitive. Colombia’s Carrillo overcame some fatigue in the later rounds and ultimately impressed two of the judges enough to leave the ring undefeated at Turning Stone Resort Casino.
Carrillo (11-0, 8 KOs), who knocked Vansiclen to the canvas in the third round, won a majority decision because judges Eric Marlinski (95-93) and John McKaie (95-93) scored their fight for him. Judge Don Trella scored their back-and-forth fight a draw (94-94).
Seattle’s Vansiclen, a University of Washington graduate who took up boxing in college, lost for the first time as a pro (13-1-1, 6 KOs). Showtime aired Carrillo’s close victory as the co-feature of a “ShoBox: The New Generation” tripleheader.
Their highly competitive contest looked like it could’ve gone either way entering the 10th round.
Vansiclen tried to time a left hand hard enough to put Carrillo down again throughout the 10th and final round, but he couldn’t do it. Vansiclen landed a left hand, but Carrillo came right back with a right hook with just under 50 seconds on the clock in the 10th round.
Vansiclen and Carrillo traded hard punches from close distances during the final minute of the ninth round.
A counter right hook by Carrillo connected with 1:15 to go in the ninth round. Vansiclen’s overhand left landed barely a minute into the ninth round.
Carrillo’s straight left stunned Vansiclen with 45 seconds to go in the eighth round.
Vansiclen drilled Carrillo with a straight left with just over 1:20 on the clock in the eighth round. Carrillo backed Vansiclen in the ropes a minute into the eighth round and unloaded several power punches on Vansiclen.
Carrillo went down with 10 seconds to go in the seventh round, but Esteves rightly ruled that Vansiclen pushed him down. Carrillo cracked Vansiclen with a right hook to the body and then a right hook up top just after the midway mark of the seventh round.
A left by Vansiclen backed Carrillo into the ropes with just over 30 seconds to go in the sixth round. Carrillo countered Vansiclen with a short left on the inside when there was just over 1:20 on the clock in the sixth round.
Carrillo composed himself after going down during the fourth round and consistently connected with the harder punches in the fifth round.
Seemingly on the verged of getting knocked out, Vansiclen cracked Carrillo with a left hand that staggered Carrillo with 1:10 on the clock in the fourth round. Vansiclen landed two more left hands that sent Carrillo to his gloves and knees a few seconds later.
Carrillo complained after the fourth round ended that the second follow left hand Vansiclen landed hit him behind his head. Before he got caught, Carrillo connected with an array of power punches as Vansiclen came forward, often recklessly, earlier in the fourth round.
Carrillo’s straight left hand backed Vansiclen into the ropes with just over a minute to go in the third round.
A quick right hook by Carrillo sent Vansiclen to the canvas just 24 seconds into the third round. Vansiclen got up quickly, though, from the first knockdown of his career and didn’t seem badly hurt at that point.
Carrillo caught Vansiclen with a thudding left hand with just under 40 seconds on the clock in the second round, when Carrillo continued to land flush punches that backed up Vansiclen.
A short right hook by Carrillo landed with just over 1:15 to go in the second round. Vansiclen landed a right hook a little less than 50 seconds into the second round.
Carrillo caught Vansiclen with a left hand in an exchange with just over 20 seconds to go in the first round.
Carrillo connected with a right hook with 1:15 on the clock in the opening round. Carrillo landed a hard left to Vansiclen’s body barely a minute into the first round.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.