By: Sean Crose
Kenneth Sims Jr. took on Oscar Duarte in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois Saturday night in the main event of a Golden Boy card. The scheduled 12 round affair was held in the junior welterweight division and was broadcast live on DAZN. Sims had a strong first, tossing out his jab and firing effective power shots. Duarte however, employed pressure and was able to land on his man later in the chapter. The second was close though Sims may have edged it with his effective defense – had not Duarte landed well towards the end of the round.
Sims got rocked in the third in what was otherwise a brilliantly fought round for the Chicago native. The fourth showcased a very interesting aspect of the fight- the fact that Sims fought better, but Duarte’s punches were far more effective. Sims was excellent in the 5th, fluid, and largely in control. Duarte landed frequently and effectively into the 6th, though Sims seemed unhurt.
By the seventh Sims started spending too much time on the ropes allowing Duarte to bang away at him. Sims was still looking excellent, but Duarte was getting the better of him at times to be sure. Duarte had some good moments in the 8th but Sims had some better moments, which perhaps made all the difference. The 9th was close, exciting and difficult to judge. The 10th also ended up being a very tough round to call.
By the 11th it was well past clear that the fight might come down to what the judges preferred, the active power punching of Duarte or the select skills of Sims. The fight might have ultimately come down, it could be argued, to each judge’s taste. Sims did well in the final round, but Duarte did better. With that being said, it was an excellent fight overall.
The judges ultimately ruled in favor of Duarte via majority decision. In the end, it was a very close and entertaining fight. Although it could be argued that the decision should have gone to Sims, it was hard to say that Sims was robbed as each fighter provided an excellent performance in the ring. “This was the kind of fight I had expected,” Duarte said afterward. “I had to hit his body and take his legs away.”
“I thought I won,” said Sims. “I want to run it back.”
And who could blame him?
