Joey Essex emerged victorious in his sweet science debut at Misfits Boxing 22.
Essex came out looking like a fish out of water in the opening round, but he bounced back big in the latter half of the stanza, clocking ‘Numeiro’ with a massive overhand right.
‘Numeiro’ appeared to be the fresher fighter in the second, as he continued to push the pace and unleash some big looping shots. Strategy quickly went out the window as we hit the halfway point of the fight, as both fighters were desperate to land the fight-ending blow.
Essex connected with a booming right hand that had ‘Numeiro’ hurt, but instead of letting him capitalize on the moment, the referee opted to give ‘Numeiro’ a standing eight count. Smelling blood in the water, Essex picked up the pace, looking for the KO shot. However, ‘Numeiro’ had no intention of going down. Despite being on wobbly legs, ‘Numeiro’ turned the tables and nearly put Essex on the canvas with a barrage of strikes.
‘Numeiro’ continued his relentless attack in the fourth and final round, earning a standing eight count of his own in the opening minute. With the fight potentially tied up, ‘Numeiro’ turned up the heat against an absolutely exhausted Essex. Still, that didn’t stop Essex from connecting with a crushing right that ‘Numeiro’ ate before returning fire with an overhand of his own.
With both fighters running on fumes, they’re content to let the time run out, sending us to the scorecards after four back-and-forth rounds of action.
Official Result: Joey Essex def. João ‘Numeiro’ Barbosa via majority decision (37-37, 38-36, 39-37).
Check Out Highlights From Joey Essex vs. João Barbosa at Misfits Boxing 22:
