McIntyre’s frustration runs into a basic rule of the sport. Christian Mbilli held the interim title going into that fight, and a draw does not force a rematch. The champion moves on, and the challenger has to earn another shot. Lester had his chance and did not get the win.
That fight was supposed to be 12 rounds, same title, but they pushed it to 10 at the last week,” he said.
From his side, the issue is not just the draw but what came after it. McIntyre said they accepted a rematch immediately when the option came up, only for it to go the other way.
“We jumped on it right away, but guess who said no?” said BoMac about Mbilli.
The fight itself was not one-sided. Lester had success controlling stretches by forcing Mbilli backward with shoving and breaking up exchanges, often using physical strength to reset position. That approach, though, required constant effort and appeared to take something out of him late. The repeated pushing from Martinez drew attention as well, with some observers believing a warning or point deduction could have changed the result.
Those details leave room for more than one reading of what a longer fight might have produced. McIntyre believes the extra rounds from 10 to 12 would have changed the outcome of the Lester-Mbilli fight. The pace and physical demands of the fight suggest it was not that clear-cut.
Martinez’s 12-round decision win over Immanuwel Aleem last Saturday night offered a different look. BoMac praised Lester’s ability to stay off the ropes and keep the fight in the center, a visible adjustment on the night. That version of the 30-year-old Guatemalan Martinez, however, was not dealing with the same sustained pressure that had forced him back in his previous fight against Mbilli last September.
The annoyance in BoMac’s comments appears tied to what the draw cost them. A win in that fight could have moved Lester into position to fight Canelo in September in what would have been a lucrative one. Instead, that position shifted to Mbilli. Seeing Christian get the opportunity that Martinez could be getting has got to be frustrating for BoMac. He was so close to hitting the motherload.
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