Taylor edges Galaz after back-and-forth affair
Middleweights Joe Taylor (6-2, 3 KO’s) and Ivan Galaz (58-9, 15 KO’s) opened the GLORY 63 SuperFight Series from the Arena Theatre in Houston.
Taylor closed the distance immediately and fired knees along the ropes. The Chilean Galaz answered with low kicks, before opening up with an axe kick attempt.
Taylor returned to his knee strikes while Galaz used low kicks to neutralize the hands of the Golden Gloves veteran. Near the end of the round a liver kick from Taylor found its mark and he landed yet another knee just as the round concluded.
At the start of the second round Taylor went looking for a flying attack but Galaz was wise to it and avoided any damage. He continued his strategy of using the right low kick to better Taylor’s lead leg.
In response, Taylor changed levels with his punches, working Galaz’s body. Galaz missed with a spinning attack in the final minute of the stanza, but did connect with more low kicks.
Blood dripped from Galaz’s nose at the start of round three. Taylor continued his trend of attacking early in the frame. He pressed forward, failing to give Galaz any space.
A fallen mouthpiece prompted a pause in the action while Taylor had it returned. When the action resumed, Galaz went back to work with the low kicks. Taylor tried to clinch to prevent further damage to his legs, and both fighters were warned for clinching.
A knee from Taylor thundered against the head of Galaz and he followed it with a right hand as the final horn sounded.
The judges were split, but the knees and boxing of Taylor was enough to convince two of the three that he had done enough to win.
Joe Taylor def. Ivan Galaz by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
