Carlos Adames snagged a unanimous decision win at Zuffa Boxing 13 on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but don’t let the ‘win’ fool you: this card was a total snooze-fest. Fans watching early in the U.S. definitely needed a serious dose of caffeine to make it through, and honestly, the audience at The Venue in Riyadh seemed totally uninterested in the action. We’re talking boos during the main event. Seriously. The whole “Zuffa Boxing 13” should’ve been called “Zzzzzzzzzuffa Boxing 13” for how underwhelming the lineup and performances were.
Adames Verbally Shrugged After a “Subpar” Effort
WBC World Middleweight champion Carlos Adames of the Dominican Republic, rocking a 26-1-1 record with 18 KOs, walked through his first Zuffa fight with what the report called a “subpar effort.” But hey, it was still good enough for a wide decision over Gerome Warburton of Wales (18-3-2, 2 KOs). The scores were a landslide: 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92. Warburton, bless his heart, just looked happy to be on a major stage after the final bell, probably raking in the biggest purse of his career. Adames, though? When ringside reporter Mark Kriegel asked him to assess the fight, Adames literally “verbally shrugged.” He said, “I think he was just in the ring to basically survive. He wasn’t really here to win the fight. We could have done more. I think he could have done more, but he was just surviving.”
Here’s the kicker: this wasn’t even a title fight. It was a 165-pound catchweight bout. Adames holds the middleweight title, but then starts talking trash: “I can fight whoever I want. The real question is, ‘who wants to fight Carlos Adames?’ Anyone at 160, 168. Jaime Munguia, Lester Martinez, the Cuban Iglesias, anyone can get it.” What’s interesting is all those names Adames dropped are super middleweights, not middleweights. So, is our champ thinking about moving up? Because if he is, and he’s not making his weight class for non-title fights, it definitely makes you wonder.
Moloney Proves He’s Still Got It, While the Card Fizzles
In the co-main event, former world champion Jason Moloney of Australia (30-4, 20 KOs) secured a solid decision win against Andres Teran of Mexico (19-3, 14 KOs). At 35 years old, Moloney was out there to prove he’s still a player in the bantamweight division, especially after a lot of tough fights with world champions. He definitely delivered on that front, winning with scores of 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93. Outside of that, Andrew Maloney and Bruno Serace also went the distance in their fights, contributing to the overall sluggishness of the night.
It seems like Zuffa Boxing 13 delivered exactly what it promised: a whole lot of nothing. Hopefully, the next card brings some actual fireworks, because this one was a real test of endurance for anyone watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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