Tie: Jarrett Hurd and Jeison Rosario fight for a draw in ten rounds

There was a tie between Jarrett Hurd and Jeison “Banana” Rosario.

The two former unified WBA/IBF middleweight titleholders fought their way to a ten-round points draw. In their bout above the middleweight limit, both boxers scored 96-94. Judge Jed O'Connor (95-95) could not find a winner in their ProBox TV main event on Wednesday night at the ProBox TV Events Center in Plant City, Florida.

Hurd used the jab primarily in the early rounds. The former titleholder from Accokeek, Maryland, was methodical. Rosario played defensively, a smart tactic given his sordid past of collapsing whenever he got hurt. The 29-year-old Dominican was right in front of Hurd, but was never in any real danger at any point in the fight.

The most dramatic moment in this regard occurred midway through the fight. Hurd fell through the ropes after Rosario accidentally bumped him with his shoulder. When the action resumed, Hurd landed a right hand, left hook, and right hand combination. Rosario's legs danced briefly, but he quickly regained his composure.

Rosario picked up the pace in round seven. Hurd's already focused attack was slowed as Rosario applied steady pressure. It continued into the eighth round before Hurd returned to the jab and controlled much of the ninth.

On the tenth and final lap, Rosario moved forward and tried to impose an aggressive pace, an approach that Hurd had to adopt, which almost gave away the round – and the win.

In his prime, Hurd was one of the best junior middleweights in the world. He held the IBF belt from 2017 to 2019 and also won the WBA belt during his reign. His reign ended in May 2019 with a point loss to Julian “J-Rock” Williams in the Washington DC area, near his hometown.

Rosario won the belts by fifth-round knockout of Williams in January 2020. He lost by eighth-round knockout to Jermell Charlo in September 2020 for their RING, WBC, WBA and IBF championships. Rosario suffered three losses in a six-fight span, but has now won and drawn in his last two starts.

Hurd was the favorite to win on Wednesday, but his reputation has slipped even further as a result. He is now just 1-3-1 in his last five fights.

Follow @JakeNDaBox