With the EBU featherweight title on the line — and the chance to move closer to a WBC world title shot — Nathaniel Collins and Cristobal Lorente battled last night at the Braehead Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, in a card promoted by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.
And it truly was a battle, with both men giving their all throughout the 12-round contest. At the end of the fight, the judges declared a draw with the following scorecards: 115-113 for Collins, 115-113 for Lorente, and 114-114. A result that sparked more than a few doubts — not only among the audience but also among commentators. In this writer’s opinion, Collins deserved the win, clearly though by a narrow margin.
In the early rounds, the Scotsman dominated visibly, while the rounds awarded to the Spaniard were generally chaotic, the result of scrappy exchanges with little accuracy. Lorente’s determination to turn the bout into a close-range brawl nevertheless produced several swing rounds.
Entering the ring unbeaten with 17 wins (8 KOs), Collins was the favorite. A technically sound boxer, his strengths lie in footwork and timing — qualities that make him difficult to pin down. In his last three bouts, he had defeated Darwing Martinez, Italy’s Francesco Grandelli in a tough fight, and Lee McGregor, capturing the WBC Silver featherweight title.
Cristobal Lorente, from Barcelona, entered as the reigning European champion, having claimed the belt by majority decision against Mauro Forte. He brought a record of 20 wins (8 KOs) and 2 draws, the last of which came against Ruben Gil. Like Collins, he had also beaten Grandelli on points. Lorente is a skilled outfighter with a sharp and fast jab, adept at moving around the ring and managing distance with straight punches.
At the opening bell, Collins took the center of the ring, while Lorente started cautiously. The Scotsman came out strong, working with two- and three-punch combinations, darting in and out with speed and precision.
During the first three rounds, the Spaniard struggled, unable to land anything significant. Starting in the fourth, he pressed forward, trying to close the gap. Despite throwing more punches, Collins was more effective, especially with the uppercut, thanks to his timing and faster hands.
From round six, Lorente shifted gears and the fight became furious, with heated exchanges and a very high punch output. These were close rounds, likely leaning toward Lorente for volume and the impact of some shots. The Spaniard’s jab started to find the mark more often as Collins slowed slightly.
After a couple of rounds under pressure, Collins found his rhythm again in the eighth, moving well and timing sharp counters. Lorente, after a brief lull, resumed closing distance and trying to rough up the action.
Likely behind on the scorecards (at least as his corner must have thought), Lorente pressed forward aggressively in the championship rounds, while Collins appeared slower and less mobile. However, Lorente’s attack, though spirited, was messy and inaccurate, allowing Collins to land cleaner shots, especially hooks.
At the verdict, Lorente was pleased to retain his belt, while Collins showed visible frustration. Both expressed willingness to run it back.