The 26 year old spent the previous fight standing behind the blue corner with her team, Jimmy Sosa and Nisa Rodriguez, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She walked to the ring after the announcer butchered her last name.
Barwick began the fight on the front foot as Novas backed away. When the two fighters got close, the scrap became dirtier than a pig in slop. Barwick led with her head as the two exchanged rabbit punches in the clinches. Referee Oscar Peña warned both fighters. Barwick landed a combination with a straight right followed by a jab to end the round.
Barwick had trouble mounting an effective offense for much of the fight because Novas jabbed and held, jabbed and held again. She feinted often in the second, but couldn't land off her feints. Meanwhile, Novas jabbed well, landed a counter right to the body, and did some more behind-the-head hunting.
Novas's best round was the third as she boxed in rhythm. The Dominican crowd got behind her, cheering with each landed jab. Barwick blocked most of her overhand rights, but the crowd whooped as if they had connected. Barwick managed to turn the tide at the end of the round with two straight rights.
The fourth round belonged to Barwick. She worked her right to the body in the clinches as if she were a throwback fighter from a hundred years ago. She added straight rights, and thwarted Novas's overhand rights.
Despite dropping the fourth, Novas danced before the start of the fifth. She scored with jabs that round, but Barwick scored with rights and in professional boxing's version of Rock, Paper, Scissors, the back hand beats the lead hand when a similar number of shots find their target.
The final round was nearly as rough as the opening one. Barwick was ready for Novas's propensity to foul. Peña didn't do enough to keep the fight clean, nor did he warn Novas once for holding, which she did repeatedly in the sixth. Barwick didn't land much in that round while the hometown fighter at least snuck in a few jabs.
When the scores were read 59-55, 58-56, and 58-56 for Novas, she looked pleasantly surprised while Barwick's face was filled with shock and disgust. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the bout 56-56.
Novas improves her record to 20-32-4 with 10 KOs. Barwick is now 6-1 with 6 KOs. Brooklyn fought a 55-fight veteran a bit too early in her career. Barwick didn't have an amateur career, only a few influencer bouts. She was also victimized by a hometown referee who allowed Novas to foul constantly and by the local judges. It's hard to justify a 59-55 score for Novas. Barwick's major issue was an inability to find her way inside enough and prevent the wily veteran from holding.
This fight was a lesson for Barwick, a pup in the game of boxing. Sometimes a dog's gotta pee on the rug a few times before it earns a treat.
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