I swear they better pay off that Mashiba has been landing solid body punches 2-4 times out of every one of their exchanges and the fact that Rosario had to do some harsh sweating to make weight right before the fight. If I had to bet, it’s that all of that damage is leading towards the one down that separates them.
Sure Mashiba took a rough down here, but throughout the fight his arc has been that of recognizing how he has evolved and now has support, expectations, and faith from so many people when before he was pretty much alone. He literally got up because of his thoughts of how grateful he was for support.
Rosario on the other hand has no support. He was betrayed in his street life, he can’t rely on dragging down Mashiba (using their kindred ‘Evilness’ as support), and in the end even his body will betray him by being unable to stand up.
At least that’s what I’m hoping happens because it will also intertwine nicely with the recurring idea of “A World Champion’s Fists are heavy because they carry the weight of more than just the boxer”.