Stiff Jab

Dusty Harrison Looks Like A Headliner Against Eddie Soto

gnagesh — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:51:03 -0400

Photos by Anna John for StiffJab.com

by Gautham Nagesh

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Like all entertainers, boxers are unpredictable by nature.

These men that fight for a living are often more temperamental than the brattiest teen idol in Hollywood. Almost every card includes at least one fight scratched because an opponent has succumbed to that peculiar sickness that takes hold between the weigh-in and the opening bell. Matchmakers can only book their fights, make their contingency plans, and pray.

If boxing is, in the end, simply show business, then another maxim holds true: the fans come to see the main event, not the supporting players. That might be a hard truth to swallow for some undercard fighters, especially since they are putting themselves at the same risk as their better-compensated peers. But it is the truth.

There were some complications on Saturday night during the first professional boxing show promoted by All-In Entertainment at UDC in Northwest Washington. Only five of the nine scheduled fights were completed, and writers were left typing their reports in blackness after a power outage cut the walk-out bout short. None of that mattered. To the nearly 3,000 fans that packed the auditorium it was a night at the fights, a moment to be savored regardless of context.

It is still far too early to saw how good 18-year-old D.C. welterweight Dusty Hernandez-Harrison will be. Even with 15 professional fights under his belt, Dusty is only scratching the surface of life as a professional fighter. But Hernandez-Harrison offered a tantalizing glimpse of his potential on Saturday night, displaying poise beyond his years during his 5th-round knockout of Eddie Soto.

Harrison looked every bit the polished professional, and completely at ease with his role as the face of the promotion. He delivered in the ring as well, flooring Soto twice with an educated right hand while making sure the crowd got their money’s worth. Perhaps Harrison could have risked more, and ended the fight sooner. But the rounds will serve him well in his development, and the maturity he showed will linger in the minds of those that watched this fight. And make no mistake, Dusty dominated this fight from the opening bell, right up until he put Soto down for the count with a final right hand.

To my eyes, as someone that has tracked his development closely over the years, I saw enough growth and development in this latest outing to indicate Harrison’s ceiling is much higher than I might have previously thought. The danger with Dusty will always be to risk too much, too soon, when he has already exceeded the expectations of many in the local community. Whether his team will have the strength to say no if ESPN or Showtime comes with an attractive but dangerous offer will be the true test. For the moment, they appear to be making all the right moves.

Credit should be given to matchmaker Michael Walters, because Soto was the perfect opponent at the perfect time for Harrison. The Pawtucket native was a prospect himself once, before failing to reach the next level and being relegated to a trial horse. Soto seemed thrilled to be part of the promotion all weekend, posing proudly at the weigh-in and after the final bell with Harrison and promoter Jeff Fried (top right). During the fight he tried, and gamely took a great deal of punishment before finally being counted out. But Soto never put Dusty in any real danger.

That was in part because of Harrison’s patient and intelligent approach, which consisted of staying on the outside and keeping Soto away with the jab. When Soto attempted to bob his way in, Dusty would look for a dangerous lead uppercut that landed more than once. By the end of the first round the right hand was landing, though not frequently, given Dusty’s deliberate pace.

Dusty kept looking for his opening and found it in the second round, after starting out dancing a bit more than the first. He kept up his jab and then followed it with a wide right hand, which journeyed around Soto’s guard to arrive at his chin. Soto went down hard but rose with a smile, and fought gamely for the rest of the round. Soto continued to march forward in the third round, while Dusty appeared to be measuring him for a big shot. Harrison kept up the jab on occasion, but seemed mostly interested in landing his straight right hand from distance.

Harrison’s jab was the most heartening aspect of the fight; he throws it with real snap and considerable speed, making it a real weapon that forced Soto back at times. By the end of the third Dusty’s jab had him touching Soto consistently, and he was following it with power shots upstairs and to the body.

Soto began showing signs of fading in the 4th round, but Dusty resisted the urge to open up and go for the early ending. Soto obliged his counterpunching style by continuing to march forward, despite continually getting hit. Soto finally landed a stiff right hand of his own in the 4th, but Dusty took it without any apparent impact. He responded with a tricky jab-right uppercut combination that did damage, along with a clean left hook at the end of the round.

The crowd sensed the end in the 5th, and began chanting Dusty’s name in its bloodlust. He responded by stalking Soto calmly, winging hard right hands that appeared to reach their target. Another hard right from closer finally put Soto down a second time, where he lay on the mat as referee Billy Johnson counted him out. Dusty climbed the ropes in celebration, as the crowd erupted in cheers. It was an undeniably electric moment, even for those that have attended world title fights.

As mentioned, the evening was not without its hiccups, but ultimately Dusty delivered the goods. His swagger, stoppage and celebration will likely be what most in attendance remember from this evening, not the fact a fight between two out-of-town debutantes was cancelled. The kinks must be worked out, and the quality of opposition on the undercard will hopefully rise, but All-In Entertainment has the makings of something special if they can stage even four D.C. shows a year of roughly this scale.

The co-feature saw local super middleweight prospect Jerry Odom score his fourth knockout in four fights by stopping Andrew Morias of Monroe, Mich. in the first round. Morias entered the ring wearing a shirt that read “I Am Detroit” but his performance was decidedly downriver.

Odom came straight forward from the opening bell, not worried about anything his opponent had to offer. Morias spent most of the round cowering along the ropes, where he was a plum target for hard body shots from the imposing Odom. A hard left hook to the midsection dropped Morias for the first time (above), though to his credit he rose. Odom went straight back after Morias, who failed to respond to five straight right hands to his unguarded torso.

The ref stepped in to stop the fight, while Morias shook his head in disgust. The crowd agreed with his opinion of the stoppage, booing loudly, but Morias would be wrong to think they had his best interests in heart. They just wanted Odom to get a chance to lay Morias out, and were left disappointed despite the convincing result. Not us. We love Odom’s style, and think he deserves a similarly badass nickname. Right now in the office we’re partial to “Two Tickets to Paradise,” a nod to his roots in one of D.C.’s roughest neighborhoods.

“I ain’t even get to see one ring girl, nothing. I ain’t even heard the bell ring,” complained one gentleman in the front row behind me. “I’ll be home in time to watch the [Lamont] Peterson fight.”

The boo birds were stoked, no doubt, by the cancellation of the bout scheduled for 2011 Stiff Jab Amateur Boxer of the Year Michael Reed (below). The Waldorf, Md. native saw his original opponent fall out and replacement Damon Antoine balk at facing him at the last moment. Reed will have to wait for his third professional fight, after losing a shot at what would have likely been a third knockout.

Speaking of knockouts, Northern Virginia light heavyweight Patrick Coye (below) delivered the highlight of the night by smashing fellow debutante Charles Parker with a right hand at the end of the first round. Coye entered the ring to screams from his sizable cheering section, but he was all business and barely acknowledged his fans. Coye’s strength advantage was quickly apparent when both fighters began firing; a right hand dropped Parker like a Stone, where he was counted out the old fashioned way.

“Is he a fighter?” the documentary producer to my right asked me after observing Parker’s gangly, awkward style.

“No,” I replied, after Coye had dropped him just an instant later.

Knockouts were indeed the theme of the evening, never a bad thing when launching a new promotion. Heavyweight Natu “The Samoan Truth” Visinia of Carson, Calif. scored a huge stoppage of his own over Big Phil Brown of Upper Marlboro, Md. with just 11 seconds left in the first round. Brown is a giant of a man, listed at 6’7” and weighing in at 307 lbs. in his stylish dress slacks. But he hadn’t fought since 2007. I asked him why he was coming back for this fight at the weigh-in, and he told me it was because boxing needs American heavyweights. He declined to reveal his game plan, besides telling me he planned to win.

Unfortunately, so did Visinia, and the 268-kb Samoan had a more concrete method to achieve his goal. Natu hurt Phil early with a hard right hand, then continued to jab and look for the right behind it. The two giants wrestled for much of the first minute, and the ref was forced to break them on more than one occasion.

“Let ‘em fight. This ain’t tiddlywinks,” observed an elderly gentleman behind me cheering for Phil Brown.

It was Visinia who came to fight, landing a left hook at the end of combination that forced Brown into the ropes. Natu kept up the pressure, landing another combination and then firing hard shots to Brown’s massive frame. Brown found himself trapped against the ropes, and then caught with a left hook as he tried to turn away. Visinia followed with more punches and the referee stepped in; it looked premature from across the ring. However, Brown was getting hit, and it only takes one or two unguarded blows to do serious damage with heavyweights. Given the context, it wasn’t bad enough to warrant serious scrutiny.

Local light heavyweight prospect Greg Newby (left) of Lime Lite boxing was scheduled to fight William Prieto (right) of Ohio on the card, but that bout was cancelled after Prieto had already entered the ring. A source close to the promotion indicated that Prieto had failed his final pre-fight medical screening, and could have allegedly been high or intoxicated to the point of nausea.

It wasn’t exactly a shock; Prieto’s pre-fight behavior could charitably be described as strange. He moped about the weigh-in on Friday sullenly before eventually taking the scales fully clothed- including his shoes. He still only weighed in at 166 lbs., well below the light heavyweight limit. Prieto also seemed borderline offended when a local news cameraman asked him to remove his shirt for a face-off, replying with a huff, “I’m good.”

We arrived late, as is our wont, but in time to catch the second half of the opening bout matching featherweight prospect Kevin Rivers Jr. and veteran trial horse Jason Rorie. Rivers is one of the brightest talents in the area, and he had been riding a streak of six straight knockouts. Rorie is rugged though, and he gave Rivers some good rounds before losing the unanimous decision. This kind of fight is crucial to the development of a prospect like Rivers and will serve him well down the road. Rivers showed that he can both take a punch and deal with some roughhousing and still remain in control.

Rorie is a small step, but Rivers seems more ready for advancement than some of his peers. Rivers seems much closer to a finished product than most local prospects, and also a bit hungry for the spotlight. At 7-0 he might be in the market for a real fight at some point this year, since a fighter with his amateur background has far more experience than his record indicates. His next fight is scheduled for the Ty Barnett undercard on June 15th, against the unremarkable Rasool Shakoor. A couple more fights after that and hopefully Rivers will be headlining a card like this himself before too long.

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Lucas Matthysse Stops Lamont Peterson

gnagesh — Sun, 19 May 2013 02:27:00 -0400

Photo by Tom Casino for SHOWTIME

by Gautham Nagesh

Not every tale can have a Hollywood ending. Lamont Peterson found that out the hard way on Saturday night, losing by knockout in the third round to Lucas Matthysse in Atlantic City on Showtime.

No one deserves a break more than Peterson, who has faced enough adversity in his 29 years for a small city. Saturday night’s main event in Atlantic City promised a lifetime of security to a man that had grown up without any. A win would guarantee one or two massive paydays; a loss might mark the high-water point of Peterson’s career.

Peterson had been to this big stage twice before, failing in his first attempt against Tim Bradley before pulling off the impossible against Amir Khan. But the Khan triumph was quickly followed by Peterson’s lowest moment as a professional, as a controversy over drug testing cost him a lucrative rematch. Lamont spent the next 14 months on the shelf, before a redemptive knockout win over Kendall Holt in March put him back in contention at 140 lbs.

Matthysse was a logical next step, with a true junior welterweight championship bout against Danny Garcia awaiting the winner. Visions of a Pay Per View superfight against Floyd Mayweather loomed down the road. The possibilities seemed limitless, provided Peterson could get past the heavy handed Argentine with just two controversial losses. Unfortunately for Lamont Peterson, beating Lucas Matthysse proved to be a bridge too far.

Peterson managed to box and move effectively in the first round, using his jab to keep the fight outside. Lamont tried to maintain that approach in the 2nd, but Matthysse’s pressure began to catch up with him in the second half of the round. Peterson began standing in the pocket and covering up, where he was a ready target for the Argentine’s heavy hands.

Matthysse followed Peterson to the ropes, where he landed a straight right to the body and a glancing left hook off Peterson’s temple. The blow wasn’t clean, but it hit hard enough to force Lamont to lose his balance and tumble to the mat. Referee Steve Smoger correctly ruled it a knockdown, and gave Lamont a count. Peterson rose and evaded his opponent until the bell, falling once in the clinch as his shaky legs betrayed him.

Matthysse sensed weakness to start the third and went straight for the knockout, winging huge shots with both hands. Lamont avoided him at first, but then stood and fought on the inside for the middle part of the round. The approach only hastened the inevitable. Peterson slipped a combination, then turned and looked for his left hook. Matthysse’s landed a nanosecond sooner, with catastrophic results. Peterson collapsed to the canvas in a heap.

Somehow Lamont rose, showing the kind of heart that makes one fear for a fighter’s safety. Matthysse obliged him by delivering a final barrage, sending Peterson down for the third time with a final left hook. Smoger had seen enough, and waved his arms over Peterson to stop the fight. Just like that, the Pride of D.C. had been extinguished. It hadn’t even taken three full rounds.

We planned to be in AC, but a confluence of events and the non-cooperation of Golden Boy contributed to us skipping what will surely be a long ride home for the many DMV residents that made the trek. Peterson told Jim Gray afterward that he got lazy with his jab and relaxed, allowing Matthysse to hurt him and finish the job. Perhaps, but in hindsight, this result was probably inevitable if both fighters came in near their best.

Peterson signed with Golden Boy before the Holt fight, but none of the promoter’s top brass bothered to attend that fight, and they didn’t seem interested in doing much with Lamont besides feeding him to Matthysse. Knockouts are a lot easier to sell than a slick boxer with a Dickensian inner-city backstory. No one can accuse Oscar de la Hoya and Co. of favoring the literary over the obvious.

Still, Lamont retains his IBF trinket through a bit of alphabet body chicanery, and losing to Matthysse is nothing to be ashamed of. Peterson should still be able to beat almost anyone else at 140 lbs.; we wouldn’t even write off his chances against Garcia. The road is far from over for Peterson, but it’s fair to say he will probably never top the pound-for-pound list. Lamont has almost everything you would want in a fighter except brutal knockout power. Sadly for him, the man standing in his way has that in spades.

Matthysse’s career has been no cakewalk either; many feel he has never been fairly beaten inside the ring. The Argentine’s power and lack of profile have prevented him from snagging the big fights, but there is no avoiding him at junior welterweight now. Garcia has consistently exceeded expectations during his rise, but his lack of dynamic speed or power make him the underdog against Matthysse in our view. A championship fight between the two would be the ideal companion to a Mayweather-Canelo this fall, if we are allowed to dream that big.

St. Louis welterweight Devon Alexander (right) cruised to a 7th-round stoppage of late replacement Lee Purdy in the co-feature. Alexander was too fast and too skilled for Purdy, who was called in to replace countryman Kell Brook after the fight had already been postponed three times due to injuries. Purdy was game but a class below Alexander, who owns one of the two disputed wins over Matthysse.

Purdy’s corner elected to stop the fight after the 7th. Despite protests from their fighter, it was the right call. Alexander was dominating the Englishman with one hand after injuring his left earlier in the fight. It mattered little, as Alexander is the rare southpaw with a vicious right hook. It was more than enough to keep the relatively basic Purdy at bay for seven full rounds.

This fight told us little we didn’t already know, but it did give Devon a chance to prove he’s not as boring as many fight fans think he is. He tried his best, standing in the pocket for most of the fight and punching at an absurdly high work rate for a welterweight. Whether it was enough remains in doubt, but Alexander took care of business, and that’s all he really can do.

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Preview: Dusty Hernandez-Harrison vs Eddie Soto This Saturday At UDC

gnagesh — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:39:09 -0400

Photos by Gautham Nagesh for StiffJab.com

by Gautham Nagesh

If you read this blog at all, you know we’re extremely upbeat about the both the present and future of DMV boxing. The current kingpins of D.C. will be on display in Atlantic City this weekend, but the next generation of stars will be honing their craft this Saturday at a more local (and appropriate) venue: the University of the District of Columbia Sports Complex.

Stiff Jab 2012 Prospect of the Year Dusty Hernandez-Harrison will continue his journey at welterweight with a step up against Eddie Soto of Pawtucket, R.I. Soto started his career with 12 straight wins before losing his last six, four by stoppage. As an opponent, Soto fits with Team Dusty’s plan to keep the risk low while exposing Dusty to various styles and skill levels. Harrison is also fighting at home for the first time this year after two bouts in Delaware and one in Mississippi.

“I’m happy to be home. Everybody missed me, they keep asking me when I’m coming home, so I’m glad to finally be back,” Dusty said at Monday’s media workout. “It should be the biggest fight yet that I’ve had.”

The fight should also serve as an early birthday celebration for Dusty, who turns 19 on May 21st. It’s hard to believe he will have 15 professional fights under his belt at such a tender age, but Dusty is hardly your typical teenager. He already handles the media and attention like an old pro, moving from national boxing writers to local reporters with ease. Yet he never comes off as someone in search of the spotlight.

“Pressure makes diamonds. If I can’t handle it, it’s not meant to be. Which is why I’m going to college,” Harrison said.

Dusty described Soto as a shorter fighter that likes to look for the big punch by jumping in with the overhand right or left hook. Dusty will look to avoiding those lunging shots and counter to the body, which is apparently Soto’s weakness. The fight will be Dusty’s second scheduled eight-rounder; the first ended with him stopping Nalo Leal in the third round last November.

“I’m prepared for it to go the distance, but I’m hoping it doesn’t,” Dusty said. “It’s a step up because he’s beat the type of fighters that I’ve beaten. Just when he tried to step it up, it didn’t work too well for him. So it’s a test for me. I think it’s the perfect type of step-up fight.”

Dusty is predicting a big and raucous crowd at UDC thanks to the slew of local prospects on the card, and the fact the various camps all back each other. Promoter Jeff Fried indicated he’s expecting a sellout; that would be a coup, since capacity at UDC is roughly 3,000. Fans are also expected to pack the Friday weigh-in at 6:00pm at the UDC auditorium.

The home atmosphere should only be enhanced by the fact Dusty recently enrolled at UDC and will start classes there this summer. He demurred when asked for a prediction, but then budged and gave us some indication of his expectations.

“I think the body shots will be bothering him in the middle rounds. That’s all I’ll say,” Harrison said.

The undercard is stacked with local talent, thanks mostly to the efforts of newly minted matchmaker and former boxing scribe Mike Walters. Walters told me he has high hopes fo the co-feature between local heavyweight Phil Brown and Natu Visinia of Lakewood, Cali. Brown hasn’t fought since suffering his only loss by majority decision in 2007. Walters told me Visinia is a big Samoan that can punch. So we’re expecting a knockout, possibly of the spectacular variety.

Stiff Jab favorite Jerry Odom (above) steps in the ring for the fourth time as a professional against Andrew Morias from my neck of the woods in Monroe, Mich. Odom could be the most promising prospect in the region, a decorated amateur and super middleweight with one-punch knockout power at just 20 years of age. After three wins, all by knockout, he remains independent and managed by his uncle, but that should change as more people get a taste of “The King’s Son.” We’ve been working on a story about Jerry for a while, but first we need to think of a new nickname for him.

Stiff Jab 2011 Amateur Boxer of the Year Michael Reed (top left) will fight for the third time as a professional against Christian Daniel, a debutante from that boxing hotbed of Wilson, N.C. Reed is fighting at 140 but plans to move down to lightweight, or even 130 lbs., at some point in the future. He’s a squat southpaw with excellent skills and fantastic pedigree, but remains managed and trained by his father Coach Buck at the moment. No matter; Reed is for real, and he fights out of Dream Team boxing, home of pros like Seth Mitchell and Terron Grant. So he definitely knows what it takes to make a living in the fight game.

The card will also feature light heavyweight Greg Newby of Lime Lite boxing, which is just around the corner in Columbia Heights, D.C. Newby will be looking for his eighth win as a pro and fifth knockout against William Prieto of Lorain, Ohio. We last saw Prieto getting stopped in the first round by Phil Jackson-Benson in November, and expect a similar result here.

Another promising young phenom, Kevin Rivers Jr., will go for his sixth straight knockout and seventh win overall against the tough Jason Rorie of Winston-Salem, N.C. Despite his subpar record, Rorie has been an excellent measuring stick for featherweight prospects like Rivers in the past; he went four rounds with NoVa implant Jerren Cochran just two fights ago. But Rorie has fought less frequently of late, and Rivers is a sparkling talent. We don’t see it lasting more than three rounds.

The card will also feature a pair of bouts matching fighters making their pro debuts: Patrick Coye vs Charles Parker at light heavyweight, and Blair Cobbs vs Dion Richardson at 140. Coye is from Alexandria, Va. and fought amateur locally, though I haven’t seen him fight personally. Parker is from Wilson, N.C., where getting beaten up is apparently one of the only available forms of work for certain young men. Coye should win. We know nothing about Cobbs or Richardson, but Mike tells us it should be a good scrap. Finally, welterweight Charles Natal (1-0-1, 1 KO) of Cleveland takes on Gabriel Morris (4-21-2, 5 KOs) of Toledo.

Card will be at the UDC Sports Complex at 4200 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, D.C. Tickets range from $20 for general admissions to $150 for VIP ringside; you can buy them here. Doors open at 6pm, first bell at 7pm. We’ll be ringside, hope to see you there.

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Opening Bell: Manny Pacquiao vs Brandon Rios Set For Nov. 24

gnagesh — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:02:41 -0400

by Gautham Nagesh

That video above of an old man busting loose at a Wizards game is exactly how most boxing fans feel after finding out that Manny Pacquiao will return from his two-loss winning stream against all-action warrior Brandon Rios in Macau on November 24th.

HBO Pay Per View will broadcast the fight in the U.S., while promoter Top Rank is reportedly teaming up with Major League Baseball Advance Media to make the fight available via Internet stream to fans in China at a much lower cost. If it works, this is the kind of visionary move that has kept Top Rank boss Bob Arum on top of the fight game for the past 30 years. Asian fans can’t get enough of Pacquiao, and they could be the key to him staying lucrative far beyond his days on top.

As for the fight itself, dubbing it alluring would be an injustice. This is a surefire, 100% guaranteed barn-burner for as long as it lasts. There is no subtlety to Rios, an aggressive fighter with a taste for blood. He does only one thing in the ring: stalk his opponent until they run or stop and trade. When they do the latter, they must contend with one of the best, toughest inside fighters left in boxing.

Rios’ marketability has never been higher, even though he’s coming off his first career loss against Mike Alvarado. The loss and his disputed win over Richar Abril show Rios is vulnerable against boxers that look to move and avoid engaging. Fortunately for him, Pacquiao is not one to shirk a fight. Like Rios, the Pacman can both punch and take a shot, but he’s also much faster and brings shots from unconventional angles. It will take every ounce of Rios’ will to avoid the first knockout loss of his career, considering how easy Bam Bam is to hit.

Pacquiao has plenty to prove himself after being flattened by one marvelous right hand from Juan Manuel Marquez in his last outing. Almost no one expects Pacquiao to rebound to his previous stellar form after such a debilitating loss, particularly at 34 years of age. If his chin or conditioning aren’t at least close to their previous levels, Pacquiao may find himself struggling with the formidable Rios. The uncertainty of his condition only adds to the intrigue, as even a small slip in Pacquiao’s conditions would open the window to another grueling war.

Rios is coming up in weight, and may not be ready for such a stern test after his recent run of hard fights. But fighters with his style are ideally not long for the sport, and he has long thirsted for a shot at the top. Perhaps it’s best challenge Pacquiao and be done with it; none of us are getting any younger really, and this is easily one of the most compelling fights that can be made in boxing.

We’d love to be ringside, but unfortunately the editorial budget can’t withstand a trip to Macau. Any of the big guys need a stringer?

Venezuelan Boxing Writer Killed: It’s with great sadness we pass along the news that Venezuelan sportswriter and BoxingScene contributor Jhonny Gonzalez was shot to death on Friday, according to multiple reports. Gonzalez was shot three times in the vicinity of the headquarters of the sports daily Lider where he worked. As a member of the tribe of fight scribes and the broader international community of journalists, he will be missed.

Pascal-Bute Postponed: The battle for Montreal supremacy between Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal at light heavyweight will have to be postponed after Bute suffered an injury to his left hand last week. The fight had been scheduled for the Bell Centre in Montreal as part of an HBO doubleheader with the Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler rematch from London. Bute’s stock has plummeted since getting stopped by Froch and barely holding on to beat fringe light heavyweight contender Denis Grachev. The Pascal fight is widely viewed as his most lucrative opportunity outside of a rematch with Froch, and as such we expect it to eventually take place.

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Local Boxers Chase Their Dreams In Queens

gnagesh — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:40:00 -0400

by Sarah Deming

JAMAICA, N.Y.—Fight fans in the outer boroughs have a lot to be thankful for. The Barclays Center has brought pugilistic prestige to Brooklyn, 2012 U.S. Olympian Marcus Browne is putting Staten Island on the map, and Queens is now home to some of the best local cards around, thanks to the mighty triumvirate of New Legend, Old World, and W.O.N. Promotions.

Saturday’s main event at the Resorts World Casino here featured undefeated super bantamweight Juan Dominguez (13-0, 9 KOs) of Brooklyn, who scored a powerful third-round stoppage of Manuel Herrera of Columbia. Dominguez simply overwhelmed Herrera, punching to the body with bad intentions.

In the co-feature, Joe “The Irish Bomber” Smith Jr. (above right) moved to 12-1 with a hard-fought unanimous decision win over Hamid-Abdul “The Dream” Mateen, (left) who fell to 3-4-2. I thought I recognized Mateen, and, sure enough, he used to train with me at Bed-Stuy Boxing, under the tutelage of the late, great George Washington.

Mateen’s older brother Ernest, a former cruiserweight world champion, died in a tragic shooting last year. Their father Ernest, Sr. also died from gun violence.

“It makes me go a little bit harder,” said Hamid Mateen, who works from 7pm to 3am loading trucks for Budweiser, goes home to sleep until noon, runs, then heads out to Gleason’s to train with Grant Seligson.

When asked why he boxed, Mateen replied, “I want people to know who I am.”

Today is Hamid Mateen’s 35th birthday. We hope all his dreams come true.

A six-round junior middleweight feature designed to showcase prospect Frank “Notorious” Galarza (9-0-1) (left) against the slick, tough Jason Thompson (5-6-2) (right) ended in a split draw. Unable to back Galarza up, Thompson showcased defensive panache and a surprisingly long jab.

I saw this fight as a win for Galarza, but was happy for Jason, who comes into my gym regularly to give sparring to the young fighters. He could have done something with the right management.

The split decision win for welterweight Ray Velez (2-3-0) over Angel Garcia (5-1-0) had me shaking my head. Aside from a second-round knockdown for Velez, there was little to recommend his performance here.

Garcia put on a clinic, displaying beautiful angles and combination punching. I was once again happy about this result for selfish reasons, since Velez’s corner contained Alex Velasquez, one of the best dancers in New York boxing circles, Dago Mederos, who is always giving me wine, and that guy “Diablo” with the permanent cigar. If there must be injustice in this world, let it always benefit my friends.

Brooklyn’s Allan Phelan improved his record to 2-2 with a second round stoppage of Jimmy Small of Cincinnati.

Daniel Hernandez wasn’t scared by featherweight Subryan Ramayya’s flag face (above). The exceptionally tall and awkward Hernandez boxed Ramayya to a majority draw, and a fight almost broke out afterward between the two entourages.

Twenty-three-year old junior lightweight Bryant “Pee Wee” Cruz got his fourth KO in as many fights when he stopped Alabama’s Michael Doyle in the last minute of their four-rounder. Cruz’s sister Oneyda was part of a large, warm cheering section for the ironically named Pee Wee, who had several inches of height advantage over his opponent.

The opening bout was a shutout for Brooklyn’s Shawn Cameron, who is coached by the excellent Don Saxby. Cameron improved to 5-0 and looked good in his camouflage Havocs, the brand of choice for New York fighters. Havoc gear is a little pricey, a little flashy, and takes some influence to obtain. If you’re betting on a fight, and the fight is in New York, put your money on the guy in the Havoc trunks.

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Floyd Mayweather Makes It Look Easy Against Robert Guerrero

gnagesh — Sun, 05 May 2013 01:35:00 -0400

Photo by Tom Casino for Showtime

by Gautham Nagesh

Welterweight Floyd “Money” Mayweather cemented his status as boxing’s pound-for-pound king by picking apart Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero on Showtime Pay Per View in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Floyd looked supremely comfortable against the overmatched Guerrero, who becomes the 44th notch on Mayweather’s unblemished record. Mayweather was landing his straight right hand from the outset, and made Guerrero look foolish at points. Guerrero’s heart and effort can’t be questioned, but he was simply not on the same level as the superlative Mayweather, who somehow impressed despite being the heavy favorite.

The phrase “vintage Mayweather” was tossed around more than once, perhaps a nod to the presence of Floyd Sr. in his son’s corner for the first time in many years. Floyd was clearly more concerned about defense than in his previous fight against Miguel Cotto, but also managed to tattoo Guerrero with hard right hands for almost the entire fight. Guerrero’s defense is lacking, and he was saved only by his granite chin. The Ghost ate a year’s worth of punishment from Floyd without tasting the canvas, though he was hurt several times.

Guerrero did enjoy his moments, mostly when Floyd went into a shell or attempted to rest by moving around the ring. But even then, Guerrero struggled to connect with more than one punch at a time, and he never appeared to affect Floyd in any serious manner. Statistics remain a flawed endeavor in boxing, but the punch count for this fight doesn’t lie: Floyd landed over 60 percent of his shots, while Guerrero landed only 20 percent.

Floyd seemed indifferent about ending the fight early, attacking at times in the later rounds, only to dance away and run out the clock instead. The difference is mostly aesthetic; Mayweather was in control by the end of the 4th round. Guerrero was never seen as much of a threat, and even when the fight went his way, Floyd seemed more than comfortable getting rough with him inside. Mayweather’s will to win remains his biggest asset, along with his remarkable physical talents.

Foremost among those gifts is his balance, which allowed Floyd to stay in the pocket and still avoid most of Guerrero’s hardest punches. Floyd would connect with a right hand, then duck forward and to the side before Guerrero had time to unload anything of substance. Early on, the Ghost would counter with shots to the body. When that strategy failed to slow Floyd as expected, Guerrero gave it up. Guerrero’s best moments were the fight’s worst, when both men were grappling together and slapping with their free hands.

The win changes little: Floyd is still the world’s top fighter, and there is no real rival on the horizon. Manny Pacquiao’s name is tarnished after the Juan Manuel Marquez defeat, and most fans seem over that fight anyhow. A rematch between Floyd and Marquez would crown a true welterweight champion of the world, which would be nice, but Floyd would still be a huge favorite. Our choice would be Floyd vs Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the junior middleweight championship of the world, the only big fight where Mayweather could actually lose.

Mayweather will probably fight Alvarez in the future, unless he plans to retire with his “0” intact, which increasingly seems to be the point. The Pay Per View buys alone would be difficult to turn down, especially since Floyd enjoys a healthy cut of the bottom line. Alvarez is a young, strong 154-pounder, and Floyd is 36-year-old natural welterweight. A win would elevate Floyd to all-time great status, while a loss would do little to harm his legacy. And yet, we doubt he would see it that way.

Golden Boy and Mayweather Promotions delivered a tremendous Pay Per View card, highlighted by the co-feature between Mexican featherweights Abner Mares and Daniel Ponce de Leon. Mares was the unknown quantity after moving up from 122 lbs., but he delivered in spectacular fashion, knocking Ponce de Leon down twice en route to a stoppage win. The referee unfortunately called an early end to the action in the 8th when Ponce de Leon was on the ropes, but Mares still deserves credit for a statement victory.

Mares came out looking to box, a stark contrast from his all-action style at super bantamweight. He landed a lunging left hook at the end of the 2nd round directly on Ponce de Leon’s chin, hurting the veteran badly and scoring a knockdown that lasted through the bell. Ponce de Leon regained his feet, but Mares stayed in control for the first half of the fight. Only in the 7th did Mares show signs of fading, allowing Ponce de Leon to land his trademark left hand.

Mares delivered a flash of brilliance in the 9th, unloading an overhand right on his opponent from point-blank range while locked inside. The punch somehow connected squarely and floored Ponce de Leon, who rose on unsteady legs. Mares came right after him, landing several hard shots, but Ponce de Leon was focused and attempting to respond when the referee stopped the fight. The early ending robbed fans of what promised to be a spectacular conclusion. Hopefully the Nevada Commission will review the ref’s actions before allowing him to work again.

Mares showed signs of greatness in the fight, boxing effectively and altering his usual style, then reaching down for the big shot when he needed it most. He clearly established his ability to both punch and take a shot at featherweight, and should have silenced any questions about his fitness for the division. Beating Ponce de Leon makes Mares a top-5 featherweight, but unfortunately he’s unlikely to battle top-ranked Mikey Garcia or rival Nonito Donaire any time soon. We’d love to see him fight a puncher like Javier Fortuna or Evgeny Gradovich, preferably on the Mayweather-Canelo Pay Per View show this autumn.

Detroit middleweight J’Leon Love was fortunate to stay unbeaten after eking out a split decision over Philly contender Gabriel Rosado. Stiff Jab scored the fight 96-94 for Rosado. Rosado floored Love with a right hand at the end of the 6th round for the first knockdown of the Detroiter’s career. That forced Love to open up over the next two rounds. But Rosado was more active and stronger in the final two rounds to pull ahead on our card. A draw or close decision for Love would have been understandable, but Judge Herb Santos’ score of 97-92 was shameful.

The shortest bout of the night came courtesy of rising Mexican super bantamweight Leo Santa Cruz, who battered Alexander Munoz en route to a fifth-round stoppage. Munoz courageously chose to trade with the aggressive Santa Cruz, but he couldn’t take the younger man’s power and went down in the third. Munoz rose and courageously survived the next round, even as Santa Cruz threatened to overwhelm him.

His corner should have saved Munoz between rounds, but they didn’t, instead sending him out to answer the bell for the 5th. Santa Cruz did the merciful thing, turning up the pressure and forcing Munoz’s corner to throw in the towel just a minute into the round. Santa Cruz is a made-for-tv fighter, and could be a potential opponent for Mares down the road. But he seems better suited for 122 lbs., where he could challenge Anselmo Moreno for the division’s top slot.

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Opening Bell: Zab Judah Stands Tall In Defeat

gnagesh — Sat, 04 May 2013 05:03:00 -0400

by Gautham Nagesh

Apologies for the sparse posting this week, dear readers. Congress was kind enough to leave town the week before the first big Pay Per View boxing card of the year, and we were anticipating a full week of coverage. Unfortunately, the news cycle didn’t comply, so I’ve been forced to spend my week writing about Internet sales tax legislation, the new FCC chairman, and other similarly mundane matters.

However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t start this column by looking back to last week’s card in Brooklyn, which Sarah Deming covered on our behalf. As Sarah notes, I was less than kind to Zab my preview, and we’ve taken our share of shots at him since his dismal showing against Amir Khan almost two years ago. But the truth is I like Zab a lot, as a person and as a fighter. Like many fight fans, I have always thought he had the tools to become one of the greats. That he fell a little short of those goals is a disappointment, but shouldn’t erase what he has achieved in the ring.

Regardless of what else has happened, Zab is a champion. He proved it by standing up to Danny Garcia’s assault for the full 12 rounds, especially after he was badly hurt in the 6th round. As to what kept Judah standing, we can only agree with little Reuben and ascribe it to fighting in front of his people in Brooklyn.

Regardless, any fighter that steps between the ropes deserves respect, especially from writers putting themselves at no risk. I neglected that rule, and am happy to apologize and once again openly express admiration for the fighter, which is why I started this site in the first place.

Zab is one of those colorful, unpredictable characters that make boxing what it is. I can’t say that he won’t ever give me cause to shake my head, but next time I will at least keep an open mind, and give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s earned that much at least.

Showtime Finding Its Legs: These are the salad days at Showtime, which has come closer to shedding its little brother status in boxing than ever before with its recent moves. That includes allegiances with Golden Boy and pound-for-pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather, as well as the hiring of former HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg.

Greenburg is served as an executive producer of All Access: Mayweather vs Guerrero, and his influence was quickly evident. Like HBO’s 24/7, All Access is essentially a commercial for the Pay Per View main event between Mayweather and Robert Guerrero, except in this case Mayweather himself is credited as an executive producer. However, Showtime’s hype show has struggled in the past to match HBO’s gorgeous HD cinematography and Liev Shreiber’s succinct, dignified voiceover narration.

In the past the difference in quality between Showtime’s boxing documentaries and HBO’s was stark, but that gap is closing, and we have to credit Greenburg. He’s a veteran in this field, and he has even managed to counteract Floyd’s desire to showcase himself in the most positive light possible. Mayweather is constantly on and trying to impress, and his team is similarly on-message. But the improved production values also help viewers zoom in on the edges where the smiles might be cracking.

All Access is still hardly compelling, especially to people familiar with these two fighters, but it’s a world better than previous Showtime efforts. The same can’t be said for the Mayweather special on CBS, which did away with any pretensions in favor of a full-court press approach to reforming Floyd’s tarnished public persona. It will take a lot longer than one hour on broadcast TV for the public to forget some of Floyd’s less flattering acts, but I suppose it’s a start. At any rate, Showtime is showing programming improvement in fits and starts, and that is something to be commended.

June Heating Up Fast: Top-ranked featherweight Mikey Garcia tweeted this week that he is signed to fight Puerto Rican banger Juan Manuel Lopez in Dallas on June 15th. The fight should only add to what is shaping up to be an excellent June for boxing, with big shows scheduled for almost every weekend that month. We’re also looking forward to June 8th, which will see HBO and Showtime go head to head once again with quality shows.

HBO will broadcast a show from Montreal headlined by light heavyweight champ Chad Dawson vs local puncher Adonis Stevenson and Cuban junior lightweight Yuriorkis Gamboa against the unbeaten young Colombia Darley Perez. On that same evening Josesito Lopez and Marcos Maidana will engage in a 12-round welterweight war on Showtime in California that’s almost sure to make the shortlist for Fight of the Year. And it may not even be the best fight on the telecast, as junior middleweight contenders Erislandy Lara and Alfredo Angulo will clash in the co-feature.

But the biggest show for Stiff Jab readers will probably be June 22nd at Barclays in Brooklyn, where Adrien “The Problem” Broner will rise two weight classes to challenge local contender Paulie Malignaggi. The pre-fight hype alone will be worth the price of admission, but the co-feature on Showtime is the rematch of Seth Mitchell vs Johnathon Banks, so you know that we’ll be ringside for all the action.

HBO will close the month at Foxwoods with Gennady Golovkin vs. Matthew Macklin at middlweight and Thomas Oosthuizen vs Brandon “Flawless” Gonzalez in a matchup of unbeaten super middleweights. In between ESPN and NBC Sports have solid shows featuring Bryant Jennings, Sergey Kovalev, Braulio Santos and others. Set your calendars now, and make it clear to your significant other that you won’t be going out on Saturday night any time soon.

Floyd Mayweather vs Robert Guerrero Bout Sheet Provided by...

gnagesh — Sat, 04 May 2013 00:00:22 -0400

Floyd Mayweather vs Robert Guerrero Bout Sheet

Provided by Golden Boy and Mayweather Promotions

Preview: Floyd Mayweather vs Robert Guerrero

gnagesh — Fri, 03 May 2013 23:53:00 -0400

Photos by Tom Casino for Showtime

by Gautham Nagesh

Genius rarely takes an appealing form. But make no mistake, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a boxing genius, on par with any fighter that has laced up a pair of gloves.

History is littered with countless examples of great men whose personal failings were whitewashed in light of their achievements. Boxing is no different; Sonny Liston was a violent criminal before becoming heavyweight champion, Don King a convicted murderer long before his first promotion. Boxing has been run by crooks and criminals, thieves and low-rent thugs. Many of them are still around. It’s hardly a place for the pious or self-righteous.

Robert Guerrero is both of those things; central casting couldn’t have produced a better champion for the throngs of Floyd-haters than “The Ghost.” His arrest for gun possession not withstanding, Guerrero is the perfect fighter to play the hero to Floyd’s heel. Guerrero’s main backstory is his devotion to his wife, a cancer survivor. He spends every interview praising God and playing the humble Mexican-American fighter, while Floyd shamelessly preens and flaunts his wealth.

But the beauty of boxing is that once the bell sounds, nothing matters but what happens inside the ropes. And no one in the world is more comfortable in the boxing ring than Floyd Mayweather. He remains a superb stylist, a fluid and elegant counterpuncher of the first order with a preternatural talent for avoiding punches. Guerrero, on the other hand, is a dirty fighter, and one that has never scored a knockout above lightweight. His only hope is to hurt Mayweather with something other than a fist and hope the referee doesn’t notice.

Floyd’s personality may grate, but his style is pure poetry to lovers of the Sweet Science. There is simply no one better at “hit and don’t be hit” than Mayweather, the scion of the first fighting family of Grand Rapids. Even as his shows signs of slowing, Floyd’s immense skill should allow him to dominate the much rougher Guerrero. The Ghost is plenty skilled in his own right, but Floyd will make him look slow and foolish at times .

Guerrero’s best bet is to use his reach and jab Floyd constantly, while working his way in close and trying to make it a brawl. Punching Mayweather’s head is nearly impossible, so the focus early should be on his body, arms and shoulders, even below the belt if necessary. Once those blows start to tell, Guerrero could potentially force Floyd to stand and trade in the later rounds, in hopes of convincing the judges to give him the decision.

Floyd has been ruffled a few times in recent fights, especially when forced against the ropes. Constant pressure and a little bending of the rules will probably be necessary to keep Mayweather on his toes. But the only way for Guerrero to win a decision in Floyd’s hometown is to out-work him constantly, and hope Mayweather has an off night. That doesn’t seem likely, given Floyd’s experience and lengthy track record, but there’s a first time for everything.

Still, I see Floyd handling the pressure well, especially when Guerrero starts to lose steam or stops jabbing after the first couple rounds. Those short left check-hooks that Floyd throws may discourage Guerrero’s advance, or it could be the straight right hand followed by some quick footwork to get away. Regardless, the main problem should be Floyd’s ability to control the fight at a distance, and make Guerrero pay in order to get in. Referee Robert Byrd will also play a large role, given Mayweather’s propensity for holding inside, where Guerrero will try to get rough.

The pick is for Floyd to remain undefeated with a clear decision, or possibly a late knockout thanks to accumulation of blows. Guerrero is a good fighter that has never beaten a top-notch welterweight, so there’s no telling whether he can take Floyd’s power. We know Floyd can take a punch, and Guerrero isn’t especially known for his power, so a knockout for the Ghost would challenge Buster Douglas for the sport’s most unlikely. There’s always the possibility of a close decision that goes Guerrero’s way, which seems like his best-case scenario.

A solid Pay Per View card includes an excellent featherweight scrap as the co-feature between Abner Mares (right)and Daniel Ponce de Leon. Mares was great at 122 lbs., but featherweight is a whole different game. The winner would be in line for a unification bout with Mikey Garcia for the chance to become the true featherweight champ of the world. We’re taking Mares in a barnburner, which may include knockdowns for both fighters. Ponce de Leon is tough, so we’re not discounting his odds of coming out on top. It’s a 50-50 fight.

Mares’ ascension to featherweight leaves Leo Santa Cruz(left) as Golden Boy’s top fighter at 122 lbs., which they probably prefer to having their two potential cash cows meet inside the ring. Santa Cruz is an exciting fighter thanks to his perpetual forward motion and body attack; he already shows signs of becoming a big attraction in the future. His opponent Alexander Munoz has been in with very good competition and should present a test, but we’re taking Santa Cruz on points.

J’Leon Love of Detroit (left) and Gabriel Rosado of Philadelphia will meet in the Pay Per View Opener, which means you should either be in your seat early or have the DVR programmed correctly. Rosado is a warrior, a fan-friendly fighter with a ton of heart. But his best weight is 154, and this fight is at 160. Rosado put up a good effort against middleweight demolition artist Gennady Golovkin, but ultimately succumbed to the Kazakh’s power. Love is not the same sort of puncher as Triple G, and this will be a much closer fight.

Rosado had the correct game plan against Golovkin, and should fight smartly again in this fight. Love is a good talent, but this is a pretty big step up for him, and he doesn’t have the power to make up for mistakes. If Love stays close and makes it an inside fight, Rosado will have the edge. If he uses his size and reach to out-box the Philly native, Love should be able to win a decision. But Rosado will have his say, and we’re picking him to pull the upset on the kid from Motown, as much as it pains us. If Love does win as his handlers at Mayweather Promotions expect, he should be considered a finished product. Another pick-em fight.

*********************

Fox Deportes has a card tonight at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas featuring a host of Golden Boy and Mayweather Promotions prospects, including Dominic Breazeale, Joseph Diaz Jr, Errol Spence Jr., Anthony Dirrell, and Anthony Orozco…Heavyweight boss Wladimir Klitschko will defend his belt collection against Italy’s Francesco Pianeta Saturday in Mannheim, German on Epix. Pianeta best wins came last year against Frans Both and Oliver McCall, both in their mid-40s. He will most become the 51st knockout victim of Klitschko’s Hall of Fame career.

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Brooklyn Boxing: Danny Garcia & Peter Quillin Win, Zab Judah Stands Tall In Defeat

gnagesh — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 18:31:09 -0400

Fight photos by Tom Casino for Showtime

by Sarah Deming

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—On my way into the Barclays Center on Saturday night, I ran into Stiff Jab favorite Lamont Roach Jr., enjoying a strawberry frappuccino with a beautiful woman who turned out to be his mother. The amateur champ was picking top-ranked junior welterweight Danny Garcia by decision in the main event over Zab Judah, but Mom disagreed.

Lamont Roach Jr. and mother, other photos by Sarah Deming for Stiff Jab

“I think Zab came to fight,” she said. “I’m old school.”

So am I. D.C. has the Gary Russells, but here in Brooklyn we have the nine fighting Judah brothers and their magisterial parents. Even in Zab’s most thuggish incarnation, he’s always had a good word for those coming up.

The bad blood between the Judah and Garcia camps began when this fight was rescheduled due to a training injury suffered by Garcia, and it escalated through the pre-fight trash-talking of Angel Garcia, Danny’s ubiquitous trainer and father.

Although Zab has found God now, not all his friends have. By main event time, there were signs of heavy weather at the Barclays Center, with scattered weed smoke and a slight chance of riots. Maybe this was why all the bars closed early. A line of six security guards in red shirts stretched between neutral corners during the introductions, keeping the camps apart.

Photo: Zab poses at the press conference with Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington, Jr.

I was sitting way up on the suite level with the Atlas Cops and Kids team. The high definition screen provided a better view of the action, but when the bell sounded, I found myself watching the ring. In this battle of experience vs youth, I felt I owed it to Zab to abandon technology and watch the thing itself.

Garcia’s most famous punch is the perfect left hook that did in Amir Khan. At the open workout, Zab had assured us, “I ain’t worried about his hook. I live in Vegas. I duck hookers all day.” But Garcia had polished up his lead right hand leading up to the fight.

Mindful of his opponent’s elusiveness, Garcia punched to Zab’s chest in the early rounds. I was dismayed at the correctness of this strategy. The hammer fell in round five, when Zab risked a big one-two and Garcia countered beautifully over the low left. Zab’s legs noodled.

The sixth was target practice. Zab staggered around the ring, eating right hand after right hand. The traitorous crowd, which had been chanting “Brooklyn!” and “Judah!” now broke out in cheers of “Danny! Danny!”

“How is Zab still standing?” I asked my neighbor, whose pint-sized son Reuben is the cutest child in our gym.

Photo of Reuben being cute by Sarah Deming.

“He’s fighting in front of his hometown, that’s why,” Reuben replied.

Judah’s remarkable survival of round six should put an end to any doubts (ahem, Gautham!) about Zab Judah’s heart. Amazingly, his 35-year-old legs seemed steady again in the seventh, and he even landed a nice straight left, but Garcia’s excellent body work continued to tell.

In the eighth, Zab risked another one-two. The left cross landed, but Garcia countered with a one-two of his own, and his two was harder. Zab fell back on the seat of his trunks, rising with a crescent moon of blood over his left cheekbone.

I gritted my teeth and free associated as Zab bled his way through the ninth round. In his superb essay “Cut Time,” Carlo Rotella wrote that, when a boxer is cut, “What was inside and hidden, implicit in the fight, has come outside and taken form.”

I thought about Shylock’s “If you prick us, do we not bleed?” and something Zab’s mother had said to me at the weigh-in: Of all the nine brothers, she had known Zabdiel would be the best boxer because he didn’t mind getting hurt if he could hurt you back. Boxers are blessed because they get to show who they are. After nine rounds of punishment, Zab swept the final three on all the scorecards.

An accidental headbutt in the twelfth gave Garcia a vertical cut on his forehead in the spot known in yoga as the third eye. Both finished bloody, the difference in skin colors blurred beneath the wash of red. Although the six bodyguards reappeared to divide the camps while they waited for the decision — to Garcia 115-112, 114-112, 116-111 — the storm had passed. The two embraced in a show of good sportsmanship after the bell, their animosity spent over the previous 12 rounds.

On the undercard, Grand Rapids native Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin successfully defended his WBO middleweight title against Fernando Guerrero of Salisbury, Md. in a bout that had the crowd roaring. Guerrero leaned into a big right hand from Quillin and was down twice in the second round, but Quillin couldn’t close.

Guerrero rallied bravely in the sixth, landing about five clean lefts in succession, but either Quillin has a great chin or Guerrero can’t punch. A perfect right uppercut from Quillan set up the TKO at 1:30 of the seventh round. Kid Chocolate displayed impressive power, but he can’t get hit like that if he wants to take down the top dogs at middleweight.

Classy middleweight Danny Jacobs dominated Keenan Collins in a fourth-round knockout, Jacobs’ third fight since making a miraculous recovery from bone cancer.

Danny Garcia’s father Angel, he of the notorious trash-talking, is also a cancer survivor. In a rare bipartisan moment at the weigh-in, I caught Garcia’s twin twelve-year-old sisters selling lemonade to Judah fans (photo below), the proceeds to benefit cancer research.

In a battle of veteran southpaws, Brooklyn’s Luis Collazo (below) pounded Miguel Callist, hurting him badly in the third and stopping him in the fifth. Collazo made his ring walk to a rap song written for him by seventeen-year-old Brooklyn rapper BIBO.

Bronx’s rising junior middleweight Eddie Gomez looked like he was trying to knock out Luis Hernandez of Ecuador with every shot. The skillful Hernandez showed huge heart, surviving several knockdowns during his eight-round decision loss and still staging occasional rallies.

Having heavy hands is like being born rich: People treat you with a respect you’ve done nothing to deserve. At the end of the 7th, Gomez looked frustrated at Hernandez’s refusal to go down and rabbit punched twice during a clinch. Hernandez motioned to the back of his head; Gomez responded with a contemptuous gesture of “let’s mix it up.”

After the bell, Hernandez remained in center ring for a moment, staring after his opponent with a forlorn expression. I was suddenly very sad for this man who came all the way from Ecudaor to ply his trade on a prospect who would not even remember his name.

Speaking of names, I was going to make fun of Boyd Melson’s, but then I met the middleweight walking home from the fight, his face bruised from his six-round decision win, and he was so nice to me that I felt guilty, a guilt that increased when I read online that he donates his entire purses to spinal cord injury research.

I think Melson’s tubby, balding opponent, Edgar Perez of Puerto Rico, was the one who had weighed in completely naked. You could tell the status of the fighters at the weigh-in by how much coverage was offered in the event of an unscheduled removal of underpants. Peter Quillin got a towel held by two attendants. Eddie Gomez had to make do with a tee-shirt that only shielded his front.

This was fine by me — a limited amount of male nudity always lifting my spirits — but I found it de trop when poor Edgar Perez had to make do with his own two hands.

London Olympian “Sir” Marcus Browne notched his fourth KO in as many outings, stopping Philadelphia’s Taneal Goyco at 54 seconds into the second round. Browne’s win came so early that most of his entourage, who rolled into the Cops and Kids suite jazzily behind the beat, missed the fight.

Welterweight Zachary Ochoa won a four-round shutout over Calvin Smith that I missed while going in search of Calexico loaded nachos, my preferred vegetarian option at the Barclays Center.

Miguel “No Fear” Cartagena of Philly outclassed Angel Carvajal of Chicago in a fun four-round match of undefeated bantamweights. Cartagena showed lovely angles, catching the shorter man coming in.

In the opening bout, DC’s super middleweight D’Mitrius Ballard dominated reticent southpaw Marcus Clay with good a body attack, stopping him in the second.

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Doc Octagon Speaks: On Eyepokes

droctagonmd — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:59:00 -0400

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

People have been discussing what to do about accidental eyepokes in mixed martial arts for some time now. There is no way to fix the gloves so that eyepokes are impossible without fucking up the grappling game. There are two problems with the eyepoke: First, the refs almost never see them. Second, there is absolutely no detriment to the poker.

With regard to the first issue, they need to start letting the fighters signal when there’s been an eyepoke in order to stop the action. The way things are now, if the ref doesn’t see it and one guy reacts like he’s clearly been poked in the eye, the ref does nothing. Then the pokee has to hope that the other guy doesn’t fucking murder him while he can’t see. That happened more than once tonight at UFC 159.

Sometimes the ref even refuses to stop the action. It’s not the ref’s fault a lot of the time that they don’t see this shit. If you’re not in slow motion at the exact right camera angle, you just see two guys throwing hands. They need to let the fighters call time, and if the replay shows no eyepoke, they can penalize them a point or something. The current system isn’t working.

The second issue with eyepokes is that there really isn’t any penalty for doing it. Has anyone ever seen an eyepoke ruled intentional? I haven’t, ever. That’s probably correct, because they’re not really intentional, they’re more often negligent. They come from guys who know there is no penalty just pumping out their hand with fingers outstretched. If there was some sort of penalty for sticking your finger in a guy’s eye, fighters might be a little more careful.

Michael Bisping’s eyepoke in particular, he was clearly sticking his hand out with his fingers outstretched. Bisping’s not a dirty fighter, and obviously didn’t mean to do it, but if you’re ahead by two rounds on the card, you shouldn’t get a certain win if you put your thumb in your opponent’s eye. They need to give the ref the ability to take a point for accidental eyepokes. Shit’s just getting out of hand.

The shit that happened in the OSP vs. Gian Villante fight was a fucking joke. Gian got poked in the eye hard, referee Kevin Mulhall didn’t see it, and didn’t stop the fight. OSP obviously didn’t think it was sporting to beat the shit out of Villante when he was squatting and holding his eye. Mulhall immediately asked Villante if he could see, which he obviously couldn’t because he just took a thumb in the eye from a Division 1 football player, and rather than giving Villante the customary time to recover, Mulhall called off the fight. That’s the worst decision I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure what the explanation is going to be afterwards, but I expect it will be the usual bullshit excuses.

UFC 159 Recap: Jon Jones Stops Chael Sonnen in Newark

droctagonmd — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:40:00 -0400

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Strange night of fights. Here’s what went down:

Jon Jones, as expected, mauled Chael Sonnen in the first round. Jones managed to horrifically break his toe in the process; he looked like he was going to barf after the fight. If Chael was able to hang on another thirty seconds, he would have been the new UFC light heavyweight champion.

Alan Belcher did not seem to want any part of Michael Bisping, and just hung out outside without putting up much offense while getting picked apart. The fight was ended early on a vicious eyepoke from Bisping to Belcher’s surgically repaired eye. Bisping won on the scorecards.

Roy Nelson demolished Cheick Kongo with an overhand right in the first round, as expected.

I know I keep saying it, but the fights went according to script. Vinny Magalhaes was unable to get the fight to the ground, instead getting picked apart by Phil Davis’ halfway-decent striking.

Pat Healy and Jim Miller fought for the title of best lightweight in the UFC with a ginger beard and a shaved head. Healy looked like a beast and was able to submit Miller in the third. Miller refused to tap and ended up unconscious.

For those of you keeping score at home, that was two fights that ended due to eyepokes and two fights with brutal injuries to the small digits. Jones was lucky that the fight ended when it did, because there’s no fucking way a doctor would have let him start the second with his toe perpendicular.

Rustam Khabilov vs Yancy Medeiros

droctagonmd — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 21:37:00 -0400

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Big Dan is in the ring. Finally a ref who’s not an assclown.

Round 1: Leg kick by Yancy Medeiros. Right by Yancy. Right by Rustam Khabilov, then another. Huge right by Yancy misses. Rustam catches a kick and jumps on the back. Yancy pops up, but Rustam takes a single. Yancy pops back up.

Big Dan stops the fight because Yancy has dislocated his thumb. Totally reasonably stoppage, but I’m pissed because this fight was looking good.

Rustam Khabilov by TKO due to thumb injury. What a terrible card so far. Hopefully the rest of the fights are better.

Ovince St. Preux vs Gian Villante

droctagonmd — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 21:21:00 -0400

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Lot off fighters sponsored by Salesforce.com tonight. I fucking hate Salesforce. Ovince St. Preaux vs Gian Villante up next, live updates after the jump:

Round 1: Leg kick by Gian. High kick by Ovince. Villante catches a kick and grabs on to a single leg. Villante lets it go and shoves Ovince against the cage. Ovince lands a weak left uppercut as they disengage.

Leg kick by Gian. Ovince coming forward striking. Head kick by Gian is blocked. Ovince comes forward with some big punches and Gian is hurt, but able to tie up Ovince before he takes any more damage. Ovince landing punches to the body. Knee to the body by Ovince. Ovince swarms. Villante tries for a takedown, but Ovince shakes him off.

Ovince lands a left. Villante has a tape issue with his hand and is taking a breather as the ref cuts it. Ovince tries for a takedown. Gian lands a right elbow. Both fighters look winded. Head kick by Gian is blocked. Big right from Ovince.

10-9 St. Preux

Round 2: Nice leg kick by Gian. Leg kick by Ovince. Leg kick by Gian. Leg kick by Gian. Ovince is winded and dropping his hands. Not a lot of action in this round so far.

Leg kick by Ovince. Left hand by Ovince is blocked. Gian landing leg kicks, but not much else. Ovince shoots and Gian grabs his neck. He lets go and lands a left hand. Leg kick by Gian. Right lands ffrom Gian. Head kick by Villante. Leg kick from Villante. The crowd boos. Ovince lands a nice left, but doesn’t follow it up with anything.

Leg kick from Gian. Another. Ovince throws a pair of punches and complains about an eye poke, but the ref isn’t stopping the action. Leg kick from Gian. Right hand by Gian. Tough round to score due to the lack of action, but I’m scoring it for Villante for pushing the action a little more.

10-9 Villante.

Round 3: Left by Ovince lands. Leg kicks from Gian. Gian is complaining about an eye poke and sits down before the ref stops the action. Idiot ref is saying he has to stop the fight as Gian pleads with him. Villante just needed some time to recover.

What the fuck. This ref is a fucking idiot. If these fighters weren’t holding up out of a sense of sportsmanship, they’d be getting murdered while they were half-blind.

This is terrible officiating. The ref is standing on the other side of the octagon and not paying attention to eyepokes. He asks the fighter if he can see immediately after he gets poked in the eye, and Gian says no. No shit. HIs fucking eye is closed because the other guy just put a thumb in it. How about giving him some time to recover? When a guy fucks up this badly in the ring, they need to fire him

We’re going to the scorecards.

Judges score it 30-28, 30-29, and 29-29 for Ovince St. Preux. Fucking travesty.

Sheila Gaff vs Sara McMann

droctagonmd — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:45:00 -0400

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Sara McMann is an Olympic wrestler. Sheila “The German Tank” Gaff is a vicious striker.

Oh Christ. What the fuck is ring announcer Bruce Buffer wearing? A red tux?

We went from UFC boss Dana White saying women’s MMA was never going to happen, to having a women’s fight on pretty much every card. Now that’s progress. It doesn’t hurt that there hasn’t been a bad women’s fight yet.

Round 1: Gaff runs forward. McMann immediately takes Gaff down with a double. McMann working the body from inside the guard. Those punches look pretty vicious. The ref stands them up.

McMann punches Gaff in the face and ties her up. Gaff is landing knees to the body, but McMann gets a single leg and is in side control. She’s lighting up Gaff’s face with both arms trapped; the ref ends it.

McMann by TKO.

Brian Caraway vs Johnny Bedford

droctagonmd — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:29:00 -0400

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Hopefully Miesha Tate doesn’t tell her husband Brian Caraway that he’s winning the fight against Johnny Bedford while he’s losing, like she did last time when he failed to push the action and lost a decision. Live updates after the jump:

Round 1: Left by Caraway. Caraway shoots, but it’s stuffed. Eye poke. Bedford just keeps fighting. Caraway is landing the left pretty easily. Left by Caraway lands again. Front kick by Caraway. Bedford lands a right hand. Left hook to the body by Caraway.

Caraway gets a hold of Bedford and drags him to the ground. Caraway is stuck to Bedford’s back and is covering his mouth. Bedford doing his best to defend the choke. Bedford is able to get up and whiffs on a big kick.

Big right from Bedford and a kick to the body. Left lands again for Caraway. Bedford didn’t even really notice it this time. Left lands for Caraway. Right uppercut for Caraway. Bedford with a knee to the body. Pair of huge punches from Bedford, but Caraway shakes it off. Caraway shoots and lands a few more punches as the round ends.

10-9 Caraway.

Round 2: Caraway shoots, Bedford stuffs it. Caraway keeps pumping his left. Right uppercut by Caraway. Bedford lands a right and a knee to the body. Bedford’s face is bloody. Bedford lands a left hand. The fighters clinch, then break. Leg kick by Bedford. Uppercut lands for Caraway.

Big left lands for Caraway. Another left. Right by Caraway. Caraway shoots a double and gets the takedown. Bedford throwing elbows from the bottom as Caraway passes into half guard. There’s a pretty big cut on the right side of Bedford’s face. Caraway working the body with elbows. Now a few elbows to the head. Lots of elbows. Caraway steps out into side control. Scramble, upkick landed by Bedford as the round ends.

10-9 Caraway.

Round 3: Caraway still landing the left at will. Bedford lands a right. Spin-kick from Bedford. Both fighters whiff on punches. Right by Caraway. Eyepoke. The ref lets them keep fighting. A second eyepoke missed.

Bedford lands a hard left hook. Bedford needs to end this fight, but he’s not really pushing forward. Caraway shoots and ends up on top with three minutes left to work. Armbar attempt by Bedford, but Caraway spins out of it nicely and is back on top. Upkick by Bedford lands. Caraway punishing the body. Bedford isn’t doing shit.

The crowd boos, but without much conviction. Caraway is trying for a guillotine. He locks it in and gets the submission.

Caraway by submission. Bedford looked like shit, getting dominated by a dude who took the fight on six days notice. Nice finish though.

UFC 159: Facebook Prelims Recap

droctagonmd — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:06:00 -0400

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Steve Siler won a pretty clear unanimous 29-28 decision against Kurt Holobaugh, who made quite a puddle of blood in the octagon during the first round.

Cody McKenzie was all over Leonard Garcia in the first two rounds, and pretty much had a hold on Garcia’s neck the whole time. Garcia threw his trademark wild haymakers in the third round, but was too tired and arguably outstruck by McKenzie.

If Leonard Garcia isn’t cut from the UFC after this fight, I’ll be shocked. This matchup seemed tailor-made for him. McKenzie won the decision by scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. I gave all three rounds to Cody.

Weekend Preview: Danny Garcia vs Zab Judah, Sergio Martinez vs Martin Murray

gnagesh — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:26:00 -0400

Photo by Stephanie Trapp for Showtime

by Gautham Nagesh

Boxing has enjoyed an excellent run of late, and it should continue this weekend. Unfortunately the powers that be chose to counter-program each other as per usual, so we have two premium cable shows on Saturday but nothing on TV on Friday. Saturday night is also the regional championships of the Washington-area Golden Gloves tournament, which I’m hoping to cover live, and UFC 159 headlined by Jon Jones-Chael Sonnen from Newark.

Top billing for our fans goes to the Golden Boy show at Barclays in Brooklyn headlined by Danny Garcia vs Zab Judah at junior welterweight. The stacked card will air on Showtime and include Peter Quillen vs. Fernando Guerrero and a tape-delayed broadcast from Sheffield, England of Amir Khan vs. Julio Diaz. Sarah Deming will be in the crowd at Barclays to bring you her take on the action, which should set the stage for some mega-fights later this year.

Garcia is the top-ranked fighter at 140 lbs., yet many believe Judah is still dangerous enough to put a scare in the Puerto Rican American from Philly. I’m not one of them. Garcia may be a tad slow, but he has handled everyone placed in front of them. Judah has all the speed and power in the world, but no heart. When the going gets tough, our bet is that Zab checks out, probably around the 8th after a taste of Garcia’s vaunted left hook.

The co-feature is more one-sided in my view, as Guerrero has done nothing to indicate he ready for a world-class middleweight like Quillen. Fernando is a likable young man, but it’s difficult to argue his career has been poorly managed since his ill-fated decision to move down to 154 lbs. against Grady Brewer. Since that knockout loss he has won four fights, three by knockout, but none against anyone resembling a contender.

Quillen is very much that, ranked 4th by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a hellacious puncher to boot. We see him stopping Guerrero inside five rounds. Fellow middleweight and Brooklyn native Danny Jacobs will continue his remarkable comeback from cancer on the undercard against journeymany Keenan Collins; other prospects on the card are 2012 Olympian Marcus Browne of New York and D.C. native D’Mitrius Ballard, a super middleweight fighting out of No Xcuse.

Showtime will also air the Khan-Diaz fight, which shouldn’t take long if Khan is back in top form. Diaz is really a step or two down in class for Khan, who won a one-sided fight against Carlos Molina in December after losing two straight to Garcia and Lamont Peterson. 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist Anthony Ogogo, a British middleweight, will fight on the undercard, but the best fight on the card is a matchup of former Olympic medalists at heavyweight: Audley Harrison of the U.K. and Alabama native Deontay Wilder.

Harrison never lived up to the promise of his 2000 Olympic gold, but his Prizefighter win in February showed he’s still got enough to test any young heavyweight. Wilder was the last American man to win a medal in boxing (a bronze), and boasts a perfect record of 27 knockouts in 27 fights. The 6’7” Wilder has a earth-shaking power in his right hand, but he’s also plenty raw, and has only recently begun fighting competition with a pulse. He runs the risk of becoming the latest young heavyweight exposed by a dangerous veteran this weekend, though unfortunately U.S. viewers may not get to watch.

*********************

HBO finds itself a bit overshadowed, but will still deliver the most meaningful fight of the weekend in the form of Sergio Martinez defending his middleweight world championship against Martin Murray of England in Buenos Aires. Martinez consistently fights the best available competition, which is why he’s one of the few fighters in the world that deserve to be called champion. Murray is no soft touch; the only blemish on his record is a disputed draw to Felix Sturm in Germany that most thought Murray won. But Martinez is truly great, and fighting in front of his home crowd should carry him to a decision or late knockout.

The undercard in Argentina feature a compelling matchup of once-beaten welterweights: local puncher Luis Carlos Abregu and Canadian boxer Antonio Decarie. The winner will be in position to make a move at 147; the loser may find himself on the outside looking in. The undercard includes Spanish super bantamweight Kiko Martinez and heavyweight Magomed Abdusalamov (17-0, 17 KOs).

Photo by Ray Flores for Goosen Tutor Promotions

HBO will also televise a heavyweight matchup from Ontario, Calif. between Chris Arreola and Bermane Stiverne (above). Arreola struggles with his focus at times, but in truth is probably the best American heavyweight. It has been over a year since his last fight though, so we’ll have to wait and see if Arreola shows up in shape. If he does, Arreola be able to handle Stiverne.

I’ve covered two out of the Haitian native’s last three fights, and while Stiverne can hit, he doesn’t have the boxing ability to worry a world-class fighter like Arreola. A win could make Arreola a factor again in the heavyweight division, especially with the losses sustained by David Price and Seth Mitchell. Regardless, the winner would likely be in line for a shot at a Klitschko, the ultimate prize in the division.

**************

Thompson Boxing Promotions has a warmup show Friday night in Ontario, Calif. headlined by Aron Martinez vs. Alberto Herrera (below) at welterweight. Card will be televised by Time Warner at a later date…UniMas has a show in Austin, Texas headlined by Raymundo Beltran vs. Alejandro Rodriguez….featherweight Jhonny Gonzalez headlines a show in Mexico City against Akihiko Katagiri…Ann Arbor native James Toney inexplicably continues his career at heavyweight on Sunday in Melbourne against unbeaten Australian heavyweight Lucas Browne.

Photo by Carlos Baeza for Thompson Boxing

Tyson Fury Exposed Before Stopping Steve Cunningham

gnagesh — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:47:00 -0400

Photo by Rich Graessle for Main Events

by Sarah Deming

NEW YORK, N.Y.—Beware of British imports. Whether it’s an undefeated heavyweight or a jar of Marmite, if it comes across the Atlantic, it usually stinks. The latest suspect offering is Tyson Fury, a 6’9”, 254-pound heavyweight with the oily demeanor of a used car salesman.

Fury’s first American test came Saturday afternoon against Steve “USS” Cunningham here at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. On paper this seemed like a safe bet for the Brit, who went in with a six-inch and 45-pound advantage over Cunningham, a slick Philadelphian that saw his prime at cruiserweight. I prayed Cunningham would prove me wrong, as I had developed a powerful loathing for Fury at the pre-fight press conference.

Why does Fury behave so obnoxiously? Naazim Richardson, Cunningham’s legendary trainer, said Fury trash talks less for his opponent’s benefit than to convince himself of his own legitimacy.

“Sometimes you whistle through the cemetery,” said the boxing sage.

Last year, Naazim received a call from the Fury camp about training their fighter, but refused. He said, apropos of the skill disparity between the two: “Anyone can move like a boxer. But if you have to stop to throw a punch, you’re not a boxer.”

The fight began as expected. Fury has that reticent European style that only works if you are absurdly large: lead hand held low, clubbing right in reserve. The jab was working well for him, and Cunningham had trouble closing the distance. At the end of the first round, the two men — whose size disparity made them seem like different species — stared each other down, and then Fury shoved Cunningham backward.

At the top of the second, Cunningham wove inside and dropped Fury with a lovely overhand right. Fury got up on wobbly legs and held his way to the bell. It was, I thought, a nice introduction to our country.

“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anyone to win so much in my life,” said my neighbor on press row of Cunningham, adding that Fury had insulted every ethnic group that exists in an earlier interview. The two of us reminisced about the good ol’ days of 200-pound heavyweights, and wondered if there should be a separate division for giants.

Over the next two rounds, Cunningham chased the still-stunned Fury, who resorted to every dirty trick in the book to survive. In the fifth, the referee finally took a point for holding, but the damage was done. It’s exhausting to have someone 45 pounds heavier than you lean on your chest and shove his forearm in your face. The momentum had shifted, and Cunningham looked tired. At the end of this round, Fury rocked him with a right, then did an annoying dance.

Now it was Naazim Richardson’s time to shine. The canny cornerman showed his class, sending Cunningham into round six with an unravelling glove, causing the referee to halt the action. Back in the corner, Naazim gave an Oscar-worthy performance of someone who has entirely forgotten how to use a scissors or tape, buying his fighter a few more seconds.

As Naazim had told me earlier, “That’s why they cut me the little checks.”

Round six saw some slick boxing off the ropes from Cunningham, but he also ate a few big rights. I started to get a sinking sensation about USS.

I thought it was a low blow that set up the seventh-round knockout, but when I asked Cunningham about it later, he was more concerned about the holding and hitting that followed. Whatever it was, it was ugly. Cunningham was counted out at 2:55 of round seven, and just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, Tyson Fury sang.

In the co-main event, Curtis “Showtime” Stevens won a lackluster decision over aggressive, hard-punching Derrick Findley. The scores of 79-73 and 78-74 (twice) don’t reflect how close this fight was. Stevens had faster hands than his opponent, but seemed to have very little on his punches.

Most of NY’s Albanian population showed up for the lead-off bout pitting local cruiserweight prospect Sevdal Sherifi against southpaw Josh “Juice” Harris. Early in round four, Harris caught Sherifi flush with a looping overhand left, then chased him around the ring. Ten seconds before the round’s end, another haymaker caught Sherifi, who lurched back into the ropes, one elbow hooked over the top to keep him from falling. The ref called it off in the fifth. How I love a victory for the journeyman!

Sometimes you can tell who’s going to win just by looking at them. In the second bout, lightweight Edward Valdez was tubby, short, and entirely hairless, giving him the appearance of an overgrown baby. Undefeated Karl Dargan, another Philly fighter, sported opulent gold Havoc trunks and pretty cornrows. Dargan pursued an orthodox course, throwing straight jabs to the belly and head, while easily evading the baby’s looping counters. Baby quit on his stool after two, reportedly due to an injured hand, so Dargan got to put on his coordinating gold vest sooner than expected.

Impressively-muscled heavyweight Alex Rozman entered to the song “I Am a Real American,” and, just in case we missed the message, was also draped with an American flag. His opponent was Tyson Fury’s cousin Hughie Fury, in his second pro fight. The difference in class was noticeable immediately. The American was down at least four times in the first round, some from slips, some from right hands that didn’t even look that hard, but what do I know. Fury is a former world junior champion and already looks more polished than his obnoxious cousin.

Next came an entertaining battle of pear-shaped heavyweights. Jamaican Calbert Lewis was shorter, darker, and had a few more rolls of abdominal fat than crowd favorite Adam “Babyface” Kownacki, a Polish Brooklynite. Both were a little wild, but Babyface threw straighter shots and showed some surprising defensive polish. The ref stopped it in round two, to the delight of the huge Polish contingent, who waved red and white banners and chanted the national anthem.

The disappointed Albanian fans, meanwhile, had transferred their allegiance to the ring card girls, who were lovely and unusually well-nourished. They wore a sexy simulacrum of boxing attire: red sports bras, black panties, knee-high socks, and pointy-toed, high heeled boxing boots that I wanted very much. There were three of them, each a different color, like Neopolitan ice cream.

But the loveliest woman in the Theater was Steve Cunningham’s wife Livvy. The two met in a boxing gym. One pint-sized, Mohawked son tugged on her arm as Livvy told me about her volunteer work training young women in a community gym. Like all Cunningham’s people, she was taking the afternoon’s results philosophically.

“As soon as Fury gets in there with someone big, it’ll be over,” said Naazim. “But they’ll build him up first to a big payday.”

During the post-fight press conference, Tyson Fury sat on the ring apron, looking oddly glum. Was it my imagination or did he glance wistfully across at Cunningham and camp: the sweet scientists of Philadelphia, closing ranks around their own. It was a place he could visit, but he could never live there.

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Canelo vs Austin Trout Marred By Open Scoring

gnagesh — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 01:07:00 -0400

Photos by Tom Casino for SHOWTIME

by Gautham Nagesh

On Saturday night, unbeaten junior middleweights Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Austin Trout fought for 12 close, thrilling rounds in San Antonio. Two young lions in their prime came together to unify their belts and determine the division’s top contender to challenge Floyd Mayweather. The fight started slowly, but steadily built toward what should have been a nail-biting conclusion in the championship rounds.

Instead, the open scoring format rendered the final third of the fight meaningless. It also showed that Hall of Fame referee Stanley Christodoulous has no business judging prize fights. Christodoulou scored the first eight rounds for Canelo, a mystifying scorecard that proves he had no interest in accurately scoring what happened inside the ring. The South African referee and WBA official is blind, senile, or corrupt, any of which should disqualify him from judging another professional fight.

Sadly, the inexcusable scorecard aside, this fight should have birthed a new superstar at a moment when boxing desperately needs on. Canelo and Trout both showed tremendous class, fighting with the skill and strategy that befits a truly world-class bout. The unanimous decision for Canelo was probably the appropriate result, especially after he floored Trout with a one-two combination in the 7th round. But Trout deserved far more respect than he got from both Christodoulou and Oren Shellenberger, who scored it 116-111 for Canelo. Rey Danseco was closer to reality with his card of 115-112.

To his credit, Trout was reluctant to make excuses after the fight. He praised Canelo’s elusiveness and ability to slip punches, which helped the Mexican prodigy avoid Trout’s snapping jab for the second half of the fight. Canelo showed far more slickness than one would expect from the stocky Ginger, and even fought at times with his hands low and his chin sticking out. Trout was similarly slippery, but his punches didn’t make Canelo pay in the same way when they landed. At the end of the day, it was the extra power Alvarez carries that made the difference in the fight.

The fight was touch and go from the beginning, with both fighters showing plenty of respect for each other. Canelo’s bobbing and weaving managed to prevent the southpaw Trout from landing his left hand to the head, while Trout’s long reach and height advantage kept his chin clear of Canelo’s thumping right. So both fighters went to the body instead, leaning forward to throw power punches to the gut before ducking out of the way.

Neither fighter landed much of significance through the first half of the fight, and the rounds were tough to score for either fighter. Trout’s body work appeared to be catching up with Canelo in the sixth, but the Mexican came out sharp for the 7th. Trout relaxed for an instant after the bell, and it cost him. Canelo connected with a powerful straight right, and Trout wavered on jelly legs before collapsing to the canvas. It was the first knockdown of his career, and he handled it well. Trout got up, stood his ground, and fought back as a champion should.

Canelo inexplicably let off the steam and Trout rallied in the second half of the round, then appeared to control the 8th with ease. Canelo came back a bit in the 9th, but the fight had the feel of a barnburner heading into the final three rounds. At least it did before the Showtime announcers revealed that all three judges had Canelo winning easily, two by insurmountable margins. Suddenly all drama was lost, and Trout was forced to shift from master tactician to desperate puncher seeking a late miracle.

Canelo saved the running for the final round, but he didn’t open up as he usually does, thanks to his comfortable lead on the cards. Trout tried his best to march forward, but late knockouts are not a key part of his repertoire. Alvarez landed a few good shots, Trout unloaded some combinations, and just like that it was over, leaving those of us watching feeling like we had been robbed of an appropriate ending to an epic contest.

Alvarez has been a superstar in box office terms for some time now, but this win stamps him legitimate inside the ropes. Trout was a prime contender, ranked second only to Mayweather by the TBRB. Canelo showed championship mettle by out-boxing him over 12 rounds, and was especially impressive on defense. An autumn matchup between Canelo and Floyd would do massive business and crown a true junior middleweight champion of the world. Hopefully the handlers involved are smart enough to seize the opportunity and make the fight happen.

Trout deserved more than he got, but also lost to the better man. He would still be the favorite against almost anyone else in the junior middleweight division, where there is no shortage of talent. Trout doesn’t make for the most exciting fights, but his quality is undeniable. Hopefully a couple more good wins will get him another bite at the apple. Fighting the winner of Erislandy Lara vs Alfredo Angulo wouldn’t be a terrible way to re-establish his contender status.

As for the circumstances of the judging, suffice to say that if one were to list the three most heinous bodies in boxing at the moment, they would be the WBC, the WBA, and the Texas Boxing Commission. The sheer audacity these villainous organizations show at exploiting and mistreating men that fight for a living is shameful. If we ever get anything resembling a federal boxing commission or real boxing legislation, the first step should be to ban officials of all three organizations from the sport for life.

The televised opener saw Stiff Jab favorite Omar “Panterita” Figueroa Jr. (above left) mow down Abner Cotto in just 68 seconds with his trademark body attack. Figueroa’s preferred approach is to walk right at his opponent winging punches with both hands, then switching stances constantly while brawling on the inside. Cotto tried to stand and trade for a moment, and took a couple good shots upstairs for his efforts. But it was the hooks to the body that followed that put him down twice in under a minute.

Figueroa gets amazing leverage on his body punches, and never stops coming once he gets his man backing up. His power has held up as the competition improves, meaning he shows the signs of having truly heavy hands. Cotto found that out the hard way, going down twice on hard left hooks to the gut. He showed no interest in standing the second time, allowing the referee to count him out as Figueroa looked nonchalant about his latest thrilling stoppage.

The lightweight division is well, pretty light at the moment. Top dog Adrien Broner is busy training at Headbangers in D.C. for his June 22nd fight against Paulie Malignaggi in Brooklyn, for which he will move up to welterweight. No one else in the division really sets our hearts afire, though Cuban import Richar Abril is probably the best of the bunch. Someone like Hank Lundy or Baha Mamadjonov would be a logical next step for Figueroa.

Omar’s hell-for-leather style may eventually cost him, but man is it fun to watch until then.

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