Boxing

[JAXCUSE]

Tyson Fury says fight vs. Anthony Joshua to take place Aug. 14 in Saudi Arabia (espn.com)

I'd rather see Wilder take on Joshua and the winner, with their reputation mostly repaired, take on Fury.

IMO, Fury-Joshua is probably the biggest matchup (globally) that can be made. Taking longer to finalize than it should, but I’m hopeful it will now happen.
Been awhile since we’ve had an Undisputed Heavyweight Champ (even though one might argue Fury could legitimately still be undisputed - took Wlad’s belt(s) and never lost them in the ring).
I’ll take championship unification fights over others any day (generally). If a matchup reduces the number of belts per division, I’m for it...

IMO, Joshua’s handlers will never let him in the ring with Wilder. At least the pre-Fury version (who knows if he’ll bounce back/improve following that beat down). Athletic with nice skills, but has a brittle chin. Fury (although much more skilled than Wilder) is not a threat to turn Joshua’s lights out with one punch.

Ooh that's a good question. I have to go with the better power punchers which so happen to have the most experience in their level of competition, Lopez and Davis and Valdez. I'm not a big fan of Garcia's game right now. I don't know much about Kambosis other than he's my barbers favorite fighter right now. Haney and Stevenson are very good, but can they match up with the heavier hitters? Colbert is much the same.
It all depends on who moves up in weight class and who fights the top fighters. I'll still ride with my guy Lopez. Btw, did you guys hear that he got ko'd twice in sparring recently by Jose Valenzuela? He's 8-0 now and his trainer is Benevidez Sr.

I agree - Lopez is a cut above the others. Not just his size, skills, strength and one punch pega. Teo has shown the intangibles and desire to take on competition that the others haven’t. I think Lopez stops Kambosis when they meet later this year. Wouldn’t be surprised if Uncle Bob moves Teo up to 138 and matches him with the Taylor-Ramirez unification winner (next Sat). I’d favor Lopez over either one right now... He could be a future superstar. Sidebar - hadn’t heard the rumor you referenced above. I’m suspicious of camps that market tape of sparring sessions on the internet. Motivations are suspect (to me)...

Of the others, I think Davis and Shakur are next tier. Tank is eating himself out of the division already and I don’t think his height, strength and power will carry beyond Jr Welt (we’ll see against Barrios later this summer). Stevenson needs to do what Teo did - step up the competition dramatically and be active... I think Arum see’s Shakur as Teo’s successor when Lopez moves up. Maybe Haney impresses against Linares later this month. I too like Haney but he needs to show that he can be exciting and dominate credible competition. He really hasn’t yet...

Bottom Line, for SWC’s mythical 135 tournament, I’d seed:
1- Teo
2- Tank
3- Stevenson
4- Haney
5- Garcia (probably a scratch due to his “mental health crisis”) - Lol...
6- Valdez (really a 130 lb’er)
7- Kambosis
8- Colbert (PBC selling him next against Gamboa - jeez...)

Teo and Tank have resumes. Rest just my eye and gut because they aren’t generally well tested yet.

 

[syrBossHogg]

 

[SWC75]

But 'em all in the ring together and see what happens!

“Battle Royal” ca: 1910-1915 boxing event with five boxers in the ring at one time. The last boxer standing was the winner. Location, people, event, and photographer are all unidentified.

 

[ssbriefcase]

IMO, Fury-Joshua is probably the biggest matchup (globally) that can be made. Taking longer to finalize than it should, but I’m hopeful it will now happen.
Been awhile since we’ve had an Undisputed Heavyweight Champ (even though one might argue Fury could legitimately still be undisputed - took Wlad’s belt(s) and never lost them in the ring).
I’ll take championship unification fights over others any day (generally). If a matchup reduces the number of belts per division, I’m for it...

IMO, Joshua’s handlers will never let him in the ring with Wilder. At least the pre-Fury version (who knows if he’ll bounce back/improve following that beat down). Athletic with nice skills, but has a brittle chin. Fury (although much more skilled than Wilder) is not a threat to turn Joshua’s lights out with one punch.


I agree - Lopez is a cut above the others. Not just his size, skills, strength and one punch pega. Teo has shown the intangibles and desire to take on competition that the others haven’t. I think Lopez stops Kambosis when they meet later this year. Wouldn’t be surprised if Uncle Bob moves Teo up to 138 and matches him with the Taylor-Ramirez unification winner (next Sat). I’d favor Lopez over either one right now... He could be a future superstar. Sidebar - hadn’t heard the rumor you referenced above. I’m suspicious of camps that market tape of sparring sessions on the internet. Motivations are suspect (to me)...

Of the others, I think Davis and Shakur are next tier. Tank is eating himself out of the division already and I don’t think his height, strength and power will carry beyond Jr Welt (we’ll see against Barrios later this summer). Stevenson needs to do what Teo did - step up the competition dramatically and be active... I think Arum see’s Shakur as Teo’s successor when Lopez moves up. Maybe Haney impresses against Linares later this month. I too like Haney but he needs to show that he can be exciting and dominate credible competition. He really hasn’t yet...

Bottom Line, for SWC’s mythical 135 tournament, I’d seed:
1- Teo
2- Tank
3- Stevenson
4- Haney
5- Garcia (probably a scratch due to his “mental health crisis”) - Lol...
6- Valdez (really a 130 lb’er)
7- Kambosis
8- Colbert (PBC selling him next against Gamboa - jeez...)

Teo and Tank have resumes. Rest just my eye and gut because they aren’t generally well tested yet.

I like the breakdown. Just heard Lopez is having a hard time making weight. I hope that’s not the case. It wasn’t tape that I saw from sparring it was Valenzuelas interview. From all accounts it’s legit and he’s not the first sparring partner this has knocked down Lopez. Oh well as long as he gets rid of it in camp I’ll be happy. Really hoping he’s the truth. We have a lot of good fights to watch in the next month, can’t wait. Also saw something with Wilders ex trainer Breland, saying he was untrainable which sucks, because I wanted to see more of one of the hardest punches in boxing for a while longer. He loses one more time he’s done.

 

[SWC75]

Strangely, Jose Ramirez is listed as having a 72 inch reach and Josh Taylor just 69 inches but it was Taylor who dominated when the fight was at a distance and Ramirez who needed to get inside to do damage. Taylor dominated with his jab early but late in round 2, Ramirez forced him into the ropes and shook him with body shots. Taylor rallied with some hard long range punches and some body shots of his own in the 5th, then caught Ramirez coming in at the beginning of the 6th round and decked him. Midway through the 7th, the referee called for a break, Ramirez relaxed and Taylor landed a body shot that crumpled Jose., who looked for a moment like he wasn't able to get up. But he did, and managed to finish out the fight, although hopelessly behind in the scoring. But he lacked the aggressiveness he had shown in spurts early in the fight. Taylor tried to take him out but then backed off, figuring, (correctly) that he could coast to a decision. I actually gave the desperate Ramirez three of the last four rounds but still gave the fight, (with two even rounds), to Taylor by 117-112. the refs had it closer, each at 114-112 and the guy ESPN had doing their scoring had it 115-112. We all had the right guy.

I wasn't impressed with the referee, who seemed to break the fighters too soon early in the fight and then fooled around too much after the knockdowns, preventing Taylor from following up immediately.

They say winning this unified title should thrust Taylor high in the pound for pound rankings. I'm not sure about that. he was solid but not dazzling. I don't think he would beat the top welterweights and could have trouble with some of the lightweights when they move up.

 

[JAXCUSE]

Strangely, Jose Ramirez is listed as having a 72 inch reach and Josh Taylor just 69 inches but it was Taylor who dominated when the fight was at a distance and Ramirez who needed to get inside to do damage. Taylor dominated with his jab early but late in round 2, Ramirez forced him into the ropes and shook him with body shots. Taylor rallied with some hard long range punches and some body shots of his own in the 5th, then caught Ramirez coming in at the beginning of the 6th round and decked him. Midway through the 7th, the referee called for a break, Ramirez relaxed and Taylor landed a body shot that crumpled Jose., who looked for a moment like he wasn't able to get up. But he did, and managed to finish out the fight, although hopelessly behind in the scoring. But he lacked the aggressiveness he had shown in spurts early in the fight. Taylor tried to take him out but then backed off, figuring, (correctly) that he could coast to a decision. I actually gave the desperate Ramirez three of the last four rounds but still gave the fight, (with two even rounds), to Taylor by 117-112. the refs had it closer, each at 114-112 and the guy ESPN had doing their scoring had it 115-112. We all had the right guy.

I wasn't impressed with the referee, who seemed to break the fighters too soon early in the fight and then fooled around too much after the knockdowns, preventing Taylor from following up immediately.

They say winning this unified title should thrust Taylor high in the pound for pound rankings. I'm not sure about that. he was solid but not dazzling. I don't think he would beat the top welterweights and could have trouble with some of the lightweights when they move up.

I never understood why boxing pundits once touted Kenny Bayless (Referee) as one of the sport’s best. IMO, never the caliber of a Carlos Berrocal, Mills Lane, Carlos Padilla or Richard Steele. Has always been “too handsy,” quick to break (limits infighting opportunity) and inserts himself into the action at questionable moments. An old trainer I knew once counseled that a good ref “was seldom seen and seldom heard.” That has never been Bayless...

Good fight, nice to have an Undisputed Jr Welterweight Champ. I picked Taylor to win, better skill set. Knockdowns did it for him. Better counterpuncher, although thought he coasted a bit down the stretch. IMO, should have tried (harder) to close Ramirez out after the 2nd knockdown.

I like to watch boxer‘s feet during a fight. Saw something unorthodox in this bout (that may have surprised Ramirez). Taylor (southpaw) torques that LH more effectively when his lead foot is inside the opponent’s. Ramirez (conventional stance) kept his lead foot outside the lefty (advantageous position like he’s supposed to do). Taylor decked Ramirez both times when he was “technically” out of position. I bet Davidson (Taylor’s trainer) has watched some film of Manny Pacquiao, who does the same thing...

I agree - Taylor is good but not elite. Uncle Bob now needs an opponent for Crawford (with Pac and Spence now signed for the summer), so maybe Arum feeds Taylor to Bud next at 147. I still think Teo moves up after Kambosis and faces Taylor for all the belts at 138.

 

[ssbriefcase]

They say winning this unified title should thrust Taylor high in the pound for pound rankings. I'm not sure about that. he was solid but not dazzling. I don't think he would beat the top welterweights and could have trouble with some of the lightweights when they move up.

Agree with everything you guys said. I can't agree with the above more. Taylor has terrible defense, and that division is absolutely horrible as far as comp and good boxers goes. They have freakin Postol ranked like 4th! Someone good will move there and dominate.

 

[SWC75]

Interesting fight between Devin Haney and Jorge Linares. Haney was 13 years younger, quicker and faster with his fists. He had a piston-like jab and good defensive movement. He dominated the first 8 rounds, all of which I gave to him. Linares was able to get in a few counter punches that got Haney's attention but he wasn't able to throw combinations. The one thing missing in Haney's game is power. He piled up the points but never rocked Linares. Late in the 10th round, Linares rocked him and Haney walked unsteadily to his corner. Linares went after him in the 11th and all Haney was able to do is grab and hold. But he knew to do that, (so many undefeated fighters don't know what to do when they are in trouble), and he survived, even getting his jab and combinations going by the end of the round. Linares tried to get the knockout he needed in the 12th but seemed out of gas until the final minute when he appeared to rock Haney again, causing Devin to again grab and hold. Jorge won the last couple of flurries.

The ref took a point away from Linares for holding and hitting. I graded the 11th round even and gave Linares the 9th, (when his comeback really began), the 10th and the 12th for a 117-111 total. the judges had it closer to that, with two coming in at 116-112 and one at 115-113. Punch count had Haney scoring on 215 of 675 punches, (32%) and 136 of 360 power punches (37%) to 116/620 (19%) and 91/322 (24%) for Linares.

The right guy won but Haney seems vulnerable. he was having trouble getting matches with the other top lightweights because he boxes so beautifully. But his lack of power and his getting wobbled late in the fight actually might make him a more attractive opponent, especially with the goose egg on his record still in tact. He was making noises about waning Teofimo Lopez next but I think Teo would solve his style and knock him out.

The commentator was shocked that all of Haney's jabs and combinations failed to open a cut on Linares, attributing that result to the excellent shape Linares was in. Does being in shape reduce the likelihood of getting cut? Maybe it does. I don't know. The great mystery of boxing to me is how these fighters can take all these punches, some of them full on in the face and still be standing there. I remember seeing this bout from years ago:

James butler vs richard grant cheap shot sucker punch - YouTube

These two guys had been punching each other for 10 rounds but Butler hits Grant with this one unexpected punch and caves in his face, (he had a dislocated jaw and lost several teeth). Yes it was a sucker punch but we're talking flesh, bone, sinew and cartilage. How does that punch have such a greater impact than the ones received during the fight: just because he didn't expect to be punched? Now Linares' skin doesn't cut because he's "in shape". I enjoy watching this sport but I'll never figure it out.

 

[JAXCUSE]

Interesting fight between Devin Haney and Jorge Linares. Haney was 13 years younger, quicker and faster with his fists. He had a piston-like jab and good defensive movement. He dominated the first 8 rounds, all of which I gave to him. Linares was able to get in a few counter punches that got Haney's attention but he wasn't able to throw combinations. The one thing missing in Haney's game is power. He piled up the points but never rocked Linares. Late in the 10th round, Linares rocked him and Haney walked unsteadily to his corner. Linares went after him in the 11th and all Haney was able to do is grab and hold. But he knew to do that, (so many undefeated fighters don't know what to do when they are in trouble), and he survived, even getting his jab and combinations going by the end of the round. Linares tried to get the knockout he needed in the 12th but seemed out of gas until the final minute when he appeared to rock Haney again, causing Devin to again grab and hold. Jorge won the last couple of flurries.

The ref took a point away from Linares for holding and hitting. I graded the 11th round even and gave Linares the 9th, (when his comeback really began), the 10th and the 12th for a 117-111 total. the judges had it closer to that, with two coming in at 116-112 and one at 115-113. Punch count had Haney scoring on 215 of 675 punches, (32%) and 136 of 360 power punches (37%) to 116/620 (19%) and 91/322 (24%) for Linares.

The right guy won but Haney seems vulnerable. he was having trouble getting matches with the other top lightweights because he boxes so beautifully. But his lack of power and his getting wobbled late in the fight actually might make him a more attractive opponent, especially with the goose egg on his record still in tact. He was making noises about waning Teofimo Lopez next but I think Teo would solve his style and knock him out.

The commentator was shocked that all of Haney's jabs and combinations failed to open a cut on Linares, attributing that result to the excellent shape Linares was in. Does being in shape reduce the likelihood of getting cut? Maybe it does. I don't know. The great mystery of boxing to me is how these fighters can take all these punches, some of them full on in the face and still be standing there. I remember seeing this bout from years ago:

James butler vs richard grant cheap shot sucker punch - YouTube

These two guys had been punching each other for 10 rounds but Butler hits Grant with this one unexpected punch and caves in his face, (he had a dislocated jaw and lost several teeth). Yes it was a sucker punch but we're talking flesh, bone, sinew and cartilage. How does that punch have such a greater impact than the ones received during the fight: just because he didn't expect to be punched? Now Linares' skin doesn't cut because he's "in shape". I enjoy watching this sport but I'll never figure it out.

I thought this was Haney’s best career performance for the first 8 rds against a capable 135 lb gatekeeper (Linares). Didn’t run, stayed midrange, exchanged and controlled the action with speed. Then Devin slowed, Linares finally timed him and dented the chin. Give Haney credit for surviving and winning the fight. Older world class vets (like Linares) aren’t looking to dominate a fight with style and volume at this stage of their careers. They are waiting for their chance to end it with the right punch or series of punches. Donaire did it to Oubaali last night at Batamweight. Linares just missed with Haney. Hopefully the lesson Devin learned is that you gotta set down on your shots and get rid of guys like Jorge (or at least break them down while out pointing them). I like Haney’s skills, but believe he lacks the fight changing power that guys like Teo, Tank and even Garcia possess. You’re right - the vulnerabiilties displayed (chin and pega) might make Devin seem a “more marketable/less risky” opponent for the other youngsters. Guess we’ll see...

I laughed at the “he‘s not cutting because he’s in shape” comment during the fight. I thought he was referring to the old boxing adage about fighters being more susceptible to cuts when they “dry out” significantly to make weight. I don’t know - some guys are bleeders (Vito Antuofermo and Sean O’Grady seemed to start leaking during pre-fight introductions), some aren’t. I don’t remember Linares having significant cut problems in past fights. And Haney was landing many “arm punches”(rather than committing and stepping thru them).

I remember that Butler/Grant sucker punch (after the decision). Thought he did time for it if memory serves. I recall that Mayweather kinda sucker punched Victor Ortiz (different - during the fight, after a break) as well a few years back and dropped him like a stone. It’s the punch you don’t see or expect that get’s ya...

 

[ssbriefcase]

But his lack of power and his getting wobbled late in the fight actually might make him a more attractive opponent, especially with the goose egg on his record still in tact. He was making noises about waning Teofimo Lopez next but I think Teo would solve his style and knock him out.

This is exactly why I responded to your list up thread with, can Haney hang with the heavier hitters. He looked great for the majority, but the lack of power will come back to hurt him. I think the announcers commented before the first round on Linares getting cut and bleeding every fight? Linares was as tough as I expected, and Haney showed adjustments and going toe to toe more than he has, but I don't think it will be enough to get to the top.

 

[SWC75]

I was watching an Abbott and Costello movie earlier today, (a favorite from my youth). Lou has to fight a guy in a boxing match with Bud in his corner.

Bud: "Give him the old 1-3."
Lou: "What happened to 2?"
Bud: "You get that."

 

[SWC75]

ZZZZZzzzzzzzz...

Shakur Stevenson defeated Jeremiah Nakathila with a 12 round unanimous decision. All three judges graded it 120-107, which is interesting as Nakathila went down three times but the referee declared two of them to be slips, even though the replay showed punches landed. I guess the judges are allowed to count knockdowns they see even if the referee didn't.

Stevenson, who is naturally righthanded, chooses to box from a southpaw stance. Nakathila boxes from the right-handed stance, which means that his left foot and Stevenson's right foot were right up against each other. As the commentators, (Timothy Bradley and Andre Ward), explained, the guy who gets his foot to the outside is in position to throw his punches more directly with more power so it was battle for foot position that Stevenson repeatedly won. The referee spent much of the fight looking at those two feet. He constantly reminded the fighters to "watch the feet", stopped the fighting a couple of times to warn them about it and even threatened to take a point away. As the commentators pointed out, neither fighter was intentionally tripping or stepping on the other fighter's foot so who would have been penalized is unclear. But the referee's foot fetish apparently caused him to miss the punches that were actually landed in those two knockdowns.

Fortunately, nothing the referee did could have made any difference in this fight as Stevenson clearly won every round. He landed 114 of 304, (37.5%), punches while Nakathila landed a pathetic 28 of 305, (9%). At one point, they showed a graphic saying that he had attempted 52 jabs and none of them had landed. As he was the taller fighter, that must have been disappointing. The thing, is Stevenson appeared capable of taking him out at any time but refused to commit himself to do so. He didn't throw combinations and also didn't take advantage of Nakathila's misses with counter-punches. He just stepped in occasionally for a quick shot, several of which staggered his opponent, then stepped back as if to admire his work. As the fight went on, Bradley and Ward became more and more impatient with this, suggesting that a fighter of Stevenson's talent should be trying to do more than this and if he wants to be the boxing superstar he claims he will be, he's going to have to give us more than that. here's a quote of the ESPN article about the fight: "I tried to [get him out of there] a little bit, but I started getting hit with some solid shots. I ain't really like it, but next time I'm going to work on moving my head a little bit more and step it up a little more."

In other words, he didn't want to give him the "old 1-3".

 

[JAXCUSE]

ZZZZZzzzzzzzz...

Shakur Stevenson defeated Jeremiah Nakathila with a 12 round unanimous decision. All three judges graded it 120-107, which is interesting as Nakathila went down three times but the referee declared two of them to be slips, even though the replay showed punches landed. I guess the judges are allowed to count knockdowns they see even if the referee didn't.

Stevenson, who is naturally righthanded, chooses to box from a southpaw stance. Nakathila boxes from the right-handed stance, which means that his left foot and Stevenson's right foot were right up against each other. As the commentators, (Timothy Bradley and Andre Ward), explained, the guy who gets his foot to the outside is in position to throw his punches more directly with more power so it was battle for foot position that Stevenson repeatedly won. The referee spent much of the fight looking at those two feet. He constantly reminded the fighters to "watch the feet", stopped the fighting a couple of times to warn them about it and even threatened to take a point away. As the commentators pointed out, neither fighter was intentionally tripping or stepping on the other fighter's foot so who would have been penalized is unclear. But the referee's foot fetish apparently caused him to miss the punches that were actually landed in those two knockdowns.

Fortunately, nothing the referee did could have made any difference in this fight as Stevenson clearly won every round. He landed 114 of 304, (37.5%), punches while Nakathila landed a pathetic 28 of 305, (9%). At one point, they showed a graphic saying that he had attempted 52 jabs and none of them had landed. As he was the taller fighter, that must have been disappointing. The thing, is Stevenson appeared capable of taking him out at any time but refused to commit himself to do so. He didn't throw combinations and also didn't take advantage of Nakathila's misses with counter-punches. He just stepped in occasionally for a quick shot, several of which staggered his opponent, then stepped back as if to admire his work. As the fight went on, Bradley and Ward became more and more impatient with this, suggesting that a fighter of Stevenson's talent should be trying to do more than this and if he wants to be the boxing superstar he claims he will be, he's going to have to give us more than that. here's a quote of the ESPN article about the fight: "I tried to [get him out of there] a little bit, but I started getting hit with some solid shots. I ain't really like it, but next time I'm going to work on moving my head a little bit more and step it up a little more."

In other words, he didn't want to give him the "old 1-3".

I’m afraid my (original) suspicions of Stevenson (watched him in the amateurs too) may have been correct all along - he’s Guillermo Rigondeaux 2.0... Immensely talented, but his safety-first style will make boring fights and alienate fans. Two stinkers on prime time Sat night National TV in a row. Like you said, even Bradley and Ward were criticizing the performance. Not an amateur anymore. He’s gotta adapt his approach and get more comfortable forcing action.

Poor “stylistic” matchmaking by Top Rank here as well. Nakathila is awkward, counterpuncher (like Shakur) with low punch output. Might have pega, but not much more. I get it - Bob is trying to showcase his latest star talent and build interest for Jr Light Title Unification bouts with other fighters in the stable (Herring, Valdez). IMO, matching Shakur like this won’t do it however (and doesn’t challenge him to get better). Needs to take a page out of the Teo Lopez book and match Stevenson more aggressively; against capable, experienced pro’s. Like Haney just did with Linares.

My criticism aside, I think Shakur beats Herring rather easily. Would rather see him in with Lopez next though. Oscar (or even a Rakhimov or JoJo Diaz) would provide Stevenson the challenge (and risk) I think his development needs.

 

[ssbriefcase]

SWC nailed it with the beginning of his post; ZZZZZZZZZ
I've have my bad judge list going and I thought of making a bad ref list after this one. That ref's an idiot for not knowing about the foot thing or choosing to try and stop it from happening, you can't. We almost put the fight on mute so we didn't have to hear his "watch the feet" anymore. Stevenson's camp better make sure his next fight is a challenge as JAX said. I bet 50% or more lost interest in this one.
I like the look of the 18 yr old welter, Xander Zayas. I liked what they said about him walking around asking every legendary boxer for pointers, etc. Listening and wanting to actually learn the craft, or lack thereof, is what makes and breaks a lot of boxers.

 

[SWC75]

Today I watched a golf tournament, two baseball games, a basketball game and three boxing cards. I was switching back and forth between them and it made scoring more difficult but I’ll try to summarize the boxing I saw.


DAZN had the first card. Blair Cobbs knocked out Brad Solomon in the 5th round and spent the post-fight interview alternating actual words with “Whhooo!!!”. He put on an I wanna be Ali act and said he wanted main-eventer Jaime Munguia next. Cobbs is a welterweight: Munguia is a middleweight. Cobbs is undefeated with a 14-0-1 record and I thought he was a young prospect but he’s 31 and ahs been fighting professionally since 2013.

The punch of the night and maybe the year came from Super Middle Gabe Rosado, a trail horse with a 25-13-1 record with 14 knockouts. But he’d been fighting top guys for years, (he’d just lost a decision from Daniel Jacobs). His opponent, Bektemir Melikuziev, was 7-0 with 6 knockouts and was nicknamed “The Bully”. 50% of his punches are body punched and he downed Rosado with on in the first round and kept advancing for more against Rosado who seemed to be in survival mode. But he was just biding his time. Near the end of the third round he hit Melikuziev, who was leaning forward, with the perfect counter-punch, hitting him in the left corner of his jaw. The Bully was out before he hit the canvas head - first in a replay of the Marquez-Paquiao knockout. I got this…I got this…static.

Munguia faced Kamil Szeremeta, who had just gone 7 rounds with Triple G. Jaime wanted to top that. Kamil was feisty but-outgunned. He gave nearly as much as he got but faded as the bout progressed and Munguia got more and more aggressive. A battered Szeremeta didn’t come out for round 7, a fact that could get Munguia a bout with Golovkin or at least a title shot. It’s about time. He’s 37-0 with 30 knockouts. One theme of the commentary is that he uses his offense as his defense. He doesn’t move his head much. That could be a problem.


Show time had the next card but I didn’t see much except the main event. Jermall Charlo, (the still unbeaten one who has a middleweight title) faced Juan Macias Montiel, a relative known with 22 knockouts in 22 wins but also 5 losses against lower-level competition. There was little sign of how he achieved those 22 knockouts as he spent the first 8 rounds doing a strange dance around the ring, avoiding contact as best he could and playing to the crowd, dropping his hands, moving in and out and occasionally throwing punches, mostly to the body. Charlo was determined, aggressive and direct, sticking Montiel with his jab and following up with classic left hooks and right crosses but strangely unable to knock Montiel down or even phase him. The fight turned in the 9th, when a cut opened up over Charlo’s eye, which then swelled up. This put Charlo on the defensive – and Montiel on the offensive. Now it was Charlo backing up but still flashing combination to keep Montiel off of him. I gave Monteil the 9th round and found the 10th even. Charlo seemed very tired but rallied at the end of rounds 11 and 12 to take a one-sided decision. I had it 119-110. The judges were 118-109, 119-109 and 120-108. Punch-count was 516-254. So there was no doubt who won. But Charlo ahs now gone the distance eon 4 of his last 5 fights and he’s got the same problem and Munguia: he doesn’t move his head, expecting his offense to be his defense, which may be a problem if he ever gets a really big fight.
(I hate the play-by-play guys Showtime uses. He sounds like he's narrating the trailer for a Grade: Z movie.)


The best fighter of the night was on ESPN: Naoya Inoue, who crushed Michael Dasmarinas in three rounds with 3 liver shots, all of which decked his opponent, who managed to stagger to his feet the first two times but didn’t bother the third time. Inoue does what Munguia and Charlo don’t do: he sets up his offense with his defense. He constantly moves his head and body, then moves in at angles his opponent isn’t ready for. When he finds a weakness, he fully exploits it. His whole problem is that, as a bantamweight, where are the big-money fights?

 

[JAXCUSE]

Today I watched a golf tournament, two baseball games, a basketball game and three boxing cards. I was switching back and forth between them and it made scoring more difficult but I’ll try to summarize the boxing I saw.


DAZN had the first card. Blair Cobbs knocked out Brad Solomon in the 5th round and spent the post-fight interview alternating actual words with “Whhooo!!!”. He put on an I wanna be Ali act and said he wanted main-eventer Jaime Munguia next. Cobbs is a welterweight: Munguia is a middleweight. Cobbs is undefeated with a 14-0-1 record and I thought he was a young prospect but he’s 31 and ahs been fighting professionally since 2013.

The punch of the night and maybe the year came from Super Middle Gabe Rosado, a trail horse with a 25-13-1 record with 14 knockouts. But he’d been fighting top guys for years, (he’d just lost a decision from Daniel Jacobs). His opponent, Bektemir Melikuziev, was 7-0 with 6 knockouts and was nicknamed “The Bully”. 50% of his punches are body punched and he downed Rosado with on in the first round and kept advancing for more against Rosado who seemed to be in survival mode. But he was just biding his time. Near the end of the third round he hit Melikuziev, who was leaning forward, with the perfect counter-punch, hitting him in the left corner of his jaw. The Bully was out before he hit the canvas head - first in a replay of the Marquez-Paquiao knockout. I got this…I got this…static.

Munguia faced Kamil Szeremeta, who had just gone 7 rounds with Triple G. Jaime wanted to top that. Kamil was feisty but-outgunned. He gave nearly as much as he got but faded as the bout progressed and Munguia got more and more aggressive. A battered Szeremeta didn’t come out for round 7, a fact that could get Munguia a bout with Golovkin or at least a title shot. It’s about time. He’s 37-0 with 30 knockouts. One theme of the commentary is that he uses his offense as his defense. He doesn’t move his head much. That could be a problem.


Show time had the next card but I didn’t see much except the main event. Jermall Charlo, (the still unbeaten one who has a middleweight title) faced Juan Macias Montiel, a relative known with 22 knockouts in 22 wins but also 5 losses against lower-level competition. There was little sign of how he achieved those 22 knockouts as he spent the first 8 rounds doing a strange dance around the ring, avoiding contact as best he could and playing to the crowd, dropping his hands, moving in and out and occasionally throwing punches, mostly to the body. Charlo was determined, aggressive and direct, sticking Montiel with his jab and following up with classic left hooks and right crosses but strangely unable to knock Montiel down or even phase him. The fight turned in the 9th, when a cut opened up over Charlo’s eye, which then swelled up. This put Charlo on the defensive – and Montiel on the offensive. Now it was Charlo backing up but still flashing combination to keep Montiel off of him. I gave Monteil the 9th round and found the 10th even. Charlo seemed very tired but rallied at the end of rounds 11 and 12 to take a one-sided decision. I had it 119-110. The judges were 118-109, 119-109 and 120-108. Punch-count was 516-254. So there was no doubt who won. But Charlo ahs now gone the distance eon 4 of his last 5 fights and he’s got the same problem and Munguia: he doesn’t move his head, expecting his offense to be his defense, which may be a problem if he ever gets a really big fight.
(I hate the play-by-play guys Showtime uses. He sounds like he's narrating the trailer for a Grade: Z movie.)


The best fighter of the night was on ESPN: Naoya Inoue, who crushed Michael Dasmarinas in three rounds with 3 liver shots, all of which decked his opponent, who managed to stagger to his feet the first two times but didn’t bother the third time. Inoue does what Munguia and Charlo don’t do: he sets up his offense with his defense. He constantly moves his head and body, then moves in at angles his opponent isn’t ready for. When he finds a weakness, he fully exploits it. His whole problem is that, as a bantamweight, where are the big-money fights?

I was most looking forward to Ortiz-Kambosis Lightweight Title Fight this weekend, but rescheduled for Aug when Teo tested + for Corona earlier in week. Teo’s promotional “Triller Experiment” might be over as well - heard the PPV wasn’t selling and that he is going back to TR In the fall.

An interesting evening of boxing none-the-less. Something for everyone as, like you said, you could flip the channels fast enough. Ran the gamet from a top P4P guy (Inoue), spectacular one punch KO (Gatekeeper Rosario starching the up and comer Bek), a couple of name Middleweights (Munguia performed, Charlo didn’t), fun 126 lb scrap (Dogboe-Lopez), hell even legendary 58 yr old JC Chavez in an exhibition against Hector Camacho’s kid…. Not to mention Chavez Jr getting slapped around by MMA guy Anderson Silva (Lol)…. Can’t comment on the Chavez’ escapades (won’t watch such spectacles), but read that Senior still moved pretty well for an old man.

A couple of observations:
Munguia’s work with new trainer Erik Morales seems beneficial. Jaime added a limited jab to his arsenal and moved his feet better than in previous bouts. Still is what he is (volume pressure puncher, good pop, average hand speed and defense), but improved. Golden Boy/DAZN needs to line him up for a bigger fight. Too bad Hearn couldn’t get GGG’s camp to agree. There is always Andrade on DAZN. Haymon never allows his boys to fight other stables, but Munguia-Charlo would be interesting (to me).

Charlo didn’t prepare or take Montiel seriously (almost missed weight), and it showed…. I‘ve noticed that when the Charlo’s (both of them) fail to use the jab, they look ordinary. So was the case with Jermall after Montiel survived the early blitz. Couldn’t control distance, ran out of gas and got marked up. Also looked vulnerable to the body. He was lucky that Montiel really can’t punch (despite his record). Montiel kept switching from southpaw to orthodox and seemed to confuse Charlo as well. Bad corner work (IMO) - trainer shoulda told him to shorten his very wide stance and control Montiel with jab and distance down the stretch. Worked with Derevyanchenko (last fight). I wouldn’t be surprised if PBC doesn’t try to use this performance for marketing purposes (Charlo looks vulnerable) to entice a bigger fight at 160/168…. Maybe Benevidez. Munguia dusted Montiel in 2017.

You didn’t miss anything on the Showtime undercard - was “underwhelming.” Expected some fireworks from Cruz-Vargas, but Vargas looked shot. Hardly recognized Vargas (former 126 Champ) with all the plastic surgery he’s done to try and fix cut problems…..

Dogboe is always fun to watch. He just ain’t gonna be around long because he’s so short and takes allot of punishment. TR was trying to line-up his opponent (“Bluenose” Lopez) for a crack at Navarette’s Featherweight Title, but Dogboe derailed things a bit with his decision win. I thought Lopez edged it down the stretch (Dogboe gassed after the 7th), but coulda gone either way. Good action, high contact fight.

I heard Teddy Atlas recently describe Inoue as a boxing “predator.” No wasted motion, elite balance, power and always in position to punch. Really torques his shots with the hips and legs. What I admire most about Monster (like you said) - he dissects his opponent’s style, finds a weakness or vulnerability and goes right after it. I’ve seen him overwhelm opponents with a simple 1-2, overhand right, tonight LH to the body. Guy is a real machine - reminds me of a young Alexis Arguello, maybe Eder Jofre. I’d like to see Sor Rungvisai step up from 115 and challenge Inoue. One of the few smaller name guys with the style, size and strength to possibly hang with Inoue. Monster’s big money TR fight at 118 is a rematch with Donaire. Nonito just needs to defeat Casimero in Aug (two bangers - good fight on paper). Rumor has it that Bob is angling for a Dec matchup. Would be a great New Year’s Eve event in Japan (they always have fights there on the holiday - GGG fighting Murata). I just hope Bob keeps Monster active. I’ll watch him fight a tree stump….

 

[SWC75]

I was most looking forward to Ortiz-Kambosis Lightweight Title Fight this weekend, but rescheduled for Aug when Teo tested + for Corona earlier in week. Teo’s promotional “Triller Experiment” might be over as well - heard the PPV wasn’t selling and that he is going back to TR In the fall.

An interesting evening of boxing none-the-less. Something for everyone as, like you said, you could flip the channels fast enough. Ran the gamet from a top P4P guy (Inoue), spectacular one punch KO (Gatekeeper Rosario starching the up and comer Bek), a couple of name Middleweights (Munguia performed, Charlo didn’t), fun 126 lb scrap (Dogboe-Lopez), hell even legendary 58 yr old JC Chavez in an exhibition against Hector Camacho’s kid…. Not to mention Chavez Jr getting slapped around by MMA guy Anderson Silva (Lol)…. Can’t comment on the Chavez’ escapades (won’t watch such spectacles), but read that Senior still moved pretty well for an old man.

A couple of observations:
Munguia’s work with new trainer Erik Morales seems beneficial. Jaime added a limited jab to his arsenal and moved his feet better than in previous bouts. Still is what he is (volume pressure puncher, good pop, average hand speed and defense), but improved. Golden Boy/DAZN needs to line him up for a bigger fight. Too bad Hearn couldn’t get GGG’s camp to agree. There is always Andrade on DAZN. Haymon never allows his boys to fight other stables, but Munguia-Charlo would be interesting (to me).

Charlo didn’t prepare or take Montiel seriously (almost missed weight), and it showed…. I‘ve noticed that when the Charlo’s (both of them) fail to use the jab, they look ordinary. So was the case with Jermall after Montiel survived the early blitz. Couldn’t control distance, ran out of gas and got marked up. Also looked vulnerable to the body. He was lucky that Montiel really can’t punch (despite his record). Montiel kept switching from southpaw to orthodox and seemed to confuse Charlo as well. Bad corner work (IMO) - trainer shoulda told him to shorten his very wide stance and control Montiel with jab and distance down the stretch. Worked with Derevyanchenko (last fight). I wouldn’t be surprised if PBC doesn’t try to use this performance for marketing purposes (Charlo looks vulnerable) to entice a bigger fight at 160/168…. Maybe Benevidez. Munguia dusted Montiel in 2017.

You didn’t miss anything on the Showtime undercard - was “underwhelming.” Expected some fireworks from Cruz-Vargas, but Vargas looked shot. Hardly recognized Vargas (former 126 Champ) with all the plastic surgery he’s done to try and fix cut problems…..

Dogboe is always fun to watch. He just ain’t gonna be around long because he’s so short and takes allot of punishment. TR was trying to line-up his opponent (“Bluenose” Lopez) for a crack at Navarette’s Featherweight Title, but Dogboe derailed things a bit with his decision win. I thought Lopez edged it down the stretch (Dogboe gassed after the 7th), but coulda gone either way. Good action, high contact fight.

I heard Teddy Atlas recently describe Inoue as a boxing “predator.” No wasted motion, elite balance, power and always in position to punch. Really torques his shots with the hips and legs. What I admire most about Monster (like you said) - he dissects his opponent’s style, finds a weakness or vulnerability and goes right after it. I’ve seen him overwhelm opponents with a simple 1-2, overhand right, tonight LH to the body. Guy is a real machine - reminds me of a young Alexis Arguello, maybe Eder Jofre. I’d like to see Sor Rungvisai step up from 115 and challenge Inoue. One of the few smaller name guys with the style, size and strength to possibly hang with Inoue. Monster’s big money TR fight at 118 is a rematch with Donaire. Nonito just needs to defeat Casimero in Aug (two bangers - good fight on paper). Rumor has it that Bob is angling for a Dec matchup. Would be a great New Year’s Eve event in Japan (they always have fights there on the holiday - GGG fighting Murata). I just hope Bob keeps Monster active. I’ll watch him fight a tree stump….

The 'Ortiz-Kambosis' fight?

 

[JAXCUSE]

The 'Ortiz-Kambosis' fight?

Hahaha….
Got my “Lopez’s” and “Ortiz’s” crossed there…..
Musta got distracted when I saw Arum sitting ringside and taking selfies with Gene Simmons….
I gotta stop doing these posts when the Main Event ends after 0100….

 

[SWC75]

Hahaha….
Got my “Lopez’s” and “Ortiz’s” crossed there…..
Musta got distracted when I saw Arum sitting ringside and taking selfies with Gene Simmons….
I gotta stop doing these posts when the Main Event ends after 0100….

There are so many Hispanic, (Latinex..whatever) fighters and so many of them have the same names that it's hard to keep track of them. They sure can fight, though.

 

[SWC75]

I watched the somewhat similar Vasiliy Lomachenko - Masayoshi Nakatani and Gervonta 'Tank' Davis - Mario Barrios fights. Both involved a smaller but more powerful and quicker man against a taller fighters with a greater reach. Both fights were full of action and ended with the smaller man scoring a knockout. There was one difference I saw.

In naval warfare there's a strategy called "crossing the T":
Crossing the T - Wikipedia
It involves positioning your ship or fleet across the bow of the other ship or lead ship. the advancing fleet can only fire at you with their front guns while you can fire broadsides at them, with the shots coming from different angles. Your opponent can only fight vertically but you get to fight him horizontally.

Both Nakatani and Barrios were classic vertical fighters: getting their power from their back foot, turned at an angle to brace it, shooting out long jabs and then sending straight rights at the opponent, with an occasional hook or uppercut: all right down the pipe. Lomachencko countered this with lateral movements or a backward step, causing Nakatani to constantly reach, trying to find him, and leave himself open for counter-punches. Loma would time those punches and then step in to deliver hard blows from different angles. Admiral Nelson would have admired it. The punishment Nakatini added up until finally the referee stopped the fight in the 9th round.

Davis faced the same problem vs. Barrios: how to get inside the longer reach of the taller man. he used very little horizonal movement, simply trying to time his lunges. In the early rounds he didn't even do that. I gave Barrios 4 of the first six rounds with one even. But then the Tank became more of a tank and started to take a few to get a few and his greater power forced Barrios backwards. barrios tried to make up for his inferior power with the volume of punches, throw combinations but but found it hard to reverse the tide. Then in round 8 Davis landed a hook to the temple and downed him. he got a second knockdown almost immediately and it looked like the fight was about to end. But Barrios somehow rallied with some combinations, enough to keep Davis off of him, and survived the round. Davis seemed to take the next round off and Barrios even staggered him at one point with a left hook of his own, his best punch of the fight. Now it became a brawl with Davis going for the knockout but barrios making sure to answer with a flurry every time he scored. But Davis' punches seemed to be having more of an impact and in the 11th round, Davis landed an uppercut to the chest that caused Barrios to collapse to the canvas. He got up but went down again and the ref stopped it, with no argument from Barrios or his corner.

I couldn't help but wondered what a Lomachenko- Davis fight would be like. I think it would be won by the fighter who "crossed the T".

 

[JAXCUSE]

I watched the somewhat similar Vasiliy Lomachenko - Masayoshi Nakatani and Gervonta 'Tank' Davis - Mario Barrios fights. Both involved a smaller but more powerful and quicker man against a taller fighters with a greater reach. Both fights were full of action and ended with the smaller man scoring a knockout. There was one difference I saw.

In naval warfare there's a strategy called "crossing the T":
Crossing the T - Wikipedia
It involves positioning your ship or fleet across the bow of the other ship or lead ship. the advancing fleet can only fire at you with their front guns while you can fire broadsides at them, with the shots coming from different angles. Your opponent can only fight vertically but you get to fight him horizontally.

Both Nakatani and Barrios were classic vertical fighters: getting their power from their back foot, turned at an angle to brace it, shooting out long jabs and then sending straight rights at the opponent, with an occasional hook or uppercut: all right down the pipe. Lomachencko countered this with lateral movements or a backward step, causing Nakatani to constantly reach, trying to find him, and leave himself open for counter-punches. Loma would time those punches and then step in to deliver hard blows from different angles. Admiral Nelson would have admired it. The punishment Nakatini added up until finally the referee stopped the fight in the 9th round.

Davis faced the same problem vs. Barrios: how to get inside the longer reach of the taller man. he used very little horizonal movement, simply trying to time his lunges. In the early rounds he didn't even do that. I gave Barrios 4 of the first six rounds with one even. But then the Tank became more of a tank and started to take a few to get a few and his greater power forced Barrios backwards. barrios tried to make up for his inferior power with the volume of punches, throw combinations but but found it hard to reverse the tide. Then in round 8 Davis landed a hook to the temple and downed him. he got a second knockdown almost immediately and it looked like the fight was about to end. But Barrios somehow rallied with some combinations, enough to keep Davis off of him, and survived the round. Davis seemed to take the next round off and Barrios even staggered him at one point with a left hook of his own, his best punch of the fight. Now it became a brawl with Davis going for the knockout but barrios making sure to answer with a flurry every time he scored. But Davis' punches seemed to be having more of an impact and in the 11th round, Davis landed an uppercut to the chest that caused Barrios to collapse to the canvas. He got up but went down again and the ref stopped it, with no argument from Barrios or his corner.

I couldn't help but wondered what a Lomachenko- Davis fight would be like. I think it would be won by the fighter who "crossed the T".

Another good night of boxing. Unlike last week (flipping channels), watched both cards roughly simultaneously on different devices. While Main Events were both solid and interesting (in their own ways), IMO, the best action fight of the night was Lublin-Rosario. Rob Brant’s career, a big time amateur once deemed promising after defeating Murata, seems to be over. Alimkhanuly looked very solid - interested to see if TR sees him as a future Edgar Berlanga opponent.

You’re right - height differentials made the Main Events intriguing (on paper). But both Barrios and Nakatani were selected as opponents for a reason - to make the headliners look good. Loma definitely did. Glad to see he came out with more aggression and purpose at the opening bell. Thought that early cut on the hairline might cause him more problems but the corner stemmed it effectively. Nakatani showed his usual toughness and guts, but didn’t have the reflexes, footwork or power to match a craftsman like Lomachenko. Only question (to me) was whether Nakatani could make it to the final bell. While a Lopez rematch is interesting, we’ve already seen it. I’d rather Loma meet one of the other young tigers to see where they stand. But, clock is ticking on Loma (age) and Bob will probably try to cash in on the Teo rematch as soon as possible.

Tank-Barrios was a more competitive fight. Thought it might be because Davis‘ punch output is usually low, he is much shorter and jumping from 130. And Barrios isn’t a big banger (seems to be what Ellerbie prefers in a Davis opponent). Like you, I had Barrios ahead after 7. I was surprised Davis’ power carried to Jr Welt. He was the stronger guy down the stretch. Punch placement was elite after the early rds. He ”punched” Barrios open for the final body shot in the 11th. While Barrios was a good test, he’s really not a top five 138 lber though. Davis belongs at 135, but PBC won’t do business with other stables and match Tank with the elite Lightweights. Not sure how Ellerbie is gonna sell Tank (as $ PPV attraction) in the future unless he changes the business model (despite all the social media chatter). You’re right - a fight with Loma would be really interesting (and sell), but can’t see Al allowing it. Where Davis goes from here seems limited (to me).

 

[SWC75]

Another good night of boxing. Unlike last week (flipping channels), watched both cards roughly simultaneously on different devices. While Main Events were both solid and interesting (in their own ways), IMO, the best action fight of the night was Lublin-Rosario. Rob Brant’s career, a big time amateur once deemed promising after defeating Murata, seems to be over. Alimkhanuly looked very solid - interested to see if TR sees him as a future Edgar Berlanga opponent.

You’re right - height differentials made the Main Events intriguing (on paper). But both Barrios and Nakatani were selected as opponents for a reason - to make the headliners look good. Loma definitely did. Glad to see he came out with more aggression and purpose at the opening bell. Thought that early cut on the hairline might cause him more problems but the corner stemmed it effectively. Nakatani showed his usual toughness and guts, but didn’t have the reflexes, footwork or power to match a craftsman like Lomachenko. Only question (to me) was whether Nakatani could make it to the final bell. While a Lopez rematch is interesting, we’ve already seen it. I’d rather Loma meet one of the other young tigers to see where they stand. But, clock is ticking on Loma (age) and Bob will probably try to cash in on the Teo rematch as soon as possible.

Tank-Barrios was a more competitive fight. Thought it might be because Davis‘ punch output is usually low, he is much shorter and jumping from 130. And Barrios isn’t a big banger (seems to be what Ellerbie prefers in a Davis opponent). Like you, I had Barrios ahead after 7. I was surprised Davis’ power carried to Jr Welt. He was the stronger guy down the stretch. Punch placement was elite after the early rds. He ”punched” Barrios open for the final body shot in the 11th. While Barrios was a good test, he’s really not a top five 138 lber though. Davis belongs at 135, but PBC won’t do business with other stables and match Tank with the elite Lightweights. Not sure how Ellerbie is gonna sell Tank (as $ PPV attraction) in the future unless he changes the business model (despite all the social media chatter). You’re right - a fight with Loma would be really interesting (and sell), but can’t see Al allowing it. Where Davis goes from here seems limited (to me).

What did you think of the segment where Loma's camp was saying that he lost to Lopez because of the injury in the second round which limited his aggression?

 

[JAXCUSE]

What did you think of the segment where Loma's camp was saying that he lost to Lopez because of the injury in the second round which limited his aggression?

IMO, sour grapes….. Good narrative to hype a rematch. I think Nakatani was selected by TR for Loma’s comeback bout (because he’s long and rangy - kinda like Lopez - and fought Teo) to build demand for another bout.
Do I think Loma’s shoulder (which he supposedly had surgery on after the Lopez fight) affect his performance? Maybe. Did Pacquiao’s injured shoulder limit him against Mayweather? Maybe…. My point - allot of fighters have excuses when they lose. I really admire the guys who, when hurt, don’t cry about their injuries, heal, get back in the gym and go after the best opponent possible to rebuild their resumes…. Joe Smith (LtHeavy) fought Sullivan Barrera with a broken jaw for 9 rds and I never heard the injury used as an excuse by his camp for why he lost or boxed so defensively in that particular bout.
Loma dropped his Title(s) to Lopez because he did very little during the first 5 rds of their fight. Loma wasn’t willing to close distance with Teo or create with his hands (early) because he wasn’t willing to risk return fire. Good strategy if the goal was to remain on his feet. Bad strategy if trying to win a decision….
That said, I am interested to see Teo back in action soon. Has been out of the ring a bit (contract nonsense with TR and now COVID). Hearing rumors the fight with Kambosis may now slide to Oct. Inactivity (and early success) has killed many a young career.…

 

[SWC75]

It ain't just flash if you can back it up.

I wasn't sure if I was going to watch Showtime's boxing tonight: I didn't recognize any of the names, but decided to check out the top two bouts. Both involved flashy fighters who backed up the flash with genuine skill: Michel Rivera and Chris Colbert. They are two more new faces in the crowded and fascinating lightweight picture, which is full of heavyweight talents.

Rivera bears a facial resemblance to Muhammed Ali, which he accentuates by wearing Ali's classic white trunks with the name 'Ali' in big letters. He claimed after the bout to be the Greatest's "reincarnation but I think you are supposed to be born after the other fella dies for that to work. He's not Ali but he looked pretty good in an exciting, back and forth fight with one Jon Fernandez. Both were moving constantly and traded combinations, backing each other off at various times. In the 6th Fernandez hit Rivera in the nose while "Ali" was trying a body shot and the kid went down on one knee. But he shook that off and got Fernandez with a shot behind the left ear that put him flat on his back for a couple of minutes.

Colbert was a different animal altogether. He was tastefully decorated, (to this Syracuse fan) in orange. His gloves were orange and so was his hair, cut in one of those round, just the top of the head jobs that looks like a period in search of an exclamation point. He also had a heavily decorated set of trunks with floppy extensions that looked silly. But he punched his over-matched opponent silly over 12 rounds getting a one-sided decision over somebody named Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Colbert didn't waste time pronouncing his name. he just used his amazing hand speed to throw lightening jabs and combination. His hands were so fast that TN never even saw the punch before it landed. TN was a good fighter, moving up from featherweight and timed his responses well enough to put Colbert on the defensive occasionally but he was outgunned. Colbert did some foolish things like dropping his hands and sticking out his head but TN couldn't make him pay for it. Colbert didn't have the power to score the knockout and TN was trading flurries with him at the end but won an easy unanimous decision, 117-111, 118-110 and 118-110. I'm not sure what rounds they gave TN, who was out-punched 78-218.

What's interesting is that Rivera and Colbert sparred together preparing for their fights. That would have been something to see.

 

[SWC75]

IMO, Fury-Joshua is probably the biggest matchup (globally) that can be made. Taking longer to finalize than it should, but I’m hopeful it will now happen.
Been awhile since we’ve had an Undisputed Heavyweight Champ (even though one might argue Fury could legitimately still be undisputed - took Wlad’s belt(s) and never lost them in the ring).
I’ll take championship unification fights over others any day (generally). If a matchup reduces the number of belts per division, I’m for it...

IMO, Joshua’s handlers will never let him in the ring with Wilder. At least the pre-Fury version (who knows if he’ll bounce back/improve following that beat down). Athletic with nice skills, but has a brittle chin. Fury (although much more skilled than Wilder) is not a threat to turn Joshua’s lights out with one punch.


I agree - Lopez is a cut above the others. Not just his size, skills, strength and one punch pega. Teo has shown the intangibles and desire to take on competition that the others haven’t. I think Lopez stops Kambosis when they meet later this year. Wouldn’t be surprised if Uncle Bob moves Teo up to 138 and matches him with the Taylor-Ramirez unification winner (next Sat). I’d favor Lopez over either one right now... He could be a future superstar. Sidebar - hadn’t heard the rumor you referenced above. I’m suspicious of camps that market tape of sparring sessions on the internet. Motivations are suspect (to me)...

Of the others, I think Davis and Shakur are next tier. Tank is eating himself out of the division already and I don’t think his height, strength and power will carry beyond Jr Welt (we’ll see against Barrios later this summer). Stevenson needs to do what Teo did - step up the competition dramatically and be active... I think Arum see’s Shakur as Teo’s successor when Lopez moves up. Maybe Haney impresses against Linares later this month. I too like Haney but he needs to show that he can be exciting and dominate credible competition. He really hasn’t yet...

Bottom Line, for SWC’s mythical 135 tournament, I’d seed:
1- Teo
2- Tank
3- Stevenson
4- Haney
5- Garcia (probably a scratch due to his “mental health crisis”) - Lol...
6- Valdez (really a 130 lb’er)
7- Kambosis
8- Colbert (PBC selling him next against Gamboa - jeez...)

Teo and Tank have resumes. Rest just my eye and gut because they aren’t generally well tested yet.

COVID-19 outbreak in Tyson Fury camp jeopardizing fight vs. Deontay Wilder, sources say (espn.com)