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Angulo Blitzes
Alcine; Bradley in Breeze Over Abregu... by George Elsasser
The Saturday, July 17 HBO B.A.D. twin-bill,
opened with a bang, as Alfredo Angulo surprised opponent Joachim
Alcine with a big left hook late in the stanza that set up a
following barrage of power punches that saw the transplanted Haitian
now calling Canada home out on his feet against the ropes.
Veteran referee Dr. Lou Moret, had seen enough
before calling it no-mas at the 2.59 mark of the opening candle.
Angulo had answered the opening stanza in a
disciplined posture before catching the age 34 veteran with a
punishing left hook that saw Alcine backing to the ropes in
defensive peek-a-boo fashion - for all practical purposes it was not
to be his night.
Zab Judah Returns with TKO Victory over Santa Cruz in ESPN FNF... by Larry
Flores
In the latest ESPN Friday Night Fights card
from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Zab "Super" Judah
made an impressive return to the ring after an 8-month hiatus with a
3rd round TKO over Jose Armando Santa Cruz in a Junior
Welterweight clash.
The former world Light Welterweight and
Welterweight title holder from Brooklyn, New York, Judah (38-6 with
26 KOs) displayed the speed and excellent boxing ability that once
highlighted his early career. Coming off a lengthy layoff, Judah
did not appear to have any ring rust against Mexico's Santa Cruz
(28-4 with 17 KOs), a former NABF Lightweight title holder.
From the opening round, Judah's superior boxing
skills, excellent jabs and in-and-out movement kept him out of
harm's way. The younger Santa Cruz was unable to utilize his
height and reach advantage over Judah. Although he pressed
the action from the start, the Mexican was just too slow, displayed
poor balance and threw mostly arm punches that were easily avoided
by Judah's vastly better boxing skills.
Judah Too Complete For Santa Cruz - TKO3... by George Elsasser
Friday night ESPN showcased the return of semi-retired past multi champ Zab "Super" Judah of Brooklyn, USA in
with Jose Armanda Santa Cruz of California via Mexico.
It pretty much went as expected when you pit a well preserved past
champion of age 32, in with a game but limited in skills club
fighter - opens with Judah in control behind an accurate jab from
the southpaw side - his quickness far superior to the plodding Santa
Cruz.
Stanza two a replay with Judah mixing the counters with combos to
both body and head - Santa Cruz showing a one-dimensional attack
that the polished veteran had no trouble reading.
Midway through stanza three Judah spots a flaw in the Santa Cruz
repeat actions, and instead of first stepping back before
countering, he meets the banzai with a sizzling left uppercut that
finds the chin, and Santa Cruz is down and in trouble.
Showtime's Saturday
San Juan Special a Crowd Pleaser: Lopez Short Circuits
Concepcion in 2, Donaire Halts Marquez in 8... by George Elsasser
Sometimes we fight fans get lucky - Saturday noche down San Juan, Puerto Rico way was one of them times - a
twin-bill of hot title action.
On that note, let's go to the unbeaten hometown
favorite from Caguas, Juan Manuel Lopez AKA "Juanma" defending his
WBO Featherweight strap against young at 22, veteran of 33 kept
appointments Bernabe Concepcion of the Philippines.
Opening stanza and it's Concepcion down courtesy of Lopez power left
hand - no sooner on his feet it's Lopez quickly on top of the
Filipino with a combination at close quarters - bingo! - a
Concepcion counter left hook and Lopez is down.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Wins Unanimous
Decision Over John Duddy... by Lem Satterfield
Chavez and Duddy waged
war even through the first five rounds, this, before Duddy
shook him and stood him up with a left-right combination in
the sixth.
"I knew that I hurt him. Unfortunately, I wasn't good enough
to finish him off. He had good pressure, and he hits solidly
with both hands, you know. A very good kid," said Duddy. "I
thought that it was a very good fight. I came here and I tried
to do what I thought that I could do. I wish that I could have
gone better."
Ward Retains WBA
Super Middleweight Title - Tosses Shutout Over Green... by
George Elsasser
Saturday night Showtime Special from Oracle Arena
at Oakland, California had the attention of fight fans with undefeated
local Andre Ward defending WBA Super Middleweight strap against
veteran Allan Green - Ward also looking to grab the Second Stage top
slot in the Showtime Super Tourney.
Started on the slow side over stanzas one and two
with both seemingly playing it close to the vest - then numero tres
with Ward on the offense while working at close quarters. Green in no
mood to swap with Ward, who wasn’t delivering heavy duty, but the far
busier.
Ward continued the brawling, mauling approach on
the inside and Green unable to get off anything resembling a counter -
nothing pretty but clearly in charge.
Husanov Bests Berrio - Vlasov Halts Ravelo... by George Elsasser
ESPN Friday night offerings arrived from
good ol' left coast Spokane, Washington at the Northern Quest Casino
- main event a Jr. Middleweight affair showcasing Russian via
Uzbekistan Sherzod Husanov, in with Colombian Jhon Berrio of 15-6,
11 KOs mediocrity.
Opening two stanzas sees all going as scripted
with the Russian displaying the quicker hands while advertising a
touted right hand behind flurries and combinations - still, the
younger and very game Berrio was not about to go quietly.
Berrio grabs number three, a sprited stanza of
hot exchanges. He then, on my unofficial, claims candles four and
five by a whisker, and my scandal sheet has it Berrio up 48-47 in
points.
Lemieux Takes Out Ayala in Opening Stanza - Remains Unbeaten... by George Elsasser
The ESPN FNF traveling troupe played the Uniprix
Stadium at Montreal, Canada for an outdoors venue of club fight action
- and the local gentry was thrilled in seeing house favorite David
Lemieux scoring an opening stanza stoppage over veteran Elvin Ayala.
Lemieux arrived unbeaten at 22-0, 21 KOs - scalps
taken of the no name variety - Ayala entered with job application of
20-4-1, 9 KOs in with better opposition, the translation on paper
shouted interesting pairing for the WBC international middleweight
trophy.
Not to be, as Lemieux surprises the veteran Ayala
midway through the opening candle with a left hook and we have
knockdown numero uno - next a barrage of punches capped with a right
hand and it's knockdown two. Finally a wobbly and shaken Ayala is set
up for a right hand/ left hook finisher. Time of knockout 2:44 round
one.
Aaron
Pryor Jr. Stops Willis Lockett in 6...
Sunday was a special afternoon of boxing as Aaron Pryor
highlighted a four bout card with a sixth round stoppage over gritty
Willis Lockett at the Hyatt Regency on the Philadelphia Waterfront.
The show was promoted
by Joey Eye Boxing in association with Gulfstream Sports and
Entertainment.
Pryor Jr. of
Cincinnati used his six inch height advantage to keep Lockett at range
but Lockett was able to get through with some winging shots over the
first three rounds. Pryor Jr. got things rolling in
round four as he began to find the range with his right hand startled
Lockett on several occasions.
Lockett started to
hold and was deducted a point for that continued infraction by referee
Benjy Esteves in round six as he began to eat more hard shots.
The accumulation of
punches had taken their toll on Lockett and his corner agreed as they
stopped the bout before the seventh round had started.
Kim, Provodnikov
Score KOs ... by George Elsasser
ESPN FNF delivered a twin-bill featuring strangers in the night Ji-Hoon
Kim, Ameth Diaz, Ruslan Provodnikov - and old favorite Emanuel Augustus
who arrived on four days notice. Show opens with jr. welters Provodnikov facing Augustus - and the
question was how much the old veteran Augustus would have left in the
proverbial tank.
Augustus playing it straight in stanza one makes it an action affair but
the Siberian slugger earned the edge - both exchanged combinations that
caught the eye.
Stanza two sees Augustus drawing even in another quick paced round that
had Emanuel displaying flashes of his earlier days - continues over
rounds three and four although the pace slows.
Perez Retains
Bantam Strap Via Majority Draw Over Mares; Marquez Stops
Vazquez... by George Elsasser
Showtime Saturday Special presentation did its best to deliver the goods -
and while they got the names correct with Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez
in the main event - along with an expected action affair in the supporting
cast with Yonnhy Perez defending his IBF Bantamweight strap against
undefeated Abner Mares, the surprise was the table setters would steal the
show.
Curtain opens with Mares grabbing the opening stanza with
a slightly busier output than the harder hitting Perez - again in round two
it was the quicker handed Mares with the edge.
On my unofficial, Perez would go one better when picking
up the pace while claiming numbers 3-4-5 - Mares would then stem the tide
with a return to full court press and he would have himself a standoff at 57
- 57 at the halfway mark.
Cintron's Loss to Paul Williams Remains a Loss... At Least
for Now...
The Executive Officer of the California State Athletic
Commission has ruled that Kermit Cintron's technical
split-decision loss to super-welterweight Paul Williams on
Saturday at Carson's Home Depot Center will remain a defeat,
although the entire commission can still hear Cintron's appeal
at its next meeting in July, 2010.
Williams Gifted With Aborted Split Technical Decision 4 Over Cintron... by
George Elsasser
No doubt about it - the California Boxing Commission
has once again qualified for background music starring yesteryear stand up
comic Red Buttons - with his Hidee-Hidee-Hhidee-Ho, "Strange things are
happening" openings.
Latest insult to legitimate rules changes was on
display during stanza four of the Paul "Punisher" Williams vs Kermit
"Killer" Cintron battle of former welterweight strap holders.
Williams enters the heavy favorite while sporting rap
sheet of 38-1, 27 KOs to Cintron at 32-2-1, 28 KOs - on paper he also
enjoyed the lefty vs. orthodox edge, along with height and reach
advantage. Toss in the past proven busier of the two and Cintron was now
left with the proverbial (right hand) puncher's chance.
Opening bell sees neither the "Punisher" nor "The Killer" living up to their sobriquets - my unofficial handed the slightest
of edges to Cintron - again in numero dos a replay of mutual counter punching in style - and I had it Cintron 2-0.
Diaz and Salcido Victorious!
Thompson Boxing Promotions' Julio Diaz and Dominic Salcido both lit up the
desert sky with solid ring performances on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights at
Buffalo Bills Resort and Casino tonight.
As the main event of the night, former lightweight world champion Julio Diaz improved his record to
(37-6, 26 KOs) when he overcame former world title challenger Herman Ngoudjo
(18-4, 10 KOs) by attacking the body consistently enough to throw Ngoudjo off
of his game plan.
Hermann Ngoudjo Suffers Double Fracture that Threatens His Future as a
Boxer...
Hermann Ngoudjo, a two-time
world title challenger, suffered a broken jaw and a broken orbital bone at the
hands of opponent Julio Diaz in Primm Nevada Friday night. "He didn't complain at all
during the fight and we're not quite sure when it happened," said trainer Marc
Ramsay who saw his fighter go down to Diaz by scores of 97-93, 97-93, 99-91 on
the scorecards. "It was only a half-hour after the fight that he started
mentioning the pain and we had him checked out. The jaw is not that bad but
the orbital is the more serious of the two."
Ngoudjo will return to Montreal, where he lives, and will receive further
medical treatment there.
Martinez Strips
Pavlik; Bute Stops Miranda... by George Elsasser
Once again, HBO championship boxing topped the field with
a Saturday night twin-bill that saw Lucian Bute halting tough challenger
Edison Miranda with a single left uppercut in stanza three - and Sergio
Martinez upsetting the proverbial apple cart in an eye catching unanimous
decision win over defending WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.
Curtain opens with both, defending IBF super middle champ
Bute and challenger Miranda playing it close to the vest - edge Bute in a
slow stanza.
Rodriguez Trounces
Arnaoutis - Snatches USBA Minor Strap... by George Elsasser
The ESPN2 -FNF- from the Mohegan Sun Casino at
Uncasville, Connecticut for the USBA welter strap, on paper had action club fight
written over it - even with Delvin Rodriguez arriving on losses to
opponents bearing surnames Jackiewicz and Hiatshwayo, and Arnaoutis a
blown up junior welter, entering off a decision loss to somebody named Tim
Coleman.
Rodriguez, the taller at six feet has proven
effective at the small club level using the long left jab backed by a
power right hand - but on the other hand, he also has displayed a
chin possibly imported from the orient - Arnaoutis, the southpaw, the
underdog, arrives wearing the label punchers chance.
Haye vs Ruiz: A Curious Fight, but for a Sadist Like Me, I'm Relishing
this One... by Stephen Jones
If you were to ask any name heavyweight from the last
five years to compile a list of opponents they would avoid like the plague, you
can bet your life the name John Ruiz would appear somewhere high on the list
along with fellow spoilers Henry Akinwande and Mister Valuev. But like the
aforementioned, John has been a partial holder of the World title and an active
player at the highest level for over ten years. John's success has been down to
great longevity, ring savvy and that rare ability to claim victory, no matter
how hard the task. When he is good he is actually a piece of work, but when he
is bad he is unspeakable.. So how is David Haye of all people going to get
himself motivated for such a thankless task, I ask myself? David is that rarest
of creatures that in all of his vanity and ignorance believes he is the best
thing since sliced bread to grace the heavyweight picture, if David were a piece
of cake he would have eaten himself by now...
-Photo Credit: Sauerland Events-
Results: David Haye (24-1, 22 KOs) scored a TKO 9. He
continues to challenge the Klitschkos.
Kolle Scores Impressive
Win Over Vanda... by Kenny Perrault
Andy Kolle and Matt Vanda first fought in 2007. That
fight was a close unanimous decision, which ended with Kolle's hand raised in
victory. Last night at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN the two
warriors fought a second time for Kolle's Minnesota state middleweight
championship belt.
While this fight did not lack excitement it was not
nearly as close as their first fight. Kolle a 6'1" southpaw worked
behind a stiff jab often followed with a straight left hand. Kolle's
constant 1-2 offense kept the smaller Vanda at a distance for much of
the fight. To Vanda's credit he never stopped trying to come forward
and make it an inside fight. When Vanda was able to get past the rangy
southpaw's jab he would throw combinations to both head and body. As
the rounds went by Kolle was able to pile on the points continuously
working behind the right left combination. In the end the scorecards
all read in favor of Andy Kolle 99-92, 99-92, 97-93.
With the win, Andy Kolle improves his record to 21-2 (15 KOs) while
Matt Vanda drops to 42-11 (22 KOs).
-Photo Credit: Kenny Perrault-
Maidana Stops Cayo;
Guzman Decision Winner over Funeka on HBO BAD... by Larry
Flores
In June 2009, the relatively
unknown Marcos Rene Maidana burst into the consciousness of the boxing
community at large with a sensational TKO victory against highly regarded
"Vicious" Victor Ortiz, in the process winning the Interim WBA Light
Welterweight title. In Saturday night's HBO Boxing After Dark at the Hard
Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Maidana certified the legitimacy
of the victory over Ortiz by stopping the previously unbeaten Victor Rene Cayo.
In making the second defense of
his Interim title, the hard punching Marcos "El Chino" Maidana of Buenos
Aires, Argentina, entered the ring with an impressive record of 27-1 with 26
KOs against the Dominican Republic's unbeaten Victor "Mermelada" Cayo's
equally outstanding record of 24-0 with 15 KOs.
Dirrell Dominated
Disqualified Abraham... by Frank Gonzalez Jr.
Kudos to
the Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO's), who put it all together in his match up
against 'former' IBF titlist, "King" Arthur Abraham in Showtime's Super Six
Super Middleweight Tournament. We always hear that styles make fights and
this fight was testimony to that. Dirrell has shown good boxing ability
against all the scrubs he faced since he turned pro, fighting as a prospect,
which he still was when he was selected as one of the "six best" Super
Middleweights in boxing to be in this tournament.
Frankly, I
don't understand how any of the three Americans in this tourney got their
spots. This is no disrespect to any of them but let's be honest, Jermain
Taylor, a fading former Middleweight titlist who lost two of his last three
and two relatively untested prospects in Andre Dirrell and Andre Ward? Sure,
Ward showed himself to be masterful in his beating of legit contender Mikkel
Kessler but Dirrell was unimpressive and looked down right scared in his
first "fight" against Carl Froch. With Jermain Taylor's departure from the
tournament, Allan Green (29-1, 20 KO's), who's won his last six fights, will
be replacing him.
Dirrell Wins by Disqualification Over Abraham in
Super-6 World Boxing Classic... by Larry Flores
The Flint, Michigan native Dirrell got the much needed win against the heavily favored Abraham in a controversial
ending after Abraham was disqualified for landing an illegal blow that
rendered Dirrell unable to continue.
At the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit,
Michigan, Andre Dirrell (18-1 with 13 KOs) faced Armenia's "King" Arthur
Abraham (31-0 with 25 KOs) in the second stage of the Super-6 World Boxing
Classic. The favored Abraham, now residing in Berlin, Germany, was leading
the round-robin styled tournament after his knockout victory over Jermain
Taylor in the Classic's opening stage, and was the clear favorite to win the
tournament. Dirrell was the hard luck loser by a close, split decision to
Carl Froch in his opening match of the tournament in October 2009, so a
victory was essential in order to have any chance of being the eventual
winner in the Classic.
Andre Dirrell
Wins by DQ....
by Kenny Perrault ...
The tenth round is when the fight really became
interesting. Abraham's bleeding from his right eye and desperate
dropped Dirrell only to have it waved off by referee Laurence
Cole, (I will get to Cole later). Though a bit shaken from the
knockdown Dirrell made it out of the tenth round on steady
legs. Knowing he needed a knockout to win the fight, Abraham
came out hard in the 11th round finally showing
offense. It would not be Abraham's much needed offense that
would end the fight it would be his clear frustration and
desperation that would be the end. Dirrell slipped in the
corner only to be knocked out cold by an Abraham punch. The
replays clearly showed that Andre Dirrell was down when
Abraham landed the ending blow forcing referee Laurence Cole
to DQ Abraham giving Andre Dirrell the win.
Fear of a Pacquiao Planet - Part II of II... by Martin Wade
The public relations battle that was "blood gate" was decisively won by
Mayweather, because like any politician he simplified and
stayed on talking points that got American fans committed
to making deposits into this bogus campaign. I know I
called you a cheater, and told everyone I'm the big dog in
negotiations but for $30 million dollars you should forget
all that and sign, right? I know I can appeal to NSAC and
let them handle it (testing) but I'd rather use the issue
as a sidebar to show everybody I'm still the boss. You
know, "win the first two rounds." Newsflash boxing fans,
men who are already rich (and don't throw it away on
uninsured jewelry) play by a different set of rules.
Remember Mosley turned down a boatload of scratch on
principle? De La Hoya wouldn't fight Vargas for years
until he cleaned up his rhetoric... only Mayweather
markets himself as a "money first" gladiator.
Fear of a
Pacquiao Planet - Part I of II ... by Martin Wade
We live in cynical times;
cut-throat realities in every segment of life convince us that nothing or no
one is what or who they seem.
Baseball's apple pie is long
replaced by steroids and the NFL is crawling with man-monsters you don't want
to see at your local nightspot after 2:00 a.m. Politicians have -in the words
of President Obama- turned toxic discourse into a "sport" and we, the mostly
uninformed seethe at one another based on emotion. No one is aging gracefully,
and no one is placing value on neither respect nor perspective in the world of
sports.
Showtime Saturday
Night Twin Bill a Twin Thriller... by George Elsasser
Last night Showtime ShoBox "New
Generation" delivered us fight fans a twin bill thriller
that had the paying customers at the Agua Caliente
Casino, Rancho Mirage, California pleased as a pig in
bleep - well, for most of the night.
Show opens with a non-stop action
affair for the IBO lightweight strap - and "action"
doesn't come close - Fernando Angulo enters the favorite
although taking the fight on 12 days notice - also
arrives at 22-6, 14 stoppages.
The underdog from "Down Under"
country, Lenny Zappavigna arrives unbeaten at 22 wins
with 15 via KO - and on paper the advantage of younger
age 22 vs. 29.
Camacho, Maddalone
Score Impressive Stoppages in Atlantic City...
On Saturday night, at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic
City, NJ, Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing presented a thrilling,
action-packed night of professional boxing, that had the packed house
in attendance asking for more. The five bout card was headlined by
Atlantic City's own, Shamone "The Truth" Alvarez taking on hard
hitting Alexis Camacho.
Alvarez and Camacho wasted no time getting acquainted, as they both
came out in the first firing.
In the 2nd, the southpaw Alvarez began finding the range for his left
hand, landing two short overhand lefts that rocked Camacho.
As the fight progressed from each round to the next, Alvarez got
stronger and stronger. To Camacho's credit, he showed guts, and a
very good chin, as he continued to press forward as Alvarez's punches
found their mark time and time again.
Honorio Batters Hilario; Ramos KO Winner Over Santos on ESPN FNF... by Larry Flores
Both Martin Honorio and Rico "Suavecito" Ramos made a
statement in their ESPN Friday Night Fights national television appearance from
the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California with decisive wins.
With his one-sided victory, Mexico's Honorio has given notice that at
30-years-old he's still a legitimate threat to any of the top Super
Featherweight and Lightweight fighters. The 22-year-old Ramos established
himself as a serious prospect who bears watching with a devastating KO victory.
In the main event of ESPN's FNF card, Mexico's Honorio (27-4 with 14
KOs) defended his WBO NABO Lightweight title with a one-sided battering of
unbeaten Wilton "Pretty Warrior" Hilario (12-0-1 with 9 KOs) of the Dominican
Republic.
Honorio by
Unanimous Decision; Ramos via KO... by George Elsasser
ESPN FNF from Pechanga Resort/Casino
at Temecula, California showcased defending NABO
lightweight champion Martin Honorio in a lopsided
decision win over game but outclassed Wilton Hilario.
Honorio delivered the goods as if
choreographed - not only does he toss a shutout on one
judge's report card to the tune of 120-106 - but also
caught the eye of the other two scorers in like 119-107
fashion.
My scribble agreed Honorio 119-107 in
points and 11-1 under the round by method.
Rest of the story is the unbeaten
Hilario, while arriving on paper at 12-0-1, with nine
kayos, the scalps taken were strictly minor league
entities - but on this night the challenging Dominican's
one dimensional attacking style would fail miserably.
Honorio dominates on ESPN2 FNF.... by Kenny Perrault
Martin Honorio made easy work of Wilton Hilario tonight on ESPN2 Friday Night
Fights. From the opening bell Hilario was the aggressor constantly moving
forward. The problem being Wilton offered no jabs and once he found himself on
the inside he had little offense.
What Did "Test-o-Phobic" Pacquiao Prove by Beating Joshua Clottey?... by Elisa Harrison
Monday morning has rolled around, and the time has come to
jot down my comments and feelings regarding the latest shameful chapter in the
sport of boxing, known to some as a high profile match-up between Manny Pacquiao
and Joshua Clottey.
Filipino fans will hate this article,
others may too, and that's perfectly fine.... I understand what it's like to be
fanatical about a particular athlete or an actor, a politician, etc., so I can
see how the passion for Manny Pacquiao gets in the way of the reality of it all.
However, to me it's not about being a boxer's fan, it's about being a fan of
boxing.
Grano avenges only loss with decision against Brown...
Fan favorite Tony
"TNT" Grano gained revenge for
his only loss as a pro, winning a unanimous 10-round
decision last night against Mark "Oak
Tree" Brown in the main event on the
"Brace For Impact" card, promoted by Jimmy Burchfield's
Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc., (CES), in a
sold-out Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
Grano (17-1-1,
13 KOs) was cruising along through a rough fight until
early in the final round, when lightning nearly struck
again as Brown (15-3, 7 KOs), who knocked out Tony in the 8th
round of their first fight, dropped
Grano with an overhand right early in the 10th
round. Grano, however, kept his composure and remained out
of trouble to win on the judges' scorecards (98-91, 97-92,
97-92).
"I didn't want
to overextend myself and rush in," Grano commented. "This
(revenge) was sweet. He's a tough guy. He comes to fight. I
give him credit for giving me a rematch."
Alexander Stuns Urango, Unifies Titles on HBO Boxing After Dark... by Larry Flores
WBC Junior Welterweight champion
Devon Alexander "The Great" parlayed an outstanding
performance and a dynamic, brain rattling uppercut into
his inclusion among the elite fighters in the 140-pound
division.
The joint Don King and Warriors
Boxing production of HBO's "Boxing After Dark," featuring a Junior Welterweight unification bout between
unbeaten WBC title holder Devon Alexander (19-0 with 12
KOs) and IBF champion Juan "Iron Twin" Urango (22-2 with
17 KOs), was expected to be a close, evenly matched
contest between the two title holders.
However, the Saint Louis, Missouri
native Alexander left no doubt as to his clear
superiority over Colombia's Urango, recording a
sensational, 8-round TKO over the hard punching IBF
champion.
Sechew
Powell Gets Revenge, Outpoints Latimore on ESPN FNF... by
Larry Flores
Entering his IBF Light
Middleweight title eliminator encounter against
Deandre Latimore at Choctaw Gaming Center in Durant,
Oklahoma, Sechew Powell had revenge on his mind. He
also needed a victory to propel himself back into the
Light Middleweight title picture. He achieved both
goals with a hard fought victory in front of a
national television audience on ESPN's Friday Night
Fights.
Just like their previous
encounter in June 2008 that was fought on even terms
until Latimore prevailed with a surprising 7-round
stoppage, their rematch was also a very close, hard
fought contest. However, on this night Latimore
could not find the late round magic that carried him
to victory in their first meeting..
Powell
Bests Latimore in IBF Jr. Middle Eliminator... by George
Elsasser
Last nite's IBF Jr. Middle Eliminator from far out
Durant, Oklahoma where the wind comes right behind
the rain, saw southpaws Sechew Powell of good old Brooklyn, USA besting Vegas transplant from the
"Show
me State," Deandre Latimore in a spirited affair.
The last time they had met was back on June of 2008 -
a hotly contested affair that was all square entering
stanza seven when Latimore closed the show via TKO.
Not to be last noche, although the younger Latimore
at 24 to Powell's 31, held his own at 57-57 on my
unofficial entering numero seven - but then it would
be the "Iron Horse" grabbing numbers seven through
ten and a four point edge with two candles to go.
The margin then would hold up to a precious two, as
Latimore grabbed the final two chapters to make it
close but no cigar - my card had Powell 115-113 in
points and 7-5 under the yesterday round by round
method.
The official scoring saw it Powell 117-111, 116-112
with one judge having it all square at 114-114 for
the majority win.
Sechew Powell vs Deandre Latimore: The Rematch, March 19th from
Durant, Oklahoma... by Relio Gonzalez
When Sechew
Powell (25-2, 15 KO's) and Deandre Latimore (20-2, 16 KO's) first met in
June of 2008, Powell was in line to get his first world title shot. Powell
was rated #1 by the IBF and had the home-field advantage coming into the
fight. But Powell's journey to his first world title shot came to a crashing
halt as the younger Latimore scored a major upset, stopping Powell in the
7th round at the Hard Rock Times Square in New York City. It was an outcome
that very few observers saw coming. But the victory against Powell managed
to thrust Latimore in the spotlight where he got the opportunity to
square-off against Cory Spinks for the vacant IBF belt the following year.
Odlanier Solis by TKO Over Carl Drummond in Top Rank's Key West
Promotion... by Larry Flores
WBC International Heavyweight champion Odlanier Solis
expected the latest defense of his title against
Costa Rica's Carl Davis Drumond to be a tough,
competitive fight. However, in Drumond he found an
unwilling combatant who inexplicably decided to call
it quits after absorbing a few of Solis' body
punches.
A former Cuban
Gold Medal winner in the 2004 Olympics, Odlanier "La
Sombra" Solis defected from his native Cuba in 2006.
After a brief but unbeaten professional career, he
won the vacant WBC International Heavyweight title
with a 9-round stoppage in October 2008.
Escalante
decisions Roman; Garcia via split verdict... by George
Elsasser
ESPN FNF televised twin-bill from El
Paso, Texas, delivered another pier-sixer of a shootout
that saw Antonio Escalante nipping Miguel Roman in the
feature attraction, and Philadelphia's Danny Garcia
besting Ashley Theopane from London town across the pond
in a jr. welter thriller.
Stanza one - It's Theopane having the
better - more effective from the outside against the
younger Garcia of the "City of Brotherly Love" who was
slow getting off.
Garcia turns the tables with a solid
stanza of pressure and power punches - Theopane using the
ring but less effective in candle two - and then, over
four hot stanzas it's all square at 38 apiece.
Ponce de Leon and Matthysse score major wins in Mexico...
Mexican former champion Daniel Ponce de Leon (38-2, 33 KOs) manhandled
Orlando Cruz (16-2-1, 7 KOs), stopping him 2:37 seconds into the 3rd round of
their bout, which was held Saturday night in Mexico City, Mexico. With the
victory, Ponce de Leon claimed the vacant WBC Latino featherweight title.
Unbeaten welterweight Lucas Martin Matthysse (26-0, 24 KOs) managed to stop former world champion Vivian Harris (29-4-1, 19 KOs) by
way of 4th round TKO. The official time was 2:44.
Provodnikov and Ji-Hoon Kim score
impressive victories in ESPN Friday Night Fights... by Larry
Flores
Adding an
international flavor to its "Friday Night Fights"
series, ESPN presented an action packed
twin bill
headlined by a fighter from Mexico, Russia, Korea
and a lone American. Although the fighters in the
co-main events lacked household name recognition,
they nevertheless provided an exciting evening of
boxing. At evening's end, the performance of the
two winners may have earned them the viewers' respect
and the name recognition they
deserve.
A pair of light welterweights opened the show as unbeaten Ruslan
Provodnikov of Russia (14-0 with 9 KOs) faced
Mexico's Javier Jauregui (53-16 with KOs) in a
scheduled 10-rounder.
Edwin Valero retains title with stoppage of Tony
DeMarco... by Larry Flores
In spite of being a two-time world champion with an unbeaten record of
26-0, with all victories coming under the limit, many
questions still remained about the legitimacy of Edwin
Valero's power punching ability and overall boxing skill.
Many in the boxing community questioned the level of his
opposition and wondered whether he belonged in the top
echelon of the Lightweight division. Having fought mostly
in South American rings and lacking television exposure, he
remained a mystery in boxing circles.
Some of those doubts may have been answered after Valero's successful
defense of his WBC Lightweight title against
Mexico's Antonio De Marco at the Arena Monterrey, in
Monterrey, Mexico. With a record of 23-1-1 and 17 KOs on
his ledger, the talented Mexican enjoyed a height and reach
advantage and was expected to provide a stern test to the
champion's credentials. The talents of the Venezuelan
born champion have been somewhat validated after the
decisive win over De Marco.
Valero by TKO; Abregu by decision down Mexico way... by George
Elsasser
Defending WBC lightweight champion
Edwin Valero displayed uncommon valor while staying the
course, to wear down and take the fight out of challenger
Antonio DeMarco, who conceded on his stool end of round
nine.
Valero quickly took control from the
opening bell the busier of the two - the taller DeMarco
had some success in using the height (5'10") advantage
over the 5' 7-1/2; Valero - loses the round but manages to
cut the champion on the right cheek.
Then a telling round two saw Valero
cut badly in the forehead from accidental DeMarco counter
left elbow, when the punch came up short, and the follow
through elbow did the damage - still, Valero took the
round.
Tomasz
Adamek bests Jason Estrada... by Ricky Ray Taylor @ringside
Rd. 12 / Adamek is feeding off of it by brilliantly boxing
the stalking Estrada. 1-2-hooks by Adamek are frequent and
flush with an occasional uppercut landing for good
measure. Each fighter throws toe to toe in the final :20
while Estrada immediately raises his hands in victory at
the bell.
Don King's Yucatan, Mexico show results: Espadas loses by unanimous decision to
Rojas...
Hernandez right hand takes
out Corley in five... by George Elsasser
Begins with Corley bringing it to the taller Hernandez in
typical "Chop-Chop" style - however Hernandez answers
back to grab the opening stanza - then a replay in number
two with Hernandez the more accurate.
Corley grabs number three in a close one to score -
credit the power shots to both body and head - and
suddenly we have a contest - again in candle four it's
Corley and we have it a standoff at 38-38 in points and
two rounds apiece.
Hernandez chops down former champ Corley, wins by devastating 5th round KO; unbeaten
Contreras stops Castaneda in the 1st round...
With one sudden, dramatic right hand, once-beaten
Freddy "El Riel" Hernandez (28-1, 19 KOs) of Lynwood,
Calif. broke open an entertaining, dead-even fight to
brutally knock out former world champion DeMarcus "Chop
Chop" Corley (36-13-1, 21 KOs) of Washington, D.C., at
1:48 of the fifth round Friday in the main event on ShoBox:
The New Generation on SHOWTIME.
In the co-feature at Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez,
Calif., power-punching, undefeated Dominican Francisco
Contreras (13-0, 12 KOs), of Livingston, N.J., registered a
1:38, first-round knockout over Juan Castaneda, Jr. (16-3,
12 KOs), of La Paz, Mexico, in a scheduled eight-round
junior welterweight bout.
The three judges had the Hernandez-Corley scheduled
10-round welterweight scrap scored 38-apiece entering the
fifth round.
Johnson halts Mack in six;
Paredes left hook takes out Hernandez in two... by George
Elsasser
The ESPN2 IBF eliminator from Nova University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, had
knockouts on the mind with age 41, veteran Glen Johnson
in with Yusaf Mack age 31 entering on five bout win
streak - plus a welterweight co-feature with unbeaten
Joey Hernandez facing Ed Paredes who had battled to a
draw in prior face off.
Show opens with Johnson having the edge over the first
two stanzas that were close action rounds with spirited
exchanges - then numero tres with the "Road Warrior" in
control over a defensive Mack.
Wasn't until number four did Mack pick up the pace while
using the height-reach advantage to outscore Johnson -
again in round five Johnson looking good but for reasons
only he knows, he mixes in working from the port side.
Paredes a stunning
KO winner over Hernandez; Johnson beats Mack by TKO on
FNF... by Larry Flores @ringside
Both Ed "The Lion"
Paredes and Glen "The Road Warrior" Johnson had plenty to
prove in ESPN's Friday Night Fights from Nova
Southeastern University in South Florida.
The Hollywood,
Florida native Paredes wanted to establish his
superiority over another South Floridian, Miami's Joey
"Twinkle Fingers" Hernandez, in a rematch of a
controversial draw verdict only 5-months earlier. The
veteran "Road Warrior" Johnson wanted to show the world's
top 175-pounders that there are still plenty of good
fights left in his 41-year old body. It was also
important for him to get back in the win column after
having lost to champion Chad Dawson in his last outing a
few months back. Both fighters accomplished their
objectives in stunning fashion before a national and
worldwide television audience.
Oquendo retires King in 9...
Heavyweight "Fast" Fres Oquendo (32-5, 20 KOs) forced Demetrice King (15-18, 13
KOs) to retire at the end of the 9th round of their meet held Saturday night at
the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana.
The judges' cards read 89-81 and 90-80 twice for Oquendo, who claimed the
NABA/USBA titles when King was unable to come
out for round ten.
ESPN FNF delivers twin-bill dandy... by George Elsasser
Last nite, ESPN FNF from out California way, tossed up a
twin-bill dandy with relative strangers Ji Hoon Kim of
South Korea facing veteran Tyrone Harris of Lansing, Michigan
in a feature lightweight barn burner, along with
undefeated Siberian Ruslan Provodnikov and veteran Javier
Jauregui in a Jr. Welter scorcher.
On that note, let's go to the ring action - opens with
the younger Siberian Provodnikov having the better in a
sizzling candle that saw Provo scoring with power combos
to both body and head.
Porter bests
Jordan; Lane blanks Tucker... by George Elsasser
Last night from Cleveland, Ohio, ESPN FNF showcased
unbeaten Shawn Porter at 12-0, 10 stoppages in with
Russell Jordan of 15-6, 10 mediocrity.
The pre-fight expectations was Porter had himself a gimme
that would surely fall inside the halfway mark - and then
the opening bell with the experts lookin' good as the
Akron via Cleveland "prospect" snatched the opening four
stanzas.
The key to success was quickness coupled with a busier
offense that saw the 22 year old tossing punches in
bunches - southpaw slinging "Spiderman" would settle for
a counter right hook on the inside, but not near enough
to bag a single stanza of his own.
Dieuly Aristilde by KO over Elijah McCall; "Heavyweight Factory" fighters make
successful debut at Hard Rock Live... by Larry Flores
The inaugural Tuesday Night Fights at The Hard Rock Live in Hollywood,
Florida lived up to its promise of providing an entertaining and fun filled
evening, as well as showcasing several young, talented Heavyweight newcomers.
All but one of the fights ended as expected, with victories by three of "Heavyweight Factory" fighters making their debut in the professional ranks.
Jorge Arce wins yet another title with victory over Indonesia's Angky Angkota... by Larry Flores
In front of a vociferous hometown crowd, Mexico's Jorge "El Travieso"
(Spanish for "Mischievous") Arce defeated Angky "Time
Bomb" Angkota in a 7-round technical decision to
win the vacant WBO Super Flyweight crown. The more
experienced 30-year old Arce, (52-6-1 with 40 KOs) was
able to wear down Angkota, (23-4 with 14 KOs) with a
ferocious non-stop body attack that took its toll on the
28-year old Indonesian.
Brinkley bests Stevens; grabs slot in IBF super middleweight rankings... by George
Elsasser
Last nite's ESPN FNF featured Jesse Brinkley in with Curtis Stevens in a battle for the s/middleweight number
two slot in its rankings - going in the guess was celebrated power
punching Stevens of Brownsville Brooklyn fame would take care of business
in one or two candles.
Brinkley of Reno, Nevada suburb, the crowd favorite enters 34-5, 22 by KO
while the favored Stevens arrives at 21-2, 15 short of distance - and then
the opening bell.
Teddy Atlas working ringside with Joe Tessitore looked good in the Stevens
pick in one or two stanzas, as the Brooklyn muscle man easily grabs the
opening stanza on aggression alone - and Brinkley returns to his corner
with a sizable swelling under the right eye.
Serrano over Warrior Jr. in Brinkley - Stevens undercard
In the co-feature bout of the
evening, up and coming welterweight prospect, Raymond "Tito" Serrano
improved his record to a perfect 12-0, 6 KOs with a dominating eight round
decision victory over Ronnie Warrior Jr. (13-3-1, 4 KOs). In his first
scheduled eight rounder as a pro, Serrano used his speed and crisp
combination punching to continuously keep Warrior off balance throughout
the contest. The 20-year- old Serrano showed much improved boxing ability
as he would score with three and four punch combinations and then move out
of Warriors range.
All three judges scored the bout were 79-73 for the Philadelphian native.
Look for Serrano to be back in action soon as he anticipates a huge 2010.
Gamboa, Lopez sparkle in knockout wins... by George Elsasser
HBO Friday night twin bill from the
Theater at MSG tossed up a dandy of a preview when both
Yuriorkis Gamboa and Juanma Lopez sparkled in
respective TKO wins.
Gamboa first out of the proverbial
gate, made short work of durable, and game but
outclassed Rogers Mtagwa at the 2:35 mark of stanza
two.
The Gitmo gunner now calling Miami
home simply had too much of everything for the
available Tanzanian - Mtagwa first met the canvas late
in the opening candle courtesy of a sizzling counter
left-hook.
Gamboa Overwhelms Mtagwa; Lopez stops Luevano at
"The Garden's Doubleheader....
Two dynamic, undefeated fighters, apparently headed on a collision
course, each impressed with victories in their
championship winning performances at New York's Madison
Square Garden on HBO "Boxing After Dark." The
doubleheader at "The Mecca of Boxing" showcased Cuba's
Yuriorkis Gamboa defending his WBA Featherweight title
against Tanzania's Rogers Mtagwa, and Puerto Rico's Juan
Manuel Lopez challenging for Steven Luevano's WBO
Featherweight belt.
In the opening
televised fight, Cuba's Gamboa (16-0 with 14 KOs)
nicknamed "El Ciclon de Guantanamo" (The Guantanamo
Cyclone) was making the second defense of his WBA
Featherweight crown against the rugged Rogers Mtagwa
(26-13-2 with, 18 KOs), who was coming off a near upset of
Luan Manuel Lopez in his last fight.
Juanma Lopez stops Steve Luevano... An Exclusive Photo
Gallery by Francisco Guzman
Gamboa overwhelms Mtagwa... An Exclusive Photo Gallery by
Francisco Guzman
As it happened at Madison Square Garden... by Ricky Ray Taylor @ringside
12 Rounds (WBA Featherweight title)
Rogers Mtagwa -122-1/2 lbs., Philadelphia, PA, 26-13-2, 18 KOs vs Yuriorkis
Gamboa -126 lbs., Miami, FL 16-0 (14 KOs)
After a series of thuds hammered into the crowd from Mtagwa's head, Gamboa
finally dropped him with one at the end of round 1. 0:30 into round 2 the
question was, "how much punishment can Mtagwa sustain?" 2:35 into round 2
we get the answer as Steve Smoger steps in to rescue Mtagwa from the
onslaught of thuds.
WINNER: YURIORKIS GAMBOA, KO 2:35 round 2.
Brinkley bests Stevens; grabs slot in IBF super middleweight rankings... by George
Elsasser
Last nite's ESPN FNF featured Jesse Brinkley in with Curtis Stevens in a battle for the s/middleweight number
two slot in its rankings - going in the guess was celebrated power
punching Stevens of Brownsville Brooklyn fame would take care of business
in one or two candles.
Brinkley of Reno, Nevada suburb, the crowd favorite enters 34-5, 22 by KO
while the favored Stevens arrives at 21-2, 15 short of distance - and then
the opening bell.
Teddy Atlas working ringside with Joe Tessitore looked good in the Stevens
pick in one or two stanzas, as the Brooklyn muscle man easily grabs the
opening stanza on aggression alone - and Brinkley returns to his corner
with a sizable swelling under the right eye.
Serrano over Warrior Jr. in Brinkley - Stevens undercard
In the co-feature bout of the
evening, up and coming welterweight prospect, Raymond "Tito" Serrano
improved his record to a perfect 12-0, 6 KOs with a dominating eight round
decision victory over Ronnie Warrior Jr. (13-3-1, 4 KOs). In his first
scheduled eight rounder as a pro, Serrano used his speed and crisp
combination punching to continuously keep Warrior off balance throughout
the contest. The 20-year- old Serrano showed much improved boxing ability
as he would score with three and four punch combinations and then move out
of Warriors range.
All three judges scored the bout were 79-73 for the Philadelphian native.
Look for Serrano to be back in action soon as he anticipates a huge 2010.
ESPN2 FNF from
Laredo, Texas a laugher - but not funny... by George Elsasser
Last night's ESPN2 production, at best
an insulting minor league laugher - but far from funny -
even for the Laredo, Texas rodeo fans in attendance.
Let's start with a quiz; "What do you
get when you top the card with an unbeaten Juan Carlos
Burgos @ 23-0, 16 KOs versus a Juan Carlos Martinez that
enters with a stained resume of 15-11-1, 5 KOs?"
Tough call, right? Ok, toss in that
Martinez also took the fight on a week notice - and did I
fail to mention he couldn't make weight - seems he began
the training at 150 for the featherweight challenge that
carried a 126 lb limit?
Shumenov wins
title via a terrible decision over Campillo; Lara by TKO over
Brewer... by Larry Flores
In yet another
embarrassing and questionable verdict rendered in a Las
Vegas ring, the obvious and deserving winner losses his
WBA Light Heavyweight title in a terrible decision to an
opponent that absorbed a beating through most of the
12-round fight. In retrospect, just another highly
questionable Las Vegas judging that has become way too
commonplace.
In a WBA/IBA Light
Heavyweight unification bout at the Las Vegas Hard Rock
Hotel and Casino, Spain's Gabriel "Chico" Campillo was
the unfortunate loser of his WBA crown to Kazakhstan's
Beibut Shumenov, who retained his IBA sanctioned crown in
the process.
The 175-pound unification bout between Campillo (19-2 with 5 KOs) and
Shumenov (8-1 with 6 KOs) was a rematch of Campillo's WBA
title defense victory via a majority decision over Shumenov
in August 2009 in Kazakhstan.
ESPN2 FNF season opener a middleweight dandy... by George
Elsasser
The ESPN FNF season opened last night
with a dandy of an IBF Middleweight eliminator with
favorite Roman Karmazin getting off the canvas in stanza
nine courtesy of a bomb-tossing Miranda right hand - and
then turn the tables in round ten.
Somehow, Karmazin would survive the
round, as he did a Miranda big candle three, when the
celebrated right hand power puncher had the Russian on
shaky legs.
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For Fight Recaps between January and May 2009, click here...
Fight Recaps Part I
(January-May 2009)
For Fight Recaps starting June 2009, click here...
Fight Recaps Part
II
(June-December 2009)
1-2010 |
