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12/21/2019 Post Fight Report – Terence Crawford vs Egidijus Kavaliauskas

            Madison Square Garden – one of the true meccas of boxing.  Now I’ve been to MSG to see various sports events since 2001, but the fact I would be covering a fight there for the first time was kind of surreal to me.  It would also be the latest stage for WBO Welterweight Champion of the World Terence “Bud” Crawford making a title defense against Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas.  In the lead up to this fight, it was taking a hit by critics alike.  The biggest criticism it seems came from the choice of opponent. “Mean Machine” is a very competent boxer on top of being undefeated.  However in his last fight out, he would fight to a majority draw against noted 147 spoiler Ray Robinson.  This was enough to raise some eyebrows.  The other big criticism was the fact on the undercard there was a fight that was getting major attention:  Teofimo Lopez vs Richard Commey for the IBF Lightweight title.  Most people thought that should have been the main event or on its own separate card.  To sum, negativity was the unfortunate theme of this promotion.  The ESPN+ portion of the undercard was fairly entertaining.  I was, in particular, surprised to see Mickey Bey facing and losing to George Kambosos.   That was very random to me.

(Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/ Top Rank)

The main (regular ESPN) portion of the card would start off with rematch from the 2016 Olympics.  Michael Conlan(12-0 7 KO’s) vs Vladimir Nikitin (3-0 0 KO’s).  In their Olympic meeting, Nikitin would win a controversial decision over Conlan.  Conlan would have a now infamous meltdown as this would be the catalyst for leaving the amateur ranks.  Now I was kind of neutral about this fight happening since Nikitin only had 3 pro fights.  But I think I understand why they made it.  The fact that Top Rank had one of its most lauded signings, Robeisy Ramirez, get upset in his first fight might be the reason they decided to strike when the iron is hot.  The fight itself wasn’t really exciting in the first half of the fight outside of the slip in round 3 by Nikitin.  The second half of the fight heated up with Nikitin putting pressure on Conlan trying to land the overhand right to supplement the body.  Conlan was absolutely lacing with Nikitin with power shots from outside, but Nikitin did not go anywhere.   In the 8th round, Conlan did briefly manage to have Nikitin in trouble but weathered the storm.  They slugged it out all the way to the final bell.   Personally I had the fight 96-94 in favor of Conlan.  The actual scores (100-90, 99-91, 98-92) I thought were very wide and did not reflect the fight.  The 100-90 score in my opinion showed wildly incompetent judging.  I wouldn’t mind seeing a rematch in the future if the stakes are higher and both fighters build up their profiles even more.

(Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/ Top Rank)

The co-main event was the fight everybody was anticipating the most.  Teofimo Lopez (14-0 11 KO’s) going for his first title shot against IBF Lightweight champion Richard Commey (29-2 26 KO’s). On paper, this had all the makings of a fight of the year candidate.  Explosive punchers who could land and end a fight at any given time.  The energy in the arena was buzzing loudly by this point.  I think everyone was anticipating this fight going some rounds.  Unfortunately the fight would terminate suddenly in round 2.  After a feeling out type opening round where Commey landed the more effective shots, he was dropped by a hard right cross counter by Lopez.  Commey was all over the place trying to regain his bearings.  Lopez, seeing how badly hurt Commey was, jumped on him and rained down blows upon blows. The ref definitely gave Commey all the chances in the world.  Instead of getting on his bike and/or trying to hold, Commey just went back into the ropes.  Lopez did not let up on the assault forcing the ref to stop the fight.   A redemption of sorts for Lopez, who did not look like himself in his previous fight among rumors of family issues.  Commey was in the corner almost inconsolable and near tears.  The newly crowned IBF Lightweight champion has a lucrative unification fight with Vasyl Lomachenko waiting for him sometime in 2020.

(Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/ Top Rank)

            The main event of the evening, Terence Crawford (35-0 27 KO’s) vs Egidijus Kavaliauskas (20-0-1 17 KO’s) definitely had a buzz going on around the arena.  Say what you want about Crawford but he is a very solid fanbase and he does draw.  The crowd did go wild for him when he came out.  In contrast, Mean Machine definitely got some very noticeable boos.  But when the bell rang to start the fight that changed.  Crawford, known for switching stances during bout, uncharacteristically started off southpaw.  He kept Kavaliauskas on his toes and hesitant to throw within the first 2 rounds.  In round 3, Kavaliauskas broke through with a whistling right hand that buckled Crawford and sent him to the canvas.  To the surprise of everyone, the ref ruled that it was a slip. Emboldened by the result of that right hand, Kavaliauskas gained more confidence and went right after Crawford.  His right hand was finding the mark more often than not.  Within a couple of rounds, you can see swelling developing around Crawford’s right eye.  This was becoming a true dog fight that no one expected.  In round 7, the first official knockdown was scored by Crawford where his right hand sent Kavaliauskas down to one knee.  Crawford proceeded to keep his foot on the gas and hammered Kavaliauskas in the 8th round, buckling him with huge right hands and a right uppercut.  In the 9th round, Crawford dropped Kavaliauskas 2 more times. The uppercut finding its mark on a fading Kavaliauskas.  The ref would immediately wave the fight off after a right hook sent Kavaliauskas down to a knee.  An unexpected and entertaining gut check for Terence Crawford who retains his title and keeps his name alive in the conversation of the best welterweights of in boxing today.   One thing I did think was becoming an actual issue was I think Crawford might be reaching the point of “spoiling on the vine”. Mean Machine is a good fighter but not expected to trouble an elite fighter like Crawford.  I hope sooner than later, we see Crawford in a fight that we can get up for before total spoilage occurs that ruins some attractive matchups for him.

Written by Patscorpio

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10/18/19 Artur Beterbiev vs Oleksandr Gvozdyk Fight Report

Last weekend was a treat to be able to spend some time in one of my favorite cities in the world, Philadelphia, to catch the unification bout between Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Artur Beterbiev.  Not only were their respective WBC and IBF light heavyweight titles on the line, but the lineal one as well.   The trip started late Thursday night.  I had a loaner at the time as my new car was being prepped for me to pick up next week.  So I didn’t drive myself down.  Instead I took a bus from Boston, a Megabus to be specific.  I learned some lessons.  Number 1 – Don’t assume you are the only one that takes late night trips.  Number 2 – If you don’t get a numbered, assigned seat on a Megabus, you are rolling the dice on your comfort.  Number 3 – A Megabus will sometimes make multiple stops before your destination.    Number 4 – Do not do third party reservations for a Megabus.  The Megabus I took was packed at 11:45 pm.  The non-numbered assigned seats were a little tighter than I expected.  I’m a 6’3 ½” 240 pound man having to be scrunched up next to someone for 7 hours.  My knees were screaming at me the whole way.  Outside of that it was a smooth trip.  Got there and took an Uber to my cousin’s house, who lived 10 minutes from the where it was being held, Liacouras Center.  North Philadelphia is an interesting place.  Not the nicest part to walk around without being on alert, but the cheesesteaks were on point.  Anyways crashed at my cousin’s place after eating and caught up on sleep throughout the afternoon. I woke up at 2 pm and by 4 pm was out the door on my way.

I arrived at the Liacouras Center after making a stop at a nearby craft beer for some short rib nachos and an interesting almost 17 % ABV beer.  Picked up my credential at the media entrance and made my way to the floor to where the media section was located.  I got there just in time to see the first fight of the whole card.  One thing that I like about the Top Rank undercards, if you get a lot of action to “whet your appetite” before the main fights.  Michael Seals didn’t waste any time in dispatching overmatch Elio Trosch in only 1 round.  Josue Vargas is in a tough scrap with Johnny Rodriguez and won this on all 3 cards 80-72.  The scores did not mirror how tough this fight really was.  Jeremy Adorno showing his class against Misael Reyes winning a 38-37 and 40-35 x 2 decision.  Julian Rodriguez vs Leonardo Doronio is not the most exciting affair outside of a few rounds, but still ended in the 6th and final round won by Rodriguez.  Joseph Adorno ended up brutally dropping Damian Sosa in round 2 into the second ropes.  The ref waived it off immediately.  Sonny Conto was the overwhelming dispatching Steven Lyons in anticlimactic fashion after Lyons stayed on his stool for Round 2.

(Photo Credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank)

                Finally it was time for the televised portion of the card.  The co-main featured former WBA Welterweight Champion Luis Collazo against up and coming prospect Kudratillo Abdukakhorov. Very interesting name to pronounce never mind type and spell out. 2 things that I noticed off the bat.  Collazo has a very noticeable size advantage and was walking down the younger challenger.  This is the Collazo I remember watching all those years ago.  Abdukakhorov was landing a lot of clean punches but it didn’t seem like it had any real effect on Collazo.  The ebb and flow slightly changed when around round 6, Collazo ending up hurting his hand.  He wasn’t throwing as much but continued to still walk Abdukakhorov down.  Going into the 10th and final round, I felt the fight was close.  Unfortunately it would not come to a satisfying conclusion.  A headbutt opened up a nasty cut on Collazo and had him very unsteady of his legs.  So they went to the scorecards for a technical decision.  Kudratillo Abdukakhorov is declared the winner by the scores 99-91, 97-93, and 98-93.  I honestly did not see any of these scores in this fight at all.  The crowd also did not agree with it either.  I thought Collazo did enough to win a decision here.  Nevertheless Kudratillo Abdukakhorov is now the newest mandatory for Errol Spence.  I honestly don’t think he is ready for Spence, that fight may be ugly to watch.

(Photo Credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank)                

Finally, the main event that we have all been waiting for: Artur Beterbiev vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk. There was a heavy Ukrainian contingent at Liacouras Center.  They weren’t really obnoxious, outside of the playing of the 3 national anthems, but they were LOUD!!!!  Beterbiev was the de facto villain of the fight.  The boos for him were pretty loud as he walked to the ring stoically.  In contrast, I thought my ear drums were going to pop when Gvozdyk came out.  It seemed like the whole arena was behind him.  There was good solid action to start off the fight.  A surprising knockdown by Beterbiev to start off although it was late rescinded by the commission via instant replay.  The Ukrainian contingent are extremely riled up by this point.  Competitive first half where Gvozdyk seemed more jittery than usual.  Beterbiev’s power clearly making a difference on whatever plan the WBC champion had in store.  Gvozdyk landed enough jabs and right hands on Beterbiev to visibly mark up his face but was neglected to go the body.  Beterbiev was more than willing to walk through fire to land his.  By the 8th round, the tide seemed to be turning for good as Gvozdyk seemed to be breaking down from the pressure that Beterbiev brought on him.  9th round you can sense the end was near as a couple of hard rights had Gvozdyk backing in trouble and hanging on.  Teddy Atlas was going crazy in the corner as usual screaming at Gvozdyk to try to rally him Filled with confidence entering round 10, Beterbiev closed the show scoring 3 knockdowns to force the ref to stop the fight.  With this win, Beterbiev not only unified 2 light heavyweight belts but also picked up the lineal distinction.  A career best victory for a fighter who had been battling promoter issues for the majority of his prime and a new fight of the year candidate for 2019.

Fight Report brought to you by Patscorpio

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Boxing and Brand Loyalty Don’t Mix

Although still a niche sport, boxing has grown tremendously in the past several years.  This is partly due to the emergence of digital platforms such as DAZN an ESPN Plus that feature prominent boxers from around the world plying their trade.  For the promotional entities that lack digital platforms to show new fights (PBC), they still have a firm grasp on the television networks and pay per view model for boxing.  Everyone is getting in where they fit it in so to speak, without any clear advantage over the other.  None of these promotional companies are perfect and each one still seems to find a way to not make certain good fights happen, but that’s a story for another article.  Boxing fans are left with three major boxing platforms competing to deliver the best product. 

Normally this would be looked at as a good thing, but somehow someway some boxing fans took it upon themselves to join the “Great Promoter War”.   Instead of enjoying the fact that three different companies are competing to bring them bouts, they openly profess their brand loyalty while only supporting that company’s schedule and boxers.  As a hardcore boxing fan, you would think that feat is impossible, but here we are.  A true hardcore fan that loves boxing and wants to see the best fight the best consistently, will hold each promotional company to the same standard.  They wouldn’t shower praise on mismatches that line the pockets of boxers regardless of the promotional company. The sport loses, once fans start accepting the bare minimum from some promoters while ignoring better effort from others.  Once this happens, there’s no initiative to put out better cards. 

Unless you work for one of the big three boxing platforms, you shouldn’t care about brand loyalty.  Boxing fans worry too much about the business of boxing and not the sport of boxing.  This isn’t entirely the fan’s fault since they reflect the sport’s progression which has been more about business than actual fighting.  You would think a few cooking shows were in the works with the amount of times you’ll hear the word marinate when potential fights are discussed.  With super fights taking forever to happen to the point where they don’t even happen at all, it’s no surprise that some boxing fan’s interest would shift towards the business side of the sport.  It’s only natural to want to find out why some of these big fights aren’t happening.  Unfortunately, once some go down this path, they change for the worse.  Some fans align themselves with certain boxing platforms as if they’re expecting a royalty check and a pat on the head. 

Brand loyalty is no longer a trend with just fans.  It has also crept into some of the independent boxing media and Youtube channels.  People are picking and choosing what to cover in a sport that is already a niche activity.  How can boxing grow an attract new fans if it’s treated like a product and not a sport?  Brand loyalty might give you access to certain fighters an event once your media platform reaches a certain level, but it’s a double-edged sword.  Usually those that engage in this method must abandon one side of the sport to bring light to another. 

No matter how you cut it, there’s no upside to brand loyalty in boxing.  True boxing fans are fans of the sport and want to see it prosper in its entirety, not just a few boxers or promoters.  Furthermore, boxing is too big to just limit yourself to only supporting certain boxers and platforms.  Boxers and promoters come and go, but the sport will always remain.  HBO cut boxing from its network last year.  I’m sure the fans of that programming are still around watching boxing somewhere.  Boxing has always been the theater of the unexpected, but brand loyalty is something nobody should expect.  Real fans just expect to see boxing at its best, no matter who presents it.

Written by Shutterworth for Ring Gang Radio

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7/13/2019 Prudential Center: Greer Jr vs Potapov / Stevenson vs Guevara – Fight Report

Last weekend,  I went to the great city of Newark, New Jersey to take in the Top Rank card at Prudential Center which was headlined by a doubleheader.  In an IBF 118 eliminator co main event, Joshua Greer faced Nikolai Potapov. In the main event was hometown hero Shakur Stevenson facing Alberto Guevara.  The untelevised undercard was a joy to watch with several Top Rank prospects on the card.

In the opener local favorite Joseph Adorno overwhelmed Adriano Ramirez in only 2 rounds.  Vijender Singh had the crowd going “Ooh!!” scoring a brutal 4th TKO over Mike Snider.  The ref stopped Snider, who was cowered in his corner taking repeated right hands to the head.  John Bauza and Angel Sarinara put on a spectacular slugfest that went the distance with Bauza winning the decision.  Julian Rodriguez after a 22-month layoff got rid of Hevinson Herrera in the opening round.  The knockout combination was thrown so swiftly if you blinked you would have missed it.  Top Rank would have a star making debut as Vito Mielnicki making his pro debut at.  The local fan support for Vito was crazy.  The crowd would also go crazy at the knockout of Tamarcus Smith.   A highlight reel knockout if I ever saw one.  It made the ESPN Sportscenter top 10 sports plays segment.  In the final undercard fight, Josue Vargas would score a 7th round TKO over a game Manuel Lopez with a barrage of uppercuts and right hands on the ropes.

(Photo Credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank)

The main televised card opened with Joshua Greer Jr vs Nikolai Potapov with winner taking on the winner of the WBSS 140 final between Nonito Donaire and Naoya Inoue later this year.  The undercard was a pretty lively affair which the crowd had got accustomed to. This fight was anything but that and the crowd throughout the fight voiced its displeasure.  It was a very slow-paced fight in the early going with both men feeling each other and going on the defensive.  The action picked up in the middle rounds, particularly in the 5th and 6th rounds after some incessant booing from the crowd.  Greer, who had knocked out 7 of his last 8 opponents, looked very tentative but did hit Potapov with consistent body shots.  The fight still remained close going into the later rounds although neither appeared to have a sense of urgency.  When the final bell rang, the feeling was Potapov did more than enough to win the fight.  Judges said otherwise as Greer won an unpopular majority decision with scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 114-114.  Potapov and his promoter Dmitry Salita in the post-fight interview said they would appeal the decision, which they felt was unjust.

(Photo Credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank)

The main event, Stevenson vs Guevara, was a fight that almost never came to pass. Guevara was the third schedule opponent since the card was first announced.  Shakur had previously been signed to fight undefeated Hairon Soccaras and then Franklin Manzanilla but they both would pull out of the fight for differing reasons.  The fight ended being nothing but a showcase to the Newark crowd who cheered loudly for their hometown son.  Guevara was never in the fight at all.  He shied away from the action and fought negative.  When Shakur decided to increase the pressure, Guevara melted instantly.  2 knockdowns in the second round and 1 knockdown in round 3.  The last knockdown the ref would issue the full 10 count while Guevara pretended he wanted to continue on. In the post-fight interview, Shakur called out all the current featherweight champions, excluding Gary Russell Jr.

Written by Patscorpio for Ring Gang Radio

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6/29/2019 Dunkin Donuts Center: Demetrius Andrade vs Maciej Sulecki Fight Report

As a resident of New England, it’s always a treat when there are notable boxing cards that are held in my area.  By that I mean I can attend a card and come home immediately afterwards.  Not that I don’t like travel overnight  to go see fights because I do.  It is a hobby of mine that I cherish.  However, there are times where I’d like to drive less than 2 hours and not worry about staying overnight, making accommodations, or schedule a flight.  Last Saturday I had the pleasure of attending the latest Matchroom Boxing offering with the main event of Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade defending his WBO Middleweight Title against top contender Maciej Sulecki.  It was being held at the Dunkin Donuts Center, affectionately called “The Dunk”, in Providence RI.  Providence being only an hour drive from my home.  On top of that, it was Providence’s first world title fight in 28 years.  The last time was when Vinny Paz defeated Gilbert Dele for the WBA super welterweight championship. Judging by the near sellout by looking at seating map on Ticketmaster, the city was more than ready for some world championship boxing.

                The untelevised and televised undercard was lively.  Local favorite Shelly Vincent won her final career fight against Simone Da Silva in a spirited battle and then announced her retirement.  That was bookended by 2 fights that ended in 1st round knockouts.  Young prospect Otha Jones III hammered out a competitive 6 round decision over Matias Arriagada.  Local favorite Mark Deluca would win a 10-round decision over Brandon Brewer in a fantastic fight.   It was a treat for most of the crowd who managed to get in the building early to catch the action.

                The main card started off with Norbelto Jimenez entering the ring for his second attempt at a world title against Kal Yafai, the WBA Super Flyweight champion.  The Dominican contingent in the audience were voicing loudly their support towards Jimenez.  Kal in contrast got a stronger than expected negative reaction from the crowd which I found amusing.  The fight itself was rough to watch at times for half of the fight.  Forearms, low blows, clashing of heads.  In the later rounds both fighters got into a groove and were landing big shots on each other.  You could feel the urgency in both fighters as they were winging hooks to the body and head.  Yafai would score the lone knockdown in the 12th round although it did look like a slip.  But the knockdown solidified the win for Yafai with scores of 117-109, 119-107, and 118-108. In the post-fight interview, as boos rained down from the crowd, Yafai stated his desire to pursue a big fight with Sor Rungvisai and the other super flyweight champions. 

                The co-main event would see former WBO Heavyweight Champion Joseph Parker face off against former world title challenger Alex Leapai.  Leapai was a replacement for original opponent Eric Molina. The fight started off spirited enough with both fighters throwing bombs at each other in the opening round. I’m thinking this fight is not going to last that long at this pace,  But by the 4th round, both fighters seem to have gassed out.  For the rest of the fight, short bursts of offense was the theme.  The fight was stopped in the 10th round when the ref deemed that Leapai was taking too much punishment.  It had similarities to the stoppage Guillermo Rigondeaux scored against Julio Ceja where it was competitive and not exactly the right moment where it should have been stopped.  But that is my personal opinion.

The main event had the crowd more than ready for the fight.  The reaction both Andrade and Sulecki received during their walkout was nothing short of electric.  Andrade came out with fire in his eyes.  You can see the intensity all over his face.  That first round was one for the ages.  When Andrade scored the lone knockdown of the bout in there, the response was deafening.  I thought my eardrums were going to pop out of my head.  After a couple more rounds of aggressiveness, Andrade settled down and boxed more.  Sulecki, after the knockdown, looked a little shell shocked and didn’t press the action all that much in the mid rounds.  Andrade started getting a little wild and inaccurate.  Showboating like a prime Sugar Ray Leonard used to do.  Sulecki in the later rounds would try to force the action.  Lunging in with a head of steam hoping to land that one big shot to turn things around. But it was too little too late.   The fight would end up going the distance with Andrade retaining this title by UD with scores of 120-107 x3.  At the post fight conference Andrade would emphatically express his desire to fight either Gennadiy Golovkin or Saul Canelo Alvarez next.

Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA 

Written by Patscorpio for Ring Gang Radio

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The Death of the Super-Fight

The Death of the Super-fight.

Once upon a time in boxing, the biggest fights were usually the best fights.  Therefore, creating the term super-fight which usually consisted of a bout between two highly touted boxers that were sitting at the top of the sport.  Super-fights were usually regulated to pay per view since they would garner the attention from casual fans of the sport along with the hardcore following.  These big anticipated match ups were good for the sport because it allowed boxing to have its moment in the sun no matter what other sport seasons are active during the time.  Everybody enjoys a good super-fight every now and then, especially when the fight lives up to the hype.  Unfortunately, true super -fights are few and far on the horizon due to the ever-changing nature of boxing and its participants.  Super-fights stopped feeling super a long time ago. 

The real super-fight takes place long before the boxers enter the ring.  It’s usually fought out through social media posts and interviews where both sides try to agree to terms to make said fight happen.  With the rate boxing operates nowadays, this can take anywhere from six months to six years and this is if the fight happens.  During this tumultuous time, good boxing cards are often overlooked because the focus is on the alleged super-fight that everyone wants to see.  Boxing has a way of ignoring the present for a potential that might not come.  This is just another boxing casualty brought on by the wait for the super-fight. 

Boxing fans have been conditioned to accept and be happy with the better late than never mantra when it comes to super-fights.  Fans eagerly waited for Mayweather versus Pacquiao only to finally have the fight take place when both were past their physical best.  What’s worse is that a fight of that magnitude didn’t receive a nationwide press tour or any major press conference that was open to the public.  Super-fights are supposed to be engaging.  Everything was done away from the fans, even though the fan interest is what kept the fight alive for so long.  The final kicker is both future hall of famers gave pedestrian performances that weren’t inspiring or memorable at all.  The mother of all super-fights was a dud and didn’t elevate the sport one bit.  I might be a little spoiled or old fashioned, but I expect super performances in super fights.  Don’t talk trash for years and then mail it in during the fight.  People don’t pay super-fight prices for pay per view to watch some regular ass fight. 

Effort alone does not make a super-fight.  The officiating and judging play a role as well, sometimes too big of a role.  There’s been too many instances where the energy from the super fight is erased immediately due to bad judging.  Canelo Alvarez versus Gennady Golovkin 1 is a recent example.  For a super-fight it was decent in terms of ring action, but the bad scoring kept from elevating the event.  The conclusive result that everyone wanted would have to wait another year and by that time the energy and fight narrative changed.  The rematch was a much better fight, but the scoring was the same travesty we experienced before.  Once again, boxing ignored the present to flirt with the potential future.  Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury is another super-fight that was decent but left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth because of the bad judging.  What’s the point of a super-fight if the bigger star gets the benefit of the doubt or clout whenever the going gets a little rough for them? 

Boxing is supposed to be the theater of the unexpected.  At this point, it’s becoming too easy to predict a draw or controversial decision loss for the B- side of the promotion.  There’s nothing super about that at all.  I wasn’t surprised when Canelo’s recent big unification fight with Daniel Jacobs failed to gain any buzz leading up to it.  It’s hard to anticipate something that you already know will happen.  Canelo by decision, no matter how competitive the fight is, will always be the safest bet in boxing.  With that said, Canelo fought like that as well, and the little effort he showed in the earlier rounds decreased even more later in the fight when Jacobs finally decided to attack.  This was supposed to be a super-fight, but fans were only treated to roughly 4 rounds of solid action.  Wilder finds himself in a similar situation as Canelo due to the lack luster buzz of his upcoming fight with Dominic Breazeale.   Fans know that if Wilder doesn’t ko his opponent, he’ll probably still get the win because of his potential fight with Anthony Joshua or a Tyson Fury rematch is out there waiting.  The solid title defense he has with Breazeale is getting overlooked for a potential Joshua or Fury bout that may not come. 

Super-fights used to be the pinnacle of the sport, but now they have become a hinderance due to never ending negotiations, boxers giving pedestrian efforts in the ring, and bad judging.  If these 3 things don’t get corrected, we might as well move away from calling certain bouts super fights.  Super-fights are like unicorns and dinosaurs now.  It’d be cool to see one, but you’ll be fine if you don’t.  Plenty of other interesting animals out there in the world that we can appreciate. 

Written by Shutterworth for RingGangRadio

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3/9/2019 Turning Stone Casino: Dmitry Bivol vs Joe Smith Jr Fight Report

Once again I took myself on the road to upstate New York.  A 4+ hour drive to one of my favorite venues as of late, Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY. Catch a Matchroom Boxing USA card headlined by 2 spectacular title fights on paper.  In the main event Dmitry Bivol would defend his WBA Light Heavyweight title against Joe Smith Jr.  In the co-main event Maurice Hooker would defend his WBO Super Lightweight title against Mikkel LesPierre.  Opening up the main card was Callum Johnson vs Sean Monaghan.

            Before the main card would start, we were treated to an undercard of talented young prospects.  This is the one part that I really enjoy about Matchroom Boxing cards.  They give them a platform to show and prove and impress.  Nikita Ababiy made quick work of his opponent.  Former amateur standout Otha Jones III made his debut and got into a war with Giorgi Gelashvili, which he won by decision.  Sergey Kuzmin got a stern test/gut check from veteran Joe Dawejko winning a very close majority decision.  The highlight of this undercard was former amateur standout Ismail Mardrimov.  Fighting in his second pro fight, he brutally knocked Frank Rojas out cold.  The finishing sequence was so violent,I thought I witnessed a fatality.  Rojas was unconscious all through being removed via stretcher.  Good news was Rojas eventually snapped out of it later on.  Madrimov then got on the mic and said he wanted to face Jaime Munguia before he moves to 160.

            The main portion of the card started off with a quick 3 round demolition job on Sean Monaghan courtesy of Callum Johnson.  Monaghan never seemed to be in the fight.  The second round produced 2 knockdowns. On him   Bloodied and battered, the ref would have seen fit to end the fight after that round.  But Sean’s corner let him out and he was finished in short.  Very good win for Johnson, who I am sure will be gunning for the 175 elite in the very near future.  For Monaghan, it looks like he may have to look into retiring once again.  He had originally uttered retirement following his last fight, a loss to Sullivan Barrera.  He still had an itch that needed to be scratched unfortunately.

            The co-main event between Maurice Hooker and Mikkel LesPierre was a spirited affair, although a little one sided.  Hooker was more than content to box on the outside using a jab and lead right hands.  There was also a blown knockdown call on LesPierre in round 5 but that was ruled a slip even though I saw a punch connect.   In round 8, LesPierre found himself officially on the canvas courtesy of an overhand right and a left to the body.  Honestly I thought the fight was over at that point, but Les Pierre got up and proceeded to take it to the champion.  Hooker never really made an effort to put him away again but was content to just boxing him up until the final bell.  The 3 judges scored the fight 120-107, 119-108, and 118-109 all for the champion Maurice Hooker.  It didn’t seem that the struggle that Hooker making weight didn’t affect him at all.  In the post-fight interview mentioned that he wanted any of 140 lb champions in the near future.

            The main event between Dmitry Bivol and Joe Smith Jr on paper I thought it would be competitive back and forth fight.  There was a clear level shown that night in the ring.  Bivol kept Smith Jr. at a distance with a beautiful jab.  When Smith Jr. found his way, Bivol would quickly smother him and land body shots. Joe tried being aggressive but more often than not, it got him into trouble.   Especially in the 7th and final rounds, he was visibly hurt by Bivol.  Not to say Joe didn’t have any moments in the fight.  In the waning moments of the 10th round, he landed an overhand right hand that had Bivol out on his feet near the ropes and walking very uncertainly.  Had Joe had 20 more seconds, he very well could have ended the fight there.  He unfortunately was not able to capitalize on it.  Bivol would go on to win a unanimous decision (119-109, 119-109, and 118-110).  Post-fight interview, Bivol expressed a desire to drop down and face WBA 168 kingpin Callum Smith. Personally I would like Bivol to try to make a fight with his fellow 175 champions, but time will tell.

Written by Patscorpio for RingGangRadio.com

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To Showcase or Not Showcase.

Over the past year, televised boxing has expanded beyond traditional viewing methods.  Digital streaming just happens to be the latest platform that the sport of boxing has conquered.  Boxing fans on the go can now whip out their phone, tablet, or laptop and load up an app to watch boxing.  Once you add up all the free, cable, and premium networks that broadcast boxing on top of the digital streaming services, boxing fans seem to be making out pretty good.  Well, looks can be deceiving if you value quality over quantity.

            With the untimely death of HBO boxing and the rise of digital streaming, the sport has split itself into several major factions.  You have PBC which is backed by Showtime and Fox.  They probably have the biggest number of star fighters in their roster.  Next is Goldenboy and Matchroom who have boxing’s biggest superstars in Canelo Alvarez and Anthony Joshua in their stables.  This provides huge potential staying power for DAZN (the new digital streaming platform that airs their fights) Last but not least, Top Rank holds a firm position with the ESPN network and its digital streaming accomplice ESPN Plus.  Their stable is top heavy with pound for pound champions Vasyl Lomachenko and Terence Crawford.  From the look of things, each major promotional entity involved has enough resources to make the fights that will elevate the sport.  If this is the case, why are we getting all these showcase bouts. 

            Now for those who are new to the sport of boxing, a showcase bout is a fight where the perceived A side is favored to win and most likely win big, thus showcasing their talent and skill level on the big stage.  Traditionally showcase bouts came in the form of tune ups designated for inactive fighters looking to work off some rust before taking a tougher challenge, but over recent years showcase bouts started becoming accepted as legit main event headliners for boxing cards.  To make matters worse, most boxers are on a one or two fight a year schedule so more than likely they’ll be using one of those dates as a showcase bout.  Now multiply that routine with the amount of A side boxing stars in each major promotional stable and fans are left with the dilemma of having to choose between competitively matched cards or star boxers shaking off some rust whenever multiple boxing cards get aired on the same night or overlap. 

            Boxing is elevated by its biggest stars participating in fights that the fans want to see.  When that starts happening less, the attention is now diverted to just seeing an actual good fight regardless of the star power or lack thereof.  Everyone likes a winner, but even that gets stale once we see that the actual winning is never in doubt.  Boxing is supposed to be the theater of the unexpected, but its hard to stage drama an unpredictability around a concept that will most likely lead to only one result.  When you factor in the bad judging and how certain superstars can’t lose a decision no matter what, the chances of an upset or something dramatic happening go down even more.               Showcase fights aren’t necessarily a bad thing given the circumstance.  A showcase bout for a boxer who is coming from a long stretch of inactivity due to an injury is easier to accept than a guy who routinely fights once a year against mid-tier opposition deciding to fight an even lesser threat for his annual fight.  That type of behavior does nothing for the sport but disrespect the less fortunate boxers that work just as hard but get less exposure.  Boxing can do without the oversaturation of showcase fights.  Stars should be fighting each other or at least the next best available contender.  You’ll have divisions loaded with talent having showcase fights instead of fighting each other.  Whole televised cards are built around this concept and now that all the major promotional companies have regulated themselves to mostly in house cards, you can expect this trend to continue to grow.

Written by Shutterworth

for RingGangRadio

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1/19/2019 – Turning Stone Resort Casino: Bryant Jennings vs Oscar Rivas

Last Friday was a rarity of some sorts in which there were 2 notable boxing cards airing back to back that night.  Being the huge boxing fan that I am, having options like this warms my heart.  I also felt that it was time to go and catch a card live.  It has been 3 months since I last did so in Boston for Demetrius Andrade vs Walter Kautondokwa.  Top Rank was holding an event at Turning Stone Resort Casino that would be airing on ESPN+.  The main event was Bryant Jennings vs Oscar Rivas for the NABF Heavyweight Title.  Always a fan of watching the Heavyweights go to work so that is always an incentive.  Plus I’ve never been to Turning Stone, which has turned into quite the boxing hotbed in the last few years.  So I decided that I would take a personal day to drive 4.5 hours from my home in Massachusetts to Verona NY.  The drive itself was pretty straightforward although the scenery was low-key depressing with all the snow and rural landmarks along the highway.  I checked into my accommodations, had a quick bite, and took a 2 hour nap before heading out to the casino. 

A shot of an exchange between Jason Sosa and Marcos Delgadillo

(Photo Credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank)

                Parking was very ample and free, as par for most casinos I’ve been to.  The event center was pretty nice.   I went into one of the media rooms to pick up my credential for the evening, talked to some of the other members, and then headed out to ringside to set up in the front row.  The undercard before the main card was pretty entertaining.  Carlos Adames and Fazliddin Gaibnazarov scored impressive stoppages.  Vikas Krishnan made an impressive debut and Robson Conceicao put in a dominating performance over the distance.  However the highlight of the undercard was between former WBA Super Featherweight Jason Sosa and journeyman Marcos Delgadillo.  It’s funny on where you might catch a Fight of the Year candidate sometimes.  This was a phone booth type of war where both fighters would visit the canvas once.  The scores were a little bit too wide for my liking for Sosa (97-91, 97-91, and 96-92) but it didn’t take away from how the great the fight was.  Also a lesson in this is to never judge a fighter by their record.  You may miss the big picture.  Delgadillo (17-19-2, 9 KOs)   I am positive will be a tough night’s work for anybody.  That is real talk.  Thankfully ESPN+ aired it so if you have the subscription or if you see on it YouTube, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Shakur Stevenson landing a left hand against Jessie Rosales

(Photo Credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank)

The main card opened with Shakur Stevenson facing Jessie Rosales.  From the opening bell it was all Stevenson.  One thing I noticed in this fight from past performances is Shakur seems to be growing into his body and he is planting his feet more to deliver more power into his shots.  He boxed beautifully in the first round and then turned it up in the next 3 rounds.  Rosales was visibly hurt and shook up from those punches.  Finally in the 4th round, Stevenson lands a beautiful short inside left hand and down went Rosales.  Rosales got to his feet but the referee decided that he had enough for the night. With that win, Shakur Stevenson improved 10-0-0 with 6 KO’s.  In the post-fight interview, he expressed interest in a fight with current IBF Featherweight Champion Josh Warrington.

Oscar Rivas trapping Bryant Jennings on the ropes

(Photo Credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank)                 Bryant Jennings vs Oscar Rivas kind of took me by surprise.  Not with the action and how it played out in the ring but for the fact Rivas was fighting in America.  If you look at Rivas’s record, all but one of his fights took place in Canada.  The reason for it is because commissions have not licensed Rivas in the United Stated due to reported eye issues.  So, for the fact he was licensed in NY of all places was a shock to me.  I had read and heard plenty of Oscar Rivas but have not seen him fight so I anticipated on what he could do against a seasoned veteran like Bryant Jennings.  The fight itself was a tense chess match.  There wasn’t a whole lot of action but you could feel the intensity in the ring.  Many of those rounds were incredibly difficult to score because of it.  The finish in the final round was nothing short of sudden and explosive.  Rivas ended up throwing a series of hard right hands that knocked Jennings down to the canvas.  Jennings got up shaky and tried to move to clear his head, but Rivas was on him.  A flurry of punches by Rivas left Jennings almost defenseless as the referee stopped the fight.  At the time of stoppage, judges had Rivas up on 2 cards (106-103 and 105-104) with Jennings up on the last card 106-103.  It was a great victory for Oscar Rivas (now 26-0-0 with 18 KO’s) who finds himself as a new player in the heavyweight/world title scene.  For Bryant Jennings (24-3, 14 KOs) it was an unfortunate setback and he acknowledged as such with the simple phrase “It is what it is”.

Written by PatScorpio for Ring Gang Radio

published on 1/21/2019

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The Draw is the New Robbery

There once was a time in boxing where a draw meant that two fighters strengths canceled each other out and both roughly won the same number of rounds leading up to the decision.  Then there were the rare times when a fight was so damn good, that the consensus was that nobody deserved to lose, and both combatants would be awarded a draw.  Either way, draw verdicts in boxing came unexpectedly and infrequently.  Nowadays, it seems like we get a draw in every other big fight that takes place.  This wouldn’t be a problem if these fights were extremely close and competitive, but most of the recent bouts in boxing that were scored draws had clear winners.  The draw was given to lessen the blow of the robbery committed against the real winner while the loser leaves virtually unscathed with an undefeated record and glossy stature in the sport still intact. 

Let’s go back to 2017 where two high profile fights ended up in a draw.  Badou Jack fought James DeGale for all the marbles at super middleweight in one of the better match ups of the year.  After surviving an early knockdown, Jack battled back to take control and did just that during the 2nd half of the fight, dropping DeGale in the process.  Unfortunately, Jack’s effective body punching and pressure boxing that reduced DeGale to sporadic offense and aimless movement wasn’t enough to win officially, even though most observers scored it for him.  Gennady Golovkin would fall victim to the same draw robbery scenario later that year when he didn’t get the nod for effectively coming forward and out-boxing Canelo Alvarez over the course of 12 rounds.  DeGale and Canelo were allowed to lose without officially losing, while Jack and Golovkin were allowed to win without officially winning which is a travesty in itself since hard working fighters are being robbed of their moment at the mountaintop. 

This trend carried on to 2018 where we saw three more draws happen in major fights (Broner/Vargas, Stevenson/Jack, and Wilder/Fury).  Broner and Vargas fit the mode of what fans are used to seeing when draws happen in boxing.  Vargas controlled the first half of the bout with his volume punching and Broner turned it up in the 2nd half with his accurate counter punching.  Neither guy dominated the other, nor could they ever get it going offensively once the other was in their groove.  Their strengths neutralized each other.  Broner’s talent couldn’t overcome Vargas’s work rate and vice versa.  A different type of fight broke out between then lineal light heavyweight champ Adonis Stevenson and Badou Jack but yielded the same draw result.  Stevenson controlled and clearly won the first half of the bout due to Jack not really doing much since his game plan was to turn it up late once the older Stevenson grew tired.  The plan seemed to be working until Stevenson ended up hurting Jack late with a body shot, thus taking a much-needed late round in the fight.  Fight was probably one of the easiest 115 to 113 types of bout to score, but fans tend to put more emphasis on rounds that are won bigger, so Stevenson’s early fight dominance gets overshadowed by Jack’s 2nd half rally.  Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury was another major fight that had a clear winner, but amazingly ended up in another controversial draw.  Despite Wilder scoring two big knockdowns, he was soundly out-boxed by Fury for at least 80 percent of the fight.  Tyson Fury was robbed of one of the greatest sports comebacks of all time due to oversaturation of draws in boxing. 

That’s five draws in less than 2 years.  That’s ridiculous once you consider the competitiveness of the fights in question.  A draw went from happening every now and then to becoming a common occurrence in the most convenient of times.  When future super fights are hanging in the balance or a promising star needs to stay undefeated, you can always rely on the faithful draw verdict.  Boxing being known as the theater of the unexpected, will become a thing of the past if every major fight keeps ending in a draw.   There’s too many draws happening in boxing once you start expecting them.     

Written by Shutterworth for Ring Gang Radio

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A Tale of Two Fights

A new take on the age old argument in boxing about taking the title away from the champion in order to win the belt.  Written by Shutterworth

A Tale of Two Fights

This world we live in is filled with extremes and opposites and boxing deeply reflects that. One of the oldest sayings in the sport of boxing is that you must take the title away from the defending champion if you want to win. I know there’s some who disagree with this premise since it can subtly imply that you’re giving the champion the benefit of the doubt during close rounds. Another interpretation of the old saying is that boxing your opponent simply isn’t good enough. Those that agree with the old saying probably imagine the contender climbing the summit of his strength in a Rocky like performance to batter the champion defenseless in a title winning effort. Of course, that epic visual looks a lot more dramatic than someone calmly boxing on his backfoot without a care in the world. Although both sides have an argument, neither can come to a common ground for this ageless debate.

I feel the true answer to this passionate subject lies somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. When you break down the two major strengths of each ideology you’re left with composure and effort. The spirit of the underdog is composure. Knowing how to stick to your game plan amidst adversity is to believe in your boxing. You understand that if you work behind your jab, that more opportunities will come. Winning the title is only a matter of time. Those that disagree with the whole you must take the title away from the champ saying would probably agree with my composure breakdown. On the other hand, we have effort which is the foundation of every action including fighting. Those famous boxing movie scenes where the underdog beats the odds all have one thing in common. Each fighter exerts herculean effort in their performance. We might overlook the inner composure the boxer is showing while implementing their strategy because we’re too busy being impressed by their grit and determination. Sometimes we might give the lack of skill a subconscious pass due to seeing effort and hustle become successful. Composure resides on the boxing side of the spectrum while effort lies on the fighting side of the spectrum. Most boxing fans due to their individual preference, subconsciously choose a side of the spectrum and proceed to view a championship fight in that way.

There shouldn’t be a separation between composure an effort. Both are at their best when they reinforce the other. Sound boxing is nice on its own, but if the effort behind the approach is passive, you’re going to end up not getting the most out of your skills. Too often have we seen a skilled challenger let a fight that was up for grabs go to the champion because they failed to take the initiative and attack more. Good effort can be impressive, but the notion wears off if there aren’t enough skills to back that effort. I’m positive the reader has seen a fight where the challenger hurls haymaker after haymaker for twelve rounds in a valiant effort that was unfortunately void of any adjustment which would have made those wild punches land more effectively. With all the pressure that comes along with preparing for a world title shot, is it too much to ask of a boxer, to expect them to stay composed during adversity while giving maximum effort in the implementation of their strategy?

Boxing is a battle of doubles. There are two boxers along with two opposing strategies fueled by two different ideologies. With that said, there should only be one way you should view the fight. That view is the one that sees which boxer displays the better more consistent combination of composure an effort. The champion doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt for not looking too bad and the challenger doesn’t get rewarded for having a few bright moments. There’s no preconceived notions of what each boxer should do to fulfill your personal preference. Its just two boxers fighting for their own truths.

Written by Shutterworth the Goat Artist

published on RingGangRadio.com on November 28, 2018