This weekend’s
Knockout Kings II on Showtime and Fists of Gold II on HBO delivered some
spectacular boxing. So let’s get right to it.
KNOCKOUT KINGS II
Jesus Soto Karass TKO 12 Andre
Berto
What we learned: Soto Karass has really improved his
conditioning. Berto’s skills have diminished, but he fights with a lot of
heart.
There is a formula
for beating Andre Berto and Jesus Soto Karass followed it throughout the
fight: high volumes of power shots. Berto has essentially become a selective
counterpuncher as his career has progressed, but he never had the type of power or activity
to thwart aggressive opponents like Victor Ortiz or Robert Guerrero from
imposing their will. Berto throws shots that land well, and they look
impressive, but unlike those from Mayweather or Hopkins, they aren’t
devastating enough – either in power, speed or deception – to spook opponents
or take them out of their game plans.
Soto Karass was
essentially given up for dead after his January 2012 loss to Gabriel Rosado. At
that point, he had a five-fight winless streak and his relationship with
Top Rank/Zanfer Promotions had ended. However, Golden Boy
resurrected him later in the year to essentially serve as cannon fodder
in its effort to rebuild Marcos Maidana after his wipeout loss to Devon
Alexander. To the surprise of many, Soto Karass fought valiantly against
Maidana and scored very well with his intelligent pressure. He would
subsequently get knocked out, but he was certainly competitive. In his next fight,
Soto Karass bested welterweight contender Selcuk Aydin, displaying a terrific
punch output and a sturdy set of whiskers.
There are many
fighters who claim that they have rededicated themselves to boxing and/or they
are in the best shape of their careers. Coming into Saturday's fight, Soto Karass made such a statement, and he certainly proved its veracity. Throwing 117 punches and 71 power
shots per round, Soto Karass kept the pressure on and had success landing on
Berto with a variety of shots, most notably his jab, straight right hand and
right uppercut. Soto Karass got hit with a number of good shots throughout the bout but he mostly kept coming forward, another sign of his solid conditioning.
Soto Karass hurt Berto in the
second round and by the fourth, Berto’s equilibrium was off. It looked
like he might be ready to go. Berto’s new trainer,
Virgil Hunter, wasn’t in whispering mode. He was chastising his fighter for his
shoddy defense and challenging him to rise to the occasion. At this point in
the match, the narrative most certainly would have been that Berto might be
done in boxing. Having already lost savage fights to Ortiz and Guerrero, Berto
didn’t look like he had much left. His reflexes were non-existent in the first
few rounds. His foot speed was glacial and his accuracy was a far cry from what
it had been at its best. Furthermore, Berto seriously damaged his right
shoulder by the end of the fourth round and was down to one good arm – and
not his best one.
But then something
strange happened. With only his left hand available to try to win the fight,
Berto focused in the ring as he had never done before. He fought instinctively,
trying to maneuver himself to best land his left, whether the jab, hook or
uppercut. And he actually started to have some success.
The back half of the
fight featured a lot of close rounds with Soto Karass scoring well with his
volume and Berto landing a number of sizzling left hooks. In my
estimation, Berto won a number of these rounds. Ultimately, it came down to the
quality of the shots. To me, I believe that Berto landed the more telling punches
in many of these rounds.
On my scorecard, the
fight had tightened up. In the 11th, Berto dropped Soto Karass with a
borderline low left hook to the body. Soto Karass survived the knockdown
fairly well and probably won the rest of the round, but I don't think that he
deserved the extra point to make it a 10-9 frame. Going into the last round, I believed that the fight was still on the table (and
it was according to the judges – they all had the match within one
point either way).
However, Soto Karass ended things abruptly with a devastating
counter left hand. Berto beat the count but he didn’t look coherent, Ref Jon
Schorle took a look at him and correctly stopped the fight.
It was a
career-making knockout for Soto Karass, a journeyman/gatekeeper who finally
earned a convincing win on the sport’s top level. He’ll be in line for another
big fight at the end of the year. Certainly he would make for an excellent
matchup against one from the Guerrero/Ortiz/Lopez list.
For Berto, there is a
bitter irony in his defeat. During the ascendency of his career, where he was
relentlessly paraded on HBO against mostly undeserving opponents, Berto
engendered a lot of ill will. There were question marks about whether his real
skill level correlated with his sense of entitlement. He wanted to be treated
like a star, despite not beating anyone of note. He hadn't even put
forward a memorable effort against a good opponent.
But in defeat on
Saturday, Berto fought valiantly, exhibiting the heart and determination that
was so often lacking in his earlier performances. He was outgunned, perhaps a
fraction of what he once was, but he showed that he was a true fighter.
Many boxers would have found a way out of the match after the fourth, but
Berto kept pressing on.
No, he didn’t do
everything that he could have done, even with just one arm. As the 11th round
illustrated, the way to hurt Soto Karass is downstairs, but Berto,
having never been a committed body puncher, didn't go to the body nearly
enough. Berto should have dug his left hook to the body throughout the fight,
and especially after the knockdown. It was an opportunity missed, but it
doesn’t diminish his performance.
Clearly Berto’s
defense is too problematic at this point for him to defeat the best at
welterweight. Never one with a solid defensive underpinning, Berto must carefully
evaluate his next steps. He will always struggle against volume punchers and
his chin and legs don’t look particularly strong. He needs a few
fights to regroup and I think that going the Amir Khan rebuilding route might make
sense. Maybe someone like Julio Diaz or Carson Jones would work for his
next opponent. Perhaps then a move to Aydin if he wins.
In the meantime, he
has to figure out with Hunter (or whoever will be training him) his identity in
the ring. In addition, I think less heavy weight lifting would increase
his upper body flexibility, which would help him slip punches and give him the
ability to feint more convincingly. Finally, I think that Berto needs to change his
conditioning program. He was much more agile a few years ago and his best
chance in the ring might involve using more angles and better movement.
I think that Berto still
can win some fights against good (maybe not top) opponents, but not in his
present fashion. He should be proud of the way he persevered on Saturday. The
next step for him is learning how to minimize adversity against good opposition. I’m not saying that he will ever reach this
plateau, but if he doesn't have the urge to become more responsible defensively
after Saturday’s bruising defeat, he’ll be out of the sport really quickly.
Omar Figueroa UD Nihito Arakawa
119-107, 118-108 and 118-108
What we learned: Figueroa has the power shots and
temperament to go far in the lightweight division. Arakawa has an almost mythical
ability to absorb punishment.
This was one of the
most savage boxing fights in recent memory. As I tweeted on Saturday, “This is
not a fight of the year. This is one fighter getting his career ended.” Nihito
Arakawa absorbed superhuman punishment from Omar Figueroa and kept coming forward.
Figueroa unleashed a blistering body assault throughout the fight, but Arakawa
couldn’t be stopped. Two knockdowns and hundreds of power shots to the head
weren’t enough to dissuade Arakawa, or his corner, from continuing. And all the
while, Arakawa kept throwing punches, lots of them – 1170 according to
CompuBox. Many of them were arm shots, but he mixed in a variety of solid hooks
to the body and straight left hands as well. It was a shocking display of
fortitude from Arakawa, one of the bravest efforts you will ever see in boxing,
but someone should have stopped it.
In the sixth round,
Figueroa scored his second knockdown of the fight. Arakawa was out of position
along the ropes from a number of hard blows and couldn’t properly defend
himself. Referee Laurence Cole, who is often a subject of scorn in the boxing
community for his capricious rulings, homerism and inability to control a
fight, correctly ruled a knockdown, indicating that the ropes held the
fighter up. This was an excellent decision. Although Figueroa was clearly
winning the fight, the rounds were competitive. Had Cole stopped the fight at
that point, he could have been justified in that Arakawa had already taken
quite the beating. But he correctly let Arakawa continue.
However, by the end of the
ninth round, the facts on the ground had changed; Arakawa was unmercifully
getting battered. The majority of my timeline on Twitter wanted the fight
to be stopped. The bout had migrated from a special back-and-forth war to
a one-sided beating of epic proportions – the type of fight where something bad
might happen afterwards to the loser.
I believe that Cole
should have stopped the fight in the later rounds; however, it’s tough to
criticize him too much for letting it continue because Arakawa kept throwing.
He initiated action and still landed quite a bit. But he was getting hit with
such massive shots in return.
Perhaps the majority
of the blame resides with Arakawa’s corner. Yes, their fighter was landing
shots, but their first duty is protection, and I fear that they let Arakawa
down. True, it was Arakawa’s biggest opportunity of his career, but after
Saturday, I’m not sure how much career he’ll have left. He endured a savage and
needless beat down over the final four rounds of the fight.
There’s a lot to like
about Figueroa. He’s energetic in the ring. He has real punching power.
He’s photogenic. He has a competitive drive to be the best at lightweight. Just
23, he’s already connected with the South Texas boxing market. His future is
bright, but…there is always a but.
Paulie Malignaggi
made an excellent observation on the Showtime telecast regarding Figueroa
(actually Paulie was outstanding all night, further reinforcing my feeling that
he is best boxing analyst working on U.S. television). He said that just
because Figueroa fights in a face-first aggressive style, doesn’t mean
that ignoring defense is necessarily the best choice for
him. It’s clear that Figueroa didn’t respect Arakawa’s punching
power, but he still he got hit with far too many shots. I’m sure that
Figueroa was amazed that Arakawa was still standing after he had
landed all of his best punches (I know that I was), but at a certain
point, Figueroa showed no interest in making tactical changes in terms of the geography
of the fight. Whether he was leading or countering, he insisted on fighting in
a phone booth. Yes, he secured the victory, but as Malignaggi pointed out, he
probably made it harder on himself than he needed to. His lack of
adaptability was concerning.
The lightweight
division is filled with boxers and neutralizers like Ricky Burns, Terence
Crawford, Miguel Vazquez and Richar Abril. Yes, there will be certain fighters
like Antonio DeMarco and Raymundo Beltran who will engage Figueroa in a
toe-to-toe battle, but to beat many of the top guys at 135, Figueroa will need
to think his way through fights. At this point, Figueroa has heavy hands and a
nice offensive temperament, but the finer points of defense and ring savvy will
be needed. He’s still young and he has aligned himself with a good trainer in
Joel Diaz, but Figueroa’s future is now. Not every opponent will be as light
hitting or as obliging as Arakawa was.
Keith Thurman TKO 10 Diego Chaves
What we learned: Thurman has the savvy and power for top
opponents at 147. Chaves is another name to add to the mix in the great
welterweight division.
This was a fun fight
where both heavy hitters went for the early knockout, thought better of it and
then tried to adjust accordingly. Through the first four rounds, both fighters
tried to end it – Chaves with straight right hands, either over the top of
Thurman’s jab or as a counter shot, and Thurman with left hooks and right
hands. It was certainly natural that both power punchers went looking
for the early kill; they each entered the bout with knockout ratios over 80%.
They believed in their power and wanted to see if the other could take their
best.
The early rounds
featured both fighters throwing their knockout blows in the center of the ring.
Through four, Chaves was getting the best of it. His shots were shorter and he
capitalized on Thurman’s tendency to overcommit with his punches. In the early
going, both fighters answered questions about their chins; they ate some
monstrous shots. It was some wild action, but both fighters eventually decided
that chins were checked and Plan B’s were in order.
By the fifth round,
the pace of the fight became far more deliberate. Thurman used his jab and
footwork more to set up shots. He went to the body with single right hands
and left hooks. His shots stayed more compact. As the rounds progressed, Chaves
had difficulty initiating his own offense as Thurman became more
defensibly responsible. After eight, I had the fight even.
The match turned on a
single Thurman left hook to the body in the ninth round that dropped
Chaves to the canvas. Thurman wasn’t able to finish Chaves off but there was
some real damage. In the 10th, Thurman landed a right hand that stunned Chaves
and followed up with a barrage that led to the fight being stopped.
It was a gutty
performance from Thurman, a fighter who had been dismissed by many a year ago
as merely another product of Al Haymon hype. Over the last four fights, Thurman
has made several advancements. He has shown against Jan Zaveck, and again in
Saturday’s fight, that he can make key adjustments when a knockout isn’t
imminent. Against Zaveck it was just staying busy and picking up the points. On
Saturday, it was reducing his exposure by staying more compact and keeping his
opponent at bay with jabs and movement. He will never be a defensive
slickster, but he did a much better job of containing damage after the first
few rounds.
Thurman is ready for
the top of the welterweight division. A match against Marcos Maidana would be
ideal (Maidana actually pulled out of a fight against Thurman last year as he
was switching trainers). He still has
things to work on in the gym, such as remembering to work off of the jab and
remaining in better defensive position after firing power shots. In addition,
he’s a much better fighter when he incorporates movement. Thurman has the raw
tools to be a force in the division. He’s not all the way there yet and I would
shield him away from anyone too technical at this time, but he’s on the right
path.
Chaves certainly made
a name for himself with his performance on Saturday. With heavy hands and a
pleasing offensive style, he likes to slug it out in the center of the ring. At
this point, he’s a less exaggerated version of early Maidana. He might
not have the same type of one-punch power as his fellow Argentine, but his
footwork isn’t as bad either. Chaves still needs to work on how to create
opportunities to deliver punches. The power and technique for his straight
right hand is there, but his use of angles, mastery of ring generalship
and understanding of how to set up shots can be improved. This wasn’t a
brutal loss for him and a natural opponent for his next fight could be someone
like a Josesito Lopez. The 147 lb. division might be 20 deep in terms of very
solid fighters. Add Chaves to the mix.
Let me give Showtime
and Golden Boy credit for putting together one of the best fight cards in
years. On the surface, the three bouts didn’t have a “wow” factor. There
wasn’t a headliner who was guaranteed to draw eyeballs or headlines. Yet, Saturday’s card was the result of
Showtime doing its homework on fighters such as Chaves and Arakawa. This was
clearly not one of the network’s more expensive cards of the year, but it
delivered the best return of any of its 2013 offerings.
In addition, Golden
Boy should be praised for having the confidence in these three fights to
approach the network for its approval. Even though Golden Boy has a
virtual monopoly on Showtime’s boxing programming, no one wants a repeat of the
lifeless Smith-Bundrage card. Golden Boy still needs to deliver excellent value
to make this arrangement work. Saturday, the promoter had one of the signature
cards of its tenure. Anyone who was watching on Saturday will remember these
three fights: the best praise possible for a network and a promoter.
FISTS OF GOLD II
Juan Estrada UD Milan Melindo 117-109,
118-109 and 118-109
What we learned: Estrada is fast becoming one of the best
fighters in the sport. Melindo has the tools to be a future champion.
This fight was close
through the first nine rounds. The previously undefeated Melindo won many of
the early frames in my opinion with stiff jabs, quick combinations and a high
punch volume. (The official scorecards were a little too wide in my opinion. My
card had Estrada winning by 116-111.) At various points in the first half of
the fight, Estrada, who defeated unified flyweight champ Brian Viloria earlier
in the year, was getting beaten to the punch at close range.
During the middle
rounds, Estrada made a key strategic adjustment by staying on the outside. With
a slightly longer reach, Estrada was able to control the fight with his jab and
movement. He frustrated Melindo who couldn’t find a consistent way in.
As the bout
progressed into the later rounds and with perhaps Melindo sensing that he was behind,
he started to take more chances offensively. He lunged in with power shots and paid a
big price. Estrada unloaded his arsenal. He scored with
counter and lead left hooks, solid right hands and a number of crushing
uppercuts. Similar to the Viloria fight, the later it got, the better he was.
In the 11th, he landed a spectacular short counter right hand that sent Melindo
to the canvas. Even in the 12th, with the fight comfortably in hand, Estrada
tried to go for the knockout, pasting Melindo with thunderous power shots. Through sheer will and determination, Melindo heard the final bell. He had huge
swelling on the right side of his face and there was no argument about the
decision.
Only 23, Estrada is
already one of the best fighters in the sport. He has the technical tools,
power, savvy, temperament and conditioning to establish quite a reign at
flyweight. Seeing him think his way through the fight was pretty special. He
found himself against a good opponent, junked Plan A to go to the outside and
then went to Plan C when he noticed that Melindo’s sharpness had started to
decline.
Perhaps the biggest
fight to make in the smaller weight classes would be a rematch of
Estrada-Roman Gonzalez. Estrada lost a competitive decision in their
fight last year, but he has continued to improve and 112 lbs. may suit him
more than 108 did. That rematch would be a worthy addition to any HBO or Showtime
broadcast or PPV.
Melindo, at 25, still
has a bright future ahead of him. He has excellent hand speed, good technique
and a strong understanding of how to handle himself in the ring. He would have
beaten many flyweights on Saturday, but he just lost to a better fighter. There
are a number of attractive fights for him in a deep flyweight division,
especially if he is willing to travel. Potential opponents include Edgar Sosa,
Moruti Mthalane, Viloria and Akira Yaegashi. I wouldn’t count Melindo out against
any of those foes. If he puts together another performance like he did against
Estrada, I have no doubt that he will soon raise his hands as a world
champion.
Evgeny Gradovich UD Mauricio Munoz
120-108, 119-109 and 119-109
What we learned: Gradovich is an intelligent boxer-puncher,
but one who has a number of potentially serious technical flaws.
Featherweight titlist
Evgeny Gradovich boxed his way to a virtual shutout victory over Mauricio
Munoz. Early on, Munoz was live, firing off just enough straight right hands
and left hooks to stay in the fight. However, as the rounds
continued, Munoz was outclassed by Gradovich’s footwork, punch
output and boxing skills. From the ninth round on, Gradovich had
essentially imposed his will on the fight. Munoz was never seriously in danger
of getting knocked out, but he was happy to survive.
Gradovich fights
comfortably both in the pocket and on the run. He has herky-jerky upper body
movement and really establishes his own rhythm to his offense. He has now
won and defended a title in his first 17 bouts, a very special accomplishment.
However, there are a number of things he must tighten up to beat the truly best
at featherweight, such as Abner Mares or Mikey Garcia.
Perhaps most
importantly, he is very susceptible to an uppercut. During exchanges on the
inside, he leans in with his chin extended over his body. Munoz didn’t land
with an uppercut all night, but a good technician will see that opportunity and
plaster him with shots to the body and head from underneath. In addition,
although Gradovich moves a lot during his matches, he does fall into patterns
where he admires his work. When he decides to stay in the pocket and trade, he
remains there a little too long. Again, Munoz lacked the accuracy and power to
really make Gradovich pay for these mistakes but a better fighter would jump at
that opportunity. I also still have questions about Gradovich's chin as
neither Billy Dib nor Munoz had a lot of punching power.
Gradovich understands
how he needs to win. Lacking real power, he relies on high punch volumes
and movement to outbox his opponents. He has a full arsenal of punches,
although he rarely throws them with full leverage. He’s a guy who can
clearly beat the B+ level at featherweight. But the technical flaws are there
to be exploited. I think he’s going to be in some wonderful fights over the
next few years.
I’d like to make one
final point about HBO. This was the second card of theirs this year that originated from
Macau, China. For this series, Top Rank was responsible for the
production of the broadcasts and HBO paid a much smaller license fee than it
typically does. HBO has provided a lot of entertainment on
these cards by highlighting fighters from smaller weight divisions, like Estrada and Viloria; these are excellent talents who deserve to be on American
airwaves. I hope that the positive reception from these shows spurs HBO to
broadcast more fights from the lower weights. It’s a nice beginning of
a trend, one that should continue.
He is also a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
Contact Adam at saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com
@snboxing on twitter
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