tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53006276554779206022024-03-18T19:52:19.357-04:00 Saturday Night BoxingThe big fights, the best fighters and the colorful characters in the world of boxing.Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.comBlogger824125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-67721835669405979002024-03-06T11:13:00.004-05:002024-03-18T19:51:47.901-04:00Rodney Berman: Promoter, Humanist<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">There's an adage in the business side of boxing: Never fall in
love with a fighter. This mantra of emotional distance I'm sure made its way
into the boxing vernacular because of the many things that can go wrong with
the fighter/representation dynamic. Fighters will leave. They will get into
trouble. They will underperform. Often fighters won't appreciate those who
helped guide them once they make it towards the top. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">And yet
here's Rodney Berman, the legendary South African promoter who has been in the
game since 1977, and he's not one for creating barriers between his company,
Golden Gloves, and the fighters he represents. Working in the Golden Gloves
offices every day is former junior lightweight champion Brian Mitchell. Berman
regards Mitchell as a son. They have been in business together for 40 years
and it's a relationship that Berman cherishes. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sKOueTfOKVFyVnGvH1y-rEjti282p958XUYACBZO_Twuk0xHOW_RHNI1EFrSAXo4CLFz60UzDVq67hnrXaoQr-5nJO6HeQVgat6ZrHEHFhQNbupvuxjJobGoepx-0ixV87cdf1hLEuamKJI7wt4KHliwfzxxAb5keSFGX97ZSjE6DT-dvx1QykJX1Oo/s2936/Rodney%20Berman.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2300" data-original-width="2936" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sKOueTfOKVFyVnGvH1y-rEjti282p958XUYACBZO_Twuk0xHOW_RHNI1EFrSAXo4CLFz60UzDVq67hnrXaoQr-5nJO6HeQVgat6ZrHEHFhQNbupvuxjJobGoepx-0ixV87cdf1hLEuamKJI7wt4KHliwfzxxAb5keSFGX97ZSjE6DT-dvx1QykJX1Oo/w400-h314/Rodney%20Berman.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Rodney Berman<br />Courtesy of Golden Gloves</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Or how
about this: Berman no longer allows anyone to sign with Golden Gloves that doesn't enroll in their pension program. And yes, you read that correctly. They
have a pension program that is invested in one of the leading South African
financial services firms. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">"We
really care about our fighters," said Berman. "Every time one of our
guys fight, we take 10% of his purse and it goes into Old Mutual, a leading
investment finance company in South Africa. We have a life insurance policy
for our fighters without any expense. We have a funeral policy without any
expense. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">"And
regarding the retirement policy, we take out a five-year tax-free investment.
There is one caveat to it. In the first five years of the plan, if a fighter
wants to withdraw his money, he needs my permission...And I've shown them when
you don't touch the policy for five years, the growth in that policy is
unbelievable with compound interest. Many keep their money in for much longer.
It's very gratifying to me that the fighters have taken to it. And a lot of
these fighters have done very well from it." </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Berman
takes great pride in how he looks after his fighters. He's not interested in
his boxers becoming "opponents." He believes in
matching them appropriately, knowing when to roll the dice and when to
understand that a given opportunity isn't worth the cost/benefit analysis. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">And this
takes us to Kevin Lerena (30-2, 14 KOs), Berman's heavyweight, who takes on
undefeated Justis Huni (8-0, 4 KOs) on Friday's Joshua-Ngannou card. Lerena
might best be known as the heavyweight who lost a controversial fight to Daniel
Dubois. In a surprising development, Lerena knocked down Dubois three times in
the first round. Dubois, who was seriously hurt and took a knee for two of the
knockdowns, was allowed to continue and then wound up knocking Lerena out at
the end of the third round from a punch that connected well after the bell
rang. Berman appealed on his behalf, but a no-contest or even a rematch wasn't
granted. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Lerena
rebounded since that defeat with two victories, including a win over former
cruiserweight champion Ryad Merhy. Berman admits that he's rolling the dice
with Lerena against Huni, who is one of the top young fighters from Australia
and has a deep amateur background. But he likes the fact that Lerena has the
greater professional experience in the matchup and that Huni isn't a huge
puncher. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">And it's
here that Berman's humanism shines through again. Berman wants Lerena to have a
fulfilling life after boxing and believes in matching him compassionately.
Berman's plan for Lerena involves his fighter, win or lose against Huni, aiming
for the bridgerweight world title instead of going after the big boys at heavyweight. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">"In
his everyday life, Lerena is a paramedic," said Berman. "He drives
around saving people’s lives. He's a breath of fresh air...Kevin is one of the
strongest-minded people that I've met. He's very philosophical. He takes things
in stride...</span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">"However, he's in the unfortunate position, that he has the
heart of the lion, but it's inescapable with the giants in the ring today that
size is against him. And even with Huni, size and weight are against Kevin. But
it doesn't deter him.</span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">"Kevin
can be a fireball. He has very fast hand speed. It's going to be a very
intriguing fight. I think it's going to be a distance fight, because I don't
think either man will be able to stop the other. And I think Kevin's ability is
being very underrated."</span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Berman
has heard the criticism regarding bridgerweight, but he believes that for the
right fighter it serves a purpose. And Berman admits that he's not too keen to
match Lerena with any of the other huge hitters at heavyweight. Although Lerena
has decent enough power, Berman is concerned about his relatively small body
frame. Lerena had fought at cruiserweight until 2020. Lerena is already 31 and
Berman wants him to have a fruitful life after boxing. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmeS9DF3LLvK9UWuL18hzyDmwuyCIMfP-n-G9REDu1-1S-BICy2t0eFg1OvDYEPctNgBEVttmP8X7aHllfCwSN2AHSbzJ1f9t58VLH3WbIvPKBZVqNGBJcjN_BWyhdMXWXPMbdEejKBRl-SG-VTg-GKnMRe2Zr81cQRGnKJtrtudNFJAza7uZ20EIKUE/s4800/Marvin%20Hagler,%20Rodney%20Berman,%20Roberto%20Duran%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="4800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmeS9DF3LLvK9UWuL18hzyDmwuyCIMfP-n-G9REDu1-1S-BICy2t0eFg1OvDYEPctNgBEVttmP8X7aHllfCwSN2AHSbzJ1f9t58VLH3WbIvPKBZVqNGBJcjN_BWyhdMXWXPMbdEejKBRl-SG-VTg-GKnMRe2Zr81cQRGnKJtrtudNFJAza7uZ20EIKUE/w400-h266/Marvin%20Hagler,%20Rodney%20Berman,%20Roberto%20Duran%20(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Berman with Marvin Hagler (left) and Roberto Duran (right)<br />Photo courtesy of Golden Gloves</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Berman
has had dozens of world champions in his 45 years in the sport. One of his
greatest accomplishments has been his role in helping to integrate South
African boxing. When he started promoting during the height of Apartheid, it
was illegal for a white promoter to represent a Black boxer. In the stands
there were roped off sections for Black patrons. There were still South African Black
champions and South African white champions.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"They
were terrible times," said Berman. "It was shocking. When I think
back to the Apartheid days, it was surreal...Welcome Ncita, for example, was
training in a one-room schoolroom. The conditions were pathetic." </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Berman
was one of the first promoters in South Africa to have an integrated
promotional company and he worked with the IBF in particular to help promote
Black South African fighters. His first world champion was Ncita, a Black
fighter who won the 122-lb. title in 1990 and made six title defenses. Another
early Black champion was Vuyani Bungu, who defeated Kennedy McKinney twice and
made 13 junior featherweight title defenses. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Boxing
has taken Berman, 81, around the world and back. He relishes the South African
underdog role in the world boxing scene and his fighters have sprung major
upsets, including Sugar Boy Malinga over Nigel Benn and Corrie Sanders over
Wladimir Klitschko. He was the lead promoter in Hasim Rahman's upset victory
over Lennox Lewis in South Africa, where Berman had a memorable hour-length
phone call with Nelson Mandela in the lead up to the fight.</span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Although
Berman has lived a full boxing life, he still is heavily involved in the next
generation of South African boxing talent. In particular, he's very high on
junior middleweights Shervantaigh Koopman (13-0, 9 KOs) and Roarke Knapp
(17-1-1, 12 KOs). And he's still trying to develop world-level fighters despite
the weakness of the South African currency (which makes it tough to pay for
opponents) and the distance of South Africa from the world's boxing hot spots.
Throughout his time in the sport, Berman has had to navigate myriad
constrictions and he takes pride in what he's been able to accomplish despite
exceedingly challenging social, political, and economic headwinds. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">This week
Berman will be in Saudi Arabia looking after Lerena's best interests. Berman is
no stranger to going on the road. He'll be hoping that his fighter can pull off
the upset, but most of all, he will want his fighter to make sure that he can
fight for another day. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">The sorrow in Berman's voice is still there when he talks about Corey Sanders' untimely death from the hands of armed robbers.
To Berman, Sanders was one of the sweetest people he has ever met in the sport.
Berman understands how life can be precious, how a boxer's life in or out of
the ring can change in the blink of an eye. He wants his fighters to accomplish
great things in the ring, but also to have a fulfilling tomorrow.</span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-31487232239094459362024-03-03T15:52:00.015-05:002024-03-03T16:17:28.091-05:00Opinions and Observations: Kholmatov-Ford<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">By the fifth round in Saturday's fight, Raymond Ford and his coach Anthony Rodriguez decided to scrap their
initial game plan. Although Ford had climbed the ranks in his pro career as an outside
fighter, flashing hand speed and athleticism from range, that wasn't working against Otabek Kholmatov. Kholmatov
had the longer reach, but perhaps more importantly, he landed his best power shots when he extended his arms, especially a looping left hand. And
for whatever reason, Ford had trouble defensing those long-range, odd-angled
bombs. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">So,
Ford and Rodriguez made the bold play to try to beat Kholmatov on the inside.
And there were moments and rounds in the fight where Ford unloaded blistering
combinations and body shots from up close, getting the better of the
action. Ford was able to stem the tide of a runaway Kholmatov victory,
but he didn't completely turn it. Many of the rounds were close. Even with Ford on the inside, Kholmatov won his share of rounds in the second half with
volume and quick combinations to the body. Going into the final round of the fight, Ford was
down by three points on two scorecards and up by one on the third.</span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEWP07lUsMb13GKViHtsM9dVmXflH1e51Wh26ga0be4e_BCKJq4yOKU8xkdydPbMGIxs-bynktj6__WY1rl6DyCKytNVQGxWC06CJKwRZkRIhh1KnRtaV6uP-hW4nKSPJqRGrfVIWiEqtcLYWr9AoquNbmcRWioZkweTcARbascWr7P_JTX7s6cwnuUA/s720/Otabek%20Kholmatov%20vs%20Raymond%20Ford_action24.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="720" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEWP07lUsMb13GKViHtsM9dVmXflH1e51Wh26ga0be4e_BCKJq4yOKU8xkdydPbMGIxs-bynktj6__WY1rl6DyCKytNVQGxWC06CJKwRZkRIhh1KnRtaV6uP-hW4nKSPJqRGrfVIWiEqtcLYWr9AoquNbmcRWioZkweTcARbascWr7P_JTX7s6cwnuUA/w400-h285/Otabek%20Kholmatov%20vs%20Raymond%20Ford_action24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kholmatov (right) started the fight well from range<br />Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rodriguez provided Ford with perfect instructions throughout the fight.
Combining motivational exhortations with specific technical and strategic points, Rodriguez
helped Ford understand the task at hand and didn't sugarcoat his fighter's performance. He beseeched Ford to
let his hands go more and not fight in spurts. Going into the last round, he
implored Ford to win the round big. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">The first half of the 12th was strange in that neither fighter displayed the urgency needed to secure the victory. Kholmatov danced around the ring as if he had already had the fight locked up, which was an odd decision in that so many of the rounds
were competitive. He fired off ineffectual combinations that
had little steam on them. Although Ford was looking to land
power shots, he mostly stalked and pressured without letting let his hands
go with any type of abandon. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">However, in
the final minute of the round, Ford connected with a blistering combination with
Kholmatov against the ropes. The shots hurt Kholmatov who fell slightly
forward. Ford gently pulled Kholmatov down to the canvas and referee Charlie
Fitch determined that a knockdown shouldn't be awarded, that Ford's pull was
the reason why Kholmatov went down. It was a coin-flip judgment: the kind that referees could call either way and be justified in their decision making. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">But once the action resumed, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kholmatov was still badly hurt.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He went into full disengagement mode. As he tried to
evade Ford along the perimeter of the ring, Ford shot a pulsating right hand that rattled him. Kholmatov stumbled along the ropes and banged into the
corner post. He was completely turned around. Ford
seized the opportunity and followed up with a blistering left hand with
Kholmatov unable to defend himself. Fitch had seen enough and stopped the fight
with seven seconds left. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">***</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kholmatov-Ford
was unusual in that the fight was contested for a vacant title (in this case
featherweight). So often vacant title fights pit a heavily favored fighter
against an opponent far less deserving. This was one of the rare occasions where
the boxers were evenly matched; they were both worthy of being a champion. Yes,
Kholmatov certainly lost the bout, but the little-seen fighter from Uzbekistan (who entered the fight at just 12-0) showed that he had championship-level ability. Furthermore, although Ford was himself only 14-0-1 entering the fight, he demonstrated a multiplicity of dimensions
that befit a world champ. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">And
perhaps that's the biggest takeaway from Ford's performance. Not a pressure
fighter by trade, he remained in the match by staying close to Kholmatov's
chest, by being more coordinated on the inside. Not known for his power (just
seven knockouts in his 15 prior fights), Ford put together the punches to get a
needed stoppage. </span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoe84sBV3WY1shv9Xmj-w88ZuLhdQyQlqJK8uE5eKaq16r58V6Uf-olf5VdoyHV83eUBh0lfCmm2htxdR0lVBvRTskDrW9JLj5I4aqNgnTvbBU2swuDCKKypYWJUFHx_SzG8CYKobe2f3rGq51mYow7DvZkVIoUxrSSUBIBBwbR0Hs0OsdtXS0QNQ6XpM/s720/Otabek%20Kholmatov%20vs%20Raymond%20Ford_knockdown.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="720" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoe84sBV3WY1shv9Xmj-w88ZuLhdQyQlqJK8uE5eKaq16r58V6Uf-olf5VdoyHV83eUBh0lfCmm2htxdR0lVBvRTskDrW9JLj5I4aqNgnTvbBU2swuDCKKypYWJUFHx_SzG8CYKobe2f3rGq51mYow7DvZkVIoUxrSSUBIBBwbR0Hs0OsdtXS0QNQ6XpM/w400-h285/Otabek%20Kholmatov%20vs%20Raymond%20Ford_knockdown.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kholmatov on the canvas seconds before the fight ends<br />Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It
had not been a straight line to the top for Ford. He had very tough fights
during his development against Edward Vazquez (who subsequently gave Joe Cordina a rough time in a title fight) and Aaron Perez. Ford didn't scream out as
"future champ" in those fights, but to be fair to him and his trainer,
they went back to the gym and put in the work to improve. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">The
reason why Ford was able to win Saturday's fight was that he had enough in his toolkit
to make adjustments. Although he had never been known as a pressure fighter, he
clearly had worked with Rodriguez in the gym for such a circumstance. When it
was time to make the change, Ford didn't look lost in this style. He
knew how to pressure, stalk, and get off combinations in close while limiting
damage. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Furthermore,
when Ford needed a decisive ending to the fight, he didn't let the big moment
get to him. He wasn't a deer in the headlights. He didn't smother himself or
fight crudely, trying to accomplish something that was beyond his
capability. He was clear-minded. He landed authoritative shots and when the
moment was finally there in the fight's dying seconds, he didn't freeze. He seized
it and forced the stoppage. </span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's
this well-roundedness that speaks to Ford's future potential. Yes, he didn't fight perfectly. His pressure was inconsistent. He didn't
display the volume needed to win enough rounds. It's also worth noting how
porous his defense was from the outside. But he adjusted. He
found something that worked and was able to win a title far removed from his
preferred style. That's championship mettle. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">All
parties need to be congratulated for Kholmatov-Ford. I will hold my nose here
and congratulate the WBA for ordering the fight and for having these two as its
top contenders. That is probably the best vacant title fight we'll see for some
time. I also want to congratulate the promoters. Top Rank decided to feature
this fight as a headline attraction and not bury it deeper on an undercard.
They certainly could have. They had just signed Kholmatov and had no
promotional piece of Ford. It's not like they had sunk a lot of time or money into either guy, but they believed in the
fight and it delivered. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Ford's promoter, Eddie Hearn, deserves a lot of credit
as well. Ford was matched tough on his way up and didn't always look convincing, but Hearn stuck with him when
perhaps others would have made a different choice. Ford has now become Matchroom's first U.S. world
champion developed from scratch. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">And
finally, let's congratulate Ford and Kholmatov. On another night Kholmatov certainly could have and would have been
victorious. He displayed a terrific work rate, creative and unusual punches, and
a surprising amount of athleticism and hand speed. I'm sure that he will have
another opportunity for a title in the near future. But the ultimate victor was
Ford, who just had a little more in his locker and all the intangibles one
would want in a champion. He would not be denied. His determination and
resolve led to an unforgettable night of boxing. When the chips were down and he was on
his way to losing, he dug down deep and said, not tonight. It was example of boxing at its finest. </span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-77342684456860038702024-02-18T15:55:00.010-05:002024-02-20T21:33:31.084-05:00Michigan's Next Boxing Wave<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Michigan has produced several fighters who rank among the
best in the sport's history, including Joe Louis, Tommy Hearns, James Toney,
and Floyd Mayweather Jr. And while the cupboard has never fully emptied, with
recent notables such as the Dirrell brothers, Tony Harrison, Claressa Shields
and Ra'eese Aleem proudly carrying on the state's boxing tradition,
Michigan right now doesn't have the number of elite boxing talents that it once
did. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dmitriy Salita is placing much of his promotional company's
future in the hands of Michigan's next crop of fighters. Salita, who resides in
Michigan and has promoted several cards in the Detroit area, has become a
believer in this next wave. With his new boxing series, Big Time Boxing USA,
set to debut on DAZN on Tuesday, Salita intends to showcase Michigan's boxing
talent to a global audience. His first event in the series will take place at
the Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Salita will have six of his fighters appearing on the broadcast (although one of them has his fight still up in the air at publication time). I spoke with Salita about each fighter and what his expectations are for them on Tuesday and the next 12-18 months. His excitement level about his crop was palpable. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB05CvyP0WrHHQfdxUSkf6YIAgO_QR8IbpRJddjquCBLk_OBeVrbUM4hqBJDGndwO2U2wgKtfPecs6pU1nouWvptaYPO_AQCT5poFII-_hFnJsTQ34o35ptLdVTXsroTVyQmAJs_puLh2DS1p77teA8MD9Kc4KwUD2pI7O2JTDqWNdnXZiMdPhPtnUVmQ/s1200/Holmes-Harrington.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB05CvyP0WrHHQfdxUSkf6YIAgO_QR8IbpRJddjquCBLk_OBeVrbUM4hqBJDGndwO2U2wgKtfPecs6pU1nouWvptaYPO_AQCT5poFII-_hFnJsTQ34o35ptLdVTXsroTVyQmAJs_puLh2DS1p77teA8MD9Kc4KwUD2pI7O2JTDqWNdnXZiMdPhPtnUVmQ/w400-h225/Holmes-Harrington.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of Salita Promotions</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ardreal Holmes (14-0, 5 KOs) vs. Marlon Harrington (10-1, 9
KOs): Junior Middleweights</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Tuesday's main event features an all-Michigan matchup
between Holmes (Flint) and Harrington (Detroit). It's a sink-or-swim fight for
both in that Salita promotes Harrington and co-promotes Holmes with DiBella
Entertainment. These two fighters are intimately familiar with each other,
having sparred against each other throughout their careers, and there's also
bad blood between them. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Harrington is the puncher in the matchup while Holmes is a
fighter who relies much more on timing and movement. Harrington's one loss was
to the trickster Marquis Taylor, who we've subsequently found out to be is an
excellent fighter. Holmes had a troubling performance in his last fight against
Wendy Toussaint, where he was fortunate to win by a split decision in a fight
that was stopped early because of a cut. In that fight, Holmes had issues
handling Toussaint's aggression and physicality. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Salita has liked how Harrington responded from his loss,
stopping the undefeated Gheith Karim in the first round. Salita knows that
Holmes can be tricky, but he can also be hit. Salita is very satisfied that
both agreed to take the fight; they both could have gone in different
directions. This fight will very much be for pride and bragging rights. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Ali Izmailov (11-0, 7 KOs): Light Heavyweight</span></b><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Izmailov is a Russian light heavyweight based in Detroit
who has already established himself on the national scene with an impressive
win over Charles Foster on <i>ShoBox</i> last year. Trained by John
David Jackson, Izmailov is physically imposing, hits hard, but also has a solid
boxing foundation. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">He fights Britton Norwood (13-4-1) on Tuesday and the bout
is expected to be of the showcase variety. Izmailov is already 30 so his future
is now. Salita has had difficulty finding opponents who will fight him. He's
hoping that Izmailov's performance on Tuesday can lead to bigger opportunities
in the light heavyweight division, but he understands that Izmailov might need
to go the sanctioning body route to get a notable name to face him. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Joseph Hicks (9-0, 6 KOs): Junior Middleweight</span></b><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Hicks qualified for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team, but like a
few others didn't wind up representing the country in 2021 due to the
pandemic-related politics associated with the 2021 Games. Despite Hicks'
amateur pedigree, he didn't start his professional career until early 2022.
Hicks is already 30 and Salita is trying to move him quickly; he fought five
times in 2023. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Although he lives in Lansing (and is originally from Grand
Rapids), Hicks trains with Kay Koroma out of Las Vegas. Interestingly, although
middleweight is a relatively barren division in terms of top-flight prospects
in the U.S., Hicks and his team have made the decision to drop down to junior
middleweight for Tuesday's fight. He faces Argentina's Ricardo Ruben Villalba
(20-10-1), who isn't supposed to win, but this fight will be an opportunity to
determine how Hicks does at the new weight class. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Salita likes Hicks' strong work ethic and amateur pedigree.
He regards Hicks as a high-character person (Hicks was due to captain
the 2020 U.S. Olympic team). Salita believes that Hicks' desire and willingness
to do whatever it takes will help separate him from other fellow prospects as
he moves up the ranks. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Joshua James Pagan (9-0, 4 KOs): Lightweight</span></b><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Although Pagan's power isn't a major facet of his game, he
possesses a strong amateur pedigree, where he won the 2021 USA
Nationals. Salita has become more of a believer in Pagan in every fight.
Pagan has already beaten three undefeated fighters. Trained by his father,
Pagan has a very strong boxing foundation. He has recently spent time in Miami
working with Herman Caicedo, trainer of Luis Ortiz, Michel Rivera, and others,
and earned rave reviews. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Pagan, from Grand Rapids, was supposed to face undefeated
Detroiter Dwane Taylor (7-0, 7 KOs) on Tuesday. However, Taylor had a late
sparring injury. As of publication, Salita is still looking for a replacement
opponent. Pagan may or may not appear on the card. Either way, Pagan will be a
featured fighter on Salita's shows. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Da'Velle Smith (7-0, 6 KOs): Middleweight</span></b><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Dearborn's Smith has quickly established himself as one of
the hardest hitters in the Detroit area. And Salita doesn't mince words
regarding Smith's power potential, proudly relaying that several old-timers on
the Detroit boxing scene told him that Smith might be the biggest
puncher from the city since Tommy Hearns. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Smith, 23, didn't have a notable amateur background and
still possesses a rawness in the ring. In addition to his power, he's a
surprisingly good athlete. He still rushes his work a little bit. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Salita calls Smith his "blue-chipper," and thinks
that he could rise fast in the middleweight division. He fights Argentina's
Rolando Mansilla (19-13-1, 9 KOs). Smith is expected to win without too much
trouble, but the hope is that he creates a highlight-reel type of statement.
Like Pagan, Smith also went to Miami recently to work with Caicedo. Smith
trains out of the Kronk gym and Salita believes that he could beat several top
middleweight prospects right now. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-89233059150153866722024-01-19T15:27:00.001-05:002024-01-19T15:27:02.959-05:00Ring Magazine -- Fight and Trainer of the Year<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I wrote two articles for <i>Ring Magazine's </i>2023 awards edition. For the Fight of the Year article, which featured Luis Nery against Azat Hovhannisyan, <a href="https://www.ringtv.com/article/2023-fight-of-the-year/">click here</a>. To ready my article on Brian McIntyre, the Trainer of the Year, <a href="https://www.ringtv.com/article/2023-trainer-of-the-year/">click here</a>.</span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-35236294201236459452024-01-14T23:11:00.026-05:002024-01-15T01:12:49.704-05:00On Beterbiev<div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">A boxing friend of mine, Arran McLachlan, reached out in early 2014 to tell me how excited he was about this emerging Montreal-based
Russian prospect, Artur Beterbiev. I think at that point Beterbiev was 4-0 and
fighting six-rounders. Arran insisted that Beterbiev, who was an Olympian, had a style that would
play spectacularly in the pros and expected him to become a world
champion at light heavyweight. Now all of this sounded a little outlandish or
fanciful to me, but Arran, like myself, wasn't someone who often fell in love with boxing prospects. He saw something special in Beterbiev and I noted that. So, I studied up on
Beterbiev. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">And then I made a classic mistake in fighter evaluation:
focusing too much on what a fighter couldn't do, instead of what could make him
special. I immediately noticed Beterbiev's slow hands, ponderous footwork and
lack of athleticism. Those were big red flags to me, as they would be if I had
been evaluating any prospect. Although I observed his heavy hands, his ability
to fire off damaging punches at close range and how ordinary-looking blows
wound up brutalizing an opponent, those factors weren't enough to sway me
regarding Beterbiev's future. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I relayed my scouting report to Arran, the good and the
bad, and although Arran is significantly younger than me, he treated ME with
kid gloves. He was essentially saying to me, just you wait...I understand all
your concerns and he will address them in due time. Arran again reminded me
that Beterbiev was an excellent amateur in the punch-counting system, where a
person’s power didn't carry any additional favor from the judges. Ultimately,
he believed that Beterbiev had significant craft to go along with his
substantial power. I remained unmoved. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Later in 2014, Beterbiev was dropped in a flash knockdown
by Jeff Page, a club fighter from Kansas. In truth, it was more of a slip/foot
entanglement issue than a legit punch, but I used that opportunity to mock
Arran. I can still remember the glee in those messages that I had sent to him.
I questioned Arran's judgment. I was convinced by my own eyes. That Beterbiev
stopped Page in two rounds was immaterial to me. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">And yet here we are, ten years later. Beterbiev is now
among the best fighters in the sport, with three title belts at 175 lbs. and eight championship defenses. Arran and I were still exchanging messages
about Beterbiev on Saturday as Artur was on his way to knocking out Callum Smith.
But this time there was no pushback from me. I was reveling in the quality of
Beterbiev's performance, just like Arran was. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8mqq0410bU7xrHr1pxfFkG5AQmRk6H0I7j5_HbzpDIMKxR3KmA98FvOkLXxw99Uv0tF0PKL4FSle1UBlm0Tw5UtzNyHtM_dnlKKDjnguBJ133e2aEEYCgCNrJOX_JjJLWyJZxqL0SRqJSKhdkBq8zclB7cfhIRamIP1XpjHovMmVlwg15nwE6z7BwYM/s720/beterbiev-smith-fight%20(3)%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8mqq0410bU7xrHr1pxfFkG5AQmRk6H0I7j5_HbzpDIMKxR3KmA98FvOkLXxw99Uv0tF0PKL4FSle1UBlm0Tw5UtzNyHtM_dnlKKDjnguBJ133e2aEEYCgCNrJOX_JjJLWyJZxqL0SRqJSKhdkBq8zclB7cfhIRamIP1XpjHovMmVlwg15nwE6z7BwYM/w400-h300/beterbiev-smith-fight%20(3)%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Beterbiev's jab was a key weapon against Smith<br />Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now, it must be said that much has changed with Beterbiev
in the previous ten years. He has continued to add to his game. He out-jabbed
Smith on Saturday, which was quite an accomplishment considering that he was
shorter and had a significant reach disadvantage. However, he was the one
controlling the action with the stick, pumping it to the head and body, and
using it as a clever counter. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The first knockdown of the fight started with a vicious
counter right hand by Beterbiev, where he slipped the jab and came over the top
with the short right to the side of Smith's head. It was a similar maneuver to
how he had initially hurt Joe Smith. And it's now obvious watching Beterbiev
that he has become far more than just a brute slugger with heavy hands.</span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Beterbiev's lead trainer, Marc Ramsay, has played a huge
role in Beterbiev's technical development. Having interviewed Ramsay twice over
the years about Beterbiev, the trainer has always praised Beterbiev's boxing
skills. Here's Ramsay in 2022: </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"You know what’s fun about being the trainer of Artur
is that he’s a very good boxer and he can do a little bit of everything. He can
box. He can put pressure. He can slug. We’ve done all of that already."
(For the complete article with Ramsay, <a href="http://www.saturdaynightboxing.com/2022/06/marc-ramsay-on-beterbiev-smith.html">click here</a>.) </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Ultimately what has made Beterbiev into an elite fighter,
as opposed to just a guy with heavy hands, is a combination of winning
intangibles: </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">1. Physical
and Intellectual Aptitude</span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">2. Coachability</span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">3. Humility</span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Ramsay has been working with Beterbiev on various
techniques to improve his boxing ability. But all of that would be meaningless unless Beterbiev agreed that he needed to further refine himself in the ring. And this is quite extraordinary. Ramsay is training perhaps the biggest puncher in the sport and says to him: you know what, it's not enough. And Beterbiev agrees! And more than that, Beterbiev has incorporated these teachings into the ring. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Whether it's changing the eye level with power
punches, controlling opponents with the jab, or how and when to throw the
proper counter, Beterbiev now utilizes these facets as if they were second
nature. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Unlike so many fighters with high knockout percentages,
Beterbiev didn't fall in love with his power. He realized that there was still
work to do. This speaks highly of his intellect, as well as his relentless
desire to improve. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">At 38 Beterbiev is now a complete fighter. He has delivered
on the promise that Arran saw a decade ago. But he has also steadily improved.
He wasn't utilizing foot feints and cute lateral movement in 2014. I can assure
you of that!</span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5w1jLaHe4c85WFpjc9pVfWJptgrQBS74S1LJ1YVmAHIRyl4w_4MNoaHFvQn8rN-uzIxElIP2mfSWo-d3TFxuPGdSba5iE7e42j862VJMTQqNSITtMWEsi3mNHno2eadsGD4s4CXsCtLsjw6H13EFU_wqdYLpMHscrfA0n7qRyundEsYL-hnstRp2aM3c/s720/artur-beterbiev-02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5w1jLaHe4c85WFpjc9pVfWJptgrQBS74S1LJ1YVmAHIRyl4w_4MNoaHFvQn8rN-uzIxElIP2mfSWo-d3TFxuPGdSba5iE7e42j862VJMTQqNSITtMWEsi3mNHno2eadsGD4s4CXsCtLsjw6H13EFU_wqdYLpMHscrfA0n7qRyundEsYL-hnstRp2aM3c/w400-h300/artur-beterbiev-02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Beterbiev after Saturday's victory<br />Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have picked against Beterbiev in the past and been wrong.
I've watched him twice live and have marveled at aspects of his performances. I
saw him stop an excellent version of Gvozdyk and destroy a fellow champion in
Joe Smith. I still don't know what happens if he ever fights Dmitry Bivol, but
I do understand one thing: Beterbiev is one of the best fighters in the entire
sport. But I was a little late to the party on
him. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">In one sense I was correct about Beterbiev; the fighter of
2014 was incomplete, but what I didn't know and what Arran and Ramsay did, is
that he had much more to offer than what he had displayed on his fight nights.
It pays to do your homework, to ask around, and not be so settled in a first evaluation. There are fighters who have a tremendous aptitude for improvement.
They may have significant skills or intangibles that won't manifest against lesser opponents in short fights. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">We all like to remember the occasions where we
got it right, a spectacular fight pick, an identification of a special talent
well before the general public latches on. But it's important to remember when
and how we get things wrong too. As someone who has immersed himself in boxing
over the last three decades, I whiffed here. Even before getting into questions
about aptitude, I should have recognized that his combination of uncommon power and success in the point-counting amateur system was a winning formula in the professional ranks. </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But Beterbiev has become even so much more than that 2014 version. He
has put in the work. He has ignored his own headlines. His only goal is to
become the best. He is now 20-0 with 20 knockouts, but his resume somehow still
undersells him: he's the complete package. And I hope that we all know that now, even if it took some of us longer than needed. </span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p></div>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-25316622399589968292023-12-31T14:41:00.028-05:002023-12-31T15:56:28.160-05:00The 2023 Saturday Night Boxing Awards<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">As an eventful year comes to an end, boxing delivered
big-time in 2023 with mega-fights, undisputed champions and dozens of great
matchups. To commemorate the year, it's time to honor those who helped make
2023 so special. Here are the 2023 Saturday Night Boxing Awards, with honors
bestowed for the Fighter, Fight, Knockout, Round, Upset, Trainer, Promoter,
Network and Referee of the Year.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Fighter of the Year: (tie) Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue</span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Crawford and Inoue, sublime talents who should be
considered the top-two fighters in the sport, both had tremendous years in
2023. Inoue started the year as lineal at bantamweight, moved up to 122,
stopped unified titlist Stephen Fulton and knocked out another unified titlist
in Marlon Tapales to become undisputed at a second weight class in a calendar
year. What an impressive achievement! </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFX_58V71fU8cV4onjnGGjQ_sT0rMs9aPqYBClz7CF5oupv4fIDypNUT3ompwqkzzslPfz6PvS9hQPVxnlbNZMq_0fIptP6UFDK-HYo7UpcEGZ4CwkZYzm68fgobOnAvc0ajVqts7hMtAOKShgpj6FIJlPn8_VI8jzmcY3wZh22LAmEU5uxFzFT3U7Xc/s1462/inoue-Fulton%203.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="1462" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFX_58V71fU8cV4onjnGGjQ_sT0rMs9aPqYBClz7CF5oupv4fIDypNUT3ompwqkzzslPfz6PvS9hQPVxnlbNZMq_0fIptP6UFDK-HYo7UpcEGZ4CwkZYzm68fgobOnAvc0ajVqts7hMtAOKShgpj6FIJlPn8_VI8jzmcY3wZh22LAmEU5uxFzFT3U7Xc/w400-h308/inoue-Fulton%203.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Inoue after defeating Fulton<br />Photo courtesy Naoki Fukuda</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After years of waiting for the opportunity, Crawford
destroyed Errol Spence, his prime rival at welterweight, in an era-defining
fight. Spence entered the ring as one of the top handful of fighters in the
sport, but Crawford demonstrated that he was on another level, knocking him
down multiple times before the fight was stopped in the ninth. With the win,
Crawford became an undisputed champion in a second division. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Crawford had the best singular win in 2023 while Inoue had
the best series of achievements. To me it's splitting hairs to choose one or
the other. They were the most impressive fighters to me and both are worthy
award winners. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Previous SNB Fighters of the Year:</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2022: Dmitry Bivol</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2021: Saul Alvarez</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2020: Teofimo Lopez</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2019: Saul Alvarez</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2018: Oleksandr Usyk</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2017: Srisaket Sor
Rungvisai</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2016: Carl Frampton</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2015: Floyd Mayweather</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2014: Naoya Inoue</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2013: Adonis Stevenson</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2012: Nonito Donaire</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2011: Andre Ward</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Fight of the Year: Luis Nery-Azat Hovhannisyan</span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">This fight reminded me of those classic HBO Boxing After
Dark fights, where two lower-weight boxers fought tooth-and-nail, putting
everything on the line for greater glory. This junior featherweight matchup
wasn't for a world title, but it featured a perfect matchup between a slugger
and a brawler. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Nery entered the ring with the greater pedigree, formerly a
world titlist at 118 and 122 lbs. But he had also been a mercurial and highly
controversial fighter, failing drug tests, blowing weight and rummaging through
trainers like they were pieces of loose candy. Hovhannisyan (who goes by the nickname
"Crazy A") was well known in boxing circles as a rugged club fighter
in Southern California. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJVmJ5fUbVlv6ZwSiMeCcNYFy3E185RjIiYYJia3q1rARDeJv2GFplD8EanPUkLwNwg9tKCaRGxUjxOcUk1KhUPDiRVJKB4rGxeYGn3MRIrre1nrQigCau-a44sK612XlpwhYUljP-Fgbrd0K89pej5noPRaYTiOY41cZ-cwqrIkpz17mhzxshywZvG0/s400/nery-hovahnnisyan-fight%20(5).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="400" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJVmJ5fUbVlv6ZwSiMeCcNYFy3E185RjIiYYJia3q1rARDeJv2GFplD8EanPUkLwNwg9tKCaRGxUjxOcUk1KhUPDiRVJKB4rGxeYGn3MRIrre1nrQigCau-a44sK612XlpwhYUljP-Fgbrd0K89pej5noPRaYTiOY41cZ-cwqrIkpz17mhzxshywZvG0/w400-h266/nery-hovahnnisyan-fight%20(5).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Nery and Crazy A waging an unforgettable war<br />Photo courtesy of Cris Esqueda</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Nery's straight punching got the best of the action in the
early rounds. He scored a knockdown in the third and his straight left out of
the southpaw stance gave Crazy A a lot of problems. But Hovhannisyan was
prepared to take a lot of shots to land his. As the fight continued Crazy A's
relentless pressure, body punching and grappling in close quarters was starting
to have its effect. Nery, who had moved a lot earlier in the fight, was now
right where Crazy A wanted him. The fight transformed into an all-out war with
Crazy A unloading on Nery against the ropes while Nery would pick out a handful
of striking power punches to stem the tide. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">By the tenth, Nery was in bad shape. He was getting beaten
up and looked exhausted. It seemed as if Crazy A's plan had worked to
perfection: weather the early storm, apply constant pressure and break Nery
down late. But somehow, Nery regathered himself in the corner after the 10th.
At the beginning of the 11th round, he uncorked a violent left hand that dropped
Crazy A for the second time in the fight. The shot damaged Crazy A. He beat the
count but wasn't fully there. Nery jumped on him and forced the ref to stop the
fight. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Nery-Hovhannisyan was boxing at its best: warriors summoning all their inner reserves to defeat a determined opponent.
Nery looked like a world-class boxer-puncher in the early rounds, but Crazy A
kept coming. And Crazy A fought like he wouldn't be denied; this was his chance
for the breakthrough win of his career, but Nery found one last gear to get the victory.
What a thrilling fight and what a performance from both fighters!</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Previous SNB Fights of the Year: </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2022: Wood-Conlan</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2021: Fury-Wilder III</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2020: Zepeda-Baranchyk</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2019: Inoue-Donaire</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2018: Chisora-Takam</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2017: Joshua-Klitschko</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2016: Vargas-Salido</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2015: Miura-Vargas</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2014: Coyle-Brizuela</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2013: Bradley-Provodnikov</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2012: Pacquiao-Marquez IV</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2011: Rios-Acosta</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Knockout of the Year: Junto Nakatani KO 12 Andrew Moloney</span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Junto Nakatani was on his way to winning his second
world title as he entered the 12th round against Andrew Moloney. In a complete
performance, Nakatani dropped Moloney in the 2nd and 11th rounds and dazzled
with his combinations, punch variety and sharp counters. Moloney had put forth
a spirited effort, but was comprehensively outclassed. However, that was just a prelude to what happened in the 12th round. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCFKWeYIwHDnTCDe7IPfiVJfUQ7uWMSpDuDUQx6Q1t2yabBakyXY0LDCh4xB2_ABCvIX9OB2TRvf9GnQcaGCJhBqluF40FRejG0AW7MjX_KFFVOn1YIIWHx8U94Xi9oGX2NSTFEMbCP5R3XPn2ctqVKPj88_-vB7HUM2bdj7110mjzUy4Qi32vEIZ2JY/s1800/Junto%20KO.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1800" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCFKWeYIwHDnTCDe7IPfiVJfUQ7uWMSpDuDUQx6Q1t2yabBakyXY0LDCh4xB2_ABCvIX9OB2TRvf9GnQcaGCJhBqluF40FRejG0AW7MjX_KFFVOn1YIIWHx8U94Xi9oGX2NSTFEMbCP5R3XPn2ctqVKPj88_-vB7HUM2bdj7110mjzUy4Qi32vEIZ2JY/w400-h286/Junto%20KO.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Nakatani (right) after landing the KO punch<br />Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As the fight got closer to the final bell, Moloney still
marched forward. Moving toward Nakatani he momentarily paused before throwing a
jab. At that moment, Nakatani crouched to his left side, took his head off the
line and unfurled a pulverizing overhead left that detonated on Moloney's face.
Moloney, immediately dropped to the canvas, supine, blood flowing from his right eye; he could
barely move. Nakatani's punch was a perfect one-shot knockout executed with
expert precision. In year full of memorable knockouts, this was the one that
stuck with me throughout 2023.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Previous SNB Knockouts of the Year:</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2022: Leigh Wood TKO 12
Michael Conlan</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2021: Gabe Rosado KO 3
Bektemir Melikuziev</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2020: (tie) Alexander
Povetkin KO 5 Dillian Whyte and Gervonta Davis KO 6 Leo Santa Cruz</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2019: Nonito Donaire KO 6
Stephon Young</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2018: Naoya Inoue KO 1
Juan Carlos Payano</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2017: Zolani Tete KO 1
Siboniso Gonya</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2016: Hassan N'Dam KO 1
Alfonso Blanco</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2015: Yenifel Vincente KO
3 Juan Dominguez</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2014: Andy Lee KO 5 John
Jackson</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2013: Stephen Smith KO 5
Gary Buckland</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2012: Juan Manuel Marquez
KO 6 Manny Pacquiao</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2011: Takashi Uchiyama TKO
11 Jorge Solis</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Round of the Year: O'Shaquie Foster-Eduardo Hernandez Round
11</span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">With open scoring in effect, O'Shaquie Foster, the
titleholder at 130 lbs., knew that he was down on the cards against Eduardo
"Rocky" Hernandez after eight rounds. However, this was just another one in a series of challenges he had to overcome in the match. He was the away fighter in
a small ring that favored Hernandez, who was supposed to be the puncher in the matchup. But Foster was determined to
defend his title. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Foster started the 11th round firing power shots and landed
a short right hook with 2:15 left in the round that buckled Hernandez's legs,
almost sending him to the canvas. Hernandez was badly hurt. Foster seized the
moment and drove Hernandez back to the ropes with power shots. Hernandez was buzzed, didn't have his full faculties and looked over to his corner. Foster wailed away with the left
hooks to the body and straight lefts with Hernandez not throwing back.
Hernandez went to full retreat mode, moving directly to the other side of the
ring as Foster continued to meet him with power shots. Hernandez was so
stunned that he momentarily turned his back to Foster. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggCb-iybrMStnoxYcDYSIpHr1GDTG6ixYoz2hj4IYQ01rZ_9aIPtNv06qs4JedtwguRct38I_2S1I9T6chthJgr6Pf_4l7pDOQikxkOn4N16eHk7OyJAJ9OwgI4M0jZgU0nUwl_WiVoN4v8lvuKghoUv8fIwnG3C-E3X7A537j989AR3uSJQyAd4xirk/s720/foster-hernandez-2110.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggCb-iybrMStnoxYcDYSIpHr1GDTG6ixYoz2hj4IYQ01rZ_9aIPtNv06qs4JedtwguRct38I_2S1I9T6chthJgr6Pf_4l7pDOQikxkOn4N16eHk7OyJAJ9OwgI4M0jZgU0nUwl_WiVoN4v8lvuKghoUv8fIwnG3C-E3X7A537j989AR3uSJQyAd4xirk/w400-h300/foster-hernandez-2110.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Foster (left) and Hernandez before the fight<br />Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At 1:30 left in the round, Hernandez regained some of his
bearing and started to trade and counter off the ropes. Getting through with
straight rights and left hooks, he stung Foster. And now Foster was the one on retreat. Hernandez, with the roar of the crowd behind him, unloaded furious
power shots, with Foster trying to block and place counters between them.
Foster snapped Hernandez's head back with a beautiful right uppercut while
against the ropes, but Hernandez kept coming. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Hernandez landed two huge right hooks to the head and body and Foster was badly hurt. Both finished the round throwing
nasty power punches, hoping to survive, recover and somehow end the fight. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Foster would be the fresher fighter in the final round and ultimately dropped Hernandez twice to win by stoppage and retain
his title. Foster came from way behind for victory. It was a
tremendous fight and the 11th was the best round that I saw all year. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Previous SNB Rounds of the Year:</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2022: Mauricio Lara-Emilio
Sanchez Round 3</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2021: Kenshiro
Teraji-Masamichi Yabuki Round 9</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2020: Jose Zepeda-Ivan
Baranchyk Round 5</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2019: Anthony Joshua-Andy
Ruiz Round 3</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2018: Deontay Wilder-Tyson
Fury Round 12</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2017: Anthony
Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko Round 5</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2016: Edwin
Rodriguez-Thomas Williams Jr. Round 2</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2015: Edwin
Rodriguez-Michael Seals Round 1</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2014: Thomas Williams
Jr.-Cornelius White Round 1</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2013: Tim Bradley-Ruslan
Provodnikov Round 12</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2012: Sergio
Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Round 12</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2011: Hernan Marquez-Luis
Concepcion I Round 1</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Upset of the Year: Brian Mendoza KO 7
Sebastian Fundora</span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Sebastian Fundora entered 2023 as one of the ascendent
young stars in boxing. Having defeated contenders Sergio Garcia, Erickson Lubin,
and Carlos Ocampo, Fundora earned an interim title at 154 lbs., but more
importantly, he had established himself as one of the nightmare matchups for
anyone in the junior middleweight division, a 6'7" southpaw who had power
and could beat opponents at any range. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Brian Mendoza was supposed to be a marking-time opponent, a
fighter who had gone rounds with top prospect Jesus Ramos, but never
threatened to win. Mendoza did enter the Fundora fight with an impressive upset
win over former champion Jeison Rosario, but that result could in part be
explained by the damage that Rosario had taken in previous fights with Lubin and
Jermell Charlo. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4NTJgbE5MqButRHn-n2N3ekZ1KRe7p2AClw_qoZBalYKdHdGU0NBr8_d7kQnyLsA71Esl5IB4Aeg0WAerQguRdBGLl2dKlWG_d9bef8OqzNqf0TpiewKBFZlpXOS67dT5NzYaoMHgDOyAJwO6ySS67ohMBcaqOvAtZR-cWDbvA4k_EUne4m6pLJt36w/s720/mendoza-fundora-fight%20(15).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4NTJgbE5MqButRHn-n2N3ekZ1KRe7p2AClw_qoZBalYKdHdGU0NBr8_d7kQnyLsA71Esl5IB4Aeg0WAerQguRdBGLl2dKlWG_d9bef8OqzNqf0TpiewKBFZlpXOS67dT5NzYaoMHgDOyAJwO6ySS67ohMBcaqOvAtZR-cWDbvA4k_EUne4m6pLJt36w/w400-h266/mendoza-fundora-fight%20(15).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Mendoza (right) celebrates after stopping Fundora<br />Photo courtesy of Esther Lin/Showtime</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Through the first six rounds of Fundora-Mendoza, Fundora
dominated the action, pasting Mendoza with straight lefts and left uppercuts.
Mendoza had taken several big shots and had failed to impose himself on the
action. It was one-way traffic. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">But in the seventh, Mendoza seized an opportunity. Fundora
tried to throw an uppercut from too far away and Mendoza cracked Fundora with
a counter left hook. Fundora froze. Mendoza than followed up with one of the
biggest right hands of his career and capped it off with a picture-perfect left
hook. Fundora hit the deck. He sat up as the ref counted, but had none of his
faculties. He would be counted out without making a concentrated effort to
continue. In an instant, the Big Bad Wolf would be defanged. Mendoza had shocked
the boxing world. From six rounds of accomplishing very little to destroying
one of the most intimidating young fighters in the sport, Mendoza authored one
of the most shocking results of the year. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Previous SNB Upsets of the Year:</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2022: Hector Luis Garcia
UD Chris Colbert</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2021: George Kambosos SD
Teofimo Lopez</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2020: Robert Helenius TKO
4 Adam Kownacki</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2019: Andy Ruiz TKO 7
Anthony Joshua</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2018: Rob Brant UD Ryota
Murata</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2017: Caleb Truax MD James
DeGale</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2016: Joe Smith Jr. KO 1
Andrzej Fonfara</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2015: Tyson Fury UD
Wladimir Klitschko</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2014: (tie) James de la
Rosa UD Alfredo Angulo and Tommy Karpency SD Chad Dawson</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2013: Jhonny Gonzalez KO 1
Abner Mares</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2012: Sonny Boy Jaro TKO 6
Pongsaklek Wongjongkam</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Trainer of the Year: Brian McIntyre et al. </span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Brian McIntyre's work as Terence
Crawford's lead trainer has been exemplary. McIntyre has helped shape Crawford
into one of the truly best fighters in the sport. But the "et al."
above acknowledges that McIntyre has worked with a team to get Crawford to this
level, specifically Esau Dieguez and Red Spikes. Together, the three of them
have been instrumental in refining the abilities of Crawford (and their other
major fighters) in the ring. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvRXhcpaP3oY8OHXchsHlCATws-DlUB4vs3TpjSX7xUl_qdQHNkb0XNEjtuPOrjBsuBVnh0CO_ppSII3R7yEK79f8gF9MYd59olgk-g3qAGygNKGkUZVb5RTjKWwjagIIc_fm4NZPl5LzSLU1XKFiQYjr4XIGzMloSXEoxlMkcQ3DceSXAgPIFNh1efU/s720/terence-crawford%20(2)_1690698211.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvRXhcpaP3oY8OHXchsHlCATws-DlUB4vs3TpjSX7xUl_qdQHNkb0XNEjtuPOrjBsuBVnh0CO_ppSII3R7yEK79f8gF9MYd59olgk-g3qAGygNKGkUZVb5RTjKWwjagIIc_fm4NZPl5LzSLU1XKFiQYjr4XIGzMloSXEoxlMkcQ3DceSXAgPIFNh1efU/w400-h266/terence-crawford%20(2)_1690698211.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Crawford, McIntyre's elite pupil, after stopping Spence<br />Photo courtesy of Esther Lin/Showtime</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Immediately after Crawford's knockout victory over Errol
Spence, Crawford was asked about the preparation for the fight. Crawford
specifically noted that his counter right jab in the southpaw stance was paramount
to beating Spence. He explained that McIntyre had worked with him to make the shot more
of a power punch against Spence. It wasn't intended just to score; the point was to pulverize
with the punch. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">McIntyre and the team had done their homework. They noticed
that Spence would often lunge with shots and that for a brief instant he wasn't
in a defensively responsible position. And it would be the counter jab, perhaps
the shortest and quickest shot in Crawford's arsenal, that would be the punch
to punish Spence. It was game planning at its finest. Although Crawford
would go on to score additional knockdowns with his right hook and right
uppercut, it was the counter jab that continually hurt Spence and made him pay
for his mistakes. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">On another note, McIntyre helped Chris Eubank win his
rematch against Liam Smith. Taking over for Roy Jones, McIntyre got rid of
Eubank's desire to be a cute counterpuncher. Instead, he had Eubank working as
the aggressor, to stay away from the ropes, and to be first in exchanges. He
imparted belief in Eubank that he was the puncher and that Smith couldn't
withstand the onslaught if Eubank was consistent with his offense. Eubank would stop Smith in the 10th round. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">It was a tremendous year for Team McIntyre
and they showed a sublime ability to prepare their fighters for the task at hand
and to focus on specific weapons and strategies to get the job done. They have now established themselves as one of the elite training teams in the sport. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Previous SNB Trainers of the Year: </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2022: Derrick James</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2021: Eddy Reynoso</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2020: Teofimo Lopez Sr.</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2019: Eddy Reynoso</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2018: Anatoly Lomachenko</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2017: Derrick James</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2016: Shane McGuigan</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2015: Peter Fury</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2014: Freddie Roach</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2013: Kenny Porter</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2012: Robert McCracken</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2011: Robert Garcia</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Promoter of the Year: TGB Promotions in conjunction with
PBC</span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Tom Brown has been the lead promoter for most of the big
PBC fights in 2023. Working together, they had a tremendous year in
delivering big and meaningful bouts. With Gervonta
Davis-Ryan Garcia, they broke 1 million pay per view buys in the United States.
In putting together Spence-Crawford, they finally were able to give boxing
fans the era-defining welterweight fight that they had been clamoring for. And there was a lot more great stuff in addition to those two mega-fights: Benavidez-Plant, Matias-Ponce, Sims-Akhmedov, Canelo-Charlo
and Benavidez-Andrade. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1db1N94NNXjsiwtqcDiUg7XYbl4e-9xzaDFYceiurkvYU7BII1GbAZZ9G4BBH9PGgIymcDGGXwfxvjQ-mwLfg2aNckbhq77pPFdPgYJfRmHWBf4ejcjLziyrIiZS4SJ0-ytunfU4kgTxpmWmkzNZ7FIeM7RIabSdx_6CQf8AVsHrGwfhdsFOMqQ4Slw/s564/davis-garcia-fight%2092.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="564" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1db1N94NNXjsiwtqcDiUg7XYbl4e-9xzaDFYceiurkvYU7BII1GbAZZ9G4BBH9PGgIymcDGGXwfxvjQ-mwLfg2aNckbhq77pPFdPgYJfRmHWBf4ejcjLziyrIiZS4SJ0-ytunfU4kgTxpmWmkzNZ7FIeM7RIabSdx_6CQf8AVsHrGwfhdsFOMqQ4Slw/w400-h340/davis-garcia-fight%2092.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Gervonta Davis knocking down Ryan Garcia<br />Photo courtesy of Ryan Hafey</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Brown has been one of the lead matchmakers for PBC and his
role in helping to present their events is far more than ceremonial. He's had a
hand in developing and matching many of the key PBC talents. In 2023, Brown and PBC provided boxing fans with big events and memorable outcomes. It was a job well
done. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Previous SNB Promoters of the Year: </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2022: No Award Given</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2021: Premier Boxing
Champions</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2020: Top Rank</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2019: Matchroom Boxing</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2018: Premier Boxing
Champions</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2017: K2 Promotions</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2016: Matchroom Boxing</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2015: Golden Boy
Promotions</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2014: Matchroom Boxing</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2013: (tie) Golden Boy
Promotions and Top Rank</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2012: Golden Boy
Promotions</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2011: Top Rank</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Network of the Year: Showtime</span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In one of the grand ironies of recent boxing history, Showtime
delivered one of the best slate of fights in memory and yet the network decided to discontinue its boxing program at the end of the year. Well, it was quite the swan song! With Davis-Garcia, Spence-Crawford
and Canelo-Charlo, Showtime was the place to be for big fights in 2023. But the
network also had several fantastic fights on their regular Showtime
Championship Boxing cards, such as Matias-Ponce, Sims-Akhmedov and
Fundora-Mendoza. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWZqTZMMIkjU9JolqKotw1j02n6EnrcrY2LMr_XIF5-_ERWVVjEF3csGHBsbCNLVq9N14F3ORwFRJF7YxepJyQkUeU8lYkKBLU6_ZY6TdlPaBybslF1CF51MlVUxDV61KQjMLTZSbPU3Kbm7IjflQzImtC1oS_unt2aIkGqr3Pn2_lHhwrYfujM-Z0Is/s400/matias-ponce-fight%20(11).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="400" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWZqTZMMIkjU9JolqKotw1j02n6EnrcrY2LMr_XIF5-_ERWVVjEF3csGHBsbCNLVq9N14F3ORwFRJF7YxepJyQkUeU8lYkKBLU6_ZY6TdlPaBybslF1CF51MlVUxDV61KQjMLTZSbPU3Kbm7IjflQzImtC1oS_unt2aIkGqr3Pn2_lHhwrYfujM-Z0Is/w400-h343/matias-ponce-fight%20(11).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Matias-Ponce, one of the best fights of 2023<br />Photo courtesy of Esther Lin/Showtime</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Showtime had a 37-year run in broadcasting boxing to its
American subscribers. Over time they had evolved from the scrappy little
brother in HBO's shadow to one of the leaders in the sport before disbanding their
boxing program. It was an odd way for them to go out. They didn't limp along
like HBO did at the end. They finished with a bang and I would expect that many of Showtime Boxing's key players will resurface with other broadcasters in 2024. Showtime left the sport on a high note. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Previous SNB Networks of the Year: </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2022: ESPN</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2021: Showtime</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2020: ESPN</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2019: DAZN</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2018: Showtime</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2017: Showtime</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2016: Sky Sports</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2015: No award given</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2014: ESPN</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2013: Showtime</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2012: BoxNation</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Referee of the Year: No Award Given</span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Previous SNB Referees of the Year: </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2022: David Fields</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2021: Mark Lyson</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2020: Michiaki Someya</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2019: No award given</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2018: Jack Reiss</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2017: David Fields</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2016: Raul Caiz Sr.</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2015: David Fields</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2014: Steve Smoger</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2013: Tony Weeks</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2012: Eddie Claudio</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-79152192098643686272023-12-24T18:00:00.020-05:002023-12-24T18:43:07.269-05:00Notes from the Day of Reckoning<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Anthony Joshua</span></b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"> turned back the clock on Saturday and reminded
the boxing community that he could still throw spiteful lead punches. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Joshua was once a fighter who controlled action in the ring, could be first in exchanges, and fired off power shots with confidence. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">It was a pleasure to watch Joshua reconnect with THAT fighter on Saturday. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Working
with his fourth different head trainer in four fights, Joshua has taken significant steps forward under the watchful eyes of Ben Davison. Joshua</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> pierced Otto Wallin with right-hand daggers throughout the fight. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> By the end of the first
round, he had connected with so many sharp rights that Wallin thought better about
trying to exit exchanges to his left. By the end of the second round, Wallin, a mover by
nature, was so bothered by Joshua's rights that he decided to stop moving and fight Joshua at mid-range, a huge strategic victory for AJ. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINmdttUqD-23EVc9omRddhXz3fobrRariMJ67axm4v4tH7iEX5QWlw-LRw91nIUssyVJXXbjdI_2IK3wtwAM1DVPffDf8yoK39jIlfNebl5tkEdduPPe94RUFn46bLXufNujodE9hRw3gp1xGkYqC6a_xSiOqFo_5LMdQnTrcKHuzLjz8iIZkiIM56jw/s1380/Anthony-Joshua-stops-Otto-Wallin.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1380" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINmdttUqD-23EVc9omRddhXz3fobrRariMJ67axm4v4tH7iEX5QWlw-LRw91nIUssyVJXXbjdI_2IK3wtwAM1DVPffDf8yoK39jIlfNebl5tkEdduPPe94RUFn46bLXufNujodE9hRw3gp1xGkYqC6a_xSiOqFo_5LMdQnTrcKHuzLjz8iIZkiIM56jw/w400-h265/Anthony-Joshua-stops-Otto-Wallin.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Joshua (right) digging a right to the body<br />Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Joshua
uncorked a vicious right hand-left hook combination in the fifth that
essentially ended the fight. Wallin's nose was busted up. Ultimately, Wallin was outthought and outpunched, and his corner stopped the bout. For Joshua, it was a great to see
him once again throwing hurtful punches with confidence. </span></p>
<p align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">***</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">For
as clever as <b>Otto Wallin</b> was supposed to be (he claimed to have mastered Usyk's blueprint in how to beat Joshua) he sure
didn't understand the first thing about movement against a puncher. Why Wallin
insisted on circling to his left, into range for Joshua's right hand, was
beyond my comprehension. Usyk did the exact opposite, moving to Joshua's left side and making Joshua try to beat him with his left hand. It was a disaster start to the fight for Wallin. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">It's
possible that Wallin resorted to some bad habits once in the lion's den, but
he committed a cardinal sin. You cannot move toward Joshua's right hand. Period. And that, more than anything else, led to Wallin losing the
fight. By the end of the first round, his nose was already swelling. And his strategic failure did something even worse: it provided Anthony Joshua with a world of confidence. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Not all movement is the same. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Wallin lacked the in-and-out movement of Usyk. One reason that </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Usyk is so tough to time is that he's so
unpredictable on his feet. In comparison, Wallin ambled slowly from side to
side without much trickery. If Wallin is to recover momentum in his career, he needs to go back to school and understand the important distinction between
movement for movement's sake and movement with a purpose. He got figured out
very quickly on Saturday.</span></span></p>
<p align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">***</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Joseph Parker </span></b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">has been hit hard by almost every
significant opponent in his career. It doesn't matter if it was Chisora, Joyce,
Whyte, or Joshua, all fighters with vastly different styles. The unifying
element was that Paker's defense betrayed him. But on Saturday,
Parker went 12 rounds against the best heavyweight puncher of his era and
barely got touched, a major development!</span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Vfh9EFJinp03SH8kVKWKGg6biTjvmYaiFLHIrJuHYdI6XP_2-IDfwCUazFmHLDJoavugLNHYEy3PBgtCMSJe8Xa_DakaTtCORe15JOPvE1e0FIXdc8-lKSzp9dSH4ZmDL3LH_e8Wm_z66ac5KZlB-3L-k5WMHJxHm0enXRp1nPPkEoyHqh2klJ21iO8/s720/parker-wilder-fight%20(16).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="720" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Vfh9EFJinp03SH8kVKWKGg6biTjvmYaiFLHIrJuHYdI6XP_2-IDfwCUazFmHLDJoavugLNHYEy3PBgtCMSJe8Xa_DakaTtCORe15JOPvE1e0FIXdc8-lKSzp9dSH4ZmDL3LH_e8Wm_z66ac5KZlB-3L-k5WMHJxHm0enXRp1nPPkEoyHqh2klJ21iO8/w400-h272/parker-wilder-fight%20(16).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Parker (left) and Wilder trading hooks<br />Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Working
with Andy Lee, Parker's defense was as good as I have ever seen it. Parker stayed low,
understanding that Wilder's right hand was far less accurate when his opponent
wasn't at eye level. In addition, he remained switched on all fight. There was no drifting or losses of concentration that have plagued his career on the big stage. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">On Saturday Parker was
never in trouble, he fought with a clear plan, and he remained committed to his
strategy. He won by a wide unanimous decision. It's great to see a fighter finally have the light bulb go on, for talent alone isn't enough at the top levels. It's the attention to detail that often separates the good from the great, and that's what Parker had been
lacking.</span></p>
<p align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">***</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Ring
rust is certainly a thing, and it would have been understandable if </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Deontay
Wilder</b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> needed a few rounds to regain his mojo; he had only
fought one round in two years. But here's a truth about boxing: it's exceptionally hard to win a
fight without throwing punches. </span></span></p><p style="orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Not only did Wilder refuse to let his hands
go through most of the fight with Parker, but he rarely gave Parker anything to
think about. Instead, Wilder was pacing around the ring in deliberate circles, staring at
Parker, not looking like he wanted to even throw punches. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><o:p></o:p></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Belatedly, Wilder let some big bombs go and he landed two or three of them, but nothing was set up. He seemed to be in good shape and he didn't have any stamina issues, but where was his malice?</span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Chris Mannix asked Wilder if the fire was
still there after the fight and Wilder couldn't answer that question
definitively. If Wilder is going to continue as a relevant fighter, he must regain his conviction in the ring. What good is a missile without someone
willing to activate the launch code? </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">***</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Daniel Dubois</span></b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"> entered Saturday's fight with two
stoppage losses in recent fights where in both cases he decided that he couldn't continue. In the Joe
Joyce fight his eye was torn to shreds. In the Usyk matchup, he was beaten up
from pillar-to-post (despite landing a controversial shot that could have been ruled a knockdown with a different ref). Even though Dubois is only
26, Saturday was awfully close to his last-chance saloon. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrUI0VUjWub-r8xHTBilcVpxRDUKWMNxXCAu2cnKVDkSig_NtUAG9kpymIXPKAp0e1uKQScaGFpNm79ORuBRYBv7wytaSa7m6dPHfI0IgC0txKEO3IPr_R2zPTbo-MeDVCRuAKzyax7_9xvuS2A7Kmpl1wrf1nuHfTbd039CD09YwEvHmX_auAz_3hFs/s720/dubois-miller-fight%20(10).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="720" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrUI0VUjWub-r8xHTBilcVpxRDUKWMNxXCAu2cnKVDkSig_NtUAG9kpymIXPKAp0e1uKQScaGFpNm79ORuBRYBv7wytaSa7m6dPHfI0IgC0txKEO3IPr_R2zPTbo-MeDVCRuAKzyax7_9xvuS2A7Kmpl1wrf1nuHfTbd039CD09YwEvHmX_auAz_3hFs/w400-h281/dubois-miller-fight%20(10).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dubois (right) trapping Miller on the ropes<br />Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Facing a determined (if overweight) Jarrell Miller, Dubois took some big
shots early in the fight, but he didn't yield. In fact, as he got more
comfortable in the ring, he increasingly unleashed his arsenal of power punches.
Although he was outweighed by almost 100 lbs. (and that's not a typo), his
punches were the ones doing far more damage. And Dubois also showed just enough
lateral movement to create better angles to throw and reduce Miller's
effectiveness. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Dubois
finished the fight with a pyrotechnic display of power punching, stopping
Miller with less than ten seconds in the bout. It was the performance that he
needed. Although that version of Miller wasn't a threat to win a heavyweight
title, he was a legit opponent who kept coming and possessed enough power to
ask questions. This was Dubois' most meaningful victory since beating Nathan
Gorman in 2019. And with many of the top heavyweights soon to age out of the
sport, Dubois still could make a legit name for himself. This was a very
promising step forward for him. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">***</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Jarrell Miller</span></b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"> was a boxing "what if." And let's speak
about him in the past tense because I don't see a way where he can get to the
top of the division at this point in his career. At his best, he was a 290-lb.
beast who threw 90 punches a round and had a relentless energy. There was no
one else in the division like him. Famously failing a drug test before his
title shot against Anthony Joshua, Miller has essentially been in the
wilderness since 2018. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">At
35 and over 330 lbs., Miller is now an "opponent." He wasn't bad on
Saturday. He had endeavor. He was determined to test Dubois and he certainly
landed his fair share of big shots. However, by the fifth round he was already
in arm punch mode. He spent the second half of the fight eating huge shots
and standing upright because of pride. We
may never know what Miller really was or what he could have
been, due to the plethora of illegal substances that he was taking,
but he had been a genuine curiosity and offered a dimension rarely seen among
modern heavyweights. </span></p>
<p align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">***</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Agit Kabayel</span></b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> has had an awfully strange career, and
he's only 31! After impressing in a 2017 victory over Derek Chisora, (and
ignore those scorecards, he won that fight comfortably), Kabayel would sign with Top
Rank. Yet the company never brought him to the U.S. to fight any of their key players
in the division or develop him on their own. Yes, there were some fights that fell
through, but he had faced extremely low-level opposition since Chisora, and
it did make you wonder if there was something going on behind the scenes that
hadn't been reported. Why hide a capable heavyweight boxer who had
intelligence, movement and punching fluidity? </span></span></p><p style="orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I didn't know what to expect in</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> terms of Kabayel's physical shape or state of
mind as he entered his fight on Saturday against Arslanbek Makhmudov, but I
believed that if he was anywhere close to his best that he would give Makhmudov a
lot of problems. </span></span></p><p style="orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZETlW6UALsCKNCfOyhOr5xoI1OPTjLmKecGGshpiEWdsY6jXWXyTEZ96l_pbJtzJOYQcDTR5d_ePJxaXJI9e1YZzNBTwF-_SCC_wrzJmHRU7w1oWXKY1GfR0dWTISV9kHKU7c8qQRjJXvqadh267mDw0eSGIQ3IqjvGG8QcCVxu_EKbjs3LDNuTQvWPw/s720/kabayel-makhmudov-fight%20(20).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZETlW6UALsCKNCfOyhOr5xoI1OPTjLmKecGGshpiEWdsY6jXWXyTEZ96l_pbJtzJOYQcDTR5d_ePJxaXJI9e1YZzNBTwF-_SCC_wrzJmHRU7w1oWXKY1GfR0dWTISV9kHKU7c8qQRjJXvqadh267mDw0eSGIQ3IqjvGG8QcCVxu_EKbjs3LDNuTQvWPw/w400-h266/kabayel-makhmudov-fight%20(20).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Kabayel (left) hammers Makhmudov with a left hook<br />Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kabayel
didn't disappoint; he turned in one of the best performances of the night,
battering Makhmudov with body shots, uppercuts and quick combinations. He
dropped Makhmudov three times and the fight was called off in the fourth round.
In a night full of fighters making statements, Kabayel made one of the most important ones: He was ready for the big stage. Let's hope that whoever is behind him in terms of
management and promotion now fully believes in him. Kabayel is a capable, crafty
fighter with sneaky power. He's a welcome addition to the top reaches of the
heavyweight division. </span></p>
<p align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">***</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Sometimes
when watching a lower-level card on a random night, you discover a key
nugget about a prospect that you can tuck away for safe keeping. One Friday
night in Montreal in September 2022 on an Eye of the Tiger card, <b>Arslanbek Makhmudov</b> was taking his
first real step up against Carlos Takam, who had been a solid heavyweight
gatekeeper over the last decade. And if you didn't see the fight and just
looked at the scores on boxrec, you'd notice that Makhmudov won by four and
six points on the cards. Sounds routine, doesn't it? Well, it wasn't. Although Takam took
some big shots (he was knocked down twice), he kept coming and when he started
landing odd-angled power punches, Makhmudov went into full-on
panic mode. He froze. Makhmudov's trainer, the excellent Marc Ramsay, cajoled Makhmudov in the corner to keep going, to stay focused and stick with the plan. Ramsay didn't like what he was seeing, and neither did I. Makhmudov won the fight in a very shaky performance.</span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">On Saturday, once Makhmudov was in real trouble, he didn't have the opportunity
to make it back to the corner for reinforcement from Ramsay. Makhmudov's answer was to wing desperation power
shots. All of Makhmudov's
punching power was useless because under duress, he lacked a clear head. He
didn't know how to buy time or extend the fight. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Makhmudov
lacks very important fighter instincts. Because of his punching power, he never
had enough repetitions in real fights with opponents who could throw back. Already 34, it doesn't seem like this is a comfort level that will suddenly arrive. You can never count out a guy with a
big punch, but with Makhmudov's poor survival instincts and leaky defense,
he isn't a guy you can count on either. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">***</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In
seven rounds <b>Frank Sanchez </b>painted a clear picture of why so
few fighters and big money interests have been rushing to see him in the ring.
Through a lot of the first six rounds, Sanchez didn't let his hands go. When he did, he connected, doing just enough to win rounds, but so
much of his ring time was spent staring at Junior Fa or moving just out of
range. However, in the seventh round, he let his punches flow, impressing with
eye-catching combinations. In those brief glimpses, he flashed tremendous hand speed,
punch variety and accuracy. Sanchez badly hurt Fa and the fight was stopped. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Sanchez
is the ultimate high risk-low reward guy. When he wants to, he can let his
hands go and dominate opponents, but he's in no rush to do so and doesn't seem
to care about marketplace considerations: he's going to do it his way. Fighters
like Sanchez will have to earn their title shots through the sanctioning
bodies. Absolutely nobody has ever called him out or has indicated an
overwhelming desire to fight him. Sanchez will never be big box office, but
he's a scary package in the ring. He makes few mistakes. He gives very little to his opponents.
And with his power and speed, he can turn a fight in an instant. He's a threat
against anyone in the division. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">***</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Let's
close by mentioning the one title shot on Saturday's card, which featured
one-sided domination by <b>Dmitry Bivol</b> over Lyndon Arthur (Bivol won by 120-107 on all three cards). It was everything a
Bivol fight usually is: Bivol won with his legs, punching volume, mastery of
distance and fantastic defense. The fight also reinforced several truths about
Bivol. Despite dominating Arthur from start to finish, he never really went
for the stoppage until the championship rounds. He doesn't have an overly
aggressive temperament. He also lacks one-punch power. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Bivol
fights in a way to neutralize opponents. His greatness is understood when
matched against better fighters. When facing lesser opponents, he has no
problem carrying guys or getting his work in. At 33, Bivol isn't going to
suddenly become something else, and that's fine. There are more than enough
fighters to carry the box office in boxing. Bivol's concern is only about
winning in a way that gives his opponents very little to work with. Yes, he's a
risk-averse fighter, but his offense can be wonderful to watch. He doesn't stink out fights to win. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">If
Bivol can defeat the winner of next month's Beterbiev-Smith matchup to become
undisputed, I doubt that he'll care if his bank account could've had another zero
in it. He's there for the glory. The legacy. He definitely is a prizefighter,
but for him the prize isn't stacks of currency; he wants everyone to know that
he's the best. He's not going to talk about it, but he'll be happy to show it
against whoever is against him, and even in his strange career, those
who are supposed to be supporting him. Bivol has been inconvenient to the the big-money interests in boxing, but he's so good that Big Money can no longer ignore him. </span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-61918749581471604302023-12-11T10:11:00.004-05:002023-12-11T10:25:44.755-05:00Opinions and Observations: Prograis-Haney<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In the Two Things Can Be True Department, Devin Haney was dominant
in shutting out Regis Prograis to win Prograis' 140-lb. belt, while Regis never
looked like he was strategically or emotionally invested in winning the fight.
Haney fired hard straight right hands and took away Prograis straight left by
moving to his left side. He kept turning Prograis throughout the fight, forcing
him to reset his feet. Ultimately, Prograis was completely defanged and offered little. From his initial
game plan to his unwillingness to make adjustments, Prograis was poor in every facet. As Haney continued to
connect with big right hands, including a picture-perfect
lead right in the third that scored a knockdown, Regis insisted on remaining at mid-range,
refusing to change the pattern of the fight. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">As
early as the first round of the fight, I was skeptical of Prograis' approach.
Instead of applying pressure or trying to make it a physical battle, Prograis
operated in pure counterpuncher mode. Very quickly Haney established that he
had the far faster hands and the athletic agility to get out of range for
counters. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">And
it's not as if Prograis doesn't know how to apply pressure. We have to go all
the way back to...his last fight against Danielito Zorrilla, where
Prograis essentially won that fight with pressure and front-foot boxing.
Although Prograis wasn't particularly effective in the bout, it was his
pressure and effective-enough aggression that led to him securing the victory. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">But
Prograis never tried to apply pressure against Haney. In a curious move coming
into the fight, Prograis demoted his longtime trainer Bobby Benton in favor of
Julian Chua. Prograis and Benton had been through the wars together and for
whatever deficiencies Prograis may have lacked as a fighter, Benton played a large
role in Prograis becoming a two-time champion at junior welterweight. Yes, it's
true that Prograis didn't look good last fight and perhaps that's why he
believed that he needed to make a change, but clearly the combination of Chua
as lead and Benton in support didn't work. They got their initial fight plan
100% wrong and no significant adjustments were made.</span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ftz0Eg6NcyvZxxc1NcRtLrKJL2AC4W62pmAftkmy-dwQFIK88MvVKY2x_kETSfqHgNM-0FwWKE-4wbjQGiOq0cJEMdCooY5Ojwi3HNZ26-VoB52oXTPjZEMIWwkf886XFZUDMBEodSo_cNGms6NB24rHjYtxwzRKmBd6EYJ3KTczAPnehcc9Kh8qdv4/s720/haney-prograis-fight%20(30).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ftz0Eg6NcyvZxxc1NcRtLrKJL2AC4W62pmAftkmy-dwQFIK88MvVKY2x_kETSfqHgNM-0FwWKE-4wbjQGiOq0cJEMdCooY5Ojwi3HNZ26-VoB52oXTPjZEMIWwkf886XFZUDMBEodSo_cNGms6NB24rHjYtxwzRKmBd6EYJ3KTczAPnehcc9Kh8qdv4/w400-h266/haney-prograis-fight%20(30).jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Haney landing one of many right hands<br />Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">However,
let's not throw this all on training team. At a certain point, a fighter needs
to try to find a way to win. And after getting picked apart at range, if
Prograis was truly interested in changing the outcome of the fight, then he
would have tried whatever he could to turn the tide. But he didn't. He was
compliant in his own demise, accepting getting hit from mid-range instead of
going for broke for a knockout. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">A
noted trainer said on X during the fight that Prograis made a silent agreement
with Haney. This is a concept that's been discussed from time to time in the
sport, where the losing fighter is willing to accept being beaten a certain way
as long as he doesn't get knocked out. So, if the opponent isn't really trying
to end things, then the fighter who is losing is content to accept the status
quo of losing round after round. It's not fighting in survival mode, where a
fighter does whatever he has to in order to stay in a fight; this is something
else. It's an unspoken pact to limit aggression. And I agree with the trainer
100% that Prograis engaged in this behavior during the fight. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the latter rounds of the fight, Prograis seemed far more interested in
making it to the final bell than further engaging Haney. By the eighth round, Haney
had already had the fight won as long as nothing foolish happened. He
had made a significant statement by outboxing AND outslugging Prograis. To him,
he had already put in his work. Although he still won the final third of the fight,
it's fair to say that he didn't go for broke to get the stoppage either. And I'm
fine with that. He had already answered every question about this matchup that had been asked of
him. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Haney
and his father/trainer Bill got everything right on Saturday. There are several
different decisions that they could have made to beat Prograis, but they
arrived at the right ones, the ones that led to victory and elevated Devin's
status within the sport. They could have counterpunched, relying on Devin's
faster hands. They could have tried to dance or stink their way to a decision.
But what they concocted was the perfect approach to neutralizing Prograis and overcoming Devin's past weaknesses.</span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirt1iNlKOJ9va9eYHdDppXpJQ-Zwk9LVQ2-TTmNruzrQZmkro5j-zRCM46yOmtuL_5yoQ_yQ95EIcTJJ_U-0QCVuwkF7TJH8ASdhs9Trcy1iCokLvVKzyjmu7Hk35CpGPkOhJUqSP8Za_YLmU2vFVHrQrapUK2QEruQTWgSQCD9Z3nW_KSh33pFf3RIFQ/s480/haney-prograis-fight%209.1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="393" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirt1iNlKOJ9va9eYHdDppXpJQ-Zwk9LVQ2-TTmNruzrQZmkro5j-zRCM46yOmtuL_5yoQ_yQ95EIcTJJ_U-0QCVuwkF7TJH8ASdhs9Trcy1iCokLvVKzyjmu7Hk35CpGPkOhJUqSP8Za_YLmU2vFVHrQrapUK2QEruQTWgSQCD9Z3nW_KSh33pFf3RIFQ/w328-h400/haney-prograis-fight%209.1.jpg" width="328" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Haney dropping Prograis in the third<br />Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's
not a secret that Haney had faded at times in the second half of fights. The
bouts against Lomachenko, Linares and Diaz were examples of this. There were
three contributing factors to Haney's fades in my opinion, each of which was
addressed by Bill and Devin on Saturday. Haney at times moved a little too much
in fights, which contributed to his gas tank being a little lower in a fight's
final third. He also wound up giving up ground to pressure fighters, allowing
them to build up a head of steam, not to mention confidence. Haney had also begun to outgrow the lightweight division, which further depleted his
stamina. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">So,
against Prograis, Haney wasn't moving around the entire ring. He almost always
was in ring center. He wasn't giving up a tremendous amount of ground whenever Prograis decided to
let his hands go. Instead, he relied on his defensive technique and
subtle lateral movement to remain out of harm's way. He didn't need to run a
track meet to avoid shots. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Even
after establishing a large lead, Haney refused to
give ground. He didn't languish on the ropes or use the outskirts of the ring
to protect himself or catch a breather. Instead, he remained in the center of the ring and
continued to follow his game plan that he had established at the fight's
outset. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Haney
also looked much stronger at 140 pounds. His punches were the ones that were
far more impactful. He hurt Prograis multiple times in the fight and busted his
face up. In addition, at no point did Haney look like he was out of gas. He may
have been on cruise control in the final few rounds of the fight, but he still
did more than enough to win all of them. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">One
further thing I liked from Haney was that he simplified his attack. He mostly
relied on his straight right hand and jab-straight right hand combo to rule the
day. He did mix in a couple of blistering right uppercuts and a few bracing left hooks to the body, but he wasn't out there trying to show off his
entire arsenal every round. He stuck with the tools that were working. I think
that earlier in his career Haney was so amped up to make a statement about what
he could do offensively that he would try to unload every type of punch known
to man without a coherent understanding of which punches to use or when to use them. But against Prograis he understood exactly which punches
needed to be thrown and didn't deviate from what was working. To
me, that showed a large leap of maturity in Haney. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">At
25, Haney is in his physical prime, but he also has vital experience against top opposition. Although he had always
been a boxing savant, seemingly sparring with everyone as a young fighter and
learning from several of the best trainers in the business, he needed to experience adversity, learn from it and figure
out how to become a better fighter.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He was rocked by Linares, but stayed on his feet to win. He fought as the
away fighter in hostile environments in the two Kambosos fights. He yielded too much real estate in the ring to Diaz and Lomachenko. And maybe he has learned that he's much
better in the center of the ring than he realized, or perhaps he's just more
confident there now. He trusts his defense and chin in a way that he might not
have a few years ago. He's now become a complete fighter. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGKIiMZI8Did8HXqoLn2QfYSK0IJ_pXZ0T9w9tSzZmguvwWav0hN-pG0Dm9U4X5oy_1erGn2xjcBbV5O5VwYMi2mvH7CBwGfKycPhxvyZ6pbuLAUxmYhDSxDPdXMbbdNcGRkUBLF64-Et6f56GmRCkqfl_8KjT11byymOfJTTPwTBvrG5AbGD8wvDTx8/s720/devin-haney%20(5)_1702187890.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGKIiMZI8Did8HXqoLn2QfYSK0IJ_pXZ0T9w9tSzZmguvwWav0hN-pG0Dm9U4X5oy_1erGn2xjcBbV5O5VwYMi2mvH7CBwGfKycPhxvyZ6pbuLAUxmYhDSxDPdXMbbdNcGRkUBLF64-Et6f56GmRCkqfl_8KjT11byymOfJTTPwTBvrG5AbGD8wvDTx8/w400-h266/devin-haney%20(5)_1702187890.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Haney displaying his new belt after the fight<br />Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At
34 Prograis now looks far removed from his best days. His athleticism and
reflexes aren't what they were, but perhaps even more concerning, his
willingness to do whatever it takes to win seems to have left him. Maybe there
is a matchup or two where he would do well given the right opponent.
He still has enough power to hurt people. But if his desire and ambition
aren't there in the ring, then I'm not sure how much longer he has at the top
reaches at 140. He didn't go down swinging on Saturday; he went away
meekly. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">But meek would never be a word to describe Haney's ambition in the ring. His desire to improve, to become
a great fighter is palpable. He wants to stamp his name among the greats of his
era. And while he's already made good money, it's clear that money is not
necessarily his primary motivating factor. He wants the big stage. He doesn't
mind putting himself at risk. In fact, he seems to thrive on that. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Haney
has always had the boxing skills to be considered a top young fighter, but his
intangibles are what may separate him from the other top talents in his age
cohort. He wants the challenges. It's not about what promotional team he's on
or getting every possible advantage before he steps in the ring. He welcomes
the tough assignments because he's that confident in his abilities. And he has
the intelligence and the humility to realize that he can always get better. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">It's
been thrilling to watch Haney's development in the ring from top prospect to
champion to becoming one of the elites in the sport. He has developed in the
right way. Sure, he has pride, but he's also willing to get his hands dirty if
it's required. He understands that greatness has to be earned in the
ring. And he wants to earn. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-57961983399928850752023-11-26T22:06:00.013-05:002023-11-26T23:37:32.528-05:00Opinions and Observations: Benavidez, Matias<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">In spectacular performances
on Saturday, David Benavidez and Subriel Matias again demonstrated that they
are two of boxing’s elite punchers. Both fighters won by corner stoppage, with
undefeated opponents Demetrius Andrade and Shohjahon Ergashev failing to answer the bell for the seventh and sixth rounds, respectively. <u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">As we all know, punching power is a vital attribute for boxers. It can be a
key separator between fighters. It may be the reason why a fighter can
prosper at the highest level despite significant weaknesses. And certainly,
knockouts directly lead to wins. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">But power can also be a more elastic concept; it's far more than the biggest single punch.
Neither Benavidez nor Matias is a one-shot knockout artist, yet they are clearly among the most gifted punchers in the sport. And even within that
group in which Benavidez and Matias belong, the two are vastly different from each other in how
they stop opponents; there are subsets within subsets of power punchers. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMB33tHw8iz_sbs8Zu5VaDtWnNrSsKXfczh9wZKX1FuHHa41rRzjMwjr2cAkZUwrT1p7ElcD35g8AG5ZVV_03NPI0g1MN4k2VG4qebDfqe7PRkRbbqkChqdMQfB7HABiIK9C7RARYnmyj5kI_uXeEzXoijxkVBo7-vPJNREzrUS62nwQLE4Ei8loVEfBc/s720/benavidez-andrade-fight%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMB33tHw8iz_sbs8Zu5VaDtWnNrSsKXfczh9wZKX1FuHHa41rRzjMwjr2cAkZUwrT1p7ElcD35g8AG5ZVV_03NPI0g1MN4k2VG4qebDfqe7PRkRbbqkChqdMQfB7HABiIK9C7RARYnmyj5kI_uXeEzXoijxkVBo7-vPJNREzrUS62nwQLE4Ei8loVEfBc/w400-h266/benavidez-andrade-fight%20(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Benavidez (right) landing a right hand on Andrade<br />Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott/Showtime</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Power can come from all different places. It could be how a punch
is thrown with perfect rotational torque. Maybe it's a genetic disposition
where a given fighter is blessed with superior physical strength for his weight
class. Perhaps it's the combination of blinding hand speed with expert punch
placement – hitting opponents with punches they don't see.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The source of Matias' power</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> wouldn't fit in
any of those categories. He throws hooks to the head from maybe six to eight
inches away from an opponent. For most fighters, they would not have enough
distance to create maximum power from that close, and yet Matias' short shots
detonate on an opponent. Matias (a current champion at 140 lbs.) has to have crazy forearm and wrist strength;
he's not a big swinger like a Benavidez. And yet his short punches cause immense damage. Perhaps the only other elite-level
active fighter who has such prodigious power from that close is Artur
Beterbiev. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">These are unusual punchers and opponents aren't used to them. For
so many fighters, getting in close to an opponent takes the sting off their
punches, especially head shots. But it seems to be physically impossible to smother Matias. He gets
his punches off so quickly and at such short range. Throw in that these punches
can be fight-changers, and one can see how treacherous facing him can be.
His punches look so innocuous, but they are devastating. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Benavidez, an undefeated former two-time champion at super
middleweight (he lost his belts both times due to out-of-the ring issues), is
also an atypical puncher in that he can take out opponents from every range.
Although his bread-and-butter is beating people up with body shots on the
inside, he is a major threat from distance. In the fourth round against Andrade, he connected with an overhand right from the outside that
changed the fight for good. Andrade even had a glove up and partially blocked
the shot, but the punch was so concussive that he still fell to the canvas a
moment later.<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">In addition, Benavidez has one of the true sledgehammer jabs in
the sport. Although he possesses towering dimensions in the super middleweight
division at 6'2", Benavidez somehow can jab to the body as effectively as
he does to an opponent's head. While Benavidez isn't considered an elite athlete by
many (which is off base...and I'll get to that in a minute), he can
give up his height without putting himself at a major risk to be countered.
These are athletic maneuvers that appear to be easier than they actually are.<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Benavidez has been accused of being a weight bully, of being
clunky, of lacking athletic polish. People will criticize his footwork (he
occasionally will cross his feet!) and his straight-line movements. Yet
Benavidez has now beaten two of the better movers in the sport (Caleb Plant and Andrade), and he made sure that neither fight was in doubt. So, if you
believe that Benavidez isn't a serious athlete, what would explain his success
against top opponents who know how to use their legs? <u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Ultimately, Benavidez has a few secrets that have been missed by
many observers of the sport. First, Benavidez is an unusual pressure fighter.
Sure, he's coming forward, but he often initiates from the outside. And he's
not just throwing from the outside; he's hurting opponents from that range.
Thus, the movers aren't prepared for how good he is from distance and how much ground his punches can cover. They are
worried about the short punches, but it's his longer ones that often hurt them. <u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">He also has the element of surprise. With a full arsenal of
punches, Benavidez has a tool for almost every circumstance. How about an
overhand right? How about a long, sweeping left hook? How about a lead right
hook? These are often untraditional shots that opponents haven't prepared for. <u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Two additional elements of his game further explain his success.
One, he has an unwavering commitment to the body. The Plant fight was a sublime
example of how to make a mover not move so much. Benavidez may have lost some
early rounds, but he was doing damage to the body even if he was
mathematically down in the fight.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Furthermore, his defense is far better than given credit for. Yes,
you can hit him and even win rounds, but he's almost always defensively
responsible. And more to the point, he doesn't mind taking a punch or two to
land his. So, in aggregate, we have an unusual pressure fighter who has power
from all ranges with pretty good defense and an understanding of how to break
down even the most mobile of opponents. This sounds like a pretty good fighter,
doesn't it? I'd say that he's on the short list of the best in the sport. And as Al
Bernstein stated on the Showtime broadcast after the fight, "You either
have to box perfectly against Benavidez for 12 rounds or really hurt him."
So far no one has been able to do either. <u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO74SzT7rG3WDDH-1ZhCD9oH3llarqgD1aw0BfI3En7AdJ4RHy8zriip3ajkn45iy9Gh3kQARK6L47uQBETaT9nrYl7Z9dWC8rmkO1s_ybVKsEijX2YAPeZsxmfJqQLZhiZ6qLkRIRESPEf5RxHDDiXgePEjqxW9WwIjgrHNqLtJwmXwaU-eN3zxp3FE/s720/matias-ergashev-fight-hafey%20(5).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO74SzT7rG3WDDH-1ZhCD9oH3llarqgD1aw0BfI3En7AdJ4RHy8zriip3ajkn45iy9Gh3kQARK6L47uQBETaT9nrYl7Z9dWC8rmkO1s_ybVKsEijX2YAPeZsxmfJqQLZhiZ6qLkRIRESPEf5RxHDDiXgePEjqxW9WwIjgrHNqLtJwmXwaU-eN3zxp3FE/w400-h266/matias-ergashev-fight-hafey%20(5).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Matias (left) throws a short left hook<br />Photo courtesy of Ryan Hafey/PBC</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now Matias is a little different in terms of his approach in the
ring. Like Benavidez, he will give up some early rounds until he gets going,
but he's not necessarily doing anything in the interim until he starts to come
forward. He got ragdolled by Jeremias Ponce in the first two rounds of their
fight earlier this year and Ergashev landed some thunderous left hands in the
first against him on Saturday. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As devastating as Matias is in the ring, there is a pathway to
beating him (and he has lost before, to Petros Ananyan, although he did avenge
that defeat in impressive fashion). Matias is susceptible to a long-range
puncher. But it will take a fighter to have the discipline to keep firing,
while not punching himself out. That opponent will also have to be able to move
without over-moving. It will require a fighter to thread a very fine needle
against Matias to beat him, or perhaps someone who could bomb him out in the first
round. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Although Matias doesn't offer much at long range, he can get inside
pretty well. Like the best pressure fighters, he knows how to block or parry a
punch while still coming forward.<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Matias will also square up a lot on the inside and despite this
being a "no-no" from many trainers, I think it's a critical aspect
of his success. So often in boxing what is supposed to be "wrong" for
many fighters winds up being right for another. Very few trainers would advise
their fighters to square up, because that gives an opponent much more of a
target to hit. But you know which trainer preached squaring up at close range?
Cus D'Amato, the man who molded Mike Tyson. From <a href="http://www.saturdaynightboxing.com/2013/12/q-dr-scott-weiss-on-cus-damato-part-i.html">D'Amato's biography</a>, Cus believed that squaring up at close range gave his fighter
the opportunity to inflict maximum damage. At that moment, Tyson could throw
power shots with either hand and an opponent would not have the ability to anticipate
the selection or sequencing of punches. This position leads to breaking down an
opponent's defensive construct. Where does he place his hands? Where will the
shots be coming from? <u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Matias' success has reminded me of D'Amato's beliefs. Right in
front of an opponent, Matias will unspool wicked hooks and uppercuts with
either hand. There's no longer a lead hand or a back hand; it's now two hands
that can cause maximum damage. Even a decorated amateur and well-schooled
fighter like Ergashev fell apart under that type of duress. He
couldn't anticipate Matias at that position. His defensive construct
suddenly lost its effectiveness. He had no answers. <u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Benavidez at 28-0 and 24 KOs and Matias at 20-1 with 20 KOs will
never be mistaken for Deontay Wilder or Julian Jackson. They are not one-punch
knockout specialists who will be talked about reverently for generations.
However, they are two of the best punchers in the sport and possess
unique gifts that even top opponents can't acclimate to. How many fighters can
beat you up from any range in the ring? Who can end your night with six-inch
punches from either hand in no particular pattern? </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Both Benavidez and Matias are must-watch fighters. They provide
unique and thrilling dimensions. They remind us that the
orthodoxies of "right" and "wrong" can be fungible. Yes,
Benavidez will walk forward and not always be in a boxing stance ready to
throw. He'll cross his feet. He'll throw rear hooks from what many would consider irresponsible angles. And Matias will square up giving an opponent his whole
body to hit. But he knows at that position, he's the far superior fighter with
more power and tools. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Benavidez and Matias break molds. They challenge conventional
wisdom. But while all of that is interesting on a theoretical basis, what they
really do is deliver hurt. They administer beatings. They thrill the fans. And
that's what keeps the sport humming. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-61331835927511491902023-11-03T11:46:00.004-04:002023-11-03T11:54:04.519-04:00What to Make of Keyshawn Davis?<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In 2014, the noted baseball writer Bill James conducted a <a href="https://www.billjamesonline.com/player_skills_age/">study</a> where
he determined eight factors that indicated "younger player"
skills vs. "older player" skills. Those with "younger" skills had more triples, more stolen base attempts and a poor strikeout-to-walk ratio. Players with "older" skills had better command of the strike zone, less speed and more grounded into double plays. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">A key part of James' study was an examination of players who were the same age to see if those with "younger" or "older" skills would go on to have a better future. Prior to the study James had a belief that players with younger skills would do better and the results of his study validated his opinion. Those with younger player skills did in fact do better than those with older ones. Although the differences weren't stark, they were present in the data. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Similar to baseball, I believe that boxing has certain components that would suggest younger vs.
older skills, irrespective of the actual age of a boxer. For
instance, I would suggest that boxers with "older fighter" skills have a more developed
punch arsenal and their knockout percentage starts to go down. (I know that many in boxing like
to say that power is the last to go, but I believe this aphorism is erroneous.
Consider those top fighters who stuck around into their late 30s and 40s. The
knockouts start to evaporate. Think about Mayweather or Pacquiao or Hopkins or Ali.
Compare their knockout percentages in the last five years of their career to an
earlier point. Even the great Juan Manuel Marquez only had three KOs in his
last ten fights, same with George Foreman – three out of his last
ten). </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Other older fighter skills include more poise in the ring, a clear ring identity and a more economical punch volume. Now some of these factors can be studied numerically and others
are observations I have drawn over my years of watching boxing. If you
disagree, I would welcome your comments as to why you believe differently. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">And
what are "younger fighter" skills? Much more movement. More reliant on knockouts. Boxers with younger fighter skills don't have as defined a ring identity. It's less clear how they want to try to
win. They have a more limited punch arsenal. Their athleticism is more advanced than their ring craft. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">All
of this is prelude to specific feelings I have about Keyshawn Davis. Davis is
one of the most unusual young fighters I have seen in my time covering
boxing. He is preternaturally poised. Nothing seems to bother him in the ring.
He's not in any type of hurry. He places his punches patiently and expertly.
Although he has a respectable 60% KO rate in his ten pro fights (I'm counting his recent "no-contest" against Nahir Albright in this data), I don’t think
that he’s a huge puncher. He already has a developed ring style as a patient
counterpuncher. He throws every punch in the book. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRcgFxkTXG1LVynE2lq78o0LgaV1ZPT3EYlEGouuwmd1ixPirN4wLMiza4FKwNvYIv1iRiGCtmp5vkbjKNxiL9jCgIacxZfWCpMEHb2QzYX6Y3FpMUU5JoWiOGcXx_6WVRvZmOfyfz3DhNoVJ_6TMY7w-Qk9-kPPt-bqrcuVzbwU2aBI8qbaNN5iIric/s1800/Keyshawn%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1800" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRcgFxkTXG1LVynE2lq78o0LgaV1ZPT3EYlEGouuwmd1ixPirN4wLMiza4FKwNvYIv1iRiGCtmp5vkbjKNxiL9jCgIacxZfWCpMEHb2QzYX6Y3FpMUU5JoWiOGcXx_6WVRvZmOfyfz3DhNoVJ_6TMY7w-Qk9-kPPt-bqrcuVzbwU2aBI8qbaNN5iIric/w400-h286/Keyshawn%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Keyshawn Davis<br />Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But
what is most interesting to me is his energy level as a young fighter; he wastes no energy. Everything he does is purposeful. He's not punching himself out or fatiguing himself, which many young fighters do when they first face initial resistance. But as a corollary to that, he doesn't seem to have those additional
top gears that many young fighters possess. He hasn't had to go to the well in
his career, but he also doesn't try. What is in his reserve? Does he have a
reserve? </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">What
I suspect is that Keyshawn Davis will not have a better career moving forward
than that of his frequent sparring partner, Shakur Stevenson, despite Davis being two years younger. To me, Stevenson still has many of the young fighter skills that would suggest
a longer and better future. His athleticism is top tier. He still
moves a lot. His reflexes are as sharp as they can be. He continues to add to his offense, not just in the
types of punches he throws but also his temperament in the ring. He's still discovering things about himself in the ring. And Shakur has the ability to turn it up when needed. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">With
the stipulation that both fighters stay out of trouble, I would take the
next ten years of Stevenson's career over Davis' without any hesitation. I can still see areas where
Stevenson can continue to refine, but what Davis may lack are factors
associated with youthful zeal. He may already be close to his finished product even though he's
just ten fights in. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In his last fight, Davis only threw 331 punches in ten rounds, averaging just over 33 punches a round, a troubling number for a young fighter without true knockout power. That result, a majority decision victory, was subsequently overturned after Davis failed a drug test (the early scuttlebutt was marijuana). In the fight before, he threw 465 punches over ten rounds, a much better number, but certainly not an overly active total in the lightweight division. In his fight against Omar Tineda in 2022, he again failed to reach 40 punches per round. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a point of comparison, Stevenson threw close to 50 punches a round against Oscar Valdez and was well above the 50-per-round mark against Jamel Herring. And those two opponents were of much higher quality than anyone who Davis has fought. Stevenson also doesn't set punch volume records, but as he has become more offensively oriented, he has increased his punch volume considerably, demonstrating his significant athletic reserves, a key trait of younger fighter skills. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Now I don't believe that Davis will become a bust, but I do think that he will have an
earlier peak than many fighters. I have no doubt in his ability to win a world title in
the next two to three years. I just don't think that he will be the guy to hang
around into his late 30s. I'm not sure that he has the athletic reserves or the
temperament to compete for that long. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I believe that his future
is now. I don't see a long decade-like reign on the pound-for-pound list. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Now
it's possible that I will wind up with egg on my face. And I'm prepared to
accept that. Maybe Davis will incorporate a different strength-and-conditioning regime. Perhaps his self-perception of how he wants to fight will change, leading him to increase his tempo and urgency. But based on what I've seen to this point, I wouldn't expect him to suddenly turn into an offensive dynamo in the ring. </span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">For several fights, something hasn't sat right with me while watching Davis and I think that the Bill James older skills vs. younger skills rubric helped me
realize what it was. We are watching a very advanced fighter in the ring. Davis is 24 right now, but if you think of him as 29 or 30, I think that's far
more appropriate. He may only have three of four more prime years left. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-74755645406158694142023-10-27T14:42:00.013-04:002023-10-27T15:14:48.288-04:00Dmitriy Salita: Ready to Knock the Door Down<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">"</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">I have an aversion to not being let in
the door." Those are the words of promoter Dmitriy Salita, the former title
challenger (against Amir Khan) and amateur standout who won the U.S. Golden
Gloves tournament. While he was still an active fighter, Salita started his own
company and promoted himself on his own shows. In a few short years, many
notable fighters approached him about appearing on his cards or signing with
him. Salita saw boxing promotion as his future and knew that with his experience in the sport, connections with fighters, and desire to succeed, that he could thrive. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In 2016 Salita faced a crisis that happens to many young promoters: sharks in the water. Salita had fast-rising heavyweight prospect Jarrell
"Big Baby" Miller under contract. Offers came in for Salita to
co-promote Miller with bigger companies: he wasn't interested. And when that
didn't work, they tried to poach him. Salita didn't take well to being
bullied. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">"I’m an immigrant," Salita said. "When I
came to the United States, my parents could only afford Payless shoes. All the
kids used to make fun of me. So, I had to defend myself. With Miller, when people wanted
to push on me, when they wanted to bully me, I stood my ground and I defended
my fighters and my business...I hired the best lawyers that money could buy,
and I kicked ass."</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">But an interesting thing happened after that incident.
Salita believed that he started to garner a lot of respect from his fellow
promoters. They saw that he was willing to stand up for himself. And while
Salita wants to win and grow his business, he doesn't believe in boxing
as a zero-sum game. He wants to work with others, when it makes sense. He does
have co-promotional deals for a couple of his fighters with DiBella Entertainment. He has frequently had
his fighters appear on Matchroom Boxing cards. When he has been the lead
promoter on ShoBox cards, he has invited other promoters to fill slots on the broadcast. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDESE5HdCUm4b_lKJbH0ypF1-0anisgEc78sLc_redW5JQ92f0MT-ZkAGLz8pQMAgrXDEjYRSmnCecNo_ZrtWjgNtc_cZgfWj7dZ23bI-ToWuiqLcoOdwAl9UNErQS_gFfJ5W9vHrL-2rPOrDE0f2Rc27yu4nH7Cqas9UZHgvuptGi4s-TRfQITlD0rg/s720/shields-salita.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="720" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDESE5HdCUm4b_lKJbH0ypF1-0anisgEc78sLc_redW5JQ92f0MT-ZkAGLz8pQMAgrXDEjYRSmnCecNo_ZrtWjgNtc_cZgfWj7dZ23bI-ToWuiqLcoOdwAl9UNErQS_gFfJ5W9vHrL-2rPOrDE0f2Rc27yu4nH7Cqas9UZHgvuptGi4s-TRfQITlD0rg/w400-h318/shields-salita.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Salita (right) with Claressa Shields<br />Photo courtesy of Salita Promotions</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Salita's story takes him from Ukraine, in what was then
part of the Soviet Union, to the tough Brooklyn fight scene of the '90s (his
trained at the Starrett City Boxing Club, which included notables such as Zab Judah, Danny
Jacobs, Shannon Briggs and Luis Collazo, among many others), to now Detroit,
where he is working to revive boxing in what was once one of the sport's
glamour cities. All throughout his travels, he has made connections that have
led to him amassing an impressive stable of fighters, especially when considering
he has yet to have a secure network deal. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">His highest profile fighter is Claressa Shields. Salita
saw her potential as an attraction before others in the industry did. He had her headlining a show at the MGM
Grand in Detroit in just her second professional fight. The place sold out, and
it was the venue's first ever boxing card. Salita was able to get Shields a
headlining slot for ShoBox, becoming the first woman to headline a card in the
franchise's history. Shields' fight earlier this year against Maricela Cornejo sold over 11,000 tickets. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Salita Promotions has numerous ascendent fighters, from those approaching the championship level, such as Shohjahon Ergashev, who is scheduled to fight
Subriel Matias for a world title later this year, and undefeated super middleweight
Vladimir Shishkin, to undefeated middleweight prospect and decorated amateur
Joseph Hicks. He also has heavyweight contenders Otto Wallin and Jermaine
Franklin. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Salita prides himself on his eye for talent. As a fighter,
he originally signed with Top Rank. He had the opportunity to learn from
Bruce Trampler and Sean Gibbons as to how to evaluate styles and when to sign
or pass on a young talent. Salita was a sponge and always asked
questions about the sport. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">One key he believes in is the family situation of a young
fighter. Does the fighter have stability? Has he or she been able to overcome
adversity in life? What is the fighter's support system? </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Salita also understands the power of branding and
marketing. He understands the relative apathy that many Eastern European
fighters face in the American market. Often without natural fan bases and with
names that aren't easy to pronounce, these fighters, even the talented ones,
can struggle to attract attention. Salita had a long-standing
relationship with SugarHill Steward going back to his professional career.
And when he signed Shishkin (whom he had initially discovered from YouTube!) and
Ergashev, he immediately placed them with Steward, which provided those two
fighters with instant credibility. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">"There are lots of fighters from the FSU, or former
Soviet Union," said Salita. "And to Americans, they are all the same.
They are indifferent to most of them. So, I felt I had to differentiate
them. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">"First of all, Ergashev is a big puncher. He has a
huge following in Uzbekistan. He’s like a national hero there, but he needed to
team up with an American brand. And that brand was the Kronk Boxing Gym and
SugarHill. So, I brought him to the United States, found him a place to live, and introduced him to SugarHill. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">"Shishkin, I saw two of his fights on YouTube. He beat a
former world title contender from France [Nadjib Mohammedi]. I reached out to
him. Sugar and him fit perfectly together. I believe that Emanuel Steward’s
style of boxing is a combination of European and American boxing. It’s a fusion
of the best of both worlds. And SugarHill is the progression of that."</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">As a transplant to the Detroit area, Salita has invested
heavily in the local boxing scene. He was appalled at the quality of local
shows when he initially arrived. Although there were talented fighters, very few
were getting developed properly. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">"There are a lot of very talented fighters in
Detroit," Salita said, "and there has always been. But the fighters weren't being developed, and the streets,
the pressure of life, withered many of them away. The problem was that
people in Detroit would fight in a local high school. Someone who was 7-0 would
fight someone who was 0-3. They were never tested. They were never developed.
And then they would go to fight in Vegas against someone who was tested, but
they didn’t have the skills or the support to be able to progress themselves.
And that was that. No one was looking out for them. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">"If you develop talented fighters wisely and properly, they can become
contenders or world champions. If you have an infrastructure and a real system
to developing fighters, from matchmaking to media to marketing to training,
then the guys that have the talent can develop into something special. So, I
feel that there is a lot of potential here."</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Among his emerging Michigan fighters, Salita is
particularly impressed with Hicks (9-0, 6 KOs, middleweight), Joshua Pagan
(9-0, 4 KOs, junior welterweight) and Da'Velle Smith (7-0, 6 KOs,
middleweight). And he continues to promote local shows in the area. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">With all the success that Salita has had in a relatively
short time in the promotional ranks, he is far from self-satisfied. What he
really craves is a network deal. To him, that will take his company to the big time.
Without a consistent platform he knows that he will have to continue to scurry
and hunt-and-peck to progress his fighters and his own company. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">He has a vision for the sport's growth. He understands the
problems with network exclusivity and how it's a disincentive to creating
compelling boxing offerings. He believes in retirement and pension plans for
fighters. He wants to reengage boxing fans. But without a consistent home, he
continues to face an uphill battle. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">However, despite his struggles to break through to the top
level, he is optimistic about the future of Salita Promotions. He has created an infrastructure to take his
company to the next level, including attorney David Berlin (who used to head
the New York State Athletic Commission), matchmakers Steve Clemente and Eric Bottjer
and P.R. ace Kelly Swanson. He has an individual plan for each one of his
fighters. He knows that if an Ergashev or a Shishkin can break through, even
more doors will open. His goals for himself are not modest: </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">"I want to be one of the main providers of boxing in
the United States," he said. "I want to make the biggest and the best
fights. I want to work with everyone. And I want to grow the sport. And I
believe I can do all of that."</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-18199402846541694332023-10-01T22:05:00.018-04:002023-10-01T23:56:51.520-04:00Opinions and Observations: Canelo-Charlo<div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Let's start at the end, shall we? After Saul
"Canelo" Alvarez's domination of Jermell Charlo, Canelo was jubilant
during the post-fight interview. "I love boxing so f$&#ing much,"
the undisputed super middleweight champion shouted, smiling ear to ear. Leading up to Saturday's fight, Canelo had acknowledged slippage in his most recent
outings, and he declared that he had rededicated himself to the
sport. For this fight he left his comfortable San Diego home base for the mountains near Lake Tahoe and scheduled a 14-week training camp, not
the sign of a boxer who is cutting corners. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">The results were striking. It was immediately apparent how much better he looked on his feet. Canelo had
a bounce to his step. His footwork wasn't ponderous. And he put together a
strong 12 rounds. There was no fade; he didn't look labored. He was focused on
the task at hand. He looked like a craftsman who had fallen back in love with
his work. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwV_iYkhX57aI6FDdGAUPTdyfdZWdMFE2tfMm41nYkP_d2DVDOzWQypSuqHIOQVnvIbjm1syT-wYCH8mVBEKInZOavliChtrCCZqbJiwTx_6_ZwkN-OIG3aKgFpCI8e__lNc2_d642pw7WNz3RMowKJbcJq0XjJDt4OKPmfJ8DILqW40FdTsX6HCpRM-M/s720/canelo-charlo-fight%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwV_iYkhX57aI6FDdGAUPTdyfdZWdMFE2tfMm41nYkP_d2DVDOzWQypSuqHIOQVnvIbjm1syT-wYCH8mVBEKInZOavliChtrCCZqbJiwTx_6_ZwkN-OIG3aKgFpCI8e__lNc2_d642pw7WNz3RMowKJbcJq0XjJDt4OKPmfJ8DILqW40FdTsX6HCpRM-M/w400-h266/canelo-charlo-fight%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Canelo lands a left hook to the body<br />Photo courtesy of Esther Lin/Showtime</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After losing 10 or 11 of the rounds on Saturday, Charlo
didn't seem particularly bothered by his defeat. In his post-fight interview,
he talked about how he had been proud of himself, that he dared to be great,
that he could move back down to 154 lbs. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Yet his effort didn't live up to the "Lions Only"
moniker that he and his brother had given themselves. Charlo never looked
comfortable or confident. He was far more concerned with being evasive in the
ring than trying to mount a consistent offense. He got in a sharp left hook
every so often, but the commitment to win just wasn't there. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">It was a strange performance from Charlo, who had always
fought hard during his tough matchups. Even when things hadn't gone his way in
several of his bouts, he had a way of willing himself back into fights. He saved
a draw with his late-round rally in the first Brian Castano fight. He had
trouble with John Jackson's movement before stopping him. Tony Harrison was
having a great second fight until Charlo turned it around with a late-round
knockout. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">But against Canelo, Charlo was compliant in his defeat. He
capitulated. In watching the fight, I never got the sense that he believed he
could win, or even if he couldn't, that he would do his absolute best to try
for it. I'm sure being knocked down in the seventh spooked him, but well before
that point the fight had failed to be competitive. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtobtBlmJJOGm2xOfDv9rmKZPdlL1KwI5E1Ium-dm3LsKu7Wy_XbtpEi32Z8pARCOISvJEAsFhpGSUU4YwRB53QiPxQ8uXhD1WErEaDZIn2Xn4Ua5rH5avEsIhn8F-CP0CDMkfbpNzLSyqY4hWaiPJwLA6sF9qaylxmVH9gZWw9uKL7JhAfXbQNMciRU/s720/canelo-charlo-fight%20(6).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtobtBlmJJOGm2xOfDv9rmKZPdlL1KwI5E1Ium-dm3LsKu7Wy_XbtpEi32Z8pARCOISvJEAsFhpGSUU4YwRB53QiPxQ8uXhD1WErEaDZIn2Xn4Ua5rH5avEsIhn8F-CP0CDMkfbpNzLSyqY4hWaiPJwLA6sF9qaylxmVH9gZWw9uKL7JhAfXbQNMciRU/s320/canelo-charlo-fight%20(6).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Charlo taking a knee in the seventh<br />Photo courtesy of Esther Lin</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Although there was a significant power gap between the two,
which certainly affected Charlo, the most striking difference to me was their
respective defenses. While Charlo's defense has always been penetrable, he had
almost always been able to get through with his best punches. And yet according
to CompuBox, he landed less than 18% of his shots. Canelo essentially doubled
Charlo's connect percentage. Although Charlo lacked Canelo's power, Canelo's
victory was far more comprehensive than that factor. Charlo didn't even
have the tools to land on Canelo on a consistent basis. And considering that
Charlo entered the fight as an undisputed champion and one of the elites in the
sport, that's quite an alarming piece of evidence. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Canelo will always be known for his left hook, but I think
that his right hook was the best punch of Saturday's fight. Like a surgeon, he
was able to place the shot perfectly around Charlo's high guard and land it
with thudding power. Charlo never made the defensive adjustment for the punch.
The knockdown in the seventh was a direct result of Canelo's success with the
right hook. With Charlo against the ropes, Canelo was lining up the right hand,
but instead of hooking with it, he shot an overhead right between Charlo's
gloves. The shot itself didn't knock Charlo down, but he took a knee
to regroup; the punch was that devastating. Ultimately, Charlo's inability
to defend the right hand was his single biggest defensive issue (and there were others). Instead
of taking away Canelo's straight right or his right hook, Charlo was unable to do
either. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Throughout the rest of the fight Canelo mixed in an array
of single shots: jabs, hooks, uppercuts. In the past he had several fights where
he became too left hook-happy or was overly reliant on his overhand right. On
Saturday, he was able to throw and land his entire arsenal. Although he rarely
threw in combination, he offered an unpredictability with his punch selection
that kept Charlo unsettled. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">The respective performances from Canelo and Charlo
illustrate the importance of intangibles. Canelo fought like he had more to
prove on the night. Essentially, it was a guy who wanted to be there
against a guy who quickly didn't. Charlo is certainly a much better
fighter than he showed on Saturday, but he wasn't interested in finding out
what would happen if he really went for it. He's a guy who still has options at
154 and 160 lbs., and he fought like it. While Canelo demonstrated that
he was the more skilled fighter in the ring, even that advantage can often be
overcome or even challenged by an opponent's desire or will, but Charlo
manifested none of that on Saturday. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Charlo will certainly face another notable opponent in a
lower weight class, but he will return to the ring with his reputation diminished. In the biggest moment of his career, Charlo made a deal with himself to survive. That
is the opposite of what prizefighting is about. And while I'm sure that the additional zeroes in his
bank account will take the sting off his loss, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the fans and the boxing industry will remember his poor showing.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He had a historic opportunity to cement his legacy, to become an era-defining fighter, and he didn't go for it, deciding instead to be satisfied with his participation trophy.</span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p></div>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-47092226140584884992023-09-26T22:02:00.004-04:002023-09-26T22:07:34.803-04:00Canelo-Charlo: Preview and Prediction<div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">When the fight between undisputed
super middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs)
and undisputed 154-lb. king Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) was
originally announced, I immediately thought that Charlo had a great chance to spring
the upset. Let me be more specific; despite Charlo moving up two divisions, I
felt very confident that he would win the fight. But as the days and weeks have
passed from that initial feeling, and as Saturday approaches (the fight will be at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas), I have significant concerns about Charlo's chances of winning. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In Charlo's last fight, the rematch with Brian Castano where Charlo won by 10th-round stoppage, I thought that Jermell had the performance of his career. He had finally put everything together: power, boxing ability, purposeful movement, listening to his coach
Derrick James, and not loading up on big punches. That Jermell Charlo was clearly among the
top fighters in the world, and I could see him giving Canelo or any elite opponent problems. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">But then I asked myself: Can Charlo
sustain this new level or was that performance a peak that was unlikely to be duplicated? And this is one of the
central questions in analyzing Canelo-Charlo. If Charlo can summon that
degree of perfection again, then I believe that he possesses all the attributes
he would need to beat Canelo. But what are the chances of him putting together two
perfect performances in a row? </span><span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Nrx8xe0NW8jJqbXuNt4AFcONhzJkwzm1X6ffSnXVd7HTUnC6DcddzDkwSZi1NtzqlFmJ-DrY4VC5euDuGuBuUlWwB-A_5Why4bu5dHn-KkvW3me5PMy-hxjp1HsR8nRJebwispmL-yPN66qR1k6gp9yQRUMfWF_1-mu7NZicCiB4p8UwmoRpDA9uZ9U/s800/Canelo-Charlo%20press%20conference.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Nrx8xe0NW8jJqbXuNt4AFcONhzJkwzm1X6ffSnXVd7HTUnC6DcddzDkwSZi1NtzqlFmJ-DrY4VC5euDuGuBuUlWwB-A_5Why4bu5dHn-KkvW3me5PMy-hxjp1HsR8nRJebwispmL-yPN66qR1k6gp9yQRUMfWF_1-mu7NZicCiB4p8UwmoRpDA9uZ9U/w400-h266/Canelo-Charlo%20press%20conference.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Canelo (left) and Charlo at the kickoff press conference<br />Photo courtesy of Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In digging into Charlo's ring history,
I feel less confident that the version from the second Castano fight will be here to stay. He's
struggled against boxers before. He was lucky to escape the first Castano fight
with a draw. He lost to Tony Harrison in a competitive fight and Harrison
was doing very well in the rematch before Charlo stopped him. He also ate some huge
shots against Jeison Rosario before ending that fight. In a concerning performance, he struggled to defeat
Austin Trout despite knocking him down twice. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">With the exception of the Castano
rematch, Charlo has never strung together a dominant wall-to-wall display in
his career against a top opponent and I think that he would need to be close to that level to win a
decision over Canelo. I don't think that Charlo will be able to stop
Alvarez, who has demonstrated a sterling chin throughout his career, so a points win for Charlo would be a must. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">In almost all his fights with Derrick
James, Charlo has been a low-volume power puncher who will give up
some rounds looking for the knockout. Again, the second Castano fight was a
deviation from this pattern. And maybe he found something new with his last fight, but I'm skeptical that he can maintain a higher-volume style against Canelo. Canelo's a master counterpuncher and the more that opponents open up against him, the more opportunities he has to counter. Thus, I do believe that Charlo, especially after feeling some early counters from Canelo, will not be throwing tons of volume in trying to win the fight. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">And if Saturday's match does settle into a
low-volume affair with a couple of decisive power punches a round, then the
fight will favor Canelo. Alverez's power shots sparkle; they are easy to see;
plus, he will have the crowd with him. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">I also have additional concerns about Charlo's preparation and sharpness for the
fight. Derrick James has had an absurdly busy schedule over the summer with his
involvement with Errol Spence, Anthony Joshua and Frank Martin. There have been
videos circulating of Charlo training with former champion Joan Guzman during
this camp. Now Guzman was a terrific fighter and a really sharp boxer at his best,
but I think that James' connection with Charlo has been vital in taking Jermell to
his current level in the sport. Maybe Guzman is an excellent trainer, but I'm not
sure that he can replace the bond that Charlo has with James. Charlo and James will
need to be in lockstep to beat Canelo and with James having a broken camp
with Charlo, I'm concerned that they might not have the dedicated time needed
to cover every base needed for this fight. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In addition, Charlo will enter
Saturday's fight coming off a 16-month layoff, which will be the
longest period of inactivity in his career as a champion. Charlo is a rhythm fighter who
needs to be on point with his counters and power shots to win rounds. I worry
about his ability to be sharp throughout 12 rounds against Canelo without
having been in the ring recently. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Now it's true that Canelo hasn't
looked terrific in his recent fights. He had big leads against Gennadiy
Golovkin and John Ryder but didn't finish either fight strong. He was also
summarily outboxed by Dmitrii Bivol, where he couldn't handle Bivol's length,
discipline or footspeed. And while Charlo can certainly box, I don't think that he possesses
too many similarities with Bivol, who prefers to go in-and-out hitting singles
and doubles, not concerned with knockouts or landing his best power
shots. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">In the final analysis for Saturday's
fight, I edge the fight to Canelo. I think it will be a battle of intermittent
power punches. I think that Canelo hits a little harder, he can take a big shot, and is more comfortable with his style on the big stage. I
believe that Charlo at his very best possesses the traits to win, but I'm not
sure that he will be on point from the opening bell or have
the ability to stick with his game plan for 12 rounds. Ultimately, I think that
Canelo will be just a little bit better throughout the fight. Expect some
ferocious power punches landed, but also a fair amount of staring in the fight, with
many rounds coming down to one or two decisive punches. I think that Canelo would welcome
this type of fight and I believe that he will do enough to have his hands raised when the final scores
are announced.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Saul "Canelo" Alvarez defeats
Jermell Charlo via decision. </span></b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Let's call it seven rounds to five or eight rounds to
four. </span></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div></div>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-13535794074984992592023-09-08T11:01:00.015-04:002023-09-08T13:25:20.592-04:00Alex Camponovo: The Journey From Thompson to CBN<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">When Ken Thompson died earlier this year, the Southern California
boxing scene lost one of its beacons. Thompson Boxing Promotions played a vital role in
developing SoCal boxing talent over the past 23 years. In addition to
cultivating world champions (Tim Bradley and Danny Roman) and
contenders (Josesito Lopez, Mauricio Herrera and Juan Carlos Burgos), the
company put together one of the best club boxing programs in the United States,
utilizing its Inland Empire base of Riverside and San Bernadino Counties to
build a consistent following that nurtured fighters and boxing fans in the
region. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">A central
figure of Thompson Boxing was Alex Camponovo, who was its general
manager and matchmaker. Camponovo regarded Ken
Thompson as father figure, a man who taught him multitudes about business and
how treat people with respect. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">"His
legacy is that he always trusted in people," said Camponovo. "He
surrounded himself with positive people. He was an ultra-positive guy. He
always found a silver lining in everything." </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Thompson left a sterling legacy in the sport: giving fighters a chance, believing in a
high-quality product, and willing to take risks to grow. And out of this
reservoir of respect for his mentor and business partner, Camponovo understood
that the brand of Thompson Boxing would end with the passing of its founder. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In
evaluating his next steps in the sport, Camponovo wanted to build on his experiences with Thompson Boxing while exploring new possibilities for broadcast and distribution. Despite having a successful club boxing program,
Thompson Boxing lacked consistent TV distribution for its product. In addition, because
of their size, once they had discovered and nurtured fighters who could compete
on the world-level, they often lost them to larger promotional companies. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsQIRpffKFKENGLdCbULnfDavpCAHOdyetVDf5oySdwJkcrc5i_dWEKvEfjRYRZp4BIvWeSjD3Heb5R1x3DKDCqjqcNwF_V3qEyIPPIKs0OwKKdqx7aHYw5tT9as8RolYDWgPAdbGXskUks_oJ3CwEG82fClOK8efItPIPIX_yDG6P2z5RwTaNHnM-pk/s1500/CBN-Sept-9th-Horizontal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsQIRpffKFKENGLdCbULnfDavpCAHOdyetVDf5oySdwJkcrc5i_dWEKvEfjRYRZp4BIvWeSjD3Heb5R1x3DKDCqjqcNwF_V3qEyIPPIKs0OwKKdqx7aHYw5tT9as8RolYDWgPAdbGXskUks_oJ3CwEG82fClOK8efItPIPIX_yDG6P2z5RwTaNHnM-pk/w400-h200/CBN-Sept-9th-Horizontal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image courtesy of CBN Promotions</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For his
next boxing venture, Camponovo wanted to change the dynamics of his involvement
in the sport. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The
result of his efforts is CBN Sports and Entertainment, Inc. (also known as CBN Promotions), where he has enjoined with new
partners to create what he believes will be a larger platform in the Southern California (and global)
boxing market. Home base will now be closer to the greater L.A. area, at
Infinite Reality Studios (formerly Thunder Studios) in Long Beach, Orange
County. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Their
first show will be this Saturday and will feature Rigoberto Hermosillo (13-4)
of Los Angeles against Alexis De Luna (10-1) of Bakersfield. Camponovo loves
the matchup and believes that it will play great on TV. Oh wait...have I gotten
ahead of myself? </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">CBN has already secured three television networks to
broadcast its fight cards: Fox Espanol, Estrella TV and beIN Sports En
Espanol (the latter two will broadcast fights on tape delay). Each broadcast
will provide three to four hours of boxing. The series, unlike most Thompson Boxing
cards, will take place on Saturdays. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"The new partnership that has been created," said Camponovo, "will bring not only knowledge on the boxing side, some of the fighters that we've featured before and new ones, but also the production, television and distribution that perhaps we were lacking with Thompson Boxing." </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">A key
wrinkle of CBN's business strategy is the control of Infinite Reality Studios.
One of the founding partners of CBN is Rolando Nichols, who is the president
and general manager of the venue. As a result, CBN will have control of the
presentation of its product and will not be at the mercy of an external venue. The control of the venue will allow them to create an optimal boxing experience for fans, broadcasters and sponsors. With a fixed venue, they will also be able to set their boxing calendar well in advance, providing the continuity needed to grow their business. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Thompson family has graciously supported the new
venture and has allowed CBN access to its existing social media networks and
other infrastructure assets. CBN's series is branded "New Blood" with
"The Tradition Continues" right underneath in its marketing, a
mission statement about combining the old and new. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">CBN could have waited longer to get more of its ducks in a row before going forward with its first live card </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">(the company is still shopping for English-language broadcast distribution); however, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Camponovo wanted to capitalize on the momentum from Thompson Boxing. He has relationships with scores of boxers in the Southern California market and he knows that many of them need to fight. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">As of this publication, CBN has not signed any boxers to long-term contracts, but Camponovo and
his partners, who also include Andrew Bocanegra and Jessie Sanchez (who have
previous experience in managing fighters), will be looking for longer-term deals with the right fighters. Saturday's card will feature several fighters who had
previously appeared on Thompson Boxing shows. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Camponovo is particularly enthusiastic about 8-0 middleweight Nelson Oliva and 6-0 welterweight Juan Sanchez. Both reside in the greater L.A. area and have crowd-pleasing styles.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Camponovo knows that the Southern California boxing and entertainment
market is competitive. There are lots of choices on a Saturday night and if the
fights aren't good, the fans will stay away. Part of CBN's mission will be to develop future top-level fighters while providing quality entertainment for fans, broadcasters, sponsors and potential future partners. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">As
Camponovo sees it, if CBN has a successful first 12 months, they will promote
fighters who will be ranked in the top-15 in the world in their division.
The company will also be able to expand their distribution to different countries
and languages. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Although these may be lofty goals for an upstart promoter, don't be quick to dismiss Camponovo. He wants to
compete. He has a keen eye for talent. And now he believes that he has the
infrastructure in place to be a factor well beyond a couple of counties in
California. He's shooting for the upper reaches of the sport.
And he's ready to go.</span></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-68984490776902029852023-08-28T09:09:00.008-04:002023-08-28T09:19:35.464-04:00Opinions and Observations: Usyk-Dubois<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">In an otherwise uneventful heavyweight title defense for Oleksandr
Usyk on Saturday, there was a moment of genuine intrigue. After losing the first four
rounds, Daniel Dubois connected with a piercing right hand to Usyk's beltline
in the beginning of the fifth round that sent Usyk to the canvas. Referee Luis
Pabon immediately ruled that the punch was a low blow. Usyk
stayed on the canvas withering in pain and Pabon encouraged Usyk to take the
allotted five minutes to recover. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">By
now the exact location of the punch has been scrutinized from multiple vantage points, and with the accompanying freeze frames and hysterics. In real time, it
seemed like a borderline punch to me, the type of shot where I've seen it ruled both
ways by referees. It certainly wasn't the most egregious low blow I've ever
witnessed, but that's not the point. Was it a foul? It could have been. </span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">Even if video
replay was utilized, I don't believe that it was clear enough to overturn Pabon's ruling. These are the breaks or lack of breaks that occur in every sport.
Perhaps with a different referee Dubois gets awarded the knockdown. And maybe
Usyk finds a way to get up before the count of ten; maybe he doesn't. Now
we're going down the path of hypotheticals that become unknowable. </span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZJn6qX18u7eYg-SsG8UTXPXvv5NfSlr20T9u_zTfyazrkWnJFXgCMBiXiVvOKMxlDDAuOvSGtq6-kVZgQ4DD4CzhsBIGUdm7NLhEUCnowaTHQgem7Ip0MkwR710MXrotpkvuGbL7HTUQcHfApr5O7TX1v1naMNeS1zC2GGfkcsTCL2asSf7hIbkKdgE/s720/usyk-dubois-fight-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZJn6qX18u7eYg-SsG8UTXPXvv5NfSlr20T9u_zTfyazrkWnJFXgCMBiXiVvOKMxlDDAuOvSGtq6-kVZgQ4DD4CzhsBIGUdm7NLhEUCnowaTHQgem7Ip0MkwR710MXrotpkvuGbL7HTUQcHfApr5O7TX1v1naMNeS1zC2GGfkcsTCL2asSf7hIbkKdgE/w400-h300/usyk-dubois-fight-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Usyk (right) connecting with a left hand<br />Photo courtesy of Queensberry Promotions</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am no fan of Luis Pabon. In fact, I coined the turn "Paboned" many years ago to indicate how often he has messed things up in the ring. He has bad habits of being arbitrary with his rulings, of making things up as he goes along and losing control of fights. But here, I don't fault his initial decision. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, I didn't like how he handled the immediate aftermath. He encouraged Usyk to stay
down. Even when Usyk was ready to continue, Pabon delayed restarting the
action. And Usyk was of course the house fighter on the night, as well as the
heavyweight champion. In real time I felt that Pabon was bending over backwards to give
Usyk even more time than was needed to restart the fight. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">Dubois
and his team may feel that he was robbed of his opportunity to win the
heavyweight championship and if I were representing him, I'm sure I would feel
similarly. </span></span></p>
<p style="orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But
I am also not going to cry for Daniel Dubois, who only was in this position to
fight for a championship because a hometown referee refused to stop his last bout after he went to the canvas three times in the first round, two of which
weren't even from a punch, but from his own volition; he was clearly injured. Furthermore, Dubois
scored a knockout in that fight well after the bell and yet no replay was used
to validate the referee's decision. To my eyes, Dubois lacked legitimacy to even fight for a championship. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">I
am also not going to cry for Daniel Dubois because he did so little throughout
the rest of Saturday's fight, both before and after that shot in the fifth round. It's
no crime to be outboxed by Usyk, and it certainly wasn't for Dubois, who was
a significant underdog coming into the fight. But after that moment in the
fifth, Usyk was vulnerable. He was still hurting from the body shot. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">But
Dubois didn't really go after him; he didn't try to hunt Usyk down. He let Usyk
regain control of the fight with minimal resistance. If Dubois fully believed that he was there to win the heavyweight crown, this was his opportunity with a
weakened opponent, and he never got out of second gear. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">By
the seventh round, Usyk was so confident in his position in the fight that he
was going for the stoppage. By the eighth he dropped Dubois with a two-punch
combination where he landed a nasty temple shot. Usyk ended the fight in the
ninth with a pulverizing jab. Dubois took a knee and the ref waved the fight
off. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">And
finally, I will not cry for Daniel Dubois because his whole career has been the
product of a promoter who had gamed the system for this world title shot. Dubois
somehow was a mandatory contender for Usyk without beating a legitimate top-ten fighter
at any point. </span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">Throughout his career, Dubois has been "positioned" for greatness by Frank
Warren without ever having proven it. He was knocked out by the only other top
fighter he faced in Joe Joyce and yet somehow he had the opportunity to fight
for a world title shot well before Joyce did, despite Warren promoting both
fighters.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">If
you want to accuse Pabon of crimes committed
against the sport of boxing for his performance on Saturday, that's fine, but I would argue that the "rise" of Daniel Dubois has
been a far worse crime perpetrated on the sport. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The trajectory of his career is representative of so much of what is wrong with contemporary boxing. His biggest accomplishment as a fighter is having a savvy operator as a promoter. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">He had earned nothing. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">He was maneuvered. He was positioned. But he never had to prove it in the ring against top-level competition. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">He did not deserve to be in the ring on Saturday for multiple reasons, not just in the lead up to the Usyk fight, but throughout his entire career. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">And while he is not the only fighter who can be accused of this, it's a stain on the sport. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dubois
is still only 25, which is a relative baby in the heavyweight division, but he's
taken two bad losses. Although he certainly cracks hard enough to have
respectable heavyweight power, he doesn't appear to have great punch
resistance. And it's also telling that both of his losses have essentially
happened because he could not defend the jab, a worrying sign. Although it is
always unwise to completely dismiss a heavyweight with a punch, I wouldn't buy
too much stock in Dubois' future. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">Warren
and his team have already called for an immediate rematch. And instead of using
this opportunity to take a step back and work with Dubois to get him to improve
in the ring, Warren clearly wants to use the same playbook for Dubois that he employed after the Joyce loss; take the quick money. Perhaps Warren doesn't think Dubois will ever get better than he
is. Maybe he's not a huge believer in his future either. </span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">But
it didn't have to be this way. Dubois was never given proper developmental
fights. He never had enough real opponents to develop his craft. So maybe now
he is just a flawed fighter with a punch, but maybe he could have been much
more. And maybe Usyk would have beaten the count on Saturday. We'll just never
know.</span></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-81590594339651542232023-07-30T15:54:00.007-04:002023-07-30T16:20:27.701-04:00Opinions and Observations: Spence-Crawford<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="margin: 0in;"></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">It was early in the seventh round
when I knew that the fight was over. Errol Spence landed a thunderous overhand
left, the type of untraditional shot that could cause real damage, and yet it
was he who hit the canvas immediately after throwing the punch. Before Spence's
shot even landed, Terence Crawford had connected with a perfectly placed
counter right uppercut. Spence's shot was eye-catching, but had no lasting
impact; Crawford's was destructive and demoralizing. I thought to myself, well,
that's a wrap. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">If Spence could land his hardest punch, and one that had an
element of surprise to it, and yet he suffered because of it,
there was little else he could do. Crawford was still opening his bag of tricks
as late as the seventh round and despite Spence's attempt at subterfuge,
Crawford pounced on this opportunity with a master's eye and execution. He saw
the opening and uncorked a wicked counter. He was too sharp, too prepared and
hit too hard for Spence. <u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WrbuAXmkOYC2stXtjA1SxsAhuqp8oydVUjkWQO2vrKdwpCDPzhqO5YJAiQVP7QNvTzPRQxyRxkXICWI2bJ2GvNkqzpLIP-xkKLkgYcQxfyox2r0ZrE4n0lSoZSN7c9E0yzyge3V-XaiYn8w7JnI7FQowfwOfoJ7mtlHy-bjei3n3vop4RiaE-e7Ln3U/s720/crawford-spence-fight-hafey%20(26).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WrbuAXmkOYC2stXtjA1SxsAhuqp8oydVUjkWQO2vrKdwpCDPzhqO5YJAiQVP7QNvTzPRQxyRxkXICWI2bJ2GvNkqzpLIP-xkKLkgYcQxfyox2r0ZrE4n0lSoZSN7c9E0yzyge3V-XaiYn8w7JnI7FQowfwOfoJ7mtlHy-bjei3n3vop4RiaE-e7Ln3U/w400-h266/crawford-spence-fight-hafey%20(26).jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crawford (right) with Spence out of position<br />Photo courtesy of Ryan Hafey</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The theme of Spence-Crawford emerged as early as the second round.
Spence would stalk Crawford with pressure, land good shots, but couldn't take
what was coming back at him. Crawford exploited holes in Spence's defense. Spence
would lunge to get his shots home, he didn't return his hands to a defensively
responsible position fast enough, and his feet were often tangled. At the end
of the second round Spence landed a lead shot, but Crawford countered with a
straight left and then a ramrod right jab to send Spence to the canvas for the
first time in his career. This pattern of Spence's good lead work negated and bettered by Crawford's sharper counters manifested throughout the fight. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">It was Crawford's counter jab more than any other punch that was
the clear separator in the fight. Spence couldn't get out of the way of the jab
and it consistently shook him up. Crawford spoke after the fight how he and his
team practiced a hard counter jab specifically for Spence and that preparation
paid off emphatically in the ring. Spence couldn't handle the punch. The combination of its speed, power and accuracy was too much for him.<u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Crawford knocked down Spence three times and with a different punch for each one: right</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> jab, right uppercut, and right hook.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">It always impresses me
when a fighter can drop guys with multiple punches in a bout. This is a sign of a fighter firing on all
cylinders, one who has varied weapons, can see openings, and is executing at a high level. Crawford's
right hook has been his bread-and-butter throughout his career, but he didn't
even score a knockdown with the shot until the fight was essentially over (the
bout was officially stopped by the referee in the ninth round). Crawford was
that sharp that he didn't even need to rely on his best punch to dominate an elite fighter. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Spence never stopped trying and again he landed good stuff in
the fight, but his power failed to do enough damage. He got home with a number
of left hands to the head and hard hooks with both hands to the body. However,
Crawford proved to be the sharper puncher, the stronger man, and the one with
far superior punch resistance.<u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Saturday was only Spence's second fight in over two-and-a-half
years. His reflexes looked off. He didn't have the same sturdy base in his legs
that had allowed him to take big shots in the past. These are not excuses for
his performance; they in part contributed to it. Spence had several traumatic
episodes out of the ring with car accidents and eye issues and although he had
performed very well in his last fight against Yordenis Ugas, another long
layoff didn't serve him well on Saturday. He looked as if he hadn't had a lot
of reps. His hand positioning was a mess on defense. He was overshooting
punches in a way that was uncustomary for him. His legs were brittle. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">There are of course two people in the ring; Crawford was the one
who exposed these issues. It was only because Crawford's counters were so hard
and accurate that it became easy to see how Spence couldn't defend himself
properly. It's because Crawford's offensive weapons were so sharp and numerous
that Spence's scrambled footwork was exploited. Maybe Spence could have beaten
other top welterweights on Saturday, but he wasn't anywhere close to Crawford's
level. He was outgunned in every facet. <u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2q4AIoEa2K6ZTPP-pVlJ8Lt4KRa_6jZePcZ5ySoTgTFxpgMwkyRcLy7nuwu8VEXHlr4NAgVY7qCW3dYwOaswqK7saaMOGgYvyt1pLpdPcuuSZxfAp1492iPV3kKtT8dwJ7QBpFERXIfVMjEFmhKcrY9njdHB4scsN7ZL_OLphnGpFZc8VMYGA-XsfXE/s720/terence-crawford%20(2)_1690698211.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2q4AIoEa2K6ZTPP-pVlJ8Lt4KRa_6jZePcZ5ySoTgTFxpgMwkyRcLy7nuwu8VEXHlr4NAgVY7qCW3dYwOaswqK7saaMOGgYvyt1pLpdPcuuSZxfAp1492iPV3kKtT8dwJ7QBpFERXIfVMjEFmhKcrY9njdHB4scsN7ZL_OLphnGpFZc8VMYGA-XsfXE/w400-h266/terence-crawford%20(2)_1690698211.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crawford celebrating after the victory<br />Photo courtesy of Esther Lin/Showtime</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With the win, Crawford has now become an undisputed champion in
his second weight class, a tremendous achievement and one that stamps him as a
historically great fighter. But more than the wins, the manner of his
performances speaks to his sublime skill level. He's now 35, in his third weight
class, and has yet to lose a single scorecard. Whenever his fights have been
competitive in the early rounds, he has ended them with knockouts. There are no
coin-flip victories on his ledger or debatable decisions. He has left no
doubts. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Spence-Crawford resolved the welterweight discussion of this era. There is no more debate. But more
than that, it provided the opportunity for one great fighter to rise above another great
one. And it gave fans a chance to witness excellence, something magnificent for their era (not their grandfathers'), something that will further bind them to the sport. </span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">If Crawford is able to accomplish anything else noteworthy in his career, I would consider that gravy. I've already seen enough to comprehend his greatness. I know how special he is and the breadth of his accomplishments speak for themselves. His win on Saturday was one of the most impressive performances I have witnessed in my years following the sport, one that will stick with me. It was my privilege to watch him operate at that rarefied level on Saturday. </span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">"Kids, if you want to see a masterpiece, pull up that
Spence-Crawford fight from 2023. Watch
greatness in action. That's who Terence Crawford was. And that's why we still talk
about him today."</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-82329587895910743262023-07-27T10:12:00.007-04:002023-07-27T21:10:41.763-04:00Spence-Crawford: Preview and Prediction<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">It's finally here after </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">years in the making</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> – the fight for the
whole enchilada at welterweight between Errol Spence Jr.
(28-0, 22 KOs) and Terence Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs). The two undefeated champions will fight for undisputed status and the best of the era
at 147 lbs. on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">The background politics as to why the
fight didn't happen sooner has been spelled out over countless,
"breathless" articles, but there are a few things in the delay that
are worth noting. One, Spence has had to overcome two car crashes and a
detached retina. Additionally, both fighters are now removed from their
physical primes, with Spence at 33 and Crawford at 35. Although both are still
elite talents, it's safe to assume that neither is at his athletic best – more on
this later. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Spence enters Saturday's fight coming
off a 17-month layoff. And although he looked excellent in his last outing
against Yordenis Ugas, such a long time out of the ring is rarely
beneficial. </span><span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPo0IQDVPsLSrutFRZkJNev9hINkoGzpku9t6kHh1fZMxqDCpUgitqmF3sMwinlRQ_6KfsNF75msaais0HHuvGQsqyscTs7ggVffyl66twayQ1Vi-5tXNILM8FfiGcmvjPIvj3wXS3_MMbEsQ5CIXWB8NkmcalzbnQeJ1xGC2sMqChPmGLe_0G5PmKJ7E/s2100/SHO-Spence-Crawford-NY-Press-WESTCOTT-7%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="2100" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPo0IQDVPsLSrutFRZkJNev9hINkoGzpku9t6kHh1fZMxqDCpUgitqmF3sMwinlRQ_6KfsNF75msaais0HHuvGQsqyscTs7ggVffyl66twayQ1Vi-5tXNILM8FfiGcmvjPIvj3wXS3_MMbEsQ5CIXWB8NkmcalzbnQeJ1xGC2sMqChPmGLe_0G5PmKJ7E/w400-h266/SHO-Spence-Crawford-NY-Press-WESTCOTT-7%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Spence (left) and Crawford at their introductory presser<br />Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott/Showtime</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Below will be my keys to the fight.
I'll have a prediction at the end of the article. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">1. The punch volume gap</span></b><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Spence is a more active fighter than
Crawford in the ring. It's typical for Spence to throw 50+ or even 60+ punches
a round while Crawford is more often in the 30s. If Spence can maintain this edge throughout the fight, it would be a huge advantage for him in piling up points on the scorecards. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">At welterweight Crawford has been a
knockout artist, stopping everyone he has fought. He often gives up early rounds while he takes a look at his opponents. And this has happened whether it was against Shawn Porter, Mean
Machine Kavaliauskas, Jose Benavidez or Kell Brook. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">If Spence fights to his strengths and Crawford takes his customary time in studying an opponent, it's likely that Spence will be ahead going into the middle of the fight, which could help Spence significantly down the stretch. With an early lead, he can afford to take fewer risks, because much of his work has already been accomplished.</span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">It would certainly behoove Crawford
not to fall behind too far early in the fight. Yes, he has stopped everyone so
far at 147, but what if he doesn't? He certainly went the distance several
times earlier in his career. Spence is not the fighter to play catchup against in an attempt to win on the scorecards. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">2. Both have better offense than
defense</span></b><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">There was a time, a number of years
ago, when Crawford in the southpaw stance had terrific defense. It used to be
that when he was orthodox, he was more offensively oriented and when he was southpaw,
he was more defensively responsible. But even that distinction has evaporated. In the last few years his defensive reflexes have declined. Crawford now gets hit quite a bit and it doesn't seem to matter the type of
opponent. He got hit hard from Mean Machine from distance whereas Porter had
lots of early success against him at mid-range and closer. Although Crawford's chin has
been solid over his career, he's been wobbled against Gamboa and Mean
Machine. He can be vulnerable to a big shot. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Spence also can be hit, especially from range. Porter, with his unpredictable punching patterns, landed plenty on him.
Danny Garcia detonated a number of big right hands on him from distance. Ugas
temporarily stunned Spence with a right hand. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Ultimately, this fight may come down
to chins more than any other factor, because both will get hit with quality shots.
Spence will work Crawford up and down with volume and Crawford will try to be
at his sharpshooting best. Who can take the other guy's best will
be vital in determining the winner. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">3. Hot vs. Cold</span></b><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">The demeanor of each fighter in the
ring I believe will play a pivotal role. I think that Spence has a more relaxed
style in the ring, fighting within himself and not trying to force things (the
Porter fight was a glaring exception though). Spence knows when to take his
foot on and off the gas and paces fights very well. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Crawford to me is more hot-tempered.
When he gets hit hard, he immediately wants to get it back. When he senses an
opponent may be hurt, he will go all out for the stoppage. Crawford will swing
for the fences when he senses blood in the water, but he does leave himself
open for a guy who can remain calm under pressure. There is a degree of
recklessness when Crawford closes a fight. It makes for tremendous theater. To this point Crawford has been in the lion's den without too much suffering,
but Yuriorkis Gamboa had Crawford in bad shape and
staggered under this very circumstance. Now that was a long time ago, but I still think that Crawford can be
vulnerable when he believes that he has the upper hand. </span><span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDp8gwe3umfHTWpADtRs-kjpd6LMXB4I8AdYKwckHw2sqSRbF-kraNHBniCb02v08NahLUhB-NVAWyPUKyh5EZY-TTZwrzWH1bN1Db0R-wd04e_bTLijLUdhOYns0pxpVXNF1tPiH4svKHOm4NMezgjSrCadiFMbR6atMtuegsJM92dXeunvQ9S0uUWRU/s2100/SHO-Spence-Crawford-NY-Press-WESTCOTT-9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="2100" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDp8gwe3umfHTWpADtRs-kjpd6LMXB4I8AdYKwckHw2sqSRbF-kraNHBniCb02v08NahLUhB-NVAWyPUKyh5EZY-TTZwrzWH1bN1Db0R-wd04e_bTLijLUdhOYns0pxpVXNF1tPiH4svKHOm4NMezgjSrCadiFMbR6atMtuegsJM92dXeunvQ9S0uUWRU/w400-h266/SHO-Spence-Crawford-NY-Press-WESTCOTT-9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott/Showtime</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">4. Crawford the closer</span></b><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Crawford's fights often turn on a dime. Whether
it was the Porter fight or the Brook bout, an opponent is doing well against
Crawford...until he isn't. And then suddenly it's over. Crawford in my opinion
is the best closer in the sport. His ability to throw multiple knockout weapons
from either stance is unmatched. In particular, his right hook out
of the southpaw stance is one of the best punches in boxing. For whatever
reason, very few opponents have been able to avoid that punch on a consistent
basis. Part of the reason is he can throw it in different ways. He can use it as a
check right hook, he can arc it with a higher trajectory, he can take it
downstairs, he can widen it. However he throws it, he has a preternatural ability to land it. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">With the exception of the Ugas fight,
where it was clear that Spence got stung by a right hand, Errol usually has
a great poker face after getting hit with a big shot. However, Crawford has a
sixth sense when an opponent is ready to go. Spence won't have the
ability to back away or reset on the outside after taking a big punch because
Crawford will be on him.</span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Hopefully Spence understands the importance of tying
up and buying time. If he's hurt and decides to trade with Crawford, I wouldn't
like his chances on a consistent basis. Yes, there are opportunities to hit
Crawford when he rushes in, and if Spence has a clear head he should take them,
but making it to the next round will be even more important. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">5. The body</span></b><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Each guy can reduce the effectiveness
of the other by going downstairs to the body with big shots. By going to the
body early, Crawford could sap Spence's willingness to take the fight on the
inside, where he would like to use his close-range fighting skills to wear Crawford down. For Spence, one way to reduce Crawford's effectiveness in the
later rounds is to deplete him early with body shots. Thus, when Crawford
inevitably lands something hard, he might not have the same agility level to follow up at maximum capacity. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Going to the body for both will be a risky gambit because each can counter effectively. Crawford can skirt
out of the way and counter with a hard hook. Spence will meet a lunging
opponent with a mean left uppercut or a straight left to the body. But both fighters must take their chances
going downstairs. It will help thwart the other's game plan. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Prediction: </span></b><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In my mind this fight has two overriding factors in determining who wins:</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1. Spence has a structural advantage in winning rounds. <br /><br /> 2. Can Spence stay on his feet? </span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Crawford has played a dangerous game
at welterweight of losing rounds early only to make it up in the second half of
the fight with a knockout. But not everyone gets knocked out. And if Spence
can't be put down for good, can Crawford do enough to win seven rounds on the
scorecards? If he's down three or four rounds, can he make it back on the
cards? I have my doubts. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">But, and this is a big but, Spence will
have to stay on his feet to win, a feat that no welterweight has accomplished against
Crawford. And again, it's not as if Spence is some kind of defensive marvel. To
win the fight, Spence will need to build a lead and respect Crawford's power. So,
if he's hurt, he should do whatever it takes to stay in the fight, not
necessarily win that particular round. Spence's trainer, Derrick James, will be
vital in the corner in providing Spence with the right instructions during
moments of duress. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">I have no doubt that Crawford is going
to land some vicious shots in the second half of the fight. Spence will need to
show his survival skills and be able to recuperate. If he understands what he's
up against, he could hold his way out of some scary moments, but if he does get
caught up in a battle of machismo, he will get knocked out. </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Since I am forcing myself to make a prediction, I like Spence to win the fight based
on his ability to win rounds and that he has a great trainer to help settle him
when things get rough. But Derrick James will only matter if Spence can get back to
the corner. Spence is going to have to survive for 30- or 45-second intervals of intense duress. If he can do that, I think that he will
have put enough rounds in the bank to win by a decision. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Let's call it eight
rounds to four for Spence in a fight where he might have to get off the
canvas, or even survive a 10-8 round where he doesn't go down. Ultimately, I
think that Crawford's inability to match Spence's output early in the fight
will be his undoing on the cards. Crawford will remain dangerous to the final bell and he will always be a threat to score a knockout, but I think on Saturday it will finally catch up to him that he gave up too many early rounds. We shall see. </span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div></div>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-49026421905361993352023-07-25T22:19:00.011-04:002023-07-25T22:45:44.935-04:00Opinions and Observations: Fulton-Inoue<div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">The great ones have that X-Factor.
There's something in the combination of their set-up, their skills, their
reflexes, and their command of the ring whereby a capable opponent becomes
mesmerized almost instantly by what's in front of him. Whether it was Kelly
Pavlik or Antonio Tarver against Bernard Hopkins, Saul Alvarez against Floyd
Mayweather or on Tuesday with Stephen Fulton against Naoya Inoue, these
opponents become rendered ineffective only moments after the opening bell; they
are spectators in their own fights. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">For whatever advantages Fulton had
over Inoue – his size, his experience at 122 pounds, his athleticism – they
were mooted by the end of the first round. Fulton was so disoriented by Inoue's
collection of skills that he spent most of the fight in mid-range, an area of
the ring where he didn't want to be, trying to counter against a guy with more
power and offensive weapons in the pocket. Fulton offered little movement. He
spent very few moments of the fight on the inside. He stood there, watched
Inoue operate, and ate a lot of punches. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsxwfCUUji5HKL_cQm89SNF5QCBwG8U8bqKMyD0x6DGZEDQU3WuFphnZh4Qk4AKOdsJG1V70NnlD2NmdAevvK3kpZSimWPb4pJYtDy0AW3tjvywHVzigSXb0exkPUPJGYGuZKcu41cpFPY6r3z_EHZ5szfs46Z-Q7QOzNPALkURomAvROEVBbikPweZk/s1485/Inoue-Fulton%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1485" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsxwfCUUji5HKL_cQm89SNF5QCBwG8U8bqKMyD0x6DGZEDQU3WuFphnZh4Qk4AKOdsJG1V70NnlD2NmdAevvK3kpZSimWPb4pJYtDy0AW3tjvywHVzigSXb0exkPUPJGYGuZKcu41cpFPY6r3z_EHZ5szfs46Z-Q7QOzNPALkURomAvROEVBbikPweZk/w400-h297/Inoue-Fulton%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Inoue lands a straight right<br />Photo courtesy of Naoki Fukuda</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Not a knockout puncher, Fulton was
trying to land one big shot to turn the tide, as if he was Deontay
Wilder. It was a baffling decision; Inoue was so effective that he essentially
made Fulton an accomplice in his own demise. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">I think what did Fulton in at the
outset of the fight was the combination of Inoue's hand speed and the
effectiveness of his jab. There are fighters who don't look as impressive on
tape as they do in the ring. And for all of Inoue's highlight reel knockouts,
what had gotten lost in the shuffle was his elite boxing skills. He's far more
than just a big right hand or a menacing left hook. He has a rock-solid boxing
foundation to go along with his devastating power. And too many in the sport
have focused on the latter at the expense of the former. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Inoue started the fight as a boxer. He
didn't sell out for the early knockout. He stayed behind his jab and used his
expert ability to cut off the ring to keep Fulton in punching range. Fulton, an
excellent jabber himself, was continually beaten to the punch and it quickly
became obvious that he had scrapped his initial plan to win the fight. He was in with an entirely different beast than what he had prepared
for.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">What impressed me the most about Inoue's performance, and there were myriad aspects worthy of praise, was his
commitment to the body throughout the fight and how that ultimately set up the
initial knockdown in the eighth round. Inoue consistently threw single stab jabs
to the body. These punches had a cumulative effect over time. And in the
eighth, he threw that jab again to the body, which forced Fulton to lower his
hands so much that Inoue had a free shot with his straight right. And he didn't
miss. Fulton was staggered by the punch, losing his balance with his gloves
almost touching the canvas. Inoue then jumped in with a pulverizing hybrid left
hook/uppercut that sent Fulton down.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">That left hand was an improvisational
move that the greats can pull off. It's not a punch that's practiced, but Inoue
recognized the opportunity and had the athletic dexterity, gracefulness with
his feet and menace in his punch to connect with the shot and essentially end
the fight. Fulton did beat the count, but Inoue rushed in with a frenzy of
power punches immediately after the fight resumed. The ref stopped the bout as
Fulton hit the canvas for a second time.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Inoue's performance checked off all
the boxes. He made an excellent fighter look ordinary. He showed a mastery of
all phases of the sport. He boxed, he defended, he cut off the ring, he set up
shots, he neutralized, he blasted with a combination, and he closed.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jiPOXO6mtEcsvq-A3Y8qXrxbidqq21N6Y6WMh2meaVnX0a-IqwyPliDSt-l6pjNRR7nHCEHbfKBb71gUJw9pxs7X2Z-IjRPVoBJwy-X6gJa033mItsxjM0AXX8VMJvPGo4LoOpqzntoX-ZvynCCiStvgtBODSMRBzYQmInq78Y19pDQTN0lFBH5cA18/s1462/inoue-Fulton%203.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="1462" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jiPOXO6mtEcsvq-A3Y8qXrxbidqq21N6Y6WMh2meaVnX0a-IqwyPliDSt-l6pjNRR7nHCEHbfKBb71gUJw9pxs7X2Z-IjRPVoBJwy-X6gJa033mItsxjM0AXX8VMJvPGo4LoOpqzntoX-ZvynCCiStvgtBODSMRBzYQmInq78Y19pDQTN0lFBH5cA18/w400-h308/inoue-Fulton%203.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Inoue with his new belts post-fight<br />Photo courtesy of Naoki Fukuda</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">For those who have followed boxing
closely over the last decade, Inoue has not been a secret. He won belts at
junior flyweight, junior bantamweight, became undisputed at bantamweight and
now has moved up to claim two more belts at junior featherweight. He's fought
in America before on HBO and ESPN. He won the World Boxing Super Series.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">But what was missing in Inoue's Hall
of Fame resume was an American fighter who was in his prime. And let's not
pretend otherwise that more than a few American boxing fans are protective of
their country's place in the sport. Despite Japan placing in the top-four
countries of all time in world champions (the U.S., Mexico and the
U.K. are the other three), there still exists a disbelief, an incredulity
regarding the outsider. It's ultimately a snobbery. And while America doesn't
have the same type of nationalism regarding its boxing that other countries do,
let's also acknowledge that there's a feeling, even among many involved in the
sport, that a foreign fighter has to prove himself in the gyms of Los Angeles,
Las Vegas or Philadelphia to be considered a legitimate threat on the world
level.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Fulton provided Inoue with the perfect
opportunity to showcase his pedigree. Fulton, from Philadelphia, entered Tuesday as an unbeaten, unified world
champion at 122-lbs. and had displayed an impressive collection of boxing
skills that many, including this writer, thought could pose problems for The
Monster. But Inoue was able to separate himself from an otherwise excellent fighter, and
did so in such a manner that observers were left wondering if there is any
current fighter near Inoue's current weight class who could actually have a chance of
beating him.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Inoue's performance on Tuesday was
enough to forever silence any remaining doubts of his skill level or pedigree.
He has now become the top man in four divisions. And as he has moved up in
weight, he has become even more lethal. Only one of his last 15 fights has
gone the distance. And even then, he was able to drop Nonito Donaire and stop
him in their rematch.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">We are witnessing a generational
talent, a fighter 18-0 in world title fights spanning four divisions, who has
yet to lose even one scorecard in his professional career. He defines greatness in the ring.
One gets the sense that Inoue is no longer aiming for supremacy among his peers in
the sport, but instead trying to fight for his place in history against the
very best. This is now the Naoya Inoue conversation: a measurement against the
all-time greats. </span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p></div>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-81061043991526134282023-07-24T10:01:00.003-04:002023-07-24T10:01:59.923-04:00Fulton-Inoue Preview for the Ring<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I previewed Tuesday's mouth-watering junior bantamweight title clash between Stephen Fulton and Naoya Inoue for <i>Ring </i>Magazine. You can read the article using the link below. This should be a great fight. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.ringtv.com/656159-daring-to-be-great-an-analysis-and-prediction-on-the-stephen-fulton-naoya-inoue-clash/#">Click here to read</a></span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-61841946965309708272023-07-06T13:29:00.002-04:002023-07-06T13:29:14.737-04:00Ortiz-Stanionis Postponed<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For the third time, Ortiz-Stanionis has been postponed. Once again, Vergil Ortiz had to be hospitalized. There was no further announcement from Golden Boy at this time if and when the fight would be rescheduled. </span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-2964293882382742512023-07-06T09:10:00.003-04:002023-07-06T09:10:56.545-04:00Ortiz-Stanionis: Preview and Prediction Article<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I wrote a preview and prediction article for Saturday's Vergil Ortiz-Eimantas Stanionis welterweight clash for <i>Ring</i> Magazine. <a href="https://www.ringtv.com/655549-healthy-optimism-an-analysis-and-prediction-for-the-stanionis-ortiz-welterweight-showdown/?fbclid=IwAR1Rt6w3ErKi0aZiBqm64fV9cyAyBVtNq43n8vjzqSKXdl5WBjWR4lqyDR8#">Click here</a> to read the article. I'm expecting a compelling fight. </span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-62448863677392698032023-06-22T09:12:00.001-04:002023-06-22T09:13:57.840-04:00Dalton Smith: Becoming Adaptable<div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In speaking with 140-lb. undefeated
prospect Dalton Smith (14-0, 10 KOs), "adaptable" features heavily
during the conversation. To describe his style, Smith, from Sheffield, England,
fancies himself as a mid-range counterpuncher, but he acknowledges that there are fights where he's
gone for the quick knockout, those where he boxed from the outside and others
where he's beaten opponents at close range. He can pot-shot, throw in
combination, or win fights with his jab. Smith sees this as all part of his
maturation process in becoming a well-rounded fighter.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"I think every fighter has a
certain way they like to fight," Smith said. "But the best can adapt,
learning the aspects where you’re not so good. You have to work on your inside
fighting, your outside fighting. I just think you have to find the balance
where you’re able to adapt.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"I used to watch a lot of Mexican fighters,
Juan Manuel Marquez, for instance...most recently Canelo Alvarez. I based my
style on that type of fighter. But as I’ve gotten older, and I've been going through the
levels, you got to be able to keep adding to your game."</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qhH_8r1v_ctKCSWoQ5o8-gUqdAbsAcW0Ui7OiPtcH-Hyz3j38Q4o-Woju5mNK1VWBd2Z8hZ63R1wAKF7ftoscUlcTI1gT-BuC24BKe5x-k7uYzBnsWZEAgEHRbSJDVWi4MUlkGrWOBgFyEzs6iTqOMnWiArZDL1CpphqK6z8m68aGLFxpUfiSjMWYyA/s720/smith-omaison-fight%20(14).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="720" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qhH_8r1v_ctKCSWoQ5o8-gUqdAbsAcW0Ui7OiPtcH-Hyz3j38Q4o-Woju5mNK1VWBd2Z8hZ63R1wAKF7ftoscUlcTI1gT-BuC24BKe5x-k7uYzBnsWZEAgEHRbSJDVWi4MUlkGrWOBgFyEzs6iTqOMnWiArZDL1CpphqK6z8m68aGLFxpUfiSjMWYyA/w400-h384/smith-omaison-fight%20(14).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">His father and trainer Grant Smith
also is the head coach for flyweight champion Sunny Edwards, who is the
classic boxer/mover that relies on his accuracy and legs. Edwards hardly resembles
Dalton in the ring, but Grant's approach to training is working with whatever style a fighter has and using that as the foundation for improvement. Dalton sees his father's versatility as one of his best aspects.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"I think the great thing about my dad," said
Dalton "is that he’s adapted his whole approach to boxing. He never boxed
himself. He got into boxing the same time as me, so we’ve been on the journey
together. All of the knowledge he’s got it’s from him studying boxing and him
deciding what works and what doesn’t...He’ll work with any fighter's style, see
what he's good at, and go from there."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dalton next faces Sam Maxwell (17-1, 11 KOs) for the
British and Commonwealth super lightweight titles on July 1st at the Sheffield
Arena. And although Maxwell is 34 and Smith is 26, Dalton has known Maxwell
since his amateur days. While Smith is the more highly-touted fighter, he
understands that Maxwell will be fighting for his career. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"The Maxwell fight is a great fight for this stage of
my career," he said. "Sam is well-experienced. We know him from
the amateur days. We never actually sparred, but we know each other pretty
well. He’s a veteran of the game. At this stage of his career, this is all he’s
got. So, this is a big fight for him. He’s going with every intention to take
that belt [Smith's British title] from me and move on. So, I have to prepare
100%."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For this camp, Smith left the comforts of home and spent
two-and-a-half weeks sparring in Manny Robles' Southern California gym. A
highlight of this experience was getting the opportunity to spar Vergil Ortiz.
For Smith, he understands that he needs to keep getting better, to add to his
game. Back home, he's at a different phase of career. Now, to get the right
fighters for his preparation, he has to pay for sparring partners. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For Smith, the grind is what makes him better. Being in the
gym every day, using each opportunity to learn, he's trying to absorb as much
as he can. He refers to himself as a sponge. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When looking back on how he's progressed as a professional,
he gives a frank assessment on what he needed to do to improve:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Being able to settle down with the pace of a fight,
becoming a championship-round fighter...that was what I needed," he
said. "I had a lot of early knockouts, but the thing I needed
was the rounds. It’s only been the last three or four fights where I’ve been
able to get the rounds in. I've become a more experienced fighter. I've learned some of the little tricks, on the inside and outside."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCXsy6oyaMJAIzh1-FuX3PU15tNlaVvil2On6XyLrtsWTGZs_n5SWEu6h7DzRCbqSbaSCnN6SluZ7N-I7dRk4bNGZ7SwKQKHuM9WowaNJkCp-9ZEYuKyW00E3fNVw28cNo7JJrVcQpdtJO-zBZ_NP9TUclekIr_Q6W6hmPQPRJeRVmqTgcl-0N7yxtC8/s720/dalton-smith%20(1)_1686532999.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCXsy6oyaMJAIzh1-FuX3PU15tNlaVvil2On6XyLrtsWTGZs_n5SWEu6h7DzRCbqSbaSCnN6SluZ7N-I7dRk4bNGZ7SwKQKHuM9WowaNJkCp-9ZEYuKyW00E3fNVw28cNo7JJrVcQpdtJO-zBZ_NP9TUclekIr_Q6W6hmPQPRJeRVmqTgcl-0N7yxtC8/w400-h266/dalton-smith%20(1)_1686532999.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Smith was an accomplished amateur who fought all over the
world for Team GB – Bulgaria, Samoa, Ukraine, Croatia, Ireland, Lithuania,
Uzbekistan, Poland, North Macedonia, Belarus, Italy, and Turkey among other
locales. Despite his amateur pedigree, he never made a push for the Olympics.
AIBA's decision to lower his weight class from 64 Kgs to 63 Kgs made it a tough
task for him at the phase of his career to stay on weight during every day of a
tournament. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Initially, he was heartbroken in missing out on his Olympic dream, but after turning pro in 2019 he
hasn't looked back. W</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">hile many of his peers in the amateurs were stuck in limbo during the COVID-19 pandemic, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">he was able to get valuable
professional experience. Having been with Matchroom throughout his
career, Smith is pleased that he is already headlining major shows in his
hometown. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Smith hopes to become the next great fighter from
Sheffield, joining the ranks of world champions like Naseem Hamed, Johnny
Nelson, Clinton Woods and Kell Brook. But he also only looks at one fight
at a time. He knows that he isn't yet a finished product, that there is still
much to learn. He references Floyd Mayweather's ability to keep adding to his
arsenal, even later in his career, as an example that he follows.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Smith knows that the grind is paying off. He's
accomplishing far more than he initially expected. He understands that big
fights are on the horizon for him in the next 18-24 months, but only if he
continues to win and get better. And he thinks that we will see his best on July
1st. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"I believe this fight is giving me that spark,"
he said. "There’s something in the way I’ve been training – this is
going to be a big performance from me. I can feel it."</span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-20442327306102894842023-06-12T09:02:00.029-04:002023-06-12T21:22:54.188-04:00Opinions and Observations: Taylor-Lopez<div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Josh Taylor certainly had
a plan to beat Teofimo Lopez. Using jabs to the head and straight lefts to the
body, it was clear that his goal was to break Lopez down and defang him for the
later rounds. But Lopez quickly adapted to Taylor's tactics. By the fourth
round, Lopez was ducking under the jab on a consistent basis and countering
with hard straight rights and left hooks. Lopez also timed Taylor's
straight left. Taylor would often cock his left hand back before
letting it go and the punch was too deliberate and long. Lopez would sting him
with something short before Taylor could connect with it. </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">For whatever problems
Lopez had in facing George Kambosos and Sandor Martin, fighters who had
disciplined game plans and could box on the outside, Taylor's approach played into Lopez's strengths. In the first half of the fight, Taylor always
initiated his sequences with the intention of getting closer on the inside.
Thus, Lopez didn't have to play a cerebral game of chess. He didn't have to go
find Taylor; he just had to react with hard counters. </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As Taylor lost confidence
with his initial approach, he tried to let Lopez lead. Now Lopez isn't always
naturally a lead fighter, but he had gained so much confidence in the earlier
rounds that he enjoyed walking Taylor down. Flashing lead jabs and straight
rights, Lopez not only beat Taylor to the punch, but it became clear that he
was the one possessing more power. </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiqOcKrz80bqaZ2PmMGa-4GGCui8sQupwnG2WYWd902xK-LM75L4tSRzOvCYJQlGbhaidBNQL0dLtubnNXy_ruTncdfLTnz2GyT0tC1Xjb6JDMw4TfypFb-mw3qaR4u6QFH6WtBcyKXTnv7Jk0mDgKpUwi4qKsZS6QixrueJ_eTAy4KxgysRbDKj9/s1800/Lopez-Taylor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1800" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiqOcKrz80bqaZ2PmMGa-4GGCui8sQupwnG2WYWd902xK-LM75L4tSRzOvCYJQlGbhaidBNQL0dLtubnNXy_ruTncdfLTnz2GyT0tC1Xjb6JDMw4TfypFb-mw3qaR4u6QFH6WtBcyKXTnv7Jk0mDgKpUwi4qKsZS6QixrueJ_eTAy4KxgysRbDKj9/w400-h286/Lopez-Taylor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lopez (right) landing a right hand<br />Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Lopez took over the
fight for good in the eighth round and put on a masterclass of aggressive
boxing in the back end of the bout. Leading and countering, Lopez displayed his considerable skills and hit
Taylor with lots of thunder. By the end of the fight, Taylor's spirit had
dissipated. In tough fights against Regis Prograis and Jack Catterall, Taylor
had been the better fighter in the championship rounds. But on Saturday there was no
heroic stand or additional gear. Taylor's fiery intensity was now a distant
memory. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">And that's the most
disappointing part of Taylor's performance, not that he lost, but after he ran
out of ideas, he didn't try to outwill Lopez, like he did against Catterall. On Saturday, there was an acceptance of
defeat. </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">After the fight, Taylor,
who lost by scores of 117-111 and 115-113 x 2 (I had it 116-112), admitted that
he was second best on the night. </span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The once proud undisputed champion
seemed oddly compliant by the end of the fight; the final defense of his
junior welterweight title ended with a whimper. No, he didn't quit and he kept
throwing punches, but he was eager to make it to the end of the fight upright
and with his faculties intact.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">While Taylor may only be 32, it could be an old 32. He beat three tough fighters on
his way to becoming undisputed – Ivan Baranchyk, Regis Prograis and Jose
Ramirez. He also had a much tougher developmental slate than many champions of
this era, facing Ohara Davies in his 10th, Miguel Vazquez in his 11th and
Viktor Postol in his 13th pro bout. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He looked like a worn down and
exhausted fighter in the second half against Lopez. His legs, which once were
his prized assets, were plodding and mostly stationary. His fire wasn't there.
And once that extinguishes, it's so tough to rekindle. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Taylor's career seems
adrift. He's admitted to blowing up in weight in recent years. He
changed trainers twice, going from Shane McGuigan to Ben Davison to Joe
McNally. He's talked about moving up to welterweight for years, yet there
he was on Saturday at 140. Does he have trusted confidants to help him make
key decisions? I don't know what his next step is, but
I hope that he finds reliable counsel. Boxing isn't the place for those
who have made money and are no longer fully dedicated.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">*</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The remarkable, strange
career of Teofimo Lopez continues. In defeating</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020 to become the lineal lightweight champion and now beating the top guy at junior welterweight,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Lopez, still just 25, has notched two of the
more impressive victories among his peer group, which includes Tank Davis, Shakur Stevenson, Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia. In between the Lomachenko and Taylor performances, Lopez laid an egg against George
Kambosos, where he appeared overconfident and underprepared in the ring. He
authored a flat performance in beating Pedro Campa in his first outing at 140
lbs. and he was lucky to escape with a victory against the tricky Sandor
Martin. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Lopez has limitations against certain fight styles; he's also had a litany of out-of-the-ring issues that have played havoc with his personal life, which we can only assume have contributed to his erratic performance levels in the ring. He's had numerous family problems, including with his dad who trains him. He has admitted to having
anxiety, as well as anger management </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">problems</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. And this is just what we know
about. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Lopez is one of the
fascinating figures in the sport. He has already beaten two lineal champions, and
in matchups where he was the clear underdog. He had Lomachenko hardly throwing
punches for seven rounds and forced Taylor to accept defeat far before the final bell. When Lopez is on,
he is a truly elite fighter. But we've also seen how he can get frustrated in the ring, how he can force things when the fight
isn't going his way, that he doesn't always show up at his best</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">He's not a perfect fighter by any means. But if a fight is in his wheelhouse, if an
opponent wants to bring the fight to him, then there are few better. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Teofimo possesses rare gifts.
He isn't intimidated by anyone and doesn't care what an opponent can do. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">He can hit hard with either hand. He's a terrific short- and mid-range counterpuncher.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> He
has a stubbornness that's a blessing and a curse. And he can make
top fighters do the darndest things. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">He has shown us something unique in this era: a man who looks at
what is supposed to be greatness across the ring, laughs at it, and conquers it. </span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p><p></p></div>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-12889016058932394472023-05-21T16:47:00.009-04:002023-05-22T21:42:33.646-04:00Opinions and Observations: Haney-Lomachenko<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">What I will remember most from the thrilling Devin Haney-Vasiliy
Lomachenko fight is how both boxers went for it, how they pushed themselves out of recent comfort zones, that they both understood that they needed to do more than their recent best to win, how they were willing to take risks. They were fighting for their reputations, their legacies, </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">the undisputed lightweight crown,</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> to
remain important factors in big-money boxing. There was a lot on the line and they fought
like it. </span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">First,
let's discuss the quality of the fight. It was so much better than I
anticipated. I was expecting a low-volume, cagey fight with periodic passages of
interest. But that's not what happened. Instead, we had a high-energy battle with both fighting with urgency from the opening bell. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">To my surprise, Haney started the fight on the attack. As he has faced better opponents, he has often tried to
dominate from the outside. This was the dynamic in both George Kambosos fights. But against Lomachenko, he and
his father Bill decided that the best way to fight Loma was to back him
up, that Loma was less of a threat when in retreat.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFVqFyEl97B1MBeIKDWqhP-pcZ0heRSOcNqwAYuxtYAWKi8LybXI91WkUX57m8P49LE1WIkL8_vNLh7BEwZ8-jzqBG0nC5QUctQBx5znXmAxoNn4vmD43485-AtRHpi8_Qgf2wgkztG5SuaezAXDWyb4XH_A4QAnpkNUmnEJNls8y0jBEvDnkxJW4/s1286/Haney-Loma%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1107" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFVqFyEl97B1MBeIKDWqhP-pcZ0heRSOcNqwAYuxtYAWKi8LybXI91WkUX57m8P49LE1WIkL8_vNLh7BEwZ8-jzqBG0nC5QUctQBx5znXmAxoNn4vmD43485-AtRHpi8_Qgf2wgkztG5SuaezAXDWyb4XH_A4QAnpkNUmnEJNls8y0jBEvDnkxJW4/w344-h400/Haney-Loma%202.jpg" width="344" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Haney (right) connects with a right hand<br />Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For
Loma's part, he clearly understood his problems with slows starts in recent
fights and unlike those outings he was bright and vibrant in the first half of Saturday's bout. He was trying to win every round. He was moving much better than he had in his last fight against Ortiz. He certainly didn't
look like an aged fighter in the ring on Saturday. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">But
what's interesting in how the fight played out is that even though both guys
tried to do things differently, the ultimate trajectory of the bout was what most
anticipated: Haney, early; Loma, late. Thankfully, the fight was a
higher-voltage version of this matchup, but the overall dynamics were as
expected. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">As
good as Loma was early in the fight, I believe that Haney was better. His straight right hands
to the body were pinpoint and easy to see for the judges. He landed a couple of
menacing left hooks (he should have used his left hook more in my opinion) and
his defense was fantastic. According to CompuBox, Lomachenko landed at a 22%
success rate in the fight. Now, use whatever margin of error you want for the
punch counting service, but they often have had Lomachenko landing at 40% and
above. So, at the very least, Haney was extremely successful in nullifying a
lot of what Lomachenko was trying to do on offense, especially in the fight's
first half and remember that defense is one of the four scoring criteria for judges. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As
many expected, Lomachenko took over in the second half, but I think that the
reasons why were different than anticipated. It wasn't a question of when would Lomachenko finally find the range. He was getting to Haney enough early in the fight. I think that it had to do with Loma's pressure and the repercussions of how Haney decided to start the fight. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">I don't believe that Haney is
comfortable yet fighting as a hunter for 12 rounds. At his core, I think that
he's a defensive fighter. He expended a lot of energy on the attack in the first half of the fight and I don't think that he had the gas tank or the focus level to sustain his
approach for 12 rounds. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In the second half of the fight, </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Lomachenko
continued to poke and prod with his single left hands and his 2-1 (left
hand/right jab) combinations and more started to find their way home. In
addition, where Haney was expertly slipping punches and rolling away from
the action at the fight's outset, he was a half-step slower in the back half. Later in the fight Lomachenko was able to flurry with multi-punch
combinations. And while not everything landed, Haney was close
enough and still in range for Lomachenko to throw four or five shots, which illustrates </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Haney's fatigue.</span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxfHOuAieZjoKPUvUCJwp8Cu3u3NejoVqG1d_Tsvo8QYxLBAojxPznuazf6d6g09OzkW7U2kxPTDxB6uF9Ncg9TxLtgNSglsLC_aOK3CMz5gBbTJTjO8eURmeGI0EsdVhcRwRreJzAG8tK6h2QhrKVgM1NlbtqhkrtytII7GB47rafToL6wvPzvpu/s1800/Haney-Loma%203.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1800" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxfHOuAieZjoKPUvUCJwp8Cu3u3NejoVqG1d_Tsvo8QYxLBAojxPznuazf6d6g09OzkW7U2kxPTDxB6uF9Ncg9TxLtgNSglsLC_aOK3CMz5gBbTJTjO8eURmeGI0EsdVhcRwRreJzAG8tK6h2QhrKVgM1NlbtqhkrtytII7GB47rafToL6wvPzvpu/w400-h286/Haney-Loma%203.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Loma scoring with a left uppercut<br />Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This
was a tremendously difficult fight to score. In the post-fight roundtable,
ESPN's Bernardo Osuna stated that he had circled seven rounds in the fight that
he thought were swing rounds that could have gone to either fighter. And as high
as that number sounds, I think that he's correct. Round-by-round, so many were hard to determine a clear victor. To use CompuBox one more time, in seven of the rounds,
the fighters were within two landed punches of each other. However you slice
it, those are competitive rounds, where a decisive punch or a short sequence or
two could determine the round's winner. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">I scored the fight a draw and could see plausible scenarios for
either fighter winning. The judges had Haney winning 115-113, 115-113 and
116-112. Dave Moretti's 116-112 scorecard was widely ridiculed after the fight
because of his scoring of the tenth round for Haney, even though that was an obvious Loma round. But even in a vacuum, I
think that the legitimate boundaries for scoring the fight were 116 to 112 (or eight rounds to four) for either fighter. There were
that many swing rounds. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In
the aftermath of the fight, the tired calls of robberies and corruption were
trumpeted by many on social media, as seems to be <i>de rigueur</i> whenever
"their guy" loses a 7-5 fight. Boxing does have systemic problems and the quality of judging is one of them, but Haney-Lomachenko wasn't an example of that. Tim Cheatham and David Sutherland's 115-113
scorecards were fine. And if they weren't popular tallies, they were certainly
defensible. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In
assessing the performances of each boxer, both fought at a world-class level, but I believe that each had one key aspect that they could have incorporated to make the
fight go more in their favor. For Haney, I think that he needed to mix in
more of his traditional boxing approach with his attacks on the front foot. Although I
respect the Haneys for employing a bold strategy AND it was enough to win the
fight, they very easily could have lost it with different judges. And a major reason why I believe that the fight was in jeopardy for them was because Devin burned up too much energy on attack in the early rounds. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Haney
isn't a relaxed fighter in the ring. He features lots of quick movements (sometimes he over-moves) and
twitching upper body feints. Not all of these moves are servicing the fight in front of
him; often they are manifestations of the pressure in the ring. However, he's far more relaxed when he is on the outside boxing than when he's going after an opponent. If he has a comfort zone, that's it. Perhaps one day he'll be able to become an
attacking fighter for 12 rounds, but he's a long way from there right now. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">When
looking at Lomachenko's performance, I think what stands out to me is how he ignored Haney's body. After observing how
significantly Haney fatigued in the second half, imagine what could have
happened if Loma had invested in the body early in the fight. CompuBox had him
landing nine body shots all fight! And there were opportunities for him to go to the
body, especially in the last six rounds. Yes, he was successful in landing
punches throughout the fight, but it's clear that he could have caused more damage, and more
sustaining damage, if he had gone to Haney's body.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">But fighters not being able to execute at their absolute best is part of why high-level boxing matches can be so compelling; the other guy gets paid too. Loma wanted to start faster and did, but he met a guy who had much more agility at the beginning of a fight. Haney certainly wanted to win convincingly, but he had an opponent with far more championship experience and who had been able to overcome mental and physical fatigue better than his younger counterpart. They did nullify each other to a degree, but they both went for it. There were thrilling passages throughout the fight and each made the other earn everything. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Ultimately,
I will remember the astoundingly high quality of boxing from Haney-Lomachenko. The rounds flew by
and it was an absolute pleasure to watch. Haney at 24 showed that he belongs at
the elite level of the sport and Lomachenko affirmed his status. Although he's
35, he's still a tremendous boxer and gave Haney all sorts of problems in the
second half of the fight. I thought it was a great night for boxing. But for those
who want to obsess about a scorecard that was a round off, or how a guy losing
a disputed 7-5 fight was a great tragedy, have at it. Please forgive me if I don't join
you on your journey of discontent. Reflecting on the fight a day later, I'm still smiling from ear to ear. Haney-Lomachenko was that good.</span></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300627655477920602.post-44334524748634336382023-05-18T10:50:00.004-04:002023-05-18T12:40:21.087-04:00Haney-Lomachenko: Preview and Prediction<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs)
defends his belts against former three-weight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko
(17-2, 11 KOs) on Saturday in a mouth-watering matchup between two master
boxers at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Although there were opportunities for this fight to happen when Lomachenko was champion, it will finally take place on Saturday, but now with Lomachenko as the challenger. </span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In analyzing the matchup, the
first noticeable distinction between the fighters is their ages, with Lomachenko at 35,
relatively old for a lightweight, and Haney closer to his athletic prime at 24.
In addition to Lomachenko's age, he had participated in over 300 amateur fights
before turning pro in 2013. Lomachenko also had shoulder surgery in the recent
past and it's fair to question just how much tread is left on his tires. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">In
his last fight, Lomachenko struggled with Jamaine Ortiz. Perhaps it was a
case that Ortiz had the advantage of familiarity in that he had sparred many
rounds with Lomachenko in previous training camps (of course, that advantage could work the other way
too). Maybe Ortiz is far better than advertised. Perhaps it was Loma's inactivity. For whatever the reason, it was concerning how
easily Ortiz was able to land on Lomachenko during the first six rounds and with big shots as well. Although Lomachenko achieved clear separation over Ortiz in the fight's second half, he had to go to the well to beat a relatively unheralded opponent. </span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4iuAclJwc7Ulza-iF0YPCBxHZkqaVyMNg2KSCKDCi0ltCo8kiyAcMAg1nKOJTBLj05NzfokmSktE9XGIAxtZRHLED176643v8_noemqCmWY08O5cqA2ccJGPSVWxImzNIjdIBEPvAfXak5wZ1VdGwgoXXxdcOjRq2HfN6rKuMV7qjt2yJGZqGY3q/s720/haney-lomachenko%20(4).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="720" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4iuAclJwc7Ulza-iF0YPCBxHZkqaVyMNg2KSCKDCi0ltCo8kiyAcMAg1nKOJTBLj05NzfokmSktE9XGIAxtZRHLED176643v8_noemqCmWY08O5cqA2ccJGPSVWxImzNIjdIBEPvAfXak5wZ1VdGwgoXXxdcOjRq2HfN6rKuMV7qjt2yJGZqGY3q/w400-h285/haney-lomachenko%20(4).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Haney (left) and Lomachenko during their face-off<br />Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Haney
is coming off back-to-back wins over George Kambosos in Australia, the
first of which cemented his undisputed status in the division. Although Haney did
have convincing victories via the scorecards, I wouldn't claim that he authored
complete performances in either fight. While he landed his jab and right
hand at will, there were opportunities to go for the stoppage in both fights,
but Haney chose to box instead of taking unnecessary risks. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Now
there are two ways to read that. On one hand, one can point to disciplined
performances from Haney. He got the job done and didn't take too many hard shots
in return. He won in hostile territory and didn't let the magnitude of either event take him away from his game plan. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, he also was playing with fire a little bit in that he was
the away fighter content to go for the decision. For instance, in the first
fight, it would be hard for a neutral observer to find four rounds to give to
Kambosos, yet two judges did. When fights go the distance, there is always a
risk of relying on boxing judges; we've all seen what can happen in the
sport. </span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">This highlights a potential issue with Haney in that it
doesn't seem as if he's wired to go all out for a stoppage. To this
point, he hasn't needed to come from behind to secure a victory, but if needed, can
he get a fighter out of there? What if he is behind early against Lomachenko? How does he change the dynamic of the fight? Does he have the punch to do it? Does he have the temperament? </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Another major factor that stands out between Haney and Lomachenko is reach.
Haney has a 71" reach, while Loma's is only 65 and a half. That's a
significant difference. And more to the point, Haney uses every inch of his
reach in the ring to his advantage. He wants to be on the outside and is at his
best at range. He's also not going to stick around and trade if an opponent is
able to get on the inside. He'll either clinch or get out of Dodge with his
superior athleticism. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">This
leads to the central dynamic in the matchup. Loma will have to get at least to
mid-range on Haney, and he can't count on opportunities for prolonged
exchanges. He's going to have to get to a spot and be able to cause damage with
a single shot, or a two-punch combination at best. And it's worth pointing out
that while Lomachenko is certainly a solid puncher, and a guy who can land with
shots that an opponent doesn't anticipate, he's not a knockout
puncher at lightweight. He's only had three stoppages in his eight fights in the division. The KO can happen for him, but it's not what most often has occurred for him
at lightweight. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">What
most likely transpires on Saturday is an intriguing battle of cat-and-mouse,
where Haney will look to control the outside while Lomachenko will try to get in range to land something menacing before Haney leaves the pocket. Don't expect flowing combinations from either boxer; this fight will mostly be about who can do best at landing single shots against an opponent on the move. And it's apt that Top Rank
has used chess in its marketing for this fight. Saturday's fight could be one
for the purists who appreciate the intellectual aspects of boxing. Who will be better at executing his game plan? Who can force
the other guy into a mistake? Who has a better Plan B? </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34e3ByZaGA4wrlFusoA2hb49KbpIvB683Sx-Jcrv6xy9JWORffcExteN_GXK8Rgrf-wbJNBaXXYe5klGM7IA-ixifCVZ3qMw6ZFBGZe4iEu7gb0t5y9NQJnkWZxq5XmYSmIFFQruEy0MFqXcX0UeeHf10a7RRL_hJu2ARL93pWYFy10QoW4KteJ2u/s720/haney-lomachenko%20(2)_1684369451.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="720" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34e3ByZaGA4wrlFusoA2hb49KbpIvB683Sx-Jcrv6xy9JWORffcExteN_GXK8Rgrf-wbJNBaXXYe5klGM7IA-ixifCVZ3qMw6ZFBGZe4iEu7gb0t5y9NQJnkWZxq5XmYSmIFFQruEy0MFqXcX0UeeHf10a7RRL_hJu2ARL93pWYFy10QoW4KteJ2u/w400-h285/haney-lomachenko%20(2)_1684369451.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Another
key factor worth considering is Haney's jab and how much of a factor it will be
in the fight. In a vacuum, Haney has one of the best jabs in the sport. He
essentially won the first Kambosos fight with his stick. However, Lomachenko is
not an easy fighter to jab. He rarely stays in one place for too long. And if
Haney believes that he can simply jab his way to a victory on Saturday, he
will be surprised to find out how quickly that strategy won't work.
Haney of course has to believe in his jab. There will be opportunities to land
it and score with it, but Lomachenko's lateral movement will nullify it to a
degree. Haney is going to have use his entire arsenal of punches to win the
fight.</span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">I'm sure Haney will have studied how Teofimo Lopez was able to build a big lead against
Lomachenko in the first half of their fight. There, Lopez anticipated
Lomachenko's attempts to get outside positioning before going on attack. Lopez turned with him and threw power shots (either right hands to the body or left hooks) where he believed that Loma would go.
It was a masterful bit of strategy that kept Lomachenko from letting his hands
go with regularity. But even that approach lost its luster after the seventh
round. Loma was eventually able to bypass Lopez's strategy and he came on in the
second half of the fight. It was only when Lopez found the right uppercut in
the 12th that he was able to have sustained success once again in the fight. (Again, an example of Lopez using his entire arsenal to win the fight.) </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">The
early rounds on Saturday will be key for Haney. He must build a significant
lead on the scorecards. He doesn't need to do anything fancy, just land
single shots that are easy to see for the judges. Mixing in jabs, left hooks
and right hands, he should be able to have success in the first third of the
fight until Lomachenko can find a consistent pathway to get past his length. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Although
Haney doesn't need to throw a high volume in the first half of the fight, he
has to win rounds definitively. He must maintain his focus and not allow
Lomachenko, who fights in spurts as he has aged, to
steal rounds. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">The
back half of the bout is where I believe that we will see the fight's drama. Loma,
like many master boxers, does his best work in the second half. He will have
figured out what can work to get in range. In the fight's final third, I
believe that Lomachenko will be able to let his hands go more freely and
finally have success with combinations. </span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">It's
not a secret that Jorge Linares clipped Haney in the second half of their fight
and Jo Jo Diaz had success against Haney in the back half as well. However,
you'll notice that both of those fighters still lost against Devin. Whatever success they had, it wasn't enough. The question will be if Lomachenko can hurt Haney.
Can he drop him for a 10-8 round? Can he stop him? If yes can be answered to any of those questions, the path to winning
will be considerably easier for him. If not, he'll be playing a game of catch-up
against a savvy fighter who doesn't provide many openings for his opponents. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Prediction: </span></b><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;">I
think that this fight will be won in the fight's first half. I see Haney using
his legs, reach and discipline to win the early rounds clearly. He'll have a significant working margin after the sixth round; he'll need it
too. Haney is a supremely talented boxer, but he does fall into offensive
patterns that can be counteracted. I think that Lomachenko will have several
convincing moments in the second half and he'll even build a head of
steam. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">But
ultimately, I don't believe that Lomachenko has a big enough punch to change the
fight in a significant way and I don't think that Haney will make enough mistakes to give up his
lead. Haney will see his way to the finish line in a fight that tests his
resolve. It won't be a performance that inspires 100% confidence, but he will do
enough in my opinion to get his hand raised at the end of the fight.</span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Devin Haney defeats Vasiliy Lomachenko by a competitive decision:
8 rounds to 4 or 7 rounds to 5. </span></b></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em><span>Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of </span></em><a href="http://saturdaynightboxing.com/"><em>saturdaynightboxing.com</em></a><em><span>. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span face=""><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. </span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span>E</span></i><i>mail: </i><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com">saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com</a></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><em style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span style="color: blue;"><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><span><span><span><span><span><i><span><i><span><span><i><span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>snboxing on twitter. </i><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/snboxing/">SN Boxing</a> on Facebook.</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></span></i></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></div><p></p><p></p>Adam Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17630642507551558567noreply@blogger.com1