Derek Chisora: The Gatekeeper's Toolbox

In Derek Chisora's 17-year professional career, he has amassed a 35-13 record, not the type of official tally that leads to Canastota. He has never won a world title and has been stopped four times. But Chisora has played an essential role in the heavyweight division: the ultimate gatekeeper.  

Consider this: Not one of the fighters that Chisora has beaten has won a legitimate world title. And it gets even more specific: In two fights that he could have and perhaps should have won (against Robert Helenius and the first match with Dillian Whyte), neither of those two opponents would go on to be successful at winning a world title either.  

He has his fair share of wins over fighters who have been top-20 heavyweights, including David Price, Artur Szpilka, Gerald Washington, Kubrat Pulev, Carlos Takam and Malik Scott. Ultimately, if Chisora beats you, you don't really have the goods.  

Last Saturday, Chisora had perhaps the best win of his career (at the age of 40!), against top-ten ranked Joe Joyce. Like many of Chisora's fights, the Joyce bout was an all-out war. A Chisora late surge, including a knockdown in the ninth round, helped secure the victory.  

Chisora after the Joyce victory
Photo courtesy of Queensberry Promotions

Now it's important not to oversell Chisora. He has always struggled against technicians and his defense has left a lot to be desired. He's had an inconsistent gas tank and he hasn't always taken his training camps seriously. As a shorter fighter in the heavyweight division (6'1"), he almost always has a height disadvantage and while he has a couple of tricks to help close that gap, he often does start out behind the eight ball in that an opponent who can use his reach will have an immediate advantage.  

However, Chisora has remained more than serviceable in the heavyweight division because of three main factors, two of which are unique in the weight class, and another one which is a skill that few in the entire sport have mastered.  

As far back as 2011, Chisora featured a unique weapon in the heavyweight division. Facing 6'6" undefeated uber-prospect Robert Helenius, Chisora landed a looping overhand right repeatedly. The whipping shot routinely caught Helenius unaware and hurt him multiple times throughout the fight. Chisora's looping right helped close the height and reach gap. Frankly, Chisora made Helenius look ordinary that night. 

But Helenius wound up winning the fight in one of the decade's worst robberies. However, Helenius' luster was never the same. Whatever aura or intimidation factor he had was now gone.   

Chisora's constant pressure was another attribute that caused Helenius significant problems. Like many heavyweights of that era, Helenius wanted space to land his power shots, and Chisora was most unobliging in that area. Chisora's pressure nuked Helenius' game plan and the Nordic Nightmare never looked comfortable in the fight.  

Flash forward to 2020 and Chisora was still having success as a pressure fighter, running Oleksandr Usyk very close in a fascinating 12-round fight. Usyk could do little more than cover up or be evasive in the first few rounds of their fight. And to this day, Chisora might be the only fighter to beat Usyk in the championship rounds. To be fair, the fight was scored correctly. Usyk deserved the win, but to my eyes, he has never had a closer fight in the heavyweight division, and that includes his battles with Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.  

There's also a third tool that Chisora possesses which makes him formidable: he knows how to fight off the ropes. In 2018, Chisora fought a ferocious war against Carlos Takam. It was my Fight of the Year. In that battle, Chisora and Takam took turns teeing off on the other against the ropes. And while Takam often was the one unloading volume with Chisora with his back on the ropes, it was Chisora's crafty counters off the ropes that continued to do the most damage. It was a nasty war of attrition that Chisora eventually won with a knockout in the eighth round.  

In the two fights with Whyte, Chisora again had lots of success with his back on the ropes. He knows how to absorb shorts, to deflect them and to find angles to land hard counters. He could have won the first Whyte fight and I had him up in the second before he was knocked out in the 11th. This is when many thought that Whyte was championship material. He was supposed to be levels about Chisora, but Chisora kept cracking him.  

Against Joyce on Saturday, Chisora showcased his three main attributes. Early in the fight, he consistently found holes in Joyce's defense with his looping counter right hand. He also scored with many impressive left hooks early in the fight. He had moments where he pressured effectively against Joyce. But ultimately, what won Chisora the fight was his work off the ropes late in the fight. With his back against the ropes in the ninth round, Chisora unfurled a perfect counter right hand that landed squarely on Joyce's chin, knocking him to the canvas. It was a huge momentum swing in the fight. And in the tenth round, Chisora again had glory with his back on the ropes, ultimately landing the more telling blows in the round. His work in the last few rounds was enough to earn the victory in a vicious battle.  

***

I'm sure that in the next 12-18 months Chisora will formally retire. He's been in all sorts of wars. He's taken ridiculous punishment, even in fights that he's won. He will be remembered as one of the best B-sides of his era and a fighter who helped pack arenas in London and Manchester. 

The fans have always loved him. Walking into "Hotel California," often hiding his face behind a bandana, giving his all in the ring, he has left a legacy. He was never a prized amateur. He was served up to lose against Helenius, Vitali Klitschko, Whyte, Parker, Fury, and Joyce, but he often over-performed. He literally has left it all in the ring.  

For the sake of the sport, I wish that Chisora would consider working with younger fighters after his retirement. He has a lot to offer. He could provide wonderful advice on how to deal with being the underdog, the B-side. But even more important, he has skills that need to be passed down to the next generation. Why does that looping right hand land on almost every opponent? He obviously throws the punch with a specific torque and deception that makes it hard to defend. I would hate it if that looping right hand went out of circulation. What a weapon against the right opponent!  

Chisora could also write a book on how to fight off the ropes, a skill that seems completely lost in modern boxing. I could probably count on one hand the number of boxers who are truly sufficient at this part of the sport. So many try; almost all fail. Clearly, Chisora has accumulated knowledge in this area that could be vital to anyone willing to listen, and this includes trainers as well.   

As for pressure fighting, it looks like that is finally coming back into vogue in the heavyweight division. There were generations of heavyweights infatuated with "fighting tall" and keeping distance. But the heavyweight division didn't use to be that way. Fighters like Frazier and Foreman and Tyson and Holyfield would come right at an opponent. It made for thrilling viewing, but even more importantly, those fighters all reached the mountaintop. There's no law that says fighting tall has to be the way to do it.  

Thankfully, youngsters like Richard Torrez and Moses Itauma understand that their pressure style mixed with hand speed and power can be a nightmare to deal with. Perhaps the best fighter on the planet, Usyk, had real trouble with Chisora's pressure. 

As Chisora gets closer to the sunset of his career, we should remember that fights are won in the ring. A motivated "opponent" with tools can cause all sorts of problems against supposedly better fighters. Chisora was so often brought in to play a role: sell tickets and lose heroically. And on a few occasions, he was able to tear up the script and end some dreams. Few gatekeepers ever achieve his level of prominence or popularity, but it has been well earned. On Saturday, after defeating Joyce, he took the microphone and asked his fans to cheer him on with one more song. It was the glory. And there was nothing that could take that away from him. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

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Opinions and Observations: Whyte-Povetkin, Alvarez-Smith

A boxing match contains hundreds of sequences where each fighter attempts to assert supremacy over his or her opponent. Whether it's to land a shot, block a punch, counter, leave the pocket unscathed, find a way to rest, clinch, or perform a number of other maneuvers; in each moment, most often, only one fighter will prevail.

The concluding sequence of Alexander Povetkin's unforgettable fifth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte was one such moment, and one of the best knockouts in recent heavyweight boxing. Povetkin initiated the action with a throw-away left jab. Immediately after throwing the punch, he started dipping to his left; he knew what was coming. By the time Whyte had missed his ineffectual counter right hand, Povetkin had already maneuvered his 40-year old body under and to the side of Whyte's right arm, his last line of protection. Povetkin had now put himself in a perfect position to land a free shot. And he unspooled a devastating left uppercut against a defenseless Whyte. That was the fight. Game over. 

Photo Courtesy of Mark Robinson

Ultimately the sequence demonstrated Povetkin's mastery over his opponent. Like a chess master, the entire sequence played out in his mind before he initiated a single move. He knew what to expect and how to position his body to get the free shot. It was a perfect example of Ring IQ. Povetkin understood how to defeat the opponent in front of him. And despite being 40 years old and physically on the slide, he still possessed the agility, reflexes and timing to execute. 

What made the knockout even more stunning was the action in the previous round, where Whyte had dropped Povetkin twice with left hands (a hook and then an uppercut). In truth, those weren't even Whyte's best power shots, but Povetkin's punch resistance had looked poor throughout the fight. He seemed unsteady at a few points earlier in the fight, and especially vulnerable whenever Whyte landed his right hand to the temple.

Until the final sequence in the fifth, Whyte had fought ably. Featuring a contained offensive approach that didn't allow Povetkin to get off too many counters, Whyte was effectively opportunistic with his output: a few jabs here, some nice right hands there, a left hook to remind Povetkin of his power. He was gradually breaking down his opponent in a responsible way. 

The ultimate distinction between the two boxers was that Povetkin had actualized and executed a clever boxing move for which Whyte was unprepared. The final sequence reminded me of Jermall Charlo's win over Julian Williams, where Charlo blocked a punch and then countered with a right uppercut at the perfect moment against an unprotected opponent. It was a superior boxing move, as was Povetkin's. These are the types of moves that cement world-class status. It's the combination of ring intelligence, daring, physical talent, reflexes and execution. It would be unfair to call Whyte's performance poor on Saturday, but there was no doubt that he was bettered in a pivotal exchange, and one exchange can often be all that it takes in boxing. 

Photo Courtesy of Mark Robinson

At his advanced age and a veteran of many wars in the ring, Povetkin most likely won't have too many more nights like Saturday's. He's undersized against the top of the division. His physical dimensions force him to win fights on the inside, which invites oncoming fire from hard-hitting opponents. And he certainly didn't look like he was taking shots well against Whyte. 

But whatever else occurs throughout the rest of Povetkin's career, he has created an indelible moment for himself, and for boxing as a whole. And let's make no mistake; the sport needs these moments. Badly. 

Few modern heavyweights would be able to come back from being dropped twice to win a fight in the next round. And even in a state of physical decline, Povetkin demonstrated an acute boxing brain and an ability to focus under extreme duress. He also reminded the boxing industry that fights are still won in the ring. Underestimate a capable opponent at your own peril. And if you're a boxer in tough looking ahead to future matchups, you very well could find yourself looking up at the rafters, or in this case, the constellations on a clear summer's night. 

***      

When Joe Smith Jr. arrived on the boxing scene in a meaningful way, he was a little-known, 26-year-old club fighter from Long Island who worked construction. He was no one's idea of a prospect. He was brought in to lose against Andrzej Fonfara, who was in the middle of a nice run in the top-ten of the light heavyweight division. Smith was thought to be tough, a possessor of a decent punch, but not much more. By the end of 2016, he had destroyed Fonfara in one round and sent the legend Bernard Hopkins crashing out of the ring through the ropes and into retirement. Hopkins was hit so hard, and shaken up so much that he legitimately thought that some kind of foul must have occurred. 

But in recent years, Smith's technical limitations, especially on defense, were exposed by Sullivan Barrera and Dmitry Bivol. Despite dropping Barrera early in their fight, Sullivan broke Smith's jaw in the second round. Smith demonstrated his toughness by lasting to the final bell, but after the jaw injury, he wasn't a factor throughout the rest of the bout. And with the exception of a flurry late in the fight, Smith had few answers for Bivol's movement and polished boxing skills. 

On Saturday, Smith was facing Eleider Alvarez, a former champion who had excellent boxing skills, sneaky power and a sturdy chin. The conventional wisdom surrounding the fight was that Alvarez had the superior technical boxing skills and was the all-around better talent, but that Smith certainly had the punching power and activity rate to give Alvarez problems. However, the more that Smith came forward, the more opportunities that provided Alvarez to land his blistering counters. 

But after watching Saturday's fight, there wasn't one thing that Alvarez did better than Smith. Not a single thing. In a shocking development, Smith outboxed Alvarez, with new-look moves and sequences that belied his previous reputation as merely a "banger." He hooked off the jab, double jabbed his way into perfect punching range, threw lead left uppercuts in tight quarters, and blocked most of Alvarez's overhand rights. Smith demonstrated a level of polish in the ring on Saturday that he had never exhibited in previous fights. As Alvarez waited for the perfect opening to land a counter, Smith continued to punch at will, but he maintained his balance and rarely found himself out of position. To the surprise of Alvarez, there was little that was crude with Smith's work. 

Counterpunchers often invite volume because it can lead to opportunities and openings. However, when that volume is educated, piercing and unpredictable, the counterpuncher will find himself in a world of shit, and that is what happened to Alvarez in the ninth round when suddenly he found himself through the ropes and unable to continue. A Smith howitzer of a right hand landed fully flush on Alvarez after the start of the round. Smith followed up with a hard left which made Alvarez's legs betray him. And Alvarez was done. 

Photo Courtesy of Mikey Williams

Eleider Alvarez did have a signature victory in his career with his knockout win over Sergey Kovalev to win a light heavyweight title. However, there should have been a lot more highs in his career. Unfortunately, he spent the majority of his peak years as a fighter who was unable to get big opportunities. In the same promotional stable with fellow Montreal fighters Jean Pascal and Adonis Stevenson, he was not the attraction that the other two were, and he also didn't possess their firepower or magnetism in the ring. He was a technical cutie that no one was in a rush to face. He often had to accept step-aside money from well-heeled players in the sport instead of getting a real opportunity to fight the best. (Ill-timed injuries also played a role throughout his career.) 

Alvarez is now 36 and as good as Smith looked last night it's also important to note that Alvarez just can't move like he used to. Eleider was once upon a time a mover in the ring, but watching him on Saturday, his transition to an older, stationary counterpuncher has now been completed. 

As sob stories go in the sport, Alvarez's isn't the worst one. He did get a title shot and made the most of his opportunity by winning that fight. However, his no-show in the Kovalev rematch cost him seven figures. In addition, had he had earlier opportunities, let's say against Stevenson, with whom he matched up well, he could be staring at a much larger bank account at the moment. But Alvarez was still fighting on Top Rank card on Saturday with the chance to get another title shot. A declining Povetkin found a way to perform at 40, a declining Alvarez could not at 36. 

As for Smith, it's exciting to see fighters, even veteran ones, add to their arsenal. Few would have surmised in 2016, or even 2019, that Joe Smith could outbox Eleider Alvarez, but that's precisely what happened. Earlier this year, Tyson Fury demonstrated his unwillingness to accept the label from others that he was best on the outside. He found a sympathetic trainer, perfected his inside fighting craft and bested Deontay Wilder in the trenches. Similarly, Smith refused to believe that all he could be in boxing was a crude banger. It's easy to accept these monikers and limitations, but it's not so simple for 30-year-olds to want to become something different in the ring. 

Smith realized that even the best version of his previous self in the ring, the wild right hands, the pulverizing hooks, was not the way to beat Alvarez. With this belief, he studied his opponent and implemented changes that he knew he needed to make to win. Prior to his fight with Hopkins, a prominent boxing scribe liked Smith's chances in the matchup, writing that Smith was too stupid to be intimidated by Hopkins's psychological tricks. I think that it's now time to throw out this old script for Smith. He's become much more than the boxing industry ever imagined. And he and his very small group of believers alone deserve the credit. Smith and his team have made a career out of being underestimated, but it's more than time for them to receive their just due. Under the guise of ordinary, something quite remarkable has happened: one of the best light heavyweights in the world. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. He's a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com.

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook. 

Five While I Was Away

Two boxers died last week, Maxim Dadashev and Hugo Santillan. These incidents remind us how unforgiving boxing can be, that tragedy cannot always be neatly separated from the thrill of combat. Sure, there will be time for inquests, finger-pointing and a civil servant or two to offer a resignation, but these losses take precedence. 

This will not be the last boxing match to end in tragedy, but it is our responsibility as fans, consumers, participants and protectors of boxing to advocate solutions that will lead to a safer sport. Everything should be on the table: first responder procedures and equipment, the emergent care quality of affiliated hospitals, referee quality, the existing protocols for sharing fighter medicals between commissions, the standardization of medical suspensions after knockouts. Perhaps meaningful change can occur in these (and other) areas, reducing the likelihood of future ring tragedies. Although change won't bring Maxim or Hugo back, it may save the next fighter. 

The uncomfortable realities of boxing have reappeared and we should bear some responsibility toward helping improve the sport. I bet if each of us thinks long and hard, we all know someone involved in boxing – manager, lawyer, ring official, bureaucrat, ticket broker, arena manager, promoter, fighter, sponsor, broadcaster, television executive. These are the stakeholders in the sport. They, with our backing, can help initiate and lead change. We should engage our contacts in the boxing community about fighter safety. Lobby them. Let them know that these are issues of concern. Through consistent attention we can work to implement meaningful reforms. Maxim and Hugo deserve this much. 

There are gofundme accounts to help the Dadashev and Santillan families in their time of need. Donate. Talk to your boxing contacts about fighter safety. Most importantly, this is not a time to be passive. We all love boxing dearly. We want it to continue. We all know that there are numerous ways to improve fighter safety without changing the fundamental nature of the sport. We all have a role to play in making boxing safer for the next generation of fighters. It's time to do our part. 

***

According to a BoxingScene report by Thomas Hauser, and subsequently confirmed by various parties in the industry, Dillian Whyte, one of the top heavyweights in the world, failed a drug test leading up to his fight with Oscar Rivas. More importantly, he was allowed by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) to fight even after the positive test, and Rivas wasn't informed of these events until days after the bout (Whyte, despite being knocked down, won by unanimous decision).

Obviously this is a clusterfuck of epic proportions. Hiding behind legalese and other obfuscating language, the BBBofC acknowledged that an official proceeding is underway (Whyte has appealed the positive test) and that further news would be forthcoming in due time. Ultimately, any solution that allows a PED cheat to fight on because he has appealed is an awful one. 

Clearly the BBBofC's protocols need to be changed. This is a fighter safety issue, even outstripping the relevant ethical and moral concerns. In most of the major jurisdictions in the world, the fight would have been cancelled once the positive drug test occurred (although we all know of an exception or two). But the BBBofC remains intransigent. Unlike the issue of avoiding ring tragedies mentioned earlier, this needed change is far simpler to enact. Everyone knows what has to be done.  

The BBBofC needs to do some housecleaning and allow for additional transparency (here's hoping that the stakeholders in boxing apply pressure for needed changes). The Board often doesn't publicly release information about suspended fighters until far after the fact. They can deliberate for an inordinate amount of time before issuing a decision. They have bizarre and byzantine rules (often with UKAD, their drug-testing arm) for determining appropriate actions for failed tests. The BBBofC knows what they need to do. The issue of fighter safety is too important to hide behind outdated notions of due process and secrecy. Whyte could have always appealed a guilty test. But Rivas was never given a chance to make a decision for his best interest. And if real adults were in the room, Rivas would never have had to make that decision: Failed test, no fight. It really is that simple. Don't hide behind legal gymnastics; do the right thing.   

***

Manny Pacquiao delivered a thrilling victory over Keith Thurman two Saturdays ago, winning a split decision victory by the scores of 115-112, 115-112 and 113-114. First, it must be stated that Thurman came oh so close to winning; a Pacquiao knockdown in the first round and a straight left to the body in the 10th were enough to put Pacquiao over the top. It's clear that Thurman won at least four rounds, but during a number of brief and telling exchanges Pacquiao's flurries of success were enough to shade several close rounds in his direction. 

At 40, Pacquiao isn't supposed to be beating top welterweights, but he has looked rejuvenated in 2019, soundly defeating Adrien Broner in January and winning another title belt against Thurman. Unlike his vintage days, Pacquiao now only fights in spurts. He no longer throws 90 punches a round, but he has morphed into a clever and cagey fighter. The Manny of 2004 wasn't picking off opponents with counter hooks and disguised single body shots; however, his performance against Thurman illustrated how encompassing his Ring IQ and repertoire are. 

The success of Pacquiao's afterglow years is predicated on a number of attributes that were ignored during his prime. He became a force of nature in boxing with his singular combination of speed, power and punch volume; however, even years after his best, he still wins even though his foot speed isn't spectacular, his punch output is pedestrian and his one-punch knockout power has been long gone. During his magical run to the top, the boxing commentariat rarely referenced his intelligence, ring cunning, or the development of his craft, but these are the reasons why he remains a force in the sport. 

Throughout most of the fight Thurman sacrificed power in order to shorten up his shots, hoping to land more regularly (according to CompuBox, he out-landed Pacquiao). When he did try to throw his knockout punches, they were often telegraphed. He did land a few of his best straight right hands though, the types of punches that stopped lesser opponents, but Pacquiao was never discouraged. 

Thurman is one of those rare fighters with better foot speed than hand speed. His best power punches can often be long and ponderous. They involve some wasted motion and perhaps that is a reason why he hasn't scored many knockouts as he's fought better opposition. He still packs a punch, but opponents see his shots coming, which can be all the difference between absorbing a blow and getting KO'ed.

Perhaps most distressingly for Thurman was that after the knockdown it took him several rounds to get into the fight. He looked befuddled in the ring in the early rounds, going through the motions without much confidence, unsure of how to attack or how to respond to Pacquiao's offense. Eventually he worked his way into the bout, but it was concerning that he didn't seem to regain his sea legs until the fifth round. 

Thurman contains myriad offensive gifts, but his recuperative powers will always be a concern against quality punchers. Perhaps if he employed more of his hit-and-run style he would have had more success against Pacquiao. But he was there to prove himself in the center of the ring, mano-a-mano. This was supposed to be his moment. Unfortunately for him, the older warrior had a few more arrows in his quiver.

***

Jose Ramirez stopped Maurice Hooker in the sixth round of a wildly entertaining junior welterweight title unification match on Saturday. Featuring thrilling action, momentum shifts and a number of wonderful exchanges, Ramirez scored the most impressive win of his career. Facing a significant reach disadvantage, Ramirez was still able to fight on the inside using lateral movement, angles and a variety of punches. When Ramirez was able to push Hooker to the ropes, he went to town with chopping left hooks and thudding body shots. Hooker in turn responded throughout the fight with menacing left hooks and straight right hands. 

In the end, Ramirez was able to make Hooker miss with a shot, and then Ramirez returned with a pulverizing left hook that Hooker never saw. Following up on the blow, Ramirez drove hooker to the ropes with ferocious power punches, forcing referee Mark Nelson to stop the fight.  

Although a U.S. Olympian, Ramirez was never considered one of the best American boxing prospects. However, in working with Freddie Roach and now Robert Garcia, he has incorporated the teachings of two master trainers into his ring identity. Garcia's influence could certainly be seen with Ramirez's footwork. Instead of fighting as a face-first aggressor, he was now applying pressure behind punches and using angles to attack. And once Ramirez had Hooker hurt, his selling out for the finish is directly from the Roach playbook. Ramirez seized the moment and forced the ending of the fight. Less-seasoned boxers would have smothered their work or somehow allowed Hooker to survive. Ramirez was vicious but surgical in his final blows. He made them all count. 

Ramirez now has a potential huge fight in 2020 against the winner of this year's World Boxing Super Series tournament between Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor. Within a calendar year, there's a very good chance that we'll see another undisputed champion in boxing. And in this time of tragedy in the sport, let's take the positive news where we can. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. He's a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com.
snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook. 

SNB Stock Report 12-24-18

After a jam-packed weekend of fights, it's time for another edition of the SNB Stock Report. Whose stock has gone up (+), whose has gone down (-) and whose has remained unchanged (NC)? 

Jermall Charlo (NC) Charlo had a difficult time with late replacement Matvey Korobov. Jermall escaped with a unanimous decision victory, but there were large stretches of the fight where he was second best. Head-hunting, Charlo was trying to knock Korobov out with seemingly every punch he threw. This provided Korobov with ample opportunity to counter or step out of range. Charlo did land his fair share of power punches, but overall his performance didn't answer many questions, just raised more. Charlo needs to remember that he once had a solid boxing foundation; abandoning his fundamentals to sell out for a knockout, he has become more one-dimensional in the ring.

Jermell Charlo evades a jab from Tony Harrison
Photo Courtesy of Stephanie Trapp

Jermell Charlo (-) Jermell lost a controversial unanimous decision to Tony Harrison. Most ringside media had Charlo winning, as did the Fox broadcast team, but many on social media thought that the fight was close, that no robbery occurred (sometimes a bout plays differently in the arena than it does on TV). Charlo was certainly the aggressor in the match but it's up for debate as to how effective that aggression was round by round. Like his brother in the main event, Jermell spent too much time loading up on big shots trying to get a knockout. He did have moments where he landed effective hard punches, but Harrison also befuddled him at points with sharp counterpunching and movement. Although this loss won't be devastating to Charlo's career, it did derail a title unification fight with Jarrett Hurd, and the career-high payday that would have accompanied it. 

Dereck Chisora (NC) Through 10 rounds Chisora was running neck-and-neck with Dillian Whyte in their rematch. Chisora landed his fair share of hard left hooks to the body and sneaky right hands to the head. But in the 11th, Whyte unleashed a pulverizing left hook. And that was that. When in shape and focused, Chisora remains a threat to top heavyweights and a great action fighter. At 34, it's too early to give up on him. He may yet spring another surprise or two before his career is finished. 

Michael Conlan (NC) After 10 professional fights, it's not clear if Conlan has an elite skill. He certainly doesn't have punching power. His hand speed is good not great. His defense can be penetrated. He's an athlete, but not an exceptional one. On Saturday he won a wide decision over Jason Cunningham, a C-fighter, but didn't dazzle. Right now Conlan appears to be going through the motions somewhat. He's getting in his rounds, working on things, but not necessarily looking like a future champion. To win a title he will have to rely on ring generalship, guile and intelligence more than an overwhelming skill set. It's a good thing that Conlan is now aligned with trainer Adam Booth. Guile is Booth's calling card. 

Warrington (right) digs a right hand into Frampton's body
Photo Courtesy of Elliot Foster

Carl Frampton (-) Josh Warrington attacked Frampton with such gusto during the first two rounds that Frampton looked like he was in danger of being knocked out. But Frampton bore down, regained his composure and worked his way into the fight. He fought his ass off in the trenches and tried his best to thwart Warrington's aggression. However, Warrington would not be denied on Saturday. His work rate and relentlessness earned him a unanimous decision victory. Frampton was supposed to have had the superior power and boxing skills in the matchup, but he couldn't match Warrington's physical output or will to win. On the technical side, Frampton lacked accuracy with his left hook and at times had trouble pulling the trigger. It's clear that Frampton is no longer a fighter in his physical prime. 

Tony Harrison (+) In his notable fights earlier in his career, Harrison demonstrated that he possessed the boxing skills to be a champion, but he lacked endurance, which led to knockout defeats against Willie Nelson and Jarrett Hurd. Leading up to Saturday's fight, Harrison claimed that his stamina issues were now resolved. He attributed his past problems to over-training. Well, it looks like there was something to that. Not only did he last the full 12 rounds on Saturday, but he won a unanimous decision over Jermell Charlo, claiming his first championship belt. Charlo-Harrison was a difficult fight to score. Charlo came forward and landed his share of shots, but he also missed a lot. Harrison did some very clever countering throughout the contest. Often, boxers on the back foot don't necessarily get the nod in close fights, but there's no rule that says judges have to pick the fighter coming forward. Irrespective of what the scores could have or should have been, Harrison performed with aplomb.

The Larry Hazzards (-) Larry Hazzard Sr. was Fox's unofficial judge during the Charlo card while his son was an official judge for the Charlo-Korobov main event. Both stunk. Senior failed to credit Tony Harrison for his solid boxing throughout the fight. But that was nothing compared to Junior's abominable 119-108 card for Jermall Charlo. Let's not sugarcoat it: Hazzard Jr. should be suspended for that card. Korobov did some great work during the fight; it's a shame that Hazzard Jr. finished his before the bout even started. He embarrassed the sport on Saturday. 

Matvey Korobov (+) With it being four years since his last fight of note and receiving only a week's notice to face Jermall Charlo, not much was expected of Korobov. Yes, he had been in training camp, but he was preparing for an eight-rounder above the middleweight limit, not a fight against one of the best talents in the division. But surprisingly Korobov troubled Charlo throughout their fight. Although he lost by unanimous decision, more than a few observers thought that Korobov had done enough to win. He consistently punished Charlo with an array of counters. Whenever Charlo would reach with a right hand or overcommit with a shot, Korobov was there with something in return. Korobov could have been busier, but his performance exceeded all realistic expectations. He will get another meaningful fight based on how competitive he was on Saturday. 

Martin Murray (-) Murray's fight against Hassan N'Dam was essentially a last chance for two perennial middleweight contenders. Murray started brightly, attacking N'Dam from the jump and landing a number of solid right hands. But as the fight progressed, Murray's work rate dropped and he couldn't figure out N'Dam's unconventional combinations and tricky rhythms. Ultimately, Murray dropped a majority decision and announced after the fight that he would be retiring. Murray had a solid career and with different judges he could have (and perhaps should have) been a world champion. 

Hassan N'Dam (+) In his previous bout against Ryota Murata, N'Dam's corner stopped the fight after he had taken numerous hard right hands. That had been 14 months ago and it was unknown how N'Dam would look in his return against Martin Murray. After a few rounds of shaking off ring rust, N'Dam used his legs, angles and unique combinations to get the best of Murray. He won via a majority decision, but the fight wasn't all that close. N'Dam remains a tricky opponent; however, he is only truly threatening against those who lack power. 

Josh Warrington (+) Nobody told Josh Warrington that he was supposed to lose to Lee Selby and Carl Frampton this year. But Warrington believed that he had far more to offer than just being a scrappy "opponent." He would go on to attack Selby and Frampton ferociously and neither was able to match his intensity level. Although not considered a big puncher, Warrington had Frampton hurt several times during Saturday's fight. Featuring a whirlwind of movement, body punches galore and a rock solid chin, Warrington slugged his way to a unanimous decision victory in his first title defense. It's safe to say that Warrington will no longer be underrated. He's a real force at featherweight and no fighter is going to enjoy getting in the ring with him. 

Dillian Whyte standing over a fallen Dereck Chisora
Photo Courtesy of Dave Thompson

Dillian Whyte (+) It's easy to pick apart Whyte's flaws in the ring: His footwork is ponderous, his focus can drift in and out, his defense can be inconsistent. However, he can certainly fight. On Saturday he knocked out Dereck Chisora in the 11th round with an absolutely beautiful short left hook. Whyte's money punch is the hook, but he's not a one-trick fighter. He used his physicality to beat former champion Joseph Parker earlier this year. In addition, he possesses a fairly large offensive arsenal and can really dig to the body. Whyte has continued to improve since his loss to Anthony Joshua in 2015. An afterthought in the division three years ago, he's now among the top five heavyweights in the world. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. He's a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com.
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