Opinions and Observations: Kambosos-Haney, Fulton-Roman

Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton turned in exceptional performances on Saturday. Featuring excellent defense, great lead left hands and smart movement, both fighters illustrated that are among the best in the sport. And a theme for me in both performances was the influence of Floyd Mayweather Jr., but more on that in a minute. 

In a number of respects, Haney had the more difficult assignment. Traveling to Australia, fighting in front of 40,000 hostile fans and not knowing if his father/head trainer would be with him until 24 hours before the bout (visa issue), there would have been a number of justifiable reasons for Haney not to have performed to the best of his abilities. Yet, Haney boxed his way to a comfortable victory and didn't allow unified champion George Kambosos to have sustained success; the crowd was eerily quiet throughout much of the fight. 

Haney's left hand dominated the action
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams

Haney won the fight mostly with his left hand. His jab and his length troubled Kambosos throughout the fight. Kambosos tried the same approach versus Haney that he did in his title-winning performance against Teofimo Lopez: punch in between Haney's shots and get through with quick power punches. But Haney had an extra 2.5 inches of reach compared to Lopez and made every inch of his length count. Kambosos fell short far more often than not. And he failed to land his best power punches throughout most of the fight. 

Haney, as Fulton would also do on Saturday, demonstrated how an educated lead hand can be devastating. He jabbed, double jabbed, and landed lead and counter hooks; Kambosos didn't know which shot would be coming. Haney did feature his right hand more as the fight progressed, especially in the second half of the fight, but his left was the star of the show.

Fulton faced a better opponent on Saturday, or at least one with a more coherent plan. Danny Roman understood exactly what the task was in front of him. He tried to be clever, give Fulton different looks, and whenever he got inside, he kept hammering away until Fulton tied up or was able to evade him. Yet for all of the intermittent success that Roman had, and he did land several excellent shots, he was routinely beaten to the punch by Fulton, who demonstrated an array of top-shelf boxing moves to keep Roman from winning rounds. 

Watching Fulton pot-shot Roman with single left hands, I was immediately reminded of how Mayweather used to dominate opponents. Featuring jabs, lead and counter hooks, spins, turns and sublime lateral movement, Fulton kept Roman guessing throughout the match. But more than technical mastery, he had a doggedness in his performance that wouldn't allow Roman to get the upper hand. When Roman had a strong seventh backing up Fulton to the ropes, Fulton found another gear and cracked him with a straight left out of the southpaw stance, in what might have been his best punch of the night. This was very much the theme of the fight. Fulton would land great stuff, but when Roman would have periods of success, Fulton would double down on his determination and retake control of the fight.  

Fulton (left) with a counter left hook
Photo courtesy of Ryan Hafey

And later in the bout, Fulton, like Mayweather used to do, decided to punish his opponent. Fulton's left hook parade in the 11th round was thrilling stuff. These weren't merely scoring punches; they were hurtful shots and let Roman know that he would now pay a price for coming forward.  

To me, that was the one thing missing from Haney's performance. The opportunity was there for Haney to do even more damage. Haney never took the fight away from Kambosos, who was dogged throughout the match, even if mostly ineffective. As the fight progressed, Kambosos started to load up with his left hook and would drop his hand, waiting for the opportunity to throw. Haney had already proven in the ninth round that he could get through with devastating one-twos, but why not feint the jab and just go with some lead rights? The opening was there. As stellar as Haney was on Saturday, he may have left a little food on the table.  

Haney is only 23 and with his victory on Saturday he has become the undisputed lightweight champion, so I don't want to sound too critical. He already has achieved a special accomplishment. However, I do believe that he has another level to get to. Similar to what Shakur Stevenson demonstrated in his last two fights, Haney now must realize that it's not enough to beat a guy; you have to discourage him too. There's a danger in letting opponents continue to feel feisty late in fights. Weird things can happen in boxing, for instance last-minute knockdowns/knockouts, dodgy scorecards, or even injuries. 

Floyd Mayweather didn't have fight-ending power at welterweight, but he had enough spite to discourage opponents by the end of 12 rounds. He dominated the last half of fights. He often made opponents doubt themselves, where many seemed to be relieved by the end of the fight. Haney, who spent many of his formative years in Mayweather's gym, still must incorporate this lesson into the ring. The back half is when a fighter needs to step on the gas, even if he's winning. He needs to leave no questions after 12 rounds as to who was the rightful victor. Haney still has to add a little more ruthlessness to his overall game. 

Fulton did just that in the championship rounds against Roman. And he did it in the right way. In his previous two fights, Fulton won vicious close-range battles against Angelo Leo and Brandon Figueroa. While Fulton deserves credit for his impressive displays of fortitude, he didn't necessarily fight to his strengths. He has better speed and a faster trigger than probably anyone in the junior featherweight division, so why did he fight in phone booth wars giving his opponents more of a chance? I think that Saturday's performance was Fulton's signature win, where he finally understood how to employ his manifold gifts. The expert fighter knows when to make it easy for himself and when to take it to an opponent. And on Saturday the light bulb turned fully on for Fulton. He incorporated all of his skills with the proper ring intelligence to author a complete performance. 

Similar to Mayweather, Haney and Fulton are proof that power can be overrated in the sport. Fulton is already a great fighter and Haney is right there, just behind him. They might not knock you out, but they sure can have you swinging at air. Perhaps their largest threats in the future could be of their own making: boredom or overconfidence. Dialed in and hungry, they will require greatness to beat them, or a perfect shot. That's their level.

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.  

The 2021 Saturday Night Boxing Awards

After a year that was curtailed by the COVID pandemic, boxing returned in 2021 with a full slate of compelling offerings. 2021 will be remembered for significant upsets and unification matches, including three undisputed fights: at junior welterweight, junior middleweight and super middleweight. Although boxing fans didn't get all of the big fights that they wanted (and frankly, this will never occur), there was more than enough quality to go around and some deserving award winners.  

Here are the 2021 Saturday Night Boxing Awards (the 11th annual edition), with accolades given for Fighter, Fight, Knockout, Round, Upset, Trainer, Promoter, Network and Referee. 

Fighter of the Year: Saul Alvarez

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez made history in 2021, becoming the undisputed super middleweight champion. He fought three times during the year and stopped each opponent: Avni Yildirim, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant; the last two were undefeated titleholders. 

Canelo with all the 168-lb. belts
Photo courtesy of Esther Lin

As Alvarez has moved up in weight over the past few years, he has perfected a come-forward style that relies on power punches and defensive head movement. Even though he lacked the foot speed of Saunders or Plant, he was able to impose his style on both opponents. It's also clear that Canelo is fighting at his optimal weight class. His endurance and conditioning are now more consistent. He also doesn't waste punches. Everything is thrown with purpose and usually with bad intentions. And his punching power is devastating at the weight. 

Canelo's activity level and quality of opposition also work in his favor. He's not out of the gym for too long and this has helped his consistency. Furthermore, he is now able to deal with difficult styles with more ease. In the past, movers such as Saunders and Plant could have led to potential losses, but he has now proven he can defeat that style without any controversy. Canelo's march to undisputed status at 168 has been one of the highlights of 2021. He also becomes the first two-time Saturday Night Boxing Fighter of the Year.  

Previous SNB Fighters of the Year:

2020: Teofimo Lopez
2019: Saul Alvarez
2018: Oleksandr Usyk
2017: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
2016: Carl Frampton
2015: Floyd Mayweather
2014: Naoya Inoue
2013: Adonis Stevenson
2012: Nonito Donaire
2011: Andre Ward 

Fight of the Year: Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder 3 

Fury-Wilder 3 is my pick for the best heavyweight fight of the past 20 years. Featuring five knockdowns, wild swings in momentum and both boxers giving everything they had in the ring, Fury-Wilder 3 was far more than a sporting contest; it was a fight for survival, almost primal in nature. Fury scored knockdowns in the 3rd, 10th and 11th while Wilder dropped Fury twice in the fourth. And although Fury winning by knockout (11th round KO) wasn't surprising given their second fight, the end result was less meaningful than the action that preceded it. This is a fight to show non-boxing fans; it was a perfect advertisement for the thrills that boxing can provide.  

Fury and Wilder go toe-to-toe
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams

The fight highlighted the considerable talents of both combatants. Fury showcased his unusually large arsenal of punches for a heavyweight: jabs, left and right hooks, uppercuts, straight rights and body shots. He also further demonstrated the development of his inside fighting skills. His ability to grapple, use his body to lay on Wilder, and work in the clinch helped to deplete Wilder; it wasn't just his punching that led to victory. 

Wilder uncorked his missile-like right hand in the fourth round, but he also displayed additional skills that weren't present in the first two Fury fights. He jabbed to the body well to start the fight. He landed a couple of hellacious right uppercuts. He also countered well at points. 

Ultimately, Fury was the more versatile fighter, but he had to take some huge shots to get the win. Nothing was given to him and his victory was not guaranteed. 

The Fury-Wilder trilogy will be remembered for producing thrilling moments in the ring and their third fight will become part of heavyweight boxing lore. This fight will be watched for generations to come.

Previous SNB Fights of the Year:

2020: Zepeda-Baranchyk
2019: Inoue-Donaire
2018: Chisora-Takam
2017: Joshua-Klitschko
2016: Vargas-Salido
2015: Miura-Vargas
2014: Coyle-Brizuela
2013: Bradley-Provodnikov
2012: Pacquiao-Marquez IV
2011: Rios-Acosta

Knockout of the Year: Gabe Rosado KO 3 Bektemir Melikuziev

In the beginning of the fight Bektemir Melikuziev, known as Bek the Bully, was having his way with Gabe Rosado. Throwing menacing straight left hands to the body and sharp right hooks to the head, Bek forced Rosado to take a knee in the first round to stave off additional damage. 

Rosado celebrates after his knockdown
Photo courtesy of Stacey Snider

But the veteran Rosado started to notice some patterns. Before Melikuziev would throw his left to the body, there would be a slight hitch or delay in his delivery. In the third round Rosado waited for this hitch, and he unfurled the punch of his career. As soon as Bek cocked his left hand back, Rosado beat him with a straight right that connected with maximum force. Instantly, Rosado knew. He high-stepped it across the ring and celebrated triumphantly. The fight was over and in a career full of close losses and disappointments, belatedly Rosado had his signature moment. 

What made this knockout even more impressive was that there had been no softening up of Bek prior to the knockout. Rosado took out a rising prospect who was at full capacity. It was the perfect punch at the perfect time.  

Previous SNB Knockouts of the Year:

2020: (tie) Alexander Povetkin KO 5 Dillian Whyte and Gervonta Davis KO 6 Leo Santa Cruz
2019: Nonito Donaire KO 6 Stephon Young
2018: Naoya Inoue KO 1 Juan Carlos Payano
2017: Zolani Tete KO 1 Siboniso Gonya
2016: Hassan N'Dam KO 1 Alfonso Blanco
2015: Yenifel Vincente KO 3 Juan Dominguez
2014: Andy Lee KO 5 John Jackson
2013: Stephen Smith KO 5 Gary Buckland
2012: Juan Manuel Marquez KO 6 Manny Pacquiao
2011: Takashi Uchiyama TKO 11 Jorge Solis

Round of the Year: Kenshiro Teraji-Masamichi Yabuki, Round 9 

This little-seen fight from Japan was an absolute treat. Yabuki scored one of the upsets of the year when he defeated light flyweight champion Teraji by tenth-round stoppage. And the fight provided unexpected surprises throughout. Although Teraji was supposed to be the more polished and technical fighter, in the early rounds of the bout Yabuki was superior, especially when countering on the inside. But eventually Teraji's pressure and work rate would lead to a tightening up of the scorecards. 

The ninth round was a thrilling battle with both fighters staggered at different times in non-stop action. In a dramatic moment, Teraji literally throws blood off the side of his face before uncorking a barrage of power punches, which forces Yabuki back to the ropes. In another great moment in the round, Yabuki is getting peppered with punches along the ropes and then explodes out of the corner with menacing punches that stun Teraji. Yabuki then takes the initiative and marches forward behind power shots, forcing Teraji, who had been the aggressor, to the other side of the ring. 

For those who like action along the ropes, this round was an example where both fighters did tremendous work. Teraji chopped away at Yabuki's body with left hooks and right uppercuts. And while Yabuki couldn't match Teraji's volume, he countered with brilliant right hands to the body and right uppercuts to the head. Overall, Teraji would get the best of the round, but not without taking significant punishment. There aren't too many available streams of this fight floating around, but if you can find one, check this gem out.   

Previous SNB Rounds of the Year:

2020: Jose Zepeda-Ivan Baranchyk Round 5
2019: Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Round 3
2018: Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury Round 12
2017: Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko Round 5
2016: Edwin Rodriguez-Thomas Williams Jr. Round 2
2015: Edwin Rodriguez-Michael Seals Round 1
2014: Thomas Williams Jr.-Cornelius White Round 1
2013: Tim Bradley-Ruslan Provodnikov Round 12
2012: Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Round 12
2011: Hernan Marquez-Luis Concepcion I Round 1

Upset of the Year: George Kambosos SD Teofimo Lopez

George Kambosos was an IBF mandatory challenger for Teofimo Lopez. In his previous fight, he had been fortunate to get the nod over the tricky Lee Selby, winning by split decision. It's not that Kambosos was a fighter undeserving of a title shot, but it was tough to foresee areas where he would have advantages over Lopez, who had dethroned Vasiliy Lomachenko in his last bout. 

Kambosos (right) springs the upset
Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland

But this is why they fight the fights, and in this case, the bout was postponed multiple times over several months before it finally happened. According to Kambosos, he continued his training throughout the year, whereas Lopez had COVID, family problems, promotional difficulties and a huge case of hubris. He and his father were expecting an easy knockout. 

Lopez started the fight guns blazing, throwing every punch with knockout intentions. He connected with several power shots, but they were only coming one at a time. By the end of the round, Kambosos timed Lopez and dropped him with a beautiful counter right hand. 

Kambosos seized this moment and dominated the next several rounds of the fight. Featuring intelligent, compact boxing, he was far more active and he landed impressive right hands, jabs and left hooks. He also got the spacing right. He understood that Lopez was just trying to wing power punches. So, he used his legs and wasn't too greedy. He realized that Lopez wasn't interested in winning rounds and took advantage of that.

Lopez did eventually come back into the fight and dropped Kambosos in the tenth, but Kambosos dominated the eleventh, perhaps his best round of the match, and had a solid final round. Ultimately, Kambosos won by split decision, but all three judges were perhaps a little too kind to Lopez; he didn't have a legitimate case for winning. 

On a final note, some fighters don't like to watch tape of their opponents, claiming that what you see in the ring on fight night might not resemble what you've observed on tape. Although I'm not advocating that position, Lopez-Kambosos is an example of where the tape may not always be the final story. Kambosos scarcely resembled the rugged plodder who fought against Selby. Against Lopez he was a polished boxer with fluid skills and a multiplicity of weapons. Lopez and his father didn't foresee that level of improvement in Kambosos, and perhaps few others would have either, but Lopez and his corner never made any impactful adjustments. And that played a significant role in why they lost. 

Previous SNB Upsets of the Year:

2020: Robert Helenius TKO 4 Adam Kownacki
2019: Andy Ruiz TKO 7 Anthony Joshua
2018: Rob Brant UD Ryota Murata
2017: Caleb Truax MD James DeGale
2016: Joe Smith Jr. KO 1 Andrzej Fonfara
2015: Tyson Fury UD Wladimir Klitschko
2014: (tie) James de la Rosa UD Alfredo Angulo and Tommy Karpency SD Chad Dawson
2013: Jhonny Gonzalez KO 1 Abner Mares
2012: Sonny Boy Jaro TKO 6 Pongsaklek Wongjongkam

Trainer of the Year: Eddy Reynoso  

Even if Reynoso only trained Canelo during 2021 then he would still garner serious consideration for Trainer of the Year. However, his year included far more creditable work than just the results of his most famous pupil. Reynoso helped set the game plan for Oscar Valdez's destruction of Miguel Berchelt. He saw Ryan Garcia notch the most impressive win of his career over Luke Campbell. He won an intriguing 50/50 heavyweight prospect matchup with Frank Sanchez over Efe Ajagba. And he saw Andy Ruiz return to the win column, with a victory over Chris Arreola. 

In fact, Reynoso didn't lose a notable fight all year. He won fights as favorites and as underdogs. He demonstrated his abilities with fighters of vastly different skill sets and styles. In addition, he has helped to improve his fighters. Witness Oscar Valdez using his foot speed and clever angles to beat Berchelt or Garcia's ability to go to the body even with his tall frame. It was a great year for Reynoso and he becomes the first two-time winner of the Saturday Night Boxing Trainer of the Year. 

Previous SNB Trainers of the Year:

2020: Teofimo Lopez Sr.
2019: Eddy Reynoso
2018: Anatoly Lomachenko
2017: Derrick James
2016: Shane McGuigan
2015: Peter Fury
2014: Freddie Roach
2013: Kenny Porter
2012: Robert McCracken
2011: Robert Garcia

Promoter of the Year: Premier Boxing Champions   

I don't think that there was one boxing promoter/entity that had a truly magnificent year, but I believe that Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) was the best of the bunch. They were responsible for several of the best fights of the year, including Fury-Wilder 3 (co-promoted), Apochi-Glanton, Fulton-Figueroa, Charlo-Castano and Davis-Cruz. They also put together a series of outstanding fights in the junior featherweight division. 

Charlo-Castano was one of 2021's undisputed fights
Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott

Most of PBC's top fights went to Showtime in 2021 (see the next award) while Fox has seemingly become a platform for several of their young fighters. In a perfect world, perhaps PBC would use the higher visibility of Fox for larger fights, but nevertheless, the company delivered quality throughout the year, and in 2021 that was more than enough to win the Promoter of the Year award. 

Previous SNB Promoters of the Year:

2020: Top Rank
2019: Matchroom Boxing
2018: Premier Boxing Champions
2017: K2 Promotions
2016: Matchroom Boxing
2015: Golden Boy Promotions
2014: Matchroom Boxing
2013: (tie) Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank
2012: Golden Boy Promotions
2011: Top Rank

Network of the Year: Showtime

After a couple of down years, Showtime rebounded with a strong 2021. Showtime sports head Stephen Espinoza did an excellent job in working with the PBC to get many of their best fights on his network or via Showtime pay per view. In particular, Showtime (and PBC) rewarded boxing fans with a series of great fights at junior featherweight and junior middleweight. 

At 122 lbs. this year, Stephen Fulton demonstrated that he is among the best fighters in the sport while Brandon Figueroa, Ra'eese Aleem and former champ Danny Roman have proven that they are formidable. At 154, Showtime broadcasted the undisputed fight between Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano. It was an excellent match, which resulted in a draw, and it certainly delivered value to their subscribers. 

ShoBox, Showtime's developmental series, went missing through large stretches of the year. I'm sure that the pandemic played a role in this, but hopefully we will see more of ShoBox in 2022; it plays a crucial role in the North American boxing developmental ladder.   

Previous SNB Networks of the Year:

2020: ESPN
2019: DAZN
2018: Showtime
2017: Showtime
2016: Sky Sports
2015: No award given
2014: ESPN
2013: Showtime
2012: BoxNation

Referee of the Year: Mark Lyson

In the fourth round of the Terri Harper-Alycia Baumgardner fight, Baumgardner connects with a short, powerful right hand and Harper completely freezes. She's out on her feet, but somehow she remains balanced in the center of the ring, with her hands down and her back towards Baumgardner. She's in no position to defend herself. Baumgardner rushes toward Harper and is about to throw a left hand, but referee Mark Lyson is quick enough to get between the two fighters and call off the bout. 

This all happens in an instant. Many refs wouldn't be in position to see the damage of Baumgardner's punch or wouldn't be close enough/fast enough to stop the action. But by not letting Baumgardner connect with that left hand, Lyson saved perhaps untold damage for Harper. 

A referee has a series of responsibilities to ensure that a fight transpires according to the rules, but what's paramount in all of their duties is fighter protection. Lyson was a credit to his profession on this night. He ensured that a defenseless fighter was saved from further punishment. In a normal year, the exemplary work that Nevada referee Russell Mora did in several high-profile fights would have won this award, but Harper-Baumgardner was a special circumstance. It was an unusual occurrence in the ring and Lyson handled the moment perfectly. He was in the right position and reacted incisively to limit further damage. His performance was an example of refereeing at its finest. 

Previous SNB Referees of the Year:

2020: Michiaki Someya
2019: No award given
2018: Jack Reiss
2017: David Fields
2016: Raul Caiz Sr.
2015: David Fields
2014: Steve Smoger
2013: Tony Weeks
2012: Eddie Claudio

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. 

Opinions and Observations: Lopez-Kambosos, Fulton-Figueroa

In his first fight since his upset victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko, lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez looked far removed from a pound-for-pound talent. Whereas Lopez had a detailed game plan for negating Lomachenko with angles, body shots and footwork, against George Kambosos on Saturday Lopez's only approach seemed to be winging big shots to get a knockout. Lopez wasn't greedy against Lomachenko. He took what was available and didn't get caught overcommitting. Against Kambosos, Lopez got dropped in the first round while he was in a defenseless position.  

I was tough on Lomachenko's performance against Lopez and I'll be tough on Lopez now. Teofimo Lopez was not physically or mentally prepared for his fight against Kambosos. There was a lack of respect for his opponent. He and his father (also his trainer) expected Kambosos to fall over without much resistance. There was no Plan B. And even when Lopez rallied later in the fight and scored a knockdown in the tenth, he not only didn't show enough urgency going for the stoppage, but he could barely put punches together in the next round. His conditioning was poor and he helped to beat himself. 

Kambosos (right) connecting with a left hand
Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland

But the victory was not handed to Kambosos; he had to take it. He had spent the last year preparing for Lopez, and he did not permit the myriad delays and postponements for the fight to get the better of him physically or psychologically. Kambosos was sharp throughout the fight and displayed a number strong aspects in the ring. His counter right hand, which knocked down Lopez in the first, caused problems all night. He hooked off the jab with precision and often caught Lopez by surprise with the effectiveness of his left hand. 

Perhaps most impressively, Kambosos was able to persevere through some rough moments in the fight. He was dropped hard in the tenth round by a chopping right hand. He had taken pulverizing head and body shots at various points in the fight. However poor Lopez may have been on the night, he was still landing bombs throughout the bout. But Kambosos would not succumb. Even in the round after he was knocked down, he pressed Lopez and had one of his most dominant rounds of the fight. He checked off the "skill" and "will" boxes.  

Make no mistake; this was a rough, brutal match with both fighters absorbing enormous blows. Kambosos was more consistent, more active and competed better in every round. He won via a split decision, and it's always nice to see that the visiting fighter gets the decision in the opponent's backyard. 

After the fight Lopez was in disbelief that he had lost and the local New York crowd voiced its displeasure with Lopez's post-fight comments. New York boxing fans can be incredibly loyal, but they are also not stupid. They know their boxing. And even if Lopez did make the fight competitive, he had no case for being a clear winner.  

Lopez-Kambosos is an illustration of what can happen when a fighter isn't at his best. But it's also a story about making your own luck. It's not just that Lopez was sub-optimal; Kambosos also needed to capitalize on the opportunity. He punished Lopez throughout the fight with hard counters. He was in excellent shape and he wouldn't yield when the going got tough. Kambosos earned his victory. And if few believed in him prior to the fight, he had enough self-belief for all. But it wasn't irrational confidence or hubris, which as Lopez demonstrated can lead to a downfall. Kambosos' confidence was sky-high because he had put in the work, because he knew he could exploit Lopez's defensive holes and spotty work rate. 

The best that one can say about Lopez on Saturday is that he still hits hard and he didn't quit, but the rest...changes must be made and responsibility needs to be taken. No one on his team should be absolved from their share of the blame. But let's remember to start with the fighter himself first. It's his career that hangs in the balance. 

***  

Junior featherweight champions Stephen Fulton and Brandon Figueroa waged a thrilling war on Saturday that featured ferocious inside combat. Figueroa, the bigger fighter, used his size and inside skills to keep Fulton at close range, yet Fulton was not flummoxed by the phone booth battle. He had many periods of the fight where he flashed his considerable arsenal, landing authoritative power shots, even with his back against the ropes. 

Fulton won the fight by a majority decision, but I believe that both fighters had a case for victory. Fulton impressed with clean punching in many rounds. I think that Figueroa was far more successful in the fight as the ring general. The fight was where he wanted it, and he was effective in coming forward. He landed his fair share of hooks from both sides and straight left hands throughout the fight. In particular, I was impressed with how he used his shoulders and hands to keep Fulton in position right in front of him. Although Figueroa does have some crudeness with his punching technique, he showed an expert's ability at how to fight on the inside.

Figueroa (left) and Fulton in a night of inside combat
Photo courtesy of Esther Lin

What I'd like to focus on regarding this fight is how wrong I have been about Figueroa. It's no secret that I was not a fan of his during many of his development fights. I thought that he was a product of fantastic matchmaking, where his lack of speed, power and refined technique was cloaked by his mediocre opposition. Prior to his last fight, against Luis Nery, he had been kept away from real punchers or athletes at 122-lbs. I just wasn't a believer in him. 

But as I was watching Saturday's fight, I was continuously impressed with how adept Figueroa was at imposing his style. There were periods of the fight where Fulton was trapped along the ropes, where Figueroa did magnificently in blocking escape routes. In addition, Figueroa repeatedly landed shots from unconventional angles against a fighter with supposedly better defense. 

I didn't expect Figueroa to beat Nery and I certainly didn't think that he had the athleticism to compete with Fulton, but I believe that he matched Fulton punch for punch. In the end, the fight to me was inconclusive. I have no argument with Fulton winning the fight on two judges' scorecards, but I don't think that his victory was an emphatic performance. At best one can say that he had done enough. But that's not faint praise. Figueroa showed that he is a fighter to be reckoned with and it speaks to Fulton's considerable skill set that he was able to land so frequently and with such menace in that type of fight. 

Fulton beat another pressure fighter, Angelo Leo, in his last bout, but to me that was a clear and decisive victory, where Leo couldn't match Fulton's volume, arsenal or punch accuracy. But I think that Fulton fought Figueroa to a standstill. He shined at moments throughout the fight, but he also got sucked into Figueroa's style. Fulton could have circled more. He could have clinched more strategically. He could have had used his legs more consistently Yes, sometimes you have to bite down and fight a guy who keeps coming, but I also believe that Fulton could have focused on the "sometimes" part a little more often. He didn't HAVE to fight in that style most of the 12 rounds. He was fortunate that two judges preferred his work on the inside.  

Figueroa has had trouble making weight at 122 lbs. and it's possible that he will need to move up to 126 instead of sticking around for a rematch. Nevertheless, he has proven himself as a world-class fighter. And Fulton, as talented and skilled as he is, has to remember that scorecards and judges can be funny things. He won a coin-flip fight on Saturday and he needs to do all he can in future bouts to fight to his strengths and not give judges a reason to prefer his opponent. 

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.