SNB Stock Report 6-28-20

With the completion of the first three weeks of ESPN's summer boxing series, it's time for another edition of the Saturday Night Boxing Stock Report. The Stock Report shows which fighters' stock went up (+), down (-) or remained unchanged (NC) based on their most recent performance. Let's get started!  

Shakur Stevenson (+) 

Photo Courtesy of Mikey Williams

Stevenson did what was expected of him against the overmatched Felix Caraballo, scoring two knockdowns and winning via a sixth-round stoppage. However, his performance highlighted some impressive new dimensions. He stayed in the pocket and sat down on his shots much better than he has throughout most of his pro career. In addition, Stevenson's combination punching and body work demonstrated a new-found ferocity. He wasn't throwing shots to score points; he was trying to administer hurt. Refreshingly, Stevenson didn't play with his food or fight down to the level of his opposition. He exhibited no signs of ring rust, which might have been expected during his lengthy layoff. Overall, he looked sharp. At 14-0 and still just 23, Stevenson should have more room for growth. It will be interesting to see if he remains at 130 lbs. or drops back to 126 to defend his featherweight title. 

Jason Moloney (+) 

Moloney exhibited fantastic inside fighting skills to grind down late-replacement opponent Leonardo Baez over seven rounds. With a keen understanding of his preferred range, Moloney stayed inside Baez's long reach. In the trenches he cracked Baez with power shots throughout the match. Ultimately, Baez didn't answer the bell for round eight. Moloney has displayed excellent intestinal fortitude in his high-profile bouts. In the bantamweight World Boxing Super Series, he was down big to Emmanuel Rodriguez before making a spirited push in the second half. It wasn't enough to get the win, but he showed tremendous poise, self-belief and craft to get back into the bout. Against Baez, Moloney had to fight just two days after his brother received a hellacious beating in the ring. But there was no psychological let down against Baez, which speaks to Jason's strong intangibles. Still, he does require some work on his defense. He's lucky that Baez didn't possess more power. Moloney got caught with a number of clean left hooks when pulling out.  

  

Joshua Franco (+) 

In this month's best fight, Joshua Franco pulled away in the second half of the bout to defeat Andrew Moloney in a battle of grueling trench warfare. Franco was down early in the fight, with Moloney's volume and footwork troubling him. However, Franco landed a number of fantastic counter left hooks to get back into the match. As the fight progressed, Franco went on the march, attacking Moloney to the head and body and pressing the action. Ultimately, the fight came down to power and punch resistance, and Franco was superior in both aspects. He scored a knockdown in the 11th round and went on to win a competitive unanimous decision. Franco's record of 17-1-2 might not dazzle, but make no mistake; he's an excellent fighter. His performances against Moloney and Oscar Negrete have provided him with the seasoning to compete at the highest level of the 115-lb. division. 

 

Andrew Moloney (-) 

Considering Andrew's spirited effort in defeat against Franco, the minus symbol next to his name might be harsh. But he took such a beating, with damage to both ear drums and a cracked rib among other injuries, that he won't be back in the ring any time soon, a significant setback for his career. Moloney fought too overconfidently early in the match. He was landing at will and he tried to impose his will on the inside. But he was met with a lot of return fire, and by the time he tried to fight Franco on the outside, it was already too late. Overall, he was too eager to trade and was seemingly over-impressed with his power. Moloney possesses top-ten talent at 118 lbs., but he needs to gain a better understanding of his strengths and weaknesses in the ring.   

 

Emanuel Navarrete (NC) 

Photo Courtesy of Mikey Williams

The junior featherweight champion stayed active with a non-title fight against the overmatched Uriel Lopez and scored a sixth-round knockout. After a sluggish start, Navarrete displayed his characteristic frenetic attack, with powerful body work, odd-angled shots and multi-punch combinations. After winning his title, he has now fought five time in ten months, but not one of these opponents will be remembered. It's time for him to get another real challenge. It remains to be seen whether he will stay at 122 lbs. or move up to featherweight. But enough of these stay-busy fights! 

Miguel Berchelt (NC) 

Similar to his Mexican countryman Navarrete, Berchelt, who has a belt at 130 lbs., took a non-title fight against a poor opponent. The unlucky but brave victim in this case was Eleazar Valenzuela.  Berchelt fired off scores of menacing left hooks and won by a sixth-round stoppage. Berchelt wants to face former featherweight champion Oscar Valdez next, and that's a fight which should generate fantastic action for boxing fans.  

Gabriel Flores (NC) 

In the early rounds of his fight against Josec Ruiz, Flores seemed to have turned a corner. Instead of over-moving, he planted himself in the pocket, fired off a number of impressive power shots and even scored a knockdown. However, as the fight progressed, he reverted to form, and used his legs and long-range boxing skills to pull away for an easy unanimous decision. Throughout the fight, his trainer (his father, Gabriel Sr.) repeatedly admonished Gabriel to hold his ground against the hard-charging Ruiz, but it's clear that Flores isn't yet comfortable with taking more chances on the inside. Flores (20 years old and now 18-0) has great legs and stellar hand speed, but he needs to become more proficient fighting at mid-range and on the inside. Until that time, he will remain a tantalizing prospect, and not a fully-formed top fighter. 

 

Jessie Magdaleno (NC) 

Magdaleno won by disqualification in the 10th round. His opponent, Yenifel Vicente, had already lost three points for various infractions, and referee Robert Byrd had seen enough. Magdaleno scored two knockdowns in the fight from quick counter right hooks and had built a lead on the cards. However, there were also large portions of the fight where he was passive in the ring, barely letting his hands go. In addition, Vicente fired low blows at Magdaleno throughout much of the fight and it's concerning that Magdaleno didn't try to take manners into his own hands at any point. Magdaleno once had a title at 122 lbs., and his skills are apparent, but he doesn't seem to be fighting with a lot of confidence. His passivity in the ring is a recent phenomenon, and one that needs to be expunged if he entertains notions of being a world titlist again.

Mike Plania (+) 

Photo Courtesy of Mikey Williams

Chalk this one up to the Top Rank matchmakers. The relatively unknown Plania was brought over from the Philippines to give bantamweight contender Joshua Greer a stern test. When the fight was announced, oddsmakers were unimpressed, with Greer initially installed as an over 10-1 favorite. But as more people started to research the fight, they said to themselves, hey, this kid can fight, and the odds started to close in a hurry. And Plania rewarded those who jumped on the initial betting lines. Scoring two knockdowns with wide left hooks, Plania took control of the fight. He displayed impressive poise for a young fighter and featured a variety of offensive weapons. Greer did come on a little in the second half, but Plania had done enough to win the fight on the scorecards. Almost everything Plania throws is hard and he doesn't light up the punch counting stats, but his power is real. At just 23 years old, he looks to be another significant player in the fascinating bantamweight division.  

Joshua Greer (-) 

This had been coming for some time. Greer had difficulty in his last three bouts. For this fight, he trained back in Chicago and returned to a former coach. But, in the first round against Plania, he was in trouble once again. He couldn't adjust to the trajectory of Plania's wide hook and was dropped; the same punch also led to his knockdown in the sixth. Eventually Greer realized that he was much safer on the inside and he had good moments on his front foot. However, he had already lost too many rounds to win the bout on the cards. Greer is a type of fighter who has superior athletic talent that sometimes can mask defensive deficiencies. He has flashy speed, but gets hit far too often at this point in his career. With Top Rank as his promoter and J. Prince as his management, he will get additional opportunities, but he has lots of work to do in the gym to succeed at the next level.  

Christopher Diaz (+) 

Diaz turned in a strong performance against Jason Sanchez, winning a wide unanimous decision. He controlled the pocket, threw a strong right hand and featured a variety of boxing skills that haven't always been part of his offensive attack. Diaz has yo-yoed between 126 and 130 lbs. throughout his career and believes that the lower weight may serve him best. He remains a capable fighter as long as an opponent engages him in the pocket. To me, he has the makings of a top gatekeeper at featherweight and junior lightweight, and I don't mean that as an insult. He's going to beat the fighters that he should beat, and will most likely lose to the most talented guys in these divisions. But if he can avoid taking too many clean shots, he will have a lengthy career as a B-side to the stars and up-and-coming prospects.  

Abraham Nova (NC) 

Facing a spoiler in Avery Sparrow, Nova's high-profile opportunity on ESPN was almost...well, spoiled. Although Sparrow landed very little in the fight, his jab and movement prohibited Nova from opening up with combinations, especially in the early rounds. In addition, Nova fought as if he had too much confidence in his power, seemingly surprised that after he landed a shot, Sparrow would continue unaffected. Once Nova realized that more effort was required to win, he did connect with some impressive power punches and overall, he had a stronger second half. He won the fight by a unanimous decision, but his performance didn't answer many questions about his future prospects in the sport. Nova features an impressive record (19-0, 14 KOs), but against unimpressive opposition. Although he possesses power and physicality, he doesn't yet understand the finer points of how to apply his skills in the ring. Top Rank has talked about matching him next against former 130-lb. champ Masayuki Ito, and that fight would present a stern test for Nova.  

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.

Punch 2 the Face Podcast

This week's Punch 2 the Face Podcast featured an interview with hot prospect and former U.S. Olympian Shakur Stevenson, who impressed with a second-round knockout this weekend. Brandon and I also recapped last week's fight action, including Jacobs-Sulecki on HBO and my on-site observations from the Magdaleno-Dogboe card from Philadelphia. We also previewed Golovkin-Martirosyan, Bellew-Haye II, and Garcia-Velez, all the big fights for the coming weekend.

To listen to the podcast, click on the links below: 

Blog Talk Radio link:
iTunes link:
Stitcher link:   


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: Magdaleno-Dogboe

In the moments leading up to Friday's weigh in, there was news that junior featherweight champion Jessie Magdaleno was having difficulty getting down to the 122-lb. limit. He was going to arrive a little late to the weigh in, presumably to finish shedding the remaining ounces needed to get to 122. When he finally made it to the scales, there was a sigh of relief from a few in the promotion when he weighed in at 122 lbs. on the dot. 

A little more than 24 hours later, Magdaleno collapsed in a heap during the 11th round. Referee Benjy Esteves provided a protective embrace upon the fallen fighter and waved the contest off. After the bout, Magdaleno's promoter, Bob Arum, announced that after time off, Jessie would continue his career in the featherweight division, four pounds north of where he fought on Saturday. 

Struggling to make weight is common in boxing, but it doesn't necessarily lead to a loss. During the lead up to his fight with Julius Indongo, Terence Crawford had similar problems making weight and shortly after the bout announced that he would move up to welterweight. Jermall Charlo was outgrowing the junior middleweight division and moved up to middleweight after his fight with Julian Williams. However, both Crawford and Charlo won their fights by KO; in fact, they made quick work of their opponents (perhaps they knew that they had to).

Courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Magdaleno started Saturday's fight against Isaac Dogboe in similar fashion to Crawford and Charlo, scoring an early knockdown. He landed a series of power shots toward the end of the first round (one of them was also a rabbit punch) and Dogboe fell to the canvas. 

However, Magdaleno didn't go for the kill after his initial success and Dogboe worked his way into the fight, landing a number of scorching right hands and solid body shots. In fact, Magdaleno didn't fight like a physically compromised athlete in the early stages of the fight. He tried to win the fight as a boxer/puncher, often using his legs, lateral movement and short power shots to score. 

But as the rounds stated to pile up, Magdaleno was using his legs far less often. Although he had success on occasion boxing from the back foot, he also spent too many portions of the fight in retreat or stuck along the ropes – two potential indications of fatigue. In the fifth round, Dogboe landed a sizzling counter right hand that dropped Magdaleno to the canvas. That exchange further confirmed Magdaleno's decision to engage selectively. Magdaleno did a fantastic job surviving the round but whatever early advantage he had in the fight was by now long gone.

As a young prospect, Magdaleno was quite the offensive dynamo. Charging forward with ferocity and fast hands, he was one of Top Rank's rising stars. After a difficult fight against Nonito Donaire in November of 2015, where Magdaleno won his first world title belt, he would go on to fight only one more time in the next 17 months. Some of that inactivity was due to a hand injury. Another portion could be attributed to the realities of the boxing business, and perhaps an admission that Magdaleno was no longer the gym rat that he once was. 

Even though Magdaleno had considerable boxing skills as a young fighter, it was a strange choice to see him try to beat Dogboe in a slicker, more defensive style. Dogboe consistently landed strong, lead right hands and Magdaleno wasn't evasive enough to avoid Dogboe's punishing body attack along the ropes. One attribute of a winning, defensive fighter: don't get hit that much. 

Perhaps the answers to Magdaleno's decisions in the fight could be explained by the events in the 11th round. Dogboe trapped Magdaleno in a corner and then landed a borderline right hand to Magdaleno's midsection. Dogboe continued his flurry, connecting with two more right hands, the last of which sent Magdaleno to the canvas for the second time in the fight. After the action resumed, Dogboe forced Magdaleno back to the corner and started going to work on Magdaleno's body, landing six or so right hands and three left hooks. Eventually, a left hook to the head sent Magdaleno to the canvas and he collapsed to his knees. Esteves ended the fight without a count. 

It should be noted that Dogboe's final blow was not a particularly hard shot; however, the preceding body shots certainly were. It was almost as if Dogboe literally beat the fight out of Magdaleno in the corner. Where Magdaleno held and used veteran tricks to survive the fifth round, in the 11th he couldn't even be bothered to use delaying tactics; he was ready for the fight to be over. And it wasn't as if he was making a noble final stand; he was just getting pulverized in the corner. 

Magdaleno has been well trained by Manny Robles. Surely, he knows how to tie up, foul, hold or use any and all available methods to survive – he had exhibited those skills beautifully in the fifth round. But in the 11th, he yielded: first mentally, then physically. 

Let's give credit to Dogboe who displayed a ferocious right hand and the intensity to match throughout the fight. His power shots and aggression eventually led to Magdaleno succumbing. But let's also note that Magdaleno defeated himself in portions of the fight. He abandoned the offensive style that had led to his success in his career. Perhaps physically and/or mentally he felt that he wouldn't be able to engage in a war, or that his body wouldn't hold up with that style over 12 rounds. However, he wasn't prepared to fight 36 minutes by ceding ground either. His performance certainly wasn't a disaster. He won some rounds. He landed impressive left hands and right hooks at points, but he lost the ring generalship battle, which directly led to his defeat. Dogboe wasn't the opponent to try a new defensive style for winning a fight. 

Courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Overall, the fight delivered – knockdowns galore, momentum swings, power connects. American audiences were introduced to an excellent, young (23) talent from Ghana with a TV-friendly style. Dogboe could make for some scintillating fights in the junior featherweight division over the next few years. 

As for Magdaleno, perhaps a move to 126 will help him physically. Making weight is one of the toughest aspects of boxing and he may feel much stronger at the featherweight. 

But I can't get past the fact that Magdaleno needs to have an honest talk with himself about his future as a boxer. Yes, it's just one loss and losses happen all the time, but it was the WAY that he capitulated that was troubling. Everyone can have an off night or be far from their best physically. But Magdaleno ended the fight meekly, as a boxer who didn't want any more. That's certainly not going to inspire him (or his team) the next time he's matched tough. 

***

In the co-feature, super middleweight Jesse Hart thrilled his hometown Philadelphia fans by pounding out a seventh-round stoppage over Demond Nicholson. If one were to watch a montage of Hart's best moments from the fight, he would look sensational. He scored three knockdowns and landed eye-catching right hands at various point in the bout. But, highlights aside, there were also moments were Hart looked flustered in the ring, allowing the over-matched Nicholson to beat him to the punch and take the initiative. 

In Hart's highest-profile bout as a professional, he was perhaps seconds from being knocked out in a title challenge against Gilberto Ramirez. Instead of yielding, Hart dug deep and fought back, winning several of the fight's latter rounds. Perhaps the precipice of defeat helped clarify things for Hart that night, for his only task was to survive, and he couldn't hold his way out of the match for the next eight rounds; he had to fight back. 

When Hart has been the better fighter in the ring, he often has lapses. He'll give up rounds, allow opponents to get free shots, and not take foes seriously. He almost got knocked out by journeyman Dashon Johnson doing just that in 2016.

Hart doesn't really know what he wants to do in the ring. He has a powerful right hand, athleticism, and solid boxing fundamentals, but there never seems to be a plan in place. He's too eager to let fights devolve into a battle of machismo. He falls for traps. In addition, he's not particularly patient in the ring. If something's not working, let's say his jab, he'll abandon it. 

He's a frustrating fighter to observe because it's hard to know what his ceiling is. If he someday puts it all together (which at 28 better be soon) then he could be a real threat in the super middleweight division. But it's far more likely that his recent string of performances will be par for the course. He will stop fighters a rung beneath him and struggle to find ways to beat the best in the division. Perhaps he is destined to wind up as a game B-side. And let's not look down upon that, boxing needs those guys too. 

***

Former heavyweight title challenger Bryant Jennings won a unanimous decision over fellow Philadelphia Joey Dawejko, avenging a defeat in the amateurs. The fight went according to plan with the lumbering Dawejko having some success early in the bout before Jennings's superior conditioning took over in the back half of the match. It was a workmanlike performance from Jennings, who won the fight essentially with just his jab and a few well-placed power shots. 

After back-to-back defeats against Wladimir Klitschko and Luis Ortiz in 2015, Jennings spent 20 months out of the ring, with much of that time embroiled in promotional issues. Eventually he signed with Top Rank and they have kept him busy. Saturday was his fourth fight in eight months. 

Following his victory on Saturday, Jennings talked with various members of the media on press row. On one hand, he was pleased with the win and thought he had won eight of the ten rounds (the judges agreed with him). However, he also noted that what he's been working on in the gym with trainer John David Jackson hasn't fully manifested yet in the ring.

Jennings is a solid athlete with a good jab. However, he lacks a true knockout punch, and he knows it. Jackson has been working with Jennings to trust in his power, but that belief is not there yet. Dawejko was the harder hitter of the two on Saturday. When Jennings tried to slug it out in the middle of the ring, he was often beaten in exchanges. 

Unfortunately for Jennings and his promoters, Jennings is at his best when he's on his bike. It's a negative style and it results in fights that aren't often thrilling to watch. I'm sure that Jackson also knows that Jennings's style can't last forever as the fighter (now 33) continues to age out of his physical prime. In addition, he realizes that all boxers, regardless of their athleticism, have to be ready to fight, and win those moments. 

There are still growing pains for Jennings and Jackson and it's unclear if the pair will coalesce to bring out the best in the fighter. Right now, it appears that they aren't fully in sync yet. Perhaps Jennings has one or two more fights to get everything in order. But I'm sure that he wants another crack at real money sooner rather than later, and that will involve a bigger risk than Joey Dawejko. 

***

In just a short time as a pro, Shakur Stevenson has made significant strides. On Saturday he fought Patrick Riley, an unbeaten boxer who could handle himself in the ring. To many it seemed that Riley would be Stevenson’s first real test in the pros. 

Well, throw narrative out the window because Stevenson destroyed Riley in two rounds. In Stevenson’s first few professional fights, he won because of his superior hand speed, reflexes and athleticism. But on Saturday, it was Stevenson's power that did the talking. He threw sharp straight left hands and right hooks. He dug to the body with thudding shots. But perhaps more important than his power shots was his belief in them. Stevenson fought Riley mostly in the pocket, which was a welcome sign of maturity. Instead of over-moving, he was leading and countering from range. He was ready to punish Riley for mistakes and initiate his own offense whenever he saw fit. He had a fantastic moment in the second round where he feinted a jab to the head and came downstairs with a punishing left hand, a scintillating mixture of intelligence and power. 

After the fight, I talked with a Top Rank executive who was thrilled with Stevenson's performance. Yes, Shakur has the hand speed, the athleticism and the Olympic medal, but if he can further develop his power...well, we know how this goes – everyone loves knockouts. If Stevenson continues to add power, the sky is the limit for him, and it still may be even if he doesn't; he is that talented. 

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.