Twelve to Watch for 2022

With the new boxing year now underway, I made a list of current fighters whom I love watching ply their trade. I then separated my list into two categories: champions or former champions in the first bucket and those who have yet to fight for a title in the second grouping. This article will cover 12 fighters from this second group; many of them are poised to have a big 2022. 

There's no real rhyme or reason or consistent theme for the boxers who appear on this list (although they all have fewer than 20 professional bouts), just fighters who have caught my eye. I won't say that these 12 are the best at anything yet, but they all have intriguing potential, solid skill sets and are generally entertaining in the ring. Some of these names will be more familiar to you than others, but all are worth keeping tabs on. And with that, here's the 12.    

Ra'eese Aleem (19-0, 12 KOs, junior featherweight, Age 31, USA)

Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott

Aleem opened eyes last year with a masterful performance against Vic Pasillas, although he did have a more challenging fight against rugged opponent Eduardo Baez later in the year. Even though he's not a young fighter (31), he was still fighting on club shows as recently as two years ago. But as he has demonstrated in his past three fights on Showtime, Aleem possesses world-class talent. More than that, he can be a stylistic nightmare. Comfortable switching stances even during the middle of a combination, Aleem has an unpredictability that will make him competitive with anyone in the junior featherweight division. He has knockout power in both hands and features choppy movement that doesn't fall into regular patterns. One thing he needs to watch out for is a problem that many movers face: over-movement. He tries to do so many things at times, especially in close quarters, that he can find himself out-of-position for straight shots and counters.   

Jared Anderson (11-0, 11 KOs, heavyweight, Age 22, USA)

Anderson is the best heavyweight prospect in America. And although that sounds like high praise, it isn't. He might be the only one who could actually win a title. But being the best of a mediocre bunch isn't why he's on this list; Anderson has earned it. In multiple training camps with Tyson Fury, Anderson, by all reports, has given the heavyweight champion great work. He has stopped all 11 of his professional opponents, but he has more than just one-punch power. He features a relentless body attack that is uncommon for a young and tall (6'4") heavyweight. In addition, he's very comfortable fighting out of each stance. He also throws punches in combination and doesn't load up on one shot. As he hasn't gone past the sixth round yet, Top Rank needs to test his endurance this year. Anderson has tons of heavyweight tools, but he still has a few rungs to go up the ladder. There's no rush, but let's hope we can see some real progress in 2022.  

Felix Cash (14-0, 10 KOs, middleweight, Age 28, UK) 

Photo courtesy of Queensberry Promotions

The middleweight division has been lackluster in recent years. It's thin and the top guys haven't been in a rush to face each other. Those looking past the familiar names in the division might be interested in this potential sleeper. Cash was a solid amateur in the UK, has a great professional trainer in Tony Sims and has disarming power. In 2021 he knocked out fellow undefeated British prospect Denzel Bentley in three rounds. Cash can box and punch and has power from all ranges. It remains to be seen how he fares against superior athletes or those who try to muscle him on the inside, but make no mistake, he knows how to handle himself in the ring. Expect Cash to get an opportunity against a top-15 fighter in 2022. He could move fast – the division is weak and everyone is on the hunt for fresh faces.  

Charles Conwell (16-0, 12 KOs, junior middleweight, Age 24, USA)

Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott

We don't often think of recent U.S. Olympians as wrecking balls in the ring, but that's what Conwell is. With a swarming style similar to Shawn Porter and Tim Bradley, but with more power than both, the 2016 Olympian is poised for big things in the sport. 2021 was mostly a marking time year for him with two fights against non-descript opponents; however, the junior middleweight division could soon have a bunch of titles available in the near future. Conwell could have some significant opportunities in the next 18 months. There are a couple of in- and out-of-the-ring concerns regarding his advancement. His defense still needs to be tightened up on the inside and his management (Split-T) is going through a variety of issues at the moment. Hopefully he will have a clear direction and at least one fight of real significance in 2022.   

Keyshawn Davis (4-0, 3 KOs, lightweight, Age 22, USA)

Davis is one of the more unusual prospects I've seen in recent years. He places his punches with patience and utmost care. Despite having athleticism and power, he's not in any rush in the ring. He seems wise beyond his years. A silver medalist in the Tokyo Olympics, Davis has also been a frequent sparring partner for champion Shakur Stevenson. Even with only four professional fights, Davis has pedigree, polish, and a number of veteran fighter skills. It will be interesting to see if he does possess the types of youthful flourishes that create new boxing fans. Does he have a killer instinct? Does he know when to turn on the jets? They say that youth is wasted on the young, but sometimes the young aren't burdened by caution. Let's see what's in store for Davis. To say that I'm intrigued by Davis is a massive understatement. 

Sebastian Fundora (18-0-1, 12 KOs, junior middleweight, Age 24, USA)

Photo courtesy of Esther Lin

The 6'5" southpaw junior middleweight (although he might actually be taller) is no longer a secret in boxing circles. Having been featured prominently on several PBC broadcasts over the last few years, Fundora is a unicorn in boxing. There's just no one like him in the sport. Not only is he five inches or so taller than almost everyone in the division, he also loves to fight inside and mix it up. Despite looking like a toothpick in the ring, he's actually a banger and a bruiser. He has deceptive toughness and physicality. But being unique isn't the same as being unbeatable. He had a draw with Jamontay Clary in 2019 and Sergio Garcia gave him a really hard time in his last fight. It's clear that Fundora would rather face brawlers than more disciplined and technical fighters. He has periods where he sometimes zones out and loses focus. He's rumored to face Erickson Lubin next in what could be one of the best fights in the first half of 2022.  

Bakhodir Jalolov (9-0, 9 KOs, heavyweight, Age 27, Uzbekistan)

The Tokyo Olympics super heavyweight champion, Jalolov has a powerful left hand, a sharp right hook and a natural ability for combination punching. The southpaw uses range well and can move, but some have questioned his gas tank, even in amateur three-round fights. He's still at least two years away from title contention, but he could move up the ladder fast. In 2022 he's going to need real opponents who will force him to go rounds. His knockouts and ring IQ will take him far, but more will be needed to round out his entire package in the ring. He's one of the best heavyweight prospects in the sport and he possesses an intriguing mix of power, skills and ring smarts.   

Frank Martin (15-0, 11 KOs, lightweight, Age 27, USA)

Martin opened eyes in 2021 by knocking out Jerry Perez in a battle of unbeaten prospects. Martin has also already fought in 2022, stopping veteran trial horse Romero Duno in four rounds on New Year's Day. Martin is highly skilled. A southpaw with great feet and excellent boxing acumen, he has power in both hands and the ability to land different punches for knockout blows. Fighting out of Derek James' gym in Dallas, Martin can box, but he has a nasty streak as well. Through 15 professional fights, Martin has barely lost a round. He's going to be a nightmare to outbox and he can hurt opponents too. Martin's recent opponents have been capable, but he's yet to face a solid combination puncher or a supreme athlete. We still need to see how good his defense is. His offense is already there.  

Artem Oganesyan (12-0, 10 KOs, junior middleweight, Age 23, Russia but fights out of Canada)

For those looking for a fighter who's a little off-the-grid, let me suggest Oganesyan. When doing research for a Ring City piece last year, Oganesyan hit my radar, and I became enthralled with his abilities. A southpaw with great feet, he's fantastic off the back foot, but he also can be aggressive when the situation calls for it. He's a pure boxer with pop, featuring hand speed, smooth movement and a high Ring IQ. Oganesyan isn't aligned with a huge promoter and didn't even fight in 2021, but he's certainly another of the young guns at 154 lbs. who could soon become a major factor in the division (Conwell and Fundora are also on this list). It's still to be determined just how big of a puncher he is. His knockouts are more a product of the accumulation of clean blows than one-punch finishing ability.  

Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez (14-0, 10 KOs, junior flyweight, Age 22, USA)

Rodriguez has footwork that may be on par with Lomachenko's, except it may even be more purposeful. Possessing speed, athleticism, power, a large punch arsenal and expert accuracy, Rodriguez is a young fighter who has genuine pound-for-pound ability. Trainer Robert Garcia has called him the best fighter in his gym and while that might sound like hyperbole considering Rodriguez's relative inexperience, let's not discount it either; he could be that good. Rodriguez is an aggressive southpaw with a rock-solid boxing foundation. Although he's definitely a knockout puncher, he doesn't force stoppages. His abilities have overwhelmed opponents to this point. It's still not clear if he's going to settle at 108 or 112 lbs., but he has the talent level to win a world championship in either division. It's going to come down to the sanctioning bodies for him, since champs won't be lining up to give him an opportunity. 

Gary Antuanne Russell (14-0, 14 KOs, junior welterweight, Age 25, USA)

Photo courtesy of Esther Lin

Yet another southpaw on this list, Russell mixes in blinding hand speed with significant punching power and spite. A brother of Gary Russell Jr.'s, Antuanne has a strong amateur pedigree, and seems to be more offensively-minded than his brother. In a perfect world Russell would be more active; he had only one fight in 2021 and one in 2020. I think that the only thing that Russell needs to improve on is his punch accuracy. He could sacrifice a little bit of speed to hit the target more frequently. A natural combination puncher, he could have even more success if he places his punches a little more carefully. He's a prime candidate to win a junior welterweight belt once Josh Taylor leaves the division.  

Dalton Smith (9-0, 7 KOs, junior welterweight, Age 24, UK)

Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson

Smith represented Great Britain in various amateur tournaments and in the World Series of Boxing. Trained by his father, Grant (who also corners champion Sunny Edwards), Smith has an impressive boxing foundation. And what separates him from many prospects in the UK is that he can really punch. Watching him in the ring, he fights like a guy with far more seasoning than just nine professional fights; his poise is one of his best qualities in the ring. The challenge for Smith is to ensure that he is moved correctly. Matchroom had difficulties developing their 2016 Olympians appropriately and the hope here is that Smith can move fast, but not too fast. He still needs to face more opponents who will provide genuine resistance and will be in the ring expecting to win. Matchroom's matchmakers are going to be essential in his development. Let's hope that they get this one right. The talent is there.

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. 

Ra'eese Aleem: Q&A

There's a stubborn streak that runs through Ra'eese Aleem. It's what makes a frustrated fighter from a small town in Michigan leave behind his family and boxing support system to head to Las Vegas, a city where he knew no one and didn't even have a single connection. 

Enduring multiple layoffs of more than 18 months in his career, Aleem refused to let inactivity be an excuse; he continued to train without anything on the horizon, just a belief that things were going to break his way. And when they didn't, he followed his own path, making his own luck. Throughout his career he had been rejected by big promoters and shut out of opportunities given to many fighters of lesser stature, but he always believed that he would become a world champion. 

Despite a city full of boxing trainers, Aleem insisted on training himself for almost a year and a half when first arriving in Vegas. Now a junior featherweight contender, Aleem (18-0, 12 KOs) has retained his stubborn side. Even with a settled team around him now, Aleem still calls many of his own shots when it comes to training and fight preparation.

Ra'eese Aleem (left) lands a left hook on Vic Pasillas
Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott

Often working out up to three times a day, Aleem's competitiveness is foundational to his story. He earned a black belt in karate by the time he was 14. He next transitioned to boxing and quickly took to the sport. By 17 he was already competing in National Golden Gloves tournaments. 

Last Saturday Aleem had the breakout performance of his career. Facing a fellow unbeaten fighter in Vic Pasillas in a Showtime co-feature, Aleem scored four knockdowns and won by an 11th round TKO. Aleem displayed a combination of ferocity, punching power and versatility that made for exciting television. Surely, main event slots and a title opportunity will now be coming his way in the near future. After spending years in the boxing wilderness, he has finally arrived. 

This week I spoke with Aleem and got to know more about his backstory, the genesis of his fighting style and perhaps a little bit of what makes him tick. Aleem knows that he's on the precipice of achieving great things in the sport. At 30, an age where many 122-lb. fighters have already begun to decline, Aleem believes that he's hitting his peak. 

He wants it all. He can feel it. And he knows that he has gotten this far not by necessarily listening to others, but by marching to the beat of his own drum. Call it stubbornness. Call it self-belief. Call it perseverance. But call it as it is: Ra'eese Aleem has made his own way to the big time. 

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Ra'eese, congratulations on your victory and an excellent performance.

Thank you very much.

I wanted to begin with how you started out in boxing.  I know that before boxing you were involved in karate. How did you find your way to boxing initially?

I got my black belt in karate. After that, it came down to what are we going to do next. My dad wound up taking me to the boxing gym one day. I must have been 14. I was naturally kind of good because I already knew how to fight. And I stuck with it. 

In what ways has karate helped you with boxing? 

Probably my footwork, being good on my feet. Being able to go in-and-out. Step-and-pivot. Or switch to the southpaw position naturally without getting caught, or without making it look like I’m actually switching. That, and also being humble, both inside and outside the ring – not taking anybody for granted. 

You seem to have significant power in your left hand. Are you a converted southpaw who fights in the orthodox stance? 

I’m naturally left-handed, but I’ve always been an orthodox fighter. I’m more fluid in the orthodox stance, but I’m definitely stronger as a southpaw.

One aspect of your style that I think differentiates you from many fighters is your ability to switch from orthodox to southpaw in the middle of a combination. You did this very well against Pasillas. Have you always had this ability or is it something you've developed over time?

It’s always come natural to me, but it is something I continue to work on. It could be in the gym, during sparring. Maybe I see the angle and I create it. I just do it. 

How would you describe your amateur background? 

I went to the Golden Gloves five or six times. I made it to the national semifinals two years in a row. I lost by split decisions. I fought some good guys as an amateur: Kevin Rivers, Shemuel Pagan. I fought Ernie Garza, Ronny Rios, Erick De Leon. I fought a tough guy out of Philly, Damon Allen. Some good guys. 

What was the process like for you turning pro? 

My original boxing coach, Terry Markowski, who is still a part of Team Aleem, said to me one day, you have x number of fights, it’s time to go pro. And I said OK. It was like that.

Turning pro, being a successful professional fighter, winning a world title, that has always been my goal. It was never going to the Olympics and going for the gold medal. That wasn’t the goal of mine. Mine was to turn pro and win a world title. When Terry said it was time, it was time.

When you started as a pro, you fought off the radar in many small towns and cities in the Midwest that aren't known for being boxing hotbeds. What was the Midwest boxing circuit like? 

Sometimes you have to fight in a hole-in-the-wall. And there’s not a lot of fans. But just because you start there, doesn’t mean you have to finish there. You just have to pay your dues. It sucks, actually. My fourth fight I was on a card that was on HBO. It was the first fight of the night. It wasn't on TV or anything, but still.

And then going from that to fighting in Green Bay or Dodge City...it’s kind of like, “damn.” But it’s part of the game if you want to eventually get to that bigger platform. You have to earn it. And eventually I did. 

One of four knockdowns for Aleem against Pasillas
Photo Courtesy of Amanda Westcott

You had a couple of long layoffs in your career. What were those times in your life like? What did you do to keep yourself engaged in boxing when you couldn't get fights?

It was hard because I was still in the gym training. I was also working at a grocery store called Meijer's and they allowed me to get the time off I needed for sparring. But eventually I just couldn’t get fights. I was 4-0. I fought on an Adrien Broner undercard in Cincinnati. I beat an undefeated fighter [DeVonte Allen] and after that, nobody would fight me. I signed with Cameron Dunkin thinking that I would be all set, that I’d just have to train to get ready for a fight. But I went from having a few fights and then, boom! Everything went stagnant. 

Because of that, I said to myself if I was going to continue to box, I had to do something different. I was tired of listening to trainers, coaches, managers and promoters. I decided to do what Ra’eese Aleem wanted to do. I was still working. I was saving up money. I made a plan. And eventually I made it happen.

Hoping to kickstart your career, you left Muskegon for Las Vegas. Did you know anyone in Vegas? Did you have any boxing contacts there? 

I didn’t have any contacts. I didn’t know anybody. No family. No friends. No support system. I just went for me. 

Once I got here, now I’m like, what do I do? I have to find a gym. I google the closest boxing gyms near me. I find Barry's Boxing Gym. So, I go there. Now I have to find a coach. It was a little bit of a process. 

Augie Sanchez was there. We started to work together, but he worked with the USA team, and I wasn’t really feeling that because I needed someone who could be focused on me. 

So I just decided to train myself. I was grinding and training myself for a while, almost a year and a half. And then I had an opportunity to fight an undefeated fighter. I dominated that fight [his first bout with Marcus Bates] and that started the domino effect where I am today.

How did you link up with your current trainer, Bobby McCoy? 

He’s actually from Barry's Boxing Gym, the first boxing gym I went to. That's where we met. For some reason, the coaches there didn’t want me and him to hit the mitts or anything like that at first. I’m not sure why. But eventually we hit the mitts and we became cool. You know, he’s not 20 years older than me. We’re around the same age. We’re kind of just boys. We hung out a little bit. But I was still doing my thing.  

After I won my fight [the first Bates fight], I wound up being trained by Bones Adams. Bones trained me for a little bit, but we decided to go our separate ways. Then I was thinking about some things and I decided to hit up Bobby. If I ever needed someone to work my corner if Bones couldn’t make it, or if something was going on, Bobby would be there. If I needed someone to hit the mitts, I would hit the mitts with Bobby. That’s how we really started to work with each other. Then we had a conversation. We talked business. And then we were like, let’s make it happen. 

How did you wind up being promoted by Marshall Kauffman and King's Promotions? 

We were trying to fight undefeated fighters, guys with winning records, and even good guys that had losing records. We were just trying to get a fight. And nobody would want to fight me. We were in talks with Top Rank. We were in talks with Golden Boy. Victory Boxing in Florida. Roy Jones Boxing. But it seemed like everyone was kind of dragging their feet. 

Marshall, he does a lot of shows. He’s very active. Terry Markowski talked with him. We had an opportunity to fight an undefeated fighter, Marcus Bates, and that was Marshall’s fighter. 

This is the kind of fighter that I am. I’m coming off an almost two-year layoff, move to a new city and train myself for a year and a half. I have an opportunity to fight an active, undefeated fighter with seven or eight knockouts in his nine wins, and I jump at the opportunity.

And that's how we got hooked up with Marshall. And I’m very grateful for Marshall for giving me the opportunity to make that fight and to sign me and to believe in me. 

In your opinion, why weren't some of the big promoters interested in signing you? 

I think it’s because I’m from a small town. I’m from a town that nobody’s heard of in Michigan. Yeah, maybe he’s 10-0 but he’s never fought anybody. Maybe he’s fought all bums. 

But had I been born in Vegas or born in New York or Florida or Cali, it would be completely different. Nobody could convince me otherwise. It’s just because I’m from Muskegon, Michigan. They had never produced a world champion.

Aleem victorious over Pasillas
Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott

Growing up, who were some fighters that influenced you? 

I liked Mike Tyson. I liked how ferocious he was inside the ring and outside the ring. Whether he was talking shit or knocking somebody out, I always liked that about him. 

How much tape do you study on an opponent? How much did you study Pasillas before your fight last Saturday? 

If there’s tape, I try to watch. I want to get an idea of what he has. For Pasillas, I watched his last fight. That’s the only fight that I saw. First, I watched the highlights and then I saw the full fight, but I only watched it once all the way through. The difference between the last guy Pasillas fought [Ranfis Encarnacion] and me is that I'm a completely different animal. The guy he fought last was a tree. No foot movement. No head movement. Nothing. Yeah, he was undefeated, but he wasn't anything like me. Vic Pasillas is an outstanding fighter and made that guy look like a bum. I wanted to make sure I brought my A-game against Pasillas. And I did.

You work out sometimes three times a day. At 30 years old, an age that isn't young for your weight class, how do you draw the line between staying fresh versus burning yourself out?

It’s really just listening to your body. Training for Pasillas, there was a day where we were supposed to spar 10 rounds. But I listened to my body. I know how hard I work. And instead of ten rounds, I said we’re going to go five, and then we’re also going to do this and that. You have to be able to adapt and adjust. I know what it takes to perform at an elite level. I know the type of shape I have to get my body in. I have to be able to listen to my body. 

I’ve listened to coaches before. “You should do this. You should do that.” And I’ve done it. And I’ve had injuries, or something doesn’t go the way it should. So, I don’t listen to anybody else anymore. I do what Ra’eese Aleem wants to do. If I want to do three-a-days, I’m going to do three-a-days. And I’m going to listen to my body and I’m going to act accordingly.

I know that you're an avid practitioner of yoga. How has yoga helped you in your boxing career? 

I think it’s helped tremendously. You know all the things that fighters may be scared to do for whatever reason or they refuse to do; those are the things that I want to do. Working those little muscles, you know, muscles you don’t usually work. Controlling your breathing. It’s all good stuff. It’s nothing but beneficial. I feel like it helps me. And I display that in my performances.

You had a commanding performance against Pasillas and made a big statement in the junior featherweight division. What's next for you in the boxing ring? 

It should be a world title fight. Anything other than a world title fight I’m going to be livid. I’m going to mad, disappointed, whatever the word is, I will be that. I’m ready for the opportunity. I won a world title eliminator last fight. After this fight, I’m now in the mandatory position. You know, these fighters can’t duck and dodge me forever. I’m ready to fight any current world champion. I want to fight for the world title in let’s say May/June. Win it, and then defend it before the end of the year. That's what I want to achieve.

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 8-30-20

After a busy month of fight action, it's time for another edition of the SNB Stock Report. See which fighters' stock went up (+), down (-) or remained unchanged (NC). To read more about the Whyte-Povetkin and Alvarez-Smith fights, click here. 

Shawn Porter (+)

Photo Courtesy of Sean Michael Ham

In his first ring action since last year's thrilling fight against Errol Spence, Shawn slugged his way to a shutout against Sebastian Formella. Porter dazzled with combination punching on the inside and exhibited solid technical boxing skills on the outside. This was always going to be a marking time bout for Porter, but he looked very sharp and didn't fight down to the level of his competition. Expect Porter to be back in the welterweight title picture in 2021.

Erislandy Lara (NC)

Erislandy Lara remains a formidable fighter in the junior middleweight division. This month he boxed his way to a unanimous decision against overmatched Greg Vendetti. Lara's timing was off at points early in the fight and he wasn't always able to stop Vendetti from getting in close. However, he got the best of the action with straight left hands, left uppercuts and right hooks. At 37, it's a fair question to ask if Lara's reflexes are still at their peak form, but we're going to need to see a much better opponent than Vendetti to find out that answer. 

Alfredo Angulo (-)

Many fight fans have been calling for Angulo to retire for a number of years. His physical skills have declined and he's taken far too many heavy blows. However, he had a nice come-from-behind victory against Peter Quillin last year, which was supposed to set up a meaningful fight against Caleb Truax. But Truax had to pull out of that matchup for health reasons and Angulo wound up facing late-replacement Vladimir Hernandez. After a slow start, Angulo slugged his way back into the fight, but he did slow down in the final two rounds. He wound up losing a unanimous decision, but more importantly, he was hit with hundreds of additional hard shots throughout the fight. He's now 38 and if he had been harboring any dreams of finding his way back into the title picture, that reality is now up in smoke.  

Angelo Leo (+)

Leo was supposed to fight Stephen Fulton for a vacant belt at 122 lbs., but Fulton tested positive for COVID-19 the week of the fight. Southpaw Tramaine Williams stepped in on short notice and despite a radical difference in opponent style, Leo was able to impress. Taking a few rounds to assess to Williams's hand speed and movement, Leo eventually had success on the inside with a merciless body attack. He also displayed an exceptional ability to cut off the ring, nullifying Williams's foot speed advantage. Leo won via a unanimous decision and put his name into the hat as another top fighter in the deep junior featherweight division. 

Ra'eese Aleem (+)

Every now and then an unheralded veteran fighter will suddenly emerge on the scene and force the boxing industry to take notice. Thirty certainly isn't an age for most junior featherweights to make an initial impression; that's when many smaller-weight fighters are already comfortably in their decline phase. However, Aleem, who had been boxing mostly in the Midwest and Pennsylvania circuits, made a significant statement by stopping Marcus Bates in his Showtime Championship Boxing debut. Aleem put forth an impressive power-punching display and he also demonstrated significant skills both on the inside and outside. With his electric performance, he'll certainly have another notable opportunity soon.  

Jose Ramirez (-)

Ramirez looked like he was in peak form during an impressive performance against Maurice Hooker last July. Since then, a scheduled fight with Viktor Postol was cancelled twice on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, back into the ring after 13 months, Ramirez struggled against Postol's clever boxing from the outside. Ramirez did have a few notable moments in the seventh and eighth rounds where he hurt Postol with left hooks against the ropes. But for the most part, he seemed to fight Postol to a standstill, with neither fighter truly able to assert his will upon the action. Ramirez wound up winning a majority decision. It wasn't a robbery, but the unified junior welterweight champion did not look commanding or convincing in the ring. He will still have an opportunity to become the undisputed 140-lb. champ in a future fight against Josh Taylor, but Ramirez's career momentum took a hit with his inconsistent showing against Postol. 

Viktor Postol (+)

At the age of 36, Postol was supposed to present a couple of challenges to Jose Ramirez, but few, if any, expected him to win the fight. Yet after 12 rounds, the actual winner of the contest was very much in doubt. More than a few on social media thought that he had jabbed and moved his way to a close win (count me in this group). Although Postol lost by majority decision, he demonstrated that he's still an elite junior welterweight. With a different judging panel, he certainly could have had his hands raised at the end of the night. 

Katie Taylor (+)

Photo Courtesy of Mark Robinson

Katie Taylor has now boxed 20 rounds against Delfine Persoon and has come away with disputed victories in both fights. Without getting into the intricacies of scoring, both Taylor-Persoon bouts have been among the best women's boxing fights that I've seen. In my opinion both boxers have been elevated by their performances. Taylor-Persoon is just one of those matchups that stylistically will lead to close verdicts on the scorecards. From my vantage point, I thought that Taylor boxed a little sharper in the rematch and used her legs to better effect. My scorecard read 96-94 for Taylor; however, I don't think that her victory was definitive by any means. But ultimately, the fight was fantastic, and sometimes that's more important than the minutiae of scoring criteria. 

Delfine Persoon (+)

It's long been a working theory of mine that the best way to fight expert, polished boxers is to dispense with any notion of trying to match their skills. Persoon doesn't possess the pretty jabs, textbook left hook, or foot speed of Katie Taylor, but she has specific dimensions that will always bother her. Persoon's relentless aggression forces Taylor to fight at a pace (faster) and a distance (closer) that is uncomfortable for her. In addition, Persoon is wonderful in the clinch, utilizing her physicality and maneuvering her body to get off chopping power shots at close range. It's a shame that Taylor and Persoon fought only two-minute rounds. In so many of their rounds Taylor dominated the first half and Persoon came back in the final minute. A third minute could have provided a definitive winner in both bouts.  

David Benavidez (-)

On one hand David Benavidez took care of business this month by defeating Alexis Angulo in an impressive, one-sided beat down. But "business" is the key word, as far as it concerns Benavidez. He missed weight by almost three pounds prior to the fight and wound up losing his belt on the scales, the second time in his brief professional career where he has lost a world title outside of the ring. Benavidez has now earned the reputation of being unreliable, which is not a positive development for him. It's unclear if Benavidez can even safely make super middleweight going forward. If he can, he may still get a fight with titleholder Caleb Plant in 2021, but he won't have the same financial leverage that he would have had as a champion. 

Sebastian Fundora (+)

Last year Fundora had a difficult matchup against Jamontay Clark. Fundora built an early lead, but somehow let Clark, whom he had hurt multiple times, come back into the fight to earn a draw. Did Fundora have enough physical strength on his lanky frame? Was he unprepared for Clark's lateral movement? Facing former contender Nathaniel Gallimore this month, Fundora put all those questions aside for now and impressed in all aspects against a much different opponent. Not only was his punch selection, power and work rate fantastic, but he also showed a new-found ability to use his physicality to rough up Gallimore in the trenches. Fundora won via a sixth-round knockout. It's still anyone's guess as to which division Fundora will ultimately settle into, but he's starting to grasp more advanced aspects of boxing in the ring. If he keeps making steady progress, he's going to be a tough out. 

Israil Madrimov (NC)

Madrimov defeated veteran Eric Walker this month in an overall strange performance. After a fast start, Madrimov seemed to tire by the fourth round. In the seventh and eighth rounds he was getting hit by a lot of shots. Then the fight got weird. In the ninth round, Madrimov landed a leaping left that knocked Walker down. During the follow through of the punch, Madrimov's shoulder also connected with Walker. Referee Gary Ritter ruled that the knockdown was due to the foul, which was a questionable call at best. After a long break, the fight resumed and Madrimov dominated the remainder of the action. He would win a unanimous decision. Madrimov possesses incredible athletic talent, but his lack of defensive fundamentals is problematic at this point in his young professional career. Walker routinely landed with simple one-two's. And it's surprising that with Madrimov's substantial amateur career, that he still has such defensive shortcomings. Madrimov's team has talked about getting a title shot as soon as possible at junior middleweight. In my opinion he still needs three or four fights before he's ready for that level.

Tim Tszyu (+)

In a big fight in Australia, Tszyu, the son of the former champion, Kostya, stopped recent welterweight champion Jeff Horn. In just his 16th pro fight, Tszyu fought like a seasoned veteran, handling Horn's roughhouse techniques and grappling with aplomb. Tszyu featured a pulverizing left hook and a commitment to body punching. Like Madrimov, Tszyu is one of the up-and-comers in the 154-lb. division. And although he possesses offensive firepower, he would do well to fight a legitimate contender or two before he gets a title shot. To this point he hasn't had enough competitive rounds in his professional development.  

Rolando Romero (-)

Romero made his Showtime Championship Boxing debut this month against Jackson Marinez, and quite frankly, he didn't look ready for the big stage. Loading up on every shot, Romero seemed befuddled by Marinez's polished boxing skills and athleticism. Romero did connect with some tasty power punches, but there weren't enough of them. Romero was awarded the victory, but it was a robbery. It's never a good sign when the WBA President immediately tweets out that a rematch should be considered based on the scoring of the fight. At 24, Romero still has time to develop additional aspects of his game. He has to learn to set up shots strategically. For many opponents, one shot will not suffice. 

Otto Wallin (+)

Wallin, who gave Tyson Fury some problems last year, stopped Travis Kauffman in the fifth round of their fight this month. Wallin is one of those fighters who doesn't necessarily pass the "eye test," but he can fight. Although he doesn't possess big-time power, his punch volume, jab and movement are unique factors in a division where many fighters would prefer to be stationary. He needs additional rounds against credible heavyweights to assess just what his ceiling could be, but he has some interesting raw tools. It wouldn't surprise me to see him spring a notable upset or two in the near future.

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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