Chicken Tawk Boxing Prediction Show

I joined this week's Chicken Tawk Boxing Prediction Show where Lefty and I previewed Joshua-Franklin, Ramirez-Dogboe and much more. To listen to the show, click here.

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

He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, 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: The Beterbiev-Smith Card

I wonder if there was a sign in the red corner's dressing room on Saturday: The best performance of the night gets an extra $50,000. And as if it were a contest, each winner on Saturday tried his hardest to claim that fictional bonus. What we saw was excellence – hungry fighters, going for it, putting markers down, showing the world their absolute best. 

At the top of the card Artur Beterbiev revealed further evidence of his greatness by destroying Joe Smith in two rounds to win his third light heavyweight belt. And as impressive as that performance was, Saturday was also much more than the main event. It was Robeisy Ramirez showing the boxing community that he's finally ready to take his career to the next level. Bruce Carrington let everyone know that he can quickly become a force. Jahi Tucker at 19 demonstrated that he already has several top-shelf skills. And Troy Isley, facing by far his most difficult opponent, displayed not just impressive power and speed, but also a sharp boxing mind. Each of these winners mastered his opponent and it was a thrilling display of talent at Madison Square Garden's Hulu Theater. 

Beterbiev celebrates after his win
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams

That Beterbiev knocked out Smith was not a shock, but the new wrinkles he displayed at 37 demonstrated that he's far more than brute force. Beterbiev immediately started the fight with lateral movement, not letting Smith have a straight line of attack. And from the jump, he was in counterpunch mode, which is not an attribute that is usually associated with him. He threw counter right hands that punished Smith's robotic offensive forays. At the end of the first round, he beat Smith to the punch with a right-hand temple shot that dropped Smith as he was coming in. 

Beterbiev featured several high-level boxing facets to go along with the howitzers in his gloves. He demonstrated surprising hand and foot speed. His counters were sharp and quick. He also showed a sharp boxing mind, figuring out Smith's offensive setup in lightning-quick fashion. Beterbiev realized that as soon as Smith cocked his right hand, he could beat Smith to the punch with a shorter right hand. This pattern recognition led to three knockdowns in the first two rounds. And in a veteran move, after Beterbiev hurt Smith, he didn't allow his opponent time to recuperate. He pressed forward with two fight-ending uppercuts. Beterbiev's power is of course scary; he has yet to go the distance in 18 fights. But as he demonstrated on Saturday, there's much more to his game than a big punch. 

Robeisy Ramirez was a highly touted two-time Olympic gold medal winner when he was signed by Top Rank. He then proceeded to lose his debut in a listless performance against Adan Gonzales, a Colorado club fighter. I was at that fight in Philly and Ramirez didn't look prepared for Gonzales' pressure. Ramirez fought like he expected to win just because he had shown up in the arena. 

Ramirez eventually linked up with noted trainer Ismael Salas, but even with this new pairing he still failed to impress on a consistent basis. He would flash moments of high-level skill and then show an utter lack of urgency. He often seemed happy to squeak by in rounds, even if his opponents were far beneath his skill level. 

On Saturday Ramirez showed that he has finally turned the corner. Facing the best opponent of his career in Abraham Nova, Ramirez fought on Saturday as if his career depended on it, and maybe it did. He punished Nova with his left hand. Refreshingly, he didn't just lie back waiting to counterpunch. In the third round he beat up Nova with cracking power shots. In the fifth he ended the fight with a two-punch combination. The lead right hook missed, but Nova never saw the straight left coming, and suddenly he was on the canvas under the ropes. 

Ramirez's straight left was his money punch
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams

Ramirez appears to have learned that professional boxing is not just about winning. It's also about creating demand, instilling fear, dominating those beneath you, handling your business, and not resting on your laurels. There will always be room for improvement. The history of boxing is filled with great amateurs who were unsuccessful at the top pro level; Ramirez fought on Saturday as if he didn't want to be anywhere near that list.

Bruce Carrington might be Top Rank's best prospect (there is a healthy competition for that designation at the moment). However, he's not young (25) and turned pro relatively late. Even after Saturday's stoppage win, he only has four pro fights. But in his short pro career he has already demonstrated that he can become a factor in the sport, and quickly. Similar to fellow Top Rank prospect Keyshawn Davis and even a young Errol Spence, Carrington displays a preternatural level of poise that is uncommon in prospects, even in top ones. 

Let me expound on his poise for a minute. Carrington is not only comfortable at all ranges, he can excel in each one. Many top American prospects aren't adept at inside fighting and shy away from it. Yet Carrington loves going to work in the kitchen. More impressively, he's not spooked by incoming fire. He's also not opposed to trading, knowing that his skills and defense will lead to him winning an exchange. 

Carrington has a Roy Jones-like ability to double and triple the same power punch in a sequence while still remaining defensively responsible. He had a sequence on Saturday where he landed a triple left hook on Adrian Leyva. He did the same with several consecutive right hands to the body later in the fight. 

Carrington has every punch in his toolkit, as well as hand speed and power. We still need to find out if he can take a real punch, but the early signals in his professional career scream FULL STEAM AHEAD! 

Top Rank has a stellar pipeline of prospects at the moment and it's tough to keep track of all of them. So many names. So much "talent." But which fighters will be able to distinguish themselves above the "solid prospect" level? Who could be something more? Consider Jahi Tucker. Tucker was a junior national amateur champ and decided to turn pro early. At 19, he's already 8-0 with five knockouts. He's an aggressive fighter with solid technique and power. On Saturday, he repeatedly bested D'Andre Smith with quick one-two's or a double jab followed by the right hand. He marches forward consistently and responsibly. He has a solid boxing foundation and is highly disciplined in the ring for someone of his age.

Tucker still needs to add several facets to his game. Tucker's jab and right hand are far better than his other punches at this point in time. He also doesn't have to get in and out as much. In time he may learn that he can stay in the pocket a little longer and continue to do damage (Carrington does this very well). What Tucker does at this point, he does very well, but we need to see if he has an improvisational gene. How does he make adjustments? 

Overall, there's a lot to like with Tucker, who has a fan-friendly aggressive temperament to go along with his considerable skill level. He fights like he's not interested in going rounds, but he does so behind a solid defense. The early signs are very positive. 

Olympian Troy Isley faced Donte Stubbs on Saturday. Stubbs has become a favorite of Top Rank, with Saturday's fight being his fourth on a Top Rank card. Stubbs had shown a solid chin, an ability to go rounds and a lack of intimidation against guys with more pedigree. Stubbs started Saturday's fight throwing every punch with knockout intentions, with the correct understanding that he had little chance of outboxing Isley. 

Isley (right) lands a right hand on Stubbs
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams

This type of opponent was exactly what Isley needed. Stubbs forced him to be defensively responsible. Too often top prospects get by in their early developmental fights with hand speed or power, but they make a lot of mistakes in doing so. However, if Isley decided to back straight up against Stubbs, he would've gotten crushed by a winging left hook, and if he was lazy in returning his hands to a solid defensive position, he would've been cracked by counter rights. 

So, Isley passed the first test. A guy was coming in with the sole intention of knocking him out, and Isley remained poised. And if Isley had just boxed his way to a cautious victory against that kind of opponent, it would have been a great learning opportunity for him. But Isley not only nullified Stubbs, he punished him. Isley capitalized on Stubbs' wide shots and scored two knockdowns in the fight, the last one icing him in the sixth. 

Isley is now 6-0 with four KOs. This was the performance that he needed. Throughout his early professional fights he had done nothing to dampen his prospect sheen, but he also wasn't making many waves; he was just progressing. This type of highlight reel KO was important to build his buzz. 

Isley is certainly one to watch, as were all of these winners on Saturday's card. They all performed, entertained and made boxing fans want to see more. And that's what it's about. Create the demand. Keep building. 

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. 

Prospect Night in Philly

With the cancellation of the Frampton-Dominguez main event, Saturday night's card in Philadelphia turned out to be Prospect Night at the fights. Of the seven fights on the card, six featured bouts with both combatants having fewer than 12 professional matches. In all, seven fighters entered the ring with undefeated records. They were a mixture of world-class amateurs, regional attractions, tough local guys and projects. The ranges of performance varied too, from a one-round smash job to an unlikely upset. This article will cover each of the prospects.

Before I begin though, let me mention that Jason Sosa, a former secondary titlist at 130, stopped Lydell Rhodes in the new main event. Knocking down Rhodes three times before the fight was waved off in the seventh, Sosa looked ferocious in the ring, with each left hook to the body seemingly having an effect. Sosa landed his first knockdown in the fifth with a sweeping left hook to the head and moments later connected with a short counter right that dropped Rhodes again. In the seventh, he landed a counter left hook for the third and final knockdown. Shortly after that, Rhodes's corner threw in the towel. Sosa, from just across the Delaware River in Camden, New Jersey, turned in a strong performance. And even though he didn't have the speed advantage, his sharper punches and inside fighting skills enabled him to prevail.

Now on to the prospects: 

Robeisy Ramirez (0-1) Cuba, 25, featherweight, Top Rank

Ramirez, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner from Cuba, had a harrowing defection story and was making his pro debut on Saturday. And needless to say, the possibility of losing in his first outing was not on anyone's mind. But that's exactly what happened as unheralded Adan Gonzales knocked him down in the first round and beat him to the punch enough to earn a split decision victory. (In truth, Rose Lacend's 40-35 card for Gonzales was atrocious and did not reflect the competitive nature of the fight. But the upset narrative was compelling; thus, the junk scorecard was conveniently ignored.)

Adan Gonzales Lands a Left on Robeisy Ramirez
Photo Courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

In the amateurs Ramirez displayed crafty footwork, but on Saturday he too often just marched in winging big shots, and he paid the price for his machismo. He was startled by Gonzales's left hand and for every big shot that Ramirez threw in the first two rounds, Gonzales seemingly connected with quick counters. It took until the third round for Ramirez to match Gonzales's intensity. Ramirez performed much better in the final two rounds, where he controlled distance and limited Gonzales's output. But from my vantage point, it was too little too late. 

Obviously Top Rank didn't want a prized amateur, the guy who beat Shakur Stevenson and Michael Conlan in the Olympics, to lose in his first pro fight. This wasn't a case of challenging a prospect with a gatekeeper to see if he's ready for the next step. No, Ramirez was expected to win his first few fights and be a quick mover. So, this wasn't a win for Top Rank. However, the fighter deserves blame as well. When Ramirez finally decided to respect his opponent, he won rounds. He showed that he clearly had the ability to get the better of Gonzales, but his lack of respect proved to be costly. Let's also give Gonzales (5-2-2, 2 KOs) a lot of credit. He put forward a spirited effort. The aura of a two-time Olympic champ didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. He was there to win, and did just that. And that's why they fight the fights!

Edgar Berlanga (12-0, 12 KOs) New York, 22, middleweight, Top Rank

Berlanga's fight against France's Gregory Trenel was the only non-competitive bout on the card. Trenel couldn't defend himself against Berlanga's power shots and ref Benjy Esteves stopped the fight in the first round with Trenel still on his feet. 

Berlanga is a gifted power puncher with naturally heavy hands. He throws his best shots, straight right and left hook, with little wasted effort and they land with maximum impact. Through 12 fights, Berlanga has stopped each of his opponents in the first round. Obviously that streak won't continue, but his power looks to be real. What Berlanga needs now are opponents that will give him rounds. At just 22, we still need to find out a lot about him. Can he take a shot? What is his conditioning like? What happens when he gets taken into deeper waters? These questions are of course pertinent to all prospects and Berlanga is no exception. He's certainly an intriguing young fighter and one to keep an eye on. 

Paul Kroll (5-0, 4 KOs) Philadelphia, 24, welterweight, unsigned

Shinard Bunch (2-1) Trenton, NJ, 20, welterweight, Nedal Promotions

In a spirited six-round contest, Kroll prevailed via a unanimous decision. Kroll was once a top amateur, but legal problems derailed his momentum. In Saturday's fight he possessed more offensive dimensions, and especially more spite. Bunch landed his fair share of crafty counters, but he was often outworked and seemed like a boy fighting a man. Bunch could certainly handle himself in the ring and was able to extricate himself from periods of danger, but there's a big difference between fending off a stronger opponent and doing enough to win. 

Kroll featured a strong arsenal of power punches and a sharp jab. He ate a number of big shots, which showcased both the good and bad of a young prospect. On one hand he demonstrated a good chin. But he admired his work a little too much and lingered in the pocket after throwing, enabling Bunch to land some biting counters. 

Kroll appears to be a solid athlete and has a number of tools that could see him succeed at the next level, but he's not going to be able to overwhelm all of his opponents, and Saturday's fight was a needed reminder that the other guy gets paid too. 

Sonny Conto (4-0, 3 KOs) Philadelphia, 23, heavyweight, Top Rank

In his fourth professional fight, Conto experienced resistance for the first time. His opponent, Guillermo Del Rio, clipped him with a few overhand rights. Del Rio also knew how to absorb punishment. When Conto landed his best shots, Del Rio mostly just shrugged them off. Conto did win every round of the bout and landed a sweet left hook in the fourth round, which led to the only knockdown in the fight. 

Sonny Conto Connects with a Right Hand
Photo Courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Del Rio proved to be a suitable opponent at this phase of Conto's career. Conto needed to set up combinations to have success and the fight eventually transformed into whether he could put together the right series of shots to score the knockout. That he wasn't able to end the fight early isn't a mark against him, but it was a crucial learning experience. Finishing opponents often can be just as much cerebral as physical. Conto has a good heavyweight punch, but knowing how to finish a guy off is an acquired skill. But even though the knockout didn't come, it was still encouraging that Conto didn't fight recklessly to try for the stoppage. As he started to have more success, he was able to limit Del Rio's effectiveness, which is a sign of maturity and evidence of a present Ring IQ. 

Donald Smith (10-0, 6 KOs) Philadelphia, 26, featherweight, Peltz Boxing

A 5'11" southpaw featherweight isn't a normal occurrence in boxing and Smith is going to have some physical advantages in the ring that are going to be difficult for lower-level opponents to crack. He defeated Abdur-Raheem Abdullah on Saturday via a wide decision. He scored a first-round knockdown and dominated the early action. And while Abdullah was never a threat to win, he did land a wild left haymaker in the third round that sent Smith crashing back to the ropes (it's possible that another ref could have ruled that sequence a knockdown). 

Donald Smith Controlling Abdur-Raheem Abdullah with his Jab
Photo Courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Although Smith possesses significant height and reach, he doesn't necessarily "fight tall," staying behind his jab and using distance to his advantage; he likes to mix it up. Smith has a sharp left hand and a solid right hook, but the lack of a consistent jab or uppercut enabled Abdur-Raheem to come forward without paying a price a little too often.  

At 26, Smith needs to be moved quickly. He's already too old to be a top prospect; however, it's possible that he could become a tough spoiler. To do that he will need to incorporate more offensive dimensions into his game. If he doesn't evolve in the ring, he's going to have some unnecessarily difficult fights on the inside. Unfortunately, he appears to have hurt his left hand in the fight and may not be back in action for several months. 

Jeremy Adorno (2-0, 1 KO) Allentown, PA, 18, junior featherweight, Top Rank

Jeremy's older brother, Joseph, is also signed to Top Rank. To a number of boxing people who saw both brothers as amateurs, Joseph was considered the better prospect, and a few boxing insiders I spoke with suggested that Jeremy might have been best served by staying an amateur a little longer. Nevertheless, he decided to turn pro this year, and he looked much better in his second professional fight on Saturday than he did in his debut in March. 

Adorno scored a third-round KO with two counter body shots. His opponent, Fernando Robles, stayed on his knees for well over a minute after the stoppage. Compared to his first outing, Adorno did a better job of sitting down on his shots. 

Adorno has adequate hand speed and some variety with his punches. However, he's going to be a long-term project. He's so early in his development that it's difficult to predict what he might be in another 12 months, let alone three to five years from now. Expect him to be moved gradually 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.
snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook.