This week's Punch 2 the Face Podcast was our 2017 Awards
Extravaganza. Brandon and I handed out our praises to some of the best
performers from 2017, and had some scorn for those who failed to distinguish
themselves. We also brought out our crystal balls, looking forward to what to
expect in 2018 – what we're most excited about and fights that need to
happen.
A
boxing year that delivered numerous high-profile matches and exciting fights,
2017 will be remembered as a strong year for the sport. After such an enjoyable
boxing campaign, it's time to hand out some hardware. Here is the seventh annual Saturday Night Boxing Awards. Similar to past years, awards have been
given for Fighter, Fight, Knockout, Round, Upset, Trainer, Promoter, Network
and Referee of the Year. Without further ado, onto the awards!
Fighter of the Year: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
Courtesy of HBO
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai entered 2017 as a virtual unknown to all
except the hardest of the hardcore boxing cognoscenti. In 2014, he had given
Carlos Cuadras a very tough fight before that bout was stopped due to a cut,
resulting in Srisaket losing a technical decision. After that match, he resumed his career toiling in anonymity in his home country of Thailand. This
past March he had another opportunity for a big fight, going up against Roman
Gonzalez, the reigning pound-for-pound king in boxing. The oddsmakers didn't
like Srisaket's chances. He was listed on some sites as more than a 10-1
underdog. (But that may be a case of the bookies not doing their homework,
which happens every now and then.)
Immediately Srisaket made his presence felt in the fight by dropping Gonzalez
in the first round. Gonzalez, known as a relentless offensive dynamo, was now
in deep trouble as Srisaket peppered the defending junior bantamweight champion
with a barrage of straight left hands and right hooks.
Eventually Gonzalez settled into the fight and started landing his own damaging
punches. Most of the middle rounds were Gonzalez's and it looked as though he
was successful in staving off Srisaket's early threat. Srisaket, however, had
no intention of yielding. He held his ground in the second half of the fight,
matching Gonzalez's ferocity and intensity. Although Gonzalez was out-throwing
and out-landing Srisaket in many of the latter rounds, Srisaket's hooks and
crosses certainly did their share of damage. Gonzalez rallied to have an
outstanding 12th round and the fight went to the cards.
Srisaket was declared the winner by majority decision, which was unpopular in
boxing circles. Scores were 114-112, 114-112 and 113-113 (Srisaket was docked a
point in the 6th for a head butt). Many boxing observers had Gonzalez
comfortably ahead in the fight. I scored it a draw, giving Srisaket credit in a
number of latter rounds because I believed that his blows were more
damaging. I didn't see the scores as a robbery, but in my estimation, Srisaket
could only have won seven rounds at best. Two of the judges gave him every
possible benefit of the doubt.
As is often the custom in boxing, controversy leads to a rematch.
In September, both fighters returned to the ring to settle the score. This time
there was no doubt about the outcome. Srisaket was easily the fresher fighter
of the two and consistently attacked in the opening rounds. Gonzalez remained
cautious; he was non-committal about applying pressure, not a formula for
success considering that he was the fighter who needed to win at close range.
By the fourth round, Srisaket continued to unload with power shots, detonating
massive hooks for which Gonzalez had no answer. Srisaket scored a knockdown and
then moments later ended things with a pulverizing right hook. Gonzalez never
saw the shot and remained supine on the canvas.
By beating the pound-for-pound champion in such a conclusive fashion and
performing extremely well in his initial bout with Gonzalez, Srisaket was the
clear choice for me as Fighter of the Year. Although a number of boxers had
impressive resumes in 2017, no one matched Srisaket's success against such a
high level of competition.
Previous SNB Fighters of the Year:
2016: Carl Frampton
2015: Floyd Mayweather
2014: Naoya Inoue
2013: Adonis Stevenson
2012: Nonito Donaire
2011: Andre Ward
_____________
Fight of the Year: Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko:
Courtesy of Esther Lin/Showtime
When last in the ring in November of 2015, Wladimir Klitschko
turned in a listless performance against Tyson Fury. He was dominated over 12
rounds and couldn't pull the trigger. As a result, he lost his title belts and
his position as the top heavyweight in the world. 2016 was full of dead ends
for Klitschko. A rematch against Fury was announced and cancelled twice as Fury
had an assortment of problems outside of the ring that resulted in his
inability to fight.
Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua, the British heavyweight star, won a title
belt (one that had been stripped from Fury) in April of 2016. Joshua continued to
mow down lesser fighters such as Dominic Breazeale and Eric Molina but what he
really needed was to defeat a top opponent, which would confer legitimacy on
his heavyweight reign. Klitschko, looking to reestablish himself as the top guy
in the division, volunteered his services, creating the type of mega-fight that
the heavyweight division hadn't seen since the Tyson days. 90,000 fans packed
Wembley Stadium to see if Joshua would emerge as the true heir apparent in the
heavyweight division. Would he defeat an old master, confirming a new
heavyweight era, or would the proud former champion teach the upstart a lesson?
Immediately from the opening bell, Klitschko demonstrated that he had far more
in the tank than he had displayed against Fury. Even though he was fighting at the almost
ancient age of 41, he was light on his feet and used the ring to control the
action. Overall, the first four rounds were tense and well-contested, as both
fighters had periods of success. Klitschko scored at times with his jab while
Joshua found a home for right hands and left hooks.
The fifth round brought the fight into a new echelon as Joshua floored
Klitschko early in the frame and, in a huge surprise, Klitschko went on the
attack after the knockout, successfully hurting Joshua by the end of the round
(see Round of the Year below for more details). In the sixth, Klitschko landed
his patented one-two. Joshua tasted the canvas and was hurt. Klitschko got wild
going for the knockout later in the round, missing with some huge left hooks, which
gave Joshua needed time to tie-up.
Klitschko continued to win the next few rounds while Joshua tried to
recuperate. Klitschko jabbed and controlled the action, but in a controversial
tactical decision, he didn't go for the kill. By the ninth round, Joshua caught
his second wind and started to go on the offensive. After 10 rounds, it was
still anyone's fight.
The momentum changed once again in the beginning of the 11th round. Joshua
landed a blistering right uppercut. Somehow, Klitschko remained on his feet,
but the blow had done its intended damage. Within moments, Joshua's follow up
assault had knocked Klitschko down again. Klitschko beat the count but his legs
were shaky. Shortly thereafter, Joshua unleashed a beautiful right
uppercut-left hook combination that sent Klitschko to the canvas for a third
time in fight. Showing tremendous bravery, Klitschko made it to the feet;
however, he had little left to offer. Joshua continued to fire power punches
and referee David Fields had seen enough – he waved the fight off (see Referee
of the Year Award below for more on Fields).
Everyone associated with Joshua-Klitschko realized the enormity of the moment.
The crowed showered Joshua with rapt and frenzied affection; he officially was
their new heavyweight hero. Joshua was gut-checked in a manner he had never
experienced in his professional career and demonstrated a stunning resolve.
Klitschko, despite winding up on the losing end of the fight, exited the arena
as a gallant warrior, going out on his shield in a crowed-pleasing war. In a
poignant moment, the British fans in Wembley gave Klitschko a rousing ovation
for his performance during his post-fight interview. In the end, the night was
a victory for all.
Previous SNB Fights of the Year:
2016: Vargas-Salido
2015: Miura-Vargas
2014: Coyle-Brizuela
2013: Bradley-Provodnikov
2012: Pacquiao-Marquez IV
2011: Rios-Acosta
___________
Knockout of the Year: Zolani Tete KO 1 Siboniso Gonya
Zolani
Tete scored the Knockout of the Year with his first punch of the fight. Facing
Siboniso Gonya, a fellow South African, Tete, a bantamweight world champion,
lowered his eyes as if he was going to shoot a straight left to the body. This
move forced Gonya to bring his hands down. Then Tete came back upstairs with a
short right hook that landed perfectly on the chin. And with a snap of a finger
the fight was over. Gonya remained on the canvas for several minutes. With a
clever feint and perfect execution, Tete scored the signature moment of his
career.
Previous SNB Knockouts of
the Year:
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: Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko Round 5
Courtesy of Esther Lin/Showtime
The most surprising aspect of the fifth round of Joshua-Klitschko
was not that Joshua knocked Klitschko down. Klitschko had been a frequent
visitor to the canvas in his earlier years. That Klitschko made it to his feet
after the knockdown should also not shock. Sam Peter dropped Wlad three times
in their first fight, but Klitschko kept getting up. Before his bout was
mercifully stopped against Corrie Sanders, Klitschko literally resembled one of
those inflatable plastic punching bags. He was sent to the floor repeatedly but
would rise just as fast. No, the most surprising aspect of the fifth round of
Joshua-Klitschko was that after being hurt Klitschko attacked Joshua with a
ferocity rarely seen throughout his career.
Klitschko has never been known for his aggression. Despite two knockout
weapons, he has been defined by his patience and caution. Most often he jabs to
break down an opponent. Eventually he finds opportunities to land his straight
right and left hook.
But Klitschko briefly abandoned caution in the fifth against
Joshua. Scoring with powerful left hooks and right hands, Klitschko deftly
turned the tables on Joshua, who may have been temporarily punched out after
scoring the knockdown. Klitschko was even throwing uppercuts and body shots,
tactics rarely used throughout his long title reign.
By the end of the round, Klitschko, the old fighter who had just hit the
canvas, was gunning for the victory with a youthful enthusiasm while Joshua,
the supposed fresh face of the division, looked like a truck had run over him.
It was a truly unexpected turn of events. This round featured great work from both
fighters, resulting in three minutes of sublime action – boxing at its best.
Previous SNB Rounds of the Year:
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: Caleb Truax MD James DeGale
Courtesy of BoxNation
Caleb Truax was selected as James DeGale's opponent for a few
reasons: 1. Like DeGale, he was affiliated with Al Haymon. 2. He was in the top
15 of the IBF Rankings. 3. He wasn't considered to be a threat. A middling
super middleweight, Truax didn't offer much in terms of knockout power and had
always lost at the world-level. To DeGale, Truax was seen as a tune-up
opponent. Nevertheless, DeGale-Truax demonstrates why fights aren't contested
on paper.
DeGale entered the ring against Truax coming off an 11-month
layoff. His previous fight was a bruising draw against Badou Jack, where DeGale
required shoulder and oral surgery after the fight, and also had a ruptured ear
drum.
From the start of DeGale-Truax, DeGale didn't look to be at his
best. Although he possessed significant athletic advantages, he refused to
remain in the center of the ring and consistently retreated to the ropes, which
provided opportunities for Truax to land his power shots. Truax had big rounds
in the fourth and fifth, hurting DeGale with straight right hands and
uppercuts. DeGale was able to survive and win a few rounds as the fight
progressed but Truax did the better work throughout much of the bout. Although
DeGale won a few scattered rounds, the judges preferred Truax's consistent work
rate and power punches. Truax would win via a majority decision.
The betting houses gave Truax little chance of winning the fight.
He was anywhere from a 15-1 to 30-1 underdog. Some gamblers claimed they saw
him as much as a 40-1 dog. Nevertheless, for one night, Truax put it all
together. Executing a terrific game plan and jumping on DeGale whenever the
action was along the ropes, he defeated one of the best super middleweights in
the world. For whatever else happens in Truax's career, he can one day retire
knowing that he had been a world champion.
Previous SNB Upsets of the Year:
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: Derrick James
Courtesy of Amanda Westcott/Showtime
Dallas-based Derrick James achieved tremendous success in 2017
with two of his main fighters, Errol Spence Jr. and Jermell Charlo. In his
highest-profile bout of the year, James helped guide Spence to a win over
welterweight champion Kell Brook in Brook's hometown. Despite disadvantages in
hand speed and world-level experience, Spence methodically broke down Brook on
his way to earning an 11th-round stoppage. James's game plan of working the
body and sacrificing quantity to land hard power shots paid off handsomely
during the fight. By the second half of the match, Spence was clearly the
fresher of the two fighters. James would return to America with a new world
champion.
Charlo had left Ronnie Shields for James, which was mildly
controversial at the time in that his brother remained with Shields. Jermell
had been regarded as the lighter-hitting puncher of the two Charlo brothers and
perhaps the lesser talent. But Derrick James refused to believe in the scouting
report. Instead of relying on cute boxing, Jermell's style changed under
James's coaching. Charlo now sat down on his punches more frequently and fought
with a more aggressive temperament.
The results were stunning. Charlo destroyed Charles Hatley in
three rounds in April. In October, Charlo scored one of the knockouts of the
year by stopping highly-touted prospect Erickson Lubin with a sweet double
jab-right uppercut combination in the first round.
Spence dethroning a world champion and Charlo's metamorphosis into
a feared puncher represented a spectacular year for James. The trainer stresses
poise, power punching, punch placement and intelligent pressure. His results in
2017 suggest that he's a force to be reckoned with in the upper levels of
boxing.
Previous SNB Trainers of the Year:
2016: Shane McGuigan
2015: Peter Fury
2014: Freddie Roach
2013: Kenny Porter
2012: Robert McCracken
2011: Robert Garcia
__________
Promoter of the Year: K2 Promotions
Tom Loeffler, who has been the Managing Director of K2 Promotions,
has helped to turn an upstart company into one of the best promotional outfits
in boxing. Without a deep roster of talent, Loeffler has played a significant
role in cultivated boxers who have become international stars. He also believes
in making big events whenever possible. In 2017 K2 Promotions helped to make a
number of the best fights of the year, from Joshua-Klitschko to Gonzalez-Sor
Rungvisai to Canelo-Golovkin.
Although most of K2's top boxers experienced setbacks of one
degree or another in 2017, no promotional company rivaled its willingness to
make the best events of the year. K2 also put together the wildly successful
Superfly card in September, which featured Gonzalez-Sor Rungvisai II and a
spectacular fight between Carlos Cuadras and Juan Estrada.
However, no company can successfully sustain itself with multiple
years of its top fighters losing; the desire for big fights needs to be
balanced with the long-term viability of an organization. If 2017 felt like a
cash-out year for K2, perhaps Loeffler's announcement that he will be starting
his own company, 360 Promotions, can help provide additional context for K2's
actions in 2017. As of now, it seems that Loeffler will remain affiliated with
K2, but it will be interesting to see how the chess board pieces get rearranged
after his new entity takes shape. Nevertheless, boxing fans have K2 to thank
for many of their favorite moments from 2017.
Previous SNB Promoters of the Year:
2016: Matchroom Sport
2015: Golden Boy Promotions
2014: Matchroom Sport
2013: (tie) Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank Promotions
2012: Golden Boy Promotions
2011: Top Rank Promotions
__________
Network of the Year: Showtime
Here's a snapshot of the best fights on Showtime and its
affiliated networks in 2017: Jack-DeGale, Khytrov-Aleem, Frampton-Santa Cruz
II, Thurman-Garcia, Joshua-Klitschko, Brook-Spence, Broner-Garcia Mayweather-McGregor,
Hurd-Trout, Baranchyk-Ramos and Berto-Porter. I'm sure there are a number
of other quality fights that could have been included as well. Although HBO and
Sky Sports certainly had good moments throughout the year, Showtime, by
consistently televising high-quality fights, eclipsed all other major boxing
networks in 2017.
Credit must be given to Stephen Espinoza, the head of Showtime
Sports. Espinoza has retained quality control over the myriad fighters
under the PBC banner. Power broker Al Haymon proposes scores of fights for
Espinoza to consider every year, ranging in various levels of quality. In 2017, Espinoza did an admirable job in ensuring that Showtime received the best
of the PBC content, while lesser offerings often were shipped to other
networks. Espinoza has one major talent provider for Showtime's boxing program
but he deftly navigated those challenging waters in 2017 to ensure that his
network's subscribes received a superior boxing product.
Previous SNB Networks of the Year:
2016: Sky Sports
2015: No award given
2014: ESPN
2013: Showtime
2012: BoxNation
__________
Referee of the Year: David Fields
Courtesy of Esther Lin/Showtime
David Fields is a low-profile referee based in New York and New
Jersey. He doesn't have cute catch phrases and rarely calls attention to
himself. However, when given the opportunity to ref big fights, he always seems
to do an excellent job. In 2017, Fields wasn't particularly busy, only reffing
15 bouts, but his most significant assignment was a massive one: the
heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko.
Fields's work during Joshua-Klitschko was outstanding. Both
fighters hit the deck in that match and overall four knockdowns occurred.
Despite both boxers being hurt at various points in the fight, Fields inspected
each combatant throughout the match and let the action continue. He finally
stopped the bout after Klitschko had been dropped twice in the 11th round and
unable to defend himself against the ropes. Perhaps a few were disappointed
that Fields concluded that contest while Klitschko was still on his feet.
However, he gave the former champ multiple opportunities to work his way back
into the fight. Overall, it was an outstanding performance.
The first two-time winner of the Saturday Night Boxing Referee of
the Year – he also did excellent work in 2015's Huck-Glowacki battle – Fields is clearly one of the best referees working in boxing today. Let's hope he doesn't remain anonymous for much longer.
Previous SNB Referees of the Year:
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 the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
Even as
far back as the Olympics, it was clear that Errol Spence Jr. possessed the
poise, power punching and intelligence to succeed at the next level. Although
he exited the 2012 Games without a medal, his showing during the tournament
heralded a new U.S. talent, one who could become a major factor in the upper
levels of professional boxing.
Turning
pro at the end of 2012, Spence continued to build on his amateur success in his
early fights; he destroyed virtually every foe that he encountered. Even his
putative gatekeeper opponents, such as Chris Van Heerden, Chris Algieri and
Leonard Bundu, weren't able to provide even token resistance. It was hard not
to get excited about his potential.
In a
perfect world, Spence would've had more development fights prior to his first
title shot. He hadn't encountered a decent puncher or an opponent with
significant athletic gifts during his development. However, he was so dominant
against the fighters he did face that one could understand why his team may
have skipped a step in favor of landing a championship opportunity.
Nevertheless, they were still taking a big risk heading to a title shot without
Spence beating a proper slate of trial horses.
Courtesy of Amanda Westcott/Showtime
Last May,
Spence was thrown into the proverbial fire against welterweight titlist Kell
Brook. Although he was facing a proud and talented champion in his hometown
soccer stadium, Spence wasn't overawed by the moment. Spence started the fight
methodically and purposefully. And while Brook's superior hand speed led to some
early-round victories, Spence was executing his game plan, punishing the
body and sacrificing punch volume to land significant power shots. Despite
being down in the fight, Spence, and his steadfast trainer, Derrick James,
didn't deviate from the plan.
By the
fight's second half, Spence's approach was bearing fruit. Whereas Brook got the
best of many of the exchanges early in the fight, by the seventh and eighth
rounds, Spence was landing with far greater frequency and with often punishing
results; he was now battering Brook in the ring. He scored a knockdown in the
10th and withstood a final flurry by Brook in one of the more riveting rounds
of the year. In the 11th, Brook had had enough. A broken orbital bone caused
him to yield; Spence was now a world champion.
In
Sheffield that night, I left the arena with nothing but superlatives for
Spence. Not only did he win a belt on foreign soil in a hostile atmosphere, but
he beat a very good version of Brook, easily one of the top-two or three
welterweights in the world. Furthermore, he needed to come from behind to
achieve victory, a tall order for any fighter, let alone one with such paltry
world-class experience. Spence never experienced a gut-check fight during his
development, yet, when the time came he overcame his first battle with
adversity with aplomb.
After the
fight, I talked with a number of English boxing enthusiasts at the hotel bar.
Even though almost all proudly supported Brook, Spence had earned their
respect. Spence made a lot of new fans that night, in Sheffield and in boxing
outposts around the world.
Fresh off
the biggest moment of his career, it would have been natural for Spence to make
a hometown defense in his next fight, a way to build on the momentum of his
destruction of Brook. America is light on homegrown boxing stars and
Spence is one of the few candidates in this country to become one. He's
pleasing to watch in the ring, a good interview and packs boulders in both of
his hands. Yet, for whatever reason, Spence would wind up sitting out the rest
of 2017, which was certainly an opportunity squandered.
On
January 20th, Spence finally makes his return to the ring, against Lamont
Peterson at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Peterson, a capable top-ten
welterweight, certainly presents a credible first defense for Spence. Although
Peterson can run a little hot-and-cold, when he's on, he's a difficult
proposition for any fighter.
Courtesy of Amanda Westcott/Showtime
Peterson
won't enter the ring with capitulation on his mind. He's not inclined to be a
passive participant in a Spence coronation. With the exception of a knockout
loss to Lucas Matthysse, Peterson has given every opponent a tough go of it.
Similar to Spence, Peterson hasn't enjoyed his lengthy periods out of the ring.
And he's never been a favored fighter in the PBC universe. He fights with a
chip on his shoulder and a realization that the present is his time to make his
bones in the ring.
Spence
stands on the precipice of creating a truly memorable 2018. Should he get past
Peterson, potential opponents such as unified titlist Keith Thurman, or past
champions such as Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia, could provide additional
opportunities for great fights. If Spence continues to win against top
opponents such as these, he could emerge as a bona fide attraction in boxing.
Looking down
the road even a little farther, Terence Crawford, the former undisputed junior
welterweight champion, and one of the top-two fighters on most pound-for-pound
lists, will be moving up to welterweight in 2018. Should Crawford obtain a belt
at 147 (Jeff Horn, come on down!), a potential superfight could emerge between
Spence and Crawford in early 2019. Now, it's certainly true that Spence's
manager, Al Haymon, and Crawford's promoter, Bob Arum, don't always play well
together, but there'd be a boatload of money for that fight and neither side is
opposed to greenbacks.
A lot of
this is speculative. Spence has never faced someone with the athletic gifts of
Thurman. He hasn't had to deal with the type of constant pressure that Porter
applies or a fighter with Crawford's versatility. Spence will be challenged
every step of the way should he endeavor to face the best at 147.
In short,
it's an exciting time to be a fan or an observer of Spence. And although Spence
has the potential to lose to Peterson, Thurman or Porter, very few fighters
have the package of physical attributes in the ring and the types of
intangibles like poise, a high ring IQ and self-confidence that could lead to a
sustained run of success in the top levels of boxing.
Refreshingly,
Spence doesn't seem to be plagued by self-satisfaction. Unlike many modern
fighters, Spence doesn't appear to be happy with low six-figure purses or periods
of inactivity. He wants challenges and the glory that comes with being the
best. Sadly, far too many of Spence's boxing brethren lack his sense of
urgency.
Spence-Peterson
should present boxing fans with a memorable battle, featuring devastating
inside combat, skills, athleticism and lots of power punches. Spence will soon
learn that at this level of boxing, every fight can be a threat. Should Spence
make it through January's fight with a victory, he could be on a rapid road to
true superstardom. But the winds are strong at high altitude and Spence
wouldn't be the first fighter to be negatively affected by rarefied air.
However, he has a good support team around him and the urge to really make
something of himself. 2018 will be Spence's proving ground. And if he ends the
year beating multiple threats in the welterweight division, the boxing world
could be his oyster. Stay tuned.
The
biggest change in the Saturday Night Boxing Pound-for-Pound List is the
continued rise of Vasyl Lomachenko. Earlier this month, Lomachenko dominated
undefeated junior featherweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, forcing him to
retire on his stool after the sixth round. With the win, Lomachenko moves up
from #7 to #2 in the Rankings while Rigondeaux drops from #12 to #14.
One
other note in the Rankings: there's been speculation that Kazuto Ioka
(currently ranked #20) will be retiring. As of now, no official
announcement has been made. For the time being, he will remain in the Rankings until there is
further clarification regarding his career.
The
complete Saturday Night Boxing Pound-for-Pound List follows:
Pride can be a double-edged sword in boxing. On the positive side
of the ledger, pride enables a fighter to dig down, overcome adversity, make a
last stand and go for the victory even in a diminished capacity. Many
prizefighters possess this attribute and mixed with enough skill and the
right opponents, pride can lead to thrilling performances.
Miguel Roman, in HBO's main event, exhibited this characteristic
in his knockout win over Orlando Salido, perhaps the living embodiment of
positive pride in boxing. Roman, a fighter who had lost the biggest bouts of
his career prior to this weekend, had to endure the hell of Salido's
infighting throughout the match. Absorbing vicious power shots, hurt early in the fight and trying
to handle Salido's grappling and fouls, Roman persevered to pull out a victory
despite periods where his chances of winning looked grim.
Of course, pride can also have negative connotations. There's a
reason it was one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Excessive pride can lead to one's
downfall. It can make one underestimate opponents or fail to consider potential
negative outcomes. There's also a concept of pride where one is "too
good" to participate in a specific task – that a certain requirement is
beneath an individual. In this scenario, too much pride can lead to one
refusing to get his or her hands dirty, not willing to do what needs to get done.
It's this second aspect of pride that led to Guillermo Rigondeaux
quitting on his stool before the seventh round against Vasyl Lomachenko.
Claiming an injured hand, Rigondeaux, down big on the scorecards, wasn't
willing to risk any more against Lomachenko. It's not as if hand problems
aren't common occurrences in boxing. Practically every weekend a fighter
continues with some sort of injury. In the HBO undercard on Saturday, Stephen
Smith was still trying to win with half a left ear. To Rigondeaux, he
wasn't going to change his style or, gasp, subject himself to a ring war, no
matter if that was necessary for victory.
In my years of covering boxing and talking to fighters I've
discovered one thing that boxers hate more than losing – being embarrassed in
the ring. Many will foul, attempt to get DQ'ed, stay on their stool, claim an
injury – anything to avoid being the butt of jokes in the squared circle.
Loma was toying with Rigo in the ring, spinning around him without
a care and the world, meeting and ultimately exceeding Rigo's propensity to
foul, bending when and where he bent, tagging him with whatever shot he saw
fit. There would be no selling out for a comeback victory from Rigo, no going
out on his shield. For Rigo, the pain of embarrassment was far greater than
whatever was going on with his left hand. He'd rather pack it in after six
rounds than subject himself to further mortification. His pride wouldn't allow
more.
As boxing fans, we expect fighters to leave it all in the ring.
Sublime efforts lead to greater rewards. Rigondeaux has spent a significant portion
of his professional career complaining about poor treatment from the boxing
industry and a dearth of opportunities. He regarded much of his professional
career as a series of outrages. A fighter of his stature shouldn't have to beg and
claw for the spoils of glory; he was Guillermo Rigondeaux, one of the best
fighters on the planet! But presented with an opportunity to exhibit greatness
on Saturday, Rigo demonstrated that he was unwilling to plum specific depths
for victory. When finally in a tough fight, the purported master boxer wouldn't
scrape his way back like a member of the boxing riff-raff; he
capitulated.
Three years ago, Lomachenko learned a valuable lesson about the
dangers of having excessive pride. In only his second professional fight, he
insisted on fighting for a title. The champion standing in his way was the
aforementioned Orlando Salido. Lomachenko believed that he had almost all the
advantages – hand and foot speed, punch placement, a deeper offensive arsenal
and sharper defensive reflexes. Of course Salido had more professional
experience but Lomachenko wasn't impressed by Salido's career accomplishments;
he was on a path to making history! As a two-time Olympic gold medalist and one
of the best amateur fighters of all time, he felt that he was more than ready
to become a champion, even at such an early point in his professional career.
How could a slow, lumbering gatekeeper beat him?
Pride played a significant role in Salido-Lomachenko. Lomachenko
severely underestimated his opponent. On the flip side, Salido wasn't about to
be embarrassed in the ring, even if it meant giving up his title belt by coming
in over the weight limit. Salido entered the ring with a considerable size
advantage and proceeded to teach Lomachenko a lesson in professional boxing.
Firing low blow after low blow, digging mercilessly to the body and grappling
on the inside, Salido showed the professional novice tricks that he had never
before seen. Eventually, Lomachenko made adjustments to counteract Salido's
inside fighting but his early deficit on the scorecards was too much to
overcome; he wound up losing a split decision.
There was a stark difference between the Lomachenko on Saturday, now a
veteran in professional prizefighting, and the greenhorn version against
Salido. Lomachenko expected the unexpected against Rigondeaux and clearly
understood the stakes at play. If Rigo hit after the bell, Loma followed. Loma
also was seasoned enough to call the referee's attention to fouls. When Rigo
went low or engaged in an illegal holding maneuver, Loma indicated these infractions clearly to the ref. By the sixth round, Rigo lost a point for holding.
After a competitive opening round, Lomachenko-Rigondeaux was never
in doubt. Lomachenko's athleticism, agility and incredible body control enabled
him to follow Rigondeaux's every defensive maneuver. If Rigondeaux ducked a
punch and bent to his left, Lomachenko had the athletic ability to follow Rigondeaux
immediately to that position and continue with his offense. He essentially
acted as Rigo's shadow. He was prepared for every move that Rigondeaux
made.
During the post-fight interview, Lomachenko shrugged off the
significance of the win. He didn't feel that Rigondeaux had the size to be
competing on his level.
Lomachenko is ready for all challenges in boxing. With a rising
profile and a huge platform to demonstrate his singular talents, he could be on
the cusp of true boxing superstardom. On Saturday he embarrassed a proud,
undefeated (if undersized) champion, forcing him to quit. He ends the year as
one of the best fighters in the sport and it's going to take a truly special
talent or a risk of such epic proportions for him to lose in the foreseeable
future.
*
Jim Lampley, at the height of his powers on Saturday, provided a
wonderful and apt story about Miguel Roman during his fight with Orlando
Salido. As a teenager, Roman's brother was murdered and instead of trying to
exact revenge on the killer, Roman waited, believing that eventually the
murderer would get his just due; a few years later the perpetrator was killed
in prison. This story wasn't used to fill time or sensitize the viewer to a
personal tragedy; Lampley used it as an analogous backdrop to what was
occurring in the ring. As Roman was making a charge in the fight, Lampley
exhorted these words, noting that in the past Roman was patient and eventually
justice was served. Now, after 70 fights and 12 years as a professional, Roman,
after patiently waiting for the right opportunity, was receiving his just
rewards. It was a beautiful moment from Lampley, who remains unsurpassed in his
ability to inject poignancy into a boxing match.
More great Lampley: When reflecting upon Salido's memorable
career, he provided another keen insight. I'm paraphrasing here but he said
what was so remarkable about Salido was that it didn't matter if he'd won or
lost his big fights. Francisco Vargas, Roman Martinez, Juan Manuel Lopez. Which
ones did Salido win? Which ones did he lose? Which ones were draws?
Ultimately, it doesn't matter because Salido provided so much
entertainment, such thrilling action. Lampley's observation was 100% correct
and I struggle to think of another current boxer who receives the same
treatment from the boxing industry. Despite 14 losses, Salido attained a unique
status in the sport. After the fight, he announced his retirement and he leaves
boxing as a main event HBO fighter and this generation's Arturo Gatti.
At 32, Roman may have another two or three years left to pick up
the action fighter mantle from Salido; however, like Salido, Roman has been in
a ton of wars. Roman has 12 losses but he also has 45 knockouts in his 58 wins.
He's actually fought in America 14 times but didn't really break through until
earlier this year, when he gave former junior lightweight titleholder Takashi
Miura hell before being stopped. Roman has helped to make two of the best
fights of 2017 and if matched correctly he could provide a lot of entertainment
over the next few years.
As Salido-Roman ended last night, Lampley speculated that Salido
might not be as disappointed in the knockout loss as one would expect since he
recognized so much of himself in Roman. There could be a lot of truth there.
Similar to Salido, nothing was given to Roman. He had to fight in all sorts of
shabby venues, often for short money and without the benefit of full training
camps. Roman wasn't supposed to be the opponent last night. But as his
countrymen Salido so often did, he showed up in shape and ready to give hell.
Saturday's fight wasn't for a title or any other type of trinket but for Roman
it was perhaps even more important; it was his chance to matter in boxing. With
his two fantastic performances this year, Roman now has a calling card in the
sport. And he's just a phone call away.
*
Caleb Truax was supposed to be James DeGale's get-well opponent.
Coming off of shoulder surgery and 11 months of inactivity after his brutal
slugfest with Badou Jack, DeGale intended to make a title defense against
someone non-threatening. Truax, somehow ranked in the Top-15 of the IBF (Thanks
Al Haymon), was drafted for this duty. When last in a meaningful fight, Truax
was iced in one round by Anthony Dirrell. In the 18 months since that bout, he
had only fought two lower-level opponents.
Without being blessed with top-shelf athleticism or the size to
trouble upper-echelon fighters, Truax relies on intelligence and an acute
understanding of his strengths and weaknesses. He didn't have a single physical
advantage over DeGale on paper. But a high Ring IQ, a fantastic game plan,
self-belief and a little luck helped to tear that paper to shreds; he won a
deserved majority decision in surely what will be the upset of the year for
2017.
DeGale is one of the more maddening fighters in boxing. In a given
round, he can dazzle with his physical and technical dimensions. With lightning
hand speed and creative angles, he can land six- and seven-punch combinations
that absolutely demoralize opponents. He glides gracefully around the ring.
He's just as competent as an orthodox fighter as he is in his natural southpaw
stance. And he can pack a real punch. In these moments he can do it all.
But there is another James DeGale – the one who lets opponents
back into fights, the guy who inexplicably takes rounds off, the one who likes
to make things hard for himself. Give DeGale enough time and his punch volume
will decrease, he'll stop moving and he'll demonstrate indifference in the
ring.
DeGale has had nip-and-tuck fights with Badou Jack, Porky
Medina, Andre Dirrell, George Groves and now Caleb Truax. Note the variety of
talent levels in that list. What remains consistent is that DeGale seems
incapable of putting 12 good rounds together against a fighter who can handle
himself in the ring.
Furthermore, DeGale clearly wasn't physically right in Saturday's
fight. By the third round, he was retreating to the ropes. He labored whenever
he had to fight in the center of the ring, despite dominating the match in that
geography. In addition, his defensive reflexes looked poor.
DeGale had shoulder surgery, oral surgery and a perforated ear
drum as a result of his fight against Jack. After Saturday's bout, he admitted
that he may have rushed back into the ring. He also insisted that he will be
making changes in his camp. Perhaps some time off is in order.
None of the above is meant to disparage Truax, who went into a
hostile environment and laughed at the oddsmakers. Truax consistently forced
DeGale back to the ropes and banged whatever he could hit. He hurt DeGale with
straight right hands and short uppercuts in the 5th and 10th rounds and got the
best of the action for large portions of the fight.
Off nights happen in boxing. Fighters may not be at their physical
peak, or perhaps there has been some slippage or deterioration in their skills.
However, it's not enough just to say that DeGale was less than his best. An
opponent must capitalize on such an opportunity. Truax was ready for his
chance. He understood exactly what he had to do to win and executed his plan to
the best of his abilities.
On a personal note, I've interacted with Truax a number of times
over social media throughout the years. I've found him to be grounded, funny
and articulate. As a relative latecomer to professional boxing, he often talked
about becoming a fighter to pay off his student debt. In his deepest recesses,
I wonder if he ever thought that he would one day become a world
champion.
Life takes interesting twists and turns and it's up to us to make
the most of them. Only because Truax wasn't seen as threatening does he now
have a title belt. Let that be a lesson to all of us. Like Roman,
Salido, or Truax, when the phone rings, be ready. Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com He's a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com @snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook.
