GOOD
Fighters who cut their teeth in the Cuban amateur school are often not much fun to watch. They’re generally technical wizards, guys who are more geared to boxing circles around you and winning fights than entertaining fans.
Yordenis Ugas falls into that category. He provides thorough victories, not thrills.
The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist gave Abel Ramos a boxing lesson on Sunday night at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, fighting behind his stiff jab and landing more than enough power punches to win the fight and a secondary welterweight title going away.
The judges didn’t see it that way, awarding him a curious split-decision victory (see WORSE below), but we saw what was saw: A skillful, seasoned fighter at 34 who demonstrated again that he can compete with anyone at 147 pounds.
Ugas’ abilities are obvious. He has average punching power at best but does everything else at a high level. That includes his defensive skills. He took a couple of big shots – the last one out of carelessness in the final seconds – but he was an elusive target for Ramos, who landed only 17% of his punches.
And I liked Ugas’ fire. He was intense, not mechanical like some technicians. He fought with controlled aggression, which told me that he’s both smart and hungry, that he still wants to be recognized as the best 147-pounder in his mid-30s.
I don’t know whether that will happen. The division is unusually deep in talent, with Errol Spence Jr., Terence Crawford and Manny Pacquiao leading the way. And fights are difficult to make, as we see every day.
However, if he gets his chance against one of the above or another top 147-pounder, you have to like his chances of having his hand raised. Some believe he was robbed when he lost a split decision to then-world titleholder Shawn Porter in March of last year.
The next time might be different. Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs) certainly has what it takes.
BAD
I hesitate to criticize Jamel Herring after what he went through before and during his title defense against Jonathan Oquendo on Saturday.
The junior lightweight beltholder tested positive for COVID-19 twice, which resulted in two postponements of the fight. He battled through the virus to train for most of 20 weeks. And he was in with one of the roughest (dirtiest?) characters in the sport.
That’s why I sympathize with him.
The facts are the facts, though. He went to the dark side of boxing: He quit.
Oquendo was deemed to have employed intentional head butts throughout the fight, one of which caused a deep cut above his right eye that bled profusely. And by the end of the eighth round Herring was fed up.
The ring doctor asked Herring whether he could see, which is another way of asking whether he wanted to continue. He responded, “no.” Referee Tony Weeks had no choice but to stop the fight at that point, giving Herring a victory by disqualification.
“It just got ugly,” Herring said afterward.
Well, a lot of fights get ugly. Herring’s eye wasn’t swollen shut, which might’ve been a good reason to quit. He had blood in it. Boxers persevere with blood in their eyes all the time. They fight through inevitable adversity.
Herring didn’t do that. Instead, he threw his hands up and said, in effect, “It’s not worth it.” It was as if he decided at that moment that he was no longer willing to endure the rigors of the sport.
And, indeed, afterward, while indicating he planned to go through with a tentative fight with Carl Frampton, he hinted at retirement. He said he has already spent too much time away from his family.
Herring looked like a fighter with one foot in boxing and one foot out at the end of the fight with Oquendo. His words afterward gave the same impression. Maybe he’ll have a different outlook after processing his experience leading up to and on Saturday night.
Or maybe he’s done. You have to be all in to box.
WORSE
Crazy scorecards have always been a part of boxing and always will be. That doesn’t make them easier to accept.
Ugas gave a strong showing against Ramos, controlling what seemed to be a one-sided fight from beginning to end. The Cuban outlanded Ramos by a 2-1 margin, according to CompuBox.
That’s why the card of veteran judge Lou Moret was so shocking: 117-111 for Ramos, or nine rounds to three. Moret had Ugas winning the first two rounds and gave Ramos nine of the final 10. The other two judges had Ugas winning 115-113.
I had it 118-110 for the winner, which was similar to the scoring of others with whom I spoke Sunday.
I don’t believe the 115-113 scores for Ugas reflected what happened in the ring but I can see an argument for a seven-rounds-to-five card. Ramos fought Ugas on roughly even terms the final three rounds, all of which you could’ve given to Ramos. That means you’d have to find just two more to make it 115-113.
But nine rounds to three for Ramos? No way.
What are we to think?
One theory is that Moret, 76, is past it. I don’t subscribe to age discrimination but that’s a natural thought. More likely Moret just had an off – WAY off – day at the office, which happens to judges.
And I should mention that fights often look different at ringside vs. watching on TV. Moret’s card was separated by only two rounds from those of colleagues Zachary Young and Edward Hernandez Sr. It doesn’t look as outrageous from that perspective.
That said, the perception remains that Moret’s card was ghastly.
Now it’s up to the California State Athletic Commission to take action. If I were running the show, I would talk to Moret and find out how he arrived at his score. I might even sit down with him and have him score the fight again. I would explain my concerns. I would look at other recent fights he worked to determine whether there is a pattern of out-of-line scoring.
And then I would make a decision based on what I believe is best for the sport, which takes a hit every time we see one of these unfathomable cards.
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