A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
No one knows in the wake of Keith Thurman’s unanimous-decision victory over Mario Barrios on Saturday how he might fare against welterweight titleholders Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas.
For one night, though, the former unified champion – now 33 – looked like a fighter who could hold his own against anyone.
Thurman had taken a 2½-year break from the sport in part because he needed time to recover from nagging injuries. He looked as fit as ever against Barrios, although he said afterward that he bruised a knuckle.
Any questions about whether he had lost a step were quashed. He largely has retained the quickness and athleticism for which he had been known.
If there was any ring rust after the long hiatus, it wasn’t obvious. He evidently sharpened his timing during intense sparring sessions during his training camp, just as he had told us beforehand.
And what about his inability to take out an opponent who was taking part in his first fight as a full-fledged welterweight, one that had been stopped by the smaller Gervonta Davis last time out?
Maybe Thurman didn’t have the gear required to finish the job after hurting Barrios several times. Maybe the fact they wore 10-ounce, instead of 8-ounce gloves – which was Barrios’ prerogative – was all the former 140-pound contender needed to survive the power of a naturally stronger man.
Afterward, Thurman gave himself a “C+ or a B-” on his performance. I’ll give him a solid B. He wasn’t spectacular by any means but he demonstrated against a solid opponent that he’s a legitimate contender in one of boxing’s glamour divisions.
That was essentially his goal, to show the world that “One Time” is back.
BAD
The bad news for Barrios is that he has lost consecutive fights against elite opponents, one by a late knockout and the other by a wide decision. Back-to-back losses are never a positive. The good news is that he acquitted himself reasonably well in each setback.
On Saturday, he couldn’t catch up to his quicker, more-athletic opponent or match his work rate enough to give him a serious test, which is why he lost 10 rounds on two cards and nine on the third.
At the same time, he was competitive.
Barrios landed clean shots here and there throughout the fight, whether they were jabs or a power shots. He got to Thurman’s body, which is perceived to be his weakness. He landed one shot to the stomach in Round 8 that was so punishing Thurman took out his mouthpiece so he could breathe more easily.
And he demonstrated both fitness and toughness by surviving 12 rounds against a hard puncher in his first fight as a full-fledged 147-pounder.
Barrios is a good all-around fighter who simply ran into opponents who are among the best of their generation. In other words, he took two big swings and missed both times. He should be applauded for stepping to the plate.
Now he’ll go back to the gym, work with respected trainer Virgil Hunter on areas in which he can improve and come back a better, wiser boxer.
Don’t be shocked if Barrios emerges victorious the next time he faces a significant challenge.
WORSE
Carlos Cuadras a few weeks ago was in position to underscore his place as one of the stars in a deep 115-pound division. Now, after a series of events, he’s on the outside looking in.
Cuadras (39-5-1, 27 KOs) had been scheduled to take on rival Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on Saturday in Phoenix, with the winner set to face the winner of a third fight between Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez for junior bantamweight supremacy.
Then everything fell apart. Estrada pulled out with COVID-19 and was replaced by Julio Cesar Martinez. They fight on March 5. Then Sor Rungvisai had to withdraw as a result of illness, leaving organizers to scramble for a replacement.
In stepped relative unknown Jesse Rodriguez, a junior flyweight contender from San Antonio who was scheduled to fight on the undercard and had never faced anyone near Cuadras’ status.
Cuadras wasn’t expected to have much trouble with the 22-year-old southpaw. And then he did – a heap of trouble. The veteran couldn’t cope with Rodriguez’s quickness and ability to use it, leaving the favorite on the wrong end of a stunning one-sided decision.
The loser is out of the title picture, at least for the time being. The winner? Rodriguez now holds a secondary WBC title, below “franchise” champion Estrada. More important, his victory over a proven commodity makes him a major player in the division.
There’s no reason he shouldn’t fight the winner of the Gonzalez-Martinez fight or face one of the two other beltholders, Jerwin Ancajas (IBF) or Kazuto Ioka (WBO).
Rodriguez is already a great story after his accomplishment on Saturday. Imagine if he beats one of the above.
RABBIT PUNCHES
Middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr. (32-2, 23 KOs) deserves credit for putting Liam Williams (23-4-1, 18 KOs) down four times (one knockdown was a push) and winning a wide decision Saturday in Cardiff, Wales, Williams’ home country. He took another step toward a shot at a world title. At the same time, aside for the rounds in which Williams went down, the fight was fought on roughly even terms. And Eubank’s assertion that he carried Williams so he could punish him didn’t ring true and undoubtedly rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. He has more work to do. … Claressa Shields (12-0, 2 KOs) gave a strong performance against Ema Kozin (21-1-1, 11 KOs) in her return to boxing, winning a shutout decision on the Eubank-Williams card. She was disappointed that she was unable to stop Kozin but that means next to nothing. Domination is domination. Next up should be a showdown with the only fighter to beat her in a boxing ring, Savannah Marshall (11-0, 9 KOs). The Briton topped Shields in an amateur fight in 2012, which Shields was 17. Their back and forth at ringside after the Shields-Kozin fight was brilliant theater that will help sell the fight. However, I’m not sure Marshall can compete inside the ropes with the current version of Shields, who has evolved into arguably the best female fighter on the planet. … Twenty-year-old Jesus Ramos (18-0, 15 KOs) gave the strongest performance of his career against rugged Vladimir Hernandez (13-5, 6 KOs) on the Thurman-Barrios card, withstanding Hernandez’s incessant pressure like a more-experienced fighter and stopping him in six rounds. Ramos, already ranked by one sanctioning body, is almost ready for a title shot. … Leo Santa Cruz (38-2-1, 19 KOs) made a successful return after his knockout loss to Gervonta Davis, shutting out Keenan Carbajal (23-3-1, 15 KOs) in a 10-round 130-pound bout on the Thurman-Barrios card. Santa Cruz, 30, looks as if he hasn’t lost anything. He maintained a high work rate and was particularly effective to the body, which is his specialty. … Luis Nery (32-1, 24 KOs) also bounced back from a knockout loss, defeating Carlos Castro (27-1, 12 KOs) in a 10-round 122-pound bout on the Thurman-Barrios card. Nery fought with an effective combination of controlled aggression and elusiveness. The Mexican won a split decision but I thought he won seven rounds. Nery was stopped by Brandon Figueroa in his previous fight.