Vladimir Hernandez outworked Alfredo Angulo to win a unanimous decision in a 10-round super middleweight bout Saturday in Los Angeles.
Heart can take you only so far.
Alfredo Angulo learned that against late replacement Vladimir Hernandez, who outworked the 38-year-old warhorse to win a unanimous decision in a 10-round super middleweight bout on the Erislandy Lara-Greg Vendetti card Saturday in Los Angeles.
Hernandez, who replaced an ill Caleb Truax on Friday, took the fight to the slow-starting Angulo from the opening bell, landing relatively quick punches in bunches, and never really let up.
Angulo (26-8, 21 KOs) took everything Hernandez landed and picked up his punch rate a few rounds into the fight, turning what could’ve been a rout into a competitive fight with hard shots to the head and body.
However, “Perro” just couldn’t keep pace with the younger (31 years old), faster Hernandez.
All three judges had the same score 98-92, eight rounds to two. Boxing Junkie scored it 97-93 for Hernandez.
Angulo was coming off a sensational split-decision victory over Peter Quillin last September, which gave him hope of fighting for a major title once more. However, on Saturday, he took a step backward. It will be difficult for him to rebuild at his age.
Meanwhile, Hernandez (12-4, 6 KOs) recorded the biggest victory of is 11-year career on national television (FOX). As a result, we’ll probably see him again on TV.
Vladimir Hernandez outworked Alfredo Angulo to win a unanimous decision in a 10-round super middleweight bout Saturday in Los Angeles.
Heart can take you only so far.
Alfredo Angulo learned that against late replacement Vladimir Hernandez, who outworked the 38-year-old warhorse to win a unanimous decision in a 10-round super middleweight bout on the Erislandy Lara-Greg Vendetti card Saturday in Los Angeles.
Hernandez, who replaced an ill Caleb Truax on Friday, took the fight to the slow-starting Angulo from the opening bell, landing relatively quick punches in bunches, and never really let up.
Angulo (26-8, 21 KOs) took everything Hernandez landed and picked up his punch rate a few rounds into the fight, turning what could’ve been a rout into a competitive fight with hard shots to the head and body.
However, “Perro” just couldn’t keep pace with the younger (31 years old), faster Hernandez.
All three judges had the same score 98-92, eight rounds to two. Boxing Junkie scored it 97-93 for Hernandez.
Angulo was coming off a sensational split-decision victory over Peter Quillin last September, which gave him hope of fighting for a major title once more. However, on Saturday, he took a step backward. It will be difficult for him to rebuild at his age.
Meanwhile, Hernandez (12-4, 6 KOs) recorded the biggest victory of is 11-year career on national television (FOX). As a result, we’ll probably see him again on TV.
Caleb Truax is out as the opponent for Alfredo Angulo on the Erislandy Lara-Greg Vendetti card Saturday at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Caleb Truax is out as the opponent for Alfredo Angulo on the Erislandy Lara-Greg Vendetti card Saturday at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Truax had to pull out of the super middleweight title eliminator because of the effects of dehydration, according to a Premier Boxing Champions news release.
Angulo will now fight Vladimir Hernandez, who was paid to standby in case one of the fighters tested positive for COVID-19.
“We wish Caleb the best and hope to see him back in the ring soon, but it is fortunate that we have backups in place because of COVID-19,” said Tom Brown, pPresident of TGB Promotions. “Under normal circumstances you wouldn’t have a backup on standby. But because of COVID-19, we have someone who has been training, has been tested and is in the bubble and ready to go.”
Hernandez (11-4, 6 KOs) is a short (5-foot-7½), thick journeyman from Mexico who perhaps is best known for being the debut opponent of Israil Madrimov, who stopped Hernandez in six rounds in 2018.
Hernandez, 31, is 4-4 in his last eight fights, six of which were scheduled for eight rounds.
Angulo (26-7, 21 KOs) is coming off a sensational split-decision victory over Peter Quillin last September, which pumped life into his faltering career.
Truax is rated No. 3 by the IBF, with Nos. 1 and 2 vacant. Angulo is No. 12. That’s why the fight was designated as a title eliminator. The new matchup presumably will not be a title eliminator.
Caleb Truax is out as the opponent for Alfredo Angulo on the Erislandy Lara-Greg Vendetti card Saturday at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Caleb Truax is out as the opponent for Alfredo Angulo on the Erislandy Lara-Greg Vendetti card Saturday at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Truax had to pull out of the super middleweight title eliminator because of the effects of dehydration, according to a Premier Boxing Champions news release.
Angulo will now fight Vladimir Hernandez, who was paid to standby in case one of the fighters tested positive for COVID-19.
“We wish Caleb the best and hope to see him back in the ring soon, but it is fortunate that we have backups in place because of COVID-19,” said Tom Brown, pPresident of TGB Promotions. “Under normal circumstances you wouldn’t have a backup on standby. But because of COVID-19, we have someone who has been training, has been tested and is in the bubble and ready to go.”
Hernandez (11-4, 6 KOs) is a short (5-foot-7½), thick journeyman from Mexico who perhaps is best known for being the debut opponent of Israil Madrimov, who stopped Hernandez in six rounds in 2018.
Hernandez, 31, is 4-4 in his last eight fights, six of which were scheduled for eight rounds.
Angulo (26-7, 21 KOs) is coming off a sensational split-decision victory over Peter Quillin last September, which pumped life into his faltering career.
Truax is rated No. 3 by the IBF, with Nos. 1 and 2 vacant. Angulo is No. 12. That’s why the fight was designated as a title eliminator. The new matchup presumably will not be a title eliminator.
Alfredo Angulo faces Caleb Truax in a super middleweight title eliminator on the Erislandy Lara-Greg Vendetti card Saturday on FOX.
Alfredo Angulo and Caleb Truax are survivors.
The veteran super middleweights have been beaten down and written off more than once yet here they are, both in their twilight of their careers, in one more important fight on national television.
They face one another on the Erislandy Lara-Greg Vendetti card Saturday at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The card is on FOX.
Angulo (26-7, 21 KOs) was thought by many to be finished before he stepped into the ring to face former middleweight titleholder Peter Quillin last September in Bakersfield, Calif.
The U.S.-based Mexican had back-to-back losses and two long stretches away from boxing between 2015 and last year, leading some to fear for his safety against a puncher like Quillin. Angulo had the look of a has-been.
So what happened? Angulo turned in a spirited, throw-back performance to defeat Quillin by a split decision and revive his career.
Alfredo Angulo and trainer Abel Sanchez (center) emerged victorious over Peter Quillin last September. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Promotions
The decline of Quillin probably played a role in Angulo’s resurgence. However, it was more than that. Angulo fought like a capable 168-pounder, like a fighter on a mission, not like one with a foot out of the sport.
The 38-year-old “Perro” credits trainer Abel Sanchez.
The fighter traveled up the mountain to Sanchez’s Big Bear, Calif. training camp after his loss to Sergio Mora in April 2018 in hopes that Sanchez would work with him. The trainer, aware of how Angulo had looked in the ring, was skeptical but gave him a chance.
“I told him I’d give him three, four weeks, which I usually do,” Sanchez said on a conference call. “I was thinking that at this stage – he didn’t look good in previous fights – I thought he’d last maybe three, four weeks in the gym because it’s difficult up there, and he’d go away.
“But to Perro’s credit, he made those three weeks a real pleasure for me to see somebody try as hard as he did. Once he got into shape there was no holding him back. … Instead of growing old, he’s getting younger on me.”
Angulo, under Sanchez’s tutelage, returned from a one-year hiatus to stop Evert Bravo in two rounds and then upset Quillin by split decision. Now he has his sights on a title shot and dreams of facing countryman Canelo Alvarez one day. He has come a long way.
“The biggest gift for me is the confidence, the input Abel gives me each and every day,” Angulo said through a translator. “… If you want the key to the turnaround, that’s the biggest thing. It’s also about being at the gym every day, being challenged by fighters with the same ambitions that I have.
“We challenge each other, push each other to surpass our own limits, to get to new heights.”
Caleb Truax’s greatest moment was defeating James De Gale to win a title in 2017. Photo by Christopher Lee / Getty Images
The career of Truax (31-4-2, 19 KOs) peaked in December 2017, when he surprised everyone by defeating James DeGale via a majority decision to win a major super middleweight title in London.
The Minnesota fighter has had problems since. He suffered a gruesome cut above his right eye in a fight with Quillin in April of last year that was ruled a no-contest. Then he had to pull out of the rematch because of a torn right Achilles tendon.
That allowed Angulo to step in and score his upset but it was a big blow to Truax. He ultimately rebounded to defeat David Basajjamivule by a majority decision this past January in Minneapolis.
“The last year and a half was tough for me,” Truax said. “I had the cut against Quillin and the Achilles injury. It took about eight or nine months for it to feel back to normal. But I’ve been training on it since January and I’m ready to roll.
“… I had a little bit of ring rust in my last fight and it was great to knock it off. Most people thought I dominated, so I don’t know how it ended up so close on the cards. But I got the win and got the rounds in that I wanted.
“We’re moving forward and ready to put on a show against a higher level of competition in Alfredo Angulo.”
Truax is two years younger than Angulo, which isn’t young. They know there won’t be too many more opportunities to make an impact and big money.
At the same time, both of them are in a good position. The fight on Saturday is a title eliminator. Truax is ranked No. 3 by the IBF (with Nos. 1 and 2 vacant) behind champion Caleb Plant. Angulo is No. 12. Thus, the winner could get a title shot soon.
The stakes will be high on Saturday.
“Whoever wins could get that opportunity against Caleb Plant, which you have to acknowledge, but none of that happens without going through Angulo first,” Truax said. “So I have to take care of what’s in front of me Saturday.”
Alfredo Angulo faces Caleb Truax in a super middleweight title eliminator on the Erislandy Lara-Greg Vendetti card Saturday on FOX.
Alfredo Angulo and Caleb Truax are survivors.
The veteran super middleweights have been beaten down and written off more than once yet here they are, both in their twilight of their careers, in one more important fight on national television.
They face one another on the Erislandy Lara-Greg Vendetti card Saturday at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The card is on FOX.
Angulo (26-7, 21 KOs) was thought by many to be finished before he stepped into the ring to face former middleweight titleholder Peter Quillin last September in Bakersfield, Calif.
The U.S.-based Mexican had back-to-back losses and two long stretches away from boxing between 2015 and last year, leading some to fear for his safety against a puncher like Quillin. Angulo had the look of a has-been.
So what happened? Angulo turned in a spirited, throw-back performance to defeat Quillin by a split decision and revive his career.
Alfredo Angulo and trainer Abel Sanchez (center) emerged victorious over Peter Quillin last September. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Promotions
The decline of Quillin probably played a role in Angulo’s resurgence. However, it was more than that. Angulo fought like a capable 168-pounder, like a fighter on a mission, not like one with a foot out of the sport.
The 38-year-old “Perro” credits trainer Abel Sanchez.
The fighter traveled up the mountain to Sanchez’s Big Bear, Calif. training camp after his loss to Sergio Mora in April 2018 in hopes that Sanchez would work with him. The trainer, aware of how Angulo had looked in the ring, was skeptical but gave him a chance.
“I told him I’d give him three, four weeks, which I usually do,” Sanchez said on a conference call. “I was thinking that at this stage – he didn’t look good in previous fights – I thought he’d last maybe three, four weeks in the gym because it’s difficult up there, and he’d go away.
“But to Perro’s credit, he made those three weeks a real pleasure for me to see somebody try as hard as he did. Once he got into shape there was no holding him back. … Instead of growing old, he’s getting younger on me.”
Angulo, under Sanchez’s tutelage, returned from a one-year hiatus to stop Evert Bravo in two rounds and then upset Quillin by split decision. Now he has his sights on a title shot and dreams of facing countryman Canelo Alvarez one day. He has come a long way.
“The biggest gift for me is the confidence, the input Abel gives me each and every day,” Angulo said through a translator. “… If you want the key to the turnaround, that’s the biggest thing. It’s also about being at the gym every day, being challenged by fighters with the same ambitions that I have.
“We challenge each other, push each other to surpass our own limits, to get to new heights.”
Caleb Truax’s greatest moment was defeating James De Gale to win a title in 2017. Photo by Christopher Lee / Getty Images
The career of Truax (31-4-2, 19 KOs) peaked in December 2017, when he surprised everyone by defeating James DeGale via a majority decision to win a major super middleweight title in London.
The Minnesota fighter has had problems since. He suffered a gruesome cut above his right eye in a fight with Quillin in April of last year that was ruled a no-contest. Then he had to pull out of the rematch because of a torn right Achilles tendon.
That allowed Angulo to step in and score his upset but it was a big blow to Truax. He ultimately rebounded to defeat David Basajjamivule by a majority decision this past January in Minneapolis.
“The last year and a half was tough for me,” Truax said. “I had the cut against Quillin and the Achilles injury. It took about eight or nine months for it to feel back to normal. But I’ve been training on it since January and I’m ready to roll.
“… I had a little bit of ring rust in my last fight and it was great to knock it off. Most people thought I dominated, so I don’t know how it ended up so close on the cards. But I got the win and got the rounds in that I wanted.
“We’re moving forward and ready to put on a show against a higher level of competition in Alfredo Angulo.”
Truax is two years younger than Angulo, which isn’t young. They know there won’t be too many more opportunities to make an impact and big money.
At the same time, both of them are in a good position. The fight on Saturday is a title eliminator. Truax is ranked No. 3 by the IBF (with Nos. 1 and 2 vacant) behind champion Caleb Plant. Angulo is No. 12. Thus, the winner could get a title shot soon.
The stakes will be high on Saturday.
“Whoever wins could get that opportunity against Caleb Plant, which you have to acknowledge, but none of that happens without going through Angulo first,” Truax said. “So I have to take care of what’s in front of me Saturday.”
Abel Sanchez, Andy Ruiz Jr.’s former trainer, said Eddy Reynoso could have his hands full with a fighter who resists hard work.
Abel Sanchez, Andy Ruiz Jr.’s former trainer, painted a clear portrait of the challenge Eddy Reynoso faces.
Reynoso, the longtime mentor of Canelo Alvarez, has agreed to work with the former heavyweight titleholder.
Ruiz stunned the boxing world by stopping Anthony Joshua to win three belts last June but, ill-prepared for the rematch six months later, he lost a wide decision. The latter fight raised questions about Ruiz’s dedication to the sport.
Sanchez was in Ruiz’s corner when the Mexican-American lost a close decision to Joseph Parker. Manny Robles worked with him for the Joshua fights.
“Eddy Reynoso must keep him in the gym, make him work and get rid of the baggage (read: enablers) around him,” Sanchez told Sky Sports. “Andy must listen. Eddy is a heck of a coach, one of the best in boxing right now.”
He went on: “”I’m not there to baby sit, I am there to coach and develop you if you are willing to listen. You can’t develop someone who doesn’t want to try anything. It was difficult for me because I don’t like laziness. We work too hard. I have too many people here working their butts off. To have one person get away with things that nobody else can? That’s not proper.
“He doesn’t look like a prototypical heavyweight but he has a lot of ability, unbelievable ability. He lacks in desire. He doesn’t want to do things. He finds an excuse not to do something. That’s a shame because he could do great things.”
Sanchez’s comments were similar to those Robles made to Sky Sports earlier.
“My job is not to call him every day,” Robles said. “He’s a man, not a kid, and must be treated as such. You can’t convince someone to want something. The fame and money has been overwhelming for Andy.
“He’s got to know how to handle it. Maybe after this defeat, the game has humbled him.”
Trainer Abel Sanchez believes Gennadiy Golovkin, his former protege, would defeat Canelo Alvarez in a third fight.
Most observers seem to believe that Canelo Alvarez would win a third fight with Gennadiy Golovkin fairly easily.
After all, Alvarez is 29 and his prime. Golovkin recently turned 38 and is coming off a victory over Sergey Derevyanchenko that was much closer – and taxing – than virtually everyone expected.
One man sees things differently: Abel Sanchez, Golvokin’s former trainer.
Sanchez was asked for a K.O. Artists Sports video how he thinks a third Alvarez-Golovkin fight would play out. The two fought to a controversial draw the first time and Alvarez won a close decision in the rematch.
“He beat him twice already,” said Sanchez, who was in Triple-G’s corner in both fights. “In my opinion, he beat him twice already. So there’s no reason he can’t beat him a third time.”
Sanchez added one caveat: If possible, don’t stage the fight in Las Vegas. That’s where the first two took place.
“Hopefully, if he has anything to say about it, I would hope he doesn’t fight … in Vegas unless it’s just so lucrative for him that he can’t turn it down,” Sanchez said. “It seems Canelo has the advantage there. So I would hope that if they do fight, they would fight somewhere else and he beats him.
“I think [Golovkin] beats him again, just like the first two.”
Alvarez and Golovkin, who is now trained by Johnathon Banks, tentatively agreed to meet in September before the coronavirus pandemic took hold. It’s not clear when the fight would take place.
Abel Sanchez, Gennadiy Golovkin’s former trainer, fears that things won’t go well if he fights Canelo Alvarez a third time.
Trainer Abel Sancez fears for Gennadiy Golovkin if he fights Canelo Alvarez a third time.
Golovkin’s former mentor, who was in his corner in the first two fights, said on The Pug and Copp Show podcast that the 38-year-old Kazakhstani could take a beating at the hands of the younger Mexican.
Golovkin, now trained by Johnathon Banks, and Alvarez reportedly agreed before the coronavirus pandemic took hold to fight in September.
“This one maybe will hurt. Not because I’m not with him, but [it could] hurt because he gets hurt,” Sanchez said during the podcast. “Not only [is the third meeting] the most significant, it’s the most dangerous because you’re talking about a guy who is at his peak now and believes he can do the same thing to Gennadiy that he did to [Sergey] Kovalev.
“[Alvarez] baited, baited, baited and waited for that right moment and it was destructive. I would hate to see Gennadiy go into that fight — or I would rather not see the fight — than to see Gennadiy succumb to something like that, not being prepared physically and mentally.”
Golovkin and Alvarez fought to a controversial split draw in September 2017. Alvarez won the rematch by a majority decision a year later, after which Golovkin left Sanchez.
Since then, Golovkin stopped Steve Rolls in four rounds but struggled in a taxing fight to earn a close decision over Sergey Derevyanchenko to win a vacant middleweight title in October. Some observers suggested after the latter performance that Triple-G is in decline.
Meanwhile, since the rematch, Alvarez stopped Rocky Fielding in three rounds, outpointed Danny Jacobs and stopped Kovalev in the 11th round to win a light heavyweight title in November.
Alvarez was tentatively scheduled to fight super middleweight titleholder Billy Joe Saunders in May but that fight was put on hold because of the pandemic and might not happen.
