Tag: Bakhodir Jalolov

Weekend Review: Regis Prograis delivers special performance against Jose Zepeda

Weekend Review: Regis Prograis delivered a special performance against Jose Zepeda on Saturday in Carson, California.

Editor’s note: This new feature – Weekend Review – replaces the discontinued Good, Bad, Worse. The premise is the same: A look back at the past week of boxing.

 

BIGGEST WINNER

Regis Prograis – Prograis had been a forgotten man since he lost his junior welterweight title to Josh Taylor in October 2019 because he fought only once a year after that and never on a big stage. On Saturday, he reminded us what we were missing. The 33-year-old from New Orleans gave a dazzling performance in Carson, California, stopping overmatched Jose Zepeda in 11 rounds to become a two-time 140-pound champion. Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) gave a boxing clinic, which left a good fighter in Zepeda looking lost most of the fight. The loser landed only six-plus punches per round, according to CompuBox. And then Prograis finished the job in style, scoring a brutal knockout 59 seconds into Round 11. He left no doubt that he’s a threat to anyone at 140 pounds – including his conqueror, Josh Taylor – and could compete with the elite 147-pounders eventually. It was a special night for him.

 

BIGGEST LOSER

Jose Zepeda – Zepeda (35-3, 27 KOs) had a bad night. He had two previous losses in his career but was never dominated like he was by Prograis, who seemed to expose Zepeda’s limitations in the latter’s third failed attempt to win a major world title. The 33-year-old from the Los Angeles area never gave himself a chance to win. He should’ve gotten nasty with Prograis after it became clear he couldn’t box with a superior boxer but didn’t, although that’s easy for me to say because I’m not taking one hard punch after another from one of the best in the business. Bottom line: Zepeda was in over his head. Does he still have a realistic chance of winning a belt? That would depend on the opponent. I don’t see him beating someone at the level of Prograis or Taylor. And, of course, how many more opportunities is he going to get?

 

MOST FORTUNATE

Dillian Whyte – The longtime heavyweight contender eked out a majority decision over relative unknown Jermaine Franklin (21-1, 1 KOs) on Saturday in London, a fight that some believe Franklin did enough to win. Had Whyte lost, he would’ve fallen in back-to-back fights (he was stopped by Tyson Fury in his previous outing) and been 2-3 in his last five. The 35-year-old Londoner would’ve been hard-pressed to bounce back from that. As it was, Whyte (29-3, 19 KOs) had his hand raised. And now he seems to be on track to face Anthony Joshua in a rematch next year. If he can find a way to win that fight, people will have forgotten his cold streak and he’ll be back in legitimate title contention.

 

BEST PROSPECT

Bakhodir Jalolov – The 6-foot-7 Uzbek seems to have all the ingredients necessary to become a heavyweight champion, which was evident once again during his fourth-round knockout of Curtis Harper on the Prograis-Zepeda card. The 2020 Olympic gold medalist has a vast amateur background, which gives him an outstanding fundamental foundation. He can box. And 12 knockouts in as many pro fights supports the notion that he can crack. One question mark is his chin. We’ll see what happens when he’s caught by another big puncher. As it stands, the Brooklyn-based Jalolov is on a short list of rising big men who could one day soon dominate the division. Among the others: Joe Joyce, Jared Anderson and Frank Sanchez. Stay tuned.

 

BIGGEST LETDOWN

John Ryder vs. Zach Parker – The British super middleweight contenders were engaged in a compelling fight when, after four rounds, the previously unbeaten Parker (22-1, 16 KOs) quit because of an injured (broken?) right hand Saturday in London. Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) was baffled initially but then celebrated, which makes sense: He’s now the mandatory challenger to Canelo Alvarez’s WBO title. For Parker, there was nothing to celebrate. He had his own dreams of challenging Alvarez but will now have to take time off to heal and then begin the rebuilding process. And some observers undoubtedly wonder whether Parker should’ve tried to continue, which is harsh judgment because we don’t know the extent of the injury. Nevertheless, the unfortunate ending contributed to a disappointing night for a good boxer.

 

GUTSIEST PERFORMANCE

Yokasta Valle – The strawweight titleholder from Costa Rican moved up in weight to challenge junior flyweight titleholder Evelin Bermudez on the Prograis-Zepeda card, leaving her at what seemed to be at a physical disadvantage. That didn’t deter her. She used a combination of ability, hustle and sheer guts to outwork her Argentine opponent and win a majority decision, become a three-division champion and make it clear that she’s one of the best female fighters pound for pound. Valle (27-2, 9 KOs) is a former atomweight champ. The prideful Bermudez (17-1-1, 6 KOs) has nothing to be ashamed of. She gave a good effort. And she’s only 26. She’ll be back.

 

BEST BOXING FAMILY.

The Vargases – Former junior middleweight titleholder Fernando Vargas has produced a brood of promising boxers. His three sons – Fernando Jr., Emiliano and Amado – have a combined record of 14-0 (11 KOs) in their young careers after Junior and Amado won their fights on the Prograis-Zepeda card. Of course, it’s early. The second-generation Vargases, who are trained by their famous father, are just started out. However, having been around boxing their entire lives, they have a good feel for the sport and have inherited dad’s fighting spirit. I won’t be surprised if one or more of them succeeds long term.

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Weekend Review: Regis Prograis delivers special performance against Jose Zepeda

Weekend Review: Regis Prograis delivered a special performance against Jose Zepeda on Saturday in Carson, California.

Editor’s note: This new feature – Weekend Review – replaces the discontinued Good, Bad, Worse. The premise is the same: A look back at the past week of boxing.

 

BIGGEST WINNER

Regis Prograis – Prograis had been a forgotten man since he lost his junior welterweight title to Josh Taylor in October 2019 because he fought only once a year after that and never on a big stage. On Saturday, he reminded us what we were missing. The 33-year-old from New Orleans gave a dazzling performance in Carson, California, stopping overmatched Jose Zepeda in 11 rounds to become a two-time 140-pound champion. Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) gave a boxing clinic, which left a good fighter in Zepeda looking lost most of the fight. The loser landed only six-plus punches per round, according to CompuBox. And then Prograis finished the job in style, scoring a brutal knockout 59 seconds into Round 11. He left no doubt that he’s a threat to anyone at 140 pounds – including his conqueror, Josh Taylor – and could compete with the elite 147-pounders eventually. It was a special night for him.

 

BIGGEST LOSER

Jose Zepeda – Zepeda (35-3, 27 KOs) had a bad night. He had two previous losses in his career but was never dominated like he was by Prograis, who seemed to expose Zepeda’s limitations in the latter’s third failed attempt to win a major world title. The 33-year-old from the Los Angeles area never gave himself a chance to win. He should’ve gotten nasty with Prograis after it became clear he couldn’t box with a superior boxer but didn’t, although that’s easy for me to say because I’m not taking one hard punch after another from one of the best in the business. Bottom line: Zepeda was in over his head. Does he still have a realistic chance of winning a belt? That would depend on the opponent. I don’t see him beating someone at the level of Prograis or Taylor. And, of course, how many more opportunities is he going to get?

 

MOST FORTUNATE

Dillian Whyte – The longtime heavyweight contender eked out a majority decision over relative unknown Jermaine Franklin (21-1, 1 KOs) on Saturday in London, a fight that some believe Franklin did enough to win. Had Whyte lost, he would’ve fallen in back-to-back fights (he was stopped by Tyson Fury in his previous outing) and been 2-3 in his last five. The 35-year-old Londoner would’ve been hard-pressed to bounce back from that. As it was, Whyte (29-3, 19 KOs) had his hand raised. And now he seems to be on track to face Anthony Joshua in a rematch next year. If he can find a way to win that fight, people will have forgotten his cold streak and he’ll be back in legitimate title contention.

 

BEST PROSPECT

Bakhodir Jalolov – The 6-foot-7 Uzbek seems to have all the ingredients necessary to become a heavyweight champion, which was evident once again during his fourth-round knockout of Curtis Harper on the Prograis-Zepeda card. The 2020 Olympic gold medalist has a vast amateur background, which gives him an outstanding fundamental foundation. He can box. And 12 knockouts in as many pro fights supports the notion that he can crack. One question mark is his chin. We’ll see what happens when he’s caught by another big puncher. As it stands, the Brooklyn-based Jalolov is on a short list of rising big men who could one day soon dominate the division. Among the others: Joe Joyce, Jared Anderson and Frank Sanchez. Stay tuned.

 

BIGGEST LETDOWN

John Ryder vs. Zach Parker – The British super middleweight contenders were engaged in a compelling fight when, after four rounds, the previously unbeaten Parker (22-1, 16 KOs) quit because of an injured (broken?) right hand Saturday in London. Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) was baffled initially but then celebrated, which makes sense: He’s now the mandatory challenger to Canelo Alvarez’s WBO title. For Parker, there was nothing to celebrate. He had his own dreams of challenging Alvarez but will now have to take time off to heal and then begin the rebuilding process. And some observers undoubtedly wonder whether Parker should’ve tried to continue, which is harsh judgment because we don’t know the extent of the injury. Nevertheless, the unfortunate ending contributed to a disappointing night for a good boxer.

 

GUTSIEST PERFORMANCE

Yokasta Valle – The strawweight titleholder from Costa Rican moved up in weight to challenge junior flyweight titleholder Evelin Bermudez on the Prograis-Zepeda card, leaving her at what seemed to be at a physical disadvantage. That didn’t deter her. She used a combination of ability, hustle and sheer guts to outwork her Argentine opponent and win a majority decision, become a three-division champion and make it clear that she’s one of the best female fighters pound for pound. Valle (27-2, 9 KOs) is a former atomweight champ. The prideful Bermudez (17-1-1, 6 KOs) has nothing to be ashamed of. She gave a good effort. And she’s only 26. She’ll be back.

 

BEST BOXING FAMILY.

The Vargases – Former junior middleweight titleholder Fernando Vargas has produced a brood of promising boxers. His three sons – Fernando Jr., Emiliano and Amado – have a combined record of 14-0 (11 KOs) in their young careers after Junior and Amado won their fights on the Prograis-Zepeda card. Of course, it’s early. The second-generation Vargases, who are trained by their famous father, are just started out. However, having been around boxing their entire lives, they have a good feel for the sport and have inherited dad’s fighting spirit. I won’t be surprised if one or more of them succeeds long term.

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Olympics: Richard Torrez Jr. loses to Uzbek, leaving U.S. without gold

Richard Torrez Jr. lost a decision to Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan, leaving the U.S. boxing team without gold medal.

The U.S. boxing team had its best performance in the Olympics in 21 years but the men’s gold medal drought continued.

American super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. gave a gallant effort against the much bigger Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan but lost a unanimous decision in the gold medal match — and the final bout of the Tokyo Games — early Sunday Eastern Time.

The U.S. finished with four medals (three silver and one bronze), its best output since it also won four medals (two silver and two bronze) in the 2000 Games in Sydney.

The last American man to win a gold medal was Andre Ward in 2004. Claressa Shields won gold in women’s boxing in both 2012 and 2016.

Bakhodir Jalolov (left) becomes emotional after beating Richard Torrez Jr. to win the super heavyweight gold medal.  Danielle Parhizkaran / USA TODAY Sports

Torrez faced an uphill battle against Jalolov, who was five inches taller and at least 30 pounds heavier than the product of Tulare, Calif. Plus, Jalolov knocked out Torrez the last time they fought, in the 2019 World Amateur Championships.

The American certainly tried to turn the tables, fighting with do-or-die spirit from the opening bell. He actually got the better of Jalolov in the first round, bobbing and weaving his way inside the big man’s long reach to land some eye-catching blows.

However, the Uzbek, asserting himself, began to land punishing shots in the second round, the hardest of which resulted in a standing eight count.

Jalolov wasn’t quite as dominating in the third round but continued to land more punches than Torrez, who desperately tried to connect on a shot that could turn his fortunes around.

The final scoring was no surprise: 30-26, 30-26, 29-26, 29-27 and 29-27, all in Jalolov’s favor.

Thus, the U.S. men have gone 17 years since winning a gold medal. And they’ll have to wait at least three more to finally get back to the top of the medal podium.

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Olympics: Richard Torrez Jr. loses to Uzbek, leaving U.S. without gold

Richard Torrez Jr. lost a decision to Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan, leaving the U.S. boxing team without gold medal.

The U.S. boxing team had its best performance in the Olympics in 21 years but the men’s gold medal drought continued.

American super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. gave a gallant effort against the much bigger Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan but lost a unanimous decision in the gold medal match — and the final bout of the Tokyo Games — early Sunday Eastern Time.

The U.S. finished with four medals (three silver and one bronze), its best output since it also won four medals (two silver and two bronze) in the 2000 Games in Sydney.

The last American man to win a gold medal was Andre Ward in 2004. Claressa Shields won gold in women’s boxing in both 2012 and 2016.

Bakhodir Jalolov (left) becomes emotional after beating Richard Torrez Jr. to win the super heavyweight gold medal.  Danielle Parhizkaran / USA TODAY Sports

Torrez faced an uphill battle against Jalolov, who was five inches taller and at least 30 pounds heavier than the product of Tulare, Calif. Plus, Jalolov knocked out Torrez the last time they fought, in the 2019 World Amateur Championships.

The American certainly tried to turn the tables, fighting with do-or-die spirit from the opening bell. He actually got the better of Jalolov in the first round, bobbing and weaving his way inside the big man’s long reach to land some eye-catching blows.

However, the Uzbek, asserting himself, began to land punishing shots in the second round, the hardest of which resulted in a standing eight count.

Jalolov wasn’t quite as dominating in the third round but continued to land more punches than Torrez, who desperately tried to connect on a shot that could turn his fortunes around.

The final scoring was no surprise: 30-26, 30-26, 29-26, 29-27 and 29-27, all in Jalolov’s favor.

Thus, the U.S. men have gone 17 years since winning a gold medal. And they’ll have to wait at least three more to finally get back to the top of the medal podium.

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Olympics: Richard Torrez Jr. of U.S. pounds way to gold medal match

Super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. of the U.S. won his semifinal match and will fight for a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

American super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. will be fighting for gold.

Torrez, seeded No. 3, dominated No. 2 Kamshybek Kunkabayev before their semifinal fight was stopped in Round 3 because of a bad cut on Kunkabayev’s nose at the Tokyo Olympics early Wednesday ET.

The more-experienced, slicker and taller Kazakhstani fighter tried to box Torrez from the outside but couldn’t dissuade the aggressive underdog, who forced his way inside and landed big shot after big shot.

A huge left hand put Kunkabayev down a split second before the bell to end Round 2, punctuating Torrez’s dominance.

Torrez won the first and second rounds, which gave him a 20-17, 20-17, 20-17, 20-17 and 19-18 lead going into the third. He could’ve cruised to victory but continued to push the action, which ended when one more left hand caused a gruesome gash near the bridge of Kunkabayev’s nose midway through the round.

Richard Torrez Jr (left) celebrates after stopping Kamshybek Kunkabayev to reach the super heavyweight gold medal match. Luis Robayo //AFP via Getty Images

The referee stopped the fight at that point, giving Torrez the victory and a chance to win a gold medal.

“That’s what we came for,” Torrez said as he left the ring after his victory.

The Tulare, Calif., fighter will face No. 1-seeded Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan in the gold medal match early Sunday ET. Jalolov is the reigning amateur World Champion.

If Torrez wins, he will be only the second American super heavyweight to win a gold medal. Tyrell Biggs was the Olympic champion in 1984, the first Games after the division was instituted.

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Olympics: Richard Torrez Jr. of U.S. pounds way to gold medal match

Super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. of the U.S. won his semifinal match and will fight for a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

American super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. will be fighting for gold.

Torrez, seeded No. 3, dominated No. 2 Kamshybek Kunkabayev before their semifinal fight was stopped in Round 3 because of a bad cut on Kunkabayev’s nose at the Tokyo Olympics early Wednesday ET.

The more-experienced, slicker and taller Kazakhstani fighter tried to box Torrez from the outside but couldn’t dissuade the aggressive underdog, who forced his way inside and landed big shot after big shot.

A huge left hand put Kunkabayev down a split second before the bell to end Round 2, punctuating Torrez’s dominance.

Torrez won the first and second rounds, which gave him a 20-17, 20-17, 20-17, 20-17 and 19-18 lead going into the third. He could’ve cruised to victory but continued to push the action, which ended when one more left hand caused a gruesome gash near the bridge of Kunkabayev’s nose midway through the round.

Richard Torrez Jr (left) celebrates after stopping Kamshybek Kunkabayev to reach the super heavyweight gold medal match. Luis Robayo //AFP via Getty Images

The referee stopped the fight at that point, giving Torrez the victory and a chance to win a gold medal.

“That’s what we came for,” Torrez said as he left the ring after his victory.

The Tulare, Calif., fighter will face No. 1-seeded Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan in the gold medal match early Sunday ET. Jalolov is the reigning amateur World Champion.

If Torrez wins, he will be only the second American super heavyweight to win a gold medal. Tyrell Biggs was the Olympic champion in 1984, the first Games after the division was instituted.

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Combat Rewind, April 10: Top highlights include the sweet science taking center stage

Check out the best highlights from this day in history with MMA Junkie’s “Combat Rewind.”

There’s “Flashback Friday” and “Throwback Thursday” (and Tuesday, too, if you want). But at MMA Junkie, we figured why not expand that to every day?

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year. It’s a look back at history, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives, featuring stellar finishes and classic moments in MMA and beyond on their anniversaries.

So kick back and relive the following bits of greatness in the video above:

  • K-1 World Grand Prix 2010: [autotag]Mindaugas Sakalauskas[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Todor Todorov[/autotag]
  • Broadway Boxing: [autotag]Alicia Napoleon[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Eva Bajic[/autotag]
  • Broadway Boxing: [autotag]Brian Ceballo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ricardo Garcia[/autotag]
  • Broadway Boxing: [autotag]Bakhodir Jalolov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brendan Barrett[/autotag]

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.

Tyson Fury calls Oleksandr Usyk ‘some cruiserweight bum’

Tyson Fury, angry that the WBO removed him from its rankings, had a nasty exchange with its president on Twitter.

Trash talk is a little bit like breathing for Tyson Fury. He has to do it. Yet, he hasn’t been able to draw Deontay Wilder into the rhetorical fray since their Feb. 22 rematch was announced about 11 days ago.

That’s a surprise, especially for Wilder, who has never been known not to respond. So far, there’s been silence from Wilder. Maybe training camp is keeping him busy. Maybe a reported bout with the flu has affected his vocal chords. Whatever the reason, there’s been hardly a word.

The restless Fury had to look elsewhere. He didn’t have to look for long.

Fury took a shot, a Twitter taunt, at Oleksandr Usyk, calling him “some cruiserweight bum.’’

Fury was angry that one of the acronyms dropped him from its rankings. Fury has a claim on the lineal heavyweight title, but as far as the World Boxing Organization is concerned, he is persona-non-grata. The WBO exiled him from their rankings when he decided to fight Wilder a second time.

The acronyms do this kind of thing all the time and it’s about as dumb as a franchise belt. But let them explain the unexplainable. As far as Fury is concerned, there is no explanation for Usyk being the No. 1 challenger to a belt held by Anthony Joshua after just one heavyweight fight.

WBO president Paco Valcarcel tweeted that his organization would like to see Fury fight emerging heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan.

Say no more. Fury finally had another Twitter war.

“Maybe if you hadn’t removed me from number 1 ranked WBO! And put some cruiserweight bum with one fight at heavyweight then you could have a say!’, Fury said in a counter.

Valcarcel replied, which he might come to regret. He’s feeding the beast.

Anyway, Valcarcel said: “Champ we respect you a lot, but you aren’t available… that’s the reason WBO removed you from the rankings. By the way champ, good luck.’’

By the way, the real reason for the removal was that a sanctioning fee is not available.