Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Boxing fans have been blessed by a series of outstanding performances in the first half of 2022, which ends at midnight on Thursday. Boxing Junkie painstakingly went through results day by day since the start of the year to determine the best of the …
Boxing fans have been blessed by a series of outstanding performances in the first half of 2022, which ends at midnight on Thursday.
Boxing Junkie painstakingly went through results day by day since the start of the year to determine the best of the best. And we came up with what we feel are the 10 top performances so far.
Here they are, in reverse order.
Boxing fans have been blessed by a series of outstanding performances in the first half of 2022, which ends at midnight on Thursday. Boxing Junkie painstakingly went through results day by day since the start of the year to determine the best of the …
Boxing fans have been blessed by a series of outstanding performances in the first half of 2022, which ends at midnight on Thursday.
Boxing Junkie painstakingly went through results day by day since the start of the year to determine the best of the best. And we came up with what we feel are the 10 top performances so far.
Here they are, in reverse order.
Good, bad, worse: Jermell Charlo proved by stopping Brian Castano in their rematch that he’s among the best in boxing.
GOOD
Jermell Charlo had a strong resume going into his rematch with Brian Castano on Saturday, with victories over Vanes Martirosyan, Erickson Lubin, Austin Trout, Tony Harrison and Jeison Rosario.
On Saturday, he topped himself. And he won’t be perceived the same again.
Charlo and Castano had to settle for a draw last July, which was a small step backward for Charlo and raised doubts about his place among the better boxers. However, just as he did after he lost a close decision to Harrison, he made a big statement by scoring a late knockout in the rematch.
Castano used his pressure tactics to hold his own for nine-plus rounds, which produced a thrilling fight. That wasn’t enough this time, though. Charlo didn’t allow Castano to bully him, countered Castano’s aggression beautifully to build a lead on the scorecards and ultimately delivered a dramatic ending.
He dropped and hurt his rival with a left hook to the temple in Round 10 and finished the job moments later to become the undisputed 154-pound champion and remove any doubt about his place among the best in the business.
He has now defeated every fighter he has faced, after avenging the loss to Harrison and draw with Castano. And the fact he corrected those missteps – demonstrated that he can make necessary adjustments – is particularly impressive.
One might compare him to Lennox Lewis, who avenged his two losses by scoring knockout victories in rematches. No, Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) hasn’t climbed to Lewis’ level of success yet, but he just took a nice step in that direction.
The fact he’s a special fighter has never been more clear.
BAD
Castano (17-1-1, 12 KOs) might end up being remembered primarily as the guy who gave a potential Hall of Famer trouble but couldn’t get over the hump.
On Saturday he trailed on the scorecards after nine rounds – 89-82, 88-83 and 87-84 – but he was competitive, a testament to his ability and determination. His ultimate problem? He couldn’t stand up to Charlo’s power, which has to be appreciated now more than ever.
The Argentine is good, one of the better fighters his country has produced. He’s just not as good as his American rival.
The good news for Castano is that he seems to have plenty of fight left in him at 32, the product of good training habits and the fact he hasn’t been in many taxing wars.
He might not be able to beat Charlo but his skill set and relentless style make him a threat to any of the top junior middleweight contenders, assuming he continues to fight and stays at the weight.
Indeed, he almost certainly has more important victories ahead of him, which will build both his fortune and legacy.
And his aggressive style – which gives even his best opponents no choice but to fire back at him to survive – will always make for entertaining matchups.
Indeed, we haven’t seen the last of Brian Castano. And that’s a wonderful thing.
WORSE
Gilberto Ramirez might be the most underappreciated 44-0 fighter (30 KOs) of all time.
The Mexican is a former 168-pound titleholder with victories over Arthur Abraham, Jesse Hart (twice) and Sullivan Barrera. And he has stopped all five of his opponents after becoming a full-fledged 175-pounder.
Ramirez’s career stalled a few years ago in part because of promotional issues – he fought only once over a two-year period – but, now in the Golden Boy fold, he’s back on track.
He defeated journeyman Dominic Boesel (32-3, 12 KOs) by a fourth-round knockout on Saturday in Ontario, California, to become the mandatory challenger to Dmitry Bivol’s WBA light heavyweight title.
That doesn’t mean he’ll get an immediate fight with the conqueror of Canelo Alvarez but he’s first in line, which means a title shot is on the horizon if he continues to win.
And he probably will. Ramirez isn’t a dynamic or particularly athletic fighter but he has good skills, experience, durability and confidence in himself, all of which has allowed him to build a perfect record even if not that many have taken notice.
Ramirez also is a naturally big man. He weighed in at 174.8 pounds for the Boesel fight but reportedly rehydrated to a remarkable 204, a gain of 29.2 in one day. If he can do that comfortably, that’s a big advantage over most opponents.
Let’s hope that Ramirez gets back to fighting big-name opponents in high profile fights. He’s too good to be toiling in relative obscurity.
RABBIT PUNCHES
I don’t want to jump the gun on Jaron Ennis, who, at 24, is still developing and building in resume. It’s difficult for me to hold back, though. The Philadelphian gave another eye-popping performance on the Charlo-Castano card, stopping capable (but scared) Custio Clayton with a single straight right behind the ear in the second round. The Canadian was able to get up but couldn’t continue, which made him Ennis’ 19th consecutive knockout victim. I can’t put him in the class of titleholders Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. because he hasn’t demonstrated at the highest level that he’s on their level. That said Ennis might be more talented than either of his rivals, which is saying something. He has ridiculous natural gifts, polished skills and (as we saw) one-punch knockout power. And I believe he also has a good chin. Find a flaw! I can’t wait for Ennis to fight the best at 147 pounds. I’m not sure anyone can beat him.
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Good, bad, worse: Jermell Charlo proved by stopping Brian Castano in their rematch that he’s among the best in boxing.
GOOD
Jermell Charlo had a strong resume going into his rematch with Brian Castano on Saturday, with victories over Vanes Martirosyan, Erickson Lubin, Austin Trout, Tony Harrison and Jeison Rosario.
On Saturday, he topped himself. And he won’t be perceived the same again.
Charlo and Castano had to settle for a draw last July, which was a small step backward for Charlo and raised doubts about his place among the better boxers. However, just as he did after he lost a close decision to Harrison, he made a big statement by scoring a late knockout in the rematch.
Castano used his pressure tactics to hold his own for nine-plus rounds, which produced a thrilling fight. That wasn’t enough this time, though. Charlo didn’t allow Castano to bully him, countered Castano’s aggression beautifully to build a lead on the scorecards and ultimately delivered a dramatic ending.
He dropped and hurt his rival with a left hook to the temple in Round 10 and finished the job moments later to become the undisputed 154-pound champion and remove any doubt about his place among the best in the business.
He has now defeated every fighter he has faced, after avenging the loss to Harrison and draw with Castano. And the fact he corrected those missteps – demonstrated that he can make necessary adjustments – is particularly impressive.
One might compare him to Lennox Lewis, who avenged his two losses by scoring knockout victories in rematches. No, Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) hasn’t climbed to Lewis’ level of success yet, but he just took a nice step in that direction.
The fact he’s a special fighter has never been more clear.
BAD
Castano (17-1-1, 12 KOs) might end up being remembered primarily as the guy who gave a potential Hall of Famer trouble but couldn’t get over the hump.
On Saturday he trailed on the scorecards after nine rounds – 89-82, 88-83 and 87-84 – but he was competitive, a testament to his ability and determination. His ultimate problem? He couldn’t stand up to Charlo’s power, which has to be appreciated now more than ever.
The Argentine is good, one of the better fighters his country has produced. He’s just not as good as his American rival.
The good news for Castano is that he seems to have plenty of fight left in him at 32, the product of good training habits and the fact he hasn’t been in many taxing wars.
He might not be able to beat Charlo but his skill set and relentless style make him a threat to any of the top junior middleweight contenders, assuming he continues to fight and stays at the weight.
Indeed, he almost certainly has more important victories ahead of him, which will build both his fortune and legacy.
And his aggressive style – which gives even his best opponents no choice but to fire back at him to survive – will always make for entertaining matchups.
Indeed, we haven’t seen the last of Brian Castano. And that’s a wonderful thing.
WORSE
Gilberto Ramirez might be the most underappreciated 44-0 fighter (30 KOs) of all time.
The Mexican is a former 168-pound titleholder with victories over Arthur Abraham, Jesse Hart (twice) and Sullivan Barrera. And he has stopped all five of his opponents after becoming a full-fledged 175-pounder.
Ramirez’s career stalled a few years ago in part because of promotional issues – he fought only once over a two-year period – but, now in the Golden Boy fold, he’s back on track.
He defeated journeyman Dominic Boesel (32-3, 12 KOs) by a fourth-round knockout on Saturday in Ontario, California, to become the mandatory challenger to Dmitry Bivol’s WBA light heavyweight title.
That doesn’t mean he’ll get an immediate fight with the conqueror of Canelo Alvarez but he’s first in line, which means a title shot is on the horizon if he continues to win.
And he probably will. Ramirez isn’t a dynamic or particularly athletic fighter but he has good skills, experience, durability and confidence in himself, all of which has allowed him to build a perfect record even if not that many have taken notice.
Ramirez also is a naturally big man. He weighed in at 174.8 pounds for the Boesel fight but reportedly rehydrated to a remarkable 204, a gain of 29.2 in one day. If he can do that comfortably, that’s a big advantage over most opponents.
Let’s hope that Ramirez gets back to fighting big-name opponents in high profile fights. He’s too good to be toiling in relative obscurity.
RABBIT PUNCHES
I don’t want to jump the gun on Jaron Ennis, who, at 24, is still developing and building in resume. It’s difficult for me to hold back, though. The Philadelphian gave another eye-popping performance on the Charlo-Castano card, stopping capable (but scared) Custio Clayton with a single straight right behind the ear in the second round. The Canadian was able to get up but couldn’t continue, which made him Ennis’ 19th consecutive knockout victim. I can’t put him in the class of titleholders Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. because he hasn’t demonstrated at the highest level that he’s on their level. That said Ennis might be more talented than either of his rivals, which is saying something. He has ridiculous natural gifts, polished skills and (as we saw) one-punch knockout power. And I believe he also has a good chin. Find a flaw! I can’t wait for Ennis to fight the best at 147 pounds. I’m not sure anyone can beat him.
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Photos: Jermell Charlo’s brutal 10th-round KO of Brian Castano.
Jermell Charlo knocked out Brian Castano in the 10th round of their rematch to become the undisputed 154-pound champion Saturday in Carson, California.
Here are images from the fight. All photos by Jayne Kamin-Oncea of Getty Images.
Jermell Charlo delivered a brutal knockout of Brian Castano to become the 154-pound king Saturday in Carson, California.
Jermell Charlo made the scoring irrelevant the second time around. As a result, he clinched a career defining victory.
Charlo and Brian Castano were engaged in a thrilling back-and-forth battle when Charlo decided enough was enough, putting Castano down with a left hook in the 10th round and then ending the fight moments later to become undisputed 154-pound champion Saturday in Carson, California.
“This is unbelievable,” a jubilant Charlo said immediately afterward.
HISTORY MADE FOR @TwinCharlo 👑
Charlo stops Castano in RD 10 to become the first ever 154-lb undisputed champ in the 4-belt era. #CharloCastano2 pic.twitter.com/Fy81yrXTBp
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) May 15, 2022
The rivals had to settle for a hard-fought draw in July, which most observers felt was justified. And, to the delight of those watching, the rematch also was compelling for nine-plus rounds.
Castano did what he does, which is to stalk his opponents and fire off accurate power shots for almost the entire fight. He pushed Charlo hard.
For his part Charlo did an excellent job of catching Castano with punishing blows as he was moving toward him. He also was able to use his feet to avoid being pinned against the ropes, where Castano did good work in their first fight.
The result was a competitive, highly entertaining fight, although the judges had Charlo well ahead on the cards after nine rounds: 89-82, 88-83 and 87-84. Boxing Junkie had Charlo winning 86-85.
Again, however, the cards meant nothing in the end.
By the 10th round, Charlo had seized the momentum and was landing power shots at a higher rate. One of them essentially ended the fight, a left hook to the temple that dazed and dropped the normally durable Castano.
The Argentine was able to get to his feet. However, a flurry of punches from Charlo – punctuated by a left hook to the body – put Castano down again and ended the fight, making Charlo the 154-pound king.
“Around the seventh round I started sitting down a little bit more [on my punches] instead of boxing so much and running around,” he said. “I started to see he was wearing down a little bit, I was wearing him down. And I stepped up.
He went on: “I just started seeing my punches being more affective. That’s what happened.”
Castano (17-1-2, 12 KOs) was gracious afterward, as the fighters congratulated one another on a great fight.
And he made no excuses.
“It was an incredible fight,” he said through a translator. “We both were fighting back and forth, there was power back and forth. And his [left] hand came over and he won the fight. He’s a champion.”
Castano was then asked what the difference was in their two fights. “That he got me,” he said with a smile.
Charlo hasn’t indicated what his plans might be going forward. He obviously can’t accomplish much more at junior middleweight, although potential fights loom with the likes of Tim Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora.
And, of course, there’s another possibility.
“I’m not done, dog,” he bellowed. “I might move up to 160 and see if I can do it again.”
No one would put that past him.
[lawrence-related id=30202]
Jermell Charlo delivered a brutal knockout of Brian Castano to become the 154-pound king Saturday in Carson, California.
Jermell Charlo made the scoring irrelevant the second time around. As a result, he clinched a career defining victory.
Charlo and Brian Castano were engaged in a thrilling back-and-forth battle when Charlo decided enough was enough, putting Castano down with a left hook in the 10th round and then ending the fight moments later to become undisputed 154-pound champion Saturday in Carson, California.
“This is unbelievable,” a jubilant Charlo said immediately afterward.
HISTORY MADE FOR @TwinCharlo 👑
Charlo stops Castano in RD 10 to become the first ever 154-lb undisputed champ in the 4-belt era. #CharloCastano2 pic.twitter.com/Fy81yrXTBp
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) May 15, 2022
The rivals had to settle for a hard-fought draw in July, which most observers felt was justified. And, to the delight of those watching, the rematch also was compelling for nine-plus rounds.
Castano did what he does, which is to stalk his opponents and fire off accurate power shots for almost the entire fight. He pushed Charlo hard.
For his part Charlo did an excellent job of catching Castano with punishing blows as he was moving toward him. He also was able to use his feet to avoid being pinned against the ropes, where Castano did good work in their first fight.
The result was a competitive, highly entertaining fight, although the judges had Charlo well ahead on the cards after nine rounds: 89-82, 88-83 and 87-84. Boxing Junkie had Charlo winning 86-85.
Again, however, the cards meant nothing in the end.
By the 10th round, Charlo had seized the momentum and was landing power shots at a higher rate. One of them essentially ended the fight, a left hook to the temple that dazed and dropped the normally durable Castano.
The Argentine was able to get to his feet. However, a flurry of punches from Charlo – punctuated by a left hook to the body – put Castano down again and ended the fight, making Charlo the 154-pound king.
“Around the seventh round I started sitting down a little bit more [on my punches] instead of boxing so much and running around,” he said. “I started to see he was wearing down a little bit, I was wearing him down. And I stepped up.
He went on: “I just started seeing my punches being more affective. That’s what happened.”
Castano (17-1-2, 12 KOs) was gracious afterward, as the fighters congratulated one another on a great fight.
And he made no excuses.
“It was an incredible fight,” he said through a translator. “We both were fighting back and forth, there was power back and forth. And his [left] hand came over and he won the fight. He’s a champion.”
Castano was then asked what the difference was in their two fights. “That he got me,” he said with a smile.
Charlo hasn’t indicated what his plans might be going forward. He obviously can’t accomplish much more at junior middleweight, although potential fights loom with the likes of Tim Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora.
And, of course, there’s another possibility.
“I’m not done, dog,” he bellowed. “I might move up to 160 and see if I can do it again.”
No one would put that past him.
[lawrence-related id=30202]
Jaron Ennis put Custio Clayton away with one punch in the second round Saturday in Carson, California.
Jaron Ennis continues to do his thing.
The welterweight contender stopped Custio Clayton at 2:49 of the second round of a scheduled 12-round bout on the Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano card Saturday in Carson, California.
Ennis landed a straight right above the ear, which put Clayton on his face. The Canadian was able to get up but was unsteady on his feet, which prompted referee Ray Corona to stop the fight.
Ennis (29-0, 27 KOs) has stopped his last 19 opponents.
The fearsome Philadelphia fighter controlled the fight from the start with his jab, following with power shots only occasionally in the early going.
However, it was enough to get the attention of Clayton (19-1-1, 12 KOs), who did little except cover up. It was as if he knew something big was coming.
And then it came. Ennis jabbed twice and followed with a straight right as Clayton was lowering his head, which put him down and ended the fight.
Jaron Ennis put Custio Clayton away with one punch in the second round Saturday in Carson, California.
Jaron Ennis continues to do his thing.
The welterweight contender stopped Custio Clayton at 2:49 of the second round of a scheduled 12-round bout on the Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano card Saturday in Carson, California.
Ennis landed a straight right above the ear, which put Clayton on his face. The Canadian was able to get up but was unsteady on his feet, which prompted referee Ray Corona to stop the fight.
Ennis (29-0, 27 KOs) has stopped his last 19 opponents.
The fearsome Philadelphia fighter controlled the fight from the start with his jab, following with power shots only occasionally in the early going.
However, it was enough to get the attention of Clayton (19-1-1, 12 KOs), who did little except cover up. It was as if he knew something big was coming.
And then it came. Ennis jabbed twice and followed with a straight right as Clayton was lowering his head, which put him down and ended the fight.
Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano on Friday made weight for their bout for the undisputed 154-pound championship Saturday in Carson, California (Showtime).
Charlo weighed 152.8 pounds, 1.2 below the division limit. Castano weighed 153.8.
Charlo, who holds three belts, and Castano, who has one, fought to a draw last July.
In the co-feature, a scheduled 12-round bout, welterweight contenders Jaron Ennis and Custio Clayton weighed 146.2 pounds and 146.6 pounds, respectively. The limit is 147.
Here are images from the weigh-in. All photos by Stephanie Trapp of Showtime.
