Tag: David Morrell

Fight Week: Can Dmitry Bivol maintain his momentum against Gilberto Ramirez?

FIGHT WEEK Light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol meets unbeaten Gilberto Ramirez in the Russian’s first fight since upsetting Canelo Alvarez in May. Also, 168-pound contender David Morrell faces arguably his toughest test in Aidos Yerbossynuly. …

FIGHT WEEK

Light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol meets unbeaten Gilberto Ramirez in the Russian’s first fight since upsetting Canelo Alvarez in May. Also, 168-pound contender David Morrell faces arguably his toughest test in Aidos Yerbossynuly.

DMITRY BIVOL (20-0, 11 KOs) VS. GILBERTO RAMIREZ (44-0, 30 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 5
  • Time: 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Light heavyweight (175 pounds)
  • At stake: Bivol’s WBA title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Bivol No. 6
  • Odds: Bivol 4-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov vs. Zelfa Barrett, junior lightweights (for vacant IBF title); Chantelle Cameron vs. Jessica McCaskill, junior welterweights (for Cameron’s IBF and WBC titles); Galal Yafai vs. Gohan Rodriguez Garcia, flyweights
  • Prediction: Bivol UD
  • Background: Bivol is coming off by far the biggest victory of his successful career, a clear decision over Canelo Alvarez in May. The Southern California-based Russian technician outboxed his more-heralded Mexican counterpart to win by a score of 115-113 on all three cards, which most observers thought was too close. Boxing Junkie scored it 117-111 for Bivol, nine rounds to three. He could face a tougher test on Saturday. Ramirez is unbeaten over 13 years as a professional for a reason. The former 168-pound titleholder is a good boxer with power and durability, as he has demonstrated repeatedly against solid opposition. His most notable victories were two close, but unanimous decisions over capable Jesse Hart in 2017 and 2018, the latter of which was his final fight as a super middleweight. He’s 5-0 as a light heavyweight, including a fourth-round knockout of Dominic Boesel in May. Of course, Bivol is a significant step up in opposition for Ramirez. Thus, it’s no surprise that Bivol is a 4-1 favorite to have his hand raised.

 

DAVID MORRELL (7-0, 6 KOs) VS. AIDOS YERBOSSYNULY (16-0, 11 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 5
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 P.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: The Armory, Minneapolis
  • TV/Stream: Showtime
  • Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Jeison Rosario vs. Brian Mendoza, junior middleweights; Fiodor Czerkaszyn vs. Nathaniel Gallimore, middleweights; Andre Dirrell vs. Yunieski Gonzalez, light heavyweights
  • Prediction: Morrell UD
  • Background: Morrell, a gifted boxer-puncher weened in the Cuban amateur system, has made a strong impression with his skill set and punching power in only seven professional fights after defecting to the U.S. The resident of Minneapolis is coming off a fourth-round knockout of Kalvin Henderson this past June, his fourth consecutive stoppage. He’s the WBA’s top contender, below only champion Canelo Alvarez. Yerbossnynuly is ranked just below Morrell. The Las Vegas-based Kazakh is a solid technician with heavy hands, as Lennox Allen discovered in Yerbossnynuly’s most recent fight. The American was broken down and stopped in the 10th of 12 scheduled rounds 13 months ago in Kazakhstan. Morrell fought Allen in his third fight, winning a near-shutout decision in a 12-rounder for the “interim” WBA title.

 

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

  • Hiroto Kyoguchi vs. Kenshiro Teraji, flyweights (for Kyoguchi’s WBA and Teraji’s WBC titles), Saitama, Japan (ESPN+).

THURSDAY

  • Callum Walsh vs. Delen Parsley, junior middleweights, Montebello, California (UFC Fight Pass).

FRIDAY

  • Kendo Castaneda vs. ​​Antonio Moran, junior welterweights, Plant City, Florida (ProBox TV).

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Good, bad, worse: Devin Haney, Stephen Fulton Jr. give boxing clinics

Good, bad, worse: Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton Jr. gave boxing clinics this past weekend.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

One thing I learned a long time ago is that the more talented combatant generally has his or her hand raised.

That was what played out on in separate parts of the world this past weekend, as the unusually skillful Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton Jr. outclassed elite opponents to win one-sided decisions in important fights.

Haney gave a career defining performance, giving overmatched Aussie George Kambosos Jr. an embarrassing boxing lesson to win a wide decision in front of more than 40,000 disappointed fans at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

The victory gave Haney the undisputed lightweight championship and validated the hype that has surrounded the 23-year-old for years. He’s as good as billed. And he’s just getting started.

Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) might have to fight Kambosos again because of a rematch clause in their contract. If it happens, Haney will win again. Then we can look forward to genuine super fights against the likes of Gervonta Davis, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Ryan Garcia.

Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) might’ve been the best fighter in action over the weekend, which is saying something given Haney’s performance.

The Philadelphian tangled with a better boxer than Kambosos – Daniel Roman – yet defeated him just as convincingly in defense of his 122-pound titles in Minneapolis, losing only one round on one card.

The only way to give Fulton any kind of trouble is to maul him, as the freakish Brandon Figueroa did last year. It’s difficult to imagine anyone outboxing this special talent.

Fulton’s problem might be finding suitable foils. He’s now targeting Murodjon Akhmadaliev, who holds the other two junior featherweight titles. Then he and his team are going to have to be creative if they want to get him big fights.

He’s just so much better than everyone else near or at his weight, with Figueroa being the only possible exception.

 

BAD

Stephen Fulton Jr. (left) shows off his defensive skills against Daniel Roman. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions

Fans who admire pure boxing exhibitions had a fantastic weekend, as Haney and Fulton gave clinics on the sweet science. Those who crave action … well, they might’ve been disappointed.

Haney and Fulton are superb, resourceful fighters but they’re not necessarily crowd pleasers, at least not on the level of boxer-punchers like Davis, Garcia, Naoya Inoue, Jaron Ennis and their powerful ilk.

That’s not criticism of Haney and Fulton. Every fighter has his or her own strengths, which they must emphasize to have success in the ring. That’s what Haney and Fulton do; they use their skill to defuse whatever their opponents attempt to do.

The problem (if that’s what it is) is that fans love knockouts, which Haney and Fulton can’t deliver consistently.

I always think of the late trainer Emanuel Steward when I touch upon this subject. He pushed his fighters to take the risks necessary to stop their opponents because he understood the marketing value of knockouts.

Am I suggesting that Haney and Fulton should abandon their styles and become brawlers? Absolutely not. That would be foolish. I am saying that they might be wise to fight more aggressively, particularly late in fights they’re dominating.

Fulton could’ve shifted into another gear against Roman. Haney could’ve done the same against Kambosos, although he probably was wise to be cautious in this instance because of the massive stakes.

The fans will continue to watch and admire Haney and Fulton if they win decision after decision. They’ll fall in love with the pair if they can take out elite opponents.

 

WORSE

Kambosos was embarrassed by Haney in the ring. Then he embarrassed himself at the post-fight news conference.

Let’s be clear: Haney made Kambosos look like an ordinary fighter, controlling the bout with his jab and defensive skills that made the Aussie look utterly lost only one fight after his career-defining upset of Teofimo Lopez.

Judge Zoltan Enyedi (Hungary) and Benoit Roussel (Canada) somehow found four rounds to give Kambosos, which was an insult to Haney. Shame on them. Pawel Kardyni (Poland) gave Kambosos two rounds, one more than I gave him.

Indeed, victories in fights of that magnitude don’t get much more one-sided.

Still, at the post-fight news conference, Kambosos declared that he deserved the victory. Eyes rolled worldwide when he said, “I thought the fight was very close. From what I’ve been told I outlanded him, I outpunched him. You saw the fight. He had a jab but there wasn’t much else. I think he might’ve landed one or two right hands but that’s it.

“There wasn’t really nothing else. My body doesn’t feel like I’ve been through a 12-round war like in the Lopez fight.”

It wasn’t a war because Haney didn’t allow that. Why go to war when you can dominate your opponent in other ways?

And Kambosos evidently wants more. He said he will exercise the rematch clause in their contract, which might be a horrible idea. The now-former champion doesn’t have the ability to beat Haney, meaning the same thing is going to happen.

I don’t blame Kambosos for wanting a second fight. He can’t pass up an opportunity to fight for an undisputed championship (assuming Haney doesn’t lose one of his four belts somehow), for which he’d be paid handsomely.

At the same time, back-to-back losses will make Kambosos seem like the one-hit wonder he appears to be.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Super middleweight contender David Morrell (7-0, 6 KOs) gave another strong, if imperfect performance on the Fulton-Roman card. The Minneapolis-based Cuban, fighting aggressively from the start, quickly broke down Kalvin Henderson (15-2-1, 11 KOs) and stopped the Texan in the fourth round. It was a strong statement from an excellent all-around fighter who has begun to call out the top 168-pounders. At the same time it might not have been wise to seek an early knockout. The strategy could’ve backfired because the one thing the limited Henderson has is power. Morrell has shown that he can take his time and still get knockouts. What’s the point of rushing things? He is still in the process of maturing. … Two Australians had spectacular nights in front of the home-country crowd in Melbourne. First, 43-year-old Lucas Browne (31-3, 27 KOS) put Kiwi Junior Fa (19-2, 10 KOs) away 1 minute, 58 seconds into their scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout to pump life into his career. And then Jason Moloney (24-2, 19 KOs) put Aston Palicte (28-5-1, 23 KOs) down twice and stopped the experienced Filipino in Round 3 of their bantamweight bout to bolster his position as a legitimate contender. Moloney’s twin, Andrew Moloney (24-2, 16 KOs), also delivered. He stopped Alexander Espinoza (21-4-2, 8 KOs) in the second round of a scheduled eight-round junior bantamweight bout.

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Good, bad, worse: Devin Haney, Stephen Fulton Jr. give boxing clinics

Good, bad, worse: Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton Jr. gave boxing clinics this past weekend.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

One thing I learned a long time ago is that the more talented combatant generally has his or her hand raised.

That was what played out on in separate parts of the world this past weekend, as the unusually skillful Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton Jr. outclassed elite opponents to win one-sided decisions in important fights.

Haney gave a career defining performance, giving overmatched Aussie George Kambosos Jr. an embarrassing boxing lesson to win a wide decision in front of more than 40,000 disappointed fans at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

The victory gave Haney the undisputed lightweight championship and validated the hype that has surrounded the 23-year-old for years. He’s as good as billed. And he’s just getting started.

Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) might have to fight Kambosos again because of a rematch clause in their contract. If it happens, Haney will win again. Then we can look forward to genuine super fights against the likes of Gervonta Davis, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Ryan Garcia.

Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) might’ve been the best fighter in action over the weekend, which is saying something given Haney’s performance.

The Philadelphian tangled with a better boxer than Kambosos – Daniel Roman – yet defeated him just as convincingly in defense of his 122-pound titles in Minneapolis, losing only one round on one card.

The only way to give Fulton any kind of trouble is to maul him, as the freakish Brandon Figueroa did last year. It’s difficult to imagine anyone outboxing this special talent.

Fulton’s problem might be finding suitable foils. He’s now targeting Murodjon Akhmadaliev, who holds the other two junior featherweight titles. Then he and his team are going to have to be creative if they want to get him big fights.

He’s just so much better than everyone else near or at his weight, with Figueroa being the only possible exception.

 

BAD

Stephen Fulton Jr. (left) shows off his defensive skills against Daniel Roman. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions

Fans who admire pure boxing exhibitions had a fantastic weekend, as Haney and Fulton gave clinics on the sweet science. Those who crave action … well, they might’ve been disappointed.

Haney and Fulton are superb, resourceful fighters but they’re not necessarily crowd pleasers, at least not on the level of boxer-punchers like Davis, Garcia, Naoya Inoue, Jaron Ennis and their powerful ilk.

That’s not criticism of Haney and Fulton. Every fighter has his or her own strengths, which they must emphasize to have success in the ring. That’s what Haney and Fulton do; they use their skill to defuse whatever their opponents attempt to do.

The problem (if that’s what it is) is that fans love knockouts, which Haney and Fulton can’t deliver consistently.

I always think of the late trainer Emanuel Steward when I touch upon this subject. He pushed his fighters to take the risks necessary to stop their opponents because he understood the marketing value of knockouts.

Am I suggesting that Haney and Fulton should abandon their styles and become brawlers? Absolutely not. That would be foolish. I am saying that they might be wise to fight more aggressively, particularly late in fights they’re dominating.

Fulton could’ve shifted into another gear against Roman. Haney could’ve done the same against Kambosos, although he probably was wise to be cautious in this instance because of the massive stakes.

The fans will continue to watch and admire Haney and Fulton if they win decision after decision. They’ll fall in love with the pair if they can take out elite opponents.

 

WORSE

Kambosos was embarrassed by Haney in the ring. Then he embarrassed himself at the post-fight news conference.

Let’s be clear: Haney made Kambosos look like an ordinary fighter, controlling the bout with his jab and defensive skills that made the Aussie look utterly lost only one fight after his career-defining upset of Teofimo Lopez.

Judge Zoltan Enyedi (Hungary) and Benoit Roussel (Canada) somehow found four rounds to give Kambosos, which was an insult to Haney. Shame on them. Pawel Kardyni (Poland) gave Kambosos two rounds, one more than I gave him.

Indeed, victories in fights of that magnitude don’t get much more one-sided.

Still, at the post-fight news conference, Kambosos declared that he deserved the victory. Eyes rolled worldwide when he said, “I thought the fight was very close. From what I’ve been told I outlanded him, I outpunched him. You saw the fight. He had a jab but there wasn’t much else. I think he might’ve landed one or two right hands but that’s it.

“There wasn’t really nothing else. My body doesn’t feel like I’ve been through a 12-round war like in the Lopez fight.”

It wasn’t a war because Haney didn’t allow that. Why go to war when you can dominate your opponent in other ways?

And Kambosos evidently wants more. He said he will exercise the rematch clause in their contract, which might be a horrible idea. The now-former champion doesn’t have the ability to beat Haney, meaning the same thing is going to happen.

I don’t blame Kambosos for wanting a second fight. He can’t pass up an opportunity to fight for an undisputed championship (assuming Haney doesn’t lose one of his four belts somehow), for which he’d be paid handsomely.

At the same time, back-to-back losses will make Kambosos seem like the one-hit wonder he appears to be.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Super middleweight contender David Morrell (7-0, 6 KOs) gave another strong, if imperfect performance on the Fulton-Roman card. The Minneapolis-based Cuban, fighting aggressively from the start, quickly broke down Kalvin Henderson (15-2-1, 11 KOs) and stopped the Texan in the fourth round. It was a strong statement from an excellent all-around fighter who has begun to call out the top 168-pounders. At the same time it might not have been wise to seek an early knockout. The strategy could’ve backfired because the one thing the limited Henderson has is power. Morrell has shown that he can take his time and still get knockouts. What’s the point of rushing things? He is still in the process of maturing. … Two Australians had spectacular nights in front of the home-country crowd in Melbourne. First, 43-year-old Lucas Browne (31-3, 27 KOS) put Kiwi Junior Fa (19-2, 10 KOs) away 1 minute, 58 seconds into their scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout to pump life into his career. And then Jason Moloney (24-2, 19 KOs) put Aston Palicte (28-5-1, 23 KOs) down twice and stopped the experienced Filipino in Round 3 of their bantamweight bout to bolster his position as a legitimate contender. Moloney’s twin, Andrew Moloney (24-2, 16 KOs), also delivered. He stopped Alexander Espinoza (21-4-2, 8 KOs) in the second round of a scheduled eight-round junior bantamweight bout.

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David Morrell knocks out Kalvin Henderson in fourth round

David Morrell stopped Kalvin Henderson in the fourth round on the Stephen Fulton Jr.-Daniel Romero card Saturday.

Young super middleweight contender David Morrell delivered another dominating performance.

The Minneapolis-based Cuban stopped overwhelmed opponent Kalvin Henderson at 2:35 of Round 4 in a scheduled 10-round bout on the Stephen Fulton Jr.-Daniel Romero card Saturday in Morrell’s adopted hometown.

Morrell (7-0, 6 KOs) came out aggressively at the opening bell, attacking the limited Henderson (15-2, 11 KOs) in an apparent attempt to stop the Texas fighter early.

The hard-punching Henderson survived the first round but struggled to get anything done thereafter under the onslaught from Morrell, who nearly scored a knockout with a vicious flurry near the end of Round 3.

Morrell came out cautiously to start Round 4 but again trapped Henderson in the final minute and delivered a series of punishing blows, which prompted the referee to stop the one-sided fight.

Morrell, 24, sits below only champion Canelo Alvarez in the WBA 168-pound rankings.

David Morrell knocks out Kalvin Henderson in fourth round

David Morrell stopped Kalvin Henderson in the fourth round on the Stephen Fulton Jr.-Daniel Romero card Saturday.

Young super middleweight contender David Morrell delivered another dominating performance.

The Minneapolis-based Cuban stopped overwhelmed opponent Kalvin Henderson at 2:35 of Round 4 in a scheduled 10-round bout on the Stephen Fulton Jr.-Daniel Romero card Saturday in Morrell’s adopted hometown.

Morrell (7-0, 6 KOs) came out aggressively at the opening bell, attacking the limited Henderson (15-2, 11 KOs) in an apparent attempt to stop the Texas fighter early.

The hard-punching Henderson survived the first round but struggled to get anything done thereafter under the onslaught from Morrell, who nearly scored a knockout with a vicious flurry near the end of Round 3.

Morrell came out cautiously to start Round 4 but again trapped Henderson in the final minute and delivered a series of punishing blows, which prompted the referee to stop the one-sided fight.

Morrell, 24, sits below only champion Canelo Alvarez in the WBA 168-pound rankings.

Good, bad, worse: Jake Paul’s fight-ending shot highlights week of KOs

Good, bad, worse: Jake Paul’s fight-ending shot highlighted a week of knockouts in boxing.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

You like savage knockouts? You got ’em this past week.

Jake Paul served up a one-punch, highlight-reel knockout of rival Tyron Woodley while Naoya Inoue, Artur Beterbiev and Gilberto Ramirez beat the daylights out of their unfortunate opponents until they could take no more punishment.

First up was Inoue, who unleashed his pound-for-pound fury on poor Aran Dipaen (12-3, 11 KOs) on Tuesday in Japan. The Thai fighter was brave but didn’t have the tools to fend off Inoue, who coldly broke him down before stopping him in the eighth round.

Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs) needs a challenge comparable to his fight with Nonito Donaire, which means a showdown with fellow titleholder John Riel Casimero or a rematch with Donaire.

The imposing Beterbiev looked vulnerable early against capable Marcus Browne (24-2, 16 KOs) on Friday but settled into beast mode and methodically destroyed the former U.S. Olympian in spite of a ghastly cut on his forehead, finally ending matters in nine rounds to make it 17 knockouts in 17 fights.

The Russian probably will target one of his fellow 175-pound titleholders but a lot of us fancy a showdown with Canelo Alvarez. Could the Mexican star really handle a fighter of Beterbiev’s ability and freakish strength? Hopefully we’ll get a chance to find out.

Ramirez (43-0, 29 KOs) had a tough time against a durable Yunieski Gonzalez (21-4, 17 KOs), absorbing many hard shots, but he still managed to deliver a horrible beating. We knew the Mexican was good but who knew he was this resilient?

I give him a chance a realistic chance to beat the light heavyweight titleholders.

And, on Saturday, Paul gave us the most-dramatic single moment of the week, an enormous right hand that planted rival Tyron Woodley (0-2) on his face. He didn’t get up, which gave Paul the most significant victory yet in his young career.

Is Paul (6-0, 5 KOs) ready for a real boxer? Nah. But he always makes it difficult to look away.

 

BAD

I’ll never fully endorse Paul’s career as a prize fighter out of deference to genuine boxers who would kill for even a fraction of the YouTuber’s fame and fortune.

At the same time, you have to give the guy credit. His impressive ability to market himself is well established. He seems to take the sport seriously, working as hard as anyone in the gym in an effort to hone his skills. And he has a flair for the dramatic.

If you could’ve drawn it up beforehand, what would’ve been the ideal result to add to Paul’s reputation as a can’t-miss attraction? You got it – a sensational one-punch knockout that goes viral on the internet.

The ringside video that allows the viewer to both see and hear the right hand that ended Woodley’s night (see video above) is not something people will forget any time soon. As a result, they will be more intrigued with Paul than ever.

The fact he remains in early stages of development doesn’t matter to most people. He does (and says) things that people want to see, which is the key to his success.

I have to add one thing: Paul is going to lose a fight, probably soon. He almost lost to Woodley in their first fight. We’ll see what impact that has on his drawing power, although I have a feeling he’ll stick in one way or another.

 

WORSE

Once again, there are always poor souls on the wrong end of brutal knockouts.

I’ll never forget the look of resignation on Dipaen’s face after he went down from a left hook by Inoue and then managed to get up as the referee was counting in Round 8. It was if he was thinking, “What did I do to deserve this?”

He took one more punch and the fight was stopped, fortunately for Dipaen, who might never again fight on a stage that big.

Browne was so distraught after his one-sided setback that he barely acknowledged Beterbiev afterward even though the winner approached him twice. It wasn’t poor sportsmanship as much as it was disappointment. He simply wasn’t ready to face his conqueror.

Browne isn’t in Beterbiev’s class but he has a lot of company.

Gonzalez left his heart in the ring against Ramirez, which I believe is one reason he was so emotional after his fight. And at 36 he probably realized then and there that he might not get another such opportunity.

The native of Cuba suffered during the fight … and after it.

Woodley probably will have emerged from his gruesome fate with a smile on his face. The former MMA star made a reported $2 million even though he’s 39 and was fighting as a pro boxer for only the second time.

That’s called winning the lottery, although getting knocked out cold was a significant price to pay for his windfall.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Joseph Parker (30-2, 21 KOs) defeated Derek Chisora (32-12, 23 KOs) again – this time by a unanimous decision – to underscore his position as a top heavyweight contender Saturday in Manchester, England. It wasn’t easy. The Kiwi put Chisora down three times and seemed to be on the verge of putting him away on several occasions but he couldn’t finish off his stubborn opponent in an entertaining fight. The problem now for Parker is that it could be a while before he gets a shot at a title, as beltholders Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have other plans. Of course, Parker, only 29, will get his opportunity if he keeps winning. Chisora? The Londoner is 37. He has now lost three consecutive fights, to Usyk and twice to Parker. And he has taken a lot of punishment over a long career. He’s probably good enough to continue fighting. However, it might be a good time for him to step away. … This is what I have to say about the Frank Gore (NFL) vs. Deron Williams (NBA) exhibition on the Paul-Woodley II card: If you like to watch street or bar fights between two old guys who have no idea what they’re doing, God bless you. Only you can choose what entertains you. …

Amanda Serrano (42-1-1, 30 KOs) did what she was expected to do on the Paul-Woodley II card, easily defeating Miriam Gutierrez (14-2, 5 KOs). The Spaniard took Serrano the distance but lost a near-shutout decision. The victory sets up arguably the biggest possible fight in women’s boxing: Serrano vs. Katie Taylor for the Irishwoman’s undisputed lightweight championship. The fight would be a boon to the women’s side of the sport. And the winner would be a legend. … David Morrell (6-0, 5 KOs) looked like a bona fide super middleweight contender on Saturday, when he stopped a solid opponent in Alantez Fox in four rounds. I figured the 23-year-old Cuban would win the fight but he dominated, using effective aggression to quickly break down and then stop his overmatched opponent. Morrell probably is ready for a Top 5 168-pounder.

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Good, bad, worse: Jake Paul’s fight-ending shot highlights week of KOs

Good, bad, worse: Jake Paul’s fight-ending shot highlighted a week of knockouts in boxing.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

You like savage knockouts? You got ’em this past week.

Jake Paul served up a one-punch, highlight-reel knockout of rival Tyron Woodley while Naoya Inoue, Artur Beterbiev and Gilberto Ramirez beat the daylights out of their unfortunate opponents until they could take no more punishment.

First up was Inoue, who unleashed his pound-for-pound fury on poor Aran Dipaen (12-3, 11 KOs) on Tuesday in Japan. The Thai fighter was brave but didn’t have the tools to fend off Inoue, who coldly broke him down before stopping him in the eighth round.

Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs) needs a challenge comparable to his fight with Nonito Donaire, which means a showdown with fellow titleholder John Riel Casimero or a rematch with Donaire.

The imposing Beterbiev looked vulnerable early against capable Marcus Browne (24-2, 16 KOs) on Friday but settled into beast mode and methodically destroyed the former U.S. Olympian in spite of a ghastly cut on his forehead, finally ending matters in nine rounds to make it 17 knockouts in 17 fights.

The Russian probably will target one of his fellow 175-pound titleholders but a lot of us fancy a showdown with Canelo Alvarez. Could the Mexican star really handle a fighter of Beterbiev’s ability and freakish strength? Hopefully we’ll get a chance to find out.

Ramirez (43-0, 29 KOs) had a tough time against a durable Yunieski Gonzalez (21-4, 17 KOs), absorbing many hard shots, but he still managed to deliver a horrible beating. We knew the Mexican was good but who knew he was this resilient?

I give him a chance a realistic chance to beat the light heavyweight titleholders.

And, on Saturday, Paul gave us the most-dramatic single moment of the week, an enormous right hand that planted rival Tyron Woodley (0-2) on his face. He didn’t get up, which gave Paul the most significant victory yet in his young career.

Is Paul (6-0, 5 KOs) ready for a real boxer? Nah. But he always makes it difficult to look away.

 

BAD

I’ll never fully endorse Paul’s career as a prize fighter out of deference to genuine boxers who would kill for even a fraction of the YouTuber’s fame and fortune.

At the same time, you have to give the guy credit. His impressive ability to market himself is well established. He seems to take the sport seriously, working as hard as anyone in the gym in an effort to hone his skills. And he has a flair for the dramatic.

If you could’ve drawn it up beforehand, what would’ve been the ideal result to add to Paul’s reputation as a can’t-miss attraction? You got it – a sensational one-punch knockout that goes viral on the internet.

The ringside video that allows the viewer to both see and hear the right hand that ended Woodley’s night (see video above) is not something people will forget any time soon. As a result, they will be more intrigued with Paul than ever.

The fact he remains in early stages of development doesn’t matter to most people. He does (and says) things that people want to see, which is the key to his success.

I have to add one thing: Paul is going to lose a fight, probably soon. He almost lost to Woodley in their first fight. We’ll see what impact that has on his drawing power, although I have a feeling he’ll stick in one way or another.

 

WORSE

Once again, there are always poor souls on the wrong end of brutal knockouts.

I’ll never forget the look of resignation on Dipaen’s face after he went down from a left hook by Inoue and then managed to get up as the referee was counting in Round 8. It was if he was thinking, “What did I do to deserve this?”

He took one more punch and the fight was stopped, fortunately for Dipaen, who might never again fight on a stage that big.

Browne was so distraught after his one-sided setback that he barely acknowledged Beterbiev afterward even though the winner approached him twice. It wasn’t poor sportsmanship as much as it was disappointment. He simply wasn’t ready to face his conqueror.

Browne isn’t in Beterbiev’s class but he has a lot of company.

Gonzalez left his heart in the ring against Ramirez, which I believe is one reason he was so emotional after his fight. And at 36 he probably realized then and there that he might not get another such opportunity.

The native of Cuba suffered during the fight … and after it.

Woodley probably will have emerged from his gruesome fate with a smile on his face. The former MMA star made a reported $2 million even though he’s 39 and was fighting as a pro boxer for only the second time.

That’s called winning the lottery, although getting knocked out cold was a significant price to pay for his windfall.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Joseph Parker (30-2, 21 KOs) defeated Derek Chisora (32-12, 23 KOs) again – this time by a unanimous decision – to underscore his position as a top heavyweight contender Saturday in Manchester, England. It wasn’t easy. The Kiwi put Chisora down three times and seemed to be on the verge of putting him away on several occasions but he couldn’t finish off his stubborn opponent in an entertaining fight. The problem now for Parker is that it could be a while before he gets a shot at a title, as beltholders Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have other plans. Of course, Parker, only 29, will get his opportunity if he keeps winning. Chisora? The Londoner is 37. He has now lost three consecutive fights, to Usyk and twice to Parker. And he has taken a lot of punishment over a long career. He’s probably good enough to continue fighting. However, it might be a good time for him to step away. … This is what I have to say about the Frank Gore (NFL) vs. Deron Williams (NBA) exhibition on the Paul-Woodley II card: If you like to watch street or bar fights between two old guys who have no idea what they’re doing, God bless you. Only you can choose what entertains you. …

Amanda Serrano (42-1-1, 30 KOs) did what she was expected to do on the Paul-Woodley II card, easily defeating Miriam Gutierrez (14-2, 5 KOs). The Spaniard took Serrano the distance but lost a near-shutout decision. The victory sets up arguably the biggest possible fight in women’s boxing: Serrano vs. Katie Taylor for the Irishwoman’s undisputed lightweight championship. The fight would be a boon to the women’s side of the sport. And the winner would be a legend. … David Morrell (6-0, 5 KOs) looked like a bona fide super middleweight contender on Saturday, when he stopped a solid opponent in Alantez Fox in four rounds. I figured the 23-year-old Cuban would win the fight but he dominated, using effective aggression to quickly break down and then stop his overmatched opponent. Morrell probably is ready for a Top 5 168-pounder.

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David Morrell stops overmatched Alantez Fox in fourth round

David Morrell stopped overmatched Alantez Fox in fourth round Saturday in Minneapolis.

David Morrell is looking more and more like a threat to the top 168-pounders.

The former Cuban amateur star outboxed, outworked and finally stopped Alantez Fox at 2:06 of the fourth round of a scheduled 12-rounder Saturday at The Armory in Minneapolis.

Morrell (6-0, 5 KOs) got the better of Fox (28-3-1, 13 KOs) from the start, fighting aggressively and landing eye-catching shots.

Fox, a good boxer, did his best to use his jab and movement to keep Morrell at bay but couldn’t avoid the winner’s hard, well-placed punches to the head and body.

In Round 4, Morrell hurt Fox with a short right and followed with a left that sent him to the canvas. He got up, took more punches and his corner threw in the towel.

“I was just listening to my team and following their instructions,” Morrell said. “We were just working in there, just like we do in the gym. They told me to let my hands go, so I did. Fox didn’t have the power to keep me off of him, so I knew that I had to take advantage of it.

“I felt comfortable in there and that made it easy for me.

Morrell, only 23, is on a fast track to a title shot. He already holds the WBA’s secondary title. Canelo Alvarez is the undisputed champion.

“I respect everybody in the super middleweight division, but I want to fight all of them,” Morrell said. “I’ve got this belt right now, and I’m open to fighting any of them. They just have to step up.”

David Morrell stops overmatched Alantez Fox in fourth round

David Morrell stopped overmatched Alantez Fox in fourth round Saturday in Minneapolis.

David Morrell is looking more and more like a threat to the top 168-pounders.

The former Cuban amateur star outboxed, outworked and finally stopped Alantez Fox at 2:06 of the fourth round of a scheduled 12-rounder Saturday at The Armory in Minneapolis.

Morrell (6-0, 5 KOs) got the better of Fox (28-3-1, 13 KOs) from the start, fighting aggressively and landing eye-catching shots.

Fox, a good boxer, did his best to use his jab and movement to keep Morrell at bay but couldn’t avoid the winner’s hard, well-placed punches to the head and body.

In Round 4, Morrell hurt Fox with a short right and followed with a left that sent him to the canvas. He got up, took more punches and his corner threw in the towel.

“I was just listening to my team and following their instructions,” Morrell said. “We were just working in there, just like we do in the gym. They told me to let my hands go, so I did. Fox didn’t have the power to keep me off of him, so I knew that I had to take advantage of it.

“I felt comfortable in there and that made it easy for me.

Morrell, only 23, is on a fast track to a title shot. He already holds the WBA’s secondary title. Canelo Alvarez is the undisputed champion.

“I respect everybody in the super middleweight division, but I want to fight all of them,” Morrell said. “I’ve got this belt right now, and I’m open to fighting any of them. They just have to step up.”

Fight Week: Naoya Inoue, Artur Beterbiev, Gilberto Ramirez and Jake Paul in action

Fight Week: Naoya Inoue, Artur Beterbiev, Gilberto Ramirez and Jake Paul in action.

FIGHT WEEK

Naoya Inoue, Artur Beterbiev, Gilberto Ramirez, DAVId MORRELL and Jake Paul ARE ALL SCHEDULED TO FIGHT DURING A PACKED WEEK of action.

Naoya Inoue (21-0, 18 KOs) vs. Alan Dipaen (12-2, 11 KOs)

  • When: Tuesday, Dec. 14
  • Where: Ryogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Stadium, Tokyo
  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Division: Bantamweight
  • At stake: Inoue’s IBF and WBA titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Inoue No. 3
  • Odds: Inoue 28-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Wilfredo Mendez vs. Masataka Taniguchi, strawweights (for Mendez’s WBO title)
  • Prediction: Inoue KO 4
  • Background: Inoue will be making the sixth defense of his 118-pound title. The aptly named “Monster” has consecutive knockouts of Jason Moloney (seven rounds) and Michael Dasmarinas (three) after fighting through a broken bone in his face to outpoint Nonito Donaire in November 2019. The resident of Yokohama has stopped 10 of his last 11 opponents. He has expressed an interest in unifying all four major bantamweight titles in 2022, starting with WBO beltholder John Riel Casimero. Inoue and Casimero were expected to face one another last year but the fight didn’t happen because of COVID-19. Donaire holds the WBC title. Dipaen has won six consecutive fights — all by knockout and all in his native Thailand – since he lost a split decision to Tommy Frank in England. This is an enormous step up in opposition for the 30-year-old contender from Khon Kaen.

 

Artur Beterbiev (16-0, 16 KOs) vs. Marcos Browne (24-1, 16 KOs)

  • When: Friday, Dec. 17
  • Where: Bell Centre, Montreal
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Light heavyweight
  • At stake: Beterbiev’s IBF and WBC titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Beterbiev No. 12
  • Odds: Beterbiev 8½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Marie-Eve Dicaire vs. Cynthia Lozano, junior middleweights (for vacant IBF title); Yan Pellerin vs. Francisco Rivas, cruiserweights
  • Prediction: Beterbiev KO 10
  • Background: Will Beterbiev make it 17 in a row? The imposing 36-year-old Russian is coming off a 10th-round knockout of Adam Deines this past March, his 16th stoppage in as many fights. That victory followed the most-significant triumph of his career, a 10th-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Olekesandr Gvozdyk in October 2019. Beterbiev has been mentioned as a possible opponent for super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. He also could go after another 175-pound titleholder if he gets past Browne. Dmitry Bivol is the WBA belterholder. WBO champ Joe Smith Jr. defends against Callum Smith next month. Browne is no pushover. The 2012 U.S. Olympian from New Jersey is a polished boxer with good power. He had a break through in January 2019, when he defeated respected contender Badou Jack by a convincing decision. He lost an eight-round technical decision to Jean Pascal in his subsequent fight, the result of a cut above Browne’s eye that was caused by an accidental head butt. He rebounded to shut out Denis Grachev this past April.

 

Jake Paul (4-0, 3 KOs) vs. Tyron Woodley (0-1, 0 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Dec. 18
  • Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
  • TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
  • Division: Cruiserweight
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Paul 2-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Amanda Serrano vs. Miriam Gutierrez, lightweights; Deron Williams vs. Frank Gore, heavyweights; Liam Paro vs. Yomar Alamo, junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Paul UD
  • Background: Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, was fortunate to have defeated Woodley by a split decision in August yet has agreed to face the former MMA star a second time after Tommy Fury pulled out as his opponent. Paul blasted out his first three opponents, Ali Eson Gib (TKO 1), Nate Robinson (KO 2) and Ben Askren (TKO 1), but the newbie had difficulty with Woodley’s solid striking ability and experience. Woodley, 39, made his pro boxing debut in that fight. Seven-division titleholder Amanda Serrano (41-1-1, 30 KOs) is the most-accomplished fighter on the card. The unified featherweight titleholder appears to be on a collision course with undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor in what would be a huge women’s bout next year. Gutierrez shouldn’t give Serrano much trouble even though the latter is moving up from 126 pounds to 135. Gutierrez lost a near-shutout decision to Taylor in November of last year, her only fight at the elite level. And she won’t have a significant advantage in terms of natural size. Serrano has successfully moved up and down in weight, including a stint as a 140-pound titleholder.

 

Joseph Parker (29-2, 21 KOs) vs. Derek Chisora (32-11, 23 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Dec. 18
  • Where: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Heavyweights
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Parker 2½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Carlos Gongora vs. Lerrone Richards, super middleweights; Lee McGregor vs. Narek Abgaryan, bantamweights; Jack Cullen vs. Kevin Lele Sadjo, super middleweights; Zelfa Barrett vs. Bruno Tarimo, junior lightweights
  • Prediction: Parker UD
  • Background: Parker defeated Chisora by a close, split decision this past May, which resulted in an immediate rematch. Parker won the vacant WBO heavyweight title by outpointed Andy Ruiz in December 2016, successfully defended two times and then lost his belt by a wide decision against Anthony Joshua. He followed that with a decision loss to Dillian Whyte but has won his last five outings, including the victory over his opponent in this fight. Chisora, the 37-year-old longtime contender, has lost to Oleksandr Usyk and Parker back to back but gave a good account of himself in both fights, an indication that he’s trying to make the most out of the final years of his career.

 

Gilberto Ramirez (42-0, 28 KOs) vs. Yuneski Gonzalez (21-3, 17 KOs)     

  • When: Saturday, Dec. 18
  • Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Light heavyweights
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Seneisa Estrada vs. Maria Santizo, strawweights (for Estrada’s WBA title); Lamont Roach Jr. vs. Rene Alvarado, junior lightweights; Marlen Esparza vs. Anabel Ortiz, flyweights (for Esparza’s WBC title); Luis Hernandez vs. Ruslan Madiyev, junior  welterweights
  • Prediction: Ramirez UD
  • Background: Ramirez’s career, which had sputtered after he moved up to the light heavyweight in 2019, is back on track. The former super middleweight titleholder stopped Alfonso Lopez in 10 rounds last December – his first fight in 20 months – and then knocked out longtime contender Sullivan Barrera in four rounds this past July to reestablish himself as a major player in the division. The 30-year-old Mexican is ranked in the Top 5 by three of the four major sanctioning bodies, which means his goal of fighting for a title in a second division is within reach. The beltholders are Artur Beterbiev (IBF and WBC), Dmitry Bivol (WBA) and Joe Smith Jr. (WBO). Gonzalez, a Cuban who lives in Florida, cut his teeth in the respected amateur system of his native country. The 36-year-old can box and he has power, as his last 12 victories have come by knockout. He has only been blown out once, when Oleksandr Gvozdyk stopped him in three rounds in April 2017. He took 3½ years off following that setback and returned to stop Guillermo Romero, Alex Theran and Tommy Karpency. He lost close decisions to Jean Pascal and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in 2015.

 

David Morrell (5-0, 4 KOs) vs. Atlantez Fox (28-2-1, 13 KOs)     

  • When: Saturday, Dec. 18
  • Where: The Armory, Minneapolis
  • TV/Stream: Fox
  • Division: Super middleweight
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Jose Valenzuela vs. Austin Dulay, lightweights; Alberto Puello vs. Ve Shawn Owns, junior welterweights; Richardson Hitchins vs. Malik Hawkins, junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Morrell KO 7
  • Background: Morrell, the former Cuban amateur star who lives in Minneapolis, is on a fast track to a title shot. He has demonstrated in his short professional career that he can box and punch. He easily outpointed previously unbeaten Lennox Allen in August of last year and then stopped Mike Gavronski in three rounds last December and Mario Cazares in one round in June. Morrell is the WBA’s “regular” titleholder, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. He’ll be fighting for the second consecutive time in his adopted hometown. Fox, who fights out of the Washington, D.C. area, lost decisively the only two times he stepped up in class. He lost a wide decision to Demetrius Andrade at 160 pounds in 2017 and was stopped by Liam Williams in five rounds in another middleweight bout in December 2019. Fox has won his last two fights, a decision over Marcos Hernandez last December and a seventh-round knockout of Manny Woods in June.

Also fighting this week: On Tuesday, Knockout CP Freshmart (22-0, 8 KOs) of Thailand will defend his WBA strawweight title against Filipino Robert Paradero (18-1, 12 KOs) in Phuket, Thailand (No U.S. TV); on Friday, Michel Soro (35-2-1, 24 KOs) will face Israil Madrimov (7-0, 5 KOs) in a junior middleweight bout in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (DAZN).