Tag: Demond Nicholson

Demetrius Andrade easily outpoints Demond Nicholson in 168-pound debut

Demetrius Andrade easily outpointed Demond Nicholson in his 168-pound debut on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card Saturday.

Demetrius Andrade looked like a legitimate contender in his 168-pound debut.

The former titleholder at 154 and 160 dropped Demond Nicholson twice and easily outboxed him to win a shutout decision in a 10-round bout on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card at Captial One Arena in Washington, D.C.

All three judges scored it 100-88, 10 rounds to none. Boxing Junkie also scored it 100-88.

“I felt good,” Andrade said. “I could definitely tell the weight difference but speed, combinations, the IQ was the plan today, get the 10 rounds in. And that’s what we did.”

Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs) attacked Nicholson (26-5-1, 22 KOs) from the opening bell and didn’t let up, picking apart his overmatched opponent with a variety shots at a safe distance.

The southpaw put Nicholson down with a combination in Round 2, although Nicholson wasn’t hurt.

And, in the final minute of the fight, a hard left hand to the head put Nicholson on the canvas a second time to punctuate Andrade’s impressive performance.

Andrade appeared to suffer a knockdown from a flurry of punches in Round 5 but the referee didn’t rule it that way. Otherwise, the winner, an excellent defensive fighter, took few punches.

According to CompuBox, Nicholson landed only total 28 shots — 2.8 per round.

The only flaw in Andrade’s performance — if it can be described as such — was his inability to take out a man he dominated from beginning to end.

Still, Andrade demonstrated that he’s a genuine threat to the top super middleweights, including undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. He could be first in line to face the winner of a projected fight between top contenders David Benavidez and Caleb Plant.

“The only way I can say I’m the best,” he said, “is to fight the best.”

Demetrius Andrade easily outpoints Demond Nicholson in 168-pound debut

Demetrius Andrade easily outpointed Demond Nicholson in his 168-pound debut on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card Saturday.

Demetrius Andrade looked like a legitimate contender in his 168-pound debut.

The former titleholder at 154 and 160 dropped Demond Nicholson twice and easily outboxed him to win a shutout decision in a 10-round bout on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card at Captial One Arena in Washington, D.C.

All three judges scored it 100-88, 10 rounds to none. Boxing Junkie also scored it 100-88.

“I felt good,” Andrade said. “I could definitely tell the weight difference but speed, combinations, the IQ was the plan today, get the 10 rounds in. And that’s what we did.”

Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs) attacked Nicholson (26-5-1, 22 KOs) from the opening bell and didn’t let up, picking apart his overmatched opponent with a variety shots at a safe distance.

The southpaw put Nicholson down with a combination in Round 2, although Nicholson wasn’t hurt.

And, in the final minute of the fight, a hard left hand to the head put Nicholson on the canvas a second time to punctuate Andrade’s impressive performance.

Andrade appeared to suffer a knockdown from a flurry of punches in Round 5 but the referee didn’t rule it that way. Otherwise, the winner, an excellent defensive fighter, took few punches.

According to CompuBox, Nicholson landed only total 28 shots — 2.8 per round.

The only flaw in Andrade’s performance — if it can be described as such — was his inability to take out a man he dominated from beginning to end.

Still, Andrade demonstrated that he’s a genuine threat to the top super middleweights, including undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. He could be first in line to face the winner of a projected fight between top contenders David Benavidez and Caleb Plant.

“The only way I can say I’m the best,” he said, “is to fight the best.”

Good, bad, worse: Emanuel Navarrete beastly, Edgar Berlanga human

Good, bad, worse: Emanuel Navarrete was beastly, Edgar Berlanga human on Saturday night.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qymuTb3Vo0g

Emanuel Navarrete’s performance. Christopher Diaz’s courage. Both were inspiring.

Diaz must have felt as if he was in an unfair fight Saturday in Kissimmee, Fla. Navarrete, defending his 126-pound title, appeared to be significantly bigger and stronger than Diaz. And he has those impossibly long arms, which are seemingly capable of reaching the opposition from across the ring.

Plus, as we saw, Navarrete’s chin would make countryman Julio Cesar Chavez proud. Diaz landed many flush shots but none deterred the champion.

That daunting combination of size, reach and durability – as well as Navarrete’s well-honed ability to make it all work for him – would present a serious problem for anyone between 126 and 130 pounds.

That doesn’t mean he’s unbeatable or even the best at those weights. For example, I would pick fellow featherweight titleholder Gary Russell Jr. to beat Navarrete because of his speed, skill and experience. And Leo Santa Cruz, another beltholder, is similar to Navarrete is many ways. That would be a good, competitive fight.

I like Navarrete’s attitude about future challenges. He said in so many words: “I might lose but it will never be easy for my opponent.” No doubt about that.

The same can be said of Diaz, who went down four times but never stopped trying to realize his dream of becoming a world champion. This wasn’t a fighter trying to survive. He was willing to risk it all in an effort to win and pushed Navarrete to his limits as a result.

We can’t ask more of the fighters than that.

[lawrence-related id=19742]

***

BAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp6xQgi20zU

The streak has ended.

Of course, we knew Edgar Berlanga’s run of first-round knockouts wasn’t going to last his entire career. But as I was watching him fight Demond Nicholson in a scheduled eight-rounder on the Navarrete-Diaz card, a part of me was rooting for him to get his 17th opening-round stoppage to start his career.

Alas, it wasn’t to be. Nicholson, a clever veteran, had the ability and wherewithal to survive not only the first round but all eight of them. Suddenly, Berlanga seemed a lot more like the rest of we humans.

The good news is that Berlanga was about as dominating as one can be in a fight that goes the distance. The 23-year-old super middleweight contender put Nicholson down four times and won a wide decision to remain unbeaten in his young career.

More good news: First-round knockouts don’t allow fighters to learn much from the process. Berlanga might’ve grown as a fighter more on Saturday night than in his previous 16 outings combined, which will serve him well going forward.

Berlanga graded his performance a “C,” which might reflect his humility more than reality. His principal failure was his inability to find a way to take Nicholson out. However, in Berlanga’s defense, it’s difficult to stop an experienced opponent whose main goal is to survive.

Indeed, the streak is over but Berlanga remains a bad-ass.

[lawrence-related id=19735]

***

WORSE

https://www.instagram.com/p/CODk7OmhVN6/

Golden Boy Promotions had a rough week.

On April 17, CEO Oscar De La Hoya was a guest commentator during the Jake Paul-Ben Askren show and his behavior raised concern about his well-being. Then, six days later, Ryan Garcia, Golden Boy’s top attraction, pulled out of his fight with Javier Fortuna to tend to his mental health.

De La Hoya, whose speech pattern raised eyebrows, later said he had had a few drinks and apologized for the bizarre incident. That was good to hear. However, based on what seems to have been the Hall of Famer’s roller coaster personal life, we all wonder whether he’s still struggling.

And the fact he is planning a comeback at 48 adds to the concern. He is scheduled to return to the ring July 3 on the Triller Fight Club platform, although no opponent has been selected.

De La Hoya said that he has been in training for that fight. How does a “few drinks” fit into that equation?

Of course, Garcia’s situation is different. The lightweight contender has been open about his battles with anxiety and depression, which obviously are making it difficult for him to function.

It seems to me that he made an intelligent decision. He’s only 22. He has time to undergo treatment, learn to cope better with his challenges and then return to the ring when he’s ready.

“I hope to be back soon and am looking forward to stepping back into the ring when I am my healthiest self,” he wrote on Instagram.

Let’s hope De La Hoya and Garcia both find their healthiest selves.

[lawrence-related id=19730]

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

The Floyd Mayweather–Logan Paul pay-per-view exhibition is nearly finalized, Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza told Sports Illustrated. Espinoza said he doesn’t know the date but added that it’s not June 5, as reported. (Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos have a pay-per-view showdown scheduled for that date.) Those who might be expecting Logan Paul to do to Mayweather what his brother, Jake Paul, did to Ben Askren can forget it. Mayweather, even at 44 and at a 30-pound weight disadvantage, will make his raw opponent look foolish. Logan Paul has had one pro fight against a fellow YouTube personality. Why anyone would want to pay to see that is beyond me. … Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua reportedly will share most of a $150 million site fee from investors in Saudi Arabia for their anticipated title-unification showdown this summer. Great. If they can walk away with that kind of money, kudos to them. Let’s get the deal finalized, though. We’ve been talking about this fight long enough. … Vasiliy Lomachenko will make his return against Masayoki Nakatani on June 26 in Las Vegas, according to reports. Lomachenko, the former pound-for-pound king, hasn’t fought since he lost a unanimous decision and his titles to Lopez this past October. Nakatani is coming off a come-from-behind knockout of Felix Verdejo in December, which followed a one-sided decision loss to Lopez in 2019. The fight presumably will take place at 135 pounds. Some are convinced that Lomachenko has slipped considerably at 33 years old. I believe he remains a pound-for-pound-caliber fighter. We’ll see.

Good, bad, worse: Emanuel Navarrete beastly, Edgar Berlanga human

Good, bad, worse: Emanuel Navarrete was beastly, Edgar Berlanga human on Saturday night.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qymuTb3Vo0g

Emanuel Navarrete’s performance. Christopher Diaz’s courage. Both were inspiring.

Diaz must have felt as if he was in an unfair fight Saturday in Kissimmee, Fla. Navarrete, defending his 126-pound title, appeared to be significantly bigger and stronger than Diaz. And he has those impossibly long arms, which are seemingly capable of reaching the opposition from across the ring.

Plus, as we saw, Navarrete’s chin would make countryman Julio Cesar Chavez proud. Diaz landed many flush shots but none deterred the champion.

That daunting combination of size, reach and durability – as well as Navarrete’s well-honed ability to make it all work for him – would present a serious problem for anyone between 126 and 130 pounds.

That doesn’t mean he’s unbeatable or even the best at those weights. For example, I would pick fellow featherweight titleholder Gary Russell Jr. to beat Navarrete because of his speed, skill and experience. And Leo Santa Cruz, another beltholder, is similar to Navarrete is many ways. That would be a good, competitive fight.

I like Navarrete’s attitude about future challenges. He said in so many words: “I might lose but it will never be easy for my opponent.” No doubt about that.

The same can be said of Diaz, who went down four times but never stopped trying to realize his dream of becoming a world champion. This wasn’t a fighter trying to survive. He was willing to risk it all in an effort to win and pushed Navarrete to his limits as a result.

We can’t ask more of the fighters than that.

[lawrence-related id=19742]

***

BAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp6xQgi20zU

The streak has ended.

Of course, we knew Edgar Berlanga’s run of first-round knockouts wasn’t going to last his entire career. But as I was watching him fight Demond Nicholson in a scheduled eight-rounder on the Navarrete-Diaz card, a part of me was rooting for him to get his 17th opening-round stoppage to start his career.

Alas, it wasn’t to be. Nicholson, a clever veteran, had the ability and wherewithal to survive not only the first round but all eight of them. Suddenly, Berlanga seemed a lot more like the rest of we humans.

The good news is that Berlanga was about as dominating as one can be in a fight that goes the distance. The 23-year-old super middleweight contender put Nicholson down four times and won a wide decision to remain unbeaten in his young career.

More good news: First-round knockouts don’t allow fighters to learn much from the process. Berlanga might’ve grown as a fighter more on Saturday night than in his previous 16 outings combined, which will serve him well going forward.

Berlanga graded his performance a “C,” which might reflect his humility more than reality. His principal failure was his inability to find a way to take Nicholson out. However, in Berlanga’s defense, it’s difficult to stop an experienced opponent whose main goal is to survive.

Indeed, the streak is over but Berlanga remains a bad-ass.

[lawrence-related id=19735]

***

WORSE

https://www.instagram.com/p/CODk7OmhVN6/

Golden Boy Promotions had a rough week.

On April 17, CEO Oscar De La Hoya was a guest commentator during the Jake Paul-Ben Askren show and his behavior raised concern about his well-being. Then, six days later, Ryan Garcia, Golden Boy’s top attraction, pulled out of his fight with Javier Fortuna to tend to his mental health.

De La Hoya, whose speech pattern raised eyebrows, later said he had had a few drinks and apologized for the bizarre incident. That was good to hear. However, based on what seems to have been the Hall of Famer’s roller coaster personal life, we all wonder whether he’s still struggling.

And the fact he is planning a comeback at 48 adds to the concern. He is scheduled to return to the ring July 3 on the Triller Fight Club platform, although no opponent has been selected.

De La Hoya said that he has been in training for that fight. How does a “few drinks” fit into that equation?

Of course, Garcia’s situation is different. The lightweight contender has been open about his battles with anxiety and depression, which obviously are making it difficult for him to function.

It seems to me that he made an intelligent decision. He’s only 22. He has time to undergo treatment, learn to cope better with his challenges and then return to the ring when he’s ready.

“I hope to be back soon and am looking forward to stepping back into the ring when I am my healthiest self,” he wrote on Instagram.

Let’s hope De La Hoya and Garcia both find their healthiest selves.

[lawrence-related id=19730]

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

The Floyd Mayweather–Logan Paul pay-per-view exhibition is nearly finalized, Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza told Sports Illustrated. Espinoza said he doesn’t know the date but added that it’s not June 5, as reported. (Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos have a pay-per-view showdown scheduled for that date.) Those who might be expecting Logan Paul to do to Mayweather what his brother, Jake Paul, did to Ben Askren can forget it. Mayweather, even at 44 and at a 30-pound weight disadvantage, will make his raw opponent look foolish. Logan Paul has had one pro fight against a fellow YouTube personality. Why anyone would want to pay to see that is beyond me. … Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua reportedly will share most of a $150 million site fee from investors in Saudi Arabia for their anticipated title-unification showdown this summer. Great. If they can walk away with that kind of money, kudos to them. Let’s get the deal finalized, though. We’ve been talking about this fight long enough. … Vasiliy Lomachenko will make his return against Masayoki Nakatani on June 26 in Las Vegas, according to reports. Lomachenko, the former pound-for-pound king, hasn’t fought since he lost a unanimous decision and his titles to Lopez this past October. Nakatani is coming off a come-from-behind knockout of Felix Verdejo in December, which followed a one-sided decision loss to Lopez in 2019. The fight presumably will take place at 135 pounds. Some are convinced that Lomachenko has slipped considerably at 33 years old. I believe he remains a pound-for-pound-caliber fighter. We’ll see.

Edgar Berlanga’s first-round KO streak ends but he wins easily

Edgar Berlanga’s first-round KO streak ended but he put Demond Nicholson down four times and won a wide decision Saturday.

The streak ended. The dominance continued.

Edgar Berlanga put Demond Nicholson down four times to win a wide unanimous decision in an eight-round super middleweight fight on the Emanuel Navarrete-Christopher Diaz card Saturday in Kissimmee, Fla., which ended Berlanga’s streak of first-round knockouts to start his career.

Berlanga (17-0, 16 KOs) put Nicholson (23-4-1, 20 KOs) down in the second, third, fifth and eighth rounds but couldn’t put the clever veteran away.

“I really wanted to get the first-round knockout but I enjoyed the experience,” Berlanga said.

Nicholson did a decent job of jabbing, moving and stopping to land punches here and there given his opponent’s power. However, he became more and more reticent to engage Berlanga because of the shots he was taking, prompting the Maryland fighter to move into survival mode.

That included an inordinate amount of holding, which made it difficult for Berlanga to unload at times.

Berlanga’s biggest punch might’ve come in the final seconds of the fight, when a short right hand put Nicholson on his behind and hurt him. The shot came too late, though. Nicholson was able to get up and hear the final bell.

The judges scored it 79-69, 79-69 and 79-68. Boxing Junkie had it 79-69 for Berlanga.

He was asked what grade he would give his performance.

“I felt like it was a C,” he said. “I know I could’ve done a lot better. Tehre was things that I should’ve did. But we got the job done.”

 

Edgar Berlanga’s first-round KO streak ends but he wins easily

Edgar Berlanga’s first-round KO streak ended but he put Demond Nicholson down four times and won a wide decision Saturday.

The streak ended. The dominance continued.

Edgar Berlanga put Demond Nicholson down four times to win a wide unanimous decision in an eight-round super middleweight fight on the Emanuel Navarrete-Christopher Diaz card Saturday in Kissimmee, Fla., which ended Berlanga’s streak of first-round knockouts to start his career.

Berlanga (17-0, 16 KOs) put Nicholson (23-4-1, 20 KOs) down in the second, third, fifth and eighth rounds but couldn’t put the clever veteran away.

“I really wanted to get the first-round knockout but I enjoyed the experience,” Berlanga said.

Nicholson did a decent job of jabbing, moving and stopping to land punches here and there given his opponent’s power. However, he became more and more reticent to engage Berlanga because of the shots he was taking, prompting the Maryland fighter to move into survival mode.

That included an inordinate amount of holding, which made it difficult for Berlanga to unload at times.

Berlanga’s biggest punch might’ve come in the final seconds of the fight, when a short right hand put Nicholson on his behind and hurt him. The shot came too late, though. Nicholson was able to get up and hear the final bell.

The judges scored it 79-69, 79-69 and 79-68. Boxing Junkie had it 79-69 for Berlanga.

He was asked what grade he would give his performance.

“I felt like it was a C,” he said. “I know I could’ve done a lot better. Tehre was things that I should’ve did. But we got the job done.”

 

Edgar Berlanga obsessed with becoming star, not first-round KOs

Super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga is obsessed with becoming star, not first-round KOs.

 

Edgar Berlanga and his team know the streak is going to end. And that’s perfectly fine with them.

The super middleweight contender has stopped all 16 of his opponents in the first round, a run that has created a palpable buzz around him. He has almost a quarter million followers and counting on Instagram.

In that sense, the streak has been valuable for Berlanga. But it has little meaning to him otherwise.

So, rest assured, if capable veteran Demond Nicholson takes Berlanga into the second round of a scheduled eight-rounders on the Emanuel Navarrete-Christopher Diaz card Saturday in Kissimmee, Fla. (ESPN, ESPN+), Berlanga won’t think twice about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTYfMaduugA

“I’ve been boxing for 16 years,” said Berlanga, who is 23. “… I had the most experience I could as an amateur and even just sparring and everything. For me to go to the second round … I know everybody is out to make it seem bigger than what it is … but it’s nothing that big.

“For me, it’s just another day in the office to go to the second round. … I’m sparring 10 rounds, 12 rounds with different guys to always put my conditioning at another level.”

Berlanga’s handlers understand the value of the streak and his growing legion of fans. However, their hearts won’t be broken if someone takes him beyond three minutes.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen on Saturday night. No one does until the bell rings,” said Carl Moretti, Top Rank’s Vice President of Boxing Operations. “He may go one round, he may go eight rounds.

“All that matters is he gets the win.”

Berlanga said he’s focused on Nicholson (23-3-1, 20 KOs), not what might lie ahead. All successful fighters take that approach to avoid disaster.

Moretti and Co. can and do look ahead. They’re building an attraction over an extended period of time. And Berlanga is doing his part both in his training camps – he essentially lives in the gym – and, of course, on fight night.

“As you can see he’s focused,” Moretti said. “He knows what’s at hand [on Saturday]. It’s the most important fight of his career because it’s the next fight in his career. Everything else doesn’t really matter.

“As long as he continues working his ass off in the gym, which he does, very good things take care of themselves. And that’s what we’re expecting Saturday night.”

Edgar Berlanga obsessed with becoming star, not first-round KOs

Super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga is obsessed with becoming star, not first-round KOs.

 

Edgar Berlanga and his team know the streak is going to end. And that’s perfectly fine with them.

The super middleweight contender has stopped all 16 of his opponents in the first round, a run that has created a palpable buzz around him. He has almost a quarter million followers and counting on Instagram.

In that sense, the streak has been valuable for Berlanga. But it has little meaning to him otherwise.

So, rest assured, if capable veteran Demond Nicholson takes Berlanga into the second round of a scheduled eight-rounders on the Emanuel Navarrete-Christopher Diaz card Saturday in Kissimmee, Fla. (ESPN, ESPN+), Berlanga won’t think twice about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTYfMaduugA

“I’ve been boxing for 16 years,” said Berlanga, who is 23. “… I had the most experience I could as an amateur and even just sparring and everything. For me to go to the second round … I know everybody is out to make it seem bigger than what it is … but it’s nothing that big.

“For me, it’s just another day in the office to go to the second round. … I’m sparring 10 rounds, 12 rounds with different guys to always put my conditioning at another level.”

Berlanga’s handlers understand the value of the streak and his growing legion of fans. However, their hearts won’t be broken if someone takes him beyond three minutes.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen on Saturday night. No one does until the bell rings,” said Carl Moretti, Top Rank’s Vice President of Boxing Operations. “He may go one round, he may go eight rounds.

“All that matters is he gets the win.”

Berlanga said he’s focused on Nicholson (23-3-1, 20 KOs), not what might lie ahead. All successful fighters take that approach to avoid disaster.

Moretti and Co. can and do look ahead. They’re building an attraction over an extended period of time. And Berlanga is doing his part both in his training camps – he essentially lives in the gym – and, of course, on fight night.

“As you can see he’s focused,” Moretti said. “He knows what’s at hand [on Saturday]. It’s the most important fight of his career because it’s the next fight in his career. Everything else doesn’t really matter.

“As long as he continues working his ass off in the gym, which he does, very good things take care of themselves. And that’s what we’re expecting Saturday night.”