Egidijus Kavaliauskas – Syndication Server

Good, bad, worse: Vergil Ortiz looks sharp, Casimero-Rigo dud, Pacquiao’s new foe

Good, bad, worse: Vergil Ortiz looks sharp, Casimero-Rigo dud, Pacquiao’s new foe.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Vergil Ortiz gave his most-impressive performance on Saturday in Frisco, Texas, not far from his hometown of Dallas.

The fight wasn’t his easiest. That was the work of rugged opponent Egidijus Kavaliauskas, who pushed Ortiz harder than anyone else had early the fight. That included a right uppercut that hurt Ortiz in Round 2.

However, Ortiz overcame the resistance and methodically fought behind his powerful jab to break down Kavaliauskas and ultimately put him down five times. By Round 8, the Lithuanian was finished. He went down four times before referee Laurence Cole stopped the fight, giving Ortiz his 18^th knockout in 18 fights.

Ortiz looked like a seasoned veteran even though he’s only 23 years old.

What now? He has beaten Maurice Hooker and Kavaliauskas (22-2, 18 KOs) in succession, which seems to demonstrate that he’s ready for the best in division.

He’s ranked No. 1 by the WBO, meaning he’s first in line to challenge champion Terence Crawford, who stopped Kavaliauskas in nine rounds in December 2019. However, citing boxing politics, he wouldn’t predict what might be next for him.

He simply said he’s ready and willing to face anyone who fights at 147 pounds. Whomever is next had better be ready for him.

***

BAD

Sometimes boxers and fans have competing interests.

The primary objective of every fighter is to have his hand raised after his or her fight, regardless of how that might look. The wish of every fan is to be entertained.

Guillermo Rigondeaux is good at the former, lousy at the latter.

The two-time Olympic champion from Cuba served up another dud on Saturday in Carson, Calif., where he frustrated both 118-pound titleholder John Riel Casimero (31-4, 21 KOs) and those watching by running the entire 12-rounder.

The fight was competitive because Rigondeaux landed shots here and there – 44 total, according to CompuBox – and was an elusive target for Casimero, who connected on only 47 punches.

One judge scored it for Rigondeaux (115-113) but two had Casimero winning (117-111 and 116-112), giving Casimero the victory. Boxing Junkie scored it 114-114, a draw.

However, the contest was almost completely devoid of action as a result of Rigondeaux’s tactics, a fact that was met with vociferous booing from around the third round on. The fans weren’t happy.

Rigondeaux, 40, was unapologetic afterward, a stance that can be justified. He thought his best chance to win a major title was to fight as he did, which is understandable. And he thought he did enough to win the fight.

Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. One thing is obvious: Few will have felt sorry for Rigondeaux (20-2, 13 KOs) after he ran for an entire world championship fight.

He was asked afterward whether he would continue to fight. He replied by saying that he had just proved he could compete with an elite young opponent, meaning he plans to go on with his career.

But who’s going to want to watch?

***

WORSE

Manny Pacquiao (left) works the mitts with trainer Freddie Roach. Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images

The summer had served up a number of disappointments.

It was announced early in the week that welterweight titleholder Errol Spence Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs) suffered a retinal tear and had to pull out of his anticipated showdown with Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) on Aug. 21 in Las Vegas.

A few days later, the Aug. 28 fight between super middleweight contender David Benavidez and Jose Uzcategui was postponed after Benavidez tested positive for COVID-19.

And, of course, those news items followed the postponement of the third fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, which was set for July 24. Fury also tested positive for the coronavirus.

The difference between Pacquiao-Spence and the other two aforementioned fights is that it might never happen.

Pacquiao, who will now fight titleholder Yordenis Ugas, is 42 and nearing the end of his career. Any of his fights could be his last, although Spence has said he hopes to fight the winner of the upcoming fight.

Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs) is legitimate opponent for Pacquiao, who is coming off his sensational victory over Keith Thurman two years ago. The Cuban is an excellent all-around fighter, with victories over Amir Imam, Jamal James, Bryant Perrella, Thomas Dulorme and Abel Ramos.

And some believe he deserved the decision when he challenged then-titleholder Shawn Porter in March 2019.

That said, Pacquiao-Ugas doesn’t have the same cache that Pacquiao-Spence had. Perhaps the latter fight can still happen.

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

I have no faith in the WBA – the worst of the dreaded sanctioning bodies – but I applaud President Gilberto Mendoza’s decision to suspend judge Gloria Martinez Rizzo and order an immediate rematch between Mykal Fox and Gabriel Maestre.

Mendoza also has taken steps to reduce his ridiculous number of titles, which is another positive.

Fox seemed to outbox Maestre on the Eimantas Stanionis–Luis Collazo card on Aug. 7 but lost a unanimous decision. Martinez Rizzo’s score of 117-110 for Maestre was particularly outrageous to most viewers, who were convinced Fox deserved the decision. Later, racist tweets posted by Martinez Rizzo were uncovered. Fox is black.

I hope that Martinez Rizzo never again serves any function in boxing. …

One must feel for Emmanuel Rodriguez (19-2, 12 KOs) and Gary Antonio Russell (18-0, 12 KOs). The 118-pounders were only seconds into their title eliminator on the Casimero-Rigondeaux card when a clash of heads injured Rodriguez and ended the fight, which was a no-contest. Let’s hope they can reschedule the fight soon. …

Bantamweight contender Rau’shee Warren, 34, demonstrated on the Casimero-Rigondeaux card that he’s not finished as an elite fighter. The three-time U.S. Olympian and former 118-pound titleholder unleashed surprising power to put Damien Vazquez (15-3-1, 8 KOs) down twice in the first round and stop him in the second. Warren (19-3, 5 KOs) hadn’t stopped an opponent since 2015. …

Nico Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali, is a nice story but we must be careful not to burden the 21-year-old with high expectations. He stopped Jordan Weeks (4-2, 2 KOs) in the first round of his pro debut on the Joshua Franco–Andrew Moloney card Saturday in Tulsa, Okla., demonstrating some impressive power in the process. However, he is in the early stages of his development. We’ll see how things go. …

Franco (18-1-2, 8 KOs) did a nice job of wrapping up his trilogy with Moloney (21-2, 14 KOs), outboxing the Aussie to win a clear decision and putting himself in a strong position to fight for a legitimate world title. Many believe Moloney deserved to win their first fight, which Franco nabbed by a close decision. Their second fight was a no-contest stemming from an accidental clash of heads. Moloney was devastated afterward but he shouldn’t be so hard on himself. He demonstrated again that he’s a capable fighter. He’ll be back.

Meanwhile, 118-pound contender Jason Moloney (22-2, 18 KOs), Andrew’s twin, bounced back from his knockout loss to Naoya Inoue by outpointing Joshua Greer (22-3-2, 12 KOs).

Good, bad, worse: Vergil Ortiz looks sharp, Casimero-Rigo dud, Pacquiao’s new foe

Good, bad, worse: Vergil Ortiz looks sharp, Casimero-Rigo dud, Pacquiao’s new foe.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Vergil Ortiz gave his most-impressive performance on Saturday in Frisco, Texas, not far from his hometown of Dallas.

Ortiz looked like a seasoned veteran even though he’s only 23 years old.

What now? He has beaten Maurice Hooker and Kavaliauskas (22-2, 18 KOs) in succession, which seems to demonstrate that he’s ready for the best in division.

He simply said he’s ready and willing to face anyone who fights at 147 pounds. Whomever is next had better be ready for him.

***

BAD

Sometimes boxers and fans have competing interests.

The primary objective of every fighter is to have his hand raised after his or her fight, regardless of how that might look. The wish of every fan is to be entertained.

Guillermo Rigondeaux is good at the former, lousy at the latter.

The fight was competitive because Rigondeaux landed shots here and there – 44 total, according to CompuBox – and was an elusive target for Casimero, who connected on only 47 punches.

One judge scored it for Rigondeaux (115-113) but two had Casimero winning (117-111 and 116-112), giving Casimero the victory. Boxing Junkie scored it 114-114, a draw.

However, the contest was almost completely devoid of action as a result of Rigondeaux’s tactics, a fact that was met with vociferous booing from around the third round on. The fans weren’t happy.

Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. One thing is obvious: Few will have felt sorry for Rigondeaux (20-2, 13 KOs) after he ran for an entire world championship fight.

He was asked afterward whether he would continue to fight. He replied by saying that he had just proved he could compete with an elite young opponent, meaning he plans to go on with his career.

But who’s going to want to watch?

***

WORSE

The summer had served up a number of disappointments.

A few days later, the Aug. 28 fight between super middleweight contender David Benavidez and Jose Uzcategui was postponed after Benavidez tested positive for COVID-19.

And, of course, those news items followed the postponement of the third fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, which was set for July 24. Fury also tested positive for the coronavirus.

The difference between Pacquiao-Spence and the other two aforementioned fights is that it might never happen.

And some believe he deserved the decision when he challenged then-titleholder Shawn Porter in March 2019.

That said, Pacquiao-Ugas doesn’t have the same cache that Pacquiao-Spence had. Perhaps the latter fight can still happen.

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

Mendoza also has taken steps to reduce his ridiculous number of titles, which is another positive.

I hope that Martinez Rizzo never again serves any function in boxing. …

Meanwhile, 118-pound contender Jason Moloney (22-2, 18 KOs), Andrew’s twin, bounced back from his knockout loss to Naoya Inoue by outpointing Joshua Greer (22-3-2, 12 KOs).

Vergil Ortiz keeps KO record perfect against Egidijus Kavaliauskas

Vergil Ortiz maintained his perfect knockout record against Egidijus Kavaliauskas on Saturday in Frisco, Texas.

More-difficult path, same result.

Welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz endured a spirited effort from Egidijus Kavaliauskas but maintained his perfect knockout record, putting the Lithuanian down three times in the eighth and final round Saturday in Frisco, Texas.

Ortiz, 23, has now knocked out all 18 of his opponents, although Kavaliauskas lasted longer than any of the Texan’s previous foes.

Kavaliauskas (22-2-1, 18 KOs) fought like a man who came to win. The 33-year-old rarely took a backward step against one of the biggest punchers in the sport and had some success, including a right uppercut that hurt Ortiz in the second round.

However, Ortiz controlled the fight with his stiff jab and landed power shots to the head and body that gradually wore down his opponent, who ran out of steam in Round 8.

Kavaliauskas went down from a power jab to the body and midway through the round, hit the canvas again as the result of a left hook with about 45 seconds to go and ended up on a knee under the weight of a barrage with 20 seconds remaining.

That was enough for both Kavaliauskas and referee Laurence Cole, who stopped the fight to save the loser from more punishment.

Ortiz was modestly pleased afterward.

“I think I did alright,” he said. “I got the win. I could’ve looked a little prettier doing it but, hey, I’m happy with my performance. And we’re only going to get better from here.

“… “He caught me with a good shot but I took it well, I recovered from it and here I am.”

Ortiz, the top contender for Terence Crawford’s WBO 147-pound title, has beaten Maurice Hooker and Kavaliauskas in succession. He’s obviously ready to take on the best fighters in the division.

Now it comes down to what those fighters’ handlers can put together given that some matchups are difficult to make because of competing entities.

“There’s so much s— going on in boxing I don’t even know what I have to do anymore,” Ortiz said. “… I’m ready to fight whenever. I’m here to fight anybody. I don’t care if it’s Crawford, [Errol] Spence, [Manny] Pacquiao, you name it. I’ll fight anyone.”

Vergil Ortiz keeps KO record perfect against Egidijus Kavaliauskas

Vergil Ortiz maintained his perfect knockout record against Egidijus Kavaliauskas on Saturday in Frisco, Texas.

More-difficult path, same result.

Ortiz, 23, has now knocked out all 18 of his opponents, although Kavaliauskas lasted longer than any of the Texan’s previous foes.

However, Ortiz controlled the fight with his stiff jab and landed power shots to the head and body that gradually wore down his opponent, who ran out of steam in Round 8.

That was enough for both Kavaliauskas and referee Laurence Cole, who stopped the fight to save the loser from more punishment.

Ortiz was modestly pleased afterward.

“I think I did alright,” he said. “I got the win. I could’ve looked a little prettier doing it but, hey, I’m happy with my performance. And we’re only going to get better from here.

“… “He caught me with a good shot but I took it well, I recovered from it and here I am.”

Ortiz, the top contender for Terence Crawford’s WBO 147-pound title, has beaten Maurice Hooker and Kavaliauskas in succession. He’s obviously ready to take on the best fighters in the division.

Now it comes down to what those fighters’ handlers can put together given that some matchups are difficult to make because of competing entities.

David Avanesyan takes out Josh Kelley in sixth round

David Avanesyan knocked out Josh Kelley in the sixth round Saturday in London.

David Avanesyan took another step toward a welterweight title shot. Josh Kelley will have to rebuild.

Avanesyan recovered from a slow start to put Kelley down and stop the 2016 Olympian in the sixth round Saturday night at SSE Arena in London.

The fight was set and canceled multiple times over the past few years before it finally took place. For Avanesyan, it was worth the wait.

Kelley (10-1-1, 6 KOs) got off to a strong start, outboxing his more-experienced opponent in the first few rounds even though he suffered a cut on the back of his head.

However, after Kelley was cut above his right eye from an accidental headbutt in the fourth round, Avanesyan picked up steam and began to impose his will on Kelley.

In Round 6, Avanesyan (27-3-1, 15 KOs) landed a barrage of hard shots that forced Kelley to touch the canvas for a knockdown. He was able to continue but the end was near. Avanesyan punctuated another flurry with a hard left, which hurt Kelley again.

At that point, with Kelley in extreme danger, his trainer, Adam Booth, threw in the towel to end the fight. The official time was 2:15 of the round.

Avanesyan, ranked No. 6 by the IBF, bolstered his credentials as a legitimate contender by winning his fourth consecutive fight — all by knockout — since he was stopped by Egidijus Kavaliauskas in 2018.

Kelley is now 1-1-1 in his last three fights, having drawn with Ray Robinson in June 2019 and outpointing Wiston Campos six months later.

David Avanesyan takes out Josh Kelley in sixth round

David Avanesyan knocked out Josh Kelley in the sixth round Saturday in London.

David Avanesyan took another step toward a welterweight title shot. Josh Kelley will have to rebuild.

Avanesyan recovered from a slow start to put Kelley down and stop the 2016 Olympian in the sixth round Saturday night at SSE Arena in London.

The fight was set and canceled multiple times over the past few years before it finally took place. For Avanesyan, it was worth the wait.

Kelley (10-1-1, 6 KOs) got off to a strong start, outboxing his more-experienced opponent in the first few rounds even though he suffered a cut on the back of his head.

However, after Kelley was cut above his right eye from an accidental headbutt in the fourth round, Avanesyan picked up steam and began to impose his will on Kelley.

At that point, with Kelley in extreme danger, his trainer, Adam Booth, threw in the towel to end the fight. The official time was 2:15 of the round.

Kelley is now 1-1-1 in his last three fights, having drawn with Ray Robinson in June 2019 and outpointing Wiston Campos six months later.

Egidijus Kavaliauskas makes a strong statement in the end

It took Egidijus Kavaliauskas a while to make a statement on Saturday. Once he did, though, it was loud.

“Mean Machine” trailed Mikael Zewski on two of the three cards when he ended the fight in a span of about 10 seconds, winning by knockout seven seconds into the eighth round of a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout inside the “bubble” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Zewski (34-2, 23 KOs) outworked Kavaliauskas (22-1-1, 18 KOs) early in the fight, generally beating his Lithuanian opponent to the punch and landing more eye-catching power shots than him.

However, by the fifth round, Kavaliauskas begin to pick up his pace. He followed up his effective jab with more and more power shots as the fight progressed – many to the body – and Zewski, while always game, started to slow down.

Then, with only seconds to go in Round 7, things changed dramatically. Kavaliauskas landed perfect right uppercut that buckled Zewski’s knees and followed with a flurry that sent the Canadian into the ropes for a knockdown.

Egidijus Kavaliauskas (left) landed his jab to the head of Mikael Zewski consistently on Saturday. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Zewski got up on shaky legs at the count of 9 and the round ended a second after the action resumed.

However, he didn’t last much longer. Kavaliauskas, clearly aware that Zewski was hurt, landed a hard right hand that put Zewski down again. And that was enough for referee Kenny Bayless, who stopped the fight immediately.

Two of the judges had Zewski ahead by the same score after seven rounds, 67-65, meaning they had Zewski leading five rounds to two. The third judge had it 67-65 for Kavaliauskas, four rounds to three.

Of course, the winner took it out of the judges’ hands.

Kavaliauskas was asked whether he had made the statement he hoped to make coming off his ninth-round knockout loss to 147-pound titleholder Terence Crawford in December.

“I wanted to do it faster,” he said. “You can’t count on knockouts. I was working, making pressure and he was slowing down. Every round I could tell he was getting weaker and weaker.”

Kavaliauskas’ immediate goal is to get another shot a title, preferably in a rematch with Crawford. However, the pound-for-pounder is in talks to defend against Kell Brook in his next fight.

Kavaliauskas holds out hope that Crawford’s limited options will lead to a second fight.

“There are no opponents for him,” Kavaliauskas said. “And I don’t see anyone who gave him a better fight than I did.”

Things got brutal for Zewski (left) in the end. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

In the co-feature, featherweight contender Joet Gonzalez (24-1, 14 KOs) gave a strong performance in a unanimous-decision victory over veteran Miguel Marriaga (29-4, 25 KOs).

Marriaga was busy throughout the fight but was easy to hit, which allowed Gonzalez to land many more power shots than the Colombian.

The scores were 99-91, 99-91 and 97-93, all in favor of the Los Angeles-area fighter.

Egidijus Kavaliauskas makes a strong statement in the end

It took Egidijus Kavaliauskas a while to make a statement on Saturday. Once he did, though, it was loud.