A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Naoya Inoue – “The Monster” probably will never rival Manny Pacquiao as the greatest Asian boxer of all time but he’s making a case that he could end up No. 2. Inoue (24-0, 21 KOs) knocked out a fellow 118-pound titleholder Paul Butler in the 11th round Tuesday in Tokyo to become the first fighter from his continent to become an undisputed champion in the four-belt era and bolster the argument that he’s the best active fighter. Butler (34-2, 15 KOs) didn’t make it easy for Inoue, more because of his reluctance than his ability. He held or ran rather than engage Inoue, who spent most of the fight trying to coax the frightened Englishman out of his protective shell. He finally broke through in the penultimate round, putting Butler down and out with a right to the body, a left to the head and finally a barrage of hard shots. Butler’s worst fears came true, providing the best evidence yet that Inoue is the most destructive force in the sport.
BIGGEST QUESTION
Can anyone compete with Inoue? The problem Inoue has from a competitive standpoint is that no one near his weight is in his class. Nonito Donaire pushed him in 2019 but that was because of facial fractures, at least in part. He brutally stopped Donaire in the rematch this past June. Who else is there? Inoue has indicated that he plans to move up to 122 pounds. That could set up a showdown with talented titleholder Stephen Fulton, the only fighter Inoue’s size who might be able give him serious problems. Fulton is fast and skillful, although his lack of punching power might be a liability. Of course, there are no guarantees that fight will happen next. Fulton could opt to fight fellow beltholder Murodjon Akhmadaliev in an attempt to become undisputed champion. Or he could move up in weight. We can only hope that Inoue is a challenge that the proud Fulton can’t resist.
BIGGEST WINNER II
Frank Martin – A star-studding lightweight division just became glitzier. Martin (17-0, 12 KOs) delivered a breakthrough victory Saturday in Las Vegas, outclassing fellow contender Michel Rivera (24-1, 14 KOs) to win a one-sided decision. He was brilliant. The fight was billed as an even matchup of rising young talents but Martin made it clear from the beginning that he was too quick and much too good for Rivera, both offensively and defensively. The Dominican was almost completely neutralized. Thus, Martin made a strong argument that he belongs in the conversation with the best fighters in and around the 135-pound division. He wants to challenge undisputed champion Devin Haney or top contender Gervonta Davis, both of whom have plans that don’t include Martin at the moment. He’ll get that kind of opportunity eventually, however. And based on what we saw on Saturday no one should be surprised if he emerges victorious. He’s that good.
BIGGEST LOSER
Rivera – Rivera entered the ring on Saturday as an unbeaten star-in-the-making. He left it a badly beaten man who will have to rebuild. The 24-year-old couldn’t match the physical gifts of Martin, who was too fast for him. That was surprising. And he didn’t have the wherewithal to make significant adjustments when the fight was getting away from him, which gave him no chance to turn the tide. Also surprising. Can Rivera bounce back? That’s tough to say. On one hand, he’s a talented boxer who is still young. He could grow as a fighter as a result of the setback. On the other hand, a loss as comprehensive as this one probably will have damaged Rivera’s confidence. We’ll see how strong he is mentally going forward.
MOST BAFFLING
Butler’s performance – The 34-year-old from the Liverpool area worked his entire career for an opportunity like the one he had against Inoue on Tuesday. Yet he essentially didn’t try to win the fight. Maybe he realized he was in over his head early in the fight, which would be understandable given Inoue’s ability and power. However, many fighters in that position would’ve risked life and limb in an effort to score a miraculous knockout because that’s what boxers do. Butler wasn’t willing to do that. It reminded me of Joshua Clottey’s pathetic effort against a prime Pacquiao in 2010, when Clottey’s only goal was to survive. That deprived fans the opportunity to see Pacquiao at his destructive best in a near-shutout victory. The fans on Saturday got to witness a late knockout but they also probably would’ve appreciated an honest effort from Butler. I know I would have.
MOST BAFFLING II
Terence Crawford’s split gloves: At least one of the welterweight titleholder’s gloves split at the seams going into the sixth and final round of his fight with David Avanesyan on Dec. 10 in Omaha, Nebraska. Ringside officials decided to allow the fight to continue, which seemed questionable. Wouldn’t that increase the chances of a cut? A change of gloves might’ve been more appropriate. Then, a few days later, the glove manufacturer Everlast took responsibility for the debacle by indicating that flawed leather was used to make the gloves even though the company claims to use rigorous quality control. I hope they discovered that bit of information after the fight. If company officials knew beforehand, they would have a lot of explaining to do. The timing of the discovery wasn’t made clear in a statement from the company. I also hope that boxing officials and glove manufacturers everywhere were watching closely.
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