Tag: Fernando Martinez

Good, bad, worse: Sebastian Fundora’s instinct to brawl, Benn-Eubank debacle

A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD I’m one of those who wonders whether Sebastian Fundora should use his height and reach more than he does. The 6-foot-5 junior middleweight’s nature is to fight toe-to-toe, which has worked for him. He …

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

I’m one of those who wonders whether Sebastian Fundora should use his height and reach more than he does.

The 6-foot-5 junior middleweight’s nature is to fight toe-to-toe, which has worked for him. He remained undefeated after outpointing Carlos Ocampo on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The fact is he’s an excellent inside fighter in spite of his lean frame and long arms. One could ask: If it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Well, giving up his length advantage gives his opponents a chance to get close enough to him to land punches. Ocampo lost a one-sided decision but did his best work when Fundora engaged him inside.

By contrast, I thought Ocampo was helpless when Fundora fought at range behind his jab and threw power punches, as he did in the last two rounds. I can see him dominating opponents with that tactic if he perfects it. He could be a 154-pound, left-handed version of Wladimir Klitschko.

I think he needs to work on landing his jab more than he does; he connected on 16% of them against Ocampo, according to CompuBox. And he has to follow with straight lefts, right hooks and other power punches, which he didn’t do early.

Fundora’s father-trainer Freddy Fundora agrees at least to some extent: The younger Fundora said he and dad worked on fighting at range during training camp for the Ocampo fight. So they might be moving in that direction.

In the end, Fundora’s instinct is to brawl, to please the fans who are hungry for action. That probably won’t change. That said, his best course might be to switch back and forth – from brawling to boxing – depending on the circumstances.

 

BAD

Kudos to the British Boxing Board of Control for refusing to sanction the Conor Benn-Chris Eubank Jr. fight after Benn’s “A” sample tested positive for a banned substance, after which it was postponed.

Benn’s handlers complained that he wasn’t given due process by the BBBofC, an allegation that will be sorted out over time.

The bottom line was this: Benn failed a drug test conducted by a reputable agency, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association. The BBBofC made the responsible decision by pulling its support.

What about Benn’s “B” sample, which typically confirms the initial finding? Organizers would’ve been remiss to allow the fight to proceed in the off chance the second sample is negative.

I hate the fact that promoter Eddie Hearn refused to embrace the BBBofC’s decision but I have to give credit to him and his partners for deciding not to find an outside body to sanction the fight, which they probably could’ve done.

I won’t speculate on their true motives but they collectively made the decision that was best for the sport.

And, finally, there’s Benn. Surprise, surprise: He swears he’s a clean fighter even though Clomifene – a female fertility drug that can boost testosterone – was found in his body. Almost every athlete in his position says the same thing; it means next to nothing. He could face suspension.

The Benn-Eubank debacle was bad for boxing for obvious reasons but it would’ve been a lot worse had the fight taken place.

 

WORSE

Boxing lost a legend in Eder Jofre.

The Hall of Famer from Brazil, who died last week at 86, was arguably the greatest 118-pounder of all time, No. 1 pound-for-pound for a time in the 1960s and certainly the best boxer his country has ever produced.

Jofre was a brilliant boxer with fight-stopping power and he was durable, which is how he was able to compile a record of 72-2-4 (50 KOs) in his long career.

He went undefeated from 1957 to 1965, starting his career with a record of 47-0-3. Between 1960 and 1965 he won a version of the bantamweight and then the undisputed world championship and was essentially untouchable.

That is until he ran into his nemesis and fellow Hall of Famer, Fighting Harada of Japan, who handed him his first loss (a split decision) in 1965 and then did it again (a unanimous decision) the following year.

That appeared to be the end of Jofre’s career, as he “retired” at 30 after the second setback against Harada.

Then, after three years away, he put together one of the greatest comebacks ever.

The then-33-year-old returned as a featherweight in 1969 and reeled off 25 victories in as many fights, winning the WBC 126-pound title by decision over Jose Legra at 37 years old in the process.

If there was any doubt about his greatness before his comeback, there definitely wasn’t afterward.

Jofre was one of the best to ever do it. RIP, champ.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Fundora, ranked No. 1 by the WBC, has earned the right to face the winner of the January fight between undisputed champion Jermell Charlo and Tim Tszyu. Could he beat Charlo, who I expect to prevail of Tszyu? I doubt it. Charlo is one of the best in the business. However, as I’ve said in the past, I wouldn’t put anything past Fundora. He has innate resolve that makes him difficult for anyone to defeat. I hope he gets his chance. … Middleweight contender Carlos Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) was the star of the show on the Fundora-Ocampo card Saturday. The Dominican, a complete fighter, overwhelmed a good, strong opponent in Juan Macias Montiel (23-6-2, 23 KOs) en route to a third-round knockout. Could he beat the top 160-pounder, Jermall Charlo? I wouldn’t be shocked if he did. He has the tools – speed, power, all-around ability – to become a pound-for-pounder. … Junior bantamweight titleholder Fernando Martinez (15-0, 8 KOs) proved his one-sided victory over Jerwin Ancajas (33-3-2, 22 KOs) in February was no fluke, as he did it again on the Fundora-Ocampo card. I wouldn’t pick Martinez to beat some of his 115-pound rivals, including Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez. But his relentless pressure would be hell for anyone. He’s the real deal.

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Good, bad, worse: Sebastian Fundora’s instinct to brawl, Benn-Eubank debacle

A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD I’m one of those who wonders whether Sebastian Fundora should use his height and reach more than he does. The 6-foot-5 junior middleweight’s nature is to fight toe-to-toe, which has worked for him. He …

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

I’m one of those who wonders whether Sebastian Fundora should use his height and reach more than he does.

The 6-foot-5 junior middleweight’s nature is to fight toe-to-toe, which has worked for him. He remained undefeated after outpointing Carlos Ocampo on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The fact is he’s an excellent inside fighter in spite of his lean frame and long arms. One could ask: If it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Well, giving up his length advantage gives his opponents a chance to get close enough to him to land punches. Ocampo lost a one-sided decision but did his best work when Fundora engaged him inside.

By contrast, I thought Ocampo was helpless when Fundora fought at range behind his jab and threw power punches, as he did in the last two rounds. I can see him dominating opponents with that tactic if he perfects it. He could be a 154-pound, left-handed version of Wladimir Klitschko.

I think he needs to work on landing his jab more than he does; he connected on 16% of them against Ocampo, according to CompuBox. And he has to follow with straight lefts, right hooks and other power punches, which he didn’t do early.

Fundora’s father-trainer Freddy Fundora agrees at least to some extent: The younger Fundora said he and dad worked on fighting at range during training camp for the Ocampo fight. So they might be moving in that direction.

In the end, Fundora’s instinct is to brawl, to please the fans who are hungry for action. That probably won’t change. That said, his best course might be to switch back and forth – from brawling to boxing – depending on the circumstances.

 

BAD

Kudos to the British Boxing Board of Control for refusing to sanction the Conor Benn-Chris Eubank Jr. fight after Benn’s “A” sample tested positive for a banned substance, after which it was postponed.

Benn’s handlers complained that he wasn’t given due process by the BBBofC, an allegation that will be sorted out over time.

The bottom line was this: Benn failed a drug test conducted by a reputable agency, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association. The BBBofC made the responsible decision by pulling its support.

What about Benn’s “B” sample, which typically confirms the initial finding? Organizers would’ve been remiss to allow the fight to proceed in the off chance the second sample is negative.

I hate the fact that promoter Eddie Hearn refused to embrace the BBBofC’s decision but I have to give credit to him and his partners for deciding not to find an outside body to sanction the fight, which they probably could’ve done.

I won’t speculate on their true motives but they collectively made the decision that was best for the sport.

And, finally, there’s Benn. Surprise, surprise: He swears he’s a clean fighter even though Clomifene – a female fertility drug that can boost testosterone – was found in his body. Almost every athlete in his position says the same thing; it means next to nothing. He could face suspension.

The Benn-Eubank debacle was bad for boxing for obvious reasons but it would’ve been a lot worse had the fight taken place.

 

WORSE

Boxing lost a legend in Eder Jofre.

The Hall of Famer from Brazil, who died last week at 86, was arguably the greatest 118-pounder of all time, No. 1 pound-for-pound for a time in the 1960s and certainly the best boxer his country has ever produced.

Jofre was a brilliant boxer with fight-stopping power and he was durable, which is how he was able to compile a record of 72-2-4 (50 KOs) in his long career.

He went undefeated from 1957 to 1965, starting his career with a record of 47-0-3. Between 1960 and 1965 he won a version of the bantamweight and then the undisputed world championship and was essentially untouchable.

That is until he ran into his nemesis and fellow Hall of Famer, Fighting Harada of Japan, who handed him his first loss (a split decision) in 1965 and then did it again (a unanimous decision) the following year.

That appeared to be the end of Jofre’s career, as he “retired” at 30 after the second setback against Harada.

Then, after three years away, he put together one of the greatest comebacks ever.

The then-33-year-old returned as a featherweight in 1969 and reeled off 25 victories in as many fights, winning the WBC 126-pound title by decision over Jose Legra at 37 years old in the process.

If there was any doubt about his greatness before his comeback, there definitely wasn’t afterward.

Jofre was one of the best to ever do it. RIP, champ.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Fundora, ranked No. 1 by the WBC, has earned the right to face the winner of the January fight between undisputed champion Jermell Charlo and Tim Tszyu. Could he beat Charlo, who I expect to prevail of Tszyu? I doubt it. Charlo is one of the best in the business. However, as I’ve said in the past, I wouldn’t put anything past Fundora. He has innate resolve that makes him difficult for anyone to defeat. I hope he gets his chance. … Middleweight contender Carlos Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) was the star of the show on the Fundora-Ocampo card Saturday. The Dominican, a complete fighter, overwhelmed a good, strong opponent in Juan Macias Montiel (23-6-2, 23 KOs) en route to a third-round knockout. Could he beat the top 160-pounder, Jermall Charlo? I wouldn’t be shocked if he did. He has the tools – speed, power, all-around ability – to become a pound-for-pounder. … Junior bantamweight titleholder Fernando Martinez (15-0, 8 KOs) proved his one-sided victory over Jerwin Ancajas (33-3-2, 22 KOs) in February was no fluke, as he did it again on the Fundora-Ocampo card. I wouldn’t pick Martinez to beat some of his 115-pound rivals, including Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez. But his relentless pressure would be hell for anyone. He’s the real deal.

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Photos: Sebastian Fundora’s one-sided victory over Carlos Ocampo

Photos: Sebastian Fundora’s one-sided victory over Carlos Ocampo on Saturday in Carson, California.

Junior middleweight contender Sebastian Fundora defeated Carlos Ocampo by a one-sided decision Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Also on the card, middleweight contender Carlos Adames knocked out Juan Macias Montiel at 2:37 of Round 3 of a scheduled 12-rounder; Fernando Martinez defeated Jerwin Ancajas by a unanimous decision a second time to retain his junior bantamweight title; and Gabriela Fundora, Sebastian’s sister, defeated Naomi Arellano Reyes by a unanimous decision in a 10-round flyweight bout.

Here are images from those fights. All photos by Esther Lin of Showtime.

Fernando Martinez defeats Jerwin Ancajas by wide decision again

Fernando Martinez defeated Jerwin Ancajas by a wide decision in their rematch Saturday in Carson, California.

Fernando Martinez’s victory over Jerwin Ancajas in February obviously was no fluke,

The Argentine, who took Ancajas’ 115-pound title by a one-sided decision in a memorable brawl eight months ago, left the ring with the same result in their rematch on the Sebastian Fundora-Carlos Ocampo on Saturday in Carson, California.

The official scores were 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110. Boxing Junkie also scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to two.

“This was about validating the first fight,” Martinez said. “I trained very hard for this fight. I have a lot of people to thank and this is for my dad up in heaven.”

Ancajas (33-3-2, 22 KOs) had some success early in the fight by using fleet movement and his boxing skills to blunt Martinez’s relentless aggression.

However, by Round 4 or 5 he began to slow down and Martinez took over, outworking and outslugging his more-experienced Filipino opponent the rest of the way.

Hence the one-sided scores.

Martinez can now focus on the other junior bantamweight titleholders, Juan Francisco Estrada, Joshua Franco and Kazuto Ioka, or top contenders Jessie Rodriguez or Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.

“It’s definitely harder to maintain the hunger and maintain the title but now we’re going after “Chocolatito” and everyone else in the division who’s in my way.”

Ancajas, 30, said he had trouble making 115 pounds for his first fight with Martinez. Perhaps that was a problem again for the rematch.

He’ll probably move up to 118 pounds for his next.

 

Fernando Martinez defeats Jerwin Ancajas by wide decision again

Fernando Martinez defeated Jerwin Ancajas by a wide decision in their rematch Saturday in Carson, California.

Fernando Martinez’s victory over Jerwin Ancajas in February obviously was no fluke,

The Argentine, who took Ancajas’ 115-pound title by a one-sided decision in a memorable brawl eight months ago, left the ring with the same result in their rematch on the Sebastian Fundora-Carlos Ocampo on Saturday in Carson, California.

The official scores were 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110. Boxing Junkie also scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to two.

“This was about validating the first fight,” Martinez said. “I trained very hard for this fight. I have a lot of people to thank and this is for my dad up in heaven.”

Ancajas (33-3-2, 22 KOs) had some success early in the fight by using fleet movement and his boxing skills to blunt Martinez’s relentless aggression.

However, by Round 4 or 5 he began to slow down and Martinez took over, outworking and outslugging his more-experienced Filipino opponent the rest of the way.

Hence the one-sided scores.

Martinez can now focus on the other junior bantamweight titleholders, Juan Francisco Estrada, Joshua Franco and Kazuto Ioka, or top contenders Jessie Rodriguez or Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.

“It’s definitely harder to maintain the hunger and maintain the title but now we’re going after “Chocolatito” and everyone else in the division who’s in my way.”

Ancajas, 30, said he had trouble making 115 pounds for his first fight with Martinez. Perhaps that was a problem again for the rematch.

He’ll probably move up to 118 pounds for his next.

 

Sebastian Fundora vs. Carlos Ocampo: LIVE updates and results, full coverage

Sebastian Fundora vs. Carlos Ocampo: LIVE updates and results, full coverage.

Junior middleweight contender Sebastain Fundora defeated Carlos Ocampo by a unanimous decision.

The official scores were 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 116-112, eight rounds to four.

Fundora (20-0-1, 13 KOs) started off using his height (6-foot-5) and reach, throwing a lot of jabs to keep the much shorter Ocampo (34-2, 22 KOs) at range.

However, Fundora, a brawler by nature, settled into an inside fight in Round 4 and didn’t retreat until the last few rounds.

And, while Ocampo threw a high volume of punches and was game, Fundora got the better of the toe-to-toe exchanges by landing the cleaner shots round after round.

You can read a full report here.

***

Middleweight contender Carlos Adames knocked out Juan Macias Montiel at 2:37 of Round 3 of a scheduled 12-rounder.

Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) dominated Montiel (23-6-2, 23 KOs) from the beginning, land quick, hard shots to both the head and body while Montiel offered little in return.

The beginning of the end with a right hook that staggered Montiel late in Round 3. The Dominican followed with a barrage of hard, accurate punches that prompted referee Ray Corona to stop the fight.

***

Fernando Martinez defeated Jerwin Ancajas by a unanimous decision a second time to retain his junior bantamweight title.

The official scores were 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110. Boxing Junkie also scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to two.

Martinez (15-0, 8 KOs) outpointed Ancajas (33-3-2 (22 KOs) in a memorable brawl to take the Filipino’s title in February.

***

Here we go.

Junior bantamweight titleholder Fernando Martinez and challenger Jerwin Ancajas are in the ring for their immediate rematch. Martinez outpointed Ancajas to win the belt in February.

***

Junior middleweight contender Sebastian Fundora is scheduled to face Carlos Ocampo tonight (Saturday) in Carson, California (Showtime).

Fundora (19-0-1, 13 KOs), the 6-foot-5 fighter from Southern California, is coming off a sensational ninth-round knockout of Erickson Lubin this past April.

Ocampo (34-1, 22 KOs) is best known for his failed challenge against welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr., who stopped him in one round in 2018. He’s 12-0 at 154 pounds since.

Also on the card, IBF 115-pound titleholder Fernando Martinez (14-0, 8 KOs) will face former beltholder Jerwin Ancajas (33-2-2, 22 KOs) in a rematch; and Carlos Adames (21-1, 16 KOs) will take on Juan Macias Montiel (23-5-2, 23 KOs) in a 160-pound fight.

The card will begin at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The main event will take place later in the show.

Boxing Junkie will post results of the featured bouts on the card immediately after they end. Simply return to this post when the time comes.

Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the night of the fight and the following day.

Enjoy the fights!

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Sebastian Fundora vs. Carlos Ocampo: LIVE updates and results, full coverage

Sebastian Fundora vs. Carlos Ocampo: LIVE updates and results, full coverage.

Junior middleweight contender Sebastain Fundora defeated Carlos Ocampo by a unanimous decision.

The official scores were 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 116-112, eight rounds to four.

Fundora (20-0-1, 13 KOs) started off using his height (6-foot-5) and reach, throwing a lot of jabs to keep the much shorter Ocampo (34-2, 22 KOs) at range.

However, Fundora, a brawler by nature, settled into an inside fight in Round 4 and didn’t retreat until the last few rounds.

And, while Ocampo threw a high volume of punches and was game, Fundora got the better of the toe-to-toe exchanges by landing the cleaner shots round after round.

You can read a full report here.

***

Middleweight contender Carlos Adames knocked out Juan Macias Montiel at 2:37 of Round 3 of a scheduled 12-rounder.

Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) dominated Montiel (23-6-2, 23 KOs) from the beginning, land quick, hard shots to both the head and body while Montiel offered little in return.

The beginning of the end with a right hook that staggered Montiel late in Round 3. The Dominican followed with a barrage of hard, accurate punches that prompted referee Ray Corona to stop the fight.

***

Fernando Martinez defeated Jerwin Ancajas by a unanimous decision a second time to retain his junior bantamweight title.

The official scores were 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110. Boxing Junkie also scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to two.

Martinez (15-0, 8 KOs) outpointed Ancajas (33-3-2 (22 KOs) in a memorable brawl to take the Filipino’s title in February.

***

Here we go.

Junior bantamweight titleholder Fernando Martinez and challenger Jerwin Ancajas are in the ring for their immediate rematch. Martinez outpointed Ancajas to win the belt in February.

***

Junior middleweight contender Sebastian Fundora is scheduled to face Carlos Ocampo tonight (Saturday) in Carson, California (Showtime).

Fundora (19-0-1, 13 KOs), the 6-foot-5 fighter from Southern California, is coming off a sensational ninth-round knockout of Erickson Lubin this past April.

Ocampo (34-1, 22 KOs) is best known for his failed challenge against welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr., who stopped him in one round in 2018. He’s 12-0 at 154 pounds since.

Also on the card, IBF 115-pound titleholder Fernando Martinez (14-0, 8 KOs) will face former beltholder Jerwin Ancajas (33-2-2, 22 KOs) in a rematch; and Carlos Adames (21-1, 16 KOs) will take on Juan Macias Montiel (23-5-2, 23 KOs) in a 160-pound fight.

The card will begin at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The main event will take place later in the show.

Boxing Junkie will post results of the featured bouts on the card immediately after they end. Simply return to this post when the time comes.

Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the night of the fight and the following day.

Enjoy the fights!

[lawrence-related id=33131,33084,29290]

Video and photos: Sebastian Fundora vs. Carlos Ocampo weigh-in

Video and photos: Sebastian Fundora vs. Carlos Ocampo weigh-in.

Sebastian Fundora and Carlos Ocampo on Friday made weight for their 154-pound fight Saturday in Carson, California (Showtime). Both fighters weighed 153½.

Also featured on the card, IBF 115-pound titleholder Fernando Martinez (114¾) will face former beltholder Jerwin Ancajas (114¾) in a rematch; and Carlos Adames (159¼) will take on Juan Macias Montiel (160) in a 160-pound fight.

Here are images from the weigh-in. All photos by Esther Lin of Showtime.

[lawrence-related id=33131,33084,29290]

Good, bad, worse: The underdogs have their day

A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD It was the day of the underdog. Jack Catterall, Fernando Martinez and Hector Luis Garcia surprised everyone but themselves and those close to them by giving inspired performances Saturday, whether they …

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

It was the day of the underdog.

Jack Catterall, Fernando Martinez and Hector Luis Garcia surprised everyone but themselves and those close to them by giving inspired performances Saturday, whether they were victorious or not.

Catterall lost to Josh Taylor while Martinez and Garcia beat Jerwin Ancajas and Chris Colbert, respectively, but all three earned respect.

Many believe that Catterall did enough to earn the nod over undisputed junior welterweight titleholder Josh Taylor in Glasgow, Scotland, Taylor’s home country, but the Englishman lost a split decision.

One thing is certain: The challenger used underappreciated ability and grit to give the champion at least as much trouble as Regis Prograis and Jose Ramirez did, which is saying a lot given the status of those fighters.

Catterall (26-1, 13 KOs) shook his head in disgust when the decision was read. So did a lot of other people. But we all know what we saw.

Martinez (14-0, 8 KOs) is managed by fellow Argentine Marcos Maidana, which is appropriate. He attacked long-reigning champion Ancajas with the ferocity for which his handler became known. That made for a wild toe-to-toe brawl with the rugged Filipino, which Martinez won by a wide decision.

Who wouldn’t want to watch Martinez fight again after that performance? Fans dream of warriors like him.

And Garcia (15-0, 10 KOs) might’ve given the most eye-opening performance of the day given the reputation of Colbert, who was seen as a rising star. The Dominican, strong, fit and confident even though he was a late replacement, imposed his will on his overmatched foe to a point where Colbert refused to even fight back in the last few rounds.

Garcia, who won by a lopsided decision, went from relative unknown to fearsome contender in one night. He’s likely to be favored over titleholder Roger Gutierrez, assuming they meet.

All three men – Catterall, Martinez and Garcia – have a lot of which to be proud.

 

BAD

Josh Taylor celebrates after his split-decision victory over Jack Catterall. Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc. via Getty Images

Taylor, Ancajas and Colbert gave performances they’d like to forget.

Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) held onto his undisputed 140-pound championship but his reputation took a hit. He said the pressure of defending his belts at home got to him. Makes sense. He apparently has had difficulty making 140. Believable.

At the same time, pound-for-pound fighters are supposed to handle opponents like Catterall, tough, but supposedly limited boxers. He didn’t. He struggled from beginning to end – even going down in the eighth round – and was lucky to leave the ring with his belts.

I would’ve favored the top 147-pounders – including Terence Crawford – to beat Taylor in competitive fights before Saturday. Now I wonder whether he’d be outclassed.

I’m not writing Taylor off based on one sub-par performance but he might’ve hit his ceiling.

Ancajas (33-2-2, 22 KOs) was simply outslugged by Martinez. What I don’t understand is why he didn’t try a different approach given the trajectory of the fight. He has some skills. He could’ve tried boxing more to change things up but didn’t.

Instead, the Filipino bet the house on his ability to outlast his opponent in a fire fight. He’s an ex-champion as a result, the loser of a unanimous decision.

And there isn’t much to say about Colbert’s performance. The Brooklyn fighter didn’t have the tools to keep a better, stronger opponent off of him. I think his relative lack of punching power haunted him in this fight. You have to keep a fighter like Garcia honest or he’s going continue to charge you like a rhinoceros.

A light-punching fighter must be a superb boxer to survive against a beast like Garcia, someone like Pernell Whitaker. Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) evidently isn’t as good as I and many others thought he is, although he’s still young. He can bounce back if he has it in him.

We’ll learn a lot about Taylor, Ancajas and Colbert in their next fights.

 

WORSE

Vitali Klitschko (right) and brother Wladimir Klitschko are pictured at Kyiv City Hall during the Russian invasion. AP Photo / Efrem Lukatsky

I’ve witnessed the fighting spirit of Ukrainian boxers up close for many years. Thus, it makes sense to me that they and their countrymen are digging in against a seemingly unbeatable enemy in the Russian military.

For example, former heavyweight champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko have said they will take up arms if necessary. I had tremendous respect for them before this senseless war. Now I see them as heroes.

I also fear for their lives, particularly Vitali, who is mayor of the country’s capital of Kyiv. He’s in the line of fire, as the Russians have the city surrounded as I’m writing this. And if Russian President Vladimir Putin has a hit list of Ukrainian leaders who he feels might stand in his way, Vitali must be on it.

The thought of this great Hall of Fame boxer, who’s only 50, dying under these circumstances is sickening.

Viktor Postol demonstrated his mental toughness on the Colbert-Garcia card Saturday night, giving a solid performance before losing to Gary Antuanne Russell even though the lives of family members and friends are imperiled.

Imagine how difficult that must have been, trying focus on your preparation for an important fight while you’re relatively small country is at war with a superpower. He showed fighting spirit just making it into the ring. And even though he was stopped in the 10th and final round, he fought his heart out.

No surprise there. This obviously is what Ukrainians do.

Wladimir Klitschko captured that spirit in an Instagram post, in which he also appealed for help. It read in part: “Here, we will defend ourselves with all our might and fight for freedom and democracy. You can also act. Let not fear seize us; let’s not remain frozen. Putin shoots at Ukrainian cities, but he aims at our hearts and, more importantly, at our minds. He wants to create doubt and confusion and thus inaction.

“You can do something by mobilizing and organizing huge demonstrations. Make your voice heard. Make the voice of democracy heard. Say it loud and clear that international law and democracy are under attack, that war is the greatest evil and that life is sacred. Also say that while solidarity is good, support is better. Say that the march of imperialism must be stopped now. After all, whose turn will it be after Ukraine?”

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Russell (15-0, 15 KOs) passed an important test against Postol, who was his most-accomplished opponent so far. The junior welterweight prospect outboxed and outworked Postol (31-4, 12 KOs) for most of the fight and then became the first to stop the former titleholder. I think referee Mike Ortega made a poor decision when he stopped the fight with 29 seconds remaining but that shouldn’t obscure the fact that Russell did what he came to do, which was to make a strong statement against a proven foe. … A colleague who follows British boxing closely provided one stark reason Catterall was livid after he ended up on the wrong end of what might’ve been a bad decision. Had he won, had he become undisputed champion, he could’ve earned in the neighborhood of $1 million next time out. As it is, he’ll be lucky to make $100,000 for his next fight. And he’ll probably never get another shot at becoming an undisputed champion. … WBO cruiserweight titleholder Lawrence Okolie (18-0, 14 KOs) outpointed Michal Cieslak (21-2, 15 KOs) in an ugly fight to retain his belt on Sunday in London. That could set up a title-unification bout with either Mairis Briedis or Ilunga Makabu. The 6-foot-5 Briton also could decide to move up to the heavyweight division.

Good, bad, worse: The underdogs have their day

A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD It was the day of the underdog. Jack Catterall, Fernando Martinez and Hector Luis Garcia surprised everyone but themselves and those close to them by giving inspired performances Saturday, whether they …

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

It was the day of the underdog.

Jack Catterall, Fernando Martinez and Hector Luis Garcia surprised everyone but themselves and those close to them by giving inspired performances Saturday, whether they were victorious or not.

Catterall lost to Josh Taylor while Martinez and Garcia beat Jerwin Ancajas and Chris Colbert, respectively, but all three earned respect.

Many believe that Catterall did enough to earn the nod over undisputed junior welterweight titleholder Josh Taylor in Glasgow, Scotland, Taylor’s home country, but the Englishman lost a split decision.

One thing is certain: The challenger used underappreciated ability and grit to give the champion at least as much trouble as Regis Prograis and Jose Ramirez did, which is saying a lot given the status of those fighters.

Catterall (26-1, 13 KOs) shook his head in disgust when the decision was read. So did a lot of other people. But we all know what we saw.

Martinez (14-0, 8 KOs) is managed by fellow Argentine Marcos Maidana, which is appropriate. He attacked long-reigning champion Ancajas with the ferocity for which his handler became known. That made for a wild toe-to-toe brawl with the rugged Filipino, which Martinez won by a wide decision.

Who wouldn’t want to watch Martinez fight again after that performance? Fans dream of warriors like him.

And Garcia (15-0, 10 KOs) might’ve given the most eye-opening performance of the day given the reputation of Colbert, who was seen as a rising star. The Dominican, strong, fit and confident even though he was a late replacement, imposed his will on his overmatched foe to a point where Colbert refused to even fight back in the last few rounds.

Garcia, who won by a lopsided decision, went from relative unknown to fearsome contender in one night. He’s likely to be favored over titleholder Roger Gutierrez, assuming they meet.

All three men – Catterall, Martinez and Garcia – have a lot of which to be proud.

 

BAD

Josh Taylor celebrates after his split-decision victory over Jack Catterall. Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc. via Getty Images

Taylor, Ancajas and Colbert gave performances they’d like to forget.

Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) held onto his undisputed 140-pound championship but his reputation took a hit. He said the pressure of defending his belts at home got to him. Makes sense. He apparently has had difficulty making 140. Believable.

At the same time, pound-for-pound fighters are supposed to handle opponents like Catterall, tough, but supposedly limited boxers. He didn’t. He struggled from beginning to end – even going down in the eighth round – and was lucky to leave the ring with his belts.

I would’ve favored the top 147-pounders – including Terence Crawford – to beat Taylor in competitive fights before Saturday. Now I wonder whether he’d be outclassed.

I’m not writing Taylor off based on one sub-par performance but he might’ve hit his ceiling.

Ancajas (33-2-2, 22 KOs) was simply outslugged by Martinez. What I don’t understand is why he didn’t try a different approach given the trajectory of the fight. He has some skills. He could’ve tried boxing more to change things up but didn’t.

Instead, the Filipino bet the house on his ability to outlast his opponent in a fire fight. He’s an ex-champion as a result, the loser of a unanimous decision.

And there isn’t much to say about Colbert’s performance. The Brooklyn fighter didn’t have the tools to keep a better, stronger opponent off of him. I think his relative lack of punching power haunted him in this fight. You have to keep a fighter like Garcia honest or he’s going continue to charge you like a rhinoceros.

A light-punching fighter must be a superb boxer to survive against a beast like Garcia, someone like Pernell Whitaker. Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) evidently isn’t as good as I and many others thought he is, although he’s still young. He can bounce back if he has it in him.

We’ll learn a lot about Taylor, Ancajas and Colbert in their next fights.

 

WORSE

Vitali Klitschko (right) and brother Wladimir Klitschko are pictured at Kyiv City Hall during the Russian invasion. AP Photo / Efrem Lukatsky

I’ve witnessed the fighting spirit of Ukrainian boxers up close for many years. Thus, it makes sense to me that they and their countrymen are digging in against a seemingly unbeatable enemy in the Russian military.

For example, former heavyweight champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko have said they will take up arms if necessary. I had tremendous respect for them before this senseless war. Now I see them as heroes.

I also fear for their lives, particularly Vitali, who is mayor of the country’s capital of Kyiv. He’s in the line of fire, as the Russians have the city surrounded as I’m writing this. And if Russian President Vladimir Putin has a hit list of Ukrainian leaders who he feels might stand in his way, Vitali must be on it.

The thought of this great Hall of Fame boxer, who’s only 50, dying under these circumstances is sickening.

Viktor Postol demonstrated his mental toughness on the Colbert-Garcia card Saturday night, giving a solid performance before losing to Gary Antuanne Russell even though the lives of family members and friends are imperiled.

Imagine how difficult that must have been, trying focus on your preparation for an important fight while you’re relatively small country is at war with a superpower. He showed fighting spirit just making it into the ring. And even though he was stopped in the 10th and final round, he fought his heart out.

No surprise there. This obviously is what Ukrainians do.

Wladimir Klitschko captured that spirit in an Instagram post, in which he also appealed for help. It read in part: “Here, we will defend ourselves with all our might and fight for freedom and democracy. You can also act. Let not fear seize us; let’s not remain frozen. Putin shoots at Ukrainian cities, but he aims at our hearts and, more importantly, at our minds. He wants to create doubt and confusion and thus inaction.

“You can do something by mobilizing and organizing huge demonstrations. Make your voice heard. Make the voice of democracy heard. Say it loud and clear that international law and democracy are under attack, that war is the greatest evil and that life is sacred. Also say that while solidarity is good, support is better. Say that the march of imperialism must be stopped now. After all, whose turn will it be after Ukraine?”

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Russell (15-0, 15 KOs) passed an important test against Postol, who was his most-accomplished opponent so far. The junior welterweight prospect outboxed and outworked Postol (31-4, 12 KOs) for most of the fight and then became the first to stop the former titleholder. I think referee Mike Ortega made a poor decision when he stopped the fight with 29 seconds remaining but that shouldn’t obscure the fact that Russell did what he came to do, which was to make a strong statement against a proven foe. … A colleague who follows British boxing closely provided one stark reason Catterall was livid after he ended up on the wrong end of what might’ve been a bad decision. Had he won, had he become undisputed champion, he could’ve earned in the neighborhood of $1 million next time out. As it is, he’ll be lucky to make $100,000 for his next fight. And he’ll probably never get another shot at becoming an undisputed champion. … WBO cruiserweight titleholder Lawrence Okolie (18-0, 14 KOs) outpointed Michal Cieslak (21-2, 15 KOs) in an ugly fight to retain his belt on Sunday in London. That could set up a title-unification bout with either Mairis Briedis or Ilunga Makabu. The 6-foot-5 Briton also could decide to move up to the heavyweight division.