Tag: Francisco Vargas

Good, bad, worse: Is Errol Spence Jr. vs Terence Crawford next up?

A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD Errol Spence Jr.’s dominating victory over Yordenis Ugas was special … but it was nothing compared to what might follow. Spence was nothing short of sensational on Saturday at AT&T Stadium outside …

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Errol Spence Jr.’s dominating victory over Yordenis Ugas was special … but it was nothing compared to what might follow.

Spence was nothing short of sensational on Saturday at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas, coldly, methodically breaking down an accomplished opponent before stopping him in the 10th round to unify three welterweight titles.

The performance was particularly impressive given the obstacles he had to overcome – a horrific car accident in 2019, a detached retina last year and a 16-month layoff.

Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) is No. 5 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound – a similar position to most rankings – but some might argue that he should be closer to the top, closer to Boxing Junkie’s No. 1-ranked fighter, Terence Crawford.

That’s what makes a potential showdown between Spence and Crawford so compelling. Not only would the fight establish an undisputed welterweight champion; it would also pit two Top-5 pound-for-pounders against one another.

It doesn’t get better than that.

And the chances of it actually happening after years of anticipation appear to be high, as Spence and free-agent Crawford no longer fight for competing entities. Plus, Spence never made it more clear than he did after the fight on Saturday that he wants to meet Crawford in the ring.

I wish the fight had happened a few years ago, when Crawford (who turns 35 in September) was in his physical prime. However, this wouldn’t be like Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, which had the feel of an old-timers game because it happened far too late.

Spence demonstrated on Saturday night that he’s at least close to his best. And Crawford is coming off an impressive knockout of former champion Shawn Porter in November, evidence that he remains near the top of his game.

Spence vs. Crawford might be the biggest possible fight in boxing. Fingers crossed it happens in the fall.

 

BAD

Yordenis Ugas was deavstated after his setback. AP Photo / Jeffrey McWhorter

“I feel sad because I trained really hard for this fight,” Ugas said after falling short of goal to become unified welterweight champion. “All respect to Errol Spence. He’s a great champion. I’m just sad with what happened tonight.”

Ugas’ sentiments are understandable. He experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows in consecutive fights, which is always takes a toll.

The one-time Cuban amateur star had come a long way, overcoming the trials of defection from his native country, back-to-back losses in 2014 and a subsequent two-year hiatus from the sport to build himself into a top 147-pound contender.

And his ascent was capped with a monumental upset of Manny Pacquiao last August, which gave him his first major title at the age of 34 and made him a major player in the division.

Then, in one night, it must have felt as if he were back in 2014. He fought gallantly but was outclassed by Spence in the end, which left him on the wrong end of a one-sided beating and with a broken orbital bone. Ugas is good, Spence is special.

Thus, it was easy to understand Ugas’ anguish the fight. However, time will provide perspective.

The fact he was able to overcome the obstacles to reach the pinnacle of the sport is an accomplishment that will always bring him pride. Unlike Pacquiao, who was 42 when they fought, Ugas is young enough to continue with his career.

And, finally, we shouldn’t feel too sorry for him: He should walk away with at least $2 million after pay-per-view revenues are divvied up. That should help alleviate some of the emotional pain he’s feeling after his disappointment.

 

WORSE

Ugas wasn’t the only older fighter to have a rough time Saturday.

First, in England, 34-year-old Chris van Heerden, a solid fighter since turning pro 16 years ago, failed to survive two full rounds against rising star Conor Benn. The Los Angeles-based native of South Africa didn’t have time to show anything.

Then, on the Spence-Ugas card, Josesito Lopez, 37, Francisco Vargas, 37, and Yuriorkis Gamboa, 40, looked their ages.

Lopez (38-9, 21 KOs) gave welterweight contender Cody Crowley (21-0, 9 KOs) some resistance early in their scheduled 10-rounder but seemed to get old mid-fight and was barely able to hear the final bell, as Crowley won a wide decision.

Lopez was one of the toughest fighters in the world between 135 and 147 pounds for years, including a knockout victory over Victor Ortiz. Now it appears he’s finished.

Vargas (27-4-2, 19 KOs) was still warming up when a monster left hand from lightweight prospect Jose Valenzuela knocked him onto his back and out. It’s difficult to imagine the former 130-pound champ bouncing back from that kind of setback but he’s a warrior through and through.

And Gamboa (30-5, 18 KOs) went down four times against juggernaut Isaac Cruz before the fight was mercifully stopped in the fifth round. The 2004 Olympic gold medalist and two-time featherweight champion was willing but no longer has the legs to fight at a high level. He’s shot.

I don’t want to be overly critical of matchmakers who tempt fate by pitting faded champions against hot young stars. Matchmaking is the hardest job in boxing. Plus, older fighters deserve opportunities if they can demonstrate they remain competent.

At the same time, the events of Saturday made it clear that matchmakers and other powerbrokers must be careful about making such decisions.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Benn (21-0, 14 KOs) demonstrated again in his victory over van Heerden that he could develop into a threat to any of the top 147-pounders. He’s a dynamic all-around fighter with big-time power. Ask van Heerden. The only obvious flaw in Benn’s performance was that he was somewhat reckless from the opening bell. If he attacked a Spence or a Crawford with the abandon he went after van Heerden, he’d get knocked out. … Eimantas Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs) took another nice step in his career on the Spence-Ugas card, defeating previously unbeaten Radzhab Butaev (14-1, 11 KOs) by a split decision that should’ve been unanimous. He’s on the precipice of landing a world title fight and he might have the ability to win it. … Valenzuela (12-0, 8 KOs) made a powerful statement with his one-punch knockout of Vargas. The Seattle-based Mexican, a disciple of trainer Jose Benavidez Sr., is one of the top handful of prospects in the world. … I don’t know how far Crowley (21-0, 9 KOs) will go but he’s a good, disciplined boxer with the fitness to go 20 strong rounds. That formula is going to make him difficult to beat even at the highest level. … The knockout streak of junior welterweight Brandun Lee (25-0, 22 KOs) ended at 15 when clever Zachary Ochoa (21-3, 7 KOs) took him the distance on the Spence-Ugas card. No shame in that. He probably learned more during the unanimous-decision victory than he would’ve with another spectacular stoppage.

[lawrence-related id=29518,29498,29501,29504,29464]

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Good, bad, worse: Is Errol Spence Jr. vs Terence Crawford next up?

A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD Errol Spence Jr.’s dominating victory over Yordenis Ugas was special … but it was nothing compared to what might follow. Spence was nothing short of sensational on Saturday at AT&T Stadium outside …

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Errol Spence Jr.’s dominating victory over Yordenis Ugas was special … but it was nothing compared to what might follow.

Spence was nothing short of sensational on Saturday at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas, coldly, methodically breaking down an accomplished opponent before stopping him in the 10th round to unify three welterweight titles.

The performance was particularly impressive given the obstacles he had to overcome – a horrific car accident in 2019, a detached retina last year and a 16-month layoff.

Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) is No. 5 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound – a similar position to most rankings – but some might argue that he should be closer to the top, closer to Boxing Junkie’s No. 1-ranked fighter, Terence Crawford.

That’s what makes a potential showdown between Spence and Crawford so compelling. Not only would the fight establish an undisputed welterweight champion; it would also pit two Top-5 pound-for-pounders against one another.

It doesn’t get better than that.

And the chances of it actually happening after years of anticipation appear to be high, as Spence and free-agent Crawford no longer fight for competing entities. Plus, Spence never made it more clear than he did after the fight on Saturday that he wants to meet Crawford in the ring.

I wish the fight had happened a few years ago, when Crawford (who turns 35 in September) was in his physical prime. However, this wouldn’t be like Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, which had the feel of an old-timers game because it happened far too late.

Spence demonstrated on Saturday night that he’s at least close to his best. And Crawford is coming off an impressive knockout of former champion Shawn Porter in November, evidence that he remains near the top of his game.

Spence vs. Crawford might be the biggest possible fight in boxing. Fingers crossed it happens in the fall.

 

BAD

Yordenis Ugas was deavstated after his setback. AP Photo / Jeffrey McWhorter

“I feel sad because I trained really hard for this fight,” Ugas said after falling short of goal to become unified welterweight champion. “All respect to Errol Spence. He’s a great champion. I’m just sad with what happened tonight.”

Ugas’ sentiments are understandable. He experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows in consecutive fights, which is always takes a toll.

The one-time Cuban amateur star had come a long way, overcoming the trials of defection from his native country, back-to-back losses in 2014 and a subsequent two-year hiatus from the sport to build himself into a top 147-pound contender.

And his ascent was capped with a monumental upset of Manny Pacquiao last August, which gave him his first major title at the age of 34 and made him a major player in the division.

Then, in one night, it must have felt as if he were back in 2014. He fought gallantly but was outclassed by Spence in the end, which left him on the wrong end of a one-sided beating and with a broken orbital bone. Ugas is good, Spence is special.

Thus, it was easy to understand Ugas’ anguish the fight. However, time will provide perspective.

The fact he was able to overcome the obstacles to reach the pinnacle of the sport is an accomplishment that will always bring him pride. Unlike Pacquiao, who was 42 when they fought, Ugas is young enough to continue with his career.

And, finally, we shouldn’t feel too sorry for him: He should walk away with at least $2 million after pay-per-view revenues are divvied up. That should help alleviate some of the emotional pain he’s feeling after his disappointment.

 

WORSE

Ugas wasn’t the only older fighter to have a rough time Saturday.

First, in England, 34-year-old Chris van Heerden, a solid fighter since turning pro 16 years ago, failed to survive two full rounds against rising star Conor Benn. The Los Angeles-based native of South Africa didn’t have time to show anything.

Then, on the Spence-Ugas card, Josesito Lopez, 37, Francisco Vargas, 37, and Yuriorkis Gamboa, 40, looked their ages.

Lopez (38-9, 21 KOs) gave welterweight contender Cody Crowley (21-0, 9 KOs) some resistance early in their scheduled 10-rounder but seemed to get old mid-fight and was barely able to hear the final bell, as Crowley won a wide decision.

Lopez was one of the toughest fighters in the world between 135 and 147 pounds for years, including a knockout victory over Victor Ortiz. Now it appears he’s finished.

Vargas (27-4-2, 19 KOs) was still warming up when a monster left hand from lightweight prospect Jose Valenzuela knocked him onto his back and out. It’s difficult to imagine the former 130-pound champ bouncing back from that kind of setback but he’s a warrior through and through.

And Gamboa (30-5, 18 KOs) went down four times against juggernaut Isaac Cruz before the fight was mercifully stopped in the fifth round. The 2004 Olympic gold medalist and two-time featherweight champion was willing but no longer has the legs to fight at a high level. He’s shot.

I don’t want to be overly critical of matchmakers who tempt fate by pitting faded champions against hot young stars. Matchmaking is the hardest job in boxing. Plus, older fighters deserve opportunities if they can demonstrate they remain competent.

At the same time, the events of Saturday made it clear that matchmakers and other powerbrokers must be careful about making such decisions.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Benn (21-0, 14 KOs) demonstrated again in his victory over van Heerden that he could develop into a threat to any of the top 147-pounders. He’s a dynamic all-around fighter with big-time power. Ask van Heerden. The only obvious flaw in Benn’s performance was that he was somewhat reckless from the opening bell. If he attacked a Spence or a Crawford with the abandon he went after van Heerden, he’d get knocked out. … Eimantas Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs) took another nice step in his career on the Spence-Ugas card, defeating previously unbeaten Radzhab Butaev (14-1, 11 KOs) by a split decision that should’ve been unanimous. He’s on the precipice of landing a world title fight and he might have the ability to win it. … Valenzuela (12-0, 8 KOs) made a powerful statement with his one-punch knockout of Vargas. The Seattle-based Mexican, a disciple of trainer Jose Benavidez Sr., is one of the top handful of prospects in the world. … I don’t know how far Crowley (21-0, 9 KOs) will go but he’s a good, disciplined boxer with the fitness to go 20 strong rounds. That formula is going to make him difficult to beat even at the highest level. … The knockout streak of junior welterweight Brandun Lee (25-0, 22 KOs) ended at 15 when clever Zachary Ochoa (21-3, 7 KOs) took him the distance on the Spence-Ugas card. No shame in that. He probably learned more during the unanimous-decision victory than he would’ve with another spectacular stoppage.

[lawrence-related id=29518,29498,29501,29504,29464]

[vertical-gallery id=29524]

Jose Valenzuela stops Francisco Vargas with one shot in first round

Jose Valenzuela stopped Francisco Vargas with one shot in the first round Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

Jose Valenzuela knows how to get your attention.

The 22-year-old lightweight prospect stopped veteran Francisco Vargas with a single left to the chin in the first round of a scheduled 10-rounder on the Errol Spence Jr.-Yordenis Ugas card Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

Valenzuela (12-0, 8 KOs) now has four first round knockouts, although none was more dramatic than the one on Saturday.

He and Vargas (27-4-2, 19 KOs) were in the process of sizing one another up when Valenzuela landed a looping left hand, which put Vargas on his back and hurt him badly.

Referee Mark Calo oy rushed to the fallen fighter, looked into his eyes and immediately waved off the fight. Vargas was able to get up but was helped to his stool.

The official time of the stoppage was 1:25.

“I stayed calm in there and when I saw the opening …,” Valenzuela said.

He went on: “I was expecting him to get up but I took another look back and he was still down. It was a good punch.”

The fight was only Valenzuela’s third scheduled 10-rounder, which means he won’t be fighting for a world title anytime soon. That said, performances like this one portend special things from him.

He knows what his job is going forward.

“Just keep fighting good fighters, like him, a rugged fighter,” Valenzuela said. “Whatever they have planned, I’m willing to do.”

 

Jose Valenzuela stops Francisco Vargas with one shot in first round

Jose Valenzuela stopped Francisco Vargas with one shot in the first round Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

Jose Valenzuela knows how to get your attention.

The 22-year-old lightweight prospect stopped veteran Francisco Vargas with a single left to the chin in the first round of a scheduled 10-rounder on the Errol Spence Jr.-Yordenis Ugas card Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

Valenzuela (12-0, 8 KOs) now has four first round knockouts, although none was more dramatic than the one on Saturday.

He and Vargas (27-4-2, 19 KOs) were in the process of sizing one another up when Valenzuela landed a looping left hand, which put Vargas on his back and hurt him badly.

Referee Mark Calo oy rushed to the fallen fighter, looked into his eyes and immediately waved off the fight. Vargas was able to get up but was helped to his stool.

The official time of the stoppage was 1:25.

“I stayed calm in there and when I saw the opening …,” Valenzuela said.

He went on: “I was expecting him to get up but I took another look back and he was still down. It was a good punch.”

The fight was only Valenzuela’s third scheduled 10-rounder, which means he won’t be fighting for a world title anytime soon. That said, performances like this one portend special things from him.

He knows what his job is going forward.

“Just keep fighting good fighters, like him, a rugged fighter,” Valenzuela said. “Whatever they have planned, I’m willing to do.”

 

Good, bad, worse: Naoya Inoue dazzles, Jermall Charlo has power outage

Good, bad, worse: Naoya Inoue dazzles, Jermall Charlo has power outage.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6LOSqerh90

Naoya Inoue did it again.

I don’t want to make too much out of his third-round knockout of Michael Dasmarinas on Saturday in Las Vegas because the Filipino is levels below the Japanese star. I have to gush, though.

The skills. The explosiveness. And, oh, the power. He brings it every time he steps into the ring.

Inoue didn’t need much time to corner his spry prey at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, putting Dasmarinas (30-3-1, 20 KOs) down for the first of three times with a wicked left hook to the body in Round 2. Two knockdowns later, fight over.

Inoue (21-0, 18 KOs) is human. Nonito Donaire proved that by pushing him to his limits in 2019. However, we should keep something in mind: He suffered a broken orbital bone in that bout and still defeated a future Hall of Famer.

Indeed, as if Inoue hasn’t collected enough accolades, he also proved in the Donaire fight that he’s unusually tough.

Inoue is ranked No. 3 on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list, behind only No. 1 Terence Crawford and No. 2 Canelo Alvarez. Every time I watch him fight, I wonder whether he should be higher on the list.

You have to ask yourself: If weight weren’t an issue – which is the basis of pound-for-pound — would you really pick Crawford or Alvarez to beat Inoue? Get back to me on that.

***

BAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmbWxWNUobw&t=10s

Let me get this out of the way: There was nothing “bad” about 160-pound titleholder Jermall Charlo’s performance against Juan Macias Montiel on Saturday in Houston.

Charlo defeated a capable, fit opponent by a near-shutout decision, which is a success by any standard. He can now look forward to pursuing bigger fights in the middleweight division, where he said he plans to campaign for now.

That said, it’s reasonable to ask – based on what we saw Saturday – whether he might be vulnerable against the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin, Demetrius Andrade or even young Jaime Munguia.

Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) demonstrated once again that the skill set is there; he outclassed Montiel (22-5-2, 22 KOs) in that department. He has poise, a product of his experience. And he took everything a big puncher threw at him, which shouldn’t be overlooked.

The question I have about Charlo after Saturday centers on his punching power at middleweight. He seemed to wobble Montiel twice in the middle rounds but couldn’t do it again, which allowed the Mexican to have his best rounds in the last third of the fight.

That was surprising and possibly a reason for concern. I keep wondering: If he doesn’t have the power to deter his top rivals, will that catch up to him at some point?

He was able to outbox Sergiy Derevyanchenko, which proved he could beat a top-tier 160-pounder convincingly. Maybe his elite skillset combined with average power is enough to make him the undisputed middleweight champion.

Or maybe a better boxer than Montiel and one with more power than Derevyanchenko will take Charlo down, although that fighter might not exist at 160 pounds. That could mean his biggest tests will come at 168 one day.

Stay tuned.

***

WORSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itUsQ3Vbt2Y

The Isaac Cruz-Francisco Vargas fight on the Charlo-Montiel card turned into a mess almost from the start.

Vargas, who was in back-to-back Fights of the Year in the mid-2010s, turned what could’ve been an entertaining brawl into a disappointment by deciding not to engage the younger Cruz much of the fight and lost a one-sided decision.

Excessive holding and wrestling repeatedly halted the action. And, most important, clashes of the fighters’ heads – whether intentional or accidental – resulted in a disturbing ending.

The last of many head collisions, with about 30 seconds remaining in the fight, caused a ghastly cut above Vargas’ right eye. The action was stopped so the ring doctor could have a look. And, at the urging of referee James Green, he made the wrong decision to allow the fight to go on.

I get the thought process: With only seconds remaining, why not give Vargas a chance to win on the scorecards?

The reason is that one punch can turn a horrible cut like Vargas’ into something more serious. I’m not a doctor. And I wasn’t standing in front of Vargas. It just seemed to me that the doctor – whose identity I don’t know – put competition ahead of Vargas’ welfare, which was a mistake.

The fight ended with a wild flurry from Cruz (22-1-1, 15 KOs) that resulted in the bloodied, almost helpless Vargas (27-3-2, 19 KOs) hitting the canvas, an appropriate ending to an unfortunate fight.

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un3lrJvXef0&t=39s

Jaime Munguia (37-0, 30 KOs) looked sharp and strong against a decent opponent in Kamil Szeremeta (21-2, 5 KOs) on Saturday in El Paso, Texas. The Mexican methodically dismantled his Polish counterpart until the fight was stopped after the sixth round. Munguia is developing into a threat to anyone at 160 pounds. The question now is whether he’ll be able to lure his rivals into the ring. … One option for Munguia if he can’t get an immediate shot at a title is 35-year-old veteran Gabriel Rosado, who turned in a Knockout of the Year candidate on the Munguia-Szeremeta card. Rosado (26-13-1, 15 KOs) seemed to be on his way to losing against hot super middleweight prospect Bektemir Melikuziev (7-1, 6 KOs) when the Uzbek walked into a perfect right hand and ended up flat on his face in the third round. You have to be happy for Rosado. The gritty Philadelphian has almost always fallen short in his biggest moments. Not this time. And the victory assures him at least one more important fight. … Texas judge Eva Zaragoza needs a talking to. Angelo Leo (21-1, 9 KOs) and Aaron Alameda (25-2, 13 KOs) engaged in a close 10-round, 122-pound fight, one that I and one judge scored 95-95. Another judge scored it 96-94 for Leo. Zaragoza? She scored it 98-92 for Leo, eight rounds to two. That tally was an insult to Alameda. Leo might’ve done enough to win but he didn’t take eight rounds. I hope officials in Texas officials came to the same conclusion. … Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (52-5-1, 34 KOs) has a habit of getting things wrong, including positive drug tests, missing weight and more. And he added to the list on Saturday in Guadalajara, Mexico: He was beaten by a 46-year-old former MMA star with two pro boxing matches in his distant past. Anderson Silva (2-1, 1 KO) defeated Chavez, 35, by a split decision. Embarrassing.

Good, bad, worse: Naoya Inoue dazzles, Jermall Charlo has power outage

Good, bad, worse: Naoya Inoue dazzles, Jermall Charlo has power outage.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6LOSqerh90

Naoya Inoue did it again.

I don’t want to make too much out of his third-round knockout of Michael Dasmarinas on Saturday in Las Vegas because the Filipino is levels below the Japanese star. I have to gush, though.

The skills. The explosiveness. And, oh, the power. He brings it every time he steps into the ring.

Inoue didn’t need much time to corner his spry prey at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, putting Dasmarinas (30-3-1, 20 KOs) down for the first of three times with a wicked left hook to the body in Round 2. Two knockdowns later, fight over.

Inoue (21-0, 18 KOs) is human. Nonito Donaire proved that by pushing him to his limits in 2019. However, we should keep something in mind: He suffered a broken orbital bone in that bout and still defeated a future Hall of Famer.

Indeed, as if Inoue hasn’t collected enough accolades, he also proved in the Donaire fight that he’s unusually tough.

Inoue is ranked No. 3 on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list, behind only No. 1 Terence Crawford and No. 2 Canelo Alvarez. Every time I watch him fight, I wonder whether he should be higher on the list.

You have to ask yourself: If weight weren’t an issue – which is the basis of pound-for-pound — would you really pick Crawford or Alvarez to beat Inoue? Get back to me on that.

***

BAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmbWxWNUobw&t=10s

Let me get this out of the way: There was nothing “bad” about 160-pound titleholder Jermall Charlo’s performance against Juan Macias Montiel on Saturday in Houston.

Charlo defeated a capable, fit opponent by a near-shutout decision, which is a success by any standard. He can now look forward to pursuing bigger fights in the middleweight division, where he said he plans to campaign for now.

That said, it’s reasonable to ask – based on what we saw Saturday – whether he might be vulnerable against the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin, Demetrius Andrade or even young Jaime Munguia.

Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) demonstrated once again that the skill set is there; he outclassed Montiel (22-5-2, 22 KOs) in that department. He has poise, a product of his experience. And he took everything a big puncher threw at him, which shouldn’t be overlooked.

The question I have about Charlo after Saturday centers on his punching power at middleweight. He seemed to wobble Montiel twice in the middle rounds but couldn’t do it again, which allowed the Mexican to have his best rounds in the last third of the fight.

That was surprising and possibly a reason for concern. I keep wondering: If he doesn’t have the power to deter his top rivals, will that catch up to him at some point?

He was able to outbox Sergiy Derevyanchenko, which proved he could beat a top-tier 160-pounder convincingly. Maybe his elite skillset combined with average power is enough to make him the undisputed middleweight champion.

Or maybe a better boxer than Montiel and one with more power than Derevyanchenko will take Charlo down, although that fighter might not exist at 160 pounds. That could mean his biggest tests will come at 168 one day.

Stay tuned.

***

WORSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itUsQ3Vbt2Y

The Isaac Cruz-Francisco Vargas fight on the Charlo-Montiel card turned into a mess almost from the start.

Vargas, who was in back-to-back Fights of the Year in the mid-2010s, turned what could’ve been an entertaining brawl into a disappointment by deciding not to engage the younger Cruz much of the fight and lost a one-sided decision.

Excessive holding and wrestling repeatedly halted the action. And, most important, clashes of the fighters’ heads – whether intentional or accidental – resulted in a disturbing ending.

The last of many head collisions, with about 30 seconds remaining in the fight, caused a ghastly cut above Vargas’ right eye. The action was stopped so the ring doctor could have a look. And, at the urging of referee James Green, he made the wrong decision to allow the fight to go on.

I get the thought process: With only seconds remaining, why not give Vargas a chance to win on the scorecards?

The reason is that one punch can turn a horrible cut like Vargas’ into something more serious. I’m not a doctor. And I wasn’t standing in front of Vargas. It just seemed to me that the doctor – whose identity I don’t know – put competition ahead of Vargas’ welfare, which was a mistake.

The fight ended with a wild flurry from Cruz (22-1-1, 15 KOs) that resulted in the bloodied, almost helpless Vargas (27-3-2, 19 KOs) hitting the canvas, an appropriate ending to an unfortunate fight.

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un3lrJvXef0&t=39s

Jaime Munguia (37-0, 30 KOs) looked sharp and strong against a decent opponent in Kamil Szeremeta (21-2, 5 KOs) on Saturday in El Paso, Texas. The Mexican methodically dismantled his Polish counterpart until the fight was stopped after the sixth round. Munguia is developing into a threat to anyone at 160 pounds. The question now is whether he’ll be able to lure his rivals into the ring. … One option for Munguia if he can’t get an immediate shot at a title is 35-year-old veteran Gabriel Rosado, who turned in a Knockout of the Year candidate on the Munguia-Szeremeta card. Rosado (26-13-1, 15 KOs) seemed to be on his way to losing against hot super middleweight prospect Bektemir Melikuziev (7-1, 6 KOs) when the Uzbek walked into a perfect right hand and ended up flat on his face in the third round. You have to be happy for Rosado. The gritty Philadelphian has almost always fallen short in his biggest moments. Not this time. And the victory assures him at least one more important fight. … Texas judge Eva Zaragoza needs a talking to. Angelo Leo (21-1, 9 KOs) and Aaron Alameda (25-2, 13 KOs) engaged in a close 10-round, 122-pound fight, one that I and one judge scored 95-95. Another judge scored it 96-94 for Leo. Zaragoza? She scored it 98-92 for Leo, eight rounds to two. That tally was an insult to Alameda. Leo might’ve done enough to win but he didn’t take eight rounds. I hope officials in Texas officials came to the same conclusion. … Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (52-5-1, 34 KOs) has a habit of getting things wrong, including positive drug tests, missing weight and more. And he added to the list on Saturday in Guadalajara, Mexico: He was beaten by a 46-year-old former MMA star with two pro boxing matches in his distant past. Anderson Silva (2-1, 1 KO) defeated Chavez, 35, by a split decision. Embarrassing.

Jermall Charlo dominates, but can’t stop Juan Montiel

Jermall Charlo dominated Juan Montiel en route to a near-shutout decision Saturday in Houston.

Let the criticism begin.

Jermall Charlo dominated Juan Macias Montiel in defense of his middleweight title, winning a near-shutout decision Saturday night at Toyota Center in Houston.

However, he couldn’t do what almost everyone thought he would do — stop the overmatched Mexican, which certainly will have brought out the doubters.

Charlo, making the fourth defense of his belt, outclassed and outworked Montiel, picking the challenger apart much of the fight with his jab and hard, accurate power shots.

The Houston native landed 46% of his power shots, according to CompuBox. He also outlanded Montiel overall 258-127.

And, yes, there were a few moments when it seemed as if Charlo would end the fight inside the distance. He hurt Montiel early in Rounds 5 and 6 and followed with barrages meant to finish the job.

However, Montiel, obviously durable and in excellent condition, survived it all and actually had his best rounds down the stretch.

Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) continued to land more punches than his opponent but Montiel (22-5-2, 22 KOs) connected on some hard, eye-catching blows in the last third of the fight, when it was clear he needed a knockout to win.

Montiel wasn’t particularly good but he definitely was resilient, although that wasn’t reflected on the scorecards. Charlo won 120-108, 119-109 and 118-109. Boxing Junkie scored it 120-107 for Charlo.

And it should be noted that all of Montiel’s victories have come by knockout, meaning he can punch. Thus, Charlo also demonstrated a good chin.

Of course, some will give Charlo credit for a convincing victory. Others will question his power, particularly in light of the fact that Jaime Munguia stopped Montiel in 2017.

Bottom line: He got the job the done and it wasn’t close. He’ll now focus on getting big-name opponents into the ring.

[lawrence-related id=21256,21252]

 

 

Jermall Charlo dominates, but can’t stop Juan Montiel

Jermall Charlo dominated Juan Montiel en route to a near-shutout decision Saturday in Houston.

Let the criticism begin.

Jermall Charlo dominated Juan Macias Montiel in defense of his middleweight title, winning a near-shutout decision Saturday night at Toyota Center in Houston.

However, he couldn’t do what almost everyone thought he would do — stop the overmatched Mexican, which certainly will have brought out the doubters.

Charlo, making the fourth defense of his belt, outclassed and outworked Montiel, picking the challenger apart much of the fight with his jab and hard, accurate power shots.

The Houston native landed 46% of his power shots, according to CompuBox. He also outlanded Montiel overall 258-127.

And, yes, there were a few moments when it seemed as if Charlo would end the fight inside the distance. He hurt Montiel early in Rounds 5 and 6 and followed with barrages meant to finish the job.

However, Montiel, obviously durable and in excellent condition, survived it all and actually had his best rounds down the stretch.

Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) continued to land more punches than his opponent but Montiel (22-5-2, 22 KOs) connected on some hard, eye-catching blows in the last third of the fight, when it was clear he needed a knockout to win.

Montiel wasn’t particularly good but he definitely was resilient, although that wasn’t reflected on the scorecards. Charlo won 120-108, 119-109 and 118-109. Boxing Junkie scored it 120-107 for Charlo.

And it should be noted that all of Montiel’s victories have come by knockout, meaning he can punch. Thus, Charlo also demonstrated a good chin.

Of course, some will give Charlo credit for a convincing victory. Others will question his power, particularly in light of the fact that Jaime Munguia stopped Montiel in 2017.

Bottom line: He got the job the done and it wasn’t close. He’ll now focus on getting big-name opponents into the ring.

[lawrence-related id=21256,21252]

 

 

Isaac Cruz outpoints Francisco Vargas in fight that turns ugly

Isaac Cruz outpointed Francisco Vargas in a fight that turned ugly Saturday in Houston.

This is Isaac Cruz’s time, not Francisco Vargas’.

Cruz, 23, landed the cleaner, harder punches en route to a wide unanimous-decision victory over his 36-year-old opponent in a fight that turned ugly on the Jermall Charlo-Juan Montiel card Saturday in Houston.

Cruz (22-1-1, 15 KOs) took the fight to Vargas from the outset, winging — and landing — hard punches to both the head and body, although he never hurt Vargas.

Vargas (27-3-2, 19 KOs) is known as one of the great brawlers of his generation but, perhaps wary of another brawl, held back against Cruz, boxing at times and engaging when he had openings.

That allowed him to survive but he didn’t do enough to win rounds. Cruz won 100-89, 99-90 and 97-92. Boxing Junkie scored it 98-91.

Cruz used his head a number of times when the fighters were entangled. That reached its ugly peak when one last butt caused a horrible gash above Vargas’ right eye with 30 seconds remaining in the fight.

The ring doctor allowed the fight to continue because it was almost over, after which a bloody Vargas went down as a result of wild flurry of punches.

With the victory, Cruz took another step toward his first title shot. Vargas, who has been in so many wars, will have to decide whether he wants to continue.

[lawrence-related id=21252]

Isaac Cruz outpoints Francisco Vargas in fight that turns ugly

Isaac Cruz outpointed Francisco Vargas in a fight that turned ugly Saturday in Houston.

This is Isaac Cruz’s time, not Francisco Vargas’.

Cruz, 23, landed the cleaner, harder punches en route to a wide unanimous-decision victory over his 36-year-old opponent in a fight that turned ugly on the Jermall Charlo-Juan Montiel card Saturday in Houston.

Cruz (22-1-1, 15 KOs) took the fight to Vargas from the outset, winging — and landing — hard punches to both the head and body, although he never hurt Vargas.

Vargas (27-3-2, 19 KOs) is known as one of the great brawlers of his generation but, perhaps wary of another brawl, held back against Cruz, boxing at times and engaging when he had openings.

That allowed him to survive but he didn’t do enough to win rounds. Cruz won 100-89, 99-90 and 97-92. Boxing Junkie scored it 98-91.

Cruz used his head a number of times when the fighters were entangled. That reached its ugly peak when one last butt caused a horrible gash above Vargas’ right eye with 30 seconds remaining in the fight.

The ring doctor allowed the fight to continue because it was almost over, after which a bloody Vargas went down as a result of wild flurry of punches.

With the victory, Cruz took another step toward his first title shot. Vargas, who has been in so many wars, will have to decide whether he wants to continue.

[lawrence-related id=21252]