Tag: Gerald Washington

Good, bad, worse: Luis Ortiz makes power play at 42

Good, bad, worse: Luis Ortiz made a power play at 42 in his KO victory over Charles Martin.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Luis Ortiz has 42-year-old legs and 22-year-old power. We’ll see what he can accomplish under those circumstances.

The Cuban southpaw got up from two knockdowns to stop Charles Martin in the sixth round and remain a relevant heavyweight on New Year’s Day at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Ortiz wasn’t seriously hurt the two times he went down but I wonder whether aging legs played a role in his inability to absorb punches. They just didn’t seem sturdy at times.

The better boxer of the two never strayed from the game plan, though. He continued to fight behind his jab and wait for opportunities to take advantage of his ability to change a fight with one punch.

His chance came in Round 6, when he discombobulated Martin with an overhand left and was able to finish the job moments later.

The victory in what was billed as a title eliminator allowed Ortiz to remain in the thick of the heavyweight mix, although it’s unclear how he might fit in at the moment. Titleholders Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have other plans.

That means Ortiz probably will have to win what would amount to another eliminator, against a heavyweight contender at the level of Andy Ruiz Jr., Joseph Parker, Frank Sanchez and Robert Helenius.

Ortiz still has the ability to be competitive with all of the above and contend for a world title, as he demonstrated on Saturday. That is if his legs cooperate.

 

BAD

I’ll never forget Emanuel Steward yelling at Wladimir Klitschko to finish off an overmatched, but stubborn Eddie Chambers late in their 2010 fight in Germany.

The late, great trainer knew the value of a knockout in terms of public perception. Fans might admire a fighter who outpoints his opponents. They’ll fall in love with a fighter who ends his fights inside the distance.

Steward would’ve been yelling the same thing at Frank Sanchez on the all-heavyweight Ortiz-Martin card.

Sanchez, a polished boxer, had no trouble with late replacement Christian Hammer. Ortiz’s countryman did more than enough to win the fight, as a shutout decision indicated. He just didn’t do enough to close the show.

He never took the risks, never shifted into another gear, which would’ve been required to stop Hammer (26-9, 16 KOs) give fans something to remember.

I have mixed feelings about Sanchez’s tactics. I acknowledge that Sanchez (20-0, 13 KOs) is who he is, an excellent technician whose instinct is to box, not brawl. That style has always worked for him. Why change?

Well, I also agree with Steward. If Sanchez is ever going to be a star, he’s going to have to do more than outpoint his opponents in dull fights.

 

WORSE

The Viktor Faust-Iago Kiladze fight might’ve been the most memorable bout on the Ortiz-Martin card – for both good and bad reasons.

Faust (9-0, 7 KOs) and Kiladze (27-6-1, 19 KOs) gave viewers as wild a 4 minutes, 44 seconds of fighting as they’ll ever see, as the principals went down a combined five times before Faust, a prospect from Ukraine, won the scheduled eight-round fight by knockout.

That was the good. Everyone loves crazy brawls. The decision to stop the fight and what followed wasn’t as fun.

Referee Samuel Burgos stopped the fight because he didn’t like what he saw from Kiladze, who was on the wrong end of the fifth knockdown. My first thought was, “Nooooooooo! Kiladze isn’t hurt any worse than Faust is!”

However, after I settled down, I could see I was being selfish. I just wanted the fight to continue. Burgos’ job is to assess a fighter’s condition at a given moment. He did that.

There is no defense for Kiladze’s reaction after Burgos’ waved his arms to signal the end of the fight. The enraged fighter hit the ref with a light jab, which undoubtedly will result in a fine and/or suspension.

I understand Kiladze’s frustration. He had a chance to beat a good prospect, which would’ve been a boon to his career. Still, fighters cannot under any circumstances put their hands on officials.

Strange fight.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

I never really understood the fuss about Michael Coffie, who lost a decision to Jonathan Rice in a rematch on the Ortiz-Martin card. Coffie (12-2, 9 KOs) is admirable in many respects. The Bronx native is a former Marine who saw action in Afghanistan. He started boxing at an ancient 30 years old yet worked his way into meaningful fights. The problem? He always faced a steep uphill battle to progress beyond journeyman status. And now, after back-to-back losses to Jonathan Rice, he appears to have hit his ceiling. Coffie should take pride in what he was able to accomplish. The odds were against him from the beginning. Meanwhile, Rice (15-6-1, 10 KOs) has some ability. He might be able to beat a next-level heavyweight if he takes his training seriously. He came in too heavy for the fight with Coffie. … We saw a special prospect before the pay-per-view portion of the Ortiz-Martin card. Frank Martin (15-0, 11 KOs) appears to have all the tools – both God-given and learned – required for stardom, as he demonstrated in his fourth-round knockout of Romero Duno (24-3, 19 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout. Afterward, Martin, 26, mentioned Devin Haney’s name. It’s probably too early for that type of challenge but I suspect Martin could be competitive with any 135-pounder right now. …

Gerald Washington (20-5-1, 13 KOs) doesn’t give up, as I learned during an interview after he suffered back-to-back knockout losses against Deontay Wilder and Jarrell Miller in 2017. He bristled when I asked him whether he considered retirement, saying, “I’m not a quitter.” I admired that. Thus, I won’t be surprised if the 39-year-old plods on after being stopped by Ali Eren Demirezen (15-1, 12 KOs) on the Ortiz-Martin card. The problem is that he has now lost five of his last seven fights, an unproductive run that might signal that the end is near. … The knockdown in the last round of the Sanchez-Hammer fight was evidence that the use of replay review should be expanded. That wasn’t a knockdown. Fortunately, the mistake was irrelevant given the one-sided scoring in Sanchez’s favor. However, that type of missed call could decide a close fight. Florida officials might want to take that extra step in the interest of fairness and accuracy.

Good, bad, worse: Luis Ortiz makes power play at 42

Good, bad, worse: Luis Ortiz made a power play at 42 in his KO victory over Charles Martin.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Luis Ortiz has 42-year-old legs and 22-year-old power. We’ll see what he can accomplish under those circumstances.

The Cuban southpaw got up from two knockdowns to stop Charles Martin in the sixth round and remain a relevant heavyweight on New Year’s Day at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Ortiz wasn’t seriously hurt the two times he went down but I wonder whether aging legs played a role in his inability to absorb punches. They just didn’t seem sturdy at times.

The better boxer of the two never strayed from the game plan, though. He continued to fight behind his jab and wait for opportunities to take advantage of his ability to change a fight with one punch.

His chance came in Round 6, when he discombobulated Martin with an overhand left and was able to finish the job moments later.

The victory in what was billed as a title eliminator allowed Ortiz to remain in the thick of the heavyweight mix, although it’s unclear how he might fit in at the moment. Titleholders Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have other plans.

That means Ortiz probably will have to win what would amount to another eliminator, against a heavyweight contender at the level of Andy Ruiz Jr., Joseph Parker, Frank Sanchez and Robert Helenius.

Ortiz still has the ability to be competitive with all of the above and contend for a world title, as he demonstrated on Saturday. That is if his legs cooperate.

 

BAD

I’ll never forget Emanuel Steward yelling at Wladimir Klitschko to finish off an overmatched, but stubborn Eddie Chambers late in their 2010 fight in Germany.

The late, great trainer knew the value of a knockout in terms of public perception. Fans might admire a fighter who outpoints his opponents. They’ll fall in love with a fighter who ends his fights inside the distance.

Steward would’ve been yelling the same thing at Frank Sanchez on the all-heavyweight Ortiz-Martin card.

Sanchez, a polished boxer, had no trouble with late replacement Christian Hammer. Ortiz’s countryman did more than enough to win the fight, as a shutout decision indicated. He just didn’t do enough to close the show.

He never took the risks, never shifted into another gear, which would’ve been required to stop Hammer (26-9, 16 KOs) give fans something to remember.

I have mixed feelings about Sanchez’s tactics. I acknowledge that Sanchez (20-0, 13 KOs) is who he is, an excellent technician whose instinct is to box, not brawl. That style has always worked for him. Why change?

Well, I also agree with Steward. If Sanchez is ever going to be a star, he’s going to have to do more than outpoint his opponents in dull fights.

 

WORSE

The Viktor Faust-Iago Kiladze fight might’ve been the most memorable bout on the Ortiz-Martin card – for both good and bad reasons.

Faust (9-0, 7 KOs) and Kiladze (27-6-1, 19 KOs) gave viewers as wild a 4 minutes, 44 seconds of fighting as they’ll ever see, as the principals went down a combined five times before Faust, a prospect from Ukraine, won the scheduled eight-round fight by knockout.

That was the good. Everyone loves crazy brawls. The decision to stop the fight and what followed wasn’t as fun.

Referee Samuel Burgos stopped the fight because he didn’t like what he saw from Kiladze, who was on the wrong end of the fifth knockdown. My first thought was, “Nooooooooo! Kiladze isn’t hurt any worse than Faust is!”

However, after I settled down, I could see I was being selfish. I just wanted the fight to continue. Burgos’ job is to assess a fighter’s condition at a given moment. He did that.

There is no defense for Kiladze’s reaction after Burgos’ waved his arms to signal the end of the fight. The enraged fighter hit the ref with a light jab, which undoubtedly will result in a fine and/or suspension.

I understand Kiladze’s frustration. He had a chance to beat a good prospect, which would’ve been a boon to his career. Still, fighters cannot under any circumstances put their hands on officials.

Strange fight.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

I never really understood the fuss about Michael Coffie, who lost a decision to Jonathan Rice in a rematch on the Ortiz-Martin card. Coffie (12-2, 9 KOs) is admirable in many respects. The Bronx native is a former Marine who saw action in Afghanistan. He started boxing at an ancient 30 years old yet worked his way into meaningful fights. The problem? He always faced a steep uphill battle to progress beyond journeyman status. And now, after back-to-back losses to Jonathan Rice, he appears to have hit his ceiling. Coffie should take pride in what he was able to accomplish. The odds were against him from the beginning. Meanwhile, Rice (15-6-1, 10 KOs) has some ability. He might be able to beat a next-level heavyweight if he takes his training seriously. He came in too heavy for the fight with Coffie. … We saw a special prospect before the pay-per-view portion of the Ortiz-Martin card. Frank Martin (15-0, 11 KOs) appears to have all the tools – both God-given and learned – required for stardom, as he demonstrated in his fourth-round knockout of Romero Duno (24-3, 19 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout. Afterward, Martin, 26, mentioned Devin Haney’s name. It’s probably too early for that type of challenge but I suspect Martin could be competitive with any 135-pounder right now. …

Gerald Washington (20-5-1, 13 KOs) doesn’t give up, as I learned during an interview after he suffered back-to-back knockout losses against Deontay Wilder and Jarrell Miller in 2017. He bristled when I asked him whether he considered retirement, saying, “I’m not a quitter.” I admired that. Thus, I won’t be surprised if the 39-year-old plods on after being stopped by Ali Eren Demirezen (15-1, 12 KOs) on the Ortiz-Martin card. The problem is that he has now lost five of his last seven fights, an unproductive run that might signal that the end is near. … The knockdown in the last round of the Sanchez-Hammer fight was evidence that the use of replay review should be expanded. That wasn’t a knockdown. Fortunately, the mistake was irrelevant given the one-sided scoring in Sanchez’s favor. However, that type of missed call could decide a close fight. Florida officials might want to take that extra step in the interest of fairness and accuracy.

Fight Week: Luis Ortiz vs. Charles Martin highlights all-heavyweight PPV card

Fight Week: Luis Ortiz vs. Charles Martin highlights all-heavyweight PPV card.

FIGHT WEEK

LUIS ortiz will face fellow contender charles martin in an all-heavyweight card saturday.

Kazuto Ioka (27-2, 15 KOs) vs. Ryoji Fukunaga (15-4, 14 KOs)

  • When: Friday, Dec. 31
  • Time: 5:30 a.m. ET / 2:30 a.m. (main event later in show)
  • Where: Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo
  • TV/Stream: No TV in U.S.
  • Division: Junior bantamweight
  • At stake: Ioka’s WBO title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Ioka No. 15
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Akihiro Kondo (32-10-2, 18 KOs) vs. Aso Ishiwaki (9-4-1, 7 KOs), junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Ioka UD
  • Background: Ioka, a four-division titleholder, has been one of the best boxers in the world over the past decade. The 32-year-old Japanese fighter has beaten a long list of championship-caliber opponents – almost exclusively in Japan – and his only losses have come by split decision, the second (against Donnie Niete) of which was disputed. He won his 115-pound belt by stopping Aston Palicte in June 2019 and has successful defended three times. He’s coming of a unanimous decision over Francisco Rodriguez on Sept. 1. Ioka was supposed to have faced IBF champ Jerwin Ancajas in a title-unification bout but the Filipino was unable to enter Japan because of COVID-19 precautions. Thus, Ioka’s countryman Fukunaga agreed to step in. The challenger has won regional titles but has never faced anyone near the caliber of Ioka. Fukunaga is a solid boxer and can punch, as his high knockout percentage (74) indicates. He’s coming off a majority-decision victory over Hayate Kaji on Oct. 2.

 

Luis Ortiz (32-2, 27 KOs) vs. Charles Martin (28-2-1, 25 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Jan. 1
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida
  • TV/Stream: Fox Sports Pay-per-view
  • Division: Heavyweight
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Frank Sanchez vs. Carlos Negron, heavyweights; Jonnie Rice vs. Michael Coffie, heavyweights; Gerald Washington vs. Ali Eren Demirezen, heavyweights; Viktor Faust vs. Iago Kiladze, heavyweights
  • Prediction: Martin SD
  • Background: Ortiz and Martin are both contenders fighting to stay in the title hunt on this all-heavyweight pay-per-view card. Ortiz, a 42-year-old southpaw from Cuba, came close to stopping then-titleholder Deontay Wilder but ended up being knocked out in the 10th round himself in March 2018. He lasted only seven rounds in the rematch with Wilder in November 2019. He rebounded by stopping Alexander Flores in the first round this past Nov. 7, which was his most recent fight. Martin, 35, is a former IBF titleholder who lost his belt to Anthony Joshua by a second-round knockout in 2016. He said he fought with injured ribs in that fight. He is 5-1 since, with stoppages of Daniel Martz and Gerald Washington in his last two fights. Ortiz is ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies; Martin is the IBF’s No. 2-ranked heavyweight. Frank Sanchez (19-0, 13 KOs), who fights Carlos Negron (25-3, 20 KOS) in the co-feature, might be the best fighter on the card. The Cuban has outclassed all of his opponents, including contender Efe Ajagba by a unanimous decision on Oct. 9.

Fight Week: Luis Ortiz vs. Charles Martin highlights all-heavyweight PPV card

Fight Week: Luis Ortiz vs. Charles Martin highlights all-heavyweight PPV card.

FIGHT WEEK

LUIS ortiz will face fellow contender charles martin in an all-heavyweight card saturday.

Kazuto Ioka (27-2, 15 KOs) vs. Ryoji Fukunaga (15-4, 14 KOs)

  • When: Friday, Dec. 31
  • Time: 5:30 a.m. ET / 2:30 a.m. (main event later in show)
  • Where: Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo
  • TV/Stream: No TV in U.S.
  • Division: Junior bantamweight
  • At stake: Ioka’s WBO title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Ioka No. 15
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Akihiro Kondo (32-10-2, 18 KOs) vs. Aso Ishiwaki (9-4-1, 7 KOs), junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Ioka UD
  • Background: Ioka, a four-division titleholder, has been one of the best boxers in the world over the past decade. The 32-year-old Japanese fighter has beaten a long list of championship-caliber opponents – almost exclusively in Japan – and his only losses have come by split decision, the second (against Donnie Niete) of which was disputed. He won his 115-pound belt by stopping Aston Palicte in June 2019 and has successful defended three times. He’s coming of a unanimous decision over Francisco Rodriguez on Sept. 1. Ioka was supposed to have faced IBF champ Jerwin Ancajas in a title-unification bout but the Filipino was unable to enter Japan because of COVID-19 precautions. Thus, Ioka’s countryman Fukunaga agreed to step in. The challenger has won regional titles but has never faced anyone near the caliber of Ioka. Fukunaga is a solid boxer and can punch, as his high knockout percentage (74) indicates. He’s coming off a majority-decision victory over Hayate Kaji on Oct. 2.

 

Luis Ortiz (32-2, 27 KOs) vs. Charles Martin (28-2-1, 25 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Jan. 1
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida
  • TV/Stream: Fox Sports Pay-per-view
  • Division: Heavyweight
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Frank Sanchez vs. Carlos Negron, heavyweights; Jonnie Rice vs. Michael Coffie, heavyweights; Gerald Washington vs. Ali Eren Demirezen, heavyweights; Viktor Faust vs. Iago Kiladze, heavyweights
  • Prediction: Martin SD
  • Background: Ortiz and Martin are both contenders fighting to stay in the title hunt on this all-heavyweight pay-per-view card. Ortiz, a 42-year-old southpaw from Cuba, came close to stopping then-titleholder Deontay Wilder but ended up being knocked out in the 10th round himself in March 2018. He lasted only seven rounds in the rematch with Wilder in November 2019. He rebounded by stopping Alexander Flores in the first round this past Nov. 7, which was his most recent fight. Martin, 35, is a former IBF titleholder who lost his belt to Anthony Joshua by a second-round knockout in 2016. He said he fought with injured ribs in that fight. He is 5-1 since, with stoppages of Daniel Martz and Gerald Washington in his last two fights. Ortiz is ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies; Martin is the IBF’s No. 2-ranked heavyweight. Frank Sanchez (19-0, 13 KOs), who fights Carlos Negron (25-3, 20 KOS) in the co-feature, might be the best fighter on the card. The Cuban has outclassed all of his opponents, including contender Efe Ajagba by a unanimous decision on Oct. 9.

Jonathan Rice dominates, stops Michael Coffie in Round 5

Jonathan Rice dominated and then stopped Michael Coffie in Round 5 of their heavyweight fight Saturday in Newark, N.J.

Jonathan Rice took full advantage of his opportunity on Saturday night in Newark, N.J.

The late replacement as Michael Coffie’s opponent outboxed, outworked and finally knocked out the previously unbeaten Coffie in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-round heavyweight fight.

Rice, who replaced Gerald Washington, was an afterthought going into the fight. The South Carolinian had lost his previous two fights, including a wide decision against heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba last September.

And while Coffie was a latecomer to boxing – he turned pro at 31 – he was coming off a string of dominating performances, which is why he was favored to win on Saturday.

Rice didn’t follow the script. Instead, he played the part of a sharpshooter, firing off quick, hard shots at the flatfooted Coffie at a high rate from the opening bell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KETP8LB4ADs

Coffie, a powerful puncher, absorbed Rice’s blows for a while and threw some big punches of his own. However, he couldn’t begin to keep pace with Rice.

By Round 5, Coffie had begun to break down. About halfway through the round Rice unleashed a vicious flurry of shots that found the mark and hurt Coffie, who suddenly had difficulty defending himself.

At that point, referee Eric Dali stepped in to save Coffie (12-1, 9 KOs) from further punishment. The official time of the stoppage was 2:19 of the fifth round.

Rice (14-6-1, 10 KOs) has quite a way to go before he can be considered a title challenger but he took a big step on Saturday.

“I wasn’t a late replacement,” said Rice, 34. “I was waiting for an opportunity. We replaced someone, but we weren’t late. We were right on time. I was training every day. I was training with Michael Hunter. I did 20 rounds, 10 and 10 last Friday before I got the call. So when I got the call, I was ready. …

“I want it all. I want what every boxer wants. I want to be world champion. I understand that my record doesn’t say that, but I want the world to watch my progress. I’m not in the right mind to be calling people out. I’m just going to be ready for the opportunity and when it comes I’m going to answer the call.

“I’m going to get as much money for it as I can. And you know one thing, I’m going to put on a show.”

Rice stepped in as Coffie’s opponent after Washington tested positive for COVID-19.

Jonathan Rice dominates, stops Michael Coffie in Round 5

Jonathan Rice dominated and then stopped Michael Coffie in Round 5 of their heavyweight fight Saturday in Newark, N.J.

Jonathan Rice took full advantage of his opportunity on Saturday night in Newark, N.J.

The late replacement as Michael Coffie’s opponent outboxed, outworked and finally knocked out the previously unbeaten Coffie in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-round heavyweight fight.

Rice, who replaced Gerald Washington, was an afterthought going into the fight. The South Carolinian had lost his previous two fights, including a wide decision against heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba last September.

And while Coffie was a latecomer to boxing – he turned pro at 31 – he was coming off a string of dominating performances, which is why he was favored to win on Saturday.

Rice didn’t follow the script. Instead, he played the part of a sharpshooter, firing off quick, hard shots at the flatfooted Coffie at a high rate from the opening bell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KETP8LB4ADs

Coffie, a powerful puncher, absorbed Rice’s blows for a while and threw some big punches of his own. However, he couldn’t begin to keep pace with Rice.

By Round 5, Coffie had begun to break down. About halfway through the round Rice unleashed a vicious flurry of shots that found the mark and hurt Coffie, who suddenly had difficulty defending himself.

At that point, referee Eric Dali stepped in to save Coffie (12-1, 9 KOs) from further punishment. The official time of the stoppage was 2:19 of the fifth round.

Rice (14-6-1, 10 KOs) has quite a way to go before he can be considered a title challenger but he took a big step on Saturday.

“I wasn’t a late replacement,” said Rice, 34. “I was waiting for an opportunity. We replaced someone, but we weren’t late. We were right on time. I was training every day. I was training with Michael Hunter. I did 20 rounds, 10 and 10 last Friday before I got the call. So when I got the call, I was ready. …

“I want it all. I want what every boxer wants. I want to be world champion. I understand that my record doesn’t say that, but I want the world to watch my progress. I’m not in the right mind to be calling people out. I’m just going to be ready for the opportunity and when it comes I’m going to answer the call.

“I’m going to get as much money for it as I can. And you know one thing, I’m going to put on a show.”

Rice stepped in as Coffie’s opponent after Washington tested positive for COVID-19.

Fight Week: Michael Coffie to face Jonathan Rice, Conor Benn in action

Fight Week: Heavyweight contender Michael Coffie will face Gerald Washington, and Conor Benn returns on a busy Saturday.

FIGHT WEEK

HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER MICHAEL COFFIE WILL FACE late replacement jonathan rice, AND CONOR BENN RETURNS AGAINST ADRIAN GRANADOS ON A BUSY SATURDAY.

***

MICHAEL COFFIE (12-0, 9 KOs)
VS. JONATHAN RICE (13-6-1, 9 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fFvFomzKdo

  • When: Saturday, July 31
  • Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • TV/Stream: Fox
  • Division: Heavyweight
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Paul Kroll vs. Justin DeLoach, welterweights; James Martin vs. Vito Mielnicki Jr., welterweight; Joey Spencer vs. Dan Karpency, junior middleweights
  • Prediction: Coffie KO 8
  • Background: Coffie, 35, got off to a late start because he spent eight years in the Marine Corps but has made an impression since turning pro in 2017. The resident of Brooklyn, who has sparred regularly with Deontay Wilder, is massive (6-foot-5, around 270 pounds) but also quick and athletic. And he’s developing into a good boxer. He’s coming off his most-important victory, a third-round knockout of previously unbeaten Darmani Rock this past January. That was his first scheduled 10-rounder. Coffie was supposed to have fought veteran Gerald Washington on Saturday but Washington had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19. Rice, a 34-year-old journeyman from Los Angeles, is coming off back-to-back losses to Australian prospect Demsey McKean (TKO 10) and Efe Ajagba (UD) in March and September of last year. Nine of his 13 victories have come by knockout, which seems to indicate that he has power. And he is about the same size as Coffie in terms of both height and weight.

***

CONOR BENN (18-0, 12 KOs)
VS. ADRIAN GRANADOS (21-8-3, 15 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8U9pxZXLF4

  • When: Saturday, July 31
  • Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • TV/Stream: Fox
  • Division: Heavyweight
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Benn 12-1 (average from multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Xu Can vs. Leigh Wood, featherweights; Tommy McCarthy vs. Chris Billam-Smith, cruiserweights; Jack Cullen vs. Avni Yildrim, super middleweights; Anthony Fowler vs. Roberto Garcia, junior middleweights
  • Prediction: Benn KO 9
  • Background: Benn, the son of former two-division champion Nigel Benn, is ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies and closing in on his first title shot. The 24-year-old from Essex, England, had a short amateur career (a reported 22 fights) but has developed into a good boxer-puncher. He’s coming off back-to-back victories over second-tier veterans Sebastian Formella (UD 10) and Samel Vargas (TKO 1), the latter bout having taken place in April. Granados, 31, might be a small step above those opponents. The rugged Southern Californian is only 1-2-1 in his last four fights — including a draw with Jose Luis Sanchez in May — but he’s a solid boxer who fights hard. And he has come up short primarily against elite opponents, including Adrien Broner, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Robert Easter Jr. Granados would be a nice stepping stone for Benn in his pursuit of a championship.

***

Also fighting this weekend: Knockout artist Eduardo Nunez (21-1, 21 KOS) takes on Jonathan Aguilar (20-10, 15 KOs) in a featherweight bout Thursday in Los Mochis, Mexico (UFC Fight Pass); and Erick Leon faces Juan Marces Rodriguez in a junior welterweight bout Friday in Mexico City (Estrella TV).

 

Fight Week: Michael Coffie to face Jonathan Rice, Conor Benn in action

Fight Week: Heavyweight contender Michael Coffie will face Gerald Washington, and Conor Benn returns on a busy Saturday.

FIGHT WEEK

HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER MICHAEL COFFIE WILL FACE late replacement jonathan rice, AND CONOR BENN RETURNS AGAINST ADRIAN GRANADOS ON A BUSY SATURDAY.

***

MICHAEL COFFIE (12-0, 9 KOs)
VS. JONATHAN RICE (13-6-1, 9 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fFvFomzKdo

  • When: Saturday, July 31
  • Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • TV/Stream: Fox
  • Division: Heavyweight
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Paul Kroll vs. Justin DeLoach, welterweights; James Martin vs. Vito Mielnicki Jr., welterweight; Joey Spencer vs. Dan Karpency, junior middleweights
  • Prediction: Coffie KO 8
  • Background: Coffie, 35, got off to a late start because he spent eight years in the Marine Corps but has made an impression since turning pro in 2017. The resident of Brooklyn, who has sparred regularly with Deontay Wilder, is massive (6-foot-5, around 270 pounds) but also quick and athletic. And he’s developing into a good boxer. He’s coming off his most-important victory, a third-round knockout of previously unbeaten Darmani Rock this past January. That was his first scheduled 10-rounder. Coffie was supposed to have fought veteran Gerald Washington on Saturday but Washington had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19. Rice, a 34-year-old journeyman from Los Angeles, is coming off back-to-back losses to Australian prospect Demsey McKean (TKO 10) and Efe Ajagba (UD) in March and September of last year. Nine of his 13 victories have come by knockout, which seems to indicate that he has power. And he is about the same size as Coffie in terms of both height and weight.

***

CONOR BENN (18-0, 12 KOs)
VS. ADRIAN GRANADOS (21-8-3, 15 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8U9pxZXLF4

  • When: Saturday, July 31
  • Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • TV/Stream: Fox
  • Division: Heavyweight
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Benn 12-1 (average from multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Xu Can vs. Leigh Wood, featherweights; Tommy McCarthy vs. Chris Billam-Smith, cruiserweights; Jack Cullen vs. Avni Yildrim, super middleweights; Anthony Fowler vs. Roberto Garcia, junior middleweights
  • Prediction: Benn KO 9
  • Background: Benn, the son of former two-division champion Nigel Benn, is ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies and closing in on his first title shot. The 24-year-old from Essex, England, had a short amateur career (a reported 22 fights) but has developed into a good boxer-puncher. He’s coming off back-to-back victories over second-tier veterans Sebastian Formella (UD 10) and Samel Vargas (TKO 1), the latter bout having taken place in April. Granados, 31, might be a small step above those opponents. The rugged Southern Californian is only 1-2-1 in his last four fights — including a draw with Jose Luis Sanchez in May — but he’s a solid boxer who fights hard. And he has come up short primarily against elite opponents, including Adrien Broner, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Robert Easter Jr. Granados would be a nice stepping stone for Benn in his pursuit of a championship.

***

Also fighting this weekend: Knockout artist Eduardo Nunez (21-1, 21 KOS) takes on Jonathan Aguilar (20-10, 15 KOs) in a featherweight bout Thursday in Los Mochis, Mexico (UFC Fight Pass); and Erick Leon faces Juan Marces Rodriguez in a junior welterweight bout Friday in Mexico City (Estrella TV).

 

Robert Helenius reminds us that perseverance can pay off

Robert Helenius reminded us with his dramatic knockout of Adam Kownacki that perseverance can pay off.

GOOD

Robert Helenius?

The “Nordic Nightmare” hadn’t been a relevant heavyweight for close to a decade. The tall, lean Finn was taken seriously around the time he beat in succession Samuel Peter, Sergey Liakhovic and Derek Chisora, but that was in 2011.

Since then, injuries and promotional issues ended whatever momentum he had built and periodic losses – to Johann Duhaupas, Dillian Whyte and, only eight months ago, Gerald Washington (by knockout) – prevented him from regaining it.

Indeed, how he ended up in a title eliminator against Adam Kownacki on Saturday in Brooklyn is anybody’s guess.

Well, it doesn’t matter how opportunities arise. The idea is to take advantage of them when they do. And he certainly did.

Helenius, who never gave up on himself, used guile and toughness to withstand the blanket of punches with which Kownacki smothers his opponents to score one of the biggest upsets in recent months, a fourth-round knockout before thousands of stunned Kownacki fans at the Polish-American’s home arena, Barclays Center.

Helenius, 36, said beforehand that he was as healthy as he had been in years and that he his training was going well. He said in so many words that he was embarrassed by the loss to Washington, which only made him more determined to succeed in what is probably the last stage of his career.

And he reminded us that a heavyweight – almost any heavyweight – can turn a fight in an instant because of inherent strength. He hurt Kownacki with a right hand, which caused a “slip,” and it was all downhill from there for Kownacki.

As a result, Helenius went from all-but-forgotten to a major player in the sport’s glamour division overnight. He’s the No. 1 contender for one of Anthony Joshua’s titles and in position for other lucrative matchups.

Only in boxing.

 

BAD

Adam Kownacki was as stunned as anyone after he was stopped by Robert Helenius on Saturday in Brooklyn. AP Photo / Frank Franklin II

Live by the sword, die by the sword. Kownacki learned this lesson the hard way.

Kownacki has been willing to take punches in order to give them because he generally outpunches you, both in terms of volume and power. That has been a winning formula. The problem is that, at some point, one or two of those punches you take are going to hurt you.

That’s what happened to him on Saturday. He fell victim to both a big, strong opponent and inevitability. Helenius hurt him with that first right hand and he simply couldn’t recover.

The first loss is always hard for anyone to swallow. The fact it came by brutal knockout in Kownacki’s case will have been particularly painful emotionally.

The good news is that life and boxing careers go on. If Kownacki is smart, he will have learned a valuable lesson from the setback. He shouldn’t change who he is, a high-energy fighter who outworks his opponent almost every minute of every round. That plan of attack is what has made him effective and exciting.

At the same time, he can’t ignore defense entirely. Reckless aggression can lead to disaster, as we saw on Saturday. Dial it back just a bit. Put more emphasis on avoiding punches both in the gym and come fight time. That change could help Kownacki avoid another disaster and perhaps prolong his career.

It’s all part of the learning process. Kownacki could come back a better fighter.

 

WORSE

Canelo Alvarez still hasn’t announced who he will fight on May 2. Ethan Miller / Getty Images

OK, I’m ready for the incessant speculation over who Canelo Alvarez will fight on May 2 to end. I’m ready for that announcement, which is expected this week.

Don’t get me wrong. Such chatter has always been a part of boxing at its highest level. Who will fight whom? It can be fun. With Alvarez, though, it seems to go on and on … and on, with offers being made and rejected seemingly on a daily basis. Only those involved know what’s true and what’s merely rumor.

And it’s not as if the fans are going to get a payoff for the long wait.

I applauded Alvarez for moving up to light heavyweight in what turned out to be a successful attempt to take Sergey Kovalev’s title. I still think that was a bold move. The same goes for his previous fight, a real risk against Daniel Jacobs.

Unless I’m shocked, the opponent about to be announced will not have been worth the wait.  Everyone seems to be convinced that Billy Joe Saunders will be lucky lottery winner. That fight makes sense in that Alvarez can add a genuine title in a fourth division with a victory. However, from a fan’s standpoint, it’s hard to get excited about Alvarez vs. Saunders.

Alvarez and Co. would’ve had to choose another top light heavyweight (Artur Beterbiev?) or a third fight with Gennadiy Golovkin to truly pique our interest. Saunders doesn’t do it.

I’ll get excited as Alvarez’s next fight approaches. I always do. He’s one of my favorite fighters. As for who he’ll fight? Let me know when the contracts are signed and the actual announcement is made. Until then, it’s just boring.

Robert Helenius scores stunning knockout of Adam Kownacki

Robert Helenius scored a major upset by stopping Adam Kownacki in Round 4 of their title eliminator Saturday in Brooklyn.

Adam Kownacki dominated most of his opponents but he could be hit. That cost him dearly on Saturday.

Robert Helenius, a seemingly faded but still powerful fringe contender, put Kownacki down with a right-left combination and then followed with a hellacious flurry of hard shots that forced referee David Fields to end the title eliminator in the fourth round at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, Kownacki’s home town.

The result was shocking given Kownacki’s previous success, as he had overwhelmed one opponent after another with his relentless aggression en route to a perfect record coming into Saturday’s fight.

However, the native of Poland learned the hard way that such a style – combined with limited defensive skills – can lead to your demise.

Kownacki (20-1, 15 KOs) fought typically well for three-plus rounds, attacking Helenius (30-3, 19 KOs) with purpose and landing more punches than the taller (6-foot-6½) Finn. He seemed to be on track to another impressive victory.

We might’ve seen a clue of what was to come in Round 2, when Helenius, proving he wasn’t there to roll over, rocked Kownacki with a few punches in wildly entertaining exchanges. Kownacki actually took a step backward at one moment, which was a strange sight.

The end came swiftly in Round 4. Helenius landed a hard right hand during a violent exchange in one corner that knocked Kownacki to one knee. Fields ruled it a slip but replays showed that it was a knockdown. And Kownacki was hurt.

Moments later Helenius landed his big right-left and down went Kownacki onto his back. He got up fairly easily but couldn’t adequately defend himself as Helenius unloaded what seemed to be dozens of hard, accurate shots that gave Fields no choice but to end matters before thousands of Kownacki’s disappointed fans.

The official end came at 1:08 of Round 4.

Helenius, a former contender hoping to make a strong statement at 36 years old, thrust his arms in the air in triumph. He instantly became a significant player once again in the sport’s glamour division, meaning big paydays could lie ahead.

That’s remarkable given that he was stopped in two rounds by another fringe contender, Gerald Washington, only two fights earlier.

Kownacki, dazed and confused, was left to wonder what hit him. He’s still young, only 30, and determined. He’ll probably bounce back. But this one hurts. Gone is his perfect record. And gone is any chance of a major championship fight anytime soon.

That’s the heavyweight division.