Knockout artist Jaron Ennis had to go the distance to beat Karen Chukhadzhian on Saturday in Washington, D.C.
Jaron Ennis didn’t get a knockout but his victory was decisive on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card Saturday in Washington, D.C.
The hard-punching welterweight contender defeated a reluctant Karen Chukhadzhian by a shutout decision in a 12-round bout, which snapped Ennis’ knockout streak at 19.
All three judges scored it 120-108, 12 round to none. Boxing Junkie had Ennis winning 119-109.
“We come here to dominate,” he said. “I feel like I could have thrown more punches. I should stop that guy and that’s on me. I wanted him to engage but we did what we could.”
Ennis (30-0, 27 KOs) stalked Chukadzhian (21-2, 11 KOs) the entire fight and landed many more punches than the Ukrainian did.
However, Chukadzhian, a clever, athletic boxer, was more committed to surviving than winning, which made it difficult for Ennis to score another stoppage.
Ennis would land a punch, maybe two — some of them hard — and then Chukadzhian used his quick feet to run from further trouble. Plus, Chukadzhian took Ennis’ best shots.
That was the story of the fight.
Chukadzhian stood his ground on occasion, landing eye-catching shots here and there, but he didn’t do enough to win a single round on the judges’ scorecards.
Of course, Ennis had hoped to make a stronger statement on the high-profile card but he won convincingly and took another step toward his first title shot.
“Everyone knows that I want [unified titleholder] Errol Spence and the winner of Virgil Ortiz and [Eimantas] Stanionis, you know, all the top guys. Let’s get it, you know?
“I’ll wait until the time is right and [Spence] is ready.”
Roiman Villa dropped Rashidi Ellis twice in the 12th round to clinch a stunning upset on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card.
Roiman Villa demonstrated that persistence can pay off.
The welterweight contender from Venezuela was outclassed by Rashidi Ellis in the first half of their fight but delivered a fierce rally — including two final-round knockdowns — to upset previously unbeaten Rashidi Ellis by a majority decision in a 12-round title eliminator.
One judge scored it 113-113, a draw. However, the other two favored Villa 114-112, six rounds each. Boxing Junkie scored it 114-112 for Ellis.
Ellis (25-0, 15 KOs) controlled the first six rounds with an incessant jab, plenty of hard, accurate power shots and the ability to use his feet to stay out of harm’s way.
He appeared to be on his way to an one-sided victory. However, Villa (26-1, 24 KOs) had different ideas.
Villa’s relentless pressure paid off the second half of the action, when he began to land hard, punishing shots to Ellis’ head and body to climb back into the fight.
The Venezuelan won the fight in the final round, when he put Ellis down twice — once from a left hook midway through the frame and again with a flurry of shots in the final seconds — to earn a 10-7 round.
That proved to be the difference on the scorecards in the first significant upset of 2023.
“I know that fighters such as him who are quick sooner or later will get a little tired and that’s what I took advantage of,” Villa said in the ring afterward.
Ellis, stunned by the scoring, wants a rematch.
“I thought I was dictating the fight,” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t know what happened. … I totally disagree with the decision. I was winning most of the rounds.
“Yeah, he had the knockdown, but other than that, I was winning most of the rounds.”
Roiman Villa dropped Rashidi Ellis twice in the 12th round to clinch a stunning upset on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card.
Roiman Villa demonstrated that persistence can pay off.
The welterweight contender from Venezuela was outclassed by Rashidi Ellis in the first half of their fight but delivered a fierce rally — including two final-round knockdowns — to upset previously unbeaten Rashidi Ellis by a majority decision in a 12-round title eliminator.
One judge scored it 113-113, a draw. However, the other two favored Villa 114-112, six rounds each. Boxing Junkie scored it 114-112 for Ellis.
Ellis (25-0, 15 KOs) controlled the first six rounds with an incessant jab, plenty of hard, accurate power shots and the ability to use his feet to stay out of harm’s way.
He appeared to be on his way to an one-sided victory. However, Villa (26-1, 24 KOs) had different ideas.
Villa’s relentless pressure paid off the second half of the action, when he began to land hard, punishing shots to Ellis’ head and body to climb back into the fight.
The Venezuelan won the fight in the final round, when he put Ellis down twice — once from a left hook midway through the frame and again with a flurry of shots in the final seconds — to earn a 10-7 round.
That proved to be the difference on the scorecards in the first significant upset of 2023.
“I know that fighters such as him who are quick sooner or later will get a little tired and that’s what I took advantage of,” Villa said in the ring afterward.
Ellis, stunned by the scoring, wants a rematch.
“I thought I was dictating the fight,” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t know what happened. … I totally disagree with the decision. I was winning most of the rounds.
“Yeah, he had the knockdown, but other than that, I was winning most of the rounds.”
Demetrius Andrade easily outpointed Demond Nicholson in his 168-pound debut on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card Saturday.
Demetrius Andrade looked like a legitimate contender in his 168-pound debut.
The former titleholder at 154 and 160 dropped Demond Nicholson twice and easily outboxed him to win a shutout decision in a 10-round bout on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card at Captial One Arena in Washington, D.C.
All three judges scored it 100-88, 10 rounds to none. Boxing Junkie also scored it 100-88.
“I felt good,” Andrade said. “I could definitely tell the weight difference but speed, combinations, the IQ was the plan today, get the 10 rounds in. And that’s what we did.”
Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs) attacked Nicholson (26-5-1, 22 KOs) from the opening bell and didn’t let up, picking apart his overmatched opponent with a variety shots at a safe distance.
The southpaw put Nicholson down with a combination in Round 2, although Nicholson wasn’t hurt.
And, in the final minute of the fight, a hard left hand to the head put Nicholson on the canvas a second time to punctuate Andrade’s impressive performance.
Andrade appeared to suffer a knockdown from a flurry of punches in Round 5 but the referee didn’t rule it that way. Otherwise, the winner, an excellent defensive fighter, took few punches.
According to CompuBox, Nicholson landed only total 28 shots — 2.8 per round.
The only flaw in Andrade’s performance — if it can be described as such — was his inability to take out a man he dominated from beginning to end.
Still, Andrade demonstrated that he’s a genuine threat to the top super middleweights, including undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. He could be first in line to face the winner of a projected fight between top contenders David Benavidez and Caleb Plant.
“The only way I can say I’m the best,” he said, “is to fight the best.”
Demetrius Andrade easily outpointed Demond Nicholson in his 168-pound debut on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card Saturday.
Demetrius Andrade looked like a legitimate contender in his 168-pound debut.
The former titleholder at 154 and 160 dropped Demond Nicholson twice and easily outboxed him to win a shutout decision in a 10-round bout on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card at Captial One Arena in Washington, D.C.
All three judges scored it 100-88, 10 rounds to none. Boxing Junkie also scored it 100-88.
“I felt good,” Andrade said. “I could definitely tell the weight difference but speed, combinations, the IQ was the plan today, get the 10 rounds in. And that’s what we did.”
Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs) attacked Nicholson (26-5-1, 22 KOs) from the opening bell and didn’t let up, picking apart his overmatched opponent with a variety shots at a safe distance.
The southpaw put Nicholson down with a combination in Round 2, although Nicholson wasn’t hurt.
And, in the final minute of the fight, a hard left hand to the head put Nicholson on the canvas a second time to punctuate Andrade’s impressive performance.
Andrade appeared to suffer a knockdown from a flurry of punches in Round 5 but the referee didn’t rule it that way. Otherwise, the winner, an excellent defensive fighter, took few punches.
According to CompuBox, Nicholson landed only total 28 shots — 2.8 per round.
The only flaw in Andrade’s performance — if it can be described as such — was his inability to take out a man he dominated from beginning to end.
Still, Andrade demonstrated that he’s a genuine threat to the top super middleweights, including undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. He could be first in line to face the winner of a projected fight between top contenders David Benavidez and Caleb Plant.
“The only way I can say I’m the best,” he said, “is to fight the best.”
Gervonta Davis and Hector Luis Garcia on Friday made weight for their lightweight pay-per-view fight Saturday in Washington, D.C.
Gervonta Davis and Hector Luis Garcia on Friday made weight for their pay-per-view lightweight fight Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
Both fighters came in at 134 pounds, one below the division limit.
Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) is fighting at 135 for the third consecutive fight after fighting at 130 and then 140 in 2020 and 2021. He holds the secondary WBA title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize.
“Tank” has agreed to face Ryan Garcia in his next fight, assuming he defeats Garcia.
Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs) is a 130-pound titleholder moving up to 135 for the first time. He had a break-out year last year, outpointing Chris Colbert and then doing the same against Roger Gutierrez to win his belt.
Gervonta Davis and Hector Luis Garcia on Friday made weight for their lightweight pay-per-view fight Saturday in Washington, D.C.
Gervonta Davis and Hector Luis Garcia on Friday made weight for their pay-per-view lightweight fight Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
Both fighters came in at 134 pounds, one below the division limit.
Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) is fighting at 135 for the third consecutive fight after fighting at 130 and then 140 in 2020 and 2021. He holds the secondary WBA title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize.
“Tank” has agreed to face Ryan Garcia in his next fight, assuming he defeats Garcia.
Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs) is a 130-pound titleholder moving up to 135 for the first time. He had a break-out year last year, outpointing Chris Colbert and then doing the same against Roger Gutierrez to win his belt.
Gervonta Davis vs. Hector Luis Garcia: date, time, how to watch, background.
Lightweight contender Gervonta Davis is scheduled to face Hector Luis Garcia in the first big fight of the new year on pay-per-view Saturday.
GERVONTA DAVIS (27-0, 25 KOs) vs. HECTOR LUIS GARCIA (16-0, 10 KOs)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 7
Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
TV/Stream: Pay-per-view ($74.99)
Division: Lightweight (135 pounds)
At stake: No major titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: Davis No. 10
Odds: Davis 10-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Jaron Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian, welterweights; Rashidi Ellis vs. Roiman Villa, welterweights; Demetrius Andrade vs. Demond Nicholson, super middleweights
Prediction: Davis KO 8
Background: The main event seemed to be in jeopardy after Davis was arrested Tuesday for allegedly striking the mother of his child – who later walked back her accusations – but the fight will go forward as scheduled. The 28-year-old from Baltimore has a lethal combination of ability and power to go with a massive social following, which has made him one of the biggest stars in the sport. He has beaten in succession Leo Santa Cruz (130 pounds), Mario Barrios (140), Isaac Cruz (135) and Rolando Romero (135), all by knockout except for Cruz. The Mexican took Davis the distance in part because Davis fought with an injured hand. Davis and Ryan Garcia have agreed to meet in a super fight early this year, assuming “Tank” wins Saturday. Hector Garcia also commands respect. The 31-year-old Dominican, skillful and aggressive, stunned the boxing world by easily outpointing hot contender Chris Colbert in the Upset of the Year last February and then defeated Roger Gutierrez by a wide decision in August to win a 130-pound belt. The fact he’s moving up in weight to face a fighter the caliber of Davis could be a significant disadvantage.
Gervonta Davis vs. Hector Luis Garcia: date, time, how to watch, background.
Lightweight contender Gervonta Davis is scheduled to face Hector Luis Garcia in the first big fight of the new year on pay-per-view Saturday.
GERVONTA DAVIS (27-0, 25 KOs) vs. HECTOR LUIS GARCIA (16-0, 10 KOs)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 7
Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
TV/Stream: Pay-per-view ($74.99)
Division: Lightweight (135 pounds)
At stake: No major titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: Davis No. 10
Odds: Davis 10-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Jaron Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian, welterweights; Rashidi Ellis vs. Roiman Villa, welterweights; Demetrius Andrade vs. Demond Nicholson, super middleweights
Prediction: Davis KO 8
Background: The main event seemed to be in jeopardy after Davis was arrested Tuesday for allegedly striking the mother of his child – who later walked back her accusations – but the fight will go forward as scheduled. The 28-year-old from Baltimore has a lethal combination of ability and power to go with a massive social following, which has made him one of the biggest stars in the sport. He has beaten in succession Leo Santa Cruz (130 pounds), Mario Barrios (140), Isaac Cruz (135) and Rolando Romero (135), all by knockout except for Cruz. The Mexican took Davis the distance in part because Davis fought with an injured hand. Davis and Ryan Garcia have agreed to meet in a super fight early this year, assuming “Tank” wins Saturday. Hector Garcia also commands respect. The 31-year-old Dominican, skillful and aggressive, stunned the boxing world by easily outpointing hot contender Chris Colbert in the Upset of the Year last February and then defeated Roger Gutierrez by a wide decision in August to win a 130-pound belt. The fact he’s moving up in weight to face a fighter the caliber of Davis could be a significant disadvantage.
Gervonta Davis has a lot on plate: legal woes, Ryan Garcia and, oh yeah, Hector Garcia.
Gervonta Davis faces a legitimate test on Saturday but that’s not what people are talking about.
The lightweight contender was arrested on domestic violence allegations that were later recanted. He has an unrelated legal case pending, the latest in a series of missteps. And he has already agreed to face Ryan Garcia in a massive matchup in his next fight. Those are the most-compelling Davis-related topics at the moment.
Hector Luis Garcia? Davis’ opponent in a few days in a 135-pound fight at Capital One Arena is an afterthought.
Even Showtime host Brian Custer, who you’d think would steer clear of Davis’ legal problems, asked him at the final news conference Thursday how he has been able to focus “with everything whirling around you outside the ring.”
Davis talked about perseverance.
“This is my job,” Davis said. “I’ve been doing it since the age of 7. It feels as though it comes with it. If I stop now … then I feel as though I ain’t really do what I came to do just yet. I feel as though if I keep pushing … it’s just a hump in my road.
“It’s just like this fight to get to the next one. I feel as though just humps in the road we all have in life.”
Well, allegations of domestic violence aren’t common humps.
Davis was arrested and jailed on Dec. 27 after the mother of his daughter claimed he struck her in the face during an argument in the Miami area, where the fighter had been training. The fact she walked back her accusations – saying Davis “did not harm me” – spared him a court date and probably saved the fight, which had been in jeopardy.
He will go on trial beginning Feb. 16 on hit-and-run charges after an accident in 2020. He reportedly faces 14 charges after allegedly running a red light in his SUV, crashing into another vehicle and then fleeing the scene on foot in his native Baltimore.
An injured pregnant woman trapped in the other car reportedly testified that Davis “looked me in the eyes, and he never came over to help.”
Davis could face prison time if convicted, which must weigh heavily on the 28-year-old. And, obviously, it could impact his plans to meet Ryan Garcia and the rest of his boxing career.
Indeed, how could he possibly focus on a fight against solid opponent?
Davis said he has been able to do so because of Hector Garcia’s proven ability and the fact he won’t get the lucrative, possibly career-defining Ryan Garcia fight if he loses to the unbeaten Dominican, who is coming off convincing victories over Chris Colbert and Roger Gutierrez.
“[Hector] Garcia earned his spot in this fight for what he’s done this past year,” Davis said Davis. “He’s been in good fights and beaten good fighters. He’s not someone to sleep on. He’s a tough opponent and this is going to prepare me for a Ryan Garcia fight next.
“… There’s been a lot of talk from other fighters in the division. I’m putting them on notice with this fight and the Ryan fight. I can’t get to Ryan unless I get past Hector. I’m showing everyone that I’m one of the elite guys.”
Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) has already demonstrated that he’s one of the elite guys, knocking out one capable opponent after another. If he maintains his current trajectory, he could be on his way to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
The question related to him: Will he be remembered more for what he does inside the ring or outside it? That’s up in the air.