Gervonta Davis said he’s taking nothing for granted against Hector Luis Garcia on Jan. 7.
Gervonta Davis is confident but he’s not stupid.
The unbeaten lightweight contender saw what Hector Luis Garcia did against Chris Colbert early this year. He wants to be certain he doesn’t suffer a similar fate when he meets the Dominican on pay-per-view Jan. 7 in Washington, D.C.
Garcia, relatively unknown at the time, stunned the boxing world by easily outpointing Colbert last February before defeating Roger Gutierrez to win a junior lightweight title.
“Hector is a sound fighter who’s beat some top guys,” said Davis, who’s coming off a sixth-round knockout of Rolando Romero in May. “He’s a durable guy who’s coming to fight. He’s undefeated and he’s a great opponent. You can’t sleep on him. If you’re sleeping on him, he might put you to sleep.”
Indeed, Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs) can be seen as a stepping stone in that Davis and Ryan Garcia have agreed to meet in a super fight next year but he’s not a pushover.
The 2016 Olympian is a skillful, experienced boxer with an aggressive style that can wear down even an elite opponent, as we saw in the Colbert fight.
The problem for Hector Luis Garcia might be two-fold: He’s moving up in weight and Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) punches a lot harder than Colbert does, which can be a deterrent to any hard charging opponent.
Still, Davis doesn’t plan to rush anything.
“I know that someone like Garcia isn’t just someone stepping in,” Davis said. “He’s been training for me for a long time. … I can’t just go in there and try to knock everyone out right away.
“I have to show that I have more than just punching power. I have skills.”
No one has more confidence in Davis than longtime trainer Calvin Ford.
Ford also respects Garcia but believes his popular protégé is ready to soar, against both of the Garcias and beyond.
“We’ve got a tough task,” Ford said of the Jan. 7 bout. “This fight is more mental than physical. I think it’s similar to the Jose Pedraza fight (TKO 7) because Garcia is also an undefeated Olympian who’s a world champion. We’re just ready to go to that next level. …
“I’ve been with Gervonta since the amateurs and now we’re at the level where he’s that guy. I’m looking to see Gervonta put his stamp on his brand as a fighter.”
Gervonta Davis said he’s taking nothing for granted against Hector Luis Garcia on Jan. 7.
Gervonta Davis is confident but he’s not stupid.
The unbeaten lightweight contender saw what Hector Luis Garcia did against Chris Colbert early this year. He wants to be certain he doesn’t suffer a similar fate when he meets the Dominican on pay-per-view Jan. 7 in Washington, D.C.
Garcia, relatively unknown at the time, stunned the boxing world by easily outpointing Colbert last February before defeating Roger Gutierrez to win a junior lightweight title.
“Hector is a sound fighter who’s beat some top guys,” said Davis, who’s coming off a sixth-round knockout of Rolando Romero in May. “He’s a durable guy who’s coming to fight. He’s undefeated and he’s a great opponent. You can’t sleep on him. If you’re sleeping on him, he might put you to sleep.”
Indeed, Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs) can be seen as a stepping stone in that Davis and Ryan Garcia have agreed to meet in a super fight next year but he’s not a pushover.
The 2016 Olympian is a skillful, experienced boxer with an aggressive style that can wear down even an elite opponent, as we saw in the Colbert fight.
The problem for Hector Luis Garcia might be two-fold: He’s moving up in weight and Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) punches a lot harder than Colbert does, which can be a deterrent to any hard charging opponent.
Still, Davis doesn’t plan to rush anything.
“I know that someone like Garcia isn’t just someone stepping in,” Davis said. “He’s been training for me for a long time. … I can’t just go in there and try to knock everyone out right away.
“I have to show that I have more than just punching power. I have skills.”
No one has more confidence in Davis than longtime trainer Calvin Ford.
Ford also respects Garcia but believes his popular protégé is ready to soar, against both of the Garcias and beyond.
“We’ve got a tough task,” Ford said of the Jan. 7 bout. “This fight is more mental than physical. I think it’s similar to the Jose Pedraza fight (TKO 7) because Garcia is also an undefeated Olympian who’s a world champion. We’re just ready to go to that next level. …
“I’ve been with Gervonta since the amateurs and now we’re at the level where he’s that guy. I’m looking to see Gervonta put his stamp on his brand as a fighter.”
Boxing fans have been blessed by a series of outstanding performances in the first half of 2022, which ends at midnight on Thursday. Boxing Junkie painstakingly went through results day by day since the start of the year to determine the best of the …
Boxing fans have been blessed by a series of outstanding performances in the first half of 2022, which ends at midnight on Thursday.
Boxing Junkie painstakingly went through results day by day since the start of the year to determine the best of the best. And we came up with what we feel are the 10 top performances so far.
Boxing fans have been blessed by a series of outstanding performances in the first half of 2022, which ends at midnight on Thursday. Boxing Junkie painstakingly went through results day by day since the start of the year to determine the best of the …
Boxing fans have been blessed by a series of outstanding performances in the first half of 2022, which ends at midnight on Thursday.
Boxing Junkie painstakingly went through results day by day since the start of the year to determine the best of the best. And we came up with what we feel are the 10 top performances so far.
A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD It was the day of the underdog. Jack Catterall, Fernando Martinez and Hector Luis Garcia surprised everyone but themselves and those close to them by giving inspired performances Saturday, whether they …
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
It was the day of the underdog.
Jack Catterall, Fernando Martinez and Hector Luis Garcia surprised everyone but themselves and those close to them by giving inspired performances Saturday, whether they were victorious or not.
Catterall lost to Josh Taylor while Martinez and Garcia beat Jerwin Ancajas and Chris Colbert, respectively, but all three earned respect.
Many believe that Catterall did enough to earn the nod over undisputed junior welterweight titleholder Josh Taylor in Glasgow, Scotland, Taylor’s home country, but the Englishman lost a split decision.
One thing is certain: The challenger used underappreciated ability and grit to give the champion at least as much trouble as Regis Prograis and Jose Ramirez did, which is saying a lot given the status of those fighters.
Catterall (26-1, 13 KOs) shook his head in disgust when the decision was read. So did a lot of other people. But we all know what we saw.
Martinez (14-0, 8 KOs) is managed by fellow Argentine Marcos Maidana, which is appropriate. He attacked long-reigning champion Ancajas with the ferocity for which his handler became known. That made for a wild toe-to-toe brawl with the rugged Filipino, which Martinez won by a wide decision.
Who wouldn’t want to watch Martinez fight again after that performance? Fans dream of warriors like him.
And Garcia (15-0, 10 KOs) might’ve given the most eye-opening performance of the day given the reputation of Colbert, who was seen as a rising star. The Dominican, strong, fit and confident even though he was a late replacement, imposed his will on his overmatched foe to a point where Colbert refused to even fight back in the last few rounds.
Garcia, who won by a lopsided decision, went from relative unknown to fearsome contender in one night. He’s likely to be favored over titleholder Roger Gutierrez, assuming they meet.
All three men – Catterall, Martinez and Garcia – have a lot of which to be proud.
BAD
Josh Taylor celebrates after his split-decision victory over Jack Catterall. Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc. via Getty Images
Taylor, Ancajas and Colbert gave performances they’d like to forget.
Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) held onto his undisputed 140-pound championship but his reputation took a hit. He said the pressure of defending his belts at home got to him. Makes sense. He apparently has had difficulty making 140. Believable.
At the same time, pound-for-pound fighters are supposed to handle opponents like Catterall, tough, but supposedly limited boxers. He didn’t. He struggled from beginning to end – even going down in the eighth round – and was lucky to leave the ring with his belts.
I would’ve favored the top 147-pounders – including Terence Crawford – to beat Taylor in competitive fights before Saturday. Now I wonder whether he’d be outclassed.
I’m not writing Taylor off based on one sub-par performance but he might’ve hit his ceiling.
Ancajas (33-2-2, 22 KOs) was simply outslugged by Martinez. What I don’t understand is why he didn’t try a different approach given the trajectory of the fight. He has some skills. He could’ve tried boxing more to change things up but didn’t.
Instead, the Filipino bet the house on his ability to outlast his opponent in a fire fight. He’s an ex-champion as a result, the loser of a unanimous decision.
And there isn’t much to say about Colbert’s performance. The Brooklyn fighter didn’t have the tools to keep a better, stronger opponent off of him. I think his relative lack of punching power haunted him in this fight. You have to keep a fighter like Garcia honest or he’s going continue to charge you like a rhinoceros.
A light-punching fighter must be a superb boxer to survive against a beast like Garcia, someone like Pernell Whitaker. Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) evidently isn’t as good as I and many others thought he is, although he’s still young. He can bounce back if he has it in him.
We’ll learn a lot about Taylor, Ancajas and Colbert in their next fights.
WORSE
Vitali Klitschko (right) and brother Wladimir Klitschko are pictured at Kyiv City Hall during the Russian invasion. AP Photo / Efrem Lukatsky
I’ve witnessed the fighting spirit of Ukrainian boxers up close for many years. Thus, it makes sense to me that they and their countrymen are digging in against a seemingly unbeatable enemy in the Russian military.
For example, former heavyweight champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko have said they will take up arms if necessary. I had tremendous respect for them before this senseless war. Now I see them as heroes.
I also fear for their lives, particularly Vitali, who is mayor of the country’s capital of Kyiv. He’s in the line of fire, as the Russians have the city surrounded as I’m writing this. And if Russian President Vladimir Putin has a hit list of Ukrainian leaders who he feels might stand in his way, Vitali must be on it.
The thought of this great Hall of Fame boxer, who’s only 50, dying under these circumstances is sickening.
Viktor Postol demonstrated his mental toughness on the Colbert-Garcia card Saturday night, giving a solid performance before losing to Gary Antuanne Russell even though the lives of family members and friends are imperiled.
Imagine how difficult that must have been, trying focus on your preparation for an important fight while you’re relatively small country is at war with a superpower. He showed fighting spirit just making it into the ring. And even though he was stopped in the 10th and final round, he fought his heart out.
No surprise there. This obviously is what Ukrainians do.
Wladimir Klitschko captured that spirit in an Instagram post, in which he also appealed for help. It read in part: “Here, we will defend ourselves with all our might and fight for freedom and democracy. You can also act. Let not fear seize us; let’s not remain frozen. Putin shoots at Ukrainian cities, but he aims at our hearts and, more importantly, at our minds. He wants to create doubt and confusion and thus inaction.
“You can do something by mobilizing and organizing huge demonstrations. Make your voice heard. Make the voice of democracy heard. Say it loud and clear that international law and democracy are under attack, that war is the greatest evil and that life is sacred. Also say that while solidarity is good, support is better. Say that the march of imperialism must be stopped now. After all, whose turn will it be after Ukraine?”
RABBIT PUNCHES
Russell (15-0, 15 KOs) passed an important test against Postol, who was his most-accomplished opponent so far. The junior welterweight prospect outboxed and outworked Postol (31-4, 12 KOs) for most of the fight and then became the first to stop the former titleholder. I think referee Mike Ortega made a poor decision when he stopped the fight with 29 seconds remaining but that shouldn’t obscure the fact that Russell did what he came to do, which was to make a strong statement against a proven foe. … A colleague who follows British boxing closely provided one stark reason Catterall was livid after he ended up on the wrong end of what might’ve been a bad decision. Had he won, had he become undisputed champion, he could’ve earned in the neighborhood of $1 million next time out. As it is, he’ll be lucky to make $100,000 for his next fight. And he’ll probably never get another shot at becoming an undisputed champion. … WBO cruiserweight titleholder Lawrence Okolie (18-0, 14 KOs) outpointed Michal Cieslak (21-2, 15 KOs) in an ugly fight to retain his belt on Sunday in London. That could set up a title-unification bout with either Mairis Briedis or Ilunga Makabu. The 6-foot-5 Briton also could decide to move up to the heavyweight division.
A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD It was the day of the underdog. Jack Catterall, Fernando Martinez and Hector Luis Garcia surprised everyone but themselves and those close to them by giving inspired performances Saturday, whether they …
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
It was the day of the underdog.
Jack Catterall, Fernando Martinez and Hector Luis Garcia surprised everyone but themselves and those close to them by giving inspired performances Saturday, whether they were victorious or not.
Catterall lost to Josh Taylor while Martinez and Garcia beat Jerwin Ancajas and Chris Colbert, respectively, but all three earned respect.
Many believe that Catterall did enough to earn the nod over undisputed junior welterweight titleholder Josh Taylor in Glasgow, Scotland, Taylor’s home country, but the Englishman lost a split decision.
One thing is certain: The challenger used underappreciated ability and grit to give the champion at least as much trouble as Regis Prograis and Jose Ramirez did, which is saying a lot given the status of those fighters.
Catterall (26-1, 13 KOs) shook his head in disgust when the decision was read. So did a lot of other people. But we all know what we saw.
Martinez (14-0, 8 KOs) is managed by fellow Argentine Marcos Maidana, which is appropriate. He attacked long-reigning champion Ancajas with the ferocity for which his handler became known. That made for a wild toe-to-toe brawl with the rugged Filipino, which Martinez won by a wide decision.
Who wouldn’t want to watch Martinez fight again after that performance? Fans dream of warriors like him.
And Garcia (15-0, 10 KOs) might’ve given the most eye-opening performance of the day given the reputation of Colbert, who was seen as a rising star. The Dominican, strong, fit and confident even though he was a late replacement, imposed his will on his overmatched foe to a point where Colbert refused to even fight back in the last few rounds.
Garcia, who won by a lopsided decision, went from relative unknown to fearsome contender in one night. He’s likely to be favored over titleholder Roger Gutierrez, assuming they meet.
All three men – Catterall, Martinez and Garcia – have a lot of which to be proud.
BAD
Josh Taylor celebrates after his split-decision victory over Jack Catterall. Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc. via Getty Images
Taylor, Ancajas and Colbert gave performances they’d like to forget.
Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) held onto his undisputed 140-pound championship but his reputation took a hit. He said the pressure of defending his belts at home got to him. Makes sense. He apparently has had difficulty making 140. Believable.
At the same time, pound-for-pound fighters are supposed to handle opponents like Catterall, tough, but supposedly limited boxers. He didn’t. He struggled from beginning to end – even going down in the eighth round – and was lucky to leave the ring with his belts.
I would’ve favored the top 147-pounders – including Terence Crawford – to beat Taylor in competitive fights before Saturday. Now I wonder whether he’d be outclassed.
I’m not writing Taylor off based on one sub-par performance but he might’ve hit his ceiling.
Ancajas (33-2-2, 22 KOs) was simply outslugged by Martinez. What I don’t understand is why he didn’t try a different approach given the trajectory of the fight. He has some skills. He could’ve tried boxing more to change things up but didn’t.
Instead, the Filipino bet the house on his ability to outlast his opponent in a fire fight. He’s an ex-champion as a result, the loser of a unanimous decision.
And there isn’t much to say about Colbert’s performance. The Brooklyn fighter didn’t have the tools to keep a better, stronger opponent off of him. I think his relative lack of punching power haunted him in this fight. You have to keep a fighter like Garcia honest or he’s going continue to charge you like a rhinoceros.
A light-punching fighter must be a superb boxer to survive against a beast like Garcia, someone like Pernell Whitaker. Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) evidently isn’t as good as I and many others thought he is, although he’s still young. He can bounce back if he has it in him.
We’ll learn a lot about Taylor, Ancajas and Colbert in their next fights.
WORSE
Vitali Klitschko (right) and brother Wladimir Klitschko are pictured at Kyiv City Hall during the Russian invasion. AP Photo / Efrem Lukatsky
I’ve witnessed the fighting spirit of Ukrainian boxers up close for many years. Thus, it makes sense to me that they and their countrymen are digging in against a seemingly unbeatable enemy in the Russian military.
For example, former heavyweight champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko have said they will take up arms if necessary. I had tremendous respect for them before this senseless war. Now I see them as heroes.
I also fear for their lives, particularly Vitali, who is mayor of the country’s capital of Kyiv. He’s in the line of fire, as the Russians have the city surrounded as I’m writing this. And if Russian President Vladimir Putin has a hit list of Ukrainian leaders who he feels might stand in his way, Vitali must be on it.
The thought of this great Hall of Fame boxer, who’s only 50, dying under these circumstances is sickening.
Viktor Postol demonstrated his mental toughness on the Colbert-Garcia card Saturday night, giving a solid performance before losing to Gary Antuanne Russell even though the lives of family members and friends are imperiled.
Imagine how difficult that must have been, trying focus on your preparation for an important fight while you’re relatively small country is at war with a superpower. He showed fighting spirit just making it into the ring. And even though he was stopped in the 10th and final round, he fought his heart out.
No surprise there. This obviously is what Ukrainians do.
Wladimir Klitschko captured that spirit in an Instagram post, in which he also appealed for help. It read in part: “Here, we will defend ourselves with all our might and fight for freedom and democracy. You can also act. Let not fear seize us; let’s not remain frozen. Putin shoots at Ukrainian cities, but he aims at our hearts and, more importantly, at our minds. He wants to create doubt and confusion and thus inaction.
“You can do something by mobilizing and organizing huge demonstrations. Make your voice heard. Make the voice of democracy heard. Say it loud and clear that international law and democracy are under attack, that war is the greatest evil and that life is sacred. Also say that while solidarity is good, support is better. Say that the march of imperialism must be stopped now. After all, whose turn will it be after Ukraine?”
RABBIT PUNCHES
Russell (15-0, 15 KOs) passed an important test against Postol, who was his most-accomplished opponent so far. The junior welterweight prospect outboxed and outworked Postol (31-4, 12 KOs) for most of the fight and then became the first to stop the former titleholder. I think referee Mike Ortega made a poor decision when he stopped the fight with 29 seconds remaining but that shouldn’t obscure the fact that Russell did what he came to do, which was to make a strong statement against a proven foe. … A colleague who follows British boxing closely provided one stark reason Catterall was livid after he ended up on the wrong end of what might’ve been a bad decision. Had he won, had he become undisputed champion, he could’ve earned in the neighborhood of $1 million next time out. As it is, he’ll be lucky to make $100,000 for his next fight. And he’ll probably never get another shot at becoming an undisputed champion. … WBO cruiserweight titleholder Lawrence Okolie (18-0, 14 KOs) outpointed Michal Cieslak (21-2, 15 KOs) in an ugly fight to retain his belt on Sunday in London. That could set up a title-unification bout with either Mairis Briedis or Ilunga Makabu. The 6-foot-5 Briton also could decide to move up to the heavyweight division.
Hector Luis Garcia stunned Chris Colbert and the boxing world by winning a wide decision Saturday in Las Vegas.
Let’s welcome Hector Luis Garcia. He could be around for a while.
The Dominican had his coming out on Saturday night in Las Vegas, where he dominated hot, unbeaten junior lightweight prospect Chris Colbert en route to a stunning unanimous decision.
The scores were 119-108, 118-109 and 118-109. Boxing Junkie also had it 118-109 for Garcia, who is now in position to challenge WBA titleholder Roger Gutierrez.
Garcia (15-0, 10 KOs) took the fight on three weeks notice after Colbert’s original opponent, Gutierrez, pulled out because he tested positive for COVID-19.
The 30-year-old from San Juan de la Maguana competed in the 2016 Olympics but was largely a question mark going into the fight at The Cosmopolitan.
Now we know what Garcia is all about. He walked down the quick, skillful Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) from the beginning of the fight, landing hard, accurate combinations almost at will and taking everything thrown back at him.
Colbert had some positive moments early in the fight, using his speed and movement to connect on some eye-catching shots. However, that didn’t deter Garcia, who continued to march forward and do damage round after round.
One of Colbert’s many problems was his relative lack of power. A punishing blow or two at opportune times might’ve slowed Garcia down but Colbert isn’t a big puncher. Plus, it appears that Garcia has a rock-solid chin.
The biggest shot of the night came in Round 7, when Colbert walked into a counter left and fell flat on his back about two minutes into the action. He survived but his mission became that much more difficult.
Colbert, aware that he needed to deliver something big to turn the tide, tried to land that big shot over the next few rounds but failed. Then, obviously accepting his fate, he danced in the final few rounds to avoid taking undue punishment.
Garcia had said beforehand that he saw nothing special in Colbert. He looked like a prophet after the fact.
And he did it without head trainer Ismael Salas, who was in Scotland to work the corner of Robeisy Ramirez.
“When I was told three weeks ago that I was going to take this fight, I saw that it was going to change my life,” he said through a translator. “So I needed to come in my best shape.
“I want to give a lot of credit to the professor, Ismael Salas, who gave me the confidence, ‘You can win this fight.'”
The fight was billed as a title eliminator, which means that Garcia is first in line to face Gutierrez. And that’s exactly what he wants.
“Definitely, I want to fight Gutierrez for the world championship,” he said. “I worked too hard to get into this position today, so I definitely want to fight Gutierrez.”
What could Colbert say afterward? Not much. He said he doesn’t believe he was at his best but offered no excuses.
“Tonight he was just the better man,” he said. “I’m going to take my defeats the way I take my [victories], as a man. I’m going to keep my head up. And I want to run it back. Let’s do it again.”
He went on: “Everybody puts pressure on me. That was nothing new. Today I just wasn’t myself.”
Colbert was also asked why he shifted into survival mode in the final few rounds, which gave him no chance to score a late knockout and preserve his then-perfect record.
He saw no point in taking the risk.
“Like I said I wasn’t feeling myself tonight,” he said. “So I wasn’t going to go in there and do something stupid and get caught with no dumb shot.”
Colbert will be criticized for his late-fight actions by the fans, who expect their fighters to go down swinging. At the same time, everyone who watched that bout will at least have understood his thought process.
Hector Luis Garcia stunned Chris Colbert and the boxing world by winning a wide decision Saturday in Las Vegas.
Let’s welcome Hector Luis Garcia. He could be around for a while.
The Dominican had his coming out on Saturday night in Las Vegas, where he dominated hot, unbeaten junior lightweight prospect Chris Colbert en route to a stunning unanimous decision.
The scores were 119-108, 118-109 and 118-109. Boxing Junkie also had it 118-109 for Garcia, who is now in position to challenge WBA titleholder Roger Gutierrez.
Garcia (15-0, 10 KOs) took the fight on three weeks notice after Colbert’s original opponent, Gutierrez, pulled out because he tested positive for COVID-19.
The 30-year-old from San Juan de la Maguana competed in the 2016 Olympics but was largely a question mark going into the fight at The Cosmopolitan.
Now we know what Garcia is all about. He walked down the quick, skillful Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) from the beginning of the fight, landing hard, accurate combinations almost at will and taking everything thrown back at him.
Colbert had some positive moments early in the fight, using his speed and movement to connect on some eye-catching shots. However, that didn’t deter Garcia, who continued to march forward and do damage round after round.
One of Colbert’s many problems was his relative lack of power. A punishing blow or two at opportune times might’ve slowed Garcia down but Colbert isn’t a big puncher. Plus, it appears that Garcia has a rock-solid chin.
The biggest shot of the night came in Round 7, when Colbert walked into a counter left and fell flat on his back about two minutes into the action. He survived but his mission became that much more difficult.
Colbert, aware that he needed to deliver something big to turn the tide, tried to land that big shot over the next few rounds but failed. Then, obviously accepting his fate, he danced in the final few rounds to avoid taking undue punishment.
Garcia had said beforehand that he saw nothing special in Colbert. He looked like a prophet after the fact.
And he did it without head trainer Ismael Salas, who was in Scotland to work the corner of Robeisy Ramirez.
“When I was told three weeks ago that I was going to take this fight, I saw that it was going to change my life,” he said through a translator. “So I needed to come in my best shape.
“I want to give a lot of credit to the professor, Ismael Salas, who gave me the confidence, ‘You can win this fight.'”
The fight was billed as a title eliminator, which means that Garcia is first in line to face Gutierrez. And that’s exactly what he wants.
“Definitely, I want to fight Gutierrez for the world championship,” he said. “I worked too hard to get into this position today, so I definitely want to fight Gutierrez.”
What could Colbert say afterward? Not much. He said he doesn’t believe he was at his best but offered no excuses.
“Tonight he was just the better man,” he said. “I’m going to take my defeats the way I take my [victories], as a man. I’m going to keep my head up. And I want to run it back. Let’s do it again.”
He went on: “Everybody puts pressure on me. That was nothing new. Today I just wasn’t myself.”
Colbert was also asked why he shifted into survival mode in the final few rounds, which gave him no chance to score a late knockout and preserve his then-perfect record.
He saw no point in taking the risk.
“Like I said I wasn’t feeling myself tonight,” he said. “So I wasn’t going to go in there and do something stupid and get caught with no dumb shot.”
Colbert will be criticized for his late-fight actions by the fans, who expect their fighters to go down swinging. At the same time, everyone who watched that bout will at least have understood his thought process.
Gary Antuanne Russell kept his knockout streak alive against Viktor Postol on Saturday in Las Vegas.
One could argue that Gary Antuanne Russell didn’t deserve a knockout but he definitely deserved the victory.
Russell, a rising junior welterweight contender, passed the biggest test of his career by stopping veteran Viktor Postol on Saturday at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
Postol, 38, had never been stopped, including in losses to Terence Crawford, Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez.
Russell (15-0, 15 KOs) was in attack mode from the opening bell, outboxing and outworking his more-experienced and still-effective Ukrainian opponent most of the fight.
Postol (31-3, 12 KOs) countered well at times but couldn’t keep pace with the more aggressive Russell.
Russell hurt Postol in the final minute of the fight, although Postol continued to defend himself. Still, referee Mike Ortega, trying to protect Postol, stopped the fight with 29 seconds to go.
The scores at the time of the stoppage were 89-82, 89-82 and 88-83, all for Russell.
Russell was asked afterward whether he thought the fight should’ve been stopped.
“Definitely,” he said. “There was a lot of contacts. Low gloves. The judges made the correct decision. I think my performance speaks for itself.
“The talent speaks for itself. I believe I’m ready for a step-up fight.”
Postol, fighting with a heavy heart because of his country’s war with Russia, said he wasn’t at his best.
“I just couldn’t do what I wanted to do in the ring,” he said. “My legs were not there and my arms were not there like I needed them to be. I’ve fought much better fighters than Gary Russell, but for some reason I wasn’t able to perform to my abilities.
“I came here to win tonight. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to achieve my goal.”
Gary Antuanne Russell kept his knockout streak alive against Viktor Postol on Saturday in Las Vegas.
One could argue that Gary Antuanne Russell didn’t deserve a knockout but he definitely deserved the victory.
Russell, a rising junior welterweight contender, passed the biggest test of his career by stopping veteran Viktor Postol on Saturday at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
Postol, 38, had never been stopped, including in losses to Terence Crawford, Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez.
Russell (15-0, 15 KOs) was in attack mode from the opening bell, outboxing and outworking his more-experienced and still-effective Ukrainian opponent most of the fight.
Postol (31-3, 12 KOs) countered well at times but couldn’t keep pace with the more aggressive Russell.
Russell hurt Postol in the final minute of the fight, although Postol continued to defend himself. Still, referee Mike Ortega, trying to protect Postol, stopped the fight with 29 seconds to go.
The scores at the time of the stoppage were 89-82, 89-82 and 88-83, all for Russell.
Russell was asked afterward whether he thought the fight should’ve been stopped.
“Definitely,” he said. “There was a lot of contacts. Low gloves. The judges made the correct decision. I think my performance speaks for itself.
“The talent speaks for itself. I believe I’m ready for a step-up fight.”
Postol, fighting with a heavy heart because of his country’s war with Russia, said he wasn’t at his best.
“I just couldn’t do what I wanted to do in the ring,” he said. “My legs were not there and my arms were not there like I needed them to be. I’ve fought much better fighters than Gary Russell, but for some reason I wasn’t able to perform to my abilities.
“I came here to win tonight. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to achieve my goal.”
