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.
Angelo Leo defeated Aaron Alameda by a majority decision on the Jermall Charlo-Juan Montiel card Saturday in Houston.
Angelo Leo is fortunate that he doesn’t have consecutive losses.
The former 122-pound titleholder, who lost his belt to Stephen Fulton in January, defeated Aaron Alameda by a majority decision on the Jermall Charlo-Juan Montiel card Saturday night in Houston.
One judge had it 95-95 but the other two scored it for Leo, 98-92 and 96-94. Boxing Junkie scored it 95-95, a draw.
Leo (21-1, 9 KOs) and Alameda (25-2, 13 KOs) threw and landed about the same number of punches and both had good moments in a competitive, back-and-forth fight.
The winner did good body work, which is typical of him. But one could argue that Alameda landed more eye-catching punches, including a number of uppercuts.
Any score between 96-94 either way would’ve been acceptable. The 98-92 card of judge Eva Zaragoza didn’t reflect what happened in the ring.
With the victory, Leo, who lost a clear decision against Fulton, took a significant step toward another shot at a title.
And even in defeat, Alameda demonstrated that he can fight on even terms with a top junior featherweight for a second consecutive fight. He gave Luis Nery all he could handle in a unanimous-decision loss in September.
Angelo Leo defeated Aaron Alameda by a majority decision on the Jermall Charlo-Juan Montiel card Saturday in Houston.
Angelo Leo is fortunate that he doesn’t have consecutive losses.
The former 122-pound titleholder, who lost his belt to Stephen Fulton in January, defeated Aaron Alameda by a majority decision on the Jermall Charlo-Juan Montiel card Saturday night in Houston.
One judge had it 95-95 but the other two scored it for Leo, 98-92 and 96-94. Boxing Junkie scored it 95-95, a draw.
Leo (21-1, 9 KOs) and Alameda (25-2, 13 KOs) threw and landed about the same number of punches and both had good moments in a competitive, back-and-forth fight.
The winner did good body work, which is typical of him. But one could argue that Alameda landed more eye-catching punches, including a number of uppercuts.
Any score between 96-94 either way would’ve been acceptable. The 98-92 card of judge Eva Zaragoza didn’t reflect what happened in the ring.
With the victory, Leo, who lost a clear decision against Fulton, took a significant step toward another shot at a title.
And even in defeat, Alameda demonstrated that he can fight on even terms with a top junior featherweight for a second consecutive fight. He gave Luis Nery all he could handle in a unanimous-decision loss in September.
Angelo Leo defeated Aaron Alameda by a majority decision on the Jermall Charlo-Juan Montiel card Saturday in Houston.
Angelo Leo is fortunate that he doesn’t have consecutive losses.
The former 122-pound titleholder, who lost his belt to Stephen Fulton in January, defeated Aaron Alameda by a majority decision on the Jermall Charlo-Juan Montiel card Saturday night in Houston.
One judge had it 95-95 but the other two scored it for Leo, 98-92 and 96-94. Boxing Junkie scored it 95-95, a draw.
Leo (21-1, 9 KOs) and Alameda (25-2, 13 KOs) threw and landed about the same number of punches and both had good moments in a competitive, back-and-forth fight.
The winner did good body work, which is typical of him. But one could argue that Alameda landed more eye-catching punches, including a number of uppercuts.
Any score between 96-94 either way would’ve been acceptable. The 98-92 card of judge Eva Zaragoza didn’t reflect what happened in the ring.
With the victory, Leo, who lost a clear decision against Fulton, took a significant step toward another shot at a title.
And even in defeat, Alameda demonstrated that he can fight on even terms with a top junior featherweight for a second consecutive fight. He gave Luis Nery all he could handle in a unanimous-decision loss in September.
Angelo Leo defeated Aaron Alameda by a majority decision on the Jermall Charlo-Juan Montiel card Saturday in Houston.
Angelo Leo is fortunate that he doesn’t have consecutive losses.
The former 122-pound titleholder, who lost his belt to Stephen Fulton in January, defeated Aaron Alameda by a majority decision on the Jermall Charlo-Juan Montiel card Saturday night in Houston.
One judge had it 95-95 but the other two scored it for Leo, 98-92 and 96-94. Boxing Junkie scored it 95-95, a draw.
Leo (21-1, 9 KOs) and Alameda (25-2, 13 KOs) threw and landed about the same number of punches and both had good moments in a competitive, back-and-forth fight.
The winner did good body work, which is typical of him. But one could argue that Alameda landed more eye-catching punches, including a number of uppercuts.
Any score between 96-94 either way would’ve been acceptable. The 98-92 card of judge Eva Zaragoza didn’t reflect what happened in the ring.
With the victory, Leo, who lost a clear decision against Fulton, took a significant step toward another shot at a title.
And even in defeat, Alameda demonstrated that he can fight on even terms with a top junior featherweight for a second consecutive fight. He gave Luis Nery all he could handle in a unanimous-decision loss in September.
David Benavidez took no chances with his weight for his fight this Saturday after losing his title on the scales last time out.
Were you surprised that David Benavidez made weight for his fight Saturday? Benavidez wasn’t.
The former super middleweight champion lost his title and some respect on the scales before his defense against Roamer Alexis Angulo this past August at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., coming in a whopping 2.75 pounds over the 168-pound limit.
The 24-year-old blamed difficult conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic for his misstep, at least part. However, in the end, he knew the main culprit was himself and took full responsibility.
He pulled out all stops to make sure the same thing didn’t happen for his title eliminator against Ronald Ellis on Saturday night at the same venue: He weighed in Friday at 167.25, as did Ellis.
What was different this time?
He trained at high altitude in secluded Big Bear, Calif. — about a 2½-hour drive from Los Angeles — for the first time since 2017, which allowed him to focus 100% on training. He watched his diet carefully. And, most important, he was motivated to get it right.
Benavidez (23-0, 20 KOs) said he weighed 168 pounds four days before the fight.
“There was more at stake at this point because the last time I didn’t make weight,” he said during the final news conference. “I had something to prove to myself and my fans. Also a big key to this training camp is [we] just had my son. Having him around and just being a father made me 10 times more motivated than I already was.
“I’m not only fighting for myself [now]. I’m fighting for my family, for my team, for my people, everybody who follows me and everybody who supports me.”
David Benavidez (left) stopped Roamer Alexis Angulo after losing his super middleweight title. Amanda Westcott / Showtime
Benavidez trained in Big Bear in the past, the last time for his fight against Rogelio Medina in May 2017, but he’s now sold on the serene setting after spending three months there for the fight on Saturday.
The spartan conditions seem to be the main selling point.
“Every time I go to Big Bear it’s always one of the best training camps I’ve had,” said Benavidez, who is from Phoenix. “It’s just what goes into there. It’s so secluded up there. There’s only basically the grocery store, the gym and where we run.”
“… I’m definitely going to be going there every training camp I have. The place it takes me mentally and physically is just amazing. I [want] to give my fans 110 percent of myself every time I go in the fight and in training camp too.
“So that’s the decision I made with myself, my team, my dad. … It’s definitely going to help me be in this weight division for way longer.”
The fact he was on weight days before the fight would be unusual for most fighters, who generally taper down until the weigh-in. But that was his plan. He wasn’t taking any chances.
And, again, one key was what he put into his body – and what he didn’t.
David Benavidez (left) and Ronald Ellis on Friday made the 168-pound limit for Saturday’s fight. Amanda Westcott / Showtime
“What I had going for me was I was very disciplined on the diet,” he said.” It’s not that I was starving myself the whole time. I was eating very good, fish, egg whites, salad, a lot of water. I didn’t drain myself at all. I probably overate in a lot of cases. I just wanted to get [to Connecticut] at lower weight and that’s exactly what we did. And now it’s paying off.
“I’ve never been this relaxed for a fight. I haven’t even trained this whole time since I’ve been here and I’m still under weight. It feels really good to relax and worry about the fight and not the weight.”
He went on: “I’m not even drained at all trying to make the weight. I’m happy, I’m enjoying every second of being in the bubble, unlike last time I was struggling to make weight. I’m in good spirits.”
Benavidez doesn’t seem to be overly concerned about the backward step he took before the Angulo fight, which he won by a 10th-round knockout. It was a learning experience, as was the loss of an earlier title for testing positive for cocaine.
He’s young, he pointed out several times. And he’s maturing as a person. His goals are simply to maintain his discipline and continue to win, which will eventually force the other top 168-pounders to fight him.
He’s the No. 1 contender for Canelo Alvarez’s WBC title but the Mexican star is focused on unifying titles. And Benavidez said he’d like to face middleweight champ Jermall Charlo this September, which he hopes would lead to a showdown with Alvarez.
No matter what happens, he plans to remain patient.
“I feel everything is working out on my end because I got time on my side,” he said. “I just turned 24 years old. I think the time is running out for these other fighters. I’m the youngest ex-champion in this game, in the super middleweight division. Time is on my side. I have at least 12 years left in this game.
“If they take a fight with me now or later, doesn’t really matter. I’m just going to be ready for whenever the opportunity comes.”
Of course, he must beat Ellis first.
“Things happen,” he said, referring to the weight issue. “It’s just how you come back from your mistakes and how you rebound. I feel like I’ve put all the work in for this camp. I’ve rebounded amazingly.
“Now it’s just time to perform on Saturday and show the fans what I’m really made of.”
David Benavidez took no chances with his weight for his fight this Saturday after losing his title on the scales last time out.
Were you surprised that David Benavidez made weight for his fight Saturday? Benavidez wasn’t.
The former super middleweight champion lost his title and some respect on the scales before his defense against Roamer Alexis Angulo this past August at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., coming in a whopping 2.75 pounds over the 168-pound limit.
The 24-year-old blamed difficult conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic for his misstep, at least part. However, in the end, he knew the main culprit was himself and took full responsibility.
He pulled out all stops to make sure the same thing didn’t happen for his title eliminator against Ronald Ellis on Saturday night at the same venue: He weighed in Friday at 167.25, as did Ellis.
What was different this time?
He trained at high altitude in secluded Big Bear, Calif. — about a 2½-hour drive from Los Angeles — for the first time since 2017, which allowed him to focus 100% on training. He watched his diet carefully. And, most important, he was motivated to get it right.
Benavidez (23-0, 20 KOs) said he weighed 168 pounds four days before the fight.
“There was more at stake at this point because the last time I didn’t make weight,” he said during the final news conference. “I had something to prove to myself and my fans. Also a big key to this training camp is [we] just had my son. Having him around and just being a father made me 10 times more motivated than I already was.
“I’m not only fighting for myself [now]. I’m fighting for my family, for my team, for my people, everybody who follows me and everybody who supports me.”
David Benavidez (left) stopped Roamer Alexis Angulo after losing his super middleweight title. Amanda Westcott / Showtime
Benavidez trained in Big Bear in the past, the last time for his fight against Rogelio Medina in May 2017, but he’s now sold on the serene setting after spending three months there for the fight on Saturday.
The spartan conditions seem to be the main selling point.
“Every time I go to Big Bear it’s always one of the best training camps I’ve had,” said Benavidez, who is from Phoenix. “It’s just what goes into there. It’s so secluded up there. There’s only basically the grocery store, the gym and where we run.”
“… I’m definitely going to be going there every training camp I have. The place it takes me mentally and physically is just amazing. I [want] to give my fans 110 percent of myself every time I go in the fight and in training camp too.
“So that’s the decision I made with myself, my team, my dad. … It’s definitely going to help me be in this weight division for way longer.”
The fact he was on weight days before the fight would be unusual for most fighters, who generally taper down until the weigh-in. But that was his plan. He wasn’t taking any chances.
And, again, one key was what he put into his body – and what he didn’t.
David Benavidez (left) and Ronald Ellis on Friday made the 168-pound limit for Saturday’s fight. Amanda Westcott / Showtime
“What I had going for me was I was very disciplined on the diet,” he said.” It’s not that I was starving myself the whole time. I was eating very good, fish, egg whites, salad, a lot of water. I didn’t drain myself at all. I probably overate in a lot of cases. I just wanted to get [to Connecticut] at lower weight and that’s exactly what we did. And now it’s paying off.
“I’ve never been this relaxed for a fight. I haven’t even trained this whole time since I’ve been here and I’m still under weight. It feels really good to relax and worry about the fight and not the weight.”
He went on: “I’m not even drained at all trying to make the weight. I’m happy, I’m enjoying every second of being in the bubble, unlike last time I was struggling to make weight. I’m in good spirits.”
Benavidez doesn’t seem to be overly concerned about the backward step he took before the Angulo fight, which he won by a 10th-round knockout. It was a learning experience, as was the loss of an earlier title for testing positive for cocaine.
He’s young, he pointed out several times. And he’s maturing as a person. His goals are simply to maintain his discipline and continue to win, which will eventually force the other top 168-pounders to fight him.
He’s the No. 1 contender for Canelo Alvarez’s WBC title but the Mexican star is focused on unifying titles. And Benavidez said he’d like to face middleweight champ Jermall Charlo this September, which he hopes would lead to a showdown with Alvarez.
No matter what happens, he plans to remain patient.
“I feel everything is working out on my end because I got time on my side,” he said. “I just turned 24 years old. I think the time is running out for these other fighters. I’m the youngest ex-champion in this game, in the super middleweight division. Time is on my side. I have at least 12 years left in this game.
“If they take a fight with me now or later, doesn’t really matter. I’m just going to be ready for whenever the opportunity comes.”
Of course, he must beat Ellis first.
“Things happen,” he said, referring to the weight issue. “It’s just how you come back from your mistakes and how you rebound. I feel like I’ve put all the work in for this camp. I’ve rebounded amazingly.
“Now it’s just time to perform on Saturday and show the fans what I’m really made of.”
Isaac Cruz stopped veteran Diego Magdaleno in 53 seconds on the Gervonta Davis-Leo Santa Cruz card Saturday in San Antonio.
You like brutal knockouts? Isaac Cruz provided a gem on the Gervonta Davis-Leo Santa Cruz card Saturday in San Antonio.
The Mexican needed only 53 seconds to knock out veteran Diego Magdaleno in a scheduled 12-round lightweight fight.
Cruz (20-1-1, 15 KOs) jumped on Magdaleno (32-4, 13 KOs) from the opening bell, trapping his opponent against the ropes and throwing devastating shots to both the head and body as Magdaleno tried in vain to fight back. A short right finally hurt Magdaleno, who dropped to the canvas.
The Las Vegas fighter was able to get up only to become a punching bag once again. This time Cruz landed a hard body shot followed by two perfect right uppercuts that put Magdaleno on his back, with his head resting on the bottom rope.
The referee stopped the fight without counting.
Cruz, not far from a title shot, enhanced his credentials in less than a minute on pay-per-view. Not a bad night.
Isaac Cruz stopped veteran Diego Magdaleno in 53 seconds on the Gervonta Davis-Leo Santa Cruz card Saturday in San Antonio.
You like brutal knockouts? Isaac Cruz provided a gem on the Gervonta Davis-Leo Santa Cruz card Saturday in San Antonio.
The Mexican needed only 53 seconds to knock out veteran Diego Magdaleno in a scheduled 12-round lightweight fight.
Cruz (20-1-1, 15 KOs) jumped on Magdaleno (32-4, 13 KOs) from the opening bell, trapping his opponent against the ropes and throwing devastating shots to both the head and body as Magdaleno tried in vain to fight back. A short right finally hurt Magdaleno, who dropped to the canvas.
The Las Vegas fighter was able to get up only to become a punching bag once again. This time Cruz landed a hard body shot followed by two perfect right uppercuts that put Magdaleno on his back, with his head resting on the bottom rope.
The referee stopped the fight without counting.
Cruz, not far from a title shot, enhanced his credentials in less than a minute on pay-per-view. Not a bad night.
Diego Magdaleno is scheduled to fight Isaac Cruz in a lightweight title eliminator on Oct. 31.
Diego Magdaleno has come up short in his biggest fights, losing title bouts against Roman Martinez and Terry Flanagan and to Teofimo Lopez in a non-title bout in February of last year.
Lessons learned. He’s says he’s a smarter, better fighter after those experiences and under the guidance of new trainer Bones Adams, who was in his corner for the first time when he defeated Austin Dulay by a clear decision this past February.
Magdaleno (32-3, 13 KOs) faces Isaac Cruz in a lightweight title eliminator on the Gervonta Davis-Leo Santa Cruz pay-per-view card on Oct. 31.
“The biggest thing that I’ve learned is to stay calm,” Magdaleno said. “When I start thinking too far ahead, that’s when things go wrong. Coach Adams has a great way of keeping me grounded and composed.
“He knows how to simplify things for me and communicate exactly what I need to do, which makes it less stressful for me. And we’ve done some other things, like correcting my footwork and the angles that I use.”
Diego Magdaleno’s victory over Austin Dulay (right) in February pumped life back into his career. Shelley Mays / The Tennessean
He went on: “I’ve always taken pride in being a professional, but I learned that I can be very dangerous with the right team around me. I went into [the Dulay] fight kind of being considered a steppingstone for Dulay, but I showed that I’m still a strong fighter. People counted me out and they made a mistake.
“I’m just super happy that I found Coach Adams and got a proper team organized around me. I was able to change people’s minds with just one fight. Now I’m in a title eliminator, and with a win on October 31, I’ll have my third shot at a world title.”
Of course, Cruz (19-1-1, 14 KOs) is no pushover. The 22-year-old Mexican has gone undefeated since losing an eight-round decision to Luis Miguel Montano in 2016, including a majority-decision victory over Thomas Mattice this past February.
“Cruz is something I’ve seen before,” Magdaleno said. “I’ve fought lots of Mexican-style fighters like him who don’t have a lot of technical skill but possess a come-forward style. So I think I’ll be able to go back to what I know.
“I’ll just have to stay fluid and pick Cruz apart. He’s a guy who likes to fight on the inside and throw lots of overhand punches and hooks. I’ll break him down like I did my last opponent.”
Magdaleno is motivated by those who might perceive him as the guy who falls short.
The 33-year-old brother of Jessie Magdaleno plans to beat Cruz and then make the most of his next opportunity to fight for a world title, which could come next year. Cruz is ranked No. 6 by the IBF, Magdaleno No. 10. Lopez, who fights Vasiliy Lomachenko on Oct. 17, is the IBF champ.
“What I know is that when everyone counts you out, you just have to believe in yourself,” he said. “When I decide to hang up the gloves, it’ll be because I want to, not because others say I should.
“I have my confidence back now and I’m very happy with where I’m going.”
