Joseph Diaz Jr. defeated Javier Fortuna by a clear decision in his lightweight debut Saturday in Los Angeles.
Joseph Diaz Jr. proved in convincing fashion that he belongs at 135 pounds.
Diaz, who agreed to fight Javier Fortuna on short notice, defeated his Dominican counterpart by a unanimous decision to win the WBC “interim” lightweight title on the Gilberto Ramirez-Sullivan Barrera card Friday in Los Angeles.
Fortuna (36-3-1, 25 KOs) was scheduled to fight Ryan Garcia but Garcia pulled out to tend to his mental health. That opened the door for Diaz, who had never fought as a full-fledged 135-pounder.
The former 130-pound titleholder proved on Friday that he could handle the physical rigors of the division, taking the fight to a longtime lightweight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCOhS7cVk38
Fortuna was the busier boxer much of the fight but it was Diaz who was the more accurate puncher and he landed the bigger, cleaner shots to both the head and body, which obviously impressed the judges.
Diaz had to overcome a few obstacles, a cut about his left eye in Round 3 and losing a point for punching behind the head in Round 4. However, that made no difference in the end.
The judges scored it 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112, all in favor of Diaz (32-1-1, 15 KOs).
Fortuna threw more punches than Diaz (761-521) but Diaz landed more (203-193), according to CompuBox.
The victory makes Diaz a major player in the lightweight division, which is ruled by undisputed champion Teofimo Lopez. Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis hold secondary titles.
Diaz made it clear that he’s prepared to face them or Garcia, who is expected to return to the ring soon.
Said Diaz after his victory: “Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, let’s make this s— happen. I’m ready.”
Also on the card: Joseph Diaz Jr. vs. Javier Fortuna, lightweights; Tenkai Tsunami vs. Seniesa Estrada, junior flyweights (for Tsunami’s WBO title); Hector Tanajara Jr. vs. William Zepeda, lightweights
Prediction: Ramirez KO 10
Background: Ramirez continues to chase Floyd Mayweather’s 50-0 record and a title shot at light heavyweight against a solid veteran from Cuba. The former 168-pound titleholder will be fighting at 175 pounds for the third time, having stopped Tommy Karpency in April 2019 and Alfonso Lopez this past December. The Mexican’s most-recent fight of this magnitude might’ve been his majority-decision victory over Jesse Hart in December 2018, which was the final defense of his super middleweight title. Ramirez is ranked in the Top 5 in two of the four major sanctioning bodies. Barrera, 39, is a longtime contender with some notable victories, including a decision over Joe Smith Jr. in 2017. However, he has lost most of his biggest fights. He’s 1-2 in his last three outings, a 12th-round knockout in a fight he was losing badly to Dmitry Bivol in 2018 and unanimous decision to Hart in June 2019. The resident of Miami will have been out of the ring for more than two years. The card also features an important fight between Joseph Diaz Jr. (31-1-1, 15 KOs) and Javier Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs). Diaz, who lost his 130-pound title on the scales in his last fight, made a bold decision when he agreed to replace Ryan Garcia as the opponent of the talented Fortuna at 135. Fortuna is unbeaten since he lost a split decision to Robert Easter Jr. in 2018 and one of the leading lightweights. The winner will be in prime position for a shot at a 135-pound title.
Also on the card: Joseph Diaz Jr. vs. Javier Fortuna, lightweights; Tenkai Tsunami vs. Seniesa Estrada, junior flyweights (for Tsunami’s WBO title); Hector Tanajara Jr. vs. William Zepeda, lightweights
Prediction: Ramirez KO 10
Background: Ramirez continues to chase Floyd Mayweather’s 50-0 record and a title shot at light heavyweight against a solid veteran from Cuba. The former 168-pound titleholder will be fighting at 175 pounds for the third time, having stopped Tommy Karpency in April 2019 and Alfonso Lopez this past December. The Mexican’s most-recent fight of this magnitude might’ve been his majority-decision victory over Jesse Hart in December 2018, which was the final defense of his super middleweight title. Ramirez is ranked in the Top 5 in two of the four major sanctioning bodies. Barrera, 39, is a longtime contender with some notable victories, including a decision over Joe Smith Jr. in 2017. However, he has lost most of his biggest fights. He’s 1-2 in his last three outings, a 12th-round knockout in a fight he was losing badly to Dmitry Bivol in 2018 and unanimous decision to Hart in June 2019. The resident of Miami will have been out of the ring for more than two years. The card also features an important fight between Joseph Diaz Jr. (31-1-1, 15 KOs) and Javier Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs). Diaz, who lost his 130-pound title on the scales in his last fight, made a bold decision when he agreed to replace Ryan Garcia as the opponent of the talented Fortuna at 135. Fortuna is unbeaten since he lost a split decision to Robert Easter Jr. in 2018 and one of the leading lightweights. The winner will be in prime position for a shot at a 135-pound title.
Ryan Garcia has pulled out of his fight with Javier Fortuna to focus on his mental health.
Ryan Garcia, who has struggled with anxiety and depression, has pulled out of a planned fight with Javier Fortuna.
The unbeaten lightweight star was scheduled to face Fortuna on July 9 but he announced on social media that he will be taking some time off. He doesn’t know when he might return to the ring.
“I know this news may be disappointing to some of my fans but I am announcing today that I am withdrawing from my July 9th fight,” Garcia wrote. “At this time it is important to manage my health and well being. I have decided to take some time off to focus on becoming a stronger version of myself.
“I hope to be back soon and am looking forward to stepping back into the ring when I am my healthiest self. I want to Thank God, my family, my doctors and my supporters.”
Garcia has been open about the challenges he faces. He recently wrote on social media: “I still struggle everyday with anxiety and depression at times because of my anxiety. I’m here to tell you it’s still possible to reach your dreams.
“There is ways to cope, I know I look like someone who is happy all the time but inside I hurt at times struggling just to function but I choose to keep moving forward. I love you guys keep going.”
Fortuna’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, told RingTV.com that Golden Boy Promotions President Eric Gomez informed him that Garcia pulled out.
“Eric called me this morning and said [Garcia] has mental health issues and that he decided not fight,” Lewkowicz said. “I have a signed contract, but what do I do with a signed contract? The only thing I need is a solution.
“Maybe he changed his mind about fighting Fortuna. Whatever it is I wish him a speedy recovery.”
Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) got up from a knockdown to stop Luke Campbell with a body shot in the seventh round to win the WBC “interim” 135-pound title on Jan. 2.
Lewkowicz told RingTV.com that he hopes the WBC strips Garcia of the “interim” title and allow Fortuna to fight someone else for that belt, which would place the winner first in line to face secondary titleholder Devin Haney.
Ryan Garcia has pulled out of his fight with Javier Fortuna to focus on his mental health.
Ryan Garcia, who has struggled with anxiety and depression, has pulled out of a planned fight with Javier Fortuna.
The unbeaten lightweight star was scheduled to face Fortuna on July 9 but he announced on social media that he will be taking some time off. He doesn’t know when he might return to the ring.
“I know this news may be disappointing to some of my fans but I am announcing today that I am withdrawing from my July 9th fight,” Garcia wrote. “At this time it is important to manage my health and well being. I have decided to take some time off to focus on becoming a stronger version of myself.
“I hope to be back soon and am looking forward to stepping back into the ring when I am my healthiest self. I want to Thank God, my family, my doctors and my supporters.”
Garcia has been open about the challenges he faces. He recently wrote on social media: “I still struggle everyday with anxiety and depression at times because of my anxiety. I’m here to tell you it’s still possible to reach your dreams.
“There is ways to cope, I know I look like someone who is happy all the time but inside I hurt at times struggling just to function but I choose to keep moving forward. I love you guys keep going.”
Fortuna’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, told RingTV.com that Golden Boy Promotions President Eric Gomez informed him that Garcia pulled out.
“Eric called me this morning and said [Garcia] has mental health issues and that he decided not fight,” Lewkowicz said. “I have a signed contract, but what do I do with a signed contract? The only thing I need is a solution.
“Maybe he changed his mind about fighting Fortuna. Whatever it is I wish him a speedy recovery.”
Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) got up from a knockdown to stop Luke Campbell with a body shot in the seventh round to win the WBC “interim” 135-pound title on Jan. 2.
Lewkowicz told RingTV.com that he hopes the WBC strips Garcia of the “interim” title and allow Fortuna to fight someone else for that belt, which would place the winner first in line to face secondary titleholder Devin Haney.
Lightweight contender Ryan Garcia and Javier Fortuna have agreed to fight this summer, according to reports.
Ryan Garcia appears to have his next opponent.
Multiple outlets are reporting that the 22-year-old lightweight contender and Javier Fortuna have agreed to fight this summer, although the deal doesn’t appear to be official. The date and location have not been determined.
The winner would be first in line to face Devin Haney, who holds the WBC’s secondary title. Teofimo Lopez is the sanctioning body’s champion.
Garcia (20-0, 18 KOs) is coming off an impressive seventh-round knockout of Luke Campbell in January, in which the Los Angeles-area fighter got up from a knockdown to stop the Englishman with a body blow.
The social media star reportedly had been in talks to face Manny Pacquiao in an exhibition or sanctioned bout but that fight never materialized. The same for a matchup with 135-pound rival Gervonta Davis.
Instead, he will face the capable, but more obscure Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs). The 31-year-old Dominican is 3-0 since losing a split decision to Robert Easter Jr. in his only major title fight.
Fortuna is coming off a sixth-round knockout of Antonio Lozada Torres this past November.
The WBC last month ordered Garcia to defend his belt against Fortuna, the No. 2 contender behind Vasiliy Lomachenko. The fight would’ve gone to a purse bid in two weeks without the agreement.
Lightweight contender Ryan Garcia and Javier Fortuna have agreed to fight this summer, according to reports.
Ryan Garcia appears to have his next opponent.
Multiple outlets are reporting that the 22-year-old lightweight contender and Javier Fortuna have agreed to fight this summer, although the deal doesn’t appear to be official. The date and location have not been determined.
The winner would be first in line to face Devin Haney, who holds the WBC’s secondary title. Teofimo Lopez is the sanctioning body’s champion.
Garcia (20-0, 18 KOs) is coming off an impressive seventh-round knockout of Luke Campbell in January, in which the Los Angeles-area fighter got up from a knockdown to stop the Englishman with a body blow.
The social media star reportedly had been in talks to face Manny Pacquiao in an exhibition or sanctioned bout but that fight never materialized. The same for a matchup with 135-pound rival Gervonta Davis.
Instead, he will face the capable, but more obscure Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs). The 31-year-old Dominican is 3-0 since losing a split decision to Robert Easter Jr. in his only major title fight.
Fortuna is coming off a sixth-round knockout of Antonio Lozada Torres this past November.
The WBC last month ordered Garcia to defend his belt against Fortuna, the No. 2 contender behind Vasiliy Lomachenko. The fight would’ve gone to a purse bid in two weeks without the agreement.
Javier Fortuna bolstered his credentials as a bona fide lightweight contender by stopping Antonio Lozada on Saturday.
Enter Javier Fortuna.
We all knew the Dominican dynamo was a good, entertaining fighter. He merely reminded us of that on Saturday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles, where he overwhelmed Antonio Lozada en route to a sixth-round knockout.
Fortuna started winging wide shots from the opening bell and Lozada, a capable fighter, couldn’t figure out how to get out of the way. The tall, lean Mexican went down in the first round, survived for a while and then took a series of hard shots that prompted referee Gerard White to end the one-sided fight.
The 31-year-old from La Romana has now won three in a row (plus one no-decision) after his split-decision loss to then-titleholder Robert Easter in 2018, which many thought Fortuna deserved to win.
Fortuna left no doubt against Lozada. He looked like a fighter who might be able to compete with any of the top 135-pounders. Now he just has to get one of them into the ring.
He was supposed to have met Luke Campbell for an “interim” title and then Jorge Linares in fights that were canceled. Thus, he had to settle for Lozada.
Of course, his victory over Lozada doesn’t carry the same weight as a win over a ranked opponent would but he won in dominating fashion on national TV. Maybe his performance and the exposure will have enhanced his credentials as a legitimate opponent for the top 135 pounders — Teofimo Lopez Jr., Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, et al.
Fortuna isn’t as well known as those fighters but he might be as good. He deserves the chance to prove it.
***
BAD
Roy Jones Jr. would defeat Mike Tyson if their exhibition were a real fight. Noam Galai / Getty Images for HBO
The Nov. 28 Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. exhibition is similar to the 2017 Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor “fight” in that it’s farcical.
Mayweather-McGregor was a ridiculous mismatch yet made fortunes for both of the principals. Tyson-Jones is nothing more than a sparring session between two old men yet will surely do good pay-per-view business.
I just hope that those who fork out $50 to watch the exhibition are clear on what it is.
The videos showing Tyson looking fit and ferocious at 54 have led some people to believe that he can still fight at a high level. He can’t. He was a shell of himself when he last fought, which was 15 years ago.
Indeed, the impression left by the videos is an illusion. Don’t be fooled.
Tyson and Jones have done their duty by talking up the event, which is required to generate pay-per-view buys. That’s called marketing.
One comment made by Jones stands out to me. The former four-division titleholder said he might’ve made a mistake agreeing to fight Tyson, the message being that he was in some kind of danger.
That’s garbage. One, Jones is going to make a lot of money to spar. And, two, if this were a real fight, Jones, 51, would probably knock out Tyson. He’s a bit younger. And he was active recently. He fought in February 2018, when he outpointed Scott Sigmon in a cruiserweight fight.
So, again, I hope you know what you’ll be seeing — a sparring session that will be tightly controlled by California officials. There will be no official scoring, no official winner. Just a drive down memory lane.
***
WORSE
Tyson Fury needs to get back into the ring as soon as possible. Alex Davidson / Getty Images
Canelo Alvarez was extricated from an agonized legal quagmire and, thankfully, is set to fight again. Let’s hope Tyson Fury also overcomes his obstacles to hear an opening bell soon.
Fury had multiple dates to face rival Deontay Wilder a third time and they all were canceled, in part because of COVID-19. He announced he was moving on and was near a deal to fight Agit Kabayel on Dec. 5. That, too, fell through.
Now it seems clear he won’t fight again until next year, which is frustrating to him and those enamored with arguably the most-compelling personality in the sport.
Team Wilder is holding out hope that a mediator will force Fury to fight him a third time per a rematch clause for their second fight, which Fury won by seventh-round knockout to win his title.
A positive ruling for Wilder doesn’t seem likely but I’m no legal scholar. Who knows?
I thought Bob Arum, Fury’s co-promoter, laid out a sensible plan: If Anthony Joshua beats Kubrat Pulev on Dec. 12, then Fury will go directly into a showdown with Joshua. If Pulev wins, then Fury will face Wilder again.
The problem for Fury regardless of what happens on Dec. 12, Fury isn’t likely to fight until March or even April, meaning he will have been out of the ring for more than a year.
Again, frustrating.
Perhaps things will fall into place for Fury after Dec. 12. If he fights Joshua, great. If he fights Wilder one more time, fine. The bottom line is that Fury is at his absolute peak, the time of his career when he should be solidifying his legacy as the best heavyweight of his era.
Instead, he has been forced to watch as fights have been made and then fallen out multiple times. The man needs to fight. And we need to watch him do it.
Javier Fortuna bolstered his credentials as a bona fide lightweight contender by stopping Antonio Lozada on Saturday.
Enter Javier Fortuna.
We all knew the Dominican dynamo was a good, entertaining fighter. He merely reminded us of that on Saturday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles, where he overwhelmed Antonio Lozada en route to a sixth-round knockout.
Fortuna started winging wide shots from the opening bell and Lozada, a capable fighter, couldn’t figure out how to get out of the way. The tall, lean Mexican went down in the first round, survived for a while and then took a series of hard shots that prompted referee Gerard White to end the one-sided fight.
The 31-year-old from La Romana has now won three in a row (plus one no-decision) after his split-decision loss to then-titleholder Robert Easter in 2018, which many thought Fortuna deserved to win.
Fortuna left no doubt against Lozada. He looked like a fighter who might be able to compete with any of the top 135-pounders. Now he just has to get one of them into the ring.
He was supposed to have met Luke Campbell for an “interim” title and then Jorge Linares in fights that were canceled. Thus, he had to settle for Lozada.
Of course, his victory over Lozada doesn’t carry the same weight as a win over a ranked opponent would but he won in dominating fashion on national TV. Maybe his performance and the exposure will have enhanced his credentials as a legitimate opponent for the top 135 pounders — Teofimo Lopez Jr., Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, et al.
Fortuna isn’t as well known as those fighters but he might be as good. He deserves the chance to prove it.
***
BAD
Roy Jones Jr. would defeat Mike Tyson if their exhibition were a real fight. Noam Galai / Getty Images for HBO
The Nov. 28 Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. exhibition is similar to the 2017 Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor “fight” in that it’s farcical.
Mayweather-McGregor was a ridiculous mismatch yet made fortunes for both of the principals. Tyson-Jones is nothing more than a sparring session between two old men yet will surely do good pay-per-view business.
I just hope that those who fork out $50 to watch the exhibition are clear on what it is.
The videos showing Tyson looking fit and ferocious at 54 have led some people to believe that he can still fight at a high level. He can’t. He was a shell of himself when he last fought, which was 15 years ago.
Indeed, the impression left by the videos is an illusion. Don’t be fooled.
Tyson and Jones have done their duty by talking up the event, which is required to generate pay-per-view buys. That’s called marketing.
One comment made by Jones stands out to me. The former four-division titleholder said he might’ve made a mistake agreeing to fight Tyson, the message being that he was in some kind of danger.
That’s garbage. One, Jones is going to make a lot of money to spar. And, two, if this were a real fight, Jones, 51, would probably knock out Tyson. He’s a bit younger. And he was active recently. He fought in February 2018, when he outpointed Scott Sigmon in a cruiserweight fight.
So, again, I hope you know what you’ll be seeing — a sparring session that will be tightly controlled by California officials. There will be no official scoring, no official winner. Just a drive down memory lane.
***
WORSE
Tyson Fury needs to get back into the ring as soon as possible. Alex Davidson / Getty Images
Canelo Alvarez was extricated from an agonized legal quagmire and, thankfully, is set to fight again. Let’s hope Tyson Fury also overcomes his obstacles to hear an opening bell soon.
Fury had multiple dates to face rival Deontay Wilder a third time and they all were canceled, in part because of COVID-19. He announced he was moving on and was near a deal to fight Agit Kabayel on Dec. 5. That, too, fell through.
Now it seems clear he won’t fight again until next year, which is frustrating to him and those enamored with arguably the most-compelling personality in the sport.
Team Wilder is holding out hope that a mediator will force Fury to fight him a third time per a rematch clause for their second fight, which Fury won by seventh-round knockout to win his title.
A positive ruling for Wilder doesn’t seem likely but I’m no legal scholar. Who knows?
I thought Bob Arum, Fury’s co-promoter, laid out a sensible plan: If Anthony Joshua beats Kubrat Pulev on Dec. 12, then Fury will go directly into a showdown with Joshua. If Pulev wins, then Fury will face Wilder again.
The problem for Fury regardless of what happens on Dec. 12, Fury isn’t likely to fight until March or even April, meaning he will have been out of the ring for more than a year.
Again, frustrating.
Perhaps things will fall into place for Fury after Dec. 12. If he fights Joshua, great. If he fights Wilder one more time, fine. The bottom line is that Fury is at his absolute peak, the time of his career when he should be solidifying his legacy as the best heavyweight of his era.
Instead, he has been forced to watch as fights have been made and then fallen out multiple times. The man needs to fight. And we need to watch him do it.
Lightweight contender Javier Fortuna stopped Antonio Lozada in the sixth round Saturday in Los Angeles.
Javier Fortuna might not have done himself any favors on Saturday night in Los Angeles.
The Dominican, who has trouble luring top 135-pounders into the ring, stopped overmatched Antonio Lozada in the sixth round of a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout at Staples Center. And he looked like a terror in the process, which might scare prospective opponents away.
Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs) was supposed to have fought Luke Campbell in April for a secondary world title but the fight was canceled because of COVID-19. Then, a scheduled meeting with Jorge Linares in August was scrapped after the Venezuelan contracted the virus.
Fortuna, who hadn’t fought in a year, took his frustration out on Lozada, a 6-footer from Tijuana with some grit but not enough ability to compete with a lightweight of Fortuna’s ability.
Fortuna almost ended the fight in the first round, as he came out winging punches and landed a series of them. Finally, a wide left to the top of Lozada’s head put him down. The Mexican survived the early onslaught but was on the defensive much of the rest of the fight.
The winner paced himself throughout, boxing and moving – but not throwing many punches – much of the time. And then, in an instant, he would open the flood gates and overwhelm Lozada (40-5-1, 34 KOs) with hard, accurate shots.
That’s what happened in the final round. Fortuna had been sticking and moving when, with Lozada’s back against the ropes, he landed several blows in a brutal flurry. He punctuated the attack with a straight left that snapped Lozada’s head back, prompting referee Gerard White to stop the fight.
The official time was 2:34 of Round 6.
Fortuna is ranked No. 2 by the WBC, behind titleholder Teofimo Lopez, secondary beltholder Devin Haney and No. 1-ranked Vasiliy Lomachenko, meaning he’s in position to take part in a major fight next time out.
The problem will be trying to find a willing opponent.
