Tag: Jermell Charlo

Pound-for-pound: Does Shakur Stevenson’s uninspiring performance impact him?

Pound-for-pound: Does Shakur Stevenson’s uninspiring performance impact him?

Shakur Stevenson remained unbeaten and won a major title in a third division but managed to draw criticism at the same time.

That’s because he refused to engage Edwin De Los Santos in his unanimous decision victory Thursday night in Las Vegas, throwing a paltry average of 17 punches per round in a boring fight.

Does that mean Stevenson — ranked No. 13 by Boxing Junkie going into the fight — drops down or falls off the list?

No.

One, he won the fight. Two, his skill set — particularly his defensive ability — was on clear display. And, three, everyone has off nights, even someone as talented as he is.

So we decided to give Stevenson the benefit of the doubt for now and then see how he does in his next fight, which could come against a more formidable opponent than De Los Santos.

We’ll add this, though: He can’t expect to barely win horrible fights and ascend to the top of the list.

Next pound-for-pounder up: Honorable Mention David Benavidez is scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas (pay-per-view).

On the same card, Honorable Mention Jermall Charlo will face Jose Benavidez Jr.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder Marlon Tapales for the undisputed 122-pound championship on Dec. 26 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound title against Lyndon Arthur on Dec. 23 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Reportedly in talks with Honorable Mention Kazuto Ioka for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smith on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Scheduled to challenge 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Jermall Charlo (scheduled to face Jose Benavidez Jr. on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly in talks with No. 6 Juan Francisco Estrada for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona).

[lawrence-related id=39510,39507,39503,39500,39495,39488]

Pound-for-pound: Does Shakur Stevenson’s uninspiring performance impact him?

Pound-for-pound: Does Shakur Stevenson’s uninspiring performance impact him?

Shakur Stevenson remained unbeaten and won a major title in a third division but managed to draw criticism at the same time.

That’s because he refused to engage Edwin De Los Santos in his unanimous decision victory Thursday night in Las Vegas, throwing a paltry average of 17 punches per round in a boring fight.

Does that mean Stevenson — ranked No. 13 by Boxing Junkie going into the fight — drops down or falls off the list?

No.

One, he won the fight. Two, his skill set — particularly his defensive ability — was on clear display. And, three, everyone has off nights, even someone as talented as he is.

So we decided to give Stevenson the benefit of the doubt for now and then see how he does in his next fight, which could come against a more formidable opponent than De Los Santos.

We’ll add this, though: He can’t expect to barely win horrible fights and ascend to the top of the list.

Next pound-for-pounder up: Honorable Mention David Benavidez is scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas (pay-per-view).

On the same card, Honorable Mention Jermall Charlo will face Jose Benavidez Jr.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder Marlon Tapales for the undisputed 122-pound championship on Dec. 26 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound title against Lyndon Arthur on Dec. 23 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Reportedly in talks with Honorable Mention Kazuto Ioka for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smith on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Scheduled to challenge 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Jermall Charlo (scheduled to face Jose Benavidez Jr. on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly in talks with No. 6 Juan Francisco Estrada for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona).

[lawrence-related id=39510,39507,39503,39500,39495,39488]

Great Eight: Tyson Fury seems vulnerable after debacle against Francis Ngannou

Great Eight: Tyson Fury seems vulnerable after his debacle against Francis Ngannou on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

The proliferation of titles makes it difficult for all but the most astute fans to determine the cream of the boxing crop.

That’s why Boxing Junkie came up with its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes –heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and the WBC’s bridgerweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight, middleweight includes junior middleweight and so on down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweight and strawweight.

In this installment of “Great Eight,” we focus again on Tyson Fury.

The heavyweight champion was clearly the top big man in the sport but now seems vulnerable after he went down and had to rally to defeat MMA star and boxing newbie Francis Ngannou by a split decision Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

The result allowed Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) to remain the Great Eight heavyweight champion but an even bigger challenge looms: He’s expected to face fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship this winter, perhaps in February.

Usyk is naturally smaller than Ngannou but is far more skillful and experienced, meaning that if Fury isn’t better prepared for Usyk than he was for Ngannou, he could lose his top spot here.

If nothing else, Usyk will be given a better chance of beating Fury now that he would have been before this past Saturday.

Indeed, assuming a date is selected and the meeting with Usyk takes place, Fury will fighting to retain everything he has built in his remarkable 15-year career

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) – The top big man has a date with fellow titleholder Usyk for all the belts for sometime this winter. Organizers are targeting February, according to reports.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) – A title-unification meeting with Artur Beterbiev isn’t coming to fruition, which could open the door to a rematch with Canelo Alvarez.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pound champ failed to take Alvarez’s 168-pound titles but retains three of the four major junior middleweight belts. He wants to fight pound-for-pound and welterweight king Terence Crawford. Another option is WBO champ Tim Tszyu instead.

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford left no doubt that he’s the best at 147 (and 140) with his sensational ninth-round knockout of rival Errol Spence Jr. on July 29. It will be difficult for him to top that performance.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – Devin Haney still has the belts at 135 pounds. Shakur Stevenson might be the most gifted in the division. But it’s “Tank” who has made the strongest impression and has the deepest resume.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Naoya Inoue (25-0, 22 KOs) – Inoue turned in a Crawford-like performance on July 25 in Tokyo, where he dismantled Stephen Fulton Jr. in eight rounds to underscore his greatness and become champ of a second Great Eight division.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – The 33-year-old Mexican replaces Inoue as the top man here because of his body of work, which includes two victories over the great Roman Gonzalez in his last three fights.

FLYWEIGHT

Sunny Edwards (20-0, 4 KOs) – The slick Englishman will be defending his spot here on Dec. 16 in Phoenix, where he’ll take on Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout. The winner will be king here.

[lawrence-related id=39265,39252,39118,38989,38974,38906,38902,38798,38789]

Great Eight: Tyson Fury seems vulnerable after debacle against Francis Ngannou

Great Eight: Tyson Fury seems vulnerable after his debacle against Francis Ngannou on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

The proliferation of titles makes it difficult for all but the most astute fans to determine the cream of the boxing crop.

That’s why Boxing Junkie came up with its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes –heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and the WBC’s bridgerweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight, middleweight includes junior middleweight and so on down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweight and strawweight.

In this installment of “Great Eight,” we focus again on Tyson Fury.

The heavyweight champion was clearly the top big man in the sport but now seems vulnerable after he went down and had to rally to defeat MMA star and boxing newbie Francis Ngannou by a split decision Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

The result allowed Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) to remain the Great Eight heavyweight champion but an even bigger challenge looms: He’s expected to face fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship this winter, perhaps in February.

Usyk is naturally smaller than Ngannou but is far more skillful and experienced, meaning that if Fury isn’t better prepared for Usyk than he was for Ngannou, he could lose his top spot here.

If nothing else, Usyk will be given a better chance of beating Fury now that he would have been before this past Saturday.

Indeed, assuming a date is selected and the meeting with Usyk takes place, Fury will fighting to retain everything he has built in his remarkable 15-year career

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) – The top big man has a date with fellow titleholder Usyk for all the belts for sometime this winter. Organizers are targeting February, according to reports.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) – A title-unification meeting with Artur Beterbiev isn’t coming to fruition, which could open the door to a rematch with Canelo Alvarez.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pound champ failed to take Alvarez’s 168-pound titles but retains three of the four major junior middleweight belts. He wants to fight pound-for-pound and welterweight king Terence Crawford. Another option is WBO champ Tim Tszyu instead.

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford left no doubt that he’s the best at 147 (and 140) with his sensational ninth-round knockout of rival Errol Spence Jr. on July 29. It will be difficult for him to top that performance.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – Devin Haney still has the belts at 135 pounds. Shakur Stevenson might be the most gifted in the division. But it’s “Tank” who has made the strongest impression and has the deepest resume.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Naoya Inoue (25-0, 22 KOs) – Inoue turned in a Crawford-like performance on July 25 in Tokyo, where he dismantled Stephen Fulton Jr. in eight rounds to underscore his greatness and become champ of a second Great Eight division.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – The 33-year-old Mexican replaces Inoue as the top man here because of his body of work, which includes two victories over the great Roman Gonzalez in his last three fights.

FLYWEIGHT

Sunny Edwards (20-0, 4 KOs) – The slick Englishman will be defending his spot here on Dec. 16 in Phoenix, where he’ll take on Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout. The winner will be king here.

[lawrence-related id=39265,39252,39118,38989,38974,38906,38902,38798,38789]

Pound-for-pound: Does Tyson Fury’s weak performance merit demotion?

Pound-for-pound: Does Tyson Fury’s weak performance merit demotion on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list?

Tyson Fury won the fight but lost respect.

Boxing Junkie’s No. 5 fighter pound-for-pound going into his meeting with MMA star Francis Ngannou on Saturday in Saudi Arabia was put on the canvas and had to rally to win a split decision.

Fury’s performance arguably was one of the worst by a heavyweight champion who maintained his title.

So where does that leave him on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list? That’s tricky.

He embarrassed himself and boxing by barely beating an opponent who was making his professional boxing debut, which merits demotion. At the same time, he did do what it took to have his hand raised and remain unbeaten after the 10-round bout.

In the end, we decided we had no choice but to drop him down the list — but not too far — given his weak performance against an inexperienced opponent.

He falls from No. 5 to No. 9 as he begins preparation to face talented, experienced fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk on an unspecified date this winter, which will give him the opportunity to prove he still belongs on this list at all.

Next pound-for-pounder up: 135-pound champion Devin Haney, No. 15 on the list, is scheduled to challenge unranked 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder Marlon Tapales for the undisputed 122-pound championship on Dec. 26 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Has agreed to face fellow titleholder Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship this winter in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Reportedly in talks with Honorable Mention Kazuto Ioka for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Has agreed to face fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship this winter in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smith on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Scheduled to challenge 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Jermall Charlo (scheduled to face Jose Benavidez Jr. on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly in talks with No. 6 Juan Francisco Estrada for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona).

[lawrence-related id=39510,39507,39503,39500,39495,39488]

Pound-for-pound: Does Tyson Fury’s weak performance merit demotion?

Pound-for-pound: Does Tyson Fury’s weak performance merit demotion on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list?

Tyson Fury won the fight but lost respect.

Boxing Junkie’s No. 5 fighter pound-for-pound going into his meeting with MMA star Francis Ngannou on Saturday in Saudi Arabia was put on the canvas and had to rally to win a split decision.

Fury’s performance arguably was one of the worst by a heavyweight champion who maintained his title.

So where does that leave him on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list? That’s tricky.

He embarrassed himself and boxing by barely beating an opponent who was making his professional boxing debut, which merits demotion. At the same time, he did do what it took to have his hand raised and remain unbeaten after the 10-round bout.

In the end, we decided we had no choice but to drop him down the list — but not too far — given his weak performance against an inexperienced opponent.

He falls from No. 5 to No. 9 as he begins preparation to face talented, experienced fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk on an unspecified date this winter, which will give him the opportunity to prove he still belongs on this list at all.

Next pound-for-pounder up: 135-pound champion Devin Haney, No. 15 on the list, is scheduled to challenge unranked 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder Marlon Tapales for the undisputed 122-pound championship on Dec. 26 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Has agreed to face fellow titleholder Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship this winter in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Reportedly in talks with Honorable Mention Kazuto Ioka for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Has agreed to face fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship this winter in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smith on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Scheduled to challenge 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Jermall Charlo (scheduled to face Jose Benavidez Jr. on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly in talks with No. 6 Juan Francisco Estrada for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona).

[lawrence-related id=39510,39507,39503,39500,39495,39488]

Alexis Rocha plans to maintain his momentum against Giovani Santillan

Alexis Rocha plans to maintain his momentum against Giovani Santillan on Saturday in Inglewood, California.

Alexis Rocha’s worst day as a professional came in October 2020.

That was when slick, experienced Rashidi Ellis outboxed Rocha to win a clear unanimous decision in a 12-round bout, Rocha’s first loss. The setback was painful but he used it to become a better fighter.

The 26-year-old welterweight contender has won seven consecutive fights since and is nearing his first shot at a major world title.

He is scheduled to face unbeaten Giovani Santillan this Saturday at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California (DAZN).

“No one likes to talk about losing,” Rocha told Boxing Junkie. “I feel like if you lose, there’s a lot to improve on. And I feel I’ve improved in so many aspects, more the mental side. It helped develop me into the fighter I am today.

“I feel it was a blessing even thought I hate losing. It helps me a lot.”

Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) delivered arguably his best performance on May 27, a fifth-round knockout of capable Anthony Young in Indio, California, about a two-hour drive from his home in Irvine.

Still, he said he has yet to peak in terms of his development. He suggested we’d see an even better version of himself against Santillan, who might be his toughest opponent to date on paper.

The 31-year-old from San Diego is a well-schooled technician, although he also will be facing his biggest challenge against Rocha.

“I feel I haven’t shown 80 percent of my potential,” he said. “… I feel I’m still learning a lot. And come fight time I’ll show what I’m talking about. You’ll see the improvements.

“This is definitely a tough fight, not a walk in the park, 100 percent. I’ll be ready, though.”

If things go well, Rocha’s big opportunity could be within his grasp.

He’s ranked No. 1 by the WBO, making him first in line in that sanctioning body to face undisputed champion and pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford.

Of course, Rocha doesn’t know what Crawford’s plans are. The titleholder could give up his belts and move to 154 pounds, where he could challenge Jermell Charlo. Crawford also has expressed interest in facing 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez.

Rocha hopes the Mexican star stays at 147 long enough to face him, although he certainly understands the magnitude of that challenge.

“You always want to fight the top guy,” he said. “They have a bounty on their back. You try to go out and get whoever the king is. And Terence Crawford is the king right now, pretty much the face of boxing.

“He gets to do what he wants. Go to 154, fight Canelo. Then he could get stripped of his belts. That would open the door for someone like me to fight for one of the titles.”

And if he should share a ring with Crawford?

“You have to be mentally strong, be at your best every single second of every single round to beat Crawford,” he said. “It would take a lot. His ring IQ is very high. To beat Crawford you couldn’t make any mistakes.

“I’m in the sport to be one of the best. And to be the best, you have to fight the best.”

[lawrence-related id=39380,37566,37561]

Alexis Rocha plans to maintain his momentum against Giovani Santillan

Alexis Rocha plans to maintain his momentum against Giovani Santillan on Saturday in Inglewood, California.

Alexis Rocha’s worst day as a professional came in October 2020.

That was when slick, experienced Rashidi Ellis outboxed Rocha to win a clear unanimous decision in a 12-round bout, Rocha’s first loss. The setback was painful but he used it to become a better fighter.

The 26-year-old welterweight contender has won seven consecutive fights since and is nearing his first shot at a major world title.

He is scheduled to face unbeaten Giovani Santillan this Saturday at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California (DAZN).

“No one likes to talk about losing,” Rocha told Boxing Junkie. “I feel like if you lose, there’s a lot to improve on. And I feel I’ve improved in so many aspects, more the mental side. It helped develop me into the fighter I am today.

“I feel it was a blessing even thought I hate losing. It helps me a lot.”

Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) delivered arguably his best performance on May 27, a fifth-round knockout of capable Anthony Young in Indio, California, about a two-hour drive from his home in Irvine.

Still, he said he has yet to peak in terms of his development. He suggested we’d see an even better version of himself against Santillan, who might be his toughest opponent to date on paper.

The 31-year-old from San Diego is a well-schooled technician, although he also will be facing his biggest challenge against Rocha.

“I feel I haven’t shown 80 percent of my potential,” he said. “… I feel I’m still learning a lot. And come fight time I’ll show what I’m talking about. You’ll see the improvements.

“This is definitely a tough fight, not a walk in the park, 100 percent. I’ll be ready, though.”

If things go well, Rocha’s big opportunity could be within his grasp.

He’s ranked No. 1 by the WBO, making him first in line in that sanctioning body to face undisputed champion and pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford.

Of course, Rocha doesn’t know what Crawford’s plans are. The titleholder could give up his belts and move to 154 pounds, where he could challenge Jermell Charlo. Crawford also has expressed interest in facing 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez.

Rocha hopes the Mexican star stays at 147 long enough to face him, although he certainly understands the magnitude of that challenge.

“You always want to fight the top guy,” he said. “They have a bounty on their back. You try to go out and get whoever the king is. And Terence Crawford is the king right now, pretty much the face of boxing.

“He gets to do what he wants. Go to 154, fight Canelo. Then he could get stripped of his belts. That would open the door for someone like me to fight for one of the titles.”

And if he should share a ring with Crawford?

“You have to be mentally strong, be at your best every single second of every single round to beat Crawford,” he said. “It would take a lot. His ring IQ is very high. To beat Crawford you couldn’t make any mistakes.

“I’m in the sport to be one of the best. And to be the best, you have to fight the best.”

[lawrence-related id=39380,37566,37561]

Weekend Review: Tim Tszyu is proving to be a special all-around fighter

Weekend Review: Tim Tszyu proved again against Brian Mendoza that he’s a special all-around fighter.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Tim Tszyu

There are levels to boxing, as they say. Tszyu started as a novelty in terms of perception, just another son of a once great fighter (Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu). Then we realized that he had enough ability to become a legitimate contender. And now, after a series of dominating performances, it seems that he has evolved into an elite fighter who might replicate the accomplishments of his famous father. Tsyzu’s latest success came this past Saturday in his native Australia, where, in typically brutal fashion, he methodically dismantled a solid opponent in Brian Mendoza over 12 rounds to retain his newly awarded 154-pound title. Tszyu (24-0, 17 K0s) doesn’t do any specific thing extraordinarily well but his lack of an obvious weakness makes him an extraordinary fighter. Of course, time will tell how extraordinary. He could be on a collision course with a man he has been chasing for some time, fellow beltholder Jermell Charlo, who said he intends to move back down to 154 after his failed challenge of Canelo Alvarez. Charlo is a next-level fighter at a more-natural weight, one with a combination of ability, speed and power Tszyu has yet to face. I would pick Charlo to win that fight but the gap between them has narrowed significantly, particularly after Charlo’s disappointing effort against Alvarez. That’s the ultimate matchup for Tszyu. If he gets that fight and wins, it would remove any remaining doubt about his ability and lift him to pound-for-pound status. Tszyu could be on his way to becoming a star.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Jermall Charlo’s ongoing hiatus from boxing has created a void at the top of the 160-pound division, one which Janibek Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) is happy to fill. The former amateur world champion from Kazakhstan destroyed Vincenzo Gualtieri (21-1-1, 7 KOs) to unify two titles on Saturday in Texas, winning by a sixth-round knockout. Alimkhanuly has yet to face a top tier opponent but he passes the eye test. He seems to have all the ingredients to become a star. … Mendoza (22-3, 16 KOs) learned about levels the hard way. His knockout victims Jeison Rosario and Sebastian Fundora are on one level, Tszyu is on another. Mendoza was competitive for the early portion of the fight but faded in the later rounds, as he lacked the tools to neutralize Tszyu’s increasingly punishing attack. The Albuquerque fighter shouldn’t be written off, however, His big victories made it clear that he’s a quality fighter. He’s not finished. … I’ll never understand the appeal of the YouTubers-turned-boxers. I admire their ability to market themselves but their antics are boring and their ability almost non-existent, which doesn’t seem to bother those who find them interesting. Logan Paul fought Dillon Danis and Tommy Fury faced KSI in Manchester, England on Saturday. I couldn’t bring myself to care.

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Weekend Review: Tim Tszyu is proving to be a special all-around fighter

Weekend Review: Tim Tszyu proved again against Brian Mendoza that he’s a special all-around fighter.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Tim Tszyu

There are levels to boxing, as they say. Tszyu started as a novelty in terms of perception, just another son of a once great fighter (Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu). Then we realized that he had enough ability to become a legitimate contender. And now, after a series of dominating performances, it seems that he has evolved into an elite fighter who might replicate the accomplishments of his famous father. Tsyzu’s latest success came this past Saturday in his native Australia, where, in typically brutal fashion, he methodically dismantled a solid opponent in Brian Mendoza over 12 rounds to retain his newly awarded 154-pound title. Tszyu (24-0, 17 K0s) doesn’t do any specific thing extraordinarily well but his lack of an obvious weakness makes him an extraordinary fighter. Of course, time will tell how extraordinary. He could be on a collision course with a man he has been chasing for some time, fellow beltholder Jermell Charlo, who said he intends to move back down to 154 after his failed challenge of Canelo Alvarez. Charlo is a next-level fighter at a more-natural weight, one with a combination of ability, speed and power Tszyu has yet to face. I would pick Charlo to win that fight but the gap between them has narrowed significantly, particularly after Charlo’s disappointing effort against Alvarez. That’s the ultimate matchup for Tszyu. If he gets that fight and wins, it would remove any remaining doubt about his ability and lift him to pound-for-pound status. Tszyu could be on his way to becoming a star.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Jermall Charlo’s ongoing hiatus from boxing has created a void at the top of the 160-pound division, one which Janibek Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) is happy to fill. The former amateur world champion from Kazakhstan destroyed Vincenzo Gualtieri (21-1-1, 7 KOs) to unify two titles on Saturday in Texas, winning by a sixth-round knockout. Alimkhanuly has yet to face a top tier opponent but he passes the eye test. He seems to have all the ingredients to become a star. … Mendoza (22-3, 16 KOs) learned about levels the hard way. His knockout victims Jeison Rosario and Sebastian Fundora are on one level, Tszyu is on another. Mendoza was competitive for the early portion of the fight but faded in the later rounds, as he lacked the tools to neutralize Tszyu’s increasingly punishing attack. The Albuquerque fighter shouldn’t be written off, however, His big victories made it clear that he’s a quality fighter. He’s not finished. … I’ll never understand the appeal of the YouTubers-turned-boxers. I admire their ability to market themselves but their antics are boring and their ability almost non-existent, which doesn’t seem to bother those who find them interesting. Logan Paul fought Dillon Danis and Tommy Fury faced KSI in Manchester, England on Saturday. I couldn’t bring myself to care.

[lawrence-related id=39366,39362,39359,39356]