Sebastian Fundora vs. Carlos Ocampo: LIVE updates and results, full coverage.
Junior middleweight contender Sebastain Fundora defeated Carlos Ocampo by a unanimous decision.
The official scores were 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 116-112, eight rounds to four.
Fundora (20-0-1, 13 KOs) started off using his height (6-foot-5) and reach, throwing a lot of jabs to keep the much shorter Ocampo (34-2, 22 KOs) at range.
However, Fundora, a brawler by nature, settled into an inside fight in Round 4 and didn’t retreat until the last few rounds.
And, while Ocampo threw a high volume of punches and was game, Fundora got the better of the toe-to-toe exchanges by landing the cleaner shots round after round.
Middleweight contender Carlos Adames knocked out Juan Macias Montiel at 2:37 of Round 3 of a scheduled 12-rounder.
Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) dominated Montiel (23-6-2, 23 KOs) from the beginning, land quick, hard shots to both the head and body while Montiel offered little in return.
The beginning of the end with a right hook that staggered Montiel late in Round 3. The Dominican followed with a barrage of hard, accurate punches that prompted referee Ray Corona to stop the fight.
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Fernando Martinez defeated Jerwin Ancajas by a unanimous decision a second time to retain his junior bantamweight title.
The official scores were 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110. Boxing Junkie also scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to two.
Martinez (15-0, 8 KOs) outpointed Ancajas (33-3-2 (22 KOs) in a memorable brawl to take the Filipino’s title in February.
***
Here we go.
Junior bantamweight titleholder Fernando Martinez and challenger Jerwin Ancajas are in the ring for their immediate rematch. Martinez outpointed Ancajas to win the belt in February.
***
Junior middleweight contender Sebastian Fundora is scheduled to face Carlos Ocampo tonight (Saturday) in Carson, California (Showtime).
Fundora (19-0-1, 13 KOs), the 6-foot-5 fighter from Southern California, is coming off a sensational ninth-round knockout of Erickson Lubin this past April.
Ocampo (34-1, 22 KOs) is best known for his failed challenge against welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr., who stopped him in one round in 2018. He’s 12-0 at 154 pounds since.
Also on the card, IBF 115-pound titleholder Fernando Martinez (14-0, 8 KOs) will face former beltholder Jerwin Ancajas (33-2-2, 22 KOs) in a rematch; and Carlos Adames (21-1, 16 KOs) will take on Juan Macias Montiel (23-5-2, 23 KOs) in a 160-pound fight.
The card will begin at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The main event will take place later in the show.
Boxing Junkie will post results of the featured bouts on the card immediately after they end. Simply return to this post when the time comes.
Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the night of the fight and the following day.
Video and photos: Sebastian Fundora vs. Carlos Ocampo weigh-in.
Sebastian Fundora and Carlos Ocampo on Friday made weight for their 154-pound fight Saturday in Carson, California (Showtime). Both fighters weighed 153½.
Also featured on the card, IBF 115-pound titleholder Fernando Martinez (114¾) will face former beltholder Jerwin Ancajas (114¾) in a rematch; and Carlos Adames (159¼) will take on Juan Macias Montiel (160) in a 160-pound fight.
Here are images from the weigh-in. All photos by Esther Lin of Showtime.
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.
Fernando Martinez upset Jerwin Ancajas in a non-stop brawl Saturday in Las Vegas.
Fernando Martinez won a world title and about a million fans on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Martinez outslugged longtime IBF 115-pound titleholder Jerwin Ancjas to win a wide unanimous decision in an early Fight of the Year candidate on the Chris Colbert-Hector Luis Garcia card at The Cosmopolitan.
The final scores were 118-110, 118-110 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 117-111 for Martinez, whose late father had predicted he would become a champion.
“It hurts so much that my father’s not here for this great moment in my life but I know he oversaw this,” Martinez said.
The fighters tossed defense out the window before the opening bell, exchanging punches toe-to-toe the entire fight.
Both landed hard, accurate punches. Martinez simply landed many more of them.
So many, in fact, that referee Jack Reiss told Ancajas’ corner that he was taking a lot punches. That meant he wasn’t going to allow the Filipino to take too much punishment.
Ancajas was able to finish the fight but was never able to keep pace with Martinez.
The now-former champion was making the 10th defense of his belt, making him one of the longest-running titleholders. And he could have the opportunity to win it back: There was a rematch clause in the contract signed by the fighters.
Will Ancajas take it?
“Yes, I’ll do it,” he said. “But I’ll do everything next time to achieve my goal.”
Fernando Martinez upset Jerwin Ancajas in a non-stop brawl Saturday in Las Vegas.
Fernando Martinez won a world title and about a million fans on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Martinez outslugged longtime IBF 115-pound titleholder Jerwin Ancjas to win a wide unanimous decision in an early Fight of the Year candidate on the Chris Colbert-Hector Luis Garcia card at The Cosmopolitan.
The final scores were 118-110, 118-110 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 117-111 for Martinez, whose late father had predicted he would become a champion.
“It hurts so much that my father’s not here for this great moment in my life but I know he oversaw this,” Martinez said.
The fighters tossed defense out the window before the opening bell, exchanging punches toe-to-toe the entire fight.
Both landed hard, accurate punches. Martinez simply landed many more of them.
So many, in fact, that referee Jack Reiss told Ancajas’ corner that he was taking a lot punches. That meant he wasn’t going to allow the Filipino to take too much punishment.
Ancajas was able to finish the fight but was never able to keep pace with Martinez.
The now-former champion was making the 10th defense of his belt, making him one of the longest-running titleholders. And he could have the opportunity to win it back: There was a rematch clause in the contract signed by the fighters.
Will Ancajas take it?
“Yes, I’ll do it,” he said. “But I’ll do everything next time to achieve my goal.”
Junior bantamweight titleholder Kazuto Ioka closed out 2021 with a unanimous-decision victory over Ryoji Fukunaga in Japan.
Kazuto Ioka closed out 2021 with another clear victory on New Year’s Eve, although he had to work for it.
The 32-year-old four-division titleholder, making the fourth defense of his WBO 115-pound belt in Tokyo, defeated late replacement Ryoji Fukunaga by a unanimous decision.
The scores were 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113.
Ioka (28-2, 15 KOs) had been scheduled to face fellow titleholder Jerwin Ancajas in a unification bout but the Filipino was unable to enter Japan because of COVID-19 restrictions.
In stepped Ioka’s countryman Fukunaga, who gave a spirited effort in defeat.
The challenger was busier than Ioka, particularly early in the fight. However, Ioka’s punches did more damage and he gradually wore down Fukunaga (15-5, 14 KOs) to take firm control of the fight.
Ioka, No. 15 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list, has now won five consecutive fights since losing a disputed split decision to Donnie Nietes in December 2018.
Junior bantamweight titleholder Kazuto Ioka closed out 2021 with a unanimous-decision victory over Ryoji Fukunaga in Japan.
Kazuto Ioka closed out 2021 with another clear victory on New Year’s Eve, although he had to work for it.
The 32-year-old four-division titleholder, making the fourth defense of his WBO 115-pound belt in Tokyo, defeated late replacement Ryoji Fukunaga by a unanimous decision.
The scores were 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113.
Ioka (28-2, 15 KOs) had been scheduled to face fellow titleholder Jerwin Ancajas in a unification bout but the Filipino was unable to enter Japan because of COVID-19 restrictions.
In stepped Ioka’s countryman Fukunaga, who gave a spirited effort in defeat.
The challenger was busier than Ioka, particularly early in the fight. However, Ioka’s punches did more damage and he gradually wore down Fukunaga (15-5, 14 KOs) to take firm control of the fight.
Ioka, No. 15 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list, has now won five consecutive fights since losing a disputed split decision to Donnie Nietes in December 2018.
No one is surprised that Jaron Ennis defeated Sergey Lipinets on Saturday night in Uncasville, Conn. It was the way he did it that left us agog.
Ennis needed less than half a fight to beat up and break down a good, durable opponent before finishing the job with a brutal right-left combination in Round 6, the Philadelphian’s 17th consecutive knockout in completed fights.
“Boots” obviously is a gifted, polished technician. He frustrated Lipinets with his long jab and quick feet early in the fight — an example of his ability — before lowering the boom soon afterward. He’s an excellent boxer.
That alone isn’t what makes him special, though. It’s the combination of his skill set and punching power that makes the 23-year-old a candidate to become a superstar one day.
Ennis’ punches destroyed a man who went the distance with Mikey Garcia and had been down only once before in his professional career. Lipinets’ bruised, swollen face was a testament to the impact of Ennis’ punching power.
And he’s remarkably accurate given that impact: He connected on 52.9% of his power shots, an unusually high number.
Who else in boxing can do what he Ennis does? Who has that blend of boxing skills, natural gifts (speed, reflexes, athleticism) and debilitating power?
I’m not sure anyone does. Maybe Gervonta Davis? Terence Crawford? Bud has stopped his last eight opponents. Canelo Alvarez? Nah. He doesn’t have the natural gifts of Ennis, as great as the Mexican is.
It’s too early to say that Ennis is in the class of boxing’s best. The dominating victory over Lipinets was a nice step for him but he’s just beginning to build an impressive resume, which is required to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
I’m comfortable saying this, though: He has better tools than anyone else in boxing. And I think he will prove it over time. I predict he’ll end up No. 1 in the world pound for pound.
[lawrence-related id=19311]
***
BAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC5avCdOXdQ
Everyone is happy for Joe Smith Jr., a hard-working, blue-collar guy from Long Island, N.Y., who defeated Maxim Vlasov by a majority decision to win the vacant WBO light heavyweight title on Saturday in Tulsa, Okla.
Everyone must also acknowledge that he was fortunate to emerge victorious.
Vlasov, a clever veteran with an awkward style, outworked Smith and stayed in his face for most of the fight, which made it difficult for the big puncher to get extension on his power shots. Smith did land some and rallied down the stretch. However, in the eyes of many, the Russian did enough for the majority of the fight to earn the nod.
Boxing Junkie scored it 115-113, seven rounds to five for Vlasov. And 116-112 in his favor also would’ve been reasonable.
Alas, the official judges didn’t see it that way. David Sutherland scored it a 114-114 draw while Gerald Ritter and Pat Russell had it 115-112 and 115-113 in Smith’s favor, which gave him the coveted championship.
Smith said afterward that he deserved the decision because he landed the bigger shots. Meanwhile, Vlasov said he was in control throughout the fight and deserved to go home with the belt. He presumably felt he was the victim of a home-country decision.
“This was my opportunity to show the world I was a world champion. … I did that, and Joe Smith knows I did that,” Vlasov said.
Smith deserves credit. He fought his heart out from beginning to end in spite of a bad cut to realize his dream and set up an even bigger fight. The problem is that Vlasov might’ve deserved the decision.
[lawrence-related id=19315]
***
WORSE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6pIbW53C2w
Smith appears to be on a collision course with Artur Beterbiev in a title-unification fight before the end of the year, although nothing has been settled.
And that’s clearly the fight Smith wants. He dreams of holding more than one belt simultaneously, as many of the top fighters do. I admire his confidence and the fact he’s thinking big.
I also fear for him if he ends up tangling with the beast-like Russian.
Smith’s limitations were on full display against Vlasov, just as they were when he lost a wide decision against titleholder Dmitry Bivol. He has courage, he can crack but he’s crude boxer, which could set him up for disaster against Beterbiev.
The two-time Olympian is a well-schooled, experienced boxer who has stopped all 16 of his opponents, evidence of the damage his punches do. He probably doesn’t have one-punch knockout power like Smith. He merely chops you down like an ill-fated tree.
Of course, Smith has a puncher’s chance because of his power but it’s a small chance. A more likely scenario is that Beterbiev pulverizes him for seven or eight rounds, at which time a sympathetic soul will step in and end the slaughter.
Again, if Smith wants Beterbiev, he has earned the right to face him. I just think it could end up being hard to watch.
***
RABBIT PUNCHES
Eimantas Stanionis (13-0, 9 KOs) turned in a nice performance against an inspired Thomas Dulorme (25-5-1, 16 KOs) on the Ennis-Lipinets fight, winning a unanimous decision. Dulorme, under the tutelage of trainer Ismael Salas, boxed beautifully but the relentless Lithuanian ultimately wore him down to take control of the fight. Stanionis passed an important test. Dulorme did, too. I think the Puerto Rican demonstrated that he can still fight at an elite level. I hope he gets more opportunities. … Junior bantamweight titleholder Jerwin Ancajas (33-1-2, 22 KOs) and Jonathan Rodriguez (22-2, 16 KOs) gave fans an entertaining back-and-forth battle on the Ennis-Lipinets card. Ancajas retained his title for a ninth time by winning a unanimous decision but Rodriguez was also a winner. The relatively unknown Mexican, who had never fought outside his country, announced with his performance that he is a top-tier 115-pounder. Ancajas wants to fight the likes of Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez. Rodriguez might be ready for them, too. … Conor Benn (18-0, 12 KOs) looked like a legitimate title contender against Samuel Vargas (31-7-2, 14 KOs) on Saturday in London, putting a solid opponent away in one round. That was quicker than Errol Spence Jr., Danny Garcia and Vergil Ortiz were able to do it. He called for a true test afterward, mentioning Amir Khan among others. I hope he gets that kind of fight. And I won’t be surprised if he succeeds.
No one is surprised that Jaron Ennis defeated Sergey Lipinets on Saturday night in Uncasville, Conn. It was the way he did it that left us agog.
Ennis needed less than half a fight to beat up and break down a good, durable opponent before finishing the job with a brutal right-left combination in Round 6, the Philadelphian’s 17th consecutive knockout in completed fights.
“Boots” obviously is a gifted, polished technician. He frustrated Lipinets with his long jab and quick feet early in the fight — an example of his ability — before lowering the boom soon afterward. He’s an excellent boxer.
That alone isn’t what makes him special, though. It’s the combination of his skill set and punching power that makes the 23-year-old a candidate to become a superstar one day.
Ennis’ punches destroyed a man who went the distance with Mikey Garcia and had been down only once before in his professional career. Lipinets’ bruised, swollen face was a testament to the impact of Ennis’ punching power.
And he’s remarkably accurate given that impact: He connected on 52.9% of his power shots, an unusually high number.
Who else in boxing can do what he Ennis does? Who has that blend of boxing skills, natural gifts (speed, reflexes, athleticism) and debilitating power?
I’m not sure anyone does. Maybe Gervonta Davis? Terence Crawford? Bud has stopped his last eight opponents. Canelo Alvarez? Nah. He doesn’t have the natural gifts of Ennis, as great as the Mexican is.
It’s too early to say that Ennis is in the class of boxing’s best. The dominating victory over Lipinets was a nice step for him but he’s just beginning to build an impressive resume, which is required to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
I’m comfortable saying this, though: He has better tools than anyone else in boxing. And I think he will prove it over time. I predict he’ll end up No. 1 in the world pound for pound.
[lawrence-related id=19311]
***
BAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC5avCdOXdQ
Everyone is happy for Joe Smith Jr., a hard-working, blue-collar guy from Long Island, N.Y., who defeated Maxim Vlasov by a majority decision to win the vacant WBO light heavyweight title on Saturday in Tulsa, Okla.
Everyone must also acknowledge that he was fortunate to emerge victorious.
Vlasov, a clever veteran with an awkward style, outworked Smith and stayed in his face for most of the fight, which made it difficult for the big puncher to get extension on his power shots. Smith did land some and rallied down the stretch. However, in the eyes of many, the Russian did enough for the majority of the fight to earn the nod.
Boxing Junkie scored it 115-113, seven rounds to five for Vlasov. And 116-112 in his favor also would’ve been reasonable.
Alas, the official judges didn’t see it that way. David Sutherland scored it a 114-114 draw while Gerald Ritter and Pat Russell had it 115-112 and 115-113 in Smith’s favor, which gave him the coveted championship.
Smith said afterward that he deserved the decision because he landed the bigger shots. Meanwhile, Vlasov said he was in control throughout the fight and deserved to go home with the belt. He presumably felt he was the victim of a home-country decision.
“This was my opportunity to show the world I was a world champion. … I did that, and Joe Smith knows I did that,” Vlasov said.
Smith deserves credit. He fought his heart out from beginning to end in spite of a bad cut to realize his dream and set up an even bigger fight. The problem is that Vlasov might’ve deserved the decision.
[lawrence-related id=19315]
***
WORSE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6pIbW53C2w
Smith appears to be on a collision course with Artur Beterbiev in a title-unification fight before the end of the year, although nothing has been settled.
And that’s clearly the fight Smith wants. He dreams of holding more than one belt simultaneously, as many of the top fighters do. I admire his confidence and the fact he’s thinking big.
I also fear for him if he ends up tangling with the beast-like Russian.
Smith’s limitations were on full display against Vlasov, just as they were when he lost a wide decision against titleholder Dmitry Bivol. He has courage, he can crack but he’s crude boxer, which could set him up for disaster against Beterbiev.
The two-time Olympian is a well-schooled, experienced boxer who has stopped all 16 of his opponents, evidence of the damage his punches do. He probably doesn’t have one-punch knockout power like Smith. He merely chops you down like an ill-fated tree.
Of course, Smith has a puncher’s chance because of his power but it’s a small chance. A more likely scenario is that Beterbiev pulverizes him for seven or eight rounds, at which time a sympathetic soul will step in and end the slaughter.
Again, if Smith wants Beterbiev, he has earned the right to face him. I just think it could end up being hard to watch.
***
RABBIT PUNCHES
Eimantas Stanionis (13-0, 9 KOs) turned in a nice performance against an inspired Thomas Dulorme (25-5-1, 16 KOs) on the Ennis-Lipinets fight, winning a unanimous decision. Dulorme, under the tutelage of trainer Ismael Salas, boxed beautifully but the relentless Lithuanian ultimately wore him down to take control of the fight. Stanionis passed an important test. Dulorme did, too. I think the Puerto Rican demonstrated that he can still fight at an elite level. I hope he gets more opportunities. … Junior bantamweight titleholder Jerwin Ancajas (33-1-2, 22 KOs) and Jonathan Rodriguez (22-2, 16 KOs) gave fans an entertaining back-and-forth battle on the Ennis-Lipinets card. Ancajas retained his title for a ninth time by winning a unanimous decision but Rodriguez was also a winner. The relatively unknown Mexican, who had never fought outside his country, announced with his performance that he is a top-tier 115-pounder. Ancajas wants to fight the likes of Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez. Rodriguez might be ready for them, too. … Conor Benn (18-0, 12 KOs) looked like a legitimate title contender against Samuel Vargas (31-7-2, 14 KOs) on Saturday in London, putting a solid opponent away in one round. That was quicker than Errol Spence Jr., Danny Garcia and Vergil Ortiz were able to do it. He called for a true test afterward, mentioning Amir Khan among others. I hope he gets that kind of fight. And I won’t be surprised if he succeeds.
