Jose Ramriez has sparred with both Manny Pacquiao and Mikey Garcia and says Garcia “has a little heavier hand.”
Jose Ramirez has sparred with both Manny Pacquiao and Mikey Garcia, which means he should have a good sense for what each of them brings into the ring.
Who is a bigger puncher? Ramirez told EsNews that it’s Garcia.
Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) reportedly is considering Garcia (40-1, 30 KOs) for his next opponent.
“They hit the same, but I think Mikey [Garcia] has probably a little heavier hand,” Ramirez said. “Pacquiao just puts it together really well, he puts three or four punches. It doesn’t take a lot of power to land a clean shot and for someone to feel it. As long as the shots are pointed properly it could hurt anybody.”
Pacquiao and Garcia are both small welterweights. Still, the Filipino icon had enough power to put down a big 147-pounder, Keith Thurman, in July of last year. And Garcia was able to do the same against Jessie Vargas in February.
At the same time, Pacquiao has exactly one knockout in the past 10-plus years. Garcia hasn’t stopped anyone above 135 pounds, a span of five fights.
“Mikey is not the biggest 147 pounder out there,” Ramirez said. “… Pacquiao is not the biggest 147 pounder, so I think it would be a fight that would make sense for both of them.”
Ramirez, a highly regarded140-pound titleholder, also is a potential opponent for the top 147-pounders. That includes Terence Crawford, who shares a promoter (Top Rank) with Ramirez.
Mikey Garcia vs. Manny Pacquiao? Sounds like it remains a realistic possibility. A spokesman for Pacquiao reportedly said that the Filipino icon remains interested in facing Garcia in his next fight. And Garcia greeted that news with great …
Mikey Garcia vs. Manny Pacquiao? Sounds like it remains a realistic possibility.
A spokesman for Pacquiao reportedly said that the Filipino icon remains interested in facing Garcia in his next fight. And Garcia greeted that news with great enthusiasm.
The matchup makes sense for a number of reasons. Pacquiao wants only big fights at this stage of his career. Garcia, popular and successful, fits the bill. They are both small welterweights, meaning neither would have an advantage in that regard.
And the fight will be perceived as a toss-up. A strong case can be made for both fighters.
In this episode of Boxing with Chris Mannix, DAZN commentator Chris Mannix interviews Mikey Garcia about the potential showdown with Pacquiao.
Adrien Broner says he’ll focus on rapping if he can’t get the $10 million he is demanding to get back into the ring.
Have we seen the last of Adrien Broner in the ring?
“The Problem” is demanding that Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions pay him $10 million for his next fight or he’s finished with boxing. He said on Instagram that he’ll be content to give up the sport and focus full time on his music career.
“OK, look. I ain’t heard from Stephen Espinoza [of Showtime]. Me and Al [Haymon of PBC], we talk every day. Ain’t nobody talking about that $10 million. So I’ll take that as I’m still retired and do what I’m going to do. I’m going to focus on my album. And I’m just a rapper. I’m a rapper now.
“… Until they talk about my $10 million, I ain’t going to be in the f—ing ring. I’m going to be in the studio. So my album dropping. It is what it is.”
Broner seemed to imply on another Instagram post that he’ll show everyone what he’s capable of.
“I’m not f—ing playing no games y’all put me up against the best in the world and I never turned down a fight now it’s time to come correct or leave me the f— alone but I will become champion again and I promise I’m go make y’all pay double the PRICE!!!!!!!”
The reality is that Broner doesn’t command that kind of money, particularly in an economy that has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. He still commands attention because of his mouth, which sells his fights. But $10 million? No way.
Broner (33-4-1, 24 KOs) has had a lot of success in his career, winning titles in four divisions by the time he was 26.
That’s the past, though. Broner, now 30, is 0-2-1 in his last three fights. He lost a wide decision to Mikey Garcia in 2017, a majority decision to Jessie Vargas the following year and another one-sided decision to Manny Pacquiao in 2019.
A boxer who hasn’t won a fight in more than three years might want to consider another career.
Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez gave their thoughts on a prospective showdown during the first episode of “Peleamundo.”
Juan Francisco Estrada surprised many people when he gave Roman Gonzalez spirited resistance in 2012, losing a decision in his first title fight.
A lot has happened since then.
Estrada has won titles in two divisions and gained recognition as one of the best fighters in the world. He’s No. 9 on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list. Gonzalez, once No. 1 worldwide, lost back-to-back fights to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017 – the second time by brutal knockout – but is coming off a sensational KO of Kal Yafai in February.
Now Estrada (40-3, 27 KOs) and Gonzalez (49-2, 41 KOs) appear to be headed toward a title-unification rematch. The fighters gave their thoughts on the prospective showdown during the first episode of “Peleamundo,” Mathroom Boxing’s new YouTube show. Welterweight contender Jessie Vargas is the host.
“I’ve had three losses and I’ve avenged two of them,” said Estrada, who last year regained the 115-pound title he lost to Sor Rungvisai in 2018. “I haven’t been able to avenge my loss to Gonzalez yet because we never fought again, but hopefully this time around, I will win, and that loss will be avenged as well.
“I’m the champ. I have a lot of respect for him. It’s a big fight and we both deserve big purses.
Everything looks and sound good but it’s all about the money. We’re friends and both fighting for our families. I want to unify if I’m given the opportunity. I’ll fight whatever opponent is available. I know there will be some good fights made by the promoters.
“I don’t know Yafai personally, however I do know Roman, and he’s a great champion. I know he had a lot of support from the people of Nicaragua. I was happy for him because he’s such a humble person. Without a doubt I was with Roman Gonzalez in that fight.
“It’s been eight years [since the first fight] and I’m very excited for this fight. I believe the people really want to see it as well. I’m a great fighter. It’s going to be a great show. It’s going to be a better and bigger fight than the bigger weight classes.”
Said Gonzalez: “I’m a lion in the ring. We put in the work to win but after we can be friends, and everything will go back to normal. It’s going to be a very good fight. Everyone talks before the fight but all that matters is the day of the fight.
“We both need to just demonstrate to the public that the lighter weight divisions can put on a good show. We’re the ones carrying boxing right now, the smaller weight classes, and if I fight Estrada, it’s going to be historical.”
Former two-division titleholder Jessie Vargas will host Matchroom Boxing’s new Spanish-language interview show “Peleamundo.”
Matchroom Boxing USA has announced the imminent launch of a Spanish-language series “Peleamundo.”
Former two-division titleholder Jessie Vargas will host the show, which will appear on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel “Peleamundo.” Vargas will interview the biggest Spanish-speaking fighters in the Matchroom stable and others.
That includes Juan Francisco Estrada, Julio Cesar Martinez, Roman Gonzalez and Amanda Serrano, as well as prospects Diego Pacheco, Alexis Espino and Marc Castro.
Vargas also will speak to legends of the sport, celebrity boxing fans and fans in general in his #AskJessie section.
The show is set to launch this coming weekend.
“I am so excited to be part of this new series ‘Peleamundo’ with Matchroom Boxing USA,” Vargas said. “There is a wealth of elite level and rising Hispanic fighters in the Matchroom Boxing USA stable and the Latino fight fans are some of the most knowledgeable and passionate followers of our great sport. I can’t wait to bring them exclusive interviews with their favorite fighters and also get the fans on the show to answer the questions they have.
“As the show develops, I hope to be talking to some of the real greats of the game and my favorite fighters, as well as going behind the scenes at Matchroom Boxing USA shows. It’s going to be a blast!”
Said promoter Eddie Hearn: “I am delighted to bring ‘Peleamundo’ to the Hispanic fight fans. There are so many fantastic fighters with a Latin flavor, and I am sure that we will create some fantastic exclusive content with both the launch interviews with some of the biggest names in the game and when Jessie hits the road at our shows.
“Not only will we hear from current World champions like Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez and Julio Cesar Martinez, but it is also a brilliant opportunity to introduce our young fighters like Diego Pacheco, Alexis Espino and Marc Castro to a new audience.”
One problem: Arum, CEO of Top Rank, which promotes both Ramirez and Taylor, shot down the possibility of working with Garcia.
“I’m not interested in promoting a fight with Mikey Garcia,” Arum told FightHubTV. “It’s not that he isn’t a good fighter and it’s not that he isn’t a nice fellow. He is a nice fellow, but his financial demands are ludicrous.”
Arum used to promote Garcia, a four-division titleholder, before the two split over, well, money issues. A lengthy court battle ensued that prevented Garcia from entering the ring for 2½ years. Eventually, Garcia earned his release and linked up with Matchroom Boxing.
Arum has insisted that bygones are bygones with his former client. The two posed for pictures at a fight ringside not too long ago. But when it comes to doing business, it’s a nonstarter in Arum’s view.
“As far as I’m concerned Mikey Garcia should forget about [facing Top Rank’s 140-pounders], because the money Mikey Garcia wants is obscene, and he’s not worth it,” Arum said. “He can’t draw anything. Let him stay with Eddie Hearn, who will squander a ton of money on him.”
Hearn, the well-heeled British promoter who has an exclusive deal with the streaming service DAZN, promoted the Garcia-Vargas bout. DAZN’s priority is to establish a large subscriber base, and in order to do that, it has given Hearn the green light to pay more than all competitors for the rights to the top fighters. That’s fine, says Arum, but don’t expect the same commitment from him.
“I know what a fight can bring in,” Arum said. “I’m not in the position nor do I want to be in the position as Eddie Hearn was with DAZN squandering other people’s money, accomplishing nothing. That’s not my business.”
Manny Pacquiao reportedly said during a TV interview in the Philippines that he’ll likely fight Errol Spence Jr. or Mikey Garcia in July.
Manny Pacquiao evidently considers Errol Spence Jr. or Mikey Garcia his mostly likely opponent for a planned title defense in July.
Pacquiao said in a television interview in the Philippines that he would fight either Garcia, Spence or Terence Crawford, according to a report on RingTV.com. He later whittled that list down to Spence and Garcia.
The welterweight titleholder added that “there are boxers from Canada and Mexico that want to fight me” but didn’t name names.
A fight with Spence, which would unify three of the four major titles, would be a bigger fight than one with Garcia but presumably also would be a stiffer challenge for the 41-year-old Pacquiao.
Spence is coming off an exciting split-decision victory over Shawn Porter that most observers feel he won clearly in September but was injured in a horrific single-car accident in October. He has recovered and reportedly has been cleared to resume training.
Garcia, like Pacquiao a small welterweight, defeated Jessie Vargas by a unanimous decision on Saturday. He was shut out by Spence in his previous fight, which raised questions about whether he could compete against an elite opponent at 147 pounds.
Pacquiao won a welterweight title by outpointing Keith Thurman last July.
Roman Gonzalez reached into his glorious past to break down and then knock out unbeaten Kal Yafai on Saturday in Frisco, Texas.
GOOD
Never underestimate a great fighter.
Roman Gonzalez seemed to be finished as top-tier star when he lost back to back fights to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017, including a brutal fourth-round knockout in the second meeting. The death of his longtime trainer and a knee injury that required surgery seemed to seal his fate as a has-been.
“Chocolatito’s” career had run its course. Too old (32), particularly for such a small fighter. Too shop worn, the result of many wars. And too small. He seemed to hit a weight ceiling.
Yes, it was a tall order to think such a little, worn out man could take down unbeaten and rising junior bantamweight titleholder Kal Yafai on the Mikey Garcia-Jessie Vargas card Saturday in Frisco, Texas.
Turned out there were two more factors not everyone took into account: ability and determination.
Gonzalez looked a lot like the pre-Sor Rungvisai Gonzalez against Yafai, who learned the hard way how good one of his boxing idols could be in the flesh. Gonzalez outworked Yafai (landing twice as many power punches as the Englishman), broke him down in brutal fashion and ultimately knocked him out in the ninth round.
The moment Gonzalez’s big right hand put a beaten Yafai down and out in the ninth round was a flash back to a time when the Nicaraguan was considered an absolute marvel. Vintage “Chocolatito.”
Is it time to put him back onto our pound-for-pound lists? No, not yet. Probably not ever again. But he gave us at least one last demonstration of why he has been one of the greatest fighters – in any division – of his generation.
And who knows? He might have more such performances in him. Fighters like Sor Rungvisai and Juan Francisco Estrada await. I wouldn’t put anything past “Chocolatito.”
BAD
Mikey Garcia (right) was able to handle Jessie Vargas but how would he fare against the likes of Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia? Tom Pennington / Getty Images
There was nothing “bad” about Mikey Garcia’s performance against Jessie Vargas on Saturday. He should be applauded for a solid comeback victory.
The “bad” could describe what might follow.
I believe Garcia proved against a solid opponent that he remains an elite fighter, one who arguably deserves to be on pound-for-pound lists. He fought patiently early in the fight, had his best moments in the middle rounds – including a fifth-round knockdown – and was strong at the finish.
The result: scores of 114-113, 116-111 and 116-111 in his favor. Well deserved.
The problem is that Vargas, as big as he was compared to Garcia, isn’t equal to the likes of Errol Spence Jr., Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman. They are true 147-pounders but also better than Vargas, which is where Mikey Garcia ran into trouble in his previous fight.
Spence dominated him en route to a shutout decision in March of last year, which raised questions about the ability of a natural 140-pounder – if that – to compete against an elite welterweight. He got past Vargas. But how would Mikey Garcia do against Porter, Danny Garcia or Thurman?
It might not turn out pretty. Yes, the big, lucrative fights are at 147 but there also is money to be made at 140. That’s where he belongs.
That said, there is one welterweight who wouldn’t have a natural size advantage over Mikey Garcia: the 41-year-old Manny Pacquiao, who also is not a natural 147-pounder. That fight would come down to ability, not any physical advantages.
And Garcia might just have enough of it to give Pacquiao trouble if he gets that fight. He could become a titleholder in a fifth division yet.
WORSE
It will be difficult for Deontay Wilder to bounce back from the beating he took from Tyson Fury on Feb. 22. Al Bello / Getty Images
Deontay Wilder formally exercised the clause in his rematch contract with Tyson Fury that provides for a third fight between them.
That makes sense from a business standpoint, at least in the short term. If he doesn’t take it now, there are no guarantees he’ll ever get a crack at Fury again. And, of course, he’ll make more money in Fury-Wilder III than any other fight.
The decision makes less sense from a boxing standpoint. How could he possibly turn the tables on Fury after what we saw on Feb. 22?
He’s in a similar position to Anthony Joshua after he was stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr. I thought it was a mistake for Joshua to take an immedaiate rematch because of the conclusive nature of the first fight. I thought it would be smarter to rebuild his confidence in one or two less-challenging fights and then face Ruiz again.
Well, we know what happened. Joshua didn’t give an inspiring performance but he thoroughly outboxed a sadly out of shape Ruiz in the rematch to regain the titles and clout he lost in the first fight.
The Wilder-Fury situation is different. Most important, Ruiz is no Fury. No one could outbox the “Gypsy King.” And, at least in terms of boxing ability, Wilder is no Joshua. I’m not sure he can make adjustments necessary to make a third fight with Fury more competitive then their second other than wear a lighter costume into the ring.
I think Fury would have to pull a Ruiz for Wilder to beat him, meaning he would have to enter the ring utterly unprepared for a fight. Fury has a history of volatility but, when it comes to boxing, I don’t see him entering the ring at that sort of disadvantage.
Crazy things happen in boxing, though. And the thought of Wilder beating Fury in their third fight is crazy.
Mikey Garcia finally got a win at welterweight, but questions still abound as to whether he stands a chance against the elite fighters…
Four-weight division titleholder Mikey Garcia may have raised as many questions as answers about his ability to face the top contenders of the welterweight class.
Saturday night at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, Garcia overcame a slow start against Jesse Vargas, before dropping him in the fifth round en route to a 12-round unanimous decision.
The judges’ scorecards read 114-113, 116-111, and 116-111.
This was Garcia’s first outing in the ring since his lopsided points loss last spring to Errol Spence Jr., a native of Dallas who happened to be sitting ringside.
Early on Vargas, the bigger man, outworked Garcia, a natural lightweight, scoring with the jab and straight rights to the body. Vargas also connected on a few hard left hooks that kept Garcia on his toes. Case in point, in Round 4, Vargas managed to briefly stagger Garcia with a hook that landed right on the temple.
“Well, I did have to make adjustments,” Garcia admitted afterward. “I had to get adjusted to (Vargas’) height, his reach, natural size, but as the fight went on I felt like I was hurting him and closing the distance.”
Indeed, the momentum began to shift midway through Round 5, when Garcia started to successfully time Vargas with a series of hare straight rights, one of which caused Vargas to have a bad case of jake leg and retreat to a corner. Garcia followed up with a booming one-two combination right down the middle of the guard that flattened Vargas for the lone knockdown of the fight.
But Vargas, as is his wont, was able to hang on. Moreover, he had a few positive moments that may have won him some of the late rounds.
“He’s a big man. Jesse’s a big man,” Garcia said, “but my talent was able to overcome that.
“I felt that my speed and my power was all perfect and I was able to put it into effect against the bigger guy.”
Still, some of the tops fighters of the welterweight division – Vargas is a fringe contender, at best – may be a bridge too far for Garcia. Looking ahead, Garcia reiterated his desire to face titleholder Manny Pacquiao in the summer. He also floated the idea of facing Spence again.
“I think I have great options,” Garcia said. “I’m ready to get back in the ring with the best. I would love to get a match with Manny Pacquiao or a rematch with Errol Spence. I want to continue campaigning at 147.”
This was Garcia’s fight fight with promoter Eddie Hearn on the DAZN streaming platform. Hearn has said that Saudi Arabia remains deeply interested in staging a potential Pacquiao-Garcia bout.
Roman Gonzalez is back on top of the junior bantamweight division after he beat up Kal Yafai, stopping him in the ninth round…
He’s back.
Roman Gonzalez, perhaps the most accomplished fighter of the lower weight classes of the past decade, is a junior bantamweight titleholder once again after he stopped undefeated Khalid Yafai in the ninth round Saturday night at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco Texas on the Mikey Garcia-Jesse Vargas card.
“God gave me my title back,” Gonzalez, now a two-time 115-pound titlist, said postfight.
It was more like a mugging.
The Nicaraguan, who has earned titles in four weight classes, sliced and diced Yafai on the inside all fight long, strafing the Birmingham native with a deluge of short punches. By Round 9, Gonzalez had softened up Yafai like a marshmallow. With one well-placed right hand, he sent Yafai crashing to the canvas. The defending titleholder tried to get up, but stumbled, prompting referee Luis Pabon to wave off the bout 29 seconds into the round.
The win marks a remarkable turnaround for a fighter who is already a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame someday. After suffering two back-to-back losses Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, including a hellacious drubbing in the rematch, in 2017, Gonazalez has had to overcome several other setbacks, notably surgery to his knee and the death of his longtime trainer. There was some concern that Gonzalez would never be the same, given the wear and tear of nearly 50 fights at 32 years of age.
But as far removed as he may be from his prime, against Yafai, Gonzalez was clearly in top form.
“When I lost (to Sor Rungvisai), yes (it was tough), but I had a good team around me and they brought me back,” Gonzalez said. “I thank first and foremost (promoter) Mr. (Akihiko) Honda and Eddie Hearn for giving me the opportunity to become a world champion once again.”
It didn’t take long for flashes of the vintage Gonzalez (48-2, 40 KOs) to appear in the ring. Rifling one fluid combination after another on the inside in Round 2, Gonzalez briefly troubled Yafai (26-1, 15 KOs) with an uppercut the Birmingham native. Gonzalez said he was surprised that Yafai, known for his preference for fighting on the outside, was willing to trade punches in the trenches.
Gonzalez began to take over beginning in Round 5. He administered a serious beating of Yafai in Round 7, courtesy of a series of unanswered right hands and followed up with more of the same in the next round. By this point, Yafai was simply on borrowed time.
The victory could set up some intriguing rematch possibilities for Gonzalez, chief of which is a unification bout with fellow titleholder Juan Francisco Estrada. Gonzalez defeated Estrada back in 2012. It would be a relatively easy fight to make, considering both fighters are aligned with broadcaster DAZN and promoter Hearn.
Another one is a rematch against Sor Rungvisai, who is also aligned with DAZN/Hearn.
Gonzalez welcomed both options.
“I want to try to unify some titles, that’s my dream,” he said.
