Tag: Jesus Ramos

Weekend Review: Canelo Alvarez was as good as his word against Jermell Charlo

Weekend Review: Canelo Alvarez was as good as his word against Jermell Charlo on Saturday in Las Vegas.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Canelo Alvarez

The super middleweight champion’s unanimous decision victory over Jermell Charlo on Saturday night in Las Vegas was far from the greatest of his decorated career given the fact the challenger moved up two divisions to face the future Hall of Famer. At the same time, Alvarez did exactly what he said he would do: He proved that he’s far from finished as one of the best fighters in the world. Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) insisted that recent sub-par performances – which damaged his reputation – were the result of an injured left wrist and promised he would perform like the great fighter of old now that’s he’s 100% healthy. And he was good as his word. He fought with the passion and sharpness that was missing in recent fights, overwhelming a smaller, but excellent fighter in Charlo with relentless pressure to win round after round and ultimately the fight. The challenger never really had a chance. A giddy Alvarez brimmed with confidence afterward, bellowing during his post-fight interview that, “nobody can beat this Canelo.” He might be right, although Dmitry Bivol certainly will have found that statement interesting.

 

BIGGEST LOSER
Jermell Charlo

Jermell Charlo took a knee after taking a big right in Round 7. Sarah Stier / Getty Images

In terms of money, Charlo couldn’t have had a better night. His eight-figure payday will set him and his family up for life. In terms of his performance, well, the undisputed 154-pound champ would probably like to put it behind him as soon as possible. I won’t say that Charlo came merely to survive but he fought on his heels from beginning to end and didn’t take the risks necessary to make the fight competitive, which was disappointing given his dominance at 154 pounds and expectations going into the fight. He admitted afterward that he “should’ve come forward more.” The fact he didn’t do so produced a disappointing fight. Charlo will bounce back, although at his natural weight. He expects to face the winner of the Oct. 14 fight between newly appointed WBO 154-pound champ Tim Tszyu and Brian Mendoza, and he called out 147-pound king Terence Crawford. If he gets and wins those kind of fights, fans will come to realize that while he was horrible against a fighter he called “a beast” at 168 pounds, he remains the dominant figure at 154 and could have similar success at 160. As Charlo said, “I’m not going nowhere.”

 

WORST DECISION
Erickson Lubin UD Jesus Ramos

Jesus Ramos (right) seemed to do enough to get the victory.  Sarah Stier / Getty Images

I’m still scratching my head. Ramos controlled the first two thirds of his fight against the inactive Lubin, who averaged six punches landed in the first eight rounds (compared to 13 for Ramos), according to CompuBox. Ramos took his foot off the gas in the final four rounds, which opened the door for Lubin to make up some ground on the scorecards. However, it seemed to me – and a lot of others – that Ramos had built too big of a lead to be overtaken. That’s why the officials scoring was so shocking: 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113, all for Lubin. I had it 116-112 for Ramos, eight rounds to four. Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs) simply was too passive in too many rounds to have won a unanimous decision. Lubin’s inactivity also was stunning. I kept waiting for the fiery offensive fighter of the past to emerge. He never did, although he picked up his pace in Rounds 9-12. Lubin lucked out. Meanwhile, Ramos (20-1, 16 KOs) learned a painful, but valuable lesson: Never assume you can afford to lower your output down the stretch. You never know what the judges saw — or didn’t see — up to that point.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

What’s next for Alvarez? You can read about that here. In short, I have to think that the fight he really wants is a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, although they couldn’t come to terms during earlier negotiations. My first choice? David Benavidez. Maybe the fans can convince Alvarez that that’s the best fight for him. … Mario Barrios (28-2, 18 KOs) recorded the biggest victory of his career on the Alvarez-Charlo card, easily outpointing former 147-pound contender Yordenis Ugas (27-6, 12 KOs). Barrios, a former 140-pound beltholder, fought too carefully to my taste for much of the fight but he ended up closing Ugas’ right eye, putting him down twice and dominating the championship rounds. So, in the end, he had a terrific night. Ugas? The Cuban might not be able to overcome back-to-back losses and a vulnerable eye socket at 37 years old. … Twenty-year-old middleweight contender Elijah Garcia gave a strong performance on the Alvarez-Charlo undercard, stopping rugged Mexican Jose Armando Resendiz (14-2, 10 KOs) in eight rounds. Garcia (16-0, 13 KOs) needs to work on his defense but he’s impressive in all other respects. The southpaw from Phoenix is adept at setting up his shots, punches accurately, has world class power (the right hooks that finished Resendiz were vicious) and fights will poise beyond his years. He’s a threat to anyone now. If he continues to improve, he could become a star. …

News item: Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have signed to fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship sometime this winter in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, assuming Fury gets past MMA star Francis Ngannou on Oct. 28, also in Saudi Arabia. It’s about time. Boxing hasn’t had an undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis a generation ago. And the matchup is fascinating. I think Fury is too big and too good for Usyk but I wouldn’t put anything past the gifted Ukrainian, who has two victories over Anthony Joshua. … Boxing lost a legend when broadcaster Colonel Bob Sheridan died at 79 on Sept. 27. Sheridan reportedly broadcast more than 10,000 fights on radio and TV over the past half century, including some of the biggest events in history. He had a keen understanding of the sport and did an excellent job of projecting the drama of the fights he worked. More important to his colleagues, he was one of the most down to earth, friendly figures in the sport. Also, longtime Cincinnati-based trainer Mike Stafford recently died at 67. He worked with Adrien Broner, Robert Easter Jr. and Rau’shee Warron, among many others. He also worked with children in the community, which endeared him to residents and officials in his area.

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Weekend Review: Canelo Alvarez was as good as his word against Jermell Charlo

Weekend Review: Canelo Alvarez was as good as his word against Jermell Charlo on Saturday in Las Vegas.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Canelo Alvarez

The super middleweight champion’s unanimous decision victory over Jermell Charlo on Saturday night in Las Vegas was far from the greatest of his decorated career given the fact the challenger moved up two divisions to face the future Hall of Famer. At the same time, Alvarez did exactly what he said he would do: He proved that he’s far from finished as one of the best fighters in the world. Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) insisted that recent sub-par performances – which damaged his reputation – were the result of an injured left wrist and promised he would perform like the great fighter of old now that’s he’s 100% healthy. And he was good as his word. He fought with the passion and sharpness that was missing in recent fights, overwhelming a smaller, but excellent fighter in Charlo with relentless pressure to win round after round and ultimately the fight. The challenger never really had a chance. A giddy Alvarez brimmed with confidence afterward, bellowing during his post-fight interview that, “nobody can beat this Canelo.” He might be right, although Dmitry Bivol certainly will have found that statement interesting.

 

BIGGEST LOSER
Jermell Charlo

Jermell Charlo took a knee after taking a big right in Round 7. Sarah Stier / Getty Images

In terms of money, Charlo couldn’t have had a better night. His eight-figure payday will set him and his family up for life. In terms of his performance, well, the undisputed 154-pound champ would probably like to put it behind him as soon as possible. I won’t say that Charlo came merely to survive but he fought on his heels from beginning to end and didn’t take the risks necessary to make the fight competitive, which was disappointing given his dominance at 154 pounds and expectations going into the fight. He admitted afterward that he “should’ve come forward more.” The fact he didn’t do so produced a disappointing fight. Charlo will bounce back, although at his natural weight. He expects to face the winner of the Oct. 14 fight between newly appointed WBO 154-pound champ Tim Tszyu and Brian Mendoza, and he called out 147-pound king Terence Crawford. If he gets and wins those kind of fights, fans will come to realize that while he was horrible against a fighter he called “a beast” at 168 pounds, he remains the dominant figure at 154 and could have similar success at 160. As Charlo said, “I’m not going nowhere.”

 

WORST DECISION
Erickson Lubin UD Jesus Ramos

Jesus Ramos (right) seemed to do enough to get the victory.  Sarah Stier / Getty Images

I’m still scratching my head. Ramos controlled the first two thirds of his fight against the inactive Lubin, who averaged six punches landed in the first eight rounds (compared to 13 for Ramos), according to CompuBox. Ramos took his foot off the gas in the final four rounds, which opened the door for Lubin to make up some ground on the scorecards. However, it seemed to me – and a lot of others – that Ramos had built too big of a lead to be overtaken. That’s why the officials scoring was so shocking: 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113, all for Lubin. I had it 116-112 for Ramos, eight rounds to four. Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs) simply was too passive in too many rounds to have won a unanimous decision. Lubin’s inactivity also was stunning. I kept waiting for the fiery offensive fighter of the past to emerge. He never did, although he picked up his pace in Rounds 9-12. Lubin lucked out. Meanwhile, Ramos (20-1, 16 KOs) learned a painful, but valuable lesson: Never assume you can afford to lower your output down the stretch. You never know what the judges saw — or didn’t see — up to that point.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

What’s next for Alvarez? You can read about that here. In short, I have to think that the fight he really wants is a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, although they couldn’t come to terms during earlier negotiations. My first choice? David Benavidez. Maybe the fans can convince Alvarez that that’s the best fight for him. … Mario Barrios (28-2, 18 KOs) recorded the biggest victory of his career on the Alvarez-Charlo card, easily outpointing former 147-pound contender Yordenis Ugas (27-6, 12 KOs). Barrios, a former 140-pound beltholder, fought too carefully to my taste for much of the fight but he ended up closing Ugas’ right eye, putting him down twice and dominating the championship rounds. So, in the end, he had a terrific night. Ugas? The Cuban might not be able to overcome back-to-back losses and a vulnerable eye socket at 37 years old. … Twenty-year-old middleweight contender Elijah Garcia gave a strong performance on the Alvarez-Charlo undercard, stopping rugged Mexican Jose Armando Resendiz (14-2, 10 KOs) in eight rounds. Garcia (16-0, 13 KOs) needs to work on his defense but he’s impressive in all other respects. The southpaw from Phoenix is adept at setting up his shots, punches accurately, has world class power (the right hooks that finished Resendiz were vicious) and fights will poise beyond his years. He’s a threat to anyone now. If he continues to improve, he could become a star. …

News item: Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have signed to fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship sometime this winter in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, assuming Fury gets past MMA star Francis Ngannou on Oct. 28, also in Saudi Arabia. It’s about time. Boxing hasn’t had an undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis a generation ago. And the matchup is fascinating. I think Fury is too big and too good for Usyk but I wouldn’t put anything past the gifted Ukrainian, who has two victories over Anthony Joshua. … Boxing lost a legend when broadcaster Colonel Bob Sheridan died at 79 on Sept. 27. Sheridan reportedly broadcast more than 10,000 fights on radio and TV over the past half century, including some of the biggest events in history. He had a keen understanding of the sport and did an excellent job of projecting the drama of the fights he worked. More important to his colleagues, he was one of the most down to earth, friendly figures in the sport. Also, longtime Cincinnati-based trainer Mike Stafford recently died at 67. He worked with Adrien Broner, Robert Easter Jr. and Rau’shee Warron, among many others. He also worked with children in the community, which endeared him to residents and officials in his area.

[lawrence-related id=39233,39227,39198,39194,39162,39164]

Erickson Lubin defeats Jesus Ramos by controversial unanimous decision

Erickson Lubin defeated Jesus Ramos by a controversial unanimous decision on the Canelo Alvarez-Jermell Charlo card Saturday.

This one won’t sit well with a lot of fans.

Jesus Ramos seemed to control most of his fight against fellow 154-pound contender Erickson Lubin yet lost a unanimous decision on the Canelo Alvarez-Jermell Charlo card Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The official scores were 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113. Boxing Junkie had it 116-112 for Ramos, eight rounds to four.

Ramos (20-1, 16 KOs) dominated the first two thirds of the fight against his relatively passive opponent, most conspicuously landing hard, eye catching punches to the body consistently.

However, Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs), who had done little more than jab, picked up his pace beginning in Round 9 and began landing combinations as his opponent slowed down and the crowd began to boo.

That activity evidently allowed the Floridian to overtake his 22-year-old foe and win the fight.

The victory was significant for Lubin, who was trying to rebuild his reputation after he was stopped by Sebastian Fundora in April of last year, his second knockout loss.

The 28-year-old has rebounded by winning back-to-back fights, a fifth-round knockout of Luis Arias in June and now a decision over the previously unbeaten fighter from Arizona.

[lawrence-related id=39164]

Erickson Lubin defeats Jesus Ramos by controversial unanimous decision

Erickson Lubin defeated Jesus Ramos by a controversial unanimous decision on the Canelo Alvarez-Jermell Charlo card Saturday.

This one won’t sit well with a lot of fans.

Jesus Ramos seemed to control most of his fight against fellow 154-pound contender Erickson Lubin yet lost a unanimous decision on the Canelo Alvarez-Jermell Charlo card Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The official scores were 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113. Boxing Junkie had it 116-112 for Ramos, eight rounds to four.

Ramos (20-1, 16 KOs) dominated the first two thirds of the fight against his relatively passive opponent, most conspicuously landing hard, eye catching punches to the body consistently.

However, Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs), who had done little more than jab, picked up his pace beginning in Round 9 and began landing combinations as his opponent slowed down and the crowd began to boo.

That activity evidently allowed the Floridian to overtake his 22-year-old foe and win the fight.

The victory was significant for Lubin, who was trying to rebuild his reputation after he was stopped by Sebastian Fundora in April of last year, his second knockout loss.

The 28-year-old has rebounded by winning back-to-back fights, a fifth-round knockout of Luis Arias in June and now a decision over the previously unbeaten fighter from Arizona.

[lawrence-related id=39164]

Weekend Review: David Benavidez puts Canelo Alvarez on notice with dominating victory

Weekend Review: David Benavidez put Canelo Alvarez on notice with a dominating victory over Caleb Plant on Saturday in Las Vegas.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGGEST WINNER
David Benavidez

Benavidez was Benavidez in the end, a dogged, merciless hunter who almost always bags his prey. Caleb Plant was effective early, sticking, moving, holding, doing whatever it took to blunt Benavidez attack and land enough punches to win rounds. That worked only so long, however. Benavidez continued to stalk his rival and gradually closed the distance in spite of an oversized ring, which allowed him to begin landing an assortment of damaging blows that broke down Plant and resulted in a unanimous decision victory Saturday at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The winner’s knockout streak ended at six but he couldn’t have been more dominating down the stretch, winning the last seven rounds on all three cards and outlanding Plant 161-46 in the last six, according to CompuBox. It was arguably the most impressive performance in Benavidez’s career given Plant’s ability and an indication that he is ready to face anyone, including undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) is a better boxer than he might seem to be and a physical freak, which might make him unstoppable. And remember: He’s only 26. He’s probably getting better and better. Frightening thought, huh?

 

BIGGEST LOSER
Caleb Plant

Caleb Plant took a beating from David Benavidez. Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports

Plant had the right game plan. Get in, get out, move the feet and hold when necessary. Those tactics had the Tennessean leading on the scorecards after the first six rounds and in position to deliver a significant upset. Team Plant couldn’t have been more optimistic halfway through the fight. Then things went south. Plant simply didn’t have the wherewithal to withstand the pressure of a particularly good, powerful opponent and faded badly as the fight progressed. We saw that when he fought Alvarez, who stopped him in the 11th round. And we saw it again on Saturday night. Benavidez outlanded him by an average of 17.5-7.6 per round, including the rounds Plant won. Plant landed only 14.6% of his punches, which says something about his limitations and Benavidez defensive skills. The CompuBox numbers aren’t official but they underscore the loser’s ineffectiveness. Plant (22-2, 13 KOs) is a fine, but limited boxer with average punching power who appears to have hit a ceiling. He can beat the Jose Uzcateguis and Anthony Dirrells of the world but not next-level, pound-for-pound-caliber opponents.

 

WORST DECISION?
Chris Colbert UD Jose Valenzuela

The decision wasn’t outrageous but Colbert was definitely fortunate to emerge victorious over Valenzuela on the Benavidez-Plant card. All three judges had the same score after the 10-round 135-pound bout, 95-94, six rounds to four for Colbert (17-1, 6 KOs). Valenzuela won the first round, during which he put Colbert down. That means the judges gave Colbert six of the final nine rounds. That’s hard to swallow. Colbert rebounded from the knockdown to make the fight competitive, landing quick, accurate jabs and combinations at times. However, Valenzuela kept the pressure on Colbert and seemed to land many more power punches than his opponent. That’s why I scored it 96-93 for Valenzuela, six rounds to four in his favor. The Mexican had reason to be upset afterward, particularly because he’s now saddled with consecutive losses. The good news for Valenzuela (12-2, 8 KOs) is that we saw what we saw, a good performance against a good opponent. He’ll be fine. And Colbert, also coming off a setback, took a step in the right direction – even if he didn’t earn it.

 

BIGGEST WINNER II
Jose Ramirez

We shouldn’t read too much into Ramirez’s 11th-round knockout of Richard Commey on Saturday in Fresno, California, because of Commey’s limitations. The Ghanaian is 0-2-1 in his last three fights and 1-3-1 in his last five. That said, Ramirez looked sharp even though he hadn’t fought in a year, attacking Commey from the outset with passion and efficiency. And he punctuated the strong performance by putting Commey (30-5-1, 27 KOs) down twice in the penultimate round, the second time with a vicious hook to the body that forced him to take a knee and then quit. That’s how you make a statement. Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs) has now won two consecutive fights since he lost a close decision to Josh Taylor in 2021, which cost him his two world titles. He seems to be back to form. What’s next? He’d like to challenge WBC titleholder Regis Prograis, although he recently passed up a chance to face the champion. Ramirez objected to a 65%-35% purse split in Prograis’ favor mandated by the WBC, which does seem to be overly lopsided given Ramirez’s reputation. We’ll see how this plays out.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

The Benavidez-Plant fight was frustrating in a number of respects. First, the ring was a sprawling 22 feet-by-22 feet instead of the standard 20-by-20 in Nevada, as per Plant’s demand during negotiations. He wanted more room to move. Benavidez should be applauded for agreeing to the unusual stipulation; it says a lot about his confidence. However, I was surprised that Nevada officials agreed to it. I always thought they were firm on ring size in the name of consistency. I hope they don’t hand one fighter such a significant advantage again even though it didn’t save Plant in this case. Second, referee Kenny Bayless was awful. Plant’s holding was beyond excessive and Bayless evidently didn’t issue a single warning. He stopped the action to have a doctor look at Plant’s cut in the eighth round even though Benavidez had him hurt, which gave Plant time to recover. And, generally, he was overly intrusive. In other words, he committed the cardinal sin: He became a big part of the story. … For the record: Plant was smart to hold. Bayless just shouldn’t have allowed him to do it as much as he did. … Alvarez appears to be targeting a rematch with Dmitry Bivol in September, assuming the Mexican star beats John Ryder on May 6. He wants to avenge his loss, which is understandable. I hope Alvarez changes his mind and faces Benavidez instead. Boxers always say they want to give the fans the fights they want to see. The fans want Alvarez-Benavidez, not Alvarez-Bivol II. Who wins if it happens? I like Benavidez, even against an Alvarez who is 100% healthy. …

Colbert moved up from 130 pounds to 135 for his fight with Valenzuela. It appeared in the early rounds that Valenzuela, a lightweight since 2020, might be too big and powerful for Colbert. However, after the first round, he took everything that was thrown at him – including many punishing blows — and finished the fight on his feet. Still, he said going into the fight that he planned to move back down to the more natural 130 in an effort to win a major title there. Good idea. It’s difficult to be competitive when you’re the smaller, weaker guy. … Junior middleweight contender Jesus Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) overwhelmed previously unbeaten Joey Spencer (16-1, 10 KOs) on the Benavidez-Plant card, stopping Spencer in the seventh round as a result of an accumulation of punches. Ramos put Spencer down late in the opening round and more or less landed at will after that, leading Spencer’s cornermen to stop the fight to save their man from getting seriously injured. We shouldn’t’ get carried away with Ramos victory because Spencer was unproven but he looked scary. First, he seemed to be a division or two bigger than Spencer even though he moved up to 154 only two years ago. And, second, his efficient, methodical destruction of yet another opponent once again belied his youth. He’s only 22. I want to see Ramos against a top contender before making any bold statements about him but his ceiling certainly appears to be high. … Seniesa Estrada (24-0, 9 KOs) demonstrated again that she’s one of the best in the business, shutting out Tina Rupprecht (12-1-1, 3 KOs) to unify two 105-pound titles on the Ramirez-Commey card. All three judges scored it 100-90, 10 rounds to none. The Los Angeles native’s goal is to become undisputed champion, which means she’ll now target the holder of the other two major belts, Yokasta Valle (28-2, 9 KOs).

[lawrence-related id=36360,36333,36328,36307,36309]

Weekend Review: David Benavidez puts Canelo Alvarez on notice with dominating victory

Weekend Review: David Benavidez put Canelo Alvarez on notice with a dominating victory over Caleb Plant on Saturday in Las Vegas.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGGEST WINNER
David Benavidez

Benavidez was Benavidez in the end, a dogged, merciless hunter who almost always bags his prey. Caleb Plant was effective early, sticking, moving, holding, doing whatever it took to blunt Benavidez attack and land enough punches to win rounds. That worked only so long, however. Benavidez continued to stalk his rival and gradually closed the distance in spite of an oversized ring, which allowed him to begin landing an assortment of damaging blows that broke down Plant and resulted in a unanimous decision victory Saturday at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The winner’s knockout streak ended at six but he couldn’t have been more dominating down the stretch, winning the last seven rounds on all three cards and outlanding Plant 161-46 in the last six, according to CompuBox. It was arguably the most impressive performance in Benavidez’s career given Plant’s ability and an indication that he is ready to face anyone, including undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) is a better boxer than he might seem to be and a physical freak, which might make him unstoppable. And remember: He’s only 26. He’s probably getting better and better. Frightening thought, huh?

 

BIGGEST LOSER
Caleb Plant

Caleb Plant took a beating from David Benavidez. Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports

Plant had the right game plan. Get in, get out, move the feet and hold when necessary. Those tactics had the Tennessean leading on the scorecards after the first six rounds and in position to deliver a significant upset. Team Plant couldn’t have been more optimistic halfway through the fight. Then things went south. Plant simply didn’t have the wherewithal to withstand the pressure of a particularly good, powerful opponent and faded badly as the fight progressed. We saw that when he fought Alvarez, who stopped him in the 11th round. And we saw it again on Saturday night. Benavidez outlanded him by an average of 17.5-7.6 per round, including the rounds Plant won. Plant landed only 14.6% of his punches, which says something about his limitations and Benavidez defensive skills. The CompuBox numbers aren’t official but they underscore the loser’s ineffectiveness. Plant (22-2, 13 KOs) is a fine, but limited boxer with average punching power who appears to have hit a ceiling. He can beat the Jose Uzcateguis and Anthony Dirrells of the world but not next-level, pound-for-pound-caliber opponents.

 

WORST DECISION?
Chris Colbert UD Jose Valenzuela

The decision wasn’t outrageous but Colbert was definitely fortunate to emerge victorious over Valenzuela on the Benavidez-Plant card. All three judges had the same score after the 10-round 135-pound bout, 95-94, six rounds to four for Colbert (17-1, 6 KOs). Valenzuela won the first round, during which he put Colbert down. That means the judges gave Colbert six of the final nine rounds. That’s hard to swallow. Colbert rebounded from the knockdown to make the fight competitive, landing quick, accurate jabs and combinations at times. However, Valenzuela kept the pressure on Colbert and seemed to land many more power punches than his opponent. That’s why I scored it 96-93 for Valenzuela, six rounds to four in his favor. The Mexican had reason to be upset afterward, particularly because he’s now saddled with consecutive losses. The good news for Valenzuela (12-2, 8 KOs) is that we saw what we saw, a good performance against a good opponent. He’ll be fine. And Colbert, also coming off a setback, took a step in the right direction – even if he didn’t earn it.

 

BIGGEST WINNER II
Jose Ramirez

We shouldn’t read too much into Ramirez’s 11th-round knockout of Richard Commey on Saturday in Fresno, California, because of Commey’s limitations. The Ghanaian is 0-2-1 in his last three fights and 1-3-1 in his last five. That said, Ramirez looked sharp even though he hadn’t fought in a year, attacking Commey from the outset with passion and efficiency. And he punctuated the strong performance by putting Commey (30-5-1, 27 KOs) down twice in the penultimate round, the second time with a vicious hook to the body that forced him to take a knee and then quit. That’s how you make a statement. Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs) has now won two consecutive fights since he lost a close decision to Josh Taylor in 2021, which cost him his two world titles. He seems to be back to form. What’s next? He’d like to challenge WBC titleholder Regis Prograis, although he recently passed up a chance to face the champion. Ramirez objected to a 65%-35% purse split in Prograis’ favor mandated by the WBC, which does seem to be overly lopsided given Ramirez’s reputation. We’ll see how this plays out.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

The Benavidez-Plant fight was frustrating in a number of respects. First, the ring was a sprawling 22 feet-by-22 feet instead of the standard 20-by-20 in Nevada, as per Plant’s demand during negotiations. He wanted more room to move. Benavidez should be applauded for agreeing to the unusual stipulation; it says a lot about his confidence. However, I was surprised that Nevada officials agreed to it. I always thought they were firm on ring size in the name of consistency. I hope they don’t hand one fighter such a significant advantage again even though it didn’t save Plant in this case. Second, referee Kenny Bayless was awful. Plant’s holding was beyond excessive and Bayless evidently didn’t issue a single warning. He stopped the action to have a doctor look at Plant’s cut in the eighth round even though Benavidez had him hurt, which gave Plant time to recover. And, generally, he was overly intrusive. In other words, he committed the cardinal sin: He became a big part of the story. … For the record: Plant was smart to hold. Bayless just shouldn’t have allowed him to do it as much as he did. … Alvarez appears to be targeting a rematch with Dmitry Bivol in September, assuming the Mexican star beats John Ryder on May 6. He wants to avenge his loss, which is understandable. I hope Alvarez changes his mind and faces Benavidez instead. Boxers always say they want to give the fans the fights they want to see. The fans want Alvarez-Benavidez, not Alvarez-Bivol II. Who wins if it happens? I like Benavidez, even against an Alvarez who is 100% healthy. …

Colbert moved up from 130 pounds to 135 for his fight with Valenzuela. It appeared in the early rounds that Valenzuela, a lightweight since 2020, might be too big and powerful for Colbert. However, after the first round, he took everything that was thrown at him – including many punishing blows — and finished the fight on his feet. Still, he said going into the fight that he planned to move back down to the more natural 130 in an effort to win a major title there. Good idea. It’s difficult to be competitive when you’re the smaller, weaker guy. … Junior middleweight contender Jesus Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) overwhelmed previously unbeaten Joey Spencer (16-1, 10 KOs) on the Benavidez-Plant card, stopping Spencer in the seventh round as a result of an accumulation of punches. Ramos put Spencer down late in the opening round and more or less landed at will after that, leading Spencer’s cornermen to stop the fight to save their man from getting seriously injured. We shouldn’t’ get carried away with Ramos victory because Spencer was unproven but he looked scary. First, he seemed to be a division or two bigger than Spencer even though he moved up to 154 only two years ago. And, second, his efficient, methodical destruction of yet another opponent once again belied his youth. He’s only 22. I want to see Ramos against a top contender before making any bold statements about him but his ceiling certainly appears to be high. … Seniesa Estrada (24-0, 9 KOs) demonstrated again that she’s one of the best in the business, shutting out Tina Rupprecht (12-1-1, 3 KOs) to unify two 105-pound titles on the Ramirez-Commey card. All three judges scored it 100-90, 10 rounds to none. The Los Angeles native’s goal is to become undisputed champion, which means she’ll now target the holder of the other two major belts, Yokasta Valle (28-2, 9 KOs).

[lawrence-related id=36360,36333,36328,36307,36309]

Jesus Ramos drops, pounds, stops overmatched Joey Spencer in seven

Junior middleweight contender Jesus Ramos dropped, pounded and stopped overmatched Joey Spencer in seven rounds Saturday in Las Vegas.

Jesus Ramos overwhelmed Joey Spencer.

The 154-pound contender put Spencer down late in the first round and pounded him relentlessly thereafter, ultimately giving the latter’s corner no choice but to stop the scheduled 10-rounder.

The official time of the stoppage was 1:25 of Round 7.

The opening round was competitive until Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) put Spencer (16-1, 10 KOs) down with a left hook with about 25 seconds remaining.

It was a rout after that, with Ramos landing almost at will round after round.  Spencer never stopped trying and had some good moments but he couldn’t get out of the way of Ramos’ hard shots.

As a result, by the time the seventh round rolled around, Spencer had taken a fearful amount of punishment. His cornermen decided he had taken enough and stopped the fight to save their brave fighter from taking undue punishment.

With the victory, Ramos, only 22, moves a step closer to his first shot at a world title. Spencer, who had been a hot prospect, will now have to rebuild.

[lawrence-related id=36309,36312]

Jesus Ramos drops, pounds, stops overmatched Joey Spencer in seven

Junior middleweight contender Jesus Ramos dropped, pounded and stopped overmatched Joey Spencer in seven rounds Saturday in Las Vegas.

Jesus Ramos overwhelmed Joey Spencer.

The 154-pound contender put Spencer down late in the first round and pounded him relentlessly thereafter, ultimately giving the latter’s corner no choice but to stop the scheduled 10-rounder.

The official time of the stoppage was 1:25 of Round 7.

The opening round was competitive until Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) put Spencer (16-1, 10 KOs) down with a left hook with about 25 seconds remaining.

It was a rout after that, with Ramos landing almost at will round after round.  Spencer never stopped trying and had some good moments but he couldn’t get out of the way of Ramos’ hard shots.

As a result, by the time the seventh round rolled around, Spencer had taken a fearful amount of punishment. His cornermen decided he had taken enough and stopped the fight to save their brave fighter from taking undue punishment.

With the victory, Ramos, only 22, moves a step closer to his first shot at a world title. Spencer, who had been a hot prospect, will now have to rebuild.

[lawrence-related id=36309,36312]

David Benavidez, Caleb Plant make weight, throw more verbal shots

David Benavidez and Caleb Plant made weight for their pay-per-view fight Saturday in Las Vegas and took more verbal shots at one another.

David Benavidez and Caleb Plant on Friday made weight for their 168-pound pay-per-view fight Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and took advantage of one last opportunity to exchange trash talk.

Benavidez came in at 166.8 pounds, 1.2 under the division limit. Plant weighed 167.2.

Their obligatory stare down didn’t last long but it was dramatic. They were jawing back and forth when Plant stuck a finger in his opponent’s face, prompting Benavidez to push Plant backward.

At that point personnel on stage stepped between the fighters and separated them.

“We were just exchanging pleasantries, telling each other how much we like each other,” Plant said sarcastically during his interview. “He’s been talking a lot, saying how much he’s going to whoop my ass and this and that.

“We’re going to see tomorrow. You know what’s up.”

Benavidez then interjected something from across the stage. Plant (22-1, 13 KOs)  responded, “Shut up.”

“He tried to put his finger on my face,” Benavidez said. “I had to push his ass back. But he knows what’s up. When his [handlers] have to pick him up off the f—ing ground when he’s bleeding all that blood ….

“We’re ready for tomorrow, 100 percent ready.”

Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) was asked about coming in well below the division limit.

“It’s speaks for itself,” he said. “I’ve been on weight the whole week. And I”m ready. I’m ready to take this mother—er’s head off.”

The weights for the other fights on the pay-per-view portion of the card are as follows:

  • Jesus Ramos (153.2) vs. Joey Spencer (153.2), junior middleweights.
  • Jose Valenzuela (134.0) vs. Chris Colbert (134-6), lightweights.
  • Cody Crowley (145.2) vs. Abel Ramos (146.0), welterweights.

[lawrence-related id=36261,36250,36246,36241,36237,36175,36155]

David Benavidez, Caleb Plant make weight, throw more verbal shots

David Benavidez and Caleb Plant made weight for their pay-per-view fight Saturday in Las Vegas and took more verbal shots at one another.

David Benavidez and Caleb Plant on Friday made weight for their 168-pound pay-per-view fight Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and took advantage of one last opportunity to exchange trash talk.

Benavidez came in at 166.8 pounds, 1.2 under the division limit. Plant weighed 167.2.

Their obligatory stare down didn’t last long but it was dramatic. They were jawing back and forth when Plant stuck a finger in his opponent’s face, prompting Benavidez to push Plant backward.

At that point personnel on stage stepped between the fighters and separated them.

“We were just exchanging pleasantries, telling each other how much we like each other,” Plant said sarcastically during his interview. “He’s been talking a lot, saying how much he’s going to whoop my ass and this and that.

“We’re going to see tomorrow. You know what’s up.”

Benavidez then interjected something from across the stage. Plant (22-1, 13 KOs)  responded, “Shut up.”

“He tried to put his finger on my face,” Benavidez said. “I had to push his ass back. But he knows what’s up. When his [handlers] have to pick him up off the f—ing ground when he’s bleeding all that blood ….

“We’re ready for tomorrow, 100 percent ready.”

Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) was asked about coming in well below the division limit.

“It’s speaks for itself,” he said. “I’ve been on weight the whole week. And I”m ready. I’m ready to take this mother—er’s head off.”

The weights for the other fights on the pay-per-view portion of the card are as follows:

  • Jesus Ramos (153.2) vs. Joey Spencer (153.2), junior middleweights.
  • Jose Valenzuela (134.0) vs. Chris Colbert (134-6), lightweights.
  • Cody Crowley (145.2) vs. Abel Ramos (146.0), welterweights.

[lawrence-related id=36261,36250,36246,36241,36237,36175,36155]