Tag: Jesus Ramos

Good, bad, worse: Gervonta Davis must now face next-level opponents

Good, bad, worse: Gervonta Davis must now face next-level opponents.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Are there any doubters still out there?

Gervonta Davis’ critics will point to his resume and say he still hasn’t taken down an elite fighter, at least not one his size. The fact is he has strong record, with victories over Jose Pedraza, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Leo Santa Cruz, Mario Barrios, Isaac Cruz and now Rolando Romero after his one-punch knockout Saturday night in Brookly, New York.

He stopped all but one of those fighters, Cruz.

They’ll say, “Hey, Tank was barely able to outpoint Cruz in his previous fight.” C’mon, the guy fought a young, relentless beast with one arm and still pulled out a victory. That’s what champions do.

And they’ll point out that Romero was a relatively inexperienced opponent with no experience fighting on a large stage or against anyone near Davis’ ability.

That’s true, Romero did take an enormous step up in opposition. Still, he gave a strong performance until one of the biggest punchers among active fighters landed the enormous left hand that stopped him and sent the pro-Davis crowd into a tizzy. That’s what Davis does; he knocks out good opponents.

Now he must do the same against next-level foes.

Yes, it’s time for Davis to take on the cream of the 135-pound crop no matter what that takes. The winner of the June 5 fight between unified champion George Kambosos and Devin Haney is Tank’s ideal test. And Ryan Garcia and Vasiliy Lomachenko would be viable options.

If Davis fights anyone inferior to those four potential opponents in his next fight, it will only provide fodder for critics who believe he has been protected Mayweather Promotions. In other words, it wouldn’t be a step forward for him. And that’s not beneficial to a hot young fighter who wants to continue to build on his momentum.

Davis is a special all-around fighter. He has to fight other special fighters to prove how great he truly is. And the time is now.

 

BAD

Rolando Romero looks as if he didn’t know what hit him on Saturday night.  Al Bello / Getty Images

No, it wasn’t a good night for Romero.

He was competitive against a heavy favorite for five-plus rounds, which is noteworthy. However, the unfortunate bottom line is that he was the victim of a brutal sixth-round knockout, which is bad any way you look at it.

He’s no longer unbeaten, which is never easy on a fighter. And, more important, he’ll have to put in some arduous work if he hopes to become an elite boxer and fight for a major 135-pound championship one day.

There is reason for optimism. He boxed well against his pound-for-pound opponent until his ignominious demise, as both he and his trainer pointed out after the fight.

Romero is known for his punching power but he demonstrated that he has an all-around skill set, which is how he was able to frustrate Davis for most of the short fight.

That’s remarkable given his relative lack of experience. He reportedly had a total of 49 amateur and professional fights under his belt when he stepped into the ring to face Davis. That’s a low number for a fighter taking part in a pay-per-view main event.

The fact he progressed so quickly speaks to both his God-given ability – he’s a natural – and his work ethic.

Sometimes it’s difficult to bounce back from such a devastating setback. However, if he can put the disappointment behind him and retain his confidence, Romero could still have a bright future.

 

WORSE

The new, more flat-footed version of Erislandy Lara (29-3-3, 17 KOs) has defeated Ramon Alvarez, Greg Vendetti, Thomas LaManna and Gary O’Sullivan (31-5, 21 KOs) in his last four fights, the last victory coming by an eighth-round TKO on the Davis-Romero card.

Obviously, the Cuban master can still fight at 39 years old.

However, fighting second-tier opponents is the equivalent of spinning your wheels. At his age, Lara can’t afford to waste any more time.

And the thought of Lara failing to get another shot at a world title – this time at 160 pounds – is heartbreaking. If any fighter in the twilight of his career has earned that right, it’s the former 154-pound champion.

Remember, he has ended up frustrated by five disputed decisions. All three of his losses and two of his draws have come by split or majority decisions, including a controversial split-decision setback against Canelo Alvarez that could’ve (should’ve?) lifted him to true star status.

The point here is that we don’t want to see Lara finish his career without one more shot at glory, which wouldn’t be surprising given his bad luck.

He sits below only champion Gennadiy Golovkin in the WBA rankings, which means he’s first in line to challenge Triple-G. The problem is that Golovkin is expected to fight Alvarez a third time in September, which leaves an aging Lara out of the picture for now.

Lara could challenge WBC titleholder Jermall Charlo, with whom he shares a manager. And Demetrius Andrade, the WBO beltholder, is always looking for a big-name challenger.

Let’s just hope Lara gets his shot before it’s too late.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Davis said at the post-fight news conference that he didn’t suffer another injury to his left hand, as it appeared he might’ve in Round 5. … Junior middleweight contender Jesus Ramos (19-0, 15 KOs) complained after his unanimous-decision victory over Luke Santamaria (13-3-1, 7 KOs) on the Davis-Romero card that he couldn’t give his best performance because Santamaria didn’t want to fight. Ramos’ job is to make him fight, which he largely failed to do. Santamaria is a slick boxer who is naturally smaller than Ramos, who is a big puncher. Of course, Santamaria’s strategy was to stick and move. And he had some success in the first half of the fight. Ramos did well to control the second half and pull away to a unanimous-decision victory. However, he was wrong to criticize Santamaria for not cooperating as much as he would’ve liked him to. Santamaria is a good boxer. He could have success when he moves back down to 147 pounds. … So long to Gary Russell Sr., the trainer and patriarch of one of the sport’s first families who died at 63 on May 23. Russell guided four sons to Golden Gloves titles and three have had successful professional careers. Gary Russell Jr. is one of the best in the game while Gary Antuanne Russell and Gary Antonio Russell are rising contenders. The eldest Russell deserves a lot of credit for his sons’ success. RIP.

[lawrence-related id=30573,30570,30568,30530,30524,30518]

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Good, bad, worse: Gervonta Davis must now face next-level opponents

Good, bad, worse: Gervonta Davis must now face next-level opponents.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Are there any doubters still out there?

Gervonta Davis’ critics will point to his resume and say he still hasn’t taken down an elite fighter, at least not one his size. The fact is he has strong record, with victories over Jose Pedraza, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Leo Santa Cruz, Mario Barrios, Isaac Cruz and now Rolando Romero after his one-punch knockout Saturday night in Brookly, New York.

He stopped all but one of those fighters, Cruz.

They’ll say, “Hey, Tank was barely able to outpoint Cruz in his previous fight.” C’mon, the guy fought a young, relentless beast with one arm and still pulled out a victory. That’s what champions do.

And they’ll point out that Romero was a relatively inexperienced opponent with no experience fighting on a large stage or against anyone near Davis’ ability.

That’s true, Romero did take an enormous step up in opposition. Still, he gave a strong performance until one of the biggest punchers among active fighters landed the enormous left hand that stopped him and sent the pro-Davis crowd into a tizzy. That’s what Davis does; he knocks out good opponents.

Now he must do the same against next-level foes.

Yes, it’s time for Davis to take on the cream of the 135-pound crop no matter what that takes. The winner of the June 5 fight between unified champion George Kambosos and Devin Haney is Tank’s ideal test. And Ryan Garcia and Vasiliy Lomachenko would be viable options.

If Davis fights anyone inferior to those four potential opponents in his next fight, it will only provide fodder for critics who believe he has been protected Mayweather Promotions. In other words, it wouldn’t be a step forward for him. And that’s not beneficial to a hot young fighter who wants to continue to build on his momentum.

Davis is a special all-around fighter. He has to fight other special fighters to prove how great he truly is. And the time is now.

 

BAD

Rolando Romero looks as if he didn’t know what hit him on Saturday night.  Al Bello / Getty Images

No, it wasn’t a good night for Romero.

He was competitive against a heavy favorite for five-plus rounds, which is noteworthy. However, the unfortunate bottom line is that he was the victim of a brutal sixth-round knockout, which is bad any way you look at it.

He’s no longer unbeaten, which is never easy on a fighter. And, more important, he’ll have to put in some arduous work if he hopes to become an elite boxer and fight for a major 135-pound championship one day.

There is reason for optimism. He boxed well against his pound-for-pound opponent until his ignominious demise, as both he and his trainer pointed out after the fight.

Romero is known for his punching power but he demonstrated that he has an all-around skill set, which is how he was able to frustrate Davis for most of the short fight.

That’s remarkable given his relative lack of experience. He reportedly had a total of 49 amateur and professional fights under his belt when he stepped into the ring to face Davis. That’s a low number for a fighter taking part in a pay-per-view main event.

The fact he progressed so quickly speaks to both his God-given ability – he’s a natural – and his work ethic.

Sometimes it’s difficult to bounce back from such a devastating setback. However, if he can put the disappointment behind him and retain his confidence, Romero could still have a bright future.

 

WORSE

The new, more flat-footed version of Erislandy Lara (29-3-3, 17 KOs) has defeated Ramon Alvarez, Greg Vendetti, Thomas LaManna and Gary O’Sullivan (31-5, 21 KOs) in his last four fights, the last victory coming by an eighth-round TKO on the Davis-Romero card.

Obviously, the Cuban master can still fight at 39 years old.

However, fighting second-tier opponents is the equivalent of spinning your wheels. At his age, Lara can’t afford to waste any more time.

And the thought of Lara failing to get another shot at a world title – this time at 160 pounds – is heartbreaking. If any fighter in the twilight of his career has earned that right, it’s the former 154-pound champion.

Remember, he has ended up frustrated by five disputed decisions. All three of his losses and two of his draws have come by split or majority decisions, including a controversial split-decision setback against Canelo Alvarez that could’ve (should’ve?) lifted him to true star status.

The point here is that we don’t want to see Lara finish his career without one more shot at glory, which wouldn’t be surprising given his bad luck.

He sits below only champion Gennadiy Golovkin in the WBA rankings, which means he’s first in line to challenge Triple-G. The problem is that Golovkin is expected to fight Alvarez a third time in September, which leaves an aging Lara out of the picture for now.

Lara could challenge WBC titleholder Jermall Charlo, with whom he shares a manager. And Demetrius Andrade, the WBO beltholder, is always looking for a big-name challenger.

Let’s just hope Lara gets his shot before it’s too late.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Davis said at the post-fight news conference that he didn’t suffer another injury to his left hand, as it appeared he might’ve in Round 5. … Junior middleweight contender Jesus Ramos (19-0, 15 KOs) complained after his unanimous-decision victory over Luke Santamaria (13-3-1, 7 KOs) on the Davis-Romero card that he couldn’t give his best performance because Santamaria didn’t want to fight. Ramos’ job is to make him fight, which he largely failed to do. Santamaria is a slick boxer who is naturally smaller than Ramos, who is a big puncher. Of course, Santamaria’s strategy was to stick and move. And he had some success in the first half of the fight. Ramos did well to control the second half and pull away to a unanimous-decision victory. However, he was wrong to criticize Santamaria for not cooperating as much as he would’ve liked him to. Santamaria is a good boxer. He could have success when he moves back down to 147 pounds. … So long to Gary Russell Sr., the trainer and patriarch of one of the sport’s first families who died at 63 on May 23. Russell guided four sons to Golden Gloves titles and three have had successful professional careers. Gary Russell Jr. is one of the best in the game while Gary Antuanne Russell and Gary Antonio Russell are rising contenders. The eldest Russell deserves a lot of credit for his sons’ success. RIP.

[lawrence-related id=30573,30570,30568,30530,30524,30518]

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Jesús Ramos noquea a Vladimir Hernández en el 6to round

Jesús Ramos hizo una fuerte declaración el sábado en la noche. El joven competidor peso medio soportó una presión intensa por parte de Vladimir Hernández y noqueó al mexicano robusto en el sexto round en el Keith Thurman-Mario Barrios en Las Vegas. …

Jesús Ramos hizo una fuerte declaración el sábado en la noche.

El joven competidor peso medio soportó una presión intensa por parte de Vladimir Hernández y noqueó al mexicano robusto en el sexto round en el Keith Thurman-Mario Barrios en Las Vegas.

Hernández (13-5, 6 KOs) de victorias consecutivas sobre Alfredo Angulo y Julián Williams, asediando a sus oponentes para obtener triunfo por decisión.

Y esa es la táctica que usó el sábado, atacó a Ramos desde la campana inicial y no paró. Sin embargo, para el cuarto round, Ramos parecía estar más cómodo con la presión, comenzó a evitar muchos de los golpes de Hernández y a aterrizar golpes fuertes y limpios.

En el round 6, un gancho de izquierda al mentón de Hernández que lo lastimó bastante fue el principio del final. Ramos continuó con varios golpes fuertes, lo llevó a las cuerdas y atinó más golpes.

Finalmente, el réferi Mike Ortega había vito suficiente y paró la pelea. El tiempo oficial era

2:21 en el sexto round de 10.

Ramos detuvo a sus primeros oponentes, pero había obtenido más puntos que los últimos dos.

Jesus Ramos knocks out Vladimir Hernandez in Round 6

Jesus Ramos knocked out Vladimir Hernandez in Round 6 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Jesus Ramos made a strong statement on Saturday night.

The young junior middleweight contender withstood intense pressure from Vladimir Hernandez and knocked out the rugged Mexican in the sixth round on the Keith Thurman-Mario Barrios in Las Vegas.

Hernandez (13-5, 6 KOs) was coming off back-to-back victories over Alfredo Angulo and Julian Williams, swarming his opponents to win decisions.

And that’s the tactic he used Saturday, attacking Ramos from the opening bell and not letting up. However, by Round 4, Ramos seemed to become more comfortable with the pressure, began to avoid many of Hernandez’s shots and started to land the cleaner, harder punches.

In Round 6, a left hook to Hernandez’s chin that hurt him badly was the beginning of the end. Ramos followed with several more hard shots, backed him to the ropes and landed more blows.

Finally, referee Mike Ortega had seen enough and stopped the fight. The official time was 2:21 of Round 6 in the scheduled 10-rounder.

Ramos stopped his first 15 opponents but had outpointed his last two.

[lawrence-related id=27893]

Jesus Ramos knocks out Vladimir Hernandez in Round 6

Jesus Ramos knocked out Vladimir Hernandez in Round 6 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Jesus Ramos made a strong statement on Saturday night.

The young junior middleweight contender withstood intense pressure from Vladimir Hernandez and knocked out the rugged Mexican in the sixth round on the Keith Thurman-Mario Barrios in Las Vegas.

Hernandez (13-5, 6 KOs) was coming off back-to-back victories over Alfredo Angulo and Julian Williams, swarming his opponents to win decisions.

And that’s the tactic he used Saturday, attacking Ramos from the opening bell and not letting up. However, by Round 4, Ramos seemed to become more comfortable with the pressure, began to avoid many of Hernandez’s shots and started to land the cleaner, harder punches.

In Round 6, a left hook to Hernandez’s chin that hurt him badly was the beginning of the end. Ramos followed with several more hard shots, backed him to the ropes and landed more blows.

Finally, referee Mike Ortega had seen enough and stopped the fight. The official time was 2:21 of Round 6 in the scheduled 10-rounder.

Ramos stopped his first 15 opponents but had outpointed his last two.

[lawrence-related id=27893]

Good, bad, worse: Return of Andy Ruiz Jr., Parker vs. Chisora, more

Good, bad, worse: A look back at the return of Andy Ruiz Jr., the grueling Joseph Parker-Derek Chisora fight and more.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NevvImyONeM

Andy Ruiz Jr. wasn’t perfect on Saturday.

The former heavyweight champ was knocked down and hurt in the second round and took more punishment early in his fight against Chris Arreola in Carson, Calif., which had viewers momentarily contemplating the possibility of an upset.

But Ruiz weathered the storm, settled into a groove and controlled the remainder of what turned out to be a one-sided fight. He won 118-109, 118-109 and 117-110.

It was a solid performance given his 17-month layoff, which he said played a role in his early problems.

Ruiz (34-2, 22 KOs) began to turn a competitive fight into his personal showcase in the fifth or sixth round, when he started to land super-quick two- and three-punch combinations and avoid Arreola’s biggest shots.

That was the pattern in the second half of the fight, which allowed Ruiz to run away with the decision.

Ruiz didn’t seem to be pleased with his performance afterward but he probably was being too hard on himself. He shed rust and took a solid step toward another shot at a world title, which was the objective going into the fight.

And he’ll probably look better going forward. He obviously is putting in the work under new trainer Eddy Reynoso, which is how he came in 27.5 pounds lighter than he weighed in the second Joshua fight. Reynoso, one of the hottest trainers in the world, also will continue to polish Ruiz’s already-solid skills.

Andy Ruiz is back.

***

BAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cexvsqGf7iU

You have to feel for Derek Chisora.

The longtime heavyweight contender has ended up on the wrong side of all four split decisions and one majority decision in his 14-year career, including his setback against Joseph Parker on Saturday in Manchester, England.

He lost split decisions to Dillian Whyte in England, Kubrat Pulev in Germany, Robert Helenius in Finland and now Parker. Plus, he lost a majority decision to Agit Kabayel in Monaco.

Of course, we can argue whether Chisora (32-11, 23 KOs) deserved his fate in those fights but we can agree he was competitive in all of them. You’d think one would’ve gone his way – he certainly does – but none did.

Hence his frustration after the fight on Saturday, which followed a close-decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk in his previous fight.

“I think they don’t like me,” he said.

The good news for Chisora is that he continues to get more opportunities, which should be the case again after a solid performance against the much younger and respected Parker.

He stalked the Kiwi from beginning to end, taking many of Parker’s quick, clean shots but also landing plenty of his own. In particular, Parker couldn’t seem to avoid Chisora’s right-handed bombs, one of which put him down in the opening seconds.

Two judges scored it for Parker (116-111 and 115-113) while the third had Chisora winning (115-113). Boxing Junkie scored it for Parker 115-112, eight rounds to four.

No matter how you saw it, Parker clearly was pushed to his limits.

“He brought the smoke,” Parker said. “If you want to feel it, jump into the ring with him.”

Parker offered Chisora a rematch. Saturday’s loser earned it.

***

WORSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Y5x4T9eko&t=37s

Omar Figueroa was excited about what amounted to a fresh start against Abel Ramos on the Ruiz-Arreola undercard.

The former lightweight champ spent a nearly two-year hiatus from boxing reassessing his priorities and letting his body heal from injuries. He seemed to come out the other side of the layoff in a good place both emotionally and physically.

He was in love with boxing again.

Then, when it came time to fight, he simply didn’t have it. Ramos, a rugged fringe contender, took some time to adjust to Figueroa’s awkward style and then proceeded to beat him up for six solid rounds.

Figueroa never stopped trying. He just wasn’t capable of doing anything to stop the assault.

I’ll never forget the image of him on his stool after the sixth round, his head hanging, spitting blood into a bucket. He was a beaten man. His trainer, Joel Diaz, did the right thing by instructing the referee to end the slaughter.

I know I’m not alone when I say that was difficult to witness.

Figueroa was once a good fighter. Between 2015 and 2019, he beat in succession Ricky Burns, Antonio DeMarco, Robert Guerrero and John Molina Jr. He was unbeaten until Yordgenis Ugas outpointed him in July 2019, which he said lifted the pressure of remaining undefeated.

Now he appears to be a shell. I don’t know whether Figueroa will get back into the ring – maybe he’d do better at 140 pounds – but it’s difficult to imagine after what we witnessed on Saturday.

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

Arreola, one of the most-engaging fighters you’ll ever encounter, has acknowledged that he swears too much. But he pushed even his own boundaries when he expressed his frustration over the scoring in a profane, cringe-worthy manner for everyone to hear. We can excuse him, though. To fight your heart out — as he did — and then, from his perspective, receive no respect from the judges must be devastating. Arreola is a good man with a big mouth. … The fight of the night Saturday was Sebastian Fundora vs. Jorge Cota. The junior middleweights went to war from the opening bell and didn’t let up until Cota (30-5, 27 KOs) could take no more at 2:35 of Round 4 on the Ruiz-Arreola card. Fundora (17-0-1, 12 KOs) took more shots that we’re used to seeing but he absorbed them and delivered a beating. No one in boxing is more fun to watch. … Jesus Ramos, the 20-year-old welterweight prospect, easily outpointed former U.S. Olympian Javier Molina (22-4, 9 KOs) on the Ruiz-Arreola card. Ramos (16-0, 14 KOs) can punch and he can also box, as he demonstrated on Saturday. And he fights with poise beyond his years. His goal of winning a world title before he turns 22 doesn’t seem farfetched. … Erislandy Lara (28-3-3, 16 KOs) provided the knockout of the night, stopping Thomas Lamanna (30-5-1, 12 KOs) with a single left hand only 80 seconds into their middleweight fight on the Ruiz-Arreola show. Lara obviously has more to give at 38. … Light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol (18-0, 11 KOs) looked so-so in his unanimous-decision victory over Craig Richards (16-2-1, 9 KOs) on the Parker-Chisora card. He said afterward that he was satisfied with his performance given the fact he hadn’t fought in almost 19 months. That’s reasonable. … Katie Taylor (18-0, 6 KOs) and Natasha Jonas (9-2-1, 7 KOs) gave fans the most-exciting fight on the Park-Chisora show. Taylor, defending her lightweight titles, won a unanimous decision but she has looked better. Of course, Jonas played a role in that by giving a spirited performance. The Liverpudlian has lost her last two fights – she fell just short against Terri Harper in August – yet enhanced her reputation as one of the best in the business. … Chris Eubank Jr. (30-2, 22 KOs) easily outpointed capable Marcus Morrison (23-4, 16 KOs) on the Parker-Chisora card. Eubank was more solid than spectacular. One thing I liked was his patience, which he evidently learned under the tutelage of trainer Roy Jones Jr. I think Jones is going to bring out the best in Eubank.

[lawrence-related id=19893,19880,19888,19883,19864,19862,19858,19860]

Good, bad, worse: Return of Andy Ruiz Jr., Parker vs. Chisora, more

Good, bad, worse: A look back at the return of Andy Ruiz Jr., the grueling Joseph Parker-Derek Chisora fight and more.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NevvImyONeM

Andy Ruiz Jr. wasn’t perfect on Saturday.

The former heavyweight champ was knocked down and hurt in the second round and took more punishment early in his fight against Chris Arreola in Carson, Calif., which had viewers momentarily contemplating the possibility of an upset.

But Ruiz weathered the storm, settled into a groove and controlled the remainder of what turned out to be a one-sided fight. He won 118-109, 118-109 and 117-110.

It was a solid performance given his 17-month layoff, which he said played a role in his early problems.

Ruiz (34-2, 22 KOs) began to turn a competitive fight into his personal showcase in the fifth or sixth round, when he started to land super-quick two- and three-punch combinations and avoid Arreola’s biggest shots.

That was the pattern in the second half of the fight, which allowed Ruiz to run away with the decision.

Ruiz didn’t seem to be pleased with his performance afterward but he probably was being too hard on himself. He shed rust and took a solid step toward another shot at a world title, which was the objective going into the fight.

And he’ll probably look better going forward. He obviously is putting in the work under new trainer Eddy Reynoso, which is how he came in 27.5 pounds lighter than he weighed in the second Joshua fight. Reynoso, one of the hottest trainers in the world, also will continue to polish Ruiz’s already-solid skills.

Andy Ruiz is back.

***

BAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cexvsqGf7iU

You have to feel for Derek Chisora.

The longtime heavyweight contender has ended up on the wrong side of all four split decisions and one majority decision in his 14-year career, including his setback against Joseph Parker on Saturday in Manchester, England.

He lost split decisions to Dillian Whyte in England, Kubrat Pulev in Germany, Robert Helenius in Finland and now Parker. Plus, he lost a majority decision to Agit Kabayel in Monaco.

Of course, we can argue whether Chisora (32-11, 23 KOs) deserved his fate in those fights but we can agree he was competitive in all of them. You’d think one would’ve gone his way – he certainly does – but none did.

Hence his frustration after the fight on Saturday, which followed a close-decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk in his previous fight.

“I think they don’t like me,” he said.

The good news for Chisora is that he continues to get more opportunities, which should be the case again after a solid performance against the much younger and respected Parker.

He stalked the Kiwi from beginning to end, taking many of Parker’s quick, clean shots but also landing plenty of his own. In particular, Parker couldn’t seem to avoid Chisora’s right-handed bombs, one of which put him down in the opening seconds.

Two judges scored it for Parker (116-111 and 115-113) while the third had Chisora winning (115-113). Boxing Junkie scored it for Parker 115-112, eight rounds to four.

No matter how you saw it, Parker clearly was pushed to his limits.

“He brought the smoke,” Parker said. “If you want to feel it, jump into the ring with him.”

Parker offered Chisora a rematch. Saturday’s loser earned it.

***

WORSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Y5x4T9eko&t=37s

Omar Figueroa was excited about what amounted to a fresh start against Abel Ramos on the Ruiz-Arreola undercard.

The former lightweight champ spent a nearly two-year hiatus from boxing reassessing his priorities and letting his body heal from injuries. He seemed to come out the other side of the layoff in a good place both emotionally and physically.

He was in love with boxing again.

Then, when it came time to fight, he simply didn’t have it. Ramos, a rugged fringe contender, took some time to adjust to Figueroa’s awkward style and then proceeded to beat him up for six solid rounds.

Figueroa never stopped trying. He just wasn’t capable of doing anything to stop the assault.

I’ll never forget the image of him on his stool after the sixth round, his head hanging, spitting blood into a bucket. He was a beaten man. His trainer, Joel Diaz, did the right thing by instructing the referee to end the slaughter.

I know I’m not alone when I say that was difficult to witness.

Figueroa was once a good fighter. Between 2015 and 2019, he beat in succession Ricky Burns, Antonio DeMarco, Robert Guerrero and John Molina Jr. He was unbeaten until Yordgenis Ugas outpointed him in July 2019, which he said lifted the pressure of remaining undefeated.

Now he appears to be a shell. I don’t know whether Figueroa will get back into the ring – maybe he’d do better at 140 pounds – but it’s difficult to imagine after what we witnessed on Saturday.

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

Arreola, one of the most-engaging fighters you’ll ever encounter, has acknowledged that he swears too much. But he pushed even his own boundaries when he expressed his frustration over the scoring in a profane, cringe-worthy manner for everyone to hear. We can excuse him, though. To fight your heart out — as he did — and then, from his perspective, receive no respect from the judges must be devastating. Arreola is a good man with a big mouth. … The fight of the night Saturday was Sebastian Fundora vs. Jorge Cota. The junior middleweights went to war from the opening bell and didn’t let up until Cota (30-5, 27 KOs) could take no more at 2:35 of Round 4 on the Ruiz-Arreola card. Fundora (17-0-1, 12 KOs) took more shots that we’re used to seeing but he absorbed them and delivered a beating. No one in boxing is more fun to watch. … Jesus Ramos, the 20-year-old welterweight prospect, easily outpointed former U.S. Olympian Javier Molina (22-4, 9 KOs) on the Ruiz-Arreola card. Ramos (16-0, 14 KOs) can punch and he can also box, as he demonstrated on Saturday. And he fights with poise beyond his years. His goal of winning a world title before he turns 22 doesn’t seem farfetched. … Erislandy Lara (28-3-3, 16 KOs) provided the knockout of the night, stopping Thomas Lamanna (30-5-1, 12 KOs) with a single left hand only 80 seconds into their middleweight fight on the Ruiz-Arreola show. Lara obviously has more to give at 38. … Light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol (18-0, 11 KOs) looked so-so in his unanimous-decision victory over Craig Richards (16-2-1, 9 KOs) on the Parker-Chisora card. He said afterward that he was satisfied with his performance given the fact he hadn’t fought in almost 19 months. That’s reasonable. … Katie Taylor (18-0, 6 KOs) and Natasha Jonas (9-2-1, 7 KOs) gave fans the most-exciting fight on the Park-Chisora show. Taylor, defending her lightweight titles, won a unanimous decision but she has looked better. Of course, Jonas played a role in that by giving a spirited performance. The Liverpudlian has lost her last two fights – she fell just short against Terri Harper in August – yet enhanced her reputation as one of the best in the business. … Chris Eubank Jr. (30-2, 22 KOs) easily outpointed capable Marcus Morrison (23-4, 16 KOs) on the Parker-Chisora card. Eubank was more solid than spectacular. One thing I liked was his patience, which he evidently learned under the tutelage of trainer Roy Jones Jr. I think Jones is going to bring out the best in Eubank.

[lawrence-related id=19893,19880,19888,19883,19864,19862,19858,19860]

Good, bad, worse: Boxing’s youth movement; Kirkland KO’d; RIP, Frankie

The rise of a youth movement was one of the positive things to emerge in a difficult 2020.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

David Morrell (left) is on a long list of talented young fighters. Sean Michael Ham / TGB Promotions

One positive thing I’ll remember about 2020 was the success of so many good young fighters.

I can start with the gifted Teofimo Lopez, who, at 23 years old, dethroned pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko by a convincing decision on Oct. 17 in Las Vegas. It hardly ends with Lopez, though.

We saw two more young fighters with great promise on Saturday, David Morrell and Jesus Ramos.

Morrell, a 22-year-old former Cuban amateur star, destroyed overmatched Mike Gavronski en route to a third-round knockout in Los Angeles. His combination of ability and maturity beyond his years is representative of many young fighters today.

The same can be said for Jesus Ramos, who, at only 19, methodically annihilated Naim Nelson in four rounds on the same card. He has champion written over him.

And the encouraging list goes on in a sport bursting with prodigies destined to be the stars of the next generation. Among others 24 or younger to make statements this year:

  • Ryan Garcia (22), a knockout artist and social media star who is on the verge of becoming a major star.
  • Devin Haney (22), a gifted all-around fighter who already has won a title and appears to be on Lopez’s heals.
  • Shakur Stevenson (23), the former Olympian who gave up a 126-pound title and began his pursuit of another at 130.
  • David Benavidez (24), who already is a two-time 168-pound titleholder and potential foe of Canelo Alvarez.
  • Vergil Ortiz (22), who has stopped all 16 of his opponents and is poised to challenge the best 147-pounders.
  • Jaron Ennis (23), arguably the most-gifted – in terms of both ability and power – of the bunch.
  • Chris Colbert (24), a superb boxer-athlete who is on the cusp of a break-through victory.
  • Jaime Munguia (24), a bruising middleweight who won a title at 154 pounds and is getting better.
  • Edgar Berlanga (23), a super middleweight who has stopped all 16 of his opponents in the first round. Yes, you read that correctly.

This list isn’t meant to be complete. I could go on and on … and on. The intention was to demonstrate that boxing continues to produce superb all-around fighters, fighters who could’ve been successful in any era.

Anyone who thinks otherwise isn’t paying attention.

***

BAD

This might be our final image of James Kirkland in the ring. Sean Michael Ham / TGB Promotions

James Kirkland had a good career. The “Mandingo Warrior” wasn’t a great fighter but, because of his fiercely aggressive style, he was one of the more entertaining boxers of his era. Arturo Gatti became a legend because of that quality.

And Kirkland was able to do it in spite of several interruptions, namely stints in jail for a variety of offenses. He won the first 27 fights of his career, 24 by knockout, to generate excitement.

Then, back in 2011, he ran into a relatively unknown Japanese fighter named Nobuhiro Ishida, who stopped Kirkland less than two minutes into the fight. Kirkland fought without trainer and motivator Ann Wolfe in that bout, which seemed to indicate that he wasn’t the same without her.

That might be true but, more important, Ishida simply exposed Kirkland’s limitations.

Six fights later he received the opportunity of his career, a date with Canelo Alvarez in Houston. Things didn’t go well for the Texan. The Mexican star put him down three times before stopping him in Round 3. It was arguably the most-spectacular knockout of Alvarez’s career.

Kirkland, determined to get his life in order, left boxing for four years after that setback. He returned last year, beat two journeymen and then agreed to fight Juan Macias Montiel on the Morrell-Gavronski card on Saturday.

It was Nobuhiro Ishida all over again. Kirkland, 36, went down three times and didn’t survive a full two minutes. The ability to take a punch is gone. So are the reflexes. It’s time to call it quits.

Kirkland (34-3, 30 KOs) didn’t have a extraordinary career. He never won a major title. In fact, he never beat an elite opponent, except perhaps a young Alfredo Angulo. He’s best known for being on the wrong end of a brutal knockout.

He entertained a lot folks, though. And isn’t that the most important thing to fans? Enjoy your retirement, warrior.

***

WORSE

Frankie Randall (left) was the first to beat Julio Cesar Chavez. AP Photo / Jose Luis Magana

Frankie Randall represented the best and the worst of boxing.

Randall, who died at 59 on Wednesday, is a testament to perseverance. He received his first title shot in 1994, at 32 years old and 11 years into his career. And he won the fight by decision to capture the first of his three 140-pound titles.

His opponent that night in Las Vegas? Julio Cesar Chavez.

Randall became both the first to defeat the future Hall of Famer – who was 89-0-1 going into the fight — and the first to put him down, giving the talented, durable boxer-puncher an indelible place in boxing lore.

Three-time champion, conqueror of Chavez and victories over other top fighters of the day. Randall had a lot of which to be proud.

The problem is he fought too long. He went 3-13 in his last 16 fights, the last one when he was 43 years old. In all, he fought professionally for 22 years. That might’ve contributed to his condition later in life: His son said he died after a battle with dementia and Parkinson’s.

Perhaps the two primary lessons he will have taught fighters who followed him are these: never give up when you can still fight and walk away when you can’t.

RIP, champ.

[lawrence-related id=16750,16742]

Good, bad, worse: Boxing’s youth movement; Kirkland KO’d; RIP, Frankie

The rise of a youth movement was one of the positive things to emerge in a difficult 2020.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

David Morrell (left) is on a long list of talented young fighters. Sean Michael Ham / TGB Promotions

One positive thing I’ll remember about 2020 was the success of so many good young fighters.

I can start with the gifted Teofimo Lopez, who, at 23 years old, dethroned pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko by a convincing decision on Oct. 17 in Las Vegas. It hardly ends with Lopez, though.

We saw two more young fighters with great promise on Saturday, David Morrell and Jesus Ramos.

Morrell, a 22-year-old former Cuban amateur star, destroyed overmatched Mike Gavronski en route to a third-round knockout in Los Angeles. His combination of ability and maturity beyond his years is representative of many young fighters today.

The same can be said for Jesus Ramos, who, at only 19, methodically annihilated Naim Nelson in four rounds on the same card. He has champion written over him.

And the encouraging list goes on in a sport bursting with prodigies destined to be the stars of the next generation. Among others 24 or younger to make statements this year:

  • Ryan Garcia (22), a knockout artist and social media star who is on the verge of becoming a major star.
  • Devin Haney (22), a gifted all-around fighter who already has won a title and appears to be on Lopez’s heals.
  • Shakur Stevenson (23), the former Olympian who gave up a 126-pound title and began his pursuit of another at 130.
  • David Benavidez (24), who already is a two-time 168-pound titleholder and potential foe of Canelo Alvarez.
  • Vergil Ortiz (22), who has stopped all 16 of his opponents and is poised to challenge the best 147-pounders.
  • Jaron Ennis (23), arguably the most-gifted – in terms of both ability and power – of the bunch.
  • Chris Colbert (24), a superb boxer-athlete who is on the cusp of a break-through victory.
  • Jaime Munguia (24), a bruising middleweight who won a title at 154 pounds and is getting better.
  • Edgar Berlanga (23), a super middleweight who has stopped all 16 of his opponents in the first round. Yes, you read that correctly.

This list isn’t meant to be complete. I could go on and on … and on. The intention was to demonstrate that boxing continues to produce superb all-around fighters, fighters who could’ve been successful in any era.

Anyone who thinks otherwise isn’t paying attention.

***

BAD

This might be our final image of James Kirkland in the ring. Sean Michael Ham / TGB Promotions

James Kirkland had a good career. The “Mandingo Warrior” wasn’t a great fighter but, because of his fiercely aggressive style, he was one of the more entertaining boxers of his era. Arturo Gatti became a legend because of that quality.

And Kirkland was able to do it in spite of several interruptions, namely stints in jail for a variety of offenses. He won the first 27 fights of his career, 24 by knockout, to generate excitement.

Then, back in 2011, he ran into a relatively unknown Japanese fighter named Nobuhiro Ishida, who stopped Kirkland less than two minutes into the fight. Kirkland fought without trainer and motivator Ann Wolfe in that bout, which seemed to indicate that he wasn’t the same without her.

That might be true but, more important, Ishida simply exposed Kirkland’s limitations.

Six fights later he received the opportunity of his career, a date with Canelo Alvarez in Houston. Things didn’t go well for the Texan. The Mexican star put him down three times before stopping him in Round 3. It was arguably the most-spectacular knockout of Alvarez’s career.

Kirkland, determined to get his life in order, left boxing for four years after that setback. He returned last year, beat two journeymen and then agreed to fight Juan Macias Montiel on the Morrell-Gavronski card on Saturday.

It was Nobuhiro Ishida all over again. Kirkland, 36, went down three times and didn’t survive a full two minutes. The ability to take a punch is gone. So are the reflexes. It’s time to call it quits.

Kirkland (34-3, 30 KOs) didn’t have a extraordinary career. He never won a major title. In fact, he never beat an elite opponent, except perhaps a young Alfredo Angulo. He’s best known for being on the wrong end of a brutal knockout.

He entertained a lot folks, though. And isn’t that the most important thing to fans? Enjoy your retirement, warrior.

***

WORSE

Frankie Randall (left) was the first to beat Julio Cesar Chavez. AP Photo / Jose Luis Magana

Frankie Randall represented the best and the worst of boxing.

Randall, who died at 59 on Wednesday, is a testament to perseverance. He received his first title shot in 1994, at 32 years old and 11 years into his career. And he won the fight by decision to capture the first of his three 140-pound titles.

His opponent that night in Las Vegas? Julio Cesar Chavez.

Randall became both the first to defeat the future Hall of Famer – who was 89-0-1 going into the fight — and the first to put him down, giving the talented, durable boxer-puncher an indelible place in boxing lore.

Three-time champion, conqueror of Chavez and victories over other top fighters of the day. Randall had a lot of which to be proud.

The problem is he fought too long. He went 3-13 in his last 16 fights, the last one when he was 43 years old. In all, he fought professionally for 22 years. That might’ve contributed to his condition later in life: His son said he died after a battle with dementia and Parkinson’s.

Perhaps the two primary lessons he will have taught fighters who followed him are these: never give up when you can still fight and walk away when you can’t.

RIP, champ.

[lawrence-related id=16750,16742]

James Kirkland stopped in first round by Juan Macias Montiel

Relative unknown Juan Macias Montiel stopped James Kirkland less than two minutes into their fight Saturday in Los Angeles.

James Kirkland could be — should be? — finished as a professional boxer.

Kirkland, once a feared slugger, went down three times and was stopped by Juan Macias Montiel only 1 minutes, 56 seconds into a scheduled 10-round middleweight fight on the David Morrell-Mike Gavronski card Saturday in Los Angeles.

Montiel (22-4-2, 22 KOs) put the 36-year-old Kirkland (34-3, 32 KOs) down and hurt him with a left hook to the temple about 30 seconds into the fight, which set up target practice for the hard-punching Mexican.

Moments later Kirkland went down again from two left uppercuts and a right hand. Then, after he received one last reprieve, another upper cut and a left-right combination sent him to the canvas a third time and prompted referee Jerry Cantu to end the slaughter.

Kirkland had won two fights against journeymen opponents in his comeback after a four-year hiatus from the sport, which followed his knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez.

Now, after a thorough beating that seemed to reveal his slow reflexes and inability take punches, it’s difficult to imagine the Texan stepping back into the ring.

Meanwhile, Montiel, who has stopped all of his victims, took advantage of a good opportunity: beating a well-known opponent in spectacular fashion on national TV.

We’ll probably be hearing more for the 26-year-old resident of Los Mochis.

In other preliminary fight, welterweight prospect Jesus Ramos (14-0, 13 KOs) put Naim Nelson (14-5, 1 KO) down twice, beat him up and stopped him after four rounds.