Tag: Jose Uzcategui

Lionell Thompson defeats Jose Uzcategui by unanimous decision

Lionell Thompson defeated slugger Jose Uzcategui by a unanimous decision on the Gervonta Davis-Yuriorkis Gamboa card Saturday in Atlanta.

Lionell Thompson got over a hump in his career.

Thompson, a 34-year-old who had come up short in his biggest fights, defeated former super middleweight titleholder Jose Uzcategui by a unanimous decision on the Gervonta Davis-Yuriorkis Gamboa card Saturday in Atlanta.

The scores were 95-94, 96-92 and 96-92 for Thompson, who moved down to 168 pounds from 175 for the fight.

Uzcategui (29-4, 24 KOs) stalked Thompson the entire fight but couldn’t cut off the ring to land punches with any consistency, as Thompson jabbed and moved beautifully to avoid punishment and win rounds.

And Thompson (22-5, 12 KOs) landed some solid power shots, including a straight right that put Uzcategui down in the final seconds of the opening round.

Thompson was cut above the right eye from a punch in Round 3 and was docked a point for allegedly holding Uzcategui excessively. However, neither the cut not the point played a role in the fight as Thompson stuck to his game plan — jab and move — and won the fight going away.

Thompson had fought his entire career as a light heavyweight, at which he was stopped by Sergey Kovalev in 2012, or even a little heavier. He seems to have found a home at super middleweight.

Uzcategui, a Mexican-based Venezuelan, has now lost two of his last three fights. He lost his 168-pound title to another slick boxer, Caleb Plant, by a unanimous decision in January,

 

Gervonta Davis needs two tries to make lightweight limit

Gervonta Davis had trouble making the 135-pound limit for his fight on Saturday against Yuriorkis Gamboa but he ultimately was successful.

Gervonta Davis had some trouble making the 135-pound limit Friday afternoon for his fight on Saturday against Yuriorkis Gamboa but he ultimately was successful.

And, just for good measure, Davis reportedly shoved Gamboa during the weigh-in. That caused a tussle on stage that required police and security personnel to quell.

Davis, fighting for the first time as a full-fledged lightweight, initially weighed 136¼ but came back 90 minutes later at 134¾. Gamboa weighed 134½.

Jack Reiss of California will be the referee for the main event. The judges are Ed Kanner (Georgia), Dave Moretti (Nevada) and Steve Weisfeld (New Jersey).

The card will take place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta and will be televised on Showtime.

Gervonta Davis needed two tries Friday to make the 135-pound limit for his lightweight fight against Yuriorkis Gamboa on Saturday in Atlanta. Sean Michael Ham / Mayweather Promotions

Also, Jean Pascal and Badou Jack, fighting at light heavyweight, made the 175-pound limit. Pascal weighed 174¾, Jack 174½.

And Jose Uzcategui and Lionell Thompson made the 168-pound limit for their super middleweight fight. Uzcategui weighed 167¾, Lionell Thompson 168.

Floyd Mayweather, Davis’ promoter, is excited to stage the fight in Atlanta. This is the first big fight card in that city in some time.

“This is great,” Mayweather said. “It’s not just about boxing being in one place. It’s about thinking outside the box. So I said, ‘Why not?’ Atlanta is a great place with so many beautiful people. It’s just a great city.

“It’s all about taking chances and rolling the dice. It’s the same thing I did in my career: took chances and rolled the dice. There is a lot of great talent that comes out of Atlanta, a lot of great boxing talent.”

Caleb Plant to defend title against Alfredo Angulo: report

Caleb Plant will defend his super middleweight title against Alfredo Angulo early next year, according to a report.

One high-profile victory certainly changed the fortunes of Alfredo Angulo.

The longtime warhorse had been more or less written off before his surprising split-decision victory over Peter Quillin in September. Now, The Athletic is reporting that Angulo will challenge super middleweight titleholder Caleb Plant early next year.

The probable date, according to the website, is Feb. 15.

Angulo (26-7, 21 knockouts) had lost two of his previous three fights when he stunned Quillin and the boxing world with a spirited performance to win their fight in Bakersfield, California, and keep his name in the mix for big fights.

The 37-year-old Mexican has never fought for a full world title. He won an “interim” belt at 154 pounds when he stopped Harry Joe Yorgey in 2009.

Plant (19-0, 11 KOs) won his 168-pound title with a clear, unanimous-decision victory over Jose Uzcategui in January. In his first defense, he stopped Mike Lee in three rounds in July.