Mark Magsayo survived a tough test by stopping Julio Ceja in 10 rounds Saturday in Las Vegas.
Mark Magsayo overcame adversity in dramatic fashion Saturday night.
The 27-year-old featherweight contender survived a damaging body attack by Julio Ceja to stop the capable Mexican in the 10th-round of a scheduled 12-round bout on the Manny Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugas card in Las Vegas.
Magsayo (23-0, 16 KOs) got off to a strong start, putting Ceja (32-5-1, 28 KOs) down with a left hook early in the opening round.
However, Ceja, experienced at the highest level, bounced back to push Magsayo to his limits. Ceja’s consistent body blows were so painful that Magsayo was forced to take a knee in Round 5, at which point his perfect record seemed to be in serious jeopardy.
Magsayo responded by boxing after that, moving, jabbing, scoring with power punches when he could as Ceja pursued him.
Then, about 30 seconds into Round 10, Magsayo landed a perfect straight right that hurt Ceja and followed with a short right as Ceja was beginning to fall.
There was no reason to count because Ceja was unconscious when he hit the canvas. The official time of the stoppage was 50 seconds of the 10th round.
Mark Magsayo survived a tough test by stopping Julio Ceja in 10 rounds Saturday in Las Vegas.
Mark Magsayo overcame adversity in dramatic fashion Saturday night.
The 27-year-old featherweight contender survived a damaging body attack by Julio Ceja to stop the capable Mexican in the 10th-round of a scheduled 12-round bout on the Manny Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugas card in Las Vegas.
Magsayo (23-0, 16 KOs) got off to a strong start, putting Ceja (32-5-1, 28 KOs) down with a left hook early in the opening round.
However, Ceja, experienced at the highest level, bounced back to push Magsayo to his limits. Ceja’s consistent body blows were so painful that Magsayo was forced to take a knee in Round 5, at which point his perfect record seemed to be in serious jeopardy.
Magsayo responded by boxing after that, moving, jabbing, scoring with power punches when he could as Ceja pursued him.
Then, about 30 seconds into Round 10, Magsayo landed a perfect straight right that hurt Ceja and followed with a short right as Ceja was beginning to fall.
There was no reason to count because Ceja was unconscious when he hit the canvas. The official time of the stoppage was 50 seconds of the 10th round.
Damien Vasquez has said that he plans to make his fight against Brandon Figueroa on Sept. 26 a “Mexican War.” That works for Figueroa.
Damien Vazquez has said that he plans to make his fight against Brandon Figueroa on Sept. 26 a “Mexican War.” That works for Figueroa.
The junior featherweight contender has built his reputation and winning record largely by getting the better of his opponents in toe-to-toe exchanges. If that’s what Vazquez wants, Figueroa said, he’s happy to oblige him.
Figueroa and Vazquez are scheduled to fight on the pay-per-view card featuring the Charlo brothers in Uncasville, Conn.
“I feel like the action fighting has been my style and game plan since day one,” said Figueroa (20-0-1, 15 KOs). “But I obviously believe I’d also have an advantage boxing him at distance. So he can say whatever he wants, I don’t think he’s going to want to go toe-to-toe with me. I can guarantee you he’ll regret that.
“I see this as the biggest opportunity of my career, and Vazquez is standing in my way. This is my chance to show everyone why I’m one of the best fighters in the world.”
Brandon Figueroa (left) said Damien Vazquez will regret it if he goes toe-to-toe with him. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions
Figueroa’s willingness to engage his opponents almost backfired in his most recent fight, a brutal split draw against Julio Ceja on the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz card on Nov. 23.
Ceja came in a whopping 4½ pounds over the 122-pound limit, which technically made him a junior lightweight. Plus, Figueroa said, he was at less than 100 percent because of minor injuries.
Still, Figueroa, who weighed 122, went through with the fight, which turned into the taxing Mexican War Vazquez described.
“Heading into my last fight, I had some injuries that I was dealing with,” Figueroa said. “But with this pandemic and the quarantine, I got a chance to recover and fully heal. I’ve never had this much time between fights, so I feel great now and I’m prepared for this fight. I’m just anxious to fight at this point.
“I don’t take anything away from Ceja, though. He came to fight. But we learn from every fight. What I took away from it was that even at the worst moment of my career, I didn’t lose. I’m a different fighter now, though. I’m healthy heading into this upcoming fight and I feel like everyone is going to see a different type of Brandon Figueroa.”
And if he beats Vazquez (15-1-1, 8 KOs)?
“At this point, I feel like any fight with me against a top 122-pounder is a great fight,” he said. “I’m willing to mix it up with any of them. I honestly don’t care who wants to fight me, I’ll take any of them to put on a great show for the fans.
“My team knows that as well. So hopefully after September 26 we can make a great fight with any of the other top fighters in my division.”
Damien Vasquez has said that he plans to make his fight against Brandon Figueroa on Sept. 26 a “Mexican War.” That works for Figueroa.
Damien Vazquez has said that he plans to make his fight against Brandon Figueroa on Sept. 26 a “Mexican War.” That works for Figueroa.
The junior featherweight contender has built his reputation and winning record largely by getting the better of his opponents in toe-to-toe exchanges. If that’s what Vazquez wants, Figueroa said, he’s happy to oblige him.
Figueroa and Vazquez are scheduled to fight on the pay-per-view card featuring the Charlo brothers in Uncasville, Conn.
“I feel like the action fighting has been my style and game plan since day one,” said Figueroa (20-0-1, 15 KOs). “But I obviously believe I’d also have an advantage boxing him at distance. So he can say whatever he wants, I don’t think he’s going to want to go toe-to-toe with me. I can guarantee you he’ll regret that.
“I see this as the biggest opportunity of my career, and Vazquez is standing in my way. This is my chance to show everyone why I’m one of the best fighters in the world.”
Brandon Figueroa (left) said Damien Vazquez will regret it if he goes toe-to-toe with him. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions
Figueroa’s willingness to engage his opponents almost backfired in his most recent fight, a brutal split draw against Julio Ceja on the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz card on Nov. 23.
Ceja came in a whopping 4½ pounds over the 122-pound limit, which technically made him a junior lightweight. Plus, Figueroa said, he was at less than 100 percent because of minor injuries.
Still, Figueroa, who weighed 122, went through with the fight, which turned into the taxing Mexican War Vazquez described.
“Heading into my last fight, I had some injuries that I was dealing with,” Figueroa said. “But with this pandemic and the quarantine, I got a chance to recover and fully heal. I’ve never had this much time between fights, so I feel great now and I’m prepared for this fight. I’m just anxious to fight at this point.
“I don’t take anything away from Ceja, though. He came to fight. But we learn from every fight. What I took away from it was that even at the worst moment of my career, I didn’t lose. I’m a different fighter now, though. I’m healthy heading into this upcoming fight and I feel like everyone is going to see a different type of Brandon Figueroa.”
And if he beats Vazquez (15-1-1, 8 KOs)?
“At this point, I feel like any fight with me against a top 122-pounder is a great fight,” he said. “I’m willing to mix it up with any of them. I honestly don’t care who wants to fight me, I’ll take any of them to put on a great show for the fans.
“My team knows that as well. So hopefully after September 26 we can make a great fight with any of the other top fighters in my division.”
Guillermo Rigondeaux wants to move down to 115 pounds and win a title there, according to his trainer, Ronnie Shields.
Guillermo Rigondeaux has two immediate goals at 39 years old.
One, the two-time Olympic champion wants to unify 118-pound titles after he moved down from 122 to outpoint Liborio Solis and win a vacant title last month. And two, believe it or not, he wants to move down to 115 to win a belt in that division. He certainly has no problems making 118 even though he fought at 128½ in his loss to Vassiliy Lomachenko.
Call him the incredible shrinking man.
“I put him on the scale even before the last fight,” Ronnie Shields, Rigondeaux’s trainer, said on The PBC Podcast. “He comes into the gym at 121 pounds. So three pounds is nothing. He actually wants to go down to 115 just to win a belt there just to say he did it … and then go back up to 118.
“I told him, at 39 years old, he’s doing the opposite of what everyone else in boxing is doing. Everybody else is going up to fight in different divisions; he’s going down.”
Rigondeaux (20-1, 13 KOs) has won three consecutive fights since Lomachenko forced him to retire after six rounds in December 2017, two by knockout and a split decision over Solis that most people believe should’ve been unanimous.
Shields considers the Lomachenko setback a blip.
“He never should’ve [fought] Lomachenko,” Shields said. “He was just way to small for him. … To put him in that fight was really ridiculous. The powers that be did it and he paid the consequences. At the same time, he came back and now he feels good.
“Even at 39, he’s capable of beating a lot of people out there.”
Especially if he doesn’t try fight like a slugger.
Rigondeaux surprised everyone by trading punches in a wild slugfest against Julio Ceja last June, winning by eighth-round knockout. And then, against Solis, he came out with a similar mindset in the opening round.
That didn’t sit well with Shields, who set him straight after the round. Rigondeaux responded by boxing the rest of the way.
“I tell him, ‘Look, you’re a pure boxer,’” Shields said. “That’s what you have to be. You can punch but, at the same time, defense works for you. Offense takes over everything. So after the first round, he came out and he finally started boxing, started getting his rhythm.
“He took 31 punches in the first round and then he took 33 punches in the other 11 rounds. And that’s the way it should be for a guy like him. … That’s the Rigo who won two gold medals and was the unified champion in the 122-pound division.”
Deontay Wilder deserves credit for what he has accomplished even if you’re critical of his boxing skills.
GOOD
One tweet seemed to represent the anti-Deontay Wilder sect after the heavyweight titleholder’s chilling one-punch knockout of Luis Ortiz on Saturday night in Las Vegas: “Wilder is still pure (excrement).”
What does Wilder have to do to cease being excrement?
The Tweeter obviously was referring to Wilder’s perceived lack of elite boxing ability. What about results? Wilder has had 43 heavyweight fights. He has ended 41 of them early, including Bermane Stiverne in their rematch. The only opponent he hasn’t knocked out is Tyson Fury, with whom he drew last December.
Isn’t the objective to win? The man is unbeaten and has successfully defended his title 10 times, which ties Muhammad Ali at No. 5 on the all-time list in a single heavyweight reign. He also moved into No. 7 for total defenses.
And isn’t a second goal to entertain the spectators? The fans love spectacular knockouts and Wilder delivers … again and again and again.
Wilder will never be a great technician. He admits it. If that is something you require to enjoy boxing, then Wilder isn’t for you. If you admire a fighter who wins consistently and provides one thrill after another, enjoy Wilder while you can. He’s 34.
And for the record: He certainly is a good enough boxer. He has the ability to set up his big shots, to position himself at the right distance, to recognize an opportunity and to unload at just the right time. That takes skill.
Wilder said at the post-fight news conference: “I deserve respect.” Yes, he does.
BAD
Deontay Wilder’s knockouts should be celebrated on a grander scale than they are now. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions
The reported attendance at the Wilder-Ortiz card was 10,000-plus. The capacity at the MGM Grand Garden Arena is around 17,000. And if I had to guess the number of domestic pay-per-view buys it will have generated, I’d say around 350,000.
Those aren’t impressive numbers, which is not a good commentary on Wilder’s popularity.
What’s going on? One theory is that this isn’t a good time of year, with the holidays around the corner, to stage a major fight. That makes sense. Competition from the NFL, college football and the NBA doesn’t help, obviously.
Frankly, fighters aren’t promoted like they used to be. And, who knows, maybe he’d resonate with more sports fans if he fought more often. That just isn’t how it’s done these days.
What’s the point? All of the above is a shame given the excitement Wilder generates. His knockouts should be celebrated in a way that Mike Tyson’s once were because they’re every bit as dramatic.
Again, though, these are different times. Boxing, while perfectly healthy, isn’t as mainstream as it once was. Even a dominating heavyweight champion, as Wilder is becoming, can largely fly under the radar in today’s environment.
Perhaps Wilder will gain more and more traction across a larger landscape with every opponent he puts to sleep going forward. In the meantime, those who are paying attention now are having a blast.
WORSE
Brandon Figueroa (left) said Julio Ceja’s extra weight was a factor in their fight. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions
The word knowledgeable people use is “unprofessional.”
Luis Nery came in a pound overweight for his scheduled fight against Emmanuel Rodriguez on the Wilder-Ortiz undercard. He was given time to lose the pound but reportedly refused to make an attempt. He subsequently offered Rodriguez money and a rehydration limit but Rodriguez decided that danger exceeded reward and the fight was canceled.
Nery also has failed to make weight in the past. Suggestion: Move up a division.
Julio Ceja failed to make the junior featherweight limit by a whopping 4½ pounds, which technically made him a junior lightweight, for his fight with Brandon Figueroa. Still, Figueroa agreed to go ahead with the fight.
Perhaps that was a mistake. Ceja was an immovable object in the fight, which ended in a controversial draw. Afterward, Figueroa said Ceja’s extra weight was a factor.
“I basically fought a person in a weight class above mine tonight,” Figueroa said. “I’m pretty sure if he weighed 122, it wouldn’t even be a close fight. We have to run the rematch back but he better make the weight.”
Fighters have always pushed the limit on weight, believing they’ll have an edge over their opponents the lower they go. That’s not going to change. Fighters will continue to miss weight.
That said, it might be good idea to follow this plan: One, make weight. Two, in the event that doesn’t happen, try to make the limit within the extra time allotted. And, three, if that doesn’t work, make a reasonable offer when negotiating to step into the ring overweight.
LAS VEGAS – No one should’ve been disappointed with a draw in light of what Brandon Figueroa and Julio Ceja gave on Saturday at the MGM Grand. The junior featherweights didn’t stop throwing punches from beginning to end, producing an astonishing …
LAS VEGAS – No one should’ve been disappointed with a draw in light of what Brandon Figueroa and Julio Ceja gave on Saturday at the MGM Grand.
The junior featherweights didn’t stop throwing punches from beginning to end, producing an astonishing total of roughly 2,800 in a give-and-take war that revealed remarkable durability on the part of both fighters on the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz card.
Some will argue that Ceja (33-4, 28 knockouts) got the better of the nonstop exchanges in more rounds that Figueroa (20-0-1, 15 KOs) did but two judges didn’t see it that way.
The scores were 115-113 for Figueroa, 116-112 for Ceja and 114-114. When that final score was announced, the crowd booed loudly. Boxing Junkie scored it 116-112.
One could argue that Figueroa, a top contender, shouldn’t have gone through with the fight. Ceja missed the 122-pound limit by 4½ pounds, which technically made him a junior lightweight.
Perhaps that’s one reason he was so resilient. Figueroa hit the Mexican with everything he had and then some but Ceja was never fazed and never stopped throwing punches. Of course, Figueroa was just as durable as his bigger foe, also taking significant shots but never giving ground.
Ceja came into the fight with consecutive knockout losses, to Franklin Manzanilla and Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Also, Eduardo Ramirez (23-2-3, 10 KOs) stopped Leduan Barthelemy (15-1-1, 7 KOs) at 2:59 of Round 4 in a scheduled 10-round featherweight bout.
The boxers had fought to a split-decision draw in September 2017.
On Saturday, Ramirez, from Mexico, quickly took control of the fight. By the final round, he was punching the one-time star amateur from Cuba at will. And he ended matters with a straight left that sent Barthelmy staggering backward and then down on his back.
He got up but the referee determined that he couldn’t continue.
Deontay Wilder will put his heavyweight title on the line in a rematch with Luis Ortiz on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Here’s how to watch.
Undefeated heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will put his title on the line in a highly anticipated rematch with Luis Ortiz Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Wilder defeated Ortiz by a 10th-round TKO in their first fight 19 months ago, but Ortiz has won his last three fights and has the power to end the bout in a single punch.
The Wilder vs. Ortiz II pay-per-view will begin at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on Saturday, Nov. 23. You can order the PPV online here for $74.99.
Wilder vs. Ortiz II can be streamed via the Fox Sports app on the App Store or Google Play, on your TV via Roku, Xbox One, Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV, or on your computer or smart devices via FoxSports.com.
There are three other fights on the undercard:
Leo Santa Cruz (36-1-1) vs. Miguel Flores (24-2) for a junior lightweight title; Luis Nery (30-0) vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez (19-1) in a bantamweight fight; and Brandon Figueroa (20-0) vs. Julio Ceja (32-4) in a junior bantamweight bout.
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