Tag: Las Vegas

Jags enter week as 2.5-point underdogs vs. Chargers

The Jags’ and Chargers’ seasons haven’t gone as planned, but LA haS been significantly more competitive and are listed as favorites Week 14.

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered last week as home favorites Week 13, but that won’t be the case Week 14. Per BetMGM, the Jags are currently down as 2.5-point underdogs to the Los Angles Chargers, who traditionally have been an issue for them with an all-time record of 7-3 against the Cardiac Cats.

The Jags’ and Chargers’ 2019 campaigns have been largely disappointing and both will come into Week 14 with identical records of 4-8. Mathematically, they haven’t been eliminated from the AFC playoff picture, however, they both will be coming into Sunday’s game simply looking to end their three-game (in the Chargers’ case) and four-game (in the Jags’ case) losing streaks.

The Jags will be coming off a 28-11 loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs Week 13 in which they benched veteran quarterback Nick Foles midway through. After seeing the offense and team become a little more lively under rookie sensation Garner Minshew II, Jags coach Doug Marrone named him the starter for Week 13’s game.

The Chargers, on the other hand, are coming off a much more competitive loss to the Denver Broncos, who defeated them by a score of 23-20. The driving force behind their team is their passing game (ranked No. 6 in the league) and defense (ranked No. 10 in the league), which is led by two fierce pass rushers in Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram and coached by former Jags head man Gus Bradley.

The total for Sunday’s game is currently set at 43.5 points. The money line is set at +145 for the Jags, which means a wager of $100 on them would pay out $145.

Like their league record, the Jags haven’t been so hot with a 5-7 record against the spread and a 2-4 record at home against it. The Chargers have been even worse against the spread with a record of 3-8-1 in the category. Their record against the spread while serving as the away team is an unimpressive figure of 2-4.

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Buddy McGirt on Adam Lopez: ‘He lost the battle but won the war’

Buddy McGirt believes Adam Lopez is primed for big things after his seventh-round TKO loss to Oscar Valdez on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Adam Lopez was deprived of a career-changing win on Saturday night but his future remains bright, according to his trainer, Buddy McGirt.

“I’m proud of Adam,” McGirt told Boxing Junkie. “To me, Adam won the fight. He lost the battle but won the war.”

The 23-year-old career featherweight moved up a division as a last-minute replacement to fight Oscar Valdez, a former featherweight titleholder making his debut at the junior lightweight limit. Valdez’s original opponent, Andres Gutierrez, was dropped from the scheduled 10-rounder after weighing in 11 pounds over the 130-pound limit.

Of course, Lopez was recruited simply as a fill-in to preserve the main event so that the A-side’s three-month training camp would not go to waste. Instead, Lopez veered from the intended script, pasting Valdez all night with sharp jabs, quick straight rights and hard left hooks, one of which sent Valdez to the canvas in the second round. 

“Kid can fight, man,” McGirt said. “He’s a future superstar. He’s the real deal man. The sky’s the limit for this young man. I told him, ‘Don’t lose focus, man.’”

In the seventh, however, Valdez, answered back with a crushing left hook that hurt Lopez and led to a knockdown. When he got up, Valdez jumped on his opponent with a flurry of punches that prompted referee Russell to stop the fight, cutting short what might have been a colossal upset win for the unheralded Lopez.

While many observers criticized Mora’s decision, McGirt respected the call.

“I’m gonna say this: The referees see more than I do, since he’s the closest man to the action,” said McGirt, who lost a fighter in the ring earlier this year in Maxim Dadashev. “I’m not mad at anybody. Maybe he saw something and just had to lean with it. He felt what he needed to do.”

Bad call or not, Lopez left the ring with an enhanced profile.

“By (stopping the fight), Mora made Adam the biggest star,” McGirt said. “It was better than going to the scorecards and getting robbed. Either way, it made Adam the bigger star.”

Indeed, two of the three judges had Valdez leading after six rounds, including an egregious 58-55 – five rounds to one – from Dave Moretti.

The real loser, McGirt insisted, is Valdez, who has to contend with the reality that he struggled visibly against a prospect who was still fighting in six-to-eight-round fights.

“Valdez has to second guess himself now,” McGirt said. “He fought a 126-pounder moving up the day before and you get your ass kicked like that for seven rounds, know what I mean? It’s going to make Valdez think. He was an Olympian and former champion. Adam knows he belongs and in 2020, God willing, he becomes a world champion.”

McGirt said Lopez was consoled by a pair of former world champions, who were called the fight on ESPN+.

“He was very disappointed but Andre Ward and Timothy Bradley had a nice talk with him,” McGirt said. “They shot straight from the hip and said they were Adam Lopez fans. They told him we didn’t want to be fans but you made us fans.”

The crowd at the Cosmopolitan apparently felt the same way, as it booed Valdez when he gave his post-fight remarks inside the ring.

“You heard the crowd cheering Adam and booing Valdez on the way out,” McGirt said. “What better feeling is that? Tyson Fury didn’t win against Deontay Wilder and he’s a bigger star.”

McGirt also said that promoter Bob Arum offered words of encouragement. Lopez will continue to work with Top Rank, “without a doubt,” McGirt added.

Maybe there are moral victories in boxing, after all.

 

Oscar Valdez survives spirited effort from Adam Lopez to score KO

Oscar Valdez survived a spirited effort from late replacement Adam Lopez to score a controversial seventh-round KO Saturday.

Sometimes the loser makes a bigger impression than the winner.

That might’ve been the case on Saturday at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, where Oscar Valdez was outboxed by replacement opponent Adam Lopez, went down in the second round and scored what arguably was a premature knockout in the seventh round of a scheduled 10-round junior lightweight bout he was losing on the cards.

Valdez did rally. And a victory is a victory, which keeps Valdez on course for a title shot in his new division. But those who watched the fight probably were talking more about Lopez than Valdez afterward.

Lopez was scheduled to fight another opponent at 126 pounds on the card but agreed at the last minute to replace Andres Gutierrez as Valdez’s foe after Gutierrez missed weight by 11 pounds.

Of course, it was a big assignment, taking on a hard-punching, longtime featherweight champion with only 14 pro fights under your belt. No one would’ve been shocked if the fight had ended the first time Valdez landed a punch.

Instead, Lopez looked like the better boxer, using his quickness, mobility and obvious ring acumen to frustrate Valdez for much of the fight. In other words, Lopez looked a lot like his late father, the slick Mexican Olympic silver medalist and pro contender Hector Lopez.

And the younger Lopez obviously can punch. He put Valdez down with a half hook-half uppercut about two minutes into Round 2. Valdez seemed more embarrassed than hurt but Lopez had made a statement.

After that, his confidence soaring, Lopez demonstrated that a quick, skillful boxer will give Valdez trouble, particularly when Valdez has only 30 hours to prepare to fight him.

But, to Valdez’s credit, he never became desperate. He simply continued what he had been doing since the opening bell, patiently stalking Lopez, landing punishing shots to the head or body when he could, looking for any opportunity to hurt him.

That finally came late in Round 7, when a crushing left hook disrupted his brain function and an overhand right sent him flying into the ropes for a knockdown. Lopez got up, defended himself as best he could and seemed to be on his way to surviving the round.

But a flurry from Valdez in the final seconds prompted referee Russell Mora to jump between the fighters and stop the fight. There were only 7 seconds left in the round.

Many will argue that Mora stepped in too soon because Lopez seemed to have his wits about him, wasn’t taking an inordinate amount of punishement and the round was about to end. Others will say that it’s better to stop a fight one punch too soon rather one too late.

Alas, Valdez (27-0, 21 knockouts) did what he came to do, win the fight and put himself in position to challenge for a 130-pound title. He hopes to fight highly respected titleholder Miguel Berchelt, who was on hand Saturday.

“I was very surprised,” said Valdez, referring to the second-round knockdown. “I take my hat off to him. He’s a great fighter, a great warrior, just like his father was. I just got hit. This is boxing. I prepared two, three months for Gutierrez but no excuses. That kid is a warrior.

“… My experience made me win the fight. I had a great amateur background, a lot more experience than him.”

Lopez (13-2, 6 KOs) was devastated afterward, particularly because of the stoppage.

“He hurt me but I was up and fine, blocking shots (after the knockdown),” he said. “I think he caught me one time. The referee just jumped in and stopped it. I would’ve been fine. I think I was up on the cards. It’s a shame. This is boxing. Nothing I can do about it.

“I’d like a rematch. I’m not a 130-pounder but I’m a real fighter. I’ll take on anyone, anywhere.”

In time, Lopez probably will see he accomplished more in defeat than many fighters do in victory. He demonstrated admirable skill and poise for a such a young fighter. He’s only 23. This defeat could be the start of something big for him.

He was asked afterward whether he thinks he made his father proud of him. He responded with a shaky voice, “I’m sure he’s up there smiling.”

Member of Mayweather team allegedly punches man seeking photo

A man who TMZ called a “presumed member of (Mayweather’s) security team” allegedly landed several punches on a man trying to get a photo.

Mess with Floyd Mayweather and his team at your own risk.

A man who TMZ called a “presumed member of (Mayweather’s) security team” allegedly landed several punches on a mall employee who was trying to get a photo of the famous boxer in Las Vegas.

The employee, Juan Calderon, told TMZ he was attempting to get photo for a coworker but Mayweather rudely refused to cooperate. Calderon then said Mayweather and team members were “acting like d—ks.”

One member of Mayweather’s team apparently tried to defuse the situation but, after Calderon refused to shake his hand, another man can be seen on surveillance footage landed three to five punches on Calderon.

Calderon told TMZ he went to a hospital, where a CT scan showed no brain damage. He also said he filed a police report.

Sources close to Mayweather said Calderon was antagonistic and looking for fight, as well as a lawsuit.

Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury rematch officially on: report

Representatives of Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury told ESPN.com that their rematch is officially on for Feb. 22.

It’s set. Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury will fight again on February 22, according to ESPN.com.

The fighters signed the deal months ago but it became official after Wilder knocked out Luis Ortiz on Saturday in Las Vegas, according to the report.

The site of the rematch has not been determined, although representatives of both fighters said the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – the site of Wilder-Ortiz II – is the likely venue.

The fight will be televised jointly by Fox (Wilder) and ESPN (Fury) on pay-per-view.

“We’re going to have an announcement before Christmas, but the fight is happening Feb. 22. You can go to sleep on that,” Bob Arum of Top Rank, which promotes Fury, told ESPN.com.

Arum said that Feb. 22 as the ideal date because of marketing opportunities.

“Everybody involved factored in that, it was the big date they could get the most bang and publicity for the event,” Arum said. “The college football season is over, the NFL season is over, the playoffs haven’t started yet in the NBA, and March Madness is a month away.”

Fury trainer Ben Davison: ’Luis Ortiz is fantastic but he’s not Tyson Fury’

Ben Davison, the trainer of Tyson Fury, admires Deontay Wilder KO victim Luis Ortiz but says his fighter is at another level.

LAS VEGAS – It didn’t take long for the focus to shift to Tyson Fury, at least for a while.

Ben Davison, Fury’s trainer, witnessed Deontay Wilder’s one-punch knockout of Luis Ortiz first hand Saturday night at the MGM Grand and was asked by Sky Sports afterward what he thought.

Fury survived a hellacious knockdown in the final round to go the distance with Wilder in a controversial draw last December. They are tentatively scheduled to meet again in February.

“I’ve said before: Luis Ortiz is a fantastic fighter but he’s not Tyson Fury,” Davison said. “I also learned that he was a different man fight week to what he was to when he fought Tyson. Tyson 100 per cent got under his skin. I definitely saw that in there, which is pretty understandable. Pressure of a big fight around the corner affected him.”

He went on: “How do you (beat Wilder)? I’m not going to say my ideas on how you would do it, but it’s certainly not what Luis Ortiz did here tonight.”

Wilder was then asked to respond to Davison’s comments. He wasn’t happy.

“Every time a person fights, we see different holes and different things,” Wilder said. “You’re not going to be perfect in a fight, no one is. I hope he took notes and carries it back to his camp because I’m going to knock Fury out like I did the first time. Point blank, period. I’m not worried about what anyone says. I’m proven.

“If they were so sure about certain things and what they’d seen, he would have took the rematch immediately. I’m not running round doing a 100,000 things (like Fury). I was the one who demanded the rematch after a controversial decision.

“I’m the one fighting the best in the division. There’s no other fighters taking risks in any fights.”

That’s just a taste of the pre-fight hype. Stand by.

Deontay Wilder: ‘I am the hardest puncher in boxing history – period’

Deontay Wilder said his one-punch knockout of Luis Ortiz on Saturday was further evidence that’s he’s the biggest puncher ever.

LAS VEGAS – Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder made a bold statement after his breathtaking one-punch knockout of Luis Ortiz in their rematch Saturday at the MGM Grand: “I am the hardest … puncher in boxing history. Period.”

Of course, that can’t be quantified but he definitely is building a case for himself.

Start with his knockout ratio: 42 victims, 41 knockouts. That means Wilder (42-0-1) has scored a knockout in 98 percent his victories, an all-time record. Earnie Shavers, George Foreman and Joe Louis, who are often cited as the biggest punchers of all time, had KO percentages of 92, 89 and 79 percent, respectively.

One could argue that those legends stopped better opposition but it’s not as if Wilder is avoiding anyone. Ortiz is a good fighter and Wilder has now stopped him twice. Also, a rematch with Tyson Fury, who went the distance with Wilder, and possible showdowns with Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua await.

Luis Ortiz tried but failed to gather himself after Deontay Wilder landed his big shot. AP Photo / John Locher

And the way Wilder has tended to end fights – with one monstrous shot – stays with those who witness it, enhancing Wilder’s reputation as a knockout artist. The final blows seem to come out of nowhere, which makes them particularly chilling.

That was the case on Saturday. The possibility of a big shot is always there for Wilder but he gave no indication that it was coming against Ortiz, who was leading on all three cards (59-55, 59-55 and 58-56) after six rounds.

Everyone watching the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz fight had to be thinking that same thing at that point: Wilder was digging himself into a deep hole. If he couldn’t stop Ortiz, he was in danger of losing a decision.

One person not concerned? Wilder.

“To be honest I never worry about if I’m losing a fight or not,” he said. “I’m blessed with something that these other guys aren’t blessed with, that’s tremendous power. I know that when I hit guys, it hurts them. When you have power like I have, you’re not worried about if you’re winning rounds or not. I don’t want that to be in my mind … because I don’t want my mind to be cloudy thinking about rounds.

“Most of the time these guys win rounds on me anyway. I know that sooner or later it’s going to come. And when it comes, good night.”

As we know, the scorecards were irrelevant in the end. Wilder positioned himself as arm’s length in the final seconds of Round 7, saw his opening and pulled the trigger. Fight over.

Deontay Wilder shows Luis Ortiz that all he needs is that right hand

Deontay Wilder wins a fight he was losing by landing his specialty — his right hand — on the face of Luis Ortiz.

LAS VEGAS – No matter what he might lack as a fighter. No matter what might go wrong in the ring. Deontay Wilder always has his right hand.

Wilder showed next to nothing in his rematch with Luis Ortiz on Saturday night at the MGM Grand. Ortiz, obviously quicker and more mobile after his intense conditioning program, had firm control of the fight for five-plus rounds.

The Cuban beat the American titleholder to the punch. He outworked him, although neither threw a lot of punches. All Wilder did was wait and wait … and wait, as he seemed to have no plan of action in a fight that was becoming mistifying.

Then, in an instant, order was restored. In the final seconds of Round 7, Wilder landed that magic straight right on Ortiz’s face and the challenger fell flat on his back, obviously hurt badly.

Ortiz stumbled to his feet around the count of 9 but referee Kenny Bayless, looking into his eyes, decided he couldn’t continue.

Just like that, Wilder turned what was shaping up to be an embarrassing loss into another dramatic victory. It was the 10th successful defense of the title Wilder won when he outpointed Bermane Stiverne in 2015.

Ortiz (31-2, 26 knockouts) didn’t fight brilliantly early in the fight but he was a lot more effective than Wilder, who was cautious to the point where he did almost nothing. Meanwhile, Ortiz popped Wilder to the body. The southpaw landed some hard lefts that must of frightened Wilder supporters. And a few combinations got the attention of Wilder and the crowd.

In Round 4, Ortiz unloaded a flurry of punches that found their mark. Wilder responded by pounding his chest, which raised the question: Why isn’t he pounding Ortiz?

By Round 6, the scorecards had become a big part of the story. Ortiz seemed to be doing enough to win round after round, meaning that it would be difficult for Wilder to win a decision in the event he wasn’t able to stop Ortiz.

And sure enough: The scores were 59-55, 59-55 and 58-56, all in Ortiz’s favor.

Wilder fought with a bit more urgency in Round 6, throwing more meaningful punches than he had earlier, but no one expected what was to come. He simply positioned himself at arm’s length from Ortiz and let his not-so-secret weapon fly. It slid past Ortiz’s glove, landed on his face and that was that.

“Bomb squad!” indeed.

“With Ortiz, you can see why no other heavyweight wants to fight him,” Wilder said afterward. “He’s very craft, he moves strategically and his intellect is very high. I had to measure him in certain places.

“I had to go in and out and finally I found my measurement. I saw the shot and I took it. My intellect is very high in the ring and no one gives me credit for that. I think I buzzed him with a left hook earlier in the round and I took it from there.”

Ortiz gave Wilder trouble – hurting him badly in Round 7 – but was stopped by Wilder in the 10th round in March of last year. He blamed the stoppage on fatigue. So he did the natural thing: He trained as seriously as he ever had. That included hiring a strength and conditioning coach who helped him weigh in about five pounds lighter than he weighed in the first fight.

And it seemed to help. Ortiz was quick and mobile, particularly for a 40-year-old who is naturally bulky. However, in the end, such things don’t matter when a right hand from Wilder finds its target.

Ortiz was philosophical afterward.

“This is boxing,” he said. “I said that one of us was going to get knocked out and it wasn’t going to go 12 rounds. I was clear headed when I hit the canvas. When I heard the referee say seven I was trying to get up, but I guess the count went a little quicker than I thought.”

Wilder appears to have another significant challenge ahead of him. He is tentatively scheduled to face arguably the best boxer in the division, Tyson Fury, in February.

Fury also felt the power in Wilder’s right hand, going down in Rounds 9 and 12. Fans are still shaking their heads at Fury’s ability to survive the knockdown punch in the final round and reach the final bell.

Aside from the knockdowns, however, Fury outboxed Wilder. That’s why most observers thought Wilder was fortunate to emerge with a draw.

The fact Wilder was willing to tangle a second time with Ortiz and seems eager to meet Fury again is evidence that he has confidence to go with his punching power. After Fury? He evidently wants the winner of the December 7 Andy Ruiz Jr.-Anthony Joshua rematch.

“Next we have Tyson Fury in the rematch,” he said. “It’s scheduled for February, so we’ll see. Then I want unification. I want one champion, one face and one heavyweight champion – Deontay Wilder.”

Leo Santa Cruz outpoints Miguel Flores to win title in fourth division

Leo Santa Cruz survived a cut to outpoint Miguel Flores and join an exclusive club of Mexicans to win titles in four divisions.

LAS VEGAS – Leo Santa Cruz has joined an exclusive fraternity.

Santa Cruz defeated Miguel Flores by a unanimous decision to win a vacant junior lightweight title on the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz card Saturday at the MGM Grand.

That gives him major titles in four divisions, joining Erik Morales, Jorge Arce and Juan Manuel Marquez as the only Mexicans to do so.

Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 knockouts) didn’t have an easy time with his capable countryman, who was a 40-1 underdog at the MGM going into the fight. However, he pressed the action, outworked Flores (24-3, 12 KOs) and landed many more eye-catching punches than his opponent.

The pattern of the fight didn’t change much, as there were few ebbs and flows. And neither fighter was ever seriously hurt.

The scores were 117-110, 117-110 and 115-112. Flores was docked a point in the eighth round but it had no impact on the decision.

Santa Cruz suffered a cut above his left eye in the 10th round, the result of an accidental head butt. The cut bled into his eye, which clearly bothered him, but he was able to maintain his focus and work rate.

Santa Cruz had won titles at 118 pounds, 122 and 126. He said before he fought Flores that he might some day pursue a title in a fifth division – 135 – if things went well at 130.

Canelo Alvarez, another Mexican, claims to have won titles in four divisions but one of those titles is what the WBA calls its “regular” belt, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize.

Brandon Figueroa and Julio Ceja fight to draw in war

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.