A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Mercito Gesta
The 35-year-old Filipino considered retirement after his career seemed to stall in 2019, when he lost and drew with a pair of journeyman and then took time away from the sport. He finally decided to give it one more go. And he couldn’t be happier that he did. The one-time 135-pound title challenger defeated Joel Diaz Jr. by a unanimous decision in his comeback fight last April. He then used stick-and-move tactics and impressive resilience to beat former 130-pound champ and favored Joseph Diaz Jr. by a split decision in a 140-pound fight Saturday in Long Beach, California, to re-establish himself as a legitimate lightweight contender. And, with his confidence surging, he’s thinking big. Gesta (34-3-3, 17 KOs) said after his victory over Diaz that he’d like to face rising Mexican star William Zepeda next. Could he win that fight? No one could’ve foreseen back-to-back victories over capable opponents after he had been all but written off. Anything is possible.
BIGGEST LOSER
Gilberto Ramirez
“Zurdo” had the opportunity of his career when he stepped through the ropes to face 175-pound champ and pound-for-pounder Dmitri Bivol last November. It’s been all downhill since. Bivol outclassed Ramirez en route to winning a wide decision that seemed to expose the former 168-pound beltholder’s limitations. And this past Friday, the day before his comeback fight against Gabriel Rosado, he weighed an unheard of 7.6 pounds over the division limit and the original main event in Long Beach was cancelled. He lost a $400,000 payday and will be both fined and suspended by the California State Athletic Commission. Yes, unprofessionalism can be costly. Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs) will now have to rebuild his reputation as a legitimate title contender and someone who won’t blow up fights because of irresponsible behavior. He apologized and promised that he would never come in overweight again. That’s a start.
BIGGEST LOSER II
Joseph Diaz Jr.
Diaz (32-4-1, 15 KOs) is in the midst of a rough stretch, in and out of the ring. He gave a solid performance but was outworked by Gesta, leaving the 2012 Olympian with three consecutive losses and a tough decision to make about what to do next. He’ll probably continue to fight. He’s only 30. He demonstrated against Gesta that he can still fight. And he still has name recognition, which helps a boxer get meaningful fights. The question is: Can he win them? It’s difficult to imagine Diaz beating the top 135-pounders, meaning his days as an elite fighter are probably over. Things are worse outside the ring. He was arrested a few weeks ago on child neglect charges, although no details were available. That followed a lawsuit filed last year accusing him of trying to coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity, which his lawyer labeled as “frivolous.” Diaz also had an acrimonious split with longtime manager Ralph Heredia. Bottom line for Diaz: Seemingly carefree days of an affable, successful young fighter are a thing of the past.
RABBIT PUNCHES
News item: 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez’s homecoming defense against John Ryder on May 6 in Guadalajara, Mexico, was formally announced this past week. The longtime pound-for-pounder is coming off a loss to 175-pound champ Dmitri Bivol and then a shaky performance in a victory over rival Gennadiy Golovkin, followed by surgery on his left wrist. He probably deserves a relatively easy fight. Still, it’s difficult to get excited about the matchup. It has the feel of a showcase for his hometown fans, not a competitive fight. It reminds me of Julio Cesar Chavez’s meeting with Greg Haugen before 130,000-plus at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Big event, bad fight. Let’s give Alvarez a pass under the circumstances and assume a genuine challenge will come next. … Alvarez wants another shot at Bivol. And he deserves kudos for pursuing a rematch at 175. He still has leverage. He could’ve demanded that Bivol come down to around 172 or even 168. That’s not what he’s doing. He wants to beat Bivol at the Russian’s natural weight and the weight of the first fight. Respect. …
The scoring in the Gesta-Diaz fight was interesting. Two judges had Gesta winning by a wide margin, 99-91 and 98-92. The third had a lopsided score for Diaz, 97-93. I get the scores in Gesta’s favor; I had it 97-93 for him. But 97-93 for Diaz? Judge Pam Hayashida evidently was swayed by Diaz’s aggression and the fact he landed the heaviest blows in the fight. The problem was that Gesta outworked Diaz, who stalked his opponent from beginning to end but let his hands go only in spurts. Hayashida’s score seems out of line. … Manny Pacquiao, 44, reportedly is considered a return to sanctioned boxing. And he apparently is targeting Conor Benn, the unbeaten young welterweight from England whose scheduled fight with Chris Eubank Jr. was cancelled after Benn tested positive for a banned substance in October. Other potential opponents are Kell Brook and Eubank. My guess is that Pacquiao and Co. will come to their senses if they’re serious at all. Pacman looked his age in a one-sided loss to Yordenis Ugas and that was a year and a half ago. A matchup with a contender is a bad idea.
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