Tag: Michael Seals

Triller Triad Combat results: Mike Perry survives knockdown to decision Michael Seals

Mike Perry overcame adversity to get his hand raised against Michael Seals at Triller Triad Combat.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] overcame adversity to get his hand raised against [autotag]Michael Seals[/autotag] at Triller Triad Combat.

Perry, a UFC veteran, survived a knockdown from Seals and rallied to put together consistent output and get the split decision win by scores of 65-67, 67-65, 67-65 in the matchup, which took place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Perry started the fight by immediately rushing after Seals and pushing him in to the ropes. He kept aggressively trying to close the distance, but Seals remained composed before creating space and starting to work behind his jab. There were some exchanges late in the round, one of which put a mouse under Perry’s eye.

Seals came out showing his accuracy to start the second round, wobbling Perry with a stiff connection. Perry tried to bulldoze his way into the clinch, but Seals got the timing down. They continued to trade, and in the closing seconds Perry got hit hard and was forced to take a knee. The strike was ruled behind the head, though, and therefor no knockdown was granted.

Perry had a nice rebound round in the third frame. He started to show a better sense of when to attack as he pushed forward on Seals and threw punches in combination. Seals did a good job keeping his hands up and blocking most of the shots, but Perry’s aggression was promising.

It was all washed away in the opening seconds of Round 4, though, as Seals landed a beautiful counter left check hook that tagged Perry clean and dropped him briefly to his butt. Perry beat the count and the fight wore on, but Seals’ confidence was evident throughout the remainder of the fight as he worked Perry over with the jabs, hooks and uppercuts.

Perry once again managed to turn things around a bit after a difficult round. In Round 5, he put the pressure back on Seals with some solid combinations. He continued to get busted up with some counters as Seals picked his shots and played defense, but it was a more competitive round for Perry.

The superior output continued for Perry going into Round 6. He threw everything in his arsenal at Seals, but couldn’t find a home for his big shots. Seals landed a vicious uppercut that snapped Perry’s head back for the highlight for the round, then also added some body work.

It was a competitive contest going into Round 7, and Perry immediately rushed after Seals and closed the distance with punches before pushing him into the fence. Seals worked behind his jab as Perry slugged with power shots. Perry went wild in the final 45 seconds, throwing a ton of punches and looking to finish the fight. Seals weaved through the shots to make it to the final bell for an exciting end to the fight.

The latest Triad Combat results include:

  • Mike Perry def. Michael Seals via split decision (65-67, 67-65, 67-65)
  • Derek Campos def. Brian Vera via majority decision (65-65, 67-63, 66-64)
  • Albert Tumenov def. Scott Sigmon via unanimous decision (70-63, 70-63, 70-63)
  • Alexa Culp def. Angelina Hoffschneider via TKO – Round 1, 0:46
  • Harry Gigliotti def. Jacob Thrall via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)

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Eleider Alvarez, Joe Smith Jr. to face off in crucial fight for both

Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. are determined to get another shot at a title. They’ll have to go through the other to get there.

Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. are determined to get another shot at a major light heavyweight title. They’ll have to go through the other to get there.

Alvarez and Smith are scheduled to fight in a title eliminator Saturday night in the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas. The winner will take a significant step forward, the loser possibly a step into oblivion.

“This fight is critical for both of our careers,” Alvarez said. “I respect Joe Smith, who has proven to be an elite fighter. However, I have all the tools to beat him, and that’s what I intend to do. My goal is to become a two-time light heavyweight world champion.”

Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) peaked in 2017 and 2018, when he beat in succession Lucian Bute, Jean Pascal and Sergey Kovalev. The Montreal-based Colombian stopped Kovalev in seven rounds to win a major title in August 2018.

Eleider Alvarez (left) and Joe Smith Jr. get one last good look at one another before they fight Saturday. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Six months later Kovalev outpointed Alvarez to regain the title and he’s fought only once since, stopping Michael Seals with a single right hand in January.

Smith (25-3, 20 KOs) made a splash in 2016, when the relative unknown from Long Island, N.Y., stopped favored Andrzej Fonfara in the first round and then knocked Bernard Hopkins out of the ring to end his Hall of Fame career.

The 30-year-old union worker went to challenge Dmitry Bivol for one of the titles but lost a wide decision in March of last year, his only title shot. He bounced back to outpoint capable Jesse Hart in January to earn the fight with Alvarez.

Neither fighter can afford another setback.

“This fight means everything to me,” Smith said. “It’s my path to a world title fight, and I know this is my second chance to turn my dream into reality. Alvarez is a former world champion, and in my mind, I am treating this as a world title fight. To get there, I have to, and will win this fight.”

The card, which also features a middleweight fight between Rob Brant (25-2, 17 KOs) and Vitalii Kopylenko (28-2, 16 KOs), will be streamed on ESPN+.

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Eleider Alvarez, Joe Smith Jr. to face off in crucial fight for both

Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. are determined to get another shot at a title. They’ll have to go through the other to get there.

Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. are determined to get another shot at a major light heavyweight title. They’ll have to go through the other to get there.

Alvarez and Smith are scheduled to fight in a title eliminator Saturday night in the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas. The winner will take a significant step forward, the loser possibly a step into oblivion.

“This fight is critical for both of our careers,” Alvarez said. “I respect Joe Smith, who has proven to be an elite fighter. However, I have all the tools to beat him, and that’s what I intend to do. My goal is to become a two-time light heavyweight world champion.”

Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) peaked in 2017 and 2018, when he beat in succession Lucian Bute, Jean Pascal and Sergey Kovalev. The Montreal-based Colombian stopped Kovalev in seven rounds to win a major title in August 2018.

Eleider Alvarez (left) and Joe Smith Jr. get one last good look at one another before they fight Saturday. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Six months later Kovalev outpointed Alvarez to regain the title and he’s fought only once since, stopping Michael Seals with a single right hand in January.

Smith (25-3, 20 KOs) made a splash in 2016, when the relative unknown from Long Island, N.Y., stopped favored Andrzej Fonfara in the first round and then knocked Bernard Hopkins out of the ring to end his Hall of Fame career.

The 30-year-old union worker went to challenge Dmitry Bivol for one of the titles but lost a wide decision in March of last year, his only title shot. He bounced back to outpoint capable Jesse Hart in January to earn the fight with Alvarez.

Neither fighter can afford another setback.

“This fight means everything to me,” Smith said. “It’s my path to a world title fight, and I know this is my second chance to turn my dream into reality. Alvarez is a former world champion, and in my mind, I am treating this as a world title fight. To get there, I have to, and will win this fight.”

The card, which also features a middleweight fight between Rob Brant (25-2, 17 KOs) and Vitalii Kopylenko (28-2, 16 KOs), will be streamed on ESPN+.

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Eleider Alvarez vs. Joe Smith Jr. rescheduled for next month: report

Light heavyweight contenders Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. reportedly will fight late next month.

Light heavyweight contenders Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. reportedly will fight late next month.

They were scheduled to meet on July 16 in the MGM Grand bubble in Las Vegas but Alvarez pulled out with an injury to his right shoulder. Yvon Michel, Alvarez’s promoter, told ESPN that his fighter has recovered and he’ll be ready to fight soon.

“I sent a medical report on Alvarez’s situation early last week confirming that the inflammation is gone after treatment, the pain is minimum,” Michel said. “He’s going to start sparring next week, everything is under control. He’s fit and ready to fight by mid-August.

“So the message I got from Top Rank is that the fight will be rescheduled for some time between Aug. 20 and Aug. 22, depending on the schedule.”

Smith and his handlers evidently are willing to fight regardless of the date.

“It’s not ideal, it’s not what we wanted,” Smith promoter Joe DeGuardia told ESPN. “We think it’s unfortunate it got pushed back in the first place. However, we’re realists. I just want this fight to take place, and we’re going to do what we have to do to get Joe ready and have this fight.”

Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) last fought on Jan. 18, when he stopped Michael Seals in seven rounds. The Montreal-based Colombian lost his 175-pound belt to Sergey Kovalev in February of last year.

Smith (25-3, 20 KOs) defeated Jesse Hart by a split decision in his most-recent fight, on Jan. 11.

Top Rank’s four-man light heavyweight tournament reportedly set

Top Rank’s light heavyweight tournament will pit Eleider Alvarez against Joe Smith Jr. and Umar Salamov against Maksim Vlasov…

A new light heavyweight titleholder will be crowned in the coming months.

A de-facto four-man tournament will soon take place featuring Umar Salamov vs. Maksim Vlasov on one side and Eleider Alvarez vs. Joe Smith Jr. on the other. The winners of each bout will face off later this year for the WBO title, which was relinquished by Canelo Alvarez shortly after he seized it from Sergey Kovalev.

All participants are associated with Top Rank, which reportedly just signed Salamov and Vlasov to promotional deals, so all bouts will be televised and/or streamed on ESPN/ESPN+.

The Athletic was first to report the news.

Absent from the tournament is the WBO’s No.1 light heavyweight contender Gilberto Ramirez, who was originally slated to be involved. The Mexican hasn’t fought since his he stopped journeyman Tommy Karpency last April. He reportedly is at odds with Top Rank over his purse for that fight and is trying to buy out his contract. Ramirez’s retreat essentially opened up a spot for Smith.

Russians Salamov (25-1, 19 KOs) and Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOs) are relatively unknown stateside, but both Alvarez and Smith are known quantities.

Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) won the WBO title when he upset Kovalev in the summer of 2018 but lost it promptly in the rematch.The Colombian is coming off a one-punch knockout of Michael Seals last month, his first fight since returning from an Achilles injury.

The week prior, Smith (25-3, 20 KOs) picked up a solid points win over Jesse Hart. Smith, who works full-time as a day laborer in Long Island, is best known for ending the career of Bernard Hopkins in 2016.

Top Rank also promotes Russian bruiser Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs), who defends two his light heavyweight belts against China’s Fanlong Meng (16-0, 10 KOs) on March 28 in Montreal. A potential unification bout between the winner of the WBO tournament and Beterbiev, should he remain undefeated, could conceivably be scheduled for the end of the year or the first quarter of 2021.

The lone light heavyweight titleholder that Top Rank does not control is WBA titlist Dmitry Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs), who is promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and the Russian outfit World of Boxing.

Good, bad, worse: Jeison Rosario arrives with a bang

Jeison Rosario gave fans two for the price of one, a brutal knockout and a major upset, on Saturday night.

GOOD

Two things that boxing fans love are brutal knockouts and major upsets. They got both over an entertaining weekend.

Julian Williams seemed to stake his claim as one of the best fighters in the world when he defeated then-unbeaten Jarrett Hurd to win two 154-pound titles in May. On Saturday, a relative unknown named Jeison Rosario cut Williams, beat him up and knocked him out on national television.

In the process, Willliams, who was also stopped by Jermall Charlo, was forced to reevaluate once again. And Rosario, a strapping Dominican, emerged instantaneously as a world champion and major player.

The result was truly stunning. From the second round on, after Williams was cut above his left eye, Rosario dominated him to a greater degree than Williams handled Hurd. When it was over, after the referee jumped in to save Williams from further punishment, there were no complaints. Rosario did a job.

And Rosario’s reaction was a touching reminder of what that level of success – after so many sacrifices, so many years of toiling in the gym and ring – means to a fighter. He wept as the belts were placed on his shoulders.

The rematch should be fascinating.

Meanwhile, on a different network, Eleider Alvarez made it clear with a single punch that he remains an important 175-pounder in spite of a one-year layoff. His rocket-like right hand in the seventh round put Michael Seals down and out, thus setting Alvarez up for more big fights.

It was good weekend for Rosario, Alvarez and the fans.

 

Julian Williams’ career could be in the balance if he fights Jeison Rosario in a rematch. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Pronmotions

BAD

Williams has the wherewithal to bounce back from his brutal knockout loss to Rosario.

J-Rock has the ability, the experience and the mind set. I was impressed by his demeanor and his words after the fight. He said, in so many words, that Rosario was simply the better man on this night and made it clear that he planned to exercise the rematch clause, his way of saying, “I’ll get it right next time.”

No excuses, plenty of confidence.

Why not? Williams has bounced back before. He was knocked down by a right uppercut and then stopped by Charlo in 2016 only to claw his way back to elite status and take down a feared fighter in Hurd.

And, if they have an immediate rematch, he won’t have to rebuild his reputation over a series of fights. All he has to do is beat Rosario – just as Anthony Joshua did against Andy Ruiz Jr. in their second fight – to make things right again.

That would be easier said than done, though. Rosario’s victory didn’t seem to be a fluke. He attacked Williams with skill and purpose from the second round on. And when he had him hurt, the beast inside him finished the job in devastating fashion.

Indeed, Rosario beat up Williams to a point where he seemed relieved that it was over. That’s not a good memory to take into a rematch.

Plus, it’s not unfair to wonder about Williams’ chin. He has suffered brutal knockout losses in two of his last seven fights. Maybe he simply got caught by the wrong punches each time, maybe it was more than that.

We’ll see if they fight again.

 

WORSE

I understand why MMA fighters want to face the top boxers. They know they can’t win – or should know – but can make a lot of money. Think Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather.

And I know the reason boxers are open to facing their cage-fighting counterparts: no risk, big reward. Mayweather took home a nine-figure payday even though there was virtually  no chance he could lose to a boxing novice.

All that is what you call good business.

It’s just not boxing, which is the depressing part of all this. Fans might buy into this boxing vs. MMA garbage for whatever their reasons are but this fan wants nothing to do with encounters that are more akin to WWE events than competitive boxing matches.

I want to know that the challenger or underdog has a chance to actually win the fight. I remember watching the Mayweather-McGregor fight thinking, “OK, how and when is he going to win?” when I should’ve been thinking, “WILL he win?”

After all, sanctioned matches are supposed to be actual sporting events, not ridiculous exhibitions.

Alas, it’s also “prize fighting.” The fighters do this for a living. And if they can make a lot money — particularly with minimal risk – no one could blame them for seizing the opportunity. I’d probably do the same thing.

That doesn’t mean I have to like it, though. I don’t. I think it degrades the sport. And I wouldn’t watch it if I weren’t in this business.

 

 

Eleider Alvarez explodes with 7th-round knockout of Michael Seals

Eleider Alvarez started slow, but he picked up steam in the seventh round, downing Michael Seals with a heat-seeking right hand.

It was on pace to become one of the early year’s most tedious fights, replete with boos and hisses from a sleepy crowd. But Eleider Alvarez made sure that this light heavyweight bout would only be remembered for one thing: A howling right hand that gave Michael Seals a bad case of rigor mortis and the fans a reason, finally, to cheer. 

With a few seconds left in Round 7, Alvarez and Seals traded right hands, but Alvarez ducked as he threw his and landed first. Instantly, Seals froze up and toppled backward, his head hitting the bottom rope. As Seals lay on the canvas motionless for a few beats, the referee waved off the bout. It was a dramatic ending to what began as a slow-grinding, nearly apathetic affair at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York. And just like that, the Colombian veteran is once more in the title hunt.

This was Alvarez’s first fight since he lost his belt to Sergey Kovalev on points in their rematch in February 2018. Since then, Alvarez, who lives and trains in Montreal, has been out of the ring for nearly a year, due primarily to an Achilles tear that he suffered in that fight. 

“I was out of the ring for 11 months,” Alvarez said after the fight Saturday. “I wanted to come back as the fighter that beat Kovalev, and this is what we prepared for.”

Neither Michael Seals (left) nor Eleider Alvarez did much until the deciding seventh round. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Neither fighter threw or landed many punches through six-plus rounds — the winner landed fewer than 50 punches, according to CompuBox — but Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) showed his superior class by outworking Seals (24-3, 18 KOs) with his jab. The 37-year-old Seals seemed intent on ending the fight with one big shot, but Alvarez rarely allowed him to set his feet. The result was a stalemate that didn’t go over well with the crowd.

Alvarez, 35, admitted that he was rusty in the beginning, noting that his “trainer was not happy because I wasn’t doing what he was asking.” But perhaps that also had to do with being wary of Seals’ ruinous right hand.

Alvarez’s knockout of Seals was reminiscent of his August 2018 stoppage of Kovalev to win the WBO light heavyweight title. 

Promoter Bob Arum has stated the winner would go on to face Joe Smith Jr., who beat Jesse Hart by a split decision on Jan. 11. Alvarez co-promoter Yvon Michel said recently that he believes there is a possibility that the vacant WBO belt could be on the line.

Alvarez was overjoyed to emerge victorious after a long layoff. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Once widely tapped as Puerto Rico’s next Felix Trinidad, lightweight Felix Verdejo, now 26, has been something of a reclamation project for the past few years. After tonight’s showing, it looks as if he will stay that way.

Verdejo decisioned Manuel Rey Rojas over 10 rounds in a ho-hum bout that made one wonder what the fuss was about all those years ago when Verdejo came out of the 2012 Olympics.

Verdejo (26-1 16 KOs), 26, won comfortably on scorecards that read 99-91, 97-93, and 98-92.

And yet it doesn’t appear the he helped himself inch closer to realizing his potential. The relatively innocuous Rojas (18-4, 5 KOs) was never truly imperiled by Verdejo at any time during the fight. What’s more, the Dallas native had success early on tagging Verdejo with stiff jabs and right hands. By Round 2, Verdejo, who has a history of swelling, already had a mouse form underneath his left eye. 

Verdejo was able to put some distance between himself and Rojas in the latter half of the bout, but the Puerto Rican never truly looked comfortable in the ring. You might say he seldom has since his motorcycle accident in 2016.

It seems even Verdejo himself knew he turned in a subpar performance. Afterward, he graded himself a C.

Christopher Diaz (25-2, 16 KOs) widely outpointed Adeilson dos Santos (19-8, 15 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight bout. All three judges scored it 80-72.

Also, new Top Rank lightweight signee Abraham Nova (18-0, 14 KOs) scored an impressive fourth-round knockout of Pedro Navarrete (30-25.

Eleider Alvarez-Michael Seals winner could face Joe Smith Jr. for vacant title

The winner of the Eleider Alvarez and Michael Seals winner could face Joe Smith Jr. for vacant title.

The winner of the Eleider Alvarez-Michael Seals light heavyweight bout on Saturday could fight for title as early as his next fight.

Alvarez’s co-promoter, Yvon Michel of GYM, said in a recent interview that his charge could face Long Islander Joe Smith Jr., who is coming off a split decision win over Jesse Hart, for the vacant WBO 175-pound title. Of course, Alvarez must first beat hard hitting Michael Seals at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York. Alvarez is also promoted by Top Rank.

“With a convincing win over Seals, Eleider can reclaim his world title in his next bout,” Michel told Radio-Canada. “It’s understood that we can challenge the American Joe Smith for the vacant WBO light heavyweight title.”

Alvarez, a Columbian who lives and trains in Montreal, has a bit of history with the WBO strap.

The WBO belt was vacated by Canelo Alvarez after he wrested it from Sergey Kovalev in November by 11th-round knockout. It was the same belt that Alvarez (24-1, 12 KOs) had won in 2018, when he knocked out Kovalev in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Alvarez lost the belt several months later in the rematch, which Kovalev won by a relatively comfortable decision.

Michel has no illusions about Saturday’s bout. A loss to Seals (24-2, 18 KOs) would be a major step back for Alvarez.

“I’m very confident in Eleider’s skills and his team,” Michel said. “That doesn’t worry me at all. This fight is a turning point in his career. If he loses to Seals, he’ll join the rest of the contenders. Climbing back up to world-class status will be relatively difficult.”

Top Rank/ESPN will have showcased consequential light heavyweight bouts on back-to-back weekends. On Jan. 11, Smith defeated Jesse Hart by a split decision that all but one judge saw as a clear victory. Top Rank has a deep talent pool at 175. The company also handles light heavyweight titleholder Artur Beterbiev and former titleholder Oleksandr Gvozdyk, as well as former super middleweight titleholder Gilberto Ramirez.