Tag: Rashidi Ellis

Roiman Villa expects to surprise the boxing world again

Roiman Villa expects to surprise the boxing world again when he faces highly regarded Jaron Ennis on Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Roiman Villa is a big believer of perseverance. Why not? It has served him well.

The 30-year-old welterweight contender was behind on all three scorecards against Rashidi Ellis going into the 12th and final round when he put Ellis down twice to pull out a majority decision victory in January.

The break-through win over a notable foe set up an even bigger fight: He is scheduled to face Jaron Ennis on Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“You gotta keep pushing, especially against the more tactical, savvy finesse fighters,” he told Boxing Junkie through a translator. “If you let them dance around, it will drive you crazy. If you keep pressing, really go after them, you’ll break through at some point.

“That was thrilling,” he added, referring to the pivotal 12th round. “It’s in the past, though. I’m focused now on the opportunity coming up.”

That would his meeting with Ennis, one of the most-feared up-and-coming fighters regardless of division.

Villa (26-1, 24 KOs) understands that Ennis (30-0, 27 KOs) brings more to the table than Ellis did, most notably his ability to end any fight in an instant. And the Venezuelan will be fighting on the biggest stage of his career, in the main event on Showtime.

If Villa is fazed, he certainly doesn’t show it.

He was the underdog in his last two fights, against Janelson Bocachica in September and Ellis four months later. He easily outpointed Bocachica in an eight-rounder before delivering the late rally against Ellis.

Besides, while he has never faced anyone like Ennis, Villa, also a big puncher, believes he will be Ennis’ toughest challenge. He added that he doesn’t pay much attention to opponents, even this one.

And the nationwide audience? His focus is setting himself up to win, nothing else.

“I think I’m a different opponent than anyone he’s seen,” Villa said. “I really haven’t seen any of his fights, just a few videos. I don’t like to focus on my opponent; I like to focus on myself. No matter who it is I have to go out there and show something he hasn’t seen yet.”

And he doesn’t care what people say or think.

“People can say what they want,” he said. “I know I can prove people wrong once again. … I have to take it step by step. And hopefully I can keep going up the ladder and reach the top. … Look at Manny Pacquiao. People used to think that he was going to lose when he came out and he built a reputation as one of the greatest ever. …

“He’s kind of an inspiration to me. That’s how it goes for most anybody. One day you may get noticed, the other you can be a star.”

[lawrence-related id=35027,37988,35030]

Roiman Villa expects to surprise the boxing world again

Roiman Villa expects to surprise the boxing world again when he faces highly regarded Jaron Ennis on Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Roiman Villa is a big believer of perseverance. Why not? It has served him well.

The 30-year-old welterweight contender was behind on all three scorecards against Rashidi Ellis going into the 12th and final round when he put Ellis down twice to pull out a majority decision victory in January.

The break-through win over a notable foe set up an even bigger fight: He is scheduled to face Jaron Ennis on Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“You gotta keep pushing, especially against the more tactical, savvy finesse fighters,” he told Boxing Junkie through a translator. “If you let them dance around, it will drive you crazy. If you keep pressing, really go after them, you’ll break through at some point.

“That was thrilling,” he added, referring to the pivotal 12th round. “It’s in the past, though. I’m focused now on the opportunity coming up.”

That would his meeting with Ennis, one of the most-feared up-and-coming fighters regardless of division.

Villa (26-1, 24 KOs) understands that Ennis (30-0, 27 KOs) brings more to the table than Ellis did, most notably his ability to end any fight in an instant. And the Venezuelan will be fighting on the biggest stage of his career, in the main event on Showtime.

If Villa is fazed, he certainly doesn’t show it.

He was the underdog in his last two fights, against Janelson Bocachica in September and Ellis four months later. He easily outpointed Bocachica in an eight-rounder before delivering the late rally against Ellis.

Besides, while he has never faced anyone like Ennis, Villa, also a big puncher, believes he will be Ennis’ toughest challenge. He added that he doesn’t pay much attention to opponents, even this one.

And the nationwide audience? His focus is setting himself up to win, nothing else.

“I think I’m a different opponent than anyone he’s seen,” Villa said. “I really haven’t seen any of his fights, just a few videos. I don’t like to focus on my opponent; I like to focus on myself. No matter who it is I have to go out there and show something he hasn’t seen yet.”

And he doesn’t care what people say or think.

“People can say what they want,” he said. “I know I can prove people wrong once again. … I have to take it step by step. And hopefully I can keep going up the ladder and reach the top. … Look at Manny Pacquiao. People used to think that he was going to lose when he came out and he built a reputation as one of the greatest ever. …

“He’s kind of an inspiration to me. That’s how it goes for most anybody. One day you may get noticed, the other you can be a star.”

[lawrence-related id=35027,37988,35030]

Weekend Review: Gervonta Davis delivered once again after difficult camp

Weekend Review: Gervonta Davis delivered once again against Hector Luis Garcia after a difficult training camp.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER

Gervonta Davis – “Tank” needed a win after a difficult training camp. And he delivered a beauty, forcing previously unbeaten Hector Luis Garcia to quit on his stool after eight rounds of a scheduled 12-round 135-pound fight Saturday in Washington, D.C. The hard-punching lightweight contender landed more and more damaging punches as the fight progressed until his capable opponent could take no more, Davis’ 18th knockout in his last 19 fights. And now he appears set for the biggest fight in his career, a showdown with fellow social media star Ryan Garcia this spring. Things couldn’t be better inside the ring. Outside it? Well, Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) was arrested and briefly jailed on allegations he struck the mother of his daughter on Dec. 27, accusations the woman later recanted. Still, he knows he has to watch himself. “I have to bring my people in close and listen to my close ones, listen to [manager] Al Haymon and just stay focused,” he said. If he can, the 28-year-old from Baltimore could end up as the face of the sport.

BIGGEST WINNER II

Roiman Villa – Slick Rashidi Ellis appeared to be on his way to a one-sided victory over his game, but limited opponent halfway through their welterweight bout on the Davis-Garcia card. Then Villa (26-1, 24 KOs) demonstrated that anything is possible if you persevere. The undeterrable slugger, upping his pressure on Ellis, began to land hard punches around the seventh round and turned the tide in dramatic fashion as a result to pull out a stunning majority-decision victory. And he saved his best for last, putting Ellis down twice in a memorable 12th and final round. That proved to the difference on the cards. One judge scored it a 113-113 draw but the other two gave Villa the nod by the same score, 114-112. Villa was among the few who weren’t surprised. “I know that fighters such as him who are quick sooner or later will get a little tired,” he said, “and that’s what I took advantage of.” Thus, he went from relative unknown to a player in one of the sport’s glamour divisions over night.

BIGGEST LOSER

Hector Garcia – Garcia (16-1, 10 KOs) was a longshot against Davis for a reason. Not only was he face to face with one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound but he had moved up in weight for the privilege, which made his mission nearly impossible. Still, the setback had to be difficult for the Dominican swallow. He entered the ring with tremendous momentum after upsetting Chris Colbert and defeating Roger Gutierrez to win a 130-pound title last year, with made him a Fighter of the Year candidate. Then it was over in an instant. Davis hurt him with a left to the side of the head late in Round 8, after which he complained as he sat on his stool that he couldn’t see. And that’s where he stayed, becoming just another victim on Davis’ growing list. Garcia will probably go back down to 130, where he could defend his title and face opponents with whom he could actually compete.

BIGGEST LOSER II

Rashidi Ellis – Ellis (24-1, 15 KOs) had everything going for him. He has natural gifts and refined skills, which seemed to be leading him toward a fight for one 147-pound title or another in the near future. And then Villa changed his trajectory. Ellis said afterward that he thought he had done enough to earn the victory. And he might’ve been right. I scored it 114-112 in his favor. However, the judges saw it differently and suddenly he had the first loss in his career. Where does he go from here? One, he needs to figure out what he could’ve done differently in the second half of the fight to prevent that from happening again. And, two, he should follow through on his desire to face Villa again if it’s possible. There’s no better way to make people forget about a disappointing setback than avenging it. And he’s capable of doing that.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Jaron Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian: Ennis (30-0, 27 KOs) was a victim of his own lofty standards against Karen Chukhadzhian (21-2, 11 KOs) on the Davis-Garcia card. The welterweight contender had stopped his previous 19 opponents, the kind of streak that leads you to assume that you’ll see a spectacular stoppage every time he fights. That didn’t happen on Saturday. Most of the blame falls on Chukhadzhian, who was more interested in surviving than taking the risks necessary to win the fight. And when a fighter as skillful and athletic as he is decides to survive, it’s extremely difficult for anyone to stop him. Ennis also is to blame. It’s part of his job to find a way to cut off the ring if his opponent runs; he couldn’t do that, which gives him something to work on in the gym. All that said, Ennis deserves credit: He won every round on all three cards. That’s a terrific night by normal standards.

MOST PREDICTABLE

Demetrius Andrade’s victory: New manager, new division, same result. Andrade, who is now handled by Premiere Boxing Champions, demonstrated in a shutout decision over Demond Nicholson (26-5-1, 22 KOs) in his 168-pound debut on the Davis-Garcia card that he still has it at 34-year-old and can be a factor at super middleweight. If there was a flaw in his performance it was that he couldn’t stop an opponent he dominated even though Nicholson engaged him enough for him to do so. However, that’s par for the course for Andrade, who typically starts quickly and then cruises to a wide decision victory. That formula isn’t exciting but it’s effective. Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs) is thought of as one of the most avoided elite boxers. I can’t imagine any of the top 168-pounders is going to be in a hurry to face him after his performance on Saturday night.

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Weekend Review: Gervonta Davis delivered once again after difficult camp

Weekend Review: Gervonta Davis delivered once again against Hector Luis Garcia after a difficult training camp.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER

Gervonta Davis – “Tank” needed a win after a difficult training camp. And he delivered a beauty, forcing previously unbeaten Hector Luis Garcia to quit on his stool after eight rounds of a scheduled 12-round 135-pound fight Saturday in Washington, D.C. The hard-punching lightweight contender landed more and more damaging punches as the fight progressed until his capable opponent could take no more, Davis’ 18th knockout in his last 19 fights. And now he appears set for the biggest fight in his career, a showdown with fellow social media star Ryan Garcia this spring. Things couldn’t be better inside the ring. Outside it? Well, Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) was arrested and briefly jailed on allegations he struck the mother of his daughter on Dec. 27, accusations the woman later recanted. Still, he knows he has to watch himself. “I have to bring my people in close and listen to my close ones, listen to [manager] Al Haymon and just stay focused,” he said. If he can, the 28-year-old from Baltimore could end up as the face of the sport.

BIGGEST WINNER II

Roiman Villa – Slick Rashidi Ellis appeared to be on his way to a one-sided victory over his game, but limited opponent halfway through their welterweight bout on the Davis-Garcia card. Then Villa (26-1, 24 KOs) demonstrated that anything is possible if you persevere. The undeterrable slugger, upping his pressure on Ellis, began to land hard punches around the seventh round and turned the tide in dramatic fashion as a result to pull out a stunning majority-decision victory. And he saved his best for last, putting Ellis down twice in a memorable 12th and final round. That proved to the difference on the cards. One judge scored it a 113-113 draw but the other two gave Villa the nod by the same score, 114-112. Villa was among the few who weren’t surprised. “I know that fighters such as him who are quick sooner or later will get a little tired,” he said, “and that’s what I took advantage of.” Thus, he went from relative unknown to a player in one of the sport’s glamour divisions over night.

BIGGEST LOSER

Hector Garcia – Garcia (16-1, 10 KOs) was a longshot against Davis for a reason. Not only was he face to face with one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound but he had moved up in weight for the privilege, which made his mission nearly impossible. Still, the setback had to be difficult for the Dominican swallow. He entered the ring with tremendous momentum after upsetting Chris Colbert and defeating Roger Gutierrez to win a 130-pound title last year, with made him a Fighter of the Year candidate. Then it was over in an instant. Davis hurt him with a left to the side of the head late in Round 8, after which he complained as he sat on his stool that he couldn’t see. And that’s where he stayed, becoming just another victim on Davis’ growing list. Garcia will probably go back down to 130, where he could defend his title and face opponents with whom he could actually compete.

BIGGEST LOSER II

Rashidi Ellis – Ellis (24-1, 15 KOs) had everything going for him. He has natural gifts and refined skills, which seemed to be leading him toward a fight for one 147-pound title or another in the near future. And then Villa changed his trajectory. Ellis said afterward that he thought he had done enough to earn the victory. And he might’ve been right. I scored it 114-112 in his favor. However, the judges saw it differently and suddenly he had the first loss in his career. Where does he go from here? One, he needs to figure out what he could’ve done differently in the second half of the fight to prevent that from happening again. And, two, he should follow through on his desire to face Villa again if it’s possible. There’s no better way to make people forget about a disappointing setback than avenging it. And he’s capable of doing that.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Jaron Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian: Ennis (30-0, 27 KOs) was a victim of his own lofty standards against Karen Chukhadzhian (21-2, 11 KOs) on the Davis-Garcia card. The welterweight contender had stopped his previous 19 opponents, the kind of streak that leads you to assume that you’ll see a spectacular stoppage every time he fights. That didn’t happen on Saturday. Most of the blame falls on Chukhadzhian, who was more interested in surviving than taking the risks necessary to win the fight. And when a fighter as skillful and athletic as he is decides to survive, it’s extremely difficult for anyone to stop him. Ennis also is to blame. It’s part of his job to find a way to cut off the ring if his opponent runs; he couldn’t do that, which gives him something to work on in the gym. All that said, Ennis deserves credit: He won every round on all three cards. That’s a terrific night by normal standards.

MOST PREDICTABLE

Demetrius Andrade’s victory: New manager, new division, same result. Andrade, who is now handled by Premiere Boxing Champions, demonstrated in a shutout decision over Demond Nicholson (26-5-1, 22 KOs) in his 168-pound debut on the Davis-Garcia card that he still has it at 34-year-old and can be a factor at super middleweight. If there was a flaw in his performance it was that he couldn’t stop an opponent he dominated even though Nicholson engaged him enough for him to do so. However, that’s par for the course for Andrade, who typically starts quickly and then cruises to a wide decision victory. That formula isn’t exciting but it’s effective. Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs) is thought of as one of the most avoided elite boxers. I can’t imagine any of the top 168-pounders is going to be in a hurry to face him after his performance on Saturday night.

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Roiman Villa drops Rashidi Ellis twice in 12th round, wins stunning decision

Roiman Villa dropped Rashidi Ellis twice in the 12th round to clinch a stunning upset on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card.

Roiman Villa demonstrated that persistence can pay off.

The welterweight contender from Venezuela was outclassed by Rashidi Ellis in the first half of their fight but delivered a fierce rally — including two final-round knockdowns — to upset previously unbeaten Rashidi Ellis by a majority decision in a 12-round title eliminator.

One judge scored it 113-113, a draw. However, the other two favored Villa 114-112, six rounds each. Boxing Junkie scored it 114-112 for Ellis.

Ellis (25-0, 15 KOs) controlled the first six rounds with an incessant jab, plenty of hard, accurate power shots and the ability to use his feet to stay out of harm’s way.

He appeared to be on his way to an one-sided victory. However, Villa (26-1, 24 KOs) had different ideas.

Villa’s relentless pressure paid off the second half of the action, when he began to land hard, punishing shots to Ellis’ head and body to climb back into the fight.

The Venezuelan won the fight in the final round, when he put Ellis down twice — once from a left hook midway through the frame and again with a flurry of shots in the final seconds — to earn a 10-7 round.

That proved to be the difference on the scorecards in the first significant upset of 2023.

“I know that fighters such as him who are quick sooner or later will get a little tired and that’s what I took advantage of,” Villa said in the ring afterward.

Ellis, stunned by the scoring, wants a rematch.

“I thought I was dictating the fight,” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t know what happened. … I totally disagree with the decision. I was winning most of the rounds.

“Yeah, he had the knockdown, but other than that, I was winning most of the rounds.”

Roiman Villa drops Rashidi Ellis twice in 12th round, wins stunning decision

Roiman Villa dropped Rashidi Ellis twice in the 12th round to clinch a stunning upset on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card.

Roiman Villa demonstrated that persistence can pay off.

The welterweight contender from Venezuela was outclassed by Rashidi Ellis in the first half of their fight but delivered a fierce rally — including two final-round knockdowns — to upset previously unbeaten Rashidi Ellis by a majority decision in a 12-round title eliminator.

One judge scored it 113-113, a draw. However, the other two favored Villa 114-112, six rounds each. Boxing Junkie scored it 114-112 for Ellis.

Ellis (25-0, 15 KOs) controlled the first six rounds with an incessant jab, plenty of hard, accurate power shots and the ability to use his feet to stay out of harm’s way.

He appeared to be on his way to an one-sided victory. However, Villa (26-1, 24 KOs) had different ideas.

Villa’s relentless pressure paid off the second half of the action, when he began to land hard, punishing shots to Ellis’ head and body to climb back into the fight.

The Venezuelan won the fight in the final round, when he put Ellis down twice — once from a left hook midway through the frame and again with a flurry of shots in the final seconds — to earn a 10-7 round.

That proved to be the difference on the scorecards in the first significant upset of 2023.

“I know that fighters such as him who are quick sooner or later will get a little tired and that’s what I took advantage of,” Villa said in the ring afterward.

Ellis, stunned by the scoring, wants a rematch.

“I thought I was dictating the fight,” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t know what happened. … I totally disagree with the decision. I was winning most of the rounds.

“Yeah, he had the knockdown, but other than that, I was winning most of the rounds.”

Mark Magsayo vs. Rey Vargas: live updates and results, full coverage

Mark Magsayo vs. Rey Vargas: live updates and results, full coverage.

Mark Magsayo, a 126-pound titleholder, will make his first defense against Rey Vargas this evening (Saturday) at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Showtime.

The Filipino won his belt by outpointing Gary Russell Jr. in January.

In the co-feature, former 122-pound champ Brandon Figueroa is scheduled to face Carlos Castro in a 12-round fight at 126. Also, 140-pound contender Frank Martin faces Jackson Marinez, and 147-prospect Rashidi Ellis takes on Jose Marrufo.

The streamed portion of the card begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. The main event will take place later in the show.

Boxing Junkie will post results of all the featured bouts on the card immediately after they end. Simply return to this post when the time comes.

Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the night of the fight and the following day.

Enjoy the fights!

[lawrence-related id=31383,31344,31235,31228,31221]

Mark Magsayo vs. Rey Vargas: live updates and results, full coverage

Mark Magsayo vs. Rey Vargas: live updates and results, full coverage.

Mark Magsayo, a 126-pound titleholder, will make his first defense against Rey Vargas this evening (Saturday) at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Showtime.

The Filipino won his belt by outpointing Gary Russell Jr. in January.

In the co-feature, former 122-pound champ Brandon Figueroa is scheduled to face Carlos Castro in a 12-round fight at 126. Also, 140-pound contender Frank Martin faces Jackson Marinez, and 147-prospect Rashidi Ellis takes on Jose Marrufo.

The streamed portion of the card begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. The main event will take place later in the show.

Boxing Junkie will post results of all the featured bouts on the card immediately after they end. Simply return to this post when the time comes.

Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the night of the fight and the following day.

Enjoy the fights!

[lawrence-related id=31383,31344,31235,31228,31221]

Photos: Mark Magsayo vs. Rey Vargas weigh-in

Photos: Mark Magsayo vs. Rey Vargas weigh-in.

WBC featherweight titleholder Mark Magsayo and challenger Rey Vargas made weight for their fight Saturday in San Antonio (Showtime).

Both men weighed 125.5 pounds, .5 below the division limit.

Here are the weights for the other featured bouts:

  • Brandon Figueroa (126.0) vs. Carlos Castro (124.5), featherweights.
  • Frank Martin (137.5) vs. Jackson Marinez (138.0), junior welterweights.
  • Rashidi Ellis (153.5) vs. Jose Marrufo (146.25), junior middleweights.

Here are images from the weigh-in. All photos by Esther Lin of Showtime.

Rashidi Ellis thrilled that his career is back on track

Rashidi Ellis plans to take full advantage of his new opportunity with Premier Boxing Champions.

Rashidi Ellis thought he’d be a world champion by now.

The one time amateur star from a fighting family has elite boxing ability and speed but, even at 29 years old, he hasn’t had opportunities to show what he can do against the top welterweights.

That can be attributed in part to a contract dispute with former promoter Golden Boy, which has kept the brother of Ronald and Rashida Ellis out of the ring for 20 months.

However, now he has a fresh start. He left Golden Boy and in April and joined forces with Premier Boxing Champions, which is loaded with well-known potential opponents at 147 pounds.

Ellis (23-0, 14 KOs) makes his debut for PBC against Argentine Alberto Palmetta on the Mark Magsayo-Rey Vargas card July 9 in San Antonio (Showtime).

“I feel like a kid going to recess. I’ve very excited,” Ellis told Boxing Junkie.

The easygoing fighter from Lynn, Massachusetts, doesn’t dwell in the past because he has business at hand. However, he admitted that his layoff was difficult.

He could only watch as matchups he coveted – including one against unbeaten Golden Boy star Vergil Ortiz – never materialized for reasons that depend on whom you talk to. And he couldn’t leave Golden Boy until his contract expired.

So he did the only thing he could do: wait.

“It was very difficult, very frustrating,” he said. “I just had to stay focused and stay in the gym, get ready for the next one. I was always in the gym. I wouldn’t say it was a waste of time. Time did pass. It sucks. But I gotta look forward.

“This is definitely a fresh start. I finalley get to showcase my talent, to show everyone what they’ve been missing.”

Of course, if things go well against the Palmetta (17-1, 12 KOs), he’d love to jump into a fight with the winner of the anticipated showdown between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford for the undisputed championship.

Ellis is realistic, though. He’ll have to earn his stripes against a few PBC fighters – Jaron Ennis? Eimantas Stanionis? Keith Thurman? Cody Crowley? – before he finally gets a shot at a major championship.

“Hopefully I’ll get that next but I know it don’t work like that,” he said. “Two, three fights after [July 9], next year. You could say that.”

And he has a simple message for those who might wonder whether he can really fight on even terms with the champions and contenders mentioned above. He said confidently: “Just wait and see.”

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