Was Gervonta Davis’ stoppage of Leo Santa Cruz the Knockout of the Year? Here are four other candidates.
Gervonta Davis gave us one of the most-dramatic knockouts in recent memory Saturday night in San Antonio, a one-punch stoppage of Leo Santa Cruz in the sixth round.
But was it 2020 Knockout of the Year?
No knockout was more brutal, that’s for sure. Davis’ perfect left uppercut rendered Santa Cruz unconscious for several minutes. Add to that the magnitude of the fight and you get a prime candidate for the coveted year-end honor.
His main competitors? These are four other prime candidates for 2020 Knockout of the Year so far.
ALEXANDER POVETKIN KO 5 DILLIAN WHYTE
Povetkin’s one-punch knockout of Whyte was absolutely shocking. The Russian was knocked down himself in Round 4 and seemed on his way to defeat when he landed a Davis-like left uppercut that put Whyte to sleep in Round 5.
RYAN GARCIA KO 1 FRANCISCO FONSECA
Garcia was already on an early knockout streak when he landed a devastating left hook that knocked his opponent flat on his back and completely out only 1 minute, 20 seconds into their fight. For the record: Fonseca, a tough veteran, went eight rounds with Davis.
JOSE ZEPEDA VS. IVAN BARANCHYK
The fight itself was insane, as each boxer when down four times. However, it was the last knockdown that stood out most. Zepeda had just gotten up from his final knockdown when he landed a paralyzing left hand that ended the fight instantly and created some anxious moments. Baranchyk lay on the canvas for four minutes before walking out of the ring.
ROMAN GONZALEZ VS. KHALID YAFAI
One factor that made this knockout special was the fact that Gonzalez, the former pound-for-pound king, had been written off by some a few fights earlier. “Chocolatito” clawed his way back and earned a shot at the undefeated Yafai’s world title. He won it by beating up the champ and ending matters with a classic straight right hand.
Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez gave sensational performances last Saturday night in Mexico City to set up a rematch between them. Estrada survived an early knockdown to stop rival Carlos Cuadras in the 11th round and retain his junior …
Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez gave sensational performances last Saturday night in Mexico City to set up a rematch between them.
Estrada survived an early knockdown to stop rival Carlos Cuadras in the 11th round and retain his junior bantamweight title. In the fight before that, “Chocolatito,” looking like a vintage version of himself, dominated overmatched Israel Gonzalez to win a unanimous decision in defense of his 115-pound belt.
Who gave a better performance that night?
In this episode of Jabs with Mannix and Mora, courtesy of DAZN, hosts Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora answer that question.
Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez gave sensational performances last Saturday night in Mexico City to set up a rematch between them. Estrada survived an early knockdown to stop rival Carlos Cuadras in the 11th round and retain his junior …
Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez gave sensational performances last Saturday night in Mexico City to set up a rematch between them.
Estrada survived an early knockdown to stop rival Carlos Cuadras in the 11th round and retain his junior bantamweight title. In the fight before that, “Chocolatito,” looking like a vintage version of himself, dominated overmatched Israel Gonzalez to win a unanimous decision in defense of his 115-pound belt.
Who gave a better performance that night?
In this episode of Jabs with Mannix and Mora, courtesy of DAZN, hosts Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora answer that question.
Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez, Carlos Cuadras and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai have given us one gem after another.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
Carlos Cuadras (left) and Juan Francisco Estrada gave fans a gem on Friday. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing
Boxing fans aren’t likely to see another era like that of the Four Kings, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns. But we could be witnessing the reign of the Four Princes.
Roman Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrada, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras have given us a series of high-level, action-packed classics over the past eight years that have brought unusual focus to the littlest fighters and rolls on.
That includes Friday night in Mexico City, where Estrada and Cuadras engaged in a brutal back-and-forth brawl in their rematch that ended when Estrada scored an 11th-round knockout.
The Four Princes have fought one another in a total of nine fights that couldn’t have been much more dramatic. And, with the exception of the second fight between Sor Rungvisai and Gonzalez (a brutal fourth-round knockout), they have generally been highly competitive.
The standings in the nine fights reflect how well matched they are: Sor Rungvisai and Estrada are 3-2, Gonzalez is 2-2 and Cuadras is 1-3. Each of the bouts seemed more entertaining than the last.
The latest installment, on Friday, was an example of that. Estrada and Cuadras gave us an engaging fight in 2017, which Estrada won by a narrow decision, but their brawl at Gimnasio TV Azteca was better. Estrada went down in Round 3 but survived that and a determined effort by Cuadras to put his rival down twice and stop him in Round 11 to retain his 115-pound title.
Estrada, No. 10 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list, proved his superiority over Cuadras but the loser was a worthy challenger and underscored his place among these great little men.
And it appears we’re not finished. Estrada and Gonzalez, who outpointed Estrada in 2012, have agreed to meet for a second time next year in a title-unification bout. And Rungvisai, waiting in the wings, wants the winner of that fight.
The Four Princes know what it takes to keep us entertained.
***
BAD
“Chocolatito” landed punches from all angles and to all parts of Israel Gonzalez’s body. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing
This item is “bad” only for those who were hoping that Israel Gonzalez could give Roman Gonzalez significant resistance on the Estrada-Cuadras card. He couldn’t.
“Chocolatito,” thought by some to be finished after his losses to Sor Rungvisai only to bounce back and regain a title, looked like a vintage version of himself against his taller, quicker, but overmatched opponent.
The Nicaraguan icon applied relentless, machine-like pressure from the opening that seemed to belie his age – 33 – given the stamina required to fight in that fashion. The winner threw 1,241 punches, an average of more than 100 per round, according to CompuBox. That’s the third highest total in his career.
Israel Gonzalez, a good fighter who gave a solid account of himself in a loss to then-titleholder Khalid Yafai in 2018, gave a spirited effort and had some good moments but couldn’t get anything going consistently in the face of his opponent’s pressure.
“Chocolatito” is no the fighter who climbed to the top of the pound-for-pound lists. How could be at an age when most fighters his size are in obvious decline or well into second careers? He’s been a pro for more than 15 years, after all.
That said, he obviously has rebounded from his setbacks against Sor Rungvisai and the devastating loss of his trainer and father figure Arnulfo Obando. He remains a threat to beat anybody.
Estrada, a bit younger and fresher at 30, probably will be favored to beat Gonzalez when they meet in their rematch. I think the Mexican will win. But we’d be foolish to underestimate Gonzalez. The old fighter who annihilated Yafai to regain a title and dominated Israel Gonzalez in Mexico City remains one of the best fighters in the world.
***
WORSE
Commentators stunned as boxer fights five rounds with ‘horrific’ broken jaw
Injuries are commonplace in boxing but this one was particularly gruesome.
Twenty-one-year-old Benjamin Hussain was fighting Ben Mahoney on Thursday in Brisbane, Australia, when a left hook from Mahoney dislodged Hussain’s mouth piece. Soon blood began streaming from his mouth.
The broadcasters speculated that he had cut his tongue. Nope. Turns out he broke his jaw yet continued to fight for several more rounds.
Finally, after Round 6, the ring doctor decided that it was too dangerous for Hussain to continue and the fight was stopped. Hussain complained but the doctor made the right decision.
“Your jaw is broken, mate. I mean it’s badly broken. We’ve got to stop it,” the doctor told Hussain.
No one can question Hussain’s toughness. How he managed to carry on fighting with his jaw as damaged as it was is anyone’s guess. We can question why the fight was allowed to continue into the sixth round in light of the injury.
That wasn’t the only notable event on the card. Heavyweight Justis Huni made history by becoming the first male fighter to win the Australian title in his pro debut, as he stopped Faiga Opelu in seven rounds in the main event.
Huni had been a top amateur. He won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships. And now he’s one to watch in the professional ranks.
Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez, Carlos Cuadras and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai have given us one gem after another.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
Carlos Cuadras (left) and Juan Francisco Estrada gave fans a gem on Friday. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing
Boxing fans aren’t likely to see another era like that of the Four Kings, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns. But we could be witnessing the reign of the Four Princes.
Roman Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrada, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras have given us a series of high-level, action-packed classics over the past eight years that have brought unusual focus to the littlest fighters and rolls on.
That includes Friday night in Mexico City, where Estrada and Cuadras engaged in a brutal back-and-forth brawl in their rematch that ended when Estrada scored an 11th-round knockout.
The Four Princes have fought one another in a total of nine fights that couldn’t have been much more dramatic. And, with the exception of the second fight between Sor Rungvisai and Gonzalez (a brutal fourth-round knockout), they have generally been highly competitive.
The standings in the nine fights reflect how well matched they are: Sor Rungvisai and Estrada are 3-2, Gonzalez is 2-2 and Cuadras is 1-3. Each of the bouts seemed more entertaining than the last.
The latest installment, on Friday, was an example of that. Estrada and Cuadras gave us an engaging fight in 2017, which Estrada won by a narrow decision, but their brawl at Gimnasio TV Azteca was better. Estrada went down in Round 3 but survived that and a determined effort by Cuadras to put his rival down twice and stop him in Round 11 to retain his 115-pound title.
Estrada, No. 10 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list, proved his superiority over Cuadras but the loser was a worthy challenger and underscored his place among these great little men.
And it appears we’re not finished. Estrada and Gonzalez, who outpointed Estrada in 2012, have agreed to meet for a second time next year in a title-unification bout. And Rungvisai, waiting in the wings, wants the winner of that fight.
The Four Princes know what it takes to keep us entertained.
***
BAD
“Chocolatito” landed punches from all angles and to all parts of Israel Gonzalez’s body. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing
This item is “bad” only for those who were hoping that Israel Gonzalez could give Roman Gonzalez significant resistance on the Estrada-Cuadras card. He couldn’t.
“Chocolatito,” thought by some to be finished after his losses to Sor Rungvisai only to bounce back and regain a title, looked like a vintage version of himself against his taller, quicker, but overmatched opponent.
The Nicaraguan icon applied relentless, machine-like pressure from the opening that seemed to belie his age – 33 – given the stamina required to fight in that fashion. The winner threw 1,241 punches, an average of more than 100 per round, according to CompuBox. That’s the third highest total in his career.
Israel Gonzalez, a good fighter who gave a solid account of himself in a loss to then-titleholder Khalid Yafai in 2018, gave a spirited effort and had some good moments but couldn’t get anything going consistently in the face of his opponent’s pressure.
“Chocolatito” is no the fighter who climbed to the top of the pound-for-pound lists. How could be at an age when most fighters his size are in obvious decline or well into second careers? He’s been a pro for more than 15 years, after all.
That said, he obviously has rebounded from his setbacks against Sor Rungvisai and the devastating loss of his trainer and father figure Arnulfo Obando. He remains a threat to beat anybody.
Estrada, a bit younger and fresher at 30, probably will be favored to beat Gonzalez when they meet in their rematch. I think the Mexican will win. But we’d be foolish to underestimate Gonzalez. The old fighter who annihilated Yafai to regain a title and dominated Israel Gonzalez in Mexico City remains one of the best fighters in the world.
***
WORSE
Commentators stunned as boxer fights five rounds with ‘horrific’ broken jaw
Injuries are commonplace in boxing but this one was particularly gruesome.
Twenty-one-year-old Benjamin Hussain was fighting Ben Mahoney on Thursday in Brisbane, Australia, when a left hook from Mahoney dislodged Hussain’s mouth piece. Soon blood began streaming from his mouth.
The broadcasters speculated that he had cut his tongue. Nope. Turns out he broke his jaw yet continued to fight for several more rounds.
Finally, after Round 6, the ring doctor decided that it was too dangerous for Hussain to continue and the fight was stopped. Hussain complained but the doctor made the right decision.
“Your jaw is broken, mate. I mean it’s badly broken. We’ve got to stop it,” the doctor told Hussain.
No one can question Hussain’s toughness. How he managed to carry on fighting with his jaw as damaged as it was is anyone’s guess. We can question why the fight was allowed to continue into the sixth round in light of the injury.
That wasn’t the only notable event on the card. Heavyweight Justis Huni made history by becoming the first male fighter to win the Australian title in his pro debut, as he stopped Faiga Opelu in seven rounds in the main event.
Huni had been a top amateur. He won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships. And now he’s one to watch in the professional ranks.
Juan Francisco Estrada stopped Carlos Cuadras in a thrilling war to retain his 115-pound title Saturday in Mexico.
Juan Francisco Estrada got his rematch with Roman Gonzalez. But he had to go through hell to get it.
Estrada stopped Carlos Cuadras late in Round 11 of a classic Mexican-style brawl Friday night at the Gimnasio TV Azteca in Mexico City, setting up a second meeting with Gonzalez, who outpointed Israel Gonzalez on the same card.
Estrada and Cuadras gave fans a great fight in 2017, with Estrada winning a close decision that was decided by a late knockdown. That fight was nothing compared with the rematch.
The fighters came out firing almost from the opening bell and never really let up, turning the bout into a war of attrition.
Cuadras drew first blood in the final minute of Round 3, when a left hook sent Estrada tumbling into the ropes for a knockdown, which made it clear that the favored fighter had his work cut out.
Carlos Cuadras (left) put Juan Francisco Estrada down in the third round. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing
And that’s how he reacted. He came out for Round 4 as if he was angry. The counter puncher turned into an aggressive warrior, taking the fight to Cuadras in an obvious effort to compensate for what had happened the previous round.
Cuadras’ mouth was hanging open before the fight was half over, a sign that he was beginning to tire. However, inspired by the moment, he persevered and continued to give almost as much as he took.
Estrada, who landed the more precise, harder punches, seemed to have a clear advantage on the cards going into the final few rounds but Cuadras had a few strong stanzas down the stretch. That gave him hope going into Round 11.
However, the punishing shots Cuadras absorbed – including many to the body – finally took their toll. Estrada put him down with a right that clipped the top of his head about 15 seconds into the round. He then landed another right that put Cuadras on his behind.
The referee allowed the fight to continue even though Cuadras was hurt and exhausted but a flurry of punches convinced the official that enough was enough and he stopped the fight, which preserved Estrada’s junior bantamweight title.
The official time of the stoppage was 2:22.
With the victory, Estrada (41-3, 28 KOs) bolstered the perception that he’s the best fighter in the lowest weight classes. More important to him perhaps, he is now expected to get another shot at Gonzalez early next year.
Cuadras went down twice and couldn’t make it out of the 11th round. Ed Mulholland/Matchroom.
The two met for the first time in 2012, when Estrada was only 22. Gonzalez won a clear unanimous decision but the loser made a statement. It was obvious to anyone who saw that fight that Estrada had something special.
Of course, things are different today. Estrada might be at his peak at 30 years old. Gonzalez, 33, was thought to be finished when he lost back-to-back fights to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017 but rebounded to reclaim a title and his place among the elite 115-pounders.
Estrada would have it no other way. He has coveted a rematch with his rival for eight years. He wants to fight – and beat – the best version of Gonzalez possible.
Well, he’ll finally get his chance. After what we saw on Friday, the only sure winners will be the fans.
Juan Francisco Estrada stopped Carlos Cuadras in a thrilling war to retain his 115-pound title Saturday in Mexico.
Juan Francisco Estrada got his rematch with Roman Gonzalez. But he had to go through hell to get it.
Estrada stopped Carlos Cuadras late in Round 11 of a classic Mexican-style brawl Friday night at the Gimnasio TV Azteca in Mexico City, setting up a second meeting with Gonzalez, who outpointed Israel Gonzalez on the same card.
Estrada and Cuadras gave fans a great fight in 2017, with Estrada winning a close decision that was decided by a late knockdown. That fight was nothing compared with the rematch.
The fighters came out firing almost from the opening bell and never really let up, turning the bout into a war of attrition.
Cuadras drew first blood in the final minute of Round 3, when a left hook sent Estrada tumbling into the ropes for a knockdown, which made it clear that the favored fighter had his work cut out.
Carlos Cuadras (left) put Juan Francisco Estrada down in the third round. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing
And that’s how he reacted. He came out for Round 4 as if he was angry. The counter puncher turned into an aggressive warrior, taking the fight to Cuadras in an obvious effort to compensate for what had happened the previous round.
Cuadras’ mouth was hanging open before the fight was half over, a sign that he was beginning to tire. However, inspired by the moment, he persevered and continued to give almost as much as he took.
Estrada, who landed the more precise, harder punches, seemed to have a clear advantage on the cards going into the final few rounds but Cuadras had a few strong stanzas down the stretch. That gave him hope going into Round 11.
However, the punishing shots Cuadras absorbed – including many to the body – finally took their toll. Estrada put him down with a right that clipped the top of his head about 15 seconds into the round. He then landed another right that put Cuadras on his behind.
The referee allowed the fight to continue even though Cuadras was hurt and exhausted but a flurry of punches convinced the official that enough was enough and he stopped the fight, which preserved Estrada’s junior bantamweight title.
The official time of the stoppage was 2:22.
With the victory, Estrada (41-3, 28 KOs) bolstered the perception that he’s the best fighter in the lowest weight classes. More important to him perhaps, he is now expected to get another shot at Gonzalez early next year.
Cuadras went down twice and couldn’t make it out of the 11th round. Ed Mulholland/Matchroom.
The two met for the first time in 2012, when Estrada was only 22. Gonzalez won a clear unanimous decision but the loser made a statement. It was obvious to anyone who saw that fight that Estrada had something special.
Of course, things are different today. Estrada might be at his peak at 30 years old. Gonzalez, 33, was thought to be finished when he lost back-to-back fights to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017 but rebounded to reclaim a title and his place among the elite 115-pounders.
Estrada would have it no other way. He has coveted a rematch with his rival for eight years. He wants to fight – and beat – the best version of Gonzalez possible.
Well, he’ll finally get his chance. After what we saw on Friday, the only sure winners will be the fans.
Roman Gonzalez easily outpointed Israel Gonzalez on Saturday night in Mexico City.
Roman Gonzalez did his part.
“Chocolatito,” looking a lot like a prime version of himself, overwhelmed Israel Gonzalez with relentless pressure to win a unanimous decision to retain his 115-pound title Friday night at the Azteca TV studios in Mexico City.
The victory sets up a highly anticipated potential rematch with Juan Francisco Estrada, who fought Carlos Cuadras immediately afterward in the same ring.
Israel Gonzalez, the taller, quicker, younger (23) fighter, got off to a reasonably strong start, using lateral movement and long punches as his 33-year-old opponent pursued him. And he had moments off and on throughout the fight.
However, the theme of this one centered on the winner’s intelligent pressure. He was able to cut off the ring by the third round and fire hard, accurate punches nonstop until the final bell rang. Israel Gonzalez (25-4, 11 KOs) rarely had room to fire back with any consistency, which made his mission impossible.
To his credit, the loser never quit and proved to be durable but that didn’t do him much good in the end. “Chocolatito” won by scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110 for the winner.
If Roman Gonzalez (50-2, 41 KOs) has declined, he didn’t show it on Friday.
Roman Gonzalez easily outpointed Israel Gonzalez on Saturday night in Mexico City.
Roman Gonzalez did his part.
“Chocolatito,” looking a lot like a prime version of himself, overwhelmed Israel Gonzalez with relentless pressure to win a unanimous decision to retain his 115-pound title Friday night at the Azteca TV studios in Mexico City.
The victory sets up a highly anticipated potential rematch with Juan Francisco Estrada, who fought Carlos Cuadras immediately afterward in the same ring.
Israel Gonzalez, the taller, quicker, younger (23) fighter, got off to a reasonably strong start, using lateral movement and long punches as his 33-year-old opponent pursued him. And he had moments off and on throughout the fight.
However, the theme of this one centered on the winner’s intelligent pressure. He was able to cut off the ring by the third round and fire hard, accurate punches nonstop until the final bell rang. Israel Gonzalez (25-4, 11 KOs) rarely had room to fire back with any consistency, which made his mission impossible.
To his credit, the loser never quit and proved to be durable but that didn’t do him much good in the end. “Chocolatito” won by scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110 for the winner.
If Roman Gonzalez (50-2, 41 KOs) has declined, he didn’t show it on Friday.
Julio Cesar Martinez stopped Moises Calleros in the second round on the Juan Francisco Estrada-Carlos Cuadras card Friday in Mexico.
Extra pounds don’t help much when you’re fighting one of the best little boxers in the world.
Flyweight titleholder Julio Cesar Martinez needed less than two rounds to stop an overweight and overmatched Moises Calleros on the Juan Fransisco Estrada-Carlos Cuadras card Friday night in Mexico City.
The official time of the knockout was 2:42 of Round 2.
Calleros, a late replacement as Martinez’s opponent, weighed in at 117.4 pounds – a whopping 5.4 over the limit – but it did him no good in the fight, as the gifted Martinez (17-1, 13 KOs) pounded him from the opening bell.
Martinez landed a perfect left hook-straight right combination that hurt Calleros (33-10-1, 17 KOs) and forced him to touch his glove to the canvas about a minute into the first round.
The champion, explosive as any fighter pound for pound, followed with a number of hard, accurate shots but Calleros survived the round.
Martinez, aggressive but measured, continued to land big shots until he finally hurt Calleros again with about 30 seconds left in Round 2. He followed that with a brutal flurry that prompted referee Cesar Castanon to jump in and stop the fight.
The performance was as spectacular as any in the 25-year-old Mexican’s career and might’ve put the other stars fighting Friday – Estrada, Carlos Cuadras and Roman Gonzalez – on notice.
Martinez said he wants to remain at 112 pounds to unify the titles, targeting fellow beltholders Artem Dalakian and Moruti Mthalane. He then plans to move up in weight and pursue those big-name fighters at 115.
He has proved over and over again that he’d be a threat to anyone.
In other preliminary bouts, 6-foot-4 super middleweight prospect Diego Pacheco (10-0, 9 KOs) of Los Angeles knocked out Juan Antonio Mendez (12-3-2, 10 KOs) of Mexico at 2:02 of the second round of a scheduled six-round bout.
Austin Williams (6-0, 5 KOs), a middleweight prospect from Houston, stopped veteran Esau Herrera (19-12-1, 8 KOs) at 1:36 of Round 5 in a scheduled six-round bout.
And junior lightweight prospect Otha Jones III (5-0-1, 2 KOs) of Toledo, Ohio, drew with Mexican Kevin Montiel Mendoza (6-0-2, 3 KOs) of Mexico in a six-round bout.
The scores were 58-56 for Jones, 58-56 for Mendoza and 57-57.
