Akira Yaegashi, the former three-division titleholder, is retiring at 37, according to The Japan Times.
Akira Yaegashi, the former three-division titleholder, is retiring at 37, according to The Japan Times.
Yaegashi (28-7, 16 KOs) won major titles as a strawweight, junior flyweight and flyweight. He never fought outside of his native Japan in his 15-year career.
Hideyuki Ohashi, a former champion and founder of the gym at which Yaegashi has trained, reportedly told him, “You’ve done enough.” Yaegashi agreed.
“Although I haven’t ever felt the limits of my physical strength, I’m not able to continue as an active boxer all on my own,” Yaegashi said on a conference call.
The Yokohama resident won a strawweight title when he stopped Somporn Seeta in 10 rounds in October 2011. He lost it to Kazuto Ioka by a close unanimous decision in his next fight, which was a title-unification matchup.
Two fights later, in April 2013, he defeated Toshiyuki Igarashi by a unanimous decision to win a flyweight title. He lost that belt in his fourth defense against Roman Gonzalez, who stopped Yaegashi in nine rounds in September 2014.
Yaegashi then went down to junior flyweight, at which he easily outpointed Javier Mendoza to win a title in a third division in December 2015. He successfully defended twice before losing his belt to Milan Melindo by first-round knockout in May 2015.
In his final fight, he lost by ninth-round TKO against flyweight titleholder Moruti Mthalane in December.
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai defeated countryman Amnat Ruenroeng by a unanimous decision Saturday in Thailand.
Hard work paid off for Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on Saturday in Thailand.
The former two-time junior bantamweight titleholder, who hadn’t fought since he lost his belt to Juan Francisco Estrada in April of last year, looked rusty against clever countryman Amnat Ruenroeng at Workpoint Studio in Bang Phun.
However, by the middle rounds, Sor Rungvisai (48-5-1, 41 KOs) was throwing and landing at high rate and took firm control of the fight. He won a unanimous decision, 97-94, 96-93 and 99-91.
Ruenroeng (20-4, 6 KOs) didn’t look like a 40-year-old fighter at any time of the fight, particularly in the early rounds. The former flyweight champ was an elusive target and countered the 33-year-old Sor Rungvisai’s attacks well, frustrating the winner.
Sor Rungvisai, always willing to take punches in order to land them, simply continued to unload punches at a furious rate and, ultimately, there was nothing Ruenroeng could do to stop him. Sor Rungvisai never seriously hurt Ruenroeng, which might’ve been a surprise given his power, but he landed more than enough punches to win rounds.
“I’m satisfied with my performance,” Sor Rungvisai said through a translator. “Amnat prepared very well. He was 100 percent. So it was a great fight.”
It’s no secret who Sor Rungvisai, ranked No. 14 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list, wants to fight as soon as possible – No. 9 Estrada, who took his title by a close, but unanimous decision in Los Angeles.
That fight was a rematch. Sor Runvisai defeated Estrada by a majority decision in February 2018.
Estrada, who is quarantine after contracting COVID-19, told ESPN Deportes that he plans to fight next on Oct. 17, against either Carlos Cuadras or Roman Gonzalez. However, Sor Rungvisai will be eagerly waiting for his turn.
“I would like to get the WBC … title back to Thailand,” he said. “I want to say a few words to Estrada: We will meet soon, for sure.”
Former two-time 115-pound titleholder Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will face Amnat Ruenroeng on Aug. 1 in Thailand on DAZN.
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will be back soon.
The former junior bantamweight titleholder from Thailand, No. 14 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list, will face countryman and former flyweight titlist Amnat Ruenroeng on Aug. 1 in their home country. It will be streamed on DAZN.
The fight was scheduled and canceled twice, on April 4 and then again on May 2.
Sor Rungvisai (47-5-1, 41 KOs) is coming off a close, but unanimous-decision loss to Juan Francisco Estrada that cost him his 115-pound title in April of last year, his first setback since 2014.
The 33-year-old from Si Sa Ket had two stints as a 115-pound titleholder, 2013-14 and 2017-2019. He made his name worldwide by twice defeating Roman Gonzalez, the second time by knockout.
Ruenroeng (20-3, 6 KOs) was a 112-pound titleholder in 2014-16 but the 40-year-old has had limited success in recent years. He’s 3-3 in his last six fights, including a fourth-round knockout against Johnriel Casimero in 2016.
Sor Rungvisai hopes to use the Ruenroeng fight as a stepping stone to another title fight. Estrada is expected to face Gonzalez sometime in the fall, with Sor Rungvisai in line to face the winner.
Boxing Junkie presents its mid-year awards in six categories.
A most unusual year is half over. The coronavirus pandemic brought the boxing world to a halt in March and it has only begun to return in the past few weeks.
Still, some fighters have had enough time – particularly in the first few months of the year – to turn in performances worthy of recognition.
With that in mind, Boxing Junkie presents its mid-year awards in six categories. Here they are.
FIGHTER
Tyson Fury’s stoppage of Deontay Wilder was a career-defining victory. Al Bello / Getty Images
Tyson Fury
Slam dunk. Fury and Deontay Wilder fought to a controversial draw in December 2018. The rematch, on Feb. 22 in Las Vegas, wasn’t even competitive. A bulked up Fury, employing a more-aggressive strategy, dominated the then-titleholder from beginning to end. He put Wilder down in Rounds 3 and 5 and finally stopped him in Round 7. Fury just never gave Wilder and chance to unload his big right hand. It was a virtuoso performance in a super fight, which made the accomplishment all the more spectacular.
Runner up: Jeison Rosario
FIGHT
Robert Helenius (right) took a giant step forward with his KO of Adam Kownacki. AP Photo / Frank Franklin II
Robert Helenius TKO 4 Adam Kownacki, March 7
Helenius vs. Kownacki was nuts from the opening bell, as most Kownacki fights are. The Polish-American came out firing away, as usual. The thought at that moment: “OK, here we go. How long is Helenius going to be able to survive?” Then, as the fight progressed: “Wait a second, Helenius doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and he’s fighting back.” In Round 4, the Finn put Kownacki down with a right-left combination and then followed with a flurry of hard shots and the fight was stopped. Whew. Crazy. Really fun to watch.
Runner up: Jeison Rosario vs. Julian Williams, Jan. 18
KNOCKOUT
Ryan Garcia (left) is on a knockout roll. Tom Hogan-Hoganphotos / Golden Boy
Ryan Garcia KO 1 Francisco Fonseca, Feb. 4
Tyson Fury’s stoppage of Deontay Wilder was the most important knockout so far. Garcia gave us the most spectacular KO. Garcia, the charismatic 21-year-old lightweight contender, had already generated a great deal of intrigue with two early knockouts in 2019. He simply added to the excitement against the veteran Fonseca. A single left hook relieved the Nicaraguan from his senses and took our breath away only 80 seconds into the fight.
Runner up: Fury KO 7 Wilder
UPSET
Jeison Rosario was overwhelmed when his new championship belts were placed over his shoulders. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Promotions
Jeison Rosario TKO 5 Julian Williams
Williams’ stature going into the Jan. 18 fight was what made Rosario’s thorough victory special. Remember, Williams, the then-junior middleweight titleholder, was coming off a career-defining victory over Jarrett Hurd eight months earlier. He had climbed onto some pound-for-pound lists. And Rosario beat the you-know-what out of him. Rosario hurt Williams about two minutes into Round 5 and followed with a brutal barrage of hard shots that forced the referee to end the fight and give Rosario the title.
Runner up: Robert Helenius TKO 4 Adam Kownacki
COMEBACK
Roman Gonzalez (right) resurrected his career as an elite fighter with his knockout of Kal Yafai. Amanda Westcott / DAZN
Roman Gonzalez
The former No. 1 fighter pound-for-pound had already won back-to-back fights since he lost consecutive bouts to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017, the second loss being a brutal knockout. Still, many had doubts about whether the 32-year-old Nicaraguan remained an elite fighter. He proved against then-unbeaten junior bantamweight titleholder Kal Yafai on Feb. 29 that he has plenty more to give. He gave Yafai a boxing lesson for eight-plus rounds and then stopped him in Round 9. Vintage Gonzalez.
Runner up: Mikey Garcia UD 12 Jessie Vargas, Feb. 29
BREAKOUT
Joseph Diaz Jr. celebrates after outpointing Tevin Farmer to win his first major world title. Michael Reaves / Getty Images
Joseph Diaz Jr.
Diaz, the former U.S. Olympian, had failed in attempts to win a major title and a secondary one, losing a decision to Gary Russell Jr. and then failing to make weight before outpointing Jesus Rojas, which precluded him from winning the belt. Some wondered whether Diaz would ever get over the hump. And then he did. Then-junior lightweight titleholder Tevin Farmer was one of the hottest fighters around yet an inspired Diaz took him to school, winning a decision that wasn’t as close as the cards indicate to finally claim a belt.
Joshua Franco rallied to defeat previous unbeaten Andrew Moloney by a unanimous decision in a 12-round 115-pound fight Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Andrew Moloney dreamed of fighting in the main event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It turned out to be a nightmare.
Joshua Franco pulled off a significant upset Tuesday night on ESPN, rallying from an early deficit to defeat the much-hyped Australian by a close, but unanimous decision in a thrilling 12-round junior bantamweight fight.
They fought for what the WBA calls its “regular” title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. Roman Gonzalez is the WBA champion.
“[It’s] a great feeling,” Franco said. “It still hasn’t hit me yet. It’s surreal. I can’t believe I’m a world champion. I worked so hard for this. I knew the hard work would pay off in the end.”
It certainly paid off in the fight.
Moloney (21-1, 14 KOs) came to the U.S. with the reputation of being an excellent boxer. And he looked the part in the first half of the fight, sticking, moving, pounding Franco to the body to control the early rounds as twin brother and fellow fighter Jason nervously watched from ringside.
The Aussie led on two cards after six rounds (59-55 and 58-56). The third judge had it even (57-57) at that point.
Franco (17-1-2, 8 KOs) entered the fight with the reputation of being a grinder, a tough, fit guy with solid skills who throws a lot of shots. The San Antonio product started slowly but methodically morphed into that punching machine, landing more and more damaging blows as the fight progressed.
He was in charge by Round 10, when Moloney’s face began to look battered and he suffered a cut above his right eye. In Round 11, Franco scored what would be the deciding knockdown, the result of a multi-punch, head-snapping combination that forced Moloney to touch his gloves to the canvas.
The 12th and final round was competitive, leaving the outcome in doubt when the final bell rang to end the best fight of the Top Rank summer series.
The final scores: 115-112, 114-113 and 114-113. Had Moloney not gone down, the two 114-113 scores would’ve 114-114 and the fight would’ve been a majority draw.
When the scores were announced, Franco smiled broadly, thrust his arms in the air, jumped up and down and then gave trainer Robert Garcia a bear hug in celebration. And why not? He had instantly become a major player at 115 pounds.
“I feel little by little I was breaking him down,” Franco said. “I could here him make little noises when I hit him, so I knew little by little I would get to him.”
Maloney was devastated but optimistic afterward.
“It just wasn’t my night tonight,” he said. “This was not the best version of Andrew Moloney, but full credit to Joshua Franco. He deserved to win the title with his effort. He closed the fight strong, like a true champion.”
“I’ll be back. One loss won’t define me.”
In preliminaries, featherweight contender Christopher Diaz (26-2, 16 KOs) of Puerto Rico gave Jason Sanchez (15-2, 8 KOs) of Albuquerque a boxing lesson en route to a clear unanimous decision in a 10-round bout.
Diaz, quick, athletic and skillful, picked Sanchez apart from beginning to end. The Barranquitas product landed consistently from a distance and used his feet to thwart most of Sanchez’s advances.
Sanchez did good work when he got inside and let his hands go but Diaz allowed that to happen infrequently, which assured his victory.
The scores were 98-92, 97-93 and 98-92.
Diaz has won two consecutive fights since losing two out three in 2018 and last year. Masayuki Ito defeated him by a wide decision to win a vacant junior lightweight title and Shakur Stevenson did the same in a 10-round featherweight fight.
Diaz hopes to get another shot at a title soon.
Also, Miguel Contreras (11-0, 6 KOs) of Bakersfield, California outworked Rolando Vargas (5-1, 5 KOs) of Milwaukee to win a unanimous decision in a fast-paced six-round junior welterweight fight. All three judges had it 58-56, four rounds to two.
And, in a six-round heavyweight fight, Helaman Olguin (8-3, 3 KOs) of South Jordan, Utah defeated Adam Stewart (8-1-1, 5 KOs) of Phoenix by a majority decision. The scores were 57-57, 58-56 and 58-56.
Roman Gonzalez might be pricing himself out of an intriguing matchup with Juan Francisco Estrada.
Roman Gonzalez might be pricing himself out of an intriguing matchup with Juan Francisco Estrada.
Gonzalez is asking for $1 million for the fight even amid the coronavirus pandemic, which precludes the possibility of live audiences for the time being. And DAZN, which has deals with both fighters, reportedly is suffering financially.
Fernando Beltran, who promotes Estrada, says Gonzalez’s demand leads him to believe he doesn’t really want to fight his rival again.
“Sometimes it’s easier to say that [he wants an unrealistic payday] than saying that he doesn’t want the fight,” Beltran told ESPN Deportes. “And maybe he forgets the summary of his career in his last five fights.
“We as promoters want to give the public what they want and we take care of the economic conditions of our fighter. The priority here is to say that we are ready, the negotiations will come later.”
Gonzalez (49-2, 41 KOs) and Estrada (40-3, 27 KOs) fought in November 2012, with Gonzalez winning a unanimous decision in a competitive fight. A lot has changed since then.
Some figured Gonzalez, a four-division titleholder and former pound-for-pound king, was finished as an elite fighter when he lost back-to-back fights to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017, the second time by a brutal fourth-round knockout.
However, he rebounded to win three consecutive fights, the last an impressive ninth-round stoppage of then-unbeaten Kal Yafai on Feb. 29.
Meanwhile, Estrada, a two-division champion, has climbed onto some pound-for-pound lists. He’s 14-1 since the Gonzalez fight and avenged his only defeat during that stretch by outpointing Sor Rungvisai in April of last year.
Matchroom Boxing is planning to stage a 115-pound title-unification fight between Roman Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Estrada.
A title-unification showdown between Roman Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Estrada appears to be in the works.
The Athletic reported that Matchroom Boxing plans to stage its first post-lock down show in the United States in July or August. The Gonzalez-Estrada fight, a rematch of their 2012 fight, would take place sometime soon after that on DAZN.
Gonzalez defeated Estrada by a unanimous decision in a surprisingly competitive fight eight years ago, when Gonzalez was an undefeated junior flyweight titleholder and Estrada a less-known, but gifted contender.
A lot has happened since then. Gonzalez lost back-to-back fights to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017, the second loss ending in a brutal knockout. Gonzalez bounced back to regain a junior bantamweight title by stopping Kal Yafai in February but is no longer on pound-for-pound lists.
Estrada (40-3, 27 KOs) is on those lists. The Mexican is 14-1 since he lost to Gonzalez, winning titles in two divisions along the way. He won a 115-pound title by outpointing Sor Rungvisai in their rematch in April of last year.
Sor Rungvisai defeated Estrada by a majority decision in February 2018.
Boxing Junkie takes a look at 28 active stars and gauges their chances of being elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
The International Boxing Hall of Fame changed some of its rules before voting for its Class of 2020.
The retirement threshold was changed from five to three years, meaning a fighter had to be out of boxing for three years. And the number of inductees was no longer limited to three. A fourth or more could win election into the Hall if they’re on at least 80 percent of the ballots.
The result has been a glut of retired fighters who arguably have legitimate Hall of Fame credentials but are in competition with too many equal or more accomplished fighters.
For example, last year, Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley were the top three vote getters. No one else was on at least 80 percent of the ballots. That left fighters like Tim Bradley, Carl Froch and Rafael Marquez, among other noteable candidates, out in the cold.
And with a new group of eligible fighters for 2021, they’re chances of induction dwindle.
With all that in mind, we selected 28 active fighters for whom we believe a case could made they belong in the Hall and tried to gauge their chances of earning the required votes to be inducted.
We break them down on a scale of 1-5, 5 meaning they are almost certain to be inducted and 1 the opposite.
5
Canelo Alvarez (left, against James Kirkland) could retire now and be elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Scott Halleran / Getty Images
Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) – Say what you want about whether he’s currently No. 1 pound-for-pound. The Mexican superstar has been willing to fight everyone – sometimes out of his natural weight class – and he’s lost to only one, Floyd Mayweather, the best fighter of his generation. And Alvarez is still in his prime. He already has Hall of Fame credentials as you read this. He’s only going to add to them from here on out.
Roman Gonzalez (49-2, 41 KOs) – The former No. 1 pound-for-pounder dominated the lowest weight classes like few in modern history. The Nicaraguan not only won titles in four divisions, he did it dominating fashion: 41 knockouts in 49 victories. He hit a bump by losing twice to Srisasket Sor Rungvisai but bounced back to regain a title by stopping Kal Yafai, adding to his legacy at 32.
Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) – The only possible knock on the boxing wizard from Ukraine is a small sample of professional fights. However, the two-time Olympic champion has made the most of his 15 bouts, winning titles in three divisions and beating Gary Russell Jr., Roman Martinez, Nicholas Walters, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Jorge Linares and Luke Campbell. He also climbed to No. 1 on many pound-for-pound lists, which is a plus. And, 32, he’s still rolling.
Manny Pacquiao – Do we really need to discuss it? The Filipino icon has been at the top of the sport for two decades, building one of the richest resumes in modern history and providing countless thrills along the way. He went 6-2-1 against his great Mexican rivals Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez – all Hall of Famers – alone. The list of other notable victims is long. And, remarkably, he’s still going strong at 41.
Gennady Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs) – His middleweight title run was spectacular even if he didn’t face many top-tier opponents. Few wanted to fight him for obvious reasons. Triple-G was champion for more than eight years, during which he had a remarkable streak of 23 consecutive knockouts. That’s crazy. Plus, most people think he beat Canelo Alvarez in their first fight. A victory (instead of a draw) would’ve added considerably to his legacy. All that makes Golovkin a near shoe-in.
***
4
Terence Crawford has passed the eye test many times but still lacks a defining victory on his record. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
Terence Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs) – This is a tough one. On one hand, he has been so dominating that he has won titles in three divisions and reached the pinnacle of the sport as its No. 1 fighter on some pound-for-pound lists. On the other hand, what’s his defining victory? Yuriorkis Gamboa? Viktor Postol? Amir Khan? Ouch. Crawford simply doesn’t have the kind of victories that catch a voter’s eye. Of course, he’ll probably get in even if he never gets that special victory. And, at 32, he still has time to add to his legacy.
Nonito Donaire (40-6, 26 KOs) – Donaire probably clinched his induction with his performance against Naoya Inoue, the Japanese sensation who was pushed to the limit by the Filipino-American. Among Donarie’s credentials: titles in four divisions, huge puncher, spectacular victories over Vic Darchinyan (twice), Moruti Mthalane, Fernando Montiel and Jorge Arce, Fighter of the Year in 2012. Losses to Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nicholas Walters, Jessie Magdaleno and Carl Frampton don’t help but he has probably accomplished enough.
Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) – Fury might get elected if he decided to retire today. One, he’s a two-time heavyweight champion who has proved to be the best heavyweight since Wladimir Klitschko was in his prime. And, two, he has the kind of defining victories that get your attention: a dominating decision over Klitschko and a seventh-round KO of Deontay Wilder. He also has one of the better comeback stories in recent history, which doesn’t hurt. Why isn’t he a 5 here? He doesn’t have much beyond the Klitschko and Wilder victories. Another win over Wilder and one or two over Joshua would make him a legend.
Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs) – Few fighters have reached his level of respect – which means a lot – but he probably needs more time. He has only 19 fights. Like Lomachenko, though, he’s crammed a lot into a relatively small sample. He’s already won titles in three divisions and has generally done it in spectacular fashion. Great athlete, great boxer, great power. He has it all. He didn’t look great against Donaire but he fought through injuries against a naturally bigger veteran to have his hand raised. That arguably added to his legacy.
Mikey Garcia (40-1, 30 KOs) – Garcia didn’t do himself any favors by agreeing to fight Errol Spence Jr., who shut him out, but his willingness to challenge himself against a bigger man, especially one as talented as Spence, was laudable. A close look at Garcia’s resume reveals solid credentials: titles in four divisions, victories over the likes of Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, Roman Martinez, Adrien Broner and Robert Easter. A title in a fifth division and a few more big victories could be enough to get him over the hump.
Okelsandr Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) – The gifted Ukrainian might get in regardless of how he fares as a heavyweight. He won an Olympic gold medal in 2012 and was the best cruiserweight of his era, with victories over Krzysztof Glowacki, Marco Huck, Mairis Briedis, Murat Gassiev and Tony Bellew. That’s impressive stuff. And who knows? He might succeed as a heavyweight. If he wins a title or even records some notable victories, that could clinch his election to the Hall of Fame. The fact he has relatively few fights could work against him.
***
3
Juan Francisco Estrada (center) is still on top of his game and adding to his legacy. Dale de la Rey / AFP via Getty Images
Juan Francisco Estrada (40-3, 27 KOs) – Estrada is still building a Hall of Fame career. At the moment, he has titles in two divisions and has beaten Brian Viloria, Milan Melindo, Giovani Segura, Carlos Cuadras and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (after losing to him earlier). And he gave a prime Roman Gonzalez problems in defeat. He probably hasn’t done enough to win election but, at 30, the Mexican remains at the top of his game. He could fight both Sor Rungvisai and Gonzalez again. Victories over those beasts and perhaps a few more could put him over the top.
Kazuto Ioka (25-2, 14 KOs) – Ioka is an under-the-radar candidate with solid Hall of Fame credentials. He has won titles in two divisions (four if count the ridiculous WBA “regular” title) and has beaten many of the best little men of his era, including Akira Yaegashi, Amnat Ruenroeng, Juan Carlos Reveco (twice) and McWilliams Arroyo. And, at 31, he currently holds a junior bantamweight title and could have more important victories in his future.
Anthony Joshua (23-1) – Joshua seemed to be on his way to first-ballot entry in the Hall of Fame when he ran into a chubby Mexican-American named Andy Ruiz Jr., who stopped him in seven rounds. Joshua bounced back to outpoint Ruiz in the rematch but he isn’t seen quite the same way after the initial setback. Joshua has victories over Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin, which is impressive. And he’s only 30. If he faces Tyson Fury and beats him, people will forget all about the Ruiz debacle and he’ll march triumphantly into the Hall. Another Ruiz-like setback or a blowout loss to Fury could have the opposite effect.
Leo Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) – Santa Cruz could be on his way but he has more work to do. He has won titles in three divisions, beating the likes of Eric Morel, Viktor Terrazas, Abner Mares (twice) and Carl Frampton (after losing their first fight) along the way. He needs to do more than that, though. A title in another division and a victory or two over potential opponents like Gervonta Davis and Gary Russell Jr. could put him over the top.
Guillermo Rigondeux (20-1, 13 KOs) – Laszlo Papp was a great amateur fighter who didn’t have a great pro career. Still, he’s in the Hall of Fame. That bodes well for Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic champion. And the sublimely gifted Cuban has had a good pro career. He’s a former junior featherweight titleholder with victories over the likes of Nonito Donaire and Joseph Agbeko. He was KO’d by Vasiliy Lomachenko but should be applauded for moving up in weight to face such an opponent. Rigo might need one or two more notable wins to get in. He’s 39.
Errol Spence Jr. (26-0, 21 KOs) –Spence is a Hall of Famer in the making. He has been a welterweight titleholder for three years, has victories over Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, Mikey Garcia and Shawn Porter, and has climbed onto pound-for-pound lists. Yet, even at 30, his best might be yet to come if he has fully recovered from his car accident in October. He could prove to be a 4 or 5 here in the coming years.
Deontay Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) – Another tough one. On one hand, he was undefeated the first 11-plus years of his career, reigned as heavyweight champion for more than five years and knocked out all but one of men he faced. That was a special run. On the other hand, his skill set has always been questioned and the knockout loss to Tyson Fury looked bad, as if Wilder’s limitations were finally exposed. Consider this, though: It took a special heavyweight to do it. And, of course, he’s not finished. He can still add to legacy. The feeling here is that he will get into the Hall.
***
2
Danny Garcia (coming off a victory over Ivan Redkach, right) is a borderline Hall of Famer but still young enough to improve his credentials. AP Photo / Frank Franklin II
Danny Garcia – The two-division titleholder is just a few points away from a 40-0 record and no-brainer Hall of Fame status but, in fact, he lost close decisions to Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter. And his fate remains up in the air. He had an underappreciated run early in his career. He beat, in order, Nate Campbell, Kendall Holt, Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Morales again, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse, Mauricio Herrera, Rod Salka, Lamont Peterson, Pauli Malignaggi and Robert Guerrero. Who does that? And he’s not finished. If he can win a few more big fights, maybe regain a belt, he could get in.
Erislandy Lara (26-3-3, 15 KOs) – The ability is there. The resume might not be, in part because of bad luck. The one-time amateur star from Cuba has some impressive victories – Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout, Ishe Smith, Vanes Martirosyan and Terrell Gausha. His setbacks are more notable – Paul Williams (MD), Canelo Alvarez (SD), Jarrett Hurd (SD). Here’s the thing, though: Lara arguably did enough to win all three of those fights. Imagine what impact victories over Williams and Alvarez would’ve had on his legacy. As it is, Lara is a borderline Hall of Famer at best.
Jean Pascal (35-6-1, 20 KOs) – Pascal probably had little chance of election to the Hall going into 2019. He had had mixed results in recent fights and was approaching his late 30s. Then, last year, he beat Marcus Browne and Badou Jack. Add those late-career victories to wins over Chad Dawson and Lucian Bute, as well as a draw and close loss to Bernard Hopkins, and one could argue Pascal deserves consideration. Losses to Sergey Kovalev (twice), Eleider Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol don’t help his cause. Maybe he needs one or two more significant wins to get in. He better work fast. He’s 37.
Gary Russell Jr. (31-1, 18 KOs) – Russell has Hall of Fame ability but perhaps not the resume. He is currently one of the longest reigning titleholders – having been a titleholder for five years – and has some memorable victories, including those over Jhonny Gonzalez, Oscar Escandon, Joseph Diaz Jr., Kiko Martinez and, most recently, Tugstsogt Nyambayar. On the downside, he has been more inactive than most champions and still doesn’t have a defining victory. Russell, 31, is still near the top of his game. He needs to make the most of his ability while he can.
Keith Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) – Thurman has a strong record, with a long reign as a welterweight titleholder and victories over Diego Chaves, Julio Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Luis Collazo, Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia. Those are solid credentials. The problem is that Thurman has struggled with injuries the past several years, had a so-so performance in a victory over Josesito Lopez in a comeback fight and then lost to 40-year-old Manny Pacquiao. Whether he can return to full health and win more big fights could determine his fate.
Shawn Porter (30-3-1, 17 KOs) – Porter is roughly in the same class as rivals Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman. He has been a major player for about a decade, is a two-time welterweight titleholder and has collected a number of important wins, including those over Julio Diaz, Devon Alexander, Paulie Malignaggi, Adrien Broner, Andre Berto, Garcia and Yordenis Ugas. And he’s never been blown out. He could’ve had his hand raised in his losses to Kell Brook, Thurman and Errol Spence Jr. His setback against Spence in a wild fight certainly didn’t hurt his legacy.
***
1
Sergey Kovalev has had some fine performances but might not have the resume to enter the Hall of Fame. AP Photo / Anton Basanaev
Sergey Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KOs) – The best we can say here is that “Krusher” is probably underappreciated. He has some notable victories – Bernard Hopkins and Pascal (twice), for example. And some people thought he beat Andre Ward in their first fight, which will work in his favor. He also was high on pound-for-pound lists. Things went downhill beginning with the second Ward fight, in which he was stopped. He was KO’d by Eleider Alvarez, although he won the rematch. And Canelo Alvarez took him out. He’s borderline in the old system. In the new one, he could miss out.
Abner Mares (31-3-1, 15 KOs) – Mares probably has better credentials than some might think. He’s won titles in three divisions and has beaten such fighters as Vic Darchinyan, Joseph Agbeko (twice), Eric Morel, Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce de Leon. That’s a nice run. He also was stopped in one round by Jhonny Gonzalez and has two losses against Leo Santa Cruz. Mares is probably on the outside looking in at the moment. And recent comments by him seem to indicate that he won’t be around much longer.
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (47-5-1, 41 KOs) – The two-time junior bantamweight titleholder is an interesting case. He has two huge victories over Roman Gonzalez, the second a brutal knockout. He’ll probably be remembered for those fights. And he is 1-1 against Juan Francisco Estrada. His knockout percentage also is eye-catching. That said, he has relatively few important victories compared to some of his contemporaries. And some believe Sor Rungvisai caught Gonzalez on the decline. At 33, he has more in the tank and some big fights ahead of him. Perhaps two or three more notable victories will win over voters.
Moruti Mthalane (39-2, 26 KOs) – One of the best African fighters of his era has had two reigns as flyweight champ that total around six years, which is impressive. He also has wins over Zolani Tete, John Riel Casimero and, in his last fight, Akira Yaegashi in defense of his 112-pound title. Has he done enough? He’s borderline at best. He’d have to extend his reign and record one or two more big victories to have a chance. He’s 37.
Trainer Eddy Reynoso wants flyweight titleholder Julio Cesar Martinez to unify at 112 pounds and then move up to 115.
Is flyweight titleholder Julio Cesar Martinez a threat to Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez at junior bantamweight? His trainer, Eddy Reynoso, thinks so.
Martinez, an under-the-radar little man from Mexico, appeared to win a 112-pound title last August when he stopped Charlie Edwards in three rounds only to have the result declared a no-contest because he punched Edwards while he was down.
No problem. Martinez (16-1, 12 KOs) scored a ninth-round knockout of Cristofer Rosales four months later to win the vacant championship and successfully defended against Jay Harris in February.
Reynoso would like to see his 25-year-old protege unify against either Moruti Mthalane or Kosei Tanaka at 112 pounds and then move up to 115.
Julio Cesar Martinez earned a unanimous-decision victory over Jay Harris in the first defense of his flyweight title. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing USA
In Reynoso’s opinion, the sky is the limit with Martinez.
“He’s very disciplined,” Reynoso said in the second episode of Matchroom Boxing’s Spanish-language series “Peleamundo.” “He shows all the characteristics of a typical Mexican fighter. He likes to fight. He likes to train and more than anything, he’s a star.
“In such few fights he’s already won a world championship and I believe if he keeps on the same path, he’s going to do great things because he’s a good fighter who’s very fond of learning, he’s very technical. He’s there. He’s a great champion.
Reynoso went on: “He’s charismatic, he’s brave, he’s a very strong fighter for the division. He has lots of endurance. He’s not scared. Whatever fight you put him in, he’ll fight. He’s different than the other fighters. He has a few things to learn, but we’re going to vary the training to get him more technically sound fight by fight.”
Reynoso also likes Martinez’s demeanor.
“He’s always laughing and smiling,” he said. “He turns the fights into like a circus. He’s very positive. You never see him angry. He’s a very hard working, smiling, laughing, positive fighter.”
And, Reynoso added, Martinez is just getting started.
“We’re going to keep him at flyweight and try to defend and unify with Tanaka or Mthalane,” he said. “… We’re getting harder fights little by little. We’ll move up to 115 pounds to fight Estrada, [Carlos] Cuadras, Chocolatito, there’s so many good fighters. And I believe it’s step by step. We’ll keep him at featherweight then move up to super featherweight.”
The second episode of “Peleamundo” will hit Matchroom’s YouTube channel on Sunday. Welterweight contender Jessie Vargas is the host.
Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez gave their thoughts on a prospective showdown during the first episode of “Peleamundo.”
Juan Francisco Estrada surprised many people when he gave Roman Gonzalez spirited resistance in 2012, losing a decision in his first title fight.
A lot has happened since then.
Estrada has won titles in two divisions and gained recognition as one of the best fighters in the world. He’s No. 9 on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list. Gonzalez, once No. 1 worldwide, lost back-to-back fights to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017 – the second time by brutal knockout – but is coming off a sensational KO of Kal Yafai in February.
Now Estrada (40-3, 27 KOs) and Gonzalez (49-2, 41 KOs) appear to be headed toward a title-unification rematch. The fighters gave their thoughts on the prospective showdown during the first episode of “Peleamundo,” Mathroom Boxing’s new YouTube show. Welterweight contender Jessie Vargas is the host.
“I’ve had three losses and I’ve avenged two of them,” said Estrada, who last year regained the 115-pound title he lost to Sor Rungvisai in 2018. “I haven’t been able to avenge my loss to Gonzalez yet because we never fought again, but hopefully this time around, I will win, and that loss will be avenged as well.
“I’m the champ. I have a lot of respect for him. It’s a big fight and we both deserve big purses.
Everything looks and sound good but it’s all about the money. We’re friends and both fighting for our families. I want to unify if I’m given the opportunity. I’ll fight whatever opponent is available. I know there will be some good fights made by the promoters.
“I don’t know Yafai personally, however I do know Roman, and he’s a great champion. I know he had a lot of support from the people of Nicaragua. I was happy for him because he’s such a humble person. Without a doubt I was with Roman Gonzalez in that fight.
“It’s been eight years [since the first fight] and I’m very excited for this fight. I believe the people really want to see it as well. I’m a great fighter. It’s going to be a great show. It’s going to be a better and bigger fight than the bigger weight classes.”
Said Gonzalez: “I’m a lion in the ring. We put in the work to win but after we can be friends, and everything will go back to normal. It’s going to be a very good fight. Everyone talks before the fight but all that matters is the day of the fight.
“We both need to just demonstrate to the public that the lighter weight divisions can put on a good show. We’re the ones carrying boxing right now, the smaller weight classes, and if I fight Estrada, it’s going to be historical.”
