Tag: Roman Gonzalez

Pound for pound: Does No. 2 Naoya Inoue overtake No. 1 Terence Crawford?

Pound for pound: Did No. 2 Naoya Inoue overtake No. 1 Terence Crawford on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list?

No. 1 Terence Crawford and No. 2 Naoya Inoue delivered spectacular knockouts over the past four days.

Crawford withstood a spirited effort from David Avanesyan to stop the Russian with a devastating one-two in six rounds Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska. Today in Japan Inoue caught up with a skittish Paul Butler to put him away in 11, a brutal fate that started with one of many punishing body shots.

Was there anything about their performances that warranted shaking up the top of Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list? No.

A change might’ve been inevitable had Avanesyan exposed chinks in Crawford’s armor or Inoue turned in a performance substantially more dominating than that of Crawford. However, neither of those things occurred.

Thus, Crawford and Inoue hold their positions … for now.

Crawford is 35. The beginnings of decline are around the corner. And an elusive meeting with No. 4 Errol Spence Jr. could still take place next year. That would be a dangerous meeting for both men.

Inoue is only 29, meaning he has more good years ahead. However, a fighter who began as a 108-pounder a decade ago has said he will give up his undisputed 118-pound championship to move up to 122 for his next fight.

Waiting for him there is Stephen Fulton, an excellent boxer and naturally bigger man. That could be difficult matchup for Inoue.

Stay tuned.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 10 Gervonta Davis will face Hector Garcia on Jan. 7.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – No fight scheduled.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  5. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  6. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  7. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  8. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  9. Jermell Charlo – Scheduled to defend his undisputed junior middleweight championship against Tim Tszyu on Jan. 28 in Las Vegas.
  10. Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to fight Hector Garcia on Jan. 7 in Washington, D.C.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Reportedly in talks to challenge undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney but no official announcement has been made.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his light heavyweight titles against Anthony Yarde on Jan. 28 in London.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Reportedly in talks to defend his undisputed lightweight championship against Vasiliy Lomachenko but no official announcement has been made..

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (reportedly has reached an agreement to fight Caleb Plant early next year but no official announcement has been made); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to face Joshua Franco in a junior bantamweight title-unification bout on New Year’s Eve in Tokyo); Josh Taylor (scheduled to defend his WBO junior welterweight title in a rematch with Jack Catterall on Feb. 4 in Glasgow, Scotland).

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Pound for pound: Does No. 2 Naoya Inoue overtake No. 1 Terence Crawford?

Pound for pound: Did No. 2 Naoya Inoue overtake No. 1 Terence Crawford on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list?

No. 1 Terence Crawford and No. 2 Naoya Inoue delivered spectacular knockouts over the past four days.

Crawford withstood a spirited effort from David Avanesyan to stop the Russian with a devastating one-two in six rounds Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska. Today in Japan Inoue caught up with a skittish Paul Butler to put him away in 11, a brutal fate that started with one of many punishing body shots.

Was there anything about their performances that warranted shaking up the top of Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list? No.

A change might’ve been inevitable had Avanesyan exposed chinks in Crawford’s armor or Inoue turned in a performance substantially more dominating than that of Crawford. However, neither of those things occurred.

Thus, Crawford and Inoue hold their positions … for now.

Crawford is 35. The beginnings of decline are around the corner. And an elusive meeting with No. 4 Errol Spence Jr. could still take place next year. That would be a dangerous meeting for both men.

Inoue is only 29, meaning he has more good years ahead. However, a fighter who began as a 108-pounder a decade ago has said he will give up his undisputed 118-pound championship to move up to 122 for his next fight.

Waiting for him there is Stephen Fulton, an excellent boxer and naturally bigger man. That could be difficult matchup for Inoue.

Stay tuned.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 10 Gervonta Davis will face Hector Garcia on Jan. 7.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – No fight scheduled.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  5. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  6. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  7. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  8. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  9. Jermell Charlo – Scheduled to defend his undisputed junior middleweight championship against Tim Tszyu on Jan. 28 in Las Vegas.
  10. Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to fight Hector Garcia on Jan. 7 in Washington, D.C.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Reportedly in talks to challenge undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney but no official announcement has been made.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his light heavyweight titles against Anthony Yarde on Jan. 28 in London.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Reportedly in talks to defend his undisputed lightweight championship against Vasiliy Lomachenko but no official announcement has been made..

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (reportedly has reached an agreement to fight Caleb Plant early next year but no official announcement has been made); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to face Joshua Franco in a junior bantamweight title-unification bout on New Year’s Eve in Tokyo); Josh Taylor (scheduled to defend his WBO junior welterweight title in a rematch with Jack Catterall on Feb. 4 in Glasgow, Scotland).

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Pound for pound: Has Juan Francisco Estrada supplanted Canelo Alvarez as top Mexican fighter?

The question now might be: Who is the best active Mexican boxer? The answer has been obvious in recent years. Canelo Alvarez has been both the most-accomplished fighter from his country and arguably the face of the sport. Now? Well, we it’s not so …

The question now might be: Who is the best active Mexican boxer?

The answer has been obvious in recent years. Canelo Alvarez has been both the most-accomplished fighter from his country and arguably the face of the sport.

Now? Well, we it’s not so clear.

Juan Francisco Estrada defeated an all-time great in Roman Gonzalez a second time on Saturday, this time more convincingly than their second meeting in March of last year.

He went into the fight on Saturday at No. 8 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-list, one spot below Alvarez.

Meanwhile, Alvarez is coming off the worst year of his career since he lost a wide decision to Floyd Mayweather in 2013. He lost a clear decision to Dmitry Bivol in May, which cost him his No. 1 position on many pound-for-pound lists. And he gave a so-so performance in a unanimous-decision victory over 40-year-old rival Gennadiy Golovkin in September.

Obviously, the future Hall of Famer’s hasn’t been in his best form.

He attributed that in part to the fact he had been fighting with an injured left wrist, which was surgically repaired in October and on the mend. Still, the fact is he hasn’t looked good.

Critics of Estrada will point on that most observers thought “Chocolatito” deserved the decision in the fight last year. And Estrada looked flat in his unanimous-decision victory over Argi Cortes in September. Also, it’s fair to ask whether Gonzalez has declined — even just a bit — at 35.

So where does that leave us?

The bottom line is that when Estrada was faced with a significant challenge, he emerged victorious. Alvarez didn’t. Alvarez remains the most-accomplished boxer in the world but Estrada arguably is better at this moment.

Thus, Estrada and Alvarez switch places, Estrada moving to No. 7, Alvarez to No. 8.

Of course, they could be repositioned again. Alvarez is expected to fight Bivol a second time, perhaps in September. If he wins, an argument can be made that he should rise again. And there has been talk of a fourth Estrada-Gonzalez fight.

So stay tuned on the battle for Mexican supremacy.

That’s not all, as this is a busy time for pound-for-pounders. Our Nos. 1 and 2 fighters are in action in the next few days, Terence Crawford against David Avanesyan on Saturday and Naoya Inoue against Paul Butler on Tuesday. And No. 10 Gervonta Davis will face Hector Garcia on Jan. 7.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – Scheduled to defend his WBO welterweight title against David Avanesyan on Dec. 10  in Omaha, Nebraska.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to meet fellow titleholder Paul Butler for the undisputed bantamweight championship on Dec. 13 in Tokyo.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – No fight scheduled.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  5. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  6. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  7. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  8. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  9. Jermell Charlo – Reportedly has reached an agreement to defend his undisputed junior middleweight championship against Tim Tszyu on Jan. 28 but no official announcement has been made.
  10. Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to fight Hector Garcia on Jan. 7 in Washington, D.C.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Reportedly in talks to challenge undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney but no official announcement has been made.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his light heavyweight titles against Anthony Yarde on Jan. 28 in London.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Reportedly in talks to defend his undisputed lightweight championship against Vasiliy Lomachenko but no official announcement has been made..

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (reportedly has reached an agreement to fight Caleb Plant early next year but no official announcement has been made); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to face Joshua Franco in a junior bantamweight title-unification bout on New Year’s Eve in Tokyo); Josh Taylor (scheduled to defend his WBO junior welterweight title in a rematch with Jack Catterall on Feb. 4 in Glasgow, Scotland).

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Pound for pound: Has Juan Francisco Estrada supplanted Canelo Alvarez as top Mexican fighter?

The question now might be: Who is the best active Mexican boxer? The answer has been obvious in recent years. Canelo Alvarez has been both the most-accomplished fighter from his country and arguably the face of the sport. Now? Well, we it’s not so …

The question now might be: Who is the best active Mexican boxer?

The answer has been obvious in recent years. Canelo Alvarez has been both the most-accomplished fighter from his country and arguably the face of the sport.

Now? Well, we it’s not so clear.

Juan Francisco Estrada defeated an all-time great in Roman Gonzalez a second time on Saturday, this time more convincingly than their second meeting in March of last year.

He went into the fight on Saturday at No. 8 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-list, one spot below Alvarez.

Meanwhile, Alvarez is coming off the worst year of his career since he lost a wide decision to Floyd Mayweather in 2013. He lost a clear decision to Dmitry Bivol in May, which cost him his No. 1 position on many pound-for-pound lists. And he gave a so-so performance in a unanimous-decision victory over 40-year-old rival Gennadiy Golovkin in September.

Obviously, the future Hall of Famer’s hasn’t been in his best form.

He attributed that in part to the fact he had been fighting with an injured left wrist, which was surgically repaired in October and on the mend. Still, the fact is he hasn’t looked good.

Critics of Estrada will point on that most observers thought “Chocolatito” deserved the decision in the fight last year. And Estrada looked flat in his unanimous-decision victory over Argi Cortes in September. Also, it’s fair to ask whether Gonzalez has declined — even just a bit — at 35.

So where does that leave us?

The bottom line is that when Estrada was faced with a significant challenge, he emerged victorious. Alvarez didn’t. Alvarez remains the most-accomplished boxer in the world but Estrada arguably is better at this moment.

Thus, Estrada and Alvarez switch places, Estrada moving to No. 7, Alvarez to No. 8.

Of course, they could be repositioned again. Alvarez is expected to fight Bivol a second time, perhaps in September. If he wins, an argument can be made that he should rise again. And there has been talk of a fourth Estrada-Gonzalez fight.

So stay tuned on the battle for Mexican supremacy.

That’s not all, as this is a busy time for pound-for-pounders. Our Nos. 1 and 2 fighters are in action in the next few days, Terence Crawford against David Avanesyan on Saturday and Naoya Inoue against Paul Butler on Tuesday. And No. 10 Gervonta Davis will face Hector Garcia on Jan. 7.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – Scheduled to defend his WBO welterweight title against David Avanesyan on Dec. 10  in Omaha, Nebraska.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to meet fellow titleholder Paul Butler for the undisputed bantamweight championship on Dec. 13 in Tokyo.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – No fight scheduled.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  5. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  6. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  7. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  8. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  9. Jermell Charlo – Reportedly has reached an agreement to defend his undisputed junior middleweight championship against Tim Tszyu on Jan. 28 but no official announcement has been made.
  10. Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to fight Hector Garcia on Jan. 7 in Washington, D.C.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Reportedly in talks to challenge undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney but no official announcement has been made.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his light heavyweight titles against Anthony Yarde on Jan. 28 in London.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Reportedly in talks to defend his undisputed lightweight championship against Vasiliy Lomachenko but no official announcement has been made..

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (reportedly has reached an agreement to fight Caleb Plant early next year but no official announcement has been made); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to face Joshua Franco in a junior bantamweight title-unification bout on New Year’s Eve in Tokyo); Josh Taylor (scheduled to defend his WBO junior welterweight title in a rematch with Jack Catterall on Feb. 4 in Glasgow, Scotland).

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Weekend Review: Juan Francisco Estrada makes history, Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk next

Weekend Review: Juan Francisco Estrada made history, Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk next,

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER

Juan Francisco Estrada defeated Roman Gonzalez a second time. Christian Petersen / Getty Images

Juan Francisco Estrada – Take a minute a think about what the Mexican star has accomplished. Roman Gonzalez is considered one of the best lighter weight fighters of all time and Estrada beat him in two out of three meetings. OK, the second fight was a disputed decision. And Estrada’s majority-decision victory on Saturday also was tight. The fact is Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) has fought “Chocolatito” on at least even terms two times after losing their first fight when he was relatively inexperienced. Gonzalez deserves all the accolades he receives. So does Estrada, a special all-around fighter and future Hall of Famer. He demonstrated that once again on Saturday, surging to an early lead and then holding off a fierce rally from his rival to have his hand raised once again. Only a great fighter could’ve weathered that storm and emerged victorious.

 

BIGGEST WINNER II

Tyson Fury – Forget Fury’s 10th-round stoppage of pathetically overmatched Derek Chisora in their third fight Saturday in London. That was a combination workout and showcase for the WBC heavyweight titleholder, who drew 60,000 to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And, oh yeah, he walked away with another eight-figure payday. That makes him a winner right there. However, it gets better. The fight Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) and every boxing fan on the planet wants is now on the horizon. It became obvious at the moment that Fury and Oleksandr Usyk stood nose-to-nose on the ring apron after the fight Saturday that they intend to meet next year for the undisputed championship. I don’t see how Usyk, a former cruiserweight, can beat a huge man with Fury’s ability but everyone will be a winner if they can make the ultimate heavyweight fight happen.

 

BIGGEST LOSER

Roman Gonzalez – Imagine fighting as well as “Chocolatito” did in two fights with his arch rival and coming up short both times. That’s his reality. Most observers thought he deserved the nod in their second fight, in March of last year. And the judge who scored Saturday’s fight a draw might’ve had the best tally. That’s why the two setbacks will be hard for Gonzalez (51-4, 41 KOs) to swallow. Of course, he must blame the guy in the mirror for the most recent result. He lost the first five rounds on two scorecards and four on the third, meaning he didn’t start fighting in earnest until Round 6. A fighter can’t give away that many rounds and expect to get the nod. He might’ve been preserving energy for a late rush because of his age, 35. That would make sense. Nevertheless, no one can complain about losing a close decision under those circumstances.

 

MOST FORTUNATE

Derek Chisora – The veteran contender was fortunate in more than one way. One, he should be grateful that he was given the opportunity to take home a seven-figure payday. Fury selected him as his opponent in part because he knew the popular Chisora (33-13, 23 KOs) would sell tickets and generate pay-per-view revenue. He didn’t earn the chance, though. He was 1-3 in his previous four fights. And, two, he was fortunate that he walked out of the ring under his own power. He took the kind of prolonged beating that sometimes results in tragedies. Chisora acknowledged that he had entered the danger zone when he thanked the ref for stopping the fight afterward. How often does that happen? Chisora, 38, has had a long, productive career. It couldn’t be more clear that it’s time for him to move on to the next phase of his life.

 

MOST DEBATABLE?

Estrada-Gonzalez scoring – The 115-113 (Dennis O’Connell) and 114-114 (Chris Tellez) cards seem to reflect what happened in the ring in what turned out to be a close fight. 116-112 (Tim Cheatham)? That score is debatable. Cheatham gave Estrada four of the first five rounds and the 12th, which was acceptable. However, he also gave the winner three of the six rounds that Gonzalez dominated (6-11) to make it eight rounds to four for Estrada, which doesn’t make as much sense. Cheatham probably didn’t have his best night as a judge. However, the bottom line is that there is no great controversy. I scored it 115-113 for Estrada. So, in my opinion, the right man had his hand raised.

 

FASTEST TURN AROUND

Daniel Dubois – The young contender’s future as a relevant heavyweight seemed to be in the balance when he went down three times in the first round against Kevin Lerena on the Fury-Chisora card. Two rounds later he had his hand raised after putting Lerena down twice and then stopping him. The opening round was bizarre. Lerena (28-2, 14 KOs) put Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs) down and hurt him with a punch to the top of the head. Dubois was able to get up and continue. However, evidently still shaky, he intentionally went down two more times in an effort to fully recover. It appeared he might be finished as a rising star at that moment, particularly after his knockout loss to Joe Joyce 2020. Well, Dubois had other ideas. He did recover and then stormed back, overwhelming the former cruiserweight to turn defeat into a satisfying victory at the end of Round 3. I wonder about Dubois’ punch resistence but his determination can’t be questioned.

 

MOST BIZZARE

Samuel Carmona – The 2016 Olympian from Spain boxed well for a few rounds against flyweight titleholder Julio Cesar Martinez on the Estrada-Gonzalez card, demonstrating his skill set and athleticism. Then he injured his right hand, at which point a fight became a track meet. Carmona must’ve run a marathon in the ring to protect the hand. He threw lefts here and there but almost no rights. His trainer implored him to get busier if he hoped to win his first title shot but the advice fell on deaf ears, at least until he stood his ground a bit more in final few rounds. Carmona (8-1, 4 KOs) lost a majority decision. Could he have won? Possibly. Jabbing incessantly, moving and just touching Martinez (19-2, 14 KOs) with his right hand occasionally might’ve done the trick. Instead, he did next to nothing for most of the fight and it cost him.

Weekend Review: Juan Francisco Estrada makes history, Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk next

Weekend Review: Juan Francisco Estrada made history, Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk next,

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER

Juan Francisco Estrada defeated Roman Gonzalez a second time. Christian Petersen / Getty Images

Juan Francisco Estrada – Take a minute a think about what the Mexican star has accomplished. Roman Gonzalez is considered one of the best lighter weight fighters of all time and Estrada beat him in two out of three meetings. OK, the second fight was a disputed decision. And Estrada’s majority-decision victory on Saturday also was tight. The fact is Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) has fought “Chocolatito” on at least even terms two times after losing their first fight when he was relatively inexperienced. Gonzalez deserves all the accolades he receives. So does Estrada, a special all-around fighter and future Hall of Famer. He demonstrated that once again on Saturday, surging to an early lead and then holding off a fierce rally from his rival to have his hand raised once again. Only a great fighter could’ve weathered that storm and emerged victorious.

 

BIGGEST WINNER II

Tyson Fury – Forget Fury’s 10th-round stoppage of pathetically overmatched Derek Chisora in their third fight Saturday in London. That was a combination workout and showcase for the WBC heavyweight titleholder, who drew 60,000 to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And, oh yeah, he walked away with another eight-figure payday. That makes him a winner right there. However, it gets better. The fight Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) and every boxing fan on the planet wants is now on the horizon. It became obvious at the moment that Fury and Oleksandr Usyk stood nose-to-nose on the ring apron after the fight Saturday that they intend to meet next year for the undisputed championship. I don’t see how Usyk, a former cruiserweight, can beat a huge man with Fury’s ability but everyone will be a winner if they can make the ultimate heavyweight fight happen.

 

BIGGEST LOSER

Roman Gonzalez – Imagine fighting as well as “Chocolatito” did in two fights with his arch rival and coming up short both times. That’s his reality. Most observers thought he deserved the nod in their second fight, in March of last year. And the judge who scored Saturday’s fight a draw might’ve had the best tally. That’s why the two setbacks will be hard for Gonzalez (51-4, 41 KOs) to swallow. Of course, he must blame the guy in the mirror for the most recent result. He lost the first five rounds on two scorecards and four on the third, meaning he didn’t start fighting in earnest until Round 6. A fighter can’t give away that many rounds and expect to get the nod. He might’ve been preserving energy for a late rush because of his age, 35. That would make sense. Nevertheless, no one can complain about losing a close decision under those circumstances.

 

MOST FORTUNATE

Derek Chisora – The veteran contender was fortunate in more than one way. One, he should be grateful that he was given the opportunity to take home a seven-figure payday. Fury selected him as his opponent in part because he knew the popular Chisora (33-13, 23 KOs) would sell tickets and generate pay-per-view revenue. He didn’t earn the chance, though. He was 1-3 in his previous four fights. And, two, he was fortunate that he walked out of the ring under his own power. He took the kind of prolonged beating that sometimes results in tragedies. Chisora acknowledged that he had entered the danger zone when he thanked the ref for stopping the fight afterward. How often does that happen? Chisora, 38, has had a long, productive career. It couldn’t be more clear that it’s time for him to move on to the next phase of his life.

 

MOST DEBATABLE?

Estrada-Gonzalez scoring – The 115-113 (Dennis O’Connell) and 114-114 (Chris Tellez) cards seem to reflect what happened in the ring in what turned out to be a close fight. 116-112 (Tim Cheatham)? That score is debatable. Cheatham gave Estrada four of the first five rounds and the 12th, which was acceptable. However, he also gave the winner three of the six rounds that Gonzalez dominated (6-11) to make it eight rounds to four for Estrada, which doesn’t make as much sense. Cheatham probably didn’t have his best night as a judge. However, the bottom line is that there is no great controversy. I scored it 115-113 for Estrada. So, in my opinion, the right man had his hand raised.

 

FASTEST TURN AROUND

Daniel Dubois – The young contender’s future as a relevant heavyweight seemed to be in the balance when he went down three times in the first round against Kevin Lerena on the Fury-Chisora card. Two rounds later he had his hand raised after putting Lerena down twice and then stopping him. The opening round was bizarre. Lerena (28-2, 14 KOs) put Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs) down and hurt him with a punch to the top of the head. Dubois was able to get up and continue. However, evidently still shaky, he intentionally went down two more times in an effort to fully recover. It appeared he might be finished as a rising star at that moment, particularly after his knockout loss to Joe Joyce 2020. Well, Dubois had other ideas. He did recover and then stormed back, overwhelming the former cruiserweight to turn defeat into a satisfying victory at the end of Round 3. I wonder about Dubois’ punch resistence but his determination can’t be questioned.

 

MOST BIZZARE

Samuel Carmona – The 2016 Olympian from Spain boxed well for a few rounds against flyweight titleholder Julio Cesar Martinez on the Estrada-Gonzalez card, demonstrating his skill set and athleticism. Then he injured his right hand, at which point a fight became a track meet. Carmona must’ve run a marathon in the ring to protect the hand. He threw lefts here and there but almost no rights. His trainer implored him to get busier if he hoped to win his first title shot but the advice fell on deaf ears, at least until he stood his ground a bit more in final few rounds. Carmona (8-1, 4 KOs) lost a majority decision. Could he have won? Possibly. Jabbing incessantly, moving and just touching Martinez (19-2, 14 KOs) with his right hand occasionally might’ve done the trick. Instead, he did next to nothing for most of the fight and it cost him.

Photos: Juan Francisco Estrada outpoints Roman Gonzalez in third fight

Photos: Juan Francisco Estrada outpointed Roman Gonzalez in their third fight Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.

Juan Francisco Estrada defeated Roman Gonzalez by a majority decision in their third fight to win the vacant WBC 115-pound title Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Here are images from the fight. All photos by Christian Petersen of Getty Images.

Juan Francisco Estrada survives rally from Roman Gonzalez to win rubber match

Juan Francisco Estrada survived a rally from Roman Gonzalez to win the rubber match in their trilogy Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.

A fourth fight might be warranted.

Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez gave fans another gem Saturday night at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, with Estrada winning a majority decision and the vacant WBC 115-pound title in their third fight.

That gives Estrada a 2-1 edge in their trilogy. However, not much was settled after another competitive war.

Roman Gonzalez (right) rallied in the second half of the fight but came up short in the end. Christian Petersen / Getty Images

Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) got off to a quick start, using his skill and athleticism to outbox and outwork his great, sluggish opponent in the first half of the fight. It appears as if the Mexican might run away with the fight.

And then, around the seventh round, the 35-year-old Nicaraguan flipped a switch and suddenly looked like the beast of old. He marched forward and made life miserable for his rival the rest of the way, maintaining constant, suffocating pressure.

Estrada had success when he stood his ground at times and even countered well when he was moving backward but Gonzalez clearly climbed back into the fight between Rounds 7 and 11.

The fight seemed to be up in the air going into the 12th and final round. And that’s how both men fought, unloading all the punches that remained in their little bodies at the end of a grueling fight as appreciative fans on hand cheered wildly.

Estrada won the final stanza on all three cards, which prevented the fight from being scored a draw.

Two judges had Estrada winning, 116-112 and 115-113. The third had it even, 114-114. The 115-113 and 114-114 scores would’ve been 114-114 and 115-113 for Gonzalez had he won the last round, which would’ve resulted in a draw.

Thus, Estrada avenged a unanimous-decision loss in 2012 by outpointing one of the greatest small fighters of the generation in March of last year – a disputed split decision – and again on Saturday.

A fourth fight between them would make sense from a competitive standpoint; only the first fight was a clear decision.

And both fighters are open to the idea. Estrada said that Chocolatito earned another shot at him. And Gonzalez said he’d do it one more if the money is right, although he wants to consult his advisors and family before moving forward.

Gonzalez proved that he can still fight at a high level at an age when most fighters his size have moved on to second careers. He left no doubt about that Saturday. At the same time, he has acknowledged that he’s near the end of his decorated career.

Estrada is no kid, either. However, at 32, he appears to have many more big fights in his future.

We’ll have to wait and see whether Gonzalez is a part of that future or whether the Mexican star will turn to rising contenders such as Bam Rodriguez or one of the other titleholders instead.

One thing is certain: Estrada and Gonzalez gave fans an unforgettable trilogy.

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Juan Francisco Estrada survives rally from Roman Gonzalez to win rubber match

Juan Francisco Estrada survived a rally from Roman Gonzalez to win the rubber match in their trilogy Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.

A fourth fight might be warranted.

Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez gave fans another gem Saturday night at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, with Estrada winning a majority decision and the vacant WBC 115-pound title in their third fight.

That gives Estrada a 2-1 edge in their trilogy. However, not much was settled after another competitive war.

Roman Gonzalez (right) rallied in the second half of the fight but came up short in the end. Christian Petersen / Getty Images

Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) got off to a quick start, using his skill and athleticism to outbox and outwork his great, sluggish opponent in the first half of the fight. It appears as if the Mexican might run away with the fight.

And then, around the seventh round, the 35-year-old Nicaraguan flipped a switch and suddenly looked like the beast of old. He marched forward and made life miserable for his rival the rest of the way, maintaining constant, suffocating pressure.

Estrada had success when he stood his ground at times and even countered well when he was moving backward but Gonzalez clearly climbed back into the fight between Rounds 7 and 11.

The fight seemed to be up in the air going into the 12th and final round. And that’s how both men fought, unloading all the punches that remained in their little bodies at the end of a grueling fight as appreciative fans on hand cheered wildly.

Estrada won the final stanza on all three cards, which prevented the fight from being scored a draw.

Two judges had Estrada winning, 116-112 and 115-113. The third had it even, 114-114. The 115-113 and 114-114 scores would’ve been 114-114 and 115-113 for Gonzalez had he won the last round, which would’ve resulted in a draw.

Thus, Estrada avenged a unanimous-decision loss in 2012 by outpointing one of the greatest small fighters of the generation in March of last year – a disputed split decision – and again on Saturday.

A fourth fight between them would make sense from a competitive standpoint; only the first fight was a clear decision.

And both fighters are open to the idea. Estrada said that Chocolatito earned another shot at him. And Gonzalez said he’d do it one more if the money is right, although he wants to consult his advisors and family before moving forward.

Gonzalez proved that he can still fight at a high level at an age when most fighters his size have moved on to second careers. He left no doubt about that Saturday. At the same time, he has acknowledged that he’s near the end of his decorated career.

Estrada is no kid, either. However, at 32, he appears to have many more big fights in his future.

We’ll have to wait and see whether Gonzalez is a part of that future or whether the Mexican star will turn to rising contenders such as Bam Rodriguez or one of the other titleholders instead.

One thing is certain: Estrada and Gonzalez gave fans an unforgettable trilogy.

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Julio Cesar Martinez rallies to outpoint Samuel Carmona, retain his flyweight title

Julio Cesar Martinez rallied to outpoint Samuel Carmona, and retain his flyweight title Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.

Julio Cesar Martinez rallied to defeat Samuel Carmona by a majority decision to retain his flyweight title on the Juan Francisco Estrada-Roman Gonzalez fight Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.

Two judges scored it for the champion, 117-111 and 116-112. The third had it even, 114-114.

Carmona (8-1, 4 KOs) got off to a strong start, sticking and moving his way to take an early lead on the cards and frustrate the Mexican champion in the 2016 Olympian’s first title challenge.

However, Carmona, who fights from an orthodox stance, evidently injured his right hand around the fourth or fifth round. He then became a one-handed fighter who ran more than he fought, which opened the door for Martinez (19-2, 14 KOs) to take control of the fight.

Martinez had trouble landing punches against the elusive Spaniard even after the injury because of Carmona’s movement but the Mexican did more than his opponent the rest of the way.

Carmona decided to stand his ground a bit more down the stretch, which resulted in competitive rounds. However, he evidently lost too much ground in the middle of the fight.

Martinez was making the fifth defense of the WBC belt.