Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: AO Arena, Manchester, England
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
At stake: Crews-Dezurn’s undisputed championship
Odds: Marshall 3½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Natasha Jonas vs. Kandi Wyatt, welterweights (for vacant IBF title); Zak Chelli vs. Mark Jeffers, super middleweights
Prediction: Marshall UD
Background: Crews-Dezurn has been the dominant 168-pounder of the past half decade but faces a daunting challenge on Saturday. The 36-year-old from Baltimore started her career with a loss against future superstar Claressa Shields but has been undefeated since then, not counting a loss to Alejandra Jimenez that was later ruled a no-contest after Jimenez failed a drug test. Crews-Dezurn has been a titleholder since winning her first belt in 2018. She is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Elin Cederroos in April of last year that unified all four major super middleweight titles. Her next fight is her toughest since Jimenez, at least on paper. Marshall, a one-time amateur star, is one of the most skillful female boxers in the world. And she has one of the highest knockout percentages in the business, which is an indication of her punching power. She last fought in October, when Shields outpointed her in a 160-pound title-unification bout. Marshall didn’t do enough to earn the decision but gave a solid performance against the No. 1 female fighter. She’ll be moving up in weight to face Crews-Dezurn, which shouldn’t be a problem for her. She fought at super middleweight early in her career.
Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: AO Arena, Manchester, England
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
At stake: Crews-Dezurn’s undisputed championship
Odds: Marshall 3½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Natasha Jonas vs. Kandi Wyatt, welterweights (for vacant IBF title); Zak Chelli vs. Mark Jeffers, super middleweights
Prediction: Marshall UD
Background: Crews-Dezurn has been the dominant 168-pounder of the past half decade but faces a daunting challenge on Saturday. The 36-year-old from Baltimore started her career with a loss against future superstar Claressa Shields but has been undefeated since then, not counting a loss to Alejandra Jimenez that was later ruled a no-contest after Jimenez failed a drug test. Crews-Dezurn has been a titleholder since winning her first belt in 2018. She is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Elin Cederroos in April of last year that unified all four major super middleweight titles. Her next fight is her toughest since Jimenez, at least on paper. Marshall, a one-time amateur star, is one of the most skillful female boxers in the world. And she has one of the highest knockout percentages in the business, which is an indication of her punching power. She last fought in October, when Shields outpointed her in a 160-pound title-unification bout. Marshall didn’t do enough to earn the decision but gave a solid performance against the No. 1 female fighter. She’ll be moving up in weight to face Crews-Dezurn, which shouldn’t be a problem for her. She fought at super middleweight early in her career.
Fight Week: Jared Anderson will take center stage against Charles Martin on Saturday in Toledo, Ohio, Anderson’s hometown.
FIGHT WEEK
Rising heavyweight contender Jared Anderson will be the featured fighter on the card when he faces Charles Martin on Saturday in Toledo, Ohio, Anderson’s hometown.
JARED ANDERSON (14-0, 14 KOs)
VS. CHARLES MARTIN (29-3-1, 26 KOs)
Date: Saturday, July 1
Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
Division: Heavyweight (no limit)
At stake: No major titles
Odds: Anderson 7½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Arslanbek Makhmudov vs. Raphael Akpejiori, heavyweights
Prediction: Anderson KO 7
Background: Anderson will be taking center stage at only 23. The heavyweight contender from Toledo, who will be fighting Martin in front of his hometown fans, has been building toward main event exposure by knocking out all 14 of his professional opponents. He’s a terrific athlete with elite punching power and his skills are improving with every fight, making him a potential star. He just has to prove that he can beat top-level big men. Martin doesn’t fall into that category but he’s a former titleholder with solid ability, making him arguably Anderson’s toughest test to date. The 37-year-old from St. Louis bounced back from a sixth-round knockout loss to Luis Ortiz in January of last year by stopping Devin Vargas in four eight months later. He briefly reigned as IBF beltholder in 2016, losing his title by a second-round knockout against Anthony Joshua. Anderson had been scheduled to face Zhan Kossobutskiy of Khazakhstan but Kossobutskiy was pulled from the card about a week and a half ago because he couldn’t procure a visa. Martin agreed to step in at that time.
Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: AO Arena, Manchester, England
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
At stake: Crews-Dezurn’s undisputed championship
Odds: Marshall 3½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Natasha Jonas vs. Kandi Wyatt, welterweights (for vacant IBF title); Zak Chelli vs. Mark Jeffers, super middleweights
Prediction: Marshall UD
Background: Crews-Dezurn has been the dominant 168-pounder of the past half decade but faces a daunting challenge on Saturday. The 36-year-old from Baltimore started her career with a loss against future superstar Claressa Shields but has been undefeated since then, including a run as champion since winning her first belt in 2018. She is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Elin Cederroos in April of last year that unified all four major super middleweight titles. Her next fight is her toughest, at least on paper. Marshall, a one-time amateur star, is one of the most skillful female boxers in the world. And she has one of the highest knockout percentages in the business, which is an indication of her punching power. She last fought in October, when Shields outpointed her in a 160-pound title-unification bout. Marshall didn’t do enough to earn the decision but gave a solid performance against the No. 1 female fighter. She’ll be moving up in weight to face Crews-Dezurn, which shouldn’t be a problem for her. She fought at super middleweight early in her career.
ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK
WEDNESDAY
Panya Pradabsri vs. Norihito Tanaka, strawweights (for Pradabsri’s WBC title), Rayong, Thailand (no TV in U.S.)
Pedro Guevara vs. Miguel Herrera, junior bantamweights, Culican, Mexico (ProBox TV)
THURSDAY
Kurt Scoby vs. Hank Lundy, junior welterweights, New York (BoxingInsiders social media)
SATURDAY
Dalton Smith vs. Sam Maxwell, junior welterweights, Sheffield, England (DAZN)
Esquiva Falcao vs. Vincenzo Gualtieri, middleweights (for vacant IBF title), Wuppertal, Germany (no TV in U.S.)
SUNDAY
Sivenathi Nontshinga vs. Regie Suganob, junior flyweights (for Nontshinga’s IBF title), East London, South Africa (no TV in U.S.)
Fight Week: Jared Anderson will take center stage against Charles Martin on Saturday in Toledo, Ohio, Anderson’s hometown.
FIGHT WEEK
Rising heavyweight contender Jared Anderson will be the featured fighter on the card when he faces Charles Martin on Saturday in Toledo, Ohio, Anderson’s hometown.
JARED ANDERSON (14-0, 14 KOs)
VS. CHARLES MARTIN (29-3-1, 26 KOs)
Date: Saturday, July 1
Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
Division: Heavyweight (no limit)
At stake: No major titles
Odds: Anderson 7½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Arslanbek Makhmudov vs. Raphael Akpejiori, heavyweights
Prediction: Anderson KO 7
Background: Anderson will be taking center stage at only 23. The heavyweight contender from Toledo, who will be fighting Martin in front of his hometown fans, has been building toward main event exposure by knocking out all 14 of his professional opponents. He’s a terrific athlete with elite punching power and his skills are improving with every fight, making him a potential star. He just has to prove that he can beat top-level big men. Martin doesn’t fall into that category but he’s a former titleholder with solid ability, making him arguably Anderson’s toughest test to date. The 37-year-old from St. Louis bounced back from a sixth-round knockout loss to Luis Ortiz in January of last year by stopping Devin Vargas in four eight months later. He briefly reigned as IBF beltholder in 2016, losing his title by a second-round knockout against Anthony Joshua. Anderson had been scheduled to face Zhan Kossobutskiy of Khazakhstan but Kossobutskiy was pulled from the card about a week and a half ago because he couldn’t procure a visa. Martin agreed to step in at that time.
Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: AO Arena, Manchester, England
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
At stake: Crews-Dezurn’s undisputed championship
Odds: Marshall 3½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Natasha Jonas vs. Kandi Wyatt, welterweights (for vacant IBF title); Zak Chelli vs. Mark Jeffers, super middleweights
Prediction: Marshall UD
Background: Crews-Dezurn has been the dominant 168-pounder of the past half decade but faces a daunting challenge on Saturday. The 36-year-old from Baltimore started her career with a loss against future superstar Claressa Shields but has been undefeated since then, including a run as champion since winning her first belt in 2018. She is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Elin Cederroos in April of last year that unified all four major super middleweight titles. Her next fight is her toughest, at least on paper. Marshall, a one-time amateur star, is one of the most skillful female boxers in the world. And she has one of the highest knockout percentages in the business, which is an indication of her punching power. She last fought in October, when Shields outpointed her in a 160-pound title-unification bout. Marshall didn’t do enough to earn the decision but gave a solid performance against the No. 1 female fighter. She’ll be moving up in weight to face Crews-Dezurn, which shouldn’t be a problem for her. She fought at super middleweight early in her career.
ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK
WEDNESDAY
Panya Pradabsri vs. Norihito Tanaka, strawweights (for Pradabsri’s WBC title), Rayong, Thailand (no TV in U.S.)
Pedro Guevara vs. Miguel Herrera, junior bantamweights, Culican, Mexico (ProBox TV)
THURSDAY
Kurt Scoby vs. Hank Lundy, junior welterweights, New York (BoxingInsiders social media)
SATURDAY
Dalton Smith vs. Sam Maxwell, junior welterweights, Sheffield, England (DAZN)
Esquiva Falcao vs. Vincenzo Gualtieri, middleweights (for vacant IBF title), Wuppertal, Germany (no TV in U.S.)
SUNDAY
Sivenathi Nontshinga vs. Regie Suganob, junior flyweights (for Nontshinga’s IBF title), East London, South Africa (no TV in U.S.)
Weekend Review: Claressa Shields should focus less on getting knockouts and more on her dominating victories.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Claressa Shields
Shields might be wise to stop worrying about knockouts. It’s more difficult for women to deliver stoppages because of two-minute rounds, particularly against capable opponents like Maricela Cornejo. And let’s face it: Shields isn’t a big puncher. Otherwise she’d have more than two KOs in 14 fights. She’s arguably what her nickname (GWOAT) suggests, the best female boxer of all time without many stoppages. Shouldn’t that be sufficient? Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) obviously doesn’t think so. The undisputed 160-pound champion said going into her defense against Cornejo on Saturday that she has been working on her punching power, with more knockouts in mind. And she clearly tried to end the Cornejo fight early, loading up and throwing massive punches – some of them wild – intended to incapacitate Cornejo. The problem for Shields is that the challenger was durable and clever enough to absorb the punishment and survive to hear the final bell. As a result, Shields failed in a sense. She won a shutout decision but didn’t realize her stated goal of getting KO No. 3, which left her somewhat frustrated. I believe dominating, unanimous-decision victories are enough. Shields should fight like she did late in the Cornejo fight, not in the sloppy manner of the early rounds. Jab, throw combinations, unleash fierce flurries. If the knockouts come, fine. If they don’t, that’s fine too. Shields is great and a major attraction either way.
RABBIT PUNCHES
Shields doesn’t have a lot of great options in her immediate future. She mentioned the possibility of fighting the winner of the July 1 fight between 168-pound champ Franchon Crews Dezurn and Savannah Marshall in her next fight or taking part in a “Four Queens”-style rivalry with Crew Dezurn, Marshall and Shadasia Green. The problem with that plan is that she has already beaten both Crews Dezurn and Marshall convincingly. Green is the most intriguing potential opponent even though she’s relatively unproven. The New Jersey fighter is 12-0 with 11 knockouts, albeit against second-tier opposition. The fact is the 160- and 168-pound talent pool isn’t deep. … It was nice to see big-time boxing return to Detroit, which produced Joe Louis and many other great fighters. I just hope Michigan’s Unarmed Combat Commission learned some lessons from the card on Saturday. In particular, the ending of the Ardreal Holmes–Wendy Toussaint fight was chaotic. Toussaint suffered a deep cut on his forehead as a result of a clash of heads in the eighth round. The ring doctor allowed the fight to go on but referee Gerald White decided to stop it moments after it continued. White should be applauded for taking decisive action but he should never have engaged the doctor after making his decision. The referee has the discretion to make any move he deems appropriate. I’m guessing Michigan officials will review the card and be better the next time around. … The Holmes-Toussaint result – split decision for Holmes – was immediately disputed because Toussaint seemed to control the second half of the fight and had all the momentum when it was stopped. Holmes should give Toussaint a rematch.
Weekend Review: Claressa Shields should focus less on getting knockouts and more on her dominating victories.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Claressa Shields
Shields might be wise to stop worrying about knockouts. It’s more difficult for women to deliver stoppages because of two-minute rounds, particularly against capable opponents like Maricela Cornejo. And let’s face it: Shields isn’t a big puncher. Otherwise she’d have more than two KOs in 14 fights. She’s arguably what her nickname (GWOAT) suggests, the best female boxer of all time without many stoppages. Shouldn’t that be sufficient? Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) obviously doesn’t think so. The undisputed 160-pound champion said going into her defense against Cornejo on Saturday that she has been working on her punching power, with more knockouts in mind. And she clearly tried to end the Cornejo fight early, loading up and throwing massive punches – some of them wild – intended to incapacitate Cornejo. The problem for Shields is that the challenger was durable and clever enough to absorb the punishment and survive to hear the final bell. As a result, Shields failed in a sense. She won a shutout decision but didn’t realize her stated goal of getting KO No. 3, which left her somewhat frustrated. I believe dominating, unanimous-decision victories are enough. Shields should fight like she did late in the Cornejo fight, not in the sloppy manner of the early rounds. Jab, throw combinations, unleash fierce flurries. If the knockouts come, fine. If they don’t, that’s fine too. Shields is great and a major attraction either way.
RABBIT PUNCHES
Shields doesn’t have a lot of great options in her immediate future. She mentioned the possibility of fighting the winner of the July 1 fight between 168-pound champ Franchon Crews Dezurn and Savannah Marshall in her next fight or taking part in a “Four Queens”-style rivalry with Crew Dezurn, Marshall and Shadasia Green. The problem with that plan is that she has already beaten both Crews Dezurn and Marshall convincingly. Green is the most intriguing potential opponent even though she’s relatively unproven. The New Jersey fighter is 12-0 with 11 knockouts, albeit against second-tier opposition. The fact is the 160- and 168-pound talent pool isn’t deep. … It was nice to see big-time boxing return to Detroit, which produced Joe Louis and many other great fighters. I just hope Michigan’s Unarmed Combat Commission learned some lessons from the card on Saturday. In particular, the ending of the Ardreal Holmes–Wendy Toussaint fight was chaotic. Toussaint suffered a deep cut on his forehead as a result of a clash of heads in the eighth round. The ring doctor allowed the fight to go on but referee Gerald White decided to stop it moments after it continued. White should be applauded for taking decisive action but he should never have engaged the doctor after making his decision. The referee has the discretion to make any move he deems appropriate. I’m guessing Michigan officials will review the card and be better the next time around. … The Holmes-Toussaint result – split decision for Holmes – was immediately disputed because Toussaint seemed to control the second half of the fight and had all the momentum when it was stopped. Holmes should give Toussaint a rematch.
Claressa Shields had to be satisfied with a shutout decision over Maricela Cornejo on Saturday in Detroit.
Claressa Shields didn’t get her knockout but she dominated nonetheless.
The undisputed 160-pound champion defeated late replacement Maricela Cornejo by a shutout decision to retain her titles in front of her home-area fans Saturday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The official scores were 100-89, 100-90 and 100-90. Boxing Junkie also had it 100-90, 10 rounds to none.
Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) has been working in training camp on getting the only thing missing in her career, knockouts.
She clearly tried to score one against Cornejo (16-6, 6 KOs) from the opening bell, unleashing single bomb and after single bomb in an effort to hurt he overmatched opponent.
And many of them landed to the head of the challenger. The problem for Shields was that Cornejo has a good chin and is clever enough to survive for 10 two-minute, holding, using her feet, whatever it took.
Cornejo didn’t run the entire fight. She actually landed some nice shots here and there. However, she spent the bulk of her energy trying to keep her head attached to her body.
Shields was particularly effective when she pulled back to some degree and relied more on her boxing skills than big punches. However, it still wasn’t enough to stop Cornejo.
The No. 1 female boxer pound-for-pound seemed a bit frustrated afterward but was pleased with another dominating victory.
“I won every round like I knew I could,” she said in the ring afterward. “I pressed for the knockout. … Maricela is just tough. And she has a good right hand herself. She was very smart and sturdy when I started hitting her.
“She knew how to survive. So she did a great job.”
What’s next?
Two fighters Shields has already beaten — undisputed 168-pound champ Franchon Crews Dezurn and Savannah Marshall — are scheduled to meet on July 1 in Manchester, England.
Shields said she plans to be on hand for the fight, the idea being she could face the winner. However, she made one hting clear: The fight won’t take place in the U.K.
“I’m only interested in fighting the best,” she said. “I’ll be looking at that fight. I think I’ll go over to the U.K. and show my face. … Whoever wins, if they want to come here, I’m down for it.”
Claressa Shields had to be satisfied with a shutout decision over Maricela Cornejo on Saturday in Detroit.
Claressa Shields didn’t get her knockout but she dominated nonetheless.
The undisputed 160-pound champion defeated late replacement Maricela Cornejo by a shutout decision to retain her titles in front of her home-area fans Saturday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The official scores were 100-89, 100-90 and 100-90. Boxing Junkie also had it 100-90, 10 rounds to none.
Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) has been working in training camp on getting the only thing missing in her career, knockouts.
She clearly tried to score one against Cornejo (16-6, 6 KOs) from the opening bell, unleashing single bomb and after single bomb in an effort to hurt he overmatched opponent.
And many of them landed to the head of the challenger. The problem for Shields was that Cornejo has a good chin and is clever enough to survive for 10 two-minute, holding, using her feet, whatever it took.
Cornejo didn’t run the entire fight. She actually landed some nice shots here and there. However, she spent the bulk of her energy trying to keep her head attached to her body.
Shields was particularly effective when she pulled back to some degree and relied more on her boxing skills than big punches. However, it still wasn’t enough to stop Cornejo.
The No. 1 female boxer pound-for-pound seemed a bit frustrated afterward but was pleased with another dominating victory.
“I won every round like I knew I could,” she said in the ring afterward. “I pressed for the knockout. … Maricela is just tough. And she has a good right hand herself. She was very smart and sturdy when I started hitting her.
“She knew how to survive. So she did a great job.”
What’s next?
Two fighters Shields has already beaten — undisputed 168-pound champ Franchon Crews Dezurn and Savannah Marshall — are scheduled to meet on July 1 in Manchester, England.
Shields said she plans to be on hand for the fight, the idea being she could face the winner. However, she made one hting clear: The fight won’t take place in the U.K.
“I’m only interested in fighting the best,” she said. “I’ll be looking at that fight. I think I’ll go over to the U.K. and show my face. … Whoever wins, if they want to come here, I’m down for it.”
Good, bad, worse: Deontay Wilder back with bang, Devin Haney dominates again.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
It took only one punch for Deontay Wilder to reassert himself as a heavyweight of consequence.
His comeback fight against Robert Helenius was less than three minutes old when a trimmed down Wilder did what Wilder does, connecting on a short right hand – the third and final punch he landed — that put his opponent to sleep Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Just like that, a rejuvenated Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) was back to destroying big, bad men with arguably the hardest punch in the history of the sport. As they say, the power is the last thing to go. And Wilder’s power obviously hasn’t gone anywhere.
That doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about his two devastating knockout losses at the hands of nemesis Tyson Fury in 2020 and last year, the first of which cost him his WBC title.
Wilder merely reminded us by eviscerating a solid opponent in Helenius (31-4, 20 KOs) that he remains a threat to anyone because of the power in his right hand and his ability to deliver it, including three-belt titleholder Oleksandr Usyk.
So what’s next? That’s difficult to say.
Usyk, who won his belts by upsetting Joshua and then beating him again in their rematch, has expressed interest in facing Wilder. However, I imagine his first priority remains a showdown with Fury for the undisputed championship.
Wilder, who wants to fight three more years, doesn’t seem to be fixated on anyone. He just wants big fights, presumably because he knows a shot at another world title will come sooner rather than later.
That could include Usyk if a fight with Fury can’t be made. My personal favorite would be a meeting with former unified champion Anthony Joshua, who also has paralyzing power. And Andy Ruiz Jr, Joe Joyce and Frank Sanchez are among other interesting possibilities.
The only thing we know with certainty is that Wilder has our attention once again. Whomever he faces next, a lot of people will be watching in anticipation of another spectacular knockout.
“Deontay Wilder is back,” he said immediately after his victory on Saturday. “The excitement in the heavyweight division is back. There’s no heavyweight division without Deontay Wilder. That’s a fact.”
BAD
There was nothing bad about undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney’s performance on Saturday in Australia, where he outclassed George Kambosos Jr. a second time en route to unanimous decision victory.
This item is being filed under “bad” because I’m not sure the rematch should’ve happened at all.
I understand the concept of a rematch clause, one of which was included in the contract Haney signed before outpointing Kambosos in June. Haney did the right thing by honoring his agreement.
However, there was no point from a boxing standpoint. The fight was a waste of time and energy, aside from any money it generated.
Haney won by scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112 in the first fight, which also took place down under. I scored it 119-109, 11 rounds to one. So I have no idea what the 116-112 judges were watching.
On Saturday (Sunday in Australia) Haney was even more dominating, winning 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110. Boxing Junkie also scored the second fight 119-109.
Kambosos never gave up. He simply doesn’t have the tools to compete against a thoroughbred like Haney, who, at 23, has to be considered among the Top 20 fighters pound for pound in the world.
That was obvious in the first fight, which, again, made the second one unnecessary.
Now it’s on to genuine challenges for Haney. The most-intriguing potential opponents are Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko, two supremely talented, experienced all-around boxers who would make for super fights with Haney.
Only if fights like those materialize will we truly know how good Haney is. Victories over Kambosos – as impressive as they were – only told us so much.
WORSE
Robert Helenius didn’t know what hit him. Timothy A. Clary / AFP via Getty Images
Helenius’s fate is an example of how cruel boxing can be.
The 38-year-old Finn had been on a roll going into his unfortunate meeting with Wilder, having brutally knocked out once-promising heavyweight Adam Kownacki in back-to-back fights to regain his status as a legitimate title contender.
And he was in a good place both physically and mentally. He was 100% healthy for the first time in years, he had a great training camp, he was genuinely confident … and then he was unconscious.
The sight of him lying on the canvas, staring blankly at the rafters at Barclays Center, would’ve been difficult to see under any circumstances. The fact he had his hopes of becoming his country’s first heavyweight champion dashed in such a violent fashion made it even worse.
This is boxing. One minute you’re in a groove, then next you’re forced to make difficult decisions.
Helenius isn’t ancient by heavyweight standards. And it wasn’t as if he took a prolonged beating against Wilder, who landed only three punches, according to CompuBox. He could continue to fight if that’s what he wants.
At the same time, it took him years grueling, painful work in the gym and ring to climb back into title contention. Does he want to go through that process again as he approaches his 40s?
I’m guessing that the answer to that question is no. We’ve probably seen the last of Robert Helenius in the ring.
RABBIT PUNCHES
Claressa Shields continues to do her part in lifting women’s boxing to new heights. She and Savannah Marshall (12-1, 10 KOs) delivered a terrific brawl on the all-female card Saturday at O2 Arena in London. Shields (13-0, 2 KOs) deserved the unanimous decision victory to become undisputed 160-pound champion – she landed the cleaner punches – but the fight was compelling and competitive throughout, which is a credit to both women. Marshall should be proud of her performance. Is Shields the GWOAT? I still apply that label to Hall of Famer Lucia Rijker, who you had to see to understand how good she was. Shields is definitely one of the two or three best today and no woman is more important than she is in terms of what she does for women’s boxing. … Who knew? Caleb Plant (22-1, 13 KOs) has earned the reputation of being an excellent boxer and athlete, which led him to the top of the 168-pound division. He showed us something new against Anthony Dirrell (34-3-2, 25 KOs) on the Wilder-Helenius card, a one-punch knockout of an elite opponent. He was winning a rough fight through eight-plus rounds when he connected on a left hook (almost an uppercut) that instantaneously knocked out Dirrell in Round 9. That was a much needed statement following his own knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez in May. Plant is now in position to get a big fight against the likes of David Benavidez and Jermall Charlo. … I understand that he and Dirrell generated genuine bad blood between them but I didn’t like his behavior after the stoppage, repeatedly acting out the process of digging a grave. Dirrell was still struggling to get up at that point. I’ll chalk Plant’s actions up to adrenaline … and hope he doesn’t behave that way again. … Alycia Baumgardner (13-1, 7 KOs) defeated Mikaela Mayer (17-1, 5 KOs) by a split decision in a 10-round bout to unify three 130-pound titles in a break-through victory for her on the Shields-Marshall card. The scores were 96-95, 96-95 and 93-97. I scored it 95-95, a draw. Baumgardner seemed to say afterward that she wasn’t interested in a second fight with the now-former titleholder. Mayer probably earned one.
Good, bad, worse: Deontay Wilder back with bang, Devin Haney dominates again.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
It took only one punch for Deontay Wilder to reassert himself as a heavyweight of consequence.
His comeback fight against Robert Helenius was less than three minutes old when a trimmed down Wilder did what Wilder does, connecting on a short right hand – the third and final punch he landed — that put his opponent to sleep Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Just like that, a rejuvenated Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) was back to destroying big, bad men with arguably the hardest punch in the history of the sport. As they say, the power is the last thing to go. And Wilder’s power obviously hasn’t gone anywhere.
That doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about his two devastating knockout losses at the hands of nemesis Tyson Fury in 2020 and last year, the first of which cost him his WBC title.
Wilder merely reminded us by eviscerating a solid opponent in Helenius (31-4, 20 KOs) that he remains a threat to anyone because of the power in his right hand and his ability to deliver it, including three-belt titleholder Oleksandr Usyk.
So what’s next? That’s difficult to say.
Usyk, who won his belts by upsetting Joshua and then beating him again in their rematch, has expressed interest in facing Wilder. However, I imagine his first priority remains a showdown with Fury for the undisputed championship.
Wilder, who wants to fight three more years, doesn’t seem to be fixated on anyone. He just wants big fights, presumably because he knows a shot at another world title will come sooner rather than later.
That could include Usyk if a fight with Fury can’t be made. My personal favorite would be a meeting with former unified champion Anthony Joshua, who also has paralyzing power. And Andy Ruiz Jr, Joe Joyce and Frank Sanchez are among other interesting possibilities.
The only thing we know with certainty is that Wilder has our attention once again. Whomever he faces next, a lot of people will be watching in anticipation of another spectacular knockout.
“Deontay Wilder is back,” he said immediately after his victory on Saturday. “The excitement in the heavyweight division is back. There’s no heavyweight division without Deontay Wilder. That’s a fact.”
BAD
There was nothing bad about undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney’s performance on Saturday in Australia, where he outclassed George Kambosos Jr. a second time en route to unanimous decision victory.
This item is being filed under “bad” because I’m not sure the rematch should’ve happened at all.
I understand the concept of a rematch clause, one of which was included in the contract Haney signed before outpointing Kambosos in June. Haney did the right thing by honoring his agreement.
However, there was no point from a boxing standpoint. The fight was a waste of time and energy, aside from any money it generated.
Haney won by scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112 in the first fight, which also took place down under. I scored it 119-109, 11 rounds to one. So I have no idea what the 116-112 judges were watching.
On Saturday (Sunday in Australia) Haney was even more dominating, winning 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110. Boxing Junkie also scored the second fight 119-109.
Kambosos never gave up. He simply doesn’t have the tools to compete against a thoroughbred like Haney, who, at 23, has to be considered among the Top 20 fighters pound for pound in the world.
That was obvious in the first fight, which, again, made the second one unnecessary.
Now it’s on to genuine challenges for Haney. The most-intriguing potential opponents are Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko, two supremely talented, experienced all-around boxers who would make for super fights with Haney.
Only if fights like those materialize will we truly know how good Haney is. Victories over Kambosos – as impressive as they were – only told us so much.
WORSE
Robert Helenius didn’t know what hit him. Timothy A. Clary / AFP via Getty Images
Helenius’s fate is an example of how cruel boxing can be.
The 38-year-old Finn had been on a roll going into his unfortunate meeting with Wilder, having brutally knocked out once-promising heavyweight Adam Kownacki in back-to-back fights to regain his status as a legitimate title contender.
And he was in a good place both physically and mentally. He was 100% healthy for the first time in years, he had a great training camp, he was genuinely confident … and then he was unconscious.
The sight of him lying on the canvas, staring blankly at the rafters at Barclays Center, would’ve been difficult to see under any circumstances. The fact he had his hopes of becoming his country’s first heavyweight champion dashed in such a violent fashion made it even worse.
This is boxing. One minute you’re in a groove, then next you’re forced to make difficult decisions.
Helenius isn’t ancient by heavyweight standards. And it wasn’t as if he took a prolonged beating against Wilder, who landed only three punches, according to CompuBox. He could continue to fight if that’s what he wants.
At the same time, it took him years grueling, painful work in the gym and ring to climb back into title contention. Does he want to go through that process again as he approaches his 40s?
I’m guessing that the answer to that question is no. We’ve probably seen the last of Robert Helenius in the ring.
RABBIT PUNCHES
Claressa Shields continues to do her part in lifting women’s boxing to new heights. She and Savannah Marshall (12-1, 10 KOs) delivered a terrific brawl on the all-female card Saturday at O2 Arena in London. Shields (13-0, 2 KOs) deserved the unanimous decision victory to become undisputed 160-pound champion – she landed the cleaner punches – but the fight was compelling and competitive throughout, which is a credit to both women. Marshall should be proud of her performance. Is Shields the GWOAT? I still apply that label to Hall of Famer Lucia Rijker, who you had to see to understand how good she was. Shields is definitely one of the two or three best today and no woman is more important than she is in terms of what she does for women’s boxing. … Who knew? Caleb Plant (22-1, 13 KOs) has earned the reputation of being an excellent boxer and athlete, which led him to the top of the 168-pound division. He showed us something new against Anthony Dirrell (34-3-2, 25 KOs) on the Wilder-Helenius card, a one-punch knockout of an elite opponent. He was winning a rough fight through eight-plus rounds when he connected on a left hook (almost an uppercut) that instantaneously knocked out Dirrell in Round 9. That was a much needed statement following his own knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez in May. Plant is now in position to get a big fight against the likes of David Benavidez and Jermall Charlo. … I understand that he and Dirrell generated genuine bad blood between them but I didn’t like his behavior after the stoppage, repeatedly acting out the process of digging a grave. Dirrell was still struggling to get up at that point. I’ll chalk Plant’s actions up to adrenaline … and hope he doesn’t behave that way again. … Alycia Baumgardner (13-1, 7 KOs) defeated Mikaela Mayer (17-1, 5 KOs) by a split decision in a 10-round bout to unify three 130-pound titles in a break-through victory for her on the Shields-Marshall card. The scores were 96-95, 96-95 and 93-97. I scored it 95-95, a draw. Baumgardner seemed to say afterward that she wasn’t interested in a second fight with the now-former titleholder. Mayer probably earned one.
