A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
No one is surprised that Jaron Ennis defeated Sergey Lipinets on Saturday night in Uncasville, Conn. It was the way he did it that left us agog.
Ennis needed less than half a fight to beat up and break down a good, durable opponent before finishing the job with a brutal right-left combination in Round 6, the Philadelphian’s 17th consecutive knockout in completed fights.
“Boots” obviously is a gifted, polished technician. He frustrated Lipinets with his long jab and quick feet early in the fight — an example of his ability — before lowering the boom soon afterward. He’s an excellent boxer.
That alone isn’t what makes him special, though. It’s the combination of his skill set and punching power that makes the 23-year-old a candidate to become a superstar one day.
Ennis’ punches destroyed a man who went the distance with Mikey Garcia and had been down only once before in his professional career. Lipinets’ bruised, swollen face was a testament to the impact of Ennis’ punching power.
And he’s remarkably accurate given that impact: He connected on 52.9% of his power shots, an unusually high number.
Who else in boxing can do what he Ennis does? Who has that blend of boxing skills, natural gifts (speed, reflexes, athleticism) and debilitating power?
I’m not sure anyone does. Maybe Gervonta Davis? Terence Crawford? Bud has stopped his last eight opponents. Canelo Alvarez? Nah. He doesn’t have the natural gifts of Ennis, as great as the Mexican is.
It’s too early to say that Ennis is in the class of boxing’s best. The dominating victory over Lipinets was a nice step for him but he’s just beginning to build an impressive resume, which is required to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
I’m comfortable saying this, though: He has better tools than anyone else in boxing. And I think he will prove it over time. I predict he’ll end up No. 1 in the world pound for pound.
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***
BAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC5avCdOXdQ
Everyone is happy for Joe Smith Jr., a hard-working, blue-collar guy from Long Island, N.Y., who defeated Maxim Vlasov by a majority decision to win the vacant WBO light heavyweight title on Saturday in Tulsa, Okla.
Everyone must also acknowledge that he was fortunate to emerge victorious.
Vlasov, a clever veteran with an awkward style, outworked Smith and stayed in his face for most of the fight, which made it difficult for the big puncher to get extension on his power shots. Smith did land some and rallied down the stretch. However, in the eyes of many, the Russian did enough for the majority of the fight to earn the nod.
Boxing Junkie scored it 115-113, seven rounds to five for Vlasov. And 116-112 in his favor also would’ve been reasonable.
Alas, the official judges didn’t see it that way. David Sutherland scored it a 114-114 draw while Gerald Ritter and Pat Russell had it 115-112 and 115-113 in Smith’s favor, which gave him the coveted championship.
Smith said afterward that he deserved the decision because he landed the bigger shots. Meanwhile, Vlasov said he was in control throughout the fight and deserved to go home with the belt. He presumably felt he was the victim of a home-country decision.
“This was my opportunity to show the world I was a world champion. … I did that, and Joe Smith knows I did that,” Vlasov said.
Smith deserves credit. He fought his heart out from beginning to end in spite of a bad cut to realize his dream and set up an even bigger fight. The problem is that Vlasov might’ve deserved the decision.
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***
WORSE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6pIbW53C2w
Smith appears to be on a collision course with Artur Beterbiev in a title-unification fight before the end of the year, although nothing has been settled.
And that’s clearly the fight Smith wants. He dreams of holding more than one belt simultaneously, as many of the top fighters do. I admire his confidence and the fact he’s thinking big.
I also fear for him if he ends up tangling with the beast-like Russian.
Smith’s limitations were on full display against Vlasov, just as they were when he lost a wide decision against titleholder Dmitry Bivol. He has courage, he can crack but he’s crude boxer, which could set him up for disaster against Beterbiev.
The two-time Olympian is a well-schooled, experienced boxer who has stopped all 16 of his opponents, evidence of the damage his punches do. He probably doesn’t have one-punch knockout power like Smith. He merely chops you down like an ill-fated tree.
Of course, Smith has a puncher’s chance because of his power but it’s a small chance. A more likely scenario is that Beterbiev pulverizes him for seven or eight rounds, at which time a sympathetic soul will step in and end the slaughter.
Again, if Smith wants Beterbiev, he has earned the right to face him. I just think it could end up being hard to watch.
***
RABBIT PUNCHES
Eimantas Stanionis (13-0, 9 KOs) turned in a nice performance against an inspired Thomas Dulorme (25-5-1, 16 KOs) on the Ennis-Lipinets fight, winning a unanimous decision. Dulorme, under the tutelage of trainer Ismael Salas, boxed beautifully but the relentless Lithuanian ultimately wore him down to take control of the fight. Stanionis passed an important test. Dulorme did, too. I think the Puerto Rican demonstrated that he can still fight at an elite level. I hope he gets more opportunities. … Junior bantamweight titleholder Jerwin Ancajas (33-1-2, 22 KOs) and Jonathan Rodriguez (22-2, 16 KOs) gave fans an entertaining back-and-forth battle on the Ennis-Lipinets card. Ancajas retained his title for a ninth time by winning a unanimous decision but Rodriguez was also a winner. The relatively unknown Mexican, who had never fought outside his country, announced with his performance that he is a top-tier 115-pounder. Ancajas wants to fight the likes of Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez. Rodriguez might be ready for them, too. … Conor Benn (18-0, 12 KOs) looked like a legitimate title contender against Samuel Vargas (31-7-2, 14 KOs) on Saturday in London, putting a solid opponent away in one round. That was quicker than Errol Spence Jr., Danny Garcia and Vergil Ortiz were able to do it. He called for a true test afterward, mentioning Amir Khan among others. I hope he gets that kind of fight. And I won’t be surprised if he succeeds.
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