Tag: Subriel Matias

Richardson Hitchins ekes out decision over determined Gustavo Lemos

Junior welterweight contender Richardson Hitchins eked out a decision over a determined Gustavo Lemos on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Richardson Hitchins remained unbeaten but struggled in the process.

The 140-pound contender, who is hoping to get big fights, had to dig deep to defeat relative unknown Gustavo Lemos by a unanimous, but tight decision Saturday in Las Vegas.

Hitchins (18-0, 7 KOs) won by scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113, with only the later two tallies reflecting what happened in the ring.

The winner boxed well, fighting effectively behind his jab for most of the fight. However, Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) used constant pressure to force Hitchins to engage with him and often got the better of the action in an entertaining scrap.

The fighters were almost inseparable in terms of CompuBox stats, with Hitchins outlanding Lemos by only 11 punches overall, 172-161.

However, Hitchins had a significant advantage in jabs landed (98-22) while Lemos had a big edge in power shots that connected (139-74). Fighters are typically rewarded more for the latter than the former.

Still, one judge, Tim Cheatham, somehow had Hitchins winning 117-111, nine rounds to three. The 115-113 scores made sense.

The victory makes the 26-year-old from Brooklyn the mandatory challenger for the IBF 140-pound title. Champion Subriel Matias is scheduled to defend his belt against Liam Paro on June 15 in Puerto Rico, meaning Hitchins could get the winner.

Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Lemos, who has a victory over Lee Selby but never fought outside his native Argentina, proved with his strong performance that he’s among the better 140-pounders.

He came up short on the scorecards but probably earned at least one more significant fight.

Who’s the best? Ranking the top fighters in the deep 140-pound division

Who’s the best? Ranking the top fighters in the deep 140-pound division.

The junior welterweight division is one of the deepest in boxing, with no fewer than nine elite champions or contenders.

Two of them – two-time titleholder Regis Prograis and 140-pound newcomer Devin Haney – are scheduled to face off on pay-per-view Saturday night from Chase Center in San Francisco, and more such matchups are on the horizon

Who’s the best of the bunch?

Boxing Junkie took a look at the top 140-pounders and selected the nine best for this special feature, ranking them in order of where they stand among their peers at the moment.

Note: This list is not based solely on accomplishments at 140 pounds. Victories at other weights and perceived ability also factored into our ranking.

Also, Gervonta Davis, who defeated two fighters on our list, is not included because he is campaigning at 135. And Josh Taylor, who also has taken down two men here, was not considered because he has moved up to 147.

Here’s the list.

 

  1. TEOFIMO LOPEZ (19-1, 13 KOs)

Key victories: Richard Commey TKO 2, Dec. 14, 2019 (135 pounds); Vasiliy Lomachenko UD Oct. 17, 2020 (135); and Josh Taylor UD June 10, 2023 (140).

Losses: George Kambosos Jr. SD Nov. 27, 2021 (135).

Plusses: Lopez is an exceptional all-around fighter when he’s at his best, as he demonstrated most recently in a convincing decision over Taylor to win a 140-pound title in June. He’s gifted (speed, explosiveness, power) and skillful, which was evident in his breakthrough win over Lomachenko.

Minuses: Inconsistency. He went down and generally struggled against less-talented Kambosos, losing a split decision and his 135-pouind titles. He fought with a dangerous condition in which air was present between his lungs. He also gave a so-so performance against Sandor Martin last December, winning a split decision.

 

  1. DEVIN HANEY (30-0, 15 KOs)

Key victories: Jorge Linares UD May 29, 2021 (135); Joseph Diaz Jr. UD Dec. 4, 2021 (135); George Kambosos Jr. I UD June 5, 2022 (135); Kambosos Jr. II UD Oct. 16, 2022 (135); Vasiliy Lomachenko UD May 20, 2023 (135).

Losses: None

Plusses: The former undisputed 135-pound champion is the best technician in the division, a product of his impressive natural gifts and extensive amateur career. He arguably has the strongest resume here, with a series of important victories (see above). And, at 25, he probably is just entering his prime.

Minuses: Haney is tall (5-foot-8) and has fought at 135 his entire career, which means he should have no trouble transitioning into a new division. However, the fact is that he’s making his 140-pound debut on Saturday. We’ll see how he looks. And he’s a light puncher. His last seven victories have come by decision.

 

  1. REGIS PROGRAIS (29-1, 24 KOs)

Key victories: Kiryl Relikh TKO 6 April 27, 2019 (140); Jose Zepeda KO 11 Nov. 26, 2022 (140).

Losses: Josh Taylor MD Oct. 26, 2019 (140).

Plusses: Prograis does everything well. He’s quick and athletic, he can box and he has power, as his knockout percentage (83%) indicates. He lost to a peak Taylor but essentially fought him on even terms in a close fight. He performed as well a ever in his title-winning KO of Zepeda.

Minuses: He did lose his biggest fight, against Taylor. His best victory (Zepeda) probably carries less weight than the biggest wins of others on this list. And Prograis, at 34, is the oldest member of this group. That means his meeting with Haney is particularly important for his career.

 

  1. GARY ANTUANNE RUSSELL (17-0, 17 KOs)

Key victories: Viktor Postol KO 10 Feb. 26, 2022 (140); Rances Barthelemy TKO 6 July 30, 2022 (140)

Losses: None

Plusses: Russell could end up on the top of this list. He seems to have it all, boxing ability, one-punch knockout power and fighting spirit. The fact he has stopped all 17 of his opponents – including a few established contenders – is striking. He can be hit but that’s due in part to his appealing aggressiveness.

Minuses: His victories over a still-capable Postol and Barthelemy demonstrated that he can win at a high level but we still don’t know how he will do against top-level opposition. Thus, the jury is still out on Russell. His aggressiveness could lead to trouble against a big puncher.

 

  1. SUBRIEL MATIAS (20-1, 20 KOs)

Key victories: Jeremias Ponce KO 5 Feb. 25, 2023; Shohjahon Ergashev KO 6 Nov. 25, 2023 (140)

Losses: Petros Ananyan UD Feb. 22, 2020 (140)

Plusses: The 31-year-old Puerto Rican is a seek-and-destroy offensive machine. He walks down his opponents, beats them up and, as his knockout record demonstrates, he has the power to end fights early. His last five opponents have quit in their corners, a testament to his destructive ability.

Minuses: Matias slipped up in his first fight with Ananyan, which he lost by decision. Can he lose focus? He says it was a wake-up call. He can be hit. How would that go against someone like Ryan Garcia? And we should probably wait until he beats a top-tier opponent before we label him the next Felix Trinidad.

 

  1. JOSE RAMIREZ (28-1, 18 KOs)

Key victories: Amir Imam UD March 17, 2018 (140); Jose Zepeda MD Feb. 10, 2019 (140); Viktor Postol MD Aug. 29, 2020 (140); Jose Pedraza UD 12 March 4, 2022 (140); Richard Commey KO 11 March 25, 2020 (140)

Losses: Josh Taylor UD May 22, 2021 (140)

Plusses: Ramirez is sort of the forgotten man. The 2012 U.S. Olympian arguably has the deepest professional resume of anyone here. He’s solid across the board. He can box, he has power and he has durability. He went down twice against Taylor but otherwise fought the Scot on roughly even terms.

Minuses: Inconsistency. He looks good in some victories (Pedraza and Commey) and not-so-good in others (Zepeda and Postol). He’s a capable technician, the result of his amateur foundation. However, he’s not particularly quick or athletic.

 

  1. RYAN GARCIA (24-1, 20 KOs)

Key victories: Luke Campbell TKO 7 Jan. 2, 2021 (135); Javier Fortuna KO 6 July 16, 2022 (140)

Losses: Gervonta Davis KO 7 April 22, 2023 (136)

Plusses: Garcia has been blessed with elite natural tools, including his unusual hand speed and one-punch KO power. He’s also a well-schooled boxer, the product of an extensive and successful amateur career. He has two weighty victories. And he’s the most popular fighter here given his massive social media following.

Minuses: Garcia is a capable technician – he’s adept at landing his power punches, for example – but he isn’t a boxing wizard, which we saw in his comeback victory over Oscar Duarte on Dec. 2. And jumping from one trainer to another and ongoing problems with his handlers can be counterproductive.

 

  1. ROLANDO ROMERO (15-1, 13 KOs)

Key victories: Jackson Marinez UD Aug. 15, 2020 (135); Ismael Barroso TKO 9 May 13, 2023 (140)

Losses: Gervonta Davis TKO 6 May 28, 2022 (135)

Plusses: Romero is solid across the board. He’s a decent boxer given his lack of a substantive amateur background and only 16 professional fights, and he has heavy hands, which is evident in his knockout record. And the experience gleaned from his setback against Davis will have helped him going forward.

Minuses: Romero is raw in terms of his skill set compared to the others on this list. He also has one of the weakest resumes, including the loss to Davis. He has been good and powerful enough to get past second-tier opponents. We’ll see how he does in his next fight against an elite opponent.

 

  1. RICHARDSON HITCHINS (17-0, 7 KOs)

Key victories: Argenis Mendez SD Dec. 12, 2020 (140); Malik Hawkins UD Dec. 18, 2021 (147); Jose Zepeda UD Sept. 23, 2023 (140)

Losses: None

Plusses: Hitchins, a New Yorker who represented Haiti in the 2016 Olympics, is a terrific boxer with impressive natural gifts, including unusual quickness. His near-shutout victory over capable veteran Zepeda in his most recent fight was an eye-opener. The 26-year-old is on an upward trajectory.

Minuses: He’s still in the process of proving himself against top-level opposition, as is the case with several others here. He doesn’t have fight-changing punching power, although he has forced several opponents to retire the past several years.

Who’s the best? Ranking the top fighters in the deep 140-pound division

Who’s the best? Ranking the top fighters in the deep 140-pound division.

The junior welterweight division is one of the deepest in boxing, with no fewer than nine elite champions or contenders.

Two of them – two-time titleholder Regis Prograis and 140-pound newcomer Devin Haney – are scheduled to face off on pay-per-view Saturday night from Chase Center in San Francisco, and more such matchups are on the horizon

Who’s the best of the bunch?

Boxing Junkie took a look at the top 140-pounders and selected the nine best for this special feature, ranking them in order of where they stand among their peers at the moment.

Note: This list is not based solely on accomplishments at 140 pounds. Victories at other weights and perceived ability also factored into our ranking.

Also, Gervonta Davis, who defeated two fighters on our list, is not included because he is campaigning at 135. And Josh Taylor, who also has taken down two men here, was not considered because he has moved up to 147.

Here’s the list.

 

  1. TEOFIMO LOPEZ (19-1, 13 KOs)

Key victories: Richard Commey TKO 2, Dec. 14, 2019 (135 pounds); Vasiliy Lomachenko UD Oct. 17, 2020 (135); and Josh Taylor UD June 10, 2023 (140).

Losses: George Kambosos Jr. SD Nov. 27, 2021 (135).

Plusses: Lopez is an exceptional all-around fighter when he’s at his best, as he demonstrated most recently in a convincing decision over Taylor to win a 140-pound title in June. He’s gifted (speed, explosiveness, power) and skillful, which was evident in his breakthrough win over Lomachenko.

Minuses: Inconsistency. He went down and generally struggled against less-talented Kambosos, losing a split decision and his 135-pouind titles. He fought with a dangerous condition in which air was present between his lungs. He also gave a so-so performance against Sandor Martin last December, winning a split decision.

 

  1. DEVIN HANEY (30-0, 15 KOs)

Key victories: Jorge Linares UD May 29, 2021 (135); Joseph Diaz Jr. UD Dec. 4, 2021 (135); George Kambosos Jr. I UD June 5, 2022 (135); Kambosos Jr. II UD Oct. 16, 2022 (135); Vasiliy Lomachenko UD May 20, 2023 (135).

Losses: None

Plusses: The former undisputed 135-pound champion is the best technician in the division, a product of his impressive natural gifts and extensive amateur career. He arguably has the strongest resume here, with a series of important victories (see above). And, at 25, he probably is just entering his prime.

Minuses: Haney is tall (5-foot-8) and has fought at 135 his entire career, which means he should have no trouble transitioning into a new division. However, the fact is that he’s making his 140-pound debut on Saturday. We’ll see how he looks. And he’s a light puncher. His last seven victories have come by decision.

 

  1. REGIS PROGRAIS (29-1, 24 KOs)

Key victories: Kiryl Relikh TKO 6 April 27, 2019 (140); Jose Zepeda KO 11 Nov. 26, 2022 (140).

Losses: Josh Taylor MD Oct. 26, 2019 (140).

Plusses: Prograis does everything well. He’s quick and athletic, he can box and he has power, as his knockout percentage (83%) indicates. He lost to a peak Taylor but essentially fought him on even terms in a close fight. He performed as well a ever in his title-winning KO of Zepeda.

Minuses: He did lose his biggest fight, against Taylor. His best victory (Zepeda) probably carries less weight than the biggest wins of others on this list. And Prograis, at 34, is the oldest member of this group. That means his meeting with Haney is particularly important for his career.

 

  1. GARY ANTUANNE RUSSELL (17-0, 17 KOs)

Key victories: Viktor Postol KO 10 Feb. 26, 2022 (140); Rances Barthelemy TKO 6 July 30, 2022 (140)

Losses: None

Plusses: Russell could end up on the top of this list. He seems to have it all, boxing ability, one-punch knockout power and fighting spirit. The fact he has stopped all 17 of his opponents – including a few established contenders – is striking. He can be hit but that’s due in part to his appealing aggressiveness.

Minuses: His victories over a still-capable Postol and Barthelemy demonstrated that he can win at a high level but we still don’t know how he will do against top-level opposition. Thus, the jury is still out on Russell. His aggressiveness could lead to trouble against a big puncher.

 

  1. SUBRIEL MATIAS (20-1, 20 KOs)

Key victories: Jeremias Ponce KO 5 Feb. 25, 2023; Shohjahon Ergashev KO 6 Nov. 25, 2023 (140)

Losses: Petros Ananyan UD Feb. 22, 2020 (140)

Plusses: The 31-year-old Puerto Rican is a seek-and-destroy offensive machine. He walks down his opponents, beats them up and, as his knockout record demonstrates, he has the power to end fights early. His last five opponents have quit in their corners, a testament to his destructive ability.

Minuses: Matias slipped up in his first fight with Ananyan, which he lost by decision. Can he lose focus? He says it was a wake-up call. He can be hit. How would that go against someone like Ryan Garcia? And we should probably wait until he beats a top-tier opponent before we label him the next Felix Trinidad.

 

  1. JOSE RAMIREZ (28-1, 18 KOs)

Key victories: Amir Imam UD March 17, 2018 (140); Jose Zepeda MD Feb. 10, 2019 (140); Viktor Postol MD Aug. 29, 2020 (140); Jose Pedraza UD 12 March 4, 2022 (140); Richard Commey KO 11 March 25, 2020 (140)

Losses: Josh Taylor UD May 22, 2021 (140)

Plusses: Ramirez is sort of the forgotten man. The 2012 U.S. Olympian arguably has the deepest professional resume of anyone here. He’s solid across the board. He can box, he has power and he has durability. He went down twice against Taylor but otherwise fought the Scot on roughly even terms.

Minuses: Inconsistency. He looks good in some victories (Pedraza and Commey) and not-so-good in others (Zepeda and Postol). He’s a capable technician, the result of his amateur foundation. However, he’s not particularly quick or athletic.

 

  1. RYAN GARCIA (24-1, 20 KOs)

Key victories: Luke Campbell TKO 7 Jan. 2, 2021 (135); Javier Fortuna KO 6 July 16, 2022 (140)

Losses: Gervonta Davis KO 7 April 22, 2023 (136)

Plusses: Garcia has been blessed with elite natural tools, including his unusual hand speed and one-punch KO power. He’s also a well-schooled boxer, the product of an extensive and successful amateur career. He has two weighty victories. And he’s the most popular fighter here given his massive social media following.

Minuses: Garcia is a capable technician – he’s adept at landing his power punches, for example – but he isn’t a boxing wizard, which we saw in his comeback victory over Oscar Duarte on Dec. 2. And jumping from one trainer to another and ongoing problems with his handlers can be counterproductive.

 

  1. ROLANDO ROMERO (15-1, 13 KOs)

Key victories: Jackson Marinez UD Aug. 15, 2020 (135); Ismael Barroso TKO 9 May 13, 2023 (140)

Losses: Gervonta Davis TKO 6 May 28, 2022 (135)

Plusses: Romero is solid across the board. He’s a decent boxer given his lack of a substantive amateur background and only 16 professional fights, and he has heavy hands, which is evident in his knockout record. And the experience gleaned from his setback against Davis will have helped him going forward.

Minuses: Romero is raw in terms of his skill set compared to the others on this list. He also has one of the weakest resumes, including the loss to Davis. He has been good and powerful enough to get past second-tier opponents. We’ll see how he does in his next fight against an elite opponent.

 

  1. RICHARDSON HITCHINS (17-0, 7 KOs)

Key victories: Argenis Mendez SD Dec. 12, 2020 (140); Malik Hawkins UD Dec. 18, 2021 (147); Jose Zepeda UD Sept. 23, 2023 (140)

Losses: None

Plusses: Hitchins, a New Yorker who represented Haiti in the 2016 Olympics, is a terrific boxer with impressive natural gifts, including unusual quickness. His near-shutout victory over capable veteran Zepeda in his most recent fight was an eye-opener. The 26-year-old is on an upward trajectory.

Minuses: He’s still in the process of proving himself against top-level opposition, as is the case with several others here. He doesn’t have fight-changing punching power, although he has forced several opponents to retire the past several years.

Weekend Review: David Benavidez’s destructive power was on full, breathtaking display

Weekend Review: David Benavidez’s destructive power was on full display in his sixth-round knockout of Demetrius Andrade on Saturday.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
David Benavidez

David Benavidez has said repeatedly that he has hurt everyone he has faced in the ring. He’s right. He might not knock out all of his opponents – Caleb Plant survived 12 rounds with him, for example – but he’s going to stalk you, he’s going to punish you and, it seems, he’s going to have his hand raised after the fact. That inevitability was on display in its most brutal form on Saturday in Las Vegas, where “The Mexican Monster” walked down, dropped and relentlessly pummeled fellow 168-pound contender Demetrius Andrade until Andrade’s corner stopped the fight after six rounds to save him from a worse fate. Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) never looked more destructive. Afterward he once again called out the king of the division, undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. Is there anyone who doesn’t believe Benavidez deserves that fight? Is there anyone who doesn’t want to see it? Let’s hope Alvarez sees it that way and finally agrees to face his biggest threat at 168 pounds.

 

BIGGESET LOSER
Demetrius Andrade

Demetrius Andrade (right) took a brutal beating over six rounds. David Becker / Getty Images

We shouldn’t draw firm conclusions from Andrade’s performance in the first meaningful test of his 15-year career. Benavidez didn’t beat him solely because he was the bigger man, as Andrade (32-1, 19 KOs) suggested multiple times after the fight. The winner obviously knows what he’s doing. But Benavidez’s physical advantage certainly played a role in his victory over an opponent who started his career as a 154-pounder and was fighting at 168 for only the second time. Andrade looked good for a while, outlanding Benavidez and consistently circling away from trouble before he hit the canvas and quickly deteriorated beginning in Round 4. The Andrade of the first few rounds could give anyone trouble, which is a positive sign for him. He asserted afterward that he’s far from finished at 35. He said he’ll go back to the gym, continue to grow into the division and ponder his next move. “I’ll work on my body a little more,” he said, “and I’ll be right back at it.” He will.

 

BIGGEST WINNER II
Katie Taylor

What more can she accomplish? Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) was at a crossroads after she lost a decision against then-140-pound champ Chantelle Cameron in May. Many wondered whether the Irishwoman’s time had passed. It hadn’t. The 37-year-old former Olympic champion gave one of her best performances in the rematch with Cameron on Saturday in Dublin, outboxing a naturally bigger opponent to win a majority decision (that should’ve been unanimous) and become an undisputed champion in a second division simultaneously in another entertaining fight. Cameron gave a spirited effort but Taylor consistently beat her to the punch, landing quick, accurate combinations and then clinching to avoid return fire. She was brilliant. The word legend is sometimes thrown around carelessly but that is the type of legacy Taylor has built. If she’s not the greatest female boxer of all time, she certainly is in the conversation.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Subriel Matias (20-1, 20 KOs) gave a David Benavidez-like statement on the Benavidez-Andrade card. The 31-year-old Puerto Rican survived some tough early moments to destroy fellow slugger Shohjahon Ergashev (23-1, 20 KOs) after five rounds to retain his 140-pound title and bolster his reputation as one of the sport’s most dangerous punchers. He has forced his last five opponents to retire on their stools, although Ergashev complained of a leg injury. Matias appears to be in the class of the best fighters around his weight, including his fellow beltholders and the top 135-pounders. He’ll have to face one of them for us to know for sure, though. … Middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo (33-0, 22 KOs) made a successful return after a 2½-year hiatus to focus on his mental health, easily outpointing durable, but overmatched Jose Benavidez Jr. (28-3-1, 19 KOs) in a 10-round bout on the Benavidez-Andrade show. Rust? I didn’t see any. He boxed beautifully, using his superb jab and quick, heavy combinations to dominate the fight. Benavidez was able to survive only because of his unusual durability. Now Charlo can focus on bigger challenges. He could still be in the Alvarez sweepstakes and there are a number of good options at 160. Charlo is back. …

Hector Luis Garcia (16-2, 10 KOs) might be a one-year wonder. The 130-pounder from the Dominican Republic made a splash by outpointing Chris Colbert and Roger Gutierrez last year, positioning himself as a potential star. But he has fallen flat this year, getting stopped by Gervonta Davis at 135 in January and losing a split decision and his title to Lamont Roach on the Benavidez-Andrade card. Garcia took a big swing and missed against Davis. OK. His performance against Roach was less defendable, as he wasn’t active enough to overcome a beatable opponent. It will be difficult for him to rebuild after the back-to-back setbacks. Meanwhile, Roach (24-1-1, 9 KOs) did what it took to become a major titleholder. The well-schooled boxer from the Washington, D.C. area didn’t do much either but he took the fight to Garcia and landed the cleaner punches. Roach obviously is a capable fighter. …

Nevada officials had a bad night. A mistake by referee Tony Weeks cost Garcia his belt. Weeks missed the fact that Roach put Garcia down in the 12th round with a punch that landed behind the head, which is illegal. The result would’ve been a draw had Roach won the round 10-9, which would’ve allowed Garcia to retain his title. Why didn’t officials go to instant replay? If it’s not used for such calls, why not? A bad ruling should’ve been reversed. … In the Matias-Ergashev fight, Ergashev kept his extended lead arm in Matias’ face to keep Matis at a distance favorable to Ergashev. That’s also illegal. Referee Celestino Ruiz should’ve prevented Ergashev from doing that. … And in the Charlo-Benavidez fight, Charlo had a chance to score a knockout late in the final round when referee Harvey Dock more or less tackled Charlo to untangle the fighters. Had Dock let the fighters do their work, Charlo might’ve gotten his stoppage.

[lawrence-related id=39880,39876,39842,39839,39836,39846]

Weekend Review: David Benavidez’s destructive power was on full, breathtaking display

Weekend Review: David Benavidez’s destructive power was on full display in his sixth-round knockout of Demetrius Andrade on Saturday.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
David Benavidez

David Benavidez has said repeatedly that he has hurt everyone he has faced in the ring. He’s right. He might not knock out all of his opponents – Caleb Plant survived 12 rounds with him, for example – but he’s going to stalk you, he’s going to punish you and, it seems, he’s going to have his hand raised after the fact. That inevitability was on display in its most brutal form on Saturday in Las Vegas, where “The Mexican Monster” walked down, dropped and relentlessly pummeled fellow 168-pound contender Demetrius Andrade until Andrade’s corner stopped the fight after six rounds to save him from a worse fate. Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) never looked more destructive. Afterward he once again called out the king of the division, undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. Is there anyone who doesn’t believe Benavidez deserves that fight? Is there anyone who doesn’t want to see it? Let’s hope Alvarez sees it that way and finally agrees to face his biggest threat at 168 pounds.

 

BIGGESET LOSER
Demetrius Andrade

Demetrius Andrade (right) took a brutal beating over six rounds. David Becker / Getty Images

We shouldn’t draw firm conclusions from Andrade’s performance in the first meaningful test of his 15-year career. Benavidez didn’t beat him solely because he was the bigger man, as Andrade (32-1, 19 KOs) suggested multiple times after the fight. The winner obviously knows what he’s doing. But Benavidez’s physical advantage certainly played a role in his victory over an opponent who started his career as a 154-pounder and was fighting at 168 for only the second time. Andrade looked good for a while, outlanding Benavidez and consistently circling away from trouble before he hit the canvas and quickly deteriorated beginning in Round 4. The Andrade of the first few rounds could give anyone trouble, which is a positive sign for him. He asserted afterward that he’s far from finished at 35. He said he’ll go back to the gym, continue to grow into the division and ponder his next move. “I’ll work on my body a little more,” he said, “and I’ll be right back at it.” He will.

 

BIGGEST WINNER II
Katie Taylor

What more can she accomplish? Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) was at a crossroads after she lost a decision against then-140-pound champ Chantelle Cameron in May. Many wondered whether the Irishwoman’s time had passed. It hadn’t. The 37-year-old former Olympic champion gave one of her best performances in the rematch with Cameron on Saturday in Dublin, outboxing a naturally bigger opponent to win a majority decision (that should’ve been unanimous) and become an undisputed champion in a second division simultaneously in another entertaining fight. Cameron gave a spirited effort but Taylor consistently beat her to the punch, landing quick, accurate combinations and then clinching to avoid return fire. She was brilliant. The word legend is sometimes thrown around carelessly but that is the type of legacy Taylor has built. If she’s not the greatest female boxer of all time, she certainly is in the conversation.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Subriel Matias (20-1, 20 KOs) gave a David Benavidez-like statement on the Benavidez-Andrade card. The 31-year-old Puerto Rican survived some tough early moments to destroy fellow slugger Shohjahon Ergashev (23-1, 20 KOs) after five rounds to retain his 140-pound title and bolster his reputation as one of the sport’s most dangerous punchers. He has forced his last five opponents to retire on their stools, although Ergashev complained of a leg injury. Matias appears to be in the class of the best fighters around his weight, including his fellow beltholders and the top 135-pounders. He’ll have to face one of them for us to know for sure, though. … Middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo (33-0, 22 KOs) made a successful return after a 2½-year hiatus to focus on his mental health, easily outpointing durable, but overmatched Jose Benavidez Jr. (28-3-1, 19 KOs) in a 10-round bout on the Benavidez-Andrade show. Rust? I didn’t see any. He boxed beautifully, using his superb jab and quick, heavy combinations to dominate the fight. Benavidez was able to survive only because of his unusual durability. Now Charlo can focus on bigger challenges. He could still be in the Alvarez sweepstakes and there are a number of good options at 160. Charlo is back. …

Hector Luis Garcia (16-2, 10 KOs) might be a one-year wonder. The 130-pounder from the Dominican Republic made a splash by outpointing Chris Colbert and Roger Gutierrez last year, positioning himself as a potential star. But he has fallen flat this year, getting stopped by Gervonta Davis at 135 in January and losing a split decision and his title to Lamont Roach on the Benavidez-Andrade card. Garcia took a big swing and missed against Davis. OK. His performance against Roach was less defendable, as he wasn’t active enough to overcome a beatable opponent. It will be difficult for him to rebuild after the back-to-back setbacks. Meanwhile, Roach (24-1-1, 9 KOs) did what it took to become a major titleholder. The well-schooled boxer from the Washington, D.C. area didn’t do much either but he took the fight to Garcia and landed the cleaner punches. Roach obviously is a capable fighter. …

Nevada officials had a bad night. A mistake by referee Tony Weeks cost Garcia his belt. Weeks missed the fact that Roach put Garcia down in the 12th round with a punch that landed behind the head, which is illegal. The result would’ve been a draw had Roach won the round 10-9, which would’ve allowed Garcia to retain his title. Why didn’t officials go to instant replay? If it’s not used for such calls, why not? A bad ruling should’ve been reversed. … In the Matias-Ergashev fight, Ergashev kept his extended lead arm in Matias’ face to keep Matis at a distance favorable to Ergashev. That’s also illegal. Referee Celestino Ruiz should’ve prevented Ergashev from doing that. … And in the Charlo-Benavidez fight, Charlo had a chance to score a knockout late in the final round when referee Harvey Dock more or less tackled Charlo to untangle the fighters. Had Dock let the fighters do their work, Charlo might’ve gotten his stoppage.

[lawrence-related id=39880,39876,39842,39839,39836,39846]

Subriel Matias pounds, stops Shohjahon Ergashev after five rounds

Subriel Matias knocked out Shohjahon Ergashev after five rounds to retain his 140-pound title Saturday in Las Vegas.

Subriel Matias beat the fight out of another opponent.

The 140-pound titleholder from Puerto Rico pounded Shohjahon Ergashev mercilessly until the Uzbek decided to stay on his stool after five rounds on the David Benavidez-Demetrius Andrade card Saturday in Las Vegas.

Ergashev (23-1, 20 KOs) got off to a good start, using his right hand as a range finder and landed many hard, accurate left hands in the first few rounds.

However, by Round 3, an unfazed Matias (20-1, 20 KOs), had worked his way inside and began to overwhelm his opponent with a variety of brutal power punches.

Ergashev tried to fight back in the final few rounds — and clinched in an attempt to slow Matias down — but he didn’t have the tools to keep the Puerto Rican slugger away.

Ergashev didn’t come out of his corner for the start of Round 6, complaining of an injury to his right leg.

Matias has now forced five consecutive to opponents to retire in their corners.

He was making the first defense of the title he won by knocking out Jeremias Ponce in five rounds in February.

Ergashev was fighting for a major title for the first time.

[lawrence-related id=39836]

Subriel Matias pounds, stops Shohjahon Ergashev after five rounds

Subriel Matias knocked out Shohjahon Ergashev after five rounds to retain his 140-pound title Saturday in Las Vegas.

Subriel Matias beat the fight out of another opponent.

The 140-pound titleholder from Puerto Rico pounded Shohjahon Ergashev mercilessly until the Uzbek decided to stay on his stool after five rounds on the David Benavidez-Demetrius Andrade card Saturday in Las Vegas.

Ergashev (23-1, 20 KOs) got off to a good start, using his right hand as a range finder and landed many hard, accurate left hands in the first few rounds.

However, by Round 3, an unfazed Matias (20-1, 20 KOs), had worked his way inside and began to overwhelm his opponent with a variety of brutal power punches.

Ergashev tried to fight back in the final few rounds — and clinched in an attempt to slow Matias down — but he didn’t have the tools to keep the Puerto Rican slugger away.

Ergashev didn’t come out of his corner for the start of Round 6, complaining of an injury to his right leg.

Matias has now forced five consecutive to opponents to retire in their corners.

He was making the first defense of the title he won by knocking out Jeremias Ponce in five rounds in February.

Ergashev was fighting for a major title for the first time.

[lawrence-related id=39836]

Video and photos: David Benavidez, Demetrius Andrade make weight

Video and photos: David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade on Friday made weight for their pay-per-view fight Saturday in Las Vegas.

Super middleweight contenders David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade on Friday made weight for their pay-per-view fight Saturday at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Benavidez weighed 167.0 pounds, 1 below the limit. Andrade came in at 167.6.

In the co-feature, middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo weighed 3.4 pounds over the agreed-upon catch weight of 163 for his fight against Jose Benavidez Jr. but the fight will go on.

The weights for the featured undercard fights on the card are as follows:

  • Charlo (166.4) vs. Benavidez Jr., (161.2) super middleweights.
  • Subriel Matias (139.8) vs. Shohjahon Ergashev (139.8), junior welterweights (for Matias’ IBF junior title).
  • Hector Luis Garcia (129.4) vs. Lamont Roach (129.6), junior lightweights (for Garcia’s WBA title).

[lawrence-related id=39811,39804,39801,39755,39752]

Video and photos: David Benavidez, Demetrius Andrade make weight

Video and photos: David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade on Friday made weight for their pay-per-view fight Saturday in Las Vegas.

Super middleweight contenders David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade on Friday made weight for their pay-per-view fight Saturday at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Benavidez weighed 167.0 pounds, 1 below the limit. Andrade came in at 167.6.

In the co-feature, middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo weighed 3.4 pounds over the agreed-upon catch weight of 163 for his fight against Jose Benavidez Jr. but the fight will go on.

The weights for the featured undercard fights on the card are as follows:

  • Charlo (166.4) vs. Benavidez Jr., (161.2) super middleweights.
  • Subriel Matias (139.8) vs. Shohjahon Ergashev (139.8), junior welterweights (for Matias’ IBF junior title).
  • Hector Luis Garcia (129.4) vs. Lamont Roach (129.6), junior lightweights (for Garcia’s WBA title).

[lawrence-related id=39811,39804,39801,39755,39752]

David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade: LIVE round-by-round updates, official results, full coverage

David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade: LIVE round-by-round updates, official results and full coverage.

David Benavidez dropped, beat up and finally stopped fellow 168-pound contender Demetrius Andrade at the end of the sixth round Saturday at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Andrade (32-1, 19 KOs) got off to a strong start, beating Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) to the punch, generally outworking him and moving out of harm’s way as the naturally bigger man tried to walk him down.

Things changed radically in an instant in the final seconds of Round 4, when a right from Benavidez put Andrade down and hurt him.

It was all Benavidez after that, as he pounded a willing, but overmatched Andrade to both the head and body for almost all of the next two one-sided rounds.

Finally, after Round 6, Andrade’s corner said enough was enough and instructed the referee to stop the fight.

Benavidez was coming off a unanimous decision victory over the skillful, elusive Caleb Plant in March. That result snapped Benavidez’s knockout streak at six.

Andrade, a former 154- and 160-pound titleholder, was fighting at 168 for the second time.

A full report will follow shortly.

***

ROUND 6

The fight has been stopped. Andrade’s corner instructed the referee to stop it after the sixth round to save Andrade from taking more punishment.

ROUND 5

Huge round for Benavidez. He just walked down and pounded Andrade to both the head and body and received very little in return. It’s surprising that Andrade was able to stay on his feet. He took vicious, nonstop punishment.

ROUND 4

A right hand put Andrade down in the final seconds of the round. Legit hard shot that hurt him. Andrade was having a good round to that point, outworking Benavidez. Benavidez just keeps coming, though. And the pressure paid off.

ROUND 3

Has the fight turned already? Andrade controlled the first two minutes on the round but Benavidez seemed to hurt him later, as he unloaded several hard, accurate shots and slowed Andrade down. Close round overall, though.

ROUND 2

Good round for Andrade. Benavidez is having trouble adjusting to Andrade’s awkward style, his speed and maybe his southpaw stance. Andrade outworked Benavidez that round. Benavidez isn’t fazed, though. He had some good moments too.

ROUND 1

Good pace for an opening round, although both men obviously were trying to find their ranges and adjust to one another. Both landed some good, hard body shots. Love the energy from both guys.

***

The main event is next, David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade.

***

Middleweight champ Jermall Charlo made a successful return, defeating a brave, but overmatched Jose Benavidez Jr. by a near-shutout decision in a 10-round bout.

The official scores were 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92. Boxing Junkie scored it 99-91, nine rounds to one.

Charlo (33-0, 22 KOs) was returning after a 2½-year layoff but didn’t look rusty, landing his effective jab consistently and following with sharp combinations and single shots to dominate the fight.

Benavidez (28-3-1, 19 KOs) was the naturally much smaller man but didn’t fight like it, attacking Charlo with some success at many junctures and absorbing many huge shots without going down.

However, the older brother of David Benavidez ate too many clean shots to win rounds.

The fighters agreed to a catch weight of 163 pounds but Charlo came in at 166.4. Benavidez decided to go through with the fight, presumably in part because Charlo had to add to his payday for him to do so.

Charlo hadn’t fought since he outpointed Juan Macias Montiel in June of 2021.

***

Subriel Matias beat up and then stopped Shohjahon Ergashev after five rounds to retain his junior welterweight title.

Ergashev (23-1, 20 KOs) got off to a good start, using his right hand as a range finder and landed many hard, accurate left hands.

However, by Round 3, Matias (20-1, 20 KOs), had worked his way inside and began to punish the Uzbek mercilessly with a variety of power punches.

Ergashev tried to fight back in the final few rounds — and clinched to slow Matias down — but he didn’t have the tools to keep the Puerto Rican slugger away.

Ergashev didn’t come out of his corner for the start of Round 6, complaining of an injury to his right leg.

Matias has now forced five consecutive to opponents to retire in their corners.

He was making the first defense of the title he won by knocking out Jeremias Ponce in five rounds in February.

Ergashev was fighting for a major title for the first time.

***

Lamont Roach Jr. defeated Hector Luis Garcia by a split decision to take Garcia’s 130-pound title.

One judge had Garcia winning 114-113 but the other two scored it for Roach, 116-111 and 114-113. Boxing Junkie scored it 116-112, eight rounds to four.

Neither fighter was particularly active but Roach (24-1-1, 9 KOs) kept Garcia on his heels most of the fight, jabbing and following with enough power shots to win rounds.

He was awarded a knockdown in the 12th round but the punch that put Garcia on the canvas, a left hook, landed behind his head and shouldn’t have counted.

Had Roach been awarded a 10-9 round — instead of 10-8 — the fight would’ve been a split draw and Garcia would’ve retained his title.

Garcia (16-2, 10 KOs) simply wasn’t active enough, as he spent more time waiting to counter than he did letting his hands go.

***

Unbeaten super middleweight contenders David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade are scheduled to face off on pay-per-view Saturday night at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

The winner of the fight could be in line to challenge undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez in May.

Here are the other featured fights on the deep card:

  • Jermall Charlo vs. Jose Benavidez Jr., super middleweights.
  • Subriel Matias vs. Shohjahon Ergashev, junior welterweights (for Matias’ IBF junior title).
  • Hector Luis Garcia vs. Lamont Roach, junior lightweights (for Garcia’s WBA title).

The show is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

Boxing Junkie will post live round-by-round analysis and updates immediately after those fights end. Simply return to this post and refresh when the time comes.

Full coverage – fight stories, analysis and more – will follow on separate posts the night of the card and the following day.

Enjoy the fights!

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