Tag: Teofimo Lopez

Josh Taylor to begin rebuilding process in rematch with Jack Catterall

Josh Taylor is set to begin the rebuilding process in a rematch with Jack Catterall on Saturday in Leeds, England.

Josh Taylor enjoyed the highest highs and endured the lowest lows of boxing over the past five years.

The 33-year-old Scotsman had a tremendous run from 2019 to 2021, when he defeated in succession Ivan Baranchyk, Regis Prograis, Apinun Khongsong and Jose Ramirez to become the king of the 140-pound division and an international star.

Then came 2022 and last year, when brought him back to earth. He struggled to defeat Jack Catterall by a disputed decision and then was outclassed in a unanimous decision loss to Teofimo Lopez last June. The former damaged his reputation, the latter cost him his titles.

And a rematch with Catterall was postponed twice because of injuries to Taylor, first involving his foot and then his eye, adding to his frustration.

He’ll have a chance to put all that behind him and regain some of what he lost when he faces his English rival a second time on Saturday night at First Direct Arena in Leeds (ESPN+).

“It’s just another fight week and on Saturday it’s just another fight,” Taylor, 33, said at a news conference Thursday. “I am looking forward to putting all this to bed and moving on with my career and proving that the last time was just an off night.

“Look at the history of boxing. All the great fighters of the past have taken defeats and come back and won world titles again. Just because you take one defeat, it doesn’t mean you are a finished fighter.

“I think that’s where boxing has taken a turn for the worse because when a fighter takes a loss everyone says, ‘Ah he’s finished’, and stuff like that. But in the UFC, there are fighters that have got 20 fights with 10 losses but they are still at the top of the game and still fighting.

“Just because you take a loss it doesn’t mean that you are a bad fighter. I still feel that I am at the top of the game and on Saturday, I take care of business and I am back in the picture and winning my titles back.”

Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) was fortunate to have his hand raised after his first fight with fellow southpaw Catterall (28-1, 13 KOs).

The then-champion went down from a pair of overhand lefts in the eighth round, which stunned Taylor’s home-country fans in Glasgow. And he was never able to take control of the fight, although he did his best work down the stretch.

He stated the obvious after the fight: “It wasn’t my best performance.”

“The last fight was a stinker from both of us,” Taylor said Thursday. “Jack was doing a lot of holding and spoiling, slowing the pace down, I was very poor as well. I believe the two of us can be a lot better, and it will be a better fight for the fans.

“It’s going to be a barnstormer, we were in the arena on Monday and got a bit of a surprise, it’s right on top of you. So it’s going to be a great experience and atmosphere in there.”

It has been a while since Taylor has had a great experience.

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Pound-for-pound: Does No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk leap frog Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue?

Pound-for-pound: Does No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk leap frog Nos. 1 and 2 Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue to the top of the list?

Oleksandr Usyk gave the performance of a lifetime on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, rallying to defeat gigantic Tyson Fury by a split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in a quarter century.

But was it enough to catapult No. 3-ranked Usyk past Nos. 1 and 2 Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list?

No.

Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) deserves consideration for the top spot after taking down Anthony Joshua in back-to-back fights in 2021 and 2022, stopping Daniel Dubois in nine rounds in August and now handing Fury the first loss of his career.

That’s a hell of a run by any standard. And the former cruiserweight champ has done it against naturally larger men, who would have trouble competing with him if he were their size. That obviously works in his favor in the pound-for-pound debate.

So why isn’t he No. 1?

Let’s start with Crawford and Inoue. The gifted lower-weight stars don’t have quite the resume Usyk has but they’ve dominated one contender after another to climb to the top of the list and have shown no signs of weakness.

Remember: We were as amazed when Crawford demolished fellow pound-for-pounder Errol Spence Jr. and Inoue got up from a knockdown to destroy Luis Nery as we are now following Usyk’s historic victory over Fury.

And while we must keep in mind the size difference between Usyk and his heavyweight rivals, he dominated neither Joshua nor Fury and benefitted from a controversial call by the referee – a clean body shot that was ruled a low blow — against Dubois to maintain his perfect record.

Fury believes he did enough against Usyk to get the decision, which isn’t far fetched given the tight, back-and-forth war. Had it gone Fury’s way, we wouldn’t even be talking about Usyk as a potential No. 1.

None of the above is meant to denigrate Usyk’s accomplishments. He has demonstrated over the past two years that he not only is the top heavyweight at the moment but also an all-time great, which is the highest praise in boxing.

He just hasn’t done quite enough to leap frog two other future Hall of Famers, Crawford and Inoue.

Of course, we must add one thing: If Usyk fights and beats Fury again — particularly if it’s more convincing the second time — we’ll have to revisit our decision to leave him at No. 3.

What about Fury, who entered Saturday at No. 9? He drops to No. 11 — below Bam Rodriguez and Artur Beterbiev — after his disastrous performance against Francis Ngannou in October and his setback against Usyk on Saturday.

And, obviously, Fury also can change his fortunes if he can turn the tables on Usyk in a rematch.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 8 Gervonta Davis will face Frank Martin and No. 15 David Benavidez will take on Oleksandr Gvozdyk on the same card June 15 in Las Vegas.

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – Scheduled to challenge 154-pound titleholder
    Israil Madrimov on Aug. 3 in Los Angeles.
  2. Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – No fight scheduled.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Fight against No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship, originally scheduled for June 1, was postponed after Beterbiev injured his knee.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Scheduled to defend his 115-pound title against No. 11 Jesse Rodriguez on June 29 in Phoenix.
  6. Canelo Alvarez – No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to defend his 135-pound title against Frank Martin on June 15 in Las Vegas.
  9. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – Scheduled to face No. 5 Juan Francisco Estrada for Estrada’s 115-pound title on June 29 in Phoenix.
  10. Artur Beterbiev – Fight against No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship, originally scheduled for June 1, was postponed after Beterbiev injured his knee.
  11. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  12. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  13. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  14. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  15. David Benavidez – Scheduled to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15 in Las Vegas.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to face Fernando Martinez in a 115-pound title-unification bout in on July 7 in Tokyo); Teofimo Lopez (scheduled to defend his 140-pound title against Steve Claggett on June 29 in Miami); Junto Nakatani (scheduled to defend his 118-pound title against Vincent Astrolabio on July 20 in Tokyo).

[lawrence-related id=42009,41986,41977,41958]

Pound-for-pound: Did No. 2 Naoya Inoue do enough to supplant No. 1 Terence Crawford?

Pound-for-pound: Did No. 2 Naoya Inoue do enough in his breathtaking victory over Luis Ney to supplant No. 1 Terence Crawford?

Who’s truly the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound? Depends who you talk to.

Terence Crawford, No. 1 on Boxing Junkie’s list, and No. 2 Inoue are both unbeaten, near-flawless all-around fighters who have dominated almost everyone they’ve faced over an extended period of time.

Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) was at his glorious best in the early morning hours (U.S. time) Monday in Japan.

Luis Nery shocked everyone watching by putting Inoue down in the opening round but that only hardened Inoue’s resolve. The 122-pound champion responded by destroying a good opponent, putting him on the canvas three times and brutally stopping him in Round 6.

Inoue was nothing short of brilliant. It becomes more and more clear that he’s one of the best to ever do it.

And don’t count the knockdown against him when assessing his pound-for-pound credentials. Almost all the great ones have gone down. The important thing is they get up and  demonstrate who’s the better man, as Inoue did in spectacular fashion on Monday.

The question is whether he did enough — or is good enough — to supplant Crawford at No. 1. That answer is no, at least for now.

The resume of Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is roughly equal to that of Inoue. Both of them have faced a long list of top contenders but relatively few pound-for-pound-caliber foes, although Crawford is coming a ninth-round knockout of Errol Spence Jr. last July.

And Crawford has been as dominating as Inoue, unleashing an overwhelming combination of skill, speed and power on one opponent after another.

The knockout of Spence, a pound-for-pounder himself, was just as breathtaking as Inoue’s annihilation of Nery at the Tokyo Dome even though Crawford didn’t have to demonstrate that he could overcome adversity.

Crawford has been nothing short of brilliant his entire career, which is why he was Boxing Junkie’s top pound-for-pounder since this feature was initiated in 2019 and hasn’t budged.

How could we justify demoting him under those circumstances? We can’t.

Inoue could reach the top at some point in part because of their respective ages: He’s 31, Crawford 36. That time simply isn’t now.

Another pound-for-pounder was in action on May 4, No. 6 Canelo Alvarez, who defeated Jaime Munguia by a one-sided decision in Las Vegas.

The superstar looked sharp but he was never destined to leap up the list because Munguia was not ranked. However, sitting directly above Alvarez at No. 5 is fellow Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada.

Did Alvarez do enough to swap places with his countryman? That’s a matter of interpretation. We decided to leave Alvarez where he is in good part because Estrada is scheduled to face rising star and No. 10 “Bam” Rodriguez on June 29. Estrada’s fate is in his hands.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 13 Vasiliy Lomachenko is scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia..

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – Scheduled to challenge 154-pound titleholder
    Israil Madrimov on Aug. 3 in Los Angeles.
  2. Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Fight against No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship, originally scheduled for June 1, was postponed after Beterbiev injured his knee.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Scheduled to defend his 115-pound title against No. 11 Jesse Rodriguez on June 29 in Phoenix.
  6. Canelo Alvarez – No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to defend his 135-pound title against Frank Martin on June 15 in Las Vegas.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – Scheduled to face No. 5 Juan Francisco Estrada for Estrada’s 115-pound title on June 29 in Phoenix.
  11. Artur Beterbiev – Fight against No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship, originally scheduled for June 1, was postponed after Beterbiev injured his knee.
  12. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  13. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
  14. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduld.
  15. David Benavidez – Scheduled to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15 in Las Vegas.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to face Fernando Martinez in a 115-pound title-unification bout in on July 7 in Tokyo); Teofimo Lopez (reportedly near a deal to defend his 140-pound title against Steve Claggett on June 29 in Miami); Junto Nakatani (no fight scheduled).

[lawrence-related id=41791,41736]

Pound-for-pound: Did Isaac Cruz do enough against Rolando Romero to crack list?

Pound-for-pound: Did Isaac Cruz do enough against Rolando Romero to crack Boxing Junkie’s list?

Isaac Cruz made a strong impression with his eighth-round knockout of Rolando Romero on Saturday in Las Vegas.

But did the new 140-pound titleholder from Mexico do enough in that fight — and does he have the resume — to climb onto Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list?

Not quite.

Everyone agrees that Cruz is evolving into a formidable fighting machine, a pressure fighter with the fitness, durability and punching power to dominate opponents.

However, we shouldn’t overreact to a one-sided victory over Romero, a good, but limited fighter. And Cruz still doesn’t have a victory over a top-tier opponent, although he gave Gervonta Davis hell in defeat in 2021.

Bottom line: Cruz has to beat a pound-for-pounder or someone of that caliber to leave no doubt that he belongs with the best in the business.

And those matchups will come soon enough if Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) continues to win. Perhaps showdowns with the likes of fellow beltholders Devin Haney or Teofimo Lopez — or maybe even a rematch with Davis — are in his near future.

A victory over any of the above would be enough to lift Cruz to the next level. Stay tuned.

What about Sebastian Fundora?

The new 154-pound champ defeated rising star Tim Tszyu by a split decision in the main event on Saturday, an accomplishment for which Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) deserves credit.

However, we can’t draw firm conclusions because Tszyu was effectively blinded by blood in his eyes, the result of a ghastly cut on his hairline. Plus, Fundora was knocked out by Brian Mendoza in his previous fight.

Fundora’s time might come, just not now.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 10 Devin Haney is scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 on pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 122-pound championship against Luis Nery on May 6 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Scheduled to defend his 115-pound title against No. 11 Jesse Rodriguez on June 29 in Phoenix.
  6. Canelo Alvarez – Scheduled to face Jaime Munguia for the undisputed 168-pound championship on May 4 in Las Vegas.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Devin Haney– Scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 in Las Vegas.
  11. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – Scheduled to face No. 5 Juan Francisco Estrada for Estrada’s 115-pound title on June 29 in Phoenix.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  13. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  14. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
  15. Shakur Stevenson– Reportedly near a deal to defend his 135-pound title against Artem Harutyunyan on July 6 in Newark, New Jersey.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (has agreed to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June but no announcement has been made); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (reportedly near a deal to defend his 140-pound title against Steve Claggett on June 29 in Miami).

[lawrence-related id=41294,41278,41249,41227]

Pound-for-pound: Action will pick up in a big way beginning on April 20

Pound-for-pound: Action will pick up in a big way beginning on April 20

That’s crickets you’re hearing when it comes to the pound-for-pound scene.

None of the 20 fighter’s on Boxing Junkie’s list — Nos. 1-15 and five Honorable Mentions — is scheduled to step into the ring until April 20, when No. 10 Devin Haney will defend his 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas.

The action picks up in a big way at that point, however. Between April 20 and June 1 — a span of only five-plus weeks — seven pound-for-pounders are scheduled to fight.

They are No. 2 Naoya Inoue, No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk, No. 4 Dmitry Bivol, No. 9 Tyson Fury, Haney, No. 12 Artur Beterbiev and No. 14 Vasiliy Lomachenko (see below for details).

That number could grow. No. 6 Canelo Alvarez is expected to fight on May 4, although no opponent has been announced. And Honorable Mention David Benavidez is in talks to face 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June.

And who knows what other matchups involving the best of the best might emerge?

Yes, the lack of activity at the moment is disappointing. However, patience will pay dividends. The biggest stars in the sport are in the gym as you read this preparing to perform.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 10 Devin Haney is scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 on pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 122-pound championship against Luis Nery on May 6 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  6. Canelo Alvarez – No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Devin Haney– Scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 in Las Vegas.
  11. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  13. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  14. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
  15. Shakur Stevenson– No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (has agreed to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June but no deal is in place); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (no fight scheduled).

Pound-for-pound: Action will pick up in a big way beginning on April 20

Pound-for-pound: Action will pick up in a big way beginning on April 20

That’s crickets you’re hearing when it comes to the pound-for-pound scene.

None of the 20 fighter’s on Boxing Junkie’s list — Nos. 1-15 and five Honorable Mentions — is scheduled to step into the ring until April 20, when No. 10 Devin Haney will defend his 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas.

The action picks up in a big way at that point, however. Between April 20 and June 1 — a span of only five-plus weeks — seven pound-for-pounders are scheduled to fight.

They are No. 2 Naoya Inoue, No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk, No. 4 Dmitry Bivol, No. 9 Tyson Fury, Haney, No. 12 Artur Beterbiev and No. 14 Vasiliy Lomachenko (see below for details).

That number could grow. No. 6 Canelo Alvarez is expected to fight on May 4, although no opponent has been announced. And Honorable Mention David Benavidez is in talks to face 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June.

And who knows what other matchups involving the best of the best might emerge?

Yes, the lack of activity at the moment is disappointing. However, patience will pay dividends. The biggest stars in the sport are in the gym as you read this preparing to perform.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 10 Devin Haney is scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 on pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 122-pound championship against Luis Nery on May 6 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  6. Canelo Alvarez – No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Devin Haney– Scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 in Las Vegas.
  11. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  13. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  14. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
  15. Shakur Stevenson– No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (has agreed to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June but no deal is in place); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (no fight scheduled).

Pound-for-pound: Does Teofimo Lopez hold his position after dud?

Pound-for-pound: Does Teofimo Lopez hold his Honorable Mention position after a subpar performance against Jamaine Ortiz?

Teofimo Lopez didn’t look like a pound-for-pounder in his unanimous decision victory over Jamaine Ortiz on Thursday in Las Vegas.

The physically gifted 140-pound titleholder did enough to win but spent the entire fight chasing his elusive opponent but rarely catching him, which made for a relatively weak performance and a lousy fight.

To be fair, as I wrote earlier in Weekend Review, it’s difficult to corral a foe who refuses to engage, particularly if they’re as quick and capable as Ortiz. However, special fighters find a way. And Lopez didn’t.

So where does that leave the Honorable Mention on our pound-for-pound list?

He’s getting a pass this time, meaning he’ll stay where he was for the time being. After all, he won the fight. And, again, Ortiz’s strategy was a contributing factor in his subpar performance.

We’re watching, however, He can’t continue to look good in one fight and so-so in the next, which has been his pattern the past few years. If he is ever going to move toward the top of this list, he’s going to have to demonstrate consistency.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 10 Devin Haney is scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 on pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 122-pound championship against Luis Nery on May 6 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  6. Canelo Alvarez – No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Devin Haney– Scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 in Las Vegas.
  11. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  13. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  14. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
  15. Shakur Stevenson– No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (no fight scheduled).

[lawrence-related id=40729,40720,40690,40684]

Pound-for-pound: Does Teofimo Lopez hold his position after dud?

Pound-for-pound: Does Teofimo Lopez hold his Honorable Mention position after a subpar performance against Jamaine Ortiz?

Teofimo Lopez didn’t look like a pound-for-pounder in his unanimous decision victory over Jamaine Ortiz on Thursday in Las Vegas.

The physically gifted 140-pound titleholder did enough to win but spent the entire fight chasing his elusive opponent but rarely catching him, which made for a relatively weak performance and a lousy fight.

To be fair, as I wrote earlier in Weekend Review, it’s difficult to corral a foe who refuses to engage, particularly if they’re as quick and capable as Ortiz. However, special fighters find a way. And Lopez didn’t.

So where does that leave the Honorable Mention on our pound-for-pound list?

He’s getting a pass this time, meaning he’ll stay where he was for the time being. After all, he won the fight. And, again, Ortiz’s strategy was a contributing factor in his subpar performance.

We’re watching, however, He can’t continue to look good in one fight and so-so in the next, which has been his pattern the past few years. If he is ever going to move toward the top of this list, he’s going to have to demonstrate consistency.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 10 Devin Haney is scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 on pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 122-pound championship against Luis Nery on May 6 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  6. Canelo Alvarez – No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Devin Haney– Scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 in Las Vegas.
  11. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  13. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  14. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
  15. Shakur Stevenson– No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (no fight scheduled).

[lawrence-related id=40729,40720,40690,40684]

Weekend Review: Teofimo Lopez has work to do; Keyshawn Davis, Hamzah Sheeraz pass tests

Weekend Review: Teofimo Lopez has work to do after his shaky victory. Meanwhile, Keyshawn Davis and Hamzah Sheeraz passed tests.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST LOSER?
Teofimo Lopez

I don’t want to be too hard on the 140-pound titleholder, who was fortunate to emerge with a unanimous decision victory over Jamaime Ortiz on Thursday in Las Vegas. When an opponent as skillful and athletic as Ortiz doesn’t want to take punches, it’s difficult to hit the bullseye. The great Vasiliy Lomachenko landed only 21.9% of his punches in his victory over Ortiz in 2022, according to CompuBox. Lopez landed 21.4% of his shots. That being said, Lomachenko landed more punches than Lopez did against Ortiz – 125 to 78 – because he did a better job of making adjustments. Lopez never figured out how to corner Ortiz (17-2-1, 8 KOs), taking the final three rounds on all three cards as a result of sheer aggression to pull out the victory. I won’t say that Lopez (20-1, 13 KOs) squandered the momentum he built with his sensational victory over Josh Taylor last June – everyone has a bad night – but elite fighters find a way to neutralize anything their opponents throw at them. Lopez didn’t do that, meaning he still has work to do if he hopes to become one of the best of his generation. For the record: Yes, Lopez outpointed Lomachenko in 2020 – and he deserved the decision – but Lomachenko fought with an injured shoulder, on which he had surgery days later.

 

BIGGEST WINNER
Keyshawn Davis

Giving up marijuana evidently has done Davis good. The 2021 Olympic silver medalist and 135-pound contender couldn’t have looked much better than he did against veteran Jose Pedraza on the Lopez-Ortiz card, stopping the former two-division titleholder in the sixth round. Davis’ combination of fundamental skills and God-given gifts – particularly his hand speed – could make him a truly special fighter, as Pedraza learned the hard way. The Puerto Rican was overwhelmed from the outset. Pedraza is 34 years old and now 0-3-1 in his last four fights, which must be considered Davis’ performance is assessed. Still, Pedraza (29-6-1, 14 KOs) is a capable, seasoned opponent. And Davis (10-0, 7 KOs) blew him away. The victory followed a no-contest against Nahir Albright in October, the result of testing positive for marijuana. Davis said he gave up the recreational drug to focus on boxing, which paid dividends Thursday. He might crack the Top 5 of one or more sanctioning bodies after his big night, meaning he took another step toward his first title shot. It seems to me that we must now mention his name when we discuss the top 135-pounders.

 

BIGGEST WINNER II
Hamzah Sheeraz

The 6-foot-3 middleweight contender from England also faced the biggest test of his career, a scheduled 12-rounder against veteran Liam Williams on Saturday night in London. And Sheeraz earned an “A” grade. He fought behind his long, punishing left jab to put Williams down twice and stop him inside of one full round, a sensational result that stamps him a genuine 160-pound title contender. I was impressed with his skillset and poise at 24, as well as his punching power. He attacked his more experienced opponent in an intelligent, methodical yet vicious manner and simply destroyed him, which no one else has been able to do. The only time Williams (25-5-1, 20 KOs) failed to go the distance was a technical knockout against Liam Smith, which was the result of a cut. Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KOs) had a special night. He has called out Chris Eubank Jr., Smith and popular Nathan Heaney. I believe he has the ability and demeanor to compete on the same level as those potential opponents and possibly any one else in and around his division. He’s definitely one to watch.

 

BEST MATCHUP?
Haney vs. Garcia

News item: 140-pound titleholder Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) and contender Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) have agreed to meet on pay-per-view April 20. No site has been announced. The fight makes perfect sense from a business standpoint, primarily because of Haney’s success and Garcia’s massive following on social media. The fight will sell. But is it a good matchup from a boxing standpoint? I would rather see Haney fight Gervonta Davis or Shakur Stevenson, both of whom are as talented as he is, but Haney-Garcia could be more competitive than some might believe. Haney is one of the best technicians in the sport. He’ll probably outbox Garcia and win a clear decision. However, the champion is a better matchup for Garcia than Davis was for at least two reasons: One, Garcia won’t have to suffer to make weight, as he reportedly did when he fought Davis at 136 pounds. And, two, Haney doesn’t have the punching power of Davis, who stopped Garcia with a body shot. Garcia, who split six fights with Haney as an amateur, also is a good boxer, quick handed, a big puncher and now has experience in a superfight. I’m picking Haney to win but I wouldn’t count out Garcia.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

News item II: Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) will fight fellow former titleholder George Kambosos Jr. (21-2, 10 KOs) for the vacant IBF 135-pound title on May 12 in Australia. It’s hard to believe but the boxing wizard hasn’t held a major title since October 2020, when he lost his lightweight titles to Lopez. He won his next three fights but then lost a disputed decision to then-undisputed champion Haney a year ago. I don’t think Kambosos has the skill set to beat Lomachenko, even a 35-year-old version. That means the future Hall of Famer will have a belt around his waist one more time, which seems appropriate. … Former amateur star Abdullah Mason (12-0, 10 KOs) from Cleveland is living up to the hype so far. The 19-year-old southpaw was at it again on the Lopez-Ortiz card, stopping previously unbeaten Benjamin Gurment (8-1-3, 5 KOs) with a massive left hand in the second round of a scheduled eight-round 135-pound bout. Check out the punch here. Mason seems to have elite tools.

[lawrence-related id=40724,40720,40718,40690,40684]

Weekend Review: Teofimo Lopez has work to do; Keyshawn Davis, Hamzah Sheeraz pass tests

Weekend Review: Teofimo Lopez has work to do after his shaky victory. Meanwhile, Keyshawn Davis and Hamzah Sheeraz passed tests.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST LOSER?
Teofimo Lopez

I don’t want to be too hard on the 140-pound titleholder, who was fortunate to emerge with a unanimous decision victory over Jamaime Ortiz on Thursday in Las Vegas. When an opponent as skillful and athletic as Ortiz doesn’t want to take punches, it’s difficult to hit the bullseye. The great Vasiliy Lomachenko landed only 21.9% of his punches in his victory over Ortiz in 2022, according to CompuBox. Lopez landed 21.4% of his shots. That being said, Lomachenko landed more punches than Lopez did against Ortiz – 125 to 78 – because he did a better job of making adjustments. Lopez never figured out how to corner Ortiz (17-2-1, 8 KOs), taking the final three rounds on all three cards as a result of sheer aggression to pull out the victory. I won’t say that Lopez (20-1, 13 KOs) squandered the momentum he built with his sensational victory over Josh Taylor last June – everyone has a bad night – but elite fighters find a way to neutralize anything their opponents throw at them. Lopez didn’t do that, meaning he still has work to do if he hopes to become one of the best of his generation. For the record: Yes, Lopez outpointed Lomachenko in 2020 – and he deserved the decision – but Lomachenko fought with an injured shoulder, on which he had surgery days later.

 

BIGGEST WINNER
Keyshawn Davis

Giving up marijuana evidently has done Davis good. The 2021 Olympic silver medalist and 135-pound contender couldn’t have looked much better than he did against veteran Jose Pedraza on the Lopez-Ortiz card, stopping the former two-division titleholder in the sixth round. Davis’ combination of fundamental skills and God-given gifts – particularly his hand speed – could make him a truly special fighter, as Pedraza learned the hard way. The Puerto Rican was overwhelmed from the outset. Pedraza is 34 years old and now 0-3-1 in his last four fights, which must be considered Davis’ performance is assessed. Still, Pedraza (29-6-1, 14 KOs) is a capable, seasoned opponent. And Davis (10-0, 7 KOs) blew him away. The victory followed a no-contest against Nahir Albright in October, the result of testing positive for marijuana. Davis said he gave up the recreational drug to focus on boxing, which paid dividends Thursday. He might crack the Top 5 of one or more sanctioning bodies after his big night, meaning he took another step toward his first title shot. It seems to me that we must now mention his name when we discuss the top 135-pounders.

 

BIGGEST WINNER II
Hamzah Sheeraz

The 6-foot-3 middleweight contender from England also faced the biggest test of his career, a scheduled 12-rounder against veteran Liam Williams on Saturday night in London. And Sheeraz earned an “A” grade. He fought behind his long, punishing left jab to put Williams down twice and stop him inside of one full round, a sensational result that stamps him a genuine 160-pound title contender. I was impressed with his skillset and poise at 24, as well as his punching power. He attacked his more experienced opponent in an intelligent, methodical yet vicious manner and simply destroyed him, which no one else has been able to do. The only time Williams (25-5-1, 20 KOs) failed to go the distance was a technical knockout against Liam Smith, which was the result of a cut. Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KOs) had a special night. He has called out Chris Eubank Jr., Smith and popular Nathan Heaney. I believe he has the ability and demeanor to compete on the same level as those potential opponents and possibly any one else in and around his division. He’s definitely one to watch.

 

BEST MATCHUP?
Haney vs. Garcia

News item: 140-pound titleholder Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) and contender Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) have agreed to meet on pay-per-view April 20. No site has been announced. The fight makes perfect sense from a business standpoint, primarily because of Haney’s success and Garcia’s massive following on social media. The fight will sell. But is it a good matchup from a boxing standpoint? I would rather see Haney fight Gervonta Davis or Shakur Stevenson, both of whom are as talented as he is, but Haney-Garcia could be more competitive than some might believe. Haney is one of the best technicians in the sport. He’ll probably outbox Garcia and win a clear decision. However, the champion is a better matchup for Garcia than Davis was for at least two reasons: One, Garcia won’t have to suffer to make weight, as he reportedly did when he fought Davis at 136 pounds. And, two, Haney doesn’t have the punching power of Davis, who stopped Garcia with a body shot. Garcia, who split six fights with Haney as an amateur, also is a good boxer, quick handed, a big puncher and now has experience in a superfight. I’m picking Haney to win but I wouldn’t count out Garcia.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

News item II: Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) will fight fellow former titleholder George Kambosos Jr. (21-2, 10 KOs) for the vacant IBF 135-pound title on May 12 in Australia. It’s hard to believe but the boxing wizard hasn’t held a major title since October 2020, when he lost his lightweight titles to Lopez. He won his next three fights but then lost a disputed decision to then-undisputed champion Haney a year ago. I don’t think Kambosos has the skill set to beat Lomachenko, even a 35-year-old version. That means the future Hall of Famer will have a belt around his waist one more time, which seems appropriate. … Former amateur star Abdullah Mason (12-0, 10 KOs) from Cleveland is living up to the hype so far. The 19-year-old southpaw was at it again on the Lopez-Ortiz card, stopping previously unbeaten Benjamin Gurment (8-1-3, 5 KOs) with a massive left hand in the second round of a scheduled eight-round 135-pound bout. Check out the punch here. Mason seems to have elite tools.

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