Tim Tszyu on his meeting with Tony Harrison on Saturday in Australia: “It was the next big fight to make.”
Tim Tszyu wasn’t going to wait and see what Jermell Charlo’s next move was.
The 154-pound contender is in his prime. He wants to fight. So when his Jan. 28 bout with the undisputed champion was shelved because Charlo broke his hand in training, which Tszyu admitted “gutted” him, the Aussie looked elsewhere.
He found a tough challenge in former beltholder Tony Harrison, his opponent Saturday (Sunday in Australia) at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney (Showtime).
The winner is expected to fight Charlo next, although, as Tszyu said, there are no guarantees.
“I don’t want to rely on no one,” he told Boxing Junkie, referring to Charlo. “When you’re presented with an opportunity to fight a guy like Tony Harrison, I’m going to jump at it. It’s a big fight to make. I’m not relying on Jermell’s career, on what he decides to do, how long he wants to take off.
“I’m 28 years old, I’m at the peak of my career, and I’m taking each fight as presented.”
Charlo and Harrison, who are 1-1 head-to-head, have similar accomplishments but different styles.
Charlo is a boxer-puncher, a good technician with the ability to end any fight in an instant because of his punching power. Harrison learned that the hard way in their 2019 rematch, in which he was stopped in the 11th round.
Harrison (29-3-1, 21 KOs) is a polished technician, which is why he was able to outpoint Charlo in their first fight.
Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) understands the difficult task at hand even though Harrison is only 1-1-1 in his last three fights. The product of Detroit last fought in April of last year, when he easily outpointed Spaniard Sergio Garcia.
“He’s got all the tools,” Tszyu said of Harrison. “He comes from a great pedigree. It will be a tremendous challenge. I never shy away from challenges.”
Did Tszyu see anything in Harrison’s knockout loss to Charlo and his draw with Bryant Perrella in his next fight that he can exploit?
“Harrison switches on and switches off at times,” he said. “He’s like this, up an down. The times during a fight when he’s switched on, he does well. The times he’s switched off … I have to take advantage of those switched-off moments.”
One bonus of fighting Harrison – assuming he wins – is that he’ll gain more experience, which can be particularly valuable against a veteran opponent.
Tszyu delivered a breakthrough victory when he got up from a first-round knockdown to defeat capable Terrell Gausha by a clear decision in his most recent fight, in March of last year. Otherwise, his opposition has been no better than solid.
He’ll be better prepared to face Charlo if he gets past Harrison, who most observers – including Tszyu – would say is a step up from Gausha.
“100 percent,” Tszyu said. “Each fight you progress, each fight there’s plenty of growth. It’s a good little step up before fighting Charlo.”
Tszyu is excited about Saturday and whatever might lie ahead, whether Charlo is in the picture or not.
“In all honesty it was the next big fight to make,” he said of Harrison. “Everyone is interested in the fight. I’m all about bringing big fights when we can and to be participating in those big fights.
Tim Tszyu on his meeting with Tony Harrison on Saturday in Australia: “It was the next big fight to make.”
Tim Tszyu wasn’t going to wait and see what Jermell Charlo’s next move was.
The 154-pound contender is in his prime. He wants to fight. So when his Jan. 28 bout with the undisputed champion was shelved because Charlo broke his hand in training, which Tszyu admitted “gutted” him, the Aussie looked elsewhere.
He found a tough challenge in former beltholder Tony Harrison, his opponent Saturday (Sunday in Australia) at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney (Showtime).
The winner is expected to fight Charlo next, although, as Tszyu said, there are no guarantees.
“I don’t want to rely on no one,” he told Boxing Junkie, referring to Charlo. “When you’re presented with an opportunity to fight a guy like Tony Harrison, I’m going to jump at it. It’s a big fight to make. I’m not relying on Jermell’s career, on what he decides to do, how long he wants to take off.
“I’m 28 years old, I’m at the peak of my career, and I’m taking each fight as presented.”
Charlo and Harrison, who are 1-1 head-to-head, have similar accomplishments but different styles.
Charlo is a boxer-puncher, a good technician with the ability to end any fight in an instant because of his punching power. Harrison learned that the hard way in their 2019 rematch, in which he was stopped in the 11th round.
Harrison (29-3-1, 21 KOs) is a polished technician, which is why he was able to outpoint Charlo in their first fight.
Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) understands the difficult task at hand even though Harrison is only 1-1-1 in his last three fights. The product of Detroit last fought in April of last year, when he easily outpointed Spaniard Sergio Garcia.
“He’s got all the tools,” Tszyu said of Harrison. “He comes from a great pedigree. It will be a tremendous challenge. I never shy away from challenges.”
Did Tszyu see anything in Harrison’s knockout loss to Charlo and his draw with Bryant Perrella in his next fight that he can exploit?
“Harrison switches on and switches off at times,” he said. “He’s like this, up an down. The times during a fight when he’s switched on, he does well. The times he’s switched off … I have to take advantage of those switched-off moments.”
One bonus of fighting Harrison – assuming he wins – is that he’ll gain more experience, which can be particularly valuable against a veteran opponent.
Tszyu delivered a breakthrough victory when he got up from a first-round knockdown to defeat capable Terrell Gausha by a clear decision in his most recent fight, in March of last year. Otherwise, his opposition has been no better than solid.
He’ll be better prepared to face Charlo if he gets past Harrison, who most observers – including Tszyu – would say is a step up from Gausha.
“100 percent,” Tszyu said. “Each fight you progress, each fight there’s plenty of growth. It’s a good little step up before fighting Charlo.”
Tszyu is excited about Saturday and whatever might lie ahead, whether Charlo is in the picture or not.
“In all honesty it was the next big fight to make,” he said of Harrison. “Everyone is interested in the fight. I’m all about bringing big fights when we can and to be participating in those big fights.
Fight Week: Tim Tszyu and Tony Harrison are scheduled to face off in a key 154-pound fight in Australia.
FIGHT WEEK
Unbeaten Tim Tszyu is scheduled to face fellow 154-pound contender Tony Harrison on Saturday (Sunday in Australia) in Sydney.
TIM TSZYU (21-0, 15 KOS) VS. TONY HARRISON (29-3-1, 21 KOS)
When: Saturday, March 11 (March 12 in Australia)
Time: 10:45 p.m. ET / 7:45 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
TV/Stream: Showtime
Division: Junior middleweight (154 pounds)
At stake: No major titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: Tszyu 2½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Sam Goodman vs. TJ Doheny, 10 rounds, junior featherweights; Koen Mazoudier vs. Ben Mahoney, 10 rounds, junior middleweights; Paulo Aokuso vs. Yunieski Gonzalez, 10 rounds, light heavyweights; Issac Hardman vs. Rohan Murdock, 10 rounds, super middleweights
Prediction : Tszyu KO 9
Background: Tszyu was scheduled to challenge undisputed 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo on Jan. 28 in Las Vegas but Charlo had to pull out because of a broken hand. Enter Harrison, who doesn’t have the all-around ability of Charlo but is a slick, experienced boxer. Tszyu, the son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, is coming off the most important victory of his career. The Aussie survived a first-round knockdown to defeat respected Terrell Gausha by a clear unanimous decision in March of last year in Minneapolis, his only fight in the U.S. Tszyu isn’t a special technician and doesn’t have unusual power but he has excellent all-around skills and is tough. No one questions Harrison’s technical ability but he has had an up-and-down career. He was knocked out by then-154-pound titleholder Jarrett Hurd in 2017 but stunned the boxing world by outpointing Charlo four fights later to capture his only world title the following year. He was stopped by Charlo in 11 rounds in the rematch in 2019 and then drew with Bryant Perrella after a 16-month break in 2021. He last fought in April of last year, when he easily outpointed Sergio Garcia on the Sebastian Fundora-Erickson Lubin card in Las Vegas. The Tszyu-Harrison fight is for the WBO’s “interim” title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. The winner is expected to challenge for Charlo’s titles. Saturday’s fight is scheduled to take place around noon in Australia so it can be showcased in prime time in the U.S.
ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK
FRIDAY
Evelin Bermudez vs. Tania Enriquez, junior flyweights (for vacant IBF and WBO titles), Buenos Aires, Argentina (no TV in U.S.)
SATURDAY
Lawrence Okolie vs. David Light, cruiserweights (for Okolie’s WBO title), London (no TV in U.S.)
Diego Pacheco vs. Jack Cullen, super middleweights, Liverpool, England (DAZN)
Tony Yoka vs. Carlos Takam, heavyweights, Paris (ESPN+)
Fight Week: Tim Tszyu and Tony Harrison are scheduled to face off in a key 154-pound fight in Australia.
FIGHT WEEK
Unbeaten Tim Tszyu is scheduled to face fellow 154-pound contender Tony Harrison on Saturday (Sunday in Australia) in Sydney.
TIM TSZYU (21-0, 15 KOS) VS. TONY HARRISON (29-3-1, 21 KOS)
When: Saturday, March 11 (March 12 in Australia)
Time: 10:45 p.m. ET / 7:45 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
TV/Stream: Showtime
Division: Junior middleweight (154 pounds)
At stake: No major titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: Tszyu 2½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Sam Goodman vs. TJ Doheny, 10 rounds, junior featherweights; Koen Mazoudier vs. Ben Mahoney, 10 rounds, junior middleweights; Paulo Aokuso vs. Yunieski Gonzalez, 10 rounds, light heavyweights; Issac Hardman vs. Rohan Murdock, 10 rounds, super middleweights
Prediction : Tszyu KO 9
Background: Tszyu was scheduled to challenge undisputed 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo on Jan. 28 in Las Vegas but Charlo had to pull out because of a broken hand. Enter Harrison, who doesn’t have the all-around ability of Charlo but is a slick, experienced boxer. Tszyu, the son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, is coming off the most important victory of his career. The Aussie survived a first-round knockdown to defeat respected Terrell Gausha by a clear unanimous decision in March of last year in Minneapolis, his only fight in the U.S. Tszyu isn’t a special technician and doesn’t have unusual power but he has excellent all-around skills and is tough. No one questions Harrison’s technical ability but he has had an up-and-down career. He was knocked out by then-154-pound titleholder Jarrett Hurd in 2017 but stunned the boxing world by outpointing Charlo four fights later to capture his only world title the following year. He was stopped by Charlo in 11 rounds in the rematch in 2019 and then drew with Bryant Perrella after a 16-month break in 2021. He last fought in April of last year, when he easily outpointed Sergio Garcia on the Sebastian Fundora-Erickson Lubin card in Las Vegas. The Tszyu-Harrison fight is for the WBO’s “interim” title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. The winner is expected to challenge for Charlo’s titles. Saturday’s fight is scheduled to take place around noon in Australia so it can be showcased in prime time in the U.S.
ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK
FRIDAY
Evelin Bermudez vs. Tania Enriquez, junior flyweights (for vacant IBF and WBO titles), Buenos Aires, Argentina (no TV in U.S.)
SATURDAY
Lawrence Okolie vs. David Light, cruiserweights (for Okolie’s WBO title), London (no TV in U.S.)
Diego Pacheco vs. Jack Cullen, super middleweights, Liverpool, England (DAZN)
Tony Yoka vs. Carlos Takam, heavyweights, Paris (ESPN+)
A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD The biggest winner on a busy Saturday was Gennadiy Golovkin. The best performance was turned in by Sebastian Fundora. And Ryan Garcia did about all he could against a reluctant opponent. Golovkin’s …
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
The biggest winner on a busy Saturday was Gennadiy Golovkin. The best performance was turned in by Sebastian Fundora. And Ryan Garcia did about all he could against a reluctant opponent.
Golovkin’s speed and reflexes probably aren’t what they were in his youth but he didn’t perform against Ryota Murata like a man who had just turned 40. He took some heavy punches early in the fight – hasn’t he always? – but he absorbed them and methodically broke down his opponent, finally stopping him in the ninth round to unify two middleweight titles in Japan.
The power is still there, which makes him a threat to any 160-pounder and perhaps even bigger men.
I never understood how Murata rose to prominence because of his limitations but he’s a solid fighter who is unusually strong both physically and mentally. Triple-G deserves credit for the victory.
The big question now: Can he compete with a prime Canelo Alvarez?
Golovkin’s victory sets up a third fight with his rival in September, assuming nothing unforeseen happens in Alvarez’s May 7 fight against Dmitry Bivol to prevent the showdown. No deal is in place but both sides want it.
I would never pick a 40-year-old to beat a prime Alvarez but Golovkin demonstrated enough against Murata to indicate that he can still give the Mexican star problems, maybe even push him as hard as he did in the first two fights.
One concern is Golovkin’s apparent vulnerability to the body. Murata hurt him more than once with well placed shots to the midsection, drawing a whence at least one time. Alvarez is one of the most-effective body punchers in the world.
On the positive side for Golovkin might be weight. The fight almost certainly would take place above 160 pounds, which would make it easier on Triple-G during camp. We’d have to see whether he can carry his power to super middleweight but he probably would feel stronger, which would be a plus.
Bottom line for me: Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs) deserved a third, lucrative shot at Alvarez even before he fought Murata in light of the controversial outcomes in 2017 and 2018. He then gave a strong performance at 40, after a 16-month layoff and in his opponent’s backyard.
He has earned the superfight.
GOOD (CONT.)
I have to acknowledge that I was among those who thought at one time that the 6-foot-6 Fundora was more of a novelty than a genuine title contender. He was too big of a target, too skinny. I was convinced that his body would break under pressure.
Well, not only has his body held up, he’s the one that has been doing the breaking. We saw that again against Erickson Lubin in a Fight of the Year candidate in Las Vegas.
Fundora (19-0-1, 13 KOs) did what he typically does, which is to drown his opponent in a wave of never-ending power shots. The talented Lubin had many good moments – including one in which he forced Fundora to take a knee – but he couldn’t avoid the onslaught with any consistency.
And we saw the end result, Lubin’s disfigured face and inability to fight back in the ninth and final round. Trainer Kevin Cunningham’s decision to stop the fight was mercifully appropriate.
Fundora’s ability to walk through fire to overwhelm good opponents with his inhuman work rate (706 punches thrown in nine rounds in this fight, according to CompuBox) and sheer determination is awesome in the literal sense of the word. He simply buried Lubin, a former amateur star who had entered the fight on a hot streak.
Fundora said afterward that it was the finest performance of his career. I concur with that. It was a defining victory given the respect Lubin had going into the fight, one that will be remembered even Fundora never wins a major title.
Of course, the opportunity to fight for a title is around the corner. Fundora is now the WBC’s mandatory challenger, leaving him and Tim Tszyu at the head of the line to fight the winner of the Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano rematch for the undisputed championship or for a vacant title if the winner vacates.
I won’t predict that Fundora would beat Charlo, who I favor against Castano, but I’ll never underestimate him again.
BAD
The only thing bad about Garcia’s performance against Emmanuel Tagoe in San Antonio is that he failed to deliver a knockout. And is that really bad?
A good, experienced boxer who is more concerned about getting hurt than he is about winning the fight is extremely difficult to knock out, which is what we saw in the fight at The Alamodome.
As it was, Garcia put Tagoe down once, hurt him badly in late in the fight and won by a near-shutout decision in the 12-round bout. Two judges gave Tagoe one round while third gave him two. I gave the Ghanaian none.
And remember: Garcia was returning from a long layoff (as was Tagoe) and fighting for the first time with a new coach, Joe Goossen. It takes time to get back into a groove and get accustomed to an unfamiliar cornerman.
I thought Garcia could’ve jabbed more than he did, which might’ve led to more damaging power shots. I thought he could’ve thrown more combinations. And he admitted afterward that he could’ve done a better job of cutting off the ring, which he attributed to a lack of experience against a runner.
Still, all in all, I thought it was a solid comeback performance. He dominated the fight, which is the main objective.
I can’t imagine he’ll want to waste time fighting another Emmanuel Tagoe. One potential opponent for later this year is Joseph Diaz Jr., who was critical of Garcia’s performance on the DAZN broadcast Saturday.
I like that matchup for Garcia, who probably needs one more transition fight with Goossen before he takes on the biggest dogs at 135 pounds, gifted fighters like Gervonta Davis, George Kambosos, Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
I think Garcia would beat Diaz. And he might end up as the cream of the 135-pound crop. Just give him time.
WORSE
Emmanuel Tagoe (left) was reluctant to engage with Ryan Garcia. Golden Boy Promotions
I’ll always admire men and women with the courage to step through the ropes and do hand-to-hand battle with an opponent intent on hurting them. No other sport requires the same degree of mettle.
That’s why I don’t understand when a fighter behaves as Tagoe did in his fight with Garcia.
Tagoe talked a good game leading up to the fight, exuding confidence that he would shock the world. “I know what I’m capable of doing,” he said. And then he fought as if he were terrified, which deprived him of a chance to win the fight, Garcia a chance to truly show what he can do and the fans a chance to see a competitive battle.
I thought of Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Joshua Clottey in 2010 at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas. The boxing world was abuzz over Pacquiao, who was at the peak of his abilities at the time. Everyone was primed for another great performance from the Filipino star.
What did Clottey do? He covered his face and essentially refused to fight, which resulted in a near-shutout decision for Pacquiao and a lot of disappointed fans.
I get why Clottey and Tagoe were afraid. They undoubtedly realized early on that they were out of their depths, that Pacquiao and Garcia were too quick, too powerful, just too good to overcome. So they shifted into survival mode.
I would ask them: Is that why you’re in boxing? To survive?
I can see a fighter shutting down after they realize somewhere in the middle of the fight that they have no hope, although even then it’s difficult to stomach. Clottey and Tagoe shut down before the opening bell, which makes me think that it was all about the money for them.
RABBIT PUNCHES
Tony Harrison (29-3-1, 21 KOs) is back. The former 154-pound titleholder, coming off a knockout loss in his rematch with Charlo and then a draw with Bryant Perrella not long after the death of his father-trainer Ali Salaam, outclassed Sergio Garcia (33-2, 14 KOs) to win a wide decision in a 10-round bout on the Fundora-Lubin card and re-establish himself as a legitimate contender. Garcia was the aggressor but Harrison countered beautifully and consistently beat Garcia to the punch to win easily. Dad would’ve been proud. … Perrella (17-3-2, 14 KOs) and Kevin Salgado (14-0-1, 9 KOs) fought to a draw on the Fundora-Lubin card. Bad decision, in my opinion. The only effective weapon in the uneventful fight was Perrella’s stiff jab, which he landed consistently. That’s the main reason I gave Perrella seven of the 10 rounds. Somehow one judge scored it for Salgado, who did almost nothing. And another had it 95-95. I don’t get it. I’ll add this, though: Perrella can’t rely on his jab to win fights. He needs to pick up his overall work rate. That same can be said for Salgado. …
I have to admit that I didn’t think early in the career of Shane Mosley Jr. (18-4, 10 KOs) that he would amount to much. He has proved me wrong. The son of the Hall of Famer by the same name recorded the biggest victory of his career on the Garcia-Tagoe card, defeating veteran Gabriel Rosado (26-15-1, 15 KOs) by a majority decision that should’ve been unanimous. That was his first fight since he lost a majority decision to Jason Quigley, which might be a sign of inconsistency. I don’t know whether Mosley is good enough to win a world title but he has a lot of ability, maybe enough to challenge for a major belt. Rosado is now 5-10-1 (with one no-contest) in his last 17 fights yet is still getting high-profile opportunities. That speaks to his fighting spirit, which has never waned. … Mikaela Mayer (17-0, 5 KOs) outclassed veteran Jennifer Han (18-5-1, 1 KO) en route to a one-sided decision to retain her two junior lightweight belts Saturday in Costa Mesa, California. Mayer has said her first priority is to unify more titles at 130 pounds. I’d rather see her move up to 135 and face the winner of the April 30 Amanda Serrano–Katie Taylor for the undisputed lightweight championship. The best versus the best. …
Kudos to Naoko Fujioka (19-3-1, 7 KOs) on her Bernard Hopkins-esque performance in a flyweight title-unification bout against Marlen Esparza (12-1, 1 KO) on the Garcia-Tagoe card. Fujioka fought Esparza on roughly even terms even though the Japanese fighter is 46 years old, a testament to her fitness and ability. The judges gave Esparza a wide decision (100-90, 100-90 and 97-93) but it was closer than that. Fujioka is a marvel.
A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD The biggest winner on a busy Saturday was Gennadiy Golovkin. The best performance was turned in by Sebastian Fundora. And Ryan Garcia did about all he could against a reluctant opponent. Golovkin’s …
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
The biggest winner on a busy Saturday was Gennadiy Golovkin. The best performance was turned in by Sebastian Fundora. And Ryan Garcia did about all he could against a reluctant opponent.
Golovkin’s speed and reflexes probably aren’t what they were in his youth but he didn’t perform against Ryota Murata like a man who had just turned 40. He took some heavy punches early in the fight – hasn’t he always? – but he absorbed them and methodically broke down his opponent, finally stopping him in the ninth round to unify two middleweight titles in Japan.
The power is still there, which makes him a threat to any 160-pounder and perhaps even bigger men.
I never understood how Murata rose to prominence because of his limitations but he’s a solid fighter who is unusually strong both physically and mentally. Triple-G deserves credit for the victory.
The big question now: Can he compete with a prime Canelo Alvarez?
Golovkin’s victory sets up a third fight with his rival in September, assuming nothing unforeseen happens in Alvarez’s May 7 fight against Dmitry Bivol to prevent the showdown. No deal is in place but both sides want it.
I would never pick a 40-year-old to beat a prime Alvarez but Golovkin demonstrated enough against Murata to indicate that he can still give the Mexican star problems, maybe even push him as hard as he did in the first two fights.
One concern is Golovkin’s apparent vulnerability to the body. Murata hurt him more than once with well placed shots to the midsection, drawing a whence at least one time. Alvarez is one of the most-effective body punchers in the world.
On the positive side for Golovkin might be weight. The fight almost certainly would take place above 160 pounds, which would make it easier on Triple-G during camp. We’d have to see whether he can carry his power to super middleweight but he probably would feel stronger, which would be a plus.
Bottom line for me: Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs) deserved a third, lucrative shot at Alvarez even before he fought Murata in light of the controversial outcomes in 2017 and 2018. He then gave a strong performance at 40, after a 16-month layoff and in his opponent’s backyard.
He has earned the superfight.
GOOD (CONT.)
I have to acknowledge that I was among those who thought at one time that the 6-foot-6 Fundora was more of a novelty than a genuine title contender. He was too big of a target, too skinny. I was convinced that his body would break under pressure.
Well, not only has his body held up, he’s the one that has been doing the breaking. We saw that again against Erickson Lubin in a Fight of the Year candidate in Las Vegas.
Fundora (19-0-1, 13 KOs) did what he typically does, which is to drown his opponent in a wave of never-ending power shots. The talented Lubin had many good moments – including one in which he forced Fundora to take a knee – but he couldn’t avoid the onslaught with any consistency.
And we saw the end result, Lubin’s disfigured face and inability to fight back in the ninth and final round. Trainer Kevin Cunningham’s decision to stop the fight was mercifully appropriate.
Fundora’s ability to walk through fire to overwhelm good opponents with his inhuman work rate (706 punches thrown in nine rounds in this fight, according to CompuBox) and sheer determination is awesome in the literal sense of the word. He simply buried Lubin, a former amateur star who had entered the fight on a hot streak.
Fundora said afterward that it was the finest performance of his career. I concur with that. It was a defining victory given the respect Lubin had going into the fight, one that will be remembered even Fundora never wins a major title.
Of course, the opportunity to fight for a title is around the corner. Fundora is now the WBC’s mandatory challenger, leaving him and Tim Tszyu at the head of the line to fight the winner of the Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano rematch for the undisputed championship or for a vacant title if the winner vacates.
I won’t predict that Fundora would beat Charlo, who I favor against Castano, but I’ll never underestimate him again.
BAD
The only thing bad about Garcia’s performance against Emmanuel Tagoe in San Antonio is that he failed to deliver a knockout. And is that really bad?
A good, experienced boxer who is more concerned about getting hurt than he is about winning the fight is extremely difficult to knock out, which is what we saw in the fight at The Alamodome.
As it was, Garcia put Tagoe down once, hurt him badly in late in the fight and won by a near-shutout decision in the 12-round bout. Two judges gave Tagoe one round while third gave him two. I gave the Ghanaian none.
And remember: Garcia was returning from a long layoff (as was Tagoe) and fighting for the first time with a new coach, Joe Goossen. It takes time to get back into a groove and get accustomed to an unfamiliar cornerman.
I thought Garcia could’ve jabbed more than he did, which might’ve led to more damaging power shots. I thought he could’ve thrown more combinations. And he admitted afterward that he could’ve done a better job of cutting off the ring, which he attributed to a lack of experience against a runner.
Still, all in all, I thought it was a solid comeback performance. He dominated the fight, which is the main objective.
I can’t imagine he’ll want to waste time fighting another Emmanuel Tagoe. One potential opponent for later this year is Joseph Diaz Jr., who was critical of Garcia’s performance on the DAZN broadcast Saturday.
I like that matchup for Garcia, who probably needs one more transition fight with Goossen before he takes on the biggest dogs at 135 pounds, gifted fighters like Gervonta Davis, George Kambosos, Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
I think Garcia would beat Diaz. And he might end up as the cream of the 135-pound crop. Just give him time.
WORSE
Emmanuel Tagoe (left) was reluctant to engage with Ryan Garcia. Golden Boy Promotions
I’ll always admire men and women with the courage to step through the ropes and do hand-to-hand battle with an opponent intent on hurting them. No other sport requires the same degree of mettle.
That’s why I don’t understand when a fighter behaves as Tagoe did in his fight with Garcia.
Tagoe talked a good game leading up to the fight, exuding confidence that he would shock the world. “I know what I’m capable of doing,” he said. And then he fought as if he were terrified, which deprived him of a chance to win the fight, Garcia a chance to truly show what he can do and the fans a chance to see a competitive battle.
I thought of Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Joshua Clottey in 2010 at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas. The boxing world was abuzz over Pacquiao, who was at the peak of his abilities at the time. Everyone was primed for another great performance from the Filipino star.
What did Clottey do? He covered his face and essentially refused to fight, which resulted in a near-shutout decision for Pacquiao and a lot of disappointed fans.
I get why Clottey and Tagoe were afraid. They undoubtedly realized early on that they were out of their depths, that Pacquiao and Garcia were too quick, too powerful, just too good to overcome. So they shifted into survival mode.
I would ask them: Is that why you’re in boxing? To survive?
I can see a fighter shutting down after they realize somewhere in the middle of the fight that they have no hope, although even then it’s difficult to stomach. Clottey and Tagoe shut down before the opening bell, which makes me think that it was all about the money for them.
RABBIT PUNCHES
Tony Harrison (29-3-1, 21 KOs) is back. The former 154-pound titleholder, coming off a knockout loss in his rematch with Charlo and then a draw with Bryant Perrella not long after the death of his father-trainer Ali Salaam, outclassed Sergio Garcia (33-2, 14 KOs) to win a wide decision in a 10-round bout on the Fundora-Lubin card and re-establish himself as a legitimate contender. Garcia was the aggressor but Harrison countered beautifully and consistently beat Garcia to the punch to win easily. Dad would’ve been proud. … Perrella (17-3-2, 14 KOs) and Kevin Salgado (14-0-1, 9 KOs) fought to a draw on the Fundora-Lubin card. Bad decision, in my opinion. The only effective weapon in the uneventful fight was Perrella’s stiff jab, which he landed consistently. That’s the main reason I gave Perrella seven of the 10 rounds. Somehow one judge scored it for Salgado, who did almost nothing. And another had it 95-95. I don’t get it. I’ll add this, though: Perrella can’t rely on his jab to win fights. He needs to pick up his overall work rate. That same can be said for Salgado. …
I have to admit that I didn’t think early in the career of Shane Mosley Jr. (18-4, 10 KOs) that he would amount to much. He has proved me wrong. The son of the Hall of Famer by the same name recorded the biggest victory of his career on the Garcia-Tagoe card, defeating veteran Gabriel Rosado (26-15-1, 15 KOs) by a majority decision that should’ve been unanimous. That was his first fight since he lost a majority decision to Jason Quigley, which might be a sign of inconsistency. I don’t know whether Mosley is good enough to win a world title but he has a lot of ability, maybe enough to challenge for a major belt. Rosado is now 5-10-1 (with one no-contest) in his last 17 fights yet is still getting high-profile opportunities. That speaks to his fighting spirit, which has never waned. … Mikaela Mayer (17-0, 5 KOs) outclassed veteran Jennifer Han (18-5-1, 1 KO) en route to a one-sided decision to retain her two junior lightweight belts Saturday in Costa Mesa, California. Mayer has said her first priority is to unify more titles at 130 pounds. I’d rather see her move up to 135 and face the winner of the April 30 Amanda Serrano–Katie Taylor for the undisputed lightweight championship. The best versus the best. …
Kudos to Naoko Fujioka (19-3-1, 7 KOs) on her Bernard Hopkins-esque performance in a flyweight title-unification bout against Marlen Esparza (12-1, 1 KO) on the Garcia-Tagoe card. Fujioka fought Esparza on roughly even terms even though the Japanese fighter is 46 years old, a testament to her fitness and ability. The judges gave Esparza a wide decision (100-90, 100-90 and 97-93) but it was closer than that. Fujioka is a marvel.
Demetrius Andrade doesn’t necessarily look great when he fights but he couldn’t be much more effective.
That was the case once again on Saturday night, when he received spirited resistance from tough, determined Liam Williams yet won 10 of 12 rounds on two cards and eight on the third to retain his middleweight title in Hollywood, Fla.
Andrade put Williams down in the second round and looked as if he might win by knockout early — which would’ve been a strong statement for someone itching to lure another 160-pound champion into the ring — but he couldn’t finish the job.
Instead, Andrade merely boxed brilliantly most of the fight, moving laterally, stopping to fire off hard, accurate shots when the time was right and then quickly moving away. Williams tried to disrupt that pattern but largely failed.
The Welshman gave Andrade a compliment when he said afterward, “He was slipperier than he appears to be on TV.”
Andrade might not have been dazzling but, as he does, he won convincingly in his fourth title defense. That should keep him on track to face fellow titleholders and prime targets Jermall Charlo or Gennadiy Golovkin, assuming they’re willing.
And I’m not sure either is in love with the idea of facing Andrade, whose style and ability probably would make the life of even the best 160-pounders miserable.
[lawrence-related id=19531]
***
BAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAuF610gwDQ
Tony Harrison should be excused for a flat performance against Bryant Perrella on Saturday in Los Angeles.
The former junior middleweight titleholder hadn’t fought since December 2019, when he was stopped by Jermell Charlo. He probably was rusty. He lost his father/trainer Ali Salaam not long afterward. His brother worked his corner. And Perrella is a crafty boxer.
Harrison had a lot to overcome. The fact he emerged with a draw isn’t the end of the world for him, although it certainly was a small step backward.
It appeared to me as if he had one foot in the ring and one foot out of it, as he was strangely inactive much of the fight. He threw only 453 punches overall, 282 of which were jabs, according to CompuBox. And he landed only 60 of the jabs.
I had the feeling that Harrison was as much an onlooker as a participant in the fight.
Of course, Perrella, trained by Roy Jones Jr., had something to do with that. He boxed well and worked hard, throwing 692 punches. And he’s a southpaw, which Harrison had said before the fight would be a challenge for him.
As many as 10 of the 12 rounds were difficult to score, which explains the contrasting cards: 116-112 for Harrison, 117-111 for Perrella and 114-114. Boxing Junkie scored it 115-113 for Perrella.
In the end, neither fighter was cheated. But where does it leave them?
Harrison, who had hoped to jump right back into the title picture, can still get there but he can’t afford even one more slip-up. He better show up at his best next time out. Meanwhile, Perrella took a step forward. He demonstrated that he could compete with an elite 154-pounder.
That’s about all we can glean from an unsatisfying draw.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer trained hard, said he was going to knock out Ben Askren and then he did it in less than one full round Saturday night in Atlanta. He proved a lot of people wrong, including me.
And Paul’s emotional reaction afterward is evidence that he takes his boxing career seriously. To him, this isn’t a game.
The knockout punch itself was impressive. It finished Askren’s night and probably would’ve gotten the attention of most cruiserweights, although he couldn’t land a punch as easily against a legitimate boxer.
Indeed, another winner on Saturday was whomever chose Askren as Paul’s opponent. The former MMA champ has a big name and small ability, at least in terms of boxing. Perfect matchmaking for a novice like Paul.
The problem for Paul will come if he decides to face a genuine boxer one day, not the Nate Robinsons and Ben Askrens of the world.
And my gut tells me he’ll take that step if he continues to beat non-boxers because of how he sees himself. He has said that he doesn’t want to be perceived as a side show. He fancies himself the real deal, a hot, young prospect.
Sadly for him, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll amount to much. The minute he finds himself face to face with an opponent who makes his living the boxing ring, he will be exposed for what he is: a late starter with crude skills.
Paul, 24, had no amateur career and has three pro fights. You can learn basics of the sport in a short time but the seasoning required to compete at a high level takes a number of years. Let’s compare it to baseball. You can’t take a few hitting lessons and then jump to the Major Leagues. Michael Jordan demonstrated that.
Again, Paul deserves props. He has some natural ability and is willing to put in the time to hone it, which has allowed him to enjoy success against fellow newbies. Let’s just not get carried away.
[lawrence-related id=19623,19620,19616,19581]
***
RABBIT PUNCHES
I won’t question referee Brian Stutts, whose stoppage of the Paul-Askren fight was somewhat controversial. Askren was hurt and Stutts was looking him directly in the eyes when he made the decision to end matters. Paul was probably correct when he said Askren was fortunate that the fight was stopped when it was. … The ending of the Regis Prograis–Ivan Redkach welterweight fight on the Paul-Askren card was about as strange as it gets. In Round 6, Prograis landed a punch to Redkach’s ribs yet Redkach fell to the canvas and grabbed his groin, claiming a low blow. The referee missed it. The fight was stopped and the punch reportedly was ruled a foul. Still, it somehow went to the scorecards and Prograis won a technical decision. It appeared to me that Redkach wanted out of a fight he was losing badly. He quit.
Demetrius Andrade doesn’t necessarily look great when he fights but he couldn’t be much more effective.
That was the case once again on Saturday night, when he received spirited resistance from tough, determined Liam Williams yet won 10 of 12 rounds on two cards and eight on the third to retain his middleweight title in Hollywood, Fla.
Andrade put Williams down in the second round and looked as if he might win by knockout early — which would’ve been a strong statement for someone itching to lure another 160-pound champion into the ring — but he couldn’t finish the job.
Instead, Andrade merely boxed brilliantly most of the fight, moving laterally, stopping to fire off hard, accurate shots when the time was right and then quickly moving away. Williams tried to disrupt that pattern but largely failed.
The Welshman gave Andrade a compliment when he said afterward, “He was slipperier than he appears to be on TV.”
Andrade might not have been dazzling but, as he does, he won convincingly in his fourth title defense. That should keep him on track to face fellow titleholders and prime targets Jermall Charlo or Gennadiy Golovkin, assuming they’re willing.
And I’m not sure either is in love with the idea of facing Andrade, whose style and ability probably would make the life of even the best 160-pounders miserable.
[lawrence-related id=19531]
***
BAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAuF610gwDQ
Tony Harrison should be excused for a flat performance against Bryant Perrella on Saturday in Los Angeles.
The former junior middleweight titleholder hadn’t fought since December 2019, when he was stopped by Jermell Charlo. He probably was rusty. He lost his father/trainer Ali Salaam not long afterward. His brother worked his corner. And Perrella is a crafty boxer.
Harrison had a lot to overcome. The fact he emerged with a draw isn’t the end of the world for him, although it certainly was a small step backward.
It appeared to me as if he had one foot in the ring and one foot out of it, as he was strangely inactive much of the fight. He threw only 453 punches overall, 282 of which were jabs, according to CompuBox. And he landed only 60 of the jabs.
I had the feeling that Harrison was as much an onlooker as a participant in the fight.
Of course, Perrella, trained by Roy Jones Jr., had something to do with that. He boxed well and worked hard, throwing 692 punches. And he’s a southpaw, which Harrison had said before the fight would be a challenge for him.
As many as 10 of the 12 rounds were difficult to score, which explains the contrasting cards: 116-112 for Harrison, 117-111 for Perrella and 114-114. Boxing Junkie scored it 115-113 for Perrella.
In the end, neither fighter was cheated. But where does it leave them?
Harrison, who had hoped to jump right back into the title picture, can still get there but he can’t afford even one more slip-up. He better show up at his best next time out. Meanwhile, Perrella took a step forward. He demonstrated that he could compete with an elite 154-pounder.
That’s about all we can glean from an unsatisfying draw.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer trained hard, said he was going to knock out Ben Askren and then he did it in less than one full round Saturday night in Atlanta. He proved a lot of people wrong, including me.
And Paul’s emotional reaction afterward is evidence that he takes his boxing career seriously. To him, this isn’t a game.
The knockout punch itself was impressive. It finished Askren’s night and probably would’ve gotten the attention of most cruiserweights, although he couldn’t land a punch as easily against a legitimate boxer.
Indeed, another winner on Saturday was whomever chose Askren as Paul’s opponent. The former MMA champ has a big name and small ability, at least in terms of boxing. Perfect matchmaking for a novice like Paul.
The problem for Paul will come if he decides to face a genuine boxer one day, not the Nate Robinsons and Ben Askrens of the world.
And my gut tells me he’ll take that step if he continues to beat non-boxers because of how he sees himself. He has said that he doesn’t want to be perceived as a side show. He fancies himself the real deal, a hot, young prospect.
Sadly for him, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll amount to much. The minute he finds himself face to face with an opponent who makes his living the boxing ring, he will be exposed for what he is: a late starter with crude skills.
Paul, 24, had no amateur career and has three pro fights. You can learn basics of the sport in a short time but the seasoning required to compete at a high level takes a number of years. Let’s compare it to baseball. You can’t take a few hitting lessons and then jump to the Major Leagues. Michael Jordan demonstrated that.
Again, Paul deserves props. He has some natural ability and is willing to put in the time to hone it, which has allowed him to enjoy success against fellow newbies. Let’s just not get carried away.
[lawrence-related id=19623,19620,19616,19581]
***
RABBIT PUNCHES
I won’t question referee Brian Stutts, whose stoppage of the Paul-Askren fight was somewhat controversial. Askren was hurt and Stutts was looking him directly in the eyes when he made the decision to end matters. Paul was probably correct when he said Askren was fortunate that the fight was stopped when it was. … The ending of the Regis Prograis–Ivan Redkach welterweight fight on the Paul-Askren card was about as strange as it gets. In Round 6, Prograis landed a punch to Redkach’s ribs yet Redkach fell to the canvas and grabbed his groin, claiming a low blow. The referee missed it. The fight was stopped and the punch reportedly was ruled a foul. Still, it somehow went to the scorecards and Prograis won a technical decision. It appeared to me that Redkach wanted out of a fight he was losing badly. He quit.
Tony Harrison and Bryant Perrella fought to unsatisfying split draw on Saturday in Los Angeles.
Tony Harrison took a small step backward while Bryant Perrella probably moved ahead somewhat. Neither fighter left the ring satisfied on Saturday.
Harrison, the former junior middleweight titleholder, and Perrella fought to a split draw in a 12-round fight that was difficult to score at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in downtown Los Angeles.
The wide disparity in the scoring was evidence of that. Judge Max DeLuca had Harrison winning 116-112, eight rounds to four. Lou Moret scored it for Perrella 117-111. And Zachary Young had it 114-114. Boxing Junkie scored it 115-113 for Perrella.
Harrison (28-3-1, 21 KOs) hadn’t fought since December 2019, when he lost his title by knockout to Jermell Charlo. That was the last time Harrison had in his corner his father/trainer Ali Salaam, who died of COVID-19 a year ago.
And perhaps the layoff and absence of a familiar voice played a role in his performance, which was so-so at best. He threw a lot of jabs but relatively few power shots, only 14 per round, according to CompuBox.
Perrella was the busier fighter overall, outpunching Harrison 692-453 overall and 396-171 in power shots. That obviously impressed Moret. However, Perrella outlanded Harrison only 150-138 and Harrison might’ve landed the cleaner punches, which apparently swayed DeLuca.
Perrella probably had to two biggest rounds in the fight, Nos. 3 and 6, during which the underdog clearly outworked and outlanded Harrison. One could argue that the remainder of the rounds could’ve gone either way.
Thus, the result was anyone’s guess in the period between the final bell and the announcement of the result. The fighters, both of whom hoped to move up in the line for a shot at a major title, were expressionless when they heard the words “split draw.”
No one seemed to object to the result, at least not openly immediately after they learned their fate.
The fighters shared more than a draw after all was said and done: The both are now winless in consecutive fights. Harrison was coming off the setback against Charlo, Perrella from his last-second knockout loss to Abel Ramos in February of last year.
Well, at least they didn’t lose back-to-back fights.
Tony Harrison and Bryant Perrella fought to unsatisfying split draw on Saturday in Los Angeles.
Tony Harrison took a small step backward while Bryant Perrella probably moved ahead somewhat. Neither fighter left the ring satisfied on Saturday.
Harrison, the former junior middleweight titleholder, and Perrella fought to a split draw in a 12-round fight that was difficult to score at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in downtown Los Angeles.
The wide disparity in the scoring was evidence of that. Judge Max DeLuca had Harrison winning 116-112, eight rounds to four. Lou Moret scored it for Perrella 117-111. And Zachary Young had it 114-114. Boxing Junkie scored it 115-113 for Perrella.
Harrison (28-3-1, 21 KOs) hadn’t fought since December 2019, when he lost his title by knockout to Jermell Charlo. That was the last time Harrison had in his corner his father/trainer Ali Salaam, who died of COVID-19 a year ago.
And perhaps the layoff and absence of a familiar voice played a role in his performance, which was so-so at best. He threw a lot of jabs but relatively few power shots, only 14 per round, according to CompuBox.
Perrella was the busier fighter overall, outpunching Harrison 692-453 overall and 396-171 in power shots. That obviously impressed Moret. However, Perrella outlanded Harrison only 150-138 and Harrison might’ve landed the cleaner punches, which apparently swayed DeLuca.
Perrella probably had to two biggest rounds in the fight, Nos. 3 and 6, during which the underdog clearly outworked and outlanded Harrison. One could argue that the remainder of the rounds could’ve gone either way.
Thus, the result was anyone’s guess in the period between the final bell and the announcement of the result. The fighters, both of whom hoped to move up in the line for a shot at a major title, were expressionless when they heard the words “split draw.”
No one seemed to object to the result, at least not openly immediately after they learned their fate.
The fighters shared more than a draw after all was said and done: The both are now winless in consecutive fights. Harrison was coming off the setback against Charlo, Perrella from his last-second knockout loss to Abel Ramos in February of last year.
Well, at least they didn’t lose back-to-back fights.
