Tag: Yunieski Gonzalez

Good, bad, worse: Jake Paul’s fight-ending shot highlights week of KOs

Good, bad, worse: Jake Paul’s fight-ending shot highlighted a week of knockouts in boxing.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

You like savage knockouts? You got ’em this past week.

Jake Paul served up a one-punch, highlight-reel knockout of rival Tyron Woodley while Naoya Inoue, Artur Beterbiev and Gilberto Ramirez beat the daylights out of their unfortunate opponents until they could take no more punishment.

First up was Inoue, who unleashed his pound-for-pound fury on poor Aran Dipaen (12-3, 11 KOs) on Tuesday in Japan. The Thai fighter was brave but didn’t have the tools to fend off Inoue, who coldly broke him down before stopping him in the eighth round.

Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs) needs a challenge comparable to his fight with Nonito Donaire, which means a showdown with fellow titleholder John Riel Casimero or a rematch with Donaire.

The imposing Beterbiev looked vulnerable early against capable Marcus Browne (24-2, 16 KOs) on Friday but settled into beast mode and methodically destroyed the former U.S. Olympian in spite of a ghastly cut on his forehead, finally ending matters in nine rounds to make it 17 knockouts in 17 fights.

The Russian probably will target one of his fellow 175-pound titleholders but a lot of us fancy a showdown with Canelo Alvarez. Could the Mexican star really handle a fighter of Beterbiev’s ability and freakish strength? Hopefully we’ll get a chance to find out.

Ramirez (43-0, 29 KOs) had a tough time against a durable Yunieski Gonzalez (21-4, 17 KOs), absorbing many hard shots, but he still managed to deliver a horrible beating. We knew the Mexican was good but who knew he was this resilient?

I give him a chance a realistic chance to beat the light heavyweight titleholders.

And, on Saturday, Paul gave us the most-dramatic single moment of the week, an enormous right hand that planted rival Tyron Woodley (0-2) on his face. He didn’t get up, which gave Paul the most significant victory yet in his young career.

Is Paul (6-0, 5 KOs) ready for a real boxer? Nah. But he always makes it difficult to look away.

 

BAD

I’ll never fully endorse Paul’s career as a prize fighter out of deference to genuine boxers who would kill for even a fraction of the YouTuber’s fame and fortune.

At the same time, you have to give the guy credit. His impressive ability to market himself is well established. He seems to take the sport seriously, working as hard as anyone in the gym in an effort to hone his skills. And he has a flair for the dramatic.

If you could’ve drawn it up beforehand, what would’ve been the ideal result to add to Paul’s reputation as a can’t-miss attraction? You got it – a sensational one-punch knockout that goes viral on the internet.

The ringside video that allows the viewer to both see and hear the right hand that ended Woodley’s night (see video above) is not something people will forget any time soon. As a result, they will be more intrigued with Paul than ever.

The fact he remains in early stages of development doesn’t matter to most people. He does (and says) things that people want to see, which is the key to his success.

I have to add one thing: Paul is going to lose a fight, probably soon. He almost lost to Woodley in their first fight. We’ll see what impact that has on his drawing power, although I have a feeling he’ll stick in one way or another.

 

WORSE

Once again, there are always poor souls on the wrong end of brutal knockouts.

I’ll never forget the look of resignation on Dipaen’s face after he went down from a left hook by Inoue and then managed to get up as the referee was counting in Round 8. It was if he was thinking, “What did I do to deserve this?”

He took one more punch and the fight was stopped, fortunately for Dipaen, who might never again fight on a stage that big.

Browne was so distraught after his one-sided setback that he barely acknowledged Beterbiev afterward even though the winner approached him twice. It wasn’t poor sportsmanship as much as it was disappointment. He simply wasn’t ready to face his conqueror.

Browne isn’t in Beterbiev’s class but he has a lot of company.

Gonzalez left his heart in the ring against Ramirez, which I believe is one reason he was so emotional after his fight. And at 36 he probably realized then and there that he might not get another such opportunity.

The native of Cuba suffered during the fight … and after it.

Woodley probably will have emerged from his gruesome fate with a smile on his face. The former MMA star made a reported $2 million even though he’s 39 and was fighting as a pro boxer for only the second time.

That’s called winning the lottery, although getting knocked out cold was a significant price to pay for his windfall.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Joseph Parker (30-2, 21 KOs) defeated Derek Chisora (32-12, 23 KOs) again – this time by a unanimous decision – to underscore his position as a top heavyweight contender Saturday in Manchester, England. It wasn’t easy. The Kiwi put Chisora down three times and seemed to be on the verge of putting him away on several occasions but he couldn’t finish off his stubborn opponent in an entertaining fight. The problem now for Parker is that it could be a while before he gets a shot at a title, as beltholders Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have other plans. Of course, Parker, only 29, will get his opportunity if he keeps winning. Chisora? The Londoner is 37. He has now lost three consecutive fights, to Usyk and twice to Parker. And he has taken a lot of punishment over a long career. He’s probably good enough to continue fighting. However, it might be a good time for him to step away. … This is what I have to say about the Frank Gore (NFL) vs. Deron Williams (NBA) exhibition on the Paul-Woodley II card: If you like to watch street or bar fights between two old guys who have no idea what they’re doing, God bless you. Only you can choose what entertains you. …

Amanda Serrano (42-1-1, 30 KOs) did what she was expected to do on the Paul-Woodley II card, easily defeating Miriam Gutierrez (14-2, 5 KOs). The Spaniard took Serrano the distance but lost a near-shutout decision. The victory sets up arguably the biggest possible fight in women’s boxing: Serrano vs. Katie Taylor for the Irishwoman’s undisputed lightweight championship. The fight would be a boon to the women’s side of the sport. And the winner would be a legend. … David Morrell (6-0, 5 KOs) looked like a bona fide super middleweight contender on Saturday, when he stopped a solid opponent in Alantez Fox in four rounds. I figured the 23-year-old Cuban would win the fight but he dominated, using effective aggression to quickly break down and then stop his overmatched opponent. Morrell probably is ready for a Top 5 168-pounder.

[vertical-gallery id=27026]

[vertical-gallery id=27069]

Good, bad, worse: Jake Paul’s fight-ending shot highlights week of KOs

Good, bad, worse: Jake Paul’s fight-ending shot highlighted a week of knockouts in boxing.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

You like savage knockouts? You got ’em this past week.

Jake Paul served up a one-punch, highlight-reel knockout of rival Tyron Woodley while Naoya Inoue, Artur Beterbiev and Gilberto Ramirez beat the daylights out of their unfortunate opponents until they could take no more punishment.

First up was Inoue, who unleashed his pound-for-pound fury on poor Aran Dipaen (12-3, 11 KOs) on Tuesday in Japan. The Thai fighter was brave but didn’t have the tools to fend off Inoue, who coldly broke him down before stopping him in the eighth round.

Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs) needs a challenge comparable to his fight with Nonito Donaire, which means a showdown with fellow titleholder John Riel Casimero or a rematch with Donaire.

The imposing Beterbiev looked vulnerable early against capable Marcus Browne (24-2, 16 KOs) on Friday but settled into beast mode and methodically destroyed the former U.S. Olympian in spite of a ghastly cut on his forehead, finally ending matters in nine rounds to make it 17 knockouts in 17 fights.

The Russian probably will target one of his fellow 175-pound titleholders but a lot of us fancy a showdown with Canelo Alvarez. Could the Mexican star really handle a fighter of Beterbiev’s ability and freakish strength? Hopefully we’ll get a chance to find out.

Ramirez (43-0, 29 KOs) had a tough time against a durable Yunieski Gonzalez (21-4, 17 KOs), absorbing many hard shots, but he still managed to deliver a horrible beating. We knew the Mexican was good but who knew he was this resilient?

I give him a chance a realistic chance to beat the light heavyweight titleholders.

And, on Saturday, Paul gave us the most-dramatic single moment of the week, an enormous right hand that planted rival Tyron Woodley (0-2) on his face. He didn’t get up, which gave Paul the most significant victory yet in his young career.

Is Paul (6-0, 5 KOs) ready for a real boxer? Nah. But he always makes it difficult to look away.

 

BAD

I’ll never fully endorse Paul’s career as a prize fighter out of deference to genuine boxers who would kill for even a fraction of the YouTuber’s fame and fortune.

At the same time, you have to give the guy credit. His impressive ability to market himself is well established. He seems to take the sport seriously, working as hard as anyone in the gym in an effort to hone his skills. And he has a flair for the dramatic.

If you could’ve drawn it up beforehand, what would’ve been the ideal result to add to Paul’s reputation as a can’t-miss attraction? You got it – a sensational one-punch knockout that goes viral on the internet.

The ringside video that allows the viewer to both see and hear the right hand that ended Woodley’s night (see video above) is not something people will forget any time soon. As a result, they will be more intrigued with Paul than ever.

The fact he remains in early stages of development doesn’t matter to most people. He does (and says) things that people want to see, which is the key to his success.

I have to add one thing: Paul is going to lose a fight, probably soon. He almost lost to Woodley in their first fight. We’ll see what impact that has on his drawing power, although I have a feeling he’ll stick in one way or another.

 

WORSE

Once again, there are always poor souls on the wrong end of brutal knockouts.

I’ll never forget the look of resignation on Dipaen’s face after he went down from a left hook by Inoue and then managed to get up as the referee was counting in Round 8. It was if he was thinking, “What did I do to deserve this?”

He took one more punch and the fight was stopped, fortunately for Dipaen, who might never again fight on a stage that big.

Browne was so distraught after his one-sided setback that he barely acknowledged Beterbiev afterward even though the winner approached him twice. It wasn’t poor sportsmanship as much as it was disappointment. He simply wasn’t ready to face his conqueror.

Browne isn’t in Beterbiev’s class but he has a lot of company.

Gonzalez left his heart in the ring against Ramirez, which I believe is one reason he was so emotional after his fight. And at 36 he probably realized then and there that he might not get another such opportunity.

The native of Cuba suffered during the fight … and after it.

Woodley probably will have emerged from his gruesome fate with a smile on his face. The former MMA star made a reported $2 million even though he’s 39 and was fighting as a pro boxer for only the second time.

That’s called winning the lottery, although getting knocked out cold was a significant price to pay for his windfall.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Joseph Parker (30-2, 21 KOs) defeated Derek Chisora (32-12, 23 KOs) again – this time by a unanimous decision – to underscore his position as a top heavyweight contender Saturday in Manchester, England. It wasn’t easy. The Kiwi put Chisora down three times and seemed to be on the verge of putting him away on several occasions but he couldn’t finish off his stubborn opponent in an entertaining fight. The problem now for Parker is that it could be a while before he gets a shot at a title, as beltholders Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have other plans. Of course, Parker, only 29, will get his opportunity if he keeps winning. Chisora? The Londoner is 37. He has now lost three consecutive fights, to Usyk and twice to Parker. And he has taken a lot of punishment over a long career. He’s probably good enough to continue fighting. However, it might be a good time for him to step away. … This is what I have to say about the Frank Gore (NFL) vs. Deron Williams (NBA) exhibition on the Paul-Woodley II card: If you like to watch street or bar fights between two old guys who have no idea what they’re doing, God bless you. Only you can choose what entertains you. …

Amanda Serrano (42-1-1, 30 KOs) did what she was expected to do on the Paul-Woodley II card, easily defeating Miriam Gutierrez (14-2, 5 KOs). The Spaniard took Serrano the distance but lost a near-shutout decision. The victory sets up arguably the biggest possible fight in women’s boxing: Serrano vs. Katie Taylor for the Irishwoman’s undisputed lightweight championship. The fight would be a boon to the women’s side of the sport. And the winner would be a legend. … David Morrell (6-0, 5 KOs) looked like a bona fide super middleweight contender on Saturday, when he stopped a solid opponent in Alantez Fox in four rounds. I figured the 23-year-old Cuban would win the fight but he dominated, using effective aggression to quickly break down and then stop his overmatched opponent. Morrell probably is ready for a Top 5 168-pounder.

[vertical-gallery id=27026]

[vertical-gallery id=27069]

Gilberto Ramirez stops Yunieski Gonzalez in 10th round of war

Gilberto Ramirez stopped Yunieski Gonzalez in the 10th round of a war Saturday in San Antonio.

Bring on Dmitry Bivol?

Gilberto Ramirez pounded resilient Yunieski Gonzalez for most of nine-plus rounds – but also took many big punches himself – before finally stopping his Cuban counterpart in the 10th round of an action-packed light heavyweight fight Saturday in San Antonio.

The bout was billed as a WBA title eliminator, which means Ramirez (43-0, 29 KOs) is at the front of the line to face respected champion Bivol.

The former super middleweight titleholder had to work as hard as he ever has to claim victory on Saturday, as Gonzalez was both durable and ferocious for almost the entire fight.

The Mexican star used his jab to maintain distance in a relatively uneventful second round but found himself in many intense toe-to-toe exchanges the next four and five rounds, which tested Ramirez’s own resilience.

Ramirez landed more punches than Gonzalez but both connected on power shots that lifted the fans off their feet at AT&T Arena, a patten that continued into the sixth round.

Then Ramirez evidently realized that he didn’t need to take so many risks and began sharp shooting from a safer distance, which made it more difficult for Gonzalez to land cleanly.

Ramirez didn’t land as many punches as he did earlier in the fight but connected on more than enough to win rounds and gradually break down Gonzalez, who had taken a great deal of punishment by the 10th round.

Finally, with Gonzalez back against the ropes, Ramirez landed a big right hand and followed with a barrage of hard punches — with almost nothing coming back at him — that prompted the referee to stop the fight.

The official time of the stoppage was 1:23 of Round 10. Boxing Junkie had Ramirez leading

Ramirez has now stopped all four of the 175-pounders he has faced, including former title challenger Sullivan Barrera in July.

 

Gilberto Ramirez stops Yunieski Gonzalez in 10th round of war

Gilberto Ramirez stopped Yunieski Gonzalez in the 10th round of a war Saturday in San Antonio.

Bring on Dmitry Bivol?

Gilberto Ramirez pounded resilient Yunieski Gonzalez for most of nine-plus rounds – but also took many big punches himself – before finally stopping his Cuban counterpart in the 10th round of an action-packed light heavyweight fight Saturday in San Antonio.

The bout was billed as a WBA title eliminator, which means Ramirez (43-0, 29 KOs) is at the front of the line to face respected champion Bivol.

The former super middleweight titleholder had to work as hard as he ever has to claim victory on Saturday, as Gonzalez was both durable and ferocious for almost the entire fight.

The Mexican star used his jab to maintain distance in a relatively uneventful second round but found himself in many intense toe-to-toe exchanges the next four and five rounds, which tested Ramirez’s own resilience.

Ramirez landed more punches than Gonzalez but both connected on power shots that lifted the fans off their feet at AT&T Arena, a patten that continued into the sixth round.

Then Ramirez evidently realized that he didn’t need to take so many risks and began sharp shooting from a safer distance, which made it more difficult for Gonzalez to land cleanly.

Ramirez didn’t land as many punches as he did earlier in the fight but connected on more than enough to win rounds and gradually break down Gonzalez, who had taken a great deal of punishment by the 10th round.

Finally, with Gonzalez back against the ropes, Ramirez landed a big right hand and followed with a barrage of hard punches — with almost nothing coming back at him — that prompted the referee to stop the fight.

The official time of the stoppage was 1:23 of Round 10. Boxing Junkie had Ramirez leading

Ramirez has now stopped all four of the 175-pounders he has faced, including former title challenger Sullivan Barrera in July.

 

Gilberto Ramirez vs. Yunieski Gonzalez: date, time, how to watch, background

Gilberto Ramirez vs. Yunieski Gonzalez: date, time, how to watch, background.

Gilberto Ramirez will face yunieski gonzalez in what he hopes is his final step toward a title shot.

Gilberto Ramirez (42-0, 28 KOs) vs. Yunieski Gonzalez (21-3, 17 KOs)     

  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 18
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Cost: DAZN is $19.99 per month or $99.99 annually
  • Division: Light heavyweights
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Ramirez 19½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Seneisa Estrada vs. Maria Santizo, strawweights (for Estrada’s WBA title); Lamont Roach Jr. vs. Rene Alvarado, junior lightweights; Marlen Esparza vs. Anabel Ortiz, flyweights (for Esparza’s WBC title); Luis Hernandez vs. Ruslan Madiyev, junior  welterweights
  • Prediction: Ramirez UD
  • Background: Ramirez’s career, which had sputtered after he moved up to the light heavyweight in 2019, is back on track. The former super middleweight titleholder stopped Alfonso Lopez in 10 rounds last December – his first fight in 20 months – and then knocked out longtime contender Sullivan Barrera in four rounds this past July to reestablish himself as a major player in the division. The 30-year-old Mexican is ranked in the Top 5 by three of the four major sanctioning bodies, which means his goal of fighting for a title in a second division is within reach. The beltholders are Artur Beterbiev (IBF and WBC), Dmitry Bivol (WBA) and Joe Smith Jr. (WBO). Gonzalez, a Cuban who lives in Florida, cut his teeth in the respected amateur system of his native country. The 36-year-old can box and he has power, as his last 12 victories have come by knockout. He has only been blown out once, when Oleksandr Gvozdyk stopped him in three rounds in April 2017. He took 3½ years off following that setback and returned to stop Guillermo Romero, Alex Theran and Tommy Karpency. He lost close decisions to Jean Pascal and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in 2015.

[lawrence-related id=26980,21822]

Gilberto Ramirez vs. Yunieski Gonzalez: date, time, how to watch, background

Gilberto Ramirez vs. Yunieski Gonzalez: date, time, how to watch, background.

Gilberto Ramirez will face yunieski gonzalez in what he hopes is his final step toward a title shot.

Gilberto Ramirez (42-0, 28 KOs) vs. Yunieski Gonzalez (21-3, 17 KOs)     

  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 18
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Cost: DAZN is $19.99 per month or $99.99 annually
  • Division: Light heavyweights
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Ramirez 19½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Seneisa Estrada vs. Maria Santizo, strawweights (for Estrada’s WBA title); Lamont Roach Jr. vs. Rene Alvarado, junior lightweights; Marlen Esparza vs. Anabel Ortiz, flyweights (for Esparza’s WBC title); Luis Hernandez vs. Ruslan Madiyev, junior  welterweights
  • Prediction: Ramirez UD
  • Background: Ramirez’s career, which had sputtered after he moved up to the light heavyweight in 2019, is back on track. The former super middleweight titleholder stopped Alfonso Lopez in 10 rounds last December – his first fight in 20 months – and then knocked out longtime contender Sullivan Barrera in four rounds this past July to reestablish himself as a major player in the division. The 30-year-old Mexican is ranked in the Top 5 by three of the four major sanctioning bodies, which means his goal of fighting for a title in a second division is within reach. The beltholders are Artur Beterbiev (IBF and WBC), Dmitry Bivol (WBA) and Joe Smith Jr. (WBO). Gonzalez, a Cuban who lives in Florida, cut his teeth in the respected amateur system of his native country. The 36-year-old can box and he has power, as his last 12 victories have come by knockout. He has only been blown out once, when Oleksandr Gvozdyk stopped him in three rounds in April 2017. He took 3½ years off following that setback and returned to stop Guillermo Romero, Alex Theran and Tommy Karpency. He lost close decisions to Jean Pascal and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in 2015.

[lawrence-related id=26980,21822]

Gilberto Ramirez sets sights on Dmitry Bivol and beyond

Light heavyweight contender Gilberto Ramirez sets sights on titleholder Dmitry Bivol and beyond.

Gilberto Ramirez is thinking big. Literally.

The former 168-pound champ, who is currently campaigning at 175, envisions himself moving up to cruiserweight and then bridgerweight (the WBC’s new invention) and finally heavyweight before all is said and done.

“Why not? I’m a big guy,” Ramirez told Boxing Junkie.

The 30-year-old Mexican, who is scheduled to fight Yunieski Gonzalez on Saturday in San Antonio (DAZN), is also thinking big in terms of accomplishments.

His career stalled after he moved up in weight after successfully defending his super middleweight title against Jesse Hart in December 2018, split with Top Rank in July of last year and navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic.

He fought only once in two years between 2018 and last year, making him an almost-forgotten man.

Then, in February, he signed with Golden Boy Promotions and appears to be back on track. He brutally stopped longtime contender Sullivan Barrera in four rounds this past July to underscore his status as a bone fide contender.

The fight with Gonzalez is being billed as a WBA title eliminator. Dmitry Bivol is the sanctioning body’s beltholder.

“It was a great performance,” Ramirez said of the Barrera fight. “On a scale of 1 to 10, I’ll give it a 9. This time I’ll be even better. I’m just waiting for that belt. I know this is a hard guy (Gonzalez), a top opponent.

“… I don’t want him to take anything from me.”

Gonzalez (21-3, 17 KOs) is a solid foe. He was reared in the Cuban amateur system, meaning he can box. And he has punching power. His last 12 victories have come by knockout.

The Miami resident’s problem is that he has come up short the three times he has stepped up in class, losing close decisions to Jean Pascal and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in 2015 and getting stopped by Oleksandr Gvozdyk in three rounds two years later.

He has beaten three second-tier opponents since the loss Gvozdyk.

“He comes forward all the time,” Ramirez said. “That’s his strategy. I think I have the skill to beat him. I don’t want to give him any chance to be a challenge.”

And if Ramirez wins?

His handlers reportedly made an offer to Bivol before the fight with Gonzalez was arranged but it wasn’t accepted. The Russian ended up defending against Umar Salamov last Saturday, winning a wide decision.

A victory on Saturday would make it more difficult for Bivol to say no.

“I will be a great victory,” he said of the Gonzalez fight. “It’s going to make me the mandatory [challenger] for the world title. I want to become two-time champion. I can’t wait, I can’t wait to get the title.

“… You can’t stop thinking big. No one call tell you what you can and can’t do. Only you.”

[lawrence-related id=26936]