A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Edgar Berlanga
I’m still not sure what to make of Berlanga. The 168-pounder from Brooklyn stopped his first 16 opponents in the first round only to go the distance in his next five, including a decision over solid, but limited veteran Jason Quigley on Saturday in New York. He hasn’t been the dominating fighter he appeared to be. At the same time he did manage to put Quigley down four times and won by lopsided scores even though the fleet Irishman’s stick-and-move tactics made him an elusive target. Berlanga deserves credit for that. Here’s the bottom line, though: We won’t know how good Berlanga is until he faces the top fighters at or near his weight. The name Jaime Munguia came up after his victory at The Armory. That could be the perfect opponent for him. Berlanga wouldn’t have to chase the aggressive Mexican as he did Quigley, which portends a compelling toe-to-toe battle between two high-profile sluggers. I would pick Munguia to win that fight but I wouldn’t be surprised if the style matchup brings out the best Berlanga, who is physically strong and punches at last as hard as Munguia does. That could be the ideal opportunity for Berlanga to realize the potential he has flashed.
BIGGEST WINNER II
Carlos Adames
Lost amid a controversial ending was a strong performance by the Dominican middleweight. Adames (23-1, 18 KOs) methodically broke down veteran Julian Williams (28-4-1, 16 KOs) with a high-powered attack – including relentless body work – before referee Mark Nelson became the story when he stopped the fight in the ninth round Saturday in Minneapolis. Nelson arguably jumped the gun but the truth is the surprisingly resilient Williams had taken a pounding and was hurt badly at the time of the stoppage, which should soften the criticism of Nelson at least to some degree. Adames controlled the fight almost from the outset, which was reflected in the official scoring after eight rounds: 80-72, 78-74 and 77-74 in his favor. And he battered a worn down Williams in the ninth even if you believe Nelson jumped the gun by stopping the fight when he did, with 15 seconds remaining. Adames might’ve finished the job in the next few rounds. If not, he probably would’ve won a clear decision. Either way, Adames’ performance was further evidence that he’s a threat to anyone at 160 pounds.
BIGGEST WINNER III
Canelo Alvarez
Alvarez probably didn’t need to sign a three-fight contract with Premier Boxing Champion to face the management company’s fighters. He took on PBC client Caleb Plant without one. The fact the 168-pound champion did put pen to paper simply makes negotiations easier and reveals Alvarez’s intention to face the best-possible opponents for him. I say, “It’s about time.” He reportedly will open the three-fight set against 160-pound titleholder Jermall Charlo in September, a matchup that fans will embrace more enthusiastically than he second fight with 175-pound champ Dmitry Bivol would have. And it presumably will get better from there. Next up could be unbeaten 168-pound contender David Benavidez, the opponent fans most want Alvarez to face. A few things must happen before we can begin celebrating that matchup. Alvarez and Benavidez have to beat their next opponents (Charlo and David Morrell), which isn’t a given in either case. And, of course, the parties still would have to come to terms. The point here is this: There is more hope than ever that we’ll see Alvarez vs. Benavidez after the future Hall of Famer decided to align himself with PBC.
RABBIT PUNCHES
I hope that the matchup between Alvarez and Charlo is finalized. And then, if Alvarez wins that fight, I believe he should move directly into a showdown with Benavidez next May if Benavidez gets past Morrell. There are other viable options – Morrell if he beats Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade – but Alvarez-Benavidez is the fight the fans want at this moment. If Alvarez can beat both Charlo and Benavidez, he will regain much of the status he lost in the past year. If not, he will have gained respect for accepting the most difficult challenge in his division. … Did Nelson stop the Adames-Williams fight prematurely? One could make that argument. Williams was able to defend himself at the time of the stoppage. However, that’s not fair to Nelson, who has to make a real-time decision in an effort to protect the fighter. The fact is that Adames had been plastering Williams with one hard shot after another moments before the stoppage. The timing was strange but Nelson probably did save Williams from undue punishment. … Erickson Lubin (25-2, 18 KOs) evidently didn’t suffer any lingering effects from his knockout loss to Sebastian Fundora 14 months ago. The 154-pound contender dominated tough, but overmatched Luis Arias (20-4-1, 9 KOs) before stopping him in the fifth round on the Adames-Williams card. Lubin remains one of the best offensive fighters in the sport. I won’t be surprised if he wins a major world title sometime soon. …
Joshua Franco (18-2-3, 8 KOs) had a miserable weekend. The Texan lost his WBA 115-pound title on the scales when he came in an unfathomable six-plus pounds over the limit for his defense against Kazuto Ioka (30-2-1, 15 KOs) on Sunday in Japan. He then lost the fight by a unanimous decision, which gave Ioka the belt after he and Franco had fought to a draw in December. The 34-year-old Ioka demonstrated that he remains one of the best in the business. Meanwhile, Franco, citing “mental problems,” announced after the setback that he’s retiring at 27. We wish him the best no matter what he does. … IBF 115-pound titleholder Fernando Martinez (16-0, 9 KOs) successfully defended his belt against Jade Bornea (18-1, 12 KOs) by an 11th-round technical knockout on the Adames-Williams card. The ending was gruesome. Martinez landed a left to the side of Bronea’s head in Round 9 that split the Filipino’s right ear open, causing it to bleed profusely. He was allowed to continue but officials decided enough was enough two rounds later. Martinez gave another strong performance, underscoring the notion that he could compete against the other top 115-pounders. That includes Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez, Bam Rodriguez and Ioka. Bornea made a strong impression in defeat, earning himself another big opportunity. … Why doesn’t New York employ instant replay? The second knockdown in the Berlanga-Quigley fight was not a knockdown at all. Quigley slipped, as replays made clear. The mistake on the part of referee Harvey Dock didn’t play a role in the result but it could have. Instant replay isn’t complicated. An official determines a mistake was made based on replays and then simply informs the judges and corners without interrupting the flow of the fight.
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