Universum Returns : Menzer, Boytsov Back…WOOLEVER

Published

13 years ago

September 30, 2011

Universum Promotions re-emerged into the lush German boxing landscape last Saturday, with a strong card which featured most of the top talent in their stable. While the stars’ selected opposition didn’t always provide the best possible matchups, most of the competition was of good quality.

It was a card with a little bit of everything you might expect at a high-class club show. In this case the club, Dima Sports Center, was a large scale health and training facility that held about 555 fanatics, many of whom took their time getting seated, in contrast to usual German crowds at such events.

For headlining European titlist Alexander Dimitrenko, it was a stay busy assignment while he awaits what has now become an increasingly evasive opportunity against one of the Klitschkos. 6’7 Dimitrenko loomed large, but didn’t do much to further his cause.

Coming into the fight, it seemed like Dimitrinko might be the best available contender for a Klitschko. It didn’t seem that way after the fight with Sprott.

For returning boxers like female pound-4-pounder Ina Menzer or anxiously anticipated heavyweight Denis Boytsov, coming back from defeat or injury respectively, any win without negatives was welcome.

It looked like both fighters were following the dear, recently departed Mr. George Benton’s “look good in the next fight” scenario. Neither looked bad. Neither looked great.

For 2008 heavyweight Olympic Gold Medalist Rakhim Chakhkiev, campaigning in the cruiserweight division, it looked like the first of many potential stolen shows before he’s in the main event. Great prospects seen here.

Overall, the card featured a substantial amount of talent, and bodes well for Universum’s resurgence if they can achieve bigger matchups in bigger venues. With the Klitschko’s K2 Promotions covering mega-fights and Sauerland Events keeping a busy schedule of championship level events, not to mention the solid UK scene, marketplace competition for patrons in this slugging sector is pretty fierce. The good news is there is also enough of a very foundationally sound fan base in these parts to support many shows.

Much of Universum’s hopes, along with a few of limited partner Golden Boy Inc’s, rest on the formidable shoulders of Boytsov, who, on his best days against designated victims, resembled a pre-championship Mike Tyson in steamrolling straight men.

Boytsov had to catch his breath a couple times for all the thumps he applied to willing but overmatched American Matthew Greer, now 14-7. Greer more than earned his paycheck by continuing well past the point of a reasonable retirement in the corner. Boytsov, now 29-0 (24), looked like a menace, but couldn’t always pull the trigger on his slingshot.

Boytsov’s jab looked much improved, but he seemed hesitant to throw power shots after various hand problems kept him sidelined. The puncher’s burden.

Greer gave it a shot but was rocked and reeling with a bloody nose almost immediately. Despite his bravery, Greer did not look at all happy between rounds at the probable prospect of more Boytsov. Greer’s cornerman was accurate with lines like “You’ve got to go for broke, you ain’t no punching bag.” The crowd was entertained by what was often the lone voice in an otherwise almost silent hall. Greer fought back for half a round, then started catching mortars from underneath. An accumulation of leather put Greer down in the fifth, and he was rescued by ref Frank Maas for an official TKO 6th at 1:25.

As a reality check, it was similar to Boytsov’s tutorial battle with Vinnie Maddalone, a couple years back. Greer did not look as good as Maddalone in any department except professionalism and courage. Those are important departments, but not enough to make it look like Boytsov had advanced much since then. One step at a time, but at 6’1, Boytsov better regain his intensity if he expects to compete with the biggest boys. A bout against Tomasz Adamek would be a primo punching party.

Menzer, who at her peak was as good as any female boxer going, got back in the win column, but it did not look as easy as it appeared to the judges. Menzer faced “Bam Bam” Nunez in her first fight since dropping her title to Jeannine Garside last July.

The smattering of applause the women received was not impolite, just indicative of how many empty seats there were early in the program. It was the smallest crowd Menzer has performed before in years. Menzer appeared smaller than the rowdy Nunez, but quicker. Nunez earned the first frame by virtue of responding to the aggressive Menzer with grazing counter-combinations.

You could tell Menzer was having issues, by the forceful manner she pushed down on Nunez during many clinches. Nunez didn’t land as much, but seemed to be controlling most of the tempo. By the third two minute round, Menzer got on her toes and got busier with good lefts. Nunez made mocking faces when stung, another crowd amusing tidbit. Official scoring was a too big margin for Menzer at 80-72 and 79-73 twice. I scored it a draw at 77-77.

“We do it again,” said Menzer in response to Nunez’s unbowed attitude. “Next time twelve.”

Menzer, now 27-1 (10), may have to return to peak form to return as a top type draw. She still seems to have the necessary discipline and desire. If it will be enough against a confident Garside, who for whatever reasons hasn’t fought since taking Menzer’s belt, remains a question.

Dimitrenko, once a hyped future king, faced veteran Sprott, who once had title shot dreams of his own. Just Dimitrenko’s luck that on a showcase night, 36 year old trialhorse Sprott decided to put forth one of his career best efforts.

That doesn’t mean the contest was dramatic or inspiring. More that the well-conditioned Sprott simply refused to back down while Dimitrenko scored with consistent but largely unimpressive shots. Dimitrenko dominated for the most part, but he didn’t do much to prove he was any sort of threat to the Klitschkos.

Even with a newly grown beard, 29 year old Dimitrenko still has a deceiving baby face. Sprott tried to muscle him around and the mauling tactic paid some dividends. By the tenth, Dimitrenko’s right eye was visibly tenderized. Sprott kept wrestling as much as punching, and repeatedly forced the much larger Dimitrenko to the mat, which should have Dimitrenko’s handlers concerned about his strength and stamina. Sprott lost two points down the stretch for such infractions. Dimitrenko took a wide 12 round decision, but it was a sidestep as much as an advance.

For his part, Chakhkiev , now 11-0 (9), was a near perfect example of effective aggression behind wicked body shots. He dropped Michael Simms, 21-15-2 (13), with a left just before the bell ending round two, and finally overwhelmed Simms, who had never been stopped, for an official TKO at 1:43 of the 4th.

Afterward Simms, who has faced top cruisers like Marco Huck, Yoan Pablo Hernandez and Matt Godfrey, stated that Chakhkiev is far stronger than any previous foe.

Sometimes the achievements of journeymen rumblers like Darnell Wilson, with a record of 24-12-3 (20) are under appreciated. Wilson’s career has taken him places like Australia Russia and Singapore. Tonight in Germany, Wilson took a majority decision over Juan Carlos Gomez, 49-3 (37), who claimed a shoulder injury and probably saw the end of his fringe contender status.

For their part, Universum Promotions got back in the mix. They’ve got a ways to go before getting back to the top, but this card was a fine start overall, with solid German TV and internet coverage. With another show on the drawing board for this year, it will hopefully not be too long before Universum is a major player again.

With Boytsov, Dimitrenko, Menzer, and especially Chakhkiev at this pure pounding point the personnel and ingredients are definitely back in place.

Now, it’s up to the matchmakers.

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Phil Woolever

In a Massive Upset, Dakota Linger TKOs Kurt Scoby on a Friday Night in Atlanta

Published

12 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Arne K. Lang

In-a-Massive-Upset-Dakota-Linger-TKOs-Kurt-Scoby-on-a-Friday-Night-in-Atlanta

Although it was an 8-rounder on a show with two “tens,” Kurt Scoby’s match with Dakota Linger was accorded main event status on tonight’s card at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. This had everything to do with Scoby (pronounced Scooby), a former record-setting college running back who was considered one of the brightest prospects in the 140-pound weight class. “[Scoby] works harder than almost anyone I’ve ever seen,” said veteran New York promoter Lou DIBella in a conversation with Keith Idec. “But he’s literally getting better after every fight and he’s got the hammer of Thor, man. He can punch through walls.”

The Duarte, California product who has relocated to Brooklyn and trains at Gleason’s Gym, was undefeated (13-0) heading in and was expected to make Linger his ninth straight knockout victim. But Linger, a 29-year-old Buckhannon, West Virginia policemen whose first ring engagements were in Toughman competitions, wasn’t intimidated by Scoby’s press clippings or by Scoby’s bodybuilder physique.

Linger, who improved to 14-6-3 with his tenth win inside the distance, took the fight right to Scoby and repeatedly found a home for his overhand right. In the sixth round, after Linger strafed the ever-retreating Scoby with a barrage of punches, referee Malik Walid determined that he had seen enough and waived it off. The decision seemed a tad premature, but neither Scoby nor his cornermen offered anything in the way of a protest.

Tournament results

In the first installment of an 8-man super welterweight tournament, Brandon Adams returned to boxing after his second three-year layoff and showed no ring rust whatsoever. Adams, a 34-year-old family-man who grew up in the Watts district of LA, dismissed Ismael Villareal with a wicked punch to the liver in the waning seconds of round three. The official time was 2:59.

A former wold title challenger, Adams who improved to 23-3 (16 KOs), has become the king of boxing tournaments. He first attracted notice in 2018 when he won the fifth edition of “The Contender” series, scoring a wide 10-round decision over Shane Mosley Jr in the championship round.

Villareal, a second-generation prizefighter from the Bronx whose dad fought the likes of Hector Camacho, declined to 13-3.

Adams next opponent will be Francisco Veron who will bring a record of 14-0-1 (10).

In an energetic 10-rounder, Veron, a Florida-based Argentine with a strong amateur pedigree, scored a unanimous decision over Mexico-born, LA southpaw Angel Ruiz (18-3-1). The judges had it 100-90, 99-91, and 96-94.

Ruiz certainly had his moments, but Veron launched and landed many more punches despite fighting the last six rounds with a damaged eye.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 281: The Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia Show

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective-Chap-281-The-Devin-Haney-and-Ryan-Garcia-Show

Over the years bouts between old foes such as Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia tend to be surprising.

Yes, both are only 25 but have known each other for many years.

When undisputed super lightweight champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) steps into the prize ring at Barclays Center to meet challenger Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) on Saturday, April 20, fans will be witnessing the continuation of a feud that began more than a decade ago.

And though the champion is a heavy favorite, familiarity is Garcia’s best weapon heading into their fight on the Golden Boy Promotions card that will be shown on PPV.COM with Jim Lampley and friends. DAZN pay-per-view is also streaming the card.

In many ways Haney and Garcia have ventured down the same path. From amateur sensations to fighting in Mexico while teens to asking for the biggest challenges available.

“Whichever version of Ryan shows up on April 20, I will be ready for him. Ryan Garcia is just another opponent to me,” said Haney who holds the WBC super lightweight title after his win over Regis Prograis.

The first time I saw Haney as a pro he battled the dangerous Mexican contender Juan Carlos Burgos at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. It was an impressive performance against a fighter who fought three times for a world title.

Haney was 19 at the time.

My first look at Garcia as a pro was in his first bout in the U.S. when he met Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Cruz at the Exchange in downtown Los Angeles. The Boricua looked at Garcia and tried intimidating him with stares, taunts and the usual patter. During the fight both swung and missed until the second round when Garcia zeroed in and took him out.

Garcia had just turned 18, the legal age to fight in California.

Both fighters did not have the Olympics credentials that lead to fame. But their talent has allowed them to fight through the dense smoke that is professional boxing.

Haney has defeated numerous world champions such as Prograis, Vasyl Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr., while Garcia has stopped champions Javier Fortuna and Luke Campbell.

As amateurs, Garcia and Haney battled six times with each winning three.

“They know each other very well,” said Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions. “Ryan is going to beat Devin Haney.”

Haney has a buttery-smooth style with one of the best jabs in boxing. He’s very adept at keeping distance and not allowing anyone to fight him inside. His reflexes are outstanding, yet he seldom fights inside. That’s his weakness.

Garcia fights tall and has superb hand speed and a lightning quick left hook. Though his defense lacks tightness his ability to rip off three-punch combinations in a blink of an eye pauses opponents from bullying their way inside.

“These guys always just look at me and look at me like I don’t know how to box,” said Garcia on social media. “Why was I one of the best fighters in the amateurs. Why was I a 15-time National champion…why did I beat everyone I came across.”

Haney is a strong favorite by oddsmakers to defeat Garcia. But you can never tell when it comes to fighters that know each other well and are athletically gifted.

When Sergio Mora challenged Vernon Forrest he was a big underdog. When Tim Bradley fought Manny Pacquiao the first time, he was also the underdog. And when Andy Ruiz met Anthony Joshua few gave him a chance.

Haney and Garcia have history in the ring. It should be an interesting battle.

PPV.COM

Jim Lampley will be leading the broadcast on PPV.COM for the Haney-Garcia card at Barclays and texting with fans on the card live. He will be accompanied by journalists Lance Pugmire, Dan Conobbio and former champion Chris Algieri.

The PPV.COM broadcast begins at 5 p.m. PT. and is available in Canada and the USA.

Other News

MMA stars Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal will be holding a media day event on Friday, April 19, at NOVO at L.A. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Diaz and Masvidal will be boxing against each other in a grudge match on June 1 at the KIA Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The two MMA stars met five years at UFC 244 with Masvidal winning by TKO over Diaz due to cuts.

This is a grudge match, but under boxing rules.

Fight card in Commerce, Calif.

360 Promotions returns to Commerce Casino on Saturday April 20 with undefeated super lightweight Cain Sandoval leading the charge.

Sandoval (12-0) faces Angel Rebollar (8-3) in the main event that will be shown live on UFC Fight Pass. Also on the card are two female events including hot prospect Lupe Medina (5-0) versus Sabrina Persona (3-1) in a minimumweight clash.

Doors open at 4 p.m.

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Boxing Odds and Ends: The Heavyweight Merry-Go-Round

Published

4 days ago

April 16, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Boxing Odds and Ends: The Heavyweight Merry-Go-Round

There were few surprises when co-promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren and their benefactor HE Turki Alalshikh held a press conference in London this past Monday to unveil the undercard for the Beterbiev-Bivol show at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 1. Most of the match-ups had already been leaked.

For die-hard boxing fans, Beterbiev-Bivol is such an enticing fight that it really doesn’t need an attractive undercard. Two undefeated light heavyweights will meet with all four relevant belts on the line in a contest where the oddsmakers straddled the fence. It’s a genuine “pick-‘em” fight based on the only barometer that matters, the prevailing odds.

But Beterbiev-Bivol has been noosed to a splendid undercard, a striking contrast to Saturday’s Haney-Garcia $69.99 (U.S.) pay-per-view in Brooklyn, an event where the undercard, in the words of pseudonymous boxing writer Chris Williams, is an absolute dumpster fire.

The two heavyweight fights that will bleed into Beterbiev-Bivol, Hrgovic vs. Dubois and Wilder vs. Zhang, would have been stand-alone main events before the incursion of Saudi money.

Hrgovic-Dubois

Filip Hrgovic (17-0, 13 KOs) and Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) fought on the same card in Riyadh this past December. Hrgovic, the Croatian, was fed a softie in the form of Australia’s Mark De Mori who he dismissed in the opening round. Dubois, a Londoner, rebounded from his loss to Oleksandr Usyk with a 10^th-round stoppage of corpulent Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller.

There’s an outside chance that Hrgovic vs. Dubois may be sanctioned by the IBF for the world heavyweight title.

The May 18 showdown between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury has a rematch clause. The IBF is next in line in the rotation system for a unified heavyweight champion and the organization has made it plain that the winner of Usyk-Fury must fulfill his IBF mandatory before an intervening bout.

The best guess is that the Usyk-Fury winner will relinquish the IBF belt. If so, Hrgovic and Dubois may fight for the vacant title although a more likely scenario is that the organization will keep the title vacant so that the winner can fight Anthony Joshua.

Wilder-Zhang

The match between Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) and Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) is a true crossroads fight as both Wilder, 38, and Zhang, who turns 41 in May, are nearing the end of the road and the loser (unless it’s a close and entertaining fight) will be relegated to the rank of a has-been. In fact, Wilder has hinted that this may be his final rodeo.

Both are coming off a loss to Joseph Parker.

Wilder last fought on the card that included Hrgovic and Dubois and was roundly out-pointed by a man he was expected to beat. It’s a quick turnaround for Zhang who opposed Parker on March 8 and lost a majority decision.

Other Fights

Either of two other fights may steal the show on the June 1 event.

Raymond Ford (15-0-1, 8 KOs) meets Nick Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs) in a 12-round featherweight contest. New Jersey’s Ford will be defending the WBA world title he won with a come-from-behind, 12th-round stoppage of Otabek Kholmatov in an early contender for Fight of the Year. Liverpool’s “Wrecking” Ball, a relentless five-foot-two sparkplug, had to settle for a draw in his title fight with Rey Vargas despite winning the late rounds and scoring two knockdowns.

Hamzah Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KOs) meets fellow unbeaten Austin “Ammo” Williams (16-0, 11 KOs) in a 12-round middleweight match. East London’s Sheeraz, the son of a former professional cricket player, is unknown in the U.S. although he trained for his recent fights at the Ten Goose Boxing Gym in California. Riding a skein of 13 straight knockouts, he has a date with WBO title-holder Janibek Alimkhanuly if he can get over this hurdle.

The Forgotten Heavyweight

“Unbeaten for seven years, the man nobody wants to fight,” intoned ring announcer Michael Buffer by way of introduction. Buffer was referencing Michael Hunter who stood across the ring from his opponent Artem Suslenkov.

This scene played out this past Saturday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It was Hunter’s second fight in three weeks. On March 23, he scored a fifth-round stoppage of a 46-year-old meatball at a show in Zapopan, Mexico.

The second-generation “Bounty Hunter,” whose only defeat prior to last weekend came in a 12-rounder with Oleksandr Usyk, has been spinning his wheels since TKOing the otherwise undefeated Martin Bakole on the road in London in 2018. Two fights against hapless opponents on low-budget cards in Mexico and a couple of one-round bouts for the Las Vegas Hustle, an entry in the fledgling and largely invisible Professional Combat League, are the sum total of his activity, aside from sparring, in the last two-and-a-half years.

Hunter’s chances of getting another big-money fight took a tumble in Tashkent where he lost a unanimous decision in a dull affair to the unexceptional Suslenkov who was appearing in his first 10-round fight. The scores of the judges were not announced.

You won’t find this fight listed on boxrec. As Jake Donovan notes, the popular website will not recognize a fight conducted under the auspices of a rogue commission. (Another fight you won’t find on boxrec for the same reason is Nico Ali Walsh’s 6-round split decision over the 9-2-1 Frenchman, Noel Lafargue, in the African nation of Guinea on Dec. 16, 2023. You can find it on YouTube, but according to boxrec, boxing’s official record-keeper, it never happened.)

Anderson-Merhy Redux

The only thing missing from this past Saturday’s match in Corpus Christi, Texas, between Jared Anderson and Ryad Merhy was the ghost of Robert Valsberg.

Valsberg, aka Roger Vaisburg, was the French referee who disqualified Ingemar Johansson for not trying in his match with LA’s Ed Sanders in the finals of the heavyweight competition at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Valsberg tossed Johansson out of the ring after two rounds and Johansson was denied the silver medal. The Swede redeemed himself after turning pro, needless to say, when he demolished Floyd Patterson in the first of their three meetings.

Merhy was credited with throwing only 144 punches, landing 34, over the course of the 10 rounds. Those dismal figures yet struck many onlookers as too high. (This reporter has always insisted that the widely-quoted CompuBox numbers should be considered approximations.)

Whatever the true number, it was a disgraceful performance by Merhy who actually showed himself to have very fast hands on the few occasions when he did throw a punch. With apologies to Delfine Persoon, a spunky lightweight, U.S. boxing promoters should think twice before inviting another Belgian boxer to our shores.

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