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WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Wylie Dissects Mayweather and Canelo’s Game, Part 1
Floyd Mayweather is generally regarded as the best fighter in boxing today. Despite being almost 37 years-old, he has yet to show any conclusive signs that may point to his decline. That his record has remained unblemished in spite of a 17 year-long professional boxing career that has seen him rise through five separate weight classes is really quite astonishing. While his many critics will highlight the fact that he has, on more than one occasion, managed to avoid some of the more risky challenges that were out there for him, only an all-time great could have faced the opposition Mayweather has without ever tasting defeat.
And so, ahead of Saturdayâs clash with Saul âCaneloâ Alvarez, I will attempt to shed light on some of the nuances of perhaps the most well-rounded pugilist on the planet. In addition, I will also be taking a brief look at Saul âCaneloâ Alvarez and will be highlighting some of the ways in which he could potentially take advantage of some of Mayweatherâs technical intricacies.
Trying to find imperfections in a fighter who boasts a perfect fighting record is no easy task. All fighters, however, have a tendency to fall into certain habitual patternsâsome good, some badâthat can be exploited.
Because no fighter is perfectâeveryone makes mistakes from time to timeâhabits are the smartest aspect of a fighterâs game to analyze and try and take advantage of.
Habits are formed in the gym, where the average fighter will spend hundreds of hours honing their skills.
Floyd Mayweather is not your average fighter.
It is no secret that Mayweather quite literally grew up in a boxing gym; his craft and ring savvy mirror that: according to CompuBox, Mayweather, with a plus/minus rating of +24 (thatâs the difference between a fighterâs overall connect rate and that of his opponents), is the finest exponent of the-hit-and-donât-get-hit philosophy in the entire sport. His opponent on September 14th is ranked number two on that list with a plus/minus rating of +18.
Nevertheless, Mayweather is no different from any other fighter in that the very same gym-sharpened techniques can be seen being used in almost every single one of his fights. It is while performing these techniques that a fighter (even a seemingly flawless one like Floyd) may present the opponent with openings on a somewhat predictable level.
Weâve got an awful lot to get through between now and the end of this analysis, so without further ado, letâs now take a look at some of Mayweatherâs tendencies and signature techniques.
Roughhousing tactics
Despite being regularly touted as the finest âpureâ boxer on the planet, much of Mayweatherâs success in the ring can be attributed towards how he controls his opponents when he isnât throwing punches.
Similarly to Bernard Hopkins, Mayweather is not afraid to manipulate the rules, often operating just inside the legal boundariesâand even beyond themâbut always completely unawares to the official, of course.
One of Mayweatherâs little tricks on the inside is to raise his lead arm and push his elbow or forearm into the opponentâs chest (or into their head or neck), causing them to try and hold on or turn to the official in the hope that he calls for a break or issues Floyd a warning.
This can be seen throughout his fights with Shane Mosley and Ricky Hatton.
Mosley looks to close the distance on MayweatherâŠ
….but ends up running head-first into Floydâs lead elbow.    Â
Itâs not just when the opponent is on the attack that Floyd will employ these tactics either; Mayweather will often initiate an attack with a straight right hand, and will then look to immediately smother the opponentâs counter or clinch attempts. If itâs the latter, once his elbow is wedged firmly up against the opponentâs chest or neck, Floyd will push off and continue punching as they try to hold. Using his non-punching hand, elbow or forearm to pin the opponent in place while heâs punching with his free hand, Mayweather will hold, punch, maneuver, and then punch again, giving the opponent little option but to try and cover up or hold on.
Mayweather closes in on Mosley.
Mosley slips outside of Mayweatherâs straight right.
Mosleyâs clinch attempt is thwarted by Mayweatherâs right forearm.
Mayweather pushes Mosley off and immediately nails him with a left hookâŠ
...followed by a right hand.
Mayweatherâs intermitting hold-and-punch style of fighting makes it very difficult for the opponent to forecast and defend against.
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A quick look at the Ricky Hatton fight shows just how effective (and sneaky) Mayweather can be on the inside when employing these holding tactics.
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Body jab
Yet another staple of Mayweatherâs game is the undervalued body jab. Although he doesnât regularly invest to the bodyâa la Joe FrazierâFloyd will target the body with his jabâa la Aliâto probe and open up targets for further attacks. Once the opponent begins lowering their guard to defend against his body jab, Floyd will shift his attack upstairs.
Mayweather used the body jab quite magnificently against Ricky Hatton (on display in the previous video) and Diego Corralesâchanging levels for what both men assumed would be a body jab before catching them stepping in with a left hook or straight right up top.
Mayweather distracts Corrales by showing him a raised lead hand (blinding jab).
Mayweather drops low and sinks a jab deep into the pit of Corralesâ stomach.
Mayweather adjusts his feet to re-establish his range.
Mayweatherâs feint causes Corrales to hunch over and lower his guard in anticipation of the body jab.Â
Mayweather lands a lead hook to the head.
Although some trainers will discourage their fighter from throwing a jab to the body because of the increased vulnerability to counters, it is an excellent way to condition the opponent into adjusting their guard to compensate (sometimes without them even realizing) so that further openings may be created and exploited.
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Fade Counter
âI make the enemy see my strengths as weaknesses and my weaknesses as strengths, while I cause his strengths to become weaknesses and discover where he is not strongâ.
                      âHo Yen-hsi
Similar to how one may set a trap in order to catch a mouse, one of Floydâs go-to moves is his fade/pull counter, which he uses to draw out a predictable attack from the opponent that he can then counter.
Standing just outside the pocket and often with his gloves lowered and slightly apart, Mayweather baits the opponent into leading with a jab, where he will then lean back and to his left (similar to an inside slip if not for the difference in weight transfer) and land a straight right. It may seem fairly obvious when Mayweather is plotting this counter attackâhe raises the heel of his back foot and shifts his weight over on to his front legâyet his opponents, snake-charmed by his âvulnerableâ glove position and âexposedâ head, always seem to give into temptation and lead off in a predictable way.
Mayweather leans forward, shifting his weight onto his front foot, gloves slightly apart, looking to draw a lead from Mosley.
Taking the bait, Mosley overcommits and ends up over-reaching with his jab.
Mayweather counters with a straight right.
By offering false targets, Mayweatherâlike all of the great counterpunching techniciansâcan funnel his opponentâs options and draw out the very attack that he intends to counter.
Half Guard Defense
Mayweather is not only one of the most fluid movers in boxing, but when he decides to plant his feet and stand his ground, he is also one of the very best pocket fighters in the sport too, thanks, in no small part, to his half guard/shoulder roll/Philly Shell defense.
Although it is not something we havenât seen before, Mayweatherâs effectiveness with the half guard defense, where jabs and hooks are parried or blocked with the rear hand and the lead shoulder is turned in to divert and diffuse any right-handed attacks, has earned him the reputation as one the greatest defensive savants of this or any era.
Using an open right glove to parry the jab, Mayweather uses his lead shoulder almost exclusively for deviating the (orthodox) opponentâs right hand off target so he can come back with counter rights.
Oscar De La Hoya forces Mayweather to the ropes.         Â
Mayweather parries Oscarâs jab with his rear glove.
Mayweather rolls with Oscarâs right handâŠ
…and comes back with a right hand.
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Mayweatherâs rolling of the lead shoulder to protect his jawline does two things: 1) it serves its main purpose (which is to defend) by deflecting the right hand off of the lead shoulder, 2) it spring-loads Mayweatherâs hips and places him at a more desirable angle to come back with right hand counters.
Although Floyd is primarily a defensive fighter, he most certainly cannot be accused of being passive in the ring. Whenever an opponent is made to miss, he nearly always makes them pay tenfold.
Another variation of Floydâs rolling and countering is when a right hand is thrown at him from range; Floyd will use his lead elbow or forearm to spike the opponentâs extended right arm (rather than his shoulder) to steer them toward his right hand.
Mayweather attempts to draw a lead from Baldomir by offering him a tempting target. Â
Baldomir tries his luck by throwing a right hand aimed toward Mayweatherâs âunprotectedâ left flank, but Floyd deflects the blow off target using his left forearmâŠ
…and counters with a short right hand.
Floyd then immediately weaves out (to his right) to avoid Baldomirâs counter.
Against Carlos Baldomir, Floyd knew that by countering with his right hand, his right flank would immediately open up and become a potential target. By rolling under and out to his right, Floyd managed to evade his opponentâs most likely response after throwing a right hand; a left hook aimed toward his unprotected right flank.
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Closing the Doors on the Right Lead
A boxerâs job is not complete until they have âclosed the doorâ after finishing an attack, either by jabbing their way out, or angling out. One of the safest exits to round off an attack withâattention Amir Khan, this concerns you– is to duck under and out to the left or right depending on which direction oneâs last punch came from. For example, after a right hand, one should roll underneath and out to the right (to avoid the opponentâs likely counter left), and after throwing a left hook, one should roll under and out to the left (to avoid the opponentâs right hand).
Thrown straight from the guard and with very little that may signal to its arrival, Floyd executes his right hand lead better than anyone else in the sportâoften forcing the opponent to step to him where he will catch them in-between steps on what is known as the half-beat, before taking some kind of pre-emptive measure against the most common reaction.
Mayweather closes in on southpaws Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero respectively.
Mayweather distracts with a âblinding jabâ.
Mayweather throws a right hand leadâŠ
… and immediately ducks underneath and out to his right to avoid the southpaw left.
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Mayweather epitomizes what good boxing is all about. To compete at the highest level, boxing is about doing what is absolutely necessary in order to minimize oneâs openings while taking advantage of the opponentâs.
Moving in behind a high guard, Floyd presses the attackâŠ
…and connects with a straight right.
Anticipating a left hook counter, Mayweather ducks underneathâŠ
…and rolls out to his right.
As you can see, Mayweatherâs brilliance is not a result of his speed, reflexes or any other physical attribute; Mayweather is brilliant purely because of his timing, control of distance and unrivalled ring intelligence.
Needless to say, as of yet, there is no definitive blueprint on how to beat Floyd Mayweather. As slick as he is, however, Mayweather is certainly not without a stylistic flaw or two.
Letâs now take a look at some of the ways in which one (specifically Canelo) could possibly take advantage of some of Mayweatherâs tendencies.
Deception
âAll warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when we are far away, we must make him believe we are nearâ          Â
âSun Tzu, The Art of War
In many fields of endeavor, people rely on deception to help them reach their targets. In sports, such as basketball and football, players will fake a pass in one direction to throw off opposing players only to execute the actual intended play in another.
In boxing, the success or failure of such deceptive ploys depends upon the ability of the deceiver to lull the opponent into believing and acting upon a false action.
Early in the second round, Shane Mosley used a body jab to lure Mayweatherâs rear hand away from his guard. As a result, Mosley was able to connect with a hard right cross thatâif not for Mayweatherâs defensive instincts that saw him clamping down on Mosleyâs right arm immediately afterwardsâwould have almost certainly led to his demise.
Mayweather is ready to defend inside his half guard defensive posture.
Mayweather lowers his rear hand to parry Mosleyâs low jabâŠÂ    Â
…but fails to react to the subsequent right hand in time.
A strategy that relies solely on a direct approach will soon result in a predictable attack. By targeting the body first and diverting Mayweatherâs attention away from the intended target, Mosley was able to take advantage of a momentary lapse in Mayweatherâs defensive structure.
Non-Rhythmic Combinations
Performed well, the half guard defense can be a tough nut to crack. However, like all guards, no one guard is impenetrable as every single one of them leaves an opening somewhere.
As we know, defensive-minded counterpunchers like Floyd love to set traps and draw the opponent in. Since Mayweather is very calculating, it is possible to confuse him by simply not giving him what he expects. Establishing a pattern and then abruptly breaking away from it can accomplish this as it is very difficult to counter effectively unless there is a pattern to predict. In other words, if they are not attacked in a predictable way, counterpunchers cannot mount a reliable counter-strategy.
For so long now, Mayweather has been faced with opponents who all shared the same game plan; pressure him, close the distance, and try to overwhelm him with volume on the inside.
Consider Mayweatherâs bout with Philip NâDou. Every time Nâdou found Mayweather up on the ropes, he threw nothing but predictable left-right-left-right combinations that were easy for Mayweather to time and roll with.
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The half guard defense is the perfect foil for this brand of generic attack. Even the mercurial Juan Manuel Marquez, a stunningly beautiful combination puncher at his best, fell into the same trap against Floyd by failing to vary the rhythm and sequence of his combinations.
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Back in June, Paulie Malignaggi entered his fight with Adrien Broner a massive underdog. Because of an intelligent game plan, the fight ended up being far more competitive than many had anticipated and while Broner certainly did enough to earn himself a larger portion of the rounds based on him landing the cleaner and more effective punches, Malignaggi was successful where others have failed recently in exposing some of Bronerâs stylistic limitations and, to some extent, those of the half guard defense.
As opposed to route one sluggers in Vicente Escobedo and Antonio DeMarco, Paulie employed lots of lateral movement, didnât always try to take Bronerâs head off with one shot, and more importantly, he threw his combinations against the grain.
Paulie throws a low jab which forces Broner to reach low to parry it.
Instead of following up with a predictable right, Malignaggi doubles up on his left with a lead hook to the body.
Paulie then breaks up the combination by taking a half step backâŠ
…feints a jab (drawing out Bronerâs rear hand parry)âŠ
…and lands a solid left to the head.
Unlike Philip Nâdou and Juan Manuel Marquez when they were confronted with a similar defensive construct, Paulie varied his combinations and threw them discordantly. By doubling and even tripling up on the same hand mid-combination, Paulie made it difficult for Broner to block and roll with his punches.
The true essence of combination punching is not to do all the damage with the initial blow, but to create an opening for a more damaging final one (through manipulating the opponentâs guard by throwing several lesser ones) somewhere down the line. While it is important that each punch is thrown in a rhythmic, free-flowing manner (Marquez does this better than anyone), it is equally important to vary the rhythm and targets.
In other words, rather than simply launch each combination in a uniform pattern (left-right-left-right), it is often best to change the speed of the individual punches and the length of pauses between them (left-leftâŠ..left-right). This is what Paulie did brilliantly against Broner (notice that Paulieâs entire combination in the above stills was thrown entirely off his lead hand).
During their fight, Canelo, a brilliant rhythmic and non-rhythmic combination puncher, managed to floor recent opponent Josesito Lopez with a quite vicious, but in no way reckless attack. The key to the whole combination was Caneloâs doubling up on his lead hand and sudden change in tempo.
Canelo forces Lopez to the ropes.
Canelo throws a blinding jab.
Instead of coming back with a predictable right cross, Canelo moves in behind yet another jab.
Canelo angles to his left off a right uppercut.
From a dominant angle, Canelo plants a left hook deep into the floating ribs of Lopez.
If one always maintains a consistent pattern of timing during a combination, the opponent can easily identify and time each blow. However, if one can break up the rhythm and sequence of the combination by slowing down and speeding up oneâs punches, as well as by lengthening and shortening the pauses between them, the combination will become a lot more difficult for the opponent to time and, in Mayweatherâs case, roll with.
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Hooking off the Jab
âA feint is an outright lie. You make believe youâre going to hit your opponent in one place, he covers the spot and your punch lands on the other side. A left hook off the jab is a classy lie. Youâre converting an I into an L. Making openings is starting a conversation with a guy, so another guy (your other hand) can come and hit him with a baseball batâ.  Â
âJose Torres, former light-heavyweight champion of the world.   Â
Although it is a highly effective way to block the jab and set up counterpunching opportunities, boxers who tend to reach out too far to parry the opponentâs jab (as Mayweather did against Mosley) can be susceptible to hooks immediately following the jab (hooking off the jab). The aim of this technique is to use the jab to draw the opponentâs rear hand out and set him up for a left hook around the guard.
Joe Louis was an absolute master of this technique.
Louisâ subtle pressure forces his opponent to the ropes.
Louis throws a jab to lure the opponentâs rear hand away from his guardâŠ
…and lands a crushing left hook.
Hooking off the jab is a lost art in modern boxing and is rarely seen nowadays, yet Canelo seems to have perfected the technique and is one of the very few who looks to implement it in the heat of battle.
Canelo cuts the ring off on Matthew Hatton.
Hatton reaches out to parry Caneloâs jab.
Canelo changes the trajectory and lands a left hook around the guard to Hattonâs newly exposed head.
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Feint to Angling off Left Hook
During his fight with James Toney back in 1994, Roy Jones managed to exploit a major weakness in Toneyâs defensive armor. Quite often, when an opponent is looking to close the distance, the half guard defense calls for the exponent to shift oneâs weight over onto the back foot, thus making the head a more elusive target. Jones seemed to find the half guard defenseâs sweet spot repeatedly against Toney; preceded by a feint, Jones would angle to his right (Toneyâs left) and throw a left hook before sliding out behind Toneyâs lead side, making it all but impossible for Toney to come back with counter rights.
Roy Jonesâ early knockdown of James Toney illustrated this perfectly.
Jones is looking to capitalize on Toneyâs retaliatory clowning.
Reacting to Jonesâ feint, Toney immediately leans back.
With Toneyâs balance severely compromised, Jones angles toward Toneyâs lead side and lands a left hook.
Jones now has Toneyâs back and has eliminated Toneyâs ability to throw an effective counter.
Here is the very same technique performed again.
Jones throws a feint at Toney.
Jones lands a left hook as Toney, reacting to the feint, dips to his right (Jonesâ left).
Placing his rear glove on Toneyâs back, Jones secures a dominant angle by skipping out to his right, where he lands yet another left hook.
By the time Toney turns and resets, Jones has already exited on a different line to the one on which he entered.
So would the same kind of attack that neutralized James Toneyâs half guard defense work just as well against the finest defender in the modern game for someone who doesnât quite have the same kind of foot speed that Jones possessed during his prime?
Cotto closes in on Mayweather.
Cotto feints with a level change.
Cotto slides his right foot up and out to his right, and lands a left hook on Floyd, who is leaning back and off balance.
Cotto places his rear hand on Mayweatherâs back and moves to his blindside. From here, Cotto can continue punching or exit on a different line.
Miguel Cotto doesnât have nearly half the amount of foot speed that Roy Jones did during his heyday, yet that doesnât matter; by first feinting, Miguel was able to gain time and draw out a predictable response from Mayweatherâleaning back and bending slightly to his rightâjust as Jones was able to with Toney. Consequently, this kind of attack nullifies the defenderâs ability to come back with right hands; the go-to counter from out of the half guard defense.
As weâve previously discussed, Floyd will lower his lead arm to bait the opponent into throwing their right so he can then roll and counter with his own (for a reminder, look at the opening photo in the Baldomir sequence).
During his fight with Kermit Cintron, Canelo would feint a right hand in order to set up his left hook. Reacting to the feint, Cintron would then bend over at the waist and to his right (as Floyd, Broner and Toney do), only to inadvertently roll directly into Caneloâs incoming left.
Canelo closes the distance behind a jab.
Canelo feints a right hand, forcing Cintron to transfer his weight onto his back foot.
Canelo angles to his right slightly and lands a left hook to the chin of Cintron, who is now leaning over to avoid Caneloâs âright handâ.
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Elusive Punching
When Floyd lets his hands go, he leaves openings just like everyone else. It is no coincidence, then, that on three of the four occasions where Floyd has been in the most trouble inside a boxing ring, he was tagged while being on the offensive.
Against Chop Chop CorleyâŠ
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…and Shane Mosley.
As the above images clearly illustrate, Floyd can be hit cleanly while he is punching.
Although it is rarely mentioned when discussing Caneloâs strong points, Canelo is actually fairly difficult to hit cleanly during exchanges aimed toward his center because of the way he moves his head and upper body as he throws his punches. This is especially true when Canelo is throwing his overhand right (cross counter over the top of an opponentâs jab).
Alvarez closes in on Cintron.
Alvarez slips inside Cintronâs jabâŠ
...and lands a hard right hand over the top.
Not only does Alvarez take his head off line, he also changes the elevation of his entire body too. Because of this, Caneloâs opponents soon find out that he is a lot more elusive than they had previously anticipated.
Hereâs another example of Caneloâs elusiveness while he is punching.
Alvarez and Trout are both looking to engage.
By slipping outside, Alvarez forces Troutâs jab to sail past his right shoulder and connects with a straight right hand, sending Trout to the canvas.
It is by observing a fighterâs habits (that can then be taken and used against them) that we soon realizeâregardless of what any pound-for-pound list may tell usâthat every single fighter is capable of losing a fight through meticulous preparation and strategic thinking.
If Floyd were to lose to Canelo on Saturday, it wouldn’t be because of Caneloâs physical strength, heart, desire or even a lucky punchâit would be because of the young manâs craft and because of a superior strategy.
The concluding part of this two part piece will follow on TSS soon.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 283: Canelo and Munguia Battle for Mexico and More Fight News
Avila Perspective, Chap. 283: Canelo and Munguia Battle for Mexico and More Fight News
Prepare for Mexican war.
Guadalajaraâs Saul âCaneloâ Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) fights Tijuanaâs Jaime Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) in another Mexican war on Saturday, May 4, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. PPV.COM and Prime pay-per-view will stream the card.
âIâm going to win, Iâm going to prevail and itâs going to be decisive,â said Alvarez, a four-division world titlist. âIâm different. Iâm Canelo.â
Munguia reveres Canelo.
âOutside the ring he has all my respect,â Munguia said. âInside the ring, respect goes out the window. And thatâs what is going to happen on Saturday night.â
If you know Mexican history, wars between different regions of that country took place even before Hernando Cortes arrived with his Spanish Conquistadores.
During the Mexican Revolution that began in 1910 you had Porfirio Diaz, Francisco Madero, Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata and then came Victoriano Huerta, Venustiano Carranza, Pascual Orozco, and Alvaro Obregon as players.
Fighting between regions in Mexico is not a new thing.
In boxing the 1960s brought those Mexican wars to California with guys like Vicente Saldivar, Cuban exile Sugar Ramos, Chango Carmona, and in the 70s Chucho Castillo, Jesus Pimentel, and the great Ruben Olivares.
Perhaps the two greatest battles between Mexican warriors saw Carlos Zarate and Alfonso Zamora battle in the Inglewood Forum. Both Mexican bantamweights held world titles and each were undefeated with all knockouts.
It was a madhouse that April night in 1977. During the action a wannabe wrestler jumped into the boxing ring during the action and was tossed out like a rag doll by a security gang. When Zarate eventually knocked out Zamora in the fourth, Zamoraâs father chased after Zarateâs trainer Cuyo Hernandez right there. Explosions from cherry bombs rocked the arena and a mini riot took place.
Later, in the 80s and 90s, we saw Julio Cesar Chavez batter fellow Mexican sluggers like Jose Luis Ramirez, Rafael âBazookaâ Limon and then Miguel Angel Gonzalez who fought the great Julio Cesar Chavez to a draw in Mexico City.
These battles between Mexicans are never easy.
Canelo has been the top Mexicano for the past 10 years and among the best pound-for-pound fighters for just as long. In his career that began when he was a mere 15 years old, heâs reached heights never before attained by any other Mexican fighter.
His three wars with Gennady âGGGâ Golovkin will be etched in history as among the best. His last fight eight months ago saw the redhead dominate Jermell Charlo for a win by unanimous decision.
Alvarez has one of the best chins in boxing history.
Munguia arrived like a burglar in the night. He was unceremoniously packed off to fight New Yorker Sadam Ali for the WBO super welterweight title in a New York card. Ali had just beaten the great Miguel Cotto for the title and was expected to have a long run. His first defense was against little-known Munguia and he was bludgeoned by the tall Mexican in four rounds.
The surprise win by Tijuanaâs Munguia made him the toast of the country. He was barely 20 and many liked his easy-going manner and will to destroy once the bell rang. After his fifth title defense it was apparent he could not make 154 pounds anymore and moved up. Five fights later he could not make 160 pounds. Now heâs at 168 pounds but one man holds all the belts and thatâs fellow countryman Canelo Alvarez.
Like Canelo, Munguia has one of the best chins in boxing.
âCanelo is a great fighter with experience against great fighters,â Munguia said. âBut what I have is youth on my side.â
Since working under Erik Morales and now Freddie Roach, his technique in defensive skills has improved dramatically from his days as a super welterweight. Back then Munguia would take a sledge-hammer blow or two and then return with a barrage of his own.
Last year Munguia fought the feared Sergiy Derevyanchenko through 12 of the most savage rounds ever seen. It was the Fight of the Year and established the Tijuana fighter as someone worthy of watching.
âYou can expect a full-out Mexican war,â said Munguia during the press conference on Wednesday.
âIâm very proud to be here and to make history with both Mexican fighters fighting for the four belts for the first time,â said Alvarez the undisputed super middleweight champion.
Although this is a battle between Mexicans the whole boxing world will be watching.
PPV.COM
Jim Lampley leads his crew again on the Canelo-Munguia fight card on Saturday May 4. The famed boxing analyst will be doing a play-by-play of the fights and also participating via text. Accompanying him will be Lance Pugmire, Chris Algieri and Dan Canobbio.
During the past nine months theyâve covered several of the best boxing cards. Lampley has a unique style and has covered the biggest fight events in the past five decades.
Riverside Fights
Undefeated middleweight prospect Raul Lizarraga leads a Red Boxing card on Friday May 3, at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium in downtown Riverside, Calif.
Lizarraga (12-0, 12 KOs) meets Puerto Ricoâs Marcos Osorio-Betancourt (11-1-1, 8 KOs) in the main event for a regional title. There are seven other bouts tentatively scheduled. Doors open at 5 p.m. For tickets go to Ticketmaster.com.
Monster Inoue
Japanâs Naoya âMonsterâ Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) defends the super bantamweight championship against Mexicoâs Luis âPanteraâ Nery (35-1, 27 KOs) on Monday. May 6, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo. ESPN + will stream the Top Rank card that begins at 1 a.m.
Many rate Inoue the top fighter pound-for-pound. His destruction of titleholders Marlon Tapales and Stephen Fulton were clear samples of his overall superiority in his weight division. At 31, he faces two-division champion Nery who recently engaged in a riveting battle against Azat Hovhannisyan in Southern California.
The card also features three other world title bouts.
Fights to Watch
Sat. PPV.Com, Prime PPV 5 p.m. Saul Alvarez (60-2-2) vs Jaime Munguia (43-0). Brandon Figueroa (24-1-1) vs Jesse Magdaleno (29-2); Mario Barrios (28-2) vs Fabian Maidana (22-2); Eimantas Stanionis (14-0) vs Gabriel Maestre (6-0-1).
Mon. ESPN+ 1 a.m. Naoya Inoue (26-0) vs Luis Nery (35-1); Jason Moloney (27-2) vs Yoshiki Takei (8-0); Takuma Inoue (19-1) vs Sho Ishida (34-3); Seigo Yuri Akui (19-2-1) vs Taku Kuwahara (13-1).
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A Closer Look at Weslaco âHeartbreakerâ Brandon Figueroa and an Early Peek at Inoue vs Nery
A Closer Look at Weslaco âHeartbreakerâ Brandon Figueroa and an Early Peek at Inoue vs Nery
Brandon Figueroa returns to the ring on Saturday after a 14-month absence. He meets Jessie Magdaleno in a 12-round featherweight affair at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with the winner potentially headed to a match with Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue. Figueroa vs. Magdaleno will be part of the four-fight pay-per-view telecast topped by Canelo Alvarezâs super middleweight title defense against Jaime Munguia.
Akin to Magdaleno, Figueroa (24-1-1, 18 KOs) is a former super bantamweight (122-pound) champion. He won the WBA version of the world title with a 10th-round stoppage of Damien Vazquez and added the WBC belt with a seventh-round KO of previously undefeated Luis Nery who fights Inoue this coming Monday at the âBig Eggâ in Tokyo.
Throughout history, many prominent boxers have been identified with the place that hewed them. Students of boxing history can identify the Saginaw Kid, the Terror Haute Terror, the Cincinnati Cobra â the list is long â and even casual fans can name the Brockton Blockbuster, the immortal Rocky Marciano.
Brandon Figueroa hails from Weslaco, a small city in the southern tip of Texas. It is part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, commonly abbreviated RGV, and the locals feel an emotional tie to the entire valley, a place where the unofficial language among the adult population is Spanglish, a melding of Spanish and English.
Brandonâs older brother Omar Figueroa Jr, who retired in 2022 with a record of 28-3-1 after losing his last three fights, became a local hero after becoming the first boxer from the Valley to win a world title, in his case the WBC lightweight diadem. Brandon, 27, has the opportunity to out-do him by becoming the first boxer from the Valley to win titles in two weight divisions.
The brothers were introduced to boxing by their father, Omar Figueroa Sr. A mailman now in his twenty-seventh year working for the U.S. Postal Service, the elder Figueroa never boxed but followed the sport closely and hoped that one of his sons would follow in the footsteps of his sporting heroes Julio Cesar Chavez and the late Salvador Sanchez. Brandon borrowed a page from the Chavez playbook when he scored his signature win over Luis Nery. A left to the solar plexus ended the match. Nery replied with a sweeping left hook, but it was all instinct. In a delayed reaction, he crumpled to the canvas after launching the errant punch and was counted out.
Although Omar Sr has a picture in his cell phone of Brandon in fighting togs when Brandon was two years old, he insists that he discouraged his younger son from pursuing a career in boxing. âHe was too skinny and didnât have Omarâs natural talent,â the elder Figueroa told this reporter when we chatted at Las Vegasâ Pound4Pound Boxing Gym. âThen, when Brandon was about 12 or 13, he started hurting bigger boys with punches to the body in sparring and I thought, hold on, maybe I have something here.â
Omar Sr. opened a gym, Pantera Boxing, to give his sons a leg up and eventually enough kids from the neighborhood started coming by to field an amateur boxing team.
Omar Figueroa Sr was born in Northern Mexico and came to the United States at age nine. Many of his siblings â he was one of nine children — reside in Mexico but close enough for family get-togethers. The Figueroa family has crossed the international bridge that connects the two countries on many occasions. Returning to Weslaco, they share the span with border-crossers seeking refuge in the United States.
âOne of the things Iâve noticed,â says Brandon, âis that there are a lot more Europeans crossing over that bridge into the U.S. than we used to see, especially people from countries like Russia and Ukraine.â
About that nickname: Brandon acquired it while visiting relatives in Rio Bravo, Mexico, situated roughly 18 miles from Weslaco. He was just a boy, perhaps 11 or 12, and it was teenage or pre-teen girls who affixed the âHeartbreakerâ label to him. Indeed, in the looks department, he could give Ryan Garcia a run for his money. (Back off, ladies, Brandon has a steady girlfriend.)
Brandon Figueroa doesnât want boxing to define him. âIâm also a businessman,â he says, noting that he owns several parcels of Weslaco real estate and owns stock in one of his sponsors, LOCKâDIN, a start-up, high-performance beverage company whose Board of Directors includes Manny Pacquiao.
In high school, Brandon took classes in theater. He has a role in a forthcoming Amazon Prime movie, âFind Me,â and a starring role in the first episode of the reconstituted âTales from the Cryptâ which will air on HBO Max.
When Brandon quits boxing, will Hollywood beckon? âI canât imagine settling down anywhere but in the Valley,â he says. âThe Valley will always be a part of me.â
In his last outing, Figueroa won an interim WBC featherweight title with a lopsided decision over Mark Magsayo. In theory, that boosted him into a fight with Rey Vargas who was allowed to keep his WBC featherweight title after moving up to 130 where he suffered his first defeat at the hands of OâShaquie Foster. But in boxing, âmoneyâ trumps âmandatoryâ and Vargas jumped at the chance to fight in Saudi Arabia where he was fortunate to retain his title when he received a draw in his match with Liverpoolâs Nick Ball.
The most lucrative fight out there would be a match with four-belt super bantamweight champion and pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue who has expressed an interest in moving up to featherweight after disposing of Luis Nery. Yes, thatâs putting the cart before the horse, but Brandon Figueroa thinks the challenger from Tijuana, despite his impressive record (35-1-1, 27 KOs) has scant chance of winning. âI found a hole in Neryâs style,â he said, âand knew that once fatigue set in for him, he would be mine.â
Inoue vs. Nery is a very big deal in Japan in part because thereâs a hero and a villain. Luis Nery is the only man to defeat the popular Shinsuke Yamanaka, a long-reigning title-holder who quit the sport after Nery knocked him out twice. After their first meeting, Neryâs âAâ and âBâ samples tested positive for a banned substance and he came in three pounds overweight for the rematch (a substantial edge in a small weight class), for which he was suspended and dropped from the WBC rankings. Nery, wrote TSS correspondent Tamas Pradarics, ârepeatedly cheated on the Japanese in ugly and disgusting ways,â and the Japanese havenât forgotten.
If Brandon Figueroa goes off to Japan some day to oppose Naoya Inoue, it will take some doing to contort him into a villain. âI love the Japanese people and the Japanese culture,â he says, âthe whole Samurai thing which is so in tune with the warrior spirit of Mexicans.â
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The pay-per-view portion of Saturdayâs show is available for purchase on various cable and satellite platforms including Prime Video, DAZN.com, and PPV.com. First bell is slated for 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.
Brandon Figueroa vs. Jessie Magdaleno will be the second bout on the four-fight PPV program. It will follow the WBA world welterweight title fight between Eimantas Stanionis and Gabriel Maestre and will precede the WBC interim world welterweight title fight between Mario Barrios and Fabian Maidana.
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Ramirez Outpoints Barthelemy and Vergil Ortiz Scores Another Fast KO in Fresno
Northern California favorite Jose Ramirez avoided an upset and knockout artist Vergil Ortiz destroyed his opponent on Saturday to set up a showdown with Australiaâs power-punching Tim Tszyu.
After a 13-month layoff Ramirez (29-1, 18 KOs) shook off ring rust and avoided an upset by Cubaâs Rances Barthelemy (30-3-1, 15 KOs) in a battle between former world champions at Save Mart Center in Fresno.
It was Ramirezâs first bout under Golden Boy Promotions and he was nearly derailed by the slick counter-punching southpaw in the third and six rounds with laser left counters that connected every time. Though he was floored in the third round it was ruled a push down by referee Jack Reiss.
Fans gasped.
âHe throws that left hand and I got hit with it in one round,â Ramirez said. âIt motivated him.â
Once Ramirez figured out the remedy, he kept the fight inside and attacked the body and head. Barthelemy was unable to uncork one of his long lefts at close distance.
From the seventh round on the former super lightweight champion took control and kept the Cuban fighter against the ropes and unloaded shots to the body and head. He nearly forced a stoppage in the 11th round.
Barthelemy survived but all three judges scored it big for Ramirez after 12 rounds: 119-109 twice and 118-110.
Vergil KOs Number 21
Knowing a win sets up a massive showdown against Aussie slugger Tim Tszyu, the Texas slugger Vergil Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs) wasted no time in blasting out Puerto Ricoâs Thomas Dulorme (26-7-1, 17 KOs) with a perfectly placed left hook to the body. Dulorme collapsed to the ground in agony.
Referee Tom Taylor stopped counting at 2:39 of the first round.
âIt was a very calculated punch,â Ortiz said.
It was a commanding one round performance that sets up the showdown against the equally powerful Tszyu who despite losing a split decision to Sebastian Fundora last month by split decision, retains his reputation as a dangerous puncher.
Ortiz, who has 21 knockouts in 21 fights, will probably be fighting Tszyu in Los Angeles on June 1 if all negotiations go smoothly.
âTim (Tszyu) I know you are watching the fight,â said Ortiz. âIâm ready. Letâs put on a great performance.â
Other Bouts
Oscar Duarte (27-2-1, 22 KOs) proved his knockout loss against Ryan Garcia would not stop him from improving as he defeated Jojo Diaz (33-6-1) by knockout at 2:32 of the ninth round in a super lightweight match. Referee Michael Margado wisely stopped the bludgeoning as a towel came flying in almost simultaneously.
It was the first time Diaz was ever defeated by knockout, though he never touched the canvas. It was also the first time Duarte trained with Robert Garcia and the difference was notable as he repeatedly walked through incoming fire and attacked the smaller fighter continuously.
âI want to fight the best in the world,â Duarte said.
Female Title Fight
A rematch battle for the flyweight championship saw Argentinaâs Gabriela Alaniz (15-1) defeat Marlen Esparza (14-2) this time with a two-fisted attack to win by split decision after 10 rounds.
Esparza failed to make weight and walked in three pounds overweight and Alaniz took advantage to win the WBA, WBC, and WBO flyweight titles in the rematch. Once again the scores were puzzling but this time in favor of Alaniz 97-93, 96-94, and 92-98.
Alaniz now holds the WBO, WBA, WBC flyweight world titles.
Welterweights
Mexicoâs Raul Curiel (15-0, 13 KOs) busted body shots on Jorge Marron Jr. (20-5-2) and floored him twice in the first round. The second body blow left Marron paralyzed and unable to continue at 1:31 of the first round as referee Thomas Taylor counted him out.
Curiel, who is managed by Frank Espinoza and son, proved heâs ready for the upper levels of the welterweight division.
âI think Iâm ready for the bigger names,â Curiel said. âYou see the results.â
Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy
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