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Cecilia Braekhus Leads Heavy Duty Card at StubHub
LOS ANGELES-After days of a dark and cold storm the sun is out.
The sun will be shining when Cecilia Braekhus the undisputed welterweight world champion leads the best female fight card in more than a decade at the StubHub Center on Saturday, Dec. 8. HBO will televise its last boxing event ever.
You could say female prizefighting was hidden behind a cloud of darkness for many decades as it struggled to find a place. Television ignored it and now, HBO in its last boxing telecast, finally opens its camera lenses to the sport.
Tom Loeffler, the head of 360 Promotions that is sponsoring the event, recalled back in 2003 trying to put two female bouts on HBO. The two female prize fights were Lucia Rijker versus Jane Couch and Laila Ali against Valerie Mahfood at the Staples Center. The main event was Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko.
Loeffler tried in vain to put either or both of the female bouts on television that day in 2003.
âI was begging HBO,â said Loeffler during the media day at the Sheraton Gateway on Thursday afternoon. âLaila (Ali) because she could really fight.â
The world never got to see Ali or Rijker on HBO, though both were televised by other networks.
Braekhus
Braekhusâ arrival in the sport has driven attention all over the world.
The Colombian-born and Norwegian raised prizefighter singlehandedly crashed the 30-year ban on boxing in her home country. Itâs because of her fame and leadership that Norway now allows boxing. She sells out stadiums.
Braekhus signed with 360 Promotions and trained for this upcoming fight in Los Angeles under much warmer conditions than accustomed.
Opposing Braekhus (34-0) will be Aleksandra Magdziak-Lopes (18-4-3) who fights out of Massachusetts and has beaten Kali Reis who has the claim of being the only one to knock down the welterweight world champion.
When you see Braekhus in that slight tilting boxing stance and the right hand cocked like sheâs about to fire a rocket itâs not a mirage. She has one of the quickest rights Iâve seen from a male or female prizefighter. Itâs a burst of power that keeps the opposition leery of attacking.
But fighting American fighters presents a different challenge for Braekhus. Most American fighters do not have the European style with hands high while jabbing and moving. Fighters in the U.S. prefer to move in with power.
Lopes-Magdziak has fought for a world title in Poland but fell short. While not in the boxing ring sheâs an attorney at law. She quickly accepted the fight against Braekhus when it was offered.
Women prizefighters are unafraid when it comes to world titles. They will accept.
âIâm sure there are a lot of women that would love this opportunity,â said Lopes during the press conference.
Shields
Dynamic seems to fall short when describing Claressa Shields the WBA, WBC and IBF middleweight titlist.
Ever since arriving from the amateur boxing world with two Olympic gold medals Shields has charged into the female boxing world with a fighting style thatâs best described as a tornado of fury.
After whipping every super middleweight put in front of her and taking their world title straps, the Michigan native found more competition in the lower weights. She also changed trainers and slowly subscribed to the more professional style.
âI want knockouts,â said Shields whose speed and skills have put her on another fighting level. âIâm learning to be more patient and set up my shots.â
Belgiumâs Femke Hermans (9-1) accepted the world title challenge against Shields without hesitation. Despite the internationally known fighting skills of Shields, the Belgian fighter signed within weeks of the fight.
âItâs very great to fight for three world titles against a great fighter like Claressa Shields,â said Hermans.
Very few male fighters would accept a world title fight weeks before a fight. Female prizefighters are extremely professional and always ready. Itâs another reason to check into the female prizefighting world.
Gallo Estrada
Former light flyweight and flyweight world champion Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico quickly accepted a fight on HBO when it was learned Nicaraguaâs Roman âChocolatitoâ Gonzalez was forced to pull out of the boxing card due to a leg injury.
Estrada (37-3, 25 KOs) accepted a fight and his first scheduled foe had to pull out due to injury. Now heâs facing another fighter from his hometown in Victor Mendez (28-3-2, 20 KOs) in a 10 round super flyweight clash. Both fight out of Hermosillo, Mexico.
âIâm happy for this fight in the United States,â said Estrada whose nickname is Gallo. âVictor Mendez is a very good fighter.â
Mendez was set to face Chocolatito and now meets a Mexican rival.
âI was thinking I was going to face Chocolatito so I was getting ready,â said Mendez. âThis Saturday is going to be a great opportunity. I believe itâs going to be a war.â
Mexican versus Mexican in the U.S. is usually a war. Perhaps the greatest of all in the StubHub was when Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez fought there twice. Both were magnificent if not brutal.
Bang Bang
Though not on the televised portion, Louisa or Lulu âBang Bangâ Lawton (8-2) is set to face Southern Californiaâs Lorraine Villalobos (2-1) in an atomweight fight.
âI had never heard of atomweight before,â said promoter Loeffler adding that it was through Lawton he discovered the 102-pound division.
Lawton was scheduled to fight Mexicoâs Brenda Flores in a rematch for the WBC atomweight title but illness forced the Tijuana-based fighter to pull out. Now Lawton meets Villalobos a talented local fighter.
âIâm super hyped to be part of this card,â said Lawton who has more enthusiasm than anyone in the sport of boxing.
The last time the Aussie native fought Flores the two tiny atomweights lit up the arena and stole the show with their vicious exchanges. They completely outshined the two male world title fights that night at the Inglewood Forum on September 8. Though Hawton lost by split decision, she won the hearts and cheers from the fans there who clapped loudly for the two tiny warriors.
Itâs definitely a Fight of the Year candidate.
Bohachuk
Another fighter under the 360 Promotions umbrella is Serhii Bohachuk of the Ukraine. So far heâs blown out the competition.
Bohachuk (11-0, 11 KOs) meets Puerto Ricoâs Carlos Garcia Hernandez (15-19-1) in a middleweight match set for six rounds. Weâll see if he attains any kind of competition.
The Ukrainian fighter trains in Big Bear with Abel Sanchez and is very heavy handed. He does have boxing skills as most Ukrainians.
A total of 10 pro bouts are scheduled. Tickets for Saturdayâs show start at $25 dollars and go up to $125. Itâs well worth the value. Go to this link to purchase tickets:
https://www.axs.com/events/365141/braekhus-vs-lopes-tickets
HBO will televise three fights.
Photo credit: Tom Hogan / Hogan photos
Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel
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Luis Nery is Devoured by a Monster in Tokyo: Naoya Inoue KO 6
In March of 1988, three days after the official opening of the Tokyo Dome, Mike Tyson christened the arena for boxing with a second-round stoppage of Tony Tubbs. The announced attendance, 51,000, was a record for a boxing match in Japan that would stand for 36 years. A multitude somewhat larger (the exact tally isnât yet official) was on hand today to witness their hero Naoya âMonsterâ Inoue get off the deck to humble Tijuana import Luis Nery.
A former two-division world title-holder, Nery stunned the faithful in the second minute of the opening round when he put Inoue on the canvas with a sweeping left hook. It was the first time that the âMonsterâ had ever been knocked down and (shades of Tyson-Douglas!) it appeared for a moment that another monster upset was brewing in the building that locals fondly call the Big Egg. But Inoue returned the favor in round two when he caught the lunging Nery off-balance and put him down with a sharp left hook and was in control of the fight from that point on.
Inoue produced a second knockdown in round five with a short left hook and closed the show in the following round with a vicious right hand that snapped Neryâs head back and splattered him against the ropes. Referee Michael Griffin waived it off without a count. The official time was 1:22.
Inoue, who won his first pro title in his sixth pro fight, improved to 27-0 (24 KOs) while successfully defending his unified 122-pound title. It was his eighth straight win inside the distance, a run that began with a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney at the MGM Bubble in Las Vegas. Luis Nery, who lost for only the second time in 37 fights, was 2-0 in previous visits to Japan, stopping Shinsuke Yamanaka twice, the second KO of which rucked Yamanaka off into retirement and established Neryâs reputation as a bully.
There were three other world title fights on the card, all of which went the full 12 rounds.
In a mild upset, Yokohama southpaw Yoshiki Takao won a world title in his ninth pro fight, overcoming Australiaâs Jason Moloney (27-3) to capture the WBA bantamweight belt. Moloney mustered a big rally in the final round but couldnât seal the deal. There were no knockdowns but Takao had a point deducted in round two for low blows. The scores were 117-110 and 116-111 twice.
Takuma Inoue, Naoyaâs younger brother, successfully defended his WBA world bantamweight title in his second title defense with a unanimous decision over Osakaâs Sho Ishida (34-4). Takuma, who improved to 20-1, is a good technician but with only five stoppages to his credit, lacks the firepower of his celebrated brother.
In a rematch, WBA super flyweight title-holder Seigo Yuri Akui scored a unanimous decision over countryman Taku Kuwahara. The scores were 118-110 and 117-111 twice.
Akui (20-2-1) was making the first defense of the title he won in January with an upset of long-reigning title-holder Artem Dalakian. In their previous meeting at adjacent Korakuen Hall, Akui saddled Kuwahara (13-2) with his first defeat, scoring a 10th-round stoppage.
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Canelo Alvarez Turns Away Jaime Munguia to Remain Undisputed King at 168
Saul âCaneloâ Alvarez remains Mexicoâs top fighter and the undisputed super middleweight world champion with a resounding victory by unanimous decision over the hard-charging Jaime Munguia on Saturday.
If Mexico had a monarchy Alvarez would be king.
âI am the best Mexican fighter,â said Alvarez.
An announced crowd of 17,492 saw Guadalajaraâs Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) patiently analyze the battle plan of Tijuanaâs Munguiaâs (43-1, 34 KOs) and then unravel it methodically every round at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
It was a battle for Mexico that pitted two dangerous fighters with Munguia entering the prize ring undefeated and hungry to establish himself as Mexicoâs new power. He just wasnât ready.
After Munguia opened up quickly behind a solid jab and combinations, Alvarez calmly blocked and parried the Tijuana fighterâs attacks for three rounds and then it happened.
After success in the first three rounds Munguia opened up with another attack in the fourth that Alvarez calmly timed and snapped a right uppercut to the chin that floored the Tijuana fighter for the first time in his career. He got up from the knockdown and was able to stave off a further Canelo attack.
The momentum suddenly changed and for good.
Alvarez stalked Munguia every round with a more aggressive approach and sometimes set traps for counters. Though the Mexican redhead found success he was unable to floor the taller Munguia again. But he did come close including the seventh when a left hook to the body visibly hurt Munguia. He survived.
It must have been frustrating for Munguia whose improvement in his boxing skills have been noticeable in his last three fights. Even in this fight his ability to defend and return fire against Caneloâs clever moves was a vast improvement over his career three years ago. But its not enough when battling one of the best fighters pound-for- pound in the world.
Four-division world champion Alvarez strategically proved his skills are another level that only a few today possess. It was a valuable lesson for Munguia to learn the same lesson Canelo received against Floyd Mayweather a decade ago.
Experience counts.
âHeâs a fighter with a lot of experience,â said Munguia who had hoped his youth and stamina would help against the 33-year-old Alvarez.
Canelo said Munguia was a great fighter and very strong.
âI take my time,â said Alvarez âHeâs strong but a little slow I saw every punch.â
Though it was the fifth consecutive fight without a knockout, Alvarez was satisfied with the unanimous decision to keep the WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF super middleweight titles. It was the first time two Mexican super middleweights fought for all the titles.
Alvarez said this win again proves he can fight whoever he chooses after fighting boxing greats like Miguel Cotto, Mayweather and other champions.
âI can do whatever I want to do,â said Alvarez.
Other Bouts
Mario Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) floored Fabian Maidana (22-3, 16 KOs) in the third round but found the hard-punching Argentine too tough to finish off. Instead, he used a steady stream of jabs to win by unanimous decision after 12 rounds.
A touch left followed by a rifle right cross dropped Maidana. Instead of giving up, the younger brother of the great Marcos Maidana unleashed his own big blows to force Barrios into a more careful strategic fight mode. Especially after one or two blows caused a swelling on his right eye.
But Maidana never could find the antidote for Barriosâs jab that won the majority of the rounds for the San Antonio, Texas fighter. After 12 rounds all three judges scored it 116-111 for Barrios who keeps the interim welterweight title.
After a sluggish start, Brandon Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs) found his footing midway through the super bantamweight match against Jesse Magdaleno (29-3, 18 KOs) and ended the match with a one-punch belt to the body to win the battle of former champions.
Magdaleno took the lead in the fight with clever boxing but slowly Figueroa cranked up his punch out-put and while during a furious exchange the fighter from Weslaco, Texas connected with a left to the body. Magdaleno could not beat the count at 2:59 of the ninth round.
Figueroa retains the interim super bantamweight title.
Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) used a power jab to separate from Venezuelaâs Gabriel Maestre (6-1-1, 5 KOs) to retain the WBA welterweight world title by unanimous decision.
Despite two years from a ring appearance, Stanionis was able to out-work Maestre, a 37-year-old who was fighting for his first world title. Both had faced each other years ago as amateurs.
No knockdowns were scored but the fast-paced fight was won by the busier Stanionis whose jab was his primary weapon. All three scores favored the Lithuanian fighter 117-111, 118-110, 119-109.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Mielnicki, Ramos and Scull Victorious on Cinco de Mayo Weekend in Las Vegas
Two 10-round junior middleweight prelims aired as teasers for tonightâs four-fight pay-per-view at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In the opener; New Jerseyâs Vito Mielnicki Jr (pictured) scored his tenth straight win, advancing to 18-1 (12) with a wide decision over SoCalâs Ronald Cruz. Mielnicki, 21, put Cruz on the canvas in round three and again in round four, but So Calâs Cruz (19-4-1) stayed the course and maintained his distinction of never being stopped. The judges had it 99-89, 98-90, and 96-92 for âWhite Magicâ who had the noted trainer Ronnie Shields in his corner.
In the second bout â the main go of the prelims, so to speak â 23-year-old Arizona southpaw Jesus Ramos rebounded from his first loss (a narrow defeat to Erickson Lubin in this same ring) with a ninth-round stoppage of Johan Gonzalez who was making his third start in the U.S., having fought mostly in Venezuela and Panama.
Gonzalez was rugged, but his record heading in (34-2 with 33 KOs) was deceptive as he was out-classed by Ramos (21-1, 17 KOs) who was credited with landing roughly twice as many punches before he brought the bout to a conclusion. A counter left hook put Gonzalez down hard. He beat the count, but Ramos swarmed after him, rocking him with punches. There were only 5 seconds remining in the ninth frame when referee Harvey Dock waived it off. Gonzalez protested, but it was the right call.
Also
Super middleweight William Scull made his U.S. debut in an 8-round fight. A native of Cuba who had been living in Germany and now hangs his hat in Argentina, Scull, 31, scored a knockdown in the fifth round en route to winning a unanimous decision over New Orleansâ Sean Hemphill (16-2).
Scull is ranked #1 by the IBF, but you wonât find his name in the Top 15 of the other three major sanctioning bodies. Does the obscure William Scull have Canelo Alvarez in his future?
In another undercard bout of note, Mexico City super bantamweight Alan Picasso improved to 28-0-1 (16 KOs) with a fifth-round stoppage of Coloradoâs Damien Vazquez (17-4-1). Picasso, 23, is ranked #2 at 122 by the WBC.
Check back later as TSS West Coast bureau chief David Avila weighs in with a recap of the Canelo-Munguia fight and the three fights preceding it. The bouts are available for purchase on multiple pay-per-view platforms: e.g. Prime, DAZN, and PPV.com.
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