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Boxing Guru Don Chargin Likes Beibut Shumenov’s Future…AVILA
WBA and IBA light heavyweight titleholder Beibut Shumenov may not be Latino but he’s a Renaissance man headlining the fight card on Telefutura on Friday.
Times have change in some respect but in others, not so much.
Shumenov (11-1, 7 KOs), an attorney in his native Kazakhstan, fights Daniel Santiago (31-4-1, 19 KOs) Friday, July 29 at the Southpoint Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. Promoter Don Chargin, whose roots in boxing go back to the golden era, claims there is no one like the Kazakhstani.
“With 12 fights won a world title in 10, he’s a lawyer, his brother is a lawyer, and his father is one of the wealthiest men in Kazakhstan,” says Chargin, who has been a matchmaker, manager and promoter in more than 50 years of boxing history. “I’ve watched him work out and he’s really shown improvement. In the next few fights I expect him to be a real force with all of the other champions.”
Scouting talent has always been a strongpoint for Chargin whose ability to match fights back in the glory days of the Olympic Auditorium helped raise the stock of that historic boxing venue for decades.
Chargin sees talent in Shumenov and agreed to work with the champion earlier this year.
“He was a top kick boxer over there in Europe and was on their Olympic team, so he’s one of those super athletes that tried everything but wanted to get his education and got it while he was competing,” said Chargin about Shumenov. “Some people have a little thing to fall back on, but he’s a lawyer.”
Shumenov’s opponent Santiago is not simply an appetizer for the champion.
“Santiago is considered not a good prospect, but a great prospect and has had a few ups and downs. Any time he’s at the weight limit he is dangerous,” said Chargin adding that Santiago arrived in Las Vegas weighing 179 a few days ago. “I know he’s in good shape. It’s going to take a tough guy to beat Shumenov.”
Canelo
Another champion that Chargin is associated with is WBC junior middleweight titleholder Saul “Canelo” Alvarez whose next fight will be against Alfonso Gomez.
Chargin was hand-picked by the Golden Boy himself Oscar De La Hoya to match all of Alvarez’s fights including this coming match with Gomez on Sept. 17 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
“Oscar when they signed him he wanted me to sign off on every opponent. That started with their first fight with the kid from Argentina (Luciano Cuello) that he knocked out. And the last fight with the Englishman (Ryan Rhodes) and this fight with Alfonso Gomez,” said Chargin. “We go over films and this is the way Oscar wants it. And there is no telling just how good this kid Alvarez can be. He’s only 20 years old.”
Canelo’s obvious talent and popularity are not a guarantee of success. Chargin has seen many other budding super stars slip and fall from a variety of vices.
Mando Ramos and Keeny Teran
Mando Ramos was one of those that Chargin felt could have reach Oscar De La Hoya heights but failed due to partying.
“My best example is in my days of the Olympic was Mando Ramos who had Oscar De La Hoya looks and was so talented at 20. At 22 he was completely shot. Between drinking and drugs and women he never met a vice he didn’t like. Oh my gosh, he was one of the best prospects I had ever seen.
“In his sixth pro fight Jackie McCoy, who was his manager, and I told him my main event had fell out. He said he’s (Ramos) not ready for main events but we put him on anyway. His first main event was on 48 hour notice and he drew 8,000 people. The Olympic got too small, the Sports Arena got to small, next was the L.A. Coliseum.
“He was one of the most talented fighters I ever saw. The greatest fight I ever put on was Mando Ramos against Sugar Ramos after he had lost his featherweight championship at the Olympic. It held 10,400, but that night, we had 14,000 people. Any where there was eight inches of room someone was standing there. What a fight it was. I still have a picture on the wall of both Ramos hugging each other covered in blood.”
Mando Ramos died July 6, 2008.
Another legendary fighter that did not reach his potential was Keeny Teran, a kid from East Los Angeles who wowed fans during the 1950s.
Chargin managed Teran who also had the talent and looks but not the discipline.
“Keeny Teran. That was another one. He was a big drawing card that could not stay way from drugs. He was a terrible heroin addict,” Chargin recalls. “I moved him to San Jose and did everything including taking him to a psychiatrist. Nothing worked. Within 24 hours of landing in San Jose he knew where all the dope dealers were.”
Teran died on Feb. 11, 1995.
In spite of limitless talent and personality like a Shumenov or a Alvarez, there are no guarantees of success without discipline, says Chargin, who has definitely seen it all in the sport.
“That’s the problem. When they want to misbehave they are going to do it. That’s tough to stop them,” Chargin said. “So far Canelo has done everything we asked.”
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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim
Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.
Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.
Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.
Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is the winner of the Feb. 2 match between Brandon Figueroa and Stephen Fulton. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa/Fulton have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.
Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”
Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.
Semi-wind-up
In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
Also
In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.
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Eric Priest Wins Handily on Thursday’s Golden Boy card at the Commerce Casino
Model turned fighter Eric Priest jabbed and jolted his way into the super middleweight rankings with a shutout decision win over veteran Tyler Howard on Thursday.
In his first main event Priest (15-0, 8 KOs) proved ready for contender status by defusing every attack Tennessee’s Howard (20-3, 11 KOs) could muster at Commerce Casino, the second fight in six days at the LA County venue.
All ticket monies collected on the Folden Boy Promotions card were contributed to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation as they battle wildfires sprouting all over Los Angeles County due to high winds.
Priest, 26, had never fought anyone near Howard’s caliber but used a ramrod jab to keep the veteran off-balance and unable to muster a forceful counter-attack. Round after round the Korean-American fighter pumped left jabs while circling his opposition.
Though hit with power shots, none seemed to faze Howard but his own blows were unable to put a dent in Priest. After 10 rounds of the same repetitive action all three judges scored the fight 100-90 for Priest who now wins a regional super middleweight title.
Priest also joins the top 15 rankings of the WBA organization.
In a fight between evenly matched middleweights, Jordan Panthen (11-0, 9 KOs) remained undefeated after 10 rounds versus DeAundre Pettus (12-4, 7 KOs). Though equally skilled, Panthen simply out-worked the South Caroliina fighter to win by unanimous decision. No knockdowns were scored.
Other Bouts
Grant Flores (8-0, 6 KOs) knocked out Costa Rica’s David Lobo Ramirez (17-4, 12 KOs) with two successive right uppercuts at 2:59 of the second round of the super welterweight fight.
Cayden Griffith (3-0, 3 KOs) used a left hook to the body to stop Mark Misiura at 1:43 of the second round in a super welterweight bout.
Jordan Fuentes (3-0) floored Brandon Badillo (0-3-1) in the third round and proceeded to win by decision after four rounds in a super bantamweight fight.
A super featherweight match saw Leonardo Sanchez (8-0) win by decision over Joseph Cruz Brown (10-12) after six rounds.
Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 310: Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue and More
Many proclaim super bantamweight world champ Naoya Inoue to be the best fighter in the world today. It’s a serious debate among boxing pundits.
Is he Japan’s best fighter ever?
Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) takes another step toward immortality when he meets Korea’s Ye Joon Kim (21-2-2, 13 KOs) on Friday Jan. 24, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. ESPN+ will stream the Top Rank and Ohashi Promotions card.
Inoue defends the IBF, WBC, WBA and WBO world titles.
This is Inoue’s third defense of the undisputed super bantamweight division that he won when he defeated Philippines’ Marlon Tapales in December 2023.
Japan has always been a fighting nation, a country derived from a warrior culture like Mexico, England, Russia, Germany and a few others. Professional boxing has always thrived in Japan.
My first encounter with Japanese fighters took place in March 1968 at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. It was my first visit to the famous boxing venue, though my father had performed there during the 1950s. I was too young to attend any of his fights and then he retired.
The main event featured featherweights Jose Pimentel of Mexico against Sho Saijo of Japan. Both had fought a month earlier with the Mexican from Jalisco winning by split decision.
Pimentel was a friend of my female cousin and gave my father tickets to the fight. My family loved boxing as most Latino families worldwide do, including those in the USA. It’s a fact that most sports editors for newspapers and magazines fail to realize. Latinos love boxing.
We arrived late at the boxing venue located on Grand Avenue and 18th street. My father was in construction and needed to pick me up in East L.A. near Garfield High School. Fights were already underway when we arrived at the Olympic Auditorium.
It was a packed arena and our seats were fairly close to the boxing ring. As the fighters were introduced and descended to the ring, respectful applause greeted Saijo. He had nearly defeated Pimentel in their first clash a month earlier in this same venue. Los Angeles fans respect warriors. Saijo was a warrior.
Both fighters fought aggressively with skill. Every round it seemed Saijo got stronger and Pimentel got weaker. After 10 strong rounds of back-and-forth action, Saijo was declared the winner this time. Some fans booed but most agreed that the Japanese fighter was stronger on this day. And he was stronger still when they met a third time in 1969 when Saijo knocked out Pimentel in the second round for the featherweight world title.
That was my first time witnessing Japan versus Mexico. Over the decades, I’ve seen many clashes between these same two countries and always expect riveting battles from Japanese fighters.
I was in the audience in Cancun, Mexico when then WBC super featherweight titlist Takashi Miura clashed with Sergio Thompson for 12 rounds in intense heat in a covered bull ring. After that fight that saw three knockdowns between them, the champion, though victorious, was taken out on a stretcher due to dehydration.
There are so many others going back to Fighting Harada in the 1960s that won championships. And what about all the other Japanese fighters who never got the opportunity to fight for a world title due to the distance from America and Europe?
Its impossible to determine if Inoue is the greatest Japanese fighter ever. But without a doubt, he is the most famous. Publications worldwide include him on lists of the top three fighters Pound for Pound.
Few experts are familiar with Korea’s Kim, but expect a battle nonetheless. These two countries are rivals in Asian boxing.
Golden Boy at Commerce Casino
Middleweights Eric Priest and Tyler Howard lead a Golden Boy Promotions fight card on Thursday, Jan. 23, at Commerce Casino in Commerce, CA. DAZN will stream the boxing card.
All ticket money will go to the Los Angele Fire Department Foundation.
Kansas-based Priest (14-0, 8 KOs) meets Tennessee’s Tyler Howard (20-2, 11 KOs) in the main event in a match set for 10 rounds.
Others on the card are super welterweights Jordan Panthen (10-0) and Grant Flores (7-0) in separate bouts and super lightweight Cayden Griffith seeking a third consecutive win. Doors open at 5 p.m.
Diego Pacheco at Las Vegas
Super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) defends his regional titles against Steve Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs) at the Chelsea Theater at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 25. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing card.
It’s not an easy fight for Pacheco.
“I’ve been fighting for six years as a professional and I’m 22-0 and I’m 23 years old. I feel I’m stepping into my prime now,” said Pacheco, who trains with Jose Benavidez.
Also on the card is Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz and Southern California’s dangerous super lightweight contender Ernesto Mercado in separate fights.
Fights to Watch (All times Pacific Time)
Thurs. DAZN 6 p.m. Eric Priest (14-0) vs Tyler Howard (20-2).
Fri. ESPN+ 1:15 a.m. Naoya Inoue (28-0) vs Ye Joon Kim (21-2-2).
Sat. DAZN 9:15 a.m. Dalton Smith (16-0) vs Walid Ouizza (19-2); Ellie Scotney (9-0) vs Mea Motu (20-0).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Diego Pacheco (22-0) vs Steve Nelson (20-0).
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