Slammin' in Stuttgart, the Big Boys Deliver Again

Published

13 years ago

February 27, 2012

1PovHuck DUSSELDORF – For the second straight weekend in Germany, heavyweight boxing has exceeded expectations with an exciting, hard fought contest between top fighters in the division. Alexander Povetkin's raucous rumble with a surprising, inspired Marco Huck provided plenty of good action.

Granted, outside this international area, expectations for the 200 plus pounders remain relatively low in the historic context of a more “global” (ie: USA)fan base, but could remain on the rise if consensus champion Wladimir Klitschko wins big, as it appears on paper he should, against Jean Marc Mormeck this Saturday.

Some intrigue may be derived from Mormeck being from thesame mold, though smaller, asLamon Brewster, the last man to beat Klitschko, back almost a decade ago inApril '04.

The crowd in ESPRIT Arena here will number well over 35,000 as the scene in these parts remains vibrant, with numerous big bouts on the Western Europe horizon.

That doesn't mean everything was peachy in Stuttgart. Storm clouds remained after last week's Munich meltdowns.

Bild.de News reported that Huck had received ethnic baseddeath threats which included his family and trainer Ulli Wegner. TheSerbia to Berlintransplant was advised to “go back to where you came from” and there was a reference to him being “hunted.”

Amidst that backdropof ancient regional rivalries that include ages of real warfare lasting longer than the US has existed, there were flags of many colors. By many accounts the nightremained safe, cheerful and sportsmanlike. Hopefully, that's someevidence indicating mankind has advanced, at least a tiny bit.

Even an upbeat Dereck Chisora, back in the current boxing hotbed of Germany, was apparently on best behavior and welcomed.

Inside the ring things were as wild as they're supposed to be, for anear even brawl that more thanmade up in heart what it lacked in style.

My scorecardfrom the ARD livestream was 115 apiece. It seemed many rounds could go either way (I had 2 rounds even and at least 2 more could have been). Maybe Philippe Verbeke's 114-114 drawwas the right call. I wouldn't argue with John Coyle's 116-113 score forPovetkin.

Stanley Christodoulou's 116-112 Povetkin seemed a bit wide, but not if you factor in the points Huck probably should have lost for hitting behind the head. Why ref Luis Pabon or Povetkin himself allowed Huck to continually press downas Povetkin crouched forward in an unproductivestance remains a question. How Huck punched downward as if hammering a spike, sometimes landing almost between Povetkin's shoulders without reprimand, remains a tarnish.

Povetkin and Huck would probably never beat, or even last 15 old school rounds, against excellent, all-time heavyweight performers like Ken Norton or Michael Spinks, but the current Euros can compete at that level and act like the type that would welcome the chance. Spinks – Norton? Classic. I'd lean slightly toward Spinks, depending on the night.

It's often amusing for me to hear perspectives on the merits of this heavyweight generation (ie: Euro/Germany area) compared to the much more respectably referred to '80s performers (ie: US).

I'm certainly not flawless regarding predictions or perspective. I am, however, one of the very few ringside observers to have seen both the Holmes/Tyson/Spinks/Witherspoon/Holyfield/Lewis era's elite many times, and the current Euro crop in person.

Since many US journalists have never seen any of the Euros like Povetkin, Huck, Denis Boytsov or Robert Helenius in live action, I do feel quite qualified to tell you that the perceived wide gap in talent, much of it from a US based viewpoint, is considerably less than completely accurate.

However you scored Povetkin – Huck, it looked like a nice, level playing field between the Sauerland “stablemates”, though going in it looked like Huck had more promotional connections. His corner wore matching Team Sauerland gear.

Around here, important fights between top fighters from the same promotional “team” engage at all levels, often in the exact same regalia. The “may the best man win” philosophy minimizes hard feelings.

Povetkin won the fight but Huck won the Deutschland night, and showed Povetkin will need further punching polish to compete with a K-bro. That doesn't mean Povetkin will never be a true title threat, but at this point it's still a stretch.

In this case, the 20 pound weight advantage didn't translate to a huge size differential like it would if Huck boxed a Klitschko. Huck and Povetkin looked to be about the same general size, but Huck would be at the end of a much longer stick against a K2 bro.

On current form of all, either Klitschko should KO Huck within eight rounds, though it would be entertaining while it lasted and could provide the mauling edge Huck needs to win a rematch against Povetkin.

Povetkin started well, but when Huck made the battle a mosh pit he improved his chances. Many of his punches landed atop or behind Povetkin's ears. They may have been of borderline propriety but they were doubtless still jarring. Huck was reckless but persistent and it paid off.

When Huck gained mid-fight momentum you could almost hear the cross-Atlantic murmurs about Povetkin missing Teddy Atlas, but actually, new head cornerman Alex Zimin seemed to be giving Povetkin decent advice about staying busier inside and employing more of his technical edge.

Whether or not, or how much, Atlas might have helped was a moot point. Huck came to win. He was a tough out on this night, and that's for almost anybody, any era.

By the 8th round, Povetkin huffed and puffed like he was out of gloved up gas, but he kept rumbling. By the 10th, Povetkin had, typically, gotten his second wind and surged back as Huck's eyes began to bruise.

Both men wobbled from weariness in the 11th. Povetkin scored with multiple lefts as each man landed big rights after the bell. The 12th was another wild session.

Povetkin and Huck put on a great show. A rematch, potentially lucrative for both, seems an obvious priority.

Does Hasim Rahman really deserve the shot at Povetkin before Huck gets another chance? Rahman did shock Lewis. Ten years ago.

Is Rahman an ironic representative of past USA heavyweight glory, coming up symbolically against current European dominance?

That's a promotional issue that may be exploited.

Meanwhile, it is still, clearly, a K2 world in terms of the heavyweight division.

Meanwhile, Povetkin and Huck proved there are still some interesting factors to be considered.

The more things change for the heavyweights these days, the more they remain the same, and maybe that's not so bad after all.

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Ringside at the Fontainebleau where Mikaela Mayer Won her Rematch with Sandy Ryan

Published

4 days ago

March 30, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Ringside-at-the-Fontainebleau-where-Mikaela-Mayer-won-her-Rematch-with-Sandy-Ryan

LAS VEGAS, NV — The first meeting between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan last September at Madison Square Garden was punctuated with drama before the first punch was thrown. When the smoke cleared, Mayer had become a world-title-holder in a second weight class, taking away Ryan’s WBO welterweight belt via a majority decision in a fan-friendly fight.

The rematch tonight at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas was another fan-friendly fight. There were furious exchanges in several rounds and the crowd awarded both gladiators a standing ovation at the finish.

Mayer dominated the first half of the fight and held on to win by a unanimous decision. But Sandy Ryan came on strong beginning in round seven, and although Mayer was the deserving winner, the scores favoring her (98-92 and 97-93 twice) fail to reflect the competitiveness of the match-up. This is the best rivalry in women’s boxing aside from Taylor-Serrano.

Mayer, 34, improved to 21-2 (5). Up next, she hopes, in a unification fight with Lauren Price who outclassed Natasha Jonas earlier this month and currently holds the other meaningful pieces of the 147-pound puzzle. Sandy Ryan, 31, the pride of Derby, England, falls to 7-3-1.

Co-Feature

In his first defense of his WBO world welterweight title (acquired with a brutal knockout of Giovani Santillan after the title was vacated by Terence Crawford), Atlanta’s Brian Norman Jr knocked out Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas in the third round. A three-punch combination climaxed by a short left hook sent Cuevas staggering into a corner post. He got to his feet before referee Thomas Taylor started the count, but Taylor looked in Cuevas’s eyes and didn’t like what he saw and brought the bout to a halt.

The stoppage, which struck some as premature, came with one second remaining in the third stanza.

A second-generation prizefighter (his father was a fringe contender at super middleweight), the 24-year-old Norman (27-0, 21 KOs) is currently boxing’s youngest male title-holder. It was only the second pro loss for Cuevas (27-2-1) whose lone previous defeat had come early in his career in a 6-rounder he lost by split decision.

Other Bouts

In a career-best performance, 27-year-old Brooklyn featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) blasted out Jose Enrique Vivas (23-4) in the third round.

Carrington, who was named the Most Outstanding Boxer at the 2019 U.S. Olympic Trials despite being the lowest-seeded boxer in his weight class, decked Vivas with a right-left combination near the end of the second round. Vivas barely survived the round and was on a short leash when the third stanza began. After 53 seconds of round three, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough and waived it off. Vivas hadn’t previously been stopped.

Cleveland welterweight Tiger Johnson, a Tokyo Olympian, scored a fifth-round stoppage over San Antonio’s Kendo Castaneda. Johnson assumed control in the fourth round and sent Castaneda to his knees twice with body punches in the next frame. The second knockdown terminated the match. The official time was 2:00 of round five.

Johnson advanced to 15-0 (7 KOs). Castenada declined to 21-9.

Las Vegas junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) blasted out Stockton, California’s Giovanni Gonzalez in the second round. Vargas brought the bout to a sudden conclusion with a sweeping left hook that knocked Gonzalez out cold. The end came at the 2:00 minute mark of round two.

Gonzalez brought a 20-7-2 record which was misleading as 18 of his fights were in Tijuana where fights are frequently prearranged. However, he wasn’t afraid to trade with Vargas and paid the price.

Emiliano Vargas, with his matinee idol good looks and his boxing pedigree – he is the son of former U.S. Olympian and two-weight world title-holder “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas – is highly marketable and has the potential to be a cross-over star.

Eighteen-year-old Newark bantamweight Emmanuel “Manny” Chance, one of Top Rank’s newest signees, won his pro debut with a four-round decision over So Cal’s Miguel Guzman. Chance won all four rounds on all three cards, but this was no runaway. He left a lot of room for improvement.

There was a long intermission before the co-main and again before the main event, but the tedium was assuaged by a moving video tribute to George Foreman.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

Published

4 days ago

March 29, 2025

David A. Avila

William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

No surprise, once again William Zepeda eked out a win over the clever and resilient Tevin Farmer to remain undefeated and retain a regional lightweight title on Saturday.

There were no knockdowns in this rematch.

The Mexican punching machine Zepeda (33-0, 17 KOs) once more sought to overwhelm Farmer (33-8-1, 9 KOs) with a deluge of blows. This rematch by Golden Boy Promotions took place in the famous beach resort area of Cancun, Mexico.

It was a mere four months ago that both first clashed in Saudi Arabia with their vastly difference styles. This time the tropical setting served as the background which suited Zepeda and his lawnmower assaults. The Mexican fans were pleased.

Nothing changed in their second meeting.

Zepeda revved up the body assault and Farmer moved around casually to his right while fending off the Mexican fighter’s attacks. By the fourth round Zepeda was able to cut off Farmer’s escape routes and targeted the body with punishing shots.

The blows came in bunches.

In the fifth round Zepeda blasted away at Farmer who looked frantic for an escape. The body assault continued with the Mexican fighter pouring it on and Farmer seeming to look ready to quit. When the round ended, he waved off his corner’s appeals to stop.

Zepeda continued to dominate the next few rounds and then Farmer began rallying. At first, he cleverly smothered Zepeda’s body attacks and then began moving and hitting sporadically. It forced the Mexican fighter to pause and figure out the strategy.

Farmer, a Philadelphia fighter, showed resiliency especially when it was revealed he had suffered a hand injury.

During the last three rounds Farmer dug down deep and found ways to score and not get hit. It was Boxing 101 and the Philly fighter made it work.

But too many rounds had been put in the bank by Zepeda. Despite the late rally by Farmer one judge saw it 114-114, but two others scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Zepeda who retains his interim lightweight title and place at the top of the WBC rankings.

“I knew he was a difficult fighter. This time he was even more difficult,” said Zepeda.

Farmer was downtrodden about another loss but realistic about the outcome and starting slow.

“But I dominated the last rounds,” said Farmer.

Zepeda shrugged at the similar outcome as their first encounter.

“I’m glad we both put on a great show,” said Zepeda.

Female Flyweight Battle

Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle edged past Texas fighter Marlen Esparza to win their showdown at flyweight by split decision after 10 rounds.

Valle moved up two weight divisions to meet Esparza who was slightly above the weight limit. Both showed off their contrasting styles and world class talent.

Esparza, a former unified flyweight world titlist, stayed in the pocket and was largely successful with well-placed jabs and left hooks. She repeatedly caught Valle in-between her flurries.

The current minimumweight world titlist changed tactics and found more success in the second half of the fight. She forced Esparza to make the first moves and that forced changes that benefited her style.

Neither fighter could take over the fight.

After 10 rounds one judge saw Esparza the winner 96-94, but two others saw Valle the winner 97-93 twice.

Will Valle move up and challenge the current undisputed flyweight world champion Gabriela Fundora? That’s the question.

Valle currently holds the WBC minimumweight world title.

Puerto Rico vs Mexico

Oscar Collazo (12-0, 9 KOs), the WBO, WBA minimumweight titlist, knocked out Mexico’s Edwin Cano (13-3-1, 4 KOs) with a flurry of body shots at 1:12 of the fifth round.

Collazo dominated with a relentless body attack the Mexican fighter could not defend. It was the Puerto Rican fighter’s fifth consecutive title defense.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 319: Rematches in Las Vegas, Cancun and More

Published

5 days ago

March 28, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective-Chap-319-Rematches-in-Las-Vegas-Cancun-and-More

Rematches are the bedrock for prizefighting.

Return battles between rival boxers always means their first encounter was riveting and successful at the box office.

Six months after their first brutal battle Mikaela Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs) and Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs) will slug it out again for the WBO welterweight world title this time on Saturday, March 29, at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.

ESPN will show the Top Rank card live.

“It’s important for women’s boxing to have these rivalries and this is definitely up there as one of the top ones,” Mayer told the BBC.

If you follow Mayer’s career you know that somehow drama follows. Whether its back-and-forth beefs with fellow American fighters or controversial judging due to nationalism in countries abroad. The Southern California native who now trains in Las Vegas knows how to create the drama.

For female fighters self-promotion is a necessity.

Most boxing promoters refuse to step out of the usual process set for male boxers, not for female boxers. Things remain the same and have been for the last 70 years. Social media has brought changes but that has made promoters do even less.

No longer are there press conferences, instead announcements are made on social media to be drowned among the billions of other posts. It is not killing but diluting interest in the sport.

Women innately present a different advantage that few if any promoters are recognizing. So far in the past 25 years I have only seen two or three promoters actually ignite interest in female fighters. They saw the advantages and properly boosted interest in the women.

The fight breakdown

Mayer has won world titles in the super featherweight and now the welterweight division. Those are two vastly different weight classes and prove her fighting abilities are based on skill not power or size.

Coaching Mayer since amateurs remains Al Mitchell and now Kofi Jantuah who replaced Kay Koroma the current trainer for Sandy Ryan.

That was the reason drama ignited during their first battle. Then came someone tossing paint at Ryan the day of their first fight.

More drama.

During their first fight both battled to control the initiative with Mayer out-punching the British fighter by a slender margin. It was a back-and-forth struggle with each absorbing blows and retaliating immediately.

New York City got its money’s worth.

Ryan had risen to the elite level rapidly since losing to Erica Farias three years ago. Though she was physically bigger and younger, she was out-maneuvered and defeated by the wily veteran from Argentina. In the rematch, however, Ryan made adjustments and won convincingly.

Can she make adjustments from her defeat to Mayer?

“I wanted the rematch straight away,” said Ryan on social media. “I’ve come to America again.”

Both fighters have size and reach. In their first clash it was evident that conditioning was not a concern as blows were fired nonstop in bunches. Mayer had the number of punches landed advantage and it unfolded with the judges giving her a majority decision win.

That was six months ago. Can she repeat the outcome?

Mayer has always had boiler-oven intensity. It’s not fake. Since her amateur days the slender Southern California blonde changes disposition all the way to red when lacing up the gloves. It’s something that can’t be taught.

Can she draw enough of that fire out again?

“I didn’t have to give her this rematch. I could have just sat it out, waited for Lauren Price to unify and fought for undisputed or faced someone else,” said Mayer to BBC. “That’s not the fighter I am though.”

Co-Main in Las Vegas

The co-main event pits Brian Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) facing Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) in a contest for the WBO welterweight title.

Norman, 24, was last seen a year ago dissecting a very good welterweight in Giovani Santillan for a knockout win in San Diego. He showed speed, skill and power in defeating Santillan in his hometown.

Cuevas has beaten some solid veteran talent but this will be his big test against Norman and his first attempt at winning a world title.

Also on the Top Rank card will be Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and Emiliano Vargas, the son of Fernando Vargas, in separate bouts.

Golden Boy in Cancun

A rematch between undefeated William “Camaron” Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) and ex-champ Tevin Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) headlines the lightweight match on Saturday March 29, at Cancun, Mexico.

In their first encounter Zepeda was knocked down in the fourth round but rallied to win a split-decision over Farmer. It showed the flaws in Zepeda’s tornado style.

DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also includes a clash between Yokasta Valle the WBC minimumweight world titlist who is moving up to flyweight to face former flyweight champion Marlen Esparza.

Both Valle and Esparza have fast hands.

Valle is excellent darting in and out while Esparza has learned how to fight inside. It’s a toss-up fight.

Fights to Watch

Fri. DAZN 12 p.m. Cameron Vuong (7-0) vs Jordan Flynn (11-0-1); Pat Brown (0-0) vs Federico Grandone (7-4-2).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. William Zepeda (32-0) vs Tevin Farmer (33-7-1); Yokasta Valle (32-3) vs Marlen Esparza (15-2).

Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Mikaela Mayer (20-2) vs Sandy Ryan (7-2-1); Brian Norman Jr. (26-0) vs Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1).

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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