Wladimir's Ability Will Trump Any Thompson Adjustments In Rematch

Published

13 years ago

March 8, 2012

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Fresh off of his four round demolition of Jean-Marc Mormeck in his last fight, Wladimir Klitschko 57-3 (50), the fighter deemed by most boxing observers as the universally recognized heavyweight boxing champion, is in search of his next opponent. And sadly for the fans who like to watch and follow the heavyweights, there isn't one fighter listed among the top-10 of any of the sanctioning bodies who could challenge him who wouldn't be viewed as an opponent. That is of course with the exception of his older brother, the WBC title holder, Vitali Klitschko.

If the rumors are true that have been circulating via newspapers and the Internet, it looks as though Wladimir will next have to defend his IBF title belt against the IBF's mandatory challenger, Tony “The Tiger” Thompson, 36-2 (24) sometime this coming summer.

Klitschko and Thompson do have some history being that they have shared a ring together once before on the big stage. That bout took place during the summer of 2008 in which Klitschko, after clearly losing the first round, dominated the next nine before knocking Thompson out midway through the 11th round to retain his IBF, WBO and IBO titles. Thompson claims that he entered their last fight injured and wasn't 100%.

Earlier this week Tony said, “I’m ready, I’m done waiting for this part of my life to be over and I’m looking forward to becoming the heavyweight champion of the world.”

And I guess if one wanted to try and make a case for Thompson and how he'd fare in a rematch with Wladimir, it could be said that Tony's as big and heavy as Klitschko. He wasn't intimidated by him when they last met and despite losing all but one round, he actually provided Wladimir with one of the more competitive title defenses of his going on seven year title tenure. On the down side, if they meet this summer, Thompson will be closer to 41 than 40 and since they last met, Thompson may be 5-0 (5), but other than defeating Chazz Withersoon 30-2 (22) he hasn't faced one top contender during the last four years.

Going by what transpired in the ring during their first meeting, on paper there are some things that Thompson may be able to do strategically that might give him a better chance to be more competitive against Klitschko this time. But in all honesty, Klitschko is the greater and more skilled fighter and it's hard to envision Thompson carrying out the best fight plan in the world for 12-rounds without Wladimir physically forcing him to abandon it just to survive. And making adjustments in the gym during camp and implementing them on fight night are a lifetime different. On top of that Klitschko is a more relaxed and confident fighter now than he was when they last met.

Despite what some say, Klitschko's isn't the most imaginative heavyweight you'll ever see offensively. He seldom if ever throws uppercuts and his left hook really isn't that spectacular despite the power it carries. His weapons of choice are his left jab and right cross. He uses his jab quite well to obstruct his opponent's vision and to disrupt their offense while he measures them with it to create space for his right cross. His right hand is fast, sneaky and he disguises it beautifully. Actually, the right hand of Wladimir Klitschko is the biggest single shot in all of professional boxing. At this time Wladimir has really flowered as a fighter and his confidence fighting Thompson will be soaring by the night of their rematch if it happens.

When they last met, Tony actual caught Klitschko with a couple really clean hooks and crosses and not only did Wladimir not panic, he didn't even change his expression. Conversely, Thompson, who showed a really good chin during their bout, usually stopped letting his hands go after Wladimir tagged him flush, especially with his right hand. His slow feet left him a sitting duck for Klitschko once he escalated his attack and by the end of the 10th round it was obvious that Thompson was looking for a parachute.

As for what Thompson could do to give himself a better shot to shock the world if he meets Klitschko again, there's not much. The worst thing a trainer can do is try and overload his fighter with five or six nuanced adjustments that during combat at fight speed don't really apply. On top of that, if a fighter is given too much to work on in the gym or between rounds, they shut down and pick and chose the things they're comfortable trying to do when they go out for the next round. A smart trainer who understands the psyche of most fighters knows this and will only give his fighter one or two things to work on that he knows the fighter can comprehend how it relates to the opponent in front of him when the fight resumes.

In regards to Thompson's approach and what he should concentrate on if he's lucky enough to get another shot at Klitschko, like I said, there's not much, but he has to try and do the best he can. For starters, he needs to find a good strength and conditioning coach. Wladimir's advantage in physical ring strength was pronounced during their previous bout. Other than Thompson having a reach nearly as long as Wladimir's, it's hard to find one thing Tony did that really made Klitschko uncomfortable.

During their last fight Thompson virtually ignored Klitschko's body, something he shouldn't do if he sees him again. No, Thompson isn't gonna hurt Wladimir or take much out of him downstairs, and he does leave himself vulnerable by going there, but he still must. The point is to give Klitschko something to think about and perhaps get his hands down a few times leaving him open for setup and finishing punches. Also, he must move his feet more when he punches. There were numerous times during their last encounter where Tony let his hands go but didn't move his feet, and in turn his punches ended up short and Klitschko was able to touch him without reaching or leaning in.

Lastly, if Thompson feints more it can pay off in two ways. One – Klitschko usually stopped whatever he was about to do when Thompson feinted, which kept Wladimir from imposing himself physically and allowed Thompson to force him to reset. It also would allow Thompson in a rematch to time Klitschko and catch him clean when he wasn't of the mindset to strike. These are some legitimate things that Thompson can carry into the ring for a rematch with Klitschko that may help him stay in the fight more and perhaps steal it if he's lucky. However, that's not taking into account what'll happen if Klitschko catches him good and hurts him with something that although not noticeable to the fans watching, hurts Thompson enough to where he starts thinking inside about surviving more than winning.

Even the things mentioned above would probably only work in a perfect world. And if Tony Thompson could do the those things suggested, he wouldn't be Tony Thompson. When all is said and done, Wladimir Klitschko is a superior fighter to Tony “The Tiger” Thompson and the result will most likely be the same, Klitschko winning by stoppage. And there's not much the best trainer or fight plan in the world can do about it.

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Frank Lotierzo

Avila Perspective, Chap. 322: Super Welter Week in SoCal

Published

12 hours ago

April 18, 2025

David A. Avila

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Two below-the-radar super welterweight stars show off their skills this weekend from different parts of Southern California.

One in particular, Charles Conwell, co-headlines a show in Oceanside against a hard-hitting Mexican while another super welter star Sadriddin Akhmedov faces another Mexican hitter in Commerce.

Take your pick.

The super welterweight division is loaded with talent at the moment. If Terence Crawford remained in the division he would be at the top of the class, but he is moving up several weight divisions.

Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) faces Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs) a tall knockout puncher from Los Mochis at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif. on Saturday April 19. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also features undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora. We’ll get to her later.

Conwell might be the best super welterweight out there aside from the big dogs like Vergil Ortiz, Serhii Bohachuk and Sebastian Fundora.

If you are not familiar with Conwell he comes from Cleveland, Ohio and is one of those fighters that other fighters know about. He is good.

He has the James “Lights Out” Toney kind of in-your-face-style where he anchors down and slowly deciphers the opponent’s tools and then takes them away piece by piece. Usually it’s systematic destruction. The kind you see when a skyscraper goes down floor by floor until it’s smoking rubble.

During the Covid days Conwell fought two highly touted undefeated super welters in Wendy Toussaint and Madiyar Ashkeyev. He stopped them both and suddenly was the boogie man of the super welterweight division.

Conwell will be facing Mexico’s taller Garcia who likes to trade blows as most Mexican fighters prefer, especially those from Sinaloa. These guys will be firing H bombs early.

Fundora

Co-headlining the Golden Boy card is Gabriela Fundora (15-0, 7 KOs) the undisputed flyweight champion of the world. She has all the belts and Mexico’s Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1, 3 KOs) wants them.

Gabriela Fundora is the sister of Sebastian Fundora who holds the men’s WBC and WBO super welterweight world titles. Both are tall southpaws with power in each hand to protect the belts they accumulated.

Six months ago, Fundora met Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz in Las Vegas to determine the undisputed flyweight champion. The much shorter Alaniz tried valiantly to scrap with Fundora and ran into a couple of rocket left hands.

Mexico’s Badillo is an undefeated flyweight from Mexico City who has battled against fellow Mexicans for years. She has fought one world champion in Asley Gonzalez the current super flyweight world titlist. They met years ago with Badillo coming out on top.

Does Badillo have the skill to deal with the taller and hard-hitting Fundora?

When a fighter has a six-inch height advantage like Fundora, it is almost impossible to out-maneuver especially in two-minute rounds. Ask Alaniz who was nearly decapitated when she tried.

This will be Badillo’s first pro fight outside of Mexico.

Commerce Casino

Kazakhstan’s Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0, 13 KOs) is another dangerous punching super welterweight headlining a 360 Promotions card against Mexico’s Elias Espadas (23-6, 16 KOs) on Saturday at the Commerce Casino.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card of about eight bouts.

Akhmedov is another Kazakh puncher similar to the great Gennady “GGG” Golovkin who terrorized the middleweight division for a decade. He doesn’t have the same polish or dexterity but doesn’t lack pure punching power.

It’s another test for the super welterweight who is looking to move up the ladder in the very crowded 154-pound weight division. 360 Promotions already has a top contender in Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk who nearly defeated Vergil Ortiz a year ago.

Could Bohachuk and Akhmedov fight each other if nothing else materializes?

That’s a question for another day.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Charles Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) vs. Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs); Gabriela Fundora (15-0) vs Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1).

Sat. UFC Fight Pass 6 p.m. Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0) vs Elias Espadas (23-6).

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TSS Salutes Thomas Hauser and his Bernie Award Cohorts

Published

3 days ago

April 16, 2025

TSS Press

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The Boxing Writers Association of America has announced the winners of its annual Bernie Awards competition. The awards, named in honor of former five-time BWAA president and frequent TSS contributor Bernard Fernandez, recognize outstanding writing in six categories as represented by stories published the previous year.

Over the years, this venerable website has produced a host of Bernie Award winners. In 2024, Thomas Hauser kept the tradition alive. A story by Hauser that appeared in these pages finished first in the category “Boxing News Story.” Titled “Ryan Garcia and the New York State Athletic Commission,” the story was published on June 23. You can read it HERE.

Hauser also finished first in the category of “Investigative Reporting” for “The Death of Ardi Ndembo,” a story that ran in the (London) Guardian. (Note: Hauser has owned this category. This is his 11^th first place finish for “Investigative Reporting”.)

Thomas Hauser, who entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame with the class of 2019, was honored at last year’s BWAA awards dinner with the A.J. Leibling Award for Outstanding Boxing Writing. The list of previous winners includes such noted authors as W.C. Heinz, Budd Schulberg, Pete Hamill, and George Plimpton, to name just a few.

The Leibling Award is now issued intermittently. The most recent honorees prior to Hauser were Joyce Carol Oates (2015) and Randy Roberts (2019).

Roberts, a Distinguished Professor of History at Purdue University, was tabbed to write the Hauser/Leibling Award story for the glossy magazine for BWAA members published in conjunction with the organization’s annual banquet. Regarding Hauser’s most well-known book, his Muhammad Ali biography, Roberts wrote, “It is nearly impossible to overestimate the importance of the book to our understanding of Ali and his times.” An earlier book by Hauser, “The Black Lights: Inside the World of Professional Boxing,” garnered this accolade: “Anyone who wants to understand boxing today should begin by reading ‘The Black Lights’.”

A panel of six judges determined the Bernie Award winners for stories published in 2024. The stories they evaluated were stripped of their bylines and other identifying marks including the publication or website for which the story was written.

Other winners:

Boxing Event Coverage: Tris Dixon

Boxing Column: Kieran Mulvaney

Boxing Feature (Over 1,500 Words): Lance Pugmire

Boxing Feature (Under 1,500 Words): Chris Mannix

The Dixon, Mulvaney, and Pugmire stories appeared in Boxing Scene; the Mannix story in Sports Illustrated.

The Bernie Award recipients will be honored at the forthcoming BWAA dinner on April 30 at the Edison Ballroom in the heart of Times Square. (For more information, visit the BWAA website). Two days after the dinner, an historic boxing tripleheader will be held in Times Square, the logistics of which should be quite interesting. Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Teofimo Lopez share top billing.

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Mekhrubon Sanginov, whose Heroism Nearly Proved Fatal, Returns on Saturday

Published

4 days ago

April 15, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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To say that Mekhrubon Sanginov is excited to resume his boxing career would be a great understatement. Sanginov, ranked #9 by the WBA at 154 pounds before his hiatus, last fought on July 8, 2022.

He was in great form before his extended leave, having scored four straight fast knockouts, advancing his record to 13-0-1. Had he remained in Las Vegas, where he had settled after his fifth pro fight, his career may have continued on an upward trajectory, but a trip to his hometown of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, turned everything haywire. A run-in with a knife-wielding bully nearly cost him his life, stalling his career for nearly three full years.

Sanginov was exiting a restaurant in Dushanbe when he saw a man, plainly intoxicated, harassing another man, an innocent bystander. Mekhrubon intervened and was stabbed several times with a long knife. One of the puncture wounds came perilously close to puncturing his heart.

“After he stabbed me, I ran after him and hit him and caught him to hold for the police,” recollects Sanginov. “There was a lot of confusion when the police arrived. At first, the police were not certain what had happened.

“By the time I got to the hospital, I had lost two liters of blood, or so I was told. After I was patched up, one of the surgeons said to me, ‘Give thanks to God because he gave you a second life.’ It is like I was born a second time.”

“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It could have happened in any city,” he adds. (A story about the incident on another boxing site elicited this comment from a reader: “Good man right there. World would be a better place if more folk were willing to step up when it counts.”)

Sanginov first laced on a pair of gloves at age 10 and was purportedly 105-14 as an amateur. Growing up, the boxer he most admired was Roberto Duran. “Muhammad Ali will always be the greatest and [Marvin] Hagler was great too, but Duran was always my favorite,” he says.

During his absence from the ring, Sanginov married a girl from Tajikistan and became a father. His son Makhmud was born in Las Vegas and has dual citizenship. “Ideally,” he says, “I would like to have three more children. Two more boys and the last one a daughter.”

He also put on a great deal of weight. When he returned to the gym, his trainer Bones Adams was looking at a cruiserweight. But gradually the weight came off – “I had to give up one of my hobbies; I love to eat,” he says – and he will be resuming his career at 154. “Although I am the same weight as before, I feel stronger now. Before I was more of a boy, now I am a full-grown man,” says Sanginov who turned 29 in February.

He has a lot of rust to shed. Because of all those early knockouts, he has answered the bell for only eight rounds in the last four years. Concordantly, his comeback fight on Saturday could be described as a soft re-awakening. Sanginov’s opponent Mahonri Montes, an 18-year pro from Mexico, has a decent record (36-10-2, 25 KOs) but has been relatively inactive and is only 1-3-1 in his last five. Their match at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California, is slated for eight rounds.

On May 10, Ardreal Holmes (17-0) faces Erickson Lubin (26-2) on a ProBox card in Kissimmee, Florida. It’s an IBF super welterweight title eliminator, meaning that the winner (in theory) will proceed directly to a world title fight.

Sanginov will be watching closely. He and Holmes were scheduled to meet in March of 2022 in the main event of a ShoBox card on Showtime. That match fell out when Sanginov suffered an ankle injury in sparring.

If not for a twist of fate, that may have been Mekhrubon Sanginov in that IBF eliminator, rather than Ardreal Holmes. We will never know, but one thing we do know is that Mekhrubon’s world title aspirations were too strong to be ruined by a knife-wielding bully.

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