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Here Is The Gameplan To Beat Floyd Mayweather

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-Floyd-Mayweather-Jr.-Jua-001The records show that there have now been forty three plotted fistic attacks against boxing's impenetrable fortress since 1996 -each of them thwarted by one of the most advanced defensive systems so far seen in boxing.As of yet, there are no clear clues nor is there any definitive evidence -the Floyd Mayweather case remains open. Pump the jab, close him down, rough him up, don't stop throwing. Much like the infamous Roswell incident, everyone has a different opinion; just how do you decrypt and decode Mayweather's boxing database?

Floyd Mayweather is not like other fighters. Other fighters are self contained by their respective styles. Boxers, punchers, swarmers, sluggers -by locking themselves into stylistic boundaries, they limit their ability to adjust to what is in front of them. Trying to categorize Mayweather's style, is in itself, a daunting task. Floyd Mayweather is a counterpunching, intercepting, boxing chameleon -multi layered, he can alternate his technique, adapting it to his surroundings.An extensive trainer, Mayweather's hard work and dedication is now folklore. And yet, the biggest problem Mayweather opponents face in the ring took place during his childhood, not his training camp.

His pacifier? A boxing glove.

His crib? A boxing ring.

Boxing is in his genes. Like a thoroughbred race horse, Mayweather comes from a long line of boxing blood -his father and uncles embedded their knowledge into his boxing DNA. Floyd Mayweather has spent his entire life living and breathing the science, not the usual sweet science we are accustomed to, no. This,his own unique brand, is far more complex.

The Tao Of Floyd Mayweather:

To fully understand Floyd Mayweather, we first need to appreciate his art.Mayweather's approach to boxing is more like that of a fencer than a fighter. Most of the time, Floyd's emphasis is on blocking an attack, with an attack -this is the foundation of Mayweather's art. He is at the opposite end of the boxing spectrum to fighters like Brandon Rios and Jorge Arce, both in terms of talent and intent. Mayweather's approach to boxing is best described using what I term the three Is: Intellect, Intuition and Instinct.

Intellect: Mayweather's ring acumen is as high as anyone else's in boxing, trainers and cornermen included. His understanding of strategy, tactics and ring generalship are unparalleled in the modern game.

Intuition: Mayweather possesses almost a sixth sense when it comes to anticipating an opponent's next move or action.

Instinct: Mayweather's ability to take advantage of any mistake, habit or opening maybe his greatest asset.

Mayweather has combined the three I's in such a way, that he is without doubt the most cerebral, adaptable and reactive practitioner in boxing.Every action from his opponent will result in a reaction from Mayweather.

The Science Of Mayweather:

Mayweather's greatness may be open for debate; his craft however, is not {at least not from a statistical standpoint}. According to Compubox, Mayweather's 46 percent average connect rate, compiled during his last nine fights, ranks as the very best among current active fighters -Mayweather's defensive genius clouds the fact that he is also one of the finest offensive fighters in the sport {more on that in later}. It is not surprising then, that Mayweather's defensive numbers are even more impressive -Mayweather's opponents manage to land a measly 16 percent of their punches thrown, which is the lowest collective figure in Compubox's 4,000 fight database. These numbers equate to a plus/minus connect percentage rating of plus 30 percent, which is double the offense/defense ratio of his current peers {Andre Ward is in second place with a plus 15 percent connect rate}.These numbers are a graphic representation of what Mayweather opponents are faced with; Floyd Mayweather is in an entirely different class when it comes to the essence of boxing -to hit and not get hit.

Over the last few months, in preparation for the Floyd Mayweather-Miguel Cotto fight, I have spent more time studying Floyd Mayweather footage than I care to admit. Throughout the next part of this article, I will shed some new light on numerous Mayweather assumptions regarding his in ring behaviour, how he operates and how one should set about trying to upset him.There will be some strange analogies along the way, but rest assured, they have not been written for writing's sake. Each will have an important meaning with regards to trying to diagnose the best way in derailing Floyd Mayweather, boxing's unsolved mystery.

Forget what we think we know.

The following comment was taken from a recent interview.

Ricky Hatton: “I was clipping him and catching him here and there and a couple of rounds were even but I felt he was always calling the shots. He was slippery. I couldn't have hit him with a handful of confetti and even when I got a shot through it half-caught his shoulder or he half-rolled it or he moved half a step back or half-slipped out of the way. His timing was incredible. If I had him on the ropes and threw seven or eight punches, he blocked about six of them and then countered me.”

The next comment was offered when the question was asked, How do you beat Floyd Mayweather?

Emanuel Steward: “The main component you need to defeat Floyd Mayweather is to pressure him with a solid, hard jab. You have to get the simple things right, then everything else will fall into place. Floyd's a very talented fighter. You must pressure him and take him out of his comfort zone. The jab is the key. He's used to fighting his own fight, so again, the target is to force him out of his comfort zone.”

Mayweather, The Counterpuncher:

Within these comments, lie some of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to understanding Floyd Mayweather. The biggest, and most popular of these is that one must apply unrelenting pressure in order to be in with a chance of defeating him. Many believe that counterpunchers are at their most vulnerable when confronted with severe pressure. The reason for this, I believe, is because of the late Joe Frazier's life and death duels with the great Muhammad Ali. Here's the problem. Ali was a mover, not a counterpuncher. At his apex, Ali would move around the ring and pick his opponents apart using his length, demon speed and lightning quick jab. Ali's style was not designed to be best against a pressurizing inside swarmer. That's why Ali fought Frazier differently, he stood his ground more, and put more weight behind his punches. Ali eventually learned how to tie fighters up on the inside, but never once was it his intention to invite opponents into that range, so that he could counter them -which is precisely what Floyd Mayweather does.

Contrary to perception, Mayweather is right at home when a fighter is right up on him, trying to pound away with hook after hook. Look again at what Ricky Hatton said -he would throw seven or eight punches, for only one or two to land. What makes you bad, makes you better. Do you really think Mayweather became the counterpuncher he is today by spending hours in the gym, refining his defensive skills by facing fleet footed fighters like Willie Pep? Of course he didn't. Mayweather's defensive virtuosity is more likely a direct result of him spending hours at a time with his back against the ropes, allowing fighters as large as light-heavyweight to pound away on him. Think of some of the greatest counterpunching performances of all time, fights like James Toney-Iran Barkley and Pernell Whitaker-Jose Luis Ramirez. The fighter on the wrong end of these performances did nothing but oblige their opponents by giving them angles and range with which to work from. The truth is, Floyd Mayweather is probably at his most comfortable in this position. By pressuring him, the opponent is providing Mayweather with familiarity.

Let's think about Mayweather with his back against the ropes -a defensive structure formed out of his left shoulder, a tucked chin behind it, a high right glove and a left arm across that barricades the whole construct. Now think of his opponent failing miserably in trying to land on him. Many have put this down to Mayweather's “Jedi-like reflexes”. Let's be real here -Jedi reflexes don't exist, anticipation through knowledge does, however.

I'm of the opinion that Mayweather has become an expert in realising punch patterns. Going one step further, I believe Mayweather knows exactly what punch is coming next, through probability.Imagine you are at a set of traffic lights and the light is on red. Through your own experience, you know the sequence that follows. Once amber is lit, you are given a heads up.Your reaction time to accelerate away is enhanced, and you can pull off within a heartbeat of the light changing to green.Now, imagine if suddenly there was no amber light, and the signal went straight from red to green.Do you think you could accelerate away at the same rate as before? The point is, at close quarters, Mayweather already knows the likely punching angles. If an opponent's chest is pressed against Mayweather's left shoulder, he is aware that nothing but a hook will be thrown, by looking at an opponent's body alignment, he can then narrow it down to which side the punch will be thrown. If an opponent throws a left hook, the next punch that follows will likely be a right hook, remembering that Mayweather's left shoulder has limited your punching options. In the same position, Jose Luis Castillo had some success because he was patient, varied his shot selection and didn't get in the way of his own work. Rather than make the mistake Philip N'dou made when he had Mayweather on the ropes, throwing a right hook, left hook, right hook combination {that Mayweather is familiar with when defending} Castillo instead showed a lot of discipline in this position, even taking a step back, leading with left straights, pausing then throwing another, followed by a right. Castillo alternated his attack pattern at this range. I can see how tempting it must be -Mayweather is so elusive in centre ring, that the proposition of having him right in front of you, with his back to the ropes,would look too good to resist. But remember, this is where most of Mayweather's seemingly endless stamina is salvaged, and his opponent's is sapped. Which leads into my next point.

The whole notion of Mayweather being at his most vulnerable with his back against the ropes came about because of Castillo's success against him {many believe he beat Mayweather in their first match-up}. While Castillo has came closer than anyone else in scarring Mayweather's perfection, you have to remember a few important points. Firstly, this was Mayweather's first fight at lightweight and on fight night, Castillo enjoyed a nine pound advantage over Mayweather, which is an awful lot to concede considering this was Mayweather's first venture at this weight. Secondly, Mayweather apparently suffered a rib injury prior to the fight,as well as a hand injury during the fight. And finally, Mayweather actually defeated Castillo comprehensively the second time around, nailing that demon in a bullet-proof coffin by standing his ground more,keeping Castillo in front of him and using the jab. Simply put, because of Castillo's relative success -like most of the heavyweights that followed Ali in the late 70s thought they had to be on their toes and move in order to box -most Mayweather opponents share the concept; they have to avoid centre ring and bully him to the ropes in order to have success.

Mayweather, The Attacker:

We have now heard the same statement over and over again. You can't win a fight with Floyd Mayweather by boxing him in the middle of the ring. This, I believe, is yet another misconception that places unnecessary doubt in a fighter's mind.I agree, Mayweather does seem to be at his most dazzling in the middle of the ring, when outboxing and outfoxing his opponent. However, I actually believe, Mayweather could also be at his most vulnerable at this range. It's just a case of dispelling the myths. Mayweather's understanding of punch patterns has lead to him being perceived as untouchable away from the ropes. What doesn't help is the common belief that to have success, you must pump the jab at him. I disagree with this theory entirely. The jab is the most common punch in boxing. Notice how I highlighted the word common. If you provide Mayweather with familiarity, you are providing him with a plan. {Remember, every action will evoke a reaction}. By sticking the jab at him, over and over, you are giving him something to key off of. Mayweather can be beat in the centre of the ring, but you have to have the right strategy to do it, a strategy that doesn't involve being overly offensive. Take a look at the Amir Khan-Paulie Malignaggi fight. I consider Malignaggi to be one of the better pure boxers in the sport. {Don't believe me? Have a look at his recent performance away from home against Vyacheslav Senchenko}. During the contest, HBO's Max Kellerman stated that nobody had ever outboxed Malignaggi in the centre of the ring, the way Amir Khan was doing on that night. I disagree with Max. I don't think Khan outboxed him, I just believe he out-thought him. Malignaggi, like Mayweather, thrives on an opponent feeding him with textbook angles with which to work from at a range that he is familiar with. Amir Khan did not oblige him. Khan was out of range, using his length, and then exploded in with power shots. Every time Khan came in, Malignaggi froze. His immediate response, being a defensive based fighter, was to defend. What we had was Malignaggi defending while Khan was attacking. But the key was Khan did not fight an offensive fight. Khan fought a defensive fight against a defensive fighter- a fighter who thrives on predictable offense, offense that has been embedded into him, when he was perfecting his craft. Khan's unpredictability won the fight. Not his boxing skills. Had Khan stood in front of Malignaggi, throwing conventional punch sequences,he would have been outboxed.

Mayweather, like Malignaggi,also thrives in the middle of the ring, because of his understanding of probability. If Mayweather is out of range, he knows that in order for an opponent to take the fight to him {the only way to defeat him, or so we've been told} and touch him,the likely punch will be an opponent's longest weapon, the jab. This is why Mayweather's opponents appear to give up early in fights. Because Mayweather has such an astute understanding of distance, and knows that the only way to reach him is through a jab, he is ready to release his right hand counter over the top. Again, we have been lead to believe that Mayweather's otherworldly reflexes are the reason behind his success in countering opponents in the centre of the ring, when in fact, it's sheer knowledge. Mayweather manipulates his opponent into releasing a jab.Again, it's not Jedi-like reflexes, it's just an old school technique that is taught called drawing the lead. Mayweather's anticipation is a direct result of an opponent throwing the punch that he knows they will throw.

Another statement that pollutes fighters' minds is be unpredictable, never throw the same punch twice. This is where Mayweather has pulled the curtain over alot of peoples' eyes. Floyd Mayweather, despite regularly limiting his offense to a jab or a right hand, is actually the most unpredictable offensive fighter in boxing. Now I know this sounds controversial, with fighters like Pacquiao throwing multiple punches from odd angles, but hear me out. Think back to the recent Mayweather-Cotto fight. During one of the middle rounds, Floyd Mayweather threw five consecutive overhand rights, and every one of them landed. How was Mayweather able to land the same punch five times in a row? Unpredictability. Imagine you're Miguel Cotto, you've been nailed by two of them, which is feasible. In your mind, you must be thinking that's twice now, another punch must be coming, I'm going to set my defense for a left hook… boom, another right hand. Ok, that's the third, there's no wa….boom, a fourth. Right that's it, time to mount some o….boom, a fifth. Do you see what I mean? There will have been no point in Cotto's life, either in sparring or for real, where any fighter dared to throw five consecutive right hands against him. This is Mayweather's most undervalued asset. Because Mayweather has mastered boxing, he understands that punch probability is arguably the most important part of boxing. He knows what to expect on defense, and what his opponents least expect, when he is on offense.

Think of Juan Manuel Marquez, a case can be made that he is one of the greatest combination punchers of all time. The problem with combination punching in rapid fire is it has a certain beat to it. Most combinations -like a jab, right hand, left to the body -are taught and are predictable. Take a look at Marquez against Mayweather. In the centre of the ring, Marquez unleashes his combinations in quick succession. Mayweather, in his defensive posture, picks them all off. Don't be fooled, there is no way any fighter can react that quick without knowing what is being thrown. Mayweather, like Marquez, has been taught the very same combinations,but only for defensive purposes. On offense, Mayweather throws intermitting shots. Altering the pace, altering the tempo. Making them almost impossible to predict or time. As a thought experiment, the next time you listen to a song on the radio, or in a supermarket, listen to the beat. By the time the song is finished, I guarantee, you will have learned the beat, even knowing the exact tempo once the song has finished. Now try the same experiment with some of Miles Davis jazz. His work is full of unpredictable rhythm riffs, making it all but impossible to memorize. Mayweather's punching is akin to a complicated jazz piece. He throws his shots sporadically, with no rhythm to them, making it nigh on impossible to time.

As you can see, I believe Mayweather's gifts are not really gifts, but rewards,as a result of his self expressed hard work and dedication. Don't get me wrong, Mayweather is also an athletic specimen. His hand and foot speed are better than good, and his power is also underappreciated. Nevertheless, there have been faster fighters than Mayweather throughout history-Hector Camacho, Meldrick Taylor, Terry Norris and even Howard Davis were possibly faster than Mayweather. Heck, with Gary Russell Jr, Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather may not even be the fastest fighter competing today. One thing I'm certain of though, is Mayweather is the most schooled fighter currently active in boxing. His counterpunching ability, anticipation, reflexes, defense and offense are not a gift from the gods. They are a reflection of plain old tuition. And just as Mayweather has developed a way of fighting that caters for one and all,with the number forty three embroidered on it,there will no doubt be a strategy devised at some point in the future, that will have the number one attached to it. Someone somewhere, will have it.

Beyond Mayweather's Science: The Strategy.

As mentioned here earlier, I have spent alot of time lately trying to dissect what Mayweather does in the ring, and in particular, his behavioural patterns and reactions to certain things. Upon watching Mayweather's fights, I was amazed at the lack of strategical variation in Mayweather's opponents. You have to ask yourself, is this down to clever match making? Or Mayweather genius? I believe it's more Mayweather genius, with a sprinkle of clever match making.

In all honesty, if Floyd Mayweather managed to retire undefeated, while still facing top competition, I'd be amazed. No doubt, he will take some beating, but with the right type of fighter and the right type of strategy,I believe Mayweather, boxing's most complicated puzzle, can be solved.

The following is a type of gameplan I constructed when watching numerous Floyd Mayweather fights, as well as other fights involving different fighters. A list of them will be at the bottom of this article.

Fight a defensive fight, give the counter-puncher nothing to counter. Mayweather likes nothing better than to dictate the range and pace, not concede it. Be out of range -the counterpuncher's range. Use the whole ring -don't be afraid of its centre.Allow Mayweather to go to the ropes, don't oblige him, stay disciplined, he wants you there. Feint, feint, feint again-Mayweather's instinct is to defend or intercept an attack, put him in his defensive construct, he is predictable in it, he can't win a fight by staying in it. Don't throw combinations, lead with power shots from the outside, he won't expect it. Use the jab, but sparingly -remember, he wants you to throw it, so oblige him, feint before you throw it, stick it in his gut, stick it in his chest, avoid his head, he won't expect that. Remember, he's a counterpuncher by nature; never pressure him,leap in, then back out. Single shots, he won't expect it -he knows combination sequences, avoid them. Turn him, move off to the sides. He's a technician, he's been taught conventional attack patterns, lead with a hook, an uppercut. But he's a defensive wizard, he will easily counter? No, he's a defensive wizard who counters textbook punches. Throw away the text book. Make sure HE is the aggressor, make him chase YOU around the ring. Mayweather doesn't throw while he is advancing -leap in, surprise him, he will fall back into that defensive posture, keep defense on his mind. Keep things awkward for him, he loves to be in control of things, keep the distance, fight a defensive fight, give him nothing to counter. He sets his feet before the right hand, don't try and counter it, you know it's coming, get out of range. The crowd is hissing, there's not much action? That's good, he wants you right in front of him, stay out of range. He's never fought this fight before. He looks puzzled. Mayweather has mastered boxing, but this isn't boxing in his mind. If you hurt him, and he goes to the ropes, follow him, but think of Castillo. Don't get wild, stay composed. Throw intermitting shots, you're in his range now. He's tough to hit, he's bending at the waist and dipping. Feint him, throw your next punch where you think his head will be next, not where it's at now. Go to the body, take a step back, see everything,stay disciplined. He wants you to engage, disengage him….the crowd is booing louder, shall I press him? No, that's what he wants, he hasn't been able to counter anything all night, you've given him nothing to counter.

Like I mentioned before these notes, this should be seen as a best case scenario for a Mayweather opponent.

Consequently, my opinion is far different from what most believe to be the correct way to fight Floyd Mayweather. The general perception is aggression, pressure, volume, avoid the centre of the ring, force him to the ropes and look for a big shot as he can't be outboxed. My belief is almost the polar opposite. I don't think Mayweather has faced an opponent who has brought this type of strategy to him. If I were to pick an opponent competing today around Mayweather's weight class, that could pull this off, I would have to choose between Sergio Martinez, Manny Pacquiao or Amir Khan. Each would have their own little advantage, that they could utilize to their benefit against Mayweather. Pacquiao's explosiveness, southpaw angles, lack of jab {Mayweather won't key off it}and power. Martinez' understanding of range, his ability to fight backing up, speed and power along with his generalship would prove problematic, as would Khan's in and out style, length and speed. If weights were aligned, then Yuriorkis Gamboa would be my top choice, as the type of opponent who could inflict the first defeat on Mayweather. I cannot stress enough, that I believe Floyd Mayweather is the finest boxer on the planet, but, as I've mentioned here before, styles do indeed make fights, and even Ray Robinson tasted defeat at some point. It's not inconceivable to think Mayweather could adjust and adapt to this type of strategy, but having viewed Mayweather's post hiatus fights on numerous occasions {Marquez onwards, it is evident that his Diego Corrales days are long gone. Mayweather, like all defensive movers as they get older, is a lot more static these days. That's why he now prefers to press the attack as opposed to using his legs to motor around the ring like the Mayweather of old.

Some may have came as close, but there has never been a perfect fighter in boxing.Mayweather is not a perfect fighter, yet he has a perfect record. That will likely remain perfect until someone constructs the perfect plan. Easier said, of course, than done.

—Follow Wylie on Twitter here.

—Compubox punchstats taken from espn.com

—Fights used constructing strategy: Mayweather-Corrales, Mayweather-Castillo 1+2, Mayweather-N'dou, Mayweather-Judah, Mayweather-Mosley,Mayweather-Cotto, Mayweather-Marquez, Pascal-Dawson, Khan-Malinaggi, Whitaker-Hurtado, Mayorga-Forrest, Young-Ali, Gamboa-Solis and Martinez-Dzinziruk.

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The Hauser Report: Keyshawn Davis at Madison Square Garden

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Bob Arum promoted his first fight card – Muhammad Ali vs. George Chuvalo – in Toronto on March 29, 1966. Top Rank was formed soon after and is arguably the greatest promotional company in the history of boxing.

Top Rank has promoted more than two thousand fight cards and seven hundred world championship bouts. It has been on the cutting edge of new technologies and was the first major player in boxing to understand and exploit the power of the Hispanic market in the United States.

But Top Rank has been struggling lately. Its roster of elite fighters has gotten smaller. Its lucrative exclusive contract with ESPN expires this summer and won’t be renewed. The company is exploring other options, but so is every other promoter in boxing not tied exclusively to DAZN.

Meanwhile, Arum is doing his best to develop what he hopes will be a new generation of stars. One of these fighters – Keyshawn Davis – was on display before a sold-out crowd of 4,979 at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theatre on Valentine’s Day.

Davis is 25 years old and came into the fight with a 12-and-0 (8 KOs) record. His opponent, 36-year-old Denys Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs), was the reigning WBO lightweight champion by virtue of an upset split-decision victory over Emanuel Navarrete last June. Berinchyk had the belt, but the spotlight was on Davis (a 2020 Olympic silver medalist and 6-to-1 betting favorite).

Throughout fight week, Davis had the carriage of a fighter who is undefeated in the professional ranks and knew that the odds were stacked in his favor. He reveled in acting the bully at the final pre-fight press conference where he repeatedly interrupted Berinchyk before getting up from his chair and looming over the Ukrainian. That was followed by an incident at the weigh-in when Keyshawn put his hands on Denys and, as the fighters turned to face the media, stepped into Berinchyk’s space. That earned a shove and tempers flared.

It’s easy for a fighter to act out like that when he’s facing a 6-to-1 underdog. It’s unlikely that Keyshawn would have behaved in the same manner had he been readying to fight – say – Gervonta Davis.

When fight night came, it was just a matter of time until Berinchyk was knocked out. There was no way he could deal with Keyshawn’s speed and power. One guy was fighting in slow motion and the other on fast-forward.

Davis dropped Berinchyk with a body shot in round three and ended matters in round four with a brutal hook to the liver that left Denis gasping for air on the canvas.

Keyshawn has speed, skills, and power. Time will tell if he has a chin and heart.

Davis-Berinchyk highlighted a basic truth about boxing and other sports. Some athletes are simply more physically gifted than others.

LeBron James has a wonderful work ethic. But there are many basketball players who work as hard as LeBron and know the nuances of the game just as well. His physical gifts separate him from the pack. Ditto for Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Judge, and every other elite athlete.

Jack Nicklaus wasn’t just a talented golfer. At age thirteen, Nicklaus ran a 100-yard dash in eleven seconds flat and was the starting quarterback, punter, and placekicker on his junior high school football team. As a high school basketball player, he averaged eighteen points a game on a team that went to the fourth round of the Ohio state championship tournament. That same year, he made twenty-six free throws in a row and was named “all-league” and “honorable mention all-state.” To round out his resume, he played catcher on the school baseball team.

Davis has exceptional physical gifts. The phrase “physically gifted” also applies to 20-year-old Abdullah Mason (16-0, 14 KOs) who dismantled Manuel Jaimes at the Hulu Theater on Friday night. Mason is a legitimate prospect. Like Davis, he has speed, skills, and power. Five months ago, Jaimes went the distance against Rolly Romero. Mason knocked him down four times on the way to a fourth-round stoppage.

Other thoughts on Friday night’s fights at Madison Square Garden include:

Juanma Lopez De Jesus (who represented Puerto Rico at the 2024 Olympics and is the son of former WBO champion Juan Manuel Lopez) made his pro debut at 114 pounds against Bryan Santiago. Santiago was a  typical opponent for a prospect making his pro-debut. Lopez knocked him out at 59-seconds of round one with the first solid punch he landed. After the fight, Santiago literally didn’t know what hit him. For the record, it was an uppercut.

Rohan Polanco turned in a dominant performance, stopping Juan Carlos Torres in two rounds. Keon Davis (Keyshawn’s brother) knocked out an overmatched Ira Johnson, also in the second stanza.

Vito Mielnicki Jr. and Connor Coyle fought to a spirited draw although, in the eyes of this observer, the edge belonged to Mielnicki. And Xander Zayas turned in a solid performance in scoring a ninth-round stoppage over Slawa Spomer. Referee Charlie Fitch might have stepped in a bit too quickly. But Fitch is a good referee. Spomer was getting hit more than he should have been. And according to CompuBox, Slawa had been outlanded 257 to 39.

Top Rank hopes to keep Zayas and Mielnicki on track until there’s a vacant 154-pound belt that they can fight for or a weak champion that one of them can beat.

Two of the favorites on the February 14 card disappointed.

Jared Anderson had been touted as America’s best heavyweight until his deficiencies were exposed and he was knocked down three times en route to a fifth-round stoppage by Martin Bakole on the Crawford-Madrimov undercard in Los Angeles last August. Marios Kollias (born in Greece and now fighting out of Sweden) is a big, strong, very slow fighter with rudimentary skills. Kollias had two fights last year. In one of them, he lost to a Danish fighter named Kem Ljungquist. In the other, he beat a guy named Tamaz Izoria (who has 15 losses in 20 fights and has been knocked out 11 times).

The Jared Anderson who savagely demolished Jerry Forrest at Madison Square Garden two years ago would have made short work of Kollias. But that version of Anderson hasn’t been seen lately. Jared came in for the Kollias fight at a career-high 258 pounds. And he fought like a man who has doubts about whether he wants to continue fighting professionally.

Anderson-Kollias had the feel of a slow sparring session. Kollias’s trunks kept sliding below his protective cup, necessitating repeated stoppages so referee David Fields could adjust them. The only fire Jared showed came near the end of the tenth and final round when he flagrantly fouled Marios by throwing him over his hip to the canvas. Fields should have deducted two points for the unprovoked infraction but let the matter slide. Properly incentivized, Kollias landed his best punches of the night just before the final bell. The scorecards read 99-91, 99-91, 98-92 in Anderson’s favor.

Anderson-Kollias was a dreary fight. Nico Ali Walsh vs. Juan Carlos Guerra was a sad one.

Nico is Muhammad Ali’s grandson and fights in the neighborhood of 157 pounds. He turned pro in 2021 and, after knocking out five of six carefully chosen opponents, went the distance in his next six outings (including one “no contest”). When he entered the ring on Friday night, his record stood at 10-and-1.

Without the “Ali” name, Nico would still be an exceptionally nice young man and a college graduate with myriad talents. People are impressed by him and for good reason. But that doesn’t necessarily translate into being a good fighter.

The buzz that attended the start of Nico’s ring career is gone. He hasn’t improved noticeably as a fighter and doesn’t have the physical gifts necessary to take him beyond the club-fight level.

Guerra was a fungible opponent. The assumption was that Nico would outbox him. Juan Carlos threw wide looping punches throughout the fight and was an inartful aggressor. But inartful aggression is better than no aggression at all.

Nico got hit too much by a guy who – fortunately for Nico – was short on power. He fought tentatively, seldom initiated the action, didn’t counterpunch effectively, and failed to dissuade Guerra from coming forward.

In the final round, trailing badly by any objective measure, Nico didn’t try to pick up the pace.

Four of the rounds clearly belonged to Guerra. The other two were up for grabs. Judges Waleska Roldan and Georgi Gergov scored the bout 58-56 for Guerra.

In a shocker, Ken Ezzo’s scorecard read 58-56 in Nico’s favor.

Most fights aren’t hard to score. A judge has to pay attention, know what he (or she) is watching, and be honest. Ezzo’s scorecard was a disgrace.

It’s still possible that, by virtue of his family name, Nico can be maneuvered to a nice payday on a Riyadh Season card in Saudi Arabia. But he’s getting hit in the head too much. So I’ll repeat what I wrote after watching him fight several years ago:

“Whenever Nico fights, my heart will be in his gloves. But I’d rather that he not fight again. Muhammad Ali sacrificed so much at the altar of boxing – more than enough to obviate the need for sacrifices by any member of his family in the years to come.”

Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book – MY MOTHER and me – is a personal memoir available at Amazon.com. https://www.amazon.com/My-Mother-Me-Thomas-Hauser/dp/1955836191/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5C0TEN4M9ZAH&keywords=thomas+hauser&qid=1707662513&sprefix=thomas+hauser%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-1

  In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. In 2019, Hauser was selected for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Oscar Duarte KOs Miguel Madueno in a Battle of Mexicans at Anaheim

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Oscar Duarte KOs Miguel Madueno in a Battle of Mexicans at Anaheim

No surprise. It was a Mexican beat down.

Oscar Duarte emerged victorious over fellow Mexican slugger Miguel Madueno by knockout to become a regional WBA super lightweight titlist on Saturday.

“Miguel (Madueno) is a gentleman and a warrior,” said Duarte. “He is a tough fighter but it was our night tonight.”

Chihuahua, Mexico’s Duarte (29-2-1, 23 KOs) started slowly but brutally stopped Sinaloa, Mexico’s Madueno who had never been knocked out before. The crowd at Honda Center in Anaheim roared its approval.

Not even new world titlist Keyshawn Davis was able to stop Madueno last July.

The taller Madueno opened up the first two rounds behind a stiff jab and some movement around the stalking style of Duarte. Though both Mexican fighters connected, it was Madueno who opened up stronger.

Then came the body shots.

“I knew he was going to move around when he felt my punches,” said Duarte.

The muscular Duarte had built a career as an inside fighter specializing in body shots. In the third round the light brown haired Duarte finally targeted the body and immediately saw results. Madueno had to change tactics.

Duarte had lost to Ryan Garcia by knockout 14 months ago in Texas. But since that loss he became the first to defeat Jojo Diaz by knockout and then last November beat down Uzbekistan’s Botirzhon Akhmedov. He was scheduled to fight Regis Prograis but an injury to the former world champion forced Madueno to step in as a replacement.

No matter.

Duarte began revving up the steamroller from the third round on with a pounding assault to the body and head that would not allow Madueno to dig in. A left hook to the chin by Duarte wobbled the Sinaloa fighter who had fought many times under the Thompson Boxing flag. The now departed Ken Thompson must have been proud at Madueno’s valiant performance.

It just wasn’t enough.

Madueno had success bouncing overhand rights on Duarte’s head but it was not enough. He battled through brutal exchanges and kept battling but the muscle-bound Duarte could not be halted.

In the fifth round Madueno tried to return to the long jabs and though he had early success, Duarte unleashed a three-punch combination to stop the nonsense. They both battled in a corner and Madueno emerged with blood streaming down his left eye. The referee ruled the cut was due to a blow.

“I felt his punches and I knew he was coming down,” Duarte said.

Duarte sensed the kill and opened up the sixth round with a bludgeoning six-punch volley. Madueno countered with a clean left hook. It was not a good exchange and it looked bad for the Sinaloan.

In the seventh round, Duarte looked like a Rhino that had just sharpened his horn and charged forward with bloodlust. The Chihuahua Mexican seemed determined to end the fight and connected with a right that staggered Madueno. Duarte followed up quickly with 17 more big blows to the body and head. Referee Thomas Taylor stepped in with a veering Madueno against the ropes and stopped the fight at 2:09 of the seventh round.

Duarte became the first man ever to defeat Madueno by knockout.

Now holding a regional WBA title, he is poised to fight for a world title.

“I’ll fight any champion. Let’s do it right now,” Duarte said.

Other Bouts

Houston’s Darius Fulgham (14-0, 12 KOs) proved too much for Detroit’s Winfred Harris Jr. (22-3-2) in overwhelming the clinching fighter and forcing a stoppage in the fourth round of their super middleweight bout. Fulgham was in control in every round that included a knockdown in the third round. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the beating.

Light flyweight Ricardo Sandoval (26-2, 18 KOs) soundly defeated the speedy Saleto Henderson (10-2, 7 KOs) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds. Both fighters showed off great chins but the taller Sandoval out-punched Henderson. Two judges scored it 100-90 for Sandoval and a third judge had it 98-92.

Ricardo Sandoval

Ricardo Sandoval

An entertaining welterweight clash saw Chicago’s Kenneth Sims Jr. (22-2-1, 8 KOs) outpoint San Antonio’s Kendo Castaneda (21-8, 9 KOs) but in the latter part of the match both slugged it out. The fans were pleased by the action.  All three judges favored Sims 99-91 twice and 98-92, but Castaneda proved he was not overmatched.

Bakersfield’s Joel Iriarte (6-0, 6 KOs) had no problems against Darel Harris (19-24-2) who he stopped at 1:21 of the second round in a welterweight clash.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Arnold Barboza Edges Past Jack Catterall in Manchester

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In a battle between elite counter-punchers Southern California’s Arnold Barboza Jr. slightly out-worked Jack Catterall in England to win a razor-close split decision and become the interim WBO super lightweight titlist on Saturday.

“It was a chess match,” said Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing.

Barboza (32-0, 11 KOs) managed to overcome a hostile British crowd to defeat hometown favorite Catterall (30-2, 13 KOs) in a battle between defensive masters at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester.

It was a match made for boxing purists who love the art of feints and counter-punches that are a major part of orthodox fighter Barboza and the southpaw Catterall. It was a fight that harkened back to the battle between Sugar Ray Leonard and Wilfredo Benitez in 1979.

Feints and more feints.

Neither fighter looked to give up ground from the first round until the last. Each was cognizant of the other’s ability to counter-strike.

Catterall benefited early from the hometown crowd. With few blows fired and even fewer blows landing, the crowd’s roars for the local fighter might have registered with the judges. Though neither fighter connected more than a dozen punches in any round, the crowd was more pleased with “El Gato” Catterall’s efforts.

No round was clear-cut.

Barboza began to increase his tempo around the third round. Though the fighter from El Monte, California never loaded up on his punches, he was more ready to risk receive incoming blows from Catterall. And they did come.

Perhaps it was Barboza’s steadier use of the jab to the chest and head that made the difference. And when the Californian opened-up with combinations, Catterall was ready with jolting lefts. If not for Barboza’s chin he might have hit the deck from the blows.

In the seventh round Barboza found the target for repeated right hand leads. One after another connected. And when it looked like he might overrun the British fighter, things turned around as Catterall connected below the belt. When Barboza complained to the referee, Catterall delivered three head blows at the end of the round. The referee ruled the blow was low, but still, the follow-up blows did land.

It was anyone’s fight.

From the ninth round on Barboza took the lead as the aggressor while Catterall maintained his counter-punching mode. Though neither fighter could gain separation, Barboza was slightly busier and that may have proved the difference in the final four rounds.

Catterall connected with the heavier punches throughout the fight. But he just never opened-up with combinations and settled for counters. And though he connected often with single blows, combinations were rarely fired by the Manchester fighter. But he was always in the fight.

No knockdowns were scored and after 12 rounds one judge saw Catterall the winner 115-113, but two others gave Barboza the win by 115-113 to become the number one contender for the WBO super lightweight title.

“Since I was little I just wanted respect,” said Barboza. “I got my respect today.”

Catterall was gracious in defeat.

“It was a tricky fight,” Catterall said. “I thought I just did enough.”

Barboza said he does not care who he fights next.

“Anybody can get it,” he said.

Other Bouts

Super featherweight Reece “The Bomber” Bellotti (20-5,15 KOs) belted Michael Gomez Jr. throughout 10 rounds with body shots. Twice he floored Gomez with shots to the liver until the fight was stopped at the end of the ninth round by technical knockout.

In another super featherweight clash James Dickens (35-5, 14 KOs) repeatedly out-maneuvered Zelfa Barrett (31-3, 17 KOs) to win by unanimous decision after 10 rounds.

Welterweight Pat McCormack (7-0, 6 KOs) blasted out veteran Robbie Davies Jr. (24-6) with three knockdowns in six rounds. The fight was stopped at the end of the sixth round in a scheduled 10-round fight.

Photo credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom

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