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AVILA RINGSIDE: Bradley Ends Pacman's Seven Year Streak
by Chris Farina-Top Rank
LAS VEGAS-After winning some controversial decisions Manny Pacquiao finally lost a close fight as Timothy Desert Storm” Bradley out-worked the Filipino superstar and won the WBO welterweight world title before a stunned crowd on Saturday.
A crowd of more than 16,000 saw what Juan Manuel Marquez suffered against Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs), who lost for the first time in seven years, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Bradley (29-0, 12 KOs) remain undefeated and emerges as the new champion.
Bradley started with some quick jabs to measure the distance. Pacquiao landed a stiff left hand that connected through Bradley's guard to perhaps win the first round.
After a somewhat cautious first round, Bradley opened up with some combos including an 11-punch barrage when both were tangled inside in round two. Pacquiao landed some left counters and Bradley a right counter. It was clear that Pacquiao's vaunted power was not hurting Bradley.
Pacquiao opened up with the big guns in round three though few landed. Bradley was able to slip most and counter with some smaller blows but it looked like Pacquiao was going for the knockout that never came.
Pacquiao fired two dozen punches with few landing but was in full attack mode in round four. Bradley caught Pacquiao at the end of the round with a big right hand. It was his best punch so far.
The fifth round turned into a brawl with Pacquiao initiating the inside fight and Bradley responding. A big counter left by Pacquiao connected for the best punch of the round.
It's apparent now that Pacquiao was not throwing many blows in the first minute of each round. Bradley took the initiative with jabs and counters. Pacquiao landed a good left uppercut but was hit with an overhand Bradley right hand flush in round six.
Both fighters seemed tired in round seven as the brawling continued inside. Bradley connected with rights to the body and a left hook while Pacquiao connected with a counter left.
“I got my second wind in the sixth round,” said Bradley. “I worked on angles and movement and scoring with counters.”
The fight went toe to toe with Bradley having his best action against Pacquiao. Some right hands connected with Pacquiao still looking for the big bomb.
In round 10 Bradley landed and threw more than Pacquiao who was still looking for the big blow. It didn't come and meanwhile Bradley was scoring points to the body and head. A big right hand scored for Bradley. Round 11 saw Bradley score with some sneak right hands as Pacquiao mounted some flurries but few punches were connecting. So far neither seemed hurt during the fight.
“Tonight he never hurt me. He was hitting me on my arms,” said Pacquiao, who felt he won the fight.
Bradley praised Pacquiao's power.
“He hurt me a couple of times with the left hand,” Bradley admitted. “My corner told me if I won the last round I would win the fight.”
The final round saw both fighters unreluctant to make a mistake. Some clean right hands from the fresher legs of Bradley seemed to be the difference in the fight. Pacquiao never could score the knockout and paid for it as two of three judges scored it for Bradley.
Judges CJ Ross and Duane Ford had it 115-113 and Jerry Roth favored Pacquiao 115-113. There were no knockdowns.
“I want the rematch,” said Pacquiao.
WBA junior featherweight Guillermo Rigondeaux (10-0, 8 KOs) blasted out Philadelphia's Teon Kennedy with a left cross at 1:11 of round five to retain WBA title. It was his first world title defense.
The former Cuban Olympian floored Kennedy five times and made the fight look easy as he riddled the Philly fighter with counter lefts whenever he pleased. Kennedy tried to make a fight but was unable to solve Rigondeaux's southpaw speed and power. Referee Russell Mora saw enough and ended the fight.
“He has the kind of punches you can't see,” said Kennedy, who though knocked down numerous times got up to fight.
Rigondeaux was never in trouble and looked relaxed at all times.
“All my punches are great, I don't have any bad ones,” said Rigondeaux explaining the knockdowns. “That was one of my best performances.”
It truly was eye-opening.
In an ultra slow fight for the vacant IBF welterweight world title Philadelphia's Mike Jones and former junior welterweight champion Randall Bailey matched feints and both refused to lead an assault through eight rounds. Then Bailey lowered the boom in round 10 and said good night to Jones in round 11 with a perfect right uppercut to the chin to win the world title at 2:52 of round 11. Referee Tony Weeks ended the fight.
“Nobody knows what I had to go through,” said Bailey (43-7, 37 KOs) teary eyed. “I just did it.”
It had been more than a decade since Bailey held a world title and had been striving since 2002 to regain a world championship.
“He hit me with a clean shot,” explained Jones (26-1, 19 KOs).
It wasn't until the ninth that Bailey took the initiative and began to mount an attack. A right hand counter seemed to hurt Bailey and that ended that attempt to engage.
Bailey scored big in round 10 with a one-two combination to Jones' chin and down he went. He beat the count and the round ended. Then came round 11 and Bailey waited for the moment and delivered.
Mexico's Jorge “Travieso” Arce (60-6-2, 46 KOs) was fouled by a head butt, a low blow and a blow behind the head all within seconds by Puerto Rico's Jesus Rojas (18-1-1, 13 KOs) and was unable to recuperate to resume the fight in the second round. The match was stopped at nine seconds of round two and ruled a no decision.
“This isn't ending well have a rematch. We have to do this again,” said Arce.
Other bouts
Philippine fighter Ernie Sanchez (13-3, 5 KOs) won by unanimous decision over Minnesota's Wilton Hilario (12-3-1, 9 KOs) on a weirdly scored fight. Judge Robert Hoyle gave Hilario only one round. It was a much closer fight with Sanchez having a difficult time landing a blow but he was aggressive. Hilario landed the cleaner blows but was not given credit.
Canada's Mikael Zewski (15-0, 11 KOs) knocked out Colorado's Ryan Grimaldo (8-2, 5 KOs) 59 seconds into round three of a welterweight match. Zewski landed a right to floor Grimaldo. He got up but couldn't recover and seemingly went down without another serious blow landing. Referee Cortez ended the fight.
Philadelphia's Jesse Hart (1-0) took advantage of referee Joe Cortez's warning for an infraction and while New Mexico's Manuel Eastman (0-2) attempted to touch gloves he was met with a right hand and a flurry of bombs. Is it coincidence that Cortez was involved again? Eastman should have realized it was not a sparring match and been prepared to fight, not shake hands. Shades of Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz. The fight ended in a mere 33 seconds.
Oxnard's Andy Ruiz (2-0) floored Taylor Lawson (0-3-1) of Las Vegas with a counter right hand in round one but couldn't finish the job. Lawson is trained by Floyd Mayweather Sr. and has skills and a big heart. He managed to get in his licks but is a little too short for the welterweight division. Ruiz won by unanimous decision.
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Niyomtrong Proves a Bridge Too Far for Alex Winwood in Australia
Today in Perth, Australia, Alex Winwood stepped up in class in his fifth pro fight with the aim of becoming the fastest world title-holder in Australian boxing history. But Winwood (4-0, 2 KOs heading in) wasn’t ready for WBA strawweight champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong, aka Knockout CP Freshmart, who by some accounts is the longest reigning champion in the sport.
Niyomtrong (25-0, 9 KOs) prevailed by a slim margin to retain his title. “At least the right guy won,” said prominent Australian boxing writer Anthony Cocks who thought the scores (114-112, 114-112, 113-113) gave the hometown fighter all the best of it.
Winwood, who represented Australia in the Tokyo Olympics, trained for the match in Thailand (as do many foreign boxers in his weight class). He is trained by Angelo Hyder who also worked with Danny Green and the Moloney twins. Had he prevailed, he would have broken the record of Australian boxing icon Jeff Fenech who won a world title in his seventh pro fight. A member of the Noongar tribe, Winwood, 27, also hoped to etch on his name on the list of notable Australian aboriginal boxers alongside Dave Sands, Lionel Rose and the Mundines, Tony and Anthony, father and son.
What Winwood, 27, hoped to capitalize on was Niyomtrong’s theoretical ring rust. The Thai was making his first start since July 20 of 2022 when he won a comfortable decision over Wanheng Menayothin in one of the most ballyhooed domestic showdowns in Thai boxing history. But the Noongar needed more edges than that to overcome the Thai who won his first major title in his ninth pro fight with a hard-fought decision over Nicaragua’s Carlos Buitrago who was 27-0-1 heading in.
A former Muai Thai champion, Niyomtrong/Freshmart turns 34 later this month, an advanced age for a boxer in the sport’s smallest weight class. Although he remains undefeated, he may have passed his prime. How good was he in his heyday? Prominent boxing historian Matt McGrain has written that he was the most accomplished strawweight in the world in the decade 2010-2019: “It is not close, it is not debatable, there is no argument.”
Against the intrepid Winwood, Niyomtrong started slowly. In round seven, he cranked up the juice, putting the local fighter down hard with a left hook. He added another knockdown in round nine. The game Winwood stayed the course, but was well-beaten at the finish, no matter that the scorecards suggested otherwise, creating the impression of a very close fight.
P.S. – Because boxrec refused to name this a title fight, it fell under the radar screen until the result was made known. In case you hadn’t noticed, boxrec is at loggerheads with the World Boxing Association and has decided to “de-certify” the oldest of the world sanctioning bodies. While this reporter would be happy to see the WBA disappear – it is clearly the most corrupt of the four major organizations – the view from here is that boxrec is being petty. Moreover, if this practice continues, it will be much harder for boxing historians of future generations to sort through the rubble.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 295: Callum Walsh, Pechanga Casino Fights and More
Super welterweight contender Callum Walsh worked out for reporters and videographers at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif. on Thursday,
The native of Ireland Walsh (11-0, 9 KOs) has a fight date against Poland’s Przemyslaw Runowski (22-2-1, 6 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 20 at the city of Dublin. It’s a homecoming for the undefeated southpaw from Cork. UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card.
Mark down the date.
Walsh is the latest prodigy of promoter Tom Loeffler who has a history of developing European boxers in America and propelling them forward on the global boxing scene. Think Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin and you know what I mean.
Golovkin was a middleweight monster for years.
From Kevin Kelley to Oba Carr to Vitaly Klitschko to Serhii Bohachuk and many more in-between, the trail of elite boxers promoted by Loeffler continues to grow. Will Walsh be the newest success?
Add to the mix Dana White, the maestro of UFC, who is also involved with Walsh and you get a clearer picture of what the Irish lad brings to the table.
Walsh has speed, power and a glint of meanness that champions need to navigate the prizefighting world. He also has one of the best trainers in the world in Freddie Roach who needs no further introduction.
Perhaps the final measure of Walsh will be when he’s been tested with the most important challenge of all:
Can he take a punch from a big hitter?
That’s the final challenge
It always comes down to the chin. It’s what separates the Golovkins from the rest of the pack. At the top of the food chain they all can hit, have incredible speed and skill, but the fighters with the rock hard chins are those that prevail.
So far, the chin test is the only examination remaining for Walsh.
“King’ Callum Walsh is ready for his Irish homecoming and promises some fireworks for the Irish fans. This will be an entertaining show for the fans and we are excited to bring world class boxing back to the 3Arena in Dublin,” said Loeffler.
Pechanga Fights
MarvNation Promotions presents a battle between welterweight contenders Jose “Chon” Zepeda (37-5, 28 KOs) and Ivan Redkach (24-7-1, 19 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 6, at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. DAZN will stream the fight card.
Both have fought many of the best welterweights in the world and now face each other. It should be an interesting clash between the veterans.
Also on the card, featherweights Nathan Rodriguez (15-0) and Bryan Mercado (11-5-1) meet in an eight-round fight.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. First bout at 7 p.m.
Monster Inoue
Once again Japan’s Naoya Inoue dispatched another super bantamweight contender with ease as TJ Doheny was unable to continue in the seventh round after battered by a combination on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Inoue continues to brush away whoever is placed in front of him like a glint of dust.
Is the “Monster” the best fighter pound-for-pound on the planet or is it Terence Crawford? Both are dynamic punchers with skill, speed, power and great chins.
Munguia in Big Bear
Super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia is two weeks away from his match with Erik Bazinyan at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. ESPN will show the Top Rank card.
“Erik Bazinyan is a good fighter. He’s undefeated. He switches stances. We need to be careful with that. He’s taller and has a longer reach than me. He has a good jab. He can punch well on the inside. He’s a fighter who comes with all the desire to excel,” said Munguia.
Bazinyan has victories over Ronald Ellis and Alantez Fox.
In case you didn’t know, Munguia moved over to Top Rank but still has ties with Golden Boy Promotions and Zanfer Promotions. Bazinyan is promoted by Eye of the Tiger.
This is the Tijuana fighter’s first match with Top Rank since losing to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez last May in Las Vegas. He is back with trainer Erik Morales.
Callum Walsh photo credit: Lina Baker
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60 Years Ago This Month, the Curtain Fell on the Golden Era of TV Boxing
The Sept. 11, 1964 fight between Dick Tiger and Don Fullmer marked the end of an era. The bout aired on ABC which had taken the reins from NBC four years earlier. This would be the final episode of the series informally known as the “Friday Night Fights” or the “Fight of the Week,” closing the door on a 20-year run. In the future, boxing on free home TV (non-cable) would be sporadic, airing mostly on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The days when boxing was a weekly staple on at least one major TV network were gone forever.
During the NBC years, the show ran on Friday in the 10:00-11-00 pm slot for viewers in the Eastern Time Zone and the “studio” was almost always Madison Square Garden. The sponsor from the very beginning was the Gillette razor company (during the ABC run, El Producto Cigars came on as a co-sponsor).
Gillette sponsored many sporting events – the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, the U.S. Open golf tournament and the Blue-Gray college football all-star game, to name just a few – all of which were bundled under the handle of the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports. Every sports fan in America could identify the catchphrase that the company used to promote their disposable “Blue Blades” – “Look Sharp, Feel Sharp, Be Sharp!” — and the melody of the Gillette jingle would become the most-played tune by marching bands at high school and college football halftime shows (the precursor, one might say, of the Kingsmen’s “Louie, Louie”).
The Sept. 11 curtain-closer wasn’t staged at Madison Square Garden but in Cleveland with the local area blacked out.
Dick Tiger, born and raised in Nigeria, was making his second start since losing his world middleweight title on a 15-round points decision to Joey Giardello. Don Fullmer would be attempting to restore the family honor. Dick Tiger was 2-0-1 vs. Gene Fullmer, Don’s more celebrated brother. Their third encounter, which proved to be Gene Fullmer’s final fight, was historic. It was staged in Ibadan, Nigeria, the first world title fight ever potted on the continent of Africa.
In New York, the epitaph of free TV boxing was written three weeks earlier when veteran Henry Hank fought up-and-comer Johnny Persol to a draw in a 10-round light heavyweight contest at the Garden. This was the final Gillette fight from the place where it all started.
Some historians trace the advent of TV boxing in the United States to Sept. 29, 1944, when a 20-year-old boxer from Connecticut, Willie Pep, followed his manager’s game plan to perfection, sticking and moving for 15 rounds to become the youngest featherweight champion in history, winning the New York version of the title from West Coast veteran Albert “Chalky” Wright.
There weren’t many TVs in use in those days. As had been true when the telephone was brand new, most were found in hospitals, commercial establishments, and in the homes of the very wealthy. But within a few years, with mass production and tumbling prices, the gizmo became a living room staple and the TV repairman, who made house calls like the family doctor, had a shop on every Main Street.
Boxing was ideally suited to the infant medium of television because the action was confined to a small area that required no refurbishment other than brighter illumination, keeping production costs low. The one-minute interval between rounds served as a natural commercial break. The main drawback was that a fight could end early, meaning fewer commercials for the sponsor who paid a flat rate.
At its zenith, boxing in some locales aired five nights a week. And it came to be generally seen that this oversaturation killed the golden goose. One by one, the small fight clubs dried up as fight fans stayed home to watch the fights on TV. In the big arenas, attendance fell off drastically. Note the difference between Pep vs. Wright, the 1944 originator, and Hank vs. Persol, also at Madison Square Garden:
Willie Pep vs. Chalky Wright Sept. 29, 1944 attendance 19,521
Henry Hank vs. Johnny Persol Aug. 21, 1964 attendance 5,219
(True, Pep vs. Wright was a far more alluring fight, but this fact alone doesn’t explain the wide gap. Published attendance counts aren’t always trustworthy. In the eyes of the UPI reporter who covered the Hank-Persol match, the crowd looked smaller. He estimated the attendance at 3,000.)
Hank vs. Persol was an entertaining bout between evenly-matched combatants. The Tiger-Fullmer bout, which played out before a sea of empty seats, was a snoozer. Don Fullmer, a late sub for Rocky Rivero who got homesick and returned to Argentina, was there just for the paycheck. A Pittsburgh reporter wrote that the match was as dull as a race between two turtles. Scoring off the “5-point-must” system, the judges awarded the match to Dick Tiger by margins of 6, 6, and 7 points.
And that was that. Some of the most sensational fights in the annals of boxing aired free on a major TV network, but the last big bang of the golden era was hardly a bang, merely a whimper.
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A recognized authority on the history of prizefighting and the history of American sports gambling, TSS editor-in-chief Arne K. Lang is the author of five books including “Prizefighting: An American History,” released by McFarland in 2008 and re-released in a paperback edition in 2020.
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The photo accompanying this article is from the 1962 fight at Madison Square Garden between Dick Tiger (on the right) and Henry Hank. To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
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