Featured Articles
Hopkins Does It Again: The Old Master Beats Cloud, UD12
Bernard Hopkins looked to KO Father Time, or at least clinch and hold him off at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday night. That he did, but not in such a manner as to make it a foregone conclusion that he beat Tavoris Cloud in a 12 round scrap. So went to the scorecards, wondering if the judges would appreciate, truly appreciate, Hopkins’ majestic ring generalship. They did: by scores of 116-112, 117-111, 116-112.
The crowd, announced at 12,293, was appreciative of the display, booing maybe once or twice even though the action a tradefest.
After the fight, he said he did it again, and was happy to do so while clean. He said he got into his rythm around round four or five and knew he was doing his thing. He gave credit to Cloud for being strong.
I scored it for Hopkins, still a master pugilist, 8-3-1, and was happy that the judges did the right thing. Hopkins breaks his own record, as the oldest man to win a title in any sport.
The six-time champ from Philly Hopkins came in with a 52-6-2 mark, and was 174.4 pounds on Friday. Cloud was 24-0 and 173.8.
Earl Brown reffed, while John Stewart, John Poturaj and Tom Schreck judged. They deserve immense credit for getting it right.
Cloud came in with the IBF light heavy title.
Golden Boy promoted the event, with Don King, and HBO televised.
In the first round, Hopkins made Cloud miss, made him wait, made him fight at his preferred pace.
In the second, Hopkins landed a sharp right and then later Cloud a left while Hopkins was backing up. Hopkins clinched a couple times, made Cloud miss in showy fashion a couple times and maybe won the round.
In the third, Hopkins again dictated pace and distance. He moved to his right, slowly but surely, and did twitch feints to keep Cloud from starting to throw. He muffled and stuffed Cloud, and again, his ring generalship carried the round.
In the fourth, Hopkins again did his thing. His sneaky right landed and while Cloud flurried a couple times, he wasn’t fighting the fight he said he would, with heavy volume and pressure. Hopkins sometimes stood tall, sometimes moved; he kept Cloud guessing.
In the fifth, Hopkins was master of the domain again. Both men landed at least one hard, clean shot, but the master muffled Cloud, made him miss one shot badly…more masterful stuff, but hard to score.
In the sixth, the doc looked at the cut on Cloud’s left eye. He let it go and Cloud’s volume was better. Hopkins still landed the jab first a few times and shook his head that Cloud wans’t bothering him.
In the seventh, Hopkins showed that he can be backed into a corner and yet have the other guy where he wants him. He clowned Cloud and the crowd roared. His sneaky gut shots were a thing of beauty to watch.
In the eighth, Cloud worked harder. Both landed clean rights but Hopkins just wasn’t busy.
In the ninth, Hopkins boxed Cloud’s tail off. Cloud watched, and waited and Hopkins would launch right when he saw Cloud getting ready to do so.
In the tenth, Cloud came forward but without true zest or efficiency. A few times Hopkins landed a lead right hand.
In the 11th, Hopkins might have won the round with his defense.
In the 12th, Hopkins didn’t throw much and maybe gave the round to Cloud, who at least threw.
We went to the cards.
Andre Ward, calling for HBO, said he’d be open to a fight with Hopkins, and it would do well on HBO. He said he’d like to think he’d do better than Cloud does, because he has more dimensions to him. He’d waffled on who’d win, but said yesterday, watching film, he settled on Hopkins, because of his footwork. Hopkins after said he wouldn’t fight Ward, even for more than ten million…but Ward left the door open, wide open. For a pile for each of them, he’d do it.
Featured Articles
Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City
Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his last three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).
Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.
In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.
The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.
Co-Feature
In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.
Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.
What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.
The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.
Also
In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).
A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, applied the exclamation point, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim
Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.
Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.
Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.
Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is Brandon Figueroa should he defeat former Inoue foe Stephen Fulton next weekend. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.
Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”
Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.
Semi-wind-up
In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
Also
In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Eric Priest Wins Handily on Thursday’s Golden Boy card at the Commerce Casino
Model turned fighter Eric Priest jabbed and jolted his way into the super middleweight rankings with a shutout decision win over veteran Tyler Howard on Thursday.
In his first main event Priest (15-0, 8 KOs) proved ready for contender status by defusing every attack Tennessee’s Howard (20-3, 11 KOs) could muster at Commerce Casino, the second fight in six days at the LA County venue.
All ticket monies collected on the Folden Boy Promotions card were contributed to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation as they battle wildfires sprouting all over Los Angeles County due to high winds.
Priest, 26, had never fought anyone near Howard’s caliber but used a ramrod jab to keep the veteran off-balance and unable to muster a forceful counter-attack. Round after round the Korean-American fighter pumped left jabs while circling his opposition.
Though hit with power shots, none seemed to faze Howard but his own blows were unable to put a dent in Priest. After 10 rounds of the same repetitive action all three judges scored the fight 100-90 for Priest who now wins a regional super middleweight title.
Priest also joins the top 15 rankings of the WBA organization.
In a fight between evenly matched middleweights, Jordan Panthen (11-0, 9 KOs) remained undefeated after 10 rounds versus DeAundre Pettus (12-4, 7 KOs). Though equally skilled, Panthen simply out-worked the South Caroliina fighter to win by unanimous decision. No knockdowns were scored.
Other Bouts
Grant Flores (8-0, 6 KOs) knocked out Costa Rica’s David Lobo Ramirez (17-4, 12 KOs) with two successive right uppercuts at 2:59 of the second round of the super welterweight fight.
Cayden Griffith (3-0, 3 KOs) used a left hook to the body to stop Mark Misiura at 1:43 of the second round in a super welterweight bout.
Jordan Fuentes (3-0) floored Brandon Badillo (0-3-1) in the third round and proceeded to win by decision after four rounds in a super bantamweight fight.
A super featherweight match saw Leonardo Sanchez (8-0) win by decision over Joseph Cruz Brown (10-12) after six rounds.
Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2024 Boxing Obituaries PART ONE (Jan.-June)
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
R.I.P. Paul Bamba (1989-2024): The Story Behind the Story
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2024 Boxing Obituaries PART TWO: (July-Dec.)
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Oleksandr Usyk is the TSS 2024 Fighter of the Year
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Jai Opetaia Brutally KOs David Nyika, Cementing his Status as the World’s Top Cruiserweight
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
A No-Brainer: Turki Alalshikh is the TSS 2024 Promoter of the Year
-
Featured Articles6 days ago
Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Bygone Days: The Largest Crowd Ever at Madison Square Garden Sees Zivic TKO Armstrong