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Wladimir #Klitschko Guns For 60 Wins
It seems to be going unnoticed, but Wladimir Kitschko (59-3, 50 KOs) will be aiming for his 60th today in his heavyweight title defense (WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO and RING) against Francesco Pianeta (28-0-1, 15 KOs). Should he emerge victorious on EPIX as expected (Pianeta is one of the champ’s former sparring partners and has exactly 0 notable wins on his ledger), Big Bad Wlad will further solidify his status as one of the most successful heavyweight crown wearers in the history of the sport.
In fact, of the dozen notable accomplishers of such a feat (i.e. amassing 60 or more wins and winning at least a portion of the heavyweight championship), our man Klitschko compares quite favorably to the best of the best.
The standard bearer for the crew, Joe Louis (66-3, 52 KOs), was a remarkable 58-1 after he defeated Jersey Joe Walcott in June of 1948. The Brown Bomber announced his retirement from boxing in March of the very next year, but made his way back into the ring in late 1950 against new heavyweight king, Ezzard Charles. Louis was too old to beat The Cincinnati Cobra. He lost a 15-round UD to the slick boxer, but won 8 in a row until his TKO loss to Rocky Marciano in 1951, his last fight as a professional.
Perhaps equally impressive was George Foreman (76-5-1, 68 KOs). The menacing slugger was 45-2 after his surprise loss to Jimmy Young in 1977. Big George had seen enough and retired. Ten years later, though, the big fellow returned to the ring a new man. He won 21 fights in a row to earn himself a shot at linear champion Evander Holyfield in 1991. The old man put up a heck of a fight, but Holyfield outworked him for the decision. Undeterred, Foreman worked his way back into title contention by 1994 and shocked champ Michael Moorer to become heavyweight champion at age 45, a record that still stands among heavyweights. Foreman fought for 3 more years, retiring after a MD loss to Shannon Briggs in 1997.
Not to be outdone, Larry Holmes (69-6, 44 KOs) staved off the completion for his version of the heavyweight title for almost 7 years in the late 70s and early 80s. Sporting perhaps the best jab in the history of the division, Holmes out-fought numerous notable contenders, including Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers and Tim Witherspoon, to run his record to 48-0, one short of Rocky Marciano’s achievement. Superstar light heavyweight Michael Spinks out-pointed the champ twice though, so he soured on boxing until he was obliterated by Mike Tyson in 1988 in just 4 rounds. Despite it, Holmes stayed relevant after, and even challenged for a heavyweight title belt twice more before hanging up the gloves in 2002.
Golden age rivals Jack Dempsey (61-6-9, 50 KOs) and Gene Tunney (65-1-1, 48 KOs) both accomplished the feat, despite neither man defending the title more than a handful of times between them. Dempsey had collected 54 wins for himself after he annihilated the giant Jess Willard in 1919 to seize the heavyweight throne. He defended it 6 times and reached the magic number of 60 in a barnburner against Luis Angel Firpo, a fight that featured 11 total knockdowns. Dempsey lost the crown to Tunney in 1926, then fought twice more before calling it a career. Meanwhile, Tunney won the majority of his share at light heavyweight. By the time he out-boxed Dempsey for the heavyweight title, The Fighting Marine was already a member of the 60 win club, having amassed 62 wins in 64 fights.
Of the other upper echelon heavyweight champions, Jack Johnson (77-13-14, 48 KOs) and Ezzard Charles (93-25-1, 52 KOs) accomplished the same achievement, though both also amassed a double digit loss total.
So does winning 60 prizefights and being heavyweight champion of the world mean Wladimir Klitschko is great? Not quite. Running the numbers is one factor alone. After all, sluggish giant Primo Carnera (88-14, 71 KOs) made the grade as well, and no one considers him even a top 20 heavyweight.
But fight fans and historians should take notice of the younger Klitschko brother and his ever growing status among the all-time greats. Since grabbing the IBF and IBO title straps in 2006 against Chris Byrd, Wladimir has proven to be the best heavyweight in the world. He’s unified every belt he can save the WBC version his brother owns, and while his refusal to trade punches with Vitali keeps him from being the linear TBRB champion, it shouldn’t keep him (and big brother for that matter) from being considered among the very best heavyweights to ever lace up gloves.
Klitschko’s plan is to finish his career doing something that’s never been done and compete in the 2016 Olympic Games. The 1996 gold medal winner seeks to hold on to his professional title belts only until then, giving him a likely total of no more than 5-6 more pro bouts left to fight at the most.
If he has it his way, if he retires the heavyweight champion, if he meets or exceeds Joe Louis’ 66-3 mark, and if he caps it all off by bookending his impressive professional career with another gold medal at the Olympics….well, the numbers don’t always tell the whole story, but they don’t lie neither. If he does all that, Wladimir Klitschko will be the greatest heavyweight boxer in the history of the sport.
In Case You Were Wondering
Other notable champs with 60 or more wins include Max Baer (66-13, 51 KOs) and Lee Savold (97-38-3, 72 KOs), who might have the coolest alias of all the fighters in the club: “The Boxing Bartender.” Muhammad Ali (56-5, 37 KOs) might be “The Greatest,” but didn’t quite get there. Neither did Max Schmeling (56-10-4, 40 KOs) or Floyd Patterson (55-8-1, 40 KOs).
Three 80s alphabet belt winners Greg Page (58-17-1, 48 KOs), Tony Tucker (57-7, 47 KOs) and Tim Witherspoon (55-13-1, 38 KOs) came close, and notable 90s heavyweight Oliver McCall (56-12, 37 KOs) finished his career just 4 wins short.
A note: career records of fighters, especially those who competed before 1950, are often difficult to track. Historians may not completely agree to the records of some of the fighters listed above. Nonetheless, BoxRec.com was used as the authority of record.
Follow @KelseyMcCarson on twitter.
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Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing
Skylar Lacy, a six-foot-seven heavyweight, returns to the ring on Sunday, Feb. 2, opposing Brandon Moore on a card in Flint, Michigan, airing worldwide on DAZN.
As this is being written, the bookmakers hadn’t yet posted a line on the bout, but one couldn’t be accused of false coloring by calling the 10-round contest a 50/50 fight. And if his frustrating history is any guide, Lacy will have another draw appended to his record or come out on the wrong side of a split decision.
This should not be construed as a tip to wager on Moore. “Close fights just don’t seem to go my way,” says the boxer who played alongside future multi-year NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at the University of Louisville.
A 2021 National Golden Gloves champion, Skylar Lacy came up short in his final amateur bout, losing a split decision to future U.S. Olympian Joshua Edwards. His last Team Combat League assignment resulted in another loss by split decision and he was held to a draw in both instances when stepping up in class as a pro. “In my mind, I’m still undefeated,” says Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs). “No one has ever kicked my ass.”
Lacy was the B-side in both of those draws, the first coming in a 6-rounder against Top Rank fighter Antonio Mireles on a Top Rank show in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and the second in an 8-rounder against George Arias, a Lou DiBella fighter on a DiBella-promoted card in Philadelphia.
Lacy had the Mireles fight in hand when he faded in the homestretch. The altitude was a factor. Lake Tahoe, Nevada (officially Stateline) sits 6,225 feet above sea level. The fight with Arias took an opposite tack. Lacy came on strong after a slow start to stave off defeat.
Skylar will be the B-side once again in Michigan. The card’s promoter, former world title challenger Dmitriy Salita, inked Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) in January. “A capable American heavyweight with charisma, athleticism and skills is rare in today’s day and age. Brandon has got all these ingredients…”, said Salita in the press release announcing the signing. (Salita has an option on Skylar Lacy’s next pro fight in the event that Skylar should win, but the promoter has a larger investment in Moore who was previously signed to Top Rank, a multi-fight deal that evaporated after only one fight.)
Both Lacy and Moore excelled in other sports. The six-foot-six Moore was an outstanding basketball player in high school in Fort Lauderdale and at the NAIA level in college. Lacy was an all-state football lineman in Indiana before going on to the University of Louisville where he started as an offensive guard as a redshirt sophomore, blocking for freshman phenom Lamar Jackson. “Lamar was hard-working and humble,” says Lacy about the player who is now one of the world’s highest-paid professional athletes.
When Lacy committed to Louisville, the head coach was Charlie Strong who went on to become the head coach at the University of Texas. Lacy was never comfortable with Strong’s successor Bobby Petrino and transferred to San Jose State. Having earned his degree in only three years (a BA in communications) he was eligible immediately but never played a down because of injuries.
Returning to Indianapolis where he was raised by his truck dispatcher father, a single parent, Lacy gravitated to Pat McPherson’s IBG (Indy Boxing and Grappling) Gym on the city’s east side where he was the rare college graduate pounding the bags alongside at-risk kids from the city’s poorer neighborhoods.
Lacy built a 12-6 record across his two seasons in Team Combat League while representing the Las Vegas Hustle (2023) and the Boston Butchers (2024).
For the uninitiated, a Team Combat League (TCL) event typically consists of 24 fights, each consisting of one three-minute round. The concept finds no favor with traditionalists, but Lacy is a fan. It’s an incentive for professional boxers to keep in shape between bouts without disturbing their professional record and, notes Lacy, it’s useful in exposing a competitor to different styles.
“It paid the bills and kept me from just sitting around the house,” says Lacy whose 12-6 record was forged against 13 different opponents.
As a sparring partner, Lacy has shared the ring with some of the top heavyweights of his generation, e.g., Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He was one of Fury’s regular sparring partners during the Gypsy King’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder. He worked with Joshua at Derrick James’ gym in Dallas and at Ben Davison’s gym in England, helping Joshua prepare for his date in Saudi Arabia with Francis Ngannou and had previously sparred with Ngannou at the UFC Performance Center in Las Vegas. Skylar names traveling to new places as one of his hobbies and he got to scratch that itch when he joined Whyte’s camp in Portugal.
As to the hardest puncher he ever faced, he has no hesitation: “Ngannou,” he says. “I negotiated a nice price to spend a week in his camp and the first time he hit me I knew I should have asked for more.”
Lacy is confident that having shared the ring with some of the sport’s elite heavyweights will get him over the hump in what will be his first 10-rounder (Brandon Moore has never had to fight beyond eight rounds, having won his three 10-rounders inside the distance). Lacy vs. Moore is the co-feature to Claressa Shields’ homecoming fight with Danielle Perkins. Shields, basking in the favorable reviews accorded the big-screen biopic based on her first Olympic journey (“The Fire Inside”) will attempt to capture a title in yet another weight class at the expense of the 42-year-old Perkins, a former professional basketball player.
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Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce
Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.
Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.
The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.
In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.
It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.
For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.
Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.
It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.
“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”
Trinidad Wins Too
Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.
Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.
“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”
After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.
Other Bouts
Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.
Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.
Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.
More Winners
Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More
Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More
Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.
Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.
Hopefully the worst is over.
Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.
“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.
UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.
Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.
“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.
He knows talent.
Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.
Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.
Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.
Can Trinidad reach world title status?
Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.
It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.
Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.
Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m.
Boxing and the Media
The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.
Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.
Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.
Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.
MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.
Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.
Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.
It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.
Photos credit: Lina Baker
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