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Mayweather’s Brilliance Is Blinding
There is now only one reason left to watch Floyd Mayweather, Jr. box.
You do not watch in expectation of seeing a competitive fight because it has been so long since he’s been in one you have to go back to Jose Luis Castillo 11 years ago to find it. You do not watch in expectation of him being beaten because he has long ago made clear that for the time being at least the only people who could do that are dishonest or incompetent judges at ringside, or himself.
So why do you continue to watch after the way he undressed and embarrassed previously undefeated junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo’’ Alvarez Saturday night at the sold out MGM Grand Garden Arena?
You watch for the same reason you would watch Yo Yo Ma play the cello or Mikhail Baryshnikov dance or Miles Davis launch into a jazz rift so bizarre you have no idea what he is trying to do, you only know no one else could do it.
You watch to see a genius at work.
“Boxing is like jazz,’’ former heavyweight champion George Foreman said recently. “The better it is the less you understand it.’’
For many that is the case with Mayweather, who won the most lopsided majority decision in boxing history Saturday night by mystifying and mastering young Alvarez and apparently putting to sleep a myopic judge named C.J. Ross, who somehow concluded she had seen a draw when most everyone else with a view of the fight and eyes to see it felt he’d lost no more than two rounds and very likely none.
Yet Mayweather’s brilliance is so blinding it can lead people to argue they are not seeing what they just saw. They argue he can’t punch or that he is too defensive or is a boringly safety first practitioner of a sport that rewards aggression and violence.
They say he ducked this guy or that guy or is more of a master matchmaker than a master artisan plying the most difficult and dangerous of trades.
Those who say these things are as silly sounding as the few who gave Canelo Alvarez a chance to defeat Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in one of the most overhyped sparring sessions in boxing history. Mayweather was paid a guaranteed $41.5 million for the fight, $500,000 of which he gave back to purchase tickets himself, because he is the face of his sport and the finest fighter of his era. The fight attracted the largest live gate in Las Vegas history, $20,003,150, and sold over 23,000 more closed circuit seats in Las Vegas at $100 each. The pay-per-view numbers are as yet unknown and while they seem unlikely to approach the all-timer record set by Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 of 2,552,566 they may yet well eclipse the all-time pay-per-view gross of an estimated $137.5 million also set in that fight because the average pay-per-view charge was $15 more than in 2007.
If all those people watched for the chance to get a glimpse of a great artist working on canvas they got their money’s worth. If they watched in search of a boxing match, they did not because Canelo Alvarez proved to be far more Hype than Hit Man, far more victim than the embodiment of viciousness. That is not the master’s fault. That is the student’s and those who bought into a story line without looking at the resumes behind it.
“Canelo brought a checkerboard to a chess match,’’ said Bernard Hopkins, the 48-year-old reigning light heavyweight champion not long after Mayweather had baffled, bemused and battered his 23-year-old challenger for 12 lopsided rounds to lay claim to the unified junior middleweight title and put it alongside the welterweight one he already held. “Here’s the difference, that was a Ph.d vs. a GED.’’
Hopkins’ analysis could not have been more correct. By now you have seen or heard of the one-sided nature of the fight. You are aware Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KO) came nowhere near challenging Mayweather (45-0, 26 KO) or even hitting him harshly and have come to grips with the fact those like myself who tried to warn you that this kid had no idea what he had gotten himself into and no ability to do anything about it but take a licking until his face began to turn red from embarrassment and purple from bruising were telling the truth.
So why watch next May when Mayweather said he would next be back in the ring on what he termed “Cinco de Mayo-weather,’’ the traditional Mexican holiday weekend that hosts in Las Vegas one of the biggest pay-per-view shows of the year?
The reason is the same reason we watch excellence of any sort. It is the reason we revere mastery of any art form be it blowing glass or landing blows. You watch because to not watch is to deny yourself a moment that will not come along very often in a lifetime.
Watching Floyd Mayweather move inside a boxing ring is a joy. Watching the mental mastery he holds over space and distance and timing is like watching Michelangelo take a piece of stone and turn it into David, the greatest statue ever made.
Was it worth $74.95 Saturday night to see him in the ring against Canelo Alvarez? Well, that depends on what you went for.
If it was to see a fight you went to the wrong place as Mayweather warned you earlier in the week when upon his arrival at the MGM Grand he said ““This is not a fight. This is what we call an event.’’
That’s what it was so if you were expecting a fight you should have shut off your television after Danny Garcia again proved he is more than people say he is by dismantling with his mind as well as his right hand Lucas Matthysse. But if you went there for a higher calling, if you tuned in to watch a Grand Chess Master work you were well served.
What is the price of seeing greatness even if only for an hour? It’s not priceless but it’s well worth $74.95.
LAS VEGAS, NV – In an inelegant but wildly entertaining rumble, Richard Torrez Jr, bullied his way past Guido Vianello. The 10-round heavyweight contest, an appealing match-up between former Olympians, was the featured attraction on a Top Card at the Pearl Theater at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas.
Torrez, the pride of Tulare, California and a 5/2 favorite, promised to show more dimensions to his game, but was the same old frenetic bull-rusher. Torrez likes to dig inside and smother the punches of his opponent who is invariably taller. His chief asset is an engine that never quits.
The early rounds were marred by a lot of wrestling. Referee Tom Taylor, who had a difficult assignment, took a point away from Vianello for holding in round two, a controversial call although it proved to be a moot point.
Vianello, who was coming off an eighth-round stoppage of Russian-Canadian behemoth Arslanbek Makhmudov, wasn’t able to build on that victory and declined to 13-3-1 (11). Torrez, competing in his first scheduled 10-rounder, improved to 13-0 (11).
Co-Feature
In a tactical fight (translation: no fireworks) Lindolfo Delgado remained undefeated with a 10-round majority decision over Elvis Rodriguez. The scores were 95-95 and 96-94 twice.
Delgado, a 2016 Olympian for Mexico, won over the judges by keeping Rodriguez on his back foot for most of the fight. However, Rodriguez won the most lopsided round of the bout, the ninth, when he hurt the Mexican with a punch that sent him staggering into the ropes.
Delgado, a 3/2 favorite, improved to 23-0 (17). It was the second pro loss for Rodriguez (17-2-1), a 29-year-old Dominican who trains in Los Angeles under Freddie Roach.
Abdullah Mason
Cleveland southpaw Abdullah Mason celebrated his 21st birthday by winning his first scheduled 10-rounder. Mason (18-0, 16 KOs) scored three knockdowns before the fight was waived off after the sixth frame.
Mason’s opponent, Mexican southpaw Carlos Ornelas (28-5), fought a curious fight. He wasn’t knocked down three times, not exactly; he merely thought it prudent to take a knee and after each occasion he did his best work, if only for a few brief moments.
Ornelas, a late sub for Giovanni Cabrera who had to pull out with an eye injury, was clearly buzzed after the third “knockdown.” The doctor examined him after the sixth round and when Ornelas left his corner with an unsteady gait, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough.
Other Bouts
Featherweight Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez, a protégé of Robert Garcia, improved to 14-0 (7) with an 8-round unanimous decision over Australia’s durable but limited Dana Coolwell. The judges had it 80-72, 78-74, and 77-75.
The granite-chinned Coolwell (13-4) was making his second start in a U.S. ring after taking Shu Shu Carrington the distance in an 8-rounder underneath the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson exhibition at the stadium of the Dallas Cowboys.
SoCal bantamweight Steven Navarro, the TSS 2024 Prospect of the Year, stepped up in class and scored a fourth-round stoppage of Mexicali’s Juan Esteban Garcia who was winning the fourth round when Navarro (6-0, 5 KOs) reversed the momentum with a flourish, forcing the stoppage at the 2:46 mark.
Junior middleweight Art Barrera Jr (8-0, 6 KOs) polished off Daijon Gonzalez in the second round. Barrera decked Gonzalez with a hard left hook and when Gonzales got to his feet, he was immediately greeted with another devastating punch which forced the referee to intervene. The official time was 2:56 of round two. A 32-year-old campaigner from Davenport, Iowa, Gonzalez brought a 12-5 record but had scored only one win vs. an opponent with a winning record.
Jahi Tucker, a 22-year-old middleweight from Deer Park, Long Island, scores his best win to date, winning a lopsided decision over former British junior middleweight champion Troy Williamson. The scores were 99-89 across the board.
Tucker (14-1-1) scored two knockdowns. The first in the second round was called a slip but overruled on replay. The second, in round eight, was the result of a left hook. Williamson stayed on his feet but the ropes held him up and it was properly scored a knockdown. The Englishman, 34, fell to 20-4-1 in what was his U.S. debut.
In a junior lightweight bour slated for eight rounds, 21-year-old Las Vegas southpaw DJ Zamora, advanced to 16-0 (11 KOs) with a fourth-round stoppage of Tex-Mex campaigner Hugo Alberto Castaneda (15-2-1). The official time was 1:24 of round four.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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In a battle to retain heavyweight contender status, Filip Hrgovic out-fought Joe “The Juggernaut” Joyce to win by unanimous decision on Saturday on Queensberry Promotions’ first card on DAZN.
It was a heavyweight brawl.
Croatia’s Hrgovic (18-1, 14 KOs) was the more accurate puncher over England’s Joyce (16-4, 15 KOs) in their heavyweight title fight at Manchester, England. Both were coming off losses.
Hrgovic, 32, entered the boxing ring as a replacement for Joyce’s original foe Dillian Whyte. Though short on notice, he worked with Abel Sanchez who formerly trained Joyce. It proved to be a wise move.
From the opening round Hrgovic opened-up with a battering attack, especially with the one-two combination that rocked Joyce repeatedly in the first two rounds. The British fighter known for his rock-hard chin, withstood the challenge.
“He is a beast,” said Hrgovic. “This guy is like steel.”
For the first half of the 10-round heavyweight clash, Hrgovic was the aggressor and the much more accurate puncher. Joyce seemed unsteady on his legs but every round he seemed to gain more stability and confidence.
By midway, Joyce resorted to his juggernaut ways and began to stalk the Croatian fighter whom he defeated in the amateurs a dozen years ago.
Though Joyce had lost by knockout to Zhilei Zhang and was knocked down by Derek Chisora, he was able to remain upright throughout the match with Hrgovic despite some wicked shots.
Just when it seemed Joyce might take over the fight, Hrgovic opened-up with an eight-punch volley in the eighth round that had the British heavyweight reeling. The fight turned around.
Hrgovic seemed to get a second wind and began connecting with left hooks and pinpoint accurate combinations. Joyce tried to fight back but his accuracy was off. The Croatian fighter regained the momentum and never allowed Joyce back in the fight.
After 10 rounds all three judges scored for Hrgovic 97-93, 96-95, 98-92.
“I came to fight on short notice. Thanks to God he gave me strength,” said Hrgovic. “Thanks to Joe for the opportunity.”
The Croatian fighter said he seeks a fight with IBF heavyweight titlist Daniel Dubois.
“This guy beat Dubois and I beat him,” said Hrgovic who lost to Dubois a year ago but defeated Joyce who knocked out Dubois when they fought.
Other Bouts
Heavyweight David Adeleye (14-1, 13 KOs) knocked out Jeamie Tshikeva (8-2, 5 KOs) during a clinch and interference by the referee. It remained a knockout win for Adeleye at 55 seconds of the sixth round. Adeleye becomes the British heavyweight champion.
Super lightweight Jack Rafferty (26-0, 17 KOs) knocked out Cory O’Regan (14-1, 3 KOs) in a punch seemingly delivered during a clinch in the fifth round. The match was stopped at 2:26 of the sixth round.
British Olympian Delicious Orie (1-0) made his pro debut and won by decision over Milos Veletic (3-8) in a heavyweight contest.
Avila Perspective, Chap. 320: Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame, Heavyweights and More
Many of the best female fighters of all time including Christy Martin, Laila Ali and others are gathering in the glitzy lights of Las Vegas this week.
Several hundred fans including current and former world champions are attending the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, April 4 and 5th at the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas.
It’s one of my favorite events.
Where else can you talk to the female pioneers and stars of the 1980s and 1990s?
The last time I attended two years ago, Germany’s super star Regina Halmich spoke to the packed house about her career in boxing. She and Daisy Lang were two female world champions who sold out arenas wherever they fought. The pair of blonde fighters proved that female prizefighting could succeed.
Many times, I debated with promoters who believed women’s boxing could not succeed in the USA. Though it was popular in Germany and Mexico, various organizers felt female boxing was not appealing to the American masses.
Now promoters and media networks know women’s boxing and women’s sports have crowd appeal.
Expected to attend the IWBHOF event at Orleans will be Mexico’s Jessica Chavez and Jackie Nava who will be inducted into the women’s hall of fame along with Vaia Zaganas of Canada among many others.
It’s also a gathering place for many of the top proponents of women’s boxing including the organizers of this event such as Sue Fox whose idea spawned the IWBHOF.
Each event is unique and special.
Many of my favorite people in boxing attend this celebration of women’s boxing. Stop by the Orleans Casino on the second floor. You won’t be disappointed.
Heavyweight prospects
Heavyweights take the forefront this weekend in two pivotal battles in different continents.
In England, a pair of contenders looking to maintain their footing in the heavyweight mountain will clash as Joe Joyce (16-3, 15 KOs) meets Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic (17-1, 14 KOs) at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. DAZN will stream the event.
Both lost their last match and need a win to remain relevant. Joyce has lost his three of his last four, most recently coming up short in a riveting slugfest with Derek Chisora.
Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Nevada, two young heavyweights looking to crack contender status clash as undefeated Richard Torrez (12-0,11 KOs) fights Italy’s Guido Vianello (13-2-1,11 KOs) at the Palms Casino.
Both are Olympians who can crack and each can take a blow.
The winner moves up into contention and the other will need to scrape and claw back into relevance.
Coming up
April 12 in Atlantic City: Jarron Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) vs Eimantis Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) IBF welterweight title.
April 12 Albuquerque: Fernando Vargas Jr. (16-0) vs Gonzalo Gaston (23-7); Shane Mosley Jr. (22-4) vs DeAundre Pettus (12-4).
April 19 Oceanside, Calif: Gabriela Fundora (15-0, 7 KOs) vs Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1, 3 KOs). Also, Charles Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) vs Jorge Garcia (32-4, 26 KOs).
April 26 Tottenham Stadium, London, England; Conor Benn (23-0) vs Chris Eubank Jr. (34-3); Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KOs) vs Liam Smith (33-4, 20 Kos).
Fights to Watch
Sat. DAZN 11 a.m. Joe Joyce (16-3) vs Filip Hrgovic (17-1).
Sat. ESPN+ 2:30 p.m. Richard Torrez (12-0) vs Guido Vianello (13-2-1).
Sat. AMAZON PRIME VIDEO 8:00 8 p.m. Tim Tszyu (24-2) vs. Joey Spencer (19-1)
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