Featured Articles
Avila’s Pound For Pound List, November 2013

Popularity or sensational knockouts have no bearing on this list. If that’s your cup of tea, well, this list is not for you. Skill and intelligence are the basis for this list.
Imagine that everyone in this pound for pound category weighed the exact same. How would they fare against each other? That’s always the main underlining factor on my pound for pound list. Another major factor is if a fighter has captured world titles in different weight divisions. No better proof exists of a boxer’s skills and intelligence than winning in different weight divisions. Dominance in at least one weight division is also proof of excellence.
Here’s the list:
1. Floyd Mayweather (45-0, 26 Kos) – The big question now for Mayweather is who does he fight next? Rumors are swirling that next on Money’s hit list will be Amir Khan. Not many are enthusiastic about the fight though it would be interesting to see how Mayweather solves the speed question. The betting line would be even larger than it was with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez or Robert Guerrero. Though Mayweather’s speed has slowed just a tick, he has plenty left to deal with anyone in the welterweight division. Two welterweights that could bring big money to the table would be Manny Pacquiao or Tim Bradley. Pacquiao has been gunning for Mayweather for several years and would bring a healthy pay-per-view audience. Bradley’s speed and cunning would give Mayweather a challenge too, but both Pacman and Desert Storm are Top Rank fighters. Another negative factor is Mayweather does not care to share 50/50 or even 60/40 with any challenger especially a Top Rank fighter. The Cold War continues.
2. Tim Bradley (31-0, 12 Kos) – After cleaning out the junior welterweight division “Desert Storm” moved into the welterweight division and has done just fine. Defeating the great Juan Manuel Marquez was not an easy feat. Bradley used his speed and intelligence to out-maneuver the always clever Marquez over 12 rounds last October in Las Vegas. The large pro-Marquez crowd was stunned by Bradley’s performance against the man who knocked out Manny Pacquiao. Many expected Marquez to do the same against Bradley but it was the Palm Springs fighter who dropped Marquez in the final round. Speed is Bradley’s primary asset and there may not be another welterweight that can match him in that department. He’s also one of the smarter fighters in the fight game, except when he opted to go toe-to-toe with Ruslan Provodnikov. He gambled and barely survived that brutal war with the Russian tank. Bradley gutted out a win that night and he’s still standing. He just wins.
3. Andre Ward (27-0, 14 Kos) – A few weeks ago Ward dominated Edwin Rodriguez the same way he’s dominated every super middleweight in the past five years. It’s time for Ward to move into the light heavyweight division. Ward usually has a height advantage over every opponent he’s faced. It’s remarkable that he can still make the weight. But clearly, he’s beaten every single 168-pounder out there worth watching. So why stay at super middleweight? The big money will come when he moves into the danger zone. There are plenty of light heavyweights that could pose a danger and that’s when fans will be interested. Not many like to see easy wins over and over. Ward needs challenges to be interesting to the fight fan.
4. Sergio Martinez (51-2-2, 28 Kos) – The Argentine is gifted with speed, power, agility and intelligence. A match with Floyd Mayweather would make sense and give both fighters a huge payday if the fight could be made. Can it be made? Martinez has been racked with health problems and seems to be falling part. The slick southpaw doesn’t seem to have much time left as his 38-year-old body is failing him especially with his legs and fists. It makes sense for Mayweather to fight Martinez because it would allow him to possibly add the middleweight title to his resume and add a sixth weight division world title. Though the Argentine is not a household name, the fight fans know that it could be Mayweather’s most dangerous opponent and that could potentially bring pay-per-views. But it has to be done quickly before Martinez fizzles out.
5. Bernard Hopkins (54-6-2, 32 Kos) – Hopkins will be 49 years old this coming January. How much longer can he last? It’s really astounding. The Philadelphia warrior is one of the geniuses of the sport. Boxing is truly a dangerous sport and the ageing Hopkins seems to nullify danger with his ability to neutralize his opponent’s strengths and power. Two big potential matches would be a fight with Andre Ward who has dominated super middleweights the same way Hopkins once dominated the middleweights. Another big fight for Hopkins would be Canada’s Adonis Stevenson.
6. Juan Manuel Marquez (55-7-1, 40 Kos) – Losing to Tim Bradley by decision should not diminish his reputation as one of boxing’s most skilled prizefighters. Marquez, 40, is a former featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight, and junior welterweight world champion. He could easily have captured the welterweight title but Bradley beat him to it. Bradley also beat him to the punch when they met this past October. Speedy defensive fighters have always given Marquez problems and always will. But the Mexico City whiz still remains the sports premier counter-puncher.
7. Robert Guerrero (31-2-1, 18 Kos) – What’s next for “The Ghost?” After losing to the great Floyd Mayweather he was quickly dismissed by most of the media but looking back, the slender southpaw actually seemed to do better against Mayweather than Saul “Canelo” Alvarez did. Guerrero is looking for the big fight, not the gate-keeper variety. He’s a former featherweight, junior lightweight, and lightweight champion now fighting at welterweight. Guerrero went the distance with Mayweather. That’s not an easy feat. A fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, Victor Ortiz or Tim Bradley would be great. Even a match with Manny Pacquiao would be a good thing, but would Pacman take the fight? The Ghost still remains viable and could be trouble for anyone who meets him in the ring. His contract is nearing the end with Golden Boy Promotions so it’s going to be interesting to see what transpires.
8. Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 Kos) – Asia’s greatest boxer in history returned to the boxing ring and showed that he still has tools to stay with the elite. By using his skills and speed against powerful Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios and maintaining focus, Pacman easily out-pointed the Oxnard-based boxer. It was a crucial win for the Filipino superstar and puts him back in the fold as a viable opponent for Floyd Mayweather. Of course the big question is whether Mayweather will fight Pacman? Probably not. But there are other matches for Pacman including several on this list. The power in his punches may be gone, but the speed remains and incredibly the stamina was evident against Rios. Potential fights remaining for Pacman would be Tim Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Robert Guerrero or Mayweather.
9. Roman Gonzalez (37-0, 31 Kos) – Nicaragua’s crazy bomber known as “Chocolatito” has invaded the flyweight division this year. After three flyweight fights Gonzalez won all three by knockout. He’s looking to add the flyweight world title to his shelf. He already won the junior flyweight world title but had trouble making the weight. Gonzalez, 26, is very strong and has a great chin. Plus, he has good boxing skills when necessary.
10. Danny Garcia (27-0, 16 Kos) – The young Philadelphia warrior had a good year in 2013. Garcia won the battle of the junior welterweight titans convincingly when he defeated Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse. It’s also easy to envision Garcia moving into the welterweight division soon. But the kid is only 25 so there’s no rush. Garcia can box or bang and that’s a good combination to possess.
11. Nonito Donaire (32-2, 21 Kos) – One thing is obvious the “Filipino Flash” can still bang. Nonito has that equalizer in both fists and proved it against the always exciting Vic Darchinyan. He’ll need that against Guillermo Rigondeaux should they meet in 2014. Because Donaire has a very unorthodox style, it’s the classic boxers that have the best chance to defeat him. Rigondeaux’s a fundamentally sound boxer with power and that’s the Achilles heel for Donaire. A rematch with the Cuban southpaw is a natural. Can Donaire solve the Rigondeaux puzzle? That’s going to be a great fight.
12. Wladimir Klitschko (61-3, 51 Kos) – The Ukrainian heavyweight has not looked the same since his trainer Emanuel Steward passed away. His recent win over Alexander Povetkin was not a pretty fight to watch. How much more does Klitschko have remaining?
Honorable mention:
Mikey Garcia – The Moreno Valley based boxer added the junior lightweight world title to his resume. Impressive.
Guillermo Rigondeaux – Cuba’s slick southpaw is fun to watch. Can he beat Donaire again? Can he beat Mikey Garcia?
Gennady Golovkin – All “GGG” needs is a chance against a marquee fighter so that he can be truly assessed by the boxing world.
Abner Mares – It’s tough to be a featherweight. A big rematch looms for Mares against Jhonny Gonzalez in January.
Carl Froch – If not for Andre Ward the British super middleweight would probably be high on the list.
Featured Articles
History has Shortchanged Freddie Dawson, One of the Best Boxers of his Era

History has Shortchanged Freddie Dawson, One of the Best Boxers of his Era
This reporter was rummaging around the internet last week when he stumbled on a story in the May 1950 issue of Ebony under the byline of Mike Jacobs. Boxing was then in the doldrums (isn’t it always?) and Jacobs, the most powerful promoter in boxing during the era of Joe Louis, was lassoed by the editors of the magazine to address the question of whether the over-representation of black boxers was killing the sport at the box office.
This hoary premise had been kicking around even before the heyday of Jack Johnson, bubbling forth whenever an important black-on-black fight played to a sea of empty seats as had happened the previous year when Chicago’s Comiskey Park hosted the world heavyweight title fight between Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott.
Jacobs ridiculed the hypothesis – as one could have expected considering the publication in which the story ran – and singled out three “colored” boxers as the best of the current crop of active pugilists: Sugar Ray Robinson, Ike Williams, and Freddie Dawson.
Sugar Ray Robinson? A no-brainer. Skill-wise the greatest of the great. Even those that didn’t follow boxing, would have recognized his name. Ike Williams? Nowhere near as well-known as Robinson, but he was then the reigning lightweight champion, a man destined to go into the International Boxing Hall of Fame with the inaugural class of 1990.
And Freddie Dawson? If the name doesn’t ring a bell, dear reader, you are not alone. I confess that I too drew a blank. And that triggered a search to learn more about him.
Freddie Dawson had four fights with Ike Williams. All four were staged on Ike’s turf in Philadelphia. Were this not the case, the history books would likely show the series knotted 2-2. Late in his career, Dawson became greatly admired in Australia. But we are jumping ahead of ourselves.
Dawson was born in 1924 in Thomasville, Arkansas, an unincorporated town in the Arkansas Delta. Likely a descendent of slaves who worked in the cotton plantations, he grew up in the so-called Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, the heart of Chicago’s Black Belt.
The first mention of him in the newspapers came in 1941 when he won Chicago’s Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) featherweight title. In those days, amateur boxing was big in the Windy City, the birthplace of the Golden Gloves. The Catholic Archdiocese, which ran gyms in every parish, and the Chicago Parks Department, were the major incubators.
In his amateur days, he was known as simply Fred Dawson. As a pro, his name often appeared as Freddy Dawson, although Freddie gradually became the more common spelling.
Dawson, who stood five-foot-six and was often described as stocky, made his pro debut on Feb. 1, 1943, at Marigold Gardens. Before the year was out, he had 16 fights under his belt, all in Chicago and all but two at Marigold. (Currently the site of an interdenominational Christian church, Marigold Gardens, on the city’s north side, was Chicago’s most active boxing and wrestling arena from the mid-1930s through the early-1950s. Joe Louis had three of his early fights there and Tony Zale was a fixture there as he climbed the ladder to the world middleweight title.)
The last of these 16 fights was fatal for Dawson’s opponent who collapsed heading back to his corner after the fight was stopped in the 10th round and died that night at a local hospital from the effects of a brain injury.
Dawson left town after this incident and spent most of the next year in New Orleans where energetic promoter Louis Messina ran twice-weekly shows (Mondays for whites and Fridays for blacks) at the Coliseum, a major stop on boxing’s so-called Chitlin’ Circuit.
That same year, on Sept. 19, 1944, Dawson had his first encounter with Ike Williams. He was winning the fight when Ike knocked him out with a body punch in the fourth round.
The first and last meetings between Dawson and Ike Williams were spaced five years apart. In the interim, Freddie scored his two best wins, stopping Vic Patrick in the twelfth round at Sydney, NSW, and Bernard Docusen in the sixth round in Chicago.
The long-reigning lightweight champion of Australia, Patrick (49-3, 43 KOs) gave the crowd a thrill when he knocked Dawson down for a count of “six” in the penultimate 11th round, but Dawson returned the favor twice in the final stanza, ending the contest with a punch so harsh that the poor Aussie needed five minutes before he was fit to leave the ring and would spend the night in the hospital as a precaution.
Dawson fought Bernard Docusen before 10,000-plus at Chicago Stadium on Feb. 4, 1949. An 8/5 favorite, Docusen lacked a hard punch, but the New Orleans cutie had suffered only three losses in 66 fights, had never been stopped, and had extended Sugar Ray Robinson the 15-round distance the previous year.
Dawson dismantled him. Docusen managed to get back on his feet after Dawson knocked him down in the sixth, but he was in no condition to continue and the referee waived the fight off. Dawson was then vacillating between the lightweight and welterweight divisions and reporters wondered whether it would be Robinson or Ike Williams when Dawson finally got his well-earned title shot.
Sugar Ray wasn’t in his future. Here are the results of his other matches with Ike Williams:
Dawson-Williams II (Jan. 28, 1946) – The consensus on press row was 7-2-1 or 7-3 for Dawson, but the match was ruled a draw. “[The judges and referee] evidently saw [Williams] land punches that nobody else did,” said the ringside reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Dawson-Williams III (Jan. 26, 1948) – Dawson lost a majority decision. The scores were 6-4, 5-4-1, and 4-4-2. The decision was booed. Ike Williams then held the lightweight title, but this was a non-title fight. (It was tough for an outsider to get a fair shake in Philadelphia, home to Ike Williams’ co-manager Frank “Blinky” Palermo who would go to prison for his duplicitous dealings as a fight facilitator.)
Dawson-Williams IV (Dec. 5, 1949) – This would be Freddie Dawson’s only crack at a world title and he came up short. Ike Williams retained the belt, winning a unanimous decision. The fight was close – 8-7, 8-7, 9-6 – but there was no controversy.
Dawson made three more trips to Australia before his career was finished. On the first of these trips, he knocked out Jack Hassen, successor to Vic Patrick as the lightweight champion of Australia. A 1953 article in the Sydney Sunday Herald bore witness to the esteem in which Dawson was held by boxing fans in Australia: “None of our boxers could withstand his devastating attacks which not only knocked them out but also knocked years off their careers,” said the author. “It is doubtful whether any Australian boxer in any division could have beaten Dawson.”
Dawson had his final fights in the Land Down Under, finishing his career with a record of 103-14-4 while answering the bell for 962 rounds. Following what became his final fight, he had an eye operation in Sydney that was reportedly so intricate that it required a two-week hospital stay. He injured the eye again in Manila while sparring in preparation for a match with the welterweight champion of the Philippines, a match that had to be aborted because of the injury. Dawson then disappeared, by which we mean that he disappeared from the pages of the newspaper archives that allow us to construct these kinds of stories.
What about Freddie Dawson the man? A 1944 story about him said he was an outstanding all-around athlete, “a champion in all athletic undertakings – basketball, baseball, track and even jitterbugging.” A story in a Sydney paper as he was preparing to meet Vic Patrick informs us that he had two young children, ages 2 and 1, owned his own home in Chicago, and drove a two-year-old Cadillac. But beyond these flimsy snippets, Dawson the man remains elusive.
What we learned, however, is that he was one of the most underrated boxers to come down the pike in any era, a borderline Hall of Famer who ought not have fallen through the cracks. Inside the ring, this guy was one tough hombre.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Ringside at the Fontainebleau where Mikaela Mayer Won her Rematch with Sandy Ryan

LAS VEGAS, NV — The first meeting between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan last September at Madison Square Garden was punctuated with drama before the first punch was thrown. When the smoke cleared, Mayer had become a world-title-holder in a second weight class, taking away Ryan’s WBO welterweight belt via a majority decision in a fan-friendly fight.
The rematch tonight at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas was another fan-friendly fight. There were furious exchanges in several rounds and the crowd awarded both gladiators a standing ovation at the finish.
Mayer dominated the first half of the fight and held on to win by a unanimous decision. But Sandy Ryan came on strong beginning in round seven, and although Mayer was the deserving winner, the scores favoring her (98-92 and 97-93 twice) fail to reflect the competitiveness of the match-up. This is the best rivalry in women’s boxing aside from Taylor-Serrano.
Mayer, 34, improved to 21-2 (5). Up next, she hopes, in a unification fight with Lauren Price who outclassed Natasha Jonas earlier this month and currently holds the other meaningful pieces of the 147-pound puzzle. Sandy Ryan, 31, the pride of Derby, England, falls to 7-3-1.
Co-Feature
In his first defense of his WBO world welterweight title (acquired with a brutal knockout of Giovani Santillan after the title was vacated by Terence Crawford), Atlanta’s Brian Norman Jr knocked out Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas in the third round. A three-punch combination climaxed by a short left hook sent Cuevas staggering into a corner post. He got to his feet before referee Thomas Taylor started the count, but Taylor looked in Cuevas’s eyes and didn’t like what he saw and brought the bout to a halt.
The stoppage, which struck some as premature, came with one second remaining in the third stanza.
A second-generation prizefighter (his father was a fringe contender at super middleweight), the 24-year-old Norman (27-0, 21 KOs) is currently boxing’s youngest male title-holder. It was only the second pro loss for Cuevas (27-2-1) whose lone previous defeat had come early in his career in a 6-rounder he lost by split decision.
Other Bouts
In a career-best performance, 27-year-old Brooklyn featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) blasted out Jose Enrique Vivas (23-4) in the third round.
Carrington, who was named the Most Outstanding Boxer at the 2019 U.S. Olympic Trials despite being the lowest-seeded boxer in his weight class, decked Vivas with a right-left combination near the end of the second round. Vivas barely survived the round and was on a short leash when the third stanza began. After 53 seconds of round three, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough and waived it off. Vivas hadn’t previously been stopped.
Cleveland welterweight Tiger Johnson, a Tokyo Olympian, scored a fifth-round stoppage over San Antonio’s Kendo Castaneda. Johnson assumed control in the fourth round and sent Castaneda to his knees twice with body punches in the next frame. The second knockdown terminated the match. The official time was 2:00 of round five.
Johnson advanced to 15-0 (7 KOs). Castenada declined to 21-9.
Las Vegas junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) blasted out Stockton, California’s Giovanni Gonzalez in the second round. Vargas brought the bout to a sudden conclusion with a sweeping left hook that knocked Gonzalez out cold. The end came at the 2:00 minute mark of round two.
Gonzalez brought a 20-7-2 record which was misleading as 18 of his fights were in Tijuana where fights are frequently prearranged. However, he wasn’t afraid to trade with Vargas and paid the price.
Emiliano Vargas, with his matinee idol good looks and his boxing pedigree – he is the son of former U.S. Olympian and two-weight world title-holder “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas – is highly marketable and has the potential to be a cross-over star.
Eighteen-year-old Newark bantamweight Emmanuel “Manny” Chance, one of Top Rank’s newest signees, won his pro debut with a four-round decision over So Cal’s Miguel Guzman. Chance won all four rounds on all three cards, but this was no runaway. He left a lot of room for improvement.
There was a long intermission before the co-main and again before the main event, but the tedium was assuaged by a moving video tribute to George Foreman.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0
No surprise, once again William Zepeda eked out a win over the clever and resilient Tevin Farmer to remain undefeated and retain a regional lightweight title on Saturday.
There were no knockdowns in this rematch.
The Mexican punching machine Zepeda (33-0, 17 KOs) once more sought to overwhelm Farmer (33-8-1, 9 KOs) with a deluge of blows. This rematch by Golden Boy Promotions took place in the famous beach resort area of Cancun, Mexico.
It was a mere four months ago that both first clashed in Saudi Arabia with their vastly difference styles. This time the tropical setting served as the background which suited Zepeda and his lawnmower assaults. The Mexican fans were pleased.
Nothing changed in their second meeting.
Zepeda revved up the body assault and Farmer moved around casually to his right while fending off the Mexican fighter’s attacks. By the fourth round Zepeda was able to cut off Farmer’s escape routes and targeted the body with punishing shots.
The blows came in bunches.
In the fifth round Zepeda blasted away at Farmer who looked frantic for an escape. The body assault continued with the Mexican fighter pouring it on and Farmer seeming to look ready to quit. When the round ended, he waved off his corner’s appeals to stop.
Zepeda continued to dominate the next few rounds and then Farmer began rallying. At first, he cleverly smothered Zepeda’s body attacks and then began moving and hitting sporadically. It forced the Mexican fighter to pause and figure out the strategy.
Farmer, a Philadelphia fighter, showed resiliency especially when it was revealed he had suffered a hand injury.
During the last three rounds Farmer dug down deep and found ways to score and not get hit. It was Boxing 101 and the Philly fighter made it work.
But too many rounds had been put in the bank by Zepeda. Despite the late rally by Farmer one judge saw it 114-114, but two others scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Zepeda who retains his interim lightweight title and place at the top of the WBC rankings.
“I knew he was a difficult fighter. This time he was even more difficult,” said Zepeda.
Farmer was downtrodden about another loss but realistic about the outcome and starting slow.
“But I dominated the last rounds,” said Farmer.
Zepeda shrugged at the similar outcome as their first encounter.
“I’m glad we both put on a great show,” said Zepeda.
Female Flyweight Battle
Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle edged past Texas fighter Marlen Esparza to win their showdown at flyweight by split decision after 10 rounds.
Valle moved up two weight divisions to meet Esparza who was slightly above the weight limit. Both showed off their contrasting styles and world class talent.
Esparza, a former unified flyweight world titlist, stayed in the pocket and was largely successful with well-placed jabs and left hooks. She repeatedly caught Valle in-between her flurries.
The current minimumweight world titlist changed tactics and found more success in the second half of the fight. She forced Esparza to make the first moves and that forced changes that benefited her style.
Neither fighter could take over the fight.
After 10 rounds one judge saw Esparza the winner 96-94, but two others saw Valle the winner 97-93 twice.
Will Valle move up and challenge the current undisputed flyweight world champion Gabriela Fundora? That’s the question.
Valle currently holds the WBC minimumweight world title.
Puerto Rico vs Mexico
Oscar Collazo (12-0, 9 KOs), the WBO, WBA minimumweight titlist, knocked out Mexico’s Edwin Cano (13-3-1, 4 KOs) with a flurry of body shots at 1:12 of the fifth round.
Collazo dominated with a relentless body attack the Mexican fighter could not defend. It was the Puerto Rican fighter’s fifth consecutive title defense.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
A Fresh Face on the Boxing Scene, Bryce Mills Faces His Toughest Test on Friday
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Bernard Fernandez Reflects on His Special Bond with George Foreman
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
A Paean to George Foreman (1949-2025), Architect of an Amazing Second Act
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser: Callum Walsh Returns to Madison Square Garden
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Spared Prison by a Lenient Judge, Chordale Booker Pursues a World Boxing Title
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Friday Boxing Recaps: Observations on Conlan, Eubank, Bahdi, and David Jimenez
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Sebastian Fundora TKOs Chordale Booker in Las Vegas
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
A Wide-Ranging Conversation on the Ills of Boxing with Author/Journalist Sean Nam