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A Look At the The Second Annual Shadow Box Film Festival
The trials of a global icon, the Irish civil war, healing from depression, healing from violence and, in the end, the guy gets the girl.
Those stories and more climbed into the ring on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 at the Second Annual Shadow Box Film Festival, held at the School of Visual Arts Theater in Manhattan.
Now enjoying its second year as the only film festival dedicated to screening films and documentaries about the sweet science, the Shadow Box Film Festival presented an engrossing program of films. The cinematic stories covered the wide spectrum of boxing and the profound way it touches human lives.
The festival began Friday with a screening of ‘The Silent Boxer,” written and directed by Dre Didderiens, which told the story of Juliano Westhiner, a deaf Romany boxer living in Holland. Westhiner hopes to be the first Dutch boxer in over twenty years to qualify for the Olympics.
The interesting feature follows Westhiner as he trains for qualifying bouts, deals with court-ordered anger classes following an assault charge, and navigates home life in the Romany caravan park. There a community’s hopes are heaped upon his shoulders.
In the end Westhiner does not qualify for the Olympics. His failure to make the team is perhaps hindered by a hand injury, or the Romany culture, which sees him marry his teenage girlfriend, become a father, and take a full time job, all in quick succession.
A group of short films, featuring documentaries and dramas, told a variety of boxing stories in creative fashion.
“Broken,” written and directed by David Wendelman, captures the emotions faced by a club fighter struggling with his identity after being told to retire by his trainer and promoter.
He is also haunted by the memory of his father, a once popular wrestler in Mexico, who smuggled the family across the border for a better a life in America, only to die as a day laborer and a broken man.
An animated film from Iran, directed and animated by Yahya Ghobadi, “Return” shows how boxing influences a man battling addiction to turn his life around and reclaim his family.
“The Gunner,” produced by Winner Take All Productions, features former cruiserweight contender Jamie Drubin.
The Long Island native talks about his life in boxing and what is required to be a professional fighter.
In telling his story Drubin mentions his father, who “began to teach me how to throw punches as soon as I was able to walk and have balance,” and continued pushed him throughout his fighting career.
The theme of fathers and sons in boxing was also prevalent at last year’s festival.
“Stealing the Show,” from debuting Irish director Matthew Dobbyn, documents the sacrifices demanded of Belfast born Dee Walsh as he focuses on his dream of becoming middleweight champion of the world.
The story of dedicated Albany, NY trainer Jerrick Jones and his charge of young pupils is told in “Inside the Ring.”
The important role that Jones has in the youngster’s lives is underscored when each one of them describes him as a father figure who helps them with much more than throwing the straight right.
“Fight Day,” directed by Chris Cassidy, tells the poignant story of Showtime Boxing analyst Steve Farhood and his commitment to service.
Once a month for over five years, Farhood would visit with the patients of Manhattan’s Cabrini Nursing Home to screen and discuss a historic boxing match.
Farhood’s patience, compassion, and humanity are abundantly in evidence as he interacts with the patients, knowing that his mother had been scheduled to be a patient there before her unexpected passing.
The tale of a young, deaf, African-American boxer saddled with raising his infant son after his wife dies from childbirth complications is told in “Championship Rounds.”
Directed by Daniel Stine, “Championship Rounds,” features accomplished actors Harold Perrineau, Larry Gilliard Jr., and Michael Bentt.
The film captured the festival prize for best short film.
The slate of feature films presented at the festival showcased Celtic flavor, the code of the streets, the tribulations of a global icon, and the growth of a boxing community.
Acclaimed Irish documentarian Andrew Gallimore presented two films at the festival.
“A Bloody Canvas” tells the fascinating story of former world champion Mike McTigue, who left Ireland to seek his fortune in America, only to have fate return him home for life-changing experiences.
McTigue’s co-star in the film is history, as the boxer’s adventures dovetail with the immigrant experience in America, the Irish civil war, the Jazz Age, and the Great Depression.
Sadly McTigue ends up penniless and a resident of New York’s infamous Graymoor Mental Hospital suffering from what is now known as pugilistic dementia.
The only bright spot in his final days are the regular visits from devoted family members.
The authoritative tones of Oscar nominee, and former amateur boxer, Liam Neeson grace Gallimore’s second film as narrator of “The Gentleman Prizefighter,” which chronicles the life of James J. Corbett.
Another colorful Irish character, Corbett was famous the world over for his exploits both in and out of the ring.
As heavyweight champion of the world he transformed boxing from bare-knuckle brawling to a respectable sport.
Understanding that his charisma radiated beyond the ring, Corbett conquered the stage as one of the pioneers of vaudeville and then moved on to the silver screen.
Corbett emerged from San Francisco’s tough Irish quarter to become a national hero and Neeson’s familiar Irish lilt brings authenticity to the exciting tale.
“The Gentleman Prizefighter” won the festival prize for best foreign film.
“White Rock Boxing,” directed by Cliff Springs, tells the story of an old-school gym dubbed the “Mecca of boxing in the south.”
The White Rock Gym is located in the back roads of South Carolina and has hosted Muhammad Ali and Michael Spinks. Today the gym is a training ground for boxers of all ages.
Submitted from the UK and written and directed by Adam Simcox, “Kid Gloves” shows two characters from disparate backgrounds headed towards an inevitable clash.
Former two-time world champion Pauli Malignaggi makes his acting debut in “Omerta,” a mafia crime film written and directed by Craig Tubiolo.
The drama is a real life depiction of life in the mafia controlled neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, in the 90’s.
A strong audience turnout for the Saturday afternoon screening surely sent positive vibes across the river as Malignaggi handily won his “Battle of Brooklyn” later that evening against Zab Judah at the Barclays Center.
“Boogaloo,” written and directed by Liam Mulvey, points the camera at the life of Philadelphia middleweight contender Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts and captures the back room machinations of the fight “game” in the city of brotherly love.
Watts was arguably the best middleweight out of a quartet of contenders that included “Bad” Bennie Brisoce, Willie “The Worm” Monroe, and Eugene “Cyclone” Hart. They all fought during the golden era of Philadelphia middleweights in the 70’s.
The film spends time allowing the viewer to get to know the humble and personable Watts, but also to peer into the world of matchmaking, promoting, and moving a fighter through the ranks.
Although Watts was not able to become the first Philadelphia boxer to win the middleweight title, he had the respect of the boxing community and the distinction of being the first fighter to defeat Hall of Fame legend “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler.
The festival winner for best feature, “The Trials of Muhammad Ali,” directed by Bill Siegel, is a fascinating documentary that explores Ali’s lifelong journey of spiritual transformation.
Traveling with Ali from his Louisville roots, through his years in exile, to receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the film traces Ali’s path from poet to pariah to global ambassador for peace.
Boxing icon Bernard Hopkins, who attended the Friday screening, stated “I loved the film. It showed me so many things about Ali’s life that I didn’t know. He could do so many things. If he hadn’t been a boxer, he could have been an actor.”
A trio of films, one feature and two shorts, explored the growing community of women in boxing.
“Boxing Chicks,” written and directed by Frederick Taylor, presents the case that if men can build their self esteem through sports and physical fitness, why not women?
The participants in the film believe that positive expressions of aggression encourage women to find their true selves.
Filmmaker Jill Morley provides a first-person perspective of women overcoming their demons through boxing, while telling a larger story about abuse, trauma, mental illness, and healing in “Fight Like a Girl.”
Morley’s battle with severe depression takes us into the world of women boxers as she seeks to heal from trauma absorbed during her childhood.
Once in the gym Morley meets several women (Susan Reno, Kimberly Tomes, and former world champion Maureen Shea), who all turned to boxing to resolve their own issues. The women form a strong bond of support, friendship and camaraderie.
Despite having to be hospitalized for depression, Morley perseveres and stays focused on her goal to compete in the New York Golden Gloves.
At the same time Reno wins the gloves, Shea rebounds from heartbreak, and Tomes, now a professional, seeks to avenge a loss from her amateur days.
While Morley digs deep to find the fortitude to compete in the ring, she also digs into her personal life to reach the core of her issues.
Conversations with her parents, particularly her mother, are powerful and revealing.
At the Saturday afternoon screening Morley, at the behest of Jill Diamond from the WBC, was presented with a special WBC medal for inspiration, education, and courage. Her fistic comrades Shea, Reno, and Tomes joined her at the podium.
“Outside the Ring,” a short film directed by Joanne Green and Steve Lindsay, provides another insightful look into the lives of women and boxing.
The film focuses on a group of women who have been the victims of violence who are reclaiming their bodies and finding empowerment through boxing.
They are taking part in the Shape Your Life program, started by Green, Toronto Newsgirls Gym owner Savoy Howe, and Brock University Professor Cathy Van Ingen. The program’s goal is to work with female victims of violence and provide them with a channel to express their own healthy aggression.
Viewers follow this group of women as they discuss their histories and reflect on the change boxing has brought to their lives.
Training scenes in the gym show the women encouraging, celebrating, and supporting each other on their respective roads to empowerment.
A memoriam that is part of the final credits is dedicated to a woman in the group who, despite the support available to her, made the decision to take her own life.
At last year’s festival each day closed with a panel discussion prior to the screening of the day’s final film.
This year each day concluded with the presentation of a “Garfield” award followed by a screening. Named after the late John Garfield, the award was established for actors who have enhanced the image of boxing through film and television.
On Friday evening actor Burt Young, of “Rocky” fame, was presented with the award along with Anthony P. Rhodes, the School of Visual Arts Executive Vice President.
Mr. Rhodes received the award in recognition of his unwavering support of the Shadow Box Film Festival and the students at SVA in their pursuit of artistic excellence.
Friday’s awards presentation was followed by a screening of Garfield’s “They Made Me a Criminal,” featuring the Dead End Kids.
On the festival’s closing night Garfield’s daughter Julie Garfield was in attendance to host a Q & A and present the award to Holt McCallany, of TV’s “Lights Out.”
The final film screened was her father’s all-time classic “Body and Soul,” usually at the top of any boxing and film fan’s list.
In its second year the Shadow Box Film Festival continued to provide attendees with a variety of films that captured the positive and powerful impact boxing has on people from all walks of life.
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Hall of Fame Boxing Writer Michael Katz (1939-2025) Could Wield His Pen like a Stiletto
One of the last of the breed – a full-time boxing writer for the print edition of a major metropolitan daily – left us this week. Hall of Fame boxing writer Michael Katz was 85 when he drew his last breath at an assisted living facility in Brooklyn on Monday, Jan. 27.
Born in the Bronx, Katz earned his spurs writing for the school newspaper “The Campus” at the City College of New York. He was living in Paris and working for the international edition of the New York Times when he covered his first fight, the 15-round contest between Floyd Patterson and Jimmy Ellis at Stockholm in 1968. He eventually became the Times boxing writer, serving in that capacity for almost nine years before bolting for the New York Daily News in 1985 where he was reunited with the late Vic Ziegel, his former CCNY classmate and cohort at the campus newspaper.
From a legacy standpoint, leaving America’s “paper of record” for a tabloid would seem to be a step down. Before the digital age, the Times was one of only a handful of papers that could be found on microfilm in every college library. Tabloids like the Daily News were evanescent. Yesterday’s paper, said the cynics, was only good for wrapping fish.
But at the Daily News, Michael Katz was less fettered, less of a straight reporter and more of a columnist, freer to air his opinions which tended toward the snarky. Regarding the promoter Don King, Katz wrote, “On the way to the gallows, Don King would try to pick the pocket of the executioner.”
With his metaphoric inkwell steeped in bile, Katz made many enemies. “Bob Arum would sell tickets to a Joey Buttafuoco lecture on morals and be convinced it was for a noble cause,” wrote Katz in 1993. Arum had had enough when Katz took him to task for promoting a fight on the night of Yom Kippur and sued Katz for libel.
“It was out of my hands, HBO picked the date,” said Arum of the 1997 bout between Buster Douglas and John Ruiz that never did come off after Douglas suffered a hand injury in training. (Arum would subsequently drop the suit, saying it wasn’t worth the hassle.)
At press luncheons in Las Vegas, the PR people always made certain to seat Katz with his pals Ed Schuyler, the Associated Press boxing writer, and Pat Putnam, the Sports Illustrated guy. They reveled in each other’s company. But Katz also made enemies with some of his peers on press row, in some cases fracturing longstanding friendships.
“I like Hauser,” wrote Katz in a review of Thomas Hauser’s award-winning biography of Muhammad Ali, “and was afraid that after Tom put in those thousands of hours with Ali, somehow the book couldn’t be as good as I wanted. With relief, I can report it’s better than I had hoped.”
The two later had a falling-out.
Katz’s most celebrated run-in with a colleague happened in June of 2004 when he scuffled with Boston Globe boxing writer Ron Borges in the media room at the MGM Grand during the pre-fight press conference for the fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Sturm. During the fracas, Katz, Borges, Arum, and Arum’s publicist Lee Samuels toppled to the floor. The cantankerous Katz, who initiated the fracas by attacking Borges verbally, then wore a neck brace and carried a cane.
“I had my ups and downs with him,” wrote Borges on social media upon learning of Katz’s death, “but we traveled the world together for nearly 50 years and I long admired his talent, his willingness to stand up for fighters and to call out the b.s. of boxing and its promoters and broadcast entities who worked diligently to try and destroy a noble sport.”
A little-known fact about Michael Katz is that he played a role in getting one of the best boxing books, George Kimball’s vaunted “Four Kings,” to its publishing house. Kimball, who passed away in 2011, an esophageal cancer victim at age 67, was hospitalized and too ill to finish the proofing and editing of the manuscript and enlisted the aid of Katz and an old friend from Boston, Tom Frail, an editor at the Smithsonian magazine, to complete the finishing touches. “If there are any mistakes in the book,” wisecracked Kimball, “blame them.”
Katz was one of the first sportswriters to hop on the internet bandwagon, moving his tack to HouseofBoxing.com which became MaxBoxing.com. That didn’t work out so well for him. Some of his last published pieces ran in the Memphis Commercial Appeal and in the Las Vegas weekly Gaming Today.
A widower for much of his adult life, Katz was predeceased by his only child, his beloved daughter Moorea, a cancer sufferer who passed away in 2021. Her death took all the spirit out of him, noted matchmaker and freelance boxing writer Eric Bottjer in a moving tribute.
During a moment in Atlantic City, Bottjer had been privy to a different side of the irascible curmudgeon, “a beautiful soul when open and vulnerable.” The best way to honor Katz’s memory, he writes, is to reach out to a long lost friend. Pass it on.
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The TSS Fighter of the Month for January is super lightweight Ernesto “Tito” Mercado who scored his sixth straight knockout, advancing his record to 17-0 (16 KOs) with a fourth-round stoppage of Jose Pedraza on the undercard of Diego Pacheco vs. Steven Nelson at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas.
Mercado was expected to win. At age 35, Pedraza’s best days were behind him. But the Puerto Rican “Sniper” wasn’t chopped liver. A 2008 Beijing Olympian, he was a former two-division title-holder. In a previous fight in Las Vegas, in June of 2021, Pedraza proved too savvy for Julian Rodriguez (currently 23-1) whose corner pulled him out after eight rounds. So, although Mercado knew that he was the “A-side,” he also knew, presumably, that it was important to bring his “A” game.
Mercado edged each of the first three frames in what was shaping up as a tactical fight. In round four, he followed a short left hand with an overhand right that landed flush on Pedraza’s temple. “It was a discombobulating punch,” said one of DAZN’s talking heads. Indeed, the way that Pedraza fell was awkward. “[He] crushed colorfully backward and struck the back of his head on the canvas before rising on badly wobbled legs,” wrote ringside reporter Lance Pugmire.
He beat the count, but referee Robert Hoyle wisely waived it off.
Now 23 years old, Ernesto “Tito” Mercado was reportedly 58-5 as an amateur. At the December 2019 U.S. Olympic Trials in Lake Charles, Louisiana, he advanced to the finals in the lightweight division but then took sick and was medically disqualified from competing in the championship round. His opponent, Keyshawn Davis, won in a walkover and went on to win a silver medal at the Tokyo Games.
As a pro, only one of Mercado’s opponents, South African campaigner Xolisani Ndongeni, heard the final bell. Mercado won nine of the 10 rounds. The stubborn Ndongeni had previously gone 10 rounds with Devin Haney and would subsequently go 10 rounds with Raymond Muratalla.
The Ndongeni fight, in July of 2023, was staged in Nicaragua, the homeland of Mercado’s parents. Tito was born in Upland in Southern California’s Inland Empire and currently resides in Pomona.
Pomona has spawned two world champions, the late Richie Sandoval and Sugar Shane Mosley. Mercado is well on his way to becoming the third.
Marcel Cerdan Jr
Born in Casablanca, Marcel Cerdan Jr was four years old when his dad ripped the world middleweight title from Tony Zale. A good fighter in his own right, albeit nowhere near the level of his ill-fated father, the younger Cerdan passed away last week at age 81.
Fighting mostly as a welterweight, Cerdan Jr scored 56 wins in 64 professional bouts against carefully selected opponents. He came up short in his lone appearance in a U.S. ring where he was matched tough against Canadian champion Donato Paduano, losing a 10-round decision on May 11, 1970 at Madison Square Garden. This was a hard, bloody fight in which both men suffered cuts from accidental head butts.
Cerdan Jr and Paduano both trained for the match at the Concord Hotel in the Catskills. In the U.S. papers, Cerdan Jr’s record was listed as 47-0-1. The record conveniently omitted the loss that he had suffered in his third pro bout.
Eight years after his final fight, Cerdan Jr acquired his highest measure of fame for his role in the movie Edith et Marcel. He portrayed his father who famously died at age 33 in a plane crash in the Azores as he was returning to the United States for a rematch with Jake LaMotta who had taken away his title.
Edith et Marcel, directed by Claude Lelouch, focused on the love affair between Cerdan and his mistress Edith Piaf, the former street performer turned cabaret star who remains today the most revered of all the French song stylists.
Released in 1983, twenty years after the troubled Piaf passed away at age 47, the film, which opened to the greatest advertising blitz in French cinematic history, caused a sensation in France, spawning five new books and hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles. Cerdan Jr’s performance was “surprisingly proficient” said the Associated Press about the ex-boxer making his big screen debut.
The French language film occasionally turns up on Turner Classic Movies. Although it got mixed reviews, the film is a feast for the ears for fans of Edith Piaf. The musical score is comprised of Piaf’s original songs in her distinctive voice.
Marcel Cerdan Jr’s death was attributed to pneumonia complicated by Alzheimer’s. May he rest in peace.
Claressa Shields
Speaking of movies, the Claressa Shields biopic, The Fire Inside, released on Christmas day, garnered favorable reviews from some of America’s most respected film critics with Esquire’s Max Cea calling it the year’s best biopic. First-time director Rachel Morrison, screenwriter Barry Jenkins, and Ryan Destiny, who portrays Claressa, were singled out for their excellent work.
The movie highlights Shields’ preparation for the 2012 London Olympics and concludes with her training for the Rio Games where, as we know, she would win a second gold medal. In some respects, the movie is reminiscent of The Fighter, the 2010 film starring Mark Wahlberg as Irish Micky Ward where the filmmakers managed to manufacture a great movie without touching on Ward’s famous trilogy with Arturo Gatti.
The view from here is that screenwriter Jenkins was smart to end the movie where he did. In boxing, and especially in women’s boxing, titles are tossed around like confetti. Had Jenkins delved into Claressa’s pro career, a very sensitive, nuanced biopic, could have easily devolved into something hokey. And that’s certainly no knock on Claressa Shields. The self-described GWOAT, she is dedicated to her craft and a very special talent.
Shields hopes that the buzz from the movie will translate into a full house for her homecoming fight this coming Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan. A bevy of heavyweight-division straps will be at stake when Shields, who turns 30 in March, takes on 42-year-old Brooklynite Danielle Perkins.
At bookmaking establishments, Claressa is as high as a 25/1 favorite. That informs us that the oddsmakers believe that Perkins is marginally better than Claressa’s last opponent, Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse. That’s damning Perkins with faint praise.
Shields vs. Perkins plus selected undercard bouts will air worldwide on DAZN at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT.
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Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results
LAS VEGAS, NV – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Promotions was at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas tonight for the second half of a DAZN doubleheader that began in Nottingham, England. In the main event, Diego Pacheco, ranked #1 by the WBO at super middleweight, continued his ascent toward a world title with a unanimous decision over Steven Nelson.
Pacheco glides round the ring smoothly whereas Nelson wastes a lot energy with something of a herky-jerky style. However, although Nelson figured to slow down as the fight progressed, he did some of his best work in rounds 11 and 12. Fighting with a cut over his left eye from round four, a cut that periodically reopened, the gritty Nelson fulfilled his promise that he would a fight as if he had everything to lose if he failed to win, but it just wasn’t enough, even after his Omaha homie Terence “Bud” Crawford entered his corner before the last round to give him a pep talk (back home in North Omaha, Nelson runs the B&B (Bud and Bomac) Sports Academy.
All three judges had it 117-111 for Pacheco who mostly fought off his back foot but landed the cleaner punches throughout. A stablemate of David Benavidez and trained by David’s father Jose Benevidez Sr, Pacheco improved to 23-0 (18). It was the first pro loss for the 36-year-old Nelson (20-1).
Semi wind-up
Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, who as a pro has never fought a match slated for fewer than 10 rounds, had too much class for Hermosillo, Mexico’s rugged Omar Salcido who returned to his corner with a puffy face after the fourth stanza, but won the next round and never stopped trying. The outcome was inevitable even before the final round when Salcido barely made it to the final gun, but the Mexican was far more competitive than many expected.
The Cuban, who was 4-0 vs. Keyshawn Davis in closely-contested bouts as an amateur, advanced his pro record to 5-0 (2), winning by scores by 99-91 and 98-92 twice. Salido, coming off his career-best win, a 9th-round stoppage of former WBA super featherweight title-holder Chris Colbert, falls to 20-2.
Other TV bouts
Ernesto “Tito” Mercado, a 23-year-old super lightweight, aims to become the next world champion from Pomona, California, following in the footsteps of the late Richie Sandoval and Sugar Shane Mosely, and based on his showing tonight against former Beijing Olympian and former two-division title-holder Jose Pedraza, he is well on his way.
After three rounds after what had been a technical fight, Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) knocked Pedraza off his pins with a short left hand followed by an overhand right. Pedraza bounced back and fell on his backside. When he arose on unsteady legs, the bout was waived off. The official time was 2:08 of round four and the fading, 35-year-old Pedraza (29-7-1) was saddled with his third loss in his last four outings.
The 8-round super lightweight clash between Israel Mercado (the 29-year-old uncle of “Tito”) and Leonardo Rubalcava was a fan-friendly skirmish with many robust exchanges. When the smoke cleared, the verdict was a majority draw. Mercado got the nod on one card (76-74), but was overruled by a pair of 75-75 scores.
Mercado came out strong in the opening round, but suffered a flash knockdown before the round ended. The referee ruled it a slip but was overruled by replay operator Jay Nady and what would have been a 10-9 round for Mercado became a 10-8 round for Rubalcava. Mercado lost another point in round seven when he was penalized for low blows.
The scores were 76-74 for Mercado (11-1-2) and 75-75 twice. The verdict was mildly unpopular with most thinking that Mercado deserved the nod. Reportedly a four-time Mexican amateur champion, Rubalcava (9-0-1) is trained by Robert Garcia.
Also
New Matchroom signee Nishant Dev, a 24-year-old southpaw from India, had an auspicious pro debut (pardon the cliché). Before a beaming Eddie Hearn, Dev stopped Oakland’s Alton Wiggins (1-1-1) in the opening round. The referee waived it off after the second knockdown.
Boxers from India have made large gains at the amateur level in recent years and Matchroom honcho Eddie Hearn anticipates that Dev, a Paris Olympian, will be the first fighter from India to make his mark as a pro.
Undefeated Brooklyn lightweight Harley Mederos, managed by the influential Keith Connolly, scored his seventh knockout in eight tries with a brutal third-round KO of Mexico’s Arturo de Isla.
A left-right combination knocked de Isla (5-3-1) flat on his back. Referee Raul Caiz did not bother to count and several minutes elapsed before the stricken fighter was fit to leave the ring. The official time was 1:27 of round three.
In the opener, Newark junior lightweight Zaquin Moses, a cousin of Shakur Stevenson, improved to 2-0 when his opponent retired on his stool after the opening round.
Photo credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom
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R.I.P. Paul Bamba (1989-2024): The Story Behind the Story
Jai Opetaia Brutally KOs David Nyika, Cementing his Status as the World’s Top Cruiserweight
Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing
Bygone Days: The Largest Crowd Ever at Madison Square Garden Sees Zivic TKO Armstrong
Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce
Don’t Underestimate Gloria Alvarado, an Unconventional Boxing Coach
Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More
Dante Kirkman: Merging the Sweet Science with Education
Boxing Trainer Bob Santos Paid his Dues and is Reaping the Rewards
Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City
Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results
Boxing Odds and Ends: Ernesto Mercado, Marcel Cerdan and More
Avila Perspective, Chap. 310: Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue and More
Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim
Eric Priest Wins Handily on Thursday’s Golden Boy card at the Commerce Casino
Hall of Fame Boxing Writer Michael Katz (1939-2025) Could Wield His Pen like a Stiletto
Hall of Fame Boxing Writer Michael Katz (1939-2025) Could Wield His Pen like a Stiletto
Boxing Odds and Ends: Ernesto Mercado, Marcel Cerdan and More
Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results
Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City
Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim
Eric Priest Wins Handily on Thursday’s Golden Boy card at the Commerce Casino
Avila Perspective, Chap. 310: Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue and More
Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing
Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce
Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More
Boxing Trainer Bob Santos Paid his Dues and is Reaping the Rewards
Bygone Days: The Largest Crowd Ever at Madison Square Garden Sees Zivic TKO Armstrong
Jai Opetaia Brutally KOs David Nyika, Cementing his Status as the World’s Top Cruiserweight
R.I.P. Paul Bamba (1989-2024): The Story Behind the Story
Don’t Underestimate Gloria Alvarado, an Unconventional Boxing Coach
Dante Kirkman: Merging the Sweet Science with Education
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