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2013: A Roundup of The Best and Worst
With the last major fight card ending with a bang, let’s proceed to the best of the best for the year 2013.
Many of the old school showed the new school that there are still many lessons to learn. We had pound for pound fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins and Manny Pacquiao showing their younger brethren that they still have ammunition remaining.
A few of the younger charges took firm control of their future with big wins and some fell off the wagon.
Fighter of the Year
Floyd “Money” Mayweather. The Las Vegas-based prizefighter established records for money made in gate receipts and for pay-per-views from a single fight. Not only did he clear more than $100 million when all of the calculators quit clicking, but he defeated two very good fighters in Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. He was scheduled to face United Kingdom’s Amir Khan, but that may have been undermined this past weekend when Adrien “Mini-me” Broner was defeated by Argentina’s Marcos Maidana. It makes more sense and would be a lot more interesting to see Maidana than Khan face Mayweather.
Others considered for Fighter of the Year were Carl Froch, Tim Bradley, Danny Garcia, Mikey Garcia, Roman Gonzalez and Guillermo Rigondeaux. Mayweather made more money than any other boxer for one fight and single-handedly destroyed the myth that MMA is more popular than boxing. No MMA fighter has ever come close to making even $20 million let alone $100 million.
Best Fight of 2013
Tim Bradley vs. Ruslan Provodnikov. When the fight was first announced it received ho hum reception from the media and fans alike. However, when WBO welterweight titlist Bradley and Russia’s Provodnikov met in the ring it was like two gladiators slinging chained hammers at each other. Though Bradley couldn’t match Provodnikov’s firepower, the Palm Springs boxer slugged it out anyway and was nearly beheaded by the smiling Russian. Bradley won the fight by razor close decision in a fight with no loser. It was no surprise when the champion revealed that he suffered dizzy spells for more than a month. Fans were awestruck by the blows that echoed in the night at the open air StubHub Center on March 16.
A close second was Brandon Rios vs. Mike Alvarado II; and Japan’s Takeshi Miura fighting off Mexico’s Sergio “Yeyo” Thompson in a brutal world title fight in Cancun, Mexico.
Worst Title fight of 2013
Carlos Molina vs. Ishe Smith for the IBF junior middleweight title on Sept. 14 on the under card of Mayweather vs., Alvarez. It was a match made in purgatory as the two counter-punchers rarely punched. Both mostly posed and waited for 12 rounds as fans were jeering and booing. Neither boxer was willing to step forward and make anything happen. In the end, Chicago’s Molina was slightly more active than Smith and was given the title. There ain’t going to be no rematch.
A close second was Austin Trout vs. Erislandy Lara for the interim WBA junior middleweight title. Some pick Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Joseph Agbeko. The Cuban southpaw has great technique but is not great action fighter.
Upset of the Year
Marcos Maidana defeating Adrien Broner on Dec. 14, in San Antonio, Texas. Argentina’s Maidana was a big underdog against Mayweather’s heir apparent WBA welterweight titlist Broner. But Mayweather’s “mini-me” couldn’t cope with the Argentine strongman’s power. Broner was supposed to succeed Mayweather but was shown once again that he could not adapt. In fights with Daniel Ponce De Leon and Paul Malignaggi, many felt Broner lost those fights too. This time, he could not escape with a decision.
A close second was Guillermo Rigondeaux’s toppling of Nonito Donaire on April 13, in New York City. Many felt Donaire was unbeatable until Rigondeaux was able to unveil the blueprint by using his technical proficiency and forcing the “Filipino Flash” to make mistakes. A rematch would be another chess match. Rigondeaux may not be exciting for most fans, but he has an iron will. Donaire can’t be counted out.
Knockout of the Year
Lucas Matthysse sent Mike Dallas Jr. airborne in Las Vegas when they met on January 26. The brutal power came into full display when Matthysse unloaded against the fleet-footed Dallas. The entire arena let out a collective “Oh!” at the same time.
Other contenders: Nonito Donaire fell behind on the score cards against dangerous Vic Darchinyan and pulled the trigger on a bomb of a left hook for another knockout win on Nov. 9, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Mikey Garcia knocked out Roman Martinez with a body shot in round four after being knocked down in the second round to win the WBO junior lightweight title. Jhonny Gonzalez stopped Abner Mares in a big surprise stoppage.
Round of the Year
WBC junior lightweight champion Takeshi Miura was floored by Mexico’s Sergio Thompson and nearly knocked out in the eighth round when they fought on Aug. 17, in Mexico. But the Japanese warrior came roaring back in the same round and nearly knocked out Thompson in almost inhuman conditions at the bull ring in Cancun. Thompson was knocked down in rounds
two and six. But nearly won the fight with a vicious counter right hand against Miura in the tumultuous eight round. The temperature was over 100 degrees and the humidity was unbearable. How these two fighters were able to go the distance was amazing. Miura was taken to the hospital when he nearly collapsed in his dressing room after the fight. But he was quickly stabilized. Round eight was an incredible display of raw courage and tenacity by both fighters.
Most Exciting Fighter
Gennady “GGG” Golovkin keeps bumping off the competition with sterling knockout victories. The middleweight champion knows what his fans like and delivered each and every time. Golovkin’s last knockout victory against New York City’s Curtis Stevens in his home court proved that he’s gathering followers at a quick pace. Those sensational fists are working busily for Golovkin who turns 32 years old in April. The Big Bear Lake fighter from Kazakhstan can’t afford to wait for the long build up. He needs to keep bumping off middleweights in machine gun fashion. Time is running out for GGG. But meanwhile, fans are reaping the rewards as Golovkin gathers victims on his speedway to success.
Least Exciting Fighter
Austin “No Doubt” Trout has proven to be a very likeable boxer and definitely has the skills of an elite prizefighter. But the New Mexican continues to take the “too safe road” and wait and wait and wait for the other guy to make a mistake. Last year his bout with Delvin Rodriguez could have made bird watching a gladiator event in comparison. This year, he and Erislandy Lara sent fans to the concession stands. And this was in Brooklyn where fans are accustomed to stylized boxing. Trout needs to step on the gas quickly or else he’ll definitely be extinct very soon as a television fighter.
Slam Dunk Club
These guys should be grabbing a world title in their next fight or within a year: Antonio Orozco, Omar Figueroa, Vasyl Lomachenko, Randy Caballero and Keith Thurman. It’s just a matter of time before any of these guys become world champions.
Best Young Contenders
Thomas Williams Jr., Andy Ruiz Jr., Sweden’s Erik Skoglund, United Kingdom’s George Groves, United Kingdom’s Callum Smith, Austria’s Marcos Nader, Jermell Charlo, Jermall Charlo, Jessie Vargas, Canada’s Mikael Zewski, Jose Zepeda, Russia’s Anton Novikov, Mexico’s Jose Felix Jr., Gary Russell Jr., Jose Pedraza, Saul Rodriguez, Ronny Rios, Jayson Velez, United Kingdom’s Scott Quigg, Jessie Magdaleno, Felix Verdejo, Mexico’s Carlos Cuadras, Thailand’s Petch Sor Chitpattana, Matt Villanueva, Philippine’s Melvin Gumban, South Africa’s Mzuvukile Magwaca, Nicaragua’s Felix Alvarado, Nicaragua’s Carlos Buitrago, and Japan’s Ryuji Hara.
Trainer of the Year
Joel Diaz gets my vote. Not only did he guide Tim “Desert Storm” Bradley through a brutal war with Ruslan Provodnikov, then, he devised the plan to out-maneuver the great boxing wizard Juan Manuel Marquez. That’s not all, he polished up Omar Figueroa who’s now headed for a world title bid and he also has Julio Diaz, Jessie Magdaleno, Jamie Kavanagh, Diego Magdaleno and Diego De La Hoya on a tear.
Others trainers worth note are Abel Sanchez who has an army of fighters including Gennady Golovkin and heavyweight Mike Perez that are banging on the door of stardom. Angel Garcia trained his son Danny “Swift” Garcia toward stardom and conceived the battle plan to defeat the powerful Lucas Matthysse. Eduardo Garcia is the father of Mikey Garcia who serves as his trainer. He is the real engineer behind his son’s success. Virgil Hunter continues to guide Andre Wards career and improved Alfredo Angulo who nearly had Erislandy Lara beaten until an eye poke.
Promoter of the Year
K-2’s Tom Loeffler managed to do what seemed nearly impossible by bringing attention to middleweight world champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. How many former prizefighters from Kazakhstan get the kind of attention Loeffler brought to GGG? It’s what real promoting is all about. He also has Cuba’s Mike Perez poised to make some noise too. Loeffler is my choice for Promoter of the Year.
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Bygone Days: The Largest Crowd Ever at Madison Square Garden Sees Zivic TKO Armstrong
Bygone Days: The Largest Crowd Ever at Madison Square Garden Sees Zivic TKO Armstrong
There’s not much happening on the boxing front this month. That’s consistent with the historical pattern.
Fight promoters of yesteryear tended to pull back after the Christmas and New Year holidays on the assumption that fight fans had less discretionary income at their disposal. Weather was a contributing factor. In olden days, more boxing cards were staged outdoors and the most attractive match-ups tended to be summertime events.
There were exceptions, of course. On Jan. 17, 1941, an SRO crowd of 23,180 filled Madison Square Garden to the rafters to witness the welterweight title fight between Fritzie Zivic and Henry Armstrong. (This was the third Madison Square Garden, situated at 50th Street and Eighth Avenue, roughly 17 blocks north of the current Garden which sits atop Pennsylvania Station. The first two arenas to take this name were situated farther south adjacent to Madison Square Park).
This was a rematch. They had fought here in October of the previous year. In a shocker, Zivic won a 15-round decision. The fight was close on the scorecards. Referee Arthur Donovan and one of the judges had it even after 14 rounds, but Zivic had won his rounds more decisively and he punctuated his well-earned triumph by knocking Armstrong face-first to the canvas as the final bell sounded.
This was a huge upset.
Armstrong had a rocky beginning to his pro career, but he came on like gangbusters after trainer/manager Eddie Mead acquired his contract with backing from Broadway and Hollywood star Al Jolson. Heading into his first match with Zivic – the nineteenth defense of the title he won from Barney Ross – Hammerin’ Henry had suffered only one defeat in his previous 60 fights, that coming in his second meeting with Lou Ambers, a controversial decision.
Shirley Povich, the nationally-known sports columnist for the Washington Post, conducted an informal survey of boxing insiders and found only person who gave Zivic a chance. The dissident was Chris Dundee (then far more well-known than his younger brother Angelo). “Zivic knows all the tricks,” said Dundee. “He’ll butt Armstrong with his head, gouge him with his thumbs and hit him just as low as Armstrong [who had five points deducted for low blows in his bout with Ambers].”
Indeed, Pittsburgh’s Ferdinand “Fritzie” Zivic, the youngest and best of five fighting sons of a Croatian immigrant steelworker (Fritzie’s two oldest brothers represented the U.S. at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics) would attract a cult following because of his facility for bending the rules. It would be said that no one was more adept at using his thumbs to blind an opponent or using the laces of his gloves as an anti-coagulant, undoing the work of a fighter’s cut man.
Although it was generally understood that at age 28 his best days were behind him, Henry Armstrong was chalked the favorite in the rematch (albeit a very short favorite) a tribute to his body of work. Although he had mastered Armstrong in their first encounter, most boxing insiders considered Fritzie little more than a high-class journeyman and he hadn’t looked sharp in his most recent fight, a 10-round non-title affair with lightweight champion Lew Jenkins who had the best of it in the eyes of most observers although the match was declared a draw.
The Jan. 17 rematch was a one-sided affair. Veteran New York Times scribe James P. Dawson gave Armstrong only two rounds before referee Donovan pulled the plug at the 52-second mark of the twelfth round. Armstrong, boxing’s great perpetual motion machine, a world title-holder in three weight classes, repaired to his dressing room bleeding from his nose and his mouth and with both eyes swollen nearly shut. But his effort could not have been more courageous.
At the conclusion of the 10th frame, Donovan went to Armstrong’s corner and said something to the effect, “you will have to show me something, Henry, or I will have to stop it.” What followed was Armstrong’s best round.
“[Armstrong] pulled the crowd to its feet in as glorious a rally as this observer has seen in twenty-five years of attendance at these ring battles,” wrote Dawson. But Armstrong, who had been stopped only once previously, that coming in his pro debut, had punched himself out and had nothing left.
Armstrong retired after this fight, siting his worsening eyesight, but he returned in the summer of the following year, soldiering on for 46 more fights, winning 37 to finish 149-21-10. During this run, he was reacquainted with Fritzie Zivic. Their third encounter was fought in San Francisco before a near-capacity crowd of 8,000 at the Civic Auditorium and Armstrong got his revenge, setting the pace and working the body effectively to win a 10-round decision. By then the welterweight title had passed into the hands of Freddie Cochran.
Hammerin’ Henry (aka Homicide Hank) Armstrong was named to the International Boxing Hall of Fame with the inaugural class of 1990. Fritzie Zivic followed him into the Hall three years later.
Active from 1931 to 1949, Zivic lost 65 of his 231 fights – the most of anyone in the Hall of Fame, a dubious distinction – but there was yet little controversy when he was named to the Canastota shrine because one would be hard-pressed to find anyone who had fought a tougher schedule. Aside from Armstrong and Jenkins, he had four fights with Jake LaMotta, four with Kid Azteca, three with Charley Burley, two with Sugar Ray Robinson, two with Beau Jack, and singles with the likes of Billy Conn, Lou Ambers, and Bob Montgomery. Of the aforementioned, only Azteca, in their final meeting in Mexico City, and Sugar Ray, in their second encounter, were able to win inside the distance.
By the way, it has been written that no event of any kind at any of the four Madison Square Gardens ever drew a larger crowd than the crowd that turned out on Jan. 17, 1941, to see the rematch between Fritzie Zivic and Henry Armstrong. Needless to say, prizefighting was big in those days.
A recognized authority on the history of prizefighting and the history of American sports gambling, TSS editor-in-chief Arne K. Lang is the author of five books including “Prizefighting: An American History,” released by McFarland in 2008 and re-released in a paperback edition in 2020.
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Jai Opetaia Brutally KOs David Nyika, Cementing his Status as the World’s Top Cruiserweight
In his fifth title defense, lineal cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (27-0, 21 KOs) successfully defended his belt with a brutal fourth-round stoppage of former sparring partner David Nyika. The bout was contested in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia where Opetaia won the IBF title in 2022 with a hard-earned decision over Maris Briedis with Nyika on the undercard. Both fighters reside in the general area although Nyika, a former Olympic bronze medalist, hails from New Zealand.
The six-foot-six Nyika, who was undefeated in 10 pro fights with nine KOs, wasn’t afraid to mix it up with Opetaia although had never fought beyond five rounds and took the fight on three weeks’ notice when obscure German campaigner Huseyin Cinkara suffered an ankle injury in training and had to pull out. He wobbled Opetaia in the second round in a fight that was an entertaining slugfest for as long as it lasted.
In round four, the champion but Nyika on the canvas with his patented right uppercut and then finished matters moments later with a combination climaxed with an explosive left hand. Nyika was unconscious before he hit the mat.
Opetaia’s promoter Eddie Hearn wants Opetaia to unify the title and then pursue a match with Oleksandr Usyk. Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, a Golden Boy Promotions fighter, holds the WBA and WBO versions of the title and is expected to be Opetaia’s next opponent. The WBC diadem is in the hands of grizzled Badou Jack.
Other Fights of Note
Brisbane heavyweight Justis Huni (12-0, 7 KOs) wacked out overmatched South African import Shaun Potgieter (10-2), ending the contest at the 33-second mark of the second round. The 25-year-old, six-foot-four Huni turned pro in 2020 after losing a 3-round decision to two-time Olympic gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov. There’s talk of matching him with England’s 20-year-old sensation Moses Itauma which would be a delicious pairing.
Eddie Hearn’s newest signee Teremoana Junior won his match even quicker, needing less than a minute to dismiss Osasu Otobo, a German heavyweight of Nigerian descent.
The six-foot-six Teremoana, who akin to Huni hails from Brisbane and turned pro after losing to the formidable Jalolov, has won all six of his pro fights by knockout while answering the bell for only eight rounds. He has an interesting lineage; his father is from the Cook Islands.
Rising 20-year-old Max “Money” McIntyre, a six-foot-three super middleweight, scored three knockdowns en route to a sixth-round stoppage of Abdulselam Saman, advancing his record to 7-0 (6 KOs). As one can surmise, McIntyre is a big fan of Floyd Mayweather.
The Opetaia-Nyika fight card aired on DAZN pay-per-view (39.99) in the Antipodes and just plain DAZN elsewhere.
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R.I.P. Paul Bamba (1989-2024): The Story Behind the Story
Paul Bamba, a cruiserweight, passed away at age 35 on Dec. 27 six days after defeating Rogelio Medina before a few hundred fans on a boxing card at a performing arts center in Carteret, New Jersey. No cause of death has been forthcoming, leading to rampant speculation. Was it suicide, or perhaps a brain injury, and if the latter was it triggered by a pre-existing condition?
Fuel for the latter comes in the form of a letter that surfaced after his death. Dated July 25, 2023, it was written by Dr. Alina Sharinn, a board-certified neurologist licensed in New York and Florida.
“Mr. Bamba has suffered a concussion and an episode of traumatic diplopia within the past year and now presents with increasing headaches. His MRI of the brain revealed white matter changes in both frontal lobes,” wrote Bamba’s doctor.
Her recommendation was that he stop boxing temporarily while also avoiding any other activity at which he was at risk of head trauma.
Dr. Sherinn’s letter was written three months after Bamba was defeated by Chris Avila in a 4-round contest in New Orleans. He lost all four rounds on all three scorecards, reducing his record to 5-3.
Bamba took a break from boxing after fighting Avila. Eight months would elapse before he returned to the ring. His next four fights were in Santa Marta, Colombia, against opponents who were collectively 4-23 at the time that he fought them. The most experienced of the quartet, Victor Coronado, was 38 years old.
He won all four inside the distance and ten more knockouts would follow, the last against Medina in a bout sanctioned by the World Boxing Association for the WBA Gold title. As widely reported, the stoppage, his 14th, broke Mike Tyson’s record for the most consecutive knockouts within a calendar year. That would have been a nice feather in his cap if only it were true.
Born in Puerto Rico, Paul Bamba was a former U.S. Marine who spent time in Iraq as an infantry machine gunner. In interviews on social media platforms, he is well-spoken and introspective without a trace of the boastfulness that many prizefighters exhibit when talking to an outsider. Interviewed in a corridor of the arena after stopping Medina, he was almost apologetic, acknowledging that he still had a lot to learn.
His life story is inspirational.
His early years were spent in foster homes. He was homeless for a time after returning to civilian life. Speaking with Boxing Scene’s Lucas Ketelle, Bamba said, “I didn’t have any direction after leaving the Marine corps. I hit rock bottom, couldn’t afford a place to stay…I was renting a mattress that was shoved behind someone’s sofa.”
He turned his life around when he ventured into the Morris Park Boxing Gym in the Bronx where he learned the rudiments of boxing under the tutelage of former WBA welterweight champion Aaron “Superman” Davis. “I love boxing,” he would say. “The confidence it gives you permeates into other aspects of your life.”
Bamba’s newfound confidence allowed him to carve out a successful career as a personal trainer. His most famous client was the Grammy Award winning R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo who signed Bamba to his new sports management company late in the boxer’s Knockout skein. Bamba was with Ne-Yo in Atlanta when he passed away. Ne-Yo broke the news on his Instagram platform.
Paul Bamba had been pursuing a fight with Jake Paul. Winning the WBA Gold belt opened up other potentially lucrative options. In theory, the holder of the belt is one step removed from a world title fight. Next comes an eliminator and, if he wins that one, a true title fight attached to a hefty purse will follow…in theory.
Rogelio “Porky” Medina, who brought a 42-10 record, had competed against some top-shelf guys, e.g., Zurdo Ramirez, Badou Jack, James DeGale, David Benavidez, Caleb Plant; going the distance with DeGale and Plant. However, only two of his 42 wins had come in fights outside Mexico, at age 36 he was over the hill, and his best work had come as a super middleweight.
Thirteen months ago, Medina carried 168 ½ pounds for a match in New Zealand in which he was knocked out in the first round. He came in more than 30 pounds heavier, specifically 202 ¼, for his match with Paul Bamba. In between, he knocked out a 54-year-old man in Guadalajara to infuse his ledger with a little brighter sheen.
Why did the WBA see fit to sanction the Bamba-Medina match as a title fight? That’s a rhetorical question. And for the record, the record for the most consecutive knockouts within a calendar year wasn’t previously held by Mike Tyson. LaMar Clark, a heavyweight from Cedar City, Utah, scored 29 consecutive knockouts in 1958 after opening the year by winning a 6-round decision. (If you are inclined to believe that all or most of those knockouts were legitimate, then perhaps I can interest you in buying the Brooklyn Bridge.)
Clark was being primped for a fight with a good purse which came when he was dispatched to Louisville to fight a fellow who was fairly new to the professional boxing scene, a former U.S. Olympian then known as Cassius Clay who knocked him out in the second round in what proved to be Clark’s final fight.
Paul Bamba was a much better fighter than LaMar Clark, of that I am quite certain. However, if Paul Bamba had gone on to meet one of the world’s elite cruiserweights, a similar outcome would have undoubtedly ensued.
One can summon up the Bamba-Medina fight on the internet although the video isn’t great – it was obviously filmed on a smart phone – and pieces of it are missing. Bamba was winning with his higher workrate when Medina took his unexpected leave, but one doesn’t have to be a boxing savant to see that Paul’s hand and foot speed were slow and that there were big holes in his defense.
This isn’t meant to be a knock on the decedent. Being able to box even four rounds at a fast clip and still be fresh is one of the most underrated achievements in all of human endurance sports. Bamba’s life story is indeed inspirational. When he talked about the importance of “giving back,” he was sincere. In an early interview, he mentioned having helped out at a Harlem food pantry.
Paul Bamba had to die to become well-known within the fight fraternity, let alone in the larger society. One hopes that his death will inspire the sport’s regulators to be more vigilant in assaying a boxer’s medical history and, if somehow his untimely death leads to the dissolution of the fetid World Boxing Association, his legacy would be even greater.
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