Arum And Lomachenko Were Outmaneuvered By Salido

Published

11 years ago

March 3, 2014

His name is Vasyl Lomachenko, he’s from the Ukraine, he’s 26 years old and is a two time Olympic gold medalist. As an amateur he was a reported 396-1. He’s long, strong and he can fight inside and outside. His fundamentals and basics are good and he can hit with either hand. The plan his promoter Bob Arum had mapped out for him was to win a world title in his second pro bout after winning a regional title in his debut a little less than four months ago. It would’ve been an astounding achievement.

A world title after two fights would’ve launched Lomachenko into an overnight sensation and fighters already representing boxing’s future such as Mikey Garcia, Andre Ward and Ganady Golovkin would’ve been joined by a new contemporary.

Enter Orlando Salido, who is 33 years old and has been fighting grown men as a pro since he was about 15 years old. Salido, a veteran of 55 professional bouts 41-12-2 (28) was the chosen title holder (who didn’t make the featherweight limit and relinquished his title the day before the fight) was thought to be the sacrificial lamb and launch pad for Lomachenko’s impending stardom. Only things didn’t go as planned and boxing’s next must see fighter has to regroup and learn from his twelve round crash course this past weekend.

As the fight unfolded, it was painfully obvious to all watching that the supposedly shrewd course Bob Arum had charted for Lomachenko was on a collision with a huge detour. For starters, Salido who obviously has been paying attention to how the boxing game operates, was onto their game and had a few tricks of his own up his sleeve. Add to the equation that Salido was nearly a 4 1/2 -1 underdog, he no doubt was insulted and was clearly on a mission to upend Lomachenko and company. At the weigh in the day before the bout Salido came in at 128 1/4, two and a quarter pounds over the featherweight limit. He had to pay Lomachenko a small percentage of his purse along with being forced to relinquish his WBO title. This was a gamble that he no doubt figured would pay off if he could beat Lomachenko. Orlando knows that titles don’t mean much today and are really just a vehicle in which promoters and the powers in charge manipulate the sport of boxing and fighters. Salido knew a win over the next big thing in boxing would pay huge dividends down the road without the title. Lomachenko made the weight at 125 1/4 as expected. On fight night Salido scaled 147, 11 pounds more than the 136 that Lomachenko would enter the ring at. In other words Salido the welterweight was fully ready to manhandle and rough up the inexperienced lightweight that Lomachenko showed up being.

Right from the onset, Salido made the fight ugly, used his weight, stepped on Lomachenko’s feet, hit him on the hips, punched low, roughed him up on the inside, even raked his gloves across Lomachenko’s face. There was no question about who won the fight, it was a slow ugly fight that suited Salido’s best interest. To his credit, Lomachenko’s best round was the 12th, where he actually had Salido in some trouble. But it really was a rough introduction to the pros for Lomachenko, who lost a split decision (116-112, 115-113 and 115-113). Remember, Lomachenko’s whole persona was based on his being the Golden Boy, completely unbeatable even at the top levels of the division. At 1-1 you have to wonder how the marketing for him will go now.

Lomachenko showed grit for a guy who’s really still, in many ways, an amateur. However, he and his team were dumb to agree to fight after Salido weighed in that morning at 147. That had to make Salido a good 20 plus pounds bigger than any fighter Lomachenko ever fought. In addition to that, Vasyl was foolish to continue his amateur approach to how to fight a dirty fighter (in effect to say “he can fight dirty, but I’m above that.”) There are a lot of sharks out there at 126-130 who will eat him up (Rigondeaux, Donaire, and Garcia would have a picnic with him). Now he should be moved back to safer waters in order to build up his record. Sure, they could probably get him another title shot, and winning a world title in his third bout would be a herculean effort, but he’s surely not a given and very well could get beat again, and that would be a catastrophe.

What was also troubling is how Lomachenko didn’t retaliate with an eye for an eye approach when it was obvious that Salido didn’t respect him. Granted, referee Laurence Cole did a terrible job in dealing with Salido, but we’ll never know whether he would have given Lomachenko the same leeway that he gave Salido, since he never tried to retaliate. That was on him, not Cole. The reality is Lomachenko’s passivity represents a mindset regarding his personality and makeup more than it does his lack of experience. Then again when you’re so conditioned to fighting for ribbons and trophies, Lomachenko was undone by the hardness and bravado of a solid pro like Salido.

And after the bout Lomachenko didn’t seem particularly upset about having lost when he should’ve been beside himself. Again, that’s a little troubling. Before the broadcast it was even talked about how Salido is always brought in as the “other guy.” And how often it’s a mistake to dismiss him that way. Salido was very smart to trade the title and pay a few dollars in order for him to game the system the other way. Having the extra weight played into his hands and he fully understood that his title didn’t mean much and that a win over the future golden boy is all that anyone will remember, and he’s right. He’ll now be known for being the supposed cannon fodder that struck down a fighter who things were being set up for him to become an overnight star in boxing. Yes, it registered to him how Lomachenko was having things handed to him.

It was a calculated and gutsy gamble, and I give Lomachenko props for lasting the twelve rounds against a rough guy who was using all kinds of old pro tactics and tricks to get him out of there. But it turned out to be a mistake in that they picked on the wrong fighter who was tired of being the set-up guy.

Vasyl Lomachenko has tools to work with and it’s not out of the question that if he takes the type of fights that he should be taking at this stage of his career, he might one day be one of boxing’s brightest stars. However, for that to happen he has to ditch his father as his trainer and bring in a real one to work his corner. He’s not an amateur anymore.

Also, Salido served notice on how fighters who are forced to fight Floyd Mayweather, and perhaps even Manny Pacquiao at some gimmick catchweight should handle their business. Like say maybe Saul Alvarez shouldn’t have come in at the contracted 152 for Mayweather and came in at 155 and given up his title. Force Mayweather to fight him at his real weight and see if he takes the fight or backs out. Mayweather would have a hard time living that down and if he goes through with it and Alvarez beat him, it would’ve paid Saul back exponentially what he had to pay Floyd for not making weight. Remember how Mayweather paid Marquez after he came in two pounds over the contracted weight and then took the smaller Marquez apart the night they fought? That should’ve been lesson 101 on how to deal with the catch-weight hussle.

Yes, Arum and Lomachenko were outmaneuvered from the weigh-in to the final bell by team Salido. Arum and Team Lomachenko were playing marbles when they should’ve been playing chess.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Frank Lotierzo

Avila Perspective, Chap. 322: Super Welter Week in SoCal

Published

14 hours ago

April 18, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective-Chap-322-Super-Welter-Week-in-SoCal

Two below-the-radar super welterweight stars show off their skills this weekend from different parts of Southern California.

One in particular, Charles Conwell, co-headlines a show in Oceanside against a hard-hitting Mexican while another super welter star Sadriddin Akhmedov faces another Mexican hitter in Commerce.

Take your pick.

The super welterweight division is loaded with talent at the moment. If Terence Crawford remained in the division he would be at the top of the class, but he is moving up several weight divisions.

Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) faces Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs) a tall knockout puncher from Los Mochis at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif. on Saturday April 19. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also features undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora. We’ll get to her later.

Conwell might be the best super welterweight out there aside from the big dogs like Vergil Ortiz, Serhii Bohachuk and Sebastian Fundora.

If you are not familiar with Conwell he comes from Cleveland, Ohio and is one of those fighters that other fighters know about. He is good.

He has the James “Lights Out” Toney kind of in-your-face-style where he anchors down and slowly deciphers the opponent’s tools and then takes them away piece by piece. Usually it’s systematic destruction. The kind you see when a skyscraper goes down floor by floor until it’s smoking rubble.

During the Covid days Conwell fought two highly touted undefeated super welters in Wendy Toussaint and Madiyar Ashkeyev. He stopped them both and suddenly was the boogie man of the super welterweight division.

Conwell will be facing Mexico’s taller Garcia who likes to trade blows as most Mexican fighters prefer, especially those from Sinaloa. These guys will be firing H bombs early.

Fundora

Co-headlining the Golden Boy card is Gabriela Fundora (15-0, 7 KOs) the undisputed flyweight champion of the world. She has all the belts and Mexico’s Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1, 3 KOs) wants them.

Gabriela Fundora is the sister of Sebastian Fundora who holds the men’s WBC and WBO super welterweight world titles. Both are tall southpaws with power in each hand to protect the belts they accumulated.

Six months ago, Fundora met Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz in Las Vegas to determine the undisputed flyweight champion. The much shorter Alaniz tried valiantly to scrap with Fundora and ran into a couple of rocket left hands.

Mexico’s Badillo is an undefeated flyweight from Mexico City who has battled against fellow Mexicans for years. She has fought one world champion in Asley Gonzalez the current super flyweight world titlist. They met years ago with Badillo coming out on top.

Does Badillo have the skill to deal with the taller and hard-hitting Fundora?

When a fighter has a six-inch height advantage like Fundora, it is almost impossible to out-maneuver especially in two-minute rounds. Ask Alaniz who was nearly decapitated when she tried.

This will be Badillo’s first pro fight outside of Mexico.

Commerce Casino

Kazakhstan’s Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0, 13 KOs) is another dangerous punching super welterweight headlining a 360 Promotions card against Mexico’s Elias Espadas (23-6, 16 KOs) on Saturday at the Commerce Casino.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card of about eight bouts.

Akhmedov is another Kazakh puncher similar to the great Gennady “GGG” Golovkin who terrorized the middleweight division for a decade. He doesn’t have the same polish or dexterity but doesn’t lack pure punching power.

It’s another test for the super welterweight who is looking to move up the ladder in the very crowded 154-pound weight division. 360 Promotions already has a top contender in Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk who nearly defeated Vergil Ortiz a year ago.

Could Bohachuk and Akhmedov fight each other if nothing else materializes?

That’s a question for another day.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Charles Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) vs. Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs); Gabriela Fundora (15-0) vs Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1).

Sat. UFC Fight Pass 6 p.m. Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0) vs Elias Espadas (23-6).

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TSS Salutes Thomas Hauser and his Bernie Award Cohorts

Published

3 days ago

April 16, 2025

TSS Press

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The Boxing Writers Association of America has announced the winners of its annual Bernie Awards competition. The awards, named in honor of former five-time BWAA president and frequent TSS contributor Bernard Fernandez, recognize outstanding writing in six categories as represented by stories published the previous year.

Over the years, this venerable website has produced a host of Bernie Award winners. In 2024, Thomas Hauser kept the tradition alive. A story by Hauser that appeared in these pages finished first in the category “Boxing News Story.” Titled “Ryan Garcia and the New York State Athletic Commission,” the story was published on June 23. You can read it HERE.

Hauser also finished first in the category of “Investigative Reporting” for “The Death of Ardi Ndembo,” a story that ran in the (London) Guardian. (Note: Hauser has owned this category. This is his 11^th first place finish for “Investigative Reporting”.)

Thomas Hauser, who entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame with the class of 2019, was honored at last year’s BWAA awards dinner with the A.J. Leibling Award for Outstanding Boxing Writing. The list of previous winners includes such noted authors as W.C. Heinz, Budd Schulberg, Pete Hamill, and George Plimpton, to name just a few.

The Leibling Award is now issued intermittently. The most recent honorees prior to Hauser were Joyce Carol Oates (2015) and Randy Roberts (2019).

Roberts, a Distinguished Professor of History at Purdue University, was tabbed to write the Hauser/Leibling Award story for the glossy magazine for BWAA members published in conjunction with the organization’s annual banquet. Regarding Hauser’s most well-known book, his Muhammad Ali biography, Roberts wrote, “It is nearly impossible to overestimate the importance of the book to our understanding of Ali and his times.” An earlier book by Hauser, “The Black Lights: Inside the World of Professional Boxing,” garnered this accolade: “Anyone who wants to understand boxing today should begin by reading ‘The Black Lights’.”

A panel of six judges determined the Bernie Award winners for stories published in 2024. The stories they evaluated were stripped of their bylines and other identifying marks including the publication or website for which the story was written.

Other winners:

Boxing Event Coverage: Tris Dixon

Boxing Column: Kieran Mulvaney

Boxing Feature (Over 1,500 Words): Lance Pugmire

Boxing Feature (Under 1,500 Words): Chris Mannix

The Dixon, Mulvaney, and Pugmire stories appeared in Boxing Scene; the Mannix story in Sports Illustrated.

The Bernie Award recipients will be honored at the forthcoming BWAA dinner on April 30 at the Edison Ballroom in the heart of Times Square. (For more information, visit the BWAA website). Two days after the dinner, an historic boxing tripleheader will be held in Times Square, the logistics of which should be quite interesting. Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Teofimo Lopez share top billing.

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Mekhrubon Sanginov, whose Heroism Nearly Proved Fatal, Returns on Saturday

Published

4 days ago

April 15, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Mekhrubon-Sanginov-whose-Heroism-Nearly-Proved-Fatal-Returns-on-Saturday

To say that Mekhrubon Sanginov is excited to resume his boxing career would be a great understatement. Sanginov, ranked #9 by the WBA at 154 pounds before his hiatus, last fought on July 8, 2022.

He was in great form before his extended leave, having scored four straight fast knockouts, advancing his record to 13-0-1. Had he remained in Las Vegas, where he had settled after his fifth pro fight, his career may have continued on an upward trajectory, but a trip to his hometown of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, turned everything haywire. A run-in with a knife-wielding bully nearly cost him his life, stalling his career for nearly three full years.

Sanginov was exiting a restaurant in Dushanbe when he saw a man, plainly intoxicated, harassing another man, an innocent bystander. Mekhrubon intervened and was stabbed several times with a long knife. One of the puncture wounds came perilously close to puncturing his heart.

“After he stabbed me, I ran after him and hit him and caught him to hold for the police,” recollects Sanginov. “There was a lot of confusion when the police arrived. At first, the police were not certain what had happened.

“By the time I got to the hospital, I had lost two liters of blood, or so I was told. After I was patched up, one of the surgeons said to me, ‘Give thanks to God because he gave you a second life.’ It is like I was born a second time.”

“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It could have happened in any city,” he adds. (A story about the incident on another boxing site elicited this comment from a reader: “Good man right there. World would be a better place if more folk were willing to step up when it counts.”)

Sanginov first laced on a pair of gloves at age 10 and was purportedly 105-14 as an amateur. Growing up, the boxer he most admired was Roberto Duran. “Muhammad Ali will always be the greatest and [Marvin] Hagler was great too, but Duran was always my favorite,” he says.

During his absence from the ring, Sanginov married a girl from Tajikistan and became a father. His son Makhmud was born in Las Vegas and has dual citizenship. “Ideally,” he says, “I would like to have three more children. Two more boys and the last one a daughter.”

He also put on a great deal of weight. When he returned to the gym, his trainer Bones Adams was looking at a cruiserweight. But gradually the weight came off – “I had to give up one of my hobbies; I love to eat,” he says – and he will be resuming his career at 154. “Although I am the same weight as before, I feel stronger now. Before I was more of a boy, now I am a full-grown man,” says Sanginov who turned 29 in February.

He has a lot of rust to shed. Because of all those early knockouts, he has answered the bell for only eight rounds in the last four years. Concordantly, his comeback fight on Saturday could be described as a soft re-awakening. Sanginov’s opponent Mahonri Montes, an 18-year pro from Mexico, has a decent record (36-10-2, 25 KOs) but has been relatively inactive and is only 1-3-1 in his last five. Their match at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California, is slated for eight rounds.

On May 10, Ardreal Holmes (17-0) faces Erickson Lubin (26-2) on a ProBox card in Kissimmee, Florida. It’s an IBF super welterweight title eliminator, meaning that the winner (in theory) will proceed directly to a world title fight.

Sanginov will be watching closely. He and Holmes were scheduled to meet in March of 2022 in the main event of a ShoBox card on Showtime. That match fell out when Sanginov suffered an ankle injury in sparring.

If not for a twist of fate, that may have been Mekhrubon Sanginov in that IBF eliminator, rather than Ardreal Holmes. We will never know, but one thing we do know is that Mekhrubon’s world title aspirations were too strong to be ruined by a knife-wielding bully.

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