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Sergey Kovalev: Like All Perceived Destroyers, He Has Flaws
This past weekend WBO light-heavyweight title holder Sergey Kovalev 24-0-1 (22 KOs) successfully defended his title with a seventh round stoppage over Cedric Agnew 26-1 (13 KOs) at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Kovalev dropped Agnew with a strong left jab to the body around the liver and Agnew was counted out while on one knee with 58 seconds left in the round. It was the third knockdown of the fight scored by Kovalev, but the fight wasn’t a walk in the park for him as most thought it would be. On this night he had to go more than the three or four rounds he usually does and he also had to deal with some adversity. He was cut above both eyes due to a head butt and an unintentional elbow from Agnew. In addition to that, Agnew had a plan and despite not winning a single round, he stuck to it until the fight was over regardless of how much Kovalev tried to open him up during the bout.
His fight plan was to try and get Kovalev deep into the fight and hope that the hard punching Russian would tire; not a bad idea, as he hasn’t had to go beyond the fifth round more than three times in 24 fights. Well, Agnew never got a chance to find out if Sergey was going to tire and to his credit, Kovalev caught on to Agnew’s game and didn’t waste many punches while trying to track him down as the fight progressed.
”I tried boxing because he has good defense,” Kovalev said. ”Then I went to the body. I saw how hurt he was.”
Yes, Agnew spent a lot of the fight with his back to the ropes and fighting in retreat, but he did manage to cut loose with a counter attack, with some hard left hooks to the head and body which momentarily caused Kovalev to back off for a brief moment allowing Agnew to get away.
It’s amazing how boxing never changes in that when a supposed genuine destroyer or life-taker the likes of Sergey Kovalev or Gannady Golovkin come along, how every fight that goes rounds is bound to expose flaws the way this past weekend’s fight regarding Kovalev did. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t impressive because he was. Anytime a fighter can drop his opponent two times with a body jab, well, that’s outright impressive. But the more you can get a look at a fighter, the more likely it is you’ll start to see ways he can be beat. And the Agnew fight began to show some areas where Kovalev might be lacking. Let’s start with the positive.
We saw that Kovalev definitely carries his power into the second half of the fight. It’s safe to assume that he’s a dangerous puncher from rounds one through twelve with both hands. Those kind of fighters are born, not manufactured, regardless of what some cookbook analysts say. Another thing that was easy to pick up on was, more than most fighters, it’s really suicide to back straight up against him. Kovalev comes in straight and if you don’t pick a side to go back and force him to punch across his body or reach for you, you’re a sitting duck for his finishing right hands and hooks. He’s sort of like David Tua in that sense..if you keep him turning he’s not quite as much of a killer. Something else we saw over the course of the fight with Agnew is how Kovalev stays focused and really doesn’t give a damn about his opponent. It doesn’t matter what his opponent does, he won’t be dissuaded and he’s going to come for you.
As for what can be construed as a flaw and an opening for Klovalev’s future opponents, there’s not much… but he’s not an unbreakable dam either. There’s no such thing as a totally complete fighter, especially if he’s a legitimate knockout artist. As we saw with Mike Tyson when he was forced to go rounds – he wasn’t constantly aggressive and fought in spurts and usually drifted mentally if the fight wasn’t an early round knockout. George Foreman’s stamina wasn’t always reliable and as George Chuvalo has often said, “Foreman threw a lot of punches out the window.” Former junior middleweight title holder Julian Jackson was a wrecking machine that put together Thomas Hearns type picturesque knockouts. But as his level of opposition was stepped up and he had to go more rounds, we found out that he couldn’t catch nearly as good as he could pitch.
In regards to Kovalev, he really doesn’t have much in the hand speed department. He has a good sense of timing and distance but if he doesn’t cut loose before his opponent does, he’s going get there second as often as he gets there first. He attacks in a straight line and doesn’t try to make his opponent miss. He banks on them waiting to see what he’s gonna do because they’re concerned with him landing cleanly on them more than the opposite. Another thing that is impossible not to see is that his offense is pretty vanilla and lacks imagination. He’s basically a jab-cross-left hook fighter. He’s not really looking to trick or set up his opponent, no, he’s looking to make solid contact and believes the rest will take care of itself if he connects. When Agnew did fire back when he felt Kovalev was looking to reload, I didn’t like the way Sergey was jumping back from his punches, especially from a fighter who isn’t really much of a puncher. I’m not sure he wasn’t hurt once during the fight more so than it looked. Perhaps he wasn’t as hurt as it looked to me, but I know I didn’t like the way he reacted the few times he was touched flush. Remember, Tyson was a different fighter when he got nailed and his confidence waned when his opponent experienced a little success against him. I’m not saying that’s who Kovalev is by any means, but I am saying it’s something to watch as his fights begin to go more rounds.
As of this writing I still believe Kovalev is the fighter to beat in the light heavyweight division. I would definitely pick him to beat Adonis Stevenson and Bernard Hopkins. However, I give Hopkins a better shot now to upset him than I did before because the things that bother Hopkins at this stage of his career, speed and work-rate, are not Kovalev’s strength. Unlike Gennady Golovkin who he’s recently been compared to, he’s not as smart or as fluid nor does he cut off the ring quite as well. Golovkin has his vulnerabilities too but they’re overshadowed more by his attributes and will be harder to exploit. Golovkin just hits you and hits you, whether or not he finds an opening. Kovalev waits around looking for his spots a little more, which leave an opening for an opponent who is good enough and not afraid to exploit it. What’s most compelling about the trinity of Hopkins, Kovalev and Stevenson regarding the top of the food chain in the light heavyweight division is, there’s a case that can be made favoring anyone of them over the other two. That’s something that probably wouldn’t be in play if Hopkins was crowding 40 years old instead of 50.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
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Boxing Odds and Ends: Ernesto Mercado, Marcel Cerdan and More
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
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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Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City
Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his last three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).
Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.
In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.
The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.
Co-Feature
In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.
Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.
What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.
The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.
Also
In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).
A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, applied the exclamation point, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.
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