RINGSIDE REPORT: It’s Manny This Time Over Bradley In Vegas

Published

10 years ago

April 13, 2014

Manny-Pacquiao-and-Timothy-Bradley 83a24

LAS VEGAS—-Manny Pacman Pacquiao avenged his loss to Palm Spring’s Tim “Desert Storm” Bradley. It wasn’t a knockout, but a unanimous decision was good enough to regain the WBO welterweight title before a large screaming crowd on Saturday.

Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 Kos) encountered a much more aggressive Bradley (31-1, 12 Kos) and had some problems early on. After some adjustment he was able to use Bradley’s aggression to out-point the wild swinging Southern California fighter in the second half of the fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Speed and more speed was on display from the first round on as the two miniature welterweights blazed away with feints, jabs, short combos and side steps. It was not until round three that both open up with the big dangerous blows.

That proved beneficial for Bradley, who snapped the head back of Pacquiao and sent him reeling backward. It was clear that Pacquiao was losing steam in the fourth round while the champion was fresher. The fourth round was Bradley’s best and he seemed ready to take over the fight.

“He hurt me on the chin,” said Pacquiao.

Bradley opened up the fifth round with some overhand rights that seemed to be on target every time. Pacquiao seemed lost and confused by what to do to counter the rights. Bradley played around with his hands down. From that point on Pacquiao regained command.

Pacquiao had his best round in a while in the seventh as Bradley resorted to goading the southpaw instead of fighting. After the round ended, trainer Joel Diaz yelled at Bradley to stick to the plan. It allowed Pacquiao to regain his footing and rhythm in the fight after Bradley had seemingly opened up a lead.

“I wanted to be careful,” Pacquiao said. “Bradley was throwing a lot of punches.”

The spring in Bradley’s legs seemed gone by the 10^th round as Pacquiao seemed able to land the shorter quicker punches. Bradley seemed unable to move on his legs and resorted to loading up on his punches looking for a possible knockout. It never came.

“I hurt my leg and couldn’t move,” Bradley said. “I wanted that knockout. I kept trying to throw something over the top.”

Pacquiao used his speed and short precise punches to outscore Bradley over the remaining rounds. After 12 rounds all three judges scored it for Pacquiao 116-112 twice and 118-110.

There were no knockdowns and no goading from Pacquiao.

“I just came to win the fight,” Pacquiao said.

It was Bradley’s first loss as a professional.

“I lost to one of the best fighters in the world,” Bradley said.

Costa Rica’s Next Champ?

Costa Rica’s Bryan Vasquez withstood a heavy barrage of low blows and out-boxed and out-slugged Mexico’s Jose Felix Jr. in a fight filled with exchanges to win by unanimous decision and win the WBA interim junior lightweight title on Saturday.

Fierce exchanges erupted early on between Felix and Vasquez. The Mexican fighter landed a few more but both were tagged and weathered the early tempest.

Blows were echoing in the arena as both fighters were landing cleanly and unafraid to unload. Vasquez was able to change Felix’s plans and forced him to change tactics in round two.

The battle slowed down in the third as Felix was hesitant about attacking. Vasquez tried to goad him in and fired two five-punch combinations. Felix landed a hard counter left hook but seemed surprised that Vasquez was able to take his blows.

Both fighters slowed down even more in the fourth round with Felix fighting more in a counter-punching mode. Vasquez was working the body but neither fighter made a big impact.

Vasquez enjoyed his most clear cut round in the fifth as Felix resorted to single punch counters. Several six and eight punch combinations by Vasquez had the Mexican fighter in retreat.

A clash of heads in the seventh round saw both fighters shake hands, but Vasquez came out of the respite with more energy and immediately landed a five punch body and head combination.

Low blows from Felix continued as the referee seemed to be unable to see them. Vasquez continued to ignore them and chased the Mexican fighter around the ring in round eight.

Referee Robert Byrd finally took a point from Felix for a low blow in the ninth round. The Mexican tried to get it back but was slammed with a six punch combination resulting in a closed eye. It was a Vasquez round.

Once more low blows seemed to be the choice of punches from Mexico’s Felix. Again the referee seemed to ignore the fact that low blows were the only kind of body work that Felix was capable of firing. From rounds 10 through 12 Vasquez seemed the fresher fighter and looked the part as Felix continued to move quickly out of punching range unless cornered. Each time he was cornered, Vasquez would unleash a five-punch combination.

Vasquez won by unanimous decision 114-113 twice and 117-110. He could be Costa Rica’s first male world champion, and soon.

Other bouts

Local fighter Jessie Vargas (24-0, 9 Kos) jabbed his way to the WBA junior welterweight title by unanimous decision victory over titleholder Khabib Allakhverdiev (19-1, 9 Kos) of Russia. It was a back and forth struggle that saw Allakhverdiev suffer cuts on both eyes and visits from the ringside physician. There were no knockdowns in the fight but though the Russian fighter looked like the loser facially, it was a close fight as two score cards indicated 114-113 twice and 117-111 for Vargas.

“I’m a world champion,” said Vargas, who is trained by Ismael Salas. “I thought he was busier earlier but I got control of the fight with the left hand.”

Preliminary bouts

Mexico’s Oscar Valdez (10-0, 9 Kos) stepped into another category in facing Florida’s Adrian Perez (10-5-1) in a junior lightweight clash. After some good exchanges, Valdez began focusing on the body and saw great results. A left hook to the liver at 1:23 of round four ended the night for Perez.

Ukraines Oleksandr Gvozdyk (1-0) made an impact in his pro debut with a knockout win of Colorado’s Mike Montoya (4-3-1).

Brazil’s Esquiva Falcao (2-0) had too much speed for Publio Pena (2-2) of Providence. After six rounds Falcao dominated the fight to win by unanimous decision 60-54 twice and 60-53.

New York’s Sean Monaghan (21-0, 14 Kos) defeated Massachusetts Joe McCreedy (15-7-2, 6 Kos) in the battle of Irish light heavyweights. Monaghan put McCreedy down three times with body shots to win by knockout at 2:25 of round five.

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David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap, 263: Regis Prograis and Devin Haney target San Francisco

Published

19 hours ago

December 8, 2023

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap, 263: Regis Prograis and Devin Haney target San Francisco

Back in the 60s San Francisco was home to Flower Children, free love and open concerts.

Not today.

Now it’s more cauliflower ears, gentrification and professional fighting.

Welcome to San Francisco and welcome to the battle between WBC super lightweight titlist Regis Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs) and former undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) on Saturday Dec. 9, at the Chase Center.

DAZN pay-per-view will stream the Matchroom Boxing card that includes Ebanie Bridges versus Miyo Yoshida.

It’s been a long time since San Francisco hosted a big-time event like this. Back in the 1890s until the 1950s the Golden Gate city was a leader in prize fighting. Gentleman Jim Corbett, Abe Attell, and Willie Ritchie, among others, were world champions from the city back more than 100 years ago.

I even have a relative who lived and fought in San Francisco from 1915 to 1930 among other cities. It’s good to see the bay city back hosting pugilism.

Prograis and Haney are kind of throwback fighters.

The challenger Haney has that classic smooth boxing style that kind of reminds me of the great Sugar Ray Robinson. He doesn’t have that shocking power that enabled Robinson to dominate the welterweight and middleweight divisions during the 40s and 50s, but he’s smooth.

The champion Prograis hails from New Orleans and kind of reminds me of Aaron Pryor, a beast of the super lightweight division during his heyday in the 70s and 80s. Who can forget Pryor and Alexis Arguello’s two epic battles? Today’s champion has some of those fierce qualities of Pryor.

Mix them together and what will we get?

Prograis, 34, has been put on the back-burner for years after losing a very close battle to Scotland’s Josh Taylor in 2019. No other world titlist wanted to risk facing the native of New Orleans who left due to Hurricane Katrina. He’s fast, fearless, has a good jaw and cracks hard.

“I’m going to hurt that boy,” says Prograis with dead seriousness.

Haney, 25, was born in San Francisco and lived across the bridge in Oakland until the age of 14 when he moved to Las Vegas. Due to his age, he began his pro career in Mexico. Ten of his pro fights took place in cantinas, small arenas and gymnasiums against unknown but dangerous fighters. When he turned 18, he ventured back home and has remained undefeated with his blend of stylistic boxing and athleticism.

“Regis is going to be trying to knock me out and that’s exactly what I need him to be trying to do,” said Haney who seeks to add a super lightweight division title to his resume. “I’m going to be stronger and faster than ever. I’m going to dominate him.”

Throughout the media week, Haney and crew have been badgering and taunting the current champion Prograis. Is that a good idea?

“I’m going to hurt that boy,” Prograis reiterated.

Amanda abandons WBC

Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano, the undisputed featherweight world champion tossed aside the WBC featherweight title because the organization refuses to budge on its two-minute rounds for women’s boxing.

“If a sanctioning body doesn’t want to give me and my fellow fighters the choice to fight the same as the men, then I will not be fighting for that sanctioning body,” the seven-division world champion stated.

“The WBC has refused to evolve the sport for equality. So I am relinquishing their title,” said Serrano, the first ever undisputed featherweight world champion.

How many other WBC titlists will follow her lead?

Already Mikaela Mayer has asked for three-minute rounds in her upcoming match with Natasha Jonas. Both publicly said they want three-minute rounds. Will the promoter for BOXXER fulfill their request?

So far, it’s really only been the WBC and various promoters who keep women at two-minute rounds.

Serrano has lit the match.

La Cobra in Long Beach

Super flyweight contender Adelaida “La Cobra” Ruiz (14-0-1) and Mexico’s Mayela Perez (19-26-4) meet eight rounds at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday Dec. 9. The Los Angeles fighter is one of the best kept secrets in pro boxing.

Ruiz is one of those fighters that the elite vividly know about her abilities and take a pass. She is the interim super flyweight titlist, which means she is the top ranked super flyweight without a world title.

PBC on Amazon

Premier Boxing Champions with its abundance of stars such as Jermell Charlo, David Benavidez and Errol Spence Jr. just signed a multi-year deal with Amazon Prime Video to feature its more than 150 fighters on the media platform, it was announced on Thursday, Dec. 7.

Showtime announced last month that it was ending its broadcasts of boxing this year. It had been 37 years and included some of the most historic fights ever witnessed. That has ended.

Amazon stated it will be streaming boxing in 2024.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN pay-per-view 5 p.m. Regis Prograis (29-1) vs Devin Haney (30-0); Ebanie Bridges (9-1) vs Miyo Yoshida (16-4); Andy Cruz (1-0) vs Jovanni Straffon (26-5-1).

Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Robeisy Ramirez (13-1) vs Rafael Espinosa (21-0).

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Seasons Beatings from Philly where Local Fighters of Note are in Action This Weekend

Published

2 days ago

December 7, 2023

Luis A. Cortes III

Seasons Beatings from Philly where Local Fighters of Note are in Action This Weekend

Tomorrow night (Friday, Dec. 8) begins a nice stretch of live boxing in the Philadelphia area after a relatively quiet fall schedule. These shows will wrap a bow on the 2023 fight schedule for the Delaware Valley with a slate of shows already scheduled for the early part of the upcoming new year.

This sudden boom, well overdue, is good for the Delaware Valley, for its fighters and its fight fans. So, while these shows aren’t large-scale, they are a great way for fight fans to learn about fighters they may see competing on those larger shows in the future.

Let’s look at what exactly fans are in for with the final shows of 2023.

Friday, December 8^th – Wind Creek Events Center, Bethlehem, PA (Kings Promotions)

Jesse Hart (29-3) vs. Jeyson Minda (14-7-1) tops a massive 11-fight card. For years now, Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotions has put on successful shows in the Philadelphia region. Not only do they hit the mark from a commercial standpoint, but his shows always have entertaining fights where the result could go either way and this show should be no different.

Jesse Hart (pictured with Jarrett Hurd) finds himself somewhat in limbo in the sport. Staying active and keeping his tools sharp is crucial for Hart to continue to keep his name out there and work his way back into the rankings.

A powerful fighter who often finds himself in engaging battles, Hart’s three defeats happened against only two fighters — Gilberto Ramirez (twice) and Joe Smith, both former world champions. Since his last setback in 2020, Hart has won three fights on the local scene while enduring some setbacks outside of the ring due to hand injuries. Released from his contract with Top Rank, Hart finds himself in the position where his name and pedigree (he’s the son of former middleweight standout Eugene “Cyclone” Hart) coupled with a string of quality victories could open the door to another crack at a marquee name in the super middleweight or light heavyweight division.

Former super welterweight king Jarrett Hurd (24-3) takes on Tyi Edmonds (14-5). In his most recent fight back in March, Hurd returned to the ring after a long absence and was shockingly stopped in the tenth round by Armando Resendiz. Against Edmonds, Hurd looks to prove that he still has elite-level abilities as he too tries to work his way back to the top. A much-needed victory would start that process while a third defeat in a row, especially if it’s physically taxing, would all but mark the end of having his name mentioned anywhere near the division’s best.

Julian Gonzalez (11-0-1) is a talented Kings Promotions fighter who packs a punch, especially for a super featherweight. The 22-year-old Reading, PA native continues his growth against Texas journeyman Juan Antonio Lopez (17-15-1). If successful, Gonzalez will set himself up for a bright 2024 that should see him face quality fringe contenders as well as other prospects which will lead to bigger fights down the road.

Saturday, December 9^th – Showboat Hotel, Atlantic City, NJ (Champions Sports and Entertainment)

Philadelphia fan favorite Joey “The Tank” Dawejko (26-10-4, 14 KOs) is staying busy in the twilight of his career. He’s 3-0 thus far in 2023 which includes two exciting victories over Colby Madison (their first fight, a bruising tiff, will most likely be the 2023 Philadelphia Fight of the Year). On Saturday he returns to the ring to defend his WBC USA heavyweight title in an 8-round battle vs. Jesse Bryan (21-7-2, 16 KOs) of Jefferson City, Missouri. This fight headlines a nine-bout show by CSE which is trying to revive boxing on the boardwalk.

In the co-main, Glassboro, NJ native Derrick Webster (29-4-1) will take on the always durable Cleotis Pendarvis (22-19-2) in an 8-round battle of super middleweights.

Liverpool, NY super lightweight Bryce Mills (13-1, 4 KO) looks to add to his 7-fight winning streak when he battles the durable Tackie Annan (15-10) in a fight scheduled for six rounds. Mills has continued to grow his fan base in the northeast by taking part in action-packed fights from the opening bell. His fans tend to travel well and Saturday looks to be no different as a large contingent of his fans are expected to turn up in Atlantic City to support their young charge. It also helps that Mills, like Dawejko, has teamed up with Hall-of-Fame promoter J. Russell Peltz to help guide his professional career.

Edward Donovan (7-0), a super welterweight prospect from Limerick, Ireland, puts his undefeated record on the line when he battles tough Jetter Burgos (6-1, 5 KO) from the Bronx, NY. Puerto Rican lightweight Joey Borrero (11-1, 9 KO), along with super middleweight prospect Cali Box (2-0) from Franklin Township, NJ, will appear in separate fights.

Date TBD– 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, PA (R&B Promotions)

Tevin Farmer (32-5-1) and Patrick Okine (21-6-2) were slated to meet in the main event last Friday, Dec. 1, on a show at the always-fun 2300 Arena. At the last minute, the show was postponed. An e-mail announcing the unfortunate postponement stated that the show would be rescheduled soon. While a new date has yet to be locked in, all signs point toward the show coming to fruition at the close of 2023 or early in 2024.

A former IBF world super featherweight champion, Tevin Farmer was set to make his third appearance of 2023 as he continues to shake off the ring rust that formed after a much-needed break and continue his push toward becoming a two-time world title-holder. It’s crazy to think, but it’s already been more than three full years since Farmer lost his title to Jojo Diaz in January of 2020.

Farmer, who had a late start in the sport, turned pro without the glitz and glamour that accompanies a highly decorated amateur, but fought his way to the top, beating the odds to achieve his life’s dream of championship glory. His break from the sport following his defeat to Diaz was needed to reenergize him from both a physical and mental standpoint.

In Okine he will find himself in the ring with a sturdy opponent that has faced some of the top contenders in and around the lightweight division. “I wanted Tevin [Farmer] to stay active and keep sharpening his tools and Okine provides that opportunity for him,” stated Alex Barbosa, the promoter/matchmaker. “Okine is always tough and comes to win, which is just what Tevin needs at this point of his career.”

With the lightweight division having had a changing of the guard at the top in terms of the championships, Farmer, 33, just may get that second chance at the top of the mountain. And if he continues to stay active while racking up solid victories, it may come sooner rather than later.

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The IBHOF Class of 2024 includes Ricky Hatton, Michael Moorer, and Ivan Calderon

Published

2 days ago

December 7, 2023

TSS Press

The IBHOF Class of 2024 includes Ricky Hatton, Michael Moorer, and Ivan Calderon

The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum in Canastota, New York, has unveiled its newest class of inductees. The Class of 2024 includes Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, Michael “Double M” Moorer, Ivan “Iron Boy” Calderon and Diego “Chico” Corrales (posthumous) in the men’s Modern category; Jane “The Fleetwood Assassin” Couch and “La Guerrera” Ana Maria Torres in the Women’s modern category; trainer Kenny Adams, manager Jackie Kallen, and publicist Fred Sternburg in the Non-Participant category; journalist Wallace Matthews and broadcaster Nick Charles (posthumous) in the Observer category; Luis Angel Firpo (posthumous) in the Old Timer category and Theresa Kibby (posthumous) in the women’s Trailblazer category.

The inductees will be formally enshrined during the annual Hall of Fame Induction Weekend. The 2024 event, a four-day jamboree, commences on Thursday, June 6.

The IBHOF is located at Exit 34 of the New York Thruway. Hours of operation are Monday-Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Biographies on the Class of 2024 can be found on www.ibhof.com

Fred Sternburg was previously honored with the Marvin Kohn Good Guy Award by the Boxing Writers Association of America, an honor bestowed upon him in 2004. Rick Folstad interviewed Sternburg for a story that appeared on these pages in December of 2005.

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