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Pacquiao Regresses Against Bradley But Wins Bigger This Time

This past weekend Manny Pacquiao 56-5-2 (38) beat Timothy Bradley 31-1 (12) for the second straight time in the ring and the first time on the officials’ scorecards. Pacquiao regained the WBO welterweight title via a 12-round unanimous decision (116-112, 116-112 & 118-110) and handed Bradley his first official loss.
I scored the fight 117-112 / 8-3-1 Pacquiao and only gave Bradley one round after the fifth, the 11th. It was an easy bout to score and can be said with impunity that Pacquiao won no less than eight of the 12 rounds the fight went. However, before the fight there were a few questions lingering over both Pacquiao and Bradley as fighters.
Those questions were answered definitively Saturday night. What did we glean from the Pacquiao-Bradley rematch?
Let’s start with Bradley. First of all, it was confirmed beyond all doubt that Bradley has a great chin and has suffered no telling physical effects from his war with Ruslan Provodikov a little over a year ago, unless stupidity counts.
Secondly, he should dump his father as a corner-man and adviser. What a monumental mistake it turned out to be having Bradley do all that weight lifting and in the process make Tim think he had linebacker strength and Thomas Hearns-like punching power. In case his father didn’t know, punchers are born and not manufactured or created by weight lifting. Bradley is not a puncher and never will be regardless of how big his muscles get.
Also, Team Bradley really rolled the dice with their game plan of trying to steamroll and knock Pacquiao out this time. Then Bradley really let the fight get away from him when after five rounds he realized that a) it wasn’t going to work and b) it was depleting his strength and taking a lot out of him physically. Before the fight Bradley’s trainer Joel Diaz said that Manny can be out-boxed, and he’s right. What he can’t be is repeatedly suckered into a counter right hand, which was basically all Bradley tried to do after the fifth round. Bradley changed his strategy for a reason after the fifth round, and it had nothing to do with his leg as he said after the fight. My guess is that he realized he was in harms way and very well might get knocked out going for the kill and trying to get Pacquiao out of there by being so aggressive.
I said before the fight the best thing for Manny heading into the rematch was the decision that went against him in their first meeting, and that he very well might lure Bradley into thinking he had to win some of the exchanges with an exclamation point, and that’s exactly how he fought through the first five rounds. The part I blatantly missed was how Bradley seeing Juan Manuel Marquez stretch Pacquiao out face-first with a counter right hand led him to think that Pacquiao was so easily susceptible to that punch. After round five all Bradley really did was try to bait Pacquiao into walking into a big right hand counter, which Manny picked up quickly and never fell into the trap. Shame on Bradley for getting away from who he really is as a fighter and thinking that Pacquiao could be so easily suckered by the same punch for seven straight rounds.
It’s obvious that all that was said and happened after their first fight really affected Bradley in a big way, and not for the better, at least this past Saturday night. Bradley better put down the weights and go back to being a boxer who utilizes the tools he was blessed with at birth. When all is said and done, he fought a stupid fight and Pacquiao by just sticking to who he is as a fighter played a huge role as to why he won the rematch so comfortably in the eyes of everyone.
In regards to Pacquiao, he was beautiful in the way he kept his cool and never once veered away from who he is and how he fights. Pacquiao showed superior ring savvy and the utmost professionalism. He even stepped back and waited for Bradley to get out of position and over-commit (something Bradley was trying to get him to do most of the fight) when Tim was trying to bring the heat and fight as the attacker. Then Manny countered and moved and easily won most of the exchanges with his straight lefts and hooks inside. Actually, Pacquiao didn’t make one stylistic adjustment in this fight because he didn’t have to, he just took advantage of Bradley being all over the place and losing site on what he needed to do to have his best shot to win the fight.
A lot of Pacquiao fans aren’t gonna like this, but Pacquiao wasn’t as good physically in this fight as he was the first time. Yet because he fought smartly and Bradley made more mistakes, Pacquiao won the rematch by a wider margin. Lucky for Bradley that Manny has slipped noticeably as a fighter and can no longer pull the trigger instinctively like he once could. Had that not been the case he might have stopped Bradley this time. At this stage of his career, Pacquiao needs to think about pulling the trigger and it was impossible not to see that against Bradley this past weekend. Don’t get me wrong, Pacquiao is still very dangerous and would be a solid favorite over anyone else at 147 except Mayweather. The problem is Manny has to work to get himself in that frame of mind. You no longer see that joy of fighting that was so natural to him when he was younger. And his merciless killer instinct is gone and never coming back. That beautiful flow that was part of his style is gone too. Against Bradley Saturday night, a lot of the time you could see that he was telling himself there were things he should be doing, rather than just doing them. He beat a real good fighter without too much trouble, but he would’ve taken Bradley apart five years ago. Did Pacquiao look like a physically shot fighter with nothing left on April 12th, no, absolutely not. Put those rumors to rest for the time being. Is he still one of the two best fighters in the welterweight division and top pound-for-pound fighters in boxing, yes! But he is clearly on the decline and isn’t the supernova he once was when we picture him in our mind. Luckily for him he didn’t need to be that great in order to defeat Bradley either time. Sure, he can fight Juan Manuel Marquez again and it would be huge, because it always is. But they’re both eroding, yet still capable of hurting each other. In all honesty I’d rather not see them fight again.
In the rematch with Bradley, Pacquiao didn’t turn the clock back or re-invent himself stylistically. What he did was fight smartly and in a measured fashion against an opponent who had no idea what would work but felt desperate to make a statement and earn the decision he was given the last time they fought. What Pacquiao showed mostly is how confident he is in himself and how he doesn’t fold under pressure. Like he’s often said, “if you don’t wanna lose, then don’t fight.” I am in no way writing Manny Pacquiao off as a great fighter. What I am saying is, he’s not the super fighter he once was circa 2008/2009 and has even regressed some since the first Bradley fight two years ago despite beating him more convincingly this time.
Sure, Pacquiao can beat Bradley and probably every other welterweight in the world seven days a week. But at 35 with a lot of wear and tear on his body from almost 20 years fighting as a pro, he can’t blow through ’em like he used to. Before the fight Saturday night I said emphatically, with no wiggle room, “Floyd Mayweather will lose the first round looking Pacquiao over, then proceed to out-box and out-fight him on his way to winning a lopsided unanimous decision, if they ever fight.” Well, I’ve revised that. I still think Mayweather loses the first round, but I think there’s a 50-50 chance that Mayweather wins by stoppage. Manny is not the instinctive catch n’ kill terror he was when the talk of them fighting first began roughly six years ago, and that will aide Floyd to the point of no return…..Floyd is simply too physically big, long, strong, quick and fundamentally proficient for Pacquiao now and will dominate him when they fight.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
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Gabriela Fundora KOs Marilyn Badillo and Perez Upsets Conwell in Oceanside

It was just a numbers game for Gabriela Fundora and despite Mexico’s Marilyn Badillo’selusive tactics it took the champion one punch to end the fight and retain her undisputed flyweight world title by knockout on Saturday.
Will it be her last flyweight defense?
Though Fundora (16-0, 8 KOs) fired dozens of misses, a single punch found Badillo (19-1-1, 3 KOs) and ended her undefeated career and first attempt at a world title at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California.
Fundora, however, proves unbeatable at flyweight.
The champion entered the arena as the headliner for the Golden Boy Promotion show and stepped through the ropes with every physical advantage possible, including power.
Mexico’s Badillo was a midget compared to Fundora but proved to be as elusive as a butterfly in a menagerie for the first six rounds. As the six-inch taller Fundora connected on one punch for every dozen thrown, that single punch was a deadly reminder.
Badillo tried ducking low and slipping to the left while countering with slashing uppercuts, she found little success. She did find the body a solid target but the blows proved to be useless. And when Badillo clinched, that proved more erroneous as Fundora belted her rapidly during the tie-ups.
“She was kind of doing her ducking thing,” said Fundora describing Badillo’s defensive tactics. “I just put the pressure on. It was just like a train. We didn’t give her that break.”
The Mexican fighter tried valiantly with various maneuvers. None proved even slightly successful. Fundora remained poised and under control as she stalked the challenger.
In the seventh round Badillo seemed to take a stand and try to slug it out with Fundora. She quickly was lit up by rapid left crosses and down she went at 1:44 of the seventh round. The Mexican fighter’s corner wisely waved off the fight and referee Rudy Barragan stopped the fight and held the dazed Badillo upright.
Once again Fundora remained champion by knockout. The only question now is will she move up to super flyweight or bantamweight to challenge the bigger girls.
Perez Beats Conwell.
Mexico’s Jorge “Chino” Perez (33-4, 26 KOs) upset Charles Conwell (21-1, 15 KOs) to win by split decision after 12 rounds in their super welterweight showdown.
It was a match that paired two hard-hitting fighters whose ledgers brimmed with knockouts, but neither was able to score a knockdown against each other.
Neither fighter moved backward. It was full steam ahead with Conwell proving successful to the body and head with left hooks and Perez connecting with rights to the head and body. It was difficult to differentiate the winner.
Though Conwell seemed to be the superior defensive fighter and more accurate, two judges preferred Perez’s busier style. They gave the fight to Perez by 115-113 scores with the dissenter favoring Conwell by the same margin.
It was Conwell’s first pro loss. Maybe it will open doors for more opportunities.
Other Bouts
Tristan Kalkreuth (15-1) managed to pass a serious heat check by unanimous decision against former contender Felix Valera (24-8) after a 10-round back-and-forth heavyweight fight.
It was very close.
Kalkreuth is one of those fighters that possess all the physical tools including youth and size but never seems to be able to show it. Once again he edged past another foe but at least this time he faced an experienced fighter in Valera.
Valera had his moments especially in the middle of the 10-round fight but slowed down during the last three rounds.
One major asset for Kalkreuth was his chin. He got caught but still motored past the clever Valera. After 10 rounds two judges saw it 99-91 and one other judge 97-93 all for Kalkreuth.
Highly-rated prospect Ruslan Abdullaev (2-0) blasted past dangerous Jino Rodrigo (13- 5-2) in an eight round super lightweight fight. He nearly stopped the very tough Rodrigo in the last two rounds and won by unanimous decision.
Abdullaev is trained by Joel and Antonio Diaz in Indio.
Bakersfield prospect Joel Iriarte (7-0, 7 KOs) needed only 1:44 to knock out Puerto Rico’s Marcos Jimenez (25-12) in a welterweight bout.
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‘Krusher’ Kovalev Exits on a Winning Note: TKOs Artur Mann in his ‘Farewell Fight’

At his peak, former three-time world light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev ranked high on everyone’s pound-for-pound list. Now 42 years old – he turned 42 earlier this month – Kovalev has been largely inactive in recent years, but last night he returned to the ring in his hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia, and rose to the occasion in what was billed as his farewell fight, stopping Artur Mann in the seventh frame.
Kovalev hit his peak during his first run as a world title-holder. He was 30-0-1 (26 KOs) entering first match with Andre Ward, a mark that included a 9-0 mark in world title fights. The only blemish on his record was a draw that could have been ruled a no-contest (journeyman Grover Young was unfit to continue after Kovalev knocked down in the second round what with was deemed an illegal rabbit punch). Among those nine wins were two stoppages of dangerous Haitian-Canadian campaigner Jean Pascal and a 12-round shutout over Bernard Hopkins.
Kovalev’s stature was not diminished by his loss to the undefeated Ward. All three judges had it 114-113, but the general feeling among the ringside press was that Sergey nicked it.
The rematch was also somewhat controversial. Referee Tony Weeks, who halted the match in the eighth stanza with Kovalev sitting on the lower strand of ropes, was accused of letting Ward get away with a series of low blows, including the first punch of a three-punch series of body shots that culminated in the stoppage. Sergey was wobbled by a punch to the head earlier in the round and was showing signs of fatigue, but he was still in the fight. Respected judge Steve Weisfeld had him up by three points through the completed rounds.
Sergey Kovalev was never the same after his second loss to Andre Ward, albeit he recaptured a piece of the 175-pound title twice, demolishing Vyacheslav Shabranskyy for the vacant WBO belt after Ward announced his retirement and then avenging a loss to Eleider Alvarez (TKO by 7) with a comprehensive win on points in their rematch.
Kovalev’s days as a title-holder ended on Nov. 2, 2019 when Canelo Alvarez, moving up two weight classes to pursue a title in a fourth weight division, stopped him in the 11th round, terminating what had been a relatively even fight with a hellacious left-right combination that left Krusher so discombobulated that a count was superfluous.
That fight went head-to-head with a UFC fight in New York City. DAZN, to their everlasting discredit, opted to delay the start of Canelo-Kovalev until the main event of the UFC fight was finished. The delay lasted more than an hour and Kovalev would say that he lost his psychological edge during the wait.
Kovalev had two fights in the cruiserweight class between his setback to Canelo and last night’s presumptive swan song. He outpointed Tervel Pulev in Los Angeles and lost a 10-round decision to unheralded Robin Sirwan Safar in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Artur Mann, a former world title challenger – he was stopped in three rounds by Mairis Briedis in 2021 when Briedis was recognized as the top cruiserweight in the world – was unexceptional, but the 34-year-old German, born in Kazakhstan, wasn’t chopped liver either, and Kovalev’s stoppage of him will redound well to the Russian when he becomes eligible for the Boxing Hall of Fame.
Krusher almost ended the fight in the second round. He knocked Mann down hard with a short left hand and seemingly scored another knockdown before the round was over (but it was ruled a slip). Mann barely survived the round.
In the next round, a punch left Mann with a bad cut on his right eyelid, but the German came to fight and rounds three, four and five were competitive.
Kovalev had a good sixth round although there were indications that he was tiring. But in the seventh he got a second wind and unleashed a right-left combination that rolled back the clock to the days when he was one of the sport’s most feared punchers. Mann went down hard and as he staggered to his feet, his corner signaled that the fight should be stopped and the referee complied. The official time was 0:49 of round seven. It was the 30th KO for Kovalev who advanced his record to 36-5-1.
Addendum: History informs us that Farewell Fights have a habit of becoming redundant, by which we mean that boxers often get the itch to fight again after calling it quits. Have we seen the last of Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev? We woudn’t bet on it.
The complete Kovalev-Mann fight card was live-streamed on the Boxing News youtube channel.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 322: Super Welterweight 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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