COMMISSIONER’S CORNER: On Judging Missteps, Algieri’s Deep Cut, More

Published

11 years ago

July 23, 2014

Let’s get one thing straight: The decision rendered on the Canelo Alvarez-Erislandy Lara fight was not fixed or pre-ordained, as so many of you have told me through your calls, your texts, your e-mails, your messages and your tweets.

Canelo Alvarez-Erislandy Lara. This is the perfect example of why it’s so hard, so difficult, to score a fight. Read each post here on TSS in reaction to the fight. Read ’em carefully. Some of you thought Lara won convincingly (as did I & judge Dave Moretti). Some of you thought Canelo won (as did judges Levi Martinez & Jerry Roth).

Some of you were so turned off by Lara’s fight plan that you’ve placed him on your “Don’t Watch” list, along with Richar Abril and Guillermo Rigondeaux (quite possibly the world’s most-gifted boxer!).

This was a bit like Chris Algieri v Ruslan Provodnikov. A boxer/mover/elusive competitor vs the constantly coming in, power-punching foe.

Half of us saw the aggressive power-puncher winning in both fights–Provodnikov/Alvarez. Some saw the elusive boxer winning (Algieri/Lara).

That’s boxing. That’s why the scores of the three officials read the way they did. They weren’t like that because of incompetence or dishonesty, which a few of my e-mails & texts claimed (“Well, looks like Golden Boy got to two of the judges” read one of my texts). That just wasn’t the case.

At the final bell, I was thinking Lara won by split decision, but really felt it should be unanimous. I saw him land the greater frequency of shots, while Alvarez’ hardest punches landed on nothing but the MGM Grand Ballroom’s air. Several of his body hooks got in. Many more were blocked. Sure, Lara was landing what many of you saw as “pitty-pat” punches, but Alvarez didn’t come into the ring with that swelling under his right eye.

I don’t agree with the decision.

But I am not going to go crazy and holler robbery or fix.

That’s boxing and that’s scoring.

You want to talk about controversial endings? Try a few of these bouts:

Tyrone Everett vs. Alfredo Escalera…

Pernell Whitaker vs. Jose Luis Ramirez…

Pernell Whitaker vs. Julio Cesar Chavez…

Those were three of the biggest robberies I have seen in boxing. How about Timothy Bradley vs Manny Pacquiao I? They still haven’t cleared the stench from the Las Vegas air from that one.

But that first one on my list–Everett-Escalera…that may be the WORST decision in the history of boxing. I was there that night. My card had it 12-3 for the undefeated southpaw slickster from Philadelphia. Boxing writer Jack “KO-JO” Obermayer, who has been to more boxing events than perhaps anyone else, said, “I believe I had it 12-1-2 for TE. He may have even won all 15 rounds.”

You saw it your way. The judges saw it their way.

I saw it my way.

***

Speaking of Chris Algieri, the red-hot Huntington, L.I. jr. welter has signed to face Manny Pacquiao on November 22 in Macau, China. Opening lines have Pacquiao an overwhelming favorite, much in the way of how heavily-favored Mike Tyson was going into his title defense against Buster Douglas in 1990. Manny is not getting and younger or any better. A prospective, mind-boggling super fight between Pacquiao and $$$May is yesterday’s news and no longer a reality, no matter how much many of us still want to see it. So, now it’s Pacquiao vs. Algieri. Unless I see something along the way which will change my mind, I think Algieri stands on the precipice of his second straight major upset–his first being against Ruslan Provodnikov a few months ago. A victory in Macau will unquestionably make him 2014’s “Fighter of the Year.” You’re not gonna’ buy the fight, you say? You may regret that move the next morning! I know. Most of you–I would say 95%–are reading this and saying “Commish, you’re nuts to tthink Algieri even has a miniscule chance of beating Pacquiao.” Algieri showed his fighting heart and courage against Provodnikov. Pacquiao is going to see nothing less.

A HUGE CUT–Cutmen are a dime a dozen, but top-notch ones are rare. Big George Mitchell, who, at 6’10” is the tallest cutman in the world, is also regarded as one of the best. He is one of the top-notch guys. Mitchell, a former NYC police officer, trained for years under one of the finest, most-respected cutmen of all time, Al Gavin. Fighters train to win championships. Trainers dream of working with and training a world champion. Managers clamor to work with a world champ. Cutmen ply their trade in the hope that one day they’ll be able to work the corner of a champion. Mitchell got his dream in May, when he worked the corner of Chris Algieri, whom he had been working with for a long time. As you may recall, Algieri was dropped in the first round by a powerful left hook. When he arose from the knockdown, a puffiness was already under Algieri’s eye. Later, a cut opened above the eye. Mitchell did his best to stem the flow of blood and control the swelling. It was something he needed to do from the end of the first round until the final bell. From press row, it looked as if Mitchell did a super job. His handiwork was examined by the extremely squeamish NYSAC doctors and approved. They allowed the fight to continue. Algieri showed tremendous heart by hanging in and winning a split decision. Now, as the announcement has come that Algieri has been rewarded with a fight against Manny Pacquiao for over $1 million, he has elected to let Big George go. It is not known the reason for Mitchell’s dismissal. Perhaps he asked for a lot more money from Algieri. Perhaps Algieri was unhappy with the work Mitchell did in the Provodnikov fight, although we can’t understand what there was to be unhappy about. In any event, Mitchell has been cut by Algieri. It’s a shame, because, while Algieri and his team get to earn their greatest payday, the man so responsible for helping Algieri get there won’t be there to earn his own payday. Somebody else will. It’s certainly the largest cut–even larger than the one which Algieri suffered against Provodnikov and the one which Mitchell kept under control–that Big George has ever had to face.

***

WHO WILL REF?: As of this writing, there has been no announcement from the NYSAC who will be the officials for Saturday’s WBO Middleweight Title fight between Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Geale. In recent years, the NYSAC has moved away from exclusively using New York State officials. Chairperson Melvina Lathan has been doing that for years, and now, new Executive Director David Berlin, has begun his time in office by using non-NY residents. For the Miguel Cotto-Sergio Martinez fight, his first major show, Berlin brought in Canadian Michael Griffin. This did not sit well with many New York State referees, who began whispering, “Why didn’t Berlin use a New York State ref?” There are plenty of world-class ones to choose from. Charlie Fitch is one (although we hear he will be working on a Showtime card from the Turning Stone Casino the night before)…Ron Lipton is another. There’s also Eddie Claudio. And Steve Willis. There are more. My guess is that for the two feature fights this weekend at MSG–GGG-Geale and Jennings-Perez–Berlin will select Benji Esteves and Harvey Dock. While both are residents of New Jersey, each has found a home in New York rings and each does excellent work. Hopefully, Berlin refrains from using another particular out-of-state ref, but that’s an issue which will be addressed if and when Berlin gives him a call for GGG-Geale or Jennings-Perez

THE HARDER THEY FALL: Until 2011, El Paso heavyweight David Rodriguez was cruising along, slowly but surely, in his boxing career. He was 34 and unbeaten in 36 fights. He, his handlers and his fans believed he had the power and skills to win at least a portion of the heavyweight title. Then, he was slashed on the fight by a knife in a street fight. It took him two years to recover and return to the ring.

“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Rodriguez had told me about the knife attack on my SiriusXM show last December, one week before his comeback fight against veteran Darnell Boone. The veteran brought a very opponent-like record of 24-17-3 into the fight against Rodriguez’ 36-0 (34 KO’s). The veteran battered and stopped Rodriguez in the sixth round.

Rodriguez licked his wounds, rested for awhile, the headed back to the gym. This past weekend, he launched yet another comeback, against another veteran. Ironically, this veteran–Raymond Ochieng–had the identical record of Rodriguez’ last opponent, Darnell Boone. Their knockout totals virtually matched, too. Boone came in with 20 knockouts. Ochieng came in with 19. It was eerily similar. Perhaps it was an omen of things to come. The only thing is, Ochieng didn’t stop Rodriguez in the sixth round. He stopped him midway through the first.

For David Rodriguez, his dream of winning the heavyweight title ended in the fight against Ochieng. Perhaps it ended last December, against Boone. Perhaps it ended two years earlier, when the knife slashed across Rodriguez’ face. In any case, it ended.

David Rodriguez announced his retirement after the fight.

***

TIME FOR THE CALL: It’s time to put the name Al Gavin on the ballot for selection into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Al Gavin was a cutman/cornerman/trainer par excellence who was visible in so many corners during the 70’s, 80’s 90’s and into the new millennium. Gavin worked the corner of amateurs, pro and celebrities. He worked with the best (Lennox Lewis), the busiest (Micky Ward) and the worst (me). He treated everybody like a champ. Gavin passed away in 2009. Ralph Citro, also a great cutman, was inducted in 2001. It’s time to put Al Gavin’s name on the ballot and put his selection into boxing immortality in the hands of lthe Boxing Writer’s Association. It really is time.

***

NEXT FOR MIGUEL COTTO: Winning the middleweight title from Sergio Martinez was merely another step towards Canastota for Miguel Cotto. Chances are, no matter what he does between now and his eventual induction will not affect his selection into the IBHOF. Two names being tossed around as possibly opponents for Cotto are Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. With Alvarez possibly going in the direction of James Kirkland and Julio Sr. saying his son will gladly make 160 to face Cotto, expect to see a middleweight title clash between Cotto and Chavez. Does this one head to New York or Las Vegas? I say it winds up in Cotto’s adopted home of New York City.

***

HE’S COMING BACK: He was battered and overpowered by Miguel Cotto on June 7 at Madison Square Garden. A bum knee and a surgically-repaired shoulder left Sergio Martinez looking like anything but a champion, and he was stopped in 10 one-sided rounds. Now, only a month later comes news from Spain–Martinez’ home–that the ex-middleweight king intends to fight on.

“He is 100% healthy and will resume his career with the intention of regaining the title,” said Sampson Lewkowicz, Martinez’ adviser.

One hundred percent healthy? How can that be? Only one month ago, Martinez looked like a cripple. He looked frail and weak and was treated as such by Cotto, who dropped him four times on the way to taking his title. How can he be 100% just a little over a month later?

“He said he feels fine,” said Martinez’ promoter Lou DiBella. “He’ll be coming into New York for a battery of physical exams and we will take it from there. My guess is he’ll be fighting in the early part of 2015 against a tough, top-15, top-20 opponent. We’ll take it from there.”

Martinez will be 40 in February.

***

VAST IMPROVEMENT: After watching Zou Shiming thoroughly outbox veteran Luis De la Rosa on Saturday night, you can see his hard work with Freddie Roach paying off. Shiming is planting his feet a lot more when he throws his blistering combinations and his movement is much more fluid with less wasted energy. Shiming won nine of the 10 rounds against De la Rosa to go 5-0 in a fight for the vacant WBO International Flyweight Title. There will probably be one more fight for Shiming before the 33-year-old Shiming–a hero throughout China–is put into a world title fight…On the same card as Shiming, Guillermo Rigondeaux moved to 14-0 with a second-round stoppage of Thailand’s Sod Kokietgym. It’s too bad the fight ended the way it did, on a cheap–but legal–punch by Rigondeaux. Kokietgym had come into the fight with a 63-2-1 record, with his only two losses coming to Daniel “Ponce” De Leon, the last one in 2006…Patrick Day, the sensational middleweight prospect from Long Island, will see action this Wednesday at B. B. King’s in NYC on a Lou DiBella card. Day is currently 7-0-1 with four knockouts.

A CHANGE IN THE RATINGS: With Top-10 PxP fighter GGG in action this weekend, I am wondering how he will look and if his performance will raise him, keep him the same or drop him in our PxP ratings. Guess we’ll find out on Saturday. My pick is GGG by late round stoppage.

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Randy Gordon

TSS Salutes Thomas Hauser and his Bernie Award Cohorts

Published

19 hours ago

April 16, 2025

TSS Press

TSS-Salutes-Thomas-Hauser-and-his-Bernie-Award-Cohorts

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.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

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

Published

2 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.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis Wins Welterweight Showdown in Atlantic City

Published

4 days ago

April 12, 2025

David A. Avila

Jaron-'Boots'-Ennis-Wins-Welterweight-Showdown-in-Atlantic-City

In the showdown between undefeated welterweight champions Jaron “Boots Ennis walked away with the victory by technical knockout over Eamantis Stanionis and the WBA and IBF titles on Saturday.

No doubt. Ennis was the superior fighter.

“He’s a great fighter. He’s a good guy,” said Ennis.

Philadelphia’s Ennis (34-0, 30 KOs) faced Lithuania’s Stanionis (15-1, 10 KOs) at demonstrated an overpowering southpaw and orthodox attack in front of a sold-out crowd at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

It might have been confusing but whether he was in a southpaw stance or not Ennis busted the body with power shots and jabbed away in a withering pace in the first two rounds.

Stanionis looked surprised when his counter shots seemed impotent.

In the third round the Lithuanian fighter who trains at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, began using a rocket jab to gain some semblance of control. Then he launched lead rights to the jaw of Ennis. Though Stanionis connected solidly, the Philly fighter was still standing and seemingly unfazed by the blows.

That was a bad sign for Stanionis.

Ennis returned to his lightning jabs and blows to the body and Stanionis continued his marauding style like a Sherman Tank looking to eventually run over his foe. He just couldn’t muster enough firepower.

In the fifth round Stanionis opened up with a powerful body attack and seemed to have Ennis in retreat. But the Philadelphia fighter opened up with a speedy combination that ended with blood dripping from the nose of Stanionis.

It was not looking optimistic for the Lithuanian fighter who had never lost.

Stanionis opened up the sixth round with a three-punch combination and Ennis met him with a combination of his own. Stanionis was suddenly in retreat and Ennis chased him like a leopard pouncing on prey. A lightning five-punch combination that included four consecutive uppercuts delivered Stanionis to the floor for the count. He got up and survived the rest of the round.

After returning shakily to his corner, the trainer whispered to him and then told the referee that they had surrendered.

Ennis jumped in happiness and now holds the WBA and IBF welterweight titles.

“I felt like I was getting in my groove. I had a dream I got a stoppage just like this,” said Ennis.

Stanionis looked like he could continue, but perhaps it was a wise move by his trainer. The Lithuanian fighter’s wife is expecting their first child at any moment.

Meanwhile, Ennis finally proved the expectations of greatness by experts. It was a thorough display of superiority over a very good champion.

“The biggest part was being myself and having a live body in front of me,” said Ennis. “I’m just getting started.”

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn was jubilant over the performance of the Philadelphia fighter.

“What a wonderful humble man. This is one of the finest fighters today. By far the best fighter in the division,” said Hearn. “You are witnessing true greatness.”

Other Bouts

Former featherweight world champion Raymond Ford (17-1-1, 8 KOs) showed that moving up in weight would not be a problem even against the rugged and taller Thomas Mattice (22-5-1, 17 KOs) in winning by a convincing unanimous decision.

The quicksilver southpaw Ford ravaged Mattice in the first round then basically cruised the remaining nine rounds like a jackhammer set on automatic. Four-punch combinations pummeled Mattice but never put him down.

“He was a smart veteran. He could take a hit,” said Ford.

Still, there was no doubt on who won the super featherweight contest. After 10 rounds all three judges gave Ford every round and scored it 100-90 for the New Jersey fighter who formerly held the WBA featherweight title which was wrested from him by Nick Ball.

Shakhram Giyasov (17-0, 10 KOs) made good on a promise to his departed daughter by knocking out Argentina’s Franco Ocampo (17-3, 8 KOs) in their welterweight battle.

Giyasov floored Ocampo in the first round with an overhand right but the Argentine fighter was able to recover and fight on for several more rounds.

In the fourth frame, Giyasov launched a lead right to the liver and collapsed Ocampo with the body shot for the count of 10 at 1:57 of the fourth round.

“I had a very hard camp because I lost my daughter,” Giyasov explained. “I promised I would be world champion.”

In his second pro fight Omari Jones (2-0) needed only seconds to disable William Jackson (13-6-2) with a counter right to the body for a knockout win. The former Olympic medalist was looking for rounds but reacted to his opponent’s actions.

“He was a veteran he came out strong,” said Jones who won a bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. “But I just stayed tight and I looked for the shot and I landed it.”

After a feint, Jackson attacked and was countered by a right to the rib cage and down he went for the count at 1:40 of the first round in the welterweight contest.

Photo credit: Matchroom

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!