Featured Articles
I’d Rather Be Wrong Picking Hopkins Over Kovalev Than The Opposite
Tonight, WBA/IBF light heavyweight title holder Bernard Hopkins 55-6-2 (32) will meet WBO light heavyweight title holder Sergey Kovalev 25-0-1 (23). Hopkins, 49, just nine weeks shy of 50, is roughly a 3-1 underdog in the bout. And that’s mainly because of his age and the fact that many boxing observers see Kovalev as being the hardest puncher and most dangerous fighter Hopkins will fight since moving up to light heavyweight a little over eight years ago.
Hopkins was a solid underdog in his maiden light heavyweight bout when he challenged Antonio Tarver for the “Ring Magazine” lineal title during the summer of 2006. Back then Hopkins was coming off two suspect decision losses to Jermain Taylor, thus losing all four of his middleweight title belts. The thought at the time was, Tarver, who beat Roy Jones in their rubber match in his last bout, would be too big and strong for the 3-1 underdog Hopkins. Like many, I figured that if Hopkins couldn’t conclusively beat Taylor once in two fights, how he would handle the bigger and stronger Tarver, who was much more seasoned and tested than Taylor.
Now here we are again. In Kovalev, Hopkins is facing another physically big and strong light heavyweight, like Tarver, only Hopkins is 49, not 41. Kovalev’s reputation is even bigger than what Tarver’s was as far as being a “catch n’ kill” knockout artist. However, nobody mentions how Tarver clearly faced and defeated a significantly better grade of fighters than what Kovalev has faced in his 26 professional bouts. And needless for me to overstate it, Hopkins literally and figuratively took Tarver apart the night they fought. Hopkins had Tarver down in the fifth round and routed him by the scores of 118-109 on all three judges’ scorecards.
I said after that fight I would never pick against Hopkins again. Well I did, I picked him to lose to both Joe Calzaghe and Chad Dawson by decision, and he did. Although I did have him beating Calzaghe by a point. That said, my reasoning for picking Calzaghe and Dawson to beat Hopkins was based strictly on style. It’s been my belief, especially since the two Taylor fights and his move up to light heavyweight, that Hopkins is most vulnerable to quicker handed and footed fighters who look to get in and get out. Basically, they beat Hopkins at playing touch and tag and don’t even attempt to hurt or knock him out. As opposed to power driven fighters like Tarver, Kelly Pavlik and Jean Pascal, who looked to impose themselves physically on Hopkins.
Since the Tarver fight I’ve contended that it’ll take a fighter with more than sheer power and aggression to beat Hopkins. And when all is said and done, what is Sergey Kovalev’s identity? It’s power and steady pressure. Yes, he’s a tall and rangy light heavyweight. But unlike past Hopkins opponents, he does his best work from mid-range and can probably hurt Hopkins without having to get inside or crowd him, something that could very well be a key to a Kovalev victory. Then again if Hopkins isn’t bothered much by Kovalev’s Sunday punches, regardless where they’re launched from, it’s unlikely he’ll win.
I’ve been thinking about who I like in this fight since it was signed. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone back and forth so much in trying to decide who I think will win a fight. And that of course is why the bout is so intriguing and much anticipated. Will power and aggression overcome technical proficiency and experience -or- will wisdom and versatility trump physicality and youth?
I generally have an opinion about who’ll win an upcoming fight, but this is one where I just can’t get a firm feel for it. Aside from Hopkins by early kayo, I can picture almost any result here.
So here are my thoughts:
I know Hopkins has taken the bullets away from every big puncher he has ever faced, and reduced them to looking like they were trying to knock out a sheet hung over a clothes line. Kovalev is perceived as being the best two-handed puncher in the light heavyweight division. Hopkins’ last three opponents Beibut Shumenov, Karo Murat and Tavoris Cloud all went the distance with him and only Shumenov touched the canvas. Kovalev is bigger, stronger and much more capable and dangerous than the three of them combined.
Hopkins is closer to 50 years old than 49. He’s not the fighter he was five years ago. As much as I love Bernard as a fighter, he really hasn’t beaten anyone close to being special in awhile and, Kovalev has never faced a special fighter. I also don’t know if Sergey Kovalev is special, but if I had to bet, I think there’s a good chance he just may be. I also don’t believe Hopkins is going to be able to unravel Kovalev the way he has done so many other big punchers and opponents. I get the feeling Kovalev isn’t the type to come undone by some of the deceptions and mirages that Hopkins presents. Add to that I think Kovalev being able to get Hopkins’ respect from mid-range because he’s not a big hooker and does damage when he catches you at the end of his punches, could be a big factor.
Another thing I’m looking at, is Kovalev is going to be making the fight (regardless of what Hopkins has hinted regarding switching roles for this fight). With Kovalev pushing the action and most likely landing the bigger shots, that’ll make it easier for the judges to give him rounds. And lastly, it’s better business if Kovalev wins. Like Gennady Golovkin, Sergey can be promoted as a killer, only he’ll have superior credentials to Golovkin if he beats Hopkins. Make that 10-fold if he stops him.
Boxing’s new stars are knocking at the door. With a win against Hopkins, Kovalev will be the fighter standing behind it when it opens. Kovalev’s size, power, youth and corner, along with my belief that the boxing establishment (which will factor into the decision if it’s close) is looking to get rid of Hopkins and use his name to promote its latest emerging star, makes it very tempting to go with Kovalev.
But I can’t.
I remember when Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe met the first time for Holyfield’s undisputed heavyweight title. My belief at the time was, Bowe had the style and size to really give Holyfield trouble and beat him. However, I had questions about Bowe’s stamina and character. Had I not had those questions regarding Bowe, I may have picked him to beat Holyfield. But I couldn’t get past those voices in my head about Bowe. And the last fighter I’m picking to beat Holyfield in his first big fight is a fighter who I had questions about pertaining to his constitution and stamina. So I went with Holyfield and was wrong because Bowe fought the greatest fight of his life that night. And you know what, I’ve never questioned my decision for going with Holyfield for the reasons that I did.
In some ways, Hopkins-Kovalev, when it comes to picking the winner, reminds me of how I felt in the leadup to Holyfield-Bowe I. I know what Hopkins is, and that’s a great fighter/boxer/technician that is as tough and durable as any fighter ever. There are no questions or unknowns about Hopkins. The only question is, when Father Time will finally catch up with him. He’s two months shy of 50 years old, that day is drawing closer every time he enters the ring. Will it be against Kovalev, maybe? I think I know what kind of a commodity that Sergey Kovalev may be, but I do have some unanswered questions. Would I be surprised if Kovalev beat Hopkins, no. However, he doesn’t get the benefit of my doubt until his next fight after Hopkins, if he wins. I know what I’m getting in Hopkins; I don’t fully know that about Kovalev.
So I’m gonna roll with the known entity, Hopkins. And that’s simply because I’d rather be wrong Sunday morning going with the proven great fighter who became an old fighter on Saturday night, as opposed to being wrong Sunday morning because the old all-time great fighter schooled the up and coming, but untested, next guy.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
Photo Credit : David Spagnolo
Featured Articles
Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce
Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.
Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.
The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.
In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.
It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.
For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.
Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.
It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.
“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”
Trinidad Wins Too
Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.
Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.
“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”
After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.
Other Bouts
Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.
Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.
Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.
More Winners
Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More
Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More
Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.
Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.
Hopefully the worst is over.
Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.
“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.
UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.
Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.
“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.
He knows talent.
Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.
Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.
Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.
Can Trinidad reach world title status?
Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.
It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.
Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.
Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m.
Boxing and the Media
The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.
Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.
Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.
Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.
MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.
Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.
Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.
It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.
Photos credit: Lina Baker
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Boxing Trainer Bob Santos Paid his Dues and is Reaping the Rewards
Bob Santos, the 2022 Sports Illustrated and The Ring magazine Trainer of the Year, is a busy fellow. On Feb. 1, fighters under his tutelage will open and close the show on the four-bout main portion of the Prime Video PPV event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Jeison Rosario continues his comeback in the lid-lifter, opposing Jesus Ramos. In the finale, former Cuban amateur standout David Morrell will attempt to saddle David Benavidez with his first defeat. Both combatants in the main event have been chasing 168-pound kingpin Canelo Alvarez, but this bout will be contested for a piece of the light heavyweight title.
When the show is over, Santos will barely have time to exhale. Before the month is over, one will likely find him working the corner of Dainier Pero, Brian Mendoza, Elijah Garcia, and perhaps others.
Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) turned 28 last month. He is in the prime of his career. However, a lot of folk rate Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) a very live dog. At last look, Benavidez was a consensus 7/4 (minus-175) favorite, a price that betokens a very competitive fight.
Bob Santos, needless to say, is confident that his guy can upset the odds. “I have worked with both,” he says. “It’s a tough fight for David Morrell, but he has more ways to victory because he’s less one-dimensional. He can go forward or fight going back and his foot speed is superior.”
Benavidez’s big edge, in the eyes of many, is his greater experience. He captured the vacant WBC 168-pound title at age 20, becoming the youngest super middleweight champion in history. As a pro, Benavidez has answered the bell for 148 rounds compared with only 54 for Morrell, but Bob Santos thinks this angle is largely irrelevant.
“Sure, I’d rather have pro experience than amateur experience,” he says, “but if you look at Benavidez’s record, he fought a lot of soft opponents when he was climbing the ladder.”
True. Benavidez, who turned pro at age 16, had his first seven fights in Mexico against a motley assortment of opponents. His first bout on U.S. soil occurred in his native Pheonix against an opponent with a 1-6-2 record.
While it’s certainly true that Morrell, 26, has yet to fight an opponent the caliber of Caleb Plant, he took up boxing at roughly the same tender age as Benavidez and earned his spurs in the vaunted Cuban amateur system, eventually defeating elite amateurs in international tournaments.
“If you look at his [pro] record, you will notice that [Morrell] has hardly lost a round,” says Santos of the fighter who captured an interim title in only his third professional bout with a 12-round decision over Guyanese veteran Lennox Allen.
Bob Santos is something of a late bloomer. He was around boxing for a long time, assisting such notables as Joe Goossen, Emanuel Steward, and Ronnie Shields before becoming recognized as one of the sport’s top trainers.
A native of San Jose, he grew up in a Hispanic neighborhood but not in a household where Spanish was spoken. “I know enough now to get by,” he says modestly. He attended James Lick High School whose most famous alumnus is Heisman winning and Super Bowl winning quarterback Jim Plunkett. “We worked in the same apricot orchard when we were kids,” says Santos. “Not at the same time, but in the same field.”
After graduation, he followed his father’s footsteps into construction work, but boxing was always beckoning. A cousin, the late Luis Molina, represented the U.S. as a lightweight in the 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, and was good enough as a pro to appear in a main event at Madison Square Garden where he lost a narrow decision to the notorious Puerto Rican hothead Frankie Narvaez, a future world title challenger.
Santos’ cousin was a big draw in San Jose in an era when the San Jose / Sacramento territory was the bailiwick of Don Chargin. “Don was a beautiful man and his wife Lorraine was even nicer,” says Santos of the husband/wife promotion team who are enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Don Chargin was inducted in 2001 and Lorraine posthumously in 2018.
Chargin promoted Fresno-based featherweight Hector Lizarraga who captured the IBF title in 1997. Lizarraga turned his career around after a 5-7-3 start when he hooked up with San Jose gym operator Miguel Jara. It was one of the most successful reclamation projects in boxing history and Bob Santos played a part in it.
Bob hopes to accomplish the same turnaround with Jeison Rosario whose career was on the skids when Santos got involved. In his most recent start, Rosario held heavily favored Jarrett Hurd to a draw in a battle between former IBF 154-pound champions on a ProBox card in Florida.
“I consider that one of my greatest achievements,” says Santos, noting that Rosario was stopped four times and effectively out of action for two years before resuming his career and is now on the cusp of earning another title shot.
The boxer with whom Santos is most closely identified is former four-division world title-holder Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero. The slick southpaw, the pride of Gilroy, California, the self-proclaimed “Garlic Capital of the World,” retired following a bad loss to Omar Figueroa Jr, but had second thoughts and is currently riding a six-fight winning streak. “I’ve known him since he was 15 years old,” notes Santos.
Years from now, Santos may be more closely identified with the Pero brothers, Dainier and Lenier, who aspire to be the Cuban-American version of the Klitschko brothers.
Santos describes Dainier, one of the youngest members of Cuba’s Olympic Team in Tokyo, as a bigger version of Oleksandr Usyk. That may be stretching it, but Dainier (10-0, 8 KOs as a pro), certainly hits harder.
This reporter was a fly on the wall as Santos put Dainier Pero through his paces on Tuesday (Jan. 14) at Bones Adams gym in Las Vegas. Santos held tight to a punch shield, in the boxing vernacular a donut, as the Cuban practiced his punches. On several occasions the trainer was knocked off-balance and the expression on his face as his body absorbed some of the after-shocks, plainly said, “My goodness, what the hell am I doing here? There has to be an easier way to make a living.” It was an assignment that Santos would have undoubtedly preferred handing off to his young assistant, his son Joe Santos, but Joe was preoccupied coordinating David Morrell’s camp.
Dainer’s brother Lenier is also an ex-Olympian, and like Dainier was a super heavyweight by trade as an amateur. With an 11-0 (8 KOs) record, Lenier Pero’s pro career was on a parallel path until stalled by a managerial dispute. Lenier last fought in March of last year and Santos says he will soon join his brother in Las Vegas.
There’s little to choose between the Pero brothers, but Dainier is considered to have the bigger upside because at age 25 he is the younger sibling by seven years.
Bob Santos was in the running again this year for The Ring magazine’s Trainer of the Year, one of six nominees for the honor that was bestowed upon his good friend Robert Garcia. Considering the way that Santos’ career is going, it’s a safe bet that he will be showered with many more accolades in the years to come.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
The Ortiz-Bohachuk Thriller has been named the TSS 2024 Fight of The Year
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2024 Boxing Obituaries PART ONE (Jan.-June)
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
R.I.P. Paul Bamba (1989-2024): The Story Behind the Story
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Lucas Bahdi Forged the TSS 2024 Knockout of the Year
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Usyk Outpoints Fury and Itauma has the “Wow Factor” in Riyadh
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Oleksandr Usyk is the TSS 2024 Fighter of the Year
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2024 Boxing Obituaries PART TWO: (July-Dec.)
-
Featured Articles1 week ago
Jai Opetaia Brutally KOs David Nyika, Cementing his Status as the World’s Top Cruiserweight