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Pacquiao Needs To Shock and Amaze Versus Algieri
What do the names Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Brandon Rios, and Timothy Bradley have in common? If you need more than a fleeting moment to answer that, you are not even a quasi-boxing fan. Those names represent Manny Pacquiao’s opponents in his last eight fights. He fought Marquez and Bradley twice each, and went 2-2 in those four bouts.
Not only have the six fighters listed above shared the ring with Pacquiao, every one of them went the distance with Manny and Marquez stopped him. Pacquiao hasn’t won by stoppage since he TKO’d Miguel Cotto on November 14, 2009. That’s five years and one week. Granted all six of the fighters mentioned have an upper-tier beard, but only Marquez was really shook and looked unsteady before he knocked Pacqioao out with a counter right hand in their last meeting.
This weekend Pacquiao 56-5-2 (38) will fight New York’s Chris Algieri 20-0 (8) in a 144 pound catchweight bout. Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title will be on the line. Most see Algieri as a sacrificial lamb because of his lack of experience. He’s also not much of a puncher and other than his reach and toughness, isn’t expected to go the distance with Manny like his six past opponents have. It’s been mentioned how Algieri’s height and reach will present Pacquiao some difficulty. Algieri is 5′ 11″ and for a guy weighing 144 pounds has a reach one inch longer than Mike Tyson’s and only one inch shorter than Joe Frazier’s. Algieri’s 72 inch reach is something he’ll have to utilize if he is to have a remote chance of beating Pacquiao.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m having a real hard time getting enthused about this fight and even Pacquiao lately. I love and respect him and all that he’s accomplished as a fighter, but at this point, I’ve seen everything he has to offer competitively. But his electrifying performances against David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto seem so long ago. Manny used to thrill viewers with his with non-stop aggression and volume punching from Aaron Pryor-esque angles on his way to stoppage wins. Sure, Clottey, Margarito and Mosley were all bigger than him and expecting Manny to walk through them wasn’t realistic. But Marquez, Bradley and Rios aren’t noticeably bigger than him.
Pacquiao is wrongly held to a higher standard than Floyd Mayweather by boxing fans and media, but that’s the way it is. And the reason for that is because of the contrast in their fighting styles, and it’s easy to fall into that trap. No one watches Floyd hoping to see him win by stoppage or put somebody away like Sugar Ray Leonard did on some of the halcyon nights of his early career. When they watch Mayweather, they expect to see clean punching and defense, and for the most part he has delivered. Floyd has only scored one stoppage win since 2009, and that occurred when Victor Ortiz foolishly looked to the referee with his hands down and Mayweather nailed him with a legal and perfectly placed left-hook to the chin.
However, Pacquiao is a different story. His persona has been forged on speed and power with many of his fights ending dramatically and memorably. Public interest has dissipated some and his promoter Bob Arum knows it. Arum’s job is to keep the public’s interest in Manny until he fights Mayweather. Notice the rumors circulating about how Pacquiao may fight Amir Khan next or how he may go back down to lightweight.
Algieri is a beginner and Manny is a seasoned pro. On paper Pacquiao should take Chris apart and beat him convincingly. Manny and trainer Freddie Roach want a knockout in this fight in the worst way possible, with the hope being a memorable showing will have fans talking about how he’s again one of the best fighters in boxing. I’m not so sure that he’ll win that decidedly, but if he does, the interest in Pacquiao will escalate again. The talk will be that he’s hungry and is the fighter to hand Mayweather his first loss. But the reality is Pacquiao has regressed more than a little. This bout was made to create the illusion that he hasn’t. I don’t think this fight will tell us anything about where Pacquiao truly is, as Algieri was brought in to make Manny look like a killer.
Actually, there is more pressure on Pacquiao in this fight than most realize. The fact that he is supposed to beat up and bust up Algieri more than Provodnikov did is an added burden that he’s carrying. Wining isn’t enough. He must shine and resemble the offensive machine he once was. If he does get the intended sensational knockout, most will be awed and impressed. Then again, there will be those who will say that’s what he should do against an inexperienced fighter like Algieri.
Win or lose this weekend against Chris Algieri, Pacquiao’s career will continue. If the unthinkable happens like it did the first time he fought Timothy Bradley, he’ll still get the fight with Mayweather. In fact, losing to Algieri would virtually guarantee it. Nothing will derail Mayweather-Pacquiao, with only one exception, and that is if Mayweather loses before they fight, and that’s highly unlikely.
As for what will happen this weekend when Pacquiao and Algieri finally touch gloves, I have a feeling that Algieri is going to put up a good fight for however long it lasts but he will not win. If Manny wins in an impressive fashion, which he desperately needs to, the drumbeat for him and Floyd to fight will get louder. If he struggles but wins, it’ll be quiet for awhile until Mayweather fights again. And if Algieri upsets Pacquiao, Mayweather’s next opponent has been created. Yes, Mayweather-Algieri will be very easy to sell and hype if Chris beats Manny. And finally, after Mayweather decisions Algieri, he’ll fight Pacquiao and the biggest faux super fight in history will be realized.
The best scenario for the immediate future is this: Manny must shock and amaze the boxing public and defeat Chris Algieri decisively.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
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WBA Feather Champ Nick Ball Chops Down Rugged Ronny Rios in Liverpool
In his first fight in his native Liverpool since February of 2020, Nick Ball successfully defended his WBA title with a 10th-round stoppage of SoCal veteran Ronny Rios. The five-foot-two “Wrecking Ball” was making the first defense of a world featherweight strap he won in his second stab at it, taking the belt from Raymond Ford on a split decision after previously fighting Rey Vargas to a draw in a match that many thought Ball had won.
This fight looked like it was going to be over early. Ball strafed Rios with an assortment of punches in the first two rounds, and likely came within a punch or two of ending the match in the third when he put Rios on the canvas with a short left hook and then tore after him relentlessly. But Rios, a glutton for punishment, weathered the storm and actually had some good moments in round four and five.
The brother of welterweight contender Alexis Rocha and a two-time world title challenger at 122 pounds, Rios returned to the ring in April on a ProBox card in Florida and this was his second start after being out of the ring for 28 months. He would be on the canvas twice more before the bout was halted. The punch that knocked him off his pins in round seven wasn’t a clean shot, but he would be in dire straits three rounds later when he was hammered onto the ring apron with a barrage of punches. He managed to maneuver his way back into the ring, but his corner sensibly threw in the towel when it seemed as if referee Bob Williams would let the match continue.
The official time was 2:06 of round ten. Ball improved to 21-0-1 (12 KOs). Rios, 34, declined to 34-5.
Semi-wind-up
A bout contested for a multiplicity of regional 140-pound titles produced a mild upset when Jack Rafferty wore down and eventually stopped Henry Turner whose corner pulled him out after the ninth frame.
Both fighters were undefeated coming in. Turner, now 13-1, was the better boxer and had the best of the early rounds. However, he used up a lot of energy moving side-to-side as he fought off his back foot, and Rafferty, who improved to 24-0 (15 KOs), never wavered as he continued to press forward.
The tide turned dramatically in round eight. One could see Turner’s legs getting loggy and the confidence draining from his face. The ninth round was all Rafferty. Turner was a cooked goose when Rafferty collapsed him with four unanswered body punches, but he made it to the final bell before his corner wisely pulled him out. Through the completed rounds, two of the judges had it even and the third had the vanquished Turner up by 4 points.
Other Bouts of Note
In a lightweight affair, Jadier Herrera, a highly-touted 22-year-old Cuban who had been campaigning in Dubai, advanced to 16-0 (14 KOs) with a third-round stoppage of Oliver Flores (31-6-2) a Nicaraguan southpaw making his UK debut. After two even rounds, Herrera put Flores on the deck with a left to the solar plexus. Flores spit out his mouthpiece as he lay there in obvious distress and referee Steve Gray waived the fight off as he was attempting to rise. The end came 30 seconds into round three.
In a bantamweight contest slated for 10, Liverpool’s Andrew Cain (13-1, 12 KOs) dismissed Colombia’s Lazaro Casseres at the 1:48 mark of the second round.
A stablemate and sparring partner of Nick Ball, Cain knocked Casseres to the canvas in the second round with a short uppercut and forced the stoppage later in the round when he knocked the Colombian into the ropes with a double left hook. Casseres. 27, brought an 11-1 record but had defeated only two opponents with winning records.
In a contest between super welterweights, Walter Fury pitched a 4-round shutout over Dale Arrowsmith. This was the second pro fight for the 27-year-old Fury who had his famous cousin Tyson Fury rooting him on from ringside. Stylistically, Walter resembles Tyson, but his defense is hardly as tight; he was clipped a few times.
Arrowsmith is a weekend warrior and a professional loser, a species indigenous to the British Isles. This was his twenty-fourth fight this year and his 186th pro fight overall! His record is “illuminated” by nine wins and 10 draws.
A Queensberry Promotion, the Ball vs Rios card aired in the UK on TNT Sports and in the US on ESPN+.
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Alimkhanuly TKOs Mikhailovich and Motu TKOs O’Connell in Sydney
IBF/WBO world middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, generally regarded as the best of the current crop of middleweights, retained his IBF title today in Sydney, Australia, with a ninth-round stoppage of game but overmatched Andrei Mikhailovich. The end came at the 2:45 mark of round nine.
Favored in the 8/1 range although he was in a hostile environment, Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11 KOs) beat Mikhailovich to a pulp in the second round and knocked him down with one second remaining in the frame, but Mikhailovich survived the onslaught and had several good moments in the ensuing rounds as he pressed the action. However, Alimkhanuly’s punches were cleaner and one could sense that it was only a matter of time before the referee would rescue Mikhailovich from further punishment. When a short left deposited Mikhailovich on the seat of his pants on the lower strand of rope, the ref had seen enough.
Alimkhanuly, a 2016 Olympian for Kazakhstan, was making his first start since October of last year. He and Mikhailovich were slated to fight in Las Vegas in July, but the bout fell apart after the weigh-in when the Kazakh fainted from dehydration.
Owing to a technicality, Alimkhanuly’s WBO belt wasn’t at stake today. Although he has expressed an interest in unifying the title –Eislandy Lara (WBA) and Carlos Adames (WBC) are the other middleweight belt-holders — Alimkhanuly is big for the weight class and it’s a fair assumption that this was his final fight at 160.
The brave Mikhailovich, who was born in Russia but grew up in New Zealand after he and his twin brother were adopted, suffered his first pro loss, declining to 21-1.
Semi-wind-up
Topping the flimsy undercard was a scheduled 8-rounder between Mikhailovich’s stablemate Mea Motu, a 34-year-old Maori, and veteran Australian campaigner Shannon O’Connell, 41. The ladies share eight children between them (Motu, trained by her mother in her amateur days, has five).
A clash of heads in the opening round left O’Connell with a bad gash on her forehead. She had a big lump developing over her right eye when her corner threw in the towel at the 1:06 mark of round four.
Motu (20-0, 8 KOs) was set to challenge IBF/WBO world featherweight champion Ellie Scotney later this month in Manchester, England, underneath Catterall-Prograis, but that match was postponed when Scotney suffered an injury in training. Motu took this fight, which was contested at the catchweight of 125 pounds, to stay busy. O’Connell, 29-8-1, previously had a cup of coffee as a WBA world champion (haven’t we all).
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 299: Golden Boy in Saudi Arabia and More
Avila Perspective, Chap. 299: Golden Boy in Saudi Arabia and More
A small brigade of Mexican and Latino-American fighters gathered at the beautiful Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Their mission: to export Mexican style fighting to the Saudi Arabia desert.
Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez defends the WBA cruiserweight title against WBO cruiserweight titlist Chris Billam-Smith and they will be joined by several other top Golden Boy Promotion fighters on Nov. 16 at the Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
DAZN will stream the Golden Boy and BOXXER promotions card called “The Venue Riyadh Season.”
Mexican fighters are known worldwide for their ferocity and durability. Ramirez, a former super middleweight champion, surprised many with his convincing win over former champion Arsen Goulamirian last March.
Now Ramirez seeks to unify the cruiserweight titles against United Kingdom’s Smith who has never fought outside of his native country.
“I will become the first Mexican cruiserweight unified champion. It’s exciting because my dream will come true this November 16,” said Ramirez.
Smith has a similar goal.
“This opportunity for me is huge,” said Smith. “I’ve been written off many times before.”
The cruiserweights will be joined by two top super lightweight warriors who’ve been itching to face each other like a pair of fighting roosters.
Arnold Barboza, an undefeated super lightweight contender from Los Angeles, has been chasing top contenders and world champions for the past six years. Former super lightweight champion Jose Ramirez simply wants action and a return to elite status.
“I’ve been wanting this fight since 2019 for whatever reason it never happened,” said Barboza. “I want to give credit and thanks to Oscar, he’s a man of his word. When I signed to Golden Boy, he said he was going to give me this fight.”
“It’s honorable Barboza saying he’s been chasing the fight since 2019. Now that he stands in the way for me to reclaim my titles it’s time to get that fight on,” said Ramirez.
Others on the Riyadh fight card include Puerto Rico’s WBO minimumweight world titlist Oscar Collazo defending against Thailand’s Thammanoon Niyomtrong, along with Oscar Duarte and lightweight contenders William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer.
One fighter missing from the card is Charles Conwell, the super welterweight contender they recently signed earlier in the year. He last performed on the Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Serhii Bohachuk clash in Las Vegas.
Conwell has similar talent to those two.
And what about the women fighters”
Yokasta Valle recently re-signed with Golden Boy Promotions. What is her next scheduled fight? She was spotted facing up against Australia’s Lulu “Bang, Bang” Hawton at a fight card. Is that on the horizon?
West Coast venues
Speaking of the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles, its just a few buildings north of the Belasco Theater where Golden Boy was staging its club shows for several years.
A majority of the boxing media favored that location for its cozy atmosphere and proximity to LA Live. A number of prospects that developed into contenders and world champions fought there including Vergil Ortiz Jr., Ryan Garcia, Joshua Franco, and Oscar Duarte.
On any given fight night celebrities like Mario Lopez, George Lopez and others would show up in the small venue that held several hundred fans in its ornate theater setting.
The Mayan Theater and Belasco Theater are still open for business. According to one source, LA Laker owner Jeannie Buss stages a pro wrestling show at one of those theaters.
World title fight
England’s Nick Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) defends the WBA featherweight world title against Southern California’s Ronny Rios (34-4, 17 KOs) on Saturday Oct. 5, at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England. Starting time for the Queensberry and Top Rank promotion card is 11 a.m. PT.
Ball was last seen nearly toppling WBC featherweight titlist Rey Vargas but lost last March. He then defeated Ray Ford for the WBA title
Fights to Watch
Fri. ESPN+ 2 a.m. PT Janibek Alimkhanuly (15-0) vs Andrei Mikhailovich (21-0)
Sat. ESPN+ 11 a.m. PT Nick Ball (20-0-1) vs Ronny Rios (34-4)
Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy
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