IT’S FIGHT WEEK: Writer Kelsey McCarson Fights Jermell Charlo Dec. 6

Published

10 years ago

December 2, 2014

Charlo-McCarson: Fundraiser Fight Week

The fight consumes me.

I am not myself. I am short with people and grumpy. People make jokes and I don’t laugh. I stare off into the distance while people around me do normal things like have conversations and share stories about their day.

I’m not me right now. My friends are all starting to say the same thing. They’ll be glad when all of this is over so they can have their Kelsey back. We’ll see if that is the case.

People ask me about the fight, but I don’t want to talk about it. It’s not that I’m nervous. I have no apprehension about the fight in the least. I’m not nervous. I’m not scared. I should be those things, but I’m not. But I’m consumed with the fight in a way that I’ve not been consumed with anything prior. It’s all I can think about.

It’s a strange thing. I know in my head I don’t have any real hope to do anything worthwhile against Charlo. He has all the speed, experience and boxing ability between the two of us. But my heart doesn’t seem to know that, and all the long hours I spent getting ready to spar him haven’t made my heart feel any less unreasonably sure in itself.

Maybe that’s what the heart is supposed to do. It wouldn’t admit it probably, but I think my poor little heart would be just fine getting knocked out in the first second of the fight so long as I strode forth bravely into the fray with courage and determination.

I hope I don’t let my heart down.

The worst of the training is over now. Last week was the most difficult week of them all. It was the last week I could push myself to the limit every day, and I did. My body hurt every day, but I scraped myself out of bed every morning so I could spread myself thin across the day again like a tiny layer of butter spread across too large a piece of toast.

I loved it. I was the crazy person running sprints in my neighborhood. I was the normal looking guy at Plex trying to keep up with the elite boxers. I was the one limping around between sets because his ankles and knees were trashed.

There’s still a bit more to go. The work will continue right up until the fight, only it will taper off now. But I’ve done everything I can to be ready to give Charlo my best effort. I didn’t skip one workout. I didn’t miss one rep. I didn’t just do everything I was asked to do. No, I did more.

I added little things here and there. If I was told to run five miles, I’d run six. If I was given 100 pushups to end my workout, I’d add some on top of that. I did the best I could. I’m proud of that.

I’m not sure I’ve ever tried so hard for something. I’m not sure I’ve ever been this consistent. Even the fighters at Plex have noticed. “You’ve done a really good job,” they say almost in disbelief. “You really have.”

But all of this is just vanity really. It’s all just fantasy camp nonsense unless it helps a kid named Corbin Glasscock from Tyler and his family pay for his cancer treatment. Thanks to generous friends, family, colleagues and readers, we’ve raised over $5,000 dollars so far for Corbin and company to do exactly that.

I am forever appreciative of this.

And we still have time to do more. My fight with Charlo will be on December 6 at Plex. Video of the bout will be posted at Boxing Channel soon after. We’ll leave the donation page up and running for a few weeks beyond that in case seeing Charlo and I spar encourages anyone else to open up their hearts and their wallets. We’ll hope Charlo’s fight on December 13 on Showtime Extreme encourages people to do that, too.

In the end, no matter what happens to me, we’ll have done something special together. It may seem small, or you may feel overwhelmed by all the troubles in the world (I admit there are so many), but in this one case of Corbin, we will have come together as a group and done something special. We will have helped a family in need of encouragement. We will have stood with Corbin in his corner and cheered. We will have helped him throw his punches.

Life seems silly and small sometimes. I know that as well as anyone. It can seem so brief and meaningless at times. But I think in mine I will have loved doing this one thing more than any other thing I’ve ever done.

Because fighting the good fight is always worth it, even when the odds are long.

www.GoFundMe.com/TeamCorbin

Thanksgiving

Special thanks to my wife, Rachel, for being so very loving and supportive. Thanks to Danny Arnold and Ronnie Shields for allowing me to get in the way. Thanks to all the fighters at Plex for letting me slow them down here and there. Thanks to Jermell Charlo for agreeing to beat me up for Corbin. Thanks to Kayla and Josh Glasscock for allowing me into their lives. Thanks to Melissa Bradshaw and Renee Warren for bringing this special family to my attention. Thanks to Stacie Socia for making me laugh everyday on Instagram. Thanks to all my family, friends and social media pals for their love and support. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the fundraiser, shared the story or prayed for the family as they took this journey with Corbin.

And thanks to Corbin for being my hero.

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Kelsey McCarson

Results from the Chumash Casino where Akhmedov Gave a GGG-like Performance

Published

3 hours ago

December 13, 2024

David A. Avila

Results-from-the-Chumash-Casino-where-Akhmedov-Gave-a-GGG-like-Performance

Shades of Triple G.

Kazakhstan has another middleweight killer as Sadriddin Akhmedov overran veteran Raphael Igbokwe to win by knockout on Friday evening.

“He’s a tough guy, but I’m a tough guy too,” said Akhmedov of his Texas foe.

Akhmedov (15-0, 13 KOs) excited the crowd at Chumash Casino with a strong performance against a gritty Igbokwe (17-6, 7 Kos). The Kazakh fighter has Gennady Golovkin’s old trainer Abel Sanchez at his side.

It was evident in the first round that Akhmedov wields power, but it was also evident that Igbokwe was not going to quit. Blow after blow was absorbed by the Texas-trained fighter and he continued to press forward.

Akhmedov telegraphed his overhand rights but fired quick and accurate left hooks. Igbokwe withstood the power for round after round.

At the end of the fifth round both fighters continued to fire punches after the bell rang. It angered the two middleweights.

Akhmedov must have still been angry when the sixth round began as he erupted with a 12-punch barrage. Several big blows connected and the Texas fighter was in trouble. Though Igbokwe escaped the first barrage he was unable to avoid the second and the fight was stopped by referee Rudy Barragan at 56 seconds of the sixth round.

The Kazakhstan fighter thanked his fan support and his new trainer Sanchez.

“Every morning at 7 a.m. he wants to kill me,” Akhmedov said of Sanchez.

Other Bouts

A battle between Olympians saw Carlos Balderas (15-2, 13 KOs) knock out Cesar Villarraga (11-11-1) in the sixth round for the win at super lightweight.

A one-two combination found the mark for Balderas at 56 seconds of the sixth round. Villarraga beat the count but once the fight resumed the referee stopped the fight after Balderas connected with another right.

“My coaches told me it was there,” said Balderas of the right cross that finished the fight.

Balderas fought for Team USA in the Olympics and Villarraga for Team Colombia.

Super welterweights Jorge Maravillo (10-0-1, 8 KOs) and Damoni Cato-Cain (8-1-2) fought to a split draw after eight back-and- forth rounds.

Cain-Cato sprinted ahead for the first three rounds behind subtle pressure and focusing on the body then the head against the taller Maravillo. Then, it stopped.

Maravillo stopped retreating and used his long stiff left jabs as a probe and counter punch and became the stalker instead of the prey. It turned the fight around. But Cain-Cato was reluctant to give up too much territory and fought through a damaged left eye to keep the match tight. After eight rounds one judge saw Maravillo the winner, another saw Cato-Cain, and a third saw it even for a split draw.

It was a fitting score.

Angel Carrillo (4-0-1) out-pointed Joshua Torres (0-2-2) with combination punching and in-and-out maneuvers to win by decision. Though 14 years younger, Carrillo wore a protector near his chest. Twice he placed it far above his belly button and was never warned.

Fidencio Hernandez (3-0) was the more polished fighter and used straighter punches and a tighter defense to shut out Laguna Beach’s Josaphat Navarro (1-3-1) and won by unanimous decision.

In her pro debut Perla Bazaldua (1-0) won by knockout over Mollie Backowski (0-4) in a super flyweight contest. Bazaldua fights out of Los Angeles and has long been touted as a one of that city’s best amateur prospects. Now she is a pro.

Photo credit: Lina Baker / 360 Promotions

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 308: SoCal Rivals Rocha and Curiel Rumble and More

Published

15 hours ago

December 13, 2024

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 308: SoCal Rivals Rocha and Curiel Rumble and More

Decades ago, battles between regional warriors were as common as freeway traffic in Los Angeles during rush hour.

Bobby Chacon repped San Fernando Valley, Mando Ramos came from the docks of San Pedro, Danny “Little Red” Lopez lived in Alhambra and Ruben “Maravilla Kid” Navarro hailed from East L.A. And they rumbled repeatedly with each other.

The boxing sphere in California has grown much larger despite the closure of boxing palaces such as the Olympic Auditorium, Hollywood Legion Stadium, Great Western Forum, the L.A. Coliseum and Wrigley Field.

Those were classic venues.

Today in the 21^st century boxing continues to grow.

Golden Boy Promotions presents SoCal regional rivals Santa Ana’s Alexis Rocha (25-2, 16 KOs) facing Hollywood’s Raul Curiel (15-0,13 KOs) in a welterweight clash on Saturday, Dec. 14, at Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif. DAZN will stream the main card and YouTube.com the remainder.

Ontario is located in the Inland Empire known as the I.E.

Rocha, 27, has grown into a crowd favorite with a crowd-pleasing style developed by Orange County boxing trainer Hector Lopez. I remember his pro debut at Belasco Theater in downtown L.A. He obliterated his foe in three rounds and the small venue erupted with applause.

Wherever Rocha goes to fight, his fans follow.

“Anyone I face is trying to take food away from my family,” said Rocha.

Curiel, 29, has traveled a different road. As a former Mexican Olympian he took the slower road toward adapting to the professional style. Freddie Roach has refined the Mexican fighter’s style and so far, he remains unbeaten with a 10-fight knockout streak.

“I want to fight the best in the division,” said Curiel who is originally from Guadalajara.

Super welter hitters

Another top-notch fighter on the card is super welterweight Charles Conwell from Cleveland, Ohio. Conwell (20-0, 15 KOs) faces Argentina’s undefeated Gerardo Vergara (20-0, 13 KOs) in the co-main event.

Conwell may be the best kept secret in boxing and has been dominating foes for the past several years. He has solid defense, good power and is very strong for this weight class. Very Strong.

“I got to go out there and dominate,” said Conwell. “This is a fight that can lead me to a world championship fight.”

Golden Boy Promotions got lucky in picking up this fighter who could compete with any super welterweight out there. Anyone.

Vergara, 30, is another Argentine product and if you know anything about that South American country, they groom strong fighters with power. Think Marcos Maidana. This will be his first true test.

“I really hope he (Conwell) backs what he is saying,” said Vergara.

Marlen Esparza vs Arely Mucino

Former flyweight world titlists finally meet, but at super flyweight.

Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza fights Mexico’s Arely Mucino in a fight that should have taken place years ago. Both are both coming off losses in title fights.

Esparza has the “fast hands” as she said and Mucino the “aggressive style” as she mentioned at the press conference on Thursday in Ontario.

It’s a 10-round affair and could mark the end for the loser.

Friday Night Fights

Undefeated middleweight Sadridden Akhmedov (14-0, 12 KOs) headlines a 360 Promotions and faces Raphael Igbokwe (17-5, 7 KOs) in the main event on Friday, Dec. 13, at Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, Calif. UFC Fight Pass will stream the event.

Akhmedov hails from Kazakhstan and if you remember legendary Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin also hails from that region. Tom Loeffler the head of 360 Promotions worked with GGG too among other legends.

Is Akhmedov the real deal?

Former American Olympian Carlos Balderas (14-2) is also on the card and fights veteran Cesar Villarraga (11-10-1) who has been known to upset favorites in the past.

Fights to Watch

Fri. UFC Fight Pass 7 p.m. Sadridden Akhmedov (14-0) vs Raphael Igbokwe (17-5).

Sat. DAZN 10:30 a.m. Murodjon Akhmadaliev (12-1) vs Ricardo Espinoza (30-4).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Alexis Rocha (25-2) vs Raul Curiel (15-0); Charles Conwell (20-0) vs Gerardo Vergara (20-0); Marlen Esparza (14-2) vs Arely Mucino (32-4-2).

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Cardoso, Nunez, and Akitsugi Bring Home the Bacon in Plant City

Published

2 days ago

December 11, 2024

Arne K. Lang

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Cardoso, Nunez, and Akitsugi Bring Home the Bacon in Plant City

The final ShoBox event of 2025 played out tonight at the company’s regular staging ground in Plant City, Florida. When the smoke cleared, the “A-side” fighters in the featured bouts were 3-0 in step-up fights vs. battle-tested veterans, two of whom were former world title challengers. However, the victors in none of the three fights, with the arguable exception of lanky bantamweight Katsuma Akitsugi, made any great gain in public esteem.

In the main event, a lightweight affair, Jonhatan Cardoso, a 25-year-old Brazilian, earned a hard-fought, 10-round unanimous decision over Los Mochis, Mexico southpaw Eduardo Ramirez. The decision would have been acceptable to most neutral observers if it had been deemed a draw, but the Brazilian won by scores of 97-93 and 96-94 twice.

Cardoso, now 18-1 (15), had the crowd in his corner., This was his fourth straight appearance in Plant City. Ramirez, disadvantaged by being the smaller man with a shorter reach, declined to 28-5-3.

Co-Feature

In a 10-round featherweight fight that had no indelible moments, Luis Reynaldo Nunez advanced to 20-0 (13) with a workmanlike 10-round unanimous decision over Mexico’s Leonardo Baez. The judges had it 99-91 and 98-92 twice.

Nunez, from the Dominican Republic, is an economical fighter who fights behind a tight guard. Reputedly 85-5 as an amateur, he is managed by Sampson Lewkowicz who handles David Benavidez among others and trained by Bob Santos. Baez (22-5) was returning to the ring after a two-year hiatus.

Also

In a contest slated for “10,” ever-improving bantamweight Katsuma Akitsugi improved to 12-0 (3 KOs) with a sixth-round stoppage of Filipino import Aston Palicte (28-7-1). Akitsugi caught Palicte against the ropes and unleashed a flurry of punches climaxed by a right hook. Palicte went down and was unable to beat the count. The official time was 1:07 of round six.

This was the third straight win by stoppage for Akitsugi, a 27-year-old southpaw who trains at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card gym in LA under Roach’s assistant Eddie Hernandez. Palicte, who had been out of the ring for 16 months, is a former two-time world title challenger at superflyweight (115).

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