THE LOTIERZO LOWDOWN: What To Watch For During Stiverne-Wilder

Published

10 years ago

January 16, 2015

As it was mentioned here a few weeks back, the WBC heavyweight title bout between title holder Bermane Stiverne 24-1-1 (21) and Deontay Wilder 32-0 (32) tomorrow night is the most talked-about heavyweight title bout since heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko defended the title against David Haye.

Like the Stiverne-Wilder bout, both Klitschko and Haye could really punch. The disappointing thing about what transpired between Klitschko and Haye was, both fighters were afraid to cut loose in fear of leaving themselves vulnerable to the others’ power, so the fight turned out to be a real dud. With the bad blood and words between Stiverne and Wilder, this shouldn’t be the case when they finally touch gloves. (EDITOR NOTE: Here’s hoping. The distance between talking and walking the walk doesn’t always correlate in regards to fury of trash talk pre-fight. I hope the fight matches the ire pre-fight!)

Last month I said the following about Stiverne and Wilder pertaining to their fighting/boxing style.

“If I’m forced to quantify Wilder stylistically, I guess he’s a puncher. He’s not a very good boxer, his balance is lousy and for such a tall guy he’s easy to hit. For me, the question is how much of his power is legitimate? And that’s a really big question. And if Wilder is legit, he should have little trouble against Stiverne, who is very willing to mix it up and should be at the mercy of Wilder’s reach.”

“Stylistically, I see Stiverne primarily as a counter-punching puncher who can box. I’m not sure how well he takes a shot, and I’m not sure of his work ethic. But I see a guy who can box and punch, who’s totally relaxed in the ring, who keeps his power late into the fight, who’s a pretty strong guy, who has a terrific reach for someone his size, and who hits with both hands. By today’s standards especially, that looks very good in the heavyweight division.”

That said, if Wilder, 29, is half as good as the hype that has accompanied him in the run up to this fight, he should be the one dictating the tempo of it with his long left jab. Obviously, the thing that stands out about Wilder physically is his tremendous height 6′-7″ and his 83 inch reach. If you notice, Stiverne, 36, also has long arms (80 inch reach) as well. But the difference in their height, roughly five inches, should enable Wilder to apply and impose his reach more. Wilder’s trainer Mark Breland, who was a 6′-1″ welterweight, was exceptional at imposing his reach and setting up big right hands during his days as a top contender and title holder. The book on Wilder is that he can punch – a statement that implies with both hands. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, there’s no question that his right hand is the Sunday punch in his arsenal. And to beat Stiverne, that’s the punch he’ll need to be successful getting off with and landing in order to, at the least, make Stiverne uncomfortable and perhaps beat him.

Wilder has two choices basically on how to execute his fight. Most likely he’ll try to push the action behind his long jab and try to open Stiverne up. By taking the fight to Stiverne, Wilder will look to force Bermane to engage with him by making him rush his offense, thus leaving himself open for the big right hand. If that doesn’t work, Wilder, if he’s smart, will try to draw Stiverne to him by jabbing hard and then stepping back slightly…..with the hope Stiverne falls for the trap and follows him back, thus leaving himself open for the big counter right. However, being that Wilder is supposed to be such a dynamite puncher, it’s most likely that he’ll want to impose himself via his power over Stiverne and dictate the fight.

As for Stiverne, he would be best served by allowing Wilder to push the fight and induce him to lunge and over commit to the bombs he’ll be looking to send his way. What Stiverne will be looking for is Wilder to get a little anxious and wide with his shots, then look to time and counter him on the way in. Sensing that Wilder will be trying to get him on his heels, Stiverne will probably play the wait and react game in accordance to the level of Wilder’s aggression. I doubt we’ll see Stiverne cut loose in a big way and go after Wilder unless he can get off on the inside or if he has Wilder in trouble or shook. And if he’s smart he’ll blast Wilder’s body with multiple left hooks when Wilder attempts to force the fight or get inside on him.

When all is said and done, it’s conceivable that both Stiverne and Wilder will be able to find each other’s chin without too much trouble. Therefore the fighter who can catch better and who owns the sturdier chin is the fighter who should prevail. It doesn’t take much of a boxing acumen to plot and devise the strategy for these two. Size and physicality will play a monumental role as to who fights as the predator and prey. One guy (Wilder) will be fighting as the puncher and looking to make it an early night, and the other (Stiverne) will be smartly looking to use his opponents’ power and aggression against him in order for him to get off with his best artillery.

It’s pretty vanilla and basic as to what each guy is going to do and wants to do. Stiverne is a little hindered by the reach and height advantage that Wilder owns…on the other hand Wilder is pretty basic with his attack, no deception or imagination at all, so it’s doubtful Stiverne will be caught off guard by anything that Deontay tries. But it’s still an intriguing fight and nothing is a given as to how it will unfold. Neither guy winning should be considered a shock or a surprise. Actually, the only ending that would surprise me would be if the fight went to a decision.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Frank Lotierzo

Ever-Improving Callum Walsh KOs Dean Sutherland at Madison Square Garden

Published

10 hours ago

March 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Ever-Improving-Callum-Walsh-KOs-Dean-Sutherland-at-Madison-Square-Garden

Irish luck was not involved as Callum Walsh won the battle of hard-hitting southpaws over Dean Sutherland by knockout on Sunday.

One right hook was all it took.

“You’re never going to beat the Irish,” said Walsh.

In a contest between Celtic super welterweights Walsh (13-0, 11 KOs) retained the WBC Continental America’s title against Sutherland (19-2, 7 KOs) in quick fashion at the Madison Square Garden Theater in Manhattan.

Usually fights between southpaws can be confusing to both contestants. But Walsh had expressed a fondness for fighting lefthanders then vividly exhibited the reasons why.

Walsh, 24, a native of Cork, Ireland, now living and training in Los Angeles, quickly demonstrated why he likes fighting lefties with a steady flow of combinations from the opening bell.

He did not hesitate.

Sutherland, 26, had only lost once before and that was more than two years ago. Against Walsh the Scottish fighter was not hesitant to advance forward but was caught with lefts and right hooks.

After two minutes of scattered blows, Sutherland fought back valiantly and when cornered, Walsh tapped two jabs then unleashed a right hook through the Scottish fighter’s gloves that floored the Aberdeen fighter for the count at 2:45 of the first round.

“I’m feeling very good. Dean Sutherland is a very good opponent. I knew he was going to be dangerous. That was my best opponent,” said Walsh.

It was the fourth consecutive knockout win for Walsh who seems to improve with every single combat.

“I’m looking forward to the future. I’m getting stronger and stronger,” said Walsh who is trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. “Anyone that comes to me I will take him out.”

Other Bouts

Super featherweight Feargal McCrory (17-1, 9 KOs) survived a knockdown in the fourth to out-muscle Keenan Carbajal (25-5-1, 17 KOs) and batter down the Arizona fighter in the seventh and again in the eighth with volume punching.

Carbajal was deducted a point early for holding in round two, but regained that point when he floored the Irish southpaw during an exchange in the fourth.

Despite suffering a knockdown, McCrory continued stalking Carbajal and floored him in the seventh and eighth with battering blows. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the fight without a count.

A rematch between two Irish super middleweights saw Emmet Brennan (6-0) remain undefeated by unanimous decision over Kevin Cronin (9-3-1).

Cronin started quickly with a pressure style and punches flowing against Brennan who resorted to covering and countering. Though it looked like Cronin was building up a lead with a busier style, the judges preferred Brennan’s judicious counters. No knockdowns were scored as all three judges saw Brennan the winner 98-92 after 10 rounds.

Dajuan Calloway (11-3, 9 KOs) emerged the winner by technical knockout over Thomas Carty (10-1) who was unable to continue after two rounds when his leg tangled and thereafter was unable to stand. Because he could not continue the fight was ruled a technical knockout win for Calloway in the heavyweight match.

Also

Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (29-1, 23 Kos) defeated Yeis Solano (15-5) by majority decision after eight rounds in a super lightweight contest.

Donagh Keary (1-0) defeated Geral Alicea-Romero (0-1-1) by decision after four.

Light heavyweights Sean O’Bradaigh (0-0-1) and Jefferson Almeida (0-1-1) fought to a majority draw after four.

Photo credit: JP Yim

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Nick Ball Wears Down and Stops TJ Doheny Before the Home Folks in Liverpool

Published

2 days ago

March 15, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Fighting in his hometown, Liverpool’s five-foot-two fireplug Nick “The Wrecking” Ball stopped TJ Doheny after 10 progressively more one-sided rounds to retain his WBA belt in the second defense of the featherweight title he won with a hard-earned decision over Raymond Ford in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Referee Michael Alexander, with the assent of Doheny’s corner, waived it off following the bell ending Round 10, much to the chagrin of the brave but mildewed Doheny who burst into tears. But then, Doheny’s right eye was closed shut and he was plainly exhausted. This may be the end of the line for the 38-year-old campaigner from Perth, Australia via Portlaois, Ireland who was 26-5 heading in following his first loss inside the distance which came against pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue.

There were no knockdowns, but Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) was docked a point in round nine for throwing Doheny to the canvas after having previously been warned for this infraction. Earlier, both he and Doheny were warned for an incident that could have ended the bout prematurely. At the end of the first round, Ball extricated himself from a headlock by kicking Doheny in the back of his knee. The challenger’s leg appeared to buckle as he returned to his stool.

Going forward, Ball has many options. The 28-year-old Liverpudlian purportedly relishes a unification fight with WBC belt-holder Stephen Fulton, but the decision ultimately rests with Ball’s promoter Frank Warren.

Other Bouts of Note

In a 12-round bantamweight contest that was close on the scorecards but yet a monotonous affair, Liverpool’s Andrew Cain won a split decision over former WBC flyweight title-holder Charlie Edwards. The scores were 116-112 and 115-114 favoring Cain with judge Steve Gray submitting a disreputable 115-113 tally for Edwards. At stake were a trio of regional titles.

The science of boxing, they say, is about hitting without getting hit. Charlie Edwards is adept at the latter but the hitting part is not in his DNA. He was on his bicycle from the get-go, a style that periodically brought forth a cascade of boos. Cain, who trains in the same gym with Nick Ball, was never able to corner him – Edwards was too elusive – but Cain, to his credit, never lost his composure.

In improving to 14-1 (12), Cain achieved a measure of revenge, in a sense. In his last documented amateur bout, in 2014, Cain was defeated by Charlie’s brother Sunny Edwards, also a former world title-holder at the professional level. Heading in, Charlie Edwards (20-2, 1 NC) was unbeaten in his last 13 which included a comfortable decision over Cristofer Rosales in his flyweight title fight. Charlie relinquished that belt when he could no longer make the weight.

Showboating Cuban lightweight Jadier Herrera, who fought 13 of his first 14 pro fights in his adopted home of Dubai, advanced to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage of spunky but outclassed Mexican import Jose Macias (21-4-2). The official time was 2:31 of round seven.

An all-Liverpool affair between super flyweights Jack Turner (11-0, 10 KOs) and Ryan Farrag (23-6) was over in a jiff. The match, which went next-to-last in the bout order, ended at the 42-second mark of round two. A barrage of punches climaxed by a left hook sent Farrag down hard and the referee waived it off.

The noted spoiler Ionut Baluta, whose former victims include Andrew Cain, forged another upset with a 10-round split decision over local fan favorite Brad Strand. The judges favored Baluta 98-91 and 96-94, out-voting the Italian judge whose 97-93 tally for Strand was deemed the most accurate by the TV pundits.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 317: Callum Walsh, Dana White and More

Published

3 days ago

March 14, 2025

David A. Avila

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As Callum Walsh stood on the observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building with fists clenched, it harked back to actor Jimmy Cagney, an actor of Irish descent, yelling “Top of the world, ma,” in the 1949 motion picture White Heat.

The Irish-born Walsh brings that kind of attitude.

Once again Walsh (12-0, 10 KOs) returns to New York City and this time faces Scottish warrior Dean Sutherland (19-1, 7 KOs) in a super welterweight match set for 10 rounds on Sunday, March 16, at Madison Garden Theater.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions event.

Flanked by master trainer Freddie Roach and managed by Dana White it brings questions as to the direction that Walsh will be steered. It was just revealed that White will head a new boxing promotion outfit with big plans to make a more UFC type of organization.

Is Walsh part of the plans?

It’s a lot to digest as the hot prospect from Cork, Ireland proceeds toward world championship dreams. Can he cleanse his mind of this major distraction?

Walsh and Sutherland are both southpaws who are meeting at the crossroads in the heart of New York City. At this point of their careers a loss can mean rebooting and taking a few steps backward. The winner moves on to the next crucial step.

Sutherland, 26, hails from Aberdeen and has never fought outside of his native Scotland. It’s a lot to ask of someone whose country’s population of 5 million is dwarfed by New York City’s 8.2 million inhabitants all packed together.

Ireland’s population is also 5 million. So basically, both Walsh and Sutherland are on even terms when they enter the prize ring on Sunday.

Who knows what kind of competition Sutherland faced in Scotland. He beat two undefeated fighters and also conquered two foes who each had more than 100 losses on their resumes.

Meanwhile, Walsh has faced only one undefeated fighter but handled veterans like Benjamin Whitaker, Ismael Villareal and Carlos Ortiz Cervantes. But you never know until they meet face to face. Anything can happen in a prize ring.

Walsh has a three-fight knockout streak. Sutherland has slept two out of his last three foes. They will be joined by several Irish fighters on the card plus Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin.

Dana, Turk and TKO

The announcement earlier in the week that Turki Alalshikh together with TKO Group Holdings that include Dana White and Nick Khan formed a new boxing promotion company.

White, who does not own UFC but guides the MMA ship, works for Endeavor, the parent company of UFC and WWE. Their events are all shown on ESPN, the powerful sports network (albeit WWE’s flagship weekly show “Raw” recently moved to Netflix). It seems Endeavor has decided to allow White to guide its boxing program too.

Where does that leave Top Rank?

It seems the partnership plans to rid boxing of the many sanctioning organizations and have only one champion per division. The champion will be given a Ring Magazine belt. Recently, Turki Alalshikh purchased The Ring magazine from Golden Boy Promotions. This seems to have been the plan all along.

Is this good for boxing?

Mark Shapiro, the president of TKO Group Holdings, said:

“This is a strategic opportunity to re-imagine the sport of boxing globally. TKO has the deep expertise, promotional prowess, and longstanding relationships. HE Turki Alalshikh and Sela share our passion and vision for evolving the current model. Together, we can bring the sweet science back to its rightful place in the forefront of the global sports ecosystem.”

DAZN all day

Three boxing cards take place on Saturday beginning with WBA featherweight titlist Nick Ball (21-0-1) the human cannonball, defending against former champion TJ Doheny from Liverpool, England. The first bout begins around 9:30 a.m. (Pacific Coast Time). Ball likes to charge forward and punch. Doheny is no slouch and has experience.

Later, Matchroom Boxing presents a show from Florida that features Edgar Berlanga (22-1) fresh off a solid contest against Canelo Alvarez. He fights undefeated Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) in a super middleweight match. Also, Ammo Williams (17-1) returns to face dangerous Patrice Volny (19-1) in a middleweight clash. The card starts at 3:30 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time.

Saturday evening MarvNation presents Amado Vargas (11-0) meeting Eduardo Hernandez (8-2) in a super lightweight contest at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. Start time is set for 8 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time). The son of the great Fernando Vargas remains undefeated.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 11:30 a.m. Nick Ball (21-0-1) vs TJ Doheny (26-5).

Sat. DAZN 3:30 p.m. Edgar Berlanga (22-1) vs Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) ; Ammo Williams (17-1) vs Patrice Volny (19-1).

Sat. DAZN 8 p.m. Amado Vargas (11-0) vs Eduardo Hernandez (8-2).

Sun. UFC Fight Pass 3 p.m. Callum Walsh (12-0) vs Dean Sutherland (19-1).

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