How Did Monroe Jr. Feel When He Got Golovkin Fight? “On Top of the World”

Published

8 years ago

March 17, 2015

This is a family business for the Monroes. We get that, fathers following the footsteps of sons, taking over the pizza shop when dad gets old, or being expected to follow the same path, get that law degree, and complying, maybe against a part of one's will.

Willie Monroe Jr., the New York native who knew from age six he wanted to be a boxer, who entered the family biz with no ambivalence, received the news he longed for, that he would be receiving the opportunity of a lifetime on May 16.

Now, that news. I characterize it as “the opportunity of a lifetime,” but I confess, when I hear about anyone getting the chance to fight Gennady Golovkin, as Monroe will on May 16, at the Forum in LA, and on HBO, I tend to have this reaction, just a tad anyway: some opportunity!

Careful what you ask for, you just might get it!

Yep, Golovkin is a smiling assassin, but assassin he is. He is there to do a job on fight night, and that is to make you submit. Mentally, physically, neurologically he wants to damage you. He's not the sort who wants to admit that to the world, make it so public that that is the plan. He cloaks the severity of the mission, the coldness, with his delightfully mangled terminology, and terminally adorable grin. The grin signals benevolence while the fists scream the opposite..

“Good drama show” and the ilk, that's the amusing soundbite stuff we lap up, alongside the heaping portions of controlled violence.

I asked Monroe, a 28-year-old with a 19-1 (just 6 KOs) record, how he felt when he got the “good,” I mean good, news.

“On top of the world,” he told me, via phone, from an LA hotel room, the day before his announcement presser to hype the clash. He got a text from promoter Arthur Pelullo, he said. “I was half asleep, but I was pretty happy!” The gig was supposed to go to Tureano Johnson, then Jorge Heiland, but Team Golovkin settled on Monroe because 1) he was willing and 2) he's a lefty, and they want GGG to get a look at that and 3) he's known to some boxing fans, from winning the middleweight tournament “Boxcino,” which runs on ESPN.

Monroe told Pelullo great, I've been in the gym, working hard, for weeks now. Let's do it. Monroe said he was psyched, and relieved, to get that big shot opportunity. He knows his great uncle Willie “the Worm” Monroe didn't really, truly get that big shot opportunity. He knows his dad, Willie Sr–who he didn't spend all that much time with growing up, he lived with his grandpa Lee Monroe mostly–didn't get that BIG SHOT. Getting the opportunity, he knows, is maybe half the battle. Now it's up to him. He's known, he said, since he was around six years old that the ring would be his thing. Same as it was for his great grandfather, who was a fighter, on up the chain. “I knew it was what I wanted to do,” he said.

Yes, he's watched some YouTube of the Worm in action, but is more prone to brush up on some Roy Jones Jr., Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather, guys like that. And does he fight at all like unc? “He had that hit and don't get hit style. Worked on the outside. In my family, we got a good, solid jab. We are known for good, technically smart boxing.”

I did wonder if there is any element of competitiveness in Junior, being that Senior wasn't around too much. Is he a better boxer than his dad? “I don't let myself compete in that way,” he told me. Though, he allows, the thought has maybe crossed his mind once or twice, as he has sparred with dad in the way that the Jones have, the Mayweathers have.

J. Russell Peltz, the Philly-based promoter who has a place in the Hall of Fame, told me he thinks Golovkin is a beast among men, and anyone would have a tall hill to climb to beat him. “I haven't seen that much of Monroe Junior,” he told me from Florida, where he escapes the arctic blast. “But none of the Monroes are as good as the original, Willie “the Worm.” None have fought his level of opposition. And if he never got that “title shot opportunity,” remember, there wasn't a title on every corner in those days. He was certainly ranked in the top ten in a time when it certainly meant something. But Golovkin looks like he's in a league of his own among today's generation of middleweights, and that includes Peter Quillin and Danny Jacobs. But you never turn down a title shot. Can Junior beat Golovkin, no I don't think so, no one active at 160 today can.”

Oh, and for the record. That fight that saw The Worm beat Marvin Hagler. Junior won't be watching it on YouTube…or anywhere. “There was a snowstorm that day, and the the film crew never made it. But every round was a war. The Worm was the only guy that truly beat Hagler.”

Now, Junior isn't known for his pop, but he can belt, and has been active in his church, wowing those in the pew with his vocal chops. That spiritual foundation comes in quite handy when he looks to climb a higher mountain, as Golovkin is, he told me. Junior was on a men's retreat, for 48 hours, when the fight got announced, and he said it was a bit of a blessing, as no phones were allowed, so he dind't have to face a ringing blitz.

Hey, does he have any fear of the big bomber GGG? He gets butterflies before every fight, and wouldn't want it any other way, he told me. But, he noted, the Tysons, Foremans and Listons all had a certain aura of power and invincibility too…..”I'm not going to let butterflies deter me from being the most complete Willie Monroe Junior.”

Course, wowing Boxcino watchers or those in the pews at church is one thing; those in attendance at the Forum and on HBO with the patient predator Golovkin boring in on him, that's a different deal. Those that think Monroe will be the first to smudge Golovkins' record are in the minority, and mostly fall into the family and friends category. That's OK, he isn't put off by that. Fighters, they aren't like us, quite often. History, they don't as often as us assume, isn't the best predictor of the future. Monroe figures he has the slickness, the pure technical ability, to give Golovkin fits come May 16. Plus, he's bolstered by a deep faith, he told, as he's been a Christian and grounded in that for as long as he can remember. Do I think it'll happen? No. But have stranger things happened? Sure, this is the boxing business, strange is the default setting, by and large. We shall have to see how this worm turns..

Follow Woods on Twitter. https://twitter.com/Woodsy1069

Post Views: 0

Michael Woods

The Follies of Gervonta Davis: They Gave Him the Key to the City and Now He’s in the Slammer

Published

2 days ago

June 4, 2023

Arne K. Lang

Gervonta's-Follies-They-Gave-Him-the-Key-to-the-City-and-Now-He's-in-the-Slammer

One surmises that Baltimore City Circuit Court judge Althea Handy has a lot of guts. When the 65-year-old jurist rescinded her decision to allow Gervonta “Tank” Davis to serve his 90-day sentence at the home of his trainer Calvin Ford and remanded him to the jailhouse, that undoubtedly didn’t sit well with some of the poobahs in Maryland’s largest city. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that Davis was presented with a key to the city and a parade was held in his honor.

Davis appeared before Judge Handy on May 5. He had already pleaded guilty to each of four counts stemming from a hit-and-run accident that happened shortly before 2 a.m. on the morning of Nov. 5, 2020. After running a red light, Davis crashed his Lamborghini into another vehicle before crashing into the fence of a 7-eleven. The four occupants of the other vehicle, including a pregnant woman, required medical attention. Gervonta and his two passengers fled the scene in another car.

The four charges to which he pled guilty, eschewing a jury trial, included driving on a revoked license. Had Judge Handy thrown the book at him, she could have packed him off to prison for a term of four years and two months. Instead, she sentenced him to 90 days home detention, three years’ probation, and 200 hours of community service.

Davis owns a home in tony Broward County in South Florida. If it had been his decision, that’s where he would have served his 90 days. But Handy had visions of the boxer lounging by the pool and wouldn’t allow it. She insisted that he serve out his sentence in his native Baltimore.

Althea Handy (2002 photo)

It was agreed that Davis would be confined to the home of his longtime coach Calvin Ford for the duration of his sentence. The head trainer at the Upton Boxing Center in impoverished West Baltimore and the inspiration for the Dennis “Cutty” Wise character in the HBO series “The Wire,” Coach Calvin, as he is called, has been a father figure to Gervonta Davis and countless other boys. Gervonta was living with his grandmother after bouncing around between foster homes when he wandered into Upton at the age of seven. The boxer credits his coach with instilling within him the discipline needed to stay off the streets.

There was one small problem. Calvin Ford’s home had only one bedroom. It was far too small for the boxer and his entourage.

Davis needed to find a new crash pad. Being the resourceful type, he moved his tack to Baltimore’s luxurious Four Seasons Hotel before plunking down a reported $3.4 million on a 5,000-square-foot high-rise penthouse. When informed that the boxer had taken it upon himself to recalibrate his “punishment,” Judge Handy said, “not on my watch” or words to this effect, and had the boxer hauled off to the slammer.

—

Gervonta Davis was boxing’s youngest American-born world champion when he won his first title in 2017. On July 24, 2019, three days before his homecoming fight with Ricardo Nunez – his fifth 130-pound world title defense – he was presented the keys to the city by then mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young in a ceremony at City Hall. “Welcome Home….We’re so proud of you!”, read the proclamation. Later that year, on Oct. 26, the boxer was feted with a parade in his old neighborhood.

In his most recent bout, a non-title affair contested at the catch-weight of 136 pounds, Davis stopped Ryan Garcia in the seventh round to advance his record to 29-0. The fight played out before an SRO crowd of 20,000-plus at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In his four fights prior to that, Davis drew capacity or near-capacity crowds to NBA arenas in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and Washington, DC. When it comes to putting asses in seats, no other American boxer can match him.

—-

Davis turned pro under Floyd Mayweather Jr’s “Money Team” banner. As recounted in a previous story, Mayweather’s influence was pervasive. Gervonta came to mimicking Floyd’s lifestyle, reflected in what normal people would see as reckless spending, manifested in bling and in his growing collection of rare and expensive automobiles. The parallels are striking and to that list we can now add one more. When Gervonta emerges from his current abode he will have spent almost exactly as many days behind bars as his former promoter. Mayweather was sentenced to 90 days for domestic battery in 2012 and with time off for good behavior was out of jail in two months.

When Davis gets out, will his boxing tools be as sharp as ever? Based on Mayweather’s experience, his fans have nothing to worry about.

During Mayweather’s incarceration, his lawyer and personal physician submitted a document to the court in hopes of securing an early release. “Jail food and water,” it said, “didn’t meet Mayweather’s dietary needs and lack of exercise space in a cramped cell of fewer than 98 square feet threatened his health and fitness.”

Not to worry. Floyd had some of his best moments after he was set free, although it may be worth noting that he stopped knocking people out.

Floyd was 35 years old when he regained his freedom. Gervonta Davis will be 28. There’s no reason to think that he won’t be as good as ever, but that’s assuming that he keeps his nose clean. He doesn’t need any more of these kinds of distractions.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Claressa Shields Defeats Maricela Cornejo in Detroit

Published

2 days ago

June 3, 2023

David A. Avila

Claressa-Shields-Defeats-Maricela-Cornejo-in-Detroit

In front of a Detroit crowd familiar with boxing legends, Claressa Shields demonstrated her place among the legends with a start-to-finish win over number one contender Maricela Cornejo to retain her middleweight world championship on Saturday.

“Maricela is just super tough. She was just in shape and knew how to get away from shots,” said Shields

More than 10,000 fans entered Little Caesars Arena and witnessed the fight.

Despite last-minute changes in opposition, Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) accepted always strong Cornejo (16-6, 6 KOs) and proved that former Detroit boxing legends such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Louis and Tommy Hearns need to move over.

The champion wasted little time in opening-up with looping overhand rights that barely missed the mark. Cornejo was careful to avoid the bombs. Though few punches landed it was clear that Shields was on the attack.

Cornejo was scheduled to fight another foe and had been preparing in Las Vegas with famed trainer Ismael Salas. She was fully prepared to face anyone, but Shields is not anyone. Her defense was on point but the speed ratio of Shields punches is almost impossible to practice.

Still, Cornejo did enough by connecting with a strong right cross that kept Shields from overwhelming her.

“Just stay smart and not get hit with her big right hand,” said Shields about her battle plan against Cornejo who replaced Hanna Gabriels who failed a PED test.

Though Cornejo had two inches height advantage, Shields had faced others that were taller before such as Christina Hammer and Savannah Marshall. Shields adjusted well.

“Height don’t matter, power don’t matter,” Shields said. “It’s all about skills and wills and I always have more.”

Over the years Shields has carefully added more ammunition to her offensive arsenal and fighting a taller opponent with power has become second nature. Shields kept a perfect distance at all times and made it difficult for Cornejo to time her attacks with a big right cross.

Cornejo jabbed her way trying to close the distance, but Shields agility and reflexes kept the taller fighter from her goal. Shields snapped Cornejo’s head back numerous times during the fight, but the Mexican-American fighter from the state of Washington has always shown to have one of the best chins in women’s boxing. No one has ever knocked her down.

Shields came close, especially in the seventh round. Cornejo opened the frame with a strong right lead that seemed to awaken the gates. Shields unleashed the blinding combinations that have bewildered every foe she’s ever faced since childhood. The speed and fury of the blows forced Cornejo to hold and maneuver out of range. She survived the onslaught but if it had been a three-minute round the fight might have been over. Instead, after the two-minute round expired, Cornejo had survived.

Shields had expended a lot of energy attempting the knockout. It takes a lot of to fire off dozens of blows with blinding speed and accuracy. Most of the eighth round was fought by both at a much slower tempo, until the last 20 seconds when Shields and Cornejo opened up the guns.

After saving energy in the prior round, Shields stunned Cornejo with a strong one-two that snapped the head of the challenger. Shields kept on the attack but in measured tones. Though she won every round it was evident that Cornejo was looking for one big counter shot that could turn the momentum.

It did not happen. Shields kept control of the fight until the very end. After 10 rounds both hugged each other in respect and the judges gave their verdict 100-89, 100-90 twice for Shields who keeps the middleweight world championship.

“I felt great. I won every round like I knew I could,” said Shields. “I tried for the KO, but Maricela was tough, had a strong right hand.”

For Shields it was her sixth defense of the middleweight championship.

“I thought I looked really, really good,” said a very content Shields. “Thank you for coming out.”

Other Bouts

Local fighter Ardreal Holmes (14-0) defeated Haiti’s Wendy Toussaint (14-2) by technical split decision after the fight was stopped early due to a bad cut following a clash of heads in the super welterweight match.

Toussaint was the aggressor through most of the fight but when a savage cut opened up above his forehead the referee stopped the fight though the ringside physician had given approval to continue.

The fight was stopped at 1:54 of the eighth round and Holmes won 76-75, 77-74, 74-77. The Detroit crowd booed the decision loudly.

A middleweight contest saw Michigan’s Joseph Hicks (7-0, 5 KOs) use his height and reach to dominate Atlanta’s Antonio Todd (14-8) from the outside. All three judges scored it 80-72 for Hicks.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Adelaida Ruiz and Fernando Vargas Jr Score KO Wins at Pechanga

Published

3 days ago

June 3, 2023

David A. Avila

Adelaida-Ruiz-and-Fernando-Vargas-Jr-Score-KOs-at-Pechanga

Adelaida Ruiz and Fernando Vargas Jr Score KO Wins at Pechanga

TEMECULA, Ca.-After a long period of fighting out of the country, Adelaida Ruiz returned to Southern California and with her came hundreds of her ardent followers as she won by knockout over Mexico’s Maria Cecilia Roman on Friday.

Ruiz (14-0-1, 8 KOs) looked sharp and stepped in with a disciplined attack against Roman (17-8) who fought behind a peek-a-boo style throughout the fight. Ruiz fired away at openings with a measured attack in front of several thousand fans at Pechanga Arena on the MarvNation Promotions card.

Midway through the eight-round match Ruiz increased the tempo of the attack with blistering combinations to the body and head. During one of the combinations Ruiz connected with a left hook to Roman’s temple and down she went.

Roman beat the count, but Ruiz never slowed her attack and each round her blows seemed to increase with power, the impact of the punches resonating in the arena. The interim WBC super flyweight titlist, whose title was not at stake, seemed determined to win by knockout.

In the eighth and final round Ruiz staggered Roman with another left hook to the temple and that only sparked more punches from the Southern California fighter. She unloaded her bullet chambers and the referee decided to stop the action at 1:19 of the eighth round.

Other Bouts

Fernando Vargas Jr. (9-0) won the super middleweight contest by knockout when Heber Rondon (20-5) was unable to continue due to a shoulder injury at the end of the second round. Fans were displeased but it was not up to the fans.

Vargas showed patience against the veteran southpaw Rondon who showed some tricks in his bag. But after some exchanges in the second round it was a surprise to everyone in the arena when the referee signaled the fight was over at the end of the second round.

Undefeated Jonathan Lopez (11-0, 7 KOs) of Florida remained unblemished with a unanimous decision win over Mexico’s Eduardo Baez (21-5-2, 7 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight fight.

San Bernardino’s Lawrence King (13-1,11 KOs) faced veteran Mexican fighter Marco Reyes (37-10) and was able to use his speed and southpaw stance to win almost every round. But he had to work for it.

Reyes was able to avoid most of King’s attacks but in the sixth round after absorbing some heavy blows the Mexican fighter was unable to continue and the fight was stopped at the end of the sixth round for a knockout win by King.

In a super welterweight fight, Mario Ramos (11-0, 9 KOs) wore down Jesus Cruz (6-3) for three rounds with his left-handed assault and then lowered the boom with a non-stop barrage of lefts and rights. After nearly two-dozen nearly unanswered blows the referee stopped the battering at 2:09 of the fourth round.

Orlando Salgado (3-2) slugged it out with Squire Redfern (0-1) to win a super welterweight fight by decision after four back and forth rounds. Salgado connected with the bigger blows but never could stop Redfern from rallying round after round. All three judges scored in favor of Salgado.

A heavyweight battle saw Mike Diorio (1-5-1) win his first pro fight in out-punching debuting heavyweight Ian Morgan (0-1) after four rounds. Both fighters tired a bit but Diorio had a better idea of how to score and won by decision.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0