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How Did Monroe Jr. Feel When He Got Golovkin Fight? “On Top of the World”
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
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Canelo vs Berlanga Battles the UFC: Hopefully No Repeat of the 2019 Fiasco
If one happens to be fan of both traditional boxing and MMA, then one has a choice to make this Saturday. Canelo Alvarez will be in action at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas defending his lineal 168-pound world title against Edgar Berlanga and two miles away in a competing Pay-Per-View card, the first-ever sporting event will be staged inside The Sphere, a UFC card bearing the title Riyadh Season Noche 306.
This won’t be the first time that a boxing card featuring the red-headed Mexican superstar went head-to-head with a UFC event. On Nov. 2, 2019, Canelo Alvarez fought Sergey Kovalev at the T-Mobile and 2,500 miles away, MMA stars Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal locked horns at Madison Square Garden. Both cards were PPV. Alvarez vs Kovalev was live-streamed on DAZN; Diaz vs Masvidal on ESPN+.
We don’t know which event generated the most profit, but the way things played out, this was a symbolic win for the UFC. On this night, the venerable sport of boxing and its adherents were reduced to a second-class citizen.
The fault lay with the nitwits at DAZN. They thought it prudent to postpone the start of Alvarez-Kovalev until the Diaz-Masdival fight was finished. What resulted was an interlude that dragged on for a good 90 minutes after Ryan Garcia knocked out Romero Duno in 98 seconds in the semi-wind-up. Then came the ring walks, the National Anthems (there were three), and the long-winded introduction of the combatants. When the bell finally sounded to signify the start of the bout, it was 10:18 inside the arena and 1:18 am for the bleary-eyed folks tuning in back in the Eastern Time Zone. The backlash was fierce.
The competing shows this coming Saturday coincide with Mexican Independence Day Weekend. One might assume that this will give the PBC promotion at the T-Mobile a leg up as Canelo Alvarez is a must-see attraction within the Mexican and Mexican-American communities. However, the UFC card has something going for it that T-Mobile lacks. The venue is itself an allurement. The newest addition to the Las Vegas skyline, The Sphere has the WOW factor. Even long-time Las Vegas locals, supposedly jaded by a surfeit of architectural wonders, are mesmerized by the constantly changing light show on the exterior of the big globe. Inside, visitors will find the world’s highest resolution LED display.
Customizing the interior for UFC 306 was an expensive proposition. UFC honcho Dana White has pegged the cost at $20 million and concedes that without Saudi money it would not have been feasible. He says that Saturday’s show will be “one-off,” not merely the first combat sports event at The Sphere, but also the last because it would be too expensive to replicate. If that be true, attendees are advised to keep their ticket stubs. Years from now, they might command a nice price in the sports memorabilia marketplace.
The T-Mobile has Canelo, but The Sphere has Alexa Grasso who, akin to Canelo, hails from Guadalajara. Ms. Grasso, 31, just may be the second-most-well-known fighter in Mexico. In addition to holding the UFC flyweight title, she is an analyst for the UFC’s Spanish-language broadcasts.
Grasso will be defending her belts against Russia’s Valentina Shevshenko in the co-main. In the featured bout, bantamweight belt-holder Sean O’Malley will defend his title against Merab Dvalishvili.
The T-Mobile card on Prime Video comes with a suggested list price of $89.99 for U.S. buyers without a Prime Video account. That tab has been widely assailed as a rip-off. “It’s gouging fight fans, plain and simple,” says Kevin Iole who covered both boxing and MMA for Yahoo. (For the record, the UFC show on ESPN+ comes with a list price of $79.99, $10 cheaper if bundled with an ESPN+ subscription. The UFC folks are holding their breath that the event can be translated to the small screen without compromising the clarity of the picture. The logistics are daunting.)
The main bouts on the UFC card will be far more competitive based on the prevailing odds, but when it comes to combat sports, this reporter is a traditionalist. Agreed, that can be interpreted as an old fuddy-duddy stuck in his ways, but in my eyes boxing, a sport that rests on a far more arresting historic foundation, trumps the Johnny-come-lately that is the UFC.
Check back later this week as TSS West Coast Bureau Chief David A. Avila offers up a closer look at Alvarez vs Berlanga and some of the supporting bouts.
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Niyomtrong Proves a Bridge Too Far for Alex Winwood in Australia
Today in Perth, Australia, Alex Winwood stepped up in class in his fifth pro fight with the aim of becoming the fastest world title-holder in Australian boxing history. But Winwood (4-0, 2 KOs heading in) wasn’t ready for WBA strawweight champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong, aka Knockout CP Freshmart, who by some accounts is the longest reigning champion in the sport.
Niyomtrong (25-0, 9 KOs) prevailed by a slim margin to retain his title. “At least the right guy won,” said prominent Australian boxing writer Anthony Cocks who thought the scores (114-112, 114-112, 113-113) gave the hometown fighter all the best of it.
Winwood, who represented Australia in the Tokyo Olympics, trained for the match in Thailand (as do many foreign boxers in his weight class). He is trained by Angelo Hyder who also worked with Danny Green and the Moloney twins. Had he prevailed, he would have broken the record of Australian boxing icon Jeff Fenech who won a world title in his seventh pro fight. A member of the Noongar tribe, Winwood, 27, also hoped to etch on his name on the list of notable Australian aboriginal boxers alongside Dave Sands, Lionel Rose and the Mundines, Tony and Anthony, father and son.
What Winwood, 27, hoped to capitalize on was Niyomtrong’s theoretical ring rust. The Thai was making his first start since July 20 of 2022 when he won a comfortable decision over Wanheng Menayothin in one of the most ballyhooed domestic showdowns in Thai boxing history. But the Noongar needed more edges than that to overcome the Thai who won his first major title in his ninth pro fight with a hard-fought decision over Nicaragua’s Carlos Buitrago who was 27-0-1 heading in.
A former Muai Thai champion, Niyomtrong/Freshmart turns 34 later this month, an advanced age for a boxer in the sport’s smallest weight class. Although he remains undefeated, he may have passed his prime. How good was he in his heyday? Prominent boxing historian Matt McGrain has written that he was the most accomplished strawweight in the world in the decade 2010-2019: “It is not close, it is not debatable, there is no argument.”
Against the intrepid Winwood, Niyomtrong started slowly. In round seven, he cranked up the juice, putting the local fighter down hard with a left hook. He added another knockdown in round nine. The game Winwood stayed the course, but was well-beaten at the finish, no matter that the scorecards suggested otherwise, creating the impression of a very close fight.
P.S. – Because boxrec refused to name this a title fight, it fell under the radar screen until the result was made known. In case you hadn’t noticed, boxrec is at loggerheads with the World Boxing Association and has decided to “de-certify” the oldest of the world sanctioning bodies. While this reporter would be happy to see the WBA disappear – it is clearly the most corrupt of the four major organizations – the view from here is that boxrec is being petty. Moreover, if this practice continues, it will be much harder for boxing historians of future generations to sort through the rubble.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 295: Callum Walsh, Pechanga Casino Fights and More
Super welterweight contender Callum Walsh worked out for reporters and videographers at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif. on Thursday,
The native of Ireland Walsh (11-0, 9 KOs) has a fight date against Poland’s Przemyslaw Runowski (22-2-1, 6 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 20 at the city of Dublin. It’s a homecoming for the undefeated southpaw from Cork. UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card.
Mark down the date.
Walsh is the latest prodigy of promoter Tom Loeffler who has a history of developing European boxers in America and propelling them forward on the global boxing scene. Think Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin and you know what I mean.
Golovkin was a middleweight monster for years.
From Kevin Kelley to Oba Carr to Vitaly Klitschko to Serhii Bohachuk and many more in-between, the trail of elite boxers promoted by Loeffler continues to grow. Will Walsh be the newest success?
Add to the mix Dana White, the maestro of UFC, who is also involved with Walsh and you get a clearer picture of what the Irish lad brings to the table.
Walsh has speed, power and a glint of meanness that champions need to navigate the prizefighting world. He also has one of the best trainers in the world in Freddie Roach who needs no further introduction.
Perhaps the final measure of Walsh will be when he’s been tested with the most important challenge of all:
Can he take a punch from a big hitter?
That’s the final challenge
It always comes down to the chin. It’s what separates the Golovkins from the rest of the pack. At the top of the food chain they all can hit, have incredible speed and skill, but the fighters with the rock hard chins are those that prevail.
So far, the chin test is the only examination remaining for Walsh.
“King’ Callum Walsh is ready for his Irish homecoming and promises some fireworks for the Irish fans. This will be an entertaining show for the fans and we are excited to bring world class boxing back to the 3Arena in Dublin,” said Loeffler.
Pechanga Fights
MarvNation Promotions presents a battle between welterweight contenders Jose “Chon” Zepeda (37-5, 28 KOs) and Ivan Redkach (24-7-1, 19 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 6, at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. DAZN will stream the fight card.
Both have fought many of the best welterweights in the world and now face each other. It should be an interesting clash between the veterans.
Also on the card, featherweights Nathan Rodriguez (15-0) and Bryan Mercado (11-5-1) meet in an eight-round fight.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. First bout at 7 p.m.
Monster Inoue
Once again Japan’s Naoya Inoue dispatched another super bantamweight contender with ease as TJ Doheny was unable to continue in the seventh round after battered by a combination on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Inoue continues to brush away whoever is placed in front of him like a glint of dust.
Is the “Monster” the best fighter pound-for-pound on the planet or is it Terence Crawford? Both are dynamic punchers with skill, speed, power and great chins.
Munguia in Big Bear
Super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia is two weeks away from his match with Erik Bazinyan at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. ESPN will show the Top Rank card.
“Erik Bazinyan is a good fighter. He’s undefeated. He switches stances. We need to be careful with that. He’s taller and has a longer reach than me. He has a good jab. He can punch well on the inside. He’s a fighter who comes with all the desire to excel,” said Munguia.
Bazinyan has victories over Ronald Ellis and Alantez Fox.
In case you didn’t know, Munguia moved over to Top Rank but still has ties with Golden Boy Promotions and Zanfer Promotions. Bazinyan is promoted by Eye of the Tiger.
This is the Tijuana fighter’s first match with Top Rank since losing to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez last May in Las Vegas. He is back with trainer Erik Morales.
Callum Walsh photo credit: Lina Baker
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