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Countdown To Mayweather-Pacquiao: Why Bother Asking Star Fighters For Their Pick

There used to be a time when star fighters had no qualms about giving their true thoughts as to who they felt would win in an upcoming super fight. Before the super fight by which all are measured, “Frazier vs. Ali,” back in 1971, Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena were the two most recent opponents of both “Smokin” Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, and neither hesitated as to who they were picking to win the much ballyhooed clash?
Quarry, who lost to Frazier in seven rounds in 1969 and Ali in three rounds in 1970, was adamant that Joe was too tough and rugged for Ali and would most likely stop him inside of 10 rounds.
Bonavena, who went the distance twice with Frazier in 1966 and 1968, and was stopped by Ali in the 15th round in 1970 saw it differently. Oscar said Ali was the true champion and the better fighter and picked him to beat Frazier without any reservation. Since Joe beat Muhammad the first time out, chalk one up for Quarry for picking the correct winner.
Today both Oscar and Jerry would hedge their pick for reasons that didn’t exist for big time fighters during the sixties, seventies, eighties and even the nineties. In 2015 they’d phrase their pick something like this, “if it ends inside of eight rounds, Frazier will be the winner – but if it goes the distance, than Ali will be the victor.” And the reason for that is, a lot of ex-star fighters make a lot of their post-fight money doing commentary, personal appearances and all sorts of different media work for what to them has to be considered easy money. So there are business reasons for them to circumspect. That’s why it’s so hard to gauge their true feelings about how a particular big fight might go between two of their colleagues. They’re not likely to let their real opinion get in the way of friendships and business dealings that go on indefinitely. Celebrity fighters all know each other and swim in the same waters year after year. They’re professionals.
The ‘hedge your pick’ practice is not limited to just fighters, it also applies to commentators and analyst too. I remember when Mr. “Tell It Like It Is” Teddy Atlas was asked who was going to win between heavyweight contenders David Tua and Michael Moore back in 2002, he essentially said he didn’t know, and that it could go either way (Tua knocked Moorer out 30 seconds into the first round in what was a very easy fight to handicap before the fact). After the fight, Atlas said he knew all along that Tua was going to destroy Moorer, but that, because Moorer was his friend, he lied to his entire listening audience so that he wouldn’t upset Michael.
Of course, for “Mr Ethics” “I Never Pull My Punches” Atlas, what he did was inexcusable. But for guys whose bread and butter are maintaining good diplomatic relationships, their caution isn’t surprising. And if the press is too stupid not to catch on, that’s their problem.
When it comes to asking fighters who will win a certain fight between two superstars, don’t ask other superstar fighters or fighters who fought both guys. Because most of the time they have an agenda and something to protect, they’ll seldom if ever convey their true feelings.
The below fighters are all former title holders and in Cotto’s case a current title holder. They’re well known and have fought both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in high profile PPV bouts. Here are some of the things they’ve said when asked for a prediction on the upcoming fight.
Ricky Hatton: …..”Either side could win as well as lose in the bout deemed as the “Fight of the Century.” That’s certainly not a pick. Hatton was stopped by both Pacquiao and Mayweather. If you’re Hatton, it makes you look better if Mayweather wins because you can say you were in the fight with him, and justify that you just got caught by Pacquiao. If Mayweather retires undefeated Hatton looks better.
Miguel Cotto: …..Says having Freddie Roach in his corner is a big plus and will ultimately result in a Pacquiao win. Cotto was stopped by Pacquiao and lost a decision to Mayweather, and is trained by Roach. If you’re Cotto, it makes you look better if Pacquiao wins because he beat you worse than Mayweather did. And there’s no way Cotto is going against his trainer’s fighter.
Shane Mosley: …..Has been all over the place picking the winner. Depending on the day, you’ll get a different answer. Mosley lost a decision to both Mayweather and Pacquiao. However, Shane is in a tough spot. He probably hurt Mayweather more than any other fighter ever did to date, but he basically mailed it in when he fought Pacquiao. Shane can finagle whoever wins into somehow making himself look better. If Mayweather retires undefeated, it will always be remembered that Mosley landed the best punch any fighter ever did on Floyd.
Oscar De La Hoya: …..Has picked Pacquiao, but when it comes to Mayweather, Oscar is about as objective as ESPN’s Skip Bayless. In other words objectivity is a foreign word to both of them regarding Floyd. De La Hoya lost a decision to Mayweather and was stopped by Pacquiao. Oscar really gave Floyd a close fight, but was taken apart by Pacquiao. However, he can claim he was drained from dropping too much weight when he fought Pacquiao, which is somewhat plausible. However, Oscar is less of a rival to Pacquiao than he is Mayweather, so there’s less bad blood between them. I don’t think De La Hoya, inside, has any love for either, but I doubt he wants to see Floyd retire undefeated.
Juan Manuel Marquez: …..Like his trainer Nacho Beristain, he is all over the place too, and depending on the day you get a different answer. Marquez is 1-2-1 against Pacquiao and lost a lopsided decision to Mayweather. If you’re Marquez, you want Pacquiao to win because of the four fights you’ve had against him. And it also makes you look better if your career rival, who you knocked dead the last time you fought, wins the biggest fight in the last 25 years. That, and you can justify losing the decision to Mayweather since he beat you at the weigh-in by coming in over the contracted weight.
The above illustrates just how common opponents, at least during this era, cannot be objective when it comes to them saying what they really think will happen between Mayweather and Pacquiao on May 2nd.
Then there are the star fighters who seem to hedge almost as much.
Sugar Ray Leonard: …..Said he gives the edge to Mayweather because he’s undefeated. I’m guessing that’s a hedge pick in favor of Mayweather. Some insight from arguably the best p4p fighter since 1980: I’m certain Leonard appreciates Mayweather’s style more than he does Pacquiao’s. But there are some dynamics in play between Leonard and the Mayweather’s, being that Ray knocked out Floyd’s father in 1978 when Jr. was a year old, and Leonard is often asked how he’d do against Floyd Jr.
Thomas Hearns:…..Said people are crazy if they believe Mayweather or Pacquiao could’ve competed with Ray, Marvin and myself during our era. Well, he didn’t make a pick on the fight, but you can’t dispute what he said. Is there any doubt that when Hearns watches Mayweather and Pacquiao fight, he believes that he would’ve beaten them both on the same night one after the other.
Marvin Hagler:…..Said Mayweather-Pacquiao is the biggest fight in boxing history. Again, no pick, but from a money generating standpoint, he’s right. Also, Hagler probably sees a lot of Sugar Ray Leonard in Mayweather and some of himself in Pacquiao. I believe deep down inside Marvin is rooting for Pacquiao to win.
Mike Tyson:….Thinks Manny’s aggression will test Floyd’s toughness like it’s never been tested before. And recently has said Manny’s perpetual motion will be too much for Mayweather. Sounds like a hedge towards Pacquiao? You know deep down inside Tyson likes Pacquiao’s style and approach to fighting more than he does Mayweather’s. I don’t think Tyson really cares who wins because he likes and respects all fighters.
Evander Holyfield:….Thinks Pacquiao will win because boxing doesn’t want Mayweather to retire undefeated. Well, at least he made a pick; I have to give him that. His reasoning is a little twisted, but I’ll take it. I guess boxing didn’t want him to lose the first time he fought Lennox Lewis. Just ask Eugenia Williams.
Bernard Hopkins:…..Mr. Inconsistent said Pacquiao’s KO at the hands of Marquez in 2012 has residual effects for the next 10 fights. A week later he said burn the tape it means nothing, Manny had a momentary lapse and got caught. No big deal. Oh, he also said if Mayweather survives the first three rounds, he’ll dominate Pacquiao the last six rounds. Not sure who Bernard picked, but I believe he sees more of himself in Mayweather than he does Pacquiao. I believe if pushed I think he’d pick Mayweather.
Roy Jones:…..Has said Floyd is smarter and better now in his advanced age because of all his experience. Is that a pick for Mayweather? Like Hopkins, I believe Roy sees more of himself in Mayweather than he does Pacquiao, but maybe like some others, Roy would like to see Mayweather lose once and not retire undefeated. If push comes to shove I believe Jones favors Mayweather to win.
As far as I’m concerned, you can keep all of their picks and shove ’em where the sun doesn’t shine, because not one of them is worth a damn. They weren’t the least bit forth-coming. And the reason for that is because they all have skin in the game for various reasons already mentioned.
If you want to hear from fighters who know what they’re talking about and who will give you an informed and honest opinion as to who will win the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, I suggest you go into any good boxing gym, and ask veteran fighters with no horse in the race, and you’ll get solid predictions. Forget the stars above; I want to hear who Paulie Malinaggi thinks is going to win. Actually, I believe he’s on record picking Mayweather without hedging a bit, which isn’t the least bit surprising. I bet ex-fighters/title holders like Joe Calzaghe and Charles Brewer could provide well thought-out and honest opinions as to whom and why they favor a particular side in the upcoming Mayweather-Pacquiao bout.
I say why bother asking star fighters, past opponents or celebrities from the acting and music industries for their pick as to who will on May 2nd. The star fighters are judicious in their words because of friendships and business relationships, so they won’t be honest. The ex-opponents have a rooting interest so they won’t be forth coming, and the celebrities will pick their friends. I mean really, does Justin Bieber picking Mayweather or Tim Tebow picking Pacquiao really matter to you? It sure doesn’t to me!
Perhaps by the time this runs the above may have made a more authentic pick, but you can believe they’re not really giving you their true thoughts, for the reasons stated above and some that I didn’t even touch on.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
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The Hauser Report: Keyshawn Davis at Madison Square Garden

The Hauser Report: Keyshawn Davis at Madison Square Garden
Bob Arum promoted his first fight card – Muhammad Ali vs. George Chuvalo – in Toronto on March 29, 1966. Top Rank was formed soon after and is arguably the greatest promotional company in the history of boxing.
Top Rank has promoted more than two thousand fight cards and seven hundred world championship bouts. It has been on the cutting edge of new technologies and was the first major player in boxing to understand and exploit the power of the Hispanic market in the United States.
But Top Rank has been struggling lately. Its roster of elite fighters has gotten smaller. Its lucrative exclusive contract with ESPN expires this summer and won’t be renewed. The company is exploring other options, but so is every other promoter in boxing not tied exclusively to DAZN.
Meanwhile, Arum is doing his best to develop what he hopes will be a new generation of stars. One of these fighters – Keyshawn Davis – was on display before a sold-out crowd of 4,979 at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theatre on Valentine’s Day.
Davis is 25 years old and came into the fight with a 12-and-0 (8 KOs) record. His opponent, 36-year-old Denys Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs), was the reigning WBO lightweight champion by virtue of an upset split-decision victory over Emanuel Navarrete last June. Berinchyk had the belt, but the spotlight was on Davis (a 2020 Olympic silver medalist and 6-to-1 betting favorite).
Throughout fight week, Davis had the carriage of a fighter who is undefeated in the professional ranks and knew that the odds were stacked in his favor. He reveled in acting the bully at the final pre-fight press conference where he repeatedly interrupted Berinchyk before getting up from his chair and looming over the Ukrainian. That was followed by an incident at the weigh-in when Keyshawn put his hands on Denys and, as the fighters turned to face the media, stepped into Berinchyk’s space. That earned a shove and tempers flared.
It’s easy for a fighter to act out like that when he’s facing a 6-to-1 underdog. It’s unlikely that Keyshawn would have behaved in the same manner had he been readying to fight – say – Gervonta Davis.
When fight night came, it was just a matter of time until Berinchyk was knocked out. There was no way he could deal with Keyshawn’s speed and power. One guy was fighting in slow motion and the other on fast-forward.
Davis dropped Berinchyk with a body shot in round three and ended matters in round four with a brutal hook to the liver that left Denis gasping for air on the canvas.
Keyshawn has speed, skills, and power. Time will tell if he has a chin and heart.
Davis-Berinchyk highlighted a basic truth about boxing and other sports. Some athletes are simply more physically gifted than others.
LeBron James has a wonderful work ethic. But there are many basketball players who work as hard as LeBron and know the nuances of the game just as well. His physical gifts separate him from the pack. Ditto for Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Judge, and every other elite athlete.
Jack Nicklaus wasn’t just a talented golfer. At age thirteen, Nicklaus ran a 100-yard dash in eleven seconds flat and was the starting quarterback, punter, and placekicker on his junior high school football team. As a high school basketball player, he averaged eighteen points a game on a team that went to the fourth round of the Ohio state championship tournament. That same year, he made twenty-six free throws in a row and was named “all-league” and “honorable mention all-state.” To round out his resume, he played catcher on the school baseball team.
Davis has exceptional physical gifts. The phrase “physically gifted” also applies to 20-year-old Abdullah Mason (16-0, 14 KOs) who dismantled Manuel Jaimes at the Hulu Theater on Friday night. Mason is a legitimate prospect. Like Davis, he has speed, skills, and power. Five months ago, Jaimes went the distance against Rolly Romero. Mason knocked him down four times on the way to a fourth-round stoppage.
Other thoughts on Friday night’s fights at Madison Square Garden include:
Juanma Lopez De Jesus (who represented Puerto Rico at the 2024 Olympics and is the son of former WBO champion Juan Manuel Lopez) made his pro debut at 114 pounds against Bryan Santiago. Santiago was a typical opponent for a prospect making his pro-debut. Lopez knocked him out at 59-seconds of round one with the first solid punch he landed. After the fight, Santiago literally didn’t know what hit him. For the record, it was an uppercut.
Rohan Polanco turned in a dominant performance, stopping Juan Carlos Torres in two rounds. Keon Davis (Keyshawn’s brother) knocked out an overmatched Ira Johnson, also in the second stanza.
Vito Mielnicki Jr. and Connor Coyle fought to a spirited draw although, in the eyes of this observer, the edge belonged to Mielnicki. And Xander Zayas turned in a solid performance in scoring a ninth-round stoppage over Slawa Spomer. Referee Charlie Fitch might have stepped in a bit too quickly. But Fitch is a good referee. Spomer was getting hit more than he should have been. And according to CompuBox, Slawa had been outlanded 257 to 39.
Top Rank hopes to keep Zayas and Mielnicki on track until there’s a vacant 154-pound belt that they can fight for or a weak champion that one of them can beat.
Two of the favorites on the February 14 card disappointed.
Jared Anderson had been touted as America’s best heavyweight until his deficiencies were exposed and he was knocked down three times en route to a fifth-round stoppage by Martin Bakole on the Crawford-Madrimov undercard in Los Angeles last August. Marios Kollias (born in Greece and now fighting out of Sweden) is a big, strong, very slow fighter with rudimentary skills. Kollias had two fights last year. In one of them, he lost to a Danish fighter named Kem Ljungquist. In the other, he beat a guy named Tamaz Izoria (who has 15 losses in 20 fights and has been knocked out 11 times).
The Jared Anderson who savagely demolished Jerry Forrest at Madison Square Garden two years ago would have made short work of Kollias. But that version of Anderson hasn’t been seen lately. Jared came in for the Kollias fight at a career-high 258 pounds. And he fought like a man who has doubts about whether he wants to continue fighting professionally.
Anderson-Kollias had the feel of a slow sparring session. Kollias’s trunks kept sliding below his protective cup, necessitating repeated stoppages so referee David Fields could adjust them. The only fire Jared showed came near the end of the tenth and final round when he flagrantly fouled Marios by throwing him over his hip to the canvas. Fields should have deducted two points for the unprovoked infraction but let the matter slide. Properly incentivized, Kollias landed his best punches of the night just before the final bell. The scorecards read 99-91, 99-91, 98-92 in Anderson’s favor.
Anderson-Kollias was a dreary fight. Nico Ali Walsh vs. Juan Carlos Guerra was a sad one.
Nico is Muhammad Ali’s grandson and fights in the neighborhood of 157 pounds. He turned pro in 2021 and, after knocking out five of six carefully chosen opponents, went the distance in his next six outings (including one “no contest”). When he entered the ring on Friday night, his record stood at 10-and-1.
Without the “Ali” name, Nico would still be an exceptionally nice young man and a college graduate with myriad talents. People are impressed by him and for good reason. But that doesn’t necessarily translate into being a good fighter.
The buzz that attended the start of Nico’s ring career is gone. He hasn’t improved noticeably as a fighter and doesn’t have the physical gifts necessary to take him beyond the club-fight level.
Guerra was a fungible opponent. The assumption was that Nico would outbox him. Juan Carlos threw wide looping punches throughout the fight and was an inartful aggressor. But inartful aggression is better than no aggression at all.
Nico got hit too much by a guy who – fortunately for Nico – was short on power. He fought tentatively, seldom initiated the action, didn’t counterpunch effectively, and failed to dissuade Guerra from coming forward.
In the final round, trailing badly by any objective measure, Nico didn’t try to pick up the pace.
Four of the rounds clearly belonged to Guerra. The other two were up for grabs. Judges Waleska Roldan and Georgi Gergov scored the bout 58-56 for Guerra.
In a shocker, Ken Ezzo’s scorecard read 58-56 in Nico’s favor.
Most fights aren’t hard to score. A judge has to pay attention, know what he (or she) is watching, and be honest. Ezzo’s scorecard was a disgrace.
It’s still possible that, by virtue of his family name, Nico can be maneuvered to a nice payday on a Riyadh Season card in Saudi Arabia. But he’s getting hit in the head too much. So I’ll repeat what I wrote after watching him fight several years ago:
“Whenever Nico fights, my heart will be in his gloves. But I’d rather that he not fight again. Muhammad Ali sacrificed so much at the altar of boxing – more than enough to obviate the need for sacrifices by any member of his family in the years to come.”
Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book – MY MOTHER and me – is a personal memoir available at Amazon.com. https://www.amazon.com/My-Mother-Me-Thomas-Hauser/dp/1955836191/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5C0TEN4M9ZAH&keywords=thomas+hauser&qid=1707662513&sprefix=thomas+hauser%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-1
In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. In 2019, Hauser was selected for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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Oscar Duarte KOs Miguel Madueno in a Battle of Mexicans at Anaheim

Oscar Duarte KOs Miguel Madueno in a Battle of Mexicans at Anaheim
No surprise. It was a Mexican beat down.
Oscar Duarte emerged victorious over fellow Mexican slugger Miguel Madueno by knockout to become a regional WBA super lightweight titlist on Saturday.
“Miguel (Madueno) is a gentleman and a warrior,” said Duarte. “He is a tough fighter but it was our night tonight.”
Chihuahua, Mexico’s Duarte (29-2-1, 23 KOs) started slowly but brutally stopped Sinaloa, Mexico’s Madueno who had never been knocked out before. The crowd at Honda Center in Anaheim roared its approval.
Not even new world titlist Keyshawn Davis was able to stop Madueno last July.
The taller Madueno opened up the first two rounds behind a stiff jab and some movement around the stalking style of Duarte. Though both Mexican fighters connected, it was Madueno who opened up stronger.
Then came the body shots.
“I knew he was going to move around when he felt my punches,” said Duarte.
The muscular Duarte had built a career as an inside fighter specializing in body shots. In the third round the light brown haired Duarte finally targeted the body and immediately saw results. Madueno had to change tactics.
Duarte had lost to Ryan Garcia by knockout 14 months ago in Texas. But since that loss he became the first to defeat Jojo Diaz by knockout and then last November beat down Uzbekistan’s Botirzhon Akhmedov. He was scheduled to fight Regis Prograis but an injury to the former world champion forced Madueno to step in as a replacement.
No matter.
Duarte began revving up the steamroller from the third round on with a pounding assault to the body and head that would not allow Madueno to dig in. A left hook to the chin by Duarte wobbled the Sinaloa fighter who had fought many times under the Thompson Boxing flag. The now departed Ken Thompson must have been proud at Madueno’s valiant performance.
It just wasn’t enough.
Madueno had success bouncing overhand rights on Duarte’s head but it was not enough. He battled through brutal exchanges and kept battling but the muscle-bound Duarte could not be halted.
In the fifth round Madueno tried to return to the long jabs and though he had early success, Duarte unleashed a three-punch combination to stop the nonsense. They both battled in a corner and Madueno emerged with blood streaming down his left eye. The referee ruled the cut was due to a blow.
“I felt his punches and I knew he was coming down,” Duarte said.
Duarte sensed the kill and opened up the sixth round with a bludgeoning six-punch volley. Madueno countered with a clean left hook. It was not a good exchange and it looked bad for the Sinaloan.
In the seventh round, Duarte looked like a Rhino that had just sharpened his horn and charged forward with bloodlust. The Chihuahua Mexican seemed determined to end the fight and connected with a right that staggered Madueno. Duarte followed up quickly with 17 more big blows to the body and head. Referee Thomas Taylor stepped in with a veering Madueno against the ropes and stopped the fight at 2:09 of the seventh round.
Duarte became the first man ever to defeat Madueno by knockout.
Now holding a regional WBA title, he is poised to fight for a world title.
“I’ll fight any champion. Let’s do it right now,” Duarte said.
Other Bouts
Houston’s Darius Fulgham (14-0, 12 KOs) proved too much for Detroit’s Winfred Harris Jr. (22-3-2) in overwhelming the clinching fighter and forcing a stoppage in the fourth round of their super middleweight bout. Fulgham was in control in every round that included a knockdown in the third round. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the beating.
Light flyweight Ricardo Sandoval (26-2, 18 KOs) soundly defeated the speedy Saleto Henderson (10-2, 7 KOs) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds. Both fighters showed off great chins but the taller Sandoval out-punched Henderson. Two judges scored it 100-90 for Sandoval and a third judge had it 98-92.

Ricardo Sandoval
An entertaining welterweight clash saw Chicago’s Kenneth Sims Jr. (22-2-1, 8 KOs) outpoint San Antonio’s Kendo Castaneda (21-8, 9 KOs) but in the latter part of the match both slugged it out. The fans were pleased by the action. All three judges favored Sims 99-91 twice and 98-92, but Castaneda proved he was not overmatched.
Bakersfield’s Joel Iriarte (6-0, 6 KOs) had no problems against Darel Harris (19-24-2) who he stopped at 1:21 of the second round in a welterweight clash.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
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Arnold Barboza Edges Past Jack Catterall in Manchester

In a battle between elite counter-punchers Southern California’s Arnold Barboza Jr. slightly out-worked Jack Catterall in England to win a razor-close split decision and become the interim WBO super lightweight titlist on Saturday.
“It was a chess match,” said Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing.
Barboza (32-0, 11 KOs) managed to overcome a hostile British crowd to defeat hometown favorite Catterall (30-2, 13 KOs) in a battle between defensive masters at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester.
It was a match made for boxing purists who love the art of feints and counter-punches that are a major part of orthodox fighter Barboza and the southpaw Catterall. It was a fight that harkened back to the battle between Sugar Ray Leonard and Wilfredo Benitez in 1979.
Feints and more feints.
Neither fighter looked to give up ground from the first round until the last. Each was cognizant of the other’s ability to counter-strike.
Catterall benefited early from the hometown crowd. With few blows fired and even fewer blows landing, the crowd’s roars for the local fighter might have registered with the judges. Though neither fighter connected more than a dozen punches in any round, the crowd was more pleased with “El Gato” Catterall’s efforts.
No round was clear-cut.
Barboza began to increase his tempo around the third round. Though the fighter from El Monte, California never loaded up on his punches, he was more ready to risk receive incoming blows from Catterall. And they did come.
Perhaps it was Barboza’s steadier use of the jab to the chest and head that made the difference. And when the Californian opened-up with combinations, Catterall was ready with jolting lefts. If not for Barboza’s chin he might have hit the deck from the blows.
In the seventh round Barboza found the target for repeated right hand leads. One after another connected. And when it looked like he might overrun the British fighter, things turned around as Catterall connected below the belt. When Barboza complained to the referee, Catterall delivered three head blows at the end of the round. The referee ruled the blow was low, but still, the follow-up blows did land.
It was anyone’s fight.
From the ninth round on Barboza took the lead as the aggressor while Catterall maintained his counter-punching mode. Though neither fighter could gain separation, Barboza was slightly busier and that may have proved the difference in the final four rounds.
Catterall connected with the heavier punches throughout the fight. But he just never opened-up with combinations and settled for counters. And though he connected often with single blows, combinations were rarely fired by the Manchester fighter. But he was always in the fight.
No knockdowns were scored and after 12 rounds one judge saw Catterall the winner 115-113, but two others gave Barboza the win by 115-113 to become the number one contender for the WBO super lightweight title.
“Since I was little I just wanted respect,” said Barboza. “I got my respect today.”
Catterall was gracious in defeat.
“It was a tricky fight,” Catterall said. “I thought I just did enough.”
Barboza said he does not care who he fights next.
“Anybody can get it,” he said.
Other Bouts
Super featherweight Reece “The Bomber” Bellotti (20-5,15 KOs) belted Michael Gomez Jr. throughout 10 rounds with body shots. Twice he floored Gomez with shots to the liver until the fight was stopped at the end of the ninth round by technical knockout.
In another super featherweight clash James Dickens (35-5, 14 KOs) repeatedly out-maneuvered Zelfa Barrett (31-3, 17 KOs) to win by unanimous decision after 10 rounds.
Welterweight Pat McCormack (7-0, 6 KOs) blasted out veteran Robbie Davies Jr. (24-6) with three knockdowns in six rounds. The fight was stopped at the end of the sixth round in a scheduled 10-round fight.
Photo credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom
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