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A Fighter’s Chance
Jermaine White, a club fighter out of Vegas, stood in the doorway of a ratty dressing room, only moments after being on the wrong end of an 8-round decision on this June night at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
“That’s it for me, man,” he said, his slightly swollen eyes darting everywhere, except at the man he was talking to. “I can’t do this no more. I can’t.” He was shaking his head, shoulders dropped, in a bad place after the loss.
“You’re a good fighter, bro. This ain’t easy, but this is what we do. Keep your head up.” The man consoling him was the same man who put White on the wrong side of the decision and on the brink of retirement, a fighter who probably had similar doubts after taking the first loss of his career in his last bout at this same venue, the only blemish on his otherwise perfect record. But after tonight’s win, he was 16-1. One win can change everything in boxing, same as one loss. For Gabriel “Tito” Bracero, bigger fights and larger purses were on his mind, not hanging up the gloves and going back to the relative safety of an everyman life.
White was gone now, leaving Bracero to deal with the incidental head-butts White delivered him during the fight. He was being stitched up by the doctor in two spots, above the left eye, and in the middle of his forehead. It was hard to watch, but even harder to receive. “Ahhhhhh!” Bracero shouted when the doctor hit a nerve. Bracero’s a tough dude, a fighter turned ex-con back to fighter, and to hear him scream in pain was disconcerting. Two hours of careful stitching later, Bracero and his camp were back to thinking about the next fight, the next chance to put his well-being on the line for cash and glory, the next opportunity to move up the ranks toward title fights and marquee venues, and leave behind the days of fighting journeymen for pocket change and record-padding and local bragging rights.
The fight vs White was in June of 2012. This Saturday night, almost 3 years later, Bracero finally gets the opportunity he’s been looking for. He’ll take on a top-notch boxer at a premiere venue when he meets undefeated Dominican Olympic Gold Medal winner, Felix Diaz, at the Barclays Center. For Bracero and other fighters, this is why you put in all the work, put your body on the line every time out, for an opportunity like this – to fight on a stage that’s as big as it gets these days in boxing.
Bracero’s path to this moment is not uncommon. Setbacks and disappointments to overcome. Enduring faith. Determination. Hard work. The idea being if you stick it out long enough, persevere, things even out. Good fortune eventually makes an appearance. Opportunities arise. And if you’re ready, the moment can be yours. For Bracero, a well-documented 6 year prison bid interrupted a promising start to his professional boxing career, but he didn’t let it derail him. And now, at the age of 34, he has his shot, a shot to move up the ranks and get the best matches against the biggest contenders, a chance for the father of five from Sunset Park to fight for real purses. He thought he had that shot a year ago, lined up for a bout against Danny Garcia, but it was pulled away from him by the mysterious boxing powers that be. Now he’s finally here, here to prove himself against a fighter with a good pedigree, an Al Haymon controlled boxer in Diaz. If Bracero gets this win, it will be hard for boxing politics and behind the scenes players to deny him any longer.
Bracero isn’t a big puncher, but a good boxer. His trainer, Tommy Gallagher, goes so far as to compare him to the great Willie Pep, a defensive master who made a Hall of Fame career out of speed and technique, a record 229 wins over 3 decades, with only 65 knockouts. While Bracero is certainly no Willie Pep, there’s nothing to say he can’t climb the ranks by outboxing opponents as opposed to outslugging them. But even in a world where the elusive Floyd Mayweather is king, power is sexy, and that’s why a fighter like Bracero is still on the outside looking in. He won’t outpunch Diaz, but if he’s at his best, he can surely outpoint him and pull out the win. His career comes down to this moment, and though he certainly will fight again if he loses, it’s likely to be in a much quieter setting against a much lesser opponent than Diaz. Bracero and his camp know it. This is their shot. We all dream of such opportunities, and for the fortunate among us, such opportunities will present themselves, though we won’t have to be punched in the face and cut and bloodied to get there. I asked Gallagher about the plan against the southpaw Diaz. “Nothing special. We bleed, we fight, we bleed, we fight, and we keep going like that until the end.”
This is Bracero’s chance to take what once seemed an improbable step for him. “Anything is possible,” Bracero said in a recent presser, his mantra. “If you put your mind to it and have faith, anything is possible.” On paper, this fight could go either way. After the fight, one of these fighters will continue to dream of a title shot, while the other will have to find a way to pick up the pieces, put it all back together again. But neither one of them thinks about the outcome at this point in the week, they think about how fortunate they are to be here. They use adjectives like “thankful,” “blessed,” “excited.” And if you look at the fight from this angle and you consider Diaz with his Olympic experience, having been on the big stage before as opposed to Bracero, fighting in his hometown, a few miles from his neighborhood, waiting for so long to get to this spot, it’s just that much more special for Bracero. There’s added motivation, an edge. In a matchup that’s close on paper, that edge could be the difference.
When I think of this fight I go back to that night at Roseland. The dark and dingy dressing rooms jammed with fighters. Discolored carpeting and faded paint. A decades old stench you could never wash away. A place where fighters must pay their dues to get to a state-of-the-art facility like Barclays for a fight like this, a moment they’ve dreamed of many a night. Bracero has come so far from that June night 3 years go. Even farther than that. They say nothing in life worth having comes easy. This Saturday night at Barclays is proof that no matter the circumstance, if you keep punching, your shot can come, too. That moment you’ve dreamed of. Anything is possible.
After his loss to Bracero, Jermaine White did indeed fight again, six months later in January of 2013 at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, about 3000 miles away from the Roseland Ballroom. He lost. He hasn’t fought since.
Loff is an award-winning filmmaker presently developing a feature film about the life of boxing legend Willie Pep. tw: @steveloff and vimeo.com/steveloff.
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The Ortiz-Bohachuk Thriller has been named the TSS 2024 Fight of The Year
The Aug. 10 match in Las Vegas between Knockout artists Vergil Ortiz Jr and Serhii Bohachuk seemingly had scant chance of lasting the 12-round distance. Ortiz, the pride of Grand Prairie, Texas, was undefeated in 21 fights with 20 KOs. Bohachuk, the LA-based Ukrainian, brought a 24-1 record with 23 knockouts.
In a surprise, the fight went the full 12. And it was a doozy.
The first round, conventionally a feeling-out round, but was anything but. “From the opening bell, [they] clobbered each other like those circus piledriver hammer displays,” wrote TSS ringside reporter David A. Avila.
In this opening frame, Bohachuk, the underdog in the betting, put Ortiz on the canvas with a counter left hook. Of the nature of a flash knockdown, it was initially ruled a slip by referee Harvey Dock. With the benefit of instant replay, the Nevada State Athletic Commission overruled Dock and after four rounds had elapsed, the round was retroactively scored 10-8.
Bohachuk had Ortiz on the canvas again in round eight, put there by another left hook. Ortiz was up in a jiff, but there was no arguing it was a legitimate knockdown and it was plain that Ortiz now trailed on the scorecards.
Aware of the situation, the Texan, a protégé of the noted trainer Robert Garcia, dug deep to sweep the last four rounds. But these rounds were fused with drama. “Every time it seemed the Ukrainian was about to fall,” wrote Avila, “Bohachuk would connect with one of those long right crosses.”
In the end, Ortiz eked out a majority decision. The scores were 114-112 x2 and 113-113.
Citing the constant adjustments and incredible recuperative powers of both contestants, CBS sports combat journalist Brian Campbell called the fight an instant classic. He might have also mentioned the unflagging vigor exhibited by both. According to CompuBox, Ortiz and Bohachuk threw 1579 punches combined, landing 490, numbers that were significantly higher than the early favorite for Fight of the Year, the March 2 rip-snorter at Verona, New York between featherweights Raymond Ford and Otabek Kholmatov (a win for Ford who pulled the fight out of the fire in the final minute).
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Women’s Prizefighting Year End Review: The Best of the Best in 2024
Women’s Prizefighting Year End Review: The Best of the Best in 2024
It’s the end of the year.
Here are our awards for the best in women’s boxing. But first, a rundown on the state of the sport.
Maybe its my imagination but it seems that fewer female fights of magnitude took place in 2024 than in previous years.
A few promoters like 360 Promotions increased their involvement in women’s boxing while others such as Matchroom Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions seem stagnant. They are still staging female bouts but are not signing new additions.
American-based promotion company Top Rank, actually lost 50 percent of their female fighter roster when Seniesa Estrada, the undisputed minimumweight champion, retired recently. They still have Mikaela Mayer.
A promotion company making headlines and creating sparks in the boxing world is Most Valuable Promotions led by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. They signed Amanda Serrano and have invested in staging other female fights
This year, the top streaming company Netflix gambled on sponsoring Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson, along with Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor and hit a monster home run. According to Netflix metrics an estimated 74 million viewers watched the event that took place on Nov. 16 at Arlington, Texas.
“Breaking records like this is exactly what MVP was built to do – bring the biggest, most electrifying events to fans worldwide,” said Nakisa Bidarian co-founder of MVP.
History was made in viewership and at the gate where more than 70,000 fans packed AT&T Stadium for a record-setting $17.8 million in ticket sales outside of Las Vegas. It was the grand finale moment of the year.
Here are the major contributors to women’s boxing in 2024.
Fighter of the Year: Amanda Serrano
Other candidates: Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields, Franchon Crews, Dina Thorslund, and Yesica Nery Plata.
Amanda Serrano was chosen for not only taking part in the most viewed female title fight in history, but also for willingly sacrificing the health of her eye after suffering a massive cut during her brutal war with Taylor. She could have quit, walked away with tons of money and be given the technical decision after four rounds. She was ahead on the scorecards at that moment.
Instead, Serrano took more punches, more head butts and slugged her way through 10 magnificent and brilliant rounds against the great Taylor. Fans worldwide were captivated by their performance. Many women who had never watched a female fight were mesmerized and inspired.
Serrano once again proved that she would die in the ring rather than quit. Women and men were awed by her performance and grit. It was a moment blazed in the memories of millions.
Amanda Serrano is the Fighter of the Year.
Best Fight of the Year – Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor 2
Their first fight that took place two years ago in Madison Square Garden was the greatest female fight I had ever witnessed. The second fight surpassed it.
When you have two of the best warriors in the world willing to showcase their talent for entertainment regardless of the outcome, it’s like rubbing two sticks of dynamite together.
Serrano jumped on Taylor immediately and for about 20 seconds it looked like the Irish fighter would not make the end of the first round. Not quite. Taylor rallied behind her stubborn determination and pulled out every tool in her possession: elbows, head butts, low blows, whatever was needed to survive, Taylor used.
It reminded me of an old world title fight in 2005 between Jose Luis Castillo a master of fighting dirty and Julio Diaz. I asked about the dirty tactics by Castillo and Diaz simply said, “It’s a fight. It’s not chess. You do what you have to do.”
Taylor did what she had to do to win and the world saw a magnificent fight.
Other candidates: Seniesa Estrada versus Yokasta Valle, Mikaela Mayer versus Sandy Ryan, and Ginny Fuchs vs Adelaida Ruiz.
KO of the Year – Lauren Price KO3 Bexcy Mateus.
Dec. 14, in Liverpool, England.
The IBO welterweight titlist lowered the boom on Bexcy Mateus sending her to the floor thrice. She ended the fight with a one-two combination that left Mateus frozen while standing along the ropes. Another left cross rocket blasted her to the ground. Devastating.
Other candidates: Claressa Shields KO of Vanessa LePage-Joanisse, Gabriela Fundora KO of Gabriela Alaniz, Dina Thorslund vs Mary Romero, Amanda Serrano KO of Stevie Morgan.
Pro’s Pro Award – Jessica Camara
Jessica Camara defeated Hyun Mi Choi in South Korea to win the WBA gold title on April 27, 2024. The match took place in Suwon where Canada’s Camara defeated Choi by split decision after 10 rounds.
Camara, who is managed by Brian Cohen, has fought numerous champions including Kali Reis, Heather Hardy and Melissa St. Vil. She has become a pro fighter that you know will be involved in a good and entertaining fight and is always in search of elite competition. She eagerly accepted the fight in South Korea against Choi. Few fighters are willing to do that.
Next up for Camara is WBC titlist Caroline Dubois set for Jan. 11, in Sheffield, England.
Electric Fighters Club
These are women who never fail to provide excitement and drama when they step in the prize ring. When you only have two-minute rounds there’s no time to run around the boxing ring.
Here are some of the fighters that take advantage of every second and they do it with skill:
Gabriela Fundora, Mizuki Hiruta, Ellie Scotney, Lauren Price, Clara Lescurat, Adelaida Ruiz, Ginny Fuchs, Mikaela Mayer, Yokasta Valle, Sandy Ryan, Chantelle Cameron, Ebanie Bridges, Tsunami Tenkai, Dina Thorslund, Evelin Bermudez, Gabriela Alaniz, Caroline Dubois, Beatriz Ferreira, and LeAnna Cruz.
Claressa Shields Movie and More
A motion picture based on Claressa Shields titled “The Fire Inside” debuts on Wednesday, Dec. 25, nationwide. Most boxing fans know that Shields has world titles in various weight divisions. But they don’t know about her childhood and how she rose to fame.
Also, Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) will be fighting Danielle Perkins (5-0, 2 KOs) for the undisputed heavyweight world championship on Sunday Feb. 2, at Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan. DAZN will stream the Salita Promotions fight card.
“Claressa Shields is shining a spotlight on Flint – first on the big screen and then in the ring on Sunday, February 2,” said event promoter Dmitriy Salita, president of Salita Promotions. “Claressa leads by example. She is a trailblazer and has been an advocate for equality since she was a young lady. This event promises to be one of the most significant sporting and cultural events of the year. You don’t want to miss it, either live, in person or live on DAZN.”
Shields is only 29 years old and turns 30 next March. What more can she accomplish?
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Lucas Bahdi Forged the TSS 2024 Knockout of the Year
A Knockout of the Year doesn’t have to be a one-punch knockout, but it must arrive with the suddenness of a thunderclap on a clear day and the punch or punches must be so harsh as to obviate the need for a “10-count.” And, if rendered by an underdog, that makes the KO resonate more loudly.
Within these parameters, Lucas Bahdi’s knockout of Ashton “H2O” Sylva still jumped off the page. The thunderclap happened on July 20 in Tampa, Florida, on a show promoted by Jake Paul with Paul and the great Amanda Serrano sharing the bill against soft opponents in the featured bouts.
The 30-year-old Bahdi (16-0, 14 KOs) and the 20-year-old Sylva (11-0, 9 KOs) were both undefeated, but Bahdi was accorded scant chance of defeating Jake Paul’s house fighter.
Sylva was 18 years old and had seven pro fights under his belt, winning all inside the distance, when he signed with Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, in 2022. “We believe that Ashton has that talent, that flashiness, that style, that knockout power, that charisma to really be a massive, massive, superstar…” said the “Problem Child” when announcing that Sylva had signed with his company.
Jake Paul was so confident that his protege would accomplish big things that he matched Sylva with Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield. Currently 18-0 and ranked #2 by the WBA, Schofield was further along than Sylva in the pantheon of hot lightweight prospects. But Schofield backed out, alleging an injury, opening the door to a substitute.
Enter Lucas Bahdi who despite his eye-catching record was a virtual unknown. This would be his first outing on U.S. soil. All of his previous bouts were staged in Mexico or in Canada, mostly in his native Ontario province. “My opponent may have changed,” said Sylva who hails from Long Beach, California, “but the result will be the same, I will get the W and continue my path to greatness.”
The first five rounds were all Sylva. The Canadian had no antidote for Sylva’s speed and quickness. He was outclassed.
Then, in round six, it all came unglued for the precocious California. Out of the blue, Bahdi stiffened him with a hard right hand. Another right quickly followed, knocking Sylva unconscious. A third punch, a sweeping left, was superfluous. Jake Paul’s phenom was already out cold.
Sylva landed face-first on the canvas. He lay still as his handlers and medics rushed to his aid. It was scarifying. “May God restore him,” said ring announcer Joe Martinez as he was being stretchered out of the ring.
The good news is that Ashton “H2O” Silva will be able to resume his career. He is expected back in the ring as early as February. As for Lucas Bahdi, architect of the Knockout of the Year, he has added one more win to his ledger, winning a 10-round decision on the undercard of the Paul vs Tyson spectacle, and we will presumably be hearing a lot more about him.
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