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Jennings Is The Ideal Opponent For Klitschko To Shine Against

On Saturday, April 25th, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, WBA/WBO/IBF heavyweight title holder Wladimir Klitschko 63-3 (53) will make his 18th consecutive title defense (17-0 13 ko’s) against American challenger Bryant “By-By” Jennings 19-0 (10).
The fight will be broadcast on HBO and marks Klitschko’s first bout in the United States since February of 2008.
Wladimir is riding a 10-year unbeaten streak, and if you look into the streak a little further, you can say with impunity that he hasn’t even had a tough fight or one close call during it.
Klitschko, 6’6″ 245, has been fighting as a professional for almost 19 years, compared to Jennings, 30, who turned pro five years ago. By the time they step into the ring, Klitschko doesn’t look to have slowed down much, if at all, since he began his 21 fight winning streak back in October of 2004.
Bryant Jennings is 6’3″ with an 84 inch reach and weighs about 225 pounds. Some have suggested that he reminds them physically of Evander Holyfield. Holyfield just so happens to be one of the most mentally and physically tough fighters in any weight division in boxing history. As for comparing Jennings to Holyfield mentally or stylistically, it’s way too early to go down that road. But let’s just say for Jennings to compete, let alone beat Wladimir, he better turn out to be Evander’s clone.
Jenning recently said, “Most people don’t even reflect on history and realize that some of the greatest heavyweights of all time weren’t that big. I’m a guy that’s at traditional weight for a heavyweight, that has great movement and has great athletic ability. I have it all, but they’re not even looking at the attributes that I bring to this fight.”
And you know what, there is some truth to what he said. However, having watched Jennings fight four or five times, it’s obvious that he doesn’t have the power or physicality to bother Klitschko enough to make him do anything he doesn’t want to do, and that will have Jennings basically at Klitschko’s mercy. Stylistically, Jennings doesn’t get off or put pressure on like Holyfield via his punch-output and aggression. Which means Wladimir will not be under much, if any duress. Yes, Jennings trains really hard and looks to always be in great shape regarding his stamina, although his chin and ability to recuperate from a big shot has not been tested against a puncher like Wladimir Klitschko.
Jennings also isn’t much of an inside fighter, unless his opponent is on top of him and not really getting off. Then he’ll up the rent and go to the body with multiple shots in waves. But here’s the problem, because Klitschko doesn’t fight on the inside, Jennings will not get many openings to work Klitschko’s body. Jennings covers good with his high guard and doesn’t take many unnecessary risks in order to make something happen.
Think about that, everyone knows that Wladimir never takes any risk unless he’s forced to, so the odds are overwhelming, based on that alone, that Jennings will not make Wladimir fight with a sense of urgency. Which in turn will lessen the chances Klitschko will get caught with a fluke or lottery punch that hurts him to where he can’t recover and come back. Jennings is also hittable when he does open up and has no finishing punch or weapon that can discourage Klitschko from going right at him. Bryant can box and has skill, but his lack of fight altering power will be his undoing.
To beat Wladimir Klitschko, it’ll take a fighter that has the right combination of size, athleticism, speed, power and toughness. Jennings toughness as mentioned earlier has never been tested, and it doesn’t take a sophisticated boxing observer to deduce that he just doesn’t have the power to keep Klitschko from beating him down. So based on the x’s and o’s Jennings is probably ideal for Klitschko to look great against, but there’s more.
Recently, Wladimir Klitschko has started to receive some overdue accolades regarding his career and formidably as a fighter. He’s fighting Jennings in the media capital of the world, New York City. If Wladimir really wants to convince the lingering naysayers that he’s a once in a generation fighter, Jennings is the perfect opponent for him to come out and fight like the heavyweight destroyer he looks like when hitting the heavy bag. In Jennings he’s fighting an inexperienced opponent who may be very willing, but also very limited, and one who will not fight out of his comfort zone and who will most likely, after he feels Klitschko’s strength and power, revert to survival mode…..which will leave Klitschko an open door to really go after him.
To most fans that have watched Klitschko’s career, they see him as a dangerous fighter who for one reason or another has never really quenched their thirst in desiring a show stopping performance, a la Lennox Lewis or Mike Tyson.
Too many opponents have gone rounds with Wladimir that really shouldn’t have been able to hang with him if he didn’t enter the ring with slight trepidation. And that, along with a few other things, have held him back from becoming must see, especially in the United States.
Boxing has lost some steam in the States, not worldwide, but definitely in America. In addition to that, America loves heavyweights. Sure, they’ve flocked in droves to see Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fight, but not like they ever did Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson. I’m not saying that if Klitschko destroys Jennings he’ll become the draw or star that Ali or Tyson were, that will never happen. What I am saying is, if Klitschko looks like a real killer against Jennings, interest in him for his next fight against Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury will become much bigger…and more anticipated heavyweight title bouts, that’s great for boxing.
When Jennings fought Mike Perez in his last bout, it was clear early on in the fight that Mike was very sluggish and didn’t really want to be there. There was no point where Jennings picked up on that and did what he had to do to discourage Perez enough to quit, even though Mike was sending signals all over the place. That’s not the kind of mindset that bodes well for him against Klitschko.
I expect Jennings to be very cautious and respectful of Klitschko from the opening bell. I strongly doubt he’ll throw a meaningful punch until he sees what Wladimir is going to do. He’ll be defensive and hope Wlad does something stupid. Once he feels Klitscko’s physical presence, he’ll know immediately that he can’t win….And that will provide Wladimir an ideal opportunity to look like the Lennox Lewis who devastated Frans Botha in two rounds.
If Klitschko goes at Jennings with that mindset, even if he doesn’t get the early stoppage, he’ll gain a ton of new fans.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
Photo credit : Rachel McCarson
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Argentina’s Fernando Martinez Wins His Rematch with Kazuto Ioka

In an excellent fight climaxed by a furious 12th round, Argentina’s Fernando Daniel Martinez came off the deck to win his rematch with Kazuto Ioka and retain his piece of the world 115-pound title. The match was staged at Ioka’s familiar stomping grounds, the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.
In their first meeting on July 7 of last year in Tokyo, Martinez was returned the winner on scores of 117-111, 116-112, and a bizarre 120-108. The rematch was slated for late December, but Martinez took ill a few hours before the weigh-in and the bout was postponed.
The 33-year-old Martinez, who came in sporting a 17-0 (9) record, was a 7-2 favorite to win the sequel, but there were plenty of reasons to favor Ioka, 36, aside from his home field advantage. The first Japanese male fighter to win world titles in four weight classes, Ioka was 3-0 in rematches and his long-time trainer Ismael Salas was on a nice roll. Salas was 2-0 last weekend in Times Square, having handled upset-maker Rolly Romero and Reito Tsutsumi who was making his pro debut.
But the fourth time was not a charm for Ioka (31-4-1) who seemingly pulled the fight out of the fire in round 10 when he pitched the Argentine to the canvas with a pair of left hooks, but then wasn’t able to capitalize on the momentum swing.
Martinez set a fast pace and had Ioka fighting off his back foot for much of the fight. Beginning in round seven, Martinez looked fatigued, but the Argentine was conserving his energy for the championship rounds. In the end, he won the bout on all three cards: 114-113, 116-112, 117-110.
Up next for Fernando Martinez may be a date with fellow unbeaten Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, the lineal champion at 115. San Antonio’s Rodriguez is a huge favorite to keep his title when he defends against South Africa’s obscure Phumelela Cafu on July 19 in Frisco, Texas.
As for Ioka, had he won today’s rematch, that may have gotten him over the hump in so far as making it into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. True, winning titles in four weight classes is no great shakes when the bookends are only 10 pounds apart, but Ioka is still a worthy candidate.
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Emanuel Navarrete Survives a Bloody Battle with Charly Suarez in San Diego

In a torrid battle Mexico’s Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and his staccato attack staved off the herky-jerky non-stop assaults of Philippine’s Charly Suarez to win by technical decision and retain the WBO super feather world title on Saturday.
What do they feed these guys?
Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) and his elongated arms managed to connect enough to compensate against the surprising Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs) who wowed the crowd at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.
An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on the side of Navarrete’s left eye and forced a stoppage midway through the fight.
From the opening round Navarrete used his windmill style of attack with punches from different angles that caught Suarez multiple times early. It did not matter. Suarez fired back with impunity and was just as hungry to punch it out with the Mexican fighter.
It was savage.
Every time Navarrete connected solidly, he seemed to pause and check out the damage. Bad idea. Suarez would immediately counter with bombs of his own and surprise the champion with his resilience and tenacity.
Wherever they found Suarez they should look for more, because the Filipino fighter from Manila was ferocious and never out of his depth.
Around the sixth round the Mexican fighter seemed a little drained and puzzled at the tireless attacks coming from Suarez. During an exchange of blows a cut opened up on Navarrete and it was ruled an accidental clash of heads by the referee. Blood streamed down the side of Navarrete’s face and it was cleared by the ringside physician.
But at the opening of the eighth round, the fight was stopped and the ringside physician ruled the cut was too bad to continue. The California State Athletic Commission looked at tape of the round when the cut opened to decipher if it was an accidental butt or a punch that caused the cut. It was unclear so the referee’s call of accidental clash of heads stood as the final ruling.
Score cards from the judges saw Navarrete the winner by scores of 78-75, 77-76 twice. He retains the WBO title.
Interim IBF Lightweight Title
The sharp-shooting Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) maneuvered past Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the interim IBF lightweight title after 12 rounds.
Both fighters were strategic in their approach with Muratalla switching from orthodox to southpaw at various times of the fight. Neither fighter was ever able to dominant any round.
Defense proved the difference between the two lightweights. Muratalla was able to slip more blows than Abdullaev and that proved the difference. The fighter from Fontana, California was able to pierce Abdullaev’s guard more often than not, especially with counter punches.
Abdullaev was never out of the fight. The Russian fighter was able to change tactics and counter the counters midway through the fight. It proved effective especially to the body. But it was not enough to offset Muratalla’s accuracy.
There were no knockdowns and after 12 rounds the judges scored it 118-110, 119-109 twice for Muratalla who now becomes the mandatory for the IBF lightweight title should Vasyl Lomachenko return to defend it.
Muratalla was brief.
“He was a tough fighter,” said Muratalla. “My defense is something I work on a lot.”
Perla Wins
Super flyweight Perla Bazaldua (2-0) eased past Mona Ward (0-2) with a polished display of fighting at length and inside.
Combination punching and defense allowed Bazaldua to punch in-between Ward’s attacks and force the St. Louis fighter to clinch repeatedly. But Ward hung in there despite taking a lot of blows. After four rounds the Los Angeles-based Bazaldua was scored the winner 40-36 on all three cards. Bazaldua signed a long term contract with Top Rank in March.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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Late Bloomer Anthony Cacace TKOs Hometown Favorite Leigh Wood in Nottingham

Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions was at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England, tonight with a card featuring hometown favorite Leigh Wood against Ireland’s Anthony “Apache” Cacace.
Wood, a former two-time WBA featherweight champion, known for dramatic comebacks in bouts he was losing, may have reached the end of the road at age 36. He had his moments tonight, rocking Cacace on several occasions and winning the eighth round, but he paid the price, returning to his corner after round eight with swelling around both of his eyes.
In the ninth, Cacace, an 11/5 favorite, hurt Wood twice with left hands, the second of which knocked Wood into the ropes, dictating a standing 8-count by referee John Latham. When the bout resumed, Cacace went for the kill and battered Wood around the ring, forcing Wood’s trainer Ben Davison to throw in the towel. The official time was 2:15 of round nine.
Akin to Wood, Northern Ireland’s Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs) is also 36 years old and known as a late bloomer. This was his ninth straight win going back to 2017 (he missed all of 2018 and 2020). He formerly held the IBF 130-pound world title, a diadem he won with a stoppage of then-undefeated and heavily favored Joe Cordina, but that belt wasn’t at stake tonight as Cacace abandoned it rather than fulfill his less-lucrative mandatory. Wood falls to 28-4.
Semi-Wind-Up
Nottingham light heavyweight Ezra Taylor, fighting in his hometown for the first time since pro debut, delighted his fan base with a comprehensive 10-round decision over previously undefeated Troy Jones. Taylor, who improved to 12-0 (9) won by scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.
This was Taylor’s first fight with new trainer Malik Scott, best known for his work with Deontay Wilder. The victory may have earned him a match with Commonwealth title-holder Lewis Edmondson. Jones was 12-0 heading in.
Other Bouts of Note
In his first fight as a featherweight, Liam Davies rebounded from his first defeat with a 12-round unanimous decision over Northern Ireland’s previously undefeated Kurt Walker. Davies, who improved to 17-1 (8), staved off a late rally to prevail on scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111. It was the first pro loss for the 30-year-old Walker (12-1), a Tokyo Olympian.
In a mild upset, Owen Cooper, a saucy Worcestershire man, won a 10-round decision over former Josh Taylor stablemate Chris Kongo. The referee’s scorecard read 96-94.
Cooper improved to 11-1 (4). It was the third loss in 20 starts for Kongo.
A non-televised 8-rounder featured junior welterweight Sam Noakes in a stay-busy fight. A roofer by trade and the brother of British welterweight title-holder Sean Noakes, Sam improved to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a third-round stoppage of overmatched Czech import Patrik Balez (13-5-1).
Photo credit: Leigh Dawney / Queensberry
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