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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
How good is Bakhodir Jalolov? Some would argue that in terms of pure talent, the six-foot-seven southpaw from Uzbekistan who has knocked out all 14 of his opponents since turning pro, is better than any heavyweight you can name. Others say that this can’t possibly be true or his braintrust wouldn’t keep feeding him junk food. Jalolov has been brought along as gingerly as Christopher Lovejoy who was exposed as a fraud after running up a skein of 19 straight fast knockouts,
One thing that’s indisputable is that Jalolov was one of the best amateurs to come down the pike in recent memory. A three-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist, Jalolov won 58 of his last 59 amateur bouts. The exception was a match in which he did not compete which translated into a win by walkover for his opponent, countryman Lazizbek Mullojonov.
The circumstances are vague. Was Jalolov a no-show because of an injury or illness or a technicality? Amateur boxing, save in a few places or in an Olympic year, is the quintessential niche sport. The mainstream media does not cover it.
What we do know, thanks to boxrec, is that Jalolov caught up with Mullojonov in May of last year in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk and won a split decision. And Mollojonov was no slouch. He too won a gold medal at the Paris Games, winning the heavyweight division to give the powerful Uzbekistan contingent the championship in the two heaviest weight classes.
Jalolov, whose late father was a champion free-style wrestler, has answered the bell as a pro for only 35 rounds. The Belgian-Congolese campaigner Jack Mulowayi came closest to taking the big Uzbek the distance, lasting into the eighth round of an 8-round fight. But when Jalolov closed the show, he did it with a highlight reel knockout, knocking Mulowayi into dreamland with a vicious left hook.
The KO was reminiscent of Jalolov’s most talked-about win as an amateur, his first-round blast-out of Richard Torrez Jr at a tournament in Ekaterinburg, Russia, in 2019. Torrez, knocked out cold with a left hook, left the ring on a stretcher and was removed to a hospital for evaluation.
This was the first AIBA-sanctioned international tournament in which pros were allowed to compete and WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman was incensed, calling the match-up “criminal” in a tweet that was widely circulated. (Jalolov then had six pro fights under his belt.) They would meet again in the finals of the Tokyo Olympiad with the Uzbek winning a unanimous decision.
Perhaps there will be a third meeting down the road. When Jared Anderson was roughed-up and stopped by Martin Bakole, Torrez Jr (currently 12-0, 11 KOs) vaulted ahead of him on the list of the top home-grown American heavyweights. But Torrez Jr, a short-armed heavyweight who overcomes his physical limitations with a windmill offense, would be a heavy underdog should they ever meet again.
Bakhodir Jalolov’s last bout before heading off to Paris was against the obscure South African Chris Thompson. His match on Thursday at the Montreal Casino in Montreal pits him against an obscure 33-year-old Frenchman, David Spilmont.
Spilmont’s last two opponents were the same guy, an undersized Lithuanian slug who has lost 36 of his 41 documented fights. It seems almost inevitable that Spilmont will suffer the same fate as Thompson who was KOed in the first round.
There’s talk that Jalolov doesn’t really care how far he advances at the professional level; that he has his sights set on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles where he would have an opportunity to become only the fourth boxer to win three Olympic gold medals, joining the immortal Teofilo Stevenson, Hungarian legend Laszlo Papp, and Cuban standout Felix Savon. Were he to accomplish the hat trick, they would build monuments to him in Uzbekistan. But, if that is his mindset, he’s skating on thin ice. There’s no guarantee that boxing will be on the docket at the Los Angeles Games and, if so, the powers-that-be may choose to roll back the calendar to the days when the competition was off-limits to anyone with professional experience.
While it’s true that Jalolov needs to work off some rust, a pox on promoter Camille Estephan and his enabler, the Quebec Boxing Commission, for not dredging up a more credible opponent than the grossly overmatched David Spilmont.
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Jalolov vs. Spilmont is ostensibly the co-feature. The main event is a 10-round junior welterweight clash between Movladdin “Arthur” Biyarslanov (17-0, 14 KOs) and Spilmont stablemate Mohamed Mimoune (24-6, 5 KOs). Undefeated light heavyweights Albert Ramirez and Mehmet Unal will appear in separate bouts on the undercard. The Feb. 6 event, currently consisting of seven bouts, will air in the U.S. on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.
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Claressa Shields blasted her way to the undisputed heavyweight championship and nearly knocked out challenger Danielle Perkins in the final seconds, but settled for a win by unanimous decision on Sunday.
Yes, she can punch.
“I just feel overwhelmed and so happy.” Shields said.
Shields (16-0, 3 KOs) proved that even the super athletic Perkins (5-1, 2 KOs), a true heavyweight, could not stop her from becoming an undisputed world champion in a third weight division at Dort Arena in Flint, Michigan, her home town.
In the opening round it was easy to see the size difference. Shields calmly measured Perkins long right jabs then countered with rocket rights through the guard. The speed was evident in Shield’s punches. Perkins used jabs to work her way in but was caught with counters.
“That girl was strong as hell,” said Shields describing Perkins.
Perkins, a southpaw, was somewhat confident that she was the stronger puncher and the stronger fighter overall. But when Shields connected with 10 rocket overhand rights in the third round the power moved Perkins several feet backward.
Suddenly, Perkins realized that indeed Shields has power.
Perkins became more cautious with her approaches. Though the true heavyweight was not frozen in fear, she was wary about getting caught flush with Shields rights. But bullet jabs and lightning combinations still rained on Perkins.
Finding a way to nullify Shields speed was crucial for Perkins.
The former basketball player Perkins continually proved her athleticism with agile moves here and there, but Shields just was superior in every way.
When Perkins became focused too much on the right, a Shields left hook caught the New York native flush. Suddenly there was another Shields weapon to worry about.
Many critics of Shields had focused on her lack of knockouts. But in her previous fight against another heavyweight, the two-time Olympic gold medalist surprised Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse with knockout power. It’s the same power Shields showed Perkins as if firing a fast ball by powering her right with leverage by using her left leg to produce momentum and an explosive punch.
In the 10th and final round Shields and Perkins exchanged blows. Perkins was looking to connect with one of her power shots when suddenly Shields countered with a perfectly timed right to the chin and down went Perkins with about 10 seconds remaining. She beat the count to finish the round.
“I showed I was the bigger puncher and better boxer,” said Shields. “I knew I could do it because I’m really strong at heavyweight.”
All three judges favored Shields 100-89, 99-90 and 97-92.
It was another convincing performance by Shields. So what is next for the best female fighter pound for pound?
“I want to fight Franchon Crews, Hanna Gabriels,” said Shields also naming a few others. “Flint, (Michigan) I love you all so much.”
Other Bouts
A heavyweight clash saw why there is a rule against holding. Brandon Moore (17-1) and Skylar Lacy (8-1-2) punched and held throughout their eight rounds. Referee Steve Willis finally disqualified Lacy when he tackled Moore and took him through the ropes and on to table below.
No, holding and clinching is not part of the fight game. Now you know why.
Moore was ruled the winner by disqualification due to unsportsmanlike conduct by Lacy at 1:35 of the eighth. No need to describe the fight.
A battle between undefeated welterweights saw Joseph Hicks (12-0, 8 KOs) stop Keon Papillon (10-1-1, 7 KOs) at 1:35 of the seventh round. Hicks stunned Papillon at the end of the sixth, then unloaded in the seventh round to force a stoppage.
Joshua Pagan (12-0) out-battled Ronal Ron (16-8) over eight rounds to win the lightweight match by unanimous decision.
Samantha Worthington (11-0) defeated Vaida Masiokaite (10-27-6) by decision after eight rounds in a super lightweight bout.
Featherweight Caroline Veyre (9-1) out-boxed the shorter Carmen Vargas (5-3-1) to win by decision after six rounds.
Super bantamweight Asheleyann Lozada (1-0) won her pro debut by unanimous decision over Denise Moran (3-1) in a four-round fight.
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David Benavidez showed fans why they call him “El Monstro” as he plowed through Cuba’s heavy-punching David Morrell to retain a number one ranking in the light heavyweight division by unanimous decision on Saturday.
Not even a flash knockdown for Morrell could make a difference.
Phoenix native Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) gave Morrell (11-1, 9 KOs) his first loss as a professional in front of more than 15,000 fans at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. No one needed to hear the judge’s decision.
“I prepared for everything. I know he’s a great fighter,” said Benavidez. “I thought he was going to hit harder, but he didn’t.”
Before the fight, Morrell was almost an even bet according to oddsmakers, but that was not the case once the fight commenced.
Immediately Benavidez pounded the body and exposed the weaknesses of Morrell’s peek-a-boo defense by using his own left glove to push down the Cuban’s guard. Then immediately firing a crushing right to the jaw.
For the first four rounds Benavidez pounded away on the left and right side of Morrell’s body. And when the openings came the uppercuts caught Morrell’s chin. But he absorbed the blows.
Morrell didn’t waver in trying to find a solution. Though Benavidez connected often to the body and head, the Cuban fighter who moved up from super middleweight displayed a very solid chin.
In the fourth round during a furious exchange Morrell beat Benavidez to the punch that stunned him momentarily. But the blow seemed to spark outrage and a storm of blows followed from Benavidez.
It must have seemed like a nightmare for Morrell.
At times the Cuban fighter would connect perfectly with a right hook and pause. Then Benavidez would return fire with massive blows.
The look on Morrell’s face bore traces of disappointment.
As the rounds continued Benavidez became emboldened by his success. Soon the Mexican Monster began launching lead right uppercuts through Morrell’s guard especially in the sixth round.
“He was easier to hit than I expected,” Benavidez said.
During the breaks Morrell’s corner asked him to pressure Benavidez. It was a fruitless suggestion. How do you corner a Monster?
Benavidez continued to stalk Morrell who never stopped swinging but could not seem to hurt the Monster. In the 11th round Morrell managed to catch Benavidez perfectly with a right hook and down went Benavidez. He immediately got up and the two fighters unloaded on each other. Morrell fired one punch after the bell and was deducted a point by referee Thomas Taylor. That negated the extra point gained from the knockdown.
“I wasn’t really hurt,” said Benavidez. “That bullshit knockdown caught me off-balance.”
The final round saw both resume their efforts to knock the other out. Both showed great chins and the ability to trade. Benavidez was simply better. Even Morrell didn’t wait for the decision to be read as he raised the arm of the Monster at the final bell. All three judges scored in favor of Benavidez 115-111 twice and 118-108.
“He knows this is Monstro’s world. Big shout out for Morrell, he’s a tough fighter,” Benavidez said.
Other Bouts
In a fight dedicated to honor the late Israel Vazquez, the ultimate Aztec warrior, super lightweights Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (27-3-1) and Angel Fierro (23-3-2) battled like demons for 10 nonstop rounds. Cruz was ruled the winner by unanimous decision.
With little resemblance of defense, Cruz and Fierro whacked each other relentlessly with shots that might have stopped a moving car. Cruz was tagged by a right cross on the top of the head that staggered him momentarily. Fierro was driven back four feet by an overhand right to the chin early in the fight.
Both fighters took cruel and unusual punishment and never wavered more than a few seconds. It was brutal war and fans were the winners after 10 rounds of violent and savage action.
All three judges saw Cruz the winner 96-94, 97-93, 98-92.
“I’m so happy I gave the fans a great fight,” Cruz said.
Fulton Wins
Stephen Fulton (23-1, 8 KOs) defeated Brandon Figueroa (23-2-1, 19 KOs) again and took the WBC featherweight title by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. He had previously defeated Figueroa in 2021 for the WBC and WBO super bantamweight titles.
Most of the action took place in nose-to-nose fashion where Fulton landed the cleaner shots especially with uppercuts. Figueroa had his moments but was unable to hurt the challenger who lost to Naoya Inoue by knockout 17 months ago.
Fulton landed clean shots but as his record shows he lacks the power with only eight knockouts on his record. But Figueroa was unable to hurt or knock down Fulton. After 12 rounds all three judges saw Fulton win by scores of 116-112 twice and 117-111,
“It feels good. I’m champion again,” said Fulton.
Ramos Wins
Jesus Ramos (22-1, 18 KOs) won by technical knockout over former world champion Jeison Rosario (24-5-2) in the eighth round of a middleweight fight. Both fighters attacked the body but by the sixth round Ramos was the busier fighter and began to dominate the fight. At 2:18 of the eighth round referee Robert Hoyle stopped the fight.
“I like to throw a lot of body punches. It’s kind of my style,” said Ramos.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
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