Shawn Porter Outworks Adrien Broner for Unanimous Decision Win

Published

10 years ago

June 21, 2015

Shawn Porter wants to be fighter. Anything he does beyond that seems to be of secondary concern to him. He’s a hard worker. He fights with urgency. He does everything he can do to win. Adrien Broner does not want to be a fighter. He wants to be famous. He’s gotten by on talent and athleticism alone, and any hard work he’s done to become an elite-level fighter seems to have taken place years ago.

Barring a significant gap in talent and skill, a guy that wants to be a fighter will almost always beat a fighter who just wants to be famous. Such was the case on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, as Porter, the fighter, defeated Broner, the celebrity, by unanimous decision.

Judges at ringside score the bout 114-112, 115-111 and 118-108 for Porter.

“That’s how you beat a great fighter intelligently,” said Porter after the fight. He told NBC’s Kenny Rice he established his jab early and proved to be the better boxer. It was an outstanding effort from Porter. It was much less so from Broner as well as referee Tony Weeks, who allowed Broner to foul Porter with holds, forearms and general mauling tactics all throughout the bout until finally taking a point away in Round 11.

In fact, the entire fight might have been a microcosm for Broner’s whole career. Broner, the flashy and talented boxer, came into the fight dancing and smiling. Was he even taking things seriously? The bell rang, and he was mostly interested in posing and fouling. Does he want to be a fighter or just want to look like a fighter? There’s a huge difference.

The worst part wasn’t even Broner. It was Weeks. Here was the man who was supposed to have control of the action. Here was the man given authority to tell the 25-year-old Broner all the things he couldn’t and shouldn’t have been doing. I imagine Broner has lots people like Weeks in his life. Do his managers, his promoters, his family or his friends ever tell him when he’s acting like a buffoon? Or do they just let it slide like Weeks did? Evidence supports the latter.

No matter, Porter, age 27, capitalized on all of Broner’s mistakes and took home the win. Both fighters are from Ohio, Porter from Cleveland and Broner from Cincinnati. Cleveland prevailed.

Both fighters started slow and cautious in Round 1. Porter caught Broner with two left hooks as Broner was moving backwards, causing Broner to hold on for dear life. The two wrestled a bit at the end of the round, pushing and mauling back at each other to see who was the stronger and rougher man. It was Porter.

Broner’s plan from the start of Round 2 seemed to be landing his blazingly fast left hook as Porter advanced toward him. But Porter was patient in his approach and able to duck it or faint the punch out before rushing in to do work. Broner’s other plan was grabbing hold of Porter if he got passed the hook, holding his head down and not letting him get anything but wide and blind shots off. Broner’s faster, shorter punches gave him the edge in Round 2.

Porter was busier in Round 3. He concentrated his efforts on Broner’s body. Broner held anytime Porter got in close, pushing Porter’s head down to the ground or shoving his forearm into Porter’s throat. Weeks allowed it. But Porter used good head movement and fancy footwork to alternate his attack enough to do the meaningful work inside.

Broner slipped off his feet at the begging of Round 4. He wasn’t hurt, but Porter jumped on him anyway. Broner mostly held and mauled with his forearms. Weeks let him do it. But Porter bullied Broner around the ring and to the ropes and landed punches anywhere and everywhere he could.

Broner was the aggressor in Round 5. He showed his talent. He came out throwing sharp left hooks and was the fighter walking forward for the first two minutes of the round. This was how he should have fought the entire fight. But Porter weathered the flashy and clean blows to get back to jousting forward behind his telephone pole jab by the last minute of action. Still, it was Broner’s best round yet.

Porter reasserted himself in Round 6. He used swift head movement to dart his way into punching range. Once there, he let his hands goes. Broner landed single counters here and there, but Porter’s physical strength and assertiveness was clearly winning both the round and the fight.

Broner intentionally fouled Porter with backhands twice in Round 7 while Weeks was breaking the two men up from a hold that Broner initiated. But Weeks did not take a point away from Broner, only offering him a warning for the behavior. Otherwise the three minutes ticked away with Porter intelligently walking Broner down.

Round 8 was beautiful. Both fighters looked haggard, but both threw punches from decent enough space to land clean and often. Despite clearly being tired, both fought at a relatively torrid pace and there was nary a clinch in the three minutes, at least in comparison to the previous seven rounds.

But Broner fouled Porter egregiously again in Round 9. He grappled both arms when Porter bullied him to the ropes, then stuck his open glove in Porter’s face to keep him away. Again, Weeks did not take away a point. Broner landed a few flashy counters in the round, but Porter threw and landed more.

Porter landed a hard overhand right in Round 10. Broner responded with a hook and an illegal forearm. Porter walked him down, though, and landed another vicious right hand again a few seconds afterward. By the end of the round, Porter had stunned him again with the same right hand in the corner. It was the most one-sided three minutes yet.

Broner surprisingly fought with no urgency in Round 11. He was content to hold and dance away from any and all action. Even Weeks, who to this point in the fight could have been mistaken for Broner’s biggest supporter, seemed to have enough of it. He finally took a point away from the hapless Broner much to the delight of the crowd who let out a sarcastic cheer. Broner is a very talented fighter. He could be great. Even if he just wanted to be very good, he could do that easier than most. He dropped Porter like a sack of bricks to start Round 12 with a sharp, hard left hook. But when Porter got up, Broner either didn’t know what to do or didn’t have the fortitude to do it.

Porter, the hurt fighter, bullied and pressured Broner, the famous talent, for the remainder of the round. Again, it was Broner initiating clinches. Again, it was Broner losing the fight. Again, it was Broner being Broner.

Final CompuBox stats showed Porter outlanded Broner 149-88 in the bout and 99-68 in power shots. That’s what a fighter does. He throws and lands punches.

Spence Stops Lo Greco in Three

One of boxing’s best young prospects, Errol Spence Jr., stopped Phil Lo Greco in just three rounds. Lo Greco, the self-proclaimed “Italian Sensation,” was offered the fight this week after Spence’s original opponent could not make weight.

Lo Greco gave it his all. He tried to force the young southpaw back in Round 1, but by Round 2 was taking heavy blows to the head and body. He came out of his corner in Round 3 looking like a beaten man, and Spence made him look it even more by knocking him down with a counter right hook. The brave Lo Greco rose to his feet but was staggered moments later by a straight left hand. Referee Robert Byrd stopped the bout with Lo Greco eating too punches on the ropes.

Spence, age 25, appears to have legitimate superstar potential. In fact, of all the fighters in Al Haymon’s impressive stable, he might just have the most upside.

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Ringside at the Fontainebleau where Mikaela Mayer Won her Rematch with Sandy Ryan

Published

2 days ago

March 30, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Ringside-at-the-Fontainebleau-where-Mikaela-Mayer-won-her-Rematch-with-Sandy-Ryan

LAS VEGAS, NV — The first meeting between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan last September at Madison Square Garden was punctuated with drama before the first punch was thrown. When the smoke cleared, Mayer had become a world-title-holder in a second weight class, taking away Ryan’s WBO welterweight belt via a majority decision in a fan-friendly fight.

The rematch tonight at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas was another fan-friendly fight. There were furious exchanges in several rounds and the crowd awarded both gladiators a standing ovation at the finish.

Mayer dominated the first half of the fight and held on to win by a unanimous decision. But Sandy Ryan came on strong beginning in round seven, and although Mayer was the deserving winner, the scores favoring her (98-92 and 97-93 twice) fail to reflect the competitiveness of the match-up. This is the best rivalry in women’s boxing aside from Taylor-Serrano.

Mayer, 34, improved to 21-2 (5). Up next, she hopes, in a unification fight with Lauren Price who outclassed Natasha Jonas earlier this month and currently holds the other meaningful pieces of the 147-pound puzzle. Sandy Ryan, 31, the pride of Derby, England, falls to 7-3-1.

Co-Feature

In his first defense of his WBO world welterweight title (acquired with a brutal knockout of Giovani Santillan after the title was vacated by Terence Crawford), Atlanta’s Brian Norman Jr knocked out Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas in the third round. A three-punch combination climaxed by a short left hook sent Cuevas staggering into a corner post. He got to his feet before referee Thomas Taylor started the count, but Taylor looked in Cuevas’s eyes and didn’t like what he saw and brought the bout to a halt.

The stoppage, which struck some as premature, came with one second remaining in the third stanza.

A second-generation prizefighter (his father was a fringe contender at super middleweight), the 24-year-old Norman (27-0, 21 KOs) is currently boxing’s youngest male title-holder. It was only the second pro loss for Cuevas (27-2-1) whose lone previous defeat had come early in his career in a 6-rounder he lost by split decision.

Other Bouts

In a career-best performance, 27-year-old Brooklyn featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) blasted out Jose Enrique Vivas (23-4) in the third round.

Carrington, who was named the Most Outstanding Boxer at the 2019 U.S. Olympic Trials despite being the lowest-seeded boxer in his weight class, decked Vivas with a right-left combination near the end of the second round. Vivas barely survived the round and was on a short leash when the third stanza began. After 53 seconds of round three, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough and waived it off. Vivas hadn’t previously been stopped.

Cleveland welterweight Tiger Johnson, a Tokyo Olympian, scored a fifth-round stoppage over San Antonio’s Kendo Castaneda. Johnson assumed control in the fourth round and sent Castaneda to his knees twice with body punches in the next frame. The second knockdown terminated the match. The official time was 2:00 of round five.

Johnson advanced to 15-0 (7 KOs). Castenada declined to 21-9.

Las Vegas junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) blasted out Stockton, California’s Giovanni Gonzalez in the second round. Vargas brought the bout to a sudden conclusion with a sweeping left hook that knocked Gonzalez out cold. The end came at the 2:00 minute mark of round two.

Gonzalez brought a 20-7-2 record which was misleading as 18 of his fights were in Tijuana where fights are frequently prearranged. However, he wasn’t afraid to trade with Vargas and paid the price.

Emiliano Vargas, with his matinee idol good looks and his boxing pedigree – he is the son of former U.S. Olympian and two-weight world title-holder “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas – is highly marketable and has the potential to be a cross-over star.

Eighteen-year-old Newark bantamweight Emmanuel “Manny” Chance, one of Top Rank’s newest signees, won his pro debut with a four-round decision over So Cal’s Miguel Guzman. Chance won all four rounds on all three cards, but this was no runaway. He left a lot of room for improvement.

There was a long intermission before the co-main and again before the main event, but the tedium was assuaged by a moving video tribute to George Foreman.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

Published

2 days ago

March 29, 2025

David A. Avila

William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

No surprise, once again William Zepeda eked out a win over the clever and resilient Tevin Farmer to remain undefeated and retain a regional lightweight title on Saturday.

There were no knockdowns in this rematch.

The Mexican punching machine Zepeda (33-0, 17 KOs) once more sought to overwhelm Farmer (33-8-1, 9 KOs) with a deluge of blows. This rematch by Golden Boy Promotions took place in the famous beach resort area of Cancun, Mexico.

It was a mere four months ago that both first clashed in Saudi Arabia with their vastly difference styles. This time the tropical setting served as the background which suited Zepeda and his lawnmower assaults. The Mexican fans were pleased.

Nothing changed in their second meeting.

Zepeda revved up the body assault and Farmer moved around casually to his right while fending off the Mexican fighter’s attacks. By the fourth round Zepeda was able to cut off Farmer’s escape routes and targeted the body with punishing shots.

The blows came in bunches.

In the fifth round Zepeda blasted away at Farmer who looked frantic for an escape. The body assault continued with the Mexican fighter pouring it on and Farmer seeming to look ready to quit. When the round ended, he waved off his corner’s appeals to stop.

Zepeda continued to dominate the next few rounds and then Farmer began rallying. At first, he cleverly smothered Zepeda’s body attacks and then began moving and hitting sporadically. It forced the Mexican fighter to pause and figure out the strategy.

Farmer, a Philadelphia fighter, showed resiliency especially when it was revealed he had suffered a hand injury.

During the last three rounds Farmer dug down deep and found ways to score and not get hit. It was Boxing 101 and the Philly fighter made it work.

But too many rounds had been put in the bank by Zepeda. Despite the late rally by Farmer one judge saw it 114-114, but two others scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Zepeda who retains his interim lightweight title and place at the top of the WBC rankings.

“I knew he was a difficult fighter. This time he was even more difficult,” said Zepeda.

Farmer was downtrodden about another loss but realistic about the outcome and starting slow.

“But I dominated the last rounds,” said Farmer.

Zepeda shrugged at the similar outcome as their first encounter.

“I’m glad we both put on a great show,” said Zepeda.

Female Flyweight Battle

Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle edged past Texas fighter Marlen Esparza to win their showdown at flyweight by split decision after 10 rounds.

Valle moved up two weight divisions to meet Esparza who was slightly above the weight limit. Both showed off their contrasting styles and world class talent.

Esparza, a former unified flyweight world titlist, stayed in the pocket and was largely successful with well-placed jabs and left hooks. She repeatedly caught Valle in-between her flurries.

The current minimumweight world titlist changed tactics and found more success in the second half of the fight. She forced Esparza to make the first moves and that forced changes that benefited her style.

Neither fighter could take over the fight.

After 10 rounds one judge saw Esparza the winner 96-94, but two others saw Valle the winner 97-93 twice.

Will Valle move up and challenge the current undisputed flyweight world champion Gabriela Fundora? That’s the question.

Valle currently holds the WBC minimumweight world title.

Puerto Rico vs Mexico

Oscar Collazo (12-0, 9 KOs), the WBO, WBA minimumweight titlist, knocked out Mexico’s Edwin Cano (13-3-1, 4 KOs) with a flurry of body shots at 1:12 of the fifth round.

Collazo dominated with a relentless body attack the Mexican fighter could not defend. It was the Puerto Rican fighter’s fifth consecutive title defense.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 319: Rematches in Las Vegas, Cancun and More

Published

3 days ago

March 28, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective-Chap-319-Rematches-in-Las-Vegas-Cancun-and-More

Rematches are the bedrock for prizefighting.

Return battles between rival boxers always means their first encounter was riveting and successful at the box office.

Six months after their first brutal battle Mikaela Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs) and Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs) will slug it out again for the WBO welterweight world title this time on Saturday, March 29, at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.

ESPN will show the Top Rank card live.

“It’s important for women’s boxing to have these rivalries and this is definitely up there as one of the top ones,” Mayer told the BBC.

If you follow Mayer’s career you know that somehow drama follows. Whether its back-and-forth beefs with fellow American fighters or controversial judging due to nationalism in countries abroad. The Southern California native who now trains in Las Vegas knows how to create the drama.

For female fighters self-promotion is a necessity.

Most boxing promoters refuse to step out of the usual process set for male boxers, not for female boxers. Things remain the same and have been for the last 70 years. Social media has brought changes but that has made promoters do even less.

No longer are there press conferences, instead announcements are made on social media to be drowned among the billions of other posts. It is not killing but diluting interest in the sport.

Women innately present a different advantage that few if any promoters are recognizing. So far in the past 25 years I have only seen two or three promoters actually ignite interest in female fighters. They saw the advantages and properly boosted interest in the women.

The fight breakdown

Mayer has won world titles in the super featherweight and now the welterweight division. Those are two vastly different weight classes and prove her fighting abilities are based on skill not power or size.

Coaching Mayer since amateurs remains Al Mitchell and now Kofi Jantuah who replaced Kay Koroma the current trainer for Sandy Ryan.

That was the reason drama ignited during their first battle. Then came someone tossing paint at Ryan the day of their first fight.

More drama.

During their first fight both battled to control the initiative with Mayer out-punching the British fighter by a slender margin. It was a back-and-forth struggle with each absorbing blows and retaliating immediately.

New York City got its money’s worth.

Ryan had risen to the elite level rapidly since losing to Erica Farias three years ago. Though she was physically bigger and younger, she was out-maneuvered and defeated by the wily veteran from Argentina. In the rematch, however, Ryan made adjustments and won convincingly.

Can she make adjustments from her defeat to Mayer?

“I wanted the rematch straight away,” said Ryan on social media. “I’ve come to America again.”

Both fighters have size and reach. In their first clash it was evident that conditioning was not a concern as blows were fired nonstop in bunches. Mayer had the number of punches landed advantage and it unfolded with the judges giving her a majority decision win.

That was six months ago. Can she repeat the outcome?

Mayer has always had boiler-oven intensity. It’s not fake. Since her amateur days the slender Southern California blonde changes disposition all the way to red when lacing up the gloves. It’s something that can’t be taught.

Can she draw enough of that fire out again?

“I didn’t have to give her this rematch. I could have just sat it out, waited for Lauren Price to unify and fought for undisputed or faced someone else,” said Mayer to BBC. “That’s not the fighter I am though.”

Co-Main in Las Vegas

The co-main event pits Brian Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) facing Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) in a contest for the WBO welterweight title.

Norman, 24, was last seen a year ago dissecting a very good welterweight in Giovani Santillan for a knockout win in San Diego. He showed speed, skill and power in defeating Santillan in his hometown.

Cuevas has beaten some solid veteran talent but this will be his big test against Norman and his first attempt at winning a world title.

Also on the Top Rank card will be Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and Emiliano Vargas, the son of Fernando Vargas, in separate bouts.

Golden Boy in Cancun

A rematch between undefeated William “Camaron” Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) and ex-champ Tevin Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) headlines the lightweight match on Saturday March 29, at Cancun, Mexico.

In their first encounter Zepeda was knocked down in the fourth round but rallied to win a split-decision over Farmer. It showed the flaws in Zepeda’s tornado style.

DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also includes a clash between Yokasta Valle the WBC minimumweight world titlist who is moving up to flyweight to face former flyweight champion Marlen Esparza.

Both Valle and Esparza have fast hands.

Valle is excellent darting in and out while Esparza has learned how to fight inside. It’s a toss-up fight.

Fights to Watch

Fri. DAZN 12 p.m. Cameron Vuong (7-0) vs Jordan Flynn (11-0-1); Pat Brown (0-0) vs Federico Grandone (7-4-2).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. William Zepeda (32-0) vs Tevin Farmer (33-7-1); Yokasta Valle (32-3) vs Marlen Esparza (15-2).

Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Mikaela Mayer (20-2) vs Sandy Ryan (7-2-1); Brian Norman Jr. (26-0) vs Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1).

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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