FROM BIRMINGHAM TO BROOKLYN, WILDER READY FOR LARGER STAGE AND ANOTHER MYSTERY GUEST

Published

9 years ago

December 8, 2015

For someone so intent on making heavyweight history, Deontay Wilder doesn’t appear to have studied up much on the subject.

Introduced to a throng of media members last Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., a few hours prior to WBA “regular” middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs’ first-round stoppage of Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, Wilder, the WBC heavyweight titlist, cut a dashing figure in designer sunglasses, a black dress shirt, black slacks and a tailored white sport coat with black lapels and polka dots. It was a look that would have been a bit extreme on most men, but worked for him. Then again, what wouldn’t be fashionable on a 6-foot-7, 228-pound, extremely fit athlete?

Wilder (35-0, 34 KOs) had come north from his home in Tuscaloosa, Ala., to announce his third title defense on Jan. 16 at the Barclays Center, his New York City debut, against the ever-intriguing opponent to be named. Negotiations had been underway to match Wilder against Ukraine’s Vyacheslav Glazkov (21-0-1, 13 KOs) on that date, but Glazkov, who had yet to sign a contract, abruptly withdrew his name from consideration when it became apparent that the IBF would strip its newly crowned champion, England’s Tyson Fury, for agreeing to an immediate rematch with the man from whom he had wrested that belt, Wladimir Klitschko, instead of fulfilling his mandatory against Glazkov. Had Klitschko won, Glazkov seemed certain to get the gig against Wilder, but he now appears to focusing on the IBF title that soon could become vacant.

“Mr. Glazkov decided to take an easier shot at a world title. That’s his prerogative,” said Lou DiBella, who has promoted Wilder’s last two defenses against relative mystery men Eric Molina and Johann Duhaupas and will do so against, well, whomever it is that shares the ring with Wilder in the Showtime-televised main event on Jan. 16.

Wilder said it is his job to beat whichever individual his management team puts in front of him, and he will continue doing just that while serving proudly as the first American heavyweight champion since … uh, Lennox Lewis?

“I promise you guys that I will unify the division and be the first American (to do so) since 1999. I think it was Lennox Lewis,” Wilder said.

None of the reporters in attendance bothered to remind Wilder that Brooklyn native Shannon Briggs, who held the WBO belt from November 2006 to June 2007, was, until the Alabamian came along, the most recent American to hold a share of what once was known as the most prestigious title in sports, or that Lewis, the son of Jamaican immigrants, was born in England and represented Canada in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. But why would they? Like John Belushi’s character in “Animal House,” reminding his Delta Tau Chi fraternity brothers that it wasn’t over for them, just like it wasn’t over for the U.S. “when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor,” Wilder was rolling, offering scattershot opinions on any number of heavyweight-related topics. If he ever is paired in a unification showdown with the chatty Fury, the prefight press conferences are likely to be as much or more entertaining than anything that takes place in the ring.

DiBella and Brett Yormack, the chief operating officer of the Barclays Center, made a point of noting that Wilder’s Jan. 16 heavyweight title bout would be the first to be staged in Brooklyn since Bob Fitzsimmons was dethroned on an 11^th-round knockout by James J. Jeffries on June 9, 1897, on Coney Island, although someone suggested that maybe a more recent big-boy championship fight had been staged in the borough sometime in the 1930s.

“We think this will be the first heavyweight title fight here in over a hundred years,” DiBella said, leaving himself an out if need be. “We’d like to know. We’re curious. We’re having problems researching it. But obviously, it’s been a long time.”

Until Nov. 28, when Fury, as a 5-to-1 underdog rattled the heavyweight establishment with his shocking — and let’s be honest, slumber-inducing points nod over the listless Klitschko – the division’s hierarchy was firmly established and had been for a long time. Wlad and his now-retired older brother, Vitali, had between them logged four title reigns totaling 22 years, 8 months. And while the younger Klitschko might not have been Mr. Excitement, he still represented, at 39, stability and a sense of order in a sport where there are more turnovers than can be found at your neighborhood Dunkin’ Doughnuts. “Dr. Steelhammer” went into that bout in Dusseldorf, Germany, as the WBA “super,” IBF, WBO, IBO, THE RING and lineal champion, bereft only of the WBC crown once held by Vitali.

Wilder, his WBC championship (won on a unanimous decision over Canadian-based Haitian Bermane Stiverne on Jan. 17 in Las Vegas), near-perfect knockout ratio (97 percent) and American citizenship notwithstanding, was destined to remain an outrider until he, or someone, bumped one Wlad from the throne that most of the boxing world recognized as belonging to the legitimate ruler. Taking a 60-mile ride from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham, where he stopped the semi-anonymous likes of Molina and Duhaupas, did little to suggest that the 30-year-old who had once dreamed of starring in football for the Alabama Crimson Tide was much more than another pretender, albeit one with bejeweled belt. It was reminiscent of the seven-year reign of Larry Holmes, who never held more than one version (the WBC, then IBF) of the heavyweight title but was always accorded a higher place in the division pecking order than such itinerant alphabet champs as John Tate, Mike Weaver, Gerrie Coetzee, Tim Witherspoon, Pinklon Thomas, Greg Page and Tony Tubbs.

Fury’s takedown of King Wlad I has basically taken a wrecking ball to the status quo, and although the native of Manchester, England, has to be regarded as the division’s top guy, by virtue of his multiple titles and distinction of being the first fighter to defeat Klitschko in 11 years, the presumed gap between he and Wilder is much narrower than the one that many believed existed between he and Wilder.

From Wilder’s perspective, though, he is the true shining light among the current crop of heavyweights, with a ceiling higher than anyone else and the resolve and ability to be just as dominant as Wladimir had been. He figures his Jan.16 defense – DiBella said an opponent likely will be announced sometime this week — is just another step in a process that eventually will lead to his name being entered into the conversation of best big men in boxing history. Consider his thoughts on those heavyweights who presently occupy many of the top spots in the rankings:

* “Tyson Fury’s not a puncher. My one-year-old son hits harder than him. But he entertains the crowd and sings and all that. But when it comes to lacing up those gloves and battling it out, I don’t think he got enough. We have seen smaller fighters, even cruiserweights, drop him.”

* “I think Klitschko was fighting two people. Not only was he fighting Fury, he was fighting an old man called Father Time as well. There were times in that fight when his mind wanted to throw punches, but his body wasn’t reacting. As you get older, your body don’t react like it does when you’re younger. I think Father Time is at his door. He said he’s exercising his rematch clause. I feel he’ll lose that one, too. But maybe he just had an off-night.”

* “We wanted (No. 1 rated WBC contender Alexander) Povetkin for this one. He fought Mike Perez for one round. Why is he not ready? Why did he take another fight against Mariusz Wach to prepare for me? (He’s a) slower guy, don’t hit hard. Now, he is durable. Got a good chin.”

* “Don’t be surprised if Anthony Joshua (who won the super heavyweight gold medal representing England at the 2012 London Olympics) loses to Dillian Whyte (they fight Dec. 12 in London). Dillian Whyte will give him a run for his money, if not beat him. Dillian Whyte is a very hungry fighter.”

* “I think (Cuban expatriate) Luis Ortiz (who takes on Bryant Jennings Dec. 19 in Verona, N.Y.) is a cheater. (He tested positive for the anabolic steroid Nandrolone last year.) I don’t respect him. When you got to use chemicals to enhance your performance … anybody who does that should be banned from boxing.”

* “Jennings is a good fighter. I think he’s a good fighter. We’re going to see what he does in that fight, and go from there.”

* “David Haye must win (his Jan. 16 bout with Mark de Mori in London) in great fashion. All the things he’s done, the backing out (of fights) ad stuff like that, we’re ready to write him off. But if he can win in great fashion, maybe then we’ll have something on our hands.”

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Bernard Fernandez

Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing

Published

1 day ago

January 19, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Skylar-Lacy-Blocked-for-Lamar-Jackson-Before-Making-his-Mark-in-Boxing

Skylar Lacy, a six-foot-seven heavyweight, returns to the ring on Sunday, Feb. 2, opposing Brandon Moore on a card in Flint, Michigan, airing worldwide on DAZN.

As this is being written, the bookmakers hadn’t yet posted a line on the bout, but one couldn’t be accused of false coloring by calling the 10-round contest a 50/50 fight. And if his frustrating history is any guide, Lacy will have another draw appended to his record or come out on the wrong side of a split decision.

This should not be construed as a tip to wager on Moore. “Close fights just don’t seem to go my way,” says the boxer who played alongside future multi-year NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at the University of Louisville.

A 2021 National Golden Gloves champion, Skylar Lacy came up short in his final amateur bout, losing a split decision to future U.S. Olympian Joshua Edwards. His last Team Combat League assignment resulted in another loss by split decision and he was held to a draw in both instances when stepping up in class as a pro. “In my mind, I’m still undefeated,” says Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs). “No one has ever kicked my ass.”

Lacy was the B-side in both of those draws, the first coming in a 6-rounder against Top Rank fighter Antonio Mireles on a Top Rank show in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and the second in an 8-rounder against George Arias, a Lou DiBella fighter on a DiBella-promoted card in Philadelphia.

Lacy had the Mireles fight in hand when he faded in the homestretch. The altitude was a factor. Lake Tahoe, Nevada (officially Stateline) sits 6,225 feet above sea level. The fight with Arias took an opposite tack. Lacy came on strong after a slow start to stave off defeat.

Skylar will be the B-side once again in Michigan. The card’s promoter, former world title challenger Dmitriy Salita, inked Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) in January. “A capable American heavyweight with charisma, athleticism and skills is rare in today’s day and age. Brandon has got all these ingredients…”, said Salita in the press release announcing the signing. (Salita has an option on Skylar Lacy’s next pro fight in the event that Skylar should win, but the promoter has a larger investment in Moore who was previously signed to Top Rank, a multi-fight deal that evaporated after only one fight.)

Both Lacy and Moore excelled in other sports. The six-foot-six Moore was an outstanding basketball player in high school in Fort Lauderdale and at the NAIA level in college. Lacy was an all-state football lineman in Indiana before going on to the University of Louisville where he started as an offensive guard as a redshirt sophomore, blocking for freshman phenom Lamar Jackson. “Lamar was hard-working and humble,” says Lacy about the player who is now one of the world’s highest-paid professional athletes.

When Lacy committed to Louisville, the head coach was Charlie Strong who went on to become the head coach at the University of Texas. Lacy was never comfortable with Strong’s successor Bobby Petrino and transferred to San Jose State. Having earned his degree in only three years (a BA in communications) he was eligible immediately but never played a down because of injuries.

Returning to Indianapolis where he was raised by his truck dispatcher father, a single parent, Lacy gravitated to Pat McPherson’s IBG (Indy Boxing and Grappling) Gym on the city’s east side where he was the rare college graduate pounding the bags alongside at-risk kids from the city’s poorer neighborhoods.

Lacy built a 12-6 record across his two seasons in Team Combat League while representing the Las Vegas Hustle (2023) and the Boston Butchers (2024).

For the uninitiated, a Team Combat League (TCL) event typically consists of 24 fights, each consisting of one three-minute round. The concept finds no favor with traditionalists, but Lacy is a fan. It’s an incentive for professional boxers to keep in shape between bouts without disturbing their professional record and, notes Lacy, it’s useful in exposing a competitor to different styles.

“It paid the bills and kept me from just sitting around the house,” says Lacy whose 12-6 record was forged against 13 different opponents.

As a sparring partner, Lacy has shared the ring with some of the top heavyweights of his generation, e.g., Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He was one of Fury’s regular sparring partners during the Gypsy King’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder. He worked with Joshua at Derrick James’ gym in Dallas and at Ben Davison’s gym in England, helping Joshua prepare for his date in Saudi Arabia with Francis Ngannou and had previously sparred with Ngannou at the UFC Performance Center in Las Vegas. Skylar names traveling to new places as one of his hobbies and he got to scratch that itch when he joined Whyte’s camp in Portugal.

As to the hardest puncher he ever faced, he has no hesitation: “Ngannou,” he says. “I negotiated a nice price to spend a week in his camp and the first time he hit me I knew I should have asked for more.”

Lacy is confident that having shared the ring with some of the sport’s elite heavyweights will get him over the hump in what will be his first 10-rounder (Brandon Moore has never had to fight beyond eight rounds, having won his three 10-rounders inside the distance). Lacy vs. Moore is the co-feature to Claressa Shields’ homecoming fight with Danielle Perkins. Shields, basking in the favorable reviews accorded the big-screen biopic based on her first Olympic journey (“The Fire Inside”) will attempt to capture a title in yet another weight class at the expense of the 42-year-old Perkins, a former professional basketball player.

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Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce

Published

3 days ago

January 18, 2025

David A. Avila

Mizuki-Hiruta-Dominates-in-her-U.S.-Debut-and-Trinidad-Wins-Too-at-Commerce

Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.

Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.

In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.

It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.

For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.

Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.

It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.

“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”

Trinidad Wins Too

Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.

Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.

“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”

After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.

Other Bouts

Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.

Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.

Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.

More Winners

Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Published

4 days ago

January 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.

Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.

Hopefully the worst is over.

Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.

Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.

“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.

He knows talent.

Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.

Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.

Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.

Can Trinidad reach world title status?

Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.

It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.

Mizukii Hiruta

Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.

Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Boxing and the Media

The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.

Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.

Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.

Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.

MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.

Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.

Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.

It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.

Photos credit: Lina Baker

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