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Why I Like Garcia Over Thurman
SATURDAY’S WELTERWEIGHT SHOWDOWN — There was Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns in 1981, the standard by which all other welterweight unification bouts are measured. Then there was Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad in 1999, and lastly in 2015 we had Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. All three bouts were for the welterweight title of which each combatant owned a version and each was the most anticipated fight of the year in which they happened. This Saturday night WBC title holder Danny Garcia 33-0 (19) will meet WBA title holder Keith Thurman 27-0 (22) in just the 10th unification bout in the history of the division at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Some press releases have gone as far as to claim both Garcia and Thurman belong in the elite company of the fighters above. No, I’m not quite ready to make that over-statement. However, in 2017 undefeated Garcia versus undefeated Thurman in a title unification bout is about as good as it gets. And with both title holders trying to escape the ghost of former title-holder Floyd Mayweather and current WBO titlist Manny Pacquiao, not to mention the style clash and mindsets of Garcia and Thurman, the ingredients are there an action-packed and fan-friendly bout.
With Garcia being weeks away from turning 29 and Thurman turning 28 this past November, both fighters are peaking and no doubt the winner takes a giant leap into becoming a participant in a future super-fight – perhaps against the winner of the upcoming IBF welterweight title bout between Kell Brook and Errol Spence. And an even bigger fight for the winner would be a bout in which he defended his WBC/WBA titles against the fighter many believe to be the best pound-for-pound in boxing, and that’s WBC/WBO junior welterweight champ Terence Crawford 30-0 (21), who many believe willl soon be looking to add some welterweight hardware to his jewelry box.
One of the main attractions pertaining to the clash between Garcia and Thurman is that both carry themselves as tough guys and aren’t shy about the way they project themselves in and out of the ring. Garcia carries himself as if he’s Philadelphia’s welterweight version of former heavyweight champ “Smokin” Joe Frazier. That’s due to the fact that Danny loves his left hook and has no trepidation about going into the trenches and fighting it out with any opponent. Conversely, Thurman believes he owns a right hand that is the equivalent of Earnie Shavers at welterweight.
At one of the final press conferences for the bout, Garcia said “There’s a lot of pressure on me to be the best. That’s what keeps me focused. I think about the eyes that are going to be on me and I have to go in there and look my best. These kinds of fights really bring out the best in me.”
One thing that cannot be overlooked regarding Danny Garcia is the influence of his friend, Philly legend Bernard Hopkins. You can bet everything you own that Hopkins has been inside Danny’s ear, stressing to him how important it is to win these big fights, pointing out the money that can follow and that do-overs if you lose take a long time to get and aren’t guaranteed. This leads me to believe that we’ll see the best of Garcia this Saturday night.
During the same press conference Thurman said “Ultimately, my heart desires victory at this stage and at this level. I’m looking to do what I do best. Which is be a smart fighter. You can expect a world class fight. We’re both great champions with impressive skills. We’re going to be pushing each other and testing each other. I see myself as the smarter fighter. I’ve shown that I can adjust in the middle of a fight. With the experience that I have, I go in there with an objective I’m trying to achieve. If it’s not happening, then I have to use something else.”
In this fight the fighter who can adjust and implement a plan “B” is the one who will have a big edge. Yes, that’s a cliché, just as the saying “styles make fights” is. However, the onus is on Thurman I believe…and the reason for that is that Keith is more reliant on his big power to win. In his last fight against Shawn Porter, Thurman was very reliant on his power early and it didn’t turn the fight in his favor. Forced to fight his rear-end off over the last three rounds, he edged out a unanimous decision. All three judges saw the bout 115-113 or 7-5 in rounds in his favor. In other words Thurman was a single round away from a draw.
Based on what I saw Thurman do against Porter, I have reservations picking him to beat Garcia. I believe Garcia is the more resourceful fighter and better technician. Most observers see Thurman as the better puncher but I think it’s closer than most perceive it to be. I also believe that Garcia is the tougher guy and takes a better punch. In addition to that, Danny has been in with better opposition and I think his father, Angel, is a better trainer than Thurman’s trainer Dan Birmingham. It’s plausible that Angel has done his homework and picked up that Thurman doesn’t like it to the body and he’ll aide Danny in exposing Thurman’s limitations.
Garcia is certainly not a life-taker when it comes to his punching power with either hand, but I think he hits hard enough to gain Thurman’s respect. And because of that, the fight will more than likely go the distance. Without a doubt, conditioning, along with the strategic adjustments both will probably have to make as the bout progresses, will be a big factor in this one. If the fight hangs in the balance over the last three or four rounds, I have a hunch Garcia will prove to be more fit and better able to gut it out and win the rounds needed to swing the fight his way.
When Garcia vs. Thurman was first announced, I was leaning towards Thurman. With the eve of the bout upon us, I’ve had a change of heart and believe Garcia’s better overall game, toughness and grit will be the difference. I expect him to hold both the WBC and WBA welterweight titles Sunday morning March 5th 2017.
Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim
Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.
Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.
Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.
Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is the winner of the Feb. 2 match between Brandon Figueroa and Stephen Fulton. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa/Fulton have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.
Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”
Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.
Semi-wind-up
In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
Also
In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.
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Eric Priest Wins Handily on Thursday’s Golden Boy card at the Commerce Casino
Model turned fighter Eric Priest jabbed and jolted his way into the super middleweight rankings with a shutout decision win over veteran Tyler Howard on Thursday.
In his first main event Priest (15-0, 8 KOs) proved ready for contender status by defusing every attack Tennessee’s Howard (20-3, 11 KOs) could muster at Commerce Casino, the second fight in six days at the LA County venue.
All ticket monies collected on the Folden Boy Promotions card were contributed to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation as they battle wildfires sprouting all over Los Angeles County due to high winds.
Priest, 26, had never fought anyone near Howard’s caliber but used a ramrod jab to keep the veteran off-balance and unable to muster a forceful counter-attack. Round after round the Korean-American fighter pumped left jabs while circling his opposition.
Though hit with power shots, none seemed to faze Howard but his own blows were unable to put a dent in Priest. After 10 rounds of the same repetitive action all three judges scored the fight 100-90 for Priest who now wins a regional super middleweight title.
Priest also joins the top 15 rankings of the WBA organization.
In a fight between evenly matched middleweights, Jordan Panthen (11-0, 9 KOs) remained undefeated after 10 rounds versus DeAundre Pettus (12-4, 7 KOs). Though equally skilled, Panthen simply out-worked the South Caroliina fighter to win by unanimous decision. No knockdowns were scored.
Other Bouts
Grant Flores (8-0, 6 KOs) knocked out Costa Rica’s David Lobo Ramirez (17-4, 12 KOs) with two successive right uppercuts at 2:59 of the second round of the super welterweight fight.
Cayden Griffith (3-0, 3 KOs) used a left hook to the body to stop Mark Misiura at 1:43 of the second round in a super welterweight bout.
Jordan Fuentes (3-0) floored Brandon Badillo (0-3-1) in the third round and proceeded to win by decision after four rounds in a super bantamweight fight.
A super featherweight match saw Leonardo Sanchez (8-0) win by decision over Joseph Cruz Brown (10-12) after six rounds.
Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 310: Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue and More
Many proclaim super bantamweight world champ Naoya Inoue to be the best fighter in the world today. It’s a serious debate among boxing pundits.
Is he Japan’s best fighter ever?
Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) takes another step toward immortality when he meets Korea’s Ye Joon Kim (21-2-2, 13 KOs) on Friday Jan. 24, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. ESPN+ will stream the Top Rank and Ohashi Promotions card.
Inoue defends the IBF, WBC, WBA and WBO world titles.
This is Inoue’s third defense of the undisputed super bantamweight division that he won when he defeated Philippines’ Marlon Tapales in December 2023.
Japan has always been a fighting nation, a country derived from a warrior culture like Mexico, England, Russia, Germany and a few others. Professional boxing has always thrived in Japan.
My first encounter with Japanese fighters took place in March 1968 at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. It was my first visit to the famous boxing venue, though my father had performed there during the 1950s. I was too young to attend any of his fights and then he retired.
The main event featured featherweights Jose Pimentel of Mexico against Sho Saijo of Japan. Both had fought a month earlier with the Mexican from Jalisco winning by split decision.
Pimentel was a friend of my female cousin and gave my father tickets to the fight. My family loved boxing as most Latino families worldwide do, including those in the USA. It’s a fact that most sports editors for newspapers and magazines fail to realize. Latinos love boxing.
We arrived late at the boxing venue located on Grand Avenue and 18th street. My father was in construction and needed to pick me up in East L.A. near Garfield High School. Fights were already underway when we arrived at the Olympic Auditorium.
It was a packed arena and our seats were fairly close to the boxing ring. As the fighters were introduced and descended to the ring, respectful applause greeted Saijo. He had nearly defeated Pimentel in their first clash a month earlier in this same venue. Los Angeles fans respect warriors. Saijo was a warrior.
Both fighters fought aggressively with skill. Every round it seemed Saijo got stronger and Pimentel got weaker. After 10 strong rounds of back-and-forth action, Saijo was declared the winner this time. Some fans booed but most agreed that the Japanese fighter was stronger on this day. And he was stronger still when they met a third time in 1969 when Saijo knocked out Pimentel in the second round for the featherweight world title.
That was my first time witnessing Japan versus Mexico. Over the decades, I’ve seen many clashes between these same two countries and always expect riveting battles from Japanese fighters.
I was in the audience in Cancun, Mexico when then WBC super featherweight titlist Takashi Miura clashed with Sergio Thompson for 12 rounds in intense heat in a covered bull ring. After that fight that saw three knockdowns between them, the champion, though victorious, was taken out on a stretcher due to dehydration.
There are so many others going back to Fighting Harada in the 1960s that won championships. And what about all the other Japanese fighters who never got the opportunity to fight for a world title due to the distance from America and Europe?
Its impossible to determine if Inoue is the greatest Japanese fighter ever. But without a doubt, he is the most famous. Publications worldwide include him on lists of the top three fighters Pound for Pound.
Few experts are familiar with Korea’s Kim, but expect a battle nonetheless. These two countries are rivals in Asian boxing.
Golden Boy at Commerce Casino
Middleweights Eric Priest and Tyler Howard lead a Golden Boy Promotions fight card on Thursday, Jan. 23, at Commerce Casino in Commerce, CA. DAZN will stream the boxing card.
All ticket money will go to the Los Angele Fire Department Foundation.
Kansas-based Priest (14-0, 8 KOs) meets Tennessee’s Tyler Howard (20-2, 11 KOs) in the main event in a match set for 10 rounds.
Others on the card are super welterweights Jordan Panthen (10-0) and Grant Flores (7-0) in separate bouts and super lightweight Cayden Griffith seeking a third consecutive win. Doors open at 5 p.m.
Diego Pacheco at Las Vegas
Super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) defends his regional titles against Steve Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs) at the Chelsea Theater at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 25. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing card.
It’s not an easy fight for Pacheco.
“I’ve been fighting for six years as a professional and I’m 22-0 and I’m 23 years old. I feel I’m stepping into my prime now,” said Pacheco, who trains with Jose Benavidez.
Also on the card is Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz and Southern California’s dangerous super lightweight contender Ernesto Mercado in separate fights.
Fights to Watch (All times Pacific Time)
Thurs. DAZN 6 p.m. Eric Priest (14-0) vs Tyler Howard (20-2).
Fri. ESPN+ 1:15 a.m. Naoya Inoue (28-0) vs Ye Joon Kim (21-2-2).
Sat. DAZN 9:15 a.m. Dalton Smith (16-0) vs Walid Ouizza (19-2); Ellie Scotney (9-0) vs Mea Motu (20-0).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Diego Pacheco (22-0) vs Steve Nelson (20-0).
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