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The Avila Perspective, Chapter. 14: Ramirez vs. Orozco Under the Radar
All eyes are directed toward the middleweight world championship clash this weekend between Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, and deservedly so. But a few interesting fights should not be overlooked.
In Northern California a super lightweight fight between WBC champion Jose Carlos Ramirez (22-0, 16 KOs) and perennial contender Antonio Orozco (27-0, 17 KOs) takes place on Friday Sept. 14, at the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, Calif. ESPN will televise the Top Rank card.
Ramirez, 26, a 2012 US Olympian, always perplexed me as a talented fighter with speed but seemed to be matched with tailor-made foes that suited his busy style. Most of his opponents were overwhelmed by his barrage of blows but you always wondered what would happen against technically proficient fighters?
The clouds of doubt began to separate after Ramirez (pictured on the right) dissected Mike Reed and then Amir Imam in back-to-back fights with the last win handing him the WBC world super lightweight title in New York City of all places. It’s a place where fighters of Mexican descent seldom won by decision.
Now he faces a veteran contender in Orozco.
“Antonio is a very active fighter in the ring. He’s a pressure fighter like myself, and I’m more than excited to be facing fighters like him. I consider Antonio to be one of the very best in the division,” said Ramirez who trains in Riverside, Calif. with Robert Garcia.
San Diego’s Orozco is a prizefighter whose reputation of savagely working the body has kept him in the public eye for many years. But when he failed to make weight on a HBO televised card that set him back a few years. The question for Orozco: has he already peaked?
“This is the opportunity that every fighter wants to get to, and mine came at the right moment,” said Orozco, 30, who is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. “Things happen for a reason. I’m here in Fresno in front of a great champion. I’m ready. That’s all I can tell you.”
Ramirez fights under the Top Rank banner and Orozco for the Golden Boy flag, whenever these two organizations pit their fighters against each other you can expect an explosion in the boxing ring.
More Fresno
This fight card would fit perfectly in Las Vegas between the Friday and Saturday bouts but Ramirez has ticket appeal in Northern California so Top Rank placed the heavy duty lineup in Fresno.
Costa Rica’s Bryan Vasquez recently signed with Top Rank and meets Carlos Cardenas in a lightweight contest set for 10 rounds.
Vasquez, 31, is a slick counter-puncher who lost a razor close decision to Ray Beltran a year ago. Many, including this writer, felt he should have been given the win in Los Angeles. The Costa Rican seems to have bad luck when it comes to crucial fights but few have the boxing skills he possesses. He’s married to female super welterweight world champion Hanna Gabriels and since their marriage she’s improved immensely.
Facing Vasquez will be Venezuela’s Cardenas who moved to Mexico to get more fight opportunities. He’s a veteran who has fought former world champions Robert Easter and Juan Diaz but tasted defeat against both.
Japan
Another intriguing fight pits Japan’s Hiroki Okada (18-0, 13 KOs) against Cristian Coria (27-6-2, 11 KOs) in a 10 round super lightweight clash.
If you follow Japanese boxing you probably noticed that a wave of fighters from that warrior nation have been arriving the past several years. Last weekend boxing fans saw Kazuto Ioka wake up the crowd at Los Angeles and viewers around the country with his constant attack in dominating a very good McWilliams Arroyo.
Okada, 28, arrives with glittering credentials and faces a tough Argentinean in Coria who has never been stopped. It’s a good opportunity to see what the Japanese fighter can do in his American debut. All of his fights have taken place at the legendary Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
If all goes well he could be placed against Ramirez or maybe interim WBC titlist Regis Prograis. Suddenly the division looks even more exciting.
Saturday in Las Vegas
A clash between Canada’s David Lemieux (39-4, 33 KOs) and Ireland’s Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan (28-2, 20 KOs) has gained considerable traction from their verbal wars on social media. It will be televised on HBO pay-per-view on Saturday.
Both have promised a knockout and with 53 knockouts between them it’s well within their fistic capabilities. Both also lost to current WBO middleweight titlist Billy Joe Saunders. On paper it’s a very even fight. On social media it’s a fight fans delight.
Lemieux, 29, a former world champion who bravely made his first and only world title defense against Golovkin three years ago, gets an opportunity to trade blows with somebody who will stand right in front of him and his steam roller style.
“He has a big mouth. He likes to talk garbage on social media. He’s not the best kind of guy,” said Lemieux. “I’m going to knock him out and make a lot of people happy.”
O’Sullivan, 34, brings his pressure style and his 1880’s moustache to the world stage and won’t have a problem finding Lemieux. Despite being in his mid-30s O’Sullivan started late at 24 so his body does not have the normal wear and tear that fighters have at that age.
“He’s going to be cooked. He’s very one dimensional. He does the same thing over and over again. He says the same stuff over and over again,” said O’Sullivan of Lemieux. “I fight like a Mexican. Watch out David, you’re getting knocked out.”
Words can mean “bombs away” when they jump in the ring on Saturday.
Chocolatito and More
Former four-division world champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez returns and the world will see just how much the Nicaraguan great still possesses.
Gonzalez (46-2, 38 KOs) meets Mexico’s Moises Fuentes (25-5-1, 14 KOs) in a super flyweight battle set for 10 rounds at T-Mobile Arena. It will be shown on HBO pay-per-view.
So far the super flyweight division has not treated Gonzalez very well. Fighting at 115 pounds has proved to be Kryptonite to the super fighter who had ravaged whole divisions since he started out in 2005. But back-to-back losses have uncloaked his weaknesses. It’s been a year since he last fought.
Fuentes, 30, is a former minimum weight world titlist and like Gonzalez has not looked good once he moved up. He was knocked out in round one by Japan’s Daigo Higa earlier this year when he fought for the WBC flyweight title. He was also knocked out by Kosei Tanaka last December 2016 when he fought for the WBO light flyweight title.
It’s a litmus test for Chocolatito, no doubt.
Also on the card are a couple of heavy hitting youngsters from the Golden Boy stable.
Welterweight prospect Alexis Rocha (11-0, 8 KOs) fights out of Santa Ana, Calif. and most of his knockouts happen in the first round. The southpaw slugger is trained by Hector Lopez and is the brother of Ronny Rios.
Rocha meets hard-hitting Mexican Carlos Cervantes (11-2, 11 KOs) in a moment-of-truth kind of fight. All of Cervantes wins have been via knockout. The Mexican from Torreon started late in the fight game at age 29. He’s now 34.
Super lightweight prospect Vergil Ortiz Jr. (10-0, 10 KOs) fights out of Riverside, Calif. but is a native of Dallas. The long armed Texan has never reached the final bell. He’s very aggressive but not careless. He destroyed former world champion Juan Carlos Salgado in his last outing this past June.
Ortiz, 20, faces knockout punching Roberto Ortiz (35-3-2, 26 KOs) of Torreon, Mexico who has lost his last two fights. They do not seem to be related. The Mexican Ortiz fought and lost to Lucas Matthysse by knockout in 2014. But that’s nothing to be ashamed about. Both fighters are explosive in this battle of the Ortiz’s.
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Floyd Schofield Wins a Banger and Gabriela Fundora Wins by KO
Floyd Schofield Wins a Banger and Gabriela Fundora Wins by KO
LAS VEGAS-Shades of Henry Armstrong and Baby Arizmendi. If you don’t know those names, look them up.
Floyd Schofield battled his way past Mexico’s super tough Rene Tellez Giron who walked through every blow the Texan could fire but lost by decision on Saturday.
It was a severe test and perfect matchmaking for Schofield who yearns for the big bouts against the lightweight giants roaming the world.
Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs) remains undefeated and won the war over thick-necked Mexican Tellez Giron (20-4, 13 KOs) who has never been knocked out and proved to be immune to big punches.
In the opening rounds, the Texas fighter came out firing rapid combinations from the southpaw and orthodox stances. Meanwhile the shorter Tellez Giron studied and fired back an occasional counter for two rounds.
Tellez Giron had seen enough and took his stand in the third stanza. Both unleashed blazing bombs with Schofield turning his back to the Mexican. At that moment referee Tom Taylor could have waved the fight over.
You never turn your back.
The fight resumed and Schofield was damaged. He tried to open up with even more deadly fire but was rebuked by the strong chin of Tellez Giron who fired back in the mad frenzy.
For the remainder of the fight Schofield tried every trick in his arsenal to inflict damage on the thick-necked Mexican. He could not be wobbled. In the 11th round both opened up with serious swing-from-the-heels combinations and suddenly Schofield was looking up. He beat the count easily and the two remained slugging it out.
“He hit me with a good shot,” Schofield said of the knockdown. “I just had to get up. I’m not going to quit.”
In the final round Schofield moved around looking for the proper moment to engage. The Mexican looked like a cat ready to pounce and the two fired furious blows. Neither was hit with the big bombs in the last seconds.
There was Tellez Giron standing defiantly like Baby Arizmendi must have stood in those five ferocious meetings against the incomparable Henry Armstrong. Three of their wars took place in Los Angeles, two at the Olympic Auditorium in the late 1930s as the U.S. was emerging from the Great Depression.
In this fight, Schofield took the win by unanimous decision by scores 118-109 twice and 116-111. It was well-deserved.
“I tried to bang it out,” said Schofield. “Today I learned you can’t always get the knockout.”
Fundora
IBF flyweight titlist Gabriela Fundora needed seven rounds to figure out the darting style of Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz before firing a laser left cross down the middle to end the battle and become the undisputed flyweight world champion.
Fundora now holds all four titles including the WBO, WBA and WBC titles that Alaniz brought in the ring.
Fundora knocked down Alaniz midway through the seventh round. She complained it was due to a tangle of the legs. Several seconds later Fundora blasted the Argentine to the floor again with a single left blast. This time there was no doubt. Her corner wisely waved a white towel to stop the fight at 1:40 of the seventh round.
No one argued the stoppage.
Other Bouts
Bektemir Melikuziev (15-1, 10 KOs) didn’t make weight in a title bout but managed to out-fight David Stevens (14-2, 10 KOs) in a super middleweight fight held at 12 rounds.
Melikuziev used his movement and southpaw stance to keep Pennsylvania’s Stevens from being able to connect with combinations. But Stevens did show he could handle “The Bully’s” punching power over the 12-round fight.
After 12 rounds one judge favored Stevens 116-112, while two others saw Melikuziev the winner by split decision 118-110 and 117-111.
Super middleweight WBA titlist Darius Fulghum (13-0, 11 KOs) pummeled his way to a technical knockout win over southpaw veteran Chris Pearson (17-5-1, 12 KOs) who attempted the rope-a-dope strategy to no avail.
Fulghum floored Pearson in the first round with a four-punch combination and after that just belted Pearson who covered up and fired an occasional blow. Referee Mike Perez stopped the fight at 1:02 of the third round when Pearson did not fire back after a blazing combination.
Young welterweight prospect Joel Iriarte (5-0, 5 KOs) blasted away at the three-inch shorter Xavier Madrid (5-6, 2 KOs) who hung tough for as long as possible. At 2:50 of the first round a one-two delivered Madrid to the floor and referee Thomas Taylor called off the beating.
Iriarte, from Bakersfield, Calif., could not miss with left uppercuts and short rights as New Mexico’s Madrid absorbed every blow but would not quit. It was just too much firepower from Iriarte that forced the stoppage.
Photos credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy
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Results and Recaps from Turning Stone where O’Shaquie Foster Nipped Robson Conceicao
Top Rank was at the Turning Stone casino-resort in Verona, New York, tonight with an 8-bout card topped by a rematch between Robson Conceicao and O’Shaquie Foster with the victor retaining or recapturing his IBF world junior lightweight title. When the smoke cleared, the operative word was “recapturing” as Foster became a two-time title-holder, avenging his controversial setback to the Brazilian in Newark on July 6.
This was a somewhat better fight than their initial encounter and once again the verdict was split. Foster prevailed by 115-113 on two of the cards with the dissenting judge favoring Conceicao by the same margin. Conceicao seemingly had the edge after nine frames, but Foster, a 4/1 favorite, landed the harder shots in the championship rounds.
It was the thirteenth victory in the last 14 starts for Foster who fights out of Houston. A two-time Olympian and 2016 gold medalist, the 36-year-old Conceicao is 19-3-1 overall and 1-3-1 in world title fights.
Semi-wind-up
SoCal lightweight Raymond Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) made a big jump in public esteem and moved one step closer to a world title fight with a second-round blast-out of Jose Antonio Perez who was on the canvas twice but on his feet when the fight was stopped at the 1:24 mark of round two. Muratalla, a product of Robert Garcia’s boxing academy, is ranked #2 by the WBC and WBO. A Tijuana native, Perez (25-6) earned this assignment with an upset of former Olympian and former 130-pound world titlist Jojo Diaz,
Other Bouts
Syracuse junior welterweight Bryce Mills, a high-pressure fighter with a strong local following, stopped scrawny Mike O’Han Jr whose trainer Mark DeLuca pulled him out after five one-sided rounds. Mills improved to 17-1 (6 KOs). It was another rough day at the office for Massachusetts house painting contractor O’’Han (19-4) who had the misfortune of meeting Abdullah Mason in his previous bout.
In a junior lightweight fight that didn’t heat up until late in the final round, Albany’s Abraham Nova (23-3-1) and Tijuana native Humberto Galindo (14-3-3) fought to a 10-round draw. It was another close-but-no- cigar for the likeable Nova who at least stemmed a two-fight losing streak. The judges had it 97-93 (Galindo), 96-94 (Nova) and 95-95.
Twenty-one-year-old Long Island middleweight Jahi Tucker advanced to 13-1-1 (6 KOs) with an eighth-round stoppage of Stockton’s teak-tough but outclassed Quilisto Madera (14-6). Madera was on a short leash after five rounds, but almost took it to the final bell with the referee intervening with barely a minute remaining in the contest. Madera was on his feet when the match was halted. Earlier in the round, Tucker had a point deducted for hitting on the break.
Danbury, Connecticut heavyweight Ali Feliz, one of two fighting sons of journeyman heavyweight Fernely Feliz, improved to 4-0 (3) with a second-round stoppage of beefy Rashad Coulter (5-5). Feliz had Coulter pinned against the ropes and was flailing away when the bout was halted at the 1:34 mark. The 42-year-old Coulter, a competitor in all manner of combat sports, hadn’t previously been stopped when competing as a boxer.
Featherweight Yan Santana dominated and stopped Mexico’s Eduardo Baez who was rescued by referee Charlie Fitch at the 1:57 mark of round four. It was the 12th knockout in 13 starts for Santana, a 24-year-old Dominican father of three A former world title challenger, Mexicali’s Baez declines to 23-7-2 but has lost six of his last eight.
In his most impressive showing to date, Damian Knyba, a six-foot-seven Pole, knocked out paunchy Richard Lartey at the 2:10 mark of round three. A right-left combination knocked Lartey into dreamland, but it was the right did the damage and this was of the nature of a one-punch knockout. Referee Ricky Gonzalez waived the fight off without starting a count.
Knyba, 28, improved to 14-0 (8 KOs). A native of Ghana coming off his career-best win, a fourth-round stoppage of Polish veteran Andrzej Wawrzyk, Lartey declined to 16-7 with his sixth loss inside the distance.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 303: Spotlights on Lightweights and More
Those lightweights.
Whether junior lights, super lights or lightweights, it’s the 130-140 divisions where most of boxing’s young stars are found now or in the past.
Think Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather.
Floyd Schofield (17-0, 12 KOs) a Texas product, hungers to be a star and takes on Mexico’s Rene Tellez Giron (20-3, 13 KOs) in a 12-round lightweight bout on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.
DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotion card that includes a female undisputed flyweight championship match pitting Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz and Gabriela Fundora.
Like a young lion looking to flex, Schofield (pictured on the left) is eager to meet all the other young lions and prove they’re not equal.
“I’ve been in the room with Shakur, Tank. I want to give everyone a good fight. I feel like my preparation is getting better, I work hard, I’ve dedicated my whole life to this sport,” said Schofield naming fellow lightweights Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
Now he meets Mexico’s Tellez who has never been stopped.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” said Tellez.
Even in Las Vegas.
Verona, New York
Meanwhile, in upstate New York, a WBC junior lightweight title rematch finds Robson Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) looking to prove superior to former titlist O’Shaquie Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, N.Y. ESPN+ will stream the Top Rank fight card.
Last July, Conceicao and Foster clashed and after 12 rounds the title changed hands from Foster to the Brazilian by split decision.
“I feel that a champion is a fighter who goes out there and doesn’t run around, who looks for the fight, who tries to win, and doesn’t just throw one or two punches and then moves away,” said Conceicao.
Foster disagrees.
“I hope he knows the name of the game is to hit and not get hit. That’s the name of the game,” said Foster.
Also on the same card is lightweight contender Raymond Muratalla (21-0, 16 KOs) who fights Mexico’s Jesus Perez Campos (25-5, 18 KOs).
Perez recently defeated former world champion Jojo Diaz last February in California.
“We’re made for challenges. I like challenges,” said Perez.
Muratalla likes challenges too.
“I think these fights are the types of fights I need to show my skills and to prove I deserve those title fights,” said Fontana’s Muratalla.
Female Undisputed Flyweight Championship
WBA, WBC and WBO flyweight titlist Gabriela “La Chucky” Alaniz (15-1, 6 KOs meets IBF titlist Gabriela Fundora (14-0, 6 KOs) on Saturday Nov. 2, at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. DAZN will stream the clash for the undisputed flyweight championship.
Argentina’s Alaniz clashed twice against former WBA, WBC champ Marlen Esparza with their first encounter ending in a dubious win for the Texas fighter. In fact, three of Esparza’s last title fights were scored controversially.
But against Alaniz, though they fought on equal terms, Esparza was given a 99-91 score by one of the judges though the world saw a much closer contest. So, they fought again, but the rematch took place in California. Two judges deemed Alaniz the winner and one Esparza for a split-decision win.
“I’m really happy to be here representing Argentina. We are ready to fight. Nothing about this fight has to do with Marlen. So, I hope she (Fundora) is ready. I am ready to prepare myself for the great fight of my life,” said Alaniz.
In the case of Fundora, the extremely tall American fighter at 5’9” in height defeated decent competition including Maria Santizo. She was awarded a match with IBF flyweight titlist Arely Mucino who opted for the tall youngster over the dangerous Kenia Enriquez of Mexico.
Bad choice for Mucino.
Fundora pummeled the champion incessantly for five rounds at the Inglewood Forum a year ago. Twice she battered her down and the fight was mercifully stopped. Fundora’s arm was raised as the new champion.
Since that win Fundora has defeated Christina Cruz and Chile’s Daniela Asenjo in defense of the IBF title. In an interesting side bit: Asenjo was ranked as a flyweight contender though she had not fought in that weight class for seven years.
Still, Fundora used her reach and power to easily handle the rugged fighter from Chile.
Immediately after the fight she clamored for a chance to become undisputed.
“It doesn’t get better than this, especially being in Las Vegas. This is the greatest opportunity that we can have,” said Fundora.
It should be exciting.
Fights to Watch
Sat. ESPN+ 2:50 p.m. Robson Conceicao (19-2-1) vs O’Shaquie Foster (22-3).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Floyd Schofield (17-0) vs Rene Tellez Giron (20-3); Gabriela Alaniz (15-1) vs Gabriela Fundora (14-0).
Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy
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