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The Avila Perspective Chap. 17: Danny Roman, Terence Crawford and More
One of boxing’s biggest secrets, Danny “Baby-Faced Assassin” Roman, hit Chicago last weekend to defend the WBA super bantamweight world title for a third time. And, once again, Roman picked apart a much taller opponent, plank by plank.
The victim this time was England’s Gavin McDonnell, who had never been stopped before and had entered the boxing ring with only one loss as a professional. That lone defeat was by split decision to WBC titlist Rey Vargas.
Roman knocked out McDonnell in the 10th round at the Wintrust Arena with pinpoint punching and a right cross that he never saw. It was mesmerizing.
When you look at Roman’s record of 29 professional bouts it only shows 10 knockouts. Nowadays the first thing fans or anyone looks at are the knockouts. But there’s much more to prizefighting at the elite level. The Los Angeles-based boxer could write a thesis on the subject.
Simply, Roman is a true craftsman of the sport.
In all the years of covering prizefighting I can’t remember another world champion with less fanfare but an abundance of talent than the soft-spoken Roman. You won’t see him slapping guys in a bowling alley or throwing dice at a local casino. And you won’t see him taunting opponents before a fight or flipping off fans.
He just may be the most humble world champion today.
“He trains extremely hard. He’s one of those dedicated fighters. A very religious young man,” said Alex Camponovo, matchmaker for Thompson Boxing Promotions. “He’s put everything aside from boxing. He’s not a womanizer, drinker or a partier.”
Watching Roman fight should be a requirement for all young boxers looking to fight professionally. He’s the blueprint for successful prizefighting.
Most times Roman enters the prize ring, he’s cranking his neck up and looking at his opponent’s chin. The last four foes towered over the 5’5” Los Angeles fighter and had height advantages of more than four inches. No matter, he’s the true giant slayer.
With three successful title defenses on his resume, he’s not satisfied. He’s eager to see what the other three champions have to offer. Whether it’s Rey Vargas, TJ Doheny, or Isaac Dogboe, he wants a crack at one or all of them.
He is a prizefighter and curious where he truly rates in the boxing world.
“It has been my intention to unify ever since I became world champion last year in September,” said Roman after his win against fellow 122-pounder McDonnell. ”I don’t care who steps up to the challenge. I’ll fight any of them.”
Thompson Boxing Promotions said that efforts to negotiate with the other fighters are already underway.
“We’re looking for something possibly in February or March,” said Camponovo.
Unification might be right around the corner.
Terence Crawford
Another who seems to be slipping under the radar of the boxing world seems to be WBO welterweight world titlist Terence Crawford.
The Nebraska prizefighter crackles like a live electric wire with all the talent he possesses.
Crawford (33-0, 24 KOs) defends the WBO welterweight title against Jose Benavidez (27-0, 18 KOs) on Saturday Oct. 13 in Omaha, Nebraska. ESPN will televise the championship fight.
It’s hard to believe that Benavidez is only 26. He’s been around the pro boxing game for a very long time but started eight years ago. He seems to be even taller now than when he stepped into Freddie Roach’s gym back in 2010. He’s training in another gym nowadays and has fought twice this year after almost two years away.
It’s a solid matchup.
Crawford last defended the title back in June when he used his blinding speed to batter then WBO champ Jeff Horn for nine rounds to rip the welterweight title away from the Aussie. The fight was stopped but could have gone longer. Would Horn have won if allowed to continue?
No.
The matchup with Benavidez will allow Crawford to determine where he fares among the welterweights. Both fighters have never lost, but many cite Benavidez’s fight against Mauricio Herrera as a loss, though the judges scored otherwise back in 2014.
If you ask Crawford who he wants next, well, that’s the wrong question to ask.
“My main focus is on Benavidez. As you can see, he’s been doing a lot of talking, but while he’s talking, I’m working. So, I’m not worried about nothing that he’s saying or that he’s trying to hype up. I’m focused and I’m ready to go next week,” said Crawford.
Also on the card is Shakur Stevenson (8-0, 4 KOs) fighting Romania’s Viorel Simion (21-2, 9 KOs) for the WBC Continental Americas featherweight belt. The former Olympian has shredded his amateur ticks and fully grasped the ways of the professional fighter. If Stevenson has a chin, watch out. The jump he’s made from last year to this year has been remarkable.
West Coast Action
Thursday
OC Hangar features super middleweight Ali Akhmedov (12-0, 9 KOs) in his second appearance in Southern California when he faces Jovany Gomez (17-14) in the main event on the Roy Englebrecht Events card on Thursday, Oct. 11.
Akhmedov, 23, is trained by Abel Sanchez in Big Bear and he looked strong when he fought at the Hollywood Avalon this past August. Although he was troubled a bit by the non-aggression of his foe that night, he got the stoppage win. He’s a native of Kazakhstan. Doors open at 7 p.m.
For more information call (949) 760-3131.
Friday
Welterweight Ferdinand Kerobyan (10-0, 5 KOs) looks to keep his record spotless when he meets Rolando Mendivil (10-5) in the main event on Friday, Oct. 12, at Belasco Theater in downtown L.A. The Golden Boy Promotions card begins at 6.
Kerobyan, 20, fights out of North Hollywood and has shown to be a very entertaining fighter. Fans like his aggressiveness and willingness to mix it up, even when he can easily win by using his speed and superior athleticism. He’s a showman.
Mendivil, 22, showed a world class chin against Ireland’s talented Aaron McKenna when they clashed last August. The Mexican fighter from Sinaloa absorbed heavy punishment from the Irish welterweight but lasted the entire fight while showing some grit. It will be interesting to see how he does against Kerobyan.
Saturday
In Las Vegas, WBO light flyweight world titlist Angel Acosta (18-1, 18 KOs) looks to keep his knockout streak going and keep the world title when he fights Mexico’s Abraham Rodriguez (23-1, 11 KOs) on Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The Golden Boy Promotions fight card is co-promoted with Miguel Cotto Promotions and will be shown on Facebook’s Golden Boy Fight Night page.
Heavyweights
Last week WBC heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder and lineal world champ Tyson Fury finished their three-city international tour at Los Angeles.
In the history of heavyweight championship fights, these two have got to be the tallest to ever contend for a world title. Both are past 6’7 and their reach alone makes them formidable for any other heavyweights. And both are characters. They’re both jokesters, talkers, boasters and a few other things. Fury, in particular, brings a certain British vibe that boxing fans in Southern California are not accustomed to.
Wilder is a funny guy too. Even when he feigns seriousness, he’s basically holding back a smile. They will face each other for both the WBC world title and lineal title on Dec. 1, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Promoter Lou DiBella said that tickets immediately reached $1 million in sales the first day.
I’m extremely curious about this fight. It’s been a while since we had a good heavyweight title fight. They don’t happen every year in Los Angeles and both are big guys with big personalities.
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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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Bakhram Murtalaziev was the Fighter of the Month in October
As we close the book on October, let’s look back at the month’s stellar performances. Kenshiro Teraji added another exclamation point to his brilliant career with an 11th-round stoppage of Cristofer Rosales. England’s Jack Catterall, considered no more than a decent domestic-level talent for most of his career, showed that he had been underrated with a comprehensive 12-round decision over declining Regis Prograis. But the top performance, by a landslide, was delivered by Bakhram Murtalaziev who annihilated Tim Tszyu on Oct. 19 in Orlando, Florida.
Murtalaziev was undefeated (22-0, 16 KOs) and the reigning IBF junior middleweight champion, but he was the underdog and the “B” side. As champions go, and there are roughly five dozen across the 17 weight divisions, the California-based Russian ranked among the least well-known. He had won his title in Berlin with an 11th-round stoppage of an unexceptional 38-year-old German-Ecuadorian campaigner, Jack Culcay, and he would be making his first defense.
Managed by Egis Klimas who also handles Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko, among others, Bakhram Murtalaziev came from a good barn in the vernacular of a horseplayer, but on paper that alone was insufficient to get him over the hump against Tim Tszyu who a few short months earlier was widely considered the best 154-pound boxer in the world.
That was before he met up with Sebastian Fundora who blemished his record, but that setback could have been written off as a fluke.
As we recall, Tszyu was scheduled to fight Keith Thurman in the initial PBC offering on Amazon Prime Video, but Thurman suffered a biceps injury in training and Fundora was bumped up from the undercard to fill the breach. With only 12 days’ notice, Tim Tszyu went from fighting a five-foot-seven fighter who fights out of an orthodox stance to fighting a southpaw who stood almost a full foot taller. The “Towering Inferno” has his limitations, but poses a special problem to anyone, let alone an opponent with little time to formulate a good game plan.
Tszyu was hampered in the Fundora fight by a gash on his hairline that hampered his vision. The injury happened in the second round when he ducked under Fundora and walked into an elbow. The gash bled copiously throughout the fight and yet the best that Fundora could do was win a split (albeit fair) decision.
To say that Tszyu failed to rebound from the Fundora misadventure would be putting it mildly. Murtalaziev steamrolled him, knocking him to the canvas four times in all before Tszyu’s corner tossed in the towel at the 1:55 mark of the third stanza. It was painful to watch. Referee Chris Young was faulted for allowing the match to continue as long as it did. Compounding Tszyu’s misery, his celebrated father, a first ballot Hall of Famer, was ringside. Kostya Tszyu hadn’t seen his oldest son fight in the flesh since Tim’s pro debut in 2016.
Although the dichotomy is imperfect, Tim Tszyu, who turns 30 on Saturday, is more of a puncher than a boxer. That may work against him so far as clawing his way back to a position of prominence. The noted boxing coach Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, a keen student of the history of boxing in the modern era, expressed this sentiment in a Q and A story for Boxing Scene. “Destructive fighters usually don’t come back to full capacity after bad KO losses,” he said, citing John Mugabi, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, and Naseem Hamed to illustrate his point. Moreover, added Edwards, “No one will ever be afraid of him again.”
But there were two stories that emerged from the Murtalaziev-Tszyu fight. Tim Tszyu crashed, but Bakhram Murtalaziev emerged from obscurity, announcing his presence (pardon the cliché) as a force to be reckoned with. As for his next assignment, the best guess is that it will come against Sebastian Fundora or Errol Spence Jr. who are expected to meet early next year. And based on Murtalaziev’s stunning performance in Orlando, it will be impossible to bet against him.
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Foreman-Moorer: 30 Years Later
Foreman-Moorer: 30 Years Later
By TSS SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT JAMIE REBNER — In sports, middle-aged athletes are not supposed to beat opponents who are half their age and in their athletic primes. Only the greatest ones can use guile, technique, and experience to compensate for the dulling of speed, reflexes, and athleticism that have unavoidably eroded with time.
That is why George Foreman’s feat of reclaiming the heavyweight title at 45 is so impressive. It was thirty years ago this coming Tuesday, Nov 5, 1994, that Foreman scored a monumental upset in knocking out Michael Moorer to win back the title he had lost twenty years prior against Muhammad Ali in The Rumble in the Jungle. In doing so, Big George became the oldest heavyweight champion, breaking the record previously held by Jersey Joe Walcott, who had won the title at 38.
When Foreman beat Moorer, he was in the twilight of his second career, a comeback that began in 1987. George had retired in 1977 after losing to Jimmy Young and experiencing a spiritual awakening in his locker room. That led him to become a minister and devote himself to his family and congregation. During his retirement, he opened a youth center in Houston, which required much financial support, prompting him to return to the ring.
After winning 24 straight fights from 1987-1990, Foreman lost his first title shot by decision to Evander Holyfield in 1991. He rebounded from that loss with three more wins before getting a crack at the WBO title against Tommy Morrison in 1993. But his performance against Morrison was disappointing and he lost another decision. After that, Foreman was out of the ring for 17 months before he was gifted another title shot against Moorer.
Foreman got that gift because Moorer, due to his sullen demeanor and curtness with the media, was not a draw with the fans. He was also an unproven champion, having beaten Holyfield for two belts only seven months prior. So. Moorer needed a name opponent who could bring in the crowds for his first title defense. And the other top heavyweights like Oliver McCall (WBC champ), Lennox Lewis, and Riddick Bowe didn’t have close to Foreman’s drawing power. So. deserving or not, Foreman was chosen as the challenger to make a fight that would be worth the public’s attention and pockets.
Even Foreman was surprised by getting selected to fight Moorer. “I never in my wildest imagination thought I’d get a title shot again,” he told Associated Press sports columnist Tim Dahlberg. Still, George was determined to make his third time a charm.
But as motivated as George was, there was an irrefutable gap in speed between himself and the much younger champion. From the opening bell, Moorer used his superior quickness and reflexes to make Foreman look stiff and slow. And although George landed punches early on, he fired them one at a time while Moorer countered with multiple shots. But despite Moorer’s advantage in connects, his trainer Teddy Atlas advised him from the get-go not to stand in front of Foreman and make himself a stationary target for a right-hand bomb.
But Moorer failed to heed that advice as he continued to outwork Foreman in the middle rounds. Although he was winning, Moorer’s overconfidence kept him at close quarters, and he continued to circle unwisely to his left and into Foreman’s dangerous right hand. And despite absorbing many quality shots, Foreman never appeared hurt or discouraged thanks to his granite chin and unyielding resolve. He was determined to win and he was willing to walk through as many flush shots as he needed to do so.
With Moorer content to stay in range, Foreman gladly returned his firepower and he landed some telling right crosses, uppercuts, and plenty of thudding body blows during the battle. And while Moorer continued to pile up points and rounds, as long as George was marching forward and throwing shots, he had a puncher’s chance.
And with a minute to go in round ten, that punch came. After missing a three-punch combination, Foreman scored with a one-two, with the right hand landing on the forehead. He immediately repeated that combination but this time aimed the right hand lower on Moorer’s jaw. That slight adjustment caused his bulldozer right to collide perfectly with Moorer’s chin, sending the champion crashing to the canvas and sprawled onto his back. The champion couldn’t beat the count, and just like that, the fight was over, Moorer’s short-lived title run ending before it ever truly began.
With a single, shattering blow, Foreman etched his name into boxing history. Wearing the same trunks from Zaire 20 years before, he was now heavyweight champion of the world once again. It was a shocking result that defied conventional wisdom since seldom do 45-year-old boxers score knockouts over champions in their athletic primes. But Foreman reminded us that he was anything but your typical quadragenarian. He was special, and he had two distinct heavyweight championship reigns to prove it.
—
About the author:
Jamie Rebner lives in Toronto, Canada. He has been a freelance boxing writer since 2016 and his writing has appeared in The Fight City, Boxing News Online, The Ring, and Ringside Seat magazine. His Substack blog is Fight Fundamental, and he is currently writing a book about George Foreman’s comeback. He is also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @J_NReb.
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