2018 Awards Rush: Some Worthy Candidates Too Late to Join Party

Published

6 years ago

December 25, 2018

There was a commercial for a particular brand of coffee that once advised the public that its brewed product was “good to the last drop.”

And so it is with the overseers of many boxing publications and web sites, who, best intentions aside, might now seem oblivious to the fact that the Chicago Tribune, in its haste to be first at the possible expense of being right, infamously printed the front-page headline that “Dewey Defeats Truman” in its Nov. 3, 1948, editions. Oops, Harry S Truman, not Thomas Dewey, actually won that presidential election when all of the nation’s votes were counted.

The Tribune’s legendary rush to judgment, alas, has been repeated or at least hinted at in years since, reinforcing the late Spanish philosopher and essayist George Santayana’s sage observation that those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. On July 6, 2004, the New York Post, based on supposedly unimpeachable sources, “beat” all other news outlets when it ran a front-page headline advising readers that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry had chosen Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt to be his running mate. But as is the case in Aesop’s Fables, in which the slow and steady tortoise finds a way to beat the hare to the finish line, some races do not go to the swift; the following day the Post sheepishly joined all those smug stragglers in revealing that Kerry’s actual pick was North Carolina Senator John Edwards.

The far-flung events of Dec. 22, in boxing rings in America and the United Kingdom, again demonstrated that a calendar year consists of 365 days, not 355, and it might be best not to make any announcements until all the precincts have reported and the New Year is ushered in by that big ball dropping in Times Square at the stroke of midnight.

In keeping with tradition that might now need to be reconsidered, the Boxing Writers Association of America, which I once served as president and continue to serve as awards chairman, held separate business meetings in Los Angeles and New York in December in which nominations for the BWAA’s annual awards were submitted by members in attendance. The votes from both meetings are the basis for formulating final ballots in each of the categories. For what it’s worth, there is a time imperative to start the ball rolling some weeks before the end of the year, the better to begin the process of collecting the votes of eligible electors, announcing the winners and, in the BWAA’s case, arranging for said winners to attend the BWAA Awards Dinner, the date and site of which usually have not been determined that far in advance. Some awards require significant lead time to prepare.

The Sweet Science also has its “Best of” awards in any given year, as do ESPN, The Ring and any number of other media outlets that don’t want somebody else, or several somebodies, to jump to the front of the line. It’s understandable, and it explains why, on election night, major news networks project certain candidates to be winners even if small percentages of the votes have been tabulated. Usain Bolt might not have won all those Olympic gold medals if other sprinters were allowed to get away with false starts. And, far more often than not, getting there first often is still the correct call.

But Dec. 22 proved that the current system employed by many media outlets is not infallible. TSS’ choice for Knockout of the Year, 21-year-old lightweight Teofimo Lopez’s first-round knockout of Mason Menard on Dec. 8, was posted on this site on Dec. 20 and under normal circumstances might be considered a no-brainer. Lopez’s overhand right landed with such concussive force that Menard was out cold before he plunged on the canvas in the first round, a kayo so emphatic that it reinforced Lopez’s burgeoning reputation as a big hitter and star-in-the-making. Only two weeks later, however, highly regarded heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte, who had traded bombs with Dereck Chisora from the opening bell, delivered a turn-out-the-lights left hook in the 11^th round in London that sent Chisora sprawling onto his back, every bit as knocked out as Menard had been.

As exclamation-point finishes go, there might not be much to choose between Lopez’s crushing of Menard and Whyte’s wipeout of a very game Chisora. But consider this: Whyte trailed, 95-94, on two of the three official scorecards at the time he landed that haymaker of a hook (Chisora was ahead by the same margin on the other card), and with the victory he might have vaulted ahead of Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller as the next opponent to be faced by IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on April 13 in London’s Wembley Stadium. Given the possible implications of a Joshua-Whyte rematch – Joshua stopped Whyte in a dandy fight for the vacant British heavyweight title on Dec. 12, 2015 – would that have been enough to have slid Whyte-Chisora II (another rematch of an exciting original) in ahead of Lopez-Menard? It’s a moot point now, but worth considering.

Nor is Whyte-Chisora II a candidate for BWAA Fight of the Year, which most might assume would have been the case if that ballot had not been finalized beforehand. TSS’ pick for Fight of the Year, the Gennady Golovkin-Canelo Alvarez rematch, is a reasonable enough choice, and that hugely consequential clash for middleweight supremacy likely will go head-to-head for the designation from the BWAA with the epic Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury draw and Jarrett Hurd’s rousing, split decision over Erislandy Lara in their super welterweight unification showdown.

At least Wilder-Fury has a chance at being voted BWAA Fight of the Year. For the fighters themselves, mere participation in such a classic apparently doesn’t count for much, as is often the case when draws are involved. Although attendees at both BWAA business meetings, which took place prior to Wilder-Fury, nominated the winner for a place on the Fighter of the Year ballot, there was no winner, although backers of each man have their own thoughts about that. If nothing else, Wilder-Fury I – there has to be a do-over soon, right? – proved that it is possible to not only have an individual or a team lose on a tie, but for both parties to do so.

At least TSS’ Upset of the Year – Eleider Alvarez’s seventh-round knockout of favored WBO light heavyweight titlist Sergey Kovalev – left no doubt as to whom the winner was, or deserved to be. Were it not for the way that fight ended, Tony Harrison’s disputed unanimous- decision dethronement of WBC super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo, also on Dec. 22, and in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, might have entered into the discussion.

No system for determining, well, anything is flawless. There isn’t always enough time to do a job perfectly, no matter how much we might wish to, not with budget restrictions and deadline pressure complicating the process. On Dec. 22, a day that might have altered at least some people’s perception of a couple of End-of-Year awards, 96.98 percent of the year’s boxing business already had been concluded. It might not seem like there was much time to squeeze in a very late surprise here or there, but it left a heck of a lot more room for revision than is given to anyone who purchases a Powerball Lottery ticket.

But someone occasionally wins the big Powerball prize, and maybe even will do so when the numbered ping pong balls come up again on Dec. 26. A hopeful ticket holder could learn that his longest of long shot dreams have come true the day after Christmas, but so what? Like they say, better late than never.

Bernard Fernandez is the retired boxing writer for the Philadelphia Daily News. He is a five-term former president of the Boxing Writers Association of America, an inductee into the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Atlantic City Boxing Halls of Fame and the recipient of the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism and the Barney Nagler Award for Long and Meritorious Service to Boxing.

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Bernard Fernandez

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Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results

Published

1 day ago

January 25, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results

LAS VEGAS, NV – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Promotions was at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas tonight for the second half of a DAZN doubleheader that began in Nottingham, England. In the main event, Diego Pacheco, ranked #1 by the WBO at super middleweight, continued his ascent toward a world title with a unanimous decision over Steven Nelson.

Pacheco glides round the ring smoothly whereas Nelson wastes a lot energy with something of a herky-jerky style. However, although Nelson figured to slow down as the fight progressed, he did some of his best work in rounds 11 and 12. Fighting with a cut over his left eye from round four, a cut that periodically reopened, the gritty Nelson fulfilled his promise that he would a fight as if he had everything to lose if he failed to win, but it just wasn’t enough, even after his Omaha homie Terence “Bud” Crawford entered his corner before the last round to give him a pep talk (back home in North Omaha, Nelson runs the B&B (Bud and Bomac) Sports Academy.

All three judges had it 117-111 for Pacheco who mostly fought off his back foot but landed the cleaner punches throughout. A stablemate of David Benavidez and trained by David’s father Jose Benevidez Sr, Pacheco improved to 23-0 (18). It was the first pro loss for the 36-year-old Nelson (20-1).

Semi wind-up

Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, who as a pro has never fought a match slated for fewer than 10 rounds, had too much class for Hermosillo, Mexico’s rugged Omar Salcido who returned to his corner with a puffy face after the fourth stanza, but won the next round and never stopped trying. The outcome was inevitable even before the final round when Salcido barely made it to the final gun, but the Mexican was far more competitive than many expected.

The Cuban, who was 4-0 vs. Keyshawn Davis in closely-contested bouts as an amateur, advanced his pro record to 5-0 (2), winning by scores by 99-91 and 98-92 twice. Salido, coming off his career-best win, a 9^th-round stoppage of former WBA super featherweight title-holder Chris Colbert, falls to 20-2.

Other TV bouts

Ernesto “Tito” Mercado, a 23-year-old super lightweight, aims to become the next world champion from Pomona, California, following in the footsteps of the late Richie Sandoval and Sugar Shane Mosely, and based on his showing tonight against former Beijing Olympian and former two-division title-holder Jose Pedraza, he is well on his way.

After three rounds after what had been a technical fight, Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) knocked Pedraza off his pins with an overhand right followed by short left hand. Pedraza bounced back and fell on his backside. When he arose on unsteady legs, the bout was waived off. The official time was 2:08 of round four and the fading, 35-year-old Pedraza (29-7-1) was saddled with his third loss in his last four outings.

The 8-round super lightweight clash between Israel Mercado (no relation to “Tito”) and Leonardo Rubalcava was fan-friendly skirmish with many robust exchanges. When the smoke cleared, the verdict was a majority draw. Mercado got the nod on one card (76-74), but was overruled by a pair of 75-75 scores.

Mercado came out strong in the opening round, but suffered a flash knockdown before the round ended. The referee ruled it a slip but was overruled by replay operator Jay Nady and what would have been a 10-9 round for Mercado became a 10-8 round for Rubalcava. Mercado lost another point in round seven when he was penalized for low blows.

The scores were 76-74 for Mercado (11-1-2) and 75-75 twice. The verdict was mildly unpopular with most thinking that Mercado deserved the nod. Reportedly a four-time Mexican amateur champion, Rubalcava (9-0-1) is trained by Robert Garcia.

Also

New Matchroom signee Nishant Dev, a 24-year-old southpaw from India, had an auspicious pro debut (pardon the cliché). Before a beaming Eddie Hearn, Dev stopped Oakland’s Alton Wiggins (1-1-1) in the opening round. The referee waived it off after the second knockdown.

Boxers from India have made large gains at the amateur level in recent years and Matchroom honcho Eddie Hearn anticipates that Dev, a Paris Olympian, will be the first fighter from India to make his mark as a pro.

Undefeated Brooklyn lightweight Harley Mederos, managed by the influential Keith Connolly, scored his seventh knockout in eight tries with a brutal third-round KO of Mexico’s Arturo de Isla.

A left-right combination knocked de Isla (5-3-1) flat on his back. Referee Raul Caiz did not bother to count and several minutes elapsed before the stricken fighter was fit to leave the ring. The official time was 1:27 of round three.

In the opener, Newark junior lightweight Zaquin Moses, a cousin of Shakur Stevenson, improved to 2-0 when his opponent retired on his stool after the opening round.

Photo credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom

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Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City

Published

2 days ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Najee-Lopez-Steps-Up-in-Class-and-Wins-Impressively-at-Plant-City

Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his last three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).

Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.

In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.

The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.

Co-Feature

In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.

Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.

What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.

The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.

Also

In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).

A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, applied the exclamation point, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.

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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim

Published

3 days ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Japanese-Superstar-Naoya-Inoue-is-Headed-to-Vegas-after-KOing-Y-Joon-Kim

Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11^th 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 Brandon Figueroa should he defeat former Inoue foe Stephen Fulton next weekend. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa 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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