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Fast Results from New York: Conlan Pitches a Shutout but the Leprechaun Loses
For the third straight year, Top Rank honcho Bob Arum brought New Yorkers a boxing card on St. Patrick’s Day. And for the third straight year his primary allurement was Michael Conlan, the former Olympian from Belfast. Conlan made his pro debut at this venue and his bout tonight in the Hulu Theater of Madison Square Garden was his fifth visit to the Big Apple.
In his last start, in Manchester, England, Conlan stepped up in class against clever Jason Cunningham and was extended the 10-round distance for the first time in his career. His opponent tonight, Ruben Garcia Hernandez (24-3-2 heading in) was seemingly a notch above Cunningham. Hernandez’s first two losses were to undefeated fighters and his third was a loss on points to Nonito Donaire, a world title-holder several times over. But Hernandez brought nothing to the table and Conlan, now 11-0, won every round on all three cards in a bout without an indelible moment.
The opposite side of the coin is that Conlan never had an anxious moment. One could say that he put on a clinic while keeping his undefeated record intact.
Paddy Barnes, dubbed the Leprechaun during his storied amateur career, wasn’t so fortunate.
In a major upset, the two-time Olympian from Belfast, lost a 6-round split decision to Dallas bantamweight Oscar Mojica (12-5-1). Two judges favored Mojica 58-56. The third gave it to Barnes by the same score, but Barnes had no quibble with the decision, saying in his mind he lost every round.
It was the second straight loss for Barnes (5-2), a two-time Olympian from Belfast who was dubbed the Leprechaun during his storied amateur career. He came in at 119 pounds, seven more than he weighed in his last start against Cristofer Rosales, but Mojica, who had a three-inch height advantage, was still the bigger man. The Texan bloodied Barnes’ nose in the first round and landed the harder punches.
Barnes was walked into the ring by his Belfast bosom buddy Carl Frampton, Top Rank’s newest signee. After the fight, he indicated that he would likely retire.
In the televised co-feature, a battle of two heavily tattooed welterweights, 37-year-old southpaw Luis Collazo, a 19-year pro, scored a 10-round split decision over Samuel Vargas. The scores were 98-92, 96-94, 94-96.
Way back in 2005, Collazo, a Brooklynite, won the WBA version of the world welterweight title on the road in Worcester, Massachusetts. Tonight’s win advanced his record to 39-7 (20). Vargas, a 29-year-old Columbian who fights out of Toronto, falls to 30-5-2 (14).
Both Collazo and Vargas went 12 rounds with Amir Khan who fights here next month in the big room against Terence Crawford.
Other Bouts
Josue Vargas, a 20-year-old Bronx lad of Puerto Rican descent, showboated his way to a shutout over Adriano Ramirez (10-3) of the Dominican Republic in a 6-round junior welterweight contest. Vargas is now 13-1 (8). His lone defeat was via a disqualification.
Joseph Adorno, who was 11-0 going in with 10 knockouts, seven in the opening round, had a harder time than expected in turning away Victor Rosas in a 6-round lightweight contest. Adorno prevailed by scores of 58-54 on all three cards. From Allentown, Pennsylvania, the 19-year-old Adorno is of Puerto Rican descent. Rosas, a tough Tex-Mex from Laredo, has lost five of his last six but is yet better than his 10-9 record would suggest.
Junior welterweight John Bauza, a 20-year-old Puerto Rican who currently resides in North Bergen, New Jersey, punished Ricardo Maldonado across six lopsided rounds, winning by scores of 60-54 on all three cards. Bauza improved to 12-0 (5). The stubborn Maldonado, from Arlington, Washington, declined to 8-9-1.
Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin, a recent Top Rank signee, improved to 3-0 with a six-round majority decision over Brownsville, Texas, campaigner Juan Tapia (8-4). One judge had it even but the other two favored Nikitin 59-55.
Nikitin, whose style appears better suited for the amateur game, outpointed Michael Conlan at the Rio Olympics, a decision that unleashed a storm of protest. He and Conlan will undoubtedly meet up again soon.
In a 4-round welterweight match, Lee Reeves (3-0) won all four rounds on all three cards vs. San Antonio’s Eduardo Torres (1-2). The 23-year-old Reeves, from Limerick, Ireland, is a two-time national Irish amateur champion.
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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 least 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, delivered the coup-de-gras, 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
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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