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Ryan Garcia Wins in a Flash and Puerto Rico’s Acosta Keeps WBO Title by KO
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INDIO, Calif.-Ryan “The Flash” Garcia may not have a world title but that didn’t stop rabid Southern California fans from making the long desert trek to watch Golden Boy’s brightest prospect win another fight by knockout on Saturday.
Despite the short fight, the fans got what they wanted.
A sold out crowd saw Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) dismantle Puerto Rico’s Jose Lopez (20-4-1, 14 KOs) within three rounds at Fantasy Springs Casino in a lightweight fight. And if you listen to Garcia, a world title fight should be on this year’s agenda.
It didn’t take long for Garcia to find the openings against Lopez who was willing but a tad too slow. In the opening round with only 10 seconds remaining the lean sharpshooting Garcia unleashed a blistering six-punch volley that staggered Lopez at the end of the bell.
In the second round Lopez took the initiative and tried to pressure Garcia into the ropes but he slickly turned the tables and had the Puerto Rican fighter on the ropes instead.
“That’s the one thing I’ve been working on (defense). I’m just working with the best,” said Garcia.
Things just didn’t work out for Lopez, especially when Garcia rocketed a right off his head. It forced the Boricua to look for an escape route. There was none to be found and Garcia trailed him while firing about a dozen blows that saw Lopez collapse to his knees.
“He kept ducking so I just followed him wherever he went,” Garcia said,
Lopez got up before the count expired and the bell rang ending the round. No matter, Lopez’s corner decided their fighter was finished and referee Jack Reiss signaled a knockout win for Garcia at 3 minutes of the second round.
“I need stiffer competition. Do I think I’m ready for world title competition? I’m ready for it,” said Garcia while standing with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya. “I train with my brother (Canelo) right here,” said Garcia. “I’m training with Eddy Reynoso one of the best trainers in the world. I’m getting better and better and I’m going to get ready for it.”
Alvarez said he was satisfied with Garcia’s performance
“He does what he does in the gym and a lot of people can’t do that,” said Canelo. “He knows what he has to do. He needs to focus on boxing. He already has a lot of fans.”
Is Garcia ready for a world title fight?
“He’s on his way. He’s going to prove it again,” said De La Hoya whose company promotes Garcia. “It’s going to happen sooner or later.”
Acosta Retains WBO Title
WBO light flyweight titlist Angel “Tito” Acosta was not about to let another Mexican fighter take a world title away from a Puerto Rican and guaranteed it with a knockout win on Saturday.
Acosta (20-1, 20 KOs) walked into the lion’s den against Mexican contender Ganigan Lopez (35-9, 19 KOs) at Fantasy Springs Casino, the same venue where his countryman and stablemate Alberto Machado lost his world title to another Mexican fighter two months ago.
Not this time.
Looking sharp and in command Acosta grabbed the first four rounds with steady pressure. Neither fighter was able to connect much and each displayed excellent defense.
Lopez picked up the tempo in the fifth and sixth round behind some blows to the body and was able to slip and counter effectively. But that was about all Acosta was going to allow.
“We worked on walking him down smartly,” said Acosta who trained in Los Angeles with Freddie Roach.
In the eighth round Acosta stepped up his tempo and both fighters exchanged crisp combinations. Acosta connected with a blistering left hook that wobbled Lopez and another two blows had the Mexican fighter trying to hang on but he fell to the ground. He was unable to beat referee Raul Caiz Jr.’s count at 1:55 of the round. Acosta retains the world title and is looking for more.
“I want to unify but I also want to get the big purses. There’s the WBC champion Ken Shiro and the WBA champion Hiroto Kyoguchi,” said Acosta. “I want 25 fights and 25 knockouts.”
Other Bouts
Puerto Rican welterweight Danielito Zorrilla (11-0, 9 KOs) faced veteran Mexican Gamaliel Diaz (40-20-3), a former world champion, and sent him home wondering what happened. A counter left hook by Zorrilla deposited Diaz to the floor and the old veteran could not get up at 2:59 of round two. Zorrilla grabbed his ninth knockout win.
A battle of super featherweights contenders saw Mexico’s Rocky Hernandez (28-0-3, 25 KOs) track down Tanzania’s Ibrahim Class (22-6, 10 KOs) and floor the taller fighter twice in the second round. A three-punch combination floored Class in the corner and after the fight resumed a right uppercut by Hernandez delivered the killing blow as the Tanzanian fighter was counted out by referee Tom Taylor at 1:58 of the second round for a knockout.
Fresh off a recent world title challenge, Antonio Orozco (28-1, 17 KOs) shook off the rust and disappointment of losing to world champion Jose Ramirez with a steady and disciplined effort against Mexico’s Juan Rodriguez (25-13-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight fight. Orozco looked relaxed and determined and turned up the juice midway through the fight.
Joet Gonzalez (22-0, 13 KOs) battered Rodrigo Guerrero (26-8-2, 16 KOs) and won by technical knockout in the fifth round of their featherweight match. Guerrero had never been knocked out before but Gonzalez was too sharp and skilled and was able to connect with sneaky right uppercuts and body shots that felled the Mexican fighter twice before referee Jerry Cantu stopped the fight at 2:57 of round five.
It was an impressive performance and showed the Southern California contender is ready for top competition in the featherweight division. He’s anxious for a world title fight and just might be a tick away from making it happen.
Ireland’s Aaron “The Silencer” McKenna (7-0, 4 KOs) used his length and steady jabs to deliver Loretto Olivas (3-1) his first loss as a professional. McKenna floored Olivas in the first round with a strong one-two and from there on was in complete control to win by unanimous decision after six rounds in a welterweight fight.
“I sparred over 180 rounds with some good fighters like Javier Molina, Sergey Lipinets and Amir Khan for this fight,” said McKenna, 19, who trains in Southern California but is a native of Monaghan, Ireland.
Olivas never quit trying but McKenna was too much of everything and showed the ability to fight at the proper distance and do it well. All three judges scored it 60-53 for McKenna.
“I got a good six rounds against a very tough fighter,” said McKenna. “I was able to work on the one-two that we worked on a lot for this fight.”
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Cain Sandoval KOs Mark Bernaldez in the Featured Bout at Santa Ynez
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Northern California’s Cain Sandoval remained undefeated with a knockout win over Mark Bernaldez in a super lightweight battle on Friday on a 360 Promotions card.
Sandoval (15-0, 13 KOs) of Sacramento needed four rounds to figure out tough Filipino fighter Bernaldez (25-7, 14 KOs) in front of a packed crowd at Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez.
Bernaldez had gone eight rounds against Mexico’s very tough Oscar Duarte. He showed no fear for Sandoval’s reputed power and both fired bombs at each other from the second round on.
Things turned in favor of Sandoval when he targeted the body and soon had Bernaldez in retreat. It was apparent Sandoval had discovered a weakness.
In the beginning of the fourth Sandoval fired a stiff jab to the body that buckled Bernaldez but he did not go down. And when both resumed in firing position Sandoval connected with an overhand right and down went the Filipino fighter. He was counted out by referee Rudy Barragan at 34 seconds of the round.
“I’m surprised he took my jab to the body. I respect that. I have a knockout and I’m happy about that,” Sandoval said.
Other Bouts
Popular female fighter Lupe Medina (9-0) remained undefeated with a solid victory over the determined Agustina Vazquez (4-3-2) by unanimous decision after eight rounds in a minimumweight fight between Southern Californians.
Early on Vazquez gave Medina trouble disrupting her patter with solid jabs. And when Medina overloaded with combination punches, she was laced with counters from Vazquez during the first four rounds.
Things turned around in the fifth round as Medina used a jab to keep Vazquez at a preferred distance. And when she attacked it was no more than two-punch combination and maintaining a distance.
Vazquez proved determined but discovered clinching was not a good idea as Medina took advantage and overran her with blows. Still, Vazquez looked solid. All three judges saw it 79-73 for Medina.
A battle between Southern Californian’s saw Compton’s Christopher Rios (11-2) put on the pressure all eight rounds against Eastvale’s Daniel Barrera (8-1-1) and emerged the winner by majority decision in a flyweight battle.
It was Barrera’s first loss as a pro. He never could discover how to stay off the ropes and that proved his downfall. Neither fighter was knocked down but one judge saw it 76-76, and two others 79-73 for Rios.
In a welterweight fight Gor Yeritsyan (20-1,16 KOs) scorched Luis Ramos (23-7) with a 12-punch combination the sent him to the mat in the second round. After Ramos beat the count he was met with an eight punch volley and the fight was stopped at 2:11 of the second round by knockout.
Super feather prospect Abel Mejia (7-0, 5 KOs) floored Alfredo Diaz (9-12) in the fifth round but found the Mexican fighter to be very durable in their six-round fight. Mejia caught Diaz with a left hook in the fifth round for a knockdown. But the fight resumed with all three judges scoring it 60-53 for Mejia who fights out of El Modena, Calif.
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The Return of David Alaverdian
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By TSS Special Correspondent David Harazduk — After David Alaverdian (8-0-1, 6 KOs) scored a gritty victory against a tough Nicaraguan journeyman named Enrique Irias, his plans suddenly changed. The flashy flyweight from Nahariya, Israel hoped to face even tougher opposition and then challenge for a world title within a year or so. But a prolonged illness forced David to rip up the script.
The Irias fight was over 22 months ago. On Saturday, Feb. 22, Alaverdian will be making his first appearance in the ring since that win when he faces veteran road warrior Josue “Zurdo” Morales (31-16-4, 13 KOs) at the Westgate Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. It’s the fifth promotion by Las Vegas attorney Stephen Reid whose inaugural card was at this venue on Feb. 13, 2020.
“I’m excited to come back,” Alaverdian declared.
During his preparation for Irias two years ago, Alaverdian felt fatigue after a routine six-round sparring session. “It was on April 1, 2023, about ten days before my fight. It felt like an April Fool’s joke,” he said. He came down with a sore throat, a headache, and congestion. He soon developed trouble breathing. At first, he thought his seasonal asthma had flared up, but his condition soon worsened. No matter what he did, Alaverdian could no longer take deep breaths. Fatigue continued to plague him. His heart constantly raced. Instead of breathing from his diaphragm, he was breathing from his chest. He sought out numerous doctors in the United States and in Israel.
His symptoms were finally diagnosed as Dysfunctional Breathing (DB). DB is a condition that can stem from stress and is often misdiagnosed. Its symptoms include dyspnea and tachycardia, both of which David experienced.
While receiving treatment, the Vegas-based pro went back to Israel where he coached aspiring fighters. “David’s influence on Israeli boxing is amazing, because he shows we can succeed in a big business even though we come from a small country,” said another undefeated Israeli flyweight, 20-year-old Yonatan Landman (7-0, 7 KOs). “A lot more Israelis are going to dare to succeed.”
Landman was able to work with Alaverdian during David’s return to Israel. “He is a great guy and a friend,” Landman said. “He has a lot of willingness to help, share his knowledge, and help you move forward.”
Alaverdian finally started to feel like he could compete again eight months ago. He won last year’s Israeli national amateur championship and competed in Olympic qualifiers. Now, he’s preparing to fight as a professional once again. “He doesn’t mention anything about [his breathing issues] like he did before,” his coach Cedric Ferguson said about this camp. “He’s been working like there’s no issue at all.”
It has been a whirlwind week for the 31-year-old Alaverdian. In addition to putting the finishing touches on his preparation ahead of Saturday’s comeback fight, David got married on Tuesday. His mom came over from Israel for the wedding and will stay for the fight. “It’s a good distraction,” David said of this week’s significant events. “It helps me. That way I don’t have to focus on the fight all day.”
Josue Morales, a 32 year old from Houston, hopes to play spoiler on Saturday. The crafty southpaw has never been stopped during his 52-fight career. “He’s a seasoned guy with a lot of experience,” Alaverdian said of Morales. “He knows how to move around the ring and is more of a technical boxer. He’s a tough opponent for someone who has been out of the ring for two years.”
A win Saturday night would complete a monumental week for David Alaverdian, both in and out of the ring, repairing the once-shredded script.
Doors open at the Westgate fight arena at 6:30 pm. The first bout goes at 7:00. Seven fights are scheduled including an 8-round female fight between Las Vegas light flyweight Yadira Bustillos and Argentine veteran Tamara Demarco.
NOTE: Author David Harazduk has run The Jewish Boxing Blog since 2010. You can find him at Twitter/X @JewishBoxing and Instagram.
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Two Candidates for the Greatest Fight Card in Boxing History
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Two Candidates for the Greatest Fight Card in Boxing History
Saturday’s fight card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, topped by the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol for undisputed light heavyweight supremacy, was being hyped as the greatest boxing card ever. That was before Daniel Dubois took ill and had to pull out of his IBF world heavyweight title defense against Joseph Parker, yielding his slot to last-minute replacement Martin Bakole.
The view from here is that the card remains in the running for the best fight card ever, top to bottom. The public didn’t view Dubois as the legitimate heavyweight champion. That distinction goes to Oleksandr Usyk.
Terms like “greatest” are, of course, subjective. Are we referring to the most attractive match-ups or the greatest array of talent, or the card that gives the most satisfaction by churning out a multiplicity of entertaining fights?
We won’t know how satisfying this card is until after the fact. We won’t know whether the talent on display was the greatest ever assembled on one night until many years have passed. Contestants such as Shakur Stevenson, Vergil Ortiz Jr, and Hamzah Sheeraz are still in their twenties (Stevenson is the oldest of the three at age 27) and it’s too soon to gauge if they will leave the sport with a great legacy.
As for which fight card in history had the deepest pool of attractive match-ups, this is a query that is amenable to an operational definition. Betting lines are a useful tool for informing us whether or not a fight warrants our attention if the likelihood of witnessing a closely-contested bout is our primary consideration.
Based on these factors, I would submit that the current leader in the race for the best card ever assembled goes to Don King’s May 7, 1994 promotion at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Six future Hall of Famers – Julio Cesar Chavez, Ricardo Lopez, Azumah Nelson, Terry Norris, Julian Jackson, and Christy Martin — were on that card, an 11-fight, eight-hour marathon with five WBC world title fights, four of which were rematches.
These were the five title fights:
140 pounds: Julio Cesar Chavez (89-1-1, 77 KOs) vs. Frankie Randall (49-2-1, 39 KOs)
Odds: Chavez 3/1 (minus-300)
154 pounds: Terry Norris (37-4, 23 KOs) vs. Simon Brown (41-2, 30 KOs)
Odds: even (11/10 and take your pick)
160 pounds: Gerald McClellan (30-2, 28 KOs) vs. Julian Jackson (48-2, 45 KOs)
Odds: McClellan 7/2 (minus-350)
130 pounds: Azumah Nelson (37-2-2, 26 KOs) vs. Jesse James Leija (27-0-2, 13 KOs)
Odds: Nelson 17/10 (minus-170)
105 pounds: Ricardo Lopez (36-0, 27 KOs) vs. Kermin Guardia (21-0, 14 KOs)
Odds: none
Results
Chavez-Randall — Julio Cesar Chavez avenged his loss to Frankie Randall, but not without controversy. An accidental clash of heads in the eighth round left Chavez with a bad gash on his forehead. Ring physician Flip Homansky would have allowed the bout to continue if that had been Chavez’s preference, but El Gran Campeon wasn’t so inclined. A WBC rule specified that in the event of a significant injury accruing from an accidental head butt, the less-damaged fighter is penalized a point. The fight went to the scorecards where Chavez won a split decision that would have been a draw without the point deduction. The crowd was overwhelmingly pro-Chavez, but the big bets were mostly on Randall and the odds got nicked down on the day of the fight.
Brown-Norris — In their first meeting in December of the previous year, Simon Brown dominated Terry Norris from the opening bell before stopping him in the fourth round. It was a massive upset. Norris was in the conversation for the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. In the rematch, Norris opened a slight favorite, but the late money was on Brown. And, once again, the so-called “sharps” were on the wrong side. Terry Norris, the would-be avenger, won a comfortable decision.
McClellan-Jackson — A murderous puncher, Gerald McClellan bombed out Julian Jackson in 83 seconds, or four rounds quicker than in their first engagement. Jackson was also a murderous puncher and attracted money in the sports books, lowering the price on the victorious McClellan who yet remained a solid favorite.
Nelson-Leija – WBC President Jose Sulaiman mandated this rematch after the first meeting ended in a draw after an error was found in the tabulation of one of the scorecards, overturning the original verdict which had Nelson retaining his title on a split decision. Leija thought he was robbed and was the rightful winner in the do-over, outworking Nelson to win a unanimous decision. At age 35, Azumah was getting long in the tooth.
Lopez-Guardia – Before the digital age, bookmakers didn’t trifle to post lines on bouts that on paper were egregious mismatches, save perhaps a fight of great magnitude. Guardia, the Colombian challenger, overachieved by lasting the distance in a fight with no knockdowns, but “Finito” won a lopsided decision.
A Note on Odds
Betting lines serve a useful purpose for boxing historians; they quantify the magnitude of an upset. However, quoting odds is tricky because they are fluid and vary somewhat from place to place. What this means is that two journalists can quote different odds on the same event and they both can get it right – unless there is a significant disparity. The odds quoted above are the closing lines at the MGM Grand or, at the very least, a very close approximation.
Saturday in Riyadh
One reason why tomorrow’s fight card is the best ever, said the tub-thumpers, is that the card (in its original conformation) included seven world title fights. But that’s no big deal There are so many title fights nowadays that the term “world title” has been trivialized. And what wasn’t acknowledged is that three of the title fights were of the “interim” stripe.
However – and this is a big deal — a glance at the odds informs us that tomorrow’s card is chock-full of competitive match-ups (at least on paper) and from that aspect, a blend of quality and quantity, it is a doozy of a boxing card.
The greatest boxing linemaker of my generation, now deceased, once told me that any fight where the “chalk” was less than a 3/1 favorite is essentially a “pick-‘em” fight. Yes, I know that makes no sense mathematically. However, I know what he was getting at. In a baseball game, for example, it’s very rare to find a team favored by odds of more than 3/1. In boxing, where self-serving promoters are constantly feeding us King Kong vs. Mickey Mouse, odds higher than 3/1 are the norm.
As this is being written, there are six fights on Saturday’s card where one could play the favorite without laying more than 3/1. I believe this is unprecedented. Moreover, the main event and a fascinating match-up on the undercard, Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Israil Madrimov, are virtual toss-ups with the favorites, Beterbiev and Ortiz, currently available at 5/4 (minus-125). Another very intriguing fight is the heavyweight contest between late bloomers Agit Kabayel and Zhilei Zhang which finds the less-heralded Kabayel cloaked as a small favorite. And kudos to Joseph Parker for accepting Martin Bakole when he could have held out for a lesser opponent. If Bakole is in shape (a big “if”), he will be a handful.
And so, where does tomorrow’s card rank on the list of best boxing cards ever? Right up there near the top, we would argue, and, if the bouts in large part are memorably entertaining, we would push it ahead of Don King’s May 7, 1994 extravaganza.
That’s the view from here. Feel free to dissent.
Postscript: If you plan to watch the entire card ($25.99 on DAZN for U.S. buyers), it would help to stock up on some munchies. The first fight (Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith) is scheduled to kick off at 8:45 a.m. for us viewers in the Pacific Time Zone / 11:45 a.m. ET. If the show adheres tight to its schedule (no guarantee), Beterbiev and Bivol are expected to enter the ring at 3:00 p.m. PT/6:00 p.m. ET.
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