Cinco de Mayo Fights Have Run the Gamut from Stupendous to Stinky

Published

4 years ago

May 2, 2019

Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates the victory of the Mexican Army over the invading French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, has actually evolved into a bigger cause for celebration in the United States than in most communities in Mexico. In Las Vegas, casino owners have seized on this development, commercializing the holiday weekend with many events aimed at their Mexican clientele.

In Mexico, boxing is the second most popular sport behind soccer. No one in Las Vegas has yet figured out a way to stage an internationally important soccer match in the city on Cinco de Mayo weekend, but a big boxing match has become a staple on this holiday and again on Mexican Independence Day weekend in September.

The latest iteration goes Saturday, May 4, when Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the biggest draw in boxing, attempts to add another title belt to his collection at the expense of IBF world middleweight title-holder Daniel Jacobs. But if this fight is to stand out in memory, it will be because Alvarez and Jacobs put on a rousing good show. Years from now, no one will remember what hardware was up for grabs.

Since the advent of big fights on Cinco de Mayo weekend, there have been several spine-tingling thrillers and several big fat yawns. Let’s re-visit a few, starting with the good stuff.

Stupendous

CORRALES vs. CASTILLO (2005)

The first meeting between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo was hands down the best Cinco De Mayo Weekend fight ever and much more. It was the Fight of the Year, the Fight of the Decade, and stands as the Fight of the Century until a better one comes along.

This was a unification fight in the lightweight division. Corrales, the son of a Columbian father and a Mexican-American mother, held the WBO belt. Castillo, who fought out of Mexicali, owned the WBC strap. But a fight this intense, with such dramatic momentum swings, needed no imprimaturs to certify it as an all-time classic.

Here we are in the 10^th frame, looking on as Corrales visits the canvas for the second time, disgorging his mouthpiece, both of his eyes swollen nearly shut, looking all the world like a cooked goose. No one would have faulted referee Tony Weeks if he had stopped it right here.

And here we are a few moments later with Corrales crashing home a series of wicked punches with Castillo trapped on the ropes, out on his feet, forcing Weeks to intervene. The crowd, which had given both fighters numerous standing ovations during the course of the bout, was dumbstruck with awe.

PACQUIAO vs. MARQUEZ (2004)

This was the first of what would be four meetings, a trilogy plus one. And had the first round gone a few seconds longer, Marquez likely wouldn’t have survived and one of boxing’s greatest rivalries would have never been born.

Manny Pacquiao was moving up in weight. This was his first fight as a featherweight. Juan Manuel Marquez, from the gritty Iztacalco district of Mexico City, was a two-belt featherweight champion.

The younger man by six years, Pacquiao went to post the slightest of favorites in a near “pick-‘em” affair. Those odds looked way out of whack when PacMan knocked Marquez to the canvas three times in the opening round. But the Mexican, who returned to his corner in severe distress, had amazing recuperative powers. By the third round he was battling the Filipino on even terms and he dominated the second half of the fight.

The bout went to the scorecards where there was a great disparity. One judge had Pacquiao up by five points and the other favored Marquez by the same margin. The tie-breaker, as it were, produced a tie, a 113-113 tally. The fight went into the books as a draw.

The 12^th round, with the crowd standing throughout, was outstanding. “They’re probably not the final three minutes that Marquez and Pacquiao will see of each other,” said Dan Rafael prophetically.

Stinkers

MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO (2015)

The jury was still out on Manny Pacquiao following his first fight with Juan Manuel Marquez but he grew into a superstar, cementing his status as one of the all-time greats with back-to-back-to back wins over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto in 2008/09. His match with Floyd Mayweather was the most anticipated fight since the first meeting between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1971.

To say that Mayweather vs. Pacquiao broke the Nevada record for gate receipts would be a great understatement. It shattered the record by a country mile. A paid attendance of 16,129 produced a gate of $72,198,500. That’s an average of $4,476 per ticket! Those that were comped included some of the biggest gamblers on the planet, men known to risk as much as $10,000 on a single hand of baccarat.

This wasn’t a bad fight if you can appreciate Mayweather’s defensive wizardry. But it was a fight without an indelible moment, all sizzle and no steak, pardon the cliché.

It came out that Pacquiao was damaged goods. Four days after the fight he underwent surgery for a torn rotator cuff. Lawsuits were filed against various parties for fraud because the injury wasn’t disclosed before the fight. In several cities, law firms took out newspaper ads saying that those that purchased the fight on PPV ($99 was the standard rate for high-definition) might be entitled to compensation. There is no record that anyone received so much as a refund.

ALVAREZ vs. CHAVEZ JR. (2017)

This all-Mexico showdown found Canelo battling the son of Mexican boxing royalty. It was an attractive pairing as evident by the turnout, 20,510, but it wasn’t much of a battle. The son, who never fought with a sense of urgency, was a pale imitation of his old man and Canelo won every round on all three scorecards without going full bore. The last three rounds were contested amidst a cacophony of boos.

This was the last Cinco de Mayo fight, the 2018 renewal evaporating when the Nevada Athletic Commission suspended Canelo Alvarez for a failed a drug test.

And so what will see on Saturday, a fight reminiscent of the best Cinco de Mayo fights or a fight that falls toward the ugly end of the spectrum? Hopefully the ghost of Diego Corrales will be in the building but that’s asking a lot.

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Arne K. Lang

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Undercard Results from the Canelo-Charlo Card in Las Vegas

Published

2 hours ago

September 30, 2023

Arne K. Lang

Undercard-Results-from-the-Canelo-Charlo-Card-on-Las vegas

In a heavyweight battle slated for 10, Frank Sanchez (23-0, 16 KOs) stopped LA trial horse Scott Alexander (17-6-2) after four frames. Alexander’s corner attempted to stop it in the waning seconds of the fourth, but the referee did not see it and the bell rang before the fight was waived off.

Alexander had one big moment. In the opening round, he rocked Sanchez with a short right hand. But from there, it was all Sanchez in a rather messy fight.

A Miami-based Cuban defector, Frank Sanchez came in ranked #3 by the WBO, #4 by the WBC, and #5 by the IBF. His best win came in this building, a comfortable decision over Efe Ajagba in October of 2021. Alexander also fought here. In his previous visit to the T-Mobile, he was knocked out in the opening round by Zhilei Zhang.

Former WBO light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, in his third fight back since ending his retirement, improved to 20-0 (16) with a second-round stoppage of 38-year-old Brazilian Isaac Rodrigues (28-5). Gvozdyk, 36, left the sport after getting beat up by Artur Beterbiev, but got the itch and is pursuing a fight with Dmitry Bivol.

In an 8-round middleweight fight, 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha (24-3-1) won a majority decision over Keandre Leatherwood (23-9-1). The judges had it 76-76 and 78-74 twice. Once a highly regarded prospect, Gausha is spinning his wheels. Leatherwood, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, had been stopped four times.

Guadalajara super lightweight Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela advanced to 28-3-1 (17 KOs) with a sixth-round stoppage of overmatched Colombia import Yves Gabriel Solano (15-3). This was redemption of sorts for Valenzuela who lost an unpopular 12-round decision to Montana Love in his last outing inside these walls.

Kazakh super middleweight Bek Nuramaganbat (11-0) continued his fast ascent of the 168-pound ladder with a third-round stoppage of Bola Osundairo. A 30-year-old Chicago-based Nigerian, Osundairo was a 2021 USA National Champion at 178 pounds.

A four-round middleweight contest between Abilikhan Amankul (4-0-1, 4 KOs) and Joeshon James (7-0-2, 4 KOs) ended in a draw. Although he didn’t win, Sacramento’s James continued to exceed expectations. In previous contests he KOed previously undefeated Richard Brewart and fought to a draw with Top Rank signee Javier Martinez. Amankul, a 26-year-old Kazakh, lost a split decision to eventual gold medal winner Hebert Conceicao in the Tokyo Olympics.

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—

David Avila is ringside. Check back later for his report of the Canelo-Charlo fight and the main supporting bouts.

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Opetaia Demolishes Thompson in London; Wallin Upsets Gassiev in Turkey

Published

4 hours ago

September 30, 2023

Arne K. Lang

Opetaia-Demolished-Thompson-on-London-Wallin-Upsets-Gassiev-in-Turkey

In his first defense of his IBF cruiserweight title, Australian southpaw Jai Opetaia demolished overmatched Jordan Thompson in the featured bout of a Matchroom card at London’s Wembley Arena. Opetaia (23-0, 18 KOs) overwhelmed Thompson (15-1) from the opening gun and had the six-foot-six Mancunian on the canvas twice before the match was waived off at the 20-second mark of round four.

An Olympian at the age of 16, Opetaia won the title 15 months ago with a unanimous decision over longtime title-holder Mairis Briedis. Noting that Opetaia broke his jaw in two places early in that contest, prominent Australian sporting journalist Simon Smale called it “one of the bravest, gutsiest, victories in Australian boxing history.”

Following that fight, Opetaia had to eat through a straw for several months. Hence, there were questions about whether his jaw would hold up and whether he would show ring rust in his first title defense. But the towering Thompson, whose nickname is Troublesome, although game, proved to be no trouble whatsoever for Opetaia who would be favored to beat any cruiserweight in the world, no matter the locale.

Opetaia may return to England for his next fight which would be a unification match with Bournemouth’s 18-1 Chris Billam-Smith who captured the WBO version of the 200-pound title in May with a surprisingly one-sided decision over favored Lawrence Okolie. The other cruiserweight title-holders are the well-traveled Badou Jack (WBC) and the French-Armenian boxer Arsen Goulamirian (WBA).

Four female fights were on the undercard including two 10-rounders, both of which were won by the “A side” Englishwomen.

In her first title defense, Ellie Scotney, a 25-year-old Londoner, retained her IBF world super bantamweight title and improved to 8-0 at the expense of 37-year-old Argentine veteran Laura Soledad Griffa (20-9). In a rather monotonous fight, Scotney won every round on two of the scorecards and nine rounds on the other.

Rhiannon Dixon, a 29-year-old southpaw, had a surprisingly easy time with Norwegian veteran Katharina Thanderz, a former world title challenger. Dixon (9-0) won every round on all three cards. Thanderz, who trains in Spain, declined to 16-2.

Wallin-Gassiev

In a 12-round heavyweight fight in Antalya, Turkey, Swedish southpaw Otto Wallin (26-1, 14 KOs) won a split decision over Murat Gassiev (30-2). This was a dull fight. Owing to various issues, Gassiev had answered the bell for only eight rounds in the previous seven years and his vaunted power had deserted him. True, he landed the harder punches, but Wallin, who kept pecking away with his jab, was far busier and won the fight on volume alone. Two of the judges had it 115-113 for the Swede who is 6-0 since going 12 rounds with Tyson Fury. The other judge scored it for Gassiev by a bizarre 117-111.

Opetaia-Thompson photo credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 254: Canelo vs Jermell Charlo in a Battle of Undisputed Champions

Published

1 day ago

September 29, 2023

David A. Avila

Avils-Perspective-Chap-254-Canelo-vs-Jermell-Charlo-in-a-Battle-of-Undisputed-Champions

LAS VEGAS-Less than the usual massive crowd gathered for boxing kingpin Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Jermell Charlo in the desert heat outside of the T-Mobile Arena on Friday afternoon. Usually the weigh-ins are slightly bigger for Mexico’s idol.

Is the declining crowd an indicator of Alvarez fans ebbing belief in his abilities?

Still, on Saturday night, two undisputed world champions from differing divisions will collide as Guadalajara, Mexico’s Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) meets Houston’s Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) at T-Mobile Arena for the super middleweight world championship. PPV.Com will stream the clash of champions.

This year has seen a hyper-speed uptick in champions fighting other champions, perhaps the result of watching their female counterparts Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor produce the biggest fight of 2022. This year several marquee collisions were spawned from lightweights to heavyweights.

Or maybe the pandemic lull created a twitch panic among the elite.

Charlo was one of those who had been sidelined while others like Gervonta “Tank” Davis, Naoya “Monster” Inoue and Canelo Alvarez filled their pockets with cash. And others like Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez gained undisputed glory.

Instead of watching on the sidelines, Charlo decided to make his move for greater glory by attempting to dethrone one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, if not the kingpin of boxing when it comes to money.

“If I accomplish this massive goal, it will be hard to top,” Charlo said a few weeks ago during his media workout. “I’ll be in the record book with the greats of boxing for a long time.”

Risks brings rewards.

Canelo, long a member of the boxing elite, has held his position as the box office king for many years now by taking the daunting risks throughout his boxing life.

“Jermell is right, I have nothing to prove. But this time I have something to prove to him,” said Alvarez while in Las Vegas on Wednesday. “He never believed in my skills. He’s been calling me out. Now I have an opportunity to show him my skills.”

Undisputed super welterweight will challenge undisputed super middleweight in a two-division jump not often seen, except for Henry Armstrong, Roberto Duran and Sugar Shane Mosley. It’s the road taken by those who seek to be great.

Both are 33 but the redhead Alvarez has been fighting professionally since he was 15. That’s a lot of bullets in the chamber he has already used. Charlo has height, speed and the ability to adapt to different styles. Stylistically, it’s a battle that makes even the skeptics take pause.

It all depends on Alvarez’s resiliency. Charlo has ring rust, while Alvarez seemingly has lost the hunger. Whose weakness will prove the greater?

“Now is the time for this fight. We’re in our primes and at our best,” said Charlo. “I wanna shake the doubters off and prove to the world why I”m in this position. There’s a reason I made it this far.”

Alvarez remembers being as hungry as Charlo.

“I never overlook any fighter,” Alvarez said. “I know what he’s going to bring and I’m ready.”

Undercard

Several other notable bouts are included on the pay-per-view card.

Former world titlists and current welterweight contenders Yordenis Ugas (27-5) and Mario Barrios (27-2) battle for an interim title set for 12 rounds.

Super welterweights Jesus Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) and Erickson Lubin (25-2, 18 KOs) match skills in a match that pits a southpaw veteran against an undefeated southpaw from Arizona. For the past three years Ramos has been moving up the ladder and was last seen pounding out highly-touted Joey Spencer. Can he survive Lubin who nearly toppled Sebastian Fundora?

Doors open at T-Mobile Arena at 2 p.m. Pacific Time.

Lampley is back

Legendary HBO announcer Jim Lampley was hired along with ace reporter Lance Pugmire who will co-host the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez versus Jermell Charlo showdown via viewer chat live on PPV.com.

It’s the same concept used by Monday Night Football that features former quarterback greats Peyton Manning and Eli Manning in alternative programming.

Lampley returns to boxing after a five-year absence following HBO’s yanking of the popular program that vaulted elite boxing to the top behind the likes of George Foreman, Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao.

The veteran announcer will be live streaming all the action on media platforms before and during the fight action. He was sorely missed by all who follow the sweet science.

Photo credit: Al Applerose

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