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Avila Perspective, Chap. 46: Tragedy After Big Fight, Ruben Villa and More

It’s with great sadness that I report the loss of 13 people who departed from Las Vegas and apparently died when the private chartered jet they boarded went down over Mexico on Sunday. Most of them reportedly had attended the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fight with Daniel Jacobs at T-Mobile Arena last Saturday.
Canelo issued a statement via Twitter about the victims of the tragedy expressing his sorrow.
Boxing fans are unique in my opinion. They save their money, plan trips or events around the sport of prizefighting, and gleefully share the moments with anyone who cares.
Just recently I’ve come to realize that I love people who love boxing. Whether it’s the fighters, trainers, managers, promoters, matchmakers, condition coaches or the millions of men and women who love watching prizefighting, I truly consider all of them my people.
From Australia to Zimbabwe the sport of boxing exists and the people involved or who support it, well they’re my kind of people. They are usually passionate, understanding, and open-minded of all races, religions and nationalities.
Join me in giving a toast to those fans who journeyed to Las Vegas to see an epic fight not knowing they would never return home. We will remember you.
Another day of remembrance occurred on May 7th when Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo set the sports world on fire with their classic encounter in 2005. It remains my favorite fight of all time. I will never forget being in the audience as a journalist and watching these two warriors give their heart and soul inside the prize ring that night at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
Sadly, two years later on the exact same day, May 7th, Corrales passed away after crashing on his motorcycle. It remains a heartbreaking moment for me. I had shared chats and broken bread with Corrales on occasion. He was warm, unpretentious and always willing to sit down and talk about boxing. He also loved his sweets. I had never met anyone who liked desserts more than “Chico.” He would down eight pieces of cake in 10 minutes and then go back for more.
Boxing people are the best.
Thompson Boxing
Those fans living outside of Southern California may not be familiar with Thompson Boxing Promotions, but they are the pocket-size battleship of the boxing industry. They aren’t very big, but they do pack a wallop.
Two weeks ago their fighter Danny “Baby Face Assassin” Roman unified the WBA and IBF super bantamweight titles with a fantastic battle against Ireland’s outstanding TJ Doheny. Check that fight out on DAZN.
On Friday May 10, Thompson Boxing unravels two more of its young stars at Corona, Calif. on a boxing card that will be televised on Showtime.
Ruben Villa (14-0, 5 KOs) meets Luis Alberto Lopez (17-1, 8 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico in the main event at Omega Products International. It’s the Salinas, California featherweight’s second appearance on Showtime.
Villa (pictured) has a flashy southpaw style that allowed him to run right through Ruben Cervera and hand the undefeated fighter his first loss this past January. Now he gets Lopez who won the WBO International featherweight title this past February.
It’s a tough fight on paper.
“I want to be able to say I fought the best and beat the best,” said Villa, 22, a two-time national Golden Gloves champion as an amateur.
Also on the same card, Michael Dutchover (12-0, 9 KOs) meets Chile’s Ramon Mascarena Jr. (10-0, 5 KOs) in a battle between undefeated lightweights.
Dutchover, 21, trains in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. but is actually from Texas. This is a big test for the lightweight in facing Mascarena who has never fought outside of Chile. No one knows what he brings to the table but he is the Chilean National champion. But with Dutchover, fans know he’s aggressive and willing to engage. It should be action-packed.
Another on the same card will be Petr Petrov (39-6-2) who fights Ruben Tamayo (27-12-4) in a lightweight clash.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For tickets and information call (714) 935-0900.
Top Rank in Tucson, Arizona
A heavy duty fight card showcases two world title fights that are doozies. You can watch both on ESPN on Saturday May 11.
First, WBC super featherweight titlist Miguel Berchelt (35-1) fights former champion Francisco Vargas (25-1-2) in a rematch. The last time they met Berchelt took the title from Vargas who had been involved in numerous bloody battles.
Their first encounter took place two years ago. Now, Berchelt, 27, is a heavy favorite to repeat the bloody beating he gave Vargas back in January 2017. Since that fight the Cancun, Mexico fighter has battered four opponents with three not going the distance. He seems to be getting better.
Vargas, 34, only has that loss to Berchelt on his resume. He was involved in the Fight of the Year against Japan’s Takashi Miura in 2015. The Mexico City prizefighter has never been in a boring fight. He’s like the Red Cross, he always gives blood when he fights. Usually, it’s his own blood. But he loves to throw punches and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Another world title fight pits Isaac Dogboe against the guy who took his WBO super bantamweight world title away from him – Mexico’s Emanuel Navarrete.
Dogboe (20-1, 14 KOs) was confidently enjoying his world title belt when he met long-armed Navarrete (26-1, 22 KOs) who specializes in beating up the shorter guys. That was last December in New York City. This time both are fighting in Tucson, Arizona were Navarrete will have a sort of hometown advantage. It’s a mere two hours away from the Mexican border.
Whoever wins this fight will probably get a crack at Danny Roman who holds the WBA and IBF versions.
Both title fights take place at the Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona on Saturday.
Super Welters
Now that Canelo Alvarez has left the premises, the search for the next super welterweight kingpin begins.
Jarrett Hurd (23-0, 16 KOs) defends the IBF and WBA super welterweight titles against Julian “J-Rock” Williams (26-1-1, 16 KOs) on Saturday May 11, in Fairfax, Virginia. FOX will televise the encounter and several other notable fights.
The last time Hurd entered the boxing ring was in a supporting role in Los Angeles on the undercard of Deontay Wilder versus Tyson Fury. On that December night at the Staples Center, the tall and awkward fighting Hurd allowed Britain’s Jason Welborn to take the initiative and coolly assessed his skills. Then he lowered the boom with a body shot and that was that.
Williams fights out of Philadelphia and only has a loss to one of the Charlo brothers, Jermall. He never saw the punch coming. Since that loss he’s racked up several wins to get back a shot at a title.
Another bout on the card features super lightweights Mario Barrios (23-0, 15 KOs) meeting Argentina’s Juan Jose Velasco (20-1, 12 KOs) in a 10 round affair.
It’s a very tough match for Barrios who has slowly been passing all the tests one by one. Velasco was last seen providing WBA and WBC titlist Regis Prograis a tough time for eight rounds until he succumbed to the pounding given by the New Orleans slugger.
If Velasco, 32, still has something left, he could give Barrios a struggle.
Barrios, 23, not only has power but good speed. The San Antonio fighter could be headed for an eventual showdown with Prograis. Saturday will shed some light on his abilities.
Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel
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Gabriela Fundora KOs Marilyn Badillo and Perez Upsets Conwell in Oceanside

It was just a numbers game for Gabriela Fundora and despite Mexico’s Marilyn Badillo’s elusive tactics it took the champion one punch to end the fight and retain her undisputed flyweight world title by knockout on Saturday.
Will it be her last flyweight defense?
Though Fundora (16-0, 8 KOs) fired dozens of misses, a single punch found Badillo (19-1-1, 3 KOs) and ended her undefeated career and first attempt at a world title at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California.
Fundora, however, proves unbeatable at flyweight.
The champion entered the arena as the headliner for the Golden Boy Promotion show and stepped through the ropes with every physical advantage possible, including power.
Mexico’s Badillo was a midget compared to Fundora but proved to be as elusive as a butterfly in a menagerie for the first six rounds. As the six-inch taller Fundora connected on one punch for every dozen thrown, that single punch was a deadly reminder.
Badillo tried ducking low and slipping to the left while countering with slashing uppercuts, she found little success. She did find the body a solid target but the blows proved to be useless. And when Badillo clinched, that proved more erroneous as Fundora belted her rapidly during the tie-ups.
“She was kind of doing her ducking thing,” said Fundora describing Badillo’s defensive tactics. “I just put the pressure on. It was just like a train. We didn’t give her that break.”
The Mexican fighter tried valiantly with various maneuvers. None proved even slightly successful. Fundora remained poised and under control as she stalked the challenger.
In the seventh round Badillo seemed to take a stand and try to slug it out with Fundora. She quickly was lit up by rapid left crosses and down she went at 1:44 of the seventh round. The Mexican fighter’s corner wisely waved off the fight and referee Rudy Barragan stopped the fight and held the dazed Badillo upright.
Once again Fundora remained champion by knockout. The only question now is will she move up to super flyweight or bantamweight to challenge the bigger girls.
Perez Beats Conwell.
Mexico’s Jorge “Chino” Perez (33-4, 26 KOs) upset Charles Conwell (21-1, 15 KOs) to win by split decision after 12 rounds in their super welterweight showdown.
It was a match that paired two hard-hitting fighters whose ledgers brimmed with knockouts, but neither was able to score a knockdown against each other.
Neither fighter moved backward. It was full steam ahead with Conwell proving successful to the body and head with left hooks and Perez connecting with rights to the head and body. It was difficult to differentiate the winner.
Though Conwell seemed to be the superior defensive fighter and more accurate, two judges preferred Perez’s busier style. They gave the fight to Perez by 115-113 scores with the dissenter favoring Conwell by the same margin.
It was Conwell’s first pro loss. Maybe it will open doors for more opportunities.
Other Bouts
Tristan Kalkreuth (15-1) managed to pass a serious heat check by unanimous decision against former contender Felix Valera (24-8) after a 10-round back-and-forth heavyweight fight.
It was very close.
Kalkreuth is one of those fighters that possess all the physical tools including youth and size but never seems to be able to show it. Once again he edged past another foe but at least this time he faced an experienced fighter in Valera.
Valera had his moments especially in the middle of the 10-round fight but slowed down during the last three rounds.
One major asset for Kalkreuth was his chin. He got caught but still motored past the clever Valera. After 10 rounds two judges saw it 99-91 and one other judge 97-93 all for Kalkreuth.
Highly-rated prospect Ruslan Abdullaev (2-0) blasted past dangerous Jino Rodrigo (13- 5-2) in an eight round super lightweight fight. He nearly stopped the very tough Rodrigo in the last two rounds and won by unanimous decision.
Abdullaev is trained by Joel and Antonio Diaz in Indio.
Bakersfield prospect Joel Iriarte (7-0, 7 KOs) needed only 1:44 to knock out Puerto Rico’s Marcos Jimenez (25-12) in a welterweight bout.
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‘Krusher’ Kovalev Exits on a Winning Note: TKOs Artur Mann in his ‘Farewell Fight’

At his peak, former three-time world light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev ranked high on everyone’s pound-for-pound list. Now 42 years old – he turned 42 earlier this month – Kovalev has been largely inactive in recent years, but last night he returned to the ring in his hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia, and rose to the occasion in what was billed as his farewell fight, stopping Artur Mann in the seventh frame.
Kovalev hit his peak during his first run as a world title-holder. He was 30-0-1 (26 KOs) entering first match with Andre Ward, a mark that included a 9-0 mark in world title fights. The only blemish on his record was a draw that could have been ruled a no-contest (journeyman Grover Young was unfit to continue after Kovalev knocked down in the second round what with was deemed an illegal rabbit punch). Among those nine wins were two stoppages of dangerous Haitian-Canadian campaigner Jean Pascal and a 12-round shutout over Bernard Hopkins.
Kovalev’s stature was not diminished by his loss to the undefeated Ward. All three judges had it 114-113, but the general feeling among the ringside press was that Sergey nicked it.
The rematch was also somewhat controversial. Referee Tony Weeks, who halted the match in the eighth stanza with Kovalev sitting on the lower strand of ropes, was accused of letting Ward get away with a series of low blows, including the first punch of a three-punch series of body shots that culminated in the stoppage. Sergey was wobbled by a punch to the head earlier in the round and was showing signs of fatigue, but he was still in the fight. Respected judge Steve Weisfeld had him up by three points through the completed rounds.
Sergey Kovalev was never the same after his second loss to Andre Ward, albeit he recaptured a piece of the 175-pound title twice, demolishing Vyacheslav Shabranskyy for the vacant WBO belt after Ward announced his retirement and then avenging a loss to Eleider Alvarez (TKO by 7) with a comprehensive win on points in their rematch.
Kovalev’s days as a title-holder ended on Nov. 2, 2019 when Canelo Alvarez, moving up two weight classes to pursue a title in a fourth weight division, stopped him in the 11th round, terminating what had been a relatively even fight with a hellacious left-right combination that left Krusher so discombobulated that a count was superfluous.
That fight went head-to-head with a UFC fight in New York City. DAZN, to their everlasting discredit, opted to delay the start of Canelo-Kovalev until the main event of the UFC fight was finished. The delay lasted more than an hour and Kovalev would say that he lost his psychological edge during the wait.
Kovalev had two fights in the cruiserweight class between his setback to Canelo and last night’s presumptive swan song. He outpointed Tervel Pulev in Los Angeles and lost a 10-round decision to unheralded Robin Sirwan Safar in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Artur Mann, a former world title challenger – he was stopped in three rounds by Mairis Briedis in 2021 when Briedis was recognized as the top cruiserweight in the world – was unexceptional, but the 34-year-old German, born in Kazakhstan, wasn’t chopped liver either, and Kovalev’s stoppage of him will redound well to the Russian when he becomes eligible for the Boxing Hall of Fame.
Krusher almost ended the fight in the second round. He knocked Mann down hard with a short left hand and seemingly scored another knockdown before the round was over (but it was ruled a slip). Mann barely survived the round.
In the next round, a punch left Mann with a bad cut on his right eyelid, but the German came to fight and rounds three, four and five were competitive.
Kovalev had a good sixth round although there were indications that he was tiring. But in the seventh he got a second wind and unleashed a right-left combination that rolled back the clock to the days when he was one of the sport’s most feared punchers. Mann went down hard and as he staggered to his feet, his corner signaled that the fight should be stopped and the referee complied. The official time was 0:49 of round seven. It was the 30th KO for Kovalev who advanced his record to 36-5-1.
Addendum: History informs us that Farewell Fights have a habit of becoming redundant, by which we mean that boxers often get the itch to fight again after calling it quits. Have we seen the last of Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev? We woudn’t bet on it.
The complete Kovalev-Mann fight card was live-streamed on the Boxing News youtube channel.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 322: Super Welterweight Week in SoCal

Two below-the-radar super welterweight stars show off their skills this weekend from different parts of Southern California.
One in particular, Charles Conwell, co-headlines a show in Oceanside against a hard-hitting Mexican while another super welter star Sadriddin Akhmedov faces another Mexican hitter in Commerce.
Take your pick.
The super welterweight division is loaded with talent at the moment. If Terence Crawford remained in the division he would be at the top of the class, but he is moving up several weight divisions.
Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) faces Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs) a tall knockout puncher from Los Mochis at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif. on Saturday April 19. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also features undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora. We’ll get to her later.
Conwell might be the best super welterweight out there aside from the big dogs like Vergil Ortiz, Serhii Bohachuk and Sebastian Fundora.
If you are not familiar with Conwell he comes from Cleveland, Ohio and is one of those fighters that other fighters know about. He is good.
He has the James “Lights Out” Toney kind of in-your-face-style where he anchors down and slowly deciphers the opponent’s tools and then takes them away piece by piece. Usually it’s systematic destruction. The kind you see when a skyscraper goes down floor by floor until it’s smoking rubble.
During the Covid days Conwell fought two highly touted undefeated super welters in Wendy Toussaint and Madiyar Ashkeyev. He stopped them both and suddenly was the boogie man of the super welterweight division.
Conwell will be facing Mexico’s taller Garcia who likes to trade blows as most Mexican fighters prefer, especially those from Sinaloa. These guys will be firing H bombs early.
Fundora
Co-headlining the Golden Boy card is Gabriela Fundora (15-0, 7 KOs) the undisputed flyweight champion of the world. She has all the belts and Mexico’s Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1, 3 KOs) wants them.
Gabriela Fundora is the sister of Sebastian Fundora who holds the men’s WBC and WBO super welterweight world titles. Both are tall southpaws with power in each hand to protect the belts they accumulated.
Six months ago, Fundora met Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz in Las Vegas to determine the undisputed flyweight champion. The much shorter Alaniz tried valiantly to scrap with Fundora and ran into a couple of rocket left hands.
Mexico’s Badillo is an undefeated flyweight from Mexico City who has battled against fellow Mexicans for years. She has fought one world champion in Asley Gonzalez the current super flyweight world titlist. They met years ago with Badillo coming out on top.
Does Badillo have the skill to deal with the taller and hard-hitting Fundora?
When a fighter has a six-inch height advantage like Fundora, it is almost impossible to out-maneuver especially in two-minute rounds. Ask Alaniz who was nearly decapitated when she tried.
This will be Badillo’s first pro fight outside of Mexico.
Commerce Casino
Kazakhstan’s Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0, 13 KOs) is another dangerous punching super welterweight headlining a 360 Promotions card against Mexico’s Elias Espadas (23-6, 16 KOs) on Saturday at the Commerce Casino.
UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card of about eight bouts.
Akhmedov is another Kazakh puncher similar to the great Gennady “GGG” Golovkin who terrorized the middleweight division for a decade. He doesn’t have the same polish or dexterity but doesn’t lack pure punching power.
It’s another test for the super welterweight who is looking to move up the ladder in the very crowded 154-pound weight division. 360 Promotions already has a top contender in Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk who nearly defeated Vergil Ortiz a year ago.
Could Bohachuk and Akhmedov fight each other if nothing else materializes?
That’s a question for another day.
Fights to Watch
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Charles Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) vs. Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs); Gabriela Fundora (15-0) vs Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1).
Sat. UFC Fight Pass 6 p.m. Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0) vs Elias Espadas (23-6).
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