Three Punch Combo: Two Under the Radar Fights and Thoughts on Joshua – Ruiz

Published

6 years ago

June 26, 2019

THREE PUNCH COMBO — After what was in essence a bye week in the sport, the schedule ramps up again this weekend with several high-profile cards on major platforms. And as is usually the case in such busy weeks, a few very intriguing contests are flying severely under the radar.

On Friday, ESPN will televise a card from the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, CA headlined by the lightweight title fight between Richard Commey (28-2, 25 KO’s) and Raymundo Beltran (36-8-1, 22 KO’s). While I love this fight, the 154-pound co-feature between Carlos Adames (17-0, 14 KO’s) and Patrick Day (17-2-1, 6 KO’s) is no less intriguing.

Adames nicknamed Bronco Horse (El Caballo Bronco in Spanish), is an enigma. As far as talent goes, he has plenty of it. He’s very athletic with above average hand speed and heavy-handed power. There is also fluidity to his game that makes him stand out as a prospect. He seems to have star potential written all over him.

However, there is a major question mark on Adames. Though he oozes with talent, he often seems unmotivated. In his fight in January against Juan Ruiz, Adames looked asleep for the first two rounds allowing his opponent to do whatever he pleased. But in the round three, Adames looked like a different man and easily dispatched Ruiz. Thus far, these types of moments have been all too common in Adames’ career.

Day is a big step up in class for Adames. A classic boxer-puncher by trade, Day is quick on his feet and will certainly look to use his legs in this fight. He likes to work behind the jab and fire off combinations when in range with his quick hands. Though Day is not a huge puncher, he is sharp and accurate with his power shots. He will also be coming into this bout with a lot of confidence, having won his last six fights, several of which found him in the underdog role.

This fight is going to feature a nice contrast of styles. Adames will press forward as the aggressor while Day will look to use his legs to box from the outside. If Adames is motivated, he could certainly put on a scintillating performance, but if he is off his game, Day could be the one who puts on a show and vaults into contention in a deep 154- pound division.

Under The Radar Fight, Part Two

Showtime will televise a card on Saturday from the NRG Arena in Houston, TX that will be headlined by a middleweight contest between Jermall Charlo (28-0, 21 KO’s) and Brandon Adams (21-2, 13 KO’s) with an interim title belt at stake. While this bout is drawing most of the headlines, the televised undercard features a very intriguing featherweight crossroads fight between Eduardo Ramirez (22-1-3, 9 KO’s) and Claudio Marrero (23-3, 17 KO’s) that should provide plenty of fireworks.

Ramirez is just a solid professional fighter. He is not the most athletic, doesn’t possess the quickest hands, and doesn’t have much power, but he is skilled enough to compete at a certain level, often times making very good fights. Ramirez is a southpaw and does fight as a classic boxer-puncher using movement working behind the right jab. He also likes to counter and has shown in the past to be very effective as a counterpuncher. However, he will hold his hands low, presumably looking to get his opposition to lead to set up counters, but in the process can be easy to hit. And he has shown a willingness to get into exchanges which is not always the best idea for him although it does make for entertaining fights.

Marrero, also a southpaw, is an aggressive heavy-handed, volume puncher. At his best, he is pressing the attack from the opening bell throwing punches from all angles as he seeks to overwhelm his opponent. Marrero is not afraid to get into exchanges but unlike Ramirez carries thunderous power in both fists. Defensively, Marrero’s high work rate coupled with any sort of head movement often leaves him exposed to being countered. Essentially, he can be very easy to hit clean.

I love this match-up. It offers a nice contrast of styles between two solid fighters who are not afraid to move their hands as well as get into exchanges. And with both having serious flaws on defense, it figures to be the most action-packed fight of the weekend.

This is going to be fun to watch.

Joshua-Ruiz: Putting The Rumors to Bed

What is the correct explanation for Anthony Joshua’s shocking loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. a few weeks ago in New York? The rumor mill has been churning with all sorts of theories, but I am not buying any of them. In my mind, there’s a much more logical explanation for what happened.

Let’s start by looking back at Joshua’s boxing career. As an amateur, he had a lot of success including winning a 2012 Olympic Gold Medal. But that said, he only had about 50 amateur fights (even fewer according to some accounts). So entering the pro game in 2013, Joshua was still relatively green as far as experience inside the ring.

As a pro, Joshua was moved relatively swiftly fighting 15 times between October of 2013 and December of 2015. This seemed to be a very appropriate pace for a naturally talented fighter who overall lacked ring experience.

But early in 2016 those moving Joshua saw an opportunity they just couldn’t resist. Charles Martin had won the then vacant IBF portion of the heavyweight title when his opponent, Vyacheslav Glazkov, suffered an injury early in their title fight. Martin was still seen as raw and not nearly as talented as Joshua. So Joshua’s team made Martin an offer he couldn’t refuse to come to the UK to defend his newly won title against Joshua. And as expected, Joshua made quick work of Martin. Joshua was now a heavyweight champion.

From that moment forward, Joshua’s career path changed. It was now going to be about bigger fights and bigger events. The developmental stage was over and Joshua became essentially a two fight a year fighter.

I want to pause for a second here and look back at the early careers of three recent long- reigning heavyweight champions in Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir Klitschko. Specifically, I want to look at what happened soon after they each had their 16^th fight as a pro.

After Lewis had his 16^th fight in July of 1991, he fought five more times in a span of 13 months before receiving a title shot against Donovan “Razor” Ruddock. Vitali Klitschko fought for the 16^th time in March of 1998 and went on to fight seven more times that year alone.

As for Wladimir Klitschko, he had his 16^th fight in December of 1997. In 1998, he fought nine times and that included a shocking loss to Ross Puritty. But that continued development, even with a loss suffered, would help Klitschko later on in his career.

My point here is that these three outstanding champions, all of whom had a much deeper amateur pedigree than Joshua, were still in the process of developing as pros and fighting relatively frequently after their 16^th professional fight.

My strong belief is that Joshua lost because he became a two fight a year fighter much too early in his career. He still needed to be fighting more frequently, like the three champions above, to develop his craft. Just how different was the Joshua who fought Ruiz to the Joshua who fought say Dillian Whyte in December of 2015? Not much different frankly and that is a problem.

Put all the rumors to bed. Joshua’s lack of development as a pro is what did him in against Andy Ruiz.

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Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Skylar-Lacy-Blocked-for-Lamar-Jackson-Before-Making-his-Mark-in-Boxing

Skylar Lacy, a six-foot-seven heavyweight, returns to the ring on Sunday, Feb. 2, opposing Brandon Moore on a card in Flint, Michigan, airing worldwide on DAZN.

As this is being written, the bookmakers hadn’t yet posted a line on the bout, but one couldn’t be accused of false coloring by calling the 10-round contest a 50/50 fight. And if his frustrating history is any guide, Lacy will have another draw appended to his record or come out on the wrong side of a split decision.

This should not be construed as a tip to wager on Moore. “Close fights just don’t seem to go my way,” says the boxer who played alongside future multi-year NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at the University of Louisville.

A 2021 National Golden Gloves champion, Skylar Lacy came up short in his final amateur bout, losing a split decision to future U.S. Olympian Joshua Edwards. His last Team Combat League assignment resulted in another loss by split decision and he was held to a draw in both instances when stepping up in class as a pro. “In my mind, I’m still undefeated,” says Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs). “No one has ever kicked my ass.”

Lacy was the B-side in both of those draws, the first coming in a 6-rounder against Top Rank fighter Antonio Mireles on a Top Rank show in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and the second in an 8-rounder against George Arias, a Lou DiBella fighter on a DiBella-promoted card in Philadelphia.

Lacy had the Mireles fight in hand when he faded in the homestretch. The altitude was a factor. Lake Tahoe, Nevada (officially Stateline) sits 6,225 feet above sea level. The fight with Arias took an opposite tack. Lacy came on strong after a slow start to stave off defeat.

Skylar will be the B-side once again in Michigan. The card’s promoter, former world title challenger Dmitriy Salita, inked Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) in January. “A capable American heavyweight with charisma, athleticism and skills is rare in today’s day and age. Brandon has got all these ingredients…”, said Salita in the press release announcing the signing. (Salita has an option on Skylar Lacy’s next pro fight in the event that Skylar should win, but the promoter has a larger investment in Moore who was previously signed to Top Rank, a multi-fight deal that evaporated after only one fight.)

Both Lacy and Moore excelled in other sports. The six-foot-six Moore was an outstanding basketball player in high school in Fort Lauderdale and at the NAIA level in college. Lacy was an all-state football lineman in Indiana before going on to the University of Louisville where he started as an offensive guard as a redshirt sophomore, blocking for freshman phenom Lamar Jackson. “Lamar was hard-working and humble,” says Lacy about the player who is now one of the world’s highest-paid professional athletes.

When Lacy committed to Louisville, the head coach was Charlie Strong who went on to become the head coach at the University of Texas. Lacy was never comfortable with Strong’s successor Bobby Petrino and transferred to San Jose State. Having earned his degree in only three years (a BA in communications) he was eligible immediately but never played a down because of injuries.

Returning to Indianapolis where he was raised by his truck dispatcher father, a single parent, Lacy gravitated to Pat McPherson’s IBG (Indy Boxing and Grappling) Gym on the city’s east side where he was the rare college graduate pounding the bags alongside at-risk kids from the city’s poorer neighborhoods.

Lacy built a 12-6 record across his two seasons in Team Combat League while representing the Las Vegas Hustle (2023) and the Boston Butchers (2024).

For the uninitiated, a Team Combat League (TCL) event typically consists of 24 fights, each consisting of one three-minute round. The concept finds no favor with traditionalists, but Lacy is a fan. It’s an incentive for professional boxers to keep in shape between bouts without disturbing their professional record and, notes Lacy, it’s useful in exposing a competitor to different styles.

“It paid the bills and kept me from just sitting around the house,” says Lacy whose 12-6 record was forged against 13 different opponents.

As a sparring partner, Lacy has shared the ring with some of the top heavyweights of his generation, e.g., Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He was one of Fury’s regular sparring partners during the Gypsy King’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder. He worked with Joshua at Derrick James’ gym in Dallas and at Ben Davison’s gym in England, helping Joshua prepare for his date in Saudi Arabia with Francis Ngannou and had previously sparred with Ngannou at the UFC Performance Center in Las Vegas. Skylar names traveling to new places as one of his hobbies and he got to scratch that itch when he joined Whyte’s camp in Portugal.

As to the hardest puncher he ever faced, he has no hesitation: “Ngannou,” he says. “I negotiated a nice price to spend a week in his camp and the first time he hit me I knew I should have asked for more.”

Lacy is confident that having shared the ring with some of the sport’s elite heavyweights will get him over the hump in what will be his first 10-rounder (Brandon Moore has never had to fight beyond eight rounds, having won his three 10-rounders inside the distance). Lacy vs. Moore is the co-feature to Claressa Shields’ homecoming fight with Danielle Perkins. Shields, basking in the favorable reviews accorded the big-screen biopic based on her first Olympic journey (“The Fire Inside”) will attempt to capture a title in yet another weight class at the expense of the 42-year-old Perkins, a former professional basketball player.

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Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce

Published

4 days ago

January 18, 2025

David A. Avila

Mizuki-Hiruta-Dominates-in-her-U.S.-Debut-and-Trinidad-Wins-Too-at-Commerce

Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.

Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.

In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.

It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.

For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.

Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.

It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.

“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”

Trinidad Wins Too

Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.

Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.

“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”

After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.

Other Bouts

Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.

Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.

Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.

More Winners

Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Published

6 days ago

January 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.

Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.

Hopefully the worst is over.

Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.

Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.

“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.

He knows talent.

Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.

Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.

Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.

Can Trinidad reach world title status?

Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.

It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.

Mizukii Hiruta

Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.

Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Boxing and the Media

The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.

Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.

Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.

Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.

MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.

Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.

Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.

It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.

Photos credit: Lina Baker

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