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Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame Honoring Hopkins, Goossen, Chacon and Others
Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame Honoring Hopkins, Goossen, Chacon and Others
When people think of Nevada they mostly envision Las Vegas. But the elongated “Silver State” stretches nearly as far in length as its “Golden State” neighbor California.
Nevada also possesses as many riches in the sport of boxing going all the way back to 1897 when Bob Fitzsimmons wrested the heavyweight title from Jim Corbett in Carson City and including the famous fight in Reno in July of 1910 when the great Jack Johnson faced off against Jim Jeffries.
Since that epic battle that saw Johnson win by knockout, many other historic prize fights emblazoned the boxing rings from Reno to Las Vegas for more than a century. Nevada has a very rich prizefighting history.
More than a dozen prizefighters, judges and boxing notables will be honored and celebrated at the Seventh Annual Induction Ceremony by the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. All of the two-day events take place at the Red Rock Resort and Casino in Las Vegas beginning Friday, Aug. 9.
In alphabetical order, here are the fighters being inducted:
Joel Casamayor – the Cuban southpaw known as “El Cepillo,” or the “the Brush,” arrived in the US with a more aggressive style than most of his fellow Cubans. Fearless and determined, his battles with Acelino Freitas, Diego Corrales and Juan Manuel Marquez are among the fiercest and bloodiest fights ever seen. Anyone who ever saw Casamayor in the boxing ring knew it would be memorable. He now resides in Las Vegas and is a trainer.
Bobby Chacon – the native Los Angeles prizefighter known as “Schoolboy” passed away several years ago in 2016. He engaged in only a few battles in Nevada, but they were unforgettable. After participating in the Fight of the Year in 1982, Chacon then fought Cornelius Boza-Edwards in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace in the 1983 Fight of the Year. Few could match the pure guts and determination of the super featherweight Chacon. He was also one of the most beloved fighters the sport has ever known.
Humberto Gonzalez – the diminutive light flyweight from Mexico City known as “Chiquita” was part of a generation that propelled the little guys to million dollar fights. His battles with Arizona’s Michael Carbajal – especially their first encounter at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas in 1993 – were historic in bringing American attention to the light flyweight division. Chiquita is now a promoter.
Leroy Haley – the super lightweight was born in Arkansas but Las Vegas became a permanent base of operations for the fighter known as “Irish” Leroy Haley. Many of his fights took place at the old Silver Slipper in Las Vegas and were televised. For a while he fought almost weekly in the year 1973. He was an important cog in making Las Vegas a fight town. He captured the world title against the ultra-slick Saoul Mamby in 1982 and also won the rematch. Haley retired in 1985 and still lives in Las Vegas.
Bernard Hopkins – is one of the best middleweights to ever lace up the gloves. The Philadelphia fighter was one of the most scientific and disciplined boxers the sport has ever known. He proved it in his epic showdown against Puerto Rico’s Felix Trinidad then went on to the light heavyweight division and won a world title in the heavier weight class too while in his 40s. One of boxing’s most amazing athletes he fought many of the best such as Oscar De La Hoya and Joe Calzaghe. Now both Hopkins and De La Hoya are part of the same boxing company Golden Boy Promotions.
Juan Manuel Marquez – the Mexico City prizefighter remains one of his country’s most under-rated fighters of all time. Perhaps because his style was very scientific and precise, he is not appreciated as one of Mexico’s finest prizefighters. Who can forget his four intense battles against Manny Pacquiao that all took place in mega fights held in Las Vegas? Marquez won world titles in the featherweight, super featherweight, and lightweight divisions.
Wayne McCullough – the “Pocket Rocket” from Belfast, Ireland was always a crowd favorite with his high intensity prizefighting style. He captured the bantamweight world title in Japan but later made Las Vegas his home base. He fought a number of world title bouts in Nevada including his final world title challenge against Oscar Larios in 2005. McCullough is also a very beloved fighter outside of the ring and was recently training boxers in Southern California.
Terry Norris – the super welterweight was one of Abel Sanchez’s earliest champions and was known for his speed and electric power. Known as “Terrible” Terry Norris, the San Diego-based prizefighter could end a fight with a single punch and often did. He defeated a number of big punchers and champions such as John “the Beast” Mugabi, Sugar Ray Leonard, Donald Curry, and Simon Brown. He was always worth watching because knockouts were his specialty. But if he needed to box he was fully capable of providing that too.
Vinny Pazienza – the Rhode Island prizefighter has one of the more incredible stories in a sport filled with incredible stories. Paz won world titles as a lightweight and a super welterweight and fought as heavy as a light heavyweight and won. In 1991 he was involved in a serious car accident and suffered a broken neck. It was thought his career was over but Paz returned 13 months later and continued fighting. Among those Paz fought are Greg Haugen, Hector Camacho, Roy Jones Jr. and Roberto Duran. He had one incredible boxing career.
Hasim Rahman – the heavyweight champion shocked the boxing world when he knocked out Lennox Lewis in the fifth round in South Africa. Though he lost the rematch seven months later, Rahman proved to be an always dangerous heavyweight in a career that began in 1994 and ended in 2014. Among those he battled were David Tua, Trevor Berbick, Corrie Sanders and James Toney. Known as “the Rock” he was in the heavyweight mix throughout his career.
Winky Wright – the Florida native never was flashy, powerful or speedy, but whoever he fought he brought trouble with a capital T. From super welterweight to super middleweight Wright brought his close guard style against some of the fiercest fighters and defused their power. Among those he fought were Fernando Vargas, Shane Mosley, Ike Quartey, Bernard Hopkins and Felix Trinidad. After dominating the Puerto Rican legend Trinidad retired a week later. Wright was always a tough nut to crack.
Non-Fighters
Dan Goossen – the Southern California-based promoter loved the sport of boxing and brought many of the best fights in history to both his native state and to Nevada. Goossen passed away in September 2014 and was beloved by all those who knew him. One of his proudest moments was staging James Toney’s upset knockout win over heavyweight legend Evander Holyfield in 2003. He also launched the careers of Andre Ward, Chris Arreola and Paul Williams.
Duane Ford – judged over 600 fights in Nevada and worldwide including Japan, Poland, Mexico, Germany, Panama and Thailand. Among those he oversaw in the prize ring were Wilfredo Gomez, Larry Holmes, Oscar De La Hoya, Mike Tyson and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Dr. Edwin “Flip” Homansky – was a ringside physician for thousands of bouts including the Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield battle in 1997. He also inspected fighters such as Muhammad Ali, Julio Cesar Chavez, Tommy Hearns, Felix Trinidad and thousands of others.
Floyd Mayweather Sr. – the father of Floyd Mayweather Jr. has long been a distinguished teacher of prizefighting beginning with his own son and including other future Boxing Hall of Fame fighters such as Oscar De La Hoya. His knowledge of the sweet science has been long sought by many and he continues to be a strong influence in the sport.
Marc Risman – the Las Vegas-based attorney represented Grammy and Emmy winners along with Olympians and boxing stars in his lengthy career. He also represented Don King and Julio Cesar Chavez and has long been a fan of the sport.
Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel
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Women’s Prizefighting Year End Review: The Best of the Best in 2024
Women’s Prizefighting Year End Review: The Best of the Best in 2024
It’s the end of the year.
Here are our awards for the best in women’s boxing. But first, a rundown on the state of the sport.
Maybe its my imagination but it seems that fewer female fights of magnitude took place in 2024 than in previous years.
A few promoters like 360 Promotions increased their involvement in women’s boxing while others such as Matchroom Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions seem stagnant. They are still staging female bouts but are not signing new additions.
American-based promotion company Top Rank, actually lost 50 percent of their female fighter roster when Seniesa Estrada, the undisputed minimumweight champion, retired recently. They still have Mikaela Mayer.
A promotion company making headlines and creating sparks in the boxing world is Most Valuable Promotions led by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. They signed Amanda Serrano and have invested in staging other female fights
This year, the top streaming company Netflix gambled on sponsoring Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson, along with Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor and hit a monster home run. According to Netflix metrics an estimated 74 million viewers watched the event that took place on Nov. 16 at Arlington, Texas.
“Breaking records like this is exactly what MVP was built to do – bring the biggest, most electrifying events to fans worldwide,” said Nakisa Bidarian co-founder of MVP.
History was made in viewership and at the gate where more than 70,000 fans packed AT&T Stadium for a record-setting $17.8 million in ticket sales outside of Las Vegas. It was the grand finale moment of the year.
Here are the major contributors to women’s boxing in 2024.
Fighter of the Year: Amanda Serrano
Other candidates: Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields, Franchon Crews, Dina Thorslund, and Yesica Nery Plata.
Amanda Serrano was chosen for not only taking part in the most viewed female title fight in history, but also for willingly sacrificing the health of her eye after suffering a massive cut during her brutal war with Taylor. She could have quit, walked away with tons of money and be given the technical decision after four rounds. She was ahead on the scorecards at that moment.
Instead, Serrano took more punches, more head butts and slugged her way through 10 magnificent and brilliant rounds against the great Taylor. Fans worldwide were captivated by their performance. Many women who had never watched a female fight were mesmerized and inspired.
Serrano once again proved that she would die in the ring rather than quit. Women and men were awed by her performance and grit. It was a moment blazed in the memories of millions.
Amanda Serrano is the Fighter of the Year.
Best Fight of the Year – Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor 2
Their first fight that took place two years ago in Madison Square Garden was the greatest female fight I had ever witnessed. The second fight surpassed it.
When you have two of the best warriors in the world willing to showcase their talent for entertainment regardless of the outcome, it’s like rubbing two sticks of dynamite together.
Serrano jumped on Taylor immediately and for about 20 seconds it looked like the Irish fighter would not make the end of the first round. Not quite. Taylor rallied behind her stubborn determination and pulled out every tool in her possession: elbows, head butts, low blows, whatever was needed to survive, Taylor used.
It reminded me of an old world title fight in 2005 between Jose Luis Castillo a master of fighting dirty and Julio Diaz. I asked about the dirty tactics by Castillo and Diaz simply said, “It’s a fight. It’s not chess. You do what you have to do.”
Taylor did what she had to do to win and the world saw a magnificent fight.
Other candidates: Seniesa Estrada versus Yokasta Valle, Mikaela Mayer versus Sandy Ryan, and Ginny Fuchs vs Adelaida Ruiz.
KO of the Year – Lauren Price KO3 Bexcy Mateus.
Dec. 14, in Liverpool, England.
The IBO welterweight titlist lowered the boom on Bexcy Mateus sending her to the floor thrice. She ended the fight with a one-two combination that left Mateus frozen while standing along the ropes. Another left cross rocket blasted her to the ground. Devastating.
Other candidates: Claressa Shields KO of Vanessa LePage-Joanisse, Gabriela Fundora KO of Gabriela Alaniz, Dina Thorslund vs Mary Romero, Amanda Serrano KO of Stevie Morgan.
Pro’s Pro Award – Jessica Camara
Jessica Camara defeated Hyun Mi Choi in South Korea to win the WBA gold title on April 27, 2024. The match took place in Suwon where Canada’s Camara defeated Choi by split decision after 10 rounds.
Camara, who is managed by Brian Cohen, has fought numerous champions including Kali Reis, Heather Hardy and Melissa St. Vil. She has become a pro fighter that you know will be involved in a good and entertaining fight and is always in search of elite competition. She eagerly accepted the fight in South Korea against Choi. Few fighters are willing to do that.
Next up for Camara is WBC titlist Caroline Dubois set for Jan. 11, in Sheffield, England.
Electric Fighters Club
These are women who never fail to provide excitement and drama when they step in the prize ring. When you only have two-minute rounds there’s no time to run around the boxing ring.
Here are some of the fighters that take advantage of every second and they do it with skill:
Gabriela Fundora, Mizuki Hiruta, Ellie Scotney, Lauren Price, Clara Lescurat, Adelaida Ruiz, Ginny Fuchs, Mikaela Mayer, Yokasta Valle, Sandy Ryan, Chantelle Cameron, Ebanie Bridges, Tsunami Tenkai, Dina Thorslund, Evelin Bermudez, Gabriela Alaniz, Caroline Dubois, Beatriz Ferreira, and LeAnna Cruz.
Claressa Shields Movie and More
A motion picture based on Claressa Shields titled “The Fire Inside” debuts on Wednesday, Dec. 25, nationwide. Most boxing fans know that Shields has world titles in various weight divisions. But they don’t know about her childhood and how she rose to fame.
Also, Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) will be fighting Danielle Perkins (5-0, 2 KOs) for the undisputed heavyweight world championship on Sunday Feb. 2, at Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan. DAZN will stream the Salita Promotions fight card.
“Claressa Shields is shining a spotlight on Flint – first on the big screen and then in the ring on Sunday, February 2,” said event promoter Dmitriy Salita, president of Salita Promotions. “Claressa leads by example. She is a trailblazer and has been an advocate for equality since she was a young lady. This event promises to be one of the most significant sporting and cultural events of the year. You don’t want to miss it, either live, in person or live on DAZN.”
Shields is only 29 years old and turns 30 next March. What more can she accomplish?
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Lucas Bahdi Forged the TSS 2024 Knockout of the Year
A Knockout of the Year doesn’t have to be a one-punch knockout, but it must arrive with the suddenness of a thunderclap on a clear day and the punch or punches must be so harsh as to obviate the need for a “10-count.” And, if rendered by an underdog, that makes the KO resonate more loudly.
Within these parameters, Lucas Bahdi’s knockout of Ashton “H2O” Sylva still jumped off the page. The thunderclap happened on July 20 in Tampa, Florida, on a show promoted by Jake Paul with Paul and the great Amanda Serrano sharing the bill against soft opponents in the featured bouts.
The 30-year-old Bahdi (16-0, 14 KOs) and the 20-year-old Sylva (11-0, 9 KOs) were both undefeated, but Bahdi was accorded scant chance of defeating Jake Paul’s house fighter.
Sylva was 18 years old and had seven pro fights under his belt, winning all inside the distance, when he signed with Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, in 2022. “We believe that Ashton has that talent, that flashiness, that style, that knockout power, that charisma to really be a massive, massive, superstar…” said the “Problem Child” when announcing that Sylva had signed with his company.
Jake Paul was so confident that his protege would accomplish big things that he matched Sylva with Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield. Currently 18-0 and ranked #2 by the WBA, Schofield was further along than Sylva in the pantheon of hot lightweight prospects. But Schofield backed out, alleging an injury, opening the door to a substitute.
Enter Lucas Bahdi who despite his eye-catching record was a virtual unknown. This would be his first outing on U.S. soil. All of his previous bouts were staged in Mexico or in Canada, mostly in his native Ontario province. “My opponent may have changed,” said Sylva who hails from Long Beach, California, “but the result will be the same, I will get the W and continue my path to greatness.”
The first five rounds were all Sylva. The Canadian had no antidote for Sylva’s speed and quickness. He was outclassed.
Then, in round six, it all came unglued for the precocious California. Out of the blue, Bahdi stiffened him with a hard right hand. Another right quickly followed, knocking Sylva unconscious. A third punch, a sweeping left, was superfluous. Jake Paul’s phenom was already out cold.
Sylva landed face-first on the canvas. He lay still as his handlers and medics rushed to his aid. It was scarifying. “May God restore him,” said ring announcer Joe Martinez as he was being stretchered out of the ring.
The good news is that Ashton “H2O” Silva will be able to resume his career. He is expected back in the ring as early as February. As for Lucas Bahdi, architect of the Knockout of the Year, he has added one more win to his ledger, winning a 10-round decision on the undercard of the Paul vs Tyson spectacle, and we will presumably be hearing a lot more about him.
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Usyk Outpoints Fury and Itauma has the “Wow Factor” in Riyadh
Usyk Outpoints Fury and Itauma has the “Wow Factor” in Riyadh
Oleksandr Usyk left no doubt that he is the best heavyweight of his generation and one of the greatest boxers of all time with a unanimous decision over Tyson Fury tonight at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. But although the Ukrainian won eight rounds on all three scorecards, this was no runaway. To pirate a line from one of the DAZN talking heads, Fury had his moments in every round but Usyk had more moments.
The early rounds were fought at a faster pace than the first meeting back in May. At the mid-point, the fight was even. The next three rounds – the next five to some observers – were all Usyk who threw more punches and landed the cleaner shots.
Fury won the final round in the eyes of this reporter scoring at home, but by then he needed a knockout to pull the match out of the fire.
The last round was an outstanding climax to an entertaining chess match during which both fighters took turns being the pursuer and the pursued.
An Olympic gold medalist and a unified world champion at cruiserweight and heavyweight, the amazing Usyk improved his ledger to 23-0 (14). His next fight, more than likely, will come against the winner of the Feb. 22 match in Ridayh between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker which will share the bill with the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Fury (34-2-1) may fight Anthony Joshua next. Regardless, no one wants a piece of Moses Itauma right now although the kid is only 19 years old.
Moses Itauma
Raised in London by a Nigerian father and a Slovakian mother, Itauma turned heads once again with another “wow” performance. None of his last seven opponents lasted beyond the second round.
His opponent tonight, 34-year-old Australian Demsey McKean, lasted less than two minutes. Itauma, a southpaw with blazing fast hands, had the Aussie on the deck twice during the 117-second skirmish. The first knockdown was the result of a cuffing punch that landed high on the head; the second knockdown was produced by an overhand left. McKean went down hard as his chief cornerman bounded on to the ring apron to halt the massacre.
Itauma (12-0, 10 KOs after going 20-0 as an amateur) is the real deal. It was the second straight loss for McKean (22-2) who lasted into the 10th round against Filip Hrgovic in his last start.
Bohachuk-Davis
In a fight billed as the co-main although it preceded Itauma-McKean, Serhii Bohachuk, an LA-based Ukrainian, stopped Ishmael Davis whose corner pulled him out after six frames.
Both fighters were coming off a loss in fights that were close on the scorecards, Bohachuk falling to Vergil Ortiz Jr in a Las Vegas barnburner and Davis losing to Josh Kelly.
Davis, who took the fight on short notice, subbing for Ismail Madrimov, declined to 13-2. He landed a few good shots but was on the canvas in the second round, compliments of a short left hook, and the relentless Bohachuk (25-2, 24 KOs) eventually wore him down.
Fisher-Allen
In a messy, 10-round bar brawl masquerading as a boxing match, Johnny Fisher, the Romford Bull, won a split decision over British countryman David Allen. Two judges favored Fisher by 95-94 tallies with the dissenter favoring Allen 96-93. When the scores were announced, there was a chorus of boos and those watching at home were outraged.
Allen was a step up in class for Fisher. The Doncaster man had a decent record (23-5-2 heading in) and had been routinely matched tough (his former opponents included Dillian Whyte, Luis “King Kong” Ortiz and three former Olympians). But Allen was fairly considered no more than a journeyman and Fisher (12-0 with 11 KOs, eight in the opening round) was a huge favorite.
In round five, Allen had Fisher on the canvas twice although only one was ruled a true knockdown. From that point, he landed the harder shots and, at the final bell, he fell to canvas shedding tears of joy, convinced that he had won.
He did not win, but he exposed Johnny Fisher as a fighter too slow to compete with elite heavyweights, a British version of the ponderous Russian-Canadian campaigner Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Other Bouts of Note
In a spirited 10-round featherweight match, Scotland’s Lee McGregor, a former European bantamweight champion and stablemate of former unified 140-pound title-holder Josh Taylor, advanced to 15-1-1 (11) with a unanimous decision over Isaac Lowe (25-3-3). The judges had it 96-92 and 97-91 twice.
A cousin and regular houseguest of Tyson Fury, Lowe fought most of the fight with cuts around both eyes and was twice deducted a point for losing his gumshield.
In a fight between super featherweights that could have gone either way, Liverpool southpaw Peter McGrail improved to 11-1 (6) with a 10-round unanimous decision over late sub Rhys Edwards. The judges had it 96-95 and 96-94 twice.
McGrail, a Tokyo Olympian and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, fought from the third round on with a cut above his right eye, the result of an accidental clash of heads. It was the first loss for Edwards (16-1), a 24-year-old Welshman who has another fight booked in three weeks.
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