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Guillermo Jones: The Ever-Expanding Man was One Unconventional Dude

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 Guillermo “El Jefe” Jones began his pro career in 1993 fighting as a welterweight and achieved a long winning streak highlighted by an inordinate number of stoppages. He then challenged for a world title as a junior middleweight in 1998, coming up short twice against Laurent Boudouani (draw and SD). The lanky Panamanian — he stands 6’4” –then moved up four weight classes to cruiserweight, bypassing middleweight on the way up, and fought to a controversial draw with WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson in 2002. Most ringside observers thought El Jefe (translation: The Boss) had won.

Jones took 14 months off after his fight with Nelson. He subsequently took off all of 2006, but in 2008 his promoter Don King got him a shot at the WBA cruiserweight title held by Germany’s Firat Arslan. Fighting in Hamburg, Germany, Jones savagely lifted Arslan’s WBA belt, stopping him in the 10th round.

After taking two years off (as was his wont), Jones defended the title twice, beating up Valery Brudov and Michael Marrone using his signature uppercuts and long rights to batter them into submission. He was inactive for 18 months after destroying Marrone, during which he was stripped of his title. Then, on May 17, 2013, he stepped into the ring with Denis Lebedev, his successor as WBA champion, in Moscow, Russia.

The two cruiserweights waged war in a memorable fight that left the Russian’s face looking like a frightening Halloween mask.

The Lebedev War

Lebedev was ahead on all three scorecards — 96-94 (twice) and 97-93 — after 10 rounds, but by then he had started to punch himself out. He also suffered several grotesque facial lacerations—some early–that finally resulted in a major upset stoppage in the 11th round and a five-day stay in a hospital.

lebedev 2

The Panamanian, cagey and clever, was impervious and immovable. Using a tool box composed of an iron chin, long power jabs, lead rights, straight long rights, continual and jarring uppercuts, and savvy counters, he just kept coming and coming and coming. Given his height, heft, and stutter-step movement, he presented a scary and stalking monster—even scarier than the Russian.

Scott Christ described it in BLH thusly: “Though (Lebedev’s) performance was very admirable and he delivered a ton of strong shots that Jones, 41, simply walked through somehow, there’s just no question that referee Stanley Christodoulou allowed this fight to go on far too long, as did Lebedev’s corner, as did the commission; though it was hard to tell if there even was a doctor for this fight. Lebedev took sustained punishment, round after round, to an eye that was busted open pretty heavily in the first round of the fight. It became brutal after a while to watch the pummeling of the injury continue on, ceaselessly.

“For Jones, it’s obviously a very big win, one of the best of his career. It would be great if we could expect to see him fight again later this year, or even early next year, but there’s no counting on that. He’s notoriously lazy about his schedule (italics mine) and Don King is the perfect promoter to give you all the rope you want on that front.”

The manner in which Jones pummeled the champion raised eyebrows of suspicion.  Many observers, especially Panamanians, hoped that Jones would test clean for this fight, but such would not be the case. Both his “A” and “B” urine samples tested positive for the banned diuretic Furosemide. The result of the fight was changed to “no-contest” and the WBA ordered a rematch.

Furosemide

Furosemide is used for losing weight and masking other banned drugs. But this drug does not necessarily make a fighter stronger and/or enhance his performance. If anything, it can cause cramping, muscle weakness, electrolyte depletion, fatigue, and dehydration, suggesting that El Jefe used it — perhaps desperately– to make weight after being out of the ring for 18 months. Considering these side effects, the fact that he performed the way he did against the likes of Denis Lebedev is beyond incredible.

Leading into the highly anticipated rematch in Moscow there was bad blood between them. Jones, a showman of sorts, called it “Facial Surgery II.” He added, “Everyone who was there saw what I did to him. I’ll repeat this execution in four days so don’t miss it.” Lebedev was relatively stoic but primed for revenge. However, just hours before the fight, it came out that Jones had again tested positive for a banned substance, the same substance that he came up dirty for in the first fight, and the rematch was called off as a result.

This chronically inactive cruiserweight, now 47 years old, went on to fight at heavyweight, winning three straight before going inactive in 2017. In his last bout, he won the vacant WBA Fedalatin Heavyweight Title with an 11-round (yes, “11”) split decision over Ecuador’s Ytalo Perea, bringing his record to 41-3-2.

Jones’ accomplishments in the ring have been noteworthy. He hasn’t lost since 2005 when Steve Cunningham narrowly defeated him via another controversial and split decision. Only one of his three losses has been decisive and he avenged that in short order. But it’s the unusual and unorthodox circumstances under which his accomplishments came that have made them compelling.

During his long layoffs, Guillermo likely spent little time in the gym, though he does now, working as a sparring partner for fighters like Sergey Kovalev. One can only speculate as to what kind of boxer he would have been had he trained properly and fought more frequently–but wait–maybe that was the answer, to wit: maintain a career with an extremely low frequency of fights and keep your body preserved by staying out of the gym.

Jones may never fight again, but if he does, against a fair to middling opponent, don’t even think about betting against him. As a fighter ages, conditioning normally becomes a pre-requisite….unless your name is Guillermo “El Jefe” Jones, for “El Jefe” is one unconventional dude.

Ted Sares is a lifetime member of Ring 10, a member of Ring 8, and a member of Ring 4 and its Boxing Hall of Fame. He also is an Auxiliary Member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). He is an active power lifter and Strongman competitor in the Master Class.

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Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results

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LAS VEGAS, NV – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Promotions was at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas tonight for the second half of a DAZN doubleheader that began in Nottingham, England. In the main event, Diego Pacheco, ranked #1 by the WBO at super middleweight, continued his ascent toward a world title with a unanimous decision over Steven Nelson.

Pacheco glides round the ring smoothly whereas Nelson wastes a lot energy with something of a herky-jerky style. However, although Nelson figured to slow down as the fight progressed, he did some of his best work in rounds 11 and 12. Fighting with a cut over his left eye from round four, a cut that periodically reopened, the gritty Nelson fulfilled his promise that he would a fight as if he had everything to lose if he failed to win, but it just wasn’t enough, even after his Omaha homie Terence “Bud” Crawford entered his corner before the last round to give him a pep talk (back home in North Omaha, Nelson runs the B&B (Bud and Bomac) Sports Academy.

All three judges had it 117-111 for Pacheco who mostly fought off his back foot but landed the cleaner punches throughout. A stablemate of David Benavidez and trained by David’s father Jose Benevidez Sr, Pacheco improved to 23-0 (18). It was the first pro loss for the 36-year-old Nelson (20-1).

Semi wind-up

Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, who as a pro has never fought a match slated for fewer than 10 rounds, had too much class for Hermosillo, Mexico’s rugged Omar Salcido who returned to his corner with a puffy face after the fourth stanza, but won the next round and never stopped trying. The outcome was inevitable even before the final round when Salcido barely made it to the final gun, but the Mexican was far more competitive than many expected.

The Cuban, who was 4-0 vs. Keyshawn Davis in closely-contested bouts as an amateur, advanced his pro record to 5-0 (2), winning by scores by 99-91 and 98-92 twice. Salido, coming off his career-best win, a 9th-round stoppage of former WBA super featherweight title-holder Chris Colbert, falls to 20-2.

Other TV bouts

Ernesto “Tito” Mercado, a 23-year-old super lightweight, aims to become the next world champion from Pomona, California, following in the footsteps of the late Richie Sandoval and Sugar Shane Mosely, and based on his showing tonight against former Beijing Olympian and former two-division title-holder Jose Pedraza, he is well on his way.

After three rounds after what had been a technical fight, Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) knocked Pedraza off his pins with an overhand right followed by short left hand. Pedraza bounced back and fell on his backside. When he rose on unsteady legs, the bout was waived off. The official time was 2:08 of round four and the fading, 25-year-old Pedraza (29-7-1) was saddled with his third loss in his last four outings.

The 8-round super lightweight clash between Israel Mercado (no relation to “Tito”) and Leonardo Rubalcava was fan-friendly skirmish with many robust exchanges. When the smoke cleared, the verdict was a majority draw. Mercado got the nod on one card (76-74), but was overruled by a pair of 75-75 scores.

Mercado came out strong in the opening round, but suffered a flash knockdown before the round ended. The referee ruled it a slip but was overruled by replay operator Jay Nady and what would have been a 10-9 round for Mercado became a 10-8 round for Rubalcava. Mercado lost another point in round seven when he was penalized for low blows.

The scores were 76-74 for Mercado (11-1-2) and 75-75 twice. The verdict was mildly unpopular with most thinking that Mercado deserved the nod. Reportedly a four-time Mexican amateur champion, Rubalcava (9-0-1) is trained by Robert Garcia.

Also

New Matchroom signee Nishant Dev, a 24-year-old southpaw from India, had an auspicious pro debut (pardon the cliché). Before a beaming Eddie Hearn, Dev stopped Oakland’s Alton Wiggins (1-1-1) in the opening round. The referee waived it off after the second knockdown.

Boxers from India have made large gains at the amateur level in recent years and Matchroom honcho Eddie Hearn anticipates that Dev, a Paris Olympian, will be the first fighter from India to make his mark as a pro.

Undefeated Brooklyn lightweight Harley Mederos, managed by the influential Keith Connolly, scored his seventh knockout in eight tries with a brutal third-round KO of Mexico’s Arturo de Isla.

A left-right combination knocked de Isla (5-3-1) flat on his back. Referee Raul Caiz did not bother to count and several minutes elapsed before the stricken fighter was fit to leave the ring. The official time was 1:27 of round three.

In the opener, Newark junior lightweight Zaquin Moses, a cousin of Shakur Stevenson, improved to 2-0 when his opponent retired on his stool after the opening round.

Photo credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom

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Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City

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Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his last three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).

Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.

In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.

The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.

Co-Feature

In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.

Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.

What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.

The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.

Also

In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).

A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, applied the exclamation point, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.

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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim

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Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.

Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.

Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.

Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is Brandon Figueroa should he defeat former Inoue foe Stephen Fulton next weekend. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.

Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”

Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.

Semi-wind-up

In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.

Also

In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.

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