November’s Freak Fight in LA Poses a Dilemma for Boxing Journalists

Published

6 years ago

September 5, 2019

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A forthcoming prizefight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles is attracting a lot of buzz. On Nov. 9, Logan Paul and KSI (birth name Olajide William Olatunji) will meet in the ring for the second time. Their first fight, on Aug. 25 of last year, played to a full house at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, and drew $11 million in revenue between gate receipts and the $10 pay-per-view live stream on YouTube. That figure would have been substantially higher if not for widespread live stream piracy.

Logan Paul and KSI boxed six rounds to a draw using headgear and 12-ounce gloves. Both were novices. Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, Great Britain’s most prominent boxing promoter, wanted no part of it. He said he considered the fight an embarrassment to the sport.

Hearn will promote the rematch. It will air on DAZN.

If not for Internet search engines, this grizzled reporter wouldn’t know Logan Paul from the man in the moon. Same goes for KSI. As I have come to learn, both are YouTube sensations, video bloggers who now have millions of followers on various social media platforms. Both have comedic and musical talent – KSI’s first release went to #1 in the U.K. in the R&B album category – but where they really excel is in marketing. Through shrewd self-promotion, both have attracted advertisers with deep pockets and have become millionaires while still in their mid-twenties.

The antics that preceded their first meeting were obviously inspired by the Mayweather-McGregor pre-fight tour, an orgy of F-bombs that pandered to adolescents, whatever their age. Logan Paul and KSI “asserted their superior manliness through base insults about strength, pain tolerance, attire, material possessions and sexual prowess,” wrote Vlad Savov in Verge, a publication that explores the role of mobile technology in shaping popular culture.

Freak fights are nothing new. Philadelphia huckster Damon Feldman (his older brother David Feldman promotes bare-knuckle fights) manufactured a slew of so-called Celebrity Boxing cards including a 2002 one-off that aired on the FOX network. In one of the bouts, infamous figure skater Tonya Harding swapped punches with Bill Clinton accuser Paula Jones who filled in for “Long Island Lolita” Amy Fisher whose appearance was nixed by her parole board. Needless to say, this was beyond tacky.

There have also been many freak fights that weren’t packaged as such. At a press luncheon to hype his match with Mike Tyson, Peter McNeeley asserted that he was going to wrap Iron Mike in a cocoon of horror. “Hurricane Peter” had as much chance of defeating Mike Tyson as a man plucked randomly off the street.

Damon Feldman’s Celebrity Boxing shows, like others of the ilk, were mis-named. They weren’t celebrity boxing matches but has-been-celebrity boxing matches. As Caryn James of the New York Times put it, they offered a 16^th minute of fame to folks that had used up their 15 minutes.

The fight last summer between Logan Paul and KSI in Manchester was a different animal. In terms of their celebrityhood, Paul and KSI were in their prime. Moreover, they were both physically fit and the two cruiserweights — each weighed a shade under 190 pounds — brought to their scuffle more than a modicum of athleticism. Paul was an all-league linebacker at Westlake High School in suburban Cleveland and as a wrestler earned a berth in the state tournament. And both came out of the fight looking as if they had been in a fight.

What converted Eddie Hearn, however, was not the competitiveness of the fight, but the public reaction to it. “What I saw was a phenomenon, a sold-out arena, over one million PPV buys but more importantly an energy of a new audience to the sport of boxing,” he told a reporter to the (London) Sun.

Hearn will be making a few changes. The re-do will stay six rounds, but Paul and KSI will compete without headgear and with 10-ounce gloves rather than the 12-ounce gloves used in their first encounter. You won’t find the outcome of the first meeting up on BoxRec; the sport’s official record-keeper ignores exhibitions. But Paul-KSI II has been certified a legitimate professional fight.

Paul-KSI I was a doubleheader. Their younger brothers were matched-up in the prelim. (At his post-fight press conference, Jake Paul introduced his new clothing line.) The Nov. 9 sequel will be noosed to a conventional undercard. Rumor has it that new Matchroom signee Billy Joe Saunders will defend his newly-won WBO world super middleweight title in the co-feature. There’s also talk that Devin Haney will be added to the card if he emerges unscathed from next week’s encounter with Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev.

Traditionalists view Paul vs. KSI as a slap in the face to all the young fighters who are working hard to hone their craft, paying their dues, so to speak, in hopes of becoming good enough to eventually secure good purses and improve their standard of living. Others, myself included, are less turned-off by the fight than by the inevitable trash talking that will precede it. True, trash talking has always been part of the culture of prizefighting but the new breed of trash talker, a foul-mouthed lout in the Conor McGregor mold, can’t hold a candle to Muhammad Ali who trash talked with an impish wink that didn’t coarsen the language.

The dilemma for boxing journalists is that they can’t just ignore the Paul-KSI fight altogether. They have to report the news and as boxing events go, this is big news, so big that it has forced the promoters of the rematch between Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz, also scheduled for Nov. 9, to find a new date. But to what extent should their stories focus on the exchange of brickbats before the fighters’ touch gloves? Perhaps this is journalism, but if so it’s hackwork.

I know what some folks are thinking: “Dude, chill out, life will go on.” Bob Arum certainly feels that way. “If they make a buck in the ring, who the hell cares? There are things in life to get excited about, and this is not one of them,” said the octogenarian impressario to The Ring correspondent Michael Woods.

Arum certainly makes a valid point, but we are reminded that he hatched one of the greatest freak shows in “sports”, the failed jump over the Snake River Canyon in a steam powered rocket ship by motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel. In terms of the entertainment value it gave, the jump was on par with Tyson-McNeeley.

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Arne K. Lang

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Argentina’s Fernando Martinez Wins His Rematch with Kazuto Ioka

Published

3 hours ago

May 11, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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In an excellent fight climaxed by a furious 12^th round, Argentina’s Fernando Daniel Martinez came off the deck to win his rematch with Kazuto Ioka and retain his piece of the world 115-pound title. The match was staged at Ioka’s familiar stomping grounds, the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

In their first meeting on July 7 of last year in Tokyo, Martinez was returned the winner on scores of 117-111, 116-112, and a bizarre 120-108. The rematch was slated for late December, but Martinez took ill a few hours before the weigh-in and the bout was postponed.

The 33-year-old Martinez, who came in sporting a 17-0 (9) record, was a 7-2 favorite to win the sequel, but there were plenty of reasons to favor Ioka, 36, aside from his home field advantage. The first Japanese male fighter to win world titles in four weight classes, Ioka was 3-0 in rematches and his long-time trainer Ismael Salas was on a nice roll. Salas was 2-0 last weekend in Times Square, having handled upset-maker Rolly Romero and Reito Tsutsumi who was making his pro debut.

But the fourth time was not a charm for Ioka (31-4-1) who seemingly pulled the fight out of the fire in round 10 when he pitched the Argentine to the canvas with a pair of left hooks, but then wasn’t able to capitalize on the momentum swing.

Martinez set a fast pace and had Ioka fighting off his back foot for much of the fight. Beginning in round seven, Martinez looked fatigued, but the Argentine was conserving his energy for the championship rounds. In the end, he won the bout on all three cards: 114-113, 116-112, 117-110.

Up next for Fernando Martinez may be a date with fellow unbeaten Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, the lineal champion at 115. San Antonio’s Rodriguez is a huge favorite to keep his title when he defends against South Africa’s obscure Phumelela Cafu on July 19 in Frisco, Texas.

As for Ioka, had he won today’s rematch, that may have gotten him over the hump in so far as making it into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. True, winning titles in four weight classes is no great shakes when the bookends are only 10 pounds apart, but Ioka is still a worthy candidate.

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Emanuel Navarrete Survives a Bloody Battle with Charly Suarez in San Diego

Published

5 hours ago

May 11, 2025

David A. Avila

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In a torrid battle Mexico’s Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and his staccato attack staved off the herky-jerky non-stop assaults of Philippine’s Charly Suarez to win by technical decision and retain the WBO super feather world title on Saturday.

What do they feed these guys?

Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) and his elongated arms managed to connect enough to compensate against the surprising Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs) who wowed the crowd at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on the side of Navarrete’s left eye and forced a stoppage midway through the fight.

From the opening round Navarrete used his windmill style of attack with punches from different angles that caught Suarez multiple times early. It did not matter. Suarez fired back with impunity and was just as hungry to punch it out with the Mexican fighter.

It was savage.

Every time Navarrete connected solidly, he seemed to pause and check out the damage. Bad idea. Suarez would immediately counter with bombs of his own and surprise the champion with his resilience and tenacity.

Wherever they found Suarez they should look for more, because the Filipino fighter from Manila was ferocious and never out of his depth.

Around the sixth round the Mexican fighter seemed a little drained and puzzled at the tireless attacks coming from Suarez. During an exchange of blows a cut opened up on Navarrete and it was ruled an accidental clash of heads by the referee. Blood streamed down the side of Navarrete’s face and it was cleared by the ringside physician.

But at the opening of the eighth round, the fight was stopped and the ringside physician ruled the cut was too bad to continue. The California State Athletic Commission looked at tape of the round when the cut opened to decipher if it was an accidental butt or a punch that caused the cut. It was unclear so the referee’s call of accidental clash of heads stood as the final ruling.

Score cards from the judges saw Navarrete the winner by scores of 78-75, 77-76 twice. He retains the WBO title.

Interim IBF Lightweight Title

The sharp-shooting Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) maneuvered past Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the interim IBF lightweight title after 12 rounds.

Both fighters were strategic in their approach with Muratalla switching from orthodox to southpaw at various times of the fight. Neither fighter was ever able to dominant any round.

Defense proved the difference between the two lightweights. Muratalla was able to slip more blows than Abdullaev and that proved the difference. The fighter from Fontana, California was able to pierce Abdullaev’s guard more often than not, especially with counter punches.

Abdullaev was never out of the fight. The Russian fighter was able to change tactics and counter the counters midway through the fight. It proved effective especially to the body. But it was not enough to offset Muratalla’s accuracy.

There were no knockdowns and after 12 rounds the judges scored it 118-110, 119-109 twice for Muratalla who now becomes the mandatory for the IBF lightweight title should Vasyl Lomachenko return to defend it.

Muratalla was brief.

“He was a tough fighter,” said Muratalla. “My defense is something I work on a lot.”

Perla Wins

Super flyweight Perla Bazaldua (2-0) eased past Mona Ward (0-2) with a polished display of fighting at length and inside.

Combination punching and defense allowed Bazaldua to punch in-between Ward’s attacks and force the St. Louis fighter to clinch repeatedly. But Ward hung in there despite taking a lot of blows. After four rounds the Los Angeles-based Bazaldua was scored the winner 40-36 on all three cards. Bazaldua signed a long term contract with Top Rank in March.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Late Bloomer Anthony Cacace TKOs Hometown Favorite Leigh Wood in Nottingham

Published

18 hours ago

May 10, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions was at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England, tonight with a card featuring hometown favorite Leigh Wood against Ireland’s Anthony “Apache” Cacace.

Wood, a former two-time WBA featherweight champion, known for dramatic comebacks in bouts he was losing, may have reached the end of the road at age 36. He had his moments tonight, rocking Cacace on several occasions and winning the eighth round, but he paid the price, returning to his corner after round eight with swelling around both of his eyes.

In the ninth, Cacace, an 11/5 favorite, hurt Wood twice with left hands, the second of which knocked Wood into the ropes, dictating a standing 8-count by referee John Latham. When the bout resumed, Cacace went for the kill and battered Wood around the ring, forcing Wood’s trainer Ben Davison to throw in the towel. The official time was 2:15 of round nine.

Akin to Wood, Northern Ireland’s Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs) is also 36 years old and known as a late bloomer. This was his ninth straight win going back to 2017 (he missed all of 2018 and 2020). He formerly held the IBF 130-pound world title, a diadem he won with a stoppage of then-undefeated and heavily favored Joe Cordina, but that belt wasn’t at stake tonight as Cacace abandoned it rather than fulfill his less-lucrative mandatory. Wood falls to 28-4.

Semi-Wind-Up

Nottingham light heavyweight Ezra Taylor, fighting in his hometown for the first time since pro debut, delighted his fan base with a comprehensive 10-round decision over previously undefeated Troy Jones. Taylor, who improved to 12-0 (9) won by scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.

This was Taylor’s first fight with new trainer Malik Scott, best known for his work with Deontay Wilder. The victory may have earned him a match with Commonwealth title-holder Lewis Edmondson. Jones was 12-0 heading in.

Other Bouts of Note

In his first fight as a featherweight, Liam Davies rebounded from his first defeat with a 12-round unanimous decision over Northern Ireland’s previously undefeated Kurt Walker. Davies, who improved to 17-1 (8), staved off a late rally to prevail on scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111. It was the first pro loss for the 30-year-old Walker (12-1), a Tokyo Olympian.

In a mild upset, Owen Cooper, a saucy Worcestershire man, won a 10-round decision over former Josh Taylor stablemate Chris Kongo. The referee’s scorecard read 96-94.

Cooper improved to 11-1 (4). It was the third loss in 20 starts for Kongo.

A non-televised 8-rounder featured junior welterweight Sam Noakes in a stay-busy fight. A roofer by trade and the brother of British welterweight title-holder Sean Noakes, Sam improved to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a third-round stoppage of overmatched Czech import Patrik Balez (13-5-1).

Photo credit: Leigh Dawney / Queensberry

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