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Avila Perspective, Chap. 68: Red Boxing International, GGG, and More
Flaunting a heavyweight title fight, celebrity guests and a multitude of prospects, a rather new boxing promotion arrives ceremoniously this weekend.
Red Boxing International now entrenched in Southern California breaks out a card featuring heavyweight Ronald Johnson (16-1, 4 KOs) fighting Sergio Ramirez (18-6, 10 KOs) for a regional heavyweight title on Saturday Oct. 12, at Pico Rivera Sports Arena in Pico Rivera, Calif.
Itâs a rematch of a fight that Johnson won two years ago in Las Vegas.
âI definitely remember that fight,â said Johnson of their first encounter in 2017 that ended with a win by decision. âThis time itâs going to be a knockout.â
Ramirez (pictured on the right; Johnson on the left) mildly disagreed.
âThis time Iâm going to be prepared,â said Ramirez adding that he had only two weeks to prepare in their first heavyweight encounter. âThis time itâs going to be a war.â
Johnson will be defending the GBO heavyweight title and is trained by Floyd Mayweather Sr.
âHeâs going to shock your mind,â said Mayweather.
In a super welterweight match the nephew of Hollywood star Eddie Murphy will be partaking in a five-round fight.
Brandon Lynch (9-1, 7 KOs) meets Bernard Thomas (5-6) in match that brings interest from the Hollywood community and boxing family. Expected to attend will be Murphy and former female champion Laila Ali.
Speaking of female fighters, super flyweight sensation Adelaida âLa Cobraâ Ruiz (8-0) meets Mikayla Nebel (2-7) in a six round co-main event.
Ruiz brings an army of fans wherever she fights and many consider her the top female prospect in Southern California. Sheâs just about ready to crack contender status.
Tickets to the event are available at https://www3.ticketon.com/event/SUPREMACY-SHOWDOWN/390204
GGG
Last week the world saw one of the best fights of the year as Gennady âGGGâ Golovkin knocked down Sergiy Derevyanchenko early in their middleweight title fight, then battle back and forth, with Golovkin winning by unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden.
Boos cascaded from the New York City audience.
One thing learned by Golovkin as he departed Manhattan is that fans can be fickle. One day they love you, the next day they dish dirt on you. The world of prizefighting can be like a never-ending soap opera. After a fight finishes everybody has an opinion or advice.
Anytime a competitive fight ends with a decision, the words ârobberyâ and âfixedâ are tossed around from hardcore fans who follow the game. Those fans should know by now that a close fight always means around 50 percent will agree with the outcome.
It was an entertaining fight. Thatâs all you can ask. These two prizefighters gave their heart and soul for 12 brutal rounds. Golovkin proved heâs still among the best fighters in the world and Derevyanchenko showed he can battle with the elite.
Golovkin now holds the IBF world title. Whatâs next?
Tom Loeffler, who advises Golovkin, said they are looking at several possibilities including IBF mandatories now that he has regained the middleweight title.
Remembering Dadashev
Several months ago Maxim Dadashev passed away from injuries suffered during a prize fight. One California fighter did not forget and decided to show his concern with an extraordinary offering.
WBC and WBO super lightweight champion Jose Carlos Ramirez donated $10,000 to the family of Dadashev who died after a fight on July 23, 2019.
The money was raised after an auction was held for the boxing trunks, gloves and shoes worn by Ramirez when he defeated Maurice Hooker last July in Texas. It was also during the time Dadashev died after fighting on a Maryland boxing card.
“I’m honored and humbled to have been able to help out Maximâs family,â Ramirez said. âEvery fighter puts their life on the line in the ring. My prayers to his family.â
It was a touching gift from the heart by the super lightweight champion from Avenal, California.
Egis Klimis, who was the manager for Dadashev, spoke on behalf of the departed fighterâs family: âFrom the bottom of our hearts, and on behalf of Maximâs family and our entire team, we would like to thank Jose, his team and The Big Fresno Fair for their generosity.â
Big Fresno Fair was the group that purchased the Ramirez fight items and now has them available for visitors to see.
“These items are incredibly important to our museum, especially with the recent addition of the life-size statue honoring Jose,” said John C. Alkire, CEO, The Big Fresno Fair. âWhen we knew this was going to support a family during a time of loss, we were all in.â
Dadashev left behind a wife and daughter who both live in Russia.
Commerce Fight Card
All Star Boxing has a solid boxing card that takes place on Saturday Oct. 12, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California.
Super welterweight prospect Martin Saldana (12-0) meets Jonathan Espino (2-4) in a six round main event. Also on the card will be Ikeem Abdullah and Jessie Mandapat in separate bouts.
Doors open at 5 p.m. first bout starts at 6 p.m. For more information call (323) 816-6200.
What to Watch
(all times posted are Pacific Time)
Fri. 10:30 a.m. DAZN – Fabio Turchi (17-0) vs Tommy McCarthy (15-2).
Fri. 6 p.m. UFC Fight Pass – Chad Dawson (35-5) vs Denis Grachev (19-8-1).
Fri. 11:30 p.m. Telemundo – Ganigan Lopez (36-9) vs Armando Torres (24-18).
Sat. 12 p.m. ESPN+ – Josh Warrington (29-0) vs Sofiane Takoucht (35-3-1).
Sat. 4 p.m. DAZN â Oleksandr Usyk (16-0) vs Chazz Witherspoon (38-3); Jessica McCaskill (7-2) vs Erica Farias (26-3).
Photo credit: Al Applerose
Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel Â
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Luis Nery is Devoured by a Monster in Tokyo: Naoya Inoue KO 6
In March of 1988, three days after the official opening of the Tokyo Dome, Mike Tyson christened the arena for boxing with a second-round stoppage of Tony Tubbs. The announced attendance, 51,000, was a record for a boxing match in Japan that would stand for 36 years. A multitude somewhat larger (the exact tally isnât yet official) was on hand today to witness their hero Naoya âMonsterâ Inoue get off the deck to humble Tijuana import Luis Nery.
A former two-division world title-holder, Nery stunned the faithful in the second minute of the opening round when he put Inoue on the canvas with a sweeping left hook. It was the first time that the âMonsterâ had ever been knocked down and (shades of Tyson-Douglas!) it appeared for a moment that another monster upset was brewing in the building that locals fondly call the Big Egg. But Inoue returned the favor in round two when he caught the lunging Nery off-balance and put him down with a sharp left hook and was in control of the fight from that point on.
Inoue produced a second knockdown in round five with a short left hook and closed the show in the following round with a vicious right hand that snapped Neryâs head back and splattered him against the ropes. Referee Michael Griffin waived it off without a count. The official time was 1:22.
Inoue, who won his first pro title in his sixth pro fight, improved to 27-0 (24 KOs) while successfully defending his unified 122-pound title. It was his eighth straight win inside the distance, a run that began with a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney at the MGM Bubble in Las Vegas. Luis Nery, who lost for only the second time in 37 fights, was 2-0 in previous visits to Japan, stopping Shinsuke Yamanaka twice, the second KO of which rucked Yamanaka off into retirement and established Neryâs reputation as a bully.
There were three other world title fights on the card, all of which went the full 12 rounds.
In a mild upset, Yokohama southpaw Yoshiki Takao won a world title in his ninth pro fight, overcoming Australiaâs Jason Moloney (27-3) to capture the WBA bantamweight belt. Moloney mustered a big rally in the final round but couldnât seal the deal. There were no knockdowns but Takao had a point deducted in round two for low blows. The scores were 117-110 and 116-111 twice.
Takuma Inoue, Naoyaâs younger brother, successfully defended his WBA world bantamweight title in his second title defense with a unanimous decision over Osakaâs Sho Ishida (34-4). Takuma, who improved to 20-1, is a good technician but with only five stoppages to his credit, lacks the firepower of his celebrated brother.
In a rematch, WBA super flyweight title-holder Seigo Yuri Akui scored a unanimous decision over countryman Taku Kuwahara. The scores were 118-110 and 117-111 twice.
Akui (20-2-1) was making the first defense of the title he won in January with an upset of long-reigning title-holder Artem Dalakian. In their previous meeting at adjacent Korakuen Hall, Akui saddled Kuwahara (13-2) with his first defeat, scoring a 10th-round stoppage.
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Canelo Alvarez Turns Away Jaime Munguia to Remain Undisputed King at 168
Saul âCaneloâ Alvarez remains Mexicoâs top fighter and the undisputed super middleweight world champion with a resounding victory by unanimous decision over the hard-charging Jaime Munguia on Saturday.
If Mexico had a monarchy Alvarez would be king.
âI am the best Mexican fighter,â said Alvarez.
An announced crowd of 17,492 saw Guadalajaraâs Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) patiently analyze the battle plan of Tijuanaâs Munguiaâs (43-1, 34 KOs) and then unravel it methodically every round at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
It was a battle for Mexico that pitted two dangerous fighters with Munguia entering the prize ring undefeated and hungry to establish himself as Mexicoâs new power. He just wasnât ready.
After Munguia opened up quickly behind a solid jab and combinations, Alvarez calmly blocked and parried the Tijuana fighterâs attacks for three rounds and then it happened.
After success in the first three rounds Munguia opened up with another attack in the fourth that Alvarez calmly timed and snapped a right uppercut to the chin that floored the Tijuana fighter for the first time in his career. He got up from the knockdown and was able to stave off a further Canelo attack.
The momentum suddenly changed and for good.
Alvarez stalked Munguia every round with a more aggressive approach and sometimes set traps for counters. Though the Mexican redhead found success he was unable to floor the taller Munguia again. But he did come close including the seventh when a left hook to the body visibly hurt Munguia. He survived.
It must have been frustrating for Munguia whose improvement in his boxing skills have been noticeable in his last three fights. Even in this fight his ability to defend and return fire against Caneloâs clever moves was a vast improvement over his career three years ago. But its not enough when battling one of the best fighters pound-for- pound in the world.
Four-division world champion Alvarez strategically proved his skills are another level that only a few today possess. It was a valuable lesson for Munguia to learn the same lesson Canelo received against Floyd Mayweather a decade ago.
Experience counts.
âHeâs a fighter with a lot of experience,â said Munguia who had hoped his youth and stamina would help against the 33-year-old Alvarez.
Canelo said Munguia was a great fighter and very strong.
âI take my time,â said Alvarez âHeâs strong but a little slow I saw every punch.â
Though it was the fifth consecutive fight without a knockout, Alvarez was satisfied with the unanimous decision to keep the WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF super middleweight titles. It was the first time two Mexican super middleweights fought for all the titles.
Alvarez said this win again proves he can fight whoever he chooses after fighting boxing greats like Miguel Cotto, Mayweather and other champions.
âI can do whatever I want to do,â said Alvarez.
Other Bouts
Mario Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) floored Fabian Maidana (22-3, 16 KOs) in the third round but found the hard-punching Argentine too tough to finish off. Instead, he used a steady stream of jabs to win by unanimous decision after 12 rounds.
A touch left followed by a rifle right cross dropped Maidana. Instead of giving up, the younger brother of the great Marcos Maidana unleashed his own big blows to force Barrios into a more careful strategic fight mode. Especially after one or two blows caused a swelling on his right eye.
But Maidana never could find the antidote for Barriosâs jab that won the majority of the rounds for the San Antonio, Texas fighter. After 12 rounds all three judges scored it 116-111 for Barrios who keeps the interim welterweight title.
After a sluggish start, Brandon Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs) found his footing midway through the super bantamweight match against Jesse Magdaleno (29-3, 18 KOs) and ended the match with a one-punch belt to the body to win the battle of former champions.
Magdaleno took the lead in the fight with clever boxing but slowly Figueroa cranked up his punch out-put and while during a furious exchange the fighter from Weslaco, Texas connected with a left to the body. Magdaleno could not beat the count at 2:59 of the ninth round.
Figueroa retains the interim super bantamweight title.
Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) used a power jab to separate from Venezuelaâs Gabriel Maestre (6-1-1, 5 KOs) to retain the WBA welterweight world title by unanimous decision.
Despite two years from a ring appearance, Stanionis was able to out-work Maestre, a 37-year-old who was fighting for his first world title. Both had faced each other years ago as amateurs.
No knockdowns were scored but the fast-paced fight was won by the busier Stanionis whose jab was his primary weapon. All three scores favored the Lithuanian fighter 117-111, 118-110, 119-109.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Mielnicki, Ramos and Scull Victorious on Cinco de Mayo Weekend in Las Vegas
Two 10-round junior middleweight prelims aired as teasers for tonightâs four-fight pay-per-view at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In the opener; New Jerseyâs Vito Mielnicki Jr (pictured) scored his tenth straight win, advancing to 18-1 (12) with a wide decision over SoCalâs Ronald Cruz. Mielnicki, 21, put Cruz on the canvas in round three and again in round four, but So Calâs Cruz (19-4-1) stayed the course and maintained his distinction of never being stopped. The judges had it 99-89, 98-90, and 96-92 for âWhite Magicâ who had the noted trainer Ronnie Shields in his corner.
In the second bout â the main go of the prelims, so to speak â 23-year-old Arizona southpaw Jesus Ramos rebounded from his first loss (a narrow defeat to Erickson Lubin in this same ring) with a ninth-round stoppage of Johan Gonzalez who was making his third start in the U.S., having fought mostly in Venezuela and Panama.
Gonzalez was rugged, but his record heading in (34-2 with 33 KOs) was deceptive as he was out-classed by Ramos (21-1, 17 KOs) who was credited with landing roughly twice as many punches before he brought the bout to a conclusion. A counter left hook put Gonzalez down hard. He beat the count, but Ramos swarmed after him, rocking him with punches. There were only 5 seconds remining in the ninth frame when referee Harvey Dock waived it off. Gonzalez protested, but it was the right call.
Also
Super middleweight William Scull made his U.S. debut in an 8-round fight. A native of Cuba who had been living in Germany and now hangs his hat in Argentina, Scull, 31, scored a knockdown in the fifth round en route to winning a unanimous decision over New Orleansâ Sean Hemphill (16-2).
Scull is ranked #1 by the IBF, but you wonât find his name in the Top 15 of the other three major sanctioning bodies. Does the obscure William Scull have Canelo Alvarez in his future?
In another undercard bout of note, Mexico City super bantamweight Alan Picasso improved to 28-0-1 (16 KOs) with a fifth-round stoppage of Coloradoâs Damien Vazquez (17-4-1). Picasso, 23, is ranked #2 at 122 by the WBC.
Check back later as TSS West Coast bureau chief David Avila weighs in with a recap of the Canelo-Munguia fight and the three fights preceding it. The bouts are available for purchase on multiple pay-per-view platforms: e.g. Prime, DAZN, and PPV.com.
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