Featured Articles
Avila Perspective, Chap. 71: Canelo, Berchelt, Nevada Hall of Fame and More

It’s difficult to imagine that 11 years ago the Mexican redhead Saul “Canelo” Alvarez arrived in Southern California with his trainers Eddy and Jose “Chepo” Reynoso and a handful of brown T-shirts that had a photo of him plastered on the front.
Few, if any, knew about the kid called Canelo when he was set to fight Larry Mosley at a desert casino in Riverside County.
It was October 24, 2008, and that same night another fight card was taking place in nearby Ontario. But I received a call from Ramiro Gonzalez the publicist for Golden Boy Promotions who I’ve known since 1993. He told me that Chepo Reynoso had someone who he claimed was the best fighter he ever had.
Chepo Reynoso had groomed a number of world champions and contenders including Javier Jauregui and Oscar Larios. If Canelo was better than those two world champions, I had to take a look.
Alvarez arrived with the Reynosos and publicist Gonzalez and we all met and shook hands. Chepo handed me a Canelo T-shirt and was asked by a few people standing in line for one of the T-shirts. He declined, explaining he did not have many. I still have that brown T-shirt hanging in my closet.
That night Canelo faced his first American style prizefighter and it proved puzzling to the 18-year-old Alvarez. First, Mosley was a southpaw and, second, he had a defensive style not common in Mexico. Below the border, a fighter that displays pronounced defense is equal to fighting with cowardice. It’s just the way Mexicanos perceive defense – a cowardly tactic.
After a few rounds it was clear that Alvarez was having problems figuring out why Mosley was not attacking. He realized he could be losing and stepped into another gear to hit whatever was available to hit and won by decision.
The Mexican redhead fought once more in Florida and did not return to America for two years.
Well, you know the rest of the story. Slowly but steadily Canelo fought better and better opponents and defeated a number of recognizable fighters and world champions — Carlos Baldomir, Kermit Cintron, Shane Mosley and others. When he fought Floyd Mayweather, he met the crème de la crème and from that single loss learned more about the art of boxing.
Canelo and defense
Just before Alvarez fought Gennadiy Golovkin in their first encounter, we met inside a Hollywood theater and he joyfully explained how much he learned from his encounter with Mayweather. It led him and his team to learn all they could about the defensive tactics disdained in Mexico, but applauded by many, especially in Midwestern states like Michigan. The fighter you see today in Alvarez is the result of that loss to Mayweather six years ago in Las Vegas.
Alvarez, now 29 years old, realizes a prizefighter only has so many years to utilize the abilities he’s acquired and built up, and he’s gunning for the most of it by challenging himself and daring to be great.
“This is going to be a big challenge that we have in front of us, and we’re happy to take it with a lot of responsibility and a lot of discipline,” said Alvarez of his upcoming fight. “We wanted to make history in boxing and leave a big legacy, so it looked like a good idea. It’s a risk that we’re taking, but that’s boxing.”
Earlier this year Mikey Garcia dared to be great too when he challenged the welterweight titlist Errol Spence Jr. Though he was not successful, you need to admire any athlete willing to test himself. You only have so much time as a super athlete.
When Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) enters the ring to face WBO light heavyweight titlist Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the MGM Grand, the size difference will be rather staggering. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions fight card.
The Mexican redhead is familiar with size disparities. Last December he met and defeated even taller Rocky Fielding for the WBA super middleweight title. But Kovalev presents an even bigger challenge as a more polished champion with deadly power.
Kovalev has no intention of underestimating Alvarez.
“This is the biggest fight of my career. I’ve never been in this situation, where someone is coming from middleweight. I’m not going to make a prediction, but I am going to go in there and defend my title,” said Kovalev. “This fight will be very interesting. It has a worldwide intrigue. I can’t wait.”
Dare to be great.
Top Rank in L.A.
For boxing fans unable to obtain tickets in Las Vegas, well there are tickets to watch another Mexican stalwart when WBC super featherweight titlist Miguel Berchelt (36-1, 32 KOs) defends against Jason Sosa (23-3-4, 16 KOs) at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday Nov. 2. ESPN will televise.
Many consider Berchelt to be one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world. He’s actually pretty big for a super featherweight and seems more like a super lightweight. The big question: how long can he continue making the weight?
The Top Rank fight card also features IBF super flyweight titlist Jerwin Ancajas (31-1-2, 21 KOs) making an eighth title defense, this time against Mexico’s Jonathan Rodriguez (21-1, 15 KOs).
The southpaw Filipino slugger Ancajas has endured a remarkable run in the super flyweight division. The division is filled with strong fighters. How long can he continue his run against so many good contenders?
Nevada Hall of Fame
If you are in Las Vegas don’t forget to visit the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. One of Mexico’s all-time greats Erik “El Terrible” Morales will be available for fans on Saturday Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Morales was involved in many memorable clashes especially on February 2000 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. It was the first and most violent of his three encounters with fellow Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera. That night the two Mexican warriors lit up the night with blow after blow. The Tijuana prizefighter also had several other historic fights with Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and later met Marcos Maidana and Danny “Swift” Garcia in other battles.
Just meeting the great three-division world champion would be enough, but the museum also has many exhibits worth taking a look.
The museum is located at 3542 S. Maryland Parkway inside the Boulevard Mall. The actual museum can be found in the eastern portion of the indoor mall at the Headzup store. Tickets at the door are $25.
For more information call (702) 368-2463 or email michelle@nvbhof.com
Prograis and Taylor
Last weekend’s super lightweight clash between Josh Taylor and Regis Prograis was one of the top fights of the year. If you haven’t seen it, go to DAZN and take a look.
The 12-round slugfest showcased just how deep and talented is the 140-pound super lightweight division. Taylor and Prograis matched blows evenly the entire fight and provided fans an eyeful into the talented division.
Think about it, the other champion Jose Carlos Ramirez has the WBC and WBO titles and he trains in the same Riverside, Calif. gym with Mikey Garcia who formerly held a super lightweight world title.
It’s definitely one of the most talented divisions in prizefighting today.
Fights to Watch
Fri. Showtime – 7 p.m. Xavier Martinez (14-0) vs Jessie Cris Rosales (22-3-1)
Sat. DAZN – 11 a.m. Katie Taylor (14-0) vs Christina Linartadou (12-1).
Sat. DAZN – 6 p.m. Saul Alvarez (52-1-2) vs Sergey Kovalev (34-3-1); Seniesa Estrada (17-0) vs Marlen Esparza (7-0); Ryan Garcia (18-0) vs Romero Duno (21-1).
Sat. ESPN – 7:30 p.m. Miguel Berchelt (36-1) vs Jason Sosa (23-3-4); Jerwin Ancajas (31-1-2) vs Jonathan Rodriguez (21-1).
Sat. Fox Sports1 – 7:30 p.m. Brian Castano (15-0-1) vs Wale Omotoso (28-4).
Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel
To comment on this story in The Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
History has Shortchanged Freddie Dawson, One of the Best Boxers of his Era

History has Shortchanged Freddie Dawson, One of the Best Boxers of his Era
This reporter was rummaging around the internet last week when he stumbled on a story in the May 1950 issue of Ebony under the byline of Mike Jacobs. Boxing was then in the doldrums (isn’t it always?) and Jacobs, the most powerful promoter in boxing during the era of Joe Louis, was lassoed by the editors of the magazine to address the question of whether the over-representation of black boxers was killing the sport at the box office.
This hoary allegation had been kicking around even before the heyday of Jack Johnson, bubbling forth whenever an important black-on-black fight played to a sea of empty seats as had happened the previous year when Chicago’s Comiskey Park hosted the world heavyweight title fight between Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott.
Jacobs ridiculed the hypothesis – as one could have expected considering the publication in which the story ran – and singled out three “colored” boxers as the best of the current crop of active pugilists: Sugar Ray Robinson, Ike Williams, and Freddie Dawson.
Sugar Ray Robinson? A no-brainer. Skill-wise the greatest of the great. Even those that didn’t follow boxing, would have recognized his name. Ike Williams? Nowhere near as well-known as Robinson, but he was then the reigning lightweight champion, a man destined to go into the International Boxing Hall of Fame with the inaugural class of 1990.
And Freddie Dawson? If the name doesn’t ring a bell, dear reader, you are not alone. I confess that I too drew a blank. And that triggered a search to learn more about him.
Freddie Dawson had four fights with Ike Williams. All four were staged on Ike’s turf in Philadelphia. Were this not the case, the history books would likely show that the series knotted 2-2. Late in his career, Dawson became greatly admired in Australia. But we are jumping ahead of ourselves.
Dawson was born in 1924 in Thomasville, Arkansas, an unincorporated town in the Arkansas Delta. Likely a descendent of slaves who worked in the cotton plantations, he grew up in the so-called Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, the heart of Chicago’s Black Belt.
The first mention of him in the newspapers came in 1941 when he won Chicago’s Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) featherweight title. In those days, amateur boxing was big in the Windy City, the birthplace of the Golden Gloves. The Catholic Archdiocese, which ran gyms in every parish, and the Chicago Parks Department, were the major incubators.
In his amateur days, he was known as simply Fred Dawson. As a pro, his name often appeared as Freddy Dawson, although Freddie gradually became the more common spelling.
Dawson, who stood five-foot-six and was often described as stocky, made his pro debut on Feb. 1, 1943, at Marigold Gardens. Before the year was out, he had 16 fights under his belt, all in Chicago and all but two at Marigold. (Currently the site of an interdenominational Christian church, Marigold Gardens, on the city’s north side, was Chicago’s most active boxing and wrestling arena from the mid-1930s through the early-1950s. Joe Louis had three of his early fights there and Tony Zale was a fixture there as he climbed the ladder to the world middleweight title.)
The last of these 16 fights was fatal for Dawson’s opponent who collapsed heading back to his corner after the fight was stopped in the 10th round and died that night at a local hospital from the effects of a brain injury.
Dawson left town after this incident and spent most of the next year in New Orleans where energetic promoter Louis Messina ran twice-weekly shows (Mondays for whites and Fridays for blacks) at the Coliseum, a major stop on boxing’s so-called Chitlin’ Circuit.
That same year, on Sept. 19, 1944, Dawson had his first encounter with Ike Williams. He was winning the fight when Ike knocked him out with a body punch in the fourth round.
The first and last meetings between Dawson and Ike Williams were spaced five years apart. In the interim, Freddie scored his two best wins, stopping Vic Patrick in the twelfth round at Sydney, NSW, and Bernard Docusen in the sixth round in Chicago.
The long-reigning lightweight champion of Australia, Patrick (49-3, 43 KOs) gave the crowd a thrill when he knocked Dawson down for a count of “six” in the penultimate 11th round, but Dawson returned the favor twice in the final stanza, ending the contest with a punch so harsh that the poor Aussie needed five minutes before he was fit to leave the ring and would spend the night in the hospital as a precaution.
Dawson fought Bernard Docusen before 10,000-plus at Chicago Stadium on Feb. 4, 1949. An 8/5 favorite, Docusen lacked a hard punch, but the New Orleans cutie had suffered only three losses in 66 fights, had never been stopped, and had extended Sugar Ray Robinson the 15-round distance the previous year.
Dawson dismantled him. Docusen managed to get back on his feet after Dawson knocked him down in the sixth, but he was in no condition to continue and the referee waived the fight off. Dawson was then vacillating between the lightweight and welterweight divisions and reporters wondered whether it would be Robinson or Ike Williams when Dawson finally got his well-earned title shot.
Sugar Ray wasn’t in his future. Here are the results of his other matches with Ike Williams:
Dawson-Williams II (Jan. 28, 1946) – The consensus on press row was 7-2-1 or 7-3 for Dawson, but the match was ruled a draw. “[The judges and referee] evidently saw [Williams] land punches that nobody else did,” said the ringside reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Dawson-Williams III (Jan. 26, 1948) – Dawson lost a majority decision. The scores were 6-4, 5-4-1, and 4-4-2. The decision was booed. Ike Williams then held the lightweight title, but this was a non-title fight. (It was tough for an outsider to get a fair shake in Philadelphia, home to Ike Williams’ co-manager Frank “Blinky” Palermo who would go to prison for his duplicitous dealings as a fight facilitator.)
Dawson-Williams IV (Dec. 5, 1949) – This would be Freddie Dawson’s only crack at a world title and he came up short. Ike Williams retained the belt, winning a unanimous decision. The fight was close – 8-7, 8-7, 9-6 – but there was no controversy.
Dawson made three more trips to Australia before his career was finished. On the first of these trips, he knocked out Jack Hassen, successor to Vic Patrick as the lightweight champion of Australia. A 1953 article in the Sydney Sunday Herald bore witness to the esteem in which Dawson was held by boxing fans in Australia: “None of our boxers could withstand his devastating attacks which not only knocked them out but also knocked years off their careers,” said the author. “It is doubtful whether any Australian boxer in any division could have beaten Dawson.”
Dawson had his final fights in the Land Down Under, finishing his career with a record of 103-14-4 while answering the bell for 962 rounds. Following what became his final fight, he had an eye operation in Sydney that was reportedly so intricate that it required a two-week hospital stay. He injured the eye again in Manila while sparring in preparation for a match with the welterweight champion of the Philippines, a match that had to be aborted because of the injury. Dawson then disappeared, by which we mean that he disappeared from the pages of the newspaper archives that allow us to construct these kinds of stories.
What about Freddie Dawson the man? A 1944 story about him said he was an outstanding all-around athlete, “a champion in all athletic undertakings – basketball, baseball, track and even jitterbugging.” A story in a Sydney paper as he was preparing to meet Vic Patrick informs us that he had two young children, ages 2 and 1, owned his own home in Chicago, and drove a two-year-old Cadillac. But beyond these flimsy snippets, Dawson the man remains elusive.
What we learned, however, is that he was one of the most underrated boxers to come down the pike in any era, a borderline Hall of Famer who ought not have fallen through the cracks. Inside the ring, this guy was one tough hombre.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Ringside at the Fontainebleau where Mikaela Mayer Won her Rematch with Sandy Ryan

LAS VEGAS, NV — The first meeting between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan last September at Madison Square Garden was punctuated with drama before the first punch was thrown. When the smoke cleared, Mayer had become a world-title-holder in a second weight class, taking away Ryan’s WBO welterweight belt via a majority decision in a fan-friendly fight.
The rematch tonight at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas was another fan-friendly fight. There were furious exchanges in several rounds and the crowd awarded both gladiators a standing ovation at the finish.
Mayer dominated the first half of the fight and held on to win by a unanimous decision. But Sandy Ryan came on strong beginning in round seven, and although Mayer was the deserving winner, the scores favoring her (98-92 and 97-93 twice) fail to reflect the competitiveness of the match-up. This is the best rivalry in women’s boxing aside from Taylor-Serrano.
Mayer, 34, improved to 21-2 (5). Up next, she hopes, in a unification fight with Lauren Price who outclassed Natasha Jonas earlier this month and currently holds the other meaningful pieces of the 147-pound puzzle. Sandy Ryan, 31, the pride of Derby, England, falls to 7-3-1.
Co-Feature
In his first defense of his WBO world welterweight title (acquired with a brutal knockout of Giovani Santillan after the title was vacated by Terence Crawford), Atlanta’s Brian Norman Jr knocked out Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas in the third round. A three-punch combination climaxed by a short left hook sent Cuevas staggering into a corner post. He got to his feet before referee Thomas Taylor started the count, but Taylor looked in Cuevas’s eyes and didn’t like what he saw and brought the bout to a halt.
The stoppage, which struck some as premature, came with one second remaining in the third stanza.
A second-generation prizefighter (his father was a fringe contender at super middleweight), the 24-year-old Norman (27-0, 21 KOs) is currently boxing’s youngest male title-holder. It was only the second pro loss for Cuevas (27-2-1) whose lone previous defeat had come early in his career in a 6-rounder he lost by split decision.
Other Bouts
In a career-best performance, 27-year-old Brooklyn featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) blasted out Jose Enrique Vivas (23-4) in the third round.
Carrington, who was named the Most Outstanding Boxer at the 2019 U.S. Olympic Trials despite being the lowest-seeded boxer in his weight class, decked Vivas with a right-left combination near the end of the second round. Vivas barely survived the round and was on a short leash when the third stanza began. After 53 seconds of round three, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough and waived it off. Vivas hadn’t previously been stopped.
Cleveland welterweight Tiger Johnson, a Tokyo Olympian, scored a fifth-round stoppage over San Antonio’s Kendo Castaneda. Johnson assumed control in the fourth round and sent Castaneda to his knees twice with body punches in the next frame. The second knockdown terminated the match. The official time was 2:00 of round five.
Johnson advanced to 15-0 (7 KOs). Castenada declined to 21-9.
Las Vegas junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) blasted out Stockton, California’s Giovanni Gonzalez in the second round. Vargas brought the bout to a sudden conclusion with a sweeping left hook that knocked Gonzalez out cold. The end came at the 2:00 minute mark of round two.
Gonzalez brought a 20-7-2 record which was misleading as 18 of his fights were in Tijuana where fights are frequently prearranged. However, he wasn’t afraid to trade with Vargas and paid the price.
Emiliano Vargas, with his matinee idol good looks and his boxing pedigree – he is the son of former U.S. Olympian and two-weight world title-holder “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas – is highly marketable and has the potential to be a cross-over star.
Eighteen-year-old Newark bantamweight Emmanuel “Manny” Chance, one of Top Rank’s newest signees, won his pro debut with a four-round decision over So Cal’s Miguel Guzman. Chance won all four rounds on all three cards, but this was no runaway. He left a lot of room for improvement.
There was a long intermission before the co-main and again before the main event, but the tedium was assuaged by a moving video tribute to George Foreman.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0
No surprise, once again William Zepeda eked out a win over the clever and resilient Tevin Farmer to remain undefeated and retain a regional lightweight title on Saturday.
There were no knockdowns in this rematch.
The Mexican punching machine Zepeda (33-0, 17 KOs) once more sought to overwhelm Farmer (33-8-1, 9 KOs) with a deluge of blows. This rematch by Golden Boy Promotions took place in the famous beach resort area of Cancun, Mexico.
It was a mere four months ago that both first clashed in Saudi Arabia with their vastly difference styles. This time the tropical setting served as the background which suited Zepeda and his lawnmower assaults. The Mexican fans were pleased.
Nothing changed in their second meeting.
Zepeda revved up the body assault and Farmer moved around casually to his right while fending off the Mexican fighter’s attacks. By the fourth round Zepeda was able to cut off Farmer’s escape routes and targeted the body with punishing shots.
The blows came in bunches.
In the fifth round Zepeda blasted away at Farmer who looked frantic for an escape. The body assault continued with the Mexican fighter pouring it on and Farmer seeming to look ready to quit. When the round ended, he waved off his corner’s appeals to stop.
Zepeda continued to dominate the next few rounds and then Farmer began rallying. At first, he cleverly smothered Zepeda’s body attacks and then began moving and hitting sporadically. It forced the Mexican fighter to pause and figure out the strategy.
Farmer, a Philadelphia fighter, showed resiliency especially when it was revealed he had suffered a hand injury.
During the last three rounds Farmer dug down deep and found ways to score and not get hit. It was Boxing 101 and the Philly fighter made it work.
But too many rounds had been put in the bank by Zepeda. Despite the late rally by Farmer one judge saw it 114-114, but two others scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Zepeda who retains his interim lightweight title and place at the top of the WBC rankings.
“I knew he was a difficult fighter. This time he was even more difficult,” said Zepeda.
Farmer was downtrodden about another loss but realistic about the outcome and starting slow.
“But I dominated the last rounds,” said Farmer.
Zepeda shrugged at the similar outcome as their first encounter.
“I’m glad we both put on a great show,” said Zepeda.
Female Flyweight Battle
Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle edged past Texas fighter Marlen Esparza to win their showdown at flyweight by split decision after 10 rounds.
Valle moved up two weight divisions to meet Esparza who was slightly above the weight limit. Both showed off their contrasting styles and world class talent.
Esparza, a former unified flyweight world titlist, stayed in the pocket and was largely successful with well-placed jabs and left hooks. She repeatedly caught Valle in-between her flurries.
The current minimumweight world titlist changed tactics and found more success in the second half of the fight. She forced Esparza to make the first moves and that forced changes that benefited her style.
Neither fighter could take over the fight.
After 10 rounds one judge saw Esparza the winner 96-94, but two others saw Valle the winner 97-93 twice.
Will Valle move up and challenge the current undisputed flyweight world champion Gabriela Fundora? That’s the question.
Valle currently holds the WBC minimumweight world title.
Puerto Rico vs Mexico
Oscar Collazo (12-0, 9 KOs), the WBO, WBA minimumweight titlist, knocked out Mexico’s Edwin Cano (13-3-1, 4 KOs) with a flurry of body shots at 1:12 of the fifth round.
Collazo dominated with a relentless body attack the Mexican fighter could not defend. It was the Puerto Rican fighter’s fifth consecutive title defense.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
A Fresh Face on the Boxing Scene, Bryce Mills Faces His Toughest Test on Friday
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Bernard Fernandez Reflects on His Special Bond with George Foreman
-
Featured Articles1 week ago
A Paean to George Foreman (1949-2025), Architect of an Amazing Second Act
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser: Callum Walsh Returns to Madison Square Garden
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Friday Boxing Recaps: Observations on Conlan, Eubank, Bahdi, and David Jimenez
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Spared Prison by a Lenient Judge, Chordale Booker Pursues a World Boxing Title
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Boxing Odds and Ends: Mikaela Mayer on Jonas vs. Price and More
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Sebastian Fundora TKOs Chordale Booker in Las Vegas