Three Punch Combo: The Other Inoue, the Saunders-Coceres Mismatch and More

Published

5 years ago

November 4, 2019

THREE PUNCH COMBO — The much-anticipated final of the WBSS bantamweight tournament will take place this week in Japan between IBF champion Naoya Inoue (18-0, 16 KO’s) and WBA champion Nonito Donaire (40-5, 26 KO’s). But Naoya is not the only Inoue in action on this card. On the undercard, his younger brother Takuma (13-0, 3 KO’s) will challenge for his first world title when he faces WBC bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali (16-0, 12 KO’s).

Takuma (pictured) is clearly a different fighter than his more popular brother. Notably there is a vast difference in punching power. Many consider Naoya to be pound for pound the hardest puncher in the sport. Takuma, on the other hand, does not possess thunderous power or, for that matter, heavy hands. But like his brother, he is a sharp accurate puncher.

Since Takuma is not the puncher his brother is, his overall game is much different inside the ring. Whereas Naoya is a seek and destroy offensive minded fighter, Takuma relies on a more technical approach.

I don’t usually draw comparisons but when I first saw Takuma in action, I thought I was watching a mini version of Mikey Garcia minus the power. Fighting from the orthodox stance, Takuma likes to constantly be within range of his opponents and creates angles using subtle footwork to land pinpoint combinations. And he likes to further keep his opponents off balance by using well timed feints.

Defensively, Takuma has some things in common with his older brother. Most noticeable to me is that neither brother has any type of head movement. And like his brother, Takuma will hold his hands low in spots making him an inviting target.

These defensive flaws will almost certainly be put to the test by Oubaali, a strong bantamweight who will take the fight to Takuma. Oubaali is a heavy-handed volume puncher who is not afraid to eat some leather to land his own combinations.

The key question is whether Takuma has enough behind his shots to get Oubaali’s respect? If Takuma can’t get Oubaali’s respect, then we will probably see something similar to Oubaali’s title winning performance against Rau’shee Warren earlier this year. But if Takuma has enough behind his punches to make Oubaali think twice about unleashing his own leather, we will probably see a pair of brothers ruling the bantamweight division by evening’s end.

Who Is Marcelo Esteban Coceres?

There will be a lot of eyeballs on this Saturday’s DAZN card at the Staples Center in Los Angeles that will be headlined by YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI (Olajide Olatunji) who will do battle in a scheduled six round cruiserweight contest. With all the attention this event is garnering, promoter Eddie Hearn is using the opportunity to showcase other fighters to a worldwide audience.

One such fighter is undefeated 168-pound champion Billy Joe Saunders (28-0, 13 KO’s) who will be defending his title against the unheralded Marcelo Esteban Coceres (28-0-1, 15 KO’s) of Argentina. While boxing fans are very familiar with Saunders, the same cannot be said of Coceres. So just who is this unbeaten Argentine and does he pose a threat to Saunders?

Coceres, 28, turned pro as a middleweight in February of 2012. After a successful debut, Coceres suffered the only blemish on his resume in his second pro fight when he fought to a four round split draw against Cesar Hernan Reynoso. Coceres’ last fight came in September when he won a ten round unanimous decision over countryman German Ignacio Peralta who entered the ring with an uninspiring record of 7-5-5.

It should be noted that all 29 of Coceres’ pro fights have taken place in his native Argentina. And his resume is loaded with names that even the most die-hard of boxing fans wouldn’t recognize. To say he has built his record with subpar opposition would be quite an understatement.

Here are some observations about Coceras drawn from the video available online. He fights from the orthodox stance and prefers to counter, though in spots he will try to initiate attacks from behind the left jab. That jab is not very strong or sharp and used primarily as a range finder.

When Coceres does throw in combination, the punches tend to be very wide and do not seem to have much behind them. As far as hand speed and overall athleticism, I would rate Coceres as below average for the 168-pound division.

Defensively, Coceres does exhibit some good head movement. But he can get very lazy when bringing the left jab back and easily countered when doing so. Additionally, Coceres has a bad habit of pulling straight back with his hands down.

From the video I have seen, there is nothing that indicates he will be any type of threat to Saunders. Coceres just does not have the power or speed to get Saunders’ respect. Plus, when Coceres does open up with those wide swinging punches, Saunders will be able to land clean counter shots in return. It should be an easy night’s work for Saunders who should be able to dispose of Coceres whenever he sees fit.

What’s Next For Ryan Garcia?

In what was supposed to be his toughest fight to date, 21-year-old lightweight contender Ryan Garcia (19-0, 16 KO’s) made quite a statement on Saturday, dispatching Romero Duno (21-2, 16 KO’s) in the first round of their scheduled 12-round fight. As the buzz around Garcia continues to build, the natural question becomes what will be next for the young phenom?

Despite the sensational performance, Garcia is still relatively green and can use some more development. Boxing politics aside, this is my way of saying that while it will be fun to talk about him facing someone like Vasiliy Lomachenko or the winner of Teofimo Lopez-Richard Commey, those fights are just not realistic at this time. Nor is it realistic to see Garcia fighting in the immediate future for one of the many title belts available in the division (though that may not be far away).

I suspect Garcia’s promoter, Golden Boy, will put him in next with seasoned veteran with a name. And the name that just jumps off the page to me is another fighter with ties to Golden Boy in former three division champion Jorge Linares.

Linares suffered a bad loss in January when he was stopped in the first round by Pablo Cesar Cano. But that fight took place at 140 and Linares returned to lightweight in September to win a ten round unanimous decision win over journeyman Al Toyogon. The bounce-back win at his more natural weight can be used by Golden Boy as a selling point to legitimize a fight with Garcia.

Garcia has been craving the opportunity to headline a big event and a fight against Linares would certainly appease Garcia in that respect as well.

If a fight with Linares cannot be put together, another option may be Masayoshi Nakatani who recently gave Teofimo Lopez a tough test while dropping a 12-round unanimous decision. It would be a good measuring stick kind of fight for Garcia and give him an opportunity to make another big statement, especially if he can perform better than Teofimo did against a common opponent.

The future certainly appears to be bright for Garcia. I suspect we see him in another step-up fight the next time out with Linares and Nakatani being the two preferred options.

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Jorge Garcia is the TSS Fighter of the Month for April

Published

3 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Jorge-Garcia-is-the-TSS-Fighter-of-the-Month-for-April

Jorge Garcia has a lot in common with Mexican countrymen Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza. In common with those two, both reigning world title-holders, Garcia is big for his weight class and bubbled out of obscurity with a triumph forged as a heavy underdog in a match contested on American soil.

Garcia had his “coming of age party” on April 19 in the first boxing event at the new Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California (roughly 35 miles north of San Diego), a 7,500-seat facility whose primary tenant is an indoor soccer team. It was a Golden Boy Promotions event and in the opposite corner was a Golden Boy fighter, Charles Conwell.

A former U.S. Olympian, Conwell was undefeated (21-0, 16 KOs) and had won three straight inside the distance since hooking up with Golden Boy whose PR department ballyhooed him as the most avoided fighter in the super welterweight division. At prominent betting sites, Conwell was as high as a 12/1 favorite.

The lanky Garcia was 32-4 (26 KOs) heading in, but it was easy to underestimate him as he had fought extensively in Tijuana where the boxing commission is notoriously docile and in his home state of Sinaloa. This would be only his second fight in the U.S. However, it was noteworthy in hindsight that three of his four losses were by split decision.

Garcia vs. Conwell was a robust affair. He and Conwell were credited with throwing 1451 punches combined. In terms of punches landed, there was little to choose between them but the CompuBox operator saw Garcia landing more power punches in eight of the 12 rounds. At the end, the verdict was split but there was no controversy.

An interested observer was Sebastian Fundora who was there to see his sister Gabriela defend her world flyweight titles. Sebastian owns two pieces of the 154-pound world title where the #1 contender per the WBO is Xander Zayas who keeps winning, but not with the verve of his earlier triumphs.

With his upset of Charles Conwell, Jorge Garcia has been bumped into the WBO’s #2 slot. Regardless of who he fights next, Garcia will earn the biggest payday of his career.

Honorable mention: Aaron McKenna

McKenna was favored to beat veteran campaigner Liam Smith in the co-feature to the Eubank-Benn battle this past Saturday in London, but he was stepping up in class against a former world title-holder who had competed against some of the top dogs in the middleweight division and who had famously stopped Chris Eubank Jr in the first of their two encounters. Moreover, the venue, Tottenham Hotspur, the third-largest soccer stadium in England, favored the 36-year-old Liverpudlian who was accustomed to a big fight atmosphere having fought Canelo Alvarez before 50,000-plus at Arlington Stadium in Texas.

McKenna, from the small town of Monaghan, Ireland, wasn’t overwhelmed by the occasion. With his dad Feargal in his corner and his fighting brother Stephen McKenna cheering him on from ringside, Aaron won a wide decision in his first 12-round fight, punctuating his victory by knocking Smith to his knees with a body punch in the 12^th round. In fact, if he hadn’t had a point deducted for using his elbow, the Irishman would have pitched a shutout on one of the scorecards.

“There might not be a more impressive example of a fighter moving up in class,” wrote Tris Dixon of the 25-year-old “Silencer” who improved his ledger to 20-0 (10).

Photo credits: Garcia/Conwell photo compliments of Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy; McKenna-Smith provided by Mark Robinson/Matchroom

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Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Published

2 days ago

April 27, 2025

David A. Avila

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Feudal bragging rights belong to Chris Eubank Jr. who out-lasted Conor Benn to
emerge victorious by unanimous decision in a non-title middleweight match held in
London on Saturday.

Fighting for their family heritage Eubank (35-3, 26 KOs) and Benn (23-1, 14 KOs)
continued the battle between families started 35 years ago by their fathers at Tottenham
Hotspur Stadium.

More than 65,000 fans attended.

Though Eubank Jr. had a weight and height advantage and a record of smashing his
way to victory via knockout, he had problems hurting the quicker and more agile Benn.
And though Benn had the advantage of moving up two weight divisions and forcing
Eubank to fight under a catch weight, the move did not weaken him much.

Instead, British fans and boxing fans across the world saw the two family rivals pummel
each other for all 12 rounds. Neither was able to gain separation.

Eubank looked physically bigger and used a ramming left jab to connect early in the
fight. Benn immediately showed off his speed advantage and surprised many with his
ability to absorb a big blow.Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Benn scrambled around with his quickness and agility and scored often with bigcounters.

It took him a few rounds to stop overextending himself while delivering power shots.

In the third round Benn staggered Eubank with a left hook but was unable to follow up
against the dangerous middleweight who roared back with flurries of blows.

Eubank was methodic in his approach always moving forward, always using his weight
advantage via the shoulder to force Benn backward. The smaller Benn rocketed
overhand rights and was partly successful but not enough to force Eubank to retreat.
In the seventh round a right uppercut snapped Benn’s head violently but he was
undeterred from firing back. Benn’s chin stood firm despite Eubank’s vaunted power and
size advantage.

“I didn’t know he had that in him,” Eubank said.

Benn opened strong in the eighth round with furious blows. And though he connected
he was unable to seriously hurt Eubank. And despite being drained by the weight loss,
the middleweight fighter remained strong all 12 rounds.

There were surprises from both fighters.

Benn was effective targeting the body. Perhaps if he had worked the body earlier he
would have found a better result.

With only two rounds remaining Eubank snapped off a right uppercut again and followed
up with body shots. In the final stanza Eubank pressed forward and exchanged with the
smaller Benn until the final bell. He simply out-landed the fighter and impressed all three
judges who scored it 116-112 for Eubank.

Eubank admitted he expected a knockout win but was satisfied with the victory.
“I under-estimated him,” Eubank said.

Benn was upset by the loss but recognized the reasons.

“He worked harder toward the end,” said Benn.

McKenna Wins

In his first test in the elite level Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) showed his ability to fight
inside or out in soundly defeating former world champion Liam Smith (33-5-1, 20 KOs)
by unanimous decision to win a regional WBA middleweight title.

Smith has made a career out of upsetting young upstarts but discovered the Irish fighter
more than capable of mixing it up with the veteran. It was a rough fight throughout the
12 rounds but McKenna showed off his abilities to fight as a southpaw or right-hander
with nary a hiccup.

McKenna had trained in Southern California early in his career and since that time he’s
accrued a variety of ways to fight. He was smooth and relentless in using his longer
arms and agility against Smith on the outside or in close.

In the 12 th round, McKenna landed a perfectly timed left hook to the ribs and down went
Smith. The former champion got up and attempted to knock out the tall
Irish fighter but could not.

All three judges scored in favor of McKenna 119-108, 117-109, 118-108.

Other Bouts
Anthony Yarde (27-3) defeated Lyndon Arthur (24-3) by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. in a light heavyweight match. It was the third time they met. Yarde won the last two fights.

Chris Billam-Smith (21-2) defeated Brandon Glanton (20-3) by decision. It was his first
fight since losing the WBO cruiserweight world title to Gilberto Ramirez last November.

Viddal Riley (13-0) out-worked Cheavon Clarke (10-2) in a 12-round back-and-forth-contest to win a unanimous decision.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 323: Benn vs Eubank Family Feud and More

Published

4 days ago

April 24, 2025

David A. Avila

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Next generation rivals Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. carry on the family legacy of feudal warring in the prize ring on Saturday.

This is huge in British boxing.

Eubank (34-3, 25 KOs) holds the fringe IBO middleweight title but won’t be defending it against the smaller welterweight Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) on Saturday, April 26, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing card.

This is about family pride.

The parents of Eubank and Benn actually began the feud in the 1990s.

Papa Nigel Benn fought Papa Chris Eubank twice. Losing as a middleweight in November 1990 at Birmingham, England, then fighting to a draw as a super middleweight in October 1993 in Manchester. Both were world title fights.

Eubank was undefeated and won the WBO middleweight world title in 1990 against Nigel Benn by knockout. He defended it three times before moving up and winning the vacant WBO super middleweight title in September 1991. He defended the super middleweight title 14 times before suffering his first pro defeat in March 1995 against Steve Collins.

Benn won the WBO middleweight title in April 1990 against Doug DeWitt and defended it once before losing to Eubank in November 1990. He moved up in weight and took the WBC super middleweight title from Mauro Galvano in Italy by technical knockout in October 1992. He defended the title nine times until losing in March 1996. His last fight was in November 1996, a loss to Steve Collins.

Animosity between the two families continues this weekend in the boxing ring.

Conor Benn, the son of Nigel, has fought mostly as a welterweight but lately has participated in the super welterweight division. He is several inches shorter in height than Eubank but has power and speed. Kind of a British version of Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

“It’s always personal, every opponent I fight is personal. People want to say it’s strictly business, but it’s never business. If someone is trying to put their hands on me, trying to render me unconscious, it’s never business,” said Benn.

This fight was scheduled twice before and cut short twice due to failed PED tests by Benn. The weight limit agreed upon is 160 pounds.

Eubank, a natural middleweight, has exchanged taunts with Benn for years. He recently avenged a loss to Liam Smith with a knockout victory in September 2023.

“This fight isn’t about size or weight. It’s about skill. It’s about dedication. It’s about expertise and all those areas in which I excel in,” said Eubank. “I have many, many more years of experience over Conor Benn, and that will be the deciding factor of the night.”

Because this fight was postponed twice, the animosity between the two feuding fighters has increased the attention of their fans. Both fighters are anxious to flatten each other.

“He’s another opponent in my way trying to crush my dreams. trying to take food off my plate and trying to render me unconscious. That’s how I look at him,” said Benn.

Eubank smiles.

“Whether it’s boxing, whether it’s a gun fight. Defense, offense, foot movement, speed, power. I am the superior boxer in each of those departments and so many more – which is why I’m so confident,” he said.

Supporting Bout

Former world champion Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs) tangles with Ireland’s Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KOs) in a middleweight fight set for 12 rounds on the Benn-Eubank undercard in London.

“Beefy” Smith has long been known as one of the fighting Smith brothers and recently lost to Eubank a year and a half ago. It was only the second time in 38 bouts he had been stopped. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez did it several years ago.

McKenna is a familiar name in Southern California. The Irish fighter fought numerous times on Golden Boy Promotion cards between 2017 and 2019 before returning to the United Kingdom and his assault on continuing the middleweight division. This is a big step for the tall Irish fighter.

It’s youth versus experience.

“I’ve been calling for big fights like this for the last two or three years, and it’s a fight I’m really excited for. I plan to make the most of it and make a statement win on Saturday night,” said McKenna, one of two fighting brothers.

Monster in L.A.

Japan’s super star Naoya “Monster” Inoue arrived in Los Angeles for last day workouts before his Las Vegas showdown against Ramon Cardenas on Sunday May 4, at T-Mobile Arena. ESPN will televise and stream the Top Rank card.

It’s been four years since the super bantamweight world champion performed in the US and during that time Naoya (29-0, 26 KOs) gathered world titles in different weight divisions. The Japanese slugger has also gained fame as perhaps the best fighter on the planet. Cardenas is 26-1 with 14 KOs.

Pomona Fights

Super featherweights Mathias Radcliffe (9-0-1) and Ezequiel Flores (6-4) lead a boxing card called “DMG Night of Champions” on Saturday April 26, at the historic Fox Theater in downtown Pomona, Calif.

Michaela Bracamontes (11-2-1) and Jesus Torres Beltran (8-4-1) will be fighting for a regional WBC super featherweight title. More than eight bouts are scheduled.

Doors open at 6 p.m. For ticket information go to: www.tix.com/dmgnightofchampions

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 9 a.m. Conor Benn (23-0) vs Chris Eubank Jr. (34-3); Liam Smith (33-4-1) vs Aaron McKenna (19-0).

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