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Three Punch Combo: The York Hall Tournament, Luis Nery Deconstructed and More

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Three Punch Combo: The York Hall Tournament, Luis Nery Deconstructed and More

The eyes of the boxing world will be on Las Vegas this week for the rematch between Deontay Wilder (41-0-1, 40 KO’s) and Luis Ortiz (31-1, 26 KO’s). But as with most weeks in the sport, there is plenty of other action taking place that will be widely available on various platforms.

One such event is the Golden Contract tournament that will take place on Friday at York Hall in London and broadcast in the United States on ESPN+. An eight-man, single elimination tournament in three weight divisions, the tournament was organized by boxing management company MTK Global in association with Matchroom.

This particular quarterfinal on Friday features fighters in the 140-pound division. There are also tournaments in the featherweight and light heavyweight divisions. The featherweight quarterfinals kicked off last month and the light heavyweight quarterfinals will take place in December.

The semifinals for each weight division are expected to take place early next year with the finals being planned for some time around the middle of the year.

The “golden ticket” for the winner of each weight division is a five-fight two-year deal that guarantees six figure paydays along with global exposure.

As of this writing, none of the eight fighters in action Friday knows who they will be facing. The draw will take place later this week. Each fighter will pull a ball out of a bag containing four red balls and four blue balls. The fighters who select the blue colored balls will select their opponents from the fighters who pulled the red colored balls. The blue colored balls will be numbered one to four with the fighter selecting number one picking first.

The best way I would describe the field for this tournament is that it is a step up in quality from the recent Boxcino tournaments but a clear step down from the quality of fighters in the WBSS. Basically, we have some up-and-coming fighters participating along with a mix of veterans who are looking to get back into contention.

Some notable participants in the 140-pound division are young undefeated fighters Darren Surtees (12-0, 8 KO’s) and Logan Yoon (16-0, 12 KO’s). Also, Ohara Davies (19-2, 14 KO’s), Tyrone McKenna (19-1-1, 6 KO’s) and Mohamed Mimoune (21-3, 2 KO’s) are scheduled to be in the field.

I love tournaments and am very much looking forward to this event. Based on the field, we are going to see some very compelling fights, either on Friday or down the road as the tournament progresses.

Under The Radar Fight

It is going to be a busy day of boxing on ESPN+ on Friday. In addition to the aforementioned Golden Contract tournament, ESPN+ will be broadcasting a card from Dubai that is headlined by a very intriguing 140-pound crossroads fight between Jack Catterall (24-0, 13 KO’s) and Timo Schwarzkopf (20-3, 12 KO’s).

Catterall, 26, is a fighter that just oozes talent. Fighting from the southpaw stance, he likes to press forward aggressively behind the right jab. Once in range, he likes to fire off fluid heavy handed combinations to the head and body of his opponent. He is also excellent at using his feet to create angles to land his combinations with precision accuracy.

With all the natural talent Catterall showcased coming up the ladder, the expectations got to be very lofty. However, a pair of performances last year caused those expectations to become a little tempered.

In June, Catterall struggled to navigate range against a tall southpaw in Tyrone McKenna and was fortunate to eke out a close 10-round unanimous decision. Later in October, Catterall stepped in against Ohara Davies. Many expected a breakout performance from Catterall. Instead, fans were presented with][ 12 rounds of listless action in a fight that may have seen more clinches than punches landed. In the end, although Catterall got the nod on the scorecards, his stock took a major hit.

After a stay-busy knockout win against sub.-500 fighter Oscar Amador this past April, Catterall looks to get his career back on track against Schwarzkopf.

Schwarzkopf, 28, is a tough gritty aggressive fighter with proven durability. While he may not have the most talent, he has certainly made the most of all his abilities. Schwarzkopf likes to press forward working behind the left jab from the orthodox stance. He is not afraid to throw all sorts of punches behind that jab, often times loading up looking to land one big punch. True to his nature, he is also not afraid to eat some leather pressing forward while looking for his own opportunities to land clean punches.

There is a lot to like about this fight in my opinion. Catterall is motivated to make a statement coming off two high profile lackluster performances last year. He is going to try to be the first to stop Schwarzkopf.

Given that Catterall is naturally aggressive and may be even more so in this fight, I think that gives Schwarzkopf opportunities to land some shots. Schwarzkopf will not be afraid to stand his ground and exchange. It is his nature.

The best fights are not always the most high-profile fights. Yes, the attention of the boxing world will be in mostly other places this weekend but Catterall-Schwarzkopf could be the fight that steals the show.

Should Luis Nery Be On Upset Alert?

I really like the Wilder-Ortiz II undercard, especially the bantamweight contest between Luis Nery (30-0, 24 KO’s) and Emmanuel Rodriguez (19-1, 12 KO’s). And though most sportsbooks have Rodriguez a solid underdog, I think his chances of springing an upset are quite good.

A big part of the reason why most oddsmakers are so down on Rodriguez is that he was knocked out in his last fight. But Rodriguez wasn’t knocked out by just any fighter. He was knocked out by Naoya Inoue who is not only considered to be one of boxing’s top pound for pound fighters but also may be boxing’s top pound for pound puncher.

I think too many people are judging Rodriguez based off that loss. Before that fight, Rodriguez had proven to be a very capable fighter, good enough to capture a world title belt.

Rodriguez, 27, is just entering the prime of his career. He is a boxer-puncher by trade who likes to work behind a well-schooled left jab from the orthodox stance. Naturally very athletic, Rodriguez will work fast handed, fluid combinations behind that jab. He is also very technically sound which should not be all that surprising given his multitude of accomplishments as an amateur.

I know a lot of people in boxing are very high on Luis Nery but I see a lot of flaws in his game that I believe will one day be exposed. Nery falls in love too much with his power and often forgets how to properly set up those power shots. This was very evident in his last fight against Juan Carlos Payano.

Nery, 24, also lacks focus on defense. He does not move his head and often stands in front of his opponent after throwing his power shot with his hands down admiring his work.

I see this as the perfect storm for an upset. An athletic and technically sound fighter like Rodriguez can expose the flaws of a one-dimensional fighter like Nery. We have seen it happen plenty of times throughout boxing history and I for one will be betting on it happening again this weekend.

Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel  

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Mercito Gesta Victorious Over Jojo Diaz at the Long Beach Pyramid

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LONG BEACH, CA.-Those in the know knew Mercito Gesta and Jojo Diaz would be a fight to watch and they delivered.

Gesta emerged the winner in a super lightweight clash between southpaws that saw the judges favor his busier style over Diaz’s body attack and bigger shots and win by split decision on Saturday.

Despite losing the main event because the star was overweight, Gesta (34-3-3, 17 KOs) used an outside method of tactic to edge past former world champion Diaz (32-4-1, 15 KOs) in front of more than 5,000 fans at the Pyramid.

The speedy Gesta opened up the fight with combination punching up and down against the peek-a-boo style of Diaz. For the first two rounds the San Diego fighter overwhelmed Diaz though none of the blows were impactful.

In the third round Diaz finally began unloading his own combinations and displaying the fast hands that helped him win world titles in two divisions. Gesta seemed stunned by the blows, but his chin held up. The counter right hook was Diaz’s best weapon and snapped Gesta’s head back several times.

Gesta regained control in the fifth round after absorbing big blows from Diaz. He seemed to get angry that he was hurt and opened up with even more blows to send Diaz backpedaling.

Diaz targeted his attack to Gesta’s body and that seemed to slow down Gesta. But only for a round.

From the seventh until the 10th each fighter tried to impose their style with Gesta opening up with fast flurries and Diaz using right hooks to connect with solid shots. They continued their method of attack until the final bell. All that mattered was what the judges preferred.

After 10 rounds one judge saw Diaz the winner 97-93 but two others saw Gesta the winner 99-91, 98-92. It was a close and interesting fight.

“I was expecting nothing. I was the victor in this fight and we gave a good fight,” said Gesta. “It’s not an easy fight and Jojo gave his best.”

Diaz was surprised by the outcome but accepted the verdict.

Everything was going good. I thought I was landing good body shots,” said Diaz. “I was pretty comfortable.”

Other Bouts

Mexico’s Oscar Duarte (25-1-1, 20 KOs) knocked out Chicago’s Alex Martin (18-5, 6 KOs) with a counter right hand after dropping him earlier in the fourth round. The super lightweight fight was stopped at 1:14 of the round.

A battle between undefeated super welterweights saw Florida’s Eric Tudor (8-0, 6 KOs) emerge the winner by unanimous decision after eight rounds versus Oakland’s Damoni Cato-Cain.

The taller Tudor showed polished skill and was not bothered by a large cut on his forehead caused by an accidental clash of heads. He used his jab and lead rights to defuse the attacks of the quick-fisted southpaw Cato-Cain. The judges scored the fight 80-72 and 78-74 twice for Tudor.

San Diego’s Jorge Chavez (5-0, 4 KOs) needed less than one round to figure out Nicaragua’s Bryan Perez (12-17-1, 11 KOs) and send him into dreamland with a three-punch combination. No need to count as referee Ray Corona waved the fight over. Perez shot a vicious right followed by another right and then a see-you-later left hook at 3.00 of the first round of the super featherweight match.

Photo credit: Al Applerose

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Jojo Diaz’s Slump Continues; Mercito Gesta Prevails on a Split Decision

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At age 30, Jojo Diaz’s career is on the skids. The 2012 U.S. Olympian, a former world title holder at 126 and 130 pounds and an interim title holder at 135, Diaz suffered his third straight loss tonight, upset by Mercito Gesta who won a split decision at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, CA.. The scoring was strange with Gesta winning nine of the 10 rounds on one of the cards and only three rounds on another. The tie-breaker, as it were, was a 98-92 tally for Gesta and even that didn’t capture the flavor of what was a closely-contested fight.

Originally listed as a 12-rounder, the match was reduced to 10 and that, it turned out, did Diaz no favors. However, it’s hard to feel sorry for the former Olympian as he came in overweight once again, having lost his 130-pound title on the scales in February of 2021.

Diaz also has issues outside the ropes. Best elucidated by prominent boxing writer Jake Donovan, they include a cluster of legal problems stemming from an arrest for drunk driving on Feb. 27 in the LA suburb of Claremont.

With the defeat, Diaz’s ledger declined to 32-4-1. His prior losses came at the hands of Gary Russell Jr, Devin Haney, and William Zepeda, boxers who are collectively 83-2. Mercito Gesta, a 35-year-old San Diego-based Filipino, improved to 34-3-3.

Co-Feature

Chihuahua, Mexico super lightweight Oscar Duarte has now won nine straight inside the distance after stopping 33-year-old Chicago southpaw Alex Martin in the eighth frame. Duarte, the busier fighter, had Martin on the deck twice in round eight before the fight was waived off.

Duarte improved to 25-1-1 (20). Martin, who reportedly won six national titles as an amateur and was once looked upon as a promising prospect, declined to 18-5.

Other Bouts of Note

New Golden Boy signee Eric Tudor, a 21-year-old super welterweight from Fort Lauderdale, overcame a bad laceration over his right eye, the result of an accidental clash of heads in round four, to stay unbeaten, advancing to 8-0 (6) with a hard-fought unanimous 8-round decision over Oakland’s Damoni Cato-Cain. The judges had it 80-72 and 78-74 twice. It was the first pro loss for Cato-Cain (7-1-1) who had his first five fights in Tijuana.

In the DAZN opener, lanky Hawaian lightweight Dalis Kaleiopu went the distance for the first time in his young career, improving to 4-0 (3) with a unanimous decision over 36-year-old Colombian trial horse Jonathan Perez (40-35). The scores were 60-52 across the board. There were no knockdowns, but Perez, who gave up almost six inches in height, had a point deducted for a rabbit punch and another point for deducted for holding.

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‘Big Baby’ Wins the Battle of Behemoths; TKOs ‘Big Daddy’ in 6

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Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne weighed in at a career-high 277 pounds for today’s battle in Dubai with Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, but he was the lighter man by 56 pounds. It figured that one or both would gas out if the bout lasted more than a few stanzas.

It was a war of attrition with both men looking exhausted at times, and when the end came it was Miller, at age 34 the younger man by nine years, who had his hand raised.

Browne was the busier man, but Miller, whose physique invites comparison with a rhinoceros, hardly blinked as he was tattooed with an assortment of punches. He hurt ‘Bid Daddy’ in round four, but the Aussie held his own in the next frame, perhaps even forging ahead on the cards, but only postponing the inevitable.

In round six, a succession of right hands knocked Browne on the seat of his pants. He beat the count, but another barrage from Miller impelled the referee to intervene. The official time was 2:33. It was the 21st straight win for Miller (26-0-1, 22 KOs). Browne declined to 31-4 and, for his own sake, ought not fight again. All four of his losses have come inside the distance, some brutally.

The consensus of those that caught the livestream was that Floyd Mayweather Jr’s commentary was an annoying distraction that marred what was otherwise an entertaining show.

As for what’s next for “Big Baby” Miller, that’s hard to decipher as he has burned his bridges with the sport’s most powerful promoters. One possibility is Mahmoud Charr who, like Miller, has a big gap in his boxing timeline. Now 38 years old, Charr – who has a tenuous claim on a WBA world title (don’t we all?) —  has reportedly taken up residence in Dubai.

Other Bouts of Note

In a 10-round cruiserweight affair, Suslan Asbarov, a 30-year-old Russian, advanced to 4-0 (1) with a hard-fought majority decision over Brandon Glanton. The judges had it 98-92, 97-93, and a more reasonable 95-95.

Asbarov was 12-9 in documented amateur fights and 1-0 in a sanctioned bare-knuckle fight, all in Moscow, entering this match. He bears watching, however, as Glanton (18-2) would be a tough out for almost anyone in his weight class. In his previous fight, at Plant City, Florida, Glanton lost a controversial decision to David Light, an undefeated Australian who challenges WBO world title-holder Lawrence Okolie at Manchester, England next week.

A 10-round super featherweight match between former world title challengers Jono Carroll and Miguel Marriaga preceded the semi-windup. Carroll, a 30-year-old Dublin southpaw, overcame a cut over his left eye suffered in the second round to win a wide unanimous decision in a fairly entertaining fight.

It was the sixth straight win for Carroll (24-2-1, 7 KOs) who elevated his game after serving as a sparring partner for Devin Haney. Marriaga, a 36-year-old Colombian, lost for the fourth time in his last five outings, declining to 30-7.

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