Scoping Out the Heavyweight Undercard in Saudi Arabia

Published

5 years ago

December 3, 2019

Scoping-Out-the-Heavyweight-Unercard-in-Saudi Arabia

Promoter Eddie Hearn has been threatening an all-heavyweight card for some time now, and although this Saturday’s undercard to Andy Ruiz-Anthony Joshua out in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, doesn’t quite qualify it’s unlikely he will come closer this side of a Joshua-Tyson Fury superfight.

Working back from chief support we look here at the heavyweights in action and what they bring to the mouth-watering rematch of June’s monumental shock.

First and foremost is one of ring history’s great ring survivors and arguably one of the great heavyweight contenders, Alexander Povetkin. Povetkin, 35-2, has been a player in the heavyweight division since his 2007 knockout of Chris Byrd, an astonishing stretch during which he has dueled with and dusted contenders from three different heavyweight eras over the course of more than twelve years. He was unlucky enough to share his entire prime with one Wladimir Klitschko before falling in a worthy stab at Joshua last summer and this has doomed Povetkin to failure in achieving heavyweight pre-eminence; but the moment Wladimir called time on his career, Povetkin became the de facto old-man of the division with all the ambivalence that status imparts.

The forty-year old’s latest tilt at the divisional big dogs began with a fittingly plodding but wide decision victory over Hughie Fury in August and continues in Diriyah against 18-1 former cruiserweight Michael Hunter. Hunter, who boxes out of Las Vegas, made a minor name for himself in giving pound-for-pounder Oleksandr Usyk his toughest fight back in early 2017 and cemented his place as a heavyweight gatekeeper with an impressive twelve round decision over prospect Sergey Kuzmin in September. The step up here to take on a fabled but faded contender in Povetkin is an old-fashioned and well-reasoned trajectory and maybe Hunter has got his timing right.

“[Povetkin] is ruthless and a warrior,” the American recently told Boxing Scene. “He has everything it takes to beat a guy on the come up like me. People really don’t know what I have so this is a test. This is the perfect opportunity for me.”

It is. For an older fighter without a punch the swarmer is the living nightmare in the ring. Povetkin, though, has a punch, and so for him the nightmare is of a different sort. A mobile fighter with generalship, then, is the chief tormentor. Hunter has the mobility and if he has the generalship, Povetkin could be in for a long night. There is an appealing symmetry here: Povetkin gatecrashed the heavyweight rankings by beating Byrd, a quick-footed, quick-thinking fighter who by rights should have been boxing in a lower weight division. That description is probably very close to an optimum Hunter but Povetkin has some hard years on him.

If the old man doesn’t get control of the fight early look for him to drop a narrow decision to a fighter Eddie Hearn would love to feed to one of his primed big beasts – either way expect an absorbing contest.

Before Povetkin takes to the ring, his natural successor, the Croation Filip Hrgovic, now 9-0, takes his own step up against aging American Eric Molina (now 27-5). It was once said of James “Buster” Douglas that he “lost every fight Don King ever wanted him to lose.” With the exception of a victory over an ancient Tomasz Adamek the same can be said of Molina who has obliged for several different promoters against four different money fighters. This is once again the expectation on Saturday as the 2018 Sweet Science prospect of the year hops onto an undercard stacked with fighters he may look to match next year.

“It’s a big step up for me in terms of level of opponent and also the size of the event,” Hrgovic admitted to Croatia Week of his fight with Molina. “The whole world will be watching…I’m expecting a hard fight. Eric Molina fought two times for the world title…I am expecting the hardest fight of my career.”

Maybe, maybe not. If the world is watching Hrgovic at all, it is watching to see the fighter’s limitations tested. Questions about the Croat remain unanswered: can he hold a punch from a confirmed puncher and is he available for punches only because he believes himself equal to them or is his defense a legitimate issue? Until we see him pushed against a quality opponent we can’t know.

At the moment, however, Hrgovic, like Povetkin once did, gives the impression of a serious fighter who will one day hold a strap and will also have a say in which fighters make the very top and which do not. Whether or not he himself will summit is dependent upon the answer to these questions. It’s unlikely Molina will provide these answers. Look for Hrgovic to become the fifth money fighter Eric Molina obliges in suffering a ten count.

Still with me? Good. Prior to Hrgovic’s potential emergence from the shadows is a fascinating redux in the form of Londoner Dillian Whyte (26-1). Whyte enjoyed the sympathy of almost the entire boxing world during his six-hundred day wait for a title shot while ranked as the WBC’s number one contender but that sympathy came to a juddering end when he was revealed to have failed a drug test prior to his twelve-round encounter with the dangerous Oscar Rivas. Whyte, an entertaining and engaging speaker, was suddenly silent as the bizarre machinations of the UK Anti-Doping agency were laid bare for all to see. Somehow Whyte is cleared to fight, and promoter Eddie Hearn has delivered an inconsistent and vulnerable opponent who nevertheless holds some name recognition, Mariusz Wach. Former Povetkin victim Wach, who boxes out of Poland and holds a well-padded record of 35-5 has had his own problems with steroids, testing positive after making it through twelve one-sided rounds with Wladimir Klitschko in 2012. Perhaps only in boxing could two men who have traced positive for performance enhancing drugs compete as a part of a show awash with cash in a country where homosexuality and public displays of affection are illegal.

Unfortunately, this fight may be weirdly compelling. Whyte is a confirmed puncher but Wach did twelve with Wladimir and saw the twelfth, too, with Povetkin. He is clearly slipping but there is no future for the Pole if he succumbs early but Whyte, too, has reason to impress. I’ll pick the Brit to get the job done in the first half of the contest thereby inflicting the quickest stoppage of Wach’s career in what may be his last fight.

Finally, we get to meet Magomedrasul Majidov a fighter desperately in need of a nickname but one with a serious amateur pedigree that makes him much more interesting than his 1-0 record.

Also interesting is his age: 33. Turning professional in their thirties seems more and more the norm for crack amateurs hailing from Eurasia and this Azerbaijani is no different, which makes him a man in a hurry. 6’3” and 230 he will be the smaller man in the ring against the 6’6”, 250lb British journeyman Tom Little, who has been banged out in each of his last three fights against Hrgovic, Daniel Dubois and David Price. On paper then this should be meat and potatoes for three-time world amateur superheavyweight champion Majidov, but he received a minor scare in his first professional fight against an American journeyman named Ed Fountain. Majidov defeated one Anthony Joshua in the 2011 amateur championships but punching for pay has always been a different matter and I expect Little to charge his inexperienced opponent at bell. Brief fireworks may ensue. Hopefully they will continue right up to the main event.

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Ringside at the Fontainebleau where Mikaela Mayer Won her Rematch with Sandy Ryan

Published

1 day ago

March 30, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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

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William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

Published

1 day ago

March 29, 2025

David A. Avila

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.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 319: Rematches in Las Vegas, Cancun and More

Published

3 days ago

March 28, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective-Chap-319-Rematches-in-Las-Vegas-Cancun-and-More

Rematches are the bedrock for prizefighting.

Return battles between rival boxers always means their first encounter was riveting and successful at the box office.

Six months after their first brutal battle Mikaela Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs) and Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs) will slug it out again for the WBO welterweight world title this time on Saturday, March 29, at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.

ESPN will show the Top Rank card live.

“It’s important for women’s boxing to have these rivalries and this is definitely up there as one of the top ones,” Mayer told the BBC.

If you follow Mayer’s career you know that somehow drama follows. Whether its back-and-forth beefs with fellow American fighters or controversial judging due to nationalism in countries abroad. The Southern California native who now trains in Las Vegas knows how to create the drama.

For female fighters self-promotion is a necessity.

Most boxing promoters refuse to step out of the usual process set for male boxers, not for female boxers. Things remain the same and have been for the last 70 years. Social media has brought changes but that has made promoters do even less.

No longer are there press conferences, instead announcements are made on social media to be drowned among the billions of other posts. It is not killing but diluting interest in the sport.

Women innately present a different advantage that few if any promoters are recognizing. So far in the past 25 years I have only seen two or three promoters actually ignite interest in female fighters. They saw the advantages and properly boosted interest in the women.

The fight breakdown

Mayer has won world titles in the super featherweight and now the welterweight division. Those are two vastly different weight classes and prove her fighting abilities are based on skill not power or size.

Coaching Mayer since amateurs remains Al Mitchell and now Kofi Jantuah who replaced Kay Koroma the current trainer for Sandy Ryan.

That was the reason drama ignited during their first battle. Then came someone tossing paint at Ryan the day of their first fight.

More drama.

During their first fight both battled to control the initiative with Mayer out-punching the British fighter by a slender margin. It was a back-and-forth struggle with each absorbing blows and retaliating immediately.

New York City got its money’s worth.

Ryan had risen to the elite level rapidly since losing to Erica Farias three years ago. Though she was physically bigger and younger, she was out-maneuvered and defeated by the wily veteran from Argentina. In the rematch, however, Ryan made adjustments and won convincingly.

Can she make adjustments from her defeat to Mayer?

“I wanted the rematch straight away,” said Ryan on social media. “I’ve come to America again.”

Both fighters have size and reach. In their first clash it was evident that conditioning was not a concern as blows were fired nonstop in bunches. Mayer had the number of punches landed advantage and it unfolded with the judges giving her a majority decision win.

That was six months ago. Can she repeat the outcome?

Mayer has always had boiler-oven intensity. It’s not fake. Since her amateur days the slender Southern California blonde changes disposition all the way to red when lacing up the gloves. It’s something that can’t be taught.

Can she draw enough of that fire out again?

“I didn’t have to give her this rematch. I could have just sat it out, waited for Lauren Price to unify and fought for undisputed or faced someone else,” said Mayer to BBC. “That’s not the fighter I am though.”

Co-Main in Las Vegas

The co-main event pits Brian Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) facing Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) in a contest for the WBO welterweight title.

Norman, 24, was last seen a year ago dissecting a very good welterweight in Giovani Santillan for a knockout win in San Diego. He showed speed, skill and power in defeating Santillan in his hometown.

Cuevas has beaten some solid veteran talent but this will be his big test against Norman and his first attempt at winning a world title.

Also on the Top Rank card will be Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and Emiliano Vargas, the son of Fernando Vargas, in separate bouts.

Golden Boy in Cancun

A rematch between undefeated William “Camaron” Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) and ex-champ Tevin Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) headlines the lightweight match on Saturday March 29, at Cancun, Mexico.

In their first encounter Zepeda was knocked down in the fourth round but rallied to win a split-decision over Farmer. It showed the flaws in Zepeda’s tornado style.

DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also includes a clash between Yokasta Valle the WBC minimumweight world titlist who is moving up to flyweight to face former flyweight champion Marlen Esparza.

Both Valle and Esparza have fast hands.

Valle is excellent darting in and out while Esparza has learned how to fight inside. It’s a toss-up fight.

Fights to Watch

Fri. DAZN 12 p.m. Cameron Vuong (7-0) vs Jordan Flynn (11-0-1); Pat Brown (0-0) vs Federico Grandone (7-4-2).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. William Zepeda (32-0) vs Tevin Farmer (33-7-1); Yokasta Valle (32-3) vs Marlen Esparza (15-2).

Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Mikaela Mayer (20-2) vs Sandy Ryan (7-2-1); Brian Norman Jr. (26-0) vs Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1).

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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