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Avila Perspective, Chap. 78: Adventures in the I.E., Favorite Moments and Tank
Perspective, Chap. 78: Adventures in the I.E., Favorite Moments and Tank Davis
Accidents happen but once in a while they produce surprisingly good results.
When Jermell Charlo defeated Tony Harrison by knockout to win back the WBC super welterweight world title last weekend in the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, it unexpectedly presented one of the best boxing cards of the year to fans in the Inland Empire; an area otherwise known as the “I.E.”
Despite a postponement due to injury and changes in venue, Premier Boxing Champions cobbled together a large boxing card filled with shocking upsets, turn-arounds and skilled prizefighting.
It was the best fight card by anyone all year that I attended.
The super welterweight world title fight was supposed to take place back in June in Las Vegas. But when Harrison hurt his ankle the fight was canceled and Charlo fought someone else in the casino town.
One of the people working with TGB told me that the rematch was headed for Dignity Health Sports Park formerly known as the StubHub Center. But a few opposed the idea and opted to go to Ontario where the late great Dan Goossen had presented multiple fight cards in the past.
It worked.
The Inland Empire has become the center of the world when it comes to prizefighting in my estimation.
Hear me out.
Three of the most powerful boxing training camps are situated in the Inland Empire: Robert Garcia Boxing Academy is in Riverside; Joel and Antonio Diaz have their gym in Indio; and Abel Sanchez has the Summit in Big Bear Mountain. All three gyms are located in the I.E.
That trio of gyms represents dozens of the best fighters in the world. And when you add about 30 more boxing gyms spread out in the same area it further emphasizes my point that the I.E. is the eye of the hurricane.
Fans in that area are rabid for boxing.
For me it represented an opportunity to drive for only 15 minutes instead of two to three hours on crowded freeways and stopped traffic. It was the same for the thousands of fans from the I.E. who showed up at the Toyota Arena. Usually the I.E. fans are forced to drive to Los Angeles or Las Vegas to watch boxing. But not on Dec. 21.
A couple of years ago a Las Vegas demography expert told me that the casino capital of the world charts which people are their bread and money. According to this expert from the MGM properties, the majority of its visitors arrive from the Inland Empire.
It makes sense.
Inland Empire residents are accustomed to driving for large chunks of time to get to work in Los Angeles or Orange County. They also are willing to attend sporting events in Los Angeles or Las Vegas; unlike residents of Los Angeles or Orange County who are basically spoiled and prefer to stay in their own counties.
So, when a marquee fight card was placed smack in the middle of the I.E., they willingly arrived despite little advertisement and even less reporting by local newspapers and television.
The TGB and PBC fight card was a success anyway.
My Best of the Year
It’s the end of 2019, the best year for boxing in my estimation in two decades. I consider 1999 one of the best in boxing for the last 20 years with multiple mega fights that included Felix Trinidad versus Oscar De La Hoya, Lennox Lewis versus Evander Holyfield twice and a few others.
Though mega fights were rare in 2019, one that did occur took place in Saudi Arabia with Anthony Joshua reclaiming the heavyweight title from Andy Ruiz. But there were many other electrifying fight cards on a smaller scale throughout the year worldwide that presented multiple candidates for Fight of the Year starting with the super featherweights Can Xu vs. Jesus M. Rojas; followed by super bantamweight battle between Danny Roman and TJ Doheny, plus the super flyweight rematch between Juan Francisco Estrada and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in Los Angeles. The following month of May saw super welterweights Julian Williams and Jarrett Hurd battle toe to toe for 12 rounds; in June the first heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz took place; welterweights Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter met in September; super lightweights Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor clashed in October; and Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire collided in December. All were tremendous fights and truly made 2019 one for the ages.
For me three fights in particular stood out and grabbed me.
In January a super featherweight world title fight saw China’s Can Xu out-slug Puerto Rico’s punching machine Jesus M. Rojas in Houston, Texas that proved to be the opening salvo for 2019. Xu won that fight with a tireless abundance of strategic punching in bunches seldom seen. Both fighters were a blur of fists and fury. Xu won the fight and became a national hero in China.
In April, the super bantamweight unification clash between Roman and Doheny in the Inglewood Forum was a slam bam affair that just grew fiercer by the round. Roman took the lead and when it looked like Doheny was done he suddenly put on the reverse brakes and an all-out war commenced. Roman eventually won but both gave a cup of their soul in their 12-round battle. On the same card, Mexico’s Estrada’s rematch with Thailand’s Sor Rungvisai resulted in a perfect example of how to diffuse a bully of a puncher with the science of boxing. It was memorable stuff on the same night in the same boxing ring.
The month of May saw a formerly undefeated super welterweight titlist Jarrett Hurd engage Philadelphia’s Julian Williams in a rarely seen battle of inside fighting that harkened back to the 1950s and 60s. It was inside fighting at its best with both exhibiting a high art form of fighting close quarters with neither fighter clinching or grabbing. It also showed how a good referee can also contribute to a wonderful display of boxing. The sweet science was never sweeter than that fight held in Fairfax, Virginia. It’s the type of fight that James Toney made famous.
Though many may not agree I just have to pick Williams and Hurd as the Best Fight of 2019 in my eyes. It should be shown to fighters, trainers, promoters, matchmakers, referees and judges everywhere on the art of fighting inside. Beautiful stuff.
The year 2019 was also in my estimation the best in 20 years for its pure number of memorable fights.
Gervonta vs Gamboa in Last Hurrah for 2019
Gervonta “Tank” Davis meets Yuri Gamboa on Saturday Dec. 28, at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Showtime will televise the battle for the vacant WBA lightweight world title.
Davis (22-0, 21 KOs) left the super featherweight division and meets former featherweight champion Gamboa (30-2, 18 KOs) to try out the heavier weight division.
One thing about Cuba’s Gamboa has always been his desire to entertain fans. Unlike other Cuban fighters he never puts fans to sleep with a defensive first strategy. He goes for broke.
Last year Gamboa put up his own money to salvage his career by self-promoting a boxing card in Florida. It paid off. Now he’s set to meet one of the most dynamic punchers below 147 pounds in Davis. It won’t be easy but you can never count out Gamboa. He can whack too.
“I’m very appreciative to have this opportunity to fight for the world title on Saturday night. I have to make the best of this position that I’m in. I’m still at the level where I know that I can compete and beat the best fighters in the sport,” said Gamboa. “I’ve faced stronger fighters than Gervonta and I’ve been able to beat them. He’s not going to bring anything I haven’t seen.”
Davis has always possessed power and speed in abundance. Let’s face it. The man has no neck. You can’t hurt a man with no neck. Just kidding. But Davis has shown a considerable chin though he’s rarely had to prove it.
If you haven’t seen Davis or Gamboa before, well, you are in for a treat. They don’t play around.
“Saturday night it’s going to be an action-packed fight and we’ll see who’s got what it takes,” said Davis. “I know that Gamboa is a tough opponent and he’ll lay it all on the line. If it goes 12 rounds, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m looking to make this a great fight for me and also for the fans.”
Fights to Watch
Sat. Showtime 6 p.m. Gervonta Davis (22-0) vs Yuri Gamboa (30-2); Badou Jack (22-2-3) vs Jean Pascal (34-6-1).
Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 303: Spotlights on Lightweights and More
Those lightweights.
Whether junior lights, super lights or lightweights, it’s the 130-140 divisions where most of boxing’s young stars are found now or in the past.
Think Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather.
Floyd Schofield (17-0, 12 KOs) a Texas product, hungers to be a star and takes on Mexico’s Rene Tellez Giron (20-3, 13 KOs) in a 12-round lightweight bout on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.
DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotion card that includes a female undisputed flyweight championship match pitting Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz and Gabriela Fundora.
Like a young lion looking to flex, Schofield (pictured on the left) is eager to meet all the other young lions and prove they’re not equal.
“I’ve been in the room with Shakur, Tank. I want to give everyone a good fight. I feel like my preparation is getting better, I work hard, I’ve dedicated my whole life to this sport,” said Schofield naming fellow lightweights Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
Now he meets Mexico’s Tellez who has never been stopped.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” said Tellez.
Even in Las Vegas.
Verona, New York
Meanwhile, in upstate New York, a WBC junior lightweight title rematch finds Robson Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) looking to prove superior to former titlist O’Shaquie Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, N.Y. ESPN+ will stream the Top Rank fight card.
Last July, Conceicao and Foster clashed and after 12 rounds the title changed hands from Foster to the Brazilian by split decision.
“I feel that a champion is a fighter who goes out there and doesn’t run around, who looks for the fight, who tries to win, and doesn’t just throw one or two punches and then moves away,” said Conceicao.
Foster disagrees.
“I hope he knows the name of the game is to hit and not get hit. That’s the name of the game,” said Foster.
Also on the same card is lightweight contender Raymond Muratalla (21-0, 16 KOs) who fights Mexico’s Jesus Perez Campos (25-5, 18 KOs).
Perez recently defeated former world champion Jojo Diaz last February in California.
“We’re made for challenges. I like challenges,” said Perez.
Muratalla likes challenges too.
“I think these fights are the types of fights I need to show my skills and to prove I deserve those title fights,” said Fontana’s Muratalla.
Female Undisputed Flyweight Championship
WBA, WBC and WBO flyweight titlist Gabriela “La Chucky” Alaniz (15-1, 6 KOs meets IBF titlist Gabriela Fundora (14-0, 6 KOs) on Saturday Nov. 2, at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. DAZN will stream the clash for the undisputed flyweight championship.
Argentina’s Alaniz clashed twice against former WBA, WBC champ Marlen Esparza with their first encounter ending in a dubious win for the Texas fighter. In fact, three of Esparza’s last title fights were scored controversially.
But against Alaniz, though they fought on equal terms, Esparza was given a 99-91 score by one of the judges though the world saw a much closer contest. So, they fought again, but the rematch took place in California. Two judges deemed Alaniz the winner and one Esparza for a split-decision win.
“I’m really happy to be here representing Argentina. We are ready to fight. Nothing about this fight has to do with Marlen. So, I hope she (Fundora) is ready. I am ready to prepare myself for the great fight of my life,” said Alaniz.
In the case of Fundora, the extremely tall American fighter at 5’9” in height defeated decent competition including Maria Santizo. She was awarded a match with IBF flyweight titlist Arely Mucino who opted for the tall youngster over the dangerous Kenia Enriquez of Mexico.
Bad choice for Mucino.
Fundora pummeled the champion incessantly for five rounds at the Inglewood Forum a year ago. Twice she battered her down and the fight was mercifully stopped. Fundora’s arm was raised as the new champion.
Since that win Fundora has defeated Christina Cruz and Chile’s Daniela Asenjo in defense of the IBF title. In an interesting side bit: Asenjo was ranked as a flyweight contender though she had not fought in that weight class for seven years.
Still, Fundora used her reach and power to easily handle the rugged fighter from Chile.
Immediately after the fight she clamored for a chance to become undisputed.
“It doesn’t get better than this, especially being in Las Vegas. This is the greatest opportunity that we can have,” said Fundora.
It should be exciting.
Fights to Watch
Sat. ESPN+ 2:50 p.m. Robson Conceicao (19-2-1) vs O’Shaquie Foster (22-3).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Floyd Schofield (17-0) vs Rene Tellez Giron (20-3); Gabriela Alaniz (15-1) vs Gabriela Fundora (14-0).
Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy
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Bakhram Murtalaziev was the Fighter of the Month in October
As we close the book on October, let’s look back at the month’s stellar performances. Kenshiro Teraji added another exclamation point to his brilliant career with an 11th-round stoppage of Cristofer Rosales. England’s Jack Catterall, considered no more than a decent domestic-level talent for most of his career, showed that he had been underrated with a comprehensive 12-round decision over declining Regis Prograis. But the top performance, by a landslide, was delivered by Bakhram Murtalaziev who annihilated Tim Tszyu on Oct. 19 in Orlando, Florida.
Murtalaziev was undefeated (22-0, 16 KOs) and the reigning IBF junior middleweight champion, but he was the underdog and the “B” side. As champions go, and there are roughly five dozen across the 17 weight divisions, the California-based Russian ranked among the least well-known. He had won his title in Berlin with an 11th-round stoppage of an unexceptional 38-year-old German-Ecuadorian campaigner, Jack Culcay, and he would be making his first defense.
Managed by Egis Klimas who also handles Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko, among others, Bakhram Murtalaziev came from a good barn in the vernacular of a horseplayer, but on paper that alone was insufficient to get him over the hump against Tim Tszyu who a few short months earlier was widely considered the best 154-pound boxer in the world.
That was before he met up with Sebastian Fundora who blemished his record, but that setback could have been written off as a fluke.
As we recall, Tszyu was scheduled to fight Keith Thurman in the initial PBC offering on Amazon Prime Video, but Thurman suffered a biceps injury in training and Fundora was bumped up from the undercard to fill the breach. With only 12 days’ notice, Tim Tszyu went from fighting a five-foot-seven fighter who fights out of an orthodox stance to fighting a southpaw who stood almost a full foot taller. The “Towering Inferno” has his limitations, but poses a special problem to anyone, let alone an opponent with little time to formulate a good game plan.
Tszyu was hampered in the Fundora fight by a gash on his hairline that hampered his vision. The injury happened in the second round when he ducked under Fundora and walked into an elbow. The gash bled copiously throughout the fight and yet the best that Fundora could do was win a split (albeit fair) decision.
To say that Tszyu failed to rebound from the Fundora misadventure would be putting it mildly. Murtalaziev steamrolled him, knocking him to the canvas four times in all before Tszyu’s corner tossed in the towel at the 1:55 mark of the third stanza. It was painful to watch. Referee Chris Young was faulted for allowing the match to continue as long as it did. Compounding Tszyu’s misery, his celebrated father, a first ballot Hall of Famer, was ringside. Kostya Tszyu hadn’t seen his oldest son fight in the flesh since Tim’s pro debut in 2016.
Although the dichotomy is imperfect, Tim Tszyu, who turns 30 on Saturday, is more of a puncher than a boxer. That may work against him so far as clawing his way back to a position of prominence. The noted boxing coach Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, a keen student of the history of boxing in the modern era, expressed this sentiment in a Q and A story for Boxing Scene. “Destructive fighters usually don’t come back to full capacity after bad KO losses,” he said, citing John Mugabi, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, and Naseem Hamed to illustrate his point. Moreover, added Edwards, “No one will ever be afraid of him again.”
But there were two stories that emerged from the Murtalaziev-Tszyu fight. Tim Tszyu crashed, but Bakhram Murtalaziev emerged from obscurity, announcing his presence (pardon the cliché) as a force to be reckoned with. As for his next assignment, the best guess is that it will come against Sebastian Fundora or Errol Spence Jr. who are expected to meet early next year. And based on Murtalaziev’s stunning performance in Orlando, it will be impossible to bet against him.
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Foreman-Moorer: 30 Years Later
Foreman-Moorer: 30 Years Later
By TSS SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT JAMIE REBNER — In sports, middle-aged athletes are not supposed to beat opponents who are half their age and in their athletic primes. Only the greatest ones can use guile, technique, and experience to compensate for the dulling of speed, reflexes, and athleticism that have unavoidably eroded with time.
That is why George Foreman’s feat of reclaiming the heavyweight title at 45 is so impressive. It was thirty years ago this coming Tuesday, Nov 5, 1994, that Foreman scored a monumental upset in knocking out Michael Moorer to win back the title he had lost twenty years prior against Muhammad Ali in The Rumble in the Jungle. In doing so, Big George became the oldest heavyweight champion, breaking the record previously held by Jersey Joe Walcott, who had won the title at 38.
When Foreman beat Moorer, he was in the twilight of his second career, a comeback that began in 1987. George had retired in 1977 after losing to Jimmy Young and experiencing a spiritual awakening in his locker room. That led him to become a minister and devote himself to his family and congregation. During his retirement, he opened a youth center in Houston, which required much financial support, prompting him to return to the ring.
After winning 24 straight fights from 1987-1990, Foreman lost his first title shot by decision to Evander Holyfield in 1991. He rebounded from that loss with three more wins before getting a crack at the WBO title against Tommy Morrison in 1993. But his performance against Morrison was disappointing and he lost another decision. After that, Foreman was out of the ring for 17 months before he was gifted another title shot against Moorer.
Foreman got that gift because Moorer, due to his sullen demeanor and curtness with the media, was not a draw with the fans. He was also an unproven champion, having beaten Holyfield for two belts only seven months prior. So. Moorer needed a name opponent who could bring in the crowds for his first title defense. And the other top heavyweights like Oliver McCall (WBC champ), Lennox Lewis, and Riddick Bowe didn’t have close to Foreman’s drawing power. So. deserving or not, Foreman was chosen as the challenger to make a fight that would be worth the public’s attention and pockets.
Even Foreman was surprised by getting selected to fight Moorer. “I never in my wildest imagination thought I’d get a title shot again,” he told Associated Press sports columnist Tim Dahlberg. Still, George was determined to make his third time a charm.
But as motivated as George was, there was an irrefutable gap in speed between himself and the much younger champion. From the opening bell, Moorer used his superior quickness and reflexes to make Foreman look stiff and slow. And although George landed punches early on, he fired them one at a time while Moorer countered with multiple shots. But despite Moorer’s advantage in connects, his trainer Teddy Atlas advised him from the get-go not to stand in front of Foreman and make himself a stationary target for a right-hand bomb.
But Moorer failed to heed that advice as he continued to outwork Foreman in the middle rounds. Although he was winning, Moorer’s overconfidence kept him at close quarters, and he continued to circle unwisely to his left and into Foreman’s dangerous right hand. And despite absorbing many quality shots, Foreman never appeared hurt or discouraged thanks to his granite chin and unyielding resolve. He was determined to win and he was willing to walk through as many flush shots as he needed to do so.
With Moorer content to stay in range, Foreman gladly returned his firepower and he landed some telling right crosses, uppercuts, and plenty of thudding body blows during the battle. And while Moorer continued to pile up points and rounds, as long as George was marching forward and throwing shots, he had a puncher’s chance.
And with a minute to go in round ten, that punch came. After missing a three-punch combination, Foreman scored with a one-two, with the right hand landing on the forehead. He immediately repeated that combination but this time aimed the right hand lower on Moorer’s jaw. That slight adjustment caused his bulldozer right to collide perfectly with Moorer’s chin, sending the champion crashing to the canvas and sprawled onto his back. The champion couldn’t beat the count, and just like that, the fight was over, Moorer’s short-lived title run ending before it ever truly began.
With a single, shattering blow, Foreman etched his name into boxing history. Wearing the same trunks from Zaire 20 years before, he was now heavyweight champion of the world once again. It was a shocking result that defied conventional wisdom since seldom do 45-year-old boxers score knockouts over champions in their athletic primes. But Foreman reminded us that he was anything but your typical quadragenarian. He was special, and he had two distinct heavyweight championship reigns to prove it.
—
About the author:
Jamie Rebner lives in Toronto, Canada. He has been a freelance boxing writer since 2016 and his writing has appeared in The Fight City, Boxing News Online, The Ring, and Ringside Seat magazine. His Substack blog is Fight Fundamental, and he is currently writing a book about George Foreman’s comeback. He is also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @J_NReb.
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