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Three Punch Combo: Arboleda-Velez, a Road Map for Demetrius Andrade and More
THREE PUNCH COMBO — Young power punching prospects carry a lot of intrigue in this sport. Not only are they exciting to watch but many seemingly carry raw talent that sometimes turns into greatness. On Saturday as part of the Showtime televised tripleheader from the PPL Center in Allentown, PA, we get to see such a power punching prospect in Panama’s Jaime Arboleda (15-1, 13 KO’s) who takes on Puerto Rican veteran Jayson Velez (29-5-1, 21 KO’s) in a scheduled twelve round 130-pound contest.
Arboleda, 25, not only possesses natural raw power but has quite a bit of athleticism. He stands 5’11” which often gives him a big height advantage. As such, he has developed a very strong left jab which he likes to work behind to set up his power shots. When he does let the combinations flow, he shows off his quick hands and can let go of several shots in a row before his opponent can react.
Arboleda’s best punch is his left hook and he looks to work that punch to both the head and body. In his last fight against then 26-2 Victor Betancourt, Arboleda landed a crunching left hook to Betancourt’s body in the first round that put Betancourt down in pain and led to an early win by stoppage.
But there are also questions about him, in particular his chin. In Arboleda’s only career defeat, he suffered a devastating one punch knockout loss to journeyman Recky Dulay.
In that fight, Arboleda weighed north of 140 pounds which was easily his career high. So maybe Arboleda didn’t take the fight serious and as such was lackadaisical in his preparation. We have seen prospects suffer early knockout defeats in fights in which they were ill-prepared, only to bounce back and show what they can do when properly motivated. Will this be the case for Arboleda or is he in fact chinny?
I think we will find out the answer when he faces Velez, a durable veteran who has never been stopped. Velez has heavy handed power in both fists and will be willing to press forward and take a few punches to get the opportunity to land his own clean counter shots.
Personally, I have high expectations for Arboleda and think that performance against Dulay was an aberration. On Saturday night we will almost certainly know if he is in fact the real deal or just another promising prospect who couldn’t rise to the occasion.
What I’d Like To See Next For Demetrius Andrade
Making the third defense of his WBO middleweight title, Demetrius Andrade made easy work of an overmatched Luke Keeler, stopping Keeler in the ninth round last Thursday in Miami. Many in boxing have faulted Andrade for building his undefeated record (29-0, 17 KO’s) against suspect opposition and want to see the soon-to-be 32-year-old boxer in a big fight.
Of course, not having had a big fight is not necessarily his fault. He is a slick southpaw with quick hands. He isn’t easy to hit clean and he can be very quick to counter any swings and misses from his opponents. For big name fighters such as Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin, he represents too high a risk with too little a reward.
During the DAZN telecast of Andrade’s defense against Keeler, Jermall Charlo was mentioned as a possible future opponent. Like Andrade, Charlo also holds a middleweight title belt. Also, like Andrade, Charlo is undefeated and seeking a big fight. Sounds like a natural match, but this is not a fight I personally want to see.
As we all know, styles make fights and frankly the styles of Andrade and Charlo would make for one extremely tactical fight. As a matter of fact, I would go as far as saying it would resemble the recent lightweight title fight between Robert Easter Jr. and Rances Barthelemy. That fight offered a cure for insomnia.
Andrade employs a cautious tactical style. He is a natural counter puncher and only takes calculated risks. I am not saying that is a bad thing but that is his style and he is not going to change what has got him to this point in his career. For example, he had Keeler hurt and down in both the first and second rounds but did not get overly aggressive seeking an early stoppage.
Charlo’s style is very similar. He too is a natural counter puncher and can be content to just take what an opponent gives him. He is perhaps a little more aggressive than Andrade but only when the situation presents itself and he is confident his opponent can’t hurt him.
I just can’t see Andrade-Charlo playing out any way other than two cautious safety-first fighters poking and prodding at each for twelve rounds.
Instead of Charlo, I’d like to see Andrade in with an aggressive pressure fighter. As such, the one name that makes the most sense to me is Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
Derevyanchenko is, of course, coming off a hard-fought loss to Golovkin. As a matter of fact, some thought he should have gotten the decision. He is a hard-nosed pressure fighter who is not afraid to move his hands and has plenty of skill. He is going to ask questions of Andrade and force Andrade to fight. It’s a perfect match in my opinion and I hope we see it put together later this year.
Under the Radar Fight
On Saturday at the Sheffield Arena in the United Kingdom, former welterweight champion Kell Brook (38-2, 26 KO’s) returns to the ring after a 14-month absence to face Massachusetts invader Mark DeLuca (24-1, 13 KO’s) in a contest to be broadcast in the United States on DAZN. While this intriguing contest should be fan friendly, at the very least, it is a fight on the undercard that really piques my interest.
Coming off his first career defeat when he dropped a close twelve round decision to featherweight champion Josh Warrington, Kid Galahad (26-1, 15 KO’s) takes on Claudio Marrero (24-3, 17 KO’s) in a crucial featherweight tilt. Given their respective styles, I think we see an all-action fight.
Galahad is an aggressive pressure fighter who is not afraid to mix it up. While he often starts off from a southpaw stance, he will often switch to the orthodox. Regardless, he will press forward behind the jab looking to set up power punching combinations. Galahad may not have the quickest hands but has enough power in both of his fists to garner his opposition’s respect.
Marrero has had quite an up-and-down career but once again finds himself on the verge of a big fight after a mild upset of the up-and-coming Eduardo Ramirez in June. Similar to Galahad, Marrero is an aggressive pressure fighter by trade. He will press forward from the southpaw stance behind the right jab looking to set up his power shots. He possesses decent hand speed and heavy-handed power in both fists.
It should be noted that neither Galahad nor Marrero is noted for their defensive prowess. Given their aggressive styles with lack of attention to defense, I think this fight will end up stealing the show.
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Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing
Skylar Lacy, a six-foot-seven heavyweight, returns to the ring on Sunday, Feb. 2, opposing Brandon Moore on a card in Flint, Michigan, airing worldwide on DAZN.
As this is being written, the bookmakers hadn’t yet posted a line on the bout, but one couldn’t be accused of false coloring by calling the 10-round contest a 50/50 fight. And if his frustrating history is any guide, Lacy will have another draw appended to his record or come out on the wrong side of a split decision.
This should not be construed as a tip to wager on Moore. “Close fights just don’t seem to go my way,” says the boxer who played alongside future multi-year NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at the University of Louisville.
A 2021 National Golden Gloves champion, Skylar Lacy came up short in his final amateur bout, losing a split decision to future U.S. Olympian Joshua Edwards. His last Team Combat League assignment resulted in another loss by split decision and he was held to a draw in both instances when stepping up in class as a pro. “In my mind, I’m still undefeated,” says Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs). “No one has ever kicked my ass.”
Lacy was the B-side in both of those draws, the first coming in a 6-rounder against Top Rank fighter Antonio Mireles on a Top Rank show in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and the second in an 8-rounder against George Arias, a Lou DiBella fighter on a DiBella-promoted card in Philadelphia.
Lacy had the Mireles fight in hand when he faded in the homestretch. The altitude was a factor. Lake Tahoe, Nevada (officially Stateline) sits 6,225 feet above sea level. The fight with Arias took an opposite tack. Lacy came on strong after a slow start to stave off defeat.
Skylar will be the B-side once again in Michigan. The card’s promoter, former world title challenger Dmitriy Salita, inked Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) in January. “A capable American heavyweight with charisma, athleticism and skills is rare in today’s day and age. Brandon has got all these ingredients…”, said Salita in the press release announcing the signing. (Salita has an option on Skylar Lacy’s next pro fight in the event that Skylar should win, but the promoter has a larger investment in Moore who was previously signed to Top Rank, a multi-fight deal that evaporated after only one fight.)
Both Lacy and Moore excelled in other sports. The six-foot-six Moore was an outstanding basketball player in high school in Fort Lauderdale and at the NAIA level in college. Lacy was an all-state football lineman in Indiana before going on to the University of Louisville where he started as an offensive guard as a redshirt sophomore, blocking for freshman phenom Lamar Jackson. “Lamar was hard-working and humble,” says Lacy about the player who is now one of the world’s highest-paid professional athletes.
When Lacy committed to Louisville, the head coach was Charlie Strong who went on to become the head coach at the University of Texas. Lacy was never comfortable with Strong’s successor Bobby Petrino and transferred to San Jose State. Having earned his degree in only three years (a BA in communications) he was eligible immediately but never played a down because of injuries.
Returning to Indianapolis where he was raised by his truck dispatcher father, a single parent, Lacy gravitated to Pat McPherson’s IBG (Indy Boxing and Grappling) Gym on the city’s east side where he was the rare college graduate pounding the bags alongside at-risk kids from the city’s poorer neighborhoods.
Lacy built a 12-6 record across his two seasons in Team Combat League while representing the Las Vegas Hustle (2023) and the Boston Butchers (2024).
For the uninitiated, a Team Combat League (TCL) event typically consists of 24 fights, each consisting of one three-minute round. The concept finds no favor with traditionalists, but Lacy is a fan. It’s an incentive for professional boxers to keep in shape between bouts without disturbing their professional record and, notes Lacy, it’s useful in exposing a competitor to different styles.
“It paid the bills and kept me from just sitting around the house,” says Lacy whose 12-6 record was forged against 13 different opponents.
As a sparring partner, Lacy has shared the ring with some of the top heavyweights of his generation, e.g., Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He was one of Fury’s regular sparring partners during the Gypsy King’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder. He worked with Joshua at Derrick James’ gym in Dallas and at Ben Davison’s gym in England, helping Joshua prepare for his date in Saudi Arabia with Francis Ngannou and had previously sparred with Ngannou at the UFC Performance Center in Las Vegas. Skylar names traveling to new places as one of his hobbies and he got to scratch that itch when he joined Whyte’s camp in Portugal.
As to the hardest puncher he ever faced, he has no hesitation: “Ngannou,” he says. “I negotiated a nice price to spend a week in his camp and the first time he hit me I knew I should have asked for more.”
Lacy is confident that having shared the ring with some of the sport’s elite heavyweights will get him over the hump in what will be his first 10-rounder (Brandon Moore has never had to fight beyond eight rounds, having won his three 10-rounders inside the distance). Lacy vs. Moore is the co-feature to Claressa Shields’ homecoming fight with Danielle Perkins. Shields, basking in the favorable reviews accorded the big-screen biopic based on her first Olympic journey (“The Fire Inside”) will attempt to capture a title in yet another weight class at the expense of the 42-year-old Perkins, a former professional basketball player.
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Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce
Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.
Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.
The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.
In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.
It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.
For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.
Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.
It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.
“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”
Trinidad Wins Too
Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.
Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.
“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”
After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.
Other Bouts
Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.
Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.
Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.
More Winners
Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More
Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More
Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.
Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.
Hopefully the worst is over.
Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.
“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.
UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.
Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.
“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.
He knows talent.
Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.
Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.
Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.
Can Trinidad reach world title status?
Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.
It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.
Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.
Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m.
Boxing and the Media
The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.
Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.
Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.
Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.
MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.
Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.
Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.
It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.
Photos credit: Lina Baker
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