It’s Showtime in Allentown for the Gary Russells and Rigondeaux

Published

4 years ago

February 7, 2020

It's-Showtime-in-Allentown-for-the-Gary Russells-and-Rigondeaux

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – To hear singer/songwriter Billy Joel tell it in his 1982 hit Allentown, this city of 121,433 souls, according to a 2018 census, might still be viewed by some as an urban slag heap whose remaining denizens are as devoid of hope as, say, some of their more recent forebears were of their hometown returning to the industrial glory days that extended from the early 1800s to the mid-1960s. This is how Joel depicted the place 38 years ago:

Well, we’re waiting here in Allentown

For the Pennsylvania we never found

For the promises our teachers gave

If we worked hard

If we behaved

So the graduations hang on the wall

But they never really helped us at all

No, they never taught us what was real

Iron and coke, chromium steel

And we’re waiting here in Allentown

But Joel’s lyrics are as outdated now as such ’80s fads as mullets and parachute pants. Allentown, located 60 miles north-northwest of Philadelphia, is no longer so fiscally dependent on its once-rich, now played-out coal beds. It is the fastest-growing city in the Keystone State, and its third most populous overall behind Philly and Pittsburgh. It also could evolve into a new destination for attractive boxing events, if Saturday night’s Premier Boxing Champions-staged, Showtime-televised card is any indication.

Like Allentown, the fighters topping the card in separate bouts at the 5½-year-old PPL Center — WBC featherweight titlist Gary Russell Jr. and former long-reigning super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux – come here with notable pasts and reason to believe they can survive and even thrive as they author the next chapter in their pugilistic careers.

The main event pits the 31-year-old Russell (30-1, 18 KOs) against the WBC’s No. 1 featherweight contender, Mongolia’s Tugstsogt Nyambayar (11-0, 9 KOs), which is just one of three bouts on a card featuring two more of the boxing Russell brothers. Junior welterweight Gary Antuanne Russell (12-0, 12 KOs), 23, takes on veteran Jose Marrufo (12-9-2, 1 KO) in a scheduled 10-rounder while middle brother Gary Antonio Russell (16-0, 12 KOs), 27, swaps punches with Jesus Martinez (27-10, 13 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

“I have my younger brothers on the card with me and in camp, pushing me every day,” Russell Jr. said of the family affair. “We’re ready, focused and hungry.

“It’s amazing to watch my younger brothers and to have them on the same card. I’m excited to work their corners. There’s never been a set of three brothers to become world champions, and I think we’ll do that real soon. They’re both extremely talented and hungry. I expect them to be better than me by the time they’re at this point in their careers.”

Rigondeaux (19-1, 13) is going solo, without the benefit of supporting siblings, but his scheduled 12-rounder against another old head, Liborio Solis (30-5-1, 14 KOs), might be the most interesting scrap of the night when one considers the Cuban southpaw’s advanced age (39) and a 2017 defeat that so stained the two-time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba that he is still trying to restore some of his lost luster.

Although he is the WBC’s second-ranked bantamweight in a new, lower weight class, Rigondeaux – a superb technician who for years was a staple on most experts’ pound-for-pound lists – caught more than a little flak after he quit on his stool after six rounds in a matchup with WBO super featherweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko in New York. Sometimes criticized for being “boring” as well as masterful, Rigondeaux, not always the most active of elite fighters, appears to no longer be quite so content schooling opponents en route to one-sided nods on points. He fought twice in 2019, stopping Giovanni Delgado in one round and Julio Caja in eight, but Solis, 37, presents a much sterner test. In fact, Solis, from Panama by way of his native Venezuela, is even ranked higher in the bantamweight division by the WBA at No. 1 to Rigo’s No. 2.

“Bantamweight is my division,” said Rigondeaux, who fights out of Miami and insisted he always has been a natural 118-pounder even when he was dominating at 122. I want to thank (trainer) Ronnie Shields for how he has prepared me for this fight. I can’t wait to step into the ring and become champion again.

“I’m going to be phenomenal in the ring. I’m going to unify at 118 pounds like I did at 122. I’m excited to get started.”

rigo

If Rigondeaux is still most of what he once was, he could prove troublesome to some of the division’s leading lights, maybe even to Japan’s Naoya Inoue, who holds the WBA and IBF belts and a spot on all those pound-for-pound lists where Rigo was once a fixture.

Speaking of pound-for-pound recognition, Gary Russell Jr. believes his absence from such is tantamount to a cold slap in the face. He considers himself one of the finest all-around fighters on the planet, even though he tends to ply his trade less regularly than most fans would prefer. He fought just once each year from 2017 through 2019, and although he did fight twice in 2016, he did not fight at all in 2014, making for a leisurely slate of five bouts in five years.

“You should expect to see what you always see of me,” Russell said of those occasions when he does step inside the ropes. “Boxing at its best. A great deal of ring generalship. Good boxing IQ. Hand speed, Punching power. The total package as a fighter. As a matter of fact, I’m trying to figure out why I’m not on the pound-for-pound list given all of that. It’s an issue.”

Ironically, Russell – whose most recent ring appearance was a fifth-round stoppage of Kiki Martinez on May 18 of last year – hasn’t been off as long as Nyambayar, who will be ending a 13-month period of inactivity.

“I’m not worried about any ring rust,” he said. “I’ve worked so hard in the ring during training camp to make sure I’m the best I’ve ever been.”

Russell stressed that Mongolia has a history of producing renowned fighting men, although it’s been a really long time since Genghis Khan, emperor of the Mongol Empire, unified many of the nomadic tribes of Northeast Asia in the 13^th century.

In addition to Russell-Nyambayar and Rigondeaux-Solis, the third TV fight on Showtime is a 12-round WBA super featherweight title eliminator pitting Jaime Arboleda (15-1, 13 KOs), of Miami by way of his native Panama, against Puerto Rico’s Jayson Velez (29-5-1, 14 KOs).

Photo credit: Amanda Westcott / SHOWTIME

Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel

To comment on this story in The Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 429

Bernard Fernandez

Up Next

Kirk Douglas Was a Champion on the Silver Screen

Don't Miss

Oscar Negrete Returns to his Winning Ways at Fantasy Springs

Undercard Results from the Canelo-Charlo Card in Las Vegas

Published

3 hours ago

September 30, 2023

Arne K. Lang

Undercard-Results-from-the-Canelo-Charlo-Card-on-Las vegas

In a heavyweight battle slated for 10, Frank Sanchez (23-0, 16 KOs) stopped LA trial horse Scott Alexander (17-6-2) after four frames. Alexander’s corner attempted to stop it in the waning seconds of the fourth, but the referee did not see it and the bell rang before the fight was waived off.

Alexander had one big moment. In the opening round, he rocked Sanchez with a short right hand. But from there, it was all Sanchez in a rather messy fight.

A Miami-based Cuban defector, Frank Sanchez came in ranked #3 by the WBO, #4 by the WBC, and #5 by the IBF. His best win came in this building, a comfortable decision over Efe Ajagba in October of 2021. Alexander also fought here. In his previous visit to the T-Mobile, he was knocked out in the opening round by Zhilei Zhang.

Former WBO light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, in his third fight back since ending his retirement, improved to 20-0 (16) with a second-round stoppage of 38-year-old Brazilian Isaac Rodrigues (28-5). Gvozdyk, 36, left the sport after getting beat up by Artur Beterbiev, but got the itch and is pursuing a fight with Dmitry Bivol.

In an 8-round middleweight fight, 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha (24-3-1) won a majority decision over Keandre Leatherwood (23-9-1). The judges had it 76-76 and 78-74 twice. Once a highly regarded prospect, Gausha is spinning his wheels. Leatherwood, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, had been stopped four times.

Guadalajara super lightweight Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela advanced to 28-3-1 (17 KOs) with a sixth-round stoppage of overmatched Colombia import Yves Gabriel Solano (15-3). This was redemption of sorts for Valenzuela who lost an unpopular 12-round decision to Montana Love in his last outing inside these walls.

Kazakh super middleweight Bek Nuramaganbat (11-0) continued his fast ascent of the 168-pound ladder with a third-round stoppage of Bola Osundairo. A 30-year-old Chicago-based Nigerian, Osundairo was a 2021 USA National Champion at 178 pounds.

A four-round middleweight contest between Abilikhan Amankul (4-0-1, 4 KOs) and Joeshon James (7-0-2, 4 KOs) ended in a draw. Although he didn’t win, Sacramento’s James continued to exceed expectations. In previous contests he KOed previously undefeated Richard Brewart and fought to a draw with Top Rank signee Javier Martinez. Amankul, a 26-year-old Kazakh, lost a split decision to eventual gold medal winner Hebert Conceicao in the Tokyo Olympics.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

—

David Avila is ringside. Check back later for his report of the Canelo-Charlo fight and the main supporting bouts.

Post Views: 657

Opetaia Demolishes Thompson in London; Wallin Upsets Gassiev in Turkey

Published

5 hours ago

September 30, 2023

Arne K. Lang

Opetaia-Demolished-Thompson-on-London-Wallin-Upsets-Gassiev-in-Turkey

In his first defense of his IBF cruiserweight title, Australian southpaw Jai Opetaia demolished overmatched Jordan Thompson in the featured bout of a Matchroom card at London’s Wembley Arena. Opetaia (23-0, 18 KOs) overwhelmed Thompson (15-1) from the opening gun and had the six-foot-six Mancunian on the canvas twice before the match was waived off at the 20-second mark of round four.

An Olympian at the age of 16, Opetaia won the title 15 months ago with a unanimous decision over longtime title-holder Mairis Briedis. Noting that Opetaia broke his jaw in two places early in that contest, prominent Australian sporting journalist Simon Smale called it “one of the bravest, gutsiest, victories in Australian boxing history.”

Following that fight, Opetaia had to eat through a straw for several months. Hence, there were questions about whether his jaw would hold up and whether he would show ring rust in his first title defense. But the towering Thompson, whose nickname is Troublesome, although game, proved to be no trouble whatsoever for Opetaia who would be favored to beat any cruiserweight in the world, no matter the locale.

Opetaia may return to England for his next fight which would be a unification match with Bournemouth’s 18-1 Chris Billam-Smith who captured the WBO version of the 200-pound title in May with a surprisingly one-sided decision over favored Lawrence Okolie. The other cruiserweight title-holders are the well-traveled Badou Jack (WBC) and the French-Armenian boxer Arsen Goulamirian (WBA).

Four female fights were on the undercard including two 10-rounders, both of which were won by the “A side” Englishwomen.

In her first title defense, Ellie Scotney, a 25-year-old Londoner, retained her IBF world super bantamweight title and improved to 8-0 at the expense of 37-year-old Argentine veteran Laura Soledad Griffa (20-9). In a rather monotonous fight, Scotney won every round on two of the scorecards and nine rounds on the other.

Rhiannon Dixon, a 29-year-old southpaw, had a surprisingly easy time with Norwegian veteran Katharina Thanderz, a former world title challenger. Dixon (9-0) won every round on all three cards. Thanderz, who trains in Spain, declined to 16-2.

Wallin-Gassiev

In a 12-round heavyweight fight in Antalya, Turkey, Swedish southpaw Otto Wallin (26-1, 14 KOs) won a split decision over Murat Gassiev (30-2). This was a dull fight. Owing to various issues, Gassiev had answered the bell for only eight rounds in the previous seven years and his vaunted power had deserted him. True, he landed the harder punches, but Wallin, who kept pecking away with his jab, was far busier and won the fight on volume alone. Two of the judges had it 115-113 for the Swede who is 6-0 since going 12 rounds with Tyson Fury. The other judge scored it for Gassiev by a bizarre 117-111.

Opetaia-Thompson photo credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 246

Avila Perspective, Chap. 254: Canelo vs Jermell Charlo in a Battle of Undisputed Champions

Published

1 day ago

September 29, 2023

David A. Avila

Avils-Perspective-Chap-254-Canelo-vs-Jermell-Charlo-in-a-Battle-of-Undisputed-Champions

LAS VEGAS-Less than the usual massive crowd gathered for boxing kingpin Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Jermell Charlo in the desert heat outside of the T-Mobile Arena on Friday afternoon. Usually the weigh-ins are slightly bigger for Mexico’s idol.

Is the declining crowd an indicator of Alvarez fans ebbing belief in his abilities?

Still, on Saturday night, two undisputed world champions from differing divisions will collide as Guadalajara, Mexico’s Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) meets Houston’s Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) at T-Mobile Arena for the super middleweight world championship. PPV.Com will stream the clash of champions.

This year has seen a hyper-speed uptick in champions fighting other champions, perhaps the result of watching their female counterparts Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor produce the biggest fight of 2022. This year several marquee collisions were spawned from lightweights to heavyweights.

Or maybe the pandemic lull created a twitch panic among the elite.

Charlo was one of those who had been sidelined while others like Gervonta “Tank” Davis, Naoya “Monster” Inoue and Canelo Alvarez filled their pockets with cash. And others like Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez gained undisputed glory.

Instead of watching on the sidelines, Charlo decided to make his move for greater glory by attempting to dethrone one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, if not the kingpin of boxing when it comes to money.

“If I accomplish this massive goal, it will be hard to top,” Charlo said a few weeks ago during his media workout. “I’ll be in the record book with the greats of boxing for a long time.”

Risks brings rewards.

Canelo, long a member of the boxing elite, has held his position as the box office king for many years now by taking the daunting risks throughout his boxing life.

“Jermell is right, I have nothing to prove. But this time I have something to prove to him,” said Alvarez while in Las Vegas on Wednesday. “He never believed in my skills. He’s been calling me out. Now I have an opportunity to show him my skills.”

Undisputed super welterweight will challenge undisputed super middleweight in a two-division jump not often seen, except for Henry Armstrong, Roberto Duran and Sugar Shane Mosley. It’s the road taken by those who seek to be great.

Both are 33 but the redhead Alvarez has been fighting professionally since he was 15. That’s a lot of bullets in the chamber he has already used. Charlo has height, speed and the ability to adapt to different styles. Stylistically, it’s a battle that makes even the skeptics take pause.

It all depends on Alvarez’s resiliency. Charlo has ring rust, while Alvarez seemingly has lost the hunger. Whose weakness will prove the greater?

“Now is the time for this fight. We’re in our primes and at our best,” said Charlo. “I wanna shake the doubters off and prove to the world why I”m in this position. There’s a reason I made it this far.”

Alvarez remembers being as hungry as Charlo.

“I never overlook any fighter,” Alvarez said. “I know what he’s going to bring and I’m ready.”

Undercard

Several other notable bouts are included on the pay-per-view card.

Former world titlists and current welterweight contenders Yordenis Ugas (27-5) and Mario Barrios (27-2) battle for an interim title set for 12 rounds.

Super welterweights Jesus Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) and Erickson Lubin (25-2, 18 KOs) match skills in a match that pits a southpaw veteran against an undefeated southpaw from Arizona. For the past three years Ramos has been moving up the ladder and was last seen pounding out highly-touted Joey Spencer. Can he survive Lubin who nearly toppled Sebastian Fundora?

Doors open at T-Mobile Arena at 2 p.m. Pacific Time.

Lampley is back

Legendary HBO announcer Jim Lampley was hired along with ace reporter Lance Pugmire who will co-host the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez versus Jermell Charlo showdown via viewer chat live on PPV.com.

It’s the same concept used by Monday Night Football that features former quarterback greats Peyton Manning and Eli Manning in alternative programming.

Lampley returns to boxing after a five-year absence following HBO’s yanking of the popular program that vaulted elite boxing to the top behind the likes of George Foreman, Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao.

The veteran announcer will be live streaming all the action on media platforms before and during the fight action. He was sorely missed by all who follow the sweet science.

Photo credit: Al Applerose

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 711