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

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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But Joel’s lyrics are as outdated now as such ’80s fads as mullets and parachute pants.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 13th 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

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Argentina’s Fernando Martinez Wins His Rematch with Kazuto Ioka

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In an excellent fight climaxed by a furious 12th round, Argentina’s Fernando Daniel Martinez came off the deck to win his rematch with Kazuto Ioka and retain his piece of the world 115-pound title. The match was staged at Ioka’s familiar stomping grounds, the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

In their first meeting on July 7 of last year in Tokyo, Martinez was returned the winner on scores of 117-111, 116-112, and a bizarre 120-108. The rematch was slated for late December, but Martinez took ill a few hours before the weigh-in and the bout was postponed.

The 33-year-old Martinez, who came in sporting a 17-0 (9) record, was a 7-2 favorite to win the sequel, but there were plenty of reasons to favor Ioka, 36, aside from his home field advantage. The first Japanese male fighter to win world titles in four weight classes, Ioka was 3-0 in rematches and his long-time trainer Ismael Salas was on a nice roll. Salas was 2-0 last weekend in Times Square, having handled upset-maker Rolly Romero and Reito Tsutsumi who was making his pro debut.

But the fourth time was not a charm for Ioka (31-4-1) who seemingly pulled the fight out of the fire in round 10 when he pitched the Argentine to the canvas with a pair of left hooks, but then wasn’t able to capitalize on the momentum swing.

Martinez set a fast pace and had Ioka fighting off his back foot for much of the fight. Beginning in round seven, Martinez looked fatigued, but the Argentine was conserving his energy for the championship rounds. In the end, he won the bout on all three cards: 114-113, 116-112, 117-110.

Up next for Fernando Martinez may be a date with fellow unbeaten Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, the lineal champion at 115. San Antonio’s Rodriguez is a huge favorite to keep his title when he defends against South Africa’s obscure Phumelela Cafu on July 19 in Frisco, Texas.

As for Ioka, had he won today’s rematch, that may have gotten him over the hump in so far as making it into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. True, winning titles in four weight classes is no great shakes when the bookends are only 10 pounds apart, but Ioka is still a worthy candidate.

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Emanuel Navarrete Survives a Bloody Battle with Charly Suarez in San Diego

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In a torrid battle Mexico’s Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and his staccato attack staved off the herky-jerky non-stop assaults of Philippine’s Charly Suarez to win by technical decision and retain the WBO super feather world title on Saturday.

What do they feed these guys?

Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) and his elongated arms managed to connect enough to compensate against the surprising Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs) who wowed the crowd at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on the side of Navarrete’s left eye and forced a stoppage midway through the fight.

From the opening round Navarrete used his windmill style of attack with punches from different angles that caught Suarez multiple times early. It did not matter. Suarez fired back with impunity and was just as hungry to punch it out with the Mexican fighter.

It was savage.

Every time Navarrete connected solidly, he seemed to pause and check out the damage. Bad idea. Suarez would immediately counter with bombs of his own and surprise the champion with his resilience and tenacity.

Wherever they found Suarez they should look for more, because the Filipino fighter from Manila was ferocious and never out of his depth.

Around the sixth round the Mexican fighter seemed a little drained and puzzled at the tireless attacks coming from Suarez. During an exchange of blows a cut opened up on Navarrete and it was ruled an accidental clash of heads by the referee. Blood streamed down the side of Navarrete’s face and it was cleared by the ringside physician.

But at the opening of the eighth round, the fight was stopped and the ringside physician ruled the cut was too bad to continue. The California State Athletic Commission looked at tape of the round when the cut opened to decipher if it was an accidental butt or a punch that caused the cut. It was unclear so the referee’s call of accidental clash of heads stood as the final ruling.

Score cards from the judges saw Navarrete the winner by scores of 78-75, 77-76 twice. He retains the WBO title.

Interim IBF Lightweight Title

The sharp-shooting Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) maneuvered past Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the interim IBF lightweight title after 12 rounds.

Both fighters were strategic in their approach with Muratalla switching from orthodox to southpaw at various times of the fight. Neither fighter was ever able to dominant any round.

Defense proved the difference between the two lightweights. Muratalla was able to slip more blows than Abdullaev and that proved the difference. The fighter from Fontana, California was able to pierce Abdullaev’s guard more often than not, especially with counter punches.

Abdullaev was never out of the fight. The Russian fighter was able to change tactics and counter the counters midway through the fight. It proved effective especially to the body. But it was not enough to offset Muratalla’s accuracy.

There were no knockdowns and after 12 rounds the judges scored it 118-110, 119-109 twice for Muratalla who now becomes the mandatory for the IBF lightweight title should Vasyl Lomachenko return to defend it.

Muratalla was brief.

“He was a tough fighter,” said Muratalla. “My defense is something I work on a lot.”

Perla Wins

Super flyweight Perla Bazaldua (2-0) eased past Mona Ward (0-2) with a polished display of fighting at length and inside.

Combination punching and defense allowed Bazaldua to punch in-between Ward’s attacks and force the St. Louis fighter to clinch repeatedly. But Ward hung in there despite taking a lot of blows. After four rounds the Los Angeles-based Bazaldua was scored the winner 40-36 on all three cards. Bazaldua signed a long term contract with Top Rank in March.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Late Bloomer Anthony Cacace TKOs Hometown Favorite Leigh Wood in Nottingham

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Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions was at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England, tonight with a card featuring hometown favorite Leigh Wood against Ireland’s Anthony “Apache” Cacace.

Wood, a former two-time WBA featherweight champion, known for dramatic comebacks in bouts he was losing, may have reached the end of the road at age 36. He had his moments tonight, rocking Cacace on several occasions and winning the eighth round, but he paid the price, returning to his corner after round eight with swelling around both of his eyes.

In the ninth, Cacace, an 11/5 favorite, hurt Wood twice with left hands, the second of which knocked Wood into the ropes, dictating a standing 8-count by referee John Latham. When the bout resumed, Cacace went for the kill and battered Wood around the ring, forcing Wood’s trainer Ben Davison to throw in the towel. The official time was 2:15 of round nine.

Akin to Wood, Northern Ireland’s Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs) is also 36 years old and known as a late bloomer. This was his ninth straight win going back to 2017 (he missed all of 2018 and 2020). He formerly held the IBF 130-pound world title, a diadem he won with a stoppage of then-undefeated and heavily favored Joe Cordina, but that belt wasn’t at stake tonight as Cacace abandoned it rather than fulfill his less-lucrative mandatory. Wood falls to 28-4.

Semi-Wind-Up

Nottingham light heavyweight Ezra Taylor, fighting in his hometown for the first time since pro debut, delighted his fan base with a comprehensive 10-round decision over previously undefeated Troy Jones. Taylor, who improved to 12-0 (9) won by scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.

This was Taylor’s first fight with new trainer Malik Scott, best known for his work with Deontay Wilder. The victory may have earned him a match with Commonwealth title-holder Lewis Edmondson. Jones was 12-0 heading in.

Other Bouts of Note

In his first fight as a featherweight, Liam Davies rebounded from his first defeat with a 12-round unanimous decision over Northern Ireland’s previously undefeated Kurt Walker. Davies, who improved to 17-1 (8), staved off a late rally to prevail on scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111. It was the first pro loss for the 30-year-old Walker (12-1), a Tokyo Olympian.

In a mild upset, Owen Cooper, a saucy Worcestershire man, won a 10-round decision over former Josh Taylor stablemate Chris Kongo. The referee’s scorecard read 96-94.

Cooper improved to 11-1 (4). It was the third loss in 20 starts for Kongo.

A non-televised 8-rounder featured junior welterweight Sam Noakes in a stay-busy fight. A roofer by trade and the brother of British welterweight title-holder Sean Noakes, Sam improved to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a third-round stoppage of overmatched Czech import Patrik Balez (13-5-1).

Photo credit: Leigh Dawney / Queensberry

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