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Art of Boxing Series: Paulie Ayala (Part Two)
It was like a duel between two Old West gunslingers as Paulie Ayala a little-known Texas southpaw stood poised to greet New Mexico’s Johnny Tapia, the mercurial world champion from Albuquerque.
When the bell rang that Las Vegas night on June 26, 1999, the tightly wound bantamweights delivered the most riveting battle of the year. Showtime will replay the 1999 Fight of the Year on Friday, April 17 as part of their “Rivalries” series.
Their battle proved so captivating they did it again a year later.
Ayala grew up in a town famous for producing world champions in the 1980s. And though his amateur career fell short, it allowed him to realize he could compete with the best. It also allowed him to sharpen his fighting style to hair-splitting accuracy that still goes unnoticed.
As a youth, he served as a sparring partner for world champions like Freddie Norwood and Stevie Cruz. Norwood would defeat Juan Manuel Marquez and Cruz would hang a loss on Barry McGuigan. Those victories by his stablemates opened up his eyes to his own possibilities.
“Freddie Norwood beat Marquez. And to me he didn’t train 110 percent and to be able to do what he was able to do and fight the way he fought, he was really a goofy guy,” said Ayala thinking back on helping Norwood prepare for Marquez in 1999. “So, when he beat Marquez I wondered how long he trained for that. Probably nothing. He beat Juan Manuel Marquez; that’s crazy.”
Ayala toiled away sparring against some of the most talented fighters in the world in hopes of getting his own world title shot.
“I was never really concerned who I was going to fight because my sparring was better than anybody I was going to face at that point of my career until I fought for a title. I sparred Freddie Norwood, Robert Quiroga, and John Michael Johnson when he was getting ready for Junior Jones. I sparred a lot of top guys during that time,” said Ayala of his battles in Fort Worth. “Sparring in those days was like war every day.”
After three years of mowing down the competition, Ayala captured the NABF bantamweight title with a third-round knockout of Miguel Espinoza on March 1995. He held it for more than three years, wondering when he would get a world title shot.
Yokohama, Japan and La Vida Loca
Sometimes when you lose you win. That proved true when Paulie Ayala arrived on the shores of Japan to challenge for the WBC bantamweight world title against Joichiro Tatsuyoshi.
Despite starting strong, an accidental clash of heads resulted in a technical decision loss after six rounds in front of 22,000 fans in Yokohama Arena on August 1998.
“I thought I was in control. He was a boxer and had a little charisma in his boxing and little flamboyance. In the first round I caught him and he buckled so I started boxing him and tried to see if I could catch him again. He had a little cut in his left eye so I started working on that, so the next thing you know I went to the body and we crashed heads. The referee deducted two points from me. They said I intentionally did it. It ended in the sixth round,” said Ayala. “It was one of my biggest disappointments because I wanted that green belt.”
After waiting six years to get a world title opportunity he worried that another might not come around for another six years. He was wrong.
“I immediately went back to the gym when I got home and took a couple of quick fights. And next thing you know I got a phone call from Top Rank and they said we got another title shot for you. This time it’s in the states and that’s when it was with Johnny Tapia,” said Ayala. “To me, I know they accepted the fight because my fight in Japan was not televised here. So, no one got to see it. That’s why I thought I even got that opportunity anyway. They didn’t see the fight. They just know I went to fight for the world title and I lost. I think it was a blessing in disguise.”
Tapia was undefeated and perhaps the most charismatic bantamweight in the history of prizefighting. His “Mi Vida Loca” tattoo said all you needed to know about his lifestyle but fans loved the bad boy from Albuquerque who spent several years in jail. When he returned to boxing his popularity soared once again.
In 1994 Tapia won the WBO super flyweight world title by knockout against Henry Martinez and held on to it for 11 title defenses. Then on July 1997 he engaged in a battle to unify the super flyweight division against crosstown rival Danny Romero who held the IBF version. Tapia won the bloody rivalry by unanimous decision after 12 rounds in Las Vegas.
After two more defenses of the WBO and IBF super flyweight titles, Tapia moved up a weight division and captured the WBA bantamweight world title by majority decision over Nana Yaw Konadu in Atlantic City. After one more fight Tapia was ready to defend the bantamweight title and Ayala was the chosen opponent.
“He was a super popular guy,” said Ayala. “Definitely I was the underdog. I was going to take the back seat. Johnny Tapia was the fan favorite, media favorite, I mean everybody loved him.”
The first press conference took place in Beverly Hills, California and the media showed up in full force at the Friars Club on Santa Monica Boulevard. Tapia was surrounded by reporters with cameras, microphones and handheld recording devices.
Near the entrance to the Friars Club sitting on a metal chair next to his trainer was Ayala who calmly watched the media frenzy around Tapia. It was the only time Tapia would enjoy dominance.
“When you start the press conferences and the press tours everything is cordial. Then there is camp and you come back and it’s time to fight. When we first saw each other at the first press conference, we made eye contact and I could see, not concern but he knew I was focused,” said Ayala.
Mandalay Bay
Just three months earlier the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino had opened its doors for the first time. As a boxing venue, it was still brand new when Paulie Ayala and Johnny Tapia met for the WBA bantamweight title on June 26, 1999.
It would soon become home to a bevy of epic prize fights starting with the bantamweight clash. There’s a particular reason why casinos in Las Vegas love boxing. It has a seductive allure to gamblers, real sports fans and boxing fanatics.
Prizefighters are a different breed.
Outside of a boxing ring many prizefighters are congenial, and eager to talk to fans and media. But once the weigh-ins take place their faces and demeanor change drastically like Jekyll and Hyde.
“I feel that’s another part of the fight, It’s a mental fight,” Ayala said about the drama involved at weigh-ins and pre-fight press conferences days before the fight.
When the two bantamweights stepped in the middle of the ring to hear instructions Tapia was hyper and eager to unload. Ayala quickly noticed as referee Joe Cortez gave his instructions.
“I could see in his eyes he had a totally different demeanor. His eyes were like gone. He was into the fight. I already knew he was angry. And to me, that’s better. The more angry he is the less he is going to listen to Freddie (Roach),” said Ayala remembering their face-to-face moment seconds before the fight. “He kept looking at me (during instructions) and he kind of jumped to the side and I jumped to the side. But I didn’t know he was going to come and push me.”
Tapia shoved Ayala seconds before the actual fight.
“Joe Cortez said specifically to me ‘Paulie if you do anything and don’t let me do my job I’m going to disqualify you.’ And I already lost my first world title (bid) I wasn’t going to risk something stupid to lose the fight like that again,” said Ayala.
Tapia was an excellent boxer and could be difficult to hit. But his main weakness was his machismo inside the boxing ring. Ayala figured it out quickly.
“I kept catching him, I would kind of go whew! Every time I hit him with a good shot I’d go whew. And he hated that,” said Ayala explaining that the verbal taunts set off Tapia to engage more. “The main thing is I got him out of his fight game for one, of course Freddie Roach was trying to get him to box, and turn, then counter. But he wasn’t listening.”
Suddenly the tactical skirmish turned into an all-out war. Neither was willing to move backward and the two 118-pounders were blasting each other relentlessly daring each other to match power shots. It was exciting stuff for the fans who roared and reacted every time a big blow landed.
Early on Ayala thought Tapia was tiring. But he was mistaken.
“I thought he was already tired the way Johnny would suck up all the air after a round. So, I thought it was already downhill for him. So, we’re getting into the 10th round he is still doing the same thing. But his work ethic in the later rounds was even more intense. So, I was like ‘man, this is what championship boxing is all about,’” Ayala said.
Ayala was in his element as Tapia attacked with his unrelenting assault. The Texas southpaw caught many of the blows off his gloves and slipped and countered with perfect timing. It was memorable stuff as the pair of pocket-sized destroyers traded bombs over 12 rounds.
“He was boxing good but he wasn’t landing any hard shots and I was landing way better shots than he was landing. That’s why he decided to stop boxing and moving and he decided to trade with me. I’m not saying he made it easier but he made it better, by far for me. Because I was having to cut off the ring and it was a lot more work than for him to just stay there in the pocket and we could just fight it out right there.”
It was the type of warfare that Ayala preferred: in-the-pocket exchanges. The kind he had perfected for years in Fort Worth sparring sessions against world champions.
When the final bell sounded Ayala slumped to the ground.
“Right when the bell rang to complete the final round I fell down in the middle of the ring, not only because of the excitement but I was exhausted. I used everything I had,” recalled Ayala.
Ayala knew he was not the favorite and Tapia had never been beaten. But he hoped the judges saw what he felt was his victory.
“All I was waiting for is when they said ‘and the new champion of the world!” That was an experience that I will never forget,” said Ayala who won by unanimous decision 116-113 twice and 115-114.
Bedlam ensued and some booed and others cheered. According to CompuBox, an unofficial group that tabulates punches for the television fans, Tapia landed more blows. But Ayala had a style that wasn’t easy to tabulate correctly.
All in all, it was a spectacular fight and one that would later be voted Fight of the Year by Ring Magazine. For the impressive win, Ayala was also selected Fighter of the Year in 1999 by the same publication. Think of it. He was voted over Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, Roy Jones Jr. and Lennox Lewis.
Ayala was the last fighter to win that honor in the 20th century.
“That was the greatest feeling. Look at all the champions around. You had everybody. You had the Klitschkos, De La Hoya, Vargas, you had all these guys. Erik Morales, you had Johnny Tapia all these guys that are in the Hall of Fame. I beat all them for Fighter of the Year award. That was in 1999. I mean everybody was fighting. Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao those guys were all fighting back then too. People don’t take that into consideration. I was going against the top guys so for them to even consider me that was so awesome,” said Ayala.
Ayala in the 21st Century
Ayala and Tapia would fight again 16 months later but at the MGM Grand. Once again Ayala would defeat the New Mexican fighter but at a catchweight of 124 pounds. Just like their first encounter the pair of sluggers let the punches fly.
The Texas southpaw would defend the WBA title successfully three times then move up a weight division and defeat Clarence “Bones” Adams for the IBO super bantamweight title twice. And just like the Tapia clashes the wars with Adams proved scintillating too.
Ayala tried the featherweight division too and was denied by Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. He finally retired after the loss to Barrera in Los Angeles.
“In boxing you have to have that killer instinct. You are training for war. It’s not a sport where you are in there to win on points. You are in there to hurt that guy, to take his will,” said Ayala. “It doesn’t matter what a fighter says after the fight. Sometimes you know you took his soul.”
Ayala still lives in Fort Worth, Texas with his wife Letitia. They have two grown offspring and maintain a boxing gym called the University of Hard Knocks Gym. They provide classes for those suffering from Parkinson’s Disease called Punching Out Parkinsons. They also provide boxing therapy classes for At Risk, suicidal and autistic youth.
They have an Instagram account called Paulie Ayala’s UHK and can be found on Twitter.com too.
Don’t forget to watch Ayala vs. Tapia 1 and 2 on Showtime’s boxing series on Friday April 17.
Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel
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Adrien Broner returns to the ring tomorrow (Friday, June 9) after a 27-month absence. He meets Bill Hutchinson at Casino Miami Jai Alai in Miami, Florida, in a fight slated for “10.” It’s a Don King promotion for sale at $24.99 on FITE TV and several other pay-per-view platforms.
Hutchinson – his friends call him Hutch — is a practicing attorney with offices in his native Pittsburgh and in Naples, Florida. Reading about him reminded me of Leach Cross. A very good lightweight during the early years of the twentieth-century, Cross was a dentist. His disparate occupations, as one would imagine, gave rise to many jokes. It was said of Leach that he drummed up business for his dental practice by rearranging the bridgework of his opponents. He could knock out a man’s tooth and replace it with a facsimile the next morning.
Adrien Broner, aptly nicknamed “The Problem,” is frequently in need of a good attorney. The same goes for Don King, a litigious sort who has sued and been sued many times. Even if Hutchinson never fights again, it wouldn’t be surprising if he crosses paths with Broner and/or King at some point again down the road. The principals made light of this in Tuesday’s press conference. “Dealing with lawyers is Broner’s forte,” wisecracked Don King. “After I mess you up, I’m going to hire you,” said Broner, looking sternly at Hutchinson.
On his web site, Hutchinson comes across as less of an attorney than a man who makes his living as a motivational speaker. “Currently,” it reads, “Hutch is a partner and leader in multiple businesses across divergent market categories. These businesses range from the automobile industry to event promotions, high end construction to hospitality, real estate to medical marijuana, and biologics/pharmaceuticals…Hutch has earned a reputation in each industry as an innovative problem solver who discovers new opportunities for growth.”
Okay, but can he fight?
Hutchinson’s current record (20-2-4, 9 KOs) is decent, but only nine of his 20 wins have come against opponents with winning records. None of his previous fights were slated for more than eight rounds.
There are levels to this sport as Mike Lee can ruefully attest. A finance major at Notre Dame, Lee was a successful businessman with a 21-0 record (against limited opposition) when he wangled a match with IBF super-middleweight title-holder Caleb Plant. That bout turned ugly in a hurry. Plant put him on the deck in the opening round and scored three more knockdowns before the butchery was halted at the midway point of the third round.
The guess is that Broner-Hutchinson won’t be quite as lopsided. Owing to legal problems, management issues, personal problems, and training injuries incurred by would-be opponents, Adrien Broner has been relatively inactive, missing all of 2020 and 2022. He’s 1-2-1 in his last four fights going back to July of 2017 with the lone triumph coming against unheralded Jovanie Santiago who took the fight on short notice. Broner won a 12-round unanimous decision, but was actually out-landed. His post-fight interview was more exciting than the fight, said CBS reporter Brian Campbell.
In truth, Broner (34-4-1, 24 KOs) hasn’t been the same fighter since his bout with Marcos Maidana in December of 2013. Broner was still standing at the final bell, but Maidana roughed him up en route to winning a lopsided decision. Entering that contest, Broner was 27-0 and had never been knocked down. After that bout, he became far less willing to initiate contact, relying more on his sublime defensive skills.
Broner vs. Maidana drew a reported 1.3 million pay-per-view buys, an impressive figure. Broner vs. Hutchinson won’t come anywhere close to matching those numbers (75,000 may be a stretch) and no matter his showing, Broner won’t repair his tattered image. A prizefighter cannot regain what he has lost against the Bill Hutchinson’s of the world.
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SHOWTIME’s ‘Sho Box; The New Generation’ series, now in its twenty-first season, returns to Central New York on Friday, June 9. The venue is the Turning Stone Casino and Resort in the town of Verona, one freeway exit removed from Canastota, home to the International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum which is holding its annual shebang this weekend, a four-day jamboree culminating in Sunday’s Canastota parade and IBHOF Induction Ceremony.
The TV portion of Friday’s card kicks off with an 8-rounder between Clay Waterman (pictured) and Kenmon Evans. It’s the U.S. debut for Waterman (10-0, 8 KOs), a Queenslander from Down Under with a strong amateur background and an interesting ethnic pedigree: Maori, indigenous Australian, and European. (He is one of two fighters of Maori descent in action this weekend; Cherneka Johnson defends her IBF super bantamweight title against Ellie Scotney in London on Saturday.)
Waterman’s opponent Kenmon Evans (10-0-1, 3 KOs), is seeking his eighth straight victory. A 31-year-old Floridian, Evans is promoted by 2020 IBHOF inductee Christy Martin.
Main Event
The featured bout is an intriguing 10-round contest between Ali Izmailov (10-0, 7 KOs) and Charles Foster (22-0, 12 KOs).
A 30-year-old Russian, Izmailov, ranked #11 by the WBO, is part of promoter Dmitry Salita’s Motor City contingent, but has been training for this fight in Florida under the tutelage of John David Jackson. Foster, a 33-year-old southpaw from New Haven, Connecticut, appeared at Turning Stone last year, scoring a third-round stoppage of Bo Gibbs.
Co-Feature
This looks like another well-matched affair. And once again, as Michael Buffer would have said, someone’s “0” has got to go.
Richard Vansiclen (13-0-1, 6 KOs) was held to a draw in his last fight with Mexico’s Manuel Gallegos. It was a fan-friendly affair and those that saw the fight on FITE TV will likely tune in for this one.
A 29-year-old Seattle-based southpaw, Vansiclen did not have a conventional amateur background. A good all-around athlete in high school, he took up boxing after joining the club team at the University of Washington where he earned a degree in communications. Vansiclen’s opponent, Juan Carrillo (10-0, 8 KOs), represented Colombia in the 2016 Rio Olympics. It’s slated for “10.”
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The Sweet Science Rankings: Week of June 5th, 2023
For the first time there are no changes in this week’s TSS Rankings. Two fighters ranked #1 in their weight class are in action this Saturday. Sunny Edwards, the top dog at 112 pounds, defends his belt against Chile’s Andres Campos at Wembley Arena in London. In a match with far more intrigue, Josh Taylor, the topmost fighter at 140, meets Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden.
Pound-for-Pound
01 – Naoya Inoue
02 – Oleksandr Usyk
03 – Juan Francisco Estrada
04 – Dmitry Bivol
05 – Terence Crawford
06 – Errol Spence Jnr.
07 – Tyson Fury
08 – Saul Alvarez
09 – Artur Beterbiev
10 – Shakur Stevenson
105lbs
1 Knockout CP Freshmart (Thailand)
2 Petchmanee CP Freshmart (Thailand)
3 Oscar Collazo (USA)*
4 Ginjiro Shigeoka (Japan)
5 Wanheng Menayothin (Thailand)
6 Daniel Valladares (Mexico)
7 Yudai Shigeoka (Japan)
8 Melvin Jerusalem (Philippines)
9 Masataka Taniguchi (Japan)
10 Rene Mark Cuarto (Philippines)
108lbs
1 Kenshiro Teraji (Japan)
2 Jonathan Gonzalez (Puerto Rico)
3 Masamichi Yabuki (Japan)
4 Hekkie Budler (South Africa)
5 Sivenathi Nontshinga (South Africa)
6 Elwin Soto (Mexico)
7 Daniel Matellon (Cuba)
8 Reggie Suganob (Philippines)
9 Shokichi Iwata (Japan)
10 Esteban Bermudez (Mexico)
112lbs
1 Sunny Edwards (England)
2 Artem Dalakian (Ukraine)
3 Julio Cesar Martinez (Mexico)
4 Angel Ayala Lardizabal (Mexico)
5 David Jimenez (Costa Rica)
6 Jesse Rodriguez (USA)
7 Ricardo Sandoval (USA)
8 Felix Alvarado (Nicaragua)
9 Seigo Yuri Akui (Japan)
10 Cristofer Rosales (Nicaragua)
115lbs
1 Juan Francisco Estrada (Mexico)
2 Roman Gonzalez (Nicaragua)
3 Jesse Rodriguez (USA)
4 Kazuto Ioka (Japan)
5 Joshua Franco (USA)
6 Junto Nakatani (Japan)
7 Fernando Martinez (Argentina)
8 Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (Thailand)
9 Kosei Tanaka (Japan)
10 Andrew Moloney (Australia)
118lbs
1 Emmanuel Rodriguez (Puerto Rico)
2 Jason Moloney (Australia)
3 Nonito Donaire (Philippines)
4 Vincent Astrolabio (Philippines)
5 Gary Antonio Russell (USA)
6 Takuma Inoue (Japan)
7 Alexandro Santiago (Mexico)
8 Ryosuke Nishida (Japan)
9 Keita Kurihara (Japan)
10 Paul Butler (England)
122lbs
1 Stephen Fulton (USA)
2 Marlon Tapales (Philippines)
3 Luis Nery (Mexico)
4 Murodjon Akhmadaliev (Uzbekistan)
5 Ra’eese Aleem (USA)
6 Azat Hovhannisyan (Armenia)
7 Kevin Gonzalez (Mexico)
8 Takuma Inoue (Japan)
9 John Riel Casimero (Philippines)
10 Fillipus Nghitumbwa (Namibia)
126lbs
1 Luis Alberto Lopez (Mexico)
2 Leigh Wood (England)
3 Brandon Figueroa (USA)
4 Rey Vargas (Mexico)
5 Mauricio Lara (Mexico)
6 Mark Magsayo (Philippines)
7 Josh Warrington (England)
8 Robeisy Ramirez (Cuba)
9 Reiya Abe (Japan)
10 Otabek Kholmatov (Uzbekistan)
130lbs
1 Joe Cordina (Wales)
2 Oscar Valdez (Mexico)
3 Hector Garcia (Dominican Republic)
4 O’Shaquie Foster (USA)
5 Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov (Tajikistan)
6 Roger Gutierrez (Venezuela)
7 Lamont Roach (USA)
8 Eduardo Ramirez (Mexico)
9 Kenichi Ogawa (Japan)
10 Robson Conceicao (Brazil)
135lbs
1 Devin Haney (USA)
2 Gervonta Davis (USA)
3 Vasily Lomachenko (Ukraine)
4 Isaac Cruz (Mexico)
5 William Zepeda Segura (Mexico)
6 Frank Martin (USA)
7 George Kambosos Jnr (Australia)
8 Shakur Stevenson (USA)
9 Raymond Muratalla (USA)
10 Keyshawn Davis (USA)
140lbs
1 Josh Taylor (Scotland)
2 Regis Prograis (USA)
3 Jose Ramirez (USA)
4 Jose Zepeda (USA)
5 Jack Catterall (England)
6 Subriel Matias (Puerto Rico)
7 Arnold Barboza Jr. (USA)
8 Gary Antuanne Russell (USA)
9 Zhankosh Turarov (Kazakhstan)
10 Shohjahon Ergashev (Uzbekistan)
147lbs
1 Errol Spence (USA)
2 Terence Crawford (USA)
3 Yordenis Ugas (Cuba)
4 Vergil Ortiz Jr. (USA)
5 Jaron Ennis (USA)
6 Eimantas Stanionis (Lithuania)
7 David Avanesyan (Russia)
8 Cody Crowley (Canada)
9 Roiman Villa (Columbia)
10 Alexis Rocha (USA)
154lbs
1 Jermell Charlo (USA)
2 Tim Tszyu (Australia)
3 Brian Castano (Argentina)
4 Brian Mendoza (USA)
5 Liam Smith (England)
6 Jesus Alejandro Ramos (USA)
7 Sebastian Fundora (USA)
8 Michel Soro (Ivory Coast)
9 Erickson Lubin (USA)
10 Magomed Kurbanov (Russia)
160lbs
1 Gennady Golovkin (Kazakhstan)
2 Jaime Munguia (Mexico)
3 Carlos Adames (Dominican Republic)
4 Janibek Alimkhanuly (Kazakhstan)
5 Liam Smith (England)
6 Erislandy Lara (USA)
7 Sergiy Derevyanchenko (Ukraine)
8 Felix Cash (England)
9 Esquiva Falcao (Brazil)
10 Chris Eubank Jnr. (Poland)
168lbs
1 Canelo Alvarez (Mexico)
2 David Benavidez (USA)
3 Caleb Plant (USA)
4 Christian Mbilli (France)
5 David Morrell (Cuba)
6 John Ryder (England)
7 Pavel Silyagin (Russia)
8 Vladimir Shishkin (Russia)
9 Carlos Gongora (Ecuador)
10 Demetrius Andrade (USA)
175lbs
1 Dmitry Bivol (Russia)
2 Artur Beterbiev (Canada)
3 Joshua Buatsi (England)
4 Callum Smith (England)
5 Joe Smith Jr. (USA)
6 Gilberto Ramirez (Mexico)
7 Anthony Yarde (England)
8 Dan Azeez (England)
9 Craig Richards (England)
10 Michael Eifert (Germany)
200lbs
1 Jai Opetaia (Australia)
2 Mairis Breidis (Latvia)
3 Chris Billam-Smith (England)
4 Richard Riakporhe (England)
5 Aleksei Papin (Russia)
6 Badou Jack (Sweden)
7 Arsen Goulamirian (France)
8 Lawrence Okolie (England)
9 Yuniel Dorticos (Cuba)
10 Mateusz Masternak (Poland)
Unlimited
1 Tyson Fury (England)
2 Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine)
3 Zhilei Zhang (China)
4 Deontay Wilder (USA)
5 Anthony Joshua (England)
6 Andy Ruiz (USA)
7 Filip Hrgovic (Croatia)
8 Joe Joyce (England)
9 Dillian Whyte (England)
10 Frank Sanchez (Cuba)
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The Haney-Lomachenko Tempest Smacks of Hagler-Leonard; Dave Moretti Factored in Both
Avila Perspective, Chap. 237: Battles for Undisputed Status in Dublin and Las Vegas
U.K. Boxing Montage: Conlan KOed; Wood Regains Title; Billam-Smith Upsets Okolie
Romero Controversially TKOs Barroso; Sims Nips Akhmedov in a Barnburner
Devin Haney Stays Unbeaten; More Controversy in a Las Vegas Ring
Nine TSS Writers Analyze the Haney-Lomachenko Fight
‘How To Box’ by Joe Louis: Part 6 of a 6-Part Series – Putting It All Together
Light Heavyweights on Display as ‘Sho Box’ Returns to Turning Stone
South African Southpaw Kevin Lerena is the Best Fighter in his Weight Class
Bazinyan Overcomes Adversity; Skirts by Macias in Montreal
The Follies of Gervonta Davis: They Gave Him the Key to the City and Now He’s in the Slammer
Avila Perspective, Chap. 239: Fernando Vargas Jr. at the Pechanga Casino and More
Alimkhanuly Destroys Butler and Jason Moloney Outpoints Astrolabio in Stockton
Ralph Boston and Muhammad Ali
‘How To Box’ by Joe Louis: Part 4 – Bodywork and the Uppercut
Claressa Shields Defeats Maricela Cornejo in Detroit
Avila Perspective, Chap. 236: Jaime Munguia and More
Super Lightweights Take Center Stage at the Cosmo on Saturday
Adelaida Ruiz and Fernando Vargas Jr Score KO Wins at Pechanga
Action Galore in the U.K. on Saturday — Title Fights at Three Separate Venues
Adrien Broner Returns to the Ring with an Attorney in the Opposite Corner
Light Heavyweights on Display as ‘Sho Box’ Returns to Turning Stone
The Sweet Science Rankings: Week of June 5th, 2023
The Follies of Gervonta Davis: They Gave Him the Key to the City and Now He’s in the Slammer
Claressa Shields Defeats Maricela Cornejo in Detroit
Adelaida Ruiz and Fernando Vargas Jr Score KO Wins at Pechanga
Reviews of Two Atypical Boxing Books: A ‘Thumbs Up’ and a ‘Thumbs Down’
Bazinyan Overcomes Adversity; Skirts by Macias in Montreal
Avila Perspective, Chap. 239: Fernando Vargas Jr. at the Pechanga Casino and More
The Sweet Science Rankings: Week of May 29th, 2023
U.K. Boxing Montage: Conlan KOed; Wood Regains Title; Billam-Smith Upsets Okolie
The Sweet Science Rankings: Week of May 22nd, 2023
‘How To Box’ by Joe Louis: Part 6 of a 6-Part Series – Putting It All Together
Action Galore in the U.K. on Saturday — Title Fights at Three Separate Venues
The Haney-Lomachenko Tempest Smacks of Hagler-Leonard; Dave Moretti Factored in Both
Devin Haney Stays Unbeaten; More Controversy in a Las Vegas Ring
Chantelle Cameron Defeats Katie Taylor in Ireland
Avila Perspective, Chap. 237: Battles for Undisputed Status in Dublin and Las Vegas
‘How To Box’ by Joe Louis: Part 5 – Defense
Nine TSS Writers Analyze the Haney-Lomachenko Fight
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