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The Hauser Report: The Script for Lamar Odom vs. Aaron Carter

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The Hauser Report: The Script for Lamar Odom vs. Aaron Carter

The sweet science is being inundated by a wave of what one might call “trash boxing.” YouTube personalities, social media influencers, and long-past-their-prime ring greats are capitalizing on the confusion created by hundreds of “championship” belts and the void resulting from the failure of the boxing establishment to make entertaining match-ups with the best fighting the best.

There have always been circus-like sideshows in boxing. In the 1800s, John L. Sullivan fought all comers in tours around the country. Muhammad Ali squared off against Antonio Inoki and Lyle Alzado, while Chuck Wepner faced Andre the Giant. Mark Gastineau, Jose Canseco and others tried – or pretended to try – their hand at ring combat. The difference now is that the sideshows are becoming boxing’s main event. Trash boxing is how the sport is being portrayed to the general public with paydays ranging from minimal to millions of dollars.

On June 11, 2021, former NBA basketball player Lamar Odom squared off against rapper Aaron Carter in the main event of an Official Celebrity Boxing card at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City. The event was available on pay-per-view through FITE for $29.99. Bovada (an online sports betting site) listed Odom as a -400 favorite. The odds on Carter were +250.

The event was marketed to the public as a legitimate fight. Prior to it, Odom told TMZ, “I’m prepared. I don’t know who he’s sparring against, but I know my gym is full of guys that can fight and I’ve been sparring with and I have a really good trainer. He’s been talking sh**, but I’m gonna put him to sleep early. I asked his girlfriend yesterday, ‘Which round do you want to wake him up in.'”

Retired UFC star Chuck Liddell, who served as the referee, told TMZ, “I just wanna see how Odom is gonna fight Aaron. I’ll let them fight to some extent. Obviously, it’s a celebrity fight. I’m not gonna let him get too hurt. I’ll protect either one from either of them no matter who’s getting hurt. We don’t want them to get hurt, but you gotta let them fight. People are paying to watch you fight. You’re getting paid to fight. You wanna make some money, you gotta fight.”

But that was hype. In reality, the fight took place pursuant to a script that was submitted in advance to the New Jersey State Board of Athletic Control. In other words – despite the existence of a betting line and the manner in which the event was marketed to the public – the fight was “fixed.”

Odom-Carter was promoted by Damon Feldman, a former Philadelphia fighter who crafted a 9-and-0 record in a four-year career that ended in 1992. His first eight opponents had a composite ledger of 8 wins against 50 losses. His last opponent had lost 10 of 12 previous fights. Give Feldman credit for knowing what it means to be in a boxing ring.

In 2011, as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer on March 8, 2011, Feldman was sentenced to two years probation after pleading no contest to charges that he had fixed fights and promoted fights without a license in Pennsylvania.

More trouble followed. According to an April 29, 2020, article by Jack McCaffery of 21st-Century Media, Feldman was incarcerated for thirteen months ending in December of 2017 after a plea deal tied to charges of domestic violence that had been lodged against him. As recounted in a May 22, 2018, article in Philadelphia Magazine, the charges stemmed from an incident that occurred at the home of a woman who Feldman had previously been romantically involved with. The woman, who was bleeding profusely, told police that he had punched her several times in the face. Feldman told police that there had been a physical altercation between them and that the woman was injured when he threw her off of his back, causing her to fall down the stairs. The physical evidence was inconsistent with Feldman’s statement.

Feldman promoted his first “celebrity boxing” event in 2008. Over the years, his promotions have featured the likes of Tonya Harding, Paula Jones, and Joey Buttafuoco. “My dream,” he has said, “is to do a fight with Sylvester Stallone. If I could make money promoting regular fights, I would. But I can’t, so I’m doing this.”

That brings us to the June 11 encounter between Lamar Odom and Aaron Carter.

Odom is 6-feet-10-inches tall. He played in the NBA for fourteen seasons, seven of them with the Los Angeles Lakers. From 2009 to 2016, he was married to Khloe Kardashian.

In October 2015, Odom was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel after ingesting a combination of cocaine, alcohol, and other drugs. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, he suffered six heart attacks and twelve strokes. He’s now 41 years old.

Carter, a 33-year-old rapper whose music career has been in decline in recent years, has struggled publicly with substance abuse and other issues.

Odom-Clark was scheduled for three ninety-second rounds with headgear. Paulie Malignaggi, Ice-T, and Coco provided the pay-per-view commentary. Multiple websites – many of them respected boxing and MMA outlets – reported on the encounter as though it was a real fight.

Sam Quinn of CBS Sports.com wrote, “On Friday night, we saw one of the most anticipated celebrity boxing matches of the year. On paper, the fight looked like a mismatch. The 6-0 Carter is almost a foot shorter than Odom, and the difference in their weight and reach is similar. Odom has physical gifts that the rest of us simply don’t and he showed it in knocking Carter out.”

Mark Lelinwalla of DAZN News reported, “Despite giving up 10 inches in height, 64.5 pounds, and 11 inches in reach to Odom, Carter enjoyed early success with a barrage of lefts and rights that connected to his taller, larger opponent’s head in the opening round. However, Odom got his bearings, went to the outside, and placed a right jab-left hook combination which dropped Carter. The pop star of the 90s didn’t have his legs under him and wisely held on to survive the round. But he wouldn’t make it against Odom much longer. The second round had Odom spinning Carter around and around before delivering several unanswered lefts to drop the singer once again. Special guest referee Chuck Liddell began counting, as Carter indicated that he was no longer fit to continue.”

Nick Selbe of Sports Illustrated recounted, “The stoppage occurred in the second of the fight’s three, 90-second rounds, as Carter failed to put up much defense against Odom’s flurry of punches.”

One might ask, “Where was the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board in all of this?” After all, the NJSACB is charged with regulating combat sports in New Jersey. And as earlier noted, Odom-Carter was marketed to the public as a legitimate boxing match. Odds on the outcome were posted on gambling sites such as Bovada. Normally, this would place the event within the purview of the NJSACB.

The answer is that the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board didn’t have jurisdiction over the event because it wasn’t a “real” fight. It was scripted entertainment.

Celebrity Boxing (Feldman’s promotional company) represented to the NJSACB that Odom-Clark was “scripted,” not a combat sports competition. Thus, it was no more subject to regulation by the NJSACB than professional wrestling.

Further to that point, in advance of the event, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board asked Celebrity Boxing to send it a copy of the script. On May 23, the promotion emailed the script to Deputy Attorney General Nick Lembo (who oversees legal matters for the NJSACB). Once the script was received, NJSACB commissioner Larry Hazzard was advised by the Attorney General’s office that he had no jurisdiction over the event.

In mid-June, this writer learned about the existence of the script. On June 30, pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, I filed a request for documents from the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey. More specifically, I asked for “All documents relating to the June 11, 2021, boxing exhibition at the Showboat Hotel featuring Lamar Odom and Aaron Carter, including but not limited to any script for the main event.”

On July 2, my request for documents was denied in its entirety by the Custodian of Records for the Attorney General’s Office. Three grounds were listed for the denial:

(1) “The event referred to in your request was not subject to the regulatory purview of the State of New Jersey Athletic Control Board.”

However, the fact that the event was not subject to the regulatory purview of the NJSACB had no bearing on the existence of the documents.

(2) “Your request is overly broad and improper.”

I did not believe that to be the case. However, in response, I told the Custodian of Records that, for the time being, I would be satisfied with receiving “any script for the main event” pursuant to my request.

(3) “To the extent that any such script may exist, it would be the confidential and proprietary property of Celebrity Boxing.”

To support this claim, the Custodian of Records stated, “Celebrity Boxing Entertainment LLC (CBE), the organizer of the June 11, 2021, boxing exhibition, repeatedly marked information, documents, and correspondence to the SACB as confidential and proprietary business information [and] stated that the release of the requested information would cause irreparable harm to CBE, its shareholders, investors and participants.”

However, just because someone writes “confidential” and “proprietary” on a document and claims that the document is exempt from production doesn’t make it so. Also, since the scripted June 11 event had already occurred, there was no longer anything confidential about the script.

Following proper procedure, I asked the Custodian of Records to reconsider my request. Again, the request was denied. This time, the Custodian of Records abandoned her first two objections to production, restated her position that the documents were exempt from production because they contain confidential and proprietary information, and added a new excuse – that the documents “were obtained as part of SACB’s review of the event” and thus are exempt from release because they are “records concerning background investigations or evaluations for public employment, appointment to public office, or licensing, whether open, closed, or inactive.”

That was blatant nonsense. The “investigation” exemption under New Jersey law applies to instances where an individual has submitted an application for public employment, appointment to public office, or licensing by the State of New Jersey and an investigation of the applicant followed. There was no such application in this matter.

On July 21, I took things to the next level and filed a complaint with the New Jersey Government Records Council. In response, the Custodian of Records conceded that the script at issue exists and had been transmitted by email to Deputy Attorney General Nick Lembo on May 23, 2021. But the Custodian continues to claim that the script is exempt from production for the reasons stated above.

The Custodian has also refused to identify or produce relevant documents other than the script, claiming, “as Mr. Hauser failed to identify with specificity the records he sought, aside from requesting a copy of the script, it was not possible to determine the full universe of records that could be responsive.”

This is a ridiculous assertion. It’s impossible for me to “identify with specificity” the records sought because I don’t know with specificity what these records are. I do know that the universe of documents responsive to my request is small and easily reviewable. Indeed, in one of its responses, the Custodian states, “the organizer of the June 11, 2021, boxing exhibition repeatedly marked information, documents, and correspondence to the SACB as confidential and proprietary business information.” So obviously, the Custodian has already reviewed the documents.

That’s where things stand at the moment. My request for documents is still before the Government Records Council. Conceivably, the Custodian of Records will force the matter to full-blown litigation.

There are serious issues involved here. If Odom-Carter was in fact “scripted” (which now appears to be conceded, given the acknowledgment that there was a script), then the NJSACB was correct in not exercising jurisdiction over it. However, if Odom-Carter was scripted, it was marketed in misleading fashion to the public. Pursuant to this marketing, at least some consumers were deluded into paying money for on-site tickets and pay-per-view buys. And more troubling, legal gaming companies posted odds and took bets on a “fixed” match.

On the other hand, if the event was not “scripted,” then the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board should have exercised jurisdiction over it.

The New Jersey Open Public Records Act was enacted to protect the public through the free flow of information. Hiding the truth of this matter through a disingenuous response to a valid Open Public Records Act request is a disservice to the public and also a violation of the act. I’d like to think that the denial of my request was an inadvertent error by a well-intentioned public servant and not an act designed to cover up possible wrongdoing by a well-connected private entity.

Meanwhile, according to TMZ and the Celebrity Boxing website, Odom has signed a contract to fight 54-year-old, former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe in Florida on October 2. The bout is slated to be contested with 23-ounce gloves and will consist of three two-minute rounds. It’s not clear at the present time whether headgear will be worn.

Bowe hit rock bottom on February 25, 1998, when he kidnapped his estranged wife and their five children in a frightening irrational attempt to reunite his family. After lengthy pre-trail maneuvering, he pled guilty to criminal charges and was imprisoned for seventeen months. In conjunction with Bowe’s plea bargain and sentencing, his attorneys submitted evidence to the court stating that Riddick’s conduct resulted from brain damage sustained as a consequence of boxing. More specifically, Dr. Neil Blumberg interviewed Bowe at length, studied the results of an MRI and various cognitive tests, and testified that, as a consequence of multiple blows to the head, Bowe suffered from a brain impairment known as frontal lobe syndrome. Blumberg further testified that this condition was “not curable.”

One has to wonder how many of the other fights that boxing fans have seen in recent months have been scripted? One should also note that boxing is a dangerous game. Eventually, a YouTuber or old-timer will be seriously hurt. What then?

Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His next book – Broken Dreams: Another Year Inside Boxing – will be published this autumn University of Arkansas Press. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. In 2019, he was selected for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Check out more boxing news on video at the Boxing Channel

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Thomas Hauser is the author of 52 books. In 2005, he was honored by the Boxing Writers Association of America, which bestowed the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism upon him. He was the first Internet writer ever to receive that award. In 2019, Hauser was chosen for boxing's highest honor: induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Lennox Lewis has observed, “A hundred years from now, if people want to learn about boxing in this era, they’ll read Thomas Hauser.”

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Floyd Schofield Wins a Banger and Gabriela Fundora Wins by KO

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Floyd Schofield Wins a Banger and Gabriela Fundora Wins by KO

LAS VEGAS-Shades of Henry Armstrong and Baby Arizmendi. If you don’t know those names, look them up.

Floyd Schofield battled his way past Mexico’s super tough Rene Tellez Giron who walked through every blow the Texan could fire but lost by decision on Saturday.

It was a severe test and perfect matchmaking for Schofield who yearns for the big bouts against the lightweight giants roaming the world.

Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs) remains undefeated and won the war over thick-necked Mexican Tellez Giron (20-4, 13 KOs) who has never been knocked out and proved to be immune to big punches.

In the opening rounds, the Texas fighter came out firing rapid combinations from the southpaw and orthodox stances. Meanwhile the shorter Tellez Giron studied and fired back an occasional counter for two rounds.

Tellez Giron had seen enough and took his stand in the third stanza. Both unleashed blazing bombs with Schofield turning his back to the Mexican. At that moment referee Tom Taylor could have waved the fight over.

You never turn your back.

The fight resumed and Schofield was damaged. He tried to open up with even more deadly fire but was rebuked by the strong chin of Tellez Giron who fired back in the mad frenzy.

For the remainder of the fight Schofield tried every trick in his arsenal to inflict damage on the thick-necked Mexican. He could not be wobbled. In the 11th round both opened up with serious swing-from-the-heels combinations and suddenly Schofield was looking up. He beat the count easily and the two remained slugging it out.

“He hit me with a good shot,” Schofield said of the knockdown. “I just had to get up. I’m not going to quit.”

In the final round Schofield moved around looking for the proper moment to engage. The Mexican looked like a cat ready to pounce and the two fired furious blows. Neither was hit with the big bombs in the last seconds.

There was Tellez Giron standing defiantly like Baby Arizmendi must have stood in those five ferocious meetings against the incomparable Henry Armstrong. Three of their wars took place in Los Angeles, two at the Olympic Auditorium in the late 1930s as the U.S. was emerging from the Great Depression.

In this fight, Schofield took the win by unanimous decision by scores 118-109 twice and 116-111. It was well-deserved.

“I tried to bang it out,” said Schofield. “Today I learned you can’t always get the knockout.”

Fundora

IBF flyweight titlist Gabriela Fundora needed seven rounds to figure out the darting style of Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz before firing a laser left cross down the middle to end the battle and become the undisputed flyweight world champion.

Fundora now holds all four titles including the WBO, WBA and WBC titles that Alaniz brought in the ring.

Fundora knocked down Alaniz midway through the seventh round. She complained it was due to a tangle of the legs. Several seconds later Fundora blasted the Argentine to the floor again with a single left blast. This time there was no doubt. Her corner wisely waved a white towel to stop the fight at 1:40 of the seventh round.

No one argued the stoppage.

Other Bouts

Bektemir Melikuziev (15-1, 10 KOs) didn’t make weight in a title bout but managed to out-fight David Stevens (14-2, 10 KOs) in a super middleweight fight held at 12 rounds.

Melikuziev used his movement and southpaw stance to keep Pennsylvania’s Stevens from being able to connect with combinations. But Stevens did show he could handle “The Bully’s” punching power over the 12-round fight.

After 12 rounds one judge favored Stevens 116-112, while two others saw Melikuziev the winner by split decision 118-110 and 117-111.

Super middleweight WBA titlist Darius Fulghum (13-0, 11 KOs) pummeled his way to a technical knockout win over southpaw veteran Chris Pearson (17-5-1, 12 KOs) who attempted the rope-a-dope strategy to no avail.

Fulghum floored Pearson in the first round with a four-punch combination and after that just belted Pearson who covered up and fired an occasional blow. Referee Mike Perez stopped the fight at 1:02 of the third round when Pearson did not fire back after a blazing combination.

Young welterweight prospect Joel Iriarte (5-0, 5 KOs) blasted away at the three-inch shorter Xavier Madrid (5-6, 2 KOs) who hung tough for as long as possible. At 2:50 of the first round a one-two delivered Madrid to the floor and referee Thomas Taylor called off the beating.

Iriarte, from Bakersfield, Calif., could not miss with left uppercuts and short rights as New Mexico’s Madrid absorbed every blow but would not quit. It was just too much firepower from Iriarte that forced the stoppage.

Photos credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

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Results and Recaps from Turning Stone where O’Shaquie Foster Nipped Robson Conceicao

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Top Rank was at the Turning Stone casino-resort in Verona, New York, tonight with an 8-bout card topped by a rematch between Robson Conceicao and O’Shaquie Foster with the victor retaining or recapturing his IBF world junior lightweight title. When the smoke cleared, the operative word was “recapturing” as Foster became a two-time title-holder, avenging his controversial setback to the Brazilian in Newark on July 6.

This was a somewhat better fight than their initial encounter and once again the verdict was split. Foster prevailed by 115-113 on two of the cards with the dissenting judge favoring Conceicao by the same margin. Conceicao seemingly had the edge after nine frames, but Foster, a 4/1 favorite, landed the harder shots in the championship rounds.

It was the thirteenth victory in the last 14 starts for Foster who fights out of Houston. A two-time Olympian and 2016 gold medalist, the 36-year-old Conceicao is 19-3-1 overall and 1-3-1 in world title fights.

Semi-wind-up

SoCal lightweight Raymond Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) made a big jump in public esteem and moved one step closer to a world title fight with a second-round blast-out of Jose Antonio Perez who was on the canvas twice but on his feet when the fight was stopped at the 1:24 mark of round two. Muratalla, a product of Robert Garcia’s boxing academy, is ranked #2 by the WBC and WBO. A Tijuana native, Perez (25-6) earned this assignment with an upset of former Olympian and former 130-pound world titlist Jojo Diaz,

Other Bouts

Syracuse junior welterweight Bryce Mills, a high-pressure fighter with a strong local following, stopped scrawny Mike O’Han Jr whose trainer Mark DeLuca pulled him out after five one-sided rounds. Mills improved to 17-1 (6 KOs). It was another rough day at the office for Massachusetts house painting contractor O’’Han (19-4) who had the misfortune of meeting Abdullah Mason in his previous bout.

In a junior lightweight fight that didn’t heat up until late in the final round, Albany’s Abraham Nova (23-3-1) and Tijuana native Humberto Galindo (14-3-3) fought to a 10-round draw. It was another close-but-no- cigar for the likeable Nova who at least stemmed a two-fight losing streak. The judges had it 97-93 (Galindo), 96-94 (Nova) and 95-95.

Twenty-one-year-old Long Island middleweight Jahi Tucker advanced to 13-1-1 (6 KOs) with an eighth-round stoppage of Stockton’s teak-tough but outclassed Quilisto Madera (14-6). Madera was on a short leash after five rounds, but almost took it to the final bell with the referee intervening with barely a minute remaining in the contest. Madera was on his feet when the match was halted. Earlier in the round, Tucker had a point deducted for hitting on the break.

Danbury, Connecticut heavyweight Ali Feliz, one of two fighting sons of journeyman heavyweight Fernely Feliz, improved to 4-0 (3) with a second-round stoppage of beefy Rashad Coulter (5-5). Feliz had Coulter pinned against the ropes and was flailing away when the bout was halted at the 1:34 mark. The 42-year-old Coulter, a competitor in all manner of combat sports, hadn’t previously been stopped when competing as a boxer.

Featherweight Yan Santana dominated and stopped Mexico’s Eduardo Baez who was rescued by referee Charlie Fitch at the 1:57 mark of round four. It was the 12th knockout in 13 starts for Santana, a 24-year-old Dominican father of three A former world title challenger, Mexicali’s Baez declines to 23-7-2 but has lost six of his last eight.

In his most impressive showing to date, Damian Knyba, a six-foot-seven Pole, knocked out paunchy Richard Lartey at the 2:10 mark of round three. A right-left combination knocked Lartey into dreamland, but it was the right did the damage and this was of the nature of a one-punch knockout. Referee Ricky Gonzalez waived the fight off without starting a count.

Knyba, 28, improved to 14-0 (8 KOs). A native of Ghana coming off his career-best win, a fourth-round stoppage of Polish veteran Andrzej Wawrzyk, Lartey declined to 16-7 with his sixth loss inside the distance.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 303: Spotlights on Lightweights and More

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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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