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Avila Perspective, Chap. 149: Kali Reis, PacMan and More

A world title fight headed by Kali Reis showcases women’s boxing near the California/Mexico border.
Reis (17-7-1, 5 KOs) defends the WBA super lightweight world title against a former world champion in Australia’s Diana Prazak (14-3, 9 KOs) on Friday, Aug. 20, at Sycuan Casino in San Diego County. The DiBella Entertainment card will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
If you haven’t noticed, women’s prizefighting has taken giant leaps especially in the past year.
While men’s prizefighting stalled a bit due to the pandemic and fans not allowed, the women thrived.
On Friday, women spearhead a solid fight card with Providence, Rhode Island’s Reis not only defending the WBA title but hunting for the vacant IBO version as well. Opposing her will be hard-hitting Prazak who formerly held the WBC super featherweight title.
Prazak never lost a fight as a super featherweight. It was only when she ventured above 130 pounds that she was beaten by Holly Holm, Delfine Persoon and Layla McCarter. Once again, she moves into a heavier weight class against Reis. But Prazak does wield firepower.
Back in 2013, fighting against then WBC super featherweight titlist Frida Wallberg, the Aussie fighter knocked down the champion twice for a stoppage win. But as Wallberg walked back to her corner she staggered and fell. Prazak’s trainer Lucia Rijker ran over to help Wallberg who was ambulanced to a hospital suffering from a brain hemorrhage. (Wallberg thankfully recovered and was able to live a normal life.)
After losing a fight to McCarter in a Big Knockout Boxing event in Las Vegas in 2015, the Australian fighter did not compete for six years. She returned this past March and won a decision in Tijuana, Mexico.
Reis took the opposite road. Instead of moving up in weight, the fighter known as “KO Mequinonoag” dropped down to 140 pounds. She formerly held the WBC middleweight world title but now has the WBA super lightweight belt.
One of her best showings came against Norway’s Cecilia Braekhus in 2018 when during an HBO telecast, Reis floored the welterweight champion in the seventh round. Though the knockdown wasn’t enough to win the fight, she did prove elite status before a national audience. Another thing she has proved is acting ability. She starred in a film recently completed called “Catch the Fair One.” Critics are applauding her performance.
Now Reis will take step two toward unifying the super lightweight division. She is managed by Brian Cohen who also works with IBF super lightweight titlist Mary McGee and Jessica Camara who was scheduled to face Victoria Bustos for the vacant WBO title. That fight was scrapped. The WBC version is held by England’s Chantelle Cameron.
Pacquiao vs Ugas
With Errol Spence forced to withdraw due to a retina tear, the insertion of Yordenis Ugas as a replacement to face Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao should be interesting.
Ugas was scheduled to meet Fabian Maidana but when the Argentine suffered an eye injury their match was cancelled. Now he’s bumped up to the main event to face Pacquiao on what could be the Filipino superstar’s final bout.
If you watched any of the Cuban fighter’s previous bouts you know he’s a slick counter-puncher. Whether he’s as good as Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez remains to be seen. Marquez always gave Pacquiao problems. And despite being 42 years old, Pacquiao is still Pacquiao.
One of the most interesting fights on the Las Vegas card matches two former world champions Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and “Vicious” Victor Ortiz in a 10-round welterweight bout. It’s surprising they never fought before. Both suffered defeats against Floyd Mayweather at the prime of their careers.
“Everyone knows that when I fight, I bring it, and Victor Ortiz is an exciting fighter as well,” said Guerrero. “I am at a point where I have done a lot in the sport, so I am not going to be fighting every other month like when I was a prospect. When you know how to fight, a layoff isn’t always a bad thing.”
The battle of southpaws seems to be an even match. Guerrero, 38, last fought two years ago and won by decision at Staples Center. Ortiz, 34, last engaged in fisticuffs three years ago in a match against Devon Alexander that ended in a draw. Though inactive in the prize ring Ortiz has been very active in the television and motion picture world. He’s been in TV series like “Hawaii Five-O” and motion pictures like “Southpaw.”
“Robert Guerrero is a legend who I’ve always admired. I look forward to competing against him and giving fans the toe-to-toe battle they’re expecting,” said Ortiz.
That’s not a very vicious thing to say, but hey, that’s Victor Ortiz for you.
Vergil’s Victory
If anyone doubted Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s claims of being sick during his previous fight, just take another look at his victory last Saturday against Egid “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas in a welterweight fight in Texas. That was a different and stronger fighter.
After Mean Machine put hands on Ortiz in the first round, the Texas slugger went to work in brutal and unforgiving fashion. Five times he dropped Kavaliauskas before the referee stepped in to stop the battering. It was eye-opening stuff.
It was exactly what a fighter needs to do to gain respect.
Kavaliauskas, who fought Terence Crawford and lost two years ago, was gracious in defeat and praised Ortiz. The fight world can be humbling but remarkable at the same time for its graciousness.
Fights to Watch
Fri. ESPN* 6 a.m. Hasibullah Ahmadi (12-0) vs Rauf Aghayev (31-9)
Fri. UFC Fight Pass 8 p.m. Kali Reis (17-7) vs Diana Prazak (14-3).
Sat. Pay-per-view 6 p.m. Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2) vs Yordenis Ugas (26-4); Robert Guerrero (36-6-1) vs Victor Ortiz (32-6-3); Mark Magsayo (22-0) vs Julio Ceja (32-4-1).
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A Conversation About Boxing with Author and Journalist Rick Marantz

If you ask former sportswriter Steve Marantz when was boxing’s Golden Age, he’s quick with a response.
His answer just so happens to coincide with the period when he was on the beat as a boxing columnist for the Boston Globe (1979-1987).
“You could argue that boxing has had a few Golden Ages, but yes, that was an exciting and memorable era,” said Marantz, who sat ringside for many legendary matches. “The round-robin bouts amongst [Ray] Leonard, [Marvin] Hagler, [Thomas] Hearns and [Roberto] Duran, certainly was a major element.”
Those four legends are important but other weight division kings also played an integral role in boxing’s global popularity.
“Let’s not forget [Aaron] Pryor, [Alexis] Arguello, [Julio Cesar] Chavez, [Salvador] Sanchez, [Hector] Camacho, [Wilfredo] Gomez, Michael Spinks, [Dwight Muhammad] Qawi, [Donald] Curry, [Mike] Tyson and [Evander] Holyfield,” Marantz offered. “The key was competitive balance in most of the divisions.”
Marantz began his journalism career in 1973 at the Kansas City Star after graduating from the University of Missouri. After leaving the Globe, he worked for the Boston Herald (1999-2004) and ESPN (2004-2016). Nowadays, in addition to freelance writing for publications such as the Jewish Journal of Greater Boston, he produces the podcast “Championship Stories.”
Marantz recalled one particular moment that stood out while covering boxing and it happened at Aaron Pryor’s training camp.
“I have a vivid memory of his workout before he fought Arguello in Miami, November 1982. He had a hot funk song on the speakers, “You Dropped A Bomb On Me,” and as it played, loudly, he shadow-boxed to its beat and lyrics,” he recalled. “A rope was stretched across the gym, four feet off the floor, and Pryor moved along the rope, ducking under and back, gloves flashing. He was hypnotized by the music, in a trance. Hypnotized me, too. A moment that made boxing so cool to cover.”
That classic matchup at the famed Orange Bowl was halted in the 14th round with Pryor winning by technical knockout.
Anyone at Caesars Palace on April 15, 1985, knows what happened over roughly eight minutes of hot action when Hagler and Hearns tangled. It was nonstop punches from both participants.
“Hagler and Hearns fought as if possessed,” recalled Marantz of that showdown. “The stark final image [for me] was that of Hearns, now helpless, semiconscious, looking very like a black Christ taken from the cross, in the arms of a solemn aide.
“Hagler’s pent-up bitterness found release in a violent attack, even as each crack of Hearns’ gloves reinforced a lifetime of slights. In the end, Hearns was martyred to absolve Hagler of victimization. The first round is legendary, among the most vicious and splendid ever fought on the big fight stage. Action accelerated so quickly that spectators were left breathless. Punches windmilled into a blur, though the actual count was 82 punches for Hagler and 83 for Hearns, about three times that of a typical round.”
While that fight has blended into boxing folklore, a 1976 Olympic gold medal winner from Palmer Park, Maryland, was the epitome of true greatness for Steve Marantz.
“The way Sugar Ray Leonard maneuvered [Roberto] Duran to ‘No Mas’ in their rematch was brilliant. His grit and toughness beat Hearns, one of the great fights of the 1980s. And he beat Hagler with brains and psychology. Not to overlook his win over [Wilfred] Benitez in 1979. He was gorgeous to watch, stylish and rhythmic. His combinations were a blur. And he strategized like a chess master. Smooth and cooperative in interviews, always aware of the marketing and promotional necessities. Leonard was the gold standard.”
Marantz re-visited the Hagler-Leonard fight and the drama that surrounded it in “Sorcery at Caesars: Sugar Ray’s Marvelous Fight,” first released in 2008 and now available as an eBook.
Boxing’s been called the cruelest and the most unforgiving sport, but it’s also filled with high drama.
“It’s a test of athleticism, intelligence, grit and character. At its best, it’s dramatic and unpredictable, exciting,” Marantz said of the fight game. “A rich history of iconic personalities and events. Joe Louis and Max Schmeling, for example. A window into history bigger than just sport, a window into popular culture and politics.”
Marantz fondly recalls some of the characters he met while covering the sweet science: “Promoters Don King and Bob Arum, both conniving quotable snakes. Trainer Ray Arcel, in his 80s, a pillar of honesty and integrity. Emanuel Steward and Prentiss Byrd, running the Kronk Gym as a beacon of light and hope in Detroit’s blighted inner city. In Brockton, Massachusetts, two Italian-American brothers, Goody and Pat Petronelli, formed a sacred trust with an African- American boxer, Marvin Hagler.”
Marantz went on: “On my first newspaper job with the Kansas City Times/Star, I met a kindly trainer, Peyton Sher, who welcomed me into his gym and taught me the basics,” he said. “Never will forget Daeshik Seo, the Korean therapist for Larry Holmes who two weeks before the Holmes-[Gerry] Cooney fight in June 1982, tipped me to a story that a member of Holmes’ entourage pulled a pistol on Cooney’s entourage at Caesars Palace. Caesars top brass had to call Holmes on the carpet to get his people under control. Holmes was incensed at the story. In his media session after he won, he said I wrote it because I was [expletive] … and that I worked in a racist city, Boston.”
Marantz has never been put off by the seedy elements of the sport. “I don’t feel polarized by it.,” he says. Nobody is forced to box. Nobody is forced to watch it. The world has bigger problems than boxing.”
Marantz has fond memories of the people he met and the friendships he made while covering boxing. Does he miss not being rinigside? “Not really,” he says. “My time came and went. Journalism and life took me in other directions. I do have some nostalgia for that era, and for the people who were part of it.”
Having been around the sweet science for a spell, Marantz offered sage advice to anyone inclined to mix it up: “Be disciplined, work hard, find a good trainer, learn the subtleties, read the tea leaves and don’t be pig-headed.”
Actually, all of those traits are always handy, even if one doesn’t step into the ring
You can read more about Steve Marantz at his website: www.stevemarantz.com
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Mercito Gesta Victorious Over Jojo Diaz at the Long Beach Pyramid

LONG BEACH, CA.-Those in the know knew Mercito Gesta and Jojo Diaz would be a fight to watch and they delivered.
Gesta emerged the winner in a super lightweight clash between southpaws that saw the judges favor his busier style over Diaz’s body attack and bigger shots and win by split decision on Saturday.
Despite losing the main event because the star was overweight, Gesta (34-3-3, 17 KOs) used an outside method of tactic to edge past former world champion Diaz (32-4-1, 15 KOs) in front of more than 5,000 fans at the Pyramid.
The speedy Gesta opened up the fight with combination punching up and down against the peek-a-boo style of Diaz. For the first two rounds the San Diego fighter overwhelmed Diaz though none of the blows were impactful.
In the third round Diaz finally began unloading his own combinations and displaying the fast hands that helped him win world titles in two divisions. Gesta seemed stunned by the blows, but his chin held up. The counter right hook was Diaz’s best weapon and snapped Gesta’s head back several times.
Gesta regained control in the fifth round after absorbing big blows from Diaz. He seemed to get angry that he was hurt and opened up with even more blows to send Diaz backpedaling.
Diaz targeted his attack to Gesta’s body and that seemed to slow down Gesta. But only for a round.
From the seventh until the 10th each fighter tried to impose their style with Gesta opening up with fast flurries and Diaz using right hooks to connect with solid shots. They continued their method of attack until the final bell. All that mattered was what the judges preferred.
After 10 rounds one judge saw Diaz the winner 97-93 but two others saw Gesta the winner 99-91, 98-92. It was a close and interesting fight.
“I was expecting nothing. I was the victor in this fight and we gave a good fight,” said Gesta. “It’s not an easy fight and Jojo gave his best.”
Diaz was surprised by the outcome but accepted the verdict.
Everything was going good. I thought I was landing good body shots,” said Diaz. “I was pretty comfortable.”
Other Bouts
Mexico’s Oscar Duarte (25-1-1, 20 KOs) knocked out Chicago’s Alex Martin (18-5, 6 KOs) with a counter right hand after dropping him earlier in the fourth round. The super lightweight fight was stopped at 1:14 of the round.
A battle between undefeated super welterweights saw Florida’s Eric Tudor (8-0, 6 KOs) emerge the winner by unanimous decision after eight rounds versus Oakland’s Damoni Cato-Cain.
The taller Tudor showed polished skill and was not bothered by a large cut on his forehead caused by an accidental clash of heads. He used his jab and lead rights to defuse the attacks of the quick-fisted southpaw Cato-Cain. The judges scored the fight 80-72 and 78-74 twice for Tudor.
San Diego’s Jorge Chavez (5-0, 4 KOs) needed less than one round to figure out Nicaragua’s Bryan Perez (12-17-1, 11 KOs) and send him into dreamland with a three-punch combination. No need to count as referee Ray Corona waved the fight over. Perez shot a vicious right followed by another right and then a see-you-later left hook at 3.00 of the first round of the super featherweight match.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Jojo Diaz’s Slump Continues; Mercito Gesta Prevails on a Split Decision

At age 30, Jojo Diaz’s career is on the skids. The 2012 U.S. Olympian, a former world title holder at 126 and 130 pounds and an interim title holder at 135, Diaz suffered his third straight loss tonight, upset by Mercito Gesta who won a split decision at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, CA.. The scoring was strange with Gesta winning nine of the 10 rounds on one of the cards and only three rounds on another. The tie-breaker, as it were, was a 98-92 tally for Gesta and even that didn’t capture the flavor of what was a closely-contested fight.
Originally listed as a 12-rounder, the match was reduced to 10 and that, it turned out, did Diaz no favors. However, it’s hard to feel sorry for the former Olympian as he came in overweight once again, having lost his 130-pound title on the scales in February of 2021.
Diaz also has issues outside the ropes. Best elucidated by prominent boxing writer Jake Donovan, they include a cluster of legal problems stemming from an arrest for drunk driving on Feb. 27 in the LA suburb of Claremont.
With the defeat, Diaz’s ledger declined to 32-4-1. His prior losses came at the hands of Gary Russell Jr, Devin Haney, and William Zepeda, boxers who are collectively 83-2. Mercito Gesta, a 35-year-old San Diego-based Filipino, improved to 34-3-3.
Co-Feature
Chihuahua, Mexico super lightweight Oscar Duarte has now won nine straight inside the distance after stopping 33-year-old Chicago southpaw Alex Martin in the eighth frame. Duarte, the busier fighter, had Martin on the deck twice in round eight before the fight was waived off.
Duarte improved to 25-1-1 (20). Martin, who reportedly won six national titles as an amateur and was once looked upon as a promising prospect, declined to 18-5.
Other Bouts of Note
New Golden Boy signee Eric Tudor, a 21-year-old super welterweight from Fort Lauderdale, overcame a bad laceration over his right eye, the result of an accidental clash of heads in round four, to stay unbeaten, advancing to 8-0 (6) with a hard-fought unanimous 8-round decision over Oakland’s Damoni Cato-Cain. The judges had it 80-72 and 78-74 twice. It was the first pro loss for Cato-Cain (7-1-1) who had his first five fights in Tijuana.
In the DAZN opener, lanky Hawaian lightweight Dalis Kaleiopu went the distance for the first time in his young career, improving to 4-0 (3) with a unanimous decision over 36-year-old Colombian trial horse Jonathan Perez (40-35). The scores were 60-52 across the board. There were no knockdowns, but Perez, who gave up almost six inches in height, had a point deducted for a rabbit punch and another point for deducted for holding.
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