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Avila Perspective, Chap. 158: Title Troubles and Title Clashes and More

Avila Perspective, Chap. 158: Title Troubles and Title Clashes and More
About 10 years ago, an attempt to form a sanctioning organization void of politics and greed proved unsuccessful.
Too bad it did not work. What a mess we have now.
Top contender Jamal James (27-1, 12 KOs) meets Russia’s Radzhab Butaev (13-0, 10 KOs) for the WBA welterweight world title on Saturday Oct. 30, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Showtime will televise.
“At this level, everyone hits hard. We’re not fighting cupcakes,” said James who has a version of the WBA welterweight title.
Not that James or Butaev lack talent. But who exactly is the real WBA welterweight champion?
According to the WBA Yordenis Ugas and Vergil Ortiz Jr. also have a piece of the title. And instead of simply ranking fighters numerically, the WBA organization that is based in Panama, hands out versions of the title like bits and pieces of candy for a fee.
Also on the same card, Philadelphia’s welterweight contender Jaron “Boots” Ennis (27-0, 25 KOs) meets Thomas Dulorme (25-5-1, 16 KOs) of Puerto Rico in the semi-main event,
“Everyone knows I’m in and out like a robbery,” said Ennis.
In my eyes Ennis looks like the sure thing. He has that Philadelphia roughness to go along with athleticism. Those Philly guys are tough to beat. He’s quickly gaining the skills to match his athleticism. We’ll see if he has the chin. That’s the ultimate test for Boots.
Two welterweight fights headline the Showtime card. Expect the winners to meet each other early next year. Will they be fighting for a version of the WBA title of which there are many?
London
Early Saturday, American fight fans can watch a battle between female super lightweight world titlists as Chantelle Cameron (14-0) puts her WBC title against Mary McGee (27-3) who holds the IBF version. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing fight card from London, England.
Cameron, 30, steamrolled past every single foe she’s faced. She has yet to lose a round on the judge’s cards since becoming a professional. In her last fight against American Melissa Hernandez, she was expected to receive a severe test. But Cameron roared past the veteran with ease. Now she gets another American in McGee who also holds a world title.
“These tough fights against the other champions are what motivates me and pushes me in the gym, and you’re going to see the very best Chantelle Cameron,” said Cameron about participating in a super lightweight tournament to decide undisputed status.
McGee, 36, has been a pro for 16 years and the experience to go along with it. Her only losses were against future Hall of Fame fighter Holly Holm, former top pound-for-pound fighter Erica Farias and Brooke Dierdorff. All those losses were eight years ago or longer.
She’s a fighter through and through.
The winner moves on and will face the victor of another clash of champions.
WBA and WBO titlist Kali Reis (18-7-1, 5 KOs) meets Jessica Camara (8-2) on Nov. 19, in England, for the vacant IBO title. Incidentally, that title was held by Cameron who gave it up. Three of the four participants are managed by Brian Cohen and promoted by Lou DiBella.
That team has a strong grip on American female prizefighting talent.
“I’m happy that Eddie (Hearn) and I were able to arrange these historic fights and I’m grateful to my friends at DAZN, who will be streaming it,” said DiBella who promotes McGee, Reis and Camara. “Chantelle, Mary, Kali and Jessica are four elite 140-pound athletes, deserving of this incredible opportunity. After two terrific semi-finals, a queen will be crowned at super-lightweight.”
Shakur
It was another solid performance for Shakur Stevenson in winning a second weight division world title last weekend. No holding, no running, none of those amateur antics, just pure prizefighting. And it came against a very good pro in Jamel Herring.
Nobody doubted Stevenson lacked the tools. When it comes to athleticism, he checks off every single item as a prizefighter with speed, agility, stamina, strength and power as a super featherweight. And he also seems to have a solid chin. The one important facet he seemed to not believe in was his fighting skills, especially in-close fighting.
Most observers mistake athleticism for skills. It’s not the same. Think Roy Jones Jr. as a perfect example of athleticism during the 90s. He was untouchable. But once the athleticism declined, he started getting beat by fighters he once dominated.
Floyd Mayweather was the opposite. Even late in his career though his reflexes slowed his skills allowed him to continue to prevail against bigger, quicker and stronger opposition. His boxing IQ was among the best ever. Others like Juan Manuel Marquez, James “Lights Out” Toney, Roberto Duran and Bernard Hopkins also prevailed with outstanding boxing skills. They all could stand two feet away and make you pay for every mistake. None would resort to running around the boxing ring or grabbing an opponent who wanted to venture inside the firing zone. They had immense boxing skills and all were masters.
Stevenson could be another master. It just takes consistency and believing in his skills as he did against Herring.
Fights to Watch
Fri. ESPN+ 11 a.m. Archie Sharp (20-0) vs Alexis Boureima Kabore (28-4).
Fri. Estrella TV 7 p.m. Carlos Canizales (22-1) vs German Valenzuela (16-2).
Fri. Telemundo 11:59 p.m. Fanlong Meng (16-0) vs Israel Duffus (20-6).
Sat. DAZN 11 a.m. Chantelle Cameron (14-0) vs Mary McGee (27-3), Craig Richards (16-2-1) vs Marek Matyja (20-2-2).
Sat. ESPN+ 3:55 p.m. Jose Zepeda (34-2) vs Josue Vargas (19-1).
Sat. Showtime 7 p.m. Jamal James (27-1) vs Radzhab Butaev (13-0); Jaron Ennis (27-0) vs Thomas Dulorme (25-5-1).
Photo credit: Esther Lin / SHOWTIME
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Emanuel Navarrete Survives a Bloody Battle with Charly Suarez in San Diego

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

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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Avila Perspective, Chap. 326: Top Rank and San Diego Smoke

Avila Perspective, Chap. 326: Top Rank and San Diego Smoke
Years ago, I worked at a newsstand in the Beverly Hills area. It was a 24-hour a day version and the people that dropped by were very colorful and unique.
One elderly woman Eva, who bordered on homeless but pridefully wore lipstick, would stop by the newsstand weekly to purchase a pack of menthol cigarettes. On one occasion, she asked if I had ever been to San Diego?
I answered “yes, many times.”
She countered “you need to watch out for San Diego Smoke.”
This Saturday, Top Rank brings its brand of prizefighting to San Diego or what could be called San Diego Smoke. Leading the fight card is Mexico’s Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) defending the WBO super feather title against undefeated Filipino Charly Suarez (18-0, 10 KOs) at Pechanga Arena. ESPN will televise.
This is Navarrete’s fourth defense of the super feather title.
The last time Navarrete stepped in the boxing ring he needed six rounds to dismantle the very capable Oscar Valdez in their rematch. One thing about Mexico City’s Navarrete is he always brings “the smoke.”
Also, on the same card is Fontana, California’s Raymond Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) vying for the interim IBF lightweight title against Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-1, 12 KOs) on the co-main event.
Abdullaev has only fought once before in the USA and was handily defeated by Devin Haney back in 2019. But that was six years ago and since then he has knocked off various contenders.
Muratalla is a slick fighting lightweight who trains at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy now in Moreno Valley, Calif. It’s a virtual boot camp with many of the top fighters on the West Coast available to spar on a daily basis. If you need someone bigger or smaller, stronger or faster someone can match those needs.
When you have that kind of preparation available, it’s tough to beat. Still, you have to fight the fight. You never know what can happen inside the prize ring.
Another fighter to watch is Perla Bazaldua, 19, a young and very talented female fighter out of the Los Angeles area. She is trained by Manny Robles who is building a small army of top female fighters.
Bazaldua (1-0, 1 KO) meets Mona Ward (0-1) in a super flyweight match on the preliminary portion of the Top Rank card. Top Rank does not sign many female fighters so you know that they believe in her talent.
Others on the Top Rank card in San Diego include Giovani Santillan, Andres Cortes, Albert Gonzalez, Sebastian Gonzalez and others.
They all will bring a lot of smoke to San Diego.
Probox TV
A strong card led by Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs) facing Ardreal Holmes Jr. (17-0, 6 KOs) in a super welterweight clash between southpaws takes place on Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida. PROBOX TV will stream the fight card.
Ardreal has rocketed up the standings and now faces veteran Lubin whose only losses came against world titlists Sebastian Fundora and Jermell Charlo. It’s a great match to decide who deserves a world title fight next.
Another juicy match pits Argentina’s Nazarena Romero (14-0-2) against Mexico’s Mayelli Flores (12-1-1) in a female super bantamweight contest.
Nottingham, England
Anthony Cacace (23-1, 8 KOs) defends the IBO super featherweight title against Leigh Wood (28-3, 17 KOs) in Wood’s hometown on Saturday at Nottingham Arena in Nottingham, England. DAZN will stream the Queensberry Promotions card.
Ireland’s Cacace seems to have the odds against him. But he is no stranger to dancing in the enemy’s lair or on foreign territory. He formerly defeated Josh Warrington in London and Joe Cordina in Riyadh in IBO title defenses.
Lampley at Wild Card
Boxing telecaster Jim Lampley will be signing his new book It Happened! at the Wild Card Boxing gym in Hollywood, Calif. on Saturday, May 10, beginning at 2 p.m. Lampley has been a large part of many of the greatest boxing events in the past 40 years. He and Freddie Roach will be at the signing.
Fights to Watch (All times Pacific Time)
Sat. DAZN 11 a.m. Anthony Cacace (23-1) vs Leigh Wood (28-3).
Sat. PROBOX.tv 3 p.m. Erickson Lubin (26-2) vs Ardreal Holmes Jr. (17-0).
Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1) vs Charly Suarez (18-0); Raymond Muratalla (22-0) vs Zaur Abdullaev (20-1).
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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