Avila Perspective, Chap. 160: Jaime Munguia vs Gabe Rosado and Adventures in Las Vegas

Published

3 years ago

November 11, 2021

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Philadelphia-born Puerto Rican Gabe Rosado has had a lengthy and rather successful career as a prizefighter. Now he faces a young killer with an adamantium steel chin and power to spare in Mexico’s Jaime Munguia.

“It’s a fight the fans want,” said Rosado.

Undefeated Munguia (37-0, 30 KOs) puts his perfect record up against Rosado (26-13-1, 15 KOs) the wrecker of perfect records on Saturday Nov. 13, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card.

Rosado seems to be the banana peel for top rated contenders. In his last forays he tripped up Bektemir Melikuziev by knockout and nearly toppled former world champion Daniel Jacobs. He’s no cupcake.

“Freddie and I are coming off of some good momentum,” said Rosado who is trained by Freddie Roach in Los Angeles.

Munguia trains with former great Erik “El Terrible” Morales in Tijuana. The former super welterweight world titlist moved up in weight and likes the middleweight division.

“I feel like moving up to 160lbs was good for me, my body feels stronger and I feel better,” Munguia said during a press conference on Thursday. “I think teaming up with Erik has improved my technique, we have made a great team, and I have learned a lot from him. And I think this Saturday we will show off everything we have worked for and have learned.”

It’s a loaded card especially if you like women’s boxing.

Former flyweight world champion Arely Mucino (29-3-2, 10 KOs) of Mexico meets fellow Mexican Jacky Calvo (14-6-2) in a flyweight clash set for 10 three-minute rounds.

Mucino, 32, is the only Mexican to claim world titles with the WBA, WBO, WBC and IBF organizations. She fought last March and won by decision. It was her first fight after two years. She was derailed by a leg injury and then the death of her father.

Calvo, 25, has two draws against current WBC light flyweight titlist Yesenia Gomez and two split decision losses to current WBC super flyweight titlist Lourdes Juarez. Calvo can really fight.

Also on the card are Alexis Rocha looking to rebound from his first loss and Diego De La Hoya.

Doors open at 3 p.m. Bring vaccination cards or proof of a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of the event.

Adventures in Las Vegas

Wow. Las Vegas.

They call this desert resort of immense proportions “Sin City” because of its lustful invitations to the seven sins. But whenever the “big fight” occurs it becomes heaven for the boxing faithful. A gathering of lovers of the art.

This time back-to-back nights of world championship prizefighting lured thousands to Las Vegas. First, Mikaela Mayer in a unification fight with Maiva Hamadouche on Friday, then Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a clash with Caleb Plant for undisputed status on Saturday.

Las Vegas was sizzling and crowds were busting the city’s seams wide open.

Driving through the desert landscape for countless times in the past 40 years the changes are slight. Back in the 70s whenever I drove my candy apple blue 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner with its 426 hemi engine, the biggest danger was running over Jackrabbits.

Those damn rabbits were everywhere until some smart person put up rabbit fences to keep them off the highway. Now, in 2021, the only critter I saw was a coyote that wisely waited until I passed it at 70 miles an hour.

However, the city of Las Vegas changes every year. New buildings are erected and old monuments are taken down like the Riviera Hotel, gone. Even the Stratosphere is now called the Strat. Too many syllables I guess.

Once I entered the city it was apparent many changes had taken place including the erection of Allegiant Stadium where the Las Vegas Raiders NFL team calls home. The black themed monolith now welcomes visitors into the inner sanctum of the casino city.

Big fight week means reporters from all over the world were flying in from the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Japan, Philippines, Australia, Mexico, Argentina and New York.

Devin and Jojo

One of the first New Yorkers I saw was Paulie Malignaggi at an early press conference in the Venetian Hotel and Casino for Las Vegas fighter Devin Haney and Southern California’s Jojo Diaz. The British promotion company Matchroom Boxing staged an early morning gathering to announce this lightweight world title fight that takes place next month on December 4, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Malignaggi now works for Bluemoonfight.tv and interviewed both Diaz and Haney for their upcoming event. Few can handle an interview like Malignaggi. He’s cat-quick with an interview whether answering or asking. The former two-division world champion has always been one of the good guys of the sport. Just don’t cross him. Great as a fighter too. A very underrated prizefighter in my estimation.

Also at the same press conference was Seniesa Estrada who recently grabbed a second division world title by defeating Tsunami Tenkai in a riveting light flyweight match last July. The speed and ferocity shown by those two warriors was incredible. On this morning Seniesa the model showed up. She had a photo shoot with one of the sponsors.

Born and raised in East L.A. she was there to support her former sparring partner Jojo Diaz. They used to trade blows as kids in Hollenbeck Gym in Boyle Heights. Now, they are both world champions. Diaz will be trying to pass Estrada who has two division world titles. He’s looking to add a third division world title as a lightweight.

Haney says that’s not going to happen.

Diaz says we shall see.

Haney and Diaz sparred verbally on social media. Now it’s real. They will fight each other and both are very happy about the confrontation. It’s a sizzling matchup. Their styles should mesh like mash potatoes and gravy.

Who is going to mash and who’s going to be gravy?

Jake and Company

Jake Paul staged a press conference at the brand new Resorts World Las Vegas. The mammoth casino resort right next to Circus Circus and dwarfs the old casino hotel.

Jake Paul and a giant Robot man hosted a press conference at the RedTail inside the new resort on Saturday morning, but Tommy Fury, the relative of Tyson Fury was a no- show due to a family emergency. Paul and Fury will be fighting each other on Dec. 18 in Tampa, Florida. Showtime pay-per-view will televise their fight along with the great Amanda Serrano facing Spain’s Miriam Gutierrez.

Also present at the press conference was undisputed super lightweight champion Josh Taylor of the United Kingdom. The cat is unbelievably tall for 140-pound fighter.

Taylor chatted with me and another reporter Raymundo Dioses about his recent operation to mend his leg. It makes sense for the Scottish fighter to heal properly before embarking on upcoming defenses and possibly moving up to welterweight.

Soon after, the giant robot and his rather fetching assistant asked me to take a few photos of them in front of the bar. I took a few and shot a selfie of me with them. Might as well.

After the press conference we headed back to the MGM Grand to collect my press credential for the Canelo/Plant fight. The casino was packed wall to wall with mostly Mexican fans. The last time I saw this many Mexican fans in Las Vegas was when Oscar De La Hoya fought Ricardo Mayorga way back on May 6, 2006. That was a crazy night too.

In front of the media center thousands of fans stood around the front door waiting for their hero to show up. It was a mad house.

A few hundred reporters were already inside the media center though it was many hours before the fight card would commence.

Three years had passed since I had attended a big Las Vegas fight card. The pandemic has taken the lives of a lot of my former colleagues. Inside I saw many who I had not seen in years. It was good to see all of them.

My old friends Lee Samuels and Bill Caplan are two that I’ve known since 1993 when I first began covering major fight cards as a reporter for the LA Times. I had not seen them face to face for almost three years.

Lee Samuels formerly worked as a news reporter in Philadelphia and has worked with Top Rank for three decades. He’s seen all the great fighters come and go like Marvelous Marvin Hagler, James “Lights Out” Toney and Manny Pacquiao.

Bill Caplan worked for Top Rank, Golden Boy Promotions and now the WBC. He’s a good friend of heavyweight great George Foreman and has seen boxing since the days of Joe Louis. Everybody in the boxing world knows Caplan. He’s a legend and like Samuels two of the best human beings on the planet.

Only in boxing can you find people like Lee Samuels and Bill Caplan. They are two of the reasons I love boxing.

I also chatted a bit with writers Dylan Hernandez, Lance Pugmire, Norm Frauenheim and Felipe Leon inside the media room. Also inside were champions like Teofimo Lopez and Seniesa Estrada doing interviews with the many radio and podcast shows.

That night Saul “Canelo” Alvarez defeated Caleb Plant by knockout and 16,000-plus fans roared loud enough to bring down the walls. I had not heard a sound like that since Juan Manuel Marquez shockingly knocked out Manny Pacquiao in 2012. It’s a unique roar.

You never forget the sound of boxing.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 11 a.m. Kid Galahad (28-1) vs Kiko Martinez (42-10-2), Terri Harper (11-0-1) vs Alycia Baumgardner (10-1).

Sat. DAZN 6 p.m. Jaime Munguia (37-0) vs Gabriel Rosado (26-13-1).

Sat. Showtime 6 p.m. David Benavidez (24-0) vs Kyrone Davis (16-2-1).

Check out more boxing news on video at the Boxing Channel

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David A. Avila

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Floyd Schofield Wins a Banger and Gabriela Fundora Wins by KO

Published

2 days ago

November 3, 2024

David A. Avila

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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 11^th 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

Published

2 days ago

November 2, 2024

Arne K. Lang

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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 12^th 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

Published

3 days ago

November 1, 2024

David A. Avila

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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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