Joe Joyce and Joe Parker meet at the Crossroads and the Likely Winner is….

Published

2 years ago

September 20, 2022

Joe-Joyce-and-Joe-Parker-Meet=at-the-Crossroads-and-the-Likely-Winner-is...

A meeting at the crossroads is one of the most oft used cliches in boxing, but for a reason. Contests which will help define two careers, especially ones from adjacent generations are rare. Joseph Parker (30-2) knocked out Alexander Dimitrenko, out-pointed Carlos Takam, and received a razor-thin decision win over Andy Ruiz, all before Joe Joyce (14-0) had turned professional. Usually, a meeting between a contender who never reached the very top and an apprentice on the prowl for a legitimate scalp is fought at a junction, not a crossroads; the inexperienced man can dust himself off after any loss and come again. Not so Joyce. 14-0 he may be, but he is also seven years older than Parker, who is thirty. A major setback here could keep Joyce off the championship grass into his forties, and while many will claim forty is the new thirty in heavyweight boxing, this is only true of those who can stomach it.

Getting punched for pay is hard.

Parker, meanwhile, embraces every facet of another common boxing cliché, that of the heavyweight Ronin. Parker has boxed in his native New Zealand just once since 2018 and hasn’t defeated a ranked contender in even longer. Seen with the right kind of eyes, Parker’s record is a mirage, and although he made a spirited effort against Dillian Whyte in July of 2018, his surrender to Anthony Joshua a few months before was meek. Since his desperately narrow victory over Ruiz, Parker is 0-2 versus ranked contenders in six years. Should he drop to 0-3, Parker’s status will be reduced to that of gatekeeper.

So, when these two meet this Saturday night in Manchester, England, it is for more than an ABC trinket. The loser gets linked with Otto Wallin and Martin Bakole; the winner will find himself positioned for a shot at Joshua, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk and any other monied heavyweights that emerge in 2023.

“Deep down there is respect,” Joyce told Parker nonchalantly at a recent publicity event. “But I want to smash your face in.”

This is Joyce in a nutshell. He is to the point, honest, open and direct when he is at his very best, and a stumbling confusion of speech when he strays from these tenants. Joyce has drawn criticism for the seemingly disinterested monotone with which he answers many questions during interviews or at press events, even seeming to drift off into a deep sleep on one occasion. I personally enjoy it and he recalls for me a manifestation of Norman Mailer’s appraisal of George Foreman. Mailer said of Foreman, “he could be deep, he could be non-responsive…he is a physical guru.” This was a polite way of saying that there could be very little going on in Foreman’s head (wrong, as it turned out) but that his physicality and seeming unassailability more than made up for it.

It would be wrong to compare Joyce to Foreman, but these things can be said of him, also.

“He has height, reach and power,” was how Parker summarised his opponent’s offensive skills. “He’s got a very good engine.”

This last, in combination with a chin which might soon be confirmed granite, is what sets him apart. Joyce cannot be dissuaded in his seek-and-destroy mission, and his being shelled by opponents like Daniel Dubois, Carlos Takam and most recently Christian Hammer has made no more impact than the limited opposition he met upon turning pro in late 2017. Joyce does indeed appear to be a non-responsive physical guru, as non-responsive to punches as he sometimes is to questions. This has earned him the nickname “The Juggernaut” and a very ill-advised attempt to adopt at a ring walked dressed as the Marvel comic-book character of the same name aside, it suits him.

Joyce is the classic big heavyweight, he deploys himself behind a surprisingly good jab and then does his thing: solve him if you can, and if you can’t, you will get hurt.

Joyce claims to have recently had his bone-density checked and that it is five times denser than that of the average man, higher even than that of other elite-level impact athletes who tend to flatten out at three-times the density of the average man. This translates to a real advantage in the ring that Joyce is cognisant of; he would also prefer not to rely upon it quite so much.

“I wasn’t happy getting hit clearly [by Christian Hammer in his most recent fight]. Preferably I won’t get hit by those punches against Parker.”

Parker is no big hitter, but then it was the mind-mixing punches of Muhammad Ali that spun Foreman to the canvas, not the booming shots of Ron Lyle or Joe Frazier. Parker’s best shot is the right-hand over and it is this punch which has most troubled Joyce recently. Taking a tour through Parker’s early finishes (rarer and rarer as his opponents improved) we see a long right hand so often the weapon of destruction. He started Dimitrenko’s trouble with a right-handed feint and then seconds later a distance right-handed punch for which he leans all the way across himself. Parker makes his position the key and this in tandem with some light footwork has spared him the worst attentions of the big punchers he has met. This knockout of Dimitrenko was impressive. Parker was just the second man to do it, and he remains the quickest in getting the giant German out of there (Tony Yoka finally equaled him, knocking him out in three rounds in Dimitrenko’s final fight).

It seemed, in these days, that Parker would manifest as a puncher, an exciting prospect given his skill and his own superb chin. Alas, it was not to be – but for this particular fight, one of Parker’s strengths, the right hand, lines up with Joyce’s specific weakness, a propensity to be hit with the right hand. He simply does not defend expertly against it and given his age and style he probably never will.

This is tantalising thought and hints at potential excitement. Parker taking control of this fight early and hurting Joyce with right hands while keeping out of harm’s way would be a thrilling and attractive opening. Watching Joyce, listed at 6’6 with an 80-inch reach, try to recapture the initiative as Parker inevitably fades would be even more so.

Parker claims this will be his hardest fight, which rings rather hollow if he expects to win, but Joyce’s claim that “this fight raises the bar” does ring true. “I’ll have to fight at a higher level [to win],” the Londoner added and it is a valid question as to whether the face-first tactics we’ve seen Joyce employ against Takam and Hammer will be enough to get the job done against a fundamentally sound fighter of Parker’s experience. People associated with Joyce, including his broadcast partners, have rather nervously been telling each-other and themselves that Joyce won’t fight in that plodding, carefree manner against elite opposition but the hour is getting late for him to demonstrate the truth of this.

Parker claims to have to have reclaimed his passion for boxing under Andy Lee who he has been training with in the United Kingdom, his family awaiting him in New Zealand. Joyce meanwhile travels to Las Vegas to train, taking advantage of the world-class sparring and facilities available to him but inflicting upon himself two trips across the Atlantic. Awaiting him there is Ismael Salas, a trainer Joyce seems wed to, the man who “made Felix Savon” in his own words. The Cuban is unquestionably a truly gifted trainer but if he has made significant differences to Joyce’s game, they are subtle.

Included though is an ability to ride troublesome right-handed punches. This is likely to be the key metric on Saturday. If Joyce is able to lift the sting from Parker’s best shots in the first half of the fight, the fight is decided, whatever the scorecards say at that point. Parker must land his best blows on Joyce, often and early and cleanly.

If he does, then he’s in it, but only if he’s in the very best shape of his career, because the Juggernaut will be coming for him. My guess is that Joyce’s momentum will send Parker into hiding later in the fight and that Joyce will sweep the final four or five rounds. This will be too many. Joyce is sluggish but he is busy and he is huge and that combination is awful enough; the addition of Parker’s best work bouncing off a sliding Joyce’s head and body without great effect will compound the issue.

Parker is tough and savvy. I expect him to be tough and savvy enough to survive the twelve rounds and drop a clear decision in an excellent fight.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 281: The Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia Show

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2024

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective-Chap-281-The-Devin-and-Ryan-Show

Over the years bouts between old foes such as Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia tend to be surprising.

Yes, both are only 25 but have known each other for many years.

When undisputed super lightweight champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) steps into the prize ring at Barclays Center to meet challenger Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) on Saturday, April 20, fans will be witnessing the continuation of a feud that began more than a decade ago.

And though the champion is a heavy favorite, familiarity is Garcia’s best weapon heading into their fight on the Golden Boy Promotions card that will be shown on PPV.COM with Jim Lampley and friends. DAZN pay-per-view is also streaming the card.

In many ways Haney and Garcia have ventured down the same path. From amateur sensations to fighting in Mexico while teens to asking for the biggest challenges available.

“Whichever version of Ryan shows up on April 20, I will be ready for him. Ryan Garcia is just another opponent to me,” said Haney who holds the WBC super lightweight title after his win over Regis Prograis.

The first time I saw Haney as a pro he battled the dangerous Mexican contender Juan Carlos Burgos at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. It was an impressive performance against a fighter who fought three times for a world title.

Haney was 19 at the time.

My first look at Garcia as a pro was in his first bout in the U.S. when he met Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Cruz at the Exchange in downtown Los Angeles. The Boricua looked at Garcia and tried intimidating him with stares, taunts and the usual patter. During the fight both swung and missed until the second round when Garcia zeroed in and took him out.

Garcia had just turned 18, the legal age to fight in California.

Both fighters did not have the Olympics credentials that lead to fame. But their talent has allowed them to fight through the dense smoke that is professional boxing.

Haney has defeated numerous world champions such as Prograis, Vasyl Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr., while Garcia has stopped champions Javier Fortuna and Luke Campbell.

As amateurs, Garcia and Haney battled six times with each winning three.

“They know each other very well,” said Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions. “Ryan is going to beat Devin Haney.”

Haney has a buttery-smooth style with one of the best jabs in boxing. He’s very adept at keeping distance and not allowing anyone to fight him inside. His reflexes are outstanding, yet he seldom fights inside. That’s his weakness.

Garcia fights tall and has superb hand speed and a lightning quick left hook. Though his defense lacks tightness his ability to rip off three-punch combinations in a blink of an eye pauses opponents from bullying their way inside.

“These guys always just look at me and look at me like I don’t know how to box,” said Garcia on social media. “Why was I one of the best fighters in the amateurs. Why was I a 15-time National champion…why did I beat everyone I came across.”

Haney is a strong favorite by oddsmakers to defeat Garcia. But you can never tell when it comes to fighters that know each other well and are athletically gifted.

When Sergio Mora challenged Vernon Forrest he was a big underdog. When Tim Bradley fought Manny Pacquiao the first time, he was also the underdog. And when Andy Ruiz met Anthony Joshua few gave him a chance.

Haney and Garcia have history in the ring. It should be an interesting battle.

PPV.COM

Jim Lampley will be leading the broadcast on PPV.COM for the Haney-Garcia card at Barclays and texting with fans on the card live. He will be accompanied by journalists Lance Pugmire, Dan Conobbio and former champion Chris Algieri.

The PPV.COM broadcast begins at 5 p.m. PT. and is available in Canada and the USA.

Other News

MMA stars Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal will be holding a media day event on Friday, April 19, at NOVO at L.A. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Diaz and Masvidal will be boxing against each other in a grudge match on June 1 at the KIA Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The two MMA stars met five years at UFC 244 with Masvidal winning by TKO over Diaz due to cuts.

This is a grudge match, but under boxing rules.

Fight card in Commerce, Calif.

360 Promotions returns to Commerce Casino on Saturday April 20 with undefeated super lightweight Cain Sandoval leading the charge.

Sandoval (12-0) faces Angel Rebollar (8-3) in the main event that will be shown live on UFC Fight Pass. Also on the card are two female events including hot prospect Lupe Medina (5-0) versus Sabrina Persona (3-1) in a minimumweight clash.

Doors open at 4 p.m.

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Boxing Odds and Ends: The Heavyweight Merry-Go-Round

Published

3 days ago

April 16, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Boxing Odds and Ends: The Heavyweight Merry-Go-Round

There were few surprises when co-promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren and their benefactor HE Turki Alalshikh held a press conference in London this past Monday to unveil the undercard for the Beterbiev-Bivol show at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 1. Most of the match-ups had already been leaked.

For die-hard boxing fans, Beterbiev-Bivol is such an enticing fight that it really doesn’t need an attractive undercard. Two undefeated light heavyweights will meet with all four relevant belts on the line in a contest where the oddsmakers straddled the fence. It’s a genuine “pick-‘em” fight based on the only barometer that matters, the prevailing odds.

But Beterbiev-Bivol has been noosed to a splendid undercard, a striking contrast to Saturday’s Haney-Garcia $69.99 (U.S.) pay-per-view in Brooklyn, an event where the undercard, in the words of pseudonymous boxing writer Chris Williams, is an absolute dumpster fire.

The two heavyweight fights that will bleed into Beterbiev-Bivol, Hrgovic vs. Dubois and Wilder vs. Zhang, would have been stand-alone main events before the incursion of Saudi money.

Hrgovic-Dubois

Filip Hrgovic (17-0, 13 KOs) and Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) fought on the same card in Riyadh this past December. Hrgovic, the Croatian, was fed a softie in the form of Australia’s Mark De Mori who he dismissed in the opening round. Dubois, a Londoner, rebounded from his loss to Oleksandr Usyk with a 10^th-round stoppage of corpulent Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller.

There’s an outside chance that Hrgovic vs. Dubois may be sanctioned by the IBF for the world heavyweight title.

The May 18 showdown between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury has a rematch clause. The IBF is next in line in the rotation system for a unified heavyweight champion and the organization has made it plain that the winner of Usyk-Fury must fulfill his IBF mandatory before an intervening bout.

The best guess is that the Usyk-Fury winner will relinquish the IBF belt. If so, Hrgovic and Dubois may fight for the vacant title although a more likely scenario is that the organization will keep the title vacant so that the winner can fight Anthony Joshua.

Wilder-Zhang

The match between Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) and Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) is a true crossroads fight as both Wilder, 38, and Zhang, who turns 41 in May, are nearing the end of the road and the loser (unless it’s a close and entertaining fight) will be relegated to the rank of a has-been. In fact, Wilder has hinted that this may be his final rodeo.

Both are coming off a loss to Joseph Parker.

Wilder last fought on the card that included Hrgovic and Dubois and was roundly out-pointed by a man he was expected to beat. It’s a quick turnaround for Zhang who opposed Parker on March 8 and lost a majority decision.

Other Fights

Either of two other fights may steal the show on the June 1 event.

Raymond Ford (15-0-1, 8 KOs) meets Nick Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs) in a 12-round featherweight contest. New Jersey’s Ford will be defending the WBA world title he won with a come-from-behind, 12th-round stoppage of Otabek Kholmatov in an early contender for Fight of the Year. Liverpool’s “Wrecking” Ball, a relentless five-foot-two sparkplug, had to settle for a draw in his title fight with Rey Vargas despite winning the late rounds and scoring two knockdowns.

Hamzah Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KOs) meets fellow unbeaten Austin “Ammo” Williams (16-0, 11 KOs) in a 12-round middleweight match. East London’s Sheeraz, the son of a former professional cricket player, is unknown in the U.S. although he trained for his recent fights at the Ten Goose Boxing Gym in California. Riding a skein of 13 straight knockouts, he has a date with WBO title-holder Janibek Alimkhanuly if he can get over this hurdle.

The Forgotten Heavyweight

“Unbeaten for seven years, the man nobody wants to fight,” intoned ring announcer Michael Buffer by way of introduction. Buffer was referencing Michael Hunter who stood across the ring from his opponent Artem Suslenkov.

This scene played out this past Saturday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It was Hunter’s second fight in three weeks. On March 23, he scored a fifth-round stoppage of a 46-year-old meatball at a show in Zapopan, Mexico.

The second-generation “Bounty Hunter,” whose only defeat prior to last weekend came in a 12-rounder with Oleksandr Usyk, has been spinning his wheels since TKOing the otherwise undefeated Martin Bakole on the road in London in 2018. Two fights against hapless opponents on low-budget cards in Mexico and a couple of one-round bouts for the Las Vegas Hustle, an entry in the fledgling and largely invisible Professional Combat League, are the sum total of his activity, aside from sparring, in the last two-and-a-half years.

Hunter’s chances of getting another big-money fight took a tumble in Tashkent where he lost a unanimous decision in a dull affair to the unexceptional Suslenkov who was appearing in his first 10-round fight. The scores of the judges were not announced.

You won’t find this fight listed on boxrec. As Jake Donovan notes, the popular website will not recognize a fight conducted under the auspices of a rogue commission. (Another fight you won’t find on boxrec for the same reason is Nico Ali Walsh’s 6-round split decision over the 9-2-1 Frenchman, Noel Lafargue, in the African nation of Guinea on Dec. 16, 2023. You can find it on YouTube, but according to boxrec, boxing’s official record-keeper, it never happened.)

Anderson-Merhy Redux

The only thing missing from this past Saturday’s match in Corpus Christi, Texas, between Jared Anderson and Ryad Merhy was the ghost of Robert Valsberg.

Valsberg, aka Roger Vaisburg, was the French referee who disqualified Ingemar Johansson for not trying in his match with LA’s Ed Sanders in the finals of the heavyweight competition at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Valsberg tossed Johansson out of the ring after two rounds and Johansson was denied the silver medal. The Swede redeemed himself after turning pro, needless to say, when he demolished Floyd Patterson in the first of their three meetings.

Merhy was credited with throwing only 144 punches, landing 34, over the course of the 10 rounds. Those dismal figures yet struck many onlookers as too high. (This reporter has always insisted that the widely-quoted CompuBox numbers should be considered approximations.)

Whatever the true number, it was a disgraceful performance by Merhy who actually showed himself to have very fast hands on the few occasions when he did throw a punch. With apologies to Delfine Persoon, a spunky lightweight, U.S. boxing promoters should think twice before inviting another Belgian boxer to our shores.

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Anderson Cruises by Vapid Merhy and Ajagba edges Vianello in Texas

Published

6 days ago

April 14, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Anderson-Cruises-by-Vapid-Merhy-and-Ajagba-Edges-Vianello-in-Texas

Jared Anderson returned to the ring tonight on a Top Rank card in Corpus Christi, Texas. Touted as the next big thing in the heavyweight division, Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs) hardly broke a sweat while cruising past Ryad Merhy in a bout with very little action, much to the disgruntlement of the crowd which started booing as early as the second round. The fault was all Merhy as he was reluctant to let his hands go. Somehow, he won a round on the scorecard of judge David Sutherland who likely fell asleep for a round for which he could be forgiven.

Merhy, born in the Ivory Coast but a resident of Brussels, Belgium, was 32-2 (26 KOs) heading in after fighting most of his career as a cruiserweight. He gave up six inches in height to Anderson who was content to peck away when it became obvious to him that little would be coming back his way.

Anderson may face a more daunting adversary on Monday when he has a court date in Romulus, Michigan, to answer charges related to an incident in February where he drove his Dodge Challenger at a high rate speed, baiting the police into a merry chase. (Weirdly, Anderson entered the ring tonight wearing the sort of helmet that one associates with a race car driver.)

Co-Feature

In the co-feature, a battle between six-foot-six former Olympians, Italy’s Guido Vianello started and finished strong, but Efe Ajagba had the best of it in the middle rounds and prevailed on a split decision. Two of the judges favored Ajagba by 96-94 scores with the dissenter favoring the Italian from Rome by the same margin.

Vianello had the best round of the fight. He staggered Ajagba with a combination in round two. At the end of the round, a befuddled Ajagba returned to the wrong corner and it appeared that an upset was brewing. But the Nigerian, who trains in Las Vegas under Kay Koroma, got back into the fight with a more varied offensive attack and better head movement. In winning, he improved his ledger to 20-1 (14). Vianello, who sparred extensively with Daniel Dubois in London in preparation for this fight, declined to 12-2-1 in what was likely his final outing under the Top Rank banner.

Other Bouts of Note

In the opening bout on the main ESPN platform, 35-year-old super featherweight Robson Conceicao, a gold medalist for Brazil in the 2016 Rio Olympics, stepped down in class after fighting Emanuel Navarrete tooth-and-nail to a draw in his previous bout and scored a seventh-round stoppage of Jose Ivan Guardado who was a cooked goose after slumping to the canvas after taking a wicked shot to the liver. Guardado made it to his feet, but the end was imminent and the referee waived it off at the 2:27 mark.

Conceicao improved to 18-1 (9 KOs). It was the U.S. debut for Guardado (15-2-1), a boxer from Ensenada, Mexico who had done most of his fighting up the road in Tijuana.

Ruben Villa, the pride of Salinas, California, improved to 22-1 (7) and moved one step closer to a match with WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas with a unanimous 10-round decision over Tijuana’s Cristian Cruz (22-7-1). The judges had it 97-93 and 98-92 twice.

Cruz, the son of former IBF world featherweight title-holder Cristobal Cruz, was better than his record. He entered the bout on a 21-1-1 run after losing five of his first seven pro fights.

Cleveland southpaw Abdullah Mason, who turned 20 earlier this month, continued his fast ascent up the lightweight ladder with a fourth-round stoppage of Ronal Ron.

Mason (13-0, 11 KOs) put Ron on the canvas in the opening round with a short left hook. He scored a second knockdown with a shot to the liver. A flurry of punches, a diverse array, forced the stoppage at the 1:02 mark of round four. A 25-year-old SoCal-based Venezuelan, the spunky but out-gunned Ron declined to 14-6.

Charly Suarez, a 35-year-old former Olympian from the Philippines, ranked #5 at junior lightweight by the IBF, advanced to 17-0 (9) with a unanimous 8-round decision over SoCal’s Louie Coria (5-7).

This was a tactical fight. In the final round, Coria, subbing for 19-0 Henry Lebron, caught the Filipino off-balance and knocked him into the ropes which held him up. It was scored a knockdown, but came too little, too late for Coria who lost by scores of 76-75 and 77-74 twice.

Suarez, whose signature win was a 12^th-round stoppage of the previously undefeated Aussie Paul Fleming in Sydney, may be headed to a rematch with Robson Conceicao. They fought as amateurs in 2016 in Kazakhstan and Suarez lost a narrow 6-round decision.

Photo credit: Mikey Willams / Top Rank via Getty Images

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