Connect with us

Featured Articles

The Hauser Report: Claressa Shields Did What She Had To Do To Win

Published

on

The-Hauser-Repirt-Claressa-Shields-Did-What-She-Had-To-Do-To-Win

The Hauser Report: Claressa Shields Did What She Had To Do To Win

Years from now, historians will write that 2022 was the year when women fighters emerged as a significant force in boxing. Much of that history will key on the April 30 fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano that delivered ten exciting rounds fought at a high skill level before a roaring sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden. On October 15, an all-women fight card at the O2 Arena in London built upon that platform.

The October 15 card was co-promoted by BOXXER and Salita Promotions in association with Top Rank, streamed in the United States on ESPN+, and televised by Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Originally scheduled for September 10, it was postponed out of respect for the Royal Family following Queen Elizabeth’s death on September 8.

Alycia Baumgardner outpointed Mikaela Mayer in the first co-featured bout on October 15 to claim the WBC, IBF, and WBO 130-pound belts. But the fight that resonated most with the public and had the most historical significance was Claressa Shields’s unanimous-decision triumph over Savannah Marshall for the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO 160-pound titles.

Shields, now 27, won a gold medal in the middleweight division at the 2012 London Olympics (the first year that women’s boxing was an Olympic sport). Four years later, she repeated that achievement at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics as the capstone on a 77-1 amateur record. Since then, she’d won 12 out of 12 professional fights and accumulated belts in three weight divisions. She entered the Marshall bout with the WBC WBA, and IBF 160-pound titles.

Claressa is also given to unrealistic statements, such as telling TMZ, “I spar with men. I drop men. I beat men up all the time. They may be stronger than me, but their boxing ability isn’t like mine. I think I can beat up Keith Thurman. I really do. GGG, he’s older now. I could give GGG a run for his money.”

To put that comment in context, Shields has scored one knockdown and two stoppages in six years as a pro.

Marshall, age 32, was also 12-and-0 in the professional ranks but with ten knockouts. She’d won the WBO 160-pound belt in 2020 and engendered considerable comment when she rendered Femke Hermans unconscious with a brutal left hook in round three of their April 2, 2022, encounter.

It was Marshall who dealt Shields the sole loss (amateur or pro) in Claressa’s sojourn through boxing – a 14-8 decision at the 2012 AIBA Women’s World Championships. Shields was 17 at the time; Marshall was 21. Later that year, Savannah lost in the first round of competition at the London Olympics to Marina Volnova of Kazakhstan (who Shields defeated in the second round). In 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Marshall lost in the second round of competition to Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands (who Shields defeated in the gold-medal bout).

There was some trash-talking at the July 5 kick-off press conference. Marshall told the assembled media that the fight was taking place in the UK “because Claressa doesn’t sell a ticket,” and added, “I’ve knocked out people you went ten rounds with. That’s all you need to know. I’m a better fighter. I’m not just going to beat you. I’m going to hurt you. See you on September 10, babe.”

“I don’t hate nobody,” Shields responded. “But I do have a huge dislike for her. My grandma told me not to use the word ‘hate,’ so I won’t use it.”

Leading up to the then-scheduled September 10 fight, Shields was the more loquacious of the two fighters:

*         “Her beating me in 2012 before the Olympics was the fluke of her career. I’ve never seen something like this in boxing before, someone who lives off of an amateur win for ten years. It’s like they’re trying to erase everything I’ve done in the past ten years because I have been dominant in boxing for a decade, since I was seventeen. I won the Olympics. I won it again. I turned pro. I won titles. And it’s like, ‘Wow! It’s still not enough for you guys.'”

*         “If her game plan is to try and stand there in the middle of the ring and to out-bang me, she going to be sleeping. If her game plan is to be smart and try to box, move, she’ll last a bit longer. If it has to be a war, it’s going to be a war that I win. If it’s going to be a boxing match, I’m going to win the boxing match. And if it has to be both, I’m prepared to do it all. I live for moments like this.”

*         “To all of you that are doubting me, just make sure you apologize after the fight. Say, ‘We were wrong. You’re the best and we respect you,’ and that you respect my hard work and my accomplishments.”

Meanwhile, Marshall had her own take on the impending battle, saying, “I’m going to take her into deep water and drown her in the Thames.”

Then everything changed. On September 8, Queen Elizabeth died, ushering in a period of unprecedented national mourning. Out of respect for the Royal Family, the British Boxing Board of Control ruled that the fight card would be postponed.

“I’m sad about the fight being postponed,” Shields acknowledged. “But I’m a big girl and I understand that the Queen of the country passing has an entire country mourning. Whatever the decision, I’m respectful of it.”

Marshall seemed to take the postponement harder, telling Sky Sports that she went to Buckingham Palace with a sister and a friend to pay respects before adding, “I had a week off, and I needed it. I felt emotionally drained. I didn’t get out of bed for a couple of days after. I was trying to be positive but I was disappointed. I was upset, the ‘it always happens to me’ kind of vibe.”

In due course, the card was rescheduled for October 15. Ten days before the bout, the WBC announced that it had created yet another belt to add to the many baubles that it bestows on fighters; this one a specially-crafted “Elizabethan Belt” (purple, not green) that would be given to the winner of Shields-Marshall.

When fight week arrived, some of the buzz that swirled around the original September 10 date had dissipated. But anticipation was still high.

Peter Fury (who trains Marshall) said of Shields, “She’s got fast hands, she’s good defensively, and she’s good with counters. She puts flurries together well. With her feints, she makes fighters hesitant. Before they know it, she’s in range and teeing off on them with her quick hands.”

And of his own charge, Fury noted, “She’s got the ability to switch people’s lights out, and that’s a different sort of power than most.”

Meanwhile, Shields remained the more quotable of the two fighters, offering a range of thoughts:

*         “I’m not worried about Savannah Marshall. Nobody was ever running from her. Nobody was ever scared to come over here and fight her. We said, ‘Let’s do it. And you better punch as hard as you say you can. Because if you don’t have any punching power, it’s going to be a hard night for you.'”

*         “Of course, we’ve got to talk about her punching power. She’s going to try to come out there and land a big shot. That’s really all I see. But it’s a boxing match. I may get hit in there. But if she thinks she won’t get hit, then she’s mistaken. If she thinks she is a better boxer than me, she’s mistaken. I’m going to adapt and do whatever I have to do to win and make the fight easy. She can’t outbox me. She’s not very skilled.”

*         “I really feel in my spirit that I am going to knock Savannah Marshall out. This is going to be my statement fight. She’s not going to be able to handle my shots.”

This was the first time that a women’s bout had headlined a fight card at the O2 Arena. In keeping with that theme, all eleven bouts on the bill showcased women fighters. The first nine were expected to be relatively easy outings for promoter favorites. Shields-Marshall and Mayer-Baumgardner were another matter.

Mayer, age 32, came into her fight with a 17-0 (5 KOs) ring record. She’d won the WBO and IBF 130-pound belts by decision over Ewa Brodnicka (in 2020) and Maiya Hamadouche (2021) and defended them successfully by decision over Jennifer Han earlier this year.

Baumgardner, age 28, (12-1, 7 KOs) annexed the WBC 130-pound belt with a surprise knockout of Terri Harper last year.

Mayer was a 5-to-2 betting favorite. The women “had to be separated” during a fight-week interview on Sky Sports, again at the final pre-fight press conference, and once more at a post-weigh-in staredown, proving that women fighters can act as silly as the men.

When fight night arrived, the hostilities between them were more muted. Baumgardner prevailed on a 96-95, 96-95, 93-97 split-decision, and ESPN expert commentator Tim Bradley opined, “The next time they do it, I want to see more action.”

Shields-Marshall was far more fan-friendly and a classic confrontation between boxer and puncher.

The women had three common opponents – Sydney LeBlanc, Hannah Rankin, and Femke Hermans. Shields outpointed all three without losing a round on any of the judges’ scorecards. Marshall (in her pro debut) won every round against LeBlanc, stopped Rankin in seven rounds and, as previously noted, knocked Hermans unconscious.

The stakes were high. Whoever won would be elevated to legitimate stardom. Shields was a slight betting favorite. An enthusiastic sold-out crowd of 20,000 witnessed the action.

Marshall knows how to fight. Once the bell for round one sounded, she kept coming forward, firing punches for the entire night. Shields was respectful of Marshall’s power but understood that the only way she could keep Savannah off was to hurt her. Claressa didn’t run. She fired back and often fired first.

A ten-round firefight followed.

Shields was the better boxer, faster, and pulled the trigger more quickly than Marshall did. She was also the more accurate puncher.

Marshall showed more boxing skills than she had in previous fights. Her most effective blows were hooks to the body. And she wasn’t above using her forearms, shoulders, and elbows on the far side of the rules when she and Shields were fighting inside. Claressa didn’t complain. She just fired back.

The women were equally tough.

It was an action fight from beginning to end. Shields showed more fire and firepower than she had in previous outings. She had to in order to win. Each woman gave it everything she had. Both women dug deep in the second half of the fight.

The judges 97-93, 97-93, 94-94 verdict in Shields’s favor was on the mark.

Boxing in the United Kingdom needed a boost in the wake of the ongoing Conor Benn performance-enhancing-drug scandal. Shields and Marshall delivered it.

Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book – In the Inner Sanctum: Behind the Scenes at Big Fights – was just published by the 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.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Share The Sweet Science experience!

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.”

Advertisement

Featured Articles

Remembering the Macho Man, Hector Camacho, a Great Sporting Character

Published

on

Remembering-the-Macho-Man-Hector-Camacho-a-Great-Sporting-Character

Twelve years ago tomorrow, on Nov. 24, 2012, Hector Camacho was officially declared dead. He was effectively dead before then, having suffered a heart attack in the hospital after his spinal cord had been severed by a bullet, but his attendants at the hospital in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, waited until his mother had arrived from New York to remove him from life support.

At the age of 50, one of the most charismatic personalities in the sporting life of America was silenced forever.

Hector “Macho” Camacho, the Macho Man, was flamboyant – boy was he ever – but he was also a great talent. A three-time New York City Golden Gloves champion, reputedly 96-4 as an amateur, he was undefeated in 31 bouts at 135 pounds and below and went on to conquer some of the sport’s biggest names – Boom Boom Mancini, Vinny Pazienza, Roberto Duran (twice), Sugar Ray Leonard – before the sun set on his long career.

Camacho was born in Bayamon but grew up in Spanish Harlem where his mother moved when he was four. He was 21 years old and 21-0 as a junior lightweight when he was first profiled in Sports Illustrated, then the best medium for enhancing the marketability of a young athlete. At this juncture in his life, Hector, who became a father at age 17, was still living in a Spanish Harlem housing project, sharing an apartment with his 38-year-old mother, his stepfather, three siblings, a niece and a nephew.

By then he had already been expelled from six schools and was no stranger to the legal system, having spent 3 Âœ months at New York’s notorious Rikers Island for — as Pat Putnam phrased it — borrowing other people’s automobiles without their permission.

The story in S.I. noted that Camacho’s reflexes were so quick that he could play two video games at once. Among his many physical attributes, it was his hand speed that attracted the most attention. When he ramped up his offense, his fists were a blur. But eventually, when folks thought of Camacho, what they remembered was his choirboy face with the spit curl in the middle of his forehead and his outrageous ring costumes which ran the gamut from a loincloth to a dress.

Hot-dogging came natural to Hector Camacho; it was embedded in his DNA. And in common with Muhammad Ali, he could be arrogant without coming across as arrogant. There was an impish quality to his bravado. He was fun to be around and, in his own words, could light up a room like a Christmas tree.

What Camacho lacked was any capacity for embarrassment.

Former WBA super bantamweight champion Clarence “Bones” Adams, who is now the proprietor of a Las Vegas gym that bears his name, became fast friends with the Macho Man when both trained in Las Vegas, the host city for their most lucrative fights. Mention Camacho’s name to Adams and a smile creases his face if he doesn’t burst out laughing.

“One day after Hector and I had gone jogging,” recollects Adams, “we drove over to the old White Cross Drugs [on the north Strip near the Stratosphere] to grab a bite to eat at their lunch counter. When we left and were standing outside by the car, Hector said, ‘Hold on a minute, I have to go pee.’ I said I’ll wait for you but then I noticed he was already peeing. Some cars honked as they passed by.

“Greg Hannely, my manager at the time, and I went to Detroit in 2000 to support Hector who was on the undercard of a show featuring Thomas Hearns. At the weigh-in, Hector wore a long shirt with nothing underneath it. This wasn’t apparent until he stepped off the scale and started doing jumping jacks.

“Hector,” continues Adams, “once had a Ferrari that he misplaced; he couldn’t remember where he parked it. He never did recover that car, but he wasn’t too bothered by it. His attitude was, ‘there’s always more where it came from.’” (Presumably this was the same Ferrari that Camacho was driving when he was ticketed for driving too slow with a suspended license on a Florida highway while being pleasured by a woman sitting astride him.)

Historians would compartmentalize Camacho’s career into two segments. Part One ended with his successful lightweight title defense against Edwin Rosario at Madison Square Garden on June 13, 1986.

Camacho kept his undefeated record intact, prevailing on a split decision, but ended the fight looking as if he had taken all the worst of it. Badly hurt in the fifth round and again in the 11th, he repaired to his dressing room with a swollen nose and two black eyes.

This fight, reads a story in a Canadian paper, “persuaded him to scale back his ultra-aggressive style in favor of a more cerebral, defensive approach.” That’s a diplomatic way of saying that Camacho devolved into a runner.

In his next fight, Camacho proved too clever for Cornelius Boza-Edwards, winning a unanimous decision, but the crowd didn’t like it when Hector spent the last two rounds on his bicycle and there were boos aplenty as the match wended to its conclusion. This would be the Macho Man’s final fight as a lightweight. He moved up to 140 where a slew of attractive match-ups awaited, notably a showdown with Julio Cesar Chavez.

Camacho and Chavez touched gloves in Las Vegas on Sept. 13, 1992, before an announced crowd of 19,100 at the UNLV basketball arena in what reportedly was the fastest sellout in Las Vegas boxing history up to that date. Chavez, widely seen as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, advanced his record to 82-0 with a lopsided decision, winning all 12 rounds on the card of one of the judges. The Macho Man, who had avenged his lone defeat to Greg Haugen, declined to 41-2.

This wasn’t a milquetoast performance by Camacho. He simply couldn’t deal with Chavez’s unrelenting pressure. LA Times scribe Alan Malamud wrote that Hector showed unexpected grit by trading with Chavez after his legs were gone, thereby reducing him to a stationary target. But more brickbats came Camacho’s way following setbacks to Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya. He lasted the distance in both bouts but was roundly out-pointed. By the third round of the De La Hoya fight, wrote Kevin Iole, it was a foregone conclusion that De La Hoya would win.

Between the Trinidad and De La Hoya fights, staged 44 months apart, Camacho had 21 fights and won them all. His victims were mostly journeyman with two notable exceptions. On June 22, 1996, he scored a 12-round unanimous decision over 45-year-old Roberto Duran. Eight months later, he defeated another faded legend when he stopped Sugar Ray Leonard in the fifth round. Leonard, who had been out of the ring for six years, was forever retiring and unretiring and Camacho retired him for good. Both bouts were in Atlantic City.

A wag wrote that Sugar Ray was 40 years old going on 41 and that Camacho was 35 years old going on puberty.

Camacho’s advisors kept him busy to keep his name in the news and Hector did his part by making the news for bad behavior outside the ring. In January of 2005, he was arrested for the November 2004 burglary of a computer store in Gulfport, Mississippi. He went there to retrieve a laptop that was being repaired but entered the property after hours by way of the ceiling. An illegal drug, ecstasy, was found in his hotel room when he was placed under arrest.

After serving five months in jail, Camacho was released with the understanding that he would be placed under house arrest for one year when he returned to Puerto Rico but, by all accounts, the authorities in Puerto Rico were never notified of this arrangement.

Camacho’s frequent misdeeds, once seen as the amusing antics of a fun-loving man-child, came to be seen in a different light as he grew older; as a pattern of behavior that betrayed a dark side in his personality.

In a 1985 conversation with New York Times boxing writer Michael Katz, Camacho’s estranged manager Billy Giles said, “someday he’ll wind up like Tyrone Everett, maybe worse,” the reference to a talented junior lightweight from Philadelphia who was murdered under sordid circumstances.

That proved to be eerily prophetic.

Camacho had 20 more fights after his hollow performance against Oscar De La Hoya, ending his career as a bloated middleweight. His only noteworthy opponent during this final phase of his boxing career was Duran who was then 50 years old when they clashed in Denver. In a bout that echoed their first meeting, Hector won a unanimous decision. This was Roberto Duran’s farewell fight. Camacho soldiered on for eight more bouts, winning five.

In November of 2012, thirty months after his last ring assignment, Hector Camacho and a companion were ambushed as they sat in a car in the darkened parking lot of a Bayamon, Puerto Rico bar. The companion died instantly in the hail of bullets. Police found nine packets of cocaine on the decedent and an open packet of cocaine in the car.

Camacho’’s funeral was held at Harlem’s landmark Saint Cecilia’s Church. Hundreds of mourners stood in the cold outside the church as his casket was being placed in the funeral car. They cheered and shouted Camacho’s battle cry, “Macho Time,” as the hearse pulled away.

They say you shouldn’t speak bad about the dead, so we will let Bones Adams have the last word. “Hector had his demons,” says Adams, “but he was a great friend, a nice, kind, and caring guy.”

Editor’s note: For more on Hector Camacho, check out Christian Giudice’s biography, “Macho Time: The Meteoric Rise and Tragic Fall of Hector Camacho,” published by Hamilcar in 2020.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Share The Sweet Science experience!
Continue Reading

Featured Articles

Avila Perspective, Chap. 304: A Year of Transformation in Boxing and More

Published

on

Avila-Perspective-Chap-304-A-Year-of-Transformation-in-Boxing-and-More

A subtle transformation in professional boxing is taking place with the biggest fights no longer placed in Las Vegas, New York or Los Angeles. Instead, they are heading to the Middle East.

Golden Boy Promotions joined the crowd last week with one of their stronger fight cards taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The main attractions were new unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez of Mexico along with Puerto Rico’s diminutive Oscar Collazo unifying the minimumweight division.

And there is more to come.

Matchroom Boxing seemed to lead the way in this rerouting of major boxing events. It goes as far back as December 2019 when Anthony Joshua fought Andy Ruiz in a rematch for the heavyweight championship in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

Little by little major fights are being rerouted to Saudi Arabia.

Is it a good thing or not?

For promoters looking to cut costs it’s definitely welcomed. But what does it do for the fan base accustomed to saving their money to buy tickets for one or two major events?

Now there is talk of Shakur Stevenson, Devin Haney and Terence Crawford heading to the Middle East to fight on major cards sponsored by “Riyad Spring.” It’s a new avenue for the sport of pro boxing.

This past week Golden Boy and its roster of Latino fighters took its turn and showed off their brand of aggressive fights. Some like Collazo and Arnold Barboza made the best of their moments. And, of course, Zurdo proved he should have moved up in weight years ago. He could be the Comeback Fighter of the Year.

Benavidez vs Morrell

Interim light heavyweight champion David Benavidez accepted a challenge from WBA light heavyweight titlist David Morrell to meet on Feb. 1 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Bad blood between the two tall fighters already exists.

Morrell claims Benavidez is over-rated.

“I’m getting the knockout. 100%. He’s all talk and no bite. He can’t do what he thinks he’s gonna do,” said Morrell. “He has no idea what he’s talking about, but he’s provoking me and now I want to go out there and beat the crap out of him. I’m here now and none of that talk matters.”

Benavidez begs to differ.

“Here we are again. I told you that I was going to give you the fights you want to see, and now we’re here,” Benavidez said while in Los Angeles. “Morrell has been talking about me for a while and disrespecting me. He wanted to make it personal with me, so I’m personally going to break his mouth. That’ll give him something to remember me by.”

Also scheduled to fight on the fight card are Isaac Cruz, Stephen Fulton, Brandon Figueroa and Jesus Ramos Jr.

Netflix

No surprise for me with the massive success of the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson event on the Most Valuable Promotions boxing card last week.

According to Netflix there were 108 million people tuned into the event last Friday that also featured the incredible Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor rematch. Another exciting card was the men’s welterweight clash between Mario Barrios and Abel Ramos that ended in a draw.

If fans weren’t satisfied with the Paul fight, they certainly got their fulfillment with the world title fights, especially Serrano and Taylor who were estimated to be viewed by more than 72 million people. No female fight in history can touch those numbers.

So, what’s next for Netflix in terms of boxing?

West Coast Blues

Southern California is usually a hotbed for boxing events no matter what time of the year. But this year only a few boxing cards are taking place within a driving distance until the end of the year.

Las Vegas is in slumber and Southern California has a few smaller boxing cards still on schedule. Arizona has a significant Top Rank fight card in a few weeks as does Golden Boy Promotions in the Inland Empire.

Here are some upcoming fight events worth noting:

Dec. 5 – at OC Hangar in Costa Mesa, Calif. Vlad Panin vs Sal Briceno by SOCA Fights.

Dec. 7 – at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Rafael Espinoza vs Robeisy Ramirez and Oscar Valdez vs Emanuel Navarrete by Top Rank.

Dec. 13, at Chumash Casino 360 in Santa Ynez, Calif. Carlos Balderas vs Cesar Villarraga by 360 Promotions.

Dec. 14 at Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif. Alexis Rocha vs Raul Curiel by Golden Boy Promotions.

Turkeys in East L.A.

The 25th annual Turkey Giveaway by Golden Boy takes place on Saturday Nov. 23, at Oscar De La Hoya Animo High School starting at 11 a.m.

It’s incredible that 25 years have passed since the inception of this yearly event. Many current and past fighters for the promotion company will be passing out turkeys and meeting fans. Among those expected to appear are Alexis Rocha, Victor Morales, Joel Iriarte, Bryan Lua and others.

Photo: Eddie Hearn, Frank Warren, and HE Turki Alalshikh at the Joshua-Dubois fight

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Share The Sweet Science experience!
Continue Reading

Featured Articles

Philly’s Jesse Hart Continues His Quest plus Thoughts on Tyson-Paul and ‘Boots’ Ennis

Published

on

Philly's-Jesse-Jart-Continues-His-Quest-plus-Thoughts-on-Yuson-Paul-and-Boots-Ennis

Jesse Hart (31-3, 25 KOs) returns to the ring tomorrow night (Friday, Nov. 22) on a Teflon Promotions card at the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University. During a recent media workout for the show, which will feature five other local fighters in separate bouts, Hart was adamant that fighting for the second time this year at home will only help in his continuing quest to push towards a second chance at a world championship. “Fighting at home is always great and it just makes sense from a business standpoint since I already have a name in the sport and in the city,” said Hart (pictured on the left).

Hart’s view of where his career currently resides in relation to the landscape in the light heavyweight division leads you to believe that, at the age of 35, Hart is realistic about how far he can go before his career is over.

“Make good fights, win those fights, fight as much as I can and stay busy, that’s the way the light heavyweight division won’t be able to ignore me,” he says. Aside from two losses back in 2017 and 2018 to current unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez at super middleweight, Hart’s only other defeat was to Joe Smith during Smith’s most successful portion of his career.

When attempts to make fights with (at the time) up-and-coming prospects like Edgar Berlanga and David Benavidez were denied with Hart being viewed as the typical high risk-low reward opponent, it was time to find another way.  So, Hart decided to stay local after splitting with Top Rank Promotions post-surgery to repair his longtime right-hand issues and hooked up with Teflon Promotions, an upstart company that is the latest to take on the noble endeavor of trying to return North Broad Street and Atlantic City to boxing prominence.

In essence, it is a calculated move that is potentially a win-win situation for all parties. Continued success for Hart along with some of the titles at light heavyweight eventually being released from Artur Beterbiev’s grasp due to outside politics, and Jesse Hart just may lift up Teflon Promotions into a major player on the regional scene.

Tickets for Friday’s show are available on Ticketmaster platforms.

**

As we entered November, a glance at the boxing schedule made me wonder if it was possible for the sport to have a memorable month — one that could shine a light forward in boxing’s ongoing quest to regain relevance in today’s sports landscape. Having consecutive weekends with events that could spark interest in the pugilistic artform and its wonderful characters was what I was hoping for, but what we got instead was more evidence that boxing isn’t immune to modern business practices landing a one-two punch on the action both inside and outside of the ring.

Jaron “Boots” Ennis was expected to make a statement in his rematch with Karen Chukhadzian on Nov. 9, a statement to put the elite level champions around his weight class on notice. What we witnessed, however, was more evidence of how current champions in their prime can be hampered by having to navigate a business that functions through the cooperation of independent contractors. Ennis got the job done – he won – but it was a lackluster performance.

It’s time for Ennis to fight the fighters we already thought we would have seen him fight by now and I do believe there is some truth to Ennis rising to the occasion if there was a more noteworthy name across the ring.

Some positives emerged from the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul event the following week. Amanda Serrano, Katie Taylor, and women’s boxing are finally getting the public recognition they deserve. Mario Barrios’s draw against the tough Abel Ramos, also on the Netflix broadcast, was an action-packed firefight. So, mainstream America and beyond got to witness actual fights before being subjected to Paul’s latest circus.

Unfortunately for fans, but fortunately for Paul, the lone true boxing star in the main event dimmed out from an athletic standpoint decades ago. In this instance modern business practices allowed for a social media influencer to stage his largest money grab from a completely unnuanced public.

As Paul rose to the ring apron from the steps and looked around “Jerry’s World,” taking in the moment, it reminded me of an actual fighter when they’re about to enter the ring taking in the atmosphere before they risk their lives after a lifetime of dedication to try and realize a childhood dream. In this case though, this was a natural-born hustler realizing as he made it to the ring apron that his hustle was likely having its moment of glory.

In boxing circles, Jake Paul is viewed as a “necessary evil.”  What occurs in his fights are merely an afterthought to the spectacle that is at the core of the social media realm that birthed him. Hopefully the public learned from the atrocity that occurred once the exhibition started that smoke and mirrors last for only so long. Hopefully Paul’s moment of being a boxing performer and acting like a true fighter comes to its conclusion. But he isn’t going away anytime soon, especially since his promotional company is now in bed with Netflix.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

 

Share The Sweet Science experience!
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Remembering-the-Macho-Man-Hector-Camacho-a-Great-Sporting-Character
Featured Articles1 day ago

Remembering the Macho Man, Hector Camacho, a Great Sporting Character

The-Hauser-Report-Some-Thoughts-on-Mike-Tyson-v-Jake-Paul
Featured Articles1 week ago

The Hauser Report: Some Thoughts on Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul

Omar-Trinidad-Defeats-Argentina’s-Hector-Sosa-and-Other-Results.jpg
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Omar Trinidad Defeats Argentina’s Hector Sosa and Other Results

Avila-Perspective-Chap-301-Mike-Tyson-Returns-Latino-Night-in-Riyadh
Featured Articles1 week ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 304: Mike Tyson Returns; Latino Night in Riyadh

Foreman-Moorer-30-Years-Later
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Foreman-Moorer: 30 Years Later

With-Olympic-Boxing-on-the-Ropes-Three-Elite-U.S.-Amateurs-Shine-in-Colorado
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

With Olympic Boxing on the Ropes, Three Elite U.S. Amateurs Shine in Colorado

Floyd-Schofield-Wins-a-Banger-and Gabriella-Fundora-Wins-by-KO
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Floyd Schofield Wins a Banger and Gabriela Fundora Wins by KO

The-Davis-Brothers-Hit-the-Perfecta-on-Their-Norfolk-Homecoming
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

The Davis Brothers Hit the Trifecta in Their Norfolk Homecoming

Boots-and-Bam-Win-in-Philly
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Boots and Bam Win in Philly

Golden-Boy-in-Royadh-Results-Zurdo-Ramirez-Unifies-Cruiserweight-Titles
Featured Articles1 week ago

Golden Boy in Riyadh Results: Zurdo Ramirez Unifies Cruiserweight Titles

Say-It-Ain't-So-Oliver-McCall-Returns-to-the-Ring-Next-Week
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Say It Ain’t So: Oliver McCall Returns to the Ring Next Week

Boxing-Odds-and-Ends-Oscar-Collazo-Reimagining-The-Ring-Magazine-and-More
Featured Articles5 days ago

Boxing Odds and Ends: Oscar Collazo, Reimagining ‘The Ring’ Magazine and More

Hake-Paul-Defeats-Mike-Tyson-and-Other-Resulys-from-Arlington-Texas
Featured Articles1 week ago

Jake Paul Defeats Mike Tyson plus Other Results from Arlington, Texas

Avila-Perspective-Chap-303-East-Coast-Fight-Cards-Seize-the-Boxing-Spotlight
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 303: East Coast Fight Cards Seize the Boxing Spotlight

Remembering-Prizefighters-Danny-Nardico-and-Billy-Murray-A-Story-for-Veterans-Day
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Remembering Prizefighters Danny Nardico and Billy Murray: A Story for Veterans Day

Avila-Perspective-Chap-303-Spotlights-on-Lightweights-and-More
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

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

Boxing-Was-a-Fertile-Arena-for-Award-Winning-Sportswriter-Gary-Smith
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Boxing was a Fertile Arena for Award-Winning Sportswriter Gary Smith

Bakhram-Murtalaziev-was-the-Fighter-of-the-Month-in-October
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Bakhram Murtalaziev was the Fighter of the Month in October

Avila-Perspective-Chap-304-A-Year-of-Transformation-in-Boxing-and-More
Featured Articles2 days ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 304: A Year of Transformation in Boxing and More

Philly's-Jesse-Jart-Continues-His-Quest-plus-Thoughts-on-Yuson-Paul-and-Boots-Ennis
Featured Articles3 days ago

Philly’s Jesse Hart Continues His Quest plus Thoughts on Tyson-Paul and ‘Boots’ Ennis

Remembering-the-Macho-Man-Hector-Camacho-a-Great-Sporting-Character
Featured Articles1 day ago

Remembering the Macho Man, Hector Camacho, a Great Sporting Character

Avila-Perspective-Chap-304-A-Year-of-Transformation-in-Boxing-and-More
Featured Articles2 days ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 304: A Year of Transformation in Boxing and More

Philly's-Jesse-Jart-Continues-His-Quest-plus-Thoughts-on-Yuson-Paul-and-Boots-Ennis
Featured Articles3 days ago

Philly’s Jesse Hart Continues His Quest plus Thoughts on Tyson-Paul and ‘Boots’ Ennis

Boxing-Odds-and-Ends-Oscar-Collazo-Reimagining-The-Ring-Magazine-and-More
Featured Articles5 days ago

Boxing Odds and Ends: Oscar Collazo, Reimagining ‘The Ring’ Magazine and More

The-Hauser-Report-Some-Thoughts-on-Mike-Tyson-v-Jake-Paul
Featured Articles1 week ago

The Hauser Report: Some Thoughts on Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul

Golden-Boy-in-Royadh-Results-Zurdo-Ramirez-Unifies-Cruiserweight-Titles
Featured Articles1 week ago

Golden Boy in Riyadh Results: Zurdo Ramirez Unifies Cruiserweight Titles

Hake-Paul-Defeats-Mike-Tyson-and-Other-Resulys-from-Arlington-Texas
Featured Articles1 week ago

Jake Paul Defeats Mike Tyson plus Other Results from Arlington, Texas

Avila-Perspective-Chap-301-Mike-Tyson-Returns-Latino-Night-in-Riyadh
Featured Articles1 week ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 304: Mike Tyson Returns; Latino Night in Riyadh

Say-It-Ain't-So-Oliver-McCall-Returns-to-the-Ring-Next-Week
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Say It Ain’t So: Oliver McCall Returns to the Ring Next Week

Boxing-Was-a-Fertile-Arena-for-Award-Winning-Sportswriter-Gary-Smith
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Boxing was a Fertile Arena for Award-Winning Sportswriter Gary Smith

Remembering-Prizefighters-Danny-Nardico-and-Billy-Murray-A-Story-for-Veterans-Day
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Remembering Prizefighters Danny Nardico and Billy Murray: A Story for Veterans Day

Boots-and-Bam-Win-in-Philly
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Boots and Bam Win in Philly

The-Davis-Brothers-Hit-the-Perfecta-on-Their-Norfolk-Homecoming
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

The Davis Brothers Hit the Trifecta in Their Norfolk Homecoming

Avila-Perspective-Chap-303-East-Coast-Fight-Cards-Seize-the-Boxing-Spotlight
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 303: East Coast Fight Cards Seize the Boxing Spotlight

With-Olympic-Boxing-on-the-Ropes-Three-Elite-U.S.-Amateurs-Shine-in-Colorado
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

With Olympic Boxing on the Ropes, Three Elite U.S. Amateurs Shine in Colorado

Floyd-Schofield-Wins-a-Banger-and Gabriella-Fundora-Wins-by-KO
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Floyd Schofield Wins a Banger and Gabriela Fundora Wins by KO

Results-and-Recaps-from-Turning-Stone-where-O'Shaquie-Foster-Nipped-Robson-Conceicao
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

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

Avila-Perspective-Chap-303-Spotlights-on-Lightweights-and-More
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

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

Bakhram-Murtalaziev-was-the-Fighter-of-the-Month-in-October
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Bakhram Murtalaziev was the Fighter of the Month in October

Foreman-Moorer-30-Years-Later
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Foreman-Moorer: 30 Years Later

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending

Advertisement