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Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser
Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser
Do you think it would be fun to be a ring announcer?
If you don’t like waiting in airports, taking dozens of flights a year, and living out of hotel rooms, think again.
David Diamante lives in New York City. This was his travel itinerary for 2022:
New York – Atlanta – New York
New York – San Diego – New York
New York – London – Nottingham – London – New York
New York – Manchester – Leeds – Manchester – Barcelona – Ibiza – Marseille – Barcelona – Manchester – Milan – Verbania – Milan – New York
New York – Las Vegas – New York
New York – Milan – Florence – London – Bilbao – London – New York
New York – London – Cardiff – London – Houston – Guadalajara – New York
New York – San Antonio – New York
New York – London – New York
New York – London – Sheffield – London – New York
New York – Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) – Qatar (Doha) – New York
New York – Mexico City – Sonora – Mexico City – New York
New York- Las Vegas – New York
New York – London – Nottingham – London – Mexico City – New York
New York – London – New York
New York – Mexico City – New York
New York- London – New York
New York – Abu Dhabi – New York
New York – Cleveland – New York
New York – London – New York
New York – Phoenix – New York
New York – London – Leeds – London â
So . . . what does Diamante do with his time off?
Among other things, he goes to fights. Four days before Christmas, he was at Sony Hall in Times Square where Larry Goldberg was promoting a club fight show.
In the opening bout, Alejandro Luis Silva (19-0-1, 14 KOs) squared off against Issah Samir (19-1, 16 KOs, 1 KO by) in an 8-round middleweight contest. The fighters’ records were deceiving. Samir is 38 years old. It has been forty months since his hand was raised in victory. Silva dropped him with a body shot in round one, and Issah showed no interest in getting up.
That was followed by Anthony Sims Jr. (22-1, 20 KOs) vs. Anthony Todd (14-6, 8 KOs, 2 KOs by) – eight rounds, middleweights. Sims won an 80-72, 80-72, 79-73 decision in a fight that was evocative of a sparring session.
Next up; female junior-bantamweights, Sulem Urbina (13-2-1, 2 KOs) vs. Indeya Smith (5-6-2, 1 KO). Smith has little form and less power. But she kept moving forward, throwing punches. And Urbina didn’t know how to deal with her. Smith won a 79-73, 79-73, 77-75 decision.
Bout number four showcased club fights at their best. Nadim Salloum (9-1, 4 KOs) took on Decarlo Perez (19-6-1, 6 KOs, 3 KOs by) in an eight-round super-middleweight bout.
“The skill level might not be high,” Diamante noted. “But it’s a real fight, a lot of action with two tough guys giving it everything they have. I love fights like this.”
Then things turned sour.
Perez won the fight. At least, that’s how it appeared to most knowledgeable observers at ringside. But the New York State Athletic Commission is known for erratic scoring that often favors the house fighter. And Salloum (a prolific ticket seller) was the house fighter. Judge John McKaie’s scorecard was read first – Â a 76-76 draw. Then the other two judges were heard from – a gift-wrapped 78-74 (Tony Lundy) and 77-75 (Marcel Varela) for Salloum. Perez got a lump of coal for Christmas.
The final bout showcased flyweight Andy Dominguez (8-0, 6 KOs) against Marvin Solano (24-7, 8 KOs, 2 KOs by). Dominguez has charisma and is a legitimate prospect. But he didn’t go to the body often enough and missed badly with wild right hands throughout the fight en route to a 78-73, 78-73, 76-75 triumph.
“Andy can afford to be wild with an opponent like this,” Diamante observed. “But not when he moves up in class and fights better fighters.”
And how did David feel about the evening?
“I love club shows,” Diamante offered. “Fighters leave the amateurs and this is where the next leg of their journey begins. The headgear comes off. The lights get brighter. The gloves get smaller. For me, club shows like this are the heart and soul of boxing. And I love the vibe. It’s rare for me now to be at a show where I’m not working. But on a night like tonight, I can relax, schmooze with boxing people, and hang out with friends. This is all love for me. Hats off to Larry Goldberg for promoting this show.
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In an October 21 article posted on this site, I criticized a decision by the Nevada Athletic Commission to categorize slap fighting as unarmed combat that will be allowed when conducted pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the State of Nevada and overseen by the commission. A critique of slap fighting is contained in that article.
On November 16, the NAC granted a license to Power Slap to promote slap fighting in Nevada. Also on November 16, the commission approved rules for slap fighting that appear to have been written by Power Slap.
These rules provide for weight classes for men and women. A competitor can win by knockout, technical knockout, or a decision (rendered by three judges). Fights will be scheduled for three-to-five rounds with a round consisting of one blow to the head inflicted by each competitor. Each round will be scored on a 10-point must system with points being determined by the strikerâs effectiveness, the defenderâs reaction, and the recovery time needed after taking a hit. Fouls can be called on strikers for clubbing, stepping, illegal wind-up, and delay. Strikers will be required to state in advance which hand they will be using and how long it will take for the slap to be delivered. A striker will be penalized if he deviates from this declaration. Fouls will be called against recipients of blows to the head for flinching, blocking, or delay. Penalties can result in a warning, points deduction, ordering a re-strike, the loss of a strike, or disqualification. The striker will have thirty seconds to deliver each slap. The recipient will have thirty seconds for recovery. A coin toss will determine who throws the first slap.
Striking first is an advantage because it weakens the opponent. But if first strikes are rotated, it will mean that combatants are hit with back-to-back blows to the head against which there is no defense. And these blows will be delivered while the effects of the previous blow are still being felt.
There’s a lot to criticize in the commission process. But the low point at the November 16 meeting came when NAC chairman Stephen Cloobeck asked UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell (one of the primary owners of Power Slap), âYou will make sure no one dies?â
âThat is priority 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10,â Campbell responded. âThat goes without saying.”
âYou will make sure that no one has severe brain injuries going forward?â Cloobeck said in the manner of a pitcher lobbing a slow pitch down the middle of the plate.
âThatâs correct,â Campbell answered. âHonestly, one of the reasons we tested this was to really understand firsthand in person the health and safety aspect of the sport.”
That’s utter nonsense. No one can guarantee that a combat sport participant won’t be killed or suffer brain damage as a consequence of fighting. Either Cloobeck knows that or he knows virtually nothing about the industry that he’s charged with overseeing other than the fact that people hit each other in the head and he gets free tickets for the fights.
I might add here that it would be interesting to see Power Slap’s contracts with combatants. An educated guess is that, despite Campbell’s assurances to the commission, Power Slap’s contracts require combatants to acknowledge the risk of severe injury (including brain damage) and death as a consequence of participating in Power Slap events and further require combatants to waive any claim they might have against Power Slap for damages re same.
Power Slap plans to air eight shows on TBS starting in January, hoping to give its new league the same sort of boost that The Ultimate Fighter on Spike gave UFC. The outtakes from the TBS show are more likely to be more revealing with regard to medical issues than the footage that the public and regulators are allowed to see. Do we really expect that, if Slap League or the commission doctors bungle a medical call, the public will be told about it?
It takes a while for chronic brain damage to manifest itself in fighters. But if a Power Slap competitor goes into a coma after being battered with multiple head blows that he was forbidden by the rules to defend against, maybe even NAC chairman Stephen Cloobeck will take notice of it.
Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book â In the Inner Sanctum: Behind the Scenes at Big Fights â was 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, Hauser was selected for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 289: East LA, Claressa Shields and More
East Los Angeles has long been a haven for some of the best fighters around if you can keep them out of trouble. For every Oscar De La Hoya or Seniesa Estrada there are thousands derailed by crime, drugs or drinking.
Boxing has always been a favorite sport of East L.A. Every family has an uncle or two who boxes.
On Friday, 360 Promotionsâ Omar Trinidad (15-0-1) fights Viktor Slavinskyi (15-2-1) in the main event at Commerce Casino, in Commerce, CA. UFC Fight Pass will stream the fight card.
The City of Commerce used to be part of East L.A. until 1960 when it incorporated. Itâs still considered to be part of East Los Angeles, but informally.
Plenty of fighters come out of East L.A. but few make it all the way like De La Hoya and Estrada. Will Trinidad be the one?
The first world champion from East L.A. or âEast Losâ as some call it, was Solly Garcia Smith back in the late 1800s. Others were Richie Lemos, Art Frias and Joey Olivo. There is also 1984 Olympic gold medalist Paul Gonzalez.
Once again 360 Promotions brings its popular brand of fights to the area. On this fight card includes two female bouts. One features Roxy Verduzco (1-0) the former amateur star fighting Colleen Davis (3-1-1) in a featherweight fight.
All that action takes place on Friday.
Elite Boxing
The next day, also in East L.A., Elite Boxing stages another boxing card at Salesian High School located at 960 S. Soto Street in the Boyle Heights area of East Los Angeles.
Elite Boxing has promoted several successful boxing cards at the Catholic high school grounds. The area is saturated by many of the best eateries in Los Angeles. Donât take my word for it. Check it out yourself and grab some of that delicious food.
Boxing has long been a favorite sport of anyone who lives in East L.A. Itâs a fight town equal to Philadelphia, Brooklyn or Detroit. Thereâs something different about the area. For more than 100 years some of the best fighters continue to come out of its boxing gyms. Some will be performing on these club shows.
For tickets or information go to www.eliteboxingusa.com
Claressa Shields in Detroit
Speaking of fight towns, pound-for-pound best Claressa Shields who won two Olympic Gold Medals in boxing, moves up another weight division to tackle the WBC heavyweight world champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse on Saturday, July 27, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
DAZN will stream the heavy-duty fight card.
Shields (14-0) cleaned out the super welterweight, middleweight and super middleweight divisions and now wants to add the big girls to her conquests. She will be facing Canadaâs Lepage-Joanisse  (7-1) who holds the WBC belt.
The last time Shields gloved up was more than a year ago when she fought Maricela Cornejo. Donât blame Shields. She loves to fight. She loves to win. The last time Shields lost a fight was in the amateurs and that was three presidential administrations ago.
Shields doesnât lose.
I wonder if Las Vegas even takes bets on her fights?
The only fight she may have been an underdog was against Savannah Marshall who was the last opponent to defeat her. And that was in 2012 in China. When they met as pros two years ago, Shields avenged her loss with a blistering attack.
Donât get Shields mad.
Perhaps her toughest foe as a pro was in her pro debut when she clashed with Franchon Crews-Dezurn in Las Vegas. It was four rounds of fists and fury as the two pounded each other on the undercard of Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev in November 2016.
That was a ferocious debut for both female pugilists.
Assisting Shields on this fight card will be several intriguing male bouts. One guy you should pay special attention is Tito Mercado (15-0, 14 KOs) a super lightweight prospect from Pomona, California.
Many excellent fighters have come out of Pomona including Sugar Shane Mosley, Shane Mosley Jr., Alberto Davila and Richie Sandoval who just passed away this week.
Sandoval was best known for his 15-round war with Philadelphiaâs Jeff Chandler for the bantamweight world title in 1984. Read the story by Arne K. Lang on this link: https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/featured-boxing-articles-boxing-news-videos-rankings-and-results/81467-former-world-bantamweight-champion-richie-sandoval-passes-away-at-age-63 .
Fights to Watch
Fri. UFC Fight Pass 7 p.m. Omar Trinidad (15-0-1) vs Viktor Slavinskyi (15-2-1).
Sat. ESPN+ 12:30 p.m. Joe Joyce (16-2) vs Derek Chisora (34-13).
Sat. DAZN Â 3 p.m. Claressa Shields (14-0) vs Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse (7-1), Michel Rivera (25-1) vs Hugo Roldan (22-2-1); Tito Mercado (15-0) vs Hector Sarmiento (21-2).
Omar Trinidad photo by Lina Baker
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Jake Paul can fight more than a little. The view from here is that he would make it interesting against any fringe contender in the cruiserweight division. However, Jakeâs boxing acumen pales when paired against his skill as a flim-flam artist.
Jake brought a 9-1 record into last weekendâs bout with Mike Perry. As noted by boxing writer Paul Magno, Jakeâs previous opponents consisted of âa You Tuber, a retired NBA star, five retired MMA stars, a part-time boxer/reality TV star, and two undersized and inactive fall-guy boxers.â
Mike Perry, a 32-year-old Floridian, was undefeated (6-0, 3 KOs) as a bare-knuckle boxer after forging a 14-8 record in UFC bouts. In pre-fight blurbs, Perry was billed as the baddest bare knuckle boxer of all time, but against Jake Paul he proved to have very unrefined skills as a conventional boxer which Team Paul undoubtedly knew all along. Perry lasted into the eighth round in a one-sided fight that could have been stopped a lot sooner.
Jake Paul is both a boxer and a promoter. As a promoter, he handles Amanda Serrano, one of the greatest female boxers in history. That makes him the person most responsible (because the buck stops with him) for the wretched mismatch in last Saturdayâs co-feature, the bout between Serrano and Stevie Morgan.
Morgan, who took up boxing two years ago at age 33, brought a 14-1 record. Nicknamed the Sledgehammer, she had won 13 of her 14 wins by knockout, eight in the opening round. However, although she resides in Florida, all but one of those 13 knockouts happened in Colombia.
âWe found that in Colombia there were just more opportunities for womenâs boxing than in the United States,â she told a prominent boxing writer whose name we wonât mention.
The truth is that, for some folks, Colombia is the boxing equivalent of a feeder lot for livestock, a place where a boxer can go to fatten their record. The opportunities there were no greater than in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1995. It was there that Peter McNeeley prepped for his match with Mike Tyson with a 6-second knockout of professional punching bag Frankie Hines. (Six seconds? So it would be written although no one seems to have been there to witness it.)
Serrano vs Morgan was understood to be a stay-busy fight for Amanda whose rematch with Katie Taylor was postponed until November. Stevie Morgan, to her credit, answered the bell for the second round whereas others in her situation would have remained on the stool and invented an injury to rationalize it. Thirty-eight seconds later it was all over and Ms. Morgan was free to go home and use her sledgehammer to do some light dusting.
The Paul-Perry and Serrano-Morgan fights played out in a sold-out arena in Tampa before an estimated 17,000. Those without a DAZN subscription paid $64.95 for the livestream. Paulâs next promotion, where he will touch gloves with 58-year-old Mike Tyson (unless Iron Mike pulls a Joe Biden and pulls out; a capital idea) with Serrano-Taylor II the semi-main, will almost certainly rake in more money than any other boxing promotion this year.
Asked his opinion of so-called crossover boxing by a reporter for a college newspaper, the venerable boxing promoter Bob Arum said, âItâs not my bag but folks who donât like it shouldnât get too worked up over it because no one is stealing from anybody.â True enough, but for some of us, the phenomenon is distressing.
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The next big womenâs fight happens Saturday in Detroit where Claressa Shields seeks a world title in a third weight class against WBC heavyweight belt-holder Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist, undefeated in 14 fights as a pro, Shields is very good, arguably the best female boxer of her generation which makes her, arguably, the best female boxer of all time. But turning away Lepage-Joanisse (7-1, 2 KOs) wonât elevate her stature in our eyes.
Purportedly 17-4 as an amateur, the Canadian won her title in her second crack at it. Back in August of 2017, she challenged Cancunâs Alejandra Jimenez in Cancun and was stopped in the third round. Entering the bout, Lepage-Joanisse was 3-0 as a pro and had never fought a match slated for more than four rounds.
Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse
True, on the womenâs side, the heavyweight bracket is a very small pod. A sanctioning body has to make concessions to harness a sanctioning fee. Nonetheless, how absurd that a woman who had answered the bell for only 11 rounds would be deemed qualified to compete for a world title. (FYI: Alejandra Jimenez was purportedly born a man. She left the sport with a 12-0-1 record after her win over Franchon Crews Dazurn was changed to a no-contest when she tested positive for the banned steroid stanozolol.)
Following her defeat to Jimenez, Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse, now 29 years old, was out of action for six-and-a-half years. When she returned, she was still a heavyweight, but a much slender heavyweight. She carried 231 pounds for Jimenez. In her most recent bout where she captured the vacant WBC title with a split decision over Argentinaâs Abril Argentina Vidal, she clocked in at 173 ÂŒ. (On the distaff side, thereâs no uniformity among the various sanctioning bodies as to what constitutes a heavyweight.)
Claressa Shields doesnât need Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse to reinforce her credentials as a future Hall of Famer. She made the cut a long time ago.
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Richie Sandoval, who won the WBA and lineal bantamweight title in one of the biggest upsets of the 1980s and then, not quite two years later, suffered near-fatal injuries in a title defense, has passed away at the age of 63.
News circulated fast in the Las Vegas boxing community on Monday, July 22, the grapevine actuated by a tweet from Hall of Fame matchmaker Bruce Trampler: âBoxing and the Top Rank family lost one of our own last night in the passing of former WBA bantamweight champion Richie Sandoval. It hurts personally and professionally to know that Richie is gone at age 63. RIP campeon.â
Details are vague but the cause of death was apparently a sudden heart attack that Sandoval experienced while visiting the Southern California home of his son of the same name.
Richie Sandoval put the LA County community of Pomona, California, on the boxing map before Shane Mosley came along and gave the town a more frequently-cited mention in the sports section of the papers. He came from a fighting family. An older brother, Albert âSuperflyâ Sandoval, became a big draw at LAâs fabled Olympic Auditorium while building a 35-2-1 record that included a failed bid to capture Lupe Pintorâs world bantamweight title.
Richie was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic boxing team that was stranded when U.S. President Jimmy Carter (and many other world leaders) boycotted the event as a protest against Russiaâs invasion of Afghanistan.
As a pro, Sandovalâs signature win was a 15th-round stoppage of Jeff Chandler. They fought on April 7, 1984 in Atlantic City. Chandler was making the tenth defense of his world bantamweight title.
Despite being a heavy underdog, Sandoval dominated the fight, winning almost every round until the referee stepped in and waived it off. Chandler, who was 33-1-2 heading in and had avenged his lone defeat, never fought again.
Sandoval made two successful defenses before risking his title against Gaby Canizales on the undercard of Hagler-Mugabi in the outdoor stadium at Caesars Palace. In round seven, Sandoval, who had a hellish time making the weight, was knocked down three times and suffered a seizure as he collapsed from the third knockdown. Stretchered out of the ring, he was rushed to the hospital where doctors reduced the swelling in his brain and beat the odds to save his life. This would be Richieâs lone defeat. He finished his pro career with a record of 29-1 (17 KOs).
Bob Arum cushioned some of the pain by giving Richie a $25,000 bonus and offering him a lifetime job at Top Rank which Richie accepted. And let the record show that Arum was good to his word.
A more elaborate portrait of Richie Sandoval was published in these pages in 2017. You can check it out HERE. May he rest in peace.
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Middleweight Title Fight Canceled; Super Welterweight Sizzler Announced by Golden Boy
Angelo Leoâs Homecoming Fight in Albuquerque was Fermented on ProBox
Former World Bantamweight Champion Richie Sandoval Passes Away at Age 63
Jesse âBamâ Rodriguez is the Boss at 115, but Donât Sleep on Ioka vs Martinez
Results and Recaps from Philly where âBootsâ Ennis Stomped Out David Avanesyan
Results & Recaps from Miami where Teofimo Lopez Out-Classed Steve Claggett
Shakur Improves to 22-0 and Christmas Comes Early for Conceicao in Newark
Trevor McCumby Fell Off the Map and Now Heâs Back with a Big Fight on the Horizon
Kalkreuth and Fulghum Score Uninspired Wins over Late Subs at Fantasy Springs
Jesse Rodriguez KOs Juan Francisco Estrada Before a Roaring Crowd in Phoenix
Lamont Roach TKOs Teak-Tough Feargal McCrory in a Homecoming Title Defense
U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Fidel La Barba Was a Phenom After a Rocky Start
Aaron McKenna and Kieron Conway Victorious in Osaka
Avila Perspective, Chap. 287: Boxing Wars on Tap in Philadelphia and Las Vegas
Fernando Martinez Ratches Up the Heat in the Hot Super Flyweight Division
Shane Mosley Jr Turns Away Daniel Jacobs in the Co-Feature to Masvidal-Diaz
Results and Recaps from Ontario Where William Zepeda KOed Giovanni Cabrera
‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez Delights the Home Folks: TKOs Barrera in 10
Amanda Serrano and Jake Paul Vanquish Overmatched Foes in Tampa
The Mirage Goes Dark and Another Storied Venue for Boxing Bites the Dust
Avila Perspective, Chap. 289: East LA, Claressa Shields and More
Arneâs Almanac: Jake Paul and Womenâs Boxing, a Curmudgeonâs Take
Former World Bantamweight Champion Richie Sandoval Passes Away at Age 63
Amanda Serrano and Jake Paul Vanquish Overmatched Foes in Tampa
Nakatani Strengthens his Pound-for-Pound Credentials: Blasts Out Astrolabio
Results and Recaps from Fantasy Springs where Rocha Topped Dominguez
Literary Notes from Thomas Hauser
Avila Perspective, Chap. 288: Jake Paul and Amanda Serrano
The Mirage Goes Dark and Another Storied Venue for Boxing Bites the Dust
A Conversation with Legendary Phoenix Boxing Writer Norm Frauenheim
Aaron McKenna and Kieron Conway Victorious in Osaka
Results and Recaps from Philly where âBootsâ Ennis Stomped Out David Avanesyan
Muratalla Nips Farmer and Segawa Upsets Villa on a Top Rank Card in Las Vegas
‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez Delights the Home Folks: TKOs Barrera in 10
Middleweight Title Fight Canceled; Super Welterweight Sizzler Announced by Golden Boy
Avila Perspective, Chap. 287: Boxing Wars on Tap in Philadelphia and Las Vegas
Trevor McCumby Fell Off the Map and Now Heâs Back with a Big Fight on the Horizon
Fernando Martinez Ratches Up the Heat in the Hot Super Flyweight Division
Shane Mosley Jr Turns Away Daniel Jacobs in the Co-Feature to Masvidal-Diaz
Shakur Improves to 22-0 and Christmas Comes Early for Conceicao in Newark
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Featured Articles2 weeks agoMiddleweight Title Fight Canceled; Super Welterweight Sizzler Announced by Golden Boy
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Featured Articles3 weeks agoAngelo Leoâs Homecoming Fight in Albuquerque was Fermented on ProBox
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Featured Articles4 days agoFormer World Bantamweight Champion Richie Sandoval Passes Away at Age 63
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Featured Articles4 weeks agoJesse âBamâ Rodriguez is the Boss at 115, but Donât Sleep on Ioka vs Martinez
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Featured Articles2 weeks agoResults and Recaps from Philly where âBootsâ Ennis Stomped Out David Avanesyan
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Featured Articles4 weeks agoResults & Recaps from Miami where Teofimo Lopez Out-Classed Steve Claggett
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Featured Articles3 weeks agoShakur Improves to 22-0 and Christmas Comes Early for Conceicao in Newark
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Featured Articles2 weeks agoTrevor McCumby Fell Off the Map and Now Heâs Back with a Big Fight on the Horizon