Featured Articles
Luis Nery Defeats Azat Hovhannisyan in an Instant Classic at Pomona
POMONA — Expectations were high when Luis Nery and Azat Hovhannisyan entered the prize ring. They quickly proved the ceiling was too low to the sold-out crowd with an explosion of punches and blows that left the Pomona crowd breathless on Saturday.
Pomona, consider yourself baptized into the boxing world.
Mexico’s Nery (34-1, 26 KOs) defeated Armenia’s Hovhannisyan (21-4, 17 KOs) by knockout in the 11th round, but not before tantalizing the fans at Fox Theater with dizzying back and forth action in the Golden Boy Promotions main event.
Fans roared and even three Hall of Fame boxers sitting in the audience had looks of astonishment at the hellfire administered by the two prizefighters. Who said boxing is dying?
Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Sugar Shane Mosley sat and watched with eyes riveted to the action swirling in the boxing ring like a full-fledged cyclone.
Tijuana’s Nery, a southpaw, had expected a firefight of some degree, but normally his fleet footedness and quickness allow him the freedom to pick and choose moments to stand and punch.
Not tonight.
Hovhannisyan usually devours opponents with a steady stream of nonstop blows, but was more calculating against the former bantamweight and super bantamweight world champion. He took a few rounds to probe and study the Mexican fighter’s moves. But that’s all.
After both fighters urged the other on with hand gestures and taunts, the action ignited in the third round and fans realized something special was going on.
Nery’s defense and quickness allowed him to set traps for the constant rushes by Hovhannisyan. But the Armenian fighter with a relentless style took the blows with zeal just to be able to land his own. At the end of three rounds the fighter called “Crazy A” was bloodied and bruised. But he walked to his corner with a look of hunger similar to bloodlust.
In the fourth round, Hovhannisyan opened up with big blows that caught Nery flush. He seemed embarrassed and retaliated with savagery, as if to punish the Armenian fighter for shaming him.
Then came the fifth round and once again Hovhannisyan embarrassed the Mexican fighter with quickly timed combos that caught the interest of the crowd. Nery countered with a furious assault of his own that sent Hovhannisyan reeling backwards. And when he charged to empty more blows, he ran into Hovhannisyan’s buzzsaw blows. Both stood looking at each other with a little surprise in their eyes.
It was just getting started.
Nery’s quickness could not be matched, but Hovhannisyan waited for the Mexican fighter to launch his combinations and then countered with his own. A couple of times Nery seemed surprised that Hovhannisyan was connecting. The Armenian fighter was using every trick in his arsenal including holding and hitting, blows below the belt and pushing Nery’s head down and keeping it there. Nobody will notice.
Hovhannisyan usually battles as if his entire family’s salvation depends on it. In this fight, he was possessed.
In the eighth and ninth rounds Hovhannisyan targeted the body with repeated blows and seemed to drain Nery with every connect. Meanwhile, the Mexican fighter seemed to be looking for the perfect moment to counter with a rocket left counter. Twenty-five former opponents had been destroyed by that punch. Nery seemed poised to unleash it.
Just when it looked like the Armenian fighter had turned things around with his relentless attacks, and just when it seemed Hovhannisyan had complete control, Nery unraveled a stunning four punch combo that sent the Armenian fighter reeling across the ring and down to the canvas. The crowd was stunned by the suddenness of the turnaround.
Referee Ray Corona carefully looked at the dazed fighter and signaled him to move to the left and to the right. After a few more seconds looking at his face, the referee shrugged to allow the action to continue. Nery glided into action and delivered another sizzling array of blows. Though Hovhannisyan was still semi-conscious, he managed to avoid another big blow as the round ended.
During the one-minute break the referee, ringside physician and corner men all inspected the damaged fighter. Across the ring the Mexican fighter and his team peered across the ring to see if the fight would resume.
It did.
Hovhannisyan seemed to be in a cloud and walked back into danger with a no surrender attitude. Nery got into his fighting stance and looked ready to pounce when the opportunity looked clear. Hovhannisyan fired punches but the steam was gone. He followed Nery around the ring firing blows but the Mexican fighter did not retaliate. Hovhannisyan fired more blows and suddenly Nery opened up and snapped the Armenian fighter’s head back violently. But Hovhannisyan remained standing to absorb more blows from Nery and the referee jumped in to stop the ferocious fight at 1:51 of the 11th round.
Nery was declared the winner by knockout. The crowd let out a giant sigh of relief. People shook their heads in amazement at the intense action they had just witnessed. Even veteran scribes murmured among each other they had witnessed a gem.
It’s not often a prize fight exceeds expectations. This one far surpassed even the most optimistic.
“I trained hard for this fight,” said Nery still breathless 30 minutes after the fight. “I came prepared with plans A, B, and C. I was ready.”
Golden Boy’s De La Hoya said the fight was an eliminator for the WBC super bantamweight title now held by America’s Stephen Fulton who is set to fight Japan’s Naoya “Monster” Inoue later this year.
“I want the Monster,” said Nery.
Mosley Victorious
Pomona’s own Shane Mosley Jr. (19-4, 10 KOs) emerged the winner by unanimous decision over Mexico’s Mario Lozano (33-11, 24 KOs) after 10 rounds. Every round was competitive but the son of the great Sugar Shane Mosley fended off the sneak attacks of the Mexican fighter.
Mosley was the taller fighter and used his reach and defense to deflect Lozano’s surprise attacks. The Mexican fighter had more tricks than the usual veteran and every so often surprised Mosley.
It wasn’t enough.
Aside from a solid defense Mosley has just as solid a chin. Both fighters had solid chins but Mosley was the more frequent puncher and after 10 rounds all three judges saw it in favor of Mosley 100-90, and 99-91 twice.
It was Mosley’s first pro fight in his hometown. A large portion of the crowd came to see him perform.
Other Bouts
Flyweight prospect Ricardo Sandoval (21-2, 16 KOs) of Rialto, Calif. needed a round to study the tall Nicaraguan fighter Jerson Ortiz (17-7, 8 KOs). And then in the second round during an exchange Sandoval blasted Ortiz in the belly and down he went for the count at 2:46 of the second round.
Super middleweight Rowdy Montgomery (9-4-1, 6 KOs) of Victorville, Calif. proved too strong for San Diego’s Christian Olivas (22-9, 19 KOs) and won by decision after eight rounds.
Hawaii’s Asa Stevens (4-0, 2 KOs) used his speed and accuracy to pummel Nicaragua’s Jenn Gonzalez (9-17-1) and end the fight at the end of the second round by technical knockout.
Ukrainian heavyweight Andrii Novytskyi (1-0) won his pro debut by knockout of Gabriel Costa (1-4) at 1:22 of the first round. A one-two combination ended the fight.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Avila Perspective, Chap. 303: Spotlights on Lightweights and More
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
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Bakhram Murtalaziev was the Fighter of the Month in October
As we close the book on October, let’s look back at the month’s stellar performances. Kenshiro Teraji added another exclamation point to his brilliant career with an 11th-round stoppage of Cristofer Rosales. England’s Jack Catterall, considered no more than a decent domestic-level talent for most of his career, showed that he had been underrated with a comprehensive 12-round decision over declining Regis Prograis. But the top performance, by a landslide, was delivered by Bakhram Murtalaziev who annihilated Tim Tszyu on Oct. 19 in Orlando, Florida.
Murtalaziev was undefeated (22-0, 16 KOs) and the reigning IBF junior middleweight champion, but he was the underdog and the “B” side. As champions go, and there are roughly five dozen across the 17 weight divisions, the California-based Russian ranked among the least well-known. He had won his title in Berlin with an 11th-round stoppage of an unexceptional 38-year-old German-Ecuadorian campaigner, Jack Culcay, and he would be making his first defense.
Managed by Egis Klimas who also handles Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko, among others, Bakhram Murtalaziev came from a good barn in the vernacular of a horseplayer, but on paper that alone was insufficient to get him over the hump against Tim Tszyu who a few short months earlier was widely considered the best 154-pound boxer in the world.
That was before he met up with Sebastian Fundora who blemished his record, but that setback could have been written off as a fluke.
As we recall, Tszyu was scheduled to fight Keith Thurman in the initial PBC offering on Amazon Prime Video, but Thurman suffered a biceps injury in training and Fundora was bumped up from the undercard to fill the breach. With only 12 days’ notice, Tim Tszyu went from fighting a five-foot-seven fighter who fights out of an orthodox stance to fighting a southpaw who stood almost a full foot taller. The “Towering Inferno” has his limitations, but poses a special problem to anyone, let alone an opponent with little time to formulate a good game plan.
Tszyu was hampered in the Fundora fight by a gash on his hairline that hampered his vision. The injury happened in the second round when he ducked under Fundora and walked into an elbow. The gash bled copiously throughout the fight and yet the best that Fundora could do was win a split (albeit fair) decision.
To say that Tszyu failed to rebound from the Fundora misadventure would be putting it mildly. Murtalaziev steamrolled him, knocking him to the canvas four times in all before Tszyu’s corner tossed in the towel at the 1:55 mark of the third stanza. It was painful to watch. Referee Chris Young was faulted for allowing the match to continue as long as it did. Compounding Tszyu’s misery, his celebrated father, a first ballot Hall of Famer, was ringside. Kostya Tszyu hadn’t seen his oldest son fight in the flesh since Tim’s pro debut in 2016.
Although the dichotomy is imperfect, Tim Tszyu, who turns 30 on Saturday, is more of a puncher than a boxer. That may work against him so far as clawing his way back to a position of prominence. The noted boxing coach Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, a keen student of the history of boxing in the modern era, expressed this sentiment in a Q and A story for Boxing Scene. “Destructive fighters usually don’t come back to full capacity after bad KO losses,” he said, citing John Mugabi, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, and Naseem Hamed to illustrate his point. Moreover, added Edwards, “No one will ever be afraid of him again.”
But there were two stories that emerged from the Murtalaziev-Tszyu fight. Tim Tszyu crashed, but Bakhram Murtalaziev emerged from obscurity, announcing his presence (pardon the cliché) as a force to be reckoned with. As for his next assignment, the best guess is that it will come against Sebastian Fundora or Errol Spence Jr. who are expected to meet early next year. And based on Murtalaziev’s stunning performance in Orlando, it will be impossible to bet against him.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Foreman-Moorer: 30 Years Later
Foreman-Moorer: 30 Years Later
By TSS SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT JAMIE REBNER — In sports, middle-aged athletes are not supposed to beat opponents who are half their age and in their athletic primes. Only the greatest ones can use guile, technique, and experience to compensate for the dulling of speed, reflexes, and athleticism that have unavoidably eroded with time.
That is why George Foreman’s feat of reclaiming the heavyweight title at 45 is so impressive. It was thirty years ago this coming Tuesday, Nov 5, 1994, that Foreman scored a monumental upset in knocking out Michael Moorer to win back the title he had lost twenty years prior against Muhammad Ali in The Rumble in the Jungle. In doing so, Big George became the oldest heavyweight champion, breaking the record previously held by Jersey Joe Walcott, who had won the title at 38.
When Foreman beat Moorer, he was in the twilight of his second career, a comeback that began in 1987. George had retired in 1977 after losing to Jimmy Young and experiencing a spiritual awakening in his locker room. That led him to become a minister and devote himself to his family and congregation. During his retirement, he opened a youth center in Houston, which required much financial support, prompting him to return to the ring.
After winning 24 straight fights from 1987-1990, Foreman lost his first title shot by decision to Evander Holyfield in 1991. He rebounded from that loss with three more wins before getting a crack at the WBO title against Tommy Morrison in 1993. But his performance against Morrison was disappointing and he lost another decision. After that, Foreman was out of the ring for 17 months before he was gifted another title shot against Moorer.
Foreman got that gift because Moorer, due to his sullen demeanor and curtness with the media, was not a draw with the fans. He was also an unproven champion, having beaten Holyfield for two belts only seven months prior. So. Moorer needed a name opponent who could bring in the crowds for his first title defense. And the other top heavyweights like Oliver McCall (WBC champ), Lennox Lewis, and Riddick Bowe didn’t have close to Foreman’s drawing power. So. deserving or not, Foreman was chosen as the challenger to make a fight that would be worth the public’s attention and pockets.
Even Foreman was surprised by getting selected to fight Moorer. “I never in my wildest imagination thought I’d get a title shot again,” he told Associated Press sports columnist Tim Dahlberg. Still, George was determined to make his third time a charm.
But as motivated as George was, there was an irrefutable gap in speed between himself and the much younger champion. From the opening bell, Moorer used his superior quickness and reflexes to make Foreman look stiff and slow. And although George landed punches early on, he fired them one at a time while Moorer countered with multiple shots. But despite Moorer’s advantage in connects, his trainer Teddy Atlas advised him from the get-go not to stand in front of Foreman and make himself a stationary target for a right-hand bomb.
But Moorer failed to heed that advice as he continued to outwork Foreman in the middle rounds. Although he was winning, Moorer’s overconfidence kept him at close quarters, and he continued to circle unwisely to his left and into Foreman’s dangerous right hand. And despite absorbing many quality shots, Foreman never appeared hurt or discouraged thanks to his granite chin and unyielding resolve. He was determined to win and he was willing to walk through as many flush shots as he needed to do so.
With Moorer content to stay in range, Foreman gladly returned his firepower and he landed some telling right crosses, uppercuts, and plenty of thudding body blows during the battle. And while Moorer continued to pile up points and rounds, as long as George was marching forward and throwing shots, he had a puncher’s chance.
And with a minute to go in round ten, that punch came. After missing a three-punch combination, Foreman scored with a one-two, with the right hand landing on the forehead. He immediately repeated that combination but this time aimed the right hand lower on Moorer’s jaw. That slight adjustment caused his bulldozer right to collide perfectly with Moorer’s chin, sending the champion crashing to the canvas and sprawled onto his back. The champion couldn’t beat the count, and just like that, the fight was over, Moorer’s short-lived title run ending before it ever truly began.
With a single, shattering blow, Foreman etched his name into boxing history. Wearing the same trunks from Zaire 20 years before, he was now heavyweight champion of the world once again. It was a shocking result that defied conventional wisdom since seldom do 45-year-old boxers score knockouts over champions in their athletic primes. But Foreman reminded us that he was anything but your typical quadragenarian. He was special, and he had two distinct heavyweight championship reigns to prove it.
—
About the author:
Jamie Rebner lives in Toronto, Canada. He has been a freelance boxing writer since 2016 and his writing has appeared in The Fight City, Boxing News Online, The Ring, and Ringside Seat magazine. His Substack blog is Fight Fundamental, and he is currently writing a book about George Foreman’s comeback. He is also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @J_NReb.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Results and Recaps from Riyadh where Artur Beterbiev Unified the 175-Pound Title
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Japan’s Budding Superstar Junto Nakatani KOs ‘Petch’ Chitpattana in Tokyo
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Murtazaliev KOs Tszyu to Keep IBF World Title
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Bygone Days: Muhammad Ali at the Piano in the Lounge at the Tropicana
-
Featured Articles7 days ago
Omar Trinidad Defeats Argentina’s Hector Sosa and Other Results
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
WBA Feather Champ Nick Ball Chops Down Rugged Ronny Rios in Liverpool
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Avila Perspective, Chap. 300: Eastern Horizons — Bivol, Beterbiev and Japan
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Avila Perspective, Chap. 299: Golden Boy in Saudi Arabia and More