A Shocker in the Philippines as Suganob Topples Vicelles

Published

2 years ago

February 25, 2023

A-Shocker-in-the-Philippines-as-Suganob-Topples-Vicelles

Regie Suganob (now 13-0) has shocked observers local and distant today in Calape, Philippines, winning a deserved decision over the favoured, world-ranked Mark Vicelles (drops to 17-1-1), both Filipinos, both barely under the 108lbs weight-limit. The doctor called a halt to proceedings during the eighth round, the referee instructing judges to score the round as though completed, and all three judges scored for Suganob, 80-71, 78-73 and 77-74 (this last card was identical to my own). A fight that had been nothing less than excellent was perhaps heating into something even more at the time of the stoppage.

Around dinner time for locals, breakfast for America and at lunchtime here in Scotland, bell for the first round sounded for what was far and away the biggest fight of Suganob’s career. Twenty-five years old and out of Dauis, Bohol, Suganob (pictured on the left) caused minor ripples with recent wins over countrymen Jerome Baloro and Andika Boy, both over ten rounds. Most impressive was his shut out of Andika last September, a fighter who had never been beaten but was dropped in the fourth round by Suganob. Short of knockout victories, Suganob seemed to be developing the type of stinging punch that can cause shock in the lower weight classes due to the sudden way it landed. Fighters do not get faster than they are at light-flyweight.

Having turned professional a year before the outbreak of COVID-19, Suganob made up for those lost months by getting out four times in 2021 and three times in 2022 but that shortage of knockouts and a seemingly old-fashioned straight-lined style kept him from impressing that much. He seemed reasonably complete from a technical perspective but short of the extra dimension that might take him into the world’s top ten at light-flyweight. The world’s top-ten is what he assailed today in the form of Mark Vicelles.

Vicelles, in many ways, is all that Suganob is not. A puncher with ten knockout victories under his belt he scraped his way onto the TBRB top ten last year with back-to-back first round knockouts, albeit of limited opposition. His progress could be charted in his improving results which were matched by a developing charism as “Rasta Mac” embraced a look, ring-entrance and personal style that can certainly be regarded as niche in the thriving boxing scene in The Philippines. The IBF took note; despite showing preference for the WBA route, Vicelles was the anointed favourite for an IBF eliminator, no small matter as that belt is held by Sivenathi Nontshinga, not the division’s biggest money fight, but a money-fight nonetheless. Those are rare below featherweight.

Suganob himself got onto the IBF on-ramp back in 2021, picking up a youth title against the unbeaten Jerome Baloro – who he also dropped on his way to taking a decision.Today’s result was a shock, but there were warning signs.

Suganob delivered another warning sign in the first round of the contest, in the form of a sharp check-hook delivered ring-centre. Vicelles, who seemed confident and loose, won that first round on my card but Suganob looked ready to counter the Vicelles southpaw jab from very early in the fight. What was to be his main weapon, the straight right hand, he held back for the most part. My notes for this first state 10-9 for Vicelles but I add that Suganob was “organised and watchful.” What he was watching for would soon become apparent.

In the second, Suganob, clearly the smaller man, appearing at least a weight class smaller despite the tiny difference the two had shown on the scales, landed far and away the cleaner punches while Vicelles looked a little uncomfortable. It was like he did not receive the respect he had expected upon deploying what he assumed was a superior offence and was not sure what to do about it. Certainly, it was not that Suganob was walking through him but he was certainly continuing to pick his punches and refused to be dissuaded from doing so by Vicelles. What was already clear was that there would be no technical mis-match and in fact, by the end of the fight, it would seem to me that Suganob was the superior technician.

Something of this message appeared to have reached Vicelles in the third; he boxed carefully, while Suganob, ominously, deepened his stance and showed himself prepared to wait. When both men amped up their aggression levels in the second half of the fight it seemed to me that Vicelles was the man doing the better work but that Suganob was the man fighting within himself. In the fourth, he proved it, countering with the punch he had been waiting to land in earnest, a flashing right-hand over the top that deposited Vicelles neatly on the canvas, only a little more than a flash knockdown it nevertheless signalled Suganob’s ownership of the ring and his taking control of the fight. Vicelles tried to re-take control in the fifth and landed some nice bodywork, but Suganob had his right hand dialled in and clearly won another round; in the sixth he re-applied himself and was able to land the right-hand punch as a finish to combinations that also included a left-hook. When an accidental headclash left Vicelles with what looked a serious cut above an eye he was in trouble on the cards, in the widest strategic sense and physically, bringing from him his best boxing of the fight in the seventh. Still though, Suganob seemed the coolest man in the house, neither disturbed nor uncovered by the pressure the more experienced man brought to bear.

When the referee interrupted the eighth to ask the ring doctor to take a look at the cut, Suganob was as firmly in control of the fight as he had been at any time during the contest. While the nature of the stoppage and technical decision prevents this being a performance that can be said to have put the 108lb division on notice, Suganob’s next fight is now must-see. A match with Sivenathi Nontshinga, the division’s number six fighter by my eye, would be most welcome.

For Vicelles I suspect it will be 112lbs. He had the experience and the depth of style to turn this one around and had those successes in the seventh to point to in any new negotiation but he is one loss from the crossroads.

On the undercard, Shane Gentallan (now 7-0, out of The Philippines) looked every inch the prospect in blasting out late substitute Faisol Akbar (now 6-7-1, Indonesia). Akbar has been stopped before, but in this decade and he had been jobbing as high 115lbs in the interim; this 105lb contest seemed a survivable ten rounds for him. Akbar’s strategy was to cover up and launch only big punches at his less experienced opponent and it seemed a plan with merit, but the body attack Gentallan unleashed was of high class. Akbar succumbed to a punch that left him sprawled on the canvas for minutes after it landed. Gentallan’s might be a name worth remembering.

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Ringside at the Fontainebleau where Mikaela Mayer Won her Rematch with Sandy Ryan

Published

19 hours ago

March 30, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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LAS VEGAS, NV — The first meeting between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan last September at Madison Square Garden was punctuated with drama before the first punch was thrown. When the smoke cleared, Mayer had become a world-title-holder in a second weight class, taking away Ryan’s WBO welterweight belt via a majority decision in a fan-friendly fight.

The rematch tonight at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas was another fan-friendly fight. There were furious exchanges in several rounds and the crowd awarded both gladiators a standing ovation at the finish.

Mayer dominated the first half of the fight and held on to win by a unanimous decision. But Sandy Ryan came on strong beginning in round seven, and although Mayer was the deserving winner, the scores favoring her (98-92 and 97-93 twice) fail to reflect the competitiveness of the match-up. This is the best rivalry in women’s boxing aside from Taylor-Serrano.

Mayer, 34, improved to 21-2 (5). Up next, she hopes, in a unification fight with Lauren Price who outclassed Natasha Jonas earlier this month and currently holds the other meaningful pieces of the 147-pound puzzle. Sandy Ryan, 31, the pride of Derby, England, falls to 7-3-1.

Co-Feature

In his first defense of his WBO world welterweight title (acquired with a brutal knockout of Giovani Santillan after the title was vacated by Terence Crawford), Atlanta’s Brian Norman Jr knocked out Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas in the third round. A three-punch combination climaxed by a short left hook sent Cuevas staggering into a corner post. He got to his feet before referee Thomas Taylor started the count, but Taylor looked in Cuevas’s eyes and didn’t like what he saw and brought the bout to a halt.

The stoppage, which struck some as premature, came with one second remaining in the third stanza.

A second-generation prizefighter (his father was a fringe contender at super middleweight), the 24-year-old Norman (27-0, 21 KOs) is currently boxing’s youngest male title-holder. It was only the second pro loss for Cuevas (27-2-1) whose lone previous defeat had come early in his career in a 6-rounder he lost by split decision.

Other Bouts

In a career-best performance, 27-year-old Brooklyn featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) blasted out Jose Enrique Vivas (23-4) in the third round.

Carrington, who was named the Most Outstanding Boxer at the 2019 U.S. Olympic Trials despite being the lowest-seeded boxer in his weight class, decked Vivas with a right-left combination near the end of the second round. Vivas barely survived the round and was on a short leash when the third stanza began. After 53 seconds of round three, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough and waived it off. Vivas hadn’t previously been stopped.

Cleveland welterweight Tiger Johnson, a Tokyo Olympian, scored a fifth-round stoppage over San Antonio’s Kendo Castaneda. Johnson assumed control in the fourth round and sent Castaneda to his knees twice with body punches in the next frame. The second knockdown terminated the match. The official time was 2:00 of round five.

Johnson advanced to 15-0 (7 KOs). Castenada declined to 21-9.

Las Vegas junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) blasted out Stockton, California’s Giovanni Gonzalez in the second round. Vargas brought the bout to a sudden conclusion with a sweeping left hook that knocked Gonzalez out cold. The end came at the 2:00 minute mark of round two.

Gonzalez brought a 20-7-2 record which was misleading as 18 of his fights were in Tijuana where fights are frequently prearranged. However, he wasn’t afraid to trade with Vargas and paid the price.

Emiliano Vargas, with his matinee idol good looks and his boxing pedigree – he is the son of former U.S. Olympian and two-weight world title-holder “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas – is highly marketable and has the potential to be a cross-over star.

Eighteen-year-old Newark bantamweight Emmanuel “Manny” Chance, one of Top Rank’s newest signees, won his pro debut with a four-round decision over So Cal’s Miguel Guzman. Chance won all four rounds on all three cards, but this was no runaway. He left a lot of room for improvement.

There was a long intermission before the co-main and again before the main event, but the tedium was assuaged by a moving video tribute to George Foreman.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

Published

19 hours ago

March 29, 2025

David A. Avila

William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

No surprise, once again William Zepeda eked out a win over the clever and resilient Tevin Farmer to remain undefeated and retain a regional lightweight title on Saturday.

There were no knockdowns in this rematch.

The Mexican punching machine Zepeda (33-0, 17 KOs) once more sought to overwhelm Farmer (33-8-1, 9 KOs) with a deluge of blows. This rematch by Golden Boy Promotions took place in the famous beach resort area of Cancun, Mexico.

It was a mere four months ago that both first clashed in Saudi Arabia with their vastly difference styles. This time the tropical setting served as the background which suited Zepeda and his lawnmower assaults. The Mexican fans were pleased.

Nothing changed in their second meeting.

Zepeda revved up the body assault and Farmer moved around casually to his right while fending off the Mexican fighter’s attacks. By the fourth round Zepeda was able to cut off Farmer’s escape routes and targeted the body with punishing shots.

The blows came in bunches.

In the fifth round Zepeda blasted away at Farmer who looked frantic for an escape. The body assault continued with the Mexican fighter pouring it on and Farmer seeming to look ready to quit. When the round ended, he waved off his corner’s appeals to stop.

Zepeda continued to dominate the next few rounds and then Farmer began rallying. At first, he cleverly smothered Zepeda’s body attacks and then began moving and hitting sporadically. It forced the Mexican fighter to pause and figure out the strategy.

Farmer, a Philadelphia fighter, showed resiliency especially when it was revealed he had suffered a hand injury.

During the last three rounds Farmer dug down deep and found ways to score and not get hit. It was Boxing 101 and the Philly fighter made it work.

But too many rounds had been put in the bank by Zepeda. Despite the late rally by Farmer one judge saw it 114-114, but two others scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Zepeda who retains his interim lightweight title and place at the top of the WBC rankings.

“I knew he was a difficult fighter. This time he was even more difficult,” said Zepeda.

Farmer was downtrodden about another loss but realistic about the outcome and starting slow.

“But I dominated the last rounds,” said Farmer.

Zepeda shrugged at the similar outcome as their first encounter.

“I’m glad we both put on a great show,” said Zepeda.

Female Flyweight Battle

Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle edged past Texas fighter Marlen Esparza to win their showdown at flyweight by split decision after 10 rounds.

Valle moved up two weight divisions to meet Esparza who was slightly above the weight limit. Both showed off their contrasting styles and world class talent.

Esparza, a former unified flyweight world titlist, stayed in the pocket and was largely successful with well-placed jabs and left hooks. She repeatedly caught Valle in-between her flurries.

The current minimumweight world titlist changed tactics and found more success in the second half of the fight. She forced Esparza to make the first moves and that forced changes that benefited her style.

Neither fighter could take over the fight.

After 10 rounds one judge saw Esparza the winner 96-94, but two others saw Valle the winner 97-93 twice.

Will Valle move up and challenge the current undisputed flyweight world champion Gabriela Fundora? That’s the question.

Valle currently holds the WBC minimumweight world title.

Puerto Rico vs Mexico

Oscar Collazo (12-0, 9 KOs), the WBO, WBA minimumweight titlist, knocked out Mexico’s Edwin Cano (13-3-1, 4 KOs) with a flurry of body shots at 1:12 of the fifth round.

Collazo dominated with a relentless body attack the Mexican fighter could not defend. It was the Puerto Rican fighter’s fifth consecutive title defense.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 319: Rematches in Las Vegas, Cancun and More

Published

2 days ago

March 28, 2025

David A. Avila

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Rematches are the bedrock for prizefighting.

Return battles between rival boxers always means their first encounter was riveting and successful at the box office.

Six months after their first brutal battle Mikaela Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs) and Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs) will slug it out again for the WBO welterweight world title this time on Saturday, March 29, at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.

ESPN will show the Top Rank card live.

“It’s important for women’s boxing to have these rivalries and this is definitely up there as one of the top ones,” Mayer told the BBC.

If you follow Mayer’s career you know that somehow drama follows. Whether its back-and-forth beefs with fellow American fighters or controversial judging due to nationalism in countries abroad. The Southern California native who now trains in Las Vegas knows how to create the drama.

For female fighters self-promotion is a necessity.

Most boxing promoters refuse to step out of the usual process set for male boxers, not for female boxers. Things remain the same and have been for the last 70 years. Social media has brought changes but that has made promoters do even less.

No longer are there press conferences, instead announcements are made on social media to be drowned among the billions of other posts. It is not killing but diluting interest in the sport.

Women innately present a different advantage that few if any promoters are recognizing. So far in the past 25 years I have only seen two or three promoters actually ignite interest in female fighters. They saw the advantages and properly boosted interest in the women.

The fight breakdown

Mayer has won world titles in the super featherweight and now the welterweight division. Those are two vastly different weight classes and prove her fighting abilities are based on skill not power or size.

Coaching Mayer since amateurs remains Al Mitchell and now Kofi Jantuah who replaced Kay Koroma the current trainer for Sandy Ryan.

That was the reason drama ignited during their first battle. Then came someone tossing paint at Ryan the day of their first fight.

More drama.

During their first fight both battled to control the initiative with Mayer out-punching the British fighter by a slender margin. It was a back-and-forth struggle with each absorbing blows and retaliating immediately.

New York City got its money’s worth.

Ryan had risen to the elite level rapidly since losing to Erica Farias three years ago. Though she was physically bigger and younger, she was out-maneuvered and defeated by the wily veteran from Argentina. In the rematch, however, Ryan made adjustments and won convincingly.

Can she make adjustments from her defeat to Mayer?

“I wanted the rematch straight away,” said Ryan on social media. “I’ve come to America again.”

Both fighters have size and reach. In their first clash it was evident that conditioning was not a concern as blows were fired nonstop in bunches. Mayer had the number of punches landed advantage and it unfolded with the judges giving her a majority decision win.

That was six months ago. Can she repeat the outcome?

Mayer has always had boiler-oven intensity. It’s not fake. Since her amateur days the slender Southern California blonde changes disposition all the way to red when lacing up the gloves. It’s something that can’t be taught.

Can she draw enough of that fire out again?

“I didn’t have to give her this rematch. I could have just sat it out, waited for Lauren Price to unify and fought for undisputed or faced someone else,” said Mayer to BBC. “That’s not the fighter I am though.”

Co-Main in Las Vegas

The co-main event pits Brian Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) facing Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) in a contest for the WBO welterweight title.

Norman, 24, was last seen a year ago dissecting a very good welterweight in Giovani Santillan for a knockout win in San Diego. He showed speed, skill and power in defeating Santillan in his hometown.

Cuevas has beaten some solid veteran talent but this will be his big test against Norman and his first attempt at winning a world title.

Also on the Top Rank card will be Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and Emiliano Vargas, the son of Fernando Vargas, in separate bouts.

Golden Boy in Cancun

A rematch between undefeated William “Camaron” Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) and ex-champ Tevin Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) headlines the lightweight match on Saturday March 29, at Cancun, Mexico.

In their first encounter Zepeda was knocked down in the fourth round but rallied to win a split-decision over Farmer. It showed the flaws in Zepeda’s tornado style.

DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also includes a clash between Yokasta Valle the WBC minimumweight world titlist who is moving up to flyweight to face former flyweight champion Marlen Esparza.

Both Valle and Esparza have fast hands.

Valle is excellent darting in and out while Esparza has learned how to fight inside. It’s a toss-up fight.

Fights to Watch

Fri. DAZN 12 p.m. Cameron Vuong (7-0) vs Jordan Flynn (11-0-1); Pat Brown (0-0) vs Federico Grandone (7-4-2).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. William Zepeda (32-0) vs Tevin Farmer (33-7-1); Yokasta Valle (32-3) vs Marlen Esparza (15-2).

Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Mikaela Mayer (20-2) vs Sandy Ryan (7-2-1); Brian Norman Jr. (26-0) vs Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1).

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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