Shigeoka Brothers Score Impressive Knockouts in Tokyo

Published

2 years ago

April 16, 2023

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The Shigeoka brothers Yudai and Ginjiro have both delivered on the biggest nights of their careers in Tokyo, and as per last week’s preview, in impressive fashion. Ginjiro Shigeoka, now 9-0, took out Rene Mark Cuarto (The Philippines, now 21-4-2) with Yudai Shigeoka , now 7-0, scoring his victory over late substitute Wilfredo Mendez (Puerto Rico, now 18-3).

First to the ring was Ginjiro (pictured on the right), resplendent in gold gloves and trim, followed closely by Rene Mark Cuarto who appeared grim but confident. It felt clear form the first that this would be the predicted war, but what followed was as savage and complete an engine and gut-check as any young fighter might wish for. Cuarto stayed close, and Ginjiro welcomed him; the two were so close that they could comfortably tap gloves, Ginjiro’s southpaw right in direct weave with Cuarto’s orthodox left. Their first contact on the inside was dominated by Cuarto who landed a beautiful uppercut to the body that prompted a wild response from Ginjiro, one that underlined his immaturity. A feature of the first three rounds of this fight was a determination on Ginjiro’s part to even-up the cards after any negative contact, and it made him wild.

Ginjiro visited the deck twice in the first round, a slip, but then, overeager, under-corrected, Ginjiro was flashed to the canvas by a straight right hand to find himself facing the first genuine crisis in his fledgling career. He did not respond as his corner might have wished, throwing wildly, affording Cuarto chances for roughhousing, and throwing the fight into the type of abject chaos that a veteran was much more likely to profit by. It was Ginjiro, though, who won out in a violent clash of heads that left a spot of blood on Cuarto’s left cheek, a wound that would swell as the fight progressed.

In the third, Ginjiro made a meaningful and impressive adjustment, targeting the body, slotting them in behind minor feints with the jab and Cuarto, perhaps feeling the effects of the head-clash in the second, perhaps failing to digest these early sorties to the body, gave ground. Through the third and the fourth it felt as though the epic sweep of the violently contested sections were up for grabs among wild exchanges, but when he laid down his jab, Ginjiro dominated and seemed always just in control enough that he bagged these rounds. In the fifth, Cuarto managed to land a right uppercut to the body that impressed, prompting his corner to demand a further body attack, but it was Ginjiro, now calmer, more certain, that dominated the round with bodypunches, mostly left hands, as Cuarto appeared for the first time uncertain.

More pertinently, he had not won a round since the first. Truthfully, the more controlled Ginjiro’s attack became the more dangerous he became, and the straight punches he landed to the body in the sixth had Cuarto covering up in earnest for the first time. In fact, Ginjiro appeared to drop Cuarto with such a punch in the final minute of the round but while Cuarto’s corner bellowed loudly that this had been a slip, the ringside instant replay did indeed strike it off, the referee correcting his decision with the judges before waving the fight on. The referee, Katsuhiko Nakamura, was called to action again in the seventh, rightly issuing a stern warning to Cuarto who locked and then held Ginjiro in a guillotine. Ginjiro responded in the best of ways: a counter left to the pit of Cuarto’s gut that dropped him for a legitimate count.

It should be stated now: Cuarto, who had never been stopped going into this fight, is a very tough man. He fought back hard off the ropes despite Ginjiro continuing to target his body with severe punishment. Covering up in the eighth, he also refused to surrender but his tenderness in returning fire gave Ginjiro free reign to risk more. Adding to Cuarto’s misery was another clash of heads that left him with another cut, this time on the forehead.

Bloody, badly beaten to the body, but unbowed, he stepped out of his corner in the ninth ready to fight but unable to do so. He was a sitting duck for vicious left hands to the body and Ginjiro took full advantage, ripping into him and ripping him to the canvas not once, but twice. Cuarto, who had no quit in him, and made this fight every bit as much as Ginjiro, was waved off by the referee in the ninth round.

This was too one-sided an affair to be mentioned as a fight of the year contender, but it had everything. It saw a weak start from a favoured son who rallied violently in a fight that seemed poised on a knife’s edge, who then took control of the affair with superior technical boxing matched to the violence of the early rounds bound up in a vicious, measured body-attack.

A hugely impressive performance from Ginjiro then, it only remained to see if his brother could match it. As discussed in my preview last week, Wilfredo Mendez was a late-substitute for Panya Pradabsri and as difficult a late-substitute as could be roused. The test here was Mendez’s awkward, birdlike, crouching southpaw stylings in addition to his vaster experience. Yudai, all in silver, cut a far more cautious figure than his brother early, clearly out-speeding and out-touching his opponent but taking far fewer risks, relying in the main upon his own southpaw jab.

Yudai had Mendez running and holding as early as the second, one hoped in keeping with a plan that saw him rally late given that apart from some lefts to the body, Yudai’s offence was in the main still under wraps. Seemingly wanting to counter, Yudai was forced to wait for the Mendez attacks, which were intermittent to say the least, and although he inevitably won these exchanges, Mendez’s quickness on defence seemed to demand more from the Japanese. The best he could do in the fourth was beckon Mendez in before shipping the best punch of the round (a straight to the head) although he bagged this round along with the other three simply by out-sniping his man.

His patience was finally rewarded in the fifth, however, Mendez over-reaching with the left, a punch Yudai slipped to deliver a pair of beautiful, hard, narrow left hands to drop Mendez on his backside. Mendez escaped to his corner at the end of the count, but Yudai targeted his body with the same punch in the sixth, and Mendez, already in need of a knockout, seemed less keen to engage than ever.

It was something of a relief then when Yudai landed a whipping left to the body and Mendez took a crouch and stubbornly refused to abandon it until the referee had said “ten.” It is hard to say whether Mendez had been capable of beating the count, of course, and it was impressive to see Yudai feint him back into the corner right-handed before unleashing the final punch – but it did look like most of the finishing blow was captured on Mendez’s defences.

That said, it must be remembered who it is the brothers have knocked out today. Mendez was nothing less than the number twelve at 105lbs, whereas Cuarto could in no sensible sport be excluded from the top-ten. Cuarto had never been stopped, Mendez had been stopped just once, in eleven. These were impressive results posted by inexperienced fighters who have now made this division their playground.

Ginjiro, who has broken into the top five with this showing, is now impossible to ignore. He will presumably be re-matched with Daniel Valladares, in a rerun of their fight from January, abandoned after a clash of heads; Yudai meanwhile will presumably be matched with Panya Pradabsri, for whom Mendez was a late substitute. This though, underlines the division’s current problem.

The Thai twin-towers who rule over the division, Pradabsri and Thammanoon Niyomtrong, seem less than keen to leave their strongholds. Japan, meanwhile, holds the heavier promotional firepower and are likely to win any purse- bid. This situation might be manageable were it not for the atrocious reputation Thailand has as a fistic host currently, Erick Rosa, seen as a live threat to Thailand’s divisional hegemony, not just refused entry to the country but detained at the border when attending for a fight with divisional number one, Niyomtrong. Certain accusations have been made. Pradabsri’s withdrawal from the Yudai fight with a sore throat has not helped matters.

But it is a deep division, not always the case for 105lbs, and there are many pleasing fights to be made. If regional politics can be placed to one side there is room in the imagination for a Pradabsri-Yudai, Niyomtrong-Ginjiro showdown. The most difficult task in boxing is to place minimumweight at the centre of the fistic world; it can only be hoped that the powers that be don’t pass up such a rare opportunity.

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Floyd Schofield Wins a Banger and Gabriela Fundora Wins by KO

Published

2 days ago

November 3, 2024

David A. Avila

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Floyd Schofield Wins a Banger and Gabriela Fundora Wins by KO

LAS VEGAS-Shades of Henry Armstrong and Baby Arizmendi. If you don’t know those names, look them up.

Floyd Schofield battled his way past Mexico’s super tough Rene Tellez Giron who walked through every blow the Texan could fire but lost by decision on Saturday.

It was a severe test and perfect matchmaking for Schofield who yearns for the big bouts against the lightweight giants roaming the world.

Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs) remains undefeated and won the war over thick-necked Mexican Tellez Giron (20-4, 13 KOs) who has never been knocked out and proved to be immune to big punches.

In the opening rounds, the Texas fighter came out firing rapid combinations from the southpaw and orthodox stances. Meanwhile the shorter Tellez Giron studied and fired back an occasional counter for two rounds.

Tellez Giron had seen enough and took his stand in the third stanza. Both unleashed blazing bombs with Schofield turning his back to the Mexican. At that moment referee Tom Taylor could have waved the fight over.

You never turn your back.

The fight resumed and Schofield was damaged. He tried to open up with even more deadly fire but was rebuked by the strong chin of Tellez Giron who fired back in the mad frenzy.

For the remainder of the fight Schofield tried every trick in his arsenal to inflict damage on the thick-necked Mexican. He could not be wobbled. In the 11^th round both opened up with serious swing-from-the-heels combinations and suddenly Schofield was looking up. He beat the count easily and the two remained slugging it out.

“He hit me with a good shot,” Schofield said of the knockdown. “I just had to get up. I’m not going to quit.”

In the final round Schofield moved around looking for the proper moment to engage. The Mexican looked like a cat ready to pounce and the two fired furious blows. Neither was hit with the big bombs in the last seconds.

There was Tellez Giron standing defiantly like Baby Arizmendi must have stood in those five ferocious meetings against the incomparable Henry Armstrong. Three of their wars took place in Los Angeles, two at the Olympic Auditorium in the late 1930s as the U.S. was emerging from the Great Depression.

In this fight, Schofield took the win by unanimous decision by scores 118-109 twice and 116-111. It was well-deserved.

“I tried to bang it out,” said Schofield. “Today I learned you can’t always get the knockout.”

Fundora

IBF flyweight titlist Gabriela Fundora needed seven rounds to figure out the darting style of Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz before firing a laser left cross down the middle to end the battle and become the undisputed flyweight world champion.

Fundora now holds all four titles including the WBO, WBA and WBC titles that Alaniz brought in the ring.

Fundora knocked down Alaniz midway through the seventh round. She complained it was due to a tangle of the legs. Several seconds later Fundora blasted the Argentine to the floor again with a single left blast. This time there was no doubt. Her corner wisely waved a white towel to stop the fight at 1:40 of the seventh round.

No one argued the stoppage.

Other Bouts

Bektemir Melikuziev (15-1, 10 KOs) didn’t make weight in a title bout but managed to out-fight David Stevens (14-2, 10 KOs) in a super middleweight fight held at 12 rounds.

Melikuziev used his movement and southpaw stance to keep Pennsylvania’s Stevens from being able to connect with combinations. But Stevens did show he could handle “The Bully’s” punching power over the 12-round fight.

After 12 rounds one judge favored Stevens 116-112, while two others saw Melikuziev the winner by split decision 118-110 and 117-111.

Super middleweight WBA titlist Darius Fulghum (13-0, 11 KOs) pummeled his way to a technical knockout win over southpaw veteran Chris Pearson (17-5-1, 12 KOs) who attempted the rope-a-dope strategy to no avail.

Fulghum floored Pearson in the first round with a four-punch combination and after that just belted Pearson who covered up and fired an occasional blow. Referee Mike Perez stopped the fight at 1:02 of the third round when Pearson did not fire back after a blazing combination.

Young welterweight prospect Joel Iriarte (5-0, 5 KOs) blasted away at the three-inch shorter Xavier Madrid (5-6, 2 KOs) who hung tough for as long as possible. At 2:50 of the first round a one-two delivered Madrid to the floor and referee Thomas Taylor called off the beating.

Iriarte, from Bakersfield, Calif., could not miss with left uppercuts and short rights as New Mexico’s Madrid absorbed every blow but would not quit. It was just too much firepower from Iriarte that forced the stoppage.

Photos credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

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

Published

2 days ago

November 2, 2024

Arne K. Lang

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Top Rank was at the Turning Stone casino-resort in Verona, New York, tonight with an 8-bout card topped by a rematch between Robson Conceicao and O’Shaquie Foster with the victor retaining or recapturing his IBF world junior lightweight title. When the smoke cleared, the operative word was “recapturing” as Foster became a two-time title-holder, avenging his controversial setback to the Brazilian in Newark on July 6.

This was a somewhat better fight than their initial encounter and once again the verdict was split. Foster prevailed by 115-113 on two of the cards with the dissenting judge favoring Conceicao by the same margin. Conceicao seemingly had the edge after nine frames, but Foster, a 4/1 favorite, landed the harder shots in the championship rounds.

It was the thirteenth victory in the last 14 starts for Foster who fights out of Houston. A two-time Olympian and 2016 gold medalist, the 36-year-old Conceicao is 19-3-1 overall and 1-3-1 in world title fights.

Semi-wind-up

SoCal lightweight Raymond Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) made a big jump in public esteem and moved one step closer to a world title fight with a second-round blast-out of Jose Antonio Perez who was on the canvas twice but on his feet when the fight was stopped at the 1:24 mark of round two. Muratalla, a product of Robert Garcia’s boxing academy, is ranked #2 by the WBC and WBO. A Tijuana native, Perez (25-6) earned this assignment with an upset of former Olympian and former 130-pound world titlist Jojo Diaz,

Other Bouts

Syracuse junior welterweight Bryce Mills, a high-pressure fighter with a strong local following, stopped scrawny Mike O’Han Jr whose trainer Mark DeLuca pulled him out after five one-sided rounds. Mills improved to 17-1 (6 KOs). It was another rough day at the office for Massachusetts house painting contractor O’’Han (19-4) who had the misfortune of meeting Abdullah Mason in his previous bout.

In a junior lightweight fight that didn’t heat up until late in the final round, Albany’s Abraham Nova (23-3-1) and Tijuana native Humberto Galindo (14-3-3) fought to a 10-round draw. It was another close-but-no- cigar for the likeable Nova who at least stemmed a two-fight losing streak. The judges had it 97-93 (Galindo), 96-94 (Nova) and 95-95.

Twenty-one-year-old Long Island middleweight Jahi Tucker advanced to 13-1-1 (6 KOs) with an eighth-round stoppage of Stockton’s teak-tough but outclassed Quilisto Madera (14-6). Madera was on a short leash after five rounds, but almost took it to the final bell with the referee intervening with barely a minute remaining in the contest. Madera was on his feet when the match was halted. Earlier in the round, Tucker had a point deducted for hitting on the break.

Danbury, Connecticut heavyweight Ali Feliz, one of two fighting sons of journeyman heavyweight Fernely Feliz, improved to 4-0 (3) with a second-round stoppage of beefy Rashad Coulter (5-5). Feliz had Coulter pinned against the ropes and was flailing away when the bout was halted at the 1:34 mark. The 42-year-old Coulter, a competitor in all manner of combat sports, hadn’t previously been stopped when competing as a boxer.

Featherweight Yan Santana dominated and stopped Mexico’s Eduardo Baez who was rescued by referee Charlie Fitch at the 1:57 mark of round four. It was the 12^th knockout in 13 starts for Santana, a 24-year-old Dominican father of three A former world title challenger, Mexicali’s Baez declines to 23-7-2 but has lost six of his last eight.

In his most impressive showing to date, Damian Knyba, a six-foot-seven Pole, knocked out paunchy Richard Lartey at the 2:10 mark of round three. A right-left combination knocked Lartey into dreamland, but it was the right did the damage and this was of the nature of a one-punch knockout. Referee Ricky Gonzalez waived the fight off without starting a count.

Knyba, 28, improved to 14-0 (8 KOs). A native of Ghana coming off his career-best win, a fourth-round stoppage of Polish veteran Andrzej Wawrzyk, Lartey declined to 16-7 with his sixth loss inside the distance.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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

Published

3 days ago

November 1, 2024

David A. Avila

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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

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