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The Hauser Report: Adam Kownacki and a Sad Night at Madison Square Garden
Sometimes a fight seems like a wake with the body in the ring. That was the feeling I had at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night when Adam Kownacki fought Joe Cusumano in the chief support bout for Edgar Berlanga vs. Jason Quigley.
Kownacki (now 20-4, 15 KOs, 3 KOs by) was once groomed as an opponent for Deontay Wilder. But Robert Helenius stopped him twice. Then Adam lost his third fight in a row (by decision against Ali Eren Demirezen).
Cusumano (22-4, 20 KOs, 1 KO by) had been knocked out in the first round by Daniel Dubois in his only outing against a world-class opponent and was as “safe” an opponent for Kownacki as promoter Eddie Hearn could get past the New York State Athletic Commission.
There was talk that Hearn was considering Kownacki as an opponent for Anthony Joshua’s next outing in August. But first, Adam had to get by Cusumano.
Kownacki was a heavy betting favorite, in large measure because of Cusumano’s shortcomings. It was a “must-win” fight for Adam. But his last three outings had also been must-win fights. And Adam had lost all of them.
Against Cusumano, things went wrong for Kownacki from the start. Cusumano shook him with right hands in round one and dropped him face first with fifteen seconds left in the stanza. Adam struggled to his feet, not just because he was supposed to but because he’s a fighter at heart and was still trying to win the fight. The bell saved him.
Kownacki rallied to win rounds two and three. There was no quit in him. But there wasn’t much else either except his heart. He’d come into the fight with a gas tank that was close to empty, and now the engine was running on fumes.
Both fighters were slow, lumbering, and easy to hit. Both men threw punches in bunches. And very few of those punches missed. The main question regarding the outcome was how Cusumano’s chin would hold up if Kownacki hit him flush. But Adam doesn’t hit as hard as he once did. In the ring, he’s now a shell of his former self.
The end came two minutes into round eight with Kownacki being battered around the ring, woozy but still on his feet, and his corner throwing in the towel. The fight was too sad to be entertaining but it was dramatic.
I’ve known Adam for a long time. I like him. He shouldn’t fight anymore. I don’t want to hear, “Oh, I hope Adam doesn’t fight again but he’s going to fight anyway, so I’ll do the best I can to protect him.”
Adam shouldn’t get hit in the head anymore. Not in sparring and not in a fight. Shame on anyone who, in any way, facilitates his fighting again.
* * * *
Saturday night marked a return to the scene of an ongoing problem that has long plagued the New York State Athletic Commission. Too often, the judging in New York is atrocious.
Two weeks ago, Teofimo Lopez fought Josh Taylor at Madison Square Garden. Lopez outlanded Taylor by a two-to-one margin and also landed the heavier blows. It was hard to find more than three rounds that could be credibly scored for Taylor. But two judges (Joe Pasquale and Steve Gray) gave him five. Indeed, had Taylor won the last round, the fight would have been declared a draw. And if Taylor had scored a flash knockdown, he would have won the fight. But since (according to CompuBox), Taylor was outlanded 20-to-2 in the final stanza, not even Pasquale and Gray could score that round for him.
Steve Weisfeld had Joe Cusumano ahead of Adam Kownacki by a 68-64 margin when that fight was stopped (which, in the eyes of this observer, was the correct score). Ken Ezzo’s scorecard was even, which was beyond the pale.
That brings us to Berlanga-Quigley.
Berlanga began his career with a gaudy streak of sixteen consecutive first-round knockouts. Then the competition got tougher. He’d been taken the distance in his last four fights. Quigley had never beaten a world-class fighter, was knocked out by Tureano Johnson and Demetrius Andrade, and had fought only once since 2021. That fight, in Dublin, was a ten-round decision over a Hungarian fighter named Gabor Gorbics who has now lost forty times and is winless in his last 31 outings.
Hearn was hoping to groom Berlanga as an opponent for Canelo Alvarez. Indeed, in the build-up to Berlanga-Quigley, Edgar posted on social media, “If me and Canelo fought, easily we’ll do over 1.5 million in PPV buys.” That was a silly assertion, but indicative of the path that he and Hearn hoped to follow. Then, hours after the final pre-fight press conference for Berlanga-Quigley, Canelo announced that his next fight would be in September with Premier Boxing Champions on Showtime PPV. That fight, it was later reported, would be the first under a three-bout contract.
Berlanga talks the talk. But so far, he hasn’t stepped into the ring against a world-class opponent to walk the walk. Against Quigley, he looked one-dimensional. Jason had faster hands and better footwork but lacked the power to hurt Edgar. Berlanga dropped him in round three. And the normally-reliable Harvey Dock mistakenly called a knockdown in round five when Quigley slipped and hit the canvas. But Jason fought his way back into the fight, finding a home for some sharp right hands. Then Edgar finished strong, dropping Quigley twice in the twelfth round.
I gave Quigley five rounds. Two of the judges gave him four. Judge Nicolas Esnault gave him two, which wasn’t a credible scorecard.
The New York State Athletic Commission might say, “Well, Lopez-Taylor was a WBO title fight, so we didn’t appoint the judges.” But the NYSAC had jurisdiction over the fight and final approval of the judges. The Commission might also say with regard to all three fights, “The right guy won, so what’s the problem?”
The problem is that, too often, the wrong guy (or woman) wins in New York. And the New York State Athletic Commission doesn’t correct the situation. It doesn’t even acknowledge that the problem exists.
The day after Taylor-Lopez, I emailed the public relations officer for the NYSAC asking for comment from executive director Kim Sumbler regarding the judges’ scoring of that fight. There was no response. Nine days later, I followed up with a second email. Again, there was no response.
Judges are entrusted with the livelihood and legacy of every fighter who participates in a bout that they watch over. That’s a huge responsibility. Too often, it’s placed in the hands of men and women who aren’t up to the task.
Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book – In the Inner Sanctum: Behind the Scenes at Big Fights – 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.
Photo credit: Ed Mulholland / Matchroom
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Usyk Outpoints Fury and Itauma has the “Wow Factor” in Riyadh
Usyk Outpoints Fury and Itauma has the “Wow Factor” in Riyadh
Oleksandr Usyk left no doubt that he is the best heavyweight of his generation and one of the greatest boxers of all time with a unanimous decision over Tyson Fury tonight at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. But although the Ukrainian won eight rounds on all three scorecards, this was no runaway. To pirate a line from one of the DAZN talking heads, Fury had his moments in every round but Usyk had more moments.
The early rounds were fought at a faster pace than the first meeting back in May. At the mid-point, the fight was even. The next three rounds – the next five to some observers – were all Usyk who threw more punches and landed the cleaner shots.
Fury won the final round in the eyes of this reporter scoring at home, but by then he needed a knockout to pull the match out of the fire.
The last round was an outstanding climax to an entertaining chess match during which both fighters took turns being the pursuer and the pursued.
An Olympic gold medalist and a unified world champion at cruiserweight and heavyweight, the amazing Usyk improved his ledger to 23-0 (14). His next fight, more than likely, will come against the winner of the Feb. 22 match in Ridayh between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker which will share the bill with the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Fury (34-2-1) may fight Anthony Joshua next. Regardless, no one wants a piece of Moses Itauma right now although the kid is only 19 years old.
Moses Itauma
Raised in London by a Nigerian father and a Slovakian mother, Itauma turned heads once again with another “wow” performance. None of his last seven opponents lasted beyond the second round.
His opponent tonight, 34-year-old Australian Demsey McKean, lasted less than two minutes. Itauma, a southpaw with blazing fast hands, had the Aussie on the deck twice during the 117-second skirmish. The first knockdown was the result of a cuffing punch that landed high on the head; the second knockdown was produced by an overhand left. McKean went down hard as his chief cornerman bounded on to the ring apron to halt the massacre.
Itauma (12-0, 10 KOs after going 20-0 as an amateur) is the real deal. It was the second straight loss for McKean (22-2) who lasted into the 10th round against Filip Hrgovic in his last start.
Bohachuk-Davis
In a fight billed as the co-main although it preceded Itauma-McKean, Serhii Bohachuk, an LA-based Ukrainian, stopped Ishmael Davis whose corner pulled him out after six frames.
Both fighters were coming off a loss in fights that were close on the scorecards, Bohachuk falling to Vergil Ortiz Jr in a Las Vegas barnburner and Davis losing to Josh Kelly.
Davis, who took the fight on short notice, subbing for Ismail Madrimov, declined to 13-2. He landed a few good shots but was on the canvas in the second round, compliments of a short left hook, and the relentless Bohachuk (25-2, 24 KOs) eventually wore him down.
Fisher-Allen
In a messy, 10-round bar brawl masquerading as a boxing match, Johnny Fisher, the Romford Bull, won a split decision over British countryman David Allen. Two judges favored Fisher by 95-94 tallies with the dissenter favoring Allen 96-93. When the scores were announced, there was a chorus of boos and those watching at home were outraged.
Allen was a step up in class for Fisher. The Doncaster man had a decent record (23-5-2 heading in) and had been routinely matched tough (his former opponents included Dillian Whyte, Luis “King Kong” Ortiz and three former Olympians). But Allen was fairly considered no more than a journeyman and Fisher (12-0 with 11 KOs, eight in the opening round) was a huge favorite.
In round five, Allen had Fisher on the canvas twice although only one was ruled a true knockdown. From that point, he landed the harder shots and, at the final bell, he fell to canvas shedding tears of joy, convinced that he had won.
He did not win, but he exposed Johnny Fisher as a fighter too slow to compete with elite heavyweights, a British version of the ponderous Russian-Canadian campaigner Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Other Bouts of Note
In a spirited 10-round featherweight match, Scotland’s Lee McGregor, a former European bantamweight champion and stablemate of former unified 140-pound title-holder Josh Taylor, advanced to 15-1-1 (11) with a unanimous decision over Isaac Lowe (25-3-3). The judges had it 96-92 and 97-91 twice.
A cousin and regular houseguest of Tyson Fury, Lowe fought most of the fight with cuts around both eyes and was twice deducted a point for losing his gumshield.
In a fight between super featherweights that could have gone either way, Liverpool southpaw Peter McGrail improved to 11-1 (6) with a 10-round unanimous decision over late sub Rhys Edwards. The judges had it 96-95 and 96-94 twice.
McGrail, a Tokyo Olympian and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, fought from the third round on with a cut above his right eye, the result of an accidental clash of heads. It was the first loss for Edwards (16-1), a 24-year-old Welshman who has another fight booked in three weeks.
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Fury-Usyk Reignited: Can the Gypsy King Avenge his Lone Defeat?
Fury-Usyk Reignited: Can the Gypsy King Avenge his Lone Defeat?
In professional boxing, the heavyweight division, going back to the days of John L. Sullivan, is the straw that stirs the drink. By this measure, the fight on May 18 of this year at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was the biggest prizefight in decades. The winner would emerge as the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999 when Lennox Lewis out-pointed Evander Holyfield in their second meeting.
The match did not disappoint. It had several twists and turns.
Usyk did well in the early rounds, but the Gypsy King rattled Usyk with a harsh right hand in the fifth stanza and won rounds five through seven on all three cards. In the ninth, the match turned sharply in favor of the Ukrainian. Fury was saved by the bell after taking a barrage of unanswered punches, the last of which dictated a standing 8-count from referee Mark Nelson. But Fury weathered the storm and with his amazing powers of recuperation had a shade the best of it in the final stanza.
The decision was split: 115-112 and 114-113 for Usyk who became a unified champion in a second weight class; 114-113 for Fury.
That brings us to tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 21) where Usyk and Fury will renew acquaintances in the same ring where they had their May 18 showdown.
The first fight was a near “pick-‘em” affair with Fury closing a very short favorite at most of the major bookmaking establishments. The Gypsy King would have been a somewhat higher favorite if not for the fact that he was coming off a poor showing against MMA star Francis Ngannou and had a worrisome propensity for getting cut. (A cut above Fury’s right eye in sparring pushed back the fight from its original Feb. 11 date.)
Tomorrow’s sequel, bearing the tagline “Reignited,” finds Usyk a consensus 7/5 favorite although those odds could shorten by post time. (There was no discernible activity after today’s weigh-in where Fury, fully clothed, topped the scales at 281, an increase of 19 pounds over their first meeting.)
Given the politics of boxing, anything “undisputed” is fragile. In June, Usyk abandoned his IBF belt and the organization anointed Daniel Dubois their heavyweight champion based upon Dubois’s eighth-round stoppage of Filip Hrgovic in a bout billed for the IBF interim title. The malodorous WBA, a festering boil on the backside of boxing, now recognizes 43-year-old Kubrat Pulev as its “regular” heavyweight champion.
Another difference between tomorrow’s fight card and the first installment is that the May 18 affair had a much stronger undercard. Two strong pairings were the rematch between cruiserweights Jai Opetaia and Maris Briedis (Opetaia UD 12) and the heavyweight contest between unbeatens Agit Kabayal and Frank Sanchez (Kabayel KO 7).
Tomorrow’s semi-wind-up between Serhii Bohachuk and Ismail Madrimov lost luster when Madrimov came down with bronchitis and had to withdraw. The featherweight contest between Peter McGrail and Dennis McCann fell out when McCann’s VADA test returned an adverse finding. Bohachuk and McGrail remain on the card but against late-sub opponents in matches that are less intriguing.
The focal points of tomorrow’s undercard are the bouts involving undefeated British heavyweights Moses Itauma (10-0, 8 KOs) and Johnny Fisher (12-0, 11 KOs). Both are heavy favorites over their respective opponents but bear watching because they represent the next generation of heavyweight standouts. Fury and Usyk are getting long in the tooth. The Gypsy King is 36; Usyk turns 38 next month.
Bob Arum once said that nobody purchases a pay-per-view for the undercard and, years from now, no one will remember which sanctioning bodies had their fingers in the pie. So, Fury-Usyk II remains a very big deal, although a wee bit less compelling than their first go-around.
Will Tyson Fury avenge his lone defeat? Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and the unofficial czar of “major league” boxing, certainly hopes so. His Excellency has made known that he stands poised to manufacture a rubber match if Tyson prevails.
We could have already figured this out, but Alalshikh violated one of the protocols of boxing when he came flat out and said so. He effectively made Tyson Fury the “A-side,” no small potatoes considering that the most relevant variable on the checklist when handicapping a fight is, “Who does the promoter need?”
The Uzyk-Fury II fight card will air on DAZN with a suggested list price of $39.99 for U.S. fight fans. The main event is expected to start about 5:45 pm ET / 2:45 pm PT.
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Unheralded Bruno Surace went to Tijuana and Forged the TSS 2024 Upset of the Year
Unheralded Bruno Surace went to Tijuana and Forged the TSS 2024 Upset of the Year
The Dec. 14 fight at Tijuana between Jaime Munguia and Bruno Surace was conceived as a stay-busy fight for Munguia. The scuttlebutt was that Munguia’s promoters, Zanfer and Top Rank, wanted him to have another fight under his belt before thrusting him against Christian Mbilli in a WBC eliminator with the prize for the winner (in theory) a date with Canelo Alvarez.
Munguia came to the fore in May of 2018 at Verona, New York, when he demolished former U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali, conqueror of Miguel Cotto. That earned him the WBO super welterweight title which he successfully defended five times.
Munguia kept winning as he moved up in weight to middleweight and then super middleweight and brought a 43-0 (34) record into his Cinco de Mayo 2024 match with Canelo.
Jaime went the distance with Alvarez and had a few good moments while losing a unanimous decision. He rebounded with a 10th-round stoppage of Canada’s previously undefeated Erik Bazinyan.
There was little reason to think that Munguia would overlook Surace as the Mexican would be fighting in his hometown for the first time since February of 2022 and would want to send the home folks home happy. Moreover, even if Munguia had an off-night, there was no reason to think that the obscure Surace could capitalize. A Frenchman who had never fought outside France, Surace brought a 25-0-2 record and a 22-fight winning streak, but he had only four knockouts to his credit and only eight of his wins had come against opponents with winning records.
It appeared that Munguia would close the show early when he sent the Frenchman to the canvas in the second round with a big left hook. From that point on, Surace fought mostly off his back foot, throwing punches in spurts, whereas the busier Munguia concentrated on chopping him down with body punches. But Surace absorbed those punches well and at the midway point of the fight, behind on the cards but nonplussed, it now looked as if the bout would go the full 10 rounds with Munguia winning a lopsided decision.
Then lightning struck. Out of the blue, Surace connected with an overhand right to the jaw. Munguia went down flat on his back. He rose a fraction-of-a second before the count reached “10,”, but stumbled as he pulled himself upright. His eyes were glazed and referee Juan Jose Ramirez, a local man, waived it off. There was no protest coming from Munguia or his cornermen. The official time was 2:36 of round six.
At major bookmaking establishments, Jaime Munguia was as high as a 35/1 favorite. No world title was at stake, yet this was an upset for the ages.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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