The Hauser Report: Boxing Notes and Nuggets

Published

1 year ago

June 30, 2023

The Hauser Report: Boxing Notes and Nuggets

Larry Goldberg promoted his fifth club fight card at Sony Hall in Times Square on Thursday night. I viewed it through a different lens than I usually do because I had a new responsibility. Azad (a luxury watch manufacturer and one of the event sponsors) had donated a watch that was to be given to one of the fighters. I was tasked with choosing the recipient. I could use whatever criteria I thought was appropriate.

Let’s take the bouts in order.

Bout #1: Raymond Cuadrado (7-0, 3 KOs) vs. Yeuri Andujar (5-5-1, 3 KOs 3 KOs by)

Andujar was winless in four fights dating back to 2019 and had been knocked out in three of those four bouts. He kept throwing punches but didn’t know how to avoid them and fought as though moving his head after punching would be held against him. Blood flowed from his shattered nose from the second round on. But fighting against an opponent with far superior skills, he kept trying to win. There was nobility in Andujar’s effort. He lost all four rounds on each judges’ scorecard. But when it was over, Cuadrado knew he’d been in a fight.

Bout #2: Arnold Gonzalez (11-0, 6 KOs) vs. Alejandro Munera (8-7-4, 7 KOs, 4 KOs by)

Munera fought with an excess of caution until it occurred to him that Gonzalez wasn’t as good as his record. Then he began throwing punches but lost every round.

Bout #3: Mathew Gonzalez (12-0-1, 8 KOs) vs. Terell Bostic (7-1, 1 KO)

This was the one fight on the card that shaped up as competitive. Gonzalez has been carefully matched throughout his career. But not even that had saved him in his most recent outing when he fought to a draw against Dakota Linger in a bout that saw Mathew lose form and fight down to Linger’s level.

It’s hard to find an entertaining match-up for Bostic because he has skills but he’s a runner. Compounding the problem, Mathew followed Terrell around the ring rather than cutting the ring off. Bostic finally started fighting in round seven and won the last two stanzas. But it was too little too late. Terrell lost a 78-74, 77-75, 77-75 verdict in a fight he could have won and had no one to blame for the decision but himself.

Bout #4: Brian Ceballo (14-1, 7 KOs) vs. Mitch Louis-Charles (7-3-2, 4 KOs, 1 KO by)

Ceballo turned pro five years ago after a decorated amateur career and was considered a prospect. But he hasn’t reached the level that was expected of him. If someone suggested in 2018 that, in 2023, Brian would be fighting on a Thursday-night club card against a guy from Canada who had seven wins in twelve outings, the suggestion would have been dismissed as folly. But there it was. Charles was a prohibitive underdog and lost every round.

Bout #5: Kurt Scoby (11-0, 9 KOs) vs. Hank Lundy (31-13, 14 KOs, 4 KOs by)

Scoby is in a stage of his career where his record is being built. Lundy has been reduced to opponent status and had lost five fights in a row since 2020. Scoby looked good. Lundy looked shot. KO 2.

So . . . Who got the Azad watch? First let’s look at the evening as a whole.

Goldberg took a step back from his most recent fight card in that this one had only one match-up that figured to be competitive. And the fights ran true to form. The underdogs lost all twenty rounds in the four fights that shaped up as non-competitive. The A-side fighters sold tickets. But the evening was short in entertainment value.

I don’t like fight cards that are almost exclusively A-side vs. B-side fights. And I didn’t see the point in giving a watch to someone for beating up a hopelessly overmatched opponent. I decided to award the watch to the fighter who, in my view, got the most out of what he had and made the most impressive effort of the evening. I awarded the watch to Yeuri Andujar.

****

Let’s tie up some loose ends from past happenings.

I didn’t watch Canelo Alvarez’s May 6 fight against John Ryder live. I followed round-by-round reports on ESPN.com and Boxing Scene while it was in progress and watched the bout on You Tube after it was over.

Round-by-round reports seldom merit comment. But ESPN.com caught my eye with the following entry: “Here come the ring walks! Crowd is going nuts in anticipation. First, the Jalisco national anthem, then the two national anthems, England’s Here Comes The Queen, and Mexico’s.”

I didn’t hear the anthems. But it seems more plausible to me that the crowd was serenaded with God Save the King.

Since May 6 was the day that Charles III was crowned King of England, I thought I’d make that correction.

****

It’s only the end of June which is far too early to give out year-end awards. But at the moment, Conor Benn seems a lock to win the “John Lennon Award” for 2023.

Benn mounted an expensive legal assault after testing positive twice for Clomifene and has jumped from one attempted justification of his conduct to another. Eventually, the World Boxing Council accepted his excuse that he was an innocent victim of the “highly-elevated consumption of eggs.” Further filings have built on this contention. But Victor Conte (one of the most knowledgeable people in the world when it comes to the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs in boxing) has shredded Benn’s explanation.

The John Lennon Award?

Check out the lyrics that Lennon wrote for I Am the Walrus – most notably, “Man, you’ve been a naughty boy . . . I am the egg man.”

****

The World Boxing Council likes to dispense championship belts in conjunction with all manner of events. That practice was on display yet again when Floyd Mayweather engaged in a June 11 exhibition against John Gotti III in Sunset, Florida.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman had announced that the sanctioning body would present Mayweather with a special “Juneteenth-themed” championship belt to commemorate the exhibition. The belt had the usual WBC championship-belt motif with images of broken chains, hands, and the word “Juneteenth” added. Speaking to TMZ, Sulaiman declared, “Juneteenth is a national holiday. And Floyd Mayweather is the best representative for success and glory through hard work and dedication. He make[s] life better for all every single day.”

Then things hit a snag. The exhibition was scheduled for eight two-minute rounds. Security at ringside was lax. As the farce (and it was a farce) progressed, referee Kenny Bayless warned both participants multiple times for obscene trash-talking and roughhouse tactics. Finally, in round six, Bayless had seen enough and waved the exhibition off. At that point, Gotti attacked Mayweather with more intensity than he’d shown at any time earlier in the proceedings and an ugly brawl followed. Dozens of partisans stormed the ring and fights spread throughout the arena.

“We were going to present Floyd and other persons [with] the special honorary belt after the exhibition match,” Sulaiman told The Sweet Science. “Unfortunately, everything was cancelled when the riot took place.”

Now let’s get real.

Gotti (who has limited boxing skills) was tabbed for the event because he’s the grandson of former organized crime boss John Gotti. Mayweather’s criminal record includes multiple convictions (and time in jail) for physically abusing women.

No one disputes the fact that Floyd was an exceptionally talented boxer. But Juneteenth celebrates a June 19, 1865, order that proclaimed freedom for slaves in Texas. A serial abuser of woman and a man whose fame is based on the fact that his grandfather was a well-known mob boss are poor symbols for that historic occasion.

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.

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Thomas Hauser

Thomas Hauser is the author of 52 books. In 2005, he was honored by the Boxing Writers Association of America, which bestowed the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism upon him. He was the first Internet writer ever to receive that award. In 2019, Hauser was chosen for boxing's highest honor: induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Lennox Lewis has observed, “A hundred years from now, if people want to learn about boxing in this era, they’ll read Thomas Hauser.”

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Usyk Outpoints Fury and Itauma has the “Wow Factor” in Riyadh

Published

2 days ago

December 21, 2024

Arne K. Lang

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.

Photo (c): Mark Robinson

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 10^th 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?

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Fury-Usyk-Reignated-Can-the-Gypsy-King-Avenge-His-Londe-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

Published

4 days ago

December 19, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Unheralded-Bruno-Sarace-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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