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Avila Perspective, Chap. 242: The Journey of Joshua Franco

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World champion Joshua Franco announced his retirement after eight years of trading blows with some of the best smaller weight fighters in the world.

It was a surprise, but few questioned his decision.

“I’ve been going through a lot of mental problems that I was doing my best to control,” said Franco. “I never talked about it publicly.”

He is 27 years old.

Ever since Franco arrived on the professional scene back in 2015, the prizefighter known as “The Professor” displayed an uncanny knack for beating the opposition. Whether they were stronger or faster or bigger they could never match that big brain of his.

Franco knew what prizefighting is all about.

When Franco arrived in Southern California after signing with Robert Garcia eight years ago, he and several others arrived from Texas like fresh boots ready to go to war. Franco, Hector Tanajara and later Vergil Ortiz arrived to form a Texas club in Riverside, California. That’s where Robert Garcia Boxing Academy is located.

Sparring was fierce as the new recruits would exchange blows and learn from Robert Garcia and his son and others including Mikey Garcia, one of the best fighters in any era. Their sessions included outsiders like Ronny Rios and many others.

When I would ask the young fighters who is the best, they would point to Franco. When I would ask Robert Garcia, he would point to Franco.

Golden Boy Promotions signed Franco and the first time Franco fought in the prize ring was at the beautiful Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles. He won by split decision. It was obvious that one judge mixed up the name. He gave the other fighter every round.

Franco fought at Belasco eight times in three years. The small venue that holds maybe 1,000 people was perfect for fight fans to see the young talented boxer from San Antonio. Though he was never a big puncher, he stayed in the pocket and used his skills to outwork whoever was in front of him.

His main asset was always that brain. He seemed to be dissecting his foe bit by bit. Once he found a weakness it was over. And foes with big power discovered that even when a powerful blow connected, the San Antonio fighter rarely blinked.

Prizefighting is all about entertaining. Fans want knockouts, blood and guts and excitement. They also want to see fighters with talent go up the rungs facing better and better talent. Franco knew this.

When asked if he would face a hotshot fighter from Colombia he said yes.

Colombia’s Negrete

Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete had speed, skills and a lot of charisma. Fans liked the Colombian fighter’s style and willingness to trade with anyone. When an opening to fight Rey Vargas for a world title came up, he jumped at it. Though he lost by decision he went the distance.

Golden Boy matched Negrete with Franco at the OC Hangar on October 2018, and fans that had watched both fighters at Belasco Theater and Fantasy Springs Casino, rubbed their hands with glee in anticipation. They were not disappointed.

Pitting Franco and Negrete together was like tossing a cigarette lighter into a tumbler filled with nitroglycerine.

The OC Hangar has always been a spot where promoter Roy Englebrecht has staged spectacular monthly fights. On this occasion, Franco and Negrete set the bar to its highest level with rousing levels of punches.

For 10 rounds the two bantamweights exchanged lightning blows that connected with booms and each time one landed, the other fighter would respond immediately. They tried punches to the body and blows to the head. Both looking for weaknesses in the other’s game.

Just when you thought one fighter had an advantage and was about to close the show, the other would rally with even more vigor and the crowd would go crazy.

When Franco accepted the fight, he was not considered the favorite, especially with Negrete already competing for a world title. But that night Franco let the world know he was ready for world class competition.

After 10 rounds the fight was ruled a split draw. Fans did not complain and the media nodded their heads in agreement. It was just too close to declare a winner.

It was so close they agreed to do it again six months later at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio. Both felt they won the first confrontation and were vocal about settling it in the ring. On April 2019, they went at it again but this time for the NABF title.

Just like the first fight both erupted on each other like two pit bulls clashing for one bowl of food. It was explosive and there were no surprises. One change in tactics seemed to be Franco targeting the body more. It seemed to slow down Negrete but not by much.

After 10 rounds Franco was declared the winner by split decision.

Once again it was close and once again Golden Boy Promotions decided to match them up, but this time in Texas. As in their first two clashes, the third encounter was razor close and this time another split draw.

After 30 rounds of tit-for-tat explosive action, it was decided to move on.

Pandemic

When the coronavirus struck the USA it was a death blow to all spectator sports. The world stayed inside their homes and restaurants and other forms of entertainment were shut down. Some for good.

Combat sports found a way to circumvent the spreading Covid-19 virus by testing and not allowing the regular public to attend the fights. Through television and other streaming entities, the world of boxing returned in late spring.

Though Franco was contracted to Golden Boy Promotions, he was allowed to fight on a Top Rank card staged in Las Vegas on June 23, 2020. His opponent was Australia’s Andrew Moloney the WBA super flyweight titlist.

No fans were in attendance when Franco dropped down to the 115-pound weight limit to face the rugged Aussie at the MGM Bubble. The fight was shown on ESPN and they saw what only fans on the West Coast had seen. Franco knows how to fight.

It was a strange situation watching a championship fight with no fans to cheer. Every blow and grunt was picked up by the microphones. Franco was able to display his boxing mastery in the ring that day. He had an answer for every puzzle and more.

In the 11th round Franco connected and Moloney went down. That proved the difference in the fight as Franco won by close scores of 114-113 twice and 115-112. He captured the WBC super flyweight world title.

They would fight two more times and Franco proved two more times that professional boxing has another level that separates champions from other champions. That mental edge of knowing how to win a fight when knockouts are not available.

After a clash of heads ended their second fight in a no-decision, Franco won the third fight by unanimous decision and moved on. Sadly, the pandemic did not allow fans to enjoy the classic confrontations but last year most of the world opened up.

Unification

Last December, WBA titlist Franco eagerly agreed to face WBO super flyweight titlist Kazuto Ioka in a unification match in Japan.

Franco was eager to fight in front of Japan’s eager boxing fans and face four-division champion Ioka.

The Texan was eager for the challenge and proved it with 12 rounds of back-and-forth ferocity that saw two judges score it dead even and one favor Franco. The match was declared a majority draw and both kept their titles.

Both champions agreed to a rematch and last weekend on June 24, the two met in Japan once again. But this time, Franco could not make the 115-pound weight limit. The fight did proceed but the Texan was unable to keep his title regardless of the outcome.

Franco did not win and was not the same as in their first encounter. Ioka won by unanimous decision and added the WBA title to his collection. The Texan announced his retirement.

“Last night in Tokyo, Japan was officially my last fight. It was a tough week for me and I didn’t get the result I wanted but I leave this sport knowing I gave it everything I had,” said Franco via social media.

Though still in his 20s, he leaves a solid legacy and his brother Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez remains in the game.

Thanks for the exciting ride, Professor.

Manchester Fights

Undisputed super middleweight world champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn (8-1, 2 KOs) meets England’s Savannah Marshall (12-1, 10 KOs) on Saturday July 1, at the AO Arena in Manchester, England. ESPN+ will televise the BOXXER Promotions card.

Crews and Marshall are two of the strongest women in the sport. They met before as amateurs and both need a win to fight Claressa Shields the only person to beat either fighter.

Also, Natasha Jonas (13-2-1, 8 KOs) drops down in weight to meet Kandi Wyatt (11-4, 3 KOs) in a welterweight bout for the vacant IBF welterweight title.

Heavyweight Battle in Toledo

Heavyweight contender Jared “Big Baby” Anderson (14-0, 14 KOs) faces former world titlist Charles Martin (29-3-1, 26 KOs) in the main event on Saturday July 1, at Toledo, Ohio. ESPN will televise the Top Rank card.

Anderson has never heard the final bell. All 14 opponents have been knocked out by the heavyweight contender.

Fights to Watch

Sat. ESPN+ 11 a.m. Franchon Crews-Dezurn (8-1) vs Savannah Marshall (12-1).

Sat, ESPN 7 p.m. Jared Anderson (14-0) vs Charles Martin (29-3-1).

Franco/Negrete photo credit: Al Applerose

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Bygone Days: The Largest Crowd Ever at Madison Square Garden Sees Zivic TKO Armstrong

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Bygone Days: The Largest Crowd Ever at Madison Square Garden Sees Zivic TKO Armstrong

There’s not much happening on the boxing front this month. That’s consistent with the historical pattern.

Fight promoters of yesteryear tended to pull back after the Christmas and New Year holidays on the assumption that fight fans had less discretionary income at their disposal. Weather was a contributing factor. In olden days, more boxing cards were staged outdoors and the most attractive match-ups tended to be summertime events.

There were exceptions, of course. On Jan. 17, 1941, an SRO crowd of 23,180 filled Madison Square Garden to the rafters to witness the welterweight title fight between Fritzie Zivic and Henry Armstrong. (This was the third Madison Square Garden, situated at 50th Street and Eighth Avenue, roughly 17 blocks north of the current Garden which sits atop Pennsylvania Station. The first two arenas to take this name were situated farther south adjacent to Madison Square Park).

This was a rematch. They had fought here in October of the previous year. In a shocker, Zivic won a 15-round decision. The fight was close on the scorecards. Referee Arthur Donovan and one of the judges had it even after 14 rounds, but Zivic had won his rounds more decisively and he punctuated his well-earned triumph by knocking Armstrong face-first to the canvas as the final bell sounded.

This was a huge upset.

Armstrong had a rocky beginning to his pro career, but he came on like gangbusters after trainer/manager Eddie Mead acquired his contract with backing from Broadway and Hollywood star Al Jolson. Heading into his first match with Zivic – the nineteenth defense of the title he won from Barney Ross – Hammerin’ Henry had suffered only one defeat in his previous 60 fights, that coming in his second meeting with Lou Ambers, a controversial decision.

Shirley Povich, the nationally-known sports columnist for the Washington Post, conducted an informal survey of boxing insiders and found only person who gave Zivic a chance. The dissident was Chris Dundee (then far more well-known than his younger brother Angelo). “Zivic knows all the tricks,” said Dundee. “He’ll butt Armstrong with his head, gouge him with his thumbs and hit him just as low as Armstrong [who had five points deducted for low blows in his bout with Ambers].”

Indeed, Pittsburgh’s Ferdinand “Fritzie” Zivic, the youngest and best of five fighting sons of a Croatian immigrant steelworker (Fritzie’s two oldest brothers represented the U.S. at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics) would attract a cult following because of his facility for bending the rules. It would be said that no one was more adept at using his thumbs to blind an opponent or using the laces of his gloves as an anti-coagulant, undoing the work of a fighter’s cut man.

Although it was generally understood that at age 28 his best days were behind him, Henry Armstrong was chalked the favorite in the rematch (albeit a very short favorite) a tribute to his body of work. Although he had mastered Armstrong in their first encounter, most boxing insiders considered Fritzie little more than a high-class journeyman and he hadn’t looked sharp in his most recent fight, a 10-round non-title affair with lightweight champion Lew Jenkins who had the best of it in the eyes of most observers although the match was declared a draw.

The Jan. 17 rematch was a one-sided affair. Veteran New York Times scribe James P. Dawson gave Armstrong only two rounds before referee Donovan pulled the plug at the 52-second mark of the twelfth round. Armstrong, boxing’s great perpetual motion machine, a world title-holder in three weight classes, repaired to his dressing room bleeding from his nose and his mouth and with both eyes swollen nearly shut. But his effort could not have been more courageous.

At the conclusion of the 10th frame, Donovan went to Armstrong’s corner and said something to the effect, “you will have to show me something, Henry, or I will have to stop it.” What followed was Armstrong’s best round.

“[Armstrong] pulled the crowd to its feet in as glorious a rally as this observer has seen in twenty-five years of attendance at these ring battles,” wrote Dawson. But Armstrong, who had been stopped only once previously, that coming in his pro debut, had punched himself out and had nothing left.

Armstrong retired after this fight, siting his worsening eyesight, but he returned in the summer of the following year, soldiering on for 46 more fights, winning 37 to finish 149-21-10. During this run, he was reacquainted with Fritzie Zivic. Their third encounter was fought in San Francisco before a near-capacity crowd of 8,000 at the Civic Auditorium and Armstrong got his revenge, setting the pace and working the body effectively to win a 10-round decision. By then the welterweight title had passed into the hands of Freddie Cochran.

Hammerin’ Henry (aka Homicide Hank) Armstrong was named to the International Boxing Hall of Fame with the inaugural class of 1990. Fritzie Zivic followed him into the Hall three years later.

Active from 1931 to 1949, Zivic lost 65 of his 231 fights – the most of anyone in the Hall of Fame, a dubious distinction – but there was yet little controversy when he was named to the Canastota shrine because one would be hard-pressed to find anyone who had fought a tougher schedule. Aside from Armstrong and Jenkins, he had four fights with Jake LaMotta, four with Kid Azteca, three with Charley Burley, two with Sugar Ray Robinson, two with Beau Jack, and singles with the likes of Billy Conn, Lou Ambers, and Bob Montgomery. Of the aforementioned, only Azteca, in their final meeting in Mexico City, and Sugar Ray, in their second encounter, were able to win inside the distance.

By the way, it has been written that no event of any kind at any of the four Madison Square Gardens ever drew a larger crowd than the crowd that turned out on Jan. 17, 1941, to see the rematch between Fritzie Zivic and Henry Armstrong. Needless to say, prizefighting was big in those days.

A recognized authority on the history of prizefighting and the history of American sports gambling, TSS editor-in-chief Arne K. Lang is the author of five books including “Prizefighting: An American History,” released by McFarland in 2008 and re-released in a paperback edition in 2020.

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Jai Opetaia Brutally KOs David Nyika, Cementing his Status as the World’s Top Cruiserweight

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In his fifth title defense, lineal cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (27-0, 21 KOs) successfully defended his belt with a brutal fourth-round stoppage of former sparring partner David Nyika. The bout was contested in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia where Opetaia won the IBF title in 2022 with a hard-earned decision over Maris Briedis with Nyika on the undercard. Both fighters reside in the general area although Nyika, a former Olympic bronze medalist, hails from New Zealand.

The six-foot-six Nyika, who was undefeated in 10 pro fights with nine KOs, wasn’t afraid to mix it up with Opetaia although had never fought beyond five rounds and took the fight on three weeks’ notice when obscure German campaigner Huseyin Cinkara suffered an ankle injury in training and had to pull out. He wobbled Opetaia in the second round in a fight that was an entertaining slugfest for as long as it lasted.

In round four, the champion but Nyika on the canvas with his patented right uppercut and then finished matters moments later with a combination climaxed with an explosive left hand. Nyika was unconscious before he hit the mat.

Opetaia’s promoter Eddie Hearn wants Opetaia to unify the title and then pursue a match with Oleksandr Usyk. Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, a Golden Boy Promotions fighter, holds the WBA and WBO versions of the title and is expected to be Opetaia’s next opponent. The WBC diadem is in the hands of grizzled Badou Jack.

Other Fights of Note

Brisbane heavyweight Justis Huni (12-0, 7 KOs) wacked out overmatched South African import Shaun Potgieter (10-2), ending the contest at the 33-second mark of the second round. The 25-year-old, six-foot-four Huni turned pro in 2020 after losing a 3-round decision to two-time Olympic gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov. There’s talk of matching him with England’s 20-year-old sensation Moses Itauma which would be a delicious pairing.

Eddie Hearn’s newest signee Teremoana Junior won his match even quicker, needing less than a minute to dismiss Osasu Otobo, a German heavyweight of Nigerian descent.

The six-foot-six Teremoana, who akin to Huni hails from Brisbane and turned pro after losing to the formidable Jalolov, has won all six of his pro fights by knockout while answering the bell for only eight rounds. He has an interesting lineage; his father is from the Cook Islands.

Rising 20-year-old Max “Money” McIntyre, a six-foot-three super middleweight, scored three knockdowns en route to a sixth-round stoppage of Abdulselam Saman, advancing his record to 7-0 (6 KOs). As one can surmise, McIntyre is a big fan of Floyd Mayweather.

The Opetaia-Nyika fight card aired on DAZN pay-per-view (39.99) in the Antipodes and just plain DAZN elsewhere.

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R.I.P. Paul Bamba (1989-2024): The Story Behind the Story

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Paul Bamba, a cruiserweight, passed away at age 35 on Dec. 27 six days after defeating Rogelio Medina before a few hundred fans on a boxing card at a performing arts center in Carteret, New Jersey. No cause of death has been forthcoming, leading to rampant speculation. Was it suicide, or perhaps a brain injury, and if the latter was it triggered by a pre-existing condition?

Fuel for the latter comes in the form of a letter that surfaced after his death. Dated July 25, 2023, it was written by Dr. Alina Sharinn, a board-certified neurologist licensed in New York and Florida.

“Mr. Bamba has suffered a concussion and an episode of traumatic diplopia within the past year and now presents with increasing headaches. His MRI of the brain revealed white matter changes in both frontal lobes,” wrote Bamba’s doctor.

Her recommendation was that he stop boxing temporarily while also avoiding any other activity at which he was at risk of head trauma.

Dr. Sherinn’s letter was written three months after Bamba was defeated by Chris Avila in a 4-round contest in New Orleans. He lost all four rounds on all three scorecards, reducing his record to 5-3.

Bamba took a break from boxing after fighting Avila. Eight months would elapse before he returned to the ring. His next four fights were in Santa Marta, Colombia, against opponents who were collectively 4-23 at the time that he fought them. The most experienced of the quartet, Victor Coronado, was 38 years old.

He won all four inside the distance and ten more knockouts would follow, the last against Medina in a bout sanctioned by the World Boxing Association for the WBA Gold title. As widely reported, the stoppage, his 14th, broke Mike Tyson’s record for the most consecutive knockouts within a calendar year. That would have been a nice feather in his cap if only it were true.

Born in Puerto Rico, Paul Bamba was a former U.S. Marine who spent time in Iraq as an infantry machine gunner. In interviews on social media platforms, he is well-spoken and introspective without a trace of the boastfulness that many prizefighters exhibit when talking to an outsider. Interviewed in a corridor of the arena after stopping Medina, he was almost apologetic, acknowledging that he still had a lot to learn.

His life story is inspirational.

His early years were spent in foster homes. He was homeless for a time after returning to civilian life. Speaking with Boxing Scene’s Lucas Ketelle, Bamba said, “I didn’t have any direction after leaving the Marine corps. I hit rock bottom, couldn’t afford a place to stay…I was renting a mattress that was shoved behind someone’s sofa.”

He turned his life around when he ventured into the Morris Park Boxing Gym in the Bronx where he learned the rudiments of boxing under the tutelage of former WBA welterweight champion Aaron “Superman” Davis. “I love boxing,” he would say. “The confidence it gives you permeates into other aspects of your life.”

Bamba’s newfound confidence allowed him to carve out a successful career as a personal trainer. His most famous client was the Grammy Award winning R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo who signed Bamba to his new sports management company late in the boxer’s Knockout skein. Bamba was with Ne-Yo in Atlanta when he passed away. Ne-Yo broke the news on his Instagram platform.

Paul Bamba had been pursuing a fight with Jake Paul. Winning the WBA Gold belt opened up other potentially lucrative options. In theory, the holder of the belt is one step removed from a world title fight. Next comes an eliminator and, if he wins that one, a true title fight attached to a hefty purse will follow…in theory.

Rogelio “Porky” Medina, who brought a 42-10 record, had competed against some top-shelf guys, e.g., Zurdo Ramirez, Badou Jack, James DeGale, David Benavidez, Caleb Plant; going the distance with DeGale and Plant. However, only two of his 42 wins had come in fights outside Mexico, at age 36 he was over the hill, and his best work had come as a super middleweight.

Thirteen months ago, Medina carried 168 ½ pounds for a match in New Zealand in which he was knocked out in the first round. He came in more than 30 pounds heavier, specifically 202 ¼, for his match with Paul Bamba. In between, he knocked out a 54-year-old man in Guadalajara to infuse his ledger with a little brighter sheen.

Why did the WBA see fit to sanction the Bamba-Medina match as a title fight? That’s a rhetorical question. And for the record, the record for the most consecutive knockouts within a calendar year wasn’t previously held by Mike Tyson. LaMar Clark, a heavyweight from Cedar City, Utah, scored 29 consecutive knockouts in 1958 after opening the year by winning a 6-round decision. (If you are inclined to believe that all or most of those knockouts were legitimate, then perhaps I can interest you in buying the Brooklyn Bridge.)

Clark was being primped for a fight with a good purse which came when he was dispatched to Louisville to fight a fellow who was fairly new to the professional boxing scene, a former U.S. Olympian then known as Cassius Clay who knocked him out in the second round in what proved to be Clark’s final fight.

Paul Bamba was a much better fighter than LaMar Clark, of that I am quite certain. However, if Paul Bamba had gone on to meet one of the world’s elite cruiserweights, a similar outcome would have undoubtedly ensued.

One can summon up the Bamba-Medina fight on the internet although the video isn’t great – it was obviously filmed on a smart phone – and pieces of it are missing. Bamba was winning with his higher workrate when Medina took his unexpected leave, but one doesn’t have to be a boxing savant to see that Paul’s hand and foot speed were slow and that there were big holes in his defense.

This isn’t meant to be a knock on the decedent. Being able to box even four rounds at a fast clip and still be fresh is one of the most underrated achievements in all of human endurance sports. Bamba’s life story is indeed inspirational. When he talked about the importance of “giving back,” he was sincere. In an early interview, he mentioned having helped out at a Harlem food pantry.

Paul Bamba had to die to become well-known within the fight fraternity, let alone in the larger society. One hopes that his death will inspire the sport’s regulators to be more vigilant in assaying a boxer’s medical history and, if somehow his untimely death leads to the dissolution of the fetid World Boxing Association, his legacy would be even greater.

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