One More Shot at the Big Time Awaits the Winner of Nietes vs Waseem on Saturday

Published

2 years ago

July 18, 2023

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A perfect, strange fight is scheduled to take place in the bantamweight division this Saturday in Dubai. Available on FITE TV and broadcast in the middle of the afternoon in the UK and early in the morning for America, it is one for the Sweet Scientists among us. The major attraction, I suggest, is not the inexplicable headliner to be fought between Hector Andres Sosa and James Dickens, but the chief support – the talented Muhammad Waseem squaring off against the veteran Donnie Nietes, boxing far from home for a minor strap and a future in a sport that has all but used them up.

Waseem, The Falcon, never quite landed. A hero in Pakistan, he seemed destined to put his country on the boxing map after repeatedly medalling as an amateur. A promising beginning saw him challenge for world titles twice at 112lbs; Waseem failed on both occasions. Nietes, on the other hand, is past-prime. A wonderful fighter, he has held high rankings in multiple divisions but he has not won a significant fight since 2018 – although that narrow triumph over the mighty Kazuto Ioka was a fabulous victory.

Ioka avenged the defeat by a wide unanimous decision in the summer of 2022 and it seemed that this might be all from the unsung Filipino.

Instead, he meets Waseem, and the winner shall emerge with a minor alphabet title at the weight and no small amount of leverage. It is a resurrection of sorts and for all that Nietes (pictured) has fallen the further, Waseem is every bit as much in need of a sporting rebirth. Quick-handed and organised, he was also a huge flyweight and one that looked superb in out-pointing Nietes’ countryman Giemel Magramo in 2016. In 2017 though, Waseem bizarrely returned to treading water, moving out of twelve round competition and back in to six and eight round matches against professional losers. What it all meant was that he was ill-prepared for his 2018 shot at a strap against storied veteran Moruti Mthalane.

Waseem-Mthalane took place in 2015 but remains the key fight in handicapping Waseem-Nietes. Mthalane was much older but streets craftier – the question in their contest was whether the bigger, quicker, younger man could overcome the wily campaigner out for the latest in a long line of alphabet titles. These questions are the same as those that will be answered this Saturday in Dubai Studio City. On that occasion, Waseem came up short, but it was an intriguing fight. Mthalane had all the control early. Waseem looked planless, like a fighter who had been told that the way to shed his amateur style was to visit the trenches, but this essentially meant he was thoroughly outfought while failing to use either his reach or size advantage. Still, that size may have worn Mthalane who suffered badly late in the fight, even visiting the canvas in the eleventh after a square, aggressive Waseem pinned him to the ropes. It would be an exaggeration to call this a near miss, but had this much more aggressive Waseem materialised a few rounds earlier, it would have been exactly that.

Travelling between Lahore and Dubai, Waseem again inexplicably returned to shortform boxing and questionable opposition and around this time, I lost interest in him – only for him to box for a title once more, this time against divisional number one Sunny Edwards. Edwards was far too good for Waseem, but just like the Mthalane fight, he showed flashes of promise.

Promise can only carry a fighter so far, however, and Waseem was somehow thirty-four years old at this point. When he vanished for a year, it seemed he might have hung up his gloves.

So, his date with Nietes came as something of a surprise, and at bantamweight no less. Waseem has the advantage here and he even fought at the weight limit during his inexplicable 2017 rummage through journeyman hell. But it is not the weight class he fought for titles at, nor is it a division in which he will hold a meaningful size advantage over the average contender. This is probably why Nietes has been selected as an opponent. Donnie Nietes is a fighter I could talk about all day. Having turned professional in 2003, he has been boxing for two decades and is about to enter his fifth weight class, but at 5’3” he is small for even a flyweight and will be a tiny bantamweight. This has never stopped him making a vivid impression on his opponents, though. Nietes has a deep well of tactical attack, he is the type of fighter who makes small strategic adjustments for big differences in the ring, a left-hooker at heart, he changed this punch out for right hands to lift his 108lb strap against southpaw Ramon Garcia (having already dropped one unbeaten at 105lbs). Seven years later in his wonderful first fight with Kazuto Ioka, he counteracted Ioka’s super one-two combination with a weak but quick scoring jab and by subtly moving the fight to the inside where he edged his foe. Moises Fuentes baffled him to a draw in 2013 but Nietes seemed a different man in the rematch, dirty and direct, stopping his man with a right-hand behind a beautifully feinted left.

A near-genius, Nietes travelled both the weight-classes and the world in search of money and recognition, achieved a modicum of both before starting, finally, to slip in the early 2020s. Subjected to a robbery draw against Aston Palicte in 2018, he suffered the real thing against Norbelto Jimenez in 2021. I thought Nietes did barely enough, but this was no robbery. He appeared uncertain at times against a fighter who he would have buried even two years earlier. When Ioka turned his old foe around with such ease in June last year it was clear that Nietes was past it and at forty, perhaps finished with the sport.

Sweet Science readers can see then why these two are made for each other.

I will be cheering for Donnie Nietes and there is no real reason he cannot get it done. It is true he is the older man but at six years, the difference is not prohibitive; it is true he is the smaller man, but that has been the case since about 2016 and it really has not made a meaningful difference. Still, unless he loses the battle of the jabs despite his length and speed, I think Waseem will get the job done. Aggressive, and capable of weaving together swift punches out of a reasonably adaptable stance, Waseem will get home for a win on points. Nietes needs a fast start to take the prize because one of boxing’s best engines has begun to sputter of late.

Still, if he is in the fight as the tenth and eleventh wind down, Nietes may just find a way. Up to bat for the fifty-third time, it is impossible to believe that Waseem will be able to show Nietes anything he has not seen before.

Waseem, the man who reached for potential super-stardom but never made it, thirty-five years old, 12-2, still very much the athlete, the man with the physical advantages. In the other corner, Nietes, brilliant, has seen the likes of Waseem many times before, but perhaps unable to pull the trigger now against a quicker opponent, perhaps unable to position himself as he did before to avoid the hurtful blows from a sport that is harder on veterans than any other.

Each is the other’s worst nightmare stylistically, and each is the other’s only chance at one more shot at the big time. It is a perfectly balanced fight, taking place in a fistically unfashionable part of the world at a strange time of the day but I submit it should not be missed, certainly not by anybody who has read this far.

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Ever-Improving Callum Walsh KOs Dean Sutherland at Madison Square Garden

Published

9 hours ago

March 16, 2025

David A. Avila

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Irish luck was not involved as Callum Walsh won the battle of hard-hitting southpaws over Dean Sutherland by knockout on Sunday.

One right hook was all it took.

“You’re never going to beat the Irish,” said Walsh.

In a contest between Celtic super welterweights Walsh (13-0, 11 KOs) retained the WBC Continental America’s title against Sutherland (19-2, 7 KOs) in quick fashion at the Madison Square Garden Theater in Manhattan.

Usually fights between southpaws can be confusing to both contestants. But Walsh had expressed a fondness for fighting lefthanders then vividly exhibited the reasons why.

Walsh, 24, a native of Cork, Ireland, now living and training in Los Angeles, quickly demonstrated why he likes fighting lefties with a steady flow of combinations from the opening bell.

He did not hesitate.

Sutherland, 26, had only lost once before and that was more than two years ago. Against Walsh the Scottish fighter was not hesitant to advance forward but was caught with lefts and right hooks.

After two minutes of scattered blows, Sutherland fought back valiantly and when cornered, Walsh tapped two jabs then unleashed a right hook through the Scottish fighter’s gloves that floored the Aberdeen fighter for the count at 2:45 of the first round.

“I’m feeling very good. Dean Sutherland is a very good opponent. I knew he was going to be dangerous. That was my best opponent,” said Walsh.

It was the fourth consecutive knockout win for Walsh who seems to improve with every single combat.

“I’m looking forward to the future. I’m getting stronger and stronger,” said Walsh who is trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. “Anyone that comes to me I will take him out.”

Other Bouts

Super featherweight Feargal McCrory (17-1, 9 KOs) survived a knockdown in the fourth to out-muscle Keenan Carbajal (25-5-1, 17 KOs) and batter down the Arizona fighter in the seventh and again in the eighth with volume punching.

Carbajal was deducted a point early for holding in round two, but regained that point when he floored the Irish southpaw during an exchange in the fourth.

Despite suffering a knockdown, McCrory continued stalking Carbajal and floored him in the seventh and eighth with battering blows. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the fight without a count.

A rematch between two Irish super middleweights saw Emmet Brennan (6-0) remain undefeated by unanimous decision over Kevin Cronin (9-3-1).

Cronin started quickly with a pressure style and punches flowing against Brennan who resorted to covering and countering. Though it looked like Cronin was building up a lead with a busier style, the judges preferred Brennan’s judicious counters. No knockdowns were scored as all three judges saw Brennan the winner 98-92 after 10 rounds.

Dajuan Calloway (11-3, 9 KOs) emerged the winner by technical knockout over Thomas Carty (10-1) who was unable to continue after two rounds when his leg tangled and thereafter was unable to stand. Because he could not continue the fight was ruled a technical knockout win for Calloway in the heavyweight match.

Also

Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (29-1, 23 Kos) defeated Yeis Solano (15-5) by majority decision after eight rounds in a super lightweight contest.

Donagh Keary (1-0) defeated Geral Alicea-Romero (0-1-1) by decision after four.

Light heavyweights Sean O’Bradaigh (0-0-1) and Jefferson Almeida (0-1-1) fought to a majority draw after four.

Photo credit: JP Yim

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Nick Ball Wears Down and Stops TJ Doheny Before the Home Folks in Liverpool

Published

2 days ago

March 15, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Fighting in his hometown, Liverpool’s five-foot-two fireplug Nick “The Wrecking” Ball stopped TJ Doheny after 10 progressively more one-sided rounds to retain his WBA belt in the second defense of the featherweight title he won with a hard-earned decision over Raymond Ford in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Referee Michael Alexander, with the assent of Doheny’s corner, waived it off following the bell ending Round 10, much to the chagrin of the brave but mildewed Doheny who burst into tears. But then, Doheny’s right eye was closed shut and he was plainly exhausted. This may be the end of the line for the 38-year-old campaigner from Perth, Australia via Portlaois, Ireland who was 26-5 heading in following his first loss inside the distance which came against pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue.

There were no knockdowns, but Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) was docked a point in round nine for throwing Doheny to the canvas after having previously been warned for this infraction. Earlier, both he and Doheny were warned for an incident that could have ended the bout prematurely. At the end of the first round, Ball extricated himself from a headlock by kicking Doheny in the back of his knee. The challenger’s leg appeared to buckle as he returned to his stool.

Going forward, Ball has many options. The 28-year-old Liverpudlian purportedly relishes a unification fight with WBC belt-holder Stephen Fulton, but the decision ultimately rests with Ball’s promoter Frank Warren.

Other Bouts of Note

In a 12-round bantamweight contest that was close on the scorecards but yet a monotonous affair, Liverpool’s Andrew Cain won a split decision over former WBC flyweight title-holder Charlie Edwards. The scores were 116-112 and 115-114 favoring Cain with judge Steve Gray submitting a disreputable 115-113 tally for Edwards. At stake were a trio of regional titles.

The science of boxing, they say, is about hitting without getting hit. Charlie Edwards is adept at the latter but the hitting part is not in his DNA. He was on his bicycle from the get-go, a style that periodically brought forth a cascade of boos. Cain, who trains in the same gym with Nick Ball, was never able to corner him – Edwards was too elusive – but Cain, to his credit, never lost his composure.

In improving to 14-1 (12), Cain achieved a measure of revenge, in a sense. In his last documented amateur bout, in 2014, Cain was defeated by Charlie’s brother Sunny Edwards, also a former world title-holder at the professional level. Heading in, Charlie Edwards (20-2, 1 NC) was unbeaten in his last 13 which included a comfortable decision over Cristofer Rosales in his flyweight title fight. Charlie relinquished that belt when he could no longer make the weight.

Showboating Cuban lightweight Jadier Herrera, who fought 13 of his first 14 pro fights in his adopted home of Dubai, advanced to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage of spunky but outclassed Mexican import Jose Macias (21-4-2). The official time was 2:31 of round seven.

An all-Liverpool affair between super flyweights Jack Turner (11-0, 10 KOs) and Ryan Farrag (23-6) was over in a jiff. The match, which went next-to-last in the bout order, ended at the 42-second mark of round two. A barrage of punches climaxed by a left hook sent Farrag down hard and the referee waived it off.

The noted spoiler Ionut Baluta, whose former victims include Andrew Cain, forged another upset with a 10-round split decision over local fan favorite Brad Strand. The judges favored Baluta 98-91 and 96-94, out-voting the Italian judge whose 97-93 tally for Strand was deemed the most accurate by the TV pundits.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 317: Callum Walsh, Dana White and More

Published

3 days ago

March 14, 2025

David A. Avila

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As Callum Walsh stood on the observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building with fists clenched, it harked back to actor Jimmy Cagney, an actor of Irish descent, yelling “Top of the world, ma,” in the 1949 motion picture White Heat.

The Irish-born Walsh brings that kind of attitude.

Once again Walsh (12-0, 10 KOs) returns to New York City and this time faces Scottish warrior Dean Sutherland (19-1, 7 KOs) in a super welterweight match set for 10 rounds on Sunday, March 16, at Madison Garden Theater.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions event.

Flanked by master trainer Freddie Roach and managed by Dana White it brings questions as to the direction that Walsh will be steered. It was just revealed that White will head a new boxing promotion outfit with big plans to make a more UFC type of organization.

Is Walsh part of the plans?

It’s a lot to digest as the hot prospect from Cork, Ireland proceeds toward world championship dreams. Can he cleanse his mind of this major distraction?

Walsh and Sutherland are both southpaws who are meeting at the crossroads in the heart of New York City. At this point of their careers a loss can mean rebooting and taking a few steps backward. The winner moves on to the next crucial step.

Sutherland, 26, hails from Aberdeen and has never fought outside of his native Scotland. It’s a lot to ask of someone whose country’s population of 5 million is dwarfed by New York City’s 8.2 million inhabitants all packed together.

Ireland’s population is also 5 million. So basically, both Walsh and Sutherland are on even terms when they enter the prize ring on Sunday.

Who knows what kind of competition Sutherland faced in Scotland. He beat two undefeated fighters and also conquered two foes who each had more than 100 losses on their resumes.

Meanwhile, Walsh has faced only one undefeated fighter but handled veterans like Benjamin Whitaker, Ismael Villareal and Carlos Ortiz Cervantes. But you never know until they meet face to face. Anything can happen in a prize ring.

Walsh has a three-fight knockout streak. Sutherland has slept two out of his last three foes. They will be joined by several Irish fighters on the card plus Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin.

Dana, Turk and TKO

The announcement earlier in the week that Turki Alalshikh together with TKO Group Holdings that include Dana White and Nick Khan formed a new boxing promotion company.

White, who does not own UFC but guides the MMA ship, works for Endeavor, the parent company of UFC and WWE. Their events are all shown on ESPN, the powerful sports network (albeit WWE’s flagship weekly show “Raw” recently moved to Netflix). It seems Endeavor has decided to allow White to guide its boxing program too.

Where does that leave Top Rank?

It seems the partnership plans to rid boxing of the many sanctioning organizations and have only one champion per division. The champion will be given a Ring Magazine belt. Recently, Turki Alalshikh purchased The Ring magazine from Golden Boy Promotions. This seems to have been the plan all along.

Is this good for boxing?

Mark Shapiro, the president of TKO Group Holdings, said:

“This is a strategic opportunity to re-imagine the sport of boxing globally. TKO has the deep expertise, promotional prowess, and longstanding relationships. HE Turki Alalshikh and Sela share our passion and vision for evolving the current model. Together, we can bring the sweet science back to its rightful place in the forefront of the global sports ecosystem.”

DAZN all day

Three boxing cards take place on Saturday beginning with WBA featherweight titlist Nick Ball (21-0-1) the human cannonball, defending against former champion TJ Doheny from Liverpool, England. The first bout begins around 9:30 a.m. (Pacific Coast Time). Ball likes to charge forward and punch. Doheny is no slouch and has experience.

Later, Matchroom Boxing presents a show from Florida that features Edgar Berlanga (22-1) fresh off a solid contest against Canelo Alvarez. He fights undefeated Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) in a super middleweight match. Also, Ammo Williams (17-1) returns to face dangerous Patrice Volny (19-1) in a middleweight clash. The card starts at 3:30 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time.

Saturday evening MarvNation presents Amado Vargas (11-0) meeting Eduardo Hernandez (8-2) in a super lightweight contest at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. Start time is set for 8 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time). The son of the great Fernando Vargas remains undefeated.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 11:30 a.m. Nick Ball (21-0-1) vs TJ Doheny (26-5).

Sat. DAZN 3:30 p.m. Edgar Berlanga (22-1) vs Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) ; Ammo Williams (17-1) vs Patrice Volny (19-1).

Sat. DAZN 8 p.m. Amado Vargas (11-0) vs Eduardo Hernandez (8-2).

Sun. UFC Fight Pass 3 p.m. Callum Walsh (12-0) vs Dean Sutherland (19-1).

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