Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano and Shadasia Green Victorious in Dallas

Published

2 years ago

August 5, 2023

Jake Paul-Amanda-Serrano-and-Shadasia-Green-Victorious-in-Dallas

Influencer Jake Paul used his still evolving experience in the boxing ring to defeat MMA giant and true scrapper Nate Diaz by unanimous decision in front of a large crowd in Dallas on Saturday night.

“He’s a UFC legend,” said Paul. “I’m just happy for this win.”

Paul (7-1) used movement and a newly discovered left hook to keep Diaz (0-1) from rushing in too recklessly in front of more than 17,000 fans at American Airlines Center. The 10-round cruiserweight match was never a boring affair.

A Paul left hook on Diaz’s face in the opening seconds hurt the fighter from Stockton and had him in survival mode. The blond influencer tried to take advantage and pounded away in methodical fashion to the body and head.

Diaz survived but at the end of the opening round a mouse on the side of his right eye was evident.

The pro MMA crowd seemed in disbelief that their beloved fighter Diaz was in trouble so early. Throughout most of his career in the Octagon he showed almost super human durability. He displayed that on this night too.

Paul had predicted that Diaz was durable and also predicted a knockout would come because of that toughness.

Diaz lowered his head and charged in behind a peek-a-boo guard and attacked Paul who moved around mostly to his left. It was not enough to stop the charges and, little by little, Diaz began connecting with volume punching.

Paul was connecting with single but powerful shots. The body blows seemed to be the most effective way of countering Diaz’s charges.

By the fourth round it was apparent that Diaz had figured out the strength of Paul’s punches and was gaining more confidence. Both exchanged back and forth heavily in a very close round.

In the fifth round, Paul connected with a right to the body and a right uppercut to the head. Diaz continued to wade in but was suddenly caught by another Paul left hook and down went the MMA legend. He got up quickly and the fight resumed with Diaz in full attack mode. Paul maneuvered out of danger and won the round 10-8 because of the knockdown.

Again, the left hook was the cause and a newly developed weapon for Paul whose overhand right was already established. It was the most effective weapon against Diaz.

Still, Diaz showed why MMA fans love his fighting style as he continued to battle and feign being hurt. Paul did not fall for the trick and forced Diaz to advance toward him.

Diaz had many moments as he opened up with volume punching. Though he connected often he could not hurt Paul and that allowed the influencer to keep his composure and use boxing tactics to stay ahead for most of the rounds.

After 10 rounds of back-and-forth action, the judges were in agreement and scored in favor of Paul 98-91 twice and 97-92.

“He’s tough. He’s real tough. That’s what he’s known for,” said Paul about Diaz. “I knocked him down, won basically every round. I had him hurt in the first round.”

Diaz was gracious in defeat.

“I wish I could have done better and done better things,” said Diaz of his boxing debut. “He won that. I will fight anybody. I don’t give a f***.”

Paul said he is willing to face Diaz in MMA if he agrees.

Amanda Serrano wins

Amanda Serrano (45-2-1, 30 KOs) powered her way past a stubbornly determined Heather Hardy (24-3) to retain the undisputed featherweight title by unanimous decision.

Despite the more advanced skills of Serrano, the crowd loved Hardy’s bloody grit and determination and cheered the action until the end.

“She’s as tough as they come,” said Serrano about her longtime Brooklyn rival and friend. “I wanted to say Heather is a hell of a fighter.”

The love fest came after the fight. But during the fight from, rounds one until the end, Serrano battered Hardy around the ring with blows that felled more than 30 foes before. Hardy absorbed a pounding in every round, but as in their previous encounter, she endured.

“I still feel very grateful,” said Hardy, 41. “I gave everything I had for three months.”

It showed.

Serrano worked the body like a power driver breaking concrete. Blow after blow connected to Hardy’s body but the blonde Irish fighter showed she could endure even the harshest blows like a sponge.

Hardy was determined to be more than a punching bag and fought back with her own counters once she found the range. During the fifth round the Irish fighter found her most success.

Maybe she could survive.

Serrano reset in the sixth round and fired an exchange and out went Hardy’s mouthpiece. After a brief interlude Hardy apologized for losing it. Serrano went right back to work.

Brooklyn’s two best female fighters unloaded blows against each other for the remainder of the fight. Serrano from her southpaw stance delivered the more concise blows but Hardy fired right back. It was like she did not want to disappoint the fans of female boxing.

In the final round after hugging each other the two immediately bolted toward each other like crash cars and unleashed speedy volleys. The more than 17,000 fans roared their approval as the two Brooklynites fired away. In the end, Serrano won by scores of 99-91 and 100-90 twice.

Shadasia Green wins

Feared super middleweight contender Shadasia Green (13-0, 11 KOs) was forced to go the distance against Chicago’s Olivia Curry (7-2) but won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds.

Green was able to wobble Curry several times but like the movie Raging Bull, “You never put me down Ray,” the winner never could floor the Chicago fighter. But Green did connect.

Still, Green showed various dimensions to her fight game in out-pointing and out-maneuvering Curry who never stopped trying to win with combinations and moving forward. She just didn’t have the power to cause Green to pause.

After 10 rounds scores were 99-91, 100-90, 100-89 for Green.

Other Bouts

Stockton’s Chris Avila (4-1) out-boxed Jeremy Stephens (0-1-1) in a fight pitting two MMA fighters in the boxing ring. Though Stephens is the more accomplished fighter in the cage, Avila, a stablemate of Nate Diaz, proved far superior in the boxing ring and won nearly every round to win by unanimous decision in a super middleweight fight.

Avila used combinations throughout the six rounds to win by decision 59-55 twice and 60-54.

Long Beach’s Ashton Sylve (10-0, 9 KOs) used speed and body shots to put down William Silva (30-5, 18 KOs) twice before ending the fight in the fourth round with a left hook to the liver in a lightweight match.

Sylve, 19, accepted a fight against a dangerous veteran and was able to display clever boxing skills that opened up the Brazilian fighter’s defense. The left hook was the weapon and he used it twice effectively. The final knockdown was at 2:59 of the fourth round.

Photo by David Avila

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David A. Avila

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Emanuel Navarrete Survives a Bloody Battle with Charly Suarez in San Diego

Published

2 hours ago

May 11, 2025

David A. Avila

Emanuel-Navarrete-Survives-a-Bloody-Battle-with-Charly-Suarez-in-San-Diego

In a torrid battle Mexico’s Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and his staccato attack staved off the herky-jerky non-stop assaults of Philippine’s Charly Suarez to win by technical decision and retain the WBO super feather world title on Saturday.

What do they feed these guys?

Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) and his elongated arms managed to connect enough to compensate against the surprising Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs) who wowed the crowd at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on the side of Navarrete’s left eye and forced a stoppage midway through the fight.

From the opening round Navarrete used his windmill style of attack with punches from different angles that caught Suarez multiple times early. It did not matter. Suarez fired back with impunity and was just as hungry to punch it out with the Mexican fighter.

It was savage.

Every time Navarrete connected solidly, he seemed to pause and check out the damage. Bad idea. Suarez would immediately counter with bombs of his own and surprise the champion with his resilience and tenacity.

Wherever they found Suarez they should look for more, because the Filipino fighter from Manila was ferocious and never out of his depth.

Around the sixth round the Mexican fighter seemed a little drained and puzzled at the tireless attacks coming from Suarez. During an exchange of blows a cut opened up on Navarrete and it was ruled an accidental clash of heads by the referee. Blood streamed down the side of Navarrete’s face and it was cleared by the ringside physician.

But at the opening of the eighth round, the fight was stopped and the ringside physician ruled the cut was too bad to continue. The California State Athletic Commission looked at tape of the round when the cut opened to decipher if it was an accidental butt or a punch that caused the cut. It was unclear so the referee’s call of accidental clash of heads stood as the final ruling.

Score cards from the judges saw Navarrete the winner by scores of 78-75, 77-76 twice. He retains the WBO title.

Interim IBF Lightweight Title

The sharp-shooting Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) maneuvered past Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the interim IBF lightweight title after 12 rounds.

Both fighters were strategic in their approach with Muratalla switching from orthodox to southpaw at various times of the fight. Neither fighter was ever able to dominant any round.

Defense proved the difference between the two lightweights. Muratalla was able to slip more blows than Abdullaev and that proved the difference. The fighter from Fontana, California was able to pierce Abdullaev’s guard more often than not, especially with counter punches.

Abdullaev was never out of the fight. The Russian fighter was able to change tactics and counter the counters midway through the fight. It proved effective especially to the body. But it was not enough to offset Muratalla’s accuracy.

There were no knockdowns and after 12 rounds the judges scored it 118-110, 119-109 twice for Muratalla who now becomes the mandatory for the IBF lightweight title should Vasyl Lomachenko return to defend it.

Muratalla was brief.

“He was a tough fighter,” said Muratalla. “My defense is something I work on a lot.”

Perla Wins

Super flyweight Perla Bazaldua (2-0) eased past Mona Ward (0-2) with a polished display of fighting at length and inside.

Combination punching and defense allowed Bazaldua to punch in-between Ward’s attacks and force the St. Louis fighter to clinch repeatedly. But Ward hung in there despite taking a lot of blows. After four rounds the Los Angeles-based Bazaldua was scored the winner 40-36 on all three cards. Bazaldua signed a long term contract with Top Rank in March.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Late Bloomer Anthony Cacace TKOs Hometown Favorite Leigh Wood in Nottingham

Published

15 hours ago

May 10, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions was at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England, tonight with a card featuring hometown favorite Leigh Wood against Ireland’s Anthony “Apache” Cacace.

Wood, a former two-time WBA featherweight champion, known for dramatic comebacks in bouts he was losing, may have reached the end of the road at age 36. He had his moments tonight, rocking Cacace on several occasions and winning the eighth round, but he paid the price, returning to his corner after round eight with swelling around both of his eyes.

In the ninth, Cacace, an 11/5 favorite, hurt Wood twice with left hands, the second of which knocked Wood into the ropes, dictating a standing 8-count by referee John Latham. When the bout resumed, Cacace went for the kill and battered Wood around the ring, forcing Wood’s trainer Ben Davison to throw in the towel. The official time was 2:15 of round nine.

Akin to Wood, Northern Ireland’s Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs) is also 36 years old and known as a late bloomer. This was his ninth straight win going back to 2017 (he missed all of 2018 and 2020). He formerly held the IBF 130-pound world title, a diadem he won with a stoppage of then-undefeated and heavily favored Joe Cordina, but that belt wasn’t at stake tonight as Cacace abandoned it rather than fulfill his less-lucrative mandatory. Wood falls to 28-4.

Semi-Wind-Up

Nottingham light heavyweight Ezra Taylor, fighting in his hometown for the first time since pro debut, delighted his fan base with a comprehensive 10-round decision over previously undefeated Troy Jones. Taylor, who improved to 12-0 (9) won by scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.

This was Taylor’s first fight with new trainer Malik Scott, best known for his work with Deontay Wilder. The victory may have earned him a match with Commonwealth title-holder Lewis Edmondson. Jones was 12-0 heading in.

Other Bouts of Note

In his first fight as a featherweight, Liam Davies rebounded from his first defeat with a 12-round unanimous decision over Northern Ireland’s previously undefeated Kurt Walker. Davies, who improved to 17-1 (8), staved off a late rally to prevail on scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111. It was the first pro loss for the 30-year-old Walker (12-1), a Tokyo Olympian.

In a mild upset, Owen Cooper, a saucy Worcestershire man, won a 10-round decision over former Josh Taylor stablemate Chris Kongo. The referee’s scorecard read 96-94.

Cooper improved to 11-1 (4). It was the third loss in 20 starts for Kongo.

A non-televised 8-rounder featured junior welterweight Sam Noakes in a stay-busy fight. A roofer by trade and the brother of British welterweight title-holder Sean Noakes, Sam improved to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a third-round stoppage of overmatched Czech import Patrik Balez (13-5-1).

Photo credit: Leigh Dawney / Queensberry

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 326: Top Rank and San Diego Smoke

Published

2 days ago

May 9, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 326: Top Rank and San Diego Smoke

Years ago, I worked at a newsstand in the Beverly Hills area. It was a 24-hour a day version and the people that dropped by were very colorful and unique.

One elderly woman Eva, who bordered on homeless but pridefully wore lipstick, would stop by the newsstand weekly to purchase a pack of menthol cigarettes. On one occasion, she asked if I had ever been to San Diego?

I answered “yes, many times.”

She countered “you need to watch out for San Diego Smoke.”

This Saturday, Top Rank brings its brand of prizefighting to San Diego or what could be called San Diego Smoke. Leading the fight card is Mexico’s Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) defending the WBO super feather title against undefeated Filipino Charly Suarez (18-0, 10 KOs) at Pechanga Arena. ESPN will televise.

This is Navarrete’s fourth defense of the super feather title.

The last time Navarrete stepped in the boxing ring he needed six rounds to dismantle the very capable Oscar Valdez in their rematch. One thing about Mexico City’s Navarrete is he always brings “the smoke.”

Also, on the same card is Fontana, California’s Raymond Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) vying for the interim IBF lightweight title against Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-1, 12 KOs) on the co-main event.

Abdullaev has only fought once before in the USA and was handily defeated by Devin Haney back in 2019. But that was six years ago and since then he has knocked off various contenders.

Muratalla is a slick fighting lightweight who trains at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy now in Moreno Valley, Calif. It’s a virtual boot camp with many of the top fighters on the West Coast available to spar on a daily basis. If you need someone bigger or smaller, stronger or faster someone can match those needs.

When you have that kind of preparation available, it’s tough to beat. Still, you have to fight the fight. You never know what can happen inside the prize ring.

Another fighter to watch is Perla Bazaldua, 19, a young and very talented female fighter out of the Los Angeles area. She is trained by Manny Robles who is building a small army of top female fighters.

Bazaldua (1-0, 1 KO) meets Mona Ward (0-1) in a super flyweight match on the preliminary portion of the Top Rank card. Top Rank does not sign many female fighters so you know that they believe in her talent.

Others on the Top Rank card in San Diego include Giovani Santillan, Andres Cortes, Albert Gonzalez, Sebastian Gonzalez and others.

They all will bring a lot of smoke to San Diego.

Probox TV

A strong card led by Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs) facing Ardreal Holmes Jr. (17-0, 6 KOs) in a super welterweight clash between southpaws takes place on Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida. PROBOX TV will stream the fight card.

Ardreal has rocketed up the standings and now faces veteran Lubin whose only losses came against world titlists Sebastian Fundora and Jermell Charlo. It’s a great match to decide who deserves a world title fight next.

Another juicy match pits Argentina’s Nazarena Romero (14-0-2) against Mexico’s Mayelli Flores (12-1-1) in a female super bantamweight contest.

Nottingham, England

Anthony Cacace (23-1, 8 KOs) defends the IBO super featherweight title against Leigh Wood (28-3, 17 KOs) in Wood’s hometown on Saturday at Nottingham Arena in Nottingham, England. DAZN will stream the Queensberry Promotions card.

Ireland’s Cacace seems to have the odds against him. But he is no stranger to dancing in the enemy’s lair or on foreign territory. He formerly defeated Josh Warrington in London and Joe Cordina in Riyadh in IBO title defenses.

Lampley at Wild Card

Boxing telecaster Jim Lampley will be signing his new book It Happened! at the Wild Card Boxing gym in Hollywood, Calif. on Saturday, May 10, beginning at 2 p.m. Lampley has been a large part of many of the greatest boxing events in the past 40 years. He and Freddie Roach will be at the signing.

Fights to Watch (All times Pacific Time)

Sat. DAZN 11 a.m. Anthony Cacace (23-1) vs Leigh Wood (28-3).

Sat. PROBOX.tv 3 p.m. Erickson Lubin (26-2) vs Ardreal Holmes Jr. (17-0).

Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1) vs Charly Suarez (18-0); Raymond Muratalla (22-0) vs Zaur Abdullaev (20-1).

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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