Featured Articles
Avila Perspective, Chap. 269: The TSS Female Fighter of the Year plus 2023’s Indelible Moments
The TSS Female Fighter of the Year plus 2023’s Indelible Moments
Our beautiful sport lives on.
We had one of the best years in boxing in 2023. Champions fought champions and drew large crowds everywhere from Tokyo to Los Angeles to Riyadh.
Women’s boxing led the way in the previous year and that seemingly inspired men to follow their path this year. What transpired was a landmark year for boxing.
Let’s start with the women.
The Fighter of the Year for women is Amanda “Real Deal” Serrano who fearlessly fought three times beginning in February against Mexico’s Erica Cruz. After 10 turbulent and bloody rounds Serrano emerged victorious to become the first undisputed featherweight world champion.
She also became the first Puerto Rican undisputed world champion.
In midsummer Serrano fought Brooklyn rival Heather Hardy and then capped the year with a title defense set at 12 three-minute rounds against Brazil’s Danila Ramos. Even more remarkable was in announcing the fight, she challenged all fellow female prizefighters to demand the right to choose three-minute rounds instead of two-minute rounds. Also, to fight 12-round championships instead of 10, as the men do.
Two dozen fellow fighters signed a petition to follow her lead.
Incidentally, Serrano defeated Ramos in the first 12 three-minute round championship fight since 2007.
“Thank you, I’m so honored,” said Serrano who was also selected Fighter of the Year for other publications.
And to further explain why we selected Serrano, she also signed to manage female fighters to guide their future.
Ever since Serrano was signed by innovative Jake Paul, a few years back, her career has skyrocketed. Together they are burning new paths and new fans for the sport of boxing.
Speaking of Jake Paul (pictured above with Amanda), the social media giant took part in a mega fight when he defeated MMA star Nate Diaz last August. The crossover event was a box office and pay-per-view success.
Paul and other social media stars proved there is a market for their brand.
The social media star slash boxer started the year 2023 with a decision loss to Tommy Fury, the half-brother of heavyweight champ Tyson Fury. In the age of maintaining perfect records Paul shrugged off the defeat and proceeded to entice MMA star Nate Diaz into the boxing ring. Once it was announced, the mixture of personalities was a perfect blend. The bad boy of MMA versus the “Problem Child” and nearly 20,000 fans gobbled up tickets to see the clash at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Another 450,000 purchased the pay-per-view.
Those are very good numbers for a non-title fight that generated a total near $30 million dollars.
Paul then followed that up with an electrifying single punch knockout win over pro boxer Andre August in the first round this past December 15. The win over an actual pro boxer in the cruiserweight division added even more credibility to his abilities as a boxer and promoter.
Other Impactful Events
Beginning in February, Shane Mosley Jr, the son of a Hall of Fame boxer, helped bring pro boxing to their hometown of Pomona, California in an event that harkened to the days of the Olympic Auditorium, the Inglewood Forum and even the Hollywood Legion Stadium. It had that nostalgic local feel.
Mosley and a bevy of other local fighters put on one of the best smaller cards of the year. Perhaps the best fight on a Golden Boy Promotions card saw former world champion Luis Nery and top super bantamweight contender Azat Hovhannisyan brutalize each other for 11 nonstop rounds. It was intense and definitely a contender for Fight of the Year with Nery winning by stoppage.
In March we saw super middleweight rivals David Benavidez and Caleb Plant finally meet each other in the boxing ring to settle their feud on a Premier Boxing Champions card. For years each fighter verbally attacked each other’s abilities and finally met on March 25, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. They settled their feud in the ring with Benavidez defeating Plant and each gaining more respect for each other.
In April, the biggest money-making fight of the year saw Ryan Garcia and Gervonta “Tank” Davis meet at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and sell 20,000 tickets worth $27 million in revenue. Plus, more than 1.2 million pay-per-views were purchased. All told, more than $100 million was generated. Each fighter topped $30 million with Davis winning by knockout.
It was the most successful boxing event of the year.
Though Garcia lost his undefeated status he remains a huge draw in the prize ring. The win by Davis proved that offensive fighters are bigger draws than defensive fighters. Both Garcia and Davis proved to be the present-day version of Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy “Hitman” Hearns from the 80s. A rematch in the future would certainly break the cash register.
Memorable Moments in 2023
Another potential Fight of the Year saw Jaime Munguia of Mexico and Ukraine’s Sergey Derevyanchenko clobber each other for 12 rounds in a brutal display. Their blows were concussive and could be heard and felt throughout the Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif. Munguia remained undefeated but needed a knockdown from a body shot to emerge victorious. Fans gasped when the battle between the two warriors finally ended.
In June, we saw the return of Teofimo Lopez meet undisputed super lightweight champion Josh Taylor of Scotland in Madison Square Garden. After struggling against decent but not super-talented opposition, the Brooklyn fighter Lopez unleashed his incredible array of fighting ability against champion Taylor. The boxing world was surprised and Lopez proved to be the talented star forgotten but not gone. The world awaits the “Takeover’s” next fight and hopefully against another star.
The year got even better in the heart of summer.
Welterweight champion Terence Crawford had chased Errol Spence Jr. for years in attempting to decide the true world champion of the 147-pounders. Both were undefeated and both claimed to be the true welterweight champion. They finally met in late July at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was five years in the making and after nine one-sided rounds Crawford proved too strong and dominated Spence with three knockdowns before the fight was mercifully stopped.
Crawford’s victory made him an undisputed welterweight world champion. He had already achieved undisputed world championship status as a super lightweight and the win over highly regarded Spence was the cherry on top of the banana split. The Nebraska fighter takes my vote as the best fighter pound-for-pound in the world.
Another pound-for-pound fighter Saul “Canelo” Alvarez returned to Las Vegas. The undisputed super middleweight champion was challenged by undisputed super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo. Challenge accepted. The twin brother from Texas saw Alvarez in person fight a year earlier. He determined Canelo was beatable and made it public that he wanted to fight the Mexican redhead. The two met at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in September and the world saw the weight difference proved too much even for the talented Charlo. The match also proved that a motivated Alvarez is a dangerous foe.
In October, in a less ballyhooed matchup, newly crowned WBC super featherweight titlist O’Shaquie Foster defended his title against top contender Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez in Cancun, Mexico. Because the referee correctly restricted Foster from clinching as a defensive tactic, the Texan was forced to battle inside and out against the powerful Hernandez and another Fight of the Year candidate erupted. It was a good one. After 12 exciting and awe-inspiring rounds, Foster finally stopped Hernandez at 2:38 of the final round to cap the title fight. It was extremely fun to watch.
In November, following Thanksgiving Day, undefeated fighters David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade met in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Once again Benavidez proved that brilliant fighting skills are simply not enough. He pummeled Andrade and proved to be the best fighter other Canelo Alvarez in the super middleweight division. The performance also added to his market appeal and could lead to a clash with the big dog Alvarez.
And what about Devin Haney.
Fresh from a close win over Ukraine’s super talented Vasyl Lomachenko, the Las Vegas-based Haney brashly challenged super lightweight titlist Regis Prograis. It was a dangerous challenge against a powerful champion and looked to be a very tough match. It wasn’t. Behind a beautiful left jab, Haney kept Prograis at a suitable distance and dropped the champion in the third round with a lightning right. After the knockdown Haney cruised to victory. The buttery smooth fighter has established credibility as a true artist in the prize ring. Currently he’s in talks to meet Ryan Garcia in a super lightweight clash in March. Both have a history in the amateurs with each beating the other. Now they’re pros.
Finally, a few days before Christmas, the heavyweights were on display with many of the best signed and ready to confront each other in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was a roster of the best heavyweights in the world not named Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk. But with Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, Joseph Parker, “Big Baby” Miller and others, it was an extravaganza that showcased the excitement of the heavyweight division. Knockouts were the theme and they were in abundance. The heavyweights are back.
Let’s not forget Japan’s “Monster” Naoya Inoue who became undisputed super bantamweight world champion with a knockout win over Marlon Tapales just three days ago. If not for Crawford’s dominating win over another pound-for-pound fighter in Errol Spence, the Japanese star would be this reporter’s Fighter of the Year.
Inoue deserves recognition as one of the most exciting fighters in this decade.
There were several other prize fights that appealed to the public and foreshadowed another great year for boxing. Though Showtime Boxing television ended, the sport continues to prove boxing will never die. Pro boxing has existed since the 1600s and will continue to have an audience.
Lookout 2024.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Avila Perspective, Chap. 303: Spotlights on Lightweights and More
Those lightweights.
Whether junior lights, super lights or lightweights, it’s the 130-140 divisions where most of boxing’s young stars are found now or in the past.
Think Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather.
Floyd Schofield (17-0, 12 KOs) a Texas product, hungers to be a star and takes on Mexico’s Rene Tellez Giron (20-3, 13 KOs) in a 12-round lightweight bout on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.
DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotion card that includes a female undisputed flyweight championship match pitting Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz and Gabriela Fundora.
Like a young lion looking to flex, Schofield (pictured on the left) is eager to meet all the other young lions and prove they’re not equal.
“I’ve been in the room with Shakur, Tank. I want to give everyone a good fight. I feel like my preparation is getting better, I work hard, I’ve dedicated my whole life to this sport,” said Schofield naming fellow lightweights Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
Now he meets Mexico’s Tellez who has never been stopped.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” said Tellez.
Even in Las Vegas.
Verona, New York
Meanwhile, in upstate New York, a WBC junior lightweight title rematch finds Robson Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) looking to prove superior to former titlist O’Shaquie Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, N.Y. ESPN+ will stream the Top Rank fight card.
Last July, Conceicao and Foster clashed and after 12 rounds the title changed hands from Foster to the Brazilian by split decision.
“I feel that a champion is a fighter who goes out there and doesn’t run around, who looks for the fight, who tries to win, and doesn’t just throw one or two punches and then moves away,” said Conceicao.
Foster disagrees.
“I hope he knows the name of the game is to hit and not get hit. That’s the name of the game,” said Foster.
Also on the same card is lightweight contender Raymond Muratalla (21-0, 16 KOs) who fights Mexico’s Jesus Perez Campos (25-5, 18 KOs).
Perez recently defeated former world champion Jojo Diaz last February in California.
“We’re made for challenges. I like challenges,” said Perez.
Muratalla likes challenges too.
“I think these fights are the types of fights I need to show my skills and to prove I deserve those title fights,” said Fontana’s Muratalla.
Female Undisputed Flyweight Championship
WBA, WBC and WBO flyweight titlist Gabriela “La Chucky” Alaniz (15-1, 6 KOs meets IBF titlist Gabriela Fundora (14-0, 6 KOs) on Saturday Nov. 2, at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. DAZN will stream the clash for the undisputed flyweight championship.
Argentina’s Alaniz clashed twice against former WBA, WBC champ Marlen Esparza with their first encounter ending in a dubious win for the Texas fighter. In fact, three of Esparza’s last title fights were scored controversially.
But against Alaniz, though they fought on equal terms, Esparza was given a 99-91 score by one of the judges though the world saw a much closer contest. So, they fought again, but the rematch took place in California. Two judges deemed Alaniz the winner and one Esparza for a split-decision win.
“I’m really happy to be here representing Argentina. We are ready to fight. Nothing about this fight has to do with Marlen. So, I hope she (Fundora) is ready. I am ready to prepare myself for the great fight of my life,” said Alaniz.
In the case of Fundora, the extremely tall American fighter at 5’9” in height defeated decent competition including Maria Santizo. She was awarded a match with IBF flyweight titlist Arely Mucino who opted for the tall youngster over the dangerous Kenia Enriquez of Mexico.
Bad choice for Mucino.
Fundora pummeled the champion incessantly for five rounds at the Inglewood Forum a year ago. Twice she battered her down and the fight was mercifully stopped. Fundora’s arm was raised as the new champion.
Since that win Fundora has defeated Christina Cruz and Chile’s Daniela Asenjo in defense of the IBF title. In an interesting side bit: Asenjo was ranked as a flyweight contender though she had not fought in that weight class for seven years.
Still, Fundora used her reach and power to easily handle the rugged fighter from Chile.
Immediately after the fight she clamored for a chance to become undisputed.
“It doesn’t get better than this, especially being in Las Vegas. This is the greatest opportunity that we can have,” said Fundora.
It should be exciting.
Fights to Watch
Sat. ESPN+ 2:50 p.m. Robson Conceicao (19-2-1) vs O’Shaquie Foster (22-3).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Floyd Schofield (17-0) vs Rene Tellez Giron (20-3); Gabriela Alaniz (15-1) vs Gabriela Fundora (14-0).
Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Bakhram Murtalaziev was the Fighter of the Month in October
As we close the book on October, let’s look back at the month’s stellar performances. Kenshiro Teraji added another exclamation point to his brilliant career with an 11th-round stoppage of Cristofer Rosales. England’s Jack Catterall, considered no more than a decent domestic-level talent for most of his career, showed that he had been underrated with a comprehensive 12-round decision over declining Regis Prograis. But the top performance, by a landslide, was delivered by Bakhram Murtalaziev who annihilated Tim Tszyu on Oct. 19 in Orlando, Florida.
Murtalaziev was undefeated (22-0, 16 KOs) and the reigning IBF junior middleweight champion, but he was the underdog and the “B” side. As champions go, and there are roughly five dozen across the 17 weight divisions, the California-based Russian ranked among the least well-known. He had won his title in Berlin with an 11th-round stoppage of an unexceptional 38-year-old German-Ecuadorian campaigner, Jack Culcay, and he would be making his first defense.
Managed by Egis Klimas who also handles Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko, among others, Bakhram Murtalaziev came from a good barn in the vernacular of a horseplayer, but on paper that alone was insufficient to get him over the hump against Tim Tszyu who a few short months earlier was widely considered the best 154-pound boxer in the world.
That was before he met up with Sebastian Fundora who blemished his record, but that setback could have been written off as a fluke.
As we recall, Tszyu was scheduled to fight Keith Thurman in the initial PBC offering on Amazon Prime Video, but Thurman suffered a biceps injury in training and Fundora was bumped up from the undercard to fill the breach. With only 12 days’ notice, Tim Tszyu went from fighting a five-foot-seven fighter who fights out of an orthodox stance to fighting a southpaw who stood almost a full foot taller. The “Towering Inferno” has his limitations, but poses a special problem to anyone, let alone an opponent with little time to formulate a good game plan.
Tszyu was hampered in the Fundora fight by a gash on his hairline that hampered his vision. The injury happened in the second round when he ducked under Fundora and walked into an elbow. The gash bled copiously throughout the fight and yet the best that Fundora could do was win a split (albeit fair) decision.
To say that Tszyu failed to rebound from the Fundora misadventure would be putting it mildly. Murtalaziev steamrolled him, knocking him to the canvas four times in all before Tszyu’s corner tossed in the towel at the 1:55 mark of the third stanza. It was painful to watch. Referee Chris Young was faulted for allowing the match to continue as long as it did. Compounding Tszyu’s misery, his celebrated father, a first ballot Hall of Famer, was ringside. Kostya Tszyu hadn’t seen his oldest son fight in the flesh since Tim’s pro debut in 2016.
Although the dichotomy is imperfect, Tim Tszyu, who turns 30 on Saturday, is more of a puncher than a boxer. That may work against him so far as clawing his way back to a position of prominence. The noted boxing coach Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, a keen student of the history of boxing in the modern era, expressed this sentiment in a Q and A story for Boxing Scene. “Destructive fighters usually don’t come back to full capacity after bad KO losses,” he said, citing John Mugabi, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, and Naseem Hamed to illustrate his point. Moreover, added Edwards, “No one will ever be afraid of him again.”
But there were two stories that emerged from the Murtalaziev-Tszyu fight. Tim Tszyu crashed, but Bakhram Murtalaziev emerged from obscurity, announcing his presence (pardon the cliché) as a force to be reckoned with. As for his next assignment, the best guess is that it will come against Sebastian Fundora or Errol Spence Jr. who are expected to meet early next year. And based on Murtalaziev’s stunning performance in Orlando, it will be impossible to bet against him.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Foreman-Moorer: 30 Years Later
Foreman-Moorer: 30 Years Later
By TSS SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT JAMIE REBNER — In sports, middle-aged athletes are not supposed to beat opponents who are half their age and in their athletic primes. Only the greatest ones can use guile, technique, and experience to compensate for the dulling of speed, reflexes, and athleticism that have unavoidably eroded with time.
That is why George Foreman’s feat of reclaiming the heavyweight title at 45 is so impressive. It was thirty years ago this coming Tuesday, Nov 5, 1994, that Foreman scored a monumental upset in knocking out Michael Moorer to win back the title he had lost twenty years prior against Muhammad Ali in The Rumble in the Jungle. In doing so, Big George became the oldest heavyweight champion, breaking the record previously held by Jersey Joe Walcott, who had won the title at 38.
When Foreman beat Moorer, he was in the twilight of his second career, a comeback that began in 1987. George had retired in 1977 after losing to Jimmy Young and experiencing a spiritual awakening in his locker room. That led him to become a minister and devote himself to his family and congregation. During his retirement, he opened a youth center in Houston, which required much financial support, prompting him to return to the ring.
After winning 24 straight fights from 1987-1990, Foreman lost his first title shot by decision to Evander Holyfield in 1991. He rebounded from that loss with three more wins before getting a crack at the WBO title against Tommy Morrison in 1993. But his performance against Morrison was disappointing and he lost another decision. After that, Foreman was out of the ring for 17 months before he was gifted another title shot against Moorer.
Foreman got that gift because Moorer, due to his sullen demeanor and curtness with the media, was not a draw with the fans. He was also an unproven champion, having beaten Holyfield for two belts only seven months prior. So. Moorer needed a name opponent who could bring in the crowds for his first title defense. And the other top heavyweights like Oliver McCall (WBC champ), Lennox Lewis, and Riddick Bowe didn’t have close to Foreman’s drawing power. So. deserving or not, Foreman was chosen as the challenger to make a fight that would be worth the public’s attention and pockets.
Even Foreman was surprised by getting selected to fight Moorer. “I never in my wildest imagination thought I’d get a title shot again,” he told Associated Press sports columnist Tim Dahlberg. Still, George was determined to make his third time a charm.
But as motivated as George was, there was an irrefutable gap in speed between himself and the much younger champion. From the opening bell, Moorer used his superior quickness and reflexes to make Foreman look stiff and slow. And although George landed punches early on, he fired them one at a time while Moorer countered with multiple shots. But despite Moorer’s advantage in connects, his trainer Teddy Atlas advised him from the get-go not to stand in front of Foreman and make himself a stationary target for a right-hand bomb.
But Moorer failed to heed that advice as he continued to outwork Foreman in the middle rounds. Although he was winning, Moorer’s overconfidence kept him at close quarters, and he continued to circle unwisely to his left and into Foreman’s dangerous right hand. And despite absorbing many quality shots, Foreman never appeared hurt or discouraged thanks to his granite chin and unyielding resolve. He was determined to win and he was willing to walk through as many flush shots as he needed to do so.
With Moorer content to stay in range, Foreman gladly returned his firepower and he landed some telling right crosses, uppercuts, and plenty of thudding body blows during the battle. And while Moorer continued to pile up points and rounds, as long as George was marching forward and throwing shots, he had a puncher’s chance.
And with a minute to go in round ten, that punch came. After missing a three-punch combination, Foreman scored with a one-two, with the right hand landing on the forehead. He immediately repeated that combination but this time aimed the right hand lower on Moorer’s jaw. That slight adjustment caused his bulldozer right to collide perfectly with Moorer’s chin, sending the champion crashing to the canvas and sprawled onto his back. The champion couldn’t beat the count, and just like that, the fight was over, Moorer’s short-lived title run ending before it ever truly began.
With a single, shattering blow, Foreman etched his name into boxing history. Wearing the same trunks from Zaire 20 years before, he was now heavyweight champion of the world once again. It was a shocking result that defied conventional wisdom since seldom do 45-year-old boxers score knockouts over champions in their athletic primes. But Foreman reminded us that he was anything but your typical quadragenarian. He was special, and he had two distinct heavyweight championship reigns to prove it.
—
About the author:
Jamie Rebner lives in Toronto, Canada. He has been a freelance boxing writer since 2016 and his writing has appeared in The Fight City, Boxing News Online, The Ring, and Ringside Seat magazine. His Substack blog is Fight Fundamental, and he is currently writing a book about George Foreman’s comeback. He is also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @J_NReb.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Results and Recaps from Riyadh where Artur Beterbiev Unified the 175-Pound Title
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Japan’s Budding Superstar Junto Nakatani KOs ‘Petch’ Chitpattana in Tokyo
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Murtazaliev KOs Tszyu to Keep IBF World Title
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Bygone Days: Muhammad Ali at the Piano in the Lounge at the Tropicana
-
Featured Articles6 days ago
Omar Trinidad Defeats Argentina’s Hector Sosa and Other Results
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
WBA Feather Champ Nick Ball Chops Down Rugged Ronny Rios in Liverpool
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Avila Perspective, Chap. 300: Eastern Horizons — Bivol, Beterbiev and Japan
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Avila Perspective, Chap. 299: Golden Boy in Saudi Arabia and More