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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.
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Ringside at the Fontainebleau where Mikaela Mayer Won her Rematch with Sandy Ryan

LAS VEGAS, NV — The first meeting between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan last September at Madison Square Garden was punctuated with drama before the first punch was thrown. When the smoke cleared, Mayer had become a world-title-holder in a second weight class, taking away Ryan’s WBO welterweight belt via a majority decision in a fan-friendly fight.
The rematch tonight at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas was another fan-friendly fight. There were furious exchanges in several rounds and the crowd awarded both gladiators a standing ovation at the finish.
Mayer dominated the first half of the fight and held on to win by a unanimous decision. But Sandy Ryan came on strong beginning in round seven, and although Mayer was the deserving winner, the scores favoring her (98-92 and 97-93 twice) fail to reflect the competitiveness of the match-up. This is the best rivalry in women’s boxing aside from Taylor-Serrano.
Mayer, 34, improved to 21-2 (5). Up next, she hopes, in a unification fight with Lauren Price who outclassed Natasha Jonas earlier this month and currently holds the other meaningful pieces of the 147-pound puzzle. Sandy Ryan, 31, the pride of Derby, England, falls to 7-3-1.
Co-Feature
In his first defense of his WBO world welterweight title (acquired with a brutal knockout of Giovani Santillan after the title was vacated by Terence Crawford), Atlanta’s Brian Norman Jr knocked out Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas in the third round. A three-punch combination climaxed by a short left hook sent Cuevas staggering into a corner post. He got to his feet before referee Thomas Taylor started the count, but Taylor looked in Cuevas’s eyes and didn’t like what he saw and brought the bout to a halt.
The stoppage, which struck some as premature, came with one second remaining in the third stanza.
A second-generation prizefighter (his father was a fringe contender at super middleweight), the 24-year-old Norman (27-0, 21 KOs) is currently boxing’s youngest male title-holder. It was only the second pro loss for Cuevas (27-2-1) whose lone previous defeat had come early in his career in a 6-rounder he lost by split decision.
Other Bouts
In a career-best performance, 27-year-old Brooklyn featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) blasted out Jose Enrique Vivas (23-4) in the third round.
Carrington, who was named the Most Outstanding Boxer at the 2019 U.S. Olympic Trials despite being the lowest-seeded boxer in his weight class, decked Vivas with a right-left combination near the end of the second round. Vivas barely survived the round and was on a short leash when the third stanza began. After 53 seconds of round three, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough and waived it off. Vivas hadn’t previously been stopped.
Cleveland welterweight Tiger Johnson, a Tokyo Olympian, scored a fifth-round stoppage over San Antonio’s Kendo Castaneda. Johnson assumed control in the fourth round and sent Castaneda to his knees twice with body punches in the next frame. The second knockdown terminated the match. The official time was 2:00 of round five.
Johnson advanced to 15-0 (7 KOs). Castenada declined to 21-9.
Las Vegas junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) blasted out Stockton, California’s Giovanni Gonzalez in the second round. Vargas brought the bout to a sudden conclusion with a sweeping left hook that knocked Gonzalez out cold. The end came at the 2:00 minute mark of round two.
Gonzalez brought a 20-7-2 record which was misleading as 18 of his fights were in Tijuana where fights are frequently prearranged. However, he wasn’t afraid to trade with Vargas and paid the price.
Emiliano Vargas, with his matinee idol good looks and his boxing pedigree – he is the son of former U.S. Olympian and two-weight world title-holder “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas – is highly marketable and has the potential to be a cross-over star.
Eighteen-year-old Newark bantamweight Emmanuel “Manny” Chance, one of Top Rank’s newest signees, won his pro debut with a four-round decision over So Cal’s Miguel Guzman. Chance won all four rounds on all three cards, but this was no runaway. He left a lot of room for improvement.
There was a long intermission before the co-main and again before the main event, but the tedium was assuaged by a moving video tribute to George Foreman.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
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William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0
No surprise, once again William Zepeda eked out a win over the clever and resilient Tevin Farmer to remain undefeated and retain a regional lightweight title on Saturday.
There were no knockdowns in this rematch.
The Mexican punching machine Zepeda (33-0, 17 KOs) once more sought to overwhelm Farmer (33-8-1, 9 KOs) with a deluge of blows. This rematch by Golden Boy Promotions took place in the famous beach resort area of Cancun, Mexico.
It was a mere four months ago that both first clashed in Saudi Arabia with their vastly difference styles. This time the tropical setting served as the background which suited Zepeda and his lawnmower assaults. The Mexican fans were pleased.
Nothing changed in their second meeting.
Zepeda revved up the body assault and Farmer moved around casually to his right while fending off the Mexican fighter’s attacks. By the fourth round Zepeda was able to cut off Farmer’s escape routes and targeted the body with punishing shots.
The blows came in bunches.
In the fifth round Zepeda blasted away at Farmer who looked frantic for an escape. The body assault continued with the Mexican fighter pouring it on and Farmer seeming to look ready to quit. When the round ended, he waved off his corner’s appeals to stop.
Zepeda continued to dominate the next few rounds and then Farmer began rallying. At first, he cleverly smothered Zepeda’s body attacks and then began moving and hitting sporadically. It forced the Mexican fighter to pause and figure out the strategy.
Farmer, a Philadelphia fighter, showed resiliency especially when it was revealed he had suffered a hand injury.
During the last three rounds Farmer dug down deep and found ways to score and not get hit. It was Boxing 101 and the Philly fighter made it work.
But too many rounds had been put in the bank by Zepeda. Despite the late rally by Farmer one judge saw it 114-114, but two others scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Zepeda who retains his interim lightweight title and place at the top of the WBC rankings.
“I knew he was a difficult fighter. This time he was even more difficult,” said Zepeda.
Farmer was downtrodden about another loss but realistic about the outcome and starting slow.
“But I dominated the last rounds,” said Farmer.
Zepeda shrugged at the similar outcome as their first encounter.
“I’m glad we both put on a great show,” said Zepeda.
Female Flyweight Battle
Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle edged past Texas fighter Marlen Esparza to win their showdown at flyweight by split decision after 10 rounds.
Valle moved up two weight divisions to meet Esparza who was slightly above the weight limit. Both showed off their contrasting styles and world class talent.
Esparza, a former unified flyweight world titlist, stayed in the pocket and was largely successful with well-placed jabs and left hooks. She repeatedly caught Valle in-between her flurries.
The current minimumweight world titlist changed tactics and found more success in the second half of the fight. She forced Esparza to make the first moves and that forced changes that benefited her style.
Neither fighter could take over the fight.
After 10 rounds one judge saw Esparza the winner 96-94, but two others saw Valle the winner 97-93 twice.
Will Valle move up and challenge the current undisputed flyweight world champion Gabriela Fundora? That’s the question.
Valle currently holds the WBC minimumweight world title.
Puerto Rico vs Mexico
Oscar Collazo (12-0, 9 KOs), the WBO, WBA minimumweight titlist, knocked out Mexico’s Edwin Cano (13-3-1, 4 KOs) with a flurry of body shots at 1:12 of the fifth round.
Collazo dominated with a relentless body attack the Mexican fighter could not defend. It was the Puerto Rican fighter’s fifth consecutive title defense.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 319: Rematches in Las Vegas, Cancun and More

Rematches are the bedrock for prizefighting.
Return battles between rival boxers always means their first encounter was riveting and successful at the box office.
Six months after their first brutal battle Mikaela Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs) and Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs) will slug it out again for the WBO welterweight world title this time on Saturday, March 29, at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.
ESPN will show the Top Rank card live.
“It’s important for women’s boxing to have these rivalries and this is definitely up there as one of the top ones,” Mayer told the BBC.
If you follow Mayer’s career you know that somehow drama follows. Whether its back-and-forth beefs with fellow American fighters or controversial judging due to nationalism in countries abroad. The Southern California native who now trains in Las Vegas knows how to create the drama.
For female fighters self-promotion is a necessity.
Most boxing promoters refuse to step out of the usual process set for male boxers, not for female boxers. Things remain the same and have been for the last 70 years. Social media has brought changes but that has made promoters do even less.
No longer are there press conferences, instead announcements are made on social media to be drowned among the billions of other posts. It is not killing but diluting interest in the sport.
Women innately present a different advantage that few if any promoters are recognizing. So far in the past 25 years I have only seen two or three promoters actually ignite interest in female fighters. They saw the advantages and properly boosted interest in the women.
The fight breakdown
Mayer has won world titles in the super featherweight and now the welterweight division. Those are two vastly different weight classes and prove her fighting abilities are based on skill not power or size.
Coaching Mayer since amateurs remains Al Mitchell and now Kofi Jantuah who replaced Kay Koroma the current trainer for Sandy Ryan.
That was the reason drama ignited during their first battle. Then came someone tossing paint at Ryan the day of their first fight.
More drama.
During their first fight both battled to control the initiative with Mayer out-punching the British fighter by a slender margin. It was a back-and-forth struggle with each absorbing blows and retaliating immediately.
New York City got its money’s worth.
Ryan had risen to the elite level rapidly since losing to Erica Farias three years ago. Though she was physically bigger and younger, she was out-maneuvered and defeated by the wily veteran from Argentina. In the rematch, however, Ryan made adjustments and won convincingly.
Can she make adjustments from her defeat to Mayer?
“I wanted the rematch straight away,” said Ryan on social media. “I’ve come to America again.”
Both fighters have size and reach. In their first clash it was evident that conditioning was not a concern as blows were fired nonstop in bunches. Mayer had the number of punches landed advantage and it unfolded with the judges giving her a majority decision win.
That was six months ago. Can she repeat the outcome?
Mayer has always had boiler-oven intensity. It’s not fake. Since her amateur days the slender Southern California blonde changes disposition all the way to red when lacing up the gloves. It’s something that can’t be taught.
Can she draw enough of that fire out again?
“I didn’t have to give her this rematch. I could have just sat it out, waited for Lauren Price to unify and fought for undisputed or faced someone else,” said Mayer to BBC. “That’s not the fighter I am though.”
Co-Main in Las Vegas
The co-main event pits Brian Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) facing Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) in a contest for the WBO welterweight title.
Norman, 24, was last seen a year ago dissecting a very good welterweight in Giovani Santillan for a knockout win in San Diego. He showed speed, skill and power in defeating Santillan in his hometown.
Cuevas has beaten some solid veteran talent but this will be his big test against Norman and his first attempt at winning a world title.
Also on the Top Rank card will be Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and Emiliano Vargas, the son of Fernando Vargas, in separate bouts.
Golden Boy in Cancun
A rematch between undefeated William “Camaron” Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) and ex-champ Tevin Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) headlines the lightweight match on Saturday March 29, at Cancun, Mexico.
In their first encounter Zepeda was knocked down in the fourth round but rallied to win a split-decision over Farmer. It showed the flaws in Zepeda’s tornado style.
DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also includes a clash between Yokasta Valle the WBC minimumweight world titlist who is moving up to flyweight to face former flyweight champion Marlen Esparza.
Both Valle and Esparza have fast hands.
Valle is excellent darting in and out while Esparza has learned how to fight inside. It’s a toss-up fight.
Fights to Watch
Fri. DAZN 12 p.m. Cameron Vuong (7-0) vs Jordan Flynn (11-0-1); Pat Brown (0-0) vs Federico Grandone (7-4-2).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. William Zepeda (32-0) vs Tevin Farmer (33-7-1); Yokasta Valle (32-3) vs Marlen Esparza (15-2).
Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Mikaela Mayer (20-2) vs Sandy Ryan (7-2-1); Brian Norman Jr. (26-0) vs Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1).
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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