Heavyweight Action from LA: Miller and Ruiz fight to a Draw; Bakole Shocks Anderson

Heavyweight Action from LA: Miller and Ruiz fight to a Draw; Bakole Shocks Anderson

It was Riyadh Season at LA’s 22,000-seat major league soccer stadium tonight and a near full-house was in attendance to see if undisputed world welterweight champion Terence Crawford could continue to build upon his legacy in the first U.S. boxing event bankrolled by Saudi Arabian interests and Crawford’s first venture at 154. Crawford’s bout with defending WBA belt-holder Israil Madrimov topped an 8-bout card that included two important heavyweight contests.

Jarrell Miller vs. Andy Ruiz

In a 12-rounder fought at a glacial pace, Brooklyn’s Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller seemingly out-worked former world heavyweight title-holder Andy Ruiz but was forced to settle for a draw.

Ruiz with his faster hands was ahead heading into the fifth stanza when he suffered a hand injury. However, the injury might not have played a role in the outcome as Miller continually pressed the action and was the busier fighter. “Big Baby,” who carried 306 pounds, was in far better shape than last December when he suffered a 10^th-round TKO at the hands of Daniel Dubois.

Ruiz (35-2-1, 22 KOs) was making his first start in 23 months. As a Mexican-American, he had the SoCal crowd in his corner at the start of the fight, but won no new converts. When the scorecards registered, the sympathies of the crowd were with Miller, the underdog in the betting. The tallies were 116-112 (Miller) and 114-114 twice. Scoring off the livestream, this reporter had it 117-111 for Miller.

“Big Baby” is now 26-1-1 (22) after opening his pro boxing career with 22 wins (a skein periodically interrupted and stalled for PED violations).

Martin Bakole vs. Jared Anderson

It’s back to the drawing board for Jared Anderson, once touted as the next great American heavyweight. Toledo’s Anderson, who won 15 of his first 17 fights by knockout, had no antidote for the heavy-handed, 284-pound Martin Bakole who invited comparisons to the second coming of George Foreman with a fifth-round stoppage of his previously undefeated opponent.

In his first fight with new trainer SugarHill Steward, Anderson went to post a consensus 19/10 favorite. But he found himself in trouble early, a portent of more troubles that would soon plague him.

Late in the opening round – a round that Anderson was winning – Bakole put him on the canvas with a four-punch combination that began with a left uppercut to the temple. Two more knockdowns would follow in the fateful fifth round. A straight right hand sent Anderson through the ropes. Later in the round, another combination put Anderson down again. The final punches were right uppercuts. Referee Jerry Cantu allowed the fight to continue but waived it off after Anderson absorbed a few more hard punches. The official time was 2:07 of round five.

It was the 10^th straight win for the Scotch-Congolese Bakole, the younger brother for former WBC world cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu. His lone setback in 21 previous fights was 10^TH-round stoppage at the hands of Michael Hunter who was in attendance and welcomed into the ring at the conclusion of the contest when the talk turned to a possible rematch.

Check back shortly for David Avila’s wrap-up of Crawford vs. Madrimov and other undercard bouts.

Photo credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

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