Bohachuk-Ortiz Thoughts

The first two weeks of August in Professional Boxing have seen a focus on the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division. First, it was Terence Crawford becoming a four-division world champion by scoring a close twelve round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten WBA world champion Israil Madrimov at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. A fight where for the first time in Crawford's career, he seemed to be pushed in what was a competitive bout from start to finish where there also seemed to be a little doubt under a scenario where Crawford was forced to go the twelve round world championship distance for the first time in eight years.

While this observer feels Israil Madrimov did enough to at least warrant a rematch with Crawford based on how competitive that fight was, the spotlight remained on the division on August 10th when another fight that could well have ramifications for Crawford's future took place. Yours truly is referring to the battle between top contenders Serhii Bohachuk and Vergil Ortiz, which took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV.

The fight, where Interim/Regular champion status in the WBC’s Jr. Middleweight ratings, a designation held by Bohachuk, brought together two fighters who are known for their ability to score knockouts, and this fight at least in theory, would establish a mandatory challenger for current WBC world champion Sebastian Fundora. It would not disappoint.

In contrast to Madrimov-Crawford where the contest was fought at a highly technical and tactical pace, which one might say was similar in some ways to how numerous bouts in the amateur ranks are fought, this was a contest where the two fighters were willing to stand in close and engage with each other, throwing hard punches from the opening bell. Bohachuk scored a knockdown of Ortiz in the first round with an overhand right. While this was incorrectly ruled a slip upon it occuring, it would be corrected prior to the start of the fifth round due to the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) using video review of the knockdown, otherwise known as the instant replay rule, which is not the universal standard in the sport that it should be, but is legal and used when appropriate in the state of Nevada. 

The blown call in the first round, corrected via review during the course of the fight notwithstanding, it did little to change the high pace in which the fight was fought in what quickly became a close battle of wills.

Vergil Ortiz seemed to be the more active of the two fighters in several rounds, but Serhii Bohachuk seemed to be landing the harder punches of the two when he did let his hands go. When such a conundrum presents itself, it can be difficult to distinguish who is getting the upper hand, but upon the ruling prior to the fifth round, I immediately questioned to myself as to whether or not the knockdown in the first round would end up being the deciding factor in determining the outcome. Neither fighter really gave up much ground to the other and a brief knockdown, what is often referred to as a “Flash Knockdown" could well determine who wins simply because more often than not, rounds where there is a single knockdown scored is scored 10-8 in favor of the fighter who dropped their opponent.

There seemed to be some clarity, at least in my eyes, when Bohachuk was able to score a second knockdown of Ortiz early in the eighth round.. Much like the knockdown in round one, the second knockdown was not one where Ortiz was in significant trouble and/or hurt, but was briefly knocked down to the canvas. With two knockdowns and thus two 10-8 rounds being scored in his favor, I felt Bohachuk was getting the edge in a close and competitive fight. 

Following the second knockdown, Ortiz was invigorated and responded aggressively in trying to press Bohachuk landing hard, thudding punches. If it were not for the knockdown against him earlier in the round, Ortiz likely would have won it. Ortiz would continue his aggression from rounds nine through twelve in rallying to earn a hard fought twelve round majority decision. 

Although there was not much to distinguish between the two fighters for the first six rounds of the fight, simply because when Ortiz would land something that appeared significant, Bohachuk would respond immediately or it would be the reverse scenario where Ortiz would respond quickly to what Bohachuk had landed, I felt some of the rounds, though very close, swayed towards Bohachuk. This in addition to the two knockdowns he scored in rounds one and eight, resulted in my unofficial scorecard being 116-110 in favor of Bohaychuk. While it was indisputable who got the upper hand from the time of the second knockdown in round eight, I felt Ortiz did not do enough to overcome those knockdowns and frankly felt that he ran out of time. If the fight had been scheduled for the classic world championship distance of fifteen rounds, something this observer has long advocated to see a return to, I may have arrived at a different scorecard at the end of the fight.

Nonetheless, Ortiz emerging victorious in this fight is not something I would call a bad decision or the often tiresome claim many fans use when an outcome does not go in favor of the fighter they support, “A Robbery." It comes down to what a judge favors based on clean punching, effective aggression, ring generalship, and defense. When there are several rounds that could be scored either way, as was the case in this fight, opinions can indeed differ. It just appeared difficult to ignore two knockdowns, which under many circumstances, would determine the outcome.

For the second week in a row, a fight occurred in the Jr. Middleweight division that was close, competitive, and not expected to be in the eyes of many. As was the case with Madrimov-Crawford, I find myself wanting to see more. Perhaps it might be a good idea to stage the respective rematches of these two fights on the same card in the near future.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Crawford To Test Jr. Middleweight Waters

It may seem like a cliche in present times because there are many talented fighters throughout the entire sport of Boxing that one might argue could have this label bestowed upon them, but there are few fighters that can legitimately lay claim to being a true “Generational Talent." One such fight that this observer has used the term in describing is undefeated multi-division world champion Terrence Crawford. 

If one were to ask me to sum up Crawford’s career up to this point in a single word, it would be “Dominant" Crawford has simply dominated every weight division he has been in from the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division, to the 147lb. Welterweight division, becoming an undisputed world champion in both the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight and Welterweight divisions. As his dominance has continued, the question that has begun to be asked is when and where will Crawford reach his ceiling in terms of the weight scale. With a Hall of Fame career already cemented, having fully unified his previous two divisions, Crawford now seeks to test the waters in yet another division.

On August 3rd at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, CA, Crawford will square off against undefeated WBA Jr. Middleweight world champion Israil Madrimov. A fight that can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View. This fight, which will also have Interim/Regular champion status in the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) Jr. Middleweight ratings at stake, also has the element of the unknown attached to it.

Although this will be Crawford's first fight as a 154lb. Jr. Middleweight and as such the unknown surrounding him going into this encounter is how he will respond at this weight and how he will take a punch from a natural Jr. Middleweight, this is a scenario where he is the likely favorite and has a significant edge in experience compared to champion. Israil Madrimov will enter the bout unbeaten, as will Crawford, but he has only had eleven professional fights compared to Crawford's forty. Despite the limited resume Madrimov has up to this point, he has scored knockouts in seven of his ten career wins with a draw coming in July 2022 against Michel Sorro.

Madrimov won the vacant WBA Jr. Middleweight world championship in March of this year with a fifth round knockout of previously unbeaten Magomed Kurbanov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Much like it will be in his first title defense, Madrimov won the title by beating a fighter with considerably more experience in that Kurbanov was 25-0, with 13 Knockouts going into that fight.

The difference here is Crawford is significantly more accomplished and has higher name recognition as a former two-time undisputed world champion as well as being a three-division world champion overall. What this fight will come down to is whether or not Madrimov will be able to get the respect of Crawford early. It is important to keep in mind that Crawford has been one of the most dominant fighters of his era and has not had the type of wars that often come with a long and illustrious career. When a fighter is used to outclassing their competition to the degree that Crawford has, there can be at least an expectation from a fan’s perspective that they will be able to just walk in and continue doing the same as they continue to fight on and in this case, move up in weight.

Madrimov must show early on that not only is he there to fight and defend his title, but also show Crawford that this will not be a fight that he will be able to dictate. This obviously is something that could be easier said than done.

While Crawford has never shown a tendency towards being potentially over confident and is usually one of the most dedicated and serious practitioners of the sweet science of Boxing, he could have some potentially lucrative paydays in line for him including, but not limited to a potential encounter with current unified Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo" Alvarez down the line. Despite everything from a statistical standpoint appearing to favor Crawford, he needs to maintain the same serious mindset he has shown his whole career. He is after all the challenger and is going against a fighter who has fought as high as 166lbs. as an amateur and is naturally bigger than him.

Boxing is truly a sport of opportunity. In this case, a future Hall of Famer is looking to add another accolade to his legacy, and on the other side of the ring will be an undefeated world champion that has a golden opportunity to make a name for himself by scoring what many would consider an upset in his first title defense. Such storylines are what makes the sport great.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Madrimov vs. Crawford takes place on Saturday, August 3rd at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View beginning at 4:30PM ET/1:30PM PT for $79.99. For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times and pricing in your area, to subscribe and order this pay-per-view event please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

(*Card and Start Times Subject To Change.*)

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Ennis Batters Avanesyan Into Submission

The bout between undefeated IBF World Welterweight champion Jaron Ennis and former European Welterweight champion and former world title challenger David Avanesyan was one that, though it came about on short notice, presented an interesting test for the unbeaten world champion. When one also factors into the equation that Ennis, known to his fans simply as “Boots," was beginning a new chapter in his career, now aligned with promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing and the fact that this fight was in his hometown of Philadelphia, PA, the circumstances were not ideal.

Despite the change in opponent, Ennis met the veteran and durable Avanesyan before a crowd of over 10,000 at the Wells Fargo Center on July 13th. When it comes to fights that are labeled as a “Homecoming" for a fighter touted as one of the rising stars in the sport, or one that is considered a star, the danger is the potential for distractions that could affect the fighter’s focus. In this case, not only was the potential for such a scenario there, but arguably the change in opponent from Cody Crowley to Avanesyan was seen as a step up by some due to Avanesyan’s long standing as a top contender in the Welterweight division, even though the circumstances for him were also not ideal having only four weeks to prepare for the bout.

Although both fighters were put in that position, it did not seem to affect Ennis, who immediately set the tempo of the fight by establishing a stiff jab and landing one that seemed to stun Avanesyan in the opening seconds of the fight. What the champion was also able to establish was a consistent attack to the challenger’s body with both hooks and uppercuts. It was one such uppercut in the first round that hit Avanesyan low and sent him down to the canvas in significant pain.

The foul was unintentional as Avanesyan had his arm around the head of Ennis and appeared to push the champion down into a position where a punch that was aimed for the midsection landed below the belt. It did not, however, deter Ennis from continuing to go to the body and he continued to mix his attack to the body and head of Avanesyan. Although Avanesyan had some success when he attempted to catch the champion in between punches while trying to throw with him, the beating continued and the effects of the punishment began to show on the challenger’s body as well as appearing to show signs of a possible broken jaw.

In round five, Ennis dropped Avanesyan with a perfectly timed counter overhand left that sent the challenger down to the canvas. Avanesyan was able to get up and finish the round, but at the end of the round, his corner stopped the fight. Ennis had successfully made the first defense of his world title and done so by making his opponent submit in his corner. Whether it was Avanesyan or his corner that made the decision, the resignation of a durable longtime contender is something to take notice of.

Perhaps there are some who feel that Avanesyan should have continued. Boxing much like all combat sports has significant dangers that go along with it. In this case, while there was still seven rounds left in the scheduled twelve round world championship bout and in theory, enough time to make an attempt to get into the fight in terms of the scorecards, David Avanesyan was taking significant punishment for five rounds and it should not be dismissed that the effects of that punishment to the body and head likely caused an injury or injuries that led to the decision to retire on his stool. The fan may not understand it and likely wanted to see a knockout in the midst of battle, but one should understand that injuries have to be taken into consideration as well as the potential long-term repercussions not just for the fighter in terms of their career moving forward, but also their life after their career is over. A decision to tend to injuries so one can continue with their career down the line, and/or prevent further injury, though not exciting for a fan watching a fight that was stopped, is often a logical choice.

As for Jaron Ennis, this victory should be seen as a mission accomplished in successfully defending his title. For the moment, he has made a strong case for himself as being the top Welterweight in the world. Whether unification is on his radar or potentially moving up in weight to the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division to possibly chase former Undisputed World Welterweight champion Terrence Crawford, who will make his Jr. Middleweight debut in August, remains to be seen. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Ardreal Holmes: The Newest Player In The 154lb. Jr. Middleweight Division

 It is something that this observer has said frequently over the lifetime that I have been covering Boxing and by extension combat sports, but the sport of Boxing is truly one where the search for prospects and the next line of contenders truly never ends. Over the years, Boxing fans have been accustomed to seeing such would-be prospects showcased on various platforms where the ultimate goal has been to showcase a prospect towards what most would consider world title contention. The close of 2023 saw the close of one such platform in Showtime Sports and along with it, it's popular ShoBox: The New Generation series. While the series was known to air world championship bouts from around the world from time to time, ShoBox was primarily known as a breeding ground for fighters who were on the way up towards challenging for world championships and in some cases, superstar status in the sport.

In the latter stages of the series one prospect emerged for what became the first of only two appearances on the series, undefeated Jr. Middleweight Ardreal Holmes, who subsequently scored two ten round decisions over fighters named Vernon Brown in March 2022, and Ismael Villareal in March of last year. Holmes followed those two victories with a step up in winning the United States Boxing Association (USBA) Jr. Middleweight championship with an eighth round stoppage of Wendy Toussaint in June of last year, which was also his first fight away from Shoowtime/ShoBox and his debut on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. 

While winning the USBA title was a step up, due to the organization’s affiliation with the International Boxing Federation (IBF) in terms of establishing Holmes in the world rankings in the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division, there are countless fighters looking to establish themselves on the regional title level and often, it takes a performance that will both turn heads and create buzz that will determine how quickly a fighter at that level will be able to move up towards world title contention. This leads us to Holmes’ most recent outing on February 20th in a main event of a card once again broadcast by DAZN and promoted by former world title challenger Dmitry Salita’s Salita Promotions at the Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit, MI. In what was the first defense of the USBA title for Holmes, a native of Flint, MI, faced a fellow prospect in Marlon Harrington of Detroit. 

Although Holmes was coming off of a stoppage win in his previous fight over Wendy Toussaint, he seemed more like a tactical boxer to this observer based on his two outings prior to that fight where he was able to box his way to decision victories by outworking his opposition. It is also worth noting that Holmes had only scored knockouts in five of his fourteen career wins coming into this encounter, which seems to support the view of yours truly that Holmes is a fighter more known for his Boxing ability as opposed to his punching power. In contrast to the champion, Harrington entered the bout with a record of 10-1, with 9 of those wins coming by knockout, registering a career knockout percentage of 90% compared to Holmes’ near 40%.

What this indicated to me as someone who was seeing Harrington compete for the first time was that he would try, at least in theory, to back Holmes up and look to limit his ability to use lateral movement and use angles, two of the most valuable tools in the arsenal of a skilled boxer and attributes that Holmes had used in his previous bouts. The first round appeared to indicate that it would indeed be Harrington’s strategy to try to apply pressure on Holmes and back him up against the ropes. While Holmes has shown a willingness to fight off the ropes in previous fights, he displayed great ring awareness and discipline in being able to turn slightly just as he was getting close to the ropes and avoid being caught and trapped where Harrington might have been able to do damage.

The opening round of this fight did not offer much in the way of action, but it did serve as being as good a demonstration as any as to the intelligence or “Boxing IQ” that the twenty-nine year old Holmes appears to have. In round two, Holmes showed something new, something he has not shown before previously, the ability to bring a fight to a sudden end and do so in impressive fashion. An overhand left in the early seconds of round two that seemingly came out of nowhere sent Harrington down hard on the canvas. Harrington struggled to get to his feet,but was able to continue. Sensing the end was near, Holmes proceeded to deck Harrington for a second time with a flush right hook to the jaw. Despite my feelings at this point that the bout should have been stopped after the second knockdown, the heart Marlon Harrington showed in being able to get up a second time on very unsteady legs, cannot be questioned, even though the decision to let him attempt to continue probably should. A justification for asking why the fight was allowed to go on beyond the second knockdown was validated when Holmes sent Harrington down for a third time seconds later, the bout was mercifully stopped. 

Questions regarding why this fight was prolonged longer than should have been the case aside, what this victory for Holmes at 1:25 of the second round did show is not only is Ardreal Holmes an evolving world-class boxer, but now, he has shown the ability to be a sniper in the sense of being able to recognize a vulnerability in his opponent and take that opponent out if given the opportunity. Whether this is an indication of a new approach to his fights or simply an evolving skillset, a victory like this should put Holmes on the radar as a fighter that is on the verge of becoming a legitimate contender rather than being a fringe contender. While as of February 2024 Ardreal Holmes has yet to break into the top fifteen of the International Boxing Federation’s Jr. Middleweight ratings, it would not surprise this observer to see his name appear in that top fifteen list of contenders when the IBF updates their rankings after this latest performance. One should also keep in mind that those who hold regional titles throughout the sport often do not hold onto those titles for extended periods if they continue to win. An additional wrinkle that currently exists in the division that may result in Holmes being able to try and step up against a top contender sooner is the fact that the IBF world championship in the division is currently vacant and as such, with the exception of the upper tier of contenders in the division that will be trying to get in position to fill the vacancy, the rest of the top fifteen likely has plenty of room to maneuver. For now, Ardreal Holmes has established himself as the newest player in the division that should be on the radar of any contender or world champion in the division. Whether he will turn out to be a major player in the IBF and beyond in the days and months to come remains to be seen. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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