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Mexican Independence Day weekend has traditionally been one of the marquee dates on the Boxing calendar ever year routinely featuring some of the biggest fights in the history of the sport. The 2023 Mexican Independence Day weekend featured a bout for the IBF Featherweight championship of the world between defending champion Luis Lopez and two-time world title challenger Joet Gonzalez, who was getting his third opportunity to win a world championship. A fight that took place at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX on September 15th. While many of the previous battles that have taken place during Mexican Independence Day weekend have featured fighters regarded as the marquee attractions in the sport facing off against each other, this fight may not have been regarded as being in that category by some, but it was a solid encounter between two world-class fighters and featured a world champion in Lopez, who’s star has been on the rise.
It was also a fight that featured a sub-plot of whether Joet Gonzalez, a solid top contender could finally get across the finish line to become a world champion after falling short in his previous two attempts. Although some may be critical of the structure in the sport that seemingly makes the path to a world championship easier in the eyes of some, it is still a task that can prove easier said than done, and for some fighters proves to be an ever elusive goal. One thing that Gonzalez did have going for him entering this fight was that he gave a good account of himself in fights against Shakur Stevenson and Emanuel Navvarrete. He had also never been stopped in his career. This would prove to be a test for a world champion in Lopez, who by all accounts seemed to be riding high after scoring a majority decision over Josh Warrington in December of last year to win the IBF world championship and then scoring an impressive knockout win of top contender Michael Conlan earlier this year. Two fights where Lopez fought both men in each’s backyard of the United Kingdom.
In his second title defense it was interesting to see if Lopez could continue to build on his momentum. What occurred when the two fighters got into the ring could best be described as a tactical Boxing match between two fighters who could do a bit of everything with each fighter having their share of moments in many of the same rounds throughout the twelve round world championship fight. Such a scenario presents a difficult task for those scoring a fight to determine which fighter got the upper hand.
What stood out to this observer early on was the pressure that Gonzalez put on Lopez in trying to force him back against the ropes. While a consistent pressure attack when executed right can often lead to success for the fighter applying said pressure as a fight progresses, this was a fight where even though Gonzalez was successful in applying the pressure, he had trouble maintaining the champion on the ropes due to Lopez’ ability to move, throw punches at odd angles, and be elusive. Despite having sixteen knockouts in his twenty-eight career wins prior to this fight, Lopez has never struck me as the type of fighter that can end a fight with one punch, but rather one that because of his ability to throw and land punches at varying angles, could stop opponents either by catching them with punches they do not see as they press forward or by gradually administering what would be defined as an accumulation of punishment that eventually breaks his opponents down. In some ways, Lopez’ unorthodox style reminds yours truly of another great Featherweight champion Prince Naseem Hamed, who had one of the most awkward styles I had ever seen, but one that proved to be extremely effective throughout his career. While I would argue that Hamed had more punching power than Lopez, the similarities between the two styles is hard to ignore and much like Hamed, Lopez’ style works well for him. So well that in this fight, there were periods where, despite being pressured constantly by Gonzalez, Lopez would find ways to evade, land combinations, and then try to tie Gonzalez up when he was able to get close.
As the fight progressed into the second half however, it seemed that it was Gonzalez landing the harder punches of the two, despite his face gradually becoming cut and busted up over the course of the bout as a result of punishment dished out by Lopez. Although the fight remained close in my eyes, it was the pressure as well as the hard shots Gonzalez was able to land, particularly with his right hand and also his left hook, that seemed to push him ahead slightly as the fight entered the championship rounds. Entering rounds eleven and twelve, I felt the fight could go either way and I also felt that a decision would be closely scored due again to both fighters having periods of success in the same rounds as well as nether fighter being able to score knockdowns throughout.
Much as had been the case throughout the entire fight, the last two rounds were closely fought and it become a question of what does one prefer in how they score a fight to determine who would ultimately get the nod. Would it be the consistent pressure and hard punches of Gonzalez over the second half of the fight, or would it be the elusiveness and ability to catch Gonzalez as he came forward, as well as periodically being able to make him miss that Lopez was able to accomplish that would determine who would win the fight?
After a lifetime watching the sport and almost as long covering it, I can say in all truth and honesty that there is not much that surprises me anymore when it comes to scoring of a fight on any level of the sport because, a judge’s criteria in how they score is truly unique based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense. It is also worth noting that even though a decision may prove to be unanimous in favor of one fighter, each judge has their own viewpoint/criteria based on the aforementioned standard in which Boxing is scored. What I can say is that at the conclusion of twelve rounds, I felt that Joet Gonzalez had done enough to win the fight seven rounds to five or 115-113 in points. While I do stand by my scoring in feeling that Gonzalez’ pressure and harder punches were enough to eek out a decision over the second half of the fight, I also felt that, despite my view, Gonzalez probably would not get the nod from the three official judges, based on how effective Lopez was able to execute his fight plan over the first six rounds. Whether one would call it a “Gut Feeling” or the intuition of a seasoned Boxing scribe, the instinct that even though I felt Gonzalez had done enough to win the fight, but would not get the decision, proved to be accurate as all three judges scored the fight in favor of Lopez giving the champion a successful second defense of his IBF world championship.
A point of contention that some will perhaps point to however, is that the three judges scored the fight by wide margins in favor of Lopez. 118-110, (Ten rounds to two) 117-111, (Nine rounds to three) and 116-112. (Eight rounds to four) While these scores do not reflect the close action that occurred in the ring between Lopez and Gonzalez, it does boil down to what a judge prefers in their own criteria as well as where they are positioned at ringside that can play a role in how a fight is scored. A;though I felt Gonzalez won this fight by a close margin, I do not feel that the outcome of this bout was controverisal because Lopez did have moments throughout the fight and a fighter’s ability to defend and evade punches is something that also should be taken into consideration in how a fight is ultimately scored. What I will say however, is the stock of Joet Gonzalez in the 126lb. Featherweight division has risen and even though Luis Lopez successfully retained his world championship, there will be some who might feel that it is Gonzaelz who comes out of this fight looking better than the champion. What the outcome of this fight and perhaps the perception of some fans leads to going forward for both fighters remains to be seen.
“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
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Originally, this column was intended to focus strictly on the landscape of the 126lb. Featherweight division that took a significant spotlight during the month of March in the sport of Boxing. Due to circumstances beyond this observer's control however, this column will be expanded to include some of the other events that took place during the last full week of March. This is due in part to technical issues that yours truly experienced during what was expected to be coverage of the RJJ Boxing card, which took place on Thursday, March 24th in Nayarit, Mexico. Unfortunately, due to those technical problems, coverage of that card will be limited to the following results.
In
the opening bout of the card, which took place at the Palenque de la Expo, Lightweight
Marco Moreno scored a four round unanimous decision over Jonathan Zuniga. Featherweight
Hector Cruz scored a six round unanimous decision over Miguel Hernandez. Jr
Lightweight Armando Almanza scored an eight round decision over Edgar Vargas.
The lone stoppage on the card came when Light-Heavyweight Lester Martinez
scored a fifth round stoppage of Jaime Lopez. Jr. Welterweight prospect Salvatore
Tapia closed out the evening by earning an eight round split decision over Emiliano
Cruz.
While
not the usual type of coverage that the reader can expect here on The Boxing
Truth® in a full Boxing card being summarized in one paragraph, hopefully such
coverage will only be reserved for when circumstances unfortunately warrant it,
which was the circumstances this time around. With the brief summary of the
events that took place in Mexico on March 24th concluded, it is now
time to discuss three specific bouts that took place on Saturday, March 26th.
While the Featherweight landscape, the original intent of this column will
instead serve as the conclusion, three other bouts took place on this
particular evening that will be discussed, two of which, had a similar
storyline that coincidentally took place on the same card.
This
observer is referring to the card that took place at the new Resorts World
Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV where two bouts that can be described as
“Crossroads Fights” took place. First it was rising Jr. Welterweight prospect
Josue Vargas, who was returning to the ring for the first time since suffering
a first round stoppage loss in October of last year at the hands of top
contender and former world title challenger Jose Zepeda.
For
Vargas’ first bout back since that loss he faced Nicolas Demario in a scheduled
eight round bout. Although this had all the appearance of a “Comeback Fight” in
the sense that it was meant to be a way for a fighter in Vargas’ position to
step back in after suffering a knockout loss, without being tested too much,
the largely unknown Demario proved to be a more difficult opponent than some
may have anticipated. For a large portion of this fight, Vargas was able to out
work Demario, but Demario’s ability to catch Vargas with hard counter punches proved
to provide a difficult test for a fighter coming off of a knockout loss.
It
was Demario’s counter punching ability that led to a knockdown of Vargas in
round five. There were also moments where Vargas ended up on the canvas that
were not ruled knockdowns throughout the bout. This one knockdown as well as
Demario having periodic moments throughout, did give an impression that he was
competitive and in the fight in terms of having the potential to win it. It was
later in the fifth round however, where Demario would do something that arguably
should have resulted in a disqualification loss against him in biting Vargas on
his shoulder resulting in a point deduction and subsequently nullified the
potential advantage he would have had on the official scorecards.
While
Vargas would be able to secure a victory in this bout via an eight round
unanimous decision, the story that comes out of this fight is obviously biting
incident in the fifth round. Although biting incidents in Boxing do not happen
often, they have happened periodically throughout the sport’s history most
notably in the mid-1990’s in two separate incidents that occurred in Boxing’s
Heavyweight division. First the May 1995 encounter between Andrew Golota and
Samson Po’uha where Golota bit Po’uha on the neck in the fourth round, which did
not result in a point deduction or even a warning by Referee Eddie Cotton, who
was out of position and did not see the foul occur, despite Po’uha telling the
referee that he was bit. Video replays would confirm this, but Golota would
ultimately stop Po’uha in the fifth round. Perhaps the most notable biting
incident not just in that time period, but in the history of the sport occurred
in June 1997 when in a highly anticipated rematch Mike Tyson bit Evander
Holyfield on one of his ears. Referee Mills Lane deducted two points from Tyson
in the third round of that fight when he bit Holyfield. It would be moments
after the deduction when Tyson seemingly looking for a way out of the fight,
would bite Holyfield a second time on the same ear resulting in immediate
disqualification.
Although
the Tyson-ear bite incident is still talked about and ridiculed to this day, it
is the event that is almost automatically thought of whenever there is an
instance where one fighter bites another during the course of a fight. Should
Demario been disqualified for his biting foul? As someone who is as old school
as they come, I believe the point deduction was appropriate only because rules
and regulations as they stand dictate such protocols. Perhaps the various state
athletic commissions, international regulatory boards, as well as the
Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) should revisit the issue of protocols
when biting occurs and maybe indicate that biting, which was not even allowed
in the early incarnation of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) where fights were fought
essentially under a no holds barred format, should be grounds for automatic
disqualification. As of now, a point deduction for a first offense of biting is
the appropriate call under the rules, but obviously, the decision of how many
points will be deducted will be the decision of the referee at the time a
biting foul occurs until such time as the rules are changed. Both due to the
biting incident in this fight as well as the difficulty Demario gave Vargas
throughout, it was not the type of performance Vargas was likely looking for in
his first fight coming off of a knockout loss, but he did what he had to do and
got the victory.
The
second bout that occurred at the Resorts World Hotel and Casino also featured a
fighter looking to bounce back from a knockout loss. In February of last year, Miguel Berchelt
defended his WBC Jr. Lightweight world championship against Oscar Valdez in
what was one of the more anticipated fights of the year. A fight in which
Berchelt, a fighter known as one of the sport’s “Knockout Artists” suffered a
brutal knockout loss at the hands of Valdez and the loss of his world
championship. While it was known that Berchelt had recently recovered from a
bout with the COVID-19 virus prior to that bout, he handled the defeat to
Valdez with class and did not use that bout with COVID-19 as an arguing point
for a performance in that fight in which he was not himself and Valdez simply took
advantage of the opportunity and knocked him out in the tenth round after
dropping Berchelt in rounds and nine before landing the blow that would
immediately end the fight and send Berchelt to the hospital in the tenth round.
Although
there is still much that is unknown about the COVID-19 virus and the long-term
effects it could have on those who contract it, it was clear to me as I watched
that bout that Berchelt was not the aggressive seek and destroy pressure
fighter that he had built his reputation on. Whether that was due in part to
his bout with the virus prior to that fight or simply it not being his night
when he faced Valdez is something that no matter what Berchelt might say, will likely
be debated amongst Boxing fans. As Berchelt prepared to make his comeback from
that loss, he would do so in a new weight division in moving up five pounds
from the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division to the 135lb. Lightweight division to
face Jeremia Nakathila. Nakathila was
taking a step up in class by fighting a fighter of Berchelt’s caliber in being
a former world champion, but like Berchelt, Nakathila had established a
reputation for being able to score quick knockouts in scoring knockouts of over
75% of his opponents in his twenty-two wins going into the bout. Nakathila had
previously failed in attempting to step up in class when he lost to current WBO
Jr. Lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson via twelve round unanimous decision
in June of last year as a Jr. Lightweight
The
obvious question that I had in mind going into this fight was how would Miguel
Berchelt look. To be more specific, the type of knockout he had suffered at the
hands of Oscar Valdez was such that it could ruin a fighter both in terms of
how that fighter approaches a fight and in terms of that fighter’s ability to
take a punch going forward. Despite Berchelt having been stopped twice before
prior to facing Valdez, it was a severe knockout and even though Berchelt had
scored knockouts in thirty-four of his thirty-eight career wins registering a
career knockout percentage of 82%, the severity of what had happened to him the
last time he stepped into a ring to compete was something I personally could
not ignore.
From
the opening bell, Berchelt looked what is sometimes referred to within the
sport as “Gun Shy.” In that he hesitated to throw punches. While I thought for
a brief moment that perhaps he as a normally offense-first fighter was being
more cautious in hesitating to let his hands go, it did not take long for that
brief thought to be replace with concern for Berchelt’s well-being. To be
frank, what I saw in this bout can be summed up in two words “Target Practice.”
Nakathila established the distance in which the fight would be fought and quickly
found at home for his right hand. Seemingly whenever he threw his right hand
whether it was to the body or head, it connected. Nakathila also mixed in
combinations, which kept Berchelt preoccupied with trying to defend rather than
throwing punches. A knockdown would be scored by Nakathila in round three as a
result of a double jab to the head of Berchelt.
Although
the jab is the most elementary of punches, it is perhaps the most effective
weapon in a fighter’s arsenal when executed properly. Despite doing his best
and for a time holding up to the punishment he was sustaining, Berchelt had
increasing difficulty maintaining his balance and his legs would shake even
when he would miss a punch. With the fight increasingly going one way, Berchelt
had what amounted to a last gasp in the fifth round when he momentarily stunned
Nakathila with a left hook and finally opened up with an offensive burst.
In
round six, Nakathila had regained control and after knocking Berchelt’s
mouthpiece out and across the ring with a right hand, Referee Russell Mora took
Berchelt to his corner to have the mouthpiece put back in, but did tell both
the fighter and his corner that Berchelt needed to show him something. Three
words that usually when uttered by a referee is an indication that the referee
is close to stopping the fight. Although Berchelt would make it out of the
sixth round, Mora would do exactly that after the round was over putting an end
to six rounds of a mostly one-sided beating that Berchelt had suffered.
Even
though no one can take anything away from Jeremia Nakathila’s performance in
what was the biggest win of his career, as someone who always is concerned for
a fighter’s long-term welfare, I was not thinking that I had just seen what
could be a star-making performance by Jeremia Nakathila. I was instead thinking
I could be seeing what should probably be the end of a fighter’s career.
It
has become a habit of this observer to state on a regular basis that I have
spent most of my life covering Boxing and by extension combat sports. While this
has exposed me to just about everything that the sport of Boxing has to offer
and can be seen, both good and bad, I often hesitate when making a statement on
when a fighter should retire because I have never been in the ring and thus I
understand how someone can question how I could say something like a fighter
should retire because obviously, I have never been in a boxer’s position. As
someone who has seen and covered fights on every level imaginable in the sport,
a proud Boxing Lifer as I often say, I saw signs in this fight that have me
concerned for Miguel Berchelt going forward.
Signs
such as his ability to take a punch, also known as punch resistance, being
significantly diminished in addition to obvious problems in being able to
maintain his balance. Although I would very much like to dismiss what I saw by
saying that a fighter had what I often refer to as a bad night at the office, I
cannot. It is also important for me to state that I am not a medical doctor and
I do not have a background in the medical field. Having said this and keeping
in mind that Miguel Berchelt had to have passed all medical screenings required
by the state of Nevada in order to be granted a license to compete against Jeremia
Nakathila, I believe based on what I saw not only in this fight, but also his
previous bout against Oscar Valdez that perhaps more testing might be required
before Berchelt is allowed to box again. As for what type of testing, I will
leave that to those who have a background far more than yours truly to analyze,
but I believe Berchelt would be risking long-term damage if he were allowed to
continue his career without further extensive medical testing based on what I
observed in his previous two fights.
This
is not a criticism of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) or the
current medical screening protocols, which are in place. For a sport that has
already had enough tragedies throughout it’s history however, I would much
rather see one prevented than seeing more extensive medical screenings/testing
implemented in response to a tragedy that could be prevented.
Now,
we come back to the subject that was originally intended for this column. The
Featherweight landscape. Not so coincidentally in regard to that subject, March
26th featured a rematch for the IBF Featherweight world championship between
two-division world champion Kiko Martinez and former IBF Featherweight world
champion Josh Warrington. This was a role reversal from their first fight in
May 2017 where Warrington, then an undefeated WBC regional champion defeated
Martinez via twelve round split decision.
In
the roller coaster world of Boxing, a lot can change in five years. Warrington went
from an undefeated world champion to relinquishing his crown due to the various
politics that surround the sport, to suffering his first defeat by a stoppage
at the hands of Mauricio Lara, to having an inconclusive outcome in their
rematch in September of last year. Martinez meanwhile, had become the
definition of a grizzled veteran, who some might refer to as a gatekeeper, a
term that this observer does not necessarily view as respectful, but more or
less a fighter that was not expected by some to become a world champion again
in his career.
Martinez
proved those that had given him such a label wrong when he knocked out Kid
Galahad in November of last year to win the IBF crown. Sometimes when a rematch
takes place several years removed from the first encounter, you do not
necessarily know what type of fight might occur when two fighters enter the
ring to renew competition. The first fight between these two was very close and
competitive where Warrington was able to edge Martinez out for the decision
victory. Given the skillset and overall experience of both fighters, I felt,
despite the near five years between the first fight and the rematch that we
could see a tactical battle.
What
we ended up seeing however, was a grueling battle where one fighter showed
tremendous courage, while the other showed not only that, but also
determination. It appeared as though this might have been a short rematch as
Warrington dropped the champion hard in the first round with a hook to the head.
To his credit, Martinez was able to get up and survive the round. As the fight
progressed and Warrington continued to dish out punishment, Martinez would
suffer three cuts over the course of about including two around his eyes and a
gash on his forehand. The champion was able to weather the storm and was also
able to find periodic success as the bout progressed including what was
revealed in the days following the fight, breaking Warrington’s jaw during the
fight. Despite the “Game” effort by Martinez, it would not be enough as
Warrington would be able to stop him in the seventh round to regain his world
championship.
As
for what this will do for the landscape of the 126lb. Featherweight division,
there are several possibilities that could await Warrington in his next bout.
One possibility could be a third fight with Mauricio Lara after an accidental
clash of heads led to a no contest in the rematch last September, a possible
third fight with Martinez, or a potential encounter with Leigh Wood who is
coming off a thrilling come from behind stoppage of previously undefeated
Michael Conlan earlier this month. Wood currently holds an interim/regular
championship designation in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Featherweight
ratings. Current WBA world champion Leo Santa Cruz has not competed in the
division in recent times, so there is an obvious possibility that Wood might be
named WBA champion in the near future, which would open the possibility of a
potential showdown with Warrington to be a unification bout.
There is also the possibility that Wood, who
came from behind in a fight he was losing on the scorecards to stop Conlan in
the final round, could see a potential rematch with him before a possible
showdown with Warrington. The fight, which ended in scary fashion with Conlan
being knocked out of the ring and for a time out cold, was a very competitive
and exciting fight and there should be interest in seeing a potential rematch
between the two. Despite the knockout loss, Conlan, who was hospitalized for a
time after the fight in a true fighter’s mentality expressed interest in a
rematch the day after the fight took place.
For a
division that has historically been one of Boxing’s most storied and most
competitive weight classes, it appears some interesting times are ahead for the
Featherweights, Who will emerge out of the pack to be considered the number one
fighter in the division, which also includes WBC world champion Mark Magsayo, and
WBO world champion Emanuel Navarrete as the current world champions in the
division, remains to be seen.
“And
That’s The Boxing Truth.”
The
Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison
Over the last few weeks, the sport of Boxing at least in regard to the professional side of the sport has seen a focus of sorts on the 126lb. Featherweight division. Of course, readers here on The Boxing Truth®️ have seen the coverage that this observer has provided over the last two weeks of Matchroom Boxing’s second season of its Fight Camp series at the estate of promoter Eddie Hearn and the Hearn family known in Boxing circles as Matchroom Headquarters. Coincidentally, the first two weeks of the season have been headlined by two Featherweight bouts that may have an impact on the upper echelon of the division going forward.
First, it was Leigh Wood, who scored a dominant twelfth round stoppage of top contender Xu Can on July 31st that earned him an interim/regular championship designation in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Featherweight ratings. This was followed by longtime contender Kid Galahad, who scored an eleventh round stoppage this past weekend (August 7th) in his rematch with James Dickens to win the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Featherweight world championship. On August 6th however, an additional Featherweight bout took place at Falls Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where undefeated contender Michael Conlan met former IBF Jr. Featherweight world champion TJ Doheny in a twelve round bout. A fight that took place before a crowd of over six thousand spectators in a purpose filled setting.
While it was not long ago in the days predating the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic to see a loud and enthusiastic crowd of spectators attending fights on a regular basis, especially in the Boxing hotbed of the United Kingdom and Ireland, perhaps it was the circumstance that this was the first Boxing event to take place in Ireland with spectators in attendance that made the atmosphere special, though perhaps also a bit uneasy depending on one’s perspective given the circumstances of the ongoing crisis. As for the fight itself, it was a largely tactical bout that was in many was dictated by Conlan’s ability to control distance, pick his shots, defense due to outstanding upper body movement, ability to give angles, and finally attack in spurts.
The highlights of the fight came first in the closing seconds of round four when Conlan connected with a flush right hook that stunned Doheny to form him backward, in round five, Conlan followed up with an attack to Doheny’s body, which would force him to take a knee. From that point on, Conlan continued to mix his attack well and, despite Doheny being able to have success sporadically throughout the bout, it would be Conlan who would box his way to a convincing twelve round unanimous decision victory. Although this was an extremely technical performance by Conlan and one might argue that the potential for a stoppage victory was there for him if he had opted to be more aggressive during those periods where he let his hands go, it was nevertheless, a dominant performance for a fighter that is also rated number one in the world by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) in the 122lb. Jr. Featherweight division.
The victory for Conlan however, also adds his name to what is becoming an increasingly complicated puzzle in the 126lb. Featherweight division. Now, the reader might be asking “Just what makes the situation in the Featherweight division a complicated puzzle Beau?” I will do my best to explain and hopefully, do so in such a way that it does not give the reader a migraine headache.
First, there are five recognized world sanctioning organizations that on their own can create confusion simply because of the number of organizations that regulate and sanction world championship bouts in Boxing’s seventeen weight classes. For the purposes of the current Featherweight landscape, the International Boxing Organization (IBO) does not currently have a world champion in the Featherweight division. There remains the World Boxing Council (WBC) as well as the previously three mentioned organizations, the WBA, WBO, and IBF.
In regard to the WBA, the structure of their rankings process is one that I have criticized frequently over the years simply because there is one world champion that is deemed “Super” champion, followed by two fighters that each hold an interim or regular designation in the WBA ratings in a given weight class. While frankly I could pen a column or perhaps several on the fallacies of such a structure, as I have also pointed out frequently over the years in discussing the WBA, it is something that on the surface is well-intentioned as a way of ensuring contenders get an opportunity to fight for a world championship if in the event that due to injuries or other circumstances the world champion does not fulfill their obligations to defend their championship against mandatory challengers, which are annually mandated.
The current picture of the WBA Featherweight ratings sees Leo Santa Cruz recognize as world champion, while Leigh Wood holds one Interim/Regular champion designation. Until their meeting on August 6th, both Michael Conlan and TJ Doheny were rated number four and five respectively in the same ratings. Now, with Conlan earning the second Interim/Regular designation, the question becomes what’s next? In a perfect world, Leigh Wood would be next in line to challenge Leo Santa Cruz as the next mandatory challenger, which is essentially what an Interim/Regular championship designation is, is a mandatory challenger position.
For several reasons including, but not limited to different promoters having respective interests involved, competing television networks across both the traditional and streaming realms, the fact that those promoters and networks do not always see the benefit of working together both for their interests as well as the fighters involved, and finally the sanctioning organizations involved, the idea that a fighter that earns a mandatory title shot, getting that opportunity in a reasonable timeframe is never a certainty.
In this case, despite his status as the WBA world champion in the Featherweight division, Leo Santa Cruz has not defended the WBA Featherweight world championship in over two years. Instead, moving up to the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division before meeting Gervonta Davis in October of last year in a fight where WBA designations in multiple weight classes, but only one world championship, Santa Cruz’ WBA Jr. Featherweight world championship was on the line, a championship he lost to Davis by knockout, was on the line. As much as that is a reflection of the fallacy of the WBA’s ratings structure, and keeping in mind that a good portion of Santa Cruz’ inactivity at Featherweight may have been caused by the circumstances of COVID-19, the fact is, the WBA championship has been inactive at 126lbs. with the exception of of the top contenders that have been vying for interim/regular championship designations.
Of course, the WBA could mandate Santa Cruz to defend his Featherweight championship against Leigh Wood. The problem will then become whether or not the respective promoters involved, the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, where Santa Cruz has primarily fought and Matchroom Boxing, Woods’ promoter will be willing to sit down and make the fight. While this does not factor in the competing networks involved Showtime/Fox Sports, who primarily carry PBC events and DAZN, who is firmly alight with Matchroom Boxing , but has also shown a willingness to work with all promoters, that would likely each make offers for the potential fight to air on their respective platforms, the fact that rival promoters rarely see beyond their own interests often in of itself, leads to an impasse, which unfortunately means bouts of significant interest do not get made.
The other possibility is the WBA may strip Santa Cruz of their Featherweight world championship and then elevate Wood from holding an interim/regular champion designation to full WBA champion, thus eliminating the need to sanction a fight for a vacant world championship, if that were to happen, which in theory is why interim/regular designations exists beyond ensuring top contenders get their opportunity to fight for a world championship, the question will be whether the organization will then mandate Wood to face Michael Conlan in his first title defense.
Although the same conundrum exists in that scenario with Matchroom/DAZN on one end of the table, but different with promoter Bob Arum, his promotional entity Top Rank, Inc, and ESPN on the other side of the negotiating table representing Conlan, the good news is Matchroom and Top Rank have worked together in the past to make fights and the broadcasters involved here also showed a willingness to work together so there at least is a possibility of a Wood-Conlan bout for the WBA championship coming to fruition. Out of respect for the reader, I will not dwell into this possible unification scenarios that would involve the WBC, IBF, and WBO in addition to the WBA.
The scenarios this observer has laid out though I have done my best to explain it simply, can be confusing enough in the context of one column. Although this “Featherweight Puzzle “ will not be solved in short order, The first step towards solving the puzzle and hopefully unification of the Featherweight division in the process will depend largely on whether there can be clarity in regard to the WBA’s end in the equation. I think yours truly is safe in saying the Boxing world hopes clarity comes sooner than later. At least we can hope.
“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”
The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison
Undefeated Sunny Edwards scored a dominant twelve round unanimous decision over longtime world champion Moruti Mthalane to win the IBF Flyweight world championship on Friday night at York Hall in London, England. Edwards implemented a strategy from the outset that emphasized lateral movement to keep the champion at distance where he could not get his punches off consistently. Although this fight did not have much in the form of drama, it was the definition of Boxing in that Edwards stayed disciplined all the way through the fight, got his punches off first and evading Mthalane’s offense. Simply put, Edwards hit and was not hit often in return in what was an outstanding performance to win a world championship in the 112lb. Flyweight division. Official scores were: 118-111, 120-108, and 115-113 in favor of Edwards. Sunny Edwards advances to 16-0, with 4 Knockouts. Moruti Mthalane falls to 39-3, with 26 Knockouts.
Also on this card:
Undefeated WBO number one Jr. Featherweight contender Michael Conlan scored a hard fought twelve round majority decision over WBO number nine rated contender Ionut Baluta. For twelve rounds, the two fighters engaged in a grueling give and take battle that followed one pattern throughout. Baluta throwing punches in volume and generally outworking Conlan, but Conlan being more accurate and seemingly landing the harder punches. While this was the pattern was consistent from the opening bell, as the fight progressed, Conlan was able to get some separation between himself and Baluta due to some effective body work that seemed to take some steam out of Baluta’s near relentless output. Official scores were 114-114 (Even) and, 115-114, 117-112 in favor of Conlan. Michael Conlan advances to 15-0, with 8 Knockouts. Ionut Baluta falls to 14-3, with 3 Knockouts.
In a battle of unbeaten Jr. Middleweights in what was an elimination bout to determine a mandatory challenger for British Jr. Middleweight champion Ted Cheeseman, Troy Williamson scored a sixth round stoppage of previously undefeated Kieran Smith. What was a close and competitive bout ended suddenly when Williamson connected with an overhand right that set off a brutal barrage of unanswered punches that sent Smith down to the canvas. The bout was immediately stopped without a count. Official time of the stoppage was 1:28 of round six. Troy Williamson advances to 16-0-1, with 12 Knockouts. Kieran Smith falls to 16-1, with 7 Knockouts.
Undefeated Lightweight Ryan Garner overcame a bad cut to score a six round decision over Jordan Ellison. Although Garner dictated the combat throughout, Ellison connected with a right hand to the head at the end of the third round that opened a cut on Garner’s left eyelid. Despite the cut being in a bad spot, Garner remained in control and was able to score the decision victory. As all non-title bouts that do not have an impact on regional or world rankings are solely scored by the referee officiating a bout throughout the United Kingdom, Referee Ian-John Lewis scored the bout 60-54 in Garner’s favor. Ryan Garner advances to 10-0, with 6 Knockouts. Jordan Ellison falls to 11-33-2, with 1 Knockout.
Jr. Middleweight Joshua Frankham began the evening by scoring a four round decision over veteran Naeem Ali to remain unbeaten. Referee Robert Williams scored the bout 40-36 in Frankham’s favor. Joshua Frankham advances to 3-0, with 0 Knockouts. Naeem Ali falls to 2-67-1, with 1 Knockout.
York Hall is traditionally one of England’s historic venues for the sport of Boxing dating back to to 1949. A venue that is not unlike the legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia, PA here in the United States another historic Boxing venue that has hosted many memorable battles throughout its history. Although the venue was without its normal crowd of spectators due to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic , Sunny Edwards victory in winning the IBF Flyweight world championship is the latest in a long list of memorable moments to have taken place in London’s York Hall.
In terms of what the future holds for Edwards, it is logical to think that after a near perfect performance in a fight against the vastly more experienced Moruti Mthalane, a fighter who had two reigns as IBF Flyweight world champion and who had not lost a fight in over thirteen years, the sky may be the limit. After defeating Mthalane, Edwards might be in a position to garner more lucrative opportunities against the other world champions in the division if he chooses to remain at 112lbs.
“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”
The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison
