UPDATE: Mendez Reinstated as IBF Jr. Lightweight World Champion, Rematch with Barthelemy Next?

In an update to the controversial ending in the IBF World Jr. Lightweight Championship fight between champion Argenis Mendez and challenger Rances Barthelemy, the Minnesota department of labor and industry has officially changed the result of the bout to a no decision. The fight which took place on January 3rd at the Target Center in Minneapolis was originally won by Barthelemy via second round knockout. The basis of the controversy was that Barthelemy knocked Mendez out by landing a combination that landed after the bell had rung to end the second round. Originally Mendez was counted out by Referee Pete Podgorski as Podgorski originally ruled the punches landed by Barthelemy to be legal.

According to a written ruling by Minnesota department of labor and industry Commissioner Ken B. Peterson released on Thursday stated quote “The referee's ruling that Mr. Mendez had been legally knocked out was inadvertent through what can only be considered human error. Referee Podgorski acknowledges that he was getting into position, but the bell sounded while he was circling so his decision was based upon what he could hear and see at the time.  The law requires that a Commissioner overrule the referee and enforce the plain language of the rules. For the purposes of the State of Minnesota, the boxing contest between Mr. Mendez and Mr. Barthelemy is a No Decision. The State of Minnesota is indifferent regarding the issue of who is the holder of the Super Featherweight title of the International Boxing Federation as a result of this decision. The International Boxing Federation, not the State of Minnesota, has authority over its titles.” 

The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has reinstated Mendez as it’s Jr. Lightweight World Champion. As this observer stated following the controversial ending of this fight earlier this month, I believe that the fairest course of action in this circumstance would be for the IBF to mandate an immediate rematch between Mendez and Barthelemy.

Although as I stated there may be fans who may have been of the opinion that Rances Barthelemy was on his way to a convincing victory over Mendez as he had dominated the fight up to it’s conclusion, it was up to both the IBF and those who regulate Boxing in the state of Minnesota to review the footage of this fight and make a decision based on rules and regulations and not assumptions as to what may or may not have happened had the fight continued with no controversy. For now as I stated in my earlier coverage of this fight that I hoped this controversy would be resolved as quickly as possible has been realized.

  The one thing that is clear is that the story of Argenis Mendez versus Rances Barthelemy is not finished yet. For the sake of both fighters hopefully a rematch will be made as soon as possible. Stay tuned.

“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 

Peterson Retains Title, Jean Solidifies Status As Top Contender

When undefeated Jr. Welterweight contender Dierry Jean entered the ring to challenge IBF Jr. Welterweight world champion Lamont Peterson on January 25th in Peterson’s hometown of Washington D.C. there may have been some who considered the Haitian born Canadian based contender a favorite to win the title. The basis of that may have been largely based on Peterson’s knockout loss in his last fight at the hands of top contender Lucas Matthysse in May of last year in what was a non-title fight. The punching power of Matthysse was too much for Peterson on that night as he was dropped three times before the fight was stopped in round three. It was the first knockout loss for Peterson in his career.

An argument could be made by some that, despite Peterson’s knockout loss he was after all the more experienced of the two fighters. Jean who although earning a number one ranking in the International Boxing Federation’s (IBF) and also being recognized as a number one contender by the World Boxing Council (WBC) for a period of time had not been significantly tested. This observer has been on record in stating that I disagreed with those who were of the opinion that Dierry Jean had not been tested in his career prior to his title shot against Peterson. 

As I have mentioned in previous columns in covering Dierry Jean’s last two fights prior to his encounter with Peterson against Juan Jesus Rivera and Cleotis Pendarvis ; Jean had been tested against fighters such as Lanardo Tyner, Francisco Lorenzo, and Ivan Cano. Following his knockout win over Cleotis Pendarvis, this observer said that it was my belief that Jean was ready to take on the elite of the Jr. Welterweight division. Jean faced a fighter in Peterson who has proven to be an elite player in the division having faced many of the best the division has to offer including current Welterweight world champion Timothy Bradley, Kendall Holt, Amir Khan and, the aforementioned Lucas Matthysse among others.  This fight was Dierry Jean’s first opportunity on the elite level not just in the Jr. Welterweight division, but of the elite level of the sport, where discussions regarding the world’s best pound for pound fighters are commonplace. 

The fight began at a tactical pace with both fighters being able to have periods of effectiveness in rounds that were not necessarily easy to score. It was apparent very early on that there may have been a healthy difference of opinion as to the scoring of some of the rounds. Lamont Peterson’s lateral movement complimented his jab and combination punching as he was the more active of the two fighters for much of the fight. Dierry Jean however, seemed to have an edge in terms of power. When he was able to let his hands go, particularly during periods where he was able to get off first, he kept Peterson somewhat defensive when he was able to land his right hand to set off spurts of offense. Although both fighters had periods of success throughout this fight, Peterson was the fighter who was able to dictate the pace.

Gradually as the fight progressed, Peterson’s quick hands and combination punching took control. Peterson had a well-balanced attack as the fight went on in landing to the body and head of Jean. Peterson’s lateral movement was also a focal point during this fight as he was able to pick his spots by being aggressive and consistently backing Jean up while at the same time using his lateral movement to deflect much of Jean’s offense. Simply put Lamont Peterson’s Boxing ability in being able to outwork Dierry Jean while being solid defensively was the story in this fight. At the end of the twelve round championship bout, I had Peterson winning eight rounds to four for a score of 116-112.

Although Peterson was able to take control particularly in the second half of this fight, Dierry Jean did give a good account himself as he was competitive throughout. The main difference in this fight at least in my mind was Peterson’s combination punching being able to carry the pace, while Jean although able to be effective in spurts, was not able to land combinations consistently nor was he able to stop Peterson’s pressure as the fight went on. Peterson clearly showed in this fight that his outing against Lucas Matthysse could be considered a bad night at the office as he showed no ill effects in this fight against a dangerous opponent in Jean. An argument could be made that this twelve round decision win for Peterson was perhaps one of the best performances of his career, particularly after coming off of what was a devastating knockout loss against Matthysse.

 Despite suffering the first loss of his career Dierry Jean proved that he is a player in the Jr. Welterweight division. Jean was not disgraced in his fight and one might argue that the loss to Peterson may benefit him in the long-term. After all, not every fighter who becomes a world champion does so without suffering in defeat along the way. This could be looked at as a setback, but more importantly as a learning experience for a potential future world champion. A good example would be Lamont Peterson who lost to Timothy Bradley in his first attempt at a world championship.  Since that fight Peterson has become not only a world champion, but also one of the best fighters in the world.   Whether Dierry Jean can also rebound to potentially become a world champion remains to be seen. It will be interesting to see who Jean will fight next in the talent deep Jr. Welterweight division, but it would not surprise this observer to see him put in against another top contender perhaps the likes of Selcuk Aydin or maybe someone like former longtime Lightweight world champion Paul Spadafora who recently also suffered his first defeat. Both of these fighters present an interesting fight for Jean that will generate interest. 

 

 

As for Lamont Peterson, it is logical to assume that a potential unification fight with WBC/WBA Jr. Welterweight world champion Danny Garcia could well be looming on the horizon. If a fight with Garcia is not in Peterson’s immediate future, the most logical opponent at least in this observer’s eyes would be a rematch with Lucas Matthysse. Matthysse, who lost a hard fought battle against Danny Garcia last September is likely looking for a marquee fight to get back in the mix for a potential rematch with Garcia.

A rematch between Matthysse and Peterson does however, present it’s own intriguing storyline. The obvious storyline of whether or not Peterson can avenge his knockout loss to Matthysse. If a rematch between the two can be made with the winner likely to face Danny Garcia, it will likely present a very lucrative situation that can benefit all three fighters. One might argue that a potential total unification of the Jr. Welterweight division in the form of a four-man box off between Peterson, Matthysse, Danny Garcia, and WBO champion Ruslan Provodnikov would be more lucrative. Such a scenario however, seems unlikely in my eyes due to the current political landscape of the sport with rival promoters and networks seemingly at a stand off which may prevent the concept of total unification from taking place. 

 

Nevertheless as has been the case for many years the Jr. Welterweight division remains one of the most talent rich and competitive weight classes in the entire sport. Regardless which scenario transpires all will provide excitement and enjoyment for the Boxing world. 

“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 

Curtis Stevens Back With Vengeance

When top Middleweight contender Curtis Stevens entered the ring against undefeated unified WBA/IBO Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin in November of last year, he was considered by some to be an underdog. This was an opinion that was hard to argue, despite Stevens heading into the fight having knocked out three of his previous four opponents. After all, the opponent in Golovkin has established a career knockout percentage of nearly 90% and a knockout percentage of 100% in Middleweight championship fights. How could anyone argue against such an opinion? Curtis Stevens however, would prove in this fight that he was not a fighter to dismiss as a viable contender.

Stevens’ head movement and quick hands did provide the first significant test for the champion Golovkin in his career. It should not be overlooked that over the last two years Gennady Golovkin has clearly established himself as one of the sport’s hottest rising stars due to an exciting come forward pressure style that few fighters have been able to withstand. Stevens was able to extend the champion into the eighth round before the fight was stopped by his trainer and uncle Andre Rozier at the end of the eighth round.

Even though Stevens lost the fight he clearly proved that he was a legitimate top contender by giving a valiant effort in defeat. Although Stevens’ status as a legitimate contender was clear, this observer was somewhat surprised when it was announced in December that Stevens would return to the ring on January 24th against top contender Patrick Majewski.

Stevens did after all suffer considerable punishment during the course of his fight with Golovkin and it was surprising and maybe even rare in the modern era one might argue to see a fighter back in the ring so soon after a hard fought battle as that fight was. It is however, understandable that Stevens after such a “Game” performance would want to get back in the hunt for what could be a potential rematch with Golovkin down the line.

It should also not be overlooked that Stevens elected to face a world rated contender in Patrick Majewski. Majewski, a veteran of twenty-three professional fights heading into this encounter with Stevens had won four of his last five fights. Although he was coming into the fight off a loss, Majewski was not a fighter to be taken lightly in what is a talent stacked Middleweight division.

Questions prior to this fight regarding what affects if any did the fight with Golovkin have on Stevens were questions that some probably had asked themselves. Stevens however, would bring the fight to a sudden conclusion almost as quickly as the fight began.

Stevens dropped Majewski with a left jab just seconds after the fight began and knocked Majewski down two more times with flurries causing the fight to be stopped at just forty-six seconds into the first round. As this observer has been known to say frequently over the years “Anything can happen at any given time in Boxing and that is what makes the sport great.” This fight was an example of that philosophy.

Simply put there is not much that one could say about a fight that only lasted forty-six seconds. There may be however, some historical precedent of sorts that one might remember after seeing this fight. In December of 1990, Mike Tyson faced top Heavyweight contender Alex Stewart in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The fight which was Tyson’s second bout on the comeback trail after losing his World Heavyweight Championship to James “Buster” Douglas in February of that year one might argue was over before it really started.

Tyson knocked Stewart down only seconds after the fight began with two right hands. Although Stewart got up from the knockdown almost immediately, he offered little or no resistance as Tyson pressed forward knocking Stewart down two more times in route to a first round knockout.

Even though there is not really a direct similarity between that fight and Stevens’ knockout over Majewski, the one similarity at least in this observer’s eyes was that both Stewart and Majewski were caught cold and thus were not able to get into the fight as their opponents seized the opportunity and made it a short night.

In this case the jab that Stevens landed on Majewski seemed to land right on the chin and although Majewski was able to get up from the knockdown, he did not have his legs and thus was an available target for Stevens who subsequently closed the show.

Based on how quickly this fight ended there might be some who may be of the opinion that Majewski was not as credible a contender as he appeared to be going into the fight. This observer respectfully disagrees. It is important to remember that anyone can get caught at any given time in the Boxing ring. Prior to this fight Majewski had only been stopped once in his career against Colombian contender Jose Miguel Torres in six rounds in 2011.

Majewski was also a legitimate top ten to top fifteen contender in the Middleweight division prior to his twelve round unanimous decision loss to Patrick Nielsen. Majewski much like Stewart did many years ago, has proven to be a world class fighter. An argument could and probably should be made that simply Majewski just got caught and was unable to recover. It is not the first time that it has happened to a world class fighter and certainly won’t be the last.

As for Curtis Stevens, he looked about as good as a fighter could in this fight. He saw an opening, he capitalized on that opening, and once he had his opponent hurt he closed the show. There is really not much more that one could ask of a fighter.

What’s next for Curtis Stevens? For anyone who had questions about whether there were any affects suffered in his fight with Gennady Golovkin, Stevens appears to have answered those questions with a resounding no. Not only did Stevens come back successfully from a defeat, but most would probably say he made a statement as he came back with a vengeance. Stevens clearly has reestablished himself as a top contender for any of the world champions in the Middleweight division including Gennady Golovkin.

Whether or not Stevens will find himself fighting for the Middleweight championship of the world again in the near future remains to be seen. If Stevens is not in the immediate plans for any of the current world champions in the division, one option could be for Stevens to face another top contender in Patrick Nielsen who is currently rated in the top five of the WBA, IBF, and WBO in each respective governing body’s Middleweight rankings. Nielsen is scheduled to face contender Tony Jeter on February 15th in Denmark. This observer believes that the winner of that fight could be a viable option for Stevens later this year. There is no doubt in my mind that no matter who Stevens fights next, he is definitely in the discussion of top contenders and could be back in the world title picture sooner rather than later.

“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 

Pascal Next For Stevenson?

One trend that has returned to the sport of Boxing in the last year was the best fighters squaring off against each other. This was one element that made 2013 an extremely successful year for the sport. One could make a justifiable argument that the first marquee fight of 2014 was the Light-Heavyweight battle between former world champions Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute. An encounter that in the months leading up to the fight seemed to have elements of two fighters who were now at a crossroads.

It is important to remember that it was not very long ago that both Pascal and Bute were at the top of the sport. Bute the long reigning unbeaten IBF Super-Middleweight world champion who had successfully defended his title nine times before suffering the lone defeat of his career, a brutal knockout loss at the hands Super-Middleweight world champion Carl Froch in May of 2012. Pascal, the former WBC Light-Heavyweight world champion who has squared off with a “Who’s, Who” of his division including two fights with the legendary Bernard Hopkins. Pascal earned a draw against Hopkins in their first fight, and lost his world title to him in the rematch.

Coming into this fight both Pascal and Bute were coming off wins in their respective comeback bouts since suffering those high profile losses, but one might argue that there are still questions that both needed to answer. When the two fighters came together on January 18th at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada it was rightfully regarded as perhaps one of the biggest fights in Canadian Boxing history. An argument could certainly be made that based on both fighters drawing power that it may have been an unnecessary risk for either to face the other. Both fighters should be commended however, for electing to face each other when perhaps there may have been other options on the table for both.

It is of equal importance to remember that even when circumstances allow the best fighters to face each other, it does not always necessarily translate into encounters that most would call classics. For the majority of twelve rounds it was Jean Pascal who controlled the tempo the fight, was able to get his punches off first, and made the most out of his offense while at the same time keeping his opponent tentative and unable to get into a rhythm. What particularly impressed this observer was Jean Pascal’s ability to be elusive throughout this fight.

Pascal is known for having an unorthodox style and being able to utilize a combination of hand speed and power. Issues that have failed Pascal in the past is that he has had trouble pacing himself and has faded in the latter stages of a fight. This was particularly evident in his first fight with Bernard Hopkins where he was able to knock Hopkins down in rounds one and three, but faded down the stretch where Hopkins was able to gain ground on the scorecards and had won the fight in the opinion of many at the end the night. 

In this fight, Pascal dictated the pace from start to finish. Pascal’s lateral movement was on full display in this fight even during periods where he was not particularly active offensively, he was able to keep Bute from throwing punches consistently. Pascal, who enlisted the help of the legendary Roy Jones to help him prepare for his clash against Bute fought in a manner that was in some ways reminiscent of Roy Jones in his prime. In particular, Pascal’s ability to land right hand leads to the head and body while remaining an elusive target and mixing in combinations. 

In fairness to Lucian Bute, Jean Pascal has never been a fighter that is necessarily easy to establish a rhythm against. It was clear however, that Bute was tentative to let his hands go with consistency throughout much of this fight. Whether or not that is an indication of any effects Bute may have suffered in his loss to Carl Froch is a subject that could be debated. Clearly based on not only his performance against Pascal, but also his performance against Denis Grachev in his first fight since the Froch loss, Bute just doesn’t have the same confidence that he once had. It wasn’t until the final rounds of this fight against Pascal that Bute, behind on the scorecards went on the attack trying to turn the fight in his favor in a manner that was not unlike Bute’s first fight with Librado Andrade in 2008.

Like Andrade, Bute would not be able to pull off a come from behind victory as Pascal would earn a convincing twelve round unanimous decision. It is logical to assume not only based off of what was a solid performance for Pascal, but also based on Pascal winning the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) title in the Light-Heavyweight division that it would presumably put him in line to challenge current WBC champion Adonis Stevenson. Stevenson is considered by many to be the number one fighter in the division. 

A fight between Stevenson and Pascal would appear to make sense assuming that a unification bout between Stevenson and WBO champion Sergey Kovalev is not made for later this year. A question that could play a factor in either a fight with Pascal or Kovalev being made for Stevenson could be determined by how active Stevenson intends to be in 2014. Last year, Stevenson scored four impressive knockout victories including winning his world title against Chad Dawson and two successful title defenses of his WBC crown.

It is rare to see a world champion being so active in his era. It is not out of the realm of possibility that perhaps Stevenson and his camp may want to scale his activity back slightly if nothing else to allow him to recuperate between fights and between training camps. It would be certainly understandable considering that Stevenson has firmly established himself as a star of the division that he would be looking to seek the most lucrative fight possible for him at this stage of his career. The element of the “Business of Boxing” must also be taken into consideration here as contracts between fighters, networks, and promoters could play a factor in such decisions. Whether or not Pascal is in the immediate future for Stevenson this observer believes that he deserves to be in the conversation of potential opponents for one of Boxing’s newest stars.

As for Lucian Bute, there may be some who may have been of the opinion that whomever did not come out on top between Pascal and Bute may well be finished on a top level of the sport. This observer does not necessarily agree with such an opinion. Perhaps after being given significant time to reflect on his career, Lucian Bute could well find himself back in the discussion of top fighters in either the Super-Middleweight or Light-Heavyweight divisions.

It goes without saying that not every fighter returns to top form immediately following a loss. Bute may be best served in taking a more gradual approach in his comeback rather than more or less jumping right back in against top level opposition after suffering a knockout loss. We will have to wait and see what the future holds for Lucian Bute.

An enthusiastic crowd of over 20,000 people who were in attendance for this fight made it abundantly clear that from a business standpoint, Montreal and really all of Canada is a force to be reckoned with in the sport of Boxing. It is clear at least in my eyes that the sport has another marquee venue to stage the best of what it has to offer. It certainly should be a sign of good things to come.

“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