Premier Boxing Champions 9/15/2015 Results

Undefeated Welterweight prospect Sammy Vasquez scored an impressive fifth round stoppage over veteran contender Jose Lopez on Tuesday night at the California University of Pennsylvania Convocation Center in California, PA. This fight was controlled from the outset by Vasquez’ ability to use a consistent jab from the southpaw stance to set up opportunities to land short combinations. Vasquez’ use of angles and lateral movement were also key components to his success in this fight.

Lopez seemed unable to find an answer that would nullify Vasquez’ rhythm as this fight progressed. Although Vasquez stood at a distance where he was willing to engage, Lopez simply could not land consistently with his offense and periodically walked into counter punches. As the fight progressed Vasquez continued to have success in landing punches with both hands often in combination.

It was a combination from Vasquez that would knock Lopez down to the canvas early in round five. Vasquez appeared to believe that the fight was over as he began celebrating when in fact Lopez had gotten up from the knockdown at the count of nine. After being told by Referee Gary Rosato that the fight was continuing, Vasquez dropped Lopez for the second time with another combination prompting Rosato to stop the fight. Official time of the stoppage was 1:08 of round five.

Sammy Vasquez advances to 20-0, with 14 Knockouts. Jose Lopez falls to 25-4-1, with 15 Knockouts.

In a Jr. Lightweight bout undefeated contender Omar Douglas scored a one-sided ten round unanimous decision over Braulio Santos. Douglas was able to score knockdowns of Santos in rounds one and two and won almost every round on the official scorecards. Official scores were 96-90, 99-87, and 97-89 all in favor of Douglas. Omar Douglas advances to 15-0, with 11 Knockouts. Braulio Santos falls to 12-2, with 10 Knockouts.

In other bouts:

In the Jr. Welterweight division undefeated prospect Milton Santiago (12-0, 2 with Knockouts) scored a six round unanimous decision over Alvaro Ortiz (40-18-3, with 24 Knockouts.) Official scores were 60-54 (on all three scorecards) in favor of Santiago.

Also in the Jr. Welterweight division, longtime Jr. Lightweight and Lightweight contender Monty Meza-Clay (37-5, with 22 Knockouts) scored a six round unanimous decision over Jesus Angulo (5-8, with 4 Knockouts) in his debut in the Jr. Welterweight division. Official scores for this bout are not available as of this writing.

In the Heavyweight division Stephen Shaw (5-0, with 4 Knockouts) scored a first round knockout over Randy Easton (3-8-1, with 3 Knockouts.) Official time of the stoppage was : 39 of round one.

Also in the Heavyweight division, veteran Jason Bergman (25-11-2, with 16 Knockouts) scored a six round unanimous decision over Jerry Butler (9-12-1, with 9 Knockouts). Official scores were 60-54 (on all three scorecards) in favor of Bergman.

In the Jr. Middleweight division Amonte Eberhart (3-0, with 1 Knockout) scored a four round unanimous decision over Erik Spring (6-1, with 1 Knockout). Official scores for this bout are not available as of this writing.

A scheduled Super-Middleweight bout between Immanuwel Aleem (13-0, with 9 Knockouts) and Oscar Riojas (9-2, with 3 Knockouts) as well as a scheduled Jr. Featherweight fight between Stephen Fulton (6-0, with 3 Knockouts) and Sam Rodriguez (3-0, with 3 Knockouts) did not take place. All four fighters officially weighed in for their respective bouts on Monday, but there is no word as of this writing as to why those fights were scratched.

This edition of the Premier Boxing Champions series did future two rising prospects in Sammy Vasquez and Omar Douglas who are at similar stages in their careers. Both fighters looked very impressive in their respective bouts on this card against two “Game”, but over matched opponents.

In regard to Vasquez, who is currently rated number fourteen in the world by the World Boxing Council (WBC), it will be interesting to see how he will figure in to what is an extremely deep Welterweight division that is heading toward a period of transition following the retirement of Floyd Mayweather. Vasquez, in this observer’s opinion does have the style and skills that could make him a player in the division for years to come. It will be interesting to see who he is matched up against in his next fight.

As for Omar Douglas, he may be nearing an opportunity at a world title at some point in the near future. Douglas, who is rated number ten in the world by the World Boxing Association (WBA) in its Jr. Lightweight ratings, could be in position to challenge either WBA world champion Takashi Uchiyama or Javier Fortuna, who holds interim/regular champion status in the WBA ratings down the road.  As has been the case over the years, anyone ranked in the top ten by the WBA in any division could be one fight a way from either challenging a world champion or a fighter who holds interim/regular status in a given weight class. It may simply boil down to when the opportunity may be available for Douglas.

It is clear however, that both Vasquez and Douglas have established themselves as fighters to watch in the future. As both fighters continue their rise up the ranks, it would not surprise this observer to see both continue to be featured as part of the Premier Boxing Champions series.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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Will Mayweather Fight Again?

The fight between undefeated multi-division world champion Floyd Mayweather and former two-division world champion Andre Berto on September 12th did not have one may argue the feeling or anticipation of a “Big Fight.” There were many who chose to criticize and/or outright ridicule Mayweather for choosing to defend his unified WBC/WBA Welterweight world championship against a fighter in Berto, who had gone 2-2 in his previous four fights prior to this encounter.

Mayweather-Berto however, did have one intriguing storyline. The potential of the fight being the final time that Floyd Mayweather would enter the ring as a fighter. For a fighter that has been so dominant throughout his career, this was perhaps one of the best performances of Mayweather’s career.

For twelve rounds, Floyd Mayweather simply put on a Boxing clinic. Mayweather consistently beat Berto to the punch, picked his shots, and dictated how the fight was fought from start to finish. Every facet of what has made Floyd Mayweather a dominant fighter and one, whose style has befuddled almost every opponent he has faced was on full display in this fight. Mayweather’s hand speed, accurate punching, and solid defense was the story of the bout. An example of Mayweather’s dominance in this fight was demonstrated in the total punch stats at the end of the bout. 

Mayweather is one of the most accurate offensive fighters in the sport and usually lands close to or exactly half of his total punches in his fights. This fight was no exception as Mayweather landed 232 of 410 punches thrown for a total connect percentage of 56%. As impressive as that statistic is, Mayweather complements his accurate offense with superb defense and in this fight his defense was equally as impressive as his offensive output. Andre Berto was the more active of the two fighters out throwing Mayweather by eighty-five punches, but was only able to land 83 out of 495 punches thrown for a total connect percentage of 16%. Berto simply had the same problem that most Mayweather opponents have had. He simply could not find a way to land on an elusive fighter for extended periods of time.

It was a fight that did not have any drama or any questions as to who won the fight at the bout’s conclusion. As has been the case throughout his entire career, Mayweather used his Boxing IQ and attributes to box his way to a convincing twelve round unanimous decision. Although this fight ultimately ended up being a virtual exhibition, it was an example of a master of the “Science” that is Boxing putting on quite frankly a “Flawless” performance.

Immediately following the fight Mayweather announced his retirement saying that he simply had nothing left to prove. The win over Berto advanced Mayweather’s record to 49-0, with 26 Knockouts. The question is will Floyd Mayweather stay retired? Mayweather certainly still possesses his skills and it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could change his mind at some point in the future. After all, many fighters have retired only to make a comeback. Mayweather himself has retired once before.

Some may remember following his victory over Ricky Hatton in December 2007, Mayweather announced his retirement in June 2008. Mayweather would not stay retired long and made a comeback in September 2009 scoring a twelve round unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez.

Despite a near two-year layoff, Mayweather’s skills did not diminish and it was not long before he reclaimed his standing as the fighter most consider the best pound for pound in the world. Although this observer agrees with Mayweather that after winning world titles from the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division up to the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division that he does not have to continue to prove his standing as a great fighter, as I said prior to his fight with Andre Berto, I am not too sure that the Boxing world has seen the last of Floyd Mayweather as a fighter.

As I said prior to the fight Mayweather makes millions of dollars each time he enters the ring and there may be some who might say that as long as Mayweather can fight without suffering the wear and tear that comes with a long career as a fighter, why not continue? As Mayweather said following his victory over Berto however, “You’ve got to know when to hang it up.” It is certainly understandable at thirty-eight years old being seemingly financially secure and with other ventures in the sport as a promoter that Mayweather would rather go out on top as opposed to possibly contending with an opponent that few fighters and athletes in general have been able to dodge “Father Time.”

It is understandable that a fighter who has secured his future outside the ring after achieving virtually every goal he set out for himself as a fighter would want to leave the sport with all of his faculties intact. The history of the sport of Boxing is unfortunately full of stories of great fighters who either stayed in the sport for too long as active fighters and/or were forced out of retirement for various reasons who no longer possessed the skills that made them great at their peak by the end of their careers. At this point Floyd Mayweather is not in a position where he would be forced out of retirement and clearly does not want to stay active as a fighter even though he is still at the top of his game.

Regardless of what one’s opinion might be of Floyd Mayweather if he does stick to his word and does not return to the ring in the future it is something that should be applauded. After all, many fighters do not have the option to leave the sport on their own terms and if Mayweather does stick to his word it may set an example for younger fighters as to how to make sure they are secure financially and otherwise and how to take a strategic approach in how they want to end their careers.

If this is indeed the end for Floyd Mayweather it will be interesting to see where he will rank among the all-time greats of the sport. Although Mayweather’s style is one that is not always crowd-pleasing as this observer has frequently said over the years, as a fighter he is as good and as skilled as they come. The objective of the sport after all is to hit and not get hit. Mayweather has mastered this objective and it is hard to argue his standing as an all-time great of the sport after winning world championships in five different weight classes and going undefeated in forty-nine professional fights.

 The true test will be whether or not Mayweather will stay retired. Although there is nothing left for him to prove in this observer’s eyes, there is always a possibility of what would be a third chapter in the career of Floyd Mayweather at some point in the future.

The decision of whether to fight again will ultimately be made by Mayweather himself. If this is the end of the road for a great fighter and champion, this observer would like to simply say… Congratulations on a great career Floyd.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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Stevenson KO’s Karpency To Retain WBC Light-Heavyweight World Championship

WBC Light-Heavyweight world champion Adonis Stevenson successfully made the sixth defense of his world championship by scoring a devastating third round knockout over WBC number nine rated contender Tommy Karpency on Friday night at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Although this fight began at a measured pace, it was the champion who dictated the combat.

Stevenson had a clear speed and power advantage over Karpency. The champion demonstrated his power by being able to stun the challenger with a counter left hook halfway through the first round when Karpency appeared to be having some success in landing a partial combination on the champion. 

It was in the closing seconds of the second round however, that Stevenson would nearly bring the fight to a sudden conclusion. The champion staggered Karpency with a straight left hand and sent the challenger down to the canvas with a follow-up barrage. Karpency showed his mettle by getting up at the count of nine just barely beating the count and was able to survive the round. Karpency however, was not able to recover between rounds to and three as the champion quickly pounced on the challenger at the start of the third round quickly flooring Karpency for the second time. Although Karpency would get up from the knockdown again at the count of nine, the bout was stopped by Referee Hector Afu. Official time of the stoppage was :21 of round three.

Adonis Stevenson advances to 27-1, with 22 Knockouts. Tommy Karpency falls to 25-5-1, with 14 Knockouts.

Although Karpency had some sporadic success in being able to land his offense on Stevenson, he simply was not able to let his hands go consistently. This can be attributed to Stevenson’s style in which he uses significant lateral movement to evade his opponents and set up counter punch opportunities.

It is unclear coming out of this fight whether Stevenson is any closer to a potential unification clash with undefeated unified WBO/IBF/WBA Light-Heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev in a fight that would determine an Undisputed Light-Heavyweight world champion. Both fighters have continued to defeat all opposition placed before them, often by way of knockout.

As this observer stated following Kovalev’s knockout over Nadjib Mohammedi in July although there may be fighters who could be in position to challenge either Kovalev or Stevenson for their respective world championships, in my eyes it is time to make Stevenson-Kovalev a reality. It would be a fight that would not only determine the best Light-Heavyweight in the world, but also quite frankly the best fight that could be made right now in the Light-Heavyweight division. Whether or not Stevenson-Kovalev will come either later this year or in early 2016 remains to be seen. The opinion of this observer however, will not change. Gentlemen it’s time.

“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

Mayweather-Berto: The End Of The Road For A Great Champion?

There is no doubt that the two biggest stories in the sport of Boxing in 2015 have revolved around Floyd Mayweather. The first story of course centered around the anticipation of a fight that Boxing fans and experts alike waited nearly six years to become a reality. Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao.

After so much anticipation the Boxing world focused it’s attention on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV on May 2nd for the battle that some called “The Fight Of The Century.” The actual battle between the two future Hall of Famer’s however, did not live up to the anticipation or the general expectation of Boxing fans. It was in many ways a quintessential Floyd Mayweather fight. Mayweather using his intelligence, using his superb defense, and using an extremely accurate offense to score a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over Pacquiao.

Following the victory over Pacquiao the second biggest story of the year began to take shape. Mayweather announcing his intention to fight in September and also announcing that the fight, the last of a lucrative six-fight deal with CBS/Showtime could be his last. Mayweather also announced his intention to relinquish the world championships he holds in both the Welterweight and Jr. Middleweight divisions. 

After a fight that broke all existing cable/satellite pay-per-view records, but a fight that also left a general dissatisfaction among Boxing fans, the question became who would be Mayweather’s opponent for what could be his final fight. Readers may remember during the course of the past five months a regular topic of discussion here at The Boxing Truth ® whenever fights have taken place in either the Welterweight or Jr. Middleweight divisions has been whether the fighters competing whether they be top contenders and/or former world champions would be able to garner interest for a potential fight with Mayweather.

Mayweather would ultimately choose former two-time world champion Andre Berto as his opponent. Although much of the discussion surrounding this fight has centered around the decision to put the fight on pay-per-view rather than on CBS or Showtime as was rumored for a period of time, there has also been criticism toward Mayweather for choosing what some feel is a fighter with only a puncher’s chance in Berto. There have been those both in media and fans of the sport who have called this fight a mismatch and a few who have simply referred to this bout as a “Victory Lap” for Mayweather in what could be his final fight.

The source of the criticism regarding Berto as the opponent stems in this observer’s view from the fact that Berto has gone 2-2 in his last four fights including losses to former world champion and former Mayweather opponent Robert Guerrero in November 2012 and a stoppage loss against longtime contender Jesus Soto Karass in July 2013. Berto has however, won his last two fights including a decision win over Steve Upshaw in September of last year and stopping former world title challenger Josesito Lopez in six rounds in his last fight in March of this year.

The victory over Lopez earned Berto interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s Welterweight ratings, a distinction he shares with undefeated Welterweight contender Keith Thurman. Although Thurman has been designated as having interim/regular status in the WBA Welterweight ratings for a longer period of time than has Berto, it will be Berto who will get the shot against Mayweather.

 It is also worth noting that despite Mayweather’s announced intention to relinquish his world championships in both the Welterweight and Jr. Middleweight divisions following his fight with Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather’s unified WBC/WBA Welterweight world championship will be on the line when he meets Berto on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV. Although some have been critical of Mayweather for choosing Berto as his opponent, Berto is after all a former two-time world champion, who has won thirty out of thirty-three professional fights, scoring knockouts in twenty-three of those bouts. Berto also successfully defended the WBC Welterweight world championship five times before losing his first world title to Victor Ortiz in a fight that was voted Ring Magazine’s fight of the year to 2011.

Berto is a fighter who is very compact with his offense and has a good mix of hand speed and punching power. The question that this observer has as this fight approaches is pretty much the same question that has been asked of virtually every Floyd Mayweather opponent. Can Berto find a way to solve what has proven to be a complicated puzzle and solve the fighting style that is Floyd Mayweather?

There have been a select few throughout Mayweather’s career who have been able to make their bouts with him competitive and even have caused some debate as to whether or not they should have gotten the victory over Mayweather. Jose Louis Castillo, who many feel, this observer included deserved the decision against Mayweather in their first fight in April 2002. Oscar De La Hoya, who lost a razor thin split decision to Mayweather in May 2007. Miguel Cotto, who lost to Mayweather in May 2012, but a fighter who some feel gave Mayweather his toughest fight since his first encounter with Castillo. Finally, Marcos Maidana, who also gave Mayweather a difficult fight in their first encounter in May of last year.

Only Castillo and Maidana were able to get a second fight against Mayweather. In both rematches however, Mayweather silenced any doubters and defeated both former world champions by convincing twelve round unanimous decisions. All four fighters were able to have success against Mayweather by putting pressure on him and being able to sustain that pressure for a period of time and win rounds on the official scorecards.

An argument can be made however, that all four fighters relented from their strategies against Mayweather over the course of those fights, which allowed Mayweather to be the adjustments necessary in order to win those fights. The question remains as to whether or not an opponent will be able to mount a consistent attack and pressure Mayweather for an entire twelve round fight. This question will be asked of Andre Berto when he enters the ring to do battle with Mayweather.

Although Mayweather’s Boxing style is one that may not always be crowd pleasing, he is one of the most accurate offensive fighters in the sport as he routinely lands more than half of his total punch output for an entire fight. It will be up to Andre Berto to apply consistent pressure on Mayweather and keep Mayweather on the defensive where he cannot consistently return offense. It is a task that for forty-eight previous opponents that has proven to be easier said than done.

In his fights against Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero an argument can be made that although both fights are considered wars among both fans and experts alike, both Ortiz and Guerrero were able to win those fights based on their ability to outwork Andre Berto. In order for Berto to be successful in this fight in the eyes of this observer he must find a way to limit Mayweather’s offensive output. If Berto chooses to look to play the role of counter puncher and not let his hands go consistently, it will play right into Mayweather’s hands and Mayweather will likely be able to dictate how the fight is fought. Berto must be consistent with his offense and needs to make Mayweather uncomfortable. Simply put, Berto needs to make this a fight. Whether or not Berto can do that remains to be seen.

As for Floyd Mayweather, his fight plan will likely remain the same as it has for virtually every fight of his career thus far. Mayweather will likely look to be a tactician, set traps for his opponent, and execute his offense when opportunities arise. It is logical to assume that Mayweather, who has not scored a knockout since his fight with Victor Ortiz in September 2011 will look to do what he does best, box intelligently to a twelve round decision win.

Although this is being billed as potentially Floyd Mayweather’s final fight and an attempt by Mayweather to tie the mark set by former Heavyweight world champion Rocky Marciano of 49-0, this observer is not too sure as to whether this will be Mayweather’s swansong as a fighter. After all, Mayweather makes millions of dollars each time he enters the ring and there may be some who might say that as long as Mayweather can fight without suffering the wear and tear that comes with a long career as a fighter, why not continue?

If however, this will be the final time Mayweather enters the ring it will be interesting to see if Boxing fans will pay the expense of cable/satellite pay-per-view to the tune of $74.95 for the HD broadcast and $64.95 for the Standard Definition broadcast. If the rumored poor ticket sales for this fight are any indication, it appears that as I speculated when this fight was announced last month that Boxing fans may indeed reject what could be a moment in Boxing history. Regardless of what one’s opinion of Floyd Mayweather might be, as a fighter he is as good as they come and has no doubt had an illustrious career.

Whether or not this will indeed be Mayweather’s last fight remains to be seen. For a man however, who like him or not has earned his status as a great fighter, if this fight will indeed be the end of the road for Mayweather it will truly be a shame if that moment in Boxing history is rejected by ticket buyers and by cable/satellite television subscribers. We will not get the answer to that question on Saturday night when Mayweather and Berto do battle, but rather in the days and perhaps weeks following the fight when live gate and pay-per-view returns are calculated.

For a fight that has been widely criticized and dismissed by some Mayweather-Berto does have some intrigue. Although some may consider this fight to be a foregone conclusion, wouldn’t it be great if a fight that has been subjected to much criticism and even outright dismissed by some turned out to be a great fight? This observer sure hopes so.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Mayweather vs. Berto takes place, Saturday September 12th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight will be available on a cable/satellite pay-per-view basis in the United States and Canada for $74.95 HD/$64.95. Contact your local pay-per-view provider for ordering information. The card will be available in the UK and Ireland on BoxNation. Check local listings.

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison