Can Timothy Bradley Now Be Considered Number One In The Welterweight Division?

On November 7th Timothy Bradley met Brandon Rios in a much-anticipated encounter at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV with Bradley’s WBO World Welterweight championship at stake. This fight had the look of a battle that would be action-packed leading up to it between two fighters who are offensive-minded and always leave it all in the ring.

Prior to this bout this observer stated that the question I had in my mind was whether or not Bradley would elect to attempt to box Rios or if he would be willing to stand and go toe to toe. Although I commented prior to the fight that in thinking of how the fight would be fought that I had thoughts of Timothy Bradley’s thrilling battle with Ruslan Provodnikov in 2013, Bradley’s fight with Rios could best be described as an example of a fighter executing his fight plan to the best of his ability.

In his first fight under the guidance of the legendary Teddy Atlas, Timothy Bradley would put forth the type of performance that turns heads. From the outset Bradley used lateral movement and combination punching to dictate how the fight was fought. What was noticeable in the eyes of this observer was how well Bradley used his footwork in order to set up angles to execute his offense.

Bradley’s ability to be the quicker and more accurate fighter was the story of the fight as he consistently beat Rios to the punch. What was most surprising however, about Bradley’s performance was that he was able to remain consistent and not allow Rios much room in which to land something significant that may have been able to turn the fight in his favor.

Bradley’s commitment to his fight plan and his execution of it eventually broke Rios down as the champion was able to score two knockdowns in the ninth round, the result of both an accumulation of punishment as well as effective body punching to cause a stoppage of the fight. For a fighter who was looking to impress in his first title defense of his second reign as a Welterweight world champion, Bradley’s performance was certainly impressive and probably exceeded expectations.

An interesting question however, is off of a dominating victory over a very dangerous opponent in Brandon Rios, can Timothy Bradley now be considered the top fighter in the 147lb. Welterweight division?  It is a fair question that will likely generate a difference of opinion.

It is important to remember when discussing the current landscape of the Welterweight division that it is a division that is heading towards a period of transition following the recent retirement of unified WBC/WBA world champion Floyd Mayweather. Although Manny Pacquiao, the fighter widely considered to be either number one in the division or 1-A behind Mayweather for several years prior to their fight earlier this year remains an active fighter, there are questions regarding how long he will remain active.

Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum has gone on record in recent weeks saying that Pacquiao will fight once more in April of next year and then retire. Although Pacquiao’s potential opponent for that fight remains unknown as of this writing, perhaps a more important question is who in the division currently can take over as the number one fighter following the retirement of Mayweather and what could be future retirement of Pacquiao?

Currently, there are three world champions in the division outside of the unified world championship that Mayweather still officially holds. The IBF world champion Kell Brook, the WBO world champion Timothy Bradley, and IBO world champion Tsiko Mulovhedzi. 

Even though Mulovhedzi won his world title in July by scoring a fifth round knockout over Ali Funeka, he is not particularly well-known and has never fought outside of his native South Africa. This would likely lead some to believe that if a division front-runner is to emerge it will likely be between either Bradley or Brook. One should not forget however, undefeated top contender Keith Thurman, who currently holds interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s Welterweight ratings.

It may be logical to assume given Floyd Mayweather’s recent retirement that Thurman will be named WBA world champion in the near future by the World Boxing Association. Thurman should be viewed as a legitimate threat to either of the current world champions in the division and if he is indeed named WBA world champion could be viewed as an interesting unification option for either of the three.

In the eyes of this observer however, Timothy Bradley has made a strong argument for himself as being perhaps the top fighter in the division currently. Bradley was not only able to retain his world championship and score a victory, but it was the fashion in which that victory came by dominating and stopping a fighter who had never previously been knocked out in Rios which gives Bradley as much credibility as anyone in the division to make his claim as being number one.

As for what is next for Bradley, it was announced on the day of his fight with Rios that the WBO world championship committee would order the winner of the fight to reach an agreement for a mandatory title defense against undefeated current WBO number one contender Sadam Ali within ten days following the Bradley-Rios fight.

Whether Sadam Ali will be next for Bradley remains to be seen. For Bradley however, no matter who he fights next he is likely feeling very optimistic and motivated coming off of a knockout win and about the future under the tutelage of his trainer Teddy Atlas.

“And That’s the Boxing Truth.”

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Bradley-Rios Preview

Two-division world champion Timothy Bradley has experienced the ups and downs that come with most boxers careers. Bradley, who walked into his fight against Manny Pacquiao in June 2012 as an undefeated world champion in the Jr. Welterweight division went on to score the biggest win of his career by scoring a decision victory over Pacquiao, a fighter whom at the time was considered by many the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

Bradley however, would have to deal with controversy as many felt Pacquiao had won the fight. Of course, much of the discussion following that fight centered on the scoring of three official judges in what was scored a split decision in Bradley’s favor. There were many who voiced their dissatisfaction at the result of the bout, but instead of voicing anger and outrage toward the judges, much of the outrage was directed toward Bradley.

Bradley would go on to win closely fought battles against Ruslan Provodnikov and Juan Manuel Marquez in defense of the WBO Welterweight world championship he won from Pacquiao. Despite those two impressive victories however, Bradley still had to deal with the stigma of what was created by the outcome of his victory over Pacquiao.

This would lead to a rematch between Bradley and Pacquiao in April of last year. Bradley would suffer the first loss of his career losing the title back to Pacquiao via twelve round unanimous decision. Following that fight, this observer stated that it was my hope that the unjust blame Bradley received following the first fight would be quelled and put in the past. Despite the loss, Bradley was prior to his victory over Pacquiao and following the loss in the rematch one of the best fighters in the world.

Following a split decision draw with contender Diego Chaves in December of last year Bradley scored a convincing victory over top Jr. Welterweight contender Jessie Vargas earlier this year. The victory over Vargas earned Bradley interim championship status in the WBO’s Welterweight ratings.

The designation of interim status however, would not last long as unified champion Floyd Mayweather, who had won the WBO championship in a unification bout against Manny Pacquiao in May was stripped of the title by the organization for failing to comply with the WBO’s regulations, which state that boxers who hold WBO world championships cannot also hold world titles in separate weight classes simultaneously.

Readers may recall comments I made in July regarding the status of the WBO Welterweight world championship in stating that if Mayweather were to relinquish or be stripped of the title that Bradley would either as the number one contender be placed in a fight against the next highest available ranked contender to determine a new WBO champion or the more likely scenario of Bradley per having interim championship status simply being named world champion by the WBO, which is essentially what happened.

Bradley will look to begin his second reign as WBO Welterweight world champion when he defends his title against top contender Brandon Rios on Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV. This figures to be an intriguing battle between two offensive-minded fighters.

Rios will enter this fight coming off of a stoppage win over former Jr. Welterweight world champion Mike Alvarado in their third encounter in January of this year. Rios, who has previously held interim/regular championship status in the WBA’s Lightweight ratings in his career is a straight forward fighter who will likely be looking to apply pressure on Bradley from the outset. Rios is in all-action type fighter who does not take a backward step and will likely look to turn this fight into a brawl.

Bradley meanwhile is a fighter who can box as well as stand and go toe to toe with his opponents. Bradley will enter this fight with a new trainer in the form of the legendary Teddy Atlas. In thinking of how this fight might be fought, I had thoughts of Bradley’s fight with Ruslan Provodnikov. A battle that was voted Fight of the Year in 2013 by many media outlets including Ring Magazine as well as voted Fight of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

A grueling fight of give and take battle where both fighters simply left it all in the ring. Bradley was staggered numerous times throughout the twelve round bout, but showed the heart of a champion by continuing to fight on and fight harder, despite the brutal barrages from Provodnikov. A display of courage and will that this observer said was astounding.

Much like Provodnikov, Rios will be looking to bring the fight to Bradley and will be there for as long as the fight lasts. The question this observer has as this fight approaches however, is whether Bradley will elect to box. At his best, Timothy Bradley is an effective combination puncher who looks to wear an opponent down over the course of a fight.

Although Bradley has displayed a willingness to go toe to toe with his opposition on more than one occasion, this observer believes that Bradley will be best served to use his Boxing ability in this fight. Bradley will likely be advised by Teddy Atlas to use his movement to control distance and combination punching to out box Rios, who will likely look to cut the ring off and nullify Bradley’s movement. Whether or not this fight will indeed be a classic match-up of a boxer against a puncher remains to be seen.

There is no doubt however, that both Timothy Bradley and Brandon Rios are two of the best Welterweights in the world and no matter who wins this fight both are likely to remain players in a division that appears to be heading toward a period of transition following the recent retirement of Floyd Mayweather. We will see who emerges victorious on Saturday night.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Bradley vs. Rios takes place tomorrow night (Saturday, November 7th) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV. The fight will be televised in the United States by HBO Sports beginning at 9:30 P.M. ET/PT. In the United Kingdom and Ireland the fight will be televised on BoxNation beginning at 1:30 A.M. (Sunday, November 8th UK Time). Check Your Local Listings Internationally.

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Povetkin Stops Wach In 12

In a battle of former world title challengers longtime Heavyweight contender Alexander Povetkin scored a dominant twelfth round technical knockout of Mariusz Wach Wednesday night at the Basket Hall Arena in Kazan, Russia.  After having some difficulty early on dealing with the height and reach of the 6’ 7 Wach, Povetkin systematically picked his shots using lateral movement to execute his offense in spurts.

Although Wach was very “Game” in taking whatever Povetkin threw at him, he was unable to land anything significant to break Povetkin’s rhythm or his ability to land combinations. As the fight progressed the question in this observer’s mind was whether or not Wach would be able to go the distance. The accumulation of punishment gradually took its toll on Wach, who by the twelfth and final round was showing signs of fatigue as well as a bad cut under his left eye. It was the condition of the cut, which would ultimately cause Referee Jay Nady to stop the fight in round twelve on the advice of a ringside physician giving Povetkin a convincing victory.

Alexander Povetkin advances to 30-1, with 22 Knockouts. Mariusz Wach falls to 31-2, with 17 Knockouts.  The victory keeps Povetkin, who is currently rated number one in the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) Heavyweight ratings in line for a mandatory challenge of undefeated WBC world champion Deontay Wilder sometime in 2016.

  

Also on this card, in a battle to determine interim/regular champion status in the World Boxing Association’s Cruiserweight ratings Denis Lebedev scored an eighth round stoppage over previously undefeated former world title challenger Lateef Kayode. This fight had several close rounds early on as both fighters looked to execute their respective offense in spurts.  Lebedev however, was gradually able to land the cleaner more effective punches of the two and generally was able to get his punches off first. 

In round seven Lebedev was credited with a questionable knockdown that appeared to be more of a push. Lebedev however, would remove all questions regarding the knockdown in round seven by violently dropping Kayode twice more in round eight forcing  Referee Steve Smoger to stop the fight.

Denis Lebedev advances to 28-2, with 21 Knockouts. Lateef Kayode falls to 21-1, with 16 Knockouts.

It will be interesting to see what will happen for Lebedev in regard to his current standing in the WBA’s Cruiserweight ratings coming out of this fight.  Readers may recall the controversy this observer discussed regarding the announcement last week of the upcoming fight between former world champions Roy Jones and  Enzo Maccarinelli as being for the WBA Cruiserweight world championship. 

  

Although the WBA was quick to deny that it had sanctioned Jones-Maccarinelli as being for it’s Cruiserweight world championship, it will nevertheless be interesting to see whether or not Lebedev will be named full WBA champion seeing as the full championship is vacated or if he will now be placed in a fight to determine a new champion. For now, there are more questions than answers in regard to the WBA’s Cruiserweight ratings and it appears that it will take time to sort out.

In a battle for the International Boxing Organization (IBO) Cruiserweight world championship longtime contender Ola Afolabi scored a devastating fifth round knockout over IBO world champion Rakhim Chakhkiev. Chakhkiev was extremely aggressive throughout much of this fight putting seemingly everything he had into every punch he threw. For a period of time Chakhkiev was able to keep Afolabi on the defensive. Despite Chakhkiev throwing every punch with knockout intent, Afolabi was able to weather the storm without incurring much damage. 

Afolabi however, did suffer a bad cut over his left eye in round three as a result of an accidental clash of heads. As the fight progressed Afolabi was able to slow the pace of the fight down and have periods of effectiveness behind a consistent jab.  In the fifth round the fight would come to a dramatic conclusion.  Afolabi was able to drop Chakhkiev with what appeared to be a right hand, but it was ruled a slip by Referee Grezgorz Molenda. Moments later however, Afolabi would knock Chakhkiev out cold with a brutal right/left combination to the head. 

Ola Afolabi advances to 22-4, with 11 Knockouts. Rakhim Chakhkiev falls to 24-2, with 18 Knockouts.

Also in the Cruiserweight division, in what could best be described as a “Shootout”, Olanrewaju Durodola scored a thrilling second round knockout over previously undefeated Dmitry Kudryashov. Both fighters came out swinging from the opening bell and Kudryashov was able to stagger Olanrewaju along the ropes. Olanrewaju however, would turn the tables on Kudryashov in the second round when he was able to land a flush right hand that staggered Kudryashov.  This would set off a barrage of brutal punches that had Kudryashov out on his feet against the ropes forcing Referee Jay Nady to stop the fight.

 Although there were no official knockdowns in this fight, Jay Nady should be applauded for stepping in when he did to prevent Kudryashov from suffering further punishment as he was clearly unable to defend himself and may have been at risk of being seriously injured had the bout continued. The fight, which was for the WBC Silver Cruiserweight title essentially moves Durodola into a mandatory position to challenge current WBC world champion Grigory Drozd. 

 

Olanrewaju Durodola advances to 22-2, with 20 Knockouts. Dmitry Kudryashov falls to 18-1, with 18 Knockouts.

In the Welterweight division undefeated prospect Vishkan Murzabekov scored a third round knockout over Solomon Bogere.  Murzabkov dropped Bogere with a right hand late in round two. Bogere was barely able to beat the count, but Murzabekov would not let him off the hook, scoring three more knockdowns in round three. Bogere suffered a brutal left hook to the head as he was dropped for the fourth and final time before the fight was finally stopped. 

Vishkan Murzabekov advances to 12-0, with 6 Knockouts.  Solomon Bogere falls to 13-3, with 10 Knockouts.

In a unification bout of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and IBO Jr. Welterweight world championships and a battle of undefeated world champions IBO world champion Eduard Troyanovsky scored a sixth round technical knockout over IBF world champion Cesar Cuenca. In a fight that was fought at a tactical pace Troyanovsky was able to get the better of most of the exchanges and won virtually every round based on his being the more active of the two fighters. Troyanovsky also was able to open a cut over Cuenca’s left eye in round five.  In round six the fight was brought to an “Inconclusive” ending as after both fighters went down to the canvas as a result of being tangled in the ropes Cuenca mysteriously quit. Cuenca’s corner was irate at the stoppage and attempted to raise the hand of Referee David Fields.

Eduard Troyanovsky advances to 23-0, with 20 Knockouts.  Cesar Cuenca falls to 48-1, with 2 Knockouts. 

Despite the strange ending of this fight, Eduard Troyanovsky has established himself as the only unified world champion currently in the Jr. Welterweight division and it will be interesting to see what opportunities may be in store for him in the division going forward.  For Cesar Cuenca, there are more questions than answers coming out of this fight and one has to wonder whether there will be any disciplinary action taken by the IBO, IBF, or the Russian Boxing Federation for the actions of Cuenca’s corner following the stoppage.

In the Light-Heavyweight division undefeated prospect Dmitry Bivol scored a fourth round knockout over Jackson Junior. A counter right hand from Bivol ended the fight in round four. Although Junior was able to beat the count he was unable to respond to Referee Pint Prayadsab’s questions of whether he wanted to continue resulting in the fight being stopped.

Dmitry Bivol advances to 5-0, with 5 Knockouts. Jackson Junior falls to 19-5, with 17 Knockouts.

This card provided a little bit of everything. Action, Entertainment, Excitement, and Knockouts.  It is rare especially on a card that features a mix of world championship fights as well as bouts featuring top contenders to see every single bout on a card end with a knockout. This card was a rare exception and should provide a couple of interesting storylines particularly in the Cruiserweight division that was a major focal point of this card.  It will be interesting to see if Denis Lebedev, Olanrewaju Durodola, and Ola Afolabi find themselves as potential opponents for each other in the future.

As for Alexander Povetkin, although some may be critical of him for having trouble getting the stoppage over Mariusz Wach he was impressive in the sense of dominating an opponent who had only previously lost to unified IBF/WBO/WBA/IBO Heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko in his career. As devastating as Klitschko has been throughout his career in knocking out nearly 80% of his opponents, Klitschko was unable to stop Wach within the distance so Povetkin succeeded in becoming the only fighter thus far to stop a very “Game” Mariusz Wach.

In terms of his pending mandatory challenge of WBC world champion Deontay Wilder, it will be interesting to see exactly when that will take place. The WBC has approved an elective defense for Wilder to take place in January 2016. As of this writing Wilder’s opponent for what will be his third title defense remains unknown.

The seven-bout card headlined by Povetkin-Wach however, should ultimately be viewed as an entertaining night of Boxing where fans got their money’s worth and got more than their share of knockouts. There is not much more a Boxing fan can ask for.

“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

 

Brief Update:

We would like to let our readers know that new material will be released tomorrow (Wednesday, November 4th.) 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

Thoughts on Jones-Maccarinelli

There is no doubt that Roy Jones is a future Hall of Famer. After winning world championships in the Middleweight, Super-Middleweight, Light-Heavyweight, and Heavyweight divisions Jones’ legacy as a great fighter is more than secure. Although Jones has suffered some setbacks in his career over the last decade, he has continued to fight on primarily fighting in the Cruiserweight division.

One of the more interesting storylines in the Cruiserweight division in recent times has been the momentum that Jones has gradually been building since suffering a knockout loss at the hands of Denis Lebedev in May 2011. Since suffering that setback, Jones has been regularly active facing opponents that range from journeyman to fringe contenders winning eight straight fights and earning the World Boxing Union (WBU) Cruiserweight world championship along the way.

As Jones has continued to build momentum a question that some might ask is when will he face a fighter that most would consider a top contender. It was announced earlier this week that Jones, who recently became a Russian citizen will return to the ring on December 12th in Moscow against former WBO Cruiserweight world champion Enzo Maccarinelli.

What was however, perhaps more interesting was the announcement that the fight would be for the vacant WBA “Super” Cruiserweight world championship. For those who may not be familiar with the designation of a “Super” champion in the World Boxing Association (WBA), it is usually reserved for fighters who hold more than one world championship in the same weight class.

In cases where there is a fighter with “Super” status that fighter is considered the official WBA world champion while one or two other fighters may hold interim/regular champion status in the same division. Although this observer has gone on record in the past saying that such a structure although well intended creates confusion primarily among fans, such a procedure has ensured that top contenders who hold interim/regular champion status do get the opportunity to fight for the WBA world championship, even though fighters who hold such status may have to wait a significant period of time before getting that opportunity.

What made the announcement of Jones-Maccarinelli being for a WBA world championship interesting however, is that the championship that Jones currently holds is not regarded by some as being a legitimate world championship and that Denis Lebedev, who currently holds interim/regular champion status was not involved in a fight to determine a new world champion in the WBA’s Cruiserweight division. Although some may have been questioning the decision of the WBA to sanction this fight as being for its world championship, this observer was not as critical.

After all, Roy Jones does hold a world title. All sanctioning organizations at one time or another have struggled for recognition among fans and media as being legitimate, but were able to gain recognition over time. A fighter of Jones’ stature in the sport can certainly bring exposure to the WBU if Jones were able to successfully unify his championship.

The WBA however, denied shortly following the announcement of the fight between Jones and Maccarinelli that it had sanctioned the bout as being for the WBA championship. Whether or not the fight will indeed be for a WBA championship remains to be seen. 

Although there is some confusion as to what will actually be at stake in this fight, perhaps the most interesting announcement of all came from the forty-six year old Jones who has stated that this fight will be his last. Whether or not the fight will indeed be Jones last also remains to be seen, but Jones has nevertheless generated interest as he has continued his resurgence and it is inspiring that a fighter who has been counted out after some setbacks by some has continued his career and has found success in winning eight straight fights.

In regard to the fight itself much like Jones, Enzo Maccarinelli has suffered some setbacks over the course of his career, but did make three successful defenses of the WBO Cruiserweight world championship before losing the title in a unification bout against David Haye in March 2008. Following the loss to Haye, Maccarinelli went on to win the European Cruiserweight championship as well as the British and Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight titles.

The thirty-five year old Maccarinelli will enter the fight with Jones having won his last two fights, most recently against Jiri Svacina earlier this month. Although one could make an argument that Maccarinelli is not the kind of opponent that most would consider a top contender at this stage of his career, the fight between him and Jones is nevertheless an interesting battle between two fighters who one might argue are at similar stages of their careers.

Although as of this moment there are more questions than answers in regard to whether or not a WBA world championship will be at stake when these two meet in December, if this will indeed be the last time Roy Jones enters the ring as a fighter it will be a historical moment. One should remember despite suffering setbacks over the last decade, Roy Jones was one of the most dominant fighters of his era in the 1990s and early 2000’s. Regardless of those setbacks or what happens when he faces Maccarinelli, Roy Jones will go down in history as a great fighter. If this will be Jones’ last fight the question will be whether he will be able to end his career with a victory.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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