ShoBox 11/14/2015 Results

In a battle of undefeated Jr. Middleweight prospects Jarrett Hurd scored an impressive sixth round TKO over Frank Galarza on Saturday night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. The elusiveness of Hurd along with a consistent jab carried the ebb and flow of the fight in the early rounds. Galarza attempted to put pressure on Hurd, but did not throw his jab as he came forward. This allowed Hurd to dictate how the fight was being fought and to counter punch effectively.

Although Galarza was able to occasionally get Hurd on the ropes, he generally was unable to get his punches off first and neglected head movement as he came forward. This allowed Hurd to get the better of most of the exchanges between the two.

As the fight progressed Hurd became more confident and in round four he was able to knock Galarza down with a right uppercut. Galarza was able to get up, but was clearly bothered by the knockdown, the first of his career.

Galarza simply did not have an answer to deal with Hurd’s hand speed, defense, and lateral movement. In round six an uppercut by Hurd set off a combination that staggered Galarza and forced Referee Russell Mora to step in and stop the fight. Official time of the stoppage was :59 of round six.

Jarrett Hurd advances to 17-0, with 11 Knockouts. Frank Galarza falls to 17-1-2, with 11 Knockouts.

Also on this card, in the Super-Middleweight division undefeated prospect Sergiy Derevyanchenko scored a third round TKO over veteran contender Jessie Nicklow. Derevyanchenko’s technique as well as a well-balanced attack to the body and head broke down Nicklow over the course of three rounds. A barrage of punches brought an end to the bout late in the third round. Official time of the stoppage was 2:18 of round three.

Sergiy Derevyanchenko advances to 7-0, with 5 Knockouts. Jessie Nicklow falls to 35-8-3, with 8 Knockouts.

In the Light-Heavyweight division undefeated prospect David Benavidez scored a first round knockout over veteran Felipe Romero. A left hand from Benavidez stunned Romero early in the round and set off a barrage that sent Romero down to the canvas. Benavidez would drop Romero two more times with a follow-up barrage before the fight was stopped. Official time of the stoppage was 2:00 of round one.

David Benavidez advances to 11-0, with 10 Knockouts. Felipe Romero falls to 19-10-1, with 13 Knockouts.

In other bouts:

Former WBC Heavyweight world champion Bermane Stiverne in his first bout since losing his world championship earlier this year to Deontay Wilder was able to overcome being dropped by a right hand in the first round in his bout against longtime contender Derric Rossy to earn a lopsided ten round unanimous decision. Official scores were 95-94, and 96-93 (on two scorecards) in favor of Stiverne.

Bermane Stiverne advances to 25-2-1, with 21 Knockouts. Derric Rossy falls to 30-11, with 14 Knockouts.

Welterweights Charvis Holifield (4-1-1, with 3 Knockouts) and Dwain Victorian (5-3-1, with 3 Knockouts) fought to a six round majority draw. Official scores were 58-56, and 57-57 (on two scorecards) resulting in the draw.

Also in the Welterweight division Sanjarbek Rakhmanov (3-0, with 2 Knockouts) scored a second round TKO over previously undefeated Somner Martin (4-1, with 2 Knockouts). Official time of the stoppage was 2:08 of round two.

In the Jr. Welterweight division Trakwon Pettis (2-0, with 1 Knockout) scored a four round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Marquis Hawthorne (1-1, 0 Knockouts). Official scores were 40-36 (on all three scorecards) in favor of Pettis. 

 

This edition of ShoBox presented three fighters who are all prospects and could be approaching contender status as 2016 approaches. In the case of Jarrett Hurd, who was making his national television debut on the popular Showtime Sports series, it will be interesting to see if he is matched up against a top fifteen contender in his next fight. Based on his performance against Frank Galarza this observer believes it may be time for him to test the waters in his eighteenth professional fight.

In regard to Sergiy Derevyanchenko, he is currently rated number nine in the world by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) in the Middleweight division, despite only having seven official professional fights after previously competing in the sub-professional league known as the World Series Of Boxing, in which amateurs compete in bouts under a professional format, but are allowed to maintain Olympic eligibility. Currently bouts fought under the World Series Of Boxing banner are not recognized as official professional fights.

Although Deryvyanchenko has only had seven professional fights, his overall skill is that of a seasoned fighter and this observer believes he should be given an opportunity to show what he can do against a top contender. Deryvyanchenko has the kind of technique and systematic approach in the way he sets up his offense that could be a potential problem for fighters who are considered top contenders.

As for David Benavidez, it is difficult to say where he stands right now as a rising prospect in the talent deep Light-Heavyweight division. Although Benavidez in comparison has had four more professional fights than Sergiy Derevyanchenko, it is important to remember that Derevyanchenko gained considerably more seasoning while he was competing in the World Series Of Boxing than his record suggests.

Benavidez clearly outclassed an over matched opponent in Felipe Romero and it may be a question of how quickly Benavidez’ handlers want to move him along and test him against a fighter who is considered a top twenty to top fifteen contender. Benavidez has shown in scoring knockouts in ten of his first eleven fights that much like Jarrett Hurd, he may be ready to test the waters.

For former WBC Heavyweight world champion Bermane Stiverne, he was able to bounce back from losing his world championship and scored a convincing unanimous decision. Although Showtime Sports curiously chose not to include Stiverne’s return to the ring as part of its ShoBox telecast, it was announced that WBC world champion Deontay Wilder will make the third defense of his world title on January 16th in Brooklyn, NY in the main event of a Showtime Sports broadcast.

Although no opponent has been announced for Wilder’s next fight as of this writing, it may be a possibility that Stiverne could be in line for a rematch. Stiverne was after all the only fighter to date to go the distance with Wilder in the champion’s thirty-five professional fights.

Whether or not Stiverne will get a rematch against Wilder remains to be seen. It is not uncommon however, for a former champion to receive a rematch against the fighter who was able to take the title away from that champion. If Wilder-Stiverne II does take place in January, Stiverne will become the first fighter to receive a rematch against a knockout artist in Wilder, who outside of his world championship winning bout against Stiverne has continued to knockout his opposition. 

A rematch between the two would generate interest and have the classic storyline of repeat or revenge. It is a fight that this observer believes should be considered.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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Premier Boxing Champions 11/13/2015 Results

Former Super-Middleweight world title challenger Edwin Rodriguez scored a thrilling comeback third round knockout over previously unbeaten Light-Heavyweight prospect Michael Seals on Friday night at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, MS.  Rodriguez came out swinging from the outset and immediately put pressure on Seals.

The aggressive approach by Rodriguez appeared to be showing signs of success early in the first round as a barrage of punches sent Seals down to the canvas.  Seals would respond however, by scoring his own knockdown moments later as Rodriguez attempted to continue his assault, dropping Rodriguez with a counter straight right hand. 

 

Rodriguez appeared staggered, but was able to get up from the canvas. Seals would score a second knockdown of Rodriguez with a flush right hand in the closing seconds of the round. Although Rodriguez was considerably more hurt than he was following the first knockdown, he was able to survive the round and the fight continued.

Rodriguez would respond by scoring his second knockdown of Seals late in the second round with a right hand. Seals showed his mettle by getting up and survived the round. In round three Rodriguez would bring the fight to a sudden conclusion landing a flush overhand right that staggered Seals, nearly sending him through the ropes before going down to the canvas.  This time Seals was unable to beat the count. Official time of the stoppage was :24 of round three.

Edwin Rodriguez advances to 28-1, with 19 Knockouts. Michael Seals falls to 19-1, with 14 Knockouts.

Also on this card, in the Light-Heavyweight division rising prospect Thomas Williams Jr. scored a second round TKO over veteran Humberto Savigne.  Williams scored a flash knockdown of Savigne with a right hand in round one. Savigne quickly got up from the knockdown and did not appear hurt.

Savigne would score his own knockdown with a right hand of his own later in the round. Much like Savigne, Williams did not appear hurt and was able to get up off the canvas. In the second round Williams would score his second knockdown of Savigne with a combination to the head. Savigne was able to get up quickly, but moments later Williams was able to get a stoppage with a barrage of punches as Savigne was against the ropes. Official time of the stoppage was 1:48 of round two.

Thomas Williams Jr. advances to 19-1, with 13 Knockouts.  Humberto Savigne falls to 12-3, with 9 Knockouts.

In the Welterweight division undefeated knockout artist Bryant Perrella scored a first round knockout over Chaquib Fadli.  Perrella scored a knockdown of Fadli with a combination to the body. Although Fadli did not go down, it was ruled a knockdown due to the ropes holding him up. Perrela closed the show dropping Fadli in his own corner seconds later with a follow up flurry forcing a stoppage of the fight.  Official time of the stoppage was 1:30 of round one.

Bryant Perrela advances to 12-0, with 11 Knockouts.  Chaquib Fadli falls to 13-6, with 7 Knockouts.

In the Middleweight division former world title challenger Fernando Guerrero scored a seventh round TKO over veteran Daniel Souza Santos. After a slow start in the first round, Guerrero took control of the fight in the second round and consistently dished out punishment to Santos. Guerrero was able to knock Santos down in round seven with an uppercut. Although the very “Game” Santos was able to beat the count, the bout was stopped by Referee Keith Hughes.  Official time of the stoppage was 1:45 of round seven.

Fernando Guerrero advances to 28-3, with 20 Knockouts. Daniel Souza Santos falls to 14-9, with 11 Knockouts.

In the Cruiserweight division undefeated prospect Radivoje Kalajdzic scored a first round knockout of veteran Fabio Garrido. Kalajdzic dropped Garrido with a right hand in the opening seconds of the fight. Garrido was able to beat the count on wobbly legs, but the bout was stopped by Referee Fred Steinwinder III just nineteen seconds into the fight.

Radivoje Kalajdzic advances to 21-0, with 14 Knockouts. Fabio Garrido falls to 28-5-1, with 23 Knockouts.

In other bouts:

Middleweight Alantez Fox (18-0-1, with 7 Knockouts) TKO4 over Todd Manuel (10-10-1, with 1 Knockout)  Fight stopped at the conclusion of round four.

Junior Welterweight Nicholas Givhan (16-0-1, with 10 Knockouts) scored a six round majority decision over Juan Santiago (15-15-2, with 9 Knockouts). Official scores: 58-57, 58-56, 57-57.

Also in the Junior Welterweight division, undefeated prospected Darwin Price (9-0, with 5 Knockouts) scored an eight round unanimous decision over Alvaro Ortiz (7-6-1, with 5 Knockouts). Official scores were 80-72 on all three scorecards in Price’s favor.

This edition of the Premier Boxing Champions series certainly provided much excitement with six of the eight scheduled bouts on this card ending in knockouts.  The card also just might have provided a Fight of the Year candidate as Edwin Rodriguez narrowly escaped a knockout loss in the first round against Michael Seals to knock out the previously undefeated prospect in round three in a thrilling encounter. 

Not to be outdone, Thomas Williams Jr. was also impressive in his stoppage of Humberto Savigne.  In a talent deep Light-Heavyweight division it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Rodriguez and Williams heading into 2016. 

It would not surprise this observer to see Rodriguez and Williams possibly pitted against each other in the near future. Rodriguez is currently rated in the top ten in both the WBC and IBF in the Light-Heavyweight division. It is not out of the realm of possibility that Williams, who is currently not rated in the top fifteen by either organization could view a potential fight with Rodriguez as an opportunity to catapult himself into contention for a possible word title opportunity. 

If Thomas Williams Jr. is not in the near future for Edwin Rodriguez, perhaps a rematch with Michael Seals could be viewed as a possibility.  After all, the premise of the Premier Boxing Champions series has been to provide entertaining competitive fights.

  The fight between Rodriguez and Seals had fans on the edge of their seats from the opening bell right until its conclusion. Whether or not the fight ends up in the discussion for Fight of the Year honors remains to be seen.  It was nevertheless a great fight for as long as it lasted and a rematch between the two would likely be welcomed by Boxing fans as well as the Premier Boxing Champions series. The fight is certainly deserving of an encore. 

“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

 

Premier Boxing Champions 11/13/2015 Weigh-in Results

The official weigh-in for tonight’s Premier Boxing Champions card headlined by a Light-Heavyweight bout between former world title challenger Edwin Rodriguez and undefeated prospect Michael Seals took place yesterday in Biloxi, MS.  The official weights for the card are as follows.

Main Event: Light-Heavyweight – 10Rds.

Edwin Rodriguez 175lbs.               vs.          Michael Seals 174lbs.

Light-Heavyweight – 10Rds.

Thomas Williams Jr. 174lbs.          vs.          Humberto Savigne 175lbs.

Welterweight – 10Rds.

Bryant Perrella 146lbs.                   vs.          Chaquib Fadli 145lbs.

Middleweight – 10Rds.

Fernando Guerrero 156lbs.         vs.          Daniel Souza Santos 156lbs.

Lightweight – 8Rds.

Darwin Price 139lbs.                        vs.          Alvaro Ortiz 138lbs.

Middleweight – 8Rds.

Alantez Fox 160lbs.                         vs.          Todd Manuel 160lbs.

Cruiserweight – 8Rds.

Radivoje Kalajdzic 183lbs.             vs.          Fabio Garrido 188lbs.

Jr. Welterweight – 6Rds.

Nicholas Givhan 141lbs.                 vs.          Juan Santiago 140lbs.

*As of this writing the Rodriguez-Seals and Williams-Savigne bouts are scheduled to be televised.

Premier Boxing Champions: Rodriguez vs. Seals takes place tonight (Friday, November 13th) at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, MS.  The card will be televised in the United States by Spike TV beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT. Check local listings for time and channel in your area.  For more information on Premier Boxing champions please visit: www.premierboxingchampions.com.

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

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

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.”

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

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

 

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.

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

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