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  

A Chance For Vindication: Vera To Face Chavez In Rematch March 1

The spotlight has shined on the sport of Boxing’s best moments, but it has more often than not also shined on the element of controversial scoring. A subject that many feel has been a determent to the sport.  2013 was not without it’s share of controversy.

Of course many will remember the scorecard of C.J. Ross in the Floyd Mayweather-Saul Alvarez fight last September. A fight that set pay-per-view records and was a real shot in the arm for the sport may well be remembered more for Ross’ judging of the fight, scoring the fight a draw then for the excitement that the event produced for the sport.  As has been a consistent topic of conversation throughout all of Boxing when a controversial scorecard is rendered, Boxing fans, Journalists, Trainers, and Fighters all had an opinion about the fight and the controversial scorecard that made the bout a majority decision win for Floyd Mayweather and not the unanimous decision that many, this observer included believe he deserved. 

A mere two weeks after the somewhat controversial decision rendered in the Mayweather-Alvarez fight a catch weight bout took place at 173lbs. between former WBC Middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and, WBO number one Middleweight contender Bryan Vera at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. A fight that in many ways proved to be even more controversial.

There were some questions that faced the former WBC champion Chavez who was fighting for the first time since losing his world title to Sergio Martinez in 2012 in what was the first loss of his career.  There is little disputing that although Chavez nearly pulled off a come from behind victory in knocking Martinez down in the final round and having his opponent badly hurt that for ten rounds of that fight, Martinez was dominant and gave Chavez a Boxing lesson in the eyes of many. 

Chavez was not able to apply consistent pressure in that fight and due in large part to Martinez’ lateral movement and quick combinations was not able to build enough momentum to win most of the rounds. Although Chavez was able to rally in the late rounds, consensus was that the fight was lopsided in favor of Martinez.

Leading up to his fight with Bryan Vera, along with the obvious question of whether Chavez would try to start more quickly with his offense, which he did not do against Martinez and be able to apply pressure from the outset, there were also questions that arose in regard to his conditioning as he was unable to make the previously agreed upon weight limit of 168lbs. the Super-Middleweight limit.  Despite the question in regard to Chavez’ weight problems leading up to the fight, he was still considered the betting favorite.  For Bryan Vera he has made a career of beating the odds, so the prospects of going into the fight being viewed as an underdog was not a position that Vera was unfamiliar.

Vera, who entered the fight with Chavez having won four straight fights had earned a reputation as a spoiler having scored two decision victories over former WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Sergio Mora and stopping highly regarded Middleweight contender Andy Lee in his career. Although Vera was clearly not a fighter to be taken lightly, some assumed that this was a fight for Chavez to get back in the win column and to possibly position himself for a potential rematch with Martinez or a potential championship fight against one of the world champions in the Super-Middleweight division.  If Chavez was looking past Vera, it could have proved to be quite foolish. To many Chavez clearly lost this fight.

When the two fighters entered the ring, it was Vera’s higher offensive output and combination punching that dictated the action in my eyes in a fight that I unofficially scored 97-93 for Vera. Chavez looked sluggish for much of the fight and was not active enough as was the case against Sergio Martinez. A statistical breakdown of Vera’s greater output over Chavez was illustrated by CompuBox as Vera out landed Chavez by fifty-one punches landing 176 to Chavez’ 125, but out throwing Chavez by over four hundred punches throwing  734 total punches to Chavez’ 328. 

 

Despite Vera’s greater activity, Chavez did land the harder punches of the two when he was able to let his hands go, but just was not consistent enough in my opinion. Although consensus was that Vera had once again pulled off an upset, one might argue the biggest of his career, the judges scored a unanimous decision in favor of Chavez.  Even though I did not agree with the three judges, Gwen Adair, Carla Caiz, and Marty Denkin it was understandable to an extent to see how a judge could score in favor of Chavez, who did land the more punishing punches of the two fighters. 

The controversy at least in this observer’s eyes lies in the margin in which Chavez was deemed the victor, particularly on the scorecard of Judge Gwen Adair who had Chavez ahead 98-92 or eight rounds to two.  As was the case following the Mayweather-Alvarez clash, the decision was met with outrage and disgust by Boxing fans and experts alike. 

 

Coming away from the fight the question that ran through my mind was not necessarily if a rematch between the two would take place, but rather when and at what weight limit?  A question that was answered as it was announced earlier this week that Chavez and Vera will square off again on March 1^st at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas in a twelve round Super-Middleweight bout.

Although I look forward to providing further analysis on how this fight will shape up in the coming weeks, for the moment I will say that the best way to attempt to bring closure to a controversial decision is for a rematch to take place.  Fortunately for Boxing fans and for the fighters themselves the rematch will happen sooner rather than later while the first encounter is still fresh in the minds of those who saw this fight and not further down the line. For those who feel that Bryan Vera was the victim of injustice courtesy of questionable scoring, this rematch offers Vera a chance at vindication and should he be successful a potential title shot in either the 160lb Middleweight or 168lb. Super-Middleweight divisions.

For Chavez one might argue that this rematch could represent a crossroads scenario for a fighter who has faced much criticism in recent times both in regard to his problems with weight, but also some questioning his overall commitment to the sport. After two less than stellar performances in his last two fights, one has to wonder what a loss to Vera in the rematch would mean for the long-term future of Chavez. 

“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 

Decorated Cincinnati Amateur signs management deal

Press Release: January 13, 2014  By Majestic Raven Entertainment - 5- Time Silver Glove and 4-Time

Artimus Sartor
Photo Credit: Majestic Raven Entertainment

Golden Glove champion, Artrimus Sartor has signed an exclusive management deal with Houston, Texas based Rafael Ochoa of O.Z. Productions.  The Cincinnati born amateur currently training in Houston, Texas feels very excited about the agreement and his upcoming professional debut; "Me and Ralph go back a ways and I trust him to go out there and look out for my interest. I feel comfortable working with the direction we are going." said Sartor.

Sartor who is schedule to make his pro debut this spring feels that he is more than ready. "I think I have proven that I am ready for the big stage.  My skill has done nothing but grown with me sparring some of the best fighters at Savannah's Gym, and holding my own against some of the best pro fighters that train there."

Rafael Ochoa of O.Z. Productions stated that he looks forward to building Sartor career. "Trim (Artrimus) looks great in the ring sparring and is doing quite well with training camp in preparation for his debut real soon.  From what we are seeing we are all very excited. We hope to have him very busy in 2014."

For more information about Majestic Raven Entertainment please visit:www.majesticraven.com

Material Courtesy of: Majestic Raven Entertainment Used with permission.

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