Can Mora Remain In Line For A Title Shot?

The sport of Boxing can be and often is a sport of opportunities. Some fighters work their way up and are able to position themselves for a mandatory world title shot. There are also fighters however, who are given the chance to fight for a world title by way of a champion choosing to make an elective title defense.

In the case of former WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Sergio Mora the year 2015 was to begin with one such opportunity as he was slated to challenge current IBF Middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor on February 6th in Biloxi, Mississippi. Many Boxing fans remember Mora as being the season one winner of “The Contender” reality TV series in 2005. Mora would go on to score an upset when he dethroned two-division world champion Vernon Forrest for the WBC Jr. Middleweight world championship in June 2008. Mora’s reign as champion would come to an end three months later as he would lose the championship back to Forrest in their rematch in September 2008.

After losing the title back to Forrest, Mora would not return to the ring until April 2010 when he moved up in weight to the Middleweight division and scored a seventh round stoppage of Calvin Green. Since then, Mora has faced some difficulty in trying to emerge in the world title picture as a Middleweight. Following his win over Green, Mora earned what some feel was a controversial draw in his fight with multi-division world champion Shane Mosley in September 2010 and would come out on the losing end of two close decisions to Middleweight contender Brian Vera in February 2011 and August 2012.

Despite suffering those setbacks, Mora has fought on and has won his last four fights since his second fight with Vera in 2012. Most recently, Mora scored an eight round unanimous decision over Dashon Johnson in December of last year. On the momentum of a four fight winning streak in which he scored two knockouts in those four wins, Mora secured an opportunity to challenge two-time Middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor for Taylor’s IBF world championship. Unfortunately for Mora, his opportunity to become a two-division world champion will not take place on February 6th.

Taylor, who won the IBF championship in October of last year scoring a twelve round unanimous decision over Sam Soliman, has had legal troubles including an arrest on charges of domestic battery and aggravated assault in connection with the alleged shooting of his cousin Tyrone Hinton in August of last year prior to his fight with Soliman. To complicate matters further Taylor was arrested in January and charged with five counts of aggravated assault, three counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, and possession of marijuana in connection with an incident following a Martin Luther King Day parade in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas where Taylor allegedly discharged a firearm. Taylor pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on $50,000 bail. The arrest as well as a broken rib Taylor suffered while training for the fight with Mora subsequently resulted in the cancellation of the fight.

The legal troubles that Jermain Taylor is facing has put the status of the IBF Middleweight world championship in question and for the moment has taken an opportunity for a shot at the title away from Sergio Mora. Mora however, will still fight on Friday night when he faces Abraham Han at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Han, who will enter the fight with a record of 23-1, with 14 Knockouts is coming off a ten round majority decision win over Marcos Reyes in October of last year. A question that some might ask as this fight approaches is what effect if any will the cancellation of the bout with Taylor have on Mora, who will enter the fight with a record of 27-3-2, with 9 Knockouts.

Mora and Han, who are currently rated number fourteen and fifteen respectively in the International Boxing Federation’s (IBF) rankings will fight for the vacant United States Boxing Association (USBA) Middleweight title. Although what will become of the legal problems involving Jermain Taylor and the status of the IBF Middleweight world championship is unknown, I believe that the winner of this fight could well find himself in position for a potential title shot for the IBF title, if in the event the IBF strips Taylor of the title and chooses to order a fight for what would be the vacant championship.

Although fighters such as Billy Joe Saunders, David Lemieux, Peter Quillin, and Felix Sturm are all currently rated higher in the IBF’s Middleweight ratings than Mora and Han, it is important to remember that up until a couple of weeks ago Sergio Mora was going to challenge for the IBF title. One could assume based on this that the winner of the fight between Mora and Han will likely be in line for a title shot and could very well find himself in position to go against current IBF number one contender Hassan N’Dam if the IBF title does become vacated.

What will become of the IBF Middleweight championship picture remains to be seen. The outcome of this fight however, may open possibilities for interesting fights down the road in what is one of the sport’s most competitive divisions. We will see what happens on Friday night.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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Broadway Boxing 1/29/2015 Recap

The latest installment of Lou DiBella’s popular Broadway Boxing series provided a little of everything for Boxing fans on Thursday night at the B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in New York City, NY.  The ten bout card was headlined by rising Jr. Featherweight prospect Rafael Vazquez who scored a fourth round stoppage of a “Game”, but over matched Joseph Rios.  

After a relatively uneventful opening round, Vazquez dropped Rios with a left hook in round two. Rios showed his mettle by getting up though he appeared hurt. Vazquez scored a second knockdown of Rios before the end of the round with another left hook.  Rios survived the round, but was unable to keep Vazquez off of him as Vazquez continued to dish out punishment in round three and seemed to hurt Rios with every punch he was able to land.  Vazquez dropped Rios for a third time in round four with a right hand. Although Rios was able to get up and survived the round, the fight was stopped at the conclusion of the fourth round by a ringside physician.  

Rafael Vazquez advances to 13-1, with 11 Knockouts.  Joseph Rios falls to 13-12-2, with 4 Knockouts. For the thirty-seven year old Vazquez who is currently rated number six in the world in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Jr. Featherweight ratings, this fight likely served the purpose of being able stay busy while awaiting a fight against someone in the top ten.  What impressed me about Vazquez’ performance was how well he placed his punches and although it was clear that Rios was hurt and in survival mode after the second round, Vazquez was not reckless and was able to score the victory.  Even though some might say this fight was a mismatch, Rios showed heart and deserves credit for being able to hang in there against a fighter who is heading towards world title contention, in my opinion.

In a Featherweight bout rising undefeated prospect Luis Rosa scored a first round knockout over Noel Echevarria.  Rosa scored on Echevarria with a barrage of punches to the body that sent Echevarria down on one knee. Another barrage of punches highlighted by a left hook followed by a flush right hand dropped Echeverria later in the round and the fight was immediately stopped.  Official time of the stoppage was 2:32 of round one.  Luis Rosa advances to 18-0, with 8 Knockouts. Noel Echevarria falls to 11-5, with 6 Knockouts.  Rosa simply did not allow Echevarria much room to breathe in this fight and quickly scored the knockout.  

In one of the most competitive fights of the evening undefeated Super-Middleweight Steed Woodall fought to a six round majority draw with Jas Phipps. This was a contest where there are likely varying opinions of who won the bout. A tactical battle where both fighters had periods of effectiveness.  Although Woodall was the more active fighter of the two, it was Phipps’ counter punching and ability to make the most of what he threw when he let his hand go that made this a close fight.  Phipps’ ability to counter Woodall did at times seem to make Woodall hesitant to let his hands go.  

Unofficially I scored this fight 58-56 for Phipps based on how well he was able to time his counter punches, make Woodall miss, and how he seemed to land the cleaner more effective punches of the two.  This was however, a fight where there were several “Swing” rounds that could have gone either way.  Official scores were 58-56 (Phipps) and 57-57 on two scorecards resulting in a majority draw.  

Steed Woodall advances to 6-0-1, with 4 Knockouts. Jas Phipps advances to 5-5-2, with 2 Knockouts.  I would like to see a rematch between these two fighters, perhaps on a future Broadway Boxing card.  It was one of the best fights on this card and I believe a rematch could benefit both fighters at this stage of their respective careers.

In a Cruiserweight bout undefeated prospect Travis Peterkin scored a first round stoppage of Julio Garcia. Garcia retired on his stool at the conclusion of the first round. Although it appeared confusing as there were no knockdowns in the round and neither fighter seemed hurt during the round, the official reason for the stoppage was that a ringside physician stopped the fight.  Travis Peterkin advances to 14-0, with 6 Knockouts.  Julio Garcia falls to 6-8, with 3 Knockouts.

In a Light-Heavyweight bout undefeated prospect Lennox Allen scored a second round knockout over Kojo Issah.  Allen brought an end to the fight with a three punch right hand combination to Issah’s body that sent Issah down to the canvas. Official time of the stoppage was :51 of round two.  Lennox Allen advances to 18-0-1, with 11 Knockouts.  Kojo Issah falls to 14-2-1, with 7 Knockouts. 

In a Lightweight bout Wesley Ferrer scored his seventh victory as a professional in as many fights as he scored a one-sided six round unanimous decision over Helario Medina.  Ferrer had his way from the opening bell and dominated the action with his combination punching. Unofficially I scored this fight the same as the three official judges 60-54 for Ferrer.  Wesley Ferrer advances to 7-0, with 4 Knockouts. Helario Medina falls to 2-5, with 0 Knockouts.

In a Middleweight bout Ivan Golub remained undefeated scoring his fifth victory in as many fights as he stopped Rashawn McCain in the first round.  A left hook from Golub dropped McCain in the closing seconds of the round and the fight was stopped immediately.  Official time of the stoppage was 2:58 of round one. Ivan Golub advances to 5-0, with 4 Knockouts.  Rashawn McCain falls to 2-3, with 0 Knockouts. 

 

Also in the Middleweight division Chris Galeano scored six round unanimous decision over Alexander Mancera.  This fight tied with the Woodall-Phipps bout, in my opinion as the most competitive bout of the evening.   Mancera was able to give Galeano trouble periodically with his elusiveness and ability to counter punch.    Much like the Woodall-Phipps bout, this bout was a question of one fighter’s greater activity versus another fighter’s ability to be effective and make the most out of what he threw.  Both fighters sustained cuts over the course of the fight and there were several close rounds in this observer’s eyes.  Unofficially, I scored this fight 58-56 for Alexander Mancera based on his aggressiveness, ability  to be an elusive target, ring generalship, and counter punching. This however, differed with the official judges who scored this fight 59-55, on two scorecards and 58-56 all for Chris Galeano.  

Although I felt Mancera was able to execute his offense a little better than Galeano, Galeano seemed to have an edge in the power of his punches and it is understandable how this fight could be scored in his favor based on his ability to land the harder punches.  Chris Galeano advances to 6-0, with 0 Knockouts. Alexander Mancera falls to 8-6-1, with 5 Knockouts.

In contrast to the the Woodall-Phipps bout, where I felt Jas Phipps was the more effective fighter, despite not being the more active of the two, I felt differently in regard to the Chris Galeano-Alexander Mancera bout where I felt Mancera’s aggression and overall ring generalship were enough to win him the decision over Galeano, who landed the more effective punches of the two.   It is a good example of how opinions can differ significantly in regard to close fights that some may feel were similar in how they were fought.  

Either way, much as is the case with regard to the Steed Woodall-Jas Phipps fight, I would like to see a rematch between Chris Galeano and Alexander Mancera.  Both fights were very competitive and I feel rematches of these two fights are warranted.  

In a Jr. Welterweight bout Ivan Baranchyk scored a first round knockout over Ian James. Baranchyk battered James’ body from the outset before a left hook to the head ended the night for James. Official time of the stoppage was 1:55 of round one.  Ivan Baranchyk advances to 4-0, with 3 Knockouts.  Ian James falls to 3-11, 1, with 1 Knockout.

In the Jr. Middleweight division Shawn Cameron scored his eighth victory in as many fights as a professional as he scored a six round unanimous decision over Daniel Calzada.  Both fighters had periods of effectiveness throughout the fight, but it was Cameron’s well-balanced attack to the head and body of Calzada as well as landing the cleaner punches of the two that earned him the decision in what was a competitive fight.  Unofficially I scored this fight the same as the three official judges 58-56 for Cameron.

All and all, this card produced a healthy mix of knockouts, competitive fights, and a look at fighters who range from developing into prospects to knocking on the door of world title contention. This card also produced a couple of fights that could see a rematch down the line.  Lou DiBella’s Broadway Boxing series continues to give Boxing fans a look at fighters who could very well develop into future stars of the sport. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

This card was promoted by Lou DiBella’s DiBella Entertainment and broadcast worldwide by GFL Combat Sports. www.GFL.TV 

 

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Rios Has Reaffirmed His Status As A Player In The Welterweight Division

One of the most interesting topics in the sport of Boxing is whenever a discussion takes place concerning some of the greatest series of fights that have taken place in the sport. What sometimes is not talked about often is the physical toll that a series of fights can have on fighters.

A question that I had prior to the much-anticipated third meeting between Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado was how much did either fighter have left? After all, both Rios and Alvarado have crowd pleasing styles and have always given their best whenever they enter the ring. Two fighters who are more than willing to go toe to toe.

The first two encounters between Rios and Alvarado provided much action and left both Boxing fans and experts alike wanting more. Rios scoring a come from behind stoppage of Alvarado in their first meeting in 2012, which some feel was a controversial stoppage. Alvarado would get the nod in the second battle in 2013 winning a close twelve round unanimous decision in a fight that much like the first was full of fireworks.

After their second encounter, there would not be an immediate third battle to close the chapter of Rios versus Alvarado. Instead, both fighters would face other opposition before turning their attention toward each other. Alvarado, who won interim status in the WBO’s Jr. Welterweight ratings with his victory over Rios in the second fight would be elevated to the status of champion.

 Alvarado’s reign however, would not be long as he would lose the WBO Jr. Welterweight world championship in his first title defense against top contender Ruslan Provodnikov in ten rounds in October 2013. Alvarado would suffer another setback when he lost a twelve round unanimous decision to former multi-division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez in May of last year.

Rios meanwhile would move up in weight to the Welterweight division and gave a “Game” effort in losing a hard fought twelve round unanimous decision to Manny Pacquiao in November 2013. After the loss to Pacquiao, Rios remained in the Welterweight division and earned a disqualification victory over top contender Diego Chaves in August of last year in what was a foul filled contest.

This would lead to Rios and Alvarado renewing their rivalry when they met to complete their trilogy on January 24th at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. Unlike the first two encounters between the two however, there would be no drama. Rios battered Alvarado for three rounds, scoring a knockdown of his opponent in round three before the fight was stopped after the third round.

Although the rubber match between Rios and Alvarado simply did not live up to the anticipation that preceded it, Rios’ performance in the fight was very impressive and has reaffirmed his status as a player in the 147lb. Welterweight division. From the opening bell Rios implemented an almost relentless attack to the body and head of Alvarado and simply did not allow Alvarado any time to slow the pace as Rios out landed Alvarado 120/290 to Alvarado’s 20/87 total punches thrown.

Despite the fact that the third fight between these two men did not last as long as their previous two encounters, Rios’ performance should keep him in the discussion of potential lucrative bouts in the Welterweight division. As far as what may be in store for Rios in terms of the immediate future, with much of the division waiting to see whether or not the much-anticipated potential clash between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the Welterweight division’s two most prominent figures will finally take place, it leaves a question mark on what may happen in regard to the rest of the division whether Mayweather-Pacquiao takes place or not.

In this observer’s opinion, I believe that potential fights between Rios and the likes of Timothy Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Sadam Ali, and Marcos Maidana could all be interesting options and would likely be welcomed by Boxing fans. If Rios faces either of these men in the near future a victory over either would likely catapult him into a potential shot at a Welterweight world championship.

Although Brandon Rios has been through his share of wars in his thirty-six fight professional career, at twenty-eight years of age it is clear that he is not done competing at the elite level of the sport and Rios has more fight left in him. There may be some however, who are likely wondering whether or not the same can be said for Mike Alvarado.

It is certainly difficult to argue against the opinion that coming out of this trilogy it appears that Mike Alvarado is the one who has had more taken out of him than has Rios. At thirty-four years of age and having lost four of his last five bouts one may indeed question whether or not this latest loss to Rios will signal the end of Mike Alvarado’s career as a fighter.

Even though it is unclear as to what the future may hold for Mike Alvarado, it is important to remember the physical toll that a fighter goes through not only in regard to the fights that he’s fought, but also the preparation a fighter goes through prior to a fight. Although Alvarado himself stated after the third fight with Rios that he was not prepared as he should have been, Alvarado has engaged in several memorable battles in recent years inside the ring and it is quite possible that the accumulative effect of those fights have taken a toll on him.

Whether or not Mike Alvarado will continue his career is a question that only he can answer. I do believe however, that if Alvarado allows himself time to allow his body to recover from the wars that he has been through over the last couple of years, it may be beneficial in terms of extending his career. Sometimes all a fighter needs is time to regroup. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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Was Wilder’s Victory Over Stiverne The Beginning Of A New Era In The Heavyweight Division?

On January 17th the Boxing world centered on the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada for the first World Heavyweight championship fight of 2015 as WBC champion Bermane Stiverne defended his title against undefeated number one contender and knockout artist Deontay Wilder. Prior to this fight, I discussed some of the similarities between this fight and Mike Tyson’s historic world championship victory over then WBC champion Trevor Berbick in November 1986.

On paper the fight between Stiverne and Wilder did seem to present a similar scenario as when Tyson dethroned Berbick. An undefeated challenger who was considered the favorite going into the fight to win the title based in large part on his ability to score quick knockouts going against a champion who was making the first defense of his world title, who was considered an underdog to retain his crown. This similarity between the Stiverne-Wilder fight and the Berbick-Tyson fight is where any similarity  between the two fights would end.

In contrast, to Mike Tyson’s quick knockout of Trevor Berbick nearly twenty-nine years ago, the fight between Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder would not have a similar outcome. The fight would however, provide action, excitement, and would also answer some questions that some may have asked prior to this fight in the process. The challenger Wilder, who entered the fight unbeaten in thirty-two professional bouts with all thirty-two of his victories coming via knockout had never been extended beyond four rounds in his professional career.

Although some who picked Wilder to win the fight had expected an early knockout, Wilder would surprise many as he fought a disciplined fight where he elected to box instead of looking for a quick knockout. Wilder used a consistent jab to set up combinations and along with good lateral movement was able to control the action for much of the fight. Though Wilder was clearly the more active of the two fighters throughout much of the fight, there were also periods where Wilder’s chin was also tested. This was evident when the champion Stiverne was able to land counter punches on Wilder and have periods of success landing punches while pushing the challenger back.

Over the course of this fight three questions were asked of Deontay Wilder. How Wilder would respond to being taken into the middle and late rounds of a fight, how he would respond to an opponent who withstood his offense and kept coming forward, and how his chin would hold up against one of the best Heavyweights in the division. As the fight went on Wilder would answer all three of those questions. He did not fade as the fight progressed, he was not discouraged when his opponent kept coming forward, despite taking significant punishment throughout the fight, and Wilder also showed he had a solid chin and could take Stiverne’s punches.

Even though the result of this fight would ultimately be a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision in favor of Deontay Wilder, what should not be overlooked is the heart and will of the former champion Bermane Stiverne, who was quite “Game” and never stopped trying to turn the fight in his favor. Although Stiverne was unable to attack Wilder consistently throughout and was only able to have success in spurts, he does deserve credit for the effort he put forth. After all, there were some who felt that Stiverne would become Wilder’s thirty third knockout victim in as many fights. Not only did Stiverne go the distance with Wilder, he was also able to provide Wilder with his first significant test.

As for the new champion Deontay Wilder, the victory not only earned him the WBC Heavyweight world championship, but in winning the fight he became the first American to win a World Heavyweight championship in the sport in nearly eight years. Off of a very impressive performance in his first world championship fight, an interesting question that some might be asking is whether or not Wilder’s victory might be the beginning of a new era in the Heavyweight division.

Even though there is no disputing that Deontay Wilder has established himself as one of two world champions in the Heavyweight division and proved in his fight with Bermane Stiverne that he is more than just a power puncher, this observer is not sure that a new era for the Heavyweight division is on the horizon just yet. Although the division now has a new champion, the division is still largely ruled by unified IBF/WBO/WBA/IBO world champion Wladimir Klitschko, who has compiled seventeen successful title defenses in his second reign as Heavyweight champion, which began in 2006. As the years have gone on, Klitschko has continued to dominate opponents and has shown no signs as he approaches his thirty- ninth birthday in March, of diminishing skills.

As I stated prior to Deontay Wilder’s fight with Bermane Stiverne, an interesting storyline that some feel could play out in 2015 is the potential unification of the Heavyweight division. It will be interesting to see whether or not a fight for the undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world does indeed take place before the end of the year.

In terms of the immediate future, it has been announced that Klitschko will defend his unified world championship on April 25th against undefeated top contender Bryant Jennings at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. What makes this interesting in terms of how it might impact the WBC championship equation is that Bryant Jennings is currently a mandatory challenger for the WBC title.

Although one can assume that the WBC will sanction a fight between the next two available top contenders to determine a new mandatory challenger for Deontay Wilder, seeing as Bryant Jennings will be fighting Klitschko for his unified world title, this would theoretically in the meantime give Wilder the possibility of making an elective defense of the WBC title. For his part Wilder has stated that he would like to face undefeated top contender Tyson Fury. What makes that potential fight interesting is Fury is currently the WBO’s mandatory challenger for Wladimir Klitschko and is the only mandatory challenger as of this writing in either of the four sanctioning organizations’ who’s world titles Klitschko currently holds respective Heavyweight ratings.

This could theoretically present a scenario where the winner of the Klitschko-Jennings bout could face the winner of a potential Wilder-Fury bout for the undisputed Heavyweight world championship. Before a fight between Wilder and Fury can be signed however, Fury must first step into the ring as he is currently scheduled to face WBO number four rated Heavyweight contender Christian Hammer on February 28th in London, England.

It will be interesting to see how these two fights might play a role in who Deontay Wilder chooses to face in his first title defense. While it remains to be seen whether or not the Heavyweight division is approaching what might be a new era, it is clear that the division is heading for an intriguing  period of time with a couple of compelling storylines. A dominant Heavyweight champion in Wladimir Klitschko continuing his march towards Boxing history as he may challenge Joe Louis’ all-time record for consecutive title defenses in any weight class in the history of the sport. With seventeen successful title defenses Klitschko is eight successful defenses away from tying Louis’ record of twenty-five successful defenses. If Klitschko can continue his march, that storyline will become increasingly a focal point of the division.

Another storyline that has emerged along with the potential unification of the Heavyweight division just might be a fighter who could ultimately be viewed as Klitschko’s potential successor. As a new Heavyweight champion begins his reign it will surely be interesting to see whether he too in time will be viewed as a dominant champion.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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