A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Amanda Serrano – The featherweight queen couldn’t have had a better night than that. She resisted a strong attempt from a bloody Erika Cruz to get a unanimous decision Saturday night in New York City, thereby making her the first Puerto Rican native to become the undisputed champion in the four-belt era. That was her goal for many years. And the clear win will directly lead to arguably the biggest possible bout in women’s boxing, a rematch against Katie Taylor on May 20 in Ireland. Promoter Eddie Hearn, who handles both stars, made the announcement in the ring after Saturday’s game. The only thing Serrano (44-2-1, 30 KOs) can do to make her professional life better is to beat Taylor, which she failed to do last April at Madison Square Garden. Can she do it? Well, she definitely has the ability. And she said she learned in the first match what she had to do to win the second. Keep stable.
BIGGEST WINNER II
Emanuel Navarrete – The Mexican star is facing a late replacement – Liam Wilson – who is better than many expected on Friday in Glendale, Arizona. The Australian seems naturally larger than Navarrete, who debuted at 130 pounds. And Navarrete was almost stopped in the difficult fourth inning. However, despite all of that, he knocked Wilson down, severely wounding him and stop him shortly after in the ninth round on Friday to join a select club by winning the major world championship in the third division. His ability to overcome such obstacles speaks volumes about his courage. There are concerns. I’m not sure he’s 100 per cent ready – both physically and mentally – to face a little-known late substitute who went to war when Oscar Valdez withdrew. I guess Navarrete learned a lesson in that regard. And perhaps it would be wise to go back to 126. On the whole, however, Navarrate (37-1, 31 KOs) has reason to celebrate. He had a good night at last.
BIGGEST WINNER III
Alycia Baumgardner (right) took a big step in her career Saturday night in New York City. Ed Mulholland / Matchmaking Room.
Alycia Baumgardner – The Detroit fighter is rolling. Baumgardner (14-1, 7 KOs) defeated Mikaela Mayer by a split decision to win three of the four major junior lightweight titles and establish herself as a major in October last year. And she’s easy Straightforward Elhem Mekhaled to join the “undisputed” ranks on the Serrano-Cruz card, which is a remarkable achievement. A rematch with Mayer could give her a platform to take another step towards true stardom. However, there are also concerns about Baumgardner. She looked amazing against Mekhaled in the rushes, as she hit some of the fastest, cleanest combos you’ll ever see. However, there were also times when she appeared unusually tired. Her condition may be one that she will have to work towards reaching her full potential. The talent is there, though. She is a talented boxer and has a fighting spirit. She will only keep getting better.
THE BIGGEST FAILERS
Liam Wilson: Wilson (11-2, 7 KOs) was just a loser as he lost a match on Friday. Otherwise, he would have opened his eyes wide. He didn’t seem overwhelmed at all about the moment he won a major title in the world for the first time and fought outside his native Australia for the first time. He clearly belongs. He was clearly well prepared for the fight, both physically and strategically. And he nearly produced a huge backflip in the dramatic fourth inning, the result of a massive left hook that sent Navarrete wobbly. The Mexican takes just a few punches to be knocked down, which will change the lives of Wilson and those close to him in significant ways. Wilson’s inability to get the job done was a painful disappointment. However, even in the defeat, he made a powerful statement. He is an all-round capable fighter with elite strength and abundant confidence. His best days could very well be ahead.
WORST POLICY?
Did Navarrete unfairly benefit from extra time when he was knocked out in the fourth round, as Wilson claimed? Yes, although we will never know to what extent. He spat out (or lost) his mouthpiece when he hit the tarp in an apparent attempt to gain more recovery time, a common practice in boxing. It’s an arbitration request Chris Flores to pick it up and give it to Navarrete, who then had difficulty getting it out of his teeth. Flores clearly followed Arizona’s instructions when he did what he did. The question is: Should the regulation be changed? I do not know. On the one hand, I wish that fighters who lost their mouthpieces would have to fight without mouthpieces until the end of the round. That would be fair to the opponent. On the other hand, I obviously don’t want to affect the boxer’s health. I would encourage committees to do research to determine if fighting without a mouthpiece for a minute or two poses a major or minor health risk and then act accordingly.
