A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
O’Shaquie Foster – The new 130-pound belt holder was right when he said after Saturday’s split win that his style can cause problems for anyone. The combination of natural talent and well-honed ability – especially in defense – ruined everything veteran Rey Vargas attempted to do at the Alamodome in San Antonio, resulting in a one-way decision and the first Texan world title. And remember: Vargas is not an easy target. The Mexican was undefeated and the two-weight champion entered the fight for the vacant WBC belt, even though he was gaining weight. And Foster (20-2, 12 KOs) makes him look normal. And if he could make Vargas (36-1, 22 KOs) look normal… then others at or near his weight would have been noticed. I don’t know if Foster will be a fan favorite since he’s primarily a technician but he would be extremely hard to beat.
THE BIGGEST FAILERS
Rey Vargas – The 32-year-old from Mexico City is actually in a good position. That’s right, he suffered the first loss in his 14-year career, a fate any boxer could hardly swallow. And he failed in his attempt to join a selective fraternity by becoming a three-way champion. At the same time, he might say, “Hey, I had to work so hard to lift 130 pounds.” He seemed to imply after the match that he was uncomfortable with the weight class, saying through an interpreter, “Weighting can be a little difficult, maybe the strength is a little bit different. But I said at the beginning, it’s the legs and other things.” Vargas remains the WBC’s 126-pound owner. He could just go back to featherweight, where he wouldn’t give up any size advantage. And if he decides to try 130 more times, he’ll probably raise his hand next time. Not that he was blown away by Foster; he competed. Vargas has much more success ahead.
TRIAL DOLL
Foster said after the game that he expected to make two mandatory defenses before he could even think about unifying the 130-pound titles, which are the result of winning a single title. mark is empty. The first is the 2nd line Eduardo Hernandez, a 25-year-old slugger from Mexico. Hernandez (33-1, 30 KOs) is not a boxer like Vargas but he is naturally bigger and a knockout artist. He will have to injure Foster to defeat him, which can happen if Foster is not careful. Hernandez can confuse anyone. He himself can also be injured, as we saw when Roger Gutierrez stopped him with a right hand in the first round in 2019. Second imperative? That will be arranged in the next few months. … Heavyweight contender Mario Barrios (27-2, 18 KOs) stop Jovanie Santiago (14-3-1, 10 KO) in round 1/8 on Foster-Vargas, which keeps him relevant. The San Antonio native has lost two previous matches, before Gervonta Davis (at 140) and Keith Thurman (147). Barrios unleashed more and more punishment as the match progressed and the stoppage was brutal, which was a strong statement for him. Can he compete with the top 147-pounders? It will be difficult because he is a limited boxer but he will always fight and have strength.
Fresh items: Canelo Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) and John Ryder report is close to an agreement to fight on May 6 in Jalisco, Mexico, near Alvarez’s hometown of Guadalajara. I understand that for the first time Alvarez wants to fight at home since he stopped Kermit Cintron in 2011. He wants to reward his fans. It’s hard to be interested in your opponent. Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) is a good boxer, as the Londoner has proven himself against quality opponents over the past few years, but he’s not a serious threat to the boxer. weight level. The match reminds me of 1993 Julio Cesar Chavez–Greg Haugen The match drew 136,000 people to the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Great event, no competition. Alvarez .’s planned next war will is a challenge: He wants to face the light heavyweight champion Dmitri Bivol for the second time in September. Bivol defeated Alvarez by a unanimous decision last May. … I’m glad to hear that Anthony Joshua say a meeting with Deontay Wilder is inevitable. No one cares whether a title will be at stake or not. That match will be an explosion. I wasn’t pleased to hear that Wilder said he wanted to go up against a mixed martial artist Francis Ngannou. It’s not a war; it was an execution. Wilder is said to be frustrated with negotiations with Andy Ruiz Jr.
