A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Shakur Stevenson
Stevenson is building the case that he is the best pure boxer since Floyd Mayweather dominated the sport. The 2016 Olympic silver medalist once again excelled against Shuichiro Yoshino in his 135-pound debut Saturday in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, knocking down powerful hits at will. to break, score two kills and finally stop your Japanese opponent in the sixth round. All the while, he received almost nothing in return even though he stood right in front of Yoshino, emphasizing his defensive magic. The brilliant performance is still as perfect as it is. And remember: Yoshino, although a sizable loser, is not one to be easily persuaded. He took consecutive wins against capable compatriots Masayuki Ito and Masayoshi Nakatani, earning him a place in three of the four main sanctioning bodies. And Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) made Yoshino (16-1, 12 KOs) look like he didn’t belong in the ring, which he does with most opponents. We’ll see how Stevenson does against next-level opponents – Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, etc – but he couldn’t get any better so far.
BIGGEST WINNER II
Brian Mendoza
Everyone loves a rich story. And Mendoza is fascinating. The 29-year-old from Albuquerque appears to have reached his peak as an elite boxer as he lost two of his three fights between 2019 and 2021, the second to talented Jesus Ramos . However, Mendoza was not ready to give up. And his perseverance paid off. He had a chance to prove he was more than a journeyman when he briefly pitted former 154-pound unified champion Jeison Rosario and stopped him in November. That leads to an even bigger chance on Saturday, when he delivers a Knockout candidate of the year against rising star Sebastian Fundora in the seventh round of a bout he lost to claim his place among the best middleweights in the world. Mendoza (22-2, 16 KOs) went from a late thought to the climax of a world belt war in two rounds. Can he knock out undisputed champions Jermell Charlo or Tim Tszyu? Sure is not. But he certainly earned his chance. And he’s proven in the last two games that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.
BIGGEST WINNER III
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez
Rodriguez’s unanimous decision victory over Cristian Gonzalez to win an empty 112-pound title on Saturday – giving him a big belt in the second division at the age of 23 – isn’t pretty but it’s brave and convincing. Gonzalez’s strategy isn’t complicated: throw punches while running, the idea being that Rodriguez will have a hard time hitting a moving target. And the Mexican had some success, forcing his more forewarned opponent to chase the entire fight. The problem for Gonzalez (15-2, 5 KOs) was that Rodriguez (18-0, 11 KOs) was able to corner him enough to make hard, eye-catching shots and win over the referees. . We later learned that Rodriguez had broken his jaw in the middle of the round, meaning he fought for half the round in excruciating pain. It was not Rodriguez’s best performance, as he later admitted. At the same time, the young star proved that he can overcome many obstacles to win an important skirmish by a margin. It was a good night of work by any standards. The downside is his injury. A broken jaw could keep him out of action until the end of the year or even the beginning of 2024.
THE BIGGEST FAILERS
Sebastian Fundora
Sebastian Fundora (left) took too many shots at least once. Esther Lin / Showtime
Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KOs) perfectly described her fate in her post-match interview. “This is boxing,” he said. Indeed, the 6-foot-6 “Towering Inferno” had complete control of the match for more than six rounds, alternately knocking out Mendoza 5-10 with his long jab and beating him from the inside. He threw a nearly shutdown after six innings. Then disaster struck. Mendoza landed with a left hook from hell, sending Fundora’s knees to the ground. And he followed with a right-left combo into the head of an unexpectedly powerless enemy that knocked him down and out. This is your right. Fundora couldn’t be more classy after his heartbreaking defeat, which temporarily derailed his plans to fight for a world title. He gave Mendoza credit and vowed to return. And he will. The 25-year-old looked great for over six rounds and was then caught with a perfect shot from a powerful puncher. He’ll be back in the gym, training defensively, and back more motivated than ever.
TRIAL DOLL
Promoter Bob Arum has said he wants Stevenson to face the winner of a May 20 match between Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko unless Haney wins and goes up to 140 pounds. That would provide Stevenson’s first real chance to claim that he’s the best boxer on the planet. Let’s hope it happens in the fall. Afterward? It will be difficult to match “Tank” Davis with one of the above because of the alliance competition but fans will definitely ask for it. A lot of great fights at the 135-pound class seem to be ahead. … I doubt anyone will ever reach the level of a top Mayweather in pure boxing but Stevenson has a chance. He’s a hit-and-don’t-hit wizard if ever. And if his performance against Yoshino is any indication, he is determined to add knockdown power to his arsenal. That could mean he’s getting better, which is a scary thought for someone nearing 135 pounds. …
Marlon Tapales (37-3, 19 KOs) of the Philippines caused a huge disappointment with the card Rodriguez-Gonzalez, beating celebrity Murodjon Akhmadaliev (11-1, 8 KOs) of Uzbekistan by a split decision to become the 122-pound unified champion in the 31st. Tapales, a former 118-pound belt, defeated the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist. early in the match and then withstood a fierce rally down the street to score his biggest win. I guess that Akhmadaliev will work harder in the opening innings and win a clear decisive victory in the rematch. … Gifted candidate 126 pounds Raymond Ford (14-0-1, 8 KOs) looks impressive in a decisive one-way win over the veteran Jessie Magdaleno (29-2, 18 KOs) on the Rodriguez-Gonzalez card. Ford overtook Madaleno, knocking him out twice and injuring on several other occasions in a dominant performance. And Ford is still growing. He is someone to keep an eye on. …
strong candidate Jared Anderson (14-0, 14 KOs) maintains the perfect knockout record before the previous undefeated match George Arias (18-1, 7 KOs) on the Stevenson-Yoshino card. “Big Baby” is only 23 years old, a newborn in his department. However, he seemed ready to face a competitor. The question is: Who would want to fight him? He was so good, so majestic. …Lightweight opponent Keyshawn Davis (8-0.6 KO) had another strong performance with the Stevenson-Yoshino card, dominating and then stopping the veteran Anthony Yigit (26-3-1, 10 KOs) for nine rounds. It’s too early to compare Davis to one of the elite 135-pound athletes mentioned above, but he’ll get there soon. Talent is there. … Teenage weight class Brandun Lee (28-0, 23 KO) withstood fierce effort from Pedro Campa (34-3-1, 23 KOs) for a unanimous decision on the Mendoza-Fundora card. Lee may have been too focused on stopping the Mexican veteran, which made his mission all the more difficult. However, the 23-year-old from the Southern California desert got the job done and will learn from the experience.
