A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Tim Tszyu
OK, that’s just Carlos Ocampo. Tszyu is set to beat the tough but limited Mexican on Sunday in Broadbeach, Australia to set up a match against undisputed 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo in the fall. that is the way he does it that is impressive. Tszyu needed just 1 minute and 17 seconds to knock out Ocampo (35-3, 23 KOs), knocking him out twice and taking home the Knockout of the Year nominee to a standing ovation from his home fans. In that short amount of time, Hall of Famer’s son Kostya Tszyu has made it clear that he’s made his name in the sport and leaves no doubt that he’s a real threat to the boxer. best middleweight on the planet, Charlo. Tszyu (23-0, 17 KOs) has been intimidating before, especially after wins over respectable opponents Terrell Gausha and Tony Harrison. Now, it makes sense to wonder if Charlo can survive 12 rounds with him. If nothing else, that match – Charlo vs. Tszyu – becomes a lot more interesting after the memorable performance at the bottom.
THE BIGGEST FAILERS
Regis . Program
Progais apologizes to hometown fans after division decides victory pass Danielito Zorrilla on a stinky Saturday in New Orleans. That will tell you something. Everyone is entitled to a night off, but the 140-pound belt holder abused that notion, always taking the aggressor’s stance but rarely taking the necessary risks to get close to Zorrilla for fear of injury. According to CompuBox, Prograis landed 8.5% of his punches (42 out of 297). He blames Zorrilla, claiming it’s hard to do your job when your opponent runs for 12 laps. That’s not fair. Yes, Puerto Ricans used their feet as their primary weapon but that was strategic. He stops often enough to deliver some of the hardest punches in the fight. That included a right-hander in the opening half that knocked Prograis down, although the referee deemed it a slip. The winner then admitted that the hit brought him to a halt. In the end, Prograis raised his hand, that was the main goal. At the same time, he loses points in terms of perception. Is he overrated?
TRIAL DOLL
Charlo and Tszyu were expected to fight in January but Charlo had to withdraw after breaking his arm, then Tszyu fought Harrision in March and then Ocampo. Now the focus is back on Charlo. The WBO ordered Charlo to fight Tszyu by September 30 or risk losing that belt. Of course, there is no guarantee that they will come to an agreement but my guess is that the competitor in Charlo will want to prove themselves better than Tszyu. I believe the fight will happen in the fall. … The two referees who gave Prograis the win – 118-109 and 117-110 – clearly gave him credit for being the aggressor despite his inability to deliver continuous punches. I believe they gave him also lots of credit. Yes, Prograis moved forward almost the entire skirmish but Zorrilla fought him with force for strength. In fact, according to CompuBox, they landed exactly the same number of power punches, 38. The scoring should have been tighter. The third judge and I gave Zorrilla 114-113. …
Prograis had some miserable innings. His worst was Round 2, in which he failed to land any of the 43 punches he threw. That’s the record for most punches thrown without hitting the target in a round, CompuBox informed Boxing Junkie. He also only landed one punch in every three rounds. Of course, Zorrilla has her own problems. He had two rounds where he only connected with one punch. And we should keep in mind that CompuBox stats are not official. However, these numbers tell you how terrible one of the world’s top boxers has performed. … Bonus stats: Prograis took out 4 out of 371 stabs (1.1%). Why bother throwing it? … Sam Goodman (15-0.7 KO) had a breakout performance on the Tszyu-Ocampo card, beating a 122-pound opponent Ra’eese Aleem (20-1, 12 KOs) by split decision (117-111, 116-112 and 112-116). I had it 115-113 for Goodman. Aleem had a good start but the determined, persistent Goodman overtook him in the second half of the match to withdraw. The Australian will be a handful to anyone he faces in the future. … Heavyweight contender Shakhram Giyasov (14-0.9 KO) showed his class on the Prograis-Zorrilla card, prevailed Harold Calderon (27-1, 18 KOs) on the way to a one-way decisive win in a 12-round bout. Giyasov won a silver medal for his homeland Uzbekistan at the 2016 Olympics. …
News: Golden Boy Promotion already sue a 140-pound opponent Ryan Garcia to make sure he honors the rest of his contract with the advertising agency. Garcia’s rep said the move was retaliation after the boxer asked for mediation over what his team believes was Golden Boy’s breach of contract. It’s a mess. It’s not hard to imagine Garcia sitting out the rest of his contract after losing faith in his longtime promoter, which is a shame given Garcia’s talent. … Jack Badou200-pound champion, allegedly turned down an offer to face the 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez. Jack said Alvarez wanted a 180-pound mining weight AND a rehydration clause, which he wouldn’t accept. I don’t blame him. Enough with rehydration provisions, puts bigger fighter at too much disadvantage and can cause health problems. I understand that the bigger draw – Alvarez in this case – has the right to use its leverage but it is important to have a level playing field. If you’re worried about your opponent’s size, face men in your weight class. Here’s an idea: Fight David Benavidez.
