A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Mercito Gesta
The 35-year-old Filipino considered retiring after his career seemed to stall in 2019, when he lost and drew with a fellow player and then took a break from the sport. Finally he decided to try one more time. And he couldn’t be happier because he did. The 135-pound one-time title challenger defeated Joel Diaz Jr. by a unanimous decision in the return match last April. He then used stick and move tactics and impressive resilience to beat former 130-pound champion and backing Joseph Diaz Jr. divisive decision in a 140-pound fight on Saturday in Long Beach, California, to reassert himself as a legitimate lightweight competitor. And, with a surge of confidence, he is thinking big. Gesta (34-3-3, 17 KOs) said after his win over Diaz that he wants to face rising Mexican star William Zepeda next. Can he win that war? No one could have predicted consecutive wins against capable opponents after he was almost eliminated. Everything is possible.
THE BIGGEST FAILERS
Gilberto Ramirez
Gilberto Ramirez (right) is having an unfortunate run. Mark Robinson / Boxing matchmaking room
“Zurdo” had a chance in his career when he crossed the line to face 175-pound champion Dmitri Bivol last November. It’s all gone downhill since then. Bivol overtook Ramirez en route to the win in a broad decision that seemed to expose the limitations of the former 168-pound belt holder. And this past Friday, the day before his return match against Gabriel Rosado, he was weighing an unprecedented amount 7.6 pounds over division limit and the original main event in Long Beach has been cancelled. He took a day to pay $400,000 and will be fined and suspended by the California State Athletic Commission. Yes, lack of professionalism can be costly. Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs) will now have to rebuild his reputation as a legitimate title contender and one who won’t blow up fights for irresponsible behavior. He apologized and promised to never be overweight again. That is a start.
BIGGEST FAILERS II
Joseph Diaz Jr.
Joseph Diaz Jr. (right) has a decision to make. Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy Rank Up
Diaz (32-4-1, 15 KOs) is at a stretch, in and out of the ring. He put on a solid performance but was overtaken by the Gesta, leaving the 2012 Olympic athlete losing three games in a row and having to make a tough decision about what to do next. He will probably continue to fight. He’s only 30. He’s proven to the Gesta that he can still fight. And he still gets name recognition, which helps the boxer get meaningful fights. The question is: Can he beat them? It’s hard to imagine Diaz being able to beat the top 135-pound boxers, meaning his days as an elite boxer are probably over. Things were even worse outside the ring. He was arrested a few weeks ago for child neglect, although details were not available. That follows a lawsuit filed last year accusing him of trying to coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity, which his lawyers called “frivolous”. Diaz also had an acrimonious split with longtime manager Ralph Heredia. Bottom line for Diaz: The seemingly carefree days of a successful, likable young boxer are long gone.
TRIAL DOLL
News item: 168-pound champion by Canelo Alvarez defend the homeland against John Ryder on May 6 in Guadalajara, Mexico, was officially announced last week. The longtime pound-for-pound player is about to lose to the 175-pound champion Dmitri Bivol and then a shaky performance in victory over the opponent Gennadiy Golovkin, followed by surgery on his left wrist. He probably deserves a relatively easy fight. However, it’s hard to get excited about the match. It felt like a showcase for his hometown fans, not a competitive fight. It reminds me of by Julio Cesar Chavez meet with Greg Haugen before more than 130,000 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Big event, bad fight. Let Alvarez get through the situations and assume that a real test will come next. … Alvarez wants another shot at Bivol. And he deserves credit for chasing a rematch at 175. He still has leverage. He can ask Bivol to drop to around 172 or even 168. That’s not what he’s doing. He wanted to beat Bivol in the Russian natural weight and first match weight class. Respect. …
Scoring in the Gesta-Diaz fight was interesting. The two judges gave Gesta the win with a difference of 99-91 and 98-92. The third game had the odds for Diaz, 97-93. I get scores in favor of the Gesta; I had it 97-93 for him. But 97-93 for Diaz? Judgment Pam Hayashida was clearly affected by Diaz’s aggression and the fact that he dealt the heaviest blows in battle. The problem was that Gesta played better than Diaz, who watched his opponent from start to finish but only hit the spot in the rushes. Hayashida’s point doesn’t seem right. … Manny Pacquiao, 44, is considered a return to punishing boxing. And he seems to be on target Conor BennThe undefeated young weightlifter from England has a match against Chris Eubank Jr. was canceled after Benn tested positive for a banned substance in October. Other potential competitors are Kell Brook and Eubank. My guess is that Pacquiao and Co. would wake up if they were really serious. Pacman looks at his age in a loss from one side Yordenis Ugas and that was a year and a half ago. A match against an opponent is a bad idea.
