The Past Week in Action 8 January 2014

Miss any of this week’s action in the sport? Get caught up with “The Past Week in Action” by Eric Armit; with a review of all major cards in the sport.

January 3

 

Minneapolis, MN, USA: Super Feather: Rances Barthelemy (20-0) W KO 2 Argenis Mendez (21-3-1). Middle: Caleb Truax (23-1-2) DREW 10 Ossie Duran (28-11-3). Light: Tony Lee (9-1-1) W PTS 6 Willshaun Boxley (6-9-1,1ND). Welter: Javontae Starks (8-0) W PTS 6 Limberth Ponce (6-1). Welter: Erickson Lubin (2-0) W KO 1 Luis Santiago (4-1).

Barthelemy vs. Mendez

Barthelemy crushes Mendez in two rounds to win IBF title. Mendez was forcing the fight early trying to walk down Barthelemy as the Challenger circle the ring. Suddenly a left hook from Barthelemy saw Mendez’s right leg do a little dance and the Cuban took the champion to the ropes and flailed away to head and body. Mendez covered up and then got back to his jab. It was a similar picture in the second round until 18 seconds before the bell when a combination of a left hook from Barthelemy, which landed low, and two swings to the chin saw Mendez on the seat of his pants. Mendez struggled up at 7 and after examining him the referee indicated that the fight could continue with only 3 seconds left in the round, but no one heard the bell and 5 seconds later a barrage of lefts and rights put Mendez down. He was struggling to get his feet under him but never made it and was counted out. The last punches landed after the bell so Mendez’s team are putting an official protest. For now the 27-year-old “Kid Blast” takes the title and makes it 13 wins by KO/TKO. The former Cuban Junior champion is the younger brother of Olympic gold medal winner Yan who has not succeeded as a pro. Dominican Mendez, also 27, was making the second defence of his title and this was his first loss inside the distance. They have mutual opponent in Arash Usmanee with Barthelemy getting a controversial decision over the Afghan-born Canadian and Mendez getting an even more controversial draw with Usmanee in his first defence. Despite the draw with Mendez Usmanee is down at No 8 (7) with the IBF but hopefully Barthelemy will see it as unfinished business.

Truax vs. Duran

The first three rounds see local fighter Truax build an early lead as Duran gets off to his usual sluggish start. By the fourth Duran had his jab working and was slotting rights through the defence of Truax and bloodying his nose. Truax was the busier fighter but after edging the fifth he let Duran into the fight in the seventh and eighth to make it close but Truax seemed to do just enough over the last two rounds to get the verdict. However, in a rare display of unanimity, all three judges had it 95-95. Truax, 30, had looked good when flooring Jermain Taylor in a losing effort in April 2012 and beating Don George and local rival Cerresso Fort (17-1-1), but he looked ordinary if a bit unlucky here. Ghanaian Duran, 36, a former double CBC champion, could have won this with a higher workrate. He had beaten another local favourite in Matt Vanda which gave it some interest. He only lost on a split decision to Brandon Gonzales in 2011but was coming off a third round kayo loss to Matt Korobov in June last year.

Lee vs. Boxley

St Paul’s “2Sharp” Lee took a unanimous decision over Boxley. He gave away the first round as Boxley got through with some right swings, took the second with some body work, dropped the third but bounced back to win the fourth. He assured the decision by taking the last two rounds as Boxley tired. Lee, 28, retains the Minnesota State title and makes it 5 wins and a draw in his last 6 fights. Boxley, 32 is 1-9-1,1ND in his last 12.

Starks vs. Ponce

Minneapolis prospect Starks looks less than sensational in just about edging out unbeaten Ponce on a split decision. A knockdown scored by Starks in the second was the difference as the cards read 57-56 twice to Starks and 57-56 to Ponce.  Without the 10-8 second round Ponce would have been the unanimous winner. The 24-year-old Starks survived a near fatal shot to the thigh in 2007 and battled back to win a gold medal at the US Amateur Championships in 2008 and silver at the 2009 NGG but had a tough night here. The un-heralded Ponce, 22, was having his first six round fight and performed better than expected.

Lubin vs. Santiago

One to watch. The tall “Iron Mike” prospect Lubin makes it two first round wins as he blows away unbeaten Santiago in 61 seconds. The 18-year-old Floridian was the cause of complaints from USA Boxing after Iron Mike signed him to pro forms when he was looked upon as one of the best bets to win the USA a gold medal in Rio. His first win took just 35 seconds so he does not waste time. Dominican-based Puerto Rican Santiago was having his first fight since December 2100

 

Ciudad Evita, Argentina: Bantam: Yoan Boyeaux (22-4,1ND) W KO 2 Ben Cantero (13-5). French “Bad Boy” wins something called the WPC world title as he easily puts away Paraguayan Cantero. The 25-year-old makes it 14 wins by KO/TKO. Since being given a six month ban after testing positive for steroids when beating Karim Guerfi for the French title in January 2013 he has been a boxing gypsy fighting in Croatia, Serbia, Brazil, Slovakia, Hungary and now in his new base of Argentina. Cantero is 2-3 in his last 5 fights with the three losses all inside the distance.

 

January 4

 

Mar del Plata, Argentina: Cruiser: Victor E Ramirez (17-2,1ND) W PTS 10 Mariano R Diaz Strunz. (11-9-1). Former WBO champion Ramirez continues his comeback with ten useful rounds against Strunz. For the first three rounds “El Tyson de Abasto” was trying to walk down a defence minded “German” Strunz who was forced to fight with his back to the ropes. Over the middle rounds Strunz was a bit more active scoring with body punches. The pace dropped in those middle rounds, but from the seventh Ramirez was in charge again and after being rocked in the seventh he fired back to win the round. He had Strunz hurt in the eighth and almost down in the ninth and tenth. Ramirez wins on scores of 100-90 twice and 98-92. After losing his WBO title to Marco Huck in August 2009 Ramirez was away from the ring until returning with a first round stoppage of South African Thabiso Mogale at the end of last month. Strunz has lost three in a row, but has yet to lose inside the distance.

 

Mexico City, Mexico: Bantam: Alejandro Hernandez (26-10-2) W PTS 12 Isao Gonzalo Carranza (13-5). The experience and clever boxing of the “Little Clown” were enough to see Hernandez take a wide unanimous decision over game Carranza to win the vacant Mexican title. Carranza tried hard but the movement and hand speed of Hernandez saw him build a comfortable advantage as he counter-punched his way to the front. Carranza was always pressing but it was the fifth before he managed to corner Hernandez. In the sixth a clash of elbows saw Hernandez damage his left arm. From then on Carranza had more success as Hernandez was virtually fighting one-armed. However the skill gap was evident and despite Carranza having a big eighth round Hernandez boxed his way to victory. Scores 117-111 twice and 118-110. The 27-year-old Hernandez lost to Omar Narvaez for the WBO fly title in 2008 and drew with Marvin Sonsona for the vacant WBO super fly title in 2009 (Sonsona had failed to make the weight for his title defence). He had lost 3 of his last 4 fights going in, but two of those losses were to Leo Santa Cruz and Akifumi Shimoda. Big step up for 27-yrear-old Carranza who was coming off a loss in August.

 

Guadalajara, Mexico: Light Fly: Ganigan Lopez (24-5) W PTS 12 Mario Rodriguez (16-9-4). Light Middle: Ramon Alvarez (17-4-2) W TKO 2 Gilberto Flores Hernandez (23-14). Super Bantam: Jorge Lara (25-0-1) W PTS 10 Jairo Hernandez (10-5). Super Bantam: Horacio Garcia (24-0) W TKO 2 Cesar Saucedo (3-2). Straw: Jesus Silvestre (27-4) W PTS 6 Jesus Reyes (4-11-1). Super Feather: Miguel Angel Gonzalez (20-6-1) W TKO 1 Omar Lina (10-11-1).

Lopez vs. Rodriguez

Southpaw Lopez outboxes former IBF strawweight champion “Little Dragon” Rodriguez. Ganigan used a strong right jab and straight lefts to blunt the attacks of the aggressive Rodriguez. Despite bleeding heavily from the nose from early in the fight Lopez was rarely troubled and although Rodriguez never stopped coming he had only minor success on the few occasions he was able to corner the elusive Ganigan. Scores 120-109, 119-110 and 118-110. The 32-year-old southpaw wins the vacant WBC International title. He is currently WBO 4/WBC 5 and looking for a title shot after losing to Denver Cuello in May 2013 in a fight that cost him his WBC Silver title at strawweight and a shot at the WBC title. Rodriguez, 25, lost his IBF title to Katsunari Takayama in March but had bounced back with a split decision over Odilon Zaleta. He is WBC No 8 at light fly.

Alvarez vs. Hernandez

“Inocente” Alvarez continued his good run with a second round stoppage of experienced southpaw Hernandez. The 27-year-old local used a strong jab to force Hernandez back and after dominating the first round halted him in the second. The stocky, powerful Alvarez, the third eldest of the four Alvarez brothers, with Saul being the youngest, has 10 wins by KO/TKO and has lost only one of his last 12 fights. Southpaw Hernandez, 26, has 10 losses by KO/TKO and is 2-6 in his last 8 fights.

Lara vs. Hernandez

Not a good show for fighters with the name Hernandez and the tall Lara just held on to take a majority verdict. It looked to be Lara’s night early when the southpaw opened a bad gash on the right cheek of Hernandez and used his height and reach to be well ahead after five rounds. From the sixth, as “Pylon” seemed to tire, Hernandez started a charge. He was able to force Lara to trade over the closing rounds, opening a cut on Lara’s right eyebrow in the ninth and finishing strongly. Scores 96-94, 96-95 and 95-95. The 22-year-old hometown fighter remains unbeaten but only just. Hernandez is 2-5 in his last 7 fights, but the only fighter to beat him inside the distance is current WBO bantam champion Tomoki Kameda.

Garcia vs. Saucedo

Unbeaten local prospect Garcia remains unbeaten as he lives up to his “Violente” name tag with a second round stoppage of Saucedo. Garcia floored Saucedo with a left in the first and after two more knockdowns in the second the fight was stopped. The 23-year-old WBC Youth champion has 16 wins by KO/TKO but is largely untested. “Popeye” Saucedo spinachless so just fodder.

Silvestre vs. Reyes

Just a time filler for WBA No 2 (1) “Negrito” Silvestre as he waits for a shot at the now vacant WBA straw title. The 24-year-old Silvestre, a former interim WBA champion, lost a majority decision to Ryo Miyazaki for the full title in September and with Miyazaki having relinquished the title he is first in line. Eight losses in a row for Reyes.

Gonzalez vs. Omar

All over in the first as Gonzalez easily halts Omar, a natural super fly in one round. First fight for 23-year-old local Gonzalez since losing to Jairo Hernandez in August. Previous to that his only defeats had been to world rated fighters such as Ramon Maas, Robinson Castellanos and Fermin De los Santos. Now 10 losses in his last 11 fights for Reyes.

 

Abbreviations

ABC=Asian Boxing Council an affiliate of the WBC

ABU=African Boxing Union an affiliate of the WBC

ANBF=Australian National Boxing Federation who administer Australian titles

BBB of C=British Boxing Board of Control

BBB of C Southern/Central/Midlands/Scottish Area etc. British Area titles

BDB= Bund Deutscher Berufsboxer one of the German boxing bodies

B & H=Bosnia & Herzegovina

BSA=Boxing South Africa responsible for administering boxing in South Africa

CBC=Commonwealth Boxing Council a sanctioning body for titles competed for citizens of Commonwealth countries

CISBB-WBC title covering the rump of the USSR and the Slovenian Boxing Board

DRC=Democratic Republic of the Congo

EBU=European Boxing Union

FAB=Argentinian Boxing Federation

FFB=French Boxing Federation

GAB=Philippines Games & Amusement Board responsible for administering boxing in the Philippines

IBA=International Boxing Association a sanctioning body

IBF=International Boxing Federation a sanctioning body

IBO=International Boxing Organisation

JBC =Japanese Boxing Commission

NABA=North American Boxing Association, a WBA affiliate

NABF=North American Boxing Federation a WBC affiliate

NABO= North American Boxing Organisation, a WBO affiliate

NGG=US National Golden Gloves

NZPBF=New Zealand Professional Boxing Federation a national sanctioning body

OPBF=Orient & Pacific Boxing Federation

PABA=Pacific & Asian Boxing Association, a WBA affiliate

UBO=Universal Boxing Organisation a sanctioning body

USBA= United States Boxing Association, an IBF affiliate

USBO=United States Boxing Organisation

WBA=World Boxing Association a sanctioning body

WBC=World Boxing Council a sanctioning body

WBFed=World Boxing Federation, a sanctioning body

WBFound=World Boxing Foundation, a sanctioning body

WBU=World Boxing Union, a sanctioning body

IBF WBA Rating=Both bodies leave vacancies in their ratings so when showing a IBF or WBA rating fore a fighter where there is a vacant position ahead of them in the rankings which affects his rating I will put his numerical rating i.e. No 6 and in brackets and his rating based on the number of fighters ahead of him so IBF 6 (5) shows his numerical position is 6 but there are in fact only 5 fighters listed ahead of him due to one or more of the higher rating positions being vacant.