The Past Week in Action 16 January 2022

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 boxing for the past week.

Highlights:

-Joe Smith Jr kayos Steve Geffrard in nine rounds in WBO light heavyweight title defence

-Jade Bornea beats Mohammad Obbadi in three rounds in IBF super flyweight eliminator

-Super Featherweight Abraham Nova stops William Encarnacion to go to 20-0

-Hugo Roldan and Jaime Arboleda both climb off the canvas twice to score wins in Panama

-Yamil Peralta remain unbeaten as floors Mariano Gudino three times on the way to retaining the Argentinian cruiserweight title on points.-

 

World Title/Major Shows

 

January 15

 

Verona, NY, USA: Light Heavy: Joe Smith Jr (28-3) W KO 9 Steve Geffrard (18-3). Feather: Abraham Nova (21-0) W TKO 8 William Encarnacion (19-2). Heavy: Lyubomyr Pinchuk (14-2-1) W PTS 8 Jose Flores (8-3-2). Middle: Troy Isley (4-0) W PTS 6 Harry Cruz (6-2). Super Light: Omar Rosario (6-0) W PTS 6 Raekwon Butler (4-2).

Smith vs. Geffrard

Smith beats substitute Geffrard in nine rounds in a low key title defence of his WBO title.

Round 1

Smith immediately went on the attack forcing Geffrard to the ropes and firing clubbing shots. Geffrard was hiding behind a high peek-a-boo guard and not throwing punches allowing Smith to bang away finding gaps. Eventually Geffrard started throwing jabs but then retreated behind his guard again as Smith landed some hurtful shots late in the round.

Score: 10-9 Smith

Round 2

Smith changed tactics in the second. He backed off and allowed Geffrard to come forward. Geffrard scored with some stiff jabs and a couple of rights but instead of staying there punching Geffrard was then hiding behind his guard again allowing Smith some target practice. Smith was not pressing his attacks although he did enough scoring in short bursts to win the round.

Score: 10-9 Smith                             Smith 20-18

Round 3

Smith started this one coming forward throwing punches but then again backed off letting Geffrard do some work with his jab and straight rights. Geffrard stood and traded more but at the end of the round had backed to the ropes allowing Smith to pound him with body punches.

Score: 10-9 Smith                                    Smith 30-27

Round 4

They traded jabs early in this round until Smith suddenly launches a fierce attack driving Geffrard around landing hooks and uppercuts with Geffrard just covering up and having to absorb some painful body shots. Geffrard dropped his hands to show he wasn’t hurt but it was another round for Smith.

Score: 10-9 Smith                                    Smith 40-36

Official Scores: Judge Glenn Feldman 40-36 Smith, Judge Tom Schreck 40-36 Smith, Judge Don Trella 39-37 Smith

Round 5

This was a totally one-sided round. With Geffrard just hiding behind his guard it was target practice for Smith who was getting through with uppercuts and hooks. There was nothing coming back from Geffrard and as Smith continued to pour on the punches the referee was taking a long hard look at Geffrard at the end of the round (one judge scored this a 10-8 round).

Score: 10-9 Smith                                    Smith 50-45

Round 6

After his fireworks in the last round Smith took a more measured approach in this one. Too measured as he was landing a few hooks and then backing off and setting himself to repeat the exercise. Geffrard found a little more room for his jab but was just not throwing enough punches.

Score: 10-9 Smith                                    Smith 60-54

Round 7

Smith looked to be operating at about 60% power but it was still enough. For much of the round Smith was content to throw jabs and then follow with a few hooks and uppercuts. Geffrard landed a sneak straight right but Smith shook it off and scored with some bludgeoning hooks.

Score: 10-9 Smith                                    Smith 70-63

Round 8

Smith backed up at the start of this round and that allowed Geffrard to find some room and he scored well with jabs and straight rights. A heavy hook from Smith sent Geffrard back into his shell and Smith scored heavily with hooks and uppercuts with Geffrard being bounced along the ropes and not throwing any punches of his own.

Score: 10-9 Smith                             Smith 80-72

Official Scores: Judge Glenn Feldman 80-72 Smith, Judge Tom Schreck 79-73 Smith, Judge Don Trella 79-72 Smith

Round 9

There was sense of purpose behind Smith in this one. He came out throwing punches and forced Geffrard to the ropes. Geffrard made no attempt to fight back and dropped to one knee under a hail of punches and was counted out.

Smith was making the first defence of the WBO title he won with a majority verdict over Max Vlasov in April. He now wants a unification fight against WBC/IBF champion Artur Beterbiev. However with Anthony Yarde jumping to the No 1 spot after beating Lyndon Arthur and Frank Warren having a good working relationship with the WBO Warren may press for a shot for Yarde. Geffrard was never really in this fight and as he only stepped in at eight days notice when Callum Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 it was unrealistic to think he would be a serious threat. Johnson himself will be pushing for the chance he missed and Gilbert Ramirez is also in the picture so plenty of options for Smith.

Nova vs. Encarnacion

Nova wears down and halts Encarnacion in the eighth, Encarnacion had a good first round catching Nova with a strong right but Nova upped his pace in the second. Nova began to score heavily in the third and Encarnacion switched to southpaw to try to stem the tide. From the fourth Nova was scoring with some scorching body shots and Encarnacion was holding to stop Nova scoring inside but Nova was also mixing in some rights to the head. As heads bumped in the sixth Nova suffered a cut over his right eye but it did not slow his attacks. He punished Encarnacion over the sixth and had him reeling under a series of rights at the end of the seventh. A right shook Encarnacion early in the eighth and Encarnacion’s second waived for the fight to be stopped. Fifteenth win by KO/TKO for 27-year-old Puerto Rican-born Nova who is rated No 3 with the WBO. Dominican Encarnacion, 33, was knocked out in four rounds by newcomer Giovanni Gutierrez in July 2019 and was then inactive until recording a low level win in December 2020- his last fight.

Pinchuk vs. Flores

Pinchuk scores wide unanimous decision over Flores but the fight was closer than the scores indicate. The 6’3” Ukrainian used his longer reach to score well in the first. In the second a clash of heads saw Pinchuk cut over his left eye and shaken by a right just before the bell. Pinchuk worked hard with his jab over the third and fourth outscoring Flores and landed with good shots in the fifth but with Flores connecting with some accurate counters. A punch from Flores re-opened the cut over Pinchuk’s left eye in the sixth and Flores also had a good seventh. Pinchuk put the result in the bag in the eighth as he landed a powerful right on Flores that sent his mouthguard flying and clearly won the round. Scores 79-73 twice and 80-72 for Pinchuk who is 10-1-1 in his last 12 outings. Flores had lost one of his last ten fights.

Isley vs. Cruz

Tokyo Olympian Isley cruises to victory in his first six round fight with comfortable points victory against Puerto Rican southpaw Cruz. The Puerto Rican took the fight to Isley but paid for that as Isley’s counters had him bleeding from nose and mouth. Isley shook Cruz a few times but Cruz showed plenty of determination giving Isley some useful ring time. Isley went low in the sixth which cost him a point but he won on scores of 59-54 twice and 59-53. Isley, 23, was twice US National champion and won bronze medals at the World Championships and Pan American Games but did not medal in Tokyo. Cruz had won his last two fights but Isley was much too polished for him.

Rosario vs. Butler

Like Isley Puerto Rican Rosario, a former amateur star, was moving up to six rounds for the first time. He came close to ending this early blasting Butler with punches in the first and carrying that on into the early part of the second. Butler overcame the crisis and fought well over the remaining rounds although generally being outscored by Rosario. Butler was shaken with a right in the sixth but recovered and competed well. Scores 59-54 twice and 58-55 for Rosario who was Puerto Rican champion in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Butler out of his depth but did his job.

 

January 14

 

Monterrey, Mexico: Super Fly: Jade Bornea (17-0) W KO 3 Mohammed Obbadi (22-2). Bantam: Francisco Rodriguez (35-5-1) W TKO 7 Arnulfo Salvador (15-2-1). Light Fly: Daniel Valladares (26-3-1) W PTS 8 Gabriel Loranca (4-6-1).

Obbadi vs. Bornea

Bornea wins IBF eliminator with third round victory over Obbadi. Moroccan-born Obbadi took the opening round with plenty of movement and a quick jab that consistently pierced Bornea’s guard. Bornea kept marching forward looking to score to the body but Obbadi’s speedy footwork took him away from Bornea’s attacks. Bornea began the second round switching to a southpaw stance and connected with a couple of right hooks and knocked Obbadi off balance with a straight left. Obbadi found the target with a pair of rights late in the round but was under continuous pressure. Bornea hunted Obbadi down in the third and landed a wicked left hook to the body. Obbadi froze for a second and then dropped to his hands and knees and was counted out. Filipino Bornea will now leap into the mandatory  challengers slot with the possibility of a challenge to fellow-Filipino Jerwin Ancajas later in the year. Second inside the distance defeat for Obbadi who has a rebuilding job on his hands.

Rodriguez vs. Salvador

Rodriguez batters Salvador to defeat in seven rounds. Fighting in his home town Rodriguez bossed the fight against the less experienced southpaw Salvador. Rodriguez exerted constant pressure and was getting his punches off first with Salvador looking tentative. Rodriguez put Salvador down with a straight right in the third but Salvador got up and fought hard to make it to the bell. Rodriguez scored with scorching body punches over the fourth and fifth and had Salvador reeling at the end of the sixth. Salvador put in a big effort at the start of the seventh but when Rodriguez connected with a series of head punches the referee stopped the fight. Rodriguez, a former IBF and WBO minimumweight champion, lost on points to Kazuto Ioka for the WBO super flyweight title in September. He was above Bornea in the IBF ratings before the two fights on this card so should also be in line for a shot at Ancajas. This was too big a step-up for Salvador.

Valladares vs. Loranca

Local light flyweight Valladares outpoints Locarno. Valladares had late substitute Loranca under heavy pressure for all eight rounds but never looked like ending things early. He scored heavily with hooks and uppercuts and rocked Loranca a few times but Loranca took the beating and survived a fifth rounds inspection by the doctor of a cut and swelling by his left eye and fought hard to still be there at the end. Scores 80-71, 79-72 and 79-73 for Valladares who claimed an injury to his right hand hampered him in this fight. He fought a technical draw with Pedro Taduran for the IBF minimum title last year but that was followed by two losses. Loranca’s recent form is now 0-1-5.

 

Bella Vista, Panama: Super Light: Hugo Roldan (21-0-1) W PTS 10 German del Castillo (10-2-2). Light: Jaime Arboleda (18-2) W PTS 10 Nicolas Polanco (20-2-1). Fly: Gabriela Fundora (5-0,1ND) W PTS 8 Nataly Delgado (8-5-1).

Roldan vs. del Castillo

In both of the main bouts on this card the eventual winner had to suffer two knockdowns before winning a majority decision. There was plenty of speed and plenty of movement and guard changes from Roldan as he outscored del Castillo. In the second de Castillo swung a left hook. His fist missed but his forearm connected with the side of Roldan’s head and sent him down. Roldan was not badly hurt and took control of the action in the third. At the end of the fourth del Castillo rushed forward pushing Roldan back and Roldan lost his balance and fell into the ropes. It was a push not a punch and also the push happened after the bell to end the round but it was counted as a knockdown. From there Roldan used his speed and footwork to bamboozle del Castillo and deservedly won the decision. Scores 96-92 twice for Roldan and 94-94. Only the second fight outside of his native Argentina for Roldan who needs tougher tests to establish his credentials. Colombian del Castillo had won his last four fights but his victims have been easy touches.

Arboleda vs. Polanco

Panamanian Arboleda survived a near disaster in the second round to take a majority verdict over Dominican Polanco. After edging the first round Arboleda was down twice in the second. Late in the round he was dropped by a left hook from the wild swinging Polanco. After the eight count he shipped some more punches but then slipped to the floor. There was no count and then both fighters just stood flinging wild shots and Arboleda was shaken a couple of times and put down by a right. After getting up he clinched and made it to the bell. From there he kept the pressure on the erratic Polanco to outbox him over the middle rounds and held off a late effort by Polanco to wrap up the victory. Scores 95-93 twice for Arboleda and 94-94. Arboleda was halted in eleven rounds in December 2020 by Chris Colbert for the interim WBA title but had stopped former WBA secondary featherweight title holder Jonathan Barros in August. Polanco had lost a wide unanimous decision to Javier Fortuna in 2017 and since then only faced mediocre opposition.

Fundora vs. Delgado

Floridian southpaw Fundora outpoints Panamanian Delgado. The 5’9” Fundora towered over Delgado and won all the way flooring Delgado with a southpaw right hook in the fifth as she eased to victory. All three judges gave it to Fundora 80-71. She wins the vacant WBC Latino belt. She is the sister of world rated super welterweight Sebastian Fundora. Delgado had lost on points to Micaela Lujan for the IBF female super fly title in November.

 

Lagos, Nigeria: Cruiser: Olan Durodola (37-9) W RTD 1 Idowu Okusote (2-5).

This was a waste of a canvas. Durodola had height, reach, weight and experience over Okusote and just trundle around the ring as Okusote skittered about trying to stay out of trouble. Durodola managed to land a couple of glancing blows and Okusote did not come out for the second round.

 

January 15

 

Mar del Plata, Argentina: Cruiser: Yamil Peralta (13-0) W PTS 10 Mariano Gudino (14-5).

Peralta retains national title with points victory over Gudino. It was an easy defence for Peralta as he floored Gudino three times on the way to victory. The first knockdown came from a straight in the second round. Gudino protested that the punch that put him down landed on his neck but he beat the count only to be dropped again in the sixth by a left hook. The fight should have ended then as Gudino’s corner tried to throw in the towel but it got caught up in the ropes and was ignored. A right counter put Gudino down for the third time in the tenth with Pe4ralta settling for a points victory. Scores 99-88 twice and 98-89. Peralta was making the first defence of the Argentinian title and he retained the WBC Latino belt. A double-Olympian Peralta should now be looking to face some better class opposition if he wants to crash the ratings. Gudino falls to 2-5 in his last 7 fights

 

Tijuana, Mexico: Super Welter: Carlos Ocampo (32-1) W TKO 1 Omir Rodriguez (11-4-1). Super Bantam: David Picasso (20-0-1) W TKO 7 Cesar Paredes (15-4-1). Super Light: Carlos Sanchez (22-0) W KO 1 Jorge Pacheco (9-2-1).

Ocampo vs. Rodriguez

Ocampo massacres poor over-matched Rodriguez. Panamanian Rodriguez had only very rudimentary skills and just walked in head down swinging his arms. Ocampo battered him with punches to and then around the ropes until Rodriguez went down. He got up and despite taking more punishment kept slinging wild punches until he was dropped face down by a series of shots just before the bell. He tried to rise but tumbled backwards and the referee waived the fight over. Twentieth inside the distance win for Ocampo but really nothing worth saying about this sorry spectacle.

Picasso vs. Paredes

Prospect “King” Picasso adds another victory as he stops Peruvian southpaw Paredes in seven rounds. The 21-year-old from Mexico City is trained by former champion Erik Morales. The draw on his record is a case where he lost on a fourth round stoppage early in his career but the Mexico City commission changed the result to a technical draw and this is his seventeenth win since then. Paredes has lost a split decision and a majority decision against Chilean Jose Velasquez who challenged for the WBA super bantam title in November.

Sanchez vs. Pacheco

Another terrible mismatch saw Sanchez beat Pacheco in 60 seconds. Sanchez scored with a couple of hefty body punches that had Pacheco backing to the ropes and a right to the ribs dropped Pacheco who took the ten count kneeling in a corner. Eighteen wins by KO/TKO for “The Shark” but again nothing worth reporting. Pacheco hardly threw a punch.

 

Cheswick, PA, USA: Super Feather: Avery Sparrow (11-3,1ND) W TKO 10 Matt Conway (20-3,1ND).

Sparrow was not supposed to win this one. He had been beaten in his last two fights and with only three inside the distance wins did not look a danger. However he outlasted the favourite Conway in a war. By the tenth Conway had nothing left and Sparrow actually signalled to referee he should

step in. He didn’t but a left from Sparrow sent Conway stumbling across the ring to the ropes and as Sparrow bombarded Conway with head punches the referee stopped the fight. Sparrow wins both the vacant IBA title and Pennsylvania State title. The No Decision on Sparrows record was a win that was changed to a ND when he tested positive for a banned substance. Conway had been outpointed by Gabriel Flores in February 2020 but had then won three in a row.

 

Fight of the week (Significance):  Having retained his WBO title Joe Smith can now look either to further defences or a unification fight.

Fight of the week (Entertainment) Not much to get excited about this week.

Fighter of the week: Joe Smith

Punch of the week: The left hook to the body from Jade Bornea that finished Mohammed Obbadi was a corker.

Upset of the week: Avery Sparrow (10-3,1ND) was an outsider against 20-2,1ND Matt Conway but stopped Conway late.

Prospect watch: Puerto Rican super light Omar Rosario 6-0 was a top class amateur and is looking good as a pro.

Observations:

There is no doubt that the Fundora family like to do things in a big way. Super welterweight Sebastian is 6’5 ½” and his sister Gabriela although a flyweight is 5’9”. Taller than most welterweights.

The IBF super flyweight eliminator between Jade Bornea and Mohammed Obbadi shows what a whacky sport ours is. The first two spots in the IBF ratings were vacant. Obbadi was No 3. He had gone from being unrated in the IBF ratings posted 10 January 2020 to No 3 in the ratings posted 2 February 2020 without even fighting and in fact did not have a single fight between December 2019 and April 2021! The situation was not nearly so blatant with Jade Bornea who went from unrated to No 7 for wins over unrated opponents with 10-10-1, 11-0-2 and 15-7-1 records. Putting that to one side the real condemnation of the IBF ratings is that the No 1 and 2 spots were vacant as to fill one of those spots you have to have a win over another rated fighter-and no one in their ratings qualified! But if you can get to No 3 without facing a rated opponent why take the risk-only in boxing is this stupidity tolerated and looked upon as “normal”.