Giving credit where it’s due: The accolades of Wladimir Klitschko

Since the retirements of American heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, the heavyweight division has lacked any true domination other than that of world title holder Wladimir Klitschko.

Klitschko (63-3, 53 KOs) has earned the respect of many of his colleagues and fans. However, many question if he deserves the credit that he has received and if he may be overrated. This is not an unreasonable quandary given that Klitschko has had most of his recent opponents spoon fed to him. Klitschko’s last loss was to Lamon Brewster in 2004, only for them to rematch in 2007, when he retained his IBO and IBF heavyweight titles.

In March 2010 and July 2011 Klitschko fought American hopeful Eddie Chambers and British WBA super heavyweight champion David Haye. Nations rallied between these two potential answers to the Klitschko question only for them to be disappointed.

Klitschko’s last formidable opponent was Alexander Povetkin, who he faced in October 2013 and went on to win by unanimous decision.

After a total of 66 bouts, Klitschko has had a total of five that have either given him trouble or that had formidable records, including the above mentioned boxers as well as Corrie Sanders and Ross Puritty, whom Klitschko had lost to earlier in his career. This certainly includes his most recent opponent, Kubrat Pulev.

Pulev had only fought 20 times before facing Klitschko, less than one-third of Klitschko’s total fights. Pulev was knocked out in the fifth round, but the fight was not an impressive one to begin with.

Pulev came into the ring looking more like a kickboxer than a boxer. He had a very wide guard and was unprotected from Klitschko’s massive power. In addition to Klitschko’s already unpopular following in Hamburg, his entrance to the ring was a typical flashy performance with lights, fog, music and other special effects. This did not sit well with the fans in the O2 World Arena who were already booing when his name was announced.

Regardless of the above, Wladimir is in a league of his no doubt. He has conquered the Heavyweight division for years and hats off to such a man. A man who possesses great mannerism’s out the ring and whether he is everyone cup of tea in the ring is each individual’s varied opinion. No doubt he will be remembered as a great and rightly deserves that. He still carries on his legacy still with many opportunities still in place, yet that mother nature may get the better of him as he is now aged thirty eight. He can hold his head up high as he has stopped many fighters who thought that they might have a chance of causing an upset.

Now, negotiations are currently underway for a 2015 bout between Klitschko and American heavyweight Bryant Jennings. Although he also has a perfect record of 19-0 with 10 KOs, Jennings seems untested and not yet a worthy contender for the likes of Klitscko. Whether or not Klitschko will be tested again before he retires is a mystery.

At the age of 38, Klitschko’s time is nearing and whether we will see another boxer with the caliber of a 20th century American heavyweight is yet to be seen. Wladimir Klitschko deserves all the accolades that he gets.

– Nader Gamez / @NaderGamez
Contributor for BehindTheGloves.com

Is Floyd Mayweather really the best ever?

Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez and Bernard Hopkins; These are all icons of the sport, considered at one point or another to be “the best ever.”

What exactly defines being “the best ever?”

No one has ever made a point of clearly defining this title, but it could surely mean the most wins on record, or the boxer with the ability to provide the most exiting fights or maybe even a boxer who has shown the most sportsmanship both inside and outside of the ring. Whatever the definition may be, it is still unclear to many of this generation’s fight fans as to whether Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the real deal and the best of ever. Or is he simply the best of his crop?

Although many of his supporters will swear that he is the best of all time (much to the chagrin of those that grew up watching Ali), the facts will support that Mayweather has strategically placed himself in a position to be the best of his crop as long as he is not challenged by a real contender.

Credit is given where it is deserved. Mayweather is not only a boxer, but he is also a very cunning businessman with a net worth of $280 million, who has taken advantage of his financial situation to begin numerous ventures including his own promotion company. But his intelligence is not limited to his investments. Mayweather has played a game of chess with his professional boxing career in a way that always makes him the knight checking the queen with all the other pieces off the board.

Mayweather won a bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics and began his professional career that same year. He won his first world title in 1998. No one can take away what he did to get where he is now. His hard work paid off and this characteristic is still seen in him as the media provides glimpses of him putting his time in the gym during his training camps. However, one of Mayweather’s opponents has a saying that is relevant to this discussion.

Before his title fight with Mayweather, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez stated in an interview “to be the best, you have to fight the best.” That is something that is certainly questionable about Mayweather.

Of course, with a record of 47-0 with 28 KOs, it is hard to question whether he really is the best ever. But let us break down who he has fought and who he has not fought.

The first boxer to ever give Mayweather any sort of trouble in the ring was Jose Luis Castillo in their first match in April 2002. Castillo also provided Mayweather his 28th and 29th fights. Mayweather won the first rounds but Castillo rallied to win the latter rounds. Unfortunately, it was too little too late and Mayweather won by unanimous decision. The crowd disagreed with the decision, as did Castillo and promoter Bob Arum. This would be one of many situations where Mayweather’s “footwork” would keep him out of trouble. To many, this was just nothing more than Mayweather running from his opponent.

But the win was not sufficient for Mayweather. He had to prove to the public that there was no doubt that he had beat Castillo. A rematch was scheduled just eight months after their first meet. Mayweather won again by unanimous decision and removed any further doubts, as well as any chances of any further rematches.

As much as Arturo Gatti had been regarded as a fight-of-the-night boxer after his matches with Micky Ward, his fight with Mayweather in June 2005 was everything except a fight-of-the-night contest. Gatti had his hands down and was complaining to the referee about an illegal punch he had received when Mayweather landed a left hook and knocked him down. Everything went downhill from there. Mayweather dominated the fight until after the sixth round when Gatti’s corner threw in the towel and Mayweather won by TKO.

Mayweather went to face opponents after this that were either past their prime or simply had not been tested enough to compete with someone of his caliber. He went on to defend and win titles from the likes of Zab Judah, Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, Robert Guerrero and Alvarez.

Although Guerrero was not well known before his fight with Mayweather, an entire nation had rallied behind both De La Hoya and Alvarez only to be disappointed.

Mayweather fought Victor Ortiz in September 2011 only to have a repeat of the Gatti fight except much shorter and much more controversial. The referee had already told both boxers to stop after Ortiz had given Mayweather a head butt and was deducted a point. He never called time back in and Ortiz decided to apologize to Mayweather. While he did that, Mayweather decided to punch Ortiz and knock him down. Ortiz was not able to get up before the count and the fight ended in the fourth round. Commentator Larry Merchant tried to get an explanation from Mayweather regarding his actions but only received yelling and cussing from him.

In his most recent fights with Marcos Maidana in May and September,’ Mayweather showed a repeat of his fights with Castillo. Maidana was able to win half of the first fight but lost in a very controversial decision. Just fourth months later, they would meet again and Mayweather would win with his usual tactics, Maidana would try to catch him and he would try to run.

It is clear that Mayweather has an impeccable record. And he has worked hard to earn that record. But how many fight-of-the-night awards has he won in comparison to his wins, or his titles? Mayweather does not want to win anymore or earn a defense of his title. At this point in his career, he has settled for not losing.

– Nader Gamez
Contributor for BehindTheGloves.com

Robinson Castellanos (20-10, 13 KOs) from Guanajuato, Mexico, defeated Ronny Rios (23-1, 10 KOs) in a scheduled ten round junior lightweight bout. The event was held Friday night as part of the Golden Boy Live series at the Fantasy Springs Casino in El Indio, CA. Castellanos, a former welterweight champion, was able to finish Rios by technical knockout in the fifth round after having dominated the entire fight.

The first event of the evening was a scheduled six round featherweight bout between Diego de la Hoya (7-0, 5 KOs) from Mexicali, Baja CA, Mexico and Luis Alfonso Ruiz from Merida, Mexico. This would be Ruiz’ first fight in the US.

The first round started off with both boxers coming in active with high guards and feeling each other out with their jabs. Of the two, it was obvious that de la Hoya had crisper punches and was landing more. At one point he landed a stiff jab and then, moments later, a powerful straight right to the head that stunned Ruiz.

De la Hoya became more confident as his domination continued into the second round and started throwing uppercuts which led to a flurry between both boxers. This led the crowd to roar for both of them while de la Hoya was trying to finish the fight on the spot. Shortly after, de la Hoya tried to land a body punch but landed a low blow instead. This sent Ruiz to the ropes with a grimace. Referee Jerry Cantu stepped in and gave Ruiz time to recover before he warned de la Hoya to watch his low blows. After the round was set to continue, both boxers flurried and tried to land in the last few seconds before the bell rang.

In between rounds, de la Hoya’s corner instructed him to keep calm. That he could take him out whenever he wanted.

The viewers saw de la Hoya moving in and out of range more in the third round. Ruiz was unable to land as a result of this. He also started showing signs of fatigue and began dropping his guard, which led to him taking more punishment. Before the round was over, de la Hoya landed two double jabs.

The domination continued into the fourth round and, after the bell rang, de la Hoya actually told Ruiz that he needed to get his punches together before they went to their respective corners.

De la Hoya continued to dominate throughout the next two rounds as Ruiz held on by a thread. He was even checked by the doctor in his corner between the fifth and sixth round but he ruled that Ruiz was able to continue fighting.

The judges gave the fight to de la Hoya by unanimous decision. This was of no surprise to the crowd given Ruiz’ lack of response throughout the fight.

The second event of the fight was a scheduled eight round welterweight bout between Antonio Orozco (21-0, 15 KOs) from San Diego, CA and former world champion Steve Forbes (35-14, 11 KOs) from Las Vegas, NV. It is important to note that a deciding factor in this fight would be the age difference between the two boxers: Orozco at 26 years old and Forbes at 37 years old.

Both boxers came in active into the first round with high guards. They immediately stood toe-to-toe at close quarters and started throwing body shots at each other. It seemed as if both wanted to wear each other out as soon as possible. Forbes was doing a good job of blocking punches with his elbows. With the exception of a few jabs, this was the same strategy they used for the second round.

During the second round, Orozco landed a straight right on Forbes before he pushed him against the ropes and to the canvas. It was not ruled a knock down by referee Pat Russell and he also warned Orosco for pushing. The fight was continued and Orozco performed relentless body work on Forbes, who tried to hold on while against the ropes until the bell rang.

It was obvious from the fourth round and afterward that the age difference was taking a toll on Forbes. Orozco kept walking Forbes down against the ropes but Forbes was still trying to hold on, still trying to stay in the fight. This was where his experience would come into play. Forbes is used to 12 round fights and, although his punches were starting to weaken, he at least had a good chance of making it through the fight.

In the fifth round, Orozco started using his straights until the end of the fight to keep Forbes away but he was not successful. Forbes stayed in the fight and was as active as anyone could expect him to be.

In the end, the judges gave the win to Orozco by unanimous decision.

The main event of the evening between Rios and Castellanos started off with Rios coming in the first round and landing multiple right hooks to the body. Shortly after, Castellanos started bleeding from his left eyebrow and referee Ray Corona ruled it an accidental headbutt, however, review of the footage revealed that Rios had caused the cut with an over hand right punch. Shortly after the cut, Castellanos started swinging and landing more since he knew that he was bleeding.

The second round started and Castellanos landed a few powerful overhand rights himself that hurt Rios and made him stumble. Rios eventually went down but got back up in time before the count was over. Castellanos moved in after the fight continued and tried to end it but Rios smothered him to hold on.

As the third round began, Castellanos came in fighting with a smile on his face while blood was pouring down his cheek. He knew that he could pick his punches at this point. Moreover, Rios was not fighting back much at this point.

Rios was taking so much punishment that the referee had to warn him in the fourth round to fight back. Shortly after, Rios took a massive left hook to the head followed by overhand rights.

In between rounds, Hector Lopez from Rios’ corner teld him he needed to fight back or he would stop the fight. Rios simply seemed lethargic in his responses.

The fifth round started and the speech did not take its desired effect on Rios. Castellanos came in with a strong right hand to the head which led to the referee stopping the fight at 11 seconds into the fifth round. Castellanos won the fight by TKO.

For Castellanos, he wants a shot at another title and more fights. For Rios, it looks like he will not be able to keep his unblemished record.

– Nader Gamez / @NaderGamez

Golden Boy Live! report – Diaz Jr prevails; Ricardo Alvarez and Maldonado win.

Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr (12-0, 8 KOs) from South El Monte, CA defeated Raul Hidalgo (21-12, 16 KOs) from Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico by TKO on Monday night.  The scheduled ten-round featherweight bout was cut short by referee Tony Weeks after two minutes and thirteen seconds into the seventh round after he decided Hidalgo had taken enough punishment.  This event, held in a 6,000 sold out State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, TX, was the first time Diaz was the main event in a fight.  He went on to say that he wanted to fight two more times before the end of the year and make the top ten list next year.

The first fight of the night was a scheduled eight round junior welterweight bout between Ricardo “Dinamita” Alvarez (24-3-3, 13 KOs) from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and John Michael “Bam Bam” Johnson (31-10, 23 KOs) from San Antonio, TX.  Alvarez, the older brother of former title holder Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, came in 14 years younger than Johnson at age 32 and with a 72”  reach.  It is also notable that the 46 year-old Johnson, with a 69” reach, came in weighing 137.5 lbs while Alvarez came in at 145.25 lbs.  This fight was important for Alvarez since he was coming off a loss in May 2014.  As for Johnson, a former title holder, he had been out of the ring for almost ten years until about three years ago when he started sparring again and he said he felt the itch.  He said while he was out he had saved enough money for his family and took a job at a power plant.  Johnson, a member of the San Antonio Boxing Hall of Fame, said he works from 5am to 5pm and then trains until 9pm.  He also reported that he had ran a half marathon last week and had run earlier on the day of the fight and felt like he could go for 12 rounds.

The bell rang and the first round started with both boxers feeling each other out.  Both boxers met each other at the center of the ring with a high guard.  For a while it seemed that the only action to be had was a few upper cuts and straights thrown by Alvarez to the body until the crowd started booing.  At that point both boxers became more active and Alvarez started targeting Johnson’s head in order to find his reach but Johnson was able to block a good amount of punches.

The second round began with Johnson talking to Alvarez in order to get him to become more active.  The tactic had its effect as Alvarez landed 3 powerful left hooks to the body but Johnson just asked for more.  A one-two combination by Alvarez then moved Johnson back but he responded with straights that put Alvarez in the corner.

Overall, Johnson was doing a good job of skipping and parrying jabs.  He started using an overhand right hand in the third round and was able to land effectively against Alvarez.  He continued to taunt Alvarez throughout the next few rounds.  At one point in the fourth round, the 46 year-old Johnson was chasing Alvarez while on the attack and had him against the ropes again, but Alvarez had better timing and accuracy.

The fifth round began with Johnson yelling at Alvarez to “Come on!”  Alvarez proceeded by throwing a powerful combination but Johnson was still on the offensive chasing Alvarez.  Johnson then landed a few body shots and a ripping left hook to the head when he cornered Alvarez.  Alvarez was able to move out of the corner and then was able to perfectly time uppercuts as Johnson moved in.  It is interesting to note that neither one of the two boxers was punching at the same time as the other.  They were both taking their turns.

The seventh round started off with Alvarez landing left hooks on Johnson’s body.  Johnson responded by landing straight punches to Alvarez’ head.  Johnson did not have much power behind his punches.  Some of that may have been attributed to his age. In contrast, Alvarez was stepping forward with his front foot whenever he jabbed and was able to land crisp, effective punches.  In addition, he was sitting on his punches and was, as a result, able to keep his reach.

The eighth and final round started off with Johnson yelling at Alvarez again.  Johnson walked Alvarez down the ring and against the ropes.  He landed a flurry of punches that got the crown going.  Alvarez was able to get out but Johnson started switching his stance to that of southpaw in order to help cut off the ring.  As the crowd started booing again for more action they both flurried in the last ten seconds of the round.

The judges gave the win to Alvarez by unanimous decision.  Despite having won the fight, the bout showed that Alvarez still has more work to do if he wants to become a contender and that Johnson still has some fight in his 46 years of age.

The second fight of the night was a scheduled eight round junior welterweight bout between Fidel Maldonado Jr. (19-2, 16 KOs) from Albuquerque, NM and Nelson Lara (15-5-6, 8 KOs) from Jinotepe, Nicaragua.  The 23 year-old Maldonado came in with a reach of 72” over the 29 year-old Lara’s 69”.  Maldonado, who was on a five fight win streak, had not fought since February due to managerial issues.  He stated that in the near future he wanted to fight either Adrien Broner or Omar Figueroa, who was in the audience.  For Lara, this would be his first fight in the US.

The bell rang and both came out in the first round with high guards.  Maldonado was in his southpaw stance and began using his quick jab almost immediately.  He then landed a combination while Lara was unable to find his reach.  Maldonado was able to show better timing and caught Lara every time he moved in.  Lara started showing signs of frustration as he was unable to connect.

In between rounds, Steven Quinonez in Lara’s corner told him that Maldonado was open and that he had to throw more and hesitate less.

The second round began and Maldonado was able to land body shots and uppercuts as he placed Lara against the ropes.  Lara was able to get out but he kept on walking into the Maldonado’s jab as he was pressing forward.  The round ended with Maldonado smiling as he knew that he was dominating with his uppercuts and left hooks as well.

The third round began with Lara landing two powerful right hands to the head but Maldonado just smiled and taunted Lara.  They both then flurried and smothered each other until referee Tony Garcia had to separate both of them.  Later in the round, Maldonado threw a powerful left hook to Lara’s head that resonated throughout the arena.  Lara responded with powerful right to Maldonado’s head and both ended the round in another big exchange.

Lara landed a straight right that started a flurry in the fourth round.  Lara was on attack mode as Maldonado was stepping back.  Maldonado was shaking his head but Lara was landing and the crowd was cheering for him.  Lara then backed him against the ropes and was able to draw blood from his nose.  At this point, Maldonado could barely stand and was not smiling anymore.  He was saved by the bell.  This fight had just turned into a slugfest.

In between rounds, Lara’s corner told him that every time Maldonado was smiling it meant that he was hurt and to just keep punching.

Maldonado came back in the fifth and sixth round and was just pecking away at Lara.  Lara was unable to connect once again.

During the seventh round, Maldonado defended himself by spinning Lara.  As a result, Lara fell to the ground and the referee deducted one pint from Maldonado.  Almost immediately, Maldonado came on the attack.  Both boxers ended up exchanging on the ropes and Maldonado was finally able to get out but he was too tired to fight back at that point.

In the eighth and final round, Maldonado was able to knock Lara down with a one-two combination.  Lara immediately stood up and took more punishment before the referee separated them and gave him the count.  The fight continued and Lara took more punishment until the bout was called to an end by the referee at one minute and thirty seconds of the eighth round.

Although Maldonado won the fight, his exhibit showed that he needs to do more work if he plans to mix with the likes of Adrien Broner or Omar Figueroa.  As Figueroa stated while he was interviewed after the fight, Maldonado could have done a better job if he could have finished the fight in the earlier rounds.

The main event of the night between Diaz and Hidalgo started out at a very fast pace in the first round.  Both came in very active with high guards and quick feet and hands.  Diaz, with his southpaw stance, was keeping his right hand down.  At one point, he was able to knock Hidalgo down with a right hook to the head but that was also mainly due to bad balance on Hidalgo’s part.  Hidalgo was able to get up right away.  The fight continued and Diaz ended the round with powerful hooks to the body.

Hidalgo showed some signs of fight in him in the third round when he worked on Diaz’ body and walked him down, leading to a close quarter fight between the two. However, by the fourth round, Diaz was using his powerful hooks again to keep Hidalgo in his place. At one point in the round, he was able to push him against the ropes and Hidalgo had to smother Diaz to stop the attack.  Diaz moved in for the kill in the last ten seconds of the round.

Hidalgo was mainly on the defensive in the fifth round.  Hidalgo told his corner in between rounds he was tired and he was feeling Diaz’ punches.  Diaz dominated the round again and finished with another flurry.

Diaz was able to perform in the same manner in the seventh round.  He was able to stay out of Hidalgo’s reach but still land.  Hidalgo still showed no sign of coming back into the fight.  At the end of the round, he preemptively turned his back on Diaz only to allow him to land a flurry on him before the bell.

In the seventh round, Diaz landed a thunderous body shot that dropped Hidalgo.  After he was given the count, Diaz went on the attack and Hidalgo had to take a knee to save himself.  After he was given another count, a combo by Diaz dropped him once again and referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight at two minutes and thirteen seconds into the third round.

From the looks of it, Diaz will make the top ten list as he wishes if he keeps at his current pace.  The 2012 Olympian may soon be looking at contender status in the featherweight division as he takes on bigger names.

– Nader Gamez / @NaderGamez

– Contributor to www.BehindtheGloves.com

Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz finished Lateef “Power” Kayode Thursday night by way of TKO in the first round and went on to claim the interim WBA heavyweight title of the world.  Ortiz, (22-0, 17 KOs), came from Miami with his goal of winning a world title and was able to do just that.  Kayode (20-1), who trains in Los Angeles, had said he was ready to knock out Ortiz and was looking forward to a fight with Wladimir Klitschko.  Although the finish was a controversial one, the night was full of exciting rounds with the undercards at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.

The main event of the night was a scheduled 12 round fight for the WBA interim heavyweight title between Ortiz and Kayode.  Ortiz had said that his first goal in life was to come to the US from Cuba in order to seek better care for his then-ill daughter.  She is in good condition now and since he has accomplished that, now he wants to move on to his second goal: becoming a world champion.

Kayode, originally from Nigeria, was training under Freddie Roach and was also the former WBO, NABO and NABF cruiserweight champion.

When interviewed before the fight, Oscar de la Hoya said he definitely predicted a knockout in this fight. He said he just was not sure who it would be from.

The bell rang and both boxers moved in with heavy hands.  Ortiz landed a left hook and then a right hook to the body which dropped Kayode but referee Robert Byrd decided he had lost his footing and slipped.  Ortiz, with his lower guard of the two, stalked Kayode and both look for the knockout.  Kayode could not seem to find his reach and was at a disadvantage.  Ortiz hurt Kayode with a wide left hook.  Ortiz then cornered Kayode who proceeded to almost sit against the corner and take the punishment without punching back.  At two minutes and 55 seconds of the first round Byrd stepped in and stopped the fight.  Many in the crowd were displeased with the decision along with Kayode and his corner.  Kayode kept saying that he was defending himself, however, Byrd was interviewed and stated that he stepped in because he was taking too many punches.  Malignaggi said, “If you’re okay, do something about it!”  He goes on to say that Kayode could have taken a knee and that he was obviously throwing punches after the referee stepped in so he was cognizant, he just did not show it when he was cornered.

Ortiz went on to win by TKO and got his title.  For him, it looks like he has accomplished his two main goals in life.  For Kayode, it seems he may have to go back to the drawing board if he wants to fight the likes of Klitschko.

– Nader Gamez / @NaderGamez

– Contributor for www.BehindtheGloves.com

Second round devastating knock out sees Cuellar defeat Juan Manuel Lopez

The fifth fight of the night was a scheduled 12 round bout for the WBA featherweight interim title between Jesus Cuellar (25-1, 19 KOs) from Buenos Aires, Argentina and Juan Manuel Lopez (34-5, 31 KOs) from Rio Pierdas, PR.  The 27 year old Cuellar came in with a reach of 71” while the 31 year-old Lopez with that of 69”.  Cuellar had a great deal of support from the crowd of 4,000 as many Argentineans had traveled to Las Vegas to watch the Mayweather vs Maidana rematch Saturday night.

Both fighters moved in at the start of the first round and met each other in their southpaw stance with a high guard.  Cuellar was pressuring forward, fainting with his hands and landing strong power punches.  Both connected with hooks at the same time but Cuellar was able to follow with three right hooks to the head.  By the time the round was over, a mouse had begun to form under Lopez’ right eye.

Round two began and both boxers began to flurry.  At one minute and 36 seconds of the second round Lopez was knocked out by Cuellar with a one-two combination and was unable to stand up.  In fact, he seemed to not even know where he was, such was the power of the punch from Cuellar.  Cuellar had landed a few quick hooks after the combination but a review of the tape clearly showed that Gonzalez was already out and was taking punishment as he was falling to the ground.

Charlo stops Gonzalez in the seventh

The fourth event for the night was an eight round middleweight bout between Jermall “Hitman” Charlo (19-0, 16 KOs) from Houston, TX and Norberto Gonzalez (20-5, 13 KOs) from Puerto Rey, Mexico.  The 24 year-old Charlo came in at 6’0” and a reach of 73.5” while the 33 year-old Gonzalez came in at 5’10” and a reach of 71”.  Gonzalez had never been stopped in his career.  Charlo had said he was interested in fighting Carlos Molina after this event.

As the first round began, Charlo came in with his left hand down while Gonzalez had a higher guard and was bobbing and weaving but backing up from the pressure.  Charlo exhibited his quicker hands in the first round, mainly by sticking the jab.  He also cut off the ring from Gonzalez very effectively while he stalked him and used a head-body combination.

The beginning of the second round found Gonzalez in trouble against the ropes but he was able to dig deep and fight his way out with a one-two combination.  He tried moving to his left and his right but was unable to evade Charlo.  Charlo landed a beautiful double jab and a straight right combination.

Round three found Charlo landing a low blow without much effect on Gonzalez.  He was warned by referee Kenny Bayless and the round continued.  Gonzalez began to show obvious signs of fatigue by puting his arms down and breathing with his mouth open.

Even though he had been warned about the low blow, Charlo landed another low blow in the fourth round.  This left hook had power behind it and actually dropped Gonzalez.  His face showed nothing but excruciating pain and it looked as though he might use the full five minutes allotted to him.  Bayless, meanwhile, took a point away from Charlo.

After the round, Charlo’s corner told him not to worry about the point deduction and to just relax.  He was instructed to forget about the body shots and just shoot uppercuts while Gonzalez was covering his face.

Charlo came out strong and determined in the fifth round with straights and backed Gonzalez. Gonzalez was not active at this point and was just protecting his face, however, a powerful right hand from Charlo dropped him and sent him through the ropes to the edge of the ring.  He did not land the punch but it had enough power behind it to make contact with Gonzalez’ gloves and knock him down as a result of squaring off and not having balance.  Gonzalez quickly got up with a smile on his face and continued taking punishment for the rest of round.  Charlo moved in for the kill but Gonzalez was saved by the bell.   The punch stats for the round were 40% landed for Charlo but only 11% for Gonzalez.

In between rounds Gonzalez complained to his corner of a cramp on his right leg and had it massaged.  The commentators believed this may have been a result of bad footing.  As round six began he came out swinging but showed no determination after that with the exception of a few one-two combinations and smothering Charlo.

After the end of the round, Charlo’s corner told him Gonzalez was ready to quit and to get him in the corner again.  They also tell him to use uppercuts when his guard was high.  Punch stats for the round showed Charlo landing 21% of his jabs and Gonzalez 14%.

Shortly after the seventh round began, Charlo took the advice of his corner to heart because he landed two straight rights, a left hook and an uppercut only for Gonzalez’ corner to stop the fight.  Charlo won by TKO at one minute and 23 seconds of the seventh round.

“J Rock” Williams gets decision win against Eliezer Gonzalez 

The third event of the night consisted of an eight round junior middleweight match between Julian “J-Rock” Williams Jr. (17-0-1, 10 KOs) from Philadelphia, PA and Eliezer “Pop” Gonzalez” (14-1-0, 9 KOs) from San Juan, PR.  Williams, who was wearing red, white and blue in honor of the 9/11 anniversary, is known to be a very active fighter and had a reach advantage over Gonzalez at 72.5”.

Gonzalez, wearing black with Puerto Rican colors, had said he had not had as many fights as he wanted due to managerial problems.  He also stated he came to Las Vegas to avenge the defeat of his fellow Puerto Rican Felix Trinidad by William’s fellow Philadelphian Bernard Hopkins.  In addition, Gonzalez was also trained by Felix Trinidad Sr.

The first round of the fight started out with both boxers meeting at the center of the ring, Gonzalez with his guard high and Williams with his left hand lowered almost in a teasing manner.  Gonzalez started stepping back as Williams pressured forward with a wider stance.  They both tried to feel each other out; typical of any first round activity, but they eventually started landing power punches almost in an attempt to end the fight early.  Before the end of the round, Gonzalez took a power left hook to the face from Williams.

Round two began by Williams effectively using his straight right as instructed by his corner to back up Gonzalez.  He was also sticking the jab with precision and Gonzalez did not seem to do much to avoid it.

The third round was interesting because Williams began bobbing and weaving more and began talking to Gonzalez.  As to what exactly he was saying, that is not know.  He began landing more punches with his quick hands and Gonzalez was able to land a one-two combination before the end of the round.  Punch statistics showed that both of them were even in punches landed at 29%.

Round four started out with both boxers getting tangled and referee Jay Nady breaking them up.  Williams’ corner instructed him to set up the knockout but Gonzalez continued to clinch.  A powerful uppercut by Williams backed Gonzalez.  As Nady tried to separate them again, Gonzalez tried to punch Williams in the back of the head as his back was turned to him.  Nady warned him for this and for holding, signs that he was becoming desperate.

As the fifth round began, Williams’ corner told him to throw more than one punch at a time but the most he was able to do in the round was land a big right hand.  The power punches for the round were at 47% for Williams and 28% for Gonzalez.  It was the half-way point of the round and Gonzalez was aware he was losing the fight but he was still trying to stay in it.

The eight and final round began and still no signs of fatigue from either fighter.  Both came out to finish strong.  Before the end of the round, Williams was able to land a fierce right hand before getting another one-two combination from Gonzalez.

Williams went on to win the fight by unanimous decision with a 35% rate of punches landed compared to 21% for Gonzalez.

Errol Spence stays unbeaten with convincing win against Bolanos

The second event of the night was an eight round middleweight bout between Errol Spence Jr. (14-0, 11 KOs) from Desoto, TX and Noe Bolanos (26-11-1, 16 KOs) from Obregon, Mexico.  Spence, the 24 year-old former 2012 Olympian southpaw is known for using his reach advantage and was clearly going to be able to do that in this fight.  He had a 72” reach compared to Bolanos’ 69”.

Round one began and Spence came in with a very high guard, almost hypnotizing Bolanos.  Bolanos came in with a decent guard himself.  They both came off to a very slow start in order to feel each other out.  Spence was looking for his range with his quick hands, particularly his almost invisible jab.  Bolanos, on the other hand, was not avoiding the punches.  He was moving to Spence’s left at times, as one would expect an opponent to do with a southpaw.  However, he still seemed to be hypnotized by Spence’s movement and was standing right in front of him at times.  Unfortunately for him, he was not able to find his reach and tag Spence.  Spence was very active throughout the round and was landing with precision and power.

In between rounds, you could hear Derrick James in Spence’s corner asking for the jab while Jesus Fuentes, in Bolanos’ corner, was telling him in Spanish to circle to the left.

The bell rang and round two began.  Bolanos was still missing on his punches and falling forward after losing his balance.  At one point, Spence landed a mean left hook and the crowd sounded as if though they felt it just like Bolanos.  Spence, however, kept his composure and did not look for the finish.  Spence, unlike Bolanos, was able to use his hand speed to block his punches as well as for attacking.

The round ended and there seemed to be some confusion in Bolanos’ corner.  He told referee Robert Byrd that he could not go on because he had injured his left hand during the round.  This was a point of comical relief for commentators Paulie Malignaggi and Brian Custer as they seemed to have believed that it was impossible for him to have hurt his hand since he never used it to block a punch.  They go on to say that that it was actually Spence’s hands that convinced Bolanos not to come out for a third round.  The fight ends and Spence wins by TKO.  Final punch stats for the fight were 45% landed by Spence and 25% by Bolanos.  Bolanos landed 14 punches throughout the fight.

Josesito Lopez prevails after defeating Rafael Cobos on an unanimous decision.  

The first fight of the night was a scheduled eight round welterweight bout between Josesito “The Riverside Rocky” Lopez (33-6-0, 19 KOs) from Riverside, CA and Rafael Cobos (15-5-5, 3 KOs) from Tijuana, Mexico in which Lopez gained the unanimous points decision.  Lopez, who is currently ranked 11^th in the WBC welterweight division, was hoping to use this as a stepping stone after losses to Canelo Alvarez and Marcos Maidana.  He has won 3 fights since these losses.  He is hoping to fight Amir Khan by the end of this year.

As the first round began, Cobos came out very active with his jab but seemed to be very heavy on his front foot.  Lopez, who seemed to have the height and reach advantage, was setting the pace with his jab and trying to keep Cobos at a safe distance.  Cobos, however, did not seem deterred and kept moving forward and began to clinch Lopez.  Lopez used this time to connect with a few body shots.  For a few seconds, Lopez actually seemed to step back as Cobos attacked and they both traded and clinched once again before the bell rang.

Round two started off with Cobos complaining that he was getting hit behind the head and clinching Lopez more to avoid his punches.  At this point, referee Tony Weeks had to separate them in what would be one of many occasions throughout the fight.  Lopez was still able to connect, though, and landed a massive right hand to the head before the bell rang.

The third round of the fight began with Lopez putting more pressure on Cobos and aiming for the body.  In one instance, he threw a straight left to the body.  One can only speculate that he was hoping for a weaker mid-section on Cobos’ part and that this would lead to a finish.  Instead, Cobos continued to get tangled on purpose with Lopez to prevent further punishment.

At this point in the fight, Cobos still had a high guard and was bobbing and weaving but without much effect.  Lopez had a slightly lower guard and was coming in straight but was using better balance and foot-work to attack and evade counterpunches.  By the end of the third round, Lopez landed 37% of his punches while Cobos landed only 27%.

Round four did not see any sign of tiring on either side, however, Cobos was still not able to find his reach despite his spurts and flurries.  They both smothered each other for the most part until Lopez was able to land an uppercut to the chin and push Cobos to the ropes before the bell rang.

At the halfway point of the fight, Cobos turns the heat on and begins to increase the pressure, gains his confidence and faints punches.  He definitely does not seem shy at this point of the fight.  They both begin to pick up the pace and Lopez capitalizes on his left hook.  The statistics for this round showed 47% power punches from Lopez and 27% from Cobos.

The following round showed Cobos bleeding from his nose but not deterred from trying to win this fight.  In between rounds, Gerald Espinoza from Cobos’ corner instructs him in Spanish to use his overhand right.

Round seven of the fight showed Lopez increasing his tempo and Cobos lunging with his left hook but still missing for the most part.  He was also protecting himself more by lowering his elbows and moving them closer to his body, showing signs that Lopez’ strategy with his body punches had worked.  Most of the round still consisted of a lot of grappling.  At the end of the round, each boxer waited for the other to make a move.  When Cobos started off after Lopez, Lopez quickly landed a one-two combination.

The eighth and final round consisted of much of the same material throughout the rest of the fight: grappling and Tony Weeks breaking up the boxers.  At the end of the fight, it is safe to say Lopez never expected to go eight rounds with a B level boxer like Cobos.  This was actually not one of his best performances and at times seemed like a sparring session.  This is an indication he may have to go back to the drawing work and do some more work before he takes on the likes of Amir Khan.  The statistics for the fight overall fight showed Lopez with 30% punches landed and Cobos with 26%.  Lopez went on to win by unanimous decision.

– Nader Gamez / @NaderGamez

– Contributor for www.BehindtheGloves.com

“Sugar” Shane Mosley, Antonio Tarver, Brandon Rios, Erik Morales, Mickey Bey and J’Leon Love.  What do all these boxers have in common besides being superstars in their sport?  The answer to that question is that they all tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) at some point in their respective careers.  Many fans, members of the media, government officials, fellow athletes and the public in general have long questioned the legitimacy of current drug testing methods in boxing and in other sports due to such a high number of athletes testing positive.  Citing crucial issues such as health problems and the setting of bad examples for younger generations, many have demanded an overhaul of drug testing in professional boxing.  However, many hurdles have stepped in the way of such a break with previous methods.  In order to understand the problem and try to find a solution with respect to professional boxing alone, one must first observe how the issue has developed in other sports and in other levels of boxing to better gauge the severity of this social crisis.

First and foremost, one must understand that there is a big difference between drug testing in Olympic level boxing and professional boxing.  Olympic style testing, or OST, is governed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and in the U.S, by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).  OST is conducted by collecting both urine and blood samples during, in or out-of competition at any time of the year without notice.  According to Travis Tygart, Chief Executive of USADA, OST not only ensures that athletes are clean, but it also conducts random drug testing, something that current boxing commissions do not do.  Blood testing is a more accurate way of identifying PEDs such as human growth hormone (HGH) or Erythropoietin (EPO).

Conversely, there is no set standard for drug testing in professional-level boxing such as OST.  Testing, if conducted, is usually done by collecting urine samples, a method considered easy to manipulate and ineffective by most experts.  More importantly, every state commission has its own method of testing which, in turn, creates a record of inconsistency and makes the commissions unreliable in this aspect.

Professional boxing is not the only sport that has suffered in terms of legitimacy with regards to drug testing.  Many will recall the Congressional hearings held in 2005 and Jose Canseco’s outing of fellow baseball players in his book Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big. In his book, he reported that 85% of professional baseball players used PEDs, a figure that is disputed by many.  Some of the players named in his book included Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi and Alex Rodriguez.  All of these players with the exception of Clemens admitted to using steroids.  Currently, Major League Baseball conducts urine testing at least twice per year and tests a total of about 600 players.

The National Football League, on the other hand, tests every player at least once per year by collecting urine samples.  After Roger Goodell became commissioner of the NFL in 2007, over 70 players have been suspended by the league for testing positive for PEDs and other substances.  These players include Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, Denver Broncos place kicker Matt Prater and Dallas Cowboys corner back Orlando Scandrick.

Mixed martial arts is a young sport but is troubled by many of the same problems in professional boxing.  Although most of the promotion companies have been absorbed into the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the fighters still have to succumb to each state’s athletic commission when it comes to drug testing.  Recently, former light heavyweight contender Chael Sonnen and former light heavyweight champion and middleweight contender Vitor Belfort tested positive for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).  In addition, former light heavyweight contender Wanderlei Silva also was removed from the UFC 175 card after running away from a representative of the Nevada Athletic Commission who was there to gather a sample.  He later reported to the commission that he ran because he was taking diuretics due to an injury and did not want to fail the test.

Professional boxing’s most recent scandal regarding positive drug test results involves former lightweight champion Brandon Rios.  Rios agreed to a post-fight test for his November 23^rd 2013 fight with Manny Pacquiao with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Commission (VADA).  Subsequently, Rios tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine.

VADA is an independent organization which aims to promote drug-free sports by using many techniques similar in OST and always uses a WADA approved laboratory to conduct tests.  In addition, athletes are required to notify VADA of their whereabouts in order to perform random tests.  Although it seems like a perfect alternative to facing suspension or worse from the sport, the downside is that VADA is entirely voluntary and not recognized by state athletic commissions.  Most athletes that contact VADA do so by their own free will and do so only to prove to the public that they are drug free.  Some notable boxers that have participated in VADA are former welterweight and junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley Jr., former light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov and five division world champion Nonito Donaire.  Unfortunately, there is no incentive except good public relations that would force boxers to agree to a fight with OST.  The only fight to have OST was the Mayweather-Mosley fight.  Since then, there has been a great deal of talk but no real movement to using OST.  Some states even give boxers advance notice of drug testing.  The Nevada State Athletic Commission, for example, gives 48 hours notice to boxers before testing.  In addition, there is no way of verifying what is done with the samples and if the tests are conducted in an appropriate manner.

Bob Lynch, former trainer of former flyweight champion Eric Morel recalls when the Wisconsin Department of Licensing and Professionalism was tasked with gathering a urine sample from Morel by the WBA before one of his fights.  Lynch later found out that they gathered the sample as instructed but it was never requested by the WBA.  Years later after it was requested the sample was still stored in the same place it had been since it was taken: in the laboratory refrigerator.

Lynch also went on to say that there was too much at stake between the sanctioning bodies and the athletic commissions to actively promote OST.  Those who criticize the lack of stronger drug testing in boxing, such as ESPN commentator Teddy Atlas, say that boxing is losing credibility and the danger of lenient drug testing is greater now more than ever before.  Some of the fallout from failed or lenient drug testing is cancelled events, which lead to a loss of fans and revenue.  In addition, the use of PEDs not only affects the health of those using them, but also that of the opponents who have to face them.  PEDs can lead to harder and faster punches, which can lead to damaging injuries if not lethal consequences.

Only time will tell what happens to drug testing in boxing.  Most believe there either has to be a crisis or strong leadership before a solution can come.  The question is, does boxing have either one right now? If so, what will it mean to the future of professional boxing?

– Nader Gamez / @NaderGamez

– Contributor to www.BehindtheGloves.com