Monday, November 4, 2024

Boxing Challenge: Foster regains title

       The first fight between Robson Conceicao and O'Shaquie Foster is better remembered for the controversial decision than the actual fight.

Their second fight was far more entertaining but this time the right man received the decision as Foster regained the WBC junior lightweight title that he lost to Conceicao via split decision. 

Conceciao took the early rounds, Foster took over in the middle rounds, and the late rounds were fought evenly with the winner of those rounds in the eye of the beholder.

Two judges scored for Foster 115-113 (same as mine) with the other's card favoring Conceicao 115-113, all of which are very reasonable scores.

Foster may next face the winner of December's WBO title encounter between Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez in a unification bout, while Conceciao will look to establish himself for a third fight with Foster, which seems far more interesting now than it did before Saturday night.

The outstanding performance of the weekend was by lightweight contender Raymond Muratalla, who smashed durable Jesus Perez in two rounds.

Perez had never been stopped in losses to WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman, welterweight contender Alexis Rocha, or former title challenger Danielito Zorrilla but Muratalla blitzed Perez in only two rounds with the type of outing that fighters that are prepared for a championship attempt make.

Muratalla is expected to challenge IBF champion Vasyl Lomachenko, should Lomachenko decide to continue boxing.

If Lomachenko retires, as is rumored, Muratalla would fight for the vacant title against Zaur Abdulaev as the highest-rated available challengers in the IBF ratings.

Abraham Nova and Humberto Galindo struggled to a draw in a dull junior lightweight ten-rounder.

Neither fighter deserved the win with one judge scoring 95-95 (my score) with the others scoring 96-94 for Nova and 97-93 for Galindo.

In Las Vegas, unbeaten lightweight prospect Floyd Schofield defeated solid Rene Tellez Giron by unanimous decision in another fight that was more interesting than anticipated as Schofield was willing to exchange more than predicted and make things entertaining.

Schofield did slow down in his first twelve-rounder as Tellez-Giron won a few late rounds and scored a flash knockdown in the eleventh round.

Schofield won on the cards 118-109 times two and 116-111. I scored 117-110 for Schofield, who is over-ranked by the WBA at second in the world.

Schofield is talented but Tellez-Giron is his biggest win and that doesn't qualify him to be rated second in the world.

In what was scheduled to be a WBA super middleweight eliminator but was reduced after Bektemir Melikuziev missed weight, and then is reported to have struggled with David Stevens (I haven't seen it yet) in winning a split decision.

Scores 118-110 and 117-111 for Melikuziev and 116-112 for Stevens.

Boxing Challenge
Ramon Malpica: 156 Pts (5)
TRS: 152 Pts (5)
Vince Samano: 94 Pts (3) 

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