Boxing Challenge: Zuffa Boxing Debut

     The debut card for Zuffa Boxing on Paramount+ showed that there is much work for the infant promotion to do, but one thing was definite: the fighter who was hoped to be their first homegrown star has a long way to go to become a standout.

Junior middleweight Callum Walsh outclassed former title challenger Carlos Ocampo in winning an easy unanimous decision. Still, for the second fight in a row, Walsh was given a prime stage to shine and instead proved to be simply workmanlike.

Walsh won by scores of 98-90 on two scorecards and 97-91 on the third (I scored Walsh the winner 97-91).

Ocampo was deducted one point while Walsh's glove touched the canvas in the sixth round, which gave Ocampo a knockdown, but Walsh wasn't hurt in the slightest.

Walsh appears to be a solid if unexciting fighter who could contend for a title in the right situation but is unlikely to develop into a star.

I did watch the broadcast with interest as Zuffa started its production.

The commentary was mixed as Joe Tessitore moved over from ESPN for blow-by-blow with Max Kellerman and Andre Ward providing the analysis.

Tessitore isn't a favorite of mine, but he's not terrible.

I've always liked Max Kellerman, but I'm not thrilled to see Andre Ward back.

Everything with Ward revolves around how great he was, and his analysts tend to fall into the trap of complementing him at the cost of the match in the ring.

I liked Tim Bradley's work at ESPN, and he improved a lot after Ward left, simply because he could call the fight rather than talk about Ward.

Kellerman was always a Ward admirer when Ward was active, and I fear he is falling into the same habits as Tim Bradley had when he worked with Ward.

I didn't see much of the pre-fight or desk portions of the broadcast, but I'll try to see those when Zuffa returns with what appears to be a much better slate of fights on February 1st.

Boxing Challenge

Ramon Malpica: 4 Pts (2) 

Vince Samano: 4 Pts (2)

TRS: 4 Pts (1) 

Boxing Challenge: Prograis struggles, Tszyu stars

     There was a world championship fight this Saturday but the winner of that match wasn't the performer of the day as that fighter was a spectacular victor and gives some consideration that a unified four-title champion may not be the best fighter in his division.

But first, Regis Prograis is a fighter that is being considered the best in the junior welterweight division.

However, he didn't show it in his split decision win in his hometown of New Orleans to retain his WBC title over Danielito Zorrilla.

Zorilla appeared to have dropped Prograis in the first round but it wasn't ruled to be one, costing Zorrilla a deserved point. and Prograis scored a flash knockdown in round three.

That about covers anything exciting as Zorrilla rarely took chances and demanded that Prograis force the action, which caused long pauses in the action and resulted in a boring fight.

There were differences in the scoring, both officially and unofficially, with Prograis winning on two judges' cards at 118-109 and 117-110 with a dissenting card of 114-113 for Zorrilla.

I had it closer for Prograis at 115-112 but I've seen several cards online for Zorrilla.

Either way, it was an ugly, clunky fight that was very awkward in the ring, and may have raised questions about Prograis, who has received recent plaudits as the best in the division after running through the respected Jose Zepeda to win the title vacated by Josh Taylor.

The old boxing adage- win today, look good the next time will have to do for Prograis in victory this time.

Meanwhile, in Australia, Tim Tszyu had a harder time overcoming a training camp dog bite than he did Carlos Ocampo as Tszyu knocked Ocampo down seconds into the fight with a right hand and after Ocampo rose, he took several punches before a left polished the veteran off after only seventy-seven seconds.

Ocampo had been knocked out in one round by Errol Spence but in his previous fight had lasted all twelve rounds with Sebastian Fundora, so the early KO isn't tarnished too much.

For Tszyu, who retained his minor title as well as his mandatory shot at Jermell Charlo, it was the type of win that gets fans and media excited about his challenge of Charlo, who hasn't fought in over a year since gaining the final of his four titles with a win in his rematch vs Brian Castano.

It may even be arguable that Tszyu could be the biggest star in his eventual Charlo fight with his activity and exciting wins over Tony Harrison and Ocampo with the consideration of Charlo's inactivity and the thought that nags at me that perhaps Charlo is the best of an average era in the junior middleweight division.

The WBO has mandated that a Charlo-Tszyu fight must take place by September 30th or Charlo will be stripped of their title and Tszyu will be elevated to full status from his minor belt.

In the co-feature, undefeated Sam Goodman scored the biggest win of his career with a split decision over Ra'eese Aleem in a qualifier for the mandatory slot for the IBF in the junior featherweight division.

Aleem started quickly and when he threw punches, had Goodman confused by Aleem's volume of punching and movement.

Aleem stopped throwing as often over the second half of the fight, so Goodman took command over the final four rounds to pull out the split decision.

The judges scored 117-111 and 116-112 for Goodman along with 116-112 for Aleem, all too wide for my tastes with my card for Goodman at 115-113.

Goodman is now the mandatory challenger for IBF and WBA champion Marlon Tapales but with possible plans for Tapales to face the winner of the WBC/WBO title battle between Stephen Fulton and Naoya Inoue held in July, Goodman may have to wait until 2024 for his eventual championship attempt.

Boxing Challenge

TRS: 98 Pts (3)

Ramon Malpica: 90 Pts (3)

Vince Samano:72 Pts (3) 

Boxing Challenge: Fundora outpoints Ocampo

 Showtime's evening of boxing was better than expected in some ways and less than expected in others as the only show over the weekend was broadcast from Carson, California.

In the main event, junior middleweight Sebastian Fundora had a rougher time than expected from Carlos Ocampo but still emerged with a unanimous decision to retain his minor title and more importantly, a likely title shot against the winner of the Jermell Charlo-Tim Tszyu fight that is scheduled for January.

Fundora is the rare fighter in boxing that would be better suited to be less exciting but rather than use his huge wingspan, prefers to rumble on the inside and outwork his opponents.

Fundora has been able to use this style to be effective but I still think that he makes fights far harder than he has to and it will cost him sooner or later.

Ocampo landed his share of punches but Fundora threw and landed more and while Ocampo's brave attempt was surprising to me, he still was far short on the cards (mine was 117-111 for Fundora) with Fundora winning via scores of 119-109, 118-110, and 117-111.

Fundora is trying to stay active which is more than I can say for unified champion Charlo, who hasn't fought more than once a year since 2019, although in each fight Charlo has fought quality competition, and announced his January defense against Tszyu SIX MONTHS in advance.

Fundora makes every fight a grueling one and against the right fighter could be tripped up before receiving his title chance, so there is some concern with every one of his outings.

The most impressive winner of the night was Carlos Adames, who snuffed out Juan Macias-Montiel in three rounds to gain a minor title and move into the mandatory position for WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo, who is more likely to drop the title to move to 168 pounds than face Adames.

Adames raised even further questions about Charlo, who beat Montiel last year by a decision but surprised watchers by allowing Montiel to last the distance and never seriously endangered a fighter that was stopped by Jaime Munguia in two rounds before facing Charlo and now after losing to him, falling to Adames in three.

Adames began ripping Montiel in the second and finished him in the third with several heavy shots that drove Montiel into the ropes and kept him there under heavy fire before the fight was stopped.

I was surprised to see that some criticized the stoppage but I thought things were only going to get worse for Montiel and the ending was very just.

The win was the second impressive victory in a row for Adames after a decision win over Sergey Dereyvanchenko and should he receive the opportunity to face Jermall Charlo, I'd give Adames a decent chance to pull a surprise against Charlo.

In the opener, Argentina's Fernando Martinez repeated his win over Jerwin Ancajas to retain his IBF junior bantamweight title by a unanimous decision.

The rematch wasn't quite as exciting or as close as their first fight but there was still plenty of action from both fighters.

Martinez repeatedly beat Ancajas to the punch as the younger and faster fighter and removed any questions from the much closer first fight when Ancajas barely made weight before the fight.

Martinez took the duke by scores of 119-111 and 118-110 times two with my card repeating the first fight's scorecard of 117-111.

Martinez is a fine fighter but like Ancajas was as champion, could be in a position of not being able to make the biggest fights in the division as most of the other top fighters at junior bantamweight are associated with Matchroom Boxing.

Boxing Challenge

TRS: 166 Pts (4) 

Ramon Malpica: 142 Pts (0)
Vince Samano: 134 Pts (3)