Boxing Challenge: Hitchins dominates Zepeda

    I forgot to post the other fight in last week's boxing challenge as Richardson Hitchins dominated former world title challenger Jose Zepeda in winning the DAZN junior welterweight main event from Orlando Florida.

Hitchins controlled the fight from the outside with his jab keeping Zepeda at bay and when Zepeda was able to get semi-close to Hitchins, Hitchins grabbed Zepeda, tied him up, and waited for the break.

That sums up this one as two judges scored Hitchins the winner at 120-108 (as I did) with the other giving Zepeda one round at 119-109.

Hitchins isn't an exciting fighter to watch but he is a very effective one and in a talent-laden junior welterweight division, Hitchins is a fighter that defines high risk and low reward for the champions and top contenders at 140 pounds.

As for Zepeda, he has reached the stage of his career where if he is going to be effective, he'll have to be matched against fighters who are willing to stand and fight with him as he simply isn't quick enough to chase down boxers that move.

Boxing Challenge 

TRS: 150 Pts (2)

Ramon Malpica: 137 Pts (2)

Vince Samano: 105 Pts (2) 

Boxing Challenge: Ramirez returns, Okolie defends

   There were more fights of interest than only in Las Vegas on Saturday with main events from three platforms on the day, two of those running concurrently with the PBC pay-per-view from Nevada.

ESPN and Top Rank used the main network to broadcast former WBC and WBO junior welterweight boss Jose Ramirez in front of his rabid hometown fan base in Fresno, California in a WBC eliminator against former IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey.

Commey had been thought to be on the downside of a career filled with exciting battles and after a draw against Jose Pedraza, moving up in weight and giving away the hometown crowd to boot, it was easy to see Ramirez as a strong favorite, despite Ramirez being away from the ring for a year.

Instead, Commey gave Ramirez all that he could handle before Ramirez stopped him with a body shot that left Commey on his knees to receive the count of ten in the eleventh round.

Ramirez attempted to make short work of Commey as he sent him around the ring with an attack from the opening bell that contained Commey in a corner and along the ropes in an opening round salvo that seemed to show an early end to the evening.

Ramirez controlled the next few rounds before Commey began to separate from Ramirez by connecting with his jab and landing several straight rights and pulling himself back into the fight on my scorecard.

After ten rounds, the fight was up for grabs and while I had Ramirez up 96-94, Commey looked to be the stronger fighter, and the momentum all belonged to the Ghanian.

However, it was Ramirez that closed the show with a knockdown early in the round that would have likely clinched the bout on the scorecards but to Ramirez's credit, he didn't allow Commey to survive as he chased him down before a crunching left hook to the body that sent Commey to a knee with Commey unable to rise to beat the count.

For Jose Ramirez, who entered the fight answering plenty of questions about why he passed on chances twice to fight for the WBC title, first against Jose Zepeda for the vacant title, and then against Regis Prograis after Prograis won the vacant title with a tenth round knockout of Zepeda, and leaves it with an exciting victory and talks again for a fight against Prograis, which has been rumored for years and for various reasons, has never taken place.

As for Richard Commey, he proved that he still can fight against world-class opponents and while he doesn't have the firepower at 140 pounds as he did at 135, should Commey be able to make the weight in the lightweight division, he might be very competitive in bouts that could divide the titles should Devin Haney defeat Vasyl Lomachenko and move up to the junior welterweight division.

As for the aforementioned Jose Zepeda, he fought for the first time since losing to Regis Prograis in the main event of a DAZN show from Guadalajara, Mexico and honestly, I'm no more sure how the punishment that Zepeda had taken from Prograis as Zepeda won every round (100-90 on all three judges cards and mine) from former Indian Olympian Neeraj Goyat, who spent the entire fight clowning, gesturing and doing about anything that you can name short of landing punches.

The less said about this one, the better as Zepeda still has to show that he's the same fighter as previously and Goyat is someone that I don't have to watch again anytime soon.

Earlier in the day, ProBox picked up the Sky Sports feed from Manchester England and weren't rewarded with an exciting fight as Lawrence Okolie retained his WBO cruiserweight title with a unanimous decision over New Zealand's David Light.

Light was the WBO mandatory challenger and didn't have much luck getting to Okolie, who didn't exactly shine in victory other than an occasional right hand, a jab, and holding.

Lots and lots of holding to the point that Okolie lost a point in round eleven for his grabbing tactics.

Okolie won easily with scores of 119-109, 117-110, and a surprisingly close 116-112.

My score agreed with the middle score of 117-110.

Okolie's defense was his first since signing with Boxxer and leaving Eddie Hearn and Matchroom but his third defense overall and his second uninspiring performance against an opponent that Okolie could have dominated.

Okolie may fight a grudge match next against his fellow Boxxer stablemate Richard Riakporhe and should Okolie stink the joint up in that one, even with a win I'll wonder what Boxxer thinks that they are going to receive for their investment in Okolie.

Boxing Challenge

TRS:42 Pts (5)

Ramon Malpica: 36 Pts (5)

Vince Samano: 28 Pts (2) 

Boxing Challenge: Prograis knocks out Zepeda

    The boxing weekend saw a world championship filled and the new champion staking a claim for a chance for a rematch to prove that he is the best fighter in the division.

Regis Prograis controlled his fight from the outset against Jose Zepeda for the vacant WBC junior welterweight title for most of the ten rounds and then convincingly finished Zepeda in the eleventh, leaving a beaten Zepeda sagging along the ropes and Prograis making an argument for a rematch with Josh Taylor.

Zepeda seemed to be making a late run at the win when he had his best round of the fight in the tenth before Prograis finished the evening in the following round.

I scored Prograis leading 98-92 entering the final round.

Prograis will defend his title for the first time against former WBC and WBO champion Jose Ramirez in a fight that was rumored and planned years ago and both would enter the fight with only one career loss- each of the duo losing to Josh Taylor in close fights.

Prograis-Ramirez is yet another excellent match that one could easily select either fighter to win.

However, after watching this effort from Prograis, I'd favor him as the victor.

In the co-feature, junior middleweight Charles Conwell won a majority decision (98-92, 96-94, 95-95) over veteran Juan Carlos Abreu in a WBC eliminator and moved on to another eliminator in the future.

I haven't watched this fight as of this writing, so I have no scorecards, etc.

The other two big bouts of the weekend would hail from London but on two competing cards.

Frank Warren's Queensberry promotion's main event saw a disappointing ending as Zach Parker surrendered after the fourth round due to a broken right hand.

I thought Parker won three of the first four rounds but Ryder continued to press forward as he typically does and one could see Parker throwing fewer and fewer right hands in the third ad fourth stanzas.

With the win, Ryder becomes a minor WBO champion but more importantly is now the mandatory challenger for unified champion Canelo Alvarez and the organization has ruled that if Alvarez fights anyone other than Ryder in his next two fights, they will be forced to remove their title from the Mexican star.

Ryder's not flashy and against elite boxers can be outpointed but he never stops coming forward and will give even the best of his division a physically taxing battle.

On the other side of London, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing heaved a sigh of relief after Dillian Whyte won a majority decision over previously undefeated Jermaine Franklin of the United States.

Whyte and Franklin divided most of the middle rounds after Franklin started quickly in winning the first two rounds.

Franklin hurt Whyte in the ninth and appeared to be on the verge of an upset but Whyte staggered Franklin in the tenth and finished the fight strongly in the final round when he again stunned the American.

I thought the fight was close (I scored it a draw at 114-114) and didn't have a complaint with Whyte getting the win, although the scores of 115-115 ( I hate scoring even rounds and this judge scored two of them) and 116-112 x2, seemed a bit weird.

7-5 either way or a draw is an acceptable card, 8-4 (as two judges saw it for Whyte) for either fighter would be too much of a margin.

For Franklin, it re-establishes himself as a fighter that is deserving of future fights against contenders, and for Whyte, the win likely allows him to stay in line for a 2023 rematch with former champion Anthony Joshua.

Joshua and Whyte fought an action-filled battle in 2015 when both men hurt and pounded the other before Joshua stopped Whyte in the seventh round.

Joshua has been rumored to be in negotiations for a match against Deontay Wilder that has been wanted by boxing fans for years but Whyte makes sense in the event that Joshua-Wilder cannot reach an agreement.

Boxing Challenge

TRS: 194 Pts (4) 

Ramon Malpica: 166 Pts (2)

Vince Samano: 158 Pts (4)  

Boxing Challenge: Ennis, Zepeda score First Round KO's

 The boxing weekend saw one mild surprise and two top contenders score impressive first-round knockout wins against good opposition.

The most meaningful fight ended with an upset as Radzhab Butaev surprised Jamal James with a ninth-round knockout to take the minor welterweight title held by James and earn a mandatory chance at WBA champion Yordenis Ugas.

Butaev pressured the 6'2 James throughout the fight and held a slight lead on my scorecard (77-75) entering the ninth round before beginning to hurt James and with James against the ropes, referee Celestino Ruiz stopped the fight.

It was a little premature in my opinion as James was stung a bit but not badly dazed.

Butaev will get a title shot against Ugas or Eimanis Stanionis for the full WBA title.

The WBA has ordered Ugas-Stanionis with the winner to face Butaev but Ugas has asked for an exception to face WBC and IBF champion, Errol Spence.

Should the extension be granted, Stanionis and Butaev could fight each other for the mandatory fight for a Ugas-Spence winner but if it is not granted Ugas has threatened to vacate the WBA belt to fight Spence anyway, which would result in Stanionis-Butaev for the vacant title. 

The co-feature saw the most feared welterweight in the sports as Jaron "Boots" Ennis blew Thomas Dulorme out in one round.

Ennis knocked Dulorme down with a left hook followed by a right hand and Dulorme rose and tried to fight off Ennis but seconds later would be felled by a combination that he couldn't rise from and was counted out.

For Ennis, it was another impressive performance that will make few interested in fighting him, even champions such as Errol Spence and Terence Crawford.

Ennis is rated in the top six by all four organizations but not higher than third by the IBF and its very possible that Ennis may have to wait until 2023 and be a mandatory challenger to get a title shot, which is too bad because other than answering chin questions, which haven't been an issue thus far, Ennis looks to be as strong of a young contender as I've seen in quite a while.

In New York City, junior welterweight contender Jose Zepeda crushed Josue Vargas in one round of a grudge match after a pre-fight buildup that saw punches and kicks exchange from both men and their camps.

Zepeda dropped Vargas in the first round with a left and with Vargas badly hurt, Zepeda battered Vargas into a corner and fired away relentlessly before the referee ended the fight.

Zepeda is ranked second by the WBC and might be placed in fights like these for a while as he waits for  Josh Taylor to vacate his four titles.

No boxing challenge as we didn't get choices, due to a miscommunication. 

Boxing Challenge: Taylor defeats Ramirez

    All four of the championships in the junior welterweight division will reside in Scotland as Josh Taylor retained his WBA and IBF titles and stripped Jose Ramirez of the WBC and WBO versions via a close unanimous decision in Las Vegas.

All three scorecards were 114-112 for Taylor (I had Taylor a 115-111 winner), which means that each judge gave each fighter six rounds, but Taylor's knockdowns of Ramirez in the sixth and seventh-round allowed Taylor to to earn the two-point victory.

Taylor's left hand dropped Ramirez in the sixth and uncorked a left uppercut that sent Ramirez crashing to the canvas in the seventh that had a smidgen of controversy as it appeared that Ramirez had stopped and waited for ref Kenny Bayless to call for a break and relaxed just a bit.

Taylor took advantage and it is always protect yourself at all times, but it was a mistake by Ramirez to relax and give Taylor the open opportunity.

Ramirez was aggressive throughout, but Taylor was able to stand his ground enough to build an early lead on the cards and hold off Ramirez's traditional late charge for the victory.

In the end, it was a really strong contest, but the more versatile fighter that can do everything well had just enough to defeat the stronger fighter that can fight best in only one style.

I would be fine with a rematch, but Taylor has a choice to make for his next fight and neither involves Ramirez.

Taylor would seem to have two big-money choices available with Top Rank as he could move up to welterweight against WBO champion Terence Crawford as Crawford still has one fight remaining on his contract with the company or he could stay at 140 for an all-UK affair against WBO mandatory contender Jack Catterall, who took a step-aside fee to allow Ramirez to face Taylor.

Taylor could also stay at 140 and defend those titles against Teofimo Lopez, who holds three (officially anyway) of the four lightweight belts but should Taylor decide that he wants to keep all four titles at junior welterweight, he will have to face Catterall first as Catterall is not likely to take another check to allow a Taylor-Lopez bout next.

Should Taylor move up to 147 pounds, all four titles are likely to be vacated and I'd think that Jose Ramirez would be involved in the scramble to grab one of the titles as arguably, along with Regis Prograis, who like Ramirez has suffered only one loss and like Ramirez, a close decision loss to Taylor, the best non-Josh Taylor junior welterweight.

Boxing is at its best on nights like Saturday.

Two undefeated young champions giving their all on free television for all to see and at the end of the night- only one will stand tall.

In the co-feature, Jose Zepeda won convincingly but didn't dazzle in winning a unanimous decision over aging veteran Hank Lundy in a junior welterweight ten rounder.

Zepeda is rated first by the WBC and will be in line for an eventual shot at Josh Taylor or more likely involvement for the vacant title should Taylor move up to welterweight.

Zepeda won clearly (98-92 on my card), but Lundy hung tough as a late replacement and deserves credit for doing what he could do against Zepeda.

In the boxing challenge, I earned four points to Ramon Malpica's two to boost my lead to 70-66 in the overall standings. 

Boxing Challenge: Zepeda Knocks Out Baranchyk in Fight of the Year

The term "War" is often overused in boxing as it seems that social media is filled with promotional companies and Twitter accounts claiming each good fight was an absolute "War" in order to show that their company/promotion/managerial team is the best etc.

However, there are the rare nights that you are watching something special and no adjectives need to be applied- you just enjoy the show.

Jose Zepeda's fifth-round knockout of former IBF junior welterweight champion Ivan Baranchyk offered as much as you could ask for from a fight.

Action, knockdowns from both fighters, constant swings in momentum, never a certainty in which fighter was going to have their hand raised, and the conclusive knockout that leaves no doubt of the victor all were part of this story.

The number one contender in the WBC was decided in the bout and the victory placed Zepeda into position to face the Jose Ramirez-Josh Taylor winner or for a vacant title, should that winner decide to vacate immediately.

But the more important note, in the long run, is what Zepeda and Baranchyk created in their just under fifteen minutes of violence- the memory of what may have been the best fight since Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo I.

I'll try to be concise with this recap of the action.

Round 1: Baranchyk scores a knockdown

                Baranchyk scores another knockdown

Round 2: Baranchyk charges out of the corner to finish Zepeda.

                Zepeda scores a knockdown and seems on the verge of ending the fight.

                Baranchyk scores a knockdown as Zepeda bulls him along the ropes in an attempt to finish Baranchyk.

Round 3: Zepeda drops Baranchyk 

Round 4  Zepeda knocks down Baranchyk

Round 5: With thirty-five seconds to go in the round, Baranchyk lands a right hand that sends Zepeda flying into the corner with only the turnbuckle keeping Zepeda standing, referee Kenny Bayliss correctly scores this a knockdown.

Bayliss gives the standing eight count, Baranchyk moves forward in another attempt to stop Zepeda.

With Zepeda's back to the ropes, Zepeda lands a right hand that turns Baranchyk directly into a left hook that sent Baranchyk's right leg curling underneath his falling body as he lands in a position that usually equals torn knee ligaments in the NFL.

Fight over.

Eight knockdowns ( four for each man) and what seemed to be a ninth was ruled no knockdown in the second by referee Kenny Bayliss as Zepeda stepped inside a Baranchyk hook and clipped him with a right, but Bayliss must have thought it was from tangling of feet.

The entire fifth round sequence I described was less than twenty seconds, but it's twenty seconds of combat that you would be fortunate to see at all, but to see it live?

Well, that is very special.

ESPN's Steve Kim had a terrific idea of showing this entire fight on ESPN (This was the main event on ESPN+) during the telecast of Vasily Lomachenko-Teofimo Lopez on the 17th and I love the idea.

If you can watch that and not walk away after enjoying it, then there is no hope in boxing ever grasping your heart as a fan.

This has to be the fight of the year unless something better comes along before the year ends (Good luck beating this one) and might be the knockout of the year, although Alexander Povetkin's one-punch knockout of Dillian Whyte will give Zepeda-Baranchyk a run for its money in that category.

Best fight since Corrales-Castillo I?

I might say so, but give me a bit to ponder whether it is better than 2013 (Timothy Bradley-Ruslan Provodnikov) or 2014's  (Lucas Matthysse-John Molina) fight of the year.

I would clearly give Zepeda-Baranchyk the edge over any other fight since Corrales-Castillo I in 2005.

Should there be a rematch?

Well, action-wise it certainly would seem warranted, but Zepeda will be reluctant to risk a guaranteed title shot and I'm not sure that a rematch would be just as good as this one.

Entering this fight, Zepeda was considered more of a boxer than a puncher and who knows what Zepeda will have remaining after this one, let alone Baranchyk, who was whisked to the hospital as a preventative measure after the final concussive left hook.

It's very possible that Zepeda could see what he did wrong in this fight and choose to do what he does best- box Baranchyk, and win with a lot more ease if not more style.

The best fights often come when a boxer is forced to slug 

Ivan Baranchyk made Jose Zepeda fight in the manner that Baranchyk wished and still, it was Zepeda emerging victorious.

Perhaps the best thing might be to leave this one on the shelf alone and let it stand for itself.

Should Zepeda pick up one of those sure to be vacated belts, the rematch could always be made, but for now, let's keep this one as a one-volume set.

Entitle it- "One Boiling Night in A Bubble"...

In the boxing challenge, Ramon Malpica and I each added one point for the Zepeda victory.

I lead the challenge 129-118.

Boxing Challenge:Zepeda skates by Castaneda

The main event from the Las Vegas "Bubble" felt you pining for what might have been as the show could have been capped off by two top ten contenders facing off in what should have been an excellent meshing of styles and loaded with exchanges of punches.

When former IBF junior welterweight champion Ivan Baranchyk fell out of his scheduled meeting with Jose Zepeda, I immediately thought the Top Rank summer series had lost its best match and without another top contender available, Kendo Castaneda was the stand-in and appeared to be overmatched against Zepeda.
The appearance turned out to be correct as Zepeda dominated Castaneda in winning a unanimous decision that didn't see a knockdown but also didn't see Zepeda turn the gas up with a performance that dazzled the audience either.
I thought Zepeda was certainly effective in wearing down Castaneda, but never hurt his opponent and he will need to bring his performance up when he faces better opposition as this level of Zepeda may not be up to the task versus elite competition.
I just have a sneaky feeling that Zepeda might be one of those fighters that may challenge for a world title on a few occasions and might come close before falling short each time.

As for Castaneda, who fell to 17-2 in the defeat, his level isn't as high and future isn't as bright as Zepeda's may be, but he fought well all things considered and even had a moment or two when he won the seventh and eighth rounds before losing 98-92 on my scorecard.

Ramon Malpica and I each scored one point in the boxing challenge.
I lead 66-59.

I have an idea for a post for tonight from the road office if I have time to write.

Boxing Challenge: Fury slashes by Wallin

In a surprisingly strong battle, Tyson Fury survived a very ugly cut over his right eye and won a unanimous decision over little-known Otto Wallin in Las Vegas.

The cut pumped blood constantly throughout the bout after Wallin landed a looping left that ripped open the face of Fury in the fifth round and several times Fury's eye was checked and the bout was in danger of potentially given to Wallin via TKO.
Fury managed to continue and eventually would wear down Wallin with his superior size and strength to win most of the second half of the fight other than Wallin's desperate attempt to knock Fury out in the final round.
I agreed with the closest of the three cards scored for Fury at 116-112 on my personal card.

Some notes on this fight.
First, I'm not sure how comfortable I am with the ESPN crew telling the Fury corner that the cut had been ruled (rightfully so) from a punch and not from a headbutt as Fury's team believed at the time.
ESPN is walking a very dangerous line between making news and reporting news as it felt to me that the network was making sure that the fighter that they have the investment with had every possible edge.
It's not illegal, mind you, and no rules were broken, but I'm not sure that I like the look and especially with how it occurred.
From my perspective, it appeared that blow-by-blow commentator Joe Tessitore was coaching reporter Bernardo Osuna (who I really like) to give Fury's corner information which could have swung the fight result.
Here's how- Fury's cut was severe, and the doctor checked the cut several times to observe Fury's vision.
Almost on every occasion, if the fighter says I'm having trouble seeing- the doctor will stop the fight then and there.
If Fury's corner thinks that it was caused by a headbutt, the fight would then be decided with the scorecards, on which Fury would have been well ahead and could have conceivably said "I can't see" knowing they would win.
By giving them that information, they knew they couldn't play that card and knew that their fighter needed to say he could see, even if he couldn't.
I would not have had a problem telling the corner the truth had they asked, but it felt to me that ESPN was trying to protect their guy.

Second- it showed the dangers of fighting squash matches instead of "marinating" fights.
This isn't on Fury, it's on Deontay Wilder, who insisted on fighting a Luis Ortiz rematch before the agreed-to Fury rematch (BTW, I still haven't seen a date for Wilder-Ortiz II), but no matter the blame, it shows just how quickly a big check can go away no matter the opponent.
It should have been Deontay Wilder in the ring with Tyson Fury this fall, not Otto Wallin.

Third- It'll be interesting to see just how the career of Otto Wallin develops.
Will he be this generation's Axel Schulz, who was equally as unknown as Wallin when he was robbed of a decision that he won against George Foreman and other than losing to Michael Moorer for a title vacated by Foreman was rarely seen on the world stage again?
Or will this be a jumping-on point for the Swede, who will build off his first fight against world-class competition and stick around as a viable contender?

In the co-feature, Emanuel Navarrete stopped Juan Miguel Elorde after Elorde's corner refused to allow their man out of the corner for the fifth round.
Navarrete knocked Elorde into the ropes in the fourth for a technical knockdown as only the ropes allowed him to stand and the corner's decision was the right one as it seemed their fighter had nothing left with a hard-punching champion waiting for him.
Navarrete retained his WBO junior featherweight title with the victory and with the other three titles at DAZN with WBA/IBF champion Daniel Roman (Matchroom) and WBC beltholder Rey Vargas (Golden Boy) building towards a fight with each other, would appear to be on the outside looking in.
However, a recent shoulder injury could sideline Roman for a while, and Top Rank and Golden Boy recently agreed to a deal for the vacant WBO featherweight crown between Shakur Stevenson and Joet Gonzalez, so could it be possible that a Navarrete-Vargas all-Mexican unification bout could be agreed on?
Steve Kim reports that Vargas was seen at the fight rather than the Golden Boy card on DAZN, so that does make me think something is possible in the future

The opener saw Jose Zepeda win a unanimous decision over Jose Pedraza in a junior welterweight fight.
Zepeda won the first six rounds on my card before allowing Pedraza to get back into the fight a little bit but never hurt Zepeda enough to challenge seriously for the duke.
I scored Zepeda a 97-93 winner and he could receive a rematch next year with WBC/WBO champion Jose Ramirez.
Zepeda gave Ramirez all he wanted in losing a majority decision in February and I wouldn't mind seeing the pair against each other again.
As for Pedraza, who has won titles briefly in two divisions, I'm not sure where he goes from here.
I don't think he seems strong enough at 140 and if making 135 is not an issue for him, he might be best served to drop back and hope that Vasyl Lomachenko gives up his titles sometime next year to be in the mix.

Update: Jaime Munguia stopped Patrick Allotey in the fourth round after knocking Allotey down twice in the third round and again in the fourth when referee Jack Reiss, nearing ten in his count, saw the Allotey corner signaling for the fight to end.
Considering the opposition (Allotey is a natural welterweight and had lost in two rounds in his only fight against notable opposition in Patrick Teixeira), Munguia looked strong in his first fight after his controversial majority decision win over Dennis Hogan but considering the quality of his challenger, I'm not going to give him too much credit, other than ending the fight early as he should against such an overwhelmed opponent.
After the Hogan debacle and it is Mexican Independence Day weekend, this was a showcase for Munguia and he took advantage of being showcased, which isn't a bad thing. but it didn't prove anything either.
Having apparently reached a dead end in the 154-pound division with the other three champions (WBA/IBF champion Julian Williams and WBC titleholder Tony Harrison) fighting with the PBC, unification is very unlikely, so Munguia is expected to vacate his title and move to the middleweight division, a division that is more friendly at this to the Golden Boy promoted boxer.

In the boxing challenge- I scored four points to Ramon Malpica's two to move my lead to 224-193.
The point difference between us was caused by Navarrete's KO win and the win by Jose Zepeda. 

Boxing Challenge: Ramirez rallies past Zepeda

ESPN and Top Rank put together a pretty nice card on a Sunday night from Fresno, California, which saw two entertaining fights at 140 pounds.

Photo Credit: Top Rank

In the main event, WBC champion Jose Ramirez was somewhat surprisingly extended by Jose Zepeda and needed a late rally to escape with a majority decision and retain his junior welterweight title.

Zepeda shot to the lead with some very smooth boxing and controlled a lethargic Ramirez well over the first half of the fight, but whether you want to credit Ramirez for a late charge or blame Zepeda for a late fade, Ramirez turned the tide and took a narrow 115-113 nod on my card.

These are the type of tests that every champion needs to pass to continue to progress and even though Jose Ramirez may not have been at his best, he retained his title.

As Jim Valvano used to say "Survive and Advance" and sometimes that's the best way to describe a victory.

The opener was an entertaining bout as former WBO lightweight champion Ray Beltran moved to 140 pounds and hooked up with Japan's Hiroki Okada for nine back-and-forth rounds before Beltran landed some booming right hands to knock down Okada twice in the ninth before the bout was waved off.

Beltran knocked Okada down in round two, but Okada rose and buckled Beltran in the same round to set the way this fight was going to go with give-and-take action.

I had Beltran slightly ahead at the time of the stoppage (76-75) and Beltran might be the next foe for Jose Ramirez, which could very well be the last stand for the aging, but still more than adequate veteran.

In the boxing challenge, Ramon Malpica scored three points to my two and took the overall lead at 32-31.