Boxing Challenge:Hrgovic survives Itauma

    Saturday was supposed to be the coronation for heavyweight Moses Itauma.

Itauma had been compared to Mike Tyson for his electrifying power, and Filip Hrgovic was the foil in Itauma's first title fight, the vacant IBF championship.

And Itauma showed his power, winning all eight rounds and showing Hrgovic that the reviews of the twenty-one-year-old's offense were correct.

However, those rounds came at a price- sapping the stamina of Itauma and changing the attack to wild, looping punches that won rounds but didn't have the impact of earlier blows.

Itauma scored a knockdown in round two with a glancing hook, but Itauma landed many other power punches that Hrgovic was able to essentially shrug off.

In round nine, Itauma was still throwing wild punches, but Hrgovic battered Itauma around, avoiding his desperate counters, and just as the referee moved in to stop the fight, the towel flew in from Itauma's corner.

For Hrgovic, mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez is next, as Sanchez took a large cash-out to allow Itauma and Hrgovic to meet for the IBF title under the condition that he would be next to face the winner.

Itauma suffered a leg injury during the fight, and he'll have to take time to recover, but he's young enough and talented enough to bounce back and become a force in the division.

Lightweight contender Sam Noakes won an easy unanimous decision over former WBO champion Denis Berinchyk in the co-feature.

And in California, super middleweight contender Lester Martinez stopped Luca Planic in ten rounds.

Boxing Challenge

TRS:99 Pts (5)

Ramon Malpica: 84 Pts (3)

Vince Samano; 60 Pts (0)

Boxing Challenge: Adames, Martinez win

 Two fights in the boxing challenge last weekend were entertaining, if one-sided.

In the better fight of the two, Lester Martinez won a minor title at super middleweight with a unanimous decision win over Immanuel Aleem in San Bernardino, California.

Martinez dominated, although Aleem landed enough to keep Martinez honest.

Aleem did win a few late rounds and hurt Martinez a little in round ten, but the fight was never in question.

Martinez won by scores of 120-108, 119-109, and 118-110, with my score at 117-111.

In Orlando, Florida, Carlos Adames knocked down Austin Williams in the second round, and other than losing a point for low blows in the final round, Adames had things his way in defending his WBC middleweight title by unanimous decision.      

Adames won by scores of 118-110 and two of 117-111, which was my card as well.

Boxing Challenge

TRS: 31Pts (2)

Ramon Malpica: 28 Pts (1)

Vince Samano: 28 Pts (4)                               

Boxing Challenge: Bud!

    Terence Crawford shocked the world (although not me) in Las Vegas by winning a unanimous decision over Canelo Alvarez to take all four of the world's super middleweight titles. 

Crawford won by scores of 116-112 and two scores of 115-113 (I scored 116-112 for Crawford), and Crawford needed to win the final two rounds to win on the scorecards, which I didn't think was needed, but it's Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas, funny scorecards seem to arrive in his fights.

Crawford outboxed Canelo, but he did so by fighting on his front foot and not by running, as recent Canelo victims Jermell Charlo and William Scull tried.

Canelo tried to stalk Crawford but wasn't quick enough or able to outmuscle Crawford in close.

Crawford is now the first fighter to be an undisputed champion in three divisions (Junior welter, welter, and super middleweight) and has won titles in five divisions (Lightweight and junior middle) after his victory that established him as the best of his generation.

Crawford mentioned an interest in winning a title at middleweight rather than defending his titles at 168 or a return to 154 to defend his WBA title or face other champions, Sebastian Fundora, Bakhram Murtazaliev, and Xander Zayas.

Alvarez might be a man without a fight, as a rematch appears to lack interest; the defeat may take away the prospects of a David Benavidez match, and the rest of the division doesn't have anyone with mass appeal to face a comebacking Canelo.

Bud Crawford cemented himself as the king of his generation, and I wouldn't be disappointed to see him call it a day.

He has nothing to prove, and by walking away, he will raise the question (which can never be answered): who was better- Crawford or Floyd Mayweather?

Crawford-Canelo may have brought the people, but the best fight of the night came on the undercard (and should have been the co-main) as Christian Mbilli retained his minor super middleweight title in an absolute thriller with a draw against Lester Martinez.

The fight was filled with tremendous action and a deserved draw that requires a rematch.

The judges' scores were 97-93 for Martinez, 96-94 for Mbilli, and 95-95, which was my score.

The actual co-feature was mildly disappointing as unbeaten junior middleweight Callum Walsh won a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Fernando Vargas Jr.

The fight suffered from following Mbilli-Martinez but wasn't that bad, with Walsh winning by scores of 100-90 and 99-91 times two.

My score was closer for Walsh at 97-93.

The final fight of the challenge saw an upset as number one junior middleweight contender Serhii Bohachuk was upset for the second time by Brandon Adams.

Adams had knocked out Bohachuk in 2021, and Bohachuk had since become a contender with a near-win against Vergil Ortiz.

Styles make fights, and some fighters have their kryptonite, and Adams must be Bohachuk's.

Bohachuk tried, but Adams was consistently better throughout the fight and won a deserved unanimous decision by scores of 99-91 and two scores of 98-92, the same as mine.

I will be back tomorrow with the rest of the weekend in boxing

Boxing Challenge

TRS: 130 Pts (3) 

Ramon Malpica:  123 Pts (1)

Vince Samano: 51 Pts(3) 

Boxing Challenge: Fundora throws the Book at Chordale

  An uninspiring PBC on Prime main event lived down to expectations as Sebastian Fundora retained his WBC and WBO junior middleweight titles in Las Vegas, stopping Chordale Booker in four rounds.

Fundora had been inactive since his title win over Tim Tszyu last March and Booker was looked at as an opponent to get some work for the champion.

Fundora's reach kept Booker in retreat and it was clear that Booker was on borrowed time before Fundora scored a knockdown in round four and with follow-up shots landing along the ropes, the referee stepped in.

This fight served its purpose for Fundora, who mentioned unification possibilities but was more likely to face Jesus Ramos, who won on the undercard, or WBO mandatory challenger Xander Zayas.

In San Bernadino, California, Lester Martinez won a battle of unbeaten super middleweights with a fourth-round knockout of Joeshon James on a ProBox card.

James started strong and tried to take the fight to Martinez and won the first two rounds on my card.

However, Martinez scored a spectacular knockdown in round three, I was surprised to see James get off the floor and barely make it to the bell.

Martinez finished the very game James off with another knockdown in round four and while James deserves credit for the effort, Martinez's punches were simply too much for James.

I'm looking forward to seeing Martinez when he makes his next step up the ladder in opposition.

Boxing Challenge

TRS: 34 Pts (5) 

Ramon Malpica: 30 Pts(2)

Vince Samano; 18 Pts (0)