Boxing Challenge: Canelo decisions Jacobs

Las Vegas Nevada was the host for another event that was highly anticipated as three of the four middleweight championships were unified as Canelo Alvarez walked away adding the IBF championship to his WBA and WBC versions after his unanimous decision over Daniel Jacobs.
The three titles returned to one man after Gennady Golovkin had held all three of those titles until the period in between the two Alvarez-Golovkin fights when the IBF stripped Golovkin for fighting Vanes Martirosyan after Alvarez's failed PED test postponed their rematch.
This one was an OK fight that wasn't up to the Canelo-GGG fights but wasn't a stinker either with Canelo winning 116-112 and 115-113 on two cards.
I had it 116-112, but I didn't think anyone could see it closer than that in a matchup that saw Canelo outwork Jacobs and land the bigger blows.
Neither fighter scored a knockdown or even came close to doing so and with the exception of a few times in the later rounds, didn't have a lot of exchanges.
Canelo Alvarez is basically an underrated boxer and an overrated puncher as he continued a string of fights against his best opponents without scoring a knockdown and in fact other than one knockdown against Austin Trout, Alvarez has only that knockdown to avoid a zero in that category,
Alvarez does take out fighters that are a notch below that, which helps keep a puncher's reputation intact, but his boxing skills are way underrated as he's looked very sharp in avoiding punches and controlling the pace in this one.
Jacobs rarely threw a lot of punches until the final third of the fight and Jacobs did have a few moments down the stretch, but those moments were too few and never strong enough to turn the tide in a fight that to me felt more lopsided than I scored it, not closer.

The undercard was as awful as predicted and other than an upset loss by Sadam Ali to Anthony Young, there was little of note with only one bout for the boxing challenge.
Hot junior welterweight prospect Vergil Ortiz blasted out long time spoiler Mauricio Herrera with a highlight film knockout in the third round.
Ortiz knocked Herrera down late in the second and only the end of the round saved Herrera from being stopped right there.
The loss was the first time that Herrera has been knocked out and this might be the beginning of the end for the veteran, who looked a little shot in his previous fight which was a decision loss to Sadam Ali.
Ortiz looked spectacular in doing what had never previously been done and even though the win was over a shopworn Herrera, still it's quite an achievement for the flashy prospect.

ESPN televised Top Rank's card from Stockton, California, not because of counter-programming the DAZN card, but because of Artur Beterbiev wanting to get a fight in before his observation of Ramadan, this was the only date available for the IBF champion's title defense.
The main event was a fun one as Beterbiev walked down and stopped Radislav Kalajdzic in five rounds that saw both fighters land plenty of power punches in toe to toe exchanges.
Kalajdzic tried to use his superior reach to keep Beterbiev at bay and landed his share of big punches, but Beterbiev shrugged them off and just kept coming as Kalajdzic simply couldn't keep Beterbiev off of him.
Beterbiev knocked down Kalajdzic in the third when Kalajdzic was knocked into the ropes for a technical knockdown, but Kalajdzic battled back in a fourth-round spent exchanging bombs with the champion before the end came in the fifth.
Beterbiev will make a great fight against anyone and his amateur win over WBO champion Sergey Kovalev has made an eventual match between the two a fight that fans have wanted for years, but Beterbiev could also just as easily be placed against WBC titleholder Oleksandr Gvozdyk or former super middleweight champion Gilberto Ramirez in anticipated bouts.

The co-feature showcased IBF junior bantamweight champion Jerwin Ancajas defeating mandatory challenger Ryuichi Funai when the doctor stopped the bout with a battered Funai unable to continue following the doctor's evaluation for the beginning of the seventh round.
Ancajas controlled the action against the brave Funai, who constantly moved forward, but took about every punch from the champion's toolbox that one could take.
The stoppage was the correct one as Funai didn't possess the power to turn the fight around, but didn't seem to have any plans on giving up, which is the recipe for a fighter to take a ridiculous beating and in turn taking the chance of getting a warrior hurt.
Ancajas seems to be in the same boat with Top Rank as Terence Crawford, although not to Crawford's level, of course, a top fighter in a division that has the other top fighters with another promotion.

In the boxing challenge, I added eight points to Ramon Malpica's five to lengthen my lead to 116-100.
My points came from Artur Beterbiev Three (including KO round bonus)
                                    Canelo Alvarez and Jerwin Ancajas Two points each
                                    Vergil Ortiz one
Ramon's points came from Beterbiev two points
                                            Alvarez, Ancajas and Ortiz one point each

Boxing Challenge: Dull night on DAZN

The Saturday debut on DAZN with Golden Boy Promotions was anticipated, even though it was expected that the star of the evening, Canelo Alvarez, would cruise through his fight. to be a card with clear-cut favorites.

It was more than that though as some of the fights would never occur, but first, it's Canelo Alvarez who would win one of the WBA's minor titles and could now claim to be yet another multi-divisional champion ( one of my boxing pet peeves) in what was as big of mismatch as you'll see in a while in a third round detonation of England's Rocky Fielding.
Alvarez dropped Fielding four times and I'm not sure that I can describe just how lopsided this fight was.
Fielding was clearly the larger man and that was his only edge.
I can live with these types of fights for active fighters, so I'm fine with this one since Canelo did fight Gennady Golovkin just three months ago, but I won't be so tolerant with another one next time.

Two of the boxing challenge fights never happened as David Lemieux didn't make weight and his fight was Tureano Johnson was sadly canceled.
That's too bad as that would have easily been the best fight of the evening.
Lemieux and promoter Golden Boy needs to realize whether it's a lack of training or simply a fighter that has outgrown his division-Lemieux needs to move on to 168 and not sign for fights at 160 no matter how badly he/they may want to make a bout.
While I'm at it-I feel terrible for Johnson, who lost a paycheck and training expenses and I'd like to add a new rule that state commissions could make and then enforce- IF a fighter does not make weight, his team is responsible for either full reimbursement of training expenses (if a fight's purse would have that be feasible) or if a prelim fight, a set sum that would at least help a little in making things right.

Prospect Vergil Ortiz was not passed by the New York State Commission due to a past eye surgery.
While I can respect that for looking out for the fighters safety, I wished someone could have figured this out before the day of the fight!

This moved Tevin Farmer's IBF junior lightweight defense against Francisco Fonseca to the co-main.
Fonseca tried hard, but Farmer dominated in a fight that both fighters were doing their best but settled into one round each resembling the last as Farmer won a unanimous decision (118-110 on my card).
Farmer once again called out WBA kingpin Gervonta Davis in a fight that both seem to want but is unlikely to happen.

That left the only other challenge bout as former WBO junior middleweight champ Sadam Ali returned to his natural weight at 147 and shutout former junior welterweight contender Mauricio Herrera on his way to a unanimous decision.
It was an ugly bout, not very entertaining and not one that saw Ali shine.

All and all, not a great night for Golden Boy or DAZN, who I'll be discussing their presentation in a future post.
Things aren't always going to fall the way the promoter/network wants them, but with the exception of Canelo doing what champions should do against overmatched competition- take them out early, this had to be a disappointing start to the GBP series on DAZN.
It'll get better- It better...

In the boxing challenge, Ramon Malpica outscored me six to four on the weekend.
Ramon scored two points each from Tevin Farmer and Sadam Ali and one each from Canelo Alvarez and Gilberto Ramirez on Friday.
I added my four with two from Ali and one each from Canelo and Farmer.
I still lead Ramon for the year with two weeks to go 210-191

Boxing Challenge-Lomachenko dominates Marriaga

The boxing challenge continues after a three fight weekend that saw me score four points and Ramon Malpica score three.
I lead the challenge 98-90.

In the weekend's biggest fight,Vasyl Lomachenko won every round in stopped an overmatched Miguel Marriaga,when Marriaga's corner made the correct decision in stopping the fight after round seven after Lomachenko knocked Marriaga down and battered him around the ring.
Lomachenko also dropped Marriaga in the third and was never tested by a solid fighter that showed guts by raising to 130,but might have been better suited to have stayed at 126.
I had Lomachenko ahead 70-66 after seven and clearly there is no one at 130 pounds anywhere near his ability.
I scored two points for the Lomachenko knockout,with Ramon getting one for his victory..

Because I was in Ohio (story coming in a few days),I missed the Lomachenko fight live and as of now,I haven't watched the co-feature in which Ray Beltran won a majority decision over Bryan Vasquez.
Ramon and I each earned a point for Beltran's win..

Friday night on ESPN had the best action of the weekend as aging welterweight warhorses hooked it up in a sterling action battle as Mauricio Herrera won a majority decision over Jesus Soto-Karass.
The fight had been billed as a loser should leave boxing bout,but both showed enough to be considered to still have a little bit left,assuming they are matched properly.
The tenth was spent with plenty of toe to toe action and I wouldn't be against a rematch as I scored it 95-95,but no quibbles with the two cards that gave Herrera a 96-94 edge.
Ramon and I each scored one point for the Herrera victory.

I'm quite busy coming up,but I plan on catching up later in the week with my trip to Ohio and Bristol VA and some notes on today's passing of Don Baylor...