Devils deals- Add Vanecek, Haula

    The first day of NHL free agency arrived and left with the New Jersey Devils swinging big for the top player available for the second year in a row but this time settling for a consolation prize.

I'll be writing about that signing later but for now I'll finally get around to discussing the Devils draft day trade and their free agency day swap with the Boston Bruins.

On the second day of the NHL draft last week, New Jersey hopes to have solved at least some of their problems in net with the acquisition of Vitek Vanecek from fellow division member Washington.

The teams flipped second-round picks and New Jersey sent Washington a third-rounder for the signing rights to Vanecek, who is a restricted free agent.

The Devils had massive problems in goal last season with Mackenzie Blackwood looking like he had never played before, Jonathan Bernier played in only ten less than effective games, and a parade of players either too young, too old, or vagabond types that were incapable of patching the hole even temporarily.

The 26-year-old Vanecek won twenty games for Washington last season with a 2.67 GAA, a .908 save percentage, and four shutouts in his second season with the Capitals, sharing the position with 

Vanecek is hoped to team with a revitalized Blackwood as the Devils goaltending tandem as no one knows what they would receive if anything out of Bernier this season. 

Is Vanecek the long-term answer? I doubt it but he seems at least capable of producing similar statistics to his two seasons in Washington and I think the Devils would be pleased with those results.

On the first day of free agency, New Jersey traded former 2015 first-round pick Pavel Zacha to Boston for veteran left wing Erik Haula in a deal that spelled the end of high hopes for Zacha, who did a little of everything as a forward but not enough of anything to be special.

Zacha scored 15 goals with 21 assists last season but was an awful minus twenty-one and scored two fewer goals than in 2020-21 in twenty more games played.

The time may have come to cut Zacha loose and see if he needed a change of scenery.

As for Erik Haula, he's 31 and has one year remaining on his contract, which is worth 2.3 million to Haula and is coming off his second-best season in his career with 18 goals and 26 assists in his first and only season in Boston.

I wonder about older players that exceed their normal statistics playing with a strong team and then move to a lesser one and that's my concern on Haula.

Haula should help the third line a bit but while I understand moving Pavel Zacha might be best for both parties, I'm not sure that I'm expecting Erik Haula for perhaps only one season to be worth Zacha's chances of putting it all together.

As the weekend approaches, I hope to have a look at the Devils free agent signees and the one that got away. 

Boxing Challenge: Ioka avenges Nietes defeat in rematch

    Kazuto Ioka controlled the fight from the opening and easily retained his WBO junior bantamweight title via unanimous decision over former four-division champion Donnie Nietes in Tokyo Japan.

The victory avenged a controversial split decision loss to Nietes in 2018 and could send the forty year old Nietes into his retirement years.

Ioka was the stronger fighter and pounded Nietes throughout a fight along with cutting him over the left eye.

Ioka did try to quicken the pace in the second half of the fight and had he been busier in the first half, perhaps Ioka could have scored a late round knockout as Nietes weakened.

For Ioka, perhaps a unification fight could be next against IBF champion Fernando Martinez, as Ioka had one scheduled last year against then-IBF champion Jerwin Ancajas that was canceled due to Covid considerations before Martinez dethroned Ancajas.

Ioka is deserving of a bigger fight in the 115 pound division that ranks with the junior welterweight division as the deepest and most competitive in boxing.

Boxing Challenge

TRS: 129 Pts (2) 

Ramon Malpica: 107 Pts (2)

Vince Samano: 104 Pts (2) 

Boxing Challenge: Ioka vs Nietes

    It's a rare mid-week boxing challenge but the main event is an important one as WBO junior bantamweight champion Kazuto Ioka defends his title against the former four-division champion and former WBO champion in this division, Donnie Nietes.

These two fought on New Year's Eve 2018 with Nietes winning the vacant belt via a split decision, only to vacate the title before defending it.

Their first fight was controversial as even though the fight was in Ioka's hometown of Tokyo and most thought ( I scored Ioka the winner 115-113) Ioka was the deserving winner, Nietes took the fight with scores for each fighter of 116-112 and a stunningly awful 118-110 score for Nietes.

Ioka has defended the title four times since winning the title vacated by Nietes with a tenth-round knockout of Aston Palicte, including a decision win over long-time minimumweight champion Francisco Rodriguez and an exciting knockout of three-division champion Kosei Tanaka in eight rounds on New Year's Eve 2020 in a mild upset.

Nietes has fought only two times since his win over Ioka, a decision win and a draw in December against Norbelto Jimenez in the UAE, so it is reasonable to wonder about how long Nietes will be an elite fighter considering his current age of 40, which is similar to someone 55 in the heavier weight classes.

Ioka seems to be hitting his stride and while he doesn't seem to be quite on the level of the big three of the division in WBA champion Juan Francisco Estrada, WBC champion Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez, or Roman Gonzalez, Ioka would be competitive against any of the three I think and with IBF champion Fernando Martinez, former champions Nietes, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Jerwin Ancjas, and Carlos Cuadras, minor titleist Joshua Franco, and former minimumweight champion Francisco Rodriguez compile along with junior welterweight the deepest and most competitive division in boxing today.

All: Ioka Unanimous Decision

Boxing Challenge: Chisora clips Pulev, Vargas dethrones Magsayo

     The boxing Saturday was filled with fun fights with lots of competitive matches and a title changing hands in the featherweight division.

We start earlier in the day from London with a Matchroom/DAZN card and a heavyweight fight that lived up to its hype as Derek Chisora avenged a split decision loss to Kubrat Pulev in 2016 with a split decision win of his own.

Chisora started strong and hit Pulev to the body often in the first few rounds but in the middle rounds decided to return to the tactic that he used effectively against Joseph Parker by going to the ropes, and firing looping right hands that often found the mark against Pulev.

Pulev scored well from distance and wobbled Chisora badly in the eighth round with a left uppercut and landed more throughout the fight.

Both fighters stayed active to the end and the final four rounds were fought toe to toe with two tired veterans throwing and landing bomb after bomb until the final bell.

I scored the fight even at 114, so I had no issues with Chisora getting the nod by scores of 116-112 and 116-114 (No typo, one judge scored two even rounds) while the dissenting judge scored 116-112 for Pulev.

I had to feel good for Chisora, who has so often lost close decisions in the past but as exciting as his fights have been of late, I have concerns about the punishment that he is taking.

I wonder about referees that know Chisora's tactics and will want to give him every chance to continue in fights and on a wrong night it could result in Chisora receiving an even worse beating.

Chisora called out Deontay Wilder after the fight and while promotional issues make that fight unlikely, it would be very interesting to pair Wilder's power but vulnerable chin against Chisora's toughness.

In the co-feature, a second try at a WBA junior middleweight eliminator worked just as the first time- without a winner as Israil Madrimov battered Michel Soro in the second round and appeared poised to finish the Frenchman in the third but as he charged after Soro to start the round, an ugly head clash opened a bad cut over Soro's left eye and forced the fight to be stopped immediately.

While the cut was bad, it wasn't any worse than the one that Kubrat Pulev would fight through and now with another no-victor result, the WBA will likely order these two to fight again for a third time to determine their mandatory contender to Jermell Charlo.

In Ekaterinburg, Russia, Magomed Kurbanov decisioned former WBO champion Patrick Teixeira to become Charlo's mandatory challenge in the WBO junior middleweight rankings.

I haven't watched this one yet but I've read Kurbanov knocked Teixeira down in the first round on his way to the unanimous decision.

Showtime and PBC put together what proved to be an excellent three-bout card from San Antonio, Texas, and the Alamodome.

In the main event, former WBC junior featherweight champion Rey Vargas moved up in weight to the featherweight division and pulled a mild upset in winning the WBC championship from Mark Magsayo via split decision.

Vargas has been known for his less than interesting victories but engaged more against Magsayo and built a solid lead into the middle rounds against Magsayo, who ended the long-time reign of Gary Russell in his last appearance.

Magsayo had fallen behind on the cards against Julio Ceja in his fight before the Russell win and needed to score a come from behind tenth round knockout to win, and Magsayo almost did the same to retain his title against Vargas, knocking Vargas down in round nine to tighten the scorecards.

Magsayo looked like he scored another knockdown in the tenth, but it was surprisingly scored a slip and by the end of the round, Magsayo had allowed his final and best chance to pass him by.

The eleventh and twelfth rounds were pretty evenly fought and while it wasn't the most exciting fight I've ever seen, it was far more action-filled than any previous fight from Vargas.

Vargas won on two cards 115-112, which was the same as my score, with Magsayo taking the fight according to one judge 114-113, which seemed to be a stretch for me.

Vargas called for WBA champion Leo Santa Cruz after the fight, but the WBA, who has allowed Santa Cruz to keep their title for 41 months and counting without a fight in the division and still hasn't announced a mandated fight against Leigh Wood but he's more likely to face the WBC mandatory contender Brandon Figueroa.

Figueroa earned the mandatory spot with a sixth-round knockout of Carlos Castro in the co-feature that Figueroa controlled but Castro occasionally established himself in the action.

Figueroa knocked Castro down in the third round and Castro barely beat the ten count, but survived the round and landed a few good shots over the rest of the fight.

Castro started the sixth round strong and trapped Figueroa along the ropes before Figueroa was able to turn things around, trapping Castro along the ropes himself and battering him with several combinations forcing the referee to step in and end the fight.

I had Figueroa ahead 49-45 at the time of the stoppage.

It was an excellent outing for Figueroa, who was returning after his narrow majority decision loss to Stephen Fulton last November (I scored Figueroa a close winner), and whenever he would face Rey Vargas, it seems to be an interesting mix of styles.

In the opening fight, lightweight prospect Frank Martin received a good fight from late replacement Jackson Marinez before pulling away in the late rounds and stopping Marinez in the tenth and final round.

Martin almost finished Marinez in the ninth round, knocking him down with the bell ringing to end the round before the fighters could be brought back together to continue.

Martin polished Marinez off quickly in the tenth, scoring a knockdown and ending the fight within thirty seconds.

I had Martin ahead 78-71 entering the last round, so it was very impressive how Martin ended the fight rather than cruise to the finish.

Martin is the best lightweight prospect that PBC currently promotes and clearly has the potential to eventually be a title contender but considering PBC's lack of top fighters in the division other than Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz, neither of which Martin is quite ready for currently, look for a few more fights for Martin against fighters on the level of Marinez.

That may not be totally a bad thing for Martin's development but it may not make for many competitive battles.

Boxing Challenge

TRS:  127 Pts  (9)

Ramon Malpica: 105 Pts  (6)

Vince Samano: 102 Pts  (6)

Boxing Challenge

    The boxing weekend has two cards of note with a world championship on the line on Showtime and DAZN countering from London with a matchup of two veteran heavyweights that could make an entertaining battle.

In the afternoon (in the USA) Matchroom's show from DAZN will pair two veteran bombers that lack the legs to move around the ring and may not have decided to move even if they had the pins to do as former title challengers Derek Chisora and Kubrat Pulev are likely to have a very fun fight to watch.

The aging heavyweights (Chisora 38, Pulev 41) may not have enough at their ages to make a championship run but both can give even the best of the division an interesting few rounds with their aggressiveness and pure toughness.

Pulev decisioned journeyman Jerry Forrest less than two months on a Triller PPV in his first fight since being stopped in a title challenge against then-champion Anthony Joshua in nine rounds in December 2020 and looked decent enough against Forrest, who most thought had upset contender Michael Hunter in Forrest's previous fight.

Chisora has lost his last three fights but losses to current champion Oleksandr Usyk and two decision defeats to former WBO champion Joseph Parker last year are excusable losses for any heavyweight, especially considering that Chisora lost via split decision in the first fight (scoring a knockdown) and some (including me) thought he won along with showing tons of heart in losing the rematch.

This should be a fun fight with both fighters known for fatiguing over the second half of their matches which means that the late rounds could be Creed-Balboaesque with neither fighter having the energy to move away or it could be six rounds of grab and hold!

The co-feature is a junior middleweight title eliminator and a rematch between Israil Madrimov and Michel Soro after a wild ending to their first battle last December where Madrimov ended a close fight with a ninth-round knockout that saw Madrimov hurt Soro seconds before the bell, the bell ringing to end the round and the referee allowing Madrimov to continue the assault on a dazed Soro before stopping the fight, awarding to Madrimov via TKO.

The result was deservedly changed to a no-contest after an appeal by Soro and the WBA ordered a rematch to determine their mandatory challenger to unified world champion Jermell Charlo.

Showtime's PBC card from San Antonio has the only championship defense of the weekend as Mark Magsayo makes the first defense of his WBC featherweight title against former junior featherweight champion Rey Vargas in the main event of a three-fight telecast.

Magsayo upset long-time champion Gary Russell in his most recent fight to win the title but Russell suffered an injury in the fight and I wonder if Magsayo is a star in the making or someone that caught Russell on a perfect night?

Vargas is undefeated and a former champion at 122 pounds but has fought only once in three years and is a tediously dull performer, although a technically proficient one.

I can see Vargas outboxing Magsayo and winning a less than stimulating decision but it is just as likely that Magsayo wears Vargas down and stops him late as Magasayo was able to do against Julio Ceja in his fight before winning the title.

Either result would not be a surprise to me.

The second fight is an eliminator to determine who will next face the Magsayo-Vargas winner as former WBC junior featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa rises in weight against Carlos Castro.

Figueroa rises in weight after losing his title in an exciting unification fight against Stephen Fulton via majority decision that he could have won (I scored Figueroa a 115-113 winner) and decided to move up rather than chase a Fulton rematch right away.

The once-beaten Castro suffered his first loss in February via a split decision to Luis Nery, the same Nery that Figueroa knocked out in seven rounds in May 2021, so Figueroa should be a strong favorite.

The curtain-jerker will feature highly-touted lightweight Frank Martin in his first step up in class against late replacement Jackson Marinez in a ten-rounder.

Martin looked extremely impressive in stopping Romero Duno in four rounds on New Year's Day and Marinez is a small step up from Duno for the classy prospect.

Marinez is remembered by most for dominating Rolando Romero and getting robbed of the decision in August 2020 but was knocked out in six rounds by Richard Commey in February 2021, which may show that Marinez is a level below world-class.

Still, an impressive win by Martin would be an excellent notch on his resume' at this stage of his career.

The final challenge fight is one that isn't televised in the USA as another junior middleweight eliminator takes place in Russia as Magaomed Kurbanov faces former WBO champion Patrick Teixeira in a WBO-style eliminator.

This was a fight scheduled for last December and Kurbanov fell ill literally minutes before the bout in the locker room with Covid-19.

Kurbanov decisioned Liam Smith last May in a close decision, while Teixeira knocked out Paul Valenzuela in the second round but after Valenzuela put on an acting performance, Teixeira was disqualified in his return to the ring after dropping the WBO title to Brian Castano.

Boxing Challenge

WBC Featherweight Title.12 Rds 

Mark Magsayo vs Rey Vargas

Ramon Malpica and Vince Samano: Magsayo Unanimous Decision

TRS: Vargas Unanimous Decision

Featherweights. 12 Rds

Brandon Figueroa vs Carlos Castro

R.L and V.S: Figueroa KO 9

TRS: Figueroa KO 5

Lightweights. 10 Rds

Frank Martin vs Jackson Marinez

R.L: Martin KO 5

TRS: Martin KO 7

V.S: Martin Unanimous Decision

Heavyweights.12 Rds

Derek Chisora vs Kubrat Pulev

R.L: Pulev KO 7

TRS: Chisora Split Decision
V.S; Chisora KO 8

Junior Middleweights. 12 Rds

Ismail Madrimov vs Michel Soro

R.L: Madrimov KO 10

TRS: Madrimov KO 8

V.S; Madrimov Unanimous Decision

Junior Middleweights 12 Rds

Magomed Kurbanov vs Patrick Teixeira

All; Kurbanov Unanimous Decision

Devils draft Simon Nemec

   The New Jersey Devils jumped up in the draft lottery to the second overall pick and pulled a mild surprise in selecting defenseman Simon Nemec of Slovakia.

The Devils had been most connected to Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky, but Montreal moved off the player that had been rated as the top player in the draft for most of the past year in center Shane Wright and plucked Slafkovsky with their first overall selection.

The decision placed the Devils and general manager Tom Fitzgerald in a bit of a pickle- do you draft the player rated by many as the top prospect in Shane Wright that plays a position that you already have two young players (Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes) that have already signed long-term extensions?

Or do you take a player that may be a little lower on the board but could be an eventual impact player at a position where the Devils are not nearly as deep (defenseman), and other than 2021 first-rounder Luke Hughes, lack a young player with top-pairing potential?

Fitzgerald decided on the latter and added Nemec to a defensive corps that could need bolstering, perhaps sooner than later, should Damon Severson leave via free agency following the upcoming season.

Nemec was regarded, along with another Slovakian native, David Jiricek, as the top defenseman in this draft and played most of last season in the top Slovakian pro league at 17 (Nemec turned 18 last February), along with playing in the World Championship for Slovakia, and may have at least a chance of making the Devils next season, although I wouldn't guarantee that happening.

A right-handed shot, which Tom Fitzgerald mentioned in his press conference as something the team was looking for in a defenseman, Nemec is regarded as an excellent skater and passer and has drawn some comparisons to Victor Hedman, which means that Nemec would be offensively minded and solid at both ends of the ice.

If the Devils received even close to a Victor Hedman-level player in Simon Nemec (Hedman was also drafted second overall in his draft year), the Devils would have done very well with Nemec.

The 6'1 Nemec seems to be the solid choice at a position of need, but I do have to admit that I am a bit disappointed that the team had a chance to add the best player in the draft and they passed on him for a position of need.

From what I read (and highlights) and see from Nemec, the Devils haven't blown this pick; it's just that I'm a big believer in taking the best player on the board in any draft.

Hopefully, Tom Fitzgerald has added a player who can slot into the lineup for the next 10 years and could become a building block the next time the Devils are ready to contend for a Stanley Cup.

TRS Boxing Ratings-Part Two

 Part two of the TRS boxing ratings will feature the lower weight divisions ranging from the lightweight division to the under-flyweight group and the always controversial pound-for-pound ratings!

Thanks as always to Ramon Malpica, Vince Samano, John Herndon, and C.J.Burney for their time and consideration.
 

Lightweights

World Champion: Devin Haney

1: Vasyl Lomachenko 24 Pts (Up One)

2: Gervonta Davis 23 Pts (Up One)

3: George Kambosos 14 Pts (Down Two)

4: Ryan Garcia 9 Pts (Unranked)

5: Isaac Cruz 5 Pts (Unranked)

Junior Lightweights

1: Shakur Stevenson WBC/WBO Champion 25 Pts

2: Oscar Valdez 18 Pts

3: Shavkat Rakhimov 17 Pts (Up One)

4: Joe Cordina IBF Champion 5 Pts (Unranked)

    Roger Gutierrez WBA Champion (Up One)

Also Received Votes: Hector Luis Garcia, Jamel Herring

Featherweights

1: Emmanuel Navarette WBO Champion  25 Pts

2: Mark Magsayo WBC Champion 18 Pts

3: Mauricio Lara 14 Pts

4: Josh Warrington IBF Champion 7 Pts

5: Gary Russell 5 Pts

Also Received Votes: Leo Santa Cruz WBA Champion, Brandon Figueroa, Leigh Wood

Junior Featherweights

1: Stephen Fulton WBC/WBO Champion 25 Pts

2: Murodjon Akhmadaliev WBA/IBF Champion 20 Pts

3: Brandon Figueroa 11 Pts

4: Daniel Roman 8 Pts

5: Emmanuel Aleem 5 Pts

Also Received Votes: Angelo Leo, Luis Nery

Bantamweights

1: Naoya Inoue WBA/WBC/IBF Champion 25 Pts

2: John Riel Casimero 19 Pts (Up One)

3: Nonito Donaire 10 Pts (Down One)

4: Jason Moloney 8 Pts (Unranked) 

5: Emmanuel Rodriguez 5 Pts (Unranked)

    Gary Antonio Russell (Unranked)

Also Recieved Votes: Paul Butler WBO Champion, Takeshi Inoue, Nordine Oubaali

Junior Bantamweights

1: Juan Francisco Estrada WBA Champion 24 Pts

2: Roman Gonzalez 18 Pts

3: Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez WBC Champion 17 Pts (Up One)

4: Joshua Franco 6 Pts (Unranked)

5: Kazuto Ioka WBO Champion 5 Pts

    Fernando Martinez IBF Champion (Unranked)

Also Received Votes: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai 

Flyweights

1: Junto Nakatani WBO Champion 23 Pts

2: Julio Cesar Martinez WBC Champion 21 Pts (Up One)

3: Artem Dalakian WBA Champion 13 Pts (Down One)

4: Sunny Edwards IBF Champion 12 Pts

5: Crisofer Rosales 3 Pts

    Ricardo Sandoval (Unranked)

Junior Flyweights/Under

1: Hiroto Kyoguchi WBA Champion 24 Pts

2: Kenshiro Teraji WBC Champion 18 Pts

3: Jonathan Gonzalez WBO Champion 11 Pts (Up One)

    KO CP Freshmart (Up One)

5: Felix Alvarado 7 Pts (Down Two)

Also Received Votes:  CP Freshmart, Masamichi Yabuki

Pound for Pound

1: Naoya Inoue 48 Pts (Up One)

2: Terence Crawford 43 Pts (Up One)

3: Errol Spence 31 Pts (Up Two)

4: Artur Beterbiev 30 Pts (Up Five)

5: Tyson Fury 27 Pts (Down One)

6: Oleksandr Usyk 25 Pts

7: Canelo Alvarez 12 Pts (Down Six)

    Devin Haney (Unranked)

9: Vasyl Lomachenko 11 Pts (Down Two)

    Shakur Stevenson (Unranked)

Also Received Votes: Dmitry Bivol, Bam Rodriguez, Gervonta Davis, Stephen Fulton, Jermell Charlo