Eric’s Snips and Snipes – The Past Week In Action

The Past Week in Action

Highlights:

-Saul Alvarez savages Avni Yildirim in three rounds to retain WBC and WBA super middle titles

-McWilliams Arroyo halts substitute Abraham Rodriguez to win interim WBC flyweight title

-Rene Mark Cuarto outpoints champion Pedro Taduran to win the IBF Minimumweight title in an all-Filipino clash

-Joseph Parker takes unanimous decision over Junior Fa

-Anthony Dirrell and Kyrone Davis fight to a draw

– Heavyweight Jerry Forrest climbs off the canvas three times to get a draw against unbeaten Zhilei Zhang

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World Title/Major Shows

27 February

Miami, FL, USA:

Super Middle: Saul Alvarez (55-1-2) W RTD 3 Avni Yildirim (21-3).

Fly: McWilliams Arroyo (21-4) W TKO 5 Abraham Rodriguez (27-3).

Heavy: Zhilei Zhang (22-0-1) DREW 10 Jerry) Forrest (26-4-1).

Super Middle: Diego Pacheco (11-0) W PTS 8 Rodolfo Gomez (14-5-1).

Light: Keyshawn Davis (1-0) W TKO 2 Lester Brown (4-3-3).

Alvarez vs. Yildirim

Alvarez gets the job done as he floors Yildirim and after three one-sided forces Yildirim to retire.

Round 1

Alvarez was immediately on the mark with his left hooks to the body. He was warned for a low punch but was soon digging in more left hooks as well as rights to the body. Yildirim was hiding behind a high guard and only probing with his jab.

Score: 10-9 Alvarez

Round 2

Alvarez rocked Yildirim at the start of the round with a right uppercut. Yildirim was still behind a high guard but Alvarez was hooking around his guard with lefts to the body. Yildirim kept rolling forward but Alvarez was picking his spots and finding the target with hooks and uppercuts. Yildirim was more adventurous trying some left hooks and right of his own.
Score: 10-9 Alvarez                                  Alvarez 20-18

Round 3

Again Yildirim was trundling forward but being caught with counters. He had a little success with hooks inside but was then sent crashing to the floor by a right cross. Yildirim was up quickly but took a solid beating for the rest of the round as Alvarez landed clubbing punches to head and body.

Score: 10-8 Alvarez                                  Alvarez 30-26

In the interval there was no sign at first that Yildirim was pulling out. His corner was giving him advice, administering water and greasing-up his face and then suddenly it all stopped and they called the referee over and said their man was retiring, Alvarez retains the WBA and WBC titles and moves on to a unification match with WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders on May 8.

As expected Yildirim was in way over his head and showed nothing before being pulled out. Another sanctioning body “gift” to boxing in the shape of a fight that should never have happened as Yildirim had never beaten a rated fighter.

Arroyo vs. Rodriguez

Arroyo wins the interim WBC title with stoppage of very short notice substitute Rodriguez. Arroyo opened well behind a strong jab with Rodriguez on the back foot looking to leap in with his punches but swinging wildly. Arroyo began to find the target in the second connecting with left hooks to the body and overhand rights with Rodriguez sloppy with his attempts to attack.

The third was all Arroyo as he was digging in his hooks and chasing down Rodriguez who just kept circling the perimeter of the ring but doing little else. Arroyo managed to trap Rodriguez against the ropes in the fourth and a series of hooks and uppercuts saw Rodriguez drop to one knee. He made it to his feet and although under heavy fire he survived to the bell.

Arroyo continued to score heavily in the fifth and with nothing coming back from Rodriguez the doctor climbed onto the ring apron waiving for the fight to be stopped. Arroyo was to have challenged Julio Cesar Martinez for the WBC title but Martinez injured his hand after weighing in. Arroyo, whose brother McJoe is a former IBF super flyweight champion, had lost in previous shots at the WBC and IBF titles. Rodriguez had been knocked out in two rounds by Angel Acosta in a challenge for the WBO light flyweight title and was 106lbs for his last fight so was on a loser from the start and showed little.

Zhang vs. Forrest

Forrest gets off the canvas three times in the first three rounds to fight his way to a majority draw against unbeaten Zhang. In this clash of southpaws Forrest made a confident start in the opener catching the slow Zhang with rights to the head but with less than ten seconds remaining in the round a short left hook deposited him on his rump. He was up quickly and did not look too shaken and the bell went before there could be any further action.

Forrest was giving away lots of height and reach to the 6’6” Chinese fighter but was more mobile and had quicker hands. Zhang had the power and after twice shaking Forrest with lefts in the second he landed a right hook to the temple which saw Forrest tumble to the canvas on his back. Forrest was up quickly and was willing to mix it with Zhang to the bell. It looked all over for Forrest as a two rights to the head from Zhang just ten seconds into the third round turned his legs to rubber and sent him falling forwards to the canvas.

Forrest was able to continue after the count and they both landed some heavy shots. Having survived three knockdowns and being six points behind after just three rounds Forrest had to work hard to get into the fight. He was able to use his slightly better mobility and quicker hands to claw back the lost points and a clash of heads opened a vertical cut over the right eye of Zhang. By the eighth both fighters were so exhausted that it was a question of who would collapse first. Neither did but Zhang was deducted a point in the ninth for leaning all over Forrest which helped cancel out the Chinese fighter’s early advantage. Scores 93-93 twice and 95-93 for Forrest.

Losses to Jermaine Franklin and Carlos Takam had stymied Forrest’s progress but with Zhang rated a very flattering No 8 by the WBO it looks a good result on paper for Forrest. Zhang’s flaws have been known and this fight just illustrated them again. He is big and dangerous but about as agile as a three-legged hippo. At 37 he has gone as far as he is going-barring a lucky punch.

Davis vs. Brown

Another top notch amateur star moves over to the pros as Davis has too much of everything for Brown. Although supposedly a southpaw Davis was quickly into his stride from an orthodox guard ramming home rights to the body and by the end of the first Brown was covering up under fire.

Davis began putting his punches together in the second and floored Brown with a right to the head. Brown beat the count but Davis was unloading on him on the ropes when the referee came in to save Brown. The 22-year-old “southpaw” Davis won gold medals at the US Elite National Championships in 2017 and 2018, was National Police Athletic League champion in 2013 and 2014, National Golden Gloves winner in 2017 a silver medals in 2019 at the World Championship and the Pan American Games in and won the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials so has great credentials. Bahamian Brown is now 3-2 in his last 5 fights.

General Santos City, Philippines:

Minimum: Rene Cuarto (19-2-2) W PTS 12 Pedro Taduran (14-3-1).

Cuarto wins the IBF minimumweight title with unanimous decision over champion Taduran in an all-Filipino clash which sees Cuarto build a good lead and then just survive a strong finish from Taduran in a fast-paced contest. At its most basic level it was Pedro the puncher against Rene Mark the mover. Cuarto surrender the centre of the ring to Taduran. Cuarto was circling the perimeter of the then darting in to score with a quick burst of punches and dipping out before Taduran could counter. Cuarto’s excellent footwork left Taduran struggling to cut off the ring.

Taduran was working with left hooks to the body when he got the chance but too often was being speared by jabs from Cuarto and clipped by quick left uppercuts. The third was a big round for Taduran. He was rocked early by a right but then did a much better job of cutting down the ring and was able to pound Cuarto with body punches. Taduran continued to press hard over the next three rounds but Cuarto was getting his punches off first landing left hooks and uppercuts and slipping and sliding away from the champion’s attacks. Taduran had a good seventh.

Cuarto looked to be slowing and was taking punishment to the body a right to the head saw him dip at the knees and almost go down. Taduran was coming on stringer with each round and he shook Cuarto with heavy shots in the eighth and ninth. Taduran also had the better of the action in the tenth. A tiring Cuarto twice slipped to the floor and then pitched forward into Taduran sending them both down heavily.

Cuarto needed a round and he had a good eleventh up on his toes with lots of movement and scoring and diving out of the way of Taduran’s attacks. Taduran attacked hard in the last. At one point a retreating Cuarto when avoiding Taduran’s punches went half way through the ropes sitting on the middle one and then pitched onto the canvas on his hands and knees.

It could have counted as a knockdown but he had been avoiding a punch and not put there by a punch so no count-which was critical. Taduran kept chasing down Cuarto who got a needed breather when the tape on his glove came loose and had to be redone. Taduran won the round but not the fight. Scores 115-113 for Cuarto from all three judges. For me Taduran deserved at least a draw but Cuarto is the new title holder and Taduran is an ex-champion.

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Auckland, New Zealand:

Heavy: Joseph Parker (28-2) W PTS 12 Junior Fa (19-1).

Parker takes unanimous decision over Fa in a disappointing scrappy contest. In the first Parker was coming in behind his jab and scoring to the body but Fa then landed a hard right that stung Parker and did enough to edge the round. In the second and third scoring heavily when he had Fa against the ropes. Parker continued to take the fight to Fa in the fourth and what little clean work was being done was being done by Parker with Fa holding every time Parker got inside. Fa was sharper in the fifth using his longer reach to keep his jab in Parker’s face and connecting with a solid right to the chin.

Fa took the sixth. He was more positive with his jab and mixing in some rights but the fight was being spoiled by the continual clinching by Fa. Parker had a good seventh connecting with his jab, some rights and a swinging left before being dragged into clinch after clinch by Fa. Parker also outscored Fa in the eighth with piercing jabs and punching to the body with Fa only looking to hold.

A flying elbow from Parker opened a cut over Fa’s left eye in the ninth and Parker took the round with some sharp jabs and clubbing rights. The cut was still dripping blood at the start of the tenth and Fa’s face was soon smeared all over with blood but luckily the blood was trickling down the side of his face and not into his eye. Despite the injury Fa did what clean scoring there was.

Parker took the eleventh he was connecting with his jab and working to the body with Fa just looking to hold and doing very little work. Fa seemed to have just a little bit more left than Parker as they wrestled their way to the final bell. Scores 119-109, 117-111 and 115-113 all for Parker. The first score looked too harsh on Fa and the last too generous with Parker a deserving winner in a contest without highlights with too little clean work and too much clinching.

Parker wins the WBO Orient belt and is 3-2 up in fights with Fa as they were 2-2- as amateurs. Parker was No 3 with the WBO and Fa No 5 so the former WBO champion will now almost certainly go on to fight Dereck Chisora in an eliminator. Fa did too much holding and too little punching. He can come again but is unlikely to threaten Joshua, Fury or Wilder.

Los Angeles, CA, USA:

Super Middle: Anthony Dirrell (33-2-2) DREW 12 Kyrone Davis (15-2-1).

Dirrell and Davis fight to a split draw over twelve forgettable rounds. Dirrell was livelier at the outset but neither fighter really threw much. A couple of punches were enough to give Dirrell the first two rounds with Davis not letting his hands go. Dirrell also took a more competitive third with Davis coming awake late in the round. Davis finally got into the fight from the fourth and he picked up his pace over the fifth and sixth to rebound from his slow start but the activity level remained low.

Davis looked to have moved ahead over the seventh and eighth but then faded. Dirrell’s greater experience came into play and he staged the stronger finish but so many rounds were close it really was a difficult to score and that was reflected on the cards. Scores 115-113 for Dirrell, 115-113 for Davis and 114-114.

First outing for Dirrell since being stopped in nine rounds by David Benavidez in September 2019 in a fight that cost him his WBC super middle tile. At 36 the most Dirrell can hope for is one more big payday but he will have to wait to see what the division looks like at the end of the year after Saul Alvarez’s efforts to unify the four titles. Creditable performance by Davis whose last two fights were over four and six rounds against very modest opposition.

Berlin. Germany:

Super Middle: William Scull (16-0) W PTS 12 Gino Kanters (8-4-2).

Middle: Thomas Piccirillo (8-0-2) W KO 9 Adam Amkhadov (7-2).

Scull vs. Kanters

Cuban Scull comfortably outpoints Dutchman Kanters. Scull was quicker with higher level skills. Despite being in control from the start he never really managed put a stubborn Kanters in any deep trouble but also never allowed Kanters a toe-hold in the fight. Scores 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110 for Scull. The 28-year-old Scull collects the IBO Continental belt. Former kickboxing champion Kanters is now 4-2-2 in his last eight fights.

Piccirillo vs. Ankhadov

Italian-born Piccirillo wins the German title at the second attempt as he scores a brutal kayo of Russian-born Ankhadov a stable mate of Piccirillo. The fight was one-sided with Piccirillo clearly outboxing Ankhadov and finding the target with rights over Amkhadov’s too low guard.

Ankhadov only just survived the seventh then took more punishment in the eighth. Piccirillo ended it in the ninth. With a badly weakened Amkhadov trying to come forward off the ropes Piccirillo landed a booming right to the head that saw Amkhadov pitch forward and finish up hitting the canvas head first and he was needlessly counted out.

The unbeaten Piccirillo had outpointed Amkhadov in June and then drawn with Gualtieri in a challenge for the German title in August with Gualtieri then relinquishing the title. Amkhadov was taken to the hospital but later released.

26 February

Milan, Italy:

Super Middle: Daniele Scardina (19-0) W TKO 8 Cesar Nunez (17-3-1).

Welter: Nicholas Esposito (14-0) W PTS 10 Tobia Giuseppe Loriga (32-9-3).

Scardina vs. Nunez

Scardina overcomes early struggles to stop Nunez and win the vacant European Union title.  As expected Spaniard Nunez took the fight to Scardina rumbling forward throwing hooks from all angles. Initially Scardina stood his ground and traded punches which suited Nunez.

A left hook shook Scardina in the fourth but later in the round he began  to get the better of the exchanges. Scardina was rocked by a right cross in the sixth but Nunez was fading badly. In the eighth a right uppercut had Nunez hurt and when he went down under a series of punches the referee stopped the fight.

The Miami-based Scardina has 15 victories by KO/TKO but some of his flaws showed here as he struggled early. Being over-ambitious has seen Nunez stopped by Vincent Feigenbutz and Edgar Berlanga so now 3 inside the distance losses in his last 4 fights.

Loriga vs. Esposito

Esposito wins the Italian title with unanimous decision over veteran champion Loriga in a hard fought, thrilling contest. Over the opening two rounds Esposito found it difficult to sort out a response to Loriga’s unorthodox style. Esposito gradually came up with a solution and began to work inside connecting with hooks and uppercuts.

Loriga kept finding gaps for counters and was competitive all the way as evidenced by the cut by Esposito’s right eye and swollen left cheek. The pressure from the young challenger slowly wore Loriga down and after a frantic ninth Esposito boxed his way to victory.

Scores 97-93 for Esposito by all three judges. The 26-year-old “Good Boy” performed well in his first ten round match. Loriga at 43 is still a force and able to give anyone a good fight.

Talpa de Allende, Mexico:

Super Fly: Francisco Rodriguez Jr (34-4-1) W PTS 10 Martin Tecuapetla (15-13-4,1ND).

Rodriguez takes a majority verdict after ten grueling all-action rounds. Tecuapetla was busier at the start putting Rodriguez on the back foot and outworking him in the first round. In the second Rodriguez was connecting with left hooks and uppercuts to the body but with Tecuapetla firing back in the third. From the fourth the heavier punching from Rodriguez put him in front.

Tecuapetla kept marching forward but Rodriguez constantly switched guards and continued to drive body punches through Tecuapetla’s guard. Tecuapetla walked through the punishment scoring with hooks and uppercuts of his own and forcing Rodriguez to fight hard to the last bell in an exciting scrap. Rodriguez looked a good winner but the judges came up with a majority decision with scores of 97-93 and 97-95 for Rodriguez and 98-95 for Tecuapetla.

Very tough test for the former WBO and IBF minimumweight champion who gets his fifteenth consecutive win. He is well placed in the flyweight division being rated WBO 2/WBA 4/IBF 5(3) so has a good chance of a title shot this year. Former IBF light fly title challenger Tecuapetla has won only 2 of his last 11 fights but against strong opposition including four past/present world champions.

Fight of the week (Significance): Saul Alvarez beating Avni Yildirim sets up Alvarez for unifying all four versions of the super middleweight title by the end of the year

Fight of the week (Entertainment): Francisco Rodriguez vs. Martin Tecuapetla was a war all the way. With honourable mention to Nicholas Esposito vs. Tobia Giuseppe Loriga providing plenty to enjoy in their Italian title fight.

Fighter of the week: Saul Alvarez as he marches on in his quest to unify the super middleweight division

Punch of the week: The right to the head from Thomas Piccirillo that put that put Adam Ankhadov face down on the canvas was brutal.

Upset of the week: Rene Mark Cuarto was an outsider against Pedro Taduran but won a close decision and the IBF minimumweight title

Prospect watch: Only one pro fight but I am going with lightweight Keyshawn Davis who oozed class against Lester Brown

Observations

Not a good weekend for the big fights. Alvarez vs. Yildirim was as expected a mismatch. Julio Cesar Martinez vs. McWilliams Arroyo looked a reasonable match but with Martinez pulling out with an injury instead Arroyo easily beat late substitute Abraham Rodriguez and both Joseph Parker vs. Junior Fa and Anthony Dirrell vs. Kyrone Davis lacked any entertainment value.

The line between professional and amateur is permanently blurred now. Keyshawn Davis has won his first pro fight but he also won the US Olympic trials so will be aiming to go for gold in Tokyo and New Zealand ‘s Jerome Pampellone turned professional on 19 December 2020 and won the New Zealand amateur title on 23 January 2021.

Boxing is emerging from the pandemic. Over Friday and Saturday there were 36 shows in 24 countries.