KO Digest Ringside Report - Jeter upsets Lange in Virginia

Jeter swings for the fences against Lange

FAIRFAX - By John Scheinman

From star of the old series “The Contender” to an aging fighter along the ropes, unable to move and taking a beating. This was matinee idol-handsome Jimmy Lange at a self-promoted show Oct. 27 at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University.

Over ten rounds, with only occasional flashes of the old charisma and punching power, Lange, 158, Great Falls, Va. (38-5-2, 25 KOs) got plain beat up by Tony “Mo Better” Jeter, Stevensville, Md., (15-3-1, 10 KOs).

It was a runaway – albeit full of action – in the ring, but extremely close on the scorecards, however, as Jeter pulled out a split-decision. Why? Because referee Steve Smoger took away four points – two in the second, one in the third and another in the eighth – for low blows. While some of the deductions were legitimate, the one in the eighth was for a beltline shot.

Jeter also was dropped to one knee by an overhand right, the first punch Lange threw in the second round, so he had a five-point hole to climb out of. He did it, by using his superb physical conditioning to stand right in front of the immobile Lange and punch to the end of every bell.

The judges scored 94-91 (Lange), 94-91 (Jeter) and 93-92 (Jeter). KO Digest scored 93-92 for Jeter, as well.

Lange failed to come out for the post-fight press conference, represented by his father Johnny, instead, who was bitter and incredulous about the scoring. Although his son has created an unprecedented fan base at the Patriot Center, where he has been able to successfully charge up to $500 per ticket, Johnny Lange vowed no more fights in Virginia until he receives an explanation of how the judges scored for Jeter with all those points taken away.

Lange, 37, however, probably should be thinking about retirement. He was on a seven-fight win streak dating back to a 12-round loss to Chase Shields in March 2010, but he clearly didn’t have much to keep the relentless Jeter off him. “Both of us put on one of the toughest fights you’ll ever see, and you couldn’t have done it without me or without him,” said Jeter, who said he has a good relationship with the WBC and expects to climb into the rankings.

The second round was by far the most controversial and almost cost Jeter the fight. After Lange knocked him down for an eight-count, Jeter returned to action with a hard head butt. He then began holding and hitting and received a second warning from Smoger.

After Lange doubled up hard right hand shots, Jeter landed a low blow and Smoger took a point away. The brisk fighting resumed, and soon Smoger was taking another point for a low blow. Undeterred, Jeter was out fast in the third, ripping head shots and backing Lange into the ropes. Lange, always a slow starter, battled back. By the end of the round, both fighters were teeing off with knockout-strength blows. Then, Smoger took a point from Jeter again for low blows – that were not low.

Steve Smoger took 4 points from Jeter!

Still, Jeter was destroying Lange.

In the fourth round, the crowd was pleading with Lange to get off, and finally he did, having probably his only quality round of the fight.

In the fifth, however, Jeter went back to work, ripping left hooks to the body, punches that served him well throughout the fight. Without showing any mobility, something it was said he worked on with former world champion William Joppy in preparation for the fight, Lange was vulnerable to Jeter’s hardest blows.

By the seventh round, Jeter was just chopping wood. Lange had his moments, but he was paying an enormous physical price, pinned on the ropes, crushed by an uppercut at round’s end. Lange opened the eight round punching very well, looking to time Jeter between shots, but his back was back to the ropes. Smoger took another point for a low blow. Jeter could barely believe it. He walked right over to Lange, who was in a neutral corner and yelled “Fuck!”

By the ninth, Lange was bleeding from the head and a cut around the right eye. Smoger stopped the action to allow a ringside physician to examine the wounds and the fight continued with Jeter firing heavy punches toward the end of the round.

Jeter hits while Lange catches!

In the 10th, Jeter’s conditioning carried him. Strangely, Lange began to move and jab. It should have been there earlier if he had it in him at all. Jeter sought a knockout and the crowd, always Lange country, began chanting “Tony! Tony!” Jeter, who has a promotional license in Maryland and puts on regular small shows, was effusive in his praise for the Langes and thankful for getting the fight.

Asked what Smoger said to him during the fight, Jeter said, “He told me I was a dirty fighter, but, you know, Jimmy fights rough. But I don’t think it was as much of a dirty fight as a rough fight. Jimmy hit me low, I hit him low. He had his shorts up high. He head-butted me, I head-butted him. I’ve got knots on my head. It’s just boxing. But it was just a phenomenal fight. These are the type of fights this area needs. Everybody says Jimmy doesn’t want to step up, that I don’t want to step up."

"Well, there you go, that was a step up. That was a step up!”

Ringside Report by John Scheinman  - exclusively for KO Digest
Photos by Mike Greehnhill

NYC Ringside Report - Monaghan and Bracero dominate at Roseland

Monaghan pounds Saunders to stay undefeated

NEW YORK, N.Y. - In the fifth installment of Broadway Boxing this year, promoter Lou DiBella treated fight fans yesterday night to nonstop action on a fight card that featured seven bouts. The card did not disappoint and it had a little bit of something for everybody - boxing, brawling, plenty of blood, and of course everyone's favorite - the one round knockout!

The evening featured undefeated light heavyweight prospect "Irish" Seanie Monaghan from Long Beach N.Y. and experienced Rayco Saunders in a fight that had plenty of action, and a ninth round that saw both fighters throw more than a hundred punches. 

Here are the results:

Seanie Monaghan W10 Rayco Saunders (light heavyweights) - In the main event for the WBC Continentals America light heavyweight championship, Monaghan was matched against Rayco Saunders, an experienced fighter with over forty fights, and a dependable chin. At the bell. Saunders came out jabbing to the head and body, while Monaghan dipped, and ripped right hands to the body, as well as the head. Saunders 22-17-2(9KO's) landed a decent right to the head in the second, and Seanie responded with hooks to the body and head. He nodded in approval to his opponent at the bell. The fight followed a pattern that suited Seanie, who likes to fight inside, before dropping the right hand to the head. He backed his opponent up for most of the bout, which didn't go unnoticed by the judges. He didn't allow the taller Saunders to use his reach, and forced him to trade. He did find some success in the fifth with the jab, and a left hook, but it didn't seem to faze Monaghan.

The veteran Saunders did just enough to survive, but not enough to win.

In the eighth, Saunders landed some solid straight right hands, but Seanie 16-0(10KO's) may have stolen the round as he blasted his opponent against the ropes. In the ninth, Seanie kept his opponent on the ropes for almost the entire round, ripping uppercuts, and hooks to the body, before firing the sneaky right hand to the head. Both fighters easily threw over a hundred punches that round. In the final round, both men traded bombs, although Saunders may have won it because of the jab. Monaghan retained his title with scores of 98-92 and 99-91 twice. After the bout, announcer Steve Farhood asked the winner to describe what it felt like to fight the wily veteran, and who he would like to fight next. He gave the tough Saunders his much deserved respect, and indicated he would fight whoever they put in front of him.

Ivan Redkach KO1 Tebor Brosch (junior welterweights) - Anyone who attempted to go to the rest rooms before the main event missed this bout. Redkach 11-0(10KO's) made it look easy, as he went right to the body in the opening seconds of the bout. A straight right hand, followed by a left to the body, backed his opponent up. Once he got his opponent to the ropes, he doubled the left to the body, before firing the left hook to the head. Brosch 7-3-5(2KO's) tried to fight back, and fired a right hand, but a left hook, followed by a left hand, bounced him into the ropes, and the referee had seen enough. Redkach by TKO 2:02 in the first.

"Tito" Bracero wins in NYC

Gabriel Bracero W8 Eric Cruz (junior middleweights) - This match up featured two skilled fighters who relied on technique. Both men relied on the jab to set up their punches. Bracero landed a solid left hook, and Cruz responded with a straight right hand. Chants of "Tito" rang out from the crowd for Bracero whenever he landed. Bracero 19-1(3KO's) made some adjustments, and chose to counter his opponent, whenever he lunged in. Bracero had his opponents timing down, and repeatedly landed the right hand. "Tito" landed a good left hook at the bell. The experienced Cruz 16-10-3 (16KO's) tried to lure his opponent in on the ropes, and tries to land the uppercut. Bracero returned an uppercut of his own, near the end of the round. Bracero opened up the lead with the double jab right hand, along with some sneaky right hand leads. In the seventh, it's all Bracero as he lands the left hook repeatedly behind the right hand. In the eighth and final round, Cruz fired the jab, and threw one punch at a time, while "Tito" landed in combination. The fans chanted "Tito" right to the bell. Bracero, who is trained by Tommy Gallagher, won by the scores of 79-73 and 80-72 twice. This was a solid win for Bracero, who had to make adjustments during the course of the fight.

Travis Peterkin W4 Hamid Abdul Mateen (light heavyweights) - Mateen 3-3-2, no knockouts, tried to jab to the body, but paid for it, when a big Peterkin left hand put him against the ropes. The pattern continued into the second, and a fight broke out in the stands during the action. In the third, Peterkin 5-0(3KO's) added a straight left to the body. In the final round, Peterkin added the double jab, and added the right hook behind the straight left right before the bell. All three judges vote in favor of Peterkin with the identical scores of 40-36. Although the scores don't reflect it, this was a very competitive bout,with the winner shading each round.

The southpaw Peterkn was all business, and his blazing hand speed and straight left hand, made all the difference.

Floriano Pagliara W8 Jeremy McLaurin (junior lightweights) - The tall McLaurin came forward without much of a jab, right hand cocked, while Pagliara fought out of a crouch, firing hooks to the body, and right hands to the head. In the second, McLaurin 9-5(5KO) fired the double jab and straight right hand, while Pagliara 14-4-2(6KO's) stayed close to his opponent and made the fight ugly. Both men traded, but the heavier hands belonged to Floriano. In the seventh, he switched gears, and kept the fight outside using angles. The last round was bombs away, as McLaurin landed the right uppercut and left hook, while Pagliara answered back with looping right hands and hooks to the body. Pagliara landed a nice right hand at the bell. Showing good sportsmanship, the fighters hugged after the bell. The three judges favor Pagliara by the scores of 76-74 and 80-72 twice.

Heather Hardy W4 Unique Harris (female featherweights) - Heather Hardy went to 2-0, both wins by decision last night, against a tough, and polished Unique Harris, who was making her pro debut. Unique got off to a pretty good start, using a double jab and a straight right hand, along with some good head movement in the first round, doing fairly well against Heather who tried to out box her. Once it became clear that long range was going to work for her, Heather went to work on her opponent with body shots, uppercuts, and hooks. Once Harris had no room to punch, Hardy took over. She suffered a gash on her right eye, but Hardy just wiped the blood away, and kept coming. In the final round, chants of "Heather" could be heard throughout the arena. She fired a double left hook to the head and a hook to the body, while Harris returned fire with the uppercuts. A big left hook, followed by a right hand, bounced Harris into the ropes at the bell. Hardy won by scores of  40-36 and 39-37 twice. Overcoming a knockdown in her debut, and a cut last night, Hardy now has two exciting wins under her belt.

Delen Parsley W6 Ibaheim King (middleweights) - The opening bout of the evening featured the taller Parsley electing to trade rather than use his reach on his southpaw opponent. King 10-8(4KO's) focused on lead left hands to the head, and body shots, while Parsley 9-0(2KO's) hooked off the jab. In the second round, Parsley went to the jab, but was caught by a lead left to the head, followed by body shots, and a sneaky right hook to the head. Parsley made adjustments in the fourth, and landed a nice check hook, on his onrushing opponent. King came forward behind a high guard, and forced Delen to trade, and his back hit the ropes on a few occasions. There was an accidental head butt near the end of the round, and the fighters traded heavily at the bell. All three judges vote in favor of Parsley by the scores of 58-56 and 59-55 twice.

Also in attendance at the Roseland Ballroom this evening were Brooklyn's own Paulie Malignaggi and former bantamweight king, Junior "Poison" Jones. The crowd was definitely feeling it this evening.

Another great night at Broadway Boxing.

Ringside Report by David McLeod, exclusively for KO Digest
Monaghan & Bracero photos by DiBella Entertainment/Ed Diller
Redkach photo by David McLeod

CES Closing Statement Results: Perez edges McDowell - locals win

The Souljah wins again!

LINCOLN, RI - In front of an enthusiast crowd at the Twin River Convention Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island - Jimmy Burchfield's Classic Entertainment and Sports (CES) put on a nine bout professional fight card last night entitled "Closing Statement."

In the Main Event, East Hartford, CT native Joseph "Chip" Perez edged out Chazz "Magnificent" McDowell by majority decision to claim the vacant New England junior lightweight title while on the undercard, all the local house fighters got much needed wins but not without some stiff resistance from their out of town opponents.

Results are as follows:   

Joseph "Chip" Perez W8 Chazz "Magnificent" McDowell (junior lightweights) - In a battle for the vacant New England junior lightweight title, Yonkers, NY's Chazz McDowell jumped out to an early lead over Josesph Perez in a tactical battle of the jab. Things heated up a bit in the middle rounds and Perez rallied with aggression down the stretch to win a majority decision.  Overall, a very tactical fight but as noted, Perez came on late and won the last two rounds on the KO Digest card to pull out the win.

Official majority decision scores in favor of Perez: 78-74,77-75,76-76.

KO Digest scored the fight 77-76 in favor of Perez. 

The fans love Shelito!

Shelly Shelito Vincent W4 Ivana Coleman (female bantamweights) - With a disregard to defense, these two females put it on the line as their rematch went the distance. Entertaining brawl from start to finish, the wildly popular Shelito wins her fifth straight and goes to 5-0 by unanimous scores on all three cards 40-36. The smiling and swollen Coleman falls to 0-2, with both losses coming at the hands of Vincent.  

Thomas Falowo TKO5 Michael Walchuck (middleweights) - Known as the "Souljah" - Thomas Falowo worked the body well in the 1st and did more of the same in the 2nd and 3rd while starting to mix in nice right uppercuts to the chin. In the 4th, Pawtucket RI's Falowo began to really walk his opponent down with well timed shots up and downstairs. In the 5th, Falowo ended matters, pounding Walchuk along the ropes to bring on the referee stoppage, perhaps a little premature. Walchuk was game and firing back throughout the fight but he was unable to deal with the volume punching of the rapidly improving Falowo who goes to to 8-1 w/ 6KO's with the win while the Canadian Walchuk falls to 9-7. Time was :43 of the 5th round.

KO Digest caught up with the winner after the fight, "I felt great tonight, I did a lot of things I was working on, sitting down on my punches, setting things up with the double jab. I thought the stoppage was reasonable. I rocked him and he just covered up and leaned. He didn't throw back."

Amparo finishes Lavin

Alex Amparo TKO4 Nick Lavin (super middleweights) - In a rematch of the KO Digest 2011 Best 4-Round Fight of the Year, Nick Lavin was knocked down from a left hook early in the 1st round and this proved to be a sign of things to come. Amparo, fighting for the memory of his recently deceased cousin, fought with a purpose and he controlled an apparently still-dazed Lavin in the 2nd. Amparo had Lavin going at the end of the 2nd before the ball rang to end the round. Amparo got the better of Lavin along the ropes in the 3rd and the ref looked ready to stop the fight but the rugged Lavin survived, unbroken. With Lavin taking a beating along the ropes in the 4th, the ref stepped in and Amparo had the win he dedicated to his late cousin Germaine. Amparo goes to 5-0 w/ 3KOs while Lavin falls to 2-4

Said Aparo, "This fight is for G."

Gardner takes a count in the 2nd round

Joey Gardner W6 Philip Burnette (middleweights) - After an even opening round, things got coooking in the 2nd and Gardner was dropped from a lunging left hand. In the 3rd, Woonsocket, RI's Gardner began to time a wild Burnette coming in and he buzzed him with left hooks and right hands. Grueling 4th and 5th rounds with both fighters starting to tire and miss as much as hit. Gardner boxes in the final round and lands the jab, right hand, left hook to take it

Split decision scores in favor of Gardner: 58-55,57-56,56-59.

KO Digest had the South Carolinian Burnette the winner by a point with the knockdown being the difference. Said the dejected Burnette afterwards, "The decision was bullshit, I know I won that fight!"

Rich Gingras TKO2 Dennis Ogboo (light heavyweights) - Not much of a fight here as both fighters fought on even terms in the first round with Gingras trying to work inside and land his left hook. In the 2nd, the left hook landed on the chin of Ogboo and he went down, apparently not that hurt but his corner inexplicably threw the towel in anyway. Time 2:30. Attleboro, MA's Gingras goes to 12-3 w/ 8KOs while Kentucky native Ogboo goes to 7-6 w/ 6 KOs.

The Vermont Bully gets come from behind KO win!

Kevin Cobbs KO4 Alexander Mancera (light heavyweights) -  Aggressive opening two rounds for Queens, NY native Mancera as he bullies the "Vermont Bully" Cobbs with good work inside. Cobbs responded well in the 3rd by finding a home for the right hand. With encouragement from CES boss Jimmy Burchfield Sr in the corner between rounds, Cobbs exploded a right hand off the head of Mancera and knocked him out at 1:02 of the 4th and final round!

Cobbs goes to 6-0 w/ 2KOs. Mancera falls to 8-5-1

Said Cobbs after the fight, "I couldn't figure him out early, he was a little awkward. Even when he was off-set, he was able to throw punches. I started pivoting after my punches and that's when things started to open up for me. Come the fourth round, I started pawing the jab to blind him to land the right hand. Once I landed the right hand, I didn't turn back away from it. Jimmy pumped me up in the corner, which is what I needed. They expect a lot out of me so I have to use that as energy."

Toka Kahn-Clary ND Jamell Tyson (super featherweights) -  Showing why he's one of the hotter prospects in boxing, 2010 National Golden Glove Champion Kahn (2-0) was having his way with (3-8-2) Tyson until an accidental clash of heads in the 2nd round caused a nasty gash around the right eye of Tyson, the fight was called off immediately and announced as a no decision. The crowd was not happy and they wanted to see more Toka.

Successful pro debut for Smith

Jon Smith W4 Dinis "Sweetbread" Paiva Jr (welterweights) - Pro debuts for both fighters. Slow opening round gives way to much better action in the 2nd and 3rd with Cranston, RI's Smith getting the better of it. Golden Glove champion Smith turned boxer in the 4th and coasted to his first professional win over East Providence, RI MMA fighter Paiva.

Entertaining opening bout. Scores: 40-36,40-36,39-37. 


KO Digest Ringside Report by Jeffrey Freeman and Edwin "Ace" Ayala
Photos & Quotes: Jeffrey Freeman - KO Digest Editor-in-Chief

Nonito Donaire Ready For Toshiaki Nishioka

Nonito vs Nish

By Gopal Rao - With the clock winding down on the highly anticipated double-header at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, featuring Nonito Donaire defending his unified super-bantamweight titles against Japan’s Toshiaki Nishioka, Team Donaire held a final pre-fight media conference call to discuss the fight.

"Look, this guy is very experienced. He’s one of those guys who’s been in there for so many years and had so much experience that he’s been in there with every type of opponent. But inside the ring he hasn’t been in against a Nonito," said Donaire’s trainer, Robert Garcia, about Nishioka.

"He hasn’t seen someone with that power he has, that thinks the way he thinks. Nonito has tremendous power and speed, and that’s really going to make the difference. I really admire those fighters that really see their opponent and know what punches are coming, and Nonito is one of those guys. This guy hasn’t been in there with nobody like Nonito, and that’s going to make the difference."

Donaire himself was cautious about assessing Nishioka’s chances, giving the longtime Japanese title-holder his due for being crafty. "He does pose a threat in terms of his speed, and knowing how to set up his power. He’s been boxing for a long time and knows a lot of tricks that can frustrate a fighter, and that’s what we don’t want to fall into."

Donaire acknowledged that the pressure is building up to duplicate the knockouts he scored against Vic Darchinyan and Fernando Montiel. In the wake of consecutive decision victories in the super-bantamweight division, people have been questioning whether or not his power has carried up with him. He pointed to the quality of opposition he has faced recently, and how it has forced him to fight more intelligently than he had in the past.'

"These guys are world champions, and they’re on top of their game and sometimes you don’t get the things that people expect. They expect a lot from me. We’re changing up our style to get more for this fight. Against Nishioka we can’t let our guard down. We have been going back to the old style of being smart."

Donaire didn’t want to predict a stoppage in this fight either, but he hasn’t lost faith in his punching power. "If it comes it comes. With the proper game plan, my power will be more dominant. That’s what I was known for."

Garcia echoed Donaire’s comments about Nonito’s lack of stoppage wins since moving up weight.

"The fighters are bigger and stronger and they’ve all been world class fighters. It all has been more difficult. These guys have been doing it for years. It won’t be easy, but this training camp he told me that he’s going to come back and fight the way he used to do it. The way he did it against Montiel, against Tyson Marquez, against Sydorenko."

"All those guys that he was just picking them apart little by little and knocking them out. He has been doing it in training against lightweights, junior lightweights and super lightweights. He’s been landing beautiful shots and combinations. I have no doubt that he will do it against Nishioka. I’m not asking or pushing for the knockout, I want him to perform well, look good and do what he did in training."

Donaire’s manager, Cameron Dunkin, was similarly enthused about the fight at hand. "This is s a fight that Nonito has wanted for a long time. It’s a great fight. Nishioka is a great champion, and these are the fights that really leave Nonito as not only one of the greatest of today, but also in history. These are the kinds of fights you really get excited about because this is really a historical fight."

Promoter Bob Arum promised that the fight would be a very special event, with Brandon Rios fighting Mike Alavarado in the co-featured bout. "The one hundred and twenty two pound championship title being defended by Nonito is going to be a classic. I had the opportunity to watch Toshiaki Nishioka when he fought Rafael Marquez in Las Vegas, and he is a terrific fighter. We know that Nonito is one of the great fighters in boxing, but he’s going to have his hands full with a tough competitor like Nishioka. I really believe that this fight will be as exciting and interesting as the co-feature, with Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado. Hell of a night of boxing at the Home Depot, we’ve sold over five thousand tickets. Were looking for a crowd of around seven thousand, which will be a virtual sellout, so we’re very excited."

HBO Road To Glory RESULTS — Edwin Rodriguez & Vic Darchinyan shine

MGM GRAND FOXWOODS, CT — Rising star Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez scored a dominating eighth round TKO of Jason Escalera last night in his second consecutive fight telecast on HBO. The undefeated super middleweight contender Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KOs) hurt Escalera (13-1, 1 KOs) badly in the first and third rounds but couldn't finish him early.

More of the same unfolded in the fifth and the fight was almost stopped. Rodriguez continued to punish a game but overmatched Escalera who just wouldn't quit. Referee Steve Smoger finally stepped in at the :12 mark of round eight.

"I hit him with a good left uppercut in the first round and his mouthpiece came out so I went right after him but he's very strong willed and has a great chin. Escalera never hurt me and I think the stoppage could have come in the first round but Steve Smoger is a great referee and he gives fighters a chance to come back."

With another win on HBO in the bank, what does the immediate future hold for "La Bomba" Rodriguez? "We want any of the top 10 guys, definitely Kelly Pavlik. Super middleweight is my division and I feel comfortable at this weight but if any opportunity comes at light heavyweight, I'm a big kid, I'm 6'1, so I'm ready."

In the co-main event Vic Darchinyan, (121 lbs) UD10 Luis Orlando Del Valle, (122 lbs) Darchinyan (38-5, 27 KOs) and Valle (16-1, 11 KOs) had no feeling out round as they both swung and landed at will from the first bell.  Darchinyan giving the better of it early on but fading late and getting hurt in the final two.  Judges had it 96-94 and 99-91 twice.

"I'm back," said Darchinyan afterwards. "I feel good at this weight. I feel strong. I worked very hard. He's a tough kid. I just felt I was in a different class than him."

Antonin Decarie, (147 lbs) TKO6 Alex Perez, (146 lbs) Decarie (27-1, 8 KOs) scores an impressive stoppage of the previously unbeaten Perez (16-1, 9 KOs), the light hitter scored a knockdown before pouring it on. Time was 2:54.

Untelevised undercard results: 

Danny O’Connor, (142 lbs) TKO3 Josh Sosa, (140 lbs) The wildly popular Framingham, MA native O’Connor (19-1, 8 KOs) makes it an early night for Sosa (10-4, 5 KOs) ending it at :33 of the third with a vicious barrage of unanswered body shots. Ryan Kielczewski, (130 lbs) UD6 Jeremy Mclaurin, (130 lbs) Kielczewski (14-0, 2 KOs) in a one-sided albeit exciting fight against Mclaurin (9-4, 5 KOs). The final tally was 59-55 and 60-54 twice. Luis Rosa, Jr., (122 lbs) TKO6 Victor Valenzuela, (122 lbs) Rosa (11-0, 6 KOs) pounds into submission the game Valenzuela (8-4, 1 KO) at 1:21 of the sixth. Sonya Lamonakis, (237 lbs) MD 6 Tanzee Daniels, (225 lbs) Lamonakis (7-0-2, 1 KO) in a tough one earns it over Daniels (4-2-1, 1 KO).  57-57 and 59-55 twice were the scores. Issac Chilemba, (177 lbs) UD 8 Rayco Saunders, (175 lbs) Chilemba (20-1-1, 9 KOs) gets the nod in what was more of sparring session than a fight against Saunders (20-17-2, 9 KOs).  All cards were 80-72.

KO Digest Ringside Report by Edwin "Ace" Ayala
Images: Ed Diller - DiBella/Star Boxing
Edited by Jeffrey Freeman - KO Digest, EIC

Rocky Marciano Statue Rocks Brockton

The Rock unveiled in the City of Champions

BROCKTON — The City of Champions waited sixty years for a Rocky Marciano statue and on the day of the unveiling ceremony at Brockton High School's Marciano Stadium, they had to a wait just a little bit longer. Not everybody was so patient (60 years will do that to you) and there were boos heard from the crowd gathered around the still covered statue as one guest speaker after another took their time at the microphone addressing the crowd in honor of the undefeated former heavyweight champion. As the throng grew more and more impatient, the guest speakers got more and more unusual. From the rambling incoherency of Don King and Jose Sulaiman to the amusing invitation of Larry Holmes to meet him afterwards at George's Cafe where he'd be to "get drunk" - Brockton boxing fans were at their wit's end and wanted to see what they came for, the Rocky Marciano tribute statue.

When it was finally revealed, the massive monument to Marciano did not disappoint and there was an audible gasp from the crowd as the statue was finally uncovered by a big Brockton Fire Department crane. Weighing in at two tons and standing over twenty two feet tall, the imposing statue proved to be a fitting tribute to a man who was truly a giant in the ring despite his actual size.

As a gift to the city of Brockton from the World Boxing Council (WBC), the statue now takes its rightful place as an eternal reminder of why Brockton, Massachusetts is rightly called the City of Champions.

In addition to the abovementioned Holmes, Sulaiman, and King - the boxing community turned out in good numbers for the unveiling ceremony to pay their respects to Marciano. Spotted throughout the day were Tony Petronelli, Robbie Simms, Vito Antuofermo, Micky Ward, Tony Grano, Joe DeNucci, John Scully, Ray Olivera, Hank Lundy, John Ruiz, Lou Duva, Tony DeMarco, Gasper Ortega, Vinny Pazienza, Rich LaMontagne, and George Foreman Jr.

Following the ceremony, those in the know headed over to George's Cafe on Belmont Street in Brockton for some good eats and a chance to mingle with boxing immortality. George's is one of those old fashioned Italian restaurants where the walls are covered in local sports history but with a strong emphasis on boxing. Holmes entertained patrons with his singing and good humor while local legend and former welterweight champion Tony DeMarco posed for photos and met with fans. Vinny Pazienza was in the house and he delighted fans with his charm and good nature. John Ruiz was also there and he lived up to his nickname of the "Quiteman" - not really saying much but wearing a big smile that showed he was having as great a time as everybody else in the room.

In all - it was a great day in Brockton and a spectacular way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the date (September 23, 1952) that the "Brockton Blockbuster" Rocky Marciano defeated Jersey Joe Walcott for the Heavyweight Championship of the World with an unforgettably dramatic come from behind one-punch knockout!

Images & Words by Jeffrey Freeman, KO Digest

Fight To Educate Boxing Results from NH‏ - Andrade wins by TKO

Boo Boo drops and stops the Hurricane

MANCHESTER, NH - The 11th Annual Fight to Educate charity boxing card was held tonight in front of a good crowd at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH. Presented this year by Absolute Broadcasting, "Fight to Educate" raises money for local charities and people in need. This year, proceeds from the event will go to the SEE Science Center, The Bobby Stephens Fund for Education, and New Horizons for New Hampshire.

This year's card featured a mix of amateur and professional boxing highlighted by junior middleweight prospect Demetrius "Boo Boo" Andrade in the main event for the third consecutive year. 

The evening featured a black tie dinner at tables set around a boxing ring, a boxing memorabilia auction, and a chance for fans to meet with boxing stars James "Buster" Douglas, Irish Micky Ward, Dana Rosenblatt, and John Ruiz - all of whom were in attendance to raise money and mingle with fight fans. More than any other celebrity fighter in attendance, Buster Douglas drew the most attention and there was no shortage of fans eager to meet him and recant stories of Douglas' stunning 1990 upset win over Mike Tyson for the heavyweight championship of the world.

In the professional main event, Demetrius Andrade (18-0 w/ 13KO's from Providence, RI) knocked out Alexis "Hurricane" Hlores (16-5-2 w/ 12KO's from Mount Clemens, MI) in the second round of a very uncompetitive main event. Andrade used his jab and combination punching in the first round and closed the show in the second round, scoring two knockdowns, the first coming from a straight left to the face and the final knockdown coming from a whistling right hook to the chin. Hlores bravely beat the count but rose on unsteady legs and the fight was stopped by the referee. Time of the TKO was 2:59. 

Said the victorious Andrade, "I showed it, power and speed. I looked good, and sealed the deal. I want Serhiy Dzinziruk next. He lost to only the best, Sergio Martinez and I only want to fight the best. His name would be a good name on my resume."

Chris Gilbert stays undefeated

In the professional co-feature, Chris Gilbert (5-0 w/ 4KO's from Windsor, VT) stopped Antonio Fernandez (2-8-1 from Quincy, MA) in the forth round of a very one-sided welterweight fight. The rail thin Fernandez was knocked down in the first round by a powerful left hook and spent the rest of the fight in retreat mode, being stalked by the highly aggressive Gilbert. Fernandez used a flicking jab but just couldn't keep Gilbert off of him. In the fourth, Gilbert exploded with a right uppercut and Fernandez crashed to the canvas. Though he beat the count, he was ruled unfit to continue by the referee. Time of the TKO was 2:50.

On the undercard, several local amateur boxers entertained the crowd and got them warmed up for the pros. Results are as follows: 

Tevin Aleau (Providence, RI) beat Brandon Berry (West Forks, ME) by three round decision in a give and take super welterweight bout. Berry was knocked down in the second round but recovered quickly and came back with a strong body attack in the third round.

Nico Clow (Clearemont, NH) defeated  Ricky Ford (Claremont, NH) by three round decision in a closely contested light heavyweight bout. Joel Biship (Bingham, ME) won a three round decision over John Rosa (Lawrence, MA) in a hard hitting light heavyweight match. Zack Morel (New Hampton, NH) beat Phil Kyser by three round decision (Searsport, ME) in a spirited light welterweight contest. Rory Stapleton (Lancaster, NH) defeated Keenan Manzi (Keene, NH) by three round decision in a fast paced light welterweight bout.   

Wyatt Stearns (Searsport, ME) won a three round decision over Angel Tricoche (Haverhill, MA) in a light flyweight bout. Both young fighters went toe to toe from start to finish in a very entertaining opening match.

Images & Words by Jeffrey Freeman

KO Digest Previews Sergio Martinez vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr

The Bizarro World of Boxing

You almost had me fooled Julio. Like father like son I thought.

But when I saw your big mug on TMZ last January it hit me like one of your liver shots. In a moment of clarity, I realized just how related you really are to your cerveza loving father. It's not just boxing that runs in the Chavez family. Apparently, so does boozing.

Sorry Julio. Great fighters named Chavez don't get arrested two weeks before "championship" fights for driving under the influence. They call a Tijuana taxi driver or they don't drink at all during training.

That little L.A. episode in your Land Rover sobered me right up about you while you copped a plea and barely missed a beat on your way to a fight that even Bob Arum - your promoter - has admitted you were "ducking" until the two of you felt you were more ready.

Well folks, ready or not - the battle many boxing insiders said would never happen is finally scheduled to take place on September 15th - Mexican Independence Day in Las Vegas! That's right fight fans, it's Bob Arum and Top Rank Boxing versus Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions for the heavily disputed ... vacant ... interim ... moneyweight championship of North and South America!

Boxing titles just aren't what they used to be you see.

On the undercard of Oscar versus Arum it's Sergio Maravilla Martinez (49-2-2 w/ 28KOs) vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (46-0-1 w/ 32KOs) for the middleweight championship of the world. Here we have a fight pitting the REAL world middleweight champion against a fighter dressing up as the middleweight champion complete with a green WBC title belt stripped straight out of champion Sergio Martinez's closet. When all is said and done, it will be regrettably clear to boxing's fickle fans that they were actually right about Julio Cesar Chavez Jr before they were wrong about him.

Before they were fooled into thinking he was something they knew he wasn't.

Before wins over Marco Antonio Rubio and Andy Lee convinced them that maybe there was something to this Chavez kid.

Before the preposterous notion that he could beat Sergio Martinez became a plausible one.

Before boxing fans did a heavyweight flip flop on the credibility of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Middleweight "champion" of the WBC

If that sounds like politics as usual in the bizarro world of WBC boxing where champions are challengers and challengers are champions - here is something you can believe in: Chavez Jr is exactly what his critics always said he was - an undisciplined, well protected hype job living off his famous father's name and wearing a championship belt that he most certainly didn't earn in the ring against the actual World Middleweight Champion.

That in a tortilla shell is what this fight is all about.

Is Chavez Jr for real or is he a fraud?

Is he a champion, a contender, or just a mere pretender?

Make no mistake, Chavez Jr actually has improved as a fighter since the days not long ago when he was considered by many to be a laughing stock. Yet his two best chances to win against Martinez still involve circumstances largely out of his control. The first is the possibility that at 37 years of age, Martinez gets old overnight and becomes easy prey for an undefeated 26 year old light heavyweight named Chavez. Could it happen? Sure. Will it? Probably not.

The other more likely probability involves WBC President José Sulaimán and his curious ability to see to it that Mexican fighters named "Julio Cesar Chavez" get every break imaginable. Sulaimán got Chavez Sr out of quite a few ring jams back in the day and if he somehow gets Chavez Jr out of the one he currently finds himself in against an Argentinian wrecking ball named Martinez, nobody would be terribly surprised. Chavez and WBC chicanery go hand in hand. Just ask Pernell Whitaker. Or Frankie Randall. Or Carlos Molina.

In the ring, there is really nothing that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr does better than Sergio Martinez, except perhaps take a punch and carry weight. Jr's other advantages include youth, freakish size, and trainer Freddie Roach. Chavez Jr is also a proud and extremely confident fighter with a reliable chin. These machismo qualities will ultimately prove to be his undoing against a single-minded sharpshooter like Sergio Maravilla Martinez.

On September 15th, Chavez Jr will be befuddled early and often by the quicker and more athletic Martinez. Try as Chavez Jr might to impose his size and power, the upwardly mobile southpaw Martinez will have none of it. Maravilla keeps the fight at a safe distance early while picking apart his more inexperienced challenger; patiently waiting for Chavez Jr to tire before shifting into high gear. When Martinez does kick the festivities into overdrive, Chavez Jr will be beaten from pillar to post by a fighter who promises to abuse him so badly that his own Padre will need a DNA test to identify him. That's fighting irony right there.

Paradoxically, it will be the very "performance enhancing" DNA running through the ice cold veins of Chavez Jr which prevents this fight from ending early like Marvis Frazier's pitiful challenge of Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes almost 30 years ago. Still the result will ultimately be the same - a mismatch featuring a man against a boy and a very disappointed Dad who should have known better.

The REAL Julio César Chávez will learn the same painful lesson that Larry Holmes taught Joe Frazier all those years ago. That is to say - with arsenals consisting of little more than intimidating last names and a desire to impress their fathers, the sons of Hall of Fame boxing legends don't tend to beat great fighters like Holmes or Martinez.

Winner and still World Champion - and new WBC champion!

THE FIGHT: Knowing all too well that he needs a knockout to win - and to avoid getting jobbed by No Way Jose - Sergio Martinez delivers yet another truly championship performance, violently stopping Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in the 9th round with a barrage of unanswered shots that come after Chavez Jr is knocked down and seriously hurt for the first time in his career.

The Lion Cub of Culiacán will feel positively punch drunk after the Undisputed Middleweight King is finished intoxicating him with the most potent offense in boxing. Whether Julio Cesar Chavez Jr ever fully recovers from his meeting with Maravilla remains to be seen.

Broadway Boxing Results - Oosthuizen retains title, Monaghan wins

Tommy Gun fires the left hand

NEW YORK, N.Y. - In the fourth installment of Broadway Boxing this year, promoter Lou DiBella treated fight fans on Thursday to nonstop action on a fight card that featured eight bouts. Kevin Rooney Jr., the Director of Public Relations for DBE, stated at the press conference on Tuesday that the main event featuring South Africa's top rated super middleweight Thomas "Tommy Gun" Oosthuizen and Florida's dangerous Rowland Bryant could have easily been on SHOBOX or HBO: Boxing After Dark. Being in charge of P.R., he could have been easily forgiven if he exaggerated the magnitude of the fight. After all, that's his job.

The card also co-featured undefeated light heavyweight prospect "Irish" Seanie Monaghan from Long Beach N.Y. and heavy handed George Armenta in a fight that more than lived up to it's expectations. Even the undercard fights featuring Allan Benitez and bantamweight Heather Hardy were entertaining. This venue has a feel of magic that is just right for boxing, which explains why the last three shows were done at the Roseland Ballroom. Add a great crowd, and you have something special. This card really had something for everybody. One round knockouts, multiple knockdowns, come from behind victories, and even a well deserved draw. Here are the results:

Thomas "Tommy Gun" Oosthuizen W12 Rowland Bryant (super middleweights) - This championship fight lived up to it's expectations, as Oosthuizen (20-0-1 w/ 13 KO's) was pushed to the limit in this twelve round brawl. Rowland Bryant (16-2 w/ 11 KO's) was as tough as they come, and once he warmed to the task, we had a fight with two fighters whose styles complimented each other. In the first round the champ relied on his southpaw jab to set up the left hand, while his opponent lunged with the left hook. Rowland tried to keep Oosthuizen on the ropes, but the tall champion fought surprisingly well on the inside. Bryant landed a big hook, but the champion took it well. "Tommy Gun" shot the jab to the body well, and landed a left to the head. Bryant responded by bobbing and weaving as he winged right crosses and left hooks that occasionally exploded on Oosthuizen.

Bryant's punches were eye catching bombs thrown with bad intentions that had the crowd "oohing and aahing" every time the sweat flew off the head of the champion, but he was being out landed three punches to one as the rounds continued to mount. From rounds seven through twelve, the champion doubled the jab before throwing flurries whenever Bryant would get inside. Bryant needed a knockout to win, and in the last round, he landed some of the biggest punches in the fight. Unfortunately for him, it was a case of too little too late.

Oosthuizen retained his IBO title by unanimous decision with the scores of 117-111 twice and 118-110. Steve Farhood congratulated the winner in the ring. "He was a tough guy, who took some really big shots," said the 24-year-old South African. "I know there are still things that I need to improve on and I will go back to the drawing board with my team after this.  I am happy that I had the opportunity to perform here in New York, and whatever my team decides is next for me, I will be ready."

"Irish" Seanie Monaghan KO3 George Armenta (light heavyweights) - In the co-main event, crowd favorite Seanie Monoghan improved to 15-0 w/ 10 KO's in an action packed fight that gave his fans what they came to see. Armenta (14-10 w/ 11 KO's) had his moments as he came forward with the left hook and straight right hand, but his balance was off, as he put a little too much weight on his lead foot, and this allowed Monaghan to counter with a right hand of his own. In the second, "Irish" added a double hook to the body and head, and hurt his opponent. A huge right hand dropped him at the bell. Armenta bravely beat the count, and made it back to his corner. In round three, a second right hand dropped him hard, and this time he was visibly hurt. Armenta just managed to beat the count, but the referee had seen enough, and to the delight of the hometown fans, Seanie was declared the winner by TKO at the 2:25 mark.

Heather Hardy W4 Mikayla Nebel (female bantamweights) - Heather Hardy won her professional debut with a gutsy off the floor unanimous decision over Mikayla Nebel now at (0-3). The scores of the three judges didn't really tell the story of the fight, as Heather (1-0) was dropped to the canvas in the first round by a straight right hand, while reaching for her opponent. Showing a lot of courage she did battle back with volume punches to the body and head for the remainder of the fight. Nebel put her punches together and threw her punches straight, while tucking her chin behind her shoulder and tried to counter. Heather was clearly the bigger fighter, and used her size to her advantage, pushing her smaller opponent to the ropes. Hardy won by the scores of 38-37 on all three judges scorecard. Good fight.

Boyd Melson W6 Khalik Memminger (junior middleweights) - Army Captain Boyd Melson (9-1 w/ 4KO's) almost became the first upset loser on the card, thanks to the persistence of his opponent Khalik Memminger who did his best to force the fight by coming forward behind a right hand, hoping to catch his southpaw opponent, who tended to carry the left hand a little low at times. On Boyd's part, he would shoot the jab and fire a straight left to the head and body, as well as an occasional right hook. Thanks in part to their styles, there were a few clash of heads, which is common when a righty faces a southpaw, and the fighters would occasionally check themselves to to see if they were cut. Former champion Joey Gamache was in Melson's corner, and he tried to make some adjustments.

Things heated up a bit in the fifth as both fighters landed some good punches to head and body while pushing their opponent to the ropes. In the final round, Boyd got a real scare. Perhaps sensing he needed a knockout to win, Memminger (6-9-3 w/ 4KO's) went for broke and almost pulled off the upset, with a big right hand that had his opponent in trouble, and he then stalked his opponent while he tried to clear his head. Memminger threw plenty of right hands to the head, but failed to throw anything to the body while his opponent was hurt, and he let Melson off the hook, who made it to the bell. All three judges saw it the same way, with identical scores of 59-54 giving Memminger only the final round.

Floriano Pagliara D6 Willie Villanueva (junior lightweights) - In what was easily the most difficult fight to score on this night, Pagliara and Villanueva each made a strong case for themselves. There was plenty of give and take as both men seemed to favor the right hand to the head. Pagliara (13-4-2 w/ 7KO's) would do well in a round, just to have Villanueva (10-4-1 w/2 KO's) come back and finish the round strong. Pagliara made the fight a lot tougher than it should have been by failing to go to the body whenever he landed anything upstairs. The final round was a war, as both men showed determination to win a fight that each man knew was in the balance. Pagliara had blood on his face, but I couldn't tell if it was his because Villanueva suffered a bloody nose, and the crimson could have easily belonged to him. As much as I hate draws, I looked like a genius in press row when I called it before the scores of 58-56,56-58, and 57-57 were announced. Good fight overall, and no one deserved to lose, or even win this one.

Zach Ochoa KO1 Cody Osbourne (junior welterweights) - In a fight that lasted just 42 seconds, Ochoa (2-0 w/ 2KO's) came out for the first round (fittingly wearing animal print trunks) stalking his prey. Osbourne, now 0-3 was never in the fight, and he leaned into a jab that landed more like a right hand. The dazed Osbourne didn't look right while stumbling backwards into the ropes, the referee took a good look at him, and decided to call off the fight. In this brief encounter, I did get to see some above average hand speed from Ochoa. Still very early in his career, we'll get to see more of him as the level of competition improves.

Jonathan Cepeda KO1 Orphius Waite (middleweights) - In the first stoppage fight of the night, Jonathan Cepeda (12-0 w/ 11 KO's) showed power with both hands as he dropped his off balance opponent early with a left hand, and then a big right hand, that once again dumped him on the canvas. Waite, who's record falls to 7-5-2 entered the ring bone dry, and never landed anything of significance. Pretty much like the fight that followed this one, Cepeda's skills will come to light as the level of competition gets better.

Allan Benitez W6 Osnel Charles (junior welterweights) - Both fight fans and members of press row, who find it fashionable to come to the fights a little late, paid for it dearly on this night, as the first fight on the card gave me high expectations for the evening. In a highly entertaining bout, Allan Benitez (6-1 w/ 1 KO) showed good technique in this fight, and he needed it against Charles (9-4-1 w/ 1KO) who gave a gutsy performance. After a good feeling out first round for both fighters, and a fairly competitive second, Robert Garcia (Bam Bam Rios' trainer) made a few adjustments in the Benitez corner. In the third round, Benitez wisely relied more on the jab, followed by a right hand. Charles continued forward firing right hands, landing an occasional uppercut. Benitez landed the right more frequently, and as the fight entered the last three rounds, he added a left hook behind the right cross. All three judges got it right with identical scores of 58-55.

With a little more punching power, Benitez has the potential to make a statement in his division.

Ringside Report by David McLeod, exclusively for KO Digest
Photos DiBella Entertainment/Ed Diller

Virgil Hunter: "Chad Dawson Will Not Out-Muscle Andre Ward"

By Gopal Rao - When World Super Middleweight Champion Andre Ward meets World Light Heavyweight Champion Chad Dawson on September 8th, in Oakland, in a fight for Ward’s titles, one of the prevailing subplots will be who will dominate in the trenches, where things get rough. Both fighters have shown a willingness to mix it up along the outer edges of the Queensbury rules. Ward won his first world title by roughing up champion Mikkel Kessler to the point where the bout was stopped due to accidental cuts. Dawson, on the other hand, separated the shoulder of Bernard Hopkins by picking him up and dumping down on the canvas, resulting in an eventual No Contest ruling by the California State Athletic Commission.


Virgil Hunter, Ward’s trainer, insists that Dawson will not be able to do to his protégé what he did to Hopkins.

“I’m not concerned about that,” he told KO Digest by telephone. “Andre’s physicality will not allow that, so I’m not concerned at all,” he said.

“Chad Dawson will not muscle Andre Ward around.”

Trainer Virgil Hunter

Hunter was non-committal when asked about whether the inside game would be a key part of Ward’s gameplan against the 6 foot, 1 inch Dawson.

“It will unfold the way it does.  Some people would say we need to get to the inside, some would say we need to fight on the outside, but that remains to be seen,” he said.

“Chad Dawson is a different style of opponent than we’ve faced before.  He’s more athletic and he’s a southpaw.  He presents a lot of challenges, like remarkable combination punching,” Hunter said.

“Also, he’s a two-time champion, so he has that confidence that goes along with it.”

Dawson beats Hopkins

Dawson eventually overcame Hopkins via majority decision in a rematch that took place in Atlantic City last April.  There are those who see the challenge to Ward as a third go around against Hopkins for Dawson, given the widely held view that Hopkins and Ward share a similar fighting style.

Hunter dismisses those comparisons, however.

“If you want to make a ten cent comparison, then you could say that,” he explained.

“The way I would compare Andre to Bernard is in terms of intelligence in the sport.  Andre is way ahead of his years in terms of his intelligence in the sport, but as far as fighting style, I don’t think he fights anything like Bernard.”

The Ward vs Dawson fight will take place on September 8th at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, and will be broadcast by HBO. The chief undercard bout, between lightweight titleholder Antonio Demarco and challenger John Molina Jr., will also be televised, as will Vitali Kitschko heavyweight title defense against Manuel Charr, which takes place on the same day in Moscow.

KO Digest Preview: Robert Guerrero vs Selcuk 'Mini Tyson' Aydin

Ghost Guerrero & Mini Tyson Aydin

This Saturday night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA - Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero will step into the ring for the first time at the 147 lb welterweight limit when he squares off against Selcuk "Mini Tyson" Aydin for the interim WBC welterweight title. This is a dangerous fight. But also a potentially very good one according to Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions.

"If you liked Victor Ortiz vs Josesito Lopez and Lucas Matthysse vs Humberto Soto or  Danny Garcia vs Amir Khan - you want to make sure that, on July 28th, you are either going to be live in attendance at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. Or make sure you are going to tune in to Showtime."

Guerrero (29-1-1 w/ 18 KOs) hasn't fought since his impressive victory over Michael Katsidis - well over a year ago. "The Ghost" is a boxer-puncher who knows his way around the ring. He holds notable victories over Joel Casamayor, Vicente Escobedo and the aforementioned Katsidis.

Guerrero scalps Katsidis

The most impressive win however was the scalp of Katsidis, and more importantly how he took it. The Australian was coming off the back of a spirited, yet losing effort against Juan Manuel Marquez in which he had the Mexican legend on the canvas. "The Ghost" however, did not allow Katsidis into the bout, and kept him at the end of his jab throughout the contest, ensuring a comfortable points win.


A similar strategy will need to be adopted come Saturday night. For what Guerrero brings to the ring in pure boxing skills and ring-savvy, Aydin will look to match or trump with raw power and aggression. The Turk, dubbed "Mini Tyson" (23-0 w/ 17 KO's) is undefeated with 17 knockouts on his resume and has made no secret of his frustration towards Guerrero and the American media, who he feels is ignoring him.

Aydin would rather train than talk to the media!

Aydin, making his debut on American soil and on American cable television, has a point to prove. You could make a strong case for him coming out victorious.

On a media conference call last week he warned, through an interpreter (after initially refusing to participate in the call) that the California native Guerrero, "should spend more time training and strengthening your jaw because I am going to break it."

Aydin is a natural welterweight. A big one. And on Saturday night, one would suspect he will enter the ring close to 20 lbs heavier than Guerrero, who started his career as a featherweight.

This, of course, is not the be-all and end-all. We only have to look back as far as Manny Pacquiao's performances against Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito to see that speed and smarts can out-wit strength and power. Guerrero however, is not Manny Pacquiao and Aydin will enter the ring with more belief and hunger than either Clottey or Margarito did against the Filipino star.

Aydin's record does not offer much evidence in terms of his credentials. His notable victories over Jo Jo Dan and Said Ouali are more eye-catching because of an inability to pronounce many of his other opponent's names, rather than their actual achievements and accolades.

His size, however, is a factor.

Does the Ghost scare this BIG welterweight?

If Aydin can apply Tyson-esque pressure from the outset, which I believe he will, it promises to be the longest 36 minutes of Robert Guerrero's career should he make it the distance. It remains to be seen if Guerrero is capable of taking shots from a big and strong welterweight such as Aydin. It is also impossible to know if any of the power that helped Guererro score 18 knockouts between featherweight and lightweight will be relevant at the welterweight limit.

"Aydin said he was going to break my jaw and that motivated me more. That pushed me even harder to get in there and bring it. If they think we're looking past him, they're wrong."  

Written by The Final Bell Boxing Talk's Terry Strawson - exclusively for KO Digest
Images by Esther Lin/SHO and Tom Hogan Photos/Golden Boy

KO Digest Pound-For-Pound (P4P) Ratings Update

THE World Middleweight Champion

KO Digest Top 12 Pound-For-Pound

1. Floyd Mayweather (1)
2. Sergio Martinez (3)
3. Manny Pacquiao (2)
4. Andre Ward (4)
5. Juan Manuel Marquez (5)
6. Nonito Donaire (6)
7. Timothy Bradley (8)
8. Yuriorkis Gamboa (7)
9. Anselmo Moreno (9)
10. Miguel Cotto (10)
11. Carl Froch (11)
12. Wladimir Klitschko (12)



It's been a curious month and a half since the last KO Digest P4P update. Most peculiar was the horrendous decision in Las Vegas last month which gave Timothy Bradley a disputed split decision over Manny Pacquiao. The boxing world is still in shock over that one and the official verdict makes it more of a challenge than ever before to compile these ratings fairly and accurately.

Do we punish Manny Pacquiao and reward Timothy Bradley? Do we cover our eyes and ignore the official decision?

The answer lies somewhere in the middle. Even though it was obvious to most observers that Pacquiao beat Bradley, it should also be obvious to most observers that the Filipino superstar is slowing down and starting to shows signs of being human.

For this reason, Pacquiao falls one spot from #2 to #3. Moving up one spot from #3 to #2 to take his place is World Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez. As middleweight champion, Sergio has been nothing short of Maravilla and all four of his title defenses have ended in brutal knockouts. Needless to say, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr will have his hands full when he tangles with the champ this September.

Tim Bradley "beats" Manny Pacquiao

As for Bradley, he does have an official win over Manny Pacquiao and that can't be completely ignored. Desert Storm moves up one notch and switches places with Yuriorkis Gamboa whose inactivity is starting to become a liability.

No other changes in the KO Digest P4P ratings and it should be noted that both Nonito Donaire and Wladimir Klitschko both notched wins (against Jeffrey Mathebula and Tony Thompson respectively) since the last update (5/27) and their performances were strong enough to maintain their current spot in the KO Digest P4P ratings.


Looking ahead, the upcoming fight with the biggest P4P implications is clearly Andre Ward vs Chad Dawson. Should Ward win as expected, his meteoric rise though the P4P rankings would likely continue with Ward moving past Pacquiao. A win for Dawson would be equally as big a deal and Dawson would almost certainly crash the KO Digest Pound for Pound party with a quality P4P win like that.

Ratings as of July 24, 2012

The number is parenthesis represents where the fighter was rated in the KO Digest Top 12 Pound-For-Pound rankings the last time an update was done, in this case that last update was done on May 27, 2012 ~ www.KODigest.TV