By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)
Jaime Munguia faced John Ryder for the WBC Silver Super Middleweight championship. Munguia started fast and Ryder attacked as much as he defended as Ryder landed a right hook while Munguia left hook landed on top. I gave the first round to Munguia and Munguia started the second round with a vicious attack and as Ryder attempted to short uppercut, Munguia landed an aright hook and then followed up with combination that sent Ryder down. Munguia now led 20-17 on my scorecard.
Munguia starts the third round fast looking to end the fight, but Ryder does nail him with two solids shots Ryder went down a second time, but the referee rules a slip but in the fourth round Ryder stops Munguia in his trace with a huge left and both fighters exchange bombs. Just as Ryder looks like he is gaining momentum and throws a big right-hand haymaker, he gets countered and down he went again and this time the referee rules it knockdown.
After four rounds, it is 40-34 for Munguia and Ryder was in a big hole and CompuBox has Munguia landing twenty-nine power shots to Ryder 18 after three rounds.
Going into the fifth round, Ryder needed to make drastic changes as he was behind on points and the problem for Ryder is that he didn’t have the power of Munguia who staggered Ryder in an exchange. Munguia was coming through Ryder’s punches, but Ryder had no choice but to keep fighting if he wanted a chance to win. After five it was 50-43.
By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) … contributor to www.dmboxing.com since 2008
Callum Smith, after his loss to Saul Alveraz moved up to light heavyweight division and he has never ever been stopped or even hit the canvas in his career. He faced Arthur Beterbiev, the wrecking ball of the light heavyweight division. Beterbiev had won every fight by knockout and may even be the best light heavy even though the undefeated Dmitrii Bivol might disagree.
Smith landed one good right in the first round but that was about his success as Beterbiev simply dominated the first round and this round reflected all the other rounds as this was an easy fight to score as Beterbiev averaged twenty-six punches landed before he finally stopped Smith. Smith only averaged a little more than eight punches per round and for every Smith punch landed, Smith suffered three shots most of them power shots.
Beterviev landed his jabs more effectively and showed his boxing skills as he out landed jabs against Smith as he ninety-five jabs for nearly 39 percent rate versus twenty-eight jabs for only 16 percent. Beterbiev outslugged Smith and he out boxed Smith plus Smith only landed 16 percent of his punches, so Beterbiev defense was superior.
By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)
Naoya Inoue, the undisputed junior featherweight which he won over Stephen Fulton, took on decided on Philippines fighter Marlon Tapales and with the intention of grabbing his junior featherweights titles. Tapales was game but unfortunately he was against possibly the best pound for pound boxer in the world and one of the great boxing talents of a generation. Inoue dominated the fight from the beginning. Tapales was tough and during the fourth and fifth round, Inoue landed fifty-six punches in those two rounds and even sent Tapales down once but yet Tapales continued to fight until he was stopped for good in the tenth round. Going into the ninth round, I had the fight 90-81, a shutout.
Tapales was the underdog, and it was obvious since Inoue landed three times as many punches as his opponent why Tapales was the underdog. In the tenth round, a right hand ended it all. Inoue is a rare talent that combines boxing skills and power He can out jab his opponent and his power often proves too much. In the fourth round, Inoue turned up the heat as he sent Tapales to the canvas, but Tapales’ warrior instinct came through as he continued to take Inoue best before the Inoue right ended the fight.
By Tom Donelson / Respected, Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)
Deontay Wilder took on Joseph Parker and Anthony Joshua was fighting Otto Wallin as they prepare for their own super fight in 2024 but then if any of these fighters lose, this would put a damper on that big money fight.
For Wilder, this was not a gimme as he has fought only one fight since the Fury trilogy, a one round knockout of Robert Helenius whereas Parker maintained his activity with four fights in 2023. Wilder has his issues with boxers, and Parker was the WBO champion before losing that over five years ago to Anthony Joshua.
As for Joshua, he was on the top of the world and the king of the Heavyweights before he was knocked out by Anthony Ruiz. Since then, he has lost twice to Oleksander Usyk before winning his last bout against Robert Helenius. Wallin was a tough fighter who gave Tyson Fury a good fight.
The first round between Wilder and Parker was a feeling out round with only real punches landed by Parker but in the second round Parker superior boxing skills started to show with a few body shots. Through the third round, Parker connected on the more meaningful punch, and this continued into the fourth round as Parker became more aggressive with his offences as he stuck his jab in Wilder face and ended the round with a left hook. After four rounds, it was 40-36 for Parker.
In the fifth round, Parker forced Wilder to retreat with effective jabs and good right hand and throughout the sixth round Wilder was looking for a one shot, something he had tendency to do when being outboxed. Parker was the more accurate puncher as he lands a nice right in the middle of round and concludes the round with body shots So far I have it an easy shut out for Parker 60-54.
The seventh round wa like the previous rounds as Parker defense kept Wilder at bay and while Wilder is failed to connect with his right, but Parker landed a few rights of his own. Now Wilder was behind seven rounds to zero. And the eighth round, Parker rolls from a Wilder right and he nailed with his own rights, plus combinations flurries. One big right hurt Wilder left him stagger and the referee took a long look to see if it could be stopped. It was getting late for Wilder as he had yet to take a round from Parker. With four rounds left, it is 80-72 on my card.
The ninth round repeated the previous nine rounds as Parker landed his right hand whereas Wilder couldn’t connect on his powerful round. Wilder connected on only twenty-four punches compared to Parker sixty-three punches after nine rounds.
The tenth and eleventh round saw Parker continue his domination as he proved to the more accurate puncher and with one round left, it was 110-99. Parker was now one round away from winning this fight. Wilder tried to land big right hands but failed to land a punch of consequences and Parker won the fight easily as the judges had it 118-111, 118-110 and 120-108. (I am assuming one judge had one round even, but I was hard pressed to reward even one round to Wilder).
The big money fight between Joshua and Wilder is now in jeopardy and Wilder time as a contender for the title may be coming close to an end. Wilder showed all his weakness, his failure to adopt and his failure to improve his boxing skill to cover those times when the knockout doesn’t come showed up. At 38, he looked old, and the ravages of the Fury fight may had their impact. Wilder never landed more than six punches in all twelve rounds.
Parker connected on 41 percent of his power shots and landed more than double of power shots and his jab was more effective setting up his power shots.
By Tom Donelson / contributor to www.dmboxing since 2008 / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)
This past Saturday, Devin Haney challenged Regis Prograis for Prograis WBC 140-pound championship. Haney had yet to lose in his thirty fights with fifteen knockouts and Prograis came in the fight with only one loss with twenty-nine victories and twenty-four knockouts.
Haney obtained his lightweight title when he defeated George Kambosos Jr in Kambosos backyard in Australia and then won the rematch before winning a close fight against Vasyl Lomachenko.
Prograis won his title from Jose Zepeda in an 11th round knockout before struggling in a split decision against Danielito Zorrilla in his first defense and now he faced the slick boxer, Haney. This was a bout featuring the slick boxer versus the puncher.
Haney out jabbed Prograis and was busier fighter and I had him winning round one but a close round as Prograis had solid body shots. Haney was the busier fighter over the next two rounds and in the third round, Haney knocked Prograis down with a right for a 10-8 round. This was the first major surprise of the evening, and I had the fight 30-26. Haney landed twenty-three punches to Prograis 13 and while Haney only connected on 26% of his fight but Prograis landed 13%.
In the fourth round, Haney continued his boxing and landed more punches as Prograis looked tentative from the previous rounds and now it was 50-45 for Haney on my card.
Haney took Prograis to school as through the first half he landed fifty-eight punches to only twenty for Prograis.
The seventh and eight round, Haney continued to school Prograis who looked lost and unable to figure out a way to change the tide. Haney combinations flowed effortlessly and after eight rounds, Haney pitched a shutout 80-71.
In the ninth round, Prograis threw a left hook that missed wildly and then it was Haney who simply landed any punch he wanted and dominated his opponent and now after nine rounds, it was 90-80.
Haney now going for the knockout in the tenth as he simply throwing combinations and in the eleventh round, Prograis face was a swollen mess as he was simply being outclassed by Haney. And in the final round, Haney put the finishing touch of an easy shutout victory and I had the fight 120-107. And all the judges agreed with me, 120-107.
By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)
Ryan Garcia was making his comeback after losing to Gervonta Davis against Oscar Durate, who was 26-1 coming into this bout with twenty-one knockouts. Until the eighth round, it was even fight that proved round for Garcia as Durante mauling and aggressive tactics troubled Garcia most of the fight. Both fighters landed a similar number of punches with Garcia landing more jabs and Durante more power shots.
Punch Stats
PUNCHES
GARCIA
DUARTE
Total landed
70
69
Total thrown
300
287
Percent
23%
24%
Jabs landed
15
7
Jabs thrown
162
112
Percent
9%
6%
Power landed
55
62
Power thrown
138
175
Percent
40%
35%
— Courtesy of CompuBox
Garcia found a home for lightening left hook that stunned Durante in the eighth round before landing several power shots sending Durante down.
In the early rounds, Garcia came out early to take advantage of his reach, but he also showed defensive inconsistencies that hurt him against Davis in his previous fight. Durante didn’t back down and stalked Garcia with successes early in the fight with body shots digging to the body. Durante continued to pressure Garcia into the middle rounds. The pressure exposed Garcia defensive inadequacy Garcia noted , “He was building momentum, momentum and I was like, ‘Man, I gotta cut this off somehow.’ … He was a strong fighter. He took a good punch. … I hit him with some hard shots, and he just kept coming.”
Ryan Garcia now is back in the win column and looking for his shot at a title as he managed to stop Durante who had not been stopped before 27 fights before.
By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)
David Benavidez wants a big fight with Canelo Alvarez, and he decided to fight the slick boxing Demetrius Andrade who is one of the most avoided fighters to stay busy. Andrade reminded me of Ronald “Winky Wright “ who was equally avoided since he was a slick boxer that no one really wanted to tangle with. He eventually fought Shane Mosley who just finished beating Oscar De La Hoya twice and looking for a big fight with Felix Trinidad. Wright upset Mosley and Andrade was hoping to do the same to Benavidez.
For Benavidez, this fight was designed to show case his skills and force a bigger fight with Alvarez. He needed a big name on his resume. Benavidez is coming off a victory over Caleb Plant and he won his last seven of his past ten victories by stoppage and Andrade was his steppingstone to Alvarez.
The first round saw Andrade boxing and moving as Benavidez couldn’t find his prey to overwhelm him and in the second round Andrade even prove to be aggressor as he unleashed his own ten punch combination and after three rounds I had Andrade up three rounds to zero. He out landed Benavidez 32 punches to 21 punches. It looked like it might be competitive, but the fourth round changed all that.
Starting in the fourth round, Benavidez took over the fight. Benavidez turned the table and dominated the last three rounds as he landed 96 punches to Andrade 36. Andrade opponents in past fights landed an average 5.4 punches per round but Benavidez landed 20 punches per round in this fight with most of those punches landing in the fourth, fifth and sixth round.
Benavidez started to control the fight in the fourth round and at the end of the round, a right hand sent Andrade down before the bell rang ended the round.
Over the next two rounds, it was just Benavidez who simply dominated the fight as Andrade weakened and no longer capable of hurting Benavidez who kept pouring it on. The fight was stopped after the sixth round as it became apparent to Andrade’s corner this fight was over.
Next fight that Benavidez wants is Alvarez and that will be a great fight, two sluggers against one another but Benavidez is the bigger and younger fighter.
By Tom Donelson (BWAA) Member Boxing Writers Association of America
Shakur Stevenson defeated Edwin De Los Santos in a very boring fight that would have cured insomnia and be quite honest, I lost interest as round and round we saw a pattern of Stevenson jabbing and De Los Santos simply did very little, satisfied to finishing the fight. Stevenson landed 65 punches over 12 rounds, landing at a 31 percent rate whereas De Los Santos landed 40 punches, landing at a 12 percent rate. Stevenson landed a little more 5 punches per round and De Los Santos little more than 3 punches per round. Stevenson had some nagging injuries before the fight, but he did little to excite his own future in getting bigger fights as he was satisfied with jabbing and take no chances. De Los Santos was the challenger who needed to push the issue and never did. He seemed too afraid to push the issue and never seemed to be willing to take a chance. As challenger it was his responsibility to push the issue and he never did.
By Tom Donelsom / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)
Tyson Fury had his battle of the baddest against Francis Ngannou, former UFC champion who was doing his first boxing match at the age of thirty-seven. What should have been an easy match for Fury turned out to be battle of survival as he barely got by Ngannou and even hit the floor in the third round by a Ngannou left hook. This fight was close on the Compubox data as Fury landed seventy-one punches to fifty-nine, but Ngannou landed more power shots 37-32. Usually in these matchups, the boxer has the advantage since more Mixed Marital Arts are not allowed to kick or get their opponent to the ground. So, this is hands versus hands and the boxer has more experienced with just using hands. Ngannou has been at the top of the UFC heavyweight division, and he was taking on the baddest man in the boxing world.
I had Fury winning the first two rounds as he landed more punches and even in the second round turned southpaw, to confuse his opponent. In the third round, Ngannou stunned Fury with a left hook that sent boxing heavyweight champion to the canvas, and I had the third round as a the 10-8 round for Ngannou and after three rounds, it was 28-28. Fury acknowledges after the fight, “He’s a very awkward man and he’s a good puncher and I respect him a lot.”
The fourth round was a pick em which I gave to Fury, but it could easily have gone to Ngannou but the next two rounds, Fury landed some good shots and looked like he might be getting back in control of the fight. Near the end of the fifth round, Ngannou look tired. After six rounds, I had it 58-55 but it could easily have been 57-56. Ngannou had the better of the next two rounds as he landed some hard lefts and rights. After eight rounds I had it 76-75 and remember the fourth round was tight so it could be the opposite in favor of Ngannou.
By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America and a top respected contributor to www.dmboxing.com since 2008
Jermell Charlo faced Canelo Alveraz in one of the more intriguing fights as Charlo, the junior Middleweight champion, faced the super Middleweight champion.
Canelo was the bigger fighter and had been fighting bigger fighters for a longer period of time. Charlo was moving up two weights class, not just one. Canelo had been one of the elite pound for pound fighters from the welterweight division and even campaigned as a light heavyweight.
What Canelo has going for him is his advantage at the higher weight, and he has excellent upper body movement and great power. Charlo has a high boxing IQ and good boxing skills. In his second fight with Brian Castano, he switched his strategy and stopped Castano. Charlo was capable of adjusting but to paraphrase Mike Tyson, “Everyone has a strategy until the first bell rings, and you get hit the first time.” Certainly, when Charlo started to feel the power of Alvarez, his strategy wasn’t going to work.
When Floyd Mayweather fought a young Canelo, he out boxed and out thought Alvarez, and Alvarez seemed hesitant throughout the bout. He learned a lesson in fighting Mayweather, and one thing was to follow all his instincts and let loose his power. The Canelo that fought Charlo pressured Charlo and Charlo never fought a fighter with the ferocity of Alvarez.
I thought that Charlo may win a few early rounds, but I anticipated that Canelo’s power and pressure would take hold for a late round stoppage.
The fight was one sided and my own score card was more one-sided than the official cards which were 119-108, 119-108, 118-109 where as I had it 120-107. The only round that could have possibly been ruled in Charlo’s favor was the first round in which both fighters landed one punch in a slow round.
From that round, Canelo out landed Charlo every round, and overall, he landed double the punches over Charlo. He out jabbed Charlo the boxer and was more accurate with those jabs, and landed more than double the power shots. Overall, Canelo’s accuracy was double that of Charlo and from the second round to the very end, this was a one-way fight in which the bigger Canelo proved too powerful for the junior middleweight, Jermell Charlo. Charlo moved up two weight divisions and the difference was self-evident. Even in the first round we saw Charlo retreat to the ropes.
