By Tom Donelson
Author, Member Boxing Writers Association of America, contributor to dmboxing.com since 2008.
Terence Crawford dominated a game Felix Diaz at Madison Square Garden to defend his 140 pound title. Crawford spent the first couple of rounds probing for weakness before instituting a savage beat down. Diaz, a former gold medalist, came into this fight with only one loss to Lamont Peterson in a close decision and even connected on some hard shots against Crawford but this was an easy victory for Crawford who simply fought as a southpaw the whole fight.
Diaz absorbed a beating as Crawford connected on nearly 60% of his power shots and connected on three times as many punches. Diaz may have been close to Peterson but Crawford proved to be too much for Davis. Crawford wants Pacquiao, Julius Indongo and Keith Thurman but Pacquiao at this stage of his career will want nothing to do with Crawford and Thurman just had surgery will be out until the end of the year. So look forward a unifying fight for all the junior welterweights’ title with Julius Indongo.
Undefeated Gervonta Davis traveled to England to face Liam Walsh and the southpaw Davis took control from the opening bell as he pounded Walsh into submission. He floored Walsh in the third round with a left hook after nailing the local hero with a serious of vicious inside shots. The referee stopped the fight with Walsh defenseless and on unsteady legs.
Gary Russell Jr. came out smoking with fast combinations against Oscar Escandon. Russell dropped Escandon in the third but Escandon managed to stay upright after the knockdown. In the fourth and fifth round, Oscar Escandon managed to get back into the fight as he countered Russell attack with his own body shots but by the seventh round Russell, Jr. ended the bout with vicious attacks that forced the referee to stopped the fight.
Russell’s goal is to revenge his only loss to Lomachenko or fight other featherweights champions like Leo Santa Cruz, Lee Selby or Oscar Valdez. There are lot of options for this quick handed champ.
The most peculiar event was the Andre Dirrell fighting Jose Uzcategui in a close affair with a surprising ending. Uzcategui won the first three rounds by cutting off the ring and punishing Dirrell. Starting in the fourth round, Dirrell started to counter Uzcategui. The fight became a hotly contested event but at the end of the eighth round, Uzcategui trapped Dirrell in a neutral corner and let loose with a combination but the left hook at the end of the combo came after the bell and sent Dirrell to the canvas. This was the second time that Uzcategui hit after the bell but this time, he was disqualified. Then the fun began as a near riot occurred around the ring and within the ring that concluded with Dirrell’s uncle sucker punching Uzcategui. Dirrell’s uncle is now on the lam as the police want to question him for assault. While Dirrell forgave Uzcategui for the foul, his family was less forgiving.
This was great weekend as Boxing featured some of boxing best including Gary Russell, Jr. who put on a show and Terrance Crawford who showed people why he is one of the best pound for pound.