Haney by Decision over Lomachenko

May 21, 2023Lightweights, Recent Fights, Tom Donelsonadmin

By Tom Donelson (BWAA) Member Boxing Writers Association of America

Devin Haney engaged in his toughest fight as he faced Vasiliy Lomachenko for the undisputed light weight title and the fight went as I thought as Haney used his size to jab and Lomachenko was the more aggressive fighter.

The fight was close most of the way and when reviewing the various scorecards, there were many close rounds which made it difficult to score . The only two rounds that were easy to score was the 10^th and 11^th in which Lomachenko dominated with 31 punches landed versus 7 punches landed for Haney. These two rounds impacted how many boxing fans and pundits viewed this fight as these two rounds were near the end of fight.

ESPN had the fight 115-113 for Haney and MMA had the fight 115-113 for Lomachenko . (My good friend David Martinez / dmboxing.com agreed with MMA with a 115-113 score).  The first round was a close round as Haney tried to land couple of good jabs, but Lomachenko ended the round with a flurry but interesting, it was Haney who landed more effective power shots, landing 45 percent of his shots but only landed 1 jab out of 21 attempts. Close round, I gave it to Haney by a whisker, but it could easily gone to Lomachenko.

In the second round, Haney was the more accurate puncher as his jab won the round, but the third round belonged to Lomachenko as he pressed the action and landed 40 percent more power shots . First round that he found a rhythm. After three rounds it was 29-28 in favor of Haney, but it could easily have been 29-28 in favor of Lomachenko.

The fourth was Haney best at that point as he landed nearly double punches but in the fifth round, Lomachenko nailed Haney with a solid right that shook Haney. Haney landed 13 punches to Lomachenko 12 punches, but the best punch of the round belonged to Lomachenko. After five rounds I had 48 to 47 for Haney.

In the sixth round, Haney landed some solid rights and Lomachenko left side has some redness, but Lomachenko landed some good head shots . Halfway through the fight, I had Haney up by 58 to 56 but depending on how you scored the first round, it could easily be 57 to 57.

Haney opened the seventh round with an uppercut partially blocked while Lomachenko landed two solid rights and after tying up Lomachenko, Haney landed a solid right plus he landed a jab and left hooks while Lomachenko landed a combination. Close round but I gave it to Lomachenko but could easily gone for Haney. 67-66 for Haney after seven rounds, Compubox noted that Haney landed 70 punches to 62 punches at this point of the fight and Lomachenko only landed 20 percent of his punches when he normally land close to 40 percent . Haney defense frustrated Lomachenko.

Another close round but Haney landed solid jabs and more efficient with his punches as he won the eight round and after eight rounds, Haney was winning on my scorecard 77 to 75. In the ninth round Haney beat Lomachenko to the punch and Lomachenko could sustain a consistent attack, and with three rounds left I had Haney up by three points, 87 to 84. After nine rounds, Haney landed 92 punches to 80 for Lomachenko.

Lomachenko dominated the tenth and eleventh round as he landed clean shots, easy for judges to score. (these two rounds were the easiest to score.) He appeared to get the upper hand and Haney suddenly looked confuse and after round tenth, Haney face showed concern. Concern were well founded as Lomachenko buckled Haney with a left hand from his southpaw position in the eleventh round. He landed punches in bunches as Haney only landed 2 punches to Lomachenko 20. Over these two rounds, Lomachenko landed 24 more punches. With one round left, it was 105 to 104 on my scorecard but Lomachenko had the momentum.

Haney made his last stand as his corner had to assume this was a close fight on the scorecard. Lomachenko closed out the fight as he consistently beat Haney to the punch and swarming style gave Haney fits. Lomachenko won the final three rounds as he landed 44 punches to 18 for Haney. I had this a draw but there were several rounds over the first nine rounds that were close and could easily have gone for either fighters.

Lomachenko landed 124 punches compared to 110 punches for Haney, but he landed only 22 percent of his punches, lower than his normal output but then Haney only landed nearly 28 percent. Lomachenko higher punch landed output came over the final three rounds and these last three rounds is what most fans will remember and not how close it was for the first nine rounds.

This was intriguing fight, but Lomachenko won the last three rounds on my score card and leaves me wondering if Lomachenko had started earlier with his more aggressive stance, if he could have easily won.

The lightweight division is loaded but Haney should give Lomachenko a rematch to see if he truly the better fighter. This fight was close and not a definite win for either fighter, so a rematch is in order.

There are several intriguing fights involving Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis that could be made. Haney, Davis, and Stevenson are undefeated but as Lomachenko showed, he is as good as the top three.

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Canelo Defeats Ryder by Unanimous Decision

May 8, 2023Middleweights, Recent Fightsadmin

By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)

This was fight designed to be coronation for Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in front of his fellow countrymen in Mexico as he faced John Ryder, British Supermiddleweight.  This fight was easy to score as Alvarez dominated . I had it 120-107 but you might have given Ryder a couple of rounds in which two of the judges did. 

The Compubox numbers told the full story as Alvarez landed more than double the punches Ryder 179 to 80 including nearly 47 percent of power shots and was the more accurate puncher with nearly 40 percent to Ryder 17 percent.  There was not one round in which Alvarez didn’t out land Ryder in punches and there was no doubt who was the stronger puncher and Ryder rarely penetrated Alvarez defense .

In third round, Alvarez landed a solid right that shook Ryder and in the fourth round, Alvarez bloodied Ryder’s nose while he landed punches in which Ryder couldn’t get out of the way.  Ryder opened up the fifth round with a jab, but Canelo answered with a jab of his own along with a right to the chest.  A traditional one -two sent Ryder down and as he came up from the canvas, he was a bloodied mess and continued to fight back . The Champ threw a massive right that missed.

In the seventh round, Alvarez continued to stagger Ryder, but Ryder held tough as he took the punishment.  Throughout the eighth and ninth round, Canelo Alvarez jab forward and his jab set up combinations.  Alvarez left few openings for Ryder to connect and most of Ryder punches bounced off Alvarez’s gloves . In the ninth, an Alvarez right wobbled Ryder and the referee took a close look but allowed Ryder to continue.

The tenth round may have been Ryder best as he slipped punches, but Alvarez continued to move forward to stop the fight, but Ryder landed a few punches to neutralized Alvarez’s attacks.   In the eleventh round, Ryder continued to fight but the action started to drag as both men showed exhaustion and the referee kept separating.  The round ended with an Alvarez big right .

The final round was anticlimactic.  Alvarez let his right hand go but Ryder came back with his own right.  Ryder threw punches in bunches, hoping to take the round.  He landed a good right and landed a few body shots.  Ryder was aggressive but it was too little and too late, but he survived the round and the fight

The official scores was 120-107, 118-109, 118-109 and it was accurate description of the fight.  I had it as a shut out but the final round and maybe the tenth could have gone for Ryder but not much more.   

Alvarez won and showed he could defeat those fighters ranked below but now where does Alvarez go from here?

There are many good fights to line including undefeated Middleweight Jermall Charlo, Super Middleweight David Benavidez, or David Morrell as well undefeated light heavyweight Artur Beterbiev but the real bout that Alvarez wants is Dmitry Bivol, who defeated Alvarez.  Bivol showed that he was one of the two best light heavyweights and showed that maybe for Alvarez, the light heavyweight division might be one step to much.  Up to this point, Alvarez has been able to bring his power up to Super Middleweight and he did stop former lightweight champ Sergey Kovalev, but Bivol was able to take Alvarez’s best shots.  Would a rematch be any different?  Alvarez would like to find out if it would be any different.

This was fight designed to be coronation for Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in front of his fellow countrymen in Mexico as he faced John Ryder, British Supermiddleweight.  This fight was easy to score as Alvarez dominated. I had it 120-107 but you might have given Ryder a couple of rounds in which two of the judges did. 

The Compubox numbers told the full story as Alvarez landed more than double the punches Ryder 179 to 80 including nearly 47 percent of power shots and was the more accurate puncher with nearly 40 percent to Ryder 17 percent.  There was not one round in which Alvarez didn’t out land Ryder in punches and there was no doubt who was the stronger puncher and Ryder rarely penetrated Alvarez defense.

In third round, Alvarez landed a solid right that shook Ryder and in the fourth round, Alvarez bloodied Ryder’s nose while he landed punches in which Ryder couldn’t get out of the way.  Ryder opened up the fifth round with a jab, but Canelo answered with a jab of his own along with a right to the chest.  A traditional one -two sent Ryder down and as he came up from the canvas, he was a bloodied mess and continued to fight back. The Champ threw a massive right that missed. 

In the seventh round, Alvarez continued to stagger Ryder, but Ryder held tough as he took the punishment.  Throughout the eighth and ninth round, Canelo Alvarez jab forward and his jab set up combinations.  Alvarez left few openings for Ryder to connect and most of Ryder punches bounced off Alvarez’s gloves. In the ninth, an Alvarez right wobbled Ryder and the referee took a close look but allowed Ryder to continue.

The tenth round may have been Ryder best as he slipped punches, but Alvarez continued to move forward to stop the fight, but Ryder landed a few punches to neutralized Alvarez’s attacks.   In the eleventh round, Ryder continued to fight but the action started to drag as both men showed exhaustion and the referee kept separating.  The round ended with an Alvarez big right.

The final round was anticlimactic.  Alvarez let his right hand go but Ryder came back with his own right.  Ryder threw punches in bunches, hoping to take the round.  He landed a good right and landed a few body shots.  Ryder was aggressive but it was too little and too late, but he survived the round and the fight

The official scores was 120-107, 118-109, 118-109 and it was accurate description of the fight.  I had it as a shut out but the final round and maybe the tenth could have gone for Ryder but not much more.   Alvarez won and showed he could defeat those fighters ranked below but now where does Alvarez go from here?

There are many good fights to line including undefeated Middleweight Jermall Charlo, Super Middleweight David Benavidez, or David Morrell as well undefeated light heavyweight Artur Beterbiev but the real bout that Alvarez wants is Dmitry Bivol, who defeated Alvarez.  Bivol showed that he was one of the two best light heavyweights and showed that maybe for Alvarez, the light heavyweight division might be one step to much.  Up to this point, Alvarez has been able to bring his power up to Super Middleweight and he did stop former lightweight champ Sergey Kovalev, but Bivol was able to take Alvarez’s best shots.  Would a rematch be any different?  Alvarez would like to find out if it would be any different.

Gervonta Davis “KO Stoppage ~7th Round” Defeats Ryan Garcia

April 23, 2023Lightweights, Recent Fights, Tom Donelsonadmin

By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) … contributor to http://www.dmboxing since 2008

Gervonta “the Tank” fought his archrival Ryan Garcia for the pride who is the best of each other.  This was a bout that took a life of its own as Garcia called out Davis and Davis finally granted Garcia his wish.  This fight guaranteed big money and excitement for many fans who craved this fight between two undefeated fighters

Garcia came in 5 inches taller and quick hands and while advertise the slugger (Davis) and boxer (Garcia), both fighters landed power shots and accurate as they were ranked near the best in accuracy .

The first round was slow with slight advantage for Garcia as he won first round 10-9 but in the second round, Garcia appeared to hurt Tank Davis with combinations but the first punch landed by Davis, sent Garcia to the canvas in less than a minute left in the round.  Garcia got up immediately, but the message was sent, Davis needed just one punch to win the round.  The knockdown made it a 10-8 round an I had 9-18 in favor of Tank .

During the third round Tank became more accurate and Garcia looked tentative as he still recovered from the knockdown.  Tank won third round and now was 29-27 .

Davis landed 9 punches and most of power shots to the body as Garcia appeared unable to defend the body.  39-36 in favor of Tank after four round .

During the fifth round, Tank was taking control as Garcia started to look at gas.  While both landed equal number of power shots, Tank punches were more decisive.  Tank was easily in the lead on my card as it was 49-45. 

There were several exchanges as Garcia landed 6 power shots and Tank scored on 10 in the sixth round. Right hand landed for Garcia and for one brief moment, Davis stepped back, and Garcia cut off the ring, but he missed with right hand.  Davis did not look phased by Garcia shots and landed left to the body . With the fight half over, it was 59-54 in favor of Davis. (I will note that there were pundits who had Garcia winning the round).

The seventh-round saw Davis end the fight as he showed patience.  A solid left nailed Garcia who knelt on one leg.  He could not give up and the pain of the punch was seen in his face. His nose was bleeding, and the referee ended the fight.

For the first five minutes Garcia was winning the fight but the left hook that sent Garcia down with one minute left in the second round changed the fight.  From that point, it was Davis fight.  Garcia is a good young fighter who may yet become a champion but tonight, this fight showed that right now, there is a wide difference in skills between Ryan Garcia and Tank Davis.

Davis fight was his typical fight as he punched sparely but when his punches landed, they had pop and accurate. His punches had more power than Garcia.  Garcia threw 60 more punches over six and half rounds and even landed the same amount of punches, but he did not hurt Davis.  Davis punch in the second round showed the difference as he was easily losing the round but his first punch of the round that landed sent Garcia down.  I scored this round 10-8 even though he lost the first two minutes because his one shot sent Garcia down.  The knockdown was the punch that won the fight, but it took five more rounds before Davis landed the next big blow, a nasty body shot that paralyzed Garcia.  This was a fight built between two men who had large presence on the social media and fans wanted to see it.  The fight occurred and now we know that Davis is a better fighter than Garcia at this stage of their career.

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Plant Gets Plastered By Benavidez

March 28, 2023Middleweights, Recent Fights, Tom Donelsonadmin

By Tom Donelson (BWAA) Member Boxing Writers of America

Caleb Plant after his loss to Canelo Alvarez came back with a brutal knockout of Anthony Dirrell and faced undefeated David Benavidez for another shot at Canelo Alvarez.  The winner will be in a position for a big money fight and Benavidez would like to be a champion again.   On paper this was the classic battle between the boxer Plant versus the power punching Benavidez .

Plant began the fight and feinted a few times while Benavidez fell short on a couple of body shots.  Plants jab to the body and then jabbed to the head before holding.  Plant won the opening rounds with his jab. 

The second round saw Plant begin with a quick flurry and dodged out of the way of Benavidez punches.  Benavidez landed a good left hook while Plant circles around to land accurate fast punches to the body.  The round ended with a Plant jab .

Plant began the third round aggressively with a left hook while Benavidez attempts to cut off the ring while scoring with a left hook.  Plant was jabbing but Benavidez looked like he was starting to time Plant’s jab . Plant smiled as Benavidez scored a hard right.

The fourth saw Benavidez starting with body shots and Plant responded with body combinations of his own.  Benavidez looked for spots to land his shots but Plant defensive skills proved elusive . Benavidez connected with a left hook and Plant was forced to hold.  After four rounds, I had score 39-37 in favor of Plant, but it was a close fight with no one at this point dominating .

Benavidez went to the body at the beginning of the fifth round and Plant’s hand speed forced Benavidez to the rope and a left hook missed Plant’s head.  As the round continued, it looked like Benavidez trapped Plant in the corner but Plant spun away from the rope and Plant closed the round with a hook.

Round six saw Benavidez making moves to take over the fight as he started to close the gap against Plant.  Benavidez landed a double left and a right, Plant started to hold more.    This was the round that the fight changed in Benavidez’s favor.  I had the fight 58-56 but there was a feeling that the momentum would change and the boxer would succumb to the pressure of the slugger over the second half of the fight.

Round seven was close but I had it for Benavidez as his pressure took control of the round and he landed the harder punch.  There was one Benavidez left hook that bothered Plant.   Over the sixth and seventh round, Benavidez landed 26 punches to Plant’s 16. 

Plant began the eighth round holding and he got away with lot of holding but then Benavidez hurt him.  A right-hand lead sent Plant reeling and the referee Kenny Baylas had Plant evaluated which gave Plant time to clear his head. This may have saved him from a stoppage. 

Plant landed a left hook to the body after taking a left hook to his body.  Plant landed a combination but had little effect on Benavidez.  Benavidez landed a left hook to the head and to the body followed by a solid right.  After nine rounds, I had it 86-85 in favor of Benavidez but from this point it was Benavidez’s fight.

In the tenth round, Benavidez landed 43 punches which included rights to the body, uppercuts and left hand was flying and he landed 36 more punches in the eleventh round.  Plant’s corner considered stopping the fight, but Plant wanted to finish this fight on his feet.    Benavidez had not lost a round since the fifth round.   Plant came out in the final round with the goal of standing on his feet, but Benavidez landed body shots and right hands to the head but at the end, Plant unleashed a combination, landing three punches but Benavidez countered with a fierce left hook as the bell rang.

I had the fight 116-112 and the judges had it 115-113, 117-111 and 116-112.  All reasonable scores and the fight was close over the first six rounds and even the seventh could have been called in Plant’s favor but the final five rounds were easily Benavidez as his power simply overwhelmed Plant.  Benavidez landed twice as many punches and nearly three times the power shot and even landed more jabs despite Plant throwing more than double of the jabs.

Plant is the third best super middleweight, but he lost to the two best in the division by wide margin.  Alvarez stopped him in the eleventh and Benavidez dominated the last five rounds by a wide margin. Over the last five rounds, Benavidez landed 146 punches to 38 punches.  Contrast that to the first seven rounds in which Benavidez landed 64 punches to Plant’s 53.  This shows this was two fights with the first seven rounds close but the final five rounds saw complete domination by Benavidez.

For Benavidez, there are several fights available but there is one fight he wants with Canelo Alvarez.  A September match up in Mexico featuring two Mexican’s best fighters celebrating Mexican independence.  This would be a great fight with the tough rugged Benavidez against the more technically sound Alvarez. 

Alvarez still is viewing Bivol rematch at the light heavyweight division and Benavidez does have other options including Jermall Charlo who is looking for a big pay day.   As for Plant, he will be a worthy opponent for any major contender for Super Middleweight including Jermall Charlo.  

In case it matters, this was for the WBC interim Champion but this means Benavidez is not truly champ but he is in line to fight for a title in the future.

Gervonta Davis / Hector Luis Garcia (RECAP) Review

January 19, 2023Lightweights, Recap, Recent Fights, Tom Donelson, Videoadmin

By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)

Gervonta Davis did what he was supposed to do against Hector Luis García and after three inert rounds at the beginning of the fight, he took control of the fight and stopped Garcia.  The first  round was a feeling out round with little activity but Garcia landed a few more shots in the second round to take the round,.  You might have given Garcia round one and two plus possibly three, but after that it was all Gervonta “the tank” Davis. 

The fourth round saw Tank dominate most of the round but García managed to land a straight left late in the round for his most notable shot.   Throughout the fifth and sixth round, Davis was the busier and landed some good shots but García was competitive in both rounds.  I had the fight even after the sixth round but it was becoming evident that Davis was the harder puncher. 

Davis took his game to another level and started to throw and land more punches.   Garcia still managed to land his share of punches throughout the seventh, but the seventh round belonged to Davis . The eighth round saw Davis take command, but the round was delayed as a fight in the stand delayed the fight in the ring.   Tank landed 30 punches to Garcia only three and Davis entered into a  search and destroy mode.  Garcia eyes started to close and at the end of the round, he turned to his corner and stated he couldn’t see .

Davis connected on 99 punches vs Garcia 55 and Garcia only connected on 16% of his shots.  While Garcia was more active with more punches thrown, they proved ineffectual as he failed to hurt Davis and Davis connected on 41% of his punches as he landed nearly double the punches and was more efficient with his shots. 

The big fight over the horizon will be Ryan Garcia, the LA Flash with 23 victories and no defeat to go with 19 knockouts and Davis.  This is one of those fights that will actually sale a few PPV . The problem is at what weight.  Garcia has moved to140 pounds and a recent fight with Javier Fortuna.  The first obstacles will be what weight they will fight.  Davis titles are in the lightweight division and a 140-pound fight will not involve a belt .

The other obstacles are Davis’s legal issue including a possible domestic altercation and a hit and run accident that can land him in jail.   So, the negotiations continue for what could be a big fight.  

Gervonta Davis / Hector Luis Garcia (RECAP) Review

January 19, 2023Lightweights, Recap, Recent Fights, Tom Donelson, Videoadmin

By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)

Gervonta Davis did what he was supposed to do against Hector Luis García and after three inert rounds at the beginning of the fight, he took control of the fight and stopped Garcia.  The first  round was a feeling out round with little activity but Garcia landed a few more shots in the second round to take the round,.  You might have given Garcia round one and two plus possibly three, but after that it was all Gervonta “the tank” Davis. 

The fourth round saw Tank dominate most of the round but García managed to land a straight left late in the round for his most notable shot.   Throughout the fifth and sixth round, Davis was the busier and landed some good shots but García was competitive in both rounds.  I had the fight even after the sixth round but it was becoming evident that Davis was the harder puncher. 

Davis took his game to another level and started to throw and land more punches.   Garcia still managed to land his share of punches throughout the seventh, but the seventh round belonged to Davis . The eighth round saw Davis take command, but the round was delayed as a fight in the stand delayed the fight in the ring.   Tank landed 30 punches to Garcia only three and Davis entered into a  search and destroy mode.  Garcia eyes started to close and at the end of the round, he turned to his corner and stated he couldn’t see .

Davis connected on 99 punches vs Garcia 55 and Garcia only connected on 16% of his shots.  While Garcia was more active with more punches thrown, they proved ineffectual as he failed to hurt Davis and Davis connected on 41% of his punches as he landed nearly double the punches and was more efficient with his shots. 

The big fight over the horizon will be Ryan Garcia, the LA Flash with 23 victories and no defeat to go with 19 knockouts and Davis.  This is one of those fights that will actually sale a few PPV . The problem is at what weight.  Garcia has moved to140 pounds and a recent fight with Javier Fortuna.  The first obstacles will be what weight they will fight.  Davis titles are in the lightweight division and a 140-pound fight will not involve a belt .

The other obstacles are Davis’s legal issue including a possible domestic altercation and a hit and run accident that can land him in jail.   So, the negotiations continue for what could be a big fight.  

By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) … Contributor to http://www.dmboxing.com with integrity and expertise since 2008

Deontay Wilder lost his second fight in the hard-fought Fury trilogy one year ago and his opponent Robert Helenius who is coming off two straight knockout wins over Adam Kowacki. For Wilder this was a must win if he wanted to be considered a heavyweight contender and the Fury trilogy was a brutal trilogy in which both men pounded each other . Wilder came in the fight as the favorite and he was in top ten shape weighing 215 and his opponent weighed 253.

On the same card, Caleb Plant faced Anthony Dirrell in a battle of two former super Middleweight champions and Plant was coming off a loss to Saul Canelo Alvarez.

Caleb Plant began the first round aggressively and looked the quicker of the two in the first round and the second round, Plant jab connected early and Dirrell looked measured and cautious . Plant jab snap Dirrell head and when Dirrell landed a nasty shot right back. Plant mixed body shots and shots to the head as he won round two.

Dirrell open the third with a good right hand while Plant rips a pair of right to the body. Dirrell hits a good shot to the body and a counter. Dirrell also clinched and provided some rough maneuver. Close round as Dirrell won the round but Plant could have won the round on the judges’ scorecard .

Referee warns Dirrell of his rough tactics and Plant put good combinations but when he overextended, he got nailed. As the fourth round progressed Plant is lunging more and Dirrell is using his experience to make it harder for Plant to land. Starting the fifth round, Plant’s jab stunned Dirrell and forced him to retreat . Plant’s speed allowed him to start the action, but Dirrell slowly adjusted. After the fifth round, I had the fight 49-46.

In round six, Dirrell allowed Plant to come into counter, but Plant landed hooks to the head and body. He connected on the most punches and Plant had a 59-55 lead at the halfway part of the fight. Plants begin the seventh round with a snappy left jab and Dirrell is landing punches fewer than even in the early rounds . Dirrell engages in rough tactics and is warned by the referee the second time. Plant gets Dirrell to the rope. Another round for Plant, 69-64.

Plant showed excellent defense and while he lowered his work rate, Dirrell is hardly throwing punches. The round ended as Plant landed a combination while Dirrell tried to return fire but missed. A combination by Plant ended the round.

Dirrell came out in the ninth round and Dirrell landed a big shot and forced to Plant to retreat. Dirrell has Plant backing up and shooting shots on the inside before out of now where, Plant lands a left hook that sent Dirrell down. This sent Dirrell down and out. Plant has put himself back in the Super Middleweight discussion.

Deontay Wilder showed he still has the power. Helenius comes to the center of the ring as Wilder moved. Helenius cut off the ring and Wilder sent a wild right following Wilder jab, both that missed. Helenius did not land or throw anything of significant. He landed a body shot but no real effect. Helenius followed Wilder into the corner and as he stepped forward, he got nailed by a right that sends him down. He was out cold and Wilder won with a first-round knockout.

Wilder is back as a heavyweight contender and he reminded people why he is a threat, for he can end a fight with just one punch.

In the land down under, Devin Haney defended his undisputed WBO lightweight champion against George Kambosa, Jr. Haney put on a clinic as he landed 202 punches to seventy-six for Kambosa and was even more dominating in this fight than his first fight with Kambosa.  In his first fight, he landed 147 to Kambosa 100 to win a decision. This fight was no doubt from the second round as Haney simply dominated the fight with his boxing skills. In the tenth round he landed thirty-four punches to Kambosa one punch.  A right hand opens a cut over Kambosa’s left eye. If there is a weakness in Haney skills, he does not have a knockout punch as he landed rights consistently 

What was impressive that Haney was willing to travel to Australia for the rematch after winning the title in Australia. He was confident that he beat Kambosa a second time on Kambosa home turf. He was right, and it was easier this time.

Since 2006, Dayton Moore ran baseball operation for the Royals but now the era is over as Moore was fired.  There were two Moore eras, the first one that began when he was hired and culminated in the 2015 World Series and the second era in which Royals went from World Series champ to the cellar of the American League Central division.

Moore struck all the right moves in winning the 2015 World Series.    Key members of the pennant winning team came from the minors including Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon along with pitchers Yolando Ventura, Danny Duffy, and Greg Holland.  Others that came up through the minors to fill out key roles including Christian Colon, Jared Dyson, Kelvin Herrera, Luke Hochevar, and Brandon Finnegan. He made several great acquisitions including James Shields, Wade Davis, Kendry Morales, Alex Rio, Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and Ben Zobrist.  They all played key roles in getting Royal to the 2014 World Series and then winning the whole ball of wax.

From 2016, the decline began as Royals finished just .500 and then 80-82 in 2017.  Moore tried to give his core one more chance to win a title but instead, he set the stage for another dark age.  Unlike his previous tour, his moves proved disastrous including Luka Duda, Brandon Moss, Ryan Goins, Ian Kennedy, Chris Owings, and Brandon Maurer.  Maybe one trade that reflects this period was Wade Davis for Jorge Soler. Soler was considered a potential star in the future.  In 2019, he had his best season, batting .265 with 48 homers, a Royals record but for the most part, Soler never reached his potential.  

The minor league fails to produce prospects over the next few years. The strategy in 2008 started with drafting college players, hoping they could make the jump to majors sooner. So far this hasn’t really worked out on the pitching side as only Brady Singer has made the jump to the majors.  Other like Kris Bubic and Daniel Lynch have yet to show any improvement since they have come up. 

Coming into 2022, there was hope that the Royals would continue the improvement from the year before.  Royals won the season series against Twins, White Sox, and Tigers. Only the Guardians won 4 their season series and the Royals won 74 games and finished with less than 90 losses the first time since 2017 not counting the 2020 shortened season.

Perez had a career year with 48 homers, a team record and Lopez hit .300.   Benintendi hit .276, provided good defense in left field and added 17 homers plus Merrifield hit .277.   The bull pen looked like they were developing a young bullpen including Coleman, Brentz, Staumont, and Barlow. The only question was whether the young starting pitcher can make the next move.

Instead, the whole thing came crashing down as Royals began 16-32 as the starting pitching collapsed and the relief pitching was complete failure.  While Benintendi started out fast and was batting .300 plus going into All-Star break, Perez, Merrifield, rookie Witt, and Santana were hitting .100 and the offense was totally ineffectual.  Perez had injured thumb and eventually had surgery.  

By the All-Star break, the Royals were back to ground floor of the rebuild. Moore view that the Royals were close to contention was over.  Royals brought up much of the minor leagues and begin the rebuild.  Moore firing is a reflection that the failures of the past seven years from 2016 to the present.   Moore is a good guy who gave Royals fan a brief three-year window of winning and championship between 2013 and 2015 but since then, the franchise floundered.  From 2016, he had one year .500 and six losing season with three at 100 losses, one at 88 losses and this year Royals will have 90 plus losses.  Failure has consequences.

The real surprise of the Ruiz-Ortiz fight was that it went the distance. At the age of the 43 years, Luis Ortiz still can box and had power to win a bout with one punch. Ruiz for a heavyweight has quick hands and power.

This bout was interesting since many rounds were close and Without the three knockdowns, this fight could have been a majority draw according to official scorecard. (I had the fight 115-110 as Ruiz had a 10-7 second round as he sent Ortiz down twice and a 10-8 round in the seventh round.) 

The first round was more of a feeling process and what punches of note landed; Ortiz landed it. Second round was different as Ruiz sent Ortiz down twice with quick right hands. Ruiz on my card won the next two rounds but they were close.

The fifth round and sixth round were devoid of heavy action, and you could have given them to Ortiz. At the halfway mark I had the fight 57-55 for Ruiz7 as the second round 10-7 was the reason for the difference.

The seventh-round saw Ruiz send Ortiz down for the third time and he also took the eighth round for a 77-72 lead. The ninth round was another one I gave to Ruiz as he landed the best punch, but it was close and other observers gave it to Ortiz.

Ortiz easily won the ten as Ruiz landed only one punch. I had it 96 – 91 so I had Ortiz needing a knockout to win.

Ruiz quick right hand buzzed Ortiz and closed his right eye. With one round left Ortiz to win the bout and I had him down 106-100.

Ortiz came out desperate and landed some big shots in the final round and showed no quit but not enough to win. I had it 115 -110 with Ruiz winning seven rounds, but I understood the judges’ score as they had it 114-111, 114-111, 113-112 s there was two or three rounds that were close, and Ortiz did land two more punches, but he also threw 140 more punches and only connected 18 percent of his punches. Plus, he hit the canvas three time. Those knockdowns ensured his defeat.

What happens to Ruiz? Deontay Wilder was present at the event and Ruiz knows a Wilder bout would be big bucks. And two knockout artists against each other would be entertaining. Meanwhile, Tyson Fury has offered Anthony Joshua a shot at his title, which is a gift since Joshua lost his lost shot at a title to Oleksandr Usyk.

Most fans want a Usyk-Fury to unite al the title, but Fury knows that a Fury-Joshua is big money and Usyk has injuries issue and a war to fight.

Meanwhile Wilder has an October date with Robert Helenius and he gets by Helenius, look for a Ruiz-Wilder fight to happen.