Friday Night Fights Recap

By Lee Payton

Jr. Middleweight, David Lopez, used his southpaw stance and quicker hands to score a unanimous decision over hard man, Ossie Duran. It was a relatively uneventful fight because Lopez used smart footwork to handcuff his opponent, and never really strayed from the script. Duran turned it up slightly in the middle and late rounds, but it was not enough to overcome the technical difficulties he had in there.

The scores were 97-93, 96-94, 96-94.

DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley wore a Predator mask into the ring, but he would not get his prey on this night because of three complete hacks.

He was the aggressor from the outset, worked harder throughout, was clearly the more comfortable fighter in the ring and scored a clean knockdown in the 3rd round.

Despite this, the judges came up with 77-74, 77-74, 77-74, for his Puerto Rican opponent, the undefeated Hector Sanchez. I'm going to give Allan Perrault, Dereck Zazuetta, Dennis O'Connell the benefit of the doubt and assume they are just totally inept, and not corrupt.

Chop Chop won that fight.

Rookie Karl Dargan of Philadelphia, moved to 4-0 (2) to start things off. He's an athletic kid who was a good amateur, but the thing that caught my eye was the way he worked behind a dedicated left jab. When was the last time you saw a real young fighter pop a jab 40+ times a round? He's trained by Naazim Richardson, so he could become a very good fighter.

Oscar De La Hoya took some time to chat with Brian Kenny and Teddy Atlas about the announcement he plans on making next week. They seemed to think he was going to pull the plug on his career. I suspect he's going to stick around for just one more.

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Chambers Tops Peter

Fans who came into last night’s FNF headliner, hoping the bout between Fast Eddie Chambers and Sam Peter might breathe a little life into the heavyweight division had to be disappointed with what they saw. Chambers got the win by scores of 99-91, 96-94 and 95-95, but it was an uninspiring performance, in what really looked like the perfect situation for him to impress.

Peter, who came in at a career high 265 pounds was huffing and puffing by the mid rounds, and seemed ready for the taking, only Chambers never put his foot on the gas. Instead, the slick Philly based fighter appeared perfectly content to do just enough to get the win, and in the process very nearly gave the fight away to his laboring opponent.

After the fight, he told Teddy Atlas that he was thinking too much. That’s a reasonable explanation, but it also begs the question that if he’s thinking too much with an overweight and badly gassed Sam Peter coming at him, what does that say about his chances against better opposition?

Atlas kept pointing out during the bout how many opportunities there were for Chambers to nail home his right hand. Whether it was countering after Peter brought his left back low after throwing a jab, or following up his own jab with a right hand – the chances for Chambers to snap home rights were there all night.

Yet, rarely did Chambers do anything other than fire off his jab – and not nearly enough of them - while circling out of the way of Peter’s ponderous attack.

Finally in the ninth round, Chambers raised the level of his intensity and opened up a little with very good results. Unfortunately, he couldn’t sustain that energy until the finish, and again reverted back to doing just enough to get by in the tenth.

While Peter's weight was embarrassingly high, he really worked hard until the final bell. Breathing heavily throughout, he kept plugging away, and nearly came away with a draw in a fight that shouldn’t have been close. If he brings that kind of effort into his training camp, he can beat a lot of good heavyweights.

As for Chambers, if his desire can catch up to his talent, he could make some noise against the very best in the division. But this kind of effort won't get it done.

e-mail Andrew Fruman
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Friday Recap: Adamek stops Banks, Johnson dominates Judah

Michael Nelson recaps the action from last night's Shobox and FNF cards.

Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

Fans were treated to an eventful night of boxing on Friday, as ShoBox produced two scintillating knockouts, both of which will be among the candidates for knockout of the year.

IBF Cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek KO’d Johnathon Banks in brutal fashion in the 8th round of a competitive bout, and Giovanni Lorenzo put Dionisio Miranda down for the count with a perfectly timed right hand in the 2nd round of their co-feature.

Earlier, Glen Johnson chopped down Daniel Judah over 10 rounds in the Friday Night Fights main event.

Shobox...

Johnathon Banks looked comfortable in the opening stanza against Adamek, controlling the action with a sharp jab thrown from his waist. Adamek patiently stalked the bigger man, but got caught with a right hand that stunned him momentarily. While Banks did not press his advantage, the jolting right hand and the several up-jabs he landed were enough to win him the round.

After Adamek’s corner preached patience, Tomasz slightly increased his pressure by pumping his jab a bit more. Banks, still in his comfort zone, found success with his jab as well. Both men were reluctant to let their hands go in a tense chess match.

Rounds 3-4 were more of the same, with Banks briefly buckling Adamek’s knees in the 3rd with a crushing counter left hook. But again, the cautious Banks, weary of Adamek’s powerful short right, never pressed his advantage.

Adamek upped his work rate in the 5th, landing several jabs. Banks still pumped his jab with regularity, with an occasional right to keep his increasingly more aggressive opponent honest. At this point, the stylistic similarities between Banks and Wladimir Klitschko (who Banks often spars with) were obvious: both try to dominate the action with a jab and a periodic big right hand or left hook, both ignore their opponent’s body, both select to hold on the inside instead of throw uppercuts, and both drape themselves onto an opponent’s back whenever their shorter foe bends forward, in an attempt to sap their stamina. While Emmanuel Steward was missing from Johnathon Banks’ corner, his imprint couldn’t have been clearer.

Adamek, now resolute in stepping up his pressure, gave Banks a quick 101 on the significance of a body attack in the 6th round and Banks was visibly bothered every time he got whacked with a left hook to the liver. In the 7th, Banks started turning his back to Adamek, a sign that he was beginning to wilt from Adamek’s body work and persistent jab to the mouth.

Banks landed hard right hand in the 8th that stunned Tomasz again, except this time, perhaps feeling it was his best shot at winning a fight that was slipping away from him, he attempted to follow up. His gas was nearing E though, and he was unable to land anything else significant.

Shortly after he recovered, Adamek landed a beautiful short right to Johnathon’s chin that put him on the canvas. Banks got up on rubbery legs, turned his back to referee Eddie Cotton and did all but say he he had no interest in further punishment, but Cotton wiped his gloves anyways and let Banks continue. Adamek trapped Banks in the corner and hit him with series of punches that rendered him nearly unconscious, slumped in a position eerily similar to how Kelly Pavlik left Jermain Taylor in 2007 (ironically, Taylor too was being trained by Emmanuel Steward at the time).

With the knockout victory, Adamek improved to 37-1 with 25 KOs. Johnathon Banks fell to 20-1 with 14 KOs.

In the IBF Middleweight title elimination that started the broadcast, Giovanni Lorenzo quickly imposed his superior pedigree and size over Dionisio Miranda. Miranda had one good moment in the bout; a long right hand in the 2nd round that snapped Lorenzo’s head back. His moment of glory was quickly truncated by a Lorenzo right that instantly transplanted Miranda on the canvas. Miranda struggled to his feet, but was unable to beat the referee’s count.

Giovanni Lorenzo, now facing a possible IBF title shot against Arthur Abraham, improved to 27-1 with 19 KOs. Dionisio Miranda dropped to 19-4-2 with 17 KOs.

Friday Night Fights...

Earlier in the night on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights, Glen Johnson, now an ageless wonder at 40 years old, dropped Daniel Judah in the first round en route to a workmanlike domination over his younger foe.

While Judah put up a respectable effort in the early going, by the middle rounds he was reduced to showboating and making faces, his way of handling the fact he was in with a far superior fighter. Johnson hurt him several times to the body throughout the bout, but failed to put him away. If there is a criticism to be made of Johnson, it’s that he often lets his wounded prey limp away instead of clamping down on the jugular. Nevertheless, it was another impressive performance by the Road Warrior, securing a 99-89, 99-90, and 99-90 unanimous decision.

Here’s hoping that we see him in with another one of the elite Light Heavyweights – if not Chad Dawson, Tavoris Cloud or Adrian Diaconu – sooner than later.

Glen Johnson is now 49-12-2, with 33 knockouts, while Daniel Judah fell to 23-4-3 with 10 knockouts.

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Boxing Bulletin Photo Gallery

All the action from last week's Friday Night Fight's card in Salisbury Maryland. Photos by © Cheryl Nemazie.

The Main Event: Referee Kenny Chevalier looks on as Yusaf Mack lands a right to the head of Chris Henry in their light heavyweight bout.

Middleweights Fernando Guerrero and Gabriel Rosado pose for the cameras.

Representing the Rosado corner, Naazim Richardson looks on as Guerrero has his hands wrapped by Patrick "Boogie" Harris.

Guerrero receives instructions from trainer Barry Hunter between rounds, while his manager Hal Chernoff (back to camera) assists in the corner.

Guerrero sticks a right hand between the guard of Rosado as referee Gary Camponeschi watches.

Rosado leans back in an attempt to slip a jab.

Junior middleweight prospect Shawn Porter (right) in action against Cory Jones.

Still undefeated: Referee Malik Waleed holds up Porter's hand in victory.

A good crowd at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland.

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FNF, Shobox and the Return of Chagaev

It's been a fairly busy weekend so far. Even with the highly anticipated main event between Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce still to come, we've already had plenty of fights worth touching on.

Last night, Yusaf Mack and Chris Henry battled it out on a FNF card that also featured middlewight propsect and crowd favourite Fernando Guerrero (photo © Cheryl Nemazie). 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward was in action on Shobox, while in Germany, Ruslan Chagaev made his return after more than a year on the shelf on a show highlighted by 140 pound belt holder Andriy Kotelnik and challenger Marcos Rene Maidana.


Yusaf Mack - Chris Henry

It was a solid, albeit a bit frustrating, Friday Night Fight headliner. Yusaf Mack showed that he carried his power up to light heavyweight, rocking Chris Henry multiple times with right hands en route to a split decision victory. He refused to put together combinations, however, and if he followed those right hands up with left hooks, he almost certainly would have knocked Henry out. Henry, for his part, actually appeared to out jab his quicker opponent. His wide right hands were the problem, as they continued to miss their mark throughout. Poor foot work and balance were also issues. Henry wasn't able to keep a proper distance on the inside, instead falling into clinches and smothering his own punches. Yusaf was badly gassed late in the fight; more body work with some uppercuts mixed in could have finished him off. Both men showed limitations that makes it difficult for me to place them among the elite at 175, although they would give most of the top 10 a rough outing. Mack's stamina issues will likely always be a problem, as will Henry's lack of accuracy and balance. - Michael Nelson

Mack has the skill to be a serious player. He's pretty good defensively, has quick hands, and can bang a little bit. The problem is in his stamina and focus. He had Henry wobbling around in the 6th round, but instead of taking advantage, he showed a lack of composure and started chucking wildly. He gassed himself in the process, and had little left in the tank for the final six rounds.

Mack will get more spots on TV because he tends to make exciting fights, but even at 30 years old, he has plenty of maturing to do if he is to fulfill his potential.

Even though Chris Henry lost, I was impressed with the way he kept plugging away. You had to admire the way he pushed the action, even while utterly exhausted. He carries certain useful tools, like above average punching power, a strong beard and all the inside stuff you want in a fighter and with work on a few technical elements he could take his game up a half a level or so.

I'd like to see simple head movement. The man is so wide open on his left side, it gave me flashbacks of Cliff Ettienne. That's a shame, because he is better than that. If Henry committed to the body with those booming rights, he would be a monster. Follow that up with a left hook and you've got yourself a dangerous man.

While dropping this fight is a definite setback, I believe this fighter has the guts and power to get back into contention.

I wouldn't mind seeing one of these guys fight Tavoris Cloud next.

Fernando Guerrero - Gabriel Rosado

The Co-feature pitted the extremely popular local prospect, Fernando Guerrero, against Gabriel Rosado. The kid from Salisbury, Maryland made sure the home crowd was not disappointed, as he pounded out a competitive unanimous decision win. This was a significant step up for the undefeated young fighter and he handled himself well, despite a flash knockdown.

We still don't know how he takes one on the chin or to the ribs, but he's an interesting personality with a devoted audience, so I look forward to checking him out again.

Andriy Kotelnik - Marcos Rene Maidana

In Germany, Andriy Kotelnik successfully defended his 140 title belt in a busted face effort against relatively unknown Argentinian banger, Marcos Rene Maidana.

The challenger came out fast, slamming several right hands around the guard while also splitting the gloves with lead left uppercuts that snapped Kotelnik's head back. He never stopped banging away for the first 3 rounds, while his opponent showed great resolve in standing up to the abuse and coming back to make it a very tight contest down the stretch.

It was Maidana's big swings and activity against Kotelnik's sharper blows and crowd reaction. In the end, the decision was a fair one. I thought the fight was 7-5 either way and the judges agreed.

Ruslan Chagaev - Carl Davis Drummond

The less said about Ruslan Chagaev's return, the better. It was one of the most timid performances I have ever seen. The opponent, Carlos David Drummond, was just as careful and it made for a yawn. It was one of those fights that make you angry. Neither guy wanted to lead at all so there were a lot of ugly collisions between the painfully few clean punches.

An accidental headbutt opened a cut over Chagaev's left eye brought an early end to things after the 6th round. He won the dreadfully boring decision that has pretty much forced me to avoid his fights for awhile.

The cut turned out to be the best thing about that "fight". It saved me from being bored for another 6 rounds.

-Lee Payton

Ward-Buchanen In his showcase on ShoBox, Andre Ward whitewashed Henry 'Sugar Poo' Buchanan, but his performance left plenty to be desired. Sugar Poo, more saccharin than pure cane, didn't put up much of a fight. His offensive output comprised mainly of 'don't touch me' jabs, and I feel when faced against a relatively harmless combatant, a prospect like Ward should do his best to take him out. Instead, he was content to potshot from the outside, never taking it to the next level. Getting inside and shredding Poo's midsection is something I would have liked to see him do. Nevertheless, Ward is obviously talented. But how sturdy his chin is and how he'd fare in a long, grueling fight remain the questions that Buchanan didn't have the capability or willingness to ask. -Michael Nelson

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FNF Review: Solis, Gamboa Win In Very Different Fashion

by Lee Payton

Cuba's most recent crop of amateur stars continued their path to professional glory last night, as they were featured on the Friday Night Fights card, which took place in Primm, Nevada. Gold medalists, Yuriorkis Gamboa and Odlanier Solis were both victorious in their bouts, but their in-ring personalities are very different.

Solis, 13-0 (9), was content to look for single shot counters against the gutsy Kevin Burnett, 13-2-1 (8), who was technically out-gunned, but never gave up on himself, or his plan. It looked like it could be easy work for the Cuban as he hurt Burnett in the middle of the first round, but the Georgia native kept his hands high and survived the round. Solis had Burnett going a little bit in the middle of the third when he jumped on him following a big overhand right, but couldn't finish and did nothing for the rest of the round.

More of the same in rounds 4-7, with Solis either standing his ground, looking to counter with single shots or doing very little. In the 8th round though a counter left hook to the temple wobbled Burnett's legs badly and another overhand right had him in desperate trouble. A short follow-up was enough for referee Jay Nady to stop the fight, as the brave American stumbled around. The time was 2:00 in the eighth round.

It was a win on TV, in front of a solid crowd, though it felt uninspired. Solis never came forward and only went on the attack when he had his man hurt. It's not only his lack of fire in the ring that should be worrisome for those looking for the next great heavyweight, but also a lack of discipline outside the ring. Solis came it 259 lbs, which is inexcusable for a 6'1 heavyweight. Another fat heavyweight is the last thing boxing needs.

There are also stylistic issues to deal with if we are to assume this guy will be fighting a Klitschko in the next couple years. His style and physical stature make him an easy mark for both. He sets up much like Miguel Cotto, with hands high andslightly bent forward, which makes him an easy target up or down the middle. He hasn't shown any head movement, and never came forward once against the much taller Burnett. Sitting back on the outside, looking to counter against either brother would be a disaster.

To be honest, I don't think there is much of a future there. Solis looks like a heavyweight with a lot of Dominick Guinn in him. Talented, some physical tools, can punch a little bit, but can't change gears. A guy who can fight back will either bring the tiger out of him or expose the lack of true fighting spirit. I'm betting on the latter, though I doubt we'll see him tested for awhile.

Yuriorkis Gamboa, on the other hand is full of tenacity to go with his physcial gifts. After a tentative first round in his fight against veteran, Roger "Speedy" Gonzalez, 27-3 (18), the star of the show seemed to be fed up with the measuring and posturing and came out hard and fast for the second round. He couldn't get much done against Gonzalez, who was content to keep his hands very high and look strictly for right hands between Gamboa's work. Then, after finshing a combination, he moved directly into one of those rights his opponent was looking for and went down for a second. More embarrassed than hurt, he took the 8 count and went after Gonzalez like nothing happened. He closed the round backing his man up and doing some work on the ropes, but was still having a hard time landing anything clean.

The rounds then settled into a pattern- Gamboa doing way more work, but not doing much damage, while Gonzalez played defense and looked for single shots once in awhile. By the time the 9th round came, "Speedy" had slowed down considerably and his face started to bust up as the much faster man was breaking through his guard with flashy work.

The final round was one-sided. Gamboa had won every round except the second up to that point, but obviously wanted to finish strong in front of his crowd. He was still having trouble finding his best stuff in there, but his hard work paid off as a final volley had Gonzalez holding on while his mouthpiece hit the canvas. While in the clinch, referee Robert Byrd signaled that he had seen enough and stopped the fight with 39 seconds to go.

The stoppage may been a little quick, but the message was clear- Gamboa is someone to watch. Unlike his heavyweight stablemate, this flashy little guy seems to enjoy being in the ring and tries to take advantage of his immense ability. He has some technical flaws, like a low left hand, a reliance on reflexes defensively and he can be caught between his work, but you can tell that he is a fighter to his core.

He's that type of fighter that has the ability to stink a fight out, or play it safe, but it's just not in his nature. I get the feeling that he is one of those guys whose own bravery will get him in trouble from time to time, but you know he'll get up and start swinging. This Cuban defector has a future, and fight fans are going to enjoy watching it unfold.
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