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Super Middle’s Next Great Star

Mexico’s Gilberto Ramirez Sanchez, 30-0 24 KO is on his way to becoming the next big star in the super middleweight division. On Saturday night from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, he continued his rise with an eighth round TKO over hard punching Columbian Fulgencio Zuniga 27-10-1 24 KO.

Through the first seven rounds, Ramirez, battered Zuniga with constant pressure landing hard jabs, hooks, crosses, body shots, uppercuts and just about anything else he wanted. In the eighth, Ramirez stunned Zuniga with a chopping right hand and followed it up with a straight left/right combination, right uppercut and left hook, as Zuniga wobbled into the ropes. Ramirez jumped on the Colombian landing a six punch combination while Zuniga tried his best to avoid the onslaught even landing a solid right hand but it wasn’t enough to stop Ramirez causing the referee to jump in and stop the fight at 2:20 of the eighth. According to CompuBox, Ramirez outlanded Zuniga in total punches, 259 to 67, jabs 57-8, and power shots 202-59.

This was a nice win for Ramirez who has been sustaining impressive performances. In his last fight, he knocked out Junior Talipeau in the first round with one of the nicest long range uppercuts you will see. Prior to that, he stopped Giovanni Lorenzo who had only been stopped once in his previous 39 fights and in this one he dominated a tough fighter who hadn’t been stopped since 2009 when he was knocked out in four by Lucian Bute.

Ramirez, 40-6 as an amateur and nicknamed “Zurdo” due to his southpaw stance, is a tall (6’3) and solidly built fighter who throws hard punches from all angles, uses his jab well (77″ reach), commits to the body, and is an excellent counter puncher. With his frame and physical ability, he evokes shades of a young Tommy Hearns. His toughness can be traced to the mean streets of Mexico as Ramirez stated, “I started boxing when I was 12 years old. I used to fight a lot in the streets. The neighborhood where I used to live was like a ghetto, a very dangerous neighborhood”

If there was an area for critique, it would be in Ramirez’s tendency to fight “small” at times which has left him open for counter overhand rights which his opponents have been able to land from time to time. Although he has displayed a solid beard he would benefit by tightening up his defense a bit more. He is still developing and his camp will surely identify and correct these areas which will make him that much tougher to deal with.

After the fight, Ramirez indicated that he would welcome a clash with either Carl Froch or Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Top Rank has a potential Mexican megastar on their hands. With his fan friendly style, Ramirez may one day rival Saul “Canelo” Alvarez as Mexico’s darling. Ramirez, currently ranked in the top five by all sanctioning bodies is definitely on the list of who to watch in 2015 which could very well be his breakout year.

This article contributed to Behind The Gloves.com

Klitschko Drops The Steel Hammer On A Cobra In Hamburg, Germany

Wladimir Klitschko was hit with two of the cleanest punches that he has taken in some time in the fifth round against Kubrat Pulev but moments later it meant little as Dr. Steelhammer landed a fight ending left hook.

Pulev, 20-1 11KO, tried to set the tone by rushing Klitschko at the opening bell and roughing him up a bit. As the round progressed, he was caught by a left hook and hit the canvas. He got up and seemed a little wobbly as he received another left hook dropping him again. He was able to beat the count and make it out of the round. The replays showed both were mostly flash knockdowns.

As the fight progressed, Klitschko, 63-3 54 KO, controlled each round by landing stiff jabs, solid right crosses, and crisp left hooks. Pulev continued to utilize all the roughness he could get away with like rabbit punching Klitschko and hitting on the break. Pulev was down again in round three after taking a solid right hand and left hook combination courtesy of the champion. Pulev recovered and finished the round.

Pulev had some success in the fourth and although he lost the round, it was probably his best. In the fifth, Pulev looked to continue his momentum, as he landed his best punches of the fight, a big left look followed by a right cross; however, as Klitschko responded, he landed a perfect left hook dropping The Cobra on his back. As Klitschko yelled at Pulev to stay down, he was counted out by referee Tony Weeks at 2:11 of the fifth round. Give Pulev credit here, he came to win and landed some solid shots while making the champ uncomfortable with his rough tactics, he just couldn’t sustain his effort just as 62 other Klitschko opponents failed to do.

This was an impressive win by the undisputed champ, it’s been awhile since we’ve seen a Klitschko opponent come straight forward and he responded like he is supposed to, by bringing out the Steel Hammer.

True to his word, Shannon “Everywhere You Go, I Go” Briggs was at ringside watching and apparently attempted to start another public spectacle but was prevent by security. No Shannon, it’s not you we want to see Klitschko against next, it’s the winner of Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder, or Luis Ortiz.

Don’t Underestimate Chris Algieri

“Andddd newwww undefeated WBO light welterweight champion of the world, The Fighting Collegian, Chris Algieriiiiii” bellowed ring announcer Michael Buffer this past June as he informed all who watched that Algieri had just defeated Ruslan Provodnikov. Not many gave Algieri, 30, 20-0 8 KO of Huntington, Long Island, New York much of a chance to beat Provodnikov but that was nothing new for Algieri.

On November 22, Algieri will again be back in the role that he cherishes, that of the underdog, when he faces the pride of the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao 56-5-2 38 KO. This is classic David vs. Goliath only the roles are changed in that Algieri, the bigger man, is David in this scenario. With odds currently about 7-1 in Pacquiao’s favor, Algieri isn’t concerned stating, “I’ve been the underdog many times before in the past, so I think if I was the favorite I’d feel more uncomfortable. This is home for me.”

You would think that a win over one of the most feared men in the sport in Provodnikov would have garnered Algieri a little respect. Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer was quoted as saying that Algieri isn’t in Pacquiao’s class, he’s jumping a bit too soon while insinuating that the sparring partners in camp will pose more of a threat. Recently on HBO’s 24/7, Roach finally gave “credit” to Algieri calling him a “tough kid” in one breath but then condescendingly stating “tough kids don’t win big fights” in the next. It is nothing new for Roach to play mind games with a Pacquiao opponent but this time there is an edge here that seems personal. Maybe it’s because Roach is from Massachusetts, said Roach, “Remember, I’m from Dedham, Massachusetts. There is no love lost when Boston plays New York in any sport. I live for beating a New Yorker”

Truth is, Algieri is a tough kid and has won big fights as evident by the world kickboxing titles he won prior to making the switch to the sweet science. Undefeated as both an amateur and a pro, he collected a USKBA Championship and WKA and ISKA Championships respectively. While he has the resume of an MMA fighter, it’s the sweet science that he cherishes, entrenched in him from an early age while watching the sport with his grandfather on many occasions. Looking for bigger fame, paydays, and the national exposure that the world of kickboxing could not give him, he switched sports. It wasn’t moving quickly enough at the beginning as Algieri was fighting exclusively on local cards. As he stated on HBO’s 24/7, “It was extremely, extremely frustrating; I felt that I wanted to be on bigger stages, fighting on different cards, fighting on TV, I wanted national exposure, “I really wanted people to see what I brought to the table”.

Enter the Provodnikov fight, Algieri, down twice in the first round, weathered the storm and fought basically with one eye throughout the fight. Algieri showed the poise and ring generalship of a fighter well beyond his years and experience. Using excellent movement and showcasing blinding speed, he peppered Provodnikov with solid jabs, sneaky uppercuts and power shots while adding timely body shots keeping Provodnikov off balance.

Again, a tough kid winning a big fight confirming Roach may be a bit off in his assessment of the WBO Champion. I know, I know, some detractors will say that Algieri “ran” against Provodnikov but Algieri landed 83 more punches, threw 217 more, landed at a higher connect percentage, and beat Provodnikov at his own game landing 13 more power shots. Pretty hard to do all of that when you are “running” away from your opponent.

Thing is, Algieri is a new breed of fighter, 2.0 if you will, a strategic thinker with a personal approach to training and nutrition. A gym rat with a bachelor’s degree in health science and a master’s degree in clinical nutrition, Algieri prepares all his own food unlike most fighters in the game which allows him to fuel adequately and appropriately at all the right times. As Algieri put it, “I don’t eat anything crazy. I just eat the foods most people should eat: eggs, oatmeal, chicken, broccoli, sweet potatoes, fish and steaks.” While most fighters loathe the nutrition and training aspects of the preparation, Algieri is energized by it. In fact, his training meals mirror his every day eating habits, a disciplined approach that doesn’t need to change due to a fight.

He trains six days a week and most times, twice a day, combining the typical sparring and bag work with exhaustive cardio sessions, explosive power movements, and mental conditioning. He chooses to watch little tape of his opponents before a fight believing it could be counterproductive, “It’s all about rhythm and you can’t find out a man’s rhythm on tape, I’ll find out in the first round”, said Algieri, the strategic thinker.

Algieri’s mental preparation may be his biggest strength. It would explain his resolve against Provodnikov when most fighters would have looked for a way out. Agieri is a big believer in visualization exercises when preparing for a fight. He will visualize everything about what fight night will be like, the packing of his bags, the ring walk, and the action in the ring. The mind is more powerful than the body. Algieri’s mind believes he is supposed to be here, supposed to win, critics be dammed. When having to dig deep, the mind will not let him fail empowering the body to carry on.

Continue to underestimate Algieri by making the betting odds lopsided against him, think that sparring partners provide a more formidable challenge, and call him names like “The Long Island Long shot”. Algieri doesn’t care; he’s just here to fight for the love of the game. It’s his passion; he could simply walk away and pursue his goal of becoming a doctor but there will be time for that later, he has business to attend to and goals to attain. Don’t expect Algieri to be intimidated by facing Manny Pacquiao, his confidence is unwavering, his mindset unmatched, and his nutrition and conditioning at the highest of levels.

So, Algieri wasn’t supposed to beat Ruslan Provodnikov, now he’s not supposed to beat Pacquiao. What if? What if he beats Pacquiao and it is him not the Pacman who is rewarded with a Floyd Mayweather fight? Of course, he will not be expected to win that fight either, but what if……….. What an epic run that would be.

This article contributed to Behind The Gloves.

The Krusher Throws A Complete Game Shutout In AC

Sergey Kovalev ( 26-0-1, 23 KO) dominated Bernard Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KO) in Atlantic City tonight with scores of 120-107 X2 and 120-106 in route to a unanimous decision victory. Kovalev now owns the WBA, WBO, and IBF light heavyweight belts.

Kovalev knocked down Hopkins in the opening round with a crisp right hand to the side of the Alien’s head but Hopkins was able to recover quickly and make it a non issue. It did however, set the tone for the rest of the fight as Hopkins fought cautiously throughout.

Kovalev proved he could do more in the ring than just look for the knockout. He boxed brilliantly using a lot of feints to keep Hopkins off balance while going to the body and using excellent movement. “I wanted to show boxing fans how I could do boxing, and I did it” said Kovalev.

Of course he lived up to his reputation of being “The Krusher” by landing huge power shots on Hopkins. The veteran showed his mettle as he always does by taking the shots better than fighters half his age would or have done against Kovalev. This wasn’t lost on Kovalev as he stated, “I tried to knock him out but he has good defense, the best in my division”

When Hopkins was asked by HBO’s Max Kellerman how, at the age of 49, he was able to withstand Kovalev’s power, he replied, “Because I’m crazy, the fans want to see fights, they don’t want to see a guy running, I wanted to engage because he was engaging”

Kovalev was very disciplined in his approach. When he appeared to have stunned Hopkins on a few occasions, he didn’t get careless and start swinging wildly choosing to move back, evaluate the damage, reset, and continue to stick to the mission. Hopkins agreed, ” The better man was Kovalev, he had a good game plan, fought a great technical fight, used his reach and distance, has mechanics, has patience, every time he got hit by me, he stepped back and made me reset” “He traded punches with me on his terms”

A lot had been made about the age of Hopkins. At the age of 49 he was doing things in the sport that were unprecedented. He showed both ends of the spectrum in this one. While he landed and took some decent shots, he looked slow and overmatched as the older fighter.

Hopkins tried his best and has nothing to be ashamed of here. Even with a lopsided loss, his legacy is strengthened by the heart he exhibited against the best in the division.

All that awaits Kovalev now for a chance to unify the division entirely is a matchup with WBC champion Adonis Stevenson. Something that Superman hasn’t been overly excited about making happen. Maybe it has something too do with the Krusher’s kryptonite.

On the televised undercard bout, Brooklyn’s Sadam Ali boxed beautifully while landing perfectly timed power shots in route to stopping Carlos Abregu by TKO at 1:54 of round 9 in Atlantic City. From the opening bell, Ali used excellent lateral movement and quick combinations to consistently dominate Abregu round after round. Ali landed a perfect counter right cross to drop Abregu in the sixth round. Abregu never seemed to fully recover from the shot and looked weary as the rounds went on. In the ninth, Ali closed the show by knocking down Abregu and even though Abregu was able to get up, Ali unloaded on him causing the referee to jump in and stop the fight. No contreversy here, the right call was made. Abregu had been hurt since the sixth round and was outclassed.

The Lion King

Malik “King”Scott 37-2-1 13KO, defeated Alex “The Lionheart” Leapai 30-6-3 24 KO over in Queensland, Australia on Friday evening.

From the onset, Scott’s speed dominated the fight, along with some timely uppercuts. He turned Leapai into a one dimensional fighter who continued to look for one shot, mostly the overhand right.

Scott won a lopsided points decision with scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.

Great win for Scott coming off of the Deontay Wilder fight. I’d like to see Scott get a rematch with Dereck Chisora so he can avenge that loss which was an injustice.

Scott had vowed to retire had he lost. Glad he didn’t, we need entertaining cats like this in the game.

Welcome back Mr. Scott

4 Knockouts On Golden Boy’s Monster Brawl Card

This evening from Plymouth Memorial Hall in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Fox Sports 1 televised Golden Boy Promotion’s and Murphys’ Boxing “Monster Brawl” card. While there were brawls at times in each of the four televised fights, they were mostly one sided with a knockout ending each one.

In the main event, Massachusetts’ Danny O’Conner 24-2 8KO, dominated Virginia’s Andrew Farmer 18-3 7KO in route to a fourth round stoppage in this welterweight clash. O’Conner dominated from the opening bell by utilizing his quickness and excellent movement to counter the tall and lanky Farmer. In the second round, O’Conner stunned Farmer with a left causing him to take a knee. Farmer was back on his feet halfway through the count and finished the round. Farmer had his best round in the third but still was out worked. The fourth round started with both men landing which caused a cut on the right eye of O’Conner. Both men clashed heads which stunned Farmer more but the referee didnt see it. Seeing his opponent was dazed, O’Conner took this opportunity to jump on Farmer like shark who smells blood. O’Conner landed a huge shot to the body to drop Farmer who had had enough and sat on the canvas watching the referee count him out.

In the co-feature, Ugandan Sarif Bogere 26-1 scored a KO at 2:10 of the fifth round stopping Fernando Garcia who drops to 30-7-2 with the loss. Borege was simply too much landing body shots early and often to soften up Garcia while landing power shots to the head. Bogere dropped Garcia in the second round on a crisp left hook but Garcia was able to recover and actually land some decent shots to end the round but couldn’t sustain his effort.

Other results:

Jason Quigley knocked out Greg McCoy with a big left hook and right cross to end the fight at 2:39 of round 1.

Mark DeLuca stopped Ryan Davis by TKO when Davis didn’t come out for the fifth. DeLuca had dropped Davis in the first and third and destroyed his body throughout the four rounds which all took their toll on Davis..

Snippets On Arguably The Hottest Topics In The Sweet Science This Week.

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Thanks For Winning, Your Parting Gift Is Labeled GGG…..

This past weekend, the WBC’s #1 rated middleweight, Martin Murray, defeated Domenico Spada by seventh round technical decision. Spada’s right eye had been cut early in the fight by a Murray head butt and while the fight had been relatively close at the time of the stoppage, Murray was winning the fight.

So, what does Murray get for his troubles? A February 2015 date with Gennady Golovkin.

In Murray’s only loss, he did take Sergio Martinez the distance in a closer fight than most expected and even floored Martinez in his backyard of Argentina but Martinez was clearly not physically sound in that bout.

Oddly, Murray used tactics against Spada that would serve him well against Golovkin, like tying Spada up when he tried to get his power shots off and throwing a lot of jabs, problem is Murray doesn’t have power enough to keep Golovkin honest.

Heavy’s Are Heating Up

Finally we are going to get some answers about the future of the heavyweight division. It was announced that a fight between Deontay Wilder and Bermane Stiverne was near and may happen as early as January. What will happen when Wilder gets hit because he will get hit? How will Stiverne overcome the height and reach of Wilder to land his power shots and in doing so will he leave himself open for a counter? Yes, we are going to learn a lot in the near future.

Keep Telling Yourself And You May Just Believe It

First, Freddy Roach said that Chris Algieri is not in Manny Pacquiao’s class and that he has jumped too soon. Now, Roach claims that Pacman’s sparring partner Viktor Postol and others in the camp would be tougher fights than Algieri. Yes, I know, just Freddy being Freddy, but honestly, I expected more out of a Hall of Fame trainer. He should know talent when he sees it. Ironically, he probably does see it which is why he feels the need to play the mind games. He must see something in both camps that has him concerned. Seems like he is trying to convince his camp more than Algieri’s? Truth is, Algieri is a new breed of fighter, 2.0 as you will. A different approach to training, nutrition, and strategic thinking. Be careful Freddy…

It Could Happen

Old Man Strong-The Case For Bernard Hopkins

Just less than two weeks away before the Alien meets the Krusher. Look for Standing-8’s article on BHop posted later this week.

Bombs Away

Tommy Coyle knocked out Michael Katsidis on Saturday with a wicked left hook counter in the second round. Katsidis, always a warrior, tried gallantly to get to his feet but was visibly too hurt to continue casing the ref to wave off the fight. The win by Coyle will reportedly set up a fight against Luke Campbell, who also was victorious on an undercard bout.

Snippets On Arguably The Hottest Topics In The Sweet Science This Week

Step It Up GGG

So Gennady Golovkin did what we expected him to do, knock out Marco Antonio Rubio. Take nothing away from GGG but let’s face it, Rubio didn’t want to be here. He told us that when he stepped on the scale the day before the bout. He wasn’t even disciplined enough to make weight for the biggest fight of his career and at least give the impression he wanted to win a title? Hey, Golovkin is a beast but I have to see him do the same against a few legitimate threats before I start putting him in the same aura and rarefied air of Iron Mike like some others have been doing.

Flashes In The Pan

This past Saturday against the undefeated Nicholas Walters, Nonito Donaire showed us the old “Flash”, for the first two rounds; however, in the third round, he took a big uppercut and was visibly hurt. Although he had a few moments over the next few rounds, Donaire never seemed to fully recover. Cuts bleeding and his eyes swelling, Donaire took a solid shot to the temple toward the end of the sixth round that ended the fight. Donaire is a class act and always gracious in defeat but he hasn’t been the same since the Guillermo Rigondeaux fight. Yes, he had won two fights since the loss, one against an aging Vic Darchinyan and one that went to the scorecards after five rounds due to a Donaire cut but even in victory, he had not been the same. It was evident again that he was missing something against Walters. He’s been a gallant warrior but his best days may be in the past.

All Heart

Steve Cunningham fights with the weight of the world on his shoulders as he waits for the news that his daughter Kennedy will receive a heart transplant to fix a congenital heart defect. If you’ve ever been a parent, you know exactly how this would pull at your heartstrings and literally mess with your psyche. Steve carries on day by day and finds his refuge in the ring as he did this past Saturday when he took on a challenger that outweighed him by over 70 pounds, Natu Visina. Cunningham was able to use his speed and movement to outland the lumbering Visina in route to a seventh round stoppage. Steve may be the forgotten heavyweight in the division but his speed and movement may make for some interesting fights with the bigger names. Continued prayers that the Cunningham family phone rings immediately.

King Khan vs. Alexander The Great

It was announced that Amir Khan will face Devon Alexander on December 13 in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay. This is going to be a great fight folks. Physically both men are just about equal, one a southpaw one orthodox, both have speed, can box and have sneaky power. Most may make Khan the early favorite but I am not among that group.

SOG MIA, No Worries, The Lord Guides His Journey

While eating my breakfast this morning, I looked up and saw super middleweight champ Andre Ward looking me right in the eyes. “Missing” read the milk carton as the word disappointingly rang true. It’s been eleven months since we last saw this pound for pound great in the office and I couldn’t help but wonder if we will ever again see this amazing talent.

The Bay Area’s Ward (27-0 14 KO), epitomizes what the sweet science is all about. He’s a masterful technician who uses effortless footwork to switch angles while landing some of the most graceful combinations and counters you will ever see, a mostly impenetrable defense to defuse the threat, and when needed, underrated punching power to keep opponents honest.

You’d be hard pressed to find a fight out of his twenty-seven victories that was even close, but could probably make a case for the Carl Froch fight and even that is reaching. Pure dominance every time out. When the Super Six tournament was announced, Ward wasn’t in most conversations when the opening predictions were being discussed, but there was Ward, showcasing his skills and beating each fighter put in front of him like a video game player defeating a boss at each level while conquering the game.

Some called him boring? If you were one of (use airquotes here) “those people” you’re in need of remedial trainng STAT! Get your eyes checked, and go back to boxing school because if you think what Ward does is boring, you are missing every aspect of “sweet” and “science”.

So, where does this leave us at this point in our story? Ward last fought eleven months ago thoroughly dominating Edwin Rodriguez, and this after a 14 month layoff from shoulder surgery. Historically he doesn’t seem to be affected by layoffs but the clock is ticking here. For the purposes of this article, I’m not going to delve into the promotional squabbles affecting Ward even though it would be the elephant in the room as it relates to the recent inactivity. Appropriately enough though, I will take a moment here to say a prayer for the Goossen family and say rest in peace Dan, you will be missed.

A religious man as his nickname Son Of God (SOG) will attest to, Ward lets the Lord guide his journey so he is, without a doubt, exactly where he needs to be. It’s a shame that he has not been active and we need to see him back soon or we could be watching one of the most tragic wastes of talent that the sport has ever seen. Boxing is going to need a new breed of champion to take the torch in the next year and move the sport forward. Who better to do that than a fighter who has perfected his craft and has a different type of core values that leads his path?

As my eyes refocus, I realize that I was imagining things if only for a moment. My eyes move from the milk carton to the sport’s page which reads, ” And Still!!! Andre Ward returns to the ring with another dominating performance”

Welcome back champ, we’ve missed you.

RIP Dan Goossen

Long time boxing promoter Dan Goossen past away today due to complications with liver cancer, he was 65. Influential in the careers of so many like the Ruelas brothers, Gabriel and Rafael, Terry Norris, and most recently with Chris Arreola, and Andre Ward, he left his mark on the sport and will be missed. Thoughts and prayers to the family at this difficult time.

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