Tag: Boxcino

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

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Where Were You?
Due to the importance of “the fight” for the annuals of the sport and the build up of the past several years it will be one of those “where were you moments” when recalling your exact location when the Mayweather Pacquiao announcement was made. Mayweather Pacquiao, May 2, MGM Grand Las Vegas. The journey was long but we will now finally see arguably the two best fighters of their generation square off.

Agreed, this fight should ideally have been made years ago but it wasn’t so get over it. This is boxing and if history has taught us anything it’s that things don’t always happen as they should. The alternative would have been that the fight was never made and then what, listen to decades of debate?  No thanks, this is good for the sport and for the legacy of both fighters. You still have the top P4P fighter in the game facing a top three P4P fighter.

Standing-8 was in Las Vegas.

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Gennady Golovkin (32-0 29 KO) was relentless in his 11th Round TKO defeat of Martin Murray (29-2-1 12 KO) in Monte Carlo on Saturday night. GGG bloodied and bruised Murray while dropping him three times in route to the stoppage at 2:10 of the eleventh.

From the opening bell, Golovkin did what he does best, attack, attack, attack. Golovkin cut off the ring and swarmed Murray. Using precise, accurate, and economical punches, Golovkin systematically broke Murray down throughout the fight by landing hooks to the body (some of which dropped Martin), and combinations to the head which included a few timely uppercuts.

Murray is one tough dude with a hell of a beard. He was game throughout the fight, and won a few rounds while having plenty of moments throughout the fight. Murray was able to land overhand rights on Golovkin and work his body but could not do so with any type of consistency due to Golovkin’s constant pressure.Murray landed some very sharp hard punches on Golovkin but simply could not hurt him.

It’s hard to find a negative after such a dominating performance but Golovkin’s defense was a bit porous. Going forward it may pose a problem against a heavy-handed opponent or a boxer/puncher.

Nonetheless, Golovkin looked amazing and upped his consecutive knockout streak to 19.

Boxcino- Time for the Bigs
The Boxcino heavyweight quarterfinals got underway this past Friday night, here is a recap of the tournament openers=

Donovan Dennis 11-1 (9 KO) vs. Steve Vukosa 10-1 (4KO)

Dennis knocked Vukosa down in the third and although Vukosa was able to make it to the bell, he was stopped in the fourth. Dennis dominated all aspects of the fight prior to the stoppage.

Dennis, the Davenport, Iowa native is probably the best pure boxer of the bunch with the quickest hands however he will need to tighten his defense up a bit as he has shown that he can be hit.

Said Dennis, “I took what I could get. I was patient. I was disappointed they stopped it. I had more to show. I’m just looking to get better.”

Dennis will now face the 6’7 Romanian Razvan Cojanu in the semi-finals because…….

Razvan Cojanu 13-1 (7 KO) vs. Ed Fountain 10-1 (4 KO)

Cojanu had his hands full against the undersized and less experienced Fountain. So much in fact that their fight was called a draw after six rounds causing the two combatants to have to fight a seventh and deciding round. Fountain had a chance here but was fatigued which allowed Cojanu to lean on him and do enough to win the round and as a result, the fight.

Cojanu said afterward, “I couldn’t see anything. I was fighting with one eye. Buddy (McGirt) told me to jab and it worked”

Countered Fountain, ” I fought hard, The ref didn’t help. I’ll see Cojanu again after the tournament.”
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Andrey Fedosov 26-3 ( 21 KO ) vs. Nate Heaven 9-2 (7 KO)

Fedosov was dominating in his first round destruction of Heaven. Fedosov dropped Heaven with a left hook and although Heaven was able to get to his feet, he was hit by another left hook and stopped.

“Everything went to plan. Shorten the distance and use my power. That’s what happened.” Said Fedosov

Fedosov is undersized but his opponents should beware, Fedosov could be the sleeper in the tournament.

Fedosov will now face Lenroy Thomas because….

Jason Estrada 20-5 (6 KO) vs.  Lenroy Thomas 18-3 (9 KO)

Estrada and Thomas fought a pretty close fight, so close that they had to go to a seventh round tie breaker. Thomas did enough in the deciding round to take the victory but it really shouldn’t have come to that as he had controlled the fight with his height and reach and exposed Estrada as the last-minute replacement that he was.

Back To The Future

Al Haymon continued his old school approach inking PBC with CBS. (See article below)

Remember The Alamo

Canelo Alvarez had threatened to challenge Mayweather’s May 2 date but since “the fight” was made, he moved his fight against James Kirkland a week later to May 9 from the Alamodome in San Antonio.

And Then There Were Four, Boxcino Junior Middleweight Bracket Opens In Uncasville, Connecticut

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The opening quarterfinal bouts of the Boxcino junior middleweight eight man bracket got underway on Friday night from the Mohegan Sun Resort in Uncasville, Connecticut on ESPN Friday Night Fights. A 2014 middleweight Boxcino finalist made a statement to the field and a last minute replacement busted a few brackets.

In the main event, 2014 Boxcino middleweight tourney runner up, Brandon Adams 16-1 (11 KO) knocked out Alex Perez 18-2 (10 KO) with a beautifully timed right hand at 2:47 of the fifth round.

The heavily muscled Adams looked every bit “The Cannon” from the opening bell. Adams was slick and quick landing left hooks and right crosses with bad intentions. Adams would trap Perez on the ropes and swing away. Perez would counter occasionally but Adams wore Perez down round after round with strong power and pressure.

There were a few moments in the fight where Perez would keep Adams at the end of his his jab and control portions of the rounds but Adam’s relentlessness was too much.

After the fight, Adams spoke on how he felt at 154, “I felt great man, every round that went by I was feeling like it was almost the first, to be honest”

His next opponent due to the bracket seeding will be Vito Gasparyan whom Adams knows well,  “He got me started when I first turned professional, I was on my way turning pro and he was one of the veteran professionals who helped me get going and taught me a lot”

I’m looking forward to fighting him to show him how much I have advanced and to see how much he advanced as well”

Gasparyan 15-3-5 (8 KO) defeated Simeon Hardy 13-1 (10 KO) by unanimous decision with scores of 60-54, 59-55 58-56.

Hardy began the fight using his size and jab, doubling up his left hook, and making Gasparyan’s three year layoff seem obvious; however, Hardy did not sustain this effort.

About half way into the second round, Gasparyan became more active and began landing left hooks to the head and working the body. Over the next few rounds, Hardy had some moments but Gasparyan was simply more aggressive, accurate, and began walking Hardy down capturing the second half of the fight on his way to victory.

Ricardo Pinell 10-2-1 (6KO) thought he would be fighting fellow southpaw Cleotis Pendarvis 17-4-2 (6 KO), a smaller fighter with whom he had sparred with in the past but Pendarvis failed to make weight opening the door for replacement John Thompson (15-1 5 KO).

Thompson defeated Pinell by unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the fight the same, 60-54.

Although the “Apollo Kid” had not fought for thirteen months, he was the quicker fighter. Thompson utilized a snapping left jab with combination punching and applied constant pressure while landing the more effective punches.

Thompson was landing left hooks, straight rights, sneaky uppercuts, and committed to the body. Pinell failed to cut off the ring and he looked like the fighter who had a year layoff rather than the one who had fought four times in 2014.

For a guy who wasn’t in the tournament a few days ago, Thompson looks like a serious contender for the Boxcino crown.

In the opening bout, Stanyslav Skorohod 9-0 (7 KO) stopped Michael Moore 13-1 (6 KO) by technical knockout at 1:03 of the fourth.

After a good opening feel out round that saw both fighters landing and exhibiting good quickness and snapping jabs, Skorohod landed a left hook early in round two that set the tone for the entire round and the fight.

30 seconds into round three, Skorohod dropped Moore with a quick chopping right hand. Moore was up quickly and for the remainder of the round, Skorohod landed several additional right hands but Moore showed toughness and threw back even catching Skorohod with some nice shots of his own albeit, not enough to slow the Ukrainian.

A few left hooks by Skorohod dazed Moore to start the fourth and about forty seconds in, Skorohod landed another big right dropping Moore.  Moore was up and allowed to continue as referee Mike Ortega looked on. Skorohod landed a big straight right that visibly rocked Moore as he looked out of it causing Ortega to jump in and stop the fight. No problem here with the stoppage, Moore needed to be protected from himself. He was game but overmatched.

The “Nuclear Ghost” showed a quick jab, nice left hook, strategically timed right hands, and although he could have went to the body a bit more, did some good work there as well.

So the junior middle semifinals are set, Adams v. Gasparyan and Thompson v. Skorohod.

Get ready for the Boxcino heavies. Quarter finals begin next Friday the 20th.

BOXCINO Is Back!! Junior Middles Bracket Kicks Off This Friday On ESPN2’s FNF

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The highly popular Boxcino tournaments are back in 2015 starting this week on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights with a junior middleweight eight man bracket on tap from the Mohegan Sun Resort in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The opening quarterfinal bouts start this Friday the 13th and are all set for six rounds or less.The semifinals are scheduled for eight rounds on April 3rd with the final on May 22 scheduled for ten rounds.

These tournaments present opportunities for up and coming and next-gen fighters to showcase their talents on a platform that can ignite their career. The 2014 Boxcino tournament catapulted Willie Monroe Jr. (middleweight tournament champion) and Petr Petrov (lightweight tournament champion) into the spotlight with them both rated in the top three of at least one governing body.

Banner Promotions’ CEO Artie Pelullo is putting on the tourney with Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports (CES).

“Last year’s tournaments were very successful and we look forward to having the first round of junior middleweights at Mohegan Sun. There have been many classic fights at the Mohegan Sun and on Feb. 13, we plan on adding to the great tradition” said Pelullo

Said Burchfield of Pelullo and the Boxcino Tournament, “Artie is a dear friend of mine and a true gentlemen in the sport of boxing, few promoters work harder or go to such great lengths to nurture and develop talent from all over the world.  In an era where the entertainment dollar is stretched thin and fighters are ducking challenges left and right, Artie remains old school building his foundation through hard fought, competitive fights that give the ticket buyers tremendous value for every dollar they spend.”

“What he has done in such tumultuous times for our sport is remarkable and it’s an incredible thrill to be working alongside him on what will be an epic event February 13. You will see the best of both worlds- boxing’s marquee talent along with the rising stars of the northeast. No one knows this market better than Banner Promotions and CES Boxing. This will be a must see event”

Here is a snapshot of the opening matchups-

Brandon Adams 15-1 (10 KO) vs. Alex Perez 18-1 (10 KO)

Los Angeles’ Adams will enter the ring on the strength of a 2nd round TKO over Lekan Byfield in January but more importantly on the experience he gained from the Boxcino middleweight tourney of 2014. Although Adams lost to to Monroe Jr. by unanimous decision, he has the edge in knowing what challenges the tournament posses and how to sustain effort through to the finals. Adams is dropping down in weight entering the bracket this time around but doesn’t seemed concerned and appears ready to go.

“Camp is good, better than I anticipated. I am still in shape from my last fight. Going down in weight is going real well. Better than anybody expected. I think Alex is coming to fight and so am I. I hope he is looking to wow the fans because I will.” said Adams

Newark’s Perez comes in on a two fight win streak having fought only once in 2014 and 2013, a TKO and UD respectively. Perez is a southpaw like Monroe Jr. so although he may not be as polished or posses the skill set, he will be the bigger man and may be able to create problems for Adams in this matchup if Adams is not able to adapt to his style.

Said Perez,  “Everything is smooth. I am just focused on Brandon Adams and February 13 when everything will come together.”

Pro Rounds- Perez 88 , Adams 62.

Cleotis Pendarvis 17-4-2 (6 KO) vs. Ricardo Pinell 10-1-1 (6KO)

***Update 2/12- Pendarvis 3 lbs overweight and is out of the tourney, John Thompson is the replacement.****

A matchup of southpaws, one more experienced, one with a size advantage who have knuckled up before, albeit only in a sparring session.

Pendarvis, a Los Angeles native, has been inactive of late not having fought since May of 2013 when he was stopped by Dierry Jean in the fourth round of an IBF title eliminator. While he will be the smaller man in the ring, he does have more experience and has faced the better opposition such as Jean and the tough as nails Mauricio Herrera who Pendarvis took the eight round distance losing by unanimous decision back in 2009.

Pendarvis feels he has the advantage stating, “Training camp is going well. We are just toning it down and getting ready for action. Pinell is a pretty decent fighter but he is in over his head in this fight.”

San Francisco’s Pinell fought four times in 2014 with three wins by unanimous decision and one coming by way of knockout. Overall, Pinell comes in riding a five fight win streak and will be the bigger man in the ring as well as the more active one.

“Training is going good. I have been awake extra early and am the first person in the gym and the last to leave. I have been grinding. Cleotis is a southpaw as well. We were both in camp with Amir Khan. We both sparred him and at the end of the day we sparred each other. I got to have a little look at him. He is slick and has experience and is pretty crafty. ”

John Thompson (14-1 5 KO) has not fought since January of 2014 when he was handed his first loss being KO’d by Frank Galarza in the second round. At just over 6′ he will match up a bit better in size than Pendarvis but the inactivity may hurt him against the active Pinell. 

Pro Rounds- Pendarvis- 126, Pinell-43.  Thompson- 64

Stanyslav Skorohod 8-0 (6 KO) vs. Michael Moore 13-0 (6 KO)

Ukrainian Skorohod fought twice in 2014 winning both by stoppage. This will only be Skorohod’s second fight outside of the Ukraine; however, he is in some pretty solid company while preparing for this bout and is confident in his chances.

“Training is going very well. I am getting very good sparring at the Wild Card Gym and am improving a lot with my new trainers and team in Los Angeles. Michael Moore is a good boxer but I don’t think he will be able to deal with my power.” said Skorohod

Moore of Cleveland, Ohio hasn’t fought since October of 2013 but in spite of the layoff, he believes he not only is ready for this fight but could become a bracket buster.

“Things have been great as far as training. We have had some great sparring with Demetrius Andrade and Edwin Rodriguez. There is no reason why we should not win Boxcino. We just hope my opponent is ready and game to put on a good show. This is his second bout in the United States but now he is going up against quality opposition.”

Pro Rounds- Moore 52, Skorohod  27.

Vito Gasparyan 14-3-5 (8 KO) vs. Simeon Hardy 13-0  (10 KO)

Gasparyan of Armenia now living in Glendale, CA., hasn’t fought since 2012 when he lost by unanimous decision to Jessie Vargas (current WBA world super lightweight champion). Another notable loss on his resume was Jermell Charlo (current WBC Continental America’s Champion) by unanimous decision in 2009. Gasparyan is eager to return to the ring after a long layoff.

“Everything is perfect. I have the best sparring partners. I can’t wait for the fight. I haven’t seen much of Hardy. I do know he is from Guyana. I have boxed taller guys and they are top level. I am experienced enough to handle anything he can bring.”

Hardy, a Guyana born Brooklynite, fought three times in 2014 and won all three by stoppage. He will be the taller man in the ring and none of his first three fights in the US have gone to the judges cards. Gasparyan will be the more experienced fighter but Hardy does not seem concerned.

“Everything is great. I am in great shape. I just hope he comes in great shape and we fight like true sportsmen because I will be ready to fight and win.

Pro Rounds- Gasparyan 90, Hardy, 55.

Banner Promotions is making the tournament fan friendly and interactive introducing “The 2015 Boxcino Brackets Challenge Contest”. It’s March Madness for the boxing throng alike. The Grand Prize is an all expenses paid trip to the Boxcino finals. Go to Banner-Promotions.com for more details.

The Boxcino junior middleweight tournament is just the start, a heavyweight tournament starts a week later on February 20 from the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York. A report on the heavies will be posted on Standing-8 soon.

Boxcino- competitive matchups, hungry fighters, and non-stop action, what’s not to love?

**Quotes from Boxcino Press Release and Banner-Promotions.com**