Mario Barrios vs. Devis Boschiero Fight Preview

By Stephen D. Donatelli

When I did the first edition of our new column, ‘Fresh Faces’ never did I think that Mario Barrios would be in a main event on National TV so quickly.  I recognized almost the same amount of talent in Junior Lightweight prospect Barrios as I did in rising welterweight star prospect, the undefeated, Errol Spence Jr.

Mario ‘The Golden Boy’ Barrios (15-0, 8koes) will take on former world title challenger Devis Boschiero (39-4-1. 21koes) in the 12-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN, Saturday, July 9th, from the Sun National Bank Center, in Trenton, New Jersey.

Barrios holds a respectable amateur record of 85-10, and won multiple state titles in Texas.  Barrios can expect the biggest test so far of his professional career when he faces the tough and grizzled veteran and former world title challenger Devis Boschiero.  An experienced fighter out of Veneto, Italy, Boschiero challenged for the WBC World Junior Lightweight title, held by Takahiro Ao, but was defeated on points, via a split decision.

Boschiero has won his last two contests by knockout, heading into this July 9th clash.  He was unbeaten in his first 34 fights, and brings the necessary experience to push the younger Barrios.

In preparation for the biggest fight so far of his young career ‘The Golden Boy’ moved his training camp from San Antonio, to Las Vegas.  On fighting his first 12 round main event, "This is what  I have worked my whole life for, to be fighting main events on national television.  I'm confident little, that I’ll be able to go through the duck.  My goad is to get the knockout, I really want to make a statement in this fight"  The tall and lanky Barrios, is not looking past the rugged Boschiero.

A win for Barrios ensures him an opportunity at the the IBF world Junior Lightweight title, held by Puerto Rico’s Jose Pedraza (22-0, 12 koes.)   When reporters asked Barrios about the current state of the division, he replied,  "It’s a very tough devision, loaded with a lot of great fighters.  I would say Lomachenko, Pedraza and Vargas, are the top dogs for now.  Salido is also up there.  Its one of the toughest divisions in boxing.  I’m hoping I acan become a champion in this division.  A victory against Boschiero puts me right there to challenge for the title.  I’m a hungry fighter and everyone will see that on July 9th."

Like I previously said about Marios, if he wants to live up to the nickname of  ‘The Golden Boy’ then these are the types of fights he must win with conviction.  Devis has never fought in the United States, but many people, including myself, don’t believe that will hinder the outcome of the bout.  The Italian would sure love to storm back to Italy after having beaten the fan favorite Barrios.  Victory for Boschiero would put him right back into the title picture.

Is this fight coming too soon for Barrios? After just 15 professional fights, is this the fight where he makes his move, and shows himself ready to challenge for a world title?  In any case, some questions will be answered on Saturday night, and something tells me that Mario Barrio is coming to prove a point.

Stephen  Donatelli is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and contributes to www.theboxingglove.com. If you would like to contact him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steved2012?fref=nf

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved.

The 2015 Boxing Glove Awards: Round of the year: Edwin Rodriguez KO 3 Michael Seals

The Boxing Glove Round Of The Year 2015
Edwin Rodriguez vs. Michael Seals
Round 1
November 13, 2015. Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi.

This 1st round of what was also The Boxing Gloves ‘Fight of The Year.’  It had everything that a classic round needs three knockdowns, with both fighters hitting the deck, and several changes in fortune, it was a great round and a major part of what was the fight of the year.

Watch the round:

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

The 2015 Boxing Glove Awards: Knockout of the Year: Vincente Ko 3 Dominguez

 

The Boxing Glove Knockout Of The Year 2015
Yenifel Vincente KO 3 Juan Dominguez
December 8, 2015, Sun National Bank Center, Trenton, New Jersey.

In a fight that pitted two Dominican Republic born 122-pound, super-bantamweight, fighters against each other, for the main event of this televised Premier Boxing Champions show, both these fighters had a lot on the line going into this fight.  Firstly, both fighters had been born in the Dominican Republic before settling in America, (Dominguez in Brooklyn, New York, and Vincente in Miami, Florida) so there was a lot of personal pride at stake between these two boxers. Dominguez went into the match unbeaten in 19 fights, with 13 koes, while Vincente entered the match with a 28(20koes)-3-2 record. 

The action was frenetic from the start, as both men bombarded each other with shots, Dominguez throwing straighter more deliberate punches, while Vincente threw his punches in more flashy clusters.  The 1st round ended about even, and the fighting continued at the same breathless pace in the 2nd round, with the only break in the action coming when Dominguez was warned twice by the referee for punches that were straying low.  Both times Vincente was given some time to rest and recuperate from the low punches. To be fair, Dominguez did not look like he was hitting low purposely, rather he was being over-anxious in his efforts to land his body shots.  At the end of the 2nd, there was still little in it, and much depended upon whose work you liked best, Dominguez’s more rangy punch-picking, or Vincente’s explosive combinations. 

The 3rd round started off just like the first two rounds, with both men taking turns to unload their shots, while looking for a crack in the armory of their opponent. That chink in the armor finally showed itself a little after 10 seconds of the rounds beginning, when a sudden, vicious, overhand right from Vincente that caught Dominguez flush on the jaw, just as he was throwing a punch of his own. Dominguez fell to the canvas face first, landing on his side, before toppling onto his back.  Dominguez was out cold before he even hit the deck, prompting referee Earl Brown to stop the fight instantly, without a count.  It was a spectacular, but scary knockout.  As Vincente jumped high into the air, and let out a victory cry, Dominguez lay unconscious, being attended to by his corner men and several medics.  After some minutes, Dominguez was taken from the ring on a stretcher as an elated yet concerned Vincente looked on.  Once more boxing’s power to be bitter sweet had been savagely displayed.  One mans triumph was another’s defeat.

Watch the fight:



Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

Erislandy Lara Defends Title Against Jan Zaveck: Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN

By Peter Silkov

Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 25, see’s Erislandy Lara (21-2-2) defending his WBA world light-middleweight championship against Jan Zaveck (35-3) at the Hialeah Park Race Track, in Hialeah, Florida.  The fight will be on Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on ESPN. It will be Lara’s second defence of the title that he won on December 12, 2014, with a point’s victory over Ishe Smith.  It is ironic that Lara should be defending his title just days after Saul Alvarez beat Miguel Cotto for the WBC world Middleweight championship.  18 months ago, Lara lost a highly debatable split decision to Alvarez, after a 12 rounds non-title fight in which many believe Lara gave the Mexican a thorough boxing lesson.  However, as is the way with boxing, following a brief explosion of controversy and debate about the split decision victory for Alvarez, the storm soon died down, and has been more or less forgotten about, very conveniently for Alvarez.

Although he has since picked up his world title, Lara’s success has been bittersweet.  While Alvarez has gone on to have high profile, big money fights with James Kirkland and Miguel Cotto since his scare against Lara, Erislandy meanwhile has struggled to gain attention and big fights, despite being a ’World champion.’  The problem for Erislandy is that, like his countryman Guillermo Rigondeaux, he may be too good for his own good.  Lara is an intelligent and slick boxer, with the kind of ability that doesn’t just beat opponents, but makes them look bad.  If there’s one thing most boxers hate even more than losing, it’s looking bad, especially if they’re losing at the same time.

Lara’s only other defeat came against Paul Williams on July 9, 2011, and was another point’s loss that many disputed.  Lara’s nickname is ’The American Dream’ but like his fellow Cuban defector Rigondeaux, Lara has found success in America to be a bittersweet affair.  He has won a world title, but like Rigondeaux, is struggling to secure opponents to defend it against. 

Lara’s challenger on Wednesday is Jan Zaveck, a good solid boxer, who is the former IBF world welterweight champion.  At 39 years old, Zaveck is past his prime, and is not what could be described as an ’exciting’ challenger for Lara.  This should be a straightforward defence for Lara, providing he is not taking Zaveck too lightly.  Yet, Lara’s sights are already set higher, he has stated that he would like to move up to middleweight and fight the dynamite-punching World middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.  There could even be a rematch with Alvarez, although that looks pretty remote.  Lara will be hoping to get past Zaveck with the minimum of fuss on Wednesday, with the hope that bigger challenges and bigger paydays are just round the corner for him.

Final press conference:




 Watch the fight:




Copyright © 2015 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com