Big Fight Report: Carl Frampton Comes Alive And Dethrones Leo Santa Cruz

 

Photo: Skysports

By Peter Silkov 

The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was witness last night, July 30, to one of the fights of the year, as challenger, Carl Frampton (23-0, 14koes), produced the performance of his career, to tear the WBA world featherweight championship away from Leo Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18koes.)  In a match that, for a change, lived up to all expectations, as Frampton proved to be the better all-round boxer, and was able to control the action more, especially in the early rounds.

Photo: Beacher Report

The fight started fast and kept up a good pace all the way throughout its 12 rounds. The key to Frampton’s victory was the balance that he was able to achieve, between using his superior boxing skills to frustrate and negate Santa Cruz, and his ability to stand and trade with Santa Cruz when he had to. Most telling was that Frampton was able to hurt the champion, staggering him in the 2nd round, after which Santa Cruz was always a little circumspect in his attacks. Frampton’s jab was also an important weapon in this match, as it allowed him to score points, and keep the defending champion from launching his usual non-stop attacks. The match featured a number of exciting exchanges, but Santa Cruz was unable to build up the kind of non-stop windmill attacks for which he is most known. Frampton’s intelligent use of the ring and his accurate and potent counter attacks saw him build up a clear lead in the first half of the fight. 

In the second half of the match, Santa Cruz, realizing that he was behind, stepped things up and tried to drag Frampton into the kind of toe-to-toe action that would suit him more. Frampton traded punches well and kept his boxing together to emerge a deserving winner.  The scores were 117-111, 116-112, and 114-114.  The Boxing Glove scored the fight 115-113.  After the fight, an unhappy Santa Cruz indicated that the pro-Frampton crowd had influenced the judges, and that he wanted a rematch in Los Angeles. This is certainly a fight that could be done again, whether it will be though is another thing entirely.  Frampton now will have a number of lucrative options for his future fights and is liable to take his time before jumping into a rematch with Santa Cruz.

Photo: The Guardian

For all the criticism that he has had (deservedly so) leveled at him due to his avoidance of Guillermo Rigondeaux, and his performances in his last two fights, Frampton performed brilliantly last night, showing guts, strength, and skill.  Santa Cruz, on the other hand, showed why he is a good fighter rather than a great fighter, as he was exposed as being one-dimensional at times against the Irishman.

Certainly this was a career-best performance so far from Frampton, and indicated that the extra weight at featherweight may well make him a better fighter, than he was at super-bantamweight.  Watching Frampton’s performance, it become even more disappointing that he has been steered away from a match with Gullermo Rigondeaux.

It is hard not to feel sympathy for the exiled Cuban, who has spent the past couple of years searching for fights, while fighters whom he is very capable of beating, fight each other instead of him, for purses he is probably still dreaming about.
Yes boxing is a business, a very cruel business.  The biggest loser of last night’s fight was neither of the two boxers in the ring.

Photo: belfastlive.co.uk

With this win, Frampton annexed the same WBA world featherweight championship that was won by his manager and mentor, Barry McGuigan, back in 1985. After Frampton had been declared the winner, McGuigan, who had been an emotional spectator of the fight at ringside, was finally overcome, and in tears. After the let down of the Quigg match, this was finally a fight and a performance to be proud of ,and one which is likely to make Frampton an international star.

On the under card of the Santa Cruz vs. Frampton showdown, Mikey Garcia (35-0, 27koes) made his long awaited return to the ring, after being sidelined for over two and a half years, by a bitter legal dispute with his former promoters, Top Rank.

Photo; Edward Diller/DiBella Entertainment

Garcia stopped former world champion Elio Rojas (24-3, 14koes) in the 5th round.  After a slow start in the first 2 rounds, Garcia started connecting, and showed that his punching-power had no rust on it whatsoever. Rojas was floored heavily twice in the 3rd round, and then again in the 5th, as it was clear that he just could not take Garcia’s power and strength. The referee wisely stopped the contest after the 4th knockdown with Rojas having regained his feet, but indicating that he’d had enough.

In one of the performances of the night, Philadelphian, Tevin Farmer (21-4-1, 5koes), gave favourite Ivan Redkach (19-1-1, 15koes) a 10 rounds boxing lesson, winning 99-89, 98-92, 98-92.  Farmer only started boxing at the age of 19 and turned professional at the age of 21 in 2011. He lost 4 of his first 12 fights (with one draw and 7 wins), but instead of taking the road of becoming a journeyman, he has now won his last 15 contests in a row. His win over Redkach has shown he is a genuine world class talent.  Farmer’s victory was even more impressive given that he usually fights at junior lightweight.  This is definitely a boxer to keep an eye upon.

Paulie Malignaggi (35-7, 7koes) scored a 96-94, 98-92 and 98-90 10 rounds point’s win over Gabriel Bracero (24-2, 5koes.)

Northern Ireland middleweight, Conrad Cummings (10-0-1, 4koes), won an entertaining, and sometimes bad tempered, 6-rounds brawl with the game, Dante Moore (9-2-2, 4koes).  Moore, from Cleveland Ohio, is one of those fighters who looks as if he could do more than just be a semi-journeyman, while Cummings is strong and entertaining, but will have limited progress unless he works on his defence.



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

Daniel Jacobs Vs. Peter Quillin: The Miracle Man Takes On Kid Chocolate at Barclays Center

 By Peter Silkov

Daniel Jacobs (30-1, 27koes) defends his WBA world middleweight title against Peter Quillin (32-0-1, 23koes) on Saturday night, in a fight that fans are hoping is a early step towards the middleweight division gaining a unified world champion.  The situation with the world middleweight titles is confusing to say the least.  Jacobs is the ‘Regular’ WBA world middleweight champion, while Gennady Golovkin is the ‘Super’ WBA world middleweight champion (in addition to being the IBF title holder.)  Then you have Saul Alvarez who holds the WBC middleweight title. His future opponents have not been addressed, whether he will face Golovkin, or what weight he will be allowed to fight, is still a mystery. Most people view Golovkin as the world number 1 at middleweight already, but an official unified title with all the belts remains Golovkin’s goal.  

Both Jacobs and Quillin have so far kept away from any path that would lead them to a fight with the GGG man. The winner on Saturday night will have the option of finally going ahead and taking part in a series of fights, which will conclude with an undisputed World middleweight champion. There are already plans for whoever wins Saturday’s fight to take on the winner of the upcoming clash between Andy Lee and Billy Joe Saunders, on December 12, for Lee’s WBO world title. Before that will happen, Jacobs and Quillin have to sort out their differences on Saturday night, December 5, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Aside from the question of the world ‘title,’ which Jacobs is defending, this is a genuinely even contest between two well-matched middleweights, who may well deliver one of 2015’s better fights.  Quillin and Jacobs are evenly matched in height and age, and have similar boxer-puncher styles. They also both reside in Brooklyn, New York, although Quillin originally hails from Chicago.  One of the biggest differences between the two boxers is experience, while it is Jacobs who is the defending title holder, Quillin, who formerly held the WBO title before vacating it, has fought at the higher level.  Having already faced fighters such as Antwun Echols, Roland Wright, Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam, Gabriel Rosado, and Andy Lee, with his only career blemish coming with a draw against Lee in April this year.

Jacobs’s biggest test so far has come against Sergio Mora in his most recent contest.  Unfortunately that fight was cut short in the 2nd round, when Mora was unable to continue due to an injured ankle, but not before both men had hit the deck in the 1st round.

This is one of the reasons why this fight has the makings of a good scrap, both Jacobs and Quillin have been floored in previous fights.  Quillin, most recently in his fight against Lee.  With each man possessing a dangerous punch, this is a fight that could break out into a slugfest. With the recent big middleweight match-ups of Gennady Golovkin vs David Lemieux and Miguel Cotto vs Saul Alvarez falling short as competitive attractions, fans will be hoping that in the case of Jacobs vs Quillin, the fight will surpass its rather muted build up.  This is one of those fights which could end early or go into the later rounds. Both fighters are likely to start off using their boxing skills, before going for the power punches. We may see a chess match for a couple of rounds before things get really interesting.

Daniel Jacobs has a compelling life story after recovering from cancer and winning his WBA middleweight title, but the odds seem to be against him this Saturday.  This is certainly a fight that either man can win, but with both men so well matched, Quillin’s extra experience against higher quality opposition is likely to be a crucial advantage.

The Boxing Glove’s pick for this fight is a Quillin win either by points, or a late KO.

Also sharing the bill with Jacobs and Quillin are featherweights Jesus Cuellar (27-1) and Jonathan Oquendo (26-4) who will be fighting for Cuellar’s WBA World Featherweight title.  This is another evenly matched fight, which might steal the show.

The under card to Jacobs vs Quillin, has some interesting fights, including the returns to the ring of former world champions, Chris Algieri (20-2) and Yuri Foreman (32-2.) Algieri, having his first contest since his competitive defeat at the hands of Amir Khan, takes on Eric Bone (16-2) at welterweight, while Yuri Foreman returns to the ring after a two year absence, against Lenwood Dozier (9-9-1.) 

Watch the weigh-ins and face-offs here:



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

Rocky Graziano in New York City: 1954

Rocky Graziano: Hey, Ma, your bad boy did good!

By Peter Silkov

Rocky Graziano’s life story is the classic tale of a bad boy who makes good through boxing. Born Rocco Barbella in New York, on January 1, 1922, Graziano was a tearaway as a youngster and in constant trouble with the Police. He seemingly was on the road to a life of crime and jail, until he discovered that his inner anger and fire could be used successfully inside a boxing ring. After a short amateur career, Graziano turned professional in 1942. There was nothing subtle about Graziano’s fighting style, he was an embodiment of what any fighter named ‘Rocky’ is expected be; a crude and savage brawler with a huge heart and a knockout punch in each fist.

Graziano quickly became a huge favourite with the fans in the mid-1940s. When the World middleweight champion Tony Zale returned from duty in WW2, a contest between him and the division’s newest sensation, Graziano, was a natural. 
In all, the two men fought three times in what has been celebrated as one of boxing’s greatest ever rivalries. The first two fights between Graziano and Zale are considered two of the greatest and most savage title contests of modern times. In their first meeting on September 27, 1946,  Graziano rose from a 1st round knockdown, to floor Zale in the 2nd, and then savagely pummel him over the next few round before being overwhelmed in the 6th round by a vicious right to the body, and left hook to the jaw. 

The rematch took place ten months later on July 16, 1947, this time, it was Zale who had the upper hand early on, flooring Graziano in the 3rd, and looking at times to be only a punch or two from victory, only to be overcome by a desperate fight back from Graziano.  Despite being badly punished by Zale, with a bloody left eye, and a closing right eye, Graziano threw everything that he had left at Zale in the 5th and 6th rounds, in an astonishingly brutal and relentless attack, that ended with Zale draped exhausted and battered, through the middle ropes in the 6th round. At that point, the referee waved the fight off and declared Rocky Graziano the new World middleweight champion.  Graziano’s first words after his spectacular victory were ‘Mama, the bad boy done it!’

Rocky made the first defence of his Middleweight world championship 11 months later, on June 10, 1948, in what was his 3rd and last fight with Tony Zale. This time, it was more straightforward, as Zale overwhelmed Graziano from the start, flooring him in the first and then again in the third, before finally knocking out Rocky in the 3rd round, and regaining the middleweight crown from Graziano.

After losing his world title, Rocky came back with a string of twenty wins and one draw over the next four years, including exciting victories over Charlie Fusari, Gene Burton, and two wins and a draw over fellow crowd favourite Tony Janiro.  On April 16, 1952, Graziano tried to regain the World middleweight title against the great Sugar Ray Robinson, but after scoring a brief knockdown of Robinson, Graziano was then put down fro the full count in the 3rd round.

Rocky had one more fight after this, being out-pointed by the clever, but light fisted Chuck Davey. Graziano retired in 1952 with a final record of 67(52koes)-10-6.
In his retirement Graziano became a popular TV personality, actor, and his life story was made into a film starring Paul Newman.  As he often liked to say… somebody up there liked him.