JULY 2025
The Ring Magazine - The Bible Of Boxing, July 2025 • Volume 102, No. 8
Jeddah Historic District - AlBalad
Sindalah, NEOM
42
Where two worlds make one
DEPARTMENTS 4 OPENING SHOTS
42 DOUBLEJEOPARDY NAOYA INOUE IS ALREADY DESTINED FOR THE HALL OF FAME, BUT HIS MOST THRILLING CHALLENGES MAY BE YET TO COME By Tom Gray 50 A NEW BRITISH BREW A FUTURE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN ADAM AZIM AND DALTON SMITH COULD HAVE THE INGREDIENTS FOR A PERFECT STORM By Adam Smith 56 LA DOLCE VITA NINO BENVENUTI’S CHARMED CAREER BROUGHT HIM OLYMPIC GOLD, MULTIPLE WORLD TITLES AND THE LOVE OF A NATION By Lee Groves 60 FLOAT LIKE A BEE SOME SEE RICHARD TORREZ JR. AS THE “AMERICAN HOPE” IN THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION, BUT HIS MOTIVATIONS ARE MORE PERSONAL By Thomas Gerbasi
66 EYE TO EYE THE PRE-FIGHT STAREDOWN HAS LONG BEEN A FAVORITE TACTIC FOR FIGHTERS LOOKING TO GAIN AN EDGE By Don Stradley 72 THE BOBCAT THE STORY OF LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION BOB MONTGOMERY IS A TOUR THROUGH A GOLDEN AGE IN BOXING By Nigel Collins
9 RINGSIDE By Doug Fischer 15 BERNSTEIN ON BOXING By Al Bernstein 19 STEVE’S SOAP BOX By Steve Kim 22 MY FIRST TIME By Lennox Lewis and Anson Wainwright 26 BY THE NUMBERS By Don Stradley 28 HOW TO WATCH BOXING By Adam Abramowitz 33 RING RATINGS 85 FUNDAMENTALS By Ruth Raper 88 FIGHT DOCTOR By Dr. Margaret Goodman 90 THE FACE OF BOXING By Wojtek Urbanek and Thomas Hauser 92 COMMISSIONER’S CORNER By Randy Gordon 94 FINISHING SHOTS 96 FIGHTLINE
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80 A TRIP TO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT HELL CELEBRATING THE 45TH
ANNIVERSARY OF MATTHEW SAAD MUHAMMAD VS. YAQUI LOPEZ, THE 1980 FIGHT OF THE YEAR By Randy Gordon
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Cover Illustration by Oliver Barrett
But this wasn’t a sudden leap. Long before the bright lights of EWC, Saudi’s gaming story was already unfolding. In the 1970s and 80s, consoles like Atari lit up living rooms. Informal markets made games widely accessible, often for just a few dollars, turning gaming into a shared social language. The early years also sparked game localization and development, revealing a clear appetite for culturally relevant content. As internet access grew, cybercafes became gathering grounds for Saudi youth—spaces where communities formed, reflexes were tested, and rivalries took shape. The 2000s marked a turning point. Saudi was entering the digital age, and digital enablers like stc group were laying the groundwork. Our rollout of essential infrastructure including DSL broadband around 2003, sparked the rise of internet gaming cafes—spaces where young Saudis came to belong, compete, and grow. These early proving grounds evolved into a national movement, setting the stage for today’s esports champions. The scale is staggering. According to PwC, Saudi Arabia is home to an estimated 23.5 million gamers - around 67% of the population This surge is powered by a youthful majority nearly 89% under 35, driven by a hunger for competition and immersive play. At the heart of this scene? Fighting games. The digital dojos of titles like Street Fighter and Tekken—have long held a special place in Saudi gaming culture. They are more than button-mashers. They require discipline, strategy, and sharp reflexes—traits every boxing fan respects. Intense one-on-one battles and local rivalries were the early training ground. Today, with EWC spotlighting Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, and Fatal Fury, that legacy has found a global stage, powered by stc group’s world-class connectivity. The rise of Saudi esports is not the start of something new. It is the echo of years spent playing, learning, and dreaming in arcades, cafés, and living rooms. Backed by Vision 2030, the sector is set to generate over US$13.3 billion and create 39,000 local jobs, with national investments already exceeding US$38 billion. This is a culmination, not a beginning. And with stc group powering the next era of play, the world now sees what has always existed here: a fighting spirit built to compete.
From Local Arcades to the World Stage: Saudi’s Fighting Spirit Shines Bright at the Esports World Cup The lights beat down. The crowd’s roar is a physical force. On stage, two figures are locked in intense concentration. Every movement is precise. Every second counts. The difference between triumph and defeat? Precision, nerve, and a world-class network. Listen closely. There’s no bell. No footwork. Just the rapid click of buttons and the glide of a thumb stick. This isn’t your traditional ring; this is the electrifying arena of competitive Street Fighter at the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Saudi Arabia. Powered by stc group, this first-of-its-kind global gaming event is rewriting the playbook and showing that precision, discipline, and heart matter just as much in digital arenas as they do in the ring. The Kingdom’s investment in gaming is anything but recent. In 2024, the Esports World Cup stormed onto the global stage, raising the bar for digital connectivity and competitive play. Hosted in Riyadh, the inaugural tournament put up serious numbers: over 500 million viewers tuned in, watching over 250 million hours of content, making it the most-watched esports tournament of the year, with peak viewership hitting 3.5 million. Behind that scale was stc group, an Elite and Founding Partner, powering the tournament’s digital core. Our infrastructure, built for champions, featured high- performance servers for lag-free action, a 5G network that kept thousands of players online at blistering speeds, and systems engineered to crush latency. Because in esports, just like in the ring, milliseconds make champions. A dedicated stc crew worked round- the-clock, like a seasoned corner team, ensuring every connection held. At the heart of it all was the stc play Gaming Hall, transformed into a global arena hosting over 1,500 top players from more than 100 countries.
OPENING SHOTS Former WBC middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo (right) returned to action with a sixth-round stoppage victory over Thomas LaManna in Las Vegas. The 35-year-old Charlo, now campaigning at super middleweight, is looking for a big fight to close out 2025.
4 RINGMAGAZINE.COM
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RINGSIDE By Doug Fischer RANDOM THOUGHTS
July 2025 Volume 102, No. 8
Founder Nathaniel Fleischer (1888-1972) Owner His Excellency Turki Alalshikh
Editor-in-Chief Douglass Fischer Managing Editor Tom Gray Senior Editor Brian Harty Creative Director Lamar Clark Controller Deborah L. Harrison
B y the time this issue is on sale, Manny Pacquiao’s July 19 ring return against WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios will have just taken place in Las Vegas. I didn’t like the news of Pacquiao coming back against Barrios or that the WBC and Nevada State Athletic Commission sanctioned the fight. I didn’t attend the June 3 press conference in Los Angeles, and as of this writing (early June), I don’t plan on watching the fight live. If the 46-year-old legend turns the clock back once more and upsets the 30-year-old defending beltholder, I will gladly watch it after the fact. However, if Pacquiao succumbs to Father Time, as he seemingly did in his last fight – a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas nearly four years ago – well, let me put it this way: I’ve never seen Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes or Trevor Berbick, or Sugar Ray Leonard’s bouts against Terry Norris and Hector Camacho, or Roberto Duran’s outings against Pat Lawlor, William Joppy and Camacho. I don’t think I need to explain why.
Manny Pacquiao, 46, is giving away 16 years to WBC titleholder Mario Barrios.
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The subject of boxers being overpaid and losing their ambition was a hot topic in the wake of the lackluster performances put forth by Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Canelo Alvarez on May 2 and 3. Tim Bradley, who made healthy seven-figure purses vs. fellow Hall of Famers Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, recently sounded off on what he views as complacency among a pampered generation of boxers. “You want to get the most money possible, I understand that, but when you’re overpaying these guys and they’re not earning it, that’s different,” Bradley said during a guest spot on The 3 Knockdown Rule podcast. “A lot of these guys ain’t worth the money that they’re being paid. They haven’t worked their way up to get to that money. That’s the problem. You’re
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THE RING (ISSN: 0035-5410) July 2025, is published 12 times per year by The Ring Magazine FZ, LLC P.O. Box 90254 Brooklyn, NY 11209. Postmasters: Send change of address Notices to: The Ring Magazine Subscriber Service Dept., PO Box 16027, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6027, Phone: 818- 286-3101; rngcs@magserv.com. Single copy price $9.99 in U.S.A. ,10.99 Canada (£10.99 in the U.K.). Global Subscription price $60.00 for 12 issues plus S&H. Not responsible for the loss or non-return of unsolicited articles or photographs, which will not be returned unless accompanied by a self- addressed envelope bearing the proper amount of postage. The entire contents of this magazine are copyright ©2025 The Ring Magazine FZ-LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the content of advertisements appearing in this magazine, nor the delivery or quality of merchandise or services offered. No endorsement of any such advertisement is intended or implied. Advertisers and agencies assume liability for claims arising from the content of their advertisements. FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES AND RATES: advertising@ringmagazine.com. U.S. / Canadian and International distribution by Comag Marketing Group LLC, 155 Village Blvd #200, Princeton, NJ 08540. UK distribution by Seymour Distribution Ltd., 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, England, EC1A 9PT. Printed In USA and the UK.
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just giving it to them for free and they’re not showing up and performing. “The character of the fighter has definitely changed. I just think these guys are a lot softer than what they were in the past. A lot of these guys just want, want, want, want, but they’re not willing to give the sport something to be excited about.” Eddie Hearn, who promoted many of Haney’s fights and co-promoted Garcia’s fight with Luke Campbell, says too much money can spoil a young fighter’s desire.
It was the late, great Marvin Hagler who said it’s tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5 a.m. when you’ve been sleeping in silk pajamas. Bradley knows firsthand. “The more money I did make over the course of my career – especially in the later half – the less and less I fought … [and] I became lazier. I’m not going to lie. I definitely became lazier because I’m a millionaire. I got money … Everything is all fine and dandy. You start doing less and less as you move forward. It’s kind of natural. You have
like crap. Similar to what Canelo did, similar to what Ryan Garcia did … even Devin Haney. These guys are not hungry, man. They’re not hungry to prove anything, because they already got everything.” Co-host Steve Kim brought up the Marvelous One’s adage: “So, you’re talking about the old Marvin Hagler silk pajamas.” Hagler was indeed living large during the final stretch of his career. He was guaranteed $10 million vs. Thomas Hearns and $12 million vs.
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Sugar Ray Leonard, who was guaranteed $11 million for their 1987 superfight. Eight-figure purses in 1980s money! Adjusted for inflation, ole Silk Pajamas was making close to $30 million for The Hitman and $33.7 million for Sugar Ray. And yet those classic showdowns earned The Ring’s Fight of the Year honors. Leonard, the darling of the 1976 Olympics, commanded eight-figure purses in the prime of his career, scoring $10 million for his first bouts with Duran and Hearns (which would be in the $35-$40 million range today). The 1981 showdown with Hearns was The Ring’s Fight of the Year. The Brawl in Montreal was the 1980 FOTY runner-up.
Leonard made $13 million for the rematch with Hearns, who made $11 million. They were “faded” veterans but fought their asses off for 12 rounds. My heroes (as well as Steve’s and Timmy’s) did not suffer from complacency.
For Hagler and Hearns, money was secondary to the glory.
“There’s an element of fighters being overpaid, and once you start making money, do you really want to put yourself physically in the trenches when your lifestyle is now fantastic?” Hearn said during an interview with FightHype. “I think it’s impossible to have the same warrior mindset when you’ve made a load of money and now you live in that 10-bedroom [mansion] and you’ve got three Ferraris. The [fighters] are like, ‘I don’t really want a war. Why would I want a war? No, thank you.’”
to fight through becoming complacent. “A lot of these guys are making a lot of money and they’re making a lot of money early and they’re making it fast. There’s really no sacrifice. There’s really no worry. Their second and third fight is already lined up, and it doesn’t matter if you come into the ring and perform at your greatest or perform
H H H H
Boxing with Mannix and Mora, a podcast co-hosted by DAZN broadcasters Sergio Mora and Chris Mannix, called The Ring’s super middleweight rankings into question a few days before Caleb Plant faced Jose
ﺣﻤﻞ اﻟﺘﻄﺒﻴﻖ
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Armando Resendiz on May 31. Going into the fight, Plant was ranked No. 4 behind champion Canelo Alvarez, Christian Mbilli (No. 1), Diego Pacheco (No. 2) and Osleys Iglesias (No. 3). Mora and Mannix believed Plant deserved to be ranked higher. Mannix, who seemed perplexed that Plant was “No. 5” (behind champ Canelo and three contenders), brought up a social media post the former IBF titleholder put out regarding his Ring ranking. The 32-year- old veteran noted that he’s accomplished more than anyone in The Ring’s top 10 apart from Alvarez. Plant’s right about that, and there’s no shame in losing to the 2021 version of the Mexican superstar or to David Benavidez, who held the No. 1 ranking when they fought in March 2023. Plant, who lasted into the 11th round against Canelo and went the distance with Benavidez, won his share of the early rounds vs. both. Mora said those performances, plus a chilling ninth- round KO of Anthony Dirrell in 2022, merited the No. 1 spot in the rankings. Mannix agreed and theorized that the Ring Ratings Panel placed Mbilli, Pacheco and Iglesias ahead of Plant based on their “potential” and unblemished ledgers. “The only thing they have better than Caleb Plant is an undefeated record,” said Mannix. “That’s all they got going for them right now when stacked against Caleb Plant. Not true. They’ve got activity. And, as my buddy Steve Kim loves to remind the boxing community, that matters. Plant’s been a once-a-year fighter since the loss to Alvarez. That’s four bouts (counting Resendiz) since the start of 2022. During that three-and-half-year period, Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs) has fought eight times (with a bout scheduled for June 27 as we went to press), Pacheco (23-0, 18 KOs) has
Caleb Plant was derailed by a rejuvenated Jose Armando Resendiz.
fought 10 times (with a bout scheduled for July 19), and Iglesias has fought nine times. Plant was The Ring’s No. 2-rated super middleweight following the Benavidez showdown. However, he didn’t fight for more than a year following the loss, so he was dropped from the rankings. Beating Trevor McCumby last September got him back in the rankings at No. 4. McCumby was unbeaten (28-0) but also unproven, and Plant struggled (including a fourth-round knockdown) before earning a ninth-round stoppage. Mbilli, Pacheco and Iglesias have yet to face any world-beaters, but each has soundly defeated opponents equal to or superior to McCumby in recent years. Mannix dismissed their opposition as he did Resendiz and the unheralded Mexican’s chances against Plant. He then prophesied that Plant would make a “star turn” after stopping Resendiz and Jermall Charlo (who fought in the May 31 co-feature), which would set up a big showdown with Edgar Berlanga (whom he assumes will get past Hamzah Sheeraz). Mora said Plant would take over the 168-pound division once Alvarez retires and “dominate for two or three years.”
Slow down, guys. Plant had his sweet hands full with Resendiz, who roughed up the proud stick-and-mover down the stretch of the 12-round bout to earn a split decision (that should have been unanimous). I don’t bring all this up to make Mannix or Mora eat crow. I respect both and enjoy their podcast. I’m just sticking up for the Ratings Panel, which rates fighters on performance and quality of opposition, not merely wins or losses. Tevin Farmer is The Ring’s No. 9-rated lightweight despite going 0-3 in his last three bouts. That’s because Farmer arguably beat top contenders Raymond Muratalla and William Zepeda in 10-rounders last year and gave Zepeda hell in a 12-round rematch in March despite suffering an injured left elbow. And the Ratings Panel hasn’t turned its back on Plant despite him losing three of his last five bouts. He only dropped to No. 6, which I think is generous.
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BERNSTEIN ON BOXING IT SHOULDN’T NEED TO BE SAID By Al Bernstein
denigrating someone so your guy can be considered higher. The prologue is here because I think this phenomenon explains the main topic of this column: the surprisingly polarized views that fans have (mostly in the United States) of Naoya Inoue. To me (a person unencumbered by pound-for-pound ratings), he is simply a terrific fighter who has shown greatness in winning titles over four weight divisions and providing excitement in the process. To many fans and even some alleged pundits, I suspect he is viewed as the guy whose achievements and reputation imperil the pound-for-pound status of their favorite fighter or fighters. That is really the only logical explanation I can come up with for the animus shown toward Inoue. This column is absolutely not about comparing Inoue to other boxers in or out of any divisions within his scope. It is simply about dealing with what I think are often absurd attacks on his legitimacy as one of the most remarkable fighters of this time period. If I take you into the weeds in this endeavor, please bear with me; it is the only way to handle this. Let’s deal with these attacks one by one: 1. He has fought a weak schedule. This one is often repeated because many fans seem to be unfamiliar with the facts. Over his 12½-year career, Inoue has fought 12 former, current or future titleholders in carving out a 30-0 record. Here are some highlights: *At age 20 in only his sixth pro fight, he beat WBC junior flyweight titleholder Adrian Hernandez, who had defended his belt five times over two reigns. *After one 108-pound defense, at only 21, he moved up to 115 pounds to beat formidable two-division titleholder Omar Narvaez for the WBO junior bantamweight belt. The rugged and crafty Argentine had only lost once – a decision to Nonito Donaire at bantamweight – in 46 pro bouts. Inoue knocked Narvaez out in two rounds.
A nyone who follows me on social media or reads this column is aware that I am not interested in pound-for-pound rankings. It just doesn’t resonate with me, because in almost all instances the people on the list can’t possibly fight each other, so we have no definitive way to test out whether someone should be ranked first or tenth. I fully recognize that my viewpoint is in the minority. In recent years, the pound-for- pound rankings have become a very prevalent topic, especially on social media. Without it, fans would only
In modern-day boxing, Naoya Inoue is as good as it gets.
be debating the merits of one fighter against another within one or maybe two weight categories. With pound- for-pound added into the mix, all boxers can be pitted against each other – and with the combative nature of boxing debate and of social media, that is exactly what happens. This debate is not just about pushing one fighter for a higher pound-for-pound rating. Inevitably it becomes about
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BERNSTEIN ON BOXING * Inoue won the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament by knocking out former beltholder Juan Carlos Payano and IBF titleholder Emmanuel Rodriguez (who had never been down), then winning an exciting 12-round battle with future Hall of Famer Donaire (who would win another world title in his next fight), in The Ring’s 2019 Fight of the Year. * He moved up in weight and dominated and stopped the
2. He never faced the great lower-weight threesome of Roman Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrada and Carlos Cuadras. Well, he was always a weight division or two above Estrada and Cuadras, and in 2016 Inoue’s promoter made an offer to Gonzalez for a fight to unify junior bantamweight titles. Gonzalez
weight class, and Nery is known as a big puncher. Inoue got up and dominated Nery to stop him. Cardenas was the No. 1-ranked fighter by one of the sanctioning bodies going into this fight and had shown to anyone who bothered to look at his video that he was a very good fighter. He fought the fight of his life and still got stopped.
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Virtually every one of the all-time greats in the sport has been knocked down; many were stopped. 4. He has not fought in the U.S. enough. This is my favorite. The jingoism of American fans is on full display here. Seriously, why does this have anything to do with his worth as a fighter? For the record, he has fought in America four times. He has fought U.S.- based fighters a number of times. How many American superstars were loath to go to other countries to fight on a regular basis? Most. It’s hard to justify fighting somewhere else
acknowledged best junior featherweight in the world, Stephen Fulton. This made Inoue a four-division titleholder. * Became undisputed junior featherweight champ by stopping Marlon Tapales, who had just beaten unified titledholer Murodjon Akhmadaliev. Sprinkled in with these accomplishments were wins over other top contenders and
former, current or future titleholders like Jason Moloney, Paul Butler, Jamie McDonnell and Ryoichi Taguchi (in only Inoue’s fourth fight). I am sorry if some boxing fans don’t have enough awareness of the lower weight divisions to know enough about all the opponents I have referenced, but that’s on them, not Inoue. If they want to level the charge of weak opposition, then this is important information. Lest anyone think his schedule is weak moving forward, he is set to face Akhmadaliev in September and then will potentially battle WBC bantamweight titleholder Junto Nakatani in a fight for the ages. You can read in more detail about Inoue’s potential future elsewhere in the magazine.
After being decked heavily by Ramon Cardenas, Inoue battered the challenger from pillar to post.
when you are a superstar in your own country and fill arenas with ease. So you can argue whether this impacts his marketability as an international fighter, but it has no place in a conversation about how good a fighter he might be. I’m here to tell everyone that it is absurd to not think of Naoya Inoue as a boxing star who is one of the best of his generation and will certainly be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Beyond those inescapable conclusions, feel free to debate the pound-for-pound issue or any others connected with him all you want. Advocate for any fighter you want and even say they are better than Inoue if you want. But please, just give this guy his due. He’s earned it.
turned it down because he said the financial terms were not to his liking. “Chocolatito” instead went on to face Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and lost his titles, then lost a rematch. That killed any thought of an Inoue fight, and Inoue moved up to bantamweight shortly after that anyway. 3. He was dropped in two recent fights by Luis Nery and Ramon Cardenas. Consider that both of these happened to Inoue in his fourth
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STEVE’S SOAPBOX A VERY ACTIVE RETIREMENT By Steve Kim
is set to face WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios on July 19 in Las Vegas. Yeah, that induction speech might’ve been a tad awkward with him looking back on his great career while promoting his next fight. (For the record, Pacquiao is not the first Hall of Famer to come out of retirement and box. But it doesn’t make this any less odd.) Yeah, this is boxing being boxing. Comebacks are a tried- and-true tradition of the game. But unlike 15-round fights and rosin on the canvas, this one unfortunately remains in place. The last we saw of Pacquiao was in the summer of 2021, when he lost a clear-cut decision to Yordenis Ugas at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It wasn’t that he looked particularly bad that night, but he did look, well, old. Not surprising, given that he was over 40 at the time. The perfect ending would’ve been to walk away from the sport after his 2019 split decision over then-undefeated Keith Thurman, a victory that made him the oldest welterweight world titleholder in history at age 40. But boxing has very few happy endings and even fewer perfect ones. Nobody really knows why Pacquiao is returning to the ring. The assumption is that it’s the money (it usually is), but one had hoped that he had more important things ahead of him, such as his duties as a politician in his homeland. He has since participated in some exhibition bouts with kickboxers and the like. Quite frankly, those outings didn’t inspire much confidence in his abilities at this advanced age. Some are rationalizing the news by making comparisons to the past. What immediately comes to mind is the comeback of Sugar Ray Leonard, who came off a near three-year hiatus from the ring to face Marvelous Marvin Hagler for the WBC middleweight title
I t wasn’t all that long ago that I used this column to pen a glowing tribute to Manny Pacquiao and his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. It was certainly a well-deserved honor for the legendary “Pac Man.” Not only was he a first- ballot inductee, but chances are that Pacquiao was a unanimous selection. But there is one small problem that has
Pacquiao took a break from training to enjoy his induction in Canastota.
arisen: Pacquiao is no longer a retired boxer, which is stipulated as one of the prerequisites for getting inducted into the hall in Canastota, New York. If you haven’t heard by now, the most well-known senator from the Philippines
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STEVE’S SOAPBOX
in 1987. Leonard shocked Hagler by winning a split decision in what was one of the defining fights of the 1980s. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has defended his organization’s decision to sanction the Barrios- Pacquiao title bout by using that contest as an example: “Remember Sugar Ray Leonard? My father, Jose Sulaiman, and the WBC were criticized for making his fight versus Hagler. Manny Pacquiao has been licensed by
the WBC mandating that Kostya Tszyu face Julio Cesar Chavez (a personal favorite of the elder Sulaiman) for its junior welterweight belt in the summer of 2000. While Chavez was “just” 38, he’d been defeated soundly by fringe contender Willy Wise in October of the previous year and ended 1999 by stopping journeyman Buck Smith in three. Chavez was still a Mexican idol but an obviously diminished version of himself by the turn of the century.
six rounds at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. Now, this has to be stated: Pacquiao isn’t exactly facing Thomas Hearns or even Donald Curry here. Barrios is a solid welterweight (ranked No. 3 by Ring Magazine), but the reality is that he’d be the heavy underdog versus unified Ring champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis and WBO beltholder Brian Norman. In his last outing back in November, Barrios had to come off
Nevada and passed all medicals and as a legendary WBC champion has been approved to fight by our organization. Let’s talk [on] July 20th.” Hey, like father, like son, right? As soon as the July 19 bout was made, the WBC ranked Pacquiao – who, remember, hasn’t won a fight since 2019 – fifth in its welterweight rankings. Chances are if he were deceased, they might have named him the mandatory challenger in recess. But there should be some context with the Leonard comparison. While it is true he was coming off a prolonged layoff, Leonard was just shy of 31 years of age when he returned to the ring. Pacquiao is closer to 50 than he is 40. Invariably there will be comparisons to the late George
Barrios (right) outpointed Pacquiao- conqueror Yordenis Ugas.
Foreman, who made history by becoming the oldest heavyweight world titleholder in boxing history when he knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994 at the age of 45. But it has to be noted that from the time that “Big George” began the second chapter of his career in 1987, he fought at least once every year until his eventual retirement in 1997. The most apt comparison is perhaps
the canvas and fight like hell to salvage a split draw against Abel Ramos. Pacquiao is picking low-hanging fruit to a certain degree. Some will give Barrios no credit if he wins, but the last we checked, this is prizefighting. The reality is that this is a great opportunity for him to make a sizable payday against a notable name while actually having a real chance at keeping his belt. The question here is: Can a 46-year- old Pacquiao defeat a 30-year-old Barrios? And if he can, what would that lead to? Who knows? This might actually be an entertaining bout. Besides, how many times can you see a current Hall of Famer in action?
Beforehand, Sulaiman did his best to justify Chavez’s position in the WBC rankings. Unfortunately, his faith in “J.C. Superstar” was not justified, as Chavez was crushed by Tszyu in
Pacquiao is closer to 50 than he is 40.
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My First Time by Lennox Lewis as told to Anson Wainwright
upbringing. The kids that went to that boarding school were kids whose parents are getting divorced, they’ve got jobs and they’ve got a kid, now they need to put the kids somewhere while they sort out their problems. Rich kids – but they’re bad. “In the morning, we had one teacher, then another teacher in the afternoon, and we’d go through all the subjects. I was kind of considered one of the rough kids, and I would play rough, too, and the other kids weren’t used to the rough play. Punching a guy in the arm and saying, ‘What’s up?’ “There was a teacher there who would see my roughness and talk to me about it. He said, ‘I’m going to bring some gloves and teach you how to box.’ He brought gloves one time, and my boxing was swinging. Now, looking back, he was basically allowing me to blow off steam. He would say ‘Put on
More than 20 years after his final professional fight, Lennox Lewis remains one of boxing’s most respected luminaries. The former undisputed heavyweight champion is a magnet for media and cameras. His wry-witted interviews are delivered with a laid-back accent that is the product of being born in London to Jamaican parents and moving to Canada as a tween, and his keen ringside commentary is an incisive addition to any live broadcast. Most importantly, his in-ring accomplishments still resonate deeply with fans who witnessed his career. Lewis was defeated in the quarterfinals of the 1984 Olympics, but he returned with a vengeance – something he was later known for as a professional – in 1988, claiming the gold medal by halting future champion Riddick Bowe. Upon turning professional, Lewis embarked on a career that would see him run through a list of standouts from the 1990s and early 2000s – Donovan “Razor” Ruddock, Tony Tucker, Frank Bruno, Oliver McCall, Tommy Morrison, Ray Mercer, Shannon Briggs, Andrew Golota, Evander Holyfield, David Tua, Hasim Rahman, Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko, among others – and finish with a record of 41-2-1 (32 KOs), both losses avenged, to become recognized as the best heavyweight of his era. THE FIRST TIME I LACED UP GLOVES “It was actually at boarding school in England. I was about 11, 12. I wasn’t in one of the regular city ones; I was in one in the country, south of London. “I’m a rough kid myself; I’m coming from a rough
the gloves’ and say ‘Hit me,’ but [he] knew how to protect himself. He was a big teacher; he looked like he weighed over 300 pounds. That was my first introduction to gloves and fighting.” MY FIRST AMATEUR FIGHT “First amateur fight, I was around 15. My trainer used to bring as many of us that could fit into the car, like nine of us, down to Toronto. We would weigh in that day, see the doctor that day and fight that night. “The first fight, I didn’t know who the guy was; he went through the same routine I did and we were matched together, and I went in there and I hit him a couple of times and I floored him and won. “What I remember about the fight was the first round was ‘get to know you.’ [The second was] ‘try and punch your lights out.’ And the third round was I was tired as hell and [it was] a matter of surviving and trying to hit [him], and [he’s] trying to hit me and surviving. “For my first 10 fights, my last round was the worst. And I got tired of having my last round as my worst, and I trained to make sure my last round was the best.” MY FIRST PROFESSIONAL FIGHT JUNE 27, 1989 OPPONENT: AL MALCOLM “First pro fight, I have the reputation of the Olympic champ. I remember my friend saying, ‘Everyone is looking to get you because you’re the Olympic champion.’ And it’s like they never got the chance to go to the Olympics, so it’s like if they beat you, it’s like them living the life as an Olympic champion. It was important for me to keep that title, knowing there’s a lot of hype behind me, so I’ve got to
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MY FIRST TIME: LENNOX LEWIS
In June 1989, Lewis scored a routine second-round TKO over Al Malcom in his professional debut.
MY PERFECT PUNCH November 17, 2001 Opponent: Hasim Rahman, in a rematch of a fight Rahman won by fifth-round knockout seven months earlier – The Ring’s Upset of the Year. “He was disrespectful, and that definitely lit a fire under me that was dwindling. It’s like, ‘This guy’s being like this? This guy can’t beat me.’ I had to recharge and set that flame firing again and say, ‘No, he’s dealing with some disrespect.’ It was important for me to beat him even quicker than he beat me. That was a thing I said to myself: ‘I’m going to break that record; OK, he beat me in the fifth; OK, I’ll beat him in the fourth’ type of thing. The man’s got my titles on loan. “It was more of an adjustment punch. He put his hands out, and the whole dance of my movement walked him into that shot. I kinda danced and moved a certain way, and then I came with a swiping left hook and then a swiping right hand. “It was a natural adjustment. I’m used to throwing the straight right hand, and the straight right hand wasn’t working, but the looping right hand did. “It’s one of those punches where after it connected, I wished I could have connected harder. (laughs) It hit, the result happened (Rahman was knocked out in the fourth), and we had a great holiday after that. If you look after the fight, I said, ‘I told you they were on loan!’ “Because of the sound and the fact [that] I laid him out right over the Don King crown [on the canvas], it was like taking another misfit out of boxing. The guy came in, he’s rude, disrespectful – the man left South Africa (the location of the first fight) and didn’t even visit [Nelson] Mandela after the fight. He just left. I went. After that, I went on safari, all [the while] thinking about the revenge, the rematch.” Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at elraincoat@live.co.uk, and you can follow him on X @AnsonWainwr1ght.
defend it. “It was a big fight; it was a big ordeal. I was in camp like five weeks with [trainer] John Davenport. The training camp was important. “[I was] more nervous [about] the performance. I want to make sure I perform properly and everything goes well. Who’s this guy? Don’t know him. Don’t want to get hit with no silly shots. Don’t want to look bad. “[On fight night,] I felt more anticipation, a little bit uptight. It goes away, but you’re still in the moment. The lights are out there on you. When you look back, it’s really just being relaxed – you’re tense and your trainer is telling you to relax, which is the best thing for you, but you’re not understanding it at that moment. “He took a good shot and that shot hurt my hand. He wasn’t trying to follow the script. That was his opportunity to prove himself. He’s got a lot of fights, a lot more pro fights than I did. [Editor’s note: Malcolm’s record at the time was 11-12-1, 7 KOs.] It was my first. My script was trying to get rid of him as fast as possible. “I caught him with a good shot [in the second round], and he folded to the power. Before, he didn’t fold – got hit; he took it – but he’s not going to be able to take more of those shots. I think it was an overhand right. Looking back at the shot, I never caught him with a perfect shot; it was more of a grazing shot, and I didn’t know it was going to affect him like that. The result was he was on the ground.”
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44 rounds with Ruben Olivares » When Olivares defeated Rose for the title in 1969, Parnassus matched the new bantamweight king against Castillo, kicking off one of the great Mexican rivalries of all time. Olivares was already a near-legend, with a record of 57-0-1, almost all his wins coming by KO. Their first bout, in April of 1970, was a bell-to-bell classic. Though Castillo scored the only knockdown of the fight, dropping the champion at the end of the third with a right to the chin, the night belonged to Olivares by 15-round unanimous decision. The Associated Press called the event “a remarkable chapter in boxing history,” but Castillo was frustrated at losing another title bout on points. The loss was especially heartbreaking for him because he’d dedicated the bout to his father, who had recently been killed in a road accident. But if Castillo felt snakebit, his luck changed when he battled Olivares again in October. An accidental clash of heads in the first round caused a nasty cut over Olivares’ left eye, which Castillo targeted for the rest of the bout. On the doctor’s recommendation, referee Dick Young stopped the contest at 2:37 of the 14th, giving Olivares his first loss. Castillo had won the bantamweight championship on his third try, beating a future Hall of Famer in the process. The Castillo-Olivares series was a display of contrasts. Chucho was a serious soul known for spartan training camps and avoiding the press (one of his nicknames in Mexico was “Old Sad Face”), while Olivares was a gregarious type who enjoyed a hard-partying lifestyle. Style-wise, Olivares’ high pressure, big-banging approach was a perfect complement to the more scientific Castillo. The pairing was also helped by rumors that the fighters disliked each other. The bad blood dated back to their days in Mexico, where Castillo claimed that he’d been more popular and that Olivares was merely a loudmouthed punk. “He makes me sick,” said Chucho. To Parnassus, the duo meant money; a rubber match was made for April 1971. Olivares regained the title via 15-round decision, but Castillo managed to knock him down in the sixth and then, knowing he was behind on points, launched a desperate attack in the 13th. Still, Olivares won by wide margins on all three scorecards. Though he was 1-2 in the series, Castillo’s part in the trilogy should be respected. He scored the only knockdowns and the only stoppage, and he was the first to defeat Olivares. Olivares, the great puncher, never came close to flooring Castillo. What kept Castillo up? Must’ve been all that hatred.
BY THE NUMBERS: Chucho Castillo by Don Stradley • Illustration by KronkAAArt
168 days as champion » Prior to his unsuccessful defense against Olivares, Castillo fought only once during his brief time as the world’s top bantamweight. It was a non-title bout against Felipe Ursua in February 1971, and unsurprisingly it took place in Mexico. Before a supportive crowd of 15,000 in a Monterrey bullring, Castillo won his welcome-home bash by TKO in Round 6. 1 fight in Japan » During the 1960s as boxing became more of a global sport, fighters began to travel more and take part in international events. And so it was that Castillo found himself in Japan on April 16, 1969, fighting to a 10-round draw with Ushiwakamaru Harada. Known as the bantamweight champion of Japan, Harada was the younger brother of Fighting Harada, the former flyweight and bantamweight champion. 66 fights » Castillo finished his career with a record of 47-17-2 (23 KOs). He has the unique distinction of having the same number of wins by decision as by knockout (23 each, with a win by disqualification bringing his win total to 47). He struggled in his final years, as if the three bouts with Olivares had taken a toll on him. He lost to the likes of Rafael Herrera (whom Chucho had previously beaten), Enrique Pinder, Bobby Chacon and Danny Lopez. After losing a 10-round decision to Ernesto Herrera in December 1975, Castillo quietly disappeared from boxing. He was only 31, but he’d done enough for the business. With his competitive spirit, he’d helped lift the profile of Mexican fighters in America and had helped revive Los Angeles as a boxing capital. Castillo said he was his own idol, and we can’t argue with his choice.
A columnist for The Los Angeles Times once described him as “a two-fisted fighter with gold in his teeth, murder in his heart, and the sensitivity to pain of a tackling dummy.” It was a nice reputation to have, and Chucho Castillo (1944- 2013) had earned it. With his Wolverine sideburns and his brilliant left jab, he took Los Angeles by storm after only a few contests at the Forum, having spent most of his career fighting in Mexico City. Born Jesús Castillo Aguilera in a small town in Guanajuato, the slick-boxing Castillo was one of the top bantamweights of his era. He knew it, too. Upon his arrival in America, a reporter asked him to name his boxing idol. Castillo smiled and said, “Chucho Castillo.” Here is his story by the numbers.
12 fights at the L.A. Forum » When Jack Kent Cooke’s glamorous Forum debuted in 1967, promoter George Parnassus announced his plans to bring fights to the sparkling new venue. A longtime figure in Southern California boxing, Parnassus’ formula was to import popular Mexican fighters and make them stars in Los Angeles. Castillo’s turn came in June of 1968. Though there were questions about his exact number of fights and losses – it appeared the Castillo camp doctored some of the numbers – journalists remained curious about Parnassus’ latest discovery. After all, Castillo had a growing fan base south of the border and had recently won the bantamweight title of Mexico by beating revered veteran Jose Medel. “He would fight a bull with a fork,” a matchmaker said of Castillo, “and be a 6-5 favorite.” Parnassus’ premiere main event at the Forum saw Castillo win a 12-round decision over the hard-hitting and highly ranked Jesus Pimentel. Castillo was dominant, reported the Times, handling Pimentel “in roughly the manner an elephant would a gnat.” Castillo returned to the Forum in August and scored a two-round TKO over popular Scottish bantamweight Evan Armstrong. In December, a rabid Forum crowd saw Chucho challenge the bantamweight champion, Lionel Rose of Australia. Castillo came out on the losing end of a 15-round split decision, but his name had been burned into the minds of L.A. fight fans as synonymous with slick boxing and courage. Castillo would fight nine more times at the Inglewood location, helping to make the Forum “Fabulous.”
1 riot » Upon learning that Rose had defeated Castillo, the Mexican portion of the crowd commented on the scorecards by setting fires, destroying seats, and hurling bottles and chairs into the ring. Damage to the posh new site was estimated at $50,000 (about $460,000 in today’s money). Even referee Dick Young was struck on the head with a bottle and needed stitches. The discussion then moved into the parking lot, where several cars were torched or tipped over. Parnassus wept as the nightmare played out. He’d been so proud to present the Forum’s first title fight, only to see it dissolve into mayhem. He vowed to quit the boxing business, but the “Golden Greek” couldn’t stay away for long. The fight itself was a close one, with members of press row evenly split between those who believed Castillo won and those who felt Rose had won. Presumably, they were polled while hiding underneath the ring to avoid flying trash.
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HOW TO WATCH BOXING: RING GENERALSHIP By Adam Abramowitz
Ah, the dreaded “ring generalship.” What does it actually mean? How important is ring generalship compared to the other scoring criteria? And how should it be applied in close rounds? Well, let’s dig in! On the ABC website, it defines ring generalship as: “This is the thinking boxer. The boxer who, while punching or using clever footwork or moves, can keep their opponent off-balance. This is the boxer that has controlled the action, the boxer who, by using feints or slips, makes their opponent not only miss but then is able to put themselves in an offensive position. This is a fighter that puts themselves in position to score and not be scored upon. Running and simply avoiding action should not be rewarded.” Now, there’s a lot to digest in this definition, especially when considering which boxer should receive credit during a contested round. And what components are most important? To help provide more context for ring generalship, I spoke with boxing judge and former referee Jack Reiss, who is an ABC official trainer. Reiss often leads ABC and sanctioning body seminars to help train officials in how to interpret
T he Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) is a national association that provides standardized judging criteria for professional boxing. For those who used to watch HBO Boxing broadcasts, the network would list the ABC’s four criteria used for scoring each round before every major fight. The criteria are:
1. Clean and effective punching 2. Effective aggressiveness 3. Ring generalship 4. Defense
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (left) turned his fight against Robert Guerrero into a clinic.
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HOW TO WATCH BOXING: RING GENERALSHIP
By getting his left foot outside Guerrero’s right, Mayweather creates the path for a perfect straight right hand.
and apply rules, and he has discussed ring generalship at length during his sessions. Reiss has a four-pronged framework of ring generalship, which I’ll get to in a moment, but as a key point, he wanted to emphasize ring generalship’s relative standing compared to the other scoring criteria. “What a lot of people don’t understand,” said Reiss, “is that there’s a hierarchy. If Fighter A wins the round on clean and effective punching, then that’s it. You don’t need to consider the remaining criteria.” And if there’s doubt as to who won the round based on clean and effective punching, the next thing to consider is criterion No. 2: effective aggression. Only when a round is still in doubt after applying the first two criteria should ring generalship be considered. Here’s Reiss’s four-pronged framework for ring generalship: 1. Ring control – Using punching, footwork or moves to keep an opponent off-balance. 2. Making an opponent miss but staying in the pocket to maintain an offensive position. 3. Achieving an offensive position without getting hit; hitting someone and not getting hit in return. 4. Running and/or clinching should not be rewarded if it’s not leading to offense. The most important thing is the primacy of rewarding offense. “If a fighter is not putting himself in an offensive position with his movements, then he or she is not to be given credit,” said Reiss. “Ring generalship leads to clean punching and effective aggression. If you can’t draw a line from what a fighter does to a successful offensive position, then it’s not effective ring generalship.” In other words: Some of us may love the defensive wizards, but the judges’ emphasis in how they reward rounds should be clear: Offense > defense. Reiss’ favorite fight to teach ring generalship is Round 4 of Floyd Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero, where Mayweather was consistently putting himself in an offensive position, landing with a lot of shots while not being hit in return. This round was a masterful example of Mayweather using footwork and movement to create offense while nullifying the opponent. And it’s instructive that Mayweather, one of the best defensive fighters of recent generations, is being used in this context to highlight his offensive success. It is the action of hitting, of landing, that’s rewarded. Reiss acknowledges that problems with the correct application of ring generalship remain throughout the sport. It’s his belief that there are too many officials who don’t have the proper training regarding the scoring criteria, and there's a lack of international standardization when it comes to which criteria are emphasized.
Watching the fight now, Guerrero is very good early, so when Mayweather dominates in Round 4, this is not the continuation of his supremacy from earlier in the fight, but it’s the moment where he takes over; he has figured out what can work offensively and how to neutralize Guerrero. The most striking thing about this round is that Mayweather dominates offensively with just two main punches: a lead right hand and a counter jab. It’s great to watch tape to remind ourselves of his capabilities, because these two punches aren’t necessarily the weapons for which Mayweather is most remembered. Usually, people will refer to his jab to the body, his counter left hook and his counter right hand as his best punches. Mayweather starts the round moving, never letting a pocket develop. His early connects in the round are unusual: They are leaping right hands, where he leaves his feet and then moves to his right with quick shuffle steps to avoid Guerrero’s counter left. This is an example of Mayweather’s improvisatory genius; most likely he wasn’t practicing leaving his feet during training camp to land this type of right hand. But by the fourth round, he has sized Guerrero up and realized that he could land this shot. As the round continues, there are a couple of exchanges at midrange. Here, it’s Mayweather’s counter jab that consistently gets the better of the action. He’s either jabbing over Guerrero’s right jab or slipping a Guerrero straight left and countering with his jab. These sequences have the effect of reducing Guerrero’s punch output. By the end of the round, Guerrero is barely jabbing at all. Mayweather is gradually ticking every box on Reiss’ list. To my eyes, Guerrero lands only one impressive shot in the round, which was during a moment in the second half of the round where Mayweather voluntarily moves to the corner. Both fighters flurry, with not a ton landing, but Guerrero wraps a left hook around Mayweather’s upper body that connects. Later in the round, when Mayweather is again in a corner, he evades all punches thrown at him and avoids any further damage, a terrific example of Mayweather’s aptitude. Make a mistake once, fine. But don’t make the same mistake again. Mayweather exhibited dominance during the round from start to finish. He had a huge advantage in terms of connected punches and he was able to disarm Guerrero’s potent offense from earlier in the fight. It’s a fine example of the principles of ring generalship. He was evasive but then turned that into offense. Plus, he was the one hitting Guerrero consistently without getting hit in return. He gave Guerrero few opportunities and he was the one who controlled the ring action. The rest of the fight would demonstrate more of the same.
they aren’t followed by offensive action. Nullifying an opponent’s offense is only rewarded if there is corresponding offensive success. 4. The lack of the uniformity in how ring generalship is applied by officials is a major problem in the sport. Concept in Practice: Mayweather-Guerrero, Round 4 Before delving into the specifics of Floyd Mayweather’s mastery of ring generalship in this round, it’s worth remembering a couple of points about this fight. Guerrero started off well in the first three rounds, and he had a case for winning at least two of the opening three frames. All four judges scored the fight for Mayweather, 117-111, or nine rounds to three. I was at this fight, and that’s also how I scored it.
Simply put, Reiss believes that not enough officials know what they are looking at.
After speaking with Reiss, my takeaways for ring generalship and how to apply it were: 1. Remember the hierarchy. Although ring generalship can be crucial in certain instances, its importance pales in comparison to clean, effective punching and effective aggression. 2. It’s about offense. Boxing judges are trained to reward offensive success. Everything in the first three judging criteria is based on who was more successful offensively as it relates to landing scoring blows. 3. Evasive tactics in themselves are meaningless if
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