BERNSTEIN ON BOXING
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has a fan-friendly style while doing it. Perhaps part of his problem is he is a middleweight – a division that is not getting much respect as a whole these days. 3. Andy Hiraoka: This undefeated lefty has been the No. 1 WBA contender in the 140-pound division for quite a while, but even a WBA-ordered negotiation with beltholder Gary Antuanne Russell in April did not produce a title shot. So no, respect is not coming his way, nor is much attention from the boxing world. Until fairly recently, even his fellow Japanese fighters who hold titles have been mostly rendered invisible to large parts of the world due to a lack of international coverage. So a contender can certainly get lost in the shuffle, especially in a division like 140, which is possibly the deepest in the sport. Hiraoka is literally never mentioned when pundits or fans talk about the top junior welterweight contenders. I can tell you that he is worthy. He is a stylish boxer-puncher with power to spare – 19 stoppages in his 24 wins. He has not heard the bell ring in the final round of a fight since 2019. He is a part of his country’s amazing wave of terrific fighters, and as Willy Loman said in Death of a Salesman , “attention must be paid.”
earpiece back in just in time to hear an apoplectic producer counting down “five … four ... three …,” and a few seconds later I welcomed the television audience to the show. Rodney stayed with me ringside all night, passing me funny notes throughout the show. I enjoyed doing that telecast as much as any I ever did. So, without any further ado, here are the recipients of the inaugural Rodneys: 1. Fernando Martinez: He was a little-known 13-0 fighter from Argentina in February 2022 when he challenged IBF 115-pound titleholder Jerwin Ancajas, who was making the 10th defense of his crown. I was there calling the match on Showtime, and on the surface it seemed this was a routine defense of Ancajas’ title to set up his next fight against one of the other great champions of the time at 115. In the fight before this, we had a major upset with Hector Luis Garcia beating Chris Colbert, and apparently something was in the air. Having fought not-so-great opposition for his first 13 wins, Martinez was facing by far the best opponent of his career, but it didn’t seem to bother him at all. He and Ancajas produced a 12-round war, with Martinez winning by a solid margin. Martinez would
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4. Abass Baraou: For 17 fights, this German 154-pounder was the model of consistency against good opposition, with only a controversial split decision loss to former top contender Jack Culcay to soil his record. Few believed he could go to another level, but he did. In August, he upset undefeated and highly regarded Yoenis Tellez in a convincing win cemented by a late knockdown. He has improved at every stage of his career, and this humble gladiator is just the kind of “Rodney” winner that you hope gets recognition as a true player in the talented 154-pound division. For The Ring’s part, Baraou was admitted into the junior middleweight top 10 as a result of the victory. One time, backstage in his dressing room after a show at Caesars Palace, I remember the actual Rodney talking to me almost wistfully about all the hard work and hardships it took to reach the top of the heap as a comedian. He chuckled and referenced his onstage persona, saying, “Respect is earned, and I earned it.” The same can be said of the “Rodney” winners in this column.
repeat this win in the rematch seven months later in another barnburner, defend against the previously undefeated Jade Bornea and then win two thrilling matches against legendary Japanese champion Kazuto Ioka. This five-fight body of work is as impressive as it gets, and yet somehow his name is seldom in the minds of those writing or talking about the exciting and excellent champions in the sport. If he wins in November against Rodriguez, I have to assume that will change. It would make for as good a six-fight run as anyone has had for many years, and it would likely mean he would never be eligible for another Rodney. 2. Aaron McKenna: This 26-year-old from Ireland is an exciting, switch-hitting middleweight who is 16-0, with all his wins being dominant ones. Most recently, he won a lopsided 12-round decision over former 154-pound titleholder Liam Smith. He sent Smith to the canvas with a brutal left hook to the body in Round 12 to punctuate this win. A demonstration of how deserving he is of a Rodney is the fact that he beat Uisma Lima by a wide margin in a 2023 decision, and yet it was Lima who was picked to fight Boots Ennis in a high-profile match on October 11. McKenna not only wins, but he
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