Sunday, February 27, 2011
Brandon Rios KO's Miguel Acosta to Take the WBA Lightweight Title
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| Photo Courtesy of Showtime Boxing |
By Randy De La O
Saturday night, at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Brandon Rios did what challengers are supposed to do, he went out and took the title from the champion, Miguel Acosta. In what turned out to be the toughest fight of his career, Rios hung in there after a rough start, made adjustments, came back and stopped Acosta in the 10th round.
In the first few rounds Rios had trouble with Acosta’s speed and range and was hurt more than once, but with dogged perseverance and determination he continued to stalk Acosta, resolute in his belief that he would find a way. Acosta, just as determined showed why he had not lost since 2003, in his last 19 fights. He was out boxing Rios, keeping him at a distance and at times he was out slugging him. When the middle rounds began Rios tightened up his defense, closed the gap and took the fight inside. It paid off. In the six Rios caught the champion with a left and a right but it was a stiff jab that sent him down.
Up until the first knockdown Acosta was in control of the fight. After the knockdown he seemed desperate and it showed in his face and in the way he was fighting. The tide had turned. Rios punching power was beginning to have an affect.
After the knockdown in the eighth, a left hook that caught Acosta as he was backing out of an exchange, the conclusion seemed inevitable. Acosta, a worthy champion, was hurt and Rios was not letting up. Still, it’s a fight and anything can happen. Acosta, showing a champion’s heart fought back but his punches had lost their snap and he was unable to keep Rios at a distance.
The end came in the 10th round when Acosta was caught by a series of punches and crumbled in the corner causing referee Joe Cortez to stop the fight. Brandon Rios was the new WBA Lightweight Champion.
Rios answered any and all questions that may have been asked of him. He showed a huge heart in Saturday night’s fight. He’s no quitter. Even when things were not going his way he never wavered. In boxing we call that Stick-to-it-ive-ness. Rios showed plenty of that. He beat a real champion in Acosta. After the fight there was no arrogance, justifiable pride, yes but no arrogance. He was just happy to be the new champ.
The night belonged to Rios and with this victory, the lightweight division is really heating up. With fellow lightweight champions Juan Manuel Marquez, Humberto Soto and Miguel Vaqzuez all looming as potential opponents, and with guys like John Molina, Robert Guerrero and former champions and legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales in the midst, the future looks bright for Rios and the lightweight division.
Congratulations to Brandon Rios for winning the WBA Lightweight title with an exciting 10th knockout over champion Miguel Acosta and Kudos to Showtime Boxing and Bob Arum for a great fight and great matchmaking.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Nonito Donaire Stops Fernando Montiel in 2
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| Nonito Donaire stops Fernando Montiel in the second round Saturday night |
Nonito Donaire did his best, this past Saturday, to make his case for being the number one Filipino fighter in the world, as well as solidifying his pound for pound ranking and he just might have stolen some of Manny Pacquiao's fans in the process. He beat a respectably good champion in Fernando Montiel, who had lost only twice in his career and has to be considered a fighter still in his prime before the match.
You could tell right from the start that Donaire was the quicker,sharper puncher. Montiel had his chin up and his hands low. After throwing a right hand and bringing it back way too low, Doniare caught him with a counter left hook. Montiel's legs were flailing. I don't know why the referee, Russell Mora, let it go on. Montiel a game fighter, for sure, got up from what appeared to be a devastating knockout and took a few more needless shots to the head. The light was already out.
My friend, retired Southland Sportswriter Bill O'Neill had this to say about Donaire: "All I can say is, Wow! His starching of Montiel is proof enough that his one-punch knockout of Vic Darchinyan a few years back was no fluke. It is rare to see a very good and deserving world champion get laid out like that. Darchinyan, you may recall, is a bully-boy in the mold of Jake LaMotta: just walking through good fighters, beating them up and beating them down. (One of the guys he beat on was Nonito's older brother, Glen Donaire--a very good fighter in his own right.) And Donaire put him down and out with one shot, just as he did Montiel.
I'm not quite ready to place the Filipino Flash (as Donaire is called) ahead of Terry McGovern, Manuel Ortiz, Ruben Olivares, and Eder Jofre just yet--but believe me, anyone his weight that he hits with that left hook is goin' down! One-shot knockout punchers come along only once every 20 years--if that often. And this kid has that kind of shocking power."
I couldn't agree more Donaire seems to be the real deal.
Revisiting the Main Street Gym Site
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| Click Photo For a Larger Image |
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| Click Photo For a Larger Image |
My wife and I were in Downtown Los Angeles recently and I thought I would I visit the site of the old Main Street Gym on Main St, between 3rd and 4th streets, for old times sake. It's been gone quite a while, having been razed in the mid 1980's, but it is still remembered fondly by west coast boxing fans and by those who trained there. Some of the best fighters of the past trained at the gym. Countless movies and television shows were filmed here, including the first the "Rocky" with Sylvester Stallone, in 1976, and at least two of the sequels, as well as countless other movies and television shows. Some of the best fighters of the past trained at the gym.
Austin Trout Victory Celebration!
Public Victory Celebration for World Boxing Champion, Austin Trout this Sunday2/27/11 from 2pm to 6pm at the Beverly Hills Hall at 150 N. Hermosa. Las Cruces, New Mexico ( the corner of Griggs and Hermosa)!
The band Rio will be providing entertainment and the title fight will be shown in its entirety!
Title Town talk show hosts Brian Cox, Steve Calderazzo and Greg Groves will be hosting the event!
Everyone come and greet the champ! No charge!
The band Rio will be providing entertainment and the title fight will be shown in its entirety!
Title Town talk show hosts Brian Cox, Steve Calderazzo and Greg Groves will be hosting the event!
Everyone come and greet the champ! No charge!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
What If: Roberto Duran vs Aaron Pryor
By Randy De La O
Debunking a common fallacy…………..
Almost without fail, whenever the subject of both Roberto Duran and Aaron Pryor comes up, Duran is almost always accused of purposely passing over the junior welterweights in order to avoid a showdown with Aaron Pryor. But the truth is when Roberto Duran moved up in weight to fight Edwin Viruet in April of 1978, it was Antonio Cervantes who held the junior welterweight title. Pryor would eventually challenge Cervantes for that title in August of 1980, almost two and a half years after the Duran vs. Viruet fight, stopping Cervantes in the 4th round.
Prior (no pun intended) to winning the title against Cervantes, Aaron Pryor had not fought anyone of any real consequence and certainly no one of Duran’s caliber. At the time of the Duran vs Viruet fight, Aaron Pryor was undefeated in 12 fights with 10 KO’s to his name. A fine record for an up and coming fighter but hardly someone deserving of a fight with Roberto Duran, at least not in that era. Even with an amateur win over Detroit’s Tommy Hearns in 1976, Pryor would not even be an after thought as an opponent for Duran. Pryor’s claim to fame was his 14th round KO over three time champ Alexis Arguello in November of 1982. He would fight Arguello the following year stopping him in the 10th round.
Pryor, a fine fighter with an exciting style peaked with the Arguello fight and never in his career came close to being the type of fighter that Duran was. Pryor had six more fights after the second Arguello fight, all of them against mediocre to average competition.
Roberto Duran was the reigning lightweight champ for almost seven years before moving up in weight and setting his sights on the welterweight crown. Duran ended the 70’s with fights against Viruet, Ezequiel Obando, Monroe Brooks, Jimmy Heair, Carlos Palomino and Zeffie Gonzalez. In the case of Viruet, Heair and Brooks, Duran was fighting better than average competition, and in Palomino’s case he was fighting an outstanding former welterweight champion. In his previous fight earlier that year, Palomino lost the welterweight title to the great Wilfredo Benitez by a 15 round split decision. It was Duran’s win over Carlos Palomino that showed he was a real threat to the welterweights.
So the question remains, who would win?
Physically, they match up well, Pryor standing 5’6” ½ , Duran at 5”7’ a ½ inch taller, but for me this is a no brainer. Duran, a natural lightweight might have lost some of his KO power when he moved up in weight, especially when he moved up to the middleweights, but he would have been right at home as a junior welterweight. Pryor was street tough and aggressive. Duran was feral, savage and primal in his approach. Both fighters could be relentless but Duran had bigger arsenal to draw from. Overall Roberto Duran was a fundamentally better fighter.
Duran was no one hit wonder and his career record will back me up. He is in the top five of almost anyone’s all time great list and certainly in the top ten. Counter punching was the key to defeating Pryor and Duran was a great albeit vastly underrated counter puncher. Duran had angles and was great on the inside. He had too much experience for Pryor. Duran was a well schooled fighter with perhaps the greatest cornermen of all time working in his corner, Ray Arcel and Freddie Brown, Panama Lewis would be in Pryor’s corner. There is no such thing as a sure thing, I know that but I believe Duran had too much going for him.
Duran beat Ken Buchanan to win the WBA World Lightweight Championship at the Madison Square Garden in New York in 1972. In 1980, at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec Duran lifted the welterweight crown from Sugar Ray Leonard in a hard fought and exciting 15 rounds unanimous decision. After the disastrous rematch with Leonard (I can hardly utter the words) and following a dark period in his career, including a 15 round unanimous decision loss to Wilfredo Benitez, Duran rebounded with a win over Pipino Cuevas, winning by a 4th round KO and securing a title fight with junior middleweight Davey Moore. Duran would outclass and out fight the game but overmatched champion Davey Moore in 8 rounds.
Later that year, 1983, Duran would face Marvelous Marvin Hagler for the middleweight title, losing a closer than expected unanimous 12 round decision. It was a fight that brought out all of Duran’s crafty experience. Duran would be knocked out the following year for the first time in his career by fellow legendary fighter Tommy “Hit man” Hearns. For the next several years Duran would have inconsistent success against mostly inferior opponents, including a split decision loss to Marvin Hagler’s half brother Robbie Simms.
In 1989 Duran would once again fight for a world title, facing the ever tough fighter from the Bronx, New York, Iran Barkley in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the WBC Middleweight title. It was a close back and forth fight that saw Duran enduring some great punching by Barkley and drawing upon his experience to knockdown Barkley in the 11th round and securing a split decision win from the judges. This would be Duran’s last great fight.
Aaron Pryor would beat both Antonio Cervantes and Alexis Arguello. The first fight with Arguello was named the fight of the decade by Ring Magazine and is considered one of the classic fights of the 1980’s. Despite fighting many good fighters during his career, in 40 fights in a 14 year career these are the only truly meaningful names on his resume. One, Cervantes, a near great, the other, Arguello, an all time great champion. Juxtaposed against Roberto Duran, whose career records reads like a classic boxing hall of fame roster, Pryor pales in comparison. It’s true that anything can happen in boxing and on any given night any fighter can win or lose, that’s been proven again and again over the years. Still if I had to pick a winner between Duran and Pryor, on their best night, I would pick Duran. When Duran was Duran he was unbeatable.
Roberto Duran's Career Record
Aaron Pryor's Career Record
Debunking a common fallacy…………..
Almost without fail, whenever the subject of both Roberto Duran and Aaron Pryor comes up, Duran is almost always accused of purposely passing over the junior welterweights in order to avoid a showdown with Aaron Pryor. But the truth is when Roberto Duran moved up in weight to fight Edwin Viruet in April of 1978, it was Antonio Cervantes who held the junior welterweight title. Pryor would eventually challenge Cervantes for that title in August of 1980, almost two and a half years after the Duran vs. Viruet fight, stopping Cervantes in the 4th round.
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| Aaron Pryor vs Alexis Arguello 1982 |
Pryor, a fine fighter with an exciting style peaked with the Arguello fight and never in his career came close to being the type of fighter that Duran was. Pryor had six more fights after the second Arguello fight, all of them against mediocre to average competition.
Roberto Duran was the reigning lightweight champ for almost seven years before moving up in weight and setting his sights on the welterweight crown. Duran ended the 70’s with fights against Viruet, Ezequiel Obando, Monroe Brooks, Jimmy Heair, Carlos Palomino and Zeffie Gonzalez. In the case of Viruet, Heair and Brooks, Duran was fighting better than average competition, and in Palomino’s case he was fighting an outstanding former welterweight champion. In his previous fight earlier that year, Palomino lost the welterweight title to the great Wilfredo Benitez by a 15 round split decision. It was Duran’s win over Carlos Palomino that showed he was a real threat to the welterweights.
So the question remains, who would win?
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| Roberto Duran vs Sugar Ray Leonard I 1980 |
Duran was no one hit wonder and his career record will back me up. He is in the top five of almost anyone’s all time great list and certainly in the top ten. Counter punching was the key to defeating Pryor and Duran was a great albeit vastly underrated counter puncher. Duran had angles and was great on the inside. He had too much experience for Pryor. Duran was a well schooled fighter with perhaps the greatest cornermen of all time working in his corner, Ray Arcel and Freddie Brown, Panama Lewis would be in Pryor’s corner. There is no such thing as a sure thing, I know that but I believe Duran had too much going for him.
Duran beat Ken Buchanan to win the WBA World Lightweight Championship at the Madison Square Garden in New York in 1972. In 1980, at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec Duran lifted the welterweight crown from Sugar Ray Leonard in a hard fought and exciting 15 rounds unanimous decision. After the disastrous rematch with Leonard (I can hardly utter the words) and following a dark period in his career, including a 15 round unanimous decision loss to Wilfredo Benitez, Duran rebounded with a win over Pipino Cuevas, winning by a 4th round KO and securing a title fight with junior middleweight Davey Moore. Duran would outclass and out fight the game but overmatched champion Davey Moore in 8 rounds.
Later that year, 1983, Duran would face Marvelous Marvin Hagler for the middleweight title, losing a closer than expected unanimous 12 round decision. It was a fight that brought out all of Duran’s crafty experience. Duran would be knocked out the following year for the first time in his career by fellow legendary fighter Tommy “Hit man” Hearns. For the next several years Duran would have inconsistent success against mostly inferior opponents, including a split decision loss to Marvin Hagler’s half brother Robbie Simms.
In 1989 Duran would once again fight for a world title, facing the ever tough fighter from the Bronx, New York, Iran Barkley in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the WBC Middleweight title. It was a close back and forth fight that saw Duran enduring some great punching by Barkley and drawing upon his experience to knockdown Barkley in the 11th round and securing a split decision win from the judges. This would be Duran’s last great fight.
Aaron Pryor would beat both Antonio Cervantes and Alexis Arguello. The first fight with Arguello was named the fight of the decade by Ring Magazine and is considered one of the classic fights of the 1980’s. Despite fighting many good fighters during his career, in 40 fights in a 14 year career these are the only truly meaningful names on his resume. One, Cervantes, a near great, the other, Arguello, an all time great champion. Juxtaposed against Roberto Duran, whose career records reads like a classic boxing hall of fame roster, Pryor pales in comparison. It’s true that anything can happen in boxing and on any given night any fighter can win or lose, that’s been proven again and again over the years. Still if I had to pick a winner between Duran and Pryor, on their best night, I would pick Duran. When Duran was Duran he was unbeatable.
Roberto Duran's Career Record
Aaron Pryor's Career Record
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Louie Burke to be Inducted into the 2011 California Boxing Hall of Fame
Back in the day when Louie Burke of Las Cruces, New Mexico, was winding down his career, after fighting the likes of Charlie “White Lightning” Brown, Freddie Roach and Hector “Macho” Camacho, he could not have anticipated that the best was yet to come. How could he know that 2011 would be his year.
On February 5th of this year, trainer Louie Burke guided super welterweight Austin “No Doubt” Trout to victory over tough Rigoberto Alvarez of Mexico, to win the WBA World Super Welterweight Championship. And on Saturday, June 25, of this year, Louie will be inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame. A deserved honor.
His first trainer was his father Sam Burke, a former amateur boxer, a Marine and Korean War veteran that was wounded in action during the war. After returning from the war Sam became a trainer and was eventually a boxing coach for the U.S. Boxing team. Louie had a good man in his corner. After his father’s death in 1984 Louie was trained at different times by both Jesse Reid and Angelo Dundee..
Louie, a father of two; a daughter and a son, and along with his brother, referee Rocky Burke, continue to give back to the community and the sport of boxing and they continue that journey that began years ago with their father, Sam Burke Sr.
Congratulations to my cousin Louie Burke and the Burke Family on his induction to the California Boxing Hall of Fame.
New Mexico Boxing: Louie Burke
Boxrec: Louie Burke
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
What If: Rocky Graziano vs Jake "The Raging Bull" LaMotta
It might have been a great fight but it never happened. Graziano and LaMotta were scheduled to fight on June 14, 1950 but for one reason or another, the fight never came off. You can't help but wonder.
Between Jake La Motta and Rocky Graziano, LaMotta is generally considered the better of the two and I tend to agree with that assessment. Sometimes on the surface it might mean something or as we see every so often, it can mean absolutely nothing.
Both men were hardened veteran's of ring wars, Both were middleweight champions during their careers. Graziano known for his trilogy with "The Man of Steel" Tony Zale in which he won and lost his title, LaMotta for his six fights with the lengendary Sugar Ray Robinson. LaMotta won one fight and ultimately lost his title to Robinson. Both fought their fair share of "tomato cans" (bums). Both came from a "Dead End Kids" envioroment, LaMotta from the Bronx, hence the nickname "The Bronx Bull", and Rocky from the Lower East Side of Manhatton, New York. Both were Italian Americans. Rocky was sort of a lovable hood and immensely popular. LaMotta, not quite so lovable and not so popular. LaMotta had a total of 106 fights, he won 83 of them with 30 KO's, he lost 19 and got stopped in four of his losses and had 4 draws. Graziano fought for a total of 83 fights, winning 67 of his fights, 52 by knockout, he lost 10 fights, getting KO'ed in three of his losses, and had 6 draws. It's interesting to note that while LaMotta had more fights, Graziano had a better knockout ratio.
Graziano was an exciting, reckless fighter without much defense, he had a better than average punch and a huge heart. LaMotta was a much tighter package. While not exactly a techician, he did posses better defensive skills than Rocky, as well as better jab. His bggist asset was his chin and endurance. As for punching power, he was much more of a "Grinder" that would eventually wear down an opponent.
I don't see Rocky winning this fight. I see LaMotta's chin offsetting Rocky's punch. His better skills would allow LaMotta to get inside of Graziano and take advantage of his lack of a good defense. I see it as a great, crowd pleasing fight that would more than likely end by a late round stoppage of Rocky Graziano. The fans would definitely get their monies worth.
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| LaMotta and Graziano in later years |
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Congratulations Austin Trout!
Photos by Etzel Espinosa–Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions
Austin Trout is the New WBA World Super Welterweight Champion
Photos and Comments Courtesy of newexicoboxing.com
Photos by Etzel Espinosa–Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions
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| Photos by Etzel Espinosa–Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions |
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Austin Trout Takes on Rigoberto Alvarez for the Vacant WBA World Junior Middleweight Title
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| Rigoberto Alvarez and Austin Trout |
By Randy De La O
Austin “No Doubt” Trout , of Las Cruces, New Mexico will challenge Rigoberto “Espanol” Alvarez of Jalisco, Mexico for the vacant WBA Junior Middleweight title. The fight is being held at Guadalajara, Mexico. Alvarez won the Interim WBA title from Nobuhiro Ishida in October of 2010. Both men weighted in at 154 yesterday. Trout stands at 5’10“, Alvarez at 5’11” .
I’ve never seen Alvarez fight but he does have 26 wins out of 28 fights, 19 by KO. He’s lost twice, getting stopped once. The first loss was a 12 round unanimous decision to William Gare back in August of 2009. The second loss, a 9th round TKO, came at the hands of Marco Antonio Rubio just a little over a year ago in January of 2010. Alvarez is the brother of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez the red headed sensation from Mexico.
Trout, who is trained by my cousin Louie Burke has been training in the high mountains of Ruidoso, New Mexico and according to Louie is in great shape and ready. Acknowledging that they are entering the “Lions Den” they are still confident of a victory. “I’ll knock him out in the 9th round” says Trout. With 13 KO’s in 21fights against no losses, it just might happen.
The judges for the fight will be; Raul Caiz Sr. of the United States, Stanley Christodoulou of South Africa and Hubert Earle of Canada. The referee will be Luis Pabon of Puerto Rico.
Should he win, Austin Trout will be Las Cruces first champion . Here’s hoping for a 9th round KO by Austin “No Doubt” Trout.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Update on Austin Trout in Guadalajara
By Louie Burke
At 8:00 am Austin got up for his last morning run, prior to the fight. It was short and sweet. Afterwards we went and ate a good breakfast then he went to his room to rest. At 1:00 we were picked up for the press conference that was held in a bar/restaurant. It was a full house with TV and a bunch of the press, shooting pictures and asking the fighters questions. It was all very tame, again no drama.
After the press conference we ate and went back to train. Austin did a few rounds shadow box and a couple on the mitts and finished with a couple on the skip rope. I’ve never, ever seen him hitting as hard as he’s hitting now and he’s as sharp as he’s ever been.
I know we’re going into the lions den, but I feel extremely good about how Austin is looking for this fight.
Again, thank you for your prayers and support.
At 8:00 am Austin got up for his last morning run, prior to the fight. It was short and sweet. Afterwards we went and ate a good breakfast then he went to his room to rest. At 1:00 we were picked up for the press conference that was held in a bar/restaurant. It was a full house with TV and a bunch of the press, shooting pictures and asking the fighters questions. It was all very tame, again no drama.
After the press conference we ate and went back to train. Austin did a few rounds shadow box and a couple on the mitts and finished with a couple on the skip rope. I’ve never, ever seen him hitting as hard as he’s hitting now and he’s as sharp as he’s ever been.
I know we’re going into the lions den, but I feel extremely good about how Austin is looking for this fight.
Again, thank you for your prayers and support.
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