By Jake Donovan (photo by Tom Casino/Showtime)
To date, Andre Ward remains the lone American boxer to capture Olympic gold in the 21st Century.
As several members of the 2008 US Olympic boxing squad begin to dig their heels into the pro ranks, we’re still waiting for Ward’s pro career, now in its fifth year, to take off.
Friday’s night Shobox showcase was basically more of the same of what we’ve seen from Oakland’s fines, with Ward cruising to a shutout win over limited fringe contender Henry “Sugar Poo” Buchanan in the televised main event.
The bout headlined a televised card which aired live from the Tachi Palace in Lemoore, California.
Ward’s jab was popping from the opening bell, coming out aggressive in the early going as Buchanan offered back nothing in return. Sadly, it was a recurring theme throughout the fight, which was good for Ward, but monotonous to the naked eye.
Buchanan finally attempted to touch up Ward in the third, flicking his jab and occasionally following up with a straight right. Few punches were getting through, but it certainly beat the retreat mode he employed in the opening two rounds. Meanwhile, Ward was getting more confident with each passing minute, often fighting with his hands down and always getting off first.
A natural southpaw who chose to fight righty early in his boxing life, Ward fought from the left side in round four. The results were effective, if not particularly spectacular. Ward did little to exert himself, simply taking whatever Buchanan would offer, playing the aggressor since his opponent all but refused to throw punches.
After nothing at all happened in the fifth, Ward picked up the pace at the start of the sixth round. A heavy jab and several right hands found their mark upstairs, while Buchanan used every inch of the ring in his best effort to stay out of his opponent’s punching range. A right uppercut midway through the round woke up the crowd, as did a pair of body shots in the final minute.
It was back to the southpaw stance for Ward in the seventh. Buchanan remained in his conventional and conservative stance – more focused on playing defense than making any sort of effort to win rounds. More of the same came out of the eighth, only with Ward switching back to righty.
Ward entered unchartered territory in the ninth, his first time in 18 pro fights that he’d been extended beyond the eighth round. The extra rounds had no effect on the Olympian, nor should they have as the bout never developed beyond an expensive televised sparring session. To his credit, Buchanan finally took a forward step and threw a few punches, forcing Ward to have to slip a punch or two for the first time in several rounds.
The pre-fight promise was that Ward would box for nine rounds and turn up the heat in the 10th. Trainer Virgil Hunter remembered the script, instructing his charge to “close the show” prior to round’s start. Ward came out throwing, but remained measured as Buchanan was still a moving target, focusing primarily on defense.
Because a regional title was at stake, the bout extended into the championship rounds rather than ending after ten. Neither fighter did much of anything with the extra six minutes, aside from Buchanan landing his best punch of the fight, a low blow about a minute into the eleventh round.
With a whimper came a close to a largely forgettable main event. The judges had an easy night’s work, as all they had to do for 12 rounds was fill in Ward 10, Buchanan 9. Their scorecards reflected as such, with totals of 120-108 registering across the board.
A seven-fight knockout streak is halted, but Ward nevertheless remains unbeaten as his record moves to 18-0 (12KO). To say he’s improved is open to debate. The skills are there to suggest a future star, but Buchanan was a step backward from even the marginal competition he’s faced in 2008, which was a breakout year in comparison to the rest of his career.
Buchanan falls to 17-2 (12KO) with the non-effort. His other loss came to Jean-Paul Mendy in the semi-final round of the 2006 Shobox super middleweight tournament that never crowned a winner. The bout was his third on Showtime and Shobox; given his lack of effort in the bout, chances are it will be his last.
In stark contrast, undefeated super featherweight prospect John Molina Jr looked sensational in the televised opener, having his way with Joshua Allotey en route to a third round stoppage.
In addition to making his Shobox debut, Molina was fighting for the first time under the tutelage of veteran trainer Joe Goossen. The pair easily make for the most stylish team in the sport, with Molina’s sideburns and perfectly groomed coif the perfect complement to Joe’s club-ready corner attire.
Aside from looking camera-ready, Molina didn’t look too shabby in the ring. The brief affair saw the rangy Californian repeatedly score with blistering combinations upstairs. Allotey had his moments, though most came after absorbing a hailstorm of head shots.
The third round proved to be the final of the bout, but not before encountering drama in its opening moments. Allotey began the round with two low blows, the second to which Molina responded with a body shot of his own. Replays showed that it was a legal body shot, but referee Dan Stell insisted that it hit the top of the cup. Allotey played out the string, wincing in pain for well over two minutes before finally rising to his feet, though after strenuous suggestion from the referee and ringside physician.
Another minute would pass by before action would finally resume. Allotey tried to make the most of whatever second wind he caught, but Molina wouldn’t allow him to enjoy sustained success. A brutal series of body shots sent the African to the canvas, this time legal, and for the full ten count.
The official time was 1:28 of round three.
Molina cruises to 15-0 (11KO) with the win, easily stealing the show with the explosive knockout win.
Allotey drops his second straight in falling to 16-7 (14KO).
The show was presented by Goossen-Tutor Promotions.
Jake Donovan is a voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Please feel free to submit any comments or questions to Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com .
