By Keith Terceira
Ugly fights can happen when two opponents are mismatched by style but what I will focus on are fights mismatched by class and talent for the simple sake of building a record or getting a win. With the ever louder yells about the danger of our sport , the increasing costs of medicals for fighters, the ABC (Association of Boxing Commissions) screaming for states to meet the requirements that powerhouse boxing places such as Nevada, New York , and California have, and the effects of ring deaths on the public’s impression of the sport , you would think that mismatches are a thing of the past. But they occur in the top ten ranks across the world.
What motivates a commission to allow a totally lop-sided bout to take place ?
One such reason is late drop offs and last minute replacements, another is that a promoter will convince a commissioner that canceling the bout may cause financial loss, and then there is the glamour end of the business when a top ranked fighter appears on a card in a state that would not normally draw a ranked fighter and the commission gets caught in the spec tical of boxing. Then again maybe some just don't care.
Whatever the reason and cause commissioners, matchmakers, and promoters roll the dice with someone else’s life in the balance with the belief that they can stop a bout before serious damage occurs. Fighters take the fights for bigger purses and risk death or worse, having to live with extreme disability for decades.
#1 Ugly and Dangerous
Daniel Santos 30-3-1 (21 KO’s) versus Will Evans 8-9 (6KO’s)
Former WBO Light Middleweight Champion Santos faced Will Evans in St Louis on July 8th at the Savvis Center. Santos once held the WBO Welterweight title and defended his Light Middleweight title 4 times successfully before losing to Sergiy Dzinziruk in December of last year. In 2004 Santos defeated Lerma and Antonio Margarito.
Evans on the other hand while a game fighter spent all of 2005 on the seat of his trunks being knocked out in the first ,third, and second in his fights . Fact is any competent commissioner would have saw that the four wins Evans’ did have recently came against fighters with a combined record of 1-6, the only fighter with a winning record of those four was Bernard Schultz (1-0) and Evan’s squeaked out a split decision , at the time Evans’ was 5-4 . Fact is the only fighter Evans’ ever beat with a better record than Schultz was in his second bout in 2001, Walter Gibson was 2-0.
Evans was knocked out in the first round against Santos and what propels this fight to the top of my Ugly Mismatch list is it was allowed to occur in the home state of Tim Lueckenhoff, Missouri Commissioner and President of the ABC. So much for the ABC protecting fighters and changing what's wrong with boxing..
#2
Julio Gonzales 40-3 (24 KO’s) versus Rodney Moore 8-16-6 (3 KO’s)
What places this fight to second on my ridiculous list is that in the fight prior to this one Gonzales fought DeLisle (18-3 at the time) and won the #2 spot in the IBF standings for light heavies. The Moore bout took place on July 20th in the Tachi Palace Casino in California, a state with ever increasing restrictions for fighters.
Gonzales , stopped Daruisz Michalczewski’s win streak at 48-0 winning a split decision in Germany, no less, taking home the WBO Light Heavyweight title when he left. He also beat Montel Griffin in 2005 for a shot at Clinton Woods for the IBF light heavy title which he lost by UD. His creds include twelve round losses to Roy Jones Jr, Clinton Woods, and Zsolt Eridei, all for titles.
Moore on the other hand a true “Road Warrior” had a single claim to fame, surprising Aran Jaco 13-1 at the time with a second round stoppage but was certainly not a power threat to Julio. Less than 60 days before the bout with the former World Champion , Rodney lasted only two rounds against the 6-1-1 Nelson Zepeda. Guess that propels you in California to World Class fighter statis . Gonzales KO’ed Moore in the third. Since 1998 Moore had been stopped nine times three times more than Gonzales had even lost. Even more ridiculous is the fact that Rodney weighed in under 175 while Gonzales weighted in at 181 (cruiserweight)
#3
Samuel Peter 26-1(22ko’s) versus Julius Long 14-8 (12KO’s)
Samuel Peter who is toted has the hardest hitting heavyweight in the world had stopped some of the best journeyman fighters in the world prior to facing Wladimir and losing that decision. Even in the loss he had Wlad down three times in the fight.
This bout with Long took place in Uncasville, Conn. At the Mohegan Sun Casino and was televised on ESPN. Contrary to normal matchmaking policy for ESPN fights (main Events) Long who was coming off a loss to Terry Smith was still matched as a feature fighter.
Julius Long’s entire winning career has been built on the backs on debut fighters and sub .500 fighters even being allowed to take on Derrell Banks twice between 2004-2005 when Long had a record of 11-5 at the time and Banks was 3-3 not having fought since 1996. Banks has yet to fight again. Long’s claim to fame in his only win against an opponent with a winning record was stopping Nicolay Popov (12-0) in the sixth in 2004.
Fact is Long went from losing a 4 rounder to Raymond Olubowale (2-0 at fight time) while Julius was 13-5 to three fights later facing the biggest puncher in the world. Shame on someone.. Didn’t Long being stopped by Tye Fields in 3 clue in some comish that this was an ugly and dangerous fight to allow.
#4
Sergio Gabriel Martinez 37-1-1 (18 KO’s) versus everyone since October 2005
Number four is not a particular opponent but all four opponents Sergio has faced since winning the WBC Latino light middleweight title from Airapetian in Spain. Gamboa was 12-23-2, Tskrialashvili 6-9, Brito 11-14-3, and Vasile Surcica 13-24-2 went 12 rds before losing but the rest were stopped.
Martinez and the WBC worked tirelessly since their relationship began to prove to the world that the WBC titles mean less and less every year.
#5
“Baby” Joe Mesi 32-0 (26 ko’s) versus Dennis Matthews 9-27-0 (6 ko’s)
“Baby” Joe Mesi made a mockery of boxing and his first US license since his win in Nevada courts. The state of Arkansas (my home state) who was supposedly trying to strive towards being considered a legitimate player in the world of boxing due to possible Taylor fights in Little Rock did more damage than it realizes to that goal by sanctioning this bout. Mesi who had trouble on national TV with Stephane Tessier 3-7 in Canada decided I guess to play it even safer by reaching into the almost 40 barrel again and pulling out a fighter who spent most of his career in the 170 - 180 range and who hadn’t won a bout since 2002 when Matthews faced Tracy Barrios (9-21) fact is that Dennis never beat a heavyweight in his career and had been stopped four of his last seven bouts . Cerrone Fox , who in 2003 was 5-0 stopped a 9-23 Matthews in three. Fitting prep for a fighter with thirty plus wins.
Dennis Matthews has never boxed in any state that requires a full array of medicals and Arkansas requires none. The risk that the state of Arkansas placed Dennis Matthews in by allowing him to fight Joe Mesi borders on criminally insane and negligent . Matthews lasted into the second. Hopefully Mesi’s rust has come off and no other fighter’s safety will be sacrificed for polishing Baby Joe’s career.
My suggestion is that Joe work harder in the gym and fight less tomato cans before he places some club fighter in the same situation he was in a couple of years ago.
Next week we will continue with Ugly and Dangerous part two, when we examine not sub 500 matches but the scam of pulling fighters out of retirement to earn a shot at a title or continue a winning streak.
Hopefully no one will die before I write it.