By Tom Donelson
This weekend saw some great boxing with pretenders and contenders fighting for their future. We saw one prospect Jermaine Taylor graduate to becoming a contender. We saw Dominic Guinn with his career still floundering and leaving us with more questions than answers. We saw a young champion overcome a tough challenge as Jeff Lacy defeated a game Omar Sheika.
We saw Casamayor move up to the lightweight division and challenge the best lightweight before falling short. Is Samuel Peters the real thing? Well we now know that he is still a prospect but he is coming closer to answering that question- is he a contender or pretender?
Juraez- Espadas
In the first minute of the second round, Rocky Juraez nailed Guty Espadas with a right uppercut and then took a half a step back to deliver a sharp picture perfect left hook. Espadas went down like a bag of potatoes. Nose bleeding and broken, Espadas didn’t know if it was still Friday or for that matter, if he was still in Atlantic City.
Rocky Juraez took a giant step toward a championship bid in the featherweight division. Juraez is one of those fighters, who never seem to be in a hurry and his consistent move forward style go hand in hand with his personality. He rarely shows emotion and never seems flustered. As Iowa City boxing pundit Adam Pollack once observed, you never see urgency in Juraez’s style or demeanor. This could sometimes be a handicap, but last Friday night, it was a plus.
Juraez was in his biggest fight. Espadas was a former featherweight champion who barely lost a championship bout to Erik Morales just three years ago. He could easily have been declared the winner. Espadas has lost four of his last nine fights including a three round pounding to Morales in a rematch, but yet there was no doubt that this would be Juraez toughest fight. He was challenging a fighter not far removed from championship contention.
The first round, the taller Espadas fought Juraez fight or I should say that Juraez was able to force Espadas to fight his fight from the opening bell. Juraez penetrated Espadas defense to stay inside. While neither fighter delivered a telling blow in the first round, Juraez set the pace as he got inside to do damage to his opponent’s body. Espadas seemed contented to fight on the inside and give up his five-inch height advantage. This proved to be disastrous mistake.
Juraez took advantage with just one punch. Juraez is no longer a prospect but a top ten and maybe a top five featherweight. Unfortunately, he is fighting in one of boxing deepest division. Barrera, Pacquaio and Marquez rule the division and who knows, you may still have Morales involved as well. We are talking hall of fame caliber fighters so Juraez championship bid faces series impediments. This is not to say that Juraez can’t be a champion but there is no doubt that for Juraez, a championship at either the featherweight or junior lightweight is fraught with obstacles.
Juraez strength is that he has a left hook than can make up for any mistakes made in a fight but there is still much to find out. Does Juraez have the chin to challenge the elite fighters and will his power can counter any thing that he would face? Juraez has to be more than just good to be a champion in this division. He has to be great. Juraez is a good fighter now and at least top-ten fighter. Can he be a great fighter? That is the question.
Guinn-Mystery Fighter
Then there is the mystery of Dominic Guinn. Evander Holyfield summed up Guinn’s problem when he observed Guinn used the same pattern over and over again in the fight. You can figure him out in the first round and simply time him. He won’t change and adjust. In his last fight with Barrett, Guinn was out maneuvered consistently. Barrett used foot movement to dictate the pace of the fight and give himself angles to not only defend against Guinn attack but to explode with his own punches.
Sergei Liakhovich did the exact same thing. While Guinn was the heavier puncher and the more skilled; he was not the smartest fighter. Liakhovich did not just win the fight; he outsmarted the more talented Guinn.
Liakhovich changed his attack. Using a variety of punches, Liakhovich moved to the side by a couple of steps in both directions to provide more angles to attack from. He moved inside and effectively found a home for his upper cut and hooks. Guinn was reduced to throwing the one-two combinations. He did not change anything in the fight. He did not jab effectively after the first round, a round that saw him actually control the tempo. He rarely got off first and allowed Liakhovich managed throughout most of the night to force Guinn to fight on his terms.
The seventh round demonstrated the Guinn problem. In the middle of the round, Guinn nailed Liakhovich with a beautiful combination and hurt the Belarus native. Liakhovich held on for dear life and Guinn allowed him to. Liakhovich escaped and then took over the fight. Guinn’s corner men were beside themselves as they watched their fighter give up an opportunity to win the fight.
While pundits wrote as if this was the fight to define Guinn’s career, Guinn still has a viable career. The Heavyweight division is not exactly teaming with talent and every major contender or champion has a serious flaw or two that plagues them. John Ruiz? Not a graceful bone in his body. Byrd? Elusive fighter but at 33, he is losing some of his quickness. And Byrd’s power doesn’t scare most heavyweights. Vitali Klitschko is the cream of the crop but the Ukrainian fighter has yet to show the world that he is the man to rule the division and Lamon Brewster is just one fight from losing his title.
After Hasim Rahman lost to John Ruiz, everyone wrote Rahman off. After barely beating an old Al Cole, additional dirt were thrown on the grave of Rahman’s career. Rahman found himself in boxing purgatory and fought on small cards for four figure purses. After beating, or I should say, devastating Kali Meehan in their last fight; everyone is now saying that this could be the guy to give Klitschko the most trouble. So Guinn is just one big win for being a contender despite his last two losses.
Guinn was not humiliated and both losses were close decision to good fighters. Another reason that Guinn still has a career is that he has a great corner behind him. Guinn’s problem is that he fights not to lose. He does not always stay active and rarely does he change strategy or show flexibility. Great fighters find way to win big matches even when they are not at their best. Good fighters lose big matches because they simply can’t make that next step.
For one night, Rahman made that step when he knocked Lennox Lewis out. In his last two fights, Guinn did not make that leap. He allowed less talented fighters to beat him. They outhustled and outsmarted him. He still could be a player in boxing but his biggest hurdle is what inside. I am not talking heart but boxing instinct. Some boxers have instinct that allows to adjust during a fight. Guinn does haven’t that instinct.
Guinn now is back to ground zero and for the moment, not a contender. Guinn is still can become a contender for he has the talent. Two losses should not disqualify a contender from a championship but Guinn has to make that next step. To be a contender means more than just a sharp jab or sledge hammer hook. It means the ability to adjust and think. What makes Chris Byrd a champion and Guinn just another top-twenty fighter? Simple, Byrd is one of the smartest fighters who can adjust in the course of the fight. Guinn can’t. That is why Byrd is a champion and Guinn is no longer a top ten Heavyweight.
Samuel Peters Takes a Giant Step
Last Saturday Night, Jeremy Williams had one strategy. Box and force the pace against Peters. In Peters’ last two fights, he hardly distinguished himself in going the distance. In the first round, Williams beat Peters to the punch and Peters found himself fighting at a faster pace. With the second round began, Williams can out firing but he was nailed with a right hand followed by a sweeping left hook that sent Williams to the canvas. Williams’ head hit the canvas and for nearly a minute, Williams went blank.
Peters showed power and he showed that he could fight at a faster pace. Williams is a smaller heavyweight so what was proved I don’t know. However Peters did show that he does have one punch knock out power and he showed that he is still a future contender in the Heavyweight division. In his two previous fights, Peters showed little hand speed and lethargic manners in the ring. Against Williams, Peters looked sharp and compose. He fought hard when forced and ended the fight with one punch when presented with the opportunity. He rose to this occasion.
Lacy beat Sheika
Omar Sheika has fought some of the best in the division but in the big moments, he always came up short. Last Saturday night was no difference. Sheika showed excellent hand speed and a sneaky right hand that neutralized Lacy feared left hook. In the first six rounds, Sheika was slightly ahead but there were times that he shook Lacy up. In the second round, Sheika right hand shook Lacy and even buckled his knee.
Lacy has one thing-composure. As the fight progressed, Lacy started banging the body. This work showed its effect over the last six rounds as Lacy took command of the fight. He consistently hit the body and as the rounds went by, Sheika held more and more just to stand up. In the tenth round, Lacy nearly ended the fight but Sheika refused to go down.
In the twelfth round, Lacy put an exclamation point on this fight as he dominated the round with hooks to the body and head followed by right hands. What won this fight was Lacy patience. He continually went to the body and this slowed his opponent down. In a fight against a tough opponent with nothing to lose, he stood his ground. Sheika is a good boxer but in his biggest moment, he never could find that one burst to put him over the top. His seven defeats have come at the hands of the best in the division and he always gave a good account of himself.
Lacy’s ability rests on power and endurance. He did not outbox Sheika; he just out slugged him over the last six rounds. This was the difference. When he needed a key unch to win a round, he found it. That is why he prevailed. Sheika did not hurt his stock in this fight and he may yet get a fourth shot at the title. But he was not a better fighter than Lacy. Sheika fought his best fight and he still could not beat Lacy.
Casamayor-Castillo
This is one of those fights that scoring depends upon whether you like slick boxing or aggressive fighters who keep moving forward. Castillo moved forward all night but in the early rounds, he was ineffectual. The first two rounds were easily Casamayor and rounds three thru ten were difficult rounds to score. Casamayor scored the more accurate punches and throughout most of the fight, he was able to hold Castillo’s left hand to keep Castillo left hook from ripping his body. On occasion, Castillo was able to land some punches. As Showtime’s Al Bernstein noticed during the fight, this was one a fight you had to pay attention to effectively score. And even this is no guranatee that you will still come up with the right decision.
What hurt Casamayor in the end was that his punches did very little to stun or hurt Castillo whereas Castillo did hurt Casamayor in the last two rounds. With 30 seconds left in the last round, Castillo’s left hook sent Casamayor mouthpiece flying.
The split decision and the difference among press row showed the difficulty of the scoring. Al Bernstein had Castillo winning by 2 rounds and I had Casamayor winning by 2 rounds. I like boxers who can elude trouble and throughout most of the fight, Casamayor did that. Castillo had trouble landing solid shots and it wasn’t until the last two rounds that Castillo finally trapped and nailed Casamayor with shots.
At 33, Casamayor still has the ability to move and elude trouble but he did not carry the punch needed to stun Castillo. He fought the perfect fight and barely lost or won depending upon your point of view. Before this fight, my own view was that the best lightweight in the world now was Castillo and there is nothing to change my mind. In a rematch, Castillo would win outright. Now on to Corrales-Castillo to settle once and for all, who is the best 135-pound fighter. And least I forget, there is the “Baby Bull” Juan Diaz waiting in the background.
Taylor smashes Joppy
William Joppy was determined to take the fight to Jermaine Taylor and the first objective was to neutralize the Taylor jab. For the first three rounds, Joppy out jabbed the jabber. Taylor showed his mettle by adjusting to what was in front of him. “Okay, take away my jab? Watch me nail this guy with uppercuts and right hands,” must been what Taylor was thinking. For that is what he did. He showed to be a fighter who can adjust to his opponent in the ring. Whereas Dominic Guinn would not adjust in his fight, Taylor did. That is why Guinn has lost his last two and Taylor put himself in line for a possible title fight.
For the first five rounds, the fight was competitive. Then Taylor nailed Joppy with a left hook and sent Joppy sprawling to the canvas. From that point, Joppy was only interested in surviving. From the sixth round on with the exception of the last minute in the eleventh round, Joppy ran and kept his hands up. He rarely punched and spent more time avoiding a fight than starting one. A good fight turned into a track meet.
Joppy proved that he is no longer a contender for the Middleweight title but Taylor showed that he may have the smarts and skills to challenge Trinidad or Hopkins. Taylor reminds me of a young Hopkins, with good boxing skills and a unique ability to change course in a fight. He has instinct for the ring and appears prepared when he steps in the ring.
Now for the big debate. Rich Reeno of BoxingScene.com is of the opinion that this fight proved nothing and that Taylor doesn’t have the power to beat either Trinidad or Hopkins. Reeno is following what I call the boxing historian Frank Lotierzo theory, “don’t let one fight decide a career and don’t be swayed by one fight.” My own impression is that Taylor has excellent arsenal of punches and the power to compete in the upper echelon of the Middleweight division. He discouraged Joppy from fighting. Joppy did not want to fight after being pummeled in the opening five rounds. Reeno’s thesis is that lets see how he does against Eastman and other top fighters in the division. One fight is not enough to make the case that Taylor is the real thing. Tayor is no longer a prospect but a contender. Now he must fight the top fighters to solidify his position.
Other Observation
In an interview with Brian Kenny, Evander Holyfield explained his desire to win the title one more time. The problem with Holyfield is that he equates retirement with quitting. Repeatedly, he told the ESPN reporter that he was not a quitter but Holyfield needs to realize is that there is time to look in the mirror and enjoy what was. Holyfield had a great career and now it is time to start a new life. That is not quitting but wisdom.
Jeremy Williams, after his fight with Peters, told Jim Gray that he most likely hang it up. “If I can’t beat this guy, who can I beat,” Williams told Gray. For Williams, he has other interest outside boxing and he still has money in the bank. Maybe the realization that by losing to Peters, Williams no longer has a chance to win a title. So at 32 and a long productive career in the ring, Williams most likely says goodbye. It is not quitting, it is called retirement.
The one fighter that impressed me the most was Jeff Lacy. Rick Reeno told me, “Lacy has the goods. Two hard fights in a span of months shows me that he has the goods.” Lacy, like Taylor, has an arsenal of punches. He can punch with either hand and his body shots pulverize his opponents. By the sixth or seventh round, what energy level left in his opponent usually dissipates. That is what makes him a champion.
This weekend saw Guinn career take another step backward and saw Samuel Peters take a small step toward contender status in the Heavyweight division. The lightweight division narrowed down as Castillo position himself into a high level confrontation with Corrales. And Jeff Lacy established himself as a star in boxing and Taylor sits at the cusp of greatness. This was a productive weekend in boxing.
