I say they could also make it right with him being the first defense against Kabayel in Germany.
People already looked the other way for this Rico matchup in the first place- they want Usyk to fight rightful contenders who have been waiting their turn.
BOXING lost this Night.
I can see why you would say that. But he's a boxer now.
A new star made out of thin air. He fought pretty hard and well but I don't know what Usyk was doing at times, there was little reactive action from him. I mean, maybe Rico is the real deal like Vitaly but I'd be skeptical in the next fight.
But Rico is a boxer now - he can sit back and soak in the new fame and wait for a fight that will fill an arena in his hometown or Germany against Kabayel. Or be the "first test" for Ituama, these are suddenly "huge fights" in boxing.
Rico fought the fight AJ couldn't in two fights. It seemed like all AJ had to do was take one more step in and swarm like Rico was, but he never could. He is one of the biggest losers of last night IMO.
The referee made a total mess out of that last sequence. Rico was out and Usyk should have got an opportunity to finish it properly in the 11th round. Now, he did finish it, but in an ugly way where the referee stopped it when it should have not been stopped. The referee messed it up, and try to fix mistake by messing it up again.
Yes, it even looked like he realized he was jumping the gun, but he had already fallen in too much and went through with calling it. That's how it looked in real-time to me, I haven't watched it back yet. That momentarily realization is what made it look bad to me imo. Rico earned more time to recover, but he is also not a known commodity in 11th round of a fight he is now falling apart in. That is the drawback of this kind of odd-ball matchmaking. It looked bad and I knew people were not going to "feel right" about it and I don't blame them. One or two more sequences and it would have been fine.
Sheeraz vs Benavidez is not smart. Benavidez operates at the highest level which is like 3 levels above Sheeraz even if he fulfills his full potential. Sheeraz now would get stopped very early against Benavidez. Sheeraz needs to fight a top 10 guy to prove he really improved since the Adames loss. He could fight Adames at 168 to prove that. 168 is a weak division since Benavidez and Morrell left and Sheeraz can definetly benefit from it but first we need to see all these guys fight each other Iglesias might be the best of all he could fight him or maybe lester martinez both are good step ups.
I think it would be a hot ticket someday, at least 1.5 years away at least though. I've followed DB from the jump as well, he's a bad dude and living up to it all, what can anyone say.....I just like how Sheeraz might matchup because of his left hook and dimensions.
Initially, I was skeptical of Sheeraz - initial impressions was that he reminded me of Vanes Martiroysian who was pretty good, but not well rounded enough, never got better through the process, too upright, too easy to get under him, under his jab, etc (incidentally, they had the same trainer I believe Ricky Funez). So I was glad when I heard he switched up teams, even though I know people aren't convinced about Andy Lee either. I was just glad to hear he wasn't sticking with Funez because a lot of what frustrated me about Vanes showed up in the Adames fight (also the weight likely played a role). I like to give 3 fights with the new trainer but so far I like how he's been looking. Let's see if talk of this matchups comes up organically in another year or two. I think it could.
I saw the initial matchup Pacheco vs Sheeraz and was like damn, both of them are ready to ante up. It was a major fight to me - but, in the end, it was really Sheeraz who was ready to go all-in. Pacheco rearranged his whole team after that fallout.
But tI see a lot of UK commenters online saying Hamza is a fraud, but the more I see, the more I think he can be a star if things keep tracking. Can't say I rate the fight that just happened all that much, I'm just speaking overall. I like the confidence of the Pacheco matchup even if it didn't go through.
His back is starting to fill in at the new weight, still a lot that can be done physically. The left hook is flicking effortlessly now, he's got snap. Add a 45 like Oscar and that's another tool. I'd love to see Hamza v Benavidez someday
Probably won't be getting the rematch with Usyk.
I think he can sit back and soak it in.
Not taking anything away - and yes the referee jumped in a sequence or two too soon - but he's likely to regress to the mean next fight and could lose to anyone imo. If it was me I'd rather wait to see if Kabayel beats Uysk - and then ask Turki to "make it right" and be the first defense for Agit in Germany. Netherlands vs Germany - don't those two countries have a good soccer rivalry? I think that would be a GREAT crowd.
See if he can pull something off again, it's unlikely but you never know - but even with another loss, I think he could still take it from there and see what else pops up or try to finish on a real win and call it a day.
Kabayel-Rico
Sheeraz-Jacob Bank
That;s good for Rico though, he can get a couple more paychecks - maybe win 1 or 2 depending- but overall, just go out and be serviceable,and he can rake it in before he retires.
I'm of two minds on this one. Yeah, he earned more time to recover given how he fought.
But this is probably the drawback of giving a limited experience fighter a HW title shot straight off. It helped sell the fight sure and, yeah, it's HW, so anything can happen, anyone can go; maybe you can be Cindarella. But will the ref give the benefit of the doubt in the situation he was stuck in before the stoppage? In any championship fight between two seasoned boxers, the answer should/would have been yes.
I want to say It should apply in this case too, and that he earned more time; however, I can see how this kind of matchmaking might put the referee into an awkward situations/decision.
There is not a lot of clean action in his fights, they are usually disjointed and have zero flow and momentum. I haven't been excited to follow him like I was young Crawford for example, just haven't been blown away impressed other than he has good dimensions, frame, strength. And young Crawford wasn't known for blowing the roof off either, people called him boring too - but the difference is that you could see his instinct, it jumped off the screen to me..
In fairness, Davis does open up to the body later on in fights when the opponent is tired of the holding and disjointed action, but I don't really see that willingness early on. I'd love to see that earlier, because he can be a good body puncher, he actually can get a flow going when he does that.
He is still a tough matchup, don't get me wrong. He will be an issue for many fighters despite what I'm talking about, it's just not that entertaining as of yet.
He probably wants to go to 147 to fight Norman and do the Haney gameplan which was to hold and disrupt. I'll annoyed if Norman agrees to that fight straight away given it should be obvious what Davis will want to do.
I must be way off on the assessment of these two.
Without overrating Hrgovic, I'd think Ituama would need at least one more before that. I'd be surprised if that fight got made next.
But how long is the list of guys who want this fight in particular. I've only heard two guys say they want this fight and that is Nelson Hysa and Hrogvic.
If they are really trying to "go for it" now then It should be someone who wants to win, is tough and still trying to ascend or make it back to the top. Hrgovic does fit the bill, but the experience makes him potentially more than that for an Ituama right now.
If it got made next, I'd have to buy into some of the hype, it'd be must watch.
I've been thinking Hysa (also with Queensbury) would be a good opponent before fighting Hrgovic, but maybe that's wrong, also too much unknown danger but he lacks big fight experience like Moses.
It's wide open, HW really is interesting right now.
I don't want to brush any of the good fighters people are naming aside, I'd be down for all those fights. Those names are better than I one I am about to mention but I'm just looking at just styles and dimensions for this exercise.
So if I had to pick one wildcard guy who I think would be tricky for DB around those weights, it would be Hamzah.
But really, I kind want to see a HW.
I didn't notice that, the Neflix fights seem to feature them prominently though. But I remember watching Canelo-Crawford and thinking it was a sausage fest ringside. Need more high rollers who always have a 'classy' babe with them. Oscar had his this weekend
Far cry from how I got to grow up in boxing - Jimmy Lennon on the call:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl9JYETGhGk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtcC1Kvk5MI
I would favor both to beat Benavidez.
Benavidez is, honestly, only a fat guy, his true division is 168 - 175.
Has he truly put on real weight yet? Hes just isn't trying to lose it anymore; and now he is in a natural state.
It would have to be a select group of HW's, but Gasssiev, Wardley, Usyk, Andy Ruiz, Opetaia(at HW),
I'm sure you saw Zurdo standing around Malik Scott all weekend and it looked like Zurdo could give him a go if he wanted. DB basically fought a HW as it was.
Looking good with another natural super middleweight at cruiserweight isn't the same as facing and beating a natural cruiserweight (Opetaia) or better yet, a natural cruiserweight fitted by years, to heavyweight (Usyk).
Who would you take:
Benavidez vs Gassiev
Benavidez vs Wardley
I'l be surprised if Fat Dave's team agrees to fight Cossack Oleksandr so soon
I think he has admitted that Buff Guy Jai as a first touch in a new division would be too much
Turki would be paying Fat Dave handsomely in order for him to rush up to Cossack Oleksandr
It's far fetched, but he'd get Usyk on a short turnaround. Maybe the same or even less as Canelo-Kovalev, for example.
What about that July 11th card in San Francisco - there will be many people in the US for the World Cup, looking to be part of anything that happens while they are here.
What fight would you do that can draw 100k?
When I read Sampson Lewkowicz is on the hook to produce a crowd of 100k in San Francisco this July 11th, Benavidez vs Usyk was the only feasible fight I could come up with that would even begin to capture the imagination for something like that.
(Also listening to the PBC matchmaker comparing DB to James Toney and his progression up in weight. Toney moved up right after the Jirov fight which is what Tom Brown from PBC was comparing Saturday's fight to. And looking at the body types of their two opponents in Zurdo and Rico). Offer Usyk a ton to take the short turnaround. Far fetched but it crossed my minyd, I suggested Usyk is the next fight that other thread.
Sampson Lewkowicz, the risk-taking promoter who backed Hall of Famers Manny Pacquiao and Sergio Martinez, among others, has emerged as lead promoter for the daring outdoor summer boxing event in San Francisco aiming to draw more than 100,000 fans.
https://www.boxingscene.com/articles/sampson-lewkowicz-tabbed-as-lead-promoter-for-san-francisco-outdoor-boxing-event
Reminds me a little of the first fight of the night where Flores came out all business and had the timing immediately; it was such a fast start that you wondered if he could keep it up, or would tire himself out, but he never did, always stopping any hint of momentum before it got out of hand.
Resendiz is better than that Lucero guy, still a way to go; just saying Munguia looks on point in that way. And then he finished like he started so i'll see if Munguia can pull that off too.
The Zurdo that DB sparred when they were 168-175 looks way different now. DB says he remembers everyone's style he spars against, and never forgets, but maybe there are some physicality aspects he will have to adjust for. I guess the same goes for both but DB looks the same as ever.
I watched a video with the matchmaker for PBC and he made the connection between David's jump and James Toney's jump to CW. It got me thinking of what that fight was, and yes, it was that fight vs Vassily Jirov, one of the best fights of all time in my book. Two husky southpaws Zurdo and Jirov, against the two naturals in DB and Toney.. I thought it was a fun comparison,.
I thought I heard him say he also wanted Pero's brother, Danier Pero.
Danier might hit a little harder; he was advertised as more talented, but not much to go on in the pros. Maybe you can say Danier has more pace to him than his brother (who even walks back to his corner lazily). He should be able to open up the fight in the same way and bag a couple rounds off top. But, again, hard to trust what comes after that.
He was nearly KOed cold by Cesar Navarro in his last fight, the fall woke him up. He got up and finished to a wide decision W, but he couldn't get him out. Navarro came back and just got thrashed by my guy Big Gurgen.
The fight lastnight was pretty good action, and if he fought another Pero, it'd basically be all the same questions but maybe more power behind it.
Miller hasn't looked like that in a while.
I'd have doubts of him showing up like that again.
Regular Miller + Wilder's new short right hand that was landing on Chisora, I think Wilder can win.
Some of these guys suggested recently signed with Zuffa boxing and I assume are going to be used as chess pieces to build up somebody in their promotional bubble. Guido would foot the bill for me or Gassiev.
Forgot about Gassiev - yeah that seems like an opportunity for many, including Ituama. I'd think even Wardley would be be in the same bucket, even if he beats DDD,still appearing as low hanging fruit (but maybe he's better than I think). Guido looked determined as ever the last fight I saw, I'd watch that too.
I remember they showed Spence on TV a couple months ago - his face was trim and not puffy like he often looks in between fights, just overall in good spirits. I'll get drawn in and root for him.
Crossroads in the Outback
I'll go Nelson Hysa.
Older, but still trying to become a contender himself, undefeated, size, OK jab, decent ability/style, a bit mean. Seems like he would offer rounds and come to win; says he wants this fight.
Kind of a mystery box fighter - and I never realized until just now that he is actually ranked with two bodies: #3 in the WBA, two behind Ituama. #11 WBO.
It's a badazz fight. DB is that guy; but then Zurdo brings just enough tactical boxing ability to make you think that there could dimensions to the fight (albeit slow).
Is he going to end up hunkered down and just allowing DB to get off once the handspeed is flashed. I didn't expect Morrell to get stymied in that way, just crouching down taking shots, basically blinding himself; I thought he might throw with DB more. Zurdo's very good at always slipping a body punch underneath on the way out in those situations, I want to put stock into that.... but that DB handspeed can be scary. Hoping for some good stuff.