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Dougie’s Monday mailbag

Photo by Leo Wilson Jr./Premier Boxing Champions
Fighters Network
13
Feb

ROBERT EASTER JR.

I thought Robert Easter Jr. looked fairly basic against Luis Cruz.Had a nice jab, obviously, a good right hand, but I felt it was more obvious about what he didn’t do. Couldn’t find the timing to land the counter uppercut he was looking for in the middle rounds, couldn’t cut the ring off and really smothered his punches on the inside.

I thought the crowd was energetic and that certainly played to Easter’s favour. As a fight fan I appreciate that. I have seen some really terrific fights that you might have sworn that they took place in a library, but I couldn’t help but wonder if the crowd really knew what they were watching.

Let’s be honest Cruz was the opponent who was there to give Easter some rounds, with one win and a split draw in his last five fights. While he did show some early durability, he had no jab, no head movement, in fact he often pulled straight out and I thought his corner did him a real disservice by sending him out after the second knockdown.



He gave Easter some ring time, landed a couple of solid shots but had lost every round by a wide margin. After the second KD his job was finished. And to me he took another life altering KD in the 12th that he really didn’t need to take. – Sugar K Robinson (@CustomEnswell)

I agree. I think the fight could have been stopped after Round 10 (after Cruz was dropped for the first time and beat on for the remaining minutes). Easter had an insurmountable lead, Cruz had already taken considerable punishment in Rounds 6 and 7, was unable to climb into the fight and had no shot of pulling off any sort of come-from-behind KO. Nobody on the planet (apart from Cruz and maybe his far-too-brave corner) would have complained had the fight ended at the conclusion of Round 10.

That said, I think it was good for Easter to go the full 12 again. He’s the greenest (in terms of years and pro fights) of the major lightweight titleholders, so he needs all the seasoning he can get before locking horns with any of them (or even his hardnosed IBF mandatory Denis Shafikov), and I think it’s good for a young badass to realize that some fighters (even gross underdogs like Cruz) simply refuse to be stopped.

I thought Robert Easter Jr. looked fairly basic against Luis Cruz. There’s nothing wrong with “basic,” in my opinion. I’ve read Tweets from young boneheads dismissing Joe Louis and Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. as being “basic.” There’s nothing wrong with the basics in terms of one’s fundamentals and primary offense. Easter can get a lot done just by boxing tall and optimizing his reach, reflexes, speed and power with a sharp jab and well-timed one-two combinations. I thought he did this against Cruz in the early rounds but at some point he got antsy (probably due in part to wanting to appease his hometown fans – and there’s nothing wrong with that) and maybe tried too hard to force a stoppage in the middle rounds.

Had a nice jab, obviously, a good right hand, but I felt it was more obvious about what he didn’t do. Couldn’t find the timing to land the counter uppercut he was looking for in the middle rounds, couldn’t cut the ring off and really smothered his punches on the inside. He rushed himself at times during the fight and probably got more of a fight from his challenger than he expected. Cruz was not worthy of challenging for a major 135-pound title given his recent track record but that doesn’t mean that the Puerto Rican veteran couldn’t give Easter quality rounds. At the end of the day, Cruz (who I covered as a prospect 10 years ago and believed would go far) is a fiercely proud fighter with good size and experience that he made the most of against the 26-year-old beltholder.

I thought the crowd was energetic and that certainly played to Easter’s favour. I think the crowd was a positive and negative factor in the fight. They encouraged Easter but at times during the fight it seemed like he was too aware of their presence. However, I was happy to see that more than 8,000 fans turned out to see Easter’s first title defense and I hope his management keeps him busy and returning to his hometown so that he can continue to grow his fan base.

 

SUPERIOR TECHNICIAN?

Hi Doug,

I just have a very quick follow up question on an answer from last Friday’s bag. You said you thought a properly motivated and in shape Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was “a superior technician.” I’m just wondering if you meant you think he’s the better technician than Canelo Alvarez?

I’m very interested to get your take on this. I’ve never considered Chavez to possess good skills really. During his middleweight run I always considered his best attributes to be his weight advantage, strength and toughness. I thought his skills improved a lot under Freddie Roach but I’d not put him on par with Canelo; who I think has shown himself to be quite slick and I’d argue possesses far better punch selection, defender and precision than Chavez.

I fully understand that being ‘a’ superior technician is not you saying ‘the’ superior technician in the match up but I’m interested to get your take nonetheless! Hope the family is well my friend and, as always, keep up the great writing. Regards. – Phil

Thanks for the kind wishes and words, Phil.

When I wrote that “a properly motivated and in-shape” Chavez Jr. was “a superior technician,” I was talking about Alfredo Angulo and Liam Smith, not Canelo.  

In your email, you wrote: “Canelo is at his best when he’s got a plodding, aggressive target to let his counter combinations trip off on. But Chavez Jr. ain’t no Alfredo Angulo or Liam Smith; he’s bigger, more durable, and heavier handed.”

Dougie’s Friday mailbag

I agree with both statements, but I wanted to point out that the best version of Junior (when he held the WBC middleweight title) was not just big, durable and heavy handed. He had craft to with his size, and in my opinion, he was (and can be) a better technician than the version of Angulo that Canelo faced, and Smith.

I’ve never considered Chavez to possess good skills really. Chavez has solid skills. He wouldn’t have won a major world title and defended it a few times if he didn’t have SOME boxing skill and technique.

During his middleweight run I always considered his best attributes to be his weight advantage, strength and toughness. Take another look at his middleweight title fights. He grew from the 12-round experience vs. Sebastian Zbik and continued to learn during his brief-but-busy reign. By the time he fought Andy Lee, I thought he had developed into an underrated beltholder.

Watch the Lee fight again and take some notes. Yeah, Junior’s size, physical strength/durability and inherited chin allowed him to survive Lee’s best flush shots, but it was it was his CRAFT that enabled him to break down the worthy challenger. Chavez Jr. – when he’s well prepared and motivated (as he should be vs. Canelo) – knows how to apply smart pressure. He can employ lateral movement to avoid a taller, rangier foe (as he did in the first minute or two of Round 1 against the gangly Irish southpaw), he’ll utilize head-and-upper body movement as he advances, and he’ll block/pick-off and parry punches as he moves into position to drop his left hook to the body (which executes with expertise). You didn’t see other big tough guys that Canelo fought (James Kirkland, Angulo, Smith) do things like that. 

I thought his skills improved a lot under Freddie Roach but I’d not put him on par with Canelo; who I think has shown himself to be quite slick and I’d argue possesses far better punch selection, defender and precision than Chavez. I agree. Is Chavez as sharp and creative (offensively and defensively) as Canelo is on the inside? No. Can he power-jab and cut the ring off like Gennady Golovkin? No. But his inside technique and pressure-fighting ability is better than a lot of world-ranked middleweights and super middleweights, and when added to his size and durability, it makes him a threat on May 6.

 

THE “OTHER” GREEN BELT

Hey Doug. What’s up?

Rau’shee Warren recently lost his IBO belt (together with the WBA title). Chris Eubank Jr. won his first title, the IBO belt; even the biggest stars in the sport held on to the IBO belt for years like Wladdy and GGG.

I just want to know your thoughts on this topic:

  1. Will it gain enough value to be considered as the 5th recognised world title?
  1. Is the IBO Title equal with WBA “regular” belt?
  1. How did the WBO became one of the big 4 alphabet belts?
  1. Who is the most talented current IBO champ outside of GGG and Lara.

Love the mailbag, keep up the good work. – Yvess, UAE

Thanks for the kind words. I know that I’m talking to a true boxing nut when I’m being asked several questions about the potential “fifth” sanctioning organization (which is different from the other “alphabet groups” in that it uses a computerized ranking system and does not enforce mandatory title bout challenges).

I’ll start from the top:

Will it gain enough value to be considered as the 5th recognised world title? That all depends on how many fans accept the IBO (and keep in mind than a lot of hardcore heads and members of the boxing media are vehemently against sanctioning organizations), how many foreign markets the organization can break into, and the number of high-profile fighters embrace the title and defend it with pride. Right now, the IBO has a stronghold in South Africa. They need more elite boxers, such as Golovkin, to hold their titles, and they need to continue to make inroads other major boxing nations, such as the U.K., the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Japan and Australia.

Is the IBO Title equal with WBA “regular” belt? I don’t think so. Maybe in South Africa, but nowhere else.

How did the WBO became one of the big 4 alphabet belts? The WBO (which was founded the same year as the IBO, 1988) was persistent, and from the get-go, savvy enough to align itself with well-known boxers (such as Thomas Hearns and Hector Camacho), respected managers and promoters of the late ‘80s/1990s (from Emanuel Steward in the U.S. to Universum in Germany to Frank Warren in the U.K.), and push its world titles in key markets/countries. The sanctioning organization was ignored by THE RING for several years, but gradually gained mention in the magazine when popular and respected U.S. (and HBO-televised) stars, such as Oscar De La Hoya and Riddick Bowe, won their belts. They were also shunned in Japan (along with the IBF) for decades, until recently. So, persistence and patience eventually pays off.

Who is the most talented current IBO champ outside of GGG and Lara. Probably the aging and inactive Moruti Mthalane (their flyweight beltholder).

 

FED TO THE WOLVES

Greetings Dougie,

So I recently watched one of my favorite 2000s fights (Felix Trinidad v Fernando Vargas) & though Vargas was great I think he needed more time. Also, Jeff Lacy v Joe Calzaghe.

Do you have criteria for when a young fighter should challenge a prime champion?

Also whatever happened to boxing stare downs? I literally just watched Wilfred Benitez v Sugar Ray Leonard’s pre bell stare down about 11 times today. Keep up the great work. – Jamaal, New Orleans

Fighters still engage in stare downs. How is it that you’re missing this? Most aren’t going to be as intense as Benitez-Leonard but most fighters these days aren’t as intense (or as talented) as Wilfred and Sugar Ray. 

Regarding Trinidad-Vargas and Calzaghe-Lacy, there is no reliable criteria to accurately determine if a young lion is ready to take on an established lord of the jungle.  

Your title “Fed To The Wolves” is accurate in the cases of Vargas and Lacy, but there’s also some revisionist history to that statement. It must be noted that Trinidad was not a huge favorite to beat Vargas, and more than a few members of the media (myself included) picked “El Feroz” to win. Despite Trinidad’s sensational welterweight title run, he had not established himself as “the man” in the 154-pound division with victories over David Reid and Mamadou Thiam, and some viewed him as suspect due to his controversial decision over Oscar De La Hoya. Vargas was the youngest man to win a major junior middleweight title but he’d proven to be mature beyond his years with his hotly contested majority decision over Winky Wright and disciplined unanimous decision over Ike Quartey. He was viewed as a fresher up-and-comer than his 1996 U.S. Olympic teammate Reid and a far superior technician/talent than Thiam.  

Lacy was the clear odds favorite (I think as high as 3-to-1) and U.S. media pick going into his March 2006 super middleweight title unification bout with long-reigning WBO beltholder Calzaghe.  So, the handlers of Vargas and Lacy obviously didn’t believe they were throwing their young titleholders to the proverbial wolves at the time. Lacy, an undefeated 2000 U.S. Olympian with feared punching power, was on a tear after he won the IBF belt, defending it four times in a one-year span, including a scary knockout of scrappy veteran Scott Pemberton. On the other hand, Calzaghe’s career had stagnated as he fought down to his competition against a string of no-hopers for a couple years after scoring a thrilling up-from-the-canvas stoppage of former titleholder Byron Mitchell in 2003. 

But what happened, happened – the younger guys had their promising careers beat out of them. Vargas, to his credit, was competitive (in spots) vs. Tito and he remained a top fighter for a few years after the brutal beating he took that December 2000 night in Las Vegas. Lacy probably didn’t absorb as much blunt-force physical damage against Calzaghe as Vargas did against the vicious-punching Trinidad, but he took a psychological beating from the Welsh Wizard that he never recovered from. 

There are a lot of fans who have criticized the trainers, managers, and promoters of Vargas and Lacy for making those unification bouts, but the truth is that many of those same fans were crowing about how Vargas would expose a “one-dimensional” Trinidad or how Lacy would crush the “overrated” Calzaghe before those fights. 

Perhaps if Vargas had waited a year to face Trinidad and took on the future first-ballot hall of famer at middleweight he would have had a better shot at beating the Puerto Rican hero. Who knows? I don’t think Lacy would have ever been ready for Calzaghe.

If there’s a lesson to be learned from what happened to Vargas and Lacy it’s that not all titleholders are created equal. Most fans believe that once a young gun gets his hands on a major title he’s ready (or should be ready) to take on the best fighters in and around his division, including fellow beltholders. This is true, and the way it should be, for the most part, but there are exceptions. If one of the top fighters or titleholders in that young gun’s division happens to be an elite-level boxer/fighter as Trinidad and Calzaghe were, perhaps it’s best not to rush a young or still-developing star into a showdown with the veteran. 

This has been my stance on Canelo facing Golovkin and Naoya Inoue facing Roman Gonzalez. I understand hardcore fans wanting to see these matchups as soon as possible, but I think it would have been a mistake for Canelo to fight GGG immediately after the Miguel Cotto fight and for Inoue to take on Chocolatito in 2015 or 2016. Canelo is probably the most experienced 25-26 year old fighter in boxing; “The Monster” is one of the best pure talents in the sport, and both can likely hold their own in with any other beltholders in their respective divisions. However, GGG and Chocolatito aren’t your average beltholders. They’re in everyone’s pound-for-pound top five for a reason (well, everyone’s except for Teddy Atlas’). And they’re not just elite boxers, they’re card-carrying punishers, so they won’t just outclass someone who isn’t ready for them, they’ll beat the s__t out of them. And the tougher and braver the not-ready-for-prime-time-player is, the more severe his beating will be.

Canelo and Inoue (who had less than 10 pro bouts prior to 2016) could have taken career-ending beatings against GGG and Gonzalez had those bouts happened last year.  For the record, I think both are now ready for the challenge (or will be before the end of this year). However, both could still be involved in career-altering losses against the Dynamic Duo. Boxing is a gamble.  

 

FOUR THOUGHTS

Mr Doug,

1. I got the Carl Frampton-Leo Santa Cruz rematch story wrong. I thought he’d keep his skill level just above Santa Cruz. But he bought into the s__t biscuit or I think Santa Cruz came up a level and I think he is a nice lad. The sort your grandma would love. Your grandma, that is.

2. Joe Smith Jr. I think this kid has got solid s__t. He keeps his hands where they should be and has from what I’ve seen a solid chin. That little left hand shove to the right v Fonfara, it wasn’t from a rattled man. I think he takes out Adonis Stevenson and is 50-50 v the rest

3. Kell Brook at 147. I think he’s the slickster’s nuts but as you’ve mentioned he’s got the eye issue and he’s mentioning weight so this match up v Errol Spence Jr. is intriguing – bull v matador a bit and that is selling Spence a bit short. It’s why we follow boxing. A) Brook keeps distance and detonates jabs and rights all over the Texan’s head or B) Brook bows out with some eye injury after having a Vietnam flash back experience. I think Kell has it in the tank – skills and balls – but we shall see.

4. Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko. Is it me or am I the only one who has noticed that Joshua doesn’t have any upper-body movement. If somebody opposing has the opportunity to punch you in the head and send you into unconsciousness would you change I know I would? – Robert

Um, yeah. I’d try bend at the knees and waist a little, move my head a tad, maybe tuck my chin and rotate those shoulders a weeeeeeeeeeee bit….

But that’s me. I’m not a 6-foot-6, 245-pound powerhouse with an 82-inch wingspan. When you’re a 27-year-old heavyweight titleholder as built and gifted as Joshua, should you really be expected to fight like Jack Dempsey, Joe Frazier or Mike Tyson?

Did Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali or Lennox Lewis utilize a lot of upper-body movement during their title reigns? Louis possessed the one-hitter-quitter, so he was on his stalk-and-kill game most of the time. Ali leaned back to avoid shots, but there was no need for him to bob-and-weave the way a shorter, lesser talented heavyweight would. Lewis generally used his legs to maneuver in and out of range. No need for a man with his size, power and technique to roll under shots or duck-and-cover.

Same deal with Joshua, who looks and fights a lot like a modern version of the young George Foreman (the Gil Clancy-trained Foreman of the late ‘70s) . You didn’t see Big George use a lot of upper-body movement as he walked down and beat up his opposition, did you?

It seems to me that AJ is at his best when he’s fighting in full hunter mode like Foreman – stalking straight up with high guard and a focused blocking game as he moves in to do serious damage. Having said that, he’s still very green and has never faced anyone with even a fraction of Klitschko’s talent, skill and experience. His current style and mentality might be his undoing against the aging former champ.

I got the Carl Frampton-Leo Santa Cruz rematch story wrong. As did I, so you’re forgiven. And so is Frampy.

Santa Cruz came up a level and I think he is a nice lad. The sort your grandma would love. Your grandma, that is. Both my grandmothers – Bless their souls – would have been fond of Leo, who is indeed a nice lad.

Joe Smith Jr. I think this kid has got solid s__t. Joe “The Solid S___ter” Smith Jr. You know what, Robbie? I think “The Beast” and “Irish Bomber” are better nicknames.

He keeps his hands where they should be and has from what I’ve seen a solid chin. I think he takes out Adonis Stevenson and is 50-50 v the rest. We’ll see. It looks like Stevenson or his advisors aren’t ready to commit to a showdown with Smith, and fellow New Yorker (and amateur foe) Seanie Monahan might be next for the Long Island native (April 29 at the new Nassau Coliseum), according to RingTV’s own Michael Woods.

Kell Brook at 147. I think he’s the slickster’s nuts but as you’ve mentioned he’s got the eye issue and he’s mentioning weight so this match up v Errol Spence Jr. is intriguing – bull v matador a bit and that is selling Spence a bit short. Kell “The Slickster’s Nuts” Brook. You know what, Robbie? I think I like that nickname better than “Special K” or “The Special One.” I wouldn’t call his mandatory showdown with Spence a “bull-vs.-matador” matchup, I’d call it matador vs. matador. These guys are boxers, not pressure fighters, but they are aggressive (as well they should be with the power and athleticism they possess). But I am concerned about Brook’s face and his ability to boil back down to the welterweight limit.

It’s why we follow boxing. Yeah it is (said in my best Roy Jones Jr. imitation).

A)Brook keeps distance and detonates jabs and rights all over the Texan’s head or B)Brook bows out with some eye injury after having a Vietnam flash back experience. Or C) maybe Spence cleanly knocks Brook the f__k out.

I think Kell has it in the tank – skills and balls – but we shall see. Indeed. That’s why they fight the fights.

 

CLEANING UP THE SPORT

What’s up Doug,

Hopefully all is well in your neck of the woods. I was reading an article written by Michael Woods regarding the WBC “Clean Boxing Program” and was wondering if you have heard whether any of the other organizations will follow suit?

The WBC by implementing this program is certainly putting pressure on the others to install their own. Will certain fighters avoid the organizations that do and if so, doesn’t that damage the fighters’ credibility/marketability (Povetkin comes to mind)? While I’m all on board for cleaning up the sport, I wonder in the short term how this will effect fighters, promoters and matches being made. (Matches not getting done/cancelled, boxers getting dropped from promotional companies, etc). Thanks for all you do and please keep the mailbag coming. – D.W. from Boston, Ma.

I will, D.W. Thanks for the kind words.

As far as I know and have heard no other major sanctioning organization is planning on forming a partnership with a voluntary testing association as the WBC has with VADA.

I’m going to reprint the words that Woods wrote at the end of his recent article because I echo his sentiment: The WBC straight up deserves extra props for being out front on testing. Bravo, Mauricio Sulaiman, WBC boss. The sport is better when tough regulations are being enforced, and fans and athletes can know that real inroads are being made to have the playing field clean.”

I’ll add a shout-out to Dr. Margaret Goodman, the president/board of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, for her integral role in the WBC partnership and for her dedication to fighter health and safety. And, as I always do, when somebody emails me about PED testing, I’m going to provide a Pay-Pal donation link for VADA so boxing fans who say they are concerned about a clean sport can put their money where their mouths are.

The WBC by implementing this program is certainly putting pressure on the others to install their own. Not necessarily. The other sanctioning organizations are all explicitly anti-drug (both performance-enhancing and illegal recreational substances) but they may view testing protocols as the domain of the athletic commissions. But if the Clean Boxing Program does put pressure on the WBA, IBF and WBO to follow suit, so what? That’s probably a good thing, right?

Will certain fighters avoid the organizations that do and if so, doesn’t that damage the fighters’ credibility/marketability (Povetkin comes to mind)? I think so.

While I’m all on board for cleaning up the sport, I wonder in the short term how this will effect fighters, promoters and matches being made. (Matches not getting done/cancelled, boxers getting dropped from promotional companies, etc). If the WBC/VADA partnership shakes things up, makes some fighters and their advisors uncomfortable, or causes some fighters to get dropped from the rankings or promotional companies and kills some anticipated matchups, SO BE IT! That’s the price of the sport’s beginning process of cleaning itself up. I know the Clean Boxing Program is not perfect, but it’s a start and it’s a step in the right direction.

 

 

Email Fischer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @dougiefischer