JERSEY BOY NEEDS TO RETIRE

Glen Tapia took a beating from James Kirkland and 3 KO’s since, losing 4 in a row and 3 by KO pretty much speaks for itself.

That’s probably about all he can do, he’s not going to become an accountant, lawyer or a brain surgeon. This is a tough way to make a living. But those close to him need to sit him down. He’s facing serious injury based upon his performances.

He’s way to muscle bound, he’s strong I guess, but good endurance, speed, timing and skill aren’t there much past one round.

Gabriel Rosado looked good, but was it because of what was in front of him. But hey I’m riding with the light skin brother from my hometown till the end, he looks like my family!

Thank you. – Jason C. Brown

Rosado keeps his career going with last night’s sixth-round stoppage of Tapia. He boxed and fought well against Tapia but I agree that the result of the fight had more to do with him having way more left in the tank than the likable slugger from New Jersey than it had to do with his form and technique.

However, Rosado’s blend of durability and experience makes him a serviceable fringe contender/gatekeeper. Despite the fact that he’s lost six of his last 10 bouts, I don’t view him as a shopworn fighter. His losses during that span were to Gennady Golovkin, Peter Quillin, Jermell Charlo, David Lemieux, Willie Monroe Jr. and Martin Murray. I thought the Murray bout was a draw or that he won it by a point or two. He was competitive with Quillin and hung tough with Lemieux for 10 rounds. Charlo and Monroe were difficult styles for him (and I think he looked weight drained to me fighting at 154 against Jermell). GGG chopped his face up but never had him off his feet.

Rosado is currently unranked by the four major sanctioning bodies (which is fair) but if he can win his next bout against a credible opponent – and unbeaten prospect Jason Quigley (who’s also promoted by GBP) and Irish standout Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan (who works with GBP) are available, along with Tureano Johnson (who’s still ranked despite losing his last bout) – he can get on the board, as they say, and could get the call to face the winners of the Hassan Ndam-Ryota Murata rematch and the Billy Joe Saunders-Lemieux bout.

Tapia, who is four years younger than Rosado, is shopworn. He’s also only lost to quality opposition but some of his losses took a considerable toll on his body and psyche. The Kirkland fight took a lot out of him, and the KO loss to Michel Soro seemed to damage his confidence. It was a mistake for him to face a primal, brute-strong punisher like Lemmy after the Soro fight. He probably should have hung up the gloves after Lemieux, but I gotta give him his props for hanging in there for the full 10 against Quigley and competing as much as he did against Rosado.

It seems like Boxing Twitter is in total agreement that he should retire from the combat side of the sport, hopefully his family and management agree. If he quits now he can get a leg up on King Gabe as a character actor. I know you’ll always be a Jersey Boy at heart, Glen, but Hollywood is calling!

CHARLO-HURD, ‘SUPER BAD,’ LUBIN, GROVES-EUBANK

Dougie,

What’s up man, it’s been awhile but still an avid reader nonetheless.

My first question is who do you favor in the proposed Jarrett Hurd vs Jermell Charlo matchup? I mean Charlo is skilled, tough and has some new found pop but Hurd is an absolute beast. I mean he looks so much bigger than his opponents. I first noticed it in the Tony Harrison fight but again against Austin Trout and it was the same outcome. He just walks through the shots wears them down and gets them outta there. I think Harrison and Trout are both skilled, tough fighters and Trout has always been durable so I’m really interested to hear your thoughts on that scrap!

Secondly, I know it’s got to be a ways away for Tony “Super Bad” Harrison before he gets another crack at a title but do you think he’s capable and durable enough to go 12 with any of the current top 5 in the division? I have always pulled for Super Bad but have come to realize he needs to change something, not sure what, maybe conditioning, in order to overcome his weak beard would you agree? Also, do you think he is as chinny as Amir Khan or has his stoppage losses been more a result of running out of gas?

Erickson Lubin is very skilled and he will be a title challenger at the very least again in his career but do you think he was rushed to quickly to the top? Do you think this has a lasting impact on his career? Where do you see him going from here and who would you match him with and how soon before he gets another crack at the top?

Last, I would like to touch on the upcoming George Groves vs Chris Eubank scrap.  Who wins and in what fashion? Groves is not the same fighter and Eubank was looking good but inactivity has somewhat stalled his development and career so who wins and what happens to the loser’s career? Can either bounce back from a loss at this point? Thanks Dougie. – Kristoff from Sactown

It depends on how the loser performs and the nature of the loss (competitive/controversial decision, lopsided decision, late stoppage, early KO, etc.), but I think Eubank would have an easier time bouncing back from a loss than Groves would at this stage of his career. Eubank is only one year younger, but he’s got less wear and tear on his body and he’s only had one previous setback (the split decision loss to BJS in late 2014). Groves has had three previous setbacks, the back-to-back stoppages to Carl Froch and SD loss to Badou Jack, and there’s no shame in that but modern boxing fans and media tend to give up on fighters – even really good ones – when they lose more than a couple times.

Who wins Groves-Eubank and in what fashion? I have no idea, which is one of the reasons I’m really into the even-money super middleweight matchup. Eubank is on an eight-bout win streak and is exhibiting excellent form along with his usual confidence and athletic prowess. Groves is on a six-bout win streak and has shown some scary power (along with the ring savvy to set up his fight-ending punches) in recent bouts.

Groves has the edge in experience and as formidable as Eubank has looked in his last two bouts – a lopsided decision over a somewhat faded Arthur Abraham and four-round stoppage of Avni Yildirim – it should be noted that those two had tailor-made styles for the talented second-generation pugilist. Groves isn’t a plodding stalker, he’s a crafty boxer-puncher and he seems to be getting better at setting traps. I think I might be leaning a little more towards Groves right now but there’s plenty of time for me to change my mind.

My first question is who do you favor in the proposed Jarrett Hurd vs Jermell Charlo matchup? I slightly favor Charlo, who is in his prime (unlike Trout) and more of a complete boxer-fighter than Harrison. However, Charlo will have to box his ass off and not get greedy (in terms of offense). He can’t fall in love with his power just because he iced his last three opponents. If he thinks that he can blast Hurd like Lubin or Charles Hatley, or that he keep the IBF beltholder in check with his power, he will play right into Hurd’s heavy hands.

I know it’s got to be a ways away for Tony “Super Bad” Harrison before he gets another crack at a title but do you think he’s capable and durable enough to go 12 with any of the current top 5 in the division? I think he can go 12 with one or two of them, but I wouldn’t favor him to beat any of the top five – which, according to THE RING, is Erislandy Lara, Charlo, Miguel Cotto, Demetrius Andrade and Hurd. However, Cotto is retiring in December and Andrade is moving up to the middleweight division (his 160-pound debut against Alantez Fox will be televised on HBO tomorrow). So, Brian Castano and Liam Smith (currently Nos. 6 and 7 in THE RING rankings) could move into the top five. And I think, with a couple more comeback bouts under his belt and some style adjustments, he might be able to outpoint those two.

I have always pulled for Super Bad but have come to realize he needs to change something, not sure what, maybe conditioning, in order to overcome his weak beard would you agree? Yeah, he could improve his stamina but I think he mainly needs to change his style. Less could be more for Harrison. I know he one of the last fighters to come out of the Kronk gym, but he shouldn’t try to be another Hitman. He’s got the talent to be good stick-and-move boxer.

Also, do you think he is as chinny as Amir Khan or has his stoppage losses been more a result of running out of gas? Probably a little of both.

Erickson Lubin is very skilled and he will be a title challenger at the very least again in his career but do you think he was rushed to quickly to the top? Yes, I do.

Do you think this has a lasting impact on his career? Only time will tell, but I’m hoping the young man can bounce back.

Where do you see him going from here and who would you match him with and how soon before he gets another crack at the top? There’s nowhere to go but up, however, he needs to take his time and go quality rounds with tough, experienced veterans that don’t punch hard enough to knock him out. I’d put him in with Josesito Lopez and Charles Bellamy – older, naturally smaller veterans who are still tough, strong and very game. They should take him rounds (maybe the distance – Bellamy’s never been stopped) and test his heart without denting his chin. If Lubin looks good against vets like those two, then he can progress to a legit 154-pound fringe contender. I don’t think Lubin should be aimed at another world title until the end of 2018.

EARN WITH HEARN

Hey Doug,

Have you heard Lou DiBella and Richard Schaefer’s recent comments about Eddie Hearn and his plans on entering the US market? They seem pretty defensive about the whole idea, as I probably would be too and perhaps don’t quite get the British art of pisstaking or banter as it is called over here. What’s your thoughts on his signing of Daniel Jacobs and the deal he has struck with HBO? I’m personally looking forward to watching an arena full of pissed up yanks sing “sweet Caroline…..Oh oh oh”. I think Eddie Hearn has done wonders for British Boxing and injecting a little energy into the sport’s biggest market won’t be a bad thing.

On a few of his fighters.

Anthony Joshua – Your thoughts on his change in opponent? Will you be watching the card at all?

Kell Brook – What would you do next if you was promoting him? He has had a tough couple of fights but only lost to the very best. Surprised not to hear his name mentioned for the Miguel Cotto fight at 154. Who would you have picked to win that fight if it was made?

Tony Bellew – Man, I never rated this guy, especially after his losses to Cleverly and Stevenson but damn he has a good run of fights and paydays and has another one lined up for December with the Haye rematch… Over achieving, impeccable timing or fantastic promoting by himself and Hearn?? Or am I being unfair?

Your mailbags are still the first thing I search for every Friday and Monday. Take care Doug. – Callum from Kent

Thanks for the loyalty, Callum.

Don’t expect American boxing fans to pack arenas and drink up and celebrate and sing during the fights the way U.K. fans do; at least not for a card topped by Jacobs-Arias, but this matchup should be a good starting point for Hearn’s foray into the U.S. market. If it leads to Jacobs facing the Saunders-Lemieux winner and later the winner of the Canelo-GGG rematch, or Joshua vs. ‘Big Baby’ Miller and later Deontay Wilder, in the U.S., well, maybe then we’ll see the kind of enthusiastic crowds that big U.K. events are known for.

Obviously, I’m curious about what Hearn can do for Jacobs’ career and how he might impact the U.S. boxing scene. I’ve heard about DiBella’s and Schaefer’s somewhat disparaging remarks about Hearns’ ability to successfully promote Jacobs and thrive in America, but I haven’t bothered to read or listen to any of it. The reality is that Jacobs signed with Matchroom Boxing and his fights will be televised on HBO, which also does business with Golovkin, Canelo and Lemieux, so I’m hopeful that these middleweight matchups will take place in the future. Time will tell if Eddie can make these fights.

Anthony Joshua – Your thoughts on his change in opponent? Will you be watching the card at all? Of course, I’ll be watching. Joshua is a star. I think Pulev would have made for an entertaining scrap that maybe lasted into the middle rounds, but Takam might be tough enough to take the 27-year-old heavyweight titleholder into the late rounds, which is a good thing for AJ.

Kell Brook – What would you do next if you was promoting him? I’d get him a mid-level 154-pound opponent, someone who can take him a few rounds but can be knocked out if Brook is on top of his game.

Surprised not to hear his name mentioned for the Miguel Cotto fight at 154. Who would you have picked to win that fight if it was made? I would have favored Cotto by decision or late stoppage. I know Cotto is getting long in the tooth and his December date is supposed to be his last fight, but Brook’s had both of his eye sockets broken in grueling back-to-back stoppages and the Puerto Rican star still has his legs and reflexes and he’s still a heavy handed sharp shooter.

Tony Bellew – Man, I never rated this guy, especially after his losses to Cleverly and Stevenson but damn he has a good run of fights and paydays and has another one lined up for December with the Haye rematch… And he did pretty good job of acting in Creed, don’t forget that.

Over achieving, impeccable timing or fantastic promoting by himself and Hearn?? Or am I being unfair? You’re being a bit unfair. He is an overachiever, his timing may have been perfect for him to upset Haye, and he has been moved well by Hearn, but the cruiserweight/heavyweight standout is also a very smart and savvy boxer, who’s tough as nails and can also crack.

WBSS CRUISERWEIGHT MYTHICAL MATCHUPS

Hi Doug,

It’s been a while since I last wrote but you better believe that I have been reading every week, twice a week without fail.

The World Boxing Super Series has been fun hasn’t it? Even though Usyk is viewed as the favourite to come out victorious from the cruiserweight tournament, it is still very open particularly as one punch thrown by the large men in that division can swing the momentum of a fight.

My question is how do you think some of the cruiserweight’s from the past 15 years would perform against the competitors in the WBSS? I’m thinking the likes of Grigory Drozd, Johnny Nelson, David Haye, Vasily Jirov and one of my favourite fellow Mancunian’s Carl Thompson?

Kind regards. – Anish Parekh

Thanks for the kind words about his column, Anish.

I think all five of the cruiserweight standouts you mentioned would have done very well against the current WBSS field, and I believe that Jirov and Nelson could have won it all. Jirov because of his incredible workrate, heavy hands and underrated craft; Nelson because of his cagey style and big heart. Haye had the explosive speed and power to make it all the way to the finals but he also had technical flaws and stamina problems that a smart, busy and versatile boxer like Usky would take advantage of, as well as a suspect chin that punchers like Gassiev and Dorticos could possibly dent. Drozd and Thompson would be dark horses, in my opinion.

Anyway, no need to pontificate on mythical cruiserweight matchups. Briedis-Perez aside, the WBSS is delivering excellent world-class 200-pound matchups. I’m really looking forward to watching Gassiev-Wlodarczyk tomorrow.  

ERROL SPENCE’S FUTURE

Hey Doug,

I read an article recently claiming that Errol Spence turned down a fight with Cotto and a big contract with HBO recently, do you know if that’s true? I’d be a bit disappointed if it was. Errol Spence and GGG are my current favorite boxers now that Chocolatito is likely finished and I really want to see Spence chase greatness. I believe he took a step towards it by going across the pond to beat up a dangerous Kell Brook. If he took the deal I believe he would’ve finished Cotto, then had the opportunity to fight Crawford at welterweight in a fight effectively for the pound for pound title. (I view that fight as a toss up.)

Do you think this is an indication that he’s planning to move up in weight soon and he wants to be able to do business with Al Haymon and all those jr middleweights? I imagine making welterweight with his frame isn’t fun. – Jack

I don’t think making 147 pounds is easy for Spence (who is with Haymon, by the way) but he’s 27 years old and he just won his first world title (the IBF belt). And the biggest matchups for him are in the welterweight division, so I don’t think he’s going up in weight any time soon.

I heard that he was offered the Cotto fight, but I don’t know anything about the terms or whether an HBO deal was part of it. I’m sure the money offered was very good and obviously it was a big opportunity for the young gun (getting the chance to down a future hall of famer doesn’t happen every day), but Spence has options at 147 pounds in the “PBC league” – mainly Keith Thurman, who holds the WBC and WBA titles. That’s a fight Haymon and Showtime are going to try to make in 2018 and the opportunity to unify three major welterweight titles is a big deal for Spence. If he can beat Thurman and add the WBC and WBA belts to his collection, he’ll make himself that much more of a viable opponent for Terence Crawford if and when the two-division champ wins the WBO welterweight belt from Jeff Horn next year.

And if Spence-Crawford can’t be made, there’s always Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia in the PBC lineup, and those are solid matchups. Even Omar Figueroa Jr. could make for a well-attended homecoming fight in Texas.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, we’ve got Spence vs. Lamont Peterson on tap for January and I’m looking forward to this matchup.

RIGO CHIN-CHECKING LOMA

Good day Mr. Dougie,

I know I am in the clear minority when I say Rigo will win the December match up between the two 2 time Olympic gold medalists by 11th round stoppage. In my eyes Rigo will land the more meaningful punches while Loma will try to overwhelm Rigo with his high-volume punching. The last time Lomachenko was in a dog fight was in his pro debut versus Salido, Dec. will be his 2nd.

During Loma’s last outing his defense was not up to par compared to his prior performances. All the showboating and left right lateral movement will eventually run into a hard straight left from Rigo that will change the course of the fight forcing Loma to mainly move to his left to avoid Rigo’s straight left. Rigo is the smaller man moving up 2 weight classes but I do see Rigo being the stronger puncher in December. Loma has never been considered a power puncher while Rigo has been breaking jaws and KPTFO on a regular.

I see Loma winning the first 2-3 rounds before Rig locks on to the slippery fella and begins to implement his precision timed counter punches. When I called the Rig-Donaire fight people thought I was crazy and this time around is no different. To me, the Cuban counter punching style of fighting is the most avoided but most respected style of fighting.

Why are people giving Rigo no chance?

MM: Lara vs Charlo

Thanks. – Raul G., Oceanside, Ca.

Lara has a much better shot against Charlo than Rigo has against Lomachenko. I’ll go with Lara via close decision vs. Jermell at 154.

I’m sticking with Lomachenko by late TKO or competitive but unanimous decision over Rigondeaux at 130.

I don’t think fans (or media) are counting Rigo out, a slight majority simply favor Loma, which reasonable. He’s every bit as accomplished, skilled and talented as the Cuban, but he’s younger, bigger and busier.

I favor the Ukrainian southpaw for two reasons – his mobile style and his activity. Counterpunchers – even those as masterful as Rigo – have trouble with defensive-minded movers that are as fast and creative as Lomachenko is. And this fight will be Loma’s third of 2017. He’s got 16 rounds under his belt. Rigo has fought once this year, and that bout went one round. Loma fought three times in 2014 (36 rounds vs. quality opposition), twice in 2015 and 2106. Rigo fought twice in 2014, once in 2015 and 2016 (and he only went two rounds last year).

Boxers need to be active in order to be sharp.

In my eyes Rigo will land the more meaningful punches while Loma will try to overwhelm Rigo with his high-volume punching. We’ll see. Loma is pretty good at landing meaningful, accurate punches despite his high-volume attack.

The last time Lomachenko was in a dog fight was in his pro debut versus Salido, Dec. will be his 2nd. Salido is a roughhouse pressure-fighting volume-puncher. Rigo is not. Regardless, Loma proved that he could survive and thrive in a dog fight vs. Salido (in his second pro bout and first time fighting past five rounds).

During Loma’s last outing his defense was not up to par compared to his prior performances. I assume he will tighten up his defense for Rigo. Lomachenko doesn’t strike me as a head case or an idiot.

All the showboating and left right lateral movement will eventually run into a hard straight left from Rigo that will change the course of the fight forcing Loma to mainly move to his left to avoid Rigo’s straight left. I doubt that he’ll do a lot of showboating against a boxer as sharp as Rigo. Again, Loma doesn’t strike me as dumb ass.

Rigo is the smaller man moving up 2 weight classes but I do see Rigo being the stronger puncher in December. Loma has never been considered a power puncher while Rigo has been breaking jaws and KPTFO on a regular. OK, I think Rocky Martinez would dispute your claim about Loma’s punching prowess, but what caliber are the opponents that Rigo has KTFO? Have they been world class?

When I called the Rig-Donaire fight people thought I was crazy and this time around is no different. Um, yes it is. It’s very different. Rigo fought Donaire in 2013. Now he’s fighting Lomachenko in 2017. It’s four years later and Lomachenko is a better overall boxer than Donaire.

To me, the Cuban counter punching style of fighting is the most avoided but most respected style of fighting. Is it really? Where were you when Lara needed you in Brooklyn?

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