Chavez Improves to 44-0-1-1, Having Improved in Every Way
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Chavez improves to 44-0-1-1, having improved in every way HOUSTON – Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez may never win fighter of the year, but if the Boxing Writers Association of America gave out a Most Improved Fighter award, Chavez would likely be a perennial finalist. Saturday night at Reliant Arena in a WBC middleweight title fight broadcast on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark” program, Chavez (44-0-1-1, 32 KOs) outworked, outboxed and ultimately outslugged Rhode Islander Peter Manfredo Jr. (37-7, 20 KOs), stopping him at 1:52 of round 5. After a fairly even open, one that saw Chavez employ a snapping left jab that was not part of his arsenal when his career began eight years ago, in round 2, Chavez began to show improved footwork to complement his improved physique, gliding away from Manfredo and landing left hooks and right crosses. The third round saw Chavez drop his hands and nudge backwards, luring Manfredo towards him then lacing him with right-hand leads. After having his best round in the fourth, Manfredo came out his corner in the fifth and began to pressure an uncharacteristically relaxed Chavez. At the midway point of the round, Manfredo caught Chavez with a right cross that knocked the sweat of the young Mexican’s head. That effective aggressiveness proved to be a mistake by Manfredo. A moment later, an angered Chavez launched a right hand that straightened Manfredo up and made him blink. And in the time it took to complete those blinks, Chavez swarmed Manfredo, causing referee Lawrence Cole to rush to Manfredo’s rescue and wave the match off after 30 seconds of sustained abuse. Afterwards, an inspired Chavez, watched by recognized middleweight world champion Sergio Martinez from ringside, said, “I want to fight the best.” Manfredo, who said before the fight that he would retire if he lost, looked and sounded dismayed in a postfight interview that was likely the last of his career. JOSE PINZON VS. LARRY SMITH If Mexican Jose Pinzon expected to look good against a guy who goes by the cognomen “Too Slow,” he ended up as disappointed as the evening’s partisan-Mexican crowd. In Saturday’s final undercard bout, one that proved a weak appetizer for what was to follow, Pinzon (21-2-1, 13 KOs) applied a workmanlike pace to Dallas super welterweight Larry Smith (10-8, 7 KOs) and grinded out a win all three official judges scored 79-72 in his favor. To a chorus of his countrymen’s boos, Pinzon moved forward and engaged Smith, even when it appeared neither man was much interested in a confrontation. Throwing tentative left hooks at Smith’s high and tight guard, Pinzon stayed busy enough to deserve his victory if not fans’ adoration. LUCKY BOY OMOTOSO VS. LANARDO TYNER Detroit welterweight Lanardo “Pain Server” Tyner is one of boxing’s rarest sorts: A trashtalker who has a chin and is unafraid to prove it. He fights with a smile and other antics and wins over the crowd, regardless of his matches’ final tallies. Saturday’s performance – a fight he ultimately lost to undefeated Nigerian Lucky Boy Omotoso (20-0, 17 KOs) by unanimous scores of 79-73, 79-73 and 78-74 – was no exception for Tyner (25-5-2, 15 KOs), who had even former world champion Roy Jones Jr. laughing from his ringside seat. Tyner employed hip rolls instead of shoulder rolls and collected some hellish right crosses from the longer and sharper Nigerian. But Tyner also entertained the Houston crowd, ensuring he’ll be back for future undercard performances. ALEX SAUCEDO VS. CEDRIC SHEPPARD Professional debuts can be tricky things, especially when they happen in a rival state that shares a border with one’s own. Oklahoma welterweight Alex Saucedo, though, made his look easy. Saucedo (1-0, 1 KO) kept a measured pace till he saw openings against Austin’s Cedric Sheppard (0-2), and once those openings were found, Saucedo attacked and stopped the Texan at 2:28 of round 1. MICKEY BEY VS. HECTOR VELAZQUEZ Cleveland’s Mickey Bey may have Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s dad in his corner, but he sure doesn’t have Mayweather’s defense. Matched against Tijuana lightweight Hector Velazquez (51-17-3-1, 35 KOs) in Saturday’s fifth fight, Bey (18-0-1, 9 KOs) kept his lead hand low and his leaping left hooks predictable but still managed to prevail by unanimous decision scores of 76-75, 78-73 and 77-74. The Reliant Arena crowd was animated in its disapproval of the official result. Velazquez caught a wild-cocked Bey left hook with a well-timed hook of his own in the second minute of round 2, sending the undefeated Ohioan to the blue mat, from which Bey rose at a count of seven to weather the next 60 seconds of Velazquez’s assault. From there on, Bey kept his distance and got through a fight that could easily have been scored for Velazquez. IVAN OTERO VS. GINO ESCAMILLA In a well-contested and close four-round featherweight match between two Texans, undefeated local favorite Ivan Otero (7-0, 1 KO) and Laredo’s Gino Escamilla (5-11-1, 2 KOs), Houston’s Otero prevailed, much to the crowd’s delight, by majority decision scores of 38-38, 39-37 and 40-36. A score of 38-38 might have been a bit too close and 40-36 was absolutely too wide, but the light-hitting Otero made an entertaining match with Escamilla, ensuring future appearances for him in this city. JOSHUA CLOTTEY VS. CALVIN GREEN Ghanaian Joshua “Grand Master” Clottey (36-4-0-1, 22 KOs) used the nickname “Hitter” for most of his career. He changed to “Grand Master” shortly before his abortive 2010 scrap with Manny Pacquiao in Cowboys Stadium. Saturday, he returned “Hitter” form against Texas super welterweight Calvin Green (21-7-1, 13 KOs), blasting him out with a left-hook lead at 1:56 of round 2. Texas fans who’d last seen Clottey playing timid turtle behind a shell defense against Pacquiao had to be surprised by the more aggressive fighter they saw Saturday. Clottey was all business, attaining his first victory since 2008 in impressive fashion. LUIS ZARAZUA VS. RICARDO AVILA In a four-round battle of Texas featherweights, Edinburg’s Luis Zarazua (2-0, 1 KO) had former champion Jesus “El Matador” Chavez in his corner. That was appropriate, because against San Antonio’s outmatched Ricardo Avila (1-6), Zarazua was all bull, charging Avila relentlessly and winning a unanimous decision all three judges scored 40-36. From the opening 30 seconds – a half minute Avila was lucky to finish on his feet – Zarazua established a superiority of class and power, blitzing Avila with left hooks galore to the body and a few to the protective cup, even dropping Avila with a low blow in round 2. But Avila displayed a noteworthy chin and heart, winging right crosses and somehow enduring to the match’s closing bell. MARCUS JOHNSON VS. WILLIAM BAILEY Saturday’s action began with a six-round light heavyweight match between undefeated Texas boxer-puncher “Too Much” Marcus Johnson (21-0, 15 KOs) and California brawler William Bailey (10-13, 4 KOs), a match Johnson won easily by unanimous decision scores of 60-53, 60-53 and 60-52. After establishing his superiority of reflex early, Johnson caught Bailey with enough force to knock his mouthpiece out in the fourth round. The referee then allowed Bailey to bend and drag his glove across the blue mat in an effort to retrieve the fallen mouthpiece. Technically, it was a knockdown, but since little that Bailey did in Saturday’s opener was technical, no one stood on formality. The remaining two rounds were a formality of their own, as Bailey cruised to an easy victory. Opening bell rang on an echo-filled Reliant Arena at 6:16 PM local time. Saturday’s attendance was estimated at 5,000..