Fighter of the Ussr the ★ Boxers from Former Year Soviet Republics Are Adonis Stevenson Winning Fans in the U.S

Home , Adonis Stevenson, Akira Yaegashi, Al McCoy (boxer), Andreas Kotelnik, Antonio Tarver, Arthur Abraham

THE 85TH ANNUAL RING AWARDS P.38 THE BIBLE OF BOXING

★ OUT OF FIGHTER OF THE USSR THE ★ BOXERS FROM FORMER YEAR SOVIET REPUBLICS ARE ADONIS STEVENSON WINNING FANS IN THE U.S. FINDS STARDOM IN 2013 P.80 GEORGE GROVES HALL YOUNG BRIT LAMENTS OF FAME: HIS LOSS TO CARL FROCH RIVALS OSCAR DE LA HOYA BUT IS OPTIMISTIC AND FELIX TRINIDAD WILL BE P.74 INDUCTED TOGETHER P.68 BEST I FACED NEW HALL OF FAMER JOE CALZAGHE REVEALS WOMEN’S HIS TOP OPPONENTS P.20 AWARDS JESSICA ‘KIKA’ CHAVEZ OF MEXICO WINS MARCH 2014 THE RING’S TOP PRIZE $8.95 P.99

CONTENTS | MARCH 2014 FEATURES THE BEST THE 85TH ANNUAL OF RING AWARDS 2013 PAGES 38-67 40 FIGHTER OF THE YEAR 42 FIGHT OF THE YEAR 44 KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR 46 ROUND OF THE YEAR 48 UPSET OF THE YEAR 50 COMEBACK OF THE YEAR 52 TRAINER OF THE YEAR 54 PROSPECT OF THE YEAR 56 EVENT OF THE YEAR 58 MOST INSPIRATIONAL 60 BEST FIGHTER POLL 66 HIGHLY UNOFFICIAL AWARDS

68 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES DE LA HOYA, TRINIDAD AND CALZAGHE HEAD THE HIGH-POWERED CLASS OF 2014 By Ron Borges

74 GROVES’ NIGHTMARE GEORGE GROVES REFLECTS ON THE CARL FROCH LOSS AND LOOKS TO THE FUTURE By Tom Gray

80 SOVIET INVASION 56 FIGHTERS FROM THE OLD USSR ARE MAKING NOISE IN THE UNITED STATES By Norm Frauenheim Floyd Mayweather Jr. (right) and 86 PROVODNIKOV ARRIVES Canelo Alvarez RELENTLESS RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV combined to make HAS THE GOODS THAT ATTRACT FANS their f ght the biggest money By Bernard Fernandez

COVER PHOTO / TONIK GROUPIMAGE; MAYWEATHER/CANELO: NAOKI FUKUDA GROUPIMAGE; MAYWEATHER/CANELO: TONIK / PHOTO COVER maker ever.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 3 92 DEPARTMENTS 5 RINGSIDE Carl Froch had good reason to celebrate 6 OPENING SHOTS after his victory over George Groves. 12 COME OUT WRITING Now he should grant 15 ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES Groves a rematch. Jabs and Straight Writes by Thomas Hauser 20 BEST I FACED: JOE CALZAGHE By Anson Wainwright 23 RING CARD GIRL 26 READY TO GRUMBLE By David Greisman 29 OUTSIDE THE ROPES By Brian Harty 30 RING RATINGS PACKAGE 92 LETTERS FROM EUROPE By Gareth A Davies 96 SWEET SCIENCE By Scott LaFee 99 WOMEN’S BOXING By Thomas Gerbasi 103 RINGSIDE REPORTS By Norm Frauenheim 108 WORLDWIDE RESULTS 110 COMING UP 112 FROM THE ARCHIVE 114 AT THE FIGHTS

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4 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 RINGSIDE

By Michael Rosenthal

VOLUME 93, NO. 3 | MARCH 2014

FOUNDER Gabriel Campillo and Nathan Nathaniel Fleischer (1888-1972) Cleverly – to emerge as a major player at 175 pounds. EDITOR Michael Rosenthal Mayweather fought twice in one year for the frst time since 2007. ASSOCIATE EDITOR Douglass Fischer As usual, he was untouchable. He badly outclassed Robert Guerrero CONTRIBUTING EDITOR and then did the same to Canelo Brian Harty Alvarez in the biggest fght in years, ART DIRECTOR demonstrating again that it will Lamar Clark take a special boxer to test him. RING CARD GIRLS COORDINATOR A TOUGH Rigondeaux might or might Heather Shanholtz not be pleasing to watch but no CONTROLLER CHOICE one can question his remarkable Deborah L. Harrison ability, as he embarrassed pound- CIRCULATION DIRECTOR for-pounder Nonito Donaire and Kenneth J. Gudaitis then shut out Joseph Agbeko. He ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ometimes the process of had a special year. Robert Gasparri determining the RING Fighter And, finally, there’s Stevenson, 213-233-2952 S [email protected] of the Year is easy. Sometimes who also knocked out each of his it’s hard. This year, it was the latter. four opponents in 2013. He started SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Arguments could be made for a the year by stopping Darnell Boone PUBLICATIONS number of candidates, including to avenge his only loss, stunned P.O. BOX 433122 (in alphabetical order) Timothy the boxing world by putting Chad Palm Coast, FL 32164-3122 1-800-846-6438 Bradley, Danny Garcia, Gennady Dawson away with one punch [email protected] Golovkin, Sergey Kovalev, Floyd only 76 seconds into their fght to

BACK ISSUES Mayweather Jr., Guillermo win the RING light heavyweight 215-643-3087 OR ONLINE AT Rigondeaux and Adonis Stevenson. title and then stopped both former RINGTV.COM Bradley bounced back from titleholder Tavoris Cloud and DIGITAL EDITION INQUIRIES the negative fallout after his contender Tony Bellew to close out 215.541.2770 controversial victory over Manny his year. [email protected] Pacquiao to have a splendid year, So who wins? SEND EDITORIAL COMMENTS TO: proving in a war with Ruslan In the end, the RING Editorial [email protected] or P.O. BOX 251753, Provodnikov that he could win Board decided after much Los Angeles CA, 90025 a brutal test of wills and then discussion that Stevenson’s 2013 outboxing Juan Manuel Marquez. resume was the most impressive. THE RING (ISSN: 0035-5410), Vol. 93, NO. 3 (MARCH 2014), is published monthly by Sports and Entertainment Publications, LLC, Garcia confounded the critics The Haitian-born Canadian PO Box 90254 Brooklyn, NY 11209. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11209 and additional post offces. Postmasters: again by outpointing the fearsome had one of the two or three Send change of address notices to: THE RING, P.O. Box 433122, Palm Coast, FL 32164-3122. Single copy price $8.95 in U.S. and Lucas Matthysse, which followed most impressive victories of Canada (£4.95 in the UK). Subscription price $58.70 in the U.S., $127.10 in Canada and Mexico, $143.70 in remaining countries. a victory over veteran Zab Judah. the year (the knockout of the Not responsible for the loss or non-return of unsolicited articles or photographs, which will not be returned unless accompanied by a “Swift” just knows how to win. No. 1 175-pounder in the self-addressed envelope bearing the proper amount of postage. The entire contents of this magazine are copyright ©2013 Sports Golovkin continued his rise to world), avenged his only defeat and Entertainment Publications, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. stardom, knocking out all four and then dominated two more All rights reserved. Publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the content of advertisements appearing in this magazine, nor of his opponents in what was a respected opponents. the delivery or quality of merchandise or services offered. No endorsement of any such advertisement is intended or implied. common theme in 2013. Again, strong arguments can Advertisers and agencies assume liability for claims arising from the content of their advertisements. FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRES Kovalev followed Golovkin’s be made for the other candidates. AND RATES: (213) 233-2952. U.S. and Canadian distribution by Kable Distribution Services Inc., 14 Wall Street, Suite 4C, New York, lead, stopping all four opponents THE RING editors just felt that NY 10022. International distribution by Worldwide Media Service Inc., 115 East 23rd St., New York, NY 10010, UK distribution by he faced – including the capable Stevenson accomplished a little Comag Tavistock Rd., West Drayton, Middlesex UB77QE, England. Printed in U.S.A. but ultimately overwhelmed more than the rest. FROCH: SCOTT HEAVEY/GETTY IMAGES; STEVENSON: TONIK GROUPIMAGE IMAGES; STEVENSON: SCOTT HEAVEY/GETTY FROCH:

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 5 OPENING SHOTS

NAOKI FUKUDA The f sts of Marcos Maidana (right) found the head of Adrien Broner more times than anyone could’ve imagined beforehand.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 7 Keith Thurman (right) brought tremendous intensity and impressive all-around skills to bear in a dominating victory over Jesus Soto Karass. RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY

8 RINGTV.COM / 3.14

The quick, slick Paulie Malignaggi (right) had no trouble beating a listless Zab Judah in the Battle of Brooklyn.

10 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES COME OUT WRITING

keep the image of him being the next Floyd Mayweather Jr. alive, Marcos Maidana discovered Broner was more like Andre Berto. No slight to Berto, but Broner is aggressive, fast and easy to hit too. The good news for fans is that Broner will make for action packed f ghts that Mayweather will never provide because of his defense- Some fans f rst mentality. appreciate Jim Wayland Guillermo Rigondeaux for what he is. Like many, I was quite disgusted with the classless ring antics of Adrien Broner during his recent SWEET SCIENTIST Marcos Maidana were very simple: beatdown at the hands of Marcos Boxing at its f nest is pure science Broner needed to come out from Maidana. From his overzealous of hit and don’t get hit. Nowadays the f rst bell and shoot his jab. The and cocky ring walk, the excessive violence is rewarded over skills; only way to keep a pure puncher on taunting of his opponent during networks love it when f ghts are his heels and unable to land a solid the introductions, and the mock brutal and reward those f ghters with punch is to shoot your jab and keep humping of his opponent at the end future dates. Boxers like Guillermo him at bay. Broner abandoned his of the f rst round, Broner got what he Rigondeaux are labeled not exciting jab, allowing a f ghter who doesn’t deserved. As a lifelong boxing fan, I enough and casual fans are turned use the punch much to outjab him. have been fortunate to witness many off. But if you turn down the volume Broner also showed no footwork, no great champions who recognized and just watch him do his thing, head movement, no ring generalship, the importance of representing man, it’s pure amazing talent. You and his defense left a great deal to be themselves with dignity and class. can see his opponent slowly taking desired. He allowed Maidana to stand Who can forget the great Alexis fewer and fewer chances because he in front of him and hit him at will. Arguello consoling and encouraging is being outboxed and outclassed. This f ght showed me that Broner an overmatched Ray Mancini after Not every f ght needs to end with a does not have what it takes to f ght their title f ght in 1981. Even a KO or someone being rushed to the the elite. He doesn’t seem to carry his sometimes-vulgar Roberto Duran hospital. Once in a lifetime you get an power at welterweight, and he doesn’t had more class in his pinky than all-time great like Floyd Mayweather seem to have the ability to adjust that which Broner has shown. What Jr. or Pernell Whitaker who truly has when he is faced with adversity. Broner fails to understand and may the skill set to be called a pure boxer. Muslimah McLendon never understand is that being a Guillermo has it. Enjoy it people. Edison, N.J. true champion requires substance Julio Seda and grace in and out of the squared San Diego Witnessing a loud-mouthed, cocky, circle. For the betterment of boxing, arrogant bastard like Adrien “The I hope that he falls into obscurity I think that Guillermo Rigondeaux Problem” Broner get beat the way the way Naseem Hamed did after is the No. 2 pound-for-pound f ghter he did, I am sorry to say, is one being severely humbled by Marco in the world, behind only Floyd of the greatest feelings I ever had. Antonio Barrera. Mayweather Jr. I also think that Broner’s karma was well deserved; Daniel McKrell watching him f ght is an exciting he can refuse to learn from it, or he Parma, Ohio display of the art of boxing at its can come back better. Congrats to best. It is disconcerting that he is so “El Chino.” He made my weekend. WRITE TO underappreciated. I know Marcos is a hero to many THE RING! Adam Wynant people now. We all live vicariously Come Out Writing, The Ring, P.O. Las Vegas through his success. Box 251753, Los Angeles, CA 90025 • Errol Acosta [email protected] THE PROBLEM’S Oceanside, Calif. Emailed letters will include a writer’s email PROBLEMS address unless a city and state of origin is NAOKI FUKUDA The keys to victory for Adrien Broner While the Showtime boxing crew and provided. Letters may be edited for reasons against a devastating puncher like Adrien Broner were trying hard to of space and clarity.

12 RINGTV.COM / 3.14

THE LIGHTER SIDE OF A SERIOUS SPORT

JABS & STRAIGHT WRITES BY THOMAS HAUSER THE X FACTOR A RARE CASSIUS CLAY SIGNATURE WOULD FETCH A HEFTY SUM

“The Greatest” has signed a lot of autographs, frst as Cassius Clay and, for the past half century, as Muhammad Ali. If one estimates that he signed 50 signatures a day for much of his adult life, that would equal almost a million signatures. But one signature is particularly rare. Clay defeated Sonny Liston to claim the heavyweight championship on Feb. 25, 1964. Two days later, he told the media

This man signed a name other than Cassius Clay or

THE RING MAGAZINE Muhammad Ali for a short time. 3.14 / RINGTV.COM 15 ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES

signature worth? Ali used an unusual Craig Hamilton is the foremost signature while touring the UN with boxing memorabilia dealer in the Malcolm X after he United States. beat Sonny Liston “There’s an insatiable demand (right) the f rst time. for Muhammad Ali items,” Hamilton said. “And the market is f ooded with phony signatures, so the f rst issue you always have is authentication. Let’s assume for the moment that an Ali signature is authenticated. And we’re talking now about a simple signature on a piece of paper. A vintage ‘Muhammad Ali’ signature – that is, an Ali signature from 1964 through mid-1967 – is worth $500 to $750 dollars depending on its condition and how it looks. Non-vintage Ali signatures are common and generally sell for $100 to $200. Some of them, particularly the later ones, are hard to read and not particularly attractive. A vintage ‘Cassius Clay’ generally goes for between $1,500 and $2,000. Ali sometimes signed ‘Cassius Clay’ that he had accepted the teachings Liston, Clay had journeyed to as a favor to fans when he got of the Nation of Islam. Then, on New York. On March 2, he and older, but those signatures have March 6, Nation of Islam leader Malcolm X toured the United far less value.” Elijah Muhammad announced in Nations and were photographed And “Cassius X Clay”? a radio broadcast from Chicago: with various African delegates. “They’re rare,” Hamilton said. “This Clay name has no divine While at the UN, Clay was “We know they’re out there. meaning. I hope he will accept asked numerous times for his But to be honest with you, I’ve being called by a better name. autograph and signed “Cassius never seen one. If you could Muhammad Ali is what I will give X Clay,” incorporating the “X” authenticate it and place it within him for as long as he believes in as symbolic of his lost African that brief time period, and it’s in Allah and follows me.” heritage. good condition, my guess would Meanwhile, after beating So what is a “Cassius X Clay” be $3,000 to $3,500.” ★

How does a person “There was a moment in the passion. And Ted Williams know that he or late 1980s,” Michael Buffer was … what can I say? Ted recalls. “I was in Atlantic City Williams was Ted Williams. she has crossed [N.J.]. They were having a big I went over to introduce the line between baseball memorabilia show, myself, and he said, ‘Hello, and Ted Williams was at the Mike. I see you on television anonymity and fights. As you get older, you don’t all the time.’ I was like, ‘Oh my celebrity status? have the same hero worship you had god! Ted Williams knows my name.’ when you were a kid, but you still have That was special for me.” ★ ALI/CONN/WILLARD/ARMSTRONG/HOPKINS: THE RING MAGAZINE; WILLIAMS: FPG/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES; MCBRIDE: JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES; MCBRIDE: FPG/HULTON WILLIAMS: THE RING MAGAZINE; ALI/CONN/WILLARD/ARMSTRONG/HOPKINS:

16 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 QUICK QUIZ 1. JESS WILLARD, BILLY CONN, HENRY ARMSTRONG AND BERNARD HOPKINS SHARE A DUBIOUS DISTINCTION: EACH MAN LOST HIS FIRST PRO FIGHT. WHO BEAT THEM?

Kevin McBride has the distinction of retiring Mike Tyson in 2005.

‘IT WAS THE GREATEST

NIGHT OF MY LIFE’ Jess Willard Bernard Hopkins

here were 4,618 have, you’re in trouble.’ That T fans in The Theater got him so mad that he bit Billy Conn Henry Armstrong at Madison Square my nipple and tried to break Garden when Gennady my arm off at the elbow. If Golovkin knocked out he’d hit me again instead Curtis Stevens on Nov. of doing that stuff, he might 2. Only one of them had have knocked me out.” beaten Mike Tyson. “What a night that was,” Kevin McBride is a genial McBride continued. “At man, 6 feet 6 inches tall, the press conference who turned pro in 1992 and afterward, someone came fought for the last time 19 over and whispered in my 2. years later. He weighed 217 ear, ‘Muhammad Ali is here. WHO WAS THE FIRST pounds for his pro debut. He’s leaving, but he wants WOMAN TO JUDGE For his last f ght, he toppled to meet you.’ Ali had been A HEAVYWEIGHT the scales at 296. He liked there to watch his daughter CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT? to eat, he liked to drink and f ght. So I got up and went he could f ght a bit. over to say hello to Ali. It On June 11, 2005, was like meeting God. In 3. WHICH NATIONAL McBride entered the one night, I beat a legend BOXING TITLE DID EMANUEL ring at the MCI Center in and met the greatest f ghter STEWARD WIN? Washington, D.C., as the of all time.”

designated victim for a McBride wasn’t able to 9-6 (Tony Castellano) and and Castellano) (Tony 9-6

other two judges scored it it scored judges two other comebacking Mike Tyson. capitalize f nancially on his Mitchell). Clinton

championship. The Ali. for 9-6 bout the

Iron Mike had nothing victory over Tyson the way against (decision Hopkins

Gloves bantamweight bantamweight Gloves scored Shain time. the at

left. He quit on his stool he wanted to. He lost six and Iovino) Al against (KO 1963 National Golden Golden National 1963 system scoring round a Armstrong Woodwer),

record and won the the won and record had York New Shavers. after six rounds and never of his next eight f ghts and Dick against (decision

a 94-3 amateur amateur 94-3 a Earnie and Ali Muhammad

fought again. left the sweet science with Conn Fink), Louis against

3. Steward compiled compiled Steward 3. between ght f 1977, 29,

“It was the greatest a record of 35-10-1 (29 cation (disqualif Willard 1. seats for the September September the for seats

for Ali. Ali. for judges’ the of one in night of my life,” McBride knockouts). But the glow ANSWERS:

9-5-1 (Johnny LoBianco) LoBianco) (Johnny 9-5-1 was who Shain, Eva 2. reminisced before Golovkin- from that magical evening QUIZ QUICK Stevens. “At one point, Mike remains, leaving him to cracked me with a good say: “I smile whenever Thomas Hauser can be reached by email at thauser@rcn. shot. I hugged him, held on I think of that night. I com. His most recent book (Straight Writes and Jabs: An for dear life, and whispered shocked the world, and I Inside Look at Another Year in Boxing) has just been pub- in his ear, ‘If that’s all you shocked myself.” ★ lished by the University of Arkansas Press.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 17 ROLLROLL WITHWITH THETHE PUNCHESPUNCHES ADVANCED WHAT BOXERS ARE INTO OUTSIDE THE SPORT DEGREES By Anson Wainwright Degrees of separation between fghters of the past and their counterparts today. This ANTONIO month, reader Oscar Navarro connects fyweight Fidel TARVER LaBarba with former heavy- HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER weight titleholder Vitali Klitschko – who fought MUSIC – “Hip-hop.” H CAR – “I’ve got almost 90 years apart a Bentley and a Range Rover.” H FOOD – “I love soul food, but I can’t – in nine steps. eat that now, so salads and such now. I do like Italian.” H TATTOOS – “I have a couple of tattoos. I’ve got a scorpion with boxing gloves on it, and I’ve got a damaged heart with Band-Aids with spikes coming through it.” H ATHLETE OUTSIDE BOXING FIDEL – “Probably Tiger Woods.” H MOVIE – “Defnitely Rocky Balboa! H VIDEO GAME – LaBARBA (Laughs.)” “I don’t play video games, but I’d probably say Fight Night.” fought … JIMMY McLARNIN who fought … JACKIE FIELDS who fought … KUBRAT VINCE DUNDEE who fought … PULEV HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER TEDDY YAROSZ who fought … MUSIC – “My girlfriend, Andrea [a ARCHIE MOORE who fought … popular singer in Eastern Europe].” H CAR – “A European SUV like a MUHAMMAD ALI who fought … Mercedes M-Class.” H FOOD – “Tarator [Bulgarian cucumber soup].” H TATTOOS – “I have no tattoos and no desire to get one.” GEORGE FOREMAN who fought … H ATHLETE OUTSIDE BOXING – “Usain Bolt.” H MOVIE – “The Godfather.” H VIDEO GAME – “I sometimes play mini-games on SHANNON BRIGGS who fought … my cell phone.” VITALI BRYANT KLITSCHKO JENNINGS HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER MUSIC – “Jay-Z, rap music, hip-hop.” H CAR – “I still keep it G. I’m driving a Mercury Grand Marquis with extra-dark tinted windows. I’d like a Mercedes S65.” H FOOD – “Crab cakes and salmon. I don’t eat meat. I’m a pescatarian.” H TATTOOS – “I have no tattoos. I don’t believe in marking your body.” H ATHLETE OUTSIDE BOXING – “LeBron James.” H MOVIE – “Life, with Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.” H VIDEO GAME – “I haven’t played a video game since I was 15 years old. I don’t even know

what a PS2 looks like, let alone a PS3.” IMAGES SCOTT HEAVEY/GETTY DAGMAR KIELHORN/AFP/GETTYIMAGES; JENNINGS: ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES; PULEV: TARVER: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/GETTYIMAGES; AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES; KLITSCHKO: GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHIC LA BARBA:

18 EMAIL YOUR ADVANCED DEGREES TO [email protected]. A MONTHLY BOXING LIST:

This month: In honor of THE BEST AND WORST IN BOXING FROM THE PAST MONTH Oscar De La Hoya’s election to the Boxing International Hall of By Michael Rosenthal Fame, 10 of the Golden Boy’s Good most important victories. Vitali Klitschko has long been recognized 101. Fernando Vargas (KO 11, 2002) as one of the two best heavyweights in the world yet is underappreciated. Klitschko, who gave up his WBC title in His most satisfying victory. December and hinted at retirement, dominated his opponents more thoroughly than his brother but somehow was almost always No. 2. Ike Quartey (SD 12, 1999) 2. Wladimir Klitschko (61-3, 51 KOs) was stopped three times Proved his mettle in an entertaining slugfest. and struggled in other fghts while Vitali (45-2, 41 KOs) barely 3. Julio Cesar Chavez I (TKO 4, 1996) lost a round in his career. Wladimir faced no truly formidable Torch was passed from one generation to the next. opponents while Vitali fought Lennox Lewis on even terms in a fght cut short because of a cut. Vitali’s only other loss, to Chris 4. Rafael Ruelas (KO 2, 1995) Byrd, was the result of a shoulder injury. And while Wladimir has Became a star on the biggest stage. an impressive knockout ratio of 79.69 percent, Vitali is at 87.23. This isn’t to downgrade Wladimir, who deserves every accolade 5. Pernell Whitaker (UD 12, 1997) for a dominating run as champion. It is simply to give Vitali full Found a way to beat a legend. credit for his own remarkable boxing career as he transitions into a career in politics. 6. Jimmi Bredahl (TKO 10, 1994) Won the frst of his 10 major titles. Bad 7. Ricardo Mayorga (KO 9, 2006) Adrien Broner should be applauded for his Captured his fnal title in a dramatic victory. fghting spirit under great duress against Marcos Maidana on Dec. 14. He took a beating but never gave up. He considered doing 8. Lamar Williams (KO 1, 1992) so, though. The head butt that cost Maidana a point in Round Had no trouble in his pro debut. 8 was barely a butt at all. Still, Broner acted as if he was dazed, frst writhing on the ground and then standing in the corner with 9. Steve Forbes (UD 12, 2008) a forlorn look that said, “I don’t know if I can continue.” To his The fnal victory in his career. credit, he did continue. He fought hard until the fnal bell. But his 10. Julio Cesar Chavez II (TKO 8, 1998) instinct to consider quitting doesn’t speak well of him. Neither does Not much different from the frst fght. the fact he bolted from the ring after the fght before he could be interviewed. He also reportedly refused an immediate interview in his dressing room. Of course, that’s understandable. He was embarrassed by an opponent he was expected to dominate. Again, though, he would’ve earned respect had he chosen to speak on camera. It was an awful night all around for Broner.

A MONTHLY POLL OF OUR RINGTV.COM READERS Worse A potential matchup of two particular 175-pounders The World Boxing Association. It doesn’t with crushing power has the boxing world intrigued get worse than that. I have long railed against the proliferation of and excited. With that in mind, we asked: Who would world titles, which has reached an absurd 68 if each of the four major sanctioning bodies are allotted one “champion” in each of the win a light heavyweight showdown between 17 divisions. Sadly, because of its dual world title policy, the WBA Adonis Stevenson and Sergey Kovalev? Here is has the potential to have 34 “titleholders” alone. The main problem how you responded. is that the organization allows for two champions, called “super,” “regular,” “unifed,” “undisputed” or just “world.” Confusing? Some THE PERCENTAGES: of the weight classes have two champions, some one and some none, which only adds to the ridiculous nature of the policy. The Kovalev by KO 64.6 result is that WBA belts, so pathetically watered down, are the most Stevenson by KO 25.7 worthless of the four sanctioning bodies. THE RING recognizes Stevenson by decision 5.9 only the top man – whatever he’s called – as the WBA titleholder Draw 2.0 for the sake of clarity and doing what we believe is the right thing. Kovalev by decision 1.8 Of course, the idea of the dual titles was motivated by greed. What else? The WBA receives a fee for every “title” fght. The price the WBA pays is an enormous hit to its already shaky credibility. Note: 2,641 readers voted

11.13 / THE3.14 RING / RINGTV.COM MAGAZINE 19 BEST I FACED JOE CALZAGHE

By Anson Wainwright

oe Calzaghe Cardiff. And Calzaghe didn’t accomplished a great disappoint. The frst six rounds J deal in his 15-year were close but, after Calzaghe made boxing career, but one adjustments, he pulled away from the thing stands out: The “0” in his talented Dane to win the WBA and loss column. The “Pride of Wales” WBC titles. won all 46 of his pro fghts (32 Then came new frontiers. by knockout). Calzaghe moved up to 175 And that’s saying something given pounds and boarded a plane for the long list of capable opponents America to take on none other than he swept aside to become one of the Bernard Hopkins, one of the greatest greatest 168-pounders ever, including middleweights ever who at 43 still Chris Eubank, Robin Reid, Richie had the ability to win big fghts. Woodhall, Charles Brewer, Jeff Lacy, Calzaghe went down in the frst Sakio Bika and Mikkel Kessler. round but came home with a split- Calzaghe outpointed Chris Eubank decision victory, proving he could in 1997 to win his frst world title, win away from home. the WBO version, and successfully Seven months later, Calzaghe defended it a division-record 21 times ended his career with a one-sided over a dominating decade to establish decision over Roy Jones Jr. at the himself as an all-time great. Only famed Madison Square Garden in was at his peak, 39-0. I think I was heavyweight legend Joe Louis reigned New York City. a bit older than him. It was my longer. “I basically did to Roy Jones what last fight at super middleweight. He would add the IBF, WBC, Roy Jones did to everyone,” Calzaghe Massive pressure at the Millennium WBA and RING titles to his told THE RING. Stadium, 50,000, he held three collection before moving up to light Calzaghe retired in February 2009, belts. The Mikkel Kessler I beat I heavyweight for his fnal two bouts. becoming one of the few to leave the think was the best Mikkel Kessler. Many of Calzaghe’s fghts were sport without experiencing a defeat. Kessler just edges it between him memorable, particularly to his fans No one was surprised when the and Bernard Hopkins. in the U.K. Blessed with great hand International Boxing Hall of Fame speed and athleticism, Calzaghe made announced recently that Calzaghe BEST BOXER a mockery of the oddsmakers with will be inducted in 2014, his frst year RICHIE WOODHALL: He was very his win over Lacy for the IBF title. of eligibility. motivated for that fght. I remember Sugar Ray Leonard was one of Now 41, he splits his time between I was edging the fght. He started to many who were greatly impressed. his home in Wales and London. He tire. He was a very good boxer. He “The performance he produced has made a number of appearances fought the right tactics, great amateur. was amazing,” Leonard wrote in his on TV in the U.K. since he retired, He used his reach and boxed in and autobiography. “It was artistic, a including Strictly Come Dancing and out on his toes, [using] his right hand demonstration of pure boxing. Joe Master Chef. against the southpaw. He caught me would have beat anyone Calzaghe graciously agreed to with a few of them bad boys before I with that style, that mindset. What speak to THE RING about the best sussed him out. he performed was a boxing clinic, he faced. masterful.” BEST JAB The Kessler fght, the following BEST OVERALL KESSLER: That’s a tough one. I’d year, drew 50,000 rabid hometown MIKKEL KESSLER: That’s close. probably say Kessler had the best fans to Millennium Stadium in I would say when I beat him, he jab, at least for the frst six rounds.

20 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 JOHN GICHIGI/GETTY IMAGES Kessler hithard, butI’dprobably CHARLES BREWER: BEST PUNCHER just broughtmy “A” game. That wasmyperfectnight, Ithink. I kudos fortakingthebeatinghe took. know. SoIhavetogivehimsome he stooduptothatbeatingI’llnever hit himoverathousandtimes. How he didn’t godown. To behonest, I amount oftimesIhitJeffLacyand people withgoodchins... butthe JEFF LACY: BEST CHIN on theblindsideofref. in andoutofrange. He’lltieyouup clever, likeafox. He’s sly. Hecomes was throwinglotsofshots. He’s very in. He’s veryhardtocatchclean. I range stopsyouworkingyourway he’s sowily. The wayhefghtsfrom Hopkins hadthebestdefense. Ithink BERNARD HOPKINS: BEST DEFENSE perfect record. boxing witha Sakio Bika)left (right, against Joe Calzaghe I’vefoughtquiteafew There’s afew. Ithink KESSLER: FASTEST FEET because ofmyhandspeed. fast. Iusedtosparwithwelterweights them quitesloweventhoughthey’re super middleweights, Ialways found mean tosoundfunny. When Ifought because I’msomuchquicker. Idon’t opponents andthinkofthemasfast, NO ONE: FASTEST HANDS the frstroundtill12th. Heavy-handed anddangerousfrom me upafewtimesinthatfght. for therestoffght. Hebuzzed deep breathandthengotoeto watch thetape, youseemetakea me rightinthesolarplexus. Ifyou frst roundhecameoutandwhacked I’ll outboxhim. Irememberinthe knock outlotsofguys. SoIfgure “The Hatchet” BrewerIhadseen plan wastooutboxhim, butCharles go withCharlesBrewer. Mygame Ineverreallylookat Itriedtoforce thefghtin HOPKINS: SMARTEST probably giveKesslertheedge. was goodwithspeedandtiming. I’d outside. Hewaswaitingformeand ... Istartedtooutboxhimfromthe said, “I’ve gottochangesomething.” my dadsaid, “What’s goingon?” I round. Isatbackonthestooland busted meuptwiceinthefourth the righthandanduppercuts. He moving backandcatchingmewith feet, Iwasfallingshort, andhewas but becausehe’s sogoodwithhis the frstfourrounds[againstKessler] Physically strong guy. This wasthefghtafterJeffLacy. with everything, couldn’t hurt him. elbows, everythinggoingin. I hithim head butt, therewereshoulders, bashed. Ihadsixstitchesfrom a That’s theonlytimeI’ve beenreally of abitch!SakioBikawastough. SAKIO BIKA: STRONGEST a positive. couldn’t getinmyhead. Itookthatas time. Why isthat?Ithinkheknew didn’t wearhishoodfortheonly when hecameintothering, Hopkins and hewalkedaway. The nextday anything backtohim. Ijustlaughed, like hedidn’t believeIhadjustsaid step backfrommeandlookedat (pointing atHopkins’ribs). Hetooka mean? I’mgoingtobustthemup” him andsaid, “What thef---doesthat I comefromthestreet.” Ilookedat going tof------bustthemup, man. he lookedatmyribsandsaid, “I’m many peoplerealize. At theweigh-in, one thingthathappenednot mentally andheknewthat. There’s I keptthrowingpunches. I’mstrong to thereferee, Iknewhewastired. though. When hestartedwhining tired inthesecondhalfoffght, game planandhenullifedme. He guy Ifought, defnitely. Hehada Hewasthesmartest He’s onetoughson 3.14 / RINGTV.COM 21

CARDCARD GIRL GIRL OF OF THE MONTH BY THEHEATHER MONTH SHANHOLTZ BY HEATHER SHANHOLTZ Keila Tavares Dave Alan

THE RING MAGAZINE3.141.14/ / AUGUST / RINGTV.COM 2013 232323 Keila Tavares Height: 5 feet 6 inches Weight: 112 pounds Measurements: 32-23-32 Stance: Orthodox Reach: 24 inches Favorite Boxer: Muhammad Ali Hometown: Brasilia, Brazil Current location: Las Vegas Where you’ve seen her: Ultimate MMA Magazine, SocialChic Boutique website and marketing campaign, small commercials and conventions. Dave Alan

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 25 READY TO GRUMBLE By David Greisman THAT’S NOT ENTERTAINMENT ERISLANDY LARA AND GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX ARE GIFTED BUT CAN’T CONNECT WITH FANS

espect is one thing. Ratings and riches R are another. And this December there was a direct relationship between how much Guillermo Rigondeaux and Erislandy Lara won by and how little they won fans over. They were pretty much untouchable — and their bouts pretty much unwatchable. That was evident in the weak television ratings for their respective matches. Few stuck around to see them perform. Fewer still will willingly watch them again. Granted, there are several boxers whose emphasis on defensive ability is not a marketing liability. They tend to be the exceptions, and there tend to be reasons for that beyond just an appreciation for footwork, head movement and strategic clinching. Though some will argue that the point of the sport is to hit and not be hit, there’s another important sign of success: being a hit. To be fair, Rigondeaux’s shutout of Joseph Agbeko

and Lara’s wide decision over AL BELLO Austin Trout weren’t cases of them trying to get away with,

26 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 well, getting away from their were squandered by the second. he also didn’t shy away from opposition. But they needed Some of that is their fault, but it. It was a good style matchup. their performances to be more not all of it. In a way, each was It was clear from the moment inspiring. Though Rigondeaux set up to fail. it was made that the Trout and Lara both went 2-0 in 2013, Lara had entertained in his bout was not. It pitted two they might as well have gone dramatic stoppage win of Alfredo counterpunchers against each winless. The big victories they Angulo back in June. Frankly, other, and Trout foolishly put scored in the frst half of the year he’d been forced to fght, but himself in the unnatural and unfortunate position of being the aggressor against someone content with remaining the master boxer. Erislandy Lara (left) gave Austin Trout a Lara has long wanted the big boxing lesson but fghts in the junior middleweight relatively few were division, matches in which his interested in watching. promoter has seemingly been loathe to put him. Lara does belong in with the top names in his stable but will not be if he keeps giving Golden Boy an excuse to avoid doing so. That’s what the matchmaking behind Lara-Trout was seemingly designed to do, though Lara also didn’t help his own cause. Rigondeaux, meanwhile, scored the biggest win of his pro career to kick off his year, outboxing promotional and network darling Nonito Donaire in April. Yet HBO had Donaire back on before Rigondeaux returned, and Top Rank’s Bob Arum didn’t do his fghter any favors in essentially depicting Rigondeaux as boring. He then shoved his Cuban two-time Olympic gold medalist (who lives in Miami) into an Atlantic City ballroom on a cold December night. Perhaps it was for the best that the New Jersey crowd emptied out after their local guy, Glen Tapia, lost the co-feature bout in a war with James Kirkland. No one needed to see what happened in the main event. Trout’s offense was poor enough against Lara in that he landed just 97 punches over 12 rounds. Agbeko barely did half that, hitting Rigondeaux just 48 times. He rarely opened up, far too concerned with protecting

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 27 READY TO GRUMBLE

himself from potential counter shots. And with Agbeko in a shell, Rigondeaux was active, but only in a way so as not to leave Forget about himself vulnerable. Manny Pacquiao fghting Floyd No one wants to watch a Mayweather Jr. matador face a bull that refuses to charge. And few will want to watch Rigondeaux and Lara unless people are drawn to their personalities, or if they develop more ethnic and regional fan support, or if they implement a style that makes audiences nod rather than making them nod off. It’s one thing if they make it so that their opponents can’t hit them. It’s a better thing if they make it so that the paying public can’t miss them.

We pretty much knew the possibility of a fght between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao was gone years ago, when the two biggest stars in the sport decided they didn’t need each other. Even the casual fans recognized that Mayweather-Pacquiao was never going to happen once Pacquiao was laid out at the end of 2012 by a Juan Manuel Marquez right hand. presumably in negotiations to against Lamont Peterson, and Yet the questions resurfaced face Amir Khan, who’s gone a technical-knockout loss to after Pacquiao outpointed 2-2 in his last four. Mayweather Danny Garcia. Since then, Brandon Rios in November and wouldn’t shatter records with though, all he’s done is face the showed that he wasn’t done yet. Khan the way he did with undersized Carlos Molina (not You can stop asking if it will Canelo Alvarez. He would the 154-pound titleholder of happen. You can stop thinking shatter Khan, though. the same name) and then have that it could happen. Mayweather-Khan might have far too hard a time going the It won’t happen, not so long been announced by the time you distance with Julio Diaz. as Bob Arum is saying that read this, or Mayweather might I’d love to be proven wrong, for Pacquiao will return in April and have gone in another direction. Mayweather to be given a tough Mayweather already has reserved I hope he does go in another fght and for him to be pushed his traditional fght weekends in direction, even though Khan into demonstrating more of his NICKY LOH/GETTY IMAGES May and September. brings more speed and a different incredible talent. But anyone It won’t happen, not so long style than we’re used to seeing. who believes Khan is the one to as Mayweather is demeaning Yes, Khan’s recent defeats do that against Mayweather is, Pacquiao for going 1-2 in his were to very good fghters: a well, being Khanned out of their last three fghts, all while he’s controversial split decision money.

28 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 OUTSIDE THE ROPES

By Brian Harty

too boring. But appreciative audiences Boxing International Promotions overseas saw a four-time titleholder (hopefully they’ll just go with “MAG”), – including the RING championship – with former world titleholder Gerry make a total of 12 defenses against Penalosa and businessman Anson virtually every credible challenger in Tiu-Co. Their frst card featured the game. junior lightweight contender Michael Now appreciative Ukrainians are Farenas, as well as Penalosa’s following him into a new struggle. nephew, Dodie Boy Jr. In December, for example, video emerged from Kiev of Klitschko Brandon Rios tested positive for the standing at the potential epicenter stimulant methylexanamine following Vitali Klitschko of a riot between anti-government his Nov. 23 loss to Pacquiao in Macau. protesters and armored police, He was suspended for fve months barking for peace through a bullhorn. by the China Professional Boxing People listened. Organization, while action on the U.S. TITLE His “champion emeritus” status side was still pending at press time. allows him the option to return and fght to regain the belt, though Andre Ward fled a lawsuit in his WAIVE Klitschko himself said it isn’t likely. latest attempt to break away from With the title now vacant, and with promoter Dan Goossen. The contract Canadian Bermane Stiverne and that binds the two until 2015 was t’s rare that you can say Americans Chris Arreola and upheld by the California State Athletic I a heavyweight boxer is Deontay Wilder rated Nos. 1-3 by Commission in June. discontinuing his career to pursue the WBC, it might mean that U.S. fans something more perilous. Vitali will get their longed-for champion in Mike Tyson canceled plans to Klitschko became the exception in 2014. Of course, it may also mean promote his new autobiography mid-December, vacating his WBC title Wladimir is just a couple fghts from in the U.K. after a recently-passed so he can devote his energy to running having every title in the division. immigration law there barred him from for president in Ukraine. entering the country because of the jail Which means we are now witnesses Boxing’s other political dabbler, time he served for a rape conviction. to an even rarer phenomenon: a Manny Pacquiao, was accused in heavyweight belt up for grabs. December of owing $18.5 million in Former lightweight titleholder Javier He only wore one belt at a time, unpaid U.S. taxes, which followed Jauregui, 40, died on Dec. 11 of as opposed to the four his brother the report that he owes 2.2 billion complications from a stroke. He Wladimir now lugs into the ring pesos (or about $50 million) in the won the vacant IBF title in 2003 each time he fghts, but it was Vitali Philippines. Both claims revolve with an 11th-round stoppage of who launched the Klitschko dynasty around how much Pacquiao paid Leavander Johnson, who died 22 in 1999. He took the WBO title from in the U.S. during the height of months later after a loss to Jesus Herbie Hide by a second-round his career, with the IRS saying he Chavez. Jauregui’s funeral costs were knockout but lost it as a result underpaid and the Bureau of Internal reportedly covered by his friend and of a shoulder injury in his third Revenue in the Philippines saying training mate Canelo Alvarez. defense against Chris Byrd (who he provided no proof that he’d paid subsequently became the frst donor anything. Pacquiao and promoter Jacob “Baby Jake” Matlala died to Wladimir’s collection). Bob Arum denied the allegations, at 51 on Dec. 7, two days after one of His only other loss in 47 fghts (41 of saying Top Rank had paid 30 percent his biggest fans, Nelson Mandela, which he won by knockout) solidifed of all earnings directly to the IRS. passed away in South Africa. Matlala him in the American consciousness. Pacquiao’s assets, meanwhile, held world titles at 108 and 112 But despite the image from Los were frozen in his homeland, and pounds between 1993 and 1997, with Angeles in 2003 of Vitali and his he reportedly borrowed a million the fnal fght of his 53-13-2 (26 KOs) pulped face warring valiantly against pesos to purchase aid for victims of career taking place in 2002. That fght Lennox Lewis until the doctor Typhoon Haiyan. was attended by Mandela, himself a stepped in, he never really caught on boxer who spent many years living in in the U.S. He was, like his brother, too Pacquiao also launched a new the infamous Soweto township where big, too careful and, to American eyes, promotional company, MAG Pacman Matlala was born.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 29 THROUGH FIGHTS OF RATINGS PACKAGE DEC. 15 FIGHTER OF THE MONTH | RATINGS ANALYSIS | POUND-FOR-POUND | THE RING RATINGS

Marcos Maidana had fallen short against particularly good technicians in the past, losing decisions to Andreas Kotelnik, Amir Khan and Devon Alexander in recent years. There was no reason to believe that he would fare any better against the gifted Adrien Broner on Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Broner, the self-proclaimed heir to Floyd Mayweather Jr. who had climbed onto some pound-for-pound lists, had the kind of skill and quickness that everyone presumed would give Maidana trouble. And then the plucky Argentine demonstrated what unwavering confdence, savage intentions and great punching power can accomplish. Maidana (35-3, 31 knockouts) buzzed Broner (27-1, 22 KOs) in the frst round and put him down in the second, setting up a pitched battle

FIGHTER OF THE MONTH MARCOS MAIDANA

By Michael Rosenthal RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES

30 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 POUND FOR POUND: Keith Thurman after winning a UD Junior featherweight champ of wills and resilience that few over Zab Judah (rated No. 6 at 140 Guillermo Rigondeaux rose from No. pounds). In the process, No. 10 could’ve imagined beforehand. 10 to No. 8 after easily outboxing Marcos Maidana was pushed from Broner survived the early former bantamweight titleholder the list. The Argentine gunslinger onslaught and had his moments but Joseph Agbeko. That bumped Adrien returned at No. 9, however, after simply couldn’t turn the tide, not Broner and Saul Alvarez down to delivering a unanimously aff rmed with his possessed opponent f ring Nos. 9 and 10, respectively. Broner beatdown to Adrien Broner (No. 7 hard, damaging punches – which was then ousted after his Upset of last month), who replaced Alexander the Year loss to Marcos Maidana, put Broner down again in the eighth at No. 10. Thurman then gained Alvarez went back to No. 9, and two ranks to settle at No. 7 after an – almost without letup until the British super middleweight Carl Froch impressive ninth-round knockout of f nal bell. arrived at No. 10. Jesus Soto Karass. The off cial scores were no surprise: 117-109, 115-109 and 115-110, all HEAVYWEIGHTS: No change. JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS: No change. for Maidana. CRUISERWEIGHTS: The longtime contender No change. LIGHTWEIGHTS: No change. accomplished a great deal in one LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS: Beibut JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS: No change. night. He took Broner’s WBA Shumenov f nally returned to the ring welterweight title, his f rst major and successfully defended his WBA FEATHERWEIGHTS: Just one day after belt after nine-plus years as a pro. title with a third-round knockout of the death of iconic civil-rights leader He turned in a career-def ning Tamas Kovacs (unrated). Shumenov Nelson Mandela, South African performance that sent shock waves entered at No. 6, pushing those underdog Simpiwe Vetyeka (unrated) through the boxing world. below down a spot. No one was knocked Chris John from his long- ousted as a result of Shumenov’s And, perhaps most importantly, he held perch at No. 1 with a sixth-round victory, though, as Karo Murat (No. KO. Vetyeka earned the No. 5 spot thrilled appreciative fans who will 8 last month) was removed following with the victory, while John fell to No. adore him more than ever. his loss to Bernard Hopkins in 6 and everyone else adjusted up or Indeed, we were treated to one of October. Juergen Braehmer (No. 9 down accordingly. Recent 126-pound the most exciting f ghts of the year last month) also gained a spot after arrival Nonito Donaire (No. 10) was on the f nal big weekend of boxing outpointing Marcus Oliveira (unrated) pushed off the list. in 2013. And no one should be in Germany. JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS: surprised that Marcos Maidana, the No change. SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS: No change. unrelenting warrior who is better BANTAMWEIGHTS: Tomoki Kameda than we realized, was at the center MIDDLEWEIGHTS: Felix Sturm (No. 5 (No. 9 last month) successfully of it. last month) got back into the world defended his WBO title with a wide titlist club with a second-round points victory over Immanuel Naidjala knockout of No. 2-rated Darren (unrated) and rose a notch to No. 8. Barker; they swapped places in the ratings. Martin Murray (No. 6 last JUNIOR BANTAMWEIGHTS: Unrated month) was demoted one notch South African Zolani Tete knocked after his unimpressive points victory out Juan Carlos Sanchez (No. 2 over Sergey Khomitsky (unrated) in a at the time) in the 10th round and London eight-rounder. entered the ratings at No. 5. Sanchez fell to No. 6, and the previous Nos. 3 JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS: through 5 moved up to f ll the gap. Austin Trout fell from No. 2 to No. 5 after he was outpointed by FLYWEIGHTS: Moruti Mthalane (No. Erislandy Lara, who rose from No. 5 last month) was removed for 4 to No. 2. IBF titleholder Carlos inactivity, so everyone below him Molina (No. 5 last month) gained a gained a rank and Filipino Rocky spot in the exchange. Fuentes entered at No. 10.

Marcos Maidana WELTERWEIGHTS: Shawn Porter JUNIOR FLYWEIGHTS: Thai f ghter (right) gave (unrated) scored a unanimous Adrien Broner a Paipharob Kokietgym (No. 10 beating and the decision to take the IBF title from last month) was also removed for fans a night to Devon Alexander. Porter entered inactivity and replaced by South remember. at No. 7 while Alexander fell to No. African Nkosinathi Joyi. 10, and Paulie Malignaggi (No. 9 last month) swapped with No. 8 STRAWWEIGHTS: No change.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 31 AS OF DEC. 15 FOR WEEKLY UPDATED RING RATINGS, GO TO RINGTV.COM

Beibut Shumenov (right) returned from an 18-month layoff to stop Tamas Kovacs in the third round.

HEAVYWEIGHTS CRUISERWEIGHTS LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS WEIGHT UNLIMITED WEIGHT LIMIT: 200 LBS WEIGHT LIMIT: 175 LBS WEIGHT LIMIT: 168 LBS

32 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 MIDDLEWEIGHTS JR. MIDDLEWEIGHTS WELTERWEIGHTS JR. WELTERWEIGHTS WEIGHT LIMIT: 160 LBS WEIGHT LIMIT: 154 LBS WEIGHT LIMIT: 147 LBS WEIGHT LIMIT: 140 LBS

LIGHTWEIGHTS JR. LIGHTWEIGHTS FEATHERWEIGHTS JR. FEATHERWEIGHTS WEIGHT LIMIT: 135 LBS WEIGHT LIMIT: 130 LBS WEIGHT LIMIT: 126 LBS WEIGHT LIMIT: 122 LBS

HOW OUR RATINGS ARE COMPILED

Championship vacancies can be f lled in the following two ways: Champion does not schedule a f ght at his championship weight 1. THE RING’s Nos. 1 and 2 contenders f ght one another; 2. If for 18 months (even if he f ghts at another weight); 5. The Cham- the Nos. 1 and 2 contenders chose not to f ght one another and pion does not schedule a f ght with a Top-5 contender from any either of them f ghts No. 3, No. 4 or No. 5, the winner may be weight class for two years; 6. The Champion retires. awarded THE RING belt if the Editorial Board deems the con- THE RING Ratings Chairman Chuck Giampa considers input tenders worthy. from the Ratings Panel of boxing journalists from around the A champion can lose his belt in six situations: 1. The Champion world but has f nal say on all changes. That applies to both the loses a f ght in the weight class in which he is champion; 2. The pound-for-pound and divisional ratings. Champion moves to another weight class; 3. The Champion does not schedule a f ght in any weight class for 18 months; 4. The Records provided by boxrec.com

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 33 BANTAMWEIGHTS JR. BANTAMWEIGHTS FLYWEIGHTS JR. FLYWEIGHTS WEIGHT LIMIT: 118 LBS WEIGHT LIMIT: 115 LBS WEIGHT LIMIT: 112 LBS WEIGHT LIMIT: 108 LBS

C VACANT C VACANT C AKIRA YAEGASHI C VACANT Japan | 19-3-0 (9 KOs) 1. ANSELMO MORENO 1. OMAR NARVAEZ 1. ROMAN GONZALEZ 1. DONNIE NIETES Panama | 34-2-1 (12 KOs) Argentina | 40-1-2 (21 KOs) Nicaragua | 37-0-0 (31 KOs) Philippines | 32-1-4 (18 KOs) 2. SHINSUKE YAMANAKA 2. CARLOS CUADRAS 2. JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA 2. MOISES FUENTES Japan | 19-0-2 (14 KOs) Mexico | 28-0-0 (23 KOs) Mexico | 25-2-0 (18 KOs) Mexico | 19-1-1 (10 KOs) 3. KOKI KAMEDA 3. SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI 3. BRIAN VILORIA 3. KAZUTO IOKA Japan | 32-1-0 (17 KOs) Thailand | 23-3-1 (21 KOs) U.S. | 32-4-0 (19 KOs) Japan | 13-0-0 (9 KOs) 4. MALCOLM TUNACAO 4. TEPPARITH SINGWANCHA 4. EDGAR SOSA 4. ADRIAN HERNANDEZ Philippines | 33-3-3 (20 KOs) Thailand | 24-3-0 (14 KOs) Mexico | 49-8-0 (29 KOs) Mexico | 28-2-1 (17 KOs) 5. HUGO RUIZ 5. ZOLANI TETE 5. JUAN CARLOS REVECO 5. JOHNRIEL CASIMERO Mexico | 33-2-0 (29 KOs) South Africa | 18-3-0 (16 KOs) Argentina | 32-1-0 (17 KOs) Philippines | 19-2-0 (11 KOs) 6. JOSEPH AGBEKO 6. JUAN CARLOS SANCHEZ JR. 6. TOSHIYUKI IGARASHI 6. PEDRO GUEVARA Ghana | 29-5-0 (22 KOs) Mexico | 17-2-1 (9 KOs) Japan | 18-2-1 (11 KOs) Mexico | 21-1-1 (14 KOs) 7. JAMIE MCDONNELL 7. ARTHUR VILLANUEVA 7. GIOVANI SEGURA 7. FELIX ALVARADO U.K. | 23-2-1 (10 KOs) Philippines | 24-0-0 (14 KOs) Mexico | 31-3-1 (27 KOs) Nicaragua | 18-0-0 (15 KOs) 8. TOMOKI KAMEDA 8. OLEYDONG SITHSAMERCHAI 8. HERNAN MARQUEZ 8. ALBERTO ROSSEL Japan | 29-0-0 (18 KOs) Thailand | 51-1-1 (17 KOs) Mexico | 36-4-0 (26 KOs) Peru | 31-8-0 (13 KOs) 9. JULIO CEJA 9. FELIPE ORUCUTA 9. MILAN MELINDO 9. NAOYA INOUE Mexico | 25-1-0 (23 KOs) Mexico | 28-2-0 (23 KOs) Philippines | 30-1-0 (12 KOs) Japan | 5-0-0 (4 KOs) 10. PAULUS AMBUNDA 10. DAIKI KAMEDA 10. ROCKY FUENTES 10. NKOSINATHI JOYI Namibia | 20-1-0 (10 KOs) Japan | 29-4-0 (18 KOs) Philippines | 35-6-2 (20 KOs) South Africa | 24-2-0 (17 KOs)

STRAWWEIGHTS WEIGHT LIMIT: 105 LBS

10. CARL FROCH U.K. | 32-2-0 (23 KOs) | SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT

THE RING POLICY ON RATED BOXERS WHO TEST tests positive and he waives his right to have the “B” sample tested then the POSITIVE FOR PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUGS boxer shall immediately be removed from the ratings. A boxer whose “A” sample tested positive and is awaiting the results of his THE RING will remove from its ratings any rated boxer — including a cham- “B” sample will not be allowed to f ght for a championship or rise in the ratings. pion — if such boxer at some point undergoes drug testing (Olympic-style or A boxer who is removed because of a positive test will have the opportunity otherwise) and that boxer tests positive for a performance-enhancing drug. to earn his way back into the ratings after any suspension period is completed. In the event that a boxer has undergone testing in which the boxer pro- A boxer who is dropped also may be reinstated if the testing agency vides two samples (“A” and “B”) and the boxer’s “A” and subsequent “B” subsequently reverses its decision or a court of competent jurisdiction f nds samples test positive for a performance-enhancing drug or if his “A” sample that the test result was invalid. AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES BY COUNTRY RATED FIGHTERS UZBEKISTAN UGANDA SPAIN ROMANIA PERU PANAMA NAMIBIA MALAWI JAMAICA INDONESIA GHANA FINLAND DENMARK CONGO COLOMBIA CHINA CAMEROON BULGARIA PUERTO RICO 2 KAZAKHSTAN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ARMENIA POLAND NICARAGUA AUSTRALIA UKRAINE THAILAND GERMANY CANADA CUBA ARGENTINA SOUTH AFRICA RUSSIA PHILIPPINES JAPAN UNITED KINGDOM MEXICO UNITED STATES (welterweight andlightweight). and welterweight) Adrien Broner Mayweather Jr. (juniormiddleweight * Includestwo ratings forFloyd 34 * 14 17 30 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 7 8 9 1 1 1 2 1 Kazakhstan and Armenia. Kazakhstan nations withrated fghters: Ukraine, Russia, Uzbekistan, FLY CURRENT–SeePages32-34.Soviet (Arm.). L (Uzbek.); W. Abelyan, FEATHER (Arm.), V. Darchinyan, S. Tatevosyan, M(Russia);K. Tszyu, JW; A. Grigorian, 2003 – V. and W. Klitschko, H(Ukr.); V. Jirov, C(Kaz.); O. Nazarov, L(Kyrg.); Y. Arbachakov, FLY (Russia). The rated fghters: USSR: THENVS.NOW DIVISION 2003 and2013(theratings inthisissue). Soviet nationsaroundthecloseof1993,former We compare thenumberofrated boxersfrom succeeding more ingeneral, asthischart indicates. Frauenheim writesonPage80. Norm They alsoare Union are fnding successintheU.S., ascontributor Soviet A growingnumberofboxersfromtheformer HEAVYWEIGHTS IH EVWIHS 0 0 2 0 0 LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS CRUISERWEIGHTS UE IDEEGT 0 2 0 0 SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS IDEEGT 0 2 1 0 MIDDLEWEIGHTS ETREGT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WELTERWEIGHTS 0 JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS UIRWLEWIHS 1 1 3 1 1 JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS IHWIHS 0 1 1 LIGHTWEIGHTS ETEWIHS 1 1 1 0 0 0 FEATHERWEIGHTS 0 JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS UIRFAHREGT 0 1 0 0 JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS ATMEGT 0 0 0 0 BANTAMWEIGHTS LWIHS 1 0 0 1 0 1 FLYWEIGHTS 0 JUNIOR BANTAMWEIGHT UIRFYEGT 0 0 0 JUNIOR FLYWEIGHTS TAWIHS 0 0 0 0 0 STRAWWEIGHTS OA 8 17 8 3 TOTAL 30 ORMORE UNITED STATES NICARAGUA CANADA MEXICO 1993 –K. Tszyu, JW(Russia); ARGENTINA 20 -29 93 20032013 1993 0 0 CUBA UNITED KINGDOM PUERTO RICO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2 3 1 GERMANY SOUTH AFRICA 10 -19 3 REPRESENTATIVES LONE of weight). represent theircountriesalone(inorder one rated fghter. Here are themenwho the 38countriesonlist, 18have only RING ratings. Somenotsomuch. Among and theU.K., are wellrepresented inthe Some countries, such astheU.S., Mexico XIONG ZHAOZHONG, ALBERTO ROSSEL, PAULUS AMBUNDA, JOSEPH AGBEKO, ANSELMO MORENO, JHONATAN ROMERO, KIKO MARTINEZ, NICHOLAS WALTERS, CHRIS JOHN, SHARIF BOGERE, SAKIO BIKA, LUCIAN BUTE, MIKKEL KESSLER, ISAAC CHILEMBA, ILUNGA MAKUBA, RUSLAN CHAGAEV, ROBERT HELENIUS, KUBRAT PULEV, POLAND (COLOMBIA) (DENMARK) 5 -9 SUPERMIDDLEWEIGHT(CAMEROON) FEATHERWEIGHT (INDONESIA) THAILAND SUPERMIDDLEWEIGHT(ROMANIA) HEAVYWEIGHT (BULGARIA) JUNIORFEATHERWEIGHT (SPAIN) LIGHTWEIGHT(UGANDA) BANTAMWEIGHT (GHANA) UKRAINE CRUISERWEIGHT (CONGO) CRUISERWEIGHT LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT (MALAWI) SUPERMIDDLEWEIGHT JUNIORFLYWEIGHT (PERU) HEAVYWEIGHT (UZBEKISTAN) HEAVYWEIGHT (FINLAND) BANTAMWEIGHT (NAMIBIA) STRAWWEIGHT (CHINA) ARMENIA BANTAMWEIGHT (PANAMA) JUNIORFEATHERWEIGHT FEATHERWEIGHT (JAMAICA) AUSTRAILIA 3.14 KAZAKHSTAN / RUSSIA RINGTV.COM 2 -4 PHILIPPINES JAPAN 35 THROUGH FIGHTS OF DEC. 15

FOCUS ON …

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS THE RING staff members’ current A breakdown of THE RING Top 10 in one division each month, champions in the original eight plus a list of f ghters on the cusp of breaking through. This weight classes. month: the 154-pounders. Mikey Garcia is the top lightweight/ junior Floyd Mayweather lightweight Jr., 36, is the oldest – on two of our and the best – junior three lists. middleweight rated by THE RING.

MICHAEL ROSENTHAL RING MAGAZINE EDITOR HEAVYWEIGHT: WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT: ANDRE WARD MIDDLEWEIGHT: SERGIO MARTINEZ WELTERWEIGHT: FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. LIGHTWEIGHT: MIKEY GARCIA FEATHERWEIGHT: GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX BANTAMWEIGHT: ANSELMO MORENO FLYWEIGHT: ROMAN GONZALEZ

DOUG FISCHER RINGTV.COM EDITOR HEAVYWEIGHT: WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT: ANDRE WARD MIDDLEWEIGHT: GENNADY GOLOVKIN WELTERWEIGHT: FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. LIGHTWEIGHT: MIGUEL VAZQUEZ FEATHERWEIGHT: GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX BANTAMWEIGHT: ANSELMO MORENO MOST WEEKS RATED: VANES MARTIROSYAN 208 FLYWEIGHT: ROMAN GONZALEZ FEWEST WEEKS RATED: JERMELL CHARLO 5 OLDEST: FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. 36 LEM SATTERFIELD STAFF WRITER YOUNGEST: CHARLO 23 HEAVYWEIGHT: WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO MOST FIGHTS: MAYWEATHER 45 LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT: ANDRE WARD FEWEST FIGHTS: DEMETRIUS ANDRADE 20 MIDDLEWEIGHT: SERGIO MARTINEZ HIGHEST WINNING PERCENTAGE: (TIE) MAYWEATHER, DEMETRIUS ANDRADE AND WELTERWEIGHT: FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. CHARLO 100 PERCENT LIGHTWEIGHT: MIKEY GARCIA LOWEST WINNING PERCENTAGE: CARLOS MOLINA 76 PERCENT FEATHERWEIGHT: GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX MOST KOS: MIGUEL COTTO 31 BANTAMWEIGHT: ANSELMO MORENO FEWEST KOS: MOLINA 6 FLYWEIGHT: ROMAN GONZALEZ LONGEST WINNING STREAK: MAYWEATHER 45 FIGHTS ON THE POUND-FOR-POUND LIST: MAYWEATHER (NO. 1) AND CANELO ALVAREZ (NO. 9) Note: This is how the weights break down: Heavy- weight includes cruiserweight, light heavyweight TITLEHOLDERS IN THE TOP 10: MAYWEATHER (RING, WBC, WBA), MOLINA (IBF) AND ANDRADE (WBO) Naoki Fukuda includes super middleweight, all divisions mid- ON THE CUSP (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER): ALFREDO ANGULO, ZAURBEK BAYSANGUROV, dleweight through f yweight include the “junior” CORNELIUS BUNDRAGE, JAMES KIRKLAND AND SERGEY RABCHENKO versions, and f yweight also includes strawweight.

36 RINGTV.COM / 3.14

THE BEST OF

38 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 THE 85TH ANNUAL RING AWARDS

The past year was one of the most successful for boxing in recent memory. Great performances, great f ghts, great events and memorable stories seemed to be the norm for 2013. Here are the best of a very good lot.

From left to right, Adrien Broner, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Adonis Stevenson, Manny Pacquiao, Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov all served up drama in the past year. BRADLEY: KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES; MAYWEATHER: NAOKI FUKUDA; PACQUIAO: JEOFFREY MAITEM/GETTY IMAGES; STEVENSON: VINCENT ETHIER / GYM; BRONER: RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY VINCENT ETHIER / GYM; BRONER: JEOFFREY MAITEM/GETTY IMAGES; STEVENSON: NAOKI FUKUDA; PACQUIAO: KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES; MAYWEATHER: BRADLEY:

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 39 40 STEVENSON ADONIS RINGTV.COM FIGHTER OFTHEYEAR T 8 atBellCentreinMontreal, champion ChadDawsonon June to faceRINGlightheavyweight when hesteppedintothering – includingcrushingpower and anabundanceoftalent Steward’s confidenceinhim And nowweknow, too. Adonis Stevensonwascapableof.

BEST

2013 THE Stevenson wasarmedwith

OF 100 knew whatprotégé surprised atall. Steward wouldn’t havebeen Emanuel Steward he late, greattrainer

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career andlifeinonly76seconds. glassy, hecouldn’t continue. but, hislegswobblyandeyes Dawson wasabletogethis feet his backandrattledbrain. the overconf dent championonto of Dawson’s headthatknocked enormous lefthandtotheside when Stevensonlandedan turned itintoalaunchingpad. he calleda “tune-up.” Stevenson near Stevenson’s hometown. Stevenson hadchangedhis The f ght hadbarelybegun Dawson sawthef ght aswhat BY MICHAELROSENTHAL

XXVINCENT ETHIER / GYM RUNNERS UP

Adonis Stevenson knocked out each of his four “When the opportunity came to opponents in a f ght Chad Dawson, I jumped on that breakthrough year. f ght,” Stevenson told THE RING. “I believed in myself, because of Timothy Emanuel. He believed in me and he Bradley knows what he’s talking about.” went 2-0 Of course, Stevenson did more in 2013. than just knock out Chad Dawson in 2013. In March, about f ve months after TIMOTHY BRADLEY Steward died, he stopped Darnell Bradley proved in a war against Boone in six rounds to avenge the rugged Ruslan Provodnikov only loss in his career. In September, that he could win as much with he proved he’s more than just a his heart as his skills. Then power puncher by thoroughly he outboxed the master, Juan outboxing former titleholder Tavoris Manuel Marquez, to remove any Cloud, who quit on his stool after doubt about his place among the seven rounds with cuts over both eyes best in the sport. and no hope of winning the f ght. And in November, he put the capable Tony Bellew away in six SERGEY KOVALEV rounds to complete a perfect year Kovalev duplicated Adonis – four f ghts, four knockouts, four Stevenson’s feat – four f ghts, reasons to consider Stevenson one of four knockouts. None of his foes the best f ghters in the world. – Gabriel Campillo, Cornelius Not bad for a onetime street White, Nathan Cleverly and f ghter who took up the sport at 27 Ismayl Sillakh – saw the f fth and turned pro at an unheard-of round, giving the Russian a 29, the result of a four-year prison fearsome reputation. term for pimping and assault that apparently transformed him. Stevenson emerged from FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. incarceration determined to be a Mayweather fought twice for the better person and make something f rst year since 2007. The results of himself. He soon found boxing, were typical. Robert Guerrero realized that he had unusual gifts and Canelo Alvarez had decent and set about working hard to credentials but not the skills achieve fame and fortune even with to cope with the unique tools the odds stacked against him. “Money” brings to the ring. That punching power helped. Stevenson knocked out 10 of his f rst 13 opponents, was stopped by Boone GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX in two rounds in 2010, took a year The former amateur star had off and then became unstoppable. only 11 pro f ghts when he took He knocked out each of his on Nonito Donaire, who was last 10 opponents in a 2½-year on most pound-for-pound lists, period to become, in order, a yet outclassed him to win the contender, a champion, and a RING junior featherweight title. star. Stevenson’s nickname is He followed with a shutout of “Superman.” How appropriate. • Joseph Agbeko.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 41 THE BEST100 BY KEITH IDEC OF 2013

FIGHT OF THE YEAR t took all of about f ve minutes the night of March 16 to realize we were TIMOTHY I watching something special. Timothy Bradley evidently was determined to show fans after the disappointing reaction to his BRADLEY victory over Manny Pacquiao that he could fight – and win – like a warrior. And Ruslan Provodnikov, a born brawler, was more than happy VS. RUSLAN to oblige him in what became THE RING’s 2013 Fight of the Year. In most fights, Bradley’s brave comeback from serious second-

PROVODNIKOV IMAGES RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES; INSET: round trouble against the relentless

42 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 RUNNERS UP

Timothy Bradley’s decision to slug it out with Ruslan Provodnikov (right) corner with about 35 seconds left gave fans an in the round, yet the ever-stubborn Marcos Maidana unforgettable f ght. (left) vs. Adrien Bradley boxed strictly on instinct Broner was riveting. and courage long enough to reach the end of that ordeal, too. By the ninth round, Bradley MARCOS MAIDANA- regained complete command by ADRIEN BRONER punishing Provodnikov to the Maidana mauled the heavily body and opening a bad cut over favored Broner as soon as the the rugged Russian’s left eye. bell rang and dropped him in Bradley battered Provodnikov with the second and eighth rounds. such regularity in the 10th round Maidana won a unanimous decision that trainer Freddie Roach told in a fan-friendly f ght that featured his f ghter he’d stop the f ght if numerous exciting exchanges Dec. Provodnikov didn’t show signs of 14 in San Antonio. making the match more competitive. An equally resilient Provodnikov responded by buzzing Bradley GUILLERMO JONES- in the 11th round, hurting him DENIS LEBEDEV several times in the 12th and In spite of grotesque swelling finally flooring the unbeaten WBO surrounding his right eye, Lebedev welterweight champion with 13 was winning this brutal battle on seconds left in the fight. all three scorecards before Jones The unbelievably durable Bradley stopped the Russian southpaw in answered referee Pat Russell’s the 11th round of a cruiserweight count, though, and deservedly classic May 17 in Moscow. retained his title by unanimous decision even though Provodnikov hurt him in the first, second, sixth OMAR FIGUEROA- and 12th rounds. NIHITO ARAKAWA “Even though I got rocked, Figueroa won by wide margins on I still fight hard,” Bradley told all three scorecards – 119-107, HBO’s Max Kellerman after the 118-108, 118-108 – yet Japan’s spectacular slugfest. “I still fight Arakawa withstood knockdowns back. That’s just the warrior in me.” in the second and sixth rounds Provodnikov would’ve been more Provodnikov’s performance and often tagged the defensively than enough to satisfy fans. But instantly made him an action def cient Figueroa in an action- seeing Bradley battle back off the star, even in defeat. The 30-year- packed lightweight war July 27 in ropes when it appeared as though old Bradley suffered a severe San Antonio. he was out on his feet was just one concussion during the fight and of many memorable moments in visited several brain specialists a 12-round welterweight brawl at before resuming his career. GIOVANI SEGURA- StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Prior to defeating Mexican HERNAN MARQUEZ A rejuvenated Bradley began legend Juan Manuel Marquez in his These Mexican southpaws taking control of the fight during next fight, on Oct. 12 in Las Vegas, produced some stunning savagery the third, fourth and fifth rounds, Bradley admitted he had forgotten in their fantastic f yweight f ght Nov. only to find himself in the same much of what occurred during his 2 in Hermosillo, Mexico. Segura dangerous position that he fight against Provodnikov. Bradley was winning a very competitive, somehow survived in the second might not remember much from compelling bout before his crushing again late the sixth. Provodnikov that legendary night, but thankful left hook knocked out Marquez in hurt Bradley badly in a neutral fight fans will never forget it. • the 12th round.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 43 44 DAWSON KO 1 STEVENSON ADONIS A he hadtogoogle himwhenthe Stevenson wassuchanunknown laughed thesuggestionoff, saying knock himoutcold. Dawson “Bad” ChadDawsonhe would RING lightheavyweightchampion “Superman” Stevenson promised RINGTV.COM KNOCKOUT OFTHEYEAR

BEST

2013 THE

OF 100 middleweight Adonis Montreal, careersuper match atBellCentrein before theirJune8 t apressconference

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CHAD CHAD

than a175-pounder. Itwasthe lives morelikeaheavyweight would left crossthatchangedbothmen’s of theworld. the newlightheavyweightchampion of thef rst round, “Superman” was Dawson onthecanvas, andat1:16 minute intotheirmatch, heknocked was amanofhisword. Barelya fight wasannounced. Stevenson, asouthpaw, threwthe Known orotherwise, Stevenson stationary object. side ofDawson’s faceasifitwerea smashing hisf st againsttheright tee, steppingintothepunchand Dawson’s headlikeitwas ona generally do, butrathergolfed way meninlighterweightdivisions run Dawsonintothepunch, the man’s ref exes. Stevensondidn’t when heisunafraidofanother sort oflargepunchamanthrows It appearedto be anaudacious BY BARTBARRY

VINCENT ETHIER / GYM RUNNERS UP

Dawson’s right ear and the tip of his chin, a blunt strike more than a precise one, and landed with the incredible concussive force that has become Stevenson’s signature – a force that traumatizes whatever it hits Jhonny Gonzalez (right) stunned Abner Mares. f ush. Dawson’s upper body swayed leftward from the collision and then snapped ref exively rightward as he JHONNY GONZALEZ KO 1 collapsed on the canvas. ABNER MARES Those who believed Dawson’s Mexican Gonzalez surprised southpaw stance might offset the boxing world by stopping Stevenson’s power had forgotten featherweight titlist Mares at 2:55 what Stevenson’s left cross did to of Round 1 on Aug. 24 at StubHub southpaw Jesus Gonzales in 2012, Center in Carson, Calif. The veteran when a f rst-round connection put slugger dropped Mares with a Gonzales on his back, legs jutting left-hook lead before felling him a outward and arms swimming second and f nal time. involuntarily overhead. Dawson’s legs did the same, though his eyes remained open, completing a look of LUCAS MATTHYSSE KO 3 thorough disbelief – boxing’s telltale LAMONT PETERSON sign of a scrambled brain. Argentine junior welterweight Dawson rose before the count Matthysse ruined Peterson on May of seven, shuff ed rigidly backward 18 in Atlantic City, N.J., dropping and replied to referee Michael him in the second round with a well- Griff n’s inquiries by addressing not timed right cross and taking his will Griff n but a spot beyond Griff n’s with a left hook that ended their title left shoulder. Griff n liked nothing bout at 2:14 of the third round. about Dawson’s posture, and after considering the potentially tragic consequences of even one more GENNADY GOLOVKIN KO 3 Stevenson blow, Griff n wisely NOBUHIRO ISHIDA waved the f ght off. Kazakhstani middleweight titlist Stevenson leaped round the ring Golovkin hammered Japan’s Ishida Adonis Stevenson (left) like a banshee in Kronk-yellow on March 30 in Monte Carlo. The took away our breath and Chad Dawson’s RING satin, hopping and surging and end came at 2:20 of Round 3 when, championship with one kicking and skipping, hugging with a left uppercut-right cross monumental punch. anyone in range of his muscular combination, Golovkin left Ishida arms. It was a wonderful and sincere unconscious and partially draped expression of mindless euphoria. over a scorer’s table. calculation Stevenson made in the It was also a moment of profound early days of his training camp with vindication for the 35-year-old trainer Javon “Sugar” Hill, nephew Haitian, f ghting before a supportive CURTIS STEVENS KO 1 and protégé of the late Emanuel Canadian crowd in his adopted SAUL ROMAN Steward, a calculation to test home province of Quebec. Two and a half minutes into their Dawson’s chin before the champion Every prizef ghter, nay any man middleweight match on Aug. 3 was fully warmed. How else to who has even stood before a heavy in Uncasville, Conn., American explain the fearlessness with which bag, imagines becoming a world Stevens and Mexican Roman Stevenson strode at a man heavily champion with one punch. Adonis each started left hooks at one favored to beat him? “Superman” Stevenson lived that another’s heads. Stevens’ got there The knuckles of Stevenson’s left f st very moment and scored THE f rst, Roman dropped f at, and no collided along the jawline between RING’S 2013 Knockout of the Year. • 10-count was needed.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 45 THE BEST100 BY JACOB SIROF OF 2013

ROUND OF THE YEAR

fter watching two TIMOTHY rounds of WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley’s A battle with Ruslan Provodnikov on March 16, Bradley’s BRADLEY wife and mother had seen enough. They left their ringside seats. It’s a safe bet that nobody else in the VS. RUSLAN moderate-sized crowd followed suit. Bradley had been badly hurt in Rounds 1 and 2, largely because he opted to f ght a decidedly “un- PROVODNIKOV, Bradley” f ght. He stood in the pocket and exchanged with the hard-punching Siberian. Nobody ROUND 6 expected this. Least of all Bradley’s long-time trainer Joel Diaz, whose furious admonishments in the corner convinced Bradley to change

his strategy. For the next three KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES

46 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 RUNNERS UP

Timothy Bradley (right) MICKEY BEY VS. came back from the JOHN MOLINA, ROUND 10 brink in a gripping Bey boxed beautifully, winning Round 6. every minute of every round. Well, except for that pesky last minute of the fnal round. Molina’s come- from-behind TKO victory is the stuff of which movies are made. When small children stage pretend boxing matches, they don’t dare go this dramatic.

OMAR FIGUEROA VS. NIHITO ARAKAWA, ROUND 3 If the point of boxing is to hit and fghter, outworking the dangerous not be hit, these two lightweights slugger. Still, it was hardly one-way clearly never got the memo. traffc. Both men landed powerful Clinches? Jabs? Who needs body blows. Although the champion ’em? In a brutal and entertaining seemed to be getting the better fght that miraculously went the of the exchanges, the action was 12-round distance, Figueroa sustained and thrilling. With 35 ultimately dominated, but Round 3 seconds to go, however, observers was the most evenly contested. learned to rethink their defnition of the word “thrilling.” Provodnikov threw a left hook JAMES KIRKLAND VS. that couldn’t have found Bradley’s GLEN TAPIA, ROUND 1 chin more accurately were it guided What became a frightening by GPS. Bradley fell into the ropes. beatdown of the courageous They clinched, and then Provodnikov Tapia began as a competitive, landed two massive right hands exhilarating contest. Tapia came to the head of an already-stunned out guns blazing, landing shots that Bradley. Here’s where the fun begins. would’ve put most men to sleep. rounds, he boxed smartly, landing Bradley, with his back yet again But “Mandingo Warrior” is NOT combinations, moving in and out. against the ropes and apparently most men. The fnal minute of the Bradley was in control. ready to go at any time, began round would set the tone for the Then came Round 6. throwing punches. A lot of them. rest of the fght. There are moments in boxing Provodnikov matched his efforts, and that are etched in our minds forever. for the last 17 seconds of the round, Little visual poems that stick with neither man moved (or left) his feet. MIKE MOLLO VS. us like the verses of our favorite They exchanged shots at a rate that ARTUR SZPILKA I, ROUND 4 songs. Ali yelling over Sonny Liston makes one question how the good Mollo was being picked apart after the “phantom punch,” Roberto folks at CompuBox could possibly all night, both by Szpilka and by Duran turning away from Sugar track them in real time. The fghters the strangely biased ref. He’d Ray Leonard in the “No Mas” fght, looked as though they were being eventually be stopped in Round Mike Tyson’s “triple-knockdown” of controlled by a couple of 9-year- 6, but in the fourth, with blood Trevor Berbick. olds mashing buttons on video game pouring into both eyes from horrifc The frst two minutes and 25 controllers. And so we had it: Our cuts, Mollo foored the undefeated seconds of Round 6 offered no new “moment.” Szpilka with a savage left hook. indication that we were about to HBO commentator Jim Lampley Amazing stuff. be served up another “moment” to roared at the TV audience, imploring add to the list. They looked much them. “Look at this! Look at this!” like the previous three rounds, with We’re looking, Jim. We’re looking. Bradley, the busier and more mobile How can we not? •

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 47 THE BEST100 BY BART BARRY OF 2013

UPSET OF THE YEAR MARCOS MAIDANA UD 12 ADRIEN BRONER

he last major f ght card the man’s f esh, dropped Broner in Broner on a corner search for an of the year was one Round 2 with a left-hook lead. It escape hatch from the sort of f ght headlined by a main was a punch Maidana landed an his conditioning had not anticipated. event, welterweight incredible number of times, given Texas referee Laurence Cole T titlist Adrien Broner the combatants’ assumed disparity deducted a point from Maidana’s vs. Marcos Maidana, in quickness, and a punch for which tally but told Broner to return to his expected to be so uncompetitive Broner made nary a defensive feet and return to f ghting. that af cionados spent the buildup adjustment in 36 minutes. To his credit, Broner, who forewent choosing which preliminary match After applying his only tactical his usual post-f ght performance might steal the show. alteration in the match, a f fth-round antics to climb in an ambulance The Adrien Broner show, an effort to walk down the Argentine bound for a local hospital, acquitted ongoing effort to coronate “The and f ght him at close range, muff ing himself nobly in the championship Problem” as Floyd Mayweather Maidana’s punches, Broner got rounds, f ghting Maidana on even Jr.’s heir to the pound-for-pound dropped a second time in Round 8 terms, despite wearing a beaten throne, got stolen all right – just not by yet another left hook. Broner rose, look on his previously pristine by an undercard f ghter. Instead it and Maidana butted him, elbowed countenance. Texas, often maligned was Marcos Maidana, the taciturn him and hit him on a break, sending for judging that favors the favorite, slugger from Argentina, who took Broner’s ‘0’ and razed the small kingdom being built around the Broner name on an unforgettable night Dec. 14 in San Antonio. It is rare to see an expression of genuine hatred in a championship prizef ght, as such an emotion generally subverts a f ghter’s conditioning. But genuine hatred is what Maidana showed at the opening bell of his Alamodome match with Broner, rushing out of his corner and assaulting his opponent with tactics seen more often in a schoolyard than a prizef ghting ring. And Broner had no defense for them but hot-dogging stunts and exaggerated expressions of calm. Maidana, who used what very few words he spoke in the f ght’s promotion to say he didn’t like anything about Broner and looked forward to sinking his knuckles in

48 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES; PORTER: AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES corps hadwornmischievousglints week membersofthe Argentine press nation’s best-knownprizef ghters. All Alamo Cityandcoveroneoftheir other wintercalamitiestovisitthe reporters whohadbravedstormsand large contingentof Argentine for nearlyanhourasurprisingly 117-109, 115-109and115-110. unanimous andfairlywidemargins: scored forthe Argentine underdogby boxing world. Adrien Broner andthe his crown bystunning Marcos Maidanaearned After thef ght, Maidanaaddressed RING’S 2013Upsetofthe Year. prognosticators. And itwasalso THE a largenumberofexpertsand put onBronerwasupsettingto about Broner, thebeatingMaidana about Maidanaorotherswerewrong oddsmakers believed. their manwasbetterthan American or theweigh-in, asiftheyknew workout, af nal pressconference in theireyes, whetheratapublic Whether the Argentines wereright prodigious power. aggression and Maidana’s inspired overwhelmed by Broner (right)was • 18 times.LikeRickyHattondidto successfully defendedhisworldtitle the undefeatedIndonesianwhohad 6 andinsixrounds unraveledJohn, went toWestern AustraliaonDec. Unheralded SouthAfricanVetyeka CHRIS JOHN SIMPIWE VETYEKA- remarkable upsetonhisledger. f rst defeat,andGonzalezhada At 2:55ofRound1,Mares hadhis left hook,butitwasnotasoftone. provided thattouchintheformofa Aug. 24inCarson,Calif.Gonzalez soft touchforundefeatedMares on Gonzalez wasexpectedtobea ABNER MARES JHONNY GONZALEZ- RUNNERS UP decisioned Alexander unanimously. Mayweather Jr. Instead,Porter the sweepstakestof ght Floyd an opportunitytoputhimself in was expectedtograntAlexander Dec. 7inBrooklyn, N.Y., thef ght Alexander andPortermeton When Americanwelterweights DEVON ALEXANDER SHAWN PORTER- heavyweight championship. f rst round towintheRINGlight him withonepunchat1:16ofthe stepped alloverDawson,stopping Haitian-Canadian Stevenson 8 f ght inMontreal’s BellCentre, American Dawsonbefore their June Called a“steppingstone”by CHAD DAWSON ADONIS STEVENSON- John quitonhisstool. Kostya Tszyu in2005,Vetyeka made Shawn Porter outworked Shawn Porteroutworked Devon Alexander. 3.14 / RINGTV.COM 49 THE BEST100 BY KEITH IDEC OF 2013

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR MANNY PACQUIAO

Manny Pacquiao (right, in the inset) thoroughly dominated an opponent for the f rst time since he fought Shane Mosley in 2011.

anny Pacquiao fought just once in 2013, but the importance M of his convincing victory over Brandon Rios to both the Filipino superstar’s career and the boxing business cannot be overstated. While Rios entered their HBO Pay-Per-View main event as a big underdog, the 35-year-old Pacquiao needed an impressive win against a proven opponent to re-establish himself at boxing’s elite level following a devastating defeat to nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez in December 2012. Pacquiao was knocked out twice early in his career, long before he became one of this sport’s rare mainstream stars. Overcoming the damaging Marquez loss presented a greater challenge than knockout losses to Rustico Torrecampo and Medgoen “3-K Battery” Singsurat, though, because fighters often

aren’t the same once they’re NICKY LOH/GETTY IMAGES

50 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 RUNNERS UP

JHONNY GONZALEZ The heavy-handed Mexican featherweight knocked out favored and previously unbeaten Abner Mares in the f rst round Aug. 24 in Carson, Calif. Gonzalez lost his last f ght in 2012, an eight-round technical decision to Daniel Ponce De Leon, but went 3-0 in 2013.

BERNARD HOPKINS

Is the ageless Bernard Hopkins from another planet?

Hopkins bounced back from his loss to Chad Dawson in 2012 to become the oldest boxer to win a major world title. After defeating Tavoris Cloud on knocked unconscious, especially at at least one more meaningful, high- March 9 in Brooklyn, N.Y., Hopkins Pacquiao’s age. prof le f ght in 2014. successfully defended the IBF light By taking Rios’ hardest shots Economics aside, Pacquiao heavyweight title against Karo Murat well on Nov. 24 in Macau, China, provided an emotional lift for his on Oct. 26 in Atlantic City. Pacquiao proved that nearly a year hurting countrymen by beating between bouts helped him recover Rios, too. from the crushing Marquez right Nothing accomplished inside FELIX STURM hand that put him face-f rst on the a boxing ring could change the After losing a split decision to canvas in the sixth round of their devastation caused by Typhoon Daniel Geale in September 2012, fourth f ght. Haiyan, which ravaged parts of Sturm stopped then-undefeated Thus, Pacquiao has won THE the Philippines two weeks before Pedrag Radosevic in the fourth RING’s Comeback of the Year award. the Pacquiao-Rios f ght. It was round July 6 in Dortmund, Pacqauio’s comeback didn’t clear, however, that Pacquiao’s win Germany. Then he stopped Darren just help him and his promoter, provided something positive to Barker in the second round to win Top Rank Inc., make millions, it fellow Filipinos at a time when they the IBF middleweight belt Dec. 7 in enhanced the overall health of the desperately needed a respite from Stuttgart, Germany. sport. The Rios f ght didn’t do the their grief, however temporary. type of big business Pacquiao pay- Pacquiao dedicated the Rios f ght per-view shows typically produce, to those affected by the typhoon, AKIRA YAEGASHI but he remains one of boxing’s which killed at least 6,000 people and The Japanese f ghter lost his only biggest draws and generates interest affected roughly 11 million residents bout in 2012, but won each of his in boxing. of the Philippines, where Pacquiao four f ghts in 2013. The former A third straight defeat would’ve is a congressman and one of the strawweight champion’s second removed Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs) country’s most inf uential f gures. win of the year, a unanimous- from the sport’s top level. A win Taking that additional pressure into decision victory over Japan’s enabled one of the most popular his comeback bout made winning all Toshiyuki Igarashi, earned Yaegashi boxers of this era to continue toward the more signif cant. • the RING and WBC f yweight titles.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 51 52 R Joel DiazMEANT it. And ifhe instance, somethingwasdifferent. as motivationalrhetoric. But inthis time, andmostoftenwedismiss it stuff likethisfromtrainersall the unnecessary punishment. We hear f ght ifBradleycontinuedtotake charge thathewasgoingtostopthe over, theseasonedtrainertoldhis immediately aftertheroundwas not asimpressedwewere. Infact, DIAZ JOEL RINGTV.COM OF THEYEAR TRAINER

BEST

2013 THE

OF 100 Year, butJoelDiazwas RING’s Roundofthe is THE Provodnikov Bradley vs. Ruslan ound 6of Timothy

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a career-def ning KO of Manny Marquez, whowascomingoff future HallofFamerJuanManuel to adecisivepointsvictoryover guide the WBO welterweight champ did. Sevenmonthslater, hewould taken outofBradley. Diaznever what theProvodnikovwarhad unanimous decision. game planandwonthef ght by to Bradley, whogotbacktothe play out, and, moreimportantly, wanted desperatelytoseethiswar Both tofanswatchingathomewho didn’t, hewascertainlyconvincing. Many boxinginsidersquestioned injuries tobeat animpossiblytough f ght —andfoughtthroughhand was expectedtobeacompetitive Rican prospect Abner Cotto inwhat KOs —thesecondoverPuerto outing. Hescoredtwof rst-round 2013, andmadeprogressineach Figueroa foughtthreetimesin (or anyother, forthatmatter). exciting contenderinthedivision Omar Figueroa, arguablythemost for-pound boxerintheworld. a spotastheconsensusNo. 3pound- beautifully for12rounds, andearned Pacquiao. Hisprizedpupilboxed Diaz alsotrainslightweight BY JACOBSIROF

STEPHEN DUNN/GETTY IMAGES RUNNERS UP

Freddie Roach had a strong year.

Trainer Joel Diaz (right) FREDDIE ROACH guided Timothy Bradley Following a pretty bleak 2012, to victories over Ruslan Roach rose from the ashes, Provodnikov and Juan silencing those who said his best Manuel Marquez, and had success with other f ghters. training days were behind him. Among his achievements: Manny Pacquiao’s utter dominance of Brandon Rios, the apparent return of the “real” Miguel Cotto and the emergence of Ruslan Provodnikov as an unlikely star.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER SR. After taking the reins back from brother Roger, “Big Floyd” led his son to wins over Robert Guerrero and Canelo Alvarez in 2013, marking the f rst time Junior fought twice in a calendar year since 2007. And it could be argued that “The Money Team” didn’t lose a round.

JAVAN “SUGAR” HILL When his uncle/mentor Emanuel Steward passed away, Hill stepped into some very large shoes. They seem to f t him nicely. His inherited Nihito Arakawa in a 12-round the professional ranks himself. He student Adonis Stevenson won four unanimous decision. currently trains his brother, former times in 2013 (all by KO), picking up a In April, after junior lightweight lightweight champion Julio Diaz, world title and becoming THE RING’s prospect Diego Magdaleno suffered who traveled to England to face Fighter of the Year along the way. his f rst loss at the hands of Roman Amir Khan in April. Make no “Rocky” Martinez, he turned to mistake: Team Diaz was there as Diaz to right the ship. To date, they the B-side. But Julio knocked Khan ANGEL GARCIA have one f ght together, and one win. down (and almost out) in the fourth Say what you want about Angel Diego’s younger bother Jessie, a real round of a close f ght that was Garcia — seriously, go ahead; blue-chipper at junior featherweight, supposed to be a showcase for the he’d say it about you — but he also joined Diaz’s stable in Indio, hometown hero. and son Danny continue to defy Calif., and they quickly racked up It’s been said that a trainer is only skeptics, beating everyone placed two KO victories together. as good as his f ghter, but a case in front of them. In 2013, that was Diaz is no stranger to the “boxing could easily be made the other way. If former champ Zab Judah and brothers” dynamic, being one of one were inclined to do so, Joel Diaz’s the monster-punching Argentine, three siblings to make a mark in 2013 wouldn’t be a bad start. • Lucas Matthysse.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 53 THE BEST100 BY DOUG FISCHER OF 2013

PROSPECT OF THE YEAR VASYL LOMACHENKO

o other prospect made professional contest. The two-time Olympic tournament, which he a bigger statement Olympic gold medalist took part won. He followed his Olympic gold in a single f ght in in the World Series of Boxing, performance by winning the 2009 2013 than Vasyl which matched top amateurs from World Amateur Championships, N Lomachenko did various countries in national team outclassing Mexico’s Oscar Valdez with his fourth-round competition. The WSB was run by along the way. Lomachenko also knockout of Jose Ramirez on Oct. 12. AIBA, the organization that regulates won the 2011 World Amateur In what was billed as his pro Olympic boxing, which categorized Championships, beating American debut, the Ukrainian amateur the competition as “semi-pro.” standout Jose Ramirez among others. superstar outboxed and But WSB participants were paid to He capped his amazing amateur overwhelmed Ramirez, a competent compete, so Fight Fax Inc., boxing’s career by winning a gold medal in and determined young fringe chief record keeping company, the 2012 Olympics, beating Puerto contender who entered the bout counts the f ve-round bouts as pro Rico’s Felix Verdejo and Cuba’s with a 25-3 record. And, because the f ghts. Lomachenko won six WSB Yasniel Toledo in the Games. scheduled 10-round featherweight bouts, including a razor-thin split His f nal amateur record: an bout was part of the Tim Bradley- decision over Russian rival Albert unbelievable 396-1. Juan Manuel Marquez telecast, an Selimov, the only man to beat him in Verdejo is now 9-0 as a pro. Valdez international audience was able the amateur ranks. is 8-0. Ramirez is 7-0. Depending to witness Lomachenko’s dazzling That bout took place in the on the record book, Lomachenko defense, fast hands, f uid footwork f nals of the 2007 World Amateur is either 1-0 or 7-0. However, and accurate combinations, which Championships. Lomachenko whether Ramirez was his f rst or produced knockdowns in the f rst avenged the loss by beating Selimov seventh pro opponent, dominating and fourth rounds. in the f rst round of the 2008 such an experienced f ghter in a Lomachenko also set himself up to challenge for a major world title in his very next bout. Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, which signed the 25-year-old southpaw in July, had hoped at press time to match him with WBO featherweight beltholder Orlando Salido in March. For this reason, Lomachenko is THE RING’s Prospect of the Year for 2013. It’s not easy for any amateur standout to live up to his reputation – especially if his accomplishments are legendary – but Lomachenko did Former it, and hardcore fans are clamoring amateur to see him f ght again. phenom Vasyl However, there was some debate Lomachenko is as to whether the impressive ready to f ght for a major title body-shot stoppage of Ramirez with almost no

was Lomachenko’s actual f rst pro experience. IMAGES SCOTT HEAVEY/GETTY

54 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 RUNNERS UP

JERMALL CHARLO scheduled 10-round bout is an an 11-0 f ghter and fought his f rst (17-0, 13 KOS) amazing accomplishment, even for a 10-rounder in his eighth pro bout. The brother of junior middleweight decorated Olympian. One of Lomachenko’s boxing idols, contender Jermell Charlo got closer Consider that Floyd Mayweather Roy Jones Jr., a 1988 Olympic silver to his older (by one minute) twin’s Jr., a 1996 Olympic bronze medalist, medalist and Val Barker award status by f ghting seven times in turned pro against a novice who winner for most outstanding boxer 2013. The tall and rangy 23-year- was also making his pro debut. The (as Lomachenko was in 2008), old from Texas expertly used his current pound-for-pound king didn’t debuted against a 6-15 journeyman height and reach to stop all of f ght in a scheduled 10-rounder until and was seven f ghts into his his opponents, including rugged his 13th pro bout. Andre Ward, a pro career before he fought in a veteran Orlando Lora. 2004 Olympic gold medalist, turned 10-round bout. pro against a 2-0 f ghter and didn’t There’s no telling if Lomachenko f ght in a 10-round bout until his will come close to one day emulating CHRIS EUBANK JR. 14th outing. the pro success of those former (12-0, 7 KOS) Pernell Whitaker, a 1984 Olympic American amateur stars, but he has a The son of former super gold medalist, turned pro against heck of a head start. • middleweight titleholder Chris Eubank is learning his craft, having picked up boxing at the advanced age of 18, but the talented 24-year- old middleweight exhibited f ashes of his father’s athletic brilliance and f air for showmanship in three TKO victories in 2013.

JESSIE MAGDALENO (17-0, 13 KOS) The 22-year-old brother of junior lightweight title challenger Diego Magdaleno is on a fast track to matching his older sibling’s contender status after downing four experienced opponents in 2013. Magdaleno, a former U.S. amateur standout, is an aggressive-but- skilled southpaw.

ERROL SPENCE (10-0, 8 KOS) The 23-year-old welterweight southpaw is regarded as the most talented of the 2012 U.S. Olympians. Spence, a poised boxer- puncher, scored six f rst-round KOs among his eight victories in 2013 but also went the distance with then-unbeaten (15-0-1) Emmanuel Lartey over eight rounds.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 55 THE BEST100 BY DAVID GREISMAN OF 2013

EVENT OF THE YEAR MAYWEATHER VS. ALVAREZ

hey say that records are programmers certainly pulled out all meant Alvarez-Mayweather shattered meant to be broken, the stops in an attempt to make that the record for revenue. It came in at and in the case of the happen. The f ghters traveled around close to $150 million, surpassing the T f ght between Floyd the United States and to Mexico, with $136 million brought in by De La Mayweather Jr. and 10 stops over the course of nine days. Hoya-Mayweather. Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 14, they The tour and other press conferences And that was just the income weren’t just referring to both men were streamed live online. And from people watching at home. being undefeated. Showtime aired a four-part All Access In Las Vegas, 16,146 people paid From the moment Alvarez- series, which served as a combination for tickets at the MGM Grand, Mayweather was announced, people documentary and commercial. sales that brought a record gate of speculated whether the f ght between The event, titled “The One,” $20,003,150. That was more than the No. 1 star in Mexico and the wound up selling 2.2 million pay- $1.5 million better than De La Hoya- No. 1 star in the United States could per-view buys. While that fell short Mayweather, and that f gure doesn’t become the No. 1 pay-per-view seller of the 2.53 million purchases for the even include the prices for tickets and the No. 1 box off ce blockbuster. 2007 f ght between Mayweather and sold on the secondary market.

The promoters, publicists and Oscar De La Hoya, a higher price tag The event also was broadcast FUKUDA NAOKI OF SHOWTIME; PEREZ: COURTESY

56 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 RUNNERS UP

SHOWTIME VS. HBO The Floyd Mayweather Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s move to Jr.-Canelo Alvarez Showtime was a publicity coup promotion set the allfor the premium network amid its time record for revenue. rivalry with HBO. HBO soon cut its few remaining ties to Golden televisions tuning in, a total estimated Boy. The business of the sport audience of 22.1 million people. changed, though fans still care That was the business side of it. more about getting the most for There also was the boxing. their subscriptions. Underneath the main event was a co-feature that very well could have headlined its own broadcast. LEAL AND ABDUSALAMOV Danny Garcia and Lucas Matthysse were considered the two best junior welterweights in the world. Garcia was undefeated at 26-0 (16 knockouts) and had beaten Erik Morales and Amir Khan in 2012, but his only bout in 2013 had been Magomed Abdusalamov a tougher-than-expected decision (right) vs. Mike Perez. win over Zab Judah. Matthysse was the bogeyman of the division. His only two losses were via split The dangerous nature of boxing decision to Zab Judah and Devon has always been a reality, but the Alexander. He’d scored knockouts death of featherweight Frankie in all but two of his wins. He had Leal in October, followed soon won six in a row by knockout, by heavyweight Magomed blasting through Lamont Peterson in Abdusalamov’s post-f ght coma in his previous appearance. November, leaves us even more Alvarez-Mayweather was the main aware and critical of f ghter safety. event, but Garcia-Matthysse was expected to steal the show. Though it didn’t wind up as explosive as TOP RANK GOES TO CHINA anticipated, it was still a tense tussle, Promoters taking big f ghts one that saw Garcia take a close but overseas is nothing new, but this clear decision. Also on the televised venture is notable. Top Rank put undercard was a 154-pound title on three Macau cards in eight f ght in which Carlos Molina won months, spotlighting two-time gold on closed-circuit television around a split decision over beltholder Ishe medalist Zou Shiming, staging the city, as those who couldn’t get Smith, and a bout in which Pablo Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios tickets still wanted to be there in Cano took a split decision over and expanding into a sizable and Vegas for the biggest boxing match Ashley Theophane. potentially lucrative Asian market. in years. More than 26,000 paid There have been far better about $100 for those showings, undercards, and there have been adding another $2.6 million to the far worse. KLITSCHKO ABDICATES coffers. That number alone is more But it was the headline bout that Vitali Klitschko’s decision to than many boxing cards bring in mattered most anyway. Rare are campaign full time for Ukraine’s with ticket sales. the events that feel this big, that get presidency ends a f ve-year world At least 500 movie theaters around both this f ght city and the greater title reign, one that began when he the country also showed the card. boxing world buzzing the way they returned from a previous retirement. Meanwhile in Mexico, “The did for Alvarez-Mayweather. It took Given the Klitschko brothers’ One” was the highest-rated boxing f ve years for the last records to fall. longtime dominance, there will now broadcast ever in that country, It could be much, much longer until be new heavyweights vying for a with 77 percent of households with these records are topped. • spot toward the top.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 57 58 H the appearances on not enough. There alsohave been 2009 why thestoryconveyedin still wanttoseeandhearhim, assist inkeepinghimthere. the spotlight, hispastindiscretions accomplishments broughthiminto it makessensethatwhile Tyson’s infamy arebothmarketable. So his lifearoundagain. Fameand times —thatarehelpinghimturn both hisbesttimesandworst And itis Tyson’s timeinboxing— teenage Mike Tyson’s lifearound. tale ofsuccessandexcess. an addictandabankruptcautionary And he’s beenaconvictedcriminal, MIKE RINGTV.COM That helpsexplainwhypeople It wasboxingthatturneda MOST INSPIRATIONAL

BEST

2013 THE

Tyson OF 100 f ghters ontheplanet. one ofthemostfamous multimillionaire and champion, a e’s beentheheavyweight documentarywas

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Oprah TYSON and convicted ofrape. Uponhisrelease, to prisonforthreeyearsafter being Buster Douglas. Tyson soonwent then helostinastunningupset to heavyweight championever, and expected tohappen. He’s nowpromotingboxers, too. his eyesconveyingvulnerability. tattooed facedominatingthecover, an autobiography, withhisaged, documentary miniseries. Hereleased special. Hewasthefocusofa TV into aSpikeLee-directedtelevision tour stopwasf lmed andturned audiences aroundthecountry. One man show, speakingabouthislifeto 2013, though. in twoofthe never mindthecameoappearances a miniseriesaboutpigeonracing, various othertalkshows, andeven Tyson wastheyoungest This ismuchbetterthanwhatwe He embarkedonatouringone- Tyson hadabreakthroughyearin Hangover movies. BY DAVID GREISMAN on theroad. taken hisshow Mike Tyson has The re-invented

TYSON: JOHN GURZINSKI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; BARKER: RICH SCHULTZ/GETTY IMAGES RUNNERS UP

Darren Barker had an emotional year.

DARREN BARKER Barker’s younger brother died in a 2006 automobile crash. He also had recurring hip problems that troubled him. After a 2011 loss to Sergio Martinez, Barker came off the canvas to edge Daniel Geale for a world title. Alas, his hip dislocated in a December loss to Felix Sturm.

VITALI KLITSCHKO Klitschko has put his fghting spirit (and celebrity) to good use in Ukraine, where his front-and-center role in anti-government protests has turned into a run for president. A courageous undertaking considering the previous opposition leader sits in prison on dubious charges. he returned to the ring, recaptured a run-ins with the law, and there piece of the world title, and then was were the struggles with drugs and defeated again, this time by Evander alcohol. And, tragically, there was DEONTAY WILDER Holyfeld. Their rematch brought the the accidental death of his young Wilder hadn’t planned on boxing. infamous ear-biting incident. daughter. But when his daughter was born Though he continued to fght, It’s been a long road back for with spina bifda, he dropped out of he never truly contended again. By Mike Tyson, who slimmed down college, took jobs and soon turned the time Tyson met Lennox Lewis with a vegan diet, continues to work to fghting. He was raw when he in 2002, he had his name and his on staying clean and sober, and won bronze in the 2008 Olympics, reputation, but little else. Lewis relies on his wife as a foundation for and as a pro he’s an undefeated easily dispatched him. Tyson only his hopes of stability. but still untested heavyweight fought three more times, his fortune His story could’ve — and perhaps knockout artist. gone, his fame dwindling, and he should’ve — ended badly. That’s had lost the ability to regain either. what we expected, but that’s An “exhibition tour” started and never what we hope for. We want ADONIS STEVENSON stopped with just one bout. criminals to rehabilitate themselves. Stevenson also has a criminal He was still deep in debt and We honor the way that Bernard history, but he has found salvation in seemed set on a path toward a sad Hopkins exited prison, beat the boxing. This year, Stevenson — one conclusion. That was all the way odds and embarked on a Hall of of the last products of late trainer back in 2006. Fame career. Emanuel Steward — captured The years had not been good We cannot condone Tyson’s past, the RING light heavyweight for him, and retirement wouldn’t but we can root for him as he seeks championship at age 35 and then be better. His fortune had been to fnd peace, and as he works toward defended it twice, improving under squandered. His “Iron” body a more peaceful present and future, the tutelage of Steward’s nephew, had become bloated. There were for himself and for his children. • Javon “Sugar” Hill.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 59 THE BEST100 BY MICHAEL ROSENTHAL OF 2013

The best f ghter in the world? C’mon. That’s a no-brainer.

BEST FIGHTER IT’S POLL UNANIMOUS NAOKI FUKUDA

60 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 2013 POLL RESULTS

t’s nearly impossible to get boxing experts or anyone else 1. FLOYD who follows the sport to agree MAYWEATHER I on anything. The most common JR. 150 exception? The fact that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the best fighter in 2. ANDRE the world. Thus, it’s no surprise that WARD 117 Mayweather is the unanimous winner of THE RING’s annual Best Fighter 3. TIMOTHY Poll for 2013, meaning he received BRADLEY 62 frst-place votes from all 10 of the experts – representing fve countries – 4T. JUAN MANUEL who took part. Mayweather also swept the frst-place MARQUEZ 53 votes in 2007, making him and Manny Pacquiao (2008 and 2010) the only 4T. MANNY fghters to win the poll unanimously PACQUIAO 53 more than once since the poll was instituted in 1980. 6. WLADIMIR “Money” has won the last three polls KLITSCHKO 48 and six overall, equaling the record set by Roy Jones Jr., who won six 7. SERGIO times between 1995 and 2003. Marvin Hagler is next on the list with four MARTINEZ 47 victories, which came consecutively from 1983 to 1986. Pacquiao (2008-10) 8. GUILLERMO and Julio Cesar Chavez (1990-92) are RIGONDEAUX 45 three-time winners. Andre Ward fnished as runner-up 9. GENNADY for the second year in a row with 117 points, eight more than last year. The GOLOVKIN 28 RING super middleweight champ was No. 2 on nine of the 10 lists and No. 3 10T. DANNY on the 10th. GARCIA 9 Ward was followed by No. 3 Timothy Bradley with 62 points and Juan 10T. MIKEY Manuel Marquez and Pacquiao, who GARCIA tied at No. 4 with 53 points. Pacquiao 9 moved up two places from last year. Three fghters who were in the Top 10 OTHERS last year dropped out: Nonito Donaire, RECEIVING VOTES Vitali Klitschko and Carl Froch. Four fghters also made the Top 10 for the frst time: Guillermo Rigondeaux (No. CARL FROCH 6, 8), Gennady Golovkin (No. 9), and BERNARD HOPKINS Danny Garcia and Mikey Garcia (tied for No. 10). 6, CANELO ALVAREZ In the poll, the fghters received points 2, ROMAN GONZALEZ for each vote they got: 15 points for a frst-place vote, 12 for second, nine for 2, MARCOS MAIDANA third, seven for fourth, six for ffth, fve 2 AND ADONIS for sixth, four for seventh, three for eighth, two for ninth and one for 10th. • STEVENSON 1.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 61 THE BEST100 OF 2013 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. 2. Andre Ward 3. Guillermo Rigondeaux Andre Ward 4. Gennady Golovkin (right, against Edwin 5. Timothy Bradley Rodriguez) 6. Juan Manuel Marquez f nished a strong 7. Sergio Martinez No. 2 to Floyd 8. Manny Pacquiao Mayweather Jr. 9. Mikey Garcia 10. Adonis Stevenson

GARETH A DAVIES The Daily Telegraph (U.K.) Mayweather is a supreme defensive master and has become better with age. Peerless at present, he could reach the 50-f ght mark undefeated, which is why he will probably avoid the calls from the most dangerous middleweight punchers, Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin. For me, he would beat both.

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. 2. Andre Ward 3. Gennady Golovkin 4. Timothy Bradley 5. Sergio Martinez 6. Juan Manuel Marquez 7. Manny Pacquiao 8. Wladimir Klitschko 9. Guillermo Rigondeaux 10. Saul Alvarez

COREY ERDMAN RingTV.com (Canada) Debate his place in history all you want, but few f ghters would be heavily favored over every prospective opponent the way Floyd is at this stage of his career. It took him 36 minutes to silence the “he’s slowing down” talk, comprehensively BEST RON BORGES beating Canelo Alvarez. Boston Herald FIGHTER No one has come close to beating 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. POLL Mayweather in years because he is 2. Andre Ward a nearly perfect blend of offense and 3. Timothy Bradley defense. No one f ghting today can 4. Wladimir Klitschko match his speed, ring knowledge 5. Sergio Martinez and defensive ability, and he hits 6. Juan Manuel Marquez harder than people think. Just ask 7. Manny Pacquiao

Canelo Alvarez. 8. Guillermo Rigondeaux OF SHOWTIME COURTESY

62 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 9. Danny Garcia of current or future Hall of Famers, 7. Wladimir Klitschko 10. Carl Froch and he wins going away each time. 8. Guillermo Rigondeaux He combines offense and defense 9. Timothy Bradley better than anyone in the game, 10. Roman Gonzalez NORM FRAUENHEIM and no fghter is smarter at making THE RING Magazine adjustments. Robert Guerrero and Canelo DAN RAFAEL Alvarez had no hope against 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. ESPN.com Mayweather, who convinced fans 2. Guillermo Rigondeaux Mayweather and Pacquiao were 1 more than judges that any ranking 3. Andre Ward and 1A (in whichever order) for ages, without him at No.1 is foolish or 4. Tim Bradley but it’s been clear for at least the last fraudulent. Twenty-four rounds of 5. Juan Manuel Marquez year that Mayweather has separated dominance are an uninterrupted 6. Manny Pacquiao himself from Manny and everyone argument on behalf of Mayweather’s 7. Gennady Golovkin else. He’s been more active, beaten unchallenged reign. 8. Mikey Garcia quality opponents and looks just as 9. Wladimir Klitschko sharp and fast as ever. 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. 10. Roman Gonzalez 2. Andre Ward 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. 3. Manny Pacquiao 2. Andre Ward 4. Sergio Martinez GUNNAR MEINHARDT 3. Wladimir Klitschko 5. Timothy Bradley Die Welt (Germany) 4. Manny Pacquiao 6. Juan Manuel Marquez For a fghter often wrongly accused 5. Timothy Bradley Jr. 7. Wladimir Klitschko of avoiding challenges, the cash 6. Juan Manuel Marquez 8. Mikey Garcia and fstic king has defeated three 7. Sergio Martinez 9. Gennady Golovkin men – Alvarez, Cotto, and Mosley 8. Danny Garcia 10. Danny Garcia – who were rated by many as their 9. Gennady Golovkin divisions’ leaders going in. No one 10. Mikey Garcia can defeat him currently. NICK GIONGCO Manila Bulletin (Philippines) 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. RICK REENO Mayweather is tops simply because 2. Andre Ward BoxingScene.com he just keeps on winning. As long 3. Wladimir Klitschko Mayweather has consistently as he wins, there’s no other option 4. Timothy Bradley dominated his competition for the but put him on top. But it would be 5. Manny Pacquiao better part of his 45-0 run. At age 36, perfect if he fghts Pacquiao next. 6. Juan Manuel Marquez he is now fghting and overwhelming Pacquiao is a worthy challenger 7. Gennady Golovkin a younger generation of up-and- and is the most logical fght out 8. Guillermo Rigondeaux comers, with little to no noticeable there for him. 9. Carl Froch weaknesses in his wins. 10. Danny Garcia 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. 2. Andre Ward 2. Andre Ward 3. Wladimir Klitschko ERIKA MONTOYA 3. Guillermo Rigondeaux 4. Sergio Martinez Milenio Diario (Mexico) 4. Timothy Bradley 5. Manny Pacquiao Floyd is the constant of this ranking, 5. Sergio Martinez 6. Timothy Bradley leaving no place for others to 6. Juan Manuel Marquez 7. Guillermo Rigondeaux challenge him. Almost 37, he can 7. Manny Pacquiao 8. Juan Manuel Marquez soon let go of sports challenges and 8. Carl Froch 9. Marcos Maidana focus on his business. He earned it. 9. Danny Garcia 10. Canelo Alvarez 10. Wladimir Klitschko 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. 2. Andre Ward KEVIN IOLE 3. Juan Manuel Marquez Yahoo! Sports 4. Sergio Martinez Mayweather has faced elite 5. Bernard Hopkins competition, including a number 6. Manny Pacquiao

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 63 THE BEST100 OF 2013 2007 POLL 3T. Vernon Forrest – 78 3T. Bernard Hopkins – 78 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 150 6. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 45 PAST 2. Manny Pacquiao – 103 7. Lennox Lewis – 43 3. Joe Calzaghe – 83 8. Kostya Tszyu – 42 POLLS 4. Bernard Hopkins – 63 9. Erik Morales – 25 5. Juan Manuel Marquez – 58 10. Shane Mosley – 13 2012 POLL 6. Miguel Cotto – 51 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 136 (7) 7. Israel Vazquez – 30 2001 POLL 2. Andre Ward – 109 (1) 8. Kelly Pavlik – 21 9. Winky Wright – 15 1. Shane Mosley – 132 3. Juan Manuel Marquez – 82 2. Roy Jones – 108 4. Sergio Martinez – 76 10T. Juan Diaz – 13 10T. Oscar De La Hoya – 13 3. Bernard Hopkins – 98 5. Nonito Donaire – 53 4. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 77 6. Manny Pacquiao – 48 2006 POLL 5. Marco Antonio Barrera – 44 7. Wladimir Klitschko – 33 6. Oscar De La Hoya – 40 8. Vitali Klitschko – 18 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 141 7. Felix Trinidad – 39 9T. Timothy Bradley – 14 2. Manny Pacquiao – 129 8. Kostya Tszyu – 34 9T. Carl Froch – 14 3. Winky Wright – 84 9. Lennox Lewis – 23 4. Jermaine Taylor – 61 10. Ricardo Lopez – 22 2011 POLL 5. Joe Calzaghe – 49 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 136.5 (6) 6. Rafael Marquez – 28 2000 POLL 2. Manny Pacquiao – 127.5 (4) 7. Ricky Hatton – 23 8. Shane Mosley – 20 1. Felix Trinidad – 126 3. Sergio Martinez – 80 2. Shane Mosley – 123 4. Andre Ward – 65 9. Jose Luis Castillo – 19 10. Bernard Hopkins – 16 3. Roy Jones – 109 5. Juan Manuel Marquez – 57 4. Oscar De La Hoya – 43 6. Nonito Donaire – 53 2005 POLL 5. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 39 7. Wladimir Klitschko – 33 6. Naseem Hamed – 37 8T. Timothy Bradley – 19 1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 144 7. Ricardo Lopez – 35 8T. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam – 19 2. Winky Wright – 113 8. Diego Corrales – 33 10. Lucian Bute – 11 3. Marco Antonio Barrera – 70 9. Bernard Hopkins – 32 4. Juan Manuel Marquez – 43 10. Lennox Lewis – 31 2010 POLL 5. Rafael Marquez – 39 1. Manny Pacquiao – 150 6. Ricky Hatton – 38 1999 POLL 2. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 117 7. Jose Luis Castillo – 36 8. Jermain Taylor – 34 1. Roy Jones – 150 3. Juan Manuel Marquez – 76 2. Oscar De La Hoya – 85 4. Sergio Martinez – 68 9. Zab Judah – 31 10. Antonio Tarver – 30 3. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 78 5. Andre Ward – 48 4T. Shane Mosley – 68 6. Nonito Donaire – 41 2004 POLL 4T. Felix Trinidad – 68 7. Tim Bradley – 27 6T. Mark Johnson – 47 8. Bernard Hopkins – 24 1. Bernard Hopkins – 150 6T. Ricardo Lopez – 47 9. Juan Manuel Lopez – 21 2. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 111 8. Erik Morales – 21 10. Wladimir Klitschko – 20 3. Kostya Tszyu – 88 9. Bernard Hopkins – 16 4. Winky Wright – 70 10. Fernando Vargas – 15 2009 POLL 5. Marco Antonio Barrera – 52 1. Manny Pacquiao – 144 6. Manny Pacquiao – 38 1998 POLL 7. Erik Morales – 26 2. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 126 1. Roy Jones – 141 3. Shane Mosley – 79 8. Juan Manuel Marquez – 25 9. Felix Trinidad – 22 2. Oscar De La Hoya – 123 4. Bernard Hopkins – 61 3. Felix Trinidad – 67 5. Chad Dawson – 48 10T. Diego Corrales – 11 10T. Rafael Marquez –11 4. Shane Mosley – 65 6. Paul Williams – 42 5. Evander Holyf eld – 55 7. Juan Manuel Marquez – 40 2003 POLL 6. Mark Johnson – 45 8. Nonito Donaire – 22 7. Naseem Hamed – 33 9. Ivan Calderon – 15 1. Roy Jones – 142 8. Ricardo Lopez – 23 10. Arthur Abraham – 14 2. Bernard Hopkins – 114 9. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 19 3. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – 97 10. Pernell Whitaker – 14 2008 POLL 4. Shane Mosley – 53 1. Manny Pacquiao – 150 5. Kostya Tszyu – 48 1997 POLL 6. Oscar De La Hoya – 45 2. Joe Calzaghe – 101 1. Oscar De La Hoya – 123 3. Juan Manuel Marquez – 99 7. Manny Pacquiao – 38 8. James Toney – 35 2. Roy Jones – 117 4. Bernard Hopkins – 73 3. Ricardo Lopez – 83 5. Antonio Margarito – 52 9. Erik Morales – 31 10. Lennox Lewis – 22 4. Evander Holyf eld – 80 6. Israel Vazquez – 50 5. Felix Trinidad – 65 7. Rafael Marquez –31 2002 POLL 6. Pernell Whitaker – 37 8. Miguel Cotto – 28 7. Naseem Hamed – 28 9T. Ricky Hatton – 18 1. Roy Jones – 135 8T. Mark Johnson – 22 9T. Paul Williams – 18 2. Oscar De La Hoya – 89 8T. Junior Jones – 22 3T. Marco Antonio Barrera – 78 10. Johnny Tapia – 18

64 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 1996 POLL 5. Meldrick Taylor – 48 8T. Pinklon Thomas – 22 6. Mike McCallum – 38 10. Larry Holmes – 21 1. Roy Jones – 123 7. Thomas Hearns – 34 2. Oscar De La Hoya – 107 8. Khaosai Galaxy – 25 1984 POLL 3. Pernell Whitaker – 92 9. Terry Norris – 22 1. Marvin Hagler – 112 4. Evander Holyfeld – 64 10. Simon Brown – 21 5. Felix Trinidad – 59 2. Aaron Pryor – 77 6. Ricardo Lopez – 56 1990 POLL 3. Larry Holmes –72 7. Terry Norris – 28 4. Eusebio Pedroza – 66 8. Ike Quartey – 21 1. Julio Cesar Chavez – 123 5. Hector Camacho – 50 9. Azumah Nelson – 12 2. Pernell Whitaker – 104 6T. Jeff Chandler – 47 10. Yuri Arbachakov – 11 3. Mike Tyson – 71 6T. Ray Leonard – 47 4. Meldrick Taylor – 57 8. Michael Spinks – 45 1995 POLL 5. Buster Douglas – 51 9. Thomas Hearns – 34 6. Simon Brown – 27 10. Donald Curry – 26 1. Roy Jones – 138 7. Antonio Esparragoza – 25 2. Pernell Whitaker – 126 8. Michael Nunn – 23 1983 POLL 3. Oscar De La Hoya – 74 9. Evander Holyfeld – 21 1. Marvin Hagler – 147 4. Felix Trinidad – 59 10. Humberto Gonzalez – 14 5. Marco Antonio Barrera – 48 2. Aaron Pryor – 93 6. Riddick Bowe – 44 1989 POLL 3. Larry Holmes – 91 7. Ricardo Lopez – 37 4. Michael Spinks – 66 8. Julio Cesar Chavez – 18 1. Mike Tyson – 147 5. Jeff Chandler – 57 9. Ike Quartey – 16 2. Julio Cesar Chavez – 91 6. Thomas Hearns – 45 10. Naseem Hamed – 12 3. Meldrick Taylor – 61 7. Alexis Arguello – 29 4. Michael Nunn – 60 8. Wilfredo Gomez – 28 1994 POLL 5. Evander Holyfeld – 56 9. Hector Camacho – 24 6. Pernell Whitaker – 46 10. Eusebio Pedroza – 12 1. Pernell Whitaker – 130 7. Ray Leonard – 28 2. Roy Jones – 129 8. Jeff Fenech – 27 1982 POLL 3. Frankie Randall – 53 9. Azumah Nelson – 18 1. Ray Leonard – 147 4. Ricardo Lopez – 45 10. Marlon Starling – 16 5. Orlando Canizales – 39 2. Alexis Arguello – 97 6. Chiquita Gonzalez – 38 1988 POLL 3. Marvin Hagler – 76 7. James Toney – 36 4. Salvador Sanchez – 72 8. Gerald McClellan – 33 1. Mike Tyson – 144 5. Wilfred Benitez – 68 9. Felix Trinidad –29 2. Julio Cesar Chavez – 118 6. Larry Holmes – 61 10. Kevin Kelley – 28 3. Evander Holyfeld – 66 7. Jeff Chandler – 25 4. Ray Leonard – 55 8. Eusebio Pedroza – 18 1993 POLL 5. Jeff Fenech – 44 9. Aaron Pryor – 17 6. Michael Nunn – 33 10T. Thomas Hearns – 14 1. Pernell Whitaker – 147 7. Azumah Nelson – 32 10T. Dwight Muhammad Qawi – 14 2. Julio Cesar Chavez – 86 8. Jung-Koo Chang – 23 3. Terry Norris – 84 9. Buddy McGirt – 21 1981 POLL 4. James Toney – 76 10. Sumbu Kalambay – 18 5. Michael Carbajal – 39 1. Thomas Hearns – 116 6. Evander Holyfeld – 36 NO POLL IN 1987 2. Ray Leonard – 108 7. Buddy McGirt – 28 3. Marvin Hagler –76 4. Larry Holmes – 75 8. Roy Jones – 23 1986 POLL 9. Orlando Canizales – 22 5. Alexis Arguello – 62 10. Ricardo Lopez – 21 1. Marvin Hagler – 138 6. Wilfredo Gomez – 58 2. Mike Tyson – 92 7. Eddie Mustafa Muhammad –28 1992 POLL 3. Donald Curry – 59 8. Matthew Saad Muhammad – 24 9. Wilfred Benitez – 18 1. Julio Cesar Chavez – 136 4. Thomas Hearns – 52 5. Edwin Rosario – 47 10T. Roberto Duran – 13 2. Terry Norris – 91 10T. Aaron Pryor – 13 3. Pernell Whitaker – 85 6T. Azumah Nelson – 45 4. Buddy McGirt – 60 6T. Michael Spinks – 45 1980 POLL 5. Riddick Bowe – 45 8. Evander Holyfeld – 32 6. Orlando Canizales – 36 9. Julio Cesar Chavez – 26 1. Roberto Duran – 96 7. Azumah Nelson –34 10. Hector Camacho – 22 2. Ray Leonard – 93 3. Wilfredo Gomez – 88 8. Lennox Lewis – 24 1985 POLL 9. Julian Jackson – 18 4. Danny Lopez – 65 10T. Roy Jones – 15 1. Marvin Hagler – 150 5. Pipino Cuevas – 54 10T. Mike McCallum – 15 2. Hector Camacho – 86 6. Alexis Arguello – 40 3. Michael Spinks – 85 7. Larry Holmes – 32 1991 POLL 4. Donald Curry – 78 8. Wilfred Benitez – 26 5. Thomas Hearns – 42 9T. Vito Antuofermo – 25 1. Julio Cesar Chavez – 138 9T. Matthew Saad Muhammad – 25 2. Pernell Whitaker – 100 6. Barry McGuigan – 32 3. Evander Holyfeld – 78 7. Milton McCrory – 25 4. Mike Tyson – 55 8T. Julio Cesar Chavez – 22

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 65 THE BEST100 BY DAVID GREISMAN OF 2013

YOEL JUDAH VS. ROGER MAYWEATHER “TRAINER HIGHLY FIGHT” AWARD Freddie Roach and Alex Ariza

ROCKY BALBOA UNOFFICIAL “CARTOONISH PUNISHMENT ABSORBER” AWARD AWARDS Nihito Arakawa “ALWAYS THE BEST TAUNT BRIDESMAID, NEVER THE Sergey Kovalev’s pelvic thrust BRIDE” AWARD against Nathan Cleverly Gabriel Rosado

NAME OF THE YEAR Petchsamuthr Duanaaymukdahan, aka “Mookie”

“ROCK ‘EM, SOCK ‘EM ROBOTS” AWARD DINA LOHAN “SPOTLIGHT- Timothy Bradley and STEALING PARENT” AWARD Ruslan Provodnikov Angel Garcia

MILEY CYRUS “DESPERATE FIGHTER TO PULL OUT OF ATTENTION SEEKER” THE MOST BOUTS AWARD TBA Adrien Broner HATFIELDS AND MINI-MARGARITO McCOYS (IN A GOOD “NEVER-ENDING WAY) AWARD BATTLE” Leo AWARD Santa Cruz Top Rank and Golden Boy ERIK MORALES JERRY “SADLY SPRINGER’S PAST NEXT GUESTS HIS PRIME Adrien Broner, WARRIOR” AWARD Paulie Malignaggi Rafael Marquez, who and Malignaggi’s retired after losing to “side piece” Efrain Esquivias

66 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 JAMES TONEY “OLD, THE FERNANDO VARGAS OVERWEIGHT AND FAILING “MOST DISFIGURED IN MMA” AWARD FACE” AWARD Riddick Bowe, 45 years old, 300 Denis Lebedev, after his f ght pounds, and picked apart in a with Guillermo Jones Muay Thai kickboxing bout THE “NOT WASTING “CAN I GET TIME LIKE GARY RUSSELL A REFUND?” AWARD JR.” AWARD Boris Hryunov, who bid Vasyl Lomachenko more than $23 million to promote Wladimir Klitschko vs. Alexander Povetkin “OSTRICH BURYING ITS HEAD IN SAND” AWARD JOHN RUIZ “HUGGER Boxing’s handling of OF THE YEAR” AWARD AFLAC! “DUCK OF f ghter safety and performance Wladimir Klitschko THE YEAR” AWARD enhancing drugs The middleweight division, which steered clear DIEGO CORRALES of Gennady Golovkin “SLAP ON THE “DRAMATIC KO WRIST” AWARD SUMMONER” AWARD Nevada suspended Mickey Bey John Molina, against Mickey Bey for just three months and f ned him $1,000 for his astronomical 30:1 testosterone ratio HUMPTY DUMPTY “INEVITABLE SHATTERING” AWARD GAMBOA-LOPEZ Seth Mitchell “LOST ITS LUSTER” AWARD Nonito Donaire (outpointed by Guillermo Rigondeaux) vs. ROSS AND RACHEL Abner Mares (knocked out in one “ON AND OFF round by Jhonny Gonzalez) RELATIONSHIP” AWARD James Kirkland and trainer Ann Wolfe, once again “NOT QUITE THE GEORGE working together FOREMAN GRILL” AWARD Evander Holyf eld’s “Real Deal BBQ Sauce” and Victor Ortiz’s STEVIE WONDER AWARD “Face Lube” skin care products Boxing judge C.J. Ross WINNER OF JAMES KIRKLAND THE HUNGER GAMES “INOPPORTUNE Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. FIREARMS ARREST” AWARD “DING-DONG, THE WITCH IS Robert Guerrero, cuffed DEAD” AWARD FOR PAST WINNERS before his bout with Paul Spadafora’s prolonged OF THE ANNUAL RING AWARDS, Floyd Mayweather Jr. comeback f nally brought a loss, GO TO http://bit. and Chris John’s extended title ly/1jmRZS2 OR SCAN THE QR CODE. SANTA CRUZ/ROSADO: JEFF BOTTARI/GOLDEN BOY/GOLDEN BOY VIA GETTY IMAGES; GARCIA: DAVID BECKER/GETTY DAVID VIA GETTY IMAGES; GARCIA: BOY BOY/GOLDEN JEFF BOTTARI/GOLDEN CRUZ/ROSADO: SANTA ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES IMAGES; LOMACHENKO: reign came to an end

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 67 ★ ★HALL OF FAME 68 DE LA HOYA-DE LA

2014 RINGTV.COM

★ ★ / 3.14 TRINIDAD II By HALL OFFAME THE INTERNATIONAL BOXING AS FELLOWINDUCTEESINTO WILL MEETAGAININJUNE2014 MADE AREMATCH BUT THE SUPERSTARS NEVER RonBorges Hoya withoneanother. (left) andOscarDeLa associate FelixTrinidad Boxing fanswillalways

JOSE JIMENEZ/PRIMERA HORA/GETTY IMAGES hey should have then a pay-per-view record for crossed paths a non-heavyweight fght. It also several more times opened up a vast new audience T after Sept. 18, for lighter-weight fghters because 1999, but because of the crossover popularity of the business of boxing is so the Golden Boy from East L.A. often an unmade bed, that won’t and the thunderous power of happen again until June 8, 2014, Trinidad, who may well be when Oscar De La Hoya and the most popular fghter in the Felix Trinidad fnally square history of Puerto Rico’s long love off a second time as they walk affair with prize fghting. together into the International “They represented a change in Boxing Hall of Fame. Oh what the sport in the mid-1990s,” said might have been were boxing broadcaster Larry Merchant. politics not more fractured than “Latinos were becoming an American politics. important factor at the box For much of their careers De offce. The passion of Mexican La Hoya and Trinidad were and Mexican-Americans for the biggest names in the sport, boxing was growing, and Puerto yet they faced each other only Ricans had a long love affair with once in a fght that cried out not the sport. That was all galvanized merely for a rematch but for a by these two exceptional trilogy – and then some. It was a fghters and personalities. They fght that changed the economics transcended their fan base.” of boxing, loosening the It was a night that cried out stranglehold on the purse strings for an encore that never came, a long held by the heavyweight night when De La Hoya boxed division by setting what was well enough to win easily yet was

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 69 ★ ★

2014 HALL OF FAME

★ ★ De La Hoya (left) outboxed Trinidad denied victory in part because for most of their he took for granted that his lead f ght but paid a was so solid he could retreat for price when he took the f nal 12 minutes and still his foot off the gas. have his hand raised. That he did not def es justif cation because De La Hoya barely lost a minute of the f rst eight rounds (nor won more than a minute of the f nal four, to be fair), moving with precise footwork that frustrated Trinidad while landing stinging counter punches and sharp combinations that left his opponent following him from one end of the ring to the other to no good end. Early in the ninth round De La Hoya blistered Trinidad with a furious seven-punch combination that seemed a signature statement of f nal dominance, but from that moment on he took too literally the advice of trainers Gil Clancy and Robert Alcazar to “Box! Box!” Content to avoid further confrontation, a tiring De La Hoya lost the f nal four rounds on the judges’ cards and the f ght by a stunning majority decision even though he landed more than 100 more punches than Trinidad When it was over, Trinidad’s Hoya weren’t able to negotiate a and was never hurt. promoter, Don King, stole a second f ght with Trinidad even “I thought De La Hoya won microphone from De La Hoya’s though the decision was and the f ght,” Merchant said. promoter, Bob Arum, and remains hotly disputed. “He clearly outboxed him bellowed at the post-f ght press In a sense the largest wonder of the f rst half of the f ght. He conference “The lights are out “The Fight of the Millennium” laid the blueprint for how to in Arumville!” The microphone was that it was never revived in f ght Trinidad that others took plug was quickly pulled by one of the New Millennium despite the advantage of later. In [Rounds] Arum’s publicists, and the King of f abbergasting nature of the pay- 7, 8, 9 Trinidad tried to step bombast was silenced, sort of. per-view sales that night. The 1.4 it up. I always wondered if To King’s surprise, the lights million pay-per-view buys were Trinidad landed a punch that remain bright in Arumville to later eclipsed by De La Hoya changed the f ght or if Oscar this day and are even brighter and Floyd Mayweather Jr., who so fell in love with disciplined in the off ces of Golden Boy in 2007 set the all-time record, boxing he forgot to keep Promotions, the company De La heavyweight f ghts included, of f ghting. [Co-trainer] Gil Clancy Hoya formed in 2002 initially to 2.55 million buys (give or take told me later he regretted not promote his own f ghts and later 100,000 depending on what telling Oscar to go out and win to grow into the most powerful source you care to believe). the last round. He told me he promotional company in the Mayweather-De La Hoya seemed

felt responsible.” sport. Yet King, Arum or De La the f nal aff rmation of what De AL BELLO /ALLSPORT

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with those pay-per-view numbers. It was a big event with a lot of visceral feelings on both sides.” We will never know what might have happened had they faced each other a time or two more, but what we do know is that De La Hoya became not only a world champion in six weight classes but a fstic phenomenon that attracted females and a growing Latino market to boxing. He brought in fans that had previously paid the sport no heed, and he did it not simply by smiling and looking good. He did it by fghting the best opponents of his time and beating most of them whether he got the decision or not. De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) frst captivated the nation when he won an Olympic gold medal in Barcelona in 1992 and then took it back to the gravesite of his mother in East L.A. to fulfll a promise he’d made to her long ago. Combine his story with his Latin-lover looks, a promoter like Arum behind him and ferocious punching power when La Hoya-Trinidad accomplished put up the highest grossing pay- he was in the lighter weight eight years earlier at Mandalay per-view totals in boxing history classes at 130, 135 and even 140, Bay in Las Vegas. ($696 million in pay-per-view and you had the formula for the That fact was recently revenue alone) while Trinidad creation of the Beatlemania-like reinforced by the Mayweather- would have the longest reign of fanaticism that followed him Canelo Alvarez fight, which any welterweight champion (six throughout his career. broke the all-time pay-per-view years, eight months, 14 days) and Traveling with De La Hoya, revenue record although not the make the second-most successful especially into any heavily individual sales mark. Ironically, defenses of his 147-pound Hispanic area, was like walking the fight was promoted by De title (15) before going on to with John, Paul, George and La Hoya. win junior middleweight and Ringo. It was insane, but it was A second fght with Trinidad middleweight titles. an insanity he embraced. He would have surely been bigger “I suppose the same factors knew how to please a crowd than the frst because both men that made it so diffcult to make inside the ring and out, and continued to grow in popularity the frst fght is why there was the result was he became the just as the pay-per-view universe no second fght: money, King, most wildly popular boxer of continued to swell. In the end, Arum,” Merchant said. “Both his time and maybe of all time. De La Hoya would defeat 17 went on to have other big fghts Oddly though, that and his world champions, win 10 world but in hindsight the most natural well-documented problems with titles in six weight classes and thing in the world was a rematch addiction and women seemed

2.14 / RINGTV.COM 71 ★ ★ HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2014 ★ ★

MODERN OLD-TIMER PIONEER Last bout no earlier than 1943 Last bout must fall between 1893 and 1942 Last pro bout in or before 1892

JOE CALZAGHE GEORGE CHANEY TOM ALLEN ACTIVE: 1993-2008 ACTIVE: 1910-26 ACTIVE: 1861-84 RECORD: 46-0 (32 KOs) RECORD: 101-21-3 (78 KOs) RECORD: 12-8-4 (1 KO) BACKGROUND: “The Pride of Wales” was BACKGROUND: “KO” Chaney is considered BACKGROUND: Allen, a native of England, one of the few boxers to f nish his career one of the hardest punchers of all time even claimed what was billed as the Heavyweight with a perfect record. Calzaghe, trained by at only 5 feet 1 inch. He reportedly was Championship of America by beating Bill his father, Enzo, outpointed Chris Eubank given his nickname by Charlie Chaplin, who Davis in 1869 in St. Louis. in 1997 to win the vacant WBO super was impressed with the f ghter’s power. Hall middleweight title and successfully defended of Famer Kid Williams was among his many it a division record 21 times over the next KO victims. Chaney never won a world title, decade. He would add the IBF, WBC, WBA failing against featherweight champ Johnny NON-PARTICIPANT and RING titles to his collection – making Kilbane in 1911 and junior lightweight EUGENE CORRI him the undisputed champ – before moving Johnny Dundee in 1921, but left the sport POSITION: Referee up to light heavyweight and beating Bernard with a fearsome reputation. BACKGROUND: Corri was a top British Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. in the U.S. referee early in the 20th century. He CHARLES LEDOUX reportedly worked more than 1,000 f ghts in OSCAR DE LA HOYA ACTIVE: 1909-26 his career. He retired in 1931. ACTIVE: 1992-2008 RECORD: 97-22-5 (81 KOs) RECORD: 39-6 (30 KOs) BACKGROUND: The little Frenchman, who BARRY HEARN BACKGROUND: “The Golden Boy” drove the was only 5 feet ½ inch, found success POSITION: Promoter sport for about a decade with his charisma, both in his native country and in the United BACKGROUND: Hearn, head of the good looks and all-around ability. He won States. He held his own with a who’s who of promotional company Matchroom Sports, 11 world titles (including a RING belt) in six the best bantamweights of his day, including became a boxing promoter in 1987 and divisions, junior lightweight to middleweight. fellow Hall of Famers Johnny Coulon, has put together hundreds of shows for In the process he beat a long list of Eugene Criqui, Jim Driscoll, Joe Lynch, television. champions, including Rafael Ruelas, Genaro Kid Williams and Pete Herman. He won Hernandez, Ike Quartey, Fernando Vargas French and European titles but was never RICHARD STEELE and Julio Cesar Chavez. His f ght against universally recognized as a world champ. POSITION: Referee Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007, which he BACKGROUND: Steele is one of the most lost by a split decision, generated a record MIKE O’DOWD recognizable referees ever, working such 2.55 million pay-per-view buys. He is now a ACTIVE: 1913-23 f ghts as Pryor-Arguello II, Hagler-Hearns, successful promoter. RECORD: 51-7-3 (39 KOs) Leonard-Hagler and Chavez-Taylor. He reffed BACKGROUND: O’Dowd fought on even 167 title bouts. FELIX TRINIDAD terms with some of the best f ghters who ACTIVE: 1990-2008 ever lived, including legends Jack Britton, RECORD: 42-3 (35 KOs) Ted “Kid” Lewis, Harry Greb and Mike BACKGROUND: “Tito” was known for his Gibbons. The product of Minneapolis won OBSERVER crushing punching power, particularly his the world middleweight title by stopping GRAHAM HOUSTON left hook, which made him tremendously tough Al McCoy in six rounds in 1917. He POSITION: Journalist popular in his native Puerto Rico and beyond. lost the belt to Johnny Wilson in 1920 but, BACKGROUND: Houston has been covering He stopped Maurice Blocker in two rounds two years later, claimed New York’s version boxing since 1963, working in his native to win the IBF welterweight title and made of the title by defeating Dave Rosenberg England before relocating to Canada. He also 15 successful defenses, 12 by knockout. on a foul. O’Dowd fought once more and is an author. In total, he won f ve world titles in three then retired. weight divisions. Among his victims: Hector NEIL LEIFER Camacho, Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De La POSITION: Photographer Hoya, Fernando Vargas and Ricardo Mayorga. BACKGROUND: Leifer took one of the most He was trained by his father, Felix Sr. iconic photos in boxing history, the one in which Muhammad Ali is standing over a prone Sonny Liston in their 1965 rematch.

72 RINGTV.COM / 2.14 DE LA HOYA-TRINIDAD II

to unfairly overshadow a simple Finally, come June 8, they worthiness of their credentials fact: Oscar De La Hoya could will meet once again, this time nor how ftting it is that Felix fght and was willing to face when each has his fist cast for Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya anyone to prove it. the Hall and accepts the sport’s will enter the Hall of Fame Although some hardcore highest honor. together because together they Mexican fght fans dismissed “This is the dream of everyone made it possible for boxing’s him as too soft, too unwilling who puts on a pair of gloves little big men like Mayweather, to engage in the kind of hand- and steps between the ropes,” Jones, Manny Pacquiao, to-hand combat they love best De La Hoya said. “Through the Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik and, most of all, too willing to good and the bad, you always Morales, Prince Naseem Hamed beat up fading Mexican idol hope that when all is said and and so many others to earn Julio Cesar Chavez twice, the done, you put on good fghts, heavyweight purses. fact of the matter is De La Hoya entertained the fans and will be When Seth Abraham used to came to fght. It was a point he remembered for what you did in run HBO Sports, he believed made emphatically clear when the ring. boxing was a bifurcated affair. he got off the foor to fatten Ike “To know that I will be in the He would often say, “There Quartey with that fght on the Hall of fame with the greats of is boxing, and then there is line, when he beat up Fernando this sport is humbling, but it also heavyweight boxing,” meaning Vargas after some early problems puts a smile on my face that isn’t there was one set of interest and when, in a close loss to Floyd coming off anytime soon.” and economic possibilities for Mayweather Jr., he inexplicably Recent years haven’t always guys like Sugar Ray Leonard abandoned his jab for more been the happiest for De or Marvin Hagler and a far lethal but less effective weapons La Hoya, who has battled different one for even mediocre in the second half of that fght. addiction issues and entered heavyweights like Buster Douglas As for Trinidad, he was the rehab several times in an effort if they win on the right night, most popular Puerto Rican to get his private life in order, and certainly for the best of fghter of his time because of but his public life as a promoter them like Mike Tyson, Evander both his embraceable personality continues to fourish. Trinidad, Holyfeld and Lennox Lewis. and his ability to destroy anyone meanwhile, has been less public De La Hoya-Trinidad I-And- he hit with one shot. But he also since retiring in 2009 after Only put the lie to that fction possessed the Achilles’ heel of so being beaten during an aborted but what might the numbers many big punchers: a chin made comeback by Winky Wright and have been had they created the in China. Trinidad got off the Roy Jones Jr. He spends nearly kind of classic trilogy (or more) deck many times to destroy his all his time in Puerto Rico raising of an Ali-Frazier, Bowe-Holyfeld, opponents, which only added his four daughters and living the Ward-Gatti, Barrera-Morales, to his wild popularity and the life of a fstic icon. Pacquiao-Marquez, Griffth-Paret drama of the moment whenever “This is the biggest triumph or Zale-Graziano? What would he entered the ring. of my career,” Trinidad said. a rematch have grossed had they Even without the kind of “This is a great honor for me, fought a second time on Cinco rematches that punctuate the my father (Felix Sr., who trained de Mayo, the traditional date greatest rivalries in the sport’s him since the age of 12), my for a big Vegas fght card with a history, both were clearly Hall family and my whole team. I’m Mexican-Puerto Rican revenge of Fame worthy on their frst extremely happy to be inducted factor throw in for emphasis? year of eligibility. No one could with all the Puerto Rican boxers This we will never know but argue that De La Hoya ended already in the Hall of Fame.” next June 8 fans can dream for his career having avoided Alongside the two of them will a moment or two about what anyone, and the fact Trinidad be Joe Calzaghe, the undefeated might have been, reminded when never granted De La Hoya a (46-0) super middleweight the two Latino icons join the rematch was more a result of champion who is arguably pantheon of the prize fghting’s promotional rivalries, cable Wales’ greatest fghter; referee greatest names that once they network wars and Trinidad’s Richard Steele; British promoter squared off in a fght that increasing waistline than any Barry Hearn; journalist Graham changed their sport forever. It’s reticence on the fghters’ part to Houston and photographer Neil a shame it took so long for them face each other again. Leifer. No one would dispute the to meet again.

11.13 / THE2.14 RING / RINGTV.COM MAGAZINE 73 ‘A ROLLER COASTER OF EMOTION’ GEORGE GROVES REMAINS FRUSTRATED OVER HIS CONTROVERSIAL LOSS TO CARL FROCH BUT, WITH OR WITHOUT A REMATCH, HE HAS BIG PLANS By Tom Gray

George Groves (right) got off to a good start – putting Carl Froch down in the frst round – but things didn’t end well for the young contender.

74 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 n Nov. 23, 2013, following months of hype and bad O blood, the all-British showdown between IBF super middleweight titlist Carl Froch and unbeaten challenger George Groves ended on one of the most controversial calls by a referee in recent boxing history. Groves, narrowly ahead on all scorecards in the ninth round, was caught above the ear by a looping right hand that affected his equilibrium. The young Londoner was shaken but remained upright and, although he absorbed a handful of solid headshots from the champion, he was fring back when referee Howard Foster set off a frestorm by halting the action. Groves was devastated. The belt and a potential career- defning victory were gone in an instant. And while he was applauded for a surprisingly strong performance against one of the most respected fghters in the world, the pain has lingered. At the same time, he tries to look philosophically at what he believes was an injustice as he plots his future. “It has been a roller coaster of emotion,” Groves told THE RING. “I’m absolutely gutted that I have a loss on my record, which is unjust. The only satisfaction I have is that almost everyone agrees with me, and this won’t be forgotten about. I frmly believe that fans will associate Carl Froch’s career with this fght and the controversy which surrounds it. “People talk about how my stock has risen, but my stock would have risen regardless. The people who are close to me are gutted about what

SCOTT HEAVEY/GETTY IMAGES SCOTT HEAVEY/GETTY happened, but we’re in this game

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 75 ‘A ROLLER COASTER OF EMOTION’

for the long haul, and I’m so beforehand, the trainer proved ‘I’M ABSOLUTELY appreciative of the support I’ve his worth on fght night, but had from them, and boxing fans, elected to unload with both GUTTED THAT during good times and bad. barrels in the aftermath. “Everything happens for a Fitzpatrick had been concerned I HAVE A LOSS reason. You can have a boring beforehand that the perception ON MY RECORD, life, do your 9 to 5 and have by some that Groves has a nothing to show for it, or you questionable chin could work WHICH IS UNJUST. can go out and do your best against him in the fght. And THE ONLY to enjoy life and experience Fitzpatrick will tell you that it everything it has to offer. I’ve did in those fnal moments. SATISFACTION experienced every emotion there “There was no conclusion, and I HAVE IS THAT is since that fght. Whether it’s I was gutted,” Fitzpatrick said. laughter or tears, at least you “At the rules meeting, the day ALMOST EVERYONE know you’re living, and you before the fght, I spoke with have to be thankful for that.” Howard Foster. I said it has AGREES WITH ME.’ Groves was installed as a been in newspapers, nonstop, — GEORGE GROVES signifcant underdog against that Carl Froch is a warrior and Froch, and many believed his George Groves has a glass chin. chances diminished further when George has been hurt once in 19 he split from longtime trainer fghts, went down, and got up to Adam Booth. Irishman Paddy stop Kenny Anderson in the very Fitzpatrick, who had worked next round. with both men as an assistant, “This was going to be two men was appointed chief second only fghting for a world title, so I 10 weeks prior to Groves’ frst asked that both Carl Froch and world title bout. George be treated accordingly. Quiet and unassuming I was told my points would be

Groves had the support of the fans at Phones 4U Arena in Manchester even in defeat.

76 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 SCOTT HEAVEY/GETTY IMAGES the fght)andasksmeto the Mondaymorning(after we evenpresentedourcase. was standingbyhisrefereebefore on SkySportstelevisiontosayhe the tape, thenimmediatelywent professional enoughtoreview that heappreciatedmebeing contesting anything. Hesaid be reviewingthetapebefore of theBBBofC)thatIwould Robert Smith(GeneralSecretary (BBBofC), theIBFand WBA. British BoxingBoardofControl this wasallwitnessedbythe had alawyertakingnotes, and taken intoconsideration. We “Mr. Smiththencallsmeon “After thestoppage, Iadvised immediate wrathof20,000 Not onlydidheendurethe fraternity asatop-classoffcial. by manywithintheboxing experience andisregarded the matterisfarfromconcluded. seen, butonegetsthefeelingthat to theBBBofCremainsbe Groves’ campplannedtopresent man howtoconducthimself.” him nottoaskmetellanother say?’ Hesaidno, thereforeItold that heisnotlegallyentitledto Smith. HasGeorgesaidanything stoppage. Isaid, ‘Excuse me, Mr. he’s talkinginrelationtothe caution Georgeabouttheway Foster hasyearsofrefereeing What comesofthecasethat brought tojustice.” is responsiblecaughtand it’s acceptable. Ihopewhoever social media, andtheythink days, particularlythrough People sayhorriblethingsthese Foster hasgonethroughthis. and it’s terriblethatHoward but youhavetotakeitseriously, there togiveitthebrushoff, Groves. “The temptationis the past, andit’s awful,” said to deaththreats. stoppage, hewasalsosubjected but, inthedaysfollowing of suffocatingmediascrutiny fans andtheintensepressure “I’ve experiencedthatin Froch mentionedareturn 3.14 / RINGTV.COM 77 ‘A ROLLER COASTER OF EMOTION’

Groves said he might never get over his loss to Carl does he point to his considerable and you must respect that. Froch because he’s past achievements to leave on Still, I wouldn’t allow one of a perfectionist with his own terms? my amateurs to have their first an imperfect record. Groves recognizes Froch’s fight with footwork like his. predicament while lobbying for He will never cause George a rematch. problems technically and is “His pride will be hurt,” inept in that area. said Groves. “If he goes into “He makes the same mistakes retirement, then everyone will round after round, and that know I put him there. And if won’t change.” he f ghts someone else, then If the rematch doesn’t happen, everyone knows he’s ducking me. Groves should take solace in How can he be regarded as this one fact: He has announced legendary f ghter if he goes out of himself on the world scene at his way to avoid me? Still, he has 168 pounds. He made it clear in suggested to the British press that defeat that he has the all-around he doesn’t want it (the rematch). ability to compete with anyone “Carl has to be clever here in the division, which makes him and decide what he wants out of a very marketable young f ghter. boxing. If he wants to leave the Groves plans to take advantage sport with his head held high, of that newfound asset both at f ght during an uncomfortable then a rematch with me is his home and abroad. post-f ght interview but has only option. He can’t delay it “I would build my prof le in since talked about closing either, because nobody will be the United States,” he said. “I out his career in Las Vegas, interested in him f ghting anyone haven’t topped the bill over presumably against Andre Ward, else. He has to f ght me as soon there, and it’s a logical step who defeated him in December as possible.” because Andre Ward could be 2011. Groves initially said that Of course, Groves would be a big money f ght for me in the he would move on, but that just as conf dent going into a future. I want to become world is easier said than done. He rematch as he was going into the champion, and I want to do believes wholeheartedly that he f rst f ght, perhaps even more so that as quickly as I can. I’m not deserves another shot at Froch. given what happened for eight- looking for the easy route, but “I can’t say with any certainty plus rounds. the quickest route. if I’ll ever get over it,” Groves “I would stop Carl Froch “I would f ght anyone in the said. “I’m a perfectionist, and within six rounds,” Groves said. super middleweight division, now I don’t have a perfect “I looked at things objectively and that includes Ward. He’s the record. Securing the rematch before the f ght, but you don’t best, and even though I would and beating him could convince really know until you’ve been in prefer one or two f ghts f rst, if people that I should have won there. I learned a whole lot about it was offered to me, I would the f rst time, but only time will Froch, and he wouldn’t get past take it next and be conf dent of tell if I get the chance to prove the halfway mark in a rematch. beating him. that. In the future I want to be We’ve both talked a lot, and “People might look at me regarded as a great f ghter and everyone knows who can back sideways and say that’s not losses don’t help my cause. up their words and who can’t. going to happen, but it would “I’m not asking Carl Froch for Paddy Fitzpatrick, who will be the same people who said I any favors. I’m only asking for retain his place in Groves’ didn’t belong in the ring with what’s right.” corner, concurs with his f ghter. Carl Froch. Ward is a completely Froch is in a diff cult position. “I agree completely,” said the different proposition, but with Does “The Cobra” live up to his trainer. “Froch has a granite the correct game plan, I’m good warrior image by granting his chin, great conditioning and enough to beat anyone.” countryman, and the public, the enormous desire to win. He “I want to unify the division, rematch everyone wants to see? has made that work for him at get the best out of myself, and I

Or, in the twilight of his career, the highest level of the game, will settle for nothing less.” IMAGES SCOTT HEAVEY/GETTY

78 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 DANA WHITE RETURNS TO BOXING WITH REALITY SHOW

UFC PRESIDENT WANTS TO t could have been a scene CREATE ‘NEW BOXING TALENT’ out of The Godfather Part III – just when he thought By Thomas Gerbasi he was out of boxing, they pulled him back in. But UFC President Dana White readily I admits that when it comes to his new boxing reality show on Discovery Channel, The Fighters, “I dragged myself back into this one.” So why would the head of the biggest MMA promotional firm in the world decide to revisit the sport where he got his start, especially since past boxing reality shows The Contender and The Next Great Champ met with mixed reviews at best? “My intention with this show is to turn it into something that creates new boxing talent,” said White, a former amateur boxer who owned gyms in Boston and Las Vegas. “This season we focused on south Boston. The second season I want to bring in fighters from all over the country. There’s tons of talent out there. I want to start to cultivate it and build it the same way The Ultimate Fighter does.” With the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter having just wrapped taping in Las Vegas, White and production partner Craig Piligian obviously know something about the reality TV business. Now it’s time to test the waters in boxing, not with a tournament format or established pros but with local trainers who will pit their top amateurs against one another in weekly bouts after viewers are introduced them. It’s unusual and it’s risky, but that’s just the way White likes it. “I’m doing this because I love the sport and I want to do it, and I think that this is the right way to do it,” he said. “We’ll find out if this was the right way or not as soon as it airs. And Dana White said he if this thing works out, it could get wants to develop talent in a way interesting.” similar to The The eight-part series premieres Jan. 23

GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES Ultimate Fighter. on Discovery Channel.

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80 RINGTV.COM / 2.14 t’s called the former Soviet Union these days. But former isn’t exactly I forgotten, at least not among promoters, managers and probably a few wannabes who have descended on the 8.65-million square miles of diverse geography, languages and cultures in search of the next great prospect. Young f ghters are arriving on American shores like imported vodka. It’s a trend, all right, in part because of Gennady Golovkin’s ability to generate interest in a marketplace where skeptical television executives once thought there was none. Golovkin is beginning to produce strong television ratings. According to Nielsen Media Research, his November stoppage of Curtis Stevens drew an HBO audience of 1.41 million, about a 30 percent A GROWING NUMBER OF FIGHTERS increase from his June knockout FROM THE FORMER USSR ARE FINDING of Matthew Macklin. Within those numbers, there’s leverage SUCCESS IN THE U.S. By Norm Frauenheim that enables Golovkin to market the punching power that has always been there. Think about it this way: There’s talk about a Golovkin Clockwise from top left, Gennady Golovkin, Ruslan Provodnikov, fight against Andre Ward, Sergey Kovalev and Vasyl who is a solid second to Floyd Lomachenko lead a group of f ghters Mayweather Jr. in the pound- from the former Soviet Union that is for-pound debate, yet an connecting with fans. unproven attraction. If the Golovkin-Ward possibility ever reaches the negotiating table, Golovkin, an Olympic silver medalist for Kazakhstan in the post-Soviet era, might be a bigger draw than Ward, the last American to win gold. No wonder there’s a rush to mine what might be a rich vein of talent in the old Eastern Bloc. Success has no citizenship, but it gets a lot of followers. So get in line. Fighters from Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan already

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are. From Siberian welterweight gold medalist from Kazakhstan others because I was the first, Ruslan Provodnikov to at light heavyweight who was that is a good thing. I cheer Ukrainian featherweight Vasyl voted the most outstanding for anybody who tries to Lomachenko, they are suddenly boxer at the Atlanta Games. accomplish new things.” showing up on major cards and Jirov made the move to America After Top Rank released getting major attention from without looking back. Unlike Jirov from his contract and the an American audience that Golovkin, he also skipped an Klitschko brothers found more just a few years ago couldn’t intermediate step, a stop in interest in Germany than they pronounce their names, much Europe, where Golovkin further could in the United States, it less recognize them. Once, developed a comprehensive skill looked as if the boxing world they all sounded as if they set that has transformed him would remain as divided as it belonged to that gray, faceless into emerging American star. was throughout the Cold War. collection of aging Politburo “Jirov was the frst,” Loeffer Even Loeffer wasn’t sure until offcials standing on a Moscow said. “He made that move long Golovkin stopped Gabe Rosado balcony above Red Square. before anyone else.” on Jan. 19, 2013, at the Madison But, today, nobody confuses Hindsight might say that Square Garden Theater on a Russian Sergey Kovalev with Jirov’s career would have been card that featured Mikey Garcia anyone or anything other than better served had he gone down in a technical decision over what he is – one of the best light the career path traveled by Orlando Salido. heavyweights in any hemisphere. Golovkin, who continues to “It was tough, because There’s an inherent danger have a home in Germany and television still wasn’t sold on in any trend, of course. They is scheduled to fght in Monaco whether he was a real draw,” often end as fast as empires. in February. In 1996, however, Loeffer said. “But when I looked Sometimes, the race to fnd the there was no proven path. Top around, I saw a crowd that was next in line just leads to bupkus. Rank signed Jirov immediately there to see Gennady. That’s But there’s ample evidence and after the Atlanta Olympics, when I knew. That’s when I was plenty of historical context to thinking that he had shown a certain we could make it work.” believe that this one has some versatile mix of skill that would It’s also a moment that staying power. allow him to break out of what eventually might be viewed as a “Absolutely,” says Tom was then a robotic style, the turning point. It is when fghters Loeffer, managing director for Soviet stereotype. from the former Soviet Union Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko’s Jirov, at his best as a went from isolated undercard company, K2, which promotes cruiserweight, had his moments, appearances to a developing Golovkin. “I think you’ll including a loss by decision to trend. No card now seems to be see more of them. They are James Toney in THE RING’s complete without one. fundamentally sound after years 2003 Fight of the Year. But he “There are many more of us,” learning how to box as amateurs could never quite capture the said Beibut Shumenov, a light within that old Soviet system. public imagination enough to heavyweight from Kazakhstan They’re also hungry fghters who become a television draw. For who retained his WBA title grew up in very poor countries.” Jirov, maybe it was just his with a third-round stoppage Loeffer believes the trend has timing. He arrived when all of of Tomas Kovacs on a Golden its roots in the wake of the 1996 the customers invested their pay- Boy Promotions card featuring Atlanta Olympics, fve years per-view money in Roy Jones Adrien Broner vs. Marcos after the symbolic fall of the Jr. and an emerging Oscar De Maidana on Dec. 14. Berlin Wall. Wladimir Klitschko La Hoya. Or, maybe, Jirov, who Golovkin has created a public won a gold medal in Atlanta and learned how to fght at a Moscow appetite for more of the same, then turned pro with brother boxing academy while serving in which means Provodnikov, Vitali. Together, they turned the Red Army in the late 1980s, Kovalev, Lomachenko and the heavyweight division into never could shake that robotic perhaps a lot more from names a family business and virtually stereotype. Whatever it was, Jirov we still don’t know how to transformed it into the Eastern has no regrets. pronounce or spell. THE European property that it is “It is OK,” said Jirov, who RING’s 2013 Fight of the Year today. Those same Olympics lives in Phoenix and works as was the blood-and-guts classic also produced Vassiliy Jirov, a a personal trainer. “If I help put up by Provodnikov, a

82 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 OUT OF THE USSR

A POUND-FOR-POUND TOP 10 OF FIGHTERS FROM NATIONS THAT WERE FORMERLY REPUBLICS OF THE SOVIET UNION. 1. WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO (UKRAINE) – SECOND-LONGEST CHAMPIONSHIP REIGN IN HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORY. 2. KOSTYA TSZYU (RUSSIA) – WORLD’S BEST JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT FROM 2000 TO 2005. Brothers Vitali (left) and Wladimir Klitschko are two 3. VITALI KLITSCHKO of the most successful fghters from a former (UKRAINE) – IF HIS KO RATIO (87.23 Soviet republic. PERCENT) WORKS IN POLITICS, HE’LL WIN IN UKRAINE. 4. VIC DARCHINYAN (ARMENIA) – HAS BEEN A TITLEHOLDER OR CONTENDER FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. 5. YURI ARBACHAKOV (RUSSIA) – FIRST-EVER RUSSIAN CHAMP WAS A DOMINATING FLYWEIGHT IN THE 1990S. 6. VASSILIY JIROV (KAZAKHSTAN) – EX-CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMP WAS FIRST TO GAIN WORLDWIDE ATTENTION AT 1996 OLYMPICS. 7. ORZUBEK NAZAROV (KYRGYZSTAN) – HELD A MAJOR LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE FOR FIVE YEARS. 8. GENNADY GOLOVKIN (KAZAKHSTAN) – ON THE BRINK OF BECOMING A MAJOR PAY-PER- VIEW STAR. 9. SERGEY KOVALEV (RUSSIA) – MIGHT BE THE BEST IN THE LOADED LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION. 10. RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV (RUSSIA) – THE NEXT TSZYU?

NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA NATALIA — Norm Frauenheim

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 83 SOVIET INVASION

Vassiliy Jirov (right, against Joe Mesi) was a pioneer among fghters from the former USSR.

Banner Promotions fghter who of Ismayl Sillakh in Quebec City the 2012 London Games who introduced himself to the U.S. on the same night that Adonis is promoted by Top Rank. audience in losing a welterweight Stevenson scored a sixth-round Lomachenko has either one or war with Timothy Bradley. TKO of Tony Bellew. If the seven pro fghts – depending on Kovalev put his name, front public can’t get Mayweather- whether you count “semi-pro” and center, into the public debate Manny Pacquiao, it will be very bouts – yet has a major title in about what fght it most wants happy to see Kovalev-Stevenson. his sights on March 1 against to see when the Main Events- Then, there’s Lomachenko, the Salido, who holds the WBO promoted light heavyweight two-time Olympic gold medalist version of the 126-pound title.

scored a second-round knockout and the outstanding boxer at There’s nothing slow about this Jed Jacobsohn

84 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 trend. It’s moving at bullet-train where, according to Kornilov, Union. He is middleweight speed, in part because of a style life revolves around hunting, Levgen Khytrov, also a that has evolved from robotic to fshing and drinking. Ukrainian whose amateur record fundamental, from well-schooled “A very, very hard place is reported to include more to improvisational. It’s as if Ivan to live,” Kornilov said of than 500 bouts and a signifcant Drago, the Russian character in Provodnikov’s hometown, victory. He won a 2010 world that Rocky sequel, learned some Beryozovo, which also championship over Ryota Mayweather soul and shoulder happens to be where Russian Murata, a Japanese prospect roll. As fast as it seems to be revolutionary Leon Trotsky who has signed with Top Rank. happening, however, nothing escaped from his captors in The 25-year-old Khytrov, who about the ongoing evolution is 1907 on his way to a Siberian was scheduled to make his pro easy. exile. “It’s a place that really debut on Dec. 18, was 3 years “Not at all,” says Vadim created a deep hunger in him to old when the Soviet Union Kornilov, who manages fight, fight his way out and to collapsed. He learned boxing in Provodnikov and fve others, something different. But he also the old Soviet schools that are including Russian light had to learn how. And he had to still there. But he grew up in a heavyweight prospect Egor get noticed.” time when he also had to think Mekhontsev. “It’s really a He did so at Freddie Roach’s for himself. process in getting these kids Wild Card Boxing Club in “He grew up in an era with a known American trainer Hollywood, where he was where, like in America, you and in a gym where some of durable and resilient enough have to improvise to survive,” the big names train. You have to become a Pacquiao sparring said Salita, who has his own to convince people that some partner. That resulted in some company, Star of David of these kids can fght. You also inevitable attention, both Promotions. “When that Soviet have to get them the kind of from Roach and in the media. system was in place, you were training that gets them ready to It also led to a contract offer told what to do, exactly how to fght like an American pro.” from Artie Pelullo of Banner do it and when to do it. If they Provodnikov is a defning Promotions, who went to Russia told you put your right hand in example of exactly that process. to scout one Russian and then this place and you left in that Kornilov, who lives and works heard about Provodnikov. place, that’s exactly what you in Southern California, brought Pacquiao’s sparring partners get did every time. Put one foot Provodnikov from Siberia’s Roach’s guidance and sometimes here, put your other foot there. chill to the U.S. years before a big fght. For Provodnikov, it There was a formula, and it was Golovkin’s frst American was Bradley in a loss that won strictly followed. appearance, a ffth-round him respect and some priceless “But when that system went stoppage of Gregorz Proksa, in name recognition. Next, it was away, these guys had to take all September 2012 in Verona, N.Y. Mike Alvarado, whom he upset of those fundamentals and use Provodnikov appeared on a card in a Denver suburb. Now, his them in different ways. They at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, name has appeared on the short learned how to adjust. They Conn., in 2007, scoring a frst- list of possibilities for Pacquiao added fexibility to the way they round KO of somebody named in the Filipino’s next fght fght. I really think that’s been Antwon Barrett. after a comeback victory over [the key] to what’s happening “Between now and then, he’s Brandon Rios. right now. We’re just beginning a completely different fghter,” The next in this trend includes to see a new brand of fghter Kornilov said. “There’s just no countless possibilities. In each, from that part of the world. comparison.” there’s only one sure thing. They are thinking fghters who Provodnikov came to the To wit: The Soviet robot is know the fundamentals better U.S. with about 150 amateur long gone. Dmitriy Salita, a than anybody. But now they also bouts on his resume, but – welterweight and promoter, has know to adjust. It makes them unlike Golovkin – it included his own ideas as to why, some dangerous for any opponent.” no Olympic medal or world of which are shared by Loeffer. And impossible to ignore for championships. There was just Salita was born in Odessa, any fan witnessing a trend that the trademark toughness that Ukraine, and also has his own packs some game-changing came from growing up in a place prospect from the former Soviet potential.

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FROM FRIGID oxing fans these of all because of the fans,” he SIBERIA, RUSLAN days don’t seem said through a translator. “They PROVODNIKOV to care where a will love you for the way you f ghter comes from. f ght and not for where you are NOW LEADS THE B They just want to from. That is really important, INFLUX OF RUSSIAN be entertained by and I really enjoy that. It’s all BOXERS MAKING warriors willing to spill blood for about the way you f ght and the them inside the ropes, regardless excitement you bring to the ring.” THEIR NAMES IN of their background. Provodnikov has always had THE U.S. That’s why Ruslan Provodnikov that all-out attacking style, f ts in perfectly in the U.S., where which he f rst demonstrated as By Bernard Fernandez he is conducting his career. The a child in his frigid hometown 29-year-old “Siberian Rocky” of Beryozovo, Russia, where demonstrated f rst on ESPN temperatures in winter can drop and then on premium cable to an almost unfathomable 47 that he serves up blood, guts degrees below zero. and anything else it takes to Maybe he threw so many win f ghts and entertain the punches to keep warm. crowd, which has made him very “No, my style is a part of popular very quickly. me and always has been,” Provodnikov and Timothy Provodnikov said when asked Bradley gave the world the if he had made adjustments to most thrilling f ght of 2013, make himself more appealing to Bradley winning a decision. action-craving U.S. audiences. Then the Russian gave an encore “The way I f ght is in my performance, stopping Mike character and in my blood. I Alvarado in another riveting think that everyone has his own battle to win the WBO junior style of f ghting. You can’t change welterweight title – his f rst it even if you tried.” major belt. How Provodnikov came to Provodnikov doesn’t seem the U.S., and his rapid ascent capable of being in a bad f ght. as a must-see attraction here Thus, the fans love him. And he and elsewhere, makes for quite apparently loves them back. a story. And it’s not just that “I like f ghting in the U.S. most he is from a small village (the

86 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 NAOKI FUKUDA style offghting. relentless, all-action because ofhis Ruslan Provodnikov Fans are attractedto 3.14 .14 /RINGTV.COM / RINGTV.COM 87 COLD WARRIOR

population of Beryozovo is who also advised Brazilian in the past. I was already selling 7,287, according to the 2010 star Acelino Freitas and U.K. Freitas and Hatton fghts to census) in a country that to the attraction Ricky Hatton in the [Russian TV’s] Channel 1 and outside world must seem as if it U.S., headed off to Russia with Channel 2, so it was a dual- is perpetually frozen. the specifc idea of signing the purpose kind of trip. I had just His mother is Mansi, an young Mansi fghter. gotten off a 15-hour fight and indigenous people of whom only Pelullo had never heard of wanted to go to my room to 12,500 remain, most of them Provodnikov, in fact, when his change, but the guys I was to concentrated in western Siberia. plane touched down in Moscow meet with were in the lobby at “It is similar in a way,” in 2007. He just knew that 11 in the morning, Moscow time, Provodnikov said when Eastern Europe was emerging as drinking vodka, so I never even asked whether the Mansi are a breeding ground of talented, went to my room. comparable to Native Americans hungry guys eager to make their “I started talking to Rinat in the U.S. “We are the national mark in professional boxing, Yusupov and German Titov and people of the Khanty-Mansiysk and he wanted to provide some told them I wanted to bring region, and the population of of them with the opportunity to some Russian fghters to the Mansis is continually dropping do so. United States and develop them for several reasons. It is part of “At the time, Hatton was still on ESPN. I told them we could my legacy to make sure that our fghting for me, and Freitas’ open up a new market because people continue to believe in career was winding down,” there weren’t a lot of Russian themselves, and to continue to Pelullo recalled. “I just took a fghters appearing in the U.S. believe that anything is possible.” chance. I was looking for new at the time. They liked the idea, It isn’t as if Banner Promotions guys, new talent, and I knew but they were probably a little president Art Pelullo, the some Russian promoters I had skeptical that I would actually Philadelphia-based promoter done some minor business with do what I said I would. They

Provodnikov’s victory over Mike Alvarado earned him his frst world title.

88 WBO middleweight champion Dmitry Pirog, Maxim Vlasov, Fedor Papazov, Evgeny Chuprakov, Alisher Rahimov and Sherzod Husanov (the last two are originally from Uzbekistan). But the lead pony undoubtedly is Provodnikov, who revealed himself as prime TV material in the Bradley and Alvarado fghts. Bradley took so many hard shots that many wondered whether his career would be permanently altered. Alvarado took such a battering that he did not come out for the 11th round. Both of those bouts were televised by HBO. Provodnikov is now among the possible opponents for Manny Pacquiao, which would be lucrative but complicated. Top Rank President Bob Arum has the option of co-promoting Provodnikov’s next bout with Pelullo and has expressed interest in making the fght. But a potential snag is the fact that Provodnikov and Pacquiao are both trained by Freddie Roach and friends. “It defnitely is a barrier,” Provodnikov said. “I do not want to enter the ring for any fght without Freddie Roach, and it would be very hard for me to fght Manny Pacquiao, who I have a lot of respect for Provodnikov had a and have been training with for supporter from back a very long time.” home when he took Roach, a fve-time Boxing Alvarado’s belt. That’s Writers Association of mom Raisa. America Trainer of the Year, already has indicated he would opt to work with Pacquiao, who probably thought I would try to a Freitas undercard at Foxwoods has been with him longer, if a steal their fghters.” [in Mashantucket, Conn.] and Pacquiao-Provodnikov bout But one thing led to another from that point on we started were to be made. and Pelullo began to bring using him more and more. But, of course, such

DOUG PENSINGER/GETTY IMAGES some of the Russian fghters “Russell Peltz was my pronouncements won’t stop over, a couple at a time, to test matchmaker at the time, and anyone from speculating about the waters. One of those was he said, ‘Artie, you got something what surely would be one of Provodnikov who, Pelullo said, here.’ I said, ‘I think you’re the more intriguing matchups “was just one of the guys in the right.’” that could be made at this time. group. But he fought his frst Pelullo’s stable of Russian Pelullo and Arum both think any fght with me, a four-rounder on fghters now includes former and all potential snags could be

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90 smoothed out if the payday for Provodnikov always each fghter is hefty enough. had ability and a “Provodnikov can win that warrior’s mentality. fght, and if he does, a new Trainer Freddie Roach superstar is born,” Pelullo said. (foreground) has refned his technique. “With Ruslan’s style, he’s going to be right in front of Manny. A lot of people perceive we can win the fght. I know I defnitely think we can win the fght. Ruslan knows how to cut off the ring, and he’d bring too much pressure and tenacity for Manny to handle at this point of his career.” Arum conceded that Provodnikov is very much in the mix. “Assuming that the [Floyd] Mayweather thing doesn’t come together, the three guys we’re looking at now, and it’s not exclusive of others, are [Juan Manuel] Marquez, Bradley and Provodnikov,” he said. What about the potential holdup involving Roach and those warm, fuzzy feelings of friendship between Pacquiao and Provodnikov? “It could be Provodnikov publicly is saying he’s not interested [in fghting Pacquiao] as a way to jack up the money, but he told me privately that he wants that fght, and his managers [Vadim Kornilov and Andrei Napolskikh] want him to take that fght,” Arum said. Pelullo was scheduled to make an appearance, as promised, at an amateur tournament in Beryozovo that Provodnikov is hosting from Feb. 5-7. It can be presumed that Pelullo would try to nudge him into accepting a fght with Pacquiao, providing the promoter’s teeth aren’t KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES chattering too much. Told that the thermometer in that part of Siberia can hit minus-40 degrees and even colder in early February, Pelullo said, “It’s that cold? Oh, well. My wife did buy me some longjohns.”

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 91 LETTERS FROM EUROPE FROCH SHOULD GIVE GROVES A REMATCH ONLY A SECOND FIGHT WOULD END THE DEBATE OVER WHAT MIGHT’VE HAPPENED IN THEIR FIRST MEETING

By Gareth A Davies

It was as inconclusive as and although it was offered, it was unsatisfactory for both there is nothing concrete and seasoned IBF super middleweight nothing in writing. titleholder Carl Froch and My view is that Froch should challenger George Groves. enter into a rematch. As a young The buildup to their thriller in f ghter, he bemoaned the fact Manchester, England, was testy, that he never got to face Joe and the battle was brilliant, but Calzaghe. Now he has Groves it came to a careening halt in the looking – leering perhaps – ninth round. toward him. The roadblock was referee Froch is a proud man, an Howard Foster. even prouder warrior, and yet The outcome divided the business may see him take the f ghters – who came out for money options to f ght in the separate post-f ght news United States. He has a business conferences and have indulged agreement with Eddie Hearn. in plenty of political PR moves They work as partners. since – the media and the fans, Predictably, the British with internet forums and radio Boxing Board of Control waves swaying to the beat of two supported the third man in the diverse drums. ring, Howard Foster. Froch felt he was denied the Robert Smith, secretary of the f nish he thought he would go on BBBofC, told me the day after to get. Groves insisted he was on the bout: “Howard Foster had the way to a famous victory and to make the decision in a split not in as much trouble as he had second, he made his call, and I looked in that ninth round from back him. the ringside seats. “He does not have the benef t Whatever way you look at it, of several replays on television it left a well in the stomach, an or a monitor. He was six inches aching for a conclusion. That away from the f ghters, he is could only come in a rematch, looking at the f ghter’s eyes, and

929292 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 SCOTT HEAVEY/GETTY IMAGES against CarlFroch? the stoppageofhisfght Groves wasupsetwith Do youthinkGeorge This wasnonsense, ofcourse. “disrespected” thechampion. insistence thatthechallengerhad the antithesisofFroch’s young man” foiltoperfection, Groves playingthe “angry exponentially duringthebuildup, spectators feelingaggrieved. magnitude, itleftalegionof a championshipboutofthis to thesafetyofaboxer, yetin than toolatewheneveritcomes reasoning thattooearlyisbetter difference toGeorge’s career.” could havemadeamassive class professional. Another punch interest ofthefghteratheart. he hasthehealth, safetyand year intheU.K. in whatwouldbethefghtof summer, inafootballstadium, the twowouldmeetagainin be seen. a decoratedcareerremainsto the sortofblowshehasdonein long hecancontinuetoabsorb is madeofgranite, thoughhow Froch provedonceagainthathe to hiswordinthefight. And THROUGH FIGHTS OFDEC. 15 and BillyJoeSaunders. James DeGale, Macklin Matthew order): Five more (inalphabetical 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. U.K. TOP 10 The bouthadgrown We allunderstandthe “Howard Fosterisaworld- Froch, whowasbooedby If itwerebypopulardemand, Groves, indeed, provedtrue RICKYBURNS CARLFROCH MARTIN MURRAY SCOTT QUIGG TYSON FURY GEORGE GROVES CARL FRAMPTON KELL BROOK AMIR KHAN

NATHAN CLEVERLY Paul Butler, Frankie Gavin, 3.14

/ RINGTV.COM 93 LETTERS FROM EUROPE

the crowd in Manchester after the f ght, may f nd himself under pressure from the public. He might have been more gracious toward Groves, who delivered a mighty message. Groves, meanwhile, celebrated like a champion in a rarif ed atmosphere akin to the Coliseum in Rome on the night. Thumbs were up for him. Father time and Groves’ fast hands aided the younger f ghter, as evidenced by his f rst-round knockdown of Froch, who took several rounds to fully recover. The scoring also divided opinion, 76-75 on two cards and 78-73 on the third. It caused another ream of debate. I saw Groves three ahead, but Froch coming on strong. They were about to enter virgin territory for Groves at this level and familiar waters for Froch in a coruscating battle of will and assault that might’ve become a contender for Fight of the Year. Sadly, maddeningly, we will never know how it might have played out. Only a rematch would close the debate about the Turns out promoter f rst nine rounds between them. Barry Hearn, newly What’s clear is that Groves elected to the International Boxing belongs at world level. He Hall of Fame, can has every chance of becoming throw down himself a world champion in 2014. to some degree. Whether that will be against Froch remains to be seen. He may have to wait until Froch has Hoya and Felix Trinidad in the and more loved, and indeed, his fought the likes of Julio Cesar Class of 2014 at the 25th annual achievements appreciated. Chavez Jr. or Andre Ward before convention in Canastota, N.Y. “To be up there with all the the rematch materializes. Racked with the pressure that legends is the ultimate honor for he may lose a f ght, Calzaghe me,” said the “Italian Dragon,” CALZAGHE, retired from boxing with a who turns 42 in March. HEARN HONORED record of 46-0, closing his career Hearn started life in boxing ★ The much lighter news from with two high-prof le victories when he co-promoted Frank the last month was that Joe over Bernard Hopkins and a Bruno’s heavyweight showdown Calzaghe and promoter Barry faded Roy Jones Jr. He was with Joe Bugner at White Hart Hearn will be inducted into the down early in both those f ghts Lane stadium in 1987. International Boxing Hall of but came back to win. Hearn promoted more than SCOTT HEAVEY/GETTY IMAGES Fame in June. Calzaghe, a genuinely modest 600 shows in his 25 years in Calzaghe, the undefeated person, called it a “massive, boxing, being the guiding former two-weight world massive honor,” and as time goes hand behind some of the champion, will be presented with by since his retirement almost U.K.’s true greats in Chris his ring alongside Oscar De La four years ago, he becomes more Eubank, Nigel Benn, Lennox

949494 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 Lewis and, late in his career, light heavyweight titleholder news conference. Prince Naseem Hamed. Adonis Stevenson. He decided A statement was sent to “I am deeply honored to be to move up to the cruiserweight selected members of the media inducted into the International division and now looks likely to the morning after. It read: Boxing Hall of Fame,” said battle Nathan Cleverly again. “I’m gutted, but the best Hearn. “To stand alongside Like Cleverly, after Sergey man won. I am a little sore this some of my heroes of this great Kovalev defeated him in August morning, but I don’t want to put sport in the ring, the great to take his WBO title, Bellew the blame on the hip. He beat trainers and some important believes he could put on the me fair and square. people behind the scenes, it’s a extra pounds and be successful. “It was far from the game very proud moment.” It’s worth recalling that as an plan [to go out throwing]. Hearn told me an amusing amateur, Bellew campaigned at I just had a nightmare with story recently about “blooding” heavyweight. my right hip. I had a problem his son Eddie, who is Cleverly, of course, was with it a month before the developing himself into a the only man to have beaten fight in sparring, and it was formidable boxing entrepreneur. Bellew before his meeting with uncomfortable when I threw my Eddie, now the fuel behind Stevenson. right, but I managed it. ... Matchroom’s burgeoning “But Felix deserves huge boxing stable, had been sent to BARKER credit for the fght. He caught a private school by his father, FINISHED? me and was then all over me but in order to ground him, he H Darren Barker’s brief reign and fnished the job. I’m healthy said to his son that when he as IBF middleweight champion and strong, but it’s still raw reached 18 years of age, they came to an end after 5 minutes, and it hurts, both physically would box three rounds. 9 seconds in a ring with and my pride. But I am proud “I didn’t want him to think Felix Sturm on Dec. 7 in of my career. I never dreamed he had grown up with a silver Stuttgart, Germany. Barker was that I would become a world spoon in his mouth, and wanted stopped in the second round champion, but I did it, and I’m him to see the real world. By the after two knockdowns, as Sturm very proud that I can say that. time he was 16, he was already became Germany’s frst four- “The Daniel Geale fght took a big lump, so I called him in for time world champion. a lot out of me. I had to dig so the three rounds,” recalled Barry, Barker had had arthroscopic deep, but my body doesn’t seem who was 48 at the time. surgery on both hips and he to want to hold up.” They headed down to the suffered an injury to one of them On retirement, he added: “I Matchroom headquarters. as he twisted in the opening think my body is answering that They donned headguards, round. He could not hold his question for me. I can’t train put on gloves, and in went the balance as he was easily knocked properly for these fghts. I badly gum shields. twice to the foor in the second wanted to win [on Dec. 7], “My mum had said, ‘don’t stanza by clubbing left hooks. I really wanted to give it you dare hurt him,’” said Eddie, There is a clause in the everything, but it wasn’t meant grinning from ear to ear as he contract for a rematch in to be. I was so confdent of relayed this recently. “The bell London, but there was no sign beating him and so confdent in rang, I hit him with a big shot as THE RING went to press in my body.” and he didn’t move. I gave him mid-December whether Barker I traveled back to the U.K. on all I had, and then he came back would opt for retirement or a the same fight as Barker and with a body shot in the second rematch with Sturm, who held many of his friends and family. which foored me. the WBA belt between 2007 He said he was “very sore” as “It was a terrible moment, and 2012. he hobbled onto the plane. He because I’ve been reminded of it Sturm showed why his heavy, looked crestfallen. for the last 18 years.” accurate hands have kept him As THE RING went to press, at world level for a decade. For there was still no conclusive BELLEW- Barker, this was agony in more news from the hip specialist on CLEVERLY II? ways than one. Barker’s injury. H Tony Bellew’s light Barker was in so much heavyweight world title pursuit physical and emotional Gareth A Davies is Boxing ended with his second career anguish after the fight, he did Correspondent for The defeat against WBC and RING not appear at the post-fight Telegraph, London.

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 95 SWEET SCIENCE

George Foreman (left) and Larry Holmes proved you can win fghts beyond the typical retirement age.

Though far from the norm, CHRONOLOGICAL there is no shortage these days of boxers still attempting to competitively put up their LIMITS ARE OLD NEWS dukes in their 30s, 40s, even occasionally in their 50s, often FATHER TIME TAKES AN retirement age for boxers.” with notable success. INEVITABLE TOLL ON And what age would that be, he In 2009, for example, 35-year- was asked. old Juan Manuel Marquez BOXERS, BUT ADVANCED “65.” knocked out 27-year-old Juan AGE ISN’T AN It was a joke, of course, Diaz in the 9th round of a INSURMOUNTABLE though not entirely. At the thrilling WBO/WBA lightweight OBSTACLE time, Foreman was well into championship bout that this a comeback after a 10-year magazine subsequently declared By Scott LaFee hiatus from boxing and would the Fight of the Year. Diaz retired regain the heavyweight title four two years later, but Marquez is years later with a 10th-round still boxing. knockout of Michael Moorer. That same year, 37-year- ack in 1990, George Three years later, Foreman old “Sugar” Shane Mosley Foreman, then would retire for good at 48. unexpectedly mauled the B 41-years-old, was Unlike the Olympics, which younger, favored Antonio asked what he thought prohibits boxers older than age Margarito, winning in a 9th- about rumors that fellow boxers 40 (raised last year from 34), round technical knockout. Larry Holmes, also 41, and Jerry there is no upper age limit in And then there’s the ongoing Quarry, 45, were considering professional boxing. If a few saga of Bernard Hopkins, who NATFLEISCHER1922 comebacks. decades ago an active boxer in at the astounding age of 48 “That’s a shame,” Foreman his 30s was generally deemed thumped 31-year-old Tavoris told the Associated Press. old and odd, that’s no longer Cloud last year to capture the “There should be a mandatory the case. IBF light heavyweight title. In

96 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 doing so, Hopkins surpassed his least the makings of it) than own record as the oldest fghter an 80-year-old man: roughly in history to win a major world 500,000 muscle fbers in a biceps championship. compared to a reduced 300,000 (For the record, it’s not as eight decades later. easy to fgure out who’s the Just as boxers lose muscle over oldest person to have ever time, so too do they lose the boxed professionally. Data nerve fbers that transmit signals are incomplete, the decision from the brain to the hands, split. The Guinness Book of arms and legs. Messages to World Records cites British throw a blow or bob and weave cruiserweight Steve Ward, who travel more slowly over fewer defeated Pete McJob in a non- fbers, resulting in the inevitable sanctioned 2011 bout at the age diminishment of quickness. of 55, but others acknowledge Adding insult to injury, junior welterweight Saoul biochemical processes that repair Mamby, who lost to Anthony muscle damage become less Osbourne in a 2008 bout at the effcient with age and tendons age of 60.) (the cord-like tissues that connect Aside from time-defying muscle to bone) lose water marvels like Hopkins, the content, making them stiffer and question for most boxers less resilient. considering a career past their These are unavoidable 30s is whether they can fight physiological phenomena. effectively. Age may provide No boxer can duck or dodge cagey experience, but can them forever. the body accommodate its On the other hand, Darryl punishing demands? Hudson, a Rancho Cucamonga, A boxer like Hopkins is rare. Calif.-based trainer, said boxers “He’s a combination of genetics, can delay the end by delaying discipline and special knowledge,” the beginning. It’s a matter of said his trainer, Naazim “ring age.” Richardson. But even Hopkins “Some guys start boxing later does not and cannot fght as he in life so they don’t have as many did earlier in his career. fghts in their past. Other guys Boxing is a muscular game, fght a long time but never get but muscles are among the seriously hurt,” Hudson said. physiological attributes to suffer “These variables infuence how frst and foremost with age. long a guy can fght. Quickness Skeletal muscle mass naturally and speed diminish with age, but deteriorates over time, a process sometimes it’s also due to past called sarcopenia. These are the injuries. Damage to ankles, knees lean muscles that attach to your and hips will all slow a boxer bones and are under voluntary down, reducing their ability to control (as opposed to, say, get out of the way [of a punch].” cardiac muscle). Hudson offers another It’s estimated that total muscle reason why some boxers are mass decreases by nearly fighting longer. 50 percent for most people They don’t fght as much. between the ages of 20 and 90. “Guys don’t fght like they used The decline typically becomes to. There’s a lot more picking and noticeable around age 40 and choosing. Maybe they do a fght accelerates rapidly after 75. A a year. It gives them longevity, baby has more muscle (or at but it’s kind of boring, too.”

December 31, 2014 WOMEN’S BOXING BEST OF THE BEST Lucia Rijker (wearing bandana) and protégé Diana Prazak both fgured IN 2013 prominently in this year’s awards. By Thomas Gerbasi

The talent level in women’s boxing is higher now than ever, which made the process of selecting THE RING’s annual award winners particularly diffcult. Many did special things in 2013. However, it’s our job to determine the best of the best. Here are our winners. MAJA SUSLIN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 99 THE BEST OF WOMEN’S BOXING 2013 surgery for a brain hemorrhage. FIGHT OF THE YEAR She survived the ordeal and is Jelena Mrdjenovich vs. currently in rehabilitation, keeping Melissa Hernandez III fans abreast of her progress on her Facebook page and on Twitter as Melissa Hernandez has traveled to she works toward a full recovery. Edmonton, Canada, to face local favorite Jelena Mrdjenovich three times. The f rst two times, Hernandez UPSET OF THE YEAR emerged victorious by decision. Riyo Togo vs. Mariana Juarez Their third f ght, in May, is the one that people will remember most. Mariana Juarez, one of the The complexion of the bout biggest names in the sport, was a changed as soon as their heads considerable favorite heading into clashed in the second round. her f ght against Riyo Togo in April. Mrdjenovich emerged with a nasty And she might have won had she cut on her forehead, which painted not opted for a f ref ght with the the ring and the f ghters crimson. The hard-hitting Japanese f ghter, who FIGHTER OF f ght might’ve been stopped in some won the battle of left hooks with locales but not in Mrdjenovich’s a f ush shot to the jaw that sent THE YEAR hometown. She was allowed to Juarez to the canvas in the opening Jessica Chavez continue. And what had been a round. Juarez rose to her feet, but relatively civilized match between the bout was stopped immediately One often can tell the quality of two f ne boxers became an all-out by referee Eddie Hernandez. Was f ghters by the people who surround brawl, the participants slugging it it a quick hook? Def nitely, but the them. In the case of Jessica Chavez, out in an effort to win rounds in the result stood. An event a few months THE RING Fighter of the Year, having event Mrdjenovich’s cut resulted in a later eased the pain somewhat for renowned coach Ignacio “Nacho” truncated f ght. Juarez: A handler of Togo allegedly Beristain in her corner certainly Finally, the bout was sent to the was caught removing padding speaks volumes. scorecards after the sixth round, with from her gloves immediately before The 25-year-old former IBF and Mrdjenovich taking a close technical she faced Juarez in a rematch, WBF junior f yweight titleholder decision and the WBC featherweight necessitating new gloves. Juarez hasn’t lost in 10 f ghts since 2011. title. Fourth f ght anyone? won a unanimous decision. And she had another banner year The incident raised the obvious in 2013 f ghting only in her home question: Were Togo’s gloves country of Mexico, where women’s KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR doctored in the f rst f ght? boxing is not just accepted, but Diana Prazak vs. Frida Wallberg embraced wholeheartedly by fans, promoters, and television The situation is reminiscent of the ROUND OF THE YEAR executives. Nigel Benn-Gerald McClellan bout, Jelena Mrdjenovich vs. “Kika” kicked off the year in where you want to celebrate a Melissa Hernandez III, Round 5 February with a 10-round decision memorable f ght but must hold back over Irma Sanchez to win the because of the loser’s fate. Countless f ghters have been WBC Silver title at 108 pounds. Diana Prazak’s eighth-round told during pivotal moments in a In June, she avenged a 2009 loss knockout of the previously f ght that it is now or never. Few to Yesica Yolanda Bopp, handing unbeaten Frida Wallberg for the respond. One who did was Jelena the Argentine her f rst pro loss via WBC junior lightweight title is Mrdjenovich, who was informed by unanimous decision. Then came a deserving of this award even the ringside physician in her May one-sided decision over Japan’s though we sympathize with bout against Melissa Hernandez that respected Tenkai Tsunami in July. Wallberg, who will not f ght again. A the cut on her forehead was so bad And while a draw with noted perfect left hook put her down, and that she had only three minutes left spoiler Arely Mucino marred her soon after a second did the same to f ght. And f ght she did, scoring perfect year in November, there is to force an immediate stoppage. a knockdown (albeit a questionable every reason to believe that Chavez Afterward, Wallberg was one) that helped her earn a six-round could return to this spot next year. hospitalized and underwent technical decision over Hernandez.

100100100 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 The added ingredient that made but, with talent and a record 5-1-2, this the Round of the Year is that expect big things from the 25-year- POUND Hernandez also fought as if she only old in 2014. She gave an impressive had three minutes left, leaving it all performance even though she lost FOR POUND out there in search of victory. a majority decision to the vastly more experienced Melinda Cooper in 2012. She followed that with an 1. CECILIA BRAEKHUS, Norway TRAINER OF THE YEAR upset of former world champ Ana 23-0 (7 KOs) Lucia Rijker Julaton in 2013. Welterweight

Lucia Rijker, perhaps the greatest 2. ANNE SOPHIE MATHIS, female to ever lace up the gloves, EVENT OF THE YEAR France is building up quite a resume as a Holly Holm retires 27-3 (23 KOs) coach as well. Rijker’s masterpiece Junior middleweight has been the RING’s No. 9 fghter, For the last several years in the pound-for-pound, Diana Prazak of United States, Holly Holm was 3. JELENA MRDJENOVICH, Australia. Adept at coaching both women’s boxing. The girl next door Canada the physical and mental aspects of piled up win after win and title after 31-9-1 (16 KOS) boxing, Rijker kept Prazak focused title, most coming in the place where through some rough moments in she was practically an industry Featherweight her June title fght against unbeaten unto herself – her hometown of Frida Wallberg until Prazak scored Albuquerque, N.M. But after the 4. AVA KNIGHT, U.S. an eighth-round knockout win to Superfght that all fght fans wanted 12-2-3 (5 KOs) pick up the WBC junior lightweight to see – Holm vs. pound-for-pound Flyweight crown. Rijker previously worked with queen Cecilia Braekhus – didn’t French standout Myriam Lamare. materialize, the 31-year-old stunned 5. YESICA YOLANDA BOPP, the boxing world by calling it quits Argentina to pursue a career in mixed martial 26-1 (12 KOs), COMEBACK OF THE YEAR arts. She never says never when it Junior fyweight Susi Kentikian comes to a return to boxing but, with her MMA record currently sitting at 6. ERICA ANABELLA FARIAS, Germany’s Susi Kentikian was 6-0, it doesn’t seem likely anytime Argentina written off by many after she lost soon. 18-0 (9 KOs) her perfect record and three belts Lightweight in back-to-back losses to Melissa McMorrow and Carina Moreno in MOST INSPIRATIONAL 7. JESSICA CHAVEZ, Mexico 2012. But in 2013, the “Killer Queen” Rola El-Halabi 19-3-3 (4 KOs) would rule once more, defeating Junior fyweight Sanae Jah for the interim WBA It was one of the most shocking fyweight title in February, avenging stories in a sport known for them. In 8. MELISSA HERNANDEZ, her loss to Moreno in July and 2011, German up-and-comer Rola Puerto Rico fnishing off the year with a clear-cut El-Halabi was shot three times by 18-5-3 (6 KOs) decision over Simona Galassi in her stepfather while she prepared December. Now that’s one way to in her locker room for a title fght Featherweight silence the critics. against Irma Adler. Initially confned to a wheelchair following the 9. DIANA PRAZAK, Australia shooting, El-Halabi fnally returned 12-2 (8 KOs) PROSPECT OF THE YEAR to the ring in 2013. She lost her Junior lightweight Celina Salazar comeback fght to Lucia Morelli in January but followed that with a 10. MARCELA ELIANA ACUNA, It’s not unusual to see a woman with victory over Dalia Vasarhelyi to win Argentina fve to seven bouts fght for a world the vacant WBF junior welterweight 40-6-1 (17 KOs) title because of the way women’s crown in August. She then defended Junior featherweight boxing is structured. San Antonio’s it with a sixth-round TKO of Sopo

PEPE RODRIGUEZ Celina Salazar is still a prospect Putkaradze in September. Through fghts of Dec.15

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 101

RINGSIDE REPORTS BY NORM FRAUENHEIM

James Kirkland gave Glen Tapia a fearful beating in just another in a series of wild f ghts involving the slugging junior middleweight from Texas.

JAMES and feared. In the fourth round of sustained told RingTV.com. KIRKLAND violence, he unleashed a storm of blows Early in the f fth, Tapia might have TKO 6 for which Tapia had no counter, from gained some extra time from Smoger with GLEN TAPIA which he had no refuge. Kirkland landed a couple of three-punch combinations and Date: Dec. 7 73 power shots, according to CompuBox, a hard left. But Tapia’s momentary rally Site: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J. which called it a record round for the junior did nothing to slow down the incoming Division: Junior middleweight middleweight division. maelstrom that was Kirkland. Legitimate Weights: Kirkland 155.1 pounds; Between the fourth and f fth, ringside concern lingers about whether the Tapia 156 physician Blair Bergen examined Tapia sustained punishment left some permanent RING rating (going into f ght): while his trainer, Alex Devia, told him to damage not evident in the CT scan. Neither f ghter rated tell the doctor that he was f ne. Referee “Kirkland’s a beast when Kirkland’s on,” Network: HBO Steve Smoger warned him that he’d end Lynch said. it if Kirkland continued to land head shots. But that “when” is a key qualif er. ★ There’s a ragged double edge to James But the bout continued for another three With Wolfe as his trainer, Kirkland looks Kirkland’s many demons. Turn them minutes, 38 seconds – through the f fth to be unstoppable. Without her, he’s just inward, and they’re self-destructive. Turn and into the sixth – before Smoger stopped another junior middleweight. He says he them in the other direction, and they’re it after Tapia took 24 punches in the wants to f ght Canelo Alvarez. But his frightening. When turned in Glen Tapia’s opening moments of the sixth. split with Golden Boy Promotions, which direction, they were overwhelming in a Tapia (20-1, 12 KOs) was taken to a promotes Canelo, would seem to make that f ght that probably lasted at least a round trauma center at an Atlantic City hospital. one impossible. too long. According to his manager Pat Lynch, he Miguel Cotto has been mentioned as Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs) came back from was “doing f ne” after undergoing a CT an interesting possibility for Kirkland. But a 20-month layoff with trainer Ann Wolfe scan. The scan was “negative,” according Cotto is in the f nal stage of his career. He’s back in his corner and his ferocity restored. to Lynch. pondering bigger money against Sergio For nearly six full rounds, Kirkland was the “Thank God, he’s safe, and he’s f ne, Martinez and/or Canelo. In Kirkland, there’s

CHRIS FARINA / TOP RANK / CHRIS FARINA unstoppable force everybody remembered and he’ll live to f ght another day,” Lynch just too much danger for anyone. •

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 103 RINGSIDE REPORTS BY NORM FRAUENHEIM

SHAWN PORTER ★ It was a late shuff e: Shawn Porter told ringside reporters. “I didn’t follow the UD 12 DEVON instead of Amir Khan. It left Devon game plan.” ALEXANDER Alexander either unprepared or Initially, the plan had been Khan. Date: Dec. 7 underwhelmed or maybe both. But Khan withdrew because of the Site: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. Whatever it was, it dealt Alexander a chance at big money in the third f ght of Division: Welterweight loss that knocked him out of the Floyd Mayweather’s Showtime contract. With Weights: Porter 146.4 pounds; Mayweather Jr. lottery. It will also force him Khan out, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Alexander 146.8 to hit the restart button on a career that has Richard Schaefer turned to Porter. It made RING rating (going into the f ght): fallen short of its advertised potential. sense. Porter and Alexander were amateur Alexander No. 5; Porter not rated. “I didn’t do what I was supposed to rivals. They fought each other as 8-year- Network: Showtime do,” a bloodied Alexander (25-2, 14 KOs) olds at the Ohio State Fair in the 1990s. Alexander won. But there would be no encore 18 years later. Far from it. “We made it look easy,” said Shawn Porter Porter (23-0-1, 14 KOs), who won a became a major beltholder for the f rst unanimous decision, 116-112, 116- time on Dec. 7. 112, and 115-113 in Alexander’s second defense of the IBF title. “This is a blessing. I think I was able to control the fight with my experience and because I’m the bigger guy.” As it turned out, the only thing Porter didn’t possess was Alexander’s name. He was the lesser-known f ghter, but maybe the more tested one. Porter was Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partner before the Filipino’s victories over Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley. He had worked in gyms full of f ghters who had an idea or two on how to beat Alexander. Porter put pressure on Alexander, roughing him up. The slick Alexander wilted under the bruising assault. In part, Porter borrowed the tactic from Timothy Bradley, who beat Alexander in 2011 in Detroit. “I actually talked to Timothy Bradley,” said Porter, who cut Alexander above one eye with a Bradley-like head butt. In the end, the roughhouse tactics never allowed Alexander to develop any kind of rhythm. He was tentative from the beginning. Starting over for Alexander probably means a f ght or two that would put him in position for a rematch with Porter. Meanwhile, Porter faces a mandatory against unbeaten Kell Brook (31-0, 21 KOs), a U.K. welterweight who is No. 4 in THE RING’s 147-pound ratings. “The timing is right,” Porter said. “It’s perfect, actually.” For Alexander, perfectly wrong. •

104 RINGTV.COMRINGTV.COM / /3.14 2.14 Marcos Maidana (left) wasn’t willing to be a stepping stone for Adrien Broner.

MARCOS trunks that gave his initials, AB, a new He knocked him down in the second and MAIDANA wrinkle. In sequins, it said: About Billions. again in a crazy eighth. Maidana was UD 12 ADRIEN But the billions looked counterfeit. penalized a point in the eighth when he BRONER Maidana dominated with his trademark drove his head into Broner’s chin during a Date: Dec. 14 power, but also with a new element of clinch. Broner rolled around as if he were Site: Alamodome, San Antonio poise and pace. Broner, fat-footed in only in pain, although there was skepticism Division: Welterweight his second bout at welterweight, never about whether Broner was acting. At that Weights: Maidana 146.2 pounds; seized any momentum, mostly because point, his chances at victory had begun to Broner 144.4 he never could adjust to a crushing left slip away. Sympathy was about the only RING rating (going into the fght): hand that scored two knockdowns. thing he could win. Maidana not rated; Broner No. 6 Maidana’s victory by unanimous Skepticism turned into controversy Network: Showtime decision ranks as the biggest upset in when Broner landed a left after the bell 2013. In hindsight, however, it probably ended the 11th round. Maidana was H On Adrien Broner’s stage, everybody shouldn’t have been such a surprise. clearly dazed. The ringside physician is treated like a prop. But Marcos Paulie Malignaggi’s loss to Broner by split looked at him. Then Maidana went to his Maidana wouldn’t play the role. He decision on June 22 was a warning. It had corner. What happened next depends wouldn’t allow himself to be flushed. shown that Broner (27-1, 22 KOs) wasn’t on what you see, or don’t see, on the Maidana turned a self-proclaimed heir all he claimed to be. Malignaggi lacked the video. Strength and conditioning coach apparent into a pretender. The man who power to capitalize on Broner’s faws. But Alex Ariza, a leading candidate for would be Floyd Mayweather Jr. looked Maidana (35-3, 31 KOs), who kept himself boxing’s most controversial person in a lot like Victor Ortiz in a huge upset as in the Mayweather conversation, had it 2013, presses some white wraps onto wild as it was convincing. from the frst round through the 12th. Maidana’s nose. The internet flled up Broner’s thespian skills had persuaded “I showed a lot of heart,” said Maidana, with allegations that the wraps included just about everybody that the Maidana a quiet fghter from Argentina who fought smelling salts or some other illegal bout would be just another triumphant with an urgency, almost as if he knew his substance. Ariza said he wanted Maidana moment in his parade to succeeding career was facing a last stand in an arena to blow his nose. Mayweather. Broner sang and smiled in named for a famous one. Only one thing is certain: He wasn’t

PORTER: ELSA/GOLDEN BOY/GOLDEN BOY VIA GETTY ; MARCOS/BRONER: RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY VIA GETTY ; MARCOS/BRONER: BOY ELSA/GOLDEN BOY/GOLDEN PORTER: the walk to the ring. He wore a robe and He rocked Broner in the frst round. going to blow the fght. •

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 105 106 observers. knowledgeable many world, accordingto 175-pounder inthe 2014 asthebest contender. He begins entered theyearasa Lauderdale, Fla., who livesinFort titleholder,heavyweight the ffth. KO victimsneversaw round. Twenty ofhis21 beyond thefourth in 2013, nonelasting four ofhisopponents him unabletocontinue. combination, whichleft from aright-left again but wentdown got uponshakylegs badly.Ukrainian The round, hurtinghim the headinsecond witharighttodown Quebec. HeputSillakh theColiseedecard at Stevenson-Tony Bellew 17 KOs)onthe Adonis Ismayl Sillakh(21-2, thetalentedto destroy KOs) neededonly3:52 dreamland. his opponentsto the artofsending Russian hasperfected Kovalev.beastly The sleeping? Fight Sergey H Canada (HBO) Nov. 30, QuebecCity, SILLAKH KO 2 KOVALEV SERGEY NO. 2 BY NORMFRAUENHEIM RINGSIDE REPORTS RINGTV.COM The WBO light The WBO Kovalev stoppedall Kovalev (23-0-1, 21 Have troubleHave ISMAYL / 3.14 become amajorstar. The winnerwould Stevenson andKovalev. between showdown world clamored fora fght, theboxing RING titleinJune. towinthe Chad Dawson frst-round knockoutof changing one-punch, includedThat acareer- opponents in2013. stopped allfourofhis Haiti-born Canadian terror onaroll. (23-1, 20KOs)isa blame him?Stevenson time. And whocould this fought tentatively normally aggressive, was stopped. the ropes, andthefght withhisbackto barrage left, byashort followed byanother brain rattled hadhis seconds later round. Bellewgotupbut inthesixth to thejaw KOs) withastraightleft Bellew (20-2-1, 12 Tonydown knocked champ heavyweight – withaknockout. how only wayheknows remarkable 2013the a culminated H Canada (HBO) Nov. 30, QuebecCity, BELLEW 6 TONY KO 6 STEVENSON ADONIS CHAMPION After the Bellew After theBellew Like Kovalev, the Bellew, whois THE RINGlight Adonis Stevenson Adonis Stevenson NO. might not like that idea. might notlikethat onDec.his fate 6, John in Indonesia. Inlightof John again, possibly the contractbyfghting clausea rematch in said he’s willingtohonor ofIndonesia. the capital previous fghtinJakarta, by aclear decisioninhis Daud YordanIndonesian talented also defeated it wasafuke, Vetyeka title hewonin2004. of the WBA featherweight making the19thdefense without alossandwas and morethan15years KOs) hadgone51fghts offcial knockdown. referee ruledonlyonean in thesixth, althoughthe the ffthandtwicemore oncein put Johndown 7. The South African had before thestartofRound hero toquitonhisstool 34-year-old Indonesian rounds, forcingthe in theffthandfnal Johnmercilessly battered stunned theboxingworld. John. Intheprocess, he Vetyeka foughtChris 95thedaybefore died at South African leaderwho Nelson Mandela, the andhero,countryman found awaytohonorhis H Dec. 6, Perth, Australia JOHN NO. 1CHRIS VETYEKA SIMPIWE Vetyeka reportedly And lestyouthinkthat John (48-1-3, 22 Vetyeka (26-2, 16KOs) Simpiwe Vetyeka KO 6

favor theformer.favor toughguysoften slower and talented athletes H Dec.6, Tokyo SOSA 4 EDGAR UD 12 YAEGASHI AKIRA CHAMPION consecutive fghts. and GiovaniSegurain UlisesSolis countrymen tough beaten having the titlechallenge, momentum goinginto KOs) hadconsiderable 2012. Kazuto IokainJune titleto strawweight fghts sincelosinghis four consecutive 2013. April Toshiyuki Igarashiin the titleshetookfrom second defenseof who wasmakingthe 111, allfor Yaegashi, 112, 117-111and117- fnal scoreswere116- lead.considerable The by thenhadbuilta the fnalroundsbut Sosain KOs) engaged fght. required towinthe with theconsistency champion tohithim the couldn’t catch Edgar Sosa, whosimply Mexican belts against defendedhis Japan Akira Yaegashiof fyweight titleholder when RINGand WBC That wasthecase That Sosa (49-8, 29 Yaegashi haswon Yaegashi (19-3, 9 Matchups ofquick,Matchups NO. Judah. beating. SodidZab retirement tooka H (Showtime) Dec. 7, Brooklyn, N.Y. JUDAH UD 12 MALIGNAGGI PAULIE NO. 9 where togonext. didn’t seemtoknow after an18-yearcareer there,” saidJudah, who of9,363. crowd bout oftenbooedbya sluggish throughouta left, Judahappeared withaknockdown a second-round money.” division withalotof talented welterweight in therightspot This bigwinputsme wanted tocontinue. ifIwouldhave know “With aloss, Idon’t and 117-110decision. a 116-111, 117-110 9, 29KOs)inscoring out-fought Judah(42- he out-thoughtand ringside reportersafter (33-5, 7KOs)told continue,” Malignaggi Center. Barclaysrights at for Brooklyn’s bragging shopworn ZabJudah sided decisionovera surprisingly one- his careerwitha a lotofmoneyto added lifeandperhaps Paulie Malignaggi “It justwasn’t Despite scoring meto“This allows Any thoughtofAny ZAB

KOVALEV: SCOTT HEAVEY/GETTY IMAGES; STEVENSON: VINCENT ETHIER / GYM; VETYEKA: ; YAEGASHI: KOKI NAGAHAMA/GETTY IMAGESMALIGNAGGI: ELSA/GOLDEN BOY/GOLDEN BOY VIA GETTY IMAGES; LARA: ELSA/GOLDEN BOY/GOLDEN BOY VIA GETTY IMAGES; STRUM: SIMON HOFMANN/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES; THURMAN/SANTA CRUZ: RONALD MARTINEZ/GOLDEN BOY/GOLDEN BOY VIA GETTY IMAGES. RIGONDEAUX: CHRIS FARINA - TOP RANK NO. 4 CHAMPION NO. 5 FELIX NO. 9 KEITH NO. 3 LEO ERISLANDY GUILLERMO STURM THURMAN SANTA CRUZ LARA UD RIGONDEAUX TKO 2 NO. TKO 9 JESUS UD 12 CESAR 12 NO. 2 UD 12 JOSEPH 2 DARREN SOTO SEDA AUSTIN AGBEKO BARKER KARASS Dec. 14, San Antonio TROUT Dec. 7, Atlantic City, N.J. Dec. 7, Stuttgart, Dec. 14, San Antonio (Showtime) Dec. 7, Brooklyn, N.Y. (HBO) Germany (Showtime) (Showtime) H Leo Santa Cruz H The debate after H Felix Sturm and H Keith Thurman doesn’t give his H Take two Guillermo Rigondeaux Darren Barker seemed to wanted to fght opponents an lefthanders, put them fought Joseph Agbeko have headed in opposite Adrien Broner. But opportunity to breathe, in the same ring and at Boardwalk Hall was directions at Porsche what about Marcos which leaves them wait for the boos. based on whether it’s Arena. Maidana? Thurman- little chance of beating That old recipe enjoyable to watch Sturm, dismissed by Maidana suddenly him. played out all over the Cuban technician. many as a has-been after became an intriguing The victim this time again in Erislandy No one questions his struggling in a number possibility because of was the talented Cesar Lara’s dull, yet phenomenal ability. of fghts between 2011 what happened at the Seda, who had the dominant decision over The RING junior and early 2013, whacked Alamodome. athleticism and skills to Austin Trout in a junior featherweight champ was Barker out in only 5 First, there was compete with the WBA middleweight bout on too fast, too powerful and minutes, 9 seconds of Thurman’s dramatic junior featherweight the Paulie Malignaggi- much too good for his action to win the IBF stoppage of Jesus Soto titleholder but Zab Judah card at South African opponent, middleweight title – his Karass. Then, there was smothered by Barclays Center. winning every round on fourth 160-pound belt was Maidana’s upset of relentless pressure Lara (19-1-2, 12 all three scorecards. – and remain a major Broner. The forthright on the Marcos KOs) landed most of Rigondeaux (13-0, 8 player in the division. Thurman (22-0 20 Maidana-Adrien Broner the punches, controlled KOs) picked Agbeko apart Sturm (39-3-2, 18 KOs) calls himself “One undercard. the tempo and even from a distance with KOs) became the frst Time.” It’s supposed to Santa Cruz (26-0-1, scored a knockdown quick, hard punches that German to win four world be a promise. It’s what 15 KOs) threw 829 in the 11th. He did took the will of the former titles. he intends to do to the punches, a slow night just about everything bantamweight titleholder, Meanwhile, Barker other guy. for him but more than but excite in handing who was more focused (26-2, 16 KOs), making One time early in the enough to keep the Trout (26-2, 14 KOs) on surviving than trying his frst defense after so frst round, however, naturally smaller Seda a second successive to win the fght. gallantly taking the title it almost happened (25-2, 17 KOs) on the loss. By the eighth Agbeko (29-5, 22 KOs) from Daniel Geale four to him. Soto Karass defensive and retain round, it was virtually landed 48 punches in the months earlier, dislocated (28-9-3, 18 KOs), his title by scores of over. Trout didn’t fght, an average of four a hip in the fght and Antonio Margarito’s old 117-110, 116-111 and possess enough per round. might have to retire. sparring partner, hurt 115-112. power to alter a result The numbers The 31-year-old Briton him with a winging The titleholder dictated by Lara’s lead that worked against already had had two hip- right. Thurman was said afterward that on the cards. Rigondeaux were TV replacement operations. quick to recover. He his sights are set on “What got him ratings. More people Sturm put Barker landed a left for a undefeated contender tonight was the Cuban watched James Kirkland- down twice in the second knockdown in the sixth Carl Frampton of school,” said Lara, Glen Tapia on the round. While on the and scored a wicked Northern Ireland. Santa one of great Cuban undercard, and Paulie canvas the second time, stoppage at 2:21 of Cruz also suggested he Olympians. “I gave Malignaggi-Zab Judah Barker pointed to his the ninth for a victory would consider moving him a lesson in Cuban on rival Showtime than hip and shook his head that kept him among up in weight. boxing.” Rigondeaux-Agbeko, to indicate he could no the contenders in a But not a lesson that according to a Yahoo! longer fght. He got up shuffed division. entertains. Sports report. and exchanged a few Rigondeaux is great. punches but his corner Whether he’s great to soon threw in the towel. watch is in the eye of the beholder. 3.14 / RINGTV.COM 107 FIGHT RESULTS THROUGH FIGHTS OF DEC. 15 (CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)

HEAVYWEIGHTS MIDDLEWEIGHTS Kyotaro Fujimoto UD 10 Kotatsu Takehara Bronco McKart TKO 5 Miguel Munguia Antonio Tarver TKO 4 Mike Sheppard Jorge Heiland KO 12 Billi Godoy Luis Ortiz KO 1 Alex Gonzales David Lemieux TKO 7 Jose Miguel Torres Travis Kaufman TKO 1 Jason Barnett (F) Christina Hammer TKO 1 Carmen Garcia Dereck Chisora TKO 3 Ondrej Pala Ryota Murata TKO 8 Dave Peterson Alexander Flores KO 8 Arron Lyons Felix Sturm TKO 2 Darren Barker Francesco Pianeta TKO 2 Robert Teuber Matt Korobov TKO 9 Derek Edwards Kubrat Pulev TKO 5 Joey Abell Matthew Macklin UD 10 Lamar Russ Brian Minto TKO 7 Shane Cameron Sam Soliman TKO 9 Les Sherrington Amir Mansour TKO 7 Kelvin Price Jake Carr TKO 6 Zac Awad Steve Cunningham UD 8 Manuel Quezada Gunnar Jackson TKO 2 Opeti Tagi Darnell Wilson KO 6 David Rodriguez Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam UD 10 Anthony Fitzgerald

CRUISERWEIGHTS JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS Tamas Lodi KO 11 Janne Forsman Anthony Mundine TKO 6 Shane Mosley Dmitry Kudryashov KO 1 Zack Mwekassa Tony Harrison TKO 2 Donald Ward Kai Kurzawa UD 10 Marcel Gottschalk Kanat Islam KO 3 Emilio Julio Krzysztof Wlodarczyk TKO 6 Giacobbe Fragomeni Tadashi Yuba SD 10 Yoshihisa Tonimura Maurizio Lovaglio TKO 10 Leonardo Bruzzese Brandon Cook TKO 5 Luca Michael Pasqua Murat Gassiev UD 10 Ivica Bacurin Nick Klappert TKO 7 Idiozan Matos Krzysztof Glowacki TKO 9 Varol Vekiloglu Salim Larbi TKO 2 Patrice Sou Toke Francisco Santana UD 10 Joachim Alcine LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS John Jackson TKO 8 Jorge Daniel Miranda Tomas Williams Jr. UD 10 Yusaf Mack Liam Smith TKO 4 Mark Tompson Johnny Muller TKO 2 Vhonani Netshidamboni Joe Selkirk TKO 3 Zoltan Sera Ryno Liebenberg TKO 1 Daniel Allotey James Kirkland TKO 6 Glen Tapia Nadjib Mohammedi TKO 6 Oleksandr Cherviak Julian Williams TKO 3 Orlando Lora Sergey Kovalev KO 2 Ismayl Sillakh Erislandy Lara UD 12 Austin Trout Adonis Stevenson TKO 6 Tony Bellew Hugo Centeno Jr. TKO 9 Angel Osuna Maxim Vlasov KO 4 Maxell Taylor Jack Culcay UD 12 Dieudonne Belinga Pawel Glazewski UD 8 Andrei Salakhutdzinau Isaac Real TKO 7 Ivan Sanchez Andrzej Fonfara KO 2 Samuel Miller Timy Shala TKO 9 Mounir Toumi WELTERWEIGHTS Enzo Maccarinelli TKO 7 Courtney Fry Ricardo Villalba TKO 8 Cesar Velez Juergen Braehmer UD 12 Marcus Oliveira Jo Jo Dan SD 12 Kevin Bizier Lionell Tompson UD 10 Ryan Coyne Ahmed El Mousaoui SD 10 Frank Horta Beibut Shumenov TKO 3 Tamas Kovacs Jorge Paez Jr. TKO 7 Ivan Hernandez Tomas Dulorme UD 10 Hector Velazquez SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS Bradley Skeete UD 10 Colin Lynes Zac Dunn TKO 5 Marlon Alta Gianluca Frezza UD 10 Giovanni D’Antoni (F) Nikki Adler UD 10 Zane Brige Yoshihiro Kamegai TKO 5 Tim Hunt Frank Buglioni Stepan Horvath Sadam Ali TKO 6 Jesus Selig Jef Lacy TKO 3 Martin Verdin Paulie Malignaggi UD 12 Zab Judah J’Leon Love KO 6 Lajuan Simon Shawn Porter UD 12 Devon Alexander Badou Jack TKO 6 Rogelio Medina Sirimongkol Singwancha KO 1 Giovani Rota Julius Jackson TKO 9 Nicolas Dario Lopez Josesito Lopez TD 8 Mike Arnaoutis Kelvin Young UD 10 Alexey Ribchev Frankie Gomez TKO 1 Prince Doku Jr. Sakio Bika D 12 Anthony Dirrell Ceferino Rodriguez UD 12 Daniel Rasilla Yuzo Kiyota TKO 4 Shintaro Matsumoto Leonard Bundu TKO 12 Lee Purdy Jermain Taylor KO 7 Juan Carlos Candelo Keith Turman TKO 9 Jesus Soto Karass Marcos Maidana UD 12 Adrien Broner

108 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS Rey Perez UD 10 Nino Val Falcunaya Erick Bone UD 10 Aaron Dominguez Leo Santa Cruz UD 12 Cesar Seda Chaquib Fadli TKO 7 Bastien Laforge Azad Azizov UD 12 Philipp Schuster BANTAMWEIGHTS Jason Pagara UD 10 Vladimir Baez Randy Caballero TKO 7 Jessy Cruz Johan Perez MD 12 Paul Spadafora Kohei Oba TKO 4 Yuji Hasegawa Rey Labao SD 10 Daiki Koide Panomroonglek Kaiyanghadaogym KO 2 Vicky Vebrian Keita Obara TKO 9 Tetsuya Hasunuma (F) Janeth Perez SD 10 Galina Ivanova (F) Fernanda Alegre TKO 5 Darys Pardo Tomoki Kameda UD 12 Immanuel Naidjala Antonio Lozada Jr. D 10 Ramiro Alcaraz Omar Lamiri MD 10 Hassan Azaouagh Daniel Estrada TKO 3 Hugo Armenta Ryosuke Iwasa TKO 5 Hiroki Shiino Sergio Tompson KO 1 Cesar Chavez Martin Ward UD 12 Gabriel Odoi Laryea Anton Novikov UD 10 Manuel Perez (F) Carolina Duer UD 10 Estrella Valverde Felix Lora SD 12 Sergei Fedchenko Pungluang Sor Singyu TKO 3 Romnick Magos Ricardo Alvarez MD 10 Rod Salka JUNIOR BANTAMWEIGHTS LIGHTWEIGHTS Zolani Tete KO 10 Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr. Josh King UD 12 Chaiyong Sithsaithong (F) Zulina Munoz DQ 8 Marisa Portillo Javier Prieto UD 12 Vicente Mosquera Liborio Solis SD 12 Daiki Kameda Pablo Barboza MD 10 Ezequiel Fernandez Jaymart Toyco TKO 7 Juren Labordo Daud Yordan SD 12 Sipho Taliwe Paul Butler UD 12 Ruben Montoya Mickey Bey TKO 3 Carlos Cardenas Bruno Escalante MD 10 Michael Ruiz Jr. Edis Tatli UD 12 Mzonke Fana Ivan Morales KO 2 Manuel Jimenez Stephen Ormond UD 10 Derry Mathews (F) Delfne Persoon TKO 10 Lucia Morelli FLYWEIGHTS Tompson Mokwana TKO 7 Irvin Buhlalu Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep TKO 12 Koki Eto Daniel Ruiz TKO 6 Jamie Kavanagh Milan Melindo UD 12 Jose Alfredo Rodriguez Kevin Mitchell TKO 9 Karim El Ouazghari Cris Paulino UD 10 Renren Tesorio Akira Yaegashi UD 12 Edgar Sosa JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS (F) Eva Voraberger KO 1 Fleis Djendji Ryan Sermona KO 5 Matt Garlett Tomas Masson UD 10 Redouane Asloum (F) Ramona Kuehne TKO 6 Renata Domsodi (F) Susi Kentikian UD 10 Simona Galassi Fernando Saucedo UD 10 John Carlo Aparicio Suguru Muranaka SD 10 Takuya Kogawa Michael Farenas TKO 2 Jesus Rios Francisco Vargas UD 10 Jerry Belmontes JUNIOR FLYWEIGHTS Pedro Guevara TKO 3 Ivan Meneses FEATHERWEIGHTS Donnie Nietes KO 3 Sammy Gutierrez Celestino Caballero TKO 2 Jimmy Aburto (F) Yesica Yolanda Bopp TKO 2 Ana Fernandez AJ Banal UD 10 Manuel Gonzalez Garcia Naoya Inoue TKO 5 Jerson Mancio Gottlieb Ndokosho TKO 7 Kakhaber Avetisian Simpiwe Vetyeka TKO 6 Chris John STRAWWEIGHTS Albert Pagara UD 10 Gadwin Tubigon (F) Nancy Franco UD 10 Kayoko Ebata (F) Edith Matthysse UD 10 Ogleidis Suarez (F atomweight) Ayaka Miyao UD 10 Gretchen Abaniel Lusanda Komanisi TKO 6 Aphiwe Mboyiya Xiong Zhao Zhong TKO 5 Lookrak Kiatmungmee Cristian Mijares KO 3 Jovanny Soto Byron Rojas UD 10 Jose Aguilar Rogelio Jun Doliguez TKO 9 Maxsaisai Sithsaithong Merlito Sabillo D 12 Carlos Buitrago Gamalier Rodriguez TKO 8 Aldimar Silva Santos Katsunari Takayama UD 12 Vergilio Silvano (F) Mari Ando SD 10 Jasseth Noriega JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS Luis Del Valle TKO 4 Juan Beltran Hugo Cazares MD 12 Julio Cesar Miranda Guillermo Rigondeaux UD 12 Joseph Agbeko (F) Yesica Marcos UD 10 Angela Marciales Dodie Boy Penalosa Jr. TD 7 Alem Robles JR Magboo TKO 3 Danilo Pena

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 109 PREDICTIONS ARE MADE BY RING STAFF MEMBERS COMING UP MICHAEL ROSENTHAL, DOUG FISCHER AND LEM SATTERFIELD.

MARCO HUCK vs. FIRAT ARSLAN WBO junior lightweight Date: Jan. 25 titleholder Mikey Garcia (left) faces Juan Carlos Location: Hanns-Martin-Schleyer Halle, Stuttgart, Germany Burgos on Jan. 25 in Division: Cruiserweights (for Huck’s WBO title) New York City. TV: None in U.S. Watchability rating (up to f ve stars): ★ ★ ★ ★ Signif cance: Huck (36-2-1, 25 KOs) is 2-0 since losing to Alexander Povetkin and drawing with Ola Afolabi. That includes competitive decisions over Arslan (in November 2012) and in a rematch with Afolabi. Arslan (33-6-2, 21 KOs) has been a contender since 2005. Prediction: Rosenthal – Huck UD; Fischer – Huck UD; Satterf eld – Huck KO 10.

VICTOR ORTIZ vs. LUIS COLLAZO Date: Jan. 30 Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.y. Division: Welterweights TV: Fox Sports 1 Watchability rating (up to f ve stars): ★ ★ ★ ★ Also f ghting: Eddie Gomez vs. Daquan Arnett, junior middleweights Signif cance: Ortiz (29-4-2, 22 KOs) will have been out of the ring JANUARY for 19 months after back-to-back losses to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Josesito Lopez, as well as an appearance on Dancing with the Stars. MIKEY GARCIA vs. Collazo (34-5, 17 KOs) also is rebuilding his career after two long JUAN CARLOS BURGOS layoffs. Date: Jan. 25 Prediction: Rosenthal – Ortiz KO 9; Fischer – Draw; Satterf eld – Location: Madison Square Garden Theater, New York City Collazo SD. Division: Junior lightweights (for Garcia’s WBO title) TV: HBO JAN. 24 – Javier Molina vs. Kendall Holt, welterweights, Shelton, Wash. Watchability rating (up to f ve stars): ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (ESPN2) Also f ghting: Bryant Jennings vs. Artur Szpilka, heavyweights. JAN. 24 – Curtis Stevens vs. Patrick Majewski, middleweights, Atlantic Signif cance: Garcia (33-0, 28 KOs) continued his blazing- City, N.J. (NBC Sports Net) hot streak by stopping Rocky Martinez in eight rounds to win JAN. 24 – Cornelius Bundrage vs. Joey Hernandez, junior the 130-pound title in November, making him a two-division middleweights, Indio, Calif. (Fox Sports 1) titleholder. Burgos (30-1-2, 20 KOs) drew with Martinez in a f ght JAN. 31 – Zsolt Erdei vs. Elvir Muriqi, light heavyweights, West Orange, many believed he won in January 2013. N.J. (ESPN2) Prediction: Rosenthal – Garcia KO 9; Fischer – Garcia KO 10; Satterf eld – Garcia UD 12. FEBRUARY LAMONT PETERSON vs. DIERRY JEAN GENNADY GOLOVKIN vs. Date: Jan. 25 OSUMANU ADAMA Location: DC Armory, Washington, D.C. Date: Feb. 1 Division: Junior welterweights (for Peterson’s IBF title) Location: Salle des etoiles, Monte Carlo, Monaco TV: Showtime Division: Middleweights (for Golovkin’s WBA title) Watchability rating (up to f ve stars): ★ ★ ★ TV: None in U.S. (at press time) Also f ghting: Jermell Charlo vs. Gabriel Rosado, Watchability rating (up to f ve stars): ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ junior middleweights Also f ghting: Martin Murray vs. Jarrod Fletcher, middleweights; Ilunga Signif cance: Peterson (31-2-1, 16 KOs) will defend his title Makabu vs. Pawel Kolodziej, cruiserweights but is in rebuilding mode after he was brutally KO’d by Lucas Signif cance: Golovkin (28-0, 25 KOS) has knocked out his last 15 Matthysse in an over-the-weight bout in May. Jean (25-0, 17 opponents even as he has faced better and better opposition. Adama KOs) is unbeaten and talented but is moving up in class to face (22-3, 16 KOs) is a good boxer with some power but he has struggled Peterson, who will be f ghting at home. against big-name opponents, including Daniel Geale (UD 12) in 2012. Prediction: Rosenthal – Peterson UD; Fischer – Peterson UD; Prediction: Rosenthal – Golovkin KO 6; Fischer – Golovkin KO 6; Satterf eld – Peterson SD. Satterf eld – Golovkin KO 5.

110 RINGTV.COM / 3.14 JHONNY GONZALEZ vs. ABNER MARES II Date: Feb. 15 Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles Division: Featherweights (for Gonzalez’s WBC title) TV: Showtime Watchability rating (up to fve stars): H H H H H Signifcance: Gonzalez (55-8, 47 KOs), an enormous puncher, Visit THE RING’s stunned the boxing world when he KO’d Mares in the frst round new YouTube channel ... to win the title in August. Mares (26-1-1, 14 KOs) had survived a gauntlet of big-name foes to climb onto to some pound-for-pound TheRingDigital lists before the Gonzalez fght. Prediction: Rosenthal – Mares KO 9; Fischer – Mares KO 10; Satterfeld – Mares UD 12.

FEB. 1 – Lee Selby vs. Rendall Munroe, featherweights (for the vacant European title), Cardiff, Wales FEB. 15 – Dereck Chisora vs. TBA (at press time), heavyweights IZING COM AN M (for Chisora’s European title), London G IT R T O E E FEB. 15 – Billy Joe Saunders vs. TBA (at press time), middleweights S R ( B (for Saunders’ European and Commonwealth titles), London E

X C

FEB. 15 – Nathan Cleverly vs. Daniel Ammann, cruiserweights (for O ) the vacant Commonwealth title), London B BOC

• FEB. 21 – Chris Algieri vs. Emmanuel Taylor, junior welterweights, • Huntington, N.Y. (ESPN2) F 8 FEB. 22 – Miguel Vazquez vs. Denis Shafkov, lightweights (for O 8 U N 1 9 Vazquez’s IBF title), Macau, China (HBO2) D E D FEB. 22 – Simpiwe Vetyeka vs. Akifumi Shimoda, featherweights (for Vetyeka’s WBA title, Macau, China Boxers Organizing Committee (BOC)

Paul Johnson

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“Boxers must be part of the equation.” — BOC Member José Chegüi Torres FROM THE ARCHIVE BREAKTHROUGH One of Sugar Ray Leonard’s greatest performances was his 15th-round TKO of then-RING and WBC welterweight titleholder Wilfred Benitez on Nov. 30, 1979, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Leonard’s oncein-a-generation talent was obvious but he had never faced a fghter as respected as Benitez, a boxing wizard who was undefeated in 39 fghts. Leonard proved to be the better man, controlling the fght and putting the Puerto Rican down twice. The second knockdown (pictured here) came in the fnal seconds of the fght. Referee Carlos Padilla ended matters with only six ticks to go when Benitez failed to respond to a furry of punches. Leonard had his frst major titles, Benitez his frst loss. Afterward, Benitez said simply and graciously: “Sugar Ray is the best in the world now.” No one would’ve argued with him.

THE RING will select a photo from its vast archive each month to publish in the magazine. For more archive photos, go to our website — RingTV.com — or scan the QR code. The Ring Magazine

3.14 / RINGTV.COM 113 AT THE FIGHTS 1.

2. 3.

1. Mindy Gbriel (left) with Gabriel Rosado at the Paulie Malignaggi-Zab Judah f ght Dec. 7 in Brooklyn, N.Y. 2. Michael Ramirez Jr. (left) with Austin Trout at a recent San Antonio Spurs game. 3. Ray Soto (left) with Julio Cesar Chavez at the Mikey Garcia-Rocky Martinez weigh-in Nov. 8 in Corpus Christi, Texas. 4. Left to right, Jose Villarruel, Hall of Fame referee Joe Cortez, Reymundo Villarruel and Ramon Villarruel. 5. Mike Sabato (right) with Sergey Kovalev at the Gennady Golovkin-Curtis Stevens f ght Nov. 2 in New York City. 6. George Velasco (left) with Adrien Broner at the Lucas Matthysse-Lamont Peterson f ght on May 18 in Atlantic City, N.J. 7. Evan Nahuat (right) with Alfredo Angulo at the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Bryan Vera f ght Sept. 28 in Carson, Calif. 4.

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