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Philippines, 17 Dec 2024 |
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One Punch Can Change Everything in Boxing!!! By Ralph Rimpell PhilBoxing.com Tue, 17 Dec 2024  Surace (L) drops Munguia with one punch. Twenty-three years ago in South Africa a Heavyweight contender named Hasim Rahman was a massive underdog challenging then unified Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. If I remember correctly the odds that Rahman would defeat Lewis in an upset were 20-1. It was reported that no American journalists flew to South Africa to cover the fight card even though Rahman was an American fighter. Lewis out boxed and won the first four rounds easily of a scheduled 12 round fight. It appeared so easy that in the 5th round Lewis began clowning Rahman by smiling at him. Out of nowhere a thunderous punch came from Rahman landing on Lewis’s jaw putting him on the canvas for the 10 count. Rahman shocked Lewis and the world with that punch and became the Heavyweight champion of the world. Thirty years ago 45-year-old former Olympic gold medalist and former Heavyweight champion George Foreman challenged then Heavyweight champion Michael Moorer trying to become the oldest heavyweight champion ever. For ten rounds of a scheduled twelve round bout the younger champion out boxed the older man virtually 10 rounds to 0 rounds. Just when the those watching thought that Moorer would cruise to an easy victory/defense against Foreman, Foreman landed a perfect right hand punch to Moorer’s jaw knocking him out for the 10 count. Foreman like Rahman too, shocked Moorer and the world to become the oldest heavyweight champion at 45 years old. Twenty-seven years ago boxing great and welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker defended his title against challenger Diosbelys Hurtado. This was thought to be a routine defense for Whitaker before a “big fight” with a prime Oscar De La Hoya, who was the “face of boxing” at the time. For eleven rounds Hurtado out boxed Whitaker to the surprise of many. Perhaps Whitaker was looking ahead to his “big fight” with De La Hoya and had not taken Hurtado seriously. Perhaps sensing that bigger opportunities were slipping away (a multimillion dollar paycheck to fight De La Hoya), prior to the start of the 12th round, Trainer Ronnie Shields told Whitaker, “you need a knockout to win the fight!” Whitaker, a master boxer and a defensive Wizard had a modest knockout ratio record. Whitaker apparently sensing the urgency shockingly and impressively knocked out Hurtado in the final and 12th round to this Writer’s surprise and no doubt everyone else’s surprise to secure his fight date with De La Hoya! Last Saturday night former world champion Jaime Mungia (46-2, 35 KOS) looking to rebuild his career in a second fight after a defeat to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez last May 2024, faced a virtual unknown named Bruno Surace (26-0-2, 5KOS) in Tijuana, Mexico. For 5 rounds Mungia dominated Surace which included an impressive knockdown. With the exception of Surace briefly stunning Mungia early in the fight it appeared it would be only a matter of time before Surace would get knocked out by Mungia. In the end The fighter who got knocked out was Mungia by a quick sneaky right hand by Surace. Mungia managed to beat the count but the Referee clearly saw he was in no condition to continue. That one punch has given Surace, and admitted middleweight (160lbs) fighting at supermiddleweight (168lbs), for the Mungia fight, recognition. Surace is already hoping for a rematch with Mungia, which no doubt will be lucrative financially. Perhaps Surace wants to show the world his victory was not a fluke and he is in fact a better fighter then Mungia. If Surace is unable to secure a rematch with Mungia perhaps a fight with 168lbs unified champion Canelo Alvarez. There are also top contenders/former world champions such as Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo, or Demetrious Andrade. It’s now fair to say that Surace is now in the conversation to face any of the aforementioned fighters if an opponent is needed. Because of that one punch by Surace everything has changed for the better in his career. It will be interesting to see who Surace gets a call from to fight next. No matter who Surace fights that one punched that knocked out Mungia changes everything in boxing for Surace. Boxing Notes “Pound for Pound” great Terrance Crawford received a lot of unfair criticism for not remaining at welterweight (147lbs) to defend his undisputed crown (WBA/WBC/WBO/IBF) against then top contender Jaron “Boots” Ennis. Crawford vacated his titles opting to fight at 154lbs and is now pursuing a “Mega fight” with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at 168lns. Crawford’s Trainer “BoMac” defended the decision by saying, Boots brings nothing to the table an apparent reference to millions he is unable to generate like Canelo. Since “Boots” is the newly recognized IBF 147lbs champion he has surprisingly passed up on not 1, but 2 “Big fights”. He opted not to take a lucrative fight at 154lbs with interim WBC jr. middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz jr in Saudi Arabia sponsored by Turki Al Al-Sheikh that would have paid him millions. He also has reportedly turned down a welterweight challenge from two division champion Teofimo Lopez that would have earned him millions. Reports are “Boots” wants to fight for legacy and not money. Looking at Boot’s last two performances and considering “Boots” has rejected two high profile fights, Crawford is looking pretty good now. Why? Crawford didn’t consider a “Boots” for no other reason except there wasn’t enough money…On March 1, 2024 WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis with fight WBA jr. lightweight Lamont Roach. Both these fighters knew each other in the amateurs and both became world champions with Tank being more popular and accomplished. Many unfairly criticized Tank for signing to fight Roach. IBF champion Vasily Lomachenko has currently decided not to fight “Tank” and a deal with WBC champion Shakur Stevenson was not secured. WBO champion Denys Berinchyk is not well known at the moment. Therefore, Roach is a good option. The two press conferences were heated and the trash talking between the two was at an optimum! This Writer believes Davis vs Roach will be a good fight and anything can happen…Last week former featherweight champion Robeisy Ramirez quit in the 6th round in a rematch against Rafael Espinoza the man who took the title from him last June 2024 due to complaints of double vision in one eye. Boxing fans are divided with regard to Robeisy’s decision to quit. It was reported Robeisy suffered an orbital fracture. It’s true some fighters have quit in fights due to injury or for whatever reason, but have come back better than ever. Example, Roberto Duran quit against Leonard in the famous “No Mas” fight, but came back to win multiple world titles and earn millions more years later. Sugar Ray Leonard suffered a detached retina (eye injury) in Leonard vs Hearns I. Leonard fought with one eye. Hearns was ahead on the scorecards. Late in the fight trainer Angelo Dundee sensing Leonard was behind on the scorecards told him, “Your blowin it Son, Your blowin it.” Leonard scored an impressive TKO against Hearns in the 14th round in one of the greatest welterweight fights ever. Boxing History teaches us Ramirez could have taken either route. Not quit and continue to fight or quit and fight another day. If Robeisy chooses to continue with his career it will likely be a long road back to glory. ***Ralph Rimpell is a writer based out of New York and is a Boxing Correspondent for Philboxing.com. Ralph holds an undergraduate degree from City University of New York. He has been a Boxing Writer for over ten years having written for several top boxing websites on the World Wide Web. Before becoming a writer, Ralph's passion was for professional wrestling until he realized professional wrestling was entertainment and not a real sport. It was at that time the 1984 US Olympic team made up of future stars such as Evander Holyfield, Meldrick Taylor, Pernell Whitaker, etc. entered the professional ranks and signed with promotional outfit Main Events.It was also at that time a young exciting Heavyweight originally hailing from Brooklyn named Mike Tyson also turned professional and became the face of boxing. Young boxing fan Ralph just couldn't get enough of boxing as a large part of it was being broadcast on "free TV". As time went on, Ralph felt boxing writers were not being forthcoming with their boxing coverage, opinion pieces, interviews, etc. So Ralph decided to write an article and submitted it to a Boxing website thinking it would be deleted and ignored by the Editor. To Ralph's surprise his article was posted on their website and the readers embraced it. The rest is history. "I thank God for the Internet because it has created opportunities for writers like myself who likely would not have been given an opportunity to write for print publications. I hope someday soon to expand my role in Boxing on different levels." -- Ralph Rimpell Contact Writer: RLuvsboxing@aol.com Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ralph Rimpell.  |
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