Last Saturday HBO?s Boxing After Dark telecast two entertaining title fights as part of the Golden Boy promoted Mexico vs. Philippines World Cup card. Held at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California, this World Cup is a novel concept of putting together good fights with a nationalistic flavor through enlightened matchmaking. Six bouts were on the card featuring fighters from both countries. The team with the most wins gets the ?World Cup.?
Though it is debatable as to whether the winner of these two teams actually qualifies as the proper representative of national boxing superiority, national pride has long been a staple of boxing promotion and the hope here is that the program will be expanded. The first Golden Boy World Cup promotion in October 2005 featured Mexico and Thailand and included four WBO title fights, with Mexico bringing home the trophy, 5-1 in Tucson, Arizona. The Philippines, all trained by Freddie Roach, took the prize this year, also by a 5-1 margin. With boxing increasingly becoming an international sport, Golden Boy may have captured lightning in a bottle.
The lone Mexican to win in this weekend?s event was Daniel Ponce De Leon, 32-1 (29), who defended his WBO jr. featherweight title for the fifth time by TKO over Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista, now 23-1 (17). Bautista, a 21 year old legitimate contender thought to be the next Filipino star, seemed frozen to the canvas from the opening bell. Even before that he looked as if he was out of his element with a deer in the headlights look apparent during his ring walk.
Conversely, Daniel Ponce De Leon entered the ring with a determined, focused demeanor. In his last outing against Gerry Penalosa, he won a decision that appeared to be closer than the judge?s scores. De Leon threw an astronomical 1399 punches in that fight, but landed just 19%. The 27 year old De Leon?s lone loss came in 2005 at the hands of Celestino Cabellero, the WBA 122 pound titlist who was pushed hard last week in a sloppy fight with Jorge Lacierva.
While nerves appeared to be slowing Bautista, De Leon was pitching and landing at will. A right-left combination sent Bautista down at the 2:11 mark, held partially upright by the ropes, and referee John Schorle administered the eight count. Bautista, looking like a drunk on his birthday, swooned as he rose on wobbly legs. After a brief barrage of hard left hands moments later, Schorle put a stop to the carnage at 2:45 of the round.
De Leon landed 20 of 65 punches in the round, including a scorching 19-39 in power punches. Bautista was 4-36 overall and 3-24 in power punches. Yet strangely De Leon displayed some swelling of the left side on his face after the fight. He must have been the victim of some overly enthusiastic celebration in his corner or walked into a door, because, as the stats show, Bautista barely laid a glove on him.
After all the hype, Bautista now has to reestablish himself in the talented 122 pound mix. He was simply tagged with a perfect left on the point of the chin, and his night was over, literally before it began.
When asked who would be next on his dance card, De Leon deferred the decision to his promoters at Golden Boy. This was his 10th first round knockout and when a 122 pounder scores 29 KO?s in 32 victories, you know he can crack. But there is no room for anyone to break out at 122 until Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez finish their trilogy, so De Leon might be advised to seek out Cabellero for a rematch in the meantime, or perhaps IBF titlist Steve Molitor.
In the co-feature, 26 year old Jhonny Gonzalez, 34-6 (29), in what he said before the fight would be his last appearance at 118, was defending his WBO bantamweight title against 35 year old Gerry Penalosa, 52-6-2 (35).
Penalosa, a former super flyweight titlist, looked as if he still had plenty left in the aforementioned fight with De Leon. A southpaw, he was almost four inches shorter than Gonzalez at 5?4? and also had the shorter reach, 71? to 65?. He started off well in the first two rounds, acting as the aggressor, utilizing slick footwork to get inside as Gonzalez fought going backwards.
After round two, Penalosa?s pressure let up as his footwork slowed, denying him position on the inside and Gonzalez won the next four rounds with his jab, counters, and some good combinations. Gonzalez was boxing smartly but not inflicting much damage to the tough Filipino. Gonzalez was on his way to winning the seventh when Penalosa slipped a punch and unloaded a perfectly placed liver punch that paralyzed Gonzalez, who was unable to beat the count by referee Pat Russell.
Gonzalez had made the mistake of letting Penalosa hang around too long without hurting him, and the Filipino awaited his opportunity, slipped inside, and Jackpot! He was the new WBO bantamweight belt holder. Gonzalez had not been overly impressive but was piling up rounds on the scorecards prior to the knockout. Gonzalez outpunched Penalosa 103-467, compared to 69-357, but in the end, only one punch mattered.
A friend of mine has an interesting theory. Gonzalez TKO?d former 112 pound titlist Irene Pacheco in the fight prior to Penalosa. That fight came after Gonzalez? epic battle with Israel Vazquez at 122 pounds before he was stopped in the 10th round in September 2006. According to the theory, in Vazquez? last eight fights prior to Marquez, five of them lost their next fight and their careers went into decline. One of those retired after losing. Another immediately retired after losing at age 24. Two won, but one fought an 0-5 fighter, and then lost several in a row.
My friend?s theory is that fighters are never the same after they go to war with Vazquez. I?m more inclined to believe that at age 26, the struggle to make weight was the biggest problem with Gonzalez. I?m not prepared to write him off on the basis of a liver shot KO.
But it brings up an interesting hypothesis. We all saw the all out blood and guts battle between Vazquez and Marquez. Neither man left anything in the ring. Which of the two will be the most resilient and have the most left to win their rubber match? If my friend is right, it will be Vazquez.
NOTES: Bob Papa, another true warrior, went it alone with Lennox Lewis in calling the fight. Lewis, I?m sure much to Papa?s relief, performed surprisingly well. Lennox hasn?t been seen over the airwaves of late, and seems to have used the time in practicing diction. Even more importantly, he seemed to have a handle on what was going on around him and actually made some valid contributions.
What is the deal with Manny Pacquiao? You never know what this guy is going to do from one day to the next. He was named as captain of Team Philippines for the World Cup card, then flew back to Manila without notifying anyone, including Freddie Roach, who has been training the superstar for his October 6 rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera at Roach?s Wild Card Gym.
Has Manny become an out of control prima donna? There have been other rumors of Pacquiao demands, tantrums and unreliability. Let?s hope that Manny is not trying to emulate some pampered American superstars in mainstream sports who believe the rules do not pertain to them.
It was good to see my friends Don and Lorraine Chargin at ringside. In addition to promoting fights throughout the country, Don serves as a consultant for Golden Boy.
It was also good to see Pat Russell get some TV time as referee of the Gonzalez-Penalosa fight.
Another good friend, matchmaker and advisor Sampson Lewkowitz, certainly has no shortage of TV time. It seems like I see him in the ring at least once or twice a week.
