Boxing
Emanuel Steward said one of the players was “the greatest sports hero in Mexican history”
Published
2 months agoon
What separates the great from the truly great? When it came to Mexico’s numero uno, Emanuel Steward believed the answer could be written in a matter of moments – the fights that define a career and elevate a fighter above his peers.
Widely considered one of the greatest trainers in boxing history, Steward oversaw a conveyor belt of champions forged in the unforgiving Kronk gym where only the toughest survived. His influence reached far beyond Detroit, leading him to work with heavyweight champions Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko and making him the first American trainer to coach Mexican icon Julio Cesar Chavez.
Steward worked with Chavez for several weeks before his 1994 rematch with Frank Randall. Geoffrey Ciani published in 2011, he explained in detail why he considered Chavez the best player in Mexican history.
“I think he rose to prominence as a boxer for his major achievements in huge fights. You could be good, but you have to have those signature fights in your career that really highlight your greatness. I would probably say the first one with Meldrick Taylor – it couldn’t have been more dramatic than that, to come back in a fight he was losing and score the knockout with two seconds left.”
“Defeat [Edwin] Rosario was special because of the rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico. He defeated him, which was the most essential thing for all Mexicans. Then he beat him [Hector] Camacho. He came back and defeated Frankie Randall, although the stoppage was controversial. He then knocked out Meldrick Taylor in the rematch. Meldrick wasn’t what he was before, but it was still a very intriguing and intriguing fight.”
Beyond his achievements in the ring, Steward was struck by the extraordinary adulation Chavez generated in his homeland – an experience that left a lasting impression on one of boxing’s most traveled and respected figures.
“He may be the greatest sports hero, not just a boxer, in Mexican history. I have never seen anyone analyzed as much as he was. It even surpassed Muhammad Ali. Only on the highways were people driving cars and almost crashing trying to touch his car.”
“When he came out of the stadium once, when we were at the bullfight, people were spreading the word that he was coming. When the car pulled into the parking lot, there were probably about 1,000 people, and when he walked into the arena, his picture was all over the huge screen. Each of the fighters, who was a bullfighter, had to lift his hat to float in the air so he could catch it before each bullfight, and when he came out, it showed on the screen and the whole stadium just went crazy. It’s just never happened before I haven’t seen anything like this.
For Steward, greatness was never just about titles and technique. IN Chavezhe saw a fighter who had performed at the sport’s defining moments – and whose presence transcended boxing itself, making him a national symbol unlike anything even he had encountered before.
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Boxing
Jai Opetaia defeats Brandon Glanton over 12 rounds in Vegas
Published
50 minutes agoon
March 9, 2026
In the fifth round, Opetai’s right uppercut to the head again hurt Glanton in the final minute. In the sixth round, Opetaia continued his body attack and took another round, while Glanton lost a point for holding. In the last minute of the seventh round, both fighters exchanged blows. In the eighth round, Glanton landed several low blows and lost a point from referee Allen Huggins.
In the ninth round, both fighters had their moments. Opetaia continued to work the body as Glanton ended the round with a punch to the chin. In the tenth round, Opetaia landed a right uppercut to Glanton’s body. Just when it looked like Glanton might be ready to attack, he counterattacked and landed straight into Opetai’s body.
In the eleventh round, Opetaia lost a point for holding. In the twelfth and final round, the action was still competitive at the bell.
All three judges scored the fight 119-106.
Retains Saracho Rooms
Ricardo Adan Salas stopped Jesus “Junior” Saracho at 2:05 of the eighth round of a scheduled 10-round fight.
In the first round, Salas’ last-minute shot shocked Saracho. In the second round, both had their moments in a close round. In the third round, Salas landed a pair of rights to Saracho’s chin in the final seconds and won the round.
In the last 30 seconds of the fourth round, Saracho landed a combination to the chin, but in the final seconds Salas responded with a quick attack and took the round. In the fifth round, Salas landed a right uppercut to the body that hurt Saracho midway through the round. In the last seconds, Salas landed several punches again and won the round.
In the sixth round, Salas landed a left hook to the body that hurt Saracho in the first minute, although Saracho fought well for the rest of the round. In the seventh round, Salas landed a right uppercut to the chin that hurt Saracho, and the two exchanged punches midway through the round. Salas finished the round stronger, working his body well.
In the eighth round, Salas hurt Saracho with several body blows as the referee looked ready to step in. Salas landed to the body again, hurting Saracho and forcing referee Robert Hoyle to stop the fight.
Panin stops the group
Vlad “Super Bad” Panin stopped Shinard Bunch at 2:29 of the ninth round of a scheduled 10-round fight.
It was a one-sided fight lasting eight rounds, with Panin dominating. In the ninth round, Panin landed a series of punches, forcing referee Allen Huggins to stop.
Palma defeats Rubio
Adan Palma won a split decision over Pablo “Shark” Rubio Jr. over eight innings after scoring two knockdowns.
In the third round, Palma’s left hook knocked down Rubio for eight. Moments later, Palma dropped Rubio again, landing another right to the chin. In the fourth round, Rubio fought back, although Palma’s left hook was still effective.
In the fifth round, Palma landed a pair of left hooks to the chin. Rubio responded with a combination at the bell in the close round. In the sixth round, Rubio landed several unanswered punches mid-round to even the fight.
In the eighth and final round, Rubio rallied strongly.
The scores were 76-74 for Rubio and 78-77 for Palma twice.
Juarez wins by decision
Joshua Jay Juarez defeated Jardae Anderson in eight rounds.
Juarez used his attacking style to put pressure on Anderson while also scoring points with his hand speed and power shots. The pace slowed in the second half of the fight until the final ten seconds when both fighters exchanged.
The scores were 77-75, 79-73 and 78-74.
Ramos and Perez draw
Jaycob Ramos fought Ethan Perez for most of six rounds.
Both fighters hit the canvas during the fight. In the second round, Perez dropped Ramos with a left hand for an eight count. Ramos managed to survive until the bell.
In the third round, Ramos returned the favor, dropping Perez with a right hand to get the count back to eight.
The scores were 57-55 Ramos and 56-56 twice.
Ochoa and Serrano tied
Brady Ochoa fought six rounds against Adrian Serrano to a majority draw.
The competitors fought for six rounds of competition.
The scores were 58-56 Ochoa and 57-57 twice.
Alvarado wins by decision
Emiliano Alvarado defeated Eric Rosado in six rounds.
After losing the opening round, Alvarado dropped Rosado in the second round and controlled the remainder of the fight.
All scores were 59-55.
Ken Hissner is a senior boxing journalist at Boxing News 24 with over 20 years of experience in the sport. Known for his in-ring reporting, detailed results and historical perspective, he provides authoritative coverage of boxing through the eras.
Boxing
Shakur Stevenson only sees one winner in Canelo vs. David Benavidez: ‘I’m a fan’
Published
3 hours agoon
March 8, 2026
Shakur Stevenson gave a balanced assessment of why the fight between Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez has not yet taken place.
Both multi-weight world champions seemed to be on a collision course at 168 pounds, with Canelo reigning as the undisputed king.
Meanwhile, Benavidez held the “interim” WBC title after becoming a two-time super middleweight world champion and awaited his mandatory shot at the full WBC title.
This opportunity, however, never materialized as Canelo continued to defend his undisputed crown against alternative opposition.
During that time, the Mexican had one-sided points victories over the likes of John Ryder and Jermell Charlo, but was widely criticized for failing to face his most formidable rival, Benavidez.
Benavidez has since won the WBC 175-pound title and now looks set to become a three-weight world champion against Gilberto Ramirez, whom he will face on May 2 for the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles.
This may seem like a bold move, but the 29-year-old’s physique will enable him to develop into an effective 200-pound operator, while Canelo is clearly best suited at 168 pounds.
The natural size difference therefore made their clash even less likely, as Stevenson points out Joe Rogan that in his opinion this is the most significant factor.
“Benavidez is too large for Canelo. I see both sides. I love Benavidez and I’m a fan of his, so I see the ‘fight me, brother’ side.”
“But then I see Canelo’s attitude. He’s like, ‘Man, this guy regularly weighs 200 pounds. I don’t get anywhere near that weight, so I ask myself, ‘Why would I fight this guy?'”
Despite a unanimous decision loss to Terence Crawford, Canelo was promised a shot at the world championship by Turki Alalshikh in Riyad, Saudi Arabia in September this year.
Potential options include Christian Mbilli and Jose Armando Resendiz, the respective WBC and WBA champions, while the IBF and WBO super middleweight world titles remain vacant following Crawford’s retirement.
“If you ask me to immaculate your shoes, I will immaculate them,” Hearn told The Stomping Ground. “But basically the reference was that I said I wasn’t too proud to know my position and the opportunities open to me.”
Over the past two years, Saudi Arabia has financed a series of major boxing events, combining several championship fights that had been stalled in customary negotiations. Matchroom-promoted fighters have appeared on a number of Riyad’s season cards during this period, including major title fights and heavyweight events featuring some of the sport’s most recognizable names.
Hearn said his approach has always been elementary. When an opportunity arises that will benefit the players and the company, the priority is to take advantage of it rather than worrying about what the moment will look like in public.
“My senior man says if you walk past a fivepence coin on the floor you’ll pick it up,” Hearn said. “If a great opportunity comes along, we make money and I enjoy it, no problem.”
Hearn added that he expects to continue working with Turki on future boxing events, despite the occasional public exchange. Several promoters now partner with Saudi-backed events, and financing has become a regular feature of the sport’s biggest fight negotiations.
“I think he enjoys working with us,” Hearn said. “He will always do what suits him and we will continue to do what suits us and our players.”
Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most essential fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.
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