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Fighter classes: Shakur stands out, Serrano fails, one boxer gets f

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Last weekend was emphasized by two huge boxing cards in Recent York. On Friday in Madison Square Garden contained six fights for the title with unprecedented 17 titles on the line.

In the main event, the undisputed champion of the younger welterweight, Katie Taylor, defeated Amanda Serrano by the decision to remain invincible in the fight trilogy. It was a brilliant performance of Taylor, who decided to leisurely down the pace to guess Serrano and was not out of reach.

Also on the Alycia Baumgardner card she kept her undisputed junior lightweight championships, but defeated Jennifer Miranda in a less impressive way. Shadasia Green won the nervousness of Savannah Marshall, who united two titles of super medium weight. The behind schedule substitute Cherneka Johnson took advantage of her opportunity and became the undisputed weight champion with the victory of TKO nad Shurrett Metcalf.

On Saturday, at the Louis Armstrong stadium in Queens, the Ring III card made the lightweight master Shakur Stevenson changed his ordinary defensive approach to a more aggressive attack. He dominated the previously undefeated impact of William Zepeda’s power. Hamzah Sheeraz, debuting in a super medium weight, knocked out Edgar Berlang in the fifth round to get closer to Megafight to the unquestioned championships. Subirel Matias for the first time in his career took a distance in the necessary victory over Alberto Puello to win the title of WBC Junior D Whachcor. Andreas Hale took part in every fight both on the cards in Recent York and evaluates the performances of all the best fighters.


Friday report card

Katie Taylor: born

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0:50

Taylor: Nobody can deny that I won this fight

Katie Taylor believes that her third victory over Amanda Serrano was her most dominant victory in the trilogy.

It was not a slugfest from the previous two meetings. The pace was slower than their previous two fights, and the level of production was lower, which reduced the rating here, but Taylor finally fought for the fight against Serrano. Taylor used movement and a control hook and doubled on the right hand to control the long sections of the fight. Her performance has definitely proved that Taylor is a better warrior.

Amanda Serrano: D

Serrano had a terrible plan of the game against Taylor in the third fight. She decided on a box instead of a swarm and found herself after losing a decision, which was not as close as the first two fights. Serrano admitted in her interview after the fight that she did not believe that her strategy from the first two meetings would do work in the third, but her aggressive approach in these performances won fans and left the place for opinions that she should have achieved 2-0. Instead, she let Taylor fight the fight and lost a clear decision. Serrano is still one of the substantial ones, but it was not the right approach.

Alycia Baumgardner: C

The “bomb” did not show her crazy power against lightweight Miranda and did not necessarily impress those who have never seen her fight. He gets a tiny pass because it has been relatively inactive over the past few years. Nevertheless, she played safely, even though she was able to get novel fans with her power. Baumgardner promised in her interview after the fight that everything would be better from here, the approach that resembles fans, which made her an undisputed champion. He has all the tools to be a star.

Shadasia Green: B

Green was a significant weaker in her fight with the former undisputed master of the super medium weight Marshall and dug into a rather deep hole, having a point deducted in the 4th round for excessive hold. But the harsh talent and grit Green stretched her and won the divided decision about the United Master. It was not a perfect performance, but he proved that Green was a diamond in gritty, as she thought Jake Paul’s MVP. More importantly, she put herself on a potential hit with ESPN fighter No. 1 for a pound, Claressa Shields.

Cherno Johnson: born

Johnson was not even originally on the card, but he got a phone call to join MVP after Dina Thorslund’s withdrawal when she found out she was pregnant. Johnson fully took this opportunity and passed through Metcalf with the ninth round in the Bantamweight battle to become the first unquestioned Australian champion. She made a robust impression and is now in the best position to become a star.


Saturday report card

Shakur Stevenson: A

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Shakur Stevenson wins with a unanimous decision to maintain his title

Shakur Stevenson defeats William Zepeda to keep his lightweight WBC title.

Stevenson silenced those who called his dull style, remaining in his pocket and distinguishing idle in the dominant unanimous decision with Zeda. He did not have to perform an thrilling performance to defeat the offensive Zepeda, but he fought as if he wanted to prove his doubts. His fight could easily be in the main place, considering that Stevenson is one of the best pounds fighters in the world and defended his lightweight championships. He won the absurd 52.2% of his blows (295 of 565), survived every storm he encountered from Zepeda and won almost every round on the results cards (118-110, 118-110 and 119-109). This performance proves that he can win in almost every style he wants.

William Zepeda: 100

Zepeda fought as he always fights, putting a entertaining 979 blows to his opponent. He gave Stevenson everything he could deal with with a relentless offensive approach, which was good enough to beat 33 other fighters, but Stevenson was too good to be overwhelmed by Zepeda’s results. Zepeda landed only 27.8% of his total blows and was too simple to find Stevenson, and Stevenson landed over 50%. Zepeda went away with a loss, but fans will want to see him again because of his thrilling style.

Hamzah Sheeraz: A

Sheeraz had to listen to Berlang’s conversation for months, about how she intends to perform a low work of the British who debuted in the great medium weight. Berlanga had the support of Recent York when they both met at the main event at the Louis Armstrong stadium, with Berlanga accompanying Fat Joe and Remy MA, performing the hit “Lean Back” for his entry. Ironically, Sheeraz forced Berlanga to “tilt back”, knocking Puerto Rican three times and collecting an impressive knockout in the fifth round. He proved that moving to 168 pounds was appropriate and now he is preparing for the winner of Canelo Alvarez and Terenka Crawford.

Edgar Lianga: f

For the whole conversation, which Berlanga did to Sheeraz (and Promoter Oscar de la Hoya), he could not support him and was blown up in five rounds. Hubris seemed to be the best of Puerto Rican, who appeared on the stage, winning his first 16 fights in the first round of Nokaut. In September he fought with Alvarez, which turned out to be too early in his career, in a unilateral unanimous loss of decision. He entered this fight full of confidence, but he was dropped three times in front of his home fans. I hope that this humiliating moment for Berlang will bring him to the laboratory to fix the holes in his game. He is talented, but he will have to carry out his restrictions.

Subriel Matias: B-

Matias won the decision for the first time in his career, a strenuous fight against Puello to become a WBC welterweight master. Matias, who entered the fight with 100% knockout to win, certainly tried to add another knockout to his record thanks to the full Puello press. He stayed on the front foot through almost the entire fight, bouncing off each part of the body of Puello. But he began to wear out behind schedule and had to stick to win the narrow majority. If Puello had power, it could be a different result.

Alberto Puello: C+

Puello was forced to cope with the relentless pressure of the artist Matias and almost escaped in his title. He fought the rear foot, knowing the storm and using a acute counter -inchration. He never allowed him to get away from him, going to the first warrior who went to all 12 rounds with Matias. Puello is cunning, but his lack of power eventually interfered with him.

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Navarrete vs Foster: Title Unification Predictions and Analysis

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Navarrete vs Foster: Title Unification Predictions and Analysis

Navarrete vs Foster: Recent Form

Remember when people thought Emanuel Navarrete was on his way down or even out? “Vaquero” had joked about eating Twinkies during training. He drew with Robson Conceicao. He lost to Denys Berinchyk. He got a nutritionist.

In his last three fights, Navarrete has dominated Oscar Valdez (again), had a tough one and some controversy in a no-contest with Charly Suarez, and dominated and stopped Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez. He’s looked like he’s back to peak form Emanuel Navarrete, and peak form Emanuel Navarrete is a problem.

The “Twinkies” stuff is in the past, though like many things, it will probably hang around him forever in fight build-ups. The version of Navarrete we saw against Nunez is one of the sport’s better fighters.

But he is beatable. We’ve seen it. And it wasn’t long ago. The Suarez fight was another reminder that he’s far from flawless. If Navarrete has a tough opponent, it will be a tough fight, as fights with tough opponents ought to be.

Foster is one of my favorite boxing stories of recent years, a good-but-not-great prospect in the mid-2010s who suffered a couple of losses on ShoBox in eight-rounders and looked like maybe the bubble had burst on him. He might fight on, but we wouldn’t hear much. Maybe he’d return to ShoBox in the B-side role sometime. Instead, he reset his career, got better, moved down to 130, and in 2023, won his first world title, seven years after his second loss, battling back from square one to do it.

O’Shaquie is 15-1 since his two losses in 2015-16. His only loss since came to Robson Conceicao, who has been tough as hell for anyone at 130/135 other than Shakur Stevenson and Raymond Muratalla, and the latter might have had more to do with the fact that Conceicao was 37 by then. Foster also avenged his loss to Conceicao and comes into this one, as Navarrete does, in fine form in his most recent outings, beating Stephen Fulton and Raymond Ford.

We’ve got a good fight on our hands with two guys who have looked good in their recent fights and, at 31 (Navarrete) and 33 (Foster), still look to be right in their prime years.

Navarrete vs Foster: Style Matchup

A disclaimer in the interest of transparency: I find “Vaquero” fascinating and almost certainly had my mind made up before I booted up the tape.

A lot’s been made of how Navarrete “gets away” with fighting “wrong” thanks to his motor, power, durability, and freakish proportions. His last time out against “Sugar” Nunez, the commentators quipped that nobody in their right mind would train someone to fight that way. These people are, to be blunt, wrong as hell; he’s an excellent case study in maximizing one’s natural gifts and doesn’t get nearly enough credit for his craft. Watch the Nunez fight and take note of how well he controls distance, how often he’s just a hair too far away for Nunez’s counters, the way he threads punches between Nunez’s volleys, the exploitation of his dramatic step-ins to get Nunez biting on feints, the genuinely solid defensive movement and arm placement that follow his lunges. Crude as a lot of his punches are and as…let’s say “improvisational” his footwork is, there’s a system there. Yes, he does stupid shit, but he does it smartly.

This puts him in delightful contrast with Foster, who’s among the most textbook sweet scientists in the game. A human highlight reel he is not, but after our last few prediction pieces, do you know how refreshing it is to see someone who keeps his off hand up when jabbing and generally avoids smothering his work?

What makes this such a fun matchup is their near-identical physical dimensions. Both of them are used to operating at distances where their opponents can’t retaliate, and the one who’s best able to adjust to this new environment will come out on top.

That looks, to me, like Navarrete. Foster’s only real weakness is a lack of head movement, but it’s a big one in this matchup. Navarrete has excellent timing and shot selection to catch opponents on the way in and can put on some murderous pressure when the fancy strikes. If Foster hits the ropes or tries to chase, it’ll go sideways fast.

Conversely, Foster isn’t particularly well-equipped to exploit Navarrete’s own weaknesses. For as much as Navarrete overextends, he’s generally good about only throwing truly ugly stuff when it’s hard to punish and Foster lacks the power to capitalize on those opportunities. On a similar note, Navarrete can be too content to chill in a collapsed pocket, but was still nasty enough to outgun Nunez at the latter’s preferred range. Don’t see that working overly well for Foster, either.

But let’s say Foster does force the fight he wants, a cagey fencing match. It’s more than feasible, as he’s got much better feet than Navarrete and his punches get to the target faster. That’s where the real kicker comes in: pace. Foster’s preferred output is “just enough,” which has led to truly putrid sparring matches in the past. Navarrete can throw 70 punches a round for 36 minutes, is too durable to deter, and is more adaptable than his reputation would have you believe.

It’s a hell of a needle Foster has to thread. I don’t think he can.

Navarrete vs Foster: Predictions!

Scott: Big fan of both these guys. I think the smart money is probably with Navarrete, but I’m going with O’Shaquie in a tight, controversially-scored fight. I wouldn’t advise betting that way, but I think he’ll edge this one out, I expect him to be as up for this one as he’s ever been for any fight, this is really the biggest fight of his career. What I’m most looking forward to seeing is what range dominates the fight, and who imposes their will best in that sense. O’Shaquie Foster by Split Decision

Patrick: Historically, the best way to deal with Emanuel Navarrete is to hope he didn’t train and wait for him to peter out. With his shiny new nutritionist in his corner, that avenue may be closed forever; he shrugged off some nasty body work from Nunez and was still clobbering him with abandon as the championship rounds approached.

Foster is an extremely capable fighter, unquestionably the other best man at 130. If it’s possible to defuse a dialed-in Navarrete with pure fundamentals, Foster’s the guy to do it. I just think his own shortcomings, namely the stationary head and tendency to fall into lulls, play too much into Navarrete’s strengths for me to put my faith in him. Belt number three for the cowboy. Emanuel Navarrete by Unanimous Decision

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DAZN Announces Signing of Devin Haney: A Game-Changer in Boxing

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DAZN Announces Signing of Devin Haney: A Game-Changer in Boxing

It’s been talked about quite a lot lately, almost to the point it’s almost common knowledge, but today DAZN officially announced they’ve signed an exclusive multi-deal with welterweight titleholder Devin Haney. The formal announcement comes directly on the heels of a proposed fight with Shakur Stevenson falling by the wayside.

“I’m at a point in my career where I want the biggest challenges and the fights the fans want to see,” said Devin Haney. “I’m excited to partner with DAZN. This agreement removes any doubt or uncertainty about my ability to make the major fights in boxing. I’m in position to fight anyone, and I’m focused, motivated and ready for whoever is next.”

DAZN executive mentione that they expect the deal to pave the way for them to deliver marquee matchups for Haney and their network heading forward.

Haney, 27, hasn’t fought in nearly a year, last beating Brian Norman last November to take the WBO welterweight title. Hopefully this announcement will have him more active than he has been as of late.

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Dalton Smith Discusses Lifetime Bans Ahead of Puello Test

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"Dalton Smith Discusses Lifetime Bans Ahead of Puello Test"

Dalton Smith is putting Alberto Puello’s failed drug test back into the conversation before Saturday’s WBC light welterweight title defense in Sheffield. If the champion loses, an explanation beyond the boxing will already be circulating.

That doesn’t prove Smith is preparing an excuse. But his comments give a difficult first defense a moral storyline before either fighter throws a punch.

Smith called for lifetime bans for fighters who fail drug tests. Puello tested positive for clomiphene in 2023 and received a six-month suspension. The article reports no new failed test ahead of Saturday’s fight.

“I think it stinks. I’m well against it myself,” Smith said to BoxingScene. “But I went in there and proved last time, sometimes you need more than just steroids. I’ll do it for the fighters in the sport that are clean.”

That last sentence turns Smith’s title defense into something bigger than defending his belt. It casts him as fighting on behalf of clean boxers, with Puello’s past providing the backdrop.

Puello’s violation is legitimate history to discuss. It also cannot explain punches, missed opportunities, or lost rounds before they happen.

Smith has a boxing problem to solve here. Puello’s southpaw movement could make him a frustrating opponent for a champion coming off his fifth-round stoppage of Subriel Matias in January.

Matias gave Smith opportunities to meet him with hard shots. Puello could make him work much harder to find those openings. If Smith follows without cutting off the ring, he risks spending rounds pursuing a challenger who refuses to give him the fight he wants.

Smith and Eddie Hearn have ambitions for a Hillsborough Stadium event. Puello could spoil those plans through positioning, timing and making the champion miss.

“If anything, they need lifetime bans, don’t they? But it’s out of my hands,” Smith said.

Saturday’s performance is in his hands. Smith can hold strong views on drug penalties while still being expected to handle an awkward mandatory challenger.

If Puello wins, his work in the ring deserves to be the first subject discussed. Smith’s comments have already supplied another one.

Introducing a moral crusade into fight week sets up an immediate psychological cushion. If Dalton goes out there and gets outboxed, frustrated, or dropped, the post-fight discourse among his local base will not be about his inability to cut off the ring or solve Puello’s southpaw stance. The talk will instantly circle back to: Well, Puello should have never been in that ring anyway because of 2023.

It gives sympathetic observers a pre-packaged storyline to diminish Puello’s ring IQ and shield Smith from the harsh reality of being tactically exposed in his own backyard.

The fantasy of a lifetime ban is quite telling. If the WBC or sanctioning bodies had handed down a permanent ban, Puello would be out of the sport entirely. That would have cleared him off Smith’s mandatory radar, allowing Matchroom to steer Smith toward an easier, straight-line brawler or an accommodating voluntary defense where the Sheffield crowd gets their highlight-reel knockout without the sweat.

Puello represents the classic “high-risk, low-reward” assignment. He does not come forward recklessly like Subriel Matias did; he refuses to stand still, he is awkward, he fights out of the southpaw stance, and he makes opponents look clumsy. When a fighter starts preaching about how their opponent technically should not exist in the division just days before the opening bell, it reveals anxiety about the stylistic nightmare waiting for them.

It is far easier to argue Puello should not be legally permitted in the ring than it is to actually pin him down and beat him for twelve rounds.

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Boxing News 24 Desk

BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy.

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