Boxing
Robby Gonzales assesses the future after his Olympic qualifying defeat
Published
4 months agoon
By
J. HumzaRobby Gonzales, also known as Rahim Gonzales, was once considered one of Team USA Boxing’s best chances for a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics. However, the lithe heavyweight division failed to qualify for the Olympics.
Gonzales’ heartbreaking defeat came at the hands of Weerapon Jongjoho of Thailand during the Second World Qualifying Tournament for the Olympic Games in Bangkok.
Gonzales won the first round on four of the judges’ five scorecards. Jongjoho won the second round on all five judges’ scorecards. The third and final round was devastating for Gonzales as he lost a 3-2 split decision, ending his Olympic dream.
After the fight, Gonzales posted the following on his Instagram account:
“I gave my all in the ring tonight, but it wasn’t supposed to be like this! On the wrong side of a controversial 3-2 split decision against hometown favorite Jongjoho of Thailand. Thank you to the coaches and staff of @usaboxing for the opportunity and support. An amateur career that only a few could dream of!!! World Amateur Champion and number 1 lithe heavyweight in the USA for seven years in a row! If you don’t take the chance, how will you know? Let’s move on to the next chapter of my boxing career… To be continued.”
Gonzales, 28, was expected to medal at the 2020 Olympics, but was unable to qualify due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2019 world rankings became the basis for Team USA’s participation in the Olympic Games due to the cancellation of qualifications. Gonzales did not have the ranking needed to compete. Instead of turning professional, he preferred to wait until the 2024 Olympics.
Gonzales won a gold medal at the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships. Only he and Jahmal Harvey, a featherweight who qualified for the 2024 Olympics, have accomplished the feat for USA Boxing in this event.
In March, Gonzales lost in the second round to Andrej Csemez during Olympic qualifying in Lombardy, Italy. In October, he lost in the first round of the Pan-Am Games to Cristian Pinales. This follows a great 2023 in which he won the Strandja Memorial tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria and the GeeBee tournament in Finland.
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Boxing
Ho Ho Ho: Naoya Inoue Will likely face Sam Goodman on Christmas Eve
Published
1 hour agoon
October 4, 2024Author: Sean Crose
If boxing fans are to be believed, they will have a nice present for themselves this Christmas. As the outlet’s Mike Coppinger reports, Noya Inoue, the undisputed super bantamweight champion of the world, is in the process of finalizing a December 24 contract with Sam Goodman. Goodman, who is largely unknown, will enter the ring as a prohibitive underdog, yet he will receive the opportunity of a lifetime to face perhaps the greatest dynamic fighter in the world. The fight will take place in the early morning hours here in the States, but should be broadcast live, like all of Inoue’s fights.
The 25-year-old Goodman will travel from Australia to Tokyo for this fight. He is undefeated at 19-0, although perhaps the biggest name he faces is TJ Doheny, whom he defeated last year. Stylistically, Goodman strings together his punches effectively. He also has sleek footwork and knows how to put pressure on his opponent. On the other hand, an undefeated challenger has narrow punching power at best. Indeed, only eight of the man’s nearly 20 fights have not gone to the final bell.
This could prove to be a problem for Goodman when he faces Inoue in December. The 31-year-old multi-division champion has a 28-0 record and has stopped all but three of his opponents in the distance. Moreover, Inoue has faced many opponents, from Antonio Nieves to Nonito Donaire to Stephen Fulton. Added to this is Inoue’s incredible self-confidence and thunderous power. They don’t call him “The Monster” for nothing. Inoue’s bodywork in particular is something terrifyingly attractive. Perhaps the Japanese fighter is no longer simply considered great – perhaps he is now seen as an all-time great.
Goodman will certainly have a lot of work to do if this fight happens (which it probably will). Still, warrior careers are relatively low adventures. The degree of slippage becomes apparent after the age of thirty, as is the case with Inoue. However, such slippages have not been recorded yet, and Inoue has already fought twice this year. Even if Inoue starts to lose strength, he will still be a real force to be reckoned with. Great fighters tend to fade at a slower rate than their in-ring peers.
Boxing
Nick Ball and Ronny Rios make weight ahead of their fight in Liverpool
Published
3 hours agoon
October 4, 2024Both Nick Ball and Ronny Rios weighed under 126 pounds as featherweights ahead of Saturday’s WBA title fight at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.
Ball (20-0, 11 KO), 27, is defending the title in his hometown for the first time.
Rios (34-4, 17 KO), 34, is making his third attempt at winning the world title and first at featherweight. The ball hit the scales at 125.1 pounds; his challenger weighed slightly more at 125.6 pounds.
WBA Featherweight Championship – 12 rounds
Nick Ball – 125.1 pounds
Ronny Rios – 125.6 pounds
British and Commonwealth Junior Welterweight Title – 12 rounds
Henry Turner – 139.7 lbs
Jack Rafferty – 139.7 pounds
Bantamweight – 10 rounds
Andrew Cain – 117.1 pounds
Lazaro Casseres – 116.1 pounds
Lithe – 10 rounds
Jader Herrera – 134 pounds
Oliver Flores – 134.6 pounds
Bantamweight – six rounds
Jack Turner – 120.1 lbs
Gonzalo Corinaldesi – 118.1 pounds
Junior welterweight – six rounds
Nelson Birchall – 130.5 pounds
Mark Butler – 129.9 pounds
Welterweight – four rounds
Lucas Biswana – 145.1 pounds
Jakub Laskowski – 144.1lbs
Lightweight – eight rounds
James McGivern – 135.1 pounds
Requ Facundo Arce – 135.4 lbs
Middleweight – four rounds
Joe Cooper – 159.1 pounds
Lukasz Barabasz – 159.1lbs
Junior featherweight category – four rounds
Brad Strand 122.5 pounds
Marvin Solano – 125.7 pounds
Junior middle category – four rounds
Walter Fury – 156.1 pounds
Dale Arrowsmith – 155.1 pounds
Boxing
Ryan Garcia Reveals Plan, May Fight ‘Before He’s Eligible’
Published
4 hours agoon
October 4, 2024LOS ANGELES — Golden Boy Promotions partner Bernard Hopkins suggested this week that Ryan Garcia’s return to the ring could come much sooner than expected.
“People will hear” about Garcia’s plan “very soon,” Hopkins told World Boxing News and other reporters this week. He will compete “before he can get back in the ring.”
Garcia was last seen taking Devin Haney repeatedly to the canvas during his career-best performance in April at the Barclays Center in Modern York.
Drug testers later discovered the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine in the brilliant fighter’s system, and the victory was declared null and void, meaning the result was invalid. Garcia was suspended for one year, backdated to the time of the fight.
Despite the drug scandal and controversy outside the ring, Garcia remains linked to large fights against the likes of Mario Barrios and even Gervonta Davis in a rematch. However, none of these fights could take place earlier than April 2025, when Garcia’s ban expires.
However, to get around this suspension, reports from earlier this summer suggested that Garcia could compete in a boxing event in Japan – potentially in the coming months.
“Ryan Garcia is in good mental and physical condition” and is ready to fight before “returning to the ring,” Hopkins told WBN and other media during a conference in Los Angeles.
“When you find your inner self, your soul, your spirit, you have the opportunity to reflect. These reflections can change your life and career.
“This may be the greatest blessing Ryan Garcia has received, having time to reflect. Now, as he returns to the second act, he can look back at the first chapter,” he said.
Hopkins and Golden Boy Promotions founder Oscar de la Hoya recently met with Garcia. Hopkins told us what they talked about. “He told me he misses boxing. I looked him straight in the eye and asked, “You miss boxing, don’t you, Ryan?”
“And he said, ‘Yeah, man,’ and he literally smiled. He stood up, we embraced and hugged. It’s almost over. Ryan has a plan. His plan will be great.”
Hopkins then suggested that Garcia’s next moves would be announced by the fighter himself and would likely be in line with what was reported this summer – an end-of-year fight, possibly an exhibition, possibly in Japan.
“[That’s] “isn’t too far off” from the reality of the situation, Hopkins said.
“It’s going to be something large. I believe this is an advertisement for what’s next, when he can get back to the sweet competition in a loaded weight class.
“There are a lot of good fights Ryan can have. Boxing needs fights that Ryan will be a part of.”
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