Ringside Report’s Fight Report of Recent Results and Upcoming Bouts Around The World
By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart
UK – biggest and most notable
This past weekend was one of the most surprising and explosive of British boxing for quite some time. On Saturday the 13th of November we witnessed the world title fight between Kiko Martinez and Kid Galahad in Sheffield for DAZN ended at the beginning of the sixth round. For the first four rounds, Galahad was in command, showing just why he was world champion. Towards the end of the fifth he got caught and was buzzed. Hurt he got back to his stool, was able to hear instructions and then came out at the sixth to be caught flush by the battling Spaniard. People though Martinez was too old, too done and too easy a first defense for Galahad who has now lost his IBF title at the first defense. It was an immensely brutal knockout and Martinez now has the opportunities Galahad would have had – unless Galahad exercises a rematch clause, and that is not certain. There is chat that he looked done at the weight so he may decide to move up and into the division above.
Under the radar
If the headliner going sideways was not bad enough, Matchroom also lost their second female world champion in a row. On the same bill and on Saturday the 13th of November the WBC and IBO super featherweight titles were sensationally lost by Terri Harper as Alycia Baumgardner tore into her until it too was stopped in the fourth round. Baumgardner was incredible and showed just exactly why she was in the ring for a world title fight. It was an exceptional performance. There might not be a rematch for Harper as she may now also look to go up in weight to get herself back into some form of world title contention.
International – most intriguing
On the self-same Saturday the 13th of November, in Denmark, the WBO female bantamweight title fight between Dina Thorslund and Zulina Munoz ended in the 7th round as Thorslund managed to retain her unbeaten record. I did suggest that she could pop across to the UK and get a decent contest. The way things are going she may have to rush before we have nobody left worth the candle at world level in the female game.
International headline in the UK
Finally, on Saturday the 13th of November, in the Californian sunshine the WBO intercontinental middleweight belt was Jaime Munguia’s after he took a decision over Gabriel Rosado. Munguia showed new skills and was well ahead on the score cards. Bigger opportunities are out there for him and he showed he is at the right level for his skill set to be tested amongst the best out there. Andrade defends on Saturday – will Munguia be watching with serious intent?
Mentioned in dispatches…
We also had Fightzone in Aberdeen, where the welterweight WBC international silver title fight between Dean Sutherland and Michael Esposito, ended with the unbeaten Sutherland stopping Esposito. Queensberry and their next generation in York Hall, saw Shakan Pitters came from behind to stop Reece Cartwright for the WBC international light heavyweight belt in Coventry and on the DAZN bill in Sheffield the EBU cruiserweight champion, Chris Billiam-Smith defended his belt in a point win against Dylan Bregeon!
Fast Forward – the week to come as viewed from one side of the Atlantic
UK – biggest and most notable
We are awaiting the arrival of a much lauded and highly applauded former amateur star on Saturday the 20th of November as this is a debut which has attracted immense interest. Given the number of tremendous female fighters making their mark recently, we now await the entrance of the darling of the amateur scene, and sister of Daniel, Caroline Dubois. She shall be introduced to the professional game in the iconic York Hall and all eyes are on her arrival. The problem is that even at this late stage, there is currently no named opponent. Dubois is a former 2018 Olympic Youth Champion but failed to make her mark in Tokyo in 2021 – she was knocked out in the Quarter Finals. Rather than have another three years waiting for her chance to make that gold medal attempt in Paris 2024, she is now in amongst the professionals. We are waiting with bated breath, given the fact that a few of our women have not quite maintained their marks of late…
Under the radar
This week I have gone way under the radar as my mate, on Friday the 19th of November makes his ring return in Glasgow where there is not one but two cards in two hotels in No Mean City. The one that caught my eye is at the Radisson Blu where The Title Taker is back with Scott Allen ready to take on Waqas Mohammed. Allen made a huge splash a few years ago because he could talk up his game but lost his way a little after successive losses. As a testimony to the many boxers out there who shall not be named as potential title prospects, he is just one of a huge number that shall be delighted to be pulling the gloves back on and getting into the ring, and so on behalf of them I shall keep an eye on him. Also, I could do with seeing his Disney themed ring walk again…
International – most intriguing
On Friday the 18th of November, we have the second “semi-final” of the super lightweight women’s contest as Kali Reis and Jessica Camara square up for the WBO, IBO and the vacant WBO titles. The winner goes in against Chantelle Cameron for all the belts! Reis was highly impressive when she appeared as a pundit on the DAZN show watching Cameron box so we are really looking forward to this fight and the one to come thereafter.
International headline in the UK
But the huge fight on Saturday the 20th of November is the WBO welterweight title fight between Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter. In the wee sma’ hours of Sunday the man looking for some golden Legacy, Crawford, has the opportunity to show his best pound for pound credentials in a massive test. Porter comes to win. We come to marvel as this is a real contest of exceptional skill and great promise. This is number 2 versus number 4 in the Transnational Boxing Rankings which could see a call for the winner to take on number 1 – Errol Spence Jr, OR after he dispatches Jack Catterall in his mandatory defence of his 140lb titles, Josh Taylor could come up and take on who has their hands raised in Las Vegas, in this premium affair.
Mentioned in dispatches…
Over the week we have a plethora of fights for the purists and the casual fans with cards in Worksop, Swindon and Rotherham in the UK but the big fights are in the US – we have the WBA/IBF super bantamweight title fight between Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Jose Velazquez, the WBC flyweight battle between Julio Cesar Martinez and McWilliams Arroyo, and the middleweight WBO fight between Demetrius Andrade and Ireland’s Jason Quigley for the WBO title – all in New Hampshire.
Future History – and the week to follow…
UK – biggest and most notable
Friday 26th November
In Bolton we do have the IBO cruiserweight title fight between Jack Massey and Bilal Laggoune.
Under the radar
Friday 26th November
We have light flyweight former WBC world titlist Jay Harris taking on Hector Gabriel Flores.
International – most intriguing
Saturday 27th November
It must be the first of two massive multi belt fights as super bantamweights Brendan Figueroa takes on Stephen Fulton with the WBC and WBO titles on the line in Las Vegas.
International headline in the UK
Saturday 27th November
And so, it must be the second of the multi belt fights as the WBA, WBO and IBF lightweight belts, untimely ripped from the waist of Vasyl Lomachenko, are on the line as Teofimo Lopez defends and George Kambosis Jr tries to take them away in Madison Square Gardens.
Mentioned in dispatches…
There are quite a few fights on over the weekend including, from Mexico, Erika Cruz v Melissa Esquivelfor for Cruz’s WBA women’s featherweight title, on the Lopez/ Kambosis undercard we have Azinga Fuzile v Kenichi Ogawa, for the vacant IBF junior lightweight title, and Chinese heavyweight Zhilei Zhang takes on Bernardo Marquez whilst in Moscow, Pavel Silmagin is in the ring with Isaac Chilemba for the WBC silver belt. In the UK we have the WBO Global super middleweight crown on the line between Mark Jeffers and Michel Garcia, Commonwealth featherweight action on the same bill in Bolton between Nathanial Collins and Thembani Mbangatha, the Commonwealth lightweight championship title fight between Gavin Gwynne and Jack O’ Keefe and a couple of IBO continental contests in Sheffield with the featherweight belt involving Raza Hamza and the lightweight fight between Hamed Ghaz and Vincenzo Finiello.
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