This previous weekend was highlighted by two large boxing playing cards in New York. On Friday, an all-women card that included six title fights with an unprecedented 17 titles on the road happened at Madison Sq. Backyard below the Most Worthwhile Promotions banner.
In the primary occasion, undisputed junior welterweight champion Katie Taylor defeated Amanda Serrano by majority resolution to stay unbeaten of their struggle trilogy. It was a superb efficiency by Taylor, who determined to decelerate the tempo to maintain Serrano guessing and out of vary.
Additionally on the cardboard, Alycia Baumgardner retained her undisputed junior light-weight championship, however beat Jennifer Miranda in much less spectacular style. Shadasia Inexperienced scored an upset of Savannah Marshall that unified two tremendous middleweight titles. Late alternative Cherneka Johnson took benefit of her alternative and have become undisputed bantamweight champion with a TKO win over Shurretta Metcalf.
On Saturday, at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, The Ring III card noticed light-weight champion Shakur Stevenson change his common defensive strategy to a extra aggressive assault. He dominated beforehand unbeaten energy puncher William Zepeda. Hamzah Sheeraz, making his tremendous middleweight debut, knocked out Edgar Berlanga within the fifth spherical to get a step nearer to a megafight for the undisputed championship. Subirel Matias went the space for the primary time in his profession in a must-needed victory over Alberto Puello to say the WBC junior welterweight title. Andreas Hale took in each struggle on each New York playing cards and grades the performances of all the highest fighters.
Friday report card
Katie Taylor: B
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Taylor: No person can deny I gained this struggle
Katie Taylor believes her third victory over Amanda Serrano was her most dominant victory within the trilogy.
It wasn’t the slugfest of the earlier two conferences. The tempo was slower than their earlier two fights and the output degree was decrease, which brings down the grade right here, however Taylor lastly fought the struggle she wished in opposition to Serrano. Taylor used motion and a verify hook and doubled up on the proper hand to manage lengthy stretches of the struggle. Her efficiency emphatically proved Taylor is the higher fighter.
Amanda Serrano: D
Serrano had an terrible sport plan in opposition to Taylor of their third struggle. She opted to field as an alternative of swarm and located herself on the shedding finish of a call that wasn’t as shut as the primary two fights. Serrano admitted in her postfight interview that she did not imagine her technique from the primary two conferences would get the job executed within the third, however her aggressive strategy in these performances gained over followers and left room for opinions that she ought to have been up 2-0. As an alternative, she allowed Taylor to struggle her struggle and misplaced a transparent resolution. Serrano continues to be one of many greats, however this wasn’t the proper strategy.
Alycia Baumgardner: C
“The Bomb” did not exhibit her vaunted energy in opposition to the light-hitting Miranda and did not essentially impress those that had by no means seen her struggle. She will get a slight go as a result of she had been comparatively inactive the previous couple of years. However, she performed it protected regardless of being ready to win over new followers together with her energy. Baumgardner promised in her postfight interview that issues will solely get higher from right here, an strategy that might remind followers what made her an undisputed champion within the first place. She has all of the instruments to be a star.
Shadasia Inexperienced: B
Inexperienced was a big underdog in her struggle with former undisputed tremendous middleweight champion Marshall and dug herself a reasonably deep gap by having some extent deducted in Spherical 4 for extreme holding. However the uncooked expertise and grit of Inexperienced pulled her by means of, and he or she gained a break up resolution to grow to be unified champion. It wasn’t an ideal efficiency however proved that Inexperienced is the diamond within the tough that Jake Paul’s MVP thought she was. Extra importantly, she set herself up for a possible blockbuster showdown with ESPN’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, Claressa Shields.
Cherneka Johnson: B
Johnson wasn’t even initially on the cardboard however acquired the decision to affix MVP after Dina Thorslund withdrew when she realized she is pregnant. Johnson took full benefit of the chance and tore by means of Metcalf with a ninth-round stoppage in a bantamweight battle to grow to be Australia’s first undisputed champion. She made a robust impression and is now in prime place to grow to be a star.
Saturday report card
Shakur Stevenson: A
Stevenson silenced those that referred to as his type boring by staying within the pocket and outslugging a slugger in a dominant unanimous resolution win in opposition to Zepeda. He did not must placed on an thrilling efficiency to beat the offensive-minded Zepeda, however he fought like he wished to show some extent to his doubters. His struggle might have simply been within the headlining spot, provided that Stevenson is among the many greatest pound-for-pound fighters on the earth and was defending his light-weight championship. He landed an absurd 52.2% of his punches (295 of 565), weathered each single storm he encountered from Zepeda and gained almost each spherical on the scorecards (118-110, 118-110 and 119-109). This efficiency proves he can win in nearly any type he needs.
William Zepeda: C
Zepeda fought the best way he all the time fights, launching a ridiculous 979 punches at his opponent. He gave Stevenson all he might deal with with a relentless offensive strategy that had been ok to beat 33 different fighters, however Stevenson was too good to be overwhelmed by Zepeda’s output. Zepeda landed simply 27.8% of his complete punches and was too straightforward for Stevenson to search out, with Stevenson touchdown over 50%. Zepeda left with a loss, however followers will wish to see him once more due to his thrilling type.
Hamzah Sheeraz: A
Sheeraz needed to hearken to Berlanga’s trash discuss for months, about how he was going to make quick work of the Brit, who was making his tremendous middleweight debut. Berlanga had the backing of New York Metropolis when the 2 met in the primary occasion at Louis Armstrong Stadium, with Berlanga being accompanied by Fats Joe and Remy Ma performing their hit “Lean Again” for his entrance. Satirically, it could be Sheeraz who compelled Berlanga to “lean again” by knocking the Puerto Rican down thrice and choosing up a formidable fifth-round knockout. He proved that the transfer to 168 kilos was the proper one and now units himself up for the winner of Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford.
Edgar Berlanga: F
For all of the speaking that Berlanga did to Sheeraz (and promoter Oscar De La Hoya), he could not again it up and was blown out in 5 rounds. Hubris has appeared to get the most effective of the Puerto Rican, who burst onto the scene by profitable his first 16 fights by first-round knockout. In September he landed a struggle in opposition to Alvarez that proved to be too early in his profession, in a one-sided unanimous resolution loss. He got here into this struggle filled with confidence, however he was dropped thrice in entrance of his dwelling followers. Hopefully this humbling second for Berlanga will get him again within the lab to repair the holes in his sport. He is proficient however might want to notice his limitations shifting ahead.
Subriel Matias: B-
Matias gained a call for the primary time in his profession, a hard-fought battle with Puello to grow to be the WBC junior welterweight champion. Matias, who entered the struggle with a 100% knockout-to-win ratio, definitely tried so as to add one other knockout to his report with a full-court press of Puello. He stayed on his entrance foot for almost all the struggle, bouncing punches off each a part of Puello’s physique. However he began to put on down late and needed to grasp on for a slender majority resolution win. If Puello had energy, this may need been a special end result.
Alberto Puello: C+
Puello was compelled to cope with the relentless strain of knockout artist Matias and almost escaped along with his title. He fought effectively off his again foot, weathering the storm and utilizing crisp counterpunching. He by no means allowed the struggle to get away from him, managing to grow to be the primary fighter to go all 12 rounds with Matias. Puello is artful, however his lack of energy in the end did him in.