The Different Types of Boxing Gloves

Boxing gloves are an important and yet overlooked aspect of the sport. Boxers must consider many different features of a glove in order to choose the right one for them. Wrist support, knuckle support, room in the hand compartment, and design are a few of the more important factors. One significant similarity, however, is the weight of the glove. Typically, welterweights and lighter fight with eight ounce gloves while junior middleweights and above wear ten ounce gloves.

Though most brands offer different types of gloves, they tend to get associated with a certain style. "Reyes is more of a puncher's glove, and Everlast is more of a boxer's glove," says former undisputed world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

Reyes was founded in Mexico City, Mexico in 1945. Its founder, Claudio Reyes, was an innovator. His product soon gained a reputation as a puncher's glove. “The Reyes boxing gloves are what you use if you want to knock people out,” claims  Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, whose most famous charge, Manny Pacquiao, wore Reyes gloves. 

Writer David Walker explains, "The Reyes glove is known as 'a puncher’s glove' because it has a lightweight feel, a slimmer profile and, most importantly, an inner layer of horsehair padding that tends to flatten down and harden over the course of a fight."

Floyd Mayweather Jr. used Reyes gloves early in his pro career but developed hand problems and switched brands. Hand injuries are a major concern for boxers as former pro Boyd Melson well knows.

"Personally, I liked having a good amount of padding on my knuckles. You’re going to hurt your knuckles, so it’s important to keep them as protected as you can!" says Melson, who wore Everlast gloves in the ring.

Manny Pacquiao wore Reyes gloves

Founded in the Bronx, New York in the early 1910s by Jacob Golomb, the Jewish son of an immigrant tailor, Everlast was initially devoted to swimwear. As the story goes, Golomb provided a down-and-out Jack Dempsey with boxing equipment. In return, Dempsey wore Everlast gloves when he destroyed Jess Willard to win the world heavyweight championship in 1919, and the brand took off.

The great Jewish world lightweight champion Benny Leonard not only wore Everlast, but played an advisory role in the company. More recent Jewish fighters (former WBA world junior middleweight champion) Yuri Foreman and (WBF world junior welterweight champion) Dmitriy Salita wore Everlast gloves, too. While Dempsey was more of a brawler, Leonard, Foreman, and Salita were technically sound boxers to varying degrees.

Everlast is known as a boxer's glove because of the foam padding on the knuckles which is meant to protect them at the expense of power. However, Everlast does sell a puncher's glove called the MX, which uses horsehair as padding.

Cletus Seldin, a massive puncher, has also worn Everlast in several of his fights. Clearly, the gloves have not hindered his knockout power. The Hebrew Hammer has also worn Grant gloves, going back-and-forth between the two types during his career.

Benny Leonard wore Everlast gloves

Grant was founded in 1995 in New York and the gloves are made in Mexico. They are know for their high quality materials. After using Reyes gloves, Floyd Mayweather Jr. moved over to Grant and helped the popularity of the company soar.  Gennady "GGG" is another popular figure who punches with Grant.

Grant gloves are known to protect a boxer's hands but don't take away as much power as some brands. The gloves fit snug and lock in the hand and wrist in a straight line offering wrist protection. Padding around the wrist only enhances the protection. "Every fighter should be fighting in Grant boxing gloves," says Mayweather. "The gloves are extremely comfortable."

Floyd Mayweather Jr. switched to Grant gloves midcareer

Over in the United Kingdom, Lonsdale, founded in 1960 in London, soon developed a
positive reputation. Celebrities hoped to be seen in their clothing. Former pro boxer Tony Milch remembers going with his stepdad to the Lonsdale store on Beak Street in London's shopping hub known as Covent Gardens when he just started boxing. "It was a real old school boxing shop," he recalls fondly. "The original Lonsdale was the best."

In the early 2000s, neo-Nazis throughout Europe began proudly displaying Lonsdale gear. The term "Lonsdale youth" became synonymous with teens who espoused extreme right wing views. These neo-Nazis wore bomber jackets over their Lonsdale shirts, which coincidentally have the letters "nsda" which almost amounts to the initials of Adolph Hitler's Nazi party (NSDAP). Bizarre as that might be, it signified a major problem for Lonsdale, who actively combatted the unwitting association with neo-Nazis by initiating an anti-racist campaign.

Around the same time, in 2002, Sports Direct, now known as the Frasers Group, bought out Lonsdale, just as they would acquire Everlast five years later. The quality of the gloves have worsened since. Tony Milch blames the gloves for a broken right hand and bursitis early in his pro career. "They are not the best quality," Milch says of Lonsdale, "The brand changed and sold out."

Milch, the head of the Gloves and Doves initiative which promotes peace in the Middle East through boxing, prefers Reyes and Winning gloves.

Tony Milch soured on Lonsdale gloves (Marc Morris)

Reyes and Winning are on the opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of style, but both are known for superior quality. While Reyes are puncher's gloves, Winning gloves are often refer to as pillows.

Winning was founded in 1937 in Japan, around the height of its empire. The gloves are of high quality and very expensive. They are protective of a boxer's knuckles and wrists. Some argue that the hand compartment is too snug.

Many boxers, including Floyd Mayweather Jr., train with Winning gloves. They're usually not used in competition because it's difficult to generate power due to the high-level of synthetic padding. However, "The Monster," Naoya Inoue, the most feared bantamweight in the world and a top ten pound-for-pound fighter with 19 KOs in his 22 bouts, fights with Winning gloves. It's a testament to Inoue's punching power that he's able to score so many knockouts with such pillowy gloves.

Naoya Inoue uses Winning gloves

While Winning is generally regarded as the best gloves to protect one's hands, Rival gloves are usually thought of as the coolest looking. Former trainer and current cutman Russ Anber founded the company in Montreal, Canada in 2003. He initiated several design changes, including creating a shorter body of the glove and longer cuff so that the laces are tied on the boxer's wrist. The gloves also have an angular lace track to promote increased wrist support.

Vasiliy Lomachenko and Olexandr Usyk, two of the ten best boxers in the world, wear Rival in the ring. Anber serves as cutman to both fighters. Isaac Chilemba, a contender at super middleweight and light heavyweight for many years, often wears Rival gloves. In fact, his first fight against Tony Bellew on March 30, 2013 was the first time two competing boxers wore Rival gloves in a professional fight outside of Canada.

Isaac Chilemba wears Rival gloves

These are just a few of the more noteworthy brands that sell boxing gloves. In addition to Leone (from Italy), Venum (from France), Title, and Hayabusa, there are many more, each with their own unique makeup. For fans who don't already, be sure to note the boxers' gloves. They can give a window into a fighter's mentality.

Boyd Melson Interview on Ring City USA

 Shawn Porter interviews Boyd Melson for Ring City USA's West Point show.

Boyd Melson on Ring City USA

Melson to Appear on Ring City USA

Boyd "Rainmaker" Melson will be featured on Ring City USA's West Point edition tomorrow: Thursday, April 22. Melson graduated from West Point in 2003. A decorated amateur, he boxed professionally from 2010-2016. The southpaw amassed a record of 15-2-1 with 4 KOs during his time in the paid ranks.

During his career, Boyd promoted a non-profit organization he co-founded called Team Fight to Walk, which aimed to spread awareness and develop a cure for spinal cord injuries. After retiring from the ring, Melson has undertaken numerous endeavors which include an aborted run for the U.S. Congress and assisting Tony Milch's Gloves and Doves project. Boyd is also an active army reservist.

Ring City USA will air live at 9 pm Eastern time in the United States on NBCSports. The card will feature three fights headlined by a clash between Jelena Mrdjenovich and Erika Cruz Hernandez.

The JBB is Back! An Update

The Jewish Boxing Blog is now back. I apologize for not providing any updates and for not getting back to anyone kind enough to email me. I am thrilled to announce the reason I was incommunicado is because my wife and I had twins. They are now a year and a half, and my head is finally just above water.

Since The JBB's last post in January of 2017, not a ton has happened in the world of Jewish boxing. Yuri Foreman hasn't been in the ring since that last post, but he is considering a comeback according to hints he's dropped on Facebook.

After suffering competitive defeats to the best light heavyweights in the world, Sergiy Kovalev, Olexandr Gvozdyk, and Eleider Alvarez, Isaac Chilemba beat Blake Caparello, an Australian boxer whose three losses have been to world class opposition. After the victory in March, Chilemba lost a decision to Dmitry Bivol, a Russian fighter who might be the next light heavyweight star. Chilemba is now 25-6-2 with 10 KOs.

Boyd Melson retired with a 15-2-1 record and flirted with a run for Congress, even raising money for the endeavor.

Carolina Raquel Duer lost two split decisions to Maria Cecilia Roman on August 4, 2017 and then exactly one year later. Duer's record is now 19-5-1 with 6 stoppages.

Tony Milch, the British junior middleweight, out-pointed a 90-fight veteran Arvydas Trizno in May of 2017. Afterwards, Milch suffered his first two career losses. A fifth round stoppage loss to 17-1 (at the time) prospect Matt McCarthy took place on October 10, 2017. Fewer than four months later Milch dropped a close decision to 47-fight veteran Danny Little, who picked up only his seventh victory. Perhaps the 37 year old jumped into the ring too quickly after the TKO loss.

Zachary Wohlman went1-1-1 in 2017. His win was a stoppage victory, Kid Yamaka's second career KO. Each of the three fights were against boxers with more professional fights than Wohlman, but each opponent had a losing record. Wohlman last fought on November 3, 2017, a 4th round KO loss. He is 10-3-2.

After falling to undefeated prospect Charles Foster, Sam Horowitz has faced two opponents with quality records. He lost to David Murray in April of 2017 and then drew with Daniel Najera four months later. He also knockout Skylar Thompson, but the fight was later ruled an exhibition because Thompson weighed too much. Sam retired with a 6-3-2 and 5 KOs.

Dustin Fleischer retired in May of 2017 with a 6-0 record and 5 KOs.

Two young fighters have surfaced since 2017. David Kaminsky is an 18-year old southpaw junior middleweight. The 3-0 boxer punches in combination and attacks the body. He has scored two knockouts thus far and is promoted by Top Rank. Benny "The Jewish Bulldog" Sinakin is a 21 year old light heavyweight from Philadelphia. The former amateur standout is 2-0 as a professional with one knockout and one shutout decision victory.

Melson Defeats Ruiz in Ten Round Bout

Junior middleweight Boyd Melson defeated Mike Ruiz by wide unanimous decision on May 8 at the Hilton Westchester in Rye Brook, New York. After a sloppy start, southpaw Melson took control of the fight with his left hand.

Both Melson and Ruiz hadn't been in the ring in over a year and it showed early. Ruiz implemented his plan of rushing Melson for the first half of the first round, but then seeming fell asleep for the next several minutes. Melson fired punches, but they initially looked awkward and poorly timed.

Melson slowly started to gain a rhythm by the end of the second round. He waved his right jab in order to distract Ruiz and land the left hand. The plan worked well in the third round as well. Ruiz was more active in the third, but his punches were clumsy.

Ruiz's best punch was his left hook and he landed a few stunning ones in the fourth round. After four, The Jewish Boxing Blog had the fight even. Melson slowly found his timing by the fifth round. In the sixth, a left uppercut put Ruiz down. It was a flash knockdown, but even for a 10-8 round. It also changed the momentum of the fight.

Melson dominated the seventh round. He landed crunching straight lefts. After the fight, Melson claimed that he had hurt his left hand in the second round. Melson also added the right hook. When he uses the right hook, Melson becomes a dangerous fighter. The layoff seemed to limit that punch's effectiveness against Ruiz, but it did land in the seventh.

Melson had never gone past eight rounds in his career and it showed. He moved more in the last three rounds of the fight. His defense was tad sloppier. Ruiz seemed to take two of the final three rounds.

The fight was also defined by headbutts, which often happen when a southpaw faces an orthodox fighter. After one nasty collision in the third, Melson asked Ruiz, "You ok?" with genuine concern. He also complimented Ruiz after a particularly stiff jab in the seventh round.

Melson won the fight was scores of 100-89, 99-90, 98-91. Ruiz grimaced in disbelief when he heard the scores. Even Melson was surprised at the 100-89 score. "I felt it was a lot closer," Boyd told boxing announcer Steve Farhood after the fight. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the fight 96-93 for Melson.

Melson improved his record to 15-1-1 with 4 KOs. Ruiz fell to 17-9 with 9 KOs.

Some side notes:
Prior to referee Pete Santiago's pre-fight instructions, ring announcer David Diamonte accidentally put the microphone under a bewildered Mike Ruiz's armpit. Santiago laughed as he called Diamonte over.

Melson weighed in at the lightest he's been in four years. He dropped over 15 pounds in a week before the bout.

Ruiz wore socks to promote autism awareness.

Melson to Face Ruiz

Boyd Melson is scheduled to face Mike Ruiz on May 8 at the Hilton Westchester in Rye Brook, New York. This will be Melson's first fight in 15 months.

Melson (14-1-1, 4 KOs) suffered a couple of injuries in 2014. During a victory over Donald Ward in the historic Roseland Ballroom's last ever boxing match on February 12, Melson injured his right arm. He healed and was scheduled to take on the toughest opponent of his career, Glen Tapia, in July. But Melson tore his left rotator cuff in training.

Melson admitted that he thought his career was over after the rotator cuff injury. But in December, he acknowledged that he "still had some stuff in the basement" and wanted to continue his career.

Melson was originally scheduled to face Mike Ruiz (17-8, 9 KOs) in the Roseland Ballroom's last fight, but Ruiz had to pull out. Ruiz is a quality journeyman from New York. He's 2-3 in his last five, but all three losses have been to good opponents: Tapia, Martin Wright, and Charlie Ota.

This bout is scheduled for ten rounds.

Melson Tears Rotator Cuff

Junior middleweight Boyd Melson (14-1-1, 4 KOs) tore his left rotator cuff in sparring last Tuesday. The injury forces the cancellation of Melson's scheduled match with prospect Glen Tapia that was scheduled for July 26.

In his last fight, Melson suffered a self-described brachial plexus injury, which resulted in a heavy numb right arm. That bout resulted in a unanimous decision victory over Donald Ward in February. If surgery is required, this injury will likely put Melson on the shelf for the rest of the year.

Melson Takes Step Up in Fighting Glen Tapia

Junior middleweight Boyd Melson is scheduled to fight tough prospect Glen Tapia at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on July 26. The fight will take place on the undercard of the HBO-televised Gennady Golovkin-Daniel Geale bout.

Melson (14-1-1, 4 KOs) has won his last four fights since a disputed draw against Jason Thompson to open up the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn. Melson later avenged the draw with a unanimous decision victory over Thomspon. His last fight was last February; Melson fought with one arm in defeating Donald Ward by UD in the final boxing match at the famed Roseland Ballroom.

Tapia (21-1, 13 KOs) is coming off of a first round knockout of Keenan Collins earlier this month. His best win came last July when he stopped Abie Han, who was undefeated at the time. Last December, Tapia showed grit in a loss to all-action contender James Kirkland. Tapia didn't make it out of the sixth round, however.

Tapia's two best punches are the overhand right and the the left hook. Both were effective against Kirkland, who like Melson is a southpaw. But against Kirkland, Tapia showed poor defense. Tapia is best when he's allowed to come forward and pressure his opponent.

Melson can pressure or box, depending on what the occasion calls for. One big issue could be the weight. Against Ward, Melson was originally scheduled to make the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds. The contract had to be changed because Boyd had trouble making the weight. When it was all said and done, Melson couldn't even get under the middleweight limit of 160. Melson hasn't weighed as little as 154 pounds since 2012.

Tapia, a New Jersey native who is eight years younger and an inch taller than Melson, last made the 154 pound limit in the Han fight. He has never been over 159 pounds for a fight. Thus, Melson is the naturally bigger man, an advantage if he isn't drained by making weight.

The bout is scheduled for eight rounds and is currently set for the junior middleweight limit.

Boyd Melson vs. Delen Parsley

March 7, 2012
BB King Blues Club and Grill
New York, New York


Melson: yellow and black trunks
Parsley: silver trunks, black trim

Melson Wins at Roseland

Boyd Melson defeated Donald Ward by majority decision in the last ever boxing match in Roseland Ballroom history. Ward took the fight on ten days notice, a late replacement for Mike Ruiz, who backed out.

Before the bout, Ward expected Melson to try to brawl with him. Melson fought smarter than that. During the first two rounds, Melson rushed in when he found an opening for his left. Initially, Ward came charging in, but he ran into a straight left and remained passive for the rest of the bout. Nicknamed "Rainmaker," Melson effectively cut off the ring and controlled the center.

In the third round, Ward finally showed signs of aggression, landing a number of rights to the body. Melson was warned for hitting behind the head in the round and a cut developed around his right eye after a butt. Ward won the round and changed momentum.

The following round was nearly disastrous for Boyd. He later claimed his suffered a brachial plexus injury, which resulted in a heavy numb right arm. He shook his right repeatedly, but couldn't throw it. With Ward surging, Melson could've lost the fight right then. Instead, he landed with lefts. The setback was a learning experience for Boyd, who won the round anyway.

In the corner, Melson told his coach, "I learned he's a sucker for the straight left," adding the obvious, "Coach, I have no right hand."

Melson continually landed those lefts and then leaned to avoid any counters. It took too long for Ward to adjust. Though Ward had never fought a southpaw until that night, he was known to switch stances. By staying in a southpaw stance, Ward could have better neutralized Melson's straight left. Ward also should have circled to his left to avoid his opponent's left hand. He did neither and lost a slow fifth round.

Ward came back in the sixth and attacked Melson's body again. Melson showed his right hand more, but without conviction. At the end of the round, referee Eddie Cotton yelled, "Stop." Melson threw a right afterwards and immediately, told Ward, "Sorry."

Melson dictated the pace of the seventh and eighth rounds, becoming slightly more confident in his right and landing with his left.

Julie Lederman scored the fight 79-73; Don Trella had it 78-74; and Kevin Morgan inexplicably saw it 76-76. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the fight 78-74 for Melson. A major component of the fight was Melson's weight issue. He weighed in at the second heaviest of his career and couldn't even make the 160 pound middleweight limit. Ward, a native of Memphis, was only 155 pounds and has now lost three of his last four fights.

After the bout, Cotton tried to raise Melson's right in triumph, but Boyd begged him to raise his left instead. Melson moves his record to 14-1-1 with 4 KOs and Ward falls to 6-4 with 3 KOs.

The Roseland Ballroom, opened in 1922, will close down in April. The Manhattan venue has been a staple for Broadway Boxing and has feature a number of current Jewish boxers. This was Melson's fifth appearance at Roseland. Dmitriy Salita, Yuri Foreman, and Ran Nakash all fought at Roseland.

Melson to Face Ruiz

Junior middleweight Boyd Melson is scheduled to face veteran Mike Ruiz on February 12 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, New York. Melson, who took part in the first ever boxing match at Barclay's Center, will take part in the last boxing match at Roseland, which is closing down this spring.

Melson (13-1-1, 4 KOs), a southpaw, is coming off of a convincing win over Gundrick King in December. Ruiz (17-8, 9 KOs) is coming off of a loss to Charlie Ota in November. Ruiz is a tough opponent for Melson. The veteran has been in with Glenn Tapia in addition to Ota. he possesses good power and is best when he comes forward.

Melson hold a height advantage over Ruiz and is the naturally bigger man. Melson has fought mostly within a couple of pounds of the junior middleweight limit. Ruiz has vacillated between welterweight and junior middle. Ruiz, a 28 year old, is four years younger than Melson and has had ten more fights and has 35 more rounds of professional experience.

This bout is scheduled for 10 rounds. Melson has never fought past the eighth round while Ruiz has done so twice.

Melson Outboxes King

Boyd Melson outboxed Gundrick King to win a unanimous decision at BB King Blues Club. Melson's hand speed and accuracy were impressive in the win.

Melson controlled every round. Midway through, the fight had to be stopped due to a ring malfunction, but when the fight resumed, Melson continued to dominate. He won with three scores of 80-72. Melson climbs to 13-1 with 4 KOs while King falls to 18-11 with 11 KOs following his second straight shutout defeat to a Jewish boxer.

Boxing writer Ryan Bicvins had a harsh critique of Melson before the fight, tweeting, "Boyd Melson will probably win this fight clearly. But his career has no upside." After the fight Melson, tweeted to his fans, "Wanted a knockout bad, but dude had a hard head!"

Melson to Face King

Junior middleweight will face Gundrick King at a catchweight tomorrow at BB King Blues Club in New York, New York. Both southpaws weighed in at 158 pounds.

Melson (12-1-1, 4 KOs) is coming off of a rematch victory over Jason Thompson in August. Boyd, who donates his purses to fund stem cell research for spinal cord injuries is an aggressive fighter who can also box from the outside. He'll want to do the latter against King.

King (18-10, 11 KOs) is coming off of a loss to Yuri Foreman in April. King is a short southpaw who prefers to fight from the outside. The straight left is King's best punch and he prefers to counter punch.

The Melson-King bout is scheduled for eight rounds.

Melson Earns UD in Thompson Rematch

Boyd Melson won a unanimous decision victory over Jason Thompson at BB King Blues Club and Grill in New York, New York tonight. The fight marked the first time that Boyd has fought at BB King's since suffering his lone career defeat to Delen Parsley in March of 2012. Melson won by landing counter right hooks Thompson's wide shots.

This bout was a rematch of a dubious draw that took place in the first ever boxing match at Barclays Center last October. In the first fight, both men scored knockdowns, although Melson seemed to control the action for the vast majority of the six rounds.

Thompson jabbed early and landed body shots throughout the fight, but after the second round, he fell back into a pattern of looking to land a big right. That right shook up Melson in the fifth round, but Boyd stayed on his feet.

After landing a couple of straight lefts in the first round, Melson found his money punch, the right hook, in the second round. Melson dominated the third and fourth rounds by boxing, but he went back to counterpunching the rest of the way.

In the sixth, Melson was cut over the right eye by a Thompson punch. Blood poured down his face. Referee Ricky Gonzalez paused the action and brought Melson over to the ringside physician. Boyd immediately blurted out, "I can see!" The fight continued.

In the seventh, blood gushed for the corner of Thompson's right eye. Melson used his right hook to target the cut. That punch landed all round long. When the eighth round started, Boyd looked distracted and Thompson rushed at him. A right stunned Melson, who held. Melson let go and landed a right hook that put Thompson down. Melson kept up his success with the right hook in the final round.

The judges' scores were 78-73 twice and 77-74, all for Melson. After the fight, actor Cuba Gooding Jr entered the ring and gave Melson a big hug. Promoter Lou DiBella said, "I've never promoted a guy with a bigger heart than Boyd Melson."

Melson moves to 12-1-1 with 4 KOs while Thompson falls to 5-7-3 with 4 KOs. Boyd came in at 156 pounds for this bout while Thompson was 153. Melson is considered a junior middleweight, but he has come in over the 154 pound limit in his last four fights. In his 13 pro fights, he has weighed in at 154 pounds or less only four times, while his opponents have done so ten times.

Melson-Thompson Rematch Set

Junior middleweight Boyd Melson is scheduled to face Jason Thompson on August 14 at BB King Blues Club in New York, New York. The two fought to a controversial draw last October in the first ever bout at Brooklyn's Barclays Center last October.

In the first fight, Melson (now 11-1-1, 4 KOs) was nailed by a Thompson (now 5-6-3, 4 KOs) right and fell to the canvas in the first round. Without the flash knockdown, Melson would have won the round. From that point forward, Melson seemed to carry every round and he even knocked Thompson down in the third.

But each of the three judges scored the bout a 56-56 draw. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the bout 58-54 for Melson. At the time, Melson told The JBB that he was "highly frustrated with the decision."

In a press release for the rematch, Melson commented, "Regardless of how I feel I performed or what I and others believe the outcome of the fight should have been, it was ruled a draw." Melson has shown respect for Thompson's ability and for the quality of opposition he's faced, but Melson asserts, "On August 14th, I will be special. I will look different in the ring."

Melson Defeats Perez

Boyd Melson defeated Edgar Perez by unanimous decision at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Melson won with two scores of 60-53 and another of 59-54.

Melson, wearing his customary black and yellow trunks, hurt Perez's body in the second round and commanded the rest of the bout with his southpaw jab. In the fifth, Melson dropped Perez by landing a left cross. Boyd weighed 160.6 pounds for the bout, the heaviest he's ever been for a fight, while Perez was 161.4.

Melson moves his record to 11-1-1 with 4 KOs. After experiencing his fourth straight loss, Perez plummets to 5-4 with three KOs.

Melson has a New Opponent

Troy Lowry has been replaced as junior middleweight Boyd Melson's opponent for his April 27 fight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. In his stead, Edgar Perez, a 34 years-old who fights out of Chicago, Illinois by way of Puerto Rico, gets the call.

Perez (5-3, 3 KOs) has lost his last three bouts and has been stopped in his last two. The three men were a combined 23-1 when Perez faced them and include Jermall Charlo, a well-regarded prospect. Perez has fought as light as 144 pounds and as heavy as 163.75 pounds.

Melson (10-1-1, 4 KOs), who was recently profiled on HBO's Real Sports, is coming off of a disputed draw against Jason Thompson last October. This marks the longest layoff of Melson's career.

The bout is scheduled for six rounds.

Boyd Melson to be Featured on HBO's Real Sports

Boyd Melson will be featured on HBO's Real Sports, first airing today at 10pm ET. Award-winning journalist Frank DeFord will interview Melson and his inspiration, Christian Zaccagnino, on the program.

Zaccagnino, Melson's ex-girlfriend and best friend, suffered a spinal cord injury when she was a child and the two have traveled the world attempting to find a cure since they met.

Donations can be given and more information can be found at Justadollarplease.org and TeamFightToWalk.com.

A 2011 profile of Melson from The JBB is here.
Information on his next fight is here.

Boyd Melson to Fight Troy Lowry

Junior middleweight Boyd Melson faces journeyman Troy Lowry on April 27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. This bout will be on the undercard of a Showtime televised event. It features a  contest of competing narratives for both men.

Melson (10-1-1, 4 KOs) had his roughest year in the ring in 2012. Last year saw Melson post the two numbers that sit beside his double digit wins. He lost to Delen Parsley in March and drew with Jason Thompson, a fighter with a losing record, in October. He's currently experiencing his longest layoff as a professional, six months, which is longer than the amount of time he sat out with an injury last summer. This layoff is due to the Danny Garcia-Zab Judah main event, originally scheduled for February 9, being postponed due to a Garcia injury.

Yet, all is not as bad as it seems. The fight with Parsley was a war that increased the stock of both men. It  was a close fight that could have gone either way. And Parsley remains undefeated. The draw against Thompson was, frankly, a bad decision. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the bout 58-54 for Melson and there really just isn't a case to be made for a draw. In both bouts, Melson put his man down on the canvas.

As was the case with his 2012, Melson's strengths and weaknesses in the ring are all about how you look at them. Boyd hasn't shown good finishing power. He has four knockouts in twelve fights. His last KO came five fights ago. Those four KOs came against a blown up lightweight who went down on the fist punch that landed, a winless fighter who wasn't interested in punching, an MMA fighter trying his luck in boxing, and a man who turned pro at age 33.

But Boyd has power. In his loss and in his draw, Melson scored knockdowns. In fact, he knocked the undefeated Parsley down twice. He is also incredibly strong for his weight and can push an opponent around when he's in the mood.

Melson also has the propensity to get knocked down. It isn't that he has a weak chin per se, it's more that he becomes too square when he rushes in. In the first minute of his pro debut, in the loss to Parlsey, and in the draw with Thompson, Boyd found his bottom on the floor. Each time, he showed the same resiliency in the ring that has driven him to travel the world trying to find a cure for spinal cord injuries (find out more at TeamFightToWalk.com).

The career of Troy Lowry (28-12, 17 KOs) can likewise be viewed from two different vantage points. He's from Minnesota; the Twin Cities have been up and coming in the world of boxing, but have not produced an elite fighter recently. On the positive side, Lowry began his career winning 24 of his first 25 fights until he was decisioned by the late Hector Camacho in 2001. He has fought other world class opponents, as well.

But Lowry simply has not been competitive against them. Yuri Foreman outboxed him on route to a shutout decision in 2005. Peter Quillin and Andy Lee both blasted him out of the ring. Lowry, who is now 42-years old, has lost seven of his previous eight bouts dating back to that Foreman fight.

The good news for Lowry is that the lone win came against an undefeated super middleweight with an overhand right that knocked him out cold in the fifth round. The less good news for Lowry is that the undefeated fighter was Travis Loveless, who donned a built-up record, and neither man had shown much skill up until that point.

In his last fight, a February 2012 debacle against Vanes Martirosyan, Lowry was beat around the ring from the opening bell until the fight was finally stopped in the third round. Lowry couldn't mount anything resembling an offensive attack and had no way of stopping his much younger, much better opponent's punches. At one point in the first, Lowry literally turned and ran away from the onslaught. No word on why referee Laurence Cole or Lowry's corner decided not to stop the fight right then.

Melson must be considered a heavy favorite because he has the skill, strength, and stamina advantage. This fight between Melson and Lowry is scheduled for six rounds.