Junior middleweight Yuri Foreman came up short in his quest to upend one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. Erslandy Lara landed a perfectly timed left uppercut just as Foreman increased his offensive output in the fourth round.
Foreman, who suffered a torn ACL in 2010, moved well early in the fight. His feet were quick, but Foreman wasn't able to hit the target with his jab. Lara landed a crisp straight left to carry a feel-out first round. The Cuban boxer is known for his overhand counter left, but Lara relied on the straight left against Foreman.
Yuri had moments of aggressiveness, but Lara was able to parry the shots and hold. Foreman used feints, but couldn't mount an attack off of his feints. In the third, Foreman tripped over Lara's feet, but referee Sam Burgos erroneously called it a knockdown. Lara led 30-26 as a result.
The bogus knockdown call may have spurred Foreman on in the fourth, because he charged Lara as he threw in combination. That left Foreman open for a short left uppercut. As Yuri staggered to the canvas, Lara flexed his left bicep. Foreman then valiantly tried to pull himself up, but the punch was too powerful. The fight was stopped a minute and 47 seconds into the round.
Despite rust from inactivity Foreman's quick feet and snappy jab showed signs of the old Yuri, but he was in too deep tonight against one of the game's best. Lara's timing was better, his punches were sharper and more powerful, and his defense was impenetrable. Foreman falls to 34-3 with 10 KOs; Lara improves to 24-2-2 with 14 KOs.
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Friday, January 13, 2017
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Foreman to Face Erislandy Lara
Yuri Foreman is set to fight Erislandy Lara, the Transnational Boxing Ratings third ranked junior middleweight in the world. Foreman has only fought twice in the past three years; both were against inferior opponents.
Lara (23-2-2, 13 KOs) is even better than his record suggests. His two losses, a 2011 majority decision loss to Paul Williams and a 2014 split decision defeat to Canelo Alvarez, were both questionable. Lara used the counter overhand left to pummel Williams to the point where outside observers feared for the lanky lefty's safety. The judges who scored the fight were suspended for their scores. The fight against Canelo was more competitive, but Lara's masterful defense and precise counters seemed to be enough to give the Cuban the victory.
If Foreman (34-2, 10 KOs) is sharp, he is an expert boxer who can control a fight with his jab and has deceptive power. His movement often keeps opponents off balance. Against Miguel Cotto in 2009, Foreman showed an other-worldly toughness by fighting on despite a torn ACL.
But Foreman has a couple of disadvantages. Lara has been far more active recently. He has fought six times since December 2013 while Foreman has only entered the ring twice in the same span. Lara has also faced the tougher competition. In addition to Canelo and Paul Williams, Lara has faced Austin Trout, Alfredo Angulo, Vanes Martirosyan (twice), Jan Zaveck, Ishe Smith, and Carlos Molina- all since 2011. Foreman has fought world class competition in his own right, but not since 2011.
Lara, a 33 year old southpaw, has a three year age advantage and a more prolific amateur career than Foreman. Yuri has a two inch height advantage, but Lara has a two inch reach advantage according to BoxRec.
This fight could end up being a strategic battle. Foreman's best shot is movement and activity. If he can grab each round by outworking Lara with the jab, he can pull of an upset decision. Lara lost decisions against Williams and Alvarez because he didn't throw enough punches and judges tend to score aggressiveness and punch output. But Lara is one of the toughest boxers to hit and is one of the best counter punches in the game, so Yuri should pump out his jab at his own risk.
The fight is scheduled for twelve rounds at Hialeah Park Racing & Casino in Hialeah, Florida. The fight will be televised on Spike in the United States.
Lara (23-2-2, 13 KOs) is even better than his record suggests. His two losses, a 2011 majority decision loss to Paul Williams and a 2014 split decision defeat to Canelo Alvarez, were both questionable. Lara used the counter overhand left to pummel Williams to the point where outside observers feared for the lanky lefty's safety. The judges who scored the fight were suspended for their scores. The fight against Canelo was more competitive, but Lara's masterful defense and precise counters seemed to be enough to give the Cuban the victory.
If Foreman (34-2, 10 KOs) is sharp, he is an expert boxer who can control a fight with his jab and has deceptive power. His movement often keeps opponents off balance. Against Miguel Cotto in 2009, Foreman showed an other-worldly toughness by fighting on despite a torn ACL.
But Foreman has a couple of disadvantages. Lara has been far more active recently. He has fought six times since December 2013 while Foreman has only entered the ring twice in the same span. Lara has also faced the tougher competition. In addition to Canelo and Paul Williams, Lara has faced Austin Trout, Alfredo Angulo, Vanes Martirosyan (twice), Jan Zaveck, Ishe Smith, and Carlos Molina- all since 2011. Foreman has fought world class competition in his own right, but not since 2011.
Lara, a 33 year old southpaw, has a three year age advantage and a more prolific amateur career than Foreman. Yuri has a two inch height advantage, but Lara has a two inch reach advantage according to BoxRec.
This fight could end up being a strategic battle. Foreman's best shot is movement and activity. If he can grab each round by outworking Lara with the jab, he can pull of an upset decision. Lara lost decisions against Williams and Alvarez because he didn't throw enough punches and judges tend to score aggressiveness and punch output. But Lara is one of the toughest boxers to hit and is one of the best counter punches in the game, so Yuri should pump out his jab at his own risk.
The fight is scheduled for twelve rounds at Hialeah Park Racing & Casino in Hialeah, Florida. The fight will be televised on Spike in the United States.
Friday, July 15, 2016
Milch to Fight this Month
Junior Middleweight Tony Milch is scheduled to fight at York Hall in London, England on July 30. Milch has fought at York Hall twice before, including his last fight last month.
The undefeated Brit has faced only one opponent with a winning record. He has won two six round affairs. His next fight is scheduled for a career high eight rounds.
Milch is 10-0 with one KO. The 35 year old doesn't have an announced opponent as of yet.
The undefeated Brit has faced only one opponent with a winning record. He has won two six round affairs. His next fight is scheduled for a career high eight rounds.
Milch is 10-0 with one KO. The 35 year old doesn't have an announced opponent as of yet.
Monday, July 11, 2016
Chilemba Takes Kovalev the Distance
Light heavyweight Isaac Chilemba dropped a unanimous decision to Sergey Kovalev tonight in the latter's hometown of Ekaterinburg, Russia. Kovalev, who the Transnational Boxing Rankings rate as the number 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, holds three world championship straps. He is the number one contender for the linear light heavyweight championship.
Chilemba proved to be a tough opponent for Kovalev. He used constant movement to avoid Kovalev's vicious right hand. Kovalev said after the fight, "Target moves every time. His style is very uncomfortable for me." Chilemba jabbed effective and landed the right to the body without receiving a counter on numerous occasions.
Kovalev controlled center ring, and though he was outboxed for the majority of each round, a few powerful shots erased all of Chilemba's work nearly every time. Kovalev's power was the difference.
The Russian star possesses a thunderous jab and a scary right hand. Chilemba tip toed on a tightrope for the first six rounds until he fell in the seventh. Kovalev finally caught up with the crafty defensive fighter and landed a hellacious combination. A right punctuated the punishment. Chilemba fought with all of his heart to stay upright, but he stumbled backward and fell to the canvas.
Isaac rose, but his legs weren't sturdy. It seemed that, for the first time in his career, Isaac could be stopped. But he managed through and refused to run in the eighth. He landed a left hook and jabbed to win the first two minutes and 30 seconds of the eighth, but Kovalev won the round with another frightening combination. Somehow, Chilemba managed to remain on his feat.
Isaac fought well the rest of the way, but the outcome was no longer in doubt. Chilemba's jab and defense were world class. The man from Malawi can sometimes rely too much on those attributes, but he utilized the right to the body and left hooks to the head against Kovalev. Kovalev was simply too powerful and too aggressive. When the two traded, Kovalev's advantage in power was evident.
Roy Jones Jr. said of Isaac, "Chilemba is a puzzle you have to figure out. You might beat him, but you'll have to work for it." Kovalev won with scores of 118-109, 117-110, 116-111, but he had to work for it. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the fight 117-110 for Chilemba.
Kovalev improves to 30-0-1 with 26 KOs. He faces Andre Ward in November in what is considered to be a superfight.
Chilemba became only the second fighter to go the full 12 rounds against Kovalev. Bernard Hopkins is the only other boxer to take Kovalev even past eight rounds, Isaac's record is now 24-4-2 with 10 KOs
Chilemba proved to be a tough opponent for Kovalev. He used constant movement to avoid Kovalev's vicious right hand. Kovalev said after the fight, "Target moves every time. His style is very uncomfortable for me." Chilemba jabbed effective and landed the right to the body without receiving a counter on numerous occasions.
Kovalev controlled center ring, and though he was outboxed for the majority of each round, a few powerful shots erased all of Chilemba's work nearly every time. Kovalev's power was the difference.
The Russian star possesses a thunderous jab and a scary right hand. Chilemba tip toed on a tightrope for the first six rounds until he fell in the seventh. Kovalev finally caught up with the crafty defensive fighter and landed a hellacious combination. A right punctuated the punishment. Chilemba fought with all of his heart to stay upright, but he stumbled backward and fell to the canvas.
Isaac rose, but his legs weren't sturdy. It seemed that, for the first time in his career, Isaac could be stopped. But he managed through and refused to run in the eighth. He landed a left hook and jabbed to win the first two minutes and 30 seconds of the eighth, but Kovalev won the round with another frightening combination. Somehow, Chilemba managed to remain on his feat.
Isaac fought well the rest of the way, but the outcome was no longer in doubt. Chilemba's jab and defense were world class. The man from Malawi can sometimes rely too much on those attributes, but he utilized the right to the body and left hooks to the head against Kovalev. Kovalev was simply too powerful and too aggressive. When the two traded, Kovalev's advantage in power was evident.
Roy Jones Jr. said of Isaac, "Chilemba is a puzzle you have to figure out. You might beat him, but you'll have to work for it." Kovalev won with scores of 118-109, 117-110, 116-111, but he had to work for it. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the fight 117-110 for Chilemba.
Kovalev improves to 30-0-1 with 26 KOs. He faces Andre Ward in November in what is considered to be a superfight.
Chilemba became only the second fighter to go the full 12 rounds against Kovalev. Bernard Hopkins is the only other boxer to take Kovalev even past eight rounds, Isaac's record is now 24-4-2 with 10 KOs
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