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My suggestion was that if Sulaiman insisted upon adding a weight class, then he should eliminate one. Sulaiman has said he wants to lower the cruiserweight limit to 190, which could create 30-plus-pound differences. I had to laugh when I saw that Rivas outweighed Rozicki by almost 20 pounds, thereby giving him a distinct size advantage. The “bridgerweight” division creates a level playing field for those 224 pounds or less, as we saw on Saturday, when Oscar Rivas (28-1, 19 KOs) outpointed a game Ryan Rozicki (13-1, 13 KOs) to become the first titleholder in the new division. Men between 200 and 225 pounds are often at a disadvantage against the biggest heavyweights. Now, as I’ve written, I understand the thought process beyond the added money it will generate for the sanctioning body. So what does WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman do? He creates an 18 th weight class. One of the biggest problems in boxing is the proliferation of titles, which have become progressively less meaningful as new belts have emerged. I’ll keep saying it: I think the creation of the new “bridgerweight” division was a mistake. And he should do so with his head held high. It would be a perfect time for him to walk away. I would say he got the most out of his talent, which is all any fighter can expect from himself or herself. The 2012 Olympian had an impressive career, bouncing back from early losses to become a world champion at 33 and make three successful defenses. Stevenson had made his point at Herring’s expense. For that reason, the moment referee Mark Nelson stepped in to save a bloodied, beaten Herring from more punishment seemed aptly merciful.Įnough was enough. In other words, there was nothing Herring could do to turn the tide. The younger man was too good and too strong – physically and mentally – to bend to his opponent’s will. Herring had some good moments when he bullied Stevenson, which was his only hope of winning the fight. At the same time, that’s easier said than done when you’re being greeted with quick, hard punches that you can’t see coming. His trainer repeatedly pushed him to work his way inside and let his hands go, which was sound advice.
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Herring (23-3, 11 KOs) has no reason to be ashamed given Stevenson’s ability but he had to expect more from himself. I think it’s going to take the Gervonta Davises and Teofimo Lopezes to test this special fighter. I don’t see Valdez doing much better than Herring did. He has arrived as a genuine force in the sport.Īfterward, he reiterated his desire to face fellow 130-pound champ Oscar Valdez in a title-unification bout. In the end, the 24-year-old from Newark, New Jersey, gave the defining performance of his young career on national television. He stood his ground against a supposedly bigger, strong man, throwing and landing damaging shots both from the outside and toe-to-toe. Think about that.Īnd it wasn’t as if Stevenson (17-0, 9 KOs) was backpedaling or boxing carefully on Saturday. The new titleholder has outlanded his opponents in his last 43 rounds, which goes back five fights. Also worth noting is that Herring landed only 20% of his punches (87 of 436), which gives you an idea of Stevenson’s defensive abilities. Stevenson outlanded Herring 164 to 87 (99 to 41 in power shots), according to CompuBox. Marine, never quit but he didn’t have the tools necessary to survive the storm. The 2016 Olympic silver medalist toyed with a good, experienced fighter with an overwhelming combination of speed and ability, essentially doing as he pleased for nine-plus rounds. However, his performance on Saturday was beyond strong given his opponent it was dazzling, which changed the way I look at him. We all knew going into the fight that Stevenson was a fine boxer and athlete. It’s always exciting when you realize, with no doubt, that you’re witnessing a rare talent.įor me, that moment came on Saturday night, when the gifted Shakur Stevenson outclassed and then stopped then-WBO junior lightweight champion Jamel Herring in the 10 th round to win a major belt in a second division. A critical look at the past week in boxing