COAST TO COAST
Paul Wheeler previews two world title bills on opposite sides of America
Previewing two big bills in New York and California, including Garcia vs Porter
THE welterweight division is loaded with top-quality talent. So much so that Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter – two genuine worldclass operators – are not even considered to be in the very top tier at 147lbs. Unbeaten Americans Errol Spence Jnr (IBF champion), Terence Crawford (WBO titlist) and Keith Thurman (WBA king) are generally regarded as the elite trio in the weight class, with their countrymen, Garcia and Porter, positioned just one rung down.
This Saturday (September 8), inside Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Garcia and Porter vie for the vacant WBC title, live on Boxnation (UK) and Showtime (US). The championship was voluntarily relinquished in April by the aforementioned Thurman, who is recovering from elbow and hand injuries. Both Garcia and Porter know Thurman well, having each suffered close points defeats to him.
In June 2016, Porter and Thurman engaged in a thrilling battle, with the latter winning by only two points on all three of the judges’ scorecards. The victory saw Thurman retain his WBA crown, which he put on the line a little over eight months later in a unification clash against then-wbc ruler Garcia. Thurman walked away with both belts following a tight split verdict success.
The Thurman setback is the only blemish on Garcia’s record. The 30-yearold Philadelphian boasts 34 wins (20 inside time), with the most recent coming via ninth-round stoppage in February against war-torn former WBA lightweight boss Brandon Rios. Garcia has scalped
various other notable adversaries, including Erik Morales (twice – ud 12 & ko 4), Amir Khan (rsf 4), Zab Judah (ud 12), Lucas Matthysse (ud 12), Lamont Peterson (md 12), Paulie Malignaggi (rsf 9) and Robert Guerrero (ud 12). The Khan triumph in July 2012 was particularly noteworthy in that it established Garcia as a unified world champion at superlightweight (WBC and WBA).
Unlike Garcia, the 28-2-1 (17) Porter has not unified a division in the past, nor has he collected world honours at two weights. The Ohioan has, however, reigned as the IBF welter king. He took the title from Devon Alexander – then a two-weight world champ – on a unanimous decision in December 2013, before making a successful first defence four months later against future Garcia victim Malignaggi (rsf 4). Kell Brook – undefeated at the time – was next up for Porter in August 2014. After a gritty, competitive scrap, Brook came out with the crown thanks to a majority verdict.
Other significant names on Porter’s ledger include Julio Diaz – whom the Akron native unanimously outscored after previously being held to a disappointing split draw – and Adrien Broner, against whom Porter recorded arguably the best result of his career so far – a unanimous points victory at a 144lb catchweight. The Las Vegas-based 30-year-old has not fought so far in 2018, but did compete twice last year. In April of 2017, ex-two-time world welterweight titlist Andre Berto was halted in nine, before teak-tough fringe contender Adrian Granados was beaten via unanimous verdict in November.
Both Garcia and Porter enjoyed extensive and fruitful amateur careers prior to turning over, each operating in different styles. Whereas Garcia is primarily a sharp boxerpuncher, Porter is more of a tenacious, non-stop swarmer, although he can circle opponents and work off his stinging jab when required. Garcia, too, employs a fine jab, which he tends to follow up with effective body shots. An intelligent and composed punch-picker who connects with well-timed counters, Garcia’s honey punch is undoubtedly his devastating left hook.
Like Garcia, the stocky and athletic Porter is known for having a solid chin, despite being decked by Broner back in June 2015. Attack-minded and aggressive, Porter sets a high pace with his relentless engine and tireless work rate. His fast feet allow him to race across the ring and force his rivals back to the ropes, where he can make use of his bullish strength by getting in close and unleashing strikes to head and body. Considering how well matched the two fighters are, predicting a winner is an unenviable task. Porter is the stronger and more physical man, but Garcia packs the greater one-punch power. After 12 rounds of hard-fought, nip-andtuck action, the fans, pundits and possibly even the judges will have divided outlooks on who deserves the verdict. Ultimately, the cleaner and more eye-catching work of Garcia will prove decisive on the scorecards.
ANOTHER important welterweight 12-rounder takes place on the undercard of this Dibella Entertainment/tgb/sampson Boxing co-promotion, as Miami-based Cuban Yordenis Ugas, 22-3 (11), takes on Argentine portsider Cesar Barrionuevo, 34-3-2 (24) 1NC. The two boxers are highly rated by both the WBC and IBF, so the winner will find themselves a step closer to achieving a world title shot. Salta’s Barrionuevo is rugged and can dig, but the languid Ugas [inset] is by
far the more accomplished technician, having claimed Olympic bronze (2008) and World gold (2005) in the unpaid ranks. Ugas can punish Barrionuevo with accurate, spiteful blows, resulting in an inside-the-distance victory.
DEEMED by some as the worst world heavyweight champion in history, Saint Louis southpaw Charles Martin, 25-1-1 (23), goes over 10 against unbeaten Pole Adam Kownacki, 17-0 (14), further down the bill. Martin, who fights out of Carson, California, fortuitously won the vacant IBF strap in January 2016 after Vyacheslav Glazkov injured his knee in the third round and was unable to continue. Martin surrendered the belt just 84 days later, falling victim to the destructive fists of Anthony Joshua, who KO’D him in only four-and-a-half minutes. Adopted Brooklynite Kownacki – an all-action slugger – can consign Martin to another inside-schedule defeat.
THE second world title fight on the card sees local favourite Amanda Serrano, 34-1-1 (26), and Argentina’s Yamila Reynoso, 11-4-3 (8), contest the vacant WBO female super-lightweight crown over 10-twos. If Puerto Rico’s Serrano is victorious, she will become a six-division world titlist, having previously ruled at bantamweight through to lightweight. For General Villegas’ Reynoso, this will be her third crack at securing world honours. Lefthander Serrano is a heavy hitter who is used to stopping her opponents, but against a naturally bigger woman in Reynoso, she will likely have to settle for a points win. Incidentally, Amanda’s elder sister, Cindy Serrano, challenges unified world lightweight champ Katie Taylor next month. Amanda and Taylor could well collide next.
ON the same night over the opposite side of the US at the Forum in Inglewood, California, Tom Loeffler promotes the third instalment of HBO’S popular Superfly series. In the 12-round main event, Juan Francisco
Estrada and Felipe Orucuta face off in an all-mexican affair that serves as an eliminator for the WBC super-flyweight title, which is currently held by poundfor-pounder Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
In February, Estrada, 36-3 (25), came close to getting his hands on the WBC strap, but was pipped to a majority decision by Srisaket in a sensational clash. The Hermosillo resident also more than held his own during a November 2012 WBA light-flyweight title tilt against former pound-for-pound supremo Roman Gonzalez (l ud 12). The other six world title bouts that Estrada has been involved in have all resulted in success for the 28-year-old. In April 2013, he wrested the WBA and WBO flyweight belts from the respected Brian Viloria via split verdict. Five triumphant defences followed for Estrada, including against prominent names in Milan Melindo (ud 12), Giovani Segura (rsf 11) and Hernan Marquez (ko 10). Five-and-a-half months prior to the Srisaket reverse, Estrada scored his best win as a super-flyweight so far – a razorthin unanimous points victory over past Srisaket conqueror Carlos Cuadras. Orucuta, 36-4 (30), has taken part in a couple of high-profile 115lb encounters himself, both against then-long-time WBO leader Omar Narvaez on away turf
in Argentina. In May 2013, the 32-yearold Nicolas Romero resident lost out on a split decision before, 16 months later, dropping a majority verdict.
Orucuta is presently on a run of five straight stoppage wins, albeit against foes significantly below Estrada’s level. Nicknamed “Gallito”, or “Tough Guy”, Orucuta is a dangerous puncher who possesses advantages in height and reach over his upcoming opponent. Nevertheless, it would be a major surprise were he to overcome the gifted Estrada this weekend. An astute and versatile fighter who can box on the back foot or vigorously press ahead on the attack, the pick is for Estrada to earn a merited points victory.
THE sole world title fight on the card pitches a pair of Filipinos against one another for the vacant WBO superflyweight strap – a belt that was vacated by Naoya Inoue upon moving up to bantamweight. The contest will mark the 115lb debut of Donnie Nietes, 41-1-4 (23), whose record in world title bouts reads a remarkable 16-0-1. A former world champion at strawweight, lightflyweight and flyweight, the evergreen Bacolod City veteran has been a pro for nearly 15-and-a-half years, with his only loss coming an incredible 14 years ago. Bago City’s Aston Palicte, 24-2 (20), is the man aiming to prevent him from becoming a four-weight world titlist. The heavy-handed Palicte is an imposing physical specimen at super-fly, but Nietes represents a massive step up in class for him. With this in mind, the seasoned campaigner is favoured to outsmart his less experienced rival on points. THE pick of the three headline super-flyweight bouts is the 10-rounder between Japan’s Kazuto Ioka, 22-1 (13), and Puerto Rican Mcwilliams Arroyo, 17-3 (14). Ioka, who is returning after a shock, short-lived retirement, is an ex-unified world titleholder at strawweight, as well as a previous world champ at light-flyweight and flyweight. Arroyo [inset] is yet to taste global glory as a professional, although he did win a gold medal at the 2009 World championships as an amateur, in addition to competing at the 2008 Olympics. The Fajardo switch-hitter has challenged for world honours twice in the past, and a victory over Ioka would put him right in the mix for a third stab at the sport’s biggest prize. The Tokyo man has never fought outside of his home nation before, whereas for Arroyo, this will be his third appearance in a row at the Forum. It is very difficult to separate these two quality fighters, but the in-form Arroyo may well just shade it in the judges’ eyes.
YOU don’t come across many bouts fought at atomweight, but that is the weight class in which Australia’s Louisa Hawton, 8-1 (4), and Mexico’s Brenda Flores, 12-4-1 (2), will compete on the Superfly undercard. Former WBO female light-flyweight queen Hawton, of Perth, has performed at a higher level than Flores, and she should prove too much for her Tijuanan opponent. Expect Hawton to take the decision over 10-twos and claim the vacant WBC 102lb title in the process.
THE VERDICT Some interesting fights on both shows, but Garcia vs Porter is the pick of the bunch.