Taylor unanimously outpoints Ramirez in unification bout Biles makes history in return to ‘competition’ at US Classic
LAS VEGAS, May 23, (AP): Scotland’s Josh Taylor said his unification bout with Jose Ramirez started much earlier than.
“The plan was to get inside of Ramirez’s head and use his aggression against him. It worked perfectly all week,” Taylor said.
Indeed it did, as Taylor knocked down Ramirez in the sixth and seventh rounds and unanimously outpointed him Saturday night to become the undisputed junior welterweight champion.
All three judges scored it 114-112. “I walked him into some good shots,” said Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs). “I knew he would try for a left hook to the body or the right hook up to the head, the big right hook he’s very good at that. He left himself open, puts his head down and I took a step back and hit him with the uppercut.”
BOXING
Taylor’s big left counter cross to the jaw dropped Ramirez early in the sixth round and he used a destructive left uppercut in the seventh round. The second knockdown clearly dazed Ramirez, as referee Kenny Bayless had to ask him twice to step forward without stumbling.
“I actually think the referee gave him too much time,” Taylor said. “That should have been fight over.”
Taylor, who already held the WBA and IBF titles, is the first Scottish fighter to attain undisputed status after taking Ramirez’s WBC and WBO belts.
Despite Taylor exhibiting tremendous speed, Ramirez (26-1, 17 KOs) was in control early in the fight and won three of the first four rounds. While ducking in and out of Taylor’s left hand, Ramirez was able to close the gap and keep his body close enough to land short power shots to the body, and occasional slips to the head.
An early third-round spree by Ramirez left Taylor staggered, as he continued to wear down the 30-yearold and ended his best round with a 2511 advantage with landed shots – 21 of them power shots. Ramirez registered 30 more attempts in the third round, leading Taylor to come out cautious in the fourth. It also made it easier for Ramirez to close the gap and stay in tight, where he is used to fighting in a comfort zone and stand to shoulder to shoulder while answering everything thrown his way. Meanwhile, a frustrated Taylor, whose left eye was cut in the third, was warned for a third time for pulling Ramirez’s head down.
“I thought, after the fifth round, ya know I’m doing really well,” said Ramirez, 28, who had only been knocked down twice previously. “I felt like I was winning the sixth round, too, until the knockdown came.”
Taylor’s patience through the first five helped him transition from being disciplined and to a strategic tactician who set Ramirez up perfectly as he continued to charge into attack. Taylor’s counter punches proved to be too much.
“It was quite easy to keep the distance and keep boxing him,” Taylor said of his game plan. “I actually could have made that fight a bit easier if I kept a little bit more disciplined. When he got success was when I put my hands up and closed my guard and let him through. He was strong doing that.
“My will to win is second to none, I’m so determined. I’ve done everything right this week.”
It marked the second time the 140-pound title was unified. Terrence Crawford beat Julius Indongo with a third-round knockout the first time on Aug 19, 2017.
INDIANAPOLIS, May 23, (AP): Simone Biles and her ever-expanding array of signature skills sure look ready for the Tokyo Olympics.
The reigning world and Olympic champion returned to competition for the first time in more than 18 months by cruising to victory at the U.S. Classic.
The 24-year-old continued her quest to push the boundaries of what’s possible by a female gymnast in the process.
Biles’ all-around score of 58.400 easily the best of the night in a crowded field of seniors trying to join Biles on the U.S. Olympic team this summer was almost beside the point.
GYMNASTICS
The Yurchenko double pike vault has historically only been done by men. Not anymore. Biles sprinted down the runway, did a roundoff onto the springboard followed by a back handspring onto the vault, finishing with two backflips with her legs ramrod straight and her hands seemingly magnetized to her hamstrings. Biles had so much momentum when she landed that she hopped back a step or two.
No matter. Her score of 16.100 was higher than either of her gold medalwinning vaults at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. And that was with the judges dinging her for the extra steps.
The rest of her night was steady, if not spectacular. She sailed off the uneven bars on her final event on an element that she has struggled with in practice.
The miscue was merely a speedbump on a night when she showcased what separates her from every other gymnast in the sport’s long history.
Wearing a white leotard with a rhinestone goat - a nod to her status as the Greatest of All-Time - on the back, Biles posted the highest scores of the night on balance beam, floor exercise and vault.
So much for being rusty after the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the Olympics back a year.
The miscue on bars will give Biles something to focus on before the national championships in Fort Worth, Texas, next month.
Behind her, however, the picture for who will join her in Japan in July remains unclear.
Jordan Chiles, a friend and teammate of Biles, is moving closer to being a favorite for one of the remaining spots available. The 20-year-old proved her victory in the Winter Cup in February was no fluke. Chiles finished second in the all-around (57.100) to Biles and ranked in the top four in each of the four events.
Kayla DiCello came in third, buoyed by a victory on bars.
Chellsie Memmel clenched her fists in joy after landing her vault in her first competitive meet in more than nine years. The 2005 world all-around champion and 2008 Olympic silver medalist’s score of 13.750 didn’t matter. Neither did a nervous beam routine that finished with an 11.800. Saturday was about simply arriving at the moment itself.