ODDS AND ENDS || FIGHTHYPE.COM

There was plenty of stuff happening this weekend and over the previous couple of days, so let’s take a bite-size have a look at most of it in my semi-regular Odds and Ends version of Notes from the Boxing Underground.

– I’ll begin this Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez-Sunny Edwards mini recap off with some blunt power trauma. Most UK fighters are wildly overrated after they come as much as compete on the world stage, particularly on the decrease weights. With the restricted expertise pool from which to attract opposition and sparring of their house area, you merely don’t know what’s what with smaller UK Brits till they compete within the Americas or Asia.

I by no means had any doubt that “Bam,” the defending WBO flyweight champ, would pummel defending IBF champ, Edwards. My solely query was whether or not he’d cease him or if Edwards may bike his solution to a one-sided resolution loss. As issues would end up Saturday evening at Desert Diamond Enviornment in Glendale, Arizona, it could be the previous because the 23-year-old Mexican-American busted up and broke down the cocky cockney (Is Edwards “cockney?” I don’t know, I don’t care. “Cocky Cockney” sounds good), forcing him to stop between rounds 9 and ten, shortly after Rodriguez scored an enormous knockdown with a hellacious left hand.

What can I say about this one? Rodriguez is a good fighter, Edwards was merely good. We noticed what usually occurs when nice meets good.

– Whereas “Bam” grew to become a unified world champ on Saturday, one factor he DIDN’T develop into was Ring Journal flyweight champ. Who cares? So what? I solely point out this as a result of the “consultants” on the Ring Journal Scores Panel had a personal squabble that they made public (as a result of so many individuals REALLY cared [Insert Fart Noise]) over whether or not Bam-Sunny could be for his or her faux title. And, yeah, it was as cringey as one may count on. I pity the non-shit head panel members who needed to wince their manner by way of these “knowledgeable” exchanges. Think about being a sane, rational human being trying out your inbox and having to be a celebration to this pretentious, self-important debate about faux rankings? I would slightly be employed as a penile stent tester at some medical lab than be a part of the Ring Journal Scores Panel. By the way in which, they finally determined Bam Rodriguez didn’t qualify to compete for the make-believe belt.

– David Morrell Jr. curb stomped Ghana’s Sena Agbeko in two rounds in the primary occasion of Showtime Boxing’s last-ever telecast (extra on that later) on the Armory in Minneapolis Saturday evening.

Morrell is wildly “for actual” and an elite participant, proper now, at 168. The issue with him is that he’s so expert and uniquely gifted that he’s put himself in a tricky spot. The place does he get the developmental fights he wants when he’s to this point forward of everybody however probably the most elite—the elite, btw, who will completely not return his requires the foreseeable future? I see plenty of squashes much like Saturday’s within the southpaw Cuban’s future. 

– So, this was the final Showtime Boxing present after a 37-year run. So what? One in all boxing’s greatest issues is that we’re slowed down with nostalgia and weepy previous males who hog the narrative on the expense of recent blood and new concepts. I don’t really feel any totally different about Showtime Boxing shutting its doorways than I’d really feel concerning the native Walmart closing down. Simply take into consideration how goofy it could look if I did a sentimental 4-part retrospective on all of the pet food, mild bulbs, frozen pizzas, and energy strips I’ve purchased at that Walmart over time. GTFOH. Let’s transfer on. Onward and upward. 

– On the Morrell-Agbeko undercard, Andre Berto, who hasn’t fought in over 5 years, misplaced through unanimous resolution to Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, who hasn’t fought in over two years, in a rematch of their 2012 conflict. This one wasn’t a conflict, however it was alright for what it was. I simply don’t need to see both of those guys matched in opposition to a top-tier competitor. 

– Talking of not eager to see somebody compete in opposition to a top-tier fighter ever once more, I’d put “Primetime” Chris Colbert into that class now.

Colbert was rocked within the opening moments of his Showtime co-main occasion bout by Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela after which put away for good with a brutal righ-hand knockout shot within the sixth spherical. The one-time blue chip prospect from Brooklyn has proven dwindling punch resistance within the outings previous to Saturday’s blowout (His 2022 UD loss to Hector Luis Garcia and a ought to’ve-been loss to Valenzuela of their first matchup this previous March) and a troubling slowdown of his general reflexes and response time. He WILL get damage if he retains competing at something resembling a world class degree.

The 24-year-old Valenzuela, in the meantime, takes this WBA light-weight eliminator win and strikes on to see what he can do in a division that all of a sudden finds itself extensive open after unified champ Devin Haney opted to maneuver up in weight. There are some tough edges to his sport that want smoothing, however he’s bought the form of one-punch energy that may enable for some errors whereas he works issues out.

– Jake Paul fought on Friday at Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida. Jake Paul struggle nights have gotten more and more much less of an enormous deal. On this bout, billed as one in opposition to a “actual” boxer, the content material creator/influencer/novice skilled fighter would rating a primary spherical knockout of 10-1-1 Andre August with a technically sloppy, however efficient uppercut. It was a formidable, level-appropriate win for Paul, one thing “proper” for an 8-1 prospect. There was loads of title bout speak within the air that evening, however earlier than we get forward of ourselves, it needs to be identified that August’s file is most undoubtedly of the inflated-on-paper selection, along with his very weak opposition sporting a mixed file of 34-65-6. He was additionally only one struggle faraway from a 4-year layoff and competing about 20 lbs. above what is likely to be thought of his optimum weight. Nonetheless, Paul did what he was speculated to do in opposition to a fighter like August. That counts for one thing. Simply don’t rely on world title glory, but.

– Phrase is that the Devin Haney-Regis Prograis pay-per-view on December 9 solely generated about 50K buys. If the game and its media weren’t so caught up their very own asses, that may be an eye-opener. For a bout hailed for it’s top-notch promotion by struggle followers and media, Haney-Prograis didn’t ship on its gross sales promise. David Benavidez-Demetrius Andrade a pair weeks earlier reportedly delivered related numbers, regardless of strong promotion and a top quality undercard. This could inform everybody that we, as boxing folks, reside in a bubble and should not practical about what’s “promotion” and what’s enticing to the buyer. This needs to be a get up name for introspection and a few outside-the-box pondering to get extra folks into the product and fewer precise followers into stealing the product through unlawful streams.

Received one thing for Magno? Ship it right here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com