Notebook: Machado, Fierro hope to seize moment in Ring City USA main event

Showtime's April 10 lineup; Hagler memories; Quick hits

Mar 17, 2021

Former junior lightweight world titlist Alberto Machado has won once in a low-profile comeback at lightweight in December 2019 following back-to-back knockout losses on body shots to Andrew Cancio earlier that year. The losses cost him the belt and a chance to reclaim it in the immediate rematch.

Puerto Rico’s Machado hopes to continue rebuilding his career with a win against heavy-handed Mexican Angel Fierro on Thursday (NBC Sports Net, 9 p.m. ET) in the Ring City USA main event at the Olympic Center in Salinas, Puerto Rico.

“Many boxing fans know who I am. Now I want to remind them why I was world champion,” Machado said this week. “Those who do not know me will now through NBC Sports. I also hope to win some new fans. Every boxer wants to be a world champion and then we want to defend the title. Some things are also important — entertain, make weight, be healthy.”

Machado (22-2, 18 KO), a 30-year-old southpaw, was supposed to face unbeaten up-and-comer Hector Tanajara but he recently dropped out following a positive Covid-19 test. In stepped Fierro, which Machado said concerned him.

“We had a plan for Hector Tanajara. Fierro is a good fighter, he is young. He has a style a little similar to Tanajara but more aggressive,” Machado said. “I've only watched one of Angel Fierro’s fights and don't know much about him other than he is a tough Mexican fighter. The truth is that the last-minute change does affect me a little, but this happens in boxing. I am the main event of this big card and I have to do whatever it is for the show to continue even though Tanajara is sick. I have to make adjustments and move on.”

Fierro (17-1-1, 13 KOs), 22, was quite pleased to get the biggest opportunity of his career, even if it is only on about a week’s notice.

“I was preparing for a fight on March 12 and this fight came so I said, ‘let’s go,’” Fierro said. “I had no reservations whatsoever. I am always dieting and watching my weight. I am always training so I jumped at the opportunity to take this fight. We know we are in enemy territory being in his hometown. But I have no worries. It’s going to be a war.

“Alberto Machado is an elite fighter, but I have stayed prepared for this opportunity. I am ready to fight. I have seen him fight before. He has been on my radar because I knew that there was a possibility I would fight him. We studied the Cancio fights. We have been analyzing his strengths and weaknesses, his chin, everything. We are well prepared for whatever he can do.”

Hall of Famer Erik Morales has trained Fierro for his past few fights and although he is unable to be with him in the corner for this fight, he said he is well-prepared for his big opportunity.

“Fierro is always working, always training,” Morales said. “He was training to fight a guy very similar to Alberto Machado. Fierro is a fighter worth watching. He’s going to give the fans a great fight on Thursday. He is a fighter who fights very well at a distance. He also throws very hard and when he’s throwing punches in bunches, you will see why we took this fight.”

It’s Showtime

Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions have yet to announce a tripleheader scheduled for April 10 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, but, multiple sources have outlined the card to Fight Freaks Unite.

It will be headlined by welterweight up-and-comer Jaron “Boots” Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs), 23, of Philadelphia, against former junior welterweight titlist Sergey Lipinets in a 12-rounder, a fight previously reported by Fight Freaks Unite. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Ennis fought three times in 2020 and will be taking a significant step up in opposition against Lipinets (16-1-1, 12 KOs), 31, a Kazakhstan native fighting out of Woodland Hills, California. He is coming off an October draw with Custio Clayton for a vacant interim welterweight title.

Welterweight prospect and 2016 Lithuanian Olympian Eimantas Stanionis (12-0, 9 KOs), 26, will step up in competition against Thomas Dulorme (25-4-1, 16 KOs), 31, of Puerto Rico, in a title eliminator in the co-feature.

In the opener, Jerwin Ancajas will make his long-delayed mandatory defense against Jonathan Javier Rodriguez (22-1, 16 KOs), 25, of Mexico. Ancajas (32-1-2, 22 KOs), 29, a southpaw from the Philippines, has been idle since December 2019. The fight was scheduled for last April 11 but canceled due to the pandemic. Since then, Ancajas and Top Rank amicably negotiated his release, which was recently finalized, Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told Fight Freaks Unite. Once a free agent, Ancajas went to PBC. Rodriguez returned from an 18-month layoff for a first-round knockout win in December in Mexico.

Arum’s Hagler memories

Of all the legendary fighters Top Rank chairman Bob Arum has promoted in his 55 years in the boxing business, there were few that he admired and respected as much as Marvelous Marvin Hagler, the legendary middleweight champion, who died so unexpectedly on Saturday at age 66.

Arum and I spoke on Saturday, soon after news of Hagler’s death emerged, and he reflected on their time together. He has many great memories and told some great stories about Hagler, whom he promoted from 1979 until his retirement in 1987 — the final 19 fights of his career and every one of his 15 middleweight world title bouts.

Arum talked in detail about Hagler’s loyalty, how the threat of a joint senate and house investigation led to his association with Hagler, how Hagler wound up with an HBO contract and of course, the legendary fight between Hagler and Thomas Hearns.

I wrote a story for BoxingScene based on that tremendous interview with Arum, which you can read here: https://www.boxingscene.com/arum-reminisces-about-late-great-marvelous-marvin-hagler--156171

iFL TV interview

I was an interview guest on iFL TV to discuss three specific boxing topics. We chatted about Hagler, the details of the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua undisputed heavyweight championship fight being signed and what that really means since there is still no date or site (which will be responsible for a massive part of the revenue), and the rematch that took place between Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Estrada to unify junior bantamweight titles — a great fight and a terrible decision — on Saturday night. You can watch the interview here:

Navarrete-Diaz official

Top Rank on Tuesday made the card headlined by featherweight titlist Emanuel Navarrete (33-1, 28 KOs), 26, of Mexico, in his first defense against Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz (26-2, 16 KOs), 26, of Puerto Rico, official. The Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card will take place April 24 (ESPN/ESPN+/ESPN Deportes, 10 p.m. ET) at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida, where fans will be permitted.

The co-feature will see super middleweight prospect Edgar Berlanga (16-0, 16 KOs), 23, of Brooklyn, New York, who has won all of his fights by first-round knockout, face Demond Nicholson (23-3-1, 20 KOs), 28, of Laurel, Maryland, in an eight-rounder.

“The sensational Emanuel Navarrete wanted a formidable opponent for his first featherweight title defense, and Christopher Diaz fits the bill,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “We are also thrilled to have Edgar Berlanga back on ESPN, as he is the most devastating young puncher I’ve seen in ages.”

Navarrete comment: “I am a fighter who likes to face the best, and my challenge now is to beat the tough 'Pitufo' Diaz. I know he is a good fighter, and I am sure we will give a great show. I will show that I am the best featherweight in the world. I will not let him take my championship to Puerto Rico. That belt will stay with me in San Juan Zitlaltepec, Mexico.”

Diaz comment: “I have once again been given an opportunity to become a world champion, but there is something very different this time around. I will not fail. I will bring that much-needed world title to Puerto Rico. This is my time to become a world champion. God knows how much I have sacrificed and how much I have evolved. On April 24, there is no doubt that I will become world champion, and I will see you all on April 25 when I return to my island as world champion.”

Berlanga comment: “I don’t like to make predictions, but make sure you tune in. I want to show out for the fans in attendance. April 24 is going to be the beginning of a huge 2021 for my team. I take it one fight at a time, and this is just another step toward my goal of becoming a champion.”

Nicholson comment: “I have the experience. When I first started, I was knocking everyone out in the first round as well. I have 20 knockouts, and that speaks for itself. If you look at his opponents, I’d knock them all out. Is he ready for the next level? He might be ready, but he won’t be ready for me.”

Top Rank also announced several of its Puerto Rican fighters — Kissimmee has a large Puerto Rican community — will be on the show: junior welterweight Josue Vargas, welterweight Xander Zayas, featherweight Orlando Gonzalez, junior lightweight Henry Lebron, lightweight Joseph Adorno and junior featherweight Jeremy Adorno.

Quick hits

Junior welterweight Pablo Cesar Cano (33-7-1, 23 KOs), 31, of Mexico, has a non-Covid-19 illness and his 12-rounder with Jonathan Navarro (17-0, 9 KOs), 24, of Los Angeles, has been canceled, according to Golden Boy. The bout was supposed to be the co-feature to the Vergil Ortiz Jr.-Maurice Hooker welterweight fight Saturday night (DAZN) at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Anabel Ortiz’s women’s strawweight title defense against Seniesa Estrada moves into the co-feature slot. Navarro, per source, will instead return April 22 on a Ring City USA card.

Middleweight Luis Rodriguez, 24, a five-time Puerto Rican national amateur champion, is going pro with his debut targeted for May or June. Rodriguez, who is trained by Ricardo Santiago, has signed with promoter Rivalta Boxing and advisor Tony Gonzalez. “Luis has all the skills and tools not only to become a world champion, but also to become a star attraction in the sport,” Gonzalez said. “He is a humble young man who has worked as a schoolteacher while representing Puerto Rico as part of the national team and who desires nothing more than to become Puerto Rico’s next great champion. With Henry (Rivalta) in his corner working with me, his career is in great hands and there is no reason to believe that he cannot achieve stardom in the sport.” Rodriguez was 78-13 as an amateur and boxed in the 2017 world amateur championships and 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games. “It is a great honor to be able to fight as a professional and represent Puerto Rico.,” he said. “I will continue to represent Puerto Rico with great pride. I will work hard and will bring a world title home.”

Former four-division titlist Donnie Nietes (42-1-5, 23 KOs), 38, of the Philippines, who has been idle since winning a vacant junior bantamweight world title against Kazuto Ioka in December 2018 and then vacating, has an opponent for his comeback fight. MTK Global announced he will face Pablo Carrillo (25-7-1, 16 KOs), 32, of Colombia, in a 10-round junior bantamweight bout on the undercard of Jamel Herring’s junior lightweight title defense against Carl Frampton on April 3 (ESPN+) at Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Former junior middleweight titlist Liam Smith (29-2-1, 16 KOs), 32, of England, will face Magomed Kurbanov (21-0, 13 KOs), 25, for a regional title in his hometown of Ekaterinburg, Russia on May 8. Smith’s only losses were by decision to Jaime Munguia challenging him for a world title in 2018 and when he lost his belt to Canelo Alvarez by ninth-round knockout in 2016. Smith has won three fights in a row but been idle since December 2019. Kurbanov is coming off a second-round KO of one-time fringe welterweight contender Dmitry Mikhaylenko in November.

Show and tell

If the fight happened today it would undoubtedly be a $75 pay-per-view, but when Julio Cesar Chavez, 68-0 at the time, and Meldrick Taylor, who was 24-0-1, met to unify junior welterweight titles at the Las Vegas Hilton on March 17, 1990 — 31 years ago on Wednesday — they were live on HBO in a hugely anticipated fight that matched the straight ahead banger in Chavez against the dazzling and insanely fast Taylor. It was a dream fight. It became an instant classic. It was the fight of the year. It was the one of the best fights of the decade. It is one of the most memorable fights ever. It also is notorious for ending with perhaps the most controversial stoppage in boxing history. There was tons of back-and-forth action but Taylor was clearly winning round after round and on his way to a decision win. But Chavez’s thudding punches were taking an enormous toll. Taylor’s face was swelling and he was fading in the late rounds. Finally, Chavez nailed him with a right hand and he went down in a neutral corner with 15 seconds left in the 12th round. He beat the count, but did not respond the way referee Richard Steele wanted and he waved off the fight with two seconds left. From Taylor’s perspective, he was deprived of a historic victory. From Chavez’s perspective, it was one of the greatest, most dramatic comebacks ever. Fight fans still argue about the stoppage.

Here are two items from the legendary fight in my collection. First up is a program. It’s extremely tough to find, especially in nice condition because the black cover so easily shows wear and blemishes. I searched for one for many years and finally found a copy that is as nice as probably exists. Below the photo of the program is a press kit, which is much scarcer than the program. It’s a fight-branded four-pocket folder filled with original news releases and information on the card and fighters. It also contains glossy photos of the participants.