Boxing News – July 04, 2019

HOUSTON, TX

JUNE 29

ACTION

http://www.boxingnewsonline.net JULY 4, 2019 lBOXING NEWSl 15

FULL RESULTS
Jermall Charlo (159 1/2lbs), 29-0 (21), w pts 12 Brandon Adams (160lbs), 21-3 (13); Erickson Lubin (154lbs), 21-1 (16), w rsf 4 Zakaria Attou (154lbs),
29-7-2 (7); Claudio Marrero (126lbs), 24-3 (17), w pts 12 Eduardo Ramirez (125lbs), 22-2-3 (9); Miguel Flores (130lbs), 24-2 (12), w rsf 6 Luis May (130lbs),
21-15-1 (8); Ryan Karl (147lbs), 17-2 (11), w rsf 1 David Morales (147lbs), 13-12 (13); Leon Lawson III (154lbs), 11-0 (4), w pts 4 Even Alexis Torres (154lbs),
7-8 (5); Nelson Hampton (135lbs), 6-2 (4), w pts 6 Dakota Linger (135lbs), 11-2-2 (7); Cesar Cantu (135lbs), 2-0 (1), w rsf 1 ChanteBowens (135lbs), 0-3;
Zamy Larry (154lbs), 1-0 (1), w rsf 1 Ranieri Souza (154lbs), 0-3; Omar Juarez (147lbs), 4-0 (2), w rsf 1 Seifullah J’had Wise (147lbs), 3-7 (1); Mark Beuke
(168lbs), 3-2 (1), w pts 4 Mycheal Teal (168lbs), 3-1 (2); Marsellos Wilder (200lbs), 4-1 (2), w pts 4 Tyler Vogel (200lbs), 3-3 (2).

AT the end the 12th round of his successful
WBC middleweight title defence against
Brandon Adams, Jermall Charlo
returned to his corner, took the gloves off
and said he had hurt his left hand early in
the contest.
After promising to turn in a spectacular
performance in front of his hometown
crowd, who were out in force at the NRG
Arena, it was as if the champion was
looking for an excuse as to why he couldn’t
dispose of the challenger before the match
had run its course.
Those around Charlo fussed over his
hand - the same one he had not refrained
from using during the contest. It seemed
much ado about nothing: Charlo simply
could not stop Adams, but nevertheless
was dominant in winning a unanimous
decision that was scored 120-108 by judges
Steve Morrow and Don Griffin, 119-109 by
Sutherland. Laurence Cole refereed.
Charlo described Adams perfectly
beforehand, calling him spunky. And that
is what he was throughout. Having won
the last installment of the Contender series,
Adams’ confidence was high. He was
frequently in Charlo’s face the second half
of the contest, but lacked the speed and
power to pose a serious threat.
The champion was putting everything
into his punches. It did not please his
trainer Ronnie Shields, who told him at the
end of the sixth round, “You’re trying too
hard to knock him out.”
Charlo kept trying and would
temporarily hurt the Californian, but
Adams was resilient and even taunted
Charlo sporadically at the end. A few
seconds before the final bell rang, Adams -
a safe distance from Charlo - bowed to the
champion in a sign of respect.
In the week of the fight Charlo was
promoted from WBC interim to regular
champion when the group ludicrously
bestowed upon Canelo Alvarez the
“Franchise” tag. Now he has a predicament

• being the only elite middleweight
  under the promotional banner of the
  PBC drastically reduces the possibility of

him securing a mega fight with Alvarez,

Gennady Golovkin, Demetrius Andrade, or

Daniel Jacobs among others.

Until Charlo beats at least one of the

above it is hard to make a case for him

being the best middleweight in the world.

The name Charlo does not conjure up

fond memories for Erickson Lubin, whose

only loss was a first-round stoppage to

Jermall’s brother Jermell, late in 2017.

Lubin, 23, has now won three in a row

since then, stopping France’s Zakaria

Attou at 1-19 of the fourth of a scheduled

12-round WBC super-welterweight

elimination bout.

Attou, from Paris and boxing in the

United States for the first time, hurt his

right biceps in the third round. At the end

of the round he discussed the injury with

his corner, but still came out for the fourth.

Considering how outclassed he

had been over the first three sessions,

remaining on the stool would have been

his best option. But credit the Frenchman

with showing heart.

Out for the fourth he came, but Lubin

got him on the ropes and teed off with

a series of power punches. Referee Jon

Schorle should have stopped it shortly

before Attou went down. Attou got to his

feet and the towel came flying in.

Only time will tell whether the Charlo

fiasco was an aberration or whether

Orlando’s Lubin is chinny. Indications are

that it is the former.

Santo Domingo’s Claudio Marrero

outpointed Mexico’s Eduardo Ramirez

over 12 rounds in a WBA featherweight

title eliminator. Ramirez, who lost widely

on points to then IBF featherweight

champion Lee Selby in the UK less than

two years ago, mounted a bit more offence

against Marrero than he did on that night,

but it still was not enough.

Nevertheless the margins of judges Glen

Crocker at 115-113, Ruben Carrion 116-

112, and James Green 118-110 did him no

favours. Rafael Ramos refereed.

The bigger blows were landed by

Marrero, but Ramirez’s chin was solid.

Ramirez moved in and out and peppered

Marrero with a series of punches. Marrero

came forward and tried to rough Ramirez

up whenever he could. The fast-paced bout

was entertaining, but it is fair to ask how

Marrero can now become a mandatory

challenger considering he had lost two of

his last three going into this fight.

THE VERDICTCharlo can be a factor,

but he’s struggling to attract the big

names required to reach the top.

★★ MAIN EVENT

★★ UNDERCARD

LACKLUSTRE:

Charlo wins widely

but does little to

impress

Charlo blames

hand injury for

failure to stop

Adams, writes

Jack Hirsch

Photo: ESTHER LIN/SHOWTIME

EXCUSES, EXCUSES