Boxing News – July 25, 2019

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22 lBOXING NEWSlJULY 25, 2019 http://www.boxingnewsonline.net

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RESULTS

Teofimo Lopez (134

1/2lbs), 14-0 (11),

w pts 12 Masayoshi

Nakatani (134

1/2lbs), 18-1 (12);

Subriel Matias

(140lbs), 14-0 (14),

w rsf 12 Maxim

Dadashev (139lbs),

13-1 (11); Esquiva

Falcao (162 1/2lbs),

24-0 (16), w rsf 8

Jesus Gutierrez

(161lbs), 25-4-2 (12);

Dusty Hernandez

(160lbs), 33-0-1 (19),

w rsf 7 Juan De Angel

(164 1/2lbs), 21-12-1

(19); Cassius Chaney

(253lbs), 16-0 (10),

w rsf 1 Joel Caudle

(255 1/2lbs), 8-3-2

(5); Patrick Harris

(138 1/2lbs), 17-0 (8),

w pts 8 Donald Ward

(138 1/2lbs), 11-11-1

(5); Tyler Howard

(162lbs), 18-0 (11),

w pts 8 Jamaal Davis

(162lbs), 18-15-1

(7); Tyler McCreary

(133lbs), 16-0-1 (7),

w pts 8 Jessie Chris

Rosales (134lbs),

22-3-1 (10); Rolando

Vargas (135lbs), 3-0

(3), w rsf 2 Nathaniel

Lee Davis (135lbs),

1-1 (1).

UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH

THERE is no comfortable way to describe
this – there never is. Under normal
circumstances we would lead in with the
main event, that being Teofimo Lopez
against Masayoshi Nakatani. But long
after we stop thinking about that contest
we will remember the fate of Russian
Maxim Dadashev, who died just before
we went to press on Tuesday ( July 23),
four days after being put in a medically
induced coma following his stoppage loss
to Puerto Rico’s Subriel Matias in an IBF
super-lightweight title eliminator.
At the end of the 11th round in
this scheduled 12, Dadashev’s trainer,
Buddy McGirt, determined that his
man, far behind on points, had taken
enough punches to justify stopping it in
the corner. At the time it seemed that
McGirt’s intervention was perfectly timed
so that Dadashev could live to fight
another day. Tragically that proved not to
be the case.
Dadashev had held his own early on
before Matias’ body blows took a toll.
The last two rounds were particularly
difficult for the Russian. Despite that,
Dadashev was fighting back, so blame
should not be attached to referee Kenny
Chevalier or anyone else for not having
pulled him out earlier.
Not until Dadashev left the ring
unsteadily did everyone realise how dire
his situation had become. Dadashev
faced a fight for life and, sadly, lost it.
Following his unanimous 12-round
decision over Masayoshi Nakatani
in an IBF lightweight title eliminator,
Teofimo Lopez was asked to assess his
performance. His reply was more direct
than any punch he threw inside the ring
at the MGM National Harbor (Top Rank
promoted): “Horrible”, he said.
Perhaps that response should have
been saved for the scores of judges
Bernard Brumi at 119-109, Dave Braslow
and Larry Hazzard Jnr 118-110. Most
observers put Lopez’s margin in the
116-112 range. At least Lopez took
some positives away from this victory, as
disappointing as it was.
For one, Osaka’s Nakatani, boxing
outside Japan for the first time, was
no slouch, having won all of his prior
contests. Secondly, Lopez, who had
never been over six before, handled the
12-round distance very well and was the
stronger of the two at the conclusion.
And of course, with this victory, Lopez
punched his ticket to a title shot against
IBF champion Richard Commey.
Enough with the niceties. The bar

Lopez has set by relentlessly calling out

Vasyl Lomachenko is so high that the

public has every right to expect him to

perform at a dominant level. Anything

less than that leaves him open to

criticism.

Nakatani at close to 6ft is very tall for

a lightweight, something Lopez admitted

having problems with. But the man from

Japan was not exactly mobile. He rushed

in on his Bronx opponent, chin in the air,

taking risks.

There were few highlights.

Nakatani landed some

looping rights but

they had no power

behind them.

Lopez connected

with hard digs

underneath and

the occasional

power hook to

the chin. Nakatani

was durable and

fought dirty as

well, drawing various

warnings from referee

Harvey Dock.

There was a sense until

the final bell rang that

Lopez would drop one on

Nakatani’s chin, then do

his trademark backflip to

celebrate yet another knockout to

the roar of the crowd. We got the

backflip, but the crowd hardly reacted

to it.

“From this point forward we’ll fight

guys my height,” said Lopez, who dealt

with family issues which may have

affected his performance.

Brazilian Esquiva Falcao impressed

in stopping Tijuana’s Jesus Gutierrez at

1-35 of the eighth round in a 10.

The 2012 Olympic silver medallist

outboxed Gutierrez the whole way,

dropping him for a nine-count in the

decisive round.

Referee Dave Braslow stepped in when

Gutierrez was under duress on the ropes

shortly thereafter.

Washington, D.C. native Dusty

Harrison toyed with Tijuana’s Juan

De Angel before halting him

at 2-30 of the seventh

round in an eight. De

Angel spat out his

mouthpiece after

arising from a

knockdown and

turned away from

Braslow, who

stopped it.

Raleigh’s Joel

Caudle was

sensationally sent

head first out of the

ring, bypassing the

apron and onto the floor

by Connecticut’s Cassius

Chaney.

Caudle made it back

in before the allotted

20-count, but Braslow

stopped it shortly after at 1-52 of the

opening round of an eight.

Predictably, footage made its way onto

social media.

THE VERDICTOur thoughts are with

the family and friends of Dadashev

at this tragic time.

Photo: MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK

AFTER THE FIGHT:

Dadashev will soon be

taken to hospital

Dadashev fatality casts a dark

shadow, writes Jack Hirsch

OXON HILL, MD

JULY 19

AWKWARD:

Lopez [right] has problems

with the taller Nakatani