It’s going to be a loaded twenty-four hours of boxing. Yes, Saturday holds plenty of action for fight fans, with four marquee events taking place, two stateside, one in New Zealand, plus a loaded Joshua vs Molina card in the UK. Let’s kick things off with Parker vs Ruiz Jr.
Joseph Parker vs Andy Ruiz Jr
At the Vector Arena, Auckland, Joseph Parker made a significant leap on the world stage, outpointing fellow unbeaten prospect Andy Ruiz Jr. The vacant WBO title now sits within Parker’s tropy cabinet, making him the first New Zealander to capture a piece of Heavyweight world glory. Scorecards came in at 114-114 and 115-113 (twice), while here at Boxing Base we tallied the action wider at 116-112.
Parker now raises his profile and unbeaten streak to 22 wins, 18 knockouts, while Ruiz is handed his first pro defeat, reducing to 29 wins, 1 defeat, 19 knockouts.
The fight itself wasn’t the advertised barnburner. It was competitive, however, remarkably clean, and shouldn’t shake up much controversy surrounding the victor. Ruiz had both feet firmly in the fight, winning most of the inside exchanges, but fell into the trap of being far too patient and methodical. Parker utilized his longer reach throughout, keeping his foe on the end of a hard jab and scoring straight punches. No one was knocked down or even buzzed, a not so surprising fact given both men had a great deal of respect for each other’s wits and firepower.
With a world accolade at his waist, Parker will now climb the rankings while becoming a sizeable target for the likes of IBF champ Anthony Joshua. Tyson Fury’s vacated titles are beginning to find new owners, and the placement of the WBO variety adds some scaffolding to what was becoming a frustratingly fragmented arena. Let’s hope 2017 will continue to deliver more meaningful matchups in the glamour division.
Parker vs Ruiz Jr: Undercard
- Jeff Horn (16-0-1, 11 KO) picked himself up from the canvas in the 3rd to drop seasoned operator Ali Fuenka (39-6-3, 31 KO) in the 5th and 6th stanzas. Both fighters suffered nasty eye gashes following an accidental head clash in the 4th, which seemed to add great urgency to Horn’s work. A right hand to the temple closed the show in the 6th, gearing Horn closer to a world title bid for the WBO’s strap.
- Isaac Dogboe (16-0, 10 KO) encountered a tricky veteran in Julian Aristule (32-7, 16 KO), but managed to outwork and dominate in their Junior Featherweight appetizer. A pair of 7th round knockdowns ended matters, the first off a left hook to the jaw, followed by a right downstairs.
Terence Crawford vs John Molina Jr
At the CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Terence Crawford put in a sublime performance against John Molina Jr. Crawford took care of business inside 8 rounds, dropping and stopping a brave – but grotesquely overmatched – Molina. There was never any danger of the WBC, WBO and RING titles leaving Omaha tonight, and really, you have to wonder if that day will ever come.
With the victory, Crawford, who enters the shortlist for Fighter of the Year, now extends his unbeaten run to 30 wins, 21 knockouts, while Molina falls to 29 wins, 7 defeats, 23 knockouts.
‘Bud’ wasted no time getting to work tonight, requiring no feeling out stage. Piston-like jabs, uppercuts, hooks – you name it – greeted the face of Molina. And at will, making this encounter mere target practice against a fighter with next to no defense. Molina was brave, gave it his best shot, but was made to chase shadows until Crawford decided to end the glorified sparring session.
The challenger was pushed back into a corner in the 8th and viciously chopped down to the canvas following several unanswered bombs. The referee had seen enough, as had we at Boxing Base. It was a flawless boxing clinic from Crawford, but yeah, this outcome was to be expected given the gulf in talent between him and Molina.
Crawford remains one of the world’s most complete fighters, nonetheless, with a potential Manny Pacquiao clash in wait for 2017.
Crawford vs Molina Jr: Undercard
- Lightweight veteran Raymundo Beltran (32-7-1, 20 KO) turned back the clock against Mason Menard (32-2, 24 KO, putting in a razor-sharp, dominating performance, punctuated by a 7th round knockout. A single left hook decked Menard for the count, and this kind of highlight reel finish could well see Beltran geared into a world title shot against the likes of Terry Flanagan and Jorge Linares.
- Sean Monaghan (28-0, 17 KO) had his hands full with a very game gatekeeper in Fernando Castaneda (24-12, 15 KO), but wound up doing enough to comfortably earn a Unanimous Decision. This solid Light Heavyweight prospect now eyes bigger fights in 2017.
- Mike Reed (21-0, 12 KO) had zero problems outpointing Sidney Siqueira (26-12-1, 17 KO) en route to a Unanimous Decision in their Junior Welterweight 8-rounder.
Be sure to chime in with your own take on the Parker vs Ruiz and Crawford vs Molina Jr cards. Plus, where you’d like to see the victors head in the new year.
