Apparently Jones was denied an entry visa here for something that apparently wasn't very serious at all. My guy replaced him.
Apparently (according to Tapology) Elvis Munoz Garcia was dropped from the "Shobox New Generation" fight with Alante Green because he failed a drug test I suppose I'm not all that surprised because Garcia has dropped quite a lot of weight in the past year or so (you can Google for an article entitled "Elvis Garcia Slimmed Down and Ready for Joel Shojgreen") and any time a boxer pulls that off at aged 30 or later...you have to at least consider PEDs as a cause. Admittedly, just specuation on my part.
That seems nuts...until you look upwards in the table and note that Lenier Pero - who is only 4-0 - is already at #10!
Weights from the Dubois-Bryan card.... Bryan at 259.6 lbs and Dubois at 241.6 lbs. Very typical weight for DuBois who tends to run in the high-230s to low/mid-240s. Bryan was 9 or so lbs lighter vs. his weight for the Guidry fight. I was hoping he'd be closer to 250 lbs even - but either way it doesn't look like he's got the strength/frame really to bully DuBois with extra weight and I don't think all that many of us are expecting the fight to run long enough for TB to get gassed, anyhow. Dacarree Scott weighed in at 253.6 lbs for his fight with Guidry. That's a drop of 23 lbs. from his last fight in late January. There's no way you can call 253 lbs "svelte" on a 5' 10" frame - even one as stocky as his - but the weight drop suggests the young man is taking matters very seriously. His opponent - Jonathan Guidry - weighted in at 257.8 lbs. That's about 11 lbs more than he weighed when he fought Bryan - which is probably a good 20 lbs more than he ought to be carrying. What he's hoping to accomplish with that extra weight is anyone's guess. If he's intent on pushing Scott around - then I wish him luck trying to get close enough to do it. More than likely it's just a sign of poor training. Not forgetting about the CW contest on this card.... Johnnie Langston (10-3-0), unforunately, missed the weight cut at 202.8 lbs. He's got an hour to get under the weight limit, but it seems like dropping nearly 3 lbs in 60 mins is going to be tough. Langston switches back and forth between HW and CW and he's had plenty of time to make the CW limit for this fight - so this is a real disappointment. His opponent - Isiah Thompson (6-1-1) - is a smaller CW (he only weighted in at 194 lbs) and not the sort of puncher who inspires fear...so this seems to be a simple lapse of professionalism on JL's part.
Oscar Rivas will be defending his WBC Bridgerweight title against Luckaz Rozanski on August 13th in his native Colombia. Rivas was originally contractually-obligated to defend his title against Evgenyi Romanov, but that fight was struck after the Russian fighter ban was adopted. Rozanski successfully earned the deputy slot by rapidly disposing of Artur Szpilka last May. At this stage of his career, Szpilka should probably be known as "The Bowling Pin" because he's proving awfully easy to knock over.
Arias was in-shape because he was originally supposed to face Amron Sands on this same card. When Munoz Garcia failed his test, he was quickly named as Green's replacement opponent. I don't rate Sands, so this is a better arrangement.
Quick roundup from the HW "Shobox New Generation" fights: Amron Sands prevailed (77-75 x3) over Joe Jones. Both fighters are of the "knockout-waiting-to-happen" variety but the fight went the distance. I didn't see it but it seems like Jones never really committed to trying to hit Sands with big shots (he does have power despite being a smaller HW) even when Sands gassed in the last round. George Arias prevailed by SD over Alante Green. This fight was a bit of a yawner. Most of us observing the fight on the forum thread felt that Arias did enough to win 6 or 7 rounds by virtue of his superior infighting. Green finally woke up in the 8th and started serving a tiring Arias an impressive-looking jab - by which time it was too-little-too-late. The judges seemd inclined to rob Arias, but (happily) he got the verdict. It's another win for Arias (now 18-0-0) but it's not much in the way of forward progress for Arias since it appears that Green (10-1-1) has an even lower ceiling at HW than he does. But, as I've pointed out, you can't make a living in North or South America as a Cruiserweight right now unless you're willing to subsist on a diet of ramen noodles & cat food. Bakhodir Jalolov prevailed with an 8th round KO victory over durable journeyman Jack Mulowayi. Ultimately, Jalolov delivered the goods in an impressive and punishing fashion, but he made us wait a little bit along the way. Jalolov was in control throughout and never in danger of losing a round (though he suffered a very-questionable point deduction). He hurt Mulowayi a few times throughout the fight (he scored a knocdown in the 6th) but never quite followed-through to stop him. Until the 8th round...when he made amends for his earlier lapses in a very impressive fashion with a left uppercut/hook combination. Mulowayi was OK, but he stayed on the canvas a long time. Jalolov showed footwork befitting an All-Star NBA point guard. His punch variety remains limited, but the feeling throughout the first 5 or 6 rounds of the contest was that Jalolov was staying very much within himself and not really hitting the gas. He scarcely broke a sweat - which seemed downright disrespectful. Usyk, at least, has the decency to sweat. He could use a few more offensive tools in his belt and he is very much a European/Eurasian-style fighter (i.e. very upight) - apart from a bit more willigness to target the body. But he's not all that far off the finished article, IMO. The consensus (that I agree with) is that Jalolov needs to face a fighter with a strong jab. Frank Sanchez was the name that popped into most heads, but if Frank wouldn't fight Hrgovic in a title eliminator - it's difficult to see him taking that fight. Otto Wallin would seem to be a good choice, and Otto's career has become seriously-sidetracked as a result of the Whyte fight falling-through. If Whyte-Wallin can't be made...perhaps Jalolov-Wallin can? Carlos Negron would also seem to stylistically fit the bill - but I don't think Negron's game is good enough to really trouble Jalolov and his chin is a bit suspect. Which brings me to...Tony Yoka. If he wasn't willing to engage Bakole, then the prospect of facing Jalolov might actually have him cowering under his stool. But if Tony wants to have any future at all in the division, he's going to have to take a big risk to bag a scalp that redeems him. A fight between two gold medalists is not a hard sell and Tony is definitely a fighter who works behind a good jab.
That...was a rapid change in fortunes. I thought I read somewhere that Kudryashov was planning on moving to MMA,himself.
Good strategy by Kudrya. He utterly failed against boxers, so he is switching to fighting non-boxers instead. Genius.
I can't believe that the bridgerweight FOTC, against arguably the two greatest bridges ever, is being postponed due to a war!
I have to admit that one I first saw that video...that I thought it was Kudrya who was being knocked out spectacularly. That (unforuntately) has been his MO in the past and all those dudes with beards from FSU countries look alike to me
