Fight Week Review 11/27-12/3
Saturday was an absolutely loaded day again for boxing on "Championship Saturday" in college football, we got loads of star-making performances in the world of sweet science. Starting with Sean McComb of Belfast, Northern Ireland, who dropped Sam Maxwell a total of three times officially and battered the Brit over 12 rounds to take an extremely lopsided UD by scores of 100-88xs and 99-89 to move his record to 18-1 (5). Also, on that card, two undefeated prospects stayed undefeated. Caoimhin Agyarko, also of Belfast, scored a career-best win and outboxed and out-landed Troy Williamson to move his record to 14-0 (7) and establish himself as a legit 154-pound contender. Also on the card, Lewis Crocker gave a career-best performance and dominated the world-class Tyrone McKenna, dominating the classy veteran over ten rounds to take a unanimous decision by scores of 100-90x2 and 98-92 on the third to move his record to 18-0 (10). The evening's main event didn't go as well for the Belfast faithful, who packed out the SSE Arena. The scrap began typically enough, with Conlan moving around and sticking out his jab. He was firing off his typical quick but less-than-lethal countershots. His lack of power again played its role, and Gill shook Conlan with a hard right hand. Picking up on that success, Gill dropped Conlan hard with a left hand. Conlan dropped hard but got up on unsteady legs. Conlan got back on the back foot and jabbed in the third and had some success after the knockdown, trying to battle his way back into the fight and on the cards. However, the cards were not going to be a factor as Gill rocked Conlan with a combination of hard punches in the seventh. The Brit was pummeling the Irishmen against the ropes as the referee jumped in to wave off the fight, perhaps a bit prematurely, but the writing was on the wall, and Conlan was not in good shape at the time of the stoppage.
The action moved to the Lone Star Star as Ryan Garcia got mixed reviews. His first fight with Derrick James ended well for Garcia, of Victorville, California, who scored an 8th-round TKO of a tough, determined but very limited Oscar Durate. After a quick start, they demonstrated a massive speed difference. Garcia dominated the early going with his left hook and counter shots that caught the attention of an iron-jawed Durate, who hails from Jalisco, Mexico. Durate began pressing the action and scoring power shots on Garcia on the inside and may have stolen a few of the middle rounds. King Ry, didn't like the pop of the swarming Durate and went into a modified shoulder roll that seemed not to be working until it did. Garcia looked uncomfortable and in survival mode, the commentator compared his performance to De LA Hoya against Trinidad back in 1999, as Garcia was running quite a bit while handling an outmatched dangerous opponent. Just when Garcia was getting booed and being criticized for being in survival mode he struck with a left hook that stammered the Mexican. The California native unleashed a few more power shots that eventually put Durate down, he stayed there till about 9.5 counts and then popped up as the referee waved off the bout and gave Golden Boy's Golden Boy his 20th career KO in 24 career wins against just the one stoppage loss to Tank Davis earlier in the year.
On the undercard portion of the Golden Boy card, Two of the Lone Star State's brightest prospects showed out last night in Houston. "Kid Austin'' Floyd Schofield of Austin, and Kileen Native, "DFG'' Darius Fulghum both came up clutch in H-Town on the Ryan Garcia vs Oscar Durate undercard. The main card was kicked off by 27-year-old Fulghum, who blasted out Pachino Hill in just two rounds. Fulghum improved his record to 9-0 (9). DFG, a super middleweight, does not describe himself as a puncher but has been able to stop all his opponents inside the distance. The Killeen native had a brilliant amateur career and is ready for a massive step up in 2024. He recently signed with Golden Boy and could be prepared for a fight with Munguia, who has sold well in Texas multiple times. With another win or two against increasingly difficult opposition, Fulghum could be ready for Munguia, and it would be a massive draw anywhere in the Lone Star State.
In the evening's co-main event, Schofield continued to show why he was our 2022 Prospect of the Year and why he could be closing in on something massive in 2024. Kid Austin moved to 16-0 (12). The 21-year-old from the republic's Capital City scored four knockdowns in the opening round to stop Tijuana’s Ricardo Lopez 1:51 into the opening round. Lopez opted to stand in front of the blue-chip prospect, who connected with a left hook that dropped the Mexican less than a minute into the bout. Schofield dropped Lopez again with the left hook 20 seconds later and the fight should have been stopped there. However, Lopez was allowed to continue, and the Texan unleashed a barrage of pin-point power shots that dropped Lope two more times until referee Joe Rodriguez finally waved off the massacre and gave Schofield his 12th knockout. Golden Boy promotes both Schofield and former world champ Jo Jo Diaz and may look to put each other in the ring together early in 2024.
