Featherweight

Electrifying hand speed meets punishing punching power on Saturday night when WBC featherweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez (57-8, 48 KO) defends his title against "Mr." Gary Russell Jr. (25-1, 14 KO).

The two men will clash at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas in what has the makings of a stylistically superb battle. Gonzalez brings devastating one-punch KO power into the ring, but he'll have to deal with a man who may have the fastest combinations in the sport.

Here's the viewing information for the bout.

Date: Saturday, March 28 at 10 p.m. ET

TV: Showtime

Live Stream: BoxNation

Recharged

Russell is a gifted fighter with the physical tools to dismantle most opponents. He found out in June 2014 that Vasyl Lomachenko was not most fighters. The ultra-skilled and athletic Ukrainian outboxed Russell en route to a majority decision win that awarded Lomachenko the vacant WBO featherweight title.

Russell and his camp had long been criticized for the fighter's less-than impressive resume. The doubters seemed to believe that when Russell met up with another talented young fighter, he'd be exposed.

The loss seemed to prove the skeptics correct. Russell had his moments against Lomachenko, but he seemed baffled once he realized that his speed alone wouldn't be enough to overwhelm his opponent. 

Throughout Russell's career, he's able to unleash a fierce set of punches and use his quickness to counter effectively. For the first time ever in his professional career, he lost. Since then, he won a lopsided unanimous decision over Christopher Martin in Dec. 2014.

In a relatively quick second opportunity at a world title, Russell says he'll be ready to come away victorious, per Andreas Hale of The Ring Magazine.

Russell blames the loss to Lomachenko on a lack of energy. The 26-year-old from Washington, D.C. believes the inclusion of a strength and conditioning coach disturbed his training regimen. Per Hale, Russell said this about the lesson he learned and what zapped his energy:

If I learned anything from that fight that is if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. He [strength and conditioning coach] had me in the sauna trying to cut the last couple of pounds without working out or anything and it completely drained me of all my energy. I was completely tired in the first round and it didn’t matter if I was in the ring with a 10-year-old kid. In the state that I was in the physical ability to go 12 rounds with anyone was gone.

Whether it was Lomachenko's talent or Russell's lack of energy, "Mr." didn't get it done that night. With his battery recharged and a new opportunity to win a title in front of him, it's crucial he be at his best on Saturday.

The Punisher

You could compare Gonzalez to a power-hitting mistake hitter in baseball. If an opponent leaves Gonzalez an opening, he'll pound them with a nasty left hook counter that can end the night in a second.

Technically it'll take 10 seconds to count, but the victim will probably be unconscious for most of the time. Gonzalez has twice defended the title he won emphatically back in Aug. 2014 when he eradicated Abner Mares with his signature punch in the first round of their championship bout.

Mares is a tough guy with a solid chin, but Gonzalez's bomb put an end to the evening. Most recently, Gonzalez stopped the tough and rugged Jorge Arce in the 11th round of their bout on Oct. 2014.

Gonzalez is looking for a big payday, and he might find one if he can stop Russell Jr. 

Three Key Stats to Consider

73.85 Percent

Few fighters have a KO rate above 60 percent. Even fewer smaller-weight fighters have a KO percentage that high. Gonzalez packs a punch that is tough to compare to any other featherweight—or lightweight for that matter.

His KO percentage of 73.85 is even more impressive when you consider he has sustained that mark through 65 professional fights. 

.888 Scorecard Winning Percentage

Russell clearly understands how to win rounds. In his last three victories that have gone the distance, Russell has won every round on all nine judges' scorecards. The superior athleticism and hand speed make an impression on the judges and mark on his opponent's face.

69" to 64"

The old adage in boxing goes: A strong jab can neutralize speed. Gonzalez has the physical tools to put this to the test. He owns a five-inch reach advantage over Russell. We'll see if the length advantage will allow Gonzalez to dominate with the jab.

Prediction

Speed kills and Russell has plenty of it. Clearly Gonzalez has more power, but the champion is going to be overmatched. Russell's hand and foot speed will be the deciding factors. As long as Russell protects himself and keeps his hands high—especially when disengaging after a clinch.

Gonzalez's length and punching power give him a chance, but Russell should be too tough to hit and counter with his scoring combinations. A flash knockdown is a possibility, but Russell should take this one by decision.

---

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

Naseem Hamed won three world titles during a career that saw him lose just once in 37 fights.

BoxRec lists the Sheffield-born boxer as the sixth-best fighter to ever come out of the United Kingdom, while he comes in at No. 14 in the all-time featherweight rankings.

His achievements in the ring will see him inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, in June.

Yet despite all his success, being an icon for British boxing in the 1990s and managing to cross over into the main stream of public consciousness, there is still the nagging feeling of what could have been.

Hamed climbed to the very top of the featherweight division with a string of victories. However, he suffered a rapid fall from grace after one solitary defeat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BImCuzaqd70

So what led to one of the world's very best calling it quits when he was still in his prime years?

Working out of Brendan Ingle's Wincobank Gym in Sheffield, Hamed went from child prodigy to world champion.

Trainer Dominic Ingle witnessed the rise of Prince Naseem at close quarters. His father nurtured the obvious natural talent that the young Hamed, who started attending the gym at the age of seven, had within.

"Brendan committed his life to keeping him on track. It wasn’t just a couple of hours a day. He showed him the big picture, what boxing was all about.

"When he (Hamed) started in the early days, like most of the kids, he was full of ambition. He was the first one in here (the gym) and the last one out.

"He didn’t like getting beaten at anything. Winning was everything to him."

Hamed turned pro at 18 and quickly marked himself out as something special. He was European bantamweight champion within 12 fights before moving up the divisions.

He was a showman, even entertaining the crowd before his fights began with what became a trademark somersault over the top rope to mark his entrance to the ring.

But, as Kevin Mitchell (h/t BBC Sport) pointed out in his excellent piece in the Guardian after Hamed was sentenced back in 2006 to 15 months in prison for dangerous driving, things eventually turned sour in the trainer-fighter relationship.

Fame and fortune can lead to a fighter’s head being turned. While they like the trappings that come with success, the desire to get up for early-morning runs or pound away at the heavy bag can quickly fade.

Ingle recalls that while Hamed still wanted to box, he lost that hunger to do the hard work needed in preparation: “Naz got to the stage where he was more interested in the fighting than the training.”

That lack of attention to detail did not lead to a change in fortunes, though.

His natural ability, punch power and experience—Ingle recalls how confident Hamed had been when he fought at the age of 11—helped paper over the cracks.

"When he boxed Kevin Kelley, I can remember the build-up to all that. It was a great fight, but people didn’t realise what was going off.

"He had the ability. He had the power. He also had the hype, and sometimes that got to people. Barrera got past that; he didn’t get carried away like Kevin Kelley did.

"Kelley had Naz down twice and thought he had it in the bag. He went in for the kill and then got caught. Barrera, in contrast, stuck to the plan."

Hamed eventually ended his long association with the Ingle family—as well as the Wincobank gym—in December 1998. Brendan had worked only as an advisor in his previous fight, a points triumph over Wayne McCullough.

Oscar Suarez and Emanuel Steward took over in his corner, and another four wins suggested everything was still running smoothly.

However, Prince Naseem came a cropper when he came up against Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas in 2001.

Drained from his struggles to make weight and with his timing out of sync, Hamed was unprepared to face a teak-tough Mexican who had stepped up from super-bantamweight to take the fight.

https://twitter.com/philchipbally/status/561229113646915584

The British boxer talked in the immediate aftermath about triggering a clause in the contract to get an instant rematch with the Mexican. It never happened.

Hamed did not fight again for another 13 months. His next, and final, outing saw him win on points after 12 largely forgettable rounds against Manuel Calvo in London in May 2002.

He was not lacking for a payday back then either; studying the rankings published by Boxing Monthly at the end of 2001 shows the big names who were about.

As well as the potential to face Barrera again, he could also have taken on one-time mandatory challenger Juan Manuel Marquez or instead taken aim at either Erik Morales or Manny Pacquiao.

Instead he hung up his gloves at the age of just 28. Having risen like a rocket to reach the very top, his career fizzled out in the end.

The Naseem Hamed walk on has never been rivaled. Some front

— Steve McVeigh (@Boxingscience20) February 12, 2015

The fights that are never made often create for the best boxing debates. There is no right or wrong answer over who would win in hypothetical fights—it is all a matter of individual opinion.

Ingle believes that, had the drive to succeed remained strong deep within, Hamed could have given us a definitive answer over who was the best at featherweight.

"Realistically, he should have been doing what Floyd Mayweather is doing now. He won every major version of the world title, but didn’t hold them all together.

"But, once the balance shifts and you don’t enjoy the training and there are other things in your life, it is the beginning of the end. You have to have that burning desire to win at all costs.

"You can get so far with your skill and ability, but eventually you are going to get caught out."

Hamed, though, still achieved so much in the career he did have.

His brash style (including those leopard-print shorts he made famous), flashy ring entrances (remember the flying carpet? Or what about the short ride in the cadillac?), not to mention his heavy hands and ability to win a contest with one punch, made him an international superstar.

Prince Naseem will forever be part of British boxing royalty.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotations in this article were obtained via interview.

On Saturday night from the Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Washington, interim WBA featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar (26-1, 20 KO) did exactly what he was expected to do. He made quick work of Ruben Tamayo (25-5), stopping him in the fifth round of the card's main event.

ESPN's Dan Rafael has the official word:

Cuellar TKO5 Tamayo. That concludes quadrupleheader that basically lacked competition. Similar to Fri's card. 7 fights total, 1 competitive.

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) December 21, 2014

At the opening bell, as is customary with Cuellar, he attacked his opponent. He didn't waste time feeling Tamayo out. He was looking for a quick stoppage, and it was apparent. 

Cuellar immediately took command of the ring and was the aggressor for as long as the fight lasted. His weapon of choice on Saturday was a relentless body attack. He scored three knockdowns in the fight, and all of them were the product of an assault on Tamayo's midsection.

Before the fight even started, Showtime's Steve Farhood was talking down Cuellar's interim tag but talking up the fighter as a legit contender:

Forget silly interim champ tag. Jesus Cuellar is legit top 10 feather. And exciting, too. Check him out tonight on ShoExtreme.

— Steve Farhood (@SteveFarhood) December 20, 2014

While no one will mistake Tamayo for an elite featherweight, it's easy to see the power and pure slugging skills that Cuellar possesses. The 27-year-old has now won nine fights in a row.

In his amateur career, he lost to the real WBA champion, Nicholas Walters. TitleFight.com would love to see the two dynamic featherweights square off in the pros:

Another dominant performance tonight. Great win for Jesus Cuellar. Maybe we'll see him in a rematch with Walters. #CuellarTamayo #Boxing

— TheTitleFight.com (@TheTitleFight) December 21, 2014

Trained by Robert Garcia, the Argentine-born Cuellar has some similarities to countryman and fellow Garcia stablemate Marcos Rene Maidana.

In actuality, he might be a bit more refined than El Chino.

Garcia's little brother—undefeated super featherweight Mikey Garcia—congratulated his gym brother after the win:

congrats to Jesus Cuellar. another win for RGBA!

— Team Mikey Garcia (@mikeygarcia) December 21, 2014

Per the Showtime broadcast, the victory made Cuellar the mandatory challenger for Walters' title.

Obviously, it makes no sense for an "interim" champion to exist while the real champion is active, but it's boxing. Those who love the sweet science simply learn to watch the fights with blinders on.

If Walters is next on Cuellar's list, everyone should buckle up. Both men have the power to end a fight with one strike.

As for Tamayo, he was clearly out of his league on Saturday. All we can do is hope he was paid well for the evening.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

Interim WBA featherweight champion, Jesus Cuellar (25-1, 19 KO) is a power-punching force building a reputation as an exciting, action-packed fighter. He'll defend his interim strap on Saturday at the Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Washington against Ruben Tamayo (25-4-4, 17 KO).

As you can tell by this tweet from Adam Abramowitz of Saturday Night Boxing, Cuellar has his fans:

Naturally, I'm excited to see Jesus Cuellar this weekend. He's Argentine. He's also a badass. Bizier-Dan II should also be good.

— adam abramowitz (@snboxing) December 17, 2014

Cuellar is attempting to put himself in position to challenge the best featherweights in the world, and to potentially remove the interim tag from his title distinction. Nicholas "Axe Man" Walters holds the WBA super world title in the featherweight division.

Before Cuellar can think about becoming a legitimate world champion, he has to defeat Tamayo. Despite the fact that Tamayo has had 33 professional fights, he hasn't faced top-level competition in his career.

Can he seriously challenge Cuellar, or will this be a one-sided romp in favor of the 27-year-old southpaw from Argentina?

Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, Dec. 20 at 9 p.m.

Where: Little Creek Casino Resort, Shelton, Washington

TV: Showtime Extreme

Continue Ascending

Last day in Oxnard. Tomorrow I'll travel to Seattle for a new title fight. I'm better than never! pic.twitter.com/GbkgkoM32I

— Jesus Cuellar (@JesusCuellarBOX) December 16, 2014

Cuellar doesn't have a ton of notoriety in the sport. Most boxing fans outside of Argentina probably don't know who he is just yet. If he continues to win—especially with knockouts—his fame will grow. His 73 percent KO percentage is impressive, and it could improve if he can stay at featherweight.

Cuellar's style is crowd pleasing. You can see some similarities to he and Lucas Matthysse, another powerful Argentine. Because Cuellar is also a southpaw, there's another layer to his game. While the left is set up as his power hand, Cuellar has good power with either fist.

Former world champion Juan Manuel Lopez found that out the hard way in Cuellar's last fight.

The second-round stoppage gave Cuellar a win over a well-known fighter—even though Juan Ma is about as shopworn as can be at this point. If nothing else, it got Cuellar some positive attention, and it continued to move him toward bigger and better things.

Under the tutelage of esteemed trainer Robert Garcia, Cuellar is climbing the ladder.

The next step is to conquer Tamayo.

There to Compete or Simply Show Up

Only six of Tamayo's fights have been scheduled for as many as 10 rounds. In fact, his last four bouts haven't been slated for more than eight rounds.

The last full-length scheduled bout Tamayo had was against Jesus Ruiz in April 2013. Tamayo was knocked out in the ninth round of that fight. To give a clue as to how unknown Tamayo is, BoxRec.com didn't even have his age on file. 

I had an opportunity to watch his bout with Rugelio Jun Doliguez from July 2013. It ended in a draw, but Tamayo looked slow and fatigued in the latter rounds. That's not a good look considering he was knocked out in the ninth round of his fight scheduled to go 10 or more rounds.

These details bring up the question: "is this a fight Tamayo really believes he can win, or this simply a payday?" The answer to that question could determine the specific outcome of the bout.

Prediction

From a pure aggression standpoint, Cuellar looks to have Tamayo severely overmatched. Cuellar moves about the ring with power, distinction and purpose. From what I've seen of Tamayo, he tends to flounder more.

These are the types of fights that are made when an up-and-coming fighter needs work but isn't quite ready to challenge the best at the current moment.

The result will be bad news for Tamayo. He'll be lucky if he sees the fourth round in this one. Cuellar will win by KO.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

After winning his first world title in June, WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko (2-1, 1 KO) is ready for his first defense. On the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Chris Algieri pay-per-view event, Lomachenko will defend his title against mandatory challenger Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (52-1, 33 KO).

Lomachenko has had very few pro fights, but his lengthy amateur career has prepared him well for the best fighters in his weight class.

Arum calls Vasyl Lomachenko THE greatest fighter in the history of amateur boxing

— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) November 19, 2014

He defeated highly touted prospect Gary Russell Jr. to win the title, and he hung with current interim WBO super featherweight champion Orlando Salido in March. Lomachenko will be facing another seasoned veteran in Piriyapinyo.

The challenger has gone the distance with former champion Chris John. That bout is the only blemish on Piriyapinyo's record. Lomachenko will be looking to add a second. Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, Nov. 22 at 9 a.m.

Where: Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China

TV: HBO PPV

Live Stream: BoxNation (subscription required and region restricted)

The Book on Piriyapinyo

The aforementioned bout with John was not a great showing for Piriyapinyo. He did go the distance, but the Indonesian legend pretty much battered him throughout the fight.

Piriyapinyo showed great toughness and resolve in the bout, but it was clear he was in over his head. That fight took place in 2012, so it's possible Piriyapinyo could have improved since then.

He has certainly been active.

The 29-year-old Thai boxer is 8-0 since his loss to John, and he's stopped six of those eight opponents. Still, he has an extremely tough task ahead of him in the Ukrainian champion.

The Book on Lomachenko

Lomachenko has his share of haters. Many scoffed at the fact that the 26-year-old received a world title shots after one pro fight. Despite losing in his first chance at gold, he was immediately given a second chance.

Nevertheless, he has proved he belongs in the same ring with the best in his weight class.

Early on against Salido, he looked overmatched by the wily and rugged Mexican veteran. Later in the bout, Lomachenko seemed to make some adjustments. He was getting the better of his opponent in the last three rounds, but he had dug himself a hole he couldn't get out of.

He lost the unanimous decision. It took just three months for Lomachenko to get a second shot at the title.

Against Russell Jr., there was no slow start. Facing an opponent with superior hand speed, Lomachenko displayed his own above-average athleticism, superior fundamentals and power en route to a majority decision and his first world title.

Lomachenko and his team are clearly looking at big things in the future. Per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, Lomachenko's Top Rank promoters would like to match him against undefeated WBA super featherweight champion Nicholas Walters in 2015.

Walters just decimated Nonito Donaire in October, so he's a dangerous opponent and a hot name in the sport. Heading into this fight, it doesn't appear as though Piriyapinyo is being viewed as a threat to Lomachenko's new title reign.

Top Rank President Carl Moretti told Rafael:

When Lomachenko fought Gary Russell, it was for the vacant title, so there is a mandatory lingering around. It’s a Thai guy, Piriyapinyo, who has an unbelievable record and went the distance with Chris John. It’s probably not a fight that makes sense in the U.S. and that the mandatory is from Thailand provides us with a good platform to get rid of the obligation and showcase what a great fighter Lomachenko is. That’s why we’re doing it on the Pacquiao card.

Is Lomachenko looking past Piriyapinyo? If so, is Lomachenko so much better than Piriyapinyo that it won't matter?

Prediction

The short answer is yes.

Lomachenko's hand and foot speed should befuddle the challenger for as long as this fight lasts. Though we've only had a small sample size, Lomachenko hasn't looked like a fighter prone to lackluster efforts.

He'll be serious and focused for the bout, and that will result in an early TKO victory for the champion.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

Make no mistake about it: Reigning WBA super world featherweight champion, "The Filipino Flash" Nonito Donaire (33-2, 21 KO) will be at significant risk on Saturday when he faces "Axe Man" Nicholas Walters (24-0, 20 KO).

The 31-year-old Donaire will defend his title against the power-punching and hungry 28-year-old from Jamaica at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Donaire is expected to have a large contingent of fans present for the bout because he lives in San Leandro, California.

However, Walters isn't intimidated. He told Damian Calhoun of the Orange County Register:

He’s going to have his crowd, but at the end of the day, there will only be Donaire, myself and the ref in the ring. He can’t run to his coach or his fans once we’re in the ring. His fans are not going to help him. I’m not worried. His fans will be my fans at the end of the fight. I’m planning on taking the super title back home with me. I’m going to be smart. I know Donaire is a smart fighter, he was fighter of the year (2012) on one occasion. He’s been in the business a long time, but I’m going to do what the Axe Man does best and that’s knock people out.

Walters may not be able to convert Donaire lovers into his own fans, but he does have a legit shot to win the title. Though he is a legitimate world champion, Donaire hasn't really looked like the fighter who won Fighter of the Year for a while now. Life situations and success may have decreased his seemingly faint love for the sport.

Many in the boxing community are wondering whether he can regain the spark that made him one of the best in the world.

It should be an interesting bout. Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, October 18 at 10 p.m. ET

Where: StubHub Center, Carson, California

TV: HBO

Validation

Walters won the WBA regular world title when he stopped Daulis Prescott in 2012. Since then, he's knocked out Alberto Garza and Vic Darchinyan. Still, he's not regarded as one of the biggest names in the lower weight classes.

All that could change if the Axe Man drops Donaire. 

The Filipino Flash obviously represents a step up in competition for Walters, but there's reason for the tough Jamaican to feel confident. Walters manhandled Darchinyan in a way Donaire was never able to in two fights with the notoriously tough Armenian.

While Donaire owns two wins over Darchinyan, both of them were difficult bouts. Walters made it look easy. At the end of the night on Saturday, that may not matter, but comparing performances at least provides Walters with reason to believe he can compete with the more well-known and established Donaire.

Still Hungry, or Nah

Donaire has had the look of a fighter who has lost his zeal for the sport since he won Fighter of the Year in 2012 and his son Jarel was born in July 2013. Since these glorious events, Donaire lost to Guillermo Rigondeaux in April 2013, looked less than stellar against Darchinyan in Nov. 2013 and won on a technical decision over Simpiwe Vetyeka in May.

Clearly, this has not been Donaire's best stretch of work. 

By his own admission, he never really loved boxing. Donaire once told Tris Dixon of Boxing News Magazine, "All my life I wanted to be recognized by my parents, especially my dad. I hated boxing and I hated fighting but I did it because I saw the attention my brother was getting."

Donaire's brother Glenn was a solid flyweight contender, but Nonito is the more talented of the two. He used that talent to obtain the lifestyle, attention and approval he sought. Now that he has it via in-ring success, and a family of his own, it's easy to wonder: What's his motivation?

If he's satisfied, he can say all the right things in interviews, but it's only a matter of time before someone victimizes him. The Rigondeaux loss is legit, because we're talking about a world-class opponent. But Donaire could fall prey to a fighter whom most would expect him to handle because he's no longer hungry.

Prediction

This is really a tough call. Walters is rugged, confident and powerful. He truly believes he can beat Donaire convincingly. I'm inclined to believe him.

@filipinoflash says: no predictions. whatever's going to be said & done will be said & done inside the ring.

— @abaccordero (@abaccordero) October 14, 2014

Recently, Donaire has fallen into a pattern of leaning on his big left hook. He's almost exclusively looking to land the one big shot that ends the night. He got it against Darchinyan in their last bout. 

I'll get this out of the way, right now, I like the Axeman Nicholas Walters to chop down Nonito Donaire late. Im on the record #boxing

— Steve Kim - the Thomas Sowell of Boxing (@SteveKim323) October 13, 2014

Walters and his corner must be smart and protect against this very dangerous weapon. It helps Walters' case that he may be the biggest puncher Donaire has ever faced. Power is always a great equalizer, and it presents an especially tough test for a fighter who may no longer have the fire in his belly.

This might be a little daring, but I see Walters winning this bout by decision after dropping Donaire twice during the fight. If this prediction comes true, it might be time for Donaire to walk away. He's already proved his point.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn believes new European featherweight champion Josh Warrington is on a collision course with stablemate Lee Selby.

Warrington (19-0, 3 KO) stopped Italian Davide Dieli inside four rounds to claim the vacant title at Leeds’ First Direct Arena on Saturday night.

The win means the 23-year-old is now in possession of three belts, with the British and Commonwealth titles completing the set. Hearn sees a bright future for Warrington.

"In 12 months from now, I believe he can be challenging for world titles," he told a small number of journalists at a press conference in the early hours of Sunday morning.

If you are not yet following @J_Warrington - please press that button! You are going to be hearing plenty about him! #mot

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) October 5, 2014

The win puts Warrington just behind Selby in the British featherweight ranks, but the latter is expected to challenge for a world title much sooner.

Bookmakers expect Selby to take Australian Joel Brunker out of the picture this weekend when the pair clash in an IBF eliminator at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.

Hearn is confident the Welshman will become a world champion before long and believes Warrington could challenge him in future.

Indeed, he has already touted Elland Road, home of Leeds United Football Club, as a potential venue for a title fight.

Hearn added, "You've got Lee Selby fighting Joel Brunker next week in a final eliminator, and this is a big shoutout to Selby, because he owned all three of these belts as well.

"Eventually, that's a big fight, I mean we're talking Elland Road for that one.

"If Selby can win a world title, a fight between Lee and Josh at Elland Road is the way it's going."

According to Hearn, Warrington was accountable for almost 2,000 of the tickets sold for Saturday's event at First Direct Arena, and his fanbase is seemingly growing with every performance.

And should Selby fail to fulfil his potential, Hearn still believes Warrington—who is from Leeds—is destined to fight at the home of his local football team, which has a capacity of almost 40,000.

"This guy will end up fighting at Elland Road, 150 per cent," Hearn added in the press conference. "It might even be next summer; we're moving that quickly. But the plan is to come away and give him a little rest and probably come back very early next year."

All quotes obtained firsthand by the author of this article.

Follow @skyjamiecasey

 

In a battle between two of the most recognizable Mexican boxers of their era, Jhonny Gonzalez toppled Jorge Arce in the 11th round via technical knockout to retain his WBC featherweight title belt.

Gonzalez started modestly but controlled the pace from the onset and used his reach and size superiority to his advantage early and often. He put his foot on the gas pedal in Round 3, knocking Arce down multiple times and opening up a cut over his left eye—an early hole the wily and resilient Arce couldn't overcome.

A fight that very well could have ended in four rounds went 11, but there was little doubt as the bout wore on that Gonzalez's title belt was safe as could be. 

But though the win was hardly in question, Gonzalez let up considerably in the latter rounds and refused to put away his opponent—often looking like he didn't much mind whether the fight went the distance or not.

Perhaps he was trying to show Arce respect as he fought in the opponent's hometown. Maybe he was just tired and didn't want to leave himself exposed. But it took the referee stepping in during Round 11 for this one to be brought to a close.

Saturday's showdown made for quite the assembly of career achievements for the two longtime standouts. The duo entered the fight with 96 career knockouts and 120 victories among them. 

While staying confident in his own abilities, Gonzalez admitted heading into the bout what the above stat proves—it was sure to be a memorable fight.

“From the moment the bell rings to start the first round, I strongly advise you, don’t miss a beat," Gonzalez said, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. "The fight could end at any moment, but however long it lasts, it will be war. We will win. I’m bigger, and I have more reach. Our training is what will bring the win this Saturday."

If they were going for a war-like feel, it didn't come to the surface in the opening rounds.

Despite coming in as a huge favorite with aspirations to end the fight early, Gonzalez refused to set the tempo in Round 1. He remained defensive and allowed Arce to be the aggressor, seeming to rely on his size and reach advantage for any opportunities for early strikes.

Things didn't change much heading into Round 2. While it was obvious Gonzalez had enough spunk to keep Arce at bay, he remained calm and waited for his chances, as Boxing360 describes:

Travieso now is being more aggressive as he is lunging in against Gonzalez in the 2nd. Gonzalez still not doing much but defending. #boxing

— Boxing360 (@boxing360) October 5, 2014

After setting Arce up slowly through the opening two rounds and not finding much success, it was apparent he was simply waiting around for his chance to pounce. That came in Round 3.

The fight started to open up with Gonzalez beginning to attack his overmatched opponent, and he unleashed his full arsenal of brutal hooks and effective jabs to bloody up Arce. The 35-year-old couldn't hold on for long, being sent to the floor twice before the Round 3 bell saved him, as Boxing-Hype.com noticed:

Arce saved by the bell in the 3rd#GonzalezArce

— BoxingHypeStore.com (@BoxingHype) October 5, 2014

To make matters worse, Arce walked away from the round with a bad cut over his left eye that seemed to open up at the start of every following round. 

He may not have been worse for wear and continued plucking away, but Arce was proving by Rounds 4 and 5 that he was no match for Gonzalez's sheer tactical skill and advantage in length, as Patrick Connor of Queensberry Rules noted:

https://twitter.com/VoiceOfBeard/status/518628074284650496

Arce didn't go down without a fight, even with the loss being all but inevitable. He landed a couple of crushing blows to Gonzalez in the fifth round, but they were quickly shaken off as Gonzalez rallied to send Arce crashing to the canvas again just before the Round 5 bell.

After looking moments away from wrapping it up for the second time already, Gonzalez again opted to take his foot off the gas. With Arce stumbling and Gonzalez still holding a massive edge, Rounds 6, 7 and 8 passed with nothing more than scrapping. 

Gonzalez regained his pace in Round 9, sending Arce to the canvas again and even convincing the referee to attempt stopping the fight. But on it went, after Arce implored the official, per Boxing360:

Looks like the referee wanted to stop the fight between the rounds but Arce yelled at him that he was at home and he wanted to continue.

— Boxing360 (@boxing360) October 5, 2014

The 33-year-old looked happy to cruise to a win in 12 rounds, but Arce made no secret that he wanted the best from Gonzalez. Instead, the victor decided to stop pushing and stay content with a decision victory, per Connor:

https://twitter.com/VoiceOfBeard/status/518635005233627136

As if he needed any further establishment, Gonzalez again proved his worth late in his boxing career. Saturday's victory marks his fifth straight win and his 17th in his last 18 appearances. It was his sixth successful defense of the WBC featherweight title—going back to his run from 2011 to 2012.

While Saturday's result might not compare to his upset over Abner Mares or successful defense of the title against Clive Atwell, notching another impressive victory over a living Mexican legend in his hometown was huge for Gonzalez.

On the other hand, it's hard to tell exactly where the result leaves Arce. He entered Saturday with three consecutive victories after retiring following a 2012 loss to Nonito Donaire, but none of his opponents could hold a candle to Gonzalez, and that showed throughout the fight.

Saturday's fight may have pegged two Mexican boxing greats who are past their prime, but only one of the two remains a heavy hitter in contention for world titles. That man is Jhonny Gonzalez.

When two Mexican warriors like Jhonny Gonzalez (56-8, 47 KO) and Jorge Arce (64-7-2, 49 KO) meet, the expectations for a spirited battle are extremely high. Gonzalez will put his WBC featherweight title on the line against the highly experienced but long in the tooth former five-time world champion.

The bout takes place at Cancha de Usos Multiples Praderas de Villa in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. That's Arce's hometown; thus, he should have a considerable following for the bout.

With nearly 100 KOs between the two men, it would be a shock if this one goes the distance. Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, Oct. 4 at 11 p.m. ET

Where: Cancha de Usos Multiples Praderas de Villa, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico

TV: beIN Sports Espanol/Televisa in Mexico

Moving on From Mares

After stopping Abner Mares and taking his title in the first round of their Aug. 2013 meeting, Gonzalez wanted to grant the former champion a rematch. Injuries and postponements didn't allow that to happen, and Gonzalez just returned to the ring back in May to simply get some work.

He handled Clive Atwell fairly easy in his last bout, but this clash with Arce will be his first significant challenge since knocking out Mares.

While he did defeat Atwell without major peril, Gonzalez didn't look quite as sharp as he had against Mares. Obviously, there was a fairly long layoff to deal with, as well as an unknown opponent. This time around, neither issue should be a factor.

Per Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, Gonzalez still believes Arce is dangerous, and he won't take him lightly. Gonzalez said: "I will face a strong and experienced fighter, who has won five world titles, so I will prepare as if I am challenging a world champion. Arce throws punches right from the opening bell. He is brave and strong. We anticipate a war in the ring because I will not take even one step back."

It's a good bet Arce won't be retreating either.

Is Arce Done?

After being destroyed by Nonito Donaire in Nov. 2012, Arce was away from the sport for nearly a year. He returned in Oct. 2013 and stopped Jose Carmona in the eighth round. Since then, he's won two more fights by stoppage.

Those wins look good on his record, but none of those opponents are the caliber of Gonzalez. 

It's a legitimate question to ask: Is Arce too far past his prime to seriously challenge for a world title? We'll know the answer for sure on Saturday. At 35 years old, Arce would be pulling a fairly significant upset if he can grind his way to a victory.

Yet, stranger things have happened.

https://twitter.com/atomicpoet/status/516441747816476672

Prediction

With his full-steam-ahead approach, Arce will either make Gonzalez uncomfortable or play right into his hands. I'm betting on the latter.

The jab is perhaps Gonzalez's best weapon. It's stiff and it allows him to utilize his abnormally long 69-inch reach to his advantage. Though the fight with Mares didn't make it out of the first round, the threat of Gonzalez's jab helped to set up the lead left hook that did the damage.

Arce has never been one for an abundance of head movement—or defense of any variety, for that matter.

At this advanced stage of his career, he's likely to be met time and again by Gonzalez's stiff, range-establishing jab. This will lead to power shots that will break up Arce's face and ultimately lead to a stoppage win for the champion.

Bet on this one ending around the sixth.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.