“Junior welterweight Danny Garcia was crowned “Homecoming King” at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez, in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, on Saturday night, but not without stumbling up the steps of the stage. Garcia won a hard-fought majority decision over Mauricio Herrera in a fight that was far more difficult than any coronation is supposed to be.”
Read Devil’s Island: Danny Garcia W12 Mauricio Herrera on The Cruelest Sport.
It was a gesture that revealed the bond between the two men: with a microphone in his face, trainer Virgil Hunter argued that his fighter, Alfredo Angulo, was indeed coming on at the time of the stoppage, and he called on the crowd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, to support him, if not to strengthen his claim, than to console a beaten man, to help Angulo preserve his reputation and the confidence he draws from it. And it was a gesture sorely needed, because junior middleweight Saul Alvarez had just put the finishing touches on a one-sided thrashing of Angulo that culminated in a tenth-round TKO.
Read Rate of Decline: Saul Alvarez TKO10 Alfredo Angulo on The Cruelest Sport.
“With two Olympic gold medals and a staggering amateur record of 396-1, Lomachenko—along with his team and promoter Top Rank—believed he had the polish and savvy to the surmount the rugged nuance of the aging Salido. Seven years younger than his opponent, and with far fewer miles on his body, Lomachenko, Marina Del Ray, California, via Ukraine, was expected to exploit his glaring advantages in speed and athleticism. And he did just that, in spurts of varying duration. But unlike the Olympics, where the spirit of friendly global competition is at least supposed to pervade, and unlike the amateurs, where prizes not purses are awarded, the professional ranks are a cutthroat racket filled with men grasping at whatever chances are within reach—and the best of these men die hard. Lomachenko had undoubtedly learned much in his amateur career, but Salido would teach him about desperation.”
Read Desperate Measures: Orlando Salido W12 Vasyl Lomachenko on The Cruelest Sport.
In Between Rounds 