Tag Archives: Thompson

Posted on 09/21/2019

By: Ken Hissner

Thompson Boxing Promotions – Ken Thompson, Banner Promotions – Art Pelullo and Mikey Garcia Promotions Friday promoter a card from the La Hacienda Event Center on ShoBox The New Generation.

In the Main Event Lightweight Michael “West Texas Warrior” Dutchover, 13-1 (10), 134 1/4, of Sante Fe Springs, CA, was stopped by Thomas “Gunna Man, 15-1-1 (11), of Cleveland, OH, for the vacant WBO inter-continental title, at 1:33 of the eighth round.

Photo Credit Showtime Boxing Twitter Account

In the first round there was plenty of action in a close round. In the second round within 10 seconds Dutchover landed an overhand right on the chin of Mattice stopping him in his tracks. The local fans were loudly behind the Midland born Dutchover. In the final seconds Dutchover drove Mattice into a neutral corner with a solid left hook to the chin.

In the third round it was a good action close fight with both taking turns getting the better of the action. In the fourth round the action continued with Dutchover taking a slight edge. In the fifth round of another action round Mattice looked like he had the edge.

In the sixth round Mattice used his jab well. Inside the final minute of the round Mattice turned his head and got hit on the back of his head by Dutchover. In the seventh round the closeness of the fight continued with Dutchover busier while Mattice ended the round with a flurry.

In the eighth round Mattice started well cutting Dutchover along the left eyebrow.

The referee Robert Velez called the ring physician in who stopped the fight due to the cut.

Dutchover was ahead on two of the three cards while this writer had Mattice ahead 4-3 in rounds.

In the co-feature WBO Int’l Featherweight champion southpaw Ruben “RV4” Villa, 17-0 (5), 125 1/4, of Salinas, CA, defeated Jose “El Ejecutor” Vivas, 17-1 (9), 126, of Montebello, MEX, over 10.

In the first round Vivas pressed the action working the body of Villa. In the second round Villa moved well landing his jab landing a left on the chin knocking down Vivas after a minute of the round. Vivas was warned for hitting behind the head and hitting on the break by referee Robert Velez. The round went beyond 3 minutes going near 4 minutes.

In the third round Villa continued controlling the fight countering well. In the fourth round Vivas got away hitting behind the head and on the break without a warning in a close round.

In the fifth round Villa became the aggressor. Vivas continued his dirty tactics being frustrated with the quicker hands of Villa landing his punches at a high percentage. Prior to starting the sixth round the referee noticed one of the ring ropes broke causing a long delay of over 10 minutes to start the round.

In the sixth round Vivas again became the aggressor walking into counter punches by Villa. In the seventh round Vivas kept getting away with hitting behind the head and landing a low blow. The referee finally stopped the action warning Vivas of hitting behind the head which he has been doing the entire fight.

In the eight round Villa was landing quite a bit to the head with little return from Vivas during the first half of the round. Vivas did well in the second half continuing his rough tactics without warning. It was a close round.
In the ninth round Villa kept the jab followed by a left throughout the round. In the tenth and final round Villa kept boxing well despite the continuous dirty tactics by Vivas.

Scores were 100-89 by all three judges while this writer had it 98-91.

Super Lightweight Brandun Lee, 17-0 (15), 142 1/2, La Quinta, CA, knocked out Milton Arauz, 10-2-1 (5), 142, of Jinotega, Nicaragua, at 2:59 of the second round in a scheduled 8.
In the first round Lee had his left to his side using an effective jab. In the last 30 seconds of the round Lee landed half a dozen punches without return until Arauz grabbed him almost taking him to the canvas.

In the second round Lee continued to control and in the final minute a right to the chin of Arauz knocked out his mouthpiece. A right hand from Lee in the final seconds on the chin of Arauz and down he went. He struggled to get up but fell to the canvas forcing referee Daniel Sandoval to immediately wave the fight over.

Welterweight Vito “White Majic” Mielnicki, Jr., 2-0 (2), of Roseland, NJ, knocked out Caleb Bailey, 0-2 (0), of Salisberry, NC, at 1:00 of the first round.

In the first round a left hook on the chin from Mielnicki dropped Bailey. A bit later a right hand on the chin put Bailey down for the count. The 17 year-old Mielnicki had quite an outstanding amateur career.

Posted on 09/21/2019

By: Robert Aaron Contreras

With splotches of bright crimson across his opponent’s face, Lionell Thompson (21-5, 11 KO) continued to touch up Scott Sigmon (34-14-1, 17 KO) with jabs and curling uppercuts until the end of the seventh round. The lacing was enough to convince Sigmon’s corner to throw in the towel, awarding Thompson the victory on Friday night from the Cannery Casino in Las Vegas.

Sigmon was an easy target from the beginning, tucked behind his stiff guard, constantly moving forward, even if ineffectively. Thompson prodded the crouching opponent: chipping away at the rolling white boulder of a man in front of him.

Photo Credit: Mayweather Promotions Twitter Account

Thompson was comfortable being crowded. He navigated the canvas, focused on putting jabs on the top of Sigmon’s head. He built up an early lead and never looked back.

At the end of a doubling jab, Sigmon attempted hurling back left hands after absorbing punishment, but Thompson by then would circle out of danger. The bull to Thompson’s matador, he began simply ramming into the winning boxer. It did not stop his face from opening up in the third round. Nor could it stop his nose from leaking later on.

Sigmon resorted to try talking Thompson out of his element in the sixth period. But he was simply met with more jabs. These by Thompson now being followed up with javelin right hands.

In the fateful seventh stanza, Thompson completely took away Sigmon’s only advantage: his forward moving momentum. Sigmon was simply being brushed in a zigzagging fashion from careening uppercuts, hooks, and other bludgeoning blows.

It was no surprise Sigmon’s corner did not throw him back out for another go.

The Mayweather-promoted card was not short on talent, but green as they are, Thompson was stuck at the top of the bill. At 34, and the winner of five of his last six, it would still take some of that matchmaking magic Floyd Mayweather was known for to push Thompson into the title picture. Beating a former sparring partner, who was decisioned by a 49-year-old Roy Jones Jr. would not cut it for most boxers.

Gabriel Duluc (15-3, 4 KO) def. Cameron Krael (16-15, 3 KO)

Gabriel Duluc, thanks to timely combinations, and lapses of inactivity from his opponent, shocked the house fighter Cameron Krael by way of a majority decision.

Krael, who has been represented by Mayweather Promotions since 2017, commanded the center of the ring for the entire 10 rounds. Though his punch output was not nearly as consistent.

Duluc’s winging punches were not pretty but they were enough to steal the opening round. And plenty more looping overhand rights kept Krael at bay over the next three rounds. By Round 3, the underdog’s punches grew sloppier—his arms dangling at his hips when not punching—but he maneuvered the canvas enough to avoid any significant damage.

Krael finally woke up in the fourth stanza. Pressuring his man to the ropes, he sent blinding straight right hands to the Duluc’s face.

The action was more tense in the fifth and sixth rounds: both men trading winging punches.

Krael still commanding the center of the ring in Round 7. But his punches had lost steam. And the three minutes consisted of instances of Robert Byrd prying the fighters off one another.

The two were merely fighting in spurts through the eighth period. The ninth frame provided Krael some hope when he brutalized Duluc’s midsection. The attack had him reeling for a moment but soon collected himself. Krael suddenly disregarding the body did not hurt.

And the rest of the way, included Round 10, Duluc fought well going backwards: short, quick, double jabs and successive chippy shots upstairs. Not exactly buzzing Krael, but a high enough output to to keep Krael’s gloves glues to his face and restrict returning fire.

Duluc has now won four straight while Krael creeps closer to a .500 record in his career.

Posted on 09/19/2019

By: Robert Aaron Contreras

Two years on, Floyd Mayweather’s name is still on the marquee following his retirement.

On Friday, Sept. 20, Mayweather Promotions is in Las Vegas, streaming live on Facebook, where a pair of light heavyweights front a nine-bout card featuring some of the promotional outfit’s most talented farmhands.

Headlining the show is veteran Lionell Thompson (20-5, 11 KO), as he meets Scott Sigmon (34-13-1, 17 KO) for a scheduled 10 rounds.

It is hard to tell what a win does for either man. Neither is world-ranked: Thompson is not a blip on the radar of any major sanctioning body and Sigmon has for years been used as a bottom feeder by the sport’s mega promoters.

Thompson, the A-side if you could call him as much, joined “The Money Team” in 2015. Prior to inking that deal, he found success in the New York amateur scene, winning a handful of Golden Gloves tournaments, before turning professional in 2009.

Surveying his resume, one name sticks out. At the end of 2012, he met one Sergey Kovalev, stepping in for Gabriel Campillo on short notice. Thompson was taken apart just as quickly, succumbing to the Russian’s attack in three rounds.

Thompson was floored in the second round: collapsing like controlled demolition from a right cross. Referee Gabe Rosato preceded to steal the show by letting the fight fall out of his control, allowing Kovalev following the knockdown to run across the ring and whop Thompson again, blatantly after the bell. Then Rosato gave Thompson another standing eight-count, despite the fighter’s cornermen already spilling into the ring—typically grounds for disqualification.

In short, it was a mess. Another two-punch combo from Kovalev ended the future Mayweather product’s night in the third period. Kovalev went on to unify the division and is today pegged to face boxing’s cash cow in Canelo Alvarez.

Thompson was not so successful. Still another three victories, and a competitive outing with the lethal-punching contender Radivoje Kalajdzic, caught “Big Brother” Floyd’s eye, earning Thompson a contract to joint TMT.

What followed was a mixed bag: a record of 5-2: competing across huge platforms like FOX Sports 1 (losing to Paul Parker), Bounce TV (defeating Earl Newman), and Showtime (losing to Edwin Rodriguez).

Thompson’s biggest criticism has been his penchant to disengage from conflict. Doing so when he felt the brunt of Kovalev’s fists. He even ran out the clock against the previously-undefeated Newman, in a fight Thompson was clearly winning.

Sigmon, a 32-year-old native of Virginia, was clearly behind on the cards in 2018 when he pressured Roy Jones Jr. to the ropes in what was the legend’s final fight ever.

Pushing 50, Jones decisioned Sigmon in the end—fully in control despite being on the ropes, rocking the younger man in the latter stages of the fight. Sigmon throughout pattered Jones’ body. The problem was Jones seemed to enjoy it, talking and gesturing to the crown, basking in the glory of his farewell fight, before returning fire at twice the speed of Sigmon’s punches—patented no-look shots included.

Sigmon dropped nearly every round. Just like he’s dropped every fight to anybody worth their weight in salt, losing to recognizable men like Matt Korobov, J’Leon Love, Caleb Truax, and Kelly Pavlik.

Cameron Krael (16-14-3, 4 KO) vs. Gabriel Duluc (14-3, 4 KO)

Mayweather may claim the contrary, but numbers do lie because his man “Suave” Krael is better than his poor record would suggest. The Hawaiian-born banger has been a TMT favorite since signing with the promotion in 2017.

A year later, his warmongering ways finally caught on after brawling with welterweight gatekeeper Ericl Bone in one of the most violent outings of 2018. Krael ultimately settled for a split-decision loss.

Most recently, Krael also dropped a decision to the undefeated Keith Hunter, consistently a step behind his more athletic opponent. The 25-year-old Vegas transplant has still won three of his last four and can boast to having battled Egidijus Kavaliauskas, who is on the cusp of challenging Terence Crawford.

In 2016, Krael matched up well with a high-output fighter like Kavaliauskas. The two went the entire distance, ending in a decision verdict for Kavaliauskas, but not before Krael buzzed the Lithuanian brawler in the penultimate round.

Duluc, a proud 29-year-old from Boston, carries with him this weekend a better looking record than Krael’s, but against mostly lesser fighters—save for a points loss in 2016 to upstart Sonny Fredrickson. In all, he is on a three-fight win streak.

Friday will be his second appearance of 2019 after returning to his home state of Massachusetts for an easy unanimous over an unheralded southpaw by the name of Antonio Chaves Fernandez.

Posted on 11/17/2017

by B.A. Cass

This Saturday at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Mayweather Promotions brings us some interesting fights—well, potentially interesting. The fights will air on Bounce TV starting at 9 PM EST. I’m particularly excited to watch the main event between Julian Williams an Ishe Smith and the undercard fight between Earl Newman and Lionell Thompson. Here’s why.

Earl Newman (10-0-1) vs. Lionell Thompson (18-4); 10 rounds; light Heavyweight

In September, after a layoff of nearly a year, Newman fought Paul Parker, a contest that ended in a draw. Newman is a two-time New York Golden Gloves winner. He’s to be a talented boxer. However, he’s a top-heavy athlete who operates with a certain amount of caution in the ring. It’s unlikely that anyone is going to catch him with that one devastating shot.

Back in 2014, Thompson was knocked out by a fresh-faced Sergey Kovalev, a devastating loss that came in the third round. He has since won more than he’s lost, and he’s still a solid fighter. He doesn’t seem to like to let his hands go. He may just be the perfect opponent for Newman. Like Newman, no one would call Thompson fleet-footed. As far as styles go, they’ll be equally matched. Newman won’t have to worry about a barrage of combinations coming his way, which means he can concentrate on doing what he does best—working down his opponent and slowly breaking him down.

I’ll be watching to see whether Newman can finally distinguish himself as a future contender. He’s got skill and intelligence, but he needs an impressive win.

Julian “J-Rock” Williams (23-1-1) vs. Ishe Smith (28-8); 10 rounds; Junior Middleweights

The hard-hitting Williams may be best known for being the knocked out by Jermall Charlo. Williams landed a jab and right that just barely reached Charlo, who then stepped in with a sharp right uppercut. Williams’ legs gave out and he face-planted into the canvas. The referee started the count and, wavering slightly, Williams got to his feet. The fight continued, but only for a few seconds. Charlo came at him, throwing solid, though not hard-hitting, combinations. Williams fell to canvas again, this time on his back.

Since his defeat to Charlo, Williams has fought once, against Joshua Conley. For most of their fight, Conley was so inactive that he could be said to be stagnant. And although Williams worked Conley down, I doubt anyone would say he put on an impressive performance. In fact, for a man who hadn’t received much damage, he looked almost as tired as Conley.

Ishe Smith is twelve years older than Williams, and you can look at that two ways. One on hand, he clearly doesn’t have the speed he used to have, which should give the 27-year-old Williams a clear advantage. On the other hand, Smith has twelve years of experience on Williams. Also, Smith has faced superior opponents, and, even though he has lost to men like Erislandy and Lara and Danny Jacobs, he has never been knocked out.

Smith is crafty. He knows how to take a hit, knows how to draw an opponent in, knows how to tire a guy out, he knows how to duck and weave away from punches. He is a consummate professional.

Williams may be the favorite, he may have a better record, but from the looks of it, he still hasn’t gained his confidence back from his loss to Charlo—which means, Smith could surprise us.

Smith has had a hard year, a hard life actually. Not a man given to self-pity, Smith remains driven despite all the obstacles he’s had to face. He has put his children before his boxing career but this year was particularly hard for him as the mother of his three children was executed. At thirty-nine, he has only so much time remaining as a professional fighter. This fight will determine whether he continues. It’s hard not to root for a guy who’s been through so much.

Follow B.A. Cass on Twitter @WiththePunch