By Mortz C. Ortigoza
After that breaking news exploded in the boxing world at early dawn of August 12 (August 11 in the U.S) that the biggest boxing event for this year scheduled in August 21 between Super Welterweight's icons Manny Pacquiao versus Errol Spence, Jr. was off because the latter got a torn retina, many fans were dismayed while some were furious.
“Who was that 39 years old 5’ 9" feet Cuban’s Yordenis Ugás?” I even asked myself after I read the jarring news – as if I was hit too by Manny’s phantom right cross that decked out the loquacious braggart Keith Thurman in the first round of their skirmishes.
“Can we interview you now about your pre-fight analysis between Pacquiao versus Ugas?” Bombo Radyo-Pangasinan’s Chief of Anchors Ed Abubo called me by phone while I was in my car.
“Bilis naman (Too fast)! Give me two days as I’m preoccupied overseeing the arrivals of our Davao Puyat export variety durians and class A pomelos for the huge three million populated mammoth Pangasinan market,” I answered him.
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| Photo Credit: Philboxing.com |
In my supposed analysis of the Pacquiao -Spence fight, I found it easier since in the last four tussles of Spence (Carlos Ocampo June 6, 2018; Mikey Garcia March 16, 2019; Shawn Porter August 28, 2019; and Danny Garcia December 5, 2020) he fought a haymaker – just like the whirling dervish Filipino Senator sans his heavy punches – Porter.
Spence struggled how to deal with Porter in their 2019 World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation's Welterweight diadem that without the right hook knockdown that hit the latter face in Round 11, Porter chalked up a draw to the judges or even won that brawl before the eyes of many boxing aficionados.
When Spence fought Danny Garcia – after the former survived a horrific Ferrari car accident in 2019 - he was slower (than his 2019 outing with Porter) to a calculating Danny.
“Bakit bumagal ito, epekto ng car crash? (Why he was slower, was it an effect of the car crash?),” I quipped when I first saw their battle.
Manny would gobble him in case they consumed their contracted August 21 competition, I added.
***
Despite my busy schedule juggling my editorial work at Northern Watch Newspaper and supervising the family business – damn, I browsed the last four matches of Ugas in BoxRec and this yokel smiled.
I ain’t need to watch his tussles with Omar Figueroa Jr., Mike Dallas Jr., and Abel Ramos, because the other one was the exciting Shawn Porter himself who attack ferociously the enemies like Pacquiao.
Porter got a split decision with Ugas.
Many boxing kibitzers said that the deft Cuban won that fight because of his clean punches, his propensity to hit by his heavy uppercuts the body of Porter, and his counter punching that slowed down his opponent who fought like a devil against Thurman, Spence, and Garcia.
He lost because he was a challenger in the first defense of Porter of that March 2019’s Welterweight crown for the World Boxing Council in Dignity Health Sports Park , Carson City, Nevada.
“The lighter punching Porter even shook him in the second half of the rounds,” I told myself while watching the duo in their chess match.
Ugas lost because he did not aggressively pursue Porter. A challenger must be truculent to hit the defending champion unless his name is Floyd Mayweather or Juan Manuel Márquez who gave jarring clean punches to the face and torso of Pacquiao and muster the ring generalship to win the favors of the three judges.
Or an oppoent whose name is Jeff Horn who – damn the torpedoes – mixed in a dog fight with Pacquiao where the latter lost in a unanimous decision.
(But Terence Allan "Bud" Crawford easily handled Horn (Technical Knocked Out (TKO)) - after the Pacquiao's tussle - like Horn transformed into a neophyte by Crawford quick counter punches and foot speed that could outclass Pacquiao and Spence. But that’s another column for you folks, te-he!)
Although Ugas is the defending champ after the WBA crown was stripped off from Pacquiao in January 29, 2020 (the Flips, er Filipinos’ presidential candidate won’t defend it), he should triple his hitting activity against Porter when he and Manny fight next week.
Although Ugas, a Cuban Olympian, is no fluke compared to the likes of Adrien Broner, Lucas Martin Matthysse, Jessie Vargas, and Jorge Solis, he is not at the league of Manny’s lightning hand and foot speed.
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