Homecomings and Record Tying Cap an Exciting Weekend of Boxing

Thomas Wolfe wrote “You Can’t Go Home Again” in 1934. The themes of the book revolved around perseverance and a look at a familiar place that had changed (and not for the better,)Saturday night, Junior Lightweight champion O’Shaquie Foster and Light Heavyweight Champion Dimitri Bivol tried to disprove Wolfe’s belief as the two champs fought in their native Houston, Texas and in Russia, respectively.

“Ice Water” tries to freeze a “Savage”

Foster was making his second defense of his World Boxing Council Junior Lightweight title against another former titlist, Raymond Ford. Foster is in the midst of his second run with the title. Ford was previously the World Boxing Association Featherweight titlist. Both fighters are noted boxers with stellar records (Foster came into the bout with a record of 24–3 with 12 knockouts, Ford came into the bout with a record of 18 wins, one loss and one draw, with eight knockouts.)

The two seemed a mirror image of the other with opposite stances (Foster fights orthodox but switches stances myriad times during a fight whilst Ford is a natural southpaw.)

The two started off quickly: Foster stayed on the outside of Ford, a natural strategy when two boxers with different stances fight. Ford managed to move forward on Foster at the onset to land his left to the body. Foster, usually a second-half fighter was aggressive in his footwork but focused on using his jab and managed to catch and trade shots with Ford.

At one point near the end of the first round, the animosity of the pre-fight hype for the fight boiled over into the actual fight. The two got tangled as Foster move forward and Foster threw Ford through the ropes and went face first to the floor. Ford got back in the ring and the two faced the ire of the referee.

The toss got Ford’s ire up, too as he stated to land his left and right hook to the body and the head. Foster continued to move forward but Ford backed him up with his left and jabs. The two traded combinations but Ford was landing the clearer shots at the opening. Ford continued to work his left over the top of Foster.

Foster started to step on the gas as the opening rounds continued working with his jab (per his corner’s instruction) and then land his fight. Foster also managed to hit his angles to avoid of the left of Ford. Foster would turn his opponent (without throwing him into the floor) and then land a short left. Foster also managed to use his footwork when Ford aggressively stepped forward to trap him into the corner.

Ford kept the fight even by going with the right hook to the head and wait for Foster to move forward again to land his left and his jab. Ford managed to sneak the left behind shots inching a looping, clean hook and a left that hurt the champion.

As the opening rounds turned to the mid-rounds, Foster started to work the torso and then land the uppercut. Ford would answer every shot with his right hook and land his lead left followed by his jab which worked throughout the first half of the fight.

As the mid-rounds commenced, the two traded shots Ford still landed accurate coutner shots as Forster advanced. Foster, however, started to keep Ford on the ropes and land his long right and then his left hook to the head.

Foster’s second half surges were needed to win with the fight as close as it was. Ford continued to counter Foster’s advances with a straight left. However, the momentum started to tilt toward Foster as he used his jab to set up combinations and then quickly angle to avoid “Savage.” Foster continued to move around the ring and beat Ford to the jab and land his right.

Ford continued to time Foster advances and hit a chopping left in the eighth round that backed up Foster but Foster weathered the shot and continued to move around and box. Foster continued to box and move around to avoid shots. Ford managed to land good shots but they started to come in one or two punch combinations as Foster moved around and landed quicker combinations. Foster continued to keep Ford at bay with his jab. Foster’s angles started to set up the right hand that caught Ford off balance and hurt Ford.

As the fights hit the championship rounds, Foster continued to land his jab and work the angles to set up a right or left hook to the body and the head. Ford tried to keep Foster on the ropes but Foster managed to evade the trap. Foster managed to evade being caught in the ropes and land a check hook.

Ford, though, continued to try to keep Foster on the ropes and managed to land a solid right cross that hurt Foster but Foster tied up the challenger to avoid further damage. As the championship rounds continued, Foster stepped on the gas with his right and landed a left uppercut and straight right that hurt Ford. Foster laned an overhead jab and a right that hurt Ford and put Ford on the ropes. Ford tried to shake off the punches but Foster managed to keep Ford on the ropes with his jab. Foster stayed a long distance and land his right and left cross and then move back to avoid the Ford counter.

Ford tried to force Foster into the ropes but Foster smothered the shots before the referee separated the two. Foster continued to punch downhill and keep Ford on the ropes with his jab and then fire quick combinations before angling to avoid Ford. Ford tried to counter his right but Foster looked the fresher of the two as the fight came to a close.

The second half surge by Foster managed to pull the fight in his favor and won by majority decision by scores of 118–110 and 116–112 (one judge scored the bout even at 114–114.)

There are two fights that most fans want to see — an unification bout with World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation Junior Lightweight champion Emmanuel Navarrete and World Boxing Organization Junior Welterweight titlist Shakur Stevenson. Stevenson was present at the bout supporting his close friend (and fellow Camden, New Jersey native) Ford. Stevenson got in the ring and Foster and Stevenson traded verbal shots equaling the shots thrown during the fight, including Foster saying that he just “beat his son” — Ford — and Stevenson called Foster a, well, female dog.

Bivol makes his case as boxing best

Meanwhile, earlier on Saturday (and halfway around the world,) Dimitri Bivol defended his WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight title. Bivol is considered a master boxer and entered Saturday’s bout with a record of 24 wins with just one defeat (with 12 knockouts.)

Much like Foster, there are bouts that people are clamoring to see that involve Bivol. One of them is the rubber match with former Light Heavyweight champion (and puncher extraordinaire) Artur Beterbiev. Beterbiev was the sole loss on Bivol’s record (Bivol won the second bout last February.) The other bout is a unification bout with WBC champion David Benavidez.

All three boxers are in most (if not all) people’s active top 10 pound-for-pound boxers. However, a match with one of two would have to wait as Bivol had to deal with a term most fight fans dread more than savor — mandatory challenger. In this case the challenger is Germany’s Michael Eifert. Eifert is ranked number one in the IBF but was not found in other governing bodies’ top 10 rankings. Eifert came into the bout with a record of 13 wins with just one loss (five knockouts.) He also defeated former two-time Light Heavyweight champion Jean Pascal in 2023.

One side note were the titles on the line. Bivol also holds the WBO Light Heavyweight title. However, since the bout was held in Russia, the WBO called the bout a “non-title” bout for its title. This was for the ongoing war with Ukraine.

Bivol started calmly as Eifert circled around the ring Bivol and Eifert traded jabs Bivol stated to change the levels of his jab going to the head and body. Eifert tried to be aggressive and move forward with his jab. However, Bivol caught him moving forward with his guard down and landed a left hook that dropped Eifert. Eifert immediately arose but Bivol quickly moved Bivol continued to control the action with his jab. Bivol calmly moved forward with his jab

Bivol calmly and comfortably kept Eifert circling around the ring with his jab. Eifert started to stand still but Bivol made him pay with his straight right. Eifert tried to move forward but Bivol’ a master technician, moved back and a right hook to the body missed by a mile. Eifert tried to land his right which was his best shot as he moved forward.

Bivol remained confrontable and predominantly used his jab as Eifert could not sustain any offense. Bivol had the timing of Eifert’s shot and moved back whenever Eifert threatened to throw a hoard shot, making Eifert swing at air. Bivol would calmly move forward after every miss with his right. Bivol’s high guard defense, at times impregnable, blocked most of the shots thrown by Eifert.

With Bivol’s masterful footwork, Eifert could not land anything of consequence aside from a straight or two. Bivol’s footwork continued to frustrate the challenger. Bivol rolled with Eifert’s hook and took the effectiveness when it was in range.

As the bout reached the mid-rounds, Bivol just calmly moved in the middle of the ring and waiting for Eifert to move forward to get out of the way and then quickly comeback with his right or a hard jab between the gloves of Eifert. Bivol started to pour on the combinations toward the end of the fifth round. Working the body with his left hook and then changed levels with a straight right to the head and then a left hook. Bivol unleashed his left hook to the head and body as Eifert tried to stand in and stay in the fight.

Bivol continued to step on the gas but gradually as the mid rounds continued. Bivol found success with hit left hook around the defense of Eifert. Eifert could not counterpunch as Bivol kept his guard high to block the shots — Bivol came back with left hooks to the body and the head.

Bivol remained calm and kept his jab and started to work the uppercut to open up the left hook. Constantly jabbing. Bivol continued to pepper Eifer with the jab followed by a left hook and then a solid right.

As the mid rounds continued as the crowd cheered Bivol, Eifert tried to mount some semblance of offense but was continually thwarted by Bivol. Bivol worked the left hook around the body and head and Eifert just had no answers for the methodical dismantling.

Eifert just could not mount any offense. Eifert stopped circling and had to move forward out of necessity and fell prey to the straight right of Bivol and then left hook to the head and body. As the championship rounds commenced, Bivol , comfortably ahead, just use his jab to thwart the desperate charges of Eifert When Eifert would lunge with his hook, Bivol would step back and make Eifert pay for the miss with his left hook to the head and then the straight right.

Eifert go back to moving around the ring but Bivol did not deviate from landing his jab and then a straight right. Bivol walked down his opponent to the corner but Eifert still had the presence to move out and try to fight. Bivol found landed a body shot and Eifert started to wilt but continued to move around the ring. Bivol, though, remained patient and waited for an opportunity to land his let hook and a right combination. Bivol landed another hard body shot at the end of the 11th round started to uncork his right and left hook in flurries as Eifert was saved by the bell.

The final round was a replication of the first 11. Bivol punished the body with his left hook as Eifert circled around the ring. Eifert stopped throwing any punches and stayed in a defensive stance as Bivol tried again to open up the offense with his jab and then a left hook to the aw or body and then a straight right as the

The decision was about as academic as one cold have. All three judges scored the bout 120–107. The bouts with Beterbiev and Benavidez are on the table for Bivol but he also might have another mandatory challenger to beat — albeit one with a far better resume — former Super Middleweight champion and top contender Callum Smith.

Serrano attempts to add another accolade to Hall-of-Fame resume

Whilst it was not a homecoming, Amanda Serrano made her presence felt once again as the future Hall-of-Famer fought Germany’s Cheyenne Hanson to defend her Unified Featherweight title in El Paso, Texas.

Serrano was inching her way toward two historic milestones. If Serrano knocked out Hanson, it would be Serrano’s 32 knockout which would tie her with Christy Martin for most knockouts by a female boxer. Serrano entered the bout with 48 wins and four losses.

Hanson, a former kickboxer, could match power with Serrano, if not her resume. Hanson entered the bout with 17 wins and two losses, with 13 knockouts. Serrano has long been an advocate of having both the equal amount of rounds and round durations as men’s boxers (as she has fought in the past.) This bout was halfway there; the bout was ten rounds (versus 12 for men’s championship bouts) but the rounds were three minutes in length.

The two jousted with their lead hands (the two had opposite stances as Serrano is a southpaw and Hanson is orthodox.) Hanson tried to move forward with Serrano but Serrano patiently used her jab to keep Hanson honest. Gradually, Serrano walked her opponent down. As the first round came to an end, Serrano started to uncork her left and counter Hanson’s advances with her jab.

Serrano continued to encroach on Hanson with her jab. Serrano landed her jab and followed it with a left. Hanson tried move with Hanson but halfway through the second Serrano backed Hanson to the ropes and hit a chopping let hand. Hanson was caught in the corner and Serrano startred to uncork a flurry of punches. As Hanson tried to trade with Serranos. Serrano shots were straight versus Hanson’s looping shots. Serrano hit an extra gear and worked her right and left hook to the body and then changed the levels of her punches and landed a salvo of shots and the referee stepped in and ended the bout.

Serrano said she plans on fighting near the end of the year and earn the knockout record plus her 50th win.