Regis Prograis vs. Jose Zepeda

Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA, Nov. 26

TV: FIte TV Pay-Per-View

By Peter Lim

Prograis versus Zepeda not only lives up to but exceeds its hype and expectations. All the thrills, spills, action and drama from Prograis-Taylor and Zepeda-Baranchyk are reproduced in this encounter.

Dispensing with any form of feeling-out process, both southpaws tear into each other from the opening bell. The better technician of the two, Prograis is usually the first to connect in the exchanges but Zepeda returns fire with a vengeance to drive Prograis back and force him to reset.

Both men score multiple knockdowns throughout the fight but both have the punch resistance and durability to recover and battle on. Getting dropped only seems to strengthen Zepeda's resolve as he comes storming back after rising to his feet each time. When hurt, Prograis has the poise and wherewithal to stick, move and stay out of trouble long enough to shake off the buzz.  

While Zepeda spends most of the night headhunting, Prograis mixes his attacks upstairs and down. The body shots prove significant down the stretch as Zepeda begins to lose some steam in the later rounds, allowing Prograis to pull ahead. Prograis sends Zepeda to the canvas in the final round but, as usual, Zepeda makes it to his feet and finishes the fight in attack mode.

The final knockdown proves decisive as Prograis wins by close but unanimous decision to begin his second reign as a 140-pound titleholder.   

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin III

T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV, Sept. 17

TV: DAZN Pay-Per-View

By Peter Lim

Golovkin quickly establishes his jab allowing him to dictate the tempo and action in the early rounds. When Canelo closes the distance, Golovkin steals a page from Dimitri Bivol's playbook, keeps his gloves high, chin tucked and waits for Canelo to open fire before counter punching the vaunted counter puncher.

But as Golovkin picks up forward momentum, his jab output decreases in lieu of more power punches some of which are met with accurate counters from Canelo. While Golovkin appears to be the harder puncher, Canelo is landing the cleaner blows in the exchanges.

Somewhere around the midway point of the fight, Golovkin misses a right hand and Canelo immediately responds by sinking a left hook into Golovkin's flank while Golovkin is overextended. The well-placed, perfectly-timed body shot folds Golovkin at the waist but he manages to stay on his feet and force a prolonged clinch, denying Canelo a follow-up assault. He makes it to the end of the round on survival mode.

It is the wake-up call Golovkin needs to return to his original game plan. He reestablishes his jab to keep Canelo at bay for the next couple of rounds as he shakes of the debilitating effects of the liver shot. Canelo presses the action and finds a measure of success with his own jab but is kept out of range for another devastating body punch.

Golovkin gradually finds his second wind, keeps the jab in Canelo's face and forces Canelo to fight on his terms. This time around, he remains disciplined and refrains from any reckless attacks. For the first time in three fights, Golovkin goes to the body with regularity and steps aside before Canelo can return fire. Canelo doggedly presses forward with sporadic success but Golovkin stubbornly refuses to fight his fight and continues to jolt Canelo with his stiff jab until the final bell is rung.

But once again, at the end of 12 rounds Golovkin is denied the victory he deserves by the cinnamon-centric judges who inexplicable score the fight for Canelo by split decision.

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol

 T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV, May 9 2022

TV: DAZN Pay-per-view

By Peter Lim

In a stunning shoo-in for Upset of the Year and leading candidate for Fight of the Year, Bivol wins a close but unanimous decision over Alvarez in a back-and-forth contest that alternates between strategic chess match and scintillating brawl. Both fighters are forced to dig deep into their brain and brawn to produce a pugilistic classic reminiscent of Duran-Leonard I in 1980.

Utilizing his size and speed, Bivol dictates the distance and tempo in the early stages with his signature fluid combinations of jabs and straight rights while bouncing in and out of range with springy footwork. But Alvarez gradually figures out his rhythm and timing and begins setting traps in which he walks the bigger man into vicious volleys of counter punches upstairs and down.

Just when it appears Alvarez has seized the momentum, it is Bivol's turn to make mid-fight adjustments to his game plan throwing Alvarez off by feinting before punching, allowing him to resume his early success from long range. More significantly, the Russian introduces the clean-up left hook to punctuate each combination, again forcing Alvarez to reconfigure his strategy. 

Alvarez shifts into overdrive in the final quarter of the bout, applying suffocating pressure, taking the fight into the phone booth and relentlessly ripping away to the head and body with both fists. But he soon discovers that, at light heavyweight, his punches don't pack the same devastating effect against his previous smaller-framed opponents. Bivol proves sufficiently sturdy and competent in the trenches as he holds his ground, doggedly returns fire and refuses to let Alvarez impose his will.

As spirited as Alvarez's late surge is, it falls a tad short of overcoming the early deficit and Bivol is declared the victor by scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113.