It wasn’t one of those weekends one might circle on the calendar going in.
There was a hell of a lot to talk about when it was done. With results in the books, what lies ahead for the weekend’s big winners? Let’s start with the biggest winners of the weekend..
Kiko Martinez Shocks the World
Kiko Martinez’s challenge of Kid Galahad (28-2, 17 KO) looked like a pretty typical serving of a faded name to a new titlist on paper. They didn’t fight on paper. Martinez dropped Galahad in the fifth and one-shotted him in the sixth for one of the most unlikely upsets of the year. It was the best win for Martinez (43-10-2, 30 KO) since a 2014 stoppage of Hozumi Hasegawa. In the years since that win, Martinez had been rolled by Scott Quigg, Leo Santa Cruz, and Gary Russell Jr. Galahad’s only loss was a disputed decision to Josh Warrington. So what comes next?
Futures: Don’t be surprised if they run this back. Martinez might not have a better immediate option and Galahad certainly doesn’t. Martinez could also find an interesting challenge in Warrington conqueror Mauricio Lara. At 35, Martinez is going to get another good payday and he has an IBF featherweight belt for the mantle now no matter what happens from here.
It wasn’t the only upset on the big UK card…
Baumgardner Resets the Field at 130
After some chatter about a Mikaela Mayer-Terri Harper unification match down the road, Alycia Baumgardner (11-1, 7 KO) blitzed Harper (11-1-1, 6 KO) for the WBC belt at Jr. lightweight and changed every narrative. Baumgardner, with only one loss via split decision, is an immediate player in a division with some recognizable names.
Futures: Eddie Hearn has declared there was a rematch clause for this one so there would be no surprise if we see this pairing again soon. Considering how Baumgardner looked, she’d have a strong chance to repeat. If she does, an all-American unification with Mayer could become a serious goal. Across the pond, a fighter closer to a big showdown took care of business.
David Benavidez Clears the Path
Saul Alvarez has won all the belts at super middleweight but he can’t say he’s truly cleaned out the field. Not yet. To do that, Alvarez needs to see former WBC titlist David Benavidez (25-0, 22 KO). Benavidez impressed with the high octane offense he’s known for, forcing a surrender from the corner of a game Kyrone Davis (16-3-1, 6 KO). Benavidez has been a victim of his own failings so far but on a night where he needed to be on his game, he was. Will it be enough or is a waiting game imminent?
Futures: Benavidez is the number one contender to Alvarez in the TBRB and Ring rankings. More significant in terms of the way fights get done in boxing, he’s also number one according to the WBC. It’s not a matter of if Benavidez will get a shot at Alvarez. It’s a matter of when, unless Alvarez decides to start dumping belts. For Davis, the future might be brighter lower on the scale. He was gutsy as hell in defeat but without a big knockout punch, tempting men who will continue to be larger than him won’t get easier.
The last big main event of the weekend featured a fighter who has never taken the easy road.
Another One to Remember from Rosado
While former Jr. middleweight titlist Jaime Munguia (38-0, 30 KO) won a hell of a fight on Saturday, the story can’t be told without his opponent. Gabe Rosado (26-14-1, 15 KO) left it all out there to try to keep a bit of a hot streak going and continued a career as one of those guys who really keeps the sport going. He’s almost always a tough out, gives the fans what they paid to see, and it’s hard to recall ever feeling cheated by his effort. Munguia is still only 25 and those rounds with Rosado will help to make him better. Munguia still feels like a work in progress. Ten hard rounds with Rosado can only be a step forward.
Futures: For Munguia, forward might be a title shot. He’s number one in both the WBC and WBO rankings. Their titlists are Jermall Charlo and Demetrius Andrade, respectively. Munguia would be an underdog against either but with his last few fights on DAZN, and Andrade fighting under the same streaming banner in recent vintage, that might be the easier fight to make. Both Andrade and Munguia need a big fight and they aren’t getting it elsewhere. Can they make some magic together?
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.