Billy's Boxing Blog

By William Trillo

Chris,

As soon as your fight with Deontay was announced I have wanted to reach out to you. The reason is simple. Chris, you can beat this guy. In fact, if all the pieces are in place I believe you will.

Whether or not those pieces are in place is your responsibility, yours alone. I hope you are already putting those pieces in place Chris. This championship has been your destiny and now you are getting this one last shot. And let’s be clear, this is your last shot. You and I both know that.

Yes, I have been hard on you in the past, and rightly so. I saw you way back when you were making your start in Ontario. There was no doubt in my mind you had what it took to become a world champion. I clearly remember a night you were in attendance as a fan at Montebello’s Quiet Cannon. I pointed you out to my brother and proclaimed to him that you were the next heavyweight champ of the world.

When the fight with Bolo was upon us and the jury was spilt on which California fighter would prevail I picked you to destroy Wills. It was laughable to me that anyone thought Bolo stood a chance. You didn’t let me down.

But after that fight it seemed to me your focus waivered. I am not sure if it was over-confidence, lack of discipline or both but it was from that point on it seemed cerveza and burritos were the major part of your training staple. You ballooned up to epic proportions and any hope I had for a champ from California vanished. I popped a picture of you one night that made the rounds on the internet and you yourself said you looked HUGE as you made fun of your own self. To me it was a shame. By the time you fought Vitali there was no way your discipline or lack thereof was going to allow you to defeat him.

You had two more shots at a world title but the result was the same.

Of all the things I remember about the second Stiverne fight it is the small press conference you had with the media a couple days before the fight. As you were sitting next to the late Dan Goossen I asked you, “Chris, not only does America need a real heavyweight champion right now but the boxing fans here in Southern California have been waiting for one of their own to go all the way to the top and become the baddest man in the world, the heavyweight champ…can you be that guy?”

Sitting directly across the table you looked at me and without hesitation you answered, “I am that guy!”

Chris, you still can be that guy.

I know right now you don’t want to talk too much trash about Wilder for more than obvious reasons, so allow me.

Deontay is the figment of someone’s imagination. He has been on the receiving end of some of softest matchmaking in boxing. He has been served up some real bums and even with that he has been rocked pretty good. If the palookas he fought had any finishing skills Wilder would already be yesterday’s news. His lack of a chin and chicken legs is a recipe for disaster and you Chris can be the chef to stir that up into a gourmet meal that ends with you holding that belt you have wanted for so long over your head.

Chris, Wilder is primed and ready for you to dismantle, trust me on this. He can spew whatever blather he is going to run at the press conference this week but the fact is he will be taking you very lightly. They (you know who I mean) think you are washed up otherwise they (same people) would have never put you in the ring with their “Meal Ticket”.

In my humble opinion you will need to go all Seth Mitchell on this guy. Meaning, bum rush him from the opening bell and do not give him room to breathe. I doubt he will believe you can pull that off and it will give you a chance for an early blow out. Please don’t try to feel this guy out and box with him. My fear is that will allow him to land that huge right hand and put you in big trouble. Do not let that happen.

You are a huge underdog here. No one expects you to win. I believe that leaves the door wide open for you to pull off the Buster Douglas over Mike Tyson kind of upset. Truth be told I already grabbed a little bit of that betting action in Las Vegas. That is how certain I am you can do this.

Do this for Dan Goossen. He above everyone else deserves this victory. He always felt you could do it. I am sure he is watching you and will be there in spirit on fight night. Do it for Dan!

You are that guy Chris…you still are America’s Hope…now is the time for you to finally prove it.

Sincerely,

William Trillo

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

By William Trillo

John Molina Jrs. victory over Ruslan Provodnikov was an unexpected upset. His game plan over “The Siberian Rocky” was impressive. Molina, who has been through more than his share of trainers hooked up with Shadeed Suluki for this one and the teamwork was magic. In my opinion Suluki is one of the most underappreciated and underrated trainers in boxing. The work to transform Molina from a brawler to a pretty crafty boxer/puncher worked perfectly. Look for Molina to put himself back into another title run with his new style and trainer.

What can I say about Vasyl Lomachenko? Dude may have very well shot himself to the top of most experts Pound4Pound ranking with his demolition of Rocky Martinez. This belt is just the tip of the iceberg. I expect Lomachenko to win titles in at least two more divisions. Onward and upward.

I dunno, but I think Felix Verdejo is fighting down to his competition. If he wants to be Puerto Rico’s next “Tito” he is going to have to regain the focus that he had when he entered the pro ranks.

Is it just me or is Demetrius Yawndrade the cure for insomnia? He was quick to call out the Charlo brothers on Saturday night but after his Sominez like victory over Willie Nelson I am looking for his next test to come against Waylon Jennings. Zzzzz.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

By William Trillo

Moments after I sat down to cover the local fights in Los Angeles my phone rang. It was my daughter Christina informing me that Ali was on life support. I was already aware of the news but for my daughter who is not the biggest boxing fan in the world, it was something she knew I would want to know. She was right. This was something she knew a boxing fan like myself needed to know.

As the fights ensued the hope that Ali would live to fight on was all that was on my mind. My hope was that the man who was the first to win the heavyweight title 3 times would somehow find the strength to overcome his toughest foe, Parkinson’s disease.

It was not meant to be.

By the time I got home the news of Ali’s passing was the lead story on every station’s news broadcast. Early tributes to Ali were in full effect and over the coming days we can be assured his life both in and out of the ring will be chronicled on tributes across the globe.

The first thing I did when I got home was open my memorabilia cabinet so I could pull out my autographed Ring magazine that preceded “The Rumble In The Jungle”. I flipped through the pages remembering one of the greatest chapters in heavyweight history. Ali overcame all the odds and defeated the Goliath-like foe. It is a microcosm of the mans career. Both inside and outside the ring Ali overcame all the obstacles and will go down in history as the greatest fighter ever to lace up the gloves.

I can say that without Ali websites like Pound4Pound.com would never have come to existence. He gave us a love for the sport that will live on through many generations to come.

We will miss you Muhammad Ali. May you rest in peace.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

By William Trillo

With a big fight week upon us in Southern California I decided to reach out to a couple of the main players for the big weekend. One would the WBC Super Featherweight Champion Francisco Vargas. If you think the other was his opponent Orlando Salido you would be wrong. The other main player was California State Athletic Commissioner Andy Foster. As we know, Vargas had a drug test show up dirty over a month ago and instead of losing one of the most anticipated fights of the year Foster convinced Vargas to come to California to finish his training and more importantly to keep watch on the champion.

“William I want you to know,” said Foster, “by the time Vargas hits the ring on Saturday night he will be the most tested athlete ever in California State Athletic Commission history. And I want everyone to know he is testing 100% clean. I knew that the first test results were so minute that once we agreed to have him train here and keep a good eye on him there was going to be no problems at all.”

Vargas was put through a battery of tests and he is not surprised at the results and outcome. “I am glad Commissioner Foster is confirming I am a clean fighter,” said Vargas. “I am happy the commission feels this way because I consulted with experts after the first positive results and they assured me that because the results were so low it had to have been something accidental. That is when I was made aware of tainted meat issue in Mexico and I knew that’s how this came about. That is why I came to California to finish my training.”

Depending on the athlete, the negative test result followed by a battery of random drug tests could get up inside the head of the fighter. It might become a distraction during training that could have cataclysmic results come fight night. According to Vargas, that was not and will not be the case for this fight. Vargas stated, “The test result was not a distraction. Yes, it was a big surprise to me but it was never something that worried me. I remained focused in my training and this incident had no effect on my camp because I know I am a clean fighter. I always knew I was fine and the continued testing has proven I am a clean fighter. Although plenty of people did talk I did not let it bother me at all. I have been 100% focused on my training and this fight.”

Vargas will have one more test on Saturday night but this one won’t involve a collection cup. Instead that test will be given by Orlando Salido and a resume of world class experience. Say what you will about his victory over Lomanchenko, the fact is Salido beat him and that is something else no one else may ever be able to say. Throw in a names like Mikey Garcia and Juan Manuel Lopez and it’s clear Salido will be the toughest test Vargas will have faced in his career.

But throw that experience question out to Vargas and he does not seem all that worried. The champion confidentially said to that experience issue, “Yes, I am very well aware that Salido is a fighter with great experience. I know he has fought most of the top fighters out there. But….Salido has never faced a fighter like me! I am an aggressive fighter who will keep applying the pressure. I will never give up. Just like all Mexican fighters I will never give up, I will fight to the very end.”

This is a fight that cannot be missed by any true fight fan. Whether you can make it to Carson California’s Stub Hub Arena or are able to watch the card on HBO my suggestion is to be ready for a true battle in the ring on Saturday night .

Francisco Vargas vs. Orlando Salido is a 12-round battle for the WBC Super Featherweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD, Casa Mexico Tequila and HANDS OF STONE: The True Story of Roberto Duran, in theaters this August. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins live at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The RingTvLive.com live stream begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.