Abdusalamov Tragedy Reconsidered: Bisbaland McCline Did Damage Before Perez Bout
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
While Magomed Abdusalamov sits in a medically induced coma in Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan on life support after brain surgery to remove a blood clot, the possibility exists he may not survive. In light of the stunning series of events leading to the Russian heavyweight’s tragic situation, this reporter went back to an earlier bout where he was a principal reporter at ringside with Mago, and began to realize the current criticism of the New York State Athletic Commission was very wrong.
As previously stated, when you are dealing with a fighter who has won every fighter, especially if the fighter in question has knocked everyone out, it can be very hard to judge if the unbeaten fighter’s next opponent will be another victim or instead will expose the unbeaten fighter. For example, World Boxing Council World Super Bantamweight champion Jaime Garza went to 40-0 with 38 knockouts. However, neither of the two fighters who went the distance with him had a winning record (Win 6 over 6-6-2, Win 10 over 2-5). 41-5 Juan Kid Meza knocked out Garza in the first round to win his WBC world title on CBS television, commentary by Bill Clancy, Tim Ryan and Sugar Ray Leonard, an outcome nobody could have predicted.
Meza knocks out 40-0 Jaime Garza http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy64HxDZTEc
When Mago fought Victor Bisbal in Atlantic City on March 8, 2013, Bisbal had won 16 consecutive bouts over a seven year stretch. Bisbal, an eight round fighter, determined he would not wina technical bout withAbdusalamov. Bisbal’s bout with Abdusalamov looked (to me) largely different than the internet fight footage of the bout does in replay. Bisbal went for broke, winning the first two rounds by emptying the tank in a kill or be killed strategy fighters are not supposed to use. A kamikaze strategy for boxers in any division is ill-advised. The fighter throws every punch he has in the tank offensively while exposing himself without much of a defense. The idea behind throwing head shot power shot bombs in a brief head shot power shot war is ‘I’m willing to die and you will too, and this is the style of fight I am going to fight’.
Abdusalamov took some of the most brutal wicked shots I have ever seen the second round against Bisbal. The effect is evident in the round where Mago’s punches at a target which is not there, missing strangely against aa fighter he was far superior too. Bisbal knew he would run out of gas if his kamikaze strategy did not work. Ultimately, it did not work, and by round three, Mago gave the punched out Bisbal a tremendous beating for three rounds, before knocking him out and stopping him. However, the damage was already done. Their heavyweight bout can be studied on YouTube, commentary in Russian.
Mago versus Bisbal 2013 USNBC Bout http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG0izE2nMFQ
Before this bout, Mago was dropped by an overhand power right in the first round by JameelMcCline. The damage could have been done there. Mago won in the second.
Mago versus McCline Bout 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4-IzGOUzFg
Years ago, world ranked Junior Middleweight Mario Maldonado employed a similar kamikaze strategy against the then unbeaten Tony ‘El Torito’ Ayala Jr. by emptying the tank on Ayala in the first round and knocking him down. Ayala was wobbly after getting up, but the bout was not stopped. The strategy almost worked, but Maldonado, unable to finish Ayala, got dropped and knocked out in the third round after he later ran out of gas.
Tony Ayala versus Maldonado 1981 bout http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy64HxDZTEc
Alfredo Angulo tried emptying the tank against James Kirkland and knocked him down in the first round, only to run out of gas and get knocked down himself by the end of the first round. In the fifth round, Kirkland finished off Angulo, who by that point was completely out of gas.
Kirkland versus Angulo 2011 Bout in Mexico, Commentary by Roy Jones Jr. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xuwhz2_2011-11-05-alfredo-angulo-vs-james-kirkland_sport
There is no definitive answer as to where and when a fighter incurs permanent damage. Just like in football, when helmets continuously collide, no specific incident in the ring necessarily pinpoints long range damage. However, I would definitely say the go for broke kill or be killed throw every punch you have in the first round strategy is not a sound strategy in a scientific or any fight. Both fighters will incur permanent damage, and it is not the gentlemanly thing to do. Once in a while, desperate fighters try the unthinkable. By the way, Victor Bisbal has not fought again since his loss to Abdusalamov, but even if he does, in my view has incurred such damage in the loss to Abdusalamov to end his career as well.
A look at some of the wins on the 20-0 record of Mike Perez reveals some interesting cross reference facts. Perez is not nearly as dangerous to his opponents as some other fighters have been. This indicator is part of the proof Abdusalamov did not occur the damage he had in the Perez bout, thoughMago did not look as good in the last four rounds as he did in the first six as he was getting hit more so.
Mike Perez Win 10 Travis Walker
Lucas Browne RTD7 Travis Walker
Johnathon Banks TKO 6 Travis Walker
Tomasz Adamek TKO 5 Travis Walker
Alex Leapai TKO 4 Travis Walker
Chris Arreola TKO 3 Travis Walker
TJ Wilson TKO 1 Travis Walker
Manuel Quezada KO 1 Travis Walker
Mike Perez Win 10 Friday Ahunaya
Lance Whitaker TKO 5 Friday Ahunaya
Mike Perez Win 8 Zack Page
Luis Ortiz TKO 8 Zack Page
RakhimChakhkiev TKO 6 Zack Page
Alonzo Butler TKO 5 Zack Page
Roosevelt Johnson TKO 3 Zack Page
Mike Perez Win 8 IshmailAbdoul
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk TKO 12 IshmailAbdoul
Mike Perez Win 3 KertstonManswell
Alexander Ustinov TKO 3 KerstonManswell
BernabeStiverne TKO 2 KerstonManswell
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