Split Decision Weekend: Bryan Edges Shrimp Fisherman Guidry, Makabu and Scott Win
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
The weekend of January 28 to January 30, 2022, had a mix of boxing worldwide, accentuated by country cards featuring most fighters from the host country, or fighters already living in that country. Title bouts were held in the United States, France, Nicaragua, and Thailand.
Pandemic issues already a given, on Saturday night, January 29, at W.D. Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio, 89-year-old promoter Don King told ringside commentator Ray “Boom-Boom” Mancini “We will have to go back to the drawing board” after the heavyweight title co-main event ended in a controversial split decision for the champion.
The Packard Music Hall was packed with people, but it is to be noted as a small venue, so the FITE TV Pay-Per-View television broadcast and the ability to move the fighters was the direction and motivation of Don King Productions. In the co-main event, Trevor Bryan, 22-0 with 15 knockouts, Schenectady, New York, retained the regular World Boxing Association World Heavyweight title with a 12 round split decision over game full-time shrimp fisherman Jonathan Guidry, 17-1-2, Dulac, Louisiana. Guidry went down in the 12th and final round of a bout which looked drawish until that point. Although experienced judge Steve Weisfeld scored the bout 115-112 for Guidry, Bryan had already won the bout on the other two scorecards, so the final round knockdown of Guidry by Bryan did affect the outcome of the bout. To go 118-111 on one scorecard was absurd, but Bryan barely but clearly did win the bout.
Bryan enjoyed a five inches height and reach advantage, and found a place for his right jabs and right hand, but offered no head movement, allowing Guidry to land left hooks and counter left hooks.
Guidry came in at 246 ½ pounds, 17 pounds under his high of 263 pounds in his last bout, when he decisioned Rodney Moore over eight rounds in August 2021. Guidry noted after the bout as a late substitute for Lebanese contender Manuel “Diamond Boy” Charr on one month’s notice, he did not have sufficient preparation time for the title bout due to taking the bout on short notice. Nonetheless, Guidry looked physically better than Bryan, who at a career high chunky 268 pounds looked more like a Nestle Chunky candy bar, and did not impress as a fighter ready to unify his belt with Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk. For the second time, Charr, 32-4 with 18 knockouts, Cologne, Germany, by way of Beirut, Lebanon, was unable to get a visa to enter the United States. Bryan versus Charr is like beating a dead horse, much ado about nothing goes the William Shakespeare adage.
Bryan settled down and simply outboxed Guidry, not taking any chances with an unbeaten but unknown fighter. Both fighters tired somewhat in the later rounds. Guidry hung tough, despite a bruise and swelling under his right eye from the accumulation of Bryan’s jabs which landed. Bryan, unlike his previous bout with Bermane Stiverne, was unable to put Guidry away. Bryan landed left hooks, body shots, and a series of right hand which sent Guidry to his knees near the final bell, who beat the count.
It would be a stretch to envision Bryan against Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua or Deontay Wilder. Great Britain’s Daniel “Dynamite Dubois has been calling out Bryan. Dubois, 17-1 with 16 knockouts, Greenwich, London, United Kingdom, the former interim WBA World Heavyweight champion, after Charr, would theoretically be next in line for Bryan. Dubois, who stopped 19-3 Joe Cusumano in the first round at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, in August 2021, announced by that trip he is willing to go to Ohio and fight Bryan on King’s terms. Money talks and bullsh*t walks, however. If not Charr next, Bryan will likely get Dubois, a step up in class over Guidry, and whose return visit to Ohio in 2022 for Bryan, if it occurs, will not be a social call.
Result: Trevor Bryan Win Split Decision 12 Jonathan Guidry, Heavyweights
Scoring: 118-109, 116-111 Bryan. 115-112 Guidry. Referee: Lonnie Scott.
Clean bout. Guidry down near the bell ending round 12.
Llunga Junior Makabu Win Split Decision 12 Thabiso Mchunu, Cruiserweights (rematch)
Makabu retains World Boxing Council World Cruiserweight title. Referee: Harvey Dock
Makabu called out Saul Canelo Alvarez for next bout, saying he will knock Canelo out. Canelo expressed an interest in fighting Makabu, if he won, next for the cruiserweight title.
Scoring: 116-112, 115-113 for 28-2 Makabu. 115-113 for Mchunu. South African boxers.
Dacaree Scott Win Split Decision 10 Ahmed Hefny, Heavyweights
Scoring: 97-93, 96-94 for 7-0 Scott. 96-94 for Hefny.
Johnny Langston TKO 5 Nick Kisner, Cruiserweights (1:40)
Langston wins vacant NABA Cruiserweight title
Michael Moore Win 10 Anthony Lenk, Middleweights
For Vacant NABA Middleweight title. Moore over weight limit, could not win title.
Tre’Sean Wiggins TKO 3 Cody Wilson, Welterweights (1:33)
Wiggins wins vacant NABA Welterweight title
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tulsa, Oklahoma, January 29, 2022
Robinson Conceicao Win 10 Xavier Martinez, Super Featherweights
Brazilian 17-1 former world title challenger Conceicao beats 17-0 Martinez easily.
Stephen Shaw TKO 8 Joey Dawejko, Heavyweights (1:04)
16-0 Missouri prospect Shaw gives Dawejko sixth loss in last eight pro bouts.
In Dawejko’s last four losses, his opponents had a combined 65-0 record. Go home Joe.
Salle Pierre Jablonski, Chateauroux, Indre, France
Thomas Faure Win 12 Kevin Thomas Cojean, Light Heavyweights
21-4-1 Faure wins vacant EBU European Union Light Heavyweight title in hometown.
41 bout vet 27-11-2 Cojean, Pleurtuit, Ille-et-Vilaine, France, holds the French Light Heavyweight title. This bout was a main event rematch of a 10 round split decision draw for Cojean’s French Light Heavyweight title on January 30, 2021, in Chateauroux.
Polideportivo Alexis Arguello, Managua, Nicaragua, January 29, 2022
Santo Reyes Win Split Decision 8 Robin Zamora, Super Lightweights
9-0 prospect Reyes edges 16-11 Zamora. Both fighters from Managua, Nicaragua.
Francisco Fonseca KO 2 Franco Gutierrez, Super Featherweights (1:39)
29-3-1 Fonseca, Managua, Nicaragua, a three-time former world title challenger, wins vacant World Boxing Association Fedelatin Super Featherweight title
Sathian MuayThai Gym and Fitness, Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday January 30, 2022
Nattapong Jankaew TKO 2 Wicha Phulaikhao (Pigmy Kokietgym), Super Flyweights
9-0 Bangkok prospect Jankaew, age 25, sends 61-16-2 former world Minimumweight title Thai challenger Phulaikao, age 40, with seventh loss in last eight bouts, into retirement.
Follow Real Combat Media on Instagram
Follow Real Combat Media on Facebook
Follow Real Combat Media on Twitter
Support Real Combat Media Foundation
Shop at Real Combat Media Fight Store
English
No Comments Yet