Thanksgiving Weekend Roundup: Ryder and Whyte in Controversial Wins, Broken Nose Wardley and Prograis Score KOs, Estrela in Lucky Upset
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Happy Thanksgiving to all boxing fans and sports fans! In the world of professional boxing, the United Kingdom was the big winner in all of the major bouts.
In the most significant bout of the weekend, at OVO Wembley Arena in London, United Kingdom, on Saturday evening, November 26, 2022, heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte, 29-3 with 19 knockouts, Brixton, London, United Kingdom, won a controversial 12 round majority decision over visiting American Jermaine Franklin, now 21-1 with 14 knockouts, Saginaw, Michigan. Franklin called the split decision win for Whyte “Bullsh*t” and believes he won the fight. Franklin seemed unlikely to get the decision win on British soil, so the scoring was controversial. Franklin landed 165 total punches to Whyte’s 144 punches, while Whyte landed 11 power shots to Franklin’s 105 power shots. Whyte threw 608 punches, while Franklin threw 106 total punches. Whyte landed more power punches and was slightly more effective overall in the second half of the bout in what appeared to be a bout which could have gone either way.
“He (Jermaine Franklin) was undefeated, and he gave me a good fight. I’m trying to upgrade my style (take my boxing skills to a higher level). I could probably have been a bit more active and thrown a few more shots, but it was (my first bout training under) a new coach [Buddy McGirt], and (represented fight wise) a new style,” noted Whyte.
Whyte is looking for a rematch with ex-world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Spring or Summer 2023. Joshua, coming off two losses to current world champion Oleksandr Usyk, and Whyte, coming off a loss to current world champion Tyson Fury, would both be in a crossroads must win situation.
On the undercard, a broken and bloody nosed Fabio Wardley, 15-0 with 14 knockouts, Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom, with a third-round stoppage of Nathan Gorman, 19-2 with 13 knockouts, Nandwich, Cheshire, United Kingdom, to win the vacant BBB of C British Heavyweight title. Gorman’s corner smartly threw in the towel in this brief bang bang bang give and take affair. Wardley dropped Gorman twice in the second, and once in the third. Wardley’s overhand power shots were not coming in fast, and were wide, but landed on target to the head of Gorman, because the 271 pound Gorman was too slow on his feet to outmaneuver Wardley, who moved well at 240 pounds. Gorman frequently wound up along the ropes with the ring cut off, and got pushed off by Wardley whenever he tried to hold. Gorman, like David Price, fell short of the mark. The heavyweight division is not easy, and from Don Cockell to Sir Henry Cooper, from Frank Bruno to Gary Mason, from Audley Harrison to Danny Williams, from Lennox Lewis to Joe Joyce, from Tommy Farr to Daniel Dubois, competition in the United Kingdom has always had a high bar in the heavyweight division.
At 02 Arena in Greenwich, United Kingdom on Saturday night, John Ryder, 32-5 with 18 knockouts, Islington, London, United Kingdom won the interim World Boxing Organisation World Super Middleweight title, and likely earned a Cinco de Mayo 2023 shot at full champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, when 22-0 WBO International Super Middleweight champion Zach Parker of Woodville, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, gave up after the fourth round with an injured right hand. Ryder appeared to be ahead on points at the time of the controversial ending.
On the 02 Arena undercard, referee Victor Loughlin figured into two fourth-round stoppages in the two preliminary bouts to the main event. 10-0 Brit Sam Noakes retained the WBC Silver International Super lightweight title with a fourth-round stoppage of Calvin McCord after dropping McCord four times in the fourth round. Referee Victor Loughlin had seen enough, calling the bout at 2:14 of the fourth. 17-0 Brit Hamzah Sheeraz retained the WBC Silver Middleweight title with a fourth-round stoppage of River-Wilson Bent. Referee Victor Loughlin stopped the bout at 2:55 of the fourth round after River-Bent went down. 5-1 Brit Sandy Ryan retained the WBC International Female Super Lightweight title by 10 round unanimous decision over Anahi Ester Sanchez, in two-minute rounds.
In Scotland’s first boxing show in 18 months, at Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen, Scotland, on Saturday night, 13-0 Dean Sutherland of Aberdeen was upset by fifth-round stoppage by 15-3 underdog Louis ‘The Medway Mauler’ Greene of Kent. In May of 2022, Greene upset 10-0 Polish prospect Tomasz Nowicki by fifth round stoppage in his hometown. This clearly is a dangerous fighter whose record is deceiving.
On Saturday night on Dignity Health Sports Center in Carson, California, southpaw Regis Prograis, 28-1 with 24 knockouts, Houston, Texas, won the vacant World Boxing Council Super Lightweight title with an eleventh-round knockout of southpaw Jose Zepeda, 35-3 with 27 knockouts, La Puente, California. Vicious give and take affair for the duration, but Prograis began landing pinpoint effective power shots in the eleventh round which saw Zepeda crumble, who eventually went down and out at 0:59 of the eleventh round, whereby referee Ray Corona waived it off. On the undercard, 36-2 Yokasta Valle of San Jose, Costa Rica, retained the IBF and WBO World Female Minimumweight titles with a 10-round majority decision over 17-0-1 Evelin Nazarena Bermudez of Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. 18-0 David McWater junior middleweight prospect Charles Conwell won a 10-round majority decision over 25-6 Dominican veteran Juan Carlos Abreu. 14-1 Eduardo Estrela of Montevideo, Uruguay, won an upset eight-round split decision over 19-0 Ruben Torres of Santa Monica, California. Torres was ruled down on the ropes in the first round by referee Thomas Taylor, resulting in a 10-8 round for Estrela. The scores went 76-75 Torres. 78-73 Estrela, and 76-75 Estrela.
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