The recent boxing weekend featured a packed schedule across three major locations: New York`s Times Square on Friday, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, and Las Vegas on Sunday. These events included six title bouts, two of which were for undisputed championships. However, not all fighters delivered the performances fans expected.
In Friday`s main event, Ryan Garcia (24-2-1 NC, 20 KOs), competing after a year-long suspension for a positive drug test, suffered a unanimous decision loss to Rolando `Rolly` Romero. Garcia landed a mere 66 punches over 12 rounds, failing to exceed nine connects in any single round of the fight for the vacant WBA `regular` welterweight title.
Earlier that evening, Teofimo Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) successfully defended his WBO junior welterweight title with a dominant display against Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-1, 11 KOs). Lopez showed flashes of his earlier form in New York, utilizing his speed and exceptional footwork effectively against Barboza.
Former undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney (32-0-1 NC, 15 KOs) secured a unanimous decision victory over former junior welterweight titleholder Jose Ramirez (29-3, 18 KOs). Haney landed only 70 punches throughout the 12 rounds, but Ramirez was even less active, landing just 40. In fact, Ramirez managed only two punches in six of the rounds.
On Saturday, Canelo Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) reclaimed the undisputed super middleweight championship by defeating William Scull (23-1, 9 KOs) via unanimous decision. The fight was notably inactive, with both fighters combining for just 111 landed punches (56 for Canelo, 55 for Scull) and a total of 445 thrown punches – the lowest combined attempt count in a 12-round fight tracked by CompuBox over the last 40 years.
Sunday provided more action and excitement. Undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs) and challenger Ramon Cardenas (26-2, 14 KOs) delivered one of the year`s best fights. Inoue was dropped in the second round but recovered emphatically, stopping Cardenas in the eighth. Inoue landed 176 punches in the fight, a stark contrast to the combined 182 landed by Canelo, Garcia, and Haney across their respective 12-round bouts.
In the co-main event on Sunday, Rafael Espinoza (27-0, 23 KOs) defended his WBO featherweight title with a seventh-round stoppage of Edward Vazquez (17-3, 4 KOs). The tallest featherweight champion ever (6-foot-1) delivered another impressive performance.
Here`s a look at the grades for the top fighters who competed this past weekend, evaluated by Andreas Hale.
Weekend Report Card
Teofimo Lopez: B
In the first of the Times Square tripleheader fights, a focused Lopez thoroughly outclassed the previously undefeated Barboza. “The Takeover” was superior in every aspect of the game and was arguably the only fighter in New York who balanced entertainment with achieving the win. While he didn`t come close to stopping Barboza, he clearly tried to make it an engaging performance. When sharp, Lopez demonstrates he`s one of the sport`s most complete fighters. He could have potentially taken more risks against a light-puncher like Barboza, but securing a dominant win against a ranked opponent is what matters most.
Devin Haney: D+
Haney secured the victory against Ramirez but did little to dispel concerns stemming from his previous fight. He appeared hesitant, fighting as if affected by past damage, constantly circling and throwing a surprisingly low 229 total punches. Despite his talent, this was a performance Haney should aim to put behind him quickly. Physically, he possesses the ability for much better, but if he lacks self-belief, his future performances will likely continue to suffer and face public scrutiny.
Rolando `Rolly` Romero: C
This fight, which many expected wouldn`t go the distance, ultimately went to the judges` scorecards. However, Romero deserves credit for effectively neutralizing Garcia`s dangerous left hook, despite not being known for his defense. He significantly impacted the fight`s direction by scoring a knockdown with a double left hook in the second round. It wasn`t an exciting bout overall, but Rolly successfully pulled off a significant upset, disrupting plans for a Garcia-Haney rematch and positioning himself for a potentially major fight next.
Ryan Garcia: F
Simply put, Garcia failed spectacularly. With lingering questions following his failed drug test that changed his win against Haney to a no-contest, Garcia had a prime opportunity to prove his previous performance wasn`t PED-assisted. Instead, he looked flat, lethargic, was knocked down, and was outboxed by a fighter primarily known as a brawler. No disrespect to Romero, but Garcia was matched with an opponent where he should have delivered fireworks. Instead, he fizzled out under the spotlight. He did nothing to warrant a rematch with Haney, and his future as a major star is questionable if he doesn`t manage a significant turnaround.
Saturday Report Card
Canelo Alvarez: D
Canelo avoids an `F` partly because his opponent showed minimal interest in winning. However, throwing an exceptionally low 152 punches in a 12-round fight, as Canelo did, is inexcusable. While he can point to Scull`s defensive approach, Canelo must also take responsibility for not capitalizing more on opportunities, especially when it was evident Scull posed no threat. We haven`t seen a truly vintage Canelo performance recently. Hopefully, his anticipated September fight against Terence Crawford will change that.
William Scull: F-
This was an appalling performance from Scull in the biggest fight of his career. Few recognized his name before facing Canelo, and now most will want to forget it after a display marked by a complete unwillingness to engage. Between 12 rounds of constant retreating and occasional complaints about legal body punches, Scull made an overwhelmingly negative impression. Fans would likely prefer not to see him in a significant fight again.
Sunday Report Card
Rafael Espinoza: B+
Espinoza did his part to ensure Sunday in Las Vegas offered a different experience than the passive fights in Times Square and Saudi Arabia. He set a relentless pace against the tough Vazquez, accumulating points effectively using his significant height and reach advantages. By the third round, he had already thrown more punches than Canelo, Haney, and Garcia combined in their respective 12-round bouts. While Espinoza sometimes negates his physical edge by fighting on the inside, he is undoubtedly an exciting fighter to watch.
Naoya Inoue: A
Inoue saved the weekend from being largely disappointing by delivering a thrilling, dramatic fight against Ramon Cardenas. Inoue showed just enough vulnerability by getting knocked down in the second round to create significant tension, then responded by dramatically increasing the pressure and delivering a ferocious eighth-round finish. Inoue isn`t just one of boxing`s pound-for-pound elite; he`s one of its most compelling and exciting performers.
Ramon Cardenas: B
It`s a cliche, but Cardenas genuinely won fans even in defeat during his compelling clash with Inoue. Unlike many of the `B-sides` this weekend, Cardenas came to win. Although ultimately overwhelmed by Inoue`s power and combinations, he became only the second fighter to send the Japanese superstar to the canvas and, for a brief moment, made the world wonder if a massive upset was possible. Even when he seemed on the verge of folding, Cardenas refused to quit and continued swinging. He likely gained more new fans this weekend than any other boxer.
Ellis Thorne 
Percy Harlow