Abass Baraou schooled the Cuban prospect Yoenis Tellez, ripping his interim WBA junior middleweight belt, handing him his first loss in a unanimous 12-round decision at Caribe Royale Orlando. Despite close punch outputs from both fighters, the German’s pressure caused frustration, and he delivered the harsher blows, winning his eighth fight in a row.

 

The result taught us that Baraou, who fights like a starving junkyard dog, can run it with the top guys at 154 pounds. Tellez, who was fighting without his usual trainer Ronnie Shields for Edward Jackson, still has lots to learn before he’s ready for prime time. One of his problems was switching out of stances at least multiple times, looking for answers as his foe kept coming.

 

Baraou stood in his corner at the end of round three as Tellez sat in his after three minutes of getting walked down and pieced with hooks, a few jabs plus uppercuts to the face and midsection.

 

The fight had moments, evolving into a street brawl, but Baraou won most of those exchanges. He had little to no respect for what was coming his way, delivering a combined 101 power shots between rounds five and 10 as his younger rival landed 94, per CompuBox.

 

Tellez appeared to be losing steam from the brutal shots he had taken, which included getting caught with three big left hands and a hard right at the end of round nine. But his best stretch came in the 10th and 11th.

 

Still, a knockdown wouldn’t have been enough to save the Cuban, as he was down too far on the judges’ scorecards. He needed a knockout, but Baraou unleashed a few combinations in the 12th and knocked him down as he tried to escape off the ropes. There wasn’t time left for retaliation.

 

The judges scored 116-111, 117-110 and 115-112 for Baraou, the new interim WBA champ. Then Xander Zayas, the WBO titlist at the 154-pound division, stepped into the ring for a friendly face-off with the winner.

 

On Sept. 13, Terence Crawford, who is the reigning titleholder, will be stripped, according to WBA president Gilberto J. Mendoza, first reported by Dan Rafael of Fight Freaks Unite.

 

After the fight, Baraou said, “It’s an incredible moment for me. I’ve been waiting so long for this moment, and I’m just grateful.” He vowed to keep going and chase the next challenges.

 

Additionally, on the Most Valuable Promotions fight night card:

 

-Ariel Perez  beat Chris Avila in a six-round unanimous decision at light heavyweight (175 pounds). He dominated early, but underwhelmed in the last two rounds. When asked who he wanted next, he said former UFC star Nate Diaz.

 

-Lucas Bahdi defeated Roger Gutierrez by unanimous decision in 12 rounds. He scored a knockdown in round six.

 

-Despite going down 25 seconds into the fight, Stephanie Han made easy work of Paulina Angel, defending the WBA lightweight title.

 

-And the main event between Yankiel Rivera and Angelino Cordova was a draw.

 

Yoenis Tellez (10-0) is making his first defense of the WBA Interim belt at junior middleweight on Saturday at Caribe Royale against the no. 1 contender, Abass Baraou (16-1). He spoke with Five Reasons Sports over Zoom in Spanish as he was getting his hair done. Below is a translated version of the interview. Check it out:

 

 

MM: You started with boxing at eight years old, but at what moment did you lose your fear of taking contact from another person?

 

YT: I was a very special case because I was recommended by my father and grandfather. My first trainers were friends of my father, so starting the sport was a time of adaptation. In that time I got into it, I loved the sport and since then I haven’t been afraid of hits. 

 

MM: Today is Aug. 18, the three-year anniversary of your entry into America through Mexico. A journey like that is very long and dangerous. How did it make you stronger physically and mentally?

 

YT: It’s something I’ll never forget. The years pass and it’s always present. It’s a very hard process to leave your country to reach your dreams. It made me a much stronger person. It made me a person of integrity for what I do, and it’s a reminder that I’ll always have in my career. It’s one of the great things I’ve won aside from the sport. 

 

MM: What are the hardest parts you remember of a journey like that?

 

YT: They were very hard moments, jumping through rivers, and I was even arrested [and put] in a prison where people of other countries were staying, who I’d never met. I’d never been in a prison, either. There were a lot of hard moments, moments without eating. Passing through the rivers is very hard and dangerous. Those things will always stay with me personally and it’s three years today. 

 

MM: Each of your fights becomes a harder test. In your last fight against Julian Williams, it was the first time you went the distance in a 12-round fight. You dominated, but what did you learn about yourself that night?

 

YT: I learned that boxing doesn’t always finish how one wants. You have to be prepared for everything, mainly now I have experience fighting a great fighter in Julian [Williams], who is very respected in the boxing community. Aside from winning, I have a lot nice memories from that fight. 

 

MM: This Saturday, you make your first defense of the Interim WBA belt against Abass Baraou at Caribe Royale. How has camp been?

 

YT: Camp has been excellent, thank god. We did things how we were supposed to. We did everything instructed by the corner. We are coming into this fight with a coaching change, but it’s a trainer who has always worked with me. I had a super camp. I feel super prepared for this fight. 

 

MM: You’re not working with Ronnie Shields for this fight?

 

YT: Correct. We had a corner change because of personal matters I spoke with my team about. I left Ronnie, but everything is good with Ronnie. I wanted to try another camp, wanted to try another avenue.

 

MM: Who is your trainer?

 

YT: Edward Jackson.

 

MM: When you are preparing for a big fight, or all of them, what kind of food do you eat?

 

YT: My trainer makes me a healthy plan and another person is also involved. Mainly healthy foods that will help you get through camp.

 

MM: How much did you study Abass Baraou in camp?

 

YT: I try not to watch too much of my opponent. I focus too much on things and there are times where I prefer to leave it to my team and I’ll do what they tell me. Focusing too much on what my opponent can do makes me think too much…

 

Tellez briefly lost connection at this point in the interview because his phone died but rejoined a couple of minutes later. 

 

“... I don’t study opponents much because I lose focus. I want my team to watch, and I’ll do what they tell me. But I do watch, I just don’t focus on abilities. My team will tell me what to do.

 

MM: One of your motivations is being world champion, but another is bringing your family from Cuba. How much closer do you get to both with a win on Saturday?

 

YT: A lot, a lot. Everything in this sport is a road. I’m an example of having to do things the hard way to get where you want. This is Saturday is going to be another victory, and I’ll get closer to my main dreams.

 

MM: With a win, have you thought about what plans you have for future fights, and if so, what can you share?

 

YT: I let my team handle those things, but I’m ready to accept all the fights that come, and finally, I want to unify the belts. I want Cuba to identify with a fighter with dreams and aspirations. 

 

MM: Last one. You’ve been so great today. I need an expert opinion on this. Next month is the mega fight between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford at 168 pounds. Terence Crawford is going up 14 pounds. How do you see it going?

 

YT: Because of the challenge Crawford has, he is not fighting just anybody. He is going up 14 pounds to fight a super elite fighter, a fighter who perhaps can be said is the most complete in professional boxing. A lot of people can say what they want and have their opinions, and I respect that, but we are talking about Canelo Álvarez. Crawford is an excellent fighter and he has all the qualities, but doing this with a fighter like Canelo in reality becomes too hard to become victorious. But in the ring, you can never say no, you have to watch the fight. Crawford has the hard part.

 

If DaVarryl “Touch of Sleep” Williamson died today, he would be content with his life because of his impact on the community. His philosophy on giving back is a mixture of all his coaches from the youth level in football to his time in professional boxing.  

 

As a pro fighter, Williamson was no different than the kind, welcoming man he is today. But when he stepped into the ring, he was something else: a dangerous heavyweight with a taste for decapitation.  

 

His accomplishments include, but are not limited to, being a 10-time national amateur boxing champion, NABF boxing champion (2005) and a member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. Yet his academic achievements, a master’s degree in administrative service and a bachelor’s degree in recreation, are equally important. 

 

His life has been an odyssey, starting with being born in the hospital section of a jail in Washington, D.C., and not being claimed by any of his family members. He and his sister, Demetria, were put in the foster system and eventually lived with the Addison family, among one of multiple foster homes. 

 

“The first nine years of my life, we were somewhere else,” Williamson said about his and his sister Demetria’s upbringing. They lived with four other children in the Addison household- Clarence and Clarice Thomas, Sarah and Wilhelmina Addison- and they are still close today as adults.

 

His other sister, Donna Marie Matthews, who passed away in 2018, would send him food stamps while he was at Wayne State College and she was in a halfway house with her three kids. The hookup ensured that Williamson could make $150-250 last an entire semester. Thinking back on her sacrifices, the teachings of Al Mitchell (boxing coach) and Steve Kereakos (football coach) make Williamson want to put into the world more than he has taken out. 

 

Boxing was the realm he turned to after it didn’t work as pro football quarterback following a workout with the Indianapolis Colts. Williamson got a tryout because he knew someone who knew someone, but he switched sports, joining the USA Olympic 1996 boxing team as an alternate. Still, taking a sack on the field prepared him for an overhand right in the ring. “Your mind is saying, a hit is coming at some point,” Williamson said. 

 

 

He spent the next years developing his skills, earning a 120-17-1 record, with 103 knockouts. Then he made his pro debut 25 days before turning 32 years old, becoming an uncommon prospect. His fatal flaw in the ring was his chin not being as strong as his knuckles. 

 

His first boxing setback was getting knocked out in round four of his fourth fight by Willie Chapman. A streak of 15 wins followed, with the last one in this span coming against Robert Wiggins, while suffering through a broken jaw, in a 10-round unanimous decision on Jan. 10, 2003.

 

Williamson said he broke his jaw in the second round. “I didn’t want to take my mouthpiece out because I felt like something was wrong… so I’m spitting blood in the bucket, and I’m seeing it’s different from any of the blood I had before.” 

 

He didn’t tell his coach because he wasn’t sure “how much he loved me, how much he didn’t love me.” One of the tools that helped him win the fight was the resiliency he developed in yoga classes.

 

Looking back on that fight, Williamson recalls Wiggins as a “tough joker” who didn’t play well with others. 

 

He suffered the worst defeat of his career nine months later, getting knocked out in the first round by Joe Mesi’s sledgehammering left hooks and overhand right. He was so stunned he had to get checked out by medics for four minutes as he lay face up on the canvas. His handlers, promoter Lou DiBella and manager Garry Gittlesohn, thought he was done, dropping him as a client. 

 

Williamson mentally got over his situation because he convinced himself he was playing with house money after picking up boxing at age 25, plus managed himself. He fought twice in the next six-and-a-half months, earning consecutive victories, which included the NABF championship over Eliecer Castillo. 

 

Yet, he feels the Wladimir Klitschko fight is one of the what-if moments of his career because he believes he won. Notably, Klitschko had a PhD in Sports Science and Williamson had a master’s degree before this bout. The strategy in the early rounds was to tire out his Ukrainian opponent, who was 26 pounds heavier, with his movement. Williamson knocked him down in round four with his signature right hand, but the fight ended prematurely because of an accidental head clash, which caused a cut over Klitschko’s right eyebrow. 

 

He returned to the ring 43 days later, beating Oliver McCall in a 10-round unanimous decision and then obliterated Derrick Jefferson in two rounds for the WBC Continental Americas belt. This made Chris Byrd his mandatory opponent, but he lost that one in a unanimous 12-round decision loss for the IBF title. 

 

He compiled a 5-4 record over the next seven years, but it included one of the most noteworthy wins of his career against Michael Marrone.  Williamson downplays his seventh-round knockout, saying Marrone didn’t deserve to be in the ring with him, but it doesn’t change the fact that boxing is a young man’s game. He beat Marrone being 16 years older. 

 

One of the people in his corner that night on April 23, 2011, was Jamahl Mosley, the current head coach of the Orlando Magic. Mosley wiped Williamson’s face as he waited in the neutral corner after the KO. He was asked to come because Williamson’s crew was a man short. Mosley told Five Reasons Sports Network over a brief phone call set up by Williamson that his experience with boxing “changes the landscape of everything you do.” 

 

Presently, Williamson owns and operates the TOS (Touch of Sleep) gym in Englewood, Colorado, which is also a museum of boxing history. He spends every day there training people of all ages, deploying the methods of his former coach, Al Mitchell. There, he met his wife, Jennifer, while giving lessons to her children, Donald and Gabriel, 15 years ago.

 

One of Jennifer’s achievements includes a master’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in applied psychological science. She is proud that Williamson upholds her values in education for the family. 

 

His work at TOS has been equally as gratifying as his career. But what kind of coach is Williamson? One that wouldn’t allow a student with one amateur fight to face off with an opponent with 15, which was suggested by Konquer Club, a matchmaker for single-day amateur boxing events.

 

On top of that, extensive work with a client, a young man with Down syndrome, is one of his most successful coaching jobs. That young man eventually participated in a sparring session and is going on his fourth year of training.

 

Williamson thinks he stopped fighting at the right time because he doesn’t have to chew on one side of his mouth, nor does he feel pain in his limbs. “I feel really good that everything is working.” He is also pleased with the time he spends with his wife, and their children Dantel, Alayanna, Donald, Gabriel and Nina.  

 

 

When Five Reasons Sports Network asked how he wants to be remembered, Williamson said as the people’s champion. “I was accessible. Anyone in the world could come up and talk to me and interact with me.”

 

 

 

Carlos Cañizales knocked out Panya Pradabsri with a murderous body shot in round five of their rematch, winning the WBC junior flyweight title. Victory was so sweet, he fell to his knees and cried as his team embraced him in front of his hometown crowd at El Poliedro in Caracas, Venezuela.

 

The first fight ended in a majority decision win for Pradabsri on Dec. 26 at Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok. This time, both 108-pounders wasted no time in firing lead, but Cañizales landed more power punches early. The action-packed pace continued in the second interval as both of their gas tanks were well supplied, but Cañizales dictated the terms, walking his foe down to the ropes.

 

A couple of head clashes dazed Pradabsri in round three, causing a brief timeout as the ring doctor looked him over. Action subsequently resumed with a bar brawl in the middle of the ring.

 

Despite Cañizales’ early edge, Pradabsri’s thumping overhand right launched him to the ropes and lowered him to one knee for the first knockdown, coming in the fourth. 

 

The Venezuelan wasn’t hurt much and regained his form not even a minute later with hooks, jabs, and a short right hand to the midsection.

 

In the fifth, Cañizales’ two crushing hard rights stunned Pradabsri, then a couple more combinations broke the guard as the relentless pressure began to overwhelm the Thai champion as they maneuvered to the corner.  Cañizales cut off Pradabsri’s escape and connected on short right hand as devastating as a cannonball breaking through a hull. Pradabsri (44-3) tried to withstand the agony but sunk into the corner two seconds later, ending the fight.

 

While carrying his belt over his right shoulder, Cañizales thanked God, Venezuelan supporters, family and president Nicolás Maduro in Spanish. “I knew I was doing damage with my punches…”

 

Sebastian Fundora’s imposing performance, keeping his WBC super welterweight title in the rematch against Tim Tszyu on Saturday, highlighted how pain can break the fiercest warriors, forcing them to surrender. 

Part two featured five fewer rounds than the epic bloodbath in their first encounter on March 30, 2024, which Fundora won. Both fighters were covered in crimson that night as Fundora’s nose leaked profusely from connected power punches and Tszyu’s hairline sopped from an accidental elbow, blinding him as he endured a hail of bullets. 

On Saturday, Fundora’s game plan was tight, using his extended height at 6-foot-6 and reach to nail the challenger with jabs and a buckshot-like left hand that also floored Tszyu in round one. 

Tszyu had doubted his rival’s toughness at the pre-fight presser because he didn’t get up from Brian Mendoza’s unforgiving left hook, and Tszyu had stood up thrice* in his three-round TKO loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev. He also said to Fundora “you’re not Superman.”

Tszyu fought as bravely as he did the first time, but most of his significant strikes were outweighed by Fundora’s jab and cruel mallet disguised as a left hand. Eventually, the challenger broke the guard, connecting on the nose, causing it to leak, and inflicted bombs in the seventh round.

They were like two bulls with their horns locked together as Tszyu delivered 16 power punches, and Fundora landed 27, per CompuBox.    

Then Tszyu refused to leave the corner. In a sport that could kill you, there should be less shame about the choices made like this one. 

Yet, His Excellency, Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and owner of Ring Magazine, didn’t see it that way because they weren’t covered in gore. He posted a callous message on X(formerly Twitter) before deleting that read, “I said to you from the beginning, Tim Tszyu does not deserve to be on a Riyadh Season or Ring Magazine card. He can be useful as a sparring partner for a champion in Riyadh Season.”

Tszyu was getting tagged too often to think straight, and had the fight gone on, Fundora would have likely decapitated him and questions of being an A-level fighter would still be there. Yet, there is no doubt that both of them solidified themselves as warriors in the first fight; just one of them is nearing the end of the road, and the other is speeding off towards more championship fights.