#styles make fights

[10point-must]

SMF Classics Volume XXVI: Figueroa Jr - Arakawa 07.27.2013

A fight that does not get enough attention is this insane all-action fight between Omar Figueroa Jr and Nihito Arakawa in San Antonio on July 27, 2013.

Figueroa wore his signature sherbet colored trunks, black Everlast gloves with yellow thumbs and bright yellow Nike shoes.

Some trunk detail:

Obviously - too many ads and patches, but I like that Omar has a signature, unique look and rolls with it. I like his little cat logo:

Arakawa wore a great black set with subtle touches of gold, orange and green. Blue Cleto Reyes gloves that are a bit out of place, but otherwise a very solid look. Black adidas footwear, high black socks with gold trim, and black trunks with green and orange piping.

Side panel detail:

He had ARAKAWA across the back in gray, and a Japanese flag and lettering across the front:

Outstanding fight and great heart shown by both men.

Full fight here:

an exciting round 3 here:

Respect box.

[10point-must]

Instant Classic: Baranchyk - Zepeda 10.03.2020

Jose Zepeda stopped Ivan Baranchyk in a fight that featured eight (8) knockdowns over 5 rounds. The action speaks for itself - and the clean and classic looks from both fighters are an added bonus.

Zepeda wore black leather trunks with yellow trim, WICHO on the back as a nod to a family member who had recently passed away, and a nifty JZ emblem on the front waistband.

Love the logo:

He wore black socks (with what appears to be JZ logo socks) and footwear that I’m not familiar with. Does anyone know what brand this is?

EDIT 10/06/20: with thanks to reader vanilla-moon-pie, it appears that Zepeda was wearing Adams footwear.

Both men wore black Everlast gloves with white and yellow trim.

Baranchyk wore black sequired trunks with green trim. He had his last name in Green on the front and his nickname “THE BEAST” on the back. He wore white socks and black and white Everlast shoes.

Not a single ad on either fighter’s trunks, which was welcome.

Highlights here:

Respect box.

[10point-must]

Pacquiao-Thurman 07.20.2019

An amazing spectacle this past Saturday night in Las Vegas, as Manny Pacquiao beat Keith Thurman by split decision in an action-packed fight.

Pacquiao’s great look started with his robe - i wish we had more shots of this:

Outstanding look in the ring as well:

Pac wore white Anta trunks with red, yellow, and blue trim, blue waistband with PACQUIAO in red with yellow outline on the front and PACMAN across the back.

He had his usual one thousand ads, as well as FIGHT ON along the right leg and ANTA along the left:

Manny wore standard red Cleto Reyes gloves with an unexplained black ribbon along the thumb.

He wore high white Anta socks and a great pair of white Anta shoes with red and blue trims. For extra bonus - some nice red, yellow and blue tassels!

Keith Thurman acquitted himself well in defeat, with perhaps his best executed look in several fights.

He wore four-piece gladiator style trunks in his typical red-white and blue.

The front piece was a bejeweled blue background with red piping, with a white star, outlined in red, along with a red waistband with ONE TIME in bejeweled white with blue outlines.

The only ad was for Fashion Nova, a fascinating “club-attire” clothing store found in malls in California. Fashion Nova also had an add on Pacman’s trunks and appeared on the ring itself. I guess their marketing has determined that the ven diagram of 18+ nightclubs and boxing fans heavily overlaps. Anyway, the back of Thurman’s trunks was the same template as the front, except with a red background, blue piping and blue outline around a white star. BEN GETTY, Thurman’s late trainer and mentor, was across the waistband in the back. The side panels were white with some sparkly flourishes as well.

Thurman wore white Rival gloves with American flag motifs, similar to those he has worn in recent fights:

A little thumb detail, nice touch with the One Time in script:

Thurman wore white Rival shoes with red and blue trim, and One Time in black script towards the top of the ankle.

Great fight, and strong looks from both fighters. 

Respect box.

[10point-must]

SMF Classics Volume VIII: Leonard - Hagler 04.06.1987

Twenty-two years ago this week Sugar Ray Leonard beat Marvelous Marvin Hagler in a razor thin decision in Las Vegas. Classic fight and classic looks.

Hagler wore midnight blue trunks with powder blue trim. These appear to be the same design (if not precisely the same trunks) that Hagler wore in his wins over John Mugabi and Thomas Hearns.

The waistband had Marvelous in script over a white rectangular plate. MMH was in italics diagonally down his left front thigh:

He wore white shoes with royal blue laces, blue trim and white and blue socks with red/white tassels. The tassels actually provide a nice balance, intentionally or not, with the standard red gloves.

Ray Leonard wore white trunks with red trim and a Franklin apparel logo on the waistband. The red matched well with the standard red gloves. He wore plain white lace-up shoes with red & white tassels:

Respect box.

[10point-must]

Jose Ramirez - Last Five

Ahead of his massive unification fight with Josh Taylor on Saturday night in Las Vegas, lets take a look at Jose Ramirez’s last five looks. We’ll do Josh Taylor later this week.

In March of 2018, Jose Ramirez beat Amir Imam by unanimous decision in New York City w a red & white look, w Cleto Reyes gloves:

In September of 2018 he wore the same template and colors (with a notable waistband difference) in his win over Antonio Orozco in Fresno, taking the 140 lb WBC title in the process:

In February 2019 he wore the same template but with a complete color change -- going with black, purple and gray - for his win over Jose Zepeda (again in Fresno):

In July of 2019, Ramirez stopped Maurice Hooker in their outstanding and exciting unification fight. He returned to a red and white look but switched up to some pretty cool white, red and green Cleto Reyes gloves:

Same look and template (although back to the red Cleto Reyes) for his most recent fight against Viktor Postol in Las Vegas, a decision win in August 2020.

Just a few more days until fight night.

Respect box.

[10point-must]

Instant Classic: Berchelt - Valdez 02.20.21

Oscar Valdez executed a virtuoso-like performance in a stunning, all-action upset over a brave Miguel Berchelt for the WBC junior lightweight championship in Las Vegas. The fight will almost certainly be a candidate for upset of the year and knock-out of the year when all is said and done. In addition to great performances, good looks from both fighters.

Valdez wore gold and black trunks with three huge patches - two for sponsors and one for the WBC.

He had VALDEZ running up the side panel.

The back of his trunks were largely backs, adorned with additional patches and adds. He wore blac and gold Cleto Reyes gloves with an OV insignia:

He wore white footwear and black socks:

Berchelt wore a blue and white look. As with Valdez, a few too many ads on the trunks but if you can look past it -- a great design.

Back view:

This is a really great design - the blue - light blue mosaic motif with what appears to be an homage to the Mexican colors along the panels.

He wore white Grant gloves with blue and gold trim:

It would be fair to mention that gold is only slightly represented on the trunks so it’s a somewhat curious choice on the gloves. He wore blue footwear and white socks:

We are of course hopeful that Berchelt makes a full recovery from a brutal knockout. Can’t wait to see what Valdez does next.

Respect box.

[10point-must]

The Five Biggest Fights Occurring In Africa?

Who knows, but here’s my list:

Honorable Mentions:

Greg Page TKO Gerrie Coetzee, December 1 1984 Sun City, South Africa. WBA Heavyweight championship;

Dwight Muhammad Qawi KO Piet Crous, July 27, 1985, Sun City, South Africa. WBA Cruiserweight championship.

5. Vuyani Bungu UD Kennedy McKinney, August 20, 1994 Gauteng, South Africa. IBF Super Bantamweight championship. 1994 Ring Magazine Upset of the Year.

Full fight here.

4. Bob Foster UD Pierre Fourie, December 1, 1973, Gauteng South Africa. WBA and WBC light-heavyweight championships.

(Unfortunately hard to find any color photos or video of this fight).

3. Dick Tiger TKO Gene Fullmer August 10, 1963, Idaban, Nigeria; WBC and WBA middleweight world titles.

35,000 fans jammed into Liberty Stadium to watch Dick Tiger retain his WBC and WBA middleweight title over Gene Fullmer in the last fight of their trilogy (and final fight for Fulmer).

Tiger was awarded fighter of the year by either Ring Magainze, Boxing Writers Association of America (or both) in 1962, 1963 and 1966. He would be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. In 2002, Ring Magazine listed Tiger as the 31st best boxer of the last 80 years.

Fullmer was also inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991, finishing his career 55-6-3, including wins of Sugar Ray Robinson, Carmen Basilio and Benny Paret, among others.

Fight highlights:

2. Hasim Rahman KO Lennox Lewis, aka “Thunder in Africa” April 22, 2001, Brakpan, South Africa. IBF, IBO and WBC Heavyweight championships. 2001 Ring Magazine Upset of the Year.

You don’t see a lot of FUBU trunks. Also, notice “ROCK” on the tongue of Rahman’s shoes. Nice touch.

1. Muhammad Ali KO George Foreman, aka The Rumble in the Jungle, October 30, 1974, Kinshasa, Congo. WBA and WBC Heavyweight championship. 1974 Ring Magazine Upset of the Year. 

Great red-white and blue look from Foreman, a “standard set” from Ali.

So did I miss any big fights in Africa? Let me know.

Respect box.

[10point-must]

Casino de Monte Carlo Salle Medecin

Boxing in Monte Carlo is a slightly different experience - check out the palatial backdrop that Israel Gonzales and Khalid Yafai enjoyed during their November 18, 2018 tilt at the Casino de Monte Carlo Salle Medecin.

Respect box.