"Fighting Words" - One Prospect Rises Fast, Another Falls Hard

by David P. Greisman

They arrived in the same place, yet not, two prospects due for their toughest tests yet, though those tests were of differing degrees of difficulty.

They exited the ring having reached contrasting conclusions.

Gervonta Davis was readier than his record had indicated, a prospect who didn’t just skip a grade but rather leapt past contender status, exiting Barclays Center in Brooklyn with a world title.

Ievgen Khytrov was not quite as ready as he’d seemed. He wasn’t in with a titleholder, but rather another up-and-coming undefeated prospect. His opponent remained undefeated and up-and-coming. Khytrov was down and out.

Every prospect who wants to be more than a prospect must test himself again and again. There are smaller tests and quizzes along the way, status checks on their development to determine — under pressure — how they are coming along in their studies.

They don’t all proceed at the same pace. Whether the process is gradual or accelerated depends on the fighter, of course, and also on his manager and promoter, as well as the money and opportunities that may be available.

It was time for Davis and Khytrov to move on to the next level.

Khytrov won an amateur world championship in 2011, competed in the 2012 Olympics and turned pro at the end of 2013. He’d begun to step up rather quickly against the kind of lower-level, measuring-stick competition that is experienced but not too dangerous, stopping Jorge Melendez and Nick Brinson in 2015. He then moved on in 2016 to foes who weren’t battle-worn but had shown their limitations in previous engagements, outpointing Kenneth McNeil and Paul Mendez.

Typically, the next step would be a fight against a faded former contender or titleholder. Sometimes, however, it’s just as beneficial to face off against another rising prospect. There tend to be many, all maneuvered deliberately, a select few of them truly talented. A win over one can help to separate you from the pack. Khytrov was only 14 fights into his pro career, but he was 28 years old and nearing his prime. He needed to begin to step up in order to begin to stand out in the middleweight division.

Davis, meanwhile, was only 22 years old but had compiled an extensive amateur career as a teenager, going 206-15 in the unpaid ranks. He turned pro at 18 and spent much of his early career growing up in the gym and then showing off in the ring. Most of his opponents were no-hopers. The most notable name was a former titleholder, Cristobal Cruz, several years past his best days, no longer as capable or as durable.

But instead of taking on another top prospect, or a former contender or titleholder of more recent vintage, he opted to challenge junior lightweight Jose Pedraza for his world title belt.

There are boxers who fight for world titles when that otherwise meaningful accomplishment doesn’t carry as much meaning. There are just too many world titles in general, and too many vacant titles that can be won without facing much resistance.

Pedraza was no designated opponent. He was a legit titleholder, even if he hadn’t yet shown himself to be the best that the 130-pound division has to offer. He’d won a vacant world title in 2015 with an impressive victory over a fringe contender named Andrey Klimov, then was fortunate to hold onto the belt with a split decision over Edner Cherry that seemed to some like it could’ve gone to Cherry. Pedraza righted himself last year with a victory over Stephen Smith.

Davis and his team were confident, however. Davis, who was 16-0 with 15 knockouts entering the fight, lacked any experience against top-opposition. He was completely unproven in the upper echelons of the pros. Yet they had reason to believe in his speed and power, in the skills and technique they had fine-tuned in training and while sparring with other top fighters.

Davis flashed his hand speed from the outset, catching Pedraza in the opening round with flush southpaw left cross counters, popping Pedraza’s head back with hard uppercuts and hooks, digging to the body and altogether taking advantage of an opponent who was coming forward with pressure, standing in close range and attacking without any nuance or overwhelming menace. Davis remained composed, doing a lot of dodging and blocking — and plenty of scoring.

Davis’ pace slowed. Pedraza began to make him miss more, and he began to vary his distance as well as incorporating more feints. Pedraza couldn’t stick to it.

“I was baiting him,” Davis said afterward. “Then I took advantage.”

Davis landed a flurry upstairs in the sixth and followed up with a big body shot. Pedraza was hurt. He never fully recovered. Davis smelled blood in the water but didn’t go into a frenzy. Instead, he waited longer between his shots, loading up on power and letting loose when he saw an opening to deliver heavy artillery.

A right hand to the body halfway through the seventh dropped one of Pedraza’s gloves. A left hand upstairs punished him for that. Pedraza stood along the ropes, weaving his head and body while not throwing much back. Soon there was a Davis right hook to the head, then a left uppercut, then another left uppercut followed quickly by a right hook, a left cross, a right uppercut and another left.

Davis had Pedraza reeling. He ducked a couple of retaliatory swats, swung a left uppercut, paused, sent a left cross, paused, missed another left but followed with a right hook that took Pedraza’s legs away. Pedraza fell on his tail, his head hitting the bottom rope and then going underneath it. Pedraza pulled himself up with the help of the ropes by the count of nine. The referee saw that there was no need for the fight to go on and waved the fight off.

It was a big win, one that moved Davis much farther along than he’d previously been. It doesn’t mean he’s ready for the most advanced tests just yet.

“We’re not rushing,” said Davis’ promoter, retired fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr., who spoke with media afterward. There is no desire just yet to put Davis in with the best junior lightweight around and one of the best boxers in the world, titleholder Vasyl Lomachenko. Mayweather also wasn’t interested in discussing unification fights between Davis and the other titleholders.

The man nicknamed “Money” made nine figures while in the sport while also winning lineal championships in four divisions and a world title in a fifth. He is well aware that there are two types of prizes in boxing.

“We’re gonna be smart. We gonna move and let him make money, and let his money build,” Mayweather said. “And when the time is right, we’re gonna take the fights that we need.”

Davis took a risk and now is going to reap rewards. It’s a shame that too few fighters like to do both at the same time, that they string out their paydays between taking on the toughest of challenges. It’s understandable. Frustrating, yet understandable. But if Davis at least stays busy, then he can build up a following and build toward the bigger fights without too long of a wait between them.

Davis rose fast on Saturday night. Khytrov fell hard.

He was in with Immanuwel Aleem, a prospect who was 16-0-1 and also in the stable of adviser Al Haymon. Khytrov was the favored fighter, though, not just because of his amateur pedigree but also due to the team he had behind him in the pros. He trained in New York City under the tutelage of Andre Rozier and Gary Stark Sr. and alongside top middleweight Daniel Jacobs and contenders Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Avtandil Khurtsidze.

“I see him as being Top 15 right now,” Rozier said weeks before the fight. “When he wins this fight, he’ll have to be considered with the contender status. He is here, and he’s for real.

“Aleem is a good boxer. He’s sharp. I don’t think he’s a big puncher,” Rozier had said. “Ievgen can take a shot. It’s hard to keep him off you. I think it’s going to prove too much for Aleem. He’ll be stopping him inside the distance.”

Khytrov indeed came forward. He started going backward toward the end of the opening minute, retreating after being hurt by an Aleem right hand. Aleem followed, and followed up with a barrage. Khytrov remained standing, and Aleem realized Khytrov would likely stay on his feet for now. Aleem slowed as Khytrov steadied and fired back.

The bout became a back-and-forth battle. Khytrov came forward with volume. Aleem sought out moments for his own offense. But while Aleem wanted to block and dodge and otherwise limit his exposure to Khytrov’s punches, Khytrov was too willing to take shots from Aleem and too stubborn — or perhaps too unable — to stop taking them after it’d become evident that he couldn’t take them that well.

With about a minute to go in the third, Aleem rocked Khytrov with a right hand and a left hook, then followed with a few more left hooks that put Khytrov down. Khytrov got up and soon got the better of an exchange, wobbling Aleem and pummeling him along the ropes.

Khytrov was a wrecking ball with one gear. He could only do one thing, but that one thing was all he’d tended to need.

It was enough to pass tests in the past. It wasn’t going to be enough to bring him forward any farther. Fighters who have boulders in their hands don’t always have granite in their chins.

Khytrov wasn’t glass-jawed either. Aleem knew he had to hit Khytrov in the right way and at the right time. So he began to move, dodging Khytrov’s dogged pursuit, surviving while seeking another opportunity.

About a minute into the sixth, Aleem was along the ropes and eating hard punches to the body and head. He avoided a sweeping right hand, moved to his left, missed with an overhand right but followed with a left that, given the way his body was turned, came out as a mix of a jab and a straight left. It caught Khytrov and hurt him, and a pair of follow-up right hands dropped Khytrov once again.

Khytrov got up quickly, a mix of guts and instinct. The fight had otherwise been beaten out of him. He could stand up, but he couldn’t stand up to much more. A series of right hands from Aleem sent Khytrov reeling against the ropes. A left hand brought the referee jumping in.

It was a disappointing defeat, even if few fighters remain undefeated in their careers. They expect to keep on winning. When they don’t, then they must learn what they must do to begin winning again.

For some, it is a realization that they’ve gone as high as they can, that they cannot get any faster, or that they cannot become more powerful, that they cannot handle the competition beyond a certain level.

For others, they must lose in order to gain — to learn from mistakes and improve.

The main event of the fight card on which Khytrov and Davis appeared was a prime example of that.

Badou Jack vs. James DeGale was a fight pitting two boxers who had each lost once. Those two had since gone on to become two of the best super middleweights in the world.

Jack’s defeat came in a stunning one-minute stoppage loss to Derek Edwards in early 2014. He won a world title less than 14 months later.

DeGale, an Olympic gold medalist in 2008, nevertheless was still fresh-faced as a pro just 10 fights into his pro career when he faced fellow prospect George Groves in 2011. DeGale lost a close majority decision. He, like Jack, won a world title in 2015.

Khytrov didn’t pass this test. That doesn’t yet mean that he doesn’t belong in this class.

He’ll get another test. That one will need to be graded before he can be downgraded.

“Fighting Words” appears every Monday on BoxingScene.com. Pick up a copy of David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsamazon or internationally at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsworldwide. Send questions/comments via email at fightingwords1@gmail.com