18.08.08 – By Ted Sares: Thailand always has been my favorite target when it comes to producing mismatches, but Slovakia is rapidly taking over that dubious distinction. On the flip side, Mexico and Japan do the very best job of matching fighters in any given venue. The following recent card in Mexico City reflects that country’s continual efforts to get it right:
Roots Magic Club, Lomas de Sotelo, Distrito Federal, Mexico August 14, 2008
Division Combatants Result
Light flyweight Luis Ceja 4 (2) – 0 – 1 W Juan Gonzalez 3 (2) -1 (1) TKO 2
Heavyweight Osvaldo Rodriguez 3 (1) -1 (1) W Diego Banuelos 4 (2) – 3 – 1 SD 4
Bantamweight Octavio Hernandez 6 (3)- 1 W Alan Barron 0 – 2 (2) – TKO 4
Featherweight Daniel Hernandez 6 (4)- 1 (1) W Francisco Navarrete 2 (2) – 1 (1) TKO 3
Lightweight Fermin Uruzquieta 4 (2) -0 – W Eric Malagon 3 (3) – 3 (2) – SD 4
Welterweight Mario Lozano 3 (2) 0 W Ricardo Martinez 3 (2) – 1 UD 4
Bantamweight Miguel Esteban 1 (1)-0 – W Victor Rebollo 2 (2) – 3 (3) KO 1
Flyweight Edgar Allende 1 – 0 W Said Leon 1 (1) – 2 – UD 4
The day before, Slovakia featured the following venue of mismatches as validated by their outcomes.
City Hall, Šturovo, Slovakia, August 13, 2008
Division Combatants Result
Welterweight Laszlo Komjathi 29 (11) 20 (7) 1 W Attila Nemeth 0 – 10 (4) 1 PTS 4
Welterweight Adrian Rajkai 17 (5) – 7 (6) W Sandor Fekete 1 -24 (3) – 1 PTS 4
Super Middleweight Daniel Regi 5 (3) – 1 – W Gabor Balogh 1 -34 (18) 5 DQ 2
Cruiserweight Laszlo Hubert 16 (8) – 2 (2) W Zoltan Peto 6 (1) — 7 (6) TKO 3
Cruiserweight Gabor Halasz 23 (9) – 11 (9) W Gabor Czinke 0–27 (3) PTS 4
Heavyweight Viktor Szalai 10 (3) -12 (10) 1 W Gabor Gyuris 6 -16 (10) TKO 4
Cruiserweight Mihaly Nemet 8 (2) – 9 (5) 1 W Zsolt Wittman 2 (0)-4 (3) TKO 2
In a battle of Gabor’s, the one with a 23-11 record beat the one with a 0-27 record. Another Gabor, this one with the last name of Balogh remained at an astounding 1-34-5
A Word about Slovakia
Slovakians are useful road warriors who are willing to travel throughout Europe as designated losers. This is fine and dandy as long as their KOd by percentage is not high, but chill-or-be-chilled Stefan Stanko is chilled far more than he chills. His record is an alarming 6 (KO 6)-56 (49)-1, and when he fights someone like rugged Pole Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (41-2), he is tempting fate. Wlodarczyk beat IBF cruiserweight Champion Steve Cunningham by SD before losing the rematch by MD.
Robert Zsemberi, a featherweight, is 6-46-2, and his record is distinguished by the fact he has been sent to dreamland 37 times. That’s a dangerous percentage. There are many others with similar dreadful records including Vlado Szabo,1-30, Josef Holub at 1-28, Slavomir Dendis at 2- 34 (KO 25), Zoltan Horvath, with a “perfect” 0-26 (22 losses coming by KO), Jozef Gabris, 0-20-2, and Vladimir Varhegyi, 20-68-3 (who amazingly has won five of his last six all by KO).
Jozef Kubovsky (13-101-14)
Jozef Kubovsky, a Slovakian Welterweight, deserves special mention as he has fought 96 times since 1999. During that time, he managed to win only six. One came against fellow Slovakian, hapless Imrich Parlagi now 2-67-3. Another rare win came against the dreadful Anton Glofak, 2-76-8. Kubovsky has won only once in his last 83 fights–count ‘em 83! After losing 61 in a row and sporting a 76% likelihood of losing, he fought against Domingos Nascimento Monteiro for something called the “International Championship of Luxemburg for Welterweights.” Of course, he lost.
Single mismatches will occur from time to time; that’s the nature of the beast. However, when patterns manifest themselves, the amber light should be flashing.
Watch for the Author’s new book, “Reelin’ in the Years: Boxing and More” due out in October.