Let's start with the reality... nobody looks good against Mauricio Herrera. He did not fight like a fighter who knew he was going against a favored, iron-chinned champion in his backyard, for his title. The Californian fought just hard enough to lose a close one. I had it a draw, and would not have been upset either way, but you have to know the odds you are up against, and fight a more dominating style. Perhaps a consolation title shot is in order against Peterson. Herrera has certainly earned it, and it looks as if he may have scared Danny Garcia up a division anyway. There is no way they are risking a rematch, even if Danny Garcia does stay at 140lbs.
While Juanma Lopez breathed new life in his career, and is in a division full of belts he can win, his career as a serious threat is still over. He cannot take a shot anymore, and is only in the game because he can still deliver one. Hence the jump to Golden Boy, where he won't run into any of the 126lb killers at Top Rank. Mendez is ripe for the plucking, or maybe a venture into Japan, or a bout with a rising Abner Mares. For De Leon, he still has fight left, but I would not take on Juanma again.
I also do not disagree with Luis Pabon's stoppage. I am usually the first to say nearly every stoppage is early.. but the knockdown of Ponce was drastically harder than the one of Lopez, and he fell without much of a punch, seconds later. Then he attempted to cover up, and was still nailed with the majority of the shots Juanma threw. Yes, he threw back, but a fighter with Deleon's heart always will, with or without legs. The criteria for stopping a fight is if a fighter can no longer defend himself effectively, and Ponce could not.
We are also no closer to any answers about Deontay Wilder. He is a big puncher... so big in fact, that a left hook tap to the temple can discombobulate a fighter who could have very well been undefeated coming in. These are the types of victories, however, that could be easily erased once he is touched. No matter the brutality of a bomber (literally in this case, due to the nickname) eventually someone will stand up to his power. They usually do so, by delivering their own.
Historically, the more drastic the KO streak, the more drastic the first KO loss: Gerald McClellan vs. Nigel Benn, Earnie Shavers vs. Jerry Quarry, etc. Arreola and Stiverne are both durable enough, and hard enough punchers to test him thoroughly. I'm not rooting for him to fail, but we should not be so unsure 31 KOs into his career. The heavyweight news this week was not all sketchy, however... we may have finally gotten rid of Tomasz Adamek, when the judges finally scored one against him.
Chris Strait
www.convictedartist.com
