Ringside Report: Bruce Upsets Alvarez Wins IBA Welterweight Title

In a major upset, Ayi Bruce of Accra, Ghana, fighting out of Albany, New York, won the vacant International Boxing Association Welterweight Championship with a majority decision over world ranked Shamone Alvarez, fighting in his hometown of Atlantic City, New Jersey. The bout was the main event of an eight bout card promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The normally pro-Alvarez local Atlantic City crowd was offset by a contingent of loud Ghana fans who came to cheer for Ayi Bruce, making the matchup in the crowd a shouting match for fight fans.

The majority decision came by scores of 97-93, 95-94 for Bruce and 95-95 even. If Alvarez had won only one more point and round, he would have won a split decision by 96-94 and 95-94 on two of the scorecards. Bruce won the last five rounds, though, ruining any chance Alvarez had.

Southpaw Alvarez controlled the tempo of the fight for the first four rounds and won them, using a consistent right jab to the head of Bruce to score points, with some body shots mixed in. Bruce’s punches were all power shots to the head and body thrown with evil intent, and many landed.

Bruce, 24 years young to Alvarez’ 33 years old, went to work with body shots in response to Alvarez throwing right left straight jabs. Bruce countered with right hooks whenever and wherever he could find an opening, with an occasional left hook. After a feeling out first round won by Alvarez, the pace became faster in the second round. Both fighters attempted body shots. Alvarez scored with right hooks to the head. Bruce scored with rights to the body and lefts to the head. Both fighters went inside with short punches.

In the third round, with Alvarez still outworking Bruce by the number of punches thrown and scored, Bruce landed one power left hook. Bruce began throwing combinations to the head and countered to the body. Alvarez landed a lot of straight jabs to win the round.

In the fourth round, Bruce landed a head and body combination to start off, and Alvarez countered with a hard straight left hand to the head which staggered Bruce into the ropes.

Bruce recovered and landed some straight rights to the head which scored. Alvarez won his fourth consecutive round by landing many straight right jabs which scored.

By round five, the tide and tempo of the fight had changed. Alvarez’ punches began to sag when thrown, and were no longer crisp. Bruce began to land power shots to the head and body of Alvarez consistently. Worse, Bruce refused to allow southpaw Alvarez to position his front foot outside of Bruce’ front foot, neutralizing the keen advantage Alvarez used in his win over Alexis Camacho in his March 2010 bout at the Tropicana.

The round appeared close and featured many even exchanges in center ring with both fighters. Alvarez threw and landed many straight right hands and counter straight lefts. Bruce landed some straight left hand body shots near the end of the round and began to take command of the tempo.

In rounds six through ten, Ayi Bruce appeared to take the initiative. Alvarez stuck with the right jabs, but his jab appeared to tail off before landing on the target and was no longer crisp. Ayi Bruce went to work and turned the bout into a war in center ring with body shots, and left jabs to the head of Alvarez, to win the round. Alvarez’ offensive output began to fade. Ayi Bruce, as in earlier rounds, had an excellent tight defense and continued to pick off or block many of the busier Alvarez’ straight jabs.

In the seventh round, both fighters threw straight left jabs, with Bruce countering successfully to the body whenever southpaw Alvarez missed with the straight left jab. Alvarez fought to keep Ayi Bruce from taking the fight inside, and got outworked.

Bruce opened the eighth round with four good straight right hands to the head of Alvarez and a good right to the body. Ayi Bruce continued to land power body shots, in reply to Alvarez straight jabs, some of which were missing the target.

In the ninth round, Ayi Bruce landed many straight right hand power shots, and many straight left right combination power shots. Alvarez threw many right jabs but was not landing like he did in the early rounds, still missing the target too much.

In the tenth and deciding round, with the close bout still on the table, Bruce and Alvarez exchanged left hand power shots, Ayi Bruce landing more of them to win the round. Alvarez was swinging wildly and missing near the end of the round as he began to tire.

After the bout Alvarez trainer Arnold Robbins commented on the scoring, “97-93 for Ayi Bruce on one judge’s card was a little far fetched. However, I don’t feel Shamone did enough to win this bout.” Inconsistency of late may be a factor. After winning his first 18 consecutive bouts with 11 knockouts, Shamone Alvarez has gone win-lose-win-lose-win-lose in his past six bouts with only one knockout.

Ayi Bruce became the only man to do what nobody else has in the career of Alvarez, becoming the first person to beat Alvarez in his native Atlantic City since Alvarez turned professional in 2002 and decisional Maximino Cuevas at Bally’s in the same ring.

Robbins explained where his fighter Alvarez fell short of the mark. “In the first three or four rounds, Shamone was more consistent to the head and body. Then for the most part he went away from the body (and did not stick with the game plan).” Alvarez continued, “This boy (Ayi Bruce) had a tight defense. With a tight defense, you work the body. At the same time, you have to stay in control. The name of the game is score (with your punches), be effective and be in control. In the eight, ninth and tenth rounds, Shamone was not in control when he needed to be.”

In the post-fight interview Ayi Bruce’ head trainer and former professional middleweight boxer Andy ‘The Cat’ Schott of Schott’s Boxing Gym in Albany and Palmetto Boxing Promotions of South Carolina, accompanied by manager Gunther Fishgold, explained where their hard work to win this bout began. “Style wise, Gunther and I had a lot of questions about what Emmanuel Clottey did to beat Alvarez. We’ve sparred our southpaw fighters Broderick Antoine and Harrison Cuello with Delvin Rodriguez quite a bit, and Delvin beat Alvarez. So we sparred Antoine and Cuello with Ayi Bruce to get him ready. Antoine and Cuello are southpaws who have been instrumental in the gym in beating Shamone Alvarez twice,” explained Schott.

Schott continued. “I think Alvarez missed a lot of shots. Ayi’s defense was as much a credit in this win. Ayi was blocking shots with his elbows and slipping underneath. It must have been frustrating for Alvarez (missing so many shots). It was hard for him to hit Ayi. Clearly Ayi was landing at a vey high rate. Shamone kept trying with determination and missing. (As we see it) Ayi won two of the first five rounds, and dominated four of the last five rounds. Maybe one round was even.”

Shamone Alvarez felt he had won the bout. “I won the fight,” explained Alvarez. “I think I pulled it out by a point or two. I think I did enough. Out of the ten rounds, I was in complete control and dominated (at least) six, seven, eight rounds of the ten. Maybe one round was even. I think I won eight rounds out of the ten. After the fifth round or sixth round, I hit a wall, though, where I was not as effective as I was before.”

Trainer Arnold Robbins summed up his reaction to the result of the bout best. “When a belt is on the line you go get it. You don’t leave room for disparity. The bottom line.”

Ayi Bruce, Accra, Ghana, rose to 18-3 (12). Shamone Alvarez, Atlantic City, New Jersey, fell to 21-3 (12). Bruce’ record includes a majority eight round decision loss in July to hot welterweight prospect Raymond Serrano. One conclusion was evident: the Ayi Bruce camp had scouted Alvarez and came in prepared in every respect to win this bout. Promoter Joe DeGuardia was open to the idea of a rematch, but trainer Arnold Robbins doubted Alvarez would fight Bruce again, as it was a bout the Alvarez camp didn’t need.