Hennessy Boxing: Logan Cotton McGuinness

NABA Lightweight Champ Ready For Former World Title Challenger

Fifteen fights into his professional boxing career and the trend is unmistakable; 23 year-old Logan Cotton McGuinness (14-0-1, 7 KO’s) keeps getting better and better.

This past Saturday night at Mississauga’s Hershey Centre, in front of more than 5000 rabid fans, Orangeville, Ontario’s McGuinness made the first defense of his NABA Lightweight title a rousing success, emphatically stopping hard hitting veteran Hector Julio Avila (47-6, 42 KO’s) with a crippling body shot in the fourth round.

“Unlike most promoters, I don’t line up patsies for burgeoning local stars like Logan,” said McGuinness’ promoter Adam Harris.

“Since his tenth fight, we’ve put him in there with tough experienced fighters who are real live threats. And every fight, against progressively tougher competition, we’re seeing more and more out of Logan.”

“You can’t ask for more than that of a young fighter.”

McGuinness’ latest step up the ladder to boxing stardom looked to be his most daunting.

Avila knocks out opponents at an eye-popping 81% clip, and was anxious to take the NABA title back home with him to the Dominican Republic. McGuinness, however, was hell-bent on keeping the title in Canada.

Operating behind a thudding jab, and utilizing uncanny footwork, McGuinness peppered Avila from every angle right from the opening bell, softening up the challenger for what is quickly becoming a signature weapon; his debilitating left hook to the body.

This is where McGuinness, an uncanny boxer-puncher, routinely morphs into a ferocious puncher-boxer, strafing opponents with right and left bombs that detonate with startling accuracy to both the head and body.

By the fourth round, McGuinness sensed the end was near. Now planting his previously busy feet, McGuinness set to work on his opponents ribs, liver, and sternum, landing shot after shot until one final sickening hook to the body folded Avila on the canvas for referee Rocky Zolnierczyk’s count of ten.

“He was terrific,” Harris said of McGuinness.

“He took a dangerous veteran like Avila and beat him up from the opening bell before finishing him off in a very clinical, professional manner.”

With McGuinness’ abilities now beyond doubt, and his performance curve rising exponentially, Harris has his sights set on some even tougher competition for his young charge, namely former world title challenger Benoit Gaudet, of Montreal.

“We have a date lined up on April 16th, and we’d love to defend our NABA title against Gaudet,” Harris said.

“Benoit is an excellent boxer, we saw that against (then WBC Super Featherweight champion) Humberto Soto.”

Soto dropped Gaudet early in their May 2009 showdown, but the Montrealer rebounded to put on a boxing clinic before being caught again and stopped in the ninth round.

“We think we’ll do him just like Soto did. And that’s not a slam against Gaudet. That’s how much we think of Logan.”