GRADES: FRANK MARTIN, ALYCIA BAUMGARDNER, ANDY CRUZ, JOSH KELLY & MORE

By: Jay Calderon

Had a fun weekend of fights, didn't we?

While we didn't get the upset we've grown accustomed to this year in boxing, we got about as close as you can get with Frank Martin's close decision over Artem Harutyunyan. We also saw a grudge settled when Alycia Baumgardner defended her undisputed gold at 130 pounds against old foe Christina Linardatou.

Also in action, we saw the debut of Olympic stand out Andy Cruz as well as a return to action from Jr. Middleweight contender Josh Kelly.

So, without much more rambling, let's hand out these Grades:

JOSH KELLY
GRADE: B-
RESULT: DEF. GABRIEL CORZO, 12UD (JR. MIDDLEWEIGHT)

Jr. Middleweight is an interesting division. With the undisputed champion Jermell Charlo preoccupied at Super Middleweight (what?), you have a division in limbo, with potential stars looking to make a statement.

One of those potential stars would be the fast-handed Josh Kelly, who easily defeated the overmatched Gabriel Corzo on Saturday in Newcastle. However, while the bout was one-sided, it wasn't exactly awe-inspiring; it wasn't the sort of performance that demands a shot at any potentially-vacated world titles.

Kelly boxed well enough, moved and showed his ability to control a contest. The overwhelmed Corzo had little answers for what Kelly did on the night.

Kelly just didn't need to do much...so he didn't.

It was a very solid performance, just not one that perhaps takes advantage of the potential openness at 154 pounds.

ALYCIA BAUMGARDNER
GRADE: A
RESULT: DEF. CHRISTINA LINARDATOU, 10UD (JR. LIGHTWEIGHT)

In some ways, during Alycia Baumgardner's victory over Christina Linardatou, you saw the stylistic issues the latter seems to give that former. Linardatou has volume and constant pressure at her best, and that isn't the ideal opponent for Baumgardner.

However, while that worked in spurts, there's no denying the progression and growth as a fighter in Alycia. In front of her own fans, facing the only woman to ever defeat her as a pro, Baumgardner showcased everything she's developed since their initial 2018 clash.

Baumgardner was more selective with her shots, landed them with more precision and force, and didn't allow Linardatou to set the tempo. With all the gold at 130 pounds on the line (possessed by Baumgardner), against someone that has beaten her before, Baumgardner was poised and comfortable throughout.

Even in the final frames, when Alycia has shown to tire in some contests, she more or less swept the cards and determined the action.

Overall, in some respects, this was Baumgardner's best performance yet.

ANDY CRUZ
GRADE: B-
RESULT: DEF. JUAN CARLOS BURGOS, 10UD (LIGHTWEIGHT)

Considering it's his debut as a pro, you couldn't ask for too much more from Andy Cruz.

Did he show concussive power? Or did he show that he's ready for any and all at 135 pounds? No. But he showed an ability to deal with a veteran in Juan Carlos Burgos in his debut and come out mostly unscathed.

Cruz will need to sit down on his punches a bit more as he continues to develop. And as competition improves, we will all see how Cruz handles someone more skilled in a loaded 135 pound division.

Still, for a debut, he looked good. And there's reason to believe Cruz has a pretty high ceiling. You just have to hope Andy is moved along too quickly.

FRANK MARTIN
GRADE: C-
RESULT: DEF. ARTEM HARUTYUNYAN, 12UD (LIGHTWEIGHT)

Boxing is a fickle, fickle sport.

In December of last year, Frank Martin was getting well-deserved praise for facing and ultimately dominating then-unbeaten Michel Rivera in a battle of rising prospects.

Fast forward to now, and Martin is being blamed for a close decision over the lightly-heralded Artem Harutyunyan going his way. Seems a bit unfair.

Still, while much of the criticism is harsh (his personal score card didn't impact the fight), Martin himself admits he didn't have a particularly great night.

According to Martin (and my eyes), Martin's timing just wasn't clicking and he failed to really get into any sort of rhythm. His saving grace in the fight and for the performance was the final few rounds, where the body attack of Martin dropped Harutyunyan, making it a 10-8 round in the final frame. That additional point of separation helped secure the win.

In a way, this performance could be a good thing, maybe it makes Martin and his team slow down after seemingly accelerating post-Rivera. What's more, it proves Martin can go through the gears even on a bad night.

Still, while Martin is talented, he needs a bit more time to fully cook.

ARTEM HARUTYUNYAN
GRADE: B+
RESULT: LOSS TO FRANK MARTIN, 12UD (LIGHTWEIGHT)

It's rare when the defeated fighter gets a better grade than the winner, but it just makes sense sometimes.

For starters, the spirited effort by Harutyunyan had many believing he had done enough to win, and certainly made him a few new fans. Even Frank Martin, to whom Harutyunyan lost, seemed to have a greater appreciation for his foe post-fight than he did prior to the contest.

But even if you believe Harutyunyan rightfully lost a close encounter, you have to say he came out looking better than most previously thought compared to his counterpart in Martin. In other words, one seemingly under performed while the other exceeded expectations.

Ultimately, the Armenian fell short, and was dropped in a pivotal final frame. So, it wasn't perfect. But Harutyunyan will definitely get a few more cracks at the bat off this effort.

ELVIS RODRIGUEZ
GRADE: A-
RESULT: DEF. VIKTOR POSTOL, 7TKO (JR. WELTERWEIGHT)

While Viktor Postol isn't the fighter he once was (and he was definitely decent in his day), rising contender Elvis Rodriguez did exactly what he needed to when in against a veteran -- a former world titlist at that.

Rodriguez put his shots together well, never let Postol feel his way back into the fight and then showed power in rounds six and seven to finish off the job.

In short: Rodriguez impressed.

Naturally, the competition will get stiffer and the fights will get harder. But, considering the task, Rodriguez delivered in spades.

LINKS:

- SCHEDULE & ODDS

- RESULTS

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