GRADES: ROLLY ROMERO, ISMAEL BARROSO, JANIBEK ALIMKHANULY, JASON MOLONEY & MORE

By: Jay Calderon

Fairly busy weekend of boxing on both sides of the pond, though I'm not really covering one of those shows here to be honest.

On Saturday at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California, Middleweight titlist Janibek Alimkhanuly made easy work of Steven Butler, and Jason Moloney finally won world gold against Vincent Astrolabio.

Also on Saturday at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in Nevada, Rolly Romero would pick up a vacant strap against Ismael Barroso in a "huh?" encounter.

So, without much more ado, let's hand out these Grades.

ROLLY ROMERO: C
RESULT: DEF. ISMAEL BARROSO, 9TKO (JR. WELTERWEIGHT)

For reasons both his own and otherwise, the night Rolly Romero became a world titlist wasn't always his best look.

On the night, Romero faced a much older opponent than with whom most were familiar, and had both a controversial knockdown and stoppage ruled in his favor. Again, Romero can't control that. However, regardless of the bad or missed calls, his performance wasn't all that impressive.

Of the eight completed rounds, the 27-year-old Romero was out-landed, out-thrown or both in six by the 40-year-old Barroso. And that wasn't because Romero was being calculated and really technical with his shots. He couldn't seem to find his groove.

Ultinately, Romero showed some poise going for it late behind on all scorecards. Still, that's about as positive as you can get other than the result (on paper) itself.

ISMAEL BARROSO: B-
RESUSLT: LOSS TO ROLLY ROMERO, 9TKO (JR. WELTERWEIGHT)

This is a tough one of Ismael Barroso.

On the one hand, Barroso did really well for a 40-year-old replacement opponent against Rolly Romero (a fighter that entered the bout as a 10-1 favorite). Up on all cards before the highly questionable stoppage, Barroso could be world champion today if there was a different referee involved in his contest.

On the other hand...he lost. So, none of those hypothetical ponderings really matter.

At his advanced age and having just suffered the fourth loss of his career, Barroso may have sense list last chance at world gold taken from him.

RANCES BARTHELEMY: B-
RESULT: DEF. OMAR JUAREZ, 10MD (WELTERWEIGHT)

Well, not every win is pretty. In fact, sometimes, the win is the only thing that matters.

When you're 37 years of age like Rances Barthelemy, you're just trying to keep busy until perhaps that one big shot you have left emerges. You're just trying to keep things moving in the right direction.

Was it a boring contest? Yes, that's safe to say. And, sure, some might have had you losing this close encounter. Still, the record books will show victory.

Nonetheless, not your greatest outing. And one has to surmise you will need to be better if you are to avenge the controversial loss at the hands of Gary Gary Antuanne Russell.

And for the record, there are too many Gary Russells in boxing. This has to stop.

JANIBEK ALIMKHANULY: A-
RESULT: DEF. STEVEN BUTLER, 2KO (MIDDLEWEIGHT)

In a lot of ways, this was the perfect fight for Janibek Alimkhanuly. It wasn't some groundbreaking result against a giant name, but it was someone with half a pulse that could make Janibek look like a star in the making.

He has looked like one recently -- but that was until a workmanlike performance against Denzel Bentley last time out. It's not that Janibek was awful in thst Bentley fight, he just didn't look like this.

Here, he looked dynamic, powerful. In a wide open division like Middleweight, Janibek looked like a man capable of potentially taking over. Long ways from that, but these sort of results are much more convincing.

A win equals a win, but equals doesn't mean the same. And this sort of victory does much more towards forcing other bigger names at 160 pounds to pay attention.

Janibek still has to prove he can do this against the best in the sport. Still, at the very least he's calling for the right fights.

JASON MOLONEY: B+
RESULT: DEF. VINCENT ASTROLABIO, 12MD (BANTAMWEIGHT)

It wasn't the most compelling fight in the world, but ask Jason Moloney if that bothers him in the slightest.

After two failed attempts at world gold, Moloney finally picked up a strap with a close win over Vincent Astrolabio on the Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Steven Butler undercard. Again, not the most crowd-pleasing fight, but that's not what Moloney needed on the night.

He needed to win.

Now, after a...let's call it a methodical performance, Moloney can worry about the bigger fights at 118 pounds and impressing. Sometimes, like for Janibek, you need to win in style. Other times, you just can't lose.

LINKS:

- SCHEDULE & ODDS

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