GRADES: SHAKUR STEVENSON, KENSHIRO TERAJI, MARLON TAPALES, JESSE RODRIGUEZ & MORE

By: Jay Calderon

Well, that was a...busy weekend of fights. However, more importantly, the fights were decent and a we had a few close calls and upsets.

Whether it was the domination shown by Shakur Stevenson or the courage shown by Jesse Rodriguez (or the upsets put forth by KO of the Weekend winner Brian Mendoza and newly-crowned titlist Marlon Tapales), this weekend had a bit of everything.

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

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JESSE RODRIGUEZ: A-

RESULT: DEF. CRISTIAN GONZALEZ, 12UD (FLYWEIGHT)

In some respects, Rodriguez proved the one thing you might hope young fighters don't have to prove: He's a tough, resilient kid.

Against a skilled fighter in Gonzalez, Rodriguez fought much of the contest with a broken jaw in order to become a two weight world titlist.

That said, this does point to the fact that Rodriguez can be hit. While the lower weight divisions aren't known for their punchers, you hate to see an up and coming star take too many blows so early in their career.

MARLON TAPALES: A+

RESULT: DEF. MURODJON AKHMADALIEV, 12SD (JR. FEATHERWEIGHT)

Marlon Tapales didn't fight the perfect fight from a technical standpoint. You could argue he faded a bit down the stretch and was certainly getting tagged far more than he would have preferred as the rounds progressed. That said, Tapales couldn't have been asked to perform all that much better.

As a decent sized underdog, Tapales stepped into the ring full of confidence, a game plan and he stuck to it. He was perfect with his timing, confused the usually in control Akhmadaliev, and earned the biggest win of his career. Now, in a long career full of ups and downs, Tapales has two titles at 122 pounds. Doesn't hurt that he handed a very skilled, hard-hitting fighter in Murodjon his first loss as a professional.

Hard to give him anything short of an A+.

MURODJON AKHMADALIEV: C

RESULT: LOSS TO MARLON TAPALES, 12SD (JR. FEATHERWEIGHT)

Perhaps it was the left hand injury -- and he certainly seemed uneasy about fully letting the left hand go early in the contest -- or maybe it was just Marlon Tapales. Either way, Akhmadaliev didn't seem like his normal self on the night.

He wasn't terrible. Murodjon was decent down the stretch, took a solid punch or two when he had to (unfortunately for him), and tried to make something happen when the fight was slipping away. In the end, Akhmadaliev started using those angles and throwing more shots and seemed to have an impact on Tapales late.

However, it was too little, too late. A very mid-level performance from the usually-dynamic Akhmadaliev.

SHAKUR STEVENSON: A

RESULT: DEF. SHUICHIRO YOSHINO, 6TKO (LIGHTWEIGHT)

I mean, what did we expect? Well, actually, we expected that Stevenson might box himself comfortably to a decision. However, we got quite a bit more than that.

No, Yoshino isn't a world-beater. However, Stevenson made sure he did what he is supposed against someone with half his skills. He picked him apart, beat him up and got him out of there inside the distance. Can't ask for more.

BRIAN MENDOZA: A-

RESULT: DEF. SEBASTIAN FUNDORA, 7KO (JR. MIDDLEWEIGHT)

In terms of just the result, you have to go A+ for Mendoza. As an 11-1 underdog, no one REALLY thought that Mendoza was going to pull off this upset, even if you weren't a giant believer in Fundora (see: me). However, we can't ignore the previous six frames.

Mendoza was clearly losing that fight and was having trouble with the relatively simple things Fundora was doing in there. Granted, the size difference might have helped that along, still, Mendoza wasn't perfect on the night.

Regardless, that left hand certainly was.

SEBASTIAN FUNDORA: D+

RESULT: LOSS TO BRIAN MENDOZA, 7KO (JR. MIDDLEWEIGHT)

To be completely honest, the grade feels a bit harsh. Outside of the moment the fight effectively ended, Sebastian Fundora was doing really well in the fight. He was imposing his will on the contest, and was probably leading by the widest of margins on almost anyone's card.

However, I'm harsh because what was giving him his best stretches of success ultimately drove him to his failure, if you will. Yes, he was imposing his will, but Fundora's will included him stepping inside and trading when he didn't need to do so. It also included ignoring his ability to box from range, or to concern himself with defense.

Ultimately, the traits that make Fundora so fun seem to be his biggest flaws as a fighter. That needs to be worked out if Sebastian is to last long near the top of the sport.

BRANDUN LEE: C-

RESULT: DEF. PEDRO CAMPA, 10UD (143 POUND CATCHWEIGHT)

This "win" for Brandun Lee is an interesting one.

He didn't show his highly-touted power. Lee was out-worked, out-landed and ultimately looked like he let too many rounds go by for him to pick up enough points. However, Lee ultimately won the contest by wide margins according to the judges.

So, no harm, no foul? Well, except, his reputation takes a bit of a hit. You also get the sense that a truly talented fighter at the top level with a good engine can have a good night in the office against Brandun.

He will need to fine tune some things if he's to have a shot mixing with the best fighters between 140-147 pounds.

KENSHIRO TERAJI: A-

RESULT: DEF. ANTHONY OLASCUAGA, 9TKO (JR. FLYWEIGHT)

Somewhat quietly, Kenshiro Teraji is becoming one of my favorite fighters. In a very short period of time, Teraji has rose to prominence, showed the resilience to get stopped and come back, and has become world champion at 108 pounds.

To be completely fair, defeated late replacement Anthony Olascuaga doesn't do much to add to the beginning of his legacy. However, the performance itself does show the level at which he is currently operating. He was measured, took his time, and kept the fight right in front of himself.

And when it was time to get out of first gear and finish things off, Teraji did just that. Now, let's hope he heads into that unification bout with Jonathan Gonzalez.

TAKUMA INOUE: B+

RESULT: LIBORIO SOLIS, 12UD (BANTAMWEIGHT)

Many expected Takuma Inoue could have found his level when he lost in a world title bid to Nordine Oubaali back in 2019 -- and perhaps he has to a certain extent. However, he hasn't let that stop him.

Instead, he's gotten better over the last handful of fights, pressed forward and cashed in on his next shot at world gold. It wasn't an easy night's work, but Inoue did enough to win and keep his progression as a pro heading in the right direction.

Not the biggest win in the world in terms of opponent, but was a damn big win for Inoue himself.

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