Ra’eese Aleem is a problem for any junior featherweight in the world today.
That was the emphatic message delivered in a lopsided decision victory over Mike Plania. Judges Rudy Barragan (100-89), Pat Russell (100-89) and Esther Lopez (100-89) scored all rounds in favor of Aleem in their televised FS1 bout Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena in The Angels.
The oft-avoided junior featherweight battle was due to meet on a June 18 Showtime card that was canceled once the main act, WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo, pulled out of the main event after suffer a back injury. The delay kept both boxers out of the ring for more than nine months before the opening bell, although they immediately made up for it last time as both enjoyed early success. Plania, a Filipino boxer based in Miami, was effective with his counter right hand, while Aleem controlled the pace with the force of his left hook and long rights.
Aleem gained an advantage in a close fight as he was credited with a knockdown early in the second round. The undefeated contender from Muskegon, Michigan, who lives and trains in Las Vegas, ran across the ring to land a right hand to Plania’s abdomen. Plania stumbled, touched the canvas with her glove, and went back to the ropes to break his fall. Referee Ray Corona made a judgment call, ruled a knockdown and put the Filipino in an early hole.
Plania never fully rediscovered her groove after the sequence. He was not without moments, although his best shots were lost when Aleem more than doubled Plania’s output. Aleem returned Plania’s head with a left hook in the third round, and he also scored with several straight rights.
Aleem went heavy with the left hook in the fourth round, hitting Plania to the body and then going back upstairs at the urging of his corner to throw more combinations. Plania took the shots well, but was wild and well off in response to him until late in the round, catching Aleem with a right and left hook just before the bell.
The fight became increasingly one-sided in Aleem’s favor as the rounds progressed. There was no abandonment on Plania, who always managed to be in position to land a counter right. He was always lost in a sea of crisp combinations from Aleem, who was equally effective on the move and in the pocket.
Aleem boxed confidently in the eighth round, having Plania follow him around the ring and then responding with lead left hooks. Plania never moved, realizing he needed to land a game-changing blow, but he was never able to pin Aleem down or stop the undefeated contender’s attack.
Far ahead on all three scorecards, Aleem got him going again in the final round. Plania was under attack, on the brink of being unable to defend himself any longer, as Aleem spent the last 30 seconds of the fight looking for a stoppage rather than settle for the shutout victory to come of the night.
Plania snaps an eleven-fight win streak as he drops to 26-2 (13KOs). His only loss came in a ten-round decision to former IBF bantamweight champion Juan Carlos Payano in March 2018, dropping the two-time Olympian but failing to complete the upset. His run before Sunday’s loss included a ten-round decision over once-promising prospect Joshua Greer Jr. in June 2020.
Aleem drops to 20-0 (12KOs) as he emerges as a junior featherweight contender to watch. Firmly in his sights is undefeated WBC/WBO champion Stephen Fulton, who is coming off a dominant victory over former champion Danny Roman on June 4 and remains without a confirmed fight date or opponent for his next title defense. .
“Where’s my title shot?” Aleem questioned out loud after his latest victory.
Aleem-Plania aired live on FS1, before a four-fight Fox Sports Pay-Per-View (also airing on Fite.tv and PPV.com). Headlining the show, former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz (34-2, 22KOs) takes on two-time title challenger Luis Ortiz (33-2, 28KOs) in a scheduled twelve-round WBC heavyweight semifinal eliminator. .
