Isaac Dogboe Warns All Champions of his Return at Featherweight!
At the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota, Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe (24-2, 15 KOs) scored a ten-round, split-decision win over Joet Gonzalez (25-3, 15 KOs) in what was a WBC featherweight title eliminator. It was a back-and-forth battle, but Dogboe dug deep in the late rounds to pull out a hard-earned victory. With the win, he won the WBO international featherweight title. During the post-fight interview, the 27-year-old was ecstatic.
BACK TO HIS OLD SELF?
“I wanna say a big thank you to Joet Gonzalez; he’s a true warrior. His team, they prepared him really well. I want to say thank you to the WBO organization, I’m proud to represent them once again, and the WBC also. Whoever the champions are, they should watch out. The Royal Storm, I am back baby!”
But to some fans and pundits, is Dogboe all the way “back”? He made a big splash when he stopped Jesse Magdaleno in eleven rounds to capture the WBO junior featherweight title in April 2018. In his first defense, he rolled through Hidenori Tanaka in the first round in August 2018. Both bouts took place on ESPN, and Dogboe was becoming a darling of the network and of Top Rank promotions.
Then came his second defense against little-known Emanuel Navarrete in December 2018. That night, Navarrete defeated and battered Dogboe for a decision to win the title. They fought again in May 2019. However, the result was the same. Dogboe was pummeled in a twelve-round TKO loss.
MAKING THE TRANSITION
Now fighting as a featherweight, Dogboe doesn’t appear to be the same fighter he was at junior featherweight. The firepower, zest, and willingness to initiate the action that was present against Magdaleno and Tanaka are now lacking. He’s more cautious, not so often in attack mode. Some of this is a byproduct of a change in trainers from his father, Paul, to the well-respected Barry Hunter.
But here’s the thing. A more calculated approach may have resulted in a loss of confidence. At numerous periods during the match with Gonzalez, you could hear Hunter implore his fighter to believe in himself and not let his mind play tricks on him. While gathering the win, their interaction was alarming.
So, while Dogboe may verbally say he’s back to his old self, the body language and recent performances tell a different story. To be fair, this could be the process of adjusting to the new teachings and techniques from Hunter. But there seem to be some mental barriers brought on by the fights against Navarrete that Dogboe has yet to overcome.
To capture another title, there needs to be a mixture of this new style and the aggression that made folks take note in 2018. At this point, it’s obvious he still has a ways to go. Whether he can reach the heights of becoming a world champion again is a serious question.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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