After the fight: Luis Nery and his unlikely boxing comeback

Luis Nery only has one loss, but the lone defeat looked like it could spawn more losses. Nery proved that’s not the case after his superb boxing against Castro. 

Former bantamweight and super bantamweight world champion Luis Nery only has a single loss, but many thought that his best days as a boxer might be over, this writer included. However, Nery quickly dissuaded that narrative after his Feb. 5 boxing lesson against Carlos Castro.

The questions surrounding Nery stem from more than just his May loss to Brandon Figueroa. Weight management issues, trainer changes, and a failed drug test have made Nery a lightning rod for criticism. His loss to Figueroa was the final straw for many.

In that fight, Nery was flatfooted and swinging for the fences. He fought Figueroa’s fight, which is why Figueroa stopped him in round 7 with a body shot. But what would have happened if Nery fought Figueroa like he fought Castro this past weekend?

Nery outclassed Castro via a split decision. Two of the judges that scored the fight closely or for Castro need to have their eyes checked. Nery owned this contest, which might have been the most impressive performance of his career.

Nery looked rejuvenated. He boxed rather than brawl which is not typical. He flashed quick hands and reflexes. Nery engaged when he wanted and exited without taking any damage. He employed an intelligent strategy and had the skills to back them up.

On defense, Nery looked worlds better than he did against Figueroa. He showed shoulder movement and moved well laterally when needed. Castro stood up straight like a statue and took Nery’s best punches while hiding behind a high guard.

Luis Nery demonstrated elite abilities as a boxer by overwhelming Carlos Castro for the split-decision victory

Nery, on the other hand, was elusive. He made Castro miss and countered when needed. He also mixed in attacks when he had Castro hurt. Nery looked sharp and more refined than he did in his past bouts.

Nery’s boxing career was trending down. He appeared to have several mental blocks inhibiting his boxing talent, but he did something to surpass them. Before the fight, Nery credited added preparation time as beneficial, but he mentally put things together.

At 27 years old, some might think it’s crazy that Nery’s career could have stalled out, but it has happened to other fighters.

Adrien Broner was a three-division world champion by the age of 24 but was embarrassed by Marcos Maidana in their 2013 matchup. Broner lost by unanimous decision and was knocked down twice.

After that, Broner won three fights in a row but never looked the same as he did before the Maidana fight. Yes, Broner’s behavior is erratic, but Maidana broke his confidence, and he never seemed to recover it.

Fortunately for Nery, he went more of the way of Manny Pacquiao than Broner. Juan Manuel Marquez brutally knocked out Pacquaio in 2012. It was his second loss in a row, and Pacquiao looked like he was finished as a boxer. Even after being knocked out cold, Pacquiao’s warrior spirit wasn’t dissuaded, and he went on to fight for nine more years, going 8-3.

Nery is much younger today than Pacquiao was when he lost to Marquez, but his rebound from the Figueroa loss is still remarkable. He showed added dimension as a boxer and nuance in terms of strategy. Nery deserves a ton of credit and proved that he’s a special boxer who has plenty more left in the tank.