27.9.08

Round by Round: Mosley v. Mayorga

The main event of the night is Shane Mosley versus Ricardo Mayorga. Both fighters are veterans. Mosley is known as the better technical boxer. Mayorga is much more wild and throws wide, hard punches.

A topic of discussion has been Mayorga's weight gain since the weigh-in. Mayorga weighed in at 153 pounds and tonight he is 170. Mayorga has been fined in the past for using diuretics. Mayorga is 28-6, while Mosley is 44-5.

Round 1:
Mayorga starts the fight swinging and lands with a huge right hand. Mosley is sticking with the jab. Mosley now swings back with a very wide right hand of his own. So far Mayorga has been backing Shane up. Mayorga gets some good shots while in the clinch. Mosley gets in a big right hand followed by a left that stops Mayorga. Shane gets in many shots that were on Mayorga's back. Mayorga is going for a KO early and Mosley loses his balance. Mosley's foot movement doesn't look as good as it once was.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayorga
Uatu: 10-9 Mayorga

Round 2:
Mayorga comes forward to start off the round. Mosley leads with a jab and follows with a right. Mosley tells the ref to watch for for headbutts. Shane looks like he's looking to catch Mayorga after a wild punch but he's taking some punishment in the process. Mayorga is sticking to his classic overhand KO punch. Mayorga's style looks like it got has Shane in some trouble as he takes another big shot before the bell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayorga
Uatu: 10-9 Mayorga

Round 3:
Mosley is throwing the jab but not much after it. Mayorga is still throwing his haymakers, and Shane doesn't look like he can do much to get away from them. Mosley should be able to counter these wild shots but he's not doing much to get in that rhythm. Shane gets backed into the ropes and Mayorga swings away. Shane blocks most of it. I have to give that round to Mayorga as well.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayorga
Uatu: 10-9 Mayorga

Round 4:
Shane now gets in a good right after a good jab. Mayorga isn't throwing as much in the beginning of this round. Shane gets in a good shot while Mayorga comes forward. Mosley now starts catching Mayorga as he comes forward. Mayorga looks to be more hesitant now that he's getting tagged as he advances.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley

Round 5:
Mayorga gets in hard shot right at the break of a clinch in the beginning of the round. Mayorga dodges a hard right from Shane. Both fighters are clinching more now than in the first few rounds. Mayorga gets in a good left. Shane comes back with a left of his own followed by a right. Mayorga continues to move forward and tells Shane to stop running. Mayorga complains about getting punched in the back. Both fighters exchange flurries at the end of the round.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley

Round 6:
Mayorga continues to come forward. Mayorga waves in Shane and Shane comes right in with a big right hand. The crowd erupts. Mayorga looks bothered by the punch. Mayorga complains about a headbutt. The ref says fight on. Mayorga takes some huge bombs and keeps nodding at Mosley and Mosley comes back and lands some more. Mayorga continues to wave him in. Mosley is now scoring at will, landing huge bombs.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley

Round 7:
If Mosley has another round like that it will be over soon . Mayorga seems to know that if he doesn't get a knockout he's going to lose the fight. He's now throwing big, wild shots. Mosley looks more comfortable now. Mayorga is throwing less now and taking more punches. Mayorga gets in a good right hand. Mayorga is trying to turn this into a street fight. He's throwing a lot in the clinch and while the ref is breaking them up. Mayorga got some good shots through in the last minute.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayorga
Uatu: 10-9 Mayorga

Round 8:
Mayorga continues to throw punches while in the clinch, all body shots. Shane is coming forward more and getting tagged occasionally. There's a lot of clinching in this round. Mayorga gets in a good right hook while coming in. Not much happening in this round. Mayorga is throwing more and Shane isn't doing much.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayorga
Uatu: 10-9 Mayorga

Round 9:
Mayorga raises his hands as he comes out of his corner. Shane is now getting back to using his jab. The ref tells the fighters to watch their heads. The crowd chants Mosley but Mayorga raises his hands. Shane isnt throwing much after his jab. Shane lands a shot that was slightly below the belt. Mayorga is landing the better shots in this round. Mosley lands a good left hook now. Mayorga fires back with an uppercut. Mayorga doesn't look to be getting tired as many thought he would.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayorga
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley

Round 10:
Mosley throws about five jabs in a row but follows with nothing. Mayorga still throws his overhand right but Mosley is now starting to get out of the way of it. Mosley switches to southpaw. Mayorga gets in a right hand but Mosley shakes it off. Mosley lands another left, then a right. Mosley lands another shot that was slightly low. Mosley gets tripped up before the bell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley

Round 11:
The fight has almost become a wrestling match. There has been a lot of clinching and they have almost turned into tackling. Mosley lands a good solid right hook. Mayorga answers with one back. The two clinch and throw bombs while tied up. Mosley gets rocked by a right hand and Mayorga raises his hands. Mosley is doing a better job hitting Mayorga as he comes in.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley

Round 12:
Mayorga comes out swinging in the last round, really going for the KO. Mosley gets in a good left hook. Mayorga lands an overhand right. Mosley lands a solid combo upstairs. Mayorga shakes his head. Mosley is landing his hardest shots in this round for sure. Mayorga gets crushed by a combo in the last 30 seconds and Mayorga goes down. He makes it up before the 10 count but looks dazed. Mosley takes his time in the last five seconds of the fight and measures up a monstrous left hook. Mayorga falls, clearly knocked out, and the ref stops the fight.

The winner by KO at 2:59 of Round 12... Shane Mosley.

Shane says that Mayorga was tough, but he thought he could get him in the later rounds. He says that Mayorga took a little while to figure out but he got the knockout like he said he would. Shane says he doesn't know if he would fight Berto, saying Berto reminds him of himself when he was younger. He also says he will fight anyone his promoter will give him.

Round by Round: Berto v. Forbes

The first fight of tonight's HBO doubleheader is Andre Berto versus Steve Forbes. The rising star Berto is 25 years old and undefeated. Forbes is better known as a sparring partner and is coming off a loss against Oscar De La Hoya. Forbes says Oscar was the hardest puncher he ever faced and doesn't think Berto has the power to match Oscar. Commentator Emmanuel Steward doesn't think Berto will knock out Forbes but also doesn't think the champ will have much trouble with him.

Steve "Two Pounds" Forbes got his nickname because he was born prematurely with a birth weight of 2 pounds. He comes to the ring first. Berto, as the WBC welterweight champion, comes out second. He enters the ring to "Out Here Grindin'" by DJ Khaled. Forbes' record is 33-6. Berto is 22-0.

Round 1:
The two fighters meet in the center of the ring. Berto lands first and knocks Forbes back into the ropes. Forbes gets his composure and starts throwing the jab. Berto lands a great left counter. Forbes isn't throwing much other than his jab. Forbes lands a right hook after a jab, but Berto answers right back. Neither fighter lands much cleanly. Forbes lands some slick shots before the bell, probably winning him the round.

Spartan117: 10-9 Forbes
Uatu: 10-9 Berto

Round 2:
Forbes lands a good jab to start the round. Berto lands a jab and hook and pressures Forbes against the ropes. Forbes comes off the ropes but gets backed into them again, though Berto doesn't too much while he's there. Again neither fighter is landing much that is clean. Both fighters are now swinging wildly. Berto lands the best punch of the exchange but Forbes gets some shots in.

Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Uatu: 10-9 Forbes

Round 3:
Both fighters exchange jabs. Berto follows up with a overhand right. Forbes' hand speed might be surprising Berto. Forbes lands a good shot upstairs while he is against the ropes. Berto is the aggressor so far. Both fighters are swinging away in the last minute of the round. Berto is landing more in this frame. Berto continues to come forward, but Forbes is doing a good job of moving and dodging.

Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Uatu: 10-9 Berto

Round 4:
A cut has opened over the eye of Forbes. The ref says it's by an accidental headbutt; Berto says otherwise. Berto gets in a good left hook, but Forbes answers back with two shots upstairs. Forbes is blocking all of Berto's power punches, though Berto is getting in some lighter ones. Berto gets in a good combo at the end of the round.

Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Uatu: 10-9 Berto

Round 5:
Both fighters clinch after throwing some shots that didn't land. Berto throws an impressive flurry but most of it is blocked. Berto now lands a great combination; Forbes takes it well. Both fighters have been exchanging good shots while fighting out of the clinches. Berto knocks Forbes off balance, but Forbes comes back and lands a shot to the head of Berto.

Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Uatu: 10-9 Forbes

Round 6:
Berto gets in a good right hook and left uppercut. Forbes comes forward with a combo and then clinches. Bother fighters have been getting some shots blocked and a clinch usually follows. Berto is throwing vicious combos but almost all of the punches get blocked.

Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Uatu: 10-9 Berto

Round 7:
Berto comes out swinging again and lands some. Berto throws another combo. This time Forbes tries to swing with him and takes more punches. Berto now lands a great uppercut. Forbes isn't doing much in this round. Berto lands a huge combo but Forbes takes it well. Berto gets another combo in before the bell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Uatu: 10-9 Berto

Round 8:
Berto gets in a good counter punch after dodging a punch from Forbes. Berto now comes forward with his hands at his waste, looking more confident. Forbes' mouthpiece gets knocked out from a huge uppercut be Berto. The action gets stopped to reapply the mouthpiece. Berto comes back in with one of his trademark combos. Berto looks to be going for the knockout now.

Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Uatu: 10-9 Berto

Round 9:
Neither fighter does much in the first 30 seconds of the round. Forbes' punch output has slowed as the fight has progressed. Berto is going for his trademark right hook followed by a right uppercut. It has been landing a lot throughout the fight. Forbes gets in a good left jab. There has been less action in this round.

Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Uatu: 10-9 Berto

Round 10:
Berto is swinging harder now. Forbes hasn't done much to solve this problem. Forbes is backed into the ropes after taking a big combo. It looked like he was in trouble but Forbes looks good now. Forbes is clinching more but both fighters are fighting out of them well. Forbes is moving around the ring more but still taking a whole lot of punches.

Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Uatu: 10-9 Berto

Round 11:
Berto gets in and throws a fast combo. Forbes blocks it. Forbes now bounces on his toes in the center of the ring to show that he's not tired. Forbes gets in a good right hand that rocks the head of Berto. Berto still continues to come forward. Berto is showing less defense now while looking for the KO. Berto lets loose a monster shot right before the bell that shook Forbes.

Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Uatu: 10-9 Berto

Round 12:
Berto's corner tells him to go for the KO and he looks to be doing just that. Berto is coming in hard and throwing great combos. Forbes doesnt look like he cares much about winning this last round. Berto keeps throwing his combos and Forbes isn't throwing much back. Berto looks like he has this one in the bag.

Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Uatu: 10-9 Berto

Spartan 117 scores it 119-108 Berto. Uatu scores it 118-109 Berto. The judges score it 118-109, 118-109 and 116-111, all for the winner... and still WBC welterweight champion... Andre Berto.

Live Round By Round Updates Tonight: Mosley-Mayorga and Berto-Forbes

Two favorites of the BoxingWatchers take to the ring tonight on HBO. The main event is a battle of well-known fighters as "Sugar" Shane Mosley faces "El Matador" Ricardo Mayorga. Don't sleep on the co-feature either, as young undefeated champion Andre Berto steps in against crafty Steve Forbes.

If you can't get to a TV for the fights, don't sweat it. Join our own Spartan117 for live round by round updates and scores as the action unfolds.

Update: We always get questions about when the shows are going to start, so don't forget that it's a late start tonight: 10:30 pm Eastern and 7:30 pm Pacific time.

26.9.08

Predictions: Mosley-Mayorga, Berto-Forbes

The Franchise says...

Has it really been five years since Ricardo Mayorga stunned the boxing world with a knockout victory of Vernon Forrest? He's been living off that win, a narrow decision in the rematch and his cigarette-smoking, profanity-fueled antics for half a decade.

At least he was until earlier this year, when he showed some newfound self-restraint in earning a majority decision over Fernando Vargas. Impressive though that was, Mayorga's foe this weekend looked a lot more impressive in his own pair of wins over Vargas.

Shane Mosley is getting up there in years and no longer throws the ferocious combinations that once overwhelmed opponents at lighter weights. He still hits fast and hits hard though, and he's savvy enough to be a handful for any of the top contenders in his weight class even at his current age, as he proved by giving Miguel Cotto all he could handle last November.

That should be more than enough to get him past El Matador. Expect Mayorga to give the fight some entertainment value, but look for him to break down late as Sugar Shane scores a late-round KO.

In the co-feature, Andre Berto has outgrown the prospect label and comes into his fight with Steve Forbes as the WBC welterweight champion. He throws a deep repertoire of punches with accuracy and power, and he'd be in the most trouble if he faced a patient veteran who could make him pay dearly for any mistakes.

Forbes isn't that guy. Though he's above average in several areas, he's basically zero threat to leave Berto on his back if he gets an opening. Even if he had the power, he's lacking the killer instinct, showing what the announcers called a "sparring partner mentality" in his May loss to Oscar De La Hoya when he seemed pleased just to avoid getting knocked out.

Unless Forbes dazzles Berto with pure skills and exposes some defensive deficiency we haven't seen before, he doesn't look to have enough to beat the champ on the cards. And since he isn't likely to end up on either end of a KO, that only leaves us with the one option: Berto retains by unanimous decision.

Uatu says...
Uatu wanted to make sure that Mayorga made weight, which he did. Shane by late KO/TKO. Mayorga will throw his usual huge shots and will mix in his rough tactics. Eventually the more sound technique and lifestyle of Mosley will win the day.

Berto is younger, stronger and bigger. Forbes hasn't been knocked down before, but he may be a little too small to win. Berto will land big shots throughout and eventually either the ref or Floyd Sr. will stop the fight. Berto by late TKO, but Forbes doesn't stay down for a 10 count. Forbes can't do enough to keep Berto honest for the whole fight.


25.9.08

Round By Round: Paul Williams vs. Andy Kolle

The main event of the Fight Night on Versus card from San Jacinto, California pits Paul "The Punisher" Williams against Andy Kolle. The undercard was devoid of much drama, and though it doesn't appear that this fight is too dangerous for Williams, it is his first fight at middleweight.

Kolle is making a big step up in competition taking this fight, though he has been a middleweight for his whole career. The announcers say he hung with Andre Ward for a while before that fight was stopped for cuts. The tale of the tape shows them very close together in age and height, but Williams has a large reach advantage - as he often does.

Jimmy Lennon Jr. handles introductions for both men and everything is set for a scheduled ten rounds of boxing.

Round 1

Williams throws jabs to establish the range. Kolle gets popped with two left hands early on. He throws a few jabs back but Williams got his attention. Double jab by Williams, then a big combo that knocks Kolle underneath the bottom rope. Right hooks to the body and head did the damage and a left followed home for good measure.

The winner by KO at 1:37 of Round 1... Paul "The Punisher" Williams.

Williams tells Wally Matthews it was all about getting into his rhythm, because he feels unstoppable when that happens. He says his intention is to go back to 147 in November even though he's having trouble finding people to fight there. His trainer says Williams will eventually end up at 160 or even 168, and Paul jumps in and says at 160 he can eat a few more steaks.

Round By Round: Chris Arreola vs. Israel Garcia

It looks like there are good seats still available for Fight Night on Versus from San Jacinto, California. The announce team is billing it as a card featuring two of the most exciting young American fighters, and first up is heavyweight Chris Arreola facing Israel Garcia.

Arreola weighed in at 258 1/2, and Garcia is no small guy either at 246. Arreola also has a slight height advantage. Garcia is over a decade older, which could be good or bad for him. Jimmy Lennon Jr. handles the introductions and we're ready to go.

Round 1

Garcia looks cautious, and with good reason as Arreola pops him with a right. Arreola walks his foe back into the ropes, but he holds his own. Both men try jabs and Arreola just misses with a big right. Two shots to the body set up an uppercut by Arreola. More work along the ropes and another big uppercut lands for Arreola. He's leaning on Garcia and just waiting for his opening. One more big combo and Garcia shows a nice chin if nothing else.

Franchise: 10-9 Arreola
Spartan117: 10-9 Arreola

Round 2

Garcia trying to circle a bit more, which is smart. Arreola steps in against the ropes and they tie up. Arreola thumps with both hands in the center of the ring. He's doing a very nice job setting up the uppercut. Garcia with an uppercut of his own as they trade occasional shots at very close range. Nice combination by Arreola features two uppercuts. Left hook and uppercut but Garcia is still game in the closing seconds.

Franchise: 10-9 Arreola
Spartan117: 10-9 Arreola

Round 3

Vicious lefts to open the round but once again Garcia takes them well. He's coming forward a bit more, but that leads to his downfall. Arreola rains shots down with both hands, and even though Garcia doesn't go down, the ref calls it off. Garcia's corner is apparently unhappy, but he was getting caught with very clean punches and the stoppage was probably for the best. Replay shows two lefts landed in the center of the ring, then shots with both hands that dropped Garcia's hands and got the ref to jump in.

The winner by TKO at 1:11 of Round 3... Chris "The Nightmare" Arreola.

Arreola gives himself a B+ or C- for his performance, feeling that he could have ended it earlier and taken advantage of more openings. Asked about his weight, he still thinks he could have gone ten rounds if necessary. Arrola says he wants to fight a top-10 heavyweight the next time out, and promises to train harder and put down the Doritos for that one.

Live Round By Round Updates Tonight: Paul Williams and Chris Arreola

Admit it: you do not get Versus. Perhaps you aren't even sure what Versus is. Suffice it to say that if you like fighting, it's worth checking into getting it, because it's chock full of programming revolving around fighting, whether it's of the man vs. man (boxing, MMA, ice hockey) or the man vs. bull (Professional Bull Riding!) variety.

Two members of the BoxingWatchers do get Versus, so we'll be able to bring you live round by round updates tonight as Paul "The Punisher" Williams takes on Andy Kolle, as well as heavyweight Chris Arreola - and we do mean heavy - as he faces Israel Garcia. You know the drill: bookmark us here if you can't watch the fight and enjoy some of the fastest and fairest updates anywhere.

23.9.08

Anderson Silva Pondering Move to Boxing?

Anderson Silva, regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound Mixed Martial Arts fighters in the world, recently told a TV program in his native Brazil that he was ready to walk away from the octagon within the next year. Normally this would be of no concern to the BoxingWatchers, except for this - speculation that Silva is retiring from the UFC to try his hand at boxing.

It wouldn't be a complete shock if it happened, given that Silva had floated the idea of trying to set up a fight with Roy Jones Jr. before UFC president Dana White made it clear it wasn't happening. The timing is a bit strange, though, as the man known as The Spider is the current king of the UFC's 185-pound division and is just coming into his own as a marquee attraction.

Whether he'd be a world class boxer is sure to be a hotly debated question if he decides to make the leap. Silva has shown pinpoint accuracy with his MMA striking and there's little doubt he's got quick hands and excellent stamina.

Defense would be another story, as the timing and spacing differences between the two disciplines would affect him more there. Weight could be an issue too - he'd almost certainly be best as a light heavyweight, but that's ten pounds south of where he competes in the UFC. He actually owns a 1-1 record in officially sanctioned boxing matches, but they came seven years apart and aren't likely to tell us much about how he'd fare going forward.

With few of his recent opponents giving him too much of a fight, Silva could be thinking about trying boxing just to give himself a new challenge. You'd have to think, though, that the money-making potential wouldn't be an even more powerful incentive. MMA may be the current king of combat sports, but top boxers still make significantly more per fight than even the UFC's biggest names.

And make no mistake about it, Silva would be a draw. UFC fans who don't normally watch boxing would be curious, while boxing aficionados would want to see if he's worthy of the hype. Silva isn't much of a showman, which is more important to sell boxing matches than it is in his current profession, but matching him up with a strong personality like Jones would make for compelling television.

Yahoo! Sports blogger Maggie Hendricks takes it a step further by mentioning what Silva could do for the recently announced Affliction-Golden Boy alliance. It's way too early to seriously consider a specific move like that, but the boxing world doesn't see outstanding athletes with built-in fan bases enter the sport very often. If Silva actually hangs up his UFC gloves - and it's not like he couldn't go back later - here's hoping he decides to scratch his apparent itch for the sweet science.

20.9.08

Amir Khan vs. Breidis Prescott Video, Take Two

We've never pretended to be the most technologically advanced site here at BoxingWatchers.com. This is, after all, a text-only blog in the year 2008. Uatu gets a pass as he is busy wandering the cosmos to share his boxing knowledge, but the rest of us? No excuses.

In the interest of broadening our horizons, I decided to embed the video of Amir Khan's stunning KO loss for the two or three boxing fans out there who have yet to see it. Enjoy!

19.9.08

Vernon Forrest Deserves Credit

Here are some brief words about Vernon Forrest.

When Vernon beat Shane Mosley the first time, it cemented his place among the elite in all of boxing. Forrest became a perfect 35-0, and had just beaten the 38-0 Sugar Shane, who was atop many pound for pound lists at the time.

Then he did it again. Sure he would go on to get knocked out by Mayorga in the first fight, but Uatu scored the second fight for Vernon. Going into his first fight with Mora, in Uatu's estimation, Forrest had only lost one fight - the loss to Mayorga - which in retrospect ended up looking more like a blip on Vernon's career than any kind of indictment of his ability to take a punch.

The only reason that Forrest dropped off the pound for pound lists going into the first Mora fight was injury, not by being beaten. Vernon had to work his way back into title conversation by taking fights that were lower profile when he should have gotten his chance at the top sooner.

Sergio Mora did beat Forrest "fair and square," but now it appears much more likely that Forrest was being honest when he said he lost because he had an off night, not that Mora had some superb abilities.

It should be remembered that when Vernon is at the peak of his powers, he is one of the best boxers in the world regardless of weight. His technique and ability have always been better than Mora's and just about everyone else's.

Uatu should have realized this and called for a Vernon Forrest victory. Next time, Vernon will get the credit he deserves.

14.9.08

Report: Golden Boy, Affliction to Team for Boxing/MMA Cards

If you're a boxing fan who doesn't like mixed martial arts, you may not be thrilled with the news. Same goes if you like MMA but don't enjoy the sweet science (but then you're not likely to be reading this site either!). But Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction are betting there are enough fans who like both combat sports that putting them together will make sense - and dollars.

The AP reported Saturday that Oscar De La Hoya's company and the clothing manufacturer/fledgling MMA promoter will join forces to put boxing matches and MMA fights on the same shows. Initial plans call for at least four mixed cards in 2009.

Other outlets, including MMAWeekly.com, have also picked up the story. According to the AP, the deal also includes a merchandising element that will see Affliction shirts made featuring Golden Boy boxing matches and old Ring Magazine covers.

The amount of crossover between the two sports' audiences has been the subject of intense debate since the UFC helped MMA explode into the public consciousness earlier this decade. While the Golden Boy-Affliction alliance will help settle that question, a more pressing issue will be how the differences between two very different business models will be worked out.

With very little central organization and numerous promotional bodies, boxing succeeds or fails based on the individual athletes, with top stars earning disproportionately high shares of the purses. The UFC rose to prominence by putting the brand first and keeping a tight lease on fighter earnings, and even though Affliction is attempting a much more star-driven approach - especially in its dealings with heavyweight king Fedor Emelianenko, who is slated to appear in January on what could be the first dual-promoted show - it's still going to take some compromise to marry the two disciplines.

Natural speculation will also arise regarding whether or not the deal will allow Affliction a sort of back door avenue to get its MMA programming increased television exposure. MMA industry experts have almost unanimously expressed doubts about the promotion's long term viability without a way to reach more viewers, and Golden Boy's connections could help it find a home somewhere like HBO.

13.9.08

Round by Round: Casamayor v. J.M. Marquez

Tonight's main event is for the Ring Magazine lightweight championship of the world. Casamayor is the defending champion. Marquez is moving up a weight class for this title fight.

As the fighters enter the crowd shows that they are clearly there for Marquez. Marquez is 48-4, while Casamayor is 37 years old and has a record of 36-3.

Round 1:
Casamayor starts by coming forward first. JMM throws and lands a great right counter shot and staggers Casamayor. Casamayor lands a solid right set up by a jab. Both fighters look slightly hesitant to throw a punch, but once one lands they both start throwing bombs. Casamayor gets in a good left that snaps Marquez's head back. Casamayor looks like the aggressor in the first round. Casamayor lands another good left hand. The first round is close.

Spartan117: 10-9 Casamayor

Round 2:
The fighters come out again feeling each other out. JMM throws a punch and Casamayor counters. JMM starts coming forward now. Casamayor looks to have a slight edge in speed. Neither fighter is landing much in the second. Marquez lands a good uppercut and Casamayor lands a good left. The crowd is certainly into this fight as you can hear many screams and a lot of cheering.

Spartan117: 10-9 Marquez

Round 3:
Casamayor gets busier in the third and starts throwing some good combos. JMM blocks most of it but takes a right at the tail end. JMM answers with a great right and backs up Casamayor. Now Casamayor throws back and lands a good right hand that was set up by the jab. JMM lands a shot below the belt and the ref tells him to keep his punches up. It looked accidental. Casamayor now starts moving forward but both fighters are throwing a lot of flurries. Both are throwing more than they are landing.

Spartan117: 10-9 Casamayor

Round 4:
Marquez now starts more combos at the start of the fourth. Three of the four punches land. JMM is looking sharper in this round. He is now becoming the aggressor and landing a lot. Casamayor is still doing a good job countering and lands a left hook to back JMM off. Casamayor lands another great counter that JMM never saw coming. JMM starts coming in again and lands a lot but Casamayor gets in a great counter at the end. Casamayor uses good movement to get out of the way of some big shots. Tough round to score.

Spartan117: 10-9 Marquez

Round 5:
Casamayor starts the round by coming forward. He looks to set up combos with his jab but JMM starts a flurry to beat him to it. Casamayor lands another good counter punch. JMM gets in a solid right hand. JMM is told again to keep his punch up but the body shot looked legal to me. A cut has opened over the eye of Casamayor. It looks like it's starting to bother him. JMM gets a good combo to back Casamayor into the ropes. He fights out but only receives another hard combo. Casamayor clinches to end the round.

Spartan117: 10-9 Marquez

Round 6:
JMM gets in a great combo upstairs and Casamayor looked bothered. Casamayor isn't backing down and comes forward to land a combo of his own. The two clash heads and Marquez looks upset by it. The ref separates them and tells them to watch heads. Marquez is now gunning for Casamayor's eye with the cut. JMM gets in another good right and snaps Casamayor back. Blood from Casamayor's nose starts to pour. Casamayor is taking more punishment as the fight moves on.

Spartan117: 10-9 Marquez

Round 7:
Casamayor looks to be back on his game in the seventh. JMM comes right back and answers with a big combo upstairs. Casamayor lands a shot that is way below the belt. The ref tells Casamayor to keep his punches up. JMM is landing better shots in these middle rounds. Casamayor lands a straight right to show that he shouldn't be counted out yet. JMM goes to work on the body now and finishes with a cross to the head.

Spartan117: 10-9 Marquez

Round 8:
JMM looks to be getting more comfortable in every round. Casamayor comes out swinging at the start of the rounds but fades towards the end. Casamayor gets in a good left hand to the head of JMM. Casamayor looks to be getting back to counter-punching and lands two great shots that knock Marquez off balance. He now lands another great straight right. Casamayor is doing a better job in this round, landing some great counter shots.

Spartan117: 10-9 Casamayor

Round 9:
JMM wants to get back to landing combos and throws some flurries. Casamayor is back to counterpunching which worked well in the earlier rounds. JMM lands a good right hook that knocks back Casamayor. Casamayor gets in a great left counter that has been landing all night. Casamayor lands another left counter. Casamayor now doing a better job dodging JMM's flurries.

Spartan117: 10-9 Casamayor

Round 10:
More of the same happens at the start of the 10th: Marquez tries to go with the flurry and Casamayor lands a great counter left. Now both fighters throw big shots on the inside; not much lands. Both fighters trade swift right hands. JMM lands a huge right and Casamayor drops his gloves to taunt. It was the biggest shot of the night for him. JMM hits Casamayor while his hands are down. JMM is now landing at a much higher percentage. Casamayor keeps shaking his head after every shot but it is clearly bothering him.

Spartan117: 10-9 Marquez

Round 11:
Both fighters stay active as we get to the later rounds. Neither seems to be letting up at all. JMM gets in a good right hand that lands flush. Casamayor clinches. Casamayor now lands another stiff counter left. JMM gets in a great punch to the body. JMM lands another good right followed by a left. JMM lands a huge right hand and Casamayor goes down. Casamayor looks seriously hurt. Casamayor gets up and swings wildly but JMM pressures him and lands huge shots that are too much for Casamayor. Casamayor falls in a heap and the ref stops the fight.

The winner by TKO at 2:55 of Round 11... and new Ring Magazine lightweight champion... Juan Manuel Marquez.

Marquez says that he came well prepared and he wanted to put on a fight for the Mexican fans. He is asked if he thinks he sent a message to Pacquiao. Marquez responds that Pacquiao is a great fighter, but he will fight anyone who his promoter sets him up with. He then says that Casamayor was the best lightweight, but now he feels he is the best fighter in the world.

Round by Round: Mora v. Forrest II

Tonight's first of two main events is a rematch between Sergio Mora and Vernon Forrest. As the challenger, Forrest enters first. He's 5-3 in title fights and the commentators are asking what he has left. They also comment on his age.

Mora now enters. The crowd sounds like they are leaning towards Mora.


Forrest is 40-3 and Mora is 21-0. His record shows that Mora won the first time these two fighters met.


Round 1:

Both fighters start off hesitant to throw a punch. Forrest throws first and Mora dodges and clinches. Both fighters are feeling each other out early on. Mora lands a jab to the head and a hook to the body. Forrest now lands a good left counter punch. The ref tells Mora to keep his punches up but no formal warning. Mora showing good upper body movement. Tough round to score since not much happened.


Spartan117: 10-9 Mora


Round 2:

Mora starts off the action in round 2. Forrest lands a stiff jab and knocks Mora off balance. Forrest lands a fast combination to the head. Both fighters are doing a good job getting the jab going to set up combos. The crowd starts to chant for Mora. There is a lot of clinching from both fighters but they are viciously fighting out of them.


Spartan117: 10-9 Mora


Round 3:

Mora starts off the round throwing fast combos. There's a clash of heads and Forrest backpedals holding his head, taking some punishment in the process. The ref apparently didn't see it. Forrest lands a great left hook and takes off the pressure from Mora. Forrest looks to be loading up his power right. The two slug it out at the end of the round.


Spartan117: 10-9 Forrest


Round 4:

Some swelling is starting to form above the left eye of Mora. Mora means business in the fourth, throwing power shots upstairs but mostly to the body. The fighters are separated and told to watch their heads. Both Forrest and Mora are keeping their hands a little low and good punches are landing from both fighters. Forrest lands a great straight right and Mora drops his hands to taunt Forrest. Forest is landing more as the fight continues and is landing good counter punches.

Spartan117: 10-9 Forrest


Round 5:

Now the fighters' roles are slightly reversed as Forrest is more the aggressor. Forrest is the busier fighter and landing at a higher percentage. Mora is holding Forrest's arm in clinches and hitting him in the process. He should be warned but it goes unnoticed by the ref. Now Forrest gets warned for holding and hitting. Forrest comes back and lands the best punch in the fight, a huge right cross that backs off Mora. A cut forms over the left eye of Mora. Forrest lands a ridiculous combo in the last 10 seconds of the round. It looked like Mora could go down but he makes it out of the round.


Spartan117: 10-9 Forrest


Round 6:

We are told that Mora's cut was opened by a punch and not by a headbutt. Forrest is doing a lot of damage and does have the power to knock Mora out. Mora continues to land more punches in the clinches. Forrest backs Mora against the ropes and unleashes the punches. Mora is landing good jabs but not a whole lot else. Forrest lands another serious right hand set up by a jab that bothers Mora. Forrest gets back in and lands another hard combo. Mora looks like he's in trouble. Mora clinches to hold on. Mora continues to throw but Forrest is doing a good job stopping the punches and coming back to land great combos.


Spartan117: 10-9 Forrest


Round 7:

Forrest's face looks like it's bruising, but he is clearly winning the rounds. Forrest isn't letting up in the seventh and comes in throwing his straight right that's set up by a jab. Mora hasn't stopping throwing either and keeps throwing his jab. Mora is breathing out of his mouth now, which can make Forrest's punches hurt even more. Forrest backs Mora against the ropes again, landing a great combo set up by the jab. Forrest lands a huge right hand right before the bell that buckles the knees of Mora and the ref calls it a knockdown. Mora says he didn't go down but it looked like he did.


Spartan117: 10-8 Forrest


Round 8:

Mora looked discouraged between rounds. Forrest smells blood at the start of the round and looks to be going for the knockout, but he's also keeping his composure and sticking to his technique. Forrest's confidence is growing. Mora gets backed into the ropes again and the trend of him taking punches while in that position continues. Mora clinches to hold on. Forrest gets more comfortable in the ring and starts bouncing on his toes towards the end of the round.


Spartan117: 10-9 Forrest


Round 9:

Mora looks slightly energized and comes out using good movement around the ring. Not much punching action from either fighter in the first minute. Mora is landing some good jabs but not following up with anything. Mora lands a very hard right hand and backs up Forrest. It looks like the hardest shot of the fight. Forrest stays up and continues to throw power shots. Forrest lands a great uppercut and backs up Mora. Mora is now back in the same position he was before landing his power shot. Mora takes a big combo in the last ten seconds and leans on the ropes to stay on his feet.


Spartan117: 10-9 Forrest


Round 10:

Mora seems to have a greater sense of urgency and comes out firing early in the round. Forrest stays on his game and lands some counter punches. Despite winning the rounds and landing more punches, Forrest's defense stays together. The crowd tries to energize Mora and it looks like it momentarily works. Mora throws some shots in the clinches that look dangerously low. Mora gets backed against the ropes again and gets punched in the process.


Spartan117: 10-9 Forrest


Round 11:

Mora comes out and lands some big right hands. Forrest gets himself together and gets back in the action. Forrest gets Mora in the ropes again and lands another solid combo. Mora lands a great right hand to get out that backed off Forrest. Forrest is still coming forward but both fighters look a little tired in this round.


Spartan117: 10-9 Forrest


Round 12:

In the final round Mora looks like he realizes that he's down on the points and needs to go for the knockout. He's really loading up his right hand. Both fighters are trading huge power shots at close quarters. Mora is getting sloppy and is taking more of the harder shots. Mora continues to fire back with power shots. Mora comes into a big left by Forrest. It looked like Mora was going to go down but he manages to stay up. Forrest lands another big combo that looks like a summation of the fight before the bell rings.


Spartan117: 10-9 Forrest


Spartan117 scores it 118-109 Forrest. The judges score it 118-109, 117-110 and 119-108, all for the winner... and new WBC light middleweight champion... Vernon "The Viper" Forrest.

Forrest says that anybody can have a bad night and that's what he had during his last fight. He says his jab set up everything. "It was boxing 101," Forrest said. He also adds that this fight was "the difference between a contender and a champion," jabbing Mora for coming up on the reality show "The Contender."

Round By Round: Bradley vs. Cherry

They may not have expected to be the main event tonight on Showtime, but 25 year-old WBC light welterweight champion Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley and veteran Edner Cherry find themselves in the spotlight thanks to the cancellation of the Nate Campbell-Joan Guzman bout. It's a big opportunity for Cherry, who apparently still delivers furniture to help pay the bills.

Bradley went to England to face Junior Witter on his home turf and knocked him down en route to pulling off a big upset win. The Showtime announce team says he'll have to guard against complacency now that he's the champ.

The introductions are made and we're ready to get down to business.

Round 1

Cherry off quick with the jab. Bradley ducks his way in and works to the body. Wild swing by Cherry that was a partial connection. Bradley looks faster in early exchanges and they tie up several times. Left hook by Cherry starts off a wild exchange. Jabs flying both ways. Nice left hook upstairs by Bradley. No lack of action right now. Bradley flicking jabs again. Good opening with both men getting some things done.

Franchise: 10-9 Bradley

Round 2

Quick exchange in close and Cherry almost got caught off balance. He swings wildly and misses as they go back to jabbing. Bradley lands a pair of right hands behind jabs. Cherry lands a left hook upstairs as he comes forward. He's backed up but stands his ground and ties up. Right hand by Bradley in the center of the ring. Glancing blows land both ways as Cherry comes forward. Not much of consequence lands in the final 20 seconds.

Franchise: 10-9 Bradley

Round 3

Lots of wrestling to start off this frame. Bradley whacks Cherry with a left coming in. A war of jabs breaks out again. Ugly holding in close as this referee seems content to let them do just that. Quick right upstairs by Bradley before they clash heads. Big misses by Cherry as Bradley slips away. Another right up high and some body work by the champ. Cherry trying his best to cut off the ring but not having much success thus far. Finally a combo lands from Cherry that got Bradley's attention.

Franchise: 10-9 Bradley

Round 4

Replays showed the two fighters butting heads several times last round. Cherry comes out swinging with double left hooks. Both men work the body in close. Clubbing right by Bradley as Cherry scores with his left. Big left hook dazes Bradley for a second. The champ took it well but he's backpedaling now. Nice right by Bradley to counter Cherry's left. More grappling as both fighters look to set up right hands.

Franchise: 10-9 Cherry

Round 5

Cherry definitely swinging for the fences but Bradley responding with quick punches from both hands. Now it settles back into an exchange of jabs. Right to the body and both men land upstairs. Cherry hasn't faltered from coming forward. Bradley working the jab repeatedly and the announcers think Cherry has let the momentum slip away. The champ nearly has his foe lined up for a big shot before the bell but just misses.

Franchise: 10-9 Bradley

Round 6

Cherry's corner implores him to go back to jabbing his way in. He's trying to comply but Bradley is quicker to the draw. Bradley misses with a big right but scores with a left, then works the body. Cherry doesn't seem to have an answer for Bradley's speed right now. He does slip in a left hook before they tie up. The ref calls a short halt for a low blow by Bradley. Lefts to the body and head crash home for Bradley; Cherry responds with a straight right.

Franchise: 10-9 Bradley

Round 7

Cherry starts quickly with a good right but Bradley comes right back to the body. The champ goes back to his jab while backing away slightly. Cherry retreats as Bradley is obviously loading up the right hand. The challenger lands a right that is answered by a flurry coming back. Nice left by Bradley and he dances away. The announcers note Bradley's skill at slipping punches. Both men try to flurry at the bell but nothing serious lands.

Franchise: 10-9 Bradley

Round 8

Cherry's trainer unleashes a string of profanities to try to light a fire under him. He also tells his fighter he's way down on points. Right hand scores for Cherry; Bradley still throwing a lot back. Cherry lands a big right and he tries to capitalize. Bradley stands his ground and throws body shots. Bradley connects with a big right and Cherry is down. He answers the count and has a minute left to survive. The champ tries to finish his opponent and Cherry lands a right hand. He escapes this round and shows why he's never been stopped.

Franchise: 10-8 Bradley

Round 9

Bradley strikes quickly with another right hand. He's stalking and feinting looking for another bomb. Right to the body by Bradley. Nice left by Cherry and they tie up. Bradley dodges along the ropes and Cherry almost falls through them. Cherry is really cautious and staying well back. Quick combo right as the round ends by the champ, who took it a little easier this time.

Franchise: 10-9 Bradley

Round 10

Quick hands on display again by Bradley. He works the jab and still looks plenty light on his feet. Bradley just misses with a big right. Cherry is very tentative and looks content to try to avoid the KO while searching for a chance to steal it with a big shot. Jabs set up rights to the head and body by Bradley. Another huge right only partially connects for the champ at the end of the round.

Franchise: 10-9 Bradley

Round 11

Right hand to the head by Bradley and he avoids any return fire. Cherry goes down but it's correctly ruled a push. Another swing and a miss by Cherry, who has to be frustrated. Counter right scores for Bradley followed by a sweet body combo. Cherry punches on the break and the fans boo. Right hand by Cherry staggers Bradley but he doesn't have space to take advantage. That could set up an interesting finale.

Franchise: 10-9 Cherry

Round 12

Cherry scores with a right as he tries to pull it out in the final round. Bradley wisely clinching whenever he gets a chance. Neither man can get off effectively as they wrestle inside. Short right hook by Cherry but not much was on it. Left hand by Cherry coming forward and both men look tired. Bradley slips down and there are 30 seconds to go. Very fast flurries to the body and one final shot upstairs by the champ to possibly steal an ugly final round.

Franchise: 10-9 Bradley

Franchise scores it 118-109 for Bradley. The judges score it 117-110, 118-109 and 119-109, all for the winner... and still WBC light welterweight champion... Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley.

Cherry is gracious in defeat, giving Bradley a lot of credit. He says Bradley was slick, making it hard to follow up when he landed his big shot. He also says he wasn't hurt when he got knocked down.

For his part, Bradley thanks his corner for good advice, especially for telling him to establish the jab. He watches the replay of the big right hand in the eighth round, calling it his "James Toney right hand." The champ also admits to getting careless in the eleventh round, though he says he wasn't hurt. Bradley says he may have to face Devon Alexander next but doesn't care who he faces, and that he thought he put on a great show when unexpectedly given the chance to fight in the main event.

Don King gets a second to say he doesn't think Joan Guzman should have pulled out of his fight.

Casamayor-Marquez/Mora-Forrest Undercard LiveBlog

Before tonight's double main event there are 2 undercard matches.  The first is a suppermiddleweight fight between Danny Perez who's notible losses are two fights against Margarito, and Julio Garcia.  Apparently they didn't know about this fight until last Friday.  Perez is 31 years old and has a record of 32-5.  Garcia is 21 years old with a staggering record for his age of 41-3.

These two start the fight going for a knockout.  Neither fighter looks conditioned to go the distance so if there's no knockout this fight will probably end up slowing down getting sloppy.  Perez looks like the better technical boxer and also slightly better conditioned.  Garcia looks like he burned himself out in the first round not doing much in the second.  

Garcia looks well rested as he ups his punching output as the fight progresses.  There have been a lot of accidental head clashing happening throughout the fight.  In round 4 the action had to stop because both fighters were bothered by an accidental headbutt.  

Garcia has a horrible punch connection ration of 10-61.  He looks to be going for the knockout.  Perez is clearly convincingly winning the rounds on points.  Garcia is landing a lot more power shots as this fight moves forward.  but Lopez keeps shaking his head after every shot lands.  Note that the fans and commentators are not very into this lackluster fight.  The audience, which is only at half capacity, started booing in the 9th.

Down the stretch in the 10th round there was a sense of urgency from both fighters.  Perez is landing most of the heavy bombs.  Perez should have this fight in the bag.
Judge 1: 100-90
Judge 2: 99-91
Judge 3: 97-93
Perez wins a unanimous decision.
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Between undercard fights, the event's MC, Mario Lopez, has an interview Pauli Malignaggi.  Pauli talks about his press conference announcing his upcoming bout with Ricky Hatton.  He says, of course, that he's ready but talks mostly about his new haircut and how his old haircut get in his eyes during his last fight.  Mario Lopez states that Malignaggi is quite articulate and was regaling him with some great stories.
______________________________________

The second undercard is a junior welterweight fight between Roberto Arrieta who is 30-13 and Victor Ortiz who is 21-1.  Arrieta was heavily booed when announced so there must be a lot of Ortiz fans in the crowd.  

Ortiz is heavily favored but Arrieta looks like he came to fight in the beginning of the bout.  Arrieta is putting on more pressure but Ortiz is doing a good job counter punching.  Ortiz comes out in the second round and drops Arrieta with a lightning fast straight.  Arrieta easily makes it up before the 10 count and now both fighters are throwing serious leather.  Ortiz has very good defense and is doing a great job getting out of the way of Arrieta's fists.  

Ortiz is totally outboxing Arrieta in this fight.  His punches are faster and are landing at a much higher percentage.  Ortiz drops Arrieta in the 4th by a vicious straight.  Now there is a huge cut over the eye of Arrieta.  Ortiz is pouring on the punishment and looks to the ref to see if he's interested in stopping the fight.  Ortiz continues to bash Arrieta in the 5th round and knocks him down again halfway through.  Arrieta gets up but the ref stops the fight.

Ortiz wins by TKO in the 5th
_____________________________

Mario Lopez now interviews Ricky Hatton.  He of course talks about his fight with Malignaggi.  He says his training with Floyd Mayweather Sr.  is going very well and that Mayweather Sr. is busy but he's doing a great job training him.  He says he's ready for his fight and he can't wait.

Campbell-Guzman Fight is Off

I was looking forward to doing round by round for the lightweight clash between Nate Campbell and Joan Guzman, but at the top of the Showtime telecast, it was announced that due to trouble making weight and "health issues" for Guzman, the fight has been canceled.

That leaves the Timothy Bradley-Edner Cherry fight as the centerpiece of tonight's show-not the best of circumstances for Showtime. We've been promised more details in the broadcast.

UPDATE:Guzman never made weight and did not return to the scale two hours after the initial weigh-in for a second attempt. He said through his translator last night that he's not sure how it happened-perhaps due to a supplement. Asked if it would be safe for him to fight, Guzman said he'd try to do it.

The Showtime crew repeats reports that Guzman came into camp over 30 pounds overweight, and it was decided that it wasn't safe for him to fight.

Campbell says he would have fought him overweight and he's very disappointed. He has an IBF mandatory, but he feels like he'll go back to the drawing board and doesn't care who he fights. Nate also says he doesn't have his check and he's sure that will be the next fight. He closes by saying he has nothing to say to Guzman, just that he fulfilled his end of the bargain and everyone can see what happened.

Live Round By Round Updates Tonight: Casamayor-Marquez, Mora-Forrest and Campbell-Guzman

With plenty of boxing on the air tonight, Spartan117 and I are pulling double duty to do live round by round updates. He'll handle the pay-per-view card that no one really wants to pay for, featuring Joel Casamayor and Juan Manuel Marquez battling for The Ring lightweight championship and Sergio Mora in a rematch with Vernon Forrest.

I'll be watching Nate Campbell and Joan Guzman attempt to untangle the other big part of the lightweight picture on Showtime. As always, if you aren't able to watch the fights on TV, bookmark BoxingWatchers.com to get fast, live updates as the action goes down.

12.9.08

Predictions: Campbell-Guzman, Casamayor-Marquez, Mora-Forrest

The Franchise says...

It's a little bit of everything on the boxing schedule this Saturday with a championship bout on Showtime and a pay-per-view card - at least in the sense that viewers are being paid to watch - that kind of, sort of has two championships at stake.

In Mississippi, Nate Campbell defends his three lightweight titles against undefeated Joan Guzman, who follows in the footsteps of Manny Pacquiao by making the jump from 130 to 135. Campbell shouldn't be lacking for motivation after he won his belts in impressive fashion against Juan Diaz, who was also undefeated at the time. He's also miffed about:

1) The Ring magazine choosing to recognize the Joel Casamayor-Juan Manuel Marquez winner as the lightweight champ.
2) Getting mocked by Guzman and his people for supposedly ducking him - even though Guzman had yet to fight at lightweight - and even making fun of his recent wedding photos.

Guzman has a slick arsenal on offense and defense and comes into the bout off of two easy decision wins. He's not known for his power and Campbell proved in the Diaz fight he can take shots from anyone not named Robbie Peden, but it's possible Guzman may be able to consistently beat him to the punch.

Still, Campbell also showed adaptability during his fight with Diaz, a trait sometimes lacking in even top-notch fighters. The Galaxxy Warrior was able to get the better of the Baby Bull while standing and trading in the early rounds, then box judiciously in the second half of the fight. He's got the edge in experience and should have more power when he tracks Guzman down.

It's hard to pick against a talented undefeated fighter like Guzman, but my gut tells me Campbell will find a way to win. I'm taking Campbell to retain by decision.

As for that Casamayor-Marquez fight, it's going down at almost the same time in Las Vegas. While the card isn't too bad, the most intriguing angle may be seeing how many people actually shell out money to watch it. They're championship fighters, yes, but PPV draws? I think not.

Casamayor is especially lucky to be in this position. He deserves props for coming off the canvas to knock out Aussie slugger Michael Katsidis last time out, but many observers thought he was the beneficiary of a gift decision over Jose Armando Santa Cruz the fight before that. It's hard to count the veteran lefty out against anyone, but his record against top flight competition over the last five years or so is only about .500.

A frustrated Marquez makes his move to lightweight after his March loss to Pacquiao made him winless in two fights against Pacman, both of which were so close that he could legitimately feel he won them. He's got the edge in pure skill, so his biggest problems will be if the step up to 135 robs him of his pop or if those grueling rounds with Manny exacted a toll. Despite being Casamayor's junior by two years, he actually has a lot more miles on the odometer.

I'm not sure how many people will be watching, but this one could be interesting. The feeling here is that while you aren't exactly sure what you're going to get from Casamayor, you know JMM is going to be sharp. Joel will hang tough, but I like Marquez by late-round KO.

The co-feature in Vegas is a rematch between Sergio Mora and Vernon Forrest of a June fight that ended in a semi-surprising victory for the Latin Snake. Forrest had a hard time cornering the younger, quicker Mora for one of his trademark right hands that night, finally running into someone whose style was even trickier than his own.

Will The Viper have enough left in the tank to chase Mora around this time? He says yes, of course, but I'm not as confident. In the second battle of the snakes, I'm picking Mora to win on the scorecards again, possibly by a more comfortable margin.

Uatu says...

According to fightnews Guzman came in overweight. Much has been made of him blowing up in-between fights. He also has not fought since last November. He will not be able to knock Nate Campbell out, he will not be able to knock him down and he will not be able to hurt him. Chances are he will fight like Floyd Mayweather did in his second fight against Jose Luis Castillo. But his conditioning isn't on the same level as Floyd's, and he is not as talented as Floyd. Campbell presses the action effectively to win by decision.

Perhaps JMM has bitten off more than he can chew. Casamayor has fought much much larger opposition physically speaking. Casamayor by decision.

In a rematch of a close decision between a younger and older fighter, the move is to go with the younger guy, as he will win even more decisively. Mora by decision.

10.9.08

De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao gets a name

There is a report by Dennis Principe on fightnews.com that Bob Arum had been on Sports Chat show over dzSR Sports Radio 918kHz and Arum had indicated that "The Dream Match" is the title of the fight between De La Hoya and Pacquiao.

Lame.

Fight naming is one of the favorite topics in all of boxing to the BoxingWatchers.
Something better must be possible.

9.9.08

Franchise Thoughts: 10 Fights I'd Like to See

Thinking about the convoluted roads that led to the De La Hoya-Pacquiao and Pavlik-Hopkins fights got me thinking about how much easier life as a boxing fan would be if there was just one all-powerful being in charge of matchmaking. Say, me, for instance.

While I'm not going to hold my breath for that to happen, it doesn't mean a boy can't dream. So I thought to myself, "Self, if you had ultimate power over boxing, meaning money and politics were out of the way, who would you most like to see fight?"

To make it a little more interesting, I limited myself to first-time meeting - no sequels. I mean, no one would mind seeing Marquez-Vazquez IV, but it's not really exercising your brain to come up with that one. Also, even though jumping up or down multiple weight classes is all the rage right now, I'm a firm believer that there are plenty of good fights to be made at most weight without resorting to that nonsense, so I imposed a limit of one class up or down when matching fighters.

Since this is my list, I naturally picked fighters who I enjoy watching. But I did throw a couple in I don't care for if I thought they could be paired with someone to make an especially compelling storyline or style matchup.

In no particular order, here are 10 fights I'd like to see. With any luck, at least some of them will actually get made.

Antonio Margarito vs. Floyd Mayweather

I wouldn't consider myself a Floyd hater, but I'm also not his biggest fan. His immense skill can't be questioned, but the quality of his opposition is just suspect enough that I'll always wonder if he was as good as it seemed he was. I expect him to come out of retirement, but not to take this fight - which is the only one I'm really interested to see him take. If he would beat the Tijuana Tornado, I'd consider all questions answered, because Margarito would test him.

Kelly Pavlik vs. Arthur Abraham

History has shown that it's wise to be at least a little skeptical when it comes to boxers who rack up impressive records fighting only in Europe. Abraham falls into that category, but he does have some wins on his resume (Kingsley Ikeke and Howard Eastman, for instance) that are legit, and he definitely proved something by putting a beating on Edison Miranda this summer. He deserves a shot at Pavlik, and only the fact that he's not that well known in the U.S. - and thus wouldn't sell too well - is keeping it from happening.

Chad Dawson vs. Tavoris Cloud

Though separated by only a year, Dawson has been in with much tougher competition so far, and Cloud may not be ready for this just yet. But Bad Chad is in a division with primarily older contenders, and eventually he'll need new challenges. Dawson has a well-rounded set of skills, and Cloud is a beast who is looking for the knockout every time out. This would be a fun fight for fans.

Paul Williams vs. Andre Berto

Here are two more young lions who would almost guarantee fireworks if they faced off. Williams is a punch-throwing machine, and his first-round KO of Carlos Quintana showed that he's not as slappy as some have suggested. Berto is a certifiable badass who is ready to step up and face tougher foes.

Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye

You know Haye actually has this in mind as his actual goal. He could be the shot in the arm the heavyweight division needs, but he's yet to prove himself against the big boys. Meanwhile, Wlad's recent fights haven't exactly been scintillating, but perhaps he just needs the right challenge to find the champion's heart inside him. Or maybe I'm just a hopeless optimist.

Chris John vs. Israel Vazquez

It's a running joke on this site that I have never seen John fight. There's a good reason for that, as I don't get too many boxing feeds from Indonesia. My gut tells me he can't possibly be a total stiff, as he does have wins over Derrick Gainer and Juan Manuel Marquez, though the latter is rumored to be due at least partly to some home cooking. In any case, if The Dragon ever wanted to test himself on this side of the world, may I suggest Vazquez? With his power, offensive skill and heart, he'd make sure we all know exactly what John is made of.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Nate Campbell

Manny is an easy choice as my favorite fighter since I'm Filipino on my mom's side. Oh yeah, it doesn't hurt that he's the best boxer active in the sport right now. Campbell put on a tremendous performance when he beat Juan Diaz that really opened my eyes. He's also a great success story overdue for a nice payday, which he'd get if he fought Pacman.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Edwin Valero

This was actually discussed as a possibility before Pacman moved up to much bigger and financially better things by signing to face Oscar De La Hoya. From a purist's standpoint, this bout would be a lot more aesthetically pleasing, pitting the pound-for-pound king against Dougie Fischer's favorite son, an internet legend who has knocked out every foe he's faced thus far. Potentially explosive? I would say so.

Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anderson Silva

Before UFC head honcho Dana White put the kibosh on this idea, I was pretty excited to see if it would actually happen. Silva is considered by many to be MMA's most talented fighter, and his striking skills are something to watch. Still, I wonder about how even The Spider would fare against a top notch boxer -especially defensively - and Jones has enough gas left in the tank for us to find out. This fight would also do amazing business at the gate and on pay-per-view, with Jones still a draw among casual fans and Silva continuing to be built up by the UFC.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley

This appears to be a violation of my self-imposed weight rule, but Manny is going up to welterweight to face De La Hoya, so I'm letting it slide on a technicality. This is strictly a personal pick, as these two men have been my favorite boxers since my brother Uatu first got me into the sport. Mosley is obviously bigger and hits pretty hard even at 147, but he's also older than Manny and has lost at least a half-step. If Manny was going to take a big step up in weight, this is the fight I'd rather see.

7.9.08

Breidis Prescott vs. Amir Khan

Youtube has the whole fight online. here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1hLX9j1gEg

It is an amazing fight to watch, and it only lasts about 45 seconds. It is like watching one of those ESPN fights where a big name is on against someone who has no chance of winning. Except Amir gets treated like the tomato Khan.

It will be interesting to see if he can come back from this. Even if he improves his technique, can a fighter makes his chin better?

6.9.08

Round by Round: Diaz v. Katsidis

This lightweight fight involves two fighters that are coming off of losing fights that tarnished their undefeated records. Now it's a question of which of these two fighters can shake off these defeats and get their rising careers back on track.

Katsidis is 28 years old from Australia. He has a record of 23-1 and considers himself a "spartan warrior" and comes to the ring in a spartan helmet. Diaz is 33-1 with 17 KOs.

Round 1:
Katsidis rushes into the center of the ring. Katsidis is using very fast upper body movement early in the round. Diaz lands a strong counterpunch. Both fighters are told to watch the headbutts. Diaz is trowing good jabs but isn't trowing many combinations. Katsidis is throwing very hard hooks to the body and head. Diaz is throwing more total punches in round 1. Diaz's defense looks strong, blocking most of what Katsidis is is throwing. Diaz now starts to throw to the body.
Spartan117: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz

Round 2:
Katsidis starts upping the punch output early in this round. Katsidis now has a cut under his left eye. Not sure if it was caused by a headbutt or punch. Diaz is not throwing very fast hooks. Katsidis isn't backing down and throws very hard hooks right back. Katsidis is using more foot movement and is circling Diaz. Katsidis looks to be throwing the harder shots but Diaz is landing cleaner.

Spartan117: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz

Round 3:
Katsidis continues to throw more punches but they are going right into the gloves of Diaz. Katsidis is really keeping the pressure up but Diaz is throwing a lot of punches and they are landing cleanly. Katsidis' defense looks rusty and Diaz is landing more punches.

Spartan117: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz

Round 4:
Diaz is not throwing more punches put Katsidis isn't backing down and throwing very hard hooks and now uppercuts but Diaz is still landing the cleaner punches. Neither fighter looks tired and both fighters are not slowing their pace. Now Diaz lands a very fast flurry and Katsidis throws back and lands a combo of his own. Katsidis gets a good punch in after the bell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz

Round 5:
Katsidis lands a good counter punch at the start of the round. Diaz isn't phased and comes forward to throw. Diaz is now landing 4 hooks to the head of Katsidis and he clinches to hold on. Katsidis' punches are fast but remain off the mark. Katsidis now starts throwing uppercuts to Diaz's body but Diaz still comes forward and lands like crazy.

Spartan117: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz

Round 6:
Katsidis looks to be having more trouble blocking the jab. Diaz sets up massive combos from a single jab and Katsidis takes every punch. Katsidis looks to be in real trouble. Katsidis now slows down the punch output. He seems to be trying to figure out how to start scoring. Katsidis still cant get out the way of Diaz's stiff jab. There is a lot of blood coming from the face of Katsidis.

Spartan117: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz

Round 7:
Katsidis is clearly being beaten but he continues to come forward early in the rounds and just takes more punishment. Katsidis is now taking a while to throw combinations. Diaz is throwing more and is more confident in the fight. Both fighters are now throwing bombs to the body. Diaz is landing great hooks but also landing very solid counter punches. Katsidis looks very discouraged but throws when he can.

Spartan117: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz

Round 8:
Diaz comes out looking strong and Katsidis continues to take more punches to the face. Between rounds, Katsidis' corner didn't have much advice to give their fighter. Since he hasn't won a round on Lederman's card, I'd think there should be a more sense of urgency. Katsidis now works the body but the punches are blocked. Diaz lands three left uppercuts in a row and the punishment can clearly be seen on the face of Katsidis.

Spartan117: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Katsidis

Round 9:
Katsidis isn't backing down and and comes out swinging. Diaz blocks more of the barrage but takes a few to the head. Katsidis is now getting more punches through the defense of Diaz. The ref stops the action to cut the tape from Katsidis' glove. The two fighters come forward immediately and go to work. Katsidis lands about 5 unanswered punches. Diaz looks to be getting slightly tired in this round. Katsidis comes in and gets clocked with a hard uppercut.

Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz

Round 10:
A doctor takes a look at the cut on the eye of Katsidis. He says he's OK to continue. Katsidis now starts using a jab and it lands but not much follows. Both fighters are keeping up their punching output in this round. Katsidis gets in a solid uppercut in but now their heads are getting close and there may be some clashing going on.

Spartan117: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz

Round 11:
Katsidis should be looking for KO if he wants to win this fight but his punching numbers are low early in this round. The ref stops the action again to cut the tape of Katsidis' glove. Katsidis now comes back with hard shots to the head of Diaz but Diaz blocks the majority of the combo. Diaz is still landing the cleaner shots. and with 30 seconds left in the round it looks like Diaz is going to take another round with good, fast, and strong combos.

Spartan117: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz

Round 12:
More tape comes off of the glove of Katsidis and the action is stopped before a punch is thrown. The fighters come right back in the middle of the ring and swing away. Diaz slips and Katsidis capitalizes and punches Diaz into the ropes. Diaz gets his balance back and throws combos back. Diaz is now lunging forward with straight shots. Katsidis is thowing and landing uppercuts in the middle of the clinch. Diaz comes right back with a vicious combo against the ropes and Katsidis looks hurt. He makes it out of the round. Both fighters raise their arms after the bell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz

Spartan117: 117-111 Diaz
Uatu: 117-111 Diaz

Judge 1: 115-113 Katsidis
Judge 2: 115-113 Diaz
Judge 3: 116-112 Diaz

Diaz wins by split decision

Diaz says that Katsidis has serious punching power but he never hurt him. He says his last fight is in the past and he's ready to move forward with his career.

Katsidis laughs when Kellerman asks if he thinks he won the fight. The crowd boo's and Kellerman scolds the audience. Both Katsidis and his trainer say that the judges and Kellerman were wrong in judging the fight and that Katsidis won.

Round by Round: Barrios vs. Juarez

Uatu here until Spartan takes over for the round by round descriptions.

ESPN is reporting that Amir Khan got knocked out in 54 seconds! A fighter named Bredis Prescott took him out on his own turf.

Right now HBO is running "the Buzz" to promote Hopkins-Pavlik.

And away we go.

Nearly 15,ooo in attendance in Houston. That's a large figure. Impressive.

Barrios is already in the ring. They aren't wasting anytime tonight.
So is Juarez.

Both fighters re-hydrated 16 pounds to 146 for the fight from 130 at weigh-in. Barrios has his usual red/blue and goggles ensemble on.
Juarez is getting a warm hometown reception.
Kellerman promises action.

Round 1:
Early feeling out. Barrios jabbing. Juarez as well. Both patient. As usual Juarez looks noticably shorter. Barrios wings some wild hook attempts to the body. Juarez forces Barrios back to the roepes but didn't land anything. Barrios sort of let him come in. Barrios gets an unofficial warning for a low punch. nice jab by juarez. a little left to body. juarez staying a little more active than his former self. nothing to get excited about either way.

Uatu: Juarez 10-9

Round 2:
lederman went for barrios in round 1. barrios is slightly more aggressive. throwing more combinations than juarez but they aren't landing really. juarez has more traditional technique. a little in fighting both ways. barrios hooks body and head. barrios gets another unofficial warning for low blows. double jab from juarez. it appears barrios is throwing harder. nice uppercut by barrios! great jab by barrios. snapping. serious left hook to body from barrios. barrios throwing more and landing more. juarez does not look worried.

Uatu: Barrios 10-9
Round 3:
Barrios was penalized a point for a low blow.
Uatu: 9 -9

Round 4:
They square up in the center. Juarez tried to lunge forward with a straight right and it knocks Barrios off balance. Barrios comes right back Juarez lands a good left hook. Barrios looks to shake it off. Juares snaps the head of Barrios back with a strong left hook. Barrios looked to be slightly hurt. He did a good just getting out of the way of the punches that followed.

Uatu: Barrios 10-9

Round 5:
Juarez gets knocked back by an uppercut. He staggers but gets back in the middle of the ring. Barrios gets Juarez up against the ropes and fires at will. Juarez looks to be in some trouble but does a good job of blocking most of the punches.

Uatu: Barrios 10-9

Round 6:
Juarez gets to the center of the ring and lands a straight right. Barrios comes back harder and lands combos to the head and body. Barrios is setting up good combos with stiff jabs. Barrios counter punches and lands to the head of Juarez. Barrios gets warned for low blows. Juarez wraps up Barrios and gets some punches in to the kidneys.

Uatu: Juarez 10-9

Round 7
Barrios gets to work early and comes in to throw combos to the head of Juarez. Juarez now back Barrios up in the corner and lands 4 hooks to the head. Juarez isn't throwing much to the body. Barrios is doing a good job mixing up his punches. Barrios is now taking more punishment. He's having more trouble blocking Juarez's head shots.

Uatu: Juarez 10-9

Round 8:
Juarez gets a right hook in to start the round. Juarez lands a solid left straight as Barrios comes in. Juarez lands another hook and backs off Barrios. Juarez is looking sharper as the fight continues. Barrios refuses to back down and fires away and lands in the center of the ring. Barrios is using more foot movement now and keeping Juarez on his toes. Juarez keeps using his jab but doesn't follow with other punches.

Uatu: Barrios 10-9

Round 9:
Juarez starts off the action. Barrios comes back with a combo but it's mostly blocked. Barrios now starts using the uppercut. The punch output has slowed in this round from both fighters. Barrios gets backed against the ropes but fights out of it and lands some good head shots. Barrios loses a point for low blows. That's the second point for him. Barrios gets Juarez backed and lands hard shots. He continues to throw shots that are dangerously close to low blows.

Uatu: 9-9

Round 10:
Barrios seems to be fighting going for the knock out now that he has 2 deducted points. He comes to Juarez swinging for the fences. Barrios is throwing combinations of hooks and uppercuts and lands a good number of them. Now Jurez gets a stiff uppercut. Barrios looks like he has punched himself out and now Juarez capitalizes. Barrios is really stumbling around the ring looking tired. Juarez is really capitalizing now and Barrios is taking serious punishment. Barrios stands up to 4 hooks in a row but stays on his feet.

Uatu: Barrios 10-9

Round 11:
Juarez is now the aggressor, coming forward and throwing for a knockout. Barrios looks like he has some energy back but is still throwing serious haymakers. Barrios looks like he really wants to win this fight. Juarez now lands a hard combination set up by a body shot. Juarez is landing the cleaner shots so far. Barrios looks like he's on the verge of punching himself out again. Juarez capitalizes again and lands a good right and left hook and Barrios looks out of gas. Juarez lands at and huge right hook and Barrios goes down hard. His mouth is bloody mess. He gets up and the ring doctor has to look at. Barrios' cut is too serious to continue. The doctor calls it. It's over.

Juarez wins in the 11th round by TKO

Post-fight note: The cut on Barrios' lip was on of the most serious cuts I have ever seen over my years of watching boxing. The side of mouth was entirely gashed open.

Kellerman asks Juarez how he was able to "get young" again halfway through the fight. Juarez said Barrios kept coming and never slowed down but he was able to slow him down with body shots. He says his game plan from the beginning was to stick to the body. He says Barrios is a very good fighter but he knew he was slow. He says he knew he couldn't lose in front of his home town fans and his family.

Live Round By Round Updates Tonight: Diaz-Katsidis, Barrios-Juarez

It's been a while since we've been able to do live round by round updates for any big televised fights, so we're raring to go for tonight's Boxing After Dark card. It should be an interesting one as Juan Diaz and Michael Katsidis both look to rebound after losses, while Jorge Barrios and Rocky Juarez square off in what appears to be an evenly matched contest.

If you can't make it to an HBO-equipped TV tonight, bookmark us here and refresh often to get some of the quickest updates on the internet and the fair scoring that you've come to expect from BoxingWatchers.com.

5.9.08

Predictions: Diaz vs. Katsidis, Barrios vs. Juarez

The Franchise says...

I find it highly amusing that HBO is promoting this weekend's Boxing After Dark card by stating that it features two former world champions and two former undefeated boxers. Um, guys? Wasn't every boxer undefeated at one time? Ahem.

In any case, anyone who is nervous about the kind of fights that may unfold later this fall when Joe Calzaghe faces Roy Jones Jr. or when Kelly Pavlik steps in against Bernard Hopkins should definitely tune in for Juan Diaz and Michael Katsidis, because this one will be much more slugfest than chess match. Both men should provide plenty of fireworks and their histories suggest they shouldn't be afraid to stand and trade.

Diaz dropped a decision to Nate Campbell last time out that was something to behold, as Campbell gave him a taste of his own medicine early by outworking him, then boxed more judiciously as the fight went on. We'll have to see if the Baby Bull has added any more wrinkles to his game since then, because he didn't seem to have an answer when his usual strategy of throwing too many punches for his opponent to deal with wasn't enough.

It may be that Diaz's pressure is too much for Katsidis too, but the Aussie is a dangerous foe with more than enough power to make him pay if it doesn't. One thing we learned about Diaz in the Campbell fight is that he has a terrific chin, because he got tagged with a ton of hard punches and didn't fold. But Katsidis probably hits harder than Campbell, so he remains a threat to end it by KO.

Based on the feeling that Diaz was generally in against tougher competition before getting his first 'L,' I think he'll come out on top. I like the Baby Bull by late-round KO in what should be a barnburner while it lasts.

The Jorge Barrios-Rocky Juarez fight before the main event is a tough call between two former champs. Barrios seems to have an edge in power, but Juarez has never been knocked out, so that may be a wash and suggests this one is a good bet to go the distance.

Juarez has dropped three of his last five fights, including a pair to Marco Antonio Barrera and his most recent one to Juan Manuel Marquez. Is Barrios in that same class? Probably not, but he's very good in his own right and came very close to beating Joan Guzman two fights back.

I'll leave it to others to break down the style matchup in more detail, but I'm taking Barrios by decision.

Uatu says...
Diaz has more skills, and he will not have the same distractions that he had in Cancun. While the possibility exists that he wins by TKO due to cuts, the safer pick is for him to win based on activity level and showing more defense and footwork than Katsidis. Diaz by decision.

Barrios and Juarez is also tough to pick. Looking over their careers, they have both lost every time they stepped up to fight at the elite level. Neither of them really has a top tier win. But they have both lost to some of the biggest and best names in the sport including Freitas, Guzman, Barrera, Marquez, and Soto. So neither lacks big fight experience at all. Presumably the Hyena will press the action. That could put him right in Juarez's wheelhouse, as Rocky has had more difficulty with movement against the likes of JMM and MAB. Still, it will be close, but right now, Uatu likes what he has seen from Barrios more. Barrios to win, but by no means is Uatu confident in this pick.

3.9.08

Uatu Responds

with a different power ranking. Sort of an excitement/watchability + quality wins + convincing wins + recent wins + talent + personal feelings equation.

1. Antonio Magarito
2. Manny Pacquiao
3. Kelly Pavlik
4. Nate Campbell
5. Arthur Abraham
6. Paul Williams
7. Israel Vasquez
8. Miguel Cotto
9. David Haye
10. Joan Guzman

Emeritus - Roger Mayweather, Floyd Mayweather Sr.
Honorable Mention - Rafael Marquez, Juan Diaz, Joel Casamayor, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Antonio Tarver

BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings - August 2008

The dog days of summer were just that for the sport of boxing. August offered few fights of consequence among the top names, and few televised fights of any kind outside of the thoroughly unsatisfying Olympic variety.

Thus, don't expect too much movement in our monthly look at who's done the best over the last three years or so. Any risers and fallers came about primarily because of inactivity, plus a tweak I made to the point system to more properly punish boxers who get knocked out as opposed to losing by decision. Insert the usual disclaimer about how this is NOT a pound-for-pound list here.

On to the rankings:

1. David Haye - 24.15 - So, um, David. If you want to get on with making a splash in the heavyweight division, it may help if you found yourself someone to fight. Also it may help if it's someone half-decent, because the Nov. 15 date you have your eye on already has an HBO card featuring Jermain Taylor and Jeff Lacy.

2. Kelly Pavlik - 23.03 - The world is still waiting somewhat anxiously, I guess, for Pavlik to face Bernard Hopkins in October. Kelly will have to score a KO for Bernard to admit he lost, I'm sure.

3. Wladimir Klitschko - 23.00 - Wlad has nobody scheduled right now, but he's certain to be in brother Vitali's corner in October when he takes on Samuel Peter.

4. Manny Pacquiao - 20.61 - Freak show or legitimate bout? Opinions seem to be split on whether or not Pacman has a chance against the much bigger Oscar De La Hoya in December. Given Manny's skills, it's probably a mistake to count him out altogether.

5. Arthur Abraham - 19.29 - If he gets past Raul Marquez and Pavlik defeats Hopkins, will we see the world's two best middleweights square off in 2009? Here's hoping.

6. Antonio Margarito - 16.00 - I'm not sure most fans wanted to see him take on Josh Clottey again, but that appears to be what we're getting. Clottey is tough, but I wouldn't bet against the Tijuana Tornado knocking him out this time.

7. Miguel Cotto - 15.07 - No word yet on the next opponent for Cotto. I like him to bounce back against just about anyone not named Margarito.

8. Nate Campbell - 13.67 - The Ring's lightweight championship is on the line elsewhere on the same night, but the real battle for 135 supremacy is likely to be fought between Campbell and Joan Guzman on Sep. 13. There's been enough trash-talking between the two men and their camps to think it's personal as well.

9. Israel Vazquez - 12.13 - Vazquez is sliding in our poll as he's gone six months without fighting, and all still appears quiet on the Magnifico front.

10. Chris John - 11.72 - Guess what? Still haven't seen him fight.

The next 7: Cristian Mijares, Juan Diaz, Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton, Samuel Peter, Paul Williams, Nonito Donaire