31.10.08

Fight Prediction: Vic Darchinyan vs. Cristian Mijares

Uatu says...

Mijares has slowly been making his way up pound for pound lists from many writers, including making the "Next 7" in the BoxingWatchers Boxer Power Rankings. ESPN has Mijares at 9 pound for pound, and the Ring has him currently at 7. No doubt, this is one talented guy.

Darchinyan lives up his nickname of the "Raging Bull" quite regularly, as he is an aggressive, if somewhat awkward, power punching bully.

Mijares is on a roll having won ten in a row going back to a draw in 2006, and has not been beaten in 26 fights going back to 2002!

So it all comes down to the not so simple matter of staying away from Darchinyan's power. Uatu believes, if Mijares is indeed as good as his rankings would indicate, that Mijares will win this battle, but it will be chock full of drama as he has some nervous moments. Vic will land the harder punches, but Mijares will land the crisper punches more often and will win more rounds.
Mijares by decision.

BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings: October 2008

It's that time again: time for the rankings that even cause discord among the BoxingWatchers themselves. For the uninitiated, this isn't a pound-for-pound list (thus no Bernard Hopkins or Joe Calzaghe), but a semi-mathematical measure of who's done the best against fighters with good records over the past three years.

A KO is worth more than a unanimous decision, which is worth more than a split decision. Lose and you lose points.

Our previous number one is slipping due to inactivity, but a certain Ghost failed to take advantage when he got taken apart by The Executioner. Here's how this month's list shakes out:

1. David Haye - 21.75 - The Hayemaker is sliding but he'll have a chance to correct that when he takes on Monte Barrett in November. We'll find out quickly if his aspirations of chasing the heavyweight titles are realistic.

2. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.00 - He won't be fighting Alexander Povetkin in December, but apparently he'll still fight somebody. It's not likely to be anybody to get too excited about.

3. Arthur Abraham - 19.29 - We'll see King Arthur in action early in November. If he gets past Raul Marquez, that middleweight battle with Kelly Pavlik is looking more possible than ever.

4. Kelly Pavlik - 18.03 - It's back to the drawing board for the Pride of Youngstown, who can abandon plans to fight higher and head back to 160 pounds. I'd hate to be the next guy to face him there.

5. Manny Pacquiao - 17.28 - The build-up to his fight with Oscar De La Hoya continues. Manny has to hope he's not in for a replay of Pavlik-Hopkins with him playing the role of Pavlik.

6. Chad Dawson - 16.80 - Bad Chad rockets into our rankings for the first time with an impressive win over Antonio Tarver. Just 26, his future looks as bright as anyone's in the sport.

7. Antonio Margarito - 16.00 - Now rumors say De La Hoya may fight Tony before he retires after all. That would be a nice payday for Margarito if it happens, but I'm sure he's not holding his breath.

8. Andre Berto - 13.67 - Not much to say about Berto, except that the BoxingWatchers are looking forward to see him fight again.

9. Juan Diaz - 12.70 - Nothing on the immediate horizon for the Baby Bull.

10. Israel Vazquez - 12.13 - Vazquez is in danger of slipping off this list by the end of the year due to inactivity. We'll forgive him though.

The next 7: Nate Campbell, Cristian Mijares, Chris John, Paul Williams, Joe Calzaghe, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez

25.10.08

News: Injured Povetkin Out of December Klitschko Fight

It looks like the fall boxing schedule will be missing its last interesting piece.

ESPN's Dan Rafael is reporting that undefeated heavyweight challenger Alexander Povetkin has withdrawn from his Dec. 13 fight with champion Wladimir Klitschko due to injury. According to the promoter's attorney, Povetkin tore a ligament in his left foot when he tripped over a tree root doing roadwork.

Povetkin was the mandatory challenger for Klitschko's IBF title, and other leading contenders already have fights scheduled for this fall. Rafael mentions Oleg Maskaev, who defeated Robert Hawkins in December, and Hasim Rahman, who earned a controversial no decision against James Toney in July, as possible replacements.

24.10.08

Round By Round: Lucian Bute vs. Librado Andrade

The Bell Centre in Montreal is sold out tonight for tonight's IBF super middleweight title fight.

Steve Farhood ranks Bute No. 2 and Andrade No. 3 in the super middleweight class. He has Mikkel Kessler at No. 1. Uatu thinks Andre Dirrell is the future, more so than Andre Ward even. Jermain Taylor is sort of an x-factor at this weight; maybe Kelly Pavlik too.

Here comes Andrade to the ring. Amazingly, he worked at Jack-in-the-Box for ten years on his way up while he was fighting pro. That is a great story.

The lights go dark and the fans are going nuts. They are counting down from 60 with digital numbers on the big video screen. Mixed in are flashed pictures of Bute. At zero there's an explosion on the screen. Bute appears at the top of the ramp and here he comes. Uatu is unsure if this is U2 being played or just a band that sounds like U2. There aren't any lyrics that are audible. Go-go dancers are all around the crowd. Ah, there are some lyrics. It sounds like "Where the Streets Have No Name" by U2. He still hasn't entered the ring. Bute looks to be soaking it all in. Can't blame him considering the turnout. And he's in.

There is no three-knockdown rule for this fight. Interestingly, they had to re-weigh-in this morning so that they stayed within ten pounds of 168 even the next day. So even this morning they had to be 178 and under.

And away we go.

Round 1
Steve says this is one of the loudest crowds he has ever heard. Stiff Bute jabs. Nice Bute left. Right from Andrade. Nice counter left from Bute. Bute looks quick. He's throwing combos already, and the lead left too. Andrade trying to move in. Andrade trying to work the body. Bute's got some Calzaghe in him: super fast, left-handed, 168pounds, keeps his hands down a little.

Uatu: Bute 10-9

Round 2
Starts the same with fast Bute jabbing, one-two, then getting away. Andrade gets close and they clinch. Bute stepping left and right. Andrade throws jabs without much conviction. Andrade trying to make it a little dirty. When Andrade does get close, Bute blocks and grabs. Nice combo from Bute. Lead left, then another from Bute. Bute gets it clearly.

Uatu: Bute 10-9

Round 3
Some more ineffective aggression. Elbow warning for Andrade. Not much landing either way. Lots of Bute movement. Lead left and a one-two, then four punches in a row. Not super vicious though. Combo and combo again from Bute. Andrade moves in and there's a grab. Flurry combo from Bute. Bute does it again.

Uatu: Bute 10-9

Round 4
Bute is like Calzaghe but less slappy with the punches. Nice left from Bute. Andrade is trying but can't get his plan in action. Andrade lands to the body and then gets him two more times. Could Andrade be getting back in this? Charles says that Bute is there to be hit. This round is up for grabs. They tie up before a Bute combo. They trade somewhat ineffective punches to close the round. Tough to score.

Uatu: Andrade 10-9

Round 5
Steve disagrees with Uatu and gives Round 4 to Bute. Andrade throws about six unanswered but only maybe two land. Strange happenings as Bute grabs Andrade's leg and Andrade punches him while being grabbed. Andrade pressing the action. Andrade gaining confidence and momentum. Triple jab from Bute! Nice right from Andrade. Four punches from Bute. Andrade throws back. Another tough round to score. This round had ebbs and flows to it. When Bute does his thing it doesn't look like Andrade has a chance. But this round even more than the last, Andrade's in-fighting and aggressiveness take it.

Uatu: Andrade 10-9

Round 6
Too much water in the corner and they mop up. Bute back to jab, move and spin. Andrade not landing this time. Lead left from Bute. Nice jab and move. Decent straight left from Bute. Bute combo, and he grabs when they get close. Nice left from Bute, then two more. Combo from Bute. This is all Bute as he appears to have regained control. Not sure Andrade landed more than two punches.

Uatu: Bute 10-9

Round 7
Farhood has it 59-55 Bute and Charles agrees. Jabs from Bute. Lead left from Bute. Bute grabs Andrade's leg again. Bute doing more of his thing: jabs, movement, the occasional combo and some grabbing when necessary. Another lackluster round for Andrade. Andrade trying to come forward but Bute is too fast. Bute again easily.

Uatu: Bute 10-9

Round 8
Andrade getting to Bute a tad. Nothing to get excited about. Bute not throwing as much. Nice combo in the center of the ring from Bute. Bute gets in the lead left. Charles calls this a big round for the champion. Hopefully he means big as in it means Bute will win a decision for sure now, not that he won the round big. Next to nothing happened really.

Uatu: Bute 10-9

Round 9
More of the same so far. Bute is landing more and crisper pucnhes. Neither man looks close to being gassed or hurt. Andrade is going to the jab late in the game. Combo from Bute followed by a grab. Even if not all of Bute's punches land, they are keeping Andrade honest. Andrade jabs twice and then is met with a combo to end the round.

Uatu: Bute 10-9

Round 10
Nice left from Bute and then he gets out. Crisp left makes Andrade's sweat fly. Bute still stepping left and right. Bute is still thowinrg and moving with no sign of slowing down. And down goes Andrade! Bute throwing hard and moving in. Nice uppercut from Bute, nice right from Andrade. Bute's eyes are a little swollen and Andrade has some nose blood. Bute going off on the head of Andrade again. Andrade gets in a nice clinch punch but it's nowhere near enough.

Uatu: Bute 10-8

Round 11
The announcers call the knockdown a push. Looking at the replay, it wasn't a significant punch. Bute should be up big on the cards at this point anyway. Good left in the corner from Bute and he escapes. He is really managing the ring and the ropes like a true pro, and it's a nice touch that he is still throwing a lot of punches despite a huge lead. Left hook, right hand from Andrade. A Bute combo gets cheers from the crowd. Andrade still trying but not getting much done. Body shots from Bute have a solid thump to them.

Uatu: Bute 10-9

Round 12
Europe's "Final Countdown" gets a cliched play over the PA. Nice left from Andrade. Andrade is really trying for the KO. He's hitting Bute but probably too little too late. Bute throwing some too though - he hasn't gotten on the bike. Andrade is rocking Bute, but the champ is rallying nicely. Great action both ways. Too bad all the rounds weren't like this. Bute finally looking tired. Andrade clocking him and Andrade kills Bute with one second left! Bute gets up after a huge count that seems way more than ten. A melee is breaking out in the ring! This is quite the ending. Bute was way too brave for his own good in the last minute. It looked like there was no way that Andrade would have enough time, but with somewhere about 10-15 seconds left, Andrade was cracking Bute to the point where he was stumbling backwards all the way to the corner. Then with literally one second to go, Bute got floored. The final bell couldn't save him, but the ref gave him some extra time it appeared, and Bute eventually got up, to his credit. Apparently Bute won, though the cards haven't been announced yet. Farhood says he doesn't think Bute gets up within a legit ten-count. On a side note, a full-sized brawl never really broke out. Melee was too strong of a word. There was just an emotional outburst from Andrade's corner. But Andrade himself was all class.

Uatu: Andrade 10-8

On replay, it looks like Bute was out on his feet for longer than it appeared. Bute actually beat the count, because the ref pulled a "minor league move" and didn't get the count right.

Uatu scores it 116-110 Bute. The judges score it 117-109, 115-111 and 115-110, all for the winner... and still IBF super middleweight champion... Lucian Bute.

They are replaying the closing moments of the final round again. Bute was out on his feet with around 26 seconds to go. He stumbled back at 13, then got crushed with two to go. Bute got more than ten seconds and keeps his title.

Farhood interviews Andrade. He feels he was cheated. He says Bute was completely out, but there was a five-second delay. Andrade says when he went to the neutral corner, he thought he was the champ. He claims he wasn't hurt even once. They show him the replay, and he pleads that Bute was completely out.

Now they interview Bute through an interpreter. He says Andrade only won the 12th round. It was tough, but he won. Farhood says Bute was exhausted and almost went down without being hit. Bute says that in the 12th, Andrade took advantage of him being tired, but he won the other rounds.

Bute says he is not aware of any controversy. He says he will fight anyone next, including Andrade if necessary.

Now Showtime interviews referee Marlon B. Wright, who says it was a legit knockdown. He sent Andrade to neutral corner, then picked the count up with four seconds elapsed, starting at five. Wright says he had to stop the count to send Andrade to his corner. He says Andrade cost himself the win by leaving his corner. Wright claims Bute wouldn't have made the ten, but because Andrade left the corner he had to stop the count. He blames Andrade for not going back to the corner. His final words: "It was Andrade's fault."

Charles says it took 24 seconds from knockdown to the end of the count. Farhood says there's no doubt that Wright overreacted, especially considering it was the end of the fight.

Round By Round: Ronald Hearns vs. Paul Clavette

From the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Based on the black bars on the side of the screen, this is not in HD.

Clavette is fighting in his first ten rounder.

Ronald Hearns coming into the ring with his father and some absurdly slow ballad music. Perhaps it is inspirational. It has a gospel sound to it. This a long, slow, protracted walk-in by Hearns.

Under Quebec rules, the three knockdown rule is in effect. That is not often seen.

And away we go.

Round 1

Both sides jabbing. Right to the body by Hearns. Clavette is a mover. Clavette moving in but getting hit on the outside. Clavette doesn't look to be here just to lay down. Hearns gets a warning for hitting behind the head. Nice strong rights from Hearns. Decent Hearns combo. Hearns walking Clavette down. All Hearns.

Uatu: Hearns 10-9

Round 2

Uatu believes the color man for this fight is Steve Farhood. Hearns throwing the stronger shots. Steve believes Hearns' power is already discouraging Clavette. Jabs and rights from Hearns. Clavette every once in awhile lands a little something, but nothing to get excited about.

Uatu: Hearns 10-9

Round 3

Uatu also believes that Nick Charles is doing the play-by-play. Clavette comes out aggressive. Clavette is throwing hard shots but not landing so much. Clavette gets in two lefts. Round turning Hearn's way. Clavette getting aggressive again. Hearns throwing hard rights. May have won him the round down the stretch.

Uatu: Hearns 10-9

Round 4

Announcing is way more focused on Hearns, presumably since he's the bigger name. Hearns wobbles Clavette but he doesn't go down. Announcers speculate that it was just a slip. Some nice big left hook action from Hearns. Hearns going body and head. He appears stronger and is outgunning Clavette. When they trade, Hearns gets the better of it. Hearns has the strength and athletetic advantage but he is a work in progress still. Clavette gets in a hard shot but it is not enough.

Uatu: Hearns 10-9

Round 5

Since this is ShoBox, being a work in progress is no crime. That's pretty much the point of the show. Not much excitement this round so far. Hearns staying away and jabbing. Some more clinching this round too. Hearns forces Clavette back with four hard straight shots. One-two from Hearns. Big shots from Hearns to close the round in combination.

Uatu: Hearns 10-9

Round 6

Announcers want Hearns to close the show and so does Uatu. So far though Clavette has shown himself to be sturdy, Jabs, jabs, jabs. Some wrestling. Big left hook from Hearns. Big rights from Hearns. Hearns battering away in the corner and Clavette is forced to take a knee! Clavette running to try to stay in it. Clavette gets another sort of standing eight-type knockdown with no actual falling down. One more knockdown and it's over. Hearns coming on and on and the ref stops it! Hearns TKO in Round 6!

Hearns is worth keeping an eye on. He has gifts. Still very raw though.

The announcers had said during the fight that he had very little experience.

It may take him longer than other fighters his age to get to the top.

Steve thinks a fighter with a strong chin that keeps on coming will give Hearns some problems, like a John Duddy.

Hearns interestingly is already 29 years old.

Lucian Bute vs. Librado Andrade Live Scoring Tonight

Uatu will be manning his post in his mother's basement to bring you live updates on the Lucian Bute-Librado Andrade fight. Uatu is the worst live blogger of the three BoxingWatchers, so he will be providing his live scores and updates along with his best attempt at a blow-by-blow. See you at 11pm eastern US time.

20.10.08

20-20 Hindsight: What Happened to Pavlik, What's Next for Hopkins, Boxing's Big Fall Schedule and More

Didn't see that one coming.

It wasn't the outcome of Saturday night's meeting between Bernard Hopkins and Kelly Pavlik that was the big surprise. I thought it would be a hard-fought win for Pavlik, closer than the betting line suggested. It was the way it went down that was the stunner.

Considering his age and the fact that many people wanted to anoint his opponent as boxing's next big thing, the performance Hopkins put on was the most impressive one I've seen since becoming a serious boxing fan. He dominated the fight from the opening bell, to the point that I probably was being overly generous by scoring one round for Pavlik.

His ability to take away Pavlik's offense was no shock, as Hopkins is a defensive master. But his hand speed and power were revelations, and because they were on display so prominently, he was able to win without making the fight a boring clinch-fest - which was the way I thought he'd have to win.

Pavlik's camp will have to search hard for answers to why The Ghost was so ineffective. It could be the step up to 170 pounds really was a big deal. Perhaps his elbow injury, which Pavlik had dismissed as no big deal, was a factor, or he wasn't feeling 100 percent, as sources close to him have suggested he was battling bronchitis leading up to the fight.

Those factors wouldn't explain what I saw as a fan though, and that was confusion. Pavlik looked taken aback from the opening bell when Hopkins didn't fight the way he expected, making him reluctant to even throw the jabs that set up his offense. Pavlik's trainer says they went to Plan A, B and C, but it didn't look that way to this observer.

We often learn the most about fighters in defeat, so we're bound to find out more about Pavlik as he regroups. A fight with mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio, which was dismissed as recently as early Saturday night, seems likely now. Hopefully he'll stay at middleweight long enough to take on Arthur Abraham during the next year, but he may want to regain his confidence first.

Hopkins made no bones about waiting anxiously to see who wins the Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr. fight in November. A fight with Jones would be huge, the rare event these days that could suck in some of the mainstream sports fans. If Calzaghe wins, I'm not so sure we need to see him fight Hopkins again. The Executioner has fought every other big name out there, so that might be the end of his brilliant career.

Something else that stood out on Saturday was HBO promoting the fight as just the start of a great fall season of boxing. Of course it's in their best interest to do so, but as a fight fan you couldn't help but get excited for what's in store for the rest of 2008.

On HBO, we've got Jermain Taylor versus Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton taking on Paulie Malignaggi, Wladimir Klitschko facing Alexander Povetkin and Paul Williams fighting Verno Phillips (which I only learned was official during Saturday's broadcast). There are the big pay-per-views for Calzaghe-Jones and Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao, plus a couple of interesting cards on Showtime. And that's all in the next two and a half months.

Despite the constant talk from some corners that boxing is dead or dying, it's a good time to be a fight fan. Like we saw Saturday, no other sport has the power to surprise, and the fall schedule is set up to provide plenty more compelling moments.

18.10.08

Round by Round: Pavlik v. Hopkins

After a lackluster final undercard fight, we are finally ready for the main event. Before the fighters make their way to the ring, Bunny Sigler sings the national anthem to background music. We are shown Kelly getting stretched and ready. Hopkins is shown putting on his game face.

Pavlik comes out to his usual Korn entrance music. Hopkins comes out second accompanied by the rapper Freeway. The introductions are handled by none other than Michael Buffer. Hopkins and Pavlik are introduced and it's time to fight!

Rd 1: The fighters meet in the center and feel each other out for the first seconds. Hopkins throws the first punch. Hopkins backs Pavlik against the ropes but doesn't land. Hopkins lands a body shot. Pavlik not doing much in the first minute. Hopkins lands a solid right upstairs. Hopkins lands a good combo to the head of Pavlik. Pavlik still not letting his hands go. Hopkins is sticking to technique in round one and landing a good number of punches. Hopkins is beating Pavlik to the punch. Pavlik and Hopkins fight out of a clinch in the last minute. Both fighters swing away at the end of the round.

Spartan117: 10-9 Hopkins
Uatu: 10-9 Hopkins
Franchise: 10-9 Hopkins

Rd 2: Hopkins is told to wipe off extra Vaseline at the start of round 2. Hopkins still starts off the action. Pavlik backs up Hopkins now, but Hopkins slips out from against the ropes. Hopkins lands a very strong left hook. Hopkins is throwing really crisp combinations. Hopkins is punching and then moving away from Pavlik's fists. Pavlik grazes a shot off of Hopkins head. A cut opens under the right eye of Pavlik from a vicious uppercut that wobbled him a bit. Pavlik looks like he doesn't know how to handle the more active Hopkins.

Spartan117: 10-9 Hopkins
Uatu: 10-9 Hopkins
Franchise: 10-9 Hopkins

Rd 3: Pavlik now looks like he needs to get more acticve and starts off round three swinging. Hopkins slips away. Hopkins is also staying active. Hopkins lands a textbook right hook that twists the neck of Pavlik. Hopkins lands another right hook. Pavlik misses with the right. Hopkins lands another very strong left hook. Pavlik misses with a right and comes into a Hopkins right. Hopkins gets against the ropes but moves away. Hopkins doubles up on the left hook. Hopkins has thrown more punches than Pavlik in the last three rounds.

Spartan117: 10-9 Hopkins
Uatu: 10-9 Hopkins
Franchise: 10-9 Hopkins

Rd 4: Hopkins looks to establish his jab early in this round. Hopkins now lands a jab and moves out of the way of Pavlik's straight right hand. Hopkins punches look like they are in fast-forward compared to Pavlik. Hopkins dodges another shot, but Pavlik comes back and lands a left. Hopkins comes in with a good right hook. Pavlik comes forward and throws a punch to the body which gets blocked. Hopkins lands a good left hook. Hopkins throws a flurry to the body and head and lands about half. Hopkins outworks Pavlik again in round four.

Spartan117: 10-9 Hopkins
Uatu: 10-9 Hopkins
Franchise: 10-9 Hopkins

Rd 5: Pavlik is starting to be more aggressive and backs Hopkins against the ropes. Hopkins has managed to get away every time. Pavlik lands a stiff jab. Hopkins lands another left hook. Pavlik misses another right hand. Hopkins lands a great right hook while Pavlik comes forward. Pavlik still doesn't have a solution for this Hopkins strategy. Hopkins lands a huge combo as Pavlik comes forward. Hopkins lands another right hand upstairs. Pavlik lands a body shot while Hopkins is against the ropes.

Spartan117: 10-9 Hopkins
Uatu: 10-9 Hopkins
Franchise: 10-9 Hopkins

Rd 6: Pavlik lands a good jab to start the round. Hopkins lands a strong left as Pavlik comes in. Pavlik lands a strong body shot. Hopkins is countering but also starting the action. Pavlik gets Hopkins against the ropes, but Hopkins lands a great right hand as Pavlik tries to get something done. Pavlik lands a jab. Hopkins lands a right uppercut. Pavlik starts to work the body. Pavlik is really having trouble landing his hard shots. Hopkins blocks a Pavlik flurry and lands a great left hook.

Spartan117: 10-9 Hopkins
Uatu: 10-9 Hopkins
Franchise: 10-9 Hopkins

Rd 7: Pavlik looks like he is starting to take more chances. Hopkins is doing a great job tagging Pavlik as he comes in. Hopkins lands a great right hook. Pavlik misses another right hook. Pavlik keeps getting Hopkins against the ropes but can't connect with anything. The commentators are now saying that Pavlik looks like he is getting tired. Hopkins lands another left hook. Hopkins is toying with Pavlik and waving his hands around, and he rocks Pavlik with huge combos.

Spartan117: 10-9 Hopkins
Uatu: 10-9 Hopkins
Franchise: 10-9 Hopkins

Rd 8: Hopkins isn't showing any signs of slowing down as we go into round eight. Hopkins lands an amazing right hand followed by a left. Pavlik misses again. Hopkins lands another good left hook. Hopkins is now getting into a rhythm and letting his hands go. Hopkins lands a good left hand. Pavlik lands a jab. Hopkins gets backed against the ropes but fights out. Pavlik keeps holding and hitting and now gets a point deducted. Hopkins comes right back to land a brilliant combo, and the crowd erupts.

Spartan117: 10-8: Hopkins
Uatu: 10-8 Hopkins
Franchise: 10-8 Hopkins

Rd 9: Hopkins trainer Jack Lowe tells Pavlik to start using the right power shot. Pavlik tells Lowe he can't hit him. Hopkins scores with a good uppercut while Pavlik has him against the ropes. Pavlik is still choosing his punches cautiously. Hopkins lands a left hook and Pavlik hits back with a left. Hopkins lands a great right hand that knocks back the head of Pavlik. Hopkins lands another right hook as Pavlik comes forward. Pavlik still has no answers. Pavlik lands a good right to the body. Now a cut has opened over the eye of Pavlik, undoubtedly from a Hopkins hook. Hopkins now loses a point for holding.

Spartan117: 9-9
Uatu: 10-8 Pavlik
Franchise: 9-9

Rd 10: Pavlik lands a left. Pavlik lands a good left hook, but Hopkins lands a cleaner right as he comes off the ropes. Hopkins lands another fantastic right hook. Pavlik lands a right and Hopkins lands one of his own. Pavlik lands a right hand for the first time in a while. Pavlik is doing a better job of blocking Hopkins' flurries, but most are still getting through. Hopkins lands a shot to the body. Hopkins snaps the head of Pavlik around with a right hook. Hopkins is letting his hands go and most are landing to the head of Pavlik.

Spartan117: 10-9 Hopkins
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Franchise: 10-9 Pavlik

Rd 11: Hopkins gets down to brass tacks and lands a good right hand as Pavlik comes in. Pavlik is trying to land body shots in the clinch. The fighters are locking up more in round 11 and both fighters are punching a lot while they're in there. Pavlik's head is really getting knocked around in the second minute of the round. Hopkins is still doing a great job of getting away from Pavlik's hands.

Spartan117: 10-9 Hopkins
Uatu: 10-9 Hopkins
Franchise: 10-9 Hopkins

Rd 12: Pavlik really needs to let his hands go in order to win this fight. The crowd starts a "B-Hop" chant. Hopkins destroys Pavlik with a combo to the head and body; Pavlik covers up and throws nothing. Pavlik has his legs back but Hopkins lands another vicious combo. Pavlik clinches to stay alive. Pavlik still isn't throwing the right hand. Hopkins is now landing a huge percentage of punches in the last round. Pavlik's face is a bloody mess, and his legs are wobbly. Pavlik still hasn't landed much of anything down the stretch. Hopkins dominated this fight from the first round and Pavlik gets frustrated and throws after the bell. The fighters are broken up in the middle of the ring.

Spartan117: 10-9 Hopkins
Uatu: 10-9 Hopkins
Franchis: 10-9 Hopkins

Hopkins stares down press row after the fight after beating the odds as a huge underdog.

The judges score it 119-106, 118-108 and 117-109, all for the winner... Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins.

BoxingWatchers.com final scores:
Spartan117: 119-108 Hopkins
Uatu: 117-109 Hopkins
Franchise: 118-108 Hopkins

Hopkins and Pavlik talk in the center of the ring. Hopkins talks to Pavlik and tells him how to be a better fighter. He also tells him not to let this fight ruin him.

In the post-fight interview, Hopkins says that styles make fights. Hopkins says he studied the tapes and knew how to take Pavlik down. He admits that Pavlik throws hard punches. Hopkins says that he silenced the naysayers and he couldn't be here tonight if he didn't have them. He says he hasn't decided if he will fight again. He also adds that Youngstown should be very proud of Pavlik.

Pavlik says that Hopkins didn't fight like he was old and that he just couldn't get started. He says he doesn't know if the weight mattered, though it very well could have. He says he wasn't tired at all, but he just couldn't handle Hopkins. He says it wasn't him tonight but he's not making any excuses. He states that he will definitely go back to 160 pounds. Pavlik says that Youngstown will still welcome him with open arms.

Pavlik-Hopkins Undercard Live Blog

The wait is over for Kelly Pavlik and Bernard Hopkins - or at least almost over, as we have three undercard fights to get through first. Marco Antonio Rubio and Steven Luevano are two of the fighters in action tonight.

First up is middleweight prospect Daniel Jacobs, hailing from Brownsville, Brooklyn. His opponent, Tyrone Watson, was only brought in within the last week. Jacobs is 10-0 with 9 KO's and goes by the moniker, The Golden Child.

Watson lets his hands go early, but Jacobs looks comfortable with left hooks to the body and head. A right hand knocks Watson down with about a minute to go in the first round. Watson quickly goes down again, this time from two left hooks to the body, and that's it - Jacobs wins by first-round knockout.

If you are a fan of HBO's 24/7 series, next Sunday is the premiere episode of the series leading up to Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones, while November 16 is the debut for the series leading up to Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao.

Footage of the Pavlik-Hopkins weigh-in is shown, with Larry Merchant repeating the story that Hopkins said, "Penitentiary, four and a half years," and Pavlik replied, "In about 30 minutes, you'll be going back." Both fighters are shown backstage relaxing.

The next undercard fight sees Marco Antonio Rubio take on Enrique Ornelas. The winner of this fight becomes a mandatory challenger for one of Pavlik's middleweight titles, though few experts seem to think The Ghost will actually take that fight. Both men claim this fight will not go to the scorecards, and the announcers are expecting a slugfest.

Neither fighter gets an obvious advantage in round one, with both landing some solid shots. Ornelas gets Rubio's attention with a hard combo in the first minute of the second frame, but Rubio gathers himself and they fight pretty evenly from that point on.

Emanuel Steward breaks it down like this: Rubio has the better movement and hand speed, Ornelas is throwing the punches that make his opponent's head snap back. CompuBox has the men almost even in punches landed through four rounds.

Ornelas' left eye is starting to show some damage in the fifth round; he takes more abuse than Rubio for most of the round but lands a solid combination right before the bell to prove he is still game. With about 30 seconds left in the sixth round, Ornelas scores with a left hook upstairs that stuns Rubio for a second and gets blood flowing from his nose. Harold Lederman has Ornelas up four rounds to two.

After the seventh round, we go back to Hopkins' locker room to watch the referee go over the rules with The Executioner. This always makes me laugh, just because B-Hop has been through this so many times. The eighth round sees the work rate for both fighters pick up a bit. Jim Lampley is amused that Rubio's corner has told him he is boring the fans.

Rubio looks good for most of round nine, and some fireworks start to break out in the last ten seconds. Lederman has Ornelas up by one point; I haven't been scoring rounds but would not be surprised if the fight is close on the official cards. Halfway through the tenth, Ornelas backs Rubio up against the ropes with a sharp flurry. Back in the middle, he lands a sharp right straight down the middle.

Rubio's corner tells him he needs a knockdown as he heads out for the eleventh round. He presses the issue a little more, but Ornelas is still making him pay with counter shots. With 20 seconds left, Rubio pours it on and Ornelas' legs look rubbery, but he makes it to the final round.

Let's see if Ornelas can hold on or Rubio can close the show. Both men are landing bombs as they trade in the center of the ring. Rubio lands a pair of mean lefts with a minute to go. Ornelas is hanging in there and still throwing despite fighting with two swollen eyes. They fight until the final bell and it will go to the scorecards.

The judges score it 115-113 Ornelas, 115-113 Rubio and 116-112 Rubio, giving Marco Antonio Rubio the win by split decision. That was a good fight between two skilled boxers, though neither look like a huge threat to Pavlik should he choose to face them.

Lampley talks to Roy Jones about 24/7 and the Calzaghe fight. Roy seems very excited about both the show and his upcoming fight, saying that he needs to find a way to stop Joe from throwing so many punches. He also says Pavlik needs to win decisively tonight or he will have trouble winning on the scorecards.

Wrapping up the undercard is L.A.'s Steven Luevano versus Aussie Billy Dib. This is a featherweight title fight scheduled for 12 rounds. Dib is 21-0 with 11 KO's, while Luevano is 35-1 with 15 KO's.

Dib is listed as a southpaw but comes out in a conventional stance. Both men are counter-punchers by nature, and though they flash quick hands when they throw, there isn't much leather traded in the first round.

The announcers talk at length about how Dib is a big admirer of Prince Naseem Hamed, and though he fights with the same unorthodox style, he doesn't seem to have Hamed's power. Through three rounds, the fight hasn't become any more interesting.

Hopkins tells Larry Merchant that he feels he still has the same kind of effort in him that he showed a few years ago when he dominated Antonio Tarver. When asked if he's willing to take risks to win this fight, B-Hop says he is and will probably have to in order to come out on top.

In the fifth round, Luevano finds himself halfway through the ropes when Dib dodges out of the way, and Billy takes a free shot at him. The ref says, "Fight fair Billy. Fight Fair." Dib goes down about a minute into the sixth round, but it was clearly a trip/slip and the ref sees it that way too. Unless something dramatic happens out of nowhere, this is going to be a long 25 minutes or so until this one is over.

Pavlik tells Merchant he's prepared for 12 rounds, even if Hopkins comes out at a faster pace than usual. He doesn't want there to be any controversy, so he feels like he needs to beat Hopkins convincingly.

Meanwhile, Luevano turns more aggressive in the eighth round, pushing Dib off of him and smacking him with short punches. He doesn't seem to be in any danger from Dib's return fire, so this strategy seems pretty wise. The closing seconds of round nine feature the closest thing the fight has seen to a serious exchange.

Dib gets smacked with some good shots to open the tenth, forcing him to literally run across the ring to avoid going down. After eleven, I'm thinking Dib's only chance is to score a knockout, and he doesn't seem to have the power to pull that off.

Mercifully, this fight winds down. The judges score it 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113 for Luevano, which was a lot more generous to Dib than I expected.

Live Pavlik-Hopkins Round By Round Updates Tonight

You know we wouldn't miss this one. There's plenty of intrigue in store at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City tonight as Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik takes on Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins. Wish we could be there, actually, as the BoxingWatchers have been known to take in fights live in A.C. whenever possible.

Hopefully you're on your way there or able to watch the fight on pay-per-view, but if you can't (shout out to our readers overseas!), bookmark us here for live round by round updates from the team of myself, Spartan117 and Uatu. The fun begins at whatever 9 pm Eastern U.S. time translates into where you are!

Predictions: Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins

The Franchise says...

If boxing really is a sport where anything can happen, Saturday's fight between Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik and Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins looms as the best recent example. Unlike most recent fights, including some with big names attached, it's possible to envision several different scenarios for how the action will go down.

For starters, the undefeated Pavlik may simply be too much for his older foe to handle for 12 rounds. Though he's done a masterful job of outrunning Father Time thus far, every time Hopkins steps in the ring could be the time he finally gets old. If Saturday is that night, Pavlik's power, conditioning and tenacity will be more than enough to send him to his first decisive loss in years.

It's equally plausible to think that the jump up in weight will affect Pavlik more than he thinks it will. With his punches not doing the same damage he's used to, Hopkins may be able to control the pace of the fight with defense, ring generalship and interior roughhousing. This is Pavlik's nightmare scenario, the likely reason he was initially less than thrilled with facing Hopkins.

Could either man knock the other out? Sure, but the smart money is against it. Hopkins has never been KO'ed and has been knocked down only two times in his illustrious career, while Pavlik has demonstrated a pretty solid chin against bigger punchers than he'll be facing this time out.

Taking all of those factors into account still doesn't get us to one obvious way the fight will play out, but here's how I see it: Pavlik will win the early rounds as Hopkins takes some time to adjust to his opponent's strength and aggressiveness. The Executioner will make adjustments and use every trick in his arsenal to come on in the middle rounds.

I think the late rounds will be closer than the betting lines would suggest, but ultimately I like the fighter whose star is still rising over the one whose best days are behind him. I like youth over experience this time, and I'm picking Pavlik by close, possibly split decision.

Uatu says...

Uatu has seen Hopkins fight at least ten times. Very few of those fights featured a high-output and exciting Executioner. Now, Hopkins is over 40. Pavlik is only 26 or 27. No reason to think Bernard is all of a sudden going to be super-active. Uatu has noticed a pattern in his predictions, in that he goes with youth and punch output a lot of the time. But that's what wins fights. It worked for JoeCal over Bernard and it's going to happen again here. Pavlik by decision.

15.10.08

In-Depth Preview: Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins



Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik

Birthplace: Youngstown, OH
Height: 6'2"
Reach: 75"
Current Titles Held: WBC, WBO, Ring Magazine Middleweight (160 lbs.)
Professional Record: 34-0, 30 KO's
Record in World Title Fights: 2-0, 2 KO's
Record at 170 lbs.: No record
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 1-0

Notable Wins: UD12 Jermain Taylor II, TKO7 Jermain Taylor I, TKO7 Edison Miranda
Notable Losses: None

Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins

Birthplace: Philadelphia, PA
Height: 6'1"
Reach: 75"
Current Titles Held: None
Former Titles Held: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, Ring Magazine Middleweight (160 lbs.); IBO Light Heavyweight (175 lbs.)
Professional Record: 48-5-1, 32 KO's
Record in World Title Fights: 21-3-1, 13 KO's
Record at 170 lbs.: 1-0
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 11-4-1

Notable Wins: UD12 Antonio Tarver, KO9 Oscar De La Hoya, TKO12 Felix Trinidad
Notable Losses: SD12 Joe Calzaghe, UD12 Jermain Taylor II, UD12 Roy Jones Jr.

Analysis:

If there ever was a big time boxing match that featured two fighters with the wrong nicknames, this is it.

Reigning middleweight champion Pavlik has the style that systematically breaks down opponents, stopping them with the power he carries in both hands. Former middleweight and light heavyweight belt-holder Hopkins frustrates foes with his unmatched knowledge of defensive maneuvers and the subtler aspects of the sweet science. Opponents can see him, but often they can't hit him with clean shots.

Pavlik comes into the fight off a successful defense of his belts at 160 lbs. against overmatched Gary Lockett. Though he often speaks of his willingness to fight anyone his team will put in front of him, he seemed reluctant to take this one. That's probably less a sign of a lack of confidence than it is the realization that it's nearly impossible to look good against Hopkins, even in a win.

Indeed, the crafty veteran has never acknowledged a defeat, even though he's fallen short on the scorecards in three of his last five fights. The downside to the style that Hopkins has employed in the late stages of his career is that it isn't exactly fan-friendly, leaving few to rally to his cause when he claims he's been sold short by the judges.

If styles do indeed make fights, this one could be decided by whichever fighter is best able to impose his. An action-packed fight with punches landing both ways heavily favors Pavlik, while a bout fought in spurts with the ref intervening multiple times a round will make Hopkins smile. Either way there's a definite possibility boxing fans will see something historic: The Ghost tasting his first defeat or The Executioner losing in decisive fashion.

Pavlik's Winning Strategy: Be Relentless

Note that relentless doesn't mean reckless. Coming forward without a plan leaves big openings for Hopkins' best weapon, his counter right.

Fortunately for Pavlik, that's not his M.O. Despite his high KO percentage, he's neither a pure volume puncher nor a free-swinging brawler. Instead, he walks opponents down throwing combinations that start with his jab, and he's equally effective and willing to go to the body and the head.

This Saturday, his goal will be to win enough early rounds to make Hopkins have to turn aggressive later on. He has to be wise enough to realize that his punches may not do quite as much damage against a man who's now used to being hit by light heavyweights, and he has to be patient enough to keep throwing multiple shots even if not many land flush - which is likely given Hopkins' defensive mastery.

Pavlik also needs to be willing to see his game plan through to the end. His reputation for conditioning has been very strong, but he's only gone 12 rounds one time in his pro career. Since Hopkins has never been knocked out, there's a very good chance that number is about to double.

Hopkins' Winning Strategy: Make it Ugly

The worst thing Bernard Hopkins could see early Sunday morning are high numbers being posted by CompuBox. Most of the time a fighter facing an opponent moving up in weight would welcome a firefight, but that's tough sledding against Pavlik and isn't guaranteed to go in favor of The Executioner.

What Hopkins is looking for is a bout fought in short bursts, and he's uniquely qualified to make that happen. He's excellent at blocking and slipping punches and has an incredible sense for the right time to fight off the ropes. Hopkins will hold and grab as much as necessary on the inside (plus do other things that brush the boundaries of legal tactics), for psychological effect as well as to control the tempo.

Combinations won't be a bad idea if they present themselves - especially at the end of rounds to influence the judging - but Bernard's ideal fight features strong single-shot counters after a Pavlik punch that doesn't land clean. His right hand knocked Joe Calzaghe down in his last fight, so there's no reason it couldn't do the same to Pavlik if he can fire it on target.

Every time Hopkins steps in the ring, there's a chance it could be his last time. If that's the case Saturday, whether he wins or loses, expect him to shape the pace of the fight to his liking if at all humanly possible.

14.10.08

Kelly Pavlik Profile on ESPN's E:60

Uatu has just seen that a profile will be done on the Ghost on tonight's E:60. He will report on how it goes down.

No surprise here, but it looks like it will focus on his relationship with Youngstown.

The pitch from Jeremy Schaap says that Pavlik has stayed in Youngstown despite his wealth and fame.

"Youngstown is where the American Dream has gone to die."

The people love Pavlik because of his fighting style and the fact that everyone in the town needs some sort of good news.

They interview some of the locals, and show the steel mill that Mr. Pavlik used to work in.

They show Kelly's gym and Jack Loew.

They show some vintage footage of Pavlik fighting local shows on the way up.

Interview with Ray Mancini. Mancini goes into some of the reasons Pavlik was avoided on the way up.

Pavlik considered retiring but his parents convinced him to stay with it.

Leading up to his first fight with Jermain Taylor. (where franchise and spartan were in attendance)

Of course, Taylor beat him up first, but Pavlik recovered and knocked Taylor out.

Pavlik remains unchanged.
Before fights he sleeps on his parents' couch and trains in the same place.

Why would he take this fight with Bernard Hopkins?
Schaap says that there are a lot of big names out there and Youngstown is excited for the fight. He didn't really answer the question.

ESPN of course did a great job with the production values of the piece. Schaap got all of the facts and details correct. ESPN almost always screws up some aspect of boxing stories up.

Overall: There was absolutely zero new ground covered for anyone who has watched any of the zillion pieces that HBO has done on Pavlik, such as the latest Countdown show this weekend. However, it was very well done, and the Pavlik story is a good one. Everytime they show his connection to Youngstown, it always comes off as 100% authentic.
So, it is more great exposure on the number one sports news outlet in the country.

13.10.08

20-20 Hindsight: Chad is Indeed Bad, Tarver and Peter Done as Title Contenders and More

Sometimes the intrigue in boxing is all in the build-up to the fights and not so apparent in the fights themselves. That was definitely true this past weekend, when two championship bouts with interesting storylines produced little in-ring suspense.

In the case of heavyweights Samuel Peter and Vitali Klitschko, make that zero in-ring suspense. Klitschko quickly answered any questions about how he'd bounce back from nearly four years of inactivity due to injury, looking sharp but employing a pretty conservative style - taking notes from brother Wladimir, perhaps. Peter posed zero problems, losing every round (though one official judge somehow gave him one) and stinking up the joint so badly that you were actually happy that he decided not to come out for the ninth round.

Things were slightly different in Vegas, where at least both Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson came to fight. Tarver simply found himself outgunned, and though he had his moments, many of them were created by Dawson's inconsistency. The outcome was never really in doubt, producing what my stepfather and many other observers called an exciting but not competitive fight.

Dawson emerged as the night's big winner, and his future looks very bright. His accuracy and hand speed make for a fan-friendly style, and his multi-punch combinations are reminiscent of a prime Shane Mosley. Though he had to respect Tarver's power somewhat, he could show more of a killer instinct. I definitely don't want to watch him do what he did in Saturday's sixth round, which he basically took off to prove Tarver couldn't hurt him.

It's rumored that he wants the winner of the upcoming Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr. fight, and that would get him either his stiffest test (if it's Calzaghe) or his most lucrative possible fight (if it's Jones). Floyd Mayweather called him the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world, and while Money knows a lot more about boxing than me, I wouldn't go there just yet. He definitely put himself in everybody's top 10, that's for sure.

In contrast, Klitschko's win, while a nice comeback story, doesn't do much for the heavyweight division. As long as the Brothers Klitschko refuse to fight each other, fans of the big guys are deprived of the best match that can be made. Unless Alexander Povetkin can dethrone Wladimir and set up a revenge angle for Vitali, we may have to wait and see if David Haye can inject some excitement into the proceedings.

Meanwhile, the losers of Saturday's fights have something in common: they're both pretty much done as legitimate title contenders. Tarver looks a step slow (at least), and though he's always good for entertainment value, retirement seems to be calling his name. There's absolutely no point in putting Peter back in against either Klitschko, and even if one of the brothers loses soon, he didn't show anything Saturday that's going to make him a hot commodity for any other champ. He seems destined to become a gatekeeper sooner rather than later.

One final note: getting psyched up for last weekend's fights, I almost missed the story that Evander Holyfield may be in line for a fight with Nikolai Valuev. That subject is enough to deserve a column of its own, but I can summarize my feelings in two words: Please. No.

11.10.08

Round By Round: Antonio Tarver vs. Chad Dawson

The Palms in Las Vegas is the site for the light heavyweight championship bout between Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson. It's an intriguing match-up between an aging champion and a young lion made even more compelling because the two fighters have shown that they definitely don't care for each other.

The Showtime announce team feels Dawson needs to work the body to win, using his speed and movement to his advantage. Tarver's key will be to control the tempo, luring his younger opponent into traps.

Dawson comes to the ring first to T.I.'s "Live Your Life," sporting a robe with "Bad Chad" on the back. Tarver, the betting underdog despite holding the IBF title, comes out second as the announcers discuss the rumor that he had difficulty making weight for the fight.

The tale of the tape shows Tarver with a slight height advantage but Dawson holding an edge in reach. There is a moment of silence and the bell rings for the passing of Oscar Suarez.

Jimmy Lennon Jr. handles the introductions. Dawson is from New Haven, CT, and he owns a 26-0 record (1 NC) with 17 KO's. Tarver hails from Tampa and enters with a 27-4 record.

Round 1

Tarver tries to work the jab as Dawson throws right hooks to the body. More right hands force AT to back off. Jabs fly both ways from the southpaws. Double jab and a left to the body by Tarver. Flashy body combo by Dawson. Both fighters seem pretty cautious as the round goes on. Another Dawson combo is mostly picked off by Tarver. Left to the body by Tarver and he shoves Dawson back. Right hook by Dawson coming in.

Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 2

Tarver tries to throw a combo but Dawson lands a nice counter. Right hand by Dawson and a left just misses. Now he scores to the body jumping in. Uppercut by Dawson starts off a nice combo. Dawson's hand speed is on full display as he scores with both hands. His jabs are getting through and he's avoiding most of the return fire. Tarver still coming forward but it hasn't worked in his favor so far.

Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 3

Dawson backed to the ropes several times but he looks just as comfortable there. Mean right and left-hand counters snap Tarver's head back. Left hands finally get Dawson's attention but he goes right back to work. Tarver scores with a straight left and an uppercut. Both men swing away in the middle of the ring, and the champ just misses with a huge left at the bell.

Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 4

Dawson returns to his body attack as Tarver continues to press the issue. Quick counters by Dawson get Tarver to back off momentarily. The champ uses the jab, but Dawson is quicker to the trigger in this round. Left to the body by Tarver and they tie up. Repeated jabs by Dawson find the mark. Good left by Tarver but Dawson answers with two lefts of his own.

Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 5

Straight left stuns Tarver and knocks him back. Dawson jumping around and looking very confident. Tarver tries to go back to the jab but Dawson's counterpunching is too much for him. Left hand upstairs and a combo follows for Bad Chad. Tarver covering up to deal with all the leather flying his way. The announcers think AT might be better served by letting the fight come to him.


Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 6

Jab and straight left land for Tarver as Dawson's activity level goes down a notch. Nice left to the body by Tarver. Dawson backed into the ropes and eats a left hand. He looks like he's taking this round off, which may be a mistake as an uppercut and hook land. Dawson shakes his head like he can't be hurt, but he basically gave that round away.


Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver

Round 7

Tarver starts out to the body and backs Dawson to the ropes. Dawson goes back on the attack and flashes his hand speed. Tarver in trouble along the ropes, though he blocks many of the incoming punches. Left knocks Tarver back a step. Dawson ducks out of the way and fires a right to the head. Jabs set up an uppercut for Tarver. Dawson warned for a low shot as he goes back to the body. Tarver swings wildly and misses and no one lands anything in the final 10 seconds.

Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver

Round 8

This round starts out like the seventh with Tarver coming forward. Dawson turns it around briefly and picks off many of AT's shots with his gloves. It looks like Chad is taking a good portion of this round off again. Now he fires a combo set up by repeated jabs. Dawson springs to action and Tarver has to turtle in the corner to avoid all kinds of fire. Uppercut-straight left combo lands right before the bell for Dawson.


Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 9

Tarver looks discouraged and his punches just don't have much steam behind them. Dawson fires multiple jabs and just doesn't give Tarver much of an opening. He punches in behind his jab with nothing big scoring. They stand and trade in the middle with Dawson getting the better of it. Right hook counter answers Tarver's left hand. Combos by Chad answered by single punches by AT. Dawson rips a left to the body and goes upstairs with an uppercut.


Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 10

Floyd Mayweather gets interviewed and vows to stay retired. Tarver switches to a right-handed stance and immediately pays for it. He's still gamely coming forward but body shots by Dawson are taking their toll. Dawson is throwing seven and eight-punch combos that are something to see even when not everything lands. Dawson fires a counter left and circles off the ropes. Tarver throws a combo along the ropes without much power. Dawson nods as he's hit and fires off another long string of punches.


Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 11

Tarver's punch output is still high, but his foe's is higher and more accurate. Dawson digs with an uppercut and a left to the head. Tarver jabs his way in and misses with a big left. Dawson taking it easy again and Tarver is scoring. Now a quick right lands for Dawson and he fights off the ropes. Dawson tries to dig in and steal the round; it's probably going to be a close one.


Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver

Round 12

A right makes Dawson shake his head again, but he stands his ground and guns away. A mean counter right knocks Tarver back, and he touches his glove to the ground so it's officially a knockdown. Tarver hops right back up and deserves credit for battling to the end. Straight right gets through for Dawson; Tarver scores with an uppercut. There's no questioning Tarver's heart as he swings for the fences all the way until the final bell.


Franchise: 9-9
Spartan117: 9-9
Uatu: 10-8 Dawson

The judges score it 118-109, 117-110 and 117-110, all for the winner... and new IBF light heavyweight champion of the world... "Bad" Chad Dawson.

The announcers talk to Tarver first. He tips his hat to Dawson but feels like his defense was solid and he's not busted up. Tarver won't apologize for what he said before the fight but says he does respect Dawson.

Chad thanks his team and says that while Antonio had more than he expected, his hand speed and activity made the difference. Dawson is told that Floyd Jr. called him the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and he says it is a big compliment.

Round By Round: Samuel Peter vs. Vitali Klitschko

The O2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany is home to the WBC heavyweight title fight between Samuel Peter and Vitali Klitschko. We're watching this one several hours after the fact in the United States on Showtime.

This is basically a home fight for Klitschko, the former WBC and WBO heavyweight champion who is returning to action after nearly four years off. Dr. Ironfist and his brother are very popular in Germany, and the crowd is very much in his corner.

Michael Buffer handles the introductions and we're all set to go.

Round 1

Both men working short hooks in the early going. Peter trying to duck his way inside. Jab by Peter and another. Left hook and a right hand crash home for Vitali. Klitschko can't miss with either hand. Another left hook has Peter off balance. Klitschko backing and circling but still throwing as he does. Peter finally scores to the body but it's clearly Klitschko's round.

Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 2

Klitschko couldn't have started this fight any better. Peter is coming forward but he's getting whacked on the way in. Klitschko jabs, Peter ducks in and ties up. Now a right hand upstairs gets Vitali's attention. Left hooks land both ways. Vitali scores repeatedly with his left hand, both jabs and hooks. Klitschko almost can't miss - the left hand especially is there any time he wants it.

Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 3

The crowd claps as Klitschko evades Peter's attack. Vitali lands with both hands to the head and backs away. He sneaks in three jabs in a row and Peter can't muster much coming back. He does load up a big right but Vitali responds immediately. Right hook by Klitschko in the middle of the ring. Peter scores to the body in the losing seconds.

Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 4

Klitschko is holding his hands low but Peter hasn't been able to make him pay. Lefts set up a right hand to Peter's head. Two more rights land fairly clean. Peter is coming forward but isn't busy, and he gets smacked with another right. Peter lands a few jabs to the body with nothing behind them. The announcers think he feels a one-punch KO may be his only way to win.

Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 5

Just found out there is open scoring for this one, and to little surprise, Klitschko has won every round on the official cards. Nice straight right by Klitschko and he goes back to the jab. A combo lands punctuated by another right, and Peter's left eye is swelling. Vitali circles and scores with left hooks. Peter is trying more jabs but getting hit in return almost every time. Peter tries to turn it into a brawl before the bell and Klitschko isn't having it.

Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 6

Vitali goes right back to work; Peter hasn't found anything that's worked so far. A long sequence with very little happening ends with a left hand by Vitali. Klitschko sneaking in lefts and backing out; Peter trying to set up the right hand and still finding it hard. That may have been the closest round so far but it still easily went to Vitali.

Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 7

Peter's corner told him to go to the body to set up head shots, but that's been easier said than done. Klitschko pours it on with a combo and works more left hands. The jab keeps Peter at bay again, and a right hand hits Peter in the face. Another one is on target and Peter's eye isn't looking any better.

Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 8

The only drama left in this one is seeing whether Peter will lay it all out to get the KO or be KO'ed. He's finally trying to stand and trade but Klitschko is just too cagey. Repeated jabs smack Peter with an occasional right hand for good measure. It's hard to write anything different - it's just very accurate punching by Klitschko combined with enough movement to keep his foe from scoring in response.

Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko

Peter hears the scores after the eighth round and decides he's had enough. He quits on his stool, giving the win to Klitschko. Brother Wladimir is extremely excited as the brothers Klitschko reign as heavyweight champions together.

The winner by TKO at the end of Round Eight... and new WBC heavyweight champion of the world... Vitali Klitschko.

Live Tarver-Dawson Updates Tonight; Delayed Peter-Klitschko Updates Too

Showtime offers up a pair of championship outs tonight, with one live and the other tape-delayed. Since the BoxingWatchers don't have access to a live feed of the Samuel Peter-Vitali Klitschko fight we'll be seeing that several hours after the fact just like other viewers.

So here's the deal: if you don't have Showtime, bookmark us here for live round by round updates when Chad Dawson versus Antonio Tarver. And we'll do the Peter-Klitschko fight "virtually live,' meaning we'll cover it the same way we would a live fight, just to stay sharp.

Join me, Spartan117 and perhaps the mysterious Uatu tonight - the third best thing to seeing the fights live or watching them on TV!

8.10.08

Predictions: Tarver-Dawson, Peter-V. Klitschko

The Franchise says...

Showtime serves up a twin bill of championship fights this Saturday with light heavyweights Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson fighting live in Las Vegas while heavyweights Samuel Peter and Vital Klitschko collide in tape-delayed coverage from Berlin.

Tarver (27-4, 19 KOs) is experiencing a bit of a career resurgence after he was taken part by Bernard Hopkins back in 2006. He enters as the IBF and IBO champion at 175 pounds on a three-fight winning streak, most recently taking a fairly easy decision over Clinton Woods in April. That same April night almost derailed the rise of the undefeated Dawson (26-0, 17 KOs), as he battled his way to a unanimous decision over Glen Johnson that many observers thought he was lucky to win.

It's easy to look at the fighters' respective ages - Tarver is 39 and Dawson is 26 - and see a mismatch. But Tarver is a young 39 if there is such a thing, having taken up pro boxing relatively late. He's also fought the much tougher competition, including Hopkins, three fights with Roy Jones Jr. and two fights of his own with Johnson.

While he once overwhelmed opponents with volume, Tarver now is a bit craftier about picking his spots. He takes great pride in being "dressed down in defense," and though he's been easier to hit in recent years, he should have an edge there. Tarver definitely knows how to play to the crowd and the judges, and he can still throw flashy combos that may not do much damage but look good. His southpaw style has been tricky for some foes, but Dawson is also left-handed, so that's a wash this time out.

Dawson seems like the kind of boxer who is above average in all areas but not really special in any one. He'll enjoy slight height and reach advantages but actually may be better served to get inside, as he's likely to have more power - Tarver's famous one-punch KO of Jones not withstanding. Though he had to hold on to beat Johnson, if his conditioning is good, he may be able to own the second half of the fight as Tarver has been known to fade late.

Adding to the intrigue is the fact that these guys really don't seem to like each other. Anyone who's followed Tarver's career knows that his brashness is part of his act, but he's been especially vocal in the weeks leading up to this fight and looks like he's effectively burrowed under his opponent's skin. Dawson has been visibly steaming during some of their verbal exchanges, and it will be interesting to see if that motivates him more or throws him off his game.

This should be a competitive bout, and even Tarver has acknowledged that Dawson is the future of the division. Picking a winner boils down to whether or not one thinks the Magic Man can reach down deep and summon up one more (possibly final) top-notch performance. I think he can, so I'm going with Tarver in a close but unanimous decision.

The heavyweight fight shapes up as a real question mark thanks to one inconsistent performer and another who hasn't fought in almost four years. Both Peter (30-1, 23 KOs) and Klitschko (35-2, 34 KOs) have plenty of power, so the biggest surprise would be seeing this one go the distance.

Klitschko has a massive height advantage and enough skill to pick off Peter coming in - or at least he did four or five years ago when he looked like the best heavyweight in the world. Reports have him looking good in training, but we just won't know where he stands until he's in the ring throwing and taking punches.

He could have picked an easier first fight back than Peter, who hasn't lost since a September 2005 decision to Vitali's brother Wladimir. He looked very good in dispatching Oleg Maskaev in March, and there's little question he can end the fight quickly if Klitschko is too rusty.

If a prime Klitschko shows up Saturday, he wins, pure and simple. I just can't stake my pick on that happening, so I'm playing it safe and taking Peter to win by mid-round KO.

Uatu says...
Dawson by decision. Activity and speed rule the day.

Klitschko by decision. Klitscho has always been the better fighter, and Peter may have regressed.

7.10.08

Odds on this Weekend's Showtime Fights

Just for the heck of it Uatu thought he would check out the odds for Saturday's fights because they are both intriguing match-ups.

from sportsbook.com
Dawson -265
Tarver +225

Vitali -170
Peter +140

Uatu likes a bet on Tarver in the first fight and an abstain in the second fight.

4.10.08

Boxing After Dark Quick Recaps: Gamboa vs. Ramirez, Angulo vs. Tsurkan, Martinez vs. Bunem

Gamboa vs. Ramirez was a wide swinging, fast paced affair. Ramirez dominated the first round and scored a knock down with a quick right hook - though when we saw the replay, Gamboa was actually hit with an accidental elbow. The ref didn't see and Ramirez won the first round.

In round two, Gamboa rocked Ramirez with quick combinations and dropped him twice with uppercuts. Ramirez didn't make it up by the end of the 10 count.
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In the fight between Angulo and Tsurkan, Angulo destroyed Tsurkan for nine rounds. Both our cards and Harold Lederman's card had Angulo winning all nine rounds. In the middle of the final round, commentator Jim Lampley lowered his microphone and pleaded with Tsurkan to go down from the punches so that he would not be seriously injured. It seemed as if Tsurkan's corner heard his plea and threw in the towel. Both Lennox Lewis and Max Kellerman thought that the ref should have stopped the action much earlier than the ninth round.
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In the first fight between Martinez and Bunema, Martinez won by late round stoppage.

More Interesting News: Nate Campbell Declares Bankruptcy

Nate Campbell is one of the best and most exciting fighters in the world regardless of weight and one of the BoxingWatchers' favorite fighters. So Uatu is going to look at this news with a glass half-full approach.

Uatu is no bankruptcy expert, but based on what ESPN's Dan Rafael is reporting, Campbell's existing contract with Don King is currently dead. The article also reports that this means that Nate is free to sign with anyone.

There are so many great, big $ opportunities out there for Campbell, so here's hoping he cashes in big time. He is never in a bad fight. And he can beat just about anyone from 130-140, in Uatu's opinion.

Some of these are more likely than others, some bring more money than others, but here are a bunch of people that Campbell can fight and Uatu would want to see them all:

JMM
Pacquiao
Hatton
Malignaggi
Juan Diaz II
Casamayor II
Valero
Bradley
Judah
Katsidis
Soto

So whoever signs Nate Campbell, get him in the ring ASAP in a big fight. He deserves the fights, not just because he got ripped off by Joan Guzman, but because he will not disappoint when it comes to entertainment, heart, and skill.

Arthur Abraham vs. Raul Marquez Postponed

Fightnews.com is reporting that Arthur Abraham is out with the flu and the fight is being moved to November 8th. Bummer.

It's always a little fishy when something like this goes down. But on the other hand, considering the danger and the stakes involved, it's understandable why a fighter would only want to fight if 100%.

Of course, if this were American football or the Olympics, there wouldn't be this option.

Not to drag boxing's "cousin" into this once again, but one wonders what would happen if a fighter told Dana White the morning of a championship, PPV-headlining fight that he had the flu.

BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings: September 2008

Welcome to another edition of our pseudo-scientific boxer rankings. Though Uatu has distanced himself from this list in favor of his own (and perhaps he'll grace us with another update soon) this is an attempt to quantify which boxers have done the best over the last three years - in this case, from the end of September 2005 through the end of September 2008.

Though there isn't too much movement from last month, the next two months could shake up these rankings substantially as a host of boxers on the list take to the ring.

Here goes nothing...

1. David Haye - 24.15 - He'll finally start losing points at the end of this month as one of his wins will "expire." Fortunately for him, he's found an opponent for his first foray into the heavyweight division in Monte "Two Gunz" Barrett, and the two will square off in November.

2. Kelly Pavlik - 23.03 - The more I think about it, the more I dislike The Ghost's chances against Bernard Hopkins on Oct. 18. Of course, if Father Time shows up to aid Pavlik, maybe The Executioner finally goes down for the count.

3. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.00 - Wlad haters will be watching in December, because at least on paper, he's fighting someone who has a chance to beat him in undefeated Alexander Povetkin.

4. Arthur Abraham - 19.29 - King Arthur is actually fighting tonight against mandatory challenger Raul Marquez. I'm sure his people will again reach out to Pavlik's people after he wins, and they will once again respectfully decline to face him.

5. Manny Pacquiao - 17.28 - Lots of people voting on BoxingWatchers.com seem to think Manny can upset Oscar De La Hoya. I'm worried about what will happen when the much bigger Golden Boy lands the left hook.

6. Antonio Margarito - 16.00 - Right now the plan seems to be for Tony to defend his title once in the first quarter of 2009, then look for a rematch with Miguel Cotto in the summer. And once again, that will be one to watch for all real fight fans.

7. Nate Campbell - 13.67 - Currently inactive through no fault of his own after Joan Guzman pulled out of their fight. Here's hoping he can find a good fight soon.

8. Andre Berto - 13.67 - Berto doesn't score a lot of points for some of his wins under our scoring system thanks to substandard opposition, but he's racked up enough of them to make his first appearance on this list. He's still lacking a fight that definitively puts him on the map, but he's young enough that he's got plenty of time to find it.

9. Juan Diaz - 12.70 - The Baby Bull bounced back from his defeat to Campbell by beating Michael Katsidis. I wouldn't mind seeing him fight the Galaxxy Warrior again.

10. Israel Vazquez - 12.13 - Seems to be preparing for a return to the ring this coming spring. Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports suggests Jorge Arce is a possible opponent.

The next 7: Cristian Mijares, Paul Williams, Chris John, Joe Calzaghe, Chad Dawson, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez