27.2.10

Mike Jones vs. Henry Bruseles: Round by Round

Tonight, Comcast SportsNet brings us undefeated slugger Mike Jones against Henry Bruseles. Jones is an up and coming prospect, while Bruseles is most famous for his bout against Floyd "Money" Mayweather.

Fair or not, Bruseles is often mentioned in the list of fights that Floyd took in succession that were big paydays for Floyd but less than compelling matchups. That list includes Victoriano Sosa, Phillip N'Dou, Demarcus Corley, and Bruseles. I am not saying I disagree or agree with the contention that Bruseles was or wasn't worthy of a Floyd fight back on January 22nd of 2005, just letting you know what I have read over the years. But this night is not about Floyd, so we will put that eighth-round TKO aside and view tonight's fight on its own merits.

The first fight being brought to us courtesy of tonight's Top Rank card is a 10-round, 154-pound fight between Saul Roman and Gabriel Rosado.

This fight is being billed as a super welterweight fight. Is there any standard for when a fight is called super welter as opposed to junior middle? Is that a marketing decision, a state commission decision or sanctioning body decision? I have always gone:

130 - junior lightweight
135 - lightweight
140 - junior welter
147 - welter
154 - junior middle
160 - middle
168 - super middle
175 - light heavy

But whatever. On to the action.

Actually, away from the action. A quick look at the sometimes reliable Wikipedia makes me think that it is the sanctioning bodies that name the classes differently. For what it's worth, it looks like the only sanctioning body that would jive all the way with what I believe the labels to be from 105 to heavy is the IBF.

If I am going to sit through a co-main or undercard fight between two dudes I don't know or know little about, this is the type of fight I like to see. There's good action from both men, and they both look to be in shape, relatively skilled, evenly matched and in it to win it. So early round kudos to both Roman and Rosado.

I have been to a good number of fights in Atlantic City over the years. This fight is being billed as in Bally's, but I am not sure if this is actually a ballroom IN Bally's or the smaller upstairs space in the Boardwalk Hall and sponsored by Bally's (which is right next door to Boardwalk Hall). The major fights in A.C. over the last few years, such as the Holyfield, Gatti, and Pavlik fights, have been in Boardwalk Hall's main space, but the Hall has an additional room used for smaller fights, just like the WaMu Theatre does in Madison Square Garden. On TV the space looks fairly small, but completely full, which always makes for good seats for the fans and a fun, loud, and lively atmosphere.

A quick look at the net shows that this fight is actually in Bally's in the Hotel Event Center. Immediately following my lookup, the announcer announced that it is indeed in Bally's itself.

In Round 6, Rosado lands a very good uppercut. There is a lot of blood in the ring right now. Hard to tell if both men are cut or if it is all from the same cut. There was a headbutt to Roman, and blood is streaming right down the middle of his face between the eyes. Very good two-way action and trading continues to the end of Round 6.

The cut was ruled to be from an unintentional headbutt received by Roman. Interestingly, Rosado is cut as well, and that cut was ruled to be from a punch. Roman is mostly coming forward and Rosado is on his bike a bit to start Round 7. Both men are landing significant jabs. Nice right by Rosado to end the round. It moved Roman around a bit.

Round 8 starts with a nice land by Roman. At this point, it looks like anything could happen to end this fight: a decision either way, a cut stoppage or a KO. It's a fun fight. Kudos to Top Rank and their matchmakers for this one.

The Top Rank graphic on the screen at the beginning of Round 9 listed the fight as "Junior Middle" if you care. Round 9 was another good action round. Nothing to be jumping up and down out of your seat about, but just a good honest fight.

Rich has Rosado up by one point going into Round 10.

And the fight is over. Not going to be a Fight of the Year candidate but was surely worth watching.

Rich has it 96-94 for Rosado.

Officially:

96-94 Rosado
97-93 Roman
96-94 Rosado

Gabriel Rosado wins by split decision.

Good stuff all the way around.

Sounds like Jones-Bruseles is up next, which is great.

Jones is a nice 5'11" for a welterweight. The crew told us that Jones' camp says he is actually over 6-foot.

Bruseles is in the ring. Bruseles is on a five-year, seven-fight win streak. His last loss was actually to Money May. Bruseles is still under 30, so this is not like he is an old piece of meat just being tossed into the fight.

Here comes Jones. Jones has a top ten ranking from the WBA. I really enjoy Dan Rafael's ESPN rankings. Jones is not yet top ten there.

Bruseles is 28-3. Jones is 19-0.

Jones is still employed full time. I love those types of stories. Good for him.

Round 1

Jones as expected looks much bigger. Slow start. Both men feeling their way in. Bruseles is unafraid early, trying to come forward and use different levels. Nice jab from Bruseles. Bruseles got a nice body shot in there. Jones being economical. Jones blocking everything for the most part. A jab lands here and there. Jones is just not throwing a lot. Nothing landed of consequence either way, but on activity, I don't see how anyone could give that round to anyone but Bruseles.

Uatu: Bruseles 10-9

Round 2

Jones throwing more jabs in this round. Good right from Jones. Bruseles is undeterred, but Jones is dodging and ducking. Bruseles is having a little success with the jab. Overhand from Jones. Bruseles throws more combos, but they don't really land without Jones getting the gloves up. Even round, but I will go Jones.

Uatu: Jones 10-9

Round 3

Jones double jabbing. Jones jabbing away. Bruseles still coming inside and trying body work. Jones throwing more and harder combos than in the previous rounds. Jones is staying calm and not reckless. Bruseles has a nice right. Jones may be tall for his weight, but he is a sturdy looking fighter. He does not look overly skinny or drained at all.

Uatu: Jones 10-9

Round 4

Jones really opening up to start the fourth. Surprising. Didn't blow Bruseles away. It was flashier though. Bruseles is fighting well, but I wonder if he has another gear. If this is all he has, than Jones can probably coast to the win. As if on cue, the announcers refer to Bruseles as a by-the-book fighter, a 1-2-3 fighter. That sums it up. Jones slowly getting in the power shots. They are not knockout blows, but they look much harder and more explosive than anything that Bruseles has brought.

Uatu: Jones 10-9

Round 5

(Is Clottey Manny's "biggest bhallenge" as the commercials say? Biggest in size? What about Barrera I or Morales I and II? Hatton or Oscar?)

Jones circling and jabbing. He isn't in any trouble. I like the uppercuts and combos Jones tosses in the mix. He has a more varied attack than Bruseles. Bruseles is still trying. Jones has a lead left that isn't quite the full hook but is more looping than a normal jab. Similar round to the previous two or so. Jones is flashier but isn't exactly crushing Bruseles. Bruseles is giving it a game effort but isn't landing anything major.

Uatu: Jones 10-9

Round 6

The announcing crew wonders if Jones will take it to another gear at any point. Right hook lead and left to follow from Jones. I wonder what the punch numbers are at this point. It doesn't matter much, just curious if Bruseles has thrown and landed more. He appears to be a smidgen more busy, but not overwhelmingly so. And Bruseles lands a nice shot. Nothing leg wobbling, but effective. Not sure about this round. Nothing much landed either way of consequence.

Uatu: Bruseles 10-9

Round 7

Jones nicely lands in the opening seconds. The crew still wants another gear from Jones here. Jones stepping forward more and certainly throwing with more authority. Bruseles not getting tagged though. Bruseles has not provided a ton of openings. Jones wings from the outside of the tight guard of Bruseles. I think Jones is trying more this round but within himself. He is picking Bruseles apart more this round. Could be considered Jones' best round of the fight. Not quite close to getting Bruseles out of there, but this round showed the disparity in talent between the two. You never know, but Jones looked so in control this round that it would be hard to see any way Bruseles can take this fight.

Uatu: Jones 10-9

Round 8

The crew has it 6-2 Jones. Jones continuing where he left off. He is throwing quick and snapping punches. Nice jabs from Jones. Nice right from Jones. Bruseles may finally be discouraged. The Jones jab stops Bruseles a few times from moving in. I love that around-the-corner left from Jones. He follows it up with straights from both hands. Another round for Jones conclusively.

Uatu: Jones 10-9

Round 9

The crew announces that Bruseles looked discouraged between rounds. Jones slowing down a little bit. Bruseles works the body on the inside. I doubt Jones is in trouble, but he is being careful so far. With a minute left, Jones finally goes combo. Jab from Bruseles. The crew laments that no one is going to say "wow" about Jones after this fight. I suppose Bruseles could have taken that round on activity. He certainly did not have Jones in trouble.

Uatu: Bruseles 10-9

Round 10

Well, somehow I lost my entire post from this round. Anyway, Bruseles came out hard, but he just didn't ever explode on Jones. At one point, Jones threw a huge punch but missed by a half mile. There was some holding on the inside. There may not have been one break-up the entire fight, which is greatly appreciated. This round was hard to score in that neither man landed anything big, or much that wasn't partially blocked. Jones will get the round. Basically even in punch output, Jones a little harder and flashier with some combos. Close round.

Uatu: Jones 10-9

Uatu: 97-93 Jones

Official Scores:

98-92
98-92
97-92

The winner by unanimous decision... Mike Jones!

A clear win for Jones.

Jones says he likes to watch what his opponent likes to do, and he has to take his time in there. He says the training camp was important, and he had a good performance.

He is not disappointed when he does not get a KO. He likes to get the tough rounds in for his future fights.

I liked Jones in his post-fight interview. He sounded thoughtful and analytical regarding his performance.

I failed to mention this at the top, but the announcing crew was Rich Marotta and Alan Massengale.

That's it. Jones has skills and physical tools to work with. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here. He somewhat easily beat a sturdy veteran fighter with much more experience. However, he thought he was going to fight Joshua Clottey instead, and Clottey is another matter altogether. Clottey has fought Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto, Zab Judah and Diego Corrales, which is a light-years difference in experience.

I am unsure if Jones is ready for a Clottey-type fight yet, but he has a game that will give him at least a chance against a lot of the top level fighters. I can't favor him over anyone in Rafael's top 10 welters yet, although I have never seen numbers 9 and 10 from Turkey and Slovenia.

Jones is 26 and turns 27 in April, so he isn't out of time, but one would have to think that his big bouts would have to come sooner than later.

Good night.

Posted by uatu

26.2.10

Antonio Escalante vs. Miguel Roman: Friday Night Fights Round By Round

We're just about set for the FNF main event, pitting Antonio Escalante against childhood foe Miguel Roman. The Don Haskins Convention Center in El Paso is ready to see hometown boy Escalante do his thing.

Escalante is 22-2 with 14 KOs and is riding an eight-fight winning streak. Roman is 28-6, but only 3-4 over his last seven bouts.

The introductions are done and we're ready for a scheduled 10 rounds.

Round 1

Roman ducks low and tries the body as Escalante stands his ground. Antonio bounces and flurries. Good left hand and some in-fighting by Roman. Combination punching forces Roman to cover up. Micky keeps coming forward but is getting beaten to the punch. Now he lands a crunching left hook and both men trade in the final seconds.

Franchise: 10-9 Escalante

Round 2

Escalante tries to keep Roman at bay with some jabs. Both guys are just missing, but Roman manages to connect with a left hook. Tony stays on the outside, reaching with jabs and right hands. Roman walks into a right hand and a good scrap breaks out again just before the bell.

Franchise: 10-9 Escalante

Round 3

The ref has to step in during the early going of the third. Escalante is staying very busy but is eating some return fire. A battle in the corner sees both fighters score with some hard shots. Roman loops in some hooks to the body and head. Tony responds with a clean two-shot combo to the head. It will be interesting to see if either man wears down.

Franchise: 10-9 Escalante

Round 4

Roman keeps pressing forward but he is taking two for each one he lands right now. Escalante flashes the hand speed and gets caught with a left hand coming back. The fans respond to the action as the hometown boy scores with two or three in a row. Roman is relentless and just keeps coming. Teddy Atlas wonders aloud if Escalante can keep up the pace.

Franchise: 10-9 Escalante

Round 5

Escalante stumbles a bit froma left hook. Roman tries to press his advantage but it's fleeting. Escalante stays light on his feet and circles back. Roman lands an uppercut. There's another one as Escalante attempts to gather himself and fight back. Tony lets his hands go but not all of the punches land. Roman gives and takes in the corner to finish his best round so far.

Franchise: 10-9 Roman

Round 6

Escalante attempts to start quickly in the sixth. Roman tries to close the distance but his foe keeps popping him from a distance. Roman holds and hits with his right hand. Escalante unleashes some uppercuts as he backs up. More in-fighting keeps the referee busy. Tony literally turns Miguel around and just misses a big right hand.

Franchise: 10-9 Escalante

Round 7

Roman has to weather another early storm in the first 15 seconds. The fighters stand and trade in the corner until Escalante can pivot away. A flurry from Tony elicits no response. Finally Roman gets low and tries to dig to the body. The crowd chants to get Escalante going. Roman lands punches from close range and takes some counters as well. Neither man is giving an inch.

Franchise: 10-9 Escalante

Round 8

Escalante carries the early action until Roman connects with a nice right hand. Both men land as Tony tries to battle out of the corner. The ref pulls them apart as both men lean on each other a bit. Roman backs Escalante up, but Tony digs in and throws a vicious combo that plants Roman on the canvas. He beats the count and battles gamely for the remainder of the round.

Franchise: 10-8 Escalante

Round 9

It was a left hand that scored the knockdown for Escalante. Roman wants to turn it into a brawl right away. Escalante ties up. He is on his bike now, much to Roman's disgust. Miguel gets his way and both boxers swing away in the corner. Roman marches forward and shows a ton of heart. Punches land both ways, but Escalante's are cleaner. The announcers do think he's getting tired though.

Franchise: 10-9 Roman

Round 10

Because of Roman's pressure, this fight is actually closer than the scores are going to indicate. We'll see if there is any drama in the final three minutes. Roman shows quite a chin as Escalante drills him repeatedly in the opening minute. Roman mocks Escalante for backing up. Escalante batters Roman with wide punches but return punches are still coming. Tony fires more head shots; Roman comes right back. Ten seconds to go. The final bell rings and the fans show their appreciation for the serious heart and determination on display tonight.

Franchise: 10-9 Escalante

Franchise: 98-91 Escalante

The judges score it 97-92 and 96-93 twice, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Antonio Escalante.

Posted by The Franchise

Friday Night Fights Report - February 26, 2010

El Paso is the site for tonight's broadcast of Friday Night Fights, headlined by Antonio Escalante and Miguel Roman. Joe Tessitore lets Escalante talk a little bit about his story and his history with Roman growing up.

Teddy Atlas is also on hand, as usual. Escalante is 22-2, but he's won eight in a row, including five by KO. Atlas says that even though Roman is thought of as a power guy, he expects Escalante to flex his power tonight.

Andre Ward is in the studio with Brian Kenny. Ward acknowledges the thinking that Mikkel Kessler was the Super Six pre-tournament favorite, and though he was pleased with his victory, he doesn't consider it a coming-out party like many observers did.

The first fight is a 10-rounder between Ashley Theophane and 15-0 Philly product Danny Garcia. The 21-year old Garcia has been showcased a bit on pay-per-view undercards but he's yet to make it past eight rounds in any of his pro fights.

Theophane lands a few nice shots at the end of the first round. The fans aren't digging the action in the first two frames as Theophane is moving in and out a lot and Garcia is patiently stalking him.

Atlas wants to see more jabs from Garcia. Both men are scoring semi-regularly with hooks but no one has put together much sustained offense. Garcia finally comes to life in the second half of Round 4, landing a nice two-punch combo to the head and strafing Theophane with body shots.

Ward offers his two cents from the studio, saying that even though Garcia seems to be setting up Theophane for a KO in the later rounds, he still should be boxing more. Danny is warned for a low shot in the last minute of Round 6, but things are going his way now thanks to his success landing hard counter shots.

Escalante is interviewed between rounds. He says he needs to stay smart and throw punches in bunches. Antonio also discusses his personal feud with Roman and the pressure involved fighting in front of his home fans.

Garcia has landed more punches and at a higher percentage through six rounds. The seventh and eighth rounds are more of the same, and Teddy has given Danny every round since the third.

We'll see how Garcia does in his first trip into the late rounds. He does get deducted a point in the ninth round for another low blow, so that may play into the scoring if the judges have it close.

Both men stay pretty lively down the stretch, and we'll go to the scorecards. The judges have it 95-94 Theophane, 95-94 Garcia and 96-94 Garcia. The winner by split decision is Danny Garcia. That was a decent outing, but nothing spectacular by any means.

Back to the studio with BK and Ward. Andre talks about the slow build of his pro career and the thinking involved. He also discusses the success he had in the Olympics and the state of the U.S. program.

Naturally, the talk turns to the Super Six. Ward narrates highlights of his victory over Kessler.

Kenny brings up some recent quotes from Allan Green, who isn't short on confidence. Ward claims he was not surprised that Jermain Taylor withdrew, and he says that since he wasn't training yet, it wasn't a big deal to switch his focus to Green.

Posted by The Franchise

Abraham-Dirrell Headed to Detroit on March 27, Ricardo Mayorga MMA Debut Set for May 15

Two news stories caught my eye yesterday that I didn't have time to comment on until now.

The first is that a site has been set for the recently rescheduled Arthur Abraham-Andre Dirrell Super Six fight, and it's one that makes a lot of sense. According to the Grand Rapids Press, that bout will take place in Detroit on March 27, either at Cobo Arena or Joe Louis Arena.

Dirrell is from Flint, a tad over 60 miles from Detroit (and a place the BoxingWatchers know fairly well, as our mom grew up there), so it goes without saying that he should draw plenty of local fans. If the fight was going to take place in the U.S. - and at this point in his career, even King Arthur prefers it that way - you may as well hold it where the American boxer will sell some tickets. So well done, Showtime, promoters, or whoever exactly deserves the credit.

And now for something that makes a lot less sense: Ricardo Mayorga's move to MMA is apparently for real. Mayorga is set to face Din Thomas, a former UFC fighter and a competitor on Season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter, on May 15 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

I don't know a ton about Mr. Thomas, but I do know that he has wins over Jens Pulver, Matt Serra and Clay Guida in his MMA career. That alone is strong evidence that he doesn't suck.

My gut tells me that Mayorga will get annihilated. However, one of the worries I always have about boxers moving to MMA is that their footwork and spacing will be incorrect because of the threat of kicks, knees and takedown attempts. Mayorga's boxing technique was never that great to begin with, so perhaps it won't be too difficult for him to throw it out the window completely.

We know he's tough, so maybe El Matador can take a few shots to land one. Maybe there will be some weird hybrid rules to give him more of a chance or Thomas will be, ahem, persuaded to keep the fight standing. Who knows?

I just know I'll be rooting against Mayorga, because I'd prefer to just keep the two sports separate, thanks very much.

Posted by The Franchise

23.2.10

Dirrell-Abraham Bout Moved Back 3 Weeks, But Still Not Free of HBO Competition

One of my recurring themes over the past few months has been repeatedly wishing that HBO and Showtime would stop counterprogramming each other with cards on the same nights, because it's not good for the health of the sport in the U.S.

I've been especially irritated about HBO insisting on putting fights on the same weekends as the second round robin fights of Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic. From a competitive standpoint, I understand why they're doing it, but I don't like it.

A few days ago, word came down that Andre Dirrell had a minor back injury, necessitating the move of his bout with Arthur Abraham from March 6 to March 27. Though that's never the kind of news you like to hear, the silver lining was that at least it got away from HBO's card on the 6th, a doubleheader featuring Devon Alexander-Juan Urango and Cory Spinks-Cornelius Bundrage.

I was happy for about five minutes. Then I remembered that HBO also has a broadcast all but set for the 27th, a card that looks even better than the previous one with Marcos Maidana facing Victor Cayo and Ali Funeka getting a well-deserved rematch with Joan Guzman. Crap.

I'm not blaming this one on HBO, as its plans for the 27th have been known for a little while (though as far as I can tell, there's no site finalized for that card - time to get cracking on that one, no?). And some of the congestion is due to HBO's ambitious boxing schedule for the next few months, something I wholeheartedly applaud.

Still, looking at the whole picture strictly from a fan's perspective, it stinks that none of these fights will get the spotlight they probably deserve, and that viewers will have to make choices multiple times this spring. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that there's a little basketball tournament going on in late March too, which obviously will take some eyeballs away.

But it is what it is, I suppose. Let's move on to...

SHOE SHINING

As reported by various sources and confirmed by the Showtime Sports site, boxing is still on for March 6. Vic Darchinyan, who qualifies as must-see in my book, becomes the headliner as he steps in with Rodrigo Guerrero, and Lenny Zappavigna faces Fernando Angulo in a fight that was always on the card but wasn't originally going to be televised. Though the broadcast has been rebranded as a ShoBox show, props go to Showtime for keeping it at 9 pm Eastern instead of shoving it back to a later time...

Though it's been common knowledge for some time, it was only yesterday that Allan Green was confirmed as the next Super Six opponent for Andre Ward, making it "officially official," as I like to say. Green certainly isn't lacking for confidence, saying to the AP of his tournament foes, "I know I can beat any of them." That won't be ab easy task, but Green's power certainly makes him a livelier underdog than the man he replaced, Jermain Taylor...

In terms of "Stories I Wish Would Go Away," James Toney's continuing flirtation with MMA ranks right up near the top of the list. But I can't fault a guy for wanting to make a few extra bucks, especially these days, and The Ring's William Dettloff recently offered a well-written examination of why Lights Out shouldn't be blamed for that either.

Posted by The Franchise

21.2.10

Noreaga Name-Checks Chris Arreola

In one of my several alternate lives, I review music for HipHopSite.com (recently relaunched with a spiffy new look... peep it). Boxing and hip hop have a long history together, and it's always fun to catch boxing references in different songs.

It only took one review since the relaunch to find a fairly surprising one. In the chorus for the final track, "Pablo Doe," on DJ Green Lantern and Styles P's The Green Ghost Project, guest star Noreaga drops this line: "Hit hard like Arreola."

Is Victor Santiago Jr. a big fan of the sweet science, or did he simply write himself into a corner and need a word to rhyme with "pistola?" Is the Nightmare accomplished enough to have his name dropped in a fashion usually reserved for the Mike Tysons and Manny Pacquiaos of the world?

You make the call!

Posted by The Franchise

18.2.10

Franchise Thoughts on... Adamek-Arreola, Williams-Cintron, Khan-Malignaggi and More

Dan Rafael of ESPN was nice enough to use his blog entry for today to spell out exactly what HBO had planned for the second quarter of 2010. At this point, just about anything would be better than the network's first quarter boxing schedule, though the cancellation of its biggest fight (Shane Mosley-Andre Berto) was obviously not HBO's fault.

Here are my thoughts on what is supposedly on tap:

April:

I was a little surprised to see that Berto will be matched with Carlos Quintana on April 10. There have been quite a few names kicked around for Andre, including everyone from Paul Malignaggi to Zab Judah. Berto himself sounded off on Twitter about a week ago and didn't seem too interested in either one of those guys. Also on that card will be personal favorite Tavoris Cloud facing Glen Johnson in what should be an action-packed fight. I like Cloud in that one, but Johnson will make it a tough night as always.

The next week on April 17 is planned to be a split-site doubleheader that features Lucian Bute-Edison Miranda in Montreal and Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez in Atlantic City. Miranda is always dangerous and should be good for some entertaining trash talk if nothing else, but the most recent version of Bute we saw was also the best one. He should win. Pavlik-Martinez is a fascinating study in contrasts; I'm withholding my thoughts on the outcome until both guys actually sign on the dotted line.

Tomasz Adamek-Chris Arreola is apparently official for April 24, much to my dismay. Don't get me wrong, because I like the match-up. But Showtime just moved the Super Six fights to that date, and now HBO is putting a card on that date. That is bad for fans and the sport in general. Alfredo Angulo vs. Joel Julio is the co-feature, which doesn't do a whole lot for me.

May:

Paul Williams will be the headliner on May 8. Rafael says his most likely opponent will be Kermit Cintron at 154 pounds. I'm biased toward Cintron because he hails from a town about 30 minutes from the hometown of the BoxingWatchers. Nevertheless, I give the edge to The Punisher if he brings his 'A' game. Assuming Martinez really does face Pavlik, this is a good bout for Williams, so I hope it gets made.

Amir Khan-Paulie Malignaggi on May 15? Yes, please! Frankly, Malignaggi never made much sense to me as a foe for Berto, and even though I was intrigued by the possibility of Khan taking on Juan Manuel Marquez for the obvious "youth versus experience" storyline, this is better. Khan seems to be on the fast track to superstardom, but we've seen what can happen to young boxers who are tagged as the next big thing. Speaking of those guys, Victor Ortiz is likely to be in the co-feature against Nate Campbell. That's not too shabby either.

June:

There's nothing official for June as of yet. But there is growing talk about Miguel Cotto and Yuri Foreman fighting, either on June 5 in Yankee Stadium or June 12 at Madison Square Garden. I wrote about that potential title fight in more detail elsewhere, but to sum up, it should be one of those rare matches where we learn something about both men. If Cotto's losses to Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao took something out of him permanently, Foreman seems good enough to let us know. Regardless, NYC is the perfect spot for this fight, indoors or out.

Posted by The Franchise

16.2.10

Ringside Boxing Round One Cards Coming in May



I was kind of bummed out that my weekend included no boxing. It's sad, but it happens from time to time when life gets in the way.

Anyway, I got a little happier when I happened across the news that Creative Cardboard Concepts has set a tentative release date for its Ringside Boxing Round One cards: May 2010. Still no checklist at the CCC site, but there are some previews of different aspects of the new product.

Along with some pretty simple but nice looking base cards, the company revealed several subsets, including In My Corner, Tale of the Tape, Victorious and Weigh-In.

Also shown are hard-signed autographs (meaning the signature is right on the card, not on a sticker or something similar) and memorabilia cards.

The set looks like it may be heavier on retired stars of the ring than today's current crop - though Chad Dawson was pictured on one of the cards - but we'll just have to wait and see. I'm excited to see how this comes out.

Posted by The Franchise

12.2.10

Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward-Allan Green Moved Back a Week to April 24

It's kind of funny that my last post included a mini-rant about how having big boxing cards on HBO and Showtime on the same weekend was not good for the health of the sport in the U.S. Perhaps Showtime agrees with me.

ESPN's Dan Rafael and the AP are both reporting that the Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward-Allan Green fights - both part of the second phase of the Super Six World Boxing Classic - have been moved back from April 17 to April 24. Though there was no official announcement of the reason, both media outlets mentioned HBO's recently confirmed split-site doubleheader featuring Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez and Lucian Bute-Edison Miranda, which will be held on April 17, as the likely motivation.

Reading between the lines, it's pretty clear that Showtime blinked. There's no shame in that. Pavlik is a much bigger name to Amercian fans than any of the Super Six participants, and Bute is getting to be huge in Canada. Why not give the tournament the open date it needs to have the spotlight to itself?

Froch is quoted in Rafael's piece saying that he's upset about the inconvenience it will cause his fans who have made travel plans (he's fighting Kessler in Denmark), and that does stink. But overall, this is a positive move for boxing fans everywhere who won't have to choose between the two cards, and even though the decision probably wasn't made for this reason, it's good for the sport as a whole.

Now if someone would please move one of the cards on March 6, where a very similar situation is currently set to happen, I'd be a very happy camper indeed.

Posted by The Franchise

10.2.10

Franchise Thoughts on... Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Martinez in A.C. on April 17

It's been so long since Kelly Pavlik has had a tough defense of his middleweight titles that I had to look up when the last one took place. Then I remembered: he's never had one.

He won the titles from Jermain Taylor in September 2007. Pavlik won the rematch a few months later, but that wasn't a defense because it was contested a few pounds above the middleweight limit.

Kelly's loss to Bernard Hopkins was well above 160. He's actually only defended the belts against Gary Lockett, Marco Antonio Rubio and Miguel Espino. Of that group, only Rubio counts as a credible challenger, and that's being somewhat generous.

But The Ghost may finally have to put in a tough night's work in a few months. That's because a bout with Sergio Martinez is all but signed, set for Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on April 17.

If it's possible to win even when losing, Martinez has done it. The Argentina-born, Spain-dwelling lefty gave Paul Williams all he could handle before losing a decision last December that numerous fans thought he won (though I did not).

Martinez and Pavlik should make for a great contrast in styles: speed versus power, elusiveness versus straightforward aggression and orthodox versus southpaw. Kelly always draws well in A.C., and Sergio made some new fans there with his last performance, so the atmosphere should be electric.

One really interesting part of Dan Rafael's report is that Lou DiBella asked for some assurances from HBO that Martinez would still get to fight (in Montreal, where Lucian Bute and Edison Miranda will do battle as part of HBO's split-site doubleheader) if Pavlik pulled out for health reasons. It's not often you think of boxers as being injury prone the way you do some stick-and-ball athletes, but Kelly fits the bill if anyone does.

Now here's the crappy part for boxing fans: April 17 already has a pretty big card on Showtime with Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward-Allan Green in the next phase of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.

I get that HBO and Showtime are in competition. Really, I do. But boxing isn't popular enough at the moment to be able to handle constant counter-programming by the two networks.

The same thing is happening on March 6. I really wish they'd knock it off.

Let's do some...

SHOE SHINING

Gerson Guerrero is out and Manuel Vargas is in as an opponent for Nonito Donaire this Saturday. My man Tim Starks of The Queensberry Rules says it's "not even a huge drop off," but he meant it more in an anti-Guerrero way than a pro-Vargas way. I like Donaire, but I'm not going to be really pumped about anyone he fights not named Vic Darchinyan...

Former MMA champ Andrei Arlovski hasn't given up on his plans to embark on a boxing career. He's going to take on Fres Oquendo in a four-round exhibition on Feb. 27, then take two more MMA bouts before hopefully making his pro debut later in 2010. I'm not sure I've got high hopes for him as a boxer after seeing what Brett Rogers did to him...

Would anyone be up for Timothy Bradley-Edwin Valero on June 5 (on Showtime)? Or more precisely, would anyone NOT be up for Bradley-Valero? It's just talk at this point, but we can always cross our fingers and hope. Also, HBO doesn't have anything scheduled for that weekend, so there's that.

Posted by The Franchise

8.2.10

20/20 Hindsight: Edwin Valero is Great, But Let's Not Get Too Carried Away About a Manny Pacquiao Fight Just Yet

Boxing fans who have been waiting for a good look at what Edwin Valero is all about got exactly that this past Saturday.

Valero showed just about every kind of crowd-pleasing attribute a boxer can have during his ninth-round TKO if Antonio DeMarco. He displayed a varied and powerful offense, which was sort of a given considering he had won every one of his professional fights by KO.

He showed heart and a willingness to battle through adversity, thanks to a nasty cut that had by brother Spartan117 saying he "thought he saw skull." And after he came out on top, he immediately called out the number one pound-for-pound boxer on most lists, so he proved he was ambitious as well.

Before this weekend, it was fair to wonder if Valero's amazing record was padded by fighting too many stiffs. Some of that wasn't his fault, since for various reasons he hasn't been able to fight against top competition in the Unites States for years.

But DeMarco was a quality opponent who did a lot of things right. He just couldn't match Valero in terms of strength and ferocity.

Lest we get too carried away, Valero still has room to improve. His defense relies more on his athleticism than technique, and he can be hit a little more easily than you'd like for a top contender.

Of course once upon a time, you could also say that about Manny Pacquiao, the man Valero has his sights set on now. A Pacquiao-Valero fight would be dynamite indeed, but Edwin was probably guilty of a bit of hyperbole when he said after the fight, "That's the fight the world wants to see."

He's going to need to beat a few more tough foes before that's true. He'll also have to prove that he can easily keep going up in weight, which Manny managed to do but others haven't (see: Juan Manuel Marquez).

By the time those things happen, Pacquiao may not even be fighting any more. There are a lot of moving parts here, many things that would have to fall into place just right for Valero to get his wish.

Still, he's at least one step closer after his big win this weekend, and there's no reason he can't dream. And we boxing fans can dream right along with him.

Posted by The Franchise

6.2.10

Edwin Valero vs. Antonio DeMarco: Round by Round

Now it's time for the main event. It's between Edwin Valero and Antonio Demarco for Valero's WBC lightweight title.

DeMarco is making his way to the ring first. A mariachi band is in the ring for his entrance. He looks calm and collected.

Valero is in the ring now. He looks focused.

Round 1

They meet in the center and touch gloves. Valero goes for a right hook early, while DeMarco is moving back. Valero is showing hand speed. Valero lands a right hand on the shoulder and continues throwing power punches. Valero has a cut on his right cheek. I have no idea where that came from. Valero lands a strong left and right hook. DeMarco is staggered. Good round for Valero.

Spartan117: 10-9 Valero
Uatu: 10-9 Valero

Round 2

DeMarco gets a jab in. Valero gets DeMarco in the corner and goes to work. DeMarco still looks calm. He throws two straight left hands, and Valero backs up. DeMarco catches Valero coming in. Valero complains that he got hit with an elbow. A cut has opened up on the forehead of Valero, and there is no way that is was caused by a punch. The cut is an absolute mess. The doctor surprisingly says he can fight on. Now it's nothing but a brawl in the ring. Valero is swinging away. The mouthpiece goes flying out of Valero's mouth, and the ref stops the action to put it back in. Amazing round.

Spartan117: 10-8 Valero
Uatu: 10-8 Valero

Round 3

Valero is still going for the knockout. Also, the ref did indeed take a point for the elbow last round. Valero is landing strong shots. He's fighting with pure intensity. DeMarco isn't backing down, and he lands two hooks. Valero is measuring up the left hand. Good round for Valero.

Spartan117: 10-9 Valero
Uatu: 10-9 Valero

Round 4

Valero comes out firing once again, still looking for the KO. DeMarco throws back. Valero lands a left hook. They trade punches on the inside. Valero scores with more hooks in the center of the ring. Valero lands a big flurry upstairs to Demarco. These punches have to be adding up. Another solid round for Valero.

Spartan117: 10-9 Valero
Uatu: 10-9 Valero

Round 5

Valero's mouth is hanging open. It may mean that he's gassed. He's still throwing punches in bunches. Valero lands a right hook, then another. DeMarco lands a right hand. DeMarco is standing in the center of the ring and exchanging. Valero backs DeMarco up with a right hand. Valero lands a left hook. That cut is still flowing over the face of Valero. He's really showing his toughness.

Spartan117: 10-9 Valero
Uatu: 10-9 Valero

Round 6

Valero is landing some more hooks. This fight also has open scoring, and the judges have it for Valero. He lands a left-right hook combo, and DeMarco responds with a right hook. Valero ties up. Valero lands a big right hook, but DeMarco answers with a right hook and a straight left hand that back up Valero. DeMarco gets caught in the corner, and Valero goes to work. Another strong round for Valero.

Spartan117: 10-9 Valero
Uatu: 10-9 Valero

Round 7

Valero lands a left hook. Not many jabs being thrown. DeMarco is stuck in the corner again, and Valero is measuring with the power left. The corner is not where DeMarco wants to be. Valero lands three left hooks, and DeMarco throws another punch. DeMarco doesn't look hurt despite taking these punches, but he isn't active enough to win any of these rounds. Valero looks too strong.

Spartan117: 10-9 Valero
Uatu: 10-9 Valero

Round 8

They square up in the center. DeMarco lands a left hook. Valero waves him in. Valero is pouring it on now. He lands a huge left hand. DeMarco is way down on the scorecards. Valero lands a right to the body. Now DeMarco takes more punishment upstairs from all different angles. I wouldn't be surprised if the corner threw in the towel for DeMarco. He keeps taking punches. The action gets stopped because of a punch downstairs from DeMarco.

Spartan117: 10-9 Valero
Uatu: 10-9 Valero

Round 9

DeMarco looks totally discouraged in his corner between rounds. This fight is all but over unless he makes some major changes. DeMarco gets caught in the corner, and Valero continues to put work in. DeMarco eats more combos. DeMarco gets slightly more active and lands a straight right. Valero lands some more combos straight to the head. Valero lands a monstrous left hand in the corner.

Spartan117: 10-9 Valero
Uatu: 10-9 Valero

DeMarco elects not to come out for the 10th round. It's all over.

The winner by TKO at the end of Round 9... and still WBC lightweight titleholder... Edwin Valero.

Posted by spartan117

Luis Carlos Abregu vs. Richard Gutierrez: Round by Round

The undercard of tonight's event on Showtime is a welterweight bout between Luis Carlos Abregu and Richard Gutierrez. This fight will have open scoring and the instant replay is in effect.

Gutierrez, who hails from Miami, Florida, is 24-3-1 with 14 KOs and Abregu, from Salta, Argentina, is 28-0 with 23 KOs.

Round 1

They come out of their corners and meet in the center of the ring. Abregu shows off his hand speed early. He lands a couple jabs and a right cross. He's really loading up on the power punches early. They exchange jabs. Guitierrez throws a couple jabs of his own. He gets in two glancing rights to the body. Abregu throws a nice combo that scores. The ref tells Abregu to watch his head on the inside. Abregu throws a wide right hand that gets blocked. Abregu lands a right hand that causes Gutierrez to step back.

Spartan117: 10-9 Abregu
Uatu: 10-9 Abregu

Round 2

Abregu lands some more jabs and loads up on the right, but he gets caught with a big left from Gutierrez he goes down. He makes it up but is on wobbly legs. He's getting on his bicycle now. There is 1:22 left in the round and Abregu is still wobbly. He is still throwing power shots. Gutierrez can't land a power punch. Abregu is completely back now. His defense looks back and he's throwing some great combos. Great round.

Spartan117: 10-8 Gutierrez
Uatu: 10-8 Gutierrez

Round 3

Abregu is still backpedaling. He may still be hurt. Now he lands a huge combo and Gutierrez is hurt. Gutierrez waves him in. Abregu answers and puts Gutierrez down. He's hurt but makes it up. Abregu tries to close the show but gets clocked with a wide hook from Gutierrez. Abregu is still throwing strong shots. Both men are still on their feet. Ten seconds left. Abregu lands a great combo before the bell.

Spartan117: 10-8 Abregu
Uatu: 10-8 Abregu

Round 4

Abregu lands a short left hook that staggers Gutierrez early. Gutierrez lands a looping right hook. They are both going for the KO. Gutierrez lands a straight right hand. Now they trade jabs. Abregu lands another right hand. Gutierrez lands a straight right hand. Abregu lands a right hook, and Gutierrez is hurt. He holds on and makes it to the end of the round.

Spartan117: 10-9 Abregu
Uatu: 10-9 Abregu

Round 5

Abregu lands a right hook early. Gutierrez looks to have his legs back. Abregu is still looking for the KO. Not many jabs from either fighter. Both hesitate before throwing. Abregu feints and lands a right hand. Gutierrez lands an uppercut. Gutierrez lands a stiff jab. This has been a better round for Gutierrez. Abregu lands a great right hand with 10 seconds left. That punch won him the round in my book.

Spartan117: 10-9 Abregu
Uatu: 10-9 Abregu

Round 6

Abregu comes out firing. He lands a wide right hand again. Gutierrez lands a good left that sends Abregu into the ropes. Gutierrez misses with a right hook. Abregu is moving backward now. Gutierrez is using good head movement. Abregu's head remains stationary. Gutierrez misses with an uppercut. This round is up for grabs. Abregu lands a left hook, followed by a left-right hook combo.

Spartan117: 10-9 Abregu
Uatu: 10-9 Abregu

Round 7

Abregu misses with a wide hook early. Gutierrez comes back with a right hand to the body. Abregu keeps throwing very wide hooks. Abregu lands a right to the body and one upstairs. A cut opens on the left eye of Abregu. I'm not sure what caused that cut. Gutierrez lands a right hook that staggers Abregu, and he starts moving back. Abregu is on wobbly legs. He looks gassed but continues to throw power shots.

Spartan117: 10-9 Gutierrez
Uatu: 10-9 Abregu

Round 8

The official ruling is that the cut was caused by a punch. Now the ring doctor takes a look at it. The doctor says that he can continue to fight. Gutierrez turns up the pressure now. Abregu gets a good right hand in. Abregu lands another combo to the body. Gutierrez blocks a number of shots from Abregu. Abregu throws another combo and paws at his bloody eye. Abregu continues to throw the wide right hook with little success late in this fight, but he is still winning most of the rounds.

Spartan117: 10-9 Abregu
Uatu: 10-9 Abregu

Round 9

Abregu throws a right hook to start the round. Abregu goes down from a slip. Gutierrez lands a left hook. Abregu gets inside and lands a couple of hooks. Gutierrez tries to lands more meaningful punches, but Abregu is using solid movement. Gutierrez lands a left hook on the beltline. Blood is really pouring form the left eye of Abregu. Gutierrez isn't throwing any combos. Abregu is up on all three of the judges cards, but the press row scorers have the fight a draw.

Spartan117: 10-9 Abregu
Uatu: 10-9 Abregu

Round 10

We are entering the final round. Abregu is on his bicycle now. Gutierrez knows he needs a knockout because of the open scoring. Abregu is moving everywhere around the ring. Gutierrez lands a left hook to the body. The round is halfway over. Abregu lands some hooks to the body. Gutierrez barely misses with a right hook. Abregu throws a flurry. Abregu lands a solid left hook to end the fight.

Spartan117: 10-9 Gutierrez
Uatu: 10-9 Gutierrez

Spartan117: 96-92 Abregu
Uatu: 97-91 Abregu

The judges score the bout 98-90 and 97-91 twice, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Carlos Abregu.

Posted by spartan117

Edwin Valero-Antonio DeMarco Live Round By Round Updates Tonight (Plus More, Weather Permitting)

The BoxingWatchers are all based in different parts of Pennsylvania. As you may have heard or read, we've had quite a bit of snow here over the past 18 hours. Quite a bit.

Is that going to stop us from bringing people with no access to Showtime live round by round updates of the Edwin Valero-Antonio DeMarco fight? Perish the thought!

I'm not sure who exactly is going to do it, but one of us is going to be posting to the main page starting around 9 pm Eastern tonight. Also on the card is Luis Carlos Abregu facing Richard Gutierrez, and we'll live blog that bout as well.

And who knows? If we're really lucky and the weather cooperates, maybe we'll be able to do the Tomasz Adamek-Jason Estrada fight too. No promises on that one though.

Get snowed in with live boxing updates and join us later tonight!

Posted by The Franchise

5.2.10

Round by Round: Yusef Mack vs. Glen Johnson

Live on ESPN2...

Round 1

Johnson starts as the aggressor. The ring looks very bouncy. Both men jabbing early. Mack throws a few left hooks. Johnson and Mack exchange. Johnson's rights look a little loopy or Mack is dipping away. Nice jab from Johnson. Good overhand from Johnson. Mack answers back. Close round. Both men had more moments than you usually see in a careful first. Could have gone either way.

Uatu: Johnson 10-9

Round 2

Early activity both ways. Not as much footwork and a lot of in-fighting. Both men are landing, Mack gets in a solid shot. Johnson stays coming foward and active. Too many punches to recount them all here. Uppercuts, jabs and hooks from angles from both. Both men are looking confident, in shape, and are there to win. Mack throwing faster combos. I don't know. Another near impossible round to score, but Mack landed a little more cleanly with his combos.

Uatu: Mack 10-9

Round 3

More of the same in Round 3. Johnson on the prowl. Mack moving with the feet more this round. Could he be tiring of the pressure? Or maybe he is just exploiting his speed advantages and limiting Johnson's chances. Teddy Atlas mentions that there is a slight change in Glen's favor this round. He lands a couple of hooks as Mack had his hands low. Johnson jabbing away. Johnson more active. I believe Mack is throwing a tad harder. Johnson's round.

Uatu: Johnson 10-9

Round 4

Hard to believe, but it's been over five years since Glen knocked out Roy Jones. Mack bobbing and weaving away in the corner. Atlas has it 2-1 Mack. They are slugging it out in the phone booth and the crowd gets loud. Johnson winging the body hooks. And again with two more. Mack is staying in the shell. Then he dances away. Johnson has him trapped again but steps away for space. Both men have slowed down with the output. Mack backs up to the ropes. Mack gets in a hard shot. Mack unloads and throws three haymakers. Maybe one landed. Johnson keeps the hands moving to the bell. The round had ups and downs for both men, and in action and activity. Hard to tell where this fight will go by the end. Will give the round to Mack based on the hard rights towards the end.

Uatu: Mack 10-9

Round 5

Atlas agrees with me that Mack stole it late. Mack comes out aggressive, active and throwing hard. He looks like a new man. Left for Mack. A little bit of a lull as the two men look at each other. Body work from Johnson. Atlas believes Johnson has lost a bit from his motor. Hard in-fighting both ways with combos. Nice right from Glen. Johnson doesn't seem to be overwhelmingly effective, but he was more active and had to have landed more as well.

Uatu: Johnson 10-9

Round 6

Johnson stays aggressive and chops and chops. Down goes Mack in the corner! Two minutes to go. Mack is backed against the ropes. Johnson is staying on him but is trying to keep space. Johnson has slowed already. Mack mostly in the shell. Johnson lands to the head. Mack back to the ropes. Mack gets hit with the straight right. Down goes Mack again! Mack gets up again. He is a little wobbly. Johnson lands a hook to the head, and Mack takes a knee! The ref waves it off. Johnson takes it!

Your winner by TKO at 2:21 of Round 6, Glen "the Road Warrior" Johnson

Interview to follow...

They joke about Glen finding the fountain of youth.

They ask about Glen's plan involving the right hand.
Glen says he was actually looking for the left hook to the body, but it wasn't working so he went to the right.

He says he started a little bit tight.

Atlas mentions to him about a spot where he may have showed his age.
Glen says it was a conscious effort, but he says he is getting a little bit old so he has to be smart.

Glen says Tavoris Cloud is tough and all action, but the fight would be explosive, and Cloud is the type of fighter he likes to fight.

Posted by uatu

4.2.10

Valero-DeMarco, Adamek-Estrada, Johnson-Mack: Predictions

The Franchise says...

Is Edwin Valero ready to graduate from seldom-seen phenom to bona fide rising star? If so, that process may begin this Saturday, when he headlines a Showtime broadcast by defending his WBC lightweight belt against Antonio DeMarco.

This one promises to be explosive for as long as it lasts. DeMarco likes to come forward, using jabs to set up his powerful left hand. He's also got a sturdy chin, as he showed en route to the ninth-round KO of Anges Adjaho last summer that earned him this title shot.

The question is whether any chin is enough to stand up to Valero, who became the stuff of internet legend by racking up 18 first-round knockouts in a row to begin his professional career. He's averaged almost five rounds of work over the last three years, but every one of his fights has ended with his foe unconscious or unable to continue.

DeMarco is taller and rangier, suggesting that he may find some success staying on the outside. But that isn't his usual M.O., and he also tends to be a slow starter.

Those two things could prove to be his downfall. Questions still remain about Valero's overall skill set, but they won't be answered this time out as the Venezuelan notches a mid-round KO.

In New Jersey, former two-division titleholder Tomasz Adamek will continue to try climbing the heavyweight ranks as he steps in against Jason Estrada. Newark's Prudential Center should be rocking, as a strong Polish-American contingent always turns out in force to support Adamek.

Estrada is a legit heavyweight whose fighting weight is usually just above 240 pounds, but he's not especially tall (listed at 6'1") or powerful (only four knockouts in 16 career victories). That means he may have trouble keeping Adamek from getting in close and making him pay when he does so.

Eventually, Adamek is going to run into someone who reminds him why it's tough to take on the big guys when you give up too much weight. I don't expect it will be this Saturday, though, as I see Adamek battering his way to a late-round stoppage.

Last but not least (and actually first in chronological terms), venerable Glen Johnson headlines Friday Night Fights in an IBF light heavyweight title eliminator against Yusaf Mack. Few boxers can be counted on to give 100 percent in the ring as Johnson, even at 41 years of age.

Mack certainly has a bit of both skill and power, and he's yet to lose since stepping up to campaign at 175. But Johnson has beaten and lost to opponents tougher than anyone on Mack's resume, and he's always in shape to go the full 12 rounds.

Still, it's hard to get the image of Johnson's last fight, a second loss to Chad Dawson, out of my head. Did he finally start to feel his age, or was Bad Chad just better prepared for him the second time around?

Let's say for the sake of argument it was a bit of both. The Road Warrior is starting to near the end of his journey, but I'm not sure he's quite there yet.

Maybe my heart is outvoting my head on this one, but I like Johnson to take a close decision.

Posted by The Franchise

2.2.10

Franchise Thoughts: Tomasz Adamek Deserves More TV Love

One of the more exciting men in the heavyweight division will be in action again this Saturday night. Unfortunately, the fight won't be televised in the U.S. even though it's taking place in New Jersey.

The man in question is former light heavyweight and cruiserweight titleholder Tomasz Adamek, who made the jump to heavyweight last fall and seems determined to stay there. He'll face Jason Estrada at the Prudential Center in Newark, at the top of a card that should be well-attended but won't be carried by any of the usual boxing cable outlets.

With the Brothers Klitschko dominating their recent competition, the heavyweight division continues to have a need for anyone who can inject some adrenaline into the proceedings. Adamek could certainly fill that role, but so far, the TV folks haven't been convinced.

It's not because he doesn't come to fight. Adamek loves to mix it up, and his combination of solid power and a sturdy chin usually lends itself to an excellent show.

In December of 2008, Adamek edged out Steve Cunningham in a thrilling bout (one that was carried by Versus) that featured three knockdowns and plenty of back-and-forth action. His next fight against Johnathon Banks also had its moments and ended with Adamek prevailing with an eighth-round TKO.

Adamek resides in Jersey City but originally hails from Poland. Every time he fights at the Prudential Center, he gets a crowd reaction many American boxers don't get in their own country.

Yet his crowd-pleasing style and hometown popularity hasn't translated into much interest from HBO or Showtime. The problem could be his opposition. There was some talk in 2009 about Adamek fighting Bernard Hopkins, but that never happened, and he chose to move up to heavyweight instead.

His first clash with a big man was in Poland against countryman Andrew Golota. Because of the time difference and the (probably correct) opinion of most boxing observers that Golota was washed up, it's understandable that cable passed on that one.

Estrada isn't a stiff, but he's not ranked among the top 10 heavyweight contenders and isn't a well-known commodity. He's definitely not the type of foe who is bringing his own viewers to the party, which certainly doesn't help Adamek's case.

It remains to be seen if Adamek will have enough success in his current division to eventually land a shot at one of the Klitschkos. If he does, he'll face the same daunting size disadvantage that has proven insurmountable for so many others, but I can almost guarantee that Adamek will give a good account of himself even in defeat.

Let's hope we don't have to wait for that to happen to see him on TV in the U.S. again. The goal of any network that shows boxing is to put on entertaining fights, and putting Adamek on the schedule could only help.

UPDATE: I still wish Adamek was on cable, but it's been brought to my attention that there is a way to see his fight with Estrada. That would be through GoFightLive.tv, where the card is available for $9.99. Alas, it's not available through the site in Poland.

Posted by The Franchise

Want to Watch More Boxing? Check Out SecondsOutTV.com

Don't think this is a paid endorsement, because we don't do anything like that. It's just a helpful suggestion in case your boxing needs aren't being fulfilled by the current lineup of cable broadcasters.

To watch more fights that may not be televised in your neck of the woods, it may be worth your while to pay a visit to SecondsOutTV.com. The site offers live streaming video feeds of boxing matches, as well as archived content that includes some past world title sites.

Though I can't vouch for the site's 2010 lineup, it is currently touting deals with promoters in Ukraine and Canada that will have it showing 30 live fights this year. In 2009, I used it to watch Jean Pascal-Adrian Diaconu II, as well as a few other bouts. The streaming is pretty good, and while the video isn't exactly HD quality, it was good enough to allow me to score the fights with a fair amount of confidence.

A subscription fee gives you access to all of the content, but it's free to sign up for an account that allows you to purchase fights a la carte. It was only a few bucks for the aforementioned Pascal-Diaconu fight, though fees vary by region.

One of the things I'm always wishing for is more live boxing on the internet, and hopefully we'll see more of it in the next few years. SecondsOutTV.com certainly won't replace the TV outlets that carry boxing, but it's a nice way to catch a few fights you wouldn't otherwise see.

Posted by The Franchise