It's two title fights on one broadcast for the 2009 season finale of Friday Night Fights. First up is a light heavyweight title bout between undefeated Tavoris Cloud and former belt holder Clinton Woods.
Bob Wischusen is in for Joe Tessitore, alongside Teddy Atlas at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Florida. We get a video package that fills us in on the tough upbringing of Cloud, who has been flying under the radar thanks to a year of inactivity.
Woods enters the ring first. He is 42-4-1, and he lost to Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio Tarver in his only two previous fights in the U.S.
Cloud is a Florida native and has 18 KOs in his 19 pro fights. He's taking a big step up in competition in this fight, though he did hand Julio Cesar Gonzalez his first ever knockout loss last summer.
The fighter intros are over and it's time for action, scheduled for 12 rounds for the vacant IBF light heavyweight title.
Round One
Cloud goes right after Woods, who stands his ground and tries to throw back. Now Woods comes forward behind his jab. Nice right hand off the jab by Cloud. Woods doubles the jab and tries his own right. Cloud shakes his head as both men score with jabs. Woods tries to duck inside and gets tied up. Right hook on the inside by Cloud. Woods keeps two stiff jabs in his foe's face.
Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud
Round Two
Cloud strikes first and is chased back by left hands. Woods pushes Cloud up against the ropes, trying to trap him. He gets warned by the ref for hitting behind the head, and Cloud gets fired up. Woods lands two nice hooks in tight. Both men can score with jabs almost at will. Woods backs Cloud into the ropes again and lands another hook. Left-right by Woods as they come back to the center. He looks much more comfortable in this round.Right uppercut and hook by Cloud inside, but Woods scores again right before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Woods
Uatu: 10-9 Woods
Round Three
Woods covers up well as Cloud comes charging out of his corner again. Tavoris keeps moving as Woods measures more hooks. One-two inside by Woods; Cloud repsonds with a body shot. More body work as Woods tries to use his uppercut. Cloud throws a combo that is punctuated by a sharp right hand. Woods tries to show that he's not bothered. Cloud swings away with wide shots and knocks Woods back into the corner.
Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud
Round Four
Cloud threw 110 punches last frame. Woods controls the early part of this round in the middle of the ring. They trade jabs and miss hooks. Cloud ties up on the inside. Low shot by Woods but the ref didn't see it. It's still mostly jabs, though Cloud has thrown some showy punches that Woods has blocked. Both men land in a nice exchange, and Cloud goes to the body again. Close round.
Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud
Round Five
Cloud throws come nice combos with his left hand but it's hard to say if he's landing clean. He measures a right hand, but Woods responds with three of his own. Woods lands a right hook as they lean on each other. The ref steps in again as there is some rabbit punching. Left-right by Cloud as he loses his mouthpiece. Woods stays out of trouble but can't find much but his jab right now. They dance around until the bell this time.
Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud
Round Six
Woods steps on the gas a bit as the bell starts the sixth. Cloud steps through some fire to land a mean left hook. Both men flurry along the ropes and just miss big right hands. Woods tries to come forward but is met with multiple power shots. Woods jabs but can't deter Cloud from advancing. Cloud lands a nice combo and Woods throws back. Two right hands crash home from Cloud in the last few seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud
Round Seven
Woods' chin is definitely solid, as he's taken some serious shots. A jab battle breaks out again, followed by inside work both ways. Woods scores with the left hook and is forced to retreat by Cloud's counter shots. Left hook by Cloud and he tries pouring it on. Woods escapes and gets back to the center. Both men turn cautious all of a sudden, and nothing of consequence lands in the last 30 seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud
Round Eight
Woods is the aggressor in the opening moments, trying to get that hook untracked again. Wild swings by both fighters as they stand toe-to-toe. Atlas thinks Woods needs to get outside. Combo by Woods but he gets whacked by a left hook at the end. Two lefts sandwiched around a right wobble Woods. He shows some bravado in the corner and they stand and trade. Cloud tries to finish his opponent, but Woods makes it out of the round.
Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud
Round Nine
To no one's surprise, Cloud comes out firing and connects with a right hand. The crowd starts a "U.S.A." chant to spur Cloud on. Woods tries to come forward and the ref has to step in twice. Woods lands a few shots but Cloud is able to respond right away. Left hook along the ropes knocks Woods back. Left-right by Cloud right after a break. Both men connect as they trade in the middle of the ring.
Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud
Round 10
We're getting to the point where Woods may need a knockout to win. He lunges forward with a left hook. Woods still letting his hands go and trying to create distance. Cloud stays wary and bounces around. Combo by Cloud catches Woods flush with a left hook. Woods eats a big right hand and backs into the ropes. Nice action in the last ten seconds as they battle at close range.
Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud
Round 11
Two rounds to go, and it would be a surprise if Cloud wasn't way ahead. This is the first time he's been past 10 rounds though. Woods works off the jab but Cloud has an answer. Right hand by Cloud and he ducks the counter. He looks like he may be a little tired. Clubbing right by Cloud is answered by Woods. Three-punch combo along the ropes catches Woods. He turns things around right before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud
Round 12
Three minutes to go. The crowd is into it as both men try combinations. Woods chases and is hit coming in. Cloud unleashes to the body while Woods tries hooks. More wrestling forces the ref to intervene. Both boxers just miss with power shots. Ugly fighting in really close, and Cloud tries a few home run shots at the final bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud
Franchise: 119-109 Cloud
Uatu: 119-109 Cloud
The judges score it 116-112 three times, all for the winner... and new IBF light heavyweight titleholder... Tavoris Cloud.
Posted by The Franchise
Showing posts with label clinton woods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clinton woods. Show all posts
28.8.09
Live Urango-Bailey and Cloud-Woods Round By Round Updates Tonight
Friday Night Fights closes out its 2009 season with a bang tonight with two, count 'em, two title fights of the IBF variety. Juan Urango and Randall Bailey go mano e mano at 140 pounds, while Tavoris Cloud and Clinton Woods do the same at 175.
These fights are actually pretty easy to see, given that they're on ESPN2 in the U.S. and available to stream to your computer through SecondsOutTV.com elsewhere. Nevertheless, we know there are some people who won't be able to watch.
That's where we come in. Join me and Uatu (in his first appearance as a married man!) as we recap the action with live round by round posts out on the main page. Then you can hit refresh to see the latest. See how easy it is?
The fun should begin shortly after 10 pm Eastern time. Be here or be elsewhere!
Posted by The Franchise
These fights are actually pretty easy to see, given that they're on ESPN2 in the U.S. and available to stream to your computer through SecondsOutTV.com elsewhere. Nevertheless, we know there are some people who won't be able to watch.
That's where we come in. Join me and Uatu (in his first appearance as a married man!) as we recap the action with live round by round posts out on the main page. Then you can hit refresh to see the latest. See how easy it is?
The fun should begin shortly after 10 pm Eastern time. Be here or be elsewhere!
Posted by The Franchise
26.8.09
Juan Urango vs. Randall Bailey, Tavoris Cloud vs. Clinton Woods: Predictions
The Franchise says...
The quality of the main events on Friday Night Fights has had its ups and downs, but it's hard not to like two title fights on one show for the season finale. Juan Urango and Randall Bailey will clash for the IBF's belt at 140 pounds, while Tavoris Cloud and Clinton Woods do the same thing at light heavyweight.
Urango is one of those guys who seems like he's good enough to fight his way into title contention but not quite good enough to beat any legitimately top-ranked boxers. The Colombian southpaw has just two career losses, to Ricky Hatton and Andre Berto, but he was clearly outclassed in both cases, winning only about three or four total rounds.
Fortunately for him, Bailey is much the same. I had to look up when his loss to Miguel Cotto was, and it was longer ago than I thought (2004). He's actually 11-1 since then, but none of his fights have come against elite competition, and his last loss came against a guy (Herman Ngoudjo) that Urango beat easily.
We all know the transitive property doesn't apply to boxing, but I like Urango anyway. I think it's going to be catch or be caught for Bailey, and even though he certainly has the power to end things, I think he'll also prove the easier to hit.
It should be a competitive fight, but I see Bailey down on points and pressing, allowing Urango to strike for a late KO win.
The co-feature could be a showcase for the 19-0 Cloud, a personal favorite of mine thanks to his swing-for-the-fences style. If you like seeing punches that look like they are intended to knock someone's head off, he's your man.
He's also been inactive for slightly more than a year and is going up against his toughest foe to date in Woods. That's normally a recipe for disaster, and we've seen our fair share of young undefeated fighters stumble in the last year or two.
Still, Woods isn't getting any younger at 37 and will be giving away something noticeable in speed and athleticism. He's taller and has a longer reach and his best bet would seem to be out-boxing Cloud from the outside.
My guess is Tavoris isn't going to allow him to do that. I'm going with youth and energy in this one, and saying that unless the lay-off has dulled his edge too much, Cloud will emerge with a late-round KO.
Posted by The Franchise
The quality of the main events on Friday Night Fights has had its ups and downs, but it's hard not to like two title fights on one show for the season finale. Juan Urango and Randall Bailey will clash for the IBF's belt at 140 pounds, while Tavoris Cloud and Clinton Woods do the same thing at light heavyweight.
Urango is one of those guys who seems like he's good enough to fight his way into title contention but not quite good enough to beat any legitimately top-ranked boxers. The Colombian southpaw has just two career losses, to Ricky Hatton and Andre Berto, but he was clearly outclassed in both cases, winning only about three or four total rounds.
Fortunately for him, Bailey is much the same. I had to look up when his loss to Miguel Cotto was, and it was longer ago than I thought (2004). He's actually 11-1 since then, but none of his fights have come against elite competition, and his last loss came against a guy (Herman Ngoudjo) that Urango beat easily.
We all know the transitive property doesn't apply to boxing, but I like Urango anyway. I think it's going to be catch or be caught for Bailey, and even though he certainly has the power to end things, I think he'll also prove the easier to hit.
It should be a competitive fight, but I see Bailey down on points and pressing, allowing Urango to strike for a late KO win.
The co-feature could be a showcase for the 19-0 Cloud, a personal favorite of mine thanks to his swing-for-the-fences style. If you like seeing punches that look like they are intended to knock someone's head off, he's your man.
He's also been inactive for slightly more than a year and is going up against his toughest foe to date in Woods. That's normally a recipe for disaster, and we've seen our fair share of young undefeated fighters stumble in the last year or two.
Still, Woods isn't getting any younger at 37 and will be giving away something noticeable in speed and athleticism. He's taller and has a longer reach and his best bet would seem to be out-boxing Cloud from the outside.
My guess is Tavoris isn't going to allow him to do that. I'm going with youth and energy in this one, and saying that unless the lay-off has dulled his edge too much, Cloud will emerge with a late-round KO.
Posted by The Franchise
12.4.08
Round By Round: Clinton Woods vs. Antonio Tarver
We're almost set for the second half of the light heavyweight twin bill on Showtime, as Clinton Woods makes his way to the ring. He did a refreshingly honest interview earlier when he said he never expected to make it this far in the sport.
Antonio Tarver gets to enter second even though he is the IBO champion, which is to say not really a champion at all. His hometown crowd is definitely showing him some love. The announcers wonder whether any of his psychological games have had any effect on Woods. Clinton has slight advantages in youth, reach and weight.
Round 1
A cautious opening with Tarver jabbing and Woods trying to jump in. Woods throws to the body and AT dances back. Straight left by Tarver. Woods comes in to the body, then lands a nice shot upstairs. Tarver lands an uppercut, then another. Good left by Tarver; Woods tries to respond but hits mostly air.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 2
Now Woods looking to jab more. Tarver throws a combo but gets backed into the ropes by Woods. Left downstairs by AT. Woods managing to come forward more but his work rate isn't what I expected. Tarver goes to the body and back to the head; Woods looking for body shots as well. Woods walks through some fire and lands a nice right, he also switches to southpaw for a bit. Tarver finishes strong with an uppercut along the ropes.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 3
Woods starting a little faster in this round. Tarver still finding the left. AT goes to the body as Woods throws back to the head. Woods just misses a big counter shot. Tarver hitting then clinching if his foe gets in too close. Now a counter shot gets Tarver's attention. Body work by Woods and Tarver is off balance trying to respond. That was Woods' best round so far but still probably not good enough to get the nod.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 4
Nice uppercut by Tarver is the first good punch to land. The jab is there for Woods but he needs to throw it more. Right hand in the corner by Woods but Tarver escapes. Straight left by Tarver. Nice combo by Tarver stuns Woods a bit. Lots of wrestling along the ropes. The crowd boos a bit because the round dragged a little in the second half.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 5
Tarver still throwing combos in spurts while Woods is reduced to throwing one shot, though he's getting in closer this round. AT isn't fighting a pretty fight but he has been effective. Woods comes forward behind body shots from both hands. Woods gets caught with a left coming in. The hand speed difference is noticeable, especially in this round.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 6
Woods finally manages to corner Tarver for a second but he still needs to let his hands go. He gets whacked with a left coming off the ropes. More Tarver lefts find the mark. Woods is bleeding from the nose now. AT goes back to the jab and follows with lefts. Nothing of real consequence in the last minute of the round.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 7
Interesting that a press row judge has given two rounds to Woods; I'm not seeing that. Tarver is finding a pretty easy target if Woods stands still. Woods fires back to the body. His right to the body has been about all he's been able to do. Tarver dances around and makes this round look easy.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 8
Woods' best chance to get back in it is to look for one big punch. Finally he throws a combo. Tarver goes to the body then back upstairs. Woods lands a counter and he needs more of that. Left uppercut scores by Tarver. The crowd is booing again; perhaps they were spoiled by that great first fight. More body punches by Woods. This was his best round but still not good enough to take it.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 9
Now Woods is showing a bit more urgency, but it may be too late. He digs to the body and tries to press his advantage along the ropes. Big combo by Tarver as he lands multiple shots upstairs. Body work by Woods is answered upstairs by Tarver. Sharp combo by Tarver to the head. He's jabbing as Woods comes forward again. That was the first close round of the fight in my opinion.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Woods
Round 10
Tarver fighting right-handed this round. Woods jabs in as Tarver covers up. Nice quick shots upstairs by AT. Woods lands a left as Tarver backs up. Woods gets inside but can't quite figure out how to land an uppercut. Nice right and a left by Tarver. Woods lands a few shots along the ropes. Body work by Tarver. Good left by Tarver as he comes in. Woods comes forward at the bell but gets popped in the face for his trouble.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 11
I think Woods needs a KO to win but press row has it closer than I do. Nice right by Woods snaps Tarver's head back. Woods jabs in and tries combos. Stiff left gets Woods' attention. Big left by Tarver but Woods says he's not hurt. We'll see. Woods shows some heart and turns much more aggressive. He's swinging away but not connecting with everything. That was a close round but Woods was fortunate not to go down from that big left.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Woods
Round 12
Tarver lands an early left as the crowd roars. Another big left along the ropes. Now another in the center of the ring. Tarver definitely closing the show now. Woods trying to act like he's not hurt but he's really not doing much here. One minute to go. Straight left lands clean for Tarver. Woods is game all the way until the end, but if this fight is close on the cards I'd be shocked.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Franchise scores it 118-110 for Tarver. The judges score it 116-112, 117-111 and 119-109, all for the winner and new IBF light heavyweight champion, Antonio "Magic Man" Tarver.
Antonio Tarver gets to enter second even though he is the IBO champion, which is to say not really a champion at all. His hometown crowd is definitely showing him some love. The announcers wonder whether any of his psychological games have had any effect on Woods. Clinton has slight advantages in youth, reach and weight.
Round 1
A cautious opening with Tarver jabbing and Woods trying to jump in. Woods throws to the body and AT dances back. Straight left by Tarver. Woods comes in to the body, then lands a nice shot upstairs. Tarver lands an uppercut, then another. Good left by Tarver; Woods tries to respond but hits mostly air.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 2
Now Woods looking to jab more. Tarver throws a combo but gets backed into the ropes by Woods. Left downstairs by AT. Woods managing to come forward more but his work rate isn't what I expected. Tarver goes to the body and back to the head; Woods looking for body shots as well. Woods walks through some fire and lands a nice right, he also switches to southpaw for a bit. Tarver finishes strong with an uppercut along the ropes.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 3
Woods starting a little faster in this round. Tarver still finding the left. AT goes to the body as Woods throws back to the head. Woods just misses a big counter shot. Tarver hitting then clinching if his foe gets in too close. Now a counter shot gets Tarver's attention. Body work by Woods and Tarver is off balance trying to respond. That was Woods' best round so far but still probably not good enough to get the nod.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 4
Nice uppercut by Tarver is the first good punch to land. The jab is there for Woods but he needs to throw it more. Right hand in the corner by Woods but Tarver escapes. Straight left by Tarver. Nice combo by Tarver stuns Woods a bit. Lots of wrestling along the ropes. The crowd boos a bit because the round dragged a little in the second half.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 5
Tarver still throwing combos in spurts while Woods is reduced to throwing one shot, though he's getting in closer this round. AT isn't fighting a pretty fight but he has been effective. Woods comes forward behind body shots from both hands. Woods gets caught with a left coming in. The hand speed difference is noticeable, especially in this round.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 6
Woods finally manages to corner Tarver for a second but he still needs to let his hands go. He gets whacked with a left coming off the ropes. More Tarver lefts find the mark. Woods is bleeding from the nose now. AT goes back to the jab and follows with lefts. Nothing of real consequence in the last minute of the round.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 7
Interesting that a press row judge has given two rounds to Woods; I'm not seeing that. Tarver is finding a pretty easy target if Woods stands still. Woods fires back to the body. His right to the body has been about all he's been able to do. Tarver dances around and makes this round look easy.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 8
Woods' best chance to get back in it is to look for one big punch. Finally he throws a combo. Tarver goes to the body then back upstairs. Woods lands a counter and he needs more of that. Left uppercut scores by Tarver. The crowd is booing again; perhaps they were spoiled by that great first fight. More body punches by Woods. This was his best round but still not good enough to take it.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 9
Now Woods is showing a bit more urgency, but it may be too late. He digs to the body and tries to press his advantage along the ropes. Big combo by Tarver as he lands multiple shots upstairs. Body work by Woods is answered upstairs by Tarver. Sharp combo by Tarver to the head. He's jabbing as Woods comes forward again. That was the first close round of the fight in my opinion.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Woods
Round 10
Tarver fighting right-handed this round. Woods jabs in as Tarver covers up. Nice quick shots upstairs by AT. Woods lands a left as Tarver backs up. Woods gets inside but can't quite figure out how to land an uppercut. Nice right and a left by Tarver. Woods lands a few shots along the ropes. Body work by Tarver. Good left by Tarver as he comes in. Woods comes forward at the bell but gets popped in the face for his trouble.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Round 11
I think Woods needs a KO to win but press row has it closer than I do. Nice right by Woods snaps Tarver's head back. Woods jabs in and tries combos. Stiff left gets Woods' attention. Big left by Tarver but Woods says he's not hurt. We'll see. Woods shows some heart and turns much more aggressive. He's swinging away but not connecting with everything. That was a close round but Woods was fortunate not to go down from that big left.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Woods
Round 12
Tarver lands an early left as the crowd roars. Another big left along the ropes. Now another in the center of the ring. Tarver definitely closing the show now. Woods trying to act like he's not hurt but he's really not doing much here. One minute to go. Straight left lands clean for Tarver. Woods is game all the way until the end, but if this fight is close on the cards I'd be shocked.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Tarver
Franchise scores it 118-110 for Tarver. The judges score it 116-112, 117-111 and 119-109, all for the winner and new IBF light heavyweight champion, Antonio "Magic Man" Tarver.
Live Round By Round Updates Tonight: Cintron-Margarito, Woods-Tarver, Cotto-Gomez and Dawson-Johnson
If you can't make it to a TV - or even better, two TV's - tonight, you're definitely going to want to bookmark us here at BoxingWatchers.com. We're doing double duty once again, with Spartan117 doing live round by round updates of the HBO card, featuring the highly anticipated rematch between Kermit Cintron and Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto stepping in against Alfonso Gomez.
Meanwhile, I'll be doing round by round duties on the Showtime card, which shouldn't be overlooked thanks to two intriguing scraps in the light heavyweight division. Antonio Tarver takes on Clinton Woods while Chad Dawson goes up against Glen Johnson.
Make this your place for updates and reload often tonight to get the scoop on all four fights.
Meanwhile, I'll be doing round by round duties on the Showtime card, which shouldn't be overlooked thanks to two intriguing scraps in the light heavyweight division. Antonio Tarver takes on Clinton Woods while Chad Dawson goes up against Glen Johnson.
Make this your place for updates and reload often tonight to get the scoop on all four fights.
11.4.08
Showtime Predictions: Woods-Tarver and Dawson-Johnson
The Franchise says...
Though The Ring magazine rankings respectfully disagree with Showtime's claim that Saturday's card features the four best light heavyweights in the world, it will go a long way toward sorting things out in that division. Of the combatants I probably know the least about Clinton Woods, but I guess he must be taken at least somewhat seriously at this point. Aside from getting knocked out by Roy Jones Jr. in his first trip to the U.S. in 2002, his most notable fights have been against Glen Johnson, and he went 1-1-1 in those three bouts - and the win was a split decision. Not terribly inspiring.
Then again, who knows what to make of Antonio Tarver, a personal favorite? He bounced back with two wins last year after getting badly exposed by Bernard Hopkins in 2006, but The Executioner has been known to make plenty of people look bad. If he has his head on straight I think he is still capable of performing at a high level, but that's a huge "if."
Neither man is young, so age shouldn't be much of a factor. Tarver has fought the better competition, and if he's in shape and throwing a lot of punches, he can be a handful in the early rounds. I wouldn't be shocked if Woods weathers the storm and knocks Tarver out late, but I don't think that's the most likely outcome. I'm seeing Tarver hanging on to win a close decision, though not impressive enough to make anyone think he's headed back for bigger things.
Speaking of handful, that description is very apt for Glen Johnson. He's not afraid to take a punch to land one, and his opponents always have to be ready for a long night. He has wins over Woods, Tarver and Jones to his credit, which isn't too shabby.
Chad Dawson can't say the same, but he did earn comfortable decisions over Eric Harding and Tomasz Adamek, two guys who aren't scrubs. He was even tested early in the Harding fight, coming back from a knockdown in the first round.
I've got no doubt that Johnson will be very game and won't prove to be an easy out. But I just can't pick against Bad Chad's youth and speed. Father Time will catch up with Johnson as Dawson wins by late stoppage.
UATU says...
It's interesting, over the last five years, Tarver has three big wins. Two over Roy Jones and one over Glen Johnson. The second win against Roy wasn't great, as Roy looked really to be just trying to survive and not get knocked out again. The first win over Roy came in such sudden fashion, there's nothing to even evaluate. Even though that was a tremendous win, a win that made Tarver's career and shattered Jones, nothing much can really be analyzed about it, other then the fact that that was the most memorable single left hand of this millennium. The whole fight was five minutes long. And that left was thrown four years ago. There isn't anything from those fights over Jones that can really be pointed to to base a prediction on the current Tarver.
Tarver's loss to Johnson was a somewhat listless performance, although the fight could have gone his way as it was a split decision. His win over Johnson was a better showing, although that was three years ago.
So those fights have to be somewhat discounted when looking at tomorrow's fight. If Tarver does win, it's going to be a close decision in a life and death effort. Woods is likely to throw more punches and press the action to a point that Tarver isn't going to be able to keep up with. Tarver's defense will be better, and perhaps his power. He'd better hope his power keeps Woods honest or knocks him down. Don't want to do it. Hate to say it. Woods by close decision, perhaps split decision.
Dawson over "Gentlemen" Glen Johnson ud 12. Hopefully Johnson keeps the pressure up and makes it interesting. Unlike the other fight, where the aggressor Woods has the younger legs, in this fight the younger legs go to Dawson. That will make the difference when combined with his speed.
Though The Ring magazine rankings respectfully disagree with Showtime's claim that Saturday's card features the four best light heavyweights in the world, it will go a long way toward sorting things out in that division. Of the combatants I probably know the least about Clinton Woods, but I guess he must be taken at least somewhat seriously at this point. Aside from getting knocked out by Roy Jones Jr. in his first trip to the U.S. in 2002, his most notable fights have been against Glen Johnson, and he went 1-1-1 in those three bouts - and the win was a split decision. Not terribly inspiring.
Then again, who knows what to make of Antonio Tarver, a personal favorite? He bounced back with two wins last year after getting badly exposed by Bernard Hopkins in 2006, but The Executioner has been known to make plenty of people look bad. If he has his head on straight I think he is still capable of performing at a high level, but that's a huge "if."
Neither man is young, so age shouldn't be much of a factor. Tarver has fought the better competition, and if he's in shape and throwing a lot of punches, he can be a handful in the early rounds. I wouldn't be shocked if Woods weathers the storm and knocks Tarver out late, but I don't think that's the most likely outcome. I'm seeing Tarver hanging on to win a close decision, though not impressive enough to make anyone think he's headed back for bigger things.
Speaking of handful, that description is very apt for Glen Johnson. He's not afraid to take a punch to land one, and his opponents always have to be ready for a long night. He has wins over Woods, Tarver and Jones to his credit, which isn't too shabby.
Chad Dawson can't say the same, but he did earn comfortable decisions over Eric Harding and Tomasz Adamek, two guys who aren't scrubs. He was even tested early in the Harding fight, coming back from a knockdown in the first round.
I've got no doubt that Johnson will be very game and won't prove to be an easy out. But I just can't pick against Bad Chad's youth and speed. Father Time will catch up with Johnson as Dawson wins by late stoppage.
UATU says...
It's interesting, over the last five years, Tarver has three big wins. Two over Roy Jones and one over Glen Johnson. The second win against Roy wasn't great, as Roy looked really to be just trying to survive and not get knocked out again. The first win over Roy came in such sudden fashion, there's nothing to even evaluate. Even though that was a tremendous win, a win that made Tarver's career and shattered Jones, nothing much can really be analyzed about it, other then the fact that that was the most memorable single left hand of this millennium. The whole fight was five minutes long. And that left was thrown four years ago. There isn't anything from those fights over Jones that can really be pointed to to base a prediction on the current Tarver.
Tarver's loss to Johnson was a somewhat listless performance, although the fight could have gone his way as it was a split decision. His win over Johnson was a better showing, although that was three years ago.
So those fights have to be somewhat discounted when looking at tomorrow's fight. If Tarver does win, it's going to be a close decision in a life and death effort. Woods is likely to throw more punches and press the action to a point that Tarver isn't going to be able to keep up with. Tarver's defense will be better, and perhaps his power. He'd better hope his power keeps Woods honest or knocks him down. Don't want to do it. Hate to say it. Woods by close decision, perhaps split decision.
Dawson over "Gentlemen" Glen Johnson ud 12. Hopefully Johnson keeps the pressure up and makes it interesting. Unlike the other fight, where the aggressor Woods has the younger legs, in this fight the younger legs go to Dawson. That will make the difference when combined with his speed.
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