March 26 Friday Night Fights Card Featuring Cunningham, Spinks Now Off

Unfortunately for boxing fans, 2010 is turning into the year of the postponement.

One of the better Friday Night Fights cards in recent memory was slated for March 26, with Steve Cunningham battling Matt Godfrey for the vacant IBF cruiserweight belt and Cory Spinks taking on Cornelius "K-9" Bundrage for Spinks' IBF junior middleweight strap underneath. Sadly, that card is now off, at least for the time being.

The culprit? It looks like Don King, as the AP piece says he could not agree on terms with ESPN. Not that it's a big shock, frankly, as King seems to be unable or unwilling to comprehend that he's not the promotional force he once was.

It doesn't appear that there will be any FNF broadcast on that date now, but the loss of this particular one stings for boxing fans. It's not often one can see even one title fight on basic cable these days, much less two.

Spinks also joins a growing list of boxers who have had fights postponed multiple times this year. Spinks-Bundrage was originally slated to be on March 6 on HBO's Devon Alexander-Juan Urango broadcast, then it was pushed back to ESPN2 on the 26th and now... maybe never, who knows?

Andre Ward is also in that club after having his fight with Allan Green moved from April 17 to 24, then postponed at least two more months due to a knee injury.

Posted by The Franchise

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

Latimore vs. Spinks: Round by Round

Since both of these fighters are from St. Louis, the crowd could favor either fighter. I would assume that they would cheer for the more established fighter, Spinks. I was wrong. When Spinks was shown on the screen, the crowd booed loudly. My guess is that St. Louis favors the more agressive and stronger puncher in Latimore.

Latimore is on his way to the ring first. The crowd is really into it. Spinks, for the first time while in front of his hometown crowd, enters to a booing crowd. Latimore has a record of 19-1 with 16 KOs. The crowd is really going crazy for him. Spinks is 36-5 with 11 KOs.

They are introduced. Here we go.

Round 1

Latimore runs out to the center of the ring and lands a right hand. Spinks counters and lands a good right hand of his own. Spinks is throwing good, meaningful shots. Latimore lands a great left-right combo and Spinks backs off. The crowd "oohh's" with every shot. Latimore lands a vicious left hand and Spinks goes down. He makes it up and looks at his corner. Spinks is using good upper body movement but Latimore's shots are too fast and too strong. Latimore is landing great shots in the first. He's looking for the knockout.

Spartan117: 10-8 Latimore

Round 2

Spinks comes out with his jab. Latimore lands a right uppercut. Latimore lands a big left hook that twists the head of Spinks. Spinks lands a shot to the body but Latimore counters with a harder left hand. Latimore's punches are so hard that they are swinging his body completely around. Latimore lands a body uppercut. Now a left hook. He's certainly landing the cleaner shots. Now Cory's defense looks poor. He's been getting hit with big shots for the entire round and is fighting with his chin exposed. Good round for Latimore.

Spartan117: 10-9 Latimore

Round 3

Latimore's trainer calls him down in the corner. He tells him to throw less punches and not just go for the knockdown. Spinks is throwing his jab and not much else. Spinks throws a left hook that sends him off balance. Latimore tries to capitalize with a haymaker but misses. Latimore lands a great left hand but Spinks looks fine. Spinks lands a straight left hand. They trade punches against the ropes. Latimore lands a shot that's below the belt. This has been a better round for Spinks but I still give it to Latimore.

Spartan117: 10-9 Latimore

Round 4

Latimore throws the first jab. Spinks throws a good combo and lands a right hook. Now he lands a good counter right hand. Spinks closes the gap and fights toe to toe but Latimore gets the best of him when they square up. Spinks throws and lands another combo, this time to the body, and Latimore counters with a left. Latimore loads up the left hook again. They trade huge punches in the corner before the bell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Spinks

Round 5

A cut has opened over the left eye of Spinks. His cutman is trying his best to stop it. It's not too bad but it will only get worse. Spinks lands a right hand. Latimore is really zeroing in on that cut. Spinks waves him in to taunt him. The cut is really visable now. Spinks keeps pawing at it which suggests it's getting into his eye. Spinks dodges a big left hook. Spinks has been backing up more now, probably worried about his cut. They trade shots against the ropes. This has been a tough round to score so far. Latimore looks a bit tired now. His punches are getting more sloppy.

Spartan117: 10-9 Spinks

Round 6

Spinks lands a wicked left hand, probably his best punch of the fight. Latimore is unfazed. Spinks throws a fast combo. They trade hooks. Spinks has Latimore against the ropes and they exchange more combinations. Spinks slows down a bit now. Spinks lands a great combo to the body that looks like it hurt Latimore. Latimore is really tired and he's getting incredibly sloppy. The crowd starts a huge "Cory" chant! Latimore is against the ropes and Spinks lands more punches to the body. Spinks' best round so far.

Spartan117: 10-9 Spinks

Round 7

They come out in the center and both look cautious. Spinks is getting more aggressive now. Spinks lands a double left hand and Latimore loses his mouthpiece. Now Spinks comes forward. Latimore lands a big left hand, then a right. Spinks waves him in. They trade punches again against the ropes. Spinks lands an overhand left. Spinks has really brought himself back into this fight. This is the most aggressive I've ever seen him in any match. Spinks has Latimore against the ropes again. Latimore's punches have lost all of their previous steam.

Spartan117: 10-9 Spinks

Round 8

Spinks comes out throwing punches again. Latimore counters with a left and Spinks grins. Latimore has been fighting well in the first minute of each round but gets tired and Spinks fights well for the last two. Spinks lands a left-right combo and ducks a wide hook from Latimore. Spinks walks Latimore down and looks to land a big shot. Latimore's hands are low now. Latimore lands a left hand. His trainer yells at him from the corner for keeping his hands low. Spinks lands a clean right hand. Spinks landed the better punches in Round 8.

Spartan117: 10-9 Spinks

Round 9

Latimore throws the left to start the round. Spinks lands another combo of hooks and again uses his upper body movement to dodge the hooks from Latimore. Spinks throws a left uppercut but it gets blocked. Now he lands a brilliant combo that backs Latimore back. Latimore is really off of his game. Spinks is showing some great boxing skill.

Spartan117: 10-9 Spinks

Round 10

Spinks sticks to his game and stays defensive while throwing and landing good combos. Now there's a cut on the right eye of Latimore. The crowd starts a "Cory" chant again. Latimore looks so tired. His legs are shot. Spinks continues to apply pressure. Now Spinks' cut opens again. His corner did a great job of closing it, but now it's bleeding again. This has been a closer round than the others. Latimore lands a great combo right before the bell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Latimore

Round 11

Spinks comes out with his jab again and lands. Latimore lands a great left hand and it looked like Spinks was going to go down, but he used a strange show of balance to dodge a follow-up shot. Now Spinks lands a long left straight. Latimore responds with a flurry. Spinks looks more tired now but he may just be saving his energy. These last two rounds are quite important for both fighters. Spinks lands a hard left hand. The crowd is on its feet. Spinks lands a right hook. Another close round. I give it to Spinks.

Spartan117: 10-9 Spinks

Round 12

They come out swinging for the final round. Spinks ducks a hook from Latimore. Latimore blocks a hook from Spinks. Spinks lands a right hook and Latimore goes down. The ref calls it a slip. It was close but it could have been called either way. Latimore is exhausted - he is leaning on Spinks. Spinks walks him down again and lands a right hand. Latimore's legs are completely gone. Here comes the final minute. Latimore throws a punch that puts him off balance. Now Spinks looks tired. They swing away for the final seconds. Spinks goes back to the jab and doesn't get careless. They crowd cheers all the way until the end. They trade bombs as the bell rings.

Spartan117: 10-9 Spinks

Judge 1 scores the bout 115-112 Spinks, judge 2 scores it 115-112 Latimore and judge 3 scores it 114-113 for the winner by split decision... and new IBF junior middleweight champion... Cory "Next Generation" Spinks.

Spartan117: 115-112 Spinks

In the post-fight interview, Latimore says that he's disappointed. He wishes he could have dropped him again after the first knockdown. Latimore says that he slacked in the middle rounds and he needs to learn from his mistakes. He vows that he will be back.

Spinks says that he can fight a crafty fight and also go toe to toe. He says he wasn't hurt after the knockdown and he's not sure how or why he went down. Don King yells from behind Spinks, "Get ready Floyd Maywether." King hijacks the interview and talks about Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. He says if Pacquiao wins next month that Mayweather is going for him. That's a strange thing to say at that moment. Spinks grabs the microphone and says, "Then he can get some of me."

I'm not exactly sure what Don King is planning to do with Mayweather or Spinks but it looks like he has something planned for each of them.

Posted by spartan117

Live Spinks-Latimore and Alexander-Rodriguez Round By Round Updates Tonight

ShoBox puts on a treat for fans in St. Louis tonight with a card featuring several hometown boxers. Cory Spinks takes on Deandre Latimore for the vacant IBF junior middleweight belt, while young gun Devon Alexander takes on Jesus Rodriguez on the undercard.

If you can't watch the fight in person or on Showtime, our own Spartan117 is staying up late to do live round by round updates. Look for a running Alexander-Rodriguez post out on the main page shortly after 11 pm Eastern, with Spinks-Latimore following after that.

Posted by The Franchise

Predictions: Froch-Taylor, Lopez-Penalosa, Spinks-Latimore

April goes out with a bang in the sport of boxing, with Showtime televising cards on Friday and Saturday night and HBO chipping in with one of the most exciting fighters in the game on Saturday as well. On paper, the most interesting bout sees Carl "The Cobra" Froch put his WBC super middleweight title on the line against former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor.

To me, Taylor represents one of the most interesting "What if?" cases in the sport today. Had he been able to keep Kelly Pavlik on the canvas the first time they met in 2007, it's quite possible that despite his soft-spoken nature and lack of gamesmanship, he'd be one of the biggest stars in boxing.

Kevin Iole recently wrote about the caliber of competition Taylor has faced, mentioning that his foes had a combined 83.7 winning percentage at the time of their fights. That's only going to go up this weekend, as Froch brings in a perfect 24-0 mark with 19 KOs.

But Froch has fought just once outside his native U.K. (knocking out Henry Porras in California in 2005), and his fight record is largely devoid of recognizable opponents. Is he another Joe Calzaghe, just waiting for the chance to display his wares to a wider audience? Or is he another Gary Lockett or Michael Jennings who's about to be exposed?

Everything I've read and seen from Froch suggests he leans more toward the former, but I still think Taylor has enough to get past him. I expect he'll have an edge in speed, and since he had trouble cutting to 160 toward the end of his time as a middleweight, there's reason to believe him when he says he feels stronger at 168.

I don't think Taylor will have an easy time of it - he rarely seems to - and this win is unlikely to propel him back to the top of the sport. Nevertheless, I like Taylor to win a unanimous decision.

HBO's Saturday night broadcast showcases bright young talent and knockout machine Juan Manuel Lopez. It's hard to name too many boxers who have had more impressive runs over the last two years than Juanma, who's KOed 10 men since the beginning of 2007 - seven of them in three rounds or less and three straight in the first round.

The consensus seems to be that former bantamweight titleholder Gerry Penalosa will prove Lopez's stiffest test so far, and the veteran does bring a wealth of experience and some power of his own to the table. He's also over a decade older and facing decent disadvantages in height and reach.

It's a mistake to read too much into common opponents in boxing, but it is interesting to note that Penalosa was easily outpointed by Daniel Ponce de Leon in March 2007. Lopez fought him a little more than a year later and blitzed him in less than two and a half minutes.

Amazingly, Lopez fought less rounds in four 2008 fights than Penalosa did each of the last eight times he's stepped into the ring. Does that mean Gerry has an edge if he can weather the early storm and take the fight to the late rounds? I'm not sure, but the next time Juanma goes past the 11th round will be his first, so it couldn't hurt.

Not that I believe that will actually happen. Even though Penalosa has yet to be stopped, the younger man will prove too explosive in this one, and Lopez will rack up another KO to add to his growing resume.

Last in importance but first chronologically is Friday night's junior middleweight Battle of St. Louis between Cory Spinks and Deandre Latimore. Spinks will get a chance to somewhat right a career that's come off the rails since he was holding multiple welterweight titles about five years ago, while Latimore will be making a bit of a step up in his level of competition.

Both men are southpaws and about even physically. Latimore is talented but still raw, and that could be an issue as he goes up against someone who almost guarantees a long, frustrating night.

Power should be the difference here. Spinks has gone more than eight years without leaving an opponent on the canvas and wasn't a heavy hitter back when he fought at 147. Compare that to Latimore who seems to have legitimate 154-pound power and it's no contest.

Though I don't discount the chance of Spinks winning ugly, I have to go with the guy who has multiple ways to win. Since Cory is tricky to put away, I'll go with Latimore by decision.

Posted by The Franchise

Quick Thoughts on Spinks - Philllips netcast

First, disappointing walk out by Spinks. "Stronger" by Kanye West is old now and not very creative. Also, no dancing and no rapper along with him.

Second, the netcast was excellent. Obviously connection speeds and hardware affect the experience, but Uatu watched over a cable hook up and a laptop. The resolution and look of the cast was nothing short of excellent. It was like watching it on a TV from before the flat screen HD era. This is the future for sure. The angles and camera work was just as good as anything on TV. It blew the CBS netcasts of NCAA games away. CBS has everything too small and the view too far away. Not so for Don King. There was no pixelization, no freezing, no jumping, no nothing.