It's never boring when big boxing cards are held in Houston, at least recently. It helps that the city has good hometown fighters, and then there's the added fun that comes when controversy breaks out.
In February it was Houston's Rocky Juarez fighting Chris John. I scored that one 116-112 for John and was a bit surprised when all three judges turned in official scores of 114-114. I didn't think that was the worst decision ever, but some of you disagreed.
Before this Saturday's HBO Boxing After Dark card, Paulie Malignaggi suggested he would have to decisively defeat Houston boy Juan Diaz in order to pull out a decision. Since Paulie had virtually no chance of winning by KO, this was an even tougher task, and he didn't get the knockout or the dominating points win he needed.
What he did get was a very close fight that could have gone either way. Our Spartan117 saw it as a draw. HBO's Harold Lederman and Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports liked Malignaggi 115-113. But none of the judges agreed, and Diaz got the unanimous decision.
If only that was the end of the drama. Judge Gale Van Hoy turned in a 118-110 card for Diaz, arguably the most ridiculous score for a televised fight in years. Malignaggi was beside himself after the verdict, and there seems to be a general feeling that something bad went down.
Who's to blame for this foolishness? That depends on who you ask.
Tim Starks of The Queensberry Rules points out that Paulie knew what he was getting into when he signed on. Fellow blogger David Schraub think HBO should speak out against situations like Diaz-Malignaggi, while Iole points the finger at Golden Boy Promotions for creating the conditions that allow it.
Interesting viewpoints all. There's some truth in all of them.
Here's what I know: by itself, I didn't think the John-Juarez decision was horrible. In a vacuum, I still don't. But after what just happened on Saturday, it's not an isolated incident any more.
If I was promoting a boxer with title aspirations, I'd have to think carefully about agreeing to fight someone from Houston in Houston right now. Boxing is hard enough without having to worry about the house edge on top of your opponent.
(As an aside, I don't want to seem like I'm just bashing Houston, because the hometown syndrome can and does happen elsewhere. Montreal comes to mind as another recent example.)
The other two fights on the card had something in common, as both Robert Guerrero and Daniel Jacobs had to dig down and show something while earning victories and continuing their win streaks. Guerrero looked fantastic in the early rounds of his fight with Malcolm Klassen, moving well and letting his hands go. Klassen found something in the middle rounds, though, and The Ghost did a nice job shaking off a cut caused by a headbutt and making sure he didn't let the late rounds go the way of the South African.
Jacobs got the full ten-round tussle from Ishe Smith that I expected, with his veteran foe making things uncomfortable at times. We saw that Danny doesn't need to be the aggressor and that he likes to throw right back after getting hit with a good shot. His defense still needs some tightening up, as Smith landed left hooks throughout the fight.
Just to tie up this post thematically, the judge who gave Daniels a 100-89 win - a shutout since the fight was 10 rounds and Smith was docked a point - also deserves some derision. He (or she) is just lucky that Jacobs unquestionably won the fight and that there was an even crazier scorecard coming later.
Posted by The Franchise
Showing posts with label daniel jacobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label daniel jacobs. Show all posts
22.8.09
Daniel Jacobs vs. Ishe Smith: Round By Round
We're joining Bob Papa, Max Kellerman and Lennox Lewis from Houston for HBO's Boxing After Dark. It's a rare tripleheader with the main event featuring hometown boy Juan Diaz as he takes on Paulie Malignaggi.
First though, it's a middleweight clash between undefeated Daniel Jacobs and Ishe Smith. The tale of the tape shows Jacobs with height and reach advantages, and after re-hydrating, he's about nine pounds heavier too.
The Golden Child is 17-0 with 15 KOs, and this is only the second time he's been scheduled for 10 rounds. Smith is nine years older and is 21-3, but he's lost two of his last five.
Michael Buffer handles the introductions and we're ready for action.
Round 1
Somewhat cautious start for Jacobs as he tries some stiff jabs. Smith keeps his guard high to pick them off. Smith reaches for a body shot and quickly backs off. Jacobs doubles and triples the jab. Smith tries some counter shots but neither guy is really landing anything. Lewis points out that Smith is following but not throwing enough. The ref warns Ishe for a low shot. Both men try flurries in the last 10 seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-9 Jacobs
Round 2
Jacobs switches stances a few times to try to find an opening. Smith comes charging in and is quickly tied up. Both men land hooks in the center of the ring. Right hook and more jabs from Jacobs; Smith throws with both hands to the body. Smith finds the range again with some hooks and backs Jacobs to the ropes. Danny scores with a combo coming forward. Left underneath the guard by Jacobs. Better action in that round.
Franchise: 10-9 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-9 Jacobs
Round 3
Harold Lederman gave that round to Smith. He's still coming forward and landing some shots, but Jacobs is responding in kind. Danny is fighting going backwards a lot though. He keeps the jab active and tries some body work but gets whacked upstairs. Jacobs counters along the ropes with rights to the head and lefts to the body. Smith scores with the left hook, his most consistent punch by far. Both men land right at the bell and Smith seems to think the last punch from Jacobs was late.
Franchise: 10-9 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-9 Jacobs
Round 4
Jacobs starts a little more aggressively now. Smith throws a combo starting with the left but Jacobs stands his ground. Ishe is doing a little more dancing and feinting. There are some wild swings in the center of the ring with most of them missing. Smith shakes his head as he takes a few right hands. Jacobs flurries and Smith lands a counter right. Left hook from Jacobs and Smith waves him in.
Franchise: 10-9 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-9 Jacobs
Round 5
Jacobs has thrown 200 more punches thus far according to CompuBox. Smith bulls forward and is tied up twice. Right uppercut by Danny off the jab. He backs all the way up but times his counters well as Smith comes in. Ishe has a cut near his right eye. Jacobs punches his way out of a clinch and backs away. Smith throws clubbing shots inside and ends up off-balance. Both men trade jabs and Smith lands a combo that dazes Jacobs. The bell sounds and the fighters have to be separated.
Franchise: 10-9 Smith
Spartan117: 10-9 Smith
Round 6
The ref gets the boxers together to warn about punching after the bell. Jacobs looks like he has his feet under him after that mean combo at the end of the fifth. He's still outworking his foe but Smith is landing counter lefts. Jacobs throws fast body shots and Smith shakes his head again. Hard one-two by Smith and Jacobs gets fired up. The ref is active as wrestling breaks out twice. Smith steps up with a right hand and Jacobs fires right back. Nice exchange at the bell again.
Franchise: 10-9 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-9 Smith
Round 7
Smith stalks again and lands two shots, but the ref warns him again. Kellerman thinks Jacobs is winning but credits Smith for making him uncomfortable. Jacobs throws to the head and body but it's mostly for show. Smith pumps jabs and bides his time. Jacobs opens up along the ropes and Smith is forced to cover up from the onslaught. Jacobs moves off the ropes and scores with a right hand upstairs.
Franchise: 10-9 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-9 Jacobs
Round 8
Smith shakes off a few punches as he stalks. Jacobs flashes his hand speed again. He triples up the jab and tires some body shots. You can hear Bernard Hopkins shouting from the second row. Smith lands a left hand and then another in the middle of an exchange. He does some work on the inside that includes an uppercut. Low body shot by Smith but the ref doesn't see it.
Franchise: 10-9 Smith
Spartan117: 10-9 Jacobs
Round 9
Both boxers lands left hooks as Smith tries pressing forward. Jacobs flurries to the body. Right hand crashes home for Smith. He uppercuts inside but Jacobs takes it well. Danny works his way out of a clinch. They stand and trade and Jacobs lands two nice left hands. Smith makes it ugly inside and the ref steps in. Left hand by Smith amidst a wild exchange and Jacobs says bring it on. Smith throws right after the bell; it was close but the ref deducts a point.
Franchise: 10-8 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-8 Jacobs
Round 10
Smith's corner tells him he needs a KO, which is likely the truth. He's trying to go for it but Jacobs is moving well, even in the final round. Danny sticks and moves and still stays with his jab. He has to tie up in the corner as Smith tries for the home run shot. Jacobs circles out and keeps punching. Smith lands a few shots along the ropes but Jacobs isn't hurt. Ishe may have tired himself out; he gets credit for giving it his all right to the final bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Smith
Spartan117: 10-9 Smith
Franchise: 97-92 Jacobs
Spartan117: 97-92 Jacobs
The judges score it 96-93 twice, and 100-89, all for the winner, Daniel "The Golden Child" Jacobs.
Posted by The Franchise
First though, it's a middleweight clash between undefeated Daniel Jacobs and Ishe Smith. The tale of the tape shows Jacobs with height and reach advantages, and after re-hydrating, he's about nine pounds heavier too.
The Golden Child is 17-0 with 15 KOs, and this is only the second time he's been scheduled for 10 rounds. Smith is nine years older and is 21-3, but he's lost two of his last five.
Michael Buffer handles the introductions and we're ready for action.
Round 1
Somewhat cautious start for Jacobs as he tries some stiff jabs. Smith keeps his guard high to pick them off. Smith reaches for a body shot and quickly backs off. Jacobs doubles and triples the jab. Smith tries some counter shots but neither guy is really landing anything. Lewis points out that Smith is following but not throwing enough. The ref warns Ishe for a low shot. Both men try flurries in the last 10 seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-9 Jacobs
Round 2
Jacobs switches stances a few times to try to find an opening. Smith comes charging in and is quickly tied up. Both men land hooks in the center of the ring. Right hook and more jabs from Jacobs; Smith throws with both hands to the body. Smith finds the range again with some hooks and backs Jacobs to the ropes. Danny scores with a combo coming forward. Left underneath the guard by Jacobs. Better action in that round.
Franchise: 10-9 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-9 Jacobs
Round 3
Harold Lederman gave that round to Smith. He's still coming forward and landing some shots, but Jacobs is responding in kind. Danny is fighting going backwards a lot though. He keeps the jab active and tries some body work but gets whacked upstairs. Jacobs counters along the ropes with rights to the head and lefts to the body. Smith scores with the left hook, his most consistent punch by far. Both men land right at the bell and Smith seems to think the last punch from Jacobs was late.
Franchise: 10-9 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-9 Jacobs
Round 4
Jacobs starts a little more aggressively now. Smith throws a combo starting with the left but Jacobs stands his ground. Ishe is doing a little more dancing and feinting. There are some wild swings in the center of the ring with most of them missing. Smith shakes his head as he takes a few right hands. Jacobs flurries and Smith lands a counter right. Left hook from Jacobs and Smith waves him in.
Franchise: 10-9 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-9 Jacobs
Round 5
Jacobs has thrown 200 more punches thus far according to CompuBox. Smith bulls forward and is tied up twice. Right uppercut by Danny off the jab. He backs all the way up but times his counters well as Smith comes in. Ishe has a cut near his right eye. Jacobs punches his way out of a clinch and backs away. Smith throws clubbing shots inside and ends up off-balance. Both men trade jabs and Smith lands a combo that dazes Jacobs. The bell sounds and the fighters have to be separated.
Franchise: 10-9 Smith
Spartan117: 10-9 Smith
Round 6
The ref gets the boxers together to warn about punching after the bell. Jacobs looks like he has his feet under him after that mean combo at the end of the fifth. He's still outworking his foe but Smith is landing counter lefts. Jacobs throws fast body shots and Smith shakes his head again. Hard one-two by Smith and Jacobs gets fired up. The ref is active as wrestling breaks out twice. Smith steps up with a right hand and Jacobs fires right back. Nice exchange at the bell again.
Franchise: 10-9 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-9 Smith
Round 7
Smith stalks again and lands two shots, but the ref warns him again. Kellerman thinks Jacobs is winning but credits Smith for making him uncomfortable. Jacobs throws to the head and body but it's mostly for show. Smith pumps jabs and bides his time. Jacobs opens up along the ropes and Smith is forced to cover up from the onslaught. Jacobs moves off the ropes and scores with a right hand upstairs.
Franchise: 10-9 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-9 Jacobs
Round 8
Smith shakes off a few punches as he stalks. Jacobs flashes his hand speed again. He triples up the jab and tires some body shots. You can hear Bernard Hopkins shouting from the second row. Smith lands a left hand and then another in the middle of an exchange. He does some work on the inside that includes an uppercut. Low body shot by Smith but the ref doesn't see it.
Franchise: 10-9 Smith
Spartan117: 10-9 Jacobs
Round 9
Both boxers lands left hooks as Smith tries pressing forward. Jacobs flurries to the body. Right hand crashes home for Smith. He uppercuts inside but Jacobs takes it well. Danny works his way out of a clinch. They stand and trade and Jacobs lands two nice left hands. Smith makes it ugly inside and the ref steps in. Left hand by Smith amidst a wild exchange and Jacobs says bring it on. Smith throws right after the bell; it was close but the ref deducts a point.
Franchise: 10-8 Jacobs
Spartan117: 10-8 Jacobs
Round 10
Smith's corner tells him he needs a KO, which is likely the truth. He's trying to go for it but Jacobs is moving well, even in the final round. Danny sticks and moves and still stays with his jab. He has to tie up in the corner as Smith tries for the home run shot. Jacobs circles out and keeps punching. Smith lands a few shots along the ropes but Jacobs isn't hurt. Ishe may have tired himself out; he gets credit for giving it his all right to the final bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Smith
Spartan117: 10-9 Smith
Franchise: 97-92 Jacobs
Spartan117: 97-92 Jacobs
The judges score it 96-93 twice, and 100-89, all for the winner, Daniel "The Golden Child" Jacobs.
Posted by The Franchise
Juan Diaz vs. Paulie Malignaggi Live Round By Round Updates Tonight
We're back in effect. How's that?
After taking last weekend off to celebrate Uatu's destination wedding, it's time to get reacquainted with the sweet science in the form of a three-fight card on HBO. Headlining the show from Houston is hometown boy Juan Diaz, who takes on Paulie Malignaggi in a bout where both men could really use the victory.
Also in action is Robert Guerrero, who tangles with South African titleholder Malcolm Klassen, and Danny Jacobs, looking to stay undefeated against Ishe Smith.
As always, if you can't watch the fights, you can follow our live round by round posts to see what's going down. Just look for new posts on the home page starting around 10 pm Eastern time tonight and refresh periodically for the latest.
Posted by The Franchise
After taking last weekend off to celebrate Uatu's destination wedding, it's time to get reacquainted with the sweet science in the form of a three-fight card on HBO. Headlining the show from Houston is hometown boy Juan Diaz, who takes on Paulie Malignaggi in a bout where both men could really use the victory.
Also in action is Robert Guerrero, who tangles with South African titleholder Malcolm Klassen, and Danny Jacobs, looking to stay undefeated against Ishe Smith.
As always, if you can't watch the fights, you can follow our live round by round posts to see what's going down. Just look for new posts on the home page starting around 10 pm Eastern time tonight and refresh periodically for the latest.
Posted by The Franchise
20.8.09
Juan Diaz vs. Paulie Malignaggi, Malcolm Klassen vs. Robert Guerrero, Danny Jacobs vs. Ishe Smith: Predictions
The Franchise says...
There's no such thing as a "must-win" bout in boxing, but we are going to be seeing a "damn-close-to-must-win" fight for both sides of HBO's main event this Saturday.
Juan Diaz gets to fight before his hometown fans in Houston, trying to right the ship after going 1-2 (and the one win was by split decision) in his last three fights. Smart, articulate and offensively talented - but defensively suspect - the Baby Bull was Victor Ortiz before Victor Ortiz, and has even more soul-searching to do at this point.
His opponent Paulie Malignaggi has actually seen his rise through the sport stopped twice: once after losing to Miguel Cotto in 2006 and again after his TKO loss to Ricky Hatton last November. There's certainly no shame in having those two gentlemen hand you your only two defeats, but the Magic Man seems to go to the back of the line more than most after taking an 'L.'
I think it's pretty well established at this point that Diaz only knows one way to fight. He's going to come forward and throw lots of punches. If that doesn't work, there's no Plan B. His chin is probably the best part of his defense, though as Juan Manuel Marquez proved, it has its limits.
Malignaggi is the bigger question mark. He's known as a light-hitting slickster (and that's being generous, as under 20 percent of his wins came via KO), but he curiously allowed Hatton to out-box him for most of their fight. He's naturally bigger and taller, though it remains to be seen if those qualities do him any good keeping Diaz out of his face.
It's not like Malignaggi can't win this fight, especially if he's able to consistently outmanuever Diaz or withstand an early barrage and pile up points down the stretch. It's just that his margin or error is so slim that the odds are against him being able to pull it off.
Diaz has found out that against the very best competition, what he does best isn't quite good enough. But Paulie is a step down from the likes of JMM and Nate Campbell, so I like the Baby Bull to win by late TKO.
In the co-feature, Robert Guerrero attempts to take the IBF super featherweight title from Malcolm Klassen after making a slight lightweight detour his last time out. After fighting just once in 2008, The Ghost has been a busy man, as this is already his fourth fight this year.
Klassen will make his first appearance in the U.S. after fighting all but one of his previous bouts in his native South Africa. He's fought just good enough competition to suggest he's not a stiff, and though he has four career losses, they've all come by the scorecards.
It's hard to break this one down having never seen Klassen fight, but the consensus opinion among boxing writers is that this will be the best guy Guerrero has faced to this point. Still, there's no reason to think that if he brings his 'A' game, he won't come out on top, and he's been fairly consistent in that regard in 2009. Guerrero wins by late KO.
HBO is also giving us a rare treat with a third televised fight, as undefeated Danny Jacobs tangles with Ishe Smith.
Fans have been waiting to see the 22-year old Jacobs take a step up in competition, but this may not qualify in that regard. Once upon a time Smith seemed to be a future title challenger, but that was probably five years ago, even before his unsuccessful attempt to win the first season of The Contender.
Jacobs got a little testy defending this fight on his Twitter feed, but he certainly appears to be taking the fight seriously, even if it isn't likely Ishe will have the power to hurt him. What Smith may have is enough veteran craftiness to go the distance.
But that's okay because the Golden Child has never gone ten rounds, so we may learn something about him in the process. Smith will learn that the younger man is too fast and too strong, and Jacobs will roll to an easy decision.
Posted by The Franchise
There's no such thing as a "must-win" bout in boxing, but we are going to be seeing a "damn-close-to-must-win" fight for both sides of HBO's main event this Saturday.
Juan Diaz gets to fight before his hometown fans in Houston, trying to right the ship after going 1-2 (and the one win was by split decision) in his last three fights. Smart, articulate and offensively talented - but defensively suspect - the Baby Bull was Victor Ortiz before Victor Ortiz, and has even more soul-searching to do at this point.
His opponent Paulie Malignaggi has actually seen his rise through the sport stopped twice: once after losing to Miguel Cotto in 2006 and again after his TKO loss to Ricky Hatton last November. There's certainly no shame in having those two gentlemen hand you your only two defeats, but the Magic Man seems to go to the back of the line more than most after taking an 'L.'
I think it's pretty well established at this point that Diaz only knows one way to fight. He's going to come forward and throw lots of punches. If that doesn't work, there's no Plan B. His chin is probably the best part of his defense, though as Juan Manuel Marquez proved, it has its limits.
Malignaggi is the bigger question mark. He's known as a light-hitting slickster (and that's being generous, as under 20 percent of his wins came via KO), but he curiously allowed Hatton to out-box him for most of their fight. He's naturally bigger and taller, though it remains to be seen if those qualities do him any good keeping Diaz out of his face.
It's not like Malignaggi can't win this fight, especially if he's able to consistently outmanuever Diaz or withstand an early barrage and pile up points down the stretch. It's just that his margin or error is so slim that the odds are against him being able to pull it off.
Diaz has found out that against the very best competition, what he does best isn't quite good enough. But Paulie is a step down from the likes of JMM and Nate Campbell, so I like the Baby Bull to win by late TKO.
In the co-feature, Robert Guerrero attempts to take the IBF super featherweight title from Malcolm Klassen after making a slight lightweight detour his last time out. After fighting just once in 2008, The Ghost has been a busy man, as this is already his fourth fight this year.
Klassen will make his first appearance in the U.S. after fighting all but one of his previous bouts in his native South Africa. He's fought just good enough competition to suggest he's not a stiff, and though he has four career losses, they've all come by the scorecards.
It's hard to break this one down having never seen Klassen fight, but the consensus opinion among boxing writers is that this will be the best guy Guerrero has faced to this point. Still, there's no reason to think that if he brings his 'A' game, he won't come out on top, and he's been fairly consistent in that regard in 2009. Guerrero wins by late KO.
HBO is also giving us a rare treat with a third televised fight, as undefeated Danny Jacobs tangles with Ishe Smith.
Fans have been waiting to see the 22-year old Jacobs take a step up in competition, but this may not qualify in that regard. Once upon a time Smith seemed to be a future title challenger, but that was probably five years ago, even before his unsuccessful attempt to win the first season of The Contender.
Jacobs got a little testy defending this fight on his Twitter feed, but he certainly appears to be taking the fight seriously, even if it isn't likely Ishe will have the power to hurt him. What Smith may have is enough veteran craftiness to go the distance.
But that's okay because the Golden Child has never gone ten rounds, so we may learn something about him in the process. Smith will learn that the younger man is too fast and too strong, and Jacobs will roll to an easy decision.
Posted by The Franchise
19.8.09
Boxers Who Love Twitter, Part 1: Andre Berto, Daniel Jacobs, Brian Viloria
I've come to the conclusion that boxers as a whole aren't exactly on the cutting edge when it comes to technology.
Perhaps that comes with the territory in a profession where one has to devote long periods of time to intense training before each bout. But even some of the most famous fighters in the sport don't have much of an internet presence, and in a sport where so much revolves around the ability to market each boxer as an individual attraction, that borders on inexcusable.
The younger boxers, the up-and-coming stars, seem to understand the importance of the latest technologies a little more than their older brethren, which is to be expected. Tops on the list of those technologies is everyone's favorite craze du jour, Twitter.
I know because I'm on there too (under my real name, @Nick_Tylwalk - shh, don't tell anyone!). It's interesting getting to see what some of these fighters are thinking, unfiltered by anyone else. Yes, it might not be the real boxers on the other end of the keyboard all the time, but some of them clearly enjoy tweeting too much to let someone do it for them.
I don't pretend to know every boxer who has a Twitter account, and I find new ones all the time. I do enjoy following some of them more than others, so I figured I'd give a shout out to some who are worth the time.
Andre Berto - @AndreBerto
Berto doesn't tweet every single day, but when he does, he's a madman. He'll give his thoughts on other fights, significant events from outside of boxing (like when Michael Jackson passed) and he also responds to news stories about him - like when the ESPN article broke the story that he might be fighting in Turkey. Andre also periodically asks his followers for updates on other fights that he can't see for one reason or another.
It's not like Berto has given up on interviews with established media, but like some athletes in other sports, he clearly feels there is some value for interested parties to get the scoop directly from him, and he's said so before. He's also recently become infatuated with Ustream, possibly the Next Big Thing for athletes, but I don't find Berto TV to be quite as insightful as his Twitter feed.
Daniel Jacobs - @DanielJacobsTKO
The Golden Child started off a little slower than Berto but now he's Tweeting with increasing regularity. He speaks from the heart when he gets worked up over something, like when he started getting defensive about criticism of his upcoming opponent, Ishe Smith.
If you're from Brooklyn, you'll definitely appreciate the frequent love Jacobs sends out to his home borough. He's also discovered Ustream, and thinks he may be the first boxer to ever stream live video of himself from his dressing room. I'm waiting for someone to tweet or stream video on their way to the ring!
Brian Viloria - @BrianViloria
Now here's a guy who really loves his Twitter. Starting with a good morning tweet almost every day, Hawaiian Punch lets everyone know about everything that's going on with him, including what he's eating, who he's hanging with and how the Lakers are doing - in other words, exactly the kind of stuff that people who hate Twitter usually cite as reasons.
Still, it's worth sifting through some extraneous posts because of what you'll learn about how fighters balance boxing, business and personal time. You'll also gain a greater appreciation for what training for a fight really entails, because Viloria gives lots of training updates.
Posted by The Franchise
Perhaps that comes with the territory in a profession where one has to devote long periods of time to intense training before each bout. But even some of the most famous fighters in the sport don't have much of an internet presence, and in a sport where so much revolves around the ability to market each boxer as an individual attraction, that borders on inexcusable.
The younger boxers, the up-and-coming stars, seem to understand the importance of the latest technologies a little more than their older brethren, which is to be expected. Tops on the list of those technologies is everyone's favorite craze du jour, Twitter.
I know because I'm on there too (under my real name, @Nick_Tylwalk - shh, don't tell anyone!). It's interesting getting to see what some of these fighters are thinking, unfiltered by anyone else. Yes, it might not be the real boxers on the other end of the keyboard all the time, but some of them clearly enjoy tweeting too much to let someone do it for them.
I don't pretend to know every boxer who has a Twitter account, and I find new ones all the time. I do enjoy following some of them more than others, so I figured I'd give a shout out to some who are worth the time.
Andre Berto - @AndreBerto
Berto doesn't tweet every single day, but when he does, he's a madman. He'll give his thoughts on other fights, significant events from outside of boxing (like when Michael Jackson passed) and he also responds to news stories about him - like when the ESPN article broke the story that he might be fighting in Turkey. Andre also periodically asks his followers for updates on other fights that he can't see for one reason or another.
It's not like Berto has given up on interviews with established media, but like some athletes in other sports, he clearly feels there is some value for interested parties to get the scoop directly from him, and he's said so before. He's also recently become infatuated with Ustream, possibly the Next Big Thing for athletes, but I don't find Berto TV to be quite as insightful as his Twitter feed.
Daniel Jacobs - @DanielJacobsTKO
The Golden Child started off a little slower than Berto but now he's Tweeting with increasing regularity. He speaks from the heart when he gets worked up over something, like when he started getting defensive about criticism of his upcoming opponent, Ishe Smith.
If you're from Brooklyn, you'll definitely appreciate the frequent love Jacobs sends out to his home borough. He's also discovered Ustream, and thinks he may be the first boxer to ever stream live video of himself from his dressing room. I'm waiting for someone to tweet or stream video on their way to the ring!
Brian Viloria - @BrianViloria
Now here's a guy who really loves his Twitter. Starting with a good morning tweet almost every day, Hawaiian Punch lets everyone know about everything that's going on with him, including what he's eating, who he's hanging with and how the Lakers are doing - in other words, exactly the kind of stuff that people who hate Twitter usually cite as reasons.
Still, it's worth sifting through some extraneous posts because of what you'll learn about how fighters balance boxing, business and personal time. You'll also gain a greater appreciation for what training for a fight really entails, because Viloria gives lots of training updates.
Posted by The Franchise
26.6.09
Quick Rundown of Friday Night Fights on ESPN2
Not enough hours in the day to give a complete post on Friday Night Fights or to do a round by round. I will post the outcomes of the major two fights and some truncated thoughts if anything interesting goes down.
Deontay Wilder wins by first round knockout. Atlas loved Wilder's trunks, and I must admit that they are awesome trunks. Bombs dropping with flames exploding. Quite cool.
David Haye was interviewed over the phone, and he was his usual brash and entertaining self. He did say he's ready at the end of July to fight either of the brothers Klitschko.
Oscar De La Hoya was ringside to be interviewed. He said Victor Ortiz is the figher he is most exicted about.
They asked him some questions about Sugar Shane Mosley. He said Shane-Manny is still realistic.
Oscar and Teddy Atlas broke down JMM-Floyd Mayweather. Teddy doesn't see it as a walk in the park for Money May. The layoff may place some pressure on Money May.
Oscar says Money May is a very proud fighter that wants to fight the best, and he gives Floyd credit for coming back against a tough fighter like JMM and not an easy one.
Onto the main event:
Daniel Jacobs vs. George Walton
A fight scheduled for 10 rounds.
They cut in to show footage of Paul Spadafora. You couldn't see Spartan in the crowd, but I assure you he was there. Very short footage, but some nice press for Spaddy as he makes his comeback.
Daniel Jacobs dominated from pillar to post, and looked great with another TKO victory. Jacobs had to overcome a cut and some bleeding in his eye, and totally outworked and out strengthed Walton throughout.
TKO 8th Round for Danny Jacobs
Methinks we will see young Jacobs on the come up to some BAD or Shobox type cards in the near future. Since he's with Golden Boy, more likely BAD or Versus.
Ringside interview:
Jacobs has an injury to the knuckles on his left hand, which is a chronic injury for him.
Did anything go on in his mind with the cut?
He had been cut once before in the amateurs. He wasn't scared here in the pros though, because he had that experience.
Teddy asked Jacobs if he has played Fight Night Round 4 yet, and he said that he had not.
That's it for me.
Posted by uatu
Deontay Wilder wins by first round knockout. Atlas loved Wilder's trunks, and I must admit that they are awesome trunks. Bombs dropping with flames exploding. Quite cool.
David Haye was interviewed over the phone, and he was his usual brash and entertaining self. He did say he's ready at the end of July to fight either of the brothers Klitschko.
Oscar De La Hoya was ringside to be interviewed. He said Victor Ortiz is the figher he is most exicted about.
They asked him some questions about Sugar Shane Mosley. He said Shane-Manny is still realistic.
Oscar and Teddy Atlas broke down JMM-Floyd Mayweather. Teddy doesn't see it as a walk in the park for Money May. The layoff may place some pressure on Money May.
Oscar says Money May is a very proud fighter that wants to fight the best, and he gives Floyd credit for coming back against a tough fighter like JMM and not an easy one.
Onto the main event:
Daniel Jacobs vs. George Walton
A fight scheduled for 10 rounds.
They cut in to show footage of Paul Spadafora. You couldn't see Spartan in the crowd, but I assure you he was there. Very short footage, but some nice press for Spaddy as he makes his comeback.
Daniel Jacobs dominated from pillar to post, and looked great with another TKO victory. Jacobs had to overcome a cut and some bleeding in his eye, and totally outworked and out strengthed Walton throughout.
TKO 8th Round for Danny Jacobs
Methinks we will see young Jacobs on the come up to some BAD or Shobox type cards in the near future. Since he's with Golden Boy, more likely BAD or Versus.
Ringside interview:
Jacobs has an injury to the knuckles on his left hand, which is a chronic injury for him.
Did anything go on in his mind with the cut?
He had been cut once before in the amateurs. He wasn't scared here in the pros though, because he had that experience.
Teddy asked Jacobs if he has played Fight Night Round 4 yet, and he said that he had not.
That's it for me.
Posted by uatu
2.5.09
Hatton vs. Pacquiao: Undercard Liveblog
We bring the undercard to you after some technical difficulty. The first two undercard fights were four-rounders.
The third undercard is between Daniel Jacobs and Michael Walker. Walker is 19-1-2 and Jacobs is 15-0 with 14 KOs.
The first of eight rounds has just begun. Jacobs is looking good. The HBO crew informs us that Daniel Jacobs fought just a week ago. This is his sixth fight in 18 months. Jacobs gets busy and is throwing great combos. Jacobs has been getting caught in the ropes and Walker has been doing well. Jacobs' hand speed and accuracy gets a showcase in Round 1. At one point Jacobs threw about a 15-punch combo to end the round.
Jacobs gets caught against the ropes a few more times. Walker has had some success when Jacobs is in that position. Walker is swinging wildly and missing big. Jacobs movement looks great. He's blocking well and getting out of the way of Walker's unpredictable style. Round 3 has actually been a better round for Walker. He's been getting Jacobs against the ropes and throwing combos. Walker literally lifts and tackles Jacobs. Jacobs gets time to adjust after the tackle. Walker should be penalized a point for sure.
Walker is the aggressor but Jacobs is using great ring generalship and blocking and countering well. The action gets stopped in the fifth round because of an accidental headbutt. It looked like it hurt Walker, who used time to recover.
HBO shows a view from the MGM Grand concourse and it looks ridiculous. There are fans for both fighters there but certainly more for Hatton.
Neither fighter is getting tired down the stretch. Harold Lederman has given Jacobs every round, but I think Walker has stolen some. There isn't much damage for either fighter either. Both of their faces look fine despite the bombs they have been throwing. The eighth round is starting now and it looks like this is going to go the distance.
The judges score it 80-72 twice and 79-73, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Daniel "The Golden Child" Jacobs.
Posted by spartan117
The third undercard is between Daniel Jacobs and Michael Walker. Walker is 19-1-2 and Jacobs is 15-0 with 14 KOs.
The first of eight rounds has just begun. Jacobs is looking good. The HBO crew informs us that Daniel Jacobs fought just a week ago. This is his sixth fight in 18 months. Jacobs gets busy and is throwing great combos. Jacobs has been getting caught in the ropes and Walker has been doing well. Jacobs' hand speed and accuracy gets a showcase in Round 1. At one point Jacobs threw about a 15-punch combo to end the round.
Jacobs gets caught against the ropes a few more times. Walker has had some success when Jacobs is in that position. Walker is swinging wildly and missing big. Jacobs movement looks great. He's blocking well and getting out of the way of Walker's unpredictable style. Round 3 has actually been a better round for Walker. He's been getting Jacobs against the ropes and throwing combos. Walker literally lifts and tackles Jacobs. Jacobs gets time to adjust after the tackle. Walker should be penalized a point for sure.
Walker is the aggressor but Jacobs is using great ring generalship and blocking and countering well. The action gets stopped in the fifth round because of an accidental headbutt. It looked like it hurt Walker, who used time to recover.
HBO shows a view from the MGM Grand concourse and it looks ridiculous. There are fans for both fighters there but certainly more for Hatton.
Neither fighter is getting tired down the stretch. Harold Lederman has given Jacobs every round, but I think Walker has stolen some. There isn't much damage for either fighter either. Both of their faces look fine despite the bombs they have been throwing. The eighth round is starting now and it looks like this is going to go the distance.
The judges score it 80-72 twice and 79-73, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Daniel "The Golden Child" Jacobs.
Posted by spartan117
1.5.09
Pacquiao vs. Hatton: Live Weigh-In
The show is on at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mario Lopez is the master of ceremonies. He opens the show to pump up the crowd and now hands the mic over to Michael Buffer. Buffer is doing well. He makes some jokes about the swine flu. The crowd is really pumped up. It sounds like they are mostly there for Ricky Hatton.
They start the weigh-in with the the first undercard fight between two young super middleweights. Buffer hands the mic back over to Lopez. He says there are three more to go before the main event weight-in. The second undercard fight that weighs in has the first stare-down. Lopez now hands the mic over to Richard Schaefer and Bob Arum. Arum says something in Tagalog and receives a lot of boos from the pro-Hatton crowd. Schaefer says "There's only one Ricky Hatton!"
They now use some footage from Hatton and Pacquiao's training and press conferences for filler. The footage has ended and Lopez says that Bernard Hopkins, Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley will be on the stage momentarily. Here's some more banter from Arum and Schaefer. Arum says that all Mexican fighters will be rooting for Manny Pacquiao. Schaefer says that that's enough from Bob.
Sugar Shane comes on the stage first. He says the weigh-in is an impressive show of fandom. It sounded like a pretty pro-Mosley crowd.
They jump from Mosley right into the weigh-in of Michael Walker vs. Daniel Jacobs at middleweight. Jacobs looks to be in great shape. The crowd is pretty quiet now. Jacobs is a few inches taller than Walker.
Right into some more filler of Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr. from a press conference.
Hopkins is on the stage now. Wow, the crowd is a seriously hating on B-Hop. They let him have it with a loud chorus of boos. He looks a little bigger than usual, not fat, but mostly muscle. Bernard says he's picking Hatton because "he's with us," meaning Golden Boy. He doesn't sound too convinced with his decision.
It's now time for the Humberto Soto vs. Benoit Gaudet weigh-in. They both make weight and look to be in good shape.
Juan Manuel Marquez and De La Hoya take the stage now. They both get a lot of cheers. Oscar put on a lot of weight. He's certainly not in boxing shape, but I guess he doesn't need to be. The British fans start a Ricky Hatton song. Amir Khan follows De La Hoya on the stage. Khan says that it's going to be a great fight. Juan Diaz, the Baby Bull, is in attendance. They show the crowd and it is truly amazing - thousands and thousands of fans.
Now it's time for the main event weigh-in. Buffer introduces Manny first. Hatton's British band is really going nuts. Hatton comes on now. The crowd goes crazy as expected. Manny is going to take the scale first. Manny looks to be in amazing shape.
Manny weighs in at 138 pounds.
Hatton follows and also looks to be in stellar shape. He looks a little thinner than Pac-Man.
Hatton weighs in at 140 pounds.
Manny and Hatton are all smiles. They pose for some pictures. Now it's time for the stare-down. It looks like there is no height difference between them. They both look like they trained hard, but Manny looks like he has more muscle on him.
Hatton says he kept in shape and he has never had a problem making weight. He sounds confident. It sounds like his game plan is to counter punch, which will be interesting to see. Manny is on the mic now. He says he feels strong and hungry to fight. Roach says that Hatton's game plan will play right into Manny's hands and they will pick Hatton apart once he reverts to his old ways.
Hatton and Manny close the show and thanks all of the fans for traveling such a long distance to see the fight. Manny does the same and says that nobody knows what's going to happen, except God.
That's it. The weigh-in has me excited for tomorrow night. One more day!
Posted by spartan117
They start the weigh-in with the the first undercard fight between two young super middleweights. Buffer hands the mic back over to Lopez. He says there are three more to go before the main event weight-in. The second undercard fight that weighs in has the first stare-down. Lopez now hands the mic over to Richard Schaefer and Bob Arum. Arum says something in Tagalog and receives a lot of boos from the pro-Hatton crowd. Schaefer says "There's only one Ricky Hatton!"
They now use some footage from Hatton and Pacquiao's training and press conferences for filler. The footage has ended and Lopez says that Bernard Hopkins, Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley will be on the stage momentarily. Here's some more banter from Arum and Schaefer. Arum says that all Mexican fighters will be rooting for Manny Pacquiao. Schaefer says that that's enough from Bob.
Sugar Shane comes on the stage first. He says the weigh-in is an impressive show of fandom. It sounded like a pretty pro-Mosley crowd.
They jump from Mosley right into the weigh-in of Michael Walker vs. Daniel Jacobs at middleweight. Jacobs looks to be in great shape. The crowd is pretty quiet now. Jacobs is a few inches taller than Walker.
Right into some more filler of Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr. from a press conference.
Hopkins is on the stage now. Wow, the crowd is a seriously hating on B-Hop. They let him have it with a loud chorus of boos. He looks a little bigger than usual, not fat, but mostly muscle. Bernard says he's picking Hatton because "he's with us," meaning Golden Boy. He doesn't sound too convinced with his decision.
It's now time for the Humberto Soto vs. Benoit Gaudet weigh-in. They both make weight and look to be in good shape.
Juan Manuel Marquez and De La Hoya take the stage now. They both get a lot of cheers. Oscar put on a lot of weight. He's certainly not in boxing shape, but I guess he doesn't need to be. The British fans start a Ricky Hatton song. Amir Khan follows De La Hoya on the stage. Khan says that it's going to be a great fight. Juan Diaz, the Baby Bull, is in attendance. They show the crowd and it is truly amazing - thousands and thousands of fans.
Now it's time for the main event weigh-in. Buffer introduces Manny first. Hatton's British band is really going nuts. Hatton comes on now. The crowd goes crazy as expected. Manny is going to take the scale first. Manny looks to be in amazing shape.
Manny weighs in at 138 pounds.
Hatton follows and also looks to be in stellar shape. He looks a little thinner than Pac-Man.
Hatton weighs in at 140 pounds.
Manny and Hatton are all smiles. They pose for some pictures. Now it's time for the stare-down. It looks like there is no height difference between them. They both look like they trained hard, but Manny looks like he has more muscle on him.
Hatton says he kept in shape and he has never had a problem making weight. He sounds confident. It sounds like his game plan is to counter punch, which will be interesting to see. Manny is on the mic now. He says he feels strong and hungry to fight. Roach says that Hatton's game plan will play right into Manny's hands and they will pick Hatton apart once he reverts to his old ways.
Hatton and Manny close the show and thanks all of the fans for traveling such a long distance to see the fight. Manny does the same and says that nobody knows what's going to happen, except God.
That's it. The weigh-in has me excited for tomorrow night. One more day!
Posted by spartan117
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
