I had so much built-up anticipation for the beginning of the Super Six World Boxing Classic that it's almost a letdown now that we're past the first weekend of fights. You know, like you used to feel six hours after you unwrapped that last Christmas present.
But the sport goes on, and actually in fine fashion with a number of fight weekends between now and the end of the year. We'll see the big Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight, Kelly Pavlik do battle with Paul Williams and more Super Six when Mikkel Kessler faces off with Andre Ward. Not too shabby.
Until then, let's do some...
SHOE SHINING
I was really scared that when I saw Fernando Vargas' name in the boxing news that he was coming out of retirement. Instead, he's working on promoting boxing and MMA shows, including the Nov. 6 show at the Palms in Las Vegas with Zab Judah and Joel Casamayor. He's got his eye on doing shows in Lindsay, California with local fighters starting early next year, and yes, he hasn't closed the door entirely on returning to the ring...
We haven't said much about Bernard Hopkins fighting Enrique Ornelas in December because, frankly, there isn't that much to say. But here's an interesting angle: The Executioner is donating money from each ticket sold to three different charities, and Golden Boy is matching the donations. Good for them...
This blog is almost entirely politics-free, which is a good thing. What happens when boxing collides with politics though? I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Jack Johnson pardon watch, which seems to be kicking into high gear right now. Do I think Johnson should be pardoned? Absolutely. But seriously, President Obama and Congress have their hands full right now with the economy, Afghanistan, Iran, etc. Maybe this isn't the most ideal time...
Might as well finish with this: Ricky Hatton says he'd consider returning for a second fight with Floyd Mayweather. Um, yeah, and I bet Floyd would consider fighting you again, Hitman, because beating you probably wouldn't be much harder than it was the first time. For all our sakes, please don't give Mayweather an excuse to take an easy fight. I'm asking you nicely.
Posted by The Franchise
Showing posts with label fernando vargas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fernando vargas. Show all posts
26.11.07
Weekend Wrap-Up, Nov. 26, 2007: Vargas-Mayorga, Cintron in a Tough One and More
I like to think I'm the first one to admit it when I'm wrong, so let me put this on the record: I was wrong about this weekend's pay-per-view.
Granted, I'd still be a much happier boxing fan if the powers that be would stop charging for fights between boxers who are past their primes, but I thought the Vargas-Mayorga bout would either be:
a) A complete waste of time
or
b) The sporting equivalent of a train wreck
Turns out it was neither. It won't be making Dan Rafael's list of ten must-watch fights, but it was unexpectedly well-fought and, dare I say it, entertaining. There was no knockout, a fact that surely would have lost me money had I been in Vegas for the fight and been able to bet on the fight ending with one.
Mayorga, especially, turned out to be a bit of a revelation, still showing some wild tendencies and doing some unnecessary showboating, but also somehow discovering the ability to pace himself. Unless my eyes deceived me, El Matador even blocked some punches with his gloves and dodged some others.
It's hard to imagine that a professional athlete could be washed up at age 29, but it sure looks like Vargas's decision to hang up the gloves - if he really does go through with it - is the proper one. Even in his new, relatively improved form, Mayorga provided Fernando with the best chance to go out on a winning note. He didn't look as overmatched as he did the last time he fought Shane Mosley, but he did get knocked down twice, and it appears his heart is the best thing he still has going for him. Let's applaud him for that and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.
And while we're on the subject of heart, a big BoxingWatchers.com shout out goes to Jesse Feliciano. He turned what was supposed to be a cakewalk for Kermit Cintron into a touch scrap fought primarily at close range. That neutralized The Killer's immense advantage's in hand speed and skill and made it a much longer night than anyone could have predicted. The sight of Feliciano out on his feet while TKO winner Cintron was writhing in pain on the mat - the result of an injury suffered during the fight - was a strange one, for sure.
Granted, I'd still be a much happier boxing fan if the powers that be would stop charging for fights between boxers who are past their primes, but I thought the Vargas-Mayorga bout would either be:
a) A complete waste of time
or
b) The sporting equivalent of a train wreck
Turns out it was neither. It won't be making Dan Rafael's list of ten must-watch fights, but it was unexpectedly well-fought and, dare I say it, entertaining. There was no knockout, a fact that surely would have lost me money had I been in Vegas for the fight and been able to bet on the fight ending with one.
Mayorga, especially, turned out to be a bit of a revelation, still showing some wild tendencies and doing some unnecessary showboating, but also somehow discovering the ability to pace himself. Unless my eyes deceived me, El Matador even blocked some punches with his gloves and dodged some others.
It's hard to imagine that a professional athlete could be washed up at age 29, but it sure looks like Vargas's decision to hang up the gloves - if he really does go through with it - is the proper one. Even in his new, relatively improved form, Mayorga provided Fernando with the best chance to go out on a winning note. He didn't look as overmatched as he did the last time he fought Shane Mosley, but he did get knocked down twice, and it appears his heart is the best thing he still has going for him. Let's applaud him for that and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.
And while we're on the subject of heart, a big BoxingWatchers.com shout out goes to Jesse Feliciano. He turned what was supposed to be a cakewalk for Kermit Cintron into a touch scrap fought primarily at close range. That neutralized The Killer's immense advantage's in hand speed and skill and made it a much longer night than anyone could have predicted. The sight of Feliciano out on his feet while TKO winner Cintron was writhing in pain on the mat - the result of an injury suffered during the fight - was a strange one, for sure.
24.11.07
Round By Round: Vargas vs. Mayorga
Hi fight fans, we're picking this one up in progress due to technical difficulties. Hit refresh often to get the latest.
I'm going it alone as the rest of the BoxingWatchers.com staff is in Michigan visiting family for the holidays. Uatu has indicated Mayorga by KO while Spartan117 is calling for a Mayorga KO in the eighth.
I can tell you that Mayorga scored a knockdown in the first round. I scored it:
Rd. 1: Mayorga 10-8
Rd. 2: Mayorga 10-9
Rd. 3 Vargas 10-9
Rd. 4
Wild left to the body by Mayorga. Big right by Vargas. More body work by Mayorga. Lots of standing right in front of each other. Vargas tries a right and they tie up. 1-2 by Mayorga. Vargas with a combo and an uppercut. Mayorga back to the body and misses upstairs. Good trading at the end of the round with Vargas getting the better of it.
The Franchise scores it: Vargas 10-9
Rd. 5
Vargas knocks Mayorga back with a right. He's scoring to the head while Mayorga concentrates on the body. Mayorga warned for hitting behind the head. He goes back to the body. Right knocks Vargas off-balance. They trade in the center but Vargas isn't as active this round. Mayorga with a good flurry at the bell and he may have won it on activity level alone.
The Franchise scores it: Mayorga: 10-9
Rd. 6
Vargas trying to box a little; Mayorga still going forward. Good jab by Vargas as Mayorga shrugs and nods. Both guys go to the body and Vargas lands upstairs. A lot of tie-ups this round. Vargas lands two rights as Mayorga tries to fire back. Two big rights by Mayorga, now Vargas lands a series of rights. Mayorga tries to steal it at the end but Vargas blocks most of it and throws his own cleaner shots back.
The Franchise scores it: Vargas 10-9
Rd. 7
Mayorga slow to leave his corner to start this round. Mayorga scores with a pair of rights. Vargas' D is improved but Mayorga hits another right. Left uppercut by Vargas. Mayorga really stepping into his rights and 1-2 combos this round. Left hook to the body by Mayorga. The announcers are impressed with Mayorga's discipline. More rights coming over the top of Vargas' guard. No stealing this round as they tie up.
The Franchise scores it: Mayorga 10-9
Rd. 8
It should be a Vargas round the way this has gone. He's more assertive early. Mayorga showboats and then lands. Vargas able to land a few jabs but not much else. Vargas having trouble with his left eye, perhaps. Combo lands from Mayorga. Jab by Mayorga and just misses with a right. Now Vargas lands some shots but he can't trap Mayorga against the ropes. Left by Vargas and Mayorga forced to hold on. Mayorga lands after the bell and the crowd doesn't like it. Toughest round to score so far.
The Franchise scores it: Mayorga 10-9
Rd. 9
Mayorga returns to his body attack. Vargas trying to come in behind his jab. Good combo and multiple jabs by Vargas. Good left hook by Vargas. Now they stand and trade a bit. Mayorga looks a little tires and/or hurt this round. Combo by Vargas. Mayorga digs with an uppercut. Vargas landing with both hands. Mayorga is game and now it is a brawl. Mayorga dances but he is losing this round.
The Franchise scores it: Vargas 10-9
Rd. 10
Vargas looking confident now. Not sure what the ref is warning about now. Mayorga flurry but not all land. Both men a little wilder right now. Mayorga gets the better of an exchange. Left by Vargas. Right by Mayorga. Double left by Vargas. Vargas stalks but Mayorga escapes. Very close round.
The Franchise scores it: Vargas 10-9
Rd. 11
Have to say this has been surprisingly entertaining. Right by El Matador. Vargas lands to the body. Jabs keeping Mayorga back. Mayorga multiple body shots. Vargas left hook and misses a right. Mayorga combo but misses the uppercut. Right and a left by Vargas. Left hook by Vargas. Big right by Mayorga. Wow! Knockdown right at the end of the round by Mayorga - right hand just caught Vargas backing up. Vargas was winning the round until that happened.
The Franchise scores it: Mayorga 10-8
Rd. 12
Is Vargas hurt? He didn't look good between rounds. Mayoga dancing a lot - his corner told him he has the fight. Vargas scoring with some jabs but not much else. Mayorga raising his hand a lot and Vargas not really making him pay. Vargas will need a KO now and it doesn't look like he will get it. He backs Mayorga up but El Matador escapes. Jabs both ways. Mayorga falls to his knees after one last exchange. Vargas probably won that round but he shouldn't win the fight.
The Franchise scores it: Vargas 10-9
The Franchise scores it 114-112 for Mayorga. The judges score it 113-113 and 114-112, 115-111 for Mayorga.
I'm going it alone as the rest of the BoxingWatchers.com staff is in Michigan visiting family for the holidays. Uatu has indicated Mayorga by KO while Spartan117 is calling for a Mayorga KO in the eighth.
I can tell you that Mayorga scored a knockdown in the first round. I scored it:
Rd. 1: Mayorga 10-8
Rd. 2: Mayorga 10-9
Rd. 3 Vargas 10-9
Rd. 4
Wild left to the body by Mayorga. Big right by Vargas. More body work by Mayorga. Lots of standing right in front of each other. Vargas tries a right and they tie up. 1-2 by Mayorga. Vargas with a combo and an uppercut. Mayorga back to the body and misses upstairs. Good trading at the end of the round with Vargas getting the better of it.
The Franchise scores it: Vargas 10-9
Rd. 5
Vargas knocks Mayorga back with a right. He's scoring to the head while Mayorga concentrates on the body. Mayorga warned for hitting behind the head. He goes back to the body. Right knocks Vargas off-balance. They trade in the center but Vargas isn't as active this round. Mayorga with a good flurry at the bell and he may have won it on activity level alone.
The Franchise scores it: Mayorga: 10-9
Rd. 6
Vargas trying to box a little; Mayorga still going forward. Good jab by Vargas as Mayorga shrugs and nods. Both guys go to the body and Vargas lands upstairs. A lot of tie-ups this round. Vargas lands two rights as Mayorga tries to fire back. Two big rights by Mayorga, now Vargas lands a series of rights. Mayorga tries to steal it at the end but Vargas blocks most of it and throws his own cleaner shots back.
The Franchise scores it: Vargas 10-9
Rd. 7
Mayorga slow to leave his corner to start this round. Mayorga scores with a pair of rights. Vargas' D is improved but Mayorga hits another right. Left uppercut by Vargas. Mayorga really stepping into his rights and 1-2 combos this round. Left hook to the body by Mayorga. The announcers are impressed with Mayorga's discipline. More rights coming over the top of Vargas' guard. No stealing this round as they tie up.
The Franchise scores it: Mayorga 10-9
Rd. 8
It should be a Vargas round the way this has gone. He's more assertive early. Mayorga showboats and then lands. Vargas able to land a few jabs but not much else. Vargas having trouble with his left eye, perhaps. Combo lands from Mayorga. Jab by Mayorga and just misses with a right. Now Vargas lands some shots but he can't trap Mayorga against the ropes. Left by Vargas and Mayorga forced to hold on. Mayorga lands after the bell and the crowd doesn't like it. Toughest round to score so far.
The Franchise scores it: Mayorga 10-9
Rd. 9
Mayorga returns to his body attack. Vargas trying to come in behind his jab. Good combo and multiple jabs by Vargas. Good left hook by Vargas. Now they stand and trade a bit. Mayorga looks a little tires and/or hurt this round. Combo by Vargas. Mayorga digs with an uppercut. Vargas landing with both hands. Mayorga is game and now it is a brawl. Mayorga dances but he is losing this round.
The Franchise scores it: Vargas 10-9
Rd. 10
Vargas looking confident now. Not sure what the ref is warning about now. Mayorga flurry but not all land. Both men a little wilder right now. Mayorga gets the better of an exchange. Left by Vargas. Right by Mayorga. Double left by Vargas. Vargas stalks but Mayorga escapes. Very close round.
The Franchise scores it: Vargas 10-9
Rd. 11
Have to say this has been surprisingly entertaining. Right by El Matador. Vargas lands to the body. Jabs keeping Mayorga back. Mayorga multiple body shots. Vargas left hook and misses a right. Mayorga combo but misses the uppercut. Right and a left by Vargas. Left hook by Vargas. Big right by Mayorga. Wow! Knockdown right at the end of the round by Mayorga - right hand just caught Vargas backing up. Vargas was winning the round until that happened.
The Franchise scores it: Mayorga 10-8
Rd. 12
Is Vargas hurt? He didn't look good between rounds. Mayoga dancing a lot - his corner told him he has the fight. Vargas scoring with some jabs but not much else. Mayorga raising his hand a lot and Vargas not really making him pay. Vargas will need a KO now and it doesn't look like he will get it. He backs Mayorga up but El Matador escapes. Jabs both ways. Mayorga falls to his knees after one last exchange. Vargas probably won that round but he shouldn't win the fight.
The Franchise scores it: Vargas 10-9
The Franchise scores it 114-112 for Mayorga. The judges score it 113-113 and 114-112, 115-111 for Mayorga.
19.11.07
Weekend Wrap-Up, Nov. 19, 2007: Guzman-Soto, Washed-Up Fighter-O-Rama and More
I have to say that I don't like picking against my brother and fellow BoxingWatchers.com staffer, Uatu. He's the one who got me into boxing, and aside from having seen a lot more fights than I have, he has a razor-sharp memory that serves him well when recalling how fighters have looked in their last few fights.
So when he picked Humberto Soto to beat Joan Guzman this past Saturday, I felt a little foolish. Even I remembered how unimpressive Guzman looked during his previous fight, and I was worried that the fact that Joan was one of my favorite fighters was clouding my prediction.
Having seen a replay of the fight, it appears I should have had a little more faith. Guzman boxed when he needed to, survived the times he stood and traded, and won fairly easily against a tough opponent. He's now 28-0 and seems to be ready for a big fight.
He also needs to do it soon. Despite his relatively small body of work, Guzman is already 31 years old, and fighters who rely on their speed and reflexes like Joan face a much sharper drop-off than sluggers - see Roy Jones Jr. Steve Kim of MaxBoxing.com doesn't think Bob Arum will put Guzman in against Manny Pacquiao, so it's hard to pick an obvious candidate to face him in a career-defining bout. Juan Manuel Marquez, maybe?
Speaking of Kim, his most recent article also talks about the upcoming Black Friday showdown between Fernando Vargas and Ricardo Mayorga, two fighters whose best days are behind them. The fascination with this fight reminds me of the proverbial train wreck in that while we don't really want to watch, we also can't look away. The early 2008 fight pitting Jones against Tito Trinidad falls into this category too.
Much as I'd like to ignore both of these fights, there's no denying they will sell some tickets and some PPV buys on name value alone. Perception really is more important than reality in the boxing world, and since the public sees them as big fights, that's exactly what they are. We've already agreed we'll be watching and covering them here, like it or not.
So when he picked Humberto Soto to beat Joan Guzman this past Saturday, I felt a little foolish. Even I remembered how unimpressive Guzman looked during his previous fight, and I was worried that the fact that Joan was one of my favorite fighters was clouding my prediction.
Having seen a replay of the fight, it appears I should have had a little more faith. Guzman boxed when he needed to, survived the times he stood and traded, and won fairly easily against a tough opponent. He's now 28-0 and seems to be ready for a big fight.
He also needs to do it soon. Despite his relatively small body of work, Guzman is already 31 years old, and fighters who rely on their speed and reflexes like Joan face a much sharper drop-off than sluggers - see Roy Jones Jr. Steve Kim of MaxBoxing.com doesn't think Bob Arum will put Guzman in against Manny Pacquiao, so it's hard to pick an obvious candidate to face him in a career-defining bout. Juan Manuel Marquez, maybe?
Speaking of Kim, his most recent article also talks about the upcoming Black Friday showdown between Fernando Vargas and Ricardo Mayorga, two fighters whose best days are behind them. The fascination with this fight reminds me of the proverbial train wreck in that while we don't really want to watch, we also can't look away. The early 2008 fight pitting Jones against Tito Trinidad falls into this category too.
Much as I'd like to ignore both of these fights, there's no denying they will sell some tickets and some PPV buys on name value alone. Perception really is more important than reality in the boxing world, and since the public sees them as big fights, that's exactly what they are. We've already agreed we'll be watching and covering them here, like it or not.
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