The fighters are in the ring.
This is a 115-pound fight for Darchinyan's WBC and WBA super flyweight belts.
Vic has watched no tape of Rodrigo, according to him. Rodrigo has watched every fight of Vic's. That always makes me nervous. Why not watch the tape? Where's the downside? Seems foolish.
Round 1
Vic looks bigger. Vic not flying in recklessly. Nice right from Vic. Guerrero is being aggressive. Interestingly, Guerrero backs Vic to the ropes. Rodrigo is in it to win it early. Now Vic takes the lead. Rodrigo isn't being careful. Could mean fireworks. Vic closes the round with straight lefts. Intriguing round.
Uatu: Vic 10-9
Franchise: Vic 10-9
Round 2
Rodrigo aggressive early again. Vic landing the left. And another nice left from Vic. And again. Vic is very quick. He is underrated in that department. Trading good shots. Vic is also good at working in and out. Rodrigo is out of distance on his shots. Vic gets in and does work. Lazy Vic jabs. Rodrigo banging the body and pushing Vic back.
Uatu: Vic 10-9
Franchise: Vic 10-9
Round 3
Nice mini hook left from Vic. Wild shots from Rodrigo out of range. Vic trying to fake his way in. Vic has nice feints. You can see Vic looking for that straight left laser. Rodrigo not doing much. There's a Vic left. Missed uppercut from Rodrigo. Wild miss from Vic. Rodrigo switches to southpaw. Vic with some overhands and Rodrigo gets chased back to righty.
Uatu: Vic 10-9
Franchise: Vic 10-9
Round 4
Vic is good with keeping his head low as he lunges in. Rodrigo coming forward. He may not be strong enough. Jab from Rodrigo. Left and right from Vic. Vic trying to bomb away in the middle of the ring. He wings that left from different angles. The Vic jab is weak, but it keeps Rodrigo at bay. Rodrigo lands an uppercut. The crowd seems pro-Guerrero. Nice left from Vic coming up off the ropes.
Uatu: Vic 10-9
Franchise: Vic 10-9
Round 5
It has been an entertaining yet one-sided fight. A couple Vic lefts early. Steve has it all Vic so far. Guerrero is bleeding. Vic also changes up speeds on the left. Not every left is 100 percent. Rodrigo attempts to press the action. Vic lands a combo. Rodrigo sneaks a few in. Vic gets in another medium-strength left. A straight Vic left. Every round ends with some two-way action.
Uatu: Vic 10-9
Franchise: Vic 10-9
Round 6
Antonio Tarver is an excellent announcer. Rodrigo stays in Vic's face. Steve says Vic lets Guerrero in on purpose to get him in range. Vic isn't throwing many combos. Guerrero just lacks the starch on his punches. He is a good fighter, but the strength and power difference is obvious. And he isn't a super-active pressure fighter either. Guerrero wades his way in and gets hit.
Uatu: Vic 10-9
Franchise: Vic 10-9
Round 7
The fight is only halfway done, but it seems unlikely Guerrero can win. Guerrero doing the same: working his way in without landing, and either missing or getting hit. Steve has Vic winning every round. Nice straight left from Vic and out goes the mouthpiece of Guerrero. Beating a dead horse, but Vic is much snappier on the punches. Guerrero is still trying, but Vic evades the punches. Tarver says a KO was inches away for Vic. Jab from Rodrigo. Left from Vic. Big left from Vic, but somehow Guerrero stands. One wonders how much longer he can or should go on.
Uatu: Vic 10-9
Franchise: Vic 10-9
Round 8
Can Vic close the show so I can watch the WEC? Vic bombing away with no worries. Guerrero not quitting. Pretty amazing display of forward momentum from Rodrigo. Everyone in the place thinks Vic is playing possum. And he is. The old rope-a-dope. Another big left from Vic. Lefts to the head and body from Vic. Could be close to a 10-8 round with no knockdown. Guerrero isn't really wobbled, but he certainly is getting tagged repeatedly. Could be stopped by his corner and no one would blame them.
Uatu: Vic 10-9
Franchise: Vic 10-9
Round 9
Guerrero starts out aggressive. Vic bounces off the ropes to come forward with a punch. Nice lefts again that are short from Vic. Lead left from Vic. Somewhere in there Rodrigo landed a body shot. Vic looks plenty fresh. Doubtful he fades down the stretch. Vic sneaks in the uppercut. This Guerrero guy is a very tough fighter. He hasn't even gotten close to giving up.
Uatu: Vic 10-9
Franchise: Vic 10-9
Round 10
Will Vic and Nonito Donaire ever fight again? I would like to see a replay of the first fight again sometime. It's been a while since I've seen it. Rodrigo was aggressive but ineffective. Vic landed some big punches again. Same as the last few rounds.
Uatu: Vic 10-9
Franchise: Vic 10-9
Round 11
I guess Guerrero's corner should stop this fight? I don't know. He really has no chance. He hasn't been super wobbled, but he just took some monster shots for no reason. He is only 22; would hate to see him affected for the future for little purpose. Vic seems to be opening up a little more, but he is still fighting a notch below completely going balls out. Tarver thinks Vic is setting up the KO punch. Antonio has been saying that for rounds now. Guerreo amazingly stays active till the bell.
Uatu: Vic 10-9
Franchise: Vic 10-9
Round 12
If you saw the last 10 seconds of Round 11 only, you would think it crazy to throw in the towel. Guerrero is fighting with a lot of pride. It is an impressive display. Hopefully he can develop in the future and make a return to the States and TV. Rodrigo landed nothing big. Vic got in some big shots, but no KO.
Uatu: Vic 10-9
Franchise: Vic 10-9
Uatu: 120-108 Vic
Franchise: 120-108 Vic
Official Scores:
118-110
117-111
120-108
The winner by unanimous decision... and still WBC and WBA super flyweight titleholder... "The Raging Bull" Vic Darchinyan.
Vic says this was his last fight at 115 if he does not get a rematch with Donaire.
Posted by uatu
Showing posts with label vic darchinyan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vic darchinyan. Show all posts
6.3.10
Live Darchinyan-Guerrero and Alexander-Urango Round By Round Updates Tonight
Here at BoxingWatchers.com, our live round by round blogging skills are getting a tad rusty. It's not our fault, or anyone's really, just a reflection of a year in boxing that has gotten off to a slow start.
That starts to change tonight with Showtime and HBO both broadcasting title fights. Always entertaining Vic Darchinyan steps in against Rodrigo Guerrero on ShoBox, while Devon Alexander squares off with Juan Urango on Boxing After Dark.
If you are like us, you are hungry for live boxing action and will be in front of the TV tonight. If circumstances don't allow that, allow us to propose an alternative: bookmark our site and come back here tonight so we can fill you in on the action as it happens.
We'll have individual round by round posts for the Alexander-Urango (starting around 9 pm Eastern) and Darchinyan-Guerrero (shortly after 10, perhaps) out on our home page. And if we're able, we'll do one for the Showtime opener between Lenny Zappavigna and Fernando Angulo too, because that's just how we do.
See you tonight...
Posted by The Franchise
That starts to change tonight with Showtime and HBO both broadcasting title fights. Always entertaining Vic Darchinyan steps in against Rodrigo Guerrero on ShoBox, while Devon Alexander squares off with Juan Urango on Boxing After Dark.
If you are like us, you are hungry for live boxing action and will be in front of the TV tonight. If circumstances don't allow that, allow us to propose an alternative: bookmark our site and come back here tonight so we can fill you in on the action as it happens.
We'll have individual round by round posts for the Alexander-Urango (starting around 9 pm Eastern) and Darchinyan-Guerrero (shortly after 10, perhaps) out on our home page. And if we're able, we'll do one for the Showtime opener between Lenny Zappavigna and Fernando Angulo too, because that's just how we do.
See you tonight...
Posted by The Franchise
5.3.10
Vic Darchinyan-Rodrigo Guerrero and Devon Alexander-Juan Urango: Predictions
This weekend was supposed to mark the beginning of Phase 2 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, with Andre Dirrell taking on Arthur Abraham. A back injury to Dirrell moved that fight back a few weeks, but fight fans won't be left empty-handed thanks to televised cards on both Showtime and HBO.
The departure of the Abraham-Dirrell fight means Vic Darchinyan moves up to main event status on Showtime. That's not a bad thing, as having Darchinyan in action usually means something interesting is going to happen, whether it be physically, verbally or both.
In Rodrigo Guerrero, he's facing an unknown quantity to American fans. Just 22 years old, the undefeated Mexican has nine KO victories in his 14 pro fights, but he's been in just one bout scheduled for more than eight rounds and looks to be making a huge jump up in competition.
Guerrero has told reporters he plans on slugging it out with Darchinyan, which is brave but not necessarily smart. Vic has vicious power in both hands as just about every one of his opponents at super flyweight can attest.
He can also box, but he chooses to do so only on occasion. If Guerrero can't force him out of his comfort zone, he's in for a painful night.
Darchinyan seems to be more and more occupied with thoughts of revenge on Nonito Donaire, who handed him his only knockout loss in the summer of 2007. That means he may be his own worst enemy, as he can certainly get caught if he's looking past the business at hand.
Assuming he's focused, Darchinyan should be able to slug his way to victory, which is how he prefers it. Look for Vic to register a mid-round KO and give one of his typically entertaining post-fight interviews after the final bell.
On HBO, WBC 140-pound titleholder Devon Alexander looks to stay undefeated in a clash with hard-nosed Juan Urango. At 23, Alexander is one of the youngest American boxers wearing gold, and he comes in off an impressive performance in beating tricky Junior Witter last August.
Urango is the type of fighter who is good enough to make it to the top of the hill but not quite special enough to beat the best. His only two losses came to Ricky Hatton and Andre Berto - no shame there - but he was badly outclassed in both contests.
Alexander doesn't have Berto's lightning-fast hands or Hatton's pop, though he's above average in both areas. It's hard to look good against Witter, but Devon did so for the most part, showcasing strong right hooks to complement his straight lefts.
He won't have quite as much of a puzzle in Urango, who has the power to end things if he lands flush but can be out-boxed and out-hustled. Berto was criticized for fighting a boring style against him, but in all honesty, that may be Alexander's road map to success.
Urango has never been knocked out, so he's going to be gamely battling until the bitter end. I just think Alexander's star is still on the rise, and I expect the St. Louis native to win by unanimous decision.
Posted by The Franchise
The departure of the Abraham-Dirrell fight means Vic Darchinyan moves up to main event status on Showtime. That's not a bad thing, as having Darchinyan in action usually means something interesting is going to happen, whether it be physically, verbally or both.
In Rodrigo Guerrero, he's facing an unknown quantity to American fans. Just 22 years old, the undefeated Mexican has nine KO victories in his 14 pro fights, but he's been in just one bout scheduled for more than eight rounds and looks to be making a huge jump up in competition.
Guerrero has told reporters he plans on slugging it out with Darchinyan, which is brave but not necessarily smart. Vic has vicious power in both hands as just about every one of his opponents at super flyweight can attest.
He can also box, but he chooses to do so only on occasion. If Guerrero can't force him out of his comfort zone, he's in for a painful night.
Darchinyan seems to be more and more occupied with thoughts of revenge on Nonito Donaire, who handed him his only knockout loss in the summer of 2007. That means he may be his own worst enemy, as he can certainly get caught if he's looking past the business at hand.
Assuming he's focused, Darchinyan should be able to slug his way to victory, which is how he prefers it. Look for Vic to register a mid-round KO and give one of his typically entertaining post-fight interviews after the final bell.
On HBO, WBC 140-pound titleholder Devon Alexander looks to stay undefeated in a clash with hard-nosed Juan Urango. At 23, Alexander is one of the youngest American boxers wearing gold, and he comes in off an impressive performance in beating tricky Junior Witter last August.
Urango is the type of fighter who is good enough to make it to the top of the hill but not quite special enough to beat the best. His only two losses came to Ricky Hatton and Andre Berto - no shame there - but he was badly outclassed in both contests.
Alexander doesn't have Berto's lightning-fast hands or Hatton's pop, though he's above average in both areas. It's hard to look good against Witter, but Devon did so for the most part, showcasing strong right hooks to complement his straight lefts.
He won't have quite as much of a puzzle in Urango, who has the power to end things if he lands flush but can be out-boxed and out-hustled. Berto was criticized for fighting a boring style against him, but in all honesty, that may be Alexander's road map to success.
Urango has never been knocked out, so he's going to be gamely battling until the bitter end. I just think Alexander's star is still on the rise, and I expect the St. Louis native to win by unanimous decision.
Posted by The Franchise
23.2.10
Dirrell-Abraham Bout Moved Back 3 Weeks, But Still Not Free of HBO Competition
One of my recurring themes over the past few months has been repeatedly wishing that HBO and Showtime would stop counterprogramming each other with cards on the same nights, because it's not good for the health of the sport in the U.S.
I've been especially irritated about HBO insisting on putting fights on the same weekends as the second round robin fights of Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic. From a competitive standpoint, I understand why they're doing it, but I don't like it.
A few days ago, word came down that Andre Dirrell had a minor back injury, necessitating the move of his bout with Arthur Abraham from March 6 to March 27. Though that's never the kind of news you like to hear, the silver lining was that at least it got away from HBO's card on the 6th, a doubleheader featuring Devon Alexander-Juan Urango and Cory Spinks-Cornelius Bundrage.
I was happy for about five minutes. Then I remembered that HBO also has a broadcast all but set for the 27th, a card that looks even better than the previous one with Marcos Maidana facing Victor Cayo and Ali Funeka getting a well-deserved rematch with Joan Guzman. Crap.
I'm not blaming this one on HBO, as its plans for the 27th have been known for a little while (though as far as I can tell, there's no site finalized for that card - time to get cracking on that one, no?). And some of the congestion is due to HBO's ambitious boxing schedule for the next few months, something I wholeheartedly applaud.
Still, looking at the whole picture strictly from a fan's perspective, it stinks that none of these fights will get the spotlight they probably deserve, and that viewers will have to make choices multiple times this spring. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that there's a little basketball tournament going on in late March too, which obviously will take some eyeballs away.
But it is what it is, I suppose. Let's move on to...
SHOE SHINING
As reported by various sources and confirmed by the Showtime Sports site, boxing is still on for March 6. Vic Darchinyan, who qualifies as must-see in my book, becomes the headliner as he steps in with Rodrigo Guerrero, and Lenny Zappavigna faces Fernando Angulo in a fight that was always on the card but wasn't originally going to be televised. Though the broadcast has been rebranded as a ShoBox show, props go to Showtime for keeping it at 9 pm Eastern instead of shoving it back to a later time...
Though it's been common knowledge for some time, it was only yesterday that Allan Green was confirmed as the next Super Six opponent for Andre Ward, making it "officially official," as I like to say. Green certainly isn't lacking for confidence, saying to the AP of his tournament foes, "I know I can beat any of them." That won't be ab easy task, but Green's power certainly makes him a livelier underdog than the man he replaced, Jermain Taylor...
In terms of "Stories I Wish Would Go Away," James Toney's continuing flirtation with MMA ranks right up near the top of the list. But I can't fault a guy for wanting to make a few extra bucks, especially these days, and The Ring's William Dettloff recently offered a well-written examination of why Lights Out shouldn't be blamed for that either.
Posted by The Franchise
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
12.12.09
Vic Darchinyan vs. Tomas Rojas: Round By Round
Showtime is on the air, presenting Championship Boxing for the final time in 2009. The Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage is the site for two title fights, and Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein are on hand.
Young light welterweights Timothy Bradley and Lamont Peterson headline the card, but first up is Vic Darchinyan as he faces off with Tomas Rojas. This one is scheduled for 12 rounds for the WBA and WBC super flyweight titles.
Rojas comes to the ring first, representing Mexico. He is 32-11-1, but he hasn't lost since he was knocked out by Jorge Arce in September 2007.
Known as the Raging Bull, Darchinyan walks to the ring second. After an unsuccessful attempt to take a bantamweight belt from Joseph Agbeko, he's back at a better weight for him.
The tale of the tape shows that Rojas has height and reach advantages. He's also younger, though he's logged more rounds over the course of his career.
Jimmy Lennon Jr. does the fighter introductions, and we're ready for action.
Round 1
Vic darts right across the ring as Rojas whacks him with a left hand. Darchinyan tries to jab his way in. Quick one-two by Rojas. His height has been a factor early on. Vic rushes forward and lands his first clean shot. Rojas throws lefts and tries to come up underneath with his right. Vic scrambles with two left hands of his own. It turns into a brawl with 15 seconds left, and Darchinyan seems in his element for the first time.
Franchise: 10-9 Rojas
Round 2
Rojas tries some body work and gets grabbed around the waist. He ducks to avoid incoming fire. Darchinyan is staying very patient as he stalks. Both men connect as the ref warns Vic not to push. Wild lefts from Darchinyan and he eats one coming back. Rojas scores with a three-punch combo and Vic clubs him right back. A second left hand plants Rojas on the canvas, and it's all over! Rojas doesn't make it back to his feet.
Initially, it looked like a body shot that knocked Rojas out, but replays showed the left hand caught him on the chin as he ducked down.
The winner by KO at 2:54 of Round 2... and still WBA and WBC super flyweight title holder... "The Raging Bull" Vic Darchinyan.
Jim Gray asks Vic if he feels stronger at 115 pounds, but he brushes off the weight as a big factor. He was confident he would catch Rojas eventually.
Darchinyan looks at the replay of the knockout and says he knew Rojas would try to duck, so he was ready to throw a combination in response. Asked about a rematch with Nonito Donaire, he's very interested. Gary Shaw says he will work to make that fight next.
Posted by The Franchise
Young light welterweights Timothy Bradley and Lamont Peterson headline the card, but first up is Vic Darchinyan as he faces off with Tomas Rojas. This one is scheduled for 12 rounds for the WBA and WBC super flyweight titles.
Rojas comes to the ring first, representing Mexico. He is 32-11-1, but he hasn't lost since he was knocked out by Jorge Arce in September 2007.
Known as the Raging Bull, Darchinyan walks to the ring second. After an unsuccessful attempt to take a bantamweight belt from Joseph Agbeko, he's back at a better weight for him.
The tale of the tape shows that Rojas has height and reach advantages. He's also younger, though he's logged more rounds over the course of his career.
Jimmy Lennon Jr. does the fighter introductions, and we're ready for action.
Round 1
Vic darts right across the ring as Rojas whacks him with a left hand. Darchinyan tries to jab his way in. Quick one-two by Rojas. His height has been a factor early on. Vic rushes forward and lands his first clean shot. Rojas throws lefts and tries to come up underneath with his right. Vic scrambles with two left hands of his own. It turns into a brawl with 15 seconds left, and Darchinyan seems in his element for the first time.
Franchise: 10-9 Rojas
Round 2
Rojas tries some body work and gets grabbed around the waist. He ducks to avoid incoming fire. Darchinyan is staying very patient as he stalks. Both men connect as the ref warns Vic not to push. Wild lefts from Darchinyan and he eats one coming back. Rojas scores with a three-punch combo and Vic clubs him right back. A second left hand plants Rojas on the canvas, and it's all over! Rojas doesn't make it back to his feet.
Initially, it looked like a body shot that knocked Rojas out, but replays showed the left hand caught him on the chin as he ducked down.
The winner by KO at 2:54 of Round 2... and still WBA and WBC super flyweight title holder... "The Raging Bull" Vic Darchinyan.
Jim Gray asks Vic if he feels stronger at 115 pounds, but he brushes off the weight as a big factor. He was confident he would catch Rojas eventually.
Darchinyan looks at the replay of the knockout and says he knew Rojas would try to duck, so he was ready to throw a combination in response. Asked about a rematch with Nonito Donaire, he's very interested. Gary Shaw says he will work to make that fight next.
Posted by The Franchise
Live Diaz-Malignaggi II and Bradley-Peterson Round By Round Updates Tonight, Plus Vic Darchinyan, Vitali Klitschko and More
The 2009 year in boxing pretty much closes out (except for you, Kelly Pavlik) tonight, but at least it goes out with a bang. HBO and Showtime both have cards that, at least on paper, look like they should be fun.
Showtime's broadcast kicks off first, with Vic Darchinyan taking on Tomas Rojas. Then in the main event, two talented young junior welterweights collide when Timothy Bradley and Lamont Peterson go at it for Bradley's WBO title.
You'll be able to watch a good bit of that card before switching over to HBO 90 minutes later for a rare Boxing After Dark tripleheader. Victor Ortiz tries to return to his winning ways against Antonio Diaz and a rematch awaits for Juan Diaz and Paulie Malignaggi, plus there's a heavyweight title defense for Vitali Klitschko brought to us via the magic of tape delay.
This would be a good night to have two TVs set up in the same room, or at least one of those DVR contraptions. Failing that, you can watch your card of choice and bookmark us here to get live round by round updates of the other fights (except for Vitali, whose fight will already be in the past when you see it - spooky!).
In any case, spartan117 and I are going to split up blogging duties and do live posts for each televised fight, because that's just the kind of guys we are. Visit our main page to find the round by round posts, which should start shortly after 9 pm Eastern (for the Showtime bouts) and 10:30 pm Eastern (for the HBO card) tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
Showtime's broadcast kicks off first, with Vic Darchinyan taking on Tomas Rojas. Then in the main event, two talented young junior welterweights collide when Timothy Bradley and Lamont Peterson go at it for Bradley's WBO title.
You'll be able to watch a good bit of that card before switching over to HBO 90 minutes later for a rare Boxing After Dark tripleheader. Victor Ortiz tries to return to his winning ways against Antonio Diaz and a rematch awaits for Juan Diaz and Paulie Malignaggi, plus there's a heavyweight title defense for Vitali Klitschko brought to us via the magic of tape delay.
This would be a good night to have two TVs set up in the same room, or at least one of those DVR contraptions. Failing that, you can watch your card of choice and bookmark us here to get live round by round updates of the other fights (except for Vitali, whose fight will already be in the past when you see it - spooky!).
In any case, spartan117 and I are going to split up blogging duties and do live posts for each televised fight, because that's just the kind of guys we are. Visit our main page to find the round by round posts, which should start shortly after 9 pm Eastern (for the Showtime bouts) and 10:30 pm Eastern (for the HBO card) tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
11.7.09
Joseph Agbeko vs. Vic Darchinyan: Round By Round
After some slight controversy in the co-feature, we're almost ready for tonight's main event on Showtime. Vic Darchinyan moves up a few pounds to bantamweight to take on IBF titleholder Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko.
Jim Gray spoke to Vic earlier and got his opinion about Agbeko talking trash before the belt, something the Raging Bull knows all about. Darchinyan also took exception to Agbeko's antics at the final press conference. He gives a few funny lines about how he always has to hate his opponent while they are in the ring in order to do his job properly.
A video package gives some background on Agbeko, who hails from Ghana but resides in the Bronx. He also was interviewed by Gray and showed a lot of confidence. Agbeko talks about how Darchinyan is a bit of a bully and also speaks about President Obama's visit to Ghana.
Jenn Brown talks about upcoming Showtime programming, mentioning some boxing but focusing on the Carano-Cyborg MMA fight on August 15.
Nate Campbell is on hand to talk to Brown, and he's looking sharp. Campbell doesn't think he needs any redemption, but he's looking forward to not having to cut as much weight since he's 37. He's not worried about the hostile environment fighting Timothy Bradley in California.
Jim Gray talks to Don King about the passing of Michael Jackson. Al Bernstein joins in to discuss the passing of both Alexis Arguello and Arturo Gatti. Jimmy Lennon Jr. introduces a tribute to all three men, with the bell ringing ten times.
Gus Johnson and Bernstein do some promotion for the super middleweight tournament that will be announced on Monday. I still can't believe it's going to happen, but I can't wait.
Bernstein thinks the combined KO percentages of tonight's fighters plus some defensive liabilities for both of them will equal a shootout.
As the challenger, Darchinyan comes to the ring first. He is 32-1 with 26 KOs and is looking for a title in his third weight class. Johnson and Bernstein discuss how he's already thinking about going to 122 if he wins tonight.
Agbeko comes out next, wearing one shiny glove over his boxing glove in an apparent MJ tribute. King Kong is 26-1 with 22 KOs and has never been knocked out.
The tale of the tape shows that both men are basically the same size. Vic actually weighed in a little heavier even though he is the one moving up in weight.
Lennon does the introductions for both men and we are set. It's 12 rounds or less for Agbeko's IBF bantamweight title.
Round 1
Vic wastes no time flying across the ring. Both men showing good early movement. Nice right by Agbeko. Vic pushes him back and closes in. Left by Vic and Agbeko fires right back with a hook. Short punches inside by Vic. A series of left hands connect by Vic, but a right by Agbeko buckles Darchinyan. He fires back with a left. Both men go toe to toe in the closing seconds of the frame.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 2
Vic flicks out the left as he studies Agbeko. The champ keeps his hands up. Right hook by Agbeko starts off a fairly exchange. Not very pretty right now with each guy jumping in. Vic is a little more cautious as he watches out for rights by Agbeko. They trade shots along the ropes and may have butted heads right before the bell as well.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round 3
Darchinyan has a bit of a cut over his left eye. Agbeko jumps in with a right. He goes down to a knee but it's a slip.Another short right connects for the champ. Vic is jabbing but coming up short more often then not. Rights are still scoring for King Kong. Vic chases and tries to land the left. Plenty of wild swings and misses both ways. A brawl breaks out late with no clear advantage.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 4
Agbeko goes to his right hand again. Here comes Vic with a wild left. King Kong's lead right is the dominant punch so far. Clubbing left hook by Agbeko in the center of the ring. Vic still swinging with the left but he can't find the range often enough. More rights from Agbeko and he backs out when necessary. Darchinyan lands some lefts before the bell, but not enough to take that round.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 5
Vic wants to turn it into a brawl but Agbeko is only obliging him on occasion. Right hands to the head and body by the champ. Short one-two by Agbeko and a hook back by Vic. Darchinyan misses two big lefts coming forward. Body work by Agbeko has to be taking a toll too. Nothing doing for Vic in the last ten seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 6
Agbeko still chopping with the right and getting a left hook in there too. Vic reduced to hunting for the home run shot. Now Vic tries some jabs but can't land them. Agbeko has just enough movement to get out of trouble. Another body shot by King Kong and the ref has to tell them to watch the holding and hitting.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 7
Press row has it closer than I do and Jake Donovan has it even. Left to the body by Agbeko. He tries more shots but misses. Straight left by Vic. He's dodging more punches now with his own movement. Right hook in close by Darchinyan. Blood is coming from the cut by Vic's eye now. Quick left by Darchinyan as they feint. Agbeko gets hit with something and Agbeko goes to a knee. The ref calls it a knockdown and administers a count to a standing Agbeko.
Franchise: 10-8 Darchinyan
Round 8
Interesting sequence as replay showed Agbeko did get hit but also got shoved. Clubbing left by Vic. He's scoring a little better now but Agbeko's rights are also landing. Darchinyan tries hooks with both hands. Agbeko smashes home two rights and a left hook and Vic stumbles a bit. Both men score in the center of the ring. Right to the body by Vic is low, and the ref gives Agbeko time to recover. Wild brawling both ways right to the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 9
This isn't one for the purists with heads, elbows and forearms all coming into play. Vic eats a right and comes right back with the left. Bullseye with the left by Darchinyan. Agbeko goes to the body and tries the right again. Darchinyan scores with a left hook coming forward. He steps into a left to the body. Vic knocks Agbeko back as they trade.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round 10
Right hook by Vic opens the scoring. He smacks Agbeko with a right hook in the middle of an exchange. Both men land lefts and Vic ducks out. Left hook by Agbeko even as he's off balance. Blood coming from the right eye of Darchinyan as he got smoked by a left hook. Vic shoves Agbeko down and the crowd boos. More holding and roughing. Both men swinging away and each man absorbs some punishment. Tough round to score.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 11
The ref says Vic's new cut was caused by a headbutt. Vic shoves Agbeko again, and he looks like he may have been acting a bit as he goes down. Darchinyan not getting cheated with his left hands. Agbeko fights back with straight rights. They trade and then hold in the center. A series of short rights land from the champ.Left by Vic and he backs away. Jabs by Vic as he tries to get his left hand free. Lots of holding and the fans don't like it.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 12
The official scoring of this fight should be very interesting. It's possible it's up for grabs in the final round. Nice right by Agbeko. The ref has to step in and warns about headbutting. Another right by King Kong as Vic swings wildly. Left hook by Agbeko. Right-left by the champ and more wrestling. Darchinyan tries a flurry and Agbeko slips down. Short left by Vic with 40 seconds to go. Fists and heads are flying. Darchinyan tries for some late heroics, but we'll go to the cards.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Franchise: 116-111 Agbeko
The judges score it 116-111 and 114-113 twice, all for the winner... and still IBF bantamweight titleholder... Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko.
Posted by The Franchise
Jim Gray spoke to Vic earlier and got his opinion about Agbeko talking trash before the belt, something the Raging Bull knows all about. Darchinyan also took exception to Agbeko's antics at the final press conference. He gives a few funny lines about how he always has to hate his opponent while they are in the ring in order to do his job properly.
A video package gives some background on Agbeko, who hails from Ghana but resides in the Bronx. He also was interviewed by Gray and showed a lot of confidence. Agbeko talks about how Darchinyan is a bit of a bully and also speaks about President Obama's visit to Ghana.
Jenn Brown talks about upcoming Showtime programming, mentioning some boxing but focusing on the Carano-Cyborg MMA fight on August 15.
Nate Campbell is on hand to talk to Brown, and he's looking sharp. Campbell doesn't think he needs any redemption, but he's looking forward to not having to cut as much weight since he's 37. He's not worried about the hostile environment fighting Timothy Bradley in California.
Jim Gray talks to Don King about the passing of Michael Jackson. Al Bernstein joins in to discuss the passing of both Alexis Arguello and Arturo Gatti. Jimmy Lennon Jr. introduces a tribute to all three men, with the bell ringing ten times.
Gus Johnson and Bernstein do some promotion for the super middleweight tournament that will be announced on Monday. I still can't believe it's going to happen, but I can't wait.
Bernstein thinks the combined KO percentages of tonight's fighters plus some defensive liabilities for both of them will equal a shootout.
As the challenger, Darchinyan comes to the ring first. He is 32-1 with 26 KOs and is looking for a title in his third weight class. Johnson and Bernstein discuss how he's already thinking about going to 122 if he wins tonight.
Agbeko comes out next, wearing one shiny glove over his boxing glove in an apparent MJ tribute. King Kong is 26-1 with 22 KOs and has never been knocked out.
The tale of the tape shows that both men are basically the same size. Vic actually weighed in a little heavier even though he is the one moving up in weight.
Lennon does the introductions for both men and we are set. It's 12 rounds or less for Agbeko's IBF bantamweight title.
Round 1
Vic wastes no time flying across the ring. Both men showing good early movement. Nice right by Agbeko. Vic pushes him back and closes in. Left by Vic and Agbeko fires right back with a hook. Short punches inside by Vic. A series of left hands connect by Vic, but a right by Agbeko buckles Darchinyan. He fires back with a left. Both men go toe to toe in the closing seconds of the frame.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 2
Vic flicks out the left as he studies Agbeko. The champ keeps his hands up. Right hook by Agbeko starts off a fairly exchange. Not very pretty right now with each guy jumping in. Vic is a little more cautious as he watches out for rights by Agbeko. They trade shots along the ropes and may have butted heads right before the bell as well.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round 3
Darchinyan has a bit of a cut over his left eye. Agbeko jumps in with a right. He goes down to a knee but it's a slip.Another short right connects for the champ. Vic is jabbing but coming up short more often then not. Rights are still scoring for King Kong. Vic chases and tries to land the left. Plenty of wild swings and misses both ways. A brawl breaks out late with no clear advantage.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 4
Agbeko goes to his right hand again. Here comes Vic with a wild left. King Kong's lead right is the dominant punch so far. Clubbing left hook by Agbeko in the center of the ring. Vic still swinging with the left but he can't find the range often enough. More rights from Agbeko and he backs out when necessary. Darchinyan lands some lefts before the bell, but not enough to take that round.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 5
Vic wants to turn it into a brawl but Agbeko is only obliging him on occasion. Right hands to the head and body by the champ. Short one-two by Agbeko and a hook back by Vic. Darchinyan misses two big lefts coming forward. Body work by Agbeko has to be taking a toll too. Nothing doing for Vic in the last ten seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 6
Agbeko still chopping with the right and getting a left hook in there too. Vic reduced to hunting for the home run shot. Now Vic tries some jabs but can't land them. Agbeko has just enough movement to get out of trouble. Another body shot by King Kong and the ref has to tell them to watch the holding and hitting.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 7
Press row has it closer than I do and Jake Donovan has it even. Left to the body by Agbeko. He tries more shots but misses. Straight left by Vic. He's dodging more punches now with his own movement. Right hook in close by Darchinyan. Blood is coming from the cut by Vic's eye now. Quick left by Darchinyan as they feint. Agbeko gets hit with something and Agbeko goes to a knee. The ref calls it a knockdown and administers a count to a standing Agbeko.
Franchise: 10-8 Darchinyan
Round 8
Interesting sequence as replay showed Agbeko did get hit but also got shoved. Clubbing left by Vic. He's scoring a little better now but Agbeko's rights are also landing. Darchinyan tries hooks with both hands. Agbeko smashes home two rights and a left hook and Vic stumbles a bit. Both men score in the center of the ring. Right to the body by Vic is low, and the ref gives Agbeko time to recover. Wild brawling both ways right to the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 9
This isn't one for the purists with heads, elbows and forearms all coming into play. Vic eats a right and comes right back with the left. Bullseye with the left by Darchinyan. Agbeko goes to the body and tries the right again. Darchinyan scores with a left hook coming forward. He steps into a left to the body. Vic knocks Agbeko back as they trade.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round 10
Right hook by Vic opens the scoring. He smacks Agbeko with a right hook in the middle of an exchange. Both men land lefts and Vic ducks out. Left hook by Agbeko even as he's off balance. Blood coming from the right eye of Darchinyan as he got smoked by a left hook. Vic shoves Agbeko down and the crowd boos. More holding and roughing. Both men swinging away and each man absorbs some punishment. Tough round to score.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 11
The ref says Vic's new cut was caused by a headbutt. Vic shoves Agbeko again, and he looks like he may have been acting a bit as he goes down. Darchinyan not getting cheated with his left hands. Agbeko fights back with straight rights. They trade and then hold in the center. A series of short rights land from the champ.Left by Vic and he backs away. Jabs by Vic as he tries to get his left hand free. Lots of holding and the fans don't like it.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Round 12
The official scoring of this fight should be very interesting. It's possible it's up for grabs in the final round. Nice right by Agbeko. The ref has to step in and warns about headbutting. Another right by King Kong as Vic swings wildly. Left hook by Agbeko. Right-left by the champ and more wrestling. Darchinyan tries a flurry and Agbeko slips down. Short left by Vic with 40 seconds to go. Fists and heads are flying. Darchinyan tries for some late heroics, but we'll go to the cards.
Franchise: 10-9 Agbeko
Franchise: 116-111 Agbeko
The judges score it 116-111 and 114-113 twice, all for the winner... and still IBF bantamweight titleholder... Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko.
Posted by The Franchise
Vic Darchinyan vs. Joseph Agbeko Live Round By Round Updates Tonight
The eyes of most combat sports fans will be on Las Vegas tonight for UFC 100. But darn it, someone has to hold it down for boxing, and Showtime is obliging with a promising card from Sunrise, Florida.
The Raging Bull, Vic Darchinyan, moves up one weight class for his attempt to snatch the IBF bantamweight belt away from Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko. Also on tap is Antonio DeMarco in a lightweight fight.
So go ahead and enjoy UFC if you must, and we'll help you keep track of the boxing match with live round by round updates. Look for new posts out on the main page and refresh regularly for the latest.
The action begins shortly after 9 pm Eastern time tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
The Raging Bull, Vic Darchinyan, moves up one weight class for his attempt to snatch the IBF bantamweight belt away from Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko. Also on tap is Antonio DeMarco in a lightweight fight.
So go ahead and enjoy UFC if you must, and we'll help you keep track of the boxing match with live round by round updates. Look for new posts out on the main page and refresh regularly for the latest.
The action begins shortly after 9 pm Eastern time tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
9.7.09
Vic Darchinyan vs. Joseph Agbeko: Predictions
The Franchise says...
Vic Darchinyan has always been a hard-nosed competitor who's been fun to watch both in and out of th ring. But ever since an eight-month stretch that started in July 2007 with his first loss (at the hands of Nonito Donaire) and ending with a lackluster draw to Z Gorres in February 2008, it's like the proverbial light bulb went on for the Raging Bull.
He's shown improved boxing skills to go with his power. He's shown a lot more defensive awareness and ability to control the ring. He's just looked, well, better, and he's stayed as quotable as ever at the same time.
He'll move up in weight this Saturday to take on Joseph "King Kong" Agebeko, a rugged customer with a great chin and plenty of power of his own. He's not one to do much jabbing or setting up shots, preferring to let his straight rights and left hooks speak for themselves.
With that in mind, you can't help but think that this fight will be as hard as Darchinyan makes it. If he goes into it thinking he'll blast Agbeko out early, he may get a little more coming back his way than he'll enjoy.
If Vic takes his time a little bit and allows his superior boxing skills and what I expect will be faster hands to be the difference, I think he'll end up wearing Agbeko out. I'll show some faith in Vic to do just that, and though King Kong has never been knocked out, I feel accumulated damage will allow Darchinyan to emerge with a late-round KO.
Posted by The Franchise
Vic Darchinyan has always been a hard-nosed competitor who's been fun to watch both in and out of th ring. But ever since an eight-month stretch that started in July 2007 with his first loss (at the hands of Nonito Donaire) and ending with a lackluster draw to Z Gorres in February 2008, it's like the proverbial light bulb went on for the Raging Bull.
He's shown improved boxing skills to go with his power. He's shown a lot more defensive awareness and ability to control the ring. He's just looked, well, better, and he's stayed as quotable as ever at the same time.
He'll move up in weight this Saturday to take on Joseph "King Kong" Agebeko, a rugged customer with a great chin and plenty of power of his own. He's not one to do much jabbing or setting up shots, preferring to let his straight rights and left hooks speak for themselves.
With that in mind, you can't help but think that this fight will be as hard as Darchinyan makes it. If he goes into it thinking he'll blast Agbeko out early, he may get a little more coming back his way than he'll enjoy.
If Vic takes his time a little bit and allows his superior boxing skills and what I expect will be faster hands to be the difference, I think he'll end up wearing Agbeko out. I'll show some faith in Vic to do just that, and though King Kong has never been knocked out, I feel accumulated damage will allow Darchinyan to emerge with a late-round KO.
Posted by The Franchise
17.6.09
Franchise Thoughts: No Summer Blockbusters, But Still Some Good Boxing Coming Up
Here's a list of some pretty talented boxers: Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez, Kelly Pavlik, David Haye, Fernando Montiel and Amir Khan.
What do all of those gentlemen have in common? All of them were originally scheduled to fight in late June or July. Now, none of them will be in action until this fall at the earliest.
The summer boxing schedule may not have been able to keep up the pace of excellent fights we've seen so far in 2009, but after a tight contest between Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey this past weekend, it at least had a chance. Now injuries have robbed us of a fight between two of the top guys in the sport at any weight (Mayweather and JMM) and the most intriguing heavyweight bout in quite a while (Haye and Wladimir Klitschko).
On the plus side, the fall lineup will probably end up loaded, especially if Mayweather-Marquez is rescheduled for September and Cotto really ends up fighting Manny Pacquiao in November.
In the meantime, it's not all bad. Here are three fights I'm still looking forward to this summer:
Chris John-Rocky Juarez II - June 27, HBO - It's not too often I come away impressed with and feeling like I learned something about both boxers in one fight, but that's the way I felt after John and Juarez battled to a draw in February. I scored the first fight for John, but I didn't think the decision was a ridiculous case of home cooking like some people did.
That shouldn't be a problem this time, since the fight is in L.A. instead of Rocky's hometown of Houston. I expect these guys will battle the same way they did before and provide us with a more definitive winner.
Also on that same card is a trendy pick to be the Next Big Thing, Victor Ortiz, so it's a broadcast that's well worth watching.
Joseph Agbeko vs. Vic Darchinyan - July 11, Showtime - The Raging Bull has been impressive as of late, and he's moving up a few pounds in weight to challenge for the IBF bantamweight title.
We all know Vic can slug, but he's been showing more wrinkles to his game as he goes. He'll need them against Agbeko, who is aggressive, super tough and has never been knocked out.
I expect it to be a bit of a challenge for Darchinyan. And if it's not, that pound-for-pound love he's starting to get is even more appropriate.
Juan Diaz vs. Paulie Malignaggi, August 22, HBO - This one was just confirmed last week and should be a lot of fun. Diaz is entertaining to watch win or lose, and Malignaggi has something to prove after getting smoked by Ricky Hatton last November.
The catch weight between lightweight and junior welter should add to the intrigue as well. Diaz already wasn't a big KO artist at 135 and Paulie could be drained by cutting the extra weight, so it will be interesting to see how that aspect plays out.
Posted by The Franchise
What do all of those gentlemen have in common? All of them were originally scheduled to fight in late June or July. Now, none of them will be in action until this fall at the earliest.
The summer boxing schedule may not have been able to keep up the pace of excellent fights we've seen so far in 2009, but after a tight contest between Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey this past weekend, it at least had a chance. Now injuries have robbed us of a fight between two of the top guys in the sport at any weight (Mayweather and JMM) and the most intriguing heavyweight bout in quite a while (Haye and Wladimir Klitschko).
On the plus side, the fall lineup will probably end up loaded, especially if Mayweather-Marquez is rescheduled for September and Cotto really ends up fighting Manny Pacquiao in November.
In the meantime, it's not all bad. Here are three fights I'm still looking forward to this summer:
Chris John-Rocky Juarez II - June 27, HBO - It's not too often I come away impressed with and feeling like I learned something about both boxers in one fight, but that's the way I felt after John and Juarez battled to a draw in February. I scored the first fight for John, but I didn't think the decision was a ridiculous case of home cooking like some people did.
That shouldn't be a problem this time, since the fight is in L.A. instead of Rocky's hometown of Houston. I expect these guys will battle the same way they did before and provide us with a more definitive winner.
Also on that same card is a trendy pick to be the Next Big Thing, Victor Ortiz, so it's a broadcast that's well worth watching.
Joseph Agbeko vs. Vic Darchinyan - July 11, Showtime - The Raging Bull has been impressive as of late, and he's moving up a few pounds in weight to challenge for the IBF bantamweight title.
We all know Vic can slug, but he's been showing more wrinkles to his game as he goes. He'll need them against Agbeko, who is aggressive, super tough and has never been knocked out.
I expect it to be a bit of a challenge for Darchinyan. And if it's not, that pound-for-pound love he's starting to get is even more appropriate.
Juan Diaz vs. Paulie Malignaggi, August 22, HBO - This one was just confirmed last week and should be a lot of fun. Diaz is entertaining to watch win or lose, and Malignaggi has something to prove after getting smoked by Ricky Hatton last November.
The catch weight between lightweight and junior welter should add to the intrigue as well. Diaz already wasn't a big KO artist at 135 and Paulie could be drained by cutting the extra weight, so it will be interesting to see how that aspect plays out.
Posted by The Franchise
5.6.09
BoxingWatchers.com: Boxer Power Rankings - June 2009
Not too much happened in the month of May to shake up the old power rankings. The gap between the top four fighters got smaller as one of Arthur Abraham's old knockouts fell out of the rolling three-year period, and there was a bit of shuffling at the bottom.
The summer months originally were supposed to have over half of our current top 10 in action, but already two (Kelly Pavlik and David Haye) have had fights fall through and will lose points for inactivity. There's still a good chance that this list will look a lot different come the end of August.
Here's a quick disclaimer for any new readers: this isn't a pound-for-pound list, but a different way of looking at how boxers have been performing over the last three years. Visit this page for further explanation.
On with the list:
1. Arthur Abraham - 20.53 - Here's the thing about King Arthur: I think he really is good, but until he fights more real contenders, I can't be certain. His upcoming opponent, Mahir Oral, doesn't fall into that cetegory, so the question will stay out there.
2. Celestino Caballero - 20.38 - Though not all of his victories have been scintillating, Caballero stays busy and keeps winning. His last loss came more than five years ago, and he's taken 13 straight during that time.
3. Manny Pacquiao - 19.27 - We know Pac-Man will be back in action in October, but we don't know yet who he'll be fighting. Shane Mosley is trying his best to get to the front of the line, but there's no guarantee he'll make it.
4. Juan Manuel Lopez - 19.03 - JuanMa unexpectedly became the headliner for the June 27 Top Rank pay-per-view from Atlantic City after Kelly Pavlik's fight was called off. Though Olivier Lontchi has an undefeated record, he feels destined to become another Lopez KO victim.
5. Kelly Pavlik - 18.13 - Top Rank says a staph infection is keeping The Ghost out of action later this month, while Team Pavlik says he would have been ready to go. It's a strange sign of tension in a relationship that has been pretty beneficial for all parties over the last few years.
6. Wladimir Klitschko - 17.02 - Wlad and company are scrambling to find a replacement for his June 20 date after David Haye's hand injury forced him to withdraw. Here's a personal plea: don't make it Nikolai Valuev.
7. David Haye - 17.00 - Speaking of Haye, some are suggesting he pulled out to duck Klitschko, but his camp insists his injury is legit. The latest rumors have the title shot he craved so much going to Ruslan Chagaev.
8. Nonito Donaire - 16.00 - The Filipino Flash is ready to defend his IBF flyweight title again in August, but he doesn't have an opponent finalized yet.
9. Juan Manuel Marquez - 15.46 - Amusingly, Floyd Mayweather now says JMM earned the right to fight him simply because Marquez was the first one to call Floyd out. I didn't realize it was that simple!
10. Vic Darchinyan - 14.40 - Vic does have a loss and a draw in the last two years, but he's been extremely impressive during his last three fights. If he continues that trend against rugged Joseph Agbeko in July, he should start getting more pound-for-pound love.
The next 7: Andre Berto, Paul Williams, Miguel Cotto, Chris John, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek
Posted by The Franchise
The summer months originally were supposed to have over half of our current top 10 in action, but already two (Kelly Pavlik and David Haye) have had fights fall through and will lose points for inactivity. There's still a good chance that this list will look a lot different come the end of August.
Here's a quick disclaimer for any new readers: this isn't a pound-for-pound list, but a different way of looking at how boxers have been performing over the last three years. Visit this page for further explanation.
On with the list:
1. Arthur Abraham - 20.53 - Here's the thing about King Arthur: I think he really is good, but until he fights more real contenders, I can't be certain. His upcoming opponent, Mahir Oral, doesn't fall into that cetegory, so the question will stay out there.
2. Celestino Caballero - 20.38 - Though not all of his victories have been scintillating, Caballero stays busy and keeps winning. His last loss came more than five years ago, and he's taken 13 straight during that time.
3. Manny Pacquiao - 19.27 - We know Pac-Man will be back in action in October, but we don't know yet who he'll be fighting. Shane Mosley is trying his best to get to the front of the line, but there's no guarantee he'll make it.
4. Juan Manuel Lopez - 19.03 - JuanMa unexpectedly became the headliner for the June 27 Top Rank pay-per-view from Atlantic City after Kelly Pavlik's fight was called off. Though Olivier Lontchi has an undefeated record, he feels destined to become another Lopez KO victim.
5. Kelly Pavlik - 18.13 - Top Rank says a staph infection is keeping The Ghost out of action later this month, while Team Pavlik says he would have been ready to go. It's a strange sign of tension in a relationship that has been pretty beneficial for all parties over the last few years.
6. Wladimir Klitschko - 17.02 - Wlad and company are scrambling to find a replacement for his June 20 date after David Haye's hand injury forced him to withdraw. Here's a personal plea: don't make it Nikolai Valuev.
7. David Haye - 17.00 - Speaking of Haye, some are suggesting he pulled out to duck Klitschko, but his camp insists his injury is legit. The latest rumors have the title shot he craved so much going to Ruslan Chagaev.
8. Nonito Donaire - 16.00 - The Filipino Flash is ready to defend his IBF flyweight title again in August, but he doesn't have an opponent finalized yet.
9. Juan Manuel Marquez - 15.46 - Amusingly, Floyd Mayweather now says JMM earned the right to fight him simply because Marquez was the first one to call Floyd out. I didn't realize it was that simple!
10. Vic Darchinyan - 14.40 - Vic does have a loss and a draw in the last two years, but he's been extremely impressive during his last three fights. If he continues that trend against rugged Joseph Agbeko in July, he should start getting more pound-for-pound love.
The next 7: Andre Berto, Paul Williams, Miguel Cotto, Chris John, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek
Posted by The Franchise
10.4.09
BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings - April 2009
Yes, these are a little late this month. I apologize, as I was on assignment covering an event where people just pretend to punch each other in the face, and the other BoxingWatchers don't know the secret formula that drives the rankings - and if Uatu did, he would certainly have it destroyed because of its love for David Haye!
We've been doing these long enough now that I don't need to explain how this is NOT a pound-for-pound list, how it measures the success of boxers over the past three years while rewarding activity and decisive victories, blah, blah, blah. If you're new here, maybe this will help.
And so the quest for the mythical perfect score of 36 continues. Here goes nothing...
1. Arthur Abraham - 23.73 - I didn't really know who LaJuan Simon was, but bravo for beating him, I guess. Now please sign to fight Kelly Pavlik. Thanks.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 20.02 - Finally got the deal done to face Haye this summer, at which point Haye immediately started running his mouth. It's not good to make Dr. Steelhammer angry. Or maybe it is, we'll see.
3. Celestino Caballero - 19.38 - I'm not making any accusations, but one wonders what kind of shake Jeffrey Mathebula will get from the judges when he takes on Caballero in his native Panama at the end of the month.
4. Kelly Pavlik - 18.13 - Read the last two sentences I wrote for # 1 above and simply replace the words "Kelly Pavlik" with "Arthur Abraham."
5. David Haye - 17.00 - We'll see what he does with the shot he really wanted against Klitschko. More than just about any other boxer, he has spectacular boom or bust potential in 2009.
6. Manny Pacquiao - 15.94 - According to Manny, only God knows who will win on May 2 when he fights Ricky Hatton. Okay, but I suspect it will be the Pacman.
7. Paul Williams - 15.66 - When you have two guys no one supposedly wants to fight, they will find each other eventually. At least that's what's happening this Saturday when The Punisher squares off with Winky Wright.
8. Juan Manuel Marquez - 15.46 - Waiting on the announcement of JMM's next fight (Mayweather?). BoxRec.com now has him second pound-for-pound, behind only Bernard Hopkins.
9. Vic Darchinyan - 14.46 - And speaking of the BoxRec.com rankings, this man is number three overall. That seems a bit high, but I know I wouldn't want to fight the Raging Bull right now.
10. Miguel Cotto - 14.34 - Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports says his blow up with uncle and (former) trainer Evangelista Cotto won't affect him. He'd better hope not, because Joshua Clottey is no pushover.
The next 7: Andre Berto, Nonito Donaire, Chris John, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek, Shane Mosley, Ricky Hatton
Posted by The Franchise
We've been doing these long enough now that I don't need to explain how this is NOT a pound-for-pound list, how it measures the success of boxers over the past three years while rewarding activity and decisive victories, blah, blah, blah. If you're new here, maybe this will help.
And so the quest for the mythical perfect score of 36 continues. Here goes nothing...
1. Arthur Abraham - 23.73 - I didn't really know who LaJuan Simon was, but bravo for beating him, I guess. Now please sign to fight Kelly Pavlik. Thanks.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 20.02 - Finally got the deal done to face Haye this summer, at which point Haye immediately started running his mouth. It's not good to make Dr. Steelhammer angry. Or maybe it is, we'll see.
3. Celestino Caballero - 19.38 - I'm not making any accusations, but one wonders what kind of shake Jeffrey Mathebula will get from the judges when he takes on Caballero in his native Panama at the end of the month.
4. Kelly Pavlik - 18.13 - Read the last two sentences I wrote for # 1 above and simply replace the words "Kelly Pavlik" with "Arthur Abraham."
5. David Haye - 17.00 - We'll see what he does with the shot he really wanted against Klitschko. More than just about any other boxer, he has spectacular boom or bust potential in 2009.
6. Manny Pacquiao - 15.94 - According to Manny, only God knows who will win on May 2 when he fights Ricky Hatton. Okay, but I suspect it will be the Pacman.
7. Paul Williams - 15.66 - When you have two guys no one supposedly wants to fight, they will find each other eventually. At least that's what's happening this Saturday when The Punisher squares off with Winky Wright.
8. Juan Manuel Marquez - 15.46 - Waiting on the announcement of JMM's next fight (Mayweather?). BoxRec.com now has him second pound-for-pound, behind only Bernard Hopkins.
9. Vic Darchinyan - 14.46 - And speaking of the BoxRec.com rankings, this man is number three overall. That seems a bit high, but I know I wouldn't want to fight the Raging Bull right now.
10. Miguel Cotto - 14.34 - Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports says his blow up with uncle and (former) trainer Evangelista Cotto won't affect him. He'd better hope not, because Joshua Clottey is no pushover.
The next 7: Andre Berto, Nonito Donaire, Chris John, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek, Shane Mosley, Ricky Hatton
Posted by The Franchise
2.3.09
BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings - March 2009
The end of another month means another edition of the BoxingWatchers.com power rankings. It was an action-packed February in the world of boxing, and a number of fighters shifted around because of recent performances.
If you've never seen these rankings before, the first thing you're going to say is, "Juan Manuel Marquez is just barely in the top 10? But he was awesome on Saturday!" And you're right, he was. But since everyone and their brother does a pound-for-pound list, this is something a bit different: a numerical reflection of how different boxers have fared over the past three years (going back to March 2, 2006).
Believe it or not, JMM lost twice in the last three years. Thus, his KO of Juan Diaz has him just entering our top 10. Learn more here.
Now that that's out of the way, on to the rankings:
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.38 - While everyone waits to see if a fight between King Arthur and Kelly Pavlik can be made - and it's currently not looking like it will be any time soon - Abraham will face Philadelphia's Lajuan Simon in the friendly atmosphere of Germany.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 20.29 - Sadly has not finalized a deal to fight the man right below him on this list, which would finally break the stranglehold on these top spots one way or another.
3. David Haye - 20.00 - Though he's right on the brink of getting the big shot he wants, what will Haye do if he can't land a bout with one of the Klitschkos? If he doesn't fight by mid-summer, he'll be dropping like a rock in these rankings due to inactivity.
4. Kelly Pavlik - 19.54 - I thought Marco Antonio Rubio would put up more of a fight, but The Ghost just walked right through him. Who wants to go to Youngstown to fight him in that atmosphere?
5. Celestino Caballero - 19.42 - He'll put his super bantamweight belts on the line in just a few weeks against Jeffrey Mathebula.
6. Manny Pacquiao - 16.95 - Unless I misunderstand things, Manny can add a world title in yet another division (140 lbs.) by beating Ricky Hatton in May. If he wins, Pacquiao should remain the boxer in the highest demand among potential opponents.
7. Miguel Cotto - 16.34 - Regained his confidence on the same card as Pavlik, though his test was even easier. Most sources say he'll face Joshua Clottey at MSG this summer.
8. Paul Williams - 15.79 - The Punisher is officially signed to take on Winky Wright in April in an interesting clash of styles. Even so, he's still looking for that signature fight that will make him a more household name.
9. Vic Darchinyan - 15.23 - Vic was absolutely vicious in taking apart Jorge Arce. He's been impressive his last three times out, but a draw and a KO loss in the last few years are holding him back a little here.
10. Juan Manuel Marquez - 13.46 - Expect to hear a lot more people argue for JMM as the pound-for-pound king after his exciting knockout of Juan Diaz. He'll actually move up next month without fighting as his March 2006 loss to Chris John will fall out of the rolling three-year window.
The next 7: Andre Berto, Chris John, Nonito Donaire, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek, Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley
Posted by The Franchise
If you've never seen these rankings before, the first thing you're going to say is, "Juan Manuel Marquez is just barely in the top 10? But he was awesome on Saturday!" And you're right, he was. But since everyone and their brother does a pound-for-pound list, this is something a bit different: a numerical reflection of how different boxers have fared over the past three years (going back to March 2, 2006).
Believe it or not, JMM lost twice in the last three years. Thus, his KO of Juan Diaz has him just entering our top 10. Learn more here.
Now that that's out of the way, on to the rankings:
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.38 - While everyone waits to see if a fight between King Arthur and Kelly Pavlik can be made - and it's currently not looking like it will be any time soon - Abraham will face Philadelphia's Lajuan Simon in the friendly atmosphere of Germany.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 20.29 - Sadly has not finalized a deal to fight the man right below him on this list, which would finally break the stranglehold on these top spots one way or another.
3. David Haye - 20.00 - Though he's right on the brink of getting the big shot he wants, what will Haye do if he can't land a bout with one of the Klitschkos? If he doesn't fight by mid-summer, he'll be dropping like a rock in these rankings due to inactivity.
4. Kelly Pavlik - 19.54 - I thought Marco Antonio Rubio would put up more of a fight, but The Ghost just walked right through him. Who wants to go to Youngstown to fight him in that atmosphere?
5. Celestino Caballero - 19.42 - He'll put his super bantamweight belts on the line in just a few weeks against Jeffrey Mathebula.
6. Manny Pacquiao - 16.95 - Unless I misunderstand things, Manny can add a world title in yet another division (140 lbs.) by beating Ricky Hatton in May. If he wins, Pacquiao should remain the boxer in the highest demand among potential opponents.
7. Miguel Cotto - 16.34 - Regained his confidence on the same card as Pavlik, though his test was even easier. Most sources say he'll face Joshua Clottey at MSG this summer.
8. Paul Williams - 15.79 - The Punisher is officially signed to take on Winky Wright in April in an interesting clash of styles. Even so, he's still looking for that signature fight that will make him a more household name.
9. Vic Darchinyan - 15.23 - Vic was absolutely vicious in taking apart Jorge Arce. He's been impressive his last three times out, but a draw and a KO loss in the last few years are holding him back a little here.
10. Juan Manuel Marquez - 13.46 - Expect to hear a lot more people argue for JMM as the pound-for-pound king after his exciting knockout of Juan Diaz. He'll actually move up next month without fighting as his March 2006 loss to Chris John will fall out of the rolling three-year window.
The next 7: Andre Berto, Chris John, Nonito Donaire, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek, Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley
Posted by The Franchise
10.2.09
Reports: Darchinyan to Bantamweight, Pacquiao-Hatton on HBO PPV
Fresh off his dominating KO of Jorge Arce, Vic Darchinyan is looking for another title fight - but not at 115 pounds.
The Raging Bull's manager Elias Nassar told the AP in Australia yesterday that Darchinyan is bound for bantamweight, with bouts against WBC champ Hozumi Hasegawa or IBF champ Joseph Agbeko the top priorities.
I'll be the first to admit I don't know a thing about Hasegawa, but Agbeko could make for a fun fight. He returned from over a year off to defeat William Gonzalez in a spirited fight on a live Versus card two months ago. King Kong could definitely give Vic a run for his money in a brawl, though I think Darchinyan has enough talent to outbox him fairly easily if he chooses to go that route.
Filipino veteran Gerry Penalosa, currently ranked No. 1 at 118 pounds by BoxRec.com, is the WBO titleholder. Other intriguing bantamweight possibilities include Fernando Montiel and Abner Mares.
Another story that broke over the past 36 hours or so was the announcement that HBO would handle the pay-per-view duties for the May 2 clash between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. Normally this wouldn't qualify as news at all, but Showtime apparently made a very serious bid to handle the broadcast.
According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, Top Rank's Bob Arum favored Showtime's bid because of its alliance with CBS, leading to the possibility that the fight would be promoted on network TV. Eventually, though, he was persuaded by Golden Boy Promotions to go with the industry leader.
It would have been great to see the fight hyped on CBS, but it would have had to pay off in a lot more buys for the pay-per-view to overcome the advantages of going with HBO. Showtime has shown admirable commitment to boxing, but HBO still has a leg up in the quality of its production values and (though we fight fans bitch about them on a semi-regular basis) announcers.
Fans of HBO's 24/7 series (like us here at BoxingWatchers.com) will be happy to know that Rafael also notes that the agreement calls for more episodes of the show leading up to the bout. It will be interesting to see what new angle they can take to examine Pacquiao, as he was a subject just a few months ago when he was getting ready to take on Oscar De La Hoya.
The Raging Bull's manager Elias Nassar told the AP in Australia yesterday that Darchinyan is bound for bantamweight, with bouts against WBC champ Hozumi Hasegawa or IBF champ Joseph Agbeko the top priorities.
I'll be the first to admit I don't know a thing about Hasegawa, but Agbeko could make for a fun fight. He returned from over a year off to defeat William Gonzalez in a spirited fight on a live Versus card two months ago. King Kong could definitely give Vic a run for his money in a brawl, though I think Darchinyan has enough talent to outbox him fairly easily if he chooses to go that route.
Filipino veteran Gerry Penalosa, currently ranked No. 1 at 118 pounds by BoxRec.com, is the WBO titleholder. Other intriguing bantamweight possibilities include Fernando Montiel and Abner Mares.
Another story that broke over the past 36 hours or so was the announcement that HBO would handle the pay-per-view duties for the May 2 clash between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. Normally this wouldn't qualify as news at all, but Showtime apparently made a very serious bid to handle the broadcast.
According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, Top Rank's Bob Arum favored Showtime's bid because of its alliance with CBS, leading to the possibility that the fight would be promoted on network TV. Eventually, though, he was persuaded by Golden Boy Promotions to go with the industry leader.
It would have been great to see the fight hyped on CBS, but it would have had to pay off in a lot more buys for the pay-per-view to overcome the advantages of going with HBO. Showtime has shown admirable commitment to boxing, but HBO still has a leg up in the quality of its production values and (though we fight fans bitch about them on a semi-regular basis) announcers.
Fans of HBO's 24/7 series (like us here at BoxingWatchers.com) will be happy to know that Rafael also notes that the agreement calls for more episodes of the show leading up to the bout. It will be interesting to see what new angle they can take to examine Pacquiao, as he was a subject just a few months ago when he was getting ready to take on Oscar De La Hoya.
7.2.09
Vic Darchinyan vs. Jorge Arce: Round By Round
We're almost set for the main event on the Showtime card from Anaheim as Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce are set to do battle for three 115-pound belts. Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein are caling the action.
A video package takes viewers back through some of Arce's more colorful antics. The 29-year old Mexican is 51-4-1 and has won his last five.
Darchinyan comes in sporting a 31-1-1 record with 25 KOs. Along with his in-ring skills, he's one of the best talkers in the sport of boxing. Outspoken doesn't even begin to describe him.
Bernstein says Arce's keys to victory are to close the distance and throw hooks without squaring up. For Darchinyan, Al thinks he should stay off the ropes, remember his jab and land left hands.
Arce comes to the ring with his trademark cowboy hat and lollipop. There are fans supporting both fighters but it sounds like a majority of them are there to cheer on Arce. Darchinyan comes out second, sporting a bit of a confident smirk.
The tale of the tape shows the older Vic with a one-inch height advantage. Arce actually has a slight reach advantage, but he's not expected to put it to use.
Jimmy Lennon Jr. handles the introductions and we're ready to go.
Round One
Vic comes forward but Arce lands the first punch. Vic shoves some short shots back. Arce is moving a little more than you might expect. Vic lands a nice counter shot in the center of the ring. Arce tries the body and they clinch. Vic wants to fight and both men land. Darchinyan scores with an uppercut in tight. He lands a left hand and a right hook. Another stiff left crashes home and Vic is looking comfortable.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Two
Arce looks like he may already be cut near his left eye. He tries to charge forward but has trouble avoiding the lefts coming back. Arce runs into some more left hands as he tries to scrap. Now he gets a right hand in there. Vic is staying patient and waiting to unload. He throws a right hook before they clinch. Arce tries the body and faces a lot of return fire. Both men miss big punches along the ropes, but Vic bears down with some left hands before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Three
Vic lines up the left again as he backs Arce up. He's using the right hook too. Arce throws to the body and then upstairs. Now a wild exchange breaks out with both men landing multiple shots. Arce may have done some damage with a hook. Vic stands his ground and clinches several times. He lands a big left hand, but Arce comes charging in again. The final ten seconds see an extended brawl and the fans love it.
Franchise: 10-9 Arce
Spartan117: 10-9 Arce
Round Four
Vic lands the first good punch of this round, another left. Arce scores a nice left hook that knocks Vic off balance a bit. There's some wrestling in the center as Jorge tries to work the body. Vic fires his own body shot. Arce comes forward with two right hands. Vic throws a left and there's an awkward clinch. Vic scores with a big uppercut and Arce looks wobbled. Another big left finds the range and another one just misses.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Five
Arce is trying to tie up often but Vic is backing away. He stays in the champ's face but has to be wary of the left hand. Darchinyan stalks his way in but Arce ties up and throws to the body. Arce does some nice work in close and lunges with a right. Darchinyan just misses another huge left. Arce waves him in and there's a bit of shoving. Arce tries to turn it into a brawl and Vic obliges with a flurry to close out the round.
Franchise: 10-9 Arce
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Six
The ref warns Darchinyan for pushing down on Arce's head. He lands several lefts in the midst of an exchange. Vic bounces around and looks for an opening. He measures another left. Now he uses his movement to set up some more head shots. Vic's boxing skills are really on dispay in this round. Arce throws hooks and is hit by an uppercut coming back. Vic covers up well to weather a flurry. Darchinyan connects with a straight left to put an exclamation point on this one.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Seven
Press row scoring has it a shutout for Darchinyan to this point. The crowd applauds Arce's left hook but Vic goes right back to work. Darchinyan throws numerous jabs but the left is behind it. Vic peppers Arce with both hands in the corner. Two good lefts to the body by Vic. An uppercut follows and Arce may have been wobbled a bit by that one.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Eight
Arce presses forward but Darchinyan is too crafty to be trapped. Vic scores with an uppercut and measures another left hand. Arce lands a left hook but Darchinyan shakes it off and responds with two lefts. He misses a wild left but hops forward with another one. Darchinyan is bleeding from the nose but that was another good round for him.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Nine
Give credit to Arce for hanging in there. The crowd is a little restless as both men feint. Arce attempts body shots but has to weather some in return. Vic snaps the jab and swings wildly with a left. Arce holds the back of his head like he was fouled, and the ref warns both men for holding and hitting and wrestling. A combination crashes into Arce's head. Not much flow to that round but Vic did plenty to win it.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round 10
Vic picks Arce off with a right hand as he leans in. Plenty of wrestling in the center of the ring and the ref is busy. Arce is now bleeding near both eyes. Darchinyan still showing excellent footwork. He scores with a sharp left and Arce tries to shake it off. Vic showboats a bit as he counters with left hands. Arce is giving it all but is basically just flailing and hoping at this point.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round 11
Could this one actually make it the distance? We've got just two rounds left. Vic is playing to the crowd and looking very confident. Arce is frustrated and mostly swinging at air. Vic pours it on in the corner and Arce could be in trouble. Several uppercuts find the mark for Vic. Arce waves his foe in but his face is a mess. Darchinyan tees off with about four left hands.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
The doctor steps in and calls the fight after a look at Arce's cuts.
The winner by TKO at the end of Round 11... and still WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight champion... "The Raging Bull" Vic Darchinyan.
Jim Gray gets a word with Darchinyan, who actually gives Arce a bit of credit for landing some shots in the middle rounds. Vic says he would have fought Arce at any time in his career, but he's glad it finally happened. He also thinks he would have knocked Arce out in the 12th round if the fight had been allowed to continue. Darchinyan says he'd love to fight Nonito Donaire again, but Gary Shaw is standing at his side and says "not a chance."
Through his interpreter, Arce says he came to fight but he complains about Darchinyan using his elbows. He gives credit to Vic for being a very strong fighter but believes the elbows cut his face and head. Did he agree with the stoppage? No he doesn't, as he felt he could have continued. Both the doctor and referee decline to speak to Gray.
A video package takes viewers back through some of Arce's more colorful antics. The 29-year old Mexican is 51-4-1 and has won his last five.
Darchinyan comes in sporting a 31-1-1 record with 25 KOs. Along with his in-ring skills, he's one of the best talkers in the sport of boxing. Outspoken doesn't even begin to describe him.
Bernstein says Arce's keys to victory are to close the distance and throw hooks without squaring up. For Darchinyan, Al thinks he should stay off the ropes, remember his jab and land left hands.
Arce comes to the ring with his trademark cowboy hat and lollipop. There are fans supporting both fighters but it sounds like a majority of them are there to cheer on Arce. Darchinyan comes out second, sporting a bit of a confident smirk.
The tale of the tape shows the older Vic with a one-inch height advantage. Arce actually has a slight reach advantage, but he's not expected to put it to use.
Jimmy Lennon Jr. handles the introductions and we're ready to go.
Round One
Vic comes forward but Arce lands the first punch. Vic shoves some short shots back. Arce is moving a little more than you might expect. Vic lands a nice counter shot in the center of the ring. Arce tries the body and they clinch. Vic wants to fight and both men land. Darchinyan scores with an uppercut in tight. He lands a left hand and a right hook. Another stiff left crashes home and Vic is looking comfortable.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Two
Arce looks like he may already be cut near his left eye. He tries to charge forward but has trouble avoiding the lefts coming back. Arce runs into some more left hands as he tries to scrap. Now he gets a right hand in there. Vic is staying patient and waiting to unload. He throws a right hook before they clinch. Arce tries the body and faces a lot of return fire. Both men miss big punches along the ropes, but Vic bears down with some left hands before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Three
Vic lines up the left again as he backs Arce up. He's using the right hook too. Arce throws to the body and then upstairs. Now a wild exchange breaks out with both men landing multiple shots. Arce may have done some damage with a hook. Vic stands his ground and clinches several times. He lands a big left hand, but Arce comes charging in again. The final ten seconds see an extended brawl and the fans love it.
Franchise: 10-9 Arce
Spartan117: 10-9 Arce
Round Four
Vic lands the first good punch of this round, another left. Arce scores a nice left hook that knocks Vic off balance a bit. There's some wrestling in the center as Jorge tries to work the body. Vic fires his own body shot. Arce comes forward with two right hands. Vic throws a left and there's an awkward clinch. Vic scores with a big uppercut and Arce looks wobbled. Another big left finds the range and another one just misses.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Five
Arce is trying to tie up often but Vic is backing away. He stays in the champ's face but has to be wary of the left hand. Darchinyan stalks his way in but Arce ties up and throws to the body. Arce does some nice work in close and lunges with a right. Darchinyan just misses another huge left. Arce waves him in and there's a bit of shoving. Arce tries to turn it into a brawl and Vic obliges with a flurry to close out the round.
Franchise: 10-9 Arce
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Six
The ref warns Darchinyan for pushing down on Arce's head. He lands several lefts in the midst of an exchange. Vic bounces around and looks for an opening. He measures another left. Now he uses his movement to set up some more head shots. Vic's boxing skills are really on dispay in this round. Arce throws hooks and is hit by an uppercut coming back. Vic covers up well to weather a flurry. Darchinyan connects with a straight left to put an exclamation point on this one.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Seven
Press row scoring has it a shutout for Darchinyan to this point. The crowd applauds Arce's left hook but Vic goes right back to work. Darchinyan throws numerous jabs but the left is behind it. Vic peppers Arce with both hands in the corner. Two good lefts to the body by Vic. An uppercut follows and Arce may have been wobbled a bit by that one.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Eight
Arce presses forward but Darchinyan is too crafty to be trapped. Vic scores with an uppercut and measures another left hand. Arce lands a left hook but Darchinyan shakes it off and responds with two lefts. He misses a wild left but hops forward with another one. Darchinyan is bleeding from the nose but that was another good round for him.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Nine
Give credit to Arce for hanging in there. The crowd is a little restless as both men feint. Arce attempts body shots but has to weather some in return. Vic snaps the jab and swings wildly with a left. Arce holds the back of his head like he was fouled, and the ref warns both men for holding and hitting and wrestling. A combination crashes into Arce's head. Not much flow to that round but Vic did plenty to win it.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round 10
Vic picks Arce off with a right hand as he leans in. Plenty of wrestling in the center of the ring and the ref is busy. Arce is now bleeding near both eyes. Darchinyan still showing excellent footwork. He scores with a sharp left and Arce tries to shake it off. Vic showboats a bit as he counters with left hands. Arce is giving it all but is basically just flailing and hoping at this point.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round 11
Could this one actually make it the distance? We've got just two rounds left. Vic is playing to the crowd and looking very confident. Arce is frustrated and mostly swinging at air. Vic pours it on in the corner and Arce could be in trouble. Several uppercuts find the mark for Vic. Arce waves his foe in but his face is a mess. Darchinyan tees off with about four left hands.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
The doctor steps in and calls the fight after a look at Arce's cuts.
The winner by TKO at the end of Round 11... and still WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight champion... "The Raging Bull" Vic Darchinyan.
Jim Gray gets a word with Darchinyan, who actually gives Arce a bit of credit for landing some shots in the middle rounds. Vic says he would have fought Arce at any time in his career, but he's glad it finally happened. He also thinks he would have knocked Arce out in the 12th round if the fight had been allowed to continue. Darchinyan says he'd love to fight Nonito Donaire again, but Gary Shaw is standing at his side and says "not a chance."
Through his interpreter, Arce says he came to fight but he complains about Darchinyan using his elbows. He gives credit to Vic for being a very strong fighter but believes the elbows cut his face and head. Did he agree with the stoppage? No he doesn't, as he felt he could have continued. Both the doctor and referee decline to speak to Gray.
Darchinyan vs. Arce: Live Round By Round Updates Tonight
Boxing on HBO has certainly been entertaining thus far in 2009, and Showtime will get its first real chance to shine tonight with the 115-pound title fight between Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce. Both men have lobbed more than a few verbal barrages at each other over the past few months, and they will be throwing plenty of bombs in the ring in Anaheim tonight.
If you're not fortunate enough to have a seat at The Pond or near a Showtime-equipped television, you can follow the action with live round by round updates here at BoxingWatchers.com. Just remember that the updates are on the main page, not in this post.
The televised undercard is scheduled to get going shortly after 9 pm EST (6 pm PST) tonight.
If you're not fortunate enough to have a seat at The Pond or near a Showtime-equipped television, you can follow the action with live round by round updates here at BoxingWatchers.com. Just remember that the updates are on the main page, not in this post.
The televised undercard is scheduled to get going shortly after 9 pm EST (6 pm PST) tonight.
6.2.09
Predictions: Vic Darchinyan vs. Jorge Arce
Uatu says...
You can't always predict a fight just based on the last fight of each boxer. Shane Mosley took 12 rounds to knock out Ricardo Mayorga, and Margarito was able to give Cotto his first loss and did it by KO. That in part led to all three BoxingWatchers coming to a prediction of a Margarito victory. Surprises do happen, and with 20/20 hindsight you can look back on a fight and see some aspects of a fighter that maybe you overlooked or didn't give enough attention to.
But I will not let that one fight make me sway from my confidence in making a pick in the Vic - Arce fight. Vic looked great in his last fight against better competition. He was a complete wrecking machine and looked unbeatable. If he comes in with that kind of determination and preparation for Arce, then Arce is going down and he is going out early.
I enjoy Arce - he's exciting, everyone knows he is charismatic and such. His first fight with Hussein Hussein was a particularly awesome blood and guts fight. I was surprised to see that he is actually some four years younger than Vic. But he has had many more fights and he is smaller than Vic.
I can't see how Arce is going to win this fight. I think Vic is just too big and strong and he will probably be fresher. I see a big Vic victory. Vic Darchinyan by KO and it comes early, before the seventh.
The Franchise says...
There's not going to be anything subtle about this fight, so there's no need to break it down like it's going to be a chess match. This should be a slugfest, the kind that you may want to show to your friends who aren't boxing fans.
If the war of words leading up to the fight is any indication, it should also be entertaining for as long as it lasts. While anything can happen when the leather starts flying, Darchinyan seems to be bigger and more confident and probably has the edge in boxing skills if (and that's a big if) those actually come into play.
Uatu and I don't agree all that often, and it isn't necessarily a good thing when we do (see our Margarito-Mosley picks for evidence). But I see it the same way on this one, with Darchinyan winning by mid-round KO.
You can't always predict a fight just based on the last fight of each boxer. Shane Mosley took 12 rounds to knock out Ricardo Mayorga, and Margarito was able to give Cotto his first loss and did it by KO. That in part led to all three BoxingWatchers coming to a prediction of a Margarito victory. Surprises do happen, and with 20/20 hindsight you can look back on a fight and see some aspects of a fighter that maybe you overlooked or didn't give enough attention to.
But I will not let that one fight make me sway from my confidence in making a pick in the Vic - Arce fight. Vic looked great in his last fight against better competition. He was a complete wrecking machine and looked unbeatable. If he comes in with that kind of determination and preparation for Arce, then Arce is going down and he is going out early.
I enjoy Arce - he's exciting, everyone knows he is charismatic and such. His first fight with Hussein Hussein was a particularly awesome blood and guts fight. I was surprised to see that he is actually some four years younger than Vic. But he has had many more fights and he is smaller than Vic.
I can't see how Arce is going to win this fight. I think Vic is just too big and strong and he will probably be fresher. I see a big Vic victory. Vic Darchinyan by KO and it comes early, before the seventh.
The Franchise says...
There's not going to be anything subtle about this fight, so there's no need to break it down like it's going to be a chess match. This should be a slugfest, the kind that you may want to show to your friends who aren't boxing fans.
If the war of words leading up to the fight is any indication, it should also be entertaining for as long as it lasts. While anything can happen when the leather starts flying, Darchinyan seems to be bigger and more confident and probably has the edge in boxing skills if (and that's a big if) those actually come into play.
Uatu and I don't agree all that often, and it isn't necessarily a good thing when we do (see our Margarito-Mosley picks for evidence). But I see it the same way on this one, with Darchinyan winning by mid-round KO.
4.2.09
Quick Thoughts: Darchinyan-Arce Ad Campaign and Barrera-Khan
- I'm not sure if I'm only seeing it a lot because I visit a lot of boxing sites on my computer, but I love the internet ad campaign for this weekend's Vic Darchinyan-Jorge Arce fight. If you haven't seen it, it's an animated ad that bills the bout as "The Destroyer vs. The Brawler" and features some cool graphics with the flags of each fighter's home country. Good stuff.
- It's with a small amount of amusement that I read that Marco Antonio Barrera would be going after "Amir Khan's suspect chin and shaky defense" when they fight in March. It's funny because by all accounts MAB was cut pretty badly by a headbutt last Saturday, so maybe the fight can be arranged so that the first man to land a really clean head shot wins. Joking aside, I am actually interested for the fight, though I don't know I'd say it "has the potential to be a classic" like the AP writer does.
31.1.09
BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings: January 2009
Now that boxing has finally got cranked back up for a new year, it's time to revisit the power rankings. Two of the top 10 boxers from our final edition of 2008 were in action in January, with Andre Berto holding on to win against Luis Collazo. Antonio Margarito wasn't as fortunate, getting knocked out by Shane Mosley and falling out of the top 10.
For the uninitiated, this isn't a pound-for-pound list, but a part-mathematical (to me), part-magic (to the other BoxingWatchers staff!) formula that measures performance over a rolling three-year period, rewarding activity, decisive victories and the winning percentage of defeated opponents. The theoretical maximum score is 36, with anything approaching or exceeding 20 reflecting a high level of recent dominance.
Without further ado:
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.96 - It looks like he will fight in March, but an opponent has yet to be finalized. If he goes past that point without fighting, he'll start falling in our rankings due to inactivity.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 23.67 - When brother Vitali decided to face a mandatory challenger instead, Wlad ended up with a date to face the man ranked right below him on this list. That means Klitschko, who's been efficient but not very exciting, may finally be in a bout worth watching.
3. David Haye - 21.07 - He's been asking for it and now he's got his shot at a Klitschko. It's put up or shut up time for the Hayemaker.
4. Celestino Caballero - 20.72 - Returns to the ring in March in his homeland of Panama to take on Jeffrey Mathebula.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 17.62 - His upcoming fight with Ricky Hatton was on, then off, but now is said to be a done deal. The atmosphere should be terrific and the Hitman almost can't help but put up a better fight than the Golden Boy.
6. Andre Berto - 17.54 - The WBC welterweight champion got the year off to a rousing start by squeaking past Collazo. He'll have to jockey for position for a big fight in the crowded 147-pound division.
7. Vic Darchinyan - 17.00 - He flip-flops with Berto this month but could go right back up again if he takes care of Jorge Arce on Feb. 7. The Raging Bull's mouth is almost as entertaining as his fighting style.
8. Paul Williams - 15.89 - Neither he nor Winky Wright (remember him?) are big draws, so it will be interesting to see if their April 11 showdown generates any buzz. The Punisher has earned a big payday in this writer's opinion.
9. Kelly Pavlik - 15.36 - The Ghost is saying all the right things as his Feb. 21 return to middleweight approaches. If he handles Marco Antonio Rubio without much trouble, we'll know he's been able to put his loss to Bernard Hopkins behind him.
10. Miguel Cotto - 14.07 - Speaking of avenging losses, Cotto will look to do the same as the co-feature on the Pavlik PPV. All of a sudden a rematch with Margarito doesn't seem as definite as it did just a few weeks ago.
The next 7: Chris John, Juan Diaz, Nonito Donaire, Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, Juan Manuel Marquez, Joe Calzaghe
For the uninitiated, this isn't a pound-for-pound list, but a part-mathematical (to me), part-magic (to the other BoxingWatchers staff!) formula that measures performance over a rolling three-year period, rewarding activity, decisive victories and the winning percentage of defeated opponents. The theoretical maximum score is 36, with anything approaching or exceeding 20 reflecting a high level of recent dominance.
Without further ado:
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.96 - It looks like he will fight in March, but an opponent has yet to be finalized. If he goes past that point without fighting, he'll start falling in our rankings due to inactivity.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 23.67 - When brother Vitali decided to face a mandatory challenger instead, Wlad ended up with a date to face the man ranked right below him on this list. That means Klitschko, who's been efficient but not very exciting, may finally be in a bout worth watching.
3. David Haye - 21.07 - He's been asking for it and now he's got his shot at a Klitschko. It's put up or shut up time for the Hayemaker.
4. Celestino Caballero - 20.72 - Returns to the ring in March in his homeland of Panama to take on Jeffrey Mathebula.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 17.62 - His upcoming fight with Ricky Hatton was on, then off, but now is said to be a done deal. The atmosphere should be terrific and the Hitman almost can't help but put up a better fight than the Golden Boy.
6. Andre Berto - 17.54 - The WBC welterweight champion got the year off to a rousing start by squeaking past Collazo. He'll have to jockey for position for a big fight in the crowded 147-pound division.
7. Vic Darchinyan - 17.00 - He flip-flops with Berto this month but could go right back up again if he takes care of Jorge Arce on Feb. 7. The Raging Bull's mouth is almost as entertaining as his fighting style.
8. Paul Williams - 15.89 - Neither he nor Winky Wright (remember him?) are big draws, so it will be interesting to see if their April 11 showdown generates any buzz. The Punisher has earned a big payday in this writer's opinion.
9. Kelly Pavlik - 15.36 - The Ghost is saying all the right things as his Feb. 21 return to middleweight approaches. If he handles Marco Antonio Rubio without much trouble, we'll know he's been able to put his loss to Bernard Hopkins behind him.
10. Miguel Cotto - 14.07 - Speaking of avenging losses, Cotto will look to do the same as the co-feature on the Pavlik PPV. All of a sudden a rematch with Margarito doesn't seem as definite as it did just a few weeks ago.
The next 7: Chris John, Juan Diaz, Nonito Donaire, Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, Juan Manuel Marquez, Joe Calzaghe
26.12.08
Franchise Thoughts: First Half of 2009 Schedule Has Its Share of Intrigue
It seemed like new fights were getting added to the 2009 boxing schedule almost daily throughout the past couple of weeks. That's not a bad thing by the way, since the sport pretty much goes into hibernation for a month at the end of each calendar year, leaving looking ahead as the primary activity for boxing fans to pass the time.
The unquestioned top draw in boxing, Oscar De La Hoya, appears ready to walk away from the ring, and while there are candidates to replace him, they are mostly unproven. Add in the fact that the heavyweight division continues to be short on excitement and it wouldn't be surprising if casual fans pay even less attention to the sport next year.
Things are a bit different for hardcore fans. The one sure-fire blockbuster fight (Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather) remains hypothetical at this point, but the first six months of 2009 are liberally sprinkled with interesting matchups.
Keeping in mind that things can always change in the fight game, here are the fights that are already signed or all but done that have caught my eye:
Jan. 17 - Andre Berto vs. Luis Collazo - I happen to think Berto is the goods. Others, including a whole group of posters on the boards at MaxBoxing.com, aren't convinced at this point.
One side of the debate will have more ammunition after this fight, because Collazo is no pushover. His only two losses in the last six years were to Shane Mosley and Ricky Hatton, and he gave the Hitman all he could handle.
That being said, he's not a top echelon guy, so the school of thought that Berto isn't ready for prime time will gain support if Collazo wins.
Jan. 24 - Antonio Margarito vs. Shane Mosley - Sugar Shane is one of my favorites, but I don't like his chances here. He can't fight the fight Paul Williams used to take down the Tijuana Tornado, and it doesn't seem like he'll be able to utilize the style that Miguel Cotto used effectively, at least at his current age.
You can't count a boxer as accomplished as Mosley out entirely though, and that should be reason enough to watch.
Feb. 7 - Vic Darchinyan vs. Jorge Arce - There won't be much subtlety in this one, which should make it rank high in pure entertainment value. Add in a lengthy war of words that included such gems as Darchinyan vowing to make Arce a "human piñata" and you've got a can't-miss broadcast.
It's way too early to be thinking about Fight of the Year candidates for 2009, but this bout has the ingredients to make it a contender.
Feb. 21 - Kelly Pavlik vs. Marco Antonio Rubio and Miguel Cotto vs. Michael Jennings - Two fights from two different sites on the same night. And both of the headliners are attempting to bounce back from defeats in their previous fights.
I expect Pavlik and Cotto to show the form that made them champions in the first place. If they don't, then the losses took more out of them than most observers expected.
One problem: this is slated to be a pay-per-view, and there's no good reason it should be.
Feb. 28 - Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz - It's hard not to like Marquez in this one considering he came up just short of beating Pacquiao - twice. JMM is also a gifted counter-puncher, so this fight seems to set up nicely for him.
On the other hand, Diaz is a good bet to apply even more pressure than Pacman did, and he proved against Nate Campbell that he can take some shots and keep throwing. And there's always a chance that age could catch up with Marquez at some point.
Regardless, this should be a good show.
Mar. 14 - Chad Dawson vs. Antonio Tarver II - My brother Uatu has already gone on record saying he has no problem with this fight, since it's two name guys fighting each other. I agree to a point, but the first meeting wasn't too competitive.
Tarver (a BoxingWatchers favorite) is the master of the rematch, but Father Time is gaining on him rapidly. I'll be cheering him on again even though I expect him to lose again, and there's a good chance this will be the last big fight of his career.
Apr. 4 - Timothy Bradley vs. Kendall Holt - I'm very anxious to see this showdown between two young boxers who aren't household names now, but could be in the near future. The winner will obviously have a leg up in that regard.
My gut feeling is that Bradley is more well-rounded and Holt is more dynamic. But I'm far from an expert on either fighter, and no outcome in this fight would surprise me.
May 2 - Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton - Unless (or maybe until) Mayweather comes out of retirement, this may be the biggest fight possible with today's roster of active boxers. Pacquiao gets his first chance to run with the torch passed from De La Hoya, and Hatton looked good enough last time out that you can't help but think he'll be more of a challenge for Pacman than the Golden Boy.
One thing's for sure: the atmosphere for this fight will be second to none. If a boxing genie magically gave me the ability to attend any fight that's been made so far for 2009 in person, this would be it.
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