It looks like we'll get three televised fights on the undercard tonight as we head live to Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. First up is David Diaz, the lightweight title-holder who is widely assumed to be Manny Pacquiao's next opponent should he win tonight. He'll be facing Ramon Montano, though not many of the fans are in their seats to see it.
Montano certainly doesn't look like a complete stiff, showing a determined body attack in the opening round. This fight is reminiscent of the opening rounds of the recent Campbell-Diaz fight in the sense that both men seem to want to fight as close together as possible. Diaz looks a little more comfortable in the second round, finding more space to land to the head and body.
Through four rounds the fight is still being waged at close range. It's hard to see this tactic working for Diaz if he chooses to try it against Pacquiao. Round five sees a little more space start to develop and that favors Diaz, who lands a nice right-left combo about midway through the frame.
The sixth round turns into a contest of uppercuts with Montano backed up against the ropes. He manages to weather the storm, though, and still doesn't look like he's in any danger of getting knocked out. Jim Lampley starts talking about the ring girl between the seventh and eighth round, which should give you an idea of how safely Diaz seems to be winning this fight.
There's no question that Montano is tough. He absorbs a wicked right that snaps his head back in the ninth but shows no signs of quitting. His only chance is a knockout, though he doesn't appear to have the power for that, so it should just be a formality for Diaz to wrap this one up. Referee Joe Cortez makes a sweet move by replacing Montano's mouthpiece on the fly. Both guys trade right up until the final bell.
As expected, Diaz wins the decision, though one judge mysteriously scores it a draw. Solid work, but Diaz doesn't appear to have the speed to hang with Pacquiao.
Next up is Abner Mares against Diosdado Gabi. Amazingly, Gabi put on 15 1/2 pounds overnight, going from 119 1/2 to 135. It's a Mexican versus Filipino clash just like tonight's main event. Larry Merchant says Mares has never faced a southpaw in his brief pro career.
Gabi starts out strong but gets staggered by a couple of right hands with about 40 seconds left in the first round. He makes it to the end of the round, but we'll see how badly he's hurt.
As it turns out, he really was hurt. Gabi goes down early in the round from a straight right hand, then again from a rising left that glances off the side of his head. The ref stops the fight and Mares is the winner by TKO at 49 seconds of the second round.
The final undercard fight pits Steven Luevano against Terdsak Jandaeng for Luevano's WBO featherweight belt. A left from Luevano seems to stun Jandaeng early on, but he stays on his feet.
Luevano's accuracy is serving him well through three rounds, though Jandaeng is sticking in there and throwing hard pitches when he gets an opportunity. Between the third and fourth rounds, highlights from Marquez-Vazquez III are shown, which is never a bad thing.
Just when it looks like Luevano is cruising, Jandaeng fires a left that scores a knockdown with just under a minute left in the fourth round. He tries to follow it up, swinging wildly and unsuccessfully. Jandaeng hits the canvas himself late in the round, but it's ruled a slip.
The fifth round starts out as a bit of a slugfest, which does not favor Luevano, but it settles down later on. Luevano is able to control the rest of the round with his counter-punching skills, and he seems like he's shaken off the knockdown. Mike Tyson is shown in the crowd.
Emanuel Steward praises Luevano for his patience and technique, and Jandaeng's face is starting to show a lot of damage on both sides. He's still coming forward consistently but Luevano's footwork is excellent, and he's able to move laterally to avoid getting in trouble.
In the eighth round, Luevano gets hit with an obvious low blow, and the ref gives him time to recover. Steward says he doesn't think it was intentional, but it still looked painful. He's back to picking his foe apart for the rest of the round, and as long as he doesn't get caught and knocked down again, he should be in good shape.
Jandaeng's corner is telling him he needs a knockout to win, which is good advice. He's definitely going for it in the tenth and eleventh rounds but to no avail. A left hand knocks Luevano's mouthpiece out with about a minute to go in the 11th, but he manages to readjust it himself and avoid more incoming punches.
Harold Lederman actually gave the 11th round to Jandaeng, though he should still be way behind on the scorecards. He did score the knockdown though, and this is boxing, so you never know. Luevano is doing a lot more running in the final round, and the crowd seems to be on Jandaeng's side since he is actually going for it. Luevano circles all the way until the bell and we'll go to the scorecards.
Luevano wins by unanimous decision, and though I don't put much stock in CompuBox numbers, the stats show he landed about four times as many punches.
15.3.08
Live Round By Round Updates of Marquez-Pacquiao II: Unfinished Business Tonight
You know we wouldn't miss this one. If you can't catch tonight's pay-per-view telecast of the rematch between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao, bookmark BoxingWatchers.com and get live round by round updates from our own Spartan117 and Uatu. It's the third-best thing to being there!
14.3.08
Marquez vs. Pacquiao II: Unfinished Business Weigh-in
Caught the weigh-in on HBO.
Pacquiao was his usual ridiculously ripped self and came in at 129.
Marquez looked toned and ready at 130 on the dot.
There was some energy in the crowd, but everything at this point pales in comparison to Hatton-Mayweather. Nothing special happened.
Shane Mosley, Marco Antonio Barerra, and Bob Arum were in the house. No Oscar or Bernard or other Top Rankers were on the stage at least.
Not a physique or anatomy expert, but does the more ripped and dehydrated-looking man in turn mean the man who will put on more weight overnight and thus the heavier man on fight night? Is there any way to eyeball people the night before and be able to tell who will put more weight on when they get in the ring? Since Arum has said that Manny is moving to 135 to fight David Diaz if he wins, and Marquez has always been around the 126-130 range, writers have been stating that Manny will be bigger on fight night. That could sway even more favor towards the PacMan.
Pacquiao was his usual ridiculously ripped self and came in at 129.
Marquez looked toned and ready at 130 on the dot.
There was some energy in the crowd, but everything at this point pales in comparison to Hatton-Mayweather. Nothing special happened.
Shane Mosley, Marco Antonio Barerra, and Bob Arum were in the house. No Oscar or Bernard or other Top Rankers were on the stage at least.
Not a physique or anatomy expert, but does the more ripped and dehydrated-looking man in turn mean the man who will put on more weight overnight and thus the heavier man on fight night? Is there any way to eyeball people the night before and be able to tell who will put more weight on when they get in the ring? Since Arum has said that Manny is moving to 135 to fight David Diaz if he wins, and Marquez has always been around the 126-130 range, writers have been stating that Manny will be bigger on fight night. That could sway even more favor towards the PacMan.
Miranda vs. Kessler is on
Edison Miranda vs. Mikkel Kessler is on according to ESPN for May on Showtime.
This is a very interesting fight.
One can't help but wonder about where Miranda really fits in the boxing landscape. Is he a Mayorga-like trash talking brawler that won't be able to back up his talk against the elite? Consider Mayorga vs. Forrest and compare it with Miranda vs. Abraham. Then think of Mayorga vs. Oscar and Tito and compare them to Miranda vs. Pavlik.
What about Kessler? Impressive against Andrade. Undressed by Calzaghe.
Miranda also reminds Uatu of Tyson and to a lesser extent Juan Diaz (minus the power of course). If you can stand up to these "bullies", then you can take them on with skill. But standing up to them is, of course, no easy task.
But can Kessler stand up to the Panther? To be determined soon.
This is a very interesting fight.
One can't help but wonder about where Miranda really fits in the boxing landscape. Is he a Mayorga-like trash talking brawler that won't be able to back up his talk against the elite? Consider Mayorga vs. Forrest and compare it with Miranda vs. Abraham. Then think of Mayorga vs. Oscar and Tito and compare them to Miranda vs. Pavlik.
What about Kessler? Impressive against Andrade. Undressed by Calzaghe.
Miranda also reminds Uatu of Tyson and to a lesser extent Juan Diaz (minus the power of course). If you can stand up to these "bullies", then you can take them on with skill. But standing up to them is, of course, no easy task.
But can Kessler stand up to the Panther? To be determined soon.
Predictions: Marquez-Pacquiao II
The Franchise says...
It's tough for me to pick any of Manny's fights simply because it's so difficult to take my rooting interest out of the equation (Disclaimer: All staff members of BoxingWatchers.com are part Filipino!). That being said, I was relieved when the first fight between these two turned out to be a draw, because I honestly thought Marquez had won the fight. That's how much he dominated the second half of the bout with his boxing skills.
What's changed to make me think the outcome will be different this time? For starters, I don't think there's any question Pacquiao's all-around game has improved. In the first half of the decade, Pac Man fought the same way every round. He came forward, threw a lot of punches, and his hand speed and power were usually too much for his opponents. His defense consisted of moving his head side to side while he advanced.
That's not the case today. While Manny's first instinct continues to be blasting his foes out of there, he's a little smarter about how he goes about doing it. Marquez is still the superior technician, but Pacquiao's improvements, especially on defense, have narrowed the gap.
I also think Father Time is Pacquiao’s corner. JMM is five years older, which could turn out to be significant - though Manny has certainly has put a lot of miles on the odometer in his career. If this fight goes the distance, age may end up working against Marquez.
Those factors tie into the final one, which is that Marquez really has only one way to win the fight, which is to out-box Pacquiao and win on the scorecards. It's almost unthinkable to see JMM scoring a knockout - he's KO'ed only two of his last nine opponents, and Manny hasn't been knocked out since 1999. That gives him less margin for error, increasing the chances that he'll be caught or worn down late.
And that's exactly what I think will happen. Marquez is an excellent boxer, and as the first fight showed, he's got toughness and heart to spare. The 2008 version of Pacquiao is better than the one he faced in 2004 though, and I like the new Manny to stop him in the late rounds.
On the undercard, I'm going to stay away from picking the Luevano-Jandaeng fight because I don't know enough about either fighter. I am going with David Diaz over Ramon Montano since he has too much at stake (he's been mentioned as the likely next opponent for Pacquiao should he win Saturday) to lose to an inferior opponent.
Uatu says...
Well, he doesn't say much more than what has been said above.
No reason to wait for the weigh-in because both of these guys are making weight no problem. Manny will look like an action figure with a crazy physique, and JMM will look good too. These guys are top flight pros and won't mess around and come in heavy. Too important.
Manny looks unbelievably fast in recent footage. Speed kills. If anyone can neutralize the speed though it's a consummate skilled pro like JMM.
JMM would have been the pick if the rematch had been made years ago. Not in 2008.
Lots of action, lots of fun. Manny UD 12
Undercard? Not interested in picking.
It's tough for me to pick any of Manny's fights simply because it's so difficult to take my rooting interest out of the equation (Disclaimer: All staff members of BoxingWatchers.com are part Filipino!). That being said, I was relieved when the first fight between these two turned out to be a draw, because I honestly thought Marquez had won the fight. That's how much he dominated the second half of the bout with his boxing skills.
What's changed to make me think the outcome will be different this time? For starters, I don't think there's any question Pacquiao's all-around game has improved. In the first half of the decade, Pac Man fought the same way every round. He came forward, threw a lot of punches, and his hand speed and power were usually too much for his opponents. His defense consisted of moving his head side to side while he advanced.
That's not the case today. While Manny's first instinct continues to be blasting his foes out of there, he's a little smarter about how he goes about doing it. Marquez is still the superior technician, but Pacquiao's improvements, especially on defense, have narrowed the gap.
I also think Father Time is Pacquiao’s corner. JMM is five years older, which could turn out to be significant - though Manny has certainly has put a lot of miles on the odometer in his career. If this fight goes the distance, age may end up working against Marquez.
Those factors tie into the final one, which is that Marquez really has only one way to win the fight, which is to out-box Pacquiao and win on the scorecards. It's almost unthinkable to see JMM scoring a knockout - he's KO'ed only two of his last nine opponents, and Manny hasn't been knocked out since 1999. That gives him less margin for error, increasing the chances that he'll be caught or worn down late.
And that's exactly what I think will happen. Marquez is an excellent boxer, and as the first fight showed, he's got toughness and heart to spare. The 2008 version of Pacquiao is better than the one he faced in 2004 though, and I like the new Manny to stop him in the late rounds.
On the undercard, I'm going to stay away from picking the Luevano-Jandaeng fight because I don't know enough about either fighter. I am going with David Diaz over Ramon Montano since he has too much at stake (he's been mentioned as the likely next opponent for Pacquiao should he win Saturday) to lose to an inferior opponent.
Uatu says...
Well, he doesn't say much more than what has been said above.
No reason to wait for the weigh-in because both of these guys are making weight no problem. Manny will look like an action figure with a crazy physique, and JMM will look good too. These guys are top flight pros and won't mess around and come in heavy. Too important.
Manny looks unbelievably fast in recent footage. Speed kills. If anyone can neutralize the speed though it's a consummate skilled pro like JMM.
JMM would have been the pick if the rematch had been made years ago. Not in 2008.
Lots of action, lots of fun. Manny UD 12
Undercard? Not interested in picking.
8.3.08
Round by Round: Maskaev v. Peter
The last fight of the night is the heavyweight fight between Oleg Maskaev v. Samuel Peter. The commentators believe that these fighters will swing hard and often to make an exciting fight. Maskaev is the title holder. The winner of this fight will be the fighter that Wladimir Klitschko must fight and defeat to become the undisputed heavyweight champ.
Maskaev is 39 years old while Peter is only 27. As the last fight demonstrated, age doesn't always matter.
Maskaev comes out to "Another one Bites the Dust" and in a sombrero. Very similar to an entrance we've seen before. Floyd Mayweather perhaps?
Both fighters look big, mean and ready to fight.
Round 1: They walk to the center of the ring and touch gloves. Both fighters are feeling each other out and don't throw anything for the first 30 seconds. Peter throws the first punch but it does not connect. Maskaev looks cautious. Peter lands a left hook and a jab. The pace is slow. Peter lands the first forceful blow and its a right to Maskaev's head.
Spartan: 10-9 Peter
Uatu: 10-9 Peter
Round 2: This fight looks like it's in slow motion when it is shown after the last fight we just saw. Peter gets backed into the ropes but counter's his way out. Peter throws jabs to the head and body. Maskaev now getting busier. Peter usually throws the first punch in a sequence of traded punches. Maskaev throws a hard right that misses and causes him to loose his balance. Peter does not capitalize.
Spartan: 10-9 Peter
Uatu: 10-9 Peter
Round 3: Peter works the jab which is the first punch to land in the round. The commentators have been scolding Peter about his punches landing in the back of the head. Apparently Peter has a history of hitting behind the head. Peter lands a massive power punch and unloads on a hurt Maskaev against the ropes. Maskaev makes it out of the ropes and lands a hard right hand of his own and staggers Peter. Both fighters are lucky to make it out of the round.
Spartan: 10-9 Peter
Uatu: 10-9 Maskaev
Round 4: Both fighters are very cautious for the first minute of the round. Peter lands a perfect jab that hits hard. Peter's body movement dodges three hooks delivered by Maskaev. Maskaev lands a hard left hook which backs Peter.
Spartan: 10-9 Maskaev
Uatu: 10-9 Peter
Round 5: The open scoring of this fight lets us know that Peter is winning on all 3 judges score cards. Maskaev now throws more jabs. Jim Lamply now shows his hatred for open scoring as he has done numerous times in the past. Both fighters now taking their time before throwing their punches. Maskaev lands a hard right hand and the crowd erupts.
Spartan: 10-9 Maskaev
Uatu: 10-9 Peter
Round 6: Peter is the more aggressive fighter in this round. Peter lands a shot to the back of the head. Maskaev holds his head and takes two more hard shots. The ref warns Peter. Maskaev lands left that knocks Peter off balance. Maskaev gets clocked with a vicious right and staggers back. He is practically out on his feet. Peter follows the stumbling Maskaev around the ring landing at will. He also lands two punches to the back of the head which goes unnoticed by the ref but most of the barrage lands cleanly. The ref finally steps in and stops the fight.
The winner by TKO, and new WBC heavyweight champion, Samuel Peter.
Peter shouts into the microphone for his post fight interview. "UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. WHO NEXT?" He says he can beat any boxer in the world and says he can do it tomorrow.
Maskaev is 39 years old while Peter is only 27. As the last fight demonstrated, age doesn't always matter.
Maskaev comes out to "Another one Bites the Dust" and in a sombrero. Very similar to an entrance we've seen before. Floyd Mayweather perhaps?
Both fighters look big, mean and ready to fight.
Round 1: They walk to the center of the ring and touch gloves. Both fighters are feeling each other out and don't throw anything for the first 30 seconds. Peter throws the first punch but it does not connect. Maskaev looks cautious. Peter lands a left hook and a jab. The pace is slow. Peter lands the first forceful blow and its a right to Maskaev's head.
Spartan: 10-9 Peter
Uatu: 10-9 Peter
Round 2: This fight looks like it's in slow motion when it is shown after the last fight we just saw. Peter gets backed into the ropes but counter's his way out. Peter throws jabs to the head and body. Maskaev now getting busier. Peter usually throws the first punch in a sequence of traded punches. Maskaev throws a hard right that misses and causes him to loose his balance. Peter does not capitalize.
Spartan: 10-9 Peter
Uatu: 10-9 Peter
Round 3: Peter works the jab which is the first punch to land in the round. The commentators have been scolding Peter about his punches landing in the back of the head. Apparently Peter has a history of hitting behind the head. Peter lands a massive power punch and unloads on a hurt Maskaev against the ropes. Maskaev makes it out of the ropes and lands a hard right hand of his own and staggers Peter. Both fighters are lucky to make it out of the round.
Spartan: 10-9 Peter
Uatu: 10-9 Maskaev
Round 4: Both fighters are very cautious for the first minute of the round. Peter lands a perfect jab that hits hard. Peter's body movement dodges three hooks delivered by Maskaev. Maskaev lands a hard left hook which backs Peter.
Spartan: 10-9 Maskaev
Uatu: 10-9 Peter
Round 5: The open scoring of this fight lets us know that Peter is winning on all 3 judges score cards. Maskaev now throws more jabs. Jim Lamply now shows his hatred for open scoring as he has done numerous times in the past. Both fighters now taking their time before throwing their punches. Maskaev lands a hard right hand and the crowd erupts.
Spartan: 10-9 Maskaev
Uatu: 10-9 Peter
Round 6: Peter is the more aggressive fighter in this round. Peter lands a shot to the back of the head. Maskaev holds his head and takes two more hard shots. The ref warns Peter. Maskaev lands left that knocks Peter off balance. Maskaev gets clocked with a vicious right and staggers back. He is practically out on his feet. Peter follows the stumbling Maskaev around the ring landing at will. He also lands two punches to the back of the head which goes unnoticed by the ref but most of the barrage lands cleanly. The ref finally steps in and stops the fight.
The winner by TKO, and new WBC heavyweight champion, Samuel Peter.
Peter shouts into the microphone for his post fight interview. "UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. WHO NEXT?" He says he can beat any boxer in the world and says he can do it tomorrow.
Round by Round: Diaz v. Campbell
The first bout in tonight's double header is the 135 pound fight Diaz v. Campbell for the lightweight championship. The fight is taking place in a bull fighting arena that has been converted to accommodate tonight's event. Juan Diaz has become a rising star in the sport and is currently undefeated. At 24 years old, he has been regarded as a fast puncher who is also a knockout artist for his weight class. Tonight he goes up against the 36 year old veteran Nate Campbell.
The night starts with a feature on Diaz's life. Not only is he coming up in the sport of boxing, he is also attempting to receive his college degree at the University of Houston. The story also features his Mexican family. He is scheduled to finish college in December. His dream after boxing is to become the mayor of Houston.
Commentator Max Kellerman believes that this fight is Campbell's last shot to improve his name in the sport.
After the feature the fighters make their way to the ring.
Round 1: Campbell seems to realize Kellerman's comment and wastes no time being aggressive. Campbell unleashes many strong combinations to Diaz's body. A cut already starts to bleed over Diaz's left eye, most likely from a accidental headbutt. They go toe to toe refusing to clinch and trade blows. Diaz turns it up and answers back with punches to the head.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
Round 2: Campbell starts the round early again and goes right in and swings for the fences. Diaz chooses his punches wisely and lands at a higher percentage. It is truly a fast paced fight. Diaz lands three hard right hands to Campbell's head. Diaz comes back off the ropes and swings back but Diaz blocks most. Both fighters take punishment to the head in the middle of the ring. Diaz looks faster and more accurate in this round.
Spartan: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz
Franchise: 10-9 Diaz
Round 3: Neither fighter looks tired in round 3, but Diaz looks more focused. Campbell looks like he's going for a knockout, swinging wildly and off the mark. Intensity is still high as the square off in the middle of the ring. Campbell now focuses on the body. Diaz backs Campbell into the ropes and lands flurries to the body and head. Campbell's upper body movement looks good and dodges some of Diaz's punches. It looks like this fight will be decided by the strength of chins.
Spartan: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz
Franchise: 10-9 Diaz
Round 4: They trade punches in the center again. Campbell now throws less. Diaz starts to work the body. Diaz continues to throw great combinations that land to Campbell's head. Campbell shakes his head to say it didn't hurt. The crowd chants MEXICO. Diaz continues to land and Campbell shakes his head again. Diaz now takes a lot of punishment upstairs but stays strong and swings back.
Spartan: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz
Franchse: 10-9 Diaz
Round 5: Diaz's trainer tells him to keep working because Campbell will tire. Neither fighter looks tired in the 5th. Campbell lands punches to the head while Diaz lands to the body. Now both fighters start to use the jab which is the first we've seen of it. Campbell now landing at a higher percentage and choosing his punches wisely. Both fighters trade punches at the end of the round.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Diaz
Round 6: Round 6 looks just like round 1 in the first seconds. Campbell comes in and throws hard. Diaz returns punches to Campbell's head. Now the fighters slow down but still throw. Campbell lands 3 hooks and an uppercut. I don't think Diaz can take much more punishment like that. Diaz does not appear to be phased and continues to fire at will. Diaz's eye is now gushing. 1 point now gets deducted by Campbell for a headbutt. Diaz takes his given time to clean his cut. There are 20 seconds left when they return to action. Both fighters end the round by swinging hard.
Spartan: 9-9
Uatu: 9-9
Franchise: 9-9
Round 7: The replay shows that Campbell should not have had a point deducted because the cut was opened by a punch. Campbell's defense looks better than his opponent in this round. Both fighters still punching at tremendous numbers. Diaz looks bothered by his cut and starts to paw at it. Campbell is now landing the cleaner punches. Compubox says that Campbell has thrown more punches in ever round so far.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
Round 8: Emanuel Steward complains that Diaz's cutman is not doing a very good job stopping his cut. Neither fighter looks tired as we enter the later rounds of the fight. Diaz's punches now look less accurate. The commentators state that the judges of tonight's fight are extremely inexperienced. Both fighters trade once again as the round ends.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
Round 9: They trade in the middle of the ring again. Diaz clearly taking more punishment to his head. Diaz looks more hesitant to throw now. Campbell now firing to Diaz's head with hard hooks. Diaz's eye is a bloody mess and takes more and more punishment as the round ends.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
Round 10: Campbell now looking for a knockout while Diaz slows his pace and throws less. The entire left side of Diaz's face looks terrible while he continues to favor it. Diaz now starts to punch more but his punches are inaccurate. Diaz stumbles around the ring and gets backed into the ropes and takes more punches to his head. The commentators believe that Diaz's will has been broken. If diaz makes it through this fight it will be impressive.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
Round 11: Campbell backs up Diaz in the first seconds of the round. Diaz refuses to give up and continues to swing. Campbell lands vicious hooks that Diaz cannot block. Diaz now fighting with his head down. Campbell looks comfortable and loose. Campbell now stalking Diaz around the ring and dishing out very strong hooks.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
Round 12: Campbell's trainer tells him to not get careless and if he follows that advice he should have this fight won. Campbell really wants a knockout but Diaz does not back down. Diaz is now clinching. Campbell is now bullying Diaz around the ring and fires at Diaz in the corner. The last 10 seconds are still action packed but Campbell landing more.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
This fight was a high energy fight with very hard punches. Campbell fought harder for 12 rounds and deserves to win the fight. Diaz's showed heart but looked hurt in the later rounds. He needs to work on his defense to continue to be competitive in this sport.
Judge 1: 114-113 Diaz
Judge 2: 111-116 Campbell
Judge 3: 112-115 Campbell
Campbell wins split decision and wins the title
Spartan: 116-111 Campbell
Uatu: 116-111 Campbell
Franchise: 115-112 Campbell
In the post fight interview, Campbell is arrogant. He says he fought "his ass off" and says he come out so strong because he knew Diaz couldn't take it.
He says he's the best fighter in the world. Diaz says that Campbell's intensity threw him off his game plan. He says he should have established his jab.
The night starts with a feature on Diaz's life. Not only is he coming up in the sport of boxing, he is also attempting to receive his college degree at the University of Houston. The story also features his Mexican family. He is scheduled to finish college in December. His dream after boxing is to become the mayor of Houston.
Commentator Max Kellerman believes that this fight is Campbell's last shot to improve his name in the sport.
After the feature the fighters make their way to the ring.
Round 1: Campbell seems to realize Kellerman's comment and wastes no time being aggressive. Campbell unleashes many strong combinations to Diaz's body. A cut already starts to bleed over Diaz's left eye, most likely from a accidental headbutt. They go toe to toe refusing to clinch and trade blows. Diaz turns it up and answers back with punches to the head.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
Round 2: Campbell starts the round early again and goes right in and swings for the fences. Diaz chooses his punches wisely and lands at a higher percentage. It is truly a fast paced fight. Diaz lands three hard right hands to Campbell's head. Diaz comes back off the ropes and swings back but Diaz blocks most. Both fighters take punishment to the head in the middle of the ring. Diaz looks faster and more accurate in this round.
Spartan: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz
Franchise: 10-9 Diaz
Round 3: Neither fighter looks tired in round 3, but Diaz looks more focused. Campbell looks like he's going for a knockout, swinging wildly and off the mark. Intensity is still high as the square off in the middle of the ring. Campbell now focuses on the body. Diaz backs Campbell into the ropes and lands flurries to the body and head. Campbell's upper body movement looks good and dodges some of Diaz's punches. It looks like this fight will be decided by the strength of chins.
Spartan: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz
Franchise: 10-9 Diaz
Round 4: They trade punches in the center again. Campbell now throws less. Diaz starts to work the body. Diaz continues to throw great combinations that land to Campbell's head. Campbell shakes his head to say it didn't hurt. The crowd chants MEXICO. Diaz continues to land and Campbell shakes his head again. Diaz now takes a lot of punishment upstairs but stays strong and swings back.
Spartan: 10-9 Diaz
Uatu: 10-9 Diaz
Franchse: 10-9 Diaz
Round 5: Diaz's trainer tells him to keep working because Campbell will tire. Neither fighter looks tired in the 5th. Campbell lands punches to the head while Diaz lands to the body. Now both fighters start to use the jab which is the first we've seen of it. Campbell now landing at a higher percentage and choosing his punches wisely. Both fighters trade punches at the end of the round.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Diaz
Round 6: Round 6 looks just like round 1 in the first seconds. Campbell comes in and throws hard. Diaz returns punches to Campbell's head. Now the fighters slow down but still throw. Campbell lands 3 hooks and an uppercut. I don't think Diaz can take much more punishment like that. Diaz does not appear to be phased and continues to fire at will. Diaz's eye is now gushing. 1 point now gets deducted by Campbell for a headbutt. Diaz takes his given time to clean his cut. There are 20 seconds left when they return to action. Both fighters end the round by swinging hard.
Spartan: 9-9
Uatu: 9-9
Franchise: 9-9
Round 7: The replay shows that Campbell should not have had a point deducted because the cut was opened by a punch. Campbell's defense looks better than his opponent in this round. Both fighters still punching at tremendous numbers. Diaz looks bothered by his cut and starts to paw at it. Campbell is now landing the cleaner punches. Compubox says that Campbell has thrown more punches in ever round so far.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
Round 8: Emanuel Steward complains that Diaz's cutman is not doing a very good job stopping his cut. Neither fighter looks tired as we enter the later rounds of the fight. Diaz's punches now look less accurate. The commentators state that the judges of tonight's fight are extremely inexperienced. Both fighters trade once again as the round ends.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
Round 9: They trade in the middle of the ring again. Diaz clearly taking more punishment to his head. Diaz looks more hesitant to throw now. Campbell now firing to Diaz's head with hard hooks. Diaz's eye is a bloody mess and takes more and more punishment as the round ends.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
Round 10: Campbell now looking for a knockout while Diaz slows his pace and throws less. The entire left side of Diaz's face looks terrible while he continues to favor it. Diaz now starts to punch more but his punches are inaccurate. Diaz stumbles around the ring and gets backed into the ropes and takes more punches to his head. The commentators believe that Diaz's will has been broken. If diaz makes it through this fight it will be impressive.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
Round 11: Campbell backs up Diaz in the first seconds of the round. Diaz refuses to give up and continues to swing. Campbell lands vicious hooks that Diaz cannot block. Diaz now fighting with his head down. Campbell looks comfortable and loose. Campbell now stalking Diaz around the ring and dishing out very strong hooks.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
Round 12: Campbell's trainer tells him to not get careless and if he follows that advice he should have this fight won. Campbell really wants a knockout but Diaz does not back down. Diaz is now clinching. Campbell is now bullying Diaz around the ring and fires at Diaz in the corner. The last 10 seconds are still action packed but Campbell landing more.
Spartan: 10-9 Campbell
Uatu: 10-9 Campbell
Franchise: 10-9 Campbell
This fight was a high energy fight with very hard punches. Campbell fought harder for 12 rounds and deserves to win the fight. Diaz's showed heart but looked hurt in the later rounds. He needs to work on his defense to continue to be competitive in this sport.
Judge 1: 114-113 Diaz
Judge 2: 111-116 Campbell
Judge 3: 112-115 Campbell
Campbell wins split decision and wins the title
Spartan: 116-111 Campbell
Uatu: 116-111 Campbell
Franchise: 115-112 Campbell
In the post fight interview, Campbell is arrogant. He says he fought "his ass off" and says he come out so strong because he knew Diaz couldn't take it.
He says he's the best fighter in the world. Diaz says that Campbell's intensity threw him off his game plan. He says he should have established his jab.
Round By Round: Haye Vs. Maccarinelli
They're staying up late in London to bring us the cruiserweight unification bout between David Haye and Enzo Maccarinelli. The WBA, WBC and WBO titles are on the line, and 20,000 fans are in the house.
Steve Albert is building this up as a fight that could end at any time with any punch. Let's hope it lives up to that billing. It's interesting that Showtime is using this fight as the first part of a boxing-MMA doubleheader, something they will also be doing at the end of March.
IBF light heavyweight champion Clinton Woods stops by for a short interview, promoting his upcoming bout with Antonio Tarver. They talk a little bit about how hot boxing is in Great Britain right now, and it's hard to argue that point.
The tale of the tape tells us the boxers are coming in within a pound of each other, despite reports that Haye was having trouble making weight and is leaving the division soon. Haye has a reach advantage of a couple inches.
Joe Calzaghe, Frank Bruno and Evander Holyfield are all on hand to take in the action. Haye comes to the ring first, sporting his own "Hayemaker" shirt. The announcers are saying he grew up just a short distance away from the O2 Arena, the site of tonight's fight. Maccarinelli enters to the sounds of Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down," and he gets a mix of cheers and boos from the London crowd.
Both men look to be in good shape, with Haye looking especially cut. And here we go!
Round 1
Big Mac lands the first big punch, a left hook that knocks Haye off balance. Haye is reaching with the jab. They aren't exactly throwing caution to the wind like you may have expected. Both guys land a few jabs. Haye goes to the body with a right. Now a big left upstairs. Haye goes in hard but Maccarinelli ties him up. Right to the body by Haye. A pretty cautious first round overall.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Maccarinelli
Uatu scores it: 10-9 Maccarinelli
Round 2
Both fighters trying to establish the jab. Big punches mostly miss in close. A big right by Haye finds the mark. A left coming in also hits, but Maccarinelli responds with his own left. Another right hand by Haye. A big right hand by Haye has Maccarinelli in trouble, and he goes down in the corner under a vicious barrage. And it's over! Haye stops Maccarinelli in the second round as the ref calls a stop to this one.
The winner by TKO at 2:04 of the second round, and WBA, WBC and WBO cruiserweight champion of the world, David Haye.
Steve Albert is building this up as a fight that could end at any time with any punch. Let's hope it lives up to that billing. It's interesting that Showtime is using this fight as the first part of a boxing-MMA doubleheader, something they will also be doing at the end of March.
IBF light heavyweight champion Clinton Woods stops by for a short interview, promoting his upcoming bout with Antonio Tarver. They talk a little bit about how hot boxing is in Great Britain right now, and it's hard to argue that point.
The tale of the tape tells us the boxers are coming in within a pound of each other, despite reports that Haye was having trouble making weight and is leaving the division soon. Haye has a reach advantage of a couple inches.
Joe Calzaghe, Frank Bruno and Evander Holyfield are all on hand to take in the action. Haye comes to the ring first, sporting his own "Hayemaker" shirt. The announcers are saying he grew up just a short distance away from the O2 Arena, the site of tonight's fight. Maccarinelli enters to the sounds of Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down," and he gets a mix of cheers and boos from the London crowd.
Both men look to be in good shape, with Haye looking especially cut. And here we go!
Round 1
Big Mac lands the first big punch, a left hook that knocks Haye off balance. Haye is reaching with the jab. They aren't exactly throwing caution to the wind like you may have expected. Both guys land a few jabs. Haye goes to the body with a right. Now a big left upstairs. Haye goes in hard but Maccarinelli ties him up. Right to the body by Haye. A pretty cautious first round overall.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Maccarinelli
Uatu scores it: 10-9 Maccarinelli
Round 2
Both fighters trying to establish the jab. Big punches mostly miss in close. A big right by Haye finds the mark. A left coming in also hits, but Maccarinelli responds with his own left. Another right hand by Haye. A big right hand by Haye has Maccarinelli in trouble, and he goes down in the corner under a vicious barrage. And it's over! Haye stops Maccarinelli in the second round as the ref calls a stop to this one.
The winner by TKO at 2:04 of the second round, and WBA, WBC and WBO cruiserweight champion of the world, David Haye.
Live Round By Round Recaps of Diaz-Campbell, Maskaev-Peter and Haye-Maccarinelli (Maybe!) Tonight
It's a big night of boxing as both HBO and Showtime put on some interesting bouts. We're going to try something for the first time here at BoxingWatchers.com. For those of you who can't see the fights, we're going to try to do live round by round recaps of Diaz-Campbell and Maskaev-Peter AND the Haye-Maccarinelli fight.
Will it work? Who knows? It's going to involve multiple writers, multiple televisions and all the magic that the internets can handle. We'll have the HBO fights for sure, and we'll do our best to get the European clash up as well. Since they're fighting at 2 am local time for our benefit in the U.S., it's the least we can do.
Bookmark us here and check back later for all the boxing (hopefully) you can handle.
Will it work? Who knows? It's going to involve multiple writers, multiple televisions and all the magic that the internets can handle. We'll have the HBO fights for sure, and we'll do our best to get the European clash up as well. Since they're fighting at 2 am local time for our benefit in the U.S., it's the least we can do.
Bookmark us here and check back later for all the boxing (hopefully) you can handle.
Hitman Strikes Gold: Hatton Signs With De La Hoya
First, Floyd Mayweather fought Oscar De La Hoya and enjoyed the experience so much he agreed to do more business with Oscar's Golden Boy Promotions. Apparently Ricky Hatton got the same kind of feeling when he fought Mayweather - even while getting knocked out - because it was announced recently that Hatton has also inked a deal with Golden Boy.
As part of the deal, Hatton will also have his own promotional company, the aptly named Punch Promotions, working together with Golden Boy. And the new alliance has already paid off by lining up an opponent for the Hitman's return to the ring: Juan Lazcano, who he'll face in Manchester on May 24.
While Hatton's loyal (some would say fanatical) fans are going to be thrilled to see him fighting on his home turf once again, the real intrigue here is seeing how aligning himself with De La Hoya will help the Hitman in future fights here in the United States. Despite his loss to Mayweather, Hatton has the personality and fighting style to be a big star, and since it's a given that his countrymen will travel well, all that remains to be seen is how many American fans jump on the bandwagon. Teaming up with Golden Boy can only help in that regard.
With Hatton on board, it's almost impossible to make an argument against Golden Boy Promotions as the power in the current boxing landscape. Along with aging stars like Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley and De La Hoya himself, the company's umbrella also extends to fighters currently in their prime, like Joan Guzman and Juan Manuel Marquez, and just enough of the next generation of boxers (think Demetrius Hopkins, Daniel Ponce-De Leon and Rock Allen) to ensure it remains a major player for the foreseeable future.
Now the question will be, do they have too many top fighters? The public is always going to be a little wary when two guys who do business together square off, wondering if they will be taking it easy on each other. Fortunately, going easy on anyone isn't Hatton's style, and he'll likely be able to laugh off any allegations all the way to the bank.
As part of the deal, Hatton will also have his own promotional company, the aptly named Punch Promotions, working together with Golden Boy. And the new alliance has already paid off by lining up an opponent for the Hitman's return to the ring: Juan Lazcano, who he'll face in Manchester on May 24.
While Hatton's loyal (some would say fanatical) fans are going to be thrilled to see him fighting on his home turf once again, the real intrigue here is seeing how aligning himself with De La Hoya will help the Hitman in future fights here in the United States. Despite his loss to Mayweather, Hatton has the personality and fighting style to be a big star, and since it's a given that his countrymen will travel well, all that remains to be seen is how many American fans jump on the bandwagon. Teaming up with Golden Boy can only help in that regard.
With Hatton on board, it's almost impossible to make an argument against Golden Boy Promotions as the power in the current boxing landscape. Along with aging stars like Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley and De La Hoya himself, the company's umbrella also extends to fighters currently in their prime, like Joan Guzman and Juan Manuel Marquez, and just enough of the next generation of boxers (think Demetrius Hopkins, Daniel Ponce-De Leon and Rock Allen) to ensure it remains a major player for the foreseeable future.
Now the question will be, do they have too many top fighters? The public is always going to be a little wary when two guys who do business together square off, wondering if they will be taking it easy on each other. Fortunately, going easy on anyone isn't Hatton's style, and he'll likely be able to laugh off any allegations all the way to the bank.
7.3.08
Predictions: Maskaev vs. Peter, Campbell vs. Diaz
Uatu says...
Peter over Maskaev. Uatu is thinking a mid to late TKO. Peter is younger and stronger and Maskaev won't be able to withstand him for the whole fight.
Uatu is actually much more interested in Campbell vs. Diaz. These are two fighters, that despite the fact that they aren't at the top of the boxing fame ladder, have actually both been in televised fights a large number of times.
Uatu really wants to pick the Galaxy Warrior. He has impressed in fights against Casamayor and Kid Diamond. However, the boxing press has really warmed up to Diaz, despite many at the beginning of his career thinking he was a limited pressure fighter. If Uatu was betting on the fight, he would absolutely bet on Campbell and take the underdog odds.
Diaz has youth on his side, as Campbell is in his mid 30's, but Nate only started boxing in his mid 20's and professionally in his late 20's, so he's a fresh fighter.
Oh boy, tough call. But if they were easy calls the fights wouldn't be worth watching.
Diaz UD 12, too much activity. The 'Baby Bull' wins on sheer volume.
The Franchise says...
I'll take on the lighter fight first. If you haven't already done so, read Dan Rafael's excellent piece on Nate Campbell and find out why he's a guy worth cheering on. Then read Steve Kim's article suggesting Juan Diaz may be distracted by his divorce with Don King.
Now forget it all. Though Campbell has the power and experience to prove a huge threat, the Galaxxy Warrior can't match the Baby Bull's hand speed and pressure. And boxing and promoter problems go hand in hand, so I don't think Diaz will be sweating his situation too much once he steps inside the ring.
Expect Campbell to be exceedingly game and probably hang in there for all 12 rounds. Just don't expect him to get his hand raised at the end, because I feel like Diaz will see the fight go his way.
As for the heavyweight bout, here's the "glass is half-full" point of view: it can't possibly be as uninspiring as the slap-fest that Wladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov put on a few weeks ago.
I agree with my brother here. Peter seems like he'll just prove to be too much to handle for Maskaev, who I think may be the worst of the current heavyweight belt-holders. It may not be a knockout - quite a few of Peter's recent fights have gone the distance, but I'm picking the Nigerian Nightmare to get the job done.
Peter over Maskaev. Uatu is thinking a mid to late TKO. Peter is younger and stronger and Maskaev won't be able to withstand him for the whole fight.
Uatu is actually much more interested in Campbell vs. Diaz. These are two fighters, that despite the fact that they aren't at the top of the boxing fame ladder, have actually both been in televised fights a large number of times.
Uatu really wants to pick the Galaxy Warrior. He has impressed in fights against Casamayor and Kid Diamond. However, the boxing press has really warmed up to Diaz, despite many at the beginning of his career thinking he was a limited pressure fighter. If Uatu was betting on the fight, he would absolutely bet on Campbell and take the underdog odds.
Diaz has youth on his side, as Campbell is in his mid 30's, but Nate only started boxing in his mid 20's and professionally in his late 20's, so he's a fresh fighter.
Oh boy, tough call. But if they were easy calls the fights wouldn't be worth watching.
Diaz UD 12, too much activity. The 'Baby Bull' wins on sheer volume.
The Franchise says...
I'll take on the lighter fight first. If you haven't already done so, read Dan Rafael's excellent piece on Nate Campbell and find out why he's a guy worth cheering on. Then read Steve Kim's article suggesting Juan Diaz may be distracted by his divorce with Don King.
Now forget it all. Though Campbell has the power and experience to prove a huge threat, the Galaxxy Warrior can't match the Baby Bull's hand speed and pressure. And boxing and promoter problems go hand in hand, so I don't think Diaz will be sweating his situation too much once he steps inside the ring.
Expect Campbell to be exceedingly game and probably hang in there for all 12 rounds. Just don't expect him to get his hand raised at the end, because I feel like Diaz will see the fight go his way.
As for the heavyweight bout, here's the "glass is half-full" point of view: it can't possibly be as uninspiring as the slap-fest that Wladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov put on a few weeks ago.
I agree with my brother here. Peter seems like he'll just prove to be too much to handle for Maskaev, who I think may be the worst of the current heavyweight belt-holders. It may not be a knockout - quite a few of Peter's recent fights have gone the distance, but I'm picking the Nigerian Nightmare to get the job done.
Predictions: Haye vs. Maccarinelli
Uatu says...
Uatu is interested in this fight for a number of reasons:
The Franchise says...
Can I just say the guy from the U.K. is going to win?
All joking aside, I'd be lying if I said I'm an expert on these two European cruiserweights. Here's what I do know: both men are 27 years old and have fought almost entirely in their native United Kingdom. Both men have picked themselves off the canvas and come back to win a fight - including Haye's most recent outing, when he survived a fourth-round knockdown and came back to stop Jean-Marc Mormeck in seven.
Both men can obviously make it happen early, though Haye has more of a reputation for one-punch power and Maccarinelli is more of a volume puncher. In 10 or 12-round fights, Haye has three first-round KO's and Maccarinelli has five. So they should be willing to mix it up, and I fully expect this to be an entertaining scrap.
Neither fighter's resume stands out as particularly impressive, though the cruiserweight division hasn't exactly been loaded over the last few years. Popular consensus seems to suggest that Haye really is the top dog in the division right now, so I'm going with him to win by KO.
Uatu is interested in this fight for a number of reasons:
- The European "Big Fight" atmosphere.
- Two well-respected action fighters.
- Two fighters Uatu knows little about.
Therefore, this is a slightly uninformed prediction. It happens in boxing.
Haye is getting more hype, and is the more familiar name. So based on that, Haye gets the win.
The Franchise says...
Can I just say the guy from the U.K. is going to win?
All joking aside, I'd be lying if I said I'm an expert on these two European cruiserweights. Here's what I do know: both men are 27 years old and have fought almost entirely in their native United Kingdom. Both men have picked themselves off the canvas and come back to win a fight - including Haye's most recent outing, when he survived a fourth-round knockdown and came back to stop Jean-Marc Mormeck in seven.
Both men can obviously make it happen early, though Haye has more of a reputation for one-punch power and Maccarinelli is more of a volume puncher. In 10 or 12-round fights, Haye has three first-round KO's and Maccarinelli has five. So they should be willing to mix it up, and I fully expect this to be an entertaining scrap.
Neither fighter's resume stands out as particularly impressive, though the cruiserweight division hasn't exactly been loaded over the last few years. Popular consensus seems to suggest that Haye really is the top dog in the division right now, so I'm going with him to win by KO.
2.3.08
20-20 Hindsight: Vazquez-Marquez III Lives Up to the Hype, Should They Go for Four?
As excited as I was for Saturday's "Tiebreaker" between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, there was just a small twinge of anxiety mixed in. Since the first two fights in their series were so good, I thought there was a chance they wouldn't take it to the same level for a third time.
I shouldn't have worried. Thrilling, breathtaking... pick any superlative you want and it applied to the third chapter. Vazquez and Marquez showed the same skill, guts and determination that made their 2007 meetings so compelling, and this time they did it for a full 12 rounds.
While the recent Klitschko-Ibragimov fight was one you wouldn't want to show to your non-boxing fan friends, Vazquez-Marquez III was a perfect example of one that you could use to sell the sport. This bout had something for everyone: a frenetic pace, several shifts in momentum, and even a thrilling finish with a knockdown in the closing seconds that proved to be the difference in Vazquez's razor-thin margin of victory.
And speaking of the finish, I didn't see the controversy that some seemed to see. Vazquez was dominating the final round in a manner that may have had the judges thinking about a 10-8 round even without a knockdown, and referee Pat Russell made the correct call anyway, as the ropes were the only thing keeping Marquez from hitting the canvas. He's too proud and fought too hard to admit it, but he was going down.
One thing Saturday's fight did not provide is a definitive end to the rivalry. Some, like ESPN.com's Franklin McNeill, feel that Marquez gives away too much in strength and power to Vazquez, and that a fourth fight would automatically go Vazquez's way. Marquez did fade late in the fight, but take away the point he had deducted for a low blow and he's got a draw - or even a win if he doesn't go down late in the twelfth round.
So with little question about whether fans would enjoy seeing them fight again, the question becomes whether health considerations should prevent them for going for four, because the 12 rounds we just witnessed are the type that can easily shorten careers. One look at Vazquez's face after the fight - one of the ugliest winning faces I've seen since becoming a boxing fan - was proof enough of that.
I'll admit that I'd love to see a fourth bout, but it was nice to hear common sense prevail as December was thrown out as a possible date. Both men could use the time to heal up, and quite frankly, the rest of the boxing world needs a chance to catch up.
I shouldn't have worried. Thrilling, breathtaking... pick any superlative you want and it applied to the third chapter. Vazquez and Marquez showed the same skill, guts and determination that made their 2007 meetings so compelling, and this time they did it for a full 12 rounds.
While the recent Klitschko-Ibragimov fight was one you wouldn't want to show to your non-boxing fan friends, Vazquez-Marquez III was a perfect example of one that you could use to sell the sport. This bout had something for everyone: a frenetic pace, several shifts in momentum, and even a thrilling finish with a knockdown in the closing seconds that proved to be the difference in Vazquez's razor-thin margin of victory.
And speaking of the finish, I didn't see the controversy that some seemed to see. Vazquez was dominating the final round in a manner that may have had the judges thinking about a 10-8 round even without a knockdown, and referee Pat Russell made the correct call anyway, as the ropes were the only thing keeping Marquez from hitting the canvas. He's too proud and fought too hard to admit it, but he was going down.
One thing Saturday's fight did not provide is a definitive end to the rivalry. Some, like ESPN.com's Franklin McNeill, feel that Marquez gives away too much in strength and power to Vazquez, and that a fourth fight would automatically go Vazquez's way. Marquez did fade late in the fight, but take away the point he had deducted for a low blow and he's got a draw - or even a win if he doesn't go down late in the twelfth round.
So with little question about whether fans would enjoy seeing them fight again, the question becomes whether health considerations should prevent them for going for four, because the 12 rounds we just witnessed are the type that can easily shorten careers. One look at Vazquez's face after the fight - one of the ugliest winning faces I've seen since becoming a boxing fan - was proof enough of that.
I'll admit that I'd love to see a fourth bout, but it was nice to hear common sense prevail as December was thrown out as a possible date. Both men could use the time to heal up, and quite frankly, the rest of the boxing world needs a chance to catch up.
1.3.08
Round by Round: Vazquez-Marquez III - The Tiebreaker
Sly Stallone and Jack Nicholson are in the house. It is a chilly 55 degrees.
Round 1
Lots of jabs. Bomb uppercut by Vazquez. Serious action both ways. This is going to be near impossible to score.
Uatu - Vazquez 10-9
Franchise - Marquez 10-9
Round 2
Vazquez the aggressor.
Slightly more tactical. Still heavy shots both ways. Some good uppercuts from Vazquez.
Uatu - 10-9 Marquez
Franchise - 10-9 Vazquez
Round 3
Jabbing contest. But these are power jabs. Rough body shot from Marquez and a possible warning for lowness for it. Lots of punches but no real standout punch.
Uatu - Marquez - 10-9
Franchise Marquez 10-9
Round 4
Big right Marquez, big reply Vazquez. Left Hook, straight right. Down goes Vazquez! Big shots were exchanged and Vzaquez got the worst. Vazquez wastes no time going right back! Huge rights both ways! Marquez stunned. Tremendous action! Marquez throwing bombs in the final seconds.
Uatu - Marquez 10-8
Franchise Marquez 10-8
Round 5
Close in fighting. Crowd very into the fight. Marquez working body. Marquez great right. Vazquez closes the round with a good combo. Another action round which is tough to score.
Uatu - Vazquez - 10-9
Franchise Marquez 10- 9
Round 6
Big right from Vazquez. Tons and tons of jabs both ways. More rights stunning Marquez. Vazquez pushing the issue. Another low blow from Marquez. Warning #2.
Uatu - Vazquez 10-9
Franchise Vazquez 10 -9
Round 7
Not as many punches landing here. Still very close in fighting. Sill mostly Vazquez as aggressor. Marquez lands some nice combos to close the round and possibly steal the round.
Uatu - Marquez 10 -9
Franchise - Marquez 10 -9
Round 8
High activity, big trading shots in the middle of the ring. Vazquez doing all of the chasing. Big left hook from Marquez. Big right from Vazquez. Momementum going back and forth between salvos. Two big rights in the last 15 seconds from Vazquez. This is a barnburner. Nonstop action, impossible to tell who is winning in the eyes of the judges.
Uatu - Vazquez 10-9
Franchise Vazquez 10 -9
Round 9
Marquez moving more this round. He is being careful and doing more boxing than any other time. Do you prefer the ring general or the aggressor? Vazquez stunned slightly from a punch.
Uatu - Vazquez 10 -9
Franchise - Vazquez 10 -9
Round 10
Big right from Marquez. Low from Marquez! Point deduction! Could be huge. Marquez trying to steal rounds. Seems to be employing a Oscar De La Hoya like last ten second flurry.
Uatu - Marquez - 9 - 9
Franchise Marquez 9 -9
Round 11
Announcers seem to think Marquez is having vision problems with his left eye. Mostly Vazquez, but Marquez is jabbing like a mad man. Toe to toe trading to end the round.
Uatu - Vazquez 10-9
Franchise - Vazquez 10-9
Round 12
It's anyone's fight.
Huge right from Vaz in the first 5 seconds. Another one mintue in. Vazquez is an animal this round. Marquez is eating big time. Vazquez is trying for the KO! Marquez holding on for dear life. Vazquez knocks him down with 10 seconds to go!!! Marquez falls into the corner with only the ropes holding him up! Marquez keep his feet but it's a knockdown. It was all Vazquez in the 12th! Could have been 10-7 maybe even.
Uatu Vazquez 10-8
Franchise Vazquez 10-8
Uatu - 114 - 111 Vazquez
Franchise - 113-112 Vazquez
Judges 114-111 Vazquez
114-111 Marquez
113-112 Vazquez
Vazquez wins by split decision!
Postfight: as it turns out, the knockdown in the final round may have determined the fight. Marquez is angrily disputing whether that should have been scored a knockdown. Also, he thought the low blow call was B S.
Marquez wants a rematch.
All smiles for Vazquez. He would take a rematch.
Uatu says better trilogy than Barerra Morales.
Press row all for Vazquez.
Bernstein has it a draw.
The ref gets an interview and defends his calls. The knockdown looked like the right call for sure.
Round 1
Lots of jabs. Bomb uppercut by Vazquez. Serious action both ways. This is going to be near impossible to score.
Uatu - Vazquez 10-9
Franchise - Marquez 10-9
Round 2
Vazquez the aggressor.
Slightly more tactical. Still heavy shots both ways. Some good uppercuts from Vazquez.
Uatu - 10-9 Marquez
Franchise - 10-9 Vazquez
Round 3
Jabbing contest. But these are power jabs. Rough body shot from Marquez and a possible warning for lowness for it. Lots of punches but no real standout punch.
Uatu - Marquez - 10-9
Franchise Marquez 10-9
Round 4
Big right Marquez, big reply Vazquez. Left Hook, straight right. Down goes Vazquez! Big shots were exchanged and Vzaquez got the worst. Vazquez wastes no time going right back! Huge rights both ways! Marquez stunned. Tremendous action! Marquez throwing bombs in the final seconds.
Uatu - Marquez 10-8
Franchise Marquez 10-8
Round 5
Close in fighting. Crowd very into the fight. Marquez working body. Marquez great right. Vazquez closes the round with a good combo. Another action round which is tough to score.
Uatu - Vazquez - 10-9
Franchise Marquez 10- 9
Round 6
Big right from Vazquez. Tons and tons of jabs both ways. More rights stunning Marquez. Vazquez pushing the issue. Another low blow from Marquez. Warning #2.
Uatu - Vazquez 10-9
Franchise Vazquez 10 -9
Round 7
Not as many punches landing here. Still very close in fighting. Sill mostly Vazquez as aggressor. Marquez lands some nice combos to close the round and possibly steal the round.
Uatu - Marquez 10 -9
Franchise - Marquez 10 -9
Round 8
High activity, big trading shots in the middle of the ring. Vazquez doing all of the chasing. Big left hook from Marquez. Big right from Vazquez. Momementum going back and forth between salvos. Two big rights in the last 15 seconds from Vazquez. This is a barnburner. Nonstop action, impossible to tell who is winning in the eyes of the judges.
Uatu - Vazquez 10-9
Franchise Vazquez 10 -9
Round 9
Marquez moving more this round. He is being careful and doing more boxing than any other time. Do you prefer the ring general or the aggressor? Vazquez stunned slightly from a punch.
Uatu - Vazquez 10 -9
Franchise - Vazquez 10 -9
Round 10
Big right from Marquez. Low from Marquez! Point deduction! Could be huge. Marquez trying to steal rounds. Seems to be employing a Oscar De La Hoya like last ten second flurry.
Uatu - Marquez - 9 - 9
Franchise Marquez 9 -9
Round 11
Announcers seem to think Marquez is having vision problems with his left eye. Mostly Vazquez, but Marquez is jabbing like a mad man. Toe to toe trading to end the round.
Uatu - Vazquez 10-9
Franchise - Vazquez 10-9
Round 12
It's anyone's fight.
Huge right from Vaz in the first 5 seconds. Another one mintue in. Vazquez is an animal this round. Marquez is eating big time. Vazquez is trying for the KO! Marquez holding on for dear life. Vazquez knocks him down with 10 seconds to go!!! Marquez falls into the corner with only the ropes holding him up! Marquez keep his feet but it's a knockdown. It was all Vazquez in the 12th! Could have been 10-7 maybe even.
Uatu Vazquez 10-8
Franchise Vazquez 10-8
Uatu - 114 - 111 Vazquez
Franchise - 113-112 Vazquez
Judges 114-111 Vazquez
114-111 Marquez
113-112 Vazquez
Vazquez wins by split decision!
Postfight: as it turns out, the knockdown in the final round may have determined the fight. Marquez is angrily disputing whether that should have been scored a knockdown. Also, he thought the low blow call was B S.
Marquez wants a rematch.
All smiles for Vazquez. He would take a rematch.
Uatu says better trilogy than Barerra Morales.
Press row all for Vazquez.
Bernstein has it a draw.
The ref gets an interview and defends his calls. The knockdown looked like the right call for sure.
Live Round by Round Coverage of Vazquez-Marquez III: The Tiebreaker on BoxingWatchers.com Tonight
If you are a boxing fan, you're going to try to do anything possible to get to a TV set that carries Showtime by 9 pm Eastern time tonight. But if you can't, make sure you bookmark us here at BoxingWatchers.com for live round by round updates on all the action (and there should be plenty) as Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez write the third chapter of their epic series.
29.2.08
Predictions: Vazquez vs. Marquez III, "The Tiebreaker"
Uatu says:
After watching the first two Vazquez Marquez fights again today, it is tough to know what to think. Uatu thinks Marquez is the better fighter, but even if that is true, it is not by a large margin. Marquez appears to have the hand speed advantage, but it is not an overwhelming one.
Can Marquez win by controlling the action with a jab and right and maintaining distance and not making the fight a war?
Would Marquez elect to go that route if he could?
Can Vazquez fight through the incoming fire of Marquez and physically wear down Marquez, a fighter who has been stopped before on more than one occasion?
Either way, there is going to be a lot of drama and suspense headed into the fight. The first two fights were as good as it gets. They were right up there with the Barrera-Morales fights and the Corrales-Castillo fights. They were a combination of high skill level, excellent conditioning, heart and guts.
A pick still has to be made. It's Marquez.
The Franchise says:
Boxing fans should be absolutely ecstatic these guys are meeting for the third time. I think the fight's tagline - The Tiebreaker - is absolutely fitting because these are two fighters who are unusually evenly matched.
Both men have hand speed and power in both hands. Both can take a punch and rally back after getting hurt. And while they both have excellent technique, neither is a defensive wizard, leading to lots of landed punches during their first two meetings.
There are differences, too. Marquez seems to have more options at his disposal on the outside and is a bit sharper with his combinations. Vazquez has a slight edge in raw power and has the edge when the fight is in close.
I almost hate to make a pick because this fight could play out any number of ways. Either man could hit the canvas, and it would not be surprising in the least if they both end up on the mat. It should be a fitting end to the trilogy, and though my head agrees with Uatu that Marquez us the better overall boxer by the slimmest of margins, my heart says Vazquez has the best chance of connecting with the one bomb that changes the fight. I'm going with Vazquez by KO.
After watching the first two Vazquez Marquez fights again today, it is tough to know what to think. Uatu thinks Marquez is the better fighter, but even if that is true, it is not by a large margin. Marquez appears to have the hand speed advantage, but it is not an overwhelming one.
Can Marquez win by controlling the action with a jab and right and maintaining distance and not making the fight a war?
Would Marquez elect to go that route if he could?
Can Vazquez fight through the incoming fire of Marquez and physically wear down Marquez, a fighter who has been stopped before on more than one occasion?
Either way, there is going to be a lot of drama and suspense headed into the fight. The first two fights were as good as it gets. They were right up there with the Barrera-Morales fights and the Corrales-Castillo fights. They were a combination of high skill level, excellent conditioning, heart and guts.
A pick still has to be made. It's Marquez.
The Franchise says:
Boxing fans should be absolutely ecstatic these guys are meeting for the third time. I think the fight's tagline - The Tiebreaker - is absolutely fitting because these are two fighters who are unusually evenly matched.
Both men have hand speed and power in both hands. Both can take a punch and rally back after getting hurt. And while they both have excellent technique, neither is a defensive wizard, leading to lots of landed punches during their first two meetings.
There are differences, too. Marquez seems to have more options at his disposal on the outside and is a bit sharper with his combinations. Vazquez has a slight edge in raw power and has the edge when the fight is in close.
I almost hate to make a pick because this fight could play out any number of ways. Either man could hit the canvas, and it would not be surprising in the least if they both end up on the mat. It should be a fitting end to the trilogy, and though my head agrees with Uatu that Marquez us the better overall boxer by the slimmest of margins, my heart says Vazquez has the best chance of connecting with the one bomb that changes the fight. I'm going with Vazquez by KO.
28.2.08
BoxingWatchers.com Boxing Power Rankings - February 2008
Back after a month off - because there were no big name fights to speak of at the very end of 2007 or the very beginning of 2008 - it's the February edition of our very own boxing power rankings. If you haven't read the post about "How Our Rankings Work," go ahead and do so. I'll wait...
And if you don't want to do that, here's a disclaimer: this is not a pound-for-pound list of which boxers are "the best." Since lots of other sites do that, this is more of a measure of who's had the most success over the past three years against the toughest competition in their weight class, regardless of what that might be. Fighting often against other good boxers helps, and knocking out your foes is better than winning by split decision.
Now that we've got that out of the way, here's the list for the end of February:
1. Miguel Cotto - 22.40 - He stays in the top spot with eight victories over the last three years, including six knockouts. Expect him to add another one when he faces Alfonso Gomez in April.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.00 - I may have to modify the formula to account for boredom after a stinker decision victory over Sultan Ibragimov. Steelhammer is fighting his division's best, it's just that they aren't very good.
3. Kelly Pavlik - 19.03 - The Ghost may have rocketed all the way to the top of the heap had he KO'ed Jermain Taylor again. But there was nothing wrong with his unanimous decision, and he probably displayed more all-around skill than in any previous outing.
4. Floyd Mayweather - 15.60 - The top boxer in the world may not fight again until September. And no, he won't get any points here if he beats Paul Wight at WrestleMania.
5. Joe Calzaghe - 15.50 - He got his wish: a bout with Bernard Hopkins in April. And boxing fans got their wish, as it won't be pay-per-view.
6. Chris John - 14.91 - Is this the best boxer I've never seen fight? Could be.
7. Manny Pacquiao - 14.78 - Pac Man's life is like a soap opera, creating numerous possible distractions. When he hits the ring, though, it's all business.
8. Israel Vazquez - 14.33 - Shame on you if you missed his fights with Rafael Marquez last year. Fortunately, you get another chance to watch the two of them collide this Saturday.
9. Juan Diaz - 13.87 - Think Nate Campbell will prove much of a challenge for the Baby Bull? Me neither.
10. Ricky Hatton - 13.19 - Tough to say what the future holds for Hatton, but the safe money says his fans won't stop all those chants just because he lost a fight.
The next 7: Arthur Abraham, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, Clinton Woods, Juan Manuel Marquez, Kermit Cintron, Junior Witter
And if you don't want to do that, here's a disclaimer: this is not a pound-for-pound list of which boxers are "the best." Since lots of other sites do that, this is more of a measure of who's had the most success over the past three years against the toughest competition in their weight class, regardless of what that might be. Fighting often against other good boxers helps, and knocking out your foes is better than winning by split decision.
Now that we've got that out of the way, here's the list for the end of February:
1. Miguel Cotto - 22.40 - He stays in the top spot with eight victories over the last three years, including six knockouts. Expect him to add another one when he faces Alfonso Gomez in April.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.00 - I may have to modify the formula to account for boredom after a stinker decision victory over Sultan Ibragimov. Steelhammer is fighting his division's best, it's just that they aren't very good.
3. Kelly Pavlik - 19.03 - The Ghost may have rocketed all the way to the top of the heap had he KO'ed Jermain Taylor again. But there was nothing wrong with his unanimous decision, and he probably displayed more all-around skill than in any previous outing.
4. Floyd Mayweather - 15.60 - The top boxer in the world may not fight again until September. And no, he won't get any points here if he beats Paul Wight at WrestleMania.
5. Joe Calzaghe - 15.50 - He got his wish: a bout with Bernard Hopkins in April. And boxing fans got their wish, as it won't be pay-per-view.
6. Chris John - 14.91 - Is this the best boxer I've never seen fight? Could be.
7. Manny Pacquiao - 14.78 - Pac Man's life is like a soap opera, creating numerous possible distractions. When he hits the ring, though, it's all business.
8. Israel Vazquez - 14.33 - Shame on you if you missed his fights with Rafael Marquez last year. Fortunately, you get another chance to watch the two of them collide this Saturday.
9. Juan Diaz - 13.87 - Think Nate Campbell will prove much of a challenge for the Baby Bull? Me neither.
10. Ricky Hatton - 13.19 - Tough to say what the future holds for Hatton, but the safe money says his fans won't stop all those chants just because he lost a fight.
The next 7: Arthur Abraham, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, Clinton Woods, Juan Manuel Marquez, Kermit Cintron, Junior Witter
26.2.08
De La Hoya Says He's Retiring This Year
Retirement announcements don't always hold much weight in the world of boxing, but here's one that may hold up: the AP is reporting that Oscar De La Hoya will fight three times this year, then retire.
The Golden Boy says he wants to "go out with a big bang," beginning his retirement tour by facing former Contender runner-up Steve Forbes on May 3. Assuming he gets by Forbes, a rematch with Floyd Mayweather would be on tap for September, and the third fight would be determined later... though that time frame doesn't leave him much time to bounce back from facing Money again.
De La Hoya is clearly on the downside of his career, though he can still turn in some nice performances. The boxing game will miss his drawing power, because his name sells more fights than anyone else out there.
The Golden Boy says he wants to "go out with a big bang," beginning his retirement tour by facing former Contender runner-up Steve Forbes on May 3. Assuming he gets by Forbes, a rematch with Floyd Mayweather would be on tap for September, and the third fight would be determined later... though that time frame doesn't leave him much time to bounce back from facing Money again.
De La Hoya is clearly on the downside of his career, though he can still turn in some nice performances. The boxing game will miss his drawing power, because his name sells more fights than anyone else out there.
Franchise Thoughts: Money Mayweather to Make $20 Mil for WWE Appearance, Calzaghe-Hopkins is Free
Last time Floyd "Money" Mayweather made $20 million in one night, he had to go the distance with Oscar De La Hoya. Next month he'll get a similar payday doing something a little less strenuous.
As reported by the AP and picked up by various outlets, Mayweather is set to cash an eight-figure check for appearing at the WWE's WrestleMania 24, where he'll take part in a match against someone a little out of his normal weight class: wrestler Paul "Big Show" Wight. No word yet on what the exact format of the match will be, but the WrestleMania press conference had at least one comedic moment when Floyd had to stand on something to see eye-to-eye with Big Show.
It's big money for minimal risk to Mayweather, so you can hardly knock it. And while it will certainly drum up some interest from boxing fans who wouldn't normally watch the WWE, it still seems like a bit of a financial gamble for them. Last year's pay-per-view, sans Floyd, drew over a million buys and made $5 million more at the gate. I'm no accountant, but even with a bigger gate this year at Orlando's Citrus Bowl (a fairly safe assumption), Mayweather's presence will have to be worth several hundred thousand extra buys to pay off.
We'll see if it does. Meanwhile, props to those news stories taking the match a little too seriously by talking about how much weight Floyd is giving away to his giant (pun intended) opponent and that he's been training with Rey Mysterio. This just in off the BoxingWatchers.com newswire: wrestling is scripted! He'll be in no more danger than when he fought Arturo Gatti.
Staying on the subject of PPV broadcasts, it's great to hear about one that won't be taking place: Joe Calzaghe versus Bernard Hopkins. No, the fight's not off, but it will be free - at least if you subscribe to HBO. That's because sponsorship from the Planet Hollywood casino has allowed the fight to be shown without charging viewers extra, which is good news indeed.
Add that to the fact that De La Hoya's May tune-up fight with Steve Forbes will also be on regular HBO (surprising considering where we are in Oscar's career) and it's looking like boxing fans won't have to shell out much extra dough over the next few months. Only the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez card on March 15 looms as a PPV, and quite honestly, Pac Man gets my money every time.
Disclaimer: All members of the BoxingWatchers.com staff are part Filipino!
As reported by the AP and picked up by various outlets, Mayweather is set to cash an eight-figure check for appearing at the WWE's WrestleMania 24, where he'll take part in a match against someone a little out of his normal weight class: wrestler Paul "Big Show" Wight. No word yet on what the exact format of the match will be, but the WrestleMania press conference had at least one comedic moment when Floyd had to stand on something to see eye-to-eye with Big Show.
It's big money for minimal risk to Mayweather, so you can hardly knock it. And while it will certainly drum up some interest from boxing fans who wouldn't normally watch the WWE, it still seems like a bit of a financial gamble for them. Last year's pay-per-view, sans Floyd, drew over a million buys and made $5 million more at the gate. I'm no accountant, but even with a bigger gate this year at Orlando's Citrus Bowl (a fairly safe assumption), Mayweather's presence will have to be worth several hundred thousand extra buys to pay off.
We'll see if it does. Meanwhile, props to those news stories taking the match a little too seriously by talking about how much weight Floyd is giving away to his giant (pun intended) opponent and that he's been training with Rey Mysterio. This just in off the BoxingWatchers.com newswire: wrestling is scripted! He'll be in no more danger than when he fought Arturo Gatti.
Staying on the subject of PPV broadcasts, it's great to hear about one that won't be taking place: Joe Calzaghe versus Bernard Hopkins. No, the fight's not off, but it will be free - at least if you subscribe to HBO. That's because sponsorship from the Planet Hollywood casino has allowed the fight to be shown without charging viewers extra, which is good news indeed.
Add that to the fact that De La Hoya's May tune-up fight with Steve Forbes will also be on regular HBO (surprising considering where we are in Oscar's career) and it's looking like boxing fans won't have to shell out much extra dough over the next few months. Only the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez card on March 15 looms as a PPV, and quite honestly, Pac Man gets my money every time.
Disclaimer: All members of the BoxingWatchers.com staff are part Filipino!
Shane Mosley and Zab Judah Set to Square Off
According to ESPN, Mosley vs. Judah is a go for May. Not sure this is a great fight for Shane. Seems that if he wins, he will have beaten a fighter that many others have already beaten. And if he loses, which he very well might, then that might be it for him. Zab is always dangerous for anyone at any time. He is never an easy fight.
24.2.08
Twenty-Twenty Hindsight: Cautious Klitschko, Why I <3 Lennox Lewis, Props to HBO and More
Every now and then you watch a fight and end up thinking, "What was that?" I felt that way late Saturday night after watching Wladimir Klitschko jab his way to victory over a foe who looked hopelessly overmatched.
Yes, Klitschko fought a skillful fight. I gave him all but two rounds, and the only reason Sultan Ibragimov got the nod in those two was because Wlad threw virtually no punches. His jab snapped Ibragimov's head back with authority and his laser-like right hand - when he threw it, which was sparingly - was usually on target. He also was effective on defense, swatting away his foe's jabs and quickly smothering Sultan any time the smaller man tried to jump inside.
And yes, I'm fully aware that Klitschko's chin is, to put it nicely, not the greatest. He's also focused on the bigger picture, which is unifying the four heavyweight title belts.
I also know it's easy for me to ask someone to risk his health from the safety of my keyboard. That aside, the question is, if Wlad's quest for unification involves more stinkers like last night, will anyone care? The Madison Square Garden crowd was solidly behind Dr. Steelhammer and was ready for him to blast Ibragimov out of there. Instead, the fans voiced their displeasure with Klitschko's tactics on numerous occasions.
When you're comfortably ahead on points and your trainer is in the corner before the 12th round imploring you to go for the knockout, you know something's not quite right. Emanuel Steward can see the big picture too, and he knows the boxing public is going to demand more of its undisputed heavyweight champion than a stiff jab and healthy margins on the socrecards. Even Klitschko admitted in the post-fight interview that he needs to knock everyone else, so let's hope we don't see any repeats of Saturday's fight from here on out.
While I muddled through the round by round report of Klitschko-Ibragimov, one of the few bright spots was the commentary of Lennox Lewis, hands down one of the kings of unintentional comedy. Several times he made comments that had me and the people watching the fight with me laughing out loud.
For example, when one of the other HBO commentators compared the fans' displeasure with the fight to similar sentiment of Lewis' 1998 decision victory over Zeljko Mavrovic, Lennox deadpanned, "At least I was trying to knock him out." You have to wonder at times if Lewis listens to the broadcasts later and chuckles at himself, but it's all good. You kept me entertained big guy, and I'm grateful for that.
Finally, here's a quick plug for HBO's Joe Louis special that aired before the fight - and will be replayed numerous times. It was informative and touching, and a great look back at a time when boxing held a lot more power over the general public than it does today.
Yes, Klitschko fought a skillful fight. I gave him all but two rounds, and the only reason Sultan Ibragimov got the nod in those two was because Wlad threw virtually no punches. His jab snapped Ibragimov's head back with authority and his laser-like right hand - when he threw it, which was sparingly - was usually on target. He also was effective on defense, swatting away his foe's jabs and quickly smothering Sultan any time the smaller man tried to jump inside.
And yes, I'm fully aware that Klitschko's chin is, to put it nicely, not the greatest. He's also focused on the bigger picture, which is unifying the four heavyweight title belts.
I also know it's easy for me to ask someone to risk his health from the safety of my keyboard. That aside, the question is, if Wlad's quest for unification involves more stinkers like last night, will anyone care? The Madison Square Garden crowd was solidly behind Dr. Steelhammer and was ready for him to blast Ibragimov out of there. Instead, the fans voiced their displeasure with Klitschko's tactics on numerous occasions.
When you're comfortably ahead on points and your trainer is in the corner before the 12th round imploring you to go for the knockout, you know something's not quite right. Emanuel Steward can see the big picture too, and he knows the boxing public is going to demand more of its undisputed heavyweight champion than a stiff jab and healthy margins on the socrecards. Even Klitschko admitted in the post-fight interview that he needs to knock everyone else, so let's hope we don't see any repeats of Saturday's fight from here on out.
While I muddled through the round by round report of Klitschko-Ibragimov, one of the few bright spots was the commentary of Lennox Lewis, hands down one of the kings of unintentional comedy. Several times he made comments that had me and the people watching the fight with me laughing out loud.
For example, when one of the other HBO commentators compared the fans' displeasure with the fight to similar sentiment of Lewis' 1998 decision victory over Zeljko Mavrovic, Lennox deadpanned, "At least I was trying to knock him out." You have to wonder at times if Lewis listens to the broadcasts later and chuckles at himself, but it's all good. You kept me entertained big guy, and I'm grateful for that.
Finally, here's a quick plug for HBO's Joe Louis special that aired before the fight - and will be replayed numerous times. It was informative and touching, and a great look back at a time when boxing held a lot more power over the general public than it does today.
23.2.08
Round By Round: Klitschko-Ibragimov
We're still waiting for tonight's main event between Wladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov from Madison Square Garden. First up on the broadcast is a replay of last week's rematch between Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor. It was interesting to see the fight with the judge's scores displayed, as I disagreed with several rounds but agreed with the decision.
Now we've got a little debate about the heavyweight division with Lennox Lewis. The former champ gives props to Ibragimov for his caginess, but thinks Dr. Steelhammer will catch up with him sooner or later.
I give Ibragimov the edge in gear, simply because my taste in clothing runs more toward Affliction than Hugo Boss. This has been Klitschko's longest period of inactivity; we'll see if that means anything. Ibragimov enters tonight's fight at 219 pounds, Klitschko at 238.
Rd. 1
Klitschko using his left hand to smack away Ibragimov's numerous quick jab attempts. That was about 90 seconds of boredom as both guys are being extra cautious. First punch that lands is a left to the body by Ibragimov. Maybe another left or two and some wild swings at the bell that miss. Not much action in that round, to say the least.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Ibragimov
Rd. 2
More of the same to start the second, though Wlad does land a jab or two. Another jab and Ibragimov has to jump in to get anything off. Quick left to the body by Ibragimov but it just doesn't look like he can do anything to hurt Wlad. The crowd boos, understandably in my opinion.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 3
Klitschko looks like he could wade in there if he wants, but he's not doing it yet. Sultan backed up into the corner but escapes without harm. Double up on the jab by Wladimir and they snap Sultan's head back. We haven't seen the right hand behind the jab yet though. Ibragimov chases Klitschko across the ring but to no avail. More boos and the announcers think Ibragimov may be tiring already.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 4
First semi-exchange in the center of the ring and Wladimir gets the best of it. Sultan gets in with some shots to the body. Nice powerful jab by Wlad. Left to the body by Ibragimov. He comes forward for a second behind another left. Crappy round but Ibragimov may have won it with activity.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Ibragimov
Rd. 5
Double jabs by Klitschko and Ibragimov fires back with a left. The crowd boos again in displeasure. Finally a right hand by Klitschko and it scores. Ibragimov tries to come forward again but it ends up in some wrestling. Sultan goes for the body. No connections of note in the round's final ten seconds.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 6
Jim Lampley makes a good point that Klitschko ran out of gas against Lamon Brewster, which may be something he's keeping in mind here. The fans may not be happy with that explanation. Sultan rushes inside but ends up in a clinch once again. Klitschko dances back away from a combo, looking effortless. More wrestling inside, then a one-two combo that sort of lands by Ibragimov.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 7
A right lands from Klitschko, but Ibragimov doesn't appear hurt. Left from Wlad and Sultan retreats. Sneaky right gets in there from Klitschko. More jabs landing from Wladimir. Sniping lefts and rights as Ibragimov looking a little more hesitant. Lennox Lewis imploring Klitschko to throw more combos against the ropes. It doesn't happen, as the boos prove.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 8
Wladimir starts coming forward a little more to start the eighth. A big right finds the mark, then Ibragimov goes down but it's ruled a throw or slip. Straight right finally starting to land for Klitschko. Left to the body by Ibragimov. Right and left by Klitschko and Ibragimov is brave facing them down. It took eight rounds, but Dr. Steelhammer connected with a few big shots.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 9
Looping shots from Ibragimov answered by straight shots from Klitschko. Ibragimov uses the ropes to save himself and the ref does not score it a knockdown. Three unanswered jabs by Klitschko. Sultan's combo answered by a Klitschko right hand. A little more wrestling late in the round, which was an easy Steelhammer round.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 10
Sultan still showing some spark but doesn't seem to have even a puncher's chance right now. Both guys go down in a move straight out of WWE. Headlock action is the dominant theme of this round. Partial score with a right by Klitschko and more tie-ups. Left hook finds the mark but Ibragimov still making an effort. The announcers are praising Klitschko's defense though the crowd still sounds unimpressed.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 11
It's kind of hard to believe this fight is still going, and Emanuel Steward just told Klitschko he should never be going 12 rounds with Ibragimov. Jabs still landing for Steelhammer, but where is that right hand? This fight may end with a whimper instead of a bang. A brief flurry breaks out right before the bell, though nothing lands of consequence.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 12
Steward just told Klitschko he should get the knockout or "it's going to be bad." Let's see if that lights a fire under him. He does look a little more aggressive. Lewis is dropping all kinds of vrbal gems, which have been the most entertaining parts of this fight. He and Max Kellerman are debating the merits of Steward's instructions. Lots of swinging and missing from Ibragimov. Wladimir looks like he will jab his way to victory, and we'll have to be content with that. A late right hand from Klitschko but not the performance many fans expected, or hoped for, quite frankly.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Franchise scores it 118-110 for Klitschko. The judges score it 119-110, 117-111 and 118-110, all for Klitschko.
No surprise that Steelhammer got the easy decision, but it will be interesting to see what kind of criticism comes his way. I know his chin isn't the best, but it really didn't look like he was in much danger, so his caution seemed to be a bit excessive.
Now we've got a little debate about the heavyweight division with Lennox Lewis. The former champ gives props to Ibragimov for his caginess, but thinks Dr. Steelhammer will catch up with him sooner or later.
I give Ibragimov the edge in gear, simply because my taste in clothing runs more toward Affliction than Hugo Boss. This has been Klitschko's longest period of inactivity; we'll see if that means anything. Ibragimov enters tonight's fight at 219 pounds, Klitschko at 238.
Rd. 1
Klitschko using his left hand to smack away Ibragimov's numerous quick jab attempts. That was about 90 seconds of boredom as both guys are being extra cautious. First punch that lands is a left to the body by Ibragimov. Maybe another left or two and some wild swings at the bell that miss. Not much action in that round, to say the least.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Ibragimov
Rd. 2
More of the same to start the second, though Wlad does land a jab or two. Another jab and Ibragimov has to jump in to get anything off. Quick left to the body by Ibragimov but it just doesn't look like he can do anything to hurt Wlad. The crowd boos, understandably in my opinion.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 3
Klitschko looks like he could wade in there if he wants, but he's not doing it yet. Sultan backed up into the corner but escapes without harm. Double up on the jab by Wladimir and they snap Sultan's head back. We haven't seen the right hand behind the jab yet though. Ibragimov chases Klitschko across the ring but to no avail. More boos and the announcers think Ibragimov may be tiring already.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 4
First semi-exchange in the center of the ring and Wladimir gets the best of it. Sultan gets in with some shots to the body. Nice powerful jab by Wlad. Left to the body by Ibragimov. He comes forward for a second behind another left. Crappy round but Ibragimov may have won it with activity.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Ibragimov
Rd. 5
Double jabs by Klitschko and Ibragimov fires back with a left. The crowd boos again in displeasure. Finally a right hand by Klitschko and it scores. Ibragimov tries to come forward again but it ends up in some wrestling. Sultan goes for the body. No connections of note in the round's final ten seconds.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 6
Jim Lampley makes a good point that Klitschko ran out of gas against Lamon Brewster, which may be something he's keeping in mind here. The fans may not be happy with that explanation. Sultan rushes inside but ends up in a clinch once again. Klitschko dances back away from a combo, looking effortless. More wrestling inside, then a one-two combo that sort of lands by Ibragimov.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 7
A right lands from Klitschko, but Ibragimov doesn't appear hurt. Left from Wlad and Sultan retreats. Sneaky right gets in there from Klitschko. More jabs landing from Wladimir. Sniping lefts and rights as Ibragimov looking a little more hesitant. Lennox Lewis imploring Klitschko to throw more combos against the ropes. It doesn't happen, as the boos prove.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 8
Wladimir starts coming forward a little more to start the eighth. A big right finds the mark, then Ibragimov goes down but it's ruled a throw or slip. Straight right finally starting to land for Klitschko. Left to the body by Ibragimov. Right and left by Klitschko and Ibragimov is brave facing them down. It took eight rounds, but Dr. Steelhammer connected with a few big shots.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 9
Looping shots from Ibragimov answered by straight shots from Klitschko. Ibragimov uses the ropes to save himself and the ref does not score it a knockdown. Three unanswered jabs by Klitschko. Sultan's combo answered by a Klitschko right hand. A little more wrestling late in the round, which was an easy Steelhammer round.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 10
Sultan still showing some spark but doesn't seem to have even a puncher's chance right now. Both guys go down in a move straight out of WWE. Headlock action is the dominant theme of this round. Partial score with a right by Klitschko and more tie-ups. Left hook finds the mark but Ibragimov still making an effort. The announcers are praising Klitschko's defense though the crowd still sounds unimpressed.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 11
It's kind of hard to believe this fight is still going, and Emanuel Steward just told Klitschko he should never be going 12 rounds with Ibragimov. Jabs still landing for Steelhammer, but where is that right hand? This fight may end with a whimper instead of a bang. A brief flurry breaks out right before the bell, though nothing lands of consequence.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Rd. 12
Steward just told Klitschko he should get the knockout or "it's going to be bad." Let's see if that lights a fire under him. He does look a little more aggressive. Lewis is dropping all kinds of vrbal gems, which have been the most entertaining parts of this fight. He and Max Kellerman are debating the merits of Steward's instructions. Lots of swinging and missing from Ibragimov. Wladimir looks like he will jab his way to victory, and we'll have to be content with that. A late right hand from Klitschko but not the performance many fans expected, or hoped for, quite frankly.
Franchise scores it: 10-9 Klitschko
Franchise scores it 118-110 for Klitschko. The judges score it 119-110, 117-111 and 118-110, all for Klitschko.
No surprise that Steelhammer got the easy decision, but it will be interesting to see what kind of criticism comes his way. I know his chin isn't the best, but it really didn't look like he was in much danger, so his caution seemed to be a bit excessive.
Klitschko-Ibragimov Round By Round Coverage Tonight
If you don't know, now you know. BoxingWatchers.com will be bringing you live round by round coverage of Wladimir Klitschko's heavyweight title defense against Sultan Ibragimov tonight.
So if you can't get to a TV, don't have HBO or have to work (second shift represent!), bookmark us right here and hit reload to your heart's content.
So if you can't get to a TV, don't have HBO or have to work (second shift represent!), bookmark us right here and hit reload to your heart's content.
22.2.08
Prediction: Wladimir Klitschko Vs. Sultan Ibragimov
The Franchise says...
There's a reason we didn't put a poll up for tomorrow night's fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov: we honestly didn't think anyone would vote for the challenger.
I'm not saying Ibragimov is a total stiff, though his body of work has been, to be kind, unimpressive. For example, if you have ideas about becoming the recognized heavyweight champion of the world, you should be blowing a faded Evander Holyfield out of the ring, not taking a decision win as Ibragimov did last October.
This is boxing, of course, so anything could happen. But Klitschko has every advantage - size, strength, skill, more high-level experience... he's even a year younger - so there's really no compelling reason to pick against him.
With that in mind, I like Dr. Steelhammer by mid to late-round KO.
There's a reason we didn't put a poll up for tomorrow night's fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov: we honestly didn't think anyone would vote for the challenger.
I'm not saying Ibragimov is a total stiff, though his body of work has been, to be kind, unimpressive. For example, if you have ideas about becoming the recognized heavyweight champion of the world, you should be blowing a faded Evander Holyfield out of the ring, not taking a decision win as Ibragimov did last October.
This is boxing, of course, so anything could happen. But Klitschko has every advantage - size, strength, skill, more high-level experience... he's even a year younger - so there's really no compelling reason to pick against him.
With that in mind, I like Dr. Steelhammer by mid to late-round KO.
18.2.08
Twenty-Twenty Hindsight: Pavlik and Taylor Both Prove Something and Floyd Mayweather in WWE
I've got to hand it to my brother Uatu: he called Saturday's rematch between Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor correctly. I figured that Pavlik winning by decision would be the least likely possible outcome, yet that's exactly how it went down.
Boxing is the rare sport in the sense that a win doesn't necessarily leave you looking good and a loss isn't always the end of the world. On some occasions both the winner and loser come out of a fight in good shape, and that seems to be the case here.
Pavlik showed he was more than just a knockout artist, earning positive reviews for his improved defensive skills and outpointing a guy who was able to hang with the likes of Bernard Hopkins and Winky Wright. He's already expressed his desire to unify the middleweight titles, and unless Arthur Abraham is a lot better than I suspect, he shouldn't have much trouble doing it.
On the other side, silencing some of your critics is always fun, and Taylor should have accomplished that even in defeat. Many people acted like a second knockout loss was a foregone conclusion, but he gave more than a fair account of himself. Most importantly, he showed heart, which was a question he had never really answered to this point. Rising in weight class makes sense for him, though we'll see if a lack of power becomes an issue as he does it.
From the sublime to the surreal, one of my other writing interests intersected with this site over the past 36 hours as Floyd Mayweather popped out at the WWE pay-per-view No Way Out. Money apparently legitimately broke Big Show's nose, leading to another confrontation tonight on Raw.
Rumors were flying that Mayweather would be in the corner of a wrestler at WrestleMania, but it now looks like Floyd will take on Big Show himself. Of course it immediately calls to mind Mike Tyson's role at WrestleMania XIV, though if Mayweather really is going to be involved in some kind of match, that promises to be a whole different kind of spectacle.
Ten years ago, the WWE was still on the way up toward its peak popularity, while Tyson was the most famous boxer in the world. It was a bigger deal for Iron Mike to be on the show than vice versa. Things aren't the same today, with the WWE much less visible to the general public and Mayweather - though he's coming off a huge year financially and did his Dancing With the Stars stint to reach some different demographics - is not as big a name as Tyson was then. Floyd and the WWE both stand to gain a little bit if they pull off something interesting.
One thing's for sure: you never can tell what Money's next career move is going to be. That fact alone keeps him high on the entertainment value scale.
Boxing is the rare sport in the sense that a win doesn't necessarily leave you looking good and a loss isn't always the end of the world. On some occasions both the winner and loser come out of a fight in good shape, and that seems to be the case here.
Pavlik showed he was more than just a knockout artist, earning positive reviews for his improved defensive skills and outpointing a guy who was able to hang with the likes of Bernard Hopkins and Winky Wright. He's already expressed his desire to unify the middleweight titles, and unless Arthur Abraham is a lot better than I suspect, he shouldn't have much trouble doing it.
On the other side, silencing some of your critics is always fun, and Taylor should have accomplished that even in defeat. Many people acted like a second knockout loss was a foregone conclusion, but he gave more than a fair account of himself. Most importantly, he showed heart, which was a question he had never really answered to this point. Rising in weight class makes sense for him, though we'll see if a lack of power becomes an issue as he does it.
From the sublime to the surreal, one of my other writing interests intersected with this site over the past 36 hours as Floyd Mayweather popped out at the WWE pay-per-view No Way Out. Money apparently legitimately broke Big Show's nose, leading to another confrontation tonight on Raw.
Rumors were flying that Mayweather would be in the corner of a wrestler at WrestleMania, but it now looks like Floyd will take on Big Show himself. Of course it immediately calls to mind Mike Tyson's role at WrestleMania XIV, though if Mayweather really is going to be involved in some kind of match, that promises to be a whole different kind of spectacle.
Ten years ago, the WWE was still on the way up toward its peak popularity, while Tyson was the most famous boxer in the world. It was a bigger deal for Iron Mike to be on the show than vice versa. Things aren't the same today, with the WWE much less visible to the general public and Mayweather - though he's coming off a huge year financially and did his Dancing With the Stars stint to reach some different demographics - is not as big a name as Tyson was then. Floyd and the WWE both stand to gain a little bit if they pull off something interesting.
One thing's for sure: you never can tell what Money's next career move is going to be. That fact alone keeps him high on the entertainment value scale.
16.2.08
Round By Round: Pavlik-Taylor 2
The lightweight undercards are finished and it's time for the main event. Both fighters have a lot on the line so it should be a high intensity fight at 166 pounds. If Taylor loses this fight it will be difficult for him to get another big money fight. On Pavlik's side, he must fight for the glory of his hometown of Youngstown, OH.
Both fighters look fresh and ready in their dressing rooms before their entrances. Jermain Taylor comes to the ring to Apologize by One Republic and Timbaland. An interesting but fitting choice in my opinion. Pavlik chooses a harder, metal song. The fighters are introduced and it's time for the second chapter of one of last year's best fights.
Rd 1:
Both fighters eye each other up in the first few seconds. Taylor throws the first punch and Pavlik throws straights back. The first round is he energy, both fighters are punching hard straights. Taylor swings for the fences and misses with a right hook. Pavlik lands a very hard right hook, Taylor does not look phases. Taylor answers back with another hard left. Both fighters slow down in the last 10 seconds.
Spartan117: 10-9 Pavlik
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Rd 2:
Offense is clearly the number one priority for both fighters in these first 2 rounds. Taylor goes back to the jab and lands cleanly. Pavlik comes back with hard combinations to the head. Neither fighter is throwing much to the body. Pavlik's defense looks solid as he blocks a hard combo by Taylor. The crowd starts to chant "Kelly". Taylor lands a hard right hand, but Pavlik doesn't look hurt.
Spartan117: 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Taylor
Rd 3:
Pavlik comes out as the busier fighter in the 3rd. A bruise starting to swell over Taylor's left eye. Pavlik backs Taylor up with straight right hands, but Taylor remains on the offensive. Taylor begins to throw more, but Pavlik's defense absorbs much of the punishment. Taylor lands another hard right hand. Taylor catches Pavlik off balance and lands a right hook to the body. Taylor landing more punches in the end of the round.
Spartan117: 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Taylor
Rd 4:
Pavlik tries to set up the hard right hand with his jab. Taylor starts using solid upper body movement to evade Pavlik's punches. Taylor is attempting to stay in the middle of the ring and succeeds. Both fighters slow the punches down. Pavlik starts on the offensive and lands a jab and a right. Taylor catches Pavlik coming in with hard right straight. Pavlik comes right back and lands two shots to Taylor against the ropes.
Spartan117- 10-9 Pavlik
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Rd 5:
Taylor throws a jab to the body and then to the head. Pavlik starts to back Taylor up and wants to get Taylor into the ropes. Taylor starts moving around the ring. Pavlik gets hit with with a right hook. Pavlik punches more when he has Taylor against the ropes. Pavlik knocks him back with a straight right. Blood starts pouring from Taylor's nose. Taylor goes back to the jab and connects.
Spartan117- 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Rd 6:
Neither fighter is wasting punches. Bother are choosing wisely. Taylor starts throwing hooks to the body. Taylor slows the punches down, but lands a hard right hand out of nowhere. Both fighters have solid defense. If they didn't this fight would already be over. Both Pavlik and Taylor continue to throw very hard punches.
Spartan117- 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Taylor
Rd 7:
Both fighters now landing solid jabs, but not landing the follow up blow. Taylor's punch output has dropped significantly is the fight progresses. Taylor works the body with hooks. Pavlik now the busier fighter tries to set up the right hand with jabs.
Spartan117: 10-9 Pavlik
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Rd 8:
Pavlik continues to throw more punches than Taylor. Pavlik backs Taylor up with jabs but Taylor gets out of the ropes. Pavlik now looking for an opening. Taylor lands and left and right hook upstairs. Taylor starts throwing more but most are blocked. Taylor lands a big left to end the round.
Spartan117: 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Taylor
Rd 9:
Taylor landing his jab well. Pavlik comes back with his own. Pavlik continues to try to set up his power shot with his jab. Taylor is using more foot movement. Taylor lands a hard right. Both fighters are head hunting. Pavlik slips a right straight through the gloves of Taylor. Tavlik starts connecting with more straights. Many jabs land for both fighters in the last 30 seconds.
Spartan117: 10-9 Pavlik
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Rd 10:
This is now the farthest that Pavlik has ever gone in a professional fight. Pavlik throws more rights now. Taylor starts throwing more total punches and connects. Pavlik clinches. Both fighters chins are clearly being tested. Pavlik throws a hook the puts him off balance. Taylor capitalizes with a hard right.
Spartan117: 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Taylor
Rd 11:
Pavlik's corner tells him that he needs the last two rounds and Pavlik comes out swinging. Taylor goes back to the body and lands two left hooks. Pavlik answers back with with a left and a right to the head. Taylor throws a rare uppercut that lands. Taylor comes out of a clinch and throws a hard hook upstairs. Taylor gets warned for a low blow. Taylor backed against the ropes but fights out.
Spartan117: 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Taylor
Rd 12:
Last round very difficult to score. Both fighters come out for the last round swinging for the fences. Both fighters land 2 vicious punches upstairs, but they both look good on their feet. Both fighters throwing very hard punches, now going for the knockout. Pavlik looks less tired. This round is very close. Pavlik lands a stiff jab. Taylor goes hard for the body and head. Pavlik blocks most. The fight ends and both fighters touch gloves as the bell rings.
Spartan117: 10-9 Pavlik
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Spartan117: 115-113 Taylor
Uatu: 114-114 Draw
Judge 1: 117-111 Pavlik
Judge 2: 115-113 Pavlik
Judge 3: 116-112 Pavlik
Pavlik wins by unanimous decision
An incredible super middleweight fight with very high intensity and extremely hard punches.
Pavlik says in the post-fight interview that Taylor is very smart and thats why this fight was different from their first bout. Pavlik says that he will fight anybody he can.
Taylor thought he won the fight but admitted that it was close. Taylor says that he got tired in later rounds due to a hard body shot.
Both fighters look fresh and ready in their dressing rooms before their entrances. Jermain Taylor comes to the ring to Apologize by One Republic and Timbaland. An interesting but fitting choice in my opinion. Pavlik chooses a harder, metal song. The fighters are introduced and it's time for the second chapter of one of last year's best fights.
Rd 1:
Both fighters eye each other up in the first few seconds. Taylor throws the first punch and Pavlik throws straights back. The first round is he energy, both fighters are punching hard straights. Taylor swings for the fences and misses with a right hook. Pavlik lands a very hard right hook, Taylor does not look phases. Taylor answers back with another hard left. Both fighters slow down in the last 10 seconds.
Spartan117: 10-9 Pavlik
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Rd 2:
Offense is clearly the number one priority for both fighters in these first 2 rounds. Taylor goes back to the jab and lands cleanly. Pavlik comes back with hard combinations to the head. Neither fighter is throwing much to the body. Pavlik's defense looks solid as he blocks a hard combo by Taylor. The crowd starts to chant "Kelly". Taylor lands a hard right hand, but Pavlik doesn't look hurt.
Spartan117: 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Taylor
Rd 3:
Pavlik comes out as the busier fighter in the 3rd. A bruise starting to swell over Taylor's left eye. Pavlik backs Taylor up with straight right hands, but Taylor remains on the offensive. Taylor begins to throw more, but Pavlik's defense absorbs much of the punishment. Taylor lands another hard right hand. Taylor catches Pavlik off balance and lands a right hook to the body. Taylor landing more punches in the end of the round.
Spartan117: 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Taylor
Rd 4:
Pavlik tries to set up the hard right hand with his jab. Taylor starts using solid upper body movement to evade Pavlik's punches. Taylor is attempting to stay in the middle of the ring and succeeds. Both fighters slow the punches down. Pavlik starts on the offensive and lands a jab and a right. Taylor catches Pavlik coming in with hard right straight. Pavlik comes right back and lands two shots to Taylor against the ropes.
Spartan117- 10-9 Pavlik
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Rd 5:
Taylor throws a jab to the body and then to the head. Pavlik starts to back Taylor up and wants to get Taylor into the ropes. Taylor starts moving around the ring. Pavlik gets hit with with a right hook. Pavlik punches more when he has Taylor against the ropes. Pavlik knocks him back with a straight right. Blood starts pouring from Taylor's nose. Taylor goes back to the jab and connects.
Spartan117- 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Rd 6:
Neither fighter is wasting punches. Bother are choosing wisely. Taylor starts throwing hooks to the body. Taylor slows the punches down, but lands a hard right hand out of nowhere. Both fighters have solid defense. If they didn't this fight would already be over. Both Pavlik and Taylor continue to throw very hard punches.
Spartan117- 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Taylor
Rd 7:
Both fighters now landing solid jabs, but not landing the follow up blow. Taylor's punch output has dropped significantly is the fight progresses. Taylor works the body with hooks. Pavlik now the busier fighter tries to set up the right hand with jabs.
Spartan117: 10-9 Pavlik
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Rd 8:
Pavlik continues to throw more punches than Taylor. Pavlik backs Taylor up with jabs but Taylor gets out of the ropes. Pavlik now looking for an opening. Taylor lands and left and right hook upstairs. Taylor starts throwing more but most are blocked. Taylor lands a big left to end the round.
Spartan117: 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Taylor
Rd 9:
Taylor landing his jab well. Pavlik comes back with his own. Pavlik continues to try to set up his power shot with his jab. Taylor is using more foot movement. Taylor lands a hard right. Both fighters are head hunting. Pavlik slips a right straight through the gloves of Taylor. Tavlik starts connecting with more straights. Many jabs land for both fighters in the last 30 seconds.
Spartan117: 10-9 Pavlik
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Rd 10:
This is now the farthest that Pavlik has ever gone in a professional fight. Pavlik throws more rights now. Taylor starts throwing more total punches and connects. Pavlik clinches. Both fighters chins are clearly being tested. Pavlik throws a hook the puts him off balance. Taylor capitalizes with a hard right.
Spartan117: 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Taylor
Rd 11:
Pavlik's corner tells him that he needs the last two rounds and Pavlik comes out swinging. Taylor goes back to the body and lands two left hooks. Pavlik answers back with with a left and a right to the head. Taylor throws a rare uppercut that lands. Taylor comes out of a clinch and throws a hard hook upstairs. Taylor gets warned for a low blow. Taylor backed against the ropes but fights out.
Spartan117: 10-9 Taylor
Uatu: 10-9 Taylor
Rd 12:
Last round very difficult to score. Both fighters come out for the last round swinging for the fences. Both fighters land 2 vicious punches upstairs, but they both look good on their feet. Both fighters throwing very hard punches, now going for the knockout. Pavlik looks less tired. This round is very close. Pavlik lands a stiff jab. Taylor goes hard for the body and head. Pavlik blocks most. The fight ends and both fighters touch gloves as the bell rings.
Spartan117: 10-9 Pavlik
Uatu: 10-9 Pavlik
Spartan117: 115-113 Taylor
Uatu: 114-114 Draw
Judge 1: 117-111 Pavlik
Judge 2: 115-113 Pavlik
Judge 3: 116-112 Pavlik
Pavlik wins by unanimous decision
An incredible super middleweight fight with very high intensity and extremely hard punches.
Pavlik says in the post-fight interview that Taylor is very smart and thats why this fight was different from their first bout. Pavlik says that he will fight anybody he can.
Taylor thought he won the fight but admitted that it was close. Taylor says that he got tired in later rounds due to a hard body shot.
Pavlik vs. Taylor - Undercard Liveblog
The first fight of the undercard is an 8 round fight at 154 pounds between Ronald Hearns and Juan Astorga. Ronald Hearns is the son of legendary boxer Tommy Hearns. Hearns, at 29 years old, is fighting tonight with a perfect record of 17-0 with 13 K.O.'s while Astorga, also 29, is 11-1 with 6 K.O.'s
Hearns, who shares his father's lanky build, starts off the fight as the aggressor, using his jab often to try to set up his overhand right. Astorga spends the first round attempting to block Hearn's jabs. Astorga throws minimal punches.
Both fighters save their power punches and stick with the jab. Astorga lots of lateral movement, but Hearns keeps on him by landing jabs and big rights. Early in the 3rd round Hearns lands a big right that wobbles Astorga. Astorga spends most of the round running away, but continues to get tagged by crosses.
Astorga's defense gets penetrated as the fight continues. Hearns throws combinations to the head and body to keep him in control of the fight. Astorga throws many jabs but most are blocked by Hearns.
Late in the 5th round Hearns lands a perfect right hand to the chin of Astorga. Astorga goes down hard but gets up before the 10 count and makes it out of the round.
In the later rounds Hearns dominates Astorga landing the majority of his jabs and power rights. Astorga does not give up but continues to take a beating. The commentators recommend that the Astorga's corner should throw in the towel.
Hearns clearly takes the 7th round off, throwing much less than previous rounds. This is undoubtedly Astorga's best round but still nothing impressive. Hearns picks it back up in the 8th, knocking down Astorga again with a hard right while Astroga gets stuck in the corner. Astorga gets up but referee Jay Nady stops the fight.
Ronald Hearns receives his 18th victory.
__________________________________
The second fight on the undercard is between the 29 year olds Jose Navarro and Cristian Mijares. Mijares is defending his title in this super flyweight fight.
Both fighters come out swinging. Navarro is the busier fighter throwing and landing many hooks to Mijares' head. Mijares spends almost the entire first round with a confident grin. Both fighters' punches are fast and accurate.
Mijares does not use much upper body movement and concentrates most of his energy on his jab and counter punches. Mijares defense looks poor as Navarro lands jabs and hooks to his head early in the fight. Mijares steps it back up and lands lightning fast flurries to the head of Navarro. Navarro's nose begins to gush in the second round.
Mijares is winning the early rounds but not as easily as many anticipated. Towards the middle rounds, Mijares starts using fast upper body movements and dodges most of Navarro's punches.
Mijares throws many combinations of hooks that land. He mixes it up throwing them to the head and body. Navarro has trouble landing his punches due to Mijares crisp body movement. Mijares corner encourages him to throw more punches.
As the fight continues Mijares shows off his impressive defense, blocking and dodging Navarro's punches. Mijares continues to set up combinations with his stiff jab. Navarro does not appear to be discouraged and continues to throw and landing more in the later rounds.
Navarro appears to realize that he is losing the fight and turns up the intensity in the 9th. He begins throwing more combinations and landing a lot of them. Mijares matches the activity and doubles up on the jab and scoring with his own combinations. Although behind on my scorecard, Navarro's activity is high as he averages over 100 punches a round through the 10th.
In the 11th, a nasty cut opens up above Navarro's eye. The ref takes 2 time outs for his cut man to take a look at it. The cut is bad enough for a stoppage but going into the 12th it does not look like that's going to happen. Mijares seizes the opportunity and loads up the left.
2 judges give the fight to Mijares
Strangely, 1 judge scores the fight 120-108 to Navarro
Mijares wins a split decision and keeps his title.
____________________________________
The last fight of the undercard is another super flyweight bout between Martin Castillo and Fernando Montiel. Montiel defends his title for a 3rd time.
Montiel and Castillo start off with a lot of movement and a lot of jabs. Montiel lands a hard leftand puts Castillo on the canvas in the middle of the 1st round. Castillo gets up slowly. Montiel tries to capitalize and gets Castillo in trouble. Early in the 2nd, Montiel continues to abuse Castillo with hard hooks. Castillo gets backed into the ropes and does his best to block the shots.
Montiel keeps up the pressure and throws hard combinations and lands at will. In the 4th round Montiel lands a nasty combination in the corner and crushes Castillo with a body shot. Castillo can't get up before the 10 count.
K.O. Victory for Montiel
Hearns, who shares his father's lanky build, starts off the fight as the aggressor, using his jab often to try to set up his overhand right. Astorga spends the first round attempting to block Hearn's jabs. Astorga throws minimal punches.
Both fighters save their power punches and stick with the jab. Astorga lots of lateral movement, but Hearns keeps on him by landing jabs and big rights. Early in the 3rd round Hearns lands a big right that wobbles Astorga. Astorga spends most of the round running away, but continues to get tagged by crosses.
Astorga's defense gets penetrated as the fight continues. Hearns throws combinations to the head and body to keep him in control of the fight. Astorga throws many jabs but most are blocked by Hearns.
Late in the 5th round Hearns lands a perfect right hand to the chin of Astorga. Astorga goes down hard but gets up before the 10 count and makes it out of the round.
In the later rounds Hearns dominates Astorga landing the majority of his jabs and power rights. Astorga does not give up but continues to take a beating. The commentators recommend that the Astorga's corner should throw in the towel.
Hearns clearly takes the 7th round off, throwing much less than previous rounds. This is undoubtedly Astorga's best round but still nothing impressive. Hearns picks it back up in the 8th, knocking down Astorga again with a hard right while Astroga gets stuck in the corner. Astorga gets up but referee Jay Nady stops the fight.
Ronald Hearns receives his 18th victory.
__________________________________
The second fight on the undercard is between the 29 year olds Jose Navarro and Cristian Mijares. Mijares is defending his title in this super flyweight fight.
Both fighters come out swinging. Navarro is the busier fighter throwing and landing many hooks to Mijares' head. Mijares spends almost the entire first round with a confident grin. Both fighters' punches are fast and accurate.
Mijares does not use much upper body movement and concentrates most of his energy on his jab and counter punches. Mijares defense looks poor as Navarro lands jabs and hooks to his head early in the fight. Mijares steps it back up and lands lightning fast flurries to the head of Navarro. Navarro's nose begins to gush in the second round.
Mijares is winning the early rounds but not as easily as many anticipated. Towards the middle rounds, Mijares starts using fast upper body movements and dodges most of Navarro's punches.
Mijares throws many combinations of hooks that land. He mixes it up throwing them to the head and body. Navarro has trouble landing his punches due to Mijares crisp body movement. Mijares corner encourages him to throw more punches.
As the fight continues Mijares shows off his impressive defense, blocking and dodging Navarro's punches. Mijares continues to set up combinations with his stiff jab. Navarro does not appear to be discouraged and continues to throw and landing more in the later rounds.
Navarro appears to realize that he is losing the fight and turns up the intensity in the 9th. He begins throwing more combinations and landing a lot of them. Mijares matches the activity and doubles up on the jab and scoring with his own combinations. Although behind on my scorecard, Navarro's activity is high as he averages over 100 punches a round through the 10th.
In the 11th, a nasty cut opens up above Navarro's eye. The ref takes 2 time outs for his cut man to take a look at it. The cut is bad enough for a stoppage but going into the 12th it does not look like that's going to happen. Mijares seizes the opportunity and loads up the left.
2 judges give the fight to Mijares
Strangely, 1 judge scores the fight 120-108 to Navarro
Mijares wins a split decision and keeps his title.
____________________________________
The last fight of the undercard is another super flyweight bout between Martin Castillo and Fernando Montiel. Montiel defends his title for a 3rd time.
Montiel and Castillo start off with a lot of movement and a lot of jabs. Montiel lands a hard leftand puts Castillo on the canvas in the middle of the 1st round. Castillo gets up slowly. Montiel tries to capitalize and gets Castillo in trouble. Early in the 2nd, Montiel continues to abuse Castillo with hard hooks. Castillo gets backed into the ropes and does his best to block the shots.
Montiel keeps up the pressure and throws hard combinations and lands at will. In the 4th round Montiel lands a nasty combination in the corner and crushes Castillo with a body shot. Castillo can't get up before the 10 count.
K.O. Victory for Montiel
Pavlik-Taylor Round By Round Coverage Tonight
Not fortunate enough to be in Las Vegas for the big rematch between Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor? Not going to be by a television or (like me) going to be stuck working at 9 pm eastern? Come back and visit us here at BoxingWatchers.com for live coverage of the undercard and round by round updates and scoring of the main event by our own Spartan117 and Uatu.
15.2.08
Prediction: Kelly Pavlik Vs. Jermain Taylor
The Franchise says...
It's funny that most analysis of this fight is approaching it from the viewpoint that all the pressure is on Taylor, that he's the one with everything to prove. Since he lost the first fight, I guess that's only natural. But as someone who was present in the crowd at Boardwalk Hall the first time these two men went at it, allow me to present the opposing school of thought.
I think Pavlik has as much, if not more, pressure on him this time around. He's the champ now, even though his title is not on the line. He carries a whole city on his shoulders, and it's possible - though not likely, given his blue collar approach to the sport - that he's not quite as hungry as he was going into the first fight. He's also the favorite this time, no longer the plucky underdog.
Pavlik's got power on his side, obviously, a ton of heart and a relentless attacking style. He was also in better shape for the first fight, though Taylor has vowed that won't be an issue this time. One thing I know for sure: Pavlik is not a better boxer.
Taylor was ahead on all cards when he was knocked out, and rightfully so. Though he had some initial problems with Pavlik's offense - and who wouldn't? - he made some very subtle adjustments to his timing that were serving him well. In the middle rounds, he was allowing Pavlik to back him toward the ropes, then coming forward at the very last minute and beating his opponent to the punch. It was winning him rounds until he ran out of gas and got caught.
If he gets caught again, he'll get knocked out again. And that's very possible, but I don't think it will happen. My guess is that if no one gets knocked out early, the rounds will start to pile up in Taylor's favor. Late in the fight, Pavlik will have to look for the knockout, and it will open him up to be the one who gets caught this time.
Uatu told me that going back to an old trainer never works, and it does seem slightly crazy to me that a boxer's fortunes could actually improve after leaving the services of Emanuel Steward. Despite all that, and despite the fact that Ohio will be in full force to cheer on its champ, I'm picking Taylor by late KO.
Uatu says...
First, Cory Spinks was on FNF last night, sorry there's no write up. Uatu loves his ring entrances. Cory talked a little about Pavlik Taylor II, he picked Pavlik, and a little about his father Leon's fight with Ali. Spinks looked a little heavy in the face, but not too bloated, and his voice was much deeper than expected and that we've heard in the ring. He was very laid back.
On to the big fight. As soon as the fight was announced, Pavlik by KO again seemed like the obvious call. As the fight grows closer, Taylor seems more and more confident. Is it false bluster? Will he be cautious and stay away and just try to pile up the points? Or will he take it straight to Pavlik and eat the right hands? What to make of the extra pounds?
Uatu does not believe the extra weight is going to make any difference, and Uatu does not think that Taylor going back to his old trainer will matter at all either. The call is Pavlik by the points. He takes it to Taylor again, Taylor survives, but gets the worst of it.
Pavlik UD 12
It's funny that most analysis of this fight is approaching it from the viewpoint that all the pressure is on Taylor, that he's the one with everything to prove. Since he lost the first fight, I guess that's only natural. But as someone who was present in the crowd at Boardwalk Hall the first time these two men went at it, allow me to present the opposing school of thought.
I think Pavlik has as much, if not more, pressure on him this time around. He's the champ now, even though his title is not on the line. He carries a whole city on his shoulders, and it's possible - though not likely, given his blue collar approach to the sport - that he's not quite as hungry as he was going into the first fight. He's also the favorite this time, no longer the plucky underdog.
Pavlik's got power on his side, obviously, a ton of heart and a relentless attacking style. He was also in better shape for the first fight, though Taylor has vowed that won't be an issue this time. One thing I know for sure: Pavlik is not a better boxer.
Taylor was ahead on all cards when he was knocked out, and rightfully so. Though he had some initial problems with Pavlik's offense - and who wouldn't? - he made some very subtle adjustments to his timing that were serving him well. In the middle rounds, he was allowing Pavlik to back him toward the ropes, then coming forward at the very last minute and beating his opponent to the punch. It was winning him rounds until he ran out of gas and got caught.
If he gets caught again, he'll get knocked out again. And that's very possible, but I don't think it will happen. My guess is that if no one gets knocked out early, the rounds will start to pile up in Taylor's favor. Late in the fight, Pavlik will have to look for the knockout, and it will open him up to be the one who gets caught this time.
Uatu told me that going back to an old trainer never works, and it does seem slightly crazy to me that a boxer's fortunes could actually improve after leaving the services of Emanuel Steward. Despite all that, and despite the fact that Ohio will be in full force to cheer on its champ, I'm picking Taylor by late KO.
Uatu says...
First, Cory Spinks was on FNF last night, sorry there's no write up. Uatu loves his ring entrances. Cory talked a little about Pavlik Taylor II, he picked Pavlik, and a little about his father Leon's fight with Ali. Spinks looked a little heavy in the face, but not too bloated, and his voice was much deeper than expected and that we've heard in the ring. He was very laid back.
On to the big fight. As soon as the fight was announced, Pavlik by KO again seemed like the obvious call. As the fight grows closer, Taylor seems more and more confident. Is it false bluster? Will he be cautious and stay away and just try to pile up the points? Or will he take it straight to Pavlik and eat the right hands? What to make of the extra pounds?
Uatu does not believe the extra weight is going to make any difference, and Uatu does not think that Taylor going back to his old trainer will matter at all either. The call is Pavlik by the points. He takes it to Taylor again, Taylor survives, but gets the worst of it.
Pavlik UD 12
Taylor - Pavlik Weigh-in
Both fighters are 164.
Uatu just isn't feeling the electricity for this fight for some reason. Unlike the Franchise and Spartan, Uatu wasn't at Pavlik-Taylor I, so maybe he can't appreciate the rabid Ohioans presence like they might be able to.
Uatu just isn't feeling the electricity for this fight for some reason. Unlike the Franchise and Spartan, Uatu wasn't at Pavlik-Taylor I, so maybe he can't appreciate the rabid Ohioans presence like they might be able to.
12.2.08
Twenty-Twenty Hindsight: Punisher Needs New Plan, Berto Needs Tougher Foes
Hats off to Carlos Quintana. He fought a heck of a fight Saturday night against Paul Williams, and even though I scored it a draw, I certainly have no problem with the judges scoring seven or eight of the rounds for the new champ. Certainly, Quintana won several rounds decisively, while a couple of rounds I gave to Williams could have gone either way.
It's funny that in the pre-fight show, Williams scoffed at the notion that it was his style that gave his opponents fits. Turns out that assessment may have more astute than The Punisher would like to admit, because Quintana had the answer for his style, and there really didn't seem to be anything Williams could do about it. Like The Punisher of comic book fame, Williams' instinct is to come out guns blazing. The difference is that Frank Castle has a whole wealth of other tricks at his disposal, while Williams doesn't seem to have a back-up plan if his overwhelming firepower falls flat.
Except for some rounds where he showed increased head movement, Williams looked lost on defense, as Quintana was able to find the mark with numerous left hands. He's also in trouble if he falls behind on points, because as the HBO announce team correctly pointed out, he doesn't have the power to turn a fight around with a single punch.
While The Punisher goes back to the drawing board, no such retooling is needed for Andre Berto, who made overmatched Michel Trabant quit after six rounds. The funniest comment on the night, made by HBO ringside scorer Harold Lederman, was also quite true: Berto hit Trabant with every punch known to man.
Berto is blessed with both skill and natural athleticism, but until he fights some tougher opposition, we won't know exactly where he stands. My brother Uatu text-messaged me after the fight to ask if I thought Berto would beat Quintana. My answer: not yet. But one more fight against a more talented boxer and I might change my mind.
Or even better, why don't Quintana and Berto just fight each other and then we'll know for sure?
It's funny that in the pre-fight show, Williams scoffed at the notion that it was his style that gave his opponents fits. Turns out that assessment may have more astute than The Punisher would like to admit, because Quintana had the answer for his style, and there really didn't seem to be anything Williams could do about it. Like The Punisher of comic book fame, Williams' instinct is to come out guns blazing. The difference is that Frank Castle has a whole wealth of other tricks at his disposal, while Williams doesn't seem to have a back-up plan if his overwhelming firepower falls flat.
Except for some rounds where he showed increased head movement, Williams looked lost on defense, as Quintana was able to find the mark with numerous left hands. He's also in trouble if he falls behind on points, because as the HBO announce team correctly pointed out, he doesn't have the power to turn a fight around with a single punch.
While The Punisher goes back to the drawing board, no such retooling is needed for Andre Berto, who made overmatched Michel Trabant quit after six rounds. The funniest comment on the night, made by HBO ringside scorer Harold Lederman, was also quite true: Berto hit Trabant with every punch known to man.
Berto is blessed with both skill and natural athleticism, but until he fights some tougher opposition, we won't know exactly where he stands. My brother Uatu text-messaged me after the fight to ask if I thought Berto would beat Quintana. My answer: not yet. But one more fight against a more talented boxer and I might change my mind.
Or even better, why don't Quintana and Berto just fight each other and then we'll know for sure?
11.2.08
Thoughts on Countdown to Taylor-Pavlik
Uatu-
Every Countdown show is can't-miss entertainment. Each one is welcome and certainly better than the alternative of no show. However, the last few have been a little flat. Sure, styles make fights, and styles make a Countdown show. Pavlik and Taylor are both on the calm, quiet side, and both are family men. Also, we have now seen some of the same fighters in more than one show, and for some of those guys not much interesting has taken place between times on the show.
The show is still great, is still to be loved, but perhaps they need to re-energize it a bit somehow.
Every Countdown show is can't-miss entertainment. Each one is welcome and certainly better than the alternative of no show. However, the last few have been a little flat. Sure, styles make fights, and styles make a Countdown show. Pavlik and Taylor are both on the calm, quiet side, and both are family men. Also, we have now seen some of the same fighters in more than one show, and for some of those guys not much interesting has taken place between times on the show.
The show is still great, is still to be loved, but perhaps they need to re-energize it a bit somehow.
9.2.08
Round By Round: Williams Vs. Quintana
We're wasting no time tonight with the main event fight featuring Paul "The Punisher" Williams and Carlos Quintana. Williams comes in unofficially at 164; Quintana at 158. That gives Williams a weight advantage to go with his height and work rate advantages.
Williams going with the mohawk tonight!
Round 1
Quintana landing to the body but he has to hop in to do it. He's pushing the fight and lands a left inside. Nice combo in return by Williams. Another good left upstairs by Quintana. Lots of tie-ups by Quintana which is smart strategy. Right inside by Quintana in the middle of a nice exchange.
Franchise: Quintana 10-9
Spartan117: Williams 10-9
Uatu: Quintana 10-9
Round 2
Williams comes out jabbing. He's showing more head movement on defense as well. Quintana moving well and picking his spots to come inside behind the left. Combo to the body by Quintana before they tie up. Straight right by Quintana. Big left to the head and follow-up to the body and Williams has no clue at this point. Quintana fighting such a smart fight right now.
Franchise: Quintana 10-9
Spartan117: Quintana 10-9
Uatu: Quintana 10-9
Round 3
Williams lands a right hand. He's coming forward more now but has not solved his foe. Both guys showing some grit along the ropes. Williams starting to push the pace, which he needs to do. Ref really letting them go in clinches which benefits Quintana. First good combo by Williams but Quintana comes right back. Williams backs Quintana into the corner at the bell and that was a close round.
Franchise: Williams 10-9
Spartan117: Williams 10-9
Uatu: Quintana 10-9
Round 4
Quintana just avoids some big shots; both guys are scoring with jabs. Good left upstairs by Quintana but he eats return fire. Some swelling on Williams' face now. Right hand lands for Quintana. Two-punch combo lands for Williams. He gets tagged coming in and Quintana avoids the counter-punches. Brief flurry at the bell by Williams. Close again but Quintana landed the harder shots.
Franchise: Quintana 10-9
Spartan117: Williams 10-9
Uatu: Williams 10-9
Round 5
Quintana rushes in with a big right. Good left may be Williams' best punch so far. Quintana able to tie up at all the right times. He goes to the body now. Uppercuts inside by Williams. Looping left still landing occasionally by Quintana, but he does seem to be slowing. Not much of consequence either way but Williams may have won it on pure work rate.
Franchise: Williams 10-9
Spartan117: Williams 10-9
Uatu: Williams 10-9
Round 6
Quick tie up and they pound on each other in the clinch. Stick and move by Quintana but Williams finds the range with a left to the head. He comes in and Quintana has to run away. Quintana hits with a left and ties up repeatedly. Another nice left upstairs. Williams responds to the body. Kellerman says Williams may have an inside advantage, strangely enough. Left hand and a right to the body by The Punisher. Close round with Williams rallying late.
Franchise: Quintana 10-9
Spartan117: Quintana 10-9
Uatu: Williams 10-9
Round 7
Lederman has it even after six rounds. Quick left bu Quintana but it is losing some snap. Definite swelling under Williams' right hand. Quintana eats punches from both hands. Both guys score with left hands upstairs. A lot of wrestling now. Quick right makes Quintana wince. They trade in the middle of the ring and Williams scoring with more punches. Right uppercut right before the bell and with the pace quickened it's bad news for Quintana.
Franchise: Williams 10-9
Spartan117: Quintana 10-9
Uatu: Williams 10-9
Round 8
Light punches land by Williams. He hits Quintana coming out of the clinch. Quintana still gamely throwing lefts but more of them are missing their mark. Three-punch combo lands from Williams but no real damage done. Announcers discuss the cuts on William's face; he still looks okay though. Jabs and right hooks finding the target for Williams.
Franchise: Williams 10-9
Spartan117: Williams 10-9
Uatu: Williams 10-9
Round 9
Left by Quintana but he's stung in return. Continuous left uppercuts by Williams in the clinch. Both men land combos; Quintana is forced back. Strong left by Quintana, the question us whether he can put anything with it. Williams landing frequently with the jab and now both guys trade shots. Blood flowing from both of Williams' eyes now. Nice right hand bu Quintana and he moves well to end the round.
Franchise: Quintana 10-9
Spartan117: Quintana 10-9
Uatu: Quintana 10-9
Round 10
Three rounds to go and it would not surprise me if this fight is up in the air with the judges. Tentative start to this round. Quintana picking his spots though he is getting hit in return almost every time. Now he scores again with a left upstairs. Williams backs him up with repeated jabs. There's a left by Quintana and a combo in return by Williams. Inside shots by Quintana and he gets hit by a combo again. Slappy punches at the end of the tenth, that's another close round.
Franchise: Quintana 10-9
Spartan117: Williams 10-9
Uatu: Quintana 10-9
Round 11
Williams starts out strong as Lederman has it tied up right now. Both guys trade and Quintana has rediscovered some of his earlier power. A boatload of wrestling in the corner. Williams out-working Quintana in this round with only a minute to go. They stand and trade with Quintana landing harder shots but Williams landing more. That round could have gone either way.
Franchise: Williams 10-9
Spartan117: Quintana 10-9
Uatu: Quintana 10-9
Round 12
Quintana looked confident on his stool between rounds. Both men look like they will go for broke here. Nice right hand by Quintana. Strafing right hand by Williams and low left by Quintana. Ref checks cuts on both men. A lot of wrestling breaking up the flow. Body shots both ways. Williams definitely trying to go after his foe but Quintana is too cagey to get trapped. Nice exchange with Quintana smothering the champ when necessary. Williams lands right before the bell and he may have done enough to win that last round.
Franchise: Williams 10-9
Spartan117: 10-10
Uatu: Williams 10-9
A very nice effort by Quintana and a difficult decision for the judges, I would think.
Franchise and Uatu score it a draw 114-114; Spartan117 scores it 115-114 for Williams; The judges score it 115-113, 116-112 and 116-112, all for the new WBO welterweight champion Carlos Quintana.
Williams going with the mohawk tonight!
Round 1
Quintana landing to the body but he has to hop in to do it. He's pushing the fight and lands a left inside. Nice combo in return by Williams. Another good left upstairs by Quintana. Lots of tie-ups by Quintana which is smart strategy. Right inside by Quintana in the middle of a nice exchange.
Franchise: Quintana 10-9
Spartan117: Williams 10-9
Uatu: Quintana 10-9
Round 2
Williams comes out jabbing. He's showing more head movement on defense as well. Quintana moving well and picking his spots to come inside behind the left. Combo to the body by Quintana before they tie up. Straight right by Quintana. Big left to the head and follow-up to the body and Williams has no clue at this point. Quintana fighting such a smart fight right now.
Franchise: Quintana 10-9
Spartan117: Quintana 10-9
Uatu: Quintana 10-9
Round 3
Williams lands a right hand. He's coming forward more now but has not solved his foe. Both guys showing some grit along the ropes. Williams starting to push the pace, which he needs to do. Ref really letting them go in clinches which benefits Quintana. First good combo by Williams but Quintana comes right back. Williams backs Quintana into the corner at the bell and that was a close round.
Franchise: Williams 10-9
Spartan117: Williams 10-9
Uatu: Quintana 10-9
Round 4
Quintana just avoids some big shots; both guys are scoring with jabs. Good left upstairs by Quintana but he eats return fire. Some swelling on Williams' face now. Right hand lands for Quintana. Two-punch combo lands for Williams. He gets tagged coming in and Quintana avoids the counter-punches. Brief flurry at the bell by Williams. Close again but Quintana landed the harder shots.
Franchise: Quintana 10-9
Spartan117: Williams 10-9
Uatu: Williams 10-9
Round 5
Quintana rushes in with a big right. Good left may be Williams' best punch so far. Quintana able to tie up at all the right times. He goes to the body now. Uppercuts inside by Williams. Looping left still landing occasionally by Quintana, but he does seem to be slowing. Not much of consequence either way but Williams may have won it on pure work rate.
Franchise: Williams 10-9
Spartan117: Williams 10-9
Uatu: Williams 10-9
Round 6
Quick tie up and they pound on each other in the clinch. Stick and move by Quintana but Williams finds the range with a left to the head. He comes in and Quintana has to run away. Quintana hits with a left and ties up repeatedly. Another nice left upstairs. Williams responds to the body. Kellerman says Williams may have an inside advantage, strangely enough. Left hand and a right to the body by The Punisher. Close round with Williams rallying late.
Franchise: Quintana 10-9
Spartan117: Quintana 10-9
Uatu: Williams 10-9
Round 7
Lederman has it even after six rounds. Quick left bu Quintana but it is losing some snap. Definite swelling under Williams' right hand. Quintana eats punches from both hands. Both guys score with left hands upstairs. A lot of wrestling now. Quick right makes Quintana wince. They trade in the middle of the ring and Williams scoring with more punches. Right uppercut right before the bell and with the pace quickened it's bad news for Quintana.
Franchise: Williams 10-9
Spartan117: Quintana 10-9
Uatu: Williams 10-9
Round 8
Light punches land by Williams. He hits Quintana coming out of the clinch. Quintana still gamely throwing lefts but more of them are missing their mark. Three-punch combo lands from Williams but no real damage done. Announcers discuss the cuts on William's face; he still looks okay though. Jabs and right hooks finding the target for Williams.
Franchise: Williams 10-9
Spartan117: Williams 10-9
Uatu: Williams 10-9
Round 9
Left by Quintana but he's stung in return. Continuous left uppercuts by Williams in the clinch. Both men land combos; Quintana is forced back. Strong left by Quintana, the question us whether he can put anything with it. Williams landing frequently with the jab and now both guys trade shots. Blood flowing from both of Williams' eyes now. Nice right hand bu Quintana and he moves well to end the round.
Franchise: Quintana 10-9
Spartan117: Quintana 10-9
Uatu: Quintana 10-9
Round 10
Three rounds to go and it would not surprise me if this fight is up in the air with the judges. Tentative start to this round. Quintana picking his spots though he is getting hit in return almost every time. Now he scores again with a left upstairs. Williams backs him up with repeated jabs. There's a left by Quintana and a combo in return by Williams. Inside shots by Quintana and he gets hit by a combo again. Slappy punches at the end of the tenth, that's another close round.
Franchise: Quintana 10-9
Spartan117: Williams 10-9
Uatu: Quintana 10-9
Round 11
Williams starts out strong as Lederman has it tied up right now. Both guys trade and Quintana has rediscovered some of his earlier power. A boatload of wrestling in the corner. Williams out-working Quintana in this round with only a minute to go. They stand and trade with Quintana landing harder shots but Williams landing more. That round could have gone either way.
Franchise: Williams 10-9
Spartan117: Quintana 10-9
Uatu: Quintana 10-9
Round 12
Quintana looked confident on his stool between rounds. Both men look like they will go for broke here. Nice right hand by Quintana. Strafing right hand by Williams and low left by Quintana. Ref checks cuts on both men. A lot of wrestling breaking up the flow. Body shots both ways. Williams definitely trying to go after his foe but Quintana is too cagey to get trapped. Nice exchange with Quintana smothering the champ when necessary. Williams lands right before the bell and he may have done enough to win that last round.
Franchise: Williams 10-9
Spartan117: 10-10
Uatu: Williams 10-9
A very nice effort by Quintana and a difficult decision for the judges, I would think.
Franchise and Uatu score it a draw 114-114; Spartan117 scores it 115-114 for Williams; The judges score it 115-113, 116-112 and 116-112, all for the new WBO welterweight champion Carlos Quintana.
Round By Round: Berto Vs. Trabant
We're almost ready to go on HBO's Boxing After Dark. The announcers are hyping Berto as someone who can be marketed as a star if he continues to win.
Berto enters the ring tonight at 158, Trabant at 150. Kind of surprising to see Michael Buffer on hand, though since Paul Williams has a title this could easily have been a World Championship Boxing telecast.
It's Trabant's first fight in the U.S., and though he has 43 wins he has only 19 knockouts. Berto is 20-0 with 17 KO's. Kellerman calls Berto the welterweight division's top prospect - no argument there.
Round 1
Tentative start but Berto immediately looks to have the hand speed advantage. Nice 1-2 combos off the jab by Berto. Trabant tries some jabs to the head and body. Trabant's head already showing some redness. A definite feeling out round if there ever was one.
Franchise: 10-9 Berto
Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Round 2
Trabant more jabs but nothing with them. Good right and left to the head by Berto and he pushes the tempo. Now Trabant does a little work along the ropes. Right and left coming in by Berto and they tie up. Left to the body by Berto. Double lefts by Berto. He looks to have many options at his disposal. Announcers discussing Berto's resemblance to Reggie Bush.
Franchise: 10-9 Berto
Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Round 3:
Berto looks to the body to start the round. Trabant has to lunge on a lot of his punches. Berto doing a little more stalking and scores with rights to the head and body. Double lefts and an uppercut. Berto waving his opponent in now too. Trabant blocking some shots but a few are sneaking through. Vicious right uppercut lands and left hooks are following from Berto. Quite the clinic of power punching in that round and Trabant looks overmatched.
Franchise: 10-9 Berto
Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Round 4:
Triple jabs by Berto and Trabant is in full retreat. Trabant comes forward a bit but nothing serious lands. Hooks from both hands by Berto. Even Berto's jabs snap his foe's head back. Now Berto is backed into a corner but he's in no real danger. Big right over the top but Trabant blocks the uppercut that follows. Best round for Trabant though that's not saying much and Berto still took it.
Franchise: 10-9 Berto
Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Round 5
Tempo picks up at the start of this round but it quickly settles again. Plenty of jabs by Berto but Trabant is blocking most of the second shots. Possibly the first 1-2 combo by Trabant - he doesn't show much power though. Right hook to body and left uppercut by Berto. Nice right cross by Berto lands right before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Berto
Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Round 6
Berto comes out firing with both hands. Right uppercut and straight right; those look painful. Berto digs to the body with the left hand. Again, Trabant can't do much but jab back in return. Left to the body and head and Trabant swelling a little more. I agree with Max Kellerman - Trabant looks like no threat and Berto needs to step up in competition. Hooks and an uppercut by Berto bring a reaction from the crowd.
Franchise: 10-9 Berto
Spartan117: 10-8 Berto
It's over, as Trabant won't come out to start the seventh round. Nice showing by Berto - he definitely has the complete arsenal of punches, plus speed and power.
The winner by sixth round TKO, Andre Berto. At the time of the stoppage, Franchise had the score 60-54 Berto, Spartan117 had it 60-53 Berto.
Berto enters the ring tonight at 158, Trabant at 150. Kind of surprising to see Michael Buffer on hand, though since Paul Williams has a title this could easily have been a World Championship Boxing telecast.
It's Trabant's first fight in the U.S., and though he has 43 wins he has only 19 knockouts. Berto is 20-0 with 17 KO's. Kellerman calls Berto the welterweight division's top prospect - no argument there.
Round 1
Tentative start but Berto immediately looks to have the hand speed advantage. Nice 1-2 combos off the jab by Berto. Trabant tries some jabs to the head and body. Trabant's head already showing some redness. A definite feeling out round if there ever was one.
Franchise: 10-9 Berto
Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Round 2
Trabant more jabs but nothing with them. Good right and left to the head by Berto and he pushes the tempo. Now Trabant does a little work along the ropes. Right and left coming in by Berto and they tie up. Left to the body by Berto. Double lefts by Berto. He looks to have many options at his disposal. Announcers discussing Berto's resemblance to Reggie Bush.
Franchise: 10-9 Berto
Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Round 3:
Berto looks to the body to start the round. Trabant has to lunge on a lot of his punches. Berto doing a little more stalking and scores with rights to the head and body. Double lefts and an uppercut. Berto waving his opponent in now too. Trabant blocking some shots but a few are sneaking through. Vicious right uppercut lands and left hooks are following from Berto. Quite the clinic of power punching in that round and Trabant looks overmatched.
Franchise: 10-9 Berto
Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Round 4:
Triple jabs by Berto and Trabant is in full retreat. Trabant comes forward a bit but nothing serious lands. Hooks from both hands by Berto. Even Berto's jabs snap his foe's head back. Now Berto is backed into a corner but he's in no real danger. Big right over the top but Trabant blocks the uppercut that follows. Best round for Trabant though that's not saying much and Berto still took it.
Franchise: 10-9 Berto
Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Round 5
Tempo picks up at the start of this round but it quickly settles again. Plenty of jabs by Berto but Trabant is blocking most of the second shots. Possibly the first 1-2 combo by Trabant - he doesn't show much power though. Right hook to body and left uppercut by Berto. Nice right cross by Berto lands right before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Berto
Spartan117: 10-9 Berto
Round 6
Berto comes out firing with both hands. Right uppercut and straight right; those look painful. Berto digs to the body with the left hand. Again, Trabant can't do much but jab back in return. Left to the body and head and Trabant swelling a little more. I agree with Max Kellerman - Trabant looks like no threat and Berto needs to step up in competition. Hooks and an uppercut by Berto bring a reaction from the crowd.
Franchise: 10-9 Berto
Spartan117: 10-8 Berto
It's over, as Trabant won't come out to start the seventh round. Nice showing by Berto - he definitely has the complete arsenal of punches, plus speed and power.
The winner by sixth round TKO, Andre Berto. At the time of the stoppage, Franchise had the score 60-54 Berto, Spartan117 had it 60-53 Berto.
Williams-Quintana and Berto-Trabant Round By Round Coverage Tonight
Make sure you visit BoxingWatchers.com later tonight for live round by round coverage of Paul "The Punisher" Williams versus Carlos Quintana. We'll also bring you the main undercard fight featuring rising star Andre Berto.
7.2.08
Predictions: Williams-Quintana and Berto-Trabant
Uatu does not see it necessary to wait for the weigh-ins as is his usual practice. Williams TKO late. Berto KO early.
The Franchise says...
Paul Williams feels like he should be in a position to fight some of the sport's biggest names, but instead he's stuck with a less well-known opponent who happens to be no pushover. In this situation, boxers can either use the perceived slight as motivation or sulk and get beaten by overlooking the man they're actually fighting. I'm guessing we'll see the former from The Punisher.
Quintana is a rugged customer who gave Miguel Cotto a pretty decent scrap for five rounds back in late 2006. But Williams has big advantages in height and reach, has a relentless punch output and youth is on his side. He may have a little trouble getting Quintana out of there, so I'm going with Williams UD 12.
As for Berto, this is the kind of fight he simply must win, and win convincingly, if he's going to continue his rise to stardom. Judging by the lack of recognizable names his opponent Michel Trabant has fought, there's no reason to think Berto won't take care of business. Berto by KO.
The Franchise says...
Paul Williams feels like he should be in a position to fight some of the sport's biggest names, but instead he's stuck with a less well-known opponent who happens to be no pushover. In this situation, boxers can either use the perceived slight as motivation or sulk and get beaten by overlooking the man they're actually fighting. I'm guessing we'll see the former from The Punisher.
Quintana is a rugged customer who gave Miguel Cotto a pretty decent scrap for five rounds back in late 2006. But Williams has big advantages in height and reach, has a relentless punch output and youth is on his side. He may have a little trouble getting Quintana out of there, so I'm going with Williams UD 12.
As for Berto, this is the kind of fight he simply must win, and win convincingly, if he's going to continue his rise to stardom. Judging by the lack of recognizable names his opponent Michel Trabant has fought, there's no reason to think Berto won't take care of business. Berto by KO.
4.2.08
Ducked Versus Feared: The Paul Williams Dilemma
Who is the most ducked boxer in the sport today? I think it may be Miguel Cotto, who seems to have done everything necessary to prove himself a worthy foil for the Mayweathers and De La Hoyas of the boxing world. But Steve Kim of Maxboxing.com nominated another top candidate in his column today: WBO welterweight champion Paul "The Punisher" Williams.
He'd love to fight Cotto, Floyd or Oscar. Unfortunately for boxing fans, none of those matches look like they will take place any time soon. That's evidence in and of itself that he's being ducked, but as promoter Dan Goosen tells Kim, it may be more than that: the big names in the sport may be afraid to fight him.
Not just because they'd lose to Williams, though since he's 33-0 with 24 knockouts, there's always that possibility. Today's most famous boxers are hesitant to fight guys like Williams because they see it as a lose-lose proposition.
Take Floyd Mayweather, for example. Williams' trainer mentions in the column that Paul and Floyd fight at or near the same weight, and though PBF calls himself the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, he won't fight The Punisher. I agree with his reasoning, but it's also not hard for me to see what Floyd sees.
Aside from the fact that a Mayweather-Williams fight wouldn't make the kind of money PBF looks for every time out at this point of his career - because Williams isn't well-known among the general public - Mayweather has too little to gain by taking him on. If he would win, he'd be expected to so. If he would lose, it would be seen as a huge upset by casual fans - again, because they don't know his opponent too well.
But there's an additional element here too, because Floyd could win the fight and still look bad in the process. With Williams' height and high punch output, it would be extremely difficult to beat him and look good doing it. Fighters known to be defensive masters get avoided for a similar reason, but when you add in the added danger of Williams knocking you out, the risk to reward ratio just gets too high.
Toward the end of the column, Kim mentions that the only real option for Williams is to keep winning until other fighters can't help including him in their plans. As fans, all we can do is keep the faith and hope that the various motivations of boxers at different status levels in the sport align down the road and give us the fights we want to see.
He'd love to fight Cotto, Floyd or Oscar. Unfortunately for boxing fans, none of those matches look like they will take place any time soon. That's evidence in and of itself that he's being ducked, but as promoter Dan Goosen tells Kim, it may be more than that: the big names in the sport may be afraid to fight him.
Not just because they'd lose to Williams, though since he's 33-0 with 24 knockouts, there's always that possibility. Today's most famous boxers are hesitant to fight guys like Williams because they see it as a lose-lose proposition.
Take Floyd Mayweather, for example. Williams' trainer mentions in the column that Paul and Floyd fight at or near the same weight, and though PBF calls himself the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, he won't fight The Punisher. I agree with his reasoning, but it's also not hard for me to see what Floyd sees.
Aside from the fact that a Mayweather-Williams fight wouldn't make the kind of money PBF looks for every time out at this point of his career - because Williams isn't well-known among the general public - Mayweather has too little to gain by taking him on. If he would win, he'd be expected to so. If he would lose, it would be seen as a huge upset by casual fans - again, because they don't know his opponent too well.
But there's an additional element here too, because Floyd could win the fight and still look bad in the process. With Williams' height and high punch output, it would be extremely difficult to beat him and look good doing it. Fighters known to be defensive masters get avoided for a similar reason, but when you add in the added danger of Williams knocking you out, the risk to reward ratio just gets too high.
Toward the end of the column, Kim mentions that the only real option for Williams is to keep winning until other fighters can't help including him in their plans. As fans, all we can do is keep the faith and hope that the various motivations of boxers at different status levels in the sport align down the road and give us the fights we want to see.
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