It's hard to think of another athlete from any sport, let alone another boxer, who went from likable to despised as quickly as Antonio Margarito. Maybe Ivan Drago to the Russians in Rocky IV, but a real life example escapes me.
One minute Tony was a hard-working welterweight who finally got his shot at the big time, and a few months later he's boxing's Public Enemy No. 1 thanks to the illegal plaster-like substance found in his hand wraps. It was a huge fall, but a deserved one for a man who was prepared to put Shane Mosley's well-being in danger.
And let's face it: that lack of respect for another man's health is what separates Margarito from the Mark McGwire's of the sports world. It's one thing to give yourself an edge and something else entirely when that edge could result in serious injury - or worse.
Margarito is set to return to the ring in less than two months on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey bout in Dallas. The setting is important, because it allowed Margarito to apply for a license in Texas instead of seeking reinstatement in California, where he was punished in the first place.
Kevin Iole's recent column on Yahoo! Sports explains why Tony should be allowed to box again. Iole doesn't like it, but he points out that the Tijuana Tornado is following the rules that are in place.
He served his suspension and switched trainers. He didn't apologize or admit any wrong-doing, but that's to be expected when the entire strategy for Margarito after the controversy was to pawn the whole thing off on former trainer Javier Capetillo.
For what it's worth, I agree with Iole's theory that there was no way Margarito didn't know about the wraps. I also don't think it was the first time he did it, and on that point I can speak from personal experience.
For over a decade, I worked at an amusement park where one of my main job duties was to uncover internal theft. Almost to a person, the employees we eventually caught red-handed tried to claim it was their first time. We were able to prove that most of them were lying.
That thought allows us to segue to the last man to lose to Margarito, Miguel Cotto. As most boxing fans know, Cotto suffered a brutal 11th-round stoppage, the first of his career and a beating from which some observers think he still hasn't recovered.
Was Margarito cheating on that night too? We'll never know for sure, but logic tells us there's a very good chance. Cotto has pretty much done everything but say he believes it.
With Tony active again, one gets the feeling that Cotto is licking his chops at the thought of avenging that defeat. Knowing what we do about what makes Miguel tick, I;d be surprised if he didn't.
Assuming Margarito wins his comeback bout and Cotto gets past his next foe (supposedly Yuri Foreman in June), expect the talk of the two of them facing each other again to heat up. On one hand, it stinks, because it will be a big payday that Margarito doesn't deserve.
But Cotto is a class act who is a credit to boxing. He's well worth rooting for, and if he's able to exorcise some demons, it will make up for the distasteful sight of Margarito fighting in the spotlight again.
It doesn't sit well with me that Tony is back. I'm a big believer in second chances, but not once you've proven to be so callous with another man's health, or at least his livelihood.
Still, if it gives Cotto a chance for some revenge and redemption, I'm all for it. That may be the only way this story has a satisfying ending.
Posted by The Franchise
Showing posts with label antonio margarito. Show all posts
Showing posts with label antonio margarito. Show all posts
29.1.10
1.6.09
20-20 Hindsight: Cintron Not Done Yet, Berto Needs to Find Balance
Going into this weekend's Boxing After Dark card on HBO, it was easy to see Kermit Cintron as someone being served up as a credible opponent for Alfredo Angulo to beat as he continued his evolution into a rising Mexican star.
Cintron was, after all, just 1-1-1 in his previous three fights, including a vicious knockout at the hands of Antonio Margarito and a draw against Sergio Martinez in a fight that many people - myself included - thought he deserved to lose.
As we all know, though, boxing often doesn't play out according to the script. The Angulo-Cintron fight was proof of that, as the previously floundering veteran emerged looking like a new man and the no longer undefeated young gun was left searching for answers.
Cintron looked so sluggish against the mobile Martinez back in February that one expected he'd be there for Angulo's power to find its mark. He was definitely the bigger man, but after fighting most of his career at 147, it wasn't out of the question to wonder if 154 was just too heavy for him.
Yet there he was, flipping the script and becoming the one moving well and setting up power shots with the jab - the very things he was unable to do last time out. The pressure that Angulo usually applies wasn't a factor against someone he couldn't pin down, though Perro had his moments in the later rounds.
What made it all the more unlikely is that we'd heard Cintron declare that he'd be making these adjustments before. He had me convinced before his rematch with Margarito that he'd be a different fighter than the one who got starched the first time, and if anything, he was even less effective in the second bout.
Kermit has always been an excellent athlete, but it took a while for his overall package of boxing skills to develop. They came together at the best possible time on Saturday, and his future suddenly looks much brighter.
It's not like the loss will ruin Angulo either, as he's young enough to rebound. He simply needs to make the same adjustments that other fighters have made (Manny Pacquiao, for one) once they start running into foes they can't beat by constantly coming forward.
Dougie Fischer summed it up best, as usual, on The Ring Blog: it was too early to expect Alfredo to carry the flag for Mexican fighters. He may get to that point someday; until then, that duty may still fall back on Juan Manuel Marquez - especially if he upsets Floyd Mayweather this summer.
I did not get a chance to catch Andre Berto's easy decision win over Juan Urango, but apparently I didn't miss much. Though my fellow BoxingWatchers were as impressed as ever with AB's blazing fast hands ("He's faster than Mayweather," texted Spartan117), they were also frustrated with what they saw as excessive and unnecessary amounts of running and holding.
The last thing Berto wants to do is turn into another Chad Dawson, even if there's something to be said for being smart enough to realize a Luis Collazo-style war every time out isn't a bright idea. Fortunately, there is a happy medium between a total slugfest and a fight plan that's overly cautious.
Andre just needs to find it, and the sooner, the better. The big name welterweights aren't going to be around for rich fights forever.
As a final thought for today, I'd like to recommend Steve Kim's latest on MaxBoxing.com, as he chats up Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy CEO, to get more insight into the next move for Shane Mosley. Sugar is now on the record as saying he'd fight Pacquiao at a catch weight, but does that mean we'll actually see it happen?
The answer is... maybe. It could be Mosley and Pac-Man, or a rematch with Miguel Cotto, or a fight with Floyd Mayweather. But it's apparently big money fights or bust for Sugar Shane.
Posted by The Franchise
Cintron was, after all, just 1-1-1 in his previous three fights, including a vicious knockout at the hands of Antonio Margarito and a draw against Sergio Martinez in a fight that many people - myself included - thought he deserved to lose.
As we all know, though, boxing often doesn't play out according to the script. The Angulo-Cintron fight was proof of that, as the previously floundering veteran emerged looking like a new man and the no longer undefeated young gun was left searching for answers.
Cintron looked so sluggish against the mobile Martinez back in February that one expected he'd be there for Angulo's power to find its mark. He was definitely the bigger man, but after fighting most of his career at 147, it wasn't out of the question to wonder if 154 was just too heavy for him.
Yet there he was, flipping the script and becoming the one moving well and setting up power shots with the jab - the very things he was unable to do last time out. The pressure that Angulo usually applies wasn't a factor against someone he couldn't pin down, though Perro had his moments in the later rounds.
What made it all the more unlikely is that we'd heard Cintron declare that he'd be making these adjustments before. He had me convinced before his rematch with Margarito that he'd be a different fighter than the one who got starched the first time, and if anything, he was even less effective in the second bout.
Kermit has always been an excellent athlete, but it took a while for his overall package of boxing skills to develop. They came together at the best possible time on Saturday, and his future suddenly looks much brighter.
It's not like the loss will ruin Angulo either, as he's young enough to rebound. He simply needs to make the same adjustments that other fighters have made (Manny Pacquiao, for one) once they start running into foes they can't beat by constantly coming forward.
Dougie Fischer summed it up best, as usual, on The Ring Blog: it was too early to expect Alfredo to carry the flag for Mexican fighters. He may get to that point someday; until then, that duty may still fall back on Juan Manuel Marquez - especially if he upsets Floyd Mayweather this summer.
I did not get a chance to catch Andre Berto's easy decision win over Juan Urango, but apparently I didn't miss much. Though my fellow BoxingWatchers were as impressed as ever with AB's blazing fast hands ("He's faster than Mayweather," texted Spartan117), they were also frustrated with what they saw as excessive and unnecessary amounts of running and holding.
The last thing Berto wants to do is turn into another Chad Dawson, even if there's something to be said for being smart enough to realize a Luis Collazo-style war every time out isn't a bright idea. Fortunately, there is a happy medium between a total slugfest and a fight plan that's overly cautious.
Andre just needs to find it, and the sooner, the better. The big name welterweights aren't going to be around for rich fights forever.
As a final thought for today, I'd like to recommend Steve Kim's latest on MaxBoxing.com, as he chats up Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy CEO, to get more insight into the next move for Shane Mosley. Sugar is now on the record as saying he'd fight Pacquiao at a catch weight, but does that mean we'll actually see it happen?
The answer is... maybe. It could be Mosley and Pac-Man, or a rematch with Miguel Cotto, or a fight with Floyd Mayweather. But it's apparently big money fights or bust for Sugar Shane.
Posted by The Franchise
13.4.09
20-20 Hindsight: After Watching Winky's Beatdown, Who Wants to Fight Paul Williams Now?
When Winky Wright actually admits he's been beaten, that's saying something.
I had to leave for work right after the tenth round of the Paul Williams-Winky Wright fight on Saturday, but I had seen enough by then. As I walked out the door, I told my brother Spartan117 that I already knew what was going to happen: Williams was going to win by decision and Wright was going to complain about it.
Turns out I only got the first part right. The man AP writer Greg Beachem correctly pegged as a "notoriously sore loser" wasn't sore at all (except in the face, probably), admitting that the lopsided scores turned in against him by the judges were correct.
Wright was flummoxed by punches thrown from impossible angles. At one point, Williams threw a left uppercut under his own right arm, which was being held by his foe. The ref was so taken aback that he instinctively issued a warning to Williams.
Winky also acknowledged that while he was ready to face a lot of punches, he didn't understand it was going to be quite that many. The volume that Williams delivers really needs to be seen to be believed.
Before we get too carried away, I should stop short of making it seem like Williams is invincible. I'd stop way short of saying what promoter Dan Goossen said when he called his fighter the best in the world, regardless of weight.
His defense is a little sloppy, for one thing. Though he's quite capable of enough head and leg movement to prove evasive at times, Williams got tagged a number of times by a fighter nearly ten years his senior. He seems to have a sturdy chin but hasn't exactly faced tons of noted one-punch KO artists.
That's nitpicking though. Williams' blend of activity, offensive variety and conditioning are tough enough, even without considering his freakishly long reach and the fact that he's a lefty.
He comes across as likable as well, so he should be on his way to becoming a true star. One problem: most boxing scribes agree (as do I) that his near blanking of Wright isn't likely to make other top boxers want to fight him - which was already difficult before Saturday.
One thing Williams does have going for him is that he seems like he will actually be able to pull off his team's plan to fight anywhere between 147 and 160. With that in mind, I've brainstormed some possible opponents at welterweight, junior middle and middleweight and separated them by likelihood:
147 pounds:
Intriguingly possible - Miguel Cotto - He seems like the kind of guy who would relish the challenge, and if he convincingly gets past Joshua Clottey, his stock will be back on the rise. Cotto is also a big enough star to sell tickets if the fight is held in the right place (say, NYC).
Doubtful - Shane Mosley - Sugar Shane supposedly already nixed fighting Williams in the past. He's close to the end of his career and wants to take only the biggest money fights, which probably rules out The Punisher.
No freaking way - Antonio Margarito - He's suspended, and he's already lost to Williams once.
154 pounds:
Intriguingly possible - James Kirkland - Perhaps enough of a badass to say to himself, "I don't give a f---" and just wade through punches to go after Williams. Hard-hitting Alfredo Angulo may fit that description too, but he's less likely to be ready for such a big step up.
Doubtful - Vernon Forrest - The Viper just pulled out of a fight due to injury and is even older than Wright. Plus even he is shorter than Williams.
No freaking way - Oscar De La Hoya - It's funny just to think about the Golden Boy facing down 100-plus punches a round.
160 pounds:
Intriguingly possible - No one comes to mind, unless Bernard Hopkins jumps in a time machine and rewinds the clock by about ten years.
Doubtful - Kelly Pavlik - Team Pavlik seems to be content with a safer path for Kelly for the time being. If he and Williams cross paths, I'm guessing it will be a couple years down the road.
No freaking way - Arthur Abraham - Right now it's tough to get him to come across the pond to fight the much more conventional Pavlik. Think he's going to do it to try to solve Williams? Me neither.
Posted by The Franchise
I had to leave for work right after the tenth round of the Paul Williams-Winky Wright fight on Saturday, but I had seen enough by then. As I walked out the door, I told my brother Spartan117 that I already knew what was going to happen: Williams was going to win by decision and Wright was going to complain about it.
Turns out I only got the first part right. The man AP writer Greg Beachem correctly pegged as a "notoriously sore loser" wasn't sore at all (except in the face, probably), admitting that the lopsided scores turned in against him by the judges were correct.
Wright was flummoxed by punches thrown from impossible angles. At one point, Williams threw a left uppercut under his own right arm, which was being held by his foe. The ref was so taken aback that he instinctively issued a warning to Williams.
Winky also acknowledged that while he was ready to face a lot of punches, he didn't understand it was going to be quite that many. The volume that Williams delivers really needs to be seen to be believed.
Before we get too carried away, I should stop short of making it seem like Williams is invincible. I'd stop way short of saying what promoter Dan Goossen said when he called his fighter the best in the world, regardless of weight.
His defense is a little sloppy, for one thing. Though he's quite capable of enough head and leg movement to prove evasive at times, Williams got tagged a number of times by a fighter nearly ten years his senior. He seems to have a sturdy chin but hasn't exactly faced tons of noted one-punch KO artists.
That's nitpicking though. Williams' blend of activity, offensive variety and conditioning are tough enough, even without considering his freakishly long reach and the fact that he's a lefty.
He comes across as likable as well, so he should be on his way to becoming a true star. One problem: most boxing scribes agree (as do I) that his near blanking of Wright isn't likely to make other top boxers want to fight him - which was already difficult before Saturday.
One thing Williams does have going for him is that he seems like he will actually be able to pull off his team's plan to fight anywhere between 147 and 160. With that in mind, I've brainstormed some possible opponents at welterweight, junior middle and middleweight and separated them by likelihood:
147 pounds:
Intriguingly possible - Miguel Cotto - He seems like the kind of guy who would relish the challenge, and if he convincingly gets past Joshua Clottey, his stock will be back on the rise. Cotto is also a big enough star to sell tickets if the fight is held in the right place (say, NYC).
Doubtful - Shane Mosley - Sugar Shane supposedly already nixed fighting Williams in the past. He's close to the end of his career and wants to take only the biggest money fights, which probably rules out The Punisher.
No freaking way - Antonio Margarito - He's suspended, and he's already lost to Williams once.
154 pounds:
Intriguingly possible - James Kirkland - Perhaps enough of a badass to say to himself, "I don't give a f---" and just wade through punches to go after Williams. Hard-hitting Alfredo Angulo may fit that description too, but he's less likely to be ready for such a big step up.
Doubtful - Vernon Forrest - The Viper just pulled out of a fight due to injury and is even older than Wright. Plus even he is shorter than Williams.
No freaking way - Oscar De La Hoya - It's funny just to think about the Golden Boy facing down 100-plus punches a round.
160 pounds:
Intriguingly possible - No one comes to mind, unless Bernard Hopkins jumps in a time machine and rewinds the clock by about ten years.
Doubtful - Kelly Pavlik - Team Pavlik seems to be content with a safer path for Kelly for the time being. If he and Williams cross paths, I'm guessing it will be a couple years down the road.
No freaking way - Arthur Abraham - Right now it's tough to get him to come across the pond to fight the much more conventional Pavlik. Think he's going to do it to try to solve Williams? Me neither.
Posted by The Franchise
23.2.09
Franchise Thoughts: Top Rank Can't Risk Losing Miguel Cotto By Supporting Antonio Margarito
Top Rank's Bob Arum should be smiling.
After all, he just watched two of his top fighters, Kelly Pavlik and Miguel Cotto, bounce back from losses on the same night. When it comes to the latter, though, there's got to be a little bit of nervousness to go with that smile.
That's because for the first time, Cotto doesn't isn't exactly thrilled with his promoter. Seeing said promoter show very vocal support for someone who may have cheated to beat you has a tendency to do that sort of thing.
Not that I expected Arum to immediately distance himself from Antonio Margarito after the former welterweight champion was suspended for a year for the foreign substance found in his hand wraps before he fought Shane Mosley. It was only natural for Arum to imply that trainer Javier Capetillo should shoulder the blame alone, or that his man was the victim of a conspiracy of some sort.
The trouble is that most rational people don't believe that, including Cotto. Though he never said it directly, Cotto's comments in the weeks leading up to his comeback fight made it pretty clear that he felt Margarito should be held responsible for anything found in his own gloves.
It's also true that just because Margarito was caught attempting to cheat against Mosley doesn't mean he did so in the past. But in my years of experience in loss prevention, I've seen many people claim they were breaking the rules for the first time. Most of them turned out to be lying.
None of that would have mattered if Cotto would have continued to stumble. Why worry about insulting a fighter whose career is down in the gutter?
But with Cotto rebounding nicely - and yes, Michael Jennings didn't pose much of a challenge - Arum's public stance regarding Margarito suddenly seems a lot more risky.
Margarito won't be able to fight in the U.S. for at least a year. He can (and probably will) fight in his native Mexico, but he may as well be radioactive, as no contender worth his salt is going to go near him any time soon.
And even without the suspension, I'd argue that Cotto has a brighter future in front of him. He's younger, his style lends itself to slightly less abuse and he's more marketable - he looked like a NASCAR driver coming to the ring against Jennings with all of the sponsors on his robe.
Several media outlets were reporting that Cotto was upset enough to consider leaving Top Rank when his current contract expires, so Arum has to take the possibility seriously. Maybe he sees a way to tap dance around the issue or negotiate something (his background is in law, after all) that keeps both men on board and reasonably happy.
If it comes down to an either-or situation though, it's a no-brainer. Keep Cotto, jettison Margarito.
The alternative doesn't make sense, or dollars, for that matter.
Posted by The Franchise
After all, he just watched two of his top fighters, Kelly Pavlik and Miguel Cotto, bounce back from losses on the same night. When it comes to the latter, though, there's got to be a little bit of nervousness to go with that smile.
That's because for the first time, Cotto doesn't isn't exactly thrilled with his promoter. Seeing said promoter show very vocal support for someone who may have cheated to beat you has a tendency to do that sort of thing.
Not that I expected Arum to immediately distance himself from Antonio Margarito after the former welterweight champion was suspended for a year for the foreign substance found in his hand wraps before he fought Shane Mosley. It was only natural for Arum to imply that trainer Javier Capetillo should shoulder the blame alone, or that his man was the victim of a conspiracy of some sort.
The trouble is that most rational people don't believe that, including Cotto. Though he never said it directly, Cotto's comments in the weeks leading up to his comeback fight made it pretty clear that he felt Margarito should be held responsible for anything found in his own gloves.
It's also true that just because Margarito was caught attempting to cheat against Mosley doesn't mean he did so in the past. But in my years of experience in loss prevention, I've seen many people claim they were breaking the rules for the first time. Most of them turned out to be lying.
None of that would have mattered if Cotto would have continued to stumble. Why worry about insulting a fighter whose career is down in the gutter?
But with Cotto rebounding nicely - and yes, Michael Jennings didn't pose much of a challenge - Arum's public stance regarding Margarito suddenly seems a lot more risky.
Margarito won't be able to fight in the U.S. for at least a year. He can (and probably will) fight in his native Mexico, but he may as well be radioactive, as no contender worth his salt is going to go near him any time soon.
And even without the suspension, I'd argue that Cotto has a brighter future in front of him. He's younger, his style lends itself to slightly less abuse and he's more marketable - he looked like a NASCAR driver coming to the ring against Jennings with all of the sponsors on his robe.
Several media outlets were reporting that Cotto was upset enough to consider leaving Top Rank when his current contract expires, so Arum has to take the possibility seriously. Maybe he sees a way to tap dance around the issue or negotiate something (his background is in law, after all) that keeps both men on board and reasonably happy.
If it comes down to an either-or situation though, it's a no-brainer. Keep Cotto, jettison Margarito.
The alternative doesn't make sense, or dollars, for that matter.
Posted by The Franchise
6.2.09
Roach Comments on Magarito Controversy
During tonight's Friday Night Fights, ESPN2 host Brian Kenny interviewed trainer Freddy Roach about the plaster that was almost added into Antonio Margarito's gloves against Shane Mosley last week.
Roach was asked how dangerous the plaster can be. Roach explained that the plaster can become "as hard as a rock" and can do some serious damage. He added that a sparring partner of Margarito's suffered a broken eye socket and that he suspects that this substance was in Margarito's gloves for all of his sparring sessions.
Kenny asked Roach what he believes would be a suitable punishment. Roach suggested that Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo should be "banned from boxing for life" and that this is one of the most criminal offenses in all of the sport.
29.1.09
Report: California Suspends Margarito Until Hand Wraps Tested
Apparently I just needed to wait a few days until the controversy over the "plaster-like substance" found and removed from Antonio Margarito's gloves before his fight with Shane Mosley took off.
ESPN boxing guru Dan Rafael is reporting that the California State Athletic Commission has suspended Margarito and trainer Javier Capetillo until the substance found in the wraps can be fully analyzed. Hey, I hear Gil Grissom is available!
All joking aside, I raised the issue of whether or not Miguel Cotto's camp would wonder whether Margarito and Capetillo did something similar before their fight. In the same vein, Rafael notes that people representing Kermit Cintron and Joshua Clottey - two relatively recent Margarito victims - are watching the developments in the hand wrap saga carefully.
And while Yahoo's Steve Cofield may be overstating things (no surprise there) when he wonders if this may spell doom for Margarito's career, it's more understandable to read that Mosley trainer Nazim Richardson is outraged - both for the potential danger posed to his man and the pall it could cast over the sport if it's decided that Margarito and company were knowingly cheating.
Boxing fans don't agree on much, but I think most would concur that there is a portion of the media and the sports-watching public just waiting for any opportunity to pile on boxing. Here's hoping this gets resolved quickly and decisively.
ESPN boxing guru Dan Rafael is reporting that the California State Athletic Commission has suspended Margarito and trainer Javier Capetillo until the substance found in the wraps can be fully analyzed. Hey, I hear Gil Grissom is available!
All joking aside, I raised the issue of whether or not Miguel Cotto's camp would wonder whether Margarito and Capetillo did something similar before their fight. In the same vein, Rafael notes that people representing Kermit Cintron and Joshua Clottey - two relatively recent Margarito victims - are watching the developments in the hand wrap saga carefully.
And while Yahoo's Steve Cofield may be overstating things (no surprise there) when he wonders if this may spell doom for Margarito's career, it's more understandable to read that Mosley trainer Nazim Richardson is outraged - both for the potential danger posed to his man and the pall it could cast over the sport if it's decided that Margarito and company were knowingly cheating.
Boxing fans don't agree on much, but I think most would concur that there is a portion of the media and the sports-watching public just waiting for any opportunity to pile on boxing. Here's hoping this gets resolved quickly and decisively.
27.1.09
20-20 Hindsight - Margarito-Mosley Aftermath Edition: What Makes an Upset, Hand Speed and Handwraps, Props and Disses
Now that a couple of days have passed since Shane Mosley's impressive knockout of Antonio Margarito, it's been interesting to watch the reaction of media and fans. Since Mosley was a 3-t0-1 underdog, was seven years older and was up against Margarito's aura of invincibility, many latched onto Sugar Shane's victory as a big upset.
Indeed, all three of us here at BoxingWatchers.com picked Margarito to win. After the fact though, it's hard to see history looking back at this as an upset at all.
Mosley is a multi-divisional champion who has been fighting top level competition for over a decade. Margarito's list of wins is impressive but much shorter, and he entered Saturday's fight only three fights removed from his last loss.
Nazim Richardson, who rightfully was given much of the credit for cooking up the winning plan of attack, practically begged reporters to keep billing Margarito as a monster to ensure his fighter got the credit he deserved. Shane will get his due, for sure, but my guess is the result of this fight will seem a lot less stunning as time goes by.
Speaking of Richardson, while his game plan may have won the day, even he was quick to say it would not have worked without an athlete of Sugar Shane's caliber. Mosley looked lightning fast in every exchange, and it became clear very early on that he had a big edge in hand speed while Margarito had... well, as The Ring's Dougie Fischer said, he had his chin, but that wasn't nearly enough.
If there's a common thread between the most recent outings of the Golden Boy Trinity (Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Mosley), it's that the man with a significant hand speed advantage won each won. Conclusive evidence that hand speed trumps all? Of course not, but at least in the case of Pavlik-Hopkins and Margarito-Mosley, we can definitely say that hand speed trumped pressure.
Finally, every media outlet covering Saturday's fight picked up on the story that Richardson asked for Margarito's hands to be rewrapped after spying what was described as a hard, plaster-like substance being inserted. What hasn't received as much play is how this revelation casts at least a bit of a pall over some of Tony's previous wins - especially, in this observer's mind, of his knockout of previously unbeaten Miguel Cotto.
Did Margarito receive some plaster-aided assistance against Cotto? We don't know, and probably never will.
But at the very least, if the expected Cotto-Margarito rematch takes shape, it's going to give Cotto a bit of a psychological boost thinking that he may have been up against literally harder punches the first time.
Props:
Disses:
Indeed, all three of us here at BoxingWatchers.com picked Margarito to win. After the fact though, it's hard to see history looking back at this as an upset at all.
Mosley is a multi-divisional champion who has been fighting top level competition for over a decade. Margarito's list of wins is impressive but much shorter, and he entered Saturday's fight only three fights removed from his last loss.
Nazim Richardson, who rightfully was given much of the credit for cooking up the winning plan of attack, practically begged reporters to keep billing Margarito as a monster to ensure his fighter got the credit he deserved. Shane will get his due, for sure, but my guess is the result of this fight will seem a lot less stunning as time goes by.
Speaking of Richardson, while his game plan may have won the day, even he was quick to say it would not have worked without an athlete of Sugar Shane's caliber. Mosley looked lightning fast in every exchange, and it became clear very early on that he had a big edge in hand speed while Margarito had... well, as The Ring's Dougie Fischer said, he had his chin, but that wasn't nearly enough.
If there's a common thread between the most recent outings of the Golden Boy Trinity (Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Mosley), it's that the man with a significant hand speed advantage won each won. Conclusive evidence that hand speed trumps all? Of course not, but at least in the case of Pavlik-Hopkins and Margarito-Mosley, we can definitely say that hand speed trumped pressure.
Finally, every media outlet covering Saturday's fight picked up on the story that Richardson asked for Margarito's hands to be rewrapped after spying what was described as a hard, plaster-like substance being inserted. What hasn't received as much play is how this revelation casts at least a bit of a pall over some of Tony's previous wins - especially, in this observer's mind, of his knockout of previously unbeaten Miguel Cotto.
Did Margarito receive some plaster-aided assistance against Cotto? We don't know, and probably never will.
But at the very least, if the expected Cotto-Margarito rematch takes shape, it's going to give Cotto a bit of a psychological boost thinking that he may have been up against literally harder punches the first time.
Props:
- To the "old men" at Golden Boy. As mentioned above, the members of the Trinity all stepped in against younger men and went 2-1 over the last four months. Not too shabby.
- To HBO. As Kvin Iole points out, the network is off to a great start to 2009. And it is resisting putting as many fights on pay-per-view, which is a blessing to boxing fans in the current economy.
Disses:
- To Jim Lampley's nutritionist. I watched Saturday's fight with two of the Official Parents of the BoxingWatchers, and both of them said the same thing: Lampley looks like he's ballooned up since we last saw him on TV.
- To Larry Merchant. He must have had his reasons for claiming Affliction was paying De La Hoya $5 million to appear at the co-promoted MMA event in Anaheim instead of watching Mosley in L.A. But with multiple sources giving better reasons for the Golden Boy's absence and quoting flat-out denials from Richard Schaefer and Tom Atencio, it sure looks like Merchant let his distaste for MMA sway him into presenting rumor as fact.
24.1.09
Margarito vs. Mosley: Round By Round
It's a brand new look for HBO's World Championship Boxing to kick off 2009. Tonight's fight is a welterweight championship fight between Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley in front of an impressive crowd of more than 20,000 fans at the Staple Center in Los Angeles.
Jim Lampley runs down the list of current welterweight champions and contenders. Interestingly, he includes Manny Pacquiao, the weight-hopping Paul Williams and the currently still retired Floyd Mayweather.
Earlier in the night, Larry Merchant sat down with Margarito. Tony says he did a lot of sparring and prepared properly for the fight. He says Mosley will be looking to do more boxing and less brawling than Miguel Cotto. Margarito also feels like tonight's fight will be a big one for his fans and his career.
Lampley and Emanuel Steward discuss some of the similarities between Mosley and Cotto. Steward thinks Shane has learned from watching Cotto's fight with Margarito.
Next up is Merchant's interview with Mosley, and Shane is honest in saying that while he feels great right now, he'll evaluate how much he still has left after tonight's fight. Mosley thinks using his jab may be the key to his chances to win. He talks a little bit about ignoring outside distractions, and a video package goes into more detail about Shane's BALCO-related troubles, his split with his father and his divorce.
The tale of the tape shows a two-inch height advantage for Margarito but a slight edge in reach for Mosley. Tony is 30 years old, while Shane is 37.
Sugar Ray Leonard, Mark Wahlberg, Joe Pesci and Sylvester Stallone are among the celebrities in attendance. Oscar De La Hoya is not in the house, as he is in Anaheim at the Affliction MMA pay-per-view.
Mosley comes out to "Live Your Life" By T.I. and Rihanna. It's his first fight with trainer Nazim Richardson, who is best known for helping train Bernard Hopkins. Margarito gets a huge crowd reaction as he enters to some traditional Mexican music.
Michael Buffer handles the introductions and we're all set to go.
Round One
Mosley looks like he has plenty of pep early on as he takes the fight to the champ. He lands some nice shots to the body and ties up. Now Margarito comes forward a bit. Shane digs in with an uppercut and there's more wrestling. Mosley really looks committed to a body attack. Mosley shows some good hand speed in tight and Tony throws right back. The ref is really busy right now. Nice left to the head by Margarito.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Two
Mosley starts the second working jabs. Margarito tries to go to the body but they immediately clinch. Shane is really making it ugly, which is to his benefit. Both men try to work from very close range. Tony just misses with a big right. Shane lands a quick combo and backs away. The fans express their displeasure with Shane's holding. Margarito lands a couple of shots but Shane fires right back. The ref warns Mosley for leading with his head.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Three
The fight has been fought at Mosley's pace so far. Shane backpedals quickly as Margarito digs in. Both fighters take some good swings in the middle of the ring. Tony lands an uppercut and complains about a headbutt again. Mosley lands a flashy combo with a nice right hand. He lands another good right but Margarito smiles. Tony goes back to his jab, which has been his main weapon so far. Mosley lands a hard right and a left before the bell, but Margarito seems unfazed.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Four
Harold Lederman has given all three rounds to Mosley so far. Jabs both ways open this round. Shane locks up to avoid Tony's shots along the ropes. Margarito lands a nice uppercut, but Mosley is clinching whenever he can. Mosley jabs and Margarito covers to block the follow-ups. Right-left combo as Tony comes forward. Left to the body and a big right upstairs by Mosley. That flurry may have won him this round. Another big right right at the bell for Shane.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Five
Margarito is bouncing around but he hasn't been comfortable on offense yet. He lands some jabs and tries the body. Left hook to the head by Mosley. Margarito reaches down for a combo and Shane attempts to respond. Right hook upstairs by Shane. Nice shots land for both men. Margarito really seems bothered by the wrestling. Left to the head brings blood from Tony's mouth, and Shane lands to the body as well.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Six
Tony's corner is begging him to work more. Shane lands a right to the head and circles away. He's getting in some sharp shots that are scoring even if they aren't slowing Margarito down. Every exchange is going at least slightly in Mosley's favor right now. Shane backs Tony up into the ropes and lands several big right hands. It's strange to see Margarito back on his heels.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Seven
Steward says Mosley can't miss with his right hand right now. He's measuring shots in the middle of the ring, though the ref has to stop it for a moment to fix Shane's glove. To his credit, Margarito is still standing and trying to throw. They battle hand to hand in the center. Jabs are followed by a sharp right to the head for Mosley. Both fighters score with left hands along the ropes. Tony shows a nice flurry and comes forward for his best offense in a while. The fans boo loudly as the ref warns Margarito for low shots. That may have been the closest round so far.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Margarito
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Eight
Let's see if Tony can carry over some momentum. Back to jabs for both men. Right hand upstairs for Shane. A left hand backs up Mosley for a second. Nice right hand for the champ in response to numerous jabs. Tony gets hit by another right as he comes in. The crowd is really trying to will Margarito back into the fight. Mosley lands a huge left-right combo and Tony is stunned. Shane pours it on and Margarito goes down! He wobbles to his feet just before the bell but he doesn't look too good.
Franchise: 10-8 Mosley
Uatu: 10-8 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-8 Mosley
Round Nine
We'll see what Margarito has left in the tank. Mosley is landing some mean shots right now. The ref steps in just as Tony goes down again, and it's all over.
The winner by TKO at 0:43 of Round Nine... and new WBA welterweight champion of the world... "Sugar" Shane Mosley.
Merchant asks Mosley if all of the distractions may have actually helped him. He gives a lot of credit to Richardson for coming up with a winning game plan. Shane says he knew Margarito was going to come forward and thus, the plan wasn't that complicated. When asked if he thought he could knock Margarito out, he simply replies that he always goes for the KO.
Turning to an obviously distraught Margarito, Merchant asks him what happened. He gives the credit to Mosley, and says even though his corner wanted to stop the fight after the eighth, he refused. As expected, he says Shane was bothering him by clinching on the inside. He also says Mosley studied him well. Asked about the possible Cotto rematch, he doesn't really answer, but says he'll raise his hands as the champion once again.
The announcers discuss the hand wrap controversy with Margarito before the fight. Apparently state athletic commission officials found a "hard plaster shell" being inserted into Margarito's glove after Richardson caught it and asked for it to be removed. Tony had to have his hands wrapped three times before everything was found to be kosher.
Jim Lampley runs down the list of current welterweight champions and contenders. Interestingly, he includes Manny Pacquiao, the weight-hopping Paul Williams and the currently still retired Floyd Mayweather.
Earlier in the night, Larry Merchant sat down with Margarito. Tony says he did a lot of sparring and prepared properly for the fight. He says Mosley will be looking to do more boxing and less brawling than Miguel Cotto. Margarito also feels like tonight's fight will be a big one for his fans and his career.
Lampley and Emanuel Steward discuss some of the similarities between Mosley and Cotto. Steward thinks Shane has learned from watching Cotto's fight with Margarito.
Next up is Merchant's interview with Mosley, and Shane is honest in saying that while he feels great right now, he'll evaluate how much he still has left after tonight's fight. Mosley thinks using his jab may be the key to his chances to win. He talks a little bit about ignoring outside distractions, and a video package goes into more detail about Shane's BALCO-related troubles, his split with his father and his divorce.
The tale of the tape shows a two-inch height advantage for Margarito but a slight edge in reach for Mosley. Tony is 30 years old, while Shane is 37.
Sugar Ray Leonard, Mark Wahlberg, Joe Pesci and Sylvester Stallone are among the celebrities in attendance. Oscar De La Hoya is not in the house, as he is in Anaheim at the Affliction MMA pay-per-view.
Mosley comes out to "Live Your Life" By T.I. and Rihanna. It's his first fight with trainer Nazim Richardson, who is best known for helping train Bernard Hopkins. Margarito gets a huge crowd reaction as he enters to some traditional Mexican music.
Michael Buffer handles the introductions and we're all set to go.
Round One
Mosley looks like he has plenty of pep early on as he takes the fight to the champ. He lands some nice shots to the body and ties up. Now Margarito comes forward a bit. Shane digs in with an uppercut and there's more wrestling. Mosley really looks committed to a body attack. Mosley shows some good hand speed in tight and Tony throws right back. The ref is really busy right now. Nice left to the head by Margarito.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Two
Mosley starts the second working jabs. Margarito tries to go to the body but they immediately clinch. Shane is really making it ugly, which is to his benefit. Both men try to work from very close range. Tony just misses with a big right. Shane lands a quick combo and backs away. The fans express their displeasure with Shane's holding. Margarito lands a couple of shots but Shane fires right back. The ref warns Mosley for leading with his head.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Three
The fight has been fought at Mosley's pace so far. Shane backpedals quickly as Margarito digs in. Both fighters take some good swings in the middle of the ring. Tony lands an uppercut and complains about a headbutt again. Mosley lands a flashy combo with a nice right hand. He lands another good right but Margarito smiles. Tony goes back to his jab, which has been his main weapon so far. Mosley lands a hard right and a left before the bell, but Margarito seems unfazed.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Four
Harold Lederman has given all three rounds to Mosley so far. Jabs both ways open this round. Shane locks up to avoid Tony's shots along the ropes. Margarito lands a nice uppercut, but Mosley is clinching whenever he can. Mosley jabs and Margarito covers to block the follow-ups. Right-left combo as Tony comes forward. Left to the body and a big right upstairs by Mosley. That flurry may have won him this round. Another big right right at the bell for Shane.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Five
Margarito is bouncing around but he hasn't been comfortable on offense yet. He lands some jabs and tries the body. Left hook to the head by Mosley. Margarito reaches down for a combo and Shane attempts to respond. Right hook upstairs by Shane. Nice shots land for both men. Margarito really seems bothered by the wrestling. Left to the head brings blood from Tony's mouth, and Shane lands to the body as well.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Six
Tony's corner is begging him to work more. Shane lands a right to the head and circles away. He's getting in some sharp shots that are scoring even if they aren't slowing Margarito down. Every exchange is going at least slightly in Mosley's favor right now. Shane backs Tony up into the ropes and lands several big right hands. It's strange to see Margarito back on his heels.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Seven
Steward says Mosley can't miss with his right hand right now. He's measuring shots in the middle of the ring, though the ref has to stop it for a moment to fix Shane's glove. To his credit, Margarito is still standing and trying to throw. They battle hand to hand in the center. Jabs are followed by a sharp right to the head for Mosley. Both fighters score with left hands along the ropes. Tony shows a nice flurry and comes forward for his best offense in a while. The fans boo loudly as the ref warns Margarito for low shots. That may have been the closest round so far.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Margarito
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Eight
Let's see if Tony can carry over some momentum. Back to jabs for both men. Right hand upstairs for Shane. A left hand backs up Mosley for a second. Nice right hand for the champ in response to numerous jabs. Tony gets hit by another right as he comes in. The crowd is really trying to will Margarito back into the fight. Mosley lands a huge left-right combo and Tony is stunned. Shane pours it on and Margarito goes down! He wobbles to his feet just before the bell but he doesn't look too good.
Franchise: 10-8 Mosley
Uatu: 10-8 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-8 Mosley
Round Nine
We'll see what Margarito has left in the tank. Mosley is landing some mean shots right now. The ref steps in just as Tony goes down again, and it's all over.
The winner by TKO at 0:43 of Round Nine... and new WBA welterweight champion of the world... "Sugar" Shane Mosley.
Merchant asks Mosley if all of the distractions may have actually helped him. He gives a lot of credit to Richardson for coming up with a winning game plan. Shane says he knew Margarito was going to come forward and thus, the plan wasn't that complicated. When asked if he thought he could knock Margarito out, he simply replies that he always goes for the KO.
Turning to an obviously distraught Margarito, Merchant asks him what happened. He gives the credit to Mosley, and says even though his corner wanted to stop the fight after the eighth, he refused. As expected, he says Shane was bothering him by clinching on the inside. He also says Mosley studied him well. Asked about the possible Cotto rematch, he doesn't really answer, but says he'll raise his hands as the champion once again.
The announcers discuss the hand wrap controversy with Margarito before the fight. Apparently state athletic commission officials found a "hard plaster shell" being inserted into Margarito's glove after Richardson caught it and asked for it to be removed. Tony had to have his hands wrapped three times before everything was found to be kosher.
Live Margarito-Mosley Updates Tonight
What's not to like about a pay-per-view caliber fight on free (well, not really free, but less expensive) television tonight? It's a welterweight showdown between two talented and likable fighters as Antonio Margarito clashes with Shane Mosley from Los Angeles.
Can't get to a TV with HBO tonight? No problem - that's why we're here. Bookmark our main page at www.boxingwatchers.com and stay up on the action with live round by round updates and scoring from the BoxingWatchers crew.
Join us at approximately 10 pm EST tonight!
Can't get to a TV with HBO tonight? No problem - that's why we're here. Bookmark our main page at www.boxingwatchers.com and stay up on the action with live round by round updates and scoring from the BoxingWatchers crew.
Join us at approximately 10 pm EST tonight!
Antonio Margarito vs. Shane Mosley: Predictions
The Franchise says...
Last week's Andre Berto-Luis Collazo fight kicked off the major 2009 boxing "season" with a bang, so as fans, we simply have to cross our fingers and hope this fight keeps the momentum going. It's an intriguing match-up between an aging former champion and a younger fighter riding a wave of momentum, and as we saw last year with Pavlik-Hopkins and Pacquiao-De La Hoya, these can go either way.
It's not too often that a fight comes around where both men may be their own worst enemies, but I think that may be the case here. The only fight I've ever seen Margarito lose was against Paul Williams, and in that one it was simply a case of him not turning up the pressure early enough and waiting too long to get going. If he does that here - perhaps looking ahead to a rematch with Miguel Cotto - he may find himself getting outpointed in a fight logic suggests he should win.
By the same token, Mosley seems like he could have enough speed and skill left to pull off one more (and possibly final) big win. But that would seem to hinge on him pulling off a plan of attack that includes a lot of hitting and running or grabbing, and it's very likely that Sugar Shane will simply be lured into standing and trading at some point.
I have a lot of admiration for Margarito and will certainly be wishing him well in future fights, but Mosley has been a long-time favorite of mine and I will be rooting for him tonight. My head is overruling my heart here though, and while I think Tony will find Shane too cagey and tough to KO, my pick is Margarito by unanimous decision.
Spartan117 says...
I am one of the few boxing fans who has yet to be blown away by an Antonio Margarito performance. His fight against Cotto, although very exciting to watch, didn't show me that he was the best boxer at his weight class. He did, however, show me that he has an excellent chin and top-notch accuracy.
Sugar Shane hasn't impressed me enough in his recent fights for me to believe that he can pull off a victory. In his match with Mayorga, he had one more second before that fight would have gone to decision. It should not take a boxing tactician like Mosley all 36 minutes in the ring to finish a sloppy swinger like Mayorga. It only took De La Hoya six rounds. Mosley did show that his speed is still his number one weapon.
It would be nice to see the older Mosley shock the world tonight, pull off an upset, and show the world that he still has what made him a great fighter of his generation. I just can't see it happening though. I see this fight being similar to Cotto v. Margarito. Margarito will wear down Mosley and the punches will add up in the later rounds. Mosley won't have enough power to keep Margarito at a distance. Margarito by late round TKO.
Uatu says...
Margarito by TKO in the 10th Round.
Last week's Andre Berto-Luis Collazo fight kicked off the major 2009 boxing "season" with a bang, so as fans, we simply have to cross our fingers and hope this fight keeps the momentum going. It's an intriguing match-up between an aging former champion and a younger fighter riding a wave of momentum, and as we saw last year with Pavlik-Hopkins and Pacquiao-De La Hoya, these can go either way.
It's not too often that a fight comes around where both men may be their own worst enemies, but I think that may be the case here. The only fight I've ever seen Margarito lose was against Paul Williams, and in that one it was simply a case of him not turning up the pressure early enough and waiting too long to get going. If he does that here - perhaps looking ahead to a rematch with Miguel Cotto - he may find himself getting outpointed in a fight logic suggests he should win.
By the same token, Mosley seems like he could have enough speed and skill left to pull off one more (and possibly final) big win. But that would seem to hinge on him pulling off a plan of attack that includes a lot of hitting and running or grabbing, and it's very likely that Sugar Shane will simply be lured into standing and trading at some point.
I have a lot of admiration for Margarito and will certainly be wishing him well in future fights, but Mosley has been a long-time favorite of mine and I will be rooting for him tonight. My head is overruling my heart here though, and while I think Tony will find Shane too cagey and tough to KO, my pick is Margarito by unanimous decision.
Spartan117 says...
I am one of the few boxing fans who has yet to be blown away by an Antonio Margarito performance. His fight against Cotto, although very exciting to watch, didn't show me that he was the best boxer at his weight class. He did, however, show me that he has an excellent chin and top-notch accuracy.
Sugar Shane hasn't impressed me enough in his recent fights for me to believe that he can pull off a victory. In his match with Mayorga, he had one more second before that fight would have gone to decision. It should not take a boxing tactician like Mosley all 36 minutes in the ring to finish a sloppy swinger like Mayorga. It only took De La Hoya six rounds. Mosley did show that his speed is still his number one weapon.
It would be nice to see the older Mosley shock the world tonight, pull off an upset, and show the world that he still has what made him a great fighter of his generation. I just can't see it happening though. I see this fight being similar to Cotto v. Margarito. Margarito will wear down Mosley and the punches will add up in the later rounds. Mosley won't have enough power to keep Margarito at a distance. Margarito by late round TKO.
Uatu says...
Margarito by TKO in the 10th Round.
23.1.09
It's On! Weigh-in Report: Margarito vs. Mosley
Streaming live on hbo.com.
It's 5:52 eastern time in the US, and surprisingly the weigh-in has already begun streaming. Lately hbo.com has started their streaming right on time and no one is there yet to weigh-in. Today, they are already weighing fighters by the time I check out their site.
Hopefully, this is just the prelim fighters. Other weigh-ins have led off with the main event and worked backwards, while some have built upwards to the main event.
They are going with the digital scale. I prefer the drama of the beam type where some guy actually has to move those indicators on the scale and watch the arm actually balance. Here it is just people reading a scale on the floor, which of course we can not see whatsoever.
The omnipresent Bernard Hopkins is on stage, which is to be expected at a Golden Boy fight. He is going with jeans in an expensive casual look. Bob Arum going with a classic turtleneck, blazer and dress pants affair. Excuse me, it looks like that might be a tight, bright red t-shirt under the blazer for Arum.
They declare 30 seconds until they are on the air. So thankfully I did not miss the main event. The streaming public on hbo.com are now being shown a slickly produced commercial for the fight, with an orchestral score over highlights.
And we are formally welcomed to the Nokia Theatre at LA Live.
They are expecting a sell out of over 20,000 at the Staples Center. And now another commercial. This in the voice-over on top of highlights style.
I am not sure how many of these I have watched over the years on TV and the web, but they are mostly the same. A lot of waiting around for little excitement. But, in the events where there is a buzz, the weigh-ins really get you pumped up to watch the fights. A loyal national crowd usually helps.
And here... we... go!
Shane Mosley and crew have reached the stage. Antonio Margarito has arrived too. Both men are going the custom track suit route.
Shane: 147 even. He is looking super lean, supper ripped, with the body of a 20-year old.
There's some jawing and arguing going on. There are a bunch of people on the stage making the stage uneven. Now they announce 147.2.
Tony: 145.8! Tony is looking all kinds of muscular too. The camera actually did cut to a shot of the digital reading, so that problem was solved. Thank you hbo.com
Now they are deciding if Shane needs to get back on. It is announced that Shane will step away and get back on later. They are going to take the picture for the fight, and then Shane will try again.
Face to face, Tony is taller, but he doesn't dwarf Shane as much as I would have thought. Bernard always gets his picture in between for these events and he is much taller than both men.
An interview with Tony, which is a nice surprise for the streaming public. Tony is asked about his weight. He says it is not a problem for him. He has to make that weight and he does.
He says LA will be his house, and you can see all the fans out here to support him, and he will make them proud.
Will it be like the Cotto fight? How does he see it turning out?
Yes, Shane has a lot of experience so they prepared so hard.
On a side note, the reporter was also the interpreter, which makes the interaction between the two much cleaner and shorter than the usual interview across languages.
Another commerical is shown.
The commissioner is being interviewed. The commissioner defers to the man conducting the weights with the scale. He is asked who requested the re-weigh-in. The scale stopped at 147 for a brief moment and then moved to 147.2. He stepped on again and it read 147.2. So he has to lose that weight. He has two hours.
B-Hop gets interviewed.
Is it hard to lose 0.2 pounds?
Bernard says he could stand up here and talk and lose the weight. He says the underwear probably weighs 0.1. He personally thinks the first number of 147 should count. Then people moved around and affected the number.
Bernard says Tony is a great person and fighter and it will be tough. Last year showed that just because a fighter is supposed to win doesn't mean he will. Golden Boy and Top Rank will continue to put on great fights.
He says that Shane isn't really going into Tony's territory being that Shane is from the area, has fans in the area, and Mexicans love him too.
Shane is back up... 147.
Shane says he is in great shape and ready to go. He didn't have to struggle to make weight so this extra weighing was no big deal. He's ready to go. He sounds excited. He says it wasn't hard to make 147, he says it was actually very easy, he just scaled it wrong today.
That's all, that's it.
It's 5:52 eastern time in the US, and surprisingly the weigh-in has already begun streaming. Lately hbo.com has started their streaming right on time and no one is there yet to weigh-in. Today, they are already weighing fighters by the time I check out their site.
Hopefully, this is just the prelim fighters. Other weigh-ins have led off with the main event and worked backwards, while some have built upwards to the main event.
They are going with the digital scale. I prefer the drama of the beam type where some guy actually has to move those indicators on the scale and watch the arm actually balance. Here it is just people reading a scale on the floor, which of course we can not see whatsoever.
The omnipresent Bernard Hopkins is on stage, which is to be expected at a Golden Boy fight. He is going with jeans in an expensive casual look. Bob Arum going with a classic turtleneck, blazer and dress pants affair. Excuse me, it looks like that might be a tight, bright red t-shirt under the blazer for Arum.
They declare 30 seconds until they are on the air. So thankfully I did not miss the main event. The streaming public on hbo.com are now being shown a slickly produced commercial for the fight, with an orchestral score over highlights.
And we are formally welcomed to the Nokia Theatre at LA Live.
They are expecting a sell out of over 20,000 at the Staples Center. And now another commercial. This in the voice-over on top of highlights style.
I am not sure how many of these I have watched over the years on TV and the web, but they are mostly the same. A lot of waiting around for little excitement. But, in the events where there is a buzz, the weigh-ins really get you pumped up to watch the fights. A loyal national crowd usually helps.
And here... we... go!
Shane Mosley and crew have reached the stage. Antonio Margarito has arrived too. Both men are going the custom track suit route.
Shane: 147 even. He is looking super lean, supper ripped, with the body of a 20-year old.
There's some jawing and arguing going on. There are a bunch of people on the stage making the stage uneven. Now they announce 147.2.
Tony: 145.8! Tony is looking all kinds of muscular too. The camera actually did cut to a shot of the digital reading, so that problem was solved. Thank you hbo.com
Now they are deciding if Shane needs to get back on. It is announced that Shane will step away and get back on later. They are going to take the picture for the fight, and then Shane will try again.
Face to face, Tony is taller, but he doesn't dwarf Shane as much as I would have thought. Bernard always gets his picture in between for these events and he is much taller than both men.
An interview with Tony, which is a nice surprise for the streaming public. Tony is asked about his weight. He says it is not a problem for him. He has to make that weight and he does.
He says LA will be his house, and you can see all the fans out here to support him, and he will make them proud.
Will it be like the Cotto fight? How does he see it turning out?
Yes, Shane has a lot of experience so they prepared so hard.
On a side note, the reporter was also the interpreter, which makes the interaction between the two much cleaner and shorter than the usual interview across languages.
Another commerical is shown.
The commissioner is being interviewed. The commissioner defers to the man conducting the weights with the scale. He is asked who requested the re-weigh-in. The scale stopped at 147 for a brief moment and then moved to 147.2. He stepped on again and it read 147.2. So he has to lose that weight. He has two hours.
B-Hop gets interviewed.
Is it hard to lose 0.2 pounds?
Bernard says he could stand up here and talk and lose the weight. He says the underwear probably weighs 0.1. He personally thinks the first number of 147 should count. Then people moved around and affected the number.
Bernard says Tony is a great person and fighter and it will be tough. Last year showed that just because a fighter is supposed to win doesn't mean he will. Golden Boy and Top Rank will continue to put on great fights.
He says that Shane isn't really going into Tony's territory being that Shane is from the area, has fans in the area, and Mexicans love him too.
Shane is back up... 147.
Shane says he is in great shape and ready to go. He didn't have to struggle to make weight so this extra weighing was no big deal. He's ready to go. He sounds excited. He says it wasn't hard to make 147, he says it was actually very easy, he just scaled it wrong today.
That's all, that's it.
22.1.09
Antonio Margarito Vs. Shane Mosley: In-Depth Preview
"The Tijuana Tornado" Antonio Margarito
Birthplace: Torrance, CA
Resides: Tijuana, Mexico
Height: 5' 11"
Reach: 73"
Current Titles Held: WBA Welterweight (147 lbs.)
Former Titles Held: WBO, IBF Welterweight
Professional Record: 37-5, 27 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 10-2 (8 KOs), 1 No Contest
Record at 147 lbs.: 17-2, 1 No Contest
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 2-1
Notable Wins: TKO11 Miguel Cotto, KO6 Kermit Cintron II, UD12 Joshua Clottey
Notable Losses: UD12 Paul Williams, TD10 Daniel Santos
"Sugar" Shane Mosley
Birthplace: Lynwood, CA
Resides: Pomona, CA
Height: 5' 9"
Reach: 74"
Current Titles Held: None
Former Titles Held: WBC, WBA Light Middleweight (154 lbs.), WBC Welterweight, IBF Lightweight (135 lbs.)
Professional Record: 45-5, 38 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 14-5 (11 KOs)
Record at 147 lbs.: 9-3
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 4-5
Notable Wins: TKO6 Fernando Vargas II, UD12 Oscar De La Hoya II, SD12 Oscar De La Hoya I
Notable Losses: UD12 Miguel Cotto, UD12 Winky Wright I, UD12 Vernon Forrest I
Analysis:
It sure seems like the boxing world has been full of "last chance" fights for former world champions over the past year or two, and this one qualifies as well. Mosley has proven he still belongs in the upper echelon of current fighters, but at age 37, this may be his final shot at another title and (perhaps most importantly) a continued presence in big money fights.
He's got a difficult task in front of him in the form of welterweight champion Margarito, who made the most of his biggest bout to date with a thrilling eleventh-round TKO of Miguel Cotto last year. The Tijuana Tornado isn't the busiest or most powerful fighter, but he puts those two traits together to form a relentless style that simply wilts opponents as the rounds go by.
Margarito's biggest foe could be complacency. He's thrived on the underdog role for so long, it's hard to say for certain how he'll handle life as one of the top dogs. With a Cotto rematch on the horizon and a seemingly bright future, the danger is that he'll look past Mosley.
That would be a mistake, as there's every reason to believe Mosley still has what it takes to pull of an upset. He won't be fighting from huge disadvantages in height and reach like some of Margarito's foes, and his hand speed and ability to pick spots to throw multi-punch flurries could still pose problems if the champ fails to bring his 'A' game.
One thing that would be a surprise is seeing either man knocked out. Mosley has never been down for the count in 53 professional fights, many of which came against world class competition, and Margarito has a well-deserved reputation for possessing an iron chin.
Margarito's Winning Strategy: Get Started Early
Though it's not impossible to see Margarito winning by KO - he did, after all, get to Cotto eventually - he certainly doesn't want to bank on it against Mosley, so it's important for him to make sure he's winning rounds. Even though his tireless work ethic suits itself to coming from behind, he doesn't want to have to dig himself out a hole against an opponent also known for coming on late.
Margarito waited too long to get started against Paul Williams in 2007 and it cost him. Mosley fights more in spurts now than he did in his younger days, so if the champ gets in a mindset to outwork him from the beginning, he should be able to pull it off.
At the same time, he doesn't want to simply throw caution to the wind against a boxer as seasoned as Mosley. Cotto was able to box Margarito effectively for the first half of their fight, but he couldn't keep it up for 12 rounds. If Tony gets going early and is prepared to go the distance at the same pace, he'll be nearly impossible to beat.
Mosley's Winning Strategy: Hit and Run
Hopefully Mosley took notes when his business partner Oscar De La Hoya was getting outclassed by Manny Pacquiao, because he'll have to do something similar to what Pacman did last December. That means using his footwork to get in and out effectively, circling away when the pressure gets too intense.
Mosley can still crack pretty hard for a welterweight, but he can't afford to fall in love with standing in front of Margarito, as that's a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, the gameplan he needs to follow dovetails pretty well with his preferred pace at this point in his career, which is to throw punches in short bursts.
He's certainly outgunned if the match turns into a continuous firefight. But if Mosley is savvy enough to pick his spots, getting off first and then getting away, he may be able to give Margarito more of a challenge than many are expecting.
31.12.08
BoxingWatchers.com 2008 Fight of the Year: Vazquez-Marquez III
Even without them sitting beside me right now, I'm fairly certain the other BoxingWatchers would agree with me that 2008 was a pretty good year to be a fan of the sport. Plenty of fights between big name fighters came together - including one most thought laughable at the beginning of the year - and more than a handful of fights between lesser known boxers turned out to be well worth watching.
Not all of the marquee match-ups were sequels, as we got to see Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto, Bernard Hopkins and Kelly Pavlik, and, yes, Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya go at it for the first time. But when it came time to vote for our Fight of the Year, it was the third chapter in the thrilling trilogy between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez that came out on top.
If you watched and enjoyed the first two fights in the series, you were undoubtedly excited for Round Three - and maybe a little concerned that it wouldn't live up to what had come before since the bar had been set so high. As it happened, there was no reason to worry.
Part of the reason was that the styles of the two fighters suited each other so well. Marquez was a better technician and Vazquez had more power, but the differences were small. As we knew from the first two bouts, both men had plenty of heart and stamina, were willing to trade and had enough holes on defense to ensure many punches would land.
The rounds unfolded in breathtaking fashion. Both fighters had their moments, and yet both found themselves on the canvas.
What set it apart from other skillful, competitive fights in 2008 was the last-minute drama, as Vazquez scored a late knockdown that literally won him the fight. And there was even just a pinch of controversy, though it was the kind that led to discussion, not the kind that made you feel the loser got hosed.
In short, it was the proverbial fight that had everything. Here's hoping 2009 gives us another fight like that... even if it has to be Vazquez-Marquez IV.
Reader Picks: The readers also went with Vazquez-Marquez III, giving it 55 percent of the vote. Pacquiao-J.M. Marquez II came in a strong second with 30 percent.
Also receiving some love were Cotto-Margarito and Diaz-Campbell, and it's hard to argue that those were both offensive showcases.
Somewhat surprisingly, Holt-Torres II got no votes despite featuring what was absolutely the craziest single round of 2008. I also thought Cunningham-Adamek would get some support. Though I didn't feel it quite lived up to Fight of the Year status, it was an excellent scrap and was fresher in the minds of fans since it was fought near the end of the year.
Not all of the marquee match-ups were sequels, as we got to see Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto, Bernard Hopkins and Kelly Pavlik, and, yes, Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya go at it for the first time. But when it came time to vote for our Fight of the Year, it was the third chapter in the thrilling trilogy between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez that came out on top.
If you watched and enjoyed the first two fights in the series, you were undoubtedly excited for Round Three - and maybe a little concerned that it wouldn't live up to what had come before since the bar had been set so high. As it happened, there was no reason to worry.
Part of the reason was that the styles of the two fighters suited each other so well. Marquez was a better technician and Vazquez had more power, but the differences were small. As we knew from the first two bouts, both men had plenty of heart and stamina, were willing to trade and had enough holes on defense to ensure many punches would land.
The rounds unfolded in breathtaking fashion. Both fighters had their moments, and yet both found themselves on the canvas.
What set it apart from other skillful, competitive fights in 2008 was the last-minute drama, as Vazquez scored a late knockdown that literally won him the fight. And there was even just a pinch of controversy, though it was the kind that led to discussion, not the kind that made you feel the loser got hosed.
In short, it was the proverbial fight that had everything. Here's hoping 2009 gives us another fight like that... even if it has to be Vazquez-Marquez IV.
Reader Picks: The readers also went with Vazquez-Marquez III, giving it 55 percent of the vote. Pacquiao-J.M. Marquez II came in a strong second with 30 percent.
Also receiving some love were Cotto-Margarito and Diaz-Campbell, and it's hard to argue that those were both offensive showcases.
Somewhat surprisingly, Holt-Torres II got no votes despite featuring what was absolutely the craziest single round of 2008. I also thought Cunningham-Adamek would get some support. Though I didn't feel it quite lived up to Fight of the Year status, it was an excellent scrap and was fresher in the minds of fans since it was fought near the end of the year.
26.12.08
Franchise Thoughts: First Half of 2009 Schedule Has Its Share of Intrigue
It seemed like new fights were getting added to the 2009 boxing schedule almost daily throughout the past couple of weeks. That's not a bad thing by the way, since the sport pretty much goes into hibernation for a month at the end of each calendar year, leaving looking ahead as the primary activity for boxing fans to pass the time.
The unquestioned top draw in boxing, Oscar De La Hoya, appears ready to walk away from the ring, and while there are candidates to replace him, they are mostly unproven. Add in the fact that the heavyweight division continues to be short on excitement and it wouldn't be surprising if casual fans pay even less attention to the sport next year.
Things are a bit different for hardcore fans. The one sure-fire blockbuster fight (Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather) remains hypothetical at this point, but the first six months of 2009 are liberally sprinkled with interesting matchups.
Keeping in mind that things can always change in the fight game, here are the fights that are already signed or all but done that have caught my eye:
Jan. 17 - Andre Berto vs. Luis Collazo - I happen to think Berto is the goods. Others, including a whole group of posters on the boards at MaxBoxing.com, aren't convinced at this point.
One side of the debate will have more ammunition after this fight, because Collazo is no pushover. His only two losses in the last six years were to Shane Mosley and Ricky Hatton, and he gave the Hitman all he could handle.
That being said, he's not a top echelon guy, so the school of thought that Berto isn't ready for prime time will gain support if Collazo wins.
Jan. 24 - Antonio Margarito vs. Shane Mosley - Sugar Shane is one of my favorites, but I don't like his chances here. He can't fight the fight Paul Williams used to take down the Tijuana Tornado, and it doesn't seem like he'll be able to utilize the style that Miguel Cotto used effectively, at least at his current age.
You can't count a boxer as accomplished as Mosley out entirely though, and that should be reason enough to watch.
Feb. 7 - Vic Darchinyan vs. Jorge Arce - There won't be much subtlety in this one, which should make it rank high in pure entertainment value. Add in a lengthy war of words that included such gems as Darchinyan vowing to make Arce a "human piñata" and you've got a can't-miss broadcast.
It's way too early to be thinking about Fight of the Year candidates for 2009, but this bout has the ingredients to make it a contender.
Feb. 21 - Kelly Pavlik vs. Marco Antonio Rubio and Miguel Cotto vs. Michael Jennings - Two fights from two different sites on the same night. And both of the headliners are attempting to bounce back from defeats in their previous fights.
I expect Pavlik and Cotto to show the form that made them champions in the first place. If they don't, then the losses took more out of them than most observers expected.
One problem: this is slated to be a pay-per-view, and there's no good reason it should be.
Feb. 28 - Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz - It's hard not to like Marquez in this one considering he came up just short of beating Pacquiao - twice. JMM is also a gifted counter-puncher, so this fight seems to set up nicely for him.
On the other hand, Diaz is a good bet to apply even more pressure than Pacman did, and he proved against Nate Campbell that he can take some shots and keep throwing. And there's always a chance that age could catch up with Marquez at some point.
Regardless, this should be a good show.
Mar. 14 - Chad Dawson vs. Antonio Tarver II - My brother Uatu has already gone on record saying he has no problem with this fight, since it's two name guys fighting each other. I agree to a point, but the first meeting wasn't too competitive.
Tarver (a BoxingWatchers favorite) is the master of the rematch, but Father Time is gaining on him rapidly. I'll be cheering him on again even though I expect him to lose again, and there's a good chance this will be the last big fight of his career.
Apr. 4 - Timothy Bradley vs. Kendall Holt - I'm very anxious to see this showdown between two young boxers who aren't household names now, but could be in the near future. The winner will obviously have a leg up in that regard.
My gut feeling is that Bradley is more well-rounded and Holt is more dynamic. But I'm far from an expert on either fighter, and no outcome in this fight would surprise me.
May 2 - Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton - Unless (or maybe until) Mayweather comes out of retirement, this may be the biggest fight possible with today's roster of active boxers. Pacquiao gets his first chance to run with the torch passed from De La Hoya, and Hatton looked good enough last time out that you can't help but think he'll be more of a challenge for Pacman than the Golden Boy.
One thing's for sure: the atmosphere for this fight will be second to none. If a boxing genie magically gave me the ability to attend any fight that's been made so far for 2009 in person, this would be it.
15.12.08
BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings: December 2008
Welcome to the final set of power rankings for 2008. With all due respect to Nikolai Valuev (actually, maybe not that much respect), everyone of consequence has finished their fight schedules for the year.
If you've been with us before, you'll remember that this is not a pound-for-pound list (we recently did one of those too), but a pseudo-scientific way of ranking how boxers have been performing over a rolling three-year period. More details are here.
Staying active, winning and winning by KO all help your score. Losing, obviously, does not. Fighting people who come into the bouts on winning streaks also helps. A "perfect" score would be 36, and anything above 20 is pretty damn good.
That being said, here we go:
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.96 - Yes, he pretty much fights exclusively in his native Germany. But it's hard to say any world class boxer at any weight class is on as much of a roll right now. Since May of 2007, King Arthur has knocked out six straight opponents.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 23.67 - Is it his fault the heavyweight division is less than scintillating? Dr. Steelhammer can only fight the guys who are out there, and with the notable exception of the Sultan Ibragimov fight, he's been taking care of business.
3. David Haye - 21.07 - He's fun to watch because there's always the feeling he could get the KO or end up looking up at the lights himself. Next year could be a big one for Haye.
4. Celestino Caballero - 20.72 - Fresh off an impressive knockout of previously undefeated Steve Molitor, Caballero makes his first appearance in these rankings. I'd love to see him fight Israel Vazquez.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 20.62 - Pac Man proved the doubters wrong by wiping the mat with Oscar De La Hoya. Now we'll watch anxiously to see if he can succeed the Golden Boy as the top draw in the sport.
6. Vic Darchinyan - 17.00 - Vic enters the rankings after pretty much dominating highly regarded Cristian Mijares. His February fight with Jorge Arce should be a fun one.
7. Andre Berto - 16.34 - Though undefeated, Berto has his fair share of critics waiting to be impressed. He'll get a chance in the first intriguing bout of 2009 when he steps in against Luis Collazo.
8. Paul Williams - 15.89 - The Punisher is a champion at 154 pounds but is willing to move up or down to make the right fight. A case could be made that he's entering the new year as the most avoided boxer out there.
9. Kelly Pavlik - 15.36 - Marco Antonio Rubio awaits in February as The Ghost returns to his hometown and a more comfortable middleweight division. The big question is when he will face Abraham.
10. Antonio Margarito - 15.20 - Endangered his rep for fighting anyone, anywhere by holding out for more money to face Shane Mosley, but it's all good now. We know he's not scared of Mosley, or anyone for that matter.
The next 7: Miguel Cotto, Chris John, Nonito Donaire, Juan Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Joe Calzaghe, Nate Campbell
If you've been with us before, you'll remember that this is not a pound-for-pound list (we recently did one of those too), but a pseudo-scientific way of ranking how boxers have been performing over a rolling three-year period. More details are here.
Staying active, winning and winning by KO all help your score. Losing, obviously, does not. Fighting people who come into the bouts on winning streaks also helps. A "perfect" score would be 36, and anything above 20 is pretty damn good.
That being said, here we go:
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.96 - Yes, he pretty much fights exclusively in his native Germany. But it's hard to say any world class boxer at any weight class is on as much of a roll right now. Since May of 2007, King Arthur has knocked out six straight opponents.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 23.67 - Is it his fault the heavyweight division is less than scintillating? Dr. Steelhammer can only fight the guys who are out there, and with the notable exception of the Sultan Ibragimov fight, he's been taking care of business.
3. David Haye - 21.07 - He's fun to watch because there's always the feeling he could get the KO or end up looking up at the lights himself. Next year could be a big one for Haye.
4. Celestino Caballero - 20.72 - Fresh off an impressive knockout of previously undefeated Steve Molitor, Caballero makes his first appearance in these rankings. I'd love to see him fight Israel Vazquez.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 20.62 - Pac Man proved the doubters wrong by wiping the mat with Oscar De La Hoya. Now we'll watch anxiously to see if he can succeed the Golden Boy as the top draw in the sport.
6. Vic Darchinyan - 17.00 - Vic enters the rankings after pretty much dominating highly regarded Cristian Mijares. His February fight with Jorge Arce should be a fun one.
7. Andre Berto - 16.34 - Though undefeated, Berto has his fair share of critics waiting to be impressed. He'll get a chance in the first intriguing bout of 2009 when he steps in against Luis Collazo.
8. Paul Williams - 15.89 - The Punisher is a champion at 154 pounds but is willing to move up or down to make the right fight. A case could be made that he's entering the new year as the most avoided boxer out there.
9. Kelly Pavlik - 15.36 - Marco Antonio Rubio awaits in February as The Ghost returns to his hometown and a more comfortable middleweight division. The big question is when he will face Abraham.
10. Antonio Margarito - 15.20 - Endangered his rep for fighting anyone, anywhere by holding out for more money to face Shane Mosley, but it's all good now. We know he's not scared of Mosley, or anyone for that matter.
The next 7: Miguel Cotto, Chris John, Nonito Donaire, Juan Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Joe Calzaghe, Nate Campbell
12.12.08
Top 10 Pound-for-Pound Boxers: BoxingWatchers.com End of 2008 List
Thus far, we've resisted doing a pound-for-pound list, simply because everyone does them, and it seems unnecessary to do them as often as some people do. Monthly updates? I don't think so, because it's a really good (and rare) month when more than two boxers in the top 10 are in action.
Still, it doesn't seem ridiculous to do one at the end of the year. So when asked recently by a writer at another site to come up with a top 10, we put our heads together and came up with the following list. Voting was simple, with 10 points for first, nine for second, etc.
The year's not quite over, as there are quite a few notable fights this weekend. None of the men on this list are in action before the end of 2008 though.
Feel free to tell us how wrong we are. Or how right, though that probably won't be as much fun.
Here goes nothing...
BoxingWatchers.com Top 10 Pound-for-Pound Boxers - End of 2008
Spartan117's 10 is not enough honorable mentions: Chris John, Ricky Hatton, Vic Darchinyan
Still, it doesn't seem ridiculous to do one at the end of the year. So when asked recently by a writer at another site to come up with a top 10, we put our heads together and came up with the following list. Voting was simple, with 10 points for first, nine for second, etc.
The year's not quite over, as there are quite a few notable fights this weekend. None of the men on this list are in action before the end of 2008 though.
Feel free to tell us how wrong we are. Or how right, though that probably won't be as much fun.
Here goes nothing...
BoxingWatchers.com Top 10 Pound-for-Pound Boxers - End of 2008
- Manny Pacquiao (30 pts.)
- Joe Calzaghe (25)
- Bernard Hopkins (24)
- Juan Manuel Marquez (23)
- Israel Vazquez (15)
- Paul Williams (14)
- Antonio Margarito (13)
- Kelly Pavlik (9)
- Ivan Calderon (5)
- Rafael Marquez (3)
Spartan117's 10 is not enough honorable mentions: Chris John, Ricky Hatton, Vic Darchinyan
24.11.08
Margarito-Mosley Back On Again for Jan. 24
First it was a done deal. Last week it was apparently off. Now it looks as though Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley will face off in one of the first big boxing matches of 2009.
ESPN's Dan Rafael says the Margarito-Mosley fight will take place on Jan. 24 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Cash-strapped boxing fans should also be pleased to hear the bout will be aired on HBO, not pay-per-view.
According to Rafael, it was HBO who stepped in and made more money available for Margarito, who was unhappy with the initial financial arrangement. It was a strange stance from the welterweight champion, who spent years feeling like other boxers were avoiding him and enjoyed a reputation as someone who would fight anyone, anywhere.
Facing Mosley, who's looked pretty formidable over the last two years despite his advancing age, should help Margarito save some face. The Tijuana Tornado's next step also looks like it's decided, as Bob Arum told ESPN that he will move forward with a summer rematch with Miguel Cotto regardless of the outcome of the Mosley fight.
ESPN's Dan Rafael says the Margarito-Mosley fight will take place on Jan. 24 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Cash-strapped boxing fans should also be pleased to hear the bout will be aired on HBO, not pay-per-view.
According to Rafael, it was HBO who stepped in and made more money available for Margarito, who was unhappy with the initial financial arrangement. It was a strange stance from the welterweight champion, who spent years feeling like other boxers were avoiding him and enjoyed a reputation as someone who would fight anyone, anywhere.
Facing Mosley, who's looked pretty formidable over the last two years despite his advancing age, should help Margarito save some face. The Tijuana Tornado's next step also looks like it's decided, as Bob Arum told ESPN that he will move forward with a summer rematch with Miguel Cotto regardless of the outcome of the Mosley fight.
31.10.08
BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings: October 2008
It's that time again: time for the rankings that even cause discord among the BoxingWatchers themselves. For the uninitiated, this isn't a pound-for-pound list (thus no Bernard Hopkins or Joe Calzaghe), but a semi-mathematical measure of who's done the best against fighters with good records over the past three years.
A KO is worth more than a unanimous decision, which is worth more than a split decision. Lose and you lose points.
Our previous number one is slipping due to inactivity, but a certain Ghost failed to take advantage when he got taken apart by The Executioner. Here's how this month's list shakes out:
1. David Haye - 21.75 - The Hayemaker is sliding but he'll have a chance to correct that when he takes on Monte Barrett in November. We'll find out quickly if his aspirations of chasing the heavyweight titles are realistic.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.00 - He won't be fighting Alexander Povetkin in December, but apparently he'll still fight somebody. It's not likely to be anybody to get too excited about.
3. Arthur Abraham - 19.29 - We'll see King Arthur in action early in November. If he gets past Raul Marquez, that middleweight battle with Kelly Pavlik is looking more possible than ever.
4. Kelly Pavlik - 18.03 - It's back to the drawing board for the Pride of Youngstown, who can abandon plans to fight higher and head back to 160 pounds. I'd hate to be the next guy to face him there.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 17.28 - The build-up to his fight with Oscar De La Hoya continues. Manny has to hope he's not in for a replay of Pavlik-Hopkins with him playing the role of Pavlik.
6. Chad Dawson - 16.80 - Bad Chad rockets into our rankings for the first time with an impressive win over Antonio Tarver. Just 26, his future looks as bright as anyone's in the sport.
7. Antonio Margarito - 16.00 - Now rumors say De La Hoya may fight Tony before he retires after all. That would be a nice payday for Margarito if it happens, but I'm sure he's not holding his breath.
8. Andre Berto - 13.67 - Not much to say about Berto, except that the BoxingWatchers are looking forward to see him fight again.
9. Juan Diaz - 12.70 - Nothing on the immediate horizon for the Baby Bull.
10. Israel Vazquez - 12.13 - Vazquez is in danger of slipping off this list by the end of the year due to inactivity. We'll forgive him though.
The next 7: Nate Campbell, Cristian Mijares, Chris John, Paul Williams, Joe Calzaghe, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez
A KO is worth more than a unanimous decision, which is worth more than a split decision. Lose and you lose points.
Our previous number one is slipping due to inactivity, but a certain Ghost failed to take advantage when he got taken apart by The Executioner. Here's how this month's list shakes out:
1. David Haye - 21.75 - The Hayemaker is sliding but he'll have a chance to correct that when he takes on Monte Barrett in November. We'll find out quickly if his aspirations of chasing the heavyweight titles are realistic.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.00 - He won't be fighting Alexander Povetkin in December, but apparently he'll still fight somebody. It's not likely to be anybody to get too excited about.
3. Arthur Abraham - 19.29 - We'll see King Arthur in action early in November. If he gets past Raul Marquez, that middleweight battle with Kelly Pavlik is looking more possible than ever.
4. Kelly Pavlik - 18.03 - It's back to the drawing board for the Pride of Youngstown, who can abandon plans to fight higher and head back to 160 pounds. I'd hate to be the next guy to face him there.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 17.28 - The build-up to his fight with Oscar De La Hoya continues. Manny has to hope he's not in for a replay of Pavlik-Hopkins with him playing the role of Pavlik.
6. Chad Dawson - 16.80 - Bad Chad rockets into our rankings for the first time with an impressive win over Antonio Tarver. Just 26, his future looks as bright as anyone's in the sport.
7. Antonio Margarito - 16.00 - Now rumors say De La Hoya may fight Tony before he retires after all. That would be a nice payday for Margarito if it happens, but I'm sure he's not holding his breath.
8. Andre Berto - 13.67 - Not much to say about Berto, except that the BoxingWatchers are looking forward to see him fight again.
9. Juan Diaz - 12.70 - Nothing on the immediate horizon for the Baby Bull.
10. Israel Vazquez - 12.13 - Vazquez is in danger of slipping off this list by the end of the year due to inactivity. We'll forgive him though.
The next 7: Nate Campbell, Cristian Mijares, Chris John, Paul Williams, Joe Calzaghe, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez
4.10.08
BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings: September 2008
Welcome to another edition of our pseudo-scientific boxer rankings. Though Uatu has distanced himself from this list in favor of his own (and perhaps he'll grace us with another update soon) this is an attempt to quantify which boxers have done the best over the last three years - in this case, from the end of September 2005 through the end of September 2008.
Though there isn't too much movement from last month, the next two months could shake up these rankings substantially as a host of boxers on the list take to the ring.
Here goes nothing...
1. David Haye - 24.15 - He'll finally start losing points at the end of this month as one of his wins will "expire." Fortunately for him, he's found an opponent for his first foray into the heavyweight division in Monte "Two Gunz" Barrett, and the two will square off in November.
2. Kelly Pavlik - 23.03 - The more I think about it, the more I dislike The Ghost's chances against Bernard Hopkins on Oct. 18. Of course, if Father Time shows up to aid Pavlik, maybe The Executioner finally goes down for the count.
3. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.00 - Wlad haters will be watching in December, because at least on paper, he's fighting someone who has a chance to beat him in undefeated Alexander Povetkin.
4. Arthur Abraham - 19.29 - King Arthur is actually fighting tonight against mandatory challenger Raul Marquez. I'm sure his people will again reach out to Pavlik's people after he wins, and they will once again respectfully decline to face him.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 17.28 - Lots of people voting on BoxingWatchers.com seem to think Manny can upset Oscar De La Hoya. I'm worried about what will happen when the much bigger Golden Boy lands the left hook.
6. Antonio Margarito - 16.00 - Right now the plan seems to be for Tony to defend his title once in the first quarter of 2009, then look for a rematch with Miguel Cotto in the summer. And once again, that will be one to watch for all real fight fans.
7. Nate Campbell - 13.67 - Currently inactive through no fault of his own after Joan Guzman pulled out of their fight. Here's hoping he can find a good fight soon.
8. Andre Berto - 13.67 - Berto doesn't score a lot of points for some of his wins under our scoring system thanks to substandard opposition, but he's racked up enough of them to make his first appearance on this list. He's still lacking a fight that definitively puts him on the map, but he's young enough that he's got plenty of time to find it.
9. Juan Diaz - 12.70 - The Baby Bull bounced back from his defeat to Campbell by beating Michael Katsidis. I wouldn't mind seeing him fight the Galaxxy Warrior again.
10. Israel Vazquez - 12.13 - Seems to be preparing for a return to the ring this coming spring. Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports suggests Jorge Arce is a possible opponent.
The next 7: Cristian Mijares, Paul Williams, Chris John, Joe Calzaghe, Chad Dawson, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez
Though there isn't too much movement from last month, the next two months could shake up these rankings substantially as a host of boxers on the list take to the ring.
Here goes nothing...
1. David Haye - 24.15 - He'll finally start losing points at the end of this month as one of his wins will "expire." Fortunately for him, he's found an opponent for his first foray into the heavyweight division in Monte "Two Gunz" Barrett, and the two will square off in November.
2. Kelly Pavlik - 23.03 - The more I think about it, the more I dislike The Ghost's chances against Bernard Hopkins on Oct. 18. Of course, if Father Time shows up to aid Pavlik, maybe The Executioner finally goes down for the count.
3. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.00 - Wlad haters will be watching in December, because at least on paper, he's fighting someone who has a chance to beat him in undefeated Alexander Povetkin.
4. Arthur Abraham - 19.29 - King Arthur is actually fighting tonight against mandatory challenger Raul Marquez. I'm sure his people will again reach out to Pavlik's people after he wins, and they will once again respectfully decline to face him.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 17.28 - Lots of people voting on BoxingWatchers.com seem to think Manny can upset Oscar De La Hoya. I'm worried about what will happen when the much bigger Golden Boy lands the left hook.
6. Antonio Margarito - 16.00 - Right now the plan seems to be for Tony to defend his title once in the first quarter of 2009, then look for a rematch with Miguel Cotto in the summer. And once again, that will be one to watch for all real fight fans.
7. Nate Campbell - 13.67 - Currently inactive through no fault of his own after Joan Guzman pulled out of their fight. Here's hoping he can find a good fight soon.
8. Andre Berto - 13.67 - Berto doesn't score a lot of points for some of his wins under our scoring system thanks to substandard opposition, but he's racked up enough of them to make his first appearance on this list. He's still lacking a fight that definitively puts him on the map, but he's young enough that he's got plenty of time to find it.
9. Juan Diaz - 12.70 - The Baby Bull bounced back from his defeat to Campbell by beating Michael Katsidis. I wouldn't mind seeing him fight the Galaxxy Warrior again.
10. Israel Vazquez - 12.13 - Seems to be preparing for a return to the ring this coming spring. Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports suggests Jorge Arce is a possible opponent.
The next 7: Cristian Mijares, Paul Williams, Chris John, Joe Calzaghe, Chad Dawson, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez
9.9.08
Franchise Thoughts: 10 Fights I'd Like to See
Thinking about the convoluted roads that led to the De La Hoya-Pacquiao and Pavlik-Hopkins fights got me thinking about how much easier life as a boxing fan would be if there was just one all-powerful being in charge of matchmaking. Say, me, for instance.
While I'm not going to hold my breath for that to happen, it doesn't mean a boy can't dream. So I thought to myself, "Self, if you had ultimate power over boxing, meaning money and politics were out of the way, who would you most like to see fight?"
To make it a little more interesting, I limited myself to first-time meeting - no sequels. I mean, no one would mind seeing Marquez-Vazquez IV, but it's not really exercising your brain to come up with that one. Also, even though jumping up or down multiple weight classes is all the rage right now, I'm a firm believer that there are plenty of good fights to be made at most weight without resorting to that nonsense, so I imposed a limit of one class up or down when matching fighters.
Since this is my list, I naturally picked fighters who I enjoy watching. But I did throw a couple in I don't care for if I thought they could be paired with someone to make an especially compelling storyline or style matchup.
In no particular order, here are 10 fights I'd like to see. With any luck, at least some of them will actually get made.
Antonio Margarito vs. Floyd Mayweather
I wouldn't consider myself a Floyd hater, but I'm also not his biggest fan. His immense skill can't be questioned, but the quality of his opposition is just suspect enough that I'll always wonder if he was as good as it seemed he was. I expect him to come out of retirement, but not to take this fight - which is the only one I'm really interested to see him take. If he would beat the Tijuana Tornado, I'd consider all questions answered, because Margarito would test him.
Kelly Pavlik vs. Arthur Abraham
History has shown that it's wise to be at least a little skeptical when it comes to boxers who rack up impressive records fighting only in Europe. Abraham falls into that category, but he does have some wins on his resume (Kingsley Ikeke and Howard Eastman, for instance) that are legit, and he definitely proved something by putting a beating on Edison Miranda this summer. He deserves a shot at Pavlik, and only the fact that he's not that well known in the U.S. - and thus wouldn't sell too well - is keeping it from happening.
Chad Dawson vs. Tavoris Cloud
Though separated by only a year, Dawson has been in with much tougher competition so far, and Cloud may not be ready for this just yet. But Bad Chad is in a division with primarily older contenders, and eventually he'll need new challenges. Dawson has a well-rounded set of skills, and Cloud is a beast who is looking for the knockout every time out. This would be a fun fight for fans.
Paul Williams vs. Andre Berto
Here are two more young lions who would almost guarantee fireworks if they faced off. Williams is a punch-throwing machine, and his first-round KO of Carlos Quintana showed that he's not as slappy as some have suggested. Berto is a certifiable badass who is ready to step up and face tougher foes.
Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye
You know Haye actually has this in mind as his actual goal. He could be the shot in the arm the heavyweight division needs, but he's yet to prove himself against the big boys. Meanwhile, Wlad's recent fights haven't exactly been scintillating, but perhaps he just needs the right challenge to find the champion's heart inside him. Or maybe I'm just a hopeless optimist.
Chris John vs. Israel Vazquez
It's a running joke on this site that I have never seen John fight. There's a good reason for that, as I don't get too many boxing feeds from Indonesia. My gut tells me he can't possibly be a total stiff, as he does have wins over Derrick Gainer and Juan Manuel Marquez, though the latter is rumored to be due at least partly to some home cooking. In any case, if The Dragon ever wanted to test himself on this side of the world, may I suggest Vazquez? With his power, offensive skill and heart, he'd make sure we all know exactly what John is made of.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Nate Campbell
Manny is an easy choice as my favorite fighter since I'm Filipino on my mom's side. Oh yeah, it doesn't hurt that he's the best boxer active in the sport right now. Campbell put on a tremendous performance when he beat Juan Diaz that really opened my eyes. He's also a great success story overdue for a nice payday, which he'd get if he fought Pacman.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Edwin Valero
This was actually discussed as a possibility before Pacman moved up to much bigger and financially better things by signing to face Oscar De La Hoya. From a purist's standpoint, this bout would be a lot more aesthetically pleasing, pitting the pound-for-pound king against Dougie Fischer's favorite son, an internet legend who has knocked out every foe he's faced thus far. Potentially explosive? I would say so.
Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anderson Silva
Before UFC head honcho Dana White put the kibosh on this idea, I was pretty excited to see if it would actually happen. Silva is considered by many to be MMA's most talented fighter, and his striking skills are something to watch. Still, I wonder about how even The Spider would fare against a top notch boxer -especially defensively - and Jones has enough gas left in the tank for us to find out. This fight would also do amazing business at the gate and on pay-per-view, with Jones still a draw among casual fans and Silva continuing to be built up by the UFC.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley
This appears to be a violation of my self-imposed weight rule, but Manny is going up to welterweight to face De La Hoya, so I'm letting it slide on a technicality. This is strictly a personal pick, as these two men have been my favorite boxers since my brother Uatu first got me into the sport. Mosley is obviously bigger and hits pretty hard even at 147, but he's also older than Manny and has lost at least a half-step. If Manny was going to take a big step up in weight, this is the fight I'd rather see.
While I'm not going to hold my breath for that to happen, it doesn't mean a boy can't dream. So I thought to myself, "Self, if you had ultimate power over boxing, meaning money and politics were out of the way, who would you most like to see fight?"
To make it a little more interesting, I limited myself to first-time meeting - no sequels. I mean, no one would mind seeing Marquez-Vazquez IV, but it's not really exercising your brain to come up with that one. Also, even though jumping up or down multiple weight classes is all the rage right now, I'm a firm believer that there are plenty of good fights to be made at most weight without resorting to that nonsense, so I imposed a limit of one class up or down when matching fighters.
Since this is my list, I naturally picked fighters who I enjoy watching. But I did throw a couple in I don't care for if I thought they could be paired with someone to make an especially compelling storyline or style matchup.
In no particular order, here are 10 fights I'd like to see. With any luck, at least some of them will actually get made.
Antonio Margarito vs. Floyd Mayweather
I wouldn't consider myself a Floyd hater, but I'm also not his biggest fan. His immense skill can't be questioned, but the quality of his opposition is just suspect enough that I'll always wonder if he was as good as it seemed he was. I expect him to come out of retirement, but not to take this fight - which is the only one I'm really interested to see him take. If he would beat the Tijuana Tornado, I'd consider all questions answered, because Margarito would test him.
Kelly Pavlik vs. Arthur Abraham
History has shown that it's wise to be at least a little skeptical when it comes to boxers who rack up impressive records fighting only in Europe. Abraham falls into that category, but he does have some wins on his resume (Kingsley Ikeke and Howard Eastman, for instance) that are legit, and he definitely proved something by putting a beating on Edison Miranda this summer. He deserves a shot at Pavlik, and only the fact that he's not that well known in the U.S. - and thus wouldn't sell too well - is keeping it from happening.
Chad Dawson vs. Tavoris Cloud
Though separated by only a year, Dawson has been in with much tougher competition so far, and Cloud may not be ready for this just yet. But Bad Chad is in a division with primarily older contenders, and eventually he'll need new challenges. Dawson has a well-rounded set of skills, and Cloud is a beast who is looking for the knockout every time out. This would be a fun fight for fans.
Paul Williams vs. Andre Berto
Here are two more young lions who would almost guarantee fireworks if they faced off. Williams is a punch-throwing machine, and his first-round KO of Carlos Quintana showed that he's not as slappy as some have suggested. Berto is a certifiable badass who is ready to step up and face tougher foes.
Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye
You know Haye actually has this in mind as his actual goal. He could be the shot in the arm the heavyweight division needs, but he's yet to prove himself against the big boys. Meanwhile, Wlad's recent fights haven't exactly been scintillating, but perhaps he just needs the right challenge to find the champion's heart inside him. Or maybe I'm just a hopeless optimist.
Chris John vs. Israel Vazquez
It's a running joke on this site that I have never seen John fight. There's a good reason for that, as I don't get too many boxing feeds from Indonesia. My gut tells me he can't possibly be a total stiff, as he does have wins over Derrick Gainer and Juan Manuel Marquez, though the latter is rumored to be due at least partly to some home cooking. In any case, if The Dragon ever wanted to test himself on this side of the world, may I suggest Vazquez? With his power, offensive skill and heart, he'd make sure we all know exactly what John is made of.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Nate Campbell
Manny is an easy choice as my favorite fighter since I'm Filipino on my mom's side. Oh yeah, it doesn't hurt that he's the best boxer active in the sport right now. Campbell put on a tremendous performance when he beat Juan Diaz that really opened my eyes. He's also a great success story overdue for a nice payday, which he'd get if he fought Pacman.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Edwin Valero
This was actually discussed as a possibility before Pacman moved up to much bigger and financially better things by signing to face Oscar De La Hoya. From a purist's standpoint, this bout would be a lot more aesthetically pleasing, pitting the pound-for-pound king against Dougie Fischer's favorite son, an internet legend who has knocked out every foe he's faced thus far. Potentially explosive? I would say so.
Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anderson Silva
Before UFC head honcho Dana White put the kibosh on this idea, I was pretty excited to see if it would actually happen. Silva is considered by many to be MMA's most talented fighter, and his striking skills are something to watch. Still, I wonder about how even The Spider would fare against a top notch boxer -especially defensively - and Jones has enough gas left in the tank for us to find out. This fight would also do amazing business at the gate and on pay-per-view, with Jones still a draw among casual fans and Silva continuing to be built up by the UFC.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley
This appears to be a violation of my self-imposed weight rule, but Manny is going up to welterweight to face De La Hoya, so I'm letting it slide on a technicality. This is strictly a personal pick, as these two men have been my favorite boxers since my brother Uatu first got me into the sport. Mosley is obviously bigger and hits pretty hard even at 147, but he's also older than Manny and has lost at least a half-step. If Manny was going to take a big step up in weight, this is the fight I'd rather see.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
