Yes, we're a few days into 2010 now, but sometimes it takes some time to have all the BoxingWatchers give some input on... well, anything really.
Anyhow, we only do a pound-for-pound list at the end of each calendar year, because things don't generally change too much in any given month to be worth voting again. After 12 months though? That's a different story.
For starters, we lost several men from our end of list. Joe Calzaghe retired, and Antonio Margarito lost his only 2009 fight and got suspended for cheating.
A notable addition to the top 10 is Floyd Mayweather, who was still "retired" at this time last year. And the rest of the deck has been shuffled somewhat as well.
Based on nothing but our own opinions, here's our list:
BoxingWatchers.com Top 10 Pound-for-Pound Boxers - End of 2009
(End of 2008 rank in parentheses)
1. Manny Pacquiao (Last year: 1)
2. Floyd Mayweather (NR)
3. Bernard Hopkins (3)
4. Shane Mosley (NR)
5. Juan Manuel Marquez (4)
6. Israel Vazquez (5)
7. Chad Dawson (NR)
8. Paul Williams (6)
9. Arthur Abraham (NR)
10. Timothy Bradley (NR)
Also receiving votes: Nonito Donaire
Dropped out: Joe Calzaghe (retired, last year: 2), Antonio Margarito (7), Kelly Pavlik (8), Ivan Calderon (9), Rafael Marquez (10)
Posted by The Franchise
Showing posts with label chad dawson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chad dawson. Show all posts
9.11.09
20/20 Hindsight: Chad Wins But It's Still Not All Good, Plus David Makes Haye
I think somewhere around the ninth round of the Chad Dawson-Glen Johnson rematch was the first time I heard some scattered boos coming from fans at Hartford's XL Center. That happens sometimes when a fight isn't competitive - and don't be fooled by the close official scores, because this was not a close fight - and there doesn't seem like there's much hope of a late round knockout.
The troublesome part of Saturday's booing is that it was coming from Dawson's home fans. And that's on top of the fact that he wasn't enough of a draw to manage 50 percent capacity in an arena in his home state.
Dawson put on a boxing clinic, making Johnson look old, slow and generally ineffective. His speed and timing left Glen with few answers, and his defense was good enough to keep him out of the trouble he ran into in the 10th round of their previous fight.
But Bad Chad didn't put Johnson in any trouble either, and even though that's a difficult task, it's something he really needed to do to capture fans' imaginations. I can't imagine he got the HBO brass too fired up about his next outing, especially considering the lack of under-40 names in Dawson's weight class.
Don't get me wrong. I think Dawson is an excellent boxer, and though he's not quite at the level of a Floyd Mayweather, he's similarly impressive in the way he operates and makes a difficult sport look effortless.
Floyd can get away with putting on virtuoso performances that don't excite casual fans because of his larger than life persona. Chad can't, and for that reason he seems destined to continue to win in relative obscurity. It's a shame, but unless he gets a brashness transplant or starts spontaneously knocking people out, I'm not sure how that's going to change.
And now for something completely different...
Color me surprised that David Haye was able to lift one of the heavyweight title belts from Nikolai Valuev. Not because I find the Russian Giant particularly impressive (just really big), but because I figured the size differential would be too much for Haye to handle if he decided to slug it out.
Give Haye and his team credit for deducing that hit-and-run was the way to go. Well played.
I'm not sure what's wrong with me, because I usually can't stand athletes of any type who talk trash without backing it up. That means I should dislike Haye, especially after he badmouthed the Klitschko brothers and then mysteriously ended up not fighting either of them.
But for some reason I find Haye compelling, and it probably doesn't hurt that (until this weekend, according to observers) he's fun to watch when he fights. There's really no logical reason Wladimir and Vitali should give him the time of day after what went down over the past year, but he does have a belt, and they seem to be pretty important to the Klitschko brothers, so you never know.
Love him or hate him, you have to say this about Haye: it's hard to see him ever getting booed by his home fans.
Posted by The Franchise
The troublesome part of Saturday's booing is that it was coming from Dawson's home fans. And that's on top of the fact that he wasn't enough of a draw to manage 50 percent capacity in an arena in his home state.
Dawson put on a boxing clinic, making Johnson look old, slow and generally ineffective. His speed and timing left Glen with few answers, and his defense was good enough to keep him out of the trouble he ran into in the 10th round of their previous fight.
But Bad Chad didn't put Johnson in any trouble either, and even though that's a difficult task, it's something he really needed to do to capture fans' imaginations. I can't imagine he got the HBO brass too fired up about his next outing, especially considering the lack of under-40 names in Dawson's weight class.
Don't get me wrong. I think Dawson is an excellent boxer, and though he's not quite at the level of a Floyd Mayweather, he's similarly impressive in the way he operates and makes a difficult sport look effortless.
Floyd can get away with putting on virtuoso performances that don't excite casual fans because of his larger than life persona. Chad can't, and for that reason he seems destined to continue to win in relative obscurity. It's a shame, but unless he gets a brashness transplant or starts spontaneously knocking people out, I'm not sure how that's going to change.
And now for something completely different...
Color me surprised that David Haye was able to lift one of the heavyweight title belts from Nikolai Valuev. Not because I find the Russian Giant particularly impressive (just really big), but because I figured the size differential would be too much for Haye to handle if he decided to slug it out.
Give Haye and his team credit for deducing that hit-and-run was the way to go. Well played.
I'm not sure what's wrong with me, because I usually can't stand athletes of any type who talk trash without backing it up. That means I should dislike Haye, especially after he badmouthed the Klitschko brothers and then mysteriously ended up not fighting either of them.
But for some reason I find Haye compelling, and it probably doesn't hurt that (until this weekend, according to observers) he's fun to watch when he fights. There's really no logical reason Wladimir and Vitali should give him the time of day after what went down over the past year, but he does have a belt, and they seem to be pretty important to the Klitschko brothers, so you never know.
Love him or hate him, you have to say this about Haye: it's hard to see him ever getting booed by his home fans.
Posted by The Franchise
7.11.09
Chad Dawson v. Glen Johnson II: Round by Round
HBO is killing time since the first fight only went 3 rounds. They show a montage of the first fight and both of their careers.
Posted by spartan117
Now Johnson makes his way to the ring. He has a big smile on his face and looks loose and ready.
Dawson follows now. He's coming to the ring to Run This Town by Jay-Z. The crowd is giving him a great hometown response.
The intos are finished. Here we go.
Round 1
They meet in the center. Dawson starts with the jab and Johnson lands a hard counter straight early to get Dawson's attention. Johnson is looking to counter punch and he's getting some good shots in. Dawson goes into the defensive shell and Johnson throws away. The first round has been a good round for both fighters.
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Round 2
Dawson is establishing the jab. Johnson is bobbing and weaving. He throws a couple of hooks. Dawson gets a straight left through Johnson's gloves. Dawson lands a counter left uppercut. Johnson throws to the body and Dawson counters again. Dawson is loosing his trunks and waist protector is rising way up. He gets caught in the corner but gets out in time.
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Round 3
Dawson starts by throwing 9 jabs. Johnson is trying to get on the inside but Dawson is using movement well to get out of his way. Dawson backs away and dodges a straight right from Johnson. Dawson unleashes a combo to the body that scores. Another great combo by Dawson. Johnson misses by a lot and Dawson makes him pay. The crowd gets into it. Dawson lands 2 more punches and gets off of the ropes. Johnson is having a tough time landing punches due to Dawson's crafty D.
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Round 4
Dawson is countering beautifully. Johnson is coming forward and eating left and right hand repeatedly. Dawson is choosing his punches wisely too. Johnson seems to be changing his gameplan a bit and isn't throwing as much. Maybe he's getting tired. Dawson lands a big left. He backs away and dodges some more Johnson punches. Dawson showboats a bit before the end of the round.
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Round 5
Dawson comes out jabbing again. Johnson is trying to land but is still struggling. Johnson is keeping his gloves really high to to try to block. Dawson counters some more punches while against the ropes. Johnson can't get in to any rhythm. Dawson throws another fast combo and Johnson covers up. Johnson continues to come forward. Another good round for Bad Chad.
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Round 6
Johnson comes forward again but he's not throwing much. Dawson counters again. Dawson is fighting a great fight thus far. Now Johnson starts getting some punches in that are landing. A couple hooks twist Dawson's neck. Dawson lands a hard left hand. Dawson gets caught against the ropes and gets out of danger. Dawson lands some more great punches. Dawson lands a good power shot before the bell.
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Round 7
Johnson comes forward once again. Dawson continues to counter him well. Dawson throws 2 hooks to the body and scores. Johnson is still in no rhythm to win any of these rounds, especially against some home town judges. Johnson grazes with a left hook. That's the best he's done this round. Another round on the cards for Dawson.
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Round 8
Every fight Dawson is in he says he wants to wow the crowd and win over some skeptics. He's winning rounds but most of these rounds have been quite boring. Johnson keeps coming forward and Dawson keeps countering him. Johnson throws some more futile punches and Dawson counters him beautifully. Neither fighter is in trouble of being knocked out because neither fighter is throwing any power punches.
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Round 9
Dawson lands 2 great body hooks. He gets caught in the corner but sneaks out once again. Johnson tries to land a punch to the body. Now Dawson turns up the heat. Johnson wiffs hard with a hook and Dawson lands a big combo. The crowd gets on their feet. Johnson is doing nothing to win these rounds.
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Round 10
Johnson gets countered hard early in the round the crowd goes crazy. Johnson still isn't in any real physical danger besides the danger of losing this fight. The commentators have stopped talking about the fight at hand completely and are focusing on the undercard. After about a minute they get back on topic. I hear some lone "boo's" from the hometown crowd. Dawson is taking another round with counter punches. Johnson is still struggling and hasn't come up with any solutions for Chad Dawson.
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Round 11
Johnson comes forward once again. Dawson is circling him and still picking his punches well. Now there are a lot of boos from the crowd. Johnson lands a few good body shots. The crowd continues to boo. Dawson lands a quick left hook and pushes Johnson back. He misses with an uppercut.
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Round 12
Johnson is using a last ditch effort to try to win this fight by swinging wildly for a KO. Dawson isn't doing much to win this round but who can blame him. He should have this fight in the bag. He lands 2 hooks. Johnson misses with a big left hook. Dawson lands a straight left. Both fighters coast down the stretch.
Spartan117: 10-9 Johnson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Franchise: 10-9 Johnson
Spartan117: 119-109 Dawson
Uatu: 120-110 Dawson
Franchise: 119-109 Dawson
The judges score the bout 115-113, 115-113, and 117-111 all for the winner by unanimous decision "Bad" Chad Dawson
Posted by spartan117
Chad Dawson-Glen Johnson II: Live Round By Round Updates Tonight
It's rematch time tonight in Hartford, Connecticut. Can Chad Dawson win in more convincing fashion in a second bout with Glen Johnson after sweating out some anxious moments in the latter stages of his decision victory the first time?
Or can the Road Warrior defiantly spit in the face of Father Time and avenge what he considers to be an injustice perpetrated by the judges? We'll find out live tonight on HBO, along with seeing Alfredo Angulo go for the gold - sort of, in the form of a WBO interim belt - against Harry Joe Yorgey.
If you aren't able to see the fights, you can get our take as they unfold thanks to our live round by round posts. We'll have them out on the main page as they happen, beginning shortly after 9:30 pm (Eastern time) tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
Or can the Road Warrior defiantly spit in the face of Father Time and avenge what he considers to be an injustice perpetrated by the judges? We'll find out live tonight on HBO, along with seeing Alfredo Angulo go for the gold - sort of, in the form of a WBO interim belt - against Harry Joe Yorgey.
If you aren't able to see the fights, you can get our take as they unfold thanks to our live round by round posts. We'll have them out on the main page as they happen, beginning shortly after 9:30 pm (Eastern time) tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
6.11.09
Dawson-Johnson II and Valuev-Haye: Predictions
The Franchise says...
Though there's a megafight looming on the horizon next weekend, there's some business to attend to in two different locations this Saturday. First and foremost is a very interesting rematch between Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson in Dawson's Hartford, Connecticut backyard.
You may recall that the first fight was pretty close, and I had to go back and check out my own scorecard to see how the flow of the action unfolded. I actually had it a point closer than the actual judges, even after giving the final three rounds to Johnson, so while I thought (and still believe) that it was a very close call, I don't think the Road Warrior got robbed by any means.
That being said, while I expect this should be a hard-fought rematch with its share of excitement, I don't know that it lends itself to tons of analysis. Both men are known quantities and probably won't abandon the strategies they used the first time, since in a sense, they both worked: Dawson won plenty of rounds with his boxing, while Johnson came forward relentlessly and almost pulled it out in the late rounds.
The main variables this time around are whether the much younger Dawson has learned any new tricks since last time (who knows?) and whether Father Time has finally run down Johnson (I want to say no, but it's certainly possible). Chad did have a scare in the 10th round of the first fight that he'll want to avoid this time out, but he's also probably facing some self-applied pressure to win more convincingly this time, so tactically I'm thinking that's a wash.
Put simply, if Dawson is the pound-for-pound talent we suspect he may be, he should win more rounds in this one, and though you always hate to think this way, fighting in Hartford doesn't figure to hurt his chances. That adds up to Bad Chad by unanimous decision, but likely in more decisive fashion the second time around.
Across the world in Germany, one of the heavyweight titles David Haye has supposedly always wanted a shot at is on the line when he tries to upend the giant Nikolai Valuev. I say supposedly because Haye appeared to have title shots against both Klitschko brothers lined up and ended up fighting neither of them.
It seems strange that facing a 7-footer would be the path of least resistance, yet that's exactly the case here. Valuev can box alright for his size, but he'll never be mistaken for Wladimir or Vitali, and that's bound to be just what Haye and his team are counting on.
Still, there's the size thing. Haye has power, but extending it to hit someone who is nine inches taller... I mean, at some point it just becomes a physics problem, doesn't it?
I'd actually feel safer picking Haye if he was a technician a la Chris Byrd in his prime, so he could just get his shots in and get out of the way. As it is, despite logic suggesting someone is getting knocked out, I have a bad feeling that this is going to be an ugly mess that gets decided on the cards.
Forced to make a pick, I'll say Valuev by decision, meaning the noise coming from Haye will be how he got jobbed. If he wins, it may force one of the Klitschkos to fight him if they want to collect all the belts, and that may be the only way they'll do it after the shenanigans he pulled before.
Posted by The Franchise
Though there's a megafight looming on the horizon next weekend, there's some business to attend to in two different locations this Saturday. First and foremost is a very interesting rematch between Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson in Dawson's Hartford, Connecticut backyard.
You may recall that the first fight was pretty close, and I had to go back and check out my own scorecard to see how the flow of the action unfolded. I actually had it a point closer than the actual judges, even after giving the final three rounds to Johnson, so while I thought (and still believe) that it was a very close call, I don't think the Road Warrior got robbed by any means.
That being said, while I expect this should be a hard-fought rematch with its share of excitement, I don't know that it lends itself to tons of analysis. Both men are known quantities and probably won't abandon the strategies they used the first time, since in a sense, they both worked: Dawson won plenty of rounds with his boxing, while Johnson came forward relentlessly and almost pulled it out in the late rounds.
The main variables this time around are whether the much younger Dawson has learned any new tricks since last time (who knows?) and whether Father Time has finally run down Johnson (I want to say no, but it's certainly possible). Chad did have a scare in the 10th round of the first fight that he'll want to avoid this time out, but he's also probably facing some self-applied pressure to win more convincingly this time, so tactically I'm thinking that's a wash.
Put simply, if Dawson is the pound-for-pound talent we suspect he may be, he should win more rounds in this one, and though you always hate to think this way, fighting in Hartford doesn't figure to hurt his chances. That adds up to Bad Chad by unanimous decision, but likely in more decisive fashion the second time around.
Across the world in Germany, one of the heavyweight titles David Haye has supposedly always wanted a shot at is on the line when he tries to upend the giant Nikolai Valuev. I say supposedly because Haye appeared to have title shots against both Klitschko brothers lined up and ended up fighting neither of them.
It seems strange that facing a 7-footer would be the path of least resistance, yet that's exactly the case here. Valuev can box alright for his size, but he'll never be mistaken for Wladimir or Vitali, and that's bound to be just what Haye and his team are counting on.
Still, there's the size thing. Haye has power, but extending it to hit someone who is nine inches taller... I mean, at some point it just becomes a physics problem, doesn't it?
I'd actually feel safer picking Haye if he was a technician a la Chris Byrd in his prime, so he could just get his shots in and get out of the way. As it is, despite logic suggesting someone is getting knocked out, I have a bad feeling that this is going to be an ugly mess that gets decided on the cards.
Forced to make a pick, I'll say Valuev by decision, meaning the noise coming from Haye will be how he got jobbed. If he wins, it may force one of the Klitschkos to fight him if they want to collect all the belts, and that may be the only way they'll do it after the shenanigans he pulled before.
Posted by The Franchise
4.8.09
Franchise Thoughts: Looking at the Second Half of the 2009 Boxing Schedule, Plus the Debut of Shoe Shining
After a pretty hot start to the year in boxing, we hit a bit of a lull during the middle of the summer months. Something similar happened in 2008, but at least then we had Olympic boxing to watch (plus bitch about its ridiculous scoring system).
Anyway, we're past that now, and even if it's not necessarily pedal to the metal for the rest of 2009 - September could still use a few more fights, for one - as Jim Ross would say, business is about to pick up.
With that in mind, here are some highlights for the rest of the calendar year. This isn't intended to be an exhaustive list, and some of these fights aren't set in stone yet, but these are dates to keep in mind moving forward.
Aug. 15 - Nonito Donaire vs. Rafael Concepcion, Steven Luevano vs. Bernabe Concepcion (PPV); Roy Jones vs. Jeff Lacy (PPV)
Dueling pay-per-views are always a bummer, simply because they force you to make a choice. It will be interesting to see who has more (or more properly who has less) left in the tank between Roy and Jeff, and that event will probably sell better because of Jones' name. The little guys will be the better value pick though, and fans on the internets seem to be in love with Bernabe, so the Luevano bout should be a good one.
The Jones PPV also has Danny Green, B.J. Flores and Jason Litzau on the card, which is at least an attempt to give viewers some bang for the buck.
Aug. 22 - Juan Diaz vs. Paulie Malignaggi (HBO)
This is a nice matchup between two eminently watchable boxers; Diaz for his entertaining fighting style and Paulie for his personality. Both men are trying to get careers that kind of came off the rails in 2008 back on track, so motivation shouldn't be an issue.
The rest of the card is also loaded, with Robert Guerrero facing Malcolm Klassen and Daniel "Call me Danny" Jacobs taking on Ishe Smith. The Golden Child has been pretty defensive on Twitter about criticism of Smith as an opponent; maybe he'll channel that aggression into something impressive.
Aug. 28 - Tavoris Cloud vs. Clinton Woods, Juan Urango vs. Randall Bailey (ESPN2)
Friday Night Fights goes out with a bang with two title fights. I think the hard-swinging Cloud is on the verge of making a name for himself, but he's been off for a year and Woods is no stiff, or at least he hasn't been in the past. Urango-Bailey doesn't excite me a ton but is better than most FNF main events.
Sep. 12 - Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward (Showtime)
No, they aren't fighting each other, but tuning up and fulfilling sanctioning body obligations before the World Boxing Classic kicks off (probably, see below!). Nervous Showtime execs will be watching with crossed fingers.
Ivan Calderon also headlines a PPV the same night if pro wrestling-style squash matches aren't your thing.
Sep. 19 - Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez (PPV)
So many questions to be answered here. Was Floyd really hurt and will he be rusty after his brief retirement? Will JMM handle the step up in weight? What weight is this fight being contested at, for that matter?
Unlike many HBO PPV cards, this one could end up really stacked. Already on is round two between Chris John and Rocky Juarez. Zab Judah will fight someone. And Dan Rafael has mentioned Allan Green-Sakio Bika as a possibility as well. If you're going to fork over your hard-earned money for just one PPV this fall, you could do a lot worse than this.
Oct. 10 - Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa (PPV)
Again, these two guys aren't fighting each other, but will be in action on the latest Latin Fury card. Juanma is starting to become must-see TV for any boxing fan, and wins for him and Gamboa enhance the chances of a showdown in 2010.
Oct. 17 - Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell, Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor (Showtime)
Anticipation will likely be at a fever pitch as the most exciting concept to hit the sport in some time, the Super Six World Boxing Classic, gets underway. Not much more needs to be said, as every fight in the tournament is worth watching.
Nov. 7 - Chad Dawson vs. Glen Johnson II (HBO)
This is one rematch plenty of fans want to see. Johnson pushed Dawson to his limits last time and hasn't shown signs of aging yet. If Bad Chad wins convincingly, it could go a long way toward reversing some of the negative feelings regarding his lack of killer instinct. And could a certain Executioner be waiting for the winner?
This is also the date that David Haye fights Nikolai Valuev. You know, if Haye actually decides to fight.
Nov. 14 - Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto (PPV)
How can you not like this match? It pits two popular fighters with large ethnic followings and styles that usually result in action-packed fights against each other, and it will be an excellent show to attend live.
The rest of the card is still coming together, but Edwin Valero, Humberto Soto and Alfonso Gomez are all likely to be fighting.
Nov. 21 - Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward (Showtime)
Assuming nothing goes awry in September, Kessler and Ward will finish off the first group of round robin matches here. My personal opinion is that S.O.G. drew the toughest initial bout, but the beauty of the World Boxing Classic is that there are no easy fights, so he might as well see how he measures up right away.
Nov. 28 - Lucian Bute vs. Librado Andrade II (HBO)
Bute is the guy who has the most reason for being upset about not being included in the World Boxing Classic, and apparently he wasn't even asked. That should be enough to put a chip on his shoulder, but there's also the fact that he was the beneficiary of some home cooking by the referee in Montreal during his first fight with Andrade.
It's tough to envision a second ending as dramatic as the twelfth round of Bute-Andrade I, but since this could very well be the last significant fight of 2009, maybe these guys will figure out a way to put an exclamation point on another good year for the sweet science.
SHOE SHINING...
Any good blog worth its salt needs a cutesy name for links and short commentary not big enough to warrant full posts, and I finally settled on shoe shining. Because who doesn't love a showy burst of uppercuts, right?
And if some boxing blogger out there has already thought of this one, I apologize. Just remember imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. On with the show...
Except for Floyd's dispute of reports that he owes the IRS a boatload of money, thus forcing him to come out of retirement, we haven't had too many appearances from Mayweather family members in the headlines for a bit. That changed over the past 24 hours when Roger Mayweather was arrested on charges of attacking a female boxer he used to train. I'm sure Floyd Sr. will have a comment or two on this one...
From the "say it ain't so" file comes Dan Rafael's blog entry mentioning how a lawsuit from Kessler's former promoter could derail the Super Six before it even gets going. To which I say, oh, hell no...
Here's a good little piece on how the Agua Caliente Casino Resort put a big effort into promoting the Timothy Bradley-Nate Campbell card. It's just nice to see boxing discussed as something to use as a draw for guests...
Andrew Walker at East Side Boxing discusses what it would take for the U.K. to get a TV channel devoted to boxing. My heart says that would be incredible for the U.S. too, but my heart knows that niche channels in general don't seem to be doing that well, and boxing's audience is too small to make that possible.
Posted by The Franchise
Anyway, we're past that now, and even if it's not necessarily pedal to the metal for the rest of 2009 - September could still use a few more fights, for one - as Jim Ross would say, business is about to pick up.
With that in mind, here are some highlights for the rest of the calendar year. This isn't intended to be an exhaustive list, and some of these fights aren't set in stone yet, but these are dates to keep in mind moving forward.
Aug. 15 - Nonito Donaire vs. Rafael Concepcion, Steven Luevano vs. Bernabe Concepcion (PPV); Roy Jones vs. Jeff Lacy (PPV)
Dueling pay-per-views are always a bummer, simply because they force you to make a choice. It will be interesting to see who has more (or more properly who has less) left in the tank between Roy and Jeff, and that event will probably sell better because of Jones' name. The little guys will be the better value pick though, and fans on the internets seem to be in love with Bernabe, so the Luevano bout should be a good one.
The Jones PPV also has Danny Green, B.J. Flores and Jason Litzau on the card, which is at least an attempt to give viewers some bang for the buck.
Aug. 22 - Juan Diaz vs. Paulie Malignaggi (HBO)
This is a nice matchup between two eminently watchable boxers; Diaz for his entertaining fighting style and Paulie for his personality. Both men are trying to get careers that kind of came off the rails in 2008 back on track, so motivation shouldn't be an issue.
The rest of the card is also loaded, with Robert Guerrero facing Malcolm Klassen and Daniel "Call me Danny" Jacobs taking on Ishe Smith. The Golden Child has been pretty defensive on Twitter about criticism of Smith as an opponent; maybe he'll channel that aggression into something impressive.
Aug. 28 - Tavoris Cloud vs. Clinton Woods, Juan Urango vs. Randall Bailey (ESPN2)
Friday Night Fights goes out with a bang with two title fights. I think the hard-swinging Cloud is on the verge of making a name for himself, but he's been off for a year and Woods is no stiff, or at least he hasn't been in the past. Urango-Bailey doesn't excite me a ton but is better than most FNF main events.
Sep. 12 - Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward (Showtime)
No, they aren't fighting each other, but tuning up and fulfilling sanctioning body obligations before the World Boxing Classic kicks off (probably, see below!). Nervous Showtime execs will be watching with crossed fingers.
Ivan Calderon also headlines a PPV the same night if pro wrestling-style squash matches aren't your thing.
Sep. 19 - Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez (PPV)
So many questions to be answered here. Was Floyd really hurt and will he be rusty after his brief retirement? Will JMM handle the step up in weight? What weight is this fight being contested at, for that matter?
Unlike many HBO PPV cards, this one could end up really stacked. Already on is round two between Chris John and Rocky Juarez. Zab Judah will fight someone. And Dan Rafael has mentioned Allan Green-Sakio Bika as a possibility as well. If you're going to fork over your hard-earned money for just one PPV this fall, you could do a lot worse than this.
Oct. 10 - Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa (PPV)
Again, these two guys aren't fighting each other, but will be in action on the latest Latin Fury card. Juanma is starting to become must-see TV for any boxing fan, and wins for him and Gamboa enhance the chances of a showdown in 2010.
Oct. 17 - Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell, Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor (Showtime)
Anticipation will likely be at a fever pitch as the most exciting concept to hit the sport in some time, the Super Six World Boxing Classic, gets underway. Not much more needs to be said, as every fight in the tournament is worth watching.
Nov. 7 - Chad Dawson vs. Glen Johnson II (HBO)
This is one rematch plenty of fans want to see. Johnson pushed Dawson to his limits last time and hasn't shown signs of aging yet. If Bad Chad wins convincingly, it could go a long way toward reversing some of the negative feelings regarding his lack of killer instinct. And could a certain Executioner be waiting for the winner?
This is also the date that David Haye fights Nikolai Valuev. You know, if Haye actually decides to fight.
Nov. 14 - Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto (PPV)
How can you not like this match? It pits two popular fighters with large ethnic followings and styles that usually result in action-packed fights against each other, and it will be an excellent show to attend live.
The rest of the card is still coming together, but Edwin Valero, Humberto Soto and Alfonso Gomez are all likely to be fighting.
Nov. 21 - Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward (Showtime)
Assuming nothing goes awry in September, Kessler and Ward will finish off the first group of round robin matches here. My personal opinion is that S.O.G. drew the toughest initial bout, but the beauty of the World Boxing Classic is that there are no easy fights, so he might as well see how he measures up right away.
Nov. 28 - Lucian Bute vs. Librado Andrade II (HBO)
Bute is the guy who has the most reason for being upset about not being included in the World Boxing Classic, and apparently he wasn't even asked. That should be enough to put a chip on his shoulder, but there's also the fact that he was the beneficiary of some home cooking by the referee in Montreal during his first fight with Andrade.
It's tough to envision a second ending as dramatic as the twelfth round of Bute-Andrade I, but since this could very well be the last significant fight of 2009, maybe these guys will figure out a way to put an exclamation point on another good year for the sweet science.
SHOE SHINING...
Any good blog worth its salt needs a cutesy name for links and short commentary not big enough to warrant full posts, and I finally settled on shoe shining. Because who doesn't love a showy burst of uppercuts, right?
And if some boxing blogger out there has already thought of this one, I apologize. Just remember imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. On with the show...
Except for Floyd's dispute of reports that he owes the IRS a boatload of money, thus forcing him to come out of retirement, we haven't had too many appearances from Mayweather family members in the headlines for a bit. That changed over the past 24 hours when Roger Mayweather was arrested on charges of attacking a female boxer he used to train. I'm sure Floyd Sr. will have a comment or two on this one...
From the "say it ain't so" file comes Dan Rafael's blog entry mentioning how a lawsuit from Kessler's former promoter could derail the Super Six before it even gets going. To which I say, oh, hell no...
Here's a good little piece on how the Agua Caliente Casino Resort put a big effort into promoting the Timothy Bradley-Nate Campbell card. It's just nice to see boxing discussed as something to use as a draw for guests...
Andrew Walker at East Side Boxing discusses what it would take for the U.K. to get a TV channel devoted to boxing. My heart says that would be incredible for the U.S. too, but my heart knows that niche channels in general don't seem to be doing that well, and boxing's audience is too small to make that possible.
Posted by The Franchise
26.5.09
More on Dawson-Johnson II and a Possible Title Fight for Tavoris Cloud
Courtesy of the Tallahassee Democrat comes another report that HBO has approved Glen Johnson as an opponent for Chad Dawson, setting up a rematch between the two men as the likely next fight for both.
Where does that leave Tallahassee's own Tavoris Cloud, who's been the number one contender for Dawson's IBF light heavyweight belt since knocking out Julio Gonzalez nine months ago? Possibly in better shape for a title shot, as the Democrat speculates that the IBF may strip Dawson of his gold. That would leave Cloud and former titleholder Clinton Woods to fight for the belt.
If you haven't seen Cloud in action, he's a treat to watch. He uses a very aggressive pressure style and swings for the fences on darn near every punch. I haven't seen enough of him to formulate an opinion on his overall skill set, but he's definitely exciting.
Woods owns two wins of his own over Gonzalez, though both were decisions and the second was relatively close. He has a big edge in experience against top flight competition (including Roy Jones Jr, Antonio Tarver and three fights with Johnson), but he's 37 and is likely to have his hands full with the younger Cloud.
Posted by The Franchise
Where does that leave Tallahassee's own Tavoris Cloud, who's been the number one contender for Dawson's IBF light heavyweight belt since knocking out Julio Gonzalez nine months ago? Possibly in better shape for a title shot, as the Democrat speculates that the IBF may strip Dawson of his gold. That would leave Cloud and former titleholder Clinton Woods to fight for the belt.
If you haven't seen Cloud in action, he's a treat to watch. He uses a very aggressive pressure style and swings for the fences on darn near every punch. I haven't seen enough of him to formulate an opinion on his overall skill set, but he's definitely exciting.
Woods owns two wins of his own over Gonzalez, though both were decisions and the second was relatively close. He has a big edge in experience against top flight competition (including Roy Jones Jr, Antonio Tarver and three fights with Johnson), but he's 37 and is likely to have his hands full with the younger Cloud.
Posted by The Franchise
20-20 Hindsight Holiday Edition: Thoughts on Upcoming Fights and the Riddle of Andre Berto
Hopefully all American BW readers are finishing up a pleasant Memorial Day weekend. I personally find it to be one of the more meaningful U.S. holidays, as it commemorates the sacrifices made by the men and women who died defending our country - and though neither died in action, both of my grandfathers served, and I think of them both on this day.
With no big fight to look back on, I'm looking ahead to several fights either recently announced or in the works, most of which come courtesy of ESPN's Dan Rafael and the holiday edition of his notebook:
Zab Judah vs. Matthew Hatton - July 18 (on Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez PPV undercard) - Though Zab (or whoever masquerades as Zab) Twittered not that long ago that he'd be facing Randall Bailey, he's ended up instead with Matthew Hatton, younger brother of Ricky Hatton.
Though no one will confuse Matt with his older sibling, he's fought more times in the U.S. than the Hitman had at a similar career point and has acquitted himself fairly well. He doesn't have a ton of power (just 14 KOs in 37 career wins), and one suspects he'll come up short in the hand speed department against Judah too.
The question with Zab, as always, is which version of him we'll get. If he's in good shape and his head is screwed on straight, he should win. Those are no guarantees, so this is a semi-intriguing undercard scrap.
Timothy Bradley vs. Joan Guzman - August or September - Bradley puts his 140-pound WBO belt on the line against Guzman, who's fought mostly at 130 pounds but has had trouble making weight even at 135 (as Nate Campbell can attest) and has been talking about continuing to move up.
Though Bradley keeps finding ways to win, this may be a tough defense as Guzman has a lot of skills. I'll even go out on a slight limb and say he may prove to have more power as he moves up a la JMM, as both guys now seem like they just killed themselves a little too long trying to make lower weights.
An interesting sidenote is that Rafael mentions that Bradley didn't want to face Devon Alexander, which is unfortunate as that had the makings of a good fight. The WBC title is now vacant as a result, and Alexander will take on Junior Witter for that one on July 11 as part of the Vic Darchinyan-Joseph Agbeko undercard.
Chad Dawson vs. Glen Johnson II - Fall - For the record, I scored the first fight between these two gentlemen one point closer than the official cards. But I still thought Dawson won, and I don't agree with Johnson or some fans I heard from who felt like he was robbed.
Close fight? Absolutely. Miscarriage of justice? Uh, no.
That being said, it's ironic that Dawson and his team weren't interested in a rematch until his two unexciting victories over Antonio Tarver suddenly made this into his most lucrative option. Boxing is funny that way sometimes.
There are easier ways to earn a living than going 12 rounds with Johnson, that's for sure.
Tomasz Adamek vs. Bernard Hopkins - Early 2010? - B-Hop continues to amaze, and Adamek is limited though definitely powerful and tough as nails. So perhaps this is right in Bernard's wheelhouse.
It's worth noting, though, that Hopkins will be 45 by the time this fight rolls around if it really is headed for the first part of 2010, and he'll have been off for over a year at that point (Adamek will fight someone this July 10). Not even the Executioner can fight off Father Time forever.
Ultimately, this quote from Rafael sums up the reason for this fight perfectly:
Switching gears to someone who is definitely fighting this coming Saturday, I wanted to recommend Eric Raskin's recent examination of Andre Berto on The Ring Blog. His main theme is that there are people who feel Berto is overrated and others who think he is underrated, and Raskin decides he leans toward the latter camp.
Andre certainly has become a polarizing figure among boxing fans, and his critics seem to have gathered renewed strength after he went life-and-death with Luis Collazo in January - as if that was something that should shame him somehow.
Berto tells Raskin that he is anxious to get back to knocking people out. And it is nice to hear boxers express a desire to entertain as well as win.
But I find myself agreeing most with the author when he asks exactly what Berto's detractors are expecting. Yes he hasn't fought tons of tough opponents, but he's young and has been a pro for less than five years.
His defense has holes, though as Manny Pacquiao has shown, those can be patched up even later in one's career. He might not be ready for the Shane Mosleys and the Miguel Cottos of the world right this second, but it's not hard to see him at that level by, say, 2011.
As a frame of reference, BoxRec.com has Berto ranked fourth among welterweights, behind Mosley, Antonio Margarito and Cotto but ahead of the likes of Joshua Clottey, Sebastian Lujuan, Alfonso Gomez, Isaac Hlatshwayo and Judah. With the exception of maybe Clottey, that seems about right to me.
Posted by The Franchise
With no big fight to look back on, I'm looking ahead to several fights either recently announced or in the works, most of which come courtesy of ESPN's Dan Rafael and the holiday edition of his notebook:
Zab Judah vs. Matthew Hatton - July 18 (on Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez PPV undercard) - Though Zab (or whoever masquerades as Zab) Twittered not that long ago that he'd be facing Randall Bailey, he's ended up instead with Matthew Hatton, younger brother of Ricky Hatton.
Though no one will confuse Matt with his older sibling, he's fought more times in the U.S. than the Hitman had at a similar career point and has acquitted himself fairly well. He doesn't have a ton of power (just 14 KOs in 37 career wins), and one suspects he'll come up short in the hand speed department against Judah too.
The question with Zab, as always, is which version of him we'll get. If he's in good shape and his head is screwed on straight, he should win. Those are no guarantees, so this is a semi-intriguing undercard scrap.
Timothy Bradley vs. Joan Guzman - August or September - Bradley puts his 140-pound WBO belt on the line against Guzman, who's fought mostly at 130 pounds but has had trouble making weight even at 135 (as Nate Campbell can attest) and has been talking about continuing to move up.
Though Bradley keeps finding ways to win, this may be a tough defense as Guzman has a lot of skills. I'll even go out on a slight limb and say he may prove to have more power as he moves up a la JMM, as both guys now seem like they just killed themselves a little too long trying to make lower weights.
An interesting sidenote is that Rafael mentions that Bradley didn't want to face Devon Alexander, which is unfortunate as that had the makings of a good fight. The WBC title is now vacant as a result, and Alexander will take on Junior Witter for that one on July 11 as part of the Vic Darchinyan-Joseph Agbeko undercard.
Chad Dawson vs. Glen Johnson II - Fall - For the record, I scored the first fight between these two gentlemen one point closer than the official cards. But I still thought Dawson won, and I don't agree with Johnson or some fans I heard from who felt like he was robbed.
Close fight? Absolutely. Miscarriage of justice? Uh, no.
That being said, it's ironic that Dawson and his team weren't interested in a rematch until his two unexciting victories over Antonio Tarver suddenly made this into his most lucrative option. Boxing is funny that way sometimes.
There are easier ways to earn a living than going 12 rounds with Johnson, that's for sure.
Tomasz Adamek vs. Bernard Hopkins - Early 2010? - B-Hop continues to amaze, and Adamek is limited though definitely powerful and tough as nails. So perhaps this is right in Bernard's wheelhouse.
It's worth noting, though, that Hopkins will be 45 by the time this fight rolls around if it really is headed for the first part of 2010, and he'll have been off for over a year at that point (Adamek will fight someone this July 10). Not even the Executioner can fight off Father Time forever.
Ultimately, this quote from Rafael sums up the reason for this fight perfectly:
"Adamek and Hopkins seem to need each other at this point to produce their biggest payday."
Switching gears to someone who is definitely fighting this coming Saturday, I wanted to recommend Eric Raskin's recent examination of Andre Berto on The Ring Blog. His main theme is that there are people who feel Berto is overrated and others who think he is underrated, and Raskin decides he leans toward the latter camp.
Andre certainly has become a polarizing figure among boxing fans, and his critics seem to have gathered renewed strength after he went life-and-death with Luis Collazo in January - as if that was something that should shame him somehow.
Berto tells Raskin that he is anxious to get back to knocking people out. And it is nice to hear boxers express a desire to entertain as well as win.
But I find myself agreeing most with the author when he asks exactly what Berto's detractors are expecting. Yes he hasn't fought tons of tough opponents, but he's young and has been a pro for less than five years.
His defense has holes, though as Manny Pacquiao has shown, those can be patched up even later in one's career. He might not be ready for the Shane Mosleys and the Miguel Cottos of the world right this second, but it's not hard to see him at that level by, say, 2011.
As a frame of reference, BoxRec.com has Berto ranked fourth among welterweights, behind Mosley, Antonio Margarito and Cotto but ahead of the likes of Joshua Clottey, Sebastian Lujuan, Alfonso Gomez, Isaac Hlatshwayo and Judah. With the exception of maybe Clottey, that seems about right to me.
Posted by The Franchise
11.5.09
20-20 Hindsight: Will the Real Chad Dawson Please Stand Up? And Please Roy, Knock It Off
Saturday's rematch between Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver was better than the first one, even if that's not saying too much. It was also a perfect example of why I call these Monday posts 20-20 Hindsight, because people seem to be jumping off the Chad Dawson bandwagon in a hurry.
You may recall that after the first Dawson-Tarver bout, just about everyone was breathless in their praise for Bad Chad. Floyd Mayweather Jr. gushed that he was the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, and HBO decided they had to have him on their network.
Now? Well, let's just say the enthusiasm has been dampened a bit.
Failing to excite tends to do that. Dawson obviously has some physical gifts and definitely looks the part. That only makes what we just saw so puzzling.
He clearly had much faster hands and seemed to have more pop on his punches, especially with jabs, than Tarver. He mixed up his body and head work well and showed his usual defensive savvy most of the time.
But even though he looks like he could fight all night, Dawson took some rounds off when he seemed tired. He also didn't show much sense for when to go for the kill on occasions when he stunned Tarver, and on the rare times he came out of his defensive shell, he got tagged by some pretty good shots by an older, slower foe.
The HBO crew (and Emanuel Steward in particular) did a nice job framing Dawson's performance in the context of a more determined effort by Tarver. And admittedly, no one except the Magic Man and his crew had any doubts that Chad won the fight.
Still, the questions are valid. Is Dawson really the next big thing, as observers were claiming after the first fight? Or is he, as one of the announcers (I believe Max Kellerman) put it this time, "a B-plus fighter in a C division?"
My brother Uatu text messaged me after the fight with these negatives: fights scared, lacks some power, lacks chin and stamina. It's hard to argue with those, though Dawson is only 26 and has time to improve.
The lack of KO power and a killer instinct are what worry me the most. Add in that Dawson is soft-spoken, isn't a self-promoter and doesn't have an especially compelling personal story and there's a lot of work left to be done to turn him into a big star.
ELSEWHERE...
I almost feel bad for talking about Roy Jones Jr. and his desire to fight MMA champ Anderson Silva, because now Roy's quest to cross-pollinate the sports has become the story that wouldn't die.
First he tried to get Silva, then Nick Diaz in the boxing ring. Since that hasn't worked, he's now trying - apparently with a straight face - to take one of them on in a cage.
Dana White said no, probably with an f-bomb added for emphasis, and Strikeforce, perhaps remembering what happened to EliteXC when it went the circus route (ahem, Kimbo Slice), also seems uninterested.
Given how he's pressed the issue so far, though, we probably haven't heard the last of this. And people are still writing about Jones, debating the merits of seeing him in an MMA-style bout.
Roy is a grown man and it's not for me to tell him how to make money. If he wants to continue to try to lure someone into a boxing match, I can understand it. Depending on who it is, I may even pay to watch it.
Doing it the other way is just a bad idea, plain and simple. Either the rules will have to be changed to make it a kickboxing match - which strikes me as somewhat pointless - or Jones will be done as soon as he gets taken to the ground.
There's a good chance both boxing and MMA could come out looking foolish, and that's not something I'd care to see happen.
Posted by The Franchise
You may recall that after the first Dawson-Tarver bout, just about everyone was breathless in their praise for Bad Chad. Floyd Mayweather Jr. gushed that he was the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, and HBO decided they had to have him on their network.
Now? Well, let's just say the enthusiasm has been dampened a bit.
Failing to excite tends to do that. Dawson obviously has some physical gifts and definitely looks the part. That only makes what we just saw so puzzling.
He clearly had much faster hands and seemed to have more pop on his punches, especially with jabs, than Tarver. He mixed up his body and head work well and showed his usual defensive savvy most of the time.
But even though he looks like he could fight all night, Dawson took some rounds off when he seemed tired. He also didn't show much sense for when to go for the kill on occasions when he stunned Tarver, and on the rare times he came out of his defensive shell, he got tagged by some pretty good shots by an older, slower foe.
The HBO crew (and Emanuel Steward in particular) did a nice job framing Dawson's performance in the context of a more determined effort by Tarver. And admittedly, no one except the Magic Man and his crew had any doubts that Chad won the fight.
Still, the questions are valid. Is Dawson really the next big thing, as observers were claiming after the first fight? Or is he, as one of the announcers (I believe Max Kellerman) put it this time, "a B-plus fighter in a C division?"
My brother Uatu text messaged me after the fight with these negatives: fights scared, lacks some power, lacks chin and stamina. It's hard to argue with those, though Dawson is only 26 and has time to improve.
The lack of KO power and a killer instinct are what worry me the most. Add in that Dawson is soft-spoken, isn't a self-promoter and doesn't have an especially compelling personal story and there's a lot of work left to be done to turn him into a big star.
ELSEWHERE...
I almost feel bad for talking about Roy Jones Jr. and his desire to fight MMA champ Anderson Silva, because now Roy's quest to cross-pollinate the sports has become the story that wouldn't die.
First he tried to get Silva, then Nick Diaz in the boxing ring. Since that hasn't worked, he's now trying - apparently with a straight face - to take one of them on in a cage.
Dana White said no, probably with an f-bomb added for emphasis, and Strikeforce, perhaps remembering what happened to EliteXC when it went the circus route (ahem, Kimbo Slice), also seems uninterested.
Given how he's pressed the issue so far, though, we probably haven't heard the last of this. And people are still writing about Jones, debating the merits of seeing him in an MMA-style bout.
Roy is a grown man and it's not for me to tell him how to make money. If he wants to continue to try to lure someone into a boxing match, I can understand it. Depending on who it is, I may even pay to watch it.
Doing it the other way is just a bad idea, plain and simple. Either the rules will have to be changed to make it a kickboxing match - which strikes me as somewhat pointless - or Jones will be done as soon as he gets taken to the ground.
There's a good chance both boxing and MMA could come out looking foolish, and that's not something I'd care to see happen.
Posted by The Franchise
9.5.09
Chad Dawson vs. Antonio Tarver II: Round By Round
Tonight's HBO broadcast features the rematch between Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver live from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. First up is a replay of the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight - all two rounds of it - from last Saturday.
The 26-year old Dawson won the first fight easily, claiming the IBF and IBO light heavyweight belts. His record now stands at 27-0 with 17 KOs.
Tarver is now 40 years old but has a well deserved reputation for performing better in rematches, having avenged losses to Roy Jones Jr., Glen Johnson and Eric Harding over the course of his career. He is 27-5 with 19 KOs.
Jim Lampley, Emanuel Steward and Max Kellerman are the announce team tonight, and they discuss Manny's win, the Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez fight and the possibility of Manny and Floyd facing off. Kellerman says if they meet, it will be the most historically significant fight since Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez met in 1993.
As for tonight's business at hand, Steward says Dawson will have to be better tonight than he was the first time because Tarver will be better prepared. Kellerman thinks Dawson will want to impress fans and observers as well as win the fight.
A nice video package shows Dawson with his family, including his wife and three kids.
The tale of the tape shows the two fighters are almost identical in height, reach and weight. The 14-year age difference is the only thing that stands out.
Tarver comes out first in what is for him a fairly subdued walk to the ring. Dawson enters second, and not surprisingly - the first fight was said to have sold under 1,000 tickets - it sounds pretty dead in the arena.
Michael Buffer handles the introductions and we're all set to go.
Round 1
Both fighters come out testing their jabs. Dawson doubles up on his. Nice three-punch combo by Dawson. He connects with a right hook. Dawson tries body shots with both hands. Now Tarver comes forward and misses some clubbing left hands. Dawson's hand speed is giving Tarver some pause early on. Chad evades a combination from Tarver. Antonio tries a four-punch combo that mostly misses.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 2
Tarver backs away from a big left hand. Jabs fly both ways. Both of these guys are just good enough defensively to make things a little boring. Dawson backs Tarver into the ropes and peppers some body shots. Dawson's jab has some snap to it. More body work by Chad. Quick left upstairs by Tarver; Dawson answers with his own. Tarver is blocking a lot of punches with his arms. Dawson gets a warning for hitting after the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 3
Antonio tries a little more aggression to start this frame. Dawson scores with a right-left combo in the center of the ring. Chad tries a body-head attack. Tarver flurries but Dawson blocks most of it. Chad goes into a shell as Tarver switches to an orthodox stance. Tarver's punches don't have much steam behind them, but he is outworking Dawson for the time being. Chad seemed to take the second half of that round off.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Round 4
Dawson comes out swinging for the fences. He throws a nice four-punch combo and gets one or two through. Tarver tries some weak jabs. He lands a decent left hand to the head while following up. Dawson shrugs off a left hook and comes forward. They stand and trade and Chad gets the best of it. Dawson lands a sharp left over the top. Now Chad goes downstairs in the corner. Tarver lands a few good punches of his own before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 5
Chad storms out of the gate again, but Tarver weathers it and comes forward. Dawson eats a pretty strong left during an exchange. Antonio clubs a right hand from in close. They tie up a couple times and Tarver scores coming out. Dawson covers up as Antonio flurries. Nice uppercut inside by Dawson. Right hook by Dawson as he has Tarver backed against the ropes. That was better than any round from their first fight.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 6
Tarver misses with a big left. Dawson digs in and unleashes along the ropes. Tarver appears he may be trying to draw him in. Chad goes left to the head and right to the body. Tarver covers up so Dawson goes to the body multiple times. Right hook by Tarver is answered immediately. Dawson ducks his way out of trouble in the corner.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 7
Dawson's corner tells him not to forget his jab. He delivers a series of sharp jabs. Both men may be a little bloody around the mouth. More jabs from Dawson and a left to the body. Body shots crash home from Dawson, and Tarver can't find any openings in this round. Chad smothers Antonio along the ropes. Tarver lands a couple of nice left hands as they trade in the center of the ring.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 8
Tarver has a little more pep in his step, but Dawson stands his ground and throws combinations right back. They lean on each other until the ref intervenes. Jabs again from both fighters. More wrestling slows down the pace. Dawson backs away and avoids some left hands, then goes to the body. Tarver shoots a left hand up top off his jab. Not too much of real importance landed in that round.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Round 9
Dawson immediately goes to work with body and head shots. Chad scores with a right hook in the corner, but Tarver tries to come back with left hands. Kellerman doesn't think Dawson is doing anything to entice Joe Calzaghe or Bernard Hopkins into a future fight. Right hook from Dawson. Chad fires uppercuts and one may have found the mark.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 10
Good footwork is on display as Dawson evades for the first 30 seconds. Tarver tries to walk him down but can't find the mark. Dawson strikes with triple jabs. Dawson eats a left and walks away. Tarver throws a bunch of jabs but can't follow with anything. Dawson throws a right hook and flurries to the body. Both men score in the closing seconds but nothing huge.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 11
Dawson shows more fire to start this round. Tarver backs him off and he runs in a circle. Tarver stalks and has trouble scoring. Dawson is warned for a low shot as he flurries. Nice quick right by Chad. Tarver lands a series of jabs and a left uppercut. Chad misses a big right and Tarver is right back on him. They stand and trade for a bit in the center.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Round 12
We'll see if either boxer really lays it all on the line in the final round. Dawson is going for broke early on. Tarver holds on and starts throwing back. Kellerman thinks a knockdown by Antonio could make the scores interesting. Chad throws two shots and covers up. Tarver tries to flurry but Dawson charges through it. There's 45 seconds to go and Dawson ties up. Tarver flurries and tries to work his left hand free. Antonio tries to steal the round in the last 10 seconds. We'll go to the scorecards.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Franchise and Uatu score it 116-112 for Dawson.
The judges score it 116-112 and 117-111 twice, all for the winner... and still IBF light heavyweight champion... "Bad" Chad Dawson.
Dawson says he felt a little out of his element and gives Tarver credit for throwing him off his game a bit. He sounds like he wasn't expecting Tarver to push the fight to him as much.
Chad ducks the Glen Johnson question from Kellerman just a bit. Asked about fading in the second half of fights, Dawson says he needs to watch the tapes to find out what's happening.
The 26-year old Dawson won the first fight easily, claiming the IBF and IBO light heavyweight belts. His record now stands at 27-0 with 17 KOs.
Tarver is now 40 years old but has a well deserved reputation for performing better in rematches, having avenged losses to Roy Jones Jr., Glen Johnson and Eric Harding over the course of his career. He is 27-5 with 19 KOs.
Jim Lampley, Emanuel Steward and Max Kellerman are the announce team tonight, and they discuss Manny's win, the Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez fight and the possibility of Manny and Floyd facing off. Kellerman says if they meet, it will be the most historically significant fight since Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez met in 1993.
As for tonight's business at hand, Steward says Dawson will have to be better tonight than he was the first time because Tarver will be better prepared. Kellerman thinks Dawson will want to impress fans and observers as well as win the fight.
A nice video package shows Dawson with his family, including his wife and three kids.
The tale of the tape shows the two fighters are almost identical in height, reach and weight. The 14-year age difference is the only thing that stands out.
Tarver comes out first in what is for him a fairly subdued walk to the ring. Dawson enters second, and not surprisingly - the first fight was said to have sold under 1,000 tickets - it sounds pretty dead in the arena.
Michael Buffer handles the introductions and we're all set to go.
Round 1
Both fighters come out testing their jabs. Dawson doubles up on his. Nice three-punch combo by Dawson. He connects with a right hook. Dawson tries body shots with both hands. Now Tarver comes forward and misses some clubbing left hands. Dawson's hand speed is giving Tarver some pause early on. Chad evades a combination from Tarver. Antonio tries a four-punch combo that mostly misses.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 2
Tarver backs away from a big left hand. Jabs fly both ways. Both of these guys are just good enough defensively to make things a little boring. Dawson backs Tarver into the ropes and peppers some body shots. Dawson's jab has some snap to it. More body work by Chad. Quick left upstairs by Tarver; Dawson answers with his own. Tarver is blocking a lot of punches with his arms. Dawson gets a warning for hitting after the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 3
Antonio tries a little more aggression to start this frame. Dawson scores with a right-left combo in the center of the ring. Chad tries a body-head attack. Tarver flurries but Dawson blocks most of it. Chad goes into a shell as Tarver switches to an orthodox stance. Tarver's punches don't have much steam behind them, but he is outworking Dawson for the time being. Chad seemed to take the second half of that round off.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Round 4
Dawson comes out swinging for the fences. He throws a nice four-punch combo and gets one or two through. Tarver tries some weak jabs. He lands a decent left hand to the head while following up. Dawson shrugs off a left hook and comes forward. They stand and trade and Chad gets the best of it. Dawson lands a sharp left over the top. Now Chad goes downstairs in the corner. Tarver lands a few good punches of his own before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 5
Chad storms out of the gate again, but Tarver weathers it and comes forward. Dawson eats a pretty strong left during an exchange. Antonio clubs a right hand from in close. They tie up a couple times and Tarver scores coming out. Dawson covers up as Antonio flurries. Nice uppercut inside by Dawson. Right hook by Dawson as he has Tarver backed against the ropes. That was better than any round from their first fight.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 6
Tarver misses with a big left. Dawson digs in and unleashes along the ropes. Tarver appears he may be trying to draw him in. Chad goes left to the head and right to the body. Tarver covers up so Dawson goes to the body multiple times. Right hook by Tarver is answered immediately. Dawson ducks his way out of trouble in the corner.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 7
Dawson's corner tells him not to forget his jab. He delivers a series of sharp jabs. Both men may be a little bloody around the mouth. More jabs from Dawson and a left to the body. Body shots crash home from Dawson, and Tarver can't find any openings in this round. Chad smothers Antonio along the ropes. Tarver lands a couple of nice left hands as they trade in the center of the ring.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 8
Tarver has a little more pep in his step, but Dawson stands his ground and throws combinations right back. They lean on each other until the ref intervenes. Jabs again from both fighters. More wrestling slows down the pace. Dawson backs away and avoids some left hands, then goes to the body. Tarver shoots a left hand up top off his jab. Not too much of real importance landed in that round.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Round 9
Dawson immediately goes to work with body and head shots. Chad scores with a right hook in the corner, but Tarver tries to come back with left hands. Kellerman doesn't think Dawson is doing anything to entice Joe Calzaghe or Bernard Hopkins into a future fight. Right hook from Dawson. Chad fires uppercuts and one may have found the mark.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 10
Good footwork is on display as Dawson evades for the first 30 seconds. Tarver tries to walk him down but can't find the mark. Dawson strikes with triple jabs. Dawson eats a left and walks away. Tarver throws a bunch of jabs but can't follow with anything. Dawson throws a right hook and flurries to the body. Both men score in the closing seconds but nothing huge.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 11
Dawson shows more fire to start this round. Tarver backs him off and he runs in a circle. Tarver stalks and has trouble scoring. Dawson is warned for a low shot as he flurries. Nice quick right by Chad. Tarver lands a series of jabs and a left uppercut. Chad misses a big right and Tarver is right back on him. They stand and trade for a bit in the center.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Round 12
We'll see if either boxer really lays it all on the line in the final round. Dawson is going for broke early on. Tarver holds on and starts throwing back. Kellerman thinks a knockdown by Antonio could make the scores interesting. Chad throws two shots and covers up. Tarver tries to flurry but Dawson charges through it. There's 45 seconds to go and Dawson ties up. Tarver flurries and tries to work his left hand free. Antonio tries to steal the round in the last 10 seconds. We'll go to the scorecards.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Franchise and Uatu score it 116-112 for Dawson.
The judges score it 116-112 and 117-111 twice, all for the winner... and still IBF light heavyweight champion... "Bad" Chad Dawson.
Dawson says he felt a little out of his element and gives Tarver credit for throwing him off his game a bit. He sounds like he wasn't expecting Tarver to push the fight to him as much.
Chad ducks the Glen Johnson question from Kellerman just a bit. Asked about fading in the second half of fights, Dawson says he needs to watch the tapes to find out what's happening.
Live Dawson-Tarver II Round By Round Updates Tonight
Here at BoxingWatchers.com, our name describes what we like to do. Sometimes that means watching the sweet science even when it looks like it may get a little sour.
Tonight's rematch between Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver doesn't look particularly promising given the way Dawson dominated the first time and the fact that Tarver isn't getting any younger.
Still, Tarver has proven crafty in rematches. And it's boxing. So you never know.
If you can't or don't want to watch the fight on HBO tonight, we'll be hoping for a good bout and doing live round by round updates out on the front page. Also I have a hunch there will be a spectacular early KO in the Pacquiao-Hatton fight HBO is showing first. Oh, that already happened? Then never mind!
Joking aside, check out the round by round post starting at roughly 10 pm Eastern tonight and refresh at your convenience for the latest.
Posted by The Franchise
Tonight's rematch between Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver doesn't look particularly promising given the way Dawson dominated the first time and the fact that Tarver isn't getting any younger.
Still, Tarver has proven crafty in rematches. And it's boxing. So you never know.
If you can't or don't want to watch the fight on HBO tonight, we'll be hoping for a good bout and doing live round by round updates out on the front page. Also I have a hunch there will be a spectacular early KO in the Pacquiao-Hatton fight HBO is showing first. Oh, that already happened? Then never mind!
Joking aside, check out the round by round post starting at roughly 10 pm Eastern tonight and refresh at your convenience for the latest.
Posted by The Franchise
7.5.09
Predictions: Dawson-Tarver II
The Franchise says...
Back in June 2004, the three brothers who would one day become the BoxingWatchers made their first trip to Canastota for the International Boxing Hall of Fame induction weekend. One of the current boxers we were most excited to see was Antonio Tarver, who was riding high off his stunning second-round KO of Roy Jones Jr.
We waited in line for the Magic Man's autograph for quite a while and were closing in when he was told he needed to get ready for the Banquet of Champions, and they literally cut off the line right in front of Spartan117, who was a young lad of just 18 years of age at the time. Fortunately, the experience didn't scar Spartan for very long, as he remained a fan of boxing and, as far as I know, of Tarver as well.
What does that story have to do with Tarver's rematch on Saturday with Chad Dawson? Absolutely nothing, but if I left out that anecdote this post would be pretty short.
Tarver has had success in rematches, defeating Jones (twice), Glen Johnson and Eric Harding after losing to those men the first time. But that's about all he has going for him, and truthfully he hasn't looked like his old self since getting pummeled by Bernard Hopkins about three years ago.
Dawson is younger, stronger and faster and had few problems in the first fight. No reason to think differently this time, so expect Dawson to win by lopsided unanimous decision, with a real chance that he may hand Tarver his first KO loss instead.
Uatu says...
The prediction and analysis is spot on. However, let me say a few things about Tarver. I do not believe that Tarver is "done" or "shot" necessarily. So he lost to Bernard. There's a chance that in both of their primes he would have lost to B-Hop anyway.
And also, he may very well have lost to Chad in both of their primes as well. He may have lost in a one-sided fashion, but if Chad is as great as everyone seems to think he is, and he may very well be, then possibly Tarver would never be as fast as Chad, today or five years ago. So let's cut Antonio some slack, and give him credit for still being a top notch fighter, and give Chad credit if he totally works Tarver over. That's it.
Dawson by unanimous decision or late stoppage.
Spartan117 says...
That story from the Boxing Hall of Fame sure brings a wave of nostalgia. Tarver was really on top of the boxing world. The fans gathered around to watch his training sessions and the line for his autograph table dwarfed the other fighters. He was even on the Tonight Show.
Unfortunately for the Magic Man, those days have passed, as has his prime. I agree with Uatu that his defeats were given by elite fighters, but he has no business being in this rematch. He's lucky he had that rematch clause in his contract.
"Bad" Chad is too young, too fast and too strong for Tarver. He's only getting better at this point in his career and I think he'll be even better than his last bout with Tarver.
Dawson by mid-round KO.
Posted by The Franchise
Back in June 2004, the three brothers who would one day become the BoxingWatchers made their first trip to Canastota for the International Boxing Hall of Fame induction weekend. One of the current boxers we were most excited to see was Antonio Tarver, who was riding high off his stunning second-round KO of Roy Jones Jr.
We waited in line for the Magic Man's autograph for quite a while and were closing in when he was told he needed to get ready for the Banquet of Champions, and they literally cut off the line right in front of Spartan117, who was a young lad of just 18 years of age at the time. Fortunately, the experience didn't scar Spartan for very long, as he remained a fan of boxing and, as far as I know, of Tarver as well.
What does that story have to do with Tarver's rematch on Saturday with Chad Dawson? Absolutely nothing, but if I left out that anecdote this post would be pretty short.
Tarver has had success in rematches, defeating Jones (twice), Glen Johnson and Eric Harding after losing to those men the first time. But that's about all he has going for him, and truthfully he hasn't looked like his old self since getting pummeled by Bernard Hopkins about three years ago.
Dawson is younger, stronger and faster and had few problems in the first fight. No reason to think differently this time, so expect Dawson to win by lopsided unanimous decision, with a real chance that he may hand Tarver his first KO loss instead.
Uatu says...
The prediction and analysis is spot on. However, let me say a few things about Tarver. I do not believe that Tarver is "done" or "shot" necessarily. So he lost to Bernard. There's a chance that in both of their primes he would have lost to B-Hop anyway.
And also, he may very well have lost to Chad in both of their primes as well. He may have lost in a one-sided fashion, but if Chad is as great as everyone seems to think he is, and he may very well be, then possibly Tarver would never be as fast as Chad, today or five years ago. So let's cut Antonio some slack, and give him credit for still being a top notch fighter, and give Chad credit if he totally works Tarver over. That's it.
Dawson by unanimous decision or late stoppage.
Spartan117 says...
That story from the Boxing Hall of Fame sure brings a wave of nostalgia. Tarver was really on top of the boxing world. The fans gathered around to watch his training sessions and the line for his autograph table dwarfed the other fighters. He was even on the Tonight Show.
Unfortunately for the Magic Man, those days have passed, as has his prime. I agree with Uatu that his defeats were given by elite fighters, but he has no business being in this rematch. He's lucky he had that rematch clause in his contract.
"Bad" Chad is too young, too fast and too strong for Tarver. He's only getting better at this point in his career and I think he'll be even better than his last bout with Tarver.
Dawson by mid-round KO.
Posted by The Franchise
18.3.09
Quick Thoughts on Upcoming Fights
Except for the April 4 "Lightweight Lightning" card continuing to fall apart, it's been a pretty quiet week in boxing as we head toward the weekend. I've decided to kill some of the time by looking ahead a little bit on the schedule for some gut reactions.
April 4 - Timothy Bradley vs. Kendall Holt (Showtime) - I find it strange that this fight ended up in Montreal since neither man has ties to the area. That might kill what is usually a live crowd, but at least there won't be any insinuations of home cooking from the judges or referees.
This also seems like the rare fight that seems like a true toss-up. If forced to make a pick right this second, I'd lean toward Bradley, but I'll be giving it more thought in the next few weeks.
April 11 - Paul Williams vs. Winky Wright (HBO) - Williams is a guy I'll watch any time he steps in the ring. And Winky? Well, he's a nice guy in person, and I admire his skill, but some of his fights are pretty boring.
Since you know what you're getting from The Punisher, all the intrigue here comes from waiting to see how much the long layoff - just one fight in the last 28 months - affects Wright. He'll need to be pretty close to peak form to deal with Williams.
April 25 - Carl Froch vs. Jermain Taylor (Showtime) - I've always been strangely fascinated by Taylor. His drive and capacity to keep improving don't seem to be at the same level as his natural ability, which is kind of a shame. I can't help but think that if he had been able to put Kelly Pavlik away in their first fight, he'd be one of the sport's biggest stars right now.
Froch seems to be doing a lot of talking, and it's not really clear if The Cobra is doing it to psyche himself up or to try getting under Jermain's skin. Good luck if it's the latter: If Bernard Hopkins' mind games didn't get to the perpetually laid-back Taylor, nothing will.
May 2 - Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton (PPV) - It's way too early to do an official pick, but I like Manny in this one. I expect a great fight and an unbelievable atmosphere even if the global economy is still down in the dumps.
It should be noted that the powers that be are trying to put together an undercard that's actually worth watching, which is much appreciated. Steven Luevano is set to take on Bernabe Concepcion, and James Kirkland is supposed to fight as well.
May 9 - Chad Dawson vs. Antonio Tarver (HBO) - I'd love to see one more outstanding performance from Tarver, who's been a favorite of mine for a while. But what I expect is a replay of the first fight, which doesn't seem too appetizing.
Posted by The Franchise
April 4 - Timothy Bradley vs. Kendall Holt (Showtime) - I find it strange that this fight ended up in Montreal since neither man has ties to the area. That might kill what is usually a live crowd, but at least there won't be any insinuations of home cooking from the judges or referees.
This also seems like the rare fight that seems like a true toss-up. If forced to make a pick right this second, I'd lean toward Bradley, but I'll be giving it more thought in the next few weeks.
April 11 - Paul Williams vs. Winky Wright (HBO) - Williams is a guy I'll watch any time he steps in the ring. And Winky? Well, he's a nice guy in person, and I admire his skill, but some of his fights are pretty boring.
Since you know what you're getting from The Punisher, all the intrigue here comes from waiting to see how much the long layoff - just one fight in the last 28 months - affects Wright. He'll need to be pretty close to peak form to deal with Williams.
April 25 - Carl Froch vs. Jermain Taylor (Showtime) - I've always been strangely fascinated by Taylor. His drive and capacity to keep improving don't seem to be at the same level as his natural ability, which is kind of a shame. I can't help but think that if he had been able to put Kelly Pavlik away in their first fight, he'd be one of the sport's biggest stars right now.
Froch seems to be doing a lot of talking, and it's not really clear if The Cobra is doing it to psyche himself up or to try getting under Jermain's skin. Good luck if it's the latter: If Bernard Hopkins' mind games didn't get to the perpetually laid-back Taylor, nothing will.
May 2 - Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton (PPV) - It's way too early to do an official pick, but I like Manny in this one. I expect a great fight and an unbelievable atmosphere even if the global economy is still down in the dumps.
It should be noted that the powers that be are trying to put together an undercard that's actually worth watching, which is much appreciated. Steven Luevano is set to take on Bernabe Concepcion, and James Kirkland is supposed to fight as well.
May 9 - Chad Dawson vs. Antonio Tarver (HBO) - I'd love to see one more outstanding performance from Tarver, who's been a favorite of mine for a while. But what I expect is a replay of the first fight, which doesn't seem too appetizing.
Posted by The Franchise
19.2.09
Reports: Dawson-Tarver Postponed, Bradley-Holt Face Off in Montreal
Looking forward to seeing the rematch between Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver? You'll have to wait longer than March 14.
As reported by multiple outlets Wednesday, Dawson injured a ligament in his right hand, forcing the fight to be postponed.
Gary Shaw told ESPN's Dan Rafael that Dawson is expected to be out of action for two weeks, making him ready to fight again my mid-April. Of course, rescheduling the bout might not be quite that simple, as HBO is already set with boxing on April 11 (Paul Williams vs. Winky Wright), April 25 (Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Gerry Penalosa) and May 2 (Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton on pay-per-view).
It's doubtful that the 40-year old Tarver has much choice but to wait it out. As unlikely as a win in the rematch would seem after he was dominated in the first fight, it may be his last shot at getting any more big fights.
Dawson's future is much brighter, but as the lone young star in a division of 40-somethings, he's lacking an obvious big money alternative. He may have not been crazy about taking the rematch - and I'm not alone saying I'm not especially excited to watch it - yet it's probably also best for him to have it rescheduled for later in 2009.
An interesting sidenote for fans of The Contender: Dawson hurt himself sparring with A.K. Laleye, a Season Four semifinalist who was preparing to fight on the undercard of the show's live finale at Foxwoods next week.
Elsewhere, the AP reports that it was a spirited press conference in Montreal to promote the April 4 140-pound fight between Timothy Bradley and Kendall Holt. Bradley brings in the WBC belt and Holt the WBO strap to unify titles in a division that will soon inherit both Manny Pacquiao (at least temporarily) and Nate Campbell.
In terms of atmosphere, Montreal ranks right up there in terms of current boxing sites. The fans are lively and the venues always seem to pull out all the stops to put on a show.
With respect to professionalism and technical competency... not so much. In just the last few months, we've seen hometown hero Lucian Bute benefit from a questionable refereeing move and the sport's longest round take place when Round 11 between Herman Ngoudjo and Juan Urango went more than five minutes.
Hopefully we'll see the good side of Montreal and not the bad when Bradley and Holt step in the ring.
As reported by multiple outlets Wednesday, Dawson injured a ligament in his right hand, forcing the fight to be postponed.
Gary Shaw told ESPN's Dan Rafael that Dawson is expected to be out of action for two weeks, making him ready to fight again my mid-April. Of course, rescheduling the bout might not be quite that simple, as HBO is already set with boxing on April 11 (Paul Williams vs. Winky Wright), April 25 (Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Gerry Penalosa) and May 2 (Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton on pay-per-view).
It's doubtful that the 40-year old Tarver has much choice but to wait it out. As unlikely as a win in the rematch would seem after he was dominated in the first fight, it may be his last shot at getting any more big fights.
Dawson's future is much brighter, but as the lone young star in a division of 40-somethings, he's lacking an obvious big money alternative. He may have not been crazy about taking the rematch - and I'm not alone saying I'm not especially excited to watch it - yet it's probably also best for him to have it rescheduled for later in 2009.
An interesting sidenote for fans of The Contender: Dawson hurt himself sparring with A.K. Laleye, a Season Four semifinalist who was preparing to fight on the undercard of the show's live finale at Foxwoods next week.
Elsewhere, the AP reports that it was a spirited press conference in Montreal to promote the April 4 140-pound fight between Timothy Bradley and Kendall Holt. Bradley brings in the WBC belt and Holt the WBO strap to unify titles in a division that will soon inherit both Manny Pacquiao (at least temporarily) and Nate Campbell.
In terms of atmosphere, Montreal ranks right up there in terms of current boxing sites. The fans are lively and the venues always seem to pull out all the stops to put on a show.
With respect to professionalism and technical competency... not so much. In just the last few months, we've seen hometown hero Lucian Bute benefit from a questionable refereeing move and the sport's longest round take place when Round 11 between Herman Ngoudjo and Juan Urango went more than five minutes.
Hopefully we'll see the good side of Montreal and not the bad when Bradley and Holt step in the ring.
31.12.08
BoxingWatchers.com 2008 Fighter of the Year: Manny Pacquiao
If you've been reading this site for any length of time, you know that the BoxingWatchers are all part Filipino. Normally, that would make picking Manny Pacquiao for Fighter of the Year smack of being a homer pick, but he had such a phenomenal 2008 that there are simply no worries.
The numbers alone were pretty impressive: three fights, three wins in three different weight classes. He won titles in the first two fights and won by knockout in the last two.
Pac Man's opponents covered the whole spectrum, from one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world (Juan Manuel Marquez) to a game but outgunned lightweight (David Diaz) to a Hall of Famer in the twilight of his career (Oscar De La Hoya). It's worth mentioning one final time that many mainstream sports pundits considered his fight with De La Hoya a joke, that the expected size difference would make it impossible for Pacquiao to win. It only took one round to erase that notion.
Even though Manny turned 30 just a few weeks ago, he continues to improve. The version of Pacquiao from, say, five years ago would not have been able to fight the style that he utilized against the Golden Boy, darting in and out and perplexing his foe with his footwork. Much of the credit for that should go to trainer Freddie Roach, but give Manny some too for realizing that continuing to evolve from one-dimensional (though devastating) attacker to well-rounded boxer would serve him well.
On top of all of that, he remains humble even as he reaches the point where he is going to regularly be involved in the most high profile fights in the sport. He's already lined up Ricky Hatton and the buzz about a fight with a returning Floyd Mayweather won't go away.
Could he repeat as Fighter of the Year in 2009? After this year, you can't count him out.
Reader Picks: The readers also backed Pacquiao by a wide margin, giving him 77 percent of the vote. The only other boxer to gather double-digit support was Arthur Abraham, who knocked out all three of his 2008 opponents and now has to be taken seriously by all but the harshest Euro-critics.
Emerging star Chad Dawson received several votes and was name-dropped by Money Mayweather himself as the finest in the game. Last but not least, one reader (maybe the fighter himself!) was impressed enough by Joe Calzaghe in his decision victories over certain Hall of Famers Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones to give him the nod.
The numbers alone were pretty impressive: three fights, three wins in three different weight classes. He won titles in the first two fights and won by knockout in the last two.
Pac Man's opponents covered the whole spectrum, from one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world (Juan Manuel Marquez) to a game but outgunned lightweight (David Diaz) to a Hall of Famer in the twilight of his career (Oscar De La Hoya). It's worth mentioning one final time that many mainstream sports pundits considered his fight with De La Hoya a joke, that the expected size difference would make it impossible for Pacquiao to win. It only took one round to erase that notion.
Even though Manny turned 30 just a few weeks ago, he continues to improve. The version of Pacquiao from, say, five years ago would not have been able to fight the style that he utilized against the Golden Boy, darting in and out and perplexing his foe with his footwork. Much of the credit for that should go to trainer Freddie Roach, but give Manny some too for realizing that continuing to evolve from one-dimensional (though devastating) attacker to well-rounded boxer would serve him well.
On top of all of that, he remains humble even as he reaches the point where he is going to regularly be involved in the most high profile fights in the sport. He's already lined up Ricky Hatton and the buzz about a fight with a returning Floyd Mayweather won't go away.
Could he repeat as Fighter of the Year in 2009? After this year, you can't count him out.
Reader Picks: The readers also backed Pacquiao by a wide margin, giving him 77 percent of the vote. The only other boxer to gather double-digit support was Arthur Abraham, who knocked out all three of his 2008 opponents and now has to be taken seriously by all but the harshest Euro-critics.
Emerging star Chad Dawson received several votes and was name-dropped by Money Mayweather himself as the finest in the game. Last but not least, one reader (maybe the fighter himself!) was impressed enough by Joe Calzaghe in his decision victories over certain Hall of Famers Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones to give him the nod.
12.11.08
Franchise Thoughts: The Future of Boxing - Top Boxers Under 27
There's been something of a mini-renaissance for older boxers during the last few months. At age 43, Bernard Hopkins took apart the much younger Kelly Pavlik. Roy Jones Jr. nearly had one final big moment at 39 with his first round knockdown of Joe Calzaghe - no spring chicken himself at 36.
Clearly though, while the 35-and-over crowd can still put on a show and sell tickets, its time is coming to a close. Calzaghe's win could spell the end for him, Jones and Hopkins too. Oscar De La Hoya has been increasingly noncommittal, but he may call it a career after he fights Manny Pacquiao.
A loss to Antonio Margarito in January might mean it's the last time we see Shane Mosley in the ring. Even fighters on the good side of 35 like Floyd Mayweather Jr. (already retired, at least for now) and Ricky Hatton (who's spoken of fighting just a few more times) are wrapping up their careers.
Thinking about the departure of the old guard is enough to send a boxing fan into depression... except that there's quite a wave of young talent that will be ready to take the proverbial torch when it's passed. Even better, it's spread throughout almost the entire range of weight classes.
To prove it to myself, and you if necessary, I compiled a list of boxers who I think represent the immediate future of the sport. These are young guys I fully expect we'll be watching in title fights well into the 2010's.
What is young? It's an arbitrary line no matter where you draw it, but I wanted to make sure no one on the list would turn 30 until the next decade is at least a few years old. Thus, everyone here is currently under 27.
I'm going by the weight classes the boxers are most associated with at the present time since it's too hard to forecast who might move up or down going forward. I started at super featherweight since my knowledge of the lower divisions is spotty at best.
And you'll notice the glaring omission of heavyweights, because despite the fact that it's trendy to bash the big guys, the truth is that there really is a lack of talented young fighters over 200 pounds. The only heavyweight under 27 ranked in the top 20 on BoxRec.com is Eddie Chambers, so nothing more really needs to be said.
Without further ado, here are my picks for the best of boxing's next wave:
130 pounds: Robert Guerrero - He shares a nickname with Kelly Pavlik, and like the other Ghost, he's more likely to hunt you down and knock you out than elude you. Unhappiness with his promotion has led to nine months of inactivity, but the powerful lefty should be a handful once he resumes his career.
Honorable Mention: The record of Edwin Valero is the stuff internet legends are made of: 24 fights, 24 KO victories. Oh yeah, and 19 of those knockouts came in the first round. Unfortunately, Valero still has problems getting cleared to fight in most U.S. states as the result of health concerns stemming from a 2001 motorcycle accident. That means the unofficial son of MaxBoxing.com's Dougie Fischer may never get a true chance at stardom, which would be a shame.
135 pounds: Juan Diaz - The Baby Bull fights in a crowd-pleasing though possibly career-shortening style. His loss to Nate Campbell earlier this year showed how he could be beaten, but it took a combination of skill and guts most fighters don't have to pull it off. With 34 pro wins under his belt, it's hard to believe Diaz is only 25.
Honorable Mention: Hard-hitting Colombian Breidis Prescott stole the thunder from Amir Khan in September with a thrilling first-round KO. His competition thus far has been underwhelming, but he's someone to watch. Undefeated American Anthony Peterson gets props here too.
140 pounds: Timothy Bradley - Desert Storm had an impressive year, defeating tricky Brit Junior Witter in his home country, then unexpectedly headlining a Showtime card and beating Edner Cherry. He's built like a tank but actually is more boxer than brawler.
147 pounds: Andre Berto - The Reggie Bush look-alike is already a world champion at 25 and is fun to watch because he can punish opponents as the aggressor or the counter-puncher. Unless you count Steve Forbes - and I don't - he hasn't faced anyone yet who's truly made him dig down deep.
154 pounds: James Kirkland - Golden Boy believes in Kirkland, as they signed the undefeated southpaw to a deal last month. The Texas native has been running through opponents with four consecutive fights that did not make it out of the second round.
Honorable Mention: It's hard to pick just one since there are several good choices in this division. That being the case, I'll give some love to Alfredo Angulo, Joel Julio and Joe Greene.
160 pounds: Kelly Pavlik - Don't forget he's only 26. Yes, Hopkins exposed some holes in his game. No, I don't think anyone he'll be facing at middleweight in the near future will be able to take advantage of them the way The Executioner did.
Honorable Mention: Though he was knocked out in March by Brian Vera, Ireland's Andy Lee has already bounced back with a win. Emanuel Steward still thinks he has a bright future.
168 pounds: Andre Dirrell - My brother thinks his nickname could already be stale, but Dirrell deserves to be called The Matrix because he tries things that need to be seen to be believed. Even though he only has 17 pro fights on his record, he looks ready for top competition as soon as his next fight. Seeing him in against the Jermain Taylor-Jeff Lacy winner would be dynamite.
175 pounds: Chad Dawson - At 26, Bad Chad is already soaring up pound-for-pound lists, and the top contenders in his division are aging rapidly. He's got pretty much every offensive weapon a boxer could want except for one-punch KO power. If my name was Joe Calzaghe, I'd be thinking retirement looks a lot more pleasant than fighting Dawson.
Honorable Mention: If I had to name one boxer who fought like a force of nature, Tavoris Cloud would be my pick. The undefeated Floridian is raw, but he tries to take your head off with every power shot. No one who's been scheduled for more than four rounds with Cloud has made it the distance yet.
200 pounds: Johnathon Banks - The pickings get a little slim at cruiserweight, but it's still not as bad as it is at heavyweight. We'll know a little bit more about the 20-0 Banks soon, as he's slated to face Enzo Maccarinelli for two of the alphabet belts in early December.
Clearly though, while the 35-and-over crowd can still put on a show and sell tickets, its time is coming to a close. Calzaghe's win could spell the end for him, Jones and Hopkins too. Oscar De La Hoya has been increasingly noncommittal, but he may call it a career after he fights Manny Pacquiao.
A loss to Antonio Margarito in January might mean it's the last time we see Shane Mosley in the ring. Even fighters on the good side of 35 like Floyd Mayweather Jr. (already retired, at least for now) and Ricky Hatton (who's spoken of fighting just a few more times) are wrapping up their careers.
Thinking about the departure of the old guard is enough to send a boxing fan into depression... except that there's quite a wave of young talent that will be ready to take the proverbial torch when it's passed. Even better, it's spread throughout almost the entire range of weight classes.
To prove it to myself, and you if necessary, I compiled a list of boxers who I think represent the immediate future of the sport. These are young guys I fully expect we'll be watching in title fights well into the 2010's.
What is young? It's an arbitrary line no matter where you draw it, but I wanted to make sure no one on the list would turn 30 until the next decade is at least a few years old. Thus, everyone here is currently under 27.
I'm going by the weight classes the boxers are most associated with at the present time since it's too hard to forecast who might move up or down going forward. I started at super featherweight since my knowledge of the lower divisions is spotty at best.
And you'll notice the glaring omission of heavyweights, because despite the fact that it's trendy to bash the big guys, the truth is that there really is a lack of talented young fighters over 200 pounds. The only heavyweight under 27 ranked in the top 20 on BoxRec.com is Eddie Chambers, so nothing more really needs to be said.
Without further ado, here are my picks for the best of boxing's next wave:
130 pounds: Robert Guerrero - He shares a nickname with Kelly Pavlik, and like the other Ghost, he's more likely to hunt you down and knock you out than elude you. Unhappiness with his promotion has led to nine months of inactivity, but the powerful lefty should be a handful once he resumes his career.
Honorable Mention: The record of Edwin Valero is the stuff internet legends are made of: 24 fights, 24 KO victories. Oh yeah, and 19 of those knockouts came in the first round. Unfortunately, Valero still has problems getting cleared to fight in most U.S. states as the result of health concerns stemming from a 2001 motorcycle accident. That means the unofficial son of MaxBoxing.com's Dougie Fischer may never get a true chance at stardom, which would be a shame.
135 pounds: Juan Diaz - The Baby Bull fights in a crowd-pleasing though possibly career-shortening style. His loss to Nate Campbell earlier this year showed how he could be beaten, but it took a combination of skill and guts most fighters don't have to pull it off. With 34 pro wins under his belt, it's hard to believe Diaz is only 25.
Honorable Mention: Hard-hitting Colombian Breidis Prescott stole the thunder from Amir Khan in September with a thrilling first-round KO. His competition thus far has been underwhelming, but he's someone to watch. Undefeated American Anthony Peterson gets props here too.
140 pounds: Timothy Bradley - Desert Storm had an impressive year, defeating tricky Brit Junior Witter in his home country, then unexpectedly headlining a Showtime card and beating Edner Cherry. He's built like a tank but actually is more boxer than brawler.
147 pounds: Andre Berto - The Reggie Bush look-alike is already a world champion at 25 and is fun to watch because he can punish opponents as the aggressor or the counter-puncher. Unless you count Steve Forbes - and I don't - he hasn't faced anyone yet who's truly made him dig down deep.
154 pounds: James Kirkland - Golden Boy believes in Kirkland, as they signed the undefeated southpaw to a deal last month. The Texas native has been running through opponents with four consecutive fights that did not make it out of the second round.
Honorable Mention: It's hard to pick just one since there are several good choices in this division. That being the case, I'll give some love to Alfredo Angulo, Joel Julio and Joe Greene.
160 pounds: Kelly Pavlik - Don't forget he's only 26. Yes, Hopkins exposed some holes in his game. No, I don't think anyone he'll be facing at middleweight in the near future will be able to take advantage of them the way The Executioner did.
Honorable Mention: Though he was knocked out in March by Brian Vera, Ireland's Andy Lee has already bounced back with a win. Emanuel Steward still thinks he has a bright future.
168 pounds: Andre Dirrell - My brother thinks his nickname could already be stale, but Dirrell deserves to be called The Matrix because he tries things that need to be seen to be believed. Even though he only has 17 pro fights on his record, he looks ready for top competition as soon as his next fight. Seeing him in against the Jermain Taylor-Jeff Lacy winner would be dynamite.
175 pounds: Chad Dawson - At 26, Bad Chad is already soaring up pound-for-pound lists, and the top contenders in his division are aging rapidly. He's got pretty much every offensive weapon a boxer could want except for one-punch KO power. If my name was Joe Calzaghe, I'd be thinking retirement looks a lot more pleasant than fighting Dawson.
Honorable Mention: If I had to name one boxer who fought like a force of nature, Tavoris Cloud would be my pick. The undefeated Floridian is raw, but he tries to take your head off with every power shot. No one who's been scheduled for more than four rounds with Cloud has made it the distance yet.
200 pounds: Johnathon Banks - The pickings get a little slim at cruiserweight, but it's still not as bad as it is at heavyweight. We'll know a little bit more about the 20-0 Banks soon, as he's slated to face Enzo Maccarinelli for two of the alphabet belts in early December.
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
13.10.08
20-20 Hindsight: Chad is Indeed Bad, Tarver and Peter Done as Title Contenders and More
Sometimes the intrigue in boxing is all in the build-up to the fights and not so apparent in the fights themselves. That was definitely true this past weekend, when two championship bouts with interesting storylines produced little in-ring suspense.
In the case of heavyweights Samuel Peter and Vitali Klitschko, make that zero in-ring suspense. Klitschko quickly answered any questions about how he'd bounce back from nearly four years of inactivity due to injury, looking sharp but employing a pretty conservative style - taking notes from brother Wladimir, perhaps. Peter posed zero problems, losing every round (though one official judge somehow gave him one) and stinking up the joint so badly that you were actually happy that he decided not to come out for the ninth round.
Things were slightly different in Vegas, where at least both Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson came to fight. Tarver simply found himself outgunned, and though he had his moments, many of them were created by Dawson's inconsistency. The outcome was never really in doubt, producing what my stepfather and many other observers called an exciting but not competitive fight.
Dawson emerged as the night's big winner, and his future looks very bright. His accuracy and hand speed make for a fan-friendly style, and his multi-punch combinations are reminiscent of a prime Shane Mosley. Though he had to respect Tarver's power somewhat, he could show more of a killer instinct. I definitely don't want to watch him do what he did in Saturday's sixth round, which he basically took off to prove Tarver couldn't hurt him.
It's rumored that he wants the winner of the upcoming Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr. fight, and that would get him either his stiffest test (if it's Calzaghe) or his most lucrative possible fight (if it's Jones). Floyd Mayweather called him the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world, and while Money knows a lot more about boxing than me, I wouldn't go there just yet. He definitely put himself in everybody's top 10, that's for sure.
In contrast, Klitschko's win, while a nice comeback story, doesn't do much for the heavyweight division. As long as the Brothers Klitschko refuse to fight each other, fans of the big guys are deprived of the best match that can be made. Unless Alexander Povetkin can dethrone Wladimir and set up a revenge angle for Vitali, we may have to wait and see if David Haye can inject some excitement into the proceedings.
Meanwhile, the losers of Saturday's fights have something in common: they're both pretty much done as legitimate title contenders. Tarver looks a step slow (at least), and though he's always good for entertainment value, retirement seems to be calling his name. There's absolutely no point in putting Peter back in against either Klitschko, and even if one of the brothers loses soon, he didn't show anything Saturday that's going to make him a hot commodity for any other champ. He seems destined to become a gatekeeper sooner rather than later.
One final note: getting psyched up for last weekend's fights, I almost missed the story that Evander Holyfield may be in line for a fight with Nikolai Valuev. That subject is enough to deserve a column of its own, but I can summarize my feelings in two words: Please. No.
In the case of heavyweights Samuel Peter and Vitali Klitschko, make that zero in-ring suspense. Klitschko quickly answered any questions about how he'd bounce back from nearly four years of inactivity due to injury, looking sharp but employing a pretty conservative style - taking notes from brother Wladimir, perhaps. Peter posed zero problems, losing every round (though one official judge somehow gave him one) and stinking up the joint so badly that you were actually happy that he decided not to come out for the ninth round.
Things were slightly different in Vegas, where at least both Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson came to fight. Tarver simply found himself outgunned, and though he had his moments, many of them were created by Dawson's inconsistency. The outcome was never really in doubt, producing what my stepfather and many other observers called an exciting but not competitive fight.
Dawson emerged as the night's big winner, and his future looks very bright. His accuracy and hand speed make for a fan-friendly style, and his multi-punch combinations are reminiscent of a prime Shane Mosley. Though he had to respect Tarver's power somewhat, he could show more of a killer instinct. I definitely don't want to watch him do what he did in Saturday's sixth round, which he basically took off to prove Tarver couldn't hurt him.
It's rumored that he wants the winner of the upcoming Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr. fight, and that would get him either his stiffest test (if it's Calzaghe) or his most lucrative possible fight (if it's Jones). Floyd Mayweather called him the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world, and while Money knows a lot more about boxing than me, I wouldn't go there just yet. He definitely put himself in everybody's top 10, that's for sure.
In contrast, Klitschko's win, while a nice comeback story, doesn't do much for the heavyweight division. As long as the Brothers Klitschko refuse to fight each other, fans of the big guys are deprived of the best match that can be made. Unless Alexander Povetkin can dethrone Wladimir and set up a revenge angle for Vitali, we may have to wait and see if David Haye can inject some excitement into the proceedings.
Meanwhile, the losers of Saturday's fights have something in common: they're both pretty much done as legitimate title contenders. Tarver looks a step slow (at least), and though he's always good for entertainment value, retirement seems to be calling his name. There's absolutely no point in putting Peter back in against either Klitschko, and even if one of the brothers loses soon, he didn't show anything Saturday that's going to make him a hot commodity for any other champ. He seems destined to become a gatekeeper sooner rather than later.
One final note: getting psyched up for last weekend's fights, I almost missed the story that Evander Holyfield may be in line for a fight with Nikolai Valuev. That subject is enough to deserve a column of its own, but I can summarize my feelings in two words: Please. No.
11.10.08
Round By Round: Antonio Tarver vs. Chad Dawson
The Palms in Las Vegas is the site for the light heavyweight championship bout between Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson. It's an intriguing match-up between an aging champion and a young lion made even more compelling because the two fighters have shown that they definitely don't care for each other.
The Showtime announce team feels Dawson needs to work the body to win, using his speed and movement to his advantage. Tarver's key will be to control the tempo, luring his younger opponent into traps.
Dawson comes to the ring first to T.I.'s "Live Your Life," sporting a robe with "Bad Chad" on the back. Tarver, the betting underdog despite holding the IBF title, comes out second as the announcers discuss the rumor that he had difficulty making weight for the fight.
The tale of the tape shows Tarver with a slight height advantage but Dawson holding an edge in reach. There is a moment of silence and the bell rings for the passing of Oscar Suarez.
Jimmy Lennon Jr. handles the introductions. Dawson is from New Haven, CT, and he owns a 26-0 record (1 NC) with 17 KO's. Tarver hails from Tampa and enters with a 27-4 record.
Round 1
Tarver tries to work the jab as Dawson throws right hooks to the body. More right hands force AT to back off. Jabs fly both ways from the southpaws. Double jab and a left to the body by Tarver. Flashy body combo by Dawson. Both fighters seem pretty cautious as the round goes on. Another Dawson combo is mostly picked off by Tarver. Left to the body by Tarver and he shoves Dawson back. Right hook by Dawson coming in.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 2
Tarver tries to throw a combo but Dawson lands a nice counter. Right hand by Dawson and a left just misses. Now he scores to the body jumping in. Uppercut by Dawson starts off a nice combo. Dawson's hand speed is on full display as he scores with both hands. His jabs are getting through and he's avoiding most of the return fire. Tarver still coming forward but it hasn't worked in his favor so far.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 3
Dawson backed to the ropes several times but he looks just as comfortable there. Mean right and left-hand counters snap Tarver's head back. Left hands finally get Dawson's attention but he goes right back to work. Tarver scores with a straight left and an uppercut. Both men swing away in the middle of the ring, and the champ just misses with a huge left at the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 4
Dawson returns to his body attack as Tarver continues to press the issue. Quick counters by Dawson get Tarver to back off momentarily. The champ uses the jab, but Dawson is quicker to the trigger in this round. Left to the body by Tarver and they tie up. Repeated jabs by Dawson find the mark. Good left by Tarver but Dawson answers with two lefts of his own.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 5
Straight left stuns Tarver and knocks him back. Dawson jumping around and looking very confident. Tarver tries to go back to the jab but Dawson's counterpunching is too much for him. Left hand upstairs and a combo follows for Bad Chad. Tarver covering up to deal with all the leather flying his way. The announcers think AT might be better served by letting the fight come to him.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 6
Jab and straight left land for Tarver as Dawson's activity level goes down a notch. Nice left to the body by Tarver. Dawson backed into the ropes and eats a left hand. He looks like he's taking this round off, which may be a mistake as an uppercut and hook land. Dawson shakes his head like he can't be hurt, but he basically gave that round away.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Round 7
Tarver starts out to the body and backs Dawson to the ropes. Dawson goes back on the attack and flashes his hand speed. Tarver in trouble along the ropes, though he blocks many of the incoming punches. Left knocks Tarver back a step. Dawson ducks out of the way and fires a right to the head. Jabs set up an uppercut for Tarver. Dawson warned for a low shot as he goes back to the body. Tarver swings wildly and misses and no one lands anything in the final 10 seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Round 8
This round starts out like the seventh with Tarver coming forward. Dawson turns it around briefly and picks off many of AT's shots with his gloves. It looks like Chad is taking a good portion of this round off again. Now he fires a combo set up by repeated jabs. Dawson springs to action and Tarver has to turtle in the corner to avoid all kinds of fire. Uppercut-straight left combo lands right before the bell for Dawson.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 9
Tarver looks discouraged and his punches just don't have much steam behind them. Dawson fires multiple jabs and just doesn't give Tarver much of an opening. He punches in behind his jab with nothing big scoring. They stand and trade in the middle with Dawson getting the better of it. Right hook counter answers Tarver's left hand. Combos by Chad answered by single punches by AT. Dawson rips a left to the body and goes upstairs with an uppercut.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 10
Floyd Mayweather gets interviewed and vows to stay retired. Tarver switches to a right-handed stance and immediately pays for it. He's still gamely coming forward but body shots by Dawson are taking their toll. Dawson is throwing seven and eight-punch combos that are something to see even when not everything lands. Dawson fires a counter left and circles off the ropes. Tarver throws a combo along the ropes without much power. Dawson nods as he's hit and fires off another long string of punches.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 11
Tarver's punch output is still high, but his foe's is higher and more accurate. Dawson digs with an uppercut and a left to the head. Tarver jabs his way in and misses with a big left. Dawson taking it easy again and Tarver is scoring. Now a quick right lands for Dawson and he fights off the ropes. Dawson tries to dig in and steal the round; it's probably going to be a close one.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Round 12
A right makes Dawson shake his head again, but he stands his ground and guns away. A mean counter right knocks Tarver back, and he touches his glove to the ground so it's officially a knockdown. Tarver hops right back up and deserves credit for battling to the end. Straight right gets through for Dawson; Tarver scores with an uppercut. There's no questioning Tarver's heart as he swings for the fences all the way until the final bell.
Franchise: 9-9
Spartan117: 9-9
Uatu: 10-8 Dawson
The judges score it 118-109, 117-110 and 117-110, all for the winner... and new IBF light heavyweight champion of the world... "Bad" Chad Dawson.
The announcers talk to Tarver first. He tips his hat to Dawson but feels like his defense was solid and he's not busted up. Tarver won't apologize for what he said before the fight but says he does respect Dawson.
Chad thanks his team and says that while Antonio had more than he expected, his hand speed and activity made the difference. Dawson is told that Floyd Jr. called him the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and he says it is a big compliment.
The Showtime announce team feels Dawson needs to work the body to win, using his speed and movement to his advantage. Tarver's key will be to control the tempo, luring his younger opponent into traps.
Dawson comes to the ring first to T.I.'s "Live Your Life," sporting a robe with "Bad Chad" on the back. Tarver, the betting underdog despite holding the IBF title, comes out second as the announcers discuss the rumor that he had difficulty making weight for the fight.
The tale of the tape shows Tarver with a slight height advantage but Dawson holding an edge in reach. There is a moment of silence and the bell rings for the passing of Oscar Suarez.
Jimmy Lennon Jr. handles the introductions. Dawson is from New Haven, CT, and he owns a 26-0 record (1 NC) with 17 KO's. Tarver hails from Tampa and enters with a 27-4 record.
Round 1
Tarver tries to work the jab as Dawson throws right hooks to the body. More right hands force AT to back off. Jabs fly both ways from the southpaws. Double jab and a left to the body by Tarver. Flashy body combo by Dawson. Both fighters seem pretty cautious as the round goes on. Another Dawson combo is mostly picked off by Tarver. Left to the body by Tarver and he shoves Dawson back. Right hook by Dawson coming in.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 2
Tarver tries to throw a combo but Dawson lands a nice counter. Right hand by Dawson and a left just misses. Now he scores to the body jumping in. Uppercut by Dawson starts off a nice combo. Dawson's hand speed is on full display as he scores with both hands. His jabs are getting through and he's avoiding most of the return fire. Tarver still coming forward but it hasn't worked in his favor so far.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 3
Dawson backed to the ropes several times but he looks just as comfortable there. Mean right and left-hand counters snap Tarver's head back. Left hands finally get Dawson's attention but he goes right back to work. Tarver scores with a straight left and an uppercut. Both men swing away in the middle of the ring, and the champ just misses with a huge left at the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 4
Dawson returns to his body attack as Tarver continues to press the issue. Quick counters by Dawson get Tarver to back off momentarily. The champ uses the jab, but Dawson is quicker to the trigger in this round. Left to the body by Tarver and they tie up. Repeated jabs by Dawson find the mark. Good left by Tarver but Dawson answers with two lefts of his own.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 5
Straight left stuns Tarver and knocks him back. Dawson jumping around and looking very confident. Tarver tries to go back to the jab but Dawson's counterpunching is too much for him. Left hand upstairs and a combo follows for Bad Chad. Tarver covering up to deal with all the leather flying his way. The announcers think AT might be better served by letting the fight come to him.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 6
Jab and straight left land for Tarver as Dawson's activity level goes down a notch. Nice left to the body by Tarver. Dawson backed into the ropes and eats a left hand. He looks like he's taking this round off, which may be a mistake as an uppercut and hook land. Dawson shakes his head like he can't be hurt, but he basically gave that round away.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Round 7
Tarver starts out to the body and backs Dawson to the ropes. Dawson goes back on the attack and flashes his hand speed. Tarver in trouble along the ropes, though he blocks many of the incoming punches. Left knocks Tarver back a step. Dawson ducks out of the way and fires a right to the head. Jabs set up an uppercut for Tarver. Dawson warned for a low shot as he goes back to the body. Tarver swings wildly and misses and no one lands anything in the final 10 seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Round 8
This round starts out like the seventh with Tarver coming forward. Dawson turns it around briefly and picks off many of AT's shots with his gloves. It looks like Chad is taking a good portion of this round off again. Now he fires a combo set up by repeated jabs. Dawson springs to action and Tarver has to turtle in the corner to avoid all kinds of fire. Uppercut-straight left combo lands right before the bell for Dawson.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 9
Tarver looks discouraged and his punches just don't have much steam behind them. Dawson fires multiple jabs and just doesn't give Tarver much of an opening. He punches in behind his jab with nothing big scoring. They stand and trade in the middle with Dawson getting the better of it. Right hook counter answers Tarver's left hand. Combos by Chad answered by single punches by AT. Dawson rips a left to the body and goes upstairs with an uppercut.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 10
Floyd Mayweather gets interviewed and vows to stay retired. Tarver switches to a right-handed stance and immediately pays for it. He's still gamely coming forward but body shots by Dawson are taking their toll. Dawson is throwing seven and eight-punch combos that are something to see even when not everything lands. Dawson fires a counter left and circles off the ropes. Tarver throws a combo along the ropes without much power. Dawson nods as he's hit and fires off another long string of punches.
Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson
Round 11
Tarver's punch output is still high, but his foe's is higher and more accurate. Dawson digs with an uppercut and a left to the head. Tarver jabs his way in and misses with a big left. Dawson taking it easy again and Tarver is scoring. Now a quick right lands for Dawson and he fights off the ropes. Dawson tries to dig in and steal the round; it's probably going to be a close one.
Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver
Round 12
A right makes Dawson shake his head again, but he stands his ground and guns away. A mean counter right knocks Tarver back, and he touches his glove to the ground so it's officially a knockdown. Tarver hops right back up and deserves credit for battling to the end. Straight right gets through for Dawson; Tarver scores with an uppercut. There's no questioning Tarver's heart as he swings for the fences all the way until the final bell.
Franchise: 9-9
Spartan117: 9-9
Uatu: 10-8 Dawson
The judges score it 118-109, 117-110 and 117-110, all for the winner... and new IBF light heavyweight champion of the world... "Bad" Chad Dawson.
The announcers talk to Tarver first. He tips his hat to Dawson but feels like his defense was solid and he's not busted up. Tarver won't apologize for what he said before the fight but says he does respect Dawson.
Chad thanks his team and says that while Antonio had more than he expected, his hand speed and activity made the difference. Dawson is told that Floyd Jr. called him the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and he says it is a big compliment.
Live Tarver-Dawson Updates Tonight; Delayed Peter-Klitschko Updates Too
Showtime offers up a pair of championship outs tonight, with one live and the other tape-delayed. Since the BoxingWatchers don't have access to a live feed of the Samuel Peter-Vitali Klitschko fight we'll be seeing that several hours after the fact just like other viewers.
So here's the deal: if you don't have Showtime, bookmark us here for live round by round updates when Chad Dawson versus Antonio Tarver. And we'll do the Peter-Klitschko fight "virtually live,' meaning we'll cover it the same way we would a live fight, just to stay sharp.
Join me, Spartan117 and perhaps the mysterious Uatu tonight - the third best thing to seeing the fights live or watching them on TV!
So here's the deal: if you don't have Showtime, bookmark us here for live round by round updates when Chad Dawson versus Antonio Tarver. And we'll do the Peter-Klitschko fight "virtually live,' meaning we'll cover it the same way we would a live fight, just to stay sharp.
Join me, Spartan117 and perhaps the mysterious Uatu tonight - the third best thing to seeing the fights live or watching them on TV!
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