Plotting out the career trajectories of boxers is kind of like playing chess. You can look a few moves ahead, but there are things that can happen on the way there that can easily foul up even the best laid plans.
With that in mind, it's been interesting to watch the way Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa are being handled. They've been rumored to be on track to fight each other for at least two or three bouts in a row, fighting on the same cards to build interest.
The trouble, of course, is that if one of them loses, it kind of blows up the whole scheme. Well, unless you go the Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones route and just say, "Screw it, we're fighting anyway."
Prior to this past weekend, it appeared both men might be challenged. Lopez was up against a very solid boxer in Steven Luevano, while Gamboa was up against wild but tough Roger Mtagwa, who caused Juanma a few anxious moments last year.
But Gamboa cruised, dazzling Mtagwa with his hand speed and power and getting himself out of harm's way when the Tanzanian came forward. After already suffering two knockdowns, a nasty string of unanswered punches crumpled Mtagwa and ended his night in less than two rounds.
Lopez had a different, probably more difficult test but still passed with flying colors. Though Luevano had his moments early thanks to a persistent jab and some timely counters, Juanma showed more strength and offensive variety, stopping him in Round 7.
With both men looking so impressive - and both sporting featherweight world titles, for what it's worth - they have to be facing each other next?
Not so fast, according to Bob Arum. He wants to build up the inevitable showdown until fans have no choice but to demand it.
Arum knows a lot more about his craft than I do, so I can't question the wisdom of that approach. It's just that with each successive fight, the balancing act becomes that much more difficult to keep going, simply because there's always a chance that one of them may lose.
I'm also not certain that the featherweight division is full of enough compelling match-ups to satisfy two titleholders. The only name that comes to mind immediately is Chris John before you start getting to the Rocky Juarez and Cristobal Cruz types.
So a Lopez-Gamboa clash can be put off for now, but delaying it for too long is playing with fire. If and when the fight happens, I'm leaning slightly toward Gamboa to win - not because of him handling Mtagwa more easily, but because he seems like he has the edge in raw athleticism and explosiveness.
Let's do some Shoe Shining...
SHOE SHINING
Erik Morales officially announced the end of his retirement over the weekend, and he'll return to the ring on March 27 in Mexico. He'll do it as a welterweight, which is notable since he hasn't ever fought north of lightweight. El Terrible has certainly earned the right to do whatever he wants, but after losing five of his last six fights before calling it quits, it's abundantly clear that we shouldn't expect too much from him going forward...
As widely rumored, Allan Green will take Jermain Taylor's place in the Super Six World Boxing Classic after plans for him to take on Sakio Bika for the spot fell through. I like it if for no other reason than Green's power makes him a wild card. Since Lucian Bute wasn't coming in, this seemed like the next best possible move...
It was nice to see Dan Rafael report that ticket sales for Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey are going well, with 20,000 seats already purchased. I don't think that was a foregone conclusion since so many fans seemed down about Manny's fight with Floyd Mayweather falling apart. It also suggests that Cowboys Stadium is a very viable alternative to Las Vegas for big boxing matches, but we'll have to see how things go to know for sure.
Posted by The Franchise
Showing posts with label juan manuel lopez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label juan manuel lopez. Show all posts
25.1.10
23.1.10
Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Steven Luevano: Round By Round
Since Yuriorkis Gamboa disposed of Roger Mtagwa so quickly, there is time to kill on HBO's Boxing After Dark as we await Juan Manuel Lopez and Steven Luevano. Bob Papa spends a few minutes with Miguel Cotto, who talks about his probable next bout against Yuri Foreman at Madison Square Garden in June.
Lopez is sponsored by IHOP. Interesting sponsor. I like it.
Here we go...
Round 1
We are going double lefty to start. Not much action in first 30 seconds. Probing jabs both ways. Luevano showing movement. He got a straight in there. Both men are being careful. Lopez gets in a nice left. Luevano trying to counter. Lopez being more economical with the output of jabs. Right from Lopez. Tying up. Interesting first round. Could have gone either way.
Uatu: Lopez 10-9
Franchise: Lopez 10-9
Round 2
Lederman goes Lopez as well. Lopez lands nicely. Lopez trying to work his way in. He is throwing the more authoritative shots. Luevano doing the circling. Jabs both ways. Tying up inside. Couple nice shots from Luevano. Jab makes Lopez miss. Lopez closes with a combo. Another close round.
Uatu: Luevano 10-9
Franchise: Lopez 10-9
Round 3
Lederman goes Lopez in round 2. Lopez gets in a monster left. Shakes Luevano a little. He seems to have recovered. Lopez looks stronger. His margin of error is larger. Luevano not giving up. Trying to dig to the body. Luevano goes body again. Lopez gets in a few. Best action so far. Uppercut from Lopez. Luevano pumps away with the jab. Lopez backs Luevano up. Jab from Luevano looks nice. Round closes with Lopez charging.
Uatu: Lopez 10-9
Franchise: Lopez 10-9
Round 4
Lederman has it 3-0. Not much going on in the first minute of consequence. Lopez lands a nice 1-2. Lopez pressing and gets in some more shots. Lopez working the in fighting. Lopez doing some damage. Luevano retreats. Luevano trying to keep him at bay. I would say this round was the most in favor of Lopez yet.
Uatu: Lopez 10-9
Franchise: Lopez 10-9
Round 5
Exchanges that Lopez gets the better of. Luevano swinging hard as well though. Lopez throwing blocked right hooks. 1-2 from Lopez. Luevano ducks and grabs. Luevano hanging tough. Nice uppercut from Lopez. Luevano working the body. Luevano walking forward more. Another close round.
Uatu: Lopez 10-9
Franchise: Luevano 10-9
Round 6
Lederman gave 5 to Luevano. Slow first 30 seconds that favored Lopez. Lopez being aggressive. He may win this fight on activity and aggression alone. A little more grabbing this round. Same type of action. Jabs from Luevano. Power shots from Lopez. Luevano staying mobile. Not too much of significance that round, although Lopez outlanded 2-1 according to HBO stats.
Uatu: Lopez 10-9
Franchise: Lopez 10-9
Round 7
Round starts with a headbutt warning to Lopez. Nice uppercut from Lopez as Luevano was working his way in. Down goes Luevano! He gets up, but the fight is stopped! Surprising ending.
Replays will be interesting.
Uppercut. Attempts to blast the head. Hooks to the body. Big right hook, Big left hook to the head. And that was it.
The winner by TKO at 0:44 of Round 7... and new WBO featherweight titleholder... Juan Manuel Lopez!
Nothing too interesting in the post-fight interview. Although he did mention Juan Manuel Marquez in addition to Gamboa, which would be an interesting battle of the JuanMa's.
That's it.
Posted by uatu
Lopez is sponsored by IHOP. Interesting sponsor. I like it.
Here we go...
Round 1
We are going double lefty to start. Not much action in first 30 seconds. Probing jabs both ways. Luevano showing movement. He got a straight in there. Both men are being careful. Lopez gets in a nice left. Luevano trying to counter. Lopez being more economical with the output of jabs. Right from Lopez. Tying up. Interesting first round. Could have gone either way.
Uatu: Lopez 10-9
Franchise: Lopez 10-9
Round 2
Lederman goes Lopez as well. Lopez lands nicely. Lopez trying to work his way in. He is throwing the more authoritative shots. Luevano doing the circling. Jabs both ways. Tying up inside. Couple nice shots from Luevano. Jab makes Lopez miss. Lopez closes with a combo. Another close round.
Uatu: Luevano 10-9
Franchise: Lopez 10-9
Round 3
Lederman goes Lopez in round 2. Lopez gets in a monster left. Shakes Luevano a little. He seems to have recovered. Lopez looks stronger. His margin of error is larger. Luevano not giving up. Trying to dig to the body. Luevano goes body again. Lopez gets in a few. Best action so far. Uppercut from Lopez. Luevano pumps away with the jab. Lopez backs Luevano up. Jab from Luevano looks nice. Round closes with Lopez charging.
Uatu: Lopez 10-9
Franchise: Lopez 10-9
Round 4
Lederman has it 3-0. Not much going on in the first minute of consequence. Lopez lands a nice 1-2. Lopez pressing and gets in some more shots. Lopez working the in fighting. Lopez doing some damage. Luevano retreats. Luevano trying to keep him at bay. I would say this round was the most in favor of Lopez yet.
Uatu: Lopez 10-9
Franchise: Lopez 10-9
Round 5
Exchanges that Lopez gets the better of. Luevano swinging hard as well though. Lopez throwing blocked right hooks. 1-2 from Lopez. Luevano ducks and grabs. Luevano hanging tough. Nice uppercut from Lopez. Luevano working the body. Luevano walking forward more. Another close round.
Uatu: Lopez 10-9
Franchise: Luevano 10-9
Round 6
Lederman gave 5 to Luevano. Slow first 30 seconds that favored Lopez. Lopez being aggressive. He may win this fight on activity and aggression alone. A little more grabbing this round. Same type of action. Jabs from Luevano. Power shots from Lopez. Luevano staying mobile. Not too much of significance that round, although Lopez outlanded 2-1 according to HBO stats.
Uatu: Lopez 10-9
Franchise: Lopez 10-9
Round 7
Round starts with a headbutt warning to Lopez. Nice uppercut from Lopez as Luevano was working his way in. Down goes Luevano! He gets up, but the fight is stopped! Surprising ending.
Replays will be interesting.
Uppercut. Attempts to blast the head. Hooks to the body. Big right hook, Big left hook to the head. And that was it.
The winner by TKO at 0:44 of Round 7... and new WBO featherweight titleholder... Juan Manuel Lopez!
Nothing too interesting in the post-fight interview. Although he did mention Juan Manuel Marquez in addition to Gamboa, which would be an interesting battle of the JuanMa's.
That's it.
Posted by uatu
Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Steven Luevano, Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Rogers Mtagwa: Live Round By Round Updates Tonight
Reunited, and it feels so good!
That classic gem from Peaches & Herb sums up how boxing fans feel about seeing the sport come to life for a new year. The de facto winter break for the Sweet Science is over, and Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa will usher in a new year tonight.
Lopez takes on Steven Luevano in the main event on HBO's Boxing After Dark, and it's a fight that could very well decisively prove if Juanma is all he's cracked up to be. In the co-feature, Gamboa squares off with a tough fighter who rocked Lopez late, Rogers Mtagwa.
If you aren't lucky enough to be at MSG and don't have access to HBO, we'll help you get your fix of live updates for both fights right here. Head out to the main page around 10 pm Eastern, and we'll have constantly updated posts for both fights.
Boxing is back, and not a moment too soon.
Posted by The Franchise
That classic gem from Peaches & Herb sums up how boxing fans feel about seeing the sport come to life for a new year. The de facto winter break for the Sweet Science is over, and Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa will usher in a new year tonight.
Lopez takes on Steven Luevano in the main event on HBO's Boxing After Dark, and it's a fight that could very well decisively prove if Juanma is all he's cracked up to be. In the co-feature, Gamboa squares off with a tough fighter who rocked Lopez late, Rogers Mtagwa.
If you aren't lucky enough to be at MSG and don't have access to HBO, we'll help you get your fix of live updates for both fights right here. Head out to the main page around 10 pm Eastern, and we'll have constantly updated posts for both fights.
Boxing is back, and not a moment too soon.
Posted by The Franchise
21.1.10
Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Steven Luevano and Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Rogers Mtagwa: Predictions
Something that is becoming a bit of a tradition - Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa fighting on the same card at Madison Square Garden - is about to happen again this Saturday. But for the first time, both men may have their hands full on the same night.
You may recall that Juanma didn't exactly have a walk in the park the last time out, as he ended up getting rocked late in his bout with Rogers Mtagwa. Lopez was comfortably ahead on the scorecards, but he literally ended up holding on for most of the 12th round so he could make it to the final bell.
The former super bantamweight titleholder moves up to try to take the WBO featherweight belt away from Steven Luevano, who will pose an entirely different type of challenge. The smooth but relatively light-hitting (15 KO wins out of 37 victories) Californian has the most boxing skill of anyone Juanma has faced thus far, though he's had some close calls of his own over the last two years.
Hopefully Lopez learned to close some of the openings he gave Mtagwa, because Luevano will be able to exploit them much more easily. It will be interesting to see if his power can translate up another weight class, because after making short work of most of his opponents early in his career, he had trouble closing out his last three fights.
Juanma turns 27 this summer, so he's past the prospect stage. I have faith that he's still learning, though, so I think those lessons plus his natural gifts will be enough to ensure Lopez wins by unanimous decision.
Since Gamboa is being positioned for an eventual showdown with Juanma, it's convenient that he'll be in the co-feature facing Mtagwa. Even though we all know boxing doesn't have a transitive property, expect many people to be breathless with predictions that he would beat Lopez if he has an easier time with a common foe.
I expect that he will. The WBA featherweight champ has shown no problems disposing of guys at 126, and I'd give him an edge over Juanma at avoiding Mtagwa's powerful but wild shots.
If you've never seen Gamboa fight, you're in for a treat too. Unlike most of his countrymen who have difficulty shaking the Cuban amateur style, Yuriorkis goes into the ring looking to take his man out.
One thing that is a little troublesome is the rumor that Gamboa missed today's press conference in New York because he was having trouble making weight. His camp says he's just delaying facing the New York cold, but it's something to keep in mind.
Assuming all is well, Yuriorkis should simply have too much talent to lose. Mtagwa will come to fight, just as he did against Lopez, but Gamboa will prevail by mid-round KO.
Next time Lopez and Gamboa share a card at MSG, let's hope it's as opposite sides of the same fight.
Posted by The Franchise
You may recall that Juanma didn't exactly have a walk in the park the last time out, as he ended up getting rocked late in his bout with Rogers Mtagwa. Lopez was comfortably ahead on the scorecards, but he literally ended up holding on for most of the 12th round so he could make it to the final bell.
The former super bantamweight titleholder moves up to try to take the WBO featherweight belt away from Steven Luevano, who will pose an entirely different type of challenge. The smooth but relatively light-hitting (15 KO wins out of 37 victories) Californian has the most boxing skill of anyone Juanma has faced thus far, though he's had some close calls of his own over the last two years.
Hopefully Lopez learned to close some of the openings he gave Mtagwa, because Luevano will be able to exploit them much more easily. It will be interesting to see if his power can translate up another weight class, because after making short work of most of his opponents early in his career, he had trouble closing out his last three fights.
Juanma turns 27 this summer, so he's past the prospect stage. I have faith that he's still learning, though, so I think those lessons plus his natural gifts will be enough to ensure Lopez wins by unanimous decision.
Since Gamboa is being positioned for an eventual showdown with Juanma, it's convenient that he'll be in the co-feature facing Mtagwa. Even though we all know boxing doesn't have a transitive property, expect many people to be breathless with predictions that he would beat Lopez if he has an easier time with a common foe.
I expect that he will. The WBA featherweight champ has shown no problems disposing of guys at 126, and I'd give him an edge over Juanma at avoiding Mtagwa's powerful but wild shots.
If you've never seen Gamboa fight, you're in for a treat too. Unlike most of his countrymen who have difficulty shaking the Cuban amateur style, Yuriorkis goes into the ring looking to take his man out.
One thing that is a little troublesome is the rumor that Gamboa missed today's press conference in New York because he was having trouble making weight. His camp says he's just delaying facing the New York cold, but it's something to keep in mind.
Assuming all is well, Yuriorkis should simply have too much talent to lose. Mtagwa will come to fight, just as he did against Lopez, but Gamboa will prevail by mid-round KO.
Next time Lopez and Gamboa share a card at MSG, let's hope it's as opposite sides of the same fight.
Posted by The Franchise
23.12.09
BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings: End of 2009
Since everyone of consequence is done fighting for the year, I'm not even waiting for the end of the month to do the final set of power rankings for 2009. As soon as I can get input from the other BoxingWatchers, I'll also post our year-end pound-for-pound list as well.
Instead of my usual wanna-be pithy comments for each boxer, I'm simply going to include how they did in their 2009 appearances in a boxing ring. At the end you'll also find the final rankings from 2008 as a frame of reference.
More guidance on the philosophy behind these power rankings can be found here. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy.
1. Arthur Abraham - 26.13
2009 fights: March 14: W UD12 LaJuan Simon, June 27: W TKO10 Mahir Oral, October 17: W KO12 Jermain Taylor
2. Juan Manuel Lopez - 20.73
2009 fights: April 25: W TKO10 Gerry Penalosa, June 27 W TKO9 Olivier Lontchi, October 10: W UD12 Rogers Mtagwa
3. Kelly Pavlik - 20.13
2009 fights: February 21: W TKO9 Marco Antonio Rubio, December 19: W TKO5 Miguel Espino
4. Manny Pacquiao - 18.99
2009 fights: May 2: W KO2 Ricky Hatton, November 14: W TKO12 Miguel Cotto
5. Celestino Caballero - 17.49
2009 fights: April 30: W SD12 Jeffrey Mathebula, August 29: W TKO8 Francisco Leal
6. Wladimir Klitschko - 17.07
2009 fight: June 20: W TKO9 Ruslan Chagaev
7. Lucian Bute - 16.76
2009 fights: March 13: W TKO4 Fulgencio Zuniga, November 28: W KO4 Librado Andrade
8. Nonito Donaire - 16.60
2009 fights: April 19: W TKO4 Raul Martinez, August 15: W UD12 Rafael Concepcion
9. Felix Sturn - 15.25
2009 fights: April 25: W TKO7 Koji Sato, July 11: W UD12 Khoren Gevor
10. Tomasz Adamek - 14.61
2009 fights: February 27: W TKO8 Johnathon Banks, July 11: W TKO4 Bobby Gunn, October 24: W TKO5 Andrew Golota
The next 10: Vitali Klitschko, Robert Guerrero, Andre Ward, Timothy Bradley, Fernando Montiel, Chris John, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Vic Darchinyan, Paul Williams
Power Rankings - End of 2008
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.96
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 23.67
3. David Haye - 21.07
4. Celestino Caballero - 20.72
5. Manny Pacquiao - 20.62
6. Vic Darchinyan - 17.00
7. Andre Berto - 16.34
8. Paul Williams - 15.89
9. Kelly Pavlik - 15.36
10. Antonio Margarito - 15.30
Posted by The Franchise
Instead of my usual wanna-be pithy comments for each boxer, I'm simply going to include how they did in their 2009 appearances in a boxing ring. At the end you'll also find the final rankings from 2008 as a frame of reference.
More guidance on the philosophy behind these power rankings can be found here. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy.
1. Arthur Abraham - 26.13
2009 fights: March 14: W UD12 LaJuan Simon, June 27: W TKO10 Mahir Oral, October 17: W KO12 Jermain Taylor
2. Juan Manuel Lopez - 20.73
2009 fights: April 25: W TKO10 Gerry Penalosa, June 27 W TKO9 Olivier Lontchi, October 10: W UD12 Rogers Mtagwa
3. Kelly Pavlik - 20.13
2009 fights: February 21: W TKO9 Marco Antonio Rubio, December 19: W TKO5 Miguel Espino
4. Manny Pacquiao - 18.99
2009 fights: May 2: W KO2 Ricky Hatton, November 14: W TKO12 Miguel Cotto
5. Celestino Caballero - 17.49
2009 fights: April 30: W SD12 Jeffrey Mathebula, August 29: W TKO8 Francisco Leal
6. Wladimir Klitschko - 17.07
2009 fight: June 20: W TKO9 Ruslan Chagaev
7. Lucian Bute - 16.76
2009 fights: March 13: W TKO4 Fulgencio Zuniga, November 28: W KO4 Librado Andrade
8. Nonito Donaire - 16.60
2009 fights: April 19: W TKO4 Raul Martinez, August 15: W UD12 Rafael Concepcion
9. Felix Sturn - 15.25
2009 fights: April 25: W TKO7 Koji Sato, July 11: W UD12 Khoren Gevor
10. Tomasz Adamek - 14.61
2009 fights: February 27: W TKO8 Johnathon Banks, July 11: W TKO4 Bobby Gunn, October 24: W TKO5 Andrew Golota
The next 10: Vitali Klitschko, Robert Guerrero, Andre Ward, Timothy Bradley, Fernando Montiel, Chris John, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Vic Darchinyan, Paul Williams
Power Rankings - End of 2008
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.96
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 23.67
3. David Haye - 21.07
4. Celestino Caballero - 20.72
5. Manny Pacquiao - 20.62
6. Vic Darchinyan - 17.00
7. Andre Berto - 16.34
8. Paul Williams - 15.89
9. Kelly Pavlik - 15.36
10. Antonio Margarito - 15.30
Posted by The Franchise
2.11.09
BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings November 2009
All hail King Arthur! Arthur Abraham remains atop our power rankings (which, as you probably know by now, is NOT a pound-for-pound list!) after his sudden and violent KO of Jermain Taylor in the first stage of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.
There's been some shuffling behind him, but with a busy schedule over the next five or six weeks, things could really look different by the end of the year. We will do a P4P list for the end of 2009 too, and though I expect Floyd Mayweather will easily take the top spot there, the second position could be affected by the upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight.
But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit. Here are this month's power rankings...
1. Arthur Abraham - 26.13 - It's tough to do much better than Abraham has done from November 2006 to the present: nine fights, nine wins, with seven by way of knockout. He may have knocked Taylor clean out of the tournament, but he'll get a very different look from Andre Dirrell in a few months.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.07 - Wlad has fared almost as well as the man above him, going 7-0 with 6 KOs over the past three years. One wonders if he'll eventually relent and fight big brother Vitali in what would be a very intriguing match-up.
3. Juan Manuel Lopez - 19.23 - Juanma got a bit more than he bargained for from Rogers Mtagwa and ended up holding on for dear life in the final round. Don't expect such high drama when he takes on Steven Luevano next, though it could still be a very entertaining fight.
4. Manny Pacquiao - 17.49 - After some doubts about how he'd fare against naturally bigger boxers in his last few fights, it almost seems as if some fans are giving Pac Man too much credit now and dismissing Miguel Cotto's chances of beating him. We'll find out in less than two weeks if that school of thought proves to be correct.
5. Kelly Pavlik - 16.97 - With a troublesome staph infection that won't go away, The Ghost's current period of inactivity continues to roll on. If he doesn't fight by the end of January - which seems likely now - he'll lose enough points to disappear from this list.
6. Nonito Donaire - 16.60 - The Filipino Flash is probably going to return to action in February of 2010. No definitive word on an opponent as of yet.
7. Felix Sturm - 15.75 - Sturm has to be a little jealous seeing the best European boxers one division north compete in the Super Six. Someone needs to organize a tournament for middleweights.
8. Tomasz Adamek - 14.61 - Could this be the Klitschko slayer? It's probably a pipe dream, but Adamek's team has eyes on pushing him as a heavyweight contender now that he's proven (kind of) that he can hang with the big boys.
9. Carl Froch - 14.60 - It wasn't pretty, and opinions of who won the fight varied wildly, but The Cobra managed to slip past Andre Dirrell last month. His next bout with Mikkel Kessler should have European boxing fans whipped into a frenzy.
10. Lucian Bute - 14.36 - What will Bute be hoping for when he steps in against Librado Andrade for the second time on November 28? Less late round drama and a KO victory this time.
The next 10: Miguel Cotto, Celestino Caballero, Fernando Montiel, Vitali Klitschko, Chris John, Juan Manuel Marquez, Robert Guerrero, Paul Williams, Chad Dawson, Mikkel Kessler
Posted by The Franchise
There's been some shuffling behind him, but with a busy schedule over the next five or six weeks, things could really look different by the end of the year. We will do a P4P list for the end of 2009 too, and though I expect Floyd Mayweather will easily take the top spot there, the second position could be affected by the upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight.
But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit. Here are this month's power rankings...
1. Arthur Abraham - 26.13 - It's tough to do much better than Abraham has done from November 2006 to the present: nine fights, nine wins, with seven by way of knockout. He may have knocked Taylor clean out of the tournament, but he'll get a very different look from Andre Dirrell in a few months.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.07 - Wlad has fared almost as well as the man above him, going 7-0 with 6 KOs over the past three years. One wonders if he'll eventually relent and fight big brother Vitali in what would be a very intriguing match-up.
3. Juan Manuel Lopez - 19.23 - Juanma got a bit more than he bargained for from Rogers Mtagwa and ended up holding on for dear life in the final round. Don't expect such high drama when he takes on Steven Luevano next, though it could still be a very entertaining fight.
4. Manny Pacquiao - 17.49 - After some doubts about how he'd fare against naturally bigger boxers in his last few fights, it almost seems as if some fans are giving Pac Man too much credit now and dismissing Miguel Cotto's chances of beating him. We'll find out in less than two weeks if that school of thought proves to be correct.
5. Kelly Pavlik - 16.97 - With a troublesome staph infection that won't go away, The Ghost's current period of inactivity continues to roll on. If he doesn't fight by the end of January - which seems likely now - he'll lose enough points to disappear from this list.
6. Nonito Donaire - 16.60 - The Filipino Flash is probably going to return to action in February of 2010. No definitive word on an opponent as of yet.
7. Felix Sturm - 15.75 - Sturm has to be a little jealous seeing the best European boxers one division north compete in the Super Six. Someone needs to organize a tournament for middleweights.
8. Tomasz Adamek - 14.61 - Could this be the Klitschko slayer? It's probably a pipe dream, but Adamek's team has eyes on pushing him as a heavyweight contender now that he's proven (kind of) that he can hang with the big boys.
9. Carl Froch - 14.60 - It wasn't pretty, and opinions of who won the fight varied wildly, but The Cobra managed to slip past Andre Dirrell last month. His next bout with Mikkel Kessler should have European boxing fans whipped into a frenzy.
10. Lucian Bute - 14.36 - What will Bute be hoping for when he steps in against Librado Andrade for the second time on November 28? Less late round drama and a KO victory this time.
The next 10: Miguel Cotto, Celestino Caballero, Fernando Montiel, Vitali Klitschko, Chris John, Juan Manuel Marquez, Robert Guerrero, Paul Williams, Chad Dawson, Mikkel Kessler
Posted by The Franchise
12.10.09
20/20 Hindsight: Juan Manuel Lopez Goes From Prodigy to Paradox
One of the things I love most about boxing is that even fights that look crappy on paper can turn exciting unexpectedly. The reason the phrase "puncher's chance" is understood in society at large is because it's rooted in the truth.
That was clearly evident this past Saturday, when a fairly ordinary title defense for Puerto Rican superstar-in-waiting Juan Manuel Lopez almost went horribly awry. Challenger Rogers Mtagwa, from Tanzania by way of Philadelphia, had virtually no chance of winning on the scorecards but stil managed to give Juanma much more than anyone could have predicted.
While Lopez flexed his superior skill and speed early and often, Mtagwa stayed in the fight with relentless pressure, an iron chin and wide punches that hurt when they found their mark. Lopez was stunned several times, including right at the end of the 11th round, setting up high drama as he literally held on for dear life and Mtagwa gave his all trying for the buzzer-beating KO.
We learned something by seeing Lopez pushed to his limits, something that had never even come close to happening in his previous 26 pro fights, and he put on a show of heart that was exactly what you want to see from a champion. Still, it's hard not to think the contradictions on display raised more questions than were answered.
How could Juanma, who has a complete arsenal on offense and is at least defensively aware, get tagged so often by Mtagwa's wild power shots? It could have been a desire to prove something - he briefly showed signs of boxing his way to victory in the middle rounds before reverting to trading in the championship rounds - or it could be that we saw an Achilles heel, a vulnerability to right hand thrown over or around his left.
Since Lopez landed numerous bombs of his own, including right hooks, straight lefts and body shots, why couldn't he get Mtagwa out of there? It was widely thought that we saw Gerry Penalosa show off a superhuman chin hanging around for 10 rounds back in April (and even then, the stoppage was because Freddie Roach had seen enough, not because Penalosa got starched). Mtagwa may have been showing one too... or maybe Juanma isn't quite as devastating a puncher as we assumed he was. Since he's going to be moving up in weight, the answer to that question could be critical.
Finally, it was a little surprising to hear Lopez say in his post-fight interview that he's rather fight champions than guys with nothing to lose like Mtagwa. On one hand, it was refreshingly honest, and it was easy to understand his point. On the other, it seemed like a bit of excuse-making, and Bob Arum made that impression worse by acting like it would be ludicrous to give Mtagwa a rematch.
Every boxer has off nights or makes occasional poor tactical decisions. Either or both of those things happened to Lopez on Saturday and he still won, so that counts for something. It may be a cliche, but real champions find a way to come out on top when the script gets tossed out the window.
But Lopez and his team are doing themselves a disservice if they simply dismiss what just happened. He may simply brush off that life-or-death 12th round and return to racking up victims. For the first time, though, there's some doubt about whether that's a slam dunk.
That's especially true when you consider that Juanma is being positioned for an eventual showdown with Yuriorkis Gamboa, who looked great in dispatching Whyber Garcia in just under four rounds. I've always favored Lopez in that hypothetical bout. Now I'd say it's a toss-up.
Juanma may not have become a full-fledged enigma on the basis of one surprisingly tough fight, and his future still looks bright. It's just a little tougher now to figure out if he's as good as advertised than it was a few days ago.
Posted by The Franchise
That was clearly evident this past Saturday, when a fairly ordinary title defense for Puerto Rican superstar-in-waiting Juan Manuel Lopez almost went horribly awry. Challenger Rogers Mtagwa, from Tanzania by way of Philadelphia, had virtually no chance of winning on the scorecards but stil managed to give Juanma much more than anyone could have predicted.
While Lopez flexed his superior skill and speed early and often, Mtagwa stayed in the fight with relentless pressure, an iron chin and wide punches that hurt when they found their mark. Lopez was stunned several times, including right at the end of the 11th round, setting up high drama as he literally held on for dear life and Mtagwa gave his all trying for the buzzer-beating KO.
We learned something by seeing Lopez pushed to his limits, something that had never even come close to happening in his previous 26 pro fights, and he put on a show of heart that was exactly what you want to see from a champion. Still, it's hard not to think the contradictions on display raised more questions than were answered.
How could Juanma, who has a complete arsenal on offense and is at least defensively aware, get tagged so often by Mtagwa's wild power shots? It could have been a desire to prove something - he briefly showed signs of boxing his way to victory in the middle rounds before reverting to trading in the championship rounds - or it could be that we saw an Achilles heel, a vulnerability to right hand thrown over or around his left.
Since Lopez landed numerous bombs of his own, including right hooks, straight lefts and body shots, why couldn't he get Mtagwa out of there? It was widely thought that we saw Gerry Penalosa show off a superhuman chin hanging around for 10 rounds back in April (and even then, the stoppage was because Freddie Roach had seen enough, not because Penalosa got starched). Mtagwa may have been showing one too... or maybe Juanma isn't quite as devastating a puncher as we assumed he was. Since he's going to be moving up in weight, the answer to that question could be critical.
Finally, it was a little surprising to hear Lopez say in his post-fight interview that he's rather fight champions than guys with nothing to lose like Mtagwa. On one hand, it was refreshingly honest, and it was easy to understand his point. On the other, it seemed like a bit of excuse-making, and Bob Arum made that impression worse by acting like it would be ludicrous to give Mtagwa a rematch.
Every boxer has off nights or makes occasional poor tactical decisions. Either or both of those things happened to Lopez on Saturday and he still won, so that counts for something. It may be a cliche, but real champions find a way to come out on top when the script gets tossed out the window.
But Lopez and his team are doing themselves a disservice if they simply dismiss what just happened. He may simply brush off that life-or-death 12th round and return to racking up victims. For the first time, though, there's some doubt about whether that's a slam dunk.
That's especially true when you consider that Juanma is being positioned for an eventual showdown with Yuriorkis Gamboa, who looked great in dispatching Whyber Garcia in just under four rounds. I've always favored Lopez in that hypothetical bout. Now I'd say it's a toss-up.
Juanma may not have become a full-fledged enigma on the basis of one surprisingly tough fight, and his future still looks bright. It's just a little tougher now to figure out if he's as good as advertised than it was a few days ago.
Posted by The Franchise
10.10.09
Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Rogers Mtagwa: Round By Round
We're almost set for Juan Manuel Lopez to headline the Latin Fury 12: Island Warriors pay-per-view by defending his WBO super bantamweight title against Rogers Mtagwa. A few early knockouts on the undercard have slowed down the action from the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, with footage of an earlier victory by local favorite John Duddy filling the extra time.
Lopez is 26-0 with 24 KOs, and is making the fifth defense of the belt he won with a first round knockout of Daniel Ponce de Leon in June of 2008. He has scored 13 knockdowns in his last six fights, and no one has been able to take him the distance in a 12-rounder.
Mtagwa is originally from Tanzania but now calls Philadelphia home. The tale of the tape shows him with a four-inch reach advantage despite being slightly shorter than Juanma.
As this is a Top Rank pay-per-view, we get another video promo for the upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight.
Mtagwa makes his way to the ring first to a mostly indifferent reaction from the pro-Lopez crowd. Juanma gets plenty of love as he makes his way out, and plenty oif Puerto Rican flags are visible in the stands.
Michael Buffer performs the introductions with his usual flair, and we are set for a scheduled 12 rounds of boxing.
Round 1
Mtagwa comes out as the aggressor but Juanma quickly puts him off-balance. There's a quick tie up as Mtagwa comes charging in. A clubbing right hook by Lopez makes his foe stumble a bit. Another right hook finds the mark. Juanma scores to the body as Mtagwa misses a wild right. The right hook is landing at will, and Lopez hardly even needs his left hand right now. Mtagwa goes down late in the round, but it's correctly ruled a slip.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 2
Mtagwa is having all kinds of problems with Juanma's hand speed and his balance has been poor as well. CompuBox had Rogers landing only 10 percent of his punches in Round 1. Two left hands score for Lopez as both men swing away. Mtagwa bears down and actually lands tow right hands, but counters knock him back immediately. Mtagwa tries to mug his foe in close as Lopez throws back to the body. Juanma eats two right hooks before the bell, but he laughs as he goes back to his corner.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 3
A straight left opens up the round for Juanma. Mtagwa charges in and is met by a flurry. Lopez feints and connects with a sharp right hand. Both men throw and land with right hands and the fans are into it. They are each eating bombs as they stand and trade. Juanma pushes his foe back into the ropes as he works the body. It's a brawl again in the center of the ring. Lopez is cut near his right eye. Wild round that may have gone to Lopez, but he doesn't need to fight this fight.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 4
The ref has declared that Juanma's cut was caused by an accidental clash of heads. Mtagwa slips down in the early going. Both men have displayed serious chins thus far. Here we go again as they trade in the center of the ring. Lopez gets the better of it thanks to some mean left hands. Mtagwa scores with two left hooks along the ropes. Wild swing and a miss by Mtagwa. Right to the body forces Lopez back. Juanma trying to keep his distance right now.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 5
Mtagwa certainly doesn't get cheated on any punch. The announcers discuss Juanma's low punch output, especially when it comes to jabs. Lopez finds the mark with two straight lefts, followed by a right hook. Mtagwa goes down, but he doesn't look hurt. They resume fighting and quickly get tangled up. Mtagwa stays in Juanma's face, but Lopez makes him eat a left hand. Big right hand by Mtagwa smacks Lopez in the face. Lopez thunders a right hook home, though Mtagwa is mostly undeterred.
Franchise: 10-8 Lopez
Round 6
There's still some debate about the knockdown from the last round, but the ref scored it that way. Mtagwa bulls his way forward and is met by a hook and a headlock. Mtagwa comes over the top with two right hands. Lopez switches stances so he can stick and move. Right hook inside by Juanma. Mtagwa effectively goes to the jab. He stalks but Lopez is moving very well. Things heat up with 30 seconds to go with a few nice exchanges.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 7
Lopez strafes Mtagwa with left hands and keeps his legs moving. Mtagwa leans in and connects with a big right hand along the ropes. They stand and trade and Mtagwa is able to knock Lopez back with more straight rights. Lopez doesn't look too hurt but he ate some nice shots. Both men score with hooks, and Mtagwa follows with another right. Lopez got lured back into a brawl and paid for it this time.
Franchise: 10-9 Mtagwa
Round 8
Juanma gets his right hook untracked as Mtagwa continues to come forward. Uppercut by Mtagwa is answered by a right hook from Juanma. One-two by Lopez and a right hook before they clinch. Big miss by Juanma and they trade again. The ref is busy and has to separate them several times. Each man stumbles as power shots crash home. Mtagwa is showing some serious heart right now.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 9
Mtagwa's corner urges him on. We'll see if anyone fades down the stretch. Both men miss and Mtagwa stumbles Juanma with a hook. Short left by Lopez but Mtagwa slugs him right back with right hands. The ref warns Juanma for low shots. Lopez is clinching again when Mtagwa moves in. Quick right by Mtagwa and Lopez tries to answer. Right-left by Lopez and Mtagwa scores right at the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Mtagwa
Round 10
Lopez goes right to work and catches Mtagwa with several left hands. No one has ever taken Juanma past 10 rounds before. Body shots from both men look low. Mtagwa mugs his opponent on the inside. Lopez goes to the body and head with left hands. Right hand by Mtagwa and another on the inside. Uppercut by Mtagwa and Lopez answers. Lopez staggers and Mtagwa goes down, but it's a slip. Wild last minute of that round.
Franchise: 10-9 Mtagwa
Round 11
However this ends, it's been worth the price of admission. Lopez is backpedaling and Mtagwa lands a vicious right. Left hand by Lopez as he gathers himself. The crowd gets behind Juanma with 90 seconds left in the frame. Left by Lopez and the ref steps in. Right hand by Mtagwa and a straight left by Lopez. He walks through some uppercuts to connect to the body and head. Left hook and a right hand by Mtagwa have Lopez in trouble but the bell bails him out.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 12
We'll see if Juanma was hurt by those last two right hands, because he was controlling the 11th round until those landed. Mtagwa comes forward and lands a big right. Juanma digs in and lands a right hook. Mtagwa stumbles into the corner, swinging wildly. Lopez looks like he's in trouble as Mtagwa charges in. He smothers Mtagwa to buy some time. Both men stumble as they trade. A minute and a half to go. If Mtagwa wasn't so wild, he may have knocked Lopez down already. Sixty seconds to go. Right hand by Mtagwa. Lopez smothers him again in the corner. He has to hold just to stay up. Left hand staggers Lopez but he stays up. He makes it to the final bell in a thrilling show of guts by both boxers.
Franchise: 10-8 Mtagwa
Franchise: 115-111 Lopez
The judges score it 116-111, 114-113 and 115-111 for the winner by unanimous decision... and still WBO super bantamweight titleholder... Juan Manuel Lopez.
Steve Farhood gets a word with Mtagwa, who felt like he won the fight. He certainly won over some of the fans, who were almost 100 percent pro-Juanma at the start of the fight. Mtagwa says Lopez was very tired, and though he gives Juanma credit for being a good fighter, he doesn't think the champ hits particularly hard. Not surprisingly, he'd like a rematch.
For his part, Lopez says Mtagwa was very strong and fought as if he had nothing to lose. Juanma admits to being fatigued in the final round but feels he did enough to control the early action to win. Bob Arum isn't so willing to give Mtagwa credit, and the fans let him hear it a little bit. Lopez wants to fight the best guys at 126.
Al Bernstein states that there was an error reading the scorecards, and it's actually a unanimous decision for Lopez.
Posted by The Franchise
Lopez is 26-0 with 24 KOs, and is making the fifth defense of the belt he won with a first round knockout of Daniel Ponce de Leon in June of 2008. He has scored 13 knockdowns in his last six fights, and no one has been able to take him the distance in a 12-rounder.
Mtagwa is originally from Tanzania but now calls Philadelphia home. The tale of the tape shows him with a four-inch reach advantage despite being slightly shorter than Juanma.
As this is a Top Rank pay-per-view, we get another video promo for the upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight.
Mtagwa makes his way to the ring first to a mostly indifferent reaction from the pro-Lopez crowd. Juanma gets plenty of love as he makes his way out, and plenty oif Puerto Rican flags are visible in the stands.
Michael Buffer performs the introductions with his usual flair, and we are set for a scheduled 12 rounds of boxing.
Round 1
Mtagwa comes out as the aggressor but Juanma quickly puts him off-balance. There's a quick tie up as Mtagwa comes charging in. A clubbing right hook by Lopez makes his foe stumble a bit. Another right hook finds the mark. Juanma scores to the body as Mtagwa misses a wild right. The right hook is landing at will, and Lopez hardly even needs his left hand right now. Mtagwa goes down late in the round, but it's correctly ruled a slip.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 2
Mtagwa is having all kinds of problems with Juanma's hand speed and his balance has been poor as well. CompuBox had Rogers landing only 10 percent of his punches in Round 1. Two left hands score for Lopez as both men swing away. Mtagwa bears down and actually lands tow right hands, but counters knock him back immediately. Mtagwa tries to mug his foe in close as Lopez throws back to the body. Juanma eats two right hooks before the bell, but he laughs as he goes back to his corner.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 3
A straight left opens up the round for Juanma. Mtagwa charges in and is met by a flurry. Lopez feints and connects with a sharp right hand. Both men throw and land with right hands and the fans are into it. They are each eating bombs as they stand and trade. Juanma pushes his foe back into the ropes as he works the body. It's a brawl again in the center of the ring. Lopez is cut near his right eye. Wild round that may have gone to Lopez, but he doesn't need to fight this fight.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 4
The ref has declared that Juanma's cut was caused by an accidental clash of heads. Mtagwa slips down in the early going. Both men have displayed serious chins thus far. Here we go again as they trade in the center of the ring. Lopez gets the better of it thanks to some mean left hands. Mtagwa scores with two left hooks along the ropes. Wild swing and a miss by Mtagwa. Right to the body forces Lopez back. Juanma trying to keep his distance right now.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 5
Mtagwa certainly doesn't get cheated on any punch. The announcers discuss Juanma's low punch output, especially when it comes to jabs. Lopez finds the mark with two straight lefts, followed by a right hook. Mtagwa goes down, but he doesn't look hurt. They resume fighting and quickly get tangled up. Mtagwa stays in Juanma's face, but Lopez makes him eat a left hand. Big right hand by Mtagwa smacks Lopez in the face. Lopez thunders a right hook home, though Mtagwa is mostly undeterred.
Franchise: 10-8 Lopez
Round 6
There's still some debate about the knockdown from the last round, but the ref scored it that way. Mtagwa bulls his way forward and is met by a hook and a headlock. Mtagwa comes over the top with two right hands. Lopez switches stances so he can stick and move. Right hook inside by Juanma. Mtagwa effectively goes to the jab. He stalks but Lopez is moving very well. Things heat up with 30 seconds to go with a few nice exchanges.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 7
Lopez strafes Mtagwa with left hands and keeps his legs moving. Mtagwa leans in and connects with a big right hand along the ropes. They stand and trade and Mtagwa is able to knock Lopez back with more straight rights. Lopez doesn't look too hurt but he ate some nice shots. Both men score with hooks, and Mtagwa follows with another right. Lopez got lured back into a brawl and paid for it this time.
Franchise: 10-9 Mtagwa
Round 8
Juanma gets his right hook untracked as Mtagwa continues to come forward. Uppercut by Mtagwa is answered by a right hook from Juanma. One-two by Lopez and a right hook before they clinch. Big miss by Juanma and they trade again. The ref is busy and has to separate them several times. Each man stumbles as power shots crash home. Mtagwa is showing some serious heart right now.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 9
Mtagwa's corner urges him on. We'll see if anyone fades down the stretch. Both men miss and Mtagwa stumbles Juanma with a hook. Short left by Lopez but Mtagwa slugs him right back with right hands. The ref warns Juanma for low shots. Lopez is clinching again when Mtagwa moves in. Quick right by Mtagwa and Lopez tries to answer. Right-left by Lopez and Mtagwa scores right at the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Mtagwa
Round 10
Lopez goes right to work and catches Mtagwa with several left hands. No one has ever taken Juanma past 10 rounds before. Body shots from both men look low. Mtagwa mugs his opponent on the inside. Lopez goes to the body and head with left hands. Right hand by Mtagwa and another on the inside. Uppercut by Mtagwa and Lopez answers. Lopez staggers and Mtagwa goes down, but it's a slip. Wild last minute of that round.
Franchise: 10-9 Mtagwa
Round 11
However this ends, it's been worth the price of admission. Lopez is backpedaling and Mtagwa lands a vicious right. Left hand by Lopez as he gathers himself. The crowd gets behind Juanma with 90 seconds left in the frame. Left by Lopez and the ref steps in. Right hand by Mtagwa and a straight left by Lopez. He walks through some uppercuts to connect to the body and head. Left hook and a right hand by Mtagwa have Lopez in trouble but the bell bails him out.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Round 12
We'll see if Juanma was hurt by those last two right hands, because he was controlling the 11th round until those landed. Mtagwa comes forward and lands a big right. Juanma digs in and lands a right hook. Mtagwa stumbles into the corner, swinging wildly. Lopez looks like he's in trouble as Mtagwa charges in. He smothers Mtagwa to buy some time. Both men stumble as they trade. A minute and a half to go. If Mtagwa wasn't so wild, he may have knocked Lopez down already. Sixty seconds to go. Right hand by Mtagwa. Lopez smothers him again in the corner. He has to hold just to stay up. Left hand staggers Lopez but he stays up. He makes it to the final bell in a thrilling show of guts by both boxers.
Franchise: 10-8 Mtagwa
Franchise: 115-111 Lopez
The judges score it 116-111, 114-113 and 115-111 for the winner by unanimous decision... and still WBO super bantamweight titleholder... Juan Manuel Lopez.
Steve Farhood gets a word with Mtagwa, who felt like he won the fight. He certainly won over some of the fans, who were almost 100 percent pro-Juanma at the start of the fight. Mtagwa says Lopez was very tired, and though he gives Juanma credit for being a good fighter, he doesn't think the champ hits particularly hard. Not surprisingly, he'd like a rematch.
For his part, Lopez says Mtagwa was very strong and fought as if he had nothing to lose. Juanma admits to being fatigued in the final round but feels he did enough to control the early action to win. Bob Arum isn't so willing to give Mtagwa credit, and the fans let him hear it a little bit. Lopez wants to fight the best guys at 126.
Al Bernstein states that there was an error reading the scorecards, and it's actually a unanimous decision for Lopez.
Posted by The Franchise
Live Latin Fury 12 (Juan Manuel Lopez, Yuriorkis Gamboa and More) Round By Round Updates Tonight
Part of me definitely does not like covering things like tonight's Latin Fury 12 pay-per-view, because it's hard to get excited about a card whose top two fighters should easily emerge victorious. Then again, perhaps we're doing readers a service by watching it for you, in case you decide (understandably) that you'd rather hold off and save the money for, say, the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight next month. Top Rank would be okay with that, I think, because they get your money either way!
Anyway, whether you opt out or just can't see the fights tonight for whatever reason, you can get live round by round updates for Juan Manuel Lopez, Yuriorkis Gamboa and whoever else fights on the televised part of the card tonight. Where? Right here! Or more precisely, on the home page where we'll have new posts for the undercard and the co-features. Then just refresh and enjoy.
The action begins at 9 pm Eastern time tonight, so join us then.
Posted by The Franchise
Anyway, whether you opt out or just can't see the fights tonight for whatever reason, you can get live round by round updates for Juan Manuel Lopez, Yuriorkis Gamboa and whoever else fights on the televised part of the card tonight. Where? Right here! Or more precisely, on the home page where we'll have new posts for the undercard and the co-features. Then just refresh and enjoy.
The action begins at 9 pm Eastern time tonight, so join us then.
Posted by The Franchise
8.10.09
Predictions: Island Warriors - Latin Fury 12 - Juan Manuel Lopez, Yuriorkis Gamboa and More
The Franchise says...
I don't mind paying money to watch Juan Manuel Lopez fight, because he's almost always worth the price of admission. What I do mind is buying a pay-per-view that's so clearly intended to set up a bigger one down the road.
Such is the case with Saturday's Latin Fury 12 (subtitled Island Warriors) as Juanma and co-featured star Yuriorkis Gamboa are definitely being positioned to fight each other, perhaps next year. Since local favorite John Duddy is also in action, this card strikes me as one that would be better to attend in person than watch on TV.
But I digress. To get to a Lopez-Gamboa showdown, it would help if both men win on Saturday. Juanma's foe, Rogers Mtagwa, doesn't have anything on his resume that makes one think he'll be much of a challenge. I'm saying Lopez by KO inside of five rounds.
Whyber Garcia, the man facing Gamboa, also seems like light work. He's twice before been a KO victim for undefeated boxers: to Edwin Valero in 2006 and Jorge Linares last year. Let's say it'll be three for three and go with Gamboa by mid-round KO.
I should mention that the most interesting fight on the card may be a heavyweight bout that has switched participants multiple times. Cuban Odlanier Solis is the constant; he was originally supposed to fight Kevin Johnson, got switched to Fres Oquendo and has ended up with Monte Barrett.
Solis has yet to show he was worth the hype he got beginning his pro career, and he seems to be a student of the pre-Klitschko Chris Arreola school of conditioning. I actually think he caught a break not facing Oquendo, because Fast Fres has enough left in the tank to be a real headache.
Barrett can certainly bang, but appearing as a late replacement may neutralize any cardio advantage he'd have. Solis has never gone ten rounds as a pro, so who knows what happens if the fight goes the distance?
I'm taking Solis by late TKO, but that's a pick made without a whole lot of confidence.
Posted by The Franchise
I don't mind paying money to watch Juan Manuel Lopez fight, because he's almost always worth the price of admission. What I do mind is buying a pay-per-view that's so clearly intended to set up a bigger one down the road.
Such is the case with Saturday's Latin Fury 12 (subtitled Island Warriors) as Juanma and co-featured star Yuriorkis Gamboa are definitely being positioned to fight each other, perhaps next year. Since local favorite John Duddy is also in action, this card strikes me as one that would be better to attend in person than watch on TV.
But I digress. To get to a Lopez-Gamboa showdown, it would help if both men win on Saturday. Juanma's foe, Rogers Mtagwa, doesn't have anything on his resume that makes one think he'll be much of a challenge. I'm saying Lopez by KO inside of five rounds.
Whyber Garcia, the man facing Gamboa, also seems like light work. He's twice before been a KO victim for undefeated boxers: to Edwin Valero in 2006 and Jorge Linares last year. Let's say it'll be three for three and go with Gamboa by mid-round KO.
I should mention that the most interesting fight on the card may be a heavyweight bout that has switched participants multiple times. Cuban Odlanier Solis is the constant; he was originally supposed to fight Kevin Johnson, got switched to Fres Oquendo and has ended up with Monte Barrett.
Solis has yet to show he was worth the hype he got beginning his pro career, and he seems to be a student of the pre-Klitschko Chris Arreola school of conditioning. I actually think he caught a break not facing Oquendo, because Fast Fres has enough left in the tank to be a real headache.
Barrett can certainly bang, but appearing as a late replacement may neutralize any cardio advantage he'd have. Solis has never gone ten rounds as a pro, so who knows what happens if the fight goes the distance?
I'm taking Solis by late TKO, but that's a pick made without a whole lot of confidence.
Posted by The Franchise
1.10.09
BoxingWatchers.com: Boxer Power Rankings - October 2009
Slacking. That's what we've been doing on the site this week, and that's what I've been doing for several months with our power rankings (patent pending).
If you're new here, you're going to look at these and go, "Whoa! Hold up! Where's Money Mayweather?"
Yes, Floyd would likely be on top if this was a pound-for-pound list, but it's not. We only do one of those at the end of each year.
The power rankings are a mathematical way to show who's been staying active, winning and winning decisively against opponents with good records over the past three years. Boxers like Mayweather (since he retired for about two years) just haven't fought enough in that time period to qualify. A "perfect" score is 36, but anything over 17 is pretty impressive.
Now that that's out of the way, here's our list for the beginning of October:
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.13 - It's always easy to criticize fighters who build up gaudy records staying close to home, but King Arthur has begun taking on more challenges. He should get tested big time in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, where he'll not only face top fighters but he'll do it while stepping up in weight.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.07 - Speaking of challenges, this guy could use one. It's hard to recall the last time Wlad was in any danger during a fight.
3. Juan Manuel Lopez - 20.59 - Over the last three years, JuanMa is 9-0 with 9 KOs. He'd have a truly monstrous score in these rankings except for the fact that two or three of his victims fall into the "highly questionable" category.
4. Nonito Donaire - 17.60 - The Filipino Flash is likely to stay somewhat in the very large shadow of countryman Manny Pacquiao for the next few years, but he's been doing some impressive work of his own. He should squeeze in one more fight before the end of the year.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 17.49 - Pac-Man has made it to the point where every time he steps in the ring, it's an event. Beating Miguel Cotto won't be an easy task, but you know Freddie Roach will have his man ready to go.
6. Celestino Caballero - 17.08 - Pelenchin wasn't exactly in tough his last time out against Francisco Leal. It's tough to see who may be on the horizon for him to fight that would get fans excited.
7. Kelly Pavlik - 16.97 - After several stops and starts related to a staph infection, The Ghost has finally been given the okay to fight Paul Williams on December 5. At least that's how it looks right now. That should be an entertaining bout.
8. Felix Sturm - 15.75 - The obvious fight between Sturm and Abraham is out of the question now that Abraham has departed middleweight for bigger (literally) and better things. Maybe he'll get a shot at the Pavlik-Williams winner, but I kind of doubt it.
9. Lucian Bute - 14.36 - He's possibly the most glaring omission from the World Boxing Classic, so he'll content himself with a rematch against Librado Andrade in November. You may recall he was lucky to avoid becoming a late KO victim the first time.
10. Carl Froch - 13.60 - Since he's also part of the Super Six, The Cobra could go soaring up this list over the next year. And he could just as easily be all the way out, too.
The next 10: Miguel Cotto, Fernando Montiel, Tomasz Adamek, Vitali Klitschko, Chris John, Juan Manuel Marquez, Mikkel Kessler, Robert Guerrero, Paul Williams, Chad Dawson
Posted by The Franchise
If you're new here, you're going to look at these and go, "Whoa! Hold up! Where's Money Mayweather?"
Yes, Floyd would likely be on top if this was a pound-for-pound list, but it's not. We only do one of those at the end of each year.
The power rankings are a mathematical way to show who's been staying active, winning and winning decisively against opponents with good records over the past three years. Boxers like Mayweather (since he retired for about two years) just haven't fought enough in that time period to qualify. A "perfect" score is 36, but anything over 17 is pretty impressive.
Now that that's out of the way, here's our list for the beginning of October:
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.13 - It's always easy to criticize fighters who build up gaudy records staying close to home, but King Arthur has begun taking on more challenges. He should get tested big time in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, where he'll not only face top fighters but he'll do it while stepping up in weight.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.07 - Speaking of challenges, this guy could use one. It's hard to recall the last time Wlad was in any danger during a fight.
3. Juan Manuel Lopez - 20.59 - Over the last three years, JuanMa is 9-0 with 9 KOs. He'd have a truly monstrous score in these rankings except for the fact that two or three of his victims fall into the "highly questionable" category.
4. Nonito Donaire - 17.60 - The Filipino Flash is likely to stay somewhat in the very large shadow of countryman Manny Pacquiao for the next few years, but he's been doing some impressive work of his own. He should squeeze in one more fight before the end of the year.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 17.49 - Pac-Man has made it to the point where every time he steps in the ring, it's an event. Beating Miguel Cotto won't be an easy task, but you know Freddie Roach will have his man ready to go.
6. Celestino Caballero - 17.08 - Pelenchin wasn't exactly in tough his last time out against Francisco Leal. It's tough to see who may be on the horizon for him to fight that would get fans excited.
7. Kelly Pavlik - 16.97 - After several stops and starts related to a staph infection, The Ghost has finally been given the okay to fight Paul Williams on December 5. At least that's how it looks right now. That should be an entertaining bout.
8. Felix Sturm - 15.75 - The obvious fight between Sturm and Abraham is out of the question now that Abraham has departed middleweight for bigger (literally) and better things. Maybe he'll get a shot at the Pavlik-Williams winner, but I kind of doubt it.
9. Lucian Bute - 14.36 - He's possibly the most glaring omission from the World Boxing Classic, so he'll content himself with a rematch against Librado Andrade in November. You may recall he was lucky to avoid becoming a late KO victim the first time.
10. Carl Froch - 13.60 - Since he's also part of the Super Six, The Cobra could go soaring up this list over the next year. And he could just as easily be all the way out, too.
The next 10: Miguel Cotto, Fernando Montiel, Tomasz Adamek, Vitali Klitschko, Chris John, Juan Manuel Marquez, Mikkel Kessler, Robert Guerrero, Paul Williams, Chad Dawson
Posted by The Franchise
1.7.09
BoxingWatchers.com: Boxer Power Rankings - July 2009
As we move into a bit of a summer lull in an entertaining year in boxing, it's time for the July power rankings. There was some shuffling around since last month, but since it was mainly among guys already in the top six, it's pretty much a case of the rich getting richer.
If this is your first time reading this, you are about to experience something so cold, man. Er... I mean, if you aren't familiar with how we do these, here's a quick primer. The lesson, as always, is that these aren't pound-for-pound rankings.
Without further ado...
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.53 - Arthur remains king of our rankings after taking care of Mahir Oral. He said all the right things after the fight about taking on Kelly Pavlik or moving up for a real challenge at super middleweight.
2. Juan Manuel Lopez - 22.59 - JuanMa added another KO to his growing total last month. Right now his biggest problem seems to be finding a real challenge.
3. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.02 - Dr. Steelhammer had little trouble with Ruslan Chagaev and has now KOed seven of his last eight opponents. I'd still be interested in seeing him fight David Haye.
4. Celestino Caballero - 20.38 - The Panamanian should be back in action in the fall, but a date and opponent haven't been finalized just yet. He doesn't seem to be on the radar of other top super bantamweights like JuanMa or Rafael Marquez.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 19.27 - Reports say a huge fight with Miguel Cotto isn't quite a done deal. But BoxRec is obviously feeling confident it will come together.
6. Kelly Pavlik - 18.13 - The Ghost has a new deal with Top Rank and apparently is not in rehab. Now if he'd just fight Abraham this fall, everything would be lovely.
7. David Haye - 17.00 - An injury prevented him from getting the shot at Wladimir Klitschko that he seemed to want so much. If he doesn't log a win by the end of 2009, he'll fall so far he may not even make honorable mention in these rankings.
8. Nonito Donaire - 16.00 - The flyweight ace will take to the ring in Las Vegas in August. He'll move up one division to take on Rafael Concepcion on a card that also features Steven Luevano versus Bernabe Concepcion, plus Odlanier Solis and Anthony Peterson.
9. Juan Manuel Marquez - 15.46 - JMM's showdown with Floyd Mayweather got pushed back from the summer to the fall. Fighting the Saturday after Mexican Independence Day should have him even more psyched than before, if that's possible.
10. Miguel Cotto - 13.20 - Cotto may be biting off more than he can chew by chasing Pacquiao. But if he wins, his star will be as bright as any in the sport.
The next 7: Paul Williams, Andre Berto, Chris John, Vic Darchinyan, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek
Posted by The Franchise
If this is your first time reading this, you are about to experience something so cold, man. Er... I mean, if you aren't familiar with how we do these, here's a quick primer. The lesson, as always, is that these aren't pound-for-pound rankings.
Without further ado...
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.53 - Arthur remains king of our rankings after taking care of Mahir Oral. He said all the right things after the fight about taking on Kelly Pavlik or moving up for a real challenge at super middleweight.
2. Juan Manuel Lopez - 22.59 - JuanMa added another KO to his growing total last month. Right now his biggest problem seems to be finding a real challenge.
3. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.02 - Dr. Steelhammer had little trouble with Ruslan Chagaev and has now KOed seven of his last eight opponents. I'd still be interested in seeing him fight David Haye.
4. Celestino Caballero - 20.38 - The Panamanian should be back in action in the fall, but a date and opponent haven't been finalized just yet. He doesn't seem to be on the radar of other top super bantamweights like JuanMa or Rafael Marquez.
5. Manny Pacquiao - 19.27 - Reports say a huge fight with Miguel Cotto isn't quite a done deal. But BoxRec is obviously feeling confident it will come together.
6. Kelly Pavlik - 18.13 - The Ghost has a new deal with Top Rank and apparently is not in rehab. Now if he'd just fight Abraham this fall, everything would be lovely.
7. David Haye - 17.00 - An injury prevented him from getting the shot at Wladimir Klitschko that he seemed to want so much. If he doesn't log a win by the end of 2009, he'll fall so far he may not even make honorable mention in these rankings.
8. Nonito Donaire - 16.00 - The flyweight ace will take to the ring in Las Vegas in August. He'll move up one division to take on Rafael Concepcion on a card that also features Steven Luevano versus Bernabe Concepcion, plus Odlanier Solis and Anthony Peterson.
9. Juan Manuel Marquez - 15.46 - JMM's showdown with Floyd Mayweather got pushed back from the summer to the fall. Fighting the Saturday after Mexican Independence Day should have him even more psyched than before, if that's possible.
10. Miguel Cotto - 13.20 - Cotto may be biting off more than he can chew by chasing Pacquiao. But if he wins, his star will be as bright as any in the sport.
The next 7: Paul Williams, Andre Berto, Chris John, Vic Darchinyan, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek
Posted by The Franchise
27.6.09
Live Ortiz-Maidana, Abraham-Oral Round By Round Updates Tonight
It's a full night of boxing tonight that might have you reaching for your remote or your DVR.
Next Big Thing candidate Victor Ortiz is on HBO, fellow rising star Juan Manuel Lopez is on pay-per-view, and a special edition of ShoBox features middleweight titleholder Arthur Abraham. Not too shabby.
If you aren't fortunate enough to be by a properly equipped TV this evening, well, we feel your pain. And we'll do our best to keep you up to date on the action because that's what we do here.
We'll definitely have Ortiz-Maidana and Abraham-Oral live round by round posts out on the main page (actually the Abraham fight may not be live, but we'll act like it is!). We'd love to do the PPV too, but we can only split our limited resources so many ways. Maybe one of our readers can keep us up to date on the JuanMa fight!
Come back and check us out starting shortly after 9 pm Eastern time tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
Next Big Thing candidate Victor Ortiz is on HBO, fellow rising star Juan Manuel Lopez is on pay-per-view, and a special edition of ShoBox features middleweight titleholder Arthur Abraham. Not too shabby.
If you aren't fortunate enough to be by a properly equipped TV this evening, well, we feel your pain. And we'll do our best to keep you up to date on the action because that's what we do here.
We'll definitely have Ortiz-Maidana and Abraham-Oral live round by round posts out on the main page (actually the Abraham fight may not be live, but we'll act like it is!). We'd love to do the PPV too, but we can only split our limited resources so many ways. Maybe one of our readers can keep us up to date on the JuanMa fight!
Come back and check us out starting shortly after 9 pm Eastern time tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
26.6.09
Weekend Predictions: Oritz-Maidana, Abraham-Oral, Lopez-Lontchi
The Franchise says...
Whether your preferred boxing viewing is on HBO, Showtime or pay-per-view, you've got something to watch on Saturday. What was originally scheduled to be a tremendous night of boxing that included a much anticipated Chris John-Rocky Juarez rematch and middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik is now just pretty good, but those are the breaks.
On the bright side, two of the brightest young stars in the game are still in action. With John-Juarez II off, Victor Ortiz gets the spotlight all to himself on HBO as he takes on Marcos Maidana.
Ortiz has been running through his competition, reeling off eight straight knockouts against guys who weren't all stiffs. The same could be said of Maidana, who is ranked inside The Ring's top 10 at 140 pounds and has 24 KOs in his 25 career wins.
Despite his youth, Oritz seemingly has it all: talent, savvy and charisma. He's worthy of the push he's got behind him, but as we saw recently with Alfredo Angulo, creating stars can sometimes be a tricky business.
We'll see if Maidana can pull off the Kermit Cintron spoiler role here. I'm not feeling it, so I like Ortiz to earn a mid-round KO.
A little further down the path to stardom is the man in action in Atlantic City, Juan Manuel Lopez. Already a titleholder, JuanMa possesses a scintillating blend of power and work rate and even has some defensive wherewithal to boot.
Gerry Penalosa used some well-timed counters and a ridiculous chin to hang with Lopez for a while in April, but he eventually got bludgeoned into submission. Olivier Lontchi can reportedly box a little bit, but does he have the power to keep JuanMa honest?
It's also worth keeping in mind that this wasn't supposed to be the PPV main event (that would have been Pavlik's fight) and the opponent was chosen with that in mind. I think it's back to a short night of work, with Lopez knocking out Lontchi early.
Finally, Showtime squeezed in an extra night of boxing to feature the man everyone wants to see in a showdown with Pavlik, Arthur Abraham. I don't know much about his challenger, fellow countryman Mahir Oral, but a glance at his record suggests King Arthur is a big step up in competition.
There's always a chance of a letdown, of course, but Abraham should be plenty motivated to look good on American TV and hopefully set up that future date with The Ghost. No upsets this weekend, as I like Abraham to retain his IBF title by mid-round KO.
Posted by The Franchise
Whether your preferred boxing viewing is on HBO, Showtime or pay-per-view, you've got something to watch on Saturday. What was originally scheduled to be a tremendous night of boxing that included a much anticipated Chris John-Rocky Juarez rematch and middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik is now just pretty good, but those are the breaks.
On the bright side, two of the brightest young stars in the game are still in action. With John-Juarez II off, Victor Ortiz gets the spotlight all to himself on HBO as he takes on Marcos Maidana.
Ortiz has been running through his competition, reeling off eight straight knockouts against guys who weren't all stiffs. The same could be said of Maidana, who is ranked inside The Ring's top 10 at 140 pounds and has 24 KOs in his 25 career wins.
Despite his youth, Oritz seemingly has it all: talent, savvy and charisma. He's worthy of the push he's got behind him, but as we saw recently with Alfredo Angulo, creating stars can sometimes be a tricky business.
We'll see if Maidana can pull off the Kermit Cintron spoiler role here. I'm not feeling it, so I like Ortiz to earn a mid-round KO.
A little further down the path to stardom is the man in action in Atlantic City, Juan Manuel Lopez. Already a titleholder, JuanMa possesses a scintillating blend of power and work rate and even has some defensive wherewithal to boot.
Gerry Penalosa used some well-timed counters and a ridiculous chin to hang with Lopez for a while in April, but he eventually got bludgeoned into submission. Olivier Lontchi can reportedly box a little bit, but does he have the power to keep JuanMa honest?
It's also worth keeping in mind that this wasn't supposed to be the PPV main event (that would have been Pavlik's fight) and the opponent was chosen with that in mind. I think it's back to a short night of work, with Lopez knocking out Lontchi early.
Finally, Showtime squeezed in an extra night of boxing to feature the man everyone wants to see in a showdown with Pavlik, Arthur Abraham. I don't know much about his challenger, fellow countryman Mahir Oral, but a glance at his record suggests King Arthur is a big step up in competition.
There's always a chance of a letdown, of course, but Abraham should be plenty motivated to look good on American TV and hopefully set up that future date with The Ghost. No upsets this weekend, as I like Abraham to retain his IBF title by mid-round KO.
Posted by The Franchise
5.6.09
BoxingWatchers.com: Boxer Power Rankings - June 2009
Not too much happened in the month of May to shake up the old power rankings. The gap between the top four fighters got smaller as one of Arthur Abraham's old knockouts fell out of the rolling three-year period, and there was a bit of shuffling at the bottom.
The summer months originally were supposed to have over half of our current top 10 in action, but already two (Kelly Pavlik and David Haye) have had fights fall through and will lose points for inactivity. There's still a good chance that this list will look a lot different come the end of August.
Here's a quick disclaimer for any new readers: this isn't a pound-for-pound list, but a different way of looking at how boxers have been performing over the last three years. Visit this page for further explanation.
On with the list:
1. Arthur Abraham - 20.53 - Here's the thing about King Arthur: I think he really is good, but until he fights more real contenders, I can't be certain. His upcoming opponent, Mahir Oral, doesn't fall into that cetegory, so the question will stay out there.
2. Celestino Caballero - 20.38 - Though not all of his victories have been scintillating, Caballero stays busy and keeps winning. His last loss came more than five years ago, and he's taken 13 straight during that time.
3. Manny Pacquiao - 19.27 - We know Pac-Man will be back in action in October, but we don't know yet who he'll be fighting. Shane Mosley is trying his best to get to the front of the line, but there's no guarantee he'll make it.
4. Juan Manuel Lopez - 19.03 - JuanMa unexpectedly became the headliner for the June 27 Top Rank pay-per-view from Atlantic City after Kelly Pavlik's fight was called off. Though Olivier Lontchi has an undefeated record, he feels destined to become another Lopez KO victim.
5. Kelly Pavlik - 18.13 - Top Rank says a staph infection is keeping The Ghost out of action later this month, while Team Pavlik says he would have been ready to go. It's a strange sign of tension in a relationship that has been pretty beneficial for all parties over the last few years.
6. Wladimir Klitschko - 17.02 - Wlad and company are scrambling to find a replacement for his June 20 date after David Haye's hand injury forced him to withdraw. Here's a personal plea: don't make it Nikolai Valuev.
7. David Haye - 17.00 - Speaking of Haye, some are suggesting he pulled out to duck Klitschko, but his camp insists his injury is legit. The latest rumors have the title shot he craved so much going to Ruslan Chagaev.
8. Nonito Donaire - 16.00 - The Filipino Flash is ready to defend his IBF flyweight title again in August, but he doesn't have an opponent finalized yet.
9. Juan Manuel Marquez - 15.46 - Amusingly, Floyd Mayweather now says JMM earned the right to fight him simply because Marquez was the first one to call Floyd out. I didn't realize it was that simple!
10. Vic Darchinyan - 14.40 - Vic does have a loss and a draw in the last two years, but he's been extremely impressive during his last three fights. If he continues that trend against rugged Joseph Agbeko in July, he should start getting more pound-for-pound love.
The next 7: Andre Berto, Paul Williams, Miguel Cotto, Chris John, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek
Posted by The Franchise
The summer months originally were supposed to have over half of our current top 10 in action, but already two (Kelly Pavlik and David Haye) have had fights fall through and will lose points for inactivity. There's still a good chance that this list will look a lot different come the end of August.
Here's a quick disclaimer for any new readers: this isn't a pound-for-pound list, but a different way of looking at how boxers have been performing over the last three years. Visit this page for further explanation.
On with the list:
1. Arthur Abraham - 20.53 - Here's the thing about King Arthur: I think he really is good, but until he fights more real contenders, I can't be certain. His upcoming opponent, Mahir Oral, doesn't fall into that cetegory, so the question will stay out there.
2. Celestino Caballero - 20.38 - Though not all of his victories have been scintillating, Caballero stays busy and keeps winning. His last loss came more than five years ago, and he's taken 13 straight during that time.
3. Manny Pacquiao - 19.27 - We know Pac-Man will be back in action in October, but we don't know yet who he'll be fighting. Shane Mosley is trying his best to get to the front of the line, but there's no guarantee he'll make it.
4. Juan Manuel Lopez - 19.03 - JuanMa unexpectedly became the headliner for the June 27 Top Rank pay-per-view from Atlantic City after Kelly Pavlik's fight was called off. Though Olivier Lontchi has an undefeated record, he feels destined to become another Lopez KO victim.
5. Kelly Pavlik - 18.13 - Top Rank says a staph infection is keeping The Ghost out of action later this month, while Team Pavlik says he would have been ready to go. It's a strange sign of tension in a relationship that has been pretty beneficial for all parties over the last few years.
6. Wladimir Klitschko - 17.02 - Wlad and company are scrambling to find a replacement for his June 20 date after David Haye's hand injury forced him to withdraw. Here's a personal plea: don't make it Nikolai Valuev.
7. David Haye - 17.00 - Speaking of Haye, some are suggesting he pulled out to duck Klitschko, but his camp insists his injury is legit. The latest rumors have the title shot he craved so much going to Ruslan Chagaev.
8. Nonito Donaire - 16.00 - The Filipino Flash is ready to defend his IBF flyweight title again in August, but he doesn't have an opponent finalized yet.
9. Juan Manuel Marquez - 15.46 - Amusingly, Floyd Mayweather now says JMM earned the right to fight him simply because Marquez was the first one to call Floyd out. I didn't realize it was that simple!
10. Vic Darchinyan - 14.40 - Vic does have a loss and a draw in the last two years, but he's been extremely impressive during his last three fights. If he continues that trend against rugged Joseph Agbeko in July, he should start getting more pound-for-pound love.
The next 7: Andre Berto, Paul Williams, Miguel Cotto, Chris John, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek
Posted by The Franchise
6.5.09
BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings - May 2009
Hi all. Let me assure you that after Saturday's scintillating destruction of Ricky Hatton, Manny Pacquiao would be atop this list with no questions asked.
Alas, it's a mathematical measure of how a boxer has performed over the last three years, adding points for activity and decisive wins (and subtracting for losses) and multiplying by the recent winning percentages of his opponents - that last one's important, or Juan Manuel Lopez would be setting record scores.
As it is, JuanMa is part of the new blood on the list this month, and Pac-Man is upwardly mobile. On with the scores:
1. Arthur Abraham - 23.73 - I've beaten the Kelly Pavlik drum for King Arthur enough that I'm tired of doing it. Now I've decided that fighting Paul Williams would really test his mettle, but I'm pretty sure he won't consider that.
2. Celestino Caballero - 20.38 - He can thank his high spot on this list to some home cooking, because by all accounts he was fortunate to escape Panama with his super bantamweight title intact April 30 against Jeffrey Mathebula. Still, his numbers don't lie over the last three years.
3. Manny Pacquiao - 19.27 - The world's best boxer may not be wanted back home right now because of swine flu worries, but we want him at the top of this list. If he were to fight and knock out Floyd Mayweather later this year, that would probably do it.
4. Juan Manuel Lopez - 19.03 - JuanMa finally has enough quality wins to crack this list, and he does it in style at No. 4. If he can keep his KO streak going against strong competition, he'll keep climbing.
5. Kelly Pavlik - 18.13 - I'm not exactly sure what Sergio Mora did to deserve a shot at The Ghost's middleweight belts, but whatever. Props to Top Rank for getting people to keep paying to watch Pavlik fight whoever they come up with, I guess.
6. Wladimir Klitschko - 17.02 - Hilariously said he's looking forward to giving David Haye the pizza face when they meet in June. Their war of words has me anticipating a Steelhammer fight for the first time in... well, ever maybe.
7. David Haye - 17.00 - Idiot or genius? I'm not sure if Haye is making a mistake getting Wlad mad or helping his upset chances by getting in his foe's head. We'll know in a few weeks.
8. Paul Williams - 16.33 - Actually didn't improve his score in these rankings too much last month, as Winky Wright was only 1-1-1 over the last three years. Regardless, it was another impressive performance for The Punisher.
9. Nonito Donaire - 16.00 - The Filipino Flash returns to the top 10 with a KO of previously undefeated Raul Martinez. I'd like to see him fight Vic Darchinyan again but there is bad promotional blood preventing that from happening.
10. Juan Manuel Marquez - 15.46 - Obviously, JMM can make a huge leap up this list if he can upset Floyd Mayweather this summer. More importantly, a win would likely get him the rematch with Pac-Man he so desperately craves.
The next 7: Vic Darchinyan, Miguel Cotto, Andre Berto, Carl Froch, Chris John, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek
Posted by The Franchise
Alas, it's a mathematical measure of how a boxer has performed over the last three years, adding points for activity and decisive wins (and subtracting for losses) and multiplying by the recent winning percentages of his opponents - that last one's important, or Juan Manuel Lopez would be setting record scores.
As it is, JuanMa is part of the new blood on the list this month, and Pac-Man is upwardly mobile. On with the scores:
1. Arthur Abraham - 23.73 - I've beaten the Kelly Pavlik drum for King Arthur enough that I'm tired of doing it. Now I've decided that fighting Paul Williams would really test his mettle, but I'm pretty sure he won't consider that.
2. Celestino Caballero - 20.38 - He can thank his high spot on this list to some home cooking, because by all accounts he was fortunate to escape Panama with his super bantamweight title intact April 30 against Jeffrey Mathebula. Still, his numbers don't lie over the last three years.
3. Manny Pacquiao - 19.27 - The world's best boxer may not be wanted back home right now because of swine flu worries, but we want him at the top of this list. If he were to fight and knock out Floyd Mayweather later this year, that would probably do it.
4. Juan Manuel Lopez - 19.03 - JuanMa finally has enough quality wins to crack this list, and he does it in style at No. 4. If he can keep his KO streak going against strong competition, he'll keep climbing.
5. Kelly Pavlik - 18.13 - I'm not exactly sure what Sergio Mora did to deserve a shot at The Ghost's middleweight belts, but whatever. Props to Top Rank for getting people to keep paying to watch Pavlik fight whoever they come up with, I guess.
6. Wladimir Klitschko - 17.02 - Hilariously said he's looking forward to giving David Haye the pizza face when they meet in June. Their war of words has me anticipating a Steelhammer fight for the first time in... well, ever maybe.
7. David Haye - 17.00 - Idiot or genius? I'm not sure if Haye is making a mistake getting Wlad mad or helping his upset chances by getting in his foe's head. We'll know in a few weeks.
8. Paul Williams - 16.33 - Actually didn't improve his score in these rankings too much last month, as Winky Wright was only 1-1-1 over the last three years. Regardless, it was another impressive performance for The Punisher.
9. Nonito Donaire - 16.00 - The Filipino Flash returns to the top 10 with a KO of previously undefeated Raul Martinez. I'd like to see him fight Vic Darchinyan again but there is bad promotional blood preventing that from happening.
10. Juan Manuel Marquez - 15.46 - Obviously, JMM can make a huge leap up this list if he can upset Floyd Mayweather this summer. More importantly, a win would likely get him the rematch with Pac-Man he so desperately craves.
The next 7: Vic Darchinyan, Miguel Cotto, Andre Berto, Carl Froch, Chris John, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek
Posted by The Franchise
27.4.09
20-20 Hindsight: Froch Makes the Scene, End of the Road for Taylor and What's Next for JuanMa
If you're a boxing fan and didn't enjoy the weekend that just ended, then I don't know what to tell you.
Friday night offered a more entertaining than expected fight between Cory Spinks and Deandre Latimore. Saturday was even better, with Carl Froch's dramatic late KO of Jermain Taylor and thrilling performances (for different reasons) from Juan Manuel Lopez and Gerry Penalosa - and they were spaced out in a way that you could catch both fights.
Froch should be the weekend's big winner, as beating a guy with some name recognition like Taylor makes him a known quantity outside of the U.K. for the first time. And yes, the way in which he did it also helps.
Since he's spoken recently about staying in the U.S., it will be interesting to see if he does exactly that. The top American contenders at super middleweight might not be up for a shot at Froch right away - guys like Andre Dirrell, Allan Green and Andre Ward - but there are other possibilities within a division that suddenly looks more interesting than it's been in a while.
I wouldn't mind seeing Froch fight Mikkel Kessler, Sakio Bika or Librado Andrade. There's also Lucian Bute for a battle of undefeated titleholders, though The Cobra would be wise not to fight him in Montreal.
It's probably not out of the question for a rematch with Taylor either, as the fight was close enough to warrant one. If that doesn't happen, we may have seen the last of Jermain as a top contender.
Taylor has just three career losses, but all have come in his last four fights. His best moments have come against guys that aren't known to be devastating KO artists (Winky Wright and Bernard Hopkins) and he just doesn't seem to be able to put it together against fighters who can withstand what he dishes out in early rounds. The always excellent Dougie Fischer has a great summary of what Taylor's turned out to be in his latest mailbag post on The Ring Blog.
Saturday's fight added a second "What if?" moment to add to his first fight with Kelly Pavlik as he was unable to finish Froch. It's one of the bigger ironies in boxing that a man nicknamed Bad Intentions has been undone by his lack of a killer instinct.
In contrast, JuanMa Lopez does have the know-how to go for the kill when he smells blood. He just wasn't able to do it against Penalosa, who turned in one of the gutsiest efforts in recent memory by standing and trading with the Puerto Rican star for nine tough rounds.
One nice thing about Penalosa's ridiculous staying power is that it allowed Lopez to display his whole offensive package. He can box or brawl, he mixes up head and body shots extremely effectively and he can deliver volume while still having plenty of snap on each punch.
JuanMa is also too big and strong for most guys at 122 lbs., so it came as little surprise when he stated after the fight that he was headed for 126 at the end of this year or the beginning of 2010. Even though he likes to stay busy - Lopez fought four times in 2008 - that realistically means we'll only see him in two more fights, tops, at super bantamweight.
No doubt every fight fan would love to see him face Israel Vazquez or Rafael Marquez, who he name-dropped in his post-fight interview, but would they be as eager to fight him after putting each other through hell three times in the past two years? Another compelling match-up would be with Celestino Caballero (assuming he beats Jeffrey Mathebula later this week) in a bout that would unify three of the four alphabet belts at 122.
After that, the sky's the limit for Lopez. He's already a superstar in Puerto Rico and only his lack of real rivalries and the fact that he plies his trade in the lighter weight classes are keeping him from that same status on a wider scale.
Posted by The Franchise
Friday night offered a more entertaining than expected fight between Cory Spinks and Deandre Latimore. Saturday was even better, with Carl Froch's dramatic late KO of Jermain Taylor and thrilling performances (for different reasons) from Juan Manuel Lopez and Gerry Penalosa - and they were spaced out in a way that you could catch both fights.
Froch should be the weekend's big winner, as beating a guy with some name recognition like Taylor makes him a known quantity outside of the U.K. for the first time. And yes, the way in which he did it also helps.
Since he's spoken recently about staying in the U.S., it will be interesting to see if he does exactly that. The top American contenders at super middleweight might not be up for a shot at Froch right away - guys like Andre Dirrell, Allan Green and Andre Ward - but there are other possibilities within a division that suddenly looks more interesting than it's been in a while.
I wouldn't mind seeing Froch fight Mikkel Kessler, Sakio Bika or Librado Andrade. There's also Lucian Bute for a battle of undefeated titleholders, though The Cobra would be wise not to fight him in Montreal.
It's probably not out of the question for a rematch with Taylor either, as the fight was close enough to warrant one. If that doesn't happen, we may have seen the last of Jermain as a top contender.
Taylor has just three career losses, but all have come in his last four fights. His best moments have come against guys that aren't known to be devastating KO artists (Winky Wright and Bernard Hopkins) and he just doesn't seem to be able to put it together against fighters who can withstand what he dishes out in early rounds. The always excellent Dougie Fischer has a great summary of what Taylor's turned out to be in his latest mailbag post on The Ring Blog.
Saturday's fight added a second "What if?" moment to add to his first fight with Kelly Pavlik as he was unable to finish Froch. It's one of the bigger ironies in boxing that a man nicknamed Bad Intentions has been undone by his lack of a killer instinct.
In contrast, JuanMa Lopez does have the know-how to go for the kill when he smells blood. He just wasn't able to do it against Penalosa, who turned in one of the gutsiest efforts in recent memory by standing and trading with the Puerto Rican star for nine tough rounds.
One nice thing about Penalosa's ridiculous staying power is that it allowed Lopez to display his whole offensive package. He can box or brawl, he mixes up head and body shots extremely effectively and he can deliver volume while still having plenty of snap on each punch.
JuanMa is also too big and strong for most guys at 122 lbs., so it came as little surprise when he stated after the fight that he was headed for 126 at the end of this year or the beginning of 2010. Even though he likes to stay busy - Lopez fought four times in 2008 - that realistically means we'll only see him in two more fights, tops, at super bantamweight.
No doubt every fight fan would love to see him face Israel Vazquez or Rafael Marquez, who he name-dropped in his post-fight interview, but would they be as eager to fight him after putting each other through hell three times in the past two years? Another compelling match-up would be with Celestino Caballero (assuming he beats Jeffrey Mathebula later this week) in a bout that would unify three of the four alphabet belts at 122.
After that, the sky's the limit for Lopez. He's already a superstar in Puerto Rico and only his lack of real rivalries and the fact that he plies his trade in the lighter weight classes are keeping him from that same status on a wider scale.
Posted by The Franchise
25.4.09
Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Gerry Penalosa: Round By Round
We're set for the main event in Puerto Rico with electrifying Juan Manuel Lopez taking on crafty veteran Gerry Penalosa.
Lopez is 24-0 with 22 KOs, and he's knocked out ten opponents in the last two years. His last three foes failed to make it out of the first round.
Penalosa is a former super flyweight titleholder and is 54-6 with 36 KOs. He's 11 (or more) years older than Lopez, but the two men are just about even in height, weight and reach.
Penalosa comes to the ring first. Lopez gets a showy entrance and his Puerto Rican fans give him a lot of love.
Michael Buffer does his thing on the introductions. We're all set to go for the WBO super bantamweight title.
Round 1
Penalosa flicks some jabs. Juanma finds the range with some short punches. Lopez lands a left to the body. Nice combo to the head and body by Juanma. Penalosa has to duck low to avoid a series of punches. Lopez is warned for a low shot. He goes back to work and the ref warns Penalosa for something. Lopez lands to the body and head but does take a few shots back.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 2
Jabs coming from Juanma. Both men score in close and Penalosa stumbles a bit. Wicked multi-punch combo from Lopez. He's firing from all angles. Penalosa stands his ground and gamely fires back. Straight right from Lopez. Sweet action in the middle of the ring. They turn in circles and Lopez gets the best of it. Now some counter shots score from Juanma right before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 3
Lopez reaches and Penalosa jabs. The crowd roars as Penalosa is hit along the ropes. A straight left crashes home for Juanma. Gerry has to cover up as punches continue to rain toward him. Lopez digs more hooks to the body. They stand at close range and Juanma lands a good right. A slugfest breaks out and Penalosa shows tons of heart.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 4
Juanma is quicker to the punch in the opening seconds. A left hook catches Gerry in the head. He ducks a series of punches and looks for his own angle. Lopez triples up on left hooks to the body. Penalosa fights off the ropes and trades. Lopez works a combo and bounces away. He scores again with multiple hooks. Both men throw all the way to the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 5
Juanma is averaging over 100 punches a round and landing roughly 40 percent. Penalosa has a heck of a chin, that's for sure. Both men stand and swing but Lopez is landing more punches with more power. He comes forward behind two hooks. The fans start a "Juanma" chant. It's the proverbial fight in a phone booth with right hands scoring for both fighters. Nice work along the ropes and Penalosa isn't backing down.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 6
Lopez tees off in the corner and the fans react. Penalosa gets hit with hooks to the body and head. Lennox Lewis wants more distance from Juanma to deliver more power. Penalosa scores with some right hooks but that's his only effective punch. A right and left stun Gerry. Lopez smells blood and turns up the pressure. Give credit to Penalosa for continuing to at least try to throw back. Combo work in the corner by Juanma. Gerry got pounded in that round.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 7
Freddie Roach tells Penalosa he may have to stop it if Gerry takes that many shots again. Nice right by Penalosa and he ties up. Lopez steps back and delivers with both hands. Juanma gallops across the ring and stays in Penalosa's face. Now Gerry tries a combo of his own. He dances a bit as Lopez tries to track him down. Both men stand and trade in the corner. Quite a show of determination from Penalosa, but he hasn't won any rounds yet.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 8
Juanma actually asked his corner if he was winning. Um, yes. Lopez digs to the body and head. Penalosa goes downstairs and it may have been low. Uppercut from Juanma. He presses forward and Penalosa lands a counter right. They brawl at close range again. Great action as both men throw combinations. Max Kellerman is in disbelief that Gerry is still in there trading. Sharp right by Penalosa. Juanma responds with hooks and the crowd is roaring.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 9
Roach tells Penalosa this is it: he needs a KO or he's stopping it. Lopez steps on the gas with right hooks. Gerry bounces but he isn't finding much offense. Juanma comes forward and they swing away in the corner again. Penalosa eats some shots and fires his own hooks. Now he lands one and here comes a barrage from Juanma. More fireworks and a big miss by Gerry.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Penalosa wants to continue, but Roach looks out for his man and tells the ref he wants it stopped. Kellerman says it was perfect timing. Gerry showed a ton of guts and may have had a puncher's chance, but he was taking too much consistent punishment.
The winner by TKO at the end of Round 9... and still WBO super bantamweight champion... Juan Manuel Lopez.
Lopez is 24-0 with 22 KOs, and he's knocked out ten opponents in the last two years. His last three foes failed to make it out of the first round.
Penalosa is a former super flyweight titleholder and is 54-6 with 36 KOs. He's 11 (or more) years older than Lopez, but the two men are just about even in height, weight and reach.
Penalosa comes to the ring first. Lopez gets a showy entrance and his Puerto Rican fans give him a lot of love.
Michael Buffer does his thing on the introductions. We're all set to go for the WBO super bantamweight title.
Round 1
Penalosa flicks some jabs. Juanma finds the range with some short punches. Lopez lands a left to the body. Nice combo to the head and body by Juanma. Penalosa has to duck low to avoid a series of punches. Lopez is warned for a low shot. He goes back to work and the ref warns Penalosa for something. Lopez lands to the body and head but does take a few shots back.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 2
Jabs coming from Juanma. Both men score in close and Penalosa stumbles a bit. Wicked multi-punch combo from Lopez. He's firing from all angles. Penalosa stands his ground and gamely fires back. Straight right from Lopez. Sweet action in the middle of the ring. They turn in circles and Lopez gets the best of it. Now some counter shots score from Juanma right before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 3
Lopez reaches and Penalosa jabs. The crowd roars as Penalosa is hit along the ropes. A straight left crashes home for Juanma. Gerry has to cover up as punches continue to rain toward him. Lopez digs more hooks to the body. They stand at close range and Juanma lands a good right. A slugfest breaks out and Penalosa shows tons of heart.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 4
Juanma is quicker to the punch in the opening seconds. A left hook catches Gerry in the head. He ducks a series of punches and looks for his own angle. Lopez triples up on left hooks to the body. Penalosa fights off the ropes and trades. Lopez works a combo and bounces away. He scores again with multiple hooks. Both men throw all the way to the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 5
Juanma is averaging over 100 punches a round and landing roughly 40 percent. Penalosa has a heck of a chin, that's for sure. Both men stand and swing but Lopez is landing more punches with more power. He comes forward behind two hooks. The fans start a "Juanma" chant. It's the proverbial fight in a phone booth with right hands scoring for both fighters. Nice work along the ropes and Penalosa isn't backing down.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 6
Lopez tees off in the corner and the fans react. Penalosa gets hit with hooks to the body and head. Lennox Lewis wants more distance from Juanma to deliver more power. Penalosa scores with some right hooks but that's his only effective punch. A right and left stun Gerry. Lopez smells blood and turns up the pressure. Give credit to Penalosa for continuing to at least try to throw back. Combo work in the corner by Juanma. Gerry got pounded in that round.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 7
Freddie Roach tells Penalosa he may have to stop it if Gerry takes that many shots again. Nice right by Penalosa and he ties up. Lopez steps back and delivers with both hands. Juanma gallops across the ring and stays in Penalosa's face. Now Gerry tries a combo of his own. He dances a bit as Lopez tries to track him down. Both men stand and trade in the corner. Quite a show of determination from Penalosa, but he hasn't won any rounds yet.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 8
Juanma actually asked his corner if he was winning. Um, yes. Lopez digs to the body and head. Penalosa goes downstairs and it may have been low. Uppercut from Juanma. He presses forward and Penalosa lands a counter right. They brawl at close range again. Great action as both men throw combinations. Max Kellerman is in disbelief that Gerry is still in there trading. Sharp right by Penalosa. Juanma responds with hooks and the crowd is roaring.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Round 9
Roach tells Penalosa this is it: he needs a KO or he's stopping it. Lopez steps on the gas with right hooks. Gerry bounces but he isn't finding much offense. Juanma comes forward and they swing away in the corner again. Penalosa eats some shots and fires his own hooks. Now he lands one and here comes a barrage from Juanma. More fireworks and a big miss by Gerry.
Franchise: 10-9 Lopez
Uatu: 10-9 Lopez
Spartan117: 10-9 Lopez
Penalosa wants to continue, but Roach looks out for his man and tells the ref he wants it stopped. Kellerman says it was perfect timing. Gerry showed a ton of guts and may have had a puncher's chance, but he was taking too much consistent punishment.
The winner by TKO at the end of Round 9... and still WBO super bantamweight champion... Juan Manuel Lopez.
Live Froch-Taylor and Lopez-Penalosa Round By Round Updates Tonight
It's decision time for boxing fans tonight. Do we watch former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor battle Carl Froch on Showtime? Or do we tune in HBO to see exciting Juan Manuel Lopez attempt to hang the first KO on more than capable Gerry Penalosa?
Actually, depending on how the timing works out (the HBO broadcast starts an hour later), we may be able to catch them both. But for the premium cable-deprived out there, we'll be pulling double duty here on BoxingWatchers.com - once we tear ourselves away from second round coverage of the NFL Draft!
Spartan117 will do live round by round updates for Froch-Taylor and yours truly will do the same for Lopez-Penalosa. We'll also try to recap the new episode of 24/7, some undercard fights - especially Allan Green - and anything else we deem relevant.
Look for separate new posts for all the goodness out on our main page starting shortly after 9 pm Eastern tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
Actually, depending on how the timing works out (the HBO broadcast starts an hour later), we may be able to catch them both. But for the premium cable-deprived out there, we'll be pulling double duty here on BoxingWatchers.com - once we tear ourselves away from second round coverage of the NFL Draft!
Spartan117 will do live round by round updates for Froch-Taylor and yours truly will do the same for Lopez-Penalosa. We'll also try to recap the new episode of 24/7, some undercard fights - especially Allan Green - and anything else we deem relevant.
Look for separate new posts for all the goodness out on our main page starting shortly after 9 pm Eastern tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
24.4.09
Predictions: Froch-Taylor, Lopez-Penalosa, Spinks-Latimore
April goes out with a bang in the sport of boxing, with Showtime televising cards on Friday and Saturday night and HBO chipping in with one of the most exciting fighters in the game on Saturday as well. On paper, the most interesting bout sees Carl "The Cobra" Froch put his WBC super middleweight title on the line against former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor.
To me, Taylor represents one of the most interesting "What if?" cases in the sport today. Had he been able to keep Kelly Pavlik on the canvas the first time they met in 2007, it's quite possible that despite his soft-spoken nature and lack of gamesmanship, he'd be one of the biggest stars in boxing.
Kevin Iole recently wrote about the caliber of competition Taylor has faced, mentioning that his foes had a combined 83.7 winning percentage at the time of their fights. That's only going to go up this weekend, as Froch brings in a perfect 24-0 mark with 19 KOs.
But Froch has fought just once outside his native U.K. (knocking out Henry Porras in California in 2005), and his fight record is largely devoid of recognizable opponents. Is he another Joe Calzaghe, just waiting for the chance to display his wares to a wider audience? Or is he another Gary Lockett or Michael Jennings who's about to be exposed?
Everything I've read and seen from Froch suggests he leans more toward the former, but I still think Taylor has enough to get past him. I expect he'll have an edge in speed, and since he had trouble cutting to 160 toward the end of his time as a middleweight, there's reason to believe him when he says he feels stronger at 168.
I don't think Taylor will have an easy time of it - he rarely seems to - and this win is unlikely to propel him back to the top of the sport. Nevertheless, I like Taylor to win a unanimous decision.
HBO's Saturday night broadcast showcases bright young talent and knockout machine Juan Manuel Lopez. It's hard to name too many boxers who have had more impressive runs over the last two years than Juanma, who's KOed 10 men since the beginning of 2007 - seven of them in three rounds or less and three straight in the first round.
The consensus seems to be that former bantamweight titleholder Gerry Penalosa will prove Lopez's stiffest test so far, and the veteran does bring a wealth of experience and some power of his own to the table. He's also over a decade older and facing decent disadvantages in height and reach.
It's a mistake to read too much into common opponents in boxing, but it is interesting to note that Penalosa was easily outpointed by Daniel Ponce de Leon in March 2007. Lopez fought him a little more than a year later and blitzed him in less than two and a half minutes.
Amazingly, Lopez fought less rounds in four 2008 fights than Penalosa did each of the last eight times he's stepped into the ring. Does that mean Gerry has an edge if he can weather the early storm and take the fight to the late rounds? I'm not sure, but the next time Juanma goes past the 11th round will be his first, so it couldn't hurt.
Not that I believe that will actually happen. Even though Penalosa has yet to be stopped, the younger man will prove too explosive in this one, and Lopez will rack up another KO to add to his growing resume.
Last in importance but first chronologically is Friday night's junior middleweight Battle of St. Louis between Cory Spinks and Deandre Latimore. Spinks will get a chance to somewhat right a career that's come off the rails since he was holding multiple welterweight titles about five years ago, while Latimore will be making a bit of a step up in his level of competition.
Both men are southpaws and about even physically. Latimore is talented but still raw, and that could be an issue as he goes up against someone who almost guarantees a long, frustrating night.
Power should be the difference here. Spinks has gone more than eight years without leaving an opponent on the canvas and wasn't a heavy hitter back when he fought at 147. Compare that to Latimore who seems to have legitimate 154-pound power and it's no contest.
Though I don't discount the chance of Spinks winning ugly, I have to go with the guy who has multiple ways to win. Since Cory is tricky to put away, I'll go with Latimore by decision.
Posted by The Franchise
To me, Taylor represents one of the most interesting "What if?" cases in the sport today. Had he been able to keep Kelly Pavlik on the canvas the first time they met in 2007, it's quite possible that despite his soft-spoken nature and lack of gamesmanship, he'd be one of the biggest stars in boxing.
Kevin Iole recently wrote about the caliber of competition Taylor has faced, mentioning that his foes had a combined 83.7 winning percentage at the time of their fights. That's only going to go up this weekend, as Froch brings in a perfect 24-0 mark with 19 KOs.
But Froch has fought just once outside his native U.K. (knocking out Henry Porras in California in 2005), and his fight record is largely devoid of recognizable opponents. Is he another Joe Calzaghe, just waiting for the chance to display his wares to a wider audience? Or is he another Gary Lockett or Michael Jennings who's about to be exposed?
Everything I've read and seen from Froch suggests he leans more toward the former, but I still think Taylor has enough to get past him. I expect he'll have an edge in speed, and since he had trouble cutting to 160 toward the end of his time as a middleweight, there's reason to believe him when he says he feels stronger at 168.
I don't think Taylor will have an easy time of it - he rarely seems to - and this win is unlikely to propel him back to the top of the sport. Nevertheless, I like Taylor to win a unanimous decision.
HBO's Saturday night broadcast showcases bright young talent and knockout machine Juan Manuel Lopez. It's hard to name too many boxers who have had more impressive runs over the last two years than Juanma, who's KOed 10 men since the beginning of 2007 - seven of them in three rounds or less and three straight in the first round.
The consensus seems to be that former bantamweight titleholder Gerry Penalosa will prove Lopez's stiffest test so far, and the veteran does bring a wealth of experience and some power of his own to the table. He's also over a decade older and facing decent disadvantages in height and reach.
It's a mistake to read too much into common opponents in boxing, but it is interesting to note that Penalosa was easily outpointed by Daniel Ponce de Leon in March 2007. Lopez fought him a little more than a year later and blitzed him in less than two and a half minutes.
Amazingly, Lopez fought less rounds in four 2008 fights than Penalosa did each of the last eight times he's stepped into the ring. Does that mean Gerry has an edge if he can weather the early storm and take the fight to the late rounds? I'm not sure, but the next time Juanma goes past the 11th round will be his first, so it couldn't hurt.
Not that I believe that will actually happen. Even though Penalosa has yet to be stopped, the younger man will prove too explosive in this one, and Lopez will rack up another KO to add to his growing resume.
Last in importance but first chronologically is Friday night's junior middleweight Battle of St. Louis between Cory Spinks and Deandre Latimore. Spinks will get a chance to somewhat right a career that's come off the rails since he was holding multiple welterweight titles about five years ago, while Latimore will be making a bit of a step up in his level of competition.
Both men are southpaws and about even physically. Latimore is talented but still raw, and that could be an issue as he goes up against someone who almost guarantees a long, frustrating night.
Power should be the difference here. Spinks has gone more than eight years without leaving an opponent on the canvas and wasn't a heavy hitter back when he fought at 147. Compare that to Latimore who seems to have legitimate 154-pound power and it's no contest.
Though I don't discount the chance of Spinks winning ugly, I have to go with the guy who has multiple ways to win. Since Cory is tricky to put away, I'll go with Latimore by decision.
Posted by The Franchise
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