Franchise Thoughts on... Adamek-Arreola, Williams-Cintron, Khan-Malignaggi and More

Dan Rafael of ESPN was nice enough to use his blog entry for today to spell out exactly what HBO had planned for the second quarter of 2010. At this point, just about anything would be better than the network's first quarter boxing schedule, though the cancellation of its biggest fight (Shane Mosley-Andre Berto) was obviously not HBO's fault.

Here are my thoughts on what is supposedly on tap:

April:

I was a little surprised to see that Berto will be matched with Carlos Quintana on April 10. There have been quite a few names kicked around for Andre, including everyone from Paul Malignaggi to Zab Judah. Berto himself sounded off on Twitter about a week ago and didn't seem too interested in either one of those guys. Also on that card will be personal favorite Tavoris Cloud facing Glen Johnson in what should be an action-packed fight. I like Cloud in that one, but Johnson will make it a tough night as always.

The next week on April 17 is planned to be a split-site doubleheader that features Lucian Bute-Edison Miranda in Montreal and Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez in Atlantic City. Miranda is always dangerous and should be good for some entertaining trash talk if nothing else, but the most recent version of Bute we saw was also the best one. He should win. Pavlik-Martinez is a fascinating study in contrasts; I'm withholding my thoughts on the outcome until both guys actually sign on the dotted line.

Tomasz Adamek-Chris Arreola is apparently official for April 24, much to my dismay. Don't get me wrong, because I like the match-up. But Showtime just moved the Super Six fights to that date, and now HBO is putting a card on that date. That is bad for fans and the sport in general. Alfredo Angulo vs. Joel Julio is the co-feature, which doesn't do a whole lot for me.

May:

Paul Williams will be the headliner on May 8. Rafael says his most likely opponent will be Kermit Cintron at 154 pounds. I'm biased toward Cintron because he hails from a town about 30 minutes from the hometown of the BoxingWatchers. Nevertheless, I give the edge to The Punisher if he brings his 'A' game. Assuming Martinez really does face Pavlik, this is a good bout for Williams, so I hope it gets made.

Amir Khan-Paulie Malignaggi on May 15? Yes, please! Frankly, Malignaggi never made much sense to me as a foe for Berto, and even though I was intrigued by the possibility of Khan taking on Juan Manuel Marquez for the obvious "youth versus experience" storyline, this is better. Khan seems to be on the fast track to superstardom, but we've seen what can happen to young boxers who are tagged as the next big thing. Speaking of those guys, Victor Ortiz is likely to be in the co-feature against Nate Campbell. That's not too shabby either.

June:

There's nothing official for June as of yet. But there is growing talk about Miguel Cotto and Yuri Foreman fighting, either on June 5 in Yankee Stadium or June 12 at Madison Square Garden. I wrote about that potential title fight in more detail elsewhere, but to sum up, it should be one of those rare matches where we learn something about both men. If Cotto's losses to Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao took something out of him permanently, Foreman seems good enough to let us know. Regardless, NYC is the perfect spot for this fight, indoors or out.

Posted by The Franchise

Franchise Thoughts: Time for Shoe Shining

I don't have a single topic to serve as the basis of a long form post, so why not touch on a bunch of things in short form? Time for...

SHOE SHINING

Props go out to Tavoris Cloud, one of my favorite boxers most people don't know, for his IBF light heavyweight title win on Saturday night. Cloud received some criticism for staying inactive for a little over a year while he sought his title shot, but that move paid off in the end.

Yes, as my brother Uatu pointed out, it wasn't the most exciting fight ever. But I think Tavoris actually showed some improvemement by not just swinging away wildly, especially after he saw that Clinton Woods was looking to counter.

He's still a work in progress, but maybe a few more doors will open for him now. Paging Chad Dawson - assuming he beats Glen Johnson...

What is the real deal on Juan Manuel Marquez and his chances of beating Floyd Mayweather in a few weeks? According to promoter Oscar De La Hoya, everything is peachy, and Floyd is ripe for the picking during his comeback fight.

For a hilarious opposing view, there's the latest column from Michael Marley, who compares the mood in JMM's camp to that of a convicted prisoner on death row, among other things. Marley says Nacho Beristain is dismayed at a lack of speedy sparing partners for Marquez and is even gloomier than normal. Take with grains of salt if necessary...

Boxing on the big screen? It used to happen regularly (real fights, not just Rocky movies!) and now it's going to again, at least temporarily, as the Mayweather-JMM fight will appear on about 170 screens nationwide.

On paper it seems like a great idea, and the fan in me likes the idea of seeing fights on a huge movie screen and enjoying the communal experience of watching with other diehards. But I think it's application will be limited to just two or three big bouts a year, tops...

I'm not sure how I missed this, because "Dancing With the Stars" is my wife's favorite show, but apparently Joe Calzaghe will be competing on the seventh season of its British counterpart, "Strictly Come Dancing."

If anyone thinks JoeCal can't win, watch his Roy Jones fight again. The man can shimmy...

Not strictly boxing-related, but a fight of sorts between award-winning columnist John Canzano and the gang at Yahoo! Sports after he gave the thumbs down to the violence in MMA while attending UFC 102. Needless to say this didn't go over well with Steve Cofield and company. Writer fight!

I bring it up here because as much as I agree with the people who left comments after Canzano's column suggesting he was overreacting, a number of them decided to drag boxing into the discussion (but not Cofield, so kudos to him). For the umpteenth time, people, you don't need to tear down one sport to build up the other. If you don't like one, just ignore it and leave it to those of us who do.

Posted by The Franchise

Tavoris Cloud vs. Clinton Woods: Friday Night Fights Round By Round

It's two title fights on one broadcast for the 2009 season finale of Friday Night Fights. First up is a light heavyweight title bout between undefeated Tavoris Cloud and former belt holder Clinton Woods.

Bob Wischusen is in for Joe Tessitore, alongside Teddy Atlas at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Florida. We get a video package that fills us in on the tough upbringing of Cloud, who has been flying under the radar thanks to a year of inactivity.

Woods enters the ring first. He is 42-4-1, and he lost to Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio Tarver in his only two previous fights in the U.S.

Cloud is a Florida native and has 18 KOs in his 19 pro fights. He's taking a big step up in competition in this fight, though he did hand Julio Cesar Gonzalez his first ever knockout loss last summer.

The fighter intros are over and it's time for action, scheduled for 12 rounds for the vacant IBF light heavyweight title.

Round One

Cloud goes right after Woods, who stands his ground and tries to throw back. Now Woods comes forward behind his jab. Nice right hand off the jab by Cloud. Woods doubles the jab and tries his own right. Cloud shakes his head as both men score with jabs. Woods tries to duck inside and gets tied up. Right hook on the inside by Cloud. Woods keeps two stiff jabs in his foe's face.

Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud

Round Two

Cloud strikes first and is chased back by left hands. Woods pushes Cloud up against the ropes, trying to trap him. He gets warned by the ref for hitting behind the head, and Cloud gets fired up. Woods lands two nice hooks in tight. Both men can score with jabs almost at will. Woods backs Cloud into the ropes again and lands another hook. Left-right by Woods as they come back to the center. He looks much more comfortable in this round.Right uppercut and hook by Cloud inside, but Woods scores again right before the bell.

Franchise: 10-9 Woods
Uatu: 10-9 Woods

Round Three

Woods covers up well as Cloud comes charging out of his corner again. Tavoris keeps moving as Woods measures more hooks. One-two inside by Woods; Cloud repsonds with a body shot. More body work as Woods tries to use his uppercut. Cloud throws a combo that is punctuated by a sharp right hand. Woods tries to show that he's not bothered. Cloud swings away with wide shots and knocks Woods back into the corner.

Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud

Round Four

Cloud threw 110 punches last frame. Woods controls the early part of this round in the middle of the ring. They trade jabs and miss hooks. Cloud ties up on the inside. Low shot by Woods but the ref didn't see it. It's still mostly jabs, though Cloud has thrown some showy punches that Woods has blocked. Both men land in a nice exchange, and Cloud goes to the body again. Close round.

Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud

Round Five

Cloud throws come nice combos with his left hand but it's hard to say if he's landing clean. He measures a right hand, but Woods responds with three of his own. Woods lands a right hook as they lean on each other. The ref steps in again as there is some rabbit punching. Left-right by Cloud as he loses his mouthpiece. Woods stays out of trouble but can't find much but his jab right now. They dance around until the bell this time.

Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud

Round Six

Woods steps on the gas a bit as the bell starts the sixth. Cloud steps through some fire to land a mean left hook. Both men flurry along the ropes and just miss big right hands. Woods tries to come forward but is met with multiple power shots. Woods jabs but can't deter Cloud from advancing. Cloud lands a nice combo and Woods throws back. Two right hands crash home from Cloud in the last few seconds.

Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud

Round Seven

Woods' chin is definitely solid, as he's taken some serious shots. A jab battle breaks out again, followed by inside work both ways. Woods scores with the left hook and is forced to retreat by Cloud's counter shots. Left hook by Cloud and he tries pouring it on. Woods escapes and gets back to the center. Both men turn cautious all of a sudden, and nothing of consequence lands in the last 30 seconds.

Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud

Round Eight

Woods is the aggressor in the opening moments, trying to get that hook untracked again. Wild swings by both fighters as they stand toe-to-toe. Atlas thinks Woods needs to get outside. Combo by Woods but he gets whacked by a left hook at the end. Two lefts sandwiched around a right wobble Woods. He shows some bravado in the corner and they stand and trade. Cloud tries to finish his opponent, but Woods makes it out of the round.

Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud

Round Nine

To no one's surprise, Cloud comes out firing and connects with a right hand. The crowd starts a "U.S.A." chant to spur Cloud on. Woods tries to come forward and the ref has to step in twice. Woods lands a few shots but Cloud is able to respond right away. Left hook along the ropes knocks Woods back. Left-right by Cloud right after a break. Both men connect as they trade in the middle of the ring.

Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud

Round 10

We're getting to the point where Woods may need a knockout to win. He lunges forward with a left hook. Woods still letting his hands go and trying to create distance. Cloud stays wary and bounces around. Combo by Cloud catches Woods flush with a left hook. Woods eats a big right hand and backs into the ropes. Nice action in the last ten seconds as they battle at close range.

Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud

Round 11

Two rounds to go, and it would be a surprise if Cloud wasn't way ahead. This is the first time he's been past 10 rounds though. Woods works off the jab but Cloud has an answer. Right hand by Cloud and he ducks the counter. He looks like he may be a little tired. Clubbing right by Cloud is answered by Woods. Three-punch combo along the ropes catches Woods. He turns things around right before the bell.

Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud

Round 12

Three minutes to go. The crowd is into it as both men try combinations. Woods chases and is hit coming in. Cloud unleashes to the body while Woods tries hooks. More wrestling forces the ref to intervene. Both boxers just miss with power shots. Ugly fighting in really close, and Cloud tries a few home run shots at the final bell.

Franchise: 10-9 Cloud
Uatu: 10-9 Cloud

Franchise: 119-109 Cloud
Uatu: 119-109 Cloud

The judges score it 116-112 three times, all for the winner... and new IBF light heavyweight titleholder... Tavoris Cloud.

Posted by The Franchise

Live Urango-Bailey and Cloud-Woods Round By Round Updates Tonight

Friday Night Fights closes out its 2009 season with a bang tonight with two, count 'em, two title fights of the IBF variety. Juan Urango and Randall Bailey go mano e mano at 140 pounds, while Tavoris Cloud and Clinton Woods do the same at 175.

These fights are actually pretty easy to see, given that they're on ESPN2 in the U.S. and available to stream to your computer through SecondsOutTV.com elsewhere. Nevertheless, we know there are some people who won't be able to watch.

That's where we come in. Join me and Uatu (in his first appearance as a married man!) as we recap the action with live round by round posts out on the main page. Then you can hit refresh to see the latest. See how easy it is?

The fun should begin shortly after 10 pm Eastern time. Be here or be elsewhere!

Posted by The Franchise

Juan Urango vs. Randall Bailey, Tavoris Cloud vs. Clinton Woods: Predictions

The Franchise says...

The quality of the main events on Friday Night Fights has had its ups and downs, but it's hard not to like two title fights on one show for the season finale. Juan Urango and Randall Bailey will clash for the IBF's belt at 140 pounds, while Tavoris Cloud and Clinton Woods do the same thing at light heavyweight.

Urango is one of those guys who seems like he's good enough to fight his way into title contention but not quite good enough to beat any legitimately top-ranked boxers. The Colombian southpaw has just two career losses, to Ricky Hatton and Andre Berto, but he was clearly outclassed in both cases, winning only about three or four total rounds.

Fortunately for him, Bailey is much the same. I had to look up when his loss to Miguel Cotto was, and it was longer ago than I thought (2004). He's actually 11-1 since then, but none of his fights have come against elite competition, and his last loss came against a guy (Herman Ngoudjo) that Urango beat easily.

We all know the transitive property doesn't apply to boxing, but I like Urango anyway. I think it's going to be catch or be caught for Bailey, and even though he certainly has the power to end things, I think he'll also prove the easier to hit.

It should be a competitive fight, but I see Bailey down on points and pressing, allowing Urango to strike for a late KO win.

The co-feature could be a showcase for the 19-0 Cloud, a personal favorite of mine thanks to his swing-for-the-fences style. If you like seeing punches that look like they are intended to knock someone's head off, he's your man.

He's also been inactive for slightly more than a year and is going up against his toughest foe to date in Woods. That's normally a recipe for disaster, and we've seen our fair share of young undefeated fighters stumble in the last year or two.

Still, Woods isn't getting any younger at 37 and will be giving away something noticeable in speed and athleticism. He's taller and has a longer reach and his best bet would seem to be out-boxing Cloud from the outside.

My guess is Tavoris isn't going to allow him to do that. I'm going with youth and energy in this one, and saying that unless the lay-off has dulled his edge too much, Cloud will emerge with a late-round KO.

Posted by The Franchise

More on Dawson-Johnson II and a Possible Title Fight for Tavoris Cloud

Courtesy of the Tallahassee Democrat comes another report that HBO has approved Glen Johnson as an opponent for Chad Dawson, setting up a rematch between the two men as the likely next fight for both.

Where does that leave Tallahassee's own Tavoris Cloud, who's been the number one contender for Dawson's IBF light heavyweight belt since knocking out Julio Gonzalez nine months ago? Possibly in better shape for a title shot, as the Democrat speculates that the IBF may strip Dawson of his gold. That would leave Cloud and former titleholder Clinton Woods to fight for the belt.

If you haven't seen Cloud in action, he's a treat to watch. He uses a very aggressive pressure style and swings for the fences on darn near every punch. I haven't seen enough of him to formulate an opinion on his overall skill set, but he's definitely exciting.

Woods owns two wins of his own over Gonzalez, though both were decisions and the second was relatively close. He has a big edge in experience against top flight competition (including Roy Jones Jr, Antonio Tarver and three fights with Johnson), but he's 37 and is likely to have his hands full with the younger Cloud.

Posted by The Franchise