Happy Valentine's Day! And really, what says romance more than a Boxing After Dark tripleheader featuring rising star Alfredo Angulo, a 154-pound battle between Sergio Martinez and Kermit Cintron and recently deposed former lightweight champ Nate Campbell?
If that's not your significant other's idea of a good time, may I suggest upgrading? Failing that, you can always join us here at BoxingWatchers.com, where some combination of Uatu and myself will escape from our loved ones and hit the keyboards for live round by round updates. Just remember if you're finding us through the magic of search, the updates are out on the main page, not in this post.
The fun begins shortly after 10 pm EST, and I have no idea about the order of the fights. Join us tonight and find out!
14.2.09
Franchise Thoughts: Irony Abounds as Nate Campbell Loses Belts on the Scale
Nate Campbell had some harsh words for Joan Guzman after their scheduled fight last September fell apart because Guzman failed to make weight. Among other things, Campbell pointed out how unprofessional it was for a boxer to know what is expected of him and then fail to do it.
I thought Campbell was in the right to call out Guzman at the time, and you could hardly blame the guy for being a little bitter. The missed paycheck couldn't have come at a worse time for him personally, and he filed for bankruptcy shortly thereafter.
Campbell may have surrendered the moral high ground Friday, though, as he failed to make weight for his lightweight title defense against Ali Funeka. After first tipping the scales three pounds over the 135-pound limit, he tried again two hours later and had dropped only half a pound.
Unlike the Guzman fight, this one is still going forward. But it won't be a championship bout, and the Galaxxy Warrior won't even be able to call himself a champion now that the IBF and WBO have all stripped him of his titles. You have to wonder if the fight will even anchor HBO's tripleheader at this point.
It's hard to think of a boxer who's experienced a wilder range of highs and lows over the past 12 months than Campbell. He became the lightweight champion last March by earning a thrilling 12-round decision over Juan Diaz and got married later in the year. Those events were contrasted by the Guzman debacle, the bankruptcy, and now this.
Campbell has looked like his own worst enemy before, like during his 2004 loss to Robbie Peden when he was famously knocked out while showboating. He's made all the requisite comments about lessons learned in the years since then, which makes it all the more puzzling that he'd end up in a position like this just as his career finally seemed to have taken off.
Despite his missteps, Campbell has always been someone who was easy to get behind. He's been a straight shooter in interviews while coming across as a well-grounded regular guy. He's fought in a crowd-pleasing style and carried himself as someone with a strong work ethic and a real love for the game.
Those positives are now in real danger of being washed away. By failing to make weight, Campbell has not only endangered his prospects of big fights over the next year or two - no small deal since he turns 37 in a few weeks - but also made himself look unreliable and hypocritical after the way he dressed down Guzman. And to me, that's worse.
The book hasn't been closed yet on Campbell's career, but this latest turn of events sure has made it take on a gloomier tone as the pages wind down. By the looks of things, he's going to need to look in the mirror and decide for himself how badly he wants it to have a happy ending.
I thought Campbell was in the right to call out Guzman at the time, and you could hardly blame the guy for being a little bitter. The missed paycheck couldn't have come at a worse time for him personally, and he filed for bankruptcy shortly thereafter.
Campbell may have surrendered the moral high ground Friday, though, as he failed to make weight for his lightweight title defense against Ali Funeka. After first tipping the scales three pounds over the 135-pound limit, he tried again two hours later and had dropped only half a pound.
Unlike the Guzman fight, this one is still going forward. But it won't be a championship bout, and the Galaxxy Warrior won't even be able to call himself a champion now that the IBF and WBO have all stripped him of his titles. You have to wonder if the fight will even anchor HBO's tripleheader at this point.
It's hard to think of a boxer who's experienced a wilder range of highs and lows over the past 12 months than Campbell. He became the lightweight champion last March by earning a thrilling 12-round decision over Juan Diaz and got married later in the year. Those events were contrasted by the Guzman debacle, the bankruptcy, and now this.
Campbell has looked like his own worst enemy before, like during his 2004 loss to Robbie Peden when he was famously knocked out while showboating. He's made all the requisite comments about lessons learned in the years since then, which makes it all the more puzzling that he'd end up in a position like this just as his career finally seemed to have taken off.
Despite his missteps, Campbell has always been someone who was easy to get behind. He's been a straight shooter in interviews while coming across as a well-grounded regular guy. He's fought in a crowd-pleasing style and carried himself as someone with a strong work ethic and a real love for the game.
Those positives are now in real danger of being washed away. By failing to make weight, Campbell has not only endangered his prospects of big fights over the next year or two - no small deal since he turns 37 in a few weeks - but also made himself look unreliable and hypocritical after the way he dressed down Guzman. And to me, that's worse.
The book hasn't been closed yet on Campbell's career, but this latest turn of events sure has made it take on a gloomier tone as the pages wind down. By the looks of things, he's going to need to look in the mirror and decide for himself how badly he wants it to have a happy ending.
13.2.09
Alexis Camacho vs. Carlos Molina - Friday Night Fights Round By Round
The Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan is the site for this week's Friday Night Fights main event. It's a battle of Mexican welterweights as Alexis Camacho battles Carlos Molina.
Molina is only 25, and he's 14-1-1. He gave Julio Cesar Chavez all he could handle twice but lost one and earned a draw in the other. The 27-year old Camacho is 17-1 after going 1-1 in 2008. His last 16 victories have all been by KO.
Referee Steve Smoger gives the instructions and we're set for ten rounds of boxing.
Round One
Both men open with jabs. Molina is more active and throws a few hooks. He ducks away as Camacho throws a hook of his own. Molina tries to come inside but finds Camacho covering up well. Molina mixes up jabs to the head and body. Not the firefight we may have expected so far.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round Two
The taller Camacho is having trouble finding the range. Molina pops a few jabs and stays moving. Camacho tries a few lefts to the body, but Molina lands a right coming forward. A three-punch combo produces a nice left for Molina. He bulls his way in and ties up. Camacho swings and misses and is quickly caught by some shots in response.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round Three
Camacho tries to step it up and comes out with more aggression. Molina calmly returns to working off his jab. Both men score with some hooks and Molina adds a straight right. Camacho backs him up but is still fairly inaccurate. A nice exchange sees both men land some shots. Camacho is much busier but Molina is still connecting with more clean punches.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round Four
Jabs and hooks are still the preferred plan of attack for Molina. Camacho tries to come forward but is eating more than he's landing. Nice right to the body by Molina. Left-right to the head follows. Molina circles to his right to escape trouble and ties up when he needs it. More left hooks punctuate that round for him.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round Five
Camacho hasn't been able to figure out his foe except for a bit of the third round. He walks into some left hands in the early going. Molina chases Camacho back across the ring throwing hooks and an uppercut. Camacho escapes some grappling and tries some body work. For someone not known for his defense, Molina is dodging a lot of punches. Camacho triples up on the left with some success. Molina clubs with his right hand and ties up. A left and a right stun Camacho just a bit at the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round Six
Camacho finally snaps a left hand and follows with some body shots. He's looking better in the first half of this round. Molina jabs and holds. Camacho doubles up to the body. He walks Molina back into the ropes, trying to land some uppercuts. Molina digs in and tries to make it a slugfest in the final 10 seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Camacho
Round Seven
Molina is doing a nice job getting inside, where both men are scoring to the body. Molina lands an uppercut and more jabs. He lands a right-left combo to the head and another body shot. Camacho comes right back with a straight right. He's bleeding just a bit from the nose. Molina bulls his way in as Camacho covers up. Molina lands a series of jabs in the closing seconds of the round.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round Eight
Camacho fires out with some more urgency. He lands some body shots and does a better job keeping Molina off of him. Both men connect with hooks in close. Camacho is still missing a lot of shots, though Molina ia not doing much in this frame. A straight right looks like it may have gotten Molina's attention, but he responds with a two-punch combo right at the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Camacho
Round Nine
I think Camacho will need at least a knockdown to have a chance. He's giving it a shot with a series of left hooks. Molina throws an uppercut amidst a series of incoming punches. Both men land in the center of the ring. Camacho is throwing a ton of punches but not many are clean. Molina connects with an uppercut and straight shots with both hands. He turns it on and knocks Camacho back with another combo.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round 10
Camacho is dealing with some swelling near his right eye as we head for home. Both men are definitely game as they both wing shots. Molina goes to work with two left hooks. He scores with an uppercut as Camacho tries to answer. Wide left and right from Molina. He batters Camacho with more left hands and ducks his head down to get inside. Two more vicious left hooks find the mark and Camacho is lucky his opponent doesn't have more power.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Franchise scores it 98-92 for Molina. The judges score it 97-93, 98-92 and 100-90, all to the winner, Carlos Molina.
Molina is only 25, and he's 14-1-1. He gave Julio Cesar Chavez all he could handle twice but lost one and earned a draw in the other. The 27-year old Camacho is 17-1 after going 1-1 in 2008. His last 16 victories have all been by KO.
Referee Steve Smoger gives the instructions and we're set for ten rounds of boxing.
Round One
Both men open with jabs. Molina is more active and throws a few hooks. He ducks away as Camacho throws a hook of his own. Molina tries to come inside but finds Camacho covering up well. Molina mixes up jabs to the head and body. Not the firefight we may have expected so far.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round Two
The taller Camacho is having trouble finding the range. Molina pops a few jabs and stays moving. Camacho tries a few lefts to the body, but Molina lands a right coming forward. A three-punch combo produces a nice left for Molina. He bulls his way in and ties up. Camacho swings and misses and is quickly caught by some shots in response.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round Three
Camacho tries to step it up and comes out with more aggression. Molina calmly returns to working off his jab. Both men score with some hooks and Molina adds a straight right. Camacho backs him up but is still fairly inaccurate. A nice exchange sees both men land some shots. Camacho is much busier but Molina is still connecting with more clean punches.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round Four
Jabs and hooks are still the preferred plan of attack for Molina. Camacho tries to come forward but is eating more than he's landing. Nice right to the body by Molina. Left-right to the head follows. Molina circles to his right to escape trouble and ties up when he needs it. More left hooks punctuate that round for him.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round Five
Camacho hasn't been able to figure out his foe except for a bit of the third round. He walks into some left hands in the early going. Molina chases Camacho back across the ring throwing hooks and an uppercut. Camacho escapes some grappling and tries some body work. For someone not known for his defense, Molina is dodging a lot of punches. Camacho triples up on the left with some success. Molina clubs with his right hand and ties up. A left and a right stun Camacho just a bit at the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round Six
Camacho finally snaps a left hand and follows with some body shots. He's looking better in the first half of this round. Molina jabs and holds. Camacho doubles up to the body. He walks Molina back into the ropes, trying to land some uppercuts. Molina digs in and tries to make it a slugfest in the final 10 seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Camacho
Round Seven
Molina is doing a nice job getting inside, where both men are scoring to the body. Molina lands an uppercut and more jabs. He lands a right-left combo to the head and another body shot. Camacho comes right back with a straight right. He's bleeding just a bit from the nose. Molina bulls his way in as Camacho covers up. Molina lands a series of jabs in the closing seconds of the round.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round Eight
Camacho fires out with some more urgency. He lands some body shots and does a better job keeping Molina off of him. Both men connect with hooks in close. Camacho is still missing a lot of shots, though Molina ia not doing much in this frame. A straight right looks like it may have gotten Molina's attention, but he responds with a two-punch combo right at the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Camacho
Round Nine
I think Camacho will need at least a knockdown to have a chance. He's giving it a shot with a series of left hooks. Molina throws an uppercut amidst a series of incoming punches. Both men land in the center of the ring. Camacho is throwing a ton of punches but not many are clean. Molina connects with an uppercut and straight shots with both hands. He turns it on and knocks Camacho back with another combo.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Round 10
Camacho is dealing with some swelling near his right eye as we head for home. Both men are definitely game as they both wing shots. Molina goes to work with two left hooks. He scores with an uppercut as Camacho tries to answer. Wide left and right from Molina. He batters Camacho with more left hands and ducks his head down to get inside. Two more vicious left hooks find the mark and Camacho is lucky his opponent doesn't have more power.
Franchise: 10-9 Molina
Franchise scores it 98-92 for Molina. The judges score it 97-93, 98-92 and 100-90, all to the winner, Carlos Molina.
Friday Night Fights Report - Feb. 13, 2009
FNF comes to us from New York City with a main event that pits Alexis Camacho against Carlos Molina. Camacho has won his last 16 fights by KO, and Teddy Atlas thinks Molina will oblige him by standing and trading with him.
In the co-feature, two undefeated welterweights, Ray Robinson and Darnell Jiles Jr., will do battle.
Brian Kenny and Bert Sugar are in the studio to discuss all things boxing, including Antonio Margarito's suspension and Nate Campbell failing to make weight for his fight tomorrow night. But we go to the ring quickly for the first fight, a four-rounder between cruiserweights Yathomas Riley and Julius Jackson.
Riley scores a knockdown 75 seconds in and keeps wailing away to the body. Jackson takes a knee late in the round after a wicked body shot.
Jackson has to take another knee in the third round, but the ref says the cause was an accidental headbutt. He manages to hold on through all four rounds showing occasional bursts of offense, but this fight was all Riley for the most part, and he wins by unanimous decision.
Back in the studio, Kenny discusses Campbell's inability to make weight for his fight. He weighed in twice and was over the 135-pound limit both times. Campbell was stripped of his lightweight title belts but his fight with Ali Funeka will go on.
Some video is shown of Margarito's hearing with comments from the head of the CSAC and Bob Arum. Sugar adds that the decision of the commission was unanimous. They also show Miguel Cotto's quote discussing how he doesn't think Margarito should be allowed to fight anywhere.
Sugar is a bit incredulous that no one from any of the commissions noticed anything funny with the hand wraps, and Atlas feels the same way. Everyone echoes the commonly held opinion that the findings call into question Margarito's victories over Cotto, Kermit Cintron and Golden Johnson.
Atlas and Joe Tessitore talk to Melvina Lathan, the head of New York's commission, about the Margarito situation. She gives a vague answer about what her state would do differently in terms of inspecting gloves, but she did say she thought her suspension would have been even more harsh had the same thing happened in New York.
We're ready now for Ray Robinson (that's his given name) and Darnell Jiles Jr. in an eight-rounder. Both men have nine pro fights under their belts, both are southpaws and both are undefeated.
The first round is fairly even, with the taller Robinson just missing with some power shots and Jiles able to get inside a couple of times. Both men show good movement and avoid a lot of incoming fire, though the closing seconds of Round Two get a little scrappier.
Robinson lands a mean left hand with a minute left in the third, forcing Jiles to cover up and hold on for dear life to make it out of the round. The fight is stopped between rounds, and Robinson earns the TKO victory.
In the co-feature, two undefeated welterweights, Ray Robinson and Darnell Jiles Jr., will do battle.
Brian Kenny and Bert Sugar are in the studio to discuss all things boxing, including Antonio Margarito's suspension and Nate Campbell failing to make weight for his fight tomorrow night. But we go to the ring quickly for the first fight, a four-rounder between cruiserweights Yathomas Riley and Julius Jackson.
Riley scores a knockdown 75 seconds in and keeps wailing away to the body. Jackson takes a knee late in the round after a wicked body shot.
Jackson has to take another knee in the third round, but the ref says the cause was an accidental headbutt. He manages to hold on through all four rounds showing occasional bursts of offense, but this fight was all Riley for the most part, and he wins by unanimous decision.
Back in the studio, Kenny discusses Campbell's inability to make weight for his fight. He weighed in twice and was over the 135-pound limit both times. Campbell was stripped of his lightweight title belts but his fight with Ali Funeka will go on.
Some video is shown of Margarito's hearing with comments from the head of the CSAC and Bob Arum. Sugar adds that the decision of the commission was unanimous. They also show Miguel Cotto's quote discussing how he doesn't think Margarito should be allowed to fight anywhere.
Sugar is a bit incredulous that no one from any of the commissions noticed anything funny with the hand wraps, and Atlas feels the same way. Everyone echoes the commonly held opinion that the findings call into question Margarito's victories over Cotto, Kermit Cintron and Golden Johnson.
Atlas and Joe Tessitore talk to Melvina Lathan, the head of New York's commission, about the Margarito situation. She gives a vague answer about what her state would do differently in terms of inspecting gloves, but she did say she thought her suspension would have been even more harsh had the same thing happened in New York.
We're ready now for Ray Robinson (that's his given name) and Darnell Jiles Jr. in an eight-rounder. Both men have nine pro fights under their belts, both are southpaws and both are undefeated.
The first round is fairly even, with the taller Robinson just missing with some power shots and Jiles able to get inside a couple of times. Both men show good movement and avoid a lot of incoming fire, though the closing seconds of Round Two get a little scrappier.
Robinson lands a mean left hand with a minute left in the third, forcing Jiles to cover up and hold on for dear life to make it out of the round. The fight is stopped between rounds, and Robinson earns the TKO victory.
Predictions: Campbell-Funeka, Martinez-Cintron and Angulo-Rivera
The Franchise says...
Much as I was looking forward to seeing Ricardo Mayorga get pounded by rising star Alfredo Angulo this weekend, there's still some intrigue in HBO's Boxing After Dark tripleheader from Florida.
Lightweight champion and BoxingWatchers favorite Nate Campbell moves up to the main event, defending his belts against Ali Funeka. I don't know much about the South African, but Campbell broke him down for MaxBoxing's Steve Kim this way: tall and rangy but straightforward.
Style questions aside, Campbell's biggest obstacle could be inside his own head. He hasn't fought in almost a year, but his 2008 did include getting married, declaring bankruptcy and having his fight with Joan Guzman fall apart at the absolute last minute.
Nate says he's raring to go, so maybe he'll use the distractions as motivation a la Shane Mosley. I think he will, so I like Campbell to win by unanimous decision.
Before the main event is a 154-pound scrap between two men whose only career losses have come at the hands of the recently suspended Antonio Margarito. For Argentinian southpaw Sergio Martinez, the loss came back in 2000, which may as well have been a lifetime ago.
Kermit Cintron fell twice to Margarito, most recently to a devastating body shot last April. But now that there's at least a chance that the punch was aided by the loaded glove wraps that got the Tijuana Tornado suspended, Cintron has to be holding his head a little higher.
There are plenty of reasons to pick Martinez, including his 44-1-1 record and Cintron having to step up from his usual 147. I just can't shake the feeling that The Killer is a little bit of a different animal than most of the guys Martinez has tangled with over the last couple years, so I'll stick my neck out and pick the upset with a late-round Cintron KO.
And Angulo? He's on his third different opponent after Mayorga and Danny Perez apparently both decided it wasn't worth what they were being offered to become Perro's latest victim. It might take him a while to whittle down tough veteran Cosme Rivera - who's only been stopped once in 45 career fights - but Angulo is coming away with another knockout and continuing his ascent.
UPDATE: Viewers of Friday Night Fights found out that Campbell failed to make weight for his fight, coming in over the 135-pound limit twice. All three sanctioning bodies have stripped him of their belts, though the fight is still going forward and Funeka can claim the IBF and WBO straps if he wins.
Much as I was looking forward to seeing Ricardo Mayorga get pounded by rising star Alfredo Angulo this weekend, there's still some intrigue in HBO's Boxing After Dark tripleheader from Florida.
Lightweight champion and BoxingWatchers favorite Nate Campbell moves up to the main event, defending his belts against Ali Funeka. I don't know much about the South African, but Campbell broke him down for MaxBoxing's Steve Kim this way: tall and rangy but straightforward.
Style questions aside, Campbell's biggest obstacle could be inside his own head. He hasn't fought in almost a year, but his 2008 did include getting married, declaring bankruptcy and having his fight with Joan Guzman fall apart at the absolute last minute.
Nate says he's raring to go, so maybe he'll use the distractions as motivation a la Shane Mosley. I think he will, so I like Campbell to win by unanimous decision.
Before the main event is a 154-pound scrap between two men whose only career losses have come at the hands of the recently suspended Antonio Margarito. For Argentinian southpaw Sergio Martinez, the loss came back in 2000, which may as well have been a lifetime ago.
Kermit Cintron fell twice to Margarito, most recently to a devastating body shot last April. But now that there's at least a chance that the punch was aided by the loaded glove wraps that got the Tijuana Tornado suspended, Cintron has to be holding his head a little higher.
There are plenty of reasons to pick Martinez, including his 44-1-1 record and Cintron having to step up from his usual 147. I just can't shake the feeling that The Killer is a little bit of a different animal than most of the guys Martinez has tangled with over the last couple years, so I'll stick my neck out and pick the upset with a late-round Cintron KO.
And Angulo? He's on his third different opponent after Mayorga and Danny Perez apparently both decided it wasn't worth what they were being offered to become Perro's latest victim. It might take him a while to whittle down tough veteran Cosme Rivera - who's only been stopped once in 45 career fights - but Angulo is coming away with another knockout and continuing his ascent.
UPDATE: Viewers of Friday Night Fights found out that Campbell failed to make weight for his fight, coming in over the 135-pound limit twice. All three sanctioning bodies have stripped him of their belts, though the fight is still going forward and Funeka can claim the IBF and WBO straps if he wins.
12.2.09
Recap: The Contender Season 4, Episode 10
This week's recap shows the departure of Ryan Coyne due to injury and the return of Joell Godfrey, who lost during the very first episode. A.K. Laleye sent Alfredo Escalera home, leaving us with six fighters remaining. We'll be down to the final four after tonight's doubleheader.
The remnants of the Gold Team are not upset to see Escalera go. They reflect a bit on how strange it is for six men who were once teammates having to fight each other for the championship. There's a short training spotlight on Godfrey, and everyone agrees he looks a lot less rusty this week.
He's not up first though, as Deon Elam and Hino Ehikhamenor are on tap for the first fight. Elam plans to throw more punches and work off his jab, while Hino feels his experience and slicker style will win out.
We waste no time and get right into the action. Elam is the aggressor right out of the gate. He doesn't throw tons of punches, but it's more than Elam can muster. Deon does cover up well to pick off punches with his arms, he's just not letting his hands go.
Round Three shows why that might be, as Elam gets hit often as he looks to punch. He does pick it up late in the round, though it doesn't appear to be enough to win him the round.
Trainer John Bray begs Elam to be first, and he charges out after the bell and stuns his opponent with a combo. Ehikhamenor looks like he might be in trouble, but he gets his legs back under him and is coming forward again by the end of the round.
The final round turns into a slugfest, with Hino more than holding his own. We go to the judges scorecards and they all saw it the same way: 49-46 for Ehikhamenor.
Deon says he knows he started too slowly, and he thanks Bray for giving him advice that would have been good enough to win if he had followed it. It's Elam's first loss as a pro - he was 10-0 going into the fight.
Leading up to the second bout, Hoye explains that he was locked up for ten years for shooting someone. He fights to honor his dad and grandfather, both of whom passed away while he was incarcerated.
Godfrey is looking forward to making something of his unexpected second chance. He wants to use his quickness to get in and out, but he feels his most important improvement from his first fight will be mental.
The pace set by Godfrey to start the fight is a fast one, but Hoye is successful at cutting off the ring and making Joell fight with his back against the ropes. Hoye looks like he wins the first two rounds in that manner, with Laleye noting that both men are going to be tired.
Tommy Brooks wants more combos from Hoye. Bray asks for straight counter shots from Godfrey, who finally figures out how to avoid getting trapped about halfway through the fight. He comes on down the stretch in the third round and clearly wins the fourth by sticking and moving.
It's possible that the fight is there for the taking in Round Five, and both men seem willing to trade. Hoye gets the upper hand with a series of clubbing right hands, sending Godfrey stumbling. Rico pours it on and Joell is forced to take a knee late in the round from a combination of punishment and fatigue. The judges turn in a unanimous decision for Hoye, eliminating Godfrey again.
Godfrey says he's still green, so just being in the tournament was a valuable learning experience. Bray tells him he should be proud for giving it his all and that he thinks Joell has a bright future in the sport. Godfrey hangs his gloves up for the second time, and we're down to just four men standing.
Next Week: It's the semifinals. Troy Ross takes on Laleye, and Hino squares off with Hoye.
The remnants of the Gold Team are not upset to see Escalera go. They reflect a bit on how strange it is for six men who were once teammates having to fight each other for the championship. There's a short training spotlight on Godfrey, and everyone agrees he looks a lot less rusty this week.
He's not up first though, as Deon Elam and Hino Ehikhamenor are on tap for the first fight. Elam plans to throw more punches and work off his jab, while Hino feels his experience and slicker style will win out.
We waste no time and get right into the action. Elam is the aggressor right out of the gate. He doesn't throw tons of punches, but it's more than Elam can muster. Deon does cover up well to pick off punches with his arms, he's just not letting his hands go.
Round Three shows why that might be, as Elam gets hit often as he looks to punch. He does pick it up late in the round, though it doesn't appear to be enough to win him the round.
Trainer John Bray begs Elam to be first, and he charges out after the bell and stuns his opponent with a combo. Ehikhamenor looks like he might be in trouble, but he gets his legs back under him and is coming forward again by the end of the round.
The final round turns into a slugfest, with Hino more than holding his own. We go to the judges scorecards and they all saw it the same way: 49-46 for Ehikhamenor.
Deon says he knows he started too slowly, and he thanks Bray for giving him advice that would have been good enough to win if he had followed it. It's Elam's first loss as a pro - he was 10-0 going into the fight.
Leading up to the second bout, Hoye explains that he was locked up for ten years for shooting someone. He fights to honor his dad and grandfather, both of whom passed away while he was incarcerated.
Godfrey is looking forward to making something of his unexpected second chance. He wants to use his quickness to get in and out, but he feels his most important improvement from his first fight will be mental.
The pace set by Godfrey to start the fight is a fast one, but Hoye is successful at cutting off the ring and making Joell fight with his back against the ropes. Hoye looks like he wins the first two rounds in that manner, with Laleye noting that both men are going to be tired.
Tommy Brooks wants more combos from Hoye. Bray asks for straight counter shots from Godfrey, who finally figures out how to avoid getting trapped about halfway through the fight. He comes on down the stretch in the third round and clearly wins the fourth by sticking and moving.
It's possible that the fight is there for the taking in Round Five, and both men seem willing to trade. Hoye gets the upper hand with a series of clubbing right hands, sending Godfrey stumbling. Rico pours it on and Joell is forced to take a knee late in the round from a combination of punishment and fatigue. The judges turn in a unanimous decision for Hoye, eliminating Godfrey again.
Godfrey says he's still green, so just being in the tournament was a valuable learning experience. Bray tells him he should be proud for giving it his all and that he thinks Joell has a bright future in the sport. Godfrey hangs his gloves up for the second time, and we're down to just four men standing.
Next Week: It's the semifinals. Troy Ross takes on Laleye, and Hino squares off with Hoye.
10.2.09
Reports: Darchinyan to Bantamweight, Pacquiao-Hatton on HBO PPV
Fresh off his dominating KO of Jorge Arce, Vic Darchinyan is looking for another title fight - but not at 115 pounds.
The Raging Bull's manager Elias Nassar told the AP in Australia yesterday that Darchinyan is bound for bantamweight, with bouts against WBC champ Hozumi Hasegawa or IBF champ Joseph Agbeko the top priorities.
I'll be the first to admit I don't know a thing about Hasegawa, but Agbeko could make for a fun fight. He returned from over a year off to defeat William Gonzalez in a spirited fight on a live Versus card two months ago. King Kong could definitely give Vic a run for his money in a brawl, though I think Darchinyan has enough talent to outbox him fairly easily if he chooses to go that route.
Filipino veteran Gerry Penalosa, currently ranked No. 1 at 118 pounds by BoxRec.com, is the WBO titleholder. Other intriguing bantamweight possibilities include Fernando Montiel and Abner Mares.
Another story that broke over the past 36 hours or so was the announcement that HBO would handle the pay-per-view duties for the May 2 clash between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. Normally this wouldn't qualify as news at all, but Showtime apparently made a very serious bid to handle the broadcast.
According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, Top Rank's Bob Arum favored Showtime's bid because of its alliance with CBS, leading to the possibility that the fight would be promoted on network TV. Eventually, though, he was persuaded by Golden Boy Promotions to go with the industry leader.
It would have been great to see the fight hyped on CBS, but it would have had to pay off in a lot more buys for the pay-per-view to overcome the advantages of going with HBO. Showtime has shown admirable commitment to boxing, but HBO still has a leg up in the quality of its production values and (though we fight fans bitch about them on a semi-regular basis) announcers.
Fans of HBO's 24/7 series (like us here at BoxingWatchers.com) will be happy to know that Rafael also notes that the agreement calls for more episodes of the show leading up to the bout. It will be interesting to see what new angle they can take to examine Pacquiao, as he was a subject just a few months ago when he was getting ready to take on Oscar De La Hoya.
The Raging Bull's manager Elias Nassar told the AP in Australia yesterday that Darchinyan is bound for bantamweight, with bouts against WBC champ Hozumi Hasegawa or IBF champ Joseph Agbeko the top priorities.
I'll be the first to admit I don't know a thing about Hasegawa, but Agbeko could make for a fun fight. He returned from over a year off to defeat William Gonzalez in a spirited fight on a live Versus card two months ago. King Kong could definitely give Vic a run for his money in a brawl, though I think Darchinyan has enough talent to outbox him fairly easily if he chooses to go that route.
Filipino veteran Gerry Penalosa, currently ranked No. 1 at 118 pounds by BoxRec.com, is the WBO titleholder. Other intriguing bantamweight possibilities include Fernando Montiel and Abner Mares.
Another story that broke over the past 36 hours or so was the announcement that HBO would handle the pay-per-view duties for the May 2 clash between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. Normally this wouldn't qualify as news at all, but Showtime apparently made a very serious bid to handle the broadcast.
According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, Top Rank's Bob Arum favored Showtime's bid because of its alliance with CBS, leading to the possibility that the fight would be promoted on network TV. Eventually, though, he was persuaded by Golden Boy Promotions to go with the industry leader.
It would have been great to see the fight hyped on CBS, but it would have had to pay off in a lot more buys for the pay-per-view to overcome the advantages of going with HBO. Showtime has shown admirable commitment to boxing, but HBO still has a leg up in the quality of its production values and (though we fight fans bitch about them on a semi-regular basis) announcers.
Fans of HBO's 24/7 series (like us here at BoxingWatchers.com) will be happy to know that Rafael also notes that the agreement calls for more episodes of the show leading up to the bout. It will be interesting to see what new angle they can take to examine Pacquiao, as he was a subject just a few months ago when he was getting ready to take on Oscar De La Hoya.
7.2.09
Vic Darchinyan vs. Jorge Arce: Round By Round
We're almost set for the main event on the Showtime card from Anaheim as Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce are set to do battle for three 115-pound belts. Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein are caling the action.
A video package takes viewers back through some of Arce's more colorful antics. The 29-year old Mexican is 51-4-1 and has won his last five.
Darchinyan comes in sporting a 31-1-1 record with 25 KOs. Along with his in-ring skills, he's one of the best talkers in the sport of boxing. Outspoken doesn't even begin to describe him.
Bernstein says Arce's keys to victory are to close the distance and throw hooks without squaring up. For Darchinyan, Al thinks he should stay off the ropes, remember his jab and land left hands.
Arce comes to the ring with his trademark cowboy hat and lollipop. There are fans supporting both fighters but it sounds like a majority of them are there to cheer on Arce. Darchinyan comes out second, sporting a bit of a confident smirk.
The tale of the tape shows the older Vic with a one-inch height advantage. Arce actually has a slight reach advantage, but he's not expected to put it to use.
Jimmy Lennon Jr. handles the introductions and we're ready to go.
Round One
Vic comes forward but Arce lands the first punch. Vic shoves some short shots back. Arce is moving a little more than you might expect. Vic lands a nice counter shot in the center of the ring. Arce tries the body and they clinch. Vic wants to fight and both men land. Darchinyan scores with an uppercut in tight. He lands a left hand and a right hook. Another stiff left crashes home and Vic is looking comfortable.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Two
Arce looks like he may already be cut near his left eye. He tries to charge forward but has trouble avoiding the lefts coming back. Arce runs into some more left hands as he tries to scrap. Now he gets a right hand in there. Vic is staying patient and waiting to unload. He throws a right hook before they clinch. Arce tries the body and faces a lot of return fire. Both men miss big punches along the ropes, but Vic bears down with some left hands before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Three
Vic lines up the left again as he backs Arce up. He's using the right hook too. Arce throws to the body and then upstairs. Now a wild exchange breaks out with both men landing multiple shots. Arce may have done some damage with a hook. Vic stands his ground and clinches several times. He lands a big left hand, but Arce comes charging in again. The final ten seconds see an extended brawl and the fans love it.
Franchise: 10-9 Arce
Spartan117: 10-9 Arce
Round Four
Vic lands the first good punch of this round, another left. Arce scores a nice left hook that knocks Vic off balance a bit. There's some wrestling in the center as Jorge tries to work the body. Vic fires his own body shot. Arce comes forward with two right hands. Vic throws a left and there's an awkward clinch. Vic scores with a big uppercut and Arce looks wobbled. Another big left finds the range and another one just misses.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Five
Arce is trying to tie up often but Vic is backing away. He stays in the champ's face but has to be wary of the left hand. Darchinyan stalks his way in but Arce ties up and throws to the body. Arce does some nice work in close and lunges with a right. Darchinyan just misses another huge left. Arce waves him in and there's a bit of shoving. Arce tries to turn it into a brawl and Vic obliges with a flurry to close out the round.
Franchise: 10-9 Arce
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Six
The ref warns Darchinyan for pushing down on Arce's head. He lands several lefts in the midst of an exchange. Vic bounces around and looks for an opening. He measures another left. Now he uses his movement to set up some more head shots. Vic's boxing skills are really on dispay in this round. Arce throws hooks and is hit by an uppercut coming back. Vic covers up well to weather a flurry. Darchinyan connects with a straight left to put an exclamation point on this one.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Seven
Press row scoring has it a shutout for Darchinyan to this point. The crowd applauds Arce's left hook but Vic goes right back to work. Darchinyan throws numerous jabs but the left is behind it. Vic peppers Arce with both hands in the corner. Two good lefts to the body by Vic. An uppercut follows and Arce may have been wobbled a bit by that one.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Eight
Arce presses forward but Darchinyan is too crafty to be trapped. Vic scores with an uppercut and measures another left hand. Arce lands a left hook but Darchinyan shakes it off and responds with two lefts. He misses a wild left but hops forward with another one. Darchinyan is bleeding from the nose but that was another good round for him.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Nine
Give credit to Arce for hanging in there. The crowd is a little restless as both men feint. Arce attempts body shots but has to weather some in return. Vic snaps the jab and swings wildly with a left. Arce holds the back of his head like he was fouled, and the ref warns both men for holding and hitting and wrestling. A combination crashes into Arce's head. Not much flow to that round but Vic did plenty to win it.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round 10
Vic picks Arce off with a right hand as he leans in. Plenty of wrestling in the center of the ring and the ref is busy. Arce is now bleeding near both eyes. Darchinyan still showing excellent footwork. He scores with a sharp left and Arce tries to shake it off. Vic showboats a bit as he counters with left hands. Arce is giving it all but is basically just flailing and hoping at this point.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round 11
Could this one actually make it the distance? We've got just two rounds left. Vic is playing to the crowd and looking very confident. Arce is frustrated and mostly swinging at air. Vic pours it on in the corner and Arce could be in trouble. Several uppercuts find the mark for Vic. Arce waves his foe in but his face is a mess. Darchinyan tees off with about four left hands.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
The doctor steps in and calls the fight after a look at Arce's cuts.
The winner by TKO at the end of Round 11... and still WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight champion... "The Raging Bull" Vic Darchinyan.
Jim Gray gets a word with Darchinyan, who actually gives Arce a bit of credit for landing some shots in the middle rounds. Vic says he would have fought Arce at any time in his career, but he's glad it finally happened. He also thinks he would have knocked Arce out in the 12th round if the fight had been allowed to continue. Darchinyan says he'd love to fight Nonito Donaire again, but Gary Shaw is standing at his side and says "not a chance."
Through his interpreter, Arce says he came to fight but he complains about Darchinyan using his elbows. He gives credit to Vic for being a very strong fighter but believes the elbows cut his face and head. Did he agree with the stoppage? No he doesn't, as he felt he could have continued. Both the doctor and referee decline to speak to Gray.
A video package takes viewers back through some of Arce's more colorful antics. The 29-year old Mexican is 51-4-1 and has won his last five.
Darchinyan comes in sporting a 31-1-1 record with 25 KOs. Along with his in-ring skills, he's one of the best talkers in the sport of boxing. Outspoken doesn't even begin to describe him.
Bernstein says Arce's keys to victory are to close the distance and throw hooks without squaring up. For Darchinyan, Al thinks he should stay off the ropes, remember his jab and land left hands.
Arce comes to the ring with his trademark cowboy hat and lollipop. There are fans supporting both fighters but it sounds like a majority of them are there to cheer on Arce. Darchinyan comes out second, sporting a bit of a confident smirk.
The tale of the tape shows the older Vic with a one-inch height advantage. Arce actually has a slight reach advantage, but he's not expected to put it to use.
Jimmy Lennon Jr. handles the introductions and we're ready to go.
Round One
Vic comes forward but Arce lands the first punch. Vic shoves some short shots back. Arce is moving a little more than you might expect. Vic lands a nice counter shot in the center of the ring. Arce tries the body and they clinch. Vic wants to fight and both men land. Darchinyan scores with an uppercut in tight. He lands a left hand and a right hook. Another stiff left crashes home and Vic is looking comfortable.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Two
Arce looks like he may already be cut near his left eye. He tries to charge forward but has trouble avoiding the lefts coming back. Arce runs into some more left hands as he tries to scrap. Now he gets a right hand in there. Vic is staying patient and waiting to unload. He throws a right hook before they clinch. Arce tries the body and faces a lot of return fire. Both men miss big punches along the ropes, but Vic bears down with some left hands before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Three
Vic lines up the left again as he backs Arce up. He's using the right hook too. Arce throws to the body and then upstairs. Now a wild exchange breaks out with both men landing multiple shots. Arce may have done some damage with a hook. Vic stands his ground and clinches several times. He lands a big left hand, but Arce comes charging in again. The final ten seconds see an extended brawl and the fans love it.
Franchise: 10-9 Arce
Spartan117: 10-9 Arce
Round Four
Vic lands the first good punch of this round, another left. Arce scores a nice left hook that knocks Vic off balance a bit. There's some wrestling in the center as Jorge tries to work the body. Vic fires his own body shot. Arce comes forward with two right hands. Vic throws a left and there's an awkward clinch. Vic scores with a big uppercut and Arce looks wobbled. Another big left finds the range and another one just misses.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Five
Arce is trying to tie up often but Vic is backing away. He stays in the champ's face but has to be wary of the left hand. Darchinyan stalks his way in but Arce ties up and throws to the body. Arce does some nice work in close and lunges with a right. Darchinyan just misses another huge left. Arce waves him in and there's a bit of shoving. Arce tries to turn it into a brawl and Vic obliges with a flurry to close out the round.
Franchise: 10-9 Arce
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Six
The ref warns Darchinyan for pushing down on Arce's head. He lands several lefts in the midst of an exchange. Vic bounces around and looks for an opening. He measures another left. Now he uses his movement to set up some more head shots. Vic's boxing skills are really on dispay in this round. Arce throws hooks and is hit by an uppercut coming back. Vic covers up well to weather a flurry. Darchinyan connects with a straight left to put an exclamation point on this one.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Seven
Press row scoring has it a shutout for Darchinyan to this point. The crowd applauds Arce's left hook but Vic goes right back to work. Darchinyan throws numerous jabs but the left is behind it. Vic peppers Arce with both hands in the corner. Two good lefts to the body by Vic. An uppercut follows and Arce may have been wobbled a bit by that one.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Eight
Arce presses forward but Darchinyan is too crafty to be trapped. Vic scores with an uppercut and measures another left hand. Arce lands a left hook but Darchinyan shakes it off and responds with two lefts. He misses a wild left but hops forward with another one. Darchinyan is bleeding from the nose but that was another good round for him.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round Nine
Give credit to Arce for hanging in there. The crowd is a little restless as both men feint. Arce attempts body shots but has to weather some in return. Vic snaps the jab and swings wildly with a left. Arce holds the back of his head like he was fouled, and the ref warns both men for holding and hitting and wrestling. A combination crashes into Arce's head. Not much flow to that round but Vic did plenty to win it.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round 10
Vic picks Arce off with a right hand as he leans in. Plenty of wrestling in the center of the ring and the ref is busy. Arce is now bleeding near both eyes. Darchinyan still showing excellent footwork. He scores with a sharp left and Arce tries to shake it off. Vic showboats a bit as he counters with left hands. Arce is giving it all but is basically just flailing and hoping at this point.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
Round 11
Could this one actually make it the distance? We've got just two rounds left. Vic is playing to the crowd and looking very confident. Arce is frustrated and mostly swinging at air. Vic pours it on in the corner and Arce could be in trouble. Several uppercuts find the mark for Vic. Arce waves his foe in but his face is a mess. Darchinyan tees off with about four left hands.
Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan
The doctor steps in and calls the fight after a look at Arce's cuts.
The winner by TKO at the end of Round 11... and still WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight champion... "The Raging Bull" Vic Darchinyan.
Jim Gray gets a word with Darchinyan, who actually gives Arce a bit of credit for landing some shots in the middle rounds. Vic says he would have fought Arce at any time in his career, but he's glad it finally happened. He also thinks he would have knocked Arce out in the 12th round if the fight had been allowed to continue. Darchinyan says he'd love to fight Nonito Donaire again, but Gary Shaw is standing at his side and says "not a chance."
Through his interpreter, Arce says he came to fight but he complains about Darchinyan using his elbows. He gives credit to Vic for being a very strong fighter but believes the elbows cut his face and head. Did he agree with the stoppage? No he doesn't, as he felt he could have continued. Both the doctor and referee decline to speak to Gray.
Raiymkulov vs. DeMarco: Round By Round
The first Showtime boxing card of 2009 comes to us live from Anaheim, California. One difference is noticeable right away, as excitable Gus Johnson is now the play-by-pay man, though Al Bernstein is still on hand for color.
The main event pits Vic Darchinyan against Jorge Arce with multiple 115-pound belts on the line. Both men have talked a lot leading up to tonight, and they get interviewed one final time by the Showtime team. Darchinyan is confident but fairly calm, while Arce says not to assume anything by the results of their fights against a common opponent.
First, though, is an intriguing lightweight match-up between Almazbek "Kid Diamond" Raiymkulov and Antonio DeMarco. Kid Diamond was once a hot prospect with an extensive amateur background, while DeMarco is a young southpaw who can box or mix it up.
Raiymkulov is 27-1-1 and has won seven straight since a 2005 loss to Nate Campbell. DeMarco is 20-1-1 and comes in with nine consecutive victories.
Round One
Kid Diamond tries to jump in against the taller DeMarco. He lands a few short right hands. DeMarco measures a nice right hand. Neither man can find a home for the jab so far. A short exchange goes Kid Diamond's way. DeMarco gets the fight back to the center of the ring. He scores with two straight left hands. Solid right hand by Raiymkulov and they butt heads right at the bell. The ref says it was unintentional but Kid Diamond is cut above the right eye.
Franchise: 10-9 Raiymkulov
Round Two
DeMarco tries to work the jab as Kid Diamond continues to stay in his face. Raiymkulov throws to the body and head and DeMarco tries to fire back. Right hand upstairs by Raiymkulov. DeMarco is usually a fast starter but is staying patient tonight, trying to set up left hands. He lands one and Kid Diamond slips throwing a wild right. DeMarco scores with a straight left and a few more quick shots.
Franchise: 10-9 DeMarco
Round Three
Short right hand inside by Kid Diamond as he tries to rough up DeMarco. The jab is landing more regularly for DeMarco and setting up left hands. Kid Diamond has his hands low and is getting hit often. DeMarco backs up Kid Diamond and peppers him with straight lefts. Bernstein says DeMarco has a cut above the left eye. Kid Diamond goes to the body but DeMarco stays composed.
Franchise: 10-9 DeMarco
Round Four
Raiymkulov comes out swinging for the fences in the fourth. He goes to the body and is smacked with a right hand coming back. Both men look willing to trade and both are landing. DeMarco finds the range with several jabs. Kid Diamond closes in and tries to make it ugly. Big right hand by Raiymkulov is answered by DeMarco. That was a fun round.
Franchise: 10-9 DeMarco
Round Five
DeMarco hops in behind the jab. A nice left from his foe drives him back. DeMarco lands a combo along the ropes. A sharp right snaps DeMarco's head back and the ref warns them about headbutts again. Three-punch combo by DeMarco and a body shot. Kid Diamond comes in behind a nice body shot and a hook. He just misses a big right and DeMarco scores with a big shot of his own.
Franchise: 10-9 Raiymkulov
Round Six
DeMarco's corner wants him to work more. He's backed up by a Raiymkulov flurry. Body-head combo by Kid Diamond along the ropes. Both men trade jabs. DeMarco gets some work done with the left hand. Raiymkulov loads up the right and clinches. He scores with a right-left combo and circles away. DeMarco digs in and connects with a left. They swing up to the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Raiymkulov
Round Seven
Bernstein has the fight even after six. Kid Diamond just glances a big right off of his foe. DeMarco connects with his own right. DeMarco comes in but misses a bunch of punches. He returns to jabs and left hands. DeMarco ducks in with a left hook. Kid Diamond hasn't thrown as much in this frame. Now he tries to close the distance. Nice left by DeMarco is answered right back by a stiff right.
Franchise: 10-9 DeMarco
Round Eight
Raiymkulov opens this round with right hands from close range. DeMarco battles with his back against the ropes. He works with the jab and uppercut back out in the center. Kid Diamond punches and pushes his way forward. DeMarco lands a bunch of little punches and Raiymkulov responds with harder shots. Another good exchange along the ropes. The round closes out quietly but you get the feeling that fireworks could break out soon.
Franchise: 10-9 Raiymkulov
Round Nine
Press row scoring suggests the fight is very close. DeMarco gets the upper hand with some nice left hands. A body shot looks like it stuns Kid Diamond and he follows with some more lefts. Raiymkulov digs in and tries some hooks. He's definitely not going away. DeMarco returns to doubling up on the left. DeMarco starts off a flurry with a big left hand and pours it on to end the round.
Franchise: 10-9 DeMarco
Between rounds, the doctor takes a long look at Raiymkulov. Eventually he decides Kid Diamond's nose is broken and he calls the fight. Replays show a big left hand followed by a right hook led to the final burst of damage that ended it.
The winner by KO at the end of Round Nine... Antonio DeMarco.
Post-fight interviews suggest that it was actually Kid Diamond's corner that stopped the fight, as the doctor gave him the okay to continue.
The main event pits Vic Darchinyan against Jorge Arce with multiple 115-pound belts on the line. Both men have talked a lot leading up to tonight, and they get interviewed one final time by the Showtime team. Darchinyan is confident but fairly calm, while Arce says not to assume anything by the results of their fights against a common opponent.
First, though, is an intriguing lightweight match-up between Almazbek "Kid Diamond" Raiymkulov and Antonio DeMarco. Kid Diamond was once a hot prospect with an extensive amateur background, while DeMarco is a young southpaw who can box or mix it up.
Raiymkulov is 27-1-1 and has won seven straight since a 2005 loss to Nate Campbell. DeMarco is 20-1-1 and comes in with nine consecutive victories.
Round One
Kid Diamond tries to jump in against the taller DeMarco. He lands a few short right hands. DeMarco measures a nice right hand. Neither man can find a home for the jab so far. A short exchange goes Kid Diamond's way. DeMarco gets the fight back to the center of the ring. He scores with two straight left hands. Solid right hand by Raiymkulov and they butt heads right at the bell. The ref says it was unintentional but Kid Diamond is cut above the right eye.
Franchise: 10-9 Raiymkulov
Round Two
DeMarco tries to work the jab as Kid Diamond continues to stay in his face. Raiymkulov throws to the body and head and DeMarco tries to fire back. Right hand upstairs by Raiymkulov. DeMarco is usually a fast starter but is staying patient tonight, trying to set up left hands. He lands one and Kid Diamond slips throwing a wild right. DeMarco scores with a straight left and a few more quick shots.
Franchise: 10-9 DeMarco
Round Three
Short right hand inside by Kid Diamond as he tries to rough up DeMarco. The jab is landing more regularly for DeMarco and setting up left hands. Kid Diamond has his hands low and is getting hit often. DeMarco backs up Kid Diamond and peppers him with straight lefts. Bernstein says DeMarco has a cut above the left eye. Kid Diamond goes to the body but DeMarco stays composed.
Franchise: 10-9 DeMarco
Round Four
Raiymkulov comes out swinging for the fences in the fourth. He goes to the body and is smacked with a right hand coming back. Both men look willing to trade and both are landing. DeMarco finds the range with several jabs. Kid Diamond closes in and tries to make it ugly. Big right hand by Raiymkulov is answered by DeMarco. That was a fun round.
Franchise: 10-9 DeMarco
Round Five
DeMarco hops in behind the jab. A nice left from his foe drives him back. DeMarco lands a combo along the ropes. A sharp right snaps DeMarco's head back and the ref warns them about headbutts again. Three-punch combo by DeMarco and a body shot. Kid Diamond comes in behind a nice body shot and a hook. He just misses a big right and DeMarco scores with a big shot of his own.
Franchise: 10-9 Raiymkulov
Round Six
DeMarco's corner wants him to work more. He's backed up by a Raiymkulov flurry. Body-head combo by Kid Diamond along the ropes. Both men trade jabs. DeMarco gets some work done with the left hand. Raiymkulov loads up the right and clinches. He scores with a right-left combo and circles away. DeMarco digs in and connects with a left. They swing up to the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Raiymkulov
Round Seven
Bernstein has the fight even after six. Kid Diamond just glances a big right off of his foe. DeMarco connects with his own right. DeMarco comes in but misses a bunch of punches. He returns to jabs and left hands. DeMarco ducks in with a left hook. Kid Diamond hasn't thrown as much in this frame. Now he tries to close the distance. Nice left by DeMarco is answered right back by a stiff right.
Franchise: 10-9 DeMarco
Round Eight
Raiymkulov opens this round with right hands from close range. DeMarco battles with his back against the ropes. He works with the jab and uppercut back out in the center. Kid Diamond punches and pushes his way forward. DeMarco lands a bunch of little punches and Raiymkulov responds with harder shots. Another good exchange along the ropes. The round closes out quietly but you get the feeling that fireworks could break out soon.
Franchise: 10-9 Raiymkulov
Round Nine
Press row scoring suggests the fight is very close. DeMarco gets the upper hand with some nice left hands. A body shot looks like it stuns Kid Diamond and he follows with some more lefts. Raiymkulov digs in and tries some hooks. He's definitely not going away. DeMarco returns to doubling up on the left. DeMarco starts off a flurry with a big left hand and pours it on to end the round.
Franchise: 10-9 DeMarco
Between rounds, the doctor takes a long look at Raiymkulov. Eventually he decides Kid Diamond's nose is broken and he calls the fight. Replays show a big left hand followed by a right hook led to the final burst of damage that ended it.
The winner by KO at the end of Round Nine... Antonio DeMarco.
Post-fight interviews suggest that it was actually Kid Diamond's corner that stopped the fight, as the doctor gave him the okay to continue.
Darchinyan vs. Arce: Live Round By Round Updates Tonight
Boxing on HBO has certainly been entertaining thus far in 2009, and Showtime will get its first real chance to shine tonight with the 115-pound title fight between Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce. Both men have lobbed more than a few verbal barrages at each other over the past few months, and they will be throwing plenty of bombs in the ring in Anaheim tonight.
If you're not fortunate enough to have a seat at The Pond or near a Showtime-equipped television, you can follow the action with live round by round updates here at BoxingWatchers.com. Just remember that the updates are on the main page, not in this post.
The televised undercard is scheduled to get going shortly after 9 pm EST (6 pm PST) tonight.
If you're not fortunate enough to have a seat at The Pond or near a Showtime-equipped television, you can follow the action with live round by round updates here at BoxingWatchers.com. Just remember that the updates are on the main page, not in this post.
The televised undercard is scheduled to get going shortly after 9 pm EST (6 pm PST) tonight.
6.2.09
Ward v. Buchanan: Round by Round
Tonights ShoBox main event is here. It's a super middleweight bout between Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward and Henry Buchanan. Buchanan is 17-1 with 12 KOs. Ward is undefeated at 17-0 with 12 KOs. Buchanan has one of the strangest boxing nicknames i've heard to date: "Sugarpoo."
Intros are finished, here we go.
Round One
Ward throws the first punch and tries to get the jab going. Buchanan is blocking it well. Ward is throwing some big power shots. Buchanan starts to turn his body to try to invite a shot to the back and gets warned by the ref. Ward lands a right hand in a clinch that affects Buchanan. Ward is showing aggression. Buchanan looks to be in trouble already. Ward starts an attack to the body. I'm not sure Buchanan landed one punch.
Spartan117: 10-9 Ward
Round Two
Buchanan tries to get some offense going but Ward is catching him each time he comes in. Ward lands a wide left hook to the head. Ward now lands two body hooks. Buchanan gets caught with a big left hook. Ward's combos look pretty solid but there isn't much happening in Round Two.
Spartan117: 10-9 Ward
Round Three
Now Ward is trying to end this, throwing some big haymakers but not leaving himself completely exposed. Ward is headhunting. Ward lands another big right hand upstairs that snaps the head of Buchanan. Sugarpoo isn't doing much of anything. Ward drops his hands at his waist. Buchanan gets a body shot in after the bell.
Spartan117: 10-9 Ward
Round Four
Ward comes out in the fourth as a southpaw. It seems to be working for him as he lands a straight left. Ward lands another left upstairs followed by a right to the body. Buchanan takes a three-punch combo against the ropes. Buchanan starts to move around the ring more. Ward gets a few punches in while in a clinch. Ward could end this faster if he does more in upcoming rounds.
Spartan117: 10-9 Ward
Round Five
Ward lands a left upstairs and two shots to the body. Ward lands another three head shots, then switches back to an orthodox stance. Ward knocks Buchanan's head with two hooks. Buchanan isn't doing much of anything. I think Ward's punches look more impressive than they actually are since Buchanan's face is showing no sign of damage.
Spartan117: 10-9 Ward
Round Six
Ward lands a straight left to start the round. They clash heads but it produces no cuts. Buchanan is still not doing anything. Ward is landing some good punches every time they clinch. Ward goes back to the body and follows with a good right uppercut. It's his best punch of the fight. Ward hasn't been letting his hands go, which is leading to boring rounds.
Spartan117: 10-9 Ward
Round Seven
Ward switches back to southpaw. He lands a great left hand to Buchanan's face. He said something to Buchanan but we're not sure what it was. Buchanan tries to clinch, but Ward hits him to keep him off. Ward lands a left hook upstairs. Ward is waiting a long time between his punches. Buchanan is still blocking a lot but not throwing much.
Spartan117: 10-9 Ward
Round Eight
Ward switches back to orthodox. Ward gets Buchanan against the ropes and lands three punches to the head. Buchanan gets out and throws a few jabs. Ward lands a good liver punch, then a right straight. Ward is fighting like there is no threat from Buchanan and that is true. Ward wins another one.
Spartan117: 10-9 Ward
Round Nine
Ward snaps Buchanan's head with a jab. Ward stays in the orthodox stance. Ward lands a two-punch combo and Buchanan shakes his head. Ward lands a jab. Ward switches to southpaw halfway through the round. Ward is now letting Buchanan come at him. He knocks him back with a left.
Spartan117: 10-9 Ward
Round 10
Ward goes back to work, landing a two-punch combo. Ward lands a huge right hand. He backs Buchanan into the corner and lands a three-punch combo to the head and body. It looks like Ward is really treating this fight like a sparring session. Ward lands an overhand left, but it doesn't shake up Buchanan.
Spartan117: 10-9 Ward
Round 11
Buchanan is doing literally nothing. Ward is loading up the combos. He throws and lands a low blow. Buchanan takes some time to recover. Ward is not landing some big shots. Buchanan looks angry and says he wants to fight, but it's a little late for that. This could have been a good fight. Ward lands three punches: two to the head, one to the body. Buchanan beats his chest. The commentators give him a hard time. Buchanan waves him in.
Spartan117: 10-9 Ward
Round 12
Ward is now going for the KO, though I don't think he's going to get it. Buchanan keeps his gloves up. Ward sticks to his jab. I'll be shocked if Buchanan gets one round from the judges. Ward lands two more shots and Buchanan shakes his head. Buchanan throws and misses two hooks. The commentators discuss giving the Buchanan the 11th round, which is pure rubbish. The fight is over. I had Ward winning all 12 rounds.
Spartan117: 10-9 Ward
Spartan117 scores it 120-108 Ward. All three judges score it 120-108 Ward.
The winner by unanimous decision... Andre "S.O.G." Ward.
Friday Night Fights on ESPN2 Co-Main Event: Guerrero vs. Rosado
Live from Salisbury, Maryland, it's an eight-round bout between two prospects coming from well-respected camps.
In one corner is Fernando Guerrero, fighting under the same trainer as the Peterson brothers. His opponent is Gabriel Rosado, fighting under Nazim Richardson and a former sparring partner for Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins.
Much has been made about boxing being past its prime. Often commentators have suggested that promoters should build fighters with a local following and put fights on outside of casinos close to where a local draw fights. Those commentators could not be more correct. Guerrero is a local hero, and the Civic Center in Salisbury looked sold out. The amosphere for this fight had crazy electricity. The way the crowd was standing and cheering for Guerrero you would have thought that this fight was for a championship belt. So kudos to whoever the promoter was for this fight.
Rosado was credited for a flash knockdown in Round Three. Teddy Atlas ended up actually scoring the round 9-9.
Round Four had the entire crowd standing due to its action both ways.
Atas scored the fight 79-74 Guerrero, as did B.J. Flores. The judges saw it 76-75, and 77-74 twice, all for Guerrero, who moves to 13-0 (11).
This was a great fight considering it was a co-feature on FNF, with lots of crowd interest. Both fighters were skilled, in shape and came to win. Both men would have my interest if they fought again on FNF in a prelim fight, and maybe we will see Guerrero someday on Shobox, Boxing After Dark or FNF in the future.
In one corner is Fernando Guerrero, fighting under the same trainer as the Peterson brothers. His opponent is Gabriel Rosado, fighting under Nazim Richardson and a former sparring partner for Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins.
Much has been made about boxing being past its prime. Often commentators have suggested that promoters should build fighters with a local following and put fights on outside of casinos close to where a local draw fights. Those commentators could not be more correct. Guerrero is a local hero, and the Civic Center in Salisbury looked sold out. The amosphere for this fight had crazy electricity. The way the crowd was standing and cheering for Guerrero you would have thought that this fight was for a championship belt. So kudos to whoever the promoter was for this fight.
Rosado was credited for a flash knockdown in Round Three. Teddy Atlas ended up actually scoring the round 9-9.
Round Four had the entire crowd standing due to its action both ways.
Atas scored the fight 79-74 Guerrero, as did B.J. Flores. The judges saw it 76-75, and 77-74 twice, all for Guerrero, who moves to 13-0 (11).
This was a great fight considering it was a co-feature on FNF, with lots of crowd interest. Both fighters were skilled, in shape and came to win. Both men would have my interest if they fought again on FNF in a prelim fight, and maybe we will see Guerrero someday on Shobox, Boxing After Dark or FNF in the future.
Friday Night Fights on ESPN2 Main Event: Yusef Mack vs. Chris Henry
A 12 Round Light Heavyweight affair.
Round 1
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Round 2
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Round 3
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Round 4
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Round 5
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Round 6
Uatu: Mack 10-8
Mack had no knockdowns but was absolutely crushing Henry over and over with rights and had him stumbling.
Round 7
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Round 8
Uatu: Henry 10-9
Round 9
Uatu: Henry 10-9
Round 10
Uatu: Henry 10-9
Round 11
Uatu: Henry 10-9
Round 12
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Atlas: 115-113 Mack
Judges: 116-112 Mack, 115-113 Henry, 115-112 Mack
Mack wins by split decision
Uatu: 115-111 Mack
Round 1
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Round 2
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Round 3
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Round 4
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Round 5
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Round 6
Uatu: Mack 10-8
Mack had no knockdowns but was absolutely crushing Henry over and over with rights and had him stumbling.
Round 7
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Round 8
Uatu: Henry 10-9
Round 9
Uatu: Henry 10-9
Round 10
Uatu: Henry 10-9
Round 11
Uatu: Henry 10-9
Round 12
Uatu: Mack 10-9
Atlas: 115-113 Mack
Judges: 116-112 Mack, 115-113 Henry, 115-112 Mack
Mack wins by split decision
Uatu: 115-111 Mack
Ward v. Buchanan: Undercard LiveBlog
The first fight is between Joshua Allotey and John Molina at lightweight. Allotey is 15-6 and Molina is undefeated with a 14-0 record.
The commentators are talking Molina up to have a lot of power in both hands. He has scored a knockdown in all of his fights except for 2. Both fighters show solid boxing technique to start the fight. They didn't clinch once in round 1. Both Molina and Allotey were hit cleanly numerous times and could benefit from polishing their defense.
Molina has been dominating Allotey through round 2 and 3. Allotey goes down hard in round 3 from what he called a low blow. The replay shows that it wasn't even close. He was hit clearly in the ribs. He has been on the canvas for about 2 minutes now. The ref is giving him 5 minutes total and it looks like Allotey is going to take it all. Allotey is up now. His face is badly swollen.
Allotey comes back after about 3 and a half minutes. Allotey doesn't speak english so we aren't sure he understood the ref and doctor. Allotey gets rocked with a body shot and he wants no business fighting Molina any more. He stays on the canvas. Fight over.
________________________________
Roach Comments on Magarito Controversy
During tonight's Friday Night Fights, ESPN2 host Brian Kenny interviewed trainer Freddy Roach about the plaster that was almost added into Antonio Margarito's gloves against Shane Mosley last week.
Roach was asked how dangerous the plaster can be. Roach explained that the plaster can become "as hard as a rock" and can do some serious damage. He added that a sparring partner of Margarito's suffered a broken eye socket and that he suspects that this substance was in Margarito's gloves for all of his sparring sessions.
Kenny asked Roach what he believes would be a suitable punishment. Roach suggested that Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo should be "banned from boxing for life" and that this is one of the most criminal offenses in all of the sport.
Predictions: Vic Darchinyan vs. Jorge Arce
Uatu says...
You can't always predict a fight just based on the last fight of each boxer. Shane Mosley took 12 rounds to knock out Ricardo Mayorga, and Margarito was able to give Cotto his first loss and did it by KO. That in part led to all three BoxingWatchers coming to a prediction of a Margarito victory. Surprises do happen, and with 20/20 hindsight you can look back on a fight and see some aspects of a fighter that maybe you overlooked or didn't give enough attention to.
But I will not let that one fight make me sway from my confidence in making a pick in the Vic - Arce fight. Vic looked great in his last fight against better competition. He was a complete wrecking machine and looked unbeatable. If he comes in with that kind of determination and preparation for Arce, then Arce is going down and he is going out early.
I enjoy Arce - he's exciting, everyone knows he is charismatic and such. His first fight with Hussein Hussein was a particularly awesome blood and guts fight. I was surprised to see that he is actually some four years younger than Vic. But he has had many more fights and he is smaller than Vic.
I can't see how Arce is going to win this fight. I think Vic is just too big and strong and he will probably be fresher. I see a big Vic victory. Vic Darchinyan by KO and it comes early, before the seventh.
The Franchise says...
There's not going to be anything subtle about this fight, so there's no need to break it down like it's going to be a chess match. This should be a slugfest, the kind that you may want to show to your friends who aren't boxing fans.
If the war of words leading up to the fight is any indication, it should also be entertaining for as long as it lasts. While anything can happen when the leather starts flying, Darchinyan seems to be bigger and more confident and probably has the edge in boxing skills if (and that's a big if) those actually come into play.
Uatu and I don't agree all that often, and it isn't necessarily a good thing when we do (see our Margarito-Mosley picks for evidence). But I see it the same way on this one, with Darchinyan winning by mid-round KO.
You can't always predict a fight just based on the last fight of each boxer. Shane Mosley took 12 rounds to knock out Ricardo Mayorga, and Margarito was able to give Cotto his first loss and did it by KO. That in part led to all three BoxingWatchers coming to a prediction of a Margarito victory. Surprises do happen, and with 20/20 hindsight you can look back on a fight and see some aspects of a fighter that maybe you overlooked or didn't give enough attention to.
But I will not let that one fight make me sway from my confidence in making a pick in the Vic - Arce fight. Vic looked great in his last fight against better competition. He was a complete wrecking machine and looked unbeatable. If he comes in with that kind of determination and preparation for Arce, then Arce is going down and he is going out early.
I enjoy Arce - he's exciting, everyone knows he is charismatic and such. His first fight with Hussein Hussein was a particularly awesome blood and guts fight. I was surprised to see that he is actually some four years younger than Vic. But he has had many more fights and he is smaller than Vic.
I can't see how Arce is going to win this fight. I think Vic is just too big and strong and he will probably be fresher. I see a big Vic victory. Vic Darchinyan by KO and it comes early, before the seventh.
The Franchise says...
There's not going to be anything subtle about this fight, so there's no need to break it down like it's going to be a chess match. This should be a slugfest, the kind that you may want to show to your friends who aren't boxing fans.
If the war of words leading up to the fight is any indication, it should also be entertaining for as long as it lasts. While anything can happen when the leather starts flying, Darchinyan seems to be bigger and more confident and probably has the edge in boxing skills if (and that's a big if) those actually come into play.
Uatu and I don't agree all that often, and it isn't necessarily a good thing when we do (see our Margarito-Mosley picks for evidence). But I see it the same way on this one, with Darchinyan winning by mid-round KO.
5.2.09
Reports: Calzaghe Calls It a Career, Mayorga Backs Out of Angulo Fight
It looks like the gaudiest undefeated record in boxing will be staying that way.
Citing a lack of further career goals to shoot for, Joe Calzaghe told the media today that he was retiring from boxing. The longtime super middleweight champion from Wales hangs up his gloves with a 46-0 record that includes victories over Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins.
Keeping in mind that boxer retirements often last about as long as a 2009 stock market rally, the announcement was hardly surprising. Calzaghe was short on big money fights to pursue, with only a rematch with Hopkins a real possibility - and their first fight didn't exactly set turnstiles ablaze.
Potential fights with younger champions like Chad Dawson offer a lot for Calzaghe to lose and very little to gain, at least financially. His snarky recent comments about the state of boxing suggest that his heart isn't really in it going forward, and he'll get to keep that '0' in the loss column, which always appeared very important to him.
I enjoyed watching JoeCal fight during the brief portion of his career he spent in the United States, and I definitely admired his ability to make mid-fight adjustments. It's a shame he didn't decide to come over a little sooner, because I'll always wonder if he could have made the leap from someone who was really good for his time to a potential all-time great.
Switching gears from boxers who are retiring to boxers who should be retiring, Dan Rafael of ESPN says that Ricardo Mayorga has pulled out of his Feb. 14 fight with Alfredo Angulo. Nothing like waiting until ten days before your fight to decide you aren't happy with your purse, right?
Not that this kind of thing is new to El Matador, as Rafael points out he tried to hold up Oscar De La Hoya for a bigger piece of the pie three years ago. As tempting as it may be to jump in on the Mayorga bashing though, I think I actually understand what he's doing here, even if I don't condone it.
It's pretty clear that Mayorga is on the downside of his time as a main event-caliber fighter (some would argue he's already past it), and he was likely headed for something akin to My Bloody Valentine 3-D on the 14th. Why not try to make one more grab for as much dough as you can get before you get your head knocked in?
As distasteful as it is, it makes sense to me. Only all parties involved seem pretty content to move on without Mayorga, so unless he sees his gambit has backfired and pulls an abrupt about-face, he's likely to end up with nothing.
Citing a lack of further career goals to shoot for, Joe Calzaghe told the media today that he was retiring from boxing. The longtime super middleweight champion from Wales hangs up his gloves with a 46-0 record that includes victories over Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins.
Keeping in mind that boxer retirements often last about as long as a 2009 stock market rally, the announcement was hardly surprising. Calzaghe was short on big money fights to pursue, with only a rematch with Hopkins a real possibility - and their first fight didn't exactly set turnstiles ablaze.
Potential fights with younger champions like Chad Dawson offer a lot for Calzaghe to lose and very little to gain, at least financially. His snarky recent comments about the state of boxing suggest that his heart isn't really in it going forward, and he'll get to keep that '0' in the loss column, which always appeared very important to him.
I enjoyed watching JoeCal fight during the brief portion of his career he spent in the United States, and I definitely admired his ability to make mid-fight adjustments. It's a shame he didn't decide to come over a little sooner, because I'll always wonder if he could have made the leap from someone who was really good for his time to a potential all-time great.
Switching gears from boxers who are retiring to boxers who should be retiring, Dan Rafael of ESPN says that Ricardo Mayorga has pulled out of his Feb. 14 fight with Alfredo Angulo. Nothing like waiting until ten days before your fight to decide you aren't happy with your purse, right?
Not that this kind of thing is new to El Matador, as Rafael points out he tried to hold up Oscar De La Hoya for a bigger piece of the pie three years ago. As tempting as it may be to jump in on the Mayorga bashing though, I think I actually understand what he's doing here, even if I don't condone it.
It's pretty clear that Mayorga is on the downside of his time as a main event-caliber fighter (some would argue he's already past it), and he was likely headed for something akin to My Bloody Valentine 3-D on the 14th. Why not try to make one more grab for as much dough as you can get before you get your head knocked in?
As distasteful as it is, it makes sense to me. Only all parties involved seem pretty content to move on without Mayorga, so unless he sees his gambit has backfired and pulls an abrupt about-face, he's likely to end up with nothing.
Recap: The Contender Season 4, Episode 9
Tony Danza's recap covers the history between Akinyemi "A.K." Laleye and Alfredo Escalera Jr., who will meet in the second round tonight. There's also a short briefing on the health of Ryan Coyne, who suffered bad cuts over both eyes in the first round.
Troy Ross, who won both of his first two fights by knockout, says he knows the other fighters will step up their games after seeing those performances. The remnants of the Gold Team don't say it in so many words, but they are impressed. Over in the old Blue Team room, only Escalera and Coyne remain.
Speaking of Coyne, the doctor makes a house call to examine his right eye. It turns out that the cut is infected, and the doctor advises him not to fight. He's obviously disappointed as he packs his things, and Escalera says it could have happened to any of them. Coyne is happy with the fight he did win, but he has no choice but to hang up his gloves and leave.
Danza gathers the remaining fighters to inform them that Coyne is out. Since Rico Hoye is now without an opponent, Danza says one of the defeated fighters has to return. Only three are medically cleared to do so: Joell Godfrey, Erick Vega and Mike Alexander. Danza tells the others to deliberate and decide who they would like to have back.
There is support for Alexander, who lost a very close decision, and Godfrey, since he had the guts to step up and compete in the very first fight of the tournament. Eventually, opinion swings toward letting Hoye pick his own opponent. That doesn't sit well with Escalera, who gets into a heated shouting match with Hoye before leaving.
Escalera reflects for a bit on how he has no allies left. The decision is made to have Godfrey return, and though he's happy to be back, he questions why Hoye would choose him. The spotlight is on Godfrey in training, and John Bray decides Joell is rusty and will need a lot of work.
Fight night arrives for Laleye and Escalera. The consensus is that the fight will pit A.K.'s speed against Alfredo's size. Tommy Brooks warns A.K. to stay off the ropes, while Bray tells Alfredo he needs to impose his will and cut off the ring.
Round one sees the fight develop as expected, with Laleye landing more but Escalera showing more pop. A.K. looks like he wants to stand and slug, which may not be to his favor, and Brooks tells him he lost the first round.
The middle rounds go more in Laleye's favor, as he's able to outwork Escalera in close to make up for his deficiency in jabs. The ref has to tell both men to stop wrestling on numerous occasions. Alfredo looks like he's gassed by the end of Round Four, and Bray tells him he may need a knockout to win.
Both men look like they could go down from one big shot in the final round, though Laleye clearly has more left in the tank. A left hook from A.K. sends Alfredo slumping into the ropes and down to the canvas. The ref tells Escalera he was out on his feet and that it's all over. The official decision is Laleye by KO at 1:51 of the fifth round.
A.K. says he has nothing personal against Alfredo and gives him credit for a good fight. He knows he's in for a challenge facing Ross in the semifinals.
Escalera feels the biggest battle he lost was with himself, failing to keep his emotions under wraps. Bray echoes those thoughts but says he has nothing to be ashamed of, as he battled all the way to the end and didn't look to run or hide. Escalera departs, taking with him the last remnants of the original Blue Team.
Next Week: The second round comes to an end with another doubleheader, with both fights pitting former Gold teammates against each other.
Troy Ross, who won both of his first two fights by knockout, says he knows the other fighters will step up their games after seeing those performances. The remnants of the Gold Team don't say it in so many words, but they are impressed. Over in the old Blue Team room, only Escalera and Coyne remain.
Speaking of Coyne, the doctor makes a house call to examine his right eye. It turns out that the cut is infected, and the doctor advises him not to fight. He's obviously disappointed as he packs his things, and Escalera says it could have happened to any of them. Coyne is happy with the fight he did win, but he has no choice but to hang up his gloves and leave.
Danza gathers the remaining fighters to inform them that Coyne is out. Since Rico Hoye is now without an opponent, Danza says one of the defeated fighters has to return. Only three are medically cleared to do so: Joell Godfrey, Erick Vega and Mike Alexander. Danza tells the others to deliberate and decide who they would like to have back.
There is support for Alexander, who lost a very close decision, and Godfrey, since he had the guts to step up and compete in the very first fight of the tournament. Eventually, opinion swings toward letting Hoye pick his own opponent. That doesn't sit well with Escalera, who gets into a heated shouting match with Hoye before leaving.
Escalera reflects for a bit on how he has no allies left. The decision is made to have Godfrey return, and though he's happy to be back, he questions why Hoye would choose him. The spotlight is on Godfrey in training, and John Bray decides Joell is rusty and will need a lot of work.
Fight night arrives for Laleye and Escalera. The consensus is that the fight will pit A.K.'s speed against Alfredo's size. Tommy Brooks warns A.K. to stay off the ropes, while Bray tells Alfredo he needs to impose his will and cut off the ring.
Round one sees the fight develop as expected, with Laleye landing more but Escalera showing more pop. A.K. looks like he wants to stand and slug, which may not be to his favor, and Brooks tells him he lost the first round.
The middle rounds go more in Laleye's favor, as he's able to outwork Escalera in close to make up for his deficiency in jabs. The ref has to tell both men to stop wrestling on numerous occasions. Alfredo looks like he's gassed by the end of Round Four, and Bray tells him he may need a knockout to win.
Both men look like they could go down from one big shot in the final round, though Laleye clearly has more left in the tank. A left hook from A.K. sends Alfredo slumping into the ropes and down to the canvas. The ref tells Escalera he was out on his feet and that it's all over. The official decision is Laleye by KO at 1:51 of the fifth round.
A.K. says he has nothing personal against Alfredo and gives him credit for a good fight. He knows he's in for a challenge facing Ross in the semifinals.
Escalera feels the biggest battle he lost was with himself, failing to keep his emotions under wraps. Bray echoes those thoughts but says he has nothing to be ashamed of, as he battled all the way to the end and didn't look to run or hide. Escalera departs, taking with him the last remnants of the original Blue Team.
Next Week: The second round comes to an end with another doubleheader, with both fights pitting former Gold teammates against each other.
4.2.09
Quick Thoughts: Darchinyan-Arce Ad Campaign and Barrera-Khan
- I'm not sure if I'm only seeing it a lot because I visit a lot of boxing sites on my computer, but I love the internet ad campaign for this weekend's Vic Darchinyan-Jorge Arce fight. If you haven't seen it, it's an animated ad that bills the bout as "The Destroyer vs. The Brawler" and features some cool graphics with the flags of each fighter's home country. Good stuff.
- It's with a small amount of amusement that I read that Marco Antonio Barrera would be going after "Amir Khan's suspect chin and shaky defense" when they fight in March. It's funny because by all accounts MAB was cut pretty badly by a headbutt last Saturday, so maybe the fight can be arranged so that the first man to land a really clean head shot wins. Joking aside, I am actually interested for the fight, though I don't know I'd say it "has the potential to be a classic" like the AP writer does.
3.2.09
Franchise Thoughts: Big Time Boxing on ESPN Good for the Sport
When I first heard that WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko was going to pass on a fight with David Haye to face mandatory challenger Juan Carlos Gomez, I was a little disappointed. But my interest level has picked up over the last week or so, not because I'm getting more excited about the fight (I'm not) but because I'm intrigued by where it will be airing.
Reported by numerous media sources and confirmed by Dan Rafael in his blog entry today, the Klitschko-Gomez fight will air live on ESPN on March 21. As the scribe points out, that's the main channel too, and not one of its many offshoots.
I did a little digital sniffing around and was unable to come up with a date for the last time there was a heavyweight title fight on basic cable. For the better part of this decade, at least, championship boxing has been shown almost exclusively on HBO, Showtime or pay-per-view in the United States.
It's an interesting move for ESPN, as the its commitment to boxing has been waning just a bit in recent times. Wednesday Night Fights got the axe this year, and The Contender was allowed to find a new home on Versus. The recent redesign of ESPN.com has made boxing content more difficult to find than ever, and I've suspected for a while that the only thing keeping the network from ditching boxing for MMA is the fact that it has no programming stake in that sport.
On the other hand, Friday Night Fights has a pretty nice lineup set for the first quarter of 2009, and the ticker at the bottom of all ESPN channels regularly reports results of title fights as if they were newsworthy events. As long as you've got one foot in the game, why not devote some time to it and see what happens? It's a low risk proposition for ESPN with a bit of upside.
There's little doubt in my mind that it's a positive for boxing simply because ESPN is seen in so many more homes than HBO or Showtime. I'm sure anyone devoted enough to the sport to be reading this can come up with a list a mile long of fights they'd rather see on cable before Klitschko-Gomez, but the heavyweights still resonate the most with the general public, so it's hardly surprising that this is what we're getting.
And sure, there's a risk that people will find the fight by accident, decide that it's a stinker and resume ignoring boxing for the next few years. That wouldn't leave the sport's profile any lower than it is right now, though, so there's nothing to lose and only potential fans to gain.
The Final Bell
Can we please put a moratorium on all "MMA may kill off boxing" stories for good? Pretty please? Because we've been down that road ad nauseum, and I'm pretty sure most right-minded people have decided the success of one sport really has very little to do with the success or failure of the other.
Here's a brand spanking new review I found on Salon.com of the new book "Blood in the Cage" by Sports Illustrated's L. Jon Werheim. Most of the book is about the history of MMA, but a chunk of it is also devoted to - that's right - the rise of MMA at the expense of boxing.
Congratulations L. Jon, you're officially late to the party, and wrong on top of that. Thankfully reviewer Robert Anasi does a nice job in just a few paragraphs of explaining why boxing's trials and tribulations are uniquely its own.
Reported by numerous media sources and confirmed by Dan Rafael in his blog entry today, the Klitschko-Gomez fight will air live on ESPN on March 21. As the scribe points out, that's the main channel too, and not one of its many offshoots.
I did a little digital sniffing around and was unable to come up with a date for the last time there was a heavyweight title fight on basic cable. For the better part of this decade, at least, championship boxing has been shown almost exclusively on HBO, Showtime or pay-per-view in the United States.
It's an interesting move for ESPN, as the its commitment to boxing has been waning just a bit in recent times. Wednesday Night Fights got the axe this year, and The Contender was allowed to find a new home on Versus. The recent redesign of ESPN.com has made boxing content more difficult to find than ever, and I've suspected for a while that the only thing keeping the network from ditching boxing for MMA is the fact that it has no programming stake in that sport.
On the other hand, Friday Night Fights has a pretty nice lineup set for the first quarter of 2009, and the ticker at the bottom of all ESPN channels regularly reports results of title fights as if they were newsworthy events. As long as you've got one foot in the game, why not devote some time to it and see what happens? It's a low risk proposition for ESPN with a bit of upside.
There's little doubt in my mind that it's a positive for boxing simply because ESPN is seen in so many more homes than HBO or Showtime. I'm sure anyone devoted enough to the sport to be reading this can come up with a list a mile long of fights they'd rather see on cable before Klitschko-Gomez, but the heavyweights still resonate the most with the general public, so it's hardly surprising that this is what we're getting.
And sure, there's a risk that people will find the fight by accident, decide that it's a stinker and resume ignoring boxing for the next few years. That wouldn't leave the sport's profile any lower than it is right now, though, so there's nothing to lose and only potential fans to gain.
The Final Bell
Can we please put a moratorium on all "MMA may kill off boxing" stories for good? Pretty please? Because we've been down that road ad nauseum, and I'm pretty sure most right-minded people have decided the success of one sport really has very little to do with the success or failure of the other.
Here's a brand spanking new review I found on Salon.com of the new book "Blood in the Cage" by Sports Illustrated's L. Jon Werheim. Most of the book is about the history of MMA, but a chunk of it is also devoted to - that's right - the rise of MMA at the expense of boxing.
Congratulations L. Jon, you're officially late to the party, and wrong on top of that. Thankfully reviewer Robert Anasi does a nice job in just a few paragraphs of explaining why boxing's trials and tribulations are uniquely its own.
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