Sons of Peter McNeeley- Boxing Thread

Myt1

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Anyone check out the Contender tonight? I saw only bits and pieces, but I was glad to see that they took steps to eliminate the weak fighters before the fighting started.

Myt, my stuff on White comes from various guys I have talked to at events in the Memorial Auditorium, IBEW Hall, and the Castle. All of the stuff I heard was like "I have a buddy who says he is an asshole" kind of stuff.

As an aside, how many gyms are there left in Southie?
Off the top of my head, I'd say probably just the PAL gym on East 4th (tucked behind the SB District Courthouse on East Broadway). IIRC, a fighter I grew up with trains at the Grealish gym in Dorchester now. From what I've heard, he seems to be doing pretty well. Boxing in Southie has dried up quite a bit over the past 10-15 years or so. Seems to be a combination of a changing population and way too many drug issues.

As for White, I've never met him myself. There just seems to be a certain amount of sketchiness inherent in the business, so I wouldn't doubt that he's not everyone's favorite person.
 

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Anyone check out the Contender tonight? I saw only bits and pieces, but I was glad to see that they took steps to eliminate the weak fighters before the fighting started.


As an aside, how many gyms are there left in Southie?
I've always loved the show, but I think this could be the best season yet. Great mix of quality veteran fighters (e.g. Bika, Soliman), legit prospects (Codrington, Buchanan) and guys you never heard of. I liked the "tryouts" concept and thought the "Sparq" system was interesting. Boxing's a sport that seems stuck in some bygone era so to see the high-tech, NFL-style approach to athlete evaluation was pretty cool. I think, however, the "tryouts" were probably necessitated by ESPN cutting the series back to 10 episodes.

Also a great idea to have real, pro trainers, rather than buffoons like Gallagher and Williams. Seems like Burnett and Co. have taken a a real cue from the UFC's success with "The Ultimate Fighter" in a lot of respects. And though apparently they will still show edited versions of the fights in each broadcast, the will broadcast the fights in their entirety later on ESPN2.

Hard to pick who's going to win this thing. I'd have to go with Bika off the top of my head. He's got the experience, a very awkward style that I think most of the younger fighter will find very baffling, and decent power. Soliman also has a world of high-level experience, a difficult style and he throws a truly mind-boggling volume of punches -- AND he never gets tired. But he has no power.

Anyway, I dug the first episode. I'm in.

EDIT: My one question is, with 5 guys on each team, how are they going to get down to an even number of fighters for the semi-finals? I assume they've thought of this. But I hope that the odd man out is decided in the ring and not by some non-boxing-related test.
 

eddiew112

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Off the top of my head, I'd say probably just the PAL gym on East 4th (tucked behind the SB District Courthouse on East Broadway). IIRC, a fighter I grew up with trains at the Grealish gym in Dorchester now. From what I've heard, he seems to be doing pretty well. Boxing in Southie has dried up quite a bit over the past 10-15 years or so. Seems to be a combination of a changing population and way too many drug issues.

As for White, I've never met him myself. There just seems to be a certain amount of sketchiness inherent in the business, so I wouldn't doubt that he's not everyone's favorite person.
That's a damn shame. I'm surprised the yuppies moving into Southie don't have more of an interest in boxing, they are helping keep the sport alive in my old gym.

So that means the old South Boston Boxing Club is gone?
 

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I've always loved the show, but I think this could be the best season yet. Great mix of quality veteran fighters (e.g. Bika, Soliman), legit prospects (Codrington, Buchanan) and guys you never heard of. I liked the "tryouts" concept and thought the "Sparq" system was interesting. Boxing's a sport that seems stuck in some bygone era so to see the high-tech, NFL-style approach to athlete evaluation was pretty cool. I think, however, the "tryouts" were probably necessitated by ESPN cutting the series back to 10 episodes.

Also a great idea to have real, pro trainers, rather than buffoons like Gallagher and Williams. Seems like Burnett and Co. have taken a a real cue from the UFC's success with "The Ultimate Fighter" in a lot of respects. And though apparently they will still show edited versions of the fights in each broadcast, the will broadcast the fights in their entirety later on ESPN2.

Hard to pick who's going to win this thing. I'd have to go with Bika off the top of my head. He's got the experience, a very awkward style that I think most of the younger fighter will find very baffling, and decent power. Soliman also has a world of high-level experience, a difficult style and he throws a truly mind-boggling volume of punches -- AND he never gets tired. But he has no power.

Anyway, I dug the first episode. I'm in.

EDIT: My one question is, with 5 guys on each team, how are they going to get down to an even number of fighters for the semi-finals? I assume they've thought of this. But I hope that the odd man out is decided in the ring and not by some non-boxing-related test.
Like you said, I think the big thing was getting real trainers instead of Gallagher and Williams. For some of those guys, especially David Banks (dude taught himself how to box!), working with Buddy McGirt and Pepe Correa is the kind of thing that can lift them to the next level.

My pick to win is Soliman.
 

Myt1

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That's a damn shame. I'm surprised the yuppies moving into Southie don't have more of an interest in boxing, they are helping keep the sport alive in my old gym.

So that means the old South Boston Boxing Club is gone?
As far as I know, they've moved around a bit over the past couple of years. I think they've split time between the PAL gym and the Curley Rec center at the beach.
 

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Picked up my tix for Cotto-Mosley today.

So far, it's been confirmed that Joel Casamayor will be fighting on the undercard, and now there's strong rumors of Clottey-Collazo as well.

This has a chance to be one of those rare PPVs that is an outright bargain at only $50.
 

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Any recent word on a potential Arce-Castillo fight? According to boxrec, Arce has a fight booked for Saturday. Earlier in the Summer I'd read rumblings about a potential Arce-Castillo fight on one of the HBO undercards in the Fall. With 11/10 having fights booked with three name fighters already, perhaps it could fill out the Mayweather-Hatton undercard.
 

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Picked up my tix for Cotto-Mosley today.

So far, it's been confirmed that Joel Casamayor will be fighting on the undercard, and now there's strong rumors of Clottey-Collazo as well.

This has a chance to be one of those rare PPVs that is an outright bargain at only $50.

Sounds amazing! I haven't bought tix yet. Probably should move quick, though.

But latest I heard was that Clottey would fight Cintron Dec. 1 on a Showtime card.
 

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1. There is a report that Marquez-Juarez is cancelled due to a Marquez injury. Nothing official yet.
2. Zab made his comeback on FNF and won a unanimous decision over a journeyman.
3. Junior Witter KO'd Vivian Harris in 7 rounds over in the UK.
 

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I don't think Zab has enough power at 147 to keep his flashy style. The broadcast noted it, he should focus more on the body and wearing guys down (like Cotto). I know he looks great at 147 and "looks" like a beast but the power doesn't seem to be there.
 

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1. There is a report that Marquez-Juarez is cancelled due to a Marquez injury. Nothing official yet.
Yeah, that's a drag. Well, one less $50 PPV to buy!

Due to an injury suffered in training camp by WBC Super Featherweight World Champion Juan Manuel Marquez, the September 15 "Fireworks" Pay-Per-View show promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and scheduled for MGM Grand in Las Vegas has been cancelled. Marquez, who was scheduled to fight Rocky Juarez in the evening's main event, suffered a cut on his right hand which developed an infection. As a result, severe swelling occurred and forced him to withdraw from the bout.
 

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That's really too bad in that it will really make this week's episode of The Contender look pointless and I was very much looking forward to Ron Borges working the telecast since Golden Boy was in charge of hiring the announcing talent. I guess Sergio Mora will never fight again.
 

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That's really too bad in that it will really make this week's episode of The Contender look pointless and I was very much looking forward to Ron Borges working the telecast since Golden Boy was in charge of hiring the announcing talent. I guess Sergio Mora will never fight again.
Mora must really be kicking himself over passing up the fight with Taylor. The way Jermaine's been fighting lately, it's very possible that Mora would be middleweight champ right now, rather than a guy who can't seem get a fight.
 

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Junior Witter takes a lot of bashing for his 'Boring' defensive style, but he bucked that trend with his crushing 7th Round KO of Vivian Harris on Friday night. He looked in fantastic shape and hammered Harris from the outset. I get a bit sick of his constant calling out of Hatton and saying Hatton is ducking him is just hilarious. Hatton is a business man and knows that Witter just isn't a big enough ticket. Interestingly, he did mention that he is looking to unify the Light-Welter Titles, would certainly be interesting to see him face Malignaggi in a Unification bout if he brought the game he showed on Friday.
 

BGrif21125

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I don't think Zab has enough power at 147 to keep his flashy style. The broadcast noted it, he should focus more on the body and wearing guys down (like Cotto). I know he looks great at 147 and "looks" like a beast but the power doesn't seem to be there.
I agree.

In some ways, it's tough to read too much into Zab's performance the other night, because 3 months is an awfully quick layoff after such a brutal fight as the one he had with Cotto. But he certainly didn't win as convincingly as I thought he would.

When people talk about why Zab has never reached his potential, everyone focuses on his mental meltdowns (understandably so), but I think his fighting style is a huge reason too. Zab's biggest strengths are his great hand speed, very good foot speed, and overall athleticism. It's also a huge advantage to be a southpaw. But the way he fights doesn't showcase these skills. Instead he spends far too much time flatfooted and waiting to land the perfect left hand shot.
He has good power, but not good enough to rely on it 100%. He should be trying to outbox guys and avoid getting hit.

It's funny, because when Zab first came up as a huge prospect, a lot of people described him as "Pernell Whitaker with power." But Zab's spent the last 10 years falling in love with the "power" part of that sentence, while completely ignoring all the other things that made Whitaker a HOFer.
 

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OK, this is starting to get ridiculous:

Mike Borao, the attorney for heavyweight contender Jameel McCline, confirmed to Boxingtalk that Vitali Klitschko, citing a back injury, has called off his comeback bout. Klitschko, a former WBC titlist, was slated to face McCline on September 22, 2007 in Munich, Germany but Klitschko's promoter, K2, informed Borao that the fight is now off. Borao had no further comment on the matter. The second half of 2007 was supposed to be a run of great of fights for boxing fans but Klitschko-McCline is the third major fight that has been scratched off the boxing schedule this month, following in the wake of Fernando Vargas-Ricardo Mayorga and Juan Manuel Marquez-Rocky Juarez.
 

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OK, this is starting to get ridiculous:
Vitali Klitschko pulling out of a fight due to injury should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. This is, in fact, the fifth straight fight date that he's pulled out of due to injury.

It's pretty weird that three major fights in September have all bitten the dust (though Vargas-Mayorga, at least, has a new date). But fortunately, none of the three, at least to my mind, count as really "big" fights. Vargas-Mayorga was really just an elevated club fight. Should have been a fun slugfest, but it's not a significant fight for the sport. Marquez-Juarez never really had a reason for existing, especially on PPV. Though I will say it's a shame that the remainder of the card was also cancelled. A twinbill of Mora-Ouma and Forbes-Bojado would make an excellent "Boxing After Dark." But I guess HBO didn't have the budget? I don't know.

Finally, as for V. Klitschko v. McCline, frankly, the sooner boxing is rid of Vitali Klitschko the better. The fact that he's pulled outof yet another fight makes the idea that he was calling out Lennox Lewis earlier this year all that much more of a joke.

Bottom line, it's always a buzzkill when fights get cancelled, much less three in one month. But none these cancellations are any great loss.

Well, I should probably knock on wood when I say this, but the really big fights of the fall remain intact. Taylor-Pavlik, Cotto-Mosely, Calzaghe-Kessler, Pacquiao-Barrera, Diaz-Diaz and of course, Mayweather-Hatton. That's six huge, exciting and extremely significant fights in three months. (Plus the rescheduled Vargas-Mayorga.) Three of them match undefeated champion against undefeated champion. Hopefully all six with come off as planned.

EDIT: I forgot to mention: Holyfield-Ibragimov (a significant fight perhaps in spite of itself), Peter-Maskaev, which with Vitali Klitschko out of the way could set up a heavyweight unification with Wlad Klitschko, Byrd-Povetkin (no TV outlet in the U.S. so far, but as the start of the IBF heavyweight box-of has to be considered an important matchup) and Cintron-Clottey, a very intriguing welterweight title bout that should be quite a slugfest. And that's all still between Sept. 29 and Dec. 8. Ten great fights in barely more than two months. That's why I'm not too distressed about losing any of the three fights that fell by the wayside in September.
 

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Bottom line, it's always a buzzkill when fights get cancelled, much less three in one month. But none these cancellations are any great loss.
Agreed.

In the long run, I think it's a very good thing for the heavyweight division if Vitali isn't part of the equation. He would've just gotten in the way of Wlad's attempt to unify. What was ridiculous was that Vitali spent months holding up the Peter-Maskaev fight, then he bails out of his own fight.

The only reason I care about the cancellations is that this was already the biggest lull of the year so far (no big fights in the past month since Marquez-Vasquez II and Morales-Diaz), so now we have to wait 3 extra weeks to watch a fight. Plus, this has been such a great year for the sport, I just wanted to see the momentum continue.

Hopefully Taylor-Pavlik is worth the wait.
 

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EDIT: I forgot to mention: Holyfield-Ibragimov (a significant fight perhaps in spite of itself), Peter-Maskaev, which with Vitali Klitschko out of the way could set up a heavyweight unification with Wlad Klitschko, Byrd-Povetkin (no TV outlet in the U.S. so far, but as the start of the IBF heavyweight box-of has to be considered an important matchup) and Cintron-Clottey, a very intriguing welterweight title bout that should be quite a slugfest. And that's all still between Sept. 29 and Dec. 8. Ten great fights in barely more than two months. That's why I'm not too distressed about losing any of the three fights that fell by the wayside in September.

And there is another great fight to remember: Guzman vs. Soto on the 11/17 B.A.D.

It would have been nice to make that a doubleheader with another intriguing fight, such as Ouma/Mora. However, there has been talk of Ouma dropping down to 147. Everybody wants to get on the action at 147. That must be where they money is, especially with 154 being a cesspool.
 

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When people talk about why Zab has never reached his potential, everyone focuses on his mental meltdowns (understandably so), but I think his fighting style is a huge reason too. Zab's biggest strengths are his great hand speed, very good foot speed, and overall athleticism. It's also a huge advantage to be a southpaw. But the way he fights doesn't showcase these skills. Instead he spends far too much time flatfooted and waiting to land the perfect left hand shot.
He has good power, but not good enough to rely on it 100%. He should be trying to outbox guys and avoid getting hit.
Two things he does extremely well, jab and body punch, he does not do often enough. If he actually made those consistent parts of his game, say replacing the stupid taunts and hand gestures in his arsenal, he'd find those big left hands would come more frequently.
 

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And there is another great fight to remember: Guzman vs. Soto on the 11/17 B.A.D.

It would have been nice to make that a doubleheader with another intriguing fight, such as Ouma/Mora. However, there has been talk of Ouma dropping down to 147. Everybody wants to get on the action at 147. That must be where they money is, especially with 154 being a cesspool.
Oh yeah, I knew I was forgetting something.

Yeah, I would hope that HBO would add the Mora/Ouma fight or even the Forbes/Bojado fight to that show. But it seems they so rarely do anything like that. In fairness, I imagine the logistics are pretty difficult. Still, where there's a will.

That Guzman-Soto affair should be excellent. Yet another amazing fight to look forward to in that three-month span!
 

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Everybody wants to get on the action at 147. That must be where they money is, especially with 154 being a cesspool.
Ya, 147 is definitely where the money is right now. However, there are only so many big fights to go around, so there'll be at least a few guys who get frozen out of the big fights.

Also, some of the fighters who might be stuck on the outside looking in.... like Margarito, Clottey, Williams, Ouma.... are all above-average size-wise for 147, and they'd all likely be able to move up to 154 with some level of effectiveness. I wouldn't be surprised if at least a few guys who are currently calling themselves welterweights move up to 154 sooner rather than later.
 

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Looks like the Dec. 1 Showtime doubleheader which was supposed to have Kermit Cintron vs. Joshua Clottey and Paulie Malignaggi against Herman Ngoudjo is now off, replaced by a much less interesting doubleheader of Antonio Tarver vs. Danny Green (which actually might not be so bad; I wouldn't be surprised to see Green do to Tarver what Tarver did to RJJ) and Vernon Forrest vs. Michele Piccirillo (blah). Not sure why the change -- probably money, I guess. Now Cintron is supposed to go back to the undercard of Vargas-Mayorga to fight Jesse Feliciano, which was the plan before the Clottey fight came along. I expect to see a quick KO there. Feliciano's a club fighter, albeit a spirited one. Cintron's world class and probably the biggest puncher in the welterweight mix right now.

In better news, the Stevie Forbes-Francisco Bojado fight which was on the undercard of the cancelled Marquez-Juarez PPV will now be part of the Pacquiao-Barrera undercard on Oct. 6. And it is looking possible that that the Sergio Mora-Kassim Ouma fight from that same cancelled PPV could end up on ESPN as part of their Oct. 16 Contender special headlined by Alfonso Gomez vs. Ben Tackie.

EDIT: Correction -- the ESPN card is on Oct. 16, not Oct. 6.
 

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Looks like the Dec. 1 Showtime doubleheader which was supposed to have Kermit Cintron vs. Joshua Clottey and Paulie Malignaggi against Herman Ngoudjo is now off, replaced by a much less interesting doubleheader of Antonio Tarver vs. Danny Green (which actually might not be so bad; I wouldn't be surprised to see Green do to Tarver what Tarver did to RJJ) and Vernon Forrest vs. Michele Piccirillo (blah). Not sure why the change -- probably money, I guess. Now Cintron is supposed to go back to the undercard of Vargas-Mayorga to fight Jesse Feliciano, which was the plan before the Clottey fight came along. I expect to see a quick KO there. Feliciano's a club fighter, albeit a spirited one. Cintron's world class and probably the biggest puncher in the welterweight mix right now.

In better news, the Stevie Forbes-Francisco Bojado fight which was on the undercard of the cancelled Marquez-Juarez PPV will now be part of the Pacquiao-Barrera undercard on Oct. 6. And it is looking possible that that the Sergio Mora-Kassim Ouma fight from that same cancelled PPV could end up on ESPN as part of their Oct. 6 Contender special headlined by Alfonso Gomez vss. Ben Tackie.
That's good news about Forbes-Bojado. The Pac-Barrera undercard was looking rather thin, and this is a good undercard fight.
Too bad about that Showtime doubleheader. Hopefully the rumored Clottey-Collazo fight can come together as Plan B and make it to the Cotto-Mosley undercard.
 

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Floyd being Floyd....
WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is well known in Las Vegas clubs for throwing handfuls of cash into crowds of people. On Saturday night at the Las Vegas Hard Rock, that practice could have had shocking results. According to MTV and TMZ, Mayweather's friend 50 Cent was performing a poolside concert on a stage suspended over the water, when Floyd started tossing bills around and into the pool causing concert-goers to dive in to collect them. The show was cut short soon after by 50 Cent due to fears that the people in the pool were pulling the stage full of high voltage electronics into the water.
Video Link
 

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With tonight's PPV card cancelled and three of the four fights on the card already having found new dates, it looks like Sergio Mora's fight with Kassim Ouma is cancelled for real. Mora's going to fight a "showcase" on the undercard of the ESPN Oct. 16 show headlined by Alfonso Gomez vs. Ben Tackie.

How many boxers have ever been able to do more with less than Sergio Mora. I think he's a talented fighter with an awkward style that's going to pose problems for anyone. But let's face it, Ouma was going to be the first "anyone" he's ever fought. (Peter Manfredo has turned out to be sort of someone, but he's basically a fringe contender who Mora needed a hometown decision to beat in their second fight).

And this guy, Mora, actually turned down a fight with Jermaine Taylor -- a shot at the title -- that he had at least a decent chance of winning. Now, by the time he fights again, he'll have been inactive for 14 months and he'll be fighting a "showcase." I mean, I like the guy, but this is starting to get really annoying.

In fairness, it was Ouma who pulled out of this fight by refusing to take a pay cut. Still, Mora really needs to decide what he wants to do with his boxing career. Does he want to make an impact on the sport, or is he just content to bask in celebrity without doing much to earn it?
 

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There are rumors that Erik Morales is leaning towards un-retiring (again) and is seeking a rematch with David Diaz.

As a huge Morales fan, I don't like this news at all. Morales has been in far too many wars over the years and I worry for his long-term health if he continues fighting.
 

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This happens too fucking much. Pretty soon Arturo Gatti might want to come out of retirement. If Eric tries to come back, he should not be given a license to fight.
 

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Mayweather-Hatton sold out in "minutes" today. Supposedly over 30,000 people in the UK applied for the 3,900 tickets given to Hatton.
It's too bad that the economics of the sport forced this to be a Vegas fight, I would've preferred to see it in a soccer stadium in the UK. I bet it would've blown away Calzaghe-Kessler attendance wise.
75K wouldn't have surprised me.
 

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Mayweather-Hatton sold out in "minutes" today. Supposedly over 30,000 people in the UK applied for the 3,900 tickets given to Hatton.
It's too bad that the economics of the sport forced this to be a Vegas fight, I would've preferred to see it in a soccer stadium in the UK. I bet it would've blown away Calzaghe-Kessler attendance wise.
75K wouldn't have surprised me.
The promotional tour began in L.A. yesterday as well. Mayweather is back to his usual act, getting in Hatton's face, "I'm going to crush you! I'm not gonna dance! We're going toe-to-toe!" Etc. I'd respect Floyd more if his sales pitch was, "I'm going to give you a boxing lesson." Because that's what it's going to be. I'm pretty sick of Hatton and his overhyped jab-and-grab (and throw an elbow) style. I'm sick of his obnoxious fans, frankly. I hope Floyd tears him up. I hope he knocks him out or gives him a Calzaghe-Lacy-style beating and makes Hatton go away forever. The problem is, I'm pretty confident that he won't. I think he will, in fact, dance and potshot and make for an easy but dull points victory. Why? Because that's what he does. For once, I hope I'm wrong and Floyd feels the need to back up his mouth with his actions. He is 100 percent capable of doing it. But I'm pretty certain he'll take the path of least resistance once again.
 

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I hope he knocks him out or gives him a Calzaghe-Lacy-style beating and makes Hatton go away forever. The problem is, I'm pretty confident that he won't. I think he will, in fact, dance and potshot and make for an easy but dull points victory. Why? Because that's what he does.
Yep, that's how it will likely play out.

A fighter of Mayweather's style isn't going to stand toe-to-toe by choice, he'll only do it when advanced age and declining skills force him to be more flat-footed. That's still probably at least 2 or 3 years away.

He's the Willie Pep/Pernell Whitaker of this generation, so his career will likely spark some of the same debates that people had over the merits of Pep and Pernell. I, for one, love that style of boxing, but I certainly realize I'm in the distinct minority and respect the arguments against it.
 

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September is the cruelest month. Yet another September fight has bitten the dust. This time it's the Sept. 29 Showtime fight between Chad Dawson and Adrien Diaconu. Especially going up against Pavlik-Taylor on HBO, this fight was kind of flying under the radar. But it was actually looking like the best light-heavyweight matchup in a long time, with Diaconu being, for once a worthy "mandatory."

As the link above reports, the promoters are scrambling to find an opponent for Dawson. This is an important fight for Showtime, coming on their biggest "free preview weekend" ever as they make a major push to cut into HBO's wide lead in the premium cable market. With this fight available for free to non-subscribers, at least potentially, it could have reached a considerably bigger audience that Taylor-Pavlik.

To me, the most worthy opponent would be Glen Johnson, who would almost certainly step in on 11 days notice. But I wonder if Dawson's handlers wantto expose him to "The Road Warrior," who is pretty much capable of kicking anyone's ass on any given night. If they can bring in Johnson, this fight would be a coup for Showtime.
 

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To me, the most worthy opponent would be Glen Johnson, who would almost certainly step in on 11 days notice. But I wonder if Dawson's handlers wantto expose him to "The Road Warrior," who is pretty much capable of kicking anyone's ass on any given night. If they can bring in Johnson, this fight would be a coup for Showtime.
Ya, Johnson would definitely step in on short notice. He'll fight anyone, anywhere.

I'm skeptical as well that Dawson's handlers would take that risk, but if Dawson did agree to fight Johnson on short notice, that would score him a lot of points with me. I'm sure it would put him in the good graces of Showtime as well.
 

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Here we go again.......

Ivalo Gotzev, manager of WBC mandatory contender Samuel Peter, has informed BoxingScene.com that WBC champion Oleg Maskaev has pulled out of his Oct. 6 title defense, citing a back injury.

The bout was scheduled as the headliner for Showtime's live telecast from New York's Madison Square Garden. Peter promoter Dino Duva told BoxingScene.com that his position is for the WBC to strip Oleg Maskaev and for Peter to either be named champion or to fight the highest available contender for the title.
"I just got called about an hour ago and was informed by (Maskaev's) promoter Dennis Rappaport that Maskaev was unable to go forward with the fight because of a back injury," Duva said. "We don't have all the details and are very disappointed."

"Obviously on behalf of Samuel Peter, we will move for him to still fight for the title on Oct. 6. The way Samuel's career has been delayed has been a disgrace. Delay after delay and this is just another delay. We are fed up with this. Samuel deserves to be named champion or at least fight for the title. Something isn't right with all of these fighters scheduling fights and pulling out so often."
Has any fighter had tougher luck than Sam Peter? First he gets ordered to a rematch with Toney, than he has to spend months in court trying to get his rightfully earned mandatory title shot.... and now the guy who spent months ducking him has pulled out with an injury.

From a fan's perspective, the fact that Pacquiao-Barrera is the same night softens the blow, but this list of cancellations is still bothersome.
 

shawnrbu

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Wow, Showtime might as well fold its boxing tent and not even try anymore. Can't say that I'd blame them after four fights in five weekends have been cancelled. That is astonishingly bad luck!

Thankfully, the least attractive fights of the September to December fight lineup (aside from Ibragimov/Holyfield still being a go) are the ones being nixed. As long as we still get Taylor/Pavlik, Pacquiao/Barrera, Calzaghe/Kessler, Cotto/Mosley, and Mayweather/Hatton then we are still getting a years worth of marquee fights over a four month timespan.
 

BarrettNo17

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I'll be pulling for Ricky in December, though as a fan of the fight game i don't care for his style, it must be my British roots that are pulling for me to root for the figurative Cooney over Holmes.

Technically, Floyd is the winner, hands down, not even worth debating. But the only time I have seen PBF look worried in the ring is in the first Castillo fight, when JLC brought the fight outside the house to the front step, when it couldn't be ignored. Ricky can take a built up Mayweather straight to the jaw and walk through, maybe offering a violent hook to the body while he's at it, and condtioning and ring generalship matter not when a fighter takes a clean hook to the liver.

That said, it isn't likely, but I, for one, will be at home with my family and closest friends, singing "Hail, Brittania" and "Hatton Wonderland", hoping for a replay of the Tszyu fight. Not calling out those who are pulling for PBF, just saying that anything is possible after Michael Buffer leaves the ring and the bell sounds
 

BarrettNo17

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As a huge Morales fan, I don't like this news at all. Morales has been in far too many wars over the years and I worry for his long-term health if he continues fighting.

I agree, El Terrible was my first favorite fighter, well actually it was Azumah Nelson, as he was my grandfather's favorite, and he introduced me to the sport. The Morales who lost to Pacquiao in the 2nd fight would have KO'd Diaz in the 3rd round. Erik falling into the ropes in M/P 3, looking at his corner as to say "Please Stop This" is a Morales who had fought his last war. Over the hill, he still had a good shot to beat Diaz, and fought well, though not to the level that those who have watched "El Terrible" for a while would expect. I realize that EM wants to go out with a win and a belt, but for his legacy, the risk of getting KO'd by a B-grade fighter is more damaging to the reputation than is winning a garbage belt to finish the career. He'll be in Canosta, regardless
 

BGrif21125

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Looks like the Calzaghe/Kessler fight has been pushed back several hours, and will now air live at 9 pm EDT, instead of 5 pm. So the fight will be around 1 or 2 AM in Cardiff.

I'm guessing this change is a direct attempt by HBO to one-up Showtime, who recently announced that they'd be airing the Marquez-Juarez fight that same night.

EDIT: Also, forgot to mention, that the MSG card on November 10 is increasingly looking like one of the best PPV cards in years.

As if the main event isn't good enough on its own, the undercard is going to feature Joel Casamayor, Antonio Margarito, and a young prospect going up against former beltholder Carlos Maussa.

These days, a doubleheader with Casamayor and Margarito would pass for a good HBO WCB card. To have them on an undercard is great.
 

inter tatters

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Oleg Maskaev has, shock horror, pulled out of his defence against Samuel Peter citing a 'Back Injury'. Maskaev never wanted the fight with Peter, because he knew he had no chance of winning, so this is his latest trick to hold onto his Gold. Shameful really, as Peter has been waiting nearly 18 months for his title shot. ;)

I hope the WBC can get some kind of 'Interim Title' Fight lined up at short notice for Peter and force Maskaev to fight Peter, and no-one else, when he's 'fit'. :unsure:
 

Gene Conleys Plane Ticket

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Oleg Maskaev has, shock horror, pulled out of his defence against Samuel Peter citing a 'Back Injury'. Maskaev never wanted the fight with Peter, because he knew he had no chance of winning, so this is his latest trick to hold onto his Gold. Shameful really, as Peter has been waiting nearly 18 months for his title shot. ;)

I hope the WBC can get some kind of 'Interim Title' Fight lined up at short notice for Peter and force Maskaev to fight Peter, and no-one else, when he's 'fit'. :unsure:
Steve Kim of MaxBoxing.com aptly compares Maskaev to "that guy who drives 45-mph in the fast lane who won’t move over to his right." Very true. Maskaev himself has always come across a decent, honest sort of fellow. But his manager, Dennis Rappaport, has never been characterized that way (this was the guy who managed "Great White hope" Gerry Cooney all those years ago). At some point a fighter has to assume responsibility for the actions of his management, and given how reluctant Maskaev and his management have been to defend the formerly-respected WBC belt (long ago thought of as the "real" heavyweight belt), one has to question the authenticity of this "training injury." If THE WBC had any decency, which it manifestly doesn't, it would just strip Maskaev of the title. As of now, there's no word as to whether the WBC will even let Peter fight for an "interim
belt. If ever there was a worthy heavyweight title contender, it's Peter.

What a buzzkill -- and a disgrace.
 

Gene Conleys Plane Ticket

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And in other news, the ex-stripper who claimed to have taken those photos of Oscar De La Hoya in drag has now at least partially recanted her story.


Hey, look, I like a good cross-dressing celebrity scandal as much as the next guy, but those photos looked like obvious fakes to me. I'm amazed the story has even gone as far as it has.
 

shawnrbu

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^First time I had seen the alleged Oscar pics. After a quick look, I agree, those appear to be obvious fakes. Sadly, the pics have now become lunchtime conversation at my place of employment.
 

BGrif21125

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Fwiw, there are reports that the one-and-only Andrew Golota is the leading candidate to step in as Maskaev's replacement. I also heard Oliver McCall's name mentioned the other day. So it does seem like the promoters and Showtime are intent on going forward with the card at MSG.

I just can't wait for Saturday night, when we'll get to watch an actual fight instead of just reading about cancellations. Should be a great fight. I'm sticking with Taylor by decision.

Here's the Taylor-Pavlik HBO "Countdown" special (from youtube):
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
 

inter tatters

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The WBC have given Samuel Peter the 'Interim' Title Belt after Maskaev's pull-out. Quite simply that means they can make some sanctioning money, as they haven't had any Title bouts in the Heavyweight Division since Maskaev won the title from Rahman 14 months ago.
 

Gene Conleys Plane Ticket

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The WBC have given Samuel Peter the 'Interim' Title Belt after Maskaev's pull-out. Quite simply that means they can make some sanctioning money, as they haven't had any Title bouts in the Heavyweight Division since Maskaev won the title from Rahman 14 months ago.
Last December, Maskaev did "defend" his title in Moscow against Peter Okhello, a Ugandan fighting out of Japan. No, I've never heard of him either. According to BoxRec.com, Okhello's biggest fight previously had come against the fringiest of fringe contenders, Sinan Simal Sam (who I actually have heard of, but couldn't pick out of a crowd). Okhello lost that fight by unanimous decision, but somehow he then merited a WBC title shot against Maskaev.

So if you consider that fight "activity," then Maskaev actually has fought once since winning the belt from Rahman -- himself not the most impressive of "champions," but at least Rahman is willing to get into the ring and fight every so often.

The whole WBC situation is just an unfortunate joke. The only sort-of good thing to come out of it is that Peter stays in the picture as "champion." I really hope Maskaev just retires, Peter takes a decent defense or two then gets in there for a rematch with W. Klitschko sometime next year. That's the one fight in the heavyweight division that I find really intriguing at the moment.
 

BigA27

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Mayweather will most certainly not go toe to toe with Hatton. 1. Thats not his style, he is a superlative defensive boxer with lighting quick hands, he does not need to trade 2. His hands are very, very fragile. He rarely throws a punch full force nowadays. He throws maybe 10 or so of these shots a fight. He will need to do that a lot more to keep Hatton from bulling in, armbaring, and wailing away.

I think his inability to keep Hatton off of him consistently with power shots and Hatton's superior strength make the Hitman a legitimate underdog. I think he can give Mayweather hell and perhaps even win the fight.

As for Pavlik-Taylor, I see Taylor getting a beating. He is a very talented boxer, but he has always been reluctant to trade and reluctant to press a fight. He is far to often inactive. Pavlik can take a shot, can hit very hard, and can work at a high rate. Taylor is the better boxer, but will have a difficult time dealing with Pavlik work rate and power. He will crumble by the 8th.

I am really looking forward to both these fights. Throw in Pac-Barerra II (which should be even more delightfully onesided than the first) and Slappy Joe verse Kessler this is a very good fall for fight fans.