Sons of Peter McNeeley- Boxing Thread

[BGrif21125]

I've always been a big Toney fan, but it's time for him to hang up the gloves. Fighters can get old overnight, and I think that's what happened to him. He looked nothing like the Toney who IMO beat Peter 4 months ago. Standing still, not throwing any punches, etc.
The evidence couldn't be any clearer than the 2nd round knockdown. Here's a guy who hasn't been knocked down in 12+ years (and the knockdown by Roy Jones was really a slip) and he's going down from a grazing jab by Peter. I knew right there that something was off.
Toney could still beat some of the scrub heavyweights that are out there, but he can't beat Peter anymore or Wlad, so he should call it quits. You know he won't though.

Also, I thought Billy Blanks was just a fitness advisor. I thought it was pretty funny seeing him holding the spit bucket and trying to dispense strategic advice.

 

[Gene Conleys Plane Ticket]

I've always been a big Toney fan, but it's time for him to hang up the gloves. Fighters can get old overnight, and I think that's what happened to him. He looked nothing like the Toney who IMO beat Peter 4 months ago. Standing still, not throwing any punches, etc.
The evidence couldn't be any clearer than the 2nd round knockdown. Here's a guy who hasn't been knocked down in 12+ years (and the knockdown by Roy Jones was really a slip) and he's going down from a grazing jab by Peter. I knew right there that something was off.
Toney could still beat some of the scrub heavyweights that are out there, but he can't beat Peter anymore or Wlad, so he should call it quits. You know he won't though.

Also, I thought Billy Blanks was just a fitness advisor. I thought it was pretty funny seeing him holding the spit bucket and trying to dispense strategic advice.

[post="585425"][/post]​

I'm afraid Toney is going to be one of those sad cases who ends up with Parkinson's or pugilistic dementia. His granite chin is his own worst enemy. He's been around forever, been in many hard fights and he took some serious bombs from Peter last night AND in their first fight. The guy's speech is already pretty difficult to decipher. A few more fights and his brains are going to be totally scrambled. I totaly agree that he needs to call it a career right now, but unfortunately, I think there's little chance of that.

I expect the usual bravado from Toney, but the post-fight interview claiming he won the fight because "I was the aggressor, I landed the cleaner shots," was lame and borderline pathetic. It's one thing to be a mouthy, arrogant guy, it's another to be a sore loser. And he's either that, or he's seriously delusional. Toney needs someoe to sit down and tell him that he had his day and it was a great one, but now it's done. Get out before you just make a complete fool out of yourself -- or worse.

 

[eddiew112]

Because of problems Kermit Cintron had with his promoter, Luis Collazo will be fighting Shane Mosley on Feb.10.

Link

I can't wait to see Hatton and JLC fight on the same card!
Apparently, Miguel Cotto is going to defend his new belt on March 3 against Oktay Urkhal. The fight will be in Puerto Rico.

 

[BigA27]

In Jin Chi and Manny Pacquiao are supposed to be fighting in Macau on April 28th.

In Jin Chi is a tough sumbitch and will give Manny a ruckus. Chi doesn't have the skills or handspeed to win, but Manny will know that he was in a fight.

If In Jin Chi is your supposed "break" fight, then well you are some kind of warrior.

 

[BGrif21125]

Here's a weird story:
Link
Apparently Tommy Morrison has tested negative for HIV 4 times in the past year. He's maintained that his original test way back when was a false positive.
I remember when he first started doing interviews back in the 90's, I thought he was absolutely nuts for not taking any meds and stuff like that. He may have actually been HIV-free all this time.
Not like this matters in terms of the current state of the heavyweight division, but just an interesting story.

 

[BGrif21125]

Interesting interview with Larry Merchant on the current state of boxing:
Link

 

[Spacemans Bong]

Hatton tonight, 9.45 pm EST.

 

[Lanternjaw]

Valuev retains his title after McCline blows out his knee in the third round. Apparently the bout was pretty exciting until Jameel got injured.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/ne...tory?id=2737475

 

[BGrif21125]

The Drunken Tao of Larry Merchant:
Ngoudjo is from "The Cameroons"

Castillo looks slow and lethargic. Not surprising considering the layoff I guess.

 

[BGrif21125]

Ricky Hatton does not impress me.

It's ok to be short, with a short reach and not much of a jab, IF you wear your opponent out to the body.

Tonight I watched Hatton, a short figher with a short reach and not much of a jab, do nothing but wing left hooks and right crosses to Urango's head, with very little focus to the body.

This was OK vs. Urango, but will not be effective against an elite fighter.
I think a Top 10 PFP ranking for Hatton is unwarranted.

 

[eddiew112]

Hatton did not impress you?

I think he went to the body a good amount in the middle rounds when he needed to guarentee the win. After that, he was running on fumes. Give Urango credit, he bulled Hatton and tired him out. Also, Ricky showed much better boxing skills tonight than he showed against Collazo, and he took some hard shots. He has beaten an elite fighter, he beat Kostya Tszyu.

 

[eddiew112]

However, all that clinching and grabbing reminded me of John Ruiz, and that made me angry. The first 7-8 rounds though, when he was throwing good combos, moving well, and scoring points because he realized there was no way he could hurt this guy. JLC might be able to exploit the seemingly weak Hatton body, but im not sure if that has been a historical concern or not. Hatton could probably dance rings around JLC if he fights like he did tonight.

 

[BGrif21125]

I'm afraid Toney is going to be one of those sad cases who ends up with Parkinson's or pugilistic dementia. His granite chin is his own worst enemy. He's been around forever, been in many hard fights and he took some serious bombs from Peter last night AND in their first fight. The guy's speech is already pretty difficult to decipher. A few more fights and his brains are going to be totally scrambled. I totaly agree that he needs to call it a career right now, but unfortunately, I think there's little chance of that.

[post="585441"][/post]​

Gene, I don't know if you saw Outside the Lines this morning on ESPN, but they did a segment related to brain injuries and Toney was interviewed.
Toney has been diagnosed with damage to his pituitary gland, likely caused by repeated blows to the head. The result of the injury is the he has extremely low levels of certain hormones. In Toney's case, they made some passing statements that hinted that his hormone deficiency could be a main reason that he's gotten so grotesquely overweight.
I guess there was some study that determined that half of all boxers and football players may suffer from this.

 

[Spacemans Bong]

Just watched the Hatton fight.

Eh, Ricky had it won in the first six rounds and pretty much cruised from there on in.

 

[mpl6993]

I am finding myself wanting to join team Hatton. This kid has a talent for throwing the his hands but also carries around a great personality. I echo bong's comment that after round six he knew it was in the bag so he mailed in the last 6 rounds and still won 5 of those. As for Castillo I think HE looked like crap, very slow and faling to finish off or even win a unanimous decision over someone who was obviously put in there for him to step over to get to the bout with hatten later this year. Castillo had failed to make weight for his last three fights and then barely made weight for this one. IMHO when they set up this Hatten v Castillo fight they need to stop and think about kicking Castillo to the sidelines and instead let Hatten fight Miguel Cotto.

In a few weeks (Feb 10th) the guy that sent hatton back down to junior welterweight in Luis Collazo vs "Sugar" Shane Mosely. This fight should be ok as Mosely hasn't looked to impressive in recent bouts. Mosely match up well against Calazo who is looking to climb up the food chain and make some money after the impressive showing against Hatton.

Another great fight is on April 7th in the Joe Calzaghe vs Peter Manfredo, Jr bout. Manfredo is just coming off a big win over a hated rival from his hometown of providence Joe Spina. Peter looked strong and fast in the Spina fight and has a big test coming up against an undefeated Calzaghe.

Bigger than all of the other fights we are drawing closer to the fight of fights on may 5th. I for one can't wait to see De La Hoya beat the piss out of Floyd.

 

[BGrif21125]

I am finding myself wanting to join team Hatton. This kid has a talent for throwing the his hands but also carries around a great personality. I echo bong's comment that after round six he knew it was in the bag so he mailed in the last 6 rounds and still won 5 of those. As for Castillo I think HE looked like crap, very slow and faling to finish off or even win a unanimous decision over someone who was obviously put in there for him to step over to get to the bout with hatten later this year. Castillo had failed to make weight for his last three fights and then barely made weight for this one. IMHO when they set up this Hatten v Castillo fight they need to stop and think about kicking Castillo to the sidelines and instead let Hatten fight Miguel Cotto.

I agree that Castillo looked bad. I have to say, I've never really understood the hype with Castillo. He's certainly a very good fighter and has been in some great fights, but I guess I've always been surprised how many people rank him among the top 7 or 8 pound-for-pound. I've just never seen him as an elite fighter.
After struggling the other night like he did, Castillo has to be even more attractive to Hatton. That fight will still get a lot of hype and make some good money, but now Hatton has to feel better about that fight after seeing Castillo's performance.
If Hatton can beat Castillo (and I consider Hatton the favorite), then all signs point to Hatton-Cotto. I think Hatton's run ends there, Cotto is younger, bigger and stronger. The few times when Urango let his hands go, he did seem to hurt Hatton to the body. And that's a bad sign for Hatton if he wants to fight Cotto, who is one of the best body punchers in all of boxing. I think Cotto KOs Hatton.
There's always the talk of Mayweather-Hatton, but I give that fight very little chance of ever happening. I think most people view that fight as one that would quickly turn into a one-sided beating.

In a few weeks (Feb 10th) the guy that sent hatton back down to junior welterweight in Luis Collazo vs "Sugar" Shane Mosely. This fight should be ok as Mosely hasn't looked to impressive in recent bouts. Mosely match up well against Calazo who is looking to climb up the food chain and make some money after the impressive showing against Hatton.

I'm looking forward to this fight. You have to admire Mosley for his willingness to take on tough opponents who aren't necessarily big names. Mosley could've fought some stiff and waited for a big fight to come along, but instead he's fighting Collazo.
It's tough to get a read on Mosley right now. He looked great in his last fight, but his opponent was the mummified remains of Fernando Vargas, so I'm not sure how much that victory proved. A decisive victory over Collazo would answer a lot of questions.
If Mosley beats Collazo (and Mayweather handles Oscar), a lot of signs point to a big PPV fight between Mayweather and Mosley at 147 later this year. I can't see Mosley winning that one, as Floyd is younger, faster, and a much more versatile fighter than Shane. But I'd certainly pay to see it.

 

[Daily Conundrum]

Bigger than all of the other fights we are drawing closer to the fight of fights on may 5th. I for one can't wait to see De La Hoya beat the piss out of Floyd.

I think you'll have keep waiting forever - I don't see how DLH can "beat the piss out of Floyd."

 

[eddiew112]

Anybody going to the Lowell Golden Gloves tonight at the Auditorium?

 

[BGrif21125]

The two fights last night on Boxing After Dark were pretty entertaining, but I hope HBO is serious about revamping this show. While the fights had action, you could argue that neither underdog won a single round in either fight. I'm tired of watching fights like the Pavlik one that showcase a young undefeated fighter against an opponent with no chance. I'd rather watch a back-and-forth fight between two guys who have less-than-stellar records.
Pavlik looked like a decent fighter, but he's way too slow and got hit by slow, wide hooks that no real contender should ever get hit with. He'll get beaten by any of the real middleweights.

And Fran Charles just knows nothing about boxing and has no charisma whatsoever. I can't reiterate this enough.

 

[Spacemans Bong]

The complete radio broadcast of Louis-Schmeling on NBC Radio

 

[BGrif21125]

Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito have reportedly agreed to fight on June 9 at Madison Square Garden.

 

[Gene Conleys Plane Ticket]

The two fights last night on Boxing After Dark were pretty entertaining, but I hope HBO is serious about revamping this show. While the fights had action, you could argue that neither underdog won a single round in either fight. I'm tired of watching fights like the Pavlik one that showcase a young undefeated fighter against an opponent with no chance. I'd rather watch a back-and-forth fight between two guys who have less-than-stellar records.
Pavlik looked like a decent fighter, but he's way too slow and got hit by slow, wide hooks that no real contender should ever get hit with. He'll get beaten by any of the real middleweights.

And Fran Charles just knows nothing about boxing and has no charisma whatsoever. I can't reiterate this enough.

I'm with you on Charles. I don't dislike him, he just brings nothing to the table. I'd be excited if HBO could get ESPN's Joe Tessitore to do BAD. I think he's the best pure blow-by-blow guy out there and freed from Teddy Atlas's incessant babbling, I think he'd make the show very exciting. Also, he doesn't mind asking fighters difficult, blunt questions right after a fight, but without going all Jim Gray about it.

As for revamping BAD, it was a major disappointment in 2006 after all the hype HBO gave it. And the 2007 premiere was a letdown, too. A lot of it has to do with HBO's promising dates to promoters before the fight card is lined up, so HBO ends up taking whatever "showcase" fights that particular promoter foists on them. HBO has at least said that they are going to stop that practice after their current obligations to various promoters expire later this year.

In any event, the Lou DiBella card coming up on Feb. 17 actually looks like potentially vintage BAD. The Paulie Malignaggi-Edner Cherry main event is a classic boxer-puncher matchup involving two very promising prospects. Not an easy fight for DiBella's fighter (Malignaggi) by any means. And a tough assignment for his first fight since taking a pretty serious beating from Miguel Cotto.

The co-feature has DiBella's prospect Sechew Powell against first-season "Contender" participant Ishe Smith. The two of them hate each other in "real life" apparently. I'd say their skills are about equal and they're both solid prospects (despite Powell's disappointing performance against Kassim Ouma in his last outing).

And there's a THIRD bout on the televised card -- a rarity for HBO (or even Showtime, for that matter). Andre Berto -- the welterweight knockout specialist who until now has been extremely well sheltered and showcased by DiBella -- takes on Ben Tackie.

Berto should win the fight, but Tackie is a solid veteran who represents Berto's biggest step up so far. This could be Jorge Julio-Carlos Quintana revisited. We'll see.

Anyway, best BAD show in the last couple of years on Feb. 17. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[BGrif21125]

Winky Wright and Bernard Hopkins have reportedly agreed to fight in July at 170 pounds. I'm not surprised that the Jones/Hopkins fight never worked out, since the combined stubborness of those guys is off the charts. But I didn't see this matchup coming.

Interesting fight, but this has a chance to be a real snoozefest.

 

[eddiew112]

Atleast it would be better than Jones-Hopkins, I would have probably been crying watching two of the most skilled boxers in the last 20 years fight at this point in there carrers.

 

[BGrif21125]

Here's an interesting story.
Cruiserweight champ O'Neil Bell was arrested for throwing a hatchet at one of his sparring partners.
Link

Also, Mayweather and DLH announced an 11 city press tour that's open to the public. Boston didn't make the cut.

 

[fletcherpost]

BBC Sport: Mayweather trashes Hatton

Mayweather engaging in some fine trash talk:
"Ricky Hatton ain't nothing but a fat man. I'm going to punch him in his beer belly,"

"When I retire, I'll get Ricky Hatton to wash my clothes and cut my lawn and buckle my shoes."

Can't wait to see this fight. Hope it happens soon.

 

[SoxScout]

I just really love the headline

 

[BGrif21125]

Looks like McCain has re-proposed the amendment to establish a national boxing commission.
Link

Also, word is that Sugar Ray Leonard has decided to train Peter Manfredo for his upcoming fight against Calzaghe.

 

[Gene Conleys Plane Ticket]

Have to say, I was very disappointed in Luis Collazo tonight. Not that I expected him to beat Shane Mosley, who looked awfully impressive, but except for a brief spurt in the sedcond round, Collazo never really got any offense going at all. Then about halfway through the fight, he seemed to pretty much give in to discouragement and give up. I had high hopes for this fight. I was expecting an engaging technical matchup with two slick boxers each looking for whatever advantages they could take. Instead, it was mostly one-sided boxing lesson by Shane. Collazo could have done much better. After his narrow and controversial loss to Ricky Hatton, he had a chance to really build something. Tonight, not just that he lost but the WAY his lose, I think, really damaged his career.

That said, Sugar Shane looked truly amazing for a 35-year-old in the lower weight classes. Hell, he looked amazing for a 25-year-old. The handspeed, conditioning and athleticism are all still there. He's talking about taking another fight in June -- shoot, with Anontio Margarito pulling out of his June PPV date against Miguel Cotto, what a matchup that would be to is Shane stepped in to take that fight. The bad blood between Bob Arum (Cotto's promoter) and Oscar De La Hoya (Mosley's) will almsot certainly prevent that, however.

Just a postscript, according to FightNews, Collazo is blaming a hand injury for his lackluster showing.

And in an unrelated story, Bernard Hopkins has signed to fight Winky Wright in July. Two great fighters. And it will probably be the most boring fight of the year.

 

[BGrif21125]

Ya, if there were ever two fighters who were made to NOT fight each other, it's Winky and Hopkins. Merchant will be asleep by the 3rd round that night.

I'm excited for the Miranda/Green fight next month. This is exactly the type of intriguing undercard fight that has been missing from HBO telecasts for years.

Zab Judah is being mentioned as a possible opponent for Cotto in June. Despite all of Zab's obvious flaws, I still think he could give Cotto more problems than Margarito could.

 

[BGrif21125]

It's now being reported (but take with a grain of salt) that Cotto vs. Judah is a done deal for June 9th at MSG.

If Cotto-Judah and Margarito-Williams do both come off in the late spring/early summer, I think it almost sets up a de facto tournament for the undisputed welterweight crown. The winners of those two fights would join Mayweather and Mosley as the clear top 4 at 147.
If Mayweather-Mosley and a fight between the winners of the two aforementioned fights both happened in late '07, we could conceivably have another bout in '08 that would settle the division for good. Of course these things never work out like they're supposed to, but it's nice to think about at least.

I may just have to make a voyage up to MSG for Cotto-Judah if it happens. A fight between the Puerto Rican Cotto (on the eve of the PR parade) and the Brooklyn-native Judah would be quite an atmosphere at MSG.

 

[ThreeIfBaerga]

Anyone know anything about Ireland's John Duddy?

I was watching VersusHD last night and they were airing one of this fights. It wasn't until I looked him up online that I realized the fight happened last year.

I'm a pretty casual boxing fan so I was wondering if this guy is considered the "real deal" or not. Based on what I saw, he seemed like a pretty complete middleweight fighter.

Looks like he's fighting Anthony Bonsante on March 16th in NY in what MUST be heavily billed as some circus St. Patrick's Day bout.

 

[BGrif21125]

I have not seen Duddy personally, but I'm pretty skeptical. IMO, if he were really the big prospect that some members of the media have made him out to be, then he wouldn't still be fighting C-level fighters at the age of 27. Something seems to scream "Great White Hope" about this guy, though I guess I should actually watch him before I make any definitive comments.

On another note, Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg are getting together to do a movie on Micky Ward.
Link

 

[eddiew112]

Duddy hasn't just fought C-level fighters. Yori Boy Campas is a legit fighter. Alfredo Cuevas had been in there with Kassim Ouma and Jermain Taylor. I'm assuming that after he fights Bonsante he will move up in competition level.

 

[eddiew112]

The BAD card last night was very dissapointing. It a shame that they had to replace Tackie, Bravo did not come to fight last night. Ishe and Sechew mananged to put me asleep, and Paulie won the Cherry fight just using his natural gifts. I felt the earlier BAD card with Kelly Pavlik and Jorge Arce was much more exciting, and one of the better BAD cards I had seen in a while.

 

[Daily Conundrum]

Anyone know anything about Ireland's John Duddy?

I was watching VersusHD last night and they were airing one of this fights. It wasn't until I looked him up online that I realized the fight happened last year.

I'm a pretty casual boxing fan so I was wondering if this guy is considered the "real deal" or not. Based on what I saw, he seemed like a pretty complete middleweight fighter.

Looks like he's fighting Anthony Bonsante on March 16th in NY in what MUST be heavily billed as some circus St. Patrick's Day bout.

Duddy has a lot of punching power, but he's going nowhere. He's too "old" already and lacks boxing skills. Let me put it this way: putting power aside, my man Trinidad would outbox this guy.

BGrif, I agree with you on Cotto-Judah and the atmosphere at MSG. Can't wait. Of course, I'm going with Cotto, but it should be an excellent fight to watch live.

 

[BGrif21125]

Just a heads up that the Mayweather-De La Hoya press tour starts Tuesday. Free and open to the public.

Tuesday it's at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan at noon.

Wednesday at 2:00 it will be at Union Station in DC. I'm going to try to stop by this one. I'm sure it will be nothing but a bunch of talk and photo-ops and stuff, but I think it'd be cool to have a chance to see the fighters in person and snap a few photos.

 

[Spacemans Bong]

Castillo-Hatton is on

 

[jsinger121]

Former heavyweight contender Tommy Morrison, 38, who hasn't fought since 1996, will fight Thursday night in Chester, W.Va.

Sources told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael that Morrison, who tested HIV-positive during a pre-fight blood test in 1996, has been medically cleared to fight and that the announcement will come late Tuesday afternoon.

Morrison (46-3-1, 40 KOs) is scheduled to box John Castle in a four-rounder.

Morrison, whose professional boxing career began in 1988, was a well-known and popular heavyweight. He co-starred with Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky V" and his most notable victories were against George Foreman and Donovan "Razor" Ruddock.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/ne...tory?id=2772386

How can they clear him to fight?

 

[BGrif21125]

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/ne...tory?id=2772386

How can they clear him to fight?

Morrison is claiming that his test 10 years ago was a false positive. Supposedly he's been tested 4 or 5 times recently and has come back HIV-negative on every one.
Now why he never had follow up tests 10 years ago to confirm the positive result is beyond me.

 

[mpl6993]

I know it is still Tyson but he looked impressive in his exhibition fight on saturday night. There was some talk after it was over about him being able to step into the ring with some of todays heavyweight champs (if you can call them that) and possibly bring one of the belts home.

This guy never goes away.

For a guy who is retiring after this fight Floyd is talking some serious trash about Hatton which could only lead to another fight. If you are Floyd and you actually beat Oscar (which I don't thjink in any way is going to happen) do you back up your talk about Hatton or do you accept the challenge Sugar Shane hinted at after he dominated Callazo?

Floyd vs Sugar Shane would be a great fight.

Maybe Sugar Shane vs Oscar III to give Oscar a chance to avenge that HORRIBLE decision in the 2nd fight he lost to Mosely.

edit: spelling

 

[Daily Conundrum]

If you are Floyd and you actually beat Oscar (which I don't thjink in any way is going to happen) do you back up your talk about Hatton or do you accept the challenge Sugar Shane hinted at after he dominated Callazo?

Floyd vs Sugar Shane would be a great fight.

Maybe Sugar Shane vs Oscar III to give Oscar a chance to avenge that HORRIBLE decision in the 2nd fight he lost to Mosely.

edit: spelling

Just stop, please. These DLH fans are so fucking ridiculous. You actually think Floyd has no chance of beating DLH? Yeah, what many people consider to be the best pound for pounder to come up in a long time, in his prime, cannot beat an old DLH. Go figure. What about Whitaker? Did you not think DLH's decision over Whitaker was HORRIBLE? If there's a boxer who got some fucking ridiculous decisions go his way, it was DLH.

 

[mpl6993]

Just stop, please. These DLH fans are so fucking ridiculous. You actually think Floyd has no chance of beating DLH? Yeah, what many people consider to be the best pound for pounder to come up in a long time, in his prime, cannot beat an old DLH. Go figure. What about Whitaker? Did you not think DLH's decision over Whitaker was HORRIBLE? If there's a boxer who got some fucking ridiculous decisions go his way, it was DLH.

I am not saying Floyd is not a great fighter, I am just saying that he is moving up to fight Oscar and if you watched the Mayor4ga fight Oscar looked like he was in great shape.

I am sure it will be a great fight I just think Oscar is, even at his "old" age, will win this bout hands down.

 

[BGrif21125]

I know it is still Tyson but he looked impressive in his exhibition fight on saturday night. There was some talk after it was over about him being able to step into the ring with some of todays heavyweight champs (if you can call them that) and possibly bring one of the belts home.

Tyson fought on Saturday? On what network? I didn't even realize this was going on.
Tyson will never be a contender again, and as mediocre as the current champs are, they would all KO Tyson within a few rounds. Tyson does not want to fight anymore. He has no desire to trade punches, to take punishment, to train, etc. He is only stepping in the ring because he desparately needs money. He stopped trying to win a long long time ago.

For a guy who is retiring after this fight Floyd is talking some serious trash about Hatton which could only lead to another fight.

Floyd is not retiring. If I had a dollar for everytime a fighter said he would retire at a young age, I'd be a millionaire. I'd be willing to bet anything that Floyd is still fighting in 2009 or 2010. The only thing that could prevent that is if he sustains several more injuries to his hands, which is a problem that runs throughout the Mayweather family.

If you are Floyd and you actually beat Oscar (which I don't thjink in any way is going to happen) do you back up your talk about Hatton or do you accept the challenge Sugar Shane hinted at after he dominated Callazo?

Floyd vs Sugar Shane would be a great fight.

Mosley would obviously be the more competitive fight. I think Mayweather wipes the canvas with Hatton. I have a hard time seeing Hatton win a single round in that fight, although it could always still happen because it would be a big event and a big payday for both guys.
I think Mayweather beats Mosley as well, but it would be more competitive. Either way, I'd like to see Floyd go back to 147 after the De La Hoya fight and try to clean out that division. Mosley would be a great start.

Maybe Sugar Shane vs Oscar III to give Oscar a chance to avenge that HORRIBLE decision in the 2nd fight he lost to Mosely.

Win or lose, I think the only fight Oscar wants after Floyd is a rematch with Trinidad. Now whether that will ever come off is a big question mark, but I think that's the only other fight he really wants.
The Mosley II decision was highly questionable, but Oscar shouldn't feel like he got that much of a raw deal. I thought Oscar lost earlier in his career to both a past-his-prime Pernell Whitaker and to Ike Quartey, and Oscar walked away with shockingly easy decision victories in both cases. Oscar may have also deserved a loss against Felix Sturm. De La Hoya has won many more questionable decisions than he's lost.

If any modern fighter has the right to complain about judges, it's Whitaker, who was one of the 10-12 best fighters to ever live and was robbed by 2 of the worst decisions in history, and a 3rd highly questionable one vs. Oscar.

 

[Daily Conundrum]

I am not saying Floyd is not a great fighter, I am just saying that he is moving up to fight Oscar and if you watched the Mayor4ga fight Oscar looked like he was in great shape.

I am sure it will be a great fight I just think Oscar is, even at his "old" age, will win this bout hands down.

Mayorga is not only a bad boxer (I think he wouldn't even land a punch against Floyd), but he fought DLH after Trinidad almost killed him. DLH may be in the best shape of his life, but the fact is that he would not have beaten Floyd even when DLH was in his prime. He has never performed that well against good boxers - see Whitaker, Quartey, Hopkins, etc. The only way DLH wins this fight is if he lands a lucky left hook and knocks out Floyd - a knockout is his only chance, as he will never, under any circumstances imaginable, outbox Floyd.

So, since a knockout is his only chance, let's look at his "famous" career knockouts/TKOs: Chavez (do I really need to explain this one?); Vargas (again, after Trinidad almost killed him) .... you get the picture.

How the heck does DLH win this fight?

 

[BGrif21125]

Just got back from the Mayweather-De La Hoya press conference here in DC. Pretty decent sized crowd there, but I was able to get within about 10 feet of the stage.
By my estimation, the crowd was about 75% Mayweather fans. Although Bernard Hopkins (helping promote the fight for Golden Boy, Inc.) probably got louder cheers than anyone.
Saw Dan Rafael from ESPN there, Sharmba Mitchell (DC native) and Caron Butler of the Wizards were in attendance too.

DLH seemed like he'd rather have been anywhere else. He just sat in his chair looking bored and then gave about a 2 minute speech. Floyd seemed to be enjoying himself, he was signing autographs the whole time and talking with the fans. At the end, DLH bolted as soon as he was done talking, Floyd stayed around and continued to chat, take pictures, sign stuff, etc.

When Floyd was giving his speech, one guy a few feet from me kept yelling, "Where's Roger, where's Roger?", which was kinda funny. Roger of course is sitting in a Vegas jail cell.

I also just found out about a week ago that Freddie Roach suffers from puglistic Parkison's disease. When he spoke at the microphone, he was shaking pretty badly.

It was also amazing just how small Mayweather is in person. I think he's listed at 5'8", but he seemed even shorter than that. He looked about the same height/weight as I was in the 8th grade. Of course he could kick my ass in about 0.2 seconds.

 

[5050HindSight]

I just saw this on ESPN.COM seems interesting...

Mayweather joins son's corner for De La Hoya fight

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/ne...tory?id=2782127

Some great lines in there...

"He may be in the corner, but not your corner," Mayweather told De La Hoya.

"We have our ups and downs, but he's still my father," Mayweather said. "Someday my father will bury me or I may have to bury him."

"I'm really glad I can bring family together like it's supposed to be," De La Hoya said.

Mayweather Sr., who described himself as "a former fighter and a poetry writer"

 

[BGrif21125]

Wrapping up a busy weekend of fights:

Vazquez-Marquez was the most anticipated fight of the night and it lived up to the hype. Toe-to-toe action from beginning to end. Marquez got decked with a clean shot in the 3rd and was clearly staggered, but he got up and eventually forced Vazquez to quit from a broken nose. Now that Marquez has won another title, you'll see his name creep into many top 5 or 6 PFP lists.

Miranda-Green was a fight I was really looking forward to, but it was an absolute snoozefest for the first 7 rounds. I was so bored that I ran across the street to grab some food, and of course when I get back I realize that I had missed all the action in the 8th, including a knockdown. Overall the fight was a disappointment, Green is not the hot prospect some made him out to be IMO.

Cotto-Urkal was pretty dry as well. I don't think it was all Cotto's fault, Urkal was a tough veteran pro who knew how to survive and get thru each round. Cotto needs to jab more though. His body shots would be 5x more devestating if his opponents couldn't always keep their elbows low to block punches. A jab would force them to lift their arms up. He has a pretty good jab too. Nothing drives me crazier than watching a fighter with a good jab who doesn't use it enough.
I think Judah will be a very interesting test for Cotto in June. Hopefully the fight isn't delayed by the cut Cotto sustained.

 

[eddiew112]

On a side note, did anybody make up to Lowell to check out the New England Golden Gloves? Saw some great talent up there. Demetrius Andrade, the number one in the country at 152, and Edwin Rodriguez, who is ranked second at 165. Both of these guys are probably on the Olympic team in 08. Andrade destroyed his guy (it was the only stoppage of the night), Rodriguez toyed with his opponent. Overall, I am happy to see top fighters coming out of New England once again.

For the record Andrade is from Providence, and Rodriguez is from Worcester.

 

[BGrif21125]

Thanks for the report Eddie, I'll have to keep an eye out for those two if they do indeed make the '08 team.

Just a heads up for those with HBO On-Demand...

As part of the buildup for Barrera-Marquez, they've posted both Barrera-Juarez I and the great Marquez-Pacquiao war that ended in a controversial draw. I strongly recommend watching the latter for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. It would've been the hands down Fight of the Year in 2004 if it hadn't been forced to compete against Barrera-Morales III.