Sons of Peter McNeeley- Boxing Thread
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A younger Casamayor would have boxed Katsidis's ears off. The question is, does Casamayor at 36 have enough left to stay a step ahead of Katsidis's unrelenting pressure. In these types of matchups, in general, you always have to favor the more skilled boxer over the puncher/pressure fighter. But I'm not sure if Casamayor has enough skills remaining to maintain what should be his natural advantage in the ring.
Should be an interesting fight, in any case. The co-feature with Librado Andrade against Robert Stieglitz should also be a fun one to watch, though I'm not sure whether HBO still plans to televise it or if the Pacquiao-Marquez II replays preempts that fight.
I believe HBO is showing the Andrade fight, which is odd, because they'll usually just air the PPV replay and then the live main event. But I'm pretty sure tonight is the PPV replay plus the 2 live fights.
Any time HBO can get Andrade on TV they will do it. That guy is all heart and action. He literally blocks punches with his face.
Did Max just say Casamayor has beaten Castillo? Edit: And Max goes on to correct himself a minute later.
Wow, this is the best BAD since Cotto/Torres + Wlad/Peter in 2005.
Wild fight. Where does Casa/Kats rank on the FOTY list? #2 or #3? This has been an impressive month for good fights.
Really curious to see what the scores were for that fight. I'd love to see them. Katsidis should take an 8 count next time he is down like that. It might have been the difference tonight. I don't like Casamayor, but this was a thrilling last hurrah for him. Knocks the young lion down twice in the first minute. Gets beat up for about six rounds, including getting drilled out of the ring ("only a slip") but he pulled out a remarkable comeback to end this fight in style.
Did Max just say Casamayor has beaten Castillo? Edit: And Max goes on to correct himself a minute later.
Wow, this is the best BAD since Cotto/Torres + Wlad/Peter in 2005.
Wild fight. Where does Casa/Kats rank on the FOTY list? #2 or #3? This has been an impressive month for good fights.
Really curious to see what the scores were for that fight. I'd love to see them. Katsidis should take an 8 count next time he is down like that. It might have been the difference tonight. I don't like Casamayor, but this was a thrilling last hurrah for him. Knocks the young lion down twice in the first minute. Gets beat up for about six rounds, including getting drilled out of the ring ("only a slip") but he pulled out a remarkable comeback to end this fight in style.
The definition of youthful stupidity. Katsidis came out to hype for that round and got caught. Now we have to deal with Casamayor parade around like he's the man. He got a BS decision to get this fight and then beat an unskilled and overanxious young fighter. I just hope this bum doesn't end up on PPV defending his title. ugh. What's so disheartening is this SLOWs down the division. Casamayor is not the future and he's not even the present. He's gonna milk this shit to get a payday Don King style.
BTW, if you watch the last minute or so of the 9th you can see Katsidis' dumbassness coming out. He made a clear and conscious decision to spread his hands wide and barrel forward b/c he was overconfident. I thought his corner would settle him down before the 10th but they didn't.
Edit: right on f'n que. He calls out Manny and Barrera. Old, old, old. Damn you to hell Katsidis for this next 6 months of time wasting we're about to go through.
BTW, if you watch the last minute or so of the 9th you can see Katsidis' dumbassness coming out. He made a clear and conscious decision to spread his hands wide and barrel forward b/c he was overconfident. I thought his corner would settle him down before the 10th but they didn't.
Edit: right on f'n que. He calls out Manny and Barrera. Old, old, old. Damn you to hell Katsidis for this next 6 months of time wasting we're about to go through.
The bottom line to this fight is, and always was, very simply, Katsidis just isn't that good. He's just a poor man's Ricky Hatton if you ask me. He's a bit more interesting than Hatton because he actually throws a lot of punches, where Hatton mainly wrestles and mauls. But he's otherwise the same. And it's no coincidence, then, that this fight ended almost identically to the Hatton-Mayweather fight. Katsidis charges in chin first and gets caught with a "check hook." Lights out. I don't think it was "youthful stupidity." It's just the way Katsidis fights. He'll never beat a guy who knows how to box on a world-class level, and neither will Hatton.
I thought that it was a stupid mistake by Casamayor that gave this fight its drama. Casamayor was in pretty much total control, outclassing Katsidis through the first three rounds and then for some unknown reason -- overconfidence, machismo -- decided to go toe-to-toe with Katsidis in the fourth. Well, I don;t care how good you are, if you fight Katsidis's fight, he'll beat you. Sure enough. Katsidis rocked him and it took Casamayor a few rounds to get his rhythm back. But when he did, well, you saw what happened.
I'm not quite the Casamayor-hater that a lot of boxing fans seem to be. I doubt he'll get the big PPV fights he wants, but he should get a decent payday for a rematch against Nate Campbell. That's a fight that I'd look forward to.
And speaking of Ricky Hatton, it looks like his May 24 fight against Juan Lazcano will air on the Versus Network, as will the prelim, Paulie Malignaggi's unnecessary (but contractually mandated) rematch against Lovemore N'Dou. I wasn't too excited about this card, and apparently neither were HBO or Showtime because they both passed on it. But hey, for free on cable, what the heck? I'll take it. The card takes place in the afternoon, U.S. time, so if it airs live on Versus (not tape delay), it shouldn't conflict with the Mikkel Kessler-Edison Miranda fight on Showtime that night, which I actually am pretty excited about.
One last thing: I'm now officially sick of Max Kellerman. I know HBO wants to put Larry Merchant out to pasture but there's got to be a better "youth market" guy than Kellerman. If he said "this is for the real, linear lightweight championship" one more time I was going to put my foot through the TV in an attempt to drive it into his ass. And "Katsidis is the new Arturo Gatti" would have made a great drinking game. Shut up already! Then he questions the stoppage? Huh? Did he want to see Katsidis's brains start leaking out his ears?
How long does this guy's contract with HBO last? He's become insufferable.
Oh no, I didn't mean for it to come across that Katsidis was a better boxer. Every point you made was 100% spot on. Look how easy it was for Casamayor to move back and pick off Katsidis with straights.
And I like Buffer's replacement. Very dramatic.
And I like Buffer's replacement. Very dramatic.
ESPN2 is playing the Tyson/Douglas fight right now. I could have sworn that was an HBO fight with Lampley making the call. Have they just dubbed it over on ESPN2 with some guy trying to pretend that he is calling it live?
That really is Colonel Bob Sheridan calling the fight live as it happened. He pretty much calls all the Don King fights still to this day.
However, ESPN has been known to gain access to a number of fights originally shown on HBO (mostly Holyfield, Whitaker or Gatti fights) and has added their own "live" commentary with Joe Tessitore and an analyst.
However, ESPN has been known to gain access to a number of fights originally shown on HBO (mostly Holyfield, Whitaker or Gatti fights) and has added their own "live" commentary with Joe Tessitore and an analyst.
Colonel Bob Sheridan has been making his living calling the international broadcasts of major fights for years. Tyson-Douglas was indeed an HBO fight, but as with most fights, it was broadcast overseas as well. The HBO crew appears only on HBO. Colonel Bob handles the rest.
The promoter owns the video rights to their old fights. So when ESPN Classic (or any other network) wants to show old classic fights, they make a deal with the promoter, be it Don King, Main Events, Top Rank, etc.
For example, ESPN Classic has a deal with Main Events, so that's why you see tons of Whitaker, Holyfield, and Gatti fights, because those guys were all promoted by Main Events. And they purchased Tyson-Douglas from King. But the audio rights belong to whoever did the commentary, so that's why you never hear Lampley/Merchant on those ESPN classic fights, because their voices belong to HBO, not the promoter. Sheridan is employed by Don King, so his audio call is part of the deal when a King fight is purchased.
For example, ESPN Classic has a deal with Main Events, so that's why you see tons of Whitaker, Holyfield, and Gatti fights, because those guys were all promoted by Main Events. And they purchased Tyson-Douglas from King. But the audio rights belong to whoever did the commentary, so that's why you never hear Lampley/Merchant on those ESPN classic fights, because their voices belong to HBO, not the promoter. Sheridan is employed by Don King, so his audio call is part of the deal when a King fight is purchased.
Edwin Valero has been granted a license to fight in Texas.
This shouldn't come as a big surprise. It's Texas.... the same state that thinks Evander freaking Holyfield is competent to fight. If Holyfield can get a license there, then Valero's must have been a slam-dunk.
I will say though, I think Valero is more hype than substance. Ya, he's got great power, but he's incredibly raw. Either Marquez or Guzman would box him to shreds IMO.
This shouldn't come as a big surprise. It's Texas.... the same state that thinks Evander freaking Holyfield is competent to fight. If Holyfield can get a license there, then Valero's must have been a slam-dunk.
I will say though, I think Valero is more hype than substance. Ya, he's got great power, but he's incredibly raw. Either Marquez or Guzman would box him to shreds IMO.
By the way, Don King is making a free live webcast available on his website of Thursday night's card in St. Louis.
Main event is Cory Spinks-Verno Phillips. Before you say to yourself, "You couldn't pay me to watch another Cory Spinks fight...", keep in mind that Devon Alexander is on the undercard, and he's worth watching.
Main event is Cory Spinks-Verno Phillips. Before you say to yourself, "You couldn't pay me to watch another Cory Spinks fight...", keep in mind that Devon Alexander is on the undercard, and he's worth watching.
off topic, for a sec:
i've got a friend who i used to watch boxing with a few years back (the last i think we saw was lewis-klitschko), who has told me he wants to get back into it, as i usually mention a good fight that i saw recently (to try to get him back in the sport, and it worked). he wants a list of recent fights that were exciting, as both entertainment and a primer to who's who. he really never got into anyone past heavyweights, so my list so far is
corrales/castillo
gatti/ward I and II
marquez/vasquez I-III
pavlik/taylor
mayweather/hatton (meh idk why)
mayweather/corrales
mayweather/gatti (he likes mayweather already, but hasnt really seen much, so im including this one)
what else would you guys advise? i dont want to flood him with a list that will overwhelm him, but want to get to the nuts and bolts. which of calzaghe's fights would be most interesting to a "new" fan?
i've got a friend who i used to watch boxing with a few years back (the last i think we saw was lewis-klitschko), who has told me he wants to get back into it, as i usually mention a good fight that i saw recently (to try to get him back in the sport, and it worked). he wants a list of recent fights that were exciting, as both entertainment and a primer to who's who. he really never got into anyone past heavyweights, so my list so far is
corrales/castillo
gatti/ward I and II
marquez/vasquez I-III
pavlik/taylor
mayweather/hatton (meh idk why)
mayweather/corrales
mayweather/gatti (he likes mayweather already, but hasnt really seen much, so im including this one)
what else would you guys advise? i dont want to flood him with a list that will overwhelm him, but want to get to the nuts and bolts. which of calzaghe's fights would be most interesting to a "new" fan?
Whenever people ask me to recommend fights for them to watch, I always start them off with the same fight:
Morales-Barrera I
My favorite fight of all-time. Two first-ballot HOFers, in their primes, who hated each other's guts and tried to beat the shit out of each other for 12 rounds. You always hear Corrales-Castillo I mentioned as the Fight of the Decade, but I think Morales-Barrera I was a superior fight.
Some other fights from this decade (besides the ones you've already listed):
Morales-Pacquiao I
Morales-Barrerra III
Pacquiao-Marquez I/II
Toney-Jirov
Cotto-Judah
Cotto-Torres
Trinidad-Vargas
You guys have got it pretty well covered. I might add the De La Hoya-Mosley fights and the more recent Cotto-Mosley.
At the heavyweight level, Brewster-Liakhovich briefly restored faith that the heavyweight division still had some exciting fights in it. That was the best heavyweight fight since Lewis-Klitschko.
Both cruiserweight title fights between Jean Paul Mormeck and O'Neill Bell were really exciting, too. Actually, most top-level cruiserweight fights are pretty good these days. There are alot of good fighters in the division and they all fight each other.
For Calzaghe, see either his domination of Jeff Lacy from two years ago or the good fight he had with Mikkel Kessler last Fall.
Speaking of Kessler, in the first big killbuzz of a so-far excellent year, the Danish ex-champ has backed out of his fight with Edison Miranda on May 24 for unexplained reasons. Maybe the loss to Calzaghe really did break him mentally. Kessler's been incognito as far as boxing goes since then, now this. Weird, It also, I believe, leaves Showtime without a May fight for now.
I don't disagree that those were good performances from Calzaghe, and I know people want to see the Joe C of now, but if you really wanna see a great 'fight', then you've got to go back to his war with an aging Chris Eubank in 1997, when he won the WBO title he still holds today.
It really was a 'passing of the torch' moment for British Boxing, as Eubank was on the downside of his career, but he had been a great Champion, no matter how irritating people thought he was outside the ring, he wasn't about to let the young cocky Calzaghe beat him. Calzaghe still says to this day it was by far the hardest fight of his career.
Roy Jones and Anderson Silva in talks for boxing match
I will be surprised if Dana White clears Silva to participate. Outside of an Oscar or Floyd PPV fight, I think a spectacle like this would make the most money in PPV buys. Jones should be able to take someone with limited experience like Silva to school in a boxing ring, but if Silva could land one huge punch that drops Roy then that would be huge for MMA.
I will be surprised if Dana White clears Silva to participate. Outside of an Oscar or Floyd PPV fight, I think a spectacle like this would make the most money in PPV buys. Jones should be able to take someone with limited experience like Silva to school in a boxing ring, but if Silva could land one huge punch that drops Roy then that would be huge for MMA.
That sucks about Kessler-Miranda.
I thought that was going to be an exciting fight, and Montreal was rumored to be the leading candidate to host it. I was planning on heading to Montreal for a weekend in May anyway, so I was making plans to attend that fight in-person. Too bad.
I really hope Kessler isn't mentally broken after the Calzaghe loss. He gave a very respectable account of himself and simply lost to a great fighter who fought the best fight of his life. I have no doubt that Kessler has the physical tools to rule the now Calzaghe-less super middleweight division, and to also be one of the top 10-12 PFP fighters in the world. He needs to get back in the ring.
I thought that was going to be an exciting fight, and Montreal was rumored to be the leading candidate to host it. I was planning on heading to Montreal for a weekend in May anyway, so I was making plans to attend that fight in-person. Too bad.
I really hope Kessler isn't mentally broken after the Calzaghe loss. He gave a very respectable account of himself and simply lost to a great fighter who fought the best fight of his life. I have no doubt that Kessler has the physical tools to rule the now Calzaghe-less super middleweight division, and to also be one of the top 10-12 PFP fighters in the world. He needs to get back in the ring.
Programming note:
Universal HD is replaying Vazquez-Marquez III on Sunday night at 8. They've been replaying all the Showtime fights this year. Showtime-UHD must have a deal.
Universal HD is replaying Vazquez-Marquez III on Sunday night at 8. They've been replaying all the Showtime fights this year. Showtime-UHD must have a deal.
I watched the Andy Lee-Brian Vera fight on ESPN2, and I have a few thoughts about it. First of all, Lee must have had a wicked off night, because many boxing people that I respect have been all over this guy. I don't know how much of that has to do with the fact that he is Manny Steward's boy, but he looks to be heavily flawed. This was an easy fight for him to win. Vera squeezes every little bit of talent that he has out of his body, but he is headed for a quick trip to pugilistic dementia with his style. Lee had a great amount of success when he stuck to using the 1-2, because Vera did not seem the least bit interested in trying to put up any kind of defense. But Lee's lack of defense was even more startling for someone who could supposedly "beat Kelly Pavlik by the end of 2008". He did not try to move his head or tie Vera up inside. He just fucking stood there and took punches, and I was making a fool out of myself in a bar screaming at him to fucking display some basic boxing knowledge and TIE UP THE SHORT STOCKY GUY INSIDE. Also, I thought he looked very, very slow. There was no explosiveness in his hands or in his movements. The Irish hype machine has blinded boxing fans everywhere it seems.
On a completely unrelated note, I have started to shake off the dust on my gloves. I've been going down to the gym 3-4 times a week for about a month now, with the goal of making a return to the ring. If I ever get to that point again, I'm sure the local boxing freaks on SOSH would like to attend. I'll keep y'all posted if you're interested.
On a completely unrelated note, I have started to shake off the dust on my gloves. I've been going down to the gym 3-4 times a week for about a month now, with the goal of making a return to the ring. If I ever get to that point again, I'm sure the local boxing freaks on SOSH would like to attend. I'll keep y'all posted if you're interested.
I'm probably going to be in the upper bracket of the 165 class (around 175). I'm kind of short (5'9) and I have a stocky build, so I am cautious about re-entering the light heavyweight bracket (I was much bigger in high school). Plus, the lower weight class allows me to impose my strength easier. This will all depend on how much of a commitment I can make. When I was in high school, I spent a huge amount of my free time during the week in the gym. I was no Olympian, but I was a pretty solid, so I might just keep it up for fun if I can't get back somewhere close to that level.
More evidence that reports of boxing's demise have been greatly exaggerated: Pacquiao-Marquez II set a pay-per-view record for a lower-weight-class (below 147) fight with approximately 400,000 buys and more than $20 million in revenue. And unlike certain other high-grossing PPV fights, this one delivered the boxing goods!
With money like that pouring in, you just wonder why Bob Arum is determined to delay a third fight. Every time either guy fights in the interim, as with any boxer, there's the risk of injury or just a bad performance that decreases the fighter's value. In terms of economics, wouldn't it make sense for both Pac and JMM to make the trilogy finale the next fight for each of them?
With money like that pouring in, you just wonder why Bob Arum is determined to delay a third fight. Every time either guy fights in the interim, as with any boxer, there's the risk of injury or just a bad performance that decreases the fighter's value. In terms of economics, wouldn't it make sense for both Pac and JMM to make the trilogy finale the next fight for each of them?
Cory Spinks lost tonight in his hometown to Verno Phillips. I didn't have time to watch it, but supposedly it was a controversial decision. Nothing like getting robbed in your hometown.
1. Pacquiao is the money-maker in a Pac-Marquez fight, so they can get Marquez to make concessions if he's desparate to fight Pacquiao again. The only reason the 2nd fight took place is because Marquez caved late in the negotiations and agreed to take an even smaller portion of the purse.
2. Pacquiao is the bigger fighter. He's had trouble making 130 lately, moving up to 135 benefits him more than Marquez. If PAcquiao moves up to 135 and beats David Diaz as expected, he can say "Look, I'm a lightweight now, if Marquez wants a 3rd fight, he can come up to 135."
3. Pacquiao is 5 years younger than Marquez. If Pacquiao takes a fight or two in-between instead of going for an immediate rematch with Marquez, that gap in time figures to hurt the older Marquez more than Pacquiao.
4. If Marquez doesn't take the bait and come up to 135 for a third fight, then Pacquiao can just move up 5 more pounds for a much bigger fight money-wise against Hatton. Pacquiao would make more against Hatton than against Marquez, despite the fact that Marquez is a FAR better fighter than Hatton.
One other random note, Rafael said today on espn.com that he thinks Golden Boy is eyeing a Hatton-Juan Diaz fight in the near future, and he claimed it would be a "big PPV fight." I think he's out of his mind, I think Hatton-Diaz would bomb as a PPV. Who in the US is going to shell out $50 to see Hatton fight a guy who got beaten up by Nate Campbell?
I think Manny/Arum's thought process is this:
1. Pacquiao is the money-maker in a Pac-Marquez fight, so they can get Marquez to make concessions if he's desparate to fight Pacquiao again. The only reason the 2nd fight took place is because Marquez caved late in the negotiations and agreed to take an even smaller portion of the purse.
2. Pacquiao is the bigger fighter. He's had trouble making 130 lately, moving up to 135 benefits him more than Marquez. If PAcquiao moves up to 135 and beats David Diaz as expected, he can say "Look, I'm a lightweight now, if Marquez wants a 3rd fight, he can come up to 135."
3. Pacquiao is 5 years younger than Marquez. If Pacquiao takes a fight or two in-between instead of going for an immediate rematch with Marquez, that gap in time figures to hurt the older Marquez more than Pacquiao.
4. If Marquez doesn't take the bait and come up to 135 for a third fight, then Pacquiao can just move up 5 more pounds for a much bigger fight money-wise against Hatton. Pacquiao would make more against Hatton than against Marquez, despite the fact that Marquez is a FAR better fighter than Hatton.
One other random note, Rafael said today on espn.com that he thinks Golden Boy is eyeing a Hatton-Juan Diaz fight in the near future, and he claimed it would be a "big PPV fight." I think he's out of his mind, I think Hatton-Diaz would bomb as a PPV. Who in the US is going to shell out $50 to see Hatton fight a guy who got beaten up by Nate Campbell?
Yeah, looks like he now becomes a "gatekeeper." He'll be the guy 154-pound prospects face to build up their resume and position themselves for title shots. Anyone who throws as many punches as Ouma is always a good test.
Looks like the mystery of Mikkel Kessler's sudden pullout from the May 24 Edison Miranda fight is solved. He's likely stepping up to light heavyweight where, with the sudden retirement of WBA champion Danny Green, he's in position for an immediate title shot against an easy opponent. With that belt in hand, he's got his choice big money fights against anyone from Chad Dawson to Roy Jones Jr. or even a Calzaghe rematch.
Smart move by Kessler's people. Pretty shitty to leave Miranda (and Showtime) hanging like that, but why risk getting caught with a lucky shot from a puncher like Miranda when he's got the potential for these kinds of fights ahead?
1. I have to say, this move surprises me a little, if this is indeed how it plays out.
I think there are actually more "money fights" for Kessler at 168 than 175. Hopkins, Jones, Tarver, I don't think those guys have any interest in fighting a guy like Kessler. They're all in the semi-retirement stages of their careers where they're looking for big name opponents where they can get a few final big paydays. Dawson is the young guy at 175, but he's still overlooked for the most part at this point, he's not well-known enough to bring a big purse.
168 is deep right now, Taylor is about to show up there, and Pavlik will be there too at some point. And I think Kessler has the tools to be a Ring champ at 168 with Calzaghe now gone. Of course, it could be that he has trouble making 168 and wants to move up for that reason. If that's the case, forget everything I just wrote.
2. On another note, this 3 week gap between big HBO/Showtime fights is killing me. In years past, 3 weeks seemed like no big deal, but we've been so spoiled with a non-stop schedule over the past 6 months, that now 3 weeks seems like an eternity. April 12 and 19 should be worth the wait though.
3. Eddie, you know anything about Estrada? He's fighting Mount Whitaker on FNF this week in RI. Thought you may have seen him once or twice in the NE amateur scene....
Estrada was a super-heavyweight in the amateurs, and I have seen him fight/spar a number of times. He was the best boxer in his division in the United States, and I was always impressed with his boxing skills and ability, especially considering that most amateur heavy/superheavyweights are rather unimpressive. IIRC, he was two-time national champion, he won a gold at the Pan American Games, and he was on the Olympic team in 2004. He has great boxing skills and pretty fast hands, but almost no power. I'll be rooting for him.
Just interested to know who you guys like in the Antonio Tarver-Clinton Woods fight next Saturday? Woods is from my home town of Sheffield, so I'm obviously very biased in my opinion of him. I just hope this trip to the US ends better than his last, when he was blasted out by a prime Roy Jones 6 years ago!
I gotta admit, I've never seen Woods fight. I'll have to YouTube him. But based on the fact that Tarver hasn't had a decent performance against a quality opponent in almost three years, is 39 years old and was never a truly great fighter anyway (very good at times, but never great), I'd have to pick almost any top-10 light heavyweight to beat him. Despite his two wins over Roy Jones, Tarver is no Roy Jones.
I've only seen one Woods fight, and that was ~5 years ago when he got destroyed by Roy Jones. But that was back when Roy Jones was still ROY JONES, so Woods had nothing to be ashamed of.
I know Woods has fought Glen Johnson very evenly in their fights, so on that basis alone, I'd say he's got a very legit shot at beating Tarver.
I know Woods has fought Glen Johnson very evenly in their fights, so on that basis alone, I'd say he's got a very legit shot at beating Tarver.
Yes, that was his one fight in between the Hearns and Leonard fights.
I saw Estrada last night on FNF. He looked pretty good. If he's in-shape, he could be something of an Eddie Chambers-type fighter. In other words, a fringe top 10 heavyweight. It's nice to see my home area of Providence turning out a semi-decent collection of fighters right now. Manfredo isn't elite by any stretch of the imagination, but he's at least gotten himself some high-level fights. Estrada could be, like I said, a fringe top 10 heavyweight. Matt Godfrey just recently lost an eliminator fight at cruiserweight. And I'm really looking forward to watching Andrade in Beijing this summer.
Hoping to find a webcast link for the Khan fight tonight. No luck so far.
If anyone missed that broadcast, I strongly reccommend that you see if and when Vs repeats it and catch it then.
Because it came between the classic Hagler-Hearns fight and the controversial Hagler-Leonard fight, the Mugabe fight is often overlooked. John "The Beast" Mugabe came into the fight 25-0 with 25 knockouts. Yup, 25-0, all by knockout. Of course, most of those KOs came against nobodies so there was a lot of skepticism about Mugabe and it's possible Hagler (who hadn't fought since the Hearns fight almost a year earlier) may have overlooked him.
But the fight turned out to be an absolutely brutal war that took a tremendous toll on both men. Mugabe was never the same fighter though he hung around for several more years. And I've often wondered if the less-than-aggressive style that Hagler fought against Leonard was at least partly the result of the beating he took from Mugabe. Definitely check out this fight if you get a chance.
One historical footnote: Hagler-Mugabe was the first fight ever broadcast on Showtime. It was then rebroadcast a couple of weeks later on ABC. I wish that sort of thing still happened today.
Amir Khan won his WBO Lightweight title eliminator against Martin Kristjiansen of Denmark, with a controversial 7th round TKO, on Saturday night. Khan knocked the Dane down 3 times in the final minute of the round, leaving the Ref no choice but to stop it.
The controversy came because after the Dane went down for the 1st time, Khan smashed him with at least two big head shots after the Dane had dropped his hands to the floor and wasn't protecting himself. The Ref, rightly, admonished him heavily (he should have deducted a point) and gave Kristjiansen time-out after he got up, but the damage had already been done and he went down twice more in quick succession.
The win makes Khan the mandatory challenger to Nate Campbell, but I doubt he takes that fight next. He'll probably take on another Euro challenger in the Summer (possibly European Champ Yuri Romanov who destroyed Britain's John Saxton in 5 rounds on Friday night), before trying to fulfil his promise and be a 'World Champion by the end of this year.', as he says in every bloody interview...
The controversy came because after the Dane went down for the 1st time, Khan smashed him with at least two big head shots after the Dane had dropped his hands to the floor and wasn't protecting himself. The Ref, rightly, admonished him heavily (he should have deducted a point) and gave Kristjiansen time-out after he got up, but the damage had already been done and he went down twice more in quick succession.
The win makes Khan the mandatory challenger to Nate Campbell, but I doubt he takes that fight next. He'll probably take on another Euro challenger in the Summer (possibly European Champ Yuri Romanov who destroyed Britain's John Saxton in 5 rounds on Friday night), before trying to fulfil his promise and be a 'World Champion by the end of this year.', as he says in every bloody interview...
Ya, there's no sense in rushing Khan to a title shot, because he's already filling up arenas and making good money already. If he were toiling in anonymity, I could see going for a belt right away to increase his visibility.The win makes Khan the mandatory challenger to Nate Campbell, but I doubt he takes that fight next. He'll probably take on another Euro challenger in the Summer (possibly European Champ Yuri Romanov who destroyed Britain's John Saxton in 5 rounds on Friday night), before trying to fulfil his promise and be a 'World Champion by the end of this year.', as he says in every bloody interview...
How long they hold him back will be interesting though. Some guys are ready to fight the best at an early age. Erik Morales, Felix Trinidad and Floyd Mayweather come to mind as fighters of recent vintage who won their first titles around the age of 20-21, but that's a pretty high standard to live up to. For now, Khan's plan should be to beat a Top 10 lightweight. If he does that, then try a Top 5 guy, etc.
I actually think Khan is being rushed and it's quite simply because he is going to struggle to make the Lightweight limit before too long. He is already pretty tall for a lightweight and he uses that height and his long reach to his advantage at the weight, but with age comes a bit more weight and at only 21 it's going to get harder for him to make it. He already has one contest at 140 on his record and I don't expect him to struggle to win at that weight. But, if he wants to make a splash at Lightweight, he'll have to get a shot at a title within the next 12 months IMO.
Agreed. I expect the majority of Khan's career to occur at 147 (after a stopover at 140).
All this talk about Khan has got me thinking... that one of the real overlooked subplots so far of 2008 is the emergence of a lot of talented prospects in the lower weight classes.
Amir Khan, Jorge Linares, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Andre Berto, Abner Mares, Devon Alexander, etc. 147 and below is loaded with young talent right now, and at least a few of them could end up making big leaps this year.
It's looking more and more like Golden Boy is setting up a "lightweight championship" fight between Joel Casamayor and GBP's newest property, Juan Diaz. This is interesting, and not in a good way, because Golden Boy also owns THE RING magazine, whose ratings are taken as the "real" ratings by both ESPN and more significantly, HBO (or at least Max Kellerman). And who is the "Ring Magazine Champion"? Why, Joel Casamayor, of course. He is the "true" and "linear" champion, as Kellerman so loudly and frequently reminded us during the recent Casamayor-Katsidis broadcast. Nate Campbell, who slaughtered Juan Diaz, is just a "belt holder" recognized by the supposedly illegitimate sanctioning bodies.
So apparently, if Diaz beats Casamayor, Kellerman will declare him the "true" champion, despite the fact that Campbell ground him into hamburger. Basically, what we're seeing here is boxing becoming something akin to the UFC, with one individual promotion (Golden Boy) able to crown its own champions (in this case, via THE RING) and proclaim their champions the "true" champs.
Basically, the vaunted RING championship is on its way to becoming no more meaningful -- in fact LESS meaningful -- than the alphabet sanctioning body championships. Thanks, Oscar, for "cleaning up" boxing like you promised. Sheesh!
So apparently, if Diaz beats Casamayor, Kellerman will declare him the "true" champion, despite the fact that Campbell ground him into hamburger. Basically, what we're seeing here is boxing becoming something akin to the UFC, with one individual promotion (Golden Boy) able to crown its own champions (in this case, via THE RING) and proclaim their champions the "true" champs.
Basically, the vaunted RING championship is on its way to becoming no more meaningful -- in fact LESS meaningful -- than the alphabet sanctioning body championships. Thanks, Oscar, for "cleaning up" boxing like you promised. Sheesh!
A great "God bless DVR" night this weekend with the dueling cards on HBO/Showtime. Predictions?
I'm going with Woods, Dawson, Margarito, and Cotto.
As for what I hope to see...
I'd like to see Woods win simply because I can't stand Tarver.
I have no rooting interest in Margarito-Cintron, I just want it to be an entertaining fight, regardless of the winner. The winner is set up to fight Cotto, and either one will provide an interesting matchup.
I have a lot of respect for Glen Johnson, but I have to root for Dawson, because Dawson represents the potential future of the division. A Johnson win is somewhat of a lose-lose IMO, because it means Dawson isn't as good as we think he is, and Johnson is at an age where he's not going to be around much longer anyway.
And finally, I want to see Cotto win in dominant fashion. If he is a legit Top 5 PFP superstar fighter like I think he is, then he'll systematically break Gomez down and knock him out in the mid-to-late rounds.
I'm going with Woods, Dawson, Margarito, and Cotto.
As for what I hope to see...
I'd like to see Woods win simply because I can't stand Tarver.
I have no rooting interest in Margarito-Cintron, I just want it to be an entertaining fight, regardless of the winner. The winner is set up to fight Cotto, and either one will provide an interesting matchup.
I have a lot of respect for Glen Johnson, but I have to root for Dawson, because Dawson represents the potential future of the division. A Johnson win is somewhat of a lose-lose IMO, because it means Dawson isn't as good as we think he is, and Johnson is at an age where he's not going to be around much longer anyway.
And finally, I want to see Cotto win in dominant fashion. If he is a legit Top 5 PFP superstar fighter like I think he is, then he'll systematically break Gomez down and knock him out in the mid-to-late rounds.
I can't pick Tarver against anybody who's anybody at this point, so I'll go with Woods even though I've never seen him fight. Reportedly, Woods-Calzaghe is a done deal if they both win their fights this weekend and next.
Glen Johnson is one tough customer and he knows he's fighting for his professional life here. He's said that if he loses this fight, it'll be his last fight. On the other hand, if he wins it, he'll get at least another major TV date -- maybe Calzaghe, maybe a rematch with Roy Jones. There's a lot riding on this for Johnson who is a true throwback fighter. So I have hard time counting him out. Still, I give a slight edge to Dawson who's younger, faster and probably a bit stronger at this point, and who also will be in line for big network fights if he beats Johnson, his first real "name" opponent (Adamek notwithstanding). I'll pick Dawson, but hedge my bets by saying an upset by the veteran would not surprise me. Dawson's chin seems a bit iffy, so that adds another wild card to this one. Closest fight of the night, I think.
Cotto vs. Gomez. It's impossible to pick against Cotto in this fight and even though Gomez is hard to root against, I can't disagree with the pretty much unanimous preference for Cotto in this one. I think Gomez will win a lot of admirers with a gutty performance and I think he may even get Cotto hurt at some point. But he won't win the fight.
Margarito-Cintron 2. Ah, very interesting matchup. Cintron is without a doubt the most devastating puncher in the welterweight division. Margarito is probably the busiest. Cintron's boxing skills have also improved under Emanuel Steward and of course, he has demons to exorcise from the first fight. I think this is another very interesting matchup that's hard to predict. But I'm going to go out on a limb and call this one for Cintron, which even though Cintron has a belt and Maragito is the challenger, would be an upset. I just think that the newer, more seasoned Cintron will be able to take advantage of Margarito's preference for wide punches to get a few devastating punches up the middle and shake up the "Tijuana Tornado," maybe even knock him out. I will say this, if Cintron does not knock Margarito out, I don't see him winning a decision against the much busier puncher.
An exciting weekend of boxing! I'm psyched and already have the DVR set!
There's a good piece on Woods on ESPN HERE
Living near Sheffield I can confirm that there really are some awful areas in the City and you really wouldn't want to be in any of them. It's mostly to do with which side of the Soccer divide you are on (United or Wednesday) that causes most of the trouble.
I just hope Clinton puts on a good show and spanks Tarver, the trash talking coming from Tarver is starting to get on my nerves already. Clinton can finally show that Sheffield can produce a big name World Champ, not just 'nearly men' like Johnny Nelson (OK he got injured and had to retire), Naseem Hamed and Herol 'Bomber' Graham, who all got close but came unstuck when it got to the big fight.
Living near Sheffield I can confirm that there really are some awful areas in the City and you really wouldn't want to be in any of them. It's mostly to do with which side of the Soccer divide you are on (United or Wednesday) that causes most of the trouble.
I just hope Clinton puts on a good show and spanks Tarver, the trash talking coming from Tarver is starting to get on my nerves already. Clinton can finally show that Sheffield can produce a big name World Champ, not just 'nearly men' like Johnny Nelson (OK he got injured and had to retire), Naseem Hamed and Herol 'Bomber' Graham, who all got close but came unstuck when it got to the big fight.