Last Saturday night was a memorable one for boxing fans. HBO showcased a scintillating tripleheader featuring Cintron vs. Matthysse, Gatti vs. Gomez, and Margarito vs. Williams. And every fight left a lasting imprint for different reasons.
- The beast from Puerto Rico
Kermit Cintron looked especially monstrous in his two round destruction of Walter Matthysse. While Cintron was the heavy favorite, he was expected to be tested in the same manner Walter tested Paul Williams. And since Kermit wilted under Margarito's onrush two years ago, there was some intrigue on how he was going to handle another aggressive, durable opponent.
The test was over before the first scantron bubble could be filled. Cintron looked nothing short of a PR incarnation of Tommy Hearns as he delivered an effortless, but vicious knockout in front of the shocked Atlantic City crowd. Has Kermit improved that much under the tutelage of Manny Steward, or did P-Will make Matthysse look stronger than he is? I doubt the other top names in the division are particularly eager to face him and find out.
There have been murmurings that he'll be on the September 8th Vargas/ Mayorga card. I'd like to see him against Luis Collazo or Carlos Quintana.
- The death of a legend... and a myth.
Alphonso Gomez dominated, knocked out, and ended the career of Arturo Gatti. He also most likely ended any serious consideration for a Gatti induction into the Hall of Fame. And, in my mind, that's a good thing.
To be sure, the man's a legend for the incredible action bouts he produced in the mid to late 90s. His fights against Wilson Rodriguez, Calvin Grove, Gabriel Ruelas, Angel Manfredy, and Ivan Robinson (twice), were instrumental in building HBO's Boxing After Dark series and the Atlantic City boxing demographic. And of course, you have his classic 2002 encounter with Micky Ward, which now seems to be the baseline when measuring how good a fight is (how many times have you heard "not every fight can be Ward-Gatti"?).
In making an honest assessment of these fights, however, you see that he lost four out of seven. He also lost virtually every minute of every round against the two A-list boxers he faced (Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather), and got demolished when he stepped up against recognizable competition at welterweight. While he does have a few good names on his record, certainly not enough to be considered an elite talent at any point in his career. Just because the IBHOF may already be watered-down, doesn't mean we have to tear down what's left of the flood gates. Moreover, the common argument that he should be inducted solely because of the excitement he brought to the sport is a stretch when equally exciting and considerably better fighters such as Ray Mancini, Cornelius Boza Edwards, and Nigel Benn have yet to sniff the Hall.
Nevertheless, I'm thankful for all the memories Gatti has provided us.
As far as Gomez, his increased stamina impressed me. I'm not sure he has the endurance to go hard for 10 or 12 full rounds, but it's clear he no longer fades after the fourth round like he has so many times in the past. A fight between him and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is a natural bout to make for the fall.
- The birth of a star?
Antonio Margarito was the favorite going into his bout with Paul Williams for obvious reasons. The tall southpaw from Georgia throws an unbelievable amount of punches, but very few men are built to withstand the whithering body attack, lethal uppercuts, and thudding right hands of the Tijuana Tornado.
P-Will displayed the chin and heart needed to reside within that rarefied air.
Margarito almost looked outclassed in the first four rounds. Williams' much faster, busier hands - along with his gameplan to grab and spin Antonio whenever he got inside - made Margarito look like he was moving in quicksand. In the middle rounds, however, Margarito's digging shots into Paul's sternum and rib cage started showing effect. In the late rounds, Margarito targeted Williams' chin with several short right hands. The torment he put his 6'1 foe through in the 11th virtually evened up the bout, and it seemed like a forgone conclusion that Margarito was going to own the final round, perhaps even finish Williams off.
But Paul showed the heart of a champion, shocking everyone by easily winning the 12th round - ensuring a unanimous decision.
The man is a nightmare for anyone in the division. He's several inches taller than Mosley, Cotto or Mayweather. His work rate would be too much for Joshua Clottey. Perhaps only Kermit Cintron has the size, strength, and technique to put The Punisher on his back.
The number of great matches in the welterweight division is staggering. And the summer sizzle continues to get louder.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Heat Check: Nonito Donaire and Joachim Alcine
The good, the bad, and the ugly about my predications of this past Saturday's doubleheader on Showtime (Travis Simms vs. Joachim Alcine and Vic Darchinyan vs. Nonito Donaire):
The Ugly - I was too high on Simms. The man still has plenty of natural talent, but he's not as well rounded as I thought he was. Against Alcine he only had one gear, he clinched more than Paulie Malignaggi, and he made no real adjustments throughout the fight. Not to mention his post-fight interview - in which he insisted that his conqueror was still only an amateur - was disgraceful.
The Bad - I picked the wrong fight to include in my The Summer's About To Get Hot piece. I thought Simms vs. Alcine had potential to be a great fight and it ended up being a fairly boring clinch-fest. I threw Darchinyan vs. Donaire in the honorable mentions and it ended up being the shocker of the year. I wanted to put the match up as one to look out for, but at the time I knew nothing about Donaire, and nothing I saw on his record jumped out at me. I did manage to get my hands on an early '06 ShoBox fight he was in and by the weekend I realized I made a mistake. This kid had some very nice tools. Which leads me to...
The Good - Money! Nonito Donaire was a +800 underdog the day of the fight (for those who aren't gambling degenerates, that means you get 8 times the amount of money you put up if you win - or in other words, $800 if you put up $100). It's extremely rare you see a betting line like that in a fight that isn't a complete mismatch. The odds makers apparently weren't aware that Nonito was no joke, and being the opportunist that I am, I took advantage to rake in $720. Then I quickly put a hundred on Alcine beating Simms by decision, which also had out of whack odds at +575. At the end of the night, I put in $90 and came out with $1,380.
Now that I'm done patting myself on the back, props must go to Mr. Donaire for an unbelievable performance and that grotesquely beautiful counter left hook that separated Vic from his senses. The young man has plenty of options at flyweight and super flyweight and I look forward to watching him in the future. Props also to Mr. Alcine, for doing what he could against the incessant clinching and spoiling tactics of Travis Simms to pull out a convincing decision. Although Jr. Middle is pretty much a wasteland, he's more than a formidable challenge to anyone willing to step up from welter, or to any of the big dogs at middleweight if he chooses to move up himself.
It's never felt so right to be so wrong.
The Ugly - I was too high on Simms. The man still has plenty of natural talent, but he's not as well rounded as I thought he was. Against Alcine he only had one gear, he clinched more than Paulie Malignaggi, and he made no real adjustments throughout the fight. Not to mention his post-fight interview - in which he insisted that his conqueror was still only an amateur - was disgraceful.
The Bad - I picked the wrong fight to include in my The Summer's About To Get Hot piece. I thought Simms vs. Alcine had potential to be a great fight and it ended up being a fairly boring clinch-fest. I threw Darchinyan vs. Donaire in the honorable mentions and it ended up being the shocker of the year. I wanted to put the match up as one to look out for, but at the time I knew nothing about Donaire, and nothing I saw on his record jumped out at me. I did manage to get my hands on an early '06 ShoBox fight he was in and by the weekend I realized I made a mistake. This kid had some very nice tools. Which leads me to...
The Good - Money! Nonito Donaire was a +800 underdog the day of the fight (for those who aren't gambling degenerates, that means you get 8 times the amount of money you put up if you win - or in other words, $800 if you put up $100). It's extremely rare you see a betting line like that in a fight that isn't a complete mismatch. The odds makers apparently weren't aware that Nonito was no joke, and being the opportunist that I am, I took advantage to rake in $720. Then I quickly put a hundred on Alcine beating Simms by decision, which also had out of whack odds at +575. At the end of the night, I put in $90 and came out with $1,380.
Now that I'm done patting myself on the back, props must go to Mr. Donaire for an unbelievable performance and that grotesquely beautiful counter left hook that separated Vic from his senses. The young man has plenty of options at flyweight and super flyweight and I look forward to watching him in the future. Props also to Mr. Alcine, for doing what he could against the incessant clinching and spoiling tactics of Travis Simms to pull out a convincing decision. Although Jr. Middle is pretty much a wasteland, he's more than a formidable challenge to anyone willing to step up from welter, or to any of the big dogs at middleweight if he chooses to move up himself.
It's never felt so right to be so wrong.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Abstract Becomes Reality: Leroy Murphy vs. Chisanda Muti (1985)
Let's face it, in many ways the fight scenes in the Rocky series were corny beyond belief. Much of real boxing revolves around figuring out how to land the cleanest blows possible - reflexes, timing, strategy, footwork, head movement, feints, angles, subtle adjustments, ect. are required to set the stage for the perfect punch. This was all completely ignored in the Rocky movies because every punch was the perfect punch and anything that even threatened to resemble defense was etched out the script. No need to show glimpses of the actual science behind the sport, as they'd only get in the way of the blood, guts, and Addrriiaaaaan plot points we were battery-rammed with.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy the original movie; it was great for what it was. I always did believe that the shark was jumped at the end of Rocky II though. The ring action went from corny to cartooney with that ridiculous double-knockdown sequence.
At least that's what I figured until I saw Leroy Murphy vs. Chisanda Muti.
The beauty of the innanets summed up in one fight. If it wasn't for a gracious soul uploading this gem - someone who apparently got a hold of the tape from a promoter - I would have more than likely lived the rest of my life as a boxing fan without knowledge of the events that took place on October 19th, 1985. And that's unacceptable. Had this aired on network television, it would be widely known as one of the most bizarre finishes in American sports history.
The fight, scheduled for 15 rounds, began normal enough; one man - Chisanda Muti - used his height and reach to control his opponent - Leroy Murphy - with jabs and long right hands. Leroy proved himself to be game and tough, but as the rounds went by, Muti found it increasingly easy to penetrate his leaky defense. Leroy started taking a bad beating that was only getting progressively worse.
The beatdown reached a brutal apex in the 9th, when Leroy finally went down to his hands and knees after getting battered on the ropes. A weary Muti was seen in the neutral corner stretching his back as the ref began his count on Murphy. The intense effort to finish his wounded prey had clearly taken something out of him. Yet when Leroy bravely beat the count, Muti continued the ruthless onslaught, because surely the ref was close to stopping the fight. Instead, the referee watched idly as Leroy took blow after head-snapping blow, and Murphy somehow managed to survive the round.
Muti came out in the 10th as if he was trudging through mud. He was exhausted; he had punched himself out trying to end the fight in the previous round and now fatigue had an uncompromising grip on him. Leroy used the first half of the round to get his wits back under him. When he finally opened up, he found he was able to hit Muti almost at will. The tables had turned - Chisanda Muti was in dire straits. When the 11th stanza began, Muti's demeanor was was zombie-esque and Leroy didn't hesitate to take advantage. He pummeled Chisanda with crushing blows.
Muti gathered the heart and strength for a second wind and returned fire. The two traded until Leroy landed a searing left hook that dropped Muti hard on his pants. Muti climbed off the canvas and Leroy jumped back on him, raining down a firestorm of punches that, once again, would have prompted most refs to stop the fight. Muti withstood the punishment to see the end of the round and slowly walked back to his corner.
Vultures surely circled the small venue as both combatants walked out on dead legs to begin the 12th. Muti was now getting wobbled by jabs while Leroy seemed to no longer have the capacity block any incoming punches. It was clear that this would be the final round.
Words alone don't suffice to explain what happened after they found themselves entrenched in the corner.
They land hard right hands simultaneously. Muti stumbles back and the only thing that holds Leroy up is the corner post. Both men are badly hurt.
Muti staggers forward and falls on top of a dazed Leroy.
They collapse on the canvas.
The referee does one count for both fighters. Chisanda never sees that Leroy is still on the canvas being counted out as well.
Leroy struggles back to his feet at the count of 8 while Muti remains on the floor. Leroy Murphy is declared the winner by knockout.
To put this into prospective, in all my years of watching boxing, I've only seen one other double knockdown - between Sechew Powell and Cornelius Bundrage in 2005 - and both men immediately jumped back to their feet. The end of this classic 80's slugfest is probably the closest we will ever see to a double knockout.
In his following fight, Chisanda Muti got knocked out in three rounds by an 8-0 prospect named Evander Holyfield. He lost half of his next six fights and retired in 1989. Leroy Murphy saved himself a beating from Evander by losing his IBF Cruiserweight title to Ricky Parkey (who also got KO'd in 3 by Holyfield). He went on to fight until 1991, took seven years off, and finally retired in '98 after two comeback bouts.
Neither man turned out to be a great fighter, but their role in producing a fight that makes boxing fantasy a little more believable will never again be forgotten.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy the original movie; it was great for what it was. I always did believe that the shark was jumped at the end of Rocky II though. The ring action went from corny to cartooney with that ridiculous double-knockdown sequence.
At least that's what I figured until I saw Leroy Murphy vs. Chisanda Muti.
The beauty of the innanets summed up in one fight. If it wasn't for a gracious soul uploading this gem - someone who apparently got a hold of the tape from a promoter - I would have more than likely lived the rest of my life as a boxing fan without knowledge of the events that took place on October 19th, 1985. And that's unacceptable. Had this aired on network television, it would be widely known as one of the most bizarre finishes in American sports history.
The fight, scheduled for 15 rounds, began normal enough; one man - Chisanda Muti - used his height and reach to control his opponent - Leroy Murphy - with jabs and long right hands. Leroy proved himself to be game and tough, but as the rounds went by, Muti found it increasingly easy to penetrate his leaky defense. Leroy started taking a bad beating that was only getting progressively worse.
The beatdown reached a brutal apex in the 9th, when Leroy finally went down to his hands and knees after getting battered on the ropes. A weary Muti was seen in the neutral corner stretching his back as the ref began his count on Murphy. The intense effort to finish his wounded prey had clearly taken something out of him. Yet when Leroy bravely beat the count, Muti continued the ruthless onslaught, because surely the ref was close to stopping the fight. Instead, the referee watched idly as Leroy took blow after head-snapping blow, and Murphy somehow managed to survive the round.
Muti came out in the 10th as if he was trudging through mud. He was exhausted; he had punched himself out trying to end the fight in the previous round and now fatigue had an uncompromising grip on him. Leroy used the first half of the round to get his wits back under him. When he finally opened up, he found he was able to hit Muti almost at will. The tables had turned - Chisanda Muti was in dire straits. When the 11th stanza began, Muti's demeanor was was zombie-esque and Leroy didn't hesitate to take advantage. He pummeled Chisanda with crushing blows.
Muti gathered the heart and strength for a second wind and returned fire. The two traded until Leroy landed a searing left hook that dropped Muti hard on his pants. Muti climbed off the canvas and Leroy jumped back on him, raining down a firestorm of punches that, once again, would have prompted most refs to stop the fight. Muti withstood the punishment to see the end of the round and slowly walked back to his corner.
Vultures surely circled the small venue as both combatants walked out on dead legs to begin the 12th. Muti was now getting wobbled by jabs while Leroy seemed to no longer have the capacity block any incoming punches. It was clear that this would be the final round.
Words alone don't suffice to explain what happened after they found themselves entrenched in the corner.
They land hard right hands simultaneously. Muti stumbles back and the only thing that holds Leroy up is the corner post. Both men are badly hurt.
Muti staggers forward and falls on top of a dazed Leroy.
They collapse on the canvas.
The referee does one count for both fighters. Chisanda never sees that Leroy is still on the canvas being counted out as well.
Leroy struggles back to his feet at the count of 8 while Muti remains on the floor. Leroy Murphy is declared the winner by knockout.
To put this into prospective, in all my years of watching boxing, I've only seen one other double knockdown - between Sechew Powell and Cornelius Bundrage in 2005 - and both men immediately jumped back to their feet. The end of this classic 80's slugfest is probably the closest we will ever see to a double knockout.
In his following fight, Chisanda Muti got knocked out in three rounds by an 8-0 prospect named Evander Holyfield. He lost half of his next six fights and retired in 1989. Leroy Murphy saved himself a beating from Evander by losing his IBF Cruiserweight title to Ricky Parkey (who also got KO'd in 3 by Holyfield). He went on to fight until 1991, took seven years off, and finally retired in '98 after two comeback bouts.
Neither man turned out to be a great fighter, but their role in producing a fight that makes boxing fantasy a little more believable will never again be forgotten.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Heat Check: Alexander Povetkin vs. Larry Donald
The kid passed his first test.
Promising heavyweight prospect Alexander Povetkin was matched against the wily, 40-year-old Larry Donald, to see how he does against a live opponent. Mind you, not live enough to check his chin or heart, but live enough for us to make an accurate assessment on where the young man's skill level resides.
In winning a virtual shutout, he showed us plenty. I like what I see.
Pros:
- Good defense. He rarely got hit with consecutive jabs, and showed a nice ability to slip a jab and counter with a hook or right hand.
- Nice body work. One thing that annoys me about a lot of European fighters (super middleweight titan Mikkel Kessler, the Klits bros, ect.) is that they act like body shots are illegal blows. This dude goes up and down well.
- Quick hands. His hands are easily some of the fastest in the division.
- Varied attack. Quick lead left hooks, double hooks to body and head, hook-uppercut combinations - variety that's rarely seen from the heavies.
- Decent stamina. Not great by any means, but above average for a heavy and especially good for one in his 13th pro fight.
Cons:
- Power? He hit Donald with several flush blows and never had him visibly hurt. This doesn't necessarily mean that he doesn't have power, as Donald has a very solid chin. But it does mean the book is still out on how hard he can crack.
- Not enough inside work. While it's true that Donald was initiating the vast majority of the clinches, Povetkin needs to work a lot more on the inside. He was more than happy to oblige whenever Larry held him since it gave him time to rest. That's all good and well against a 40 year old that hasn't fought in two years; it could be a fatal flaw against a fresher opponent who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty in close quarters.
What I'd like to see in his next few fights:
- A chin test. He needs to fight someone with a little lead in their gloves.
- A heart test. He needs to fight a durable opponent that's willing to let their hands go (Donald didn't have much other than a jab).
Suggested opponents: Lamon Brewster (if he loses to Wladimir), Calvin Brock, Matt Skelton, Chris Arreola.
Promising heavyweight prospect Alexander Povetkin was matched against the wily, 40-year-old Larry Donald, to see how he does against a live opponent. Mind you, not live enough to check his chin or heart, but live enough for us to make an accurate assessment on where the young man's skill level resides.
In winning a virtual shutout, he showed us plenty. I like what I see.
Pros:
- Good defense. He rarely got hit with consecutive jabs, and showed a nice ability to slip a jab and counter with a hook or right hand.
- Nice body work. One thing that annoys me about a lot of European fighters (super middleweight titan Mikkel Kessler, the Klits bros, ect.) is that they act like body shots are illegal blows. This dude goes up and down well.
- Quick hands. His hands are easily some of the fastest in the division.
- Varied attack. Quick lead left hooks, double hooks to body and head, hook-uppercut combinations - variety that's rarely seen from the heavies.
- Decent stamina. Not great by any means, but above average for a heavy and especially good for one in his 13th pro fight.
Cons:
- Power? He hit Donald with several flush blows and never had him visibly hurt. This doesn't necessarily mean that he doesn't have power, as Donald has a very solid chin. But it does mean the book is still out on how hard he can crack.
- Not enough inside work. While it's true that Donald was initiating the vast majority of the clinches, Povetkin needs to work a lot more on the inside. He was more than happy to oblige whenever Larry held him since it gave him time to rest. That's all good and well against a 40 year old that hasn't fought in two years; it could be a fatal flaw against a fresher opponent who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty in close quarters.
What I'd like to see in his next few fights:
- A chin test. He needs to fight someone with a little lead in their gloves.
- A heart test. He needs to fight a durable opponent that's willing to let their hands go (Donald didn't have much other than a jab).
Suggested opponents: Lamon Brewster (if he loses to Wladimir), Calvin Brock, Matt Skelton, Chris Arreola.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Heat Check: Darnell 'Ding-A-Ling Man' Wilson vs. Emmanuel Nwodo
By the end of the 9th, I was slouched deep into my couch. My shoulders had been shrinking with each passing round and now they were completely lurched forward. My arms were crossed. My jaw was clenched. I was disappointed, irritated, and kind of pissed.
I was pouting.
After all, Darnell Wilson vs. Emmanuel Nwodo was the first of the can't-miss fights listed in my piece about the excellent schedule of matches to come in the next month or so. Granted, only two or three people probably read it, but I was still embarrassed. Early on, there were spots where the two heavy-fisted sluggers traded haymakers and the fight almost looked like it was going to live up to it's promise. In the middle rounds, however, the pace slowed to a crawl when it became clear that Darnell was exclusively looking to counter with a big overhand right. Nwodo, knowing that was Wilson's plan, was hesitant to let his hands go, winning rounds by sticking his jab and landing an occasional clubbing shot. Despite what seemed like a perfect clash of styles on paper, the fight had become boring.
How does this happen?, I wondered.
There was still drama because it was clear that the Ding-A-Ling Man could hurt Nwodo since he had dropped him with a short left in the 3rd. And he made it clear again in the 10th, decking Nwodo hard with a perfect counter right and a follow-up hook. Nwodo got up on very shaky legs; he barely survived the rest of the round. Finally, some action.
Nwodo hadn't fully recovered when he came out for the 11th and was again badly stagged by a Wilson right hand. He stumbled around the ring as Darnell stalked him with the grace of a baby giraffe but the swat of a grizzlie. Amazingly, the ref didn't stop the bout despite Nwodo constantly turning his back on Wilson, indicating he no longer had much interest in continuing to get clubbed.
Then it happened. Ladies and gentlemen, knockouts don't come much more devastating than this.
And with that, I was redeemed. As was every other boxing fan hoping for a memorable night. The Ding-A-Ling Man comes through yet again.
Here's hoping the heat wave continues.
I was pouting.
After all, Darnell Wilson vs. Emmanuel Nwodo was the first of the can't-miss fights listed in my piece about the excellent schedule of matches to come in the next month or so. Granted, only two or three people probably read it, but I was still embarrassed. Early on, there were spots where the two heavy-fisted sluggers traded haymakers and the fight almost looked like it was going to live up to it's promise. In the middle rounds, however, the pace slowed to a crawl when it became clear that Darnell was exclusively looking to counter with a big overhand right. Nwodo, knowing that was Wilson's plan, was hesitant to let his hands go, winning rounds by sticking his jab and landing an occasional clubbing shot. Despite what seemed like a perfect clash of styles on paper, the fight had become boring.
How does this happen?, I wondered.
There was still drama because it was clear that the Ding-A-Ling Man could hurt Nwodo since he had dropped him with a short left in the 3rd. And he made it clear again in the 10th, decking Nwodo hard with a perfect counter right and a follow-up hook. Nwodo got up on very shaky legs; he barely survived the rest of the round. Finally, some action.
Nwodo hadn't fully recovered when he came out for the 11th and was again badly stagged by a Wilson right hand. He stumbled around the ring as Darnell stalked him with the grace of a baby giraffe but the swat of a grizzlie. Amazingly, the ref didn't stop the bout despite Nwodo constantly turning his back on Wilson, indicating he no longer had much interest in continuing to get clubbed.
Then it happened. Ladies and gentlemen, knockouts don't come much more devastating than this.
And with that, I was redeemed. As was every other boxing fan hoping for a memorable night. The Ding-A-Ling Man comes through yet again.
Here's hoping the heat wave continues.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Help Me, I'm A Hater
I don't know what it is about a consensus overrating a fighter that makes me dislike that fighter. It's unequivocally an emotional reaction that has no rational grounding. Just no real logic behind it, because the fighter himself did nothing wrong.
Surely, it stems from something within group dynamics, something I would have discovered in my Sociology textbook if I had actually opened it. Something about how a consensus view different from yours tends to either pull you towards conforming with it or fuel your non-conformist opinions further. The latter creating what's widely known today as hatin (an insult hurled mostly by the consensus).
There's one particular boxer - besides Arturo Gatti - that inflames the infliction. It's more of a nagging dislike than a passionate hate, one that simmers beneath the surface and rarely makes appearances outside of the subtle. In this case it's especially perplexing, since he's not unlike Pernell Whitaker, Roy Jones, or Bernard Hopkins. Fighters I'm a big fan of.
That's right, I'm a Floyd hater.
I wanted to be impressed with the De La Hoya victory. I really did. I was at the edge of my seat when Oscar was landing his jab consistently on Floyd's head and chest during the evenly-contested first half of the fight. I was anxious to see how Mayweather, the supposed pound-for-pound king, was going to adjust. Finally, he gets to truly prove that he's worthy of the hype, I thought.
Then Oscar inexplicably abandons his jab, without any noticeable adjustment from Floyd, and the rest of the fight is one-sided and uneventful. While it must be noted that DLH has since put fault for his half-assed performance on a chronically injured left arm, that's beside the point. Who knows if that's true and who cares. The point is, it was a prime opportunity to see Floyd tested for the first time since his pair of fights against Castillo in 2003 and the ball was dropped. So sorry for not being wildly impressed, 'consensus', but quite a few fighters around the Jr. Middleweight division could have done the same thing against a jab-less De La Hoya.
There's a few prevalent assumptions about Floyd that bugs the hell out of me.
1) He's a flawless fighter.
Wrong. He's a special talent, no doubt. He may have the best defense in boxing, though Hopkins and Wright would disagree. He has phenomenal footwork. He possesses pinpoint counter punching skills. He's incredibly smart.
No one's perfect, however. He's currently a pot shotter who hesitates to throw combinations even against limited opposition. He doesn't have much pop at these higher weights. His hands are still brittle. And he lacks a certain bloodlust, as he tends to cruise rather than finish a guy off.
In other words, there are several boxers who have a far deadlier offensive arsenal than the one Mayweather brandishes.
2) In a P4P matchup, he'd easily beat anyone else in boxing.
This cracks me up. Zab Judah takes four rounds (1, 2, 4, and 12) pretty clearly and scores an unofficial knockdown against Floyd, but guys like Manny Pac, Hopkins, Wright, and the Marquez Bros. would just get humiliated on a P4P level. For my money, I'd make some of those cats a slight favorite over Mayweather in a mythical bout.
3) He beats everyone from 154 down.
Sure, he'd be the betting favorite over anyone from 154 down. I think Travis Simms beats him if they fought tomorrow though, as he's shown to have problems against quick southpaws (and who doesn't?). On that note, Paul Williams also gives him all he could handle. Moreover, I'd be very interested in seeing how he does against Ricky Hatton, and especially Miguel Cotto (Margarito, while incredibly tough and strong, is probably indeed too slow for Floyd's foot speed). Light hitting pot shotters are vulnerable to relentless pressure.
That's just one hater's point of view though.
It's not too late for me to convert to a believer. It happened before with Cotto after he scrubbed his ass with Carlos Quintana, a prospect I was high on (and still am to a degree). I honestly hope he proves me wrong, so I can get back to hatin on folks who deserve to be hated on (*ahem* Paulie Malignaggi).
It's on you, Mr. Mayweather. Save me from my hate.
Surely, it stems from something within group dynamics, something I would have discovered in my Sociology textbook if I had actually opened it. Something about how a consensus view different from yours tends to either pull you towards conforming with it or fuel your non-conformist opinions further. The latter creating what's widely known today as hatin (an insult hurled mostly by the consensus).
There's one particular boxer - besides Arturo Gatti - that inflames the infliction. It's more of a nagging dislike than a passionate hate, one that simmers beneath the surface and rarely makes appearances outside of the subtle. In this case it's especially perplexing, since he's not unlike Pernell Whitaker, Roy Jones, or Bernard Hopkins. Fighters I'm a big fan of.
That's right, I'm a Floyd hater.
I wanted to be impressed with the De La Hoya victory. I really did. I was at the edge of my seat when Oscar was landing his jab consistently on Floyd's head and chest during the evenly-contested first half of the fight. I was anxious to see how Mayweather, the supposed pound-for-pound king, was going to adjust. Finally, he gets to truly prove that he's worthy of the hype, I thought.
Then Oscar inexplicably abandons his jab, without any noticeable adjustment from Floyd, and the rest of the fight is one-sided and uneventful. While it must be noted that DLH has since put fault for his half-assed performance on a chronically injured left arm, that's beside the point. Who knows if that's true and who cares. The point is, it was a prime opportunity to see Floyd tested for the first time since his pair of fights against Castillo in 2003 and the ball was dropped. So sorry for not being wildly impressed, 'consensus', but quite a few fighters around the Jr. Middleweight division could have done the same thing against a jab-less De La Hoya.
There's a few prevalent assumptions about Floyd that bugs the hell out of me.
1) He's a flawless fighter.
Wrong. He's a special talent, no doubt. He may have the best defense in boxing, though Hopkins and Wright would disagree. He has phenomenal footwork. He possesses pinpoint counter punching skills. He's incredibly smart.
No one's perfect, however. He's currently a pot shotter who hesitates to throw combinations even against limited opposition. He doesn't have much pop at these higher weights. His hands are still brittle. And he lacks a certain bloodlust, as he tends to cruise rather than finish a guy off.
In other words, there are several boxers who have a far deadlier offensive arsenal than the one Mayweather brandishes.
2) In a P4P matchup, he'd easily beat anyone else in boxing.
This cracks me up. Zab Judah takes four rounds (1, 2, 4, and 12) pretty clearly and scores an unofficial knockdown against Floyd, but guys like Manny Pac, Hopkins, Wright, and the Marquez Bros. would just get humiliated on a P4P level. For my money, I'd make some of those cats a slight favorite over Mayweather in a mythical bout.
3) He beats everyone from 154 down.
Sure, he'd be the betting favorite over anyone from 154 down. I think Travis Simms beats him if they fought tomorrow though, as he's shown to have problems against quick southpaws (and who doesn't?). On that note, Paul Williams also gives him all he could handle. Moreover, I'd be very interested in seeing how he does against Ricky Hatton, and especially Miguel Cotto (Margarito, while incredibly tough and strong, is probably indeed too slow for Floyd's foot speed). Light hitting pot shotters are vulnerable to relentless pressure.
That's just one hater's point of view though.
It's not too late for me to convert to a believer. It happened before with Cotto after he scrubbed his ass with Carlos Quintana, a prospect I was high on (and still am to a degree). I honestly hope he proves me wrong, so I can get back to hatin on folks who deserve to be hated on (*ahem* Paulie Malignaggi).
It's on you, Mr. Mayweather. Save me from my hate.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Abstract Becomes Reality: Bernard Hopkins vs. Antwun Echols (2000)
The same reason why Baby Boy should be required viewing for movie buffs is why the rematch between Bernard Hopkins and Antwun Echols should be required viewing for boxing fans: it gets better every time you see it.
Baby Boy fans know what I'm talking about. Snoop and the fort, Omar Gooding's overacting, Tyrese getting his ass whooped every five minutes - it's not intended to be a comedy, but the unintentional humor puts it up there with Naked Gun, 40 Year Old Virgin, and other classics that were supposed to be funny. Even the attempted rape scene was comical (if you don't see why Snoop in a wife beater trying to overpower anyone is funny, then I don't know what to tell you).
On the same token, while Hopkins-Echols II was fairly action packed, it was far too one-sided to be considered great. The first fight was easily better in terms of the combat between the future legend and the menacing contender.
But the several subtle and not-so-subtle incidents that happen during the bout makes it a classic worthy of being in the same air of Pryor-Arguello, Hagler-Hearns, and Corrales-Castillo.
Five reasons why this was one of the funniest championship fights ever.
5) Jim Lampley curses.
An angry Echols hits Hopkins - hard - while referee Tony Weeks was breaking the two. It was only the first round, but Echols already had enough of Hopkins' roughhouse tactics.
After Hopkins retaliates, Weeks tells them both to cut the bullshit out. HBO's lead commentator Jim Lampley lets the viewers know that "that's one of the official rules of boxing: cut the bullshit."
It was the only time I've heard a commentator, much less the straight-edged Lampley, curse on air.
4) Rare ring card girl commentary.
Larry Merchant is spot on in his role of a dirty old man as he declares what round is coming up a little too enthusiastically. Jim Lampley sardonically cites examples of why round 10 is a great round in history. And in between all this, you can hear Manny Steward giggling in the background.
Something about two guys over 50 and one guy well into his 70s making comments about scantily dressed females on air just killed me. It was too low-key to be offensive or misogynistic and too poignant to be professional or neutral. It was perfect.
You never see ring card girl commentary nowadays, and it was very rare to see it in the past. We need to start a petition to bring it back.
3) Echols dumps Hopkins on his shoulder.
Echols picking up Bernard Hopkins and dropping him on his shoulder was more shocking than funny. What happens afterwards is where the comedy sets in:
a) As Hopkins is on the ground writhing in pain, Echols walks over to a camera, spits his mouthpiece out, and gives us his take on the situation with "Bernard is FAKING!"
b) Tony Weeks admonishes Echols by saying "you cannot pick a guy up and throw him down." Echols replies with "I didn't throw him down, he just fell on his own. You gotta watch."
If it wasn't obvious before, it's clear now: Antwun is cool as hell.
c) Hopkins spanks Antwun for the remainder of the round. Using one arm.
d) As if there wasn't enough proof that Bernard manipulates people through intimidation, ring doctor Margarette Goodman checks on Hopkins in between rounds to see if he can continue with his injured shoulder. She tells him to lift his arm and makes it clear that if he can't, she'll call the fight off. Hopkins tells her she's making it worse and to leave him alone. She says OK and leaves him alone.
Think about that. Hopkins told a widely respected physician to kick rocks and she did. Without hesitation.
2) Echols' flop after a Hopkins rabbit punch.
It was funny enough seeing it during the fight - Hopkins hits Echols with a light rabbit punch at the beginning of round 2, Echols falls down like he got shot, pretends like he's completely unconscious, snaps back into consciousness after Weeks tells him to get up, and resumes the fight on perfectly steady legs only seconds later.
But I was in tears when I put the VCR in slo-mo as they replayed the incident several rounds later. Antwun's facial expressions are too much.
1) Antwun notices Bernard's fist.
Weeks momentarily comes in to break a clinch, then backs off when the two combatants separate themselves. As Echols stares at Weeks - apparently still waiting for the break - Hopkins hits him with a hard right hand. The fight is stopped soon after.
Again, one of the ensuing replays catches Antwun's facial expressions during the punch and makes it unbelievably funny. You can see Antwun notice Hopkins' incoming blow through the corner of his eye. You can see the perplexed look on Antwun's face as Bernard's fist closes in on its target. You can see the hurt and feelings of betrayal written on his face after the punch lands squarely on his nose.
The guy is simply hilarious.
More Abstract Becomes Reality to come...
Baby Boy fans know what I'm talking about. Snoop and the fort, Omar Gooding's overacting, Tyrese getting his ass whooped every five minutes - it's not intended to be a comedy, but the unintentional humor puts it up there with Naked Gun, 40 Year Old Virgin, and other classics that were supposed to be funny. Even the attempted rape scene was comical (if you don't see why Snoop in a wife beater trying to overpower anyone is funny, then I don't know what to tell you).
On the same token, while Hopkins-Echols II was fairly action packed, it was far too one-sided to be considered great. The first fight was easily better in terms of the combat between the future legend and the menacing contender.
But the several subtle and not-so-subtle incidents that happen during the bout makes it a classic worthy of being in the same air of Pryor-Arguello, Hagler-Hearns, and Corrales-Castillo.
Five reasons why this was one of the funniest championship fights ever.
5) Jim Lampley curses.
An angry Echols hits Hopkins - hard - while referee Tony Weeks was breaking the two. It was only the first round, but Echols already had enough of Hopkins' roughhouse tactics.
After Hopkins retaliates, Weeks tells them both to cut the bullshit out. HBO's lead commentator Jim Lampley lets the viewers know that "that's one of the official rules of boxing: cut the bullshit."
It was the only time I've heard a commentator, much less the straight-edged Lampley, curse on air.
4) Rare ring card girl commentary.
Larry Merchant is spot on in his role of a dirty old man as he declares what round is coming up a little too enthusiastically. Jim Lampley sardonically cites examples of why round 10 is a great round in history. And in between all this, you can hear Manny Steward giggling in the background.
Something about two guys over 50 and one guy well into his 70s making comments about scantily dressed females on air just killed me. It was too low-key to be offensive or misogynistic and too poignant to be professional or neutral. It was perfect.
You never see ring card girl commentary nowadays, and it was very rare to see it in the past. We need to start a petition to bring it back.
3) Echols dumps Hopkins on his shoulder.
Echols picking up Bernard Hopkins and dropping him on his shoulder was more shocking than funny. What happens afterwards is where the comedy sets in:
a) As Hopkins is on the ground writhing in pain, Echols walks over to a camera, spits his mouthpiece out, and gives us his take on the situation with "Bernard is FAKING!"
b) Tony Weeks admonishes Echols by saying "you cannot pick a guy up and throw him down." Echols replies with "I didn't throw him down, he just fell on his own. You gotta watch."
If it wasn't obvious before, it's clear now: Antwun is cool as hell.
c) Hopkins spanks Antwun for the remainder of the round. Using one arm.
d) As if there wasn't enough proof that Bernard manipulates people through intimidation, ring doctor Margarette Goodman checks on Hopkins in between rounds to see if he can continue with his injured shoulder. She tells him to lift his arm and makes it clear that if he can't, she'll call the fight off. Hopkins tells her she's making it worse and to leave him alone. She says OK and leaves him alone.
Think about that. Hopkins told a widely respected physician to kick rocks and she did. Without hesitation.
2) Echols' flop after a Hopkins rabbit punch.
It was funny enough seeing it during the fight - Hopkins hits Echols with a light rabbit punch at the beginning of round 2, Echols falls down like he got shot, pretends like he's completely unconscious, snaps back into consciousness after Weeks tells him to get up, and resumes the fight on perfectly steady legs only seconds later.
But I was in tears when I put the VCR in slo-mo as they replayed the incident several rounds later. Antwun's facial expressions are too much.
1) Antwun notices Bernard's fist.
Weeks momentarily comes in to break a clinch, then backs off when the two combatants separate themselves. As Echols stares at Weeks - apparently still waiting for the break - Hopkins hits him with a hard right hand. The fight is stopped soon after.
Again, one of the ensuing replays catches Antwun's facial expressions during the punch and makes it unbelievably funny. You can see Antwun notice Hopkins' incoming blow through the corner of his eye. You can see the perplexed look on Antwun's face as Bernard's fist closes in on its target. You can see the hurt and feelings of betrayal written on his face after the punch lands squarely on his nose.
The guy is simply hilarious.
More Abstract Becomes Reality to come...
Sunday, June 24, 2007
The Summer's About To Get Hot
Things have cooled down since Cotto's dramatic victory over Zab Judah, so I could understand why boxing fans might be hanging their head. Andre Dirrell vs. Curtis Stevens was horrific and Paulie Malignaggi's lopsided decision over Lovemore N'dou was... lukewarm (refer to the post I made on the 18th). We were subjected to three awful bouts on ESPN's Friday Night Fights when Richard Gutierrez was unexpectedly docile in his lackluster UD over harmless journeyman Luciano Perez, an undefeated suspect and some character who had lost his last 8 fights fought to a messy, I'm-insulted-this-garbage-was-on-my-TV 4 round draw, and prospect Julio Cesar Garcia put on such a non-performance against the undersized Troy Browning, folks were wondering out loud if he threw the fight. Not to mention last night's disappointing match between Castillo and Hatton.
The two week long cold front is nothing compared to the upcoming heat wave though. One that promises to be the most intense in recent memory.
Boxing brethren, this schedule is just nasty.
- June 29th, ESPN, Darnell 'Ding-A-Ling Man' Wilson (21-5-3 [18 KOs]) vs. Emmanuel Nwodo (21-3 [17 KOs])
Mind you, I don't know anything about Nwodo other than what I gathered from boxrec. What I do know is that Wilson's one of the hardest hitting, most exciting fighters in boxing and is on an incredible run. And from boxrec, it looks like this Nwodo cat has a pretty lethal punch himself. Seems like a winning formula to me.
- June 30th, Youtube, Alexander Povetkin (12-0 [10 KOs]) vs. Larry Donald (42-4-3 [24 KOs])
Why am I including this? Because a lot of people think the Russian gold medalist Povetkin is the future of the heavyweight division and this is his first step up fight (there's plenty of footage of him here). Last we saw Donald, he was taking Nicolai Valuev to school before the obligatory robbery we've come to expect out of Germany. So while Donald's prehistoric, he's still serviceable. Should be a good test for the kid.
The fight won't be televised here in the US, but it's sure to pop up on youtube shortly after.
- July 7th, Showtime, Travis Simms (25-0 [19 KOs]) vs. Joachim Alcine (28-0 [18 KOs])
I may be one of the five people in the world that can't wait for this fight, but so be it. Simms is a big, strong, slick, very quick southpaw, so when people ask questions like 'who at 154 and under can beat Floyd Mayweather', I don't hesitate to throw Travis' name in the fray. Yes, the funny looks soon follow; I don't care, to me the dude's that good.
Alcine's a lanky, well rounded boxer-puncher with fast hands and decent pop. I've seen a few fights of his (thank jeebus for the innanet) and he may very well be the truth.
Someone's 0 must go.
- July 14, HBO, Arturo Gatti (40-8 [31 KOs] vs. Alfonso Gomez (16-3-2 [7 KOs])
It's a Gatti fight. There'll be no defense to speak of. There'll be some broken hands. There'll be drama.
Gomez - from the Contender fame - is a kid with a TV-pleasing style that tends to fade after four rounds or so. While I don't hold Gatti in nearly the same esteem most boxing fans place him in, his handlers did good here. Very winnable fight with guaranteed excitement.
- July 14, HBO, Kermit Cintron (27-1 [25 KOs]) vs. Walter Matthysee (26-1 [25 KOs])
Another fight with guaranteed excitement. Cintron is clearly the superior boxer and logic tells you he'll carve Walter up and serve him his own head. But this is the same Kermit that folded like a futon against Margarito, and Walter applies the type of ear popping pressure that'll make a motherf-- fold. He's going to put the heat lamp on that ass and we'll have to see whether Cintron has developed the ice water in his veins needed to withstand it.
- July 14, HBO, Antonio Margarito (34-5 [24 KOs]) vs. Paul Williams (32-0 [24 KOs])
Meh, it's an old story. Williams is a hotshot prospect that claims he handled Margarito when they sparred some years ago. Margarito is a veteran champ who claims Williams is a snot-nosed punk kid that likes to tell stories, and he's gonna spank him accordingly. We shall see.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention, this will be one of the top three fights of the year. Put that in the bank. There's no possible way this won't be amazing. None.
- July 14th, Satan's Torture Chambers, Zahir Raheem (28-2 [16 KOs]) vs. Derrick Gainer (40-7-1 [24 KOs])
This is a Dana White concoction - a conspiracy to destroy a rival sport. It's the only explanation.
Back to the realness...
- July 21st, HBO PPV, Oscar Larios (59-5-1 [37 KOs]) vs. Jorge Linares (23-0 [14 KOs])
This is a huge leap for 21 year old prospect Jorge Linares. Oscar Larios is a veteran with 65 fights and a pretty nice rack of skullcaps on his resume. This ain't the kiddie-to-grown-folk pool transition Povetkin's making, this is a kiddie-pool-to-middle-of-the-Bermuda-Triangle-during-a-storm type jump-off. The untested Linares is a beast though. It'll be up there with Margarito-Williams as fight of the month/ year.
- July 21st, HBO PPV, Bernard Hopkins (47-4-1 [32 KOs]) vs. Winky Wright (51-3-1 [25 KOs])
I tend to disagree with those saying this will be a boring fight. Wright will press Bernard and make him fight, like he did with Jermain 'Bad Decisions' Taylor. It's my theory that Hopkins won't dance around and try to potshot Winky; instead, he'll make it an ugly, inside fight ala his bout with Keith Holmes. It won't be scintillating, but it'll be interesting. If anyone can solve the puzzle of The Shell, it's old man Hops.
- July 27th, ESPN, Andre Berto (18-0 [16 KOs]) vs. Cosme Rivera (30-10-2 [21 KOs])
Everyone's favorite prospect finally in a step-up fight. The normally tough Cosme Rivera (who deserved a decision over Joel Julio in his last fight) should give us a good look at where the explosive phenom is at.
- August 4th, Showtime, Israel Vasquez (41-4 [30 KOs]) vs. Rafael Marquez (37-3 [33 KOs]) II
The first bout was a fight of the year candidate and this one will be too. If you're a boxing fan, you'll watch it. 'Nuff said.
Marquez, in my humble opinion, is the best offensive fighter living today.
- August 4th, HBO, Erik Morales (48-5 [34 KOs]) vs. David Diaz (32-1-1 [17 KOs])
Morales is a faded legend and they put him in with a big, strong kid just limited enough not to blow 'El Terrible' out the water. My thinking is that Diaz has too much size on Morales, but this fight won't disappoint in the blood department. It should be electrifying.
- August 4th, HBO?, Kendall Holt (22-1 [12 KOs]) vs. Ricardo Torres (31-1 [27 KOs])
Throw Holt's feint-fest with Mike Arnaoutis out the window. Holt is a counter-puncher and Arnaoutis fought scared - Torres has never fought scared. Most famous for damn near knocking out Cotto, Torres has the power to crack Holt's iffy chin and the skills to touch it. Holt, on the other hand, has more athletic ability than anyone else in the division. He has the speed, power, and talent to embarrass Torres.
But then again, that chin...
If you're a gambling man, you stay away from this bout.
- August 11th, HBO, Daniel Ponce De Leon (31-1 [28 KOs]) vs. Rey Bautista (23-0 [17 KOs])
Rey Bautista showed plenty of skill, heart, and power against Sergio Manuel Medina during the Mayweather/ De La Hoya PPV telecast in a fight that outshined the main event. Problem is, Medina rocked him pretty badly. Medina was an unknown, but it doesn't bode well that he was able to seriously hurt Bautista when he only had 16 KOs out of 28 fights against local, obscure foes in Argentina.
Maybe Medina has deceptive power. Maybe this was just a Henry Cooper incident (when Cooper decked and staggered Cassius Clay, leaving everyone in the world to believe that Clay's chin wouldn't hold up to Sonny Liston's punch). We'll find out, because Ponce De Leon is one of the hardest hitters in boxing. He's sloppy as all hell though, and liable to get outboxed by any decent boxer with a set of whiskers.
- August 11th, HBO, Gerry Penalosa (51-6-2 [34 KOs]) vs. Jhonny Gonzales (34-5 [29 KOs])
I'm high on Gonzales. He's one of those rare technically proficient, pure boxers who isn't satisfied with a lopsided decision. He'll outbox your ass for five, six rounds, then go ahead and kindly knock your head off. It backfired against Israel Vasquez. I doubt it will against Penalosa, who's a very good boxer himself, but doesn't have the power to hurt Gonzales. Nevertheless, we have a good fight on our hands.
Honorable Mentions: Juan Salgado vs. Ivan Valle (June 29th), Evander Holyfield vs. Lou Savarese (June 30th), Vic Darchinyan vs. Nonito Donaire (July 7th), Wladimir Klischko vs. Lamon Brewster (July 7th), Roy Jones vs. Anthony Hanshaw (July 14th), Michael Katsidis vs. Czar Amonsot (July 21st), Carlos Baldomir vs. Vernon Forrest (July 28th), Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Ricardo Castillo (August 4th), Celestino Caballero vs. Jorge Lacierva (August 4th).
The two week long cold front is nothing compared to the upcoming heat wave though. One that promises to be the most intense in recent memory.
Boxing brethren, this schedule is just nasty.
- June 29th, ESPN, Darnell 'Ding-A-Ling Man' Wilson (21-5-3 [18 KOs]) vs. Emmanuel Nwodo (21-3 [17 KOs])
Mind you, I don't know anything about Nwodo other than what I gathered from boxrec. What I do know is that Wilson's one of the hardest hitting, most exciting fighters in boxing and is on an incredible run. And from boxrec, it looks like this Nwodo cat has a pretty lethal punch himself. Seems like a winning formula to me.
- June 30th, Youtube, Alexander Povetkin (12-0 [10 KOs]) vs. Larry Donald (42-4-3 [24 KOs])
Why am I including this? Because a lot of people think the Russian gold medalist Povetkin is the future of the heavyweight division and this is his first step up fight (there's plenty of footage of him here). Last we saw Donald, he was taking Nicolai Valuev to school before the obligatory robbery we've come to expect out of Germany. So while Donald's prehistoric, he's still serviceable. Should be a good test for the kid.
The fight won't be televised here in the US, but it's sure to pop up on youtube shortly after.
- July 7th, Showtime, Travis Simms (25-0 [19 KOs]) vs. Joachim Alcine (28-0 [18 KOs])
I may be one of the five people in the world that can't wait for this fight, but so be it. Simms is a big, strong, slick, very quick southpaw, so when people ask questions like 'who at 154 and under can beat Floyd Mayweather', I don't hesitate to throw Travis' name in the fray. Yes, the funny looks soon follow; I don't care, to me the dude's that good.
Alcine's a lanky, well rounded boxer-puncher with fast hands and decent pop. I've seen a few fights of his (thank jeebus for the innanet) and he may very well be the truth.
Someone's 0 must go.
- July 14, HBO, Arturo Gatti (40-8 [31 KOs] vs. Alfonso Gomez (16-3-2 [7 KOs])
It's a Gatti fight. There'll be no defense to speak of. There'll be some broken hands. There'll be drama.
Gomez - from the Contender fame - is a kid with a TV-pleasing style that tends to fade after four rounds or so. While I don't hold Gatti in nearly the same esteem most boxing fans place him in, his handlers did good here. Very winnable fight with guaranteed excitement.
- July 14, HBO, Kermit Cintron (27-1 [25 KOs]) vs. Walter Matthysee (26-1 [25 KOs])
Another fight with guaranteed excitement. Cintron is clearly the superior boxer and logic tells you he'll carve Walter up and serve him his own head. But this is the same Kermit that folded like a futon against Margarito, and Walter applies the type of ear popping pressure that'll make a motherf-- fold. He's going to put the heat lamp on that ass and we'll have to see whether Cintron has developed the ice water in his veins needed to withstand it.
- July 14, HBO, Antonio Margarito (34-5 [24 KOs]) vs. Paul Williams (32-0 [24 KOs])
Meh, it's an old story. Williams is a hotshot prospect that claims he handled Margarito when they sparred some years ago. Margarito is a veteran champ who claims Williams is a snot-nosed punk kid that likes to tell stories, and he's gonna spank him accordingly. We shall see.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention, this will be one of the top three fights of the year. Put that in the bank. There's no possible way this won't be amazing. None.
- July 14th, Satan's Torture Chambers, Zahir Raheem (28-2 [16 KOs]) vs. Derrick Gainer (40-7-1 [24 KOs])
This is a Dana White concoction - a conspiracy to destroy a rival sport. It's the only explanation.
Back to the realness...
- July 21st, HBO PPV, Oscar Larios (59-5-1 [37 KOs]) vs. Jorge Linares (23-0 [14 KOs])
This is a huge leap for 21 year old prospect Jorge Linares. Oscar Larios is a veteran with 65 fights and a pretty nice rack of skullcaps on his resume. This ain't the kiddie-to-grown-folk pool transition Povetkin's making, this is a kiddie-pool-to-middle-of-the-Bermuda-Triangle-during-a-storm type jump-off. The untested Linares is a beast though. It'll be up there with Margarito-Williams as fight of the month/ year.
- July 21st, HBO PPV, Bernard Hopkins (47-4-1 [32 KOs]) vs. Winky Wright (51-3-1 [25 KOs])
I tend to disagree with those saying this will be a boring fight. Wright will press Bernard and make him fight, like he did with Jermain 'Bad Decisions' Taylor. It's my theory that Hopkins won't dance around and try to potshot Winky; instead, he'll make it an ugly, inside fight ala his bout with Keith Holmes. It won't be scintillating, but it'll be interesting. If anyone can solve the puzzle of The Shell, it's old man Hops.
- July 27th, ESPN, Andre Berto (18-0 [16 KOs]) vs. Cosme Rivera (30-10-2 [21 KOs])
Everyone's favorite prospect finally in a step-up fight. The normally tough Cosme Rivera (who deserved a decision over Joel Julio in his last fight) should give us a good look at where the explosive phenom is at.
- August 4th, Showtime, Israel Vasquez (41-4 [30 KOs]) vs. Rafael Marquez (37-3 [33 KOs]) II
The first bout was a fight of the year candidate and this one will be too. If you're a boxing fan, you'll watch it. 'Nuff said.
Marquez, in my humble opinion, is the best offensive fighter living today.
- August 4th, HBO, Erik Morales (48-5 [34 KOs]) vs. David Diaz (32-1-1 [17 KOs])
Morales is a faded legend and they put him in with a big, strong kid just limited enough not to blow 'El Terrible' out the water. My thinking is that Diaz has too much size on Morales, but this fight won't disappoint in the blood department. It should be electrifying.
- August 4th, HBO?, Kendall Holt (22-1 [12 KOs]) vs. Ricardo Torres (31-1 [27 KOs])
Throw Holt's feint-fest with Mike Arnaoutis out the window. Holt is a counter-puncher and Arnaoutis fought scared - Torres has never fought scared. Most famous for damn near knocking out Cotto, Torres has the power to crack Holt's iffy chin and the skills to touch it. Holt, on the other hand, has more athletic ability than anyone else in the division. He has the speed, power, and talent to embarrass Torres.
But then again, that chin...
If you're a gambling man, you stay away from this bout.
- August 11th, HBO, Daniel Ponce De Leon (31-1 [28 KOs]) vs. Rey Bautista (23-0 [17 KOs])
Rey Bautista showed plenty of skill, heart, and power against Sergio Manuel Medina during the Mayweather/ De La Hoya PPV telecast in a fight that outshined the main event. Problem is, Medina rocked him pretty badly. Medina was an unknown, but it doesn't bode well that he was able to seriously hurt Bautista when he only had 16 KOs out of 28 fights against local, obscure foes in Argentina.
Maybe Medina has deceptive power. Maybe this was just a Henry Cooper incident (when Cooper decked and staggered Cassius Clay, leaving everyone in the world to believe that Clay's chin wouldn't hold up to Sonny Liston's punch). We'll find out, because Ponce De Leon is one of the hardest hitters in boxing. He's sloppy as all hell though, and liable to get outboxed by any decent boxer with a set of whiskers.
- August 11th, HBO, Gerry Penalosa (51-6-2 [34 KOs]) vs. Jhonny Gonzales (34-5 [29 KOs])
I'm high on Gonzales. He's one of those rare technically proficient, pure boxers who isn't satisfied with a lopsided decision. He'll outbox your ass for five, six rounds, then go ahead and kindly knock your head off. It backfired against Israel Vasquez. I doubt it will against Penalosa, who's a very good boxer himself, but doesn't have the power to hurt Gonzales. Nevertheless, we have a good fight on our hands.
Honorable Mentions: Juan Salgado vs. Ivan Valle (June 29th), Evander Holyfield vs. Lou Savarese (June 30th), Vic Darchinyan vs. Nonito Donaire (July 7th), Wladimir Klischko vs. Lamon Brewster (July 7th), Roy Jones vs. Anthony Hanshaw (July 14th), Michael Katsidis vs. Czar Amonsot (July 21st), Carlos Baldomir vs. Vernon Forrest (July 28th), Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Ricardo Castillo (August 4th), Celestino Caballero vs. Jorge Lacierva (August 4th).
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Boxing Mythology Part II
Part 1 contained a few beliefs that I think most folks would agree are fallacious, at least after they thought about it. My views on these next myths may be more controversial.
Myth: Roy Jones was not a fundamentally sound boxer
The Roy of old could do just about everything well
Originally, I planned on keeping the myths general and not about specific fighters. This particular myth about Roy Jones, however, symbolizes the more deeply-rooted folklore that flashy black athletes don't have much in the way of fundamentals. When someone has the talent to do something unorthodox, new, and exciting, they are quickly trivialized by critics who love tossing out arbitrary definitions about what fundamentals are. Folks longing for the "good ole' days".
It's nonsense.
Roy did unconventional things in the ring, true. And many observers equate being unconventional with being fundamentally flawed. But would you tell a .360 batter that he's holding the bat wrong because how he's doing it looks funny? That he should position his hands lower, like the guys hitting .285?
Of course, you might retort with how young, less gifted fighters imitating Roy is a sure way of getting knocked out. Right. Just as threading-the-needle with long bounce passes and tossing up ally oops from half court is a sure way for the average ball player to get turnovers. That doesn't stop the best passers in the NBA from doing it successfully. Damn that Steve Nash and his lack of fundamentals!
His unorthodox ways helped Roy, not hurt him. His opponents had hell finding sparring partners to mimic RJ's style. It didn't matter what connections they had, there was no one in that Rolodex that was going to mimic a leaping left hook thrown as quickly and as accurately as Jones threw them.
Ah. That tactically flawed, technically inappropriate, fundamentally erroneous leaping left hook. Roy's favorite punch. Ask Thomas Tate how it was, "tactically". He lasted the distance with Julian Jackson - perhaps the hardest hitting middleweight in history - just to get taken out within 2 rounds by a single Jones left hook. Ask Thulani Malinga what it was like, "technically", when he too was knocked out by a single leaping hook after going the distance with KO artist Nigel Benn. Ask Montell Griffin what if felt like, "fundamentally", when Roy caught him with one in the first round of their rematch. KO1. And Griffin was sturdy enough to beat James Toney - albeit controversially - twice.
Jones had his fair share of power. But he didn't have more than Julian Jackson, Nigel Benn, perhaps even Toney. The speed and placement of that leaping hook is what made it a terror for his foes, solid chin or not.
As far as these fundamentals he supposedly didn't have:
Footwork? Check. His footwork was spectacular.
Balance? Check. He was always in position to throw a punch.
Timing? Check. One of the best counter punchers that ever put on a pair of gloves.
Inside-fighting? Check. Sosa was an excellent in-fighter. But he was no match for Jones.
Body punching? Check. He wasn't Mike McCallum, but anyone who can break a hall-of-famer's ribs isn't bad.
Jab? Half-check. In some fights, he didn't use it much at all. In others, he used it beautifully.
So what's really fundamentally flawed? Roy's unconventional style or the conventional view of him and athletes of his ilk?
Myth: The Lucky Punch
Speaking of Roy...
"Lucky punch." The phrase is so overused that I vomit in my mouth every time I hear (or see) it.
Yes, there's luck involved with landing punches, as there is with anything. With some more than others. But whenever an underdog unexpectedly lands a punch that knocks out the favorite, or leads to the eventual knock out of the favorite, you have people lined up with their flies open ready to piss on his victory by calling it lucky.
Not only are they trivializing his accomplishment, they're trivializing the science behind a well placed blow. They're diminishing the complex strategy involved within the intense chess games being played out within the ring. At the highest level, few punches are thrown without rhyme or reason.
Let's take a closer look at one of the more famous "lucky punches" in boxing lore - Antonio Tarver's shocking knockout of Roy Jones Jr.
Roy came into the fight with a chip on his shoulder. This was the rematch of the worse beating of his career - a bout in which he took heavy punishment while escaping with a close decision.
In the first round, he held a very aggressive stance, drawing a line in the sand. The last time he had looked this aggressive was when he knocked out Montel Griffin. He was uncompromising in trying to counter almost every Tarver jab with two, three punch combinations.
But Tarver wasn't Montel Griffin. And what the 'lucky punch' pundits don't realize is that Roy's aggression made him very predictable.
Tarver came out in the second round looking to back Roy up by moving forward behind a probing jab. Jones, slightly troubled by it, wasn't as active as he was in the first stanza. That is, until Tarver grazed him with a hard left hand, and Roy went back to assertively countering Tarver's every move with quick rights to the body and head.
Tarver is an accomplished counter puncher himself. So he knew exactly what he was doing when he threw a jab as bait, slipped Roy's predictable right hand counter, and slammed a crushing overhand left into Roy's jaw as Roy tried to throw a hook. He knew what Roy was going to do in reaction to his jab and he knew that Roy wasn't backing up. That is, he knew Jones would be exactly where he needed to be for the counter to land squarely.
Antonio's eyes were indeed closed during his move. But review the great counter punchers in boxing and you'll see that they often land their counters without a constant eye on their opponent. The blind anticipation of where their opponent's head is going to be is an intuition they all share.
This "lucky punch" embodied the beauty of boxing. And it marked the end of a legacy.
Myth: Roy Jones was not a fundamentally sound boxer
The Roy of old could do just about everything well
Originally, I planned on keeping the myths general and not about specific fighters. This particular myth about Roy Jones, however, symbolizes the more deeply-rooted folklore that flashy black athletes don't have much in the way of fundamentals. When someone has the talent to do something unorthodox, new, and exciting, they are quickly trivialized by critics who love tossing out arbitrary definitions about what fundamentals are. Folks longing for the "good ole' days".
It's nonsense.
Roy did unconventional things in the ring, true. And many observers equate being unconventional with being fundamentally flawed. But would you tell a .360 batter that he's holding the bat wrong because how he's doing it looks funny? That he should position his hands lower, like the guys hitting .285?
Of course, you might retort with how young, less gifted fighters imitating Roy is a sure way of getting knocked out. Right. Just as threading-the-needle with long bounce passes and tossing up ally oops from half court is a sure way for the average ball player to get turnovers. That doesn't stop the best passers in the NBA from doing it successfully. Damn that Steve Nash and his lack of fundamentals!
His unorthodox ways helped Roy, not hurt him. His opponents had hell finding sparring partners to mimic RJ's style. It didn't matter what connections they had, there was no one in that Rolodex that was going to mimic a leaping left hook thrown as quickly and as accurately as Jones threw them.
Ah. That tactically flawed, technically inappropriate, fundamentally erroneous leaping left hook. Roy's favorite punch. Ask Thomas Tate how it was, "tactically". He lasted the distance with Julian Jackson - perhaps the hardest hitting middleweight in history - just to get taken out within 2 rounds by a single Jones left hook. Ask Thulani Malinga what it was like, "technically", when he too was knocked out by a single leaping hook after going the distance with KO artist Nigel Benn. Ask Montell Griffin what if felt like, "fundamentally", when Roy caught him with one in the first round of their rematch. KO1. And Griffin was sturdy enough to beat James Toney - albeit controversially - twice.
Jones had his fair share of power. But he didn't have more than Julian Jackson, Nigel Benn, perhaps even Toney. The speed and placement of that leaping hook is what made it a terror for his foes, solid chin or not.
As far as these fundamentals he supposedly didn't have:
Footwork? Check. His footwork was spectacular.
Balance? Check. He was always in position to throw a punch.
Timing? Check. One of the best counter punchers that ever put on a pair of gloves.
Inside-fighting? Check. Sosa was an excellent in-fighter. But he was no match for Jones.
Body punching? Check. He wasn't Mike McCallum, but anyone who can break a hall-of-famer's ribs isn't bad.
Jab? Half-check. In some fights, he didn't use it much at all. In others, he used it beautifully.
So what's really fundamentally flawed? Roy's unconventional style or the conventional view of him and athletes of his ilk?
Myth: The Lucky Punch
Speaking of Roy...
"Lucky punch." The phrase is so overused that I vomit in my mouth every time I hear (or see) it.
Yes, there's luck involved with landing punches, as there is with anything. With some more than others. But whenever an underdog unexpectedly lands a punch that knocks out the favorite, or leads to the eventual knock out of the favorite, you have people lined up with their flies open ready to piss on his victory by calling it lucky.
Not only are they trivializing his accomplishment, they're trivializing the science behind a well placed blow. They're diminishing the complex strategy involved within the intense chess games being played out within the ring. At the highest level, few punches are thrown without rhyme or reason.
Let's take a closer look at one of the more famous "lucky punches" in boxing lore - Antonio Tarver's shocking knockout of Roy Jones Jr.
Roy came into the fight with a chip on his shoulder. This was the rematch of the worse beating of his career - a bout in which he took heavy punishment while escaping with a close decision.
In the first round, he held a very aggressive stance, drawing a line in the sand. The last time he had looked this aggressive was when he knocked out Montel Griffin. He was uncompromising in trying to counter almost every Tarver jab with two, three punch combinations.
But Tarver wasn't Montel Griffin. And what the 'lucky punch' pundits don't realize is that Roy's aggression made him very predictable.
Tarver came out in the second round looking to back Roy up by moving forward behind a probing jab. Jones, slightly troubled by it, wasn't as active as he was in the first stanza. That is, until Tarver grazed him with a hard left hand, and Roy went back to assertively countering Tarver's every move with quick rights to the body and head.
Tarver is an accomplished counter puncher himself. So he knew exactly what he was doing when he threw a jab as bait, slipped Roy's predictable right hand counter, and slammed a crushing overhand left into Roy's jaw as Roy tried to throw a hook. He knew what Roy was going to do in reaction to his jab and he knew that Roy wasn't backing up. That is, he knew Jones would be exactly where he needed to be for the counter to land squarely.
Antonio's eyes were indeed closed during his move. But review the great counter punchers in boxing and you'll see that they often land their counters without a constant eye on their opponent. The blind anticipation of where their opponent's head is going to be is an intuition they all share.
This "lucky punch" embodied the beauty of boxing. And it marked the end of a legacy.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Boxing Mythology Part 1
Any given conversation about boxing - whether it be amongst casual fans or experts - is bound to contain some myth squeezed in between the opinion and fact. Some of the crap is easily disposable, while other nuggets refuse to remain flushed.
Here are a few that keep popping back up.
Myth: Compubox stats mean something
Bernard was accurate, but not THAT accurate. And Echols didn't land anywhere near 58% of his punches.
I don't have a problem with Compubox stats when they're used in moderation. At the very least, they give a semi-decent gauge on how many punches the fighters are throwing.
But I have a huge problem with them being used as a clutch, like how Jim Lampley tends to use them during the HBO broadcasts. After virtually every round of a fight, not only does Lampley recite the compubox stats from the previous round, he recites them as if they were extracted from the bible. As if they were an authoritative source that tells you everything you need to know about what's going on in the fight. If that's the case, why is Harold Lederman (HBO's unofficial judge) even there?
Those who think Oscar was robbed in his rematch with Mosley love to reference the punch stats.
I can write a book on why Compubox sucks. But I'm far too lazy, so here are the cliff notes:
1) They don't measure the quality of a punch. They register a 'power punch' as being anything that isn't a jab, by anyone. So, say fly-swatting Chris Byrd is fighting soul-dehabilitating Sam Peter and he lands 85 slaps with his power hand compared to 46 near-decapitating haymakers from Peter. It's obvious to everyone watching who's doing the most damage, but guess who's winning according to Jim Lampley's bible?
Right.
2) The overall fight totals are often misleading. Example: fighter A spanks fighter B for 9 rounds. Fighter B spanks fighter A even worse for the last 3 rounds. Because of the work he did in those last 3 rounds, the Compubox fight totals are slanted towards fighter B. But he still lost 9 rounds to 3. Obviously.
But let there be some controversy generated by fighter B's fans on who really won the fight. You'd be surprised at how often the Compubox stats are repeated in these type arguments as if they mean anything.
3) They're just not accurate. And really, how can they be? Humans are the ones inputting the punches into a computer, humans make mistakes, and whether a punch lands or not is often completely subjective. Does a punch that caught half-glove, half-face count as a landed blow? Granted, shots landed against guys like Arturo Gatti are pretty easy to detect, but what about the Winky Wrights of the game? The Compubox statisticians would be working almost completely in a gray area because damn near all of the shots thrown at Wright's head are at least partially blocked.
But don't take my word for it. Pick a random fight and do your own punch count for a few rounds. I'm willing to bet that it won't look like Compubox's.
Myth: Anyone can get knocked out at any time
Tommy Hearns managed to buzz Marvin Hagler. For half a second.
I'm sure you've heard this one. You're in the middle of explaining why your favorite fighter is going to blast out his overmatched foe when someone chimes in about how anyone can get 'caught'. How anyone can get knocked out. If he's unoriginal enough, he might even talk about how that's what makes boxing exciting.
Sorry. There's a thousand reasons why boxing is exciting, but that ain't one.
It's true that most fighters can be knocked out by anyone with good power and decent skills. But some dudes are pretty much unknockoutable. That's just fact. You can't convince me that Marvin Hagler, who had arguably the greatest chin in boxing history, could have gotten stopped by some journeyman with a good left hook. You can't convince me that Danny Garcia could have gotten lucky and turned the 'lights out' on James Toney. Or that Andrew Council could've taken out Bernard Hopkins with the "right punch".
I failed algebra, but it goes something like this:
All-time defense + iffy chin = can be caught and KO'd (Roy Jones)
All-time chin + iffy defense = can be caught enough times to be stopped (Wayne McCullough)
All-time chin + all-time defense = not gonna happen. At least not in their prime (Whitaker, Hagler, Toney, Hopkins, ect.)
More boxing mythology to come...
Here are a few that keep popping back up.
Myth: Compubox stats mean something
I don't have a problem with Compubox stats when they're used in moderation. At the very least, they give a semi-decent gauge on how many punches the fighters are throwing.
But I have a huge problem with them being used as a clutch, like how Jim Lampley tends to use them during the HBO broadcasts. After virtually every round of a fight, not only does Lampley recite the compubox stats from the previous round, he recites them as if they were extracted from the bible. As if they were an authoritative source that tells you everything you need to know about what's going on in the fight. If that's the case, why is Harold Lederman (HBO's unofficial judge) even there?
Those who think Oscar was robbed in his rematch with Mosley love to reference the punch stats.
I can write a book on why Compubox sucks. But I'm far too lazy, so here are the cliff notes:
1) They don't measure the quality of a punch. They register a 'power punch' as being anything that isn't a jab, by anyone. So, say fly-swatting Chris Byrd is fighting soul-dehabilitating Sam Peter and he lands 85 slaps with his power hand compared to 46 near-decapitating haymakers from Peter. It's obvious to everyone watching who's doing the most damage, but guess who's winning according to Jim Lampley's bible?
Right.
2) The overall fight totals are often misleading. Example: fighter A spanks fighter B for 9 rounds. Fighter B spanks fighter A even worse for the last 3 rounds. Because of the work he did in those last 3 rounds, the Compubox fight totals are slanted towards fighter B. But he still lost 9 rounds to 3. Obviously.
But let there be some controversy generated by fighter B's fans on who really won the fight. You'd be surprised at how often the Compubox stats are repeated in these type arguments as if they mean anything.
3) They're just not accurate. And really, how can they be? Humans are the ones inputting the punches into a computer, humans make mistakes, and whether a punch lands or not is often completely subjective. Does a punch that caught half-glove, half-face count as a landed blow? Granted, shots landed against guys like Arturo Gatti are pretty easy to detect, but what about the Winky Wrights of the game? The Compubox statisticians would be working almost completely in a gray area because damn near all of the shots thrown at Wright's head are at least partially blocked.
But don't take my word for it. Pick a random fight and do your own punch count for a few rounds. I'm willing to bet that it won't look like Compubox's.
Myth: Anyone can get knocked out at any time
Tommy Hearns managed to buzz Marvin Hagler. For half a second.
I'm sure you've heard this one. You're in the middle of explaining why your favorite fighter is going to blast out his overmatched foe when someone chimes in about how anyone can get 'caught'. How anyone can get knocked out. If he's unoriginal enough, he might even talk about how that's what makes boxing exciting.
Sorry. There's a thousand reasons why boxing is exciting, but that ain't one.
It's true that most fighters can be knocked out by anyone with good power and decent skills. But some dudes are pretty much unknockoutable. That's just fact. You can't convince me that Marvin Hagler, who had arguably the greatest chin in boxing history, could have gotten stopped by some journeyman with a good left hook. You can't convince me that Danny Garcia could have gotten lucky and turned the 'lights out' on James Toney. Or that Andrew Council could've taken out Bernard Hopkins with the "right punch".
I failed algebra, but it goes something like this:
All-time defense + iffy chin = can be caught and KO'd (Roy Jones)
All-time chin + iffy defense = can be caught enough times to be stopped (Wayne McCullough)
All-time chin + all-time defense = not gonna happen. At least not in their prime (Whitaker, Hagler, Toney, Hopkins, ect.)
More boxing mythology to come...
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Jermain's Boogeyman: Kelly Pavlik
Looks like HBO may have goofed when they anointed middleweight champ Jermain Taylor as "The Next".
With his recent lackluster, disputed victory over Cory Spinks, his approval ratings have hit Defcon 1. In the subterranean area. I'm talking George Bush levels. The Ring dropped him from their pound-for-pound ratings, which is rarely done to a fighter who has continued to 'win'. He's being almost unanimously criticized on boxing forums. And his fans are currently only found on Team Hope flyers and milk cartons.
Is it fair for everyone to throw stones at the young man because of one bad showing? Well, no, it isn't. But take a cursory look at his resume and you'll see that it's deeper than just a 'what have you done for me lately?' gang mentality.
What you might notice is that:
- There's an astounding lack of natural middleweights.
- There's an astounding lack of punchers.
The critics and fans largely expunged him of these sins after his pair of fights with Bernard Hopkins. But since then, it was back to his old ways - fighting a man smaller than Bernard in Winky Wright, a man smaller than Winky in Kassim Ouma, and a man even smaller than Kassim in Cory Spinks. And no one from this list of killers could punch a hair off a gnat's ass (combined KO ratio = 45%).
The conclusion that you've probably already approached is that his promoter Lou Dibella has hidden him from punchers his size like they were the boogeyman.
Enter Kelly Pavlik.
It was long thought that Edison Miranda - a muscle bound, big middleweight with an impressive KO pct. - was the leading representative for the boogeymen lurking within Jermain's nightmares. But that was before he got blasted out in 7 by Pavlik; a tall, rangy middleweight with an equally impressive KO pct. The exciting, yet surprisingly one-sided fight of the year candidate served as sharp contrast to the boring, yet surprisingly competitive worst fight of the year candidate that Jermain and Cory pooped out on the same broadcast. And as if his stock wasn't low enough, Taylor went into a Floydian spill about how he's in it for the money as he ducked and dodged Larry Merchant's questions on whether he was willing to fight Pavlik next.
Well, shockingly enough, it looks like Jermain Taylor vs. Kelly Pavlik is close to a done deal for September 29th. If Jermain beats Pavlik - without controversy - then his stock will be extracted from the toilet and all will be forgiven. If he gets knocked out though, expect a two year 'midget of the month' campaign, where he fights yet another string of smaller, pillow-fisted fighters as he rebuilds his confidence.
Which is fine, as long as it's off HBO.
With his recent lackluster, disputed victory over Cory Spinks, his approval ratings have hit Defcon 1. In the subterranean area. I'm talking George Bush levels. The Ring dropped him from their pound-for-pound ratings, which is rarely done to a fighter who has continued to 'win'. He's being almost unanimously criticized on boxing forums. And his fans are currently only found on Team Hope flyers and milk cartons.
Is it fair for everyone to throw stones at the young man because of one bad showing? Well, no, it isn't. But take a cursory look at his resume and you'll see that it's deeper than just a 'what have you done for me lately?' gang mentality.
What you might notice is that:
- There's an astounding lack of natural middleweights.
- There's an astounding lack of punchers.
The critics and fans largely expunged him of these sins after his pair of fights with Bernard Hopkins. But since then, it was back to his old ways - fighting a man smaller than Bernard in Winky Wright, a man smaller than Winky in Kassim Ouma, and a man even smaller than Kassim in Cory Spinks. And no one from this list of killers could punch a hair off a gnat's ass (combined KO ratio = 45%).
The conclusion that you've probably already approached is that his promoter Lou Dibella has hidden him from punchers his size like they were the boogeyman.
Enter Kelly Pavlik.
It was long thought that Edison Miranda - a muscle bound, big middleweight with an impressive KO pct. - was the leading representative for the boogeymen lurking within Jermain's nightmares. But that was before he got blasted out in 7 by Pavlik; a tall, rangy middleweight with an equally impressive KO pct. The exciting, yet surprisingly one-sided fight of the year candidate served as sharp contrast to the boring, yet surprisingly competitive worst fight of the year candidate that Jermain and Cory pooped out on the same broadcast. And as if his stock wasn't low enough, Taylor went into a Floydian spill about how he's in it for the money as he ducked and dodged Larry Merchant's questions on whether he was willing to fight Pavlik next.
Well, shockingly enough, it looks like Jermain Taylor vs. Kelly Pavlik is close to a done deal for September 29th. If Jermain beats Pavlik - without controversy - then his stock will be extracted from the toilet and all will be forgiven. If he gets knocked out though, expect a two year 'midget of the month' campaign, where he fights yet another string of smaller, pillow-fisted fighters as he rebuilds his confidence.
Which is fine, as long as it's off HBO.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Malignaggi and the Art of the Clinch
Paulie Malignaggi is not a boring fighter by any means.
As evident in his bout with Lovemore N'dou recently on HBO's Boxing After Dark, he throws as many, if not more, meaningful jabs than anyone else in boxing. He drops plenty of
combinations from the outside, unlike Andre 'Smoke Gainer Jr.' Dirrell (who looked more like a leading contestant for Fox's 'So You Think You Can Dance?' than a professional boxer in his co-feature bout against Curtis Stevens). Hell, ever since he got humbled by Cotto, Paulie's even a likeable character outside the ring. I wish all athletes were as honest and insightful as he was in the post-fight interview.
But nothing grinds my gears more than a fighter who gets away with having no inside game by bending the rules. Every time his opponent gets inside, he bends down and grabs him by the waist. And last I checked, excessive clinching was an infraction. This has never been cleareer than it was last Saturday night, and given that 1) N'dou does his best work on the inside, 2) N'dou couldn't find his way around a jab with mapquest, and 3) Eddie Cotton (the referee) was breaking up clinches before they even started, poor Lovemore didn't have a chance.
I suppose this is nothing new. Most boxers - even the greats - will resort to grappling when things get too heated in close quarters. Bernard Hopkins is one of my favorite fighters, but I'll admit that clinching has become more and more integral to his fight strategies as he's gotten older. Even the great Muhammad Ali employed it when convenient (Frazier II).
The difference is, these men didn't make their careers off of avoiding inside conflict through clever clinching techniques. For once I'd like to see a referee call him on it.
As evident in his bout with Lovemore N'dou recently on HBO's Boxing After Dark, he throws as many, if not more, meaningful jabs than anyone else in boxing. He drops plenty of
combinations from the outside, unlike Andre 'Smoke Gainer Jr.' Dirrell (who looked more like a leading contestant for Fox's 'So You Think You Can Dance?' than a professional boxer in his co-feature bout against Curtis Stevens). Hell, ever since he got humbled by Cotto, Paulie's even a likeable character outside the ring. I wish all athletes were as honest and insightful as he was in the post-fight interview.
But nothing grinds my gears more than a fighter who gets away with having no inside game by bending the rules. Every time his opponent gets inside, he bends down and grabs him by the waist. And last I checked, excessive clinching was an infraction. This has never been cleareer than it was last Saturday night, and given that 1) N'dou does his best work on the inside, 2) N'dou couldn't find his way around a jab with mapquest, and 3) Eddie Cotton (the referee) was breaking up clinches before they even started, poor Lovemore didn't have a chance.
I suppose this is nothing new. Most boxers - even the greats - will resort to grappling when things get too heated in close quarters. Bernard Hopkins is one of my favorite fighters, but I'll admit that clinching has become more and more integral to his fight strategies as he's gotten older. Even the great Muhammad Ali employed it when convenient (Frazier II).
The difference is, these men didn't make their careers off of avoiding inside conflict through clever clinching techniques. For once I'd like to see a referee call him on it.
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