DSP Boxing thread. Ding! Ding!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:59 am

Nice story about how Rodriguez's organs are being donated to help save the lives of eight people, including his uncle:

http://www.ringtv.com/blog/1351/rodrigu ... ing_death/

Take care,
PK

miget33 · Post by **miget33** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 2:10 pm

There's a video going around where Teddy Atlas, and Bert Sugar state the Mayweather-Pacquiao will happen in 2010. Sugars says in the spring, Atlas says May.

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pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 3:53 pm

Dan Rafael of ESPN.com reported that Bob Arum of Top Rank (Pacquiao) and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy are negotiating for a date of May 1.

Schaefer is mediating on behalf of Mayweather's agent, Al Haymon. Arum and Haymon hate each other so much they can't even sit in the same room. True.

Take care,
PK

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:34 am

Let's get ready to Ruuummmbbleeeeee.....This is a fight too big not to happen.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing ... id=4705330

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:43 am

Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. fight in separate bouts at 8 p.m. (ET) tonight on VERSUS. Two legends in a fight night on basic cable -- cool!

Another VERSUS boxing note: If you want to see a great fight, watch the replay of the IBF Cruiserweight Championship from December 2008 between Tomasz Adamek and Steve "U.S.S." Cunningham at 8 p.m. (ET) Thursday on VERSUS.

I watched more than 100 boxing matches in 2008, and this bout easily was in my top three of the year.

No spoilers for those who haven't watched this! Trust me, this fight is well worth an hour of your time.

Take care,
PK

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:53 am

Jones Jr. fight is over (from Australia)...I won't spoil it for anyone who is going to watch it tonight.

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 6:03 pm

March 13th works for me!

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing ... id=4712939

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 6:15 pm

grtwhtsk wrote:March 13th works for me!

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing ... id=4712939

Hell, yes! That's also the day of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Syracuse, a massive blowout of a party.

Green beer and scotch by day, Pacman vs. PBF by night. WHAT A DAY!

P.S.: Paul "The Punisher" Williams fights Sergio Martinez tomorrow night in what should be a very interesting bout! Plus Chris Arreola is back for the first time since he lost to Klitschko, taking on tomato can Brian Minto.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 2:41 am

I'll watch nearly 100 fights this year, and I don't think I'll end up seeing three better than the Williams-Martinez fight Saturday night. WHAT. A. FIGHT.

I had it 114-114. The only difference between my card and Harold Lederman's is that I had Martinez winning the 11th. His shots were harder and cleaner that round.

Pierre Benoist should be placed in front of an inquiry board. 119-110? Did he pass a drug test before the fight? He honestly had Paul Williams scoring 10 points in 11 of the 12 rounds? Christ, Martinez clearly won the first three rounds. He clearly won the eighth. That's lunacy.

Williams' pressure is just relentless, and that proved the difference. But Lord, was Williams sloppy in the first three rounds. He was lunging into punches and fighting way too far outside, trying to live off his reach advantage. It was an odd tactic, respecting Martinez's power, since the guy really hasn't shown that much knockout power so far in his career.

Martinez's knockdown of Williams in the first round was due to sheer sloppiness by Williams, not by technical precision by Martinez.

But take nothing away from Martinez. This guy is a BRILLIANT tactician in the ring. You rarely see a guy make so many successful and clever adjustments in the ring. In the early rounds, the right hook was wide open for Martinez. He took it.

Williams then moved inside to apply more pressure to Martinez and moved more to his right, neutering Martinez's right hand through the middle rounds, which Williams won. But then Martinez started setting up his right hook with that sneaky little left to Williams' body in about the eighth and ninth rounds, a great tactic.

And when Williams figured that out, Martinez started going with straight lefts and left hooks in the 11th and 12th round. Just brilliant tactical changes on the fly. The guy is a fantastic fighter.

But Williams' pressure is almost too much for any fighter to handle. The guy is in phenomenal shape, as he looked fresher at the end than Martinez, who also is in tremendous shape. But Williams just keeps coming and coming and coming. Even when his tactics are dodgy, as they were early in this fight, he can take confidence in knowing that his pressure should prevail.

Williams definitely looks vulnerable and frustrated against a guy who doesn't match his ridiculous work rate and who counter-punches with speed. Those are Martinez's tactics.

But Williams stopped lunging by closing the distance between himself and Martinez in round four, and that -- combined with his relentless pressure -- made the difference. I also would like to see Martinez hold his hands higher. It's OK to drop the hands as a tactic to lure in a guy and counter, but Martinez keeps his hands low the entire fight, and the fresher Williams was able to get through.

But again, what a fight. REMATCH, PLEASE! I could watch these guys seven days per week. Such skill, such balls.

These two guys could give us a 160-pound version of the incredible Vazquez-Marquez trilogy. Their skill level is that high.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 11:06 am

Great column about what Paul Williams needs to reach the pinnacle:

http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-a ... would-add/

Take care,
PK

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:33 am

I agree PK, I also saw the fight even. When they were reading the judges scores, and I heard that 119-109, I knew Williams had been the winner. I immediately blurted out (with my wife next to me), "that guy needs to be removed right away!" I don't understand how they get these judges, but it is a sheer travesty. I have been watching boxing a long time, and know that when a fight goes the distance, always be ready to "expect the unexpected." This though was so ridiculous that you would think that this guy had his card filled out before the fight, and slept thru it.

A rematch is certainly in order. Seems to me that Williams' people are ready to move on at this point. I'm hoping though that the money talks.

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:35 am

One more time!! http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing ... id=4714877

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 11:45 am

This weekend might be the best fight weekend of the year in terms of volume of interesting bouts:

FRIDAY
Jean Pascal (24-1-0) vs Adrian Diaconu (26-1-0) II
~ WBC light heavyweight title ~ 12 Rounds
*Rematch of one of the best fights of 2009, again in front of a rabid full house of 16,000 in Pascal's hometown of Montreal.

SATURDAY
Lamont Peterson (27-0-0) vs Timothy Bradley (24-0-0)
~ WBO Light Welterweight Title ~
*Two superb young fighters. A true 50-50 fight, although "Desert Storm" Bradley looked great earlier this year in dismantling Nate Campbell before the fight was called a no contest due to a cut.

Vic Darchinyan (31-2-0) vs Tomas Rojas (26-10-0)
~ WBC Super Flyweight Title ~
*Vic is all awkward, all action, all power for such a small man.

Juan Diaz (35-2-0) vs Paul Malignaggi (26-3-0) – Light Welterweight
*The rematch of one of the most controversial judging decisions of the year. Paulie was robbed in July in Diaz's hometown of Houston. Great clash of styles. Aggression of Diaz vs. slick boxing of Magic Man.

Antonio Diaz (46-5-1) vs Victor Ortiz (24-2-1) – Light Welterweight
*Can young star Ortiz bounce back from his last fight, a defeat in which he was cut and appeared to quit?

Vitali Klitschko (38-2-0) vs Kevin Johnson (22-0-1)
~ WBC Heavyweight Title ~
*Johnson has no chance, but that's what everyone said about Buster Douglas, too.

Man, I'm going to live at World Boxing Video Archive tonight and Sunday, grabbing all of these fights!

http://www.worldboxingvideoarchive.com/browse.php

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 4:59 pm

Spent a wonderful two hours Friday at the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y., with my two sons. The museum is small but, like Manny Pacquiao, packs a hell of a punch.

The highlights for us were seeing the plaster fists of so many champions, the plaques of all the inductees, Tommy Hearns' trunks, silk robes and title belts from tons of champions, Mike Tyson's mouthguard, Sugar Ray Robinson's robe and trunks, Joe Louis' handwraps.

I also was saddened when I saw the huge framed photo of Arturo Gatti fighting Micky Ward and the signed Ring Magazine cover featuring Alexis Arguello and Aaron Pryor. We lost Gatti and Arguello too young this year.

But the absolute highlight of the Hall, which is about 40 minutes from our house, was the presence of the actual original ring from Madison Square Garden, completely equipped and rebuilt. It was the only ring used in the Garden from 1927-2007 and was the site of so many great fights, including "The Fight of the Century," the first Ali-Frazier fight in 1971.

We touched the ring, looked under it and simply stood next to it for about 10 minutes, thinking of all the greats who slipped between those ropes and shed blood, sweat and tears inside that squared circle.

Amazing.

The staff at the Hall were extremely friendly and helpful. A great, memorable afternoon trip. We're thinking of returning in June 2010 for Induction Ceremonies Weekend.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 5:03 pm

Kelly Pavlik's retirement tour starts tonight with a bout against Miguel Angel Espino.

I think Pavlik is done. I've lost a lot of respect for him for twice postponing his scheduled fight with Paul Williams due to a staph infection in his hand yet scheduling a much easier fight against Espino just two weeks after he was supposed to fight Williams.

Weak. Very weak.

I hope "The Ghost" wins, but I think the crushing loss to Bernard Hopkins ruined him as an elite fighter and exposed his one-dimensional nature.

Take care,
PK

Jackdog · Post by **Jackdog** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 6:05 pm

pk500 wrote:Kelly Pavlik's retirement tour starts tonight with a bout against Miguel Angel Espino.

I think Pavlik is done. I've lost a lot of respect for him for twice postponing his scheduled fight with Paul Williams due to a staph infection in his hand yet scheduling a much easier fight against Espino just two weeks after he was supposed to fight Williams.

Weak. Very weak.

I hope "The Ghost" wins, but I think the crushing loss to Bernard Hopkins ruined him as an elite fighter and exposed his one-dimensional nature.

Take care,
PK

Yeah this is some bullshit. Padding the bank account at this point. The Executioner took this kids heart.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 9:02 am

What super mega fight doesn't have a dose of doubt? No different with Manny vs Pretty Boy. I'm with everyone who thinks this fight will still take place. It could be the final fight for both fighters as Manny wants to run for Office in the Philippines and PBF recently came back from a hiatus. No incentive for PBF if you've beaten what's considered the best in the world.

Floyd Mayweather's fight with Manny Pacquiao in doubt

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/8427743.stm

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:49 am

A ridiculous ploy by the Mayweather camp.

This is happening all because Floyd Sr. said in one of his inane rants this year that Manny uses steroids, so Floyd Jr. insists on extensive drug testing?

Give me a break. Manny has passed every drug test he's ever taken. Floyd is running SCARED.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:54 am

Watched the Pavlik-Espino fight last night. A TKO in Round 5 was a bit of a misleading result.

Espino came to fight and lured Kelly into an uncomfortable style, as this bout was fought in a phone booth. Espino showed large balls and heart.

Kelly ignored Jack Loew's advice to stay outside and use his stinging jab and strong right, instead engaging Espino on Espino's turf inside. Espino landed some very good shots. But Pavlik's body punching was VERY impressive, especially in the first three rounds.

Those body punches definitely softened up Espino for the knockdowns.

Still, Kelly wasn't that impressive other than his body punching and his uppercuts. He didn't work his jab enough to set up his big right hand.

Pavlik got sucked into the style of an inferior opponent and showed very little fighting at angles. That would have confused the hell out of Espino, who only knew forward and backward, and probably ended the fight even earlier.

This fight almost seemed like Kelly was telling the boxing world, "Screw you, I'm still here, and I can fight inside and in a true street fight."

Problem is, it was a street fight against an inferior opponent despite his No. 3 middleweight ranking. If Pavlik fought like that against a tougher opponent, he'd be in trouble.

Still, this was a very good action fight. It was not nearly as lopsided as the raw result indicated.

Take care,
PK

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 3:05 pm

This bs tactic by PBF is ridiculous. This fight is too big not too happen. If it doesn't happen, given the money (and Floyd's professed love for everything "money"), then it's because PBF is running scared. He agreed to the March date thinking Pac wouldn't agree to fight so soon. Once he did, he jumped on this steroid testing. From what I am reading, Pac's camp is open to it, but they need to negotiate the terms. I sure hope it gets done.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 3:10 pm

Halting this fight due to a dispute over blood testing would be a crippling blow to boxing, which has gained so much momentum in the last 18 months.

It would give stooges like Dana White all the ammunition they need to further the myth that MMA has overtaken boxing in worldwide popularity and impact.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 3:31 pm

The five best fights out of the 100 or so I've watched this year, in order:

1. Bernard Dunne v. Ricardo Cordoba. What an amazing rally by Dunne in front of an electrified crowd in his native Ireland. The most electric atmosphere of any fight I watched this year. A savage, savage fight. I leaped out of my couch numerous times while watching this fight.

2. Juan Manuel Lopez v. Rogers Mtgawa. This was supposed to be a fairly easy tune-up for JuanMa as he heads for a showdown with Yuriorkis Gamboa. Instead, Mtgawa pressed the unbeaten Lopez like no other fighter. JuanMa needed to dig VERY deep to win this one.

3. Paul Williams v. Sergio Martinez. A fascinating clash of styles. Both guys refused to back down. The ebb and flow of this bout was fantastic, as Martinez changed strategy on his feet at least twice to counter Williams' superb work rate and reach.

4. Juan Manuel Marquez v. Juan Diaz. Marquez rallied to beat the Baby Bull in a great slugfest in Diaz's hometown of Houston.

5. Yonnhy Perez vs. Joseph Agbeko. The number of punches thrown in this bout was staggering. All action from the opening bell to the 12th. I'm pretty sure this bout registered the highest number of punches ever thrown in a 12-round fight monitored by CompuBox. I'm surprised the output didn't melt down CompuBox's servers. An epic.

Punch of the year:

Any questions?

Fighter of the year:

Once again, any questions?

How about you cats? Your top fights, punch and fighter of 2009?

Take care,
PK

Jackdog · Post by **Jackdog** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 3:36 pm

pk500 wrote:Watched the Pavlik-Espino fight last night. A TKO in Round 5 was a bit of a misleading result.

Espino came to fight and lured Kelly into an uncomfortable style, as this bout was fought in a phone booth. Espino showed large balls and heart.

Kelly ignored Jack Loew's advice to stay outside and use his stinging jab and strong right, instead engaging Espino on Espino's turf inside. Espino landed some very good shots. But Pavlik's body punching was VERY impressive, especially in the first three rounds.

Those body punches definitely softened up Espino for the knockdowns.

Still, Kelly wasn't that impressive other than his body punching and his uppercuts. He didn't work his jab enough to set up his big right hand.

Pavlik got sucked into the style of an inferior opponent and showed very little fighting at angles. That would have confused the hell out of Espino, who only knew forward and backward, and probably ended the fight even earlier.

This fight almost seemed like Kelly was telling the boxing world, "Screw you, I'm still here, and I can fight inside and in a true street fight."

Problem is, it was a street fight against an inferior opponent despite his No. 3 middleweight ranking. If Pavlik fought like that against a tougher opponent, he'd be in trouble.

Still, this was a very good action fight. It was not nearly as lopsided as the raw result indicated.

Take care,
PK

I agree Paul. Dom and I watched the fight as well and we see so many chinks in Kelly's armor. Neither of us think he will ever be a champion again if he doesn't square them away. The best thing Kelly did all night was throwing vicious body shots. Espino was getting beat,but we never really felt he was completely out of that fight.

Time will tell if Kelly can regain the form that earned him the belt. I don't see it at this point. I think he's rated too high honestly.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 3:42 pm

No doubt, Jack-diggity. Problem is that middleweight is pretty stripped of talent right now, which unrealistically elevates Pavlik's status.

Other than Williams, who is a really tough guy right now at 160? All of the excellent fighters who could fight at 160 are in the Super Six at 168. I think four of the six fighters in the Super Six could beat Pavlik, Taylor and Froch as the only exceptions.

I'm not sure if Lucian Bute could or would want to drop to 160 to fight Kelly, but Bute would challenge "The Ghost," big time.

Hell, I think Sergio Martinez could beat Pavlik right now at 160.

But other than Williams and Martinez, who is there at 160? Anthony Mundine? Winky Wright? Felix Sturm?

Not exactly Murderers' Row.

Take care,
PK

Jackdog · Post by **Jackdog** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 3:43 pm

grtwhtsk wrote:This bs tactic by PBF is ridiculous. This fight is too big not too happen. If it doesn't happen, given the money (and Floyd's professed love for everything "money"), then it's because PBF is running scared. He agreed to the March date thinking Pac wouldn't agree to fight so soon. Once he did, he jumped on this steroid testing. From what I am reading, Pac's camp is open to it, but they need to negotiate the terms. I sure hope it gets done.

PBF is a b*tch.For those of you that haven't heard this yet........Enjoy!

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