Boxing Discussion

[Attorney General]

Tonight we'll see Erik Morales vs. David Diaz on PPV. 44.99?...I think I'll pass.

 

Also, anticipate another stellar fight in the rematch of Rafael Marquez vs. Israel Vasquez...this fight will be on Showtime. The first fight was a brutal, back and forth battle that Marquez won when Vasquez wouldn't answer the bell for the eighth round. Should be another banger.

[Attorney General]

Felix "Tito" Trinidad is coming out of retirement...again. This time he is expected to fight Roy Jones Jr. in January. The site for this fight is yet to be determined. It looks like the details of the contract are still being ironed out. However, Jones has a reputation for being not just stingy...but outright greedy at the negotiation table, so I wouldn't assume this is a done deal.

 

 

And the Marquez-Vasquez fight was fantastic. Vasquez TKO'd Marquez in the seventh round after a savage six rounds in which both men were severely cut and hurt badly. Round three will be a candidate for Round of the Year, just as this fight is the frontrunner for Fight of the Year. And it looks like we're in luck too...both parties are already talking about a rubber match, seeing how each fighter is currently at one win a piece. Should be another bloodbath.

 

Morales lost a unanimous decision to David Diaz. I didn't see that one, but I heard it was actually competitive. Morales subsequently announced his retirement. I suppose it's the right time...maybe even a little late. Morales has provided boxing fans with countless enjoyable brawls throughout his career. I even coughed up enough dough to fly out to Vegas to see his first fight with Manny Pacquiao back in March of 2005...money well spent. He will be missed.

[tony da boss]

Yea I think it's definitely time to retire for Morales. Has he even won a fight since beating Pacquiao back in 2005?

[Attorney General]

Yup, that was his last win. He's since lost four in a row and five of his last six. It's a rough way to go out, but boxers skills often deteriorate rapidly once they hit 32-35 years old. My opinion...now was the right time to walk away.

 

Oh, and I forgot to post that rugged Argentinian Jorge Barrios was injured in camp and had to pull out of his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. Fringe contender Rocky Juarez will fill in for him. Link. Shame really, cause Barrios is one hell of a tough, unorthodox fighter who could have given Marquez all he could handle.

[Burning-Ice]

Yup, that was his last win. He's since lost four in a row and five of his last six. It's a rough way to go out, but boxers skills often deteriorate rapidly once they hit 32-35 years old. My opinion...now was the right time to walk away.

 

Oh, and I forgot to post that rugged Argentinian Jorge Barrios was injured in camp and had to pull out of his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. Fringe contender Rocky Juarez will fill in for him. Link. Shame really, cause Barrios is one hell of a tough, unorthodox fighter who could have given Marquez all he could handle.

Glad Morales finally decided to retire, I thought he should of ended it after getting blasted out by Pacqaio in 3..but I did see the Diaz-Morales fight on youtube and Morales was doing very good against Diaz for the first rounds, but in the later half of the fight..well you could tell all the wars Morales went through caught up to him.

 

I think that in more of the lower weight divisions, once you get into the early thirities..you start to decline..and like you said sometimes decline rapidly. However, this is not the case in the heavyweight division. Most HW fighters actually get into their prime around the 32-35 year age, mostly because speed is not a big factor in the HW division compared to, let's say, the featherweight division

 

Barrios had to pull out eh? Great.. I hate watching Rocky Juarez fight..he just isn't exciting to me. I remember his last fight on the De La Hoya-Mayweather undercard, he knocks the guy down in like the first round then doesn't do anything for the next 11 and wins a decision. He needs a killer instinct...

 

Anyway, unfortunately, HW unification has to be postponed. Ruslan Chagaev, the WBA champ (damn Alphabet soup titlists!!!) has pulled out of the fight because of health problems, perhaps Hepatits B, in his fight against WBO champ Sultan Ibragimov. And guess who is replacing Chagaev? None other than "The Real Deal" Evander Holyfield!! Personally, I think Ibragimv is gonna give Holyfield a beating, but I will most certainly be cheering Holyfield on!

[Attorney General]

Well, we'll all have to wait a bit longer for the Fernando Vargas-Ricardo Mayorga fight. It has been postponed because Vargas has been diagnosed with anemia. I read about this first in the USA Today which said that the fight should still be fought in the next couple of months barring any additional deterrants. Shame, but at least they didn't scrap the fight all together.

 

And Burning-Ice, I'll be pulling for the Real Deal too. But fact is, I just can't get amped up about the Heavies anymore. I know some of these guys like the Klitschko's and Sam Peter are adequate fighters, but I haven't been able to stomach much of the bullsh!t the networks have been putting on TV lately. Remember Dominick Guinn? He rolled through a bunch of top 20 fighters and I really thought he was going to be great...he had a superb chin, above-average boxing ability, good power and decent speed. He was a very solid young prospect...then along comes the lowly Monte Barrett who knocked him from the unbeaten ranks. After that, I just haven't had high hopes for any heavyweight.

 

I long for the days of Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton and Quarry. But I'm afraid Larry Merchant was right when he said, in a rare moment of wisdom, that most of the great American heavyweights are playing middle linebacker in the NFL. Imagine what Brian Urlacher, Ray Lewis or Julius Pepers could've done if the sport of boxing had the commercial appeal that it had in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. I'm a boxing junkie, through and through...but I can't help but cringe at the thought of the the current heavyweight alphabet titlists. Let's just hope that greener pastures are on the horizon.

[Burning-Ice]

Well, we'll all have to wait a bit longer for the Fernando Vargas-Ricardo Mayorga fight. It has been postponed because Vargas has been diagnosed with anemia. I read about this first in the USA Today which said that the fight should still be fought in the next couple of months barring any additional deterrants. Shame, but at least they didn't scrap the fight all together.

 

And Burning-Ice, I'll be pulling for the Real Deal too. But fact is, I just can't get amped up about the Heavies anymore. I know some of these guys like the Klitschko's and Sam Peter are adequate fighters, but I haven't been able to stomach much of the bullsh!t the networks have been putting on TV lately. Remember Dominick Guinn? He rolled through a bunch of top 20 fighters and I really thought he was going to be great...he had a superb chin, above-average boxing ability, good power and decent speed. He was a very solid young prospect...then along comes the lowly Monte Barrett who knocked him from the unbeaten ranks. After that, I just haven't had high hopes for any heavyweight.

 

I long for the days of Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton and Quarry. But I'm afraid Larry Merchant was right when he said, in a rare moment of wisdom, that most of the great American heavyweights are playing middle linebacker in the NFL. Imagine what Brian Urlacher, Ray Lewis or Julius Pepers could've done if the sport of boxing had the commercial appeal that it had in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. I'm a boxing junkie, through and through...but I can't help but cringe at the thought of the the current heavyweight alphabet titlists. Let's just hope that greener pastures are on the horizon.

Well, the American heavyweight scene is indeed a mess. I agree that it is hard to get excited about Chris Arreola or Eddie Chambers (if you even know who these guys are ) but what can you do? USA amateur boxing isn't getting the talent it once had, especially in the HW division.

 

I remember Dominick Guinn, I actually wasn't a hardcore boxing fan when he beat Michael Grant and Dokiwari. However, I remember watching him fight on FNF against Friday Ahunaya when I first got into boxing. Needless to say, I was shocked that this guy was supposed to be the next great heavyweight. It's sad, he has ALL the tools to become a great fighter..but he has NO WILL to fight. He doesn't let his hands go anymore and it's a damn shame.

 

Mayorga vs Vargas actually would of been a good PPV to buy, the undercard was STACKED!!

[Attorney General]

Well, the American heavyweight scene is indeed a mess. I agree that it is hard to get excited about Chris Arreola or Eddie Chambers (if you even know who these guys are ) but what can you do?

Hear that. Networks are scouring the ranks for the next great American heavyweight...he just ain't out there. I remember HBO trying to force-feed us into believing Calvin Brock was something special. The guy's a hack. Brock was a very mediocre fighter long before he was KO'd by Wlad. I'm just glad we don't have to hear the same song and dance about this guy being a hot prospect by Merchant and Lamps.

 

A buddy of mine said Chambers looked decent against Guinn, but I missed that one. I've heard of Arreola, but I haven't seen one notable fighter on his record so far. I've never seen him fight though...suppose I'm slipping a bit in my old age. Hopefully we get a decent look at Chambers when he fights Brock in November.

 

I'll tell you what though, you should try to get your hands on the Guinn-Duncan Dokiwari fight. The Nigerian wasn't very polished, but he was huge, strong as a bull and tough too. Guinn walked through fire for a few rounds and ended up bludgeoning this poor bastard so bad that he looked like he wanted to hang up his gloves right then and there.

 

[Attorney General]

Alright, boys. This weekend was a nice kickoff to a what should be a hell of a season for the sport of boxing.

 

Kelly Pavlik KO'd Jermaine Taylor in the seventh round on Saturday night in Atlantic City, NJ to become the new World Middleweight Champion. Taylor had Pavlik hurt badly in the second round...only to find that the Youngstown native wasn't ready to call it a night just yet. Pavlik persevered the onslaught and made it through the round. After getting his legs back under him in the fourth round...I thought the two boxers traded the next few rounds. By the seventh round Pavilk was getting into his rhythm and measuring Taylor with his jab-straight right combo. I will say this...although I don't think Taylor would have made it out of the round...the ref, Steve Smoger should have given him a standing eight count. He was the champ and deserved the customary eight count. Nonetheless...Pavlik earned that victory fair and square. And how gratifying do you think it was for him to knock Taylor out after Taylor and his trainer Emmanuel Stewart were barking all week about how "mediocre" he was.

 

One official judge had Taylor ahead by four rounds and the two others had Taylor by three rounds at the time of the stoppage. I had the fight about even...although I haven't had time to give the tape a second go-round yet. Either way it was a damn good fight...and I suspect that we'll get to see these guys go at it again in the not too distant future. Should be interesting.

 

-------------

On tap...next week we get a rematch of filipino southpaw sensation Manny Pacquiao and Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barerra on HBO PPV. On the thirteenth of October we'll see a match-up between two promising young fighters in Juan Diaz and Julio Diaz in what could end up being a fight of the year candidate. And lets not forget the terrific Cotto-Mosley and Calzaghe-Kessler fights that will be here before we know it. Hatton-Mayweather, Marquez-Juarez and Trinidad-Jones Jr could all be solid fights. Certainly is lot to look forward to.

 

Here is a list of dates for these and other upcoming fights.

[tony da boss]

I really liked that fight, but I didn't really know that Pavlik too well guy so I wasn't giving him much of a chance against Taylor. I actually thought it was about to be over when he got knocked down in the 2nd. I'm starting to think Taylor is declining, after being KO'd by Pavlik and only getting a split decision against Spinks.

[pizza guy]

Apparently Oscar De La Hoya has said he would like to fight Ricky Hatton after he fights Floyd Mayweather. I'm not too sure on how certain that offer is, surely DLH would be wasting his time?

[JoeyLeone25]

Apparently Oscar De La Hoya has said he would like to fight Ricky Hatton after he fights Floyd Mayweather. I'm not too sure on how certain that offer is, surely DLH would be wasting his time?

Wasting his time, yes, but getting a nice pay-packet at the same time, and if when Ricky does put Mayweather down, a De La Hoya vs Hatton show-down would be a great fight to follow on with, especially since Oscar took Floyd all the way in the 'Fight Of The Year'.

[Attorney General]

I really hope Hatton gets inside on Mayweather early and often. He's going to have to pound the body and keep the pressure on the whole fight to have a chance. But in all honesty, I think Mayweather has his way with him. Remember, Mayweather has been fighting at 147 and above for a few a few years now...Hatton is always at 140. Plus...even if Hatton comes in in prime shape...Floyd is tireless. And his style may give Ricky fits all night with his defensive prowess and quick counter punches.

 

Think back to Hatton's only fight at 147 against Luis Collazo. He didn't look so sharp. It may have been because he moved up in weight, or Collazo's unorthodox style...or the fact that it was Hatton's first trip to fight in the US...but he didn't look great. It'll definately be interesting...and I'll be pulling hard for Ricky...but I don't know if he can pull it out against Mayweather.

 

All that said, if he can beat Floyd and become the number one pound for pound fighter in the world...there is no bigger fight, monetarily or otherwise, than Hatton-De La Hoya.

 

[Seddo]

Anyone watching Amir Khan's first title defence aginst Lawton tonight, you don't have to pay for it as it's on ITV at 10pm.

 

Should be a good fight if the match lasts more than one round.

[norniron]

Anyone watching Amir Khan's first title defence aginst Lawton tonight, you don't have to pay for it as it's on ITV at 10pm.

 

Should be a good fight if the match lasts more than one round.

Yeah Seddo i am watching that now. Should be a good fight.

[Seddo]

Yeah Seddo i am watching that now. Should be a good fight.

Lol in the opening stages Khan is all over Lawton, he can't handle him. So far i can't see this match lasting long especially when it's a championship fight.

[norniron]

Khan won in the 4 round.

Edited October 6, 2007 by norniron

[Seddo]

Khan won in the 4 round.

Well to be honest if you payed to go to this match then you would of been gutted, you would of expected a championship fight to last a lot longer. That's why i don't go to boxing matches or buy them for the PPV on telly.

[norniron]

Khan won in the 4 round.

Well to be honest if you payed to go to this match then you would of been gutted, you would of expected a championship fight to last a lot longer. That's why i don't go to boxing matches or buy them for the PPV on telly.

Yeah pretty much a waste of money.

[Attorney General]

I really wish I had the opportunity to see Kahn fight...I read that he's looked sensational in his last few fights.

 

On PPV Saturday, Manny Pacquiao looked decent in his unanimous decision win over Marco Antonio Barerra. But he was far from the form he's been in for the last several years. Looks like all the mayhem in his life...like being an action film star, rapper and politician in his native Philippines, may have caught up to him. He pressed Barerra all night...but not to the extent where he had him on his heels. To me, it seemed like he did enough to win ten rounds...but only one or two of them were decisive. Certainly, if the rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez can be made, he'll have to train harder than he did for this one.

 

Also on Saturday, Sam Peter rose off the canvas three times to win a unanimous decision over journeyman Jameel McCline...in what became a wrestling match after McCline decided he was content just to make it the distance. Peter did show some serious heart though...as he was hurt badly in the second and third rounds. In the end, he persevered...and dominated the last nine rounds.

[Waddy]

Khan was awesome then other night, out boxed the other guy in every single department, was actually a little embarrassing for the other guy, who pre match was pretty confident about giving him a good run, convinced me a little.

Khan will be world champ, when I dont know but |I reckon in the next 2 years.

[Seddo]

With his post match interview he seemed dead confident that he could atleast match khan and with is extra height and stuff i really thought he would of given Khan a challenge but once in the ring Khan just demolished him, Lawton had no chance against him.

 

If Khan keeps doing what he's doing now then i reckon he'll be world champ alot sooner.

[Attorney General]

It's been a busy week in boxing.

 

Talented Heavyweight and Philadelphia native Eddie Chambers soundly defeated Calvin Brock on Friday night to improve his record to an impressive 30-0. Chambers looked pretty sharp all around...though if he's the best the US can muster in the heavyweight division...I don't expect he'll make any serious impact in the next year or two...if ever. He seems like a pretty solid prospect...but there's not one thing in his arsenal that stands next to his quick hands. That said, he's only 25 and has plenty of time to mature.

 

Universally recognized Super Middleweight champ Joe Calzaghe butchered Mikkel Kessler in what turned out to be an unexpectedly one-sided beating. Kessler kept it close early on, but the Welshman's ferocious pace wore on his endurance over time. Calzaghe may be on a collision course with "The Executioner" Bernard Hopkins seven pounds north in the Light Heavyweight division.

 

Junior Lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez out-classed Rocky Juarez in an alphabet title match. You talk about ring-generalship, there may be no one better in the game right now at it than Marquez...save Floyd. He's looking for a rematch with Filipino firecracker Manny Pacquiao. Though, after beating Barrera a few weeks ago, Pacquiao mentioned he may move up to lightweight. Marquez-Pacquiao is one of the biggest fights that could be made in boxing right now. Their first fight was a

sensational, though highly debated contest. It's only right that we get some closure.

 

And Sakio Bika meant business tonight when he KO'd Jaidon Codrington in the 9th round to win the Conteder contest. It was a hell of a fight. I've never been a supporter of this show, but this year they brought in some legit fighters...and the results were good. Even though the show is more of a novelty, it's good to see the sport in a positive light from time to time.

 

On tap, HBO PPV will be televising Sugar Shane Mosley-Miguel Cotto this Saturday. I've been waiting for this fight since it was announced. I think it has monster potential to be a very, very good fight. Their styles, pitted against each other, are two that will probably produce fireworks. On top of that, both guys are a testament to the sport with their professionalism and conduct in and out of the ring. They deserve the spotlight...should be fun!

Edited November 7, 2007 by Attorney General

[JoeyLeone25]

Universally recognized Super Middleweight champ Joe Calzaghe butchered Mikkel Kessler in what turned out to be an unexpectedly one-sided beating. Kessler kept it close early on, but the Welshman's ferocious pace wore on his endurance over time. Calzaghe may be on a collision course with "The Executioner" Bernard Hopkins seven pounds north in the Light Heavyweight division.

I watched the fight, and being a massive fan of Calzaghe (he, Hatton and Woods are my three favourite boxers), I never thought it was one sided. Maybe in the middle rounds when Calzaghe controlled the fight, but a part from that he looked shaky at the start (and was hit with two vicious uppercuts, sending him into a daze), and at the end when Kessler was throwing everything at him, it took everything to he had to keep avoiding the massive right-hands he was throwing. I never thought it was one-sided, but Joe's class, clearly shined through.

[TheRyder1]

Sorry BUT.. I hope Ricky Hatton Smashes Floyd Mayweather...Do continue..

[Attorney General]

I watched the fight, and being a massive fan of Calzaghe (he, Hatton and Woods are my three favourite boxers), I never thought it was one sided. Maybe in the middle rounds when Calzaghe controlled the fight, but a part from that he looked shaky at the start (and was hit with two vicious uppercuts, sending him into a daze), and at the end when Kessler was throwing everything at him, it took everything to he had to keep avoiding the massive right-hands he was throwing. I never thought it was one-sided, but Joe's class, clearly shined through.

I had the fight 10 rounds to 2 for Calzaghe. I suppose it could have been 9/3...but no more than that. Kessler fought a valiant fight, but Calzaghe walked right through most of his shots and controlled the pace throughout.

 

Still, for all his worldly talents, great chin and unblemished record, I still think Calzaghe need to fight some top notch guys. Kessler is very good, and Lacy and Bika were decent. But I want to see him in there with some pound-for-pounders. No doubt he'll hold his own against the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Kelly Pavlik and Jermaine Taylor...but I need to see it. As much as I love Hopkins, I think Joe would give him all he could handle...then again, no one thought Hopkins would whoop Antonio Tarver as easy as he did. This fight needs to happen...I just hope Frank Warren and GBP can get it done.

 

What's up with Clinton Woods these day? Last I heard he beat tough slugger Glen Johnson in their rubber match. But that must've been over a year ago.

[JoeyLeone25]

I watched the fight, and being a massive fan of Calzaghe (he, Hatton and Woods are my three favourite boxers), I never thought it was one sided. Maybe in the middle rounds when Calzaghe controlled the fight, but a part from that he looked shaky at the start (and was hit with two vicious uppercuts, sending him into a daze), and at the end when Kessler was throwing everything at him, it took everything to he had to keep avoiding the massive right-hands he was throwing. I never thought it was one-sided, but Joe's class, clearly shined through.

I had the fight 10 rounds to 2 for Calzaghe. I suppose it could have been 9/3...but no more than that. Kessler fought a valiant fight, but Calzaghe walked right through most of his shots and controlled the pace throughout.

 

Still, for all his worldly talents, great chin and unblemished record, I still think Calzaghe need to fight some top notch guys. Kessler is very good, and Lacy and Bika were decent. But I want to see him in there with some pound-for-pounders. No doubt he'll hold his own against the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Kelly Pavlik and Jermaine Taylor...but I need to see it. As much as I love Hopkins, I think Joe would give him all he could handle...then again, no one thought Hopkins would whoop Antonio Tarver as easy as he did. This fight needs to happen...I just hope Frank Warren and GBP can get it done.

 

What's up with Clinton Woods these day? Last I heard he beat tough slugger Glen Johnson in their rubber match. But that must've been over a year ago.

I had it closed, more 7 to 5, but still I agree Calzaghe controlled the pace and ultimately the fight (when he calmed down and brought back the basics). Bernard Hopkins would be a great fight for HBO/Sky, but I honestly think the Executioner is past it (well where Joe is, and where he was for years), and all he's looking at is a pay-day and a beat-down like Gatti got from Gomez. Now Taylor vs Calzaghe, now that would be a fight.

 

And Woods is doing well, he beat Gomez in his hometown (hence my love for him, Sheffield boxing boys you see) around a month a go and is looking for what would be a Dream Fight (in my eyes) against Joe Calzaghe, but that obviously look's out of the window at the moment.

[Attorney General]

 

Miguel Cotto defeated "Sugar" Shane Mosley on Saturday to retain his welterweight alphabet belt. It was a terrific back and forth fight, but Cotto seemed to have control for most of it. Shane made a late run, but it was to no avail. Surprisingly, Cotto even outboxed Mosley in the last two rounds. He looks like he possesses all the intangibles that he'll need to be competitive with the best pond-for pounders in the world. Top Rank seems hell bent on putting him in there with top notch guys., so he'll probably be in line for the Hatton-Mayweather winner or a huge payday against Oscar De La Hoya.

 

There's another upcoming welterweight fight that should be great. Kermit Cintron-Paul Williams may be on the horizon, word is Cintron will have a fight in December...if he can get a win...the showdown should be on tap for early February. Nice!!

[tony da boss]

The Trinidad/Jones fight is coming up, hopefully I'll be able to catch it on HBO in a few weeks. They're both past there prime but I'm still looking forward to it. I haven't watched either of these guys in while, with Felix going in to retirement and the last time I saw Roy Jones fight was when that Glen Johnson guy completely embarrassed him, by knocking him on to the canvas without getting up for three minutes.

[OH NO]

Weve got the Macarinelli and Haye scheduled for March over here..looking forward to it. Ill be cheering Macarinelli on as hes a Welsh boy, even if he is a Swansea Jack.