Puerto Rico’s Finest!

by Onekrazyrican

There is something special about being a boxing champion in Puerto Rico that makes kids still want to do it. In times where much has been talked about American youngsters turning their attention to the NBA or NFL there is still a deep talent pool coming out of the 100 x 35 square miles island that has already produced over 30 world champions (the local commission lists over 50 by recognizing every available “world title”).

This February 21st one of the most dominant fighters of the current welterweight division makes his return after suffering his first defeat. Miguel Cotto’s bid for the vacant WBO welterweight title follows up Luis Collazo’s spirited effort last January to kick off 2009.

They lead a group of Puerto Rican fighters that will either challenge for a world title or make a title defense this year. All in all there could be up to 8 Boricua world champions simultaneously if they all are successful. Here is a list of the top 10 Puerto Rican fighters that are knocking at the doors of boxing world supremacy.

1) Miguel Angel Cotto- 32-1 (26 Kos ) Former Jr welterweight and welterweight world titlist. Coming into his epic battle against Antonio Margarito, Miguel was the only unbeaten champion in today’s hottest division. Seven months removed from losing his unbeaten record and his title he starts his way back to the top by facing the UK ’s Michael Jennings. After watching Margarito get beat down by Shane Mosley, many writers have wondered if what was witnessed was some sort of aftermath to last year’s fight of the year candidate. With Cotto being on the loosing end of that one, most attention will be paid on his future fight. Much is expected from the island’s most popular fighter and he has already promised to deliver.

2) Ivan “Iron Boy” Calderon 32-0 (6 kos) current Jr flyweight world titlist former straweight world titlist. One of the most skilled boxers in any division, the former 2000 Olympian had an impressive run at the minimum weight division. Despite his constant pursuit of big fights against fellow titlists, boxing politics have prevented him from getting that elusive unification bout. At 105 pounds, Calderon had faced almost every fighter who held a title during his reign, the only problem is that it was always easier to get the fight right after they had lost the crown. His desire to become a great fighter made him move up in weight to challenge the considerably bigger and dangerous Hugo Cazares, whom he has now defeated twice. Once again there have been talks of unification bouts against some of his fellow titlists at 108. Since last year there have been talks to face fellow 108 pounds champion Ulises Solis who has opted to face Brian Viloria first. This seems pretty familiar to what kept happening at 105 so time will tell if its history repeating itself. In the meantime Calderon is waiting for confirmation of a title defense in February.

 

3) Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez 24-0 (22 Kos ) current super bantamweight world titlist. Since entering the pro scene on 2005 “Juanma” quickly became one of the hottest prospects by stopping his first nine opponents in less than three rounds (six of them were first round knock outs). His knock outs were becoming popular highlights from Top Rank’s undercards but critics were starting to worry about him not going enough rounds during this learning stage of his career. “It’s not my fault they just fall when I hit them” he responded once. Even former title challenger Luis Bolanos with a record of 41-4 failed to test Juanma’s stamina beyond the 3 round mark. That test came in his tenth fight as a pro when he was forced to go the distance for the first time and, while he dominated the 8 round fight, he was evidently puzzled at how things went when people didn’t just fall when hit. After the fight Lopez talked about how he needed to improve his repertoire and with each fight people have witnessed his transition into more of a boxer puncher adding a dangerous right hook to his already feared left cross. That ability to adapt and evolve into a more complete boxer has started drawing comparisons to one of Puerto Rico ’s greatest champions, Wilfredo Gomez. Lopez has commented that it’s a great honor and has expressed his admiration for the man who once dominated the same weight division he’s taking by storm. With a title defense scheduled against durable veteran and 118 pound world titlist ,Gerry Penalosa, Juanma expects to continue his impressive title run that could lead him to career defining fights against Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez later this year.

 4) Daniel Santos 32-3-(23 Kos ) current Jr middleweight world titlist former welterweight world titilst. After winning the bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games Santos began his pro career by signing with Bob Arum’s Top Rank. Daniel was said to be Arum’s next project right after his success with Oscar De la Hoya and he was starting to get treated with the same formula that would be practiced by Arum in the future with selected Olympic prospects. After moving to Las Vegas to improve his English and work with Arum’s plan, Santos was starting to get frustrated with the pace at which his career was developing. Bob Arum’s main project, Oscar De La Hoya was now campaigning at the same welterweight division and Santos felt his career was affected by him not receiving as much attention as he expected from his promoter. Santos, whose out of the ring image and lifestyle could come closer to a Ricardo Mayorga than a Felix Trinidad, had a record of 20-0 (15 kos) when he was matched against 16-0 Kofi Jantuah. The troubled Santos was stopped in 5 rounds. After getting released by Top Rank, his career has been plagued by long periods of inactivity and constant changes of promoters. Add the fact that a 6’ tall Olympic medalist who happens to be a power punching southpaw is nobody’s first choice of an opponent and you get the perfect recipe for disappointment on what could have been a great career. His impressive KO victory over Canada-based Haitian Joachim Alcine was expected to be what he needed to finally get to dance for the millions. From the way this year has started it seems like his luck hasn’t gotten any better. After turning down an offer to face Sergio Martinez on short notice ,Santos now awaits news on his first title defense while calling out everyone from welterweights to middleweights.

5) Eric “Little Hands of Steel” Morel 40-2 (21 Kos ) former flyweight world titlist. Things were not looking pretty for the 1996 USA Olympic team member after losing his world title against Lorenzo Parra in 2003. Morel moved up in weight to challenge super flyweight champion Martin Castillo just to get dominated in a wide unanimous decision. Completing the debacle was the news of him being sentenced to serve time in prison. It seemed like we had seen the last of Morel as a fighter but after a 3 year layoff Morel announced he was ready to make a comeback. What has followed is an impressive string of victories in which he has showcased an explosive punching power that seemed absent before his time off. Morel was scheduled to challenge Filipino veteran Gerry Penalosa but with the 118 pounds titlist announcing his move up to face Juanma Lopez, Morel is now expected to face Mexico ’s Fernando Montiel for the vacant title. Both fighters have given signs of adopting a fan friendly style of aggressive power punching to their world class skills which makes this next chapter in the Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry a very interesting one.

 6) Kermit Cintron 30-2 (27 kos) former welterweight world titlis. At one point during last year Kermit was part of a brief Puerto Rican domination of the welterweight division where 3 of the 4 mayor welterweight titles were being held by Puerto Rican fighters. His desire to avenge his only career loss led him to offer Antonio Margarito a shot at his title and a way back into the spotlight. With a title fight scheduled against IBF belt holder Joshua Clottey in February, Kermit opted to instead face the highly regarded Sergio Martinez for the interim WBC title at Jr middleweight. Cintron was a big welterweight with impressive punching power, if he is able to carry that strength up one more division we could be about to witness the arrival of another big player in a weight class that is already packed with serious contenders flying under the radar.

7) Roman “Rocky” Martinez 21-0 (12 Kos) At 25 years old “Rocky” has become one of Puerto Rico ’s favorite fighters to root for. His war against fellow prospect Daniel “Azuquita” Jimenez was selected Puerto Rico ’s 2007 fight of the year and moved him closer to his dream of becoming a world champion. Chants of “Rocky, Rocky” have become a trademark in his promoters PR Best Boxing’s busy schedule in recent years and have often helped Martinez overcome technical disadvantages to dig deep and come out victorious. This modern era blood and guts warrior is now ready to face his biggest challenge. He will travel to the UK to face current super featherweight world titlist Nicky Cook on his home turf. No chants of Rocky will probably be heard at the M.E.N. but rest assured that there will be thousands of Puerto Rican fans watching and encouraging Rocky from a distance. Will Martinez’s determination and high work rate be enough to offset the more skilled Cook?

8.) Carlos “El Indio” Quintana 26-2 (20 Kos ) former welterweight world titlist. Another member of the Puerto Rican welterweight trio, Quintana shocked the world when he upset the feared Paul “The Punisher” Williams. Carlos had gotten some exposure on ESPN but it wasn’t until his dominant win over 2005’s best prospect, Joel Julio on HBO, that he got the world’s attention. After getting stopped in an all Puerto Rican battle for the world welterweight title “El Indio” came in as an underdog against one of the most avoided fighters in the sport and claimed his own share of the welterweight crown. Unfortunately for him an immediate rematch would make his reign a short one as he was caught and stopped in the first round by Williams. Quintana has admitted that thoughts of retirement crossed his mind after having to pull out of his last scheduled bout due to an injury but he is now ready to get back into the mix either at 147 or 154 pounds and is expected to get a meaningful fight in the first half of the year.

9) Jose “Carita” Lopez 38-7 (32 Kos ) This power punching veteran knows a lot about tough luck in title fights. Lopez has lost his previous 4 attempts at winning a world title, always fighting on his opponent’s home turf. It was 2001 when he had his last world title fight- A 12 round unanimous decision loss in which he managed to score a knock down over Fernando Montiel. It has been eight years since that day and Lopez has been on a mission for one more shot at the glory. In the process he has been collecting regional titles. He has worked his way through the ranks the hard way, upsetting veterans as well as rising prospects who wanted to use his name to boost their own credibility . Lopez has been patiently moving towards a next chance and it seems like he finally has got it. “Carita” is scheduled to face Thailand ’s Pramuansak Posuwan for the vacant WBO super flyweight world title in Puerto Rico . Despite previous talks of the fight being cancelled, it has been confirmed for March 28. For the first time he gets to have the crowd on his side for a title bid. The same crowd that has supported him during his long road back to the title shot will be there to root for him. Will the 5th try be the one?

10) Mario “El Principe” Santiago 19-1-1 (14 Kos ) Mario entered the pro scene in 2000 after being eliminated at the Olympic qualifiers by Orlando “El Fenomeno” Cruz. The future seemed to smile at him when he signed with Don King and joined team Trinidad, sharing the same stable with fighters like Tito Trinidad, Fres Oquendo, Nelson Dieppa and others. He had 3 wins in 2001 but his career took an unexpected blow when Felix Trinidad Sr. announced his retirement as a trainer leaving Mario in a contractual limbo. It wasn’t until 2004, when he was finally able to make a comeback, that his career got back on track. He had 7 fights in that year and in 2005 signed with Evangelista Cotto to join Miguel Cotto’s stable where he finally got a title shot last year against the WBO’s featherweight titlist Steven Luevano. The fight ended in a much contested draw and while Santiago has been clamoring for a rematch, there are no signs of Luevano wanting to risk his title against the “Ponce Prince” for a second time. With the featherweight division heating up in recent months a new title shot for Santiago in 2009 shouldn’t be out of the question.

The Standing 8 Count (1/25/09)

by Madcow

Just when you thought it was safe to read the BTBC Blog, Madcow is back with the latest in bovine depravity and Boxing accumen.

20,820 boxing fans packed into Staples Arena, the most ever for that venue, to see an absolute boxing clinic as Shane Mosley schooled Antonio Margarito before putting him away via TKO in the 9th. It was a one-sided beating, similar to the one Bernard Hopkins gave to Kelly Pavlik a few months ago. The common component for both fights? Nazim Richardson and his ability to totally handicap aggressive power punchers.

Towards the end of the fight I began to feel for Margarito, who was clueless as to how to defend himself or alter his game. It was kind of like watching the class bully get beat up- It’s exciting at first, but then you notice that the bully has been stripped of all machismo, gumption, swagger- everything that made him special. Margarito, like that school yard bully, was reduced to being  just a lump of matter on the canvas.

Apparently, before the fight, Nazim called attention to the fact that Margarito’s hand wraps looked to be altered in some way. Initial reports indicated that some sort of plaster-like stuff was found in the wraps. If this is the case, and Margarito is found to be guilty of loading his wraps up, I think a lifetime suspension is in order. This is a very serious charge.

On to other news- it’s being reported that Mosley and Floyd Mayweather will be entering into negotiations for a possible bout later in the year. That’s good news for the sport. Like it or not, Mayweather is one of the few boxers who still can manage to get mainstream attention from the media.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton is apparently a done deal. After a couple of weeks of back and forth bickering, it’s been reported that they finally agreed to a 52-48 split for Pacquiao. I understand Manny’s feelings after beating Oscar De la Hoya and being named Fighter of the Year, but where the hell does Hatton come off with the primadonna act? In his last fight he fought Paulie Malignaggi in a low-rated HBO show and, before that, he was slopping it up on Versus against Juan “The Hispanic Causing Pity” Lazcano. He should just be happy to be fighting on PPV again after the way he got bludgeoned last time by Mayweather.

Carl Froch/Jermain Taylor is probably dead in the water after HBO nixed the idea of airing Froch on their network. With no due respect to HBO, where do they get off acting like this will be a horrible match-up when they greedily gobbled up  Chad Dawson/Antonio Tarver Part 2?

I guess the proposed Roy Jones Jr. vs. Omar Sheika PPV bout wasn’t just a whiskey-induced hallucination. They’re actually going to go through with this! I will be informing the Merriam-Webster people to leave some space in their dictionaries for a new definition of the word, “Pathetic.”

There’s nothing pathetic about the James Kirkland vs. Joel Julio fight on HBO, March 7th, especially now that Victor Ortiz vs. Mike Arnaoutis was added to the undercard.

I give HBO a lot of well-deserved crap, but I have to give them a Madcow Jack and Water salute. They’ve given us two great fights on free HBO, the card on March 7th, and before that, the Feb. 14th show (which features Alfredo Angulo vs. Ricardo Mayorga, Nate Campbell vs. Ali Funeka and Sergio Martinez vs. Kermit Cintron) and, of course, Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz/ Chris John vs. Rocky Juarez on Feb 28th. Great Work, HBO! Just add a decent undercard to Dawson/Tarver 2 and you’ll be perfect in my book.

Sign of the Apocalypse I : A rumored Julio Cesar Chavez  Jr. vs. Hector Camacho Jr. PPV is apparently becoming more than just a rumor. Serious talks to make it happen are taking place. My recommendation is to stock up on canned foods, bottled water and batteries.

I’ll talk you you guys next Sunday. Until then, remember: Always pay up front and Never let ‘em see how much you have in your wallet.

The BTBC Welterweight Rankings

The BTBC World Rankings are a new concept in Boxing ratings. Aimed at providing a real look at the top fighters in the game, the BTBC World Rankings combine the cold, mechanical accuracy of a formula-based system with the guiding human hand of common sense.

Our rankings are designed to compile an ordered representation of who is actively and currently the best in each divison by using the following criteria on top of a won-loss/quality of opposition formula:

*Only a fighter’s bouts within his given weight class will be counted towards his ranking. (For example, Shane Mosley’s ranking at Welterweight is solely based on his performances within that weight range- His work at Jr. Middle or Lightweight is not factored into his Welterweight ranking)

*Only bouts scheduled for 10 or 12 rounds are counted towards a fighter’s specific ranking.  This prevents fighters from getting inflated records from fighting easy 4 or 6 rounders as well as preventing young fighters from achieving a falsely high ranking.

*Only fights within a 3 year period will be considered when figuring out a fighter’s rankings. Rankings should be about who’s doing what right now and not what a fighter did 8 years ago. No coasting allowed when figuring out who the most deserving fighters are.

With Antonio Margarito vs. Shane Mosley about to take place and with Berto/Collazo happening last week, here’s a look at the current BTBC Welterweight Top 20:

1) Antonio Margarito: 37-5 (27 KO)

Wins: Manuel Gomez, Joshua Clottey, Golden Johnson, Kermit Cintron, Miguel Cotto

Losses: Paul Williams

Titles: WBO (2 defenses), IBF (0 defenses), WBA (0 defenses)

2) Miguel Cotto: 32-1 (26 KO)

Wins: Carlos Quintana, Oktay Urkal, Zab Judah, Shane Mosley, Alfonso Gomez

Losses: Antonio Margarito

Titles: WBA (4 defenses)

3) Paul Williams: 36-1 (27 KO)

Wins: Walter Matthysse, Sharmba Mitchell, Santos Pakau, Antonio Margarito, Carlos Quintana

Losses: Carlos Quintana

Titles WBO (2x) (0 defenses)

4) Andre Berto: 24-0 (19 KO)

Wins: Miguel Figueroa, Norberto Bravo, Martinus Clay, Cosme Rivera, David Estrada, Michel Trabant, Miguel Angel Rodriguez, Steve Forbes, Luis Collazo

Losses: None

Titles: WBC (2 defenses)

5) Joshua Clottey: 35-2 (20 KO)

Wins: Richard Gutierrez, Shamone Alvarez, Zab Judah

Losses: Antonio Margarito

Titles: IBF (0 defenses)

6) Rafal Jackiewicz: 33-8-1 (18 KO)

Wins: David Sarraille, Joel Mayo, Nicolas Guisset, Jackson Bonsu, Jan Zaveck

Losses: None

Titles: EBU (European) (1 defense)

7) Carlos Quintana: 26-2 (20 KO)

Wins: Raul Bejarano, Joel Julio, Paul Williams

Losses: Miguel Cotto, Paul Williams

Titles: WBO (0 defenses)

8.) Jesus Soto Karass: 22-3-3 (16 KO)

Wins: Vince Phillips, Michel Rosales, Luciano Perez, Jose Antonio Ojeda, Chris Smith, David Estrada

Losses: None

Draws: Gilbert Venegas

Titles: None

9) Kermit Cintron: 30-2 (27 KO)

Wins: David Estrada, Mark Suarez, Walter Matthysse, Jesse Feliciano, Lovemore N´dou

Losses: Antonio Margarito

Titles: IBF (2 defenses)

10) Jackson Bonsu: 30-2 (23 KO)

Wins: Nordine Mouchi, Cristian De Martinis, Carlos Baldomir

Losses: Rafal Jackiewicz

Titles: EBU (European) (4 defenses)

11) Jan Zaveck: 25-1 (14 KO)

Wins: Joel Mayo, Andrei Yeskin, Nicolas Guisset, Albert Starikov

Losses: Rafal Jackiewicz

Titles: EBU (European) (0 defenses)

12) Shane Mosley: 45-5 (38 KO)

Wins: Luis Collazo

Losses: Miguel Cotto

Titles: None

13) Carlos Baldomir: 44-12-6 (13 KO)

14) Sebastian Lujan: 30-5-2 (20 KO)

15) Yuriy Nuzhnenko: 28-0-1 (13 KO)

16) Michael Jennings: 34-1 (16 KO)

17) Luis Collazo: 29-4 (14 KO)

18.) Cosme Rivera: 31-11-2 (22 KO)

19) Isaac Hlatshwayo: 28-1-1 (10)

20) Delvin Rodriguez: 23-2-2 (14 KO)

For the Complete Rankings of all 17 Divisions, Click Here:  http://www.btbc.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=rankings

The Margarito Cult of Personality

by Paul Magno

Cult of Personality: The use of mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise.

Part MMA-style bluster, part shrewd public relations- Antonio Margarito’s rise to the top of a stacked Welterweight division, like Margarito himself, was a slow-rolling juggernaut building momentum with every half-step forward while disregarding each half-step back.

Give promoter Bob Arum enough time and material and there’s no one better at creating a buzz. And a big, chest-thumping Mexican Welterweight is plenty raw material around which to construct a legend and a myth.

But as much as Arum did to create the Margarito cult of personality, the real fuel behind everything is the fervor and loyalty of the young Mexican-American fight fan who was thirsty for a hero of their own. Barrera, Morales and Marquez were all great fighters who proudly fought under the Mexican flag, but none of them appealed to the growing Latino demographic on a personal level. Margarito, however, was one of their own- Born American, raised Mexican and working class through and through. The emerging “Tijuana Tornado” was not a skilled technician or a highly professional boxer-puncher- He was a lunch pail-carrying fighter who threw tons of punches, pursued relentlessly and appealed to a stereotypical macho aesthetic as well as the diminishing attention span of an entire generation.

The third part of the Holy Trinity of hype was the Boxing press itself. In love with the idea of a throwback fighter, they glowingly reported on every Margarito fight, completely accepting Arum’s versions of events and buying into the Margarito back-story.

Despite being hard-nosed and jaded, there is nothing that Boxing writers like more than a “throwback fighter.” It’s the reason they gushed over guys like Arturo Gatti and only begrudgingly reported on the accomplishments of true greats, and Gatti contemporaries, like Pernell Whitaker and Ricardo Lopez.

The boxing press caught on to Margarito’s story right around the time of his win over Antonio Diaz for the vacant WBO Welterweight title, but they would deeply sink their teeth into the mythos right around Margarito’s 2 round blow out of Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis. What resulted was a love story that will be entering into its sixth year now.

Along the way, while reporting on Margarito’s macho exploits and lapping up Arum’s obvious sales job, some hard news was lost and some facts were completely glossed-over.

Blindly overlooked was the fact that post-Lewis massacre, Margarito’s WBO Welterweight title reign was among the worst in recent memory with just about one defense a year until the very end when the WBO forced its hand with mandatory defenses against Joshua Clottey and Paul Williams. Also swept under the rug was Margarito’s failed attempt at 154, his struggle against a Clottey with two hurt hands and, of course, his Southern California loss to Paul Williams. All we heard about in that period of time was his domination of a guy named “Hercules,” his ear-demolishing effort against Sebastian Lujan, his destruction of a stiff and painfully green Kermit Cintron and, of course, Margarito and Arum’s 8 million dollar offer to Floyd Mayweather.

The phantom offer was the masterpiece of Arum’s hype job; The perfectly safe way to get his guy over while simultaneously burying a dagger in the back of an outgoing, Mayweather, who was splitting from Top Rank just as the megabucks started coming in.

It was a transparent ploy at destroying the public image of Mayweather while using the very same tough guy, “most feared man in Boxing” reputation that Arum had been cultivating for awhile. Of course, the Margarito fans, who never had any use for Mayweather anyway, bought into it lock, stock and barrel; The fawning media, also with little love for the brash Mayweather, took the decoy as well and ran with it. Soon, with little other than some rushed words from Arum and a vague YouTube video which shows a brief and cordial meeting between Margarito and Mayweather, the publicity stunt became fact in the minds of so many. Logic be damned, Mayweather was afraid of Margarito! He had to be…or so his supporters chose to believe.

The fact of the matter is that a Mayweather/Margarito fight would’ve been an impossibility at the time and everyone knew it…except those who chose not to. The idea of Mayweather battling his way out of a Top Rank contract only to turn right around and immediately fight under the Top Rank banner and help build up Arum’s backup Welter is truly laughable and nothing short of pure fantasy. Let’s not even mention the fact that Mayweather and Arum had pending legal action against one another. Yet, the true believers gobbled it up and spread the word around, easily overlooking the obvious flaws in logic.

The Margarito Cult of Personality was chugging along at full speed with little slowing it down at that point. Even fighters who legitimately beat him in that period of time, Daniel Santos and Paul Williams, got little respect or recognition from their victories. Somehow, through the love fest, Margarito’s vanquishers were still seen as lesser fighters than their man. Almost as though a mere Technical Decision or Unanimous Decision were not enough prove their superiority- only a complete destruction of Margarito, like King Kong being shot off the Empire State Building or The Wolfman’s heart being pierced by a silver bullet, would be evidence of a loss.

Post Williams defeat, Margarito’s fans saw their guy demolish an utterly average and aged Golden Johnson and then, once again, a still-stiff and green Kermit Cintron to capture the IBF title.

Then came his bout against the consensus #1 Welterweight, Miguel Cotto. Margarito performed true to form and wore down Cotto, eventually resulting in Cotto’s corner throwing in the towel (and Cotto agreeing with them).

The surge in electricity after that moment was from the cumulative effect of millions of Margarito true believers flooding websites and message boards to thump their chests and glorify their hero in unison. The Cotto victory turned Margarito into an almost god-like figure. Half monster, half modern armament. He is now, in the minds of many of his supporters, as close to invincible as any human being can get.

The press now treats him with kid gloves, even after blowing off a proposed rematch with Clottey in November (He was traveling too much to stay in shape) and nearly walking away from the upcoming fight with Shane Mosley ( He was upset with the money). Any other fighter gets pinned to the wall for such transgressions, especially after making his toughness and willingness to fight anyone part of his talking points for the last five years, but Margarito gets a free ride because, well, he’s a “throwback” fighter…He’s a “beast”…”The Most Feared Man in Boxing.”

Boxing has been referred to as the sports world’s red light district, a no man’s land where disorder is the rule, where perception doesn’t just become reality…it IS reality. Rumor becomes fact with the idea being that whoever lies first and best is credited with telling the truth….Most of the myth around Margarito is not a lie, only a skillfully molded truth fueled by the desires and hopes of the people who have invested their hearts and, yes, money into glorifying the idea of a fighter like Margarito.

Antonio Margarito is what he is- a flawed and technically challenged fighter who has been craftily steered around certain types of opponents. He has fairly recent losses to Santos and Williams and was well on his way to a loss against Clottey. He’s also the rightful #1 Welterweight in the world and a big favorite to beat all but two or three fighters in the BTBC Top 20 at 147.

As he prepares to fight “Sugar” Shane Mosley this Saturday, we can be assured that, after this bout, a lot will be learned about Margarito, the fighter, as well as Margarito, the man.…But the cult of personality around Margarito is not really about the man from Tijuana with the WBA belt…Its about the idea of Antonio Margarito and everything that idea represents to his true believers… and from what we’ve seen during the last 5 years or so, an idea is a difficult thing to defeat…

The Standing 8 Count (1/18/09)

by Madcow

Hurray for me! Alimony, liver problems and 7 addictions be damned! The Madcow is back for another round of low-blows, ear-biting and strip club clinching.

Bravo to HBO and Andre Berto and Luis Collazo for putting on a helluva show last night. Great, honest fight between two guys actually hungry for a win. I had Collazo winning, but it was close and I think a rematch would be a great thing for the divison.

Bill Clancy, 116-111 Berto? 9 rounds to 3, Berto? Billy Boy, do yourself a favor and stay home the next time you get the call to judge a fight. In other words…you suck donkey balls!

My one complaint is about the HBO crew. I know everyone’s on-air role, but is Harold Lederman neccessary anymore? He was never all that great, but what little he did have he’s lost. His analysis is wrong, his scoring is off and he’s just a flat-out bore. If HBO wants to save some money on  their boxing shows, let Lederman go off to a nice old folks home where he belongs.

The HBO broadcast team has become like a family to me: Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant are the angry, drunken uncles at the dinner table, Max Kellerman is the younger cousin who’s full of himself since starting his internship at Bank of America, Lennox Lewis is the befuddled brother-in-law who’s just trying to stay afloat and Harold Lederman is the Alzheimers-ridden grandfather who pisses his pants right before the main course.

Speaking of HBO, next week is the big Antonio Margarito vs. Shane Mosley showdown. This has to be a classic and it will make the network 2 for 2 in ‘09.

My prediction for Margarito/Mosley? Margarito’s gonna be the first to stop Shane and not all the Balco creme in the world is gonna make him young enough to withstand 12 rounds of Margarito’s canned-ham fists.

Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao are still having a hold-up over money issues. Manny wants a 60-40 split and Hatton wants 50-50. Pacquiao should just pull out and sign somewhere else and then see how much money Hatton can make fighting Andreas Kotelnik. Or, better yet, have Ricky and Manny take 40% each and suspend the remaining 20% in cash over the ring in a plastic bag. Then, as the winner is announced, the bag can be burst open and the fighter would be showered in 20’s and 50’s.

After months of rumor and near-misses, it looks as though David Tua vs. Shane Cameron is finally on the verge of being signed. Hurray! Apparently, this is some sort of Polynesian/South Pacific mega fight but, to the rest of the world, this is a battle between two meaningless heavyweights- one older, one younger- both worthless in 2009.

Amir Khan and Marco Antonio Barrera are all set to have it out in Manchester in March. I don’t know if Frank Warren has a title for this event yet, but I would humbly submit: Has Been vs. Never Will Be. I’ll be pulling for Barrera, although it’s hard to decide what will be for the sport’s greater good: Having an aged and weary Barrera put out of his misery or having an overrated Amir Khan further exposed and finally eliminated.

Speaking of misery, Jose Luis Castillo beat cardboard cutout, James Wayka in Mexicali, Mexico. From Fight of the Year to fighting in some Mexican Bingo Hall in the course of about 3 years…that’s a quicker descent than the plane that plopped into the Hudson River. Let’s hope Castillo dosn’t get within sniffing distance of a legit title shot.

Tommy Morrison makes another comeback on January 31st as he continues his tour of states with weak comissions and  disorganized medical requirements. Morrison will be fighting Boxing’s bravest 7-9-2 fighter, Corey Williams in Wyoming…Catch Tommy Morrison Fever- It’s Contagious!

Speaking of contagious, I have a date in an hour or so and I have to scrub down before she gets here.

Have a Jack and Water in my honor and I’ll see ya next Sunday.

Reading Between the Scores

by Paul Magno

As a licensed judge in Mexico, I have been fortunate enough to gain some insight on how fights are scored and, more importantly, how the judges themselves see their own scoring.

Judges, without a doubt, are constantly sending messages to fighters through the way they score rounds, and not just the obvious message of who hits who more often. If you look carefully at how certain fighters get their fights scored, you will see patterns and subliminal messages about everything from style to likability.

Most obvious is in the case of a veteran fighter who has overstayed his welcome in the sport and who is now suddenly getting bad press after years of success. Those who judge his fights will no longer be so willing to give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to close rounds whereas, in their prime, they would get the nod. A good example was in the Bernard Hopkins/Joe Calzaghe bout where several rounds were very close, but Hopkins didn’t get the benefit of the doubt in any of them. Another example was Pernell Whitaker in the last portion of his career. Whitaker, in his prime, won rounds on sheer defense and style, but as the days passed and more exciting Welterweights began to make a name for themselves, Whitaker’s style and defense wasn’t enough anymore.

A similar phenomenon is when a young, well-regarded prospect’s star begins to fall. In the rise up, his name and reputation are enough to get him through some close rounds here and there, but as James McGirt Jr. learned this Friday, the judges have no sympathy for a prospect who is not quite so promising anymore.

McGirt was beaten by journeyman Angel Hernandez in a close MD in a bout that could’ve and would’ve gone to McGirt if it had taken place a year ago. Instead, McGirt was coming off a draw with another journeyman and a loss a few fights earlier. The judges were not going to be inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt for anything…and they didn’t.

I’m not saying that the judges are consciously judging fights based on personal feelings and prejudices and I’m not saying that anyone is forcing their hand in judging the way they do. But judges are human and, as all humans do, we love to put things in their proper context and keep in line with established patterns…We also all love a good story and there’s no better story than an unheralded underdog taking a win from a more talented prospect who simply hasn’t been giving it his all…

James and his Dad, Buddy, should’ve known that and should’ve been ready to flip the script, change the pattern and start a whole new story…

Andre Berto and The Road to Welterweight Respect

by Paul Magno

The Welterweight division’s best prospect just happens to be the reigning WBC Welterweight champion of the world. Don’t think that the irony of that statement is lost on the vast majority of Boxing fans.

Unfortunately, most fans of the Sweet Science are not subtle in their judgments or careful in their choice of words. The end result is a cascade of criticisms, rightful or not, for the fighter who currently holds the belt of the former lineal champ, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Andre Berto, himself, felt the sting of some of these criticisms as he answered phone calls on a national Boxing radio show. Listeners and fans basically called in to remind Berto that he hadn’t fought anybody yet and that his upcoming bout with #1 challenger Luis Collazo, could (to put it kindly) be a bit more than he can handle.

Berto, seemingly as quick with his wit as with his fists, shot back a standard, well-practiced answer that he had to reiterate a few times throughout the course of the interview and probably more than a few times in recent months. He basically pointed out that he has been in the game for just 4 years and that his resume, while improving, is right where it should be and would stack up to any of the top welters’ at a similar stage in their careers.

This is not a satisfying answer to most fans who care little about reason when they smell the blood of what they see as an undeserving champion. However, technically, what Berto said was true.

Andre Berto is not in the peer group of Margarito, Cotto or Clottey. He belongs to the generation of upcoming stars such as Andre Ward, Chris Arreola, James Kirkland, The Peterson Brothers, Joe Greene and Peter Quillin. A group of young fighters around the ages of 23 to 25 with solid amateur careers and an average of about 4 years of professional experience apiece.

The difference between Berto and the rest is that, while the others are still considered prospects, fighting to make a name for themselves, Berto has already been to the top of the HBO food chain and has snatched up a world title on the way.

Through some shrewd management and good marketing, Berto was able to somehow find himself nestled comfortably into the #1 spot behind Floyd Mayweather in the WBC rankings. It was the perfect spot for someone with an eye on greatness but the understanding that he needs some work before that. Mayweather would provide the perfect shield for Berto, making high-profile fights while brushing his #1 challenger aside and maybe even offering some step-aside money for not making waves while “Pretty Boy” Floyd tried to sell pay per views.

However, the plan got flipped on its head when Mayweather abruptly decided to retire from the sport and, therefore, vacate his title. Now, Andre Berto and his people had no choice but to pick up the pace and take care of #2 ranked Miguel Angel Rodriguez to claim the title a lot earlier than planned.

The likeable kid from Miami has no doubt been brought up right when it comes to proper opposition and match-ups. He’s been in there against a tough ex-champ in Cosme Rivera, blue-collar journeymen like David Estrada and Norberto Bravo and, most recently, veteran slickster Steve Forbes. His resume can certainly be stacked up against any of the other young fighters of his generation.

 

But is it the resume of a reigning world champ?

If he gets by his current mandatory, well-schooled ex-champ, Luis Collazo on Saturday, Berto will have some time to stretch his wings and do some more learning on the job, but he will continue to be followed around with the questions concerning his legitimacy as world champ, questions which, while the obviously edgy type that “hardcore” fans are supposed to ask, aren’t entirely legit in and of themselves.

To put things in proper perspective, you have to take a look at the top Welters and where they were when they were at the same point as Berto, just about 4 years after their pro debut:

Margarito, Clottey and Williams were still on the club circuit, just starting to get the chance to fight veteran journeymen.

Cotto had just become 140 lb. champ and was starting to make a name against the likes of Kelson Pinto and Randall Bailey

Shane Mosley, at about the same point in his career as Berto right now, had just beaten Phillip Holiday to capture his first world title at 135.

So, upon further inspection, Andre Berto is not too far behind the curve. Actually, he’s smack-dab on the right track. But tell that to the average fan who is comparing Berto, the work in progress, to the established top dogs at 147.

It’s tough not to see this as a no-win situation for Berto. If he continues to learn on the job, gradually upping the level of his competition over time until he reaches his prime, he will be hounded by the doubters and the critics. If he jumps right into the fire and goes after the Margaritos and Cottos of the division, they may end his path to glory just as it begins, much like when the 23 year old Fernando Vargas was fed alive to Felix Trinidad back in the year 2000. Vargas was never the same after that.

For Andre Berto to come out of his predicament successfully, he’ll have to strike a balance between winnable fights that serve as learning experiences and quality defenses against fighters who have a legit chance of winning the title.

But the road to Welterweight respect won’t be easy…and it won’t even be possible unless he gets past Luis Collazo first.

The case for/against Antonio Margarito

by Punchdrunk

Antonio Margarito has become a lightning rod for discussion these days. It seems you either love him or hate him. Anyone who posts here regularly knows how I feel about him. Some (you know who you are………Paul) might even say I am biased towards him. I don’t totally disagree with that viewpoint. But I think what heterosexual crush I have on him is still tinged with a hint of realism. Contrary to popular belief I don’t think he’s unbeatable. He is full of faults and most times, gets wins based on his toughness and conditioning alone.

Some people dislike (I think that the word hate is too strong) Antonio Margarito. And I can totally relate to that. It seems to me much like the recent examples of Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather jr, Oscar De La Hoya and Joe Calzaghe. I think all are very good to great boxers, but their fans have a tendency to overrate their accomplishments or place in history. All of them have very good wins but a closer look at some of those wins puts them more into perspective. It’s easy nowadays for a fighter to pick up titles in multiple weight classes without facing the best at that weight. A closer look at certain wins might bring most super fans down to earth regarding their chosen boxing deity.

When I first started typing this blog, I was planning on writing a blog defending Margarito and his accomplishments. But then, I thought ,why would anyone care about what I thought about Margarito? As a possibly biased individual ,could I be counted upon to show both the good and bad sides of Margarito’s career? So, I thought to myself, why not write a blog that forces me to look at both sides of the equation? You,the reader, can read this and take a hard look at the evidence put forth and decide for yourself.

So at the risk of exposing one of my favorite fighters, I will be taking closer look at some of Antonio Margarito’s biggest accomplishments. I will be doing this in a point/counterpoint format. First comes the good then comes the bad. This way ,the negatives about Margarito’s superhuman feats ( this is going to be harder than I thought) will get the last say .So join me as I attempt to take an unbiased and fair look at Margarito’s 3 biggest claims to fame.

Title reigns

POINT:

Antonio Margarito is a 3 time welterweight champion and has held WBO and IBF versions of the 147lb crown, as well as the WBA title he currently holds. He held the WBO title from 2002 to 2006, winning the vacant title against Antonio Diaz and losing it to Paul Williams. During that time he went 9-1 with 7 KOs. After losing the WBO belt, he won the IBF trinket from Kermit Cintron, a previous victim who had not lost since and had seemed to mature as a fighter. He then vacated the belt for a fight fan’s fight with WBA champion and recognized #1 welterweight Miguel Cotto. He won when Cotto’s corner saved him from further punishment in the 11th round of what turned out to be a brutal fight. In his combined reign as a welterweight champ he went 12-1 with 8 KOs, losing only to freakishly tall and talented Paul Williams in a close decision.

COUNTERPOINT:

As promised in the intro to this blog, let’s take a closer look at Margarito’s title reign. We’ll start with his reign as WBO champion.

Antonio Diaz ,while talented, was one year removed from a 5th round TKO to Shane Mosley. To get the title shot he beat four journeyman. Two retired immediately after the losses and another never won a fight again and was stopped 6 out of the 9 times he continued fighting.

Danny Perez, who had the glossy record you would expect from a prospect, earned his first shot by beating David Kamau. Kamau coming off a 2nd round KO to Oscar De La Hoya………22 months earlier. After losing a close split decision, Perez would earn his second shot by beating 11 straight opponents. All 11 were coming off a loss except for two fighters including an 8-3 opponent.

Hecules Kyvelos was an undefeated but undeserving and untested Canadian.

Sebastian Lujan had never fought outside of Argentina.

Kermit Cintron, a heavy handed prospect, was still green when he challenged Margarito. His best win to date was an 8th round stoppage of Jamaican banger Teddy Reid, who was stopped 3 rounds earlier at 140lbs by Ghanian contender Ben Tackie. After winning the IBF strap and going life and death with two limited brawlers, he lost in a rematch with Margarito.

Manuel Gomez ,although undefeated in twelve fights, was a journeyman coming off a draw with an 11-3-1 opponent.

Joshua Clottey, a poor man’s Ike Quartey, lost a ridiculously wide unanimous decision in a fight he looked well on his way to winning before injuring his right hand.

As for the IBF, it’s almost an insult call winning a belt and dropping it a reign. He won it from Cintron who he easily beat in their first fight and dropped it to avoid a tough rematch from mandatory Clottey.

The Cotto win

POINT:

After years of being avoided by the elite of the welterweight division, Margarito finally made his way to the top of the welterweight division with a win against undefeated Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto. After being outboxed for the first 6 rounds, he came on strong late to force an exhausted Cotto to wilt. With their fighter physically and mentally beaten Cotto’s corner was forced to throw in the towel when Cotto took a knee for the 2nd time in the 11th round. It was huge win for Margarito, who was a big underdog in a big time fight that actually lived up to the hype. Cotto was considered no worse than top 5 pound for pound and some lists had him as high as 2nd or 3rd.

COUNTERPOINT:

Forget the odds. Cotto was damn near tailor made for Margarito. And his performances in past fights, as good as they were, showed why. Cotto tired down the stretch of his bout with Shane Mosley, an aging boxer/puncher. And had Mosley not done the same due to his age, Margarito wouldn’t have been the first fighter to beat Cotto. Everybody knew that Margarito’s workrate and bodypunching would make Cotto expend himself more in this fight than in the Mosley fight. Also,Cotto’s defense when pressured is to put on the ear muffs and lean forward, which leaves him open to Margarito’s best punch , an uppercut straight up the middle. Another problem was that Cotto’s gameplan in the ring has always been to come forward and break his opponent down. When put in with a taller guy with a much better chin and heavy hands, Cotto was unable to turn from pressure fighter to fleet footed boxer. Add to all this Cotto’s sometimes suspect chin and you can see why nobody should have been surprised with the result to this fight.

“The most feared man in boxing”

POINT:

Margarito, for most of his career, was the definition of a high risk/low reward fighter. While some elite fighters in and around his division feasted on past their prime names or contenders fighting out of their optimum weight, Margarito was often the odd man out. Seen as a somewhat limited but tough champ , everyone knew that win or lose it would not be an easy fight. A huge welterweight with a solid chin and incredible workrate is about as popular as the plague, just ask Paul Williams.

At 147, both Shane Mosley and pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather jr turned down multi-million dollar deals to face Margarito. Nicaraguan wildman Ricardo Mayorga, just days after knocking out pound for pound entrant and welter weight titlist Vernon Forrest, refused to even acknowledge Margarito’s plea for a unification fight. At 154,tricky southpaw Winky Wright, volume punching Kassim Ouma and The Golden Boy Oscar De La hoya refused to even glance at any contract that had Margarito’s name on it. De La Hoya even had said before the Cotto-Margarito fight that he would fight the winner, believing Cotto would come out on top in a bloody war. When the result didn’t come out the way he envisioned ,he decided to fight blown up lightweight Manny Pacquiao instead.

COUNTERPOINT:

At the times the offers were made, both Mosley and Mayweather were looking for bigger fights. Margarito was just the WBO champ and invisible to the public at large. Mayweather was looking to a huge fight with De La hoya, he had been for years. Mosley was looking towards possible fights with hugely popular Fernando Vargas, Mayorga and Mayweather himself. Mayorga was tied up with the rematch with Forrest and later a proposed clash with Mosley, should he get past the light hitting Cory Spinks.

Ouma was chasing his own fight, a unification with Wright. Wright had his eyes on De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins, the middleweight living legend. De La Hoya never had any reason to fight Margarito. Cotto was the big draw. When that fight fell through, De La Hoya looked towards a fight with Pacquiao, the current number one pound for pound fighter in the world.

Do you know what all these fights, proposed or otherwise, had in common? They were all bigger fights than they would have had fighting Margarito. And don’t feel bad for Margarito, since gaining recognition as one of the top welterweights in the world, he has already ducked rematches with both Paul Williams and Joshua Clottey (twice for Clottey) and almost got out of a Mosley fight citing money issues after saying Mosley was “scared to fight me”.Not bad,huh?

Now you’ve heard the from both the defense and prosecution. Now it’s up to you to decide for yourself. Antonio Margarito: feared warrior or overrated bum?

British Boxing – A (brief!) year in review and predictions for 2009

by Simon Garner

All in all it has been a pretty good year for British boxing but we’ve had some big low points. Amir Khan had a few solid performances followed by a 54 second blow-out against Breidis Prescott in which we were forced to watch the Olympic silver medalist shudder and come crashing down like a drunken mother-in-law dancing at her child’s wedding. Although his star is somewhat diminished following this performance, he redeemed himself with one-sided defeat of Oisin Fagan in December.

Joe Calzaghe was floored twice by two first ballot hall-of-famers with a combined age of over 80 but still managed to come home with two decision wins. One heavily contested the other…less so… His fight against Roy Jones Jr. was a joke at the very least. The Italian Dragon was well aware that the four-weight world champion was shot to kingdom come after his performances against Tarver, Johnson and more recently against the flabby former welterweight Felix “Tito” Trinidad. Although he won convincingly, he embarrassed himself by not only taking this fight, but by the way he conducted himself in it as well.

Ricky Hatton won a closer-than-it-should-have-been contest against Juan Lazcano in front of 57,000 fans in his home city of Manchester, and quickly dispensed with the services of long-time trainer Billy Graham. He soon hired Floyd Mayweather Sr. and a rejuvenated Hitman emerged with a convincing TKO victory over top light-welterweight Paulie Malignaggi and in this writers opinion has put forward a strong argument as being a top-10 pound-for-pound fighter again.

The big name in British boxing in 2008 was one David “Hayemaker” Haye. He came into the year as undisputed cruiserweight champ following his convincing victory over former champ Jean-Marc Mormeck and took Enzo Macarinelli’s WBO title from him in a two-round demolition which made the Swansea native look like a slow, plodding journeyman without a plan. I’ll leave you to ponder that thought for a second…….

….Anyway, Mr. Haye went on to bigger and better things in 2008. He moved up to the heavyweight division and immediately began calling out all the big guns. He provided a breath of fresh air to a division that had previously been as compelling to watch as the film “Pearl Harbor.” God I hate Ben Affleck!!

By running around like a child who’s eaten too many smarties (see http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jnOANul82Tw&feature=PlayList&p=2B3506B6E3D18805&playnext=1&index=67) and launching some personal attacks on the Klitschko’s, he’s brought himself so much attention a title shot against one of the brothers is inevitable, even if he has to wait just that little bit longer to get his chance. As regular contributor to the BTBC, smoothstyle1 says: Honk! Honk! All aboard the David Haye bandwagon! Don’t worry smooth, I’m already there.

The end of year brought a long awaited world title win for Carl Froch who scored a 12-round unanimous decision over Jean Pascal. The Cobra had been subjected to so many disappointments in recent years with injuries to himself and to his opponents at the last moment, preventing him from reaching that next level. However, 2008 was the Nottingham boy’s year (hardly a boy at 30 I know, but I digress).

British Amateur Boxing had its best year of recent times with the highlight being James DeGale’s Olympic gold medal in the middleweight division. Most of the Olympic hopefuls have now turned pro and Frankie Gavin, Billie-Joe Saunders and DeGale are rumoured to be making their professional debuts on the Matt Skelton-Mark Rogan undercard on 28^th February. The next generation looks very promising for British boxing.

As well as the Beijing boys, the British isles have a number of young fighters rising quickly through the ranks such as Nathan Cleverly (21, Super-Middleweight, Commonwealth Champion, 13-0), Paul Appleby (21, featherweight, British champion 13-0) and Kell Brook (22, welterweight, British champion, 18-0) who looks the best of the bunch.

Predictions for 2009

 

Boxing and British boxing especially, is in a very healthy situation at the moment and I completely refute Joe Calzaghe’s claims that boxing is a dying art (see http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/mma/boxing/12/10/calzaghe-dying.ap/index.html). British fighters had a great end to 2008 and as proven above, the talent pool is wide. So here we go, my predictions for 2009:

· David Haye will bring some life back to a division which has been on a life-support-machine since the retirement of Lennox Lewis. I’m not saying he’ll beat either of the Klitschkos but we’re gonna have some fun watching it.

· Joe Calzaghe’s gone. I have seen no clear indications that he’s going to return and there are no “big” names for him to fight. I appreciate we’d all like to see him against IBF/IBO Champion Chad Dawson, but Joe’s not going to get out of bed for anything less than a hall-of-fame fighter as was proven in 2008. Apart from Hopkins who Joe has refused to fight again (and thank god, the first fight was dire), there are none around. Therefore, he won’t fight again.

· Ricky Hatton is approaching the last couple of years of his career and so, will be looking for big money fights. There is no bigger name than Manny Pacquiao and a mega-fight on May 2^nd is apparently almost done and dusted. Where he goes after that is anyone’s guess, I just hope it isn’t a rematch against Pretty Boy Floyd, as he’ll be out of there quicker than the Mancunian crowd can shout “who are ya” at the 5-weight world champ.

· Carl Froch will fight a mandatory defence and chase Jermain Taylor for that big money fight. Will it come? I hope so. He deserves it.

· Amir Khan will carry on learning and maturing under the tutelage of Freddie Roach, but given the current strength of the lightweight division, a world title shot is probably out the question in 2009. A match-up with former WBO super-featherweight champion Alex Arthur would be straightforward to set up as both are promoted by Frank Warren. A fight with a faded star such as Julio Diaz or Michael Katsidis is probably the best we can hope for , and a chance to avenge his first professional defeat against Breidis Prescott, would be too good too turn down.

· The other young hopefuls spoken of in this article will continue to prosper but world title shots are probably a few years away. The Olympic boys should fight 6-8 times in 2009 according to Frank Warren so by the end of the year, we should have a good idea of where they’re headed.

2009 IS Boxing.

The Standing 8 Count (1/11/09)

by Madcow

Well, I certainly needed a break, but my poor liver hasn’t been so battered since I accidentally got locked in one of my favorite watering holes at closing time. I don’t know about you chumps, but I spent 2 cold and nasty Winter weeks in a Tropical climate getting sponge baths and happy endings from girls who wouldn’t know English from Pig Latin.

Even though I had a great time off, it was good to get back home and see some live Boxing on TV regardless of who was fighting.

The more I see of Yuriorkis Gamboa, the less I’m impressed. He’s got the raw material, but the kid is too cocky and he’s a KO of the Year ready to happen. If he fought any of the tough guys in his division he would get his head knocked back to Cuba. I’m officially off the bandwagon until he learns to keep his hands up.

The other featured fighter on the card was fellow Cuban and Gamboa teammate, Odlanier Solis. All I can say about Solis is that he’ll fit in nicely with the crop of lazy, fat American Heavyweights we have right now. The Heavyweight division needs another fatso like James Toney needs another All You Can Eat Buffet in his neighborhood.

The only one of the 3 Cubans who impressed me was Erislandy Lara and maybe that’s just because he KO’d his bum in 1 round. If he would only fight bums for the rest of his career, he’d be guaranteed of always looking impressive. Hell, it’s working for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

The WBO has magically made Marco Antonio Barrera their #1 contender in the Lightweight division. I say “magically” because a trip to Boxrec.com confirms that Barrera has never officiall fought at 135…so with one bogus move, the WBO magically destroyed their entire division’s credibility.

In the lower part of their Lightweight rankings, the WBO has a Filipino fighter listed by the name of Jason Pagara. Roughly translated to English, “Pagara” means, “He will pay.” I’ve never seen the kid fight, but with a name like that, I’m sure he’ll go far.

Andre Berto and Luis Collazo will be fighting in the first televised HBO bout of 2009. This is a good match-up and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Too bad only Berto’s and Collazo’s immediate family will be watching it. The ratings for this one will be horrible and HBO will feel justified in their love affair with all things “Golden.”  My prediction: Berto- Easy like Pam Anderson.

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights hired Bernard Hopkins as a semi-regular guest commentator for their shows. Great move for us fight fans who are tired of hearing Teddy Atlas speak about silent pacts and the New York Jets. When Hopkins opens up and talks about the subject of Boxing, you can understand what it felt like to get a lecture on Physics from Albert Einstein. How in the world did B-Hop ever lose to a bum like Joe Calzaghe?

It looks like David Haye will be knocked out by Wladimir Klitschko instead of Vitali Klitschko since Vitali will be busy knocking out mandatory pest Juan Carlos Gomez. Either way, it should be fun seeing Haye’s massive ego splattered all over the ring.

I’ve been getting accused of being anti-UK in this column, but there could be nothing further from the truth. It just seems to be that the UK spawns whiny, self-obsessed and overrated bums like Haye and Calzaghe. But I like Ricky Hatton and how could you dislike a guy like Carl Froch, who wants to fight everyone? And, of course, how could you dislike a people who serve a dish like Pie and mash- the most disgusting-looking but exceptionally delicious “man food” in all of Europe?

Ok, gotta shovel the snow from in front of my compound. How else are the escort services, pizza places and process servers gonna find me?

See ya next Sunday.

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

by Punchdrunk

It’s hard to be a boxing fan these days.

We are decades past the Golden Age of boxing and overflowing with alphabet trinkets. Long gone are the days of boxing regularly being featured on network TV or in the local press. And sadly, the face of our sport is a part-time fighter/full-time promoter far past his prime.

But I digress.

If there is one thing harder than being a boxing fan,it’s being a fan of both boxing AND mixed martial arts.

As a fan of both ,I am constantly hearing the arguments from both sides. MMA fans say boxing is just two guys in over sized gloves pity-patting each other to death. Boxing fans say MMA is just two guys throwing sloppy punches and then dry humping. The only thing both fans agree on is that the opposite sport is boring to them.

I respectfully disagree with all of those views.

To MMA fans, I would say you have not been watching the right fights. Watch the first fight between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo or the first Mickey Ward and Arturo Gatti fight and tell me those guys were pity-patting each other .It’s even arguable that the 10th round of Corrales-Castillo 1 is the most dramatic turn around in sports history. Sure, there are boring fights. But you’d be lying if you tried to tell me there weren’t a fair share of boring MMA fights as well. How many fights just in the past year have featured one fighter getting a take down and doing nothing with it on the ground?

 

 

 

 

 

 

To boxing fans, I would say that you have to learn to appreciate the subtlety of what you call “dry humping”. The ground game in MMA is very complex. It is equal parts Olympic wrestling and martial arts. First ,taking down your opponent. Then, once you have him there, gaining a position that either sets your opponent up for a submission or puts him in a position for you to rain down punches on him. And all the while, making sure you yourself don’t get caught in either predicament. And as far as what most boxing fans see as “sloppy punches”,it’s not boxing. Boxers just have to worry about getting hit with fists from the waist up. In MMA you have to go from punching to defending take downs and leg kicks ,so you should forgive them if their punches look rather unorthodox.

And then there is the never ending debate of who would win in a fight: a boxer or a mixed martial artist? The answer, to me, is based upon where this mythical match up takes place. Only the proverbial puncher’s chance could upset the odds in either case, in my opinion.

In a boxing match, the boxer would be at home. Gone would be the many tools in a mixed martial artist’s arsenal. It would be someone who dabbled in one sport taking on an expert from that same sport. You would be crazy not to bet on the boxer.

Likewise, in a MMA match, a boxer would be seriously disadvantaged. He would , one assumes, be untrained in grappling or submissions and be little more than a sitting duck should the fight go to the ground. Odds would favor the mixed martial artist coming away with the victory.

Although boxing and MMA are different, they are both similar in many ways. Both sports, man vs. man in unarmed combat. The ever present threat of a severe physical beating, serious injury or even death , very real. This, I think , is what drew me to both sports. This isn’t the NBA ,NFL or MLB. There are no teammates to pick up the slack if you have an “off night.” And whether you step into a ring or a cage, an “off night” is likely to result in getting knocked out and/or pummeled.

But that is where the similarities between boxing and MMA end. They are two totally different sports. You can’t compare the two any easier than you can football and basketball. Sure, they both involve a ball and running but not much else.

So the next time you hear an MMA fan say boxing is dying or a boxing fan say MMA will soon die out, you can say these two things: First, boxing and MMA are going nowhere in the foreseeable future. And , secondly, can’t we all just get along?

The Controversial Fight Series: Bernard Hopkins vs. Jermain Taylor I

by Simon Garner / Paul (PBD)

July 16th, 2005

PBD- Bernard Hopkins came into this bout as the last truly undisputed Champion of the World, holding all 4 recognized Middleweight world titles. Jermain Taylor was the 21st challenge for The Executioner, but after about 9 years as champ and close to 17 as a pro, the years were definitely catching up to him…and Taylor wasn’t just any challenger. Hopkins would have to deal with a quick, sharp and youthfully hungry Arkansas native who truly believed it was his destiny to retire the old pro.

Hopkins used his world of experience to keep the first 3/4 of the fight close, only to come on strong at the end and pull out the win…but the judges didn’t see it that way.

Simon- Jermain Taylor entered his fight with Bernard Hopkins as an undefeated prospect with a record of 23-0. However, his resume largely consisted of fighters who had moved up from 147lb and 154lb and a shot William Joppy. So a fight against once of the best middleweights of all-time was a hell of a step-up for the challenger from Arkansas. But at the same time, it was also a risk for Hopkins. He was taking on a strong, athletic, hungry contender with a stinging jab. Was this too much for a 40-year-old veteran? The judges thought it was, Taylor edged the fight on a split-decision to become the undisputed middleweight champion of the world. Or did he? Should he have won? I put the case that Taylor won the fight because he outworked Hopkins in what was a very close, tentative fight. He won enough of the close rounds to make the difference when the fight went to the scorecards.

Round 1

PBD: This was a very slow round , both guys were feeling each other out. Bernard shows off his excellent defense while Taylor is the busier puncher landing some jabs. (Round :Taylor 10-9)

Simon: Bit of a cagey first round, not much going on while the two fighters try and work each other out. Difficult one to score but I gave it to Taylor due to his better work rate. He landed a couple of overhand rights but nothing really connected. He forced the issue while Hopkins was content to merely stalk his prey. (Round: Taylor 10-9)

Round 2

PBD: Taylor lands effective shots to open the round. Hopkins shows off his skill on fighting on the inside. Taylor gets Bernard against the ropes towards the end of the round. (Round: Taylor 10-9, Total Taylor 20-18

Simon: A better round than the first. Taylor stuns Hopkins early with another right-hand but Hopkins manages to hold on. Taylor used his better speed and reflexes to counter Bernard and didn’t allow Hopkins to get into a rhythm. A better round than the first for Hopkins, an improved work rate and he looks like he’s starting to get his jab working. Nevertheless, another round for the boy from Arkansas. (Round: Taylor 10-9, Total: Taylor 20-18

Round 3

PBD: Taylor still showing his great jab , while Bernard shows off his defense. A lot of flash from Jermain in round 3 but not too much lands. (Round: Taylor 10-9, Total: Taylor 30-27)

Simon: This fight’s getting better by the round. Hopkins begins by trying to rough Taylor up, but Jermain catches his opponent half way through the round with a double jab, putting Hopkins on the back foot. Some good shots are traded later on in the round by both fighters with Hopkins getting the best of it with a good left counter. A difficult round to call because both made a decent case for winning it. (Even 10-10, Total: Taylor 30-28

Round 4

PBD: They have a good exchange in the beginning , Hopkins still doing his work on the inside while Jermain jabs from the outside. Another flurry towards the end ,close round but I give it to Jermain. (Round : Taylor 10-9, Total: Taylor, 40-36)

Simon: A quiet round really, a few clinches with nothing very effective thrown. I gave the round to Hopkins just purely on quality of punches. Taylor threw more but nothing landed where as Hopkins caught Taylor with a couple of shots despite having little impact. (Round: Hopkins 10-9, Total: Taylor, 39-38

 

Round 5

PBD: Bernard lands a big left hook in the beginning of the round , Taylor attacks and gets Bernard against the ropes. Bernard lands another great left hook , two hard right hands and left .They both trade shots towards the end of the round, but Hopkins defense is too good. (Round: Hopkins, Total: Taylor, 49-46)

Simon: Another cagey start but this was all changed by cut sustained on the top of Taylor’s head a minute into the round. Taylor then started to look strong, backing Hopkins up against the ropes with a couple of good shots and not allowing Hopkins to settle. However, Hopkins then catches Taylor with a good right hand opening up a cut over his left eye. Bernard tries to draw his opponent in with a few shimmies and taunts, epitomised by his shoulder shuffle at 2:53. Taylor threw more but the more effective punches were landed by Hopkins. I was tempted to score it for Hopkins but I scored it even because of Taylor’s work in the middle of the round after the 1^st cut was sustained. (Round: Even, Total: Taylor, 49-48

Round 6

PBD: It’s a slow beginning to the round , Taylor seems to slow down also. Jermain is still the aggressor and lands the effective shots this round. (Round: Taylor 10-9, Total: Taylor, 59-55)

Simon: Taylor outworks and surprisingly outboxes Hopkins in this round. Nothing major thrown, a few flurries but little if anything landed effectively. A very economical round from Taylor and deserved the round in what was a very quiet three minutes. (Round: Taylor 10-9, Total: Taylor 59-57)

Round 7

PBD: Bernard lands a hard right hand midway through the round, Jermain still has his effective jab going . Hopkins is teaching Jermain how to fight on the inside and still making Taylor look silly with his great D. (Round : Hopkins 10-9, Total: Taylor 68-65)

Simon: Fairly uneventful again, Hopkins lands a couple of good shots, notably a good right hand about a minute into the round. Some messy stuff in the middle part of the round and a few cheap shots inside by Hopkins. I was going to give the round to Hopkins but his lack of urgency and the ineffectiveness of either fighter, I called it even again. (Round: Even 10-10, Taylor: 69-67)

Round 8

PBD: Jermain comes out jabbing , Bernard still showing great defense. Nice flurry midway through the round , I say it was even. Hopkins lands a great counter left hook towards the end of the round while Jermain continues jabbing. (Round : Hopkins 10-9, Total: Taylor 77-75 )

Simon: The HBO scoring by this stage is just stupid. I know i’m supposed to be arguing for Taylor but six rounds to one? They must be watching a different fight from the cagey encounter I’m witnessing. Taylor catches Hopkins with a second part of a double jab with about 0:45 to go and is generally the aggressor. However, the later part of the fight is greeted with boo’s from the crowed due to minimal action on show. A close round, but I gave the round to Taylor because he was more determined and effective than Hopkins.  (Round: Taylor 10-9, Total: Taylor 79-76)

Round 9

PBD: A hard right hand from Bernard to open the round. Taylor unleashes a great body assault followed by holding from both . Jermain continues to show off his jab , while Bernard slips some of them with his D. Hopkins shows off his jab , then hits Taylor with a great right hand counter. They have a small exchange towards the end , but nothing really lands. ( Round: Hopkins 10-9, Total: Taylor 86-85)

Simon: In between rounds Hopkins was warned again for jumping in with his head raised. The replays showed the champion’s head smashing into Taylor’s open jaw: Hopkins goes old school. In response, Taylor uses his quickness and his jab to control Hopkins. The round is dominated by clinches and Hopkins trying to rough Taylor up on the inside. However, Taylor connects with another double jab to Hopkins, which combined with greater aggression, means the round goes to the challenger. As the scores stand, Hopkins needs a knock-down or a knock-out to win. (Round: Taylor 10-9, Total: Taylor 89-85)

Round 10

PBD: Hopkins continues slipping Jermains punches and gets him against the ropes. Jermain is throwing sloppy punches and Bernard ducks them easily. Bernard lands two hard rights and a left hook and gets Jermain against the ropes, holding him up! Taylor is hurt and holding on! The ref breaks them up. Hopkins lands another lead right hook followed by some great inside exchanges. (Round : Hopkins 10-9, Total: Even 95-95)

Simon: Hopkins dominates. Starts with a good left hook early on and went on to trade blows with Taylor mid-round. However, Hopkins comes storming back in the final minute of the round stunning Taylor a number of times, and who does well to hang in there. Hopkins needed to push the tempo and he did handsomely. (Result: Hopkins 10-9, Total: Taylor 98-95)

Round 11

PBD: Hopkins comes out , lands a clubbing overhand right, with a couple more to follow. Bernard continues to land clean flush power shots while Taylor flurries and doesn’t land any clean shots. Hopkins gets Jermain against the ropes again after an exchange, Hopkins continues to land clean power shots. (Round : Hopkins 10-9, Total: Hopkins: 105-104)

Simon: Hopkins dominates again. The champion looks stronger and is out-landing Taylor easily in this round. Taylor came back with a few flurries which had little effect. A clear Hopkins round but he needed a knock-down going into the last round.  (Round: Hopkins 10-9, Total: Taylor 107-105)

Round 12

PBD: Jermain lands a hard right hand , Hopkins retaliates by landing his own right hand that cause Vaseline to go flying off Jermains head , actually looked like his mouth piece. They have another great exchange, both guys land clean shots. Hopkins lands another hard right hand. Jermain flips out his jab. Bernard lands a great right, left , right combo and gets Taylor against the ropes again. The have another exchange at the end of the round. (Round : 10-9 Hopkins, Fight: Hopkins 115-113 )

Simon: A surprisingly tentative first half of the round but he brings it back at the end landing cleaning shots and picking holes in Taylor left jab. The challenger became far easier to hit in the last few rounds and Hopkins realised this. Hopkins wins the round. (Round: Hopkins 10-9, Fight: Taylor 116-115)

PBD’s Closing Statements:

This was a very close fight , both fighters fought great. Bernard showed off his great defense, fighting on the inside and his ability to pick the perfect shots. Jermain was the aggressor , the more active fighter and showed his great jab, he also flurried a lot , where in my eyes a lot of the punches didn’t land. Bernard showed how to win a fight while fighting calmly, picking his shots carefully and using great defense, which not too many fighters can do.

Simon’s Closing Statements:

I hate stating the bloomin’ obvious but I’m going to anyway. This was a close fight and could easily be scored either way and justifiably so. I admit Hopkins did indeed dominate a number of rounds in the fight, notably the championship rounds. However, in the close rounds of the fight, he simply didn’t do enough. There was a time in the middle of the fight where he just took his foot off the gas. These were rounds that were ready for the taking but Hopkins simply sat back. Taylor used his superior speed and reflexes to control the first couple of rounds and where the rounds were close, he used his double-jab effectively enough, so that in my opinion, entitled him to win the round.

Hopkins won the statistical battle but only just. According to CompuBox, Taylor threw 453 punches but landed only 86 (19 percent) where as Hopkins landed 96 out of 326 punches (27 percent). More significantly, Hopkins landed 78 power punches to Taylor’s 50. However, Taylor easily out-jabbed the champion , landing 36 out of 264 jabs, while Hopkins landed 18 of 109.

I called it for Taylor, but only by the smallest margin. Hopkins had every right to feel aggrieved in this fight and when scoring this fight, I myself was torn. I am a strong believer that to become the champion, you’ve got to take the title off the belt-holder. Taylor may have won the fight but my question is…did he do enough to be champion?

And finally something to consider: judges Duane Ford and Paul Smith scored the bout for Taylor, 115-113, and Jerry Roth scored it 116-112 for Hopkins. Had Ford not scored the final round for Taylor, the bout would have been a draw.

(To debate this fight with the authors or with other hardcore Boxing fans, visit the BTBC: http://www.btbc.proboards.com/ )