Boxing Thread 2K12

[JKidd]

Well... where to start?

First, Antonio DeMarco destroys John Molina in under a minute. I thought it was a premature stoppage, especially given the wars both guys have been in and through. But, hey, it is boxing. This leads to the showdown lots of people are hoping for... DeMarco vs. Broner.

Lucas Matthysse TKO10 over Ajose Olusegun
On to the first main event... Ajose vs. Lucas. Lets give credit where it's due, Ajose has got the heart and chin most mortals could only dream of. By the end of 2, you could tell he was in store for a god damn beating, and Lucas didn't disappoint. That Argentine can flat out ****ing bomb with both fists and to both the head and body. It was the most entertaining, one sided fight I've ever seen. The compu-box stats were horrific... Matthysse landing almost 50% of his power shots. When a guy with that kind of power can land that many shots, against anyone, that mother ****er is going to bite the dust. At the end of round 9, you could tell the end was going to come. Ajose was game, and still fighting, but Lucas was landing everything and everything was still thudding hard in the 10th... before a massive combo sent Ajose to the ropes, and with two wind up steps into the punch, Lucas lands a colossal straight right that damn near decapitates Ajose, forcing Russ Mora to stop the fight as Ajose lays on the deck.

I feel bad for anyone at 140lbs that thinks they're going to take that title from Lucas. The guy is a flat out smashing machine that is going to give anyone a hell of a fight.

Andre Ward TKO 10 over Chad Dawson
Lets just put it this way, Andre Ward has just forced everyone to rearrange their P4P lists. His performance was that incredible. Chad Dawson looked to have things figured out in 1 and 2... then checked out of the fight. And when he did, Andre Ward checked him out with a massive left hook straight to the chin that dropped him hard int he 3rd. Chad survived a hell of a beating in that round. Enter round 4, it starts with Dawson looking to clear his head, and Ward not letting him... throwing hard, devastating combos to that send Dawson down again. Chad survives yet another scary round. After that, it was the stale fight we thought it'd be up until the 9th. Ward turned up the heat and really let him have it in 9. John Scully, Dawson's trainer did everything possible to wake Dawson up, but Chad had already checked out of the fight. Come round 10, it was a matter of almost a mercy stoppage by Scully, because Chad was starting to get beat up, bad. In the 10th, Ward just hammers away with a devastating combo, the last shot landing and sending Chad to his knees. Steve Smoger steps in and asks Chad if he wants to keep going, and Chad Dawson - the world's best LHW (and has been for years) - quits. He blatantly tells Smoger, I'm done.

Andre Ward, his debut on HBO, a rousing destruction of a P4P fighter, and the worlds best LHW fighter who had no issues coming down in weight.

Chad Dawson didn't offer any excuses. He flat out said he underestimated Ward's speed and power, and he was the better man.

I'll never believe in Chad Dawson again, and until he really finds the former "Bad" Chad he was, I have no interest in seeing him. His fights are PAINFUL to watch, and then to see him not even try in this fight, then give up? **** that. Go back to obscurity and I hope HBO and Showtime pass on him until he figures out how to actually win fights and not fight to not lose the fights.

Big Klit vs. Charr? Go figure, Vitali dominates an overmatched opponent.

[JKidd]

So, some random thoughts and news/notes.

Guillermo Rigondeux vs. Ryan Marroquin is back on for the Martinez/Chavez card. I feel bad for Marroquin, he was going to be spared the beating, but now it's going to happen.

So, after the one sided beat down Ward laid on Dawson, I got to thinking (shocking). I wonder if Andre Ward becomes more of a KO fighter given the destructive fashion he beat Dawson, and the fanfare that has come with it? Before, it looked like he could have went for some KO's along the way, but stuck to the stick and move. But, after dropping Dawson 3 times, and getting the massive ovation, media storm, and likely a HUGE payday coming up for it, I wonder if that will prompt Andre to go for the KO more than just play it safe for the win? It's a thought I guess.

Also in the wake of that... what else, or who else is there for Andre Ward at 168? He's beat the other two titlists - Froch and Abraham via near shut out decisions. Lucian Bute is going to be booked through next year. That leaves these names:
Thomas Oosthuizen
Robert Stieglitz
Kelly Pavlik
Andre Dirrell
Marco Antonio Rubio
George Groves
Edwin Rodriguez
Brian Magee
James DeGale

-Oosty, way too young, and way too raw still. At only 24, he's got the ranking to be up there, but the skills are still raw, and he's yet to get in there with upper-middle echelon talent.

-Stieg... yeah right. Like he'll fight away from Germany.

-Kelly Pavlik... he's shocked us all in the past, but he is tailor made for Ward to beat down. He does have drawing power (which may not be an issue given Ward's following in Cali), credentials and a punchers chance.

-Andre Dirrell, if he'd ever get his ****ing head on straight, probably the best chance to beat Ward. Although, from what I remember, they're the best of friends and have no interest in fighting each other.

-Rubio... Ward beats with one hand tied behind his back.

-Groves, Rodriguez and DeGale... not a chance yet.

-Brian McGee... he's a fighter and will show up. But, he's 38, slow, and wouldn't be able to touch Ward with a handful of sand at 2 feet.

And there are very few, if any, 160 lbers that are ready to make the move up.

[JKidd]

Ricky Hatton set to announce a come back fight this Friday at a major press conference.

He's aiming for a date in November on a card his promotion company is putting forth.

[Blues 34]

Originally Posted by jkidd

Ricky Hatton set to announce a come back fight this Friday at a major press conference.

He's aiming for a date in November on a card his promotion company is putting forth.

Big fan of Hatton's but I hope this isn't another in a long list of fighters who try a comeback because they are broke

[JKidd]

Originally Posted by Blues 34

Big fan of Hatton's but I hope this isn't another in a long list of fighters who try a comeback because they are broke

I don't think that at all.

Ricky has got a hell of a promotional company going across the pond, one of the few fighters who has been able to keep a promotional company going after starting it.

When they interviewed him a couple months ago, he said he sees a lot of hungry youngsters in his promotional stable, and got the urge to fight again. It's also seen him lose 60+ pounds, get into tremendous shape again, and remember, he's only 33 (be 34 next month).

Given the landscape of the light welter and welter weight divisions, I see no reason Ricky can't win another world title by mid next year.

[JKidd]

-Manny has tabbed Juan Manuel Marquez as his next opponent. We're looking at 12/8 at MGM. Considering it was between JMM and Bradley, I'm glad this one got done. It's the lesser of the two not so interesting fights. It'd be nice if either guy would go for a KO win as opposed to just going through the motions of trying win on points. Maybe that's what Marquez needs to do in order to get the win this time?

-Kermit Cintron is coming back in November. I'm seeing Roberto Garcia as the opponent. Good for Kermit. Still young, still has some skill, just needs to get his head right, look into his heart and get the job done.

-TMT Promotions is about the dissolve. Lots of reports of a rift between 50 and Floyd. Though it's not official, yet, the word seems to be coming down soon. I've seen reports that Floyd's company, Money Promotions, will absorb the contracts signed with 50 cent (Cellestino Caballero, Yuri Gamboa, Billy Dib, and Andre Dirrell amongst others).

-Alfredo "Perro" Angulo is expected back on 11/10. No opponent yet. This will be added to a quadruple card with Mares/Moreno and Chris Arreola being on the card in LA. No word on the 4th fight yet.

-Orlando Salido vs. Mikey Garcia will now be a tandem event with Vanes/Lara added to the card. They (Top Rank) wanted to use that on the Manny/Marquez card, but both camps want the fight done sooner than later for fear of ring rust.

-Still no word on what card Seth Mitchell vs. Jonathon Banks will land on. I've heard the Barclays premier, I'm now hearing a card with Broner in mid November. Either way, I hope it gets done sooner than later.

That's it thus far. Special presentation of boxing tonight on ESPN... Jessie Vargas vs. Aaron Martinez. I'll preview that a bit later on in the day.

[JKidd]

Quick preview of this evenings action.

Main event:
*Jessie Vargas (19-0, 9 KOs) vs. Aaron Martinez (18-1-1, 4 KOs) - 10 rounds, welterweights
-Prediction-
Last seen Vargas out on the Floyd/Cotto card, beating the piss out of Stevie Forbes... a rare thing to see given Forbes style and experience. He's also destroy Vivian Harris and survived a fight, quite literally the toughest of his young career, with that pesky Josesito Lopez fella. Martinez, IMO, is a huge step down in competition for him. Aaron has been on FNF before, beating former promising prospect Prenice Brewer. However, that doesn't compare to what Vargas has done and will go on to do. Vargas is the real deal, I see him stopping Martinez late in the fight, or getting a UD win.

Co-feature:
*Luis Cruz (20-1, 16 KOs) vs. Jose Felix Jr. (20-0-1, 17 KOs) - 10 rounds, lightweights
-This is really the fight to see. Cruz has been in there with top end competition, losing a majority to Mini-Burgos, while Felix is a hard charging Mexican prospect who hasn't fought north of the border. It does have the PR vs. Mexico backdrop, which always makes amazing fights, so this shouldn't be any different. I expect a high octane, brutal affair. And in the end, I'll take Cruz via decision.

[JKidd]

Recap:
-Jose Felix Jr UD10 over Luis Cruz
Cruz knocked down Felix, but couldn't stop him or keep the work rate up, and drops a decision over 10 very fun rounds of boxing.

-Jessie Vargas UD10 over Aaron Martinez
The outcome, as expected, was never in doubt. How a 96-94 score was turned in is pretty sad, but, it seems to be the sorry state of the sport with the judges.

[JKidd]

Well gentleman, the weekend of all boxing weekends is here.

First, and most importantly, you're asking yourself, how do I watch both? Easy, watch the Showtime card on TV and stream the Martinez/Chavez fight (I'll post a stream tomorrow).

Secondly, there is next to no reason to fork over $60 for the PPV card, judging by the awful undercard. Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Robert Marroquin? Roman Martinez vs. Miguel Beltran? Matthew Macklin vs. Joachim Alcine? There is a hot prospect, John Jackson, I wouldn't mind seeing, but I doubt we get to watch his fight on the PPV telecast anyway. Regardless, buy it at your own risk... you've been warned. Those fights, IMO, are HBO BAD fights, not PPV fillers.

Alright, onto the predictions and previews:
HBO PPV at Thomas and Mack in Vegas
-Guillermo Rigondeaux (10-0, 8 KOs) vs. Robert Marroquin (22-1, 15 KOs) - for Rigondeaux's WBA junior featherweight title
*Prediction: Marroquin is overmatched in every aspect... it's a crap fight, yet again, for Rigo. I'll take Rigo by early-middle round TKO.

-Rocky Martinez (25-1, 16 KOs) vs. Miguel Beltran (27-1, 17 KOs) - for vacant WBO junior lightweight title
*Prediction: This has potential to be a very solid fight. Both guys have enough power to do damage, and both guys take enough shots to be exposed. Both guys have been in there with some top end talent, Ricky Burns for Roman and Juan Carlos Salgado for Beltran, so they're not stepping up in class or anything. However, I'm going to take Rocky Martinez by either cuts stoppage or UD. He's a better boxer, he can box with power, and Beltran gets hit more often than Rocky does - plus he cuts pretty easy.

-Sergio Martinez (49-2-2, 28 KOs) vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-0-1, 32 KOs) - for Martinez's Ring magazine and Chavez's WBC middleweight title
*Prediction: Sergio has been abnormally vocal in the lead up to this fight. From the training notes passed along from Oxnard, he's training like a ****ing animal for this fight. Julio, for his part, he's got some major natural obstacles for Sergio to overcome. He's going to be a LHW come fight night, he's going to be relentless and he has power. However, he's relatively easy to game plan for, and you can mimic that in the gym very easily. Getting a guy to come in and mimic Sergio Martinez, that's a challenge. Plus, this is the first time we've seen Sergio really motivated since the Williams and Pavlik fights, two fights where he shown that when motivated, very few can stand up to him. In the end, I like the experience, I like the power, and the ability Sergio has at making adjustments in order to break opponents down, over Julio's raw determination, chin and power. I'm going to take Sergio via UD or via KO.

Showtime card at MGM:
-Jhonny Gonzalez (52-7, 45 KOs) vs. Daniel Ponce De Leon (43-4, 35 KOs) - for Gonzalez's WBC featherweight title
*Prediction: Gentleman, buckle your seat belt, this will be a nasty fight. Ponce has evolved as a solid boxer with age, Jhonny is a boxer with serious crushing power - but a chin that can get tagged. These kinds of guys who come straight forward and box with power are the kinds of guys that fall into Ponce's KO area, and that's exactly what Jhonny is. However, he's also got the power and skill to tag Ponce's chin - which is always there to be hit. Jhonny has something to prove, and I like that motivation in putting Ponce down and out... I'll take Gonzalez via KO.

-Marcos Maidana (31-3, 28 KOs) vs. Jesus Soto Karass (26-7-3, 17 KOs) - 12 rounds, welterweights
*Prediction: Another all action fight here. It's Marco's premier with trainer Robert Garcia, and he's got a very hittable and very easy opponent to hit in JSK. However, Jesus is a natural light middie, and Marcos looked awful last time out as a welter weight. We'll see how he looks this go around. But, to me, it's careful match making from Chino, and Karass is always there to be hit, and Maidana still has brick punching power - I'll take Chino by TKO.

-Leo Santa Cruz (20-0, 11 KOs) vs. Eric Morel (46-3, 23 KOs) - for Santa Cruz's IBF bantamweight title
*Prediction: This won't be like the others, but it'll be fun. Leo NEVER stops punching, ever. He'll throw 100+ a round, and he throws a ton to the body, something an older fighter like Morel (36), hates. Morel does have a lot of experience and it takes a top end opponent to beat him. However, he's got an animal in front of him that is only getting better in the 24 year old stand out. I'll take Leo via UD over 12 pretty action packed rounds.

-Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 KOs) vs. Josesito Lopez (30-4, 18 KOs) - for Alvarez's WBC junior middleweight title
*Prediction: Let me start with this, I'm a huge fan of Lopez. He's a god damn warrior and leaves everything in the ring each time out. However, he's facing a guy who isn't over looking him, and is a by far naturally bigger opponent who keeps getting better each time out. I don't see Josesito quitting, but I do see this as a case where the corner or ref may have to get involved to save him from himself as Canelo tears into him. Make no mistake, this will be a war. Canelo will not be in for an easy fight, and Lopez is going to have his moments. But, as Canelo gets going, and his harder shots start landing more and more, I see Lopez wearing down. I'll take Canelo via TKO.

Separate card in Germany
-Yoan Pablo Hernandez (26-1, 13 KOs) vs. Troy Ross (25-2, 16 KOs) - for Hernandez's IBF cruiserweight title
*Prediction: Troy has got a HUGE task in front of him, quite literally. YPH is a 6'4, smooth boxing cruiserweight... not many of those around. He is chinny though, and if you can get past that telephone pole jab, you can hit that chin, and he does go down. Troy has the proverbial punchers chance, but YPH is too solid for him to breakdown. I'll take Hernandez via decision.

[JKidd]

Everyone came in at or below their weights... it's all ahead full steam now!

Sidenote, for those wondering on Julio's historic weight problems, came in the lightest of his career at 158. Be very interesting to see what he rehydrate's to tomorrow come fight time.

[Blues 34]

Originally Posted by jkidd

I don't think that at all.

Ricky has got a hell of a promotional company going across the pond, one of the few fighters who has been able to keep a promotional company going after starting it.

When they interviewed him a couple months ago, he said he sees a lot of hungry youngsters in his promotional stable, and got the urge to fight again. It's also seen him lose 60+ pounds, get into tremendous shape again, and remember, he's only 33 (be 34 next month).

Given the landscape of the light welter and welter weight divisions, I see no reason Ricky can't win another world title by mid next year.

Good to hear that Ricky is coming back for the right reasons.

[royjonesjr]

Can't wait for both big fights tonight. I'm with Jkidd on his predictions. I see Canelo and Lopez being a very good but for the most part one sided fight. I expect Canelo to really put a hurting on Lopez throughout but Lopez to stand his ground and give some back. I'm thinking Canelo stops him somewhere between the 6th-10th round.

Something is telling me that Martinez vs Chavez might end up being the FOTY. I expect Chavez to come straight in on Martinez, I expect Martinez to be moving but also throwing a lot of solid punches. I'm thinking this one goes the distance with Martinez winning a U/D. I wouldn't be surprised to see anything remotley close given to Chavez.

[JKidd]

For those wondering about the Troy Ross fight today in Germany, I thought he won the fight. He dropped Hernandez in the 5th, and then YPH used some bull**** tactics of just dropping while he was clinching, to force the ref to stop action and let time to run off, in getting him back on his feet.

Ross lost the UD to him, 116-112, 115-112, and 114-113.

I personally had it 115-113 for Ross.

But, you have a Germany based fighter fighting in Germany... what do you expect?

[JKidd]

Turn on Showtime now!

Marcos Maidana vs. Soto Karass is a disgusting slug fest!

[JKidd]

Well, here's the recap of the best weekend of boxing in the year.

We'll start with the Showtime card at MGM.
Leo Santa Cruz RTD5 over Eric Morel
Santa Cruz is an absolute monster waiting to be completely unleashed. I thought he looked his best last time out, he looked far better yesterday in forcing the highly respected Eric Morel to quit on his stool. The worked downstairs, ripped Morel with uppercuts, and overall just ****ing obliterated the challenger with devastating volume punching and incredible combination work. In the end, Morel takes over 50% of the power shots thrown, with a lot of them crippling body shots, and instead of going forward, calls it quits on the stool before the 6th round. I don't expect Morel to come back from this one. I expect him to retire.

Marcos Maidana TKO8 over Jesus Soto-Karass
This was an absolute ****ing war. Two guys who just stood there and winged incredible bombs at each other. Maidana looked very good with a better boxing set, as trainer Robert Garcia worked that in. He rolled with some punches, he jabbed well, and he used some solid combo punching to really hammer down JSK. Karass, for his part, he had incredible moments in the 5th and 6th, hurting Chino to the body, but not being able to finish him. And, then in 8, Maidana really started landing some devastating shots, dropping Karass, and then pinning him on the ropes and forcing the ref to stop the fight. It was a war. Both guys deducted points, Maidana deducted a second point in the 6th, and then comes back to finish him.

Daniel Ponce de Leon TD8 over Jhonny Gonzalez
What we all thought was going to be war, ended up being the dud of it all. Neither guy really opened up, giving each other way too much respect. Ponce scored a knock down, landing a looping left to Jhonny that staggered him, then a flurry of punches - none really landing - forced Jhonny through the ropes and was ruled, correctly, a knock down. In the end, it had very few solid punches landed, and in the 8th, a bad head butt opened up a VERY nasty cut on Gonzalez's eye brow (just above the brow), and the doctor said no more. Ponce won on all 3 cards and is the new WBC featherweight champ.

Saul Canelo Alvarez TKO5 over Josesito Lopez
It was a mismatch on paper, and it was a mismatch in the ring. Lopez did everything he could, but simply didn't have the power to hurt Canelo, and to Canelo's credit, he knew he had an overmatched opponent and he wasted no time in giving him hope of a win in taking him out early. Give credit where it's due, Lopez did everything possible. He threw everything he could at Canelo, but couldn't hurt him and couldn't get his respect. In the end, Canelo walks down Lopez and tears him apart with combo punching, uppercuts, and non stop barrages of power shots.

Onto the HBO PPV card at Thomas and Mack.
Matthew Macklin TKO1 over Joachim Alcine
Mack came out and landed one bomb early, and it forced Alcine on the defensive, forcing him to eat bombs the entire way. Fast forward a couple minutes, and Macklin is pounding Alcine into submission forcing the ref to stop the bout. Good to see Mack back, and with vengeance, in tearing apart the former champ, Alcine. Joachim... either be a gatekeeper, or retire. Your days are done.

Guillermo Rigondeaux UD12 over Robert Marroquin
Marroquin was game, but way too overmatched in this one. Rigo never stomped on the gas though, and never went to take the youngster out. And for that, it made the fight pretty boring, but at least Marroquin made it a fight and wasn't blown out entirely. Rigo... didn't do much to raise his stock in not getting rid of a grossly overmatched opponent, but, it's another notch in the win column.

Roman "Rocky" Martinez SD12 over Miguel Beltran
Probably the fight of the night, and it's between a Mexican and Puerto Rican on Mexican Independence weekend, go figure. Started slow, but when Beltran finally shifted gears in the 3rd and started moving forward instead of shuffling on the ropes, he made it a fight, because Rocky had no interest in moving backward. It was a war of wills, and it created rounds full of exchanges that rattles ribs and rattled teeth with the precision and force of the shots. Beltran cut, Rocky swelled up, and they just kept throwing. At the end of it all, 12 rounds and brutal battling, Rocky gets his hand raised with a split nod.... a decision that could have gone either way, and a fight I wish gets a rematch encore set.

Sergio Martinez UD12 over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr
This was a beating and never close. Sergio employed a perfect game plan, one that had him slicing up, just slicing up, Julio Jr. He simply couldn't miss with the jab, and he created such amazing angles, that he just busted the absolute **** out of Julio through 11 rounds. Whenever Julio did pin him on the ropes and throw those trademark body shots, Sergio fought off the ropes and busted him up with combo punching to the head and completely stole whatever momentum he had. At the end of 10, Freddie was considering stopping the fight because both eyes were busted up and almost swelled shut, his nose was a mess, and he was gushing blood from just about everywhere. However... the 12th rolled around. And, like his father, Julio Jr landed the one punch - much like his father did with Meldrick Taylor. He sent Martinez down in a mess of a heap. However, the champ got up, and unlike Taylor, he held onto win the fight. So, the better man wins the fight in easy, convincing fashion. But, the fan favorite wins the fans with a show of heart in the final round in knocking down the champ.

A sidenote to this, Sergio took a lot of damage in the fight, and will be shelved for a while. He broke his hand, had to get some staples and stitches for cuts, and the worse - tore knee ligaments.

For those wanting a rematch... I have no idea why. Julio was dominated. Simply dominated, and landed one lucky punch to make people think a rematch is justified? I don't see it. But, hey, whatever. Sergio could use another cash grab before calling it a career I guess.