Boxing Thread 2K12

[Flyers2001]

Its also nice to see a HW put together his punches instead of a wild punch or to keep someone on the jab and throw an occasional 1-2.

Jennings put together 2 to the body 2 upstairs, then BAM uppercut.

[acdcrocksno1]

Hell of a weekend. What a punch by Marquez glad they finally finished a fight definitevly no doubting who won that one

[JKidd]

News and notes time:

Matthysse vs. Lundy confirmed for the Brook/Alexander card on 1/19 per Richard Schaefer of GBP.

JuanMa Lopez returns 2/2 in PR. He couldn't get a big dollar bout in the US after turning down Vazquez due to weight and money issues, so he'll go back to his homeland and fight on the island.

Manny Pacquiao won't retire from boxing, yet. Why people think he should after a KO loss is beyond me.

Ricky Burns returns in 2013. He wanted a 2012 cap fight in December, but two opponents have pulled.

Alfredo Anuglo will finish the year of 2012 with his second bout against comeback opposition this weekend, and declared he is ready to gun for a title next year.

Austin Trout, meanwhile has said he'll take on either Angulo or Kirkland. A dangerous fight for both guys who would certainly have trouble with his rangey boxing style.

Speaking of Kirkland, no word at all, on what his career is looking like. Remember, in August he filed a lawsuit against GBP and his managerial team. Since, not a peep about anything.

Still nothing from camp K9 either. Been over 6 months since his last fight, and was mandated to fight Rosado before he got the GGG call. Demetrius Andrade is the next, available ranked opponent on the IBF list.

No word from Vitali Klitschko's camp other then he plans to wait until 2013 now to digress his plans for retirement or continuing.

One name being thrown around for Peter Quillin's return to Barclays in early 2013 is former MW king Jermain Taylor. Talk about a sick match up.

Last, but not least, Lucian Bute is expected to formally announce his exercising of the rematch clause with Carl Froch.

[JKidd]

Your 2013 HOF class:

2013 HOF class:
-Arturo Gatti
-Virgil "Quicksilver" Hill, a five-time world champion who won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics and defended his light heavyweight title 20 times over his two reigns
-Myung-Woo Yuh of South Korea, two-time light flyweight champion
-lightweight Wesley Ramey, never a titlist
-middleweight Jeff Smith in the old-timer (posthumous) category
-19th century Irish boxer Joe Coburn in the pioneer category
-referee Mills Lane
-ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr.
-manager Arturo "Cuyo" Hernandez
-cartoonist Ted Carroll
-journalist Colin Hart.

[Flyers2001]

Quillen vs. Taylor is a decent fight, but I don't think Taylor has the head or discipline to last 12 rounds. Taylor has suffered to many KO's in his career. A move back to middleweight is a good one and from what I read he seems to be looking good. I would just favor Peter at this point.

Taylor will go down as a very good fighter who had Hopkins number, but thats about as much as I can give him. I thought he lost to Winky and from that point on its been down hill.

I actually think the man that dethroned Taylor gets a worse rap, in Pavlik. Pavlik has had a decent career and he has only lost to 2 top pound for pound type guys in Hopkins and Martinez.

When rating these guys over history they would be pretty close as of right now. Curious who can or if either guy can make a statement over the rest of their career.

[JKidd]

My thoughts are simple for a Taylor/Quillin matchup, if it happens.

Quillin destroy Taylor much like how he did N'Dam. Taylor gets hit way too much with straight right hands. To think Quillin won't be looking for it, and timing it, would be stupid to think. I can see him timing that to a T and hammering Taylor all fight long with it. However many Taylor takes, that's up to him and his jaw.

The only question I really have is if Taylor does make a tactical adjustment to limit the straight right, can Quillin go 12 full rounds without slowing down like he does at some points? Taylor is built to go the distance and has done it with no issues at all, and on the grand stage. Quillin, has some trouble lasting 12 hard rounds without taking breaks.

The legacy of Taylor is something I was looking at this morning. He beat two all time fighters in B-Hop and Winky, but that is about it. I guess Cory Spinks too, but that's neither here nor there really. I think he'll be remembered as the guy who ended Hopkins' historic run, but that's about it.

[JKidd]

Some extra news and notes.

-Seth Mitchell has invoked his rematch clause with Jonathon Banks. The two will fight again on HBO in February, again on the undercard of a Broner fight.

-Speaking of Broner, Richard Abril appears to be the front runner for Broner. Ricky Burns is the other rumored opponent, now that he's free completely. But, it looks like GBP is really pushing for Abril.

*Sidenote to Broner. He has been dumped in at #5 on the pound for pound list by the RING. How? I don't know. What's worse, the guys behind him:
Nonito Donaire
Manny Pacquiao
Wladimir Klitschko
Timothy Bradley
Robert Guerrero

I normally don't care for the pound for pound lists all that much. To me, it's such a joke and just gives people a reason to argue. But, really? #5 after he finally fights someone in the top 5 of his division? And over Donaire who is fighting for the 4 time this weekend against a divisional top 5, after just KO'ing the RING's #1 divisional opponent to win their title? I simply don't get it.

-Alexander vs. Brook is moved to Feb 2nd or later after Brook rolled an ankle in sparring.

-Selcuk Aydin will return to the big stage when he takes on Jesus Soto Karass on the Brook/Alexander undercard. Mattyhsse/Lundy plus this fight? **** the main event, I just want to see the undercard now!

-Shane Mosley has contacted Richard Schaefer at GBP to get him an opponent. We all hoped he'd stay gone, but that isn't the case as Sugar Shane wants back... but we don't want him back.

-K9 Bundrage once again skates past the top tier opposition in the stacked 154lb division as he's now eying Ishe Smith as an opponent. No disrespect to Ishe, but he's done nothing to prove he's above the gatekeeper level.

[JKidd]

Breaking news

Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux is OFF!

Poon failed his blood tests for something more serious than PEDs... HIV.

[Shoryuken]

Oh dear.. that's the end of Poon's career.

[JKidd]

Originally Posted by Shoryuken

Oh dear.. that's the end of Poon's career.

A few thoughts ran through my head when I read about this.

Poon does have a blood disorder that requires him to get transfusions, and that's where they think he's acquired HIV from.

However, does this not give you a measure of the difference in professional safety between Thailand/Asia and the US/Europe when a boxer has been fighting with this for however long, and nobody has known?

If I remember correctly, it took years of certifications for Ruslan Chagaev to get certified in Europe to box because of his bout with hepatitis b and the possibility of transmitting to an opponent.

I feel terribly sorry for Poon who finally get his chance to step up on the big stage, and he gets cut down like this.

[JKidd]

A solid weekend of action to prep for. A mix of international flavor and local stateside action, on both network TV and premium channels.

+Out in Germany to lead things off around 3pm CT here stateside:
-Arthur Abraham (35-3, 27 KOs) vs. Mehdi Bouadla (26-4, 11 KOs) - for Abraham's WBO super middleweight title

*Prediction*
It's a cash grab for Abraham like he did during his entire first reign as champ. Sit back in Germany and fight can after can. With how deep 168 is, you'd think he could get someone relevant or decent, but that's not King Arthur's style as champ. Give me Arthur by KO.

+Separate card in England
-George Groves (15-0, 12 KOs) vs. Glen Johnson (51-17-, 35 KOs), 12 rounds, for Groves' Commonwealth super middleweight title

*Prediction*
Do not miss this fight!!!!! You can catch the stream on boxingguru.eu. You want to talk about a fight that will be an all out war, these two will put on a show. Groves is the far superior boxer, and Johnson of course will test him to the extreme with his granite chin and wealth of experience. Johnson coming out of retirement and taking on a hell of an up and comer in Groves should be a can't miss event. Give me Groves by decision.

Onto some stateside action!
HBO card in San Antonio:
-Nonito Donaire (30-1, 19 KOs) vs. Jorge Arce (61-6-2, 46 KOs) - for Donaire's WBO junior featherweight title

*Prediction*
I've said it from the get go and I don't see it going any other way, Donaire by showcasing, highlight reel KO. Arce likes to dive in and get work done, while Donaire FEASTS on guys diving in at him with that devastating left hook. Between the cuts Donaire will open up on Arce and the frequency he'll land the money punch, I'm not sure how this will make it to 12, or event 10. If Arce cuts off the ring and works in behind a jab, he might be able to make it competitive, but, IMO, he's already lost this fight thanks to postponing and demanding "I don't really want this fight" kind of money to avoid the fight. He's taken it, so lets see if he goes out on his shield or shows up for a payday.

Again, the undercard fight between Rigo and Poon is off due to Poon testing positive for HIV. No word on HBO's move to fill the time, I'm thinking it'll be a tape of Manny/Marquez IV.

Showtime card in Cali
Thin on "titles" but thick on action fights!
-Amir Khan (26-3, 18 KOs) vs. Carlos Molina (17-0, 7 KOs) - junior welterweights
-Deontay Wilder (25-0, 25 KOs) vs. Kelvin Price (13-0, 6 KOs) - 10 rounds, heavyweights
-Alfredo Angulo (21-2, 18 KOs) vs. Jorge Silva (19-2, 15 KOs) - 10 rounds, light middies
-Shawn Porter (20-0, 14 KOs) vs. Julio Diaz (40-7, 29 KOs) - 10 rounds, welterweights
Undercard on CBS to lead broadcast:
-Leo Santa Cruz (22-0, 13 KOs) vs. Alberto Guevara (16-0, 6 KOs)

*Predictions*
-Santa Cruz vs. Guevara-
Holy action fight and the perfect fight to be shown on CBS. People will not be able to change the channel as these little fellas destroy each other. Huge step up in class for Guevara, while Santa Cruz continues to keep building himself up with game opponents. I'll take Santa Cruz by KO in this one.

-Porter vs. Diaz-
Great veteran vs. youngster fight here. I thought Porter would take the rest of the year off after that horrible gash he suffered against Gomez, but here he is. Diaz gives him a hell of a chance to make a name against a former titlist and a guy who always shows up to fight. Diaz has a weak chin, so hopefully Porter can land to the body and setup the head shot to take Diaz out. Give me Porter by KO.

-Angulo vs. Silva-
I haven't seen much of Silva, except for some KOs here and there on YT. He does have a glitzy KO percentage, but none of those at the opposition near what he'll face tomorrow night, plus his KO losses are to very sub-par opponents... so, give me Perro by KO as he continues his comeback march and closes the year with KO victories within a month of each other.

-Wilder vs. Price-
Time for the world to get a peek at Deontay Wilder. Make no mistake, Price is just there because of his 0. He's a piece of meat for Wilder to destroy. I really think the public will like what they see in Wilder. He's a HUGE guy at 6'8, has amazing power, good boxing fundamentals, and is American. Look for a devastating KO on Price.

-Khan vs. Molina-
Khan starts rebuild #2, this time under the guidance of Virgil Hunter. I think it's a match made in heaven, as long as Khan listens and adheres to what Hunter says. He's got the physical tools and power to be an absolute monster, but clearly has lacked the chin and defense. Under Hunter, he'll get the defensive training required to hide that chin - instead of going off of all out offense to protect it. I have only seen Molina once, and it was highlights from an undercard, so there ya go. I'll take Khan in the end. He'll get some rounds in and work on somethings, but I expect him to stomp the peddle later in the fight and put Molina away.

[Blues 34]

Great day and night of fights here.

Santa Cruz looked very good

Nonito Donaire is looking better and better each fight, he made a very tough Jorge Arce look pedestrian

Amir Khan looked Great in his first fight under Virgil Hunter schooling Carlos Molina.

One question in between rounds in the Donaire Arce fight if you are paying attention they give him a drink of a red liquid that appeared to be Gatorade? I thought all you were allowed to give your fighter is water?

Not saying Arce was cheating or anything but isn't water the only thing allowed in the corner

If Donaire did this with a badly mangled left hand as he appeared to do it was even more impressive

[Wadubbin]

That flesh wound that Donaire has on his hand is nasty.He should take some time to let that heal.Didn't he hurt that initially a couple fights ago when his hand swelled so bad that it split the skin?He didn't break it.It just swelled up pretty good.

[JKidd]

Originally Posted by Wadubbin

That flesh wound that Donaire has on his hand is nasty.He should take some time to let that heal.Didn't he hurt that initially a couple fights ago when his hand swelled so bad that it split the skin?He didn't break it.It just swelled up pretty good.

Yeah, he is mangling that hand in a bad way each time out. He had some awful splitting in the Mathebula fight, and tore it up again against Nishioka. And yet again, tore it up on Saturday.

As a heavy puncher though, he has seemed to just accept it and keeps going on despite it... which is great, because the guy is must see boxing TV, IMO.

[JKidd]

Recap:

-Abraham TKO8 over Bouadla
Bouadla gave Arthur some issues in the middle rounds, but, as usual, the house fighter overcame the limited and inept challenger.

*Whats next?*
Who cares? Probably some other club fighter barely on the world level again.

-George Groves UD12 over Glen Johnson
Why Johnson came out of retirement for this, I'll never know. Groves picked him apart, and save for a few later rounds rally attempts, Glen was just target practice for the 24 year old up and comer, which included seeing Glen hit the deck in the 12th.

*Whats next?*
Hell of a question. Groves keeps pushing his name forward in the VERY deep 168lb division. He is still very young, 24, so another showcase or two in the states would not be a bad idea. Staying in England and fighting has-beens or B rate fighters may not be another bad route to go, just to get him rounds and let him work on things, but, 2013 needs to be a 4 fight, name pushing year for him.

-Nonito Donaire KO3 over Jorge Arce
I said it in the preview, and since the fight was made, it's a showcase of Donaire's skills, a cash grab for Arce, and a highlight reel KO waiting to happen. Well, we got all 3. Arce came out very tentative, then took a step forward in round two, walked into a right hand and got sent down. Came out in the third, came forward, and got sent down to the mat in a heap with a combo. Then, he fought on, and that was his downfall as Donaire landed a picture perfect left hook that put Arce down and out - literally.

*Donaire's 4th fight of the year, and should lock up fighter of the year honors with decision wins over Vazquez Jr and Mathebula, and KO wins over Nishioka and Arce.

*Whats next?*
Forget Abner Mares... it's not happening. Bob Arum has already said no, even though GBP offered an olive branch for it to happen. Guillermo Rigondeaux is always out there, but I doubt we see Arum do it. Expect a vacation for Donaire and him to fight in spring, May'ish against a lighter touch. Arce retired after the fight, so there ya go.

-Porter Draw 10 with Diaz
This was a good fight, and Diaz showed he still has something left in the tank. Porter's speed was negated with Diaz's timing, and power, and the overall boxing quality was just great to watch. A very solid, fun fight.

*Whats next?*
For Porter, it's tough. They got him a former champ who was hopefully going to be a showcase, but turned out giving him the fight of his career thus far. Maybe the same thing next time out and see if they can improve on anything. Diaz, keep being a gatekeeper at 147.

-Angulo UD10 over Silva
Perro had to dig deep for this one. Silva just wasn't going away and had Angulo in trouble during a few spots. While the UD scores showed it wasn't overly close, 97-93x3, it was a lot closer and tighter than that in reality (despite the scores being accurate). Angulo showed his limitations again, and Silva showed everyone on the planet how to beat this guy - right hands, and cover up well on the ropes. Should be an easy blue print for any elite level fighter at 154.

*Whats next?*
For Perro, more rounds. I don't think taking on any champ will turn out any wins. He gets hit by the right hand way too easily and every champ at 154 has a solid right hand (even Trout with his counter right hook from the southpaw stance). Get another good camp in under Virgil Hunter and come back out against a quality opponent. Silva, go to ESPN and see about getting a fight. The kid has some talent, and showed it against the hammering Angulo. This fight should have raised his stock.

-Wilder KO3 of Price
2 very boring rounds, and then Wilder finally throws a punch with intent, and nearly decapitates the overmatched Kelvin. Still a lot of work on Wilder though. Very raw, and as we seen, goes looking for the KO instead of setting it up.

*Whats next?*
Wilder wants Bryant Jennings. GBP wants faded champs or has beens. I think they'll go the faded champions route and get him in there with Tony Thompson or some other faded champ. Fighting Jennings, while a step up, is one that looks like it'd give Wilder some issues. He has the size and power, obviously, but the power is raw and has no intelligence behind it. Get him rounds with decent opposition and force him to learn to set up the power shot KOs.

-Khan RTD10 over Molina
Khan once again showed the amazing hand speed, power, and boxing abilities. However, the defense, again, wasn't there all the time. If Molina had heavy hands, the fight would have been a much different fight as he was repeatedly hitting Khan - but lacked the power for Khan to care. In the end, the fight should have been stopped after 8, as Molina was just getting decimated, and thankfully, Jack Reiss the referee called it off not allowing the overmatched club fighter to see the 11th.

*Whats next?*
More of the same. Another light touch, another solid camp under Virgil, and then around June or July, look to a championship fight at 140. No point in going in too fast. He's still young at 26, no need to get too antsy and waste away a golden opportunity with one of the best trainers going, and a company that still has faith in GBP.

-Santa Cruz UD12 over Guevara
Guevara showed some big balls in there, standing and trading, covering up, boxing, and doing a great job of avoiding a lot of what Santa Cruz threw. Only issue is he didn't hit him nearly enough. In the end, the whirl wind of punches started adding up, and Guevara wasn't able to stop Santa Cruz's torrent punching output.

*Whats next?*
Time to start cleaning out the bantamweight division, for Santa Cruz. Get Moreno, or Yamanaka in the ring and fight for the RING title while taking their titles. Or see if you can get in on the vacant WBO title now that Arce is done and relinquished his title there. He still has some learning to do, no doubt, but that shouldn't stop him from cleaning out the division against the best in the division. It's relatively weak right now, and is ripe for the taking.