Comments Thread For: Ward-Dawson Hangover: The Prediction Walk of Shame

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Lyle Fitzsimmons - Next time, dammit… I’m listening to my wife.

Because she’s been around me nearly every day for nearly seven years and has endured work trips that have sent me from the Cayman Islands to the Nevada desert and many places in between, the lovely lady Danielle has gleaned a bit of knowledge about the fight game.

She knows the guys I like. She knows the guys I don’t like.

And she knows how much it irritates me when I miss a pick I should have nailed.

Especially, that is… when she’s smart enough to have seen it coming.

Case in point: Saturday night in Oakland.

Anyone who’s read me is aware of my affection for Andre Ward. I did a piece on him early in his career several years ago, hopped the aforementioned flight to the Caymans to see him dismantle Jerson Ravelo and was so taken that I’d not picked against him since – correctly forecasting the breakout upset of Mikkel Kessler, the intermediate wins in the Super Six and the crowning defeat of Carl Froch.

A win that, incidentally, looks a helluva lot better now thanks to Lucian Bute.

Anyway, the man-crush I’d developed on the former U.S. Olympian was so complete that I’d chosen him as the guinea pig in 2011, when my inaugural year-opening crystal ball column revealed that he’d be the consensus choice as the sport’s fighter of the year when December rolled around.

And when it did, I’ll be damned if it wasn’t spot on.

Problem is, when the chance arrived to follow through on all the ground-floor prognostication I’d laid… my good sense took a powder.

In spite of lessons recently taught by Roy Jones Jr. and Chris Byrd, who’d clearly been diminished when traipsing down from one weight to another, I was in the minority believing that another of my faves – Chad Dawson – would retain the role of bully when dumping seven pounds to face 168’s king. [Click Here To Read More]

[paulf]

Fitzsimmons is picking Chavez to beat Martinez? He better be ready to walk the line again next week.

I don't get it. How can you pick Chavez? What does Chavez do that Martinez hasn't already handled? Can he apply pressure better than Williams? Hit harder than Pavlik? Offset Martinez's style with defense like Barker? No, no, and no.

One the other side of the coin, who has Chavez faced that's even remotely decent that tried to box him? Zbik. C level, tiny ass Zbik, who damn near won the fight.

Martinez is going to FUCK. CHAVEZ. UP.

[memento126]

Exactly you're fool if you pick Jr over Sergio. All of the things Sergio saying about Jr is true he will beat the **** outta Chavez so much either he will get ko'd or corner stops the fight. His dad will be crying after the fight. Jr's last opponent Andy Lee had no chin, Manfredo Jr was done long time ago he was nevr good to begin with and I thought Zbik beat Jr and he is nowhere near as good as Sergio. Easiest fight to pick Martinez by tko 9th.

[Mick Higgs]

Time waits for no man & it's catching up with Martinez!

[studentofthegam]

Chavez is getting better but a win is probably just empty hope. He'll have to pray that Sergio goes from 36 to 96 on saturday

[Mannie Phresh]

Sergio is ko'ing that tomato fed product of nepitism.

[Dickie Smalls]

Originally Posted by paulf

Fitzsimmons is picking Chavez to beat Martinez? He better be ready to walk the line again next week.

I don't get it. How can you pick Chavez? What does Chavez do that Martinez hasn't already handled? Can he apply pressure better than Williams? Hit harder than Pavlik? Offset Martinez's style with defense like Barker? No, no, and no.

One the other side of the coin, who has Chavez faced that's even remotely decent that tried to box him? Zbik. C level, tiny ass Zbik, who damn near won the fight.

Martinez is going to FUCK. CHAVEZ. UP.

1. Chavez Jr hasn't been up in ICU before the fight (like Pavlik was)
2. Chavez Jr is more relentless than Paul Weakchin-illiams
3. Chavez Jr has the right set of punches and the right style to break him down
4. Chavez Jr will be the heaviest opponent Sergio's ever faced
5. Chavez Jr is Mexican (Sergio is only Argentinian)

[BattlingNelson]

Why a majority of boxingscene writers picked Dawson to win is beyond me. Had the fight been at 175 I might have understood it, but you don't lose 7 lbs of muscle without consequences.

Eat your humble pie Fitz. Maybe you should invite the boxingscene writers staff over.

[Earl Hickey]

Martinez is going to KO that taxi driving steroid fraud cold.

[GRUSTLER]

I don't understand how no one in the camp says anything about the weight before the fight and then after, complain about it? Didn't they know it would happen?