3,425 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Cliff Rold byline.
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From one young Mexican ticket seller to another, the focus on U.S. television was and is the future on the Saturdays sandwiching Thanksgiving. Julio Cesar Chavez got his chance to shine on the HBO stage last week. This week, “Canelo” is served with a side of Cintron.
It took three tries but 35-year old Jr. Welterweight Cosme Rivera (33-14-3, 24 KO) of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, came up with a win over 41-year old Colombian Antonio Pitalua (52-6-1, 42 KO) of Mexico City on Friday night at the Jose Cuervo Salon in Polanco, Mexico. Both men weighed in at the division limit of 140 lbs.
It took three tries but 35-year old Jr. Welterweight Cosme Rivera (33-14-3, 24 KO) of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, came up with a win over 41-year old Colombian Antonio Pitalua (52-6-1, 42 KO) of Mexico City on Friday night at the Jose Cuervo Salon in Polanco, Mexico.
by Cliff Rold - It seemed, when signed, an unnecessary epilogue for an era already closed. As it played out in the ring, the only place of import, Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III turned out to be another vital chapter in this age’s enduring fistic saga. It’s been twelve years since Marco Antonio Barrera, largely written off for having committed the grave sin of losing to the very talented Junior Jones, was slotted to make an undefeated Erik Morales look good. Boxing has been treated to a dozen individual tales as part of a grisly whole. Three years after the most recent piece of the story (Pacquiao-Marquez II in 2008), action resumed last Saturday. Suddenly, more chapters appear ready for the authoring. They are the Fab Four of the internet age: Pacquiao, Marquez, Morales, and Barrera. Three of them still hold titles. One original match remains to be made. A “Part IV” is being bandied about. On the former, the chance for the one original match, there is Morales-Marquez. It is the only permutation never given form and it appeared to die earlier this year. Morales-Marquez failed to be made and so Morales chose the younger Marcos Maidana. Fans got a classic.
If the word out of the Mayweather side is true, Manny Pacquiao is about to have a lot more to worry about than the scoring debate after his third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. All indications have been Floyd Mayweather kept his dance card clear for THE showdown. Allegedly, Team Pacquiao isn’t interested?
They say a tie is like kissing one’s sister. After 36 rounds, Manny Pacquiao leads Juan Manuel Marquez 2-0-1 in the win column. To those who watched their fights, it remains difficult to see one man’s superiority over the other.
By Cliff Rold - They waited too long to do it twice, but the wait was still worth it. Will the same be said after they square off for the third time? The consensus appears to be no. The fight still hasn’t happened. They have time to prove the consensus wrong. At most, they will get a scheduled twelve rounds. Given the intensity of this rivalry in the twenty-four rounds already contested, action until the final bell, no matter the round the end comes, seems assured. It’s a bit strange. This fight would have been feverishly anticipated once upon a time and, while it still is likely to do monster numbers at the box office, the buzz is small. There are good reasons. While there is a catchweight (144 and both came in under) for the contest, it is above 140 lbs., a Welterweight bout. Marquez, a once great Featherweight and still very good Lightweight, has competed this high on the scale once before.
by Cliff Rold - Joe Frazier was no man’s co-star. Real boxing fans know that. The outpouring of grief, reverence, and admiration found in parts of the media, and throughout the field of social media make it clear. For them, us, Monday’s sad announcement that liver cancer had taken the former Heavyweight Champion of the World was, fittingly, a body blow. Frazier was everything a fighter can be, as thrilling and honest a man inside the ring as there has ever been. Boxing lost a piece of the best of itself this week. Boxing lost Smokin’ Joe. It is fitting in this week of farewell to remember just how good Frazier was, measured against all-time. In looking back on the Frazier legacy, four categories will be examined:
It’s enough to feel a little sorry for Lucian Bute. The long reigning IBF titlist at 168 lbs. got the marquee name his record lacked, turned in the dominant performance he needed, and by Sunday morning almost no one outside Canada cared.
Is there anything big going on this week? Any superstars on the horizon? Oh yeah. The little fella’…or was that Erik Morales? For the purpose of this week, the only little fella’ whose name really matters is Manny Pacquiao. That he goes to scratch with his in-ring arch-rival (or was that Morales too… El Terrible actually got a win against Pacquiao after all…we digress) this Saturday for the third and presumably final time.