Sultan Dirrell Can Retire Now: Review, Ratings Update
He talked like Ali. Offered about as much offense as Sultan Ibragimov. Flopped and fled like the worst of frustrating and mercurial Super Middleweight Andre Dirrell.
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Cliff Rold
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3,425 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Cliff Rold byline.
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Articles by Cliff Rold: page 237
Hernan "Tyson" Marquez Has Earned Your Attention
The event at the center of this fistic week? Not the subject here. Nope, this space is being reserved for something else. Something smaller. The big boys will be wrapped, barking up a new round of trash talk or serving up some humble pie. The eyes of the world that are fixed on Hamburg, Germany won’t have much concern for the happenings some ten hours or so later in Sonora, Mexico.
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Klitschko vs Haye: The Pre-Unification Report Card
by Cliff Rold - Forget the belts. The Heavyweight Championship of the World, the real one, the one that matters, belongs to one man. That man enters this Saturday’s massive title fight at the Imtech Arena in Hamburg, Germany, on the best run of his career. He has won 13 in a row, ten of them title fights, partially unified the class, picked up the Ring Magazine belt, and still the question remains: Who is Wladimir Klitschko? Until he is deposed, he remains the center of the story. His reign grows longer in years and fights and there are those beginning to wonder where he might shake out in the grad scheme of fistic history. Is he the fighter many in the boxing world still think can’t fight from the bottom? Or is he, given the experience of the first Peter fight and the momentum gathered in the run since, a matured, battle tested veteran ready to have his signature moment with a heated rival? But is the rival really good enough in the ring to ask the question? After all, it is just as fair to ask: Who is David Haye? Emanuel Steward: What I like about David (Haye) is he comes with the winning mindset. Not like a lot of the opponents we have fought recently. We go back to the first Sam Peter fight, he was a tough guy. He came to win. And maybe one or two since then. But no one came in since Sam Peter with the mindset of David. Wladimir Klitschko’s trainer, Emanuel Steward, speaking at the final pre-fight press conference, June 27, 2011
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BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of the Week
It used to be like this more often.
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Smells Like Home Cookin’: Review and Ratings Update
In what was probably the toughest call of the weekend’s three rough scoring affairs, Jr. Welterweight Mike Dallas lost to Mauricio Herrera, aired on Friday Night Fights in the U.S. Ruminating on a fight he, and the crowd, felt he won, Dallas spoke to how bad decision make boxing not be fun.
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Back From The Abyss: Montiel is Ready For Big Fights
In February, 32-year old three-division titlist Fernando Montiel (45-3-2, 35 KO) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, walked into the ring with a pair of Bantamweight belts and, two rounds later, left with a dent in his head from a picturesque Nonito Donaire left hook. It was the sort of devastating knockout veteran fighters struggle to come back from.
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Devon Alexander vs Lucas Matthysse: Pre-Report Card
By Cliff Rold - It would be absurd to call a fight between two talented men in their 20s, both with only a single defeat, a must-win situation. ‘Do or die’ would be hyperbolic. However, in the world of limited TV dates and starts that often favor winners first, it’s not entirely off the mark. Alexander comes in directly off his first loss, a lackluster showing in a unification match with Timothy Bradley earlier this year. Cut in the fight, Alexander didn’t look like winning, like fighting through crimson, meant everything to him. Matthysse was the opposite, leaving the impression of hunger and just a hint of romance. There were plenty who thought he did enough to get by former Welterweight champion Zab Judah in his HBO debut last summer. Judah has gone on to reclaim gold at Jr. Welterweight, the division’s veteran hand. Matthysse could just as easily have had that belt. Saturday, a WBO eliminator means a belt opportunity is on the line. Matthysse can ride romance only so far. Failure Saturday could pigeonhole him as fun but not worth counting on to pull out the big one. Looks can be deceiving. They can also create impressions that demand rebuttal. Jr. Welterweight remains probably the deepest pool of young, serious talent in the sport. Both winner and loser on Saturday have a future.
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Texas Stars Cowboy Up: Vera and Kirkland Shine
With a chance to repeat one of his best victories potentially looming later this year, 29-year old Middleweight and former “Contender” contestant Brian Vera (19-5, 12 KO), of Austin, Texas, put forth a steady, workmanlike effort in breaking down tough but outmatched 37-year old Eloy Suarez (11-12-1, 5 KO) of San Antonio, Texas, over eight rounds on Friday night at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas.
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Tavoris Cloud Will Make His Annual Appearance
by Cliff Rold - It’s always the fights first. Sure, fans might identify their early passion for the sweet science with a particular affinity for their first fistic hero. Dig deep enough and, just guessing, it isn’t the idol that was really the key. It was a moment the idol provided. For men of a certain age, it was Mike Tyson leaving bodies strewn about the ring. For others, it might be Matthew Saad Muhammad battling back against Marvin Johnson or Yaqui Lopez; Archie Moore surviving and outdueling Yvonne Durrelle. It was the fights. The lasting admiration for the participants flowed naturally from there; the egg before the chicken. Current IBF Light Heavyweight titlist Tavoris Cloud (22-0, 18 KO) hasn’t had a moment like that yet. He may never. But, as much as any fighter in the sport under age 30, Cloud has begun building a reputation as the sort of fighter who could. It’s always the fights first. And Cloud makes damn good fights. Matched with the mercurial and but typically Yusaf Mack (29-3-2, 17 KO) on the HBO-televised undercard of the Jr. Welterweight clash between Devon Alexander and Lucas Matthysse (a show also featuring a Heavyweight clash between Bermane Stiverne and Ray Austin), Cloud should make another this Saturday.
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BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of The Week
Not enough boxing on television for your tastes most weeks? Yeah, the weekend coming up won’t fit the description. From Thursday night, with a Fox/Ringtv.com Fight Club show, through Saturday, there will be seven shows available in the U.S. alone.
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