I was rooting for a good fight; not either fighter. Pauli was so active early I had it 3-1 in his favor going into the 5th. After that, Broner's harder shots and Malinaggi's wavering pace saw him lose quite a few close rounds. It WAS close and Broner showed neither power nor outclassed the older guy; but he squeaked by in most of the middle to late rounds.
I had it 115-113 Broner like most of the Showtime crew. If Pauli had been a bit younger and taken a few of the last few rounds it would've been a close win for HIM probably. His lack of power will always be his Achilles heel.
It is what it is.
Raises questions about Adrian but he got the 'W'.
Yeah, I'm with Right on this one...based on their last performances I don't see that fight doing anything but derailing Kirkland's career further with the ass whooping he takes.
I mean, Kirkland looked sluggish to me; slow- and the way he plods forward, even a less than peak Martinez would probably be able to catch him often and cleanly. With the way Sergio hits, I see James taking a Paul Williams style face nap.
Sergio would use his speed and pick his shots; I say Martinez KO4.
I like Kirkland, I find him entertaining and he clearly gives it his all, so I don't really want him to face Martinez. I don't think the win would prove almost anything for Sergio, and he really should keep defending his belt instead of putting junior middleweights to sleep.
You have the right to feel that way and Im not here to convince you or anyone else to see things my way. Just throwing it out there for people to take into consideration and realize how jacked up things are right now.
Understood.
I personally think small group boycotts will just further hurt boxing with the falling revenues. The best solution I've heard is to force local, state, and eventually federal legislatures to create a federally regulated boxing commission that is responsible for things such as licencor of judges, promoters, and referees. That would require taking the anger and bitterness from a robbery like last night and using it to fuel extended motivation to change things....
Create something akin to the NFL commission
I won't pay to watch Marquez keep his name relevant or for Brandon Rios to scrape by another weight draining fiasco...can anyone hook me up with a link?
That could be the case. Maybe he didn't know or had anything to do with it BUT if you know who your promoter is and you know he has Marquez lined up for you and know your promoter always goes on with his plans no matter what. Then you have to have a clue in your head or a bit of suspicion that you know what the outcome will be. I guess you can call it "having faith on your promoter." And if people aren't gonna boycott Top Rank then they should at least boycott Rios. The guy missed weight twice in a row and then goes on parading after the fight as if he knew he won. There's no way you parade after being schooled like that. Instead of walk to your corner with your head down in shame, for missing weight and being schooled after talking all that smack.
I've come to the point where I try to view a boxer by what he does in the ring; sometimes knowing their story or history makes it easier to like or dislike them, but I won't allow a character flaw like arrogance to detract from a brilliant in-ring performance (Mayweather perhaps).
Brandon Rios got beat up. He was weight drained, again, and I think we can expect him to finally move up to 140 now. Like any other guy, though, he has a family and people he loves, things he wants to do, and he's just making a living. He pays a promoter to line up big fights for him so he can provide for his family. Rios is in the hurt game for a career.
I won't fault Brandon for one garbage decision when I don't have any reason to personally penalize him. I'm willing to wait and see who he fights next, and if he can earn his reputation back by what he does in that fight...
Bob Arum and Top Rank are corrupt. That seems likely to some extent. I'm not going to throw Rios, Pacquiao, Chavez, etc. under the bus, though. They still deserve a right to live as prize fighters; if this is an isolated incident, Rios shouldn't be blamed.
Clearly Brandon is going to have issues moving up in weight if he can't bang as hard, so this might all be a moot point by next year if he's put in there with someone legitimate at junior welterweight...
See my innate problem with this issue is that, in this case Brandon Rios, is not a judge.
He might be a loud mouth brawler who plods forward and takes a few to land his, but he seems like a no bull**** fighter. Just a guy making a living banging on other guys.
With the way the sport is organized at least while he's on the come-up, he probably needs a promoter and a promotional company to help broker his fights with the networks and other fighters- nothing unusual there.
With widespread corruption, though, some guys might benefit from unfair practices without having much say in it. I refuse to believe every Rios-Abril style robbery had a willing participant inside the ring.
**** situations are caused by greed, but I hesitate to make a fighter pay for the misdoings of someone else. I'm not offering a solution or criticizing the boycott; just bringing up something to discuss....
Brandon Rios, to use this gift decision as an example, might very well have had no say in the Bobfather's politics - what would you like to see? For Rios to leave Top Rank at his first opportunity? To be honest that he thinks he lost? Or will he, like most fighting men, take the benefits, train hard, and try to pay back his gift by giving his best effort..?
Floyd hasn't gone 12 since he fought Mosley 2 years ago. That Ortiz fight didn't give him many rounds, at all. I know that, at Floyd's level, he's already been in the ring enough that it shouldn't matter much but at 35- which should be the beginning of his decline- that's not ideal.
If peak Floyd Mayweather is 100/100, I think we're looking at 90% at this point. But, of course, we're all guessing until we see him against Cotto. Win or lose his speed, legs, and reactions will tell us the real answer.
I agree. Shane Mosley is a fierce competitor, enough that he was once pressured into using performance enhancing drugs to get an edge. He seems to have that sort of athletic personality that ensures he'll show up 100% to win on May 5th.
Like was said, though, like when he got nailed by Pacquiao and looked up with his, 'Oh my, the buffet is closed..?' bewildered expression, he went into survival mode and never attempted to win another round.
He'll do that with Canelo - if he starts getting slapped around, he'll find a way to survive, even if he means he stops throwing and trying to do ****.
So the real question is, can the young ginger get Old Man Mosley out before he goes into that survival programming?
It's hard to look good against B-Hop.
If you get something going he'll tie you up and hold, as he did several times every round. Chad knew that with his style all he had to do was remain composed and not get bothered by the cheating tactics, which he did and beat Hopkins clearer than anyone ever has.
I can't remember the round, but there was a point that Dawson landed a big shot and Bernard bounced off the ropes and rugby tackled him to the ground.
Don't get me wrong, I'm giving Chad credit for a 'W', but that wasn't the Hopkins who fought Tarver; that old, ageless wonder. He's only human, and I think his output and legs are suffering. Yeah, I remember the tackle; he's still a crafty fighter- he had no intentions of getting legally knocked down.
Bernard is damn near 50 and it showed. Lots of ducking in with that melon- but without the youth to stay busy enough to win rounds. I gave him 2 rounds, and I was rooting for 'ol B-hop.
Seriously, though, I wasn't excited by Dawson's performance. Should I be? He did enough to win the rounds, put 'em in the bank, and won the fight- but he didn't dominate the old man the way some people were saying he would.
I'm still not sold on Chad being 'Bad', this was his fire in the gut, I-am-fukin-hungry mentality, right? To beat the old cheat?
There was no passing of the torch, no performance against an aging legend that made me reopen the book on Dawson; he's solid, I respect him, and I'll watch him in the future- but I'm still just not that impressed.
Not being a hater....
I was very skeptical about that injury. It looked like Hopkins usual bantering to the referee about perceived fouls; a strategy that is part of his craft. I take the technical with the cheap stuff when it comes to Bernard- a future hall of famer.
B-Hop is one of the guys that got me into boxing. Not all his fights have been pretty, but he's a real dude and a lot of his antics have cracked me the **** up over the years.
My instincts and brain tell me, of course, that B Hop can't keep doing this, and he might have even looked spooked in the early part of the 1st fight, but he's the executioner! I might never get to root for him again. So I am, and here's the logic I'll throw behind his chance of winning:
Chad Dawson, while young and skilled, isn't the beast some of his fans are making him out to be.
That Pascal fight was just, sub-par, honestly- and I'm not trying to be a hater, because Dawson is alright in my book, but he didn't exactly walk over Ol' Ass Glen Johnson, either. Not the way a superstar should of- and, yes, I know Johnson is a solid fighter; I've seen him dozens of times.
So, I think Dawson is a young, solid fighter- possibly a champion who can reign dominantly for awhile in the division- but I'm going to say the dirty tactician finds a way to squeak out a razor thin decision, riding off into the sunset like a boss.
Bernard Hopkins by SD
Is nobody else worried about all the damage Tim took last night? I mean, seriously, Ruslan can bang; its his biggest attribute. Bradley was wobbling around like a human unicycle for several rounds. I'm not even sure he'll ever look the same. That **** takes a toll on you. Exciting fight. His apology for the Pacquiao fight, written in-ring. Wish somebody would've told him he didn't need to make amends like that.
I feel like the, "Bradley got lucky" mentality, not just now but especially after the poor decision in the Pacquiao fight, is what made him fight like he did last night. He wanted to give the fans what they wanted- an exciting, all action brawl. He did. Problem is, he hits more like Malinaggi than Gatti, and fought the plain wrong fight for his style. He took lots of punishment, boxed in spots with his jab, and squeaked by on the cards.
He got hit with more than the kitchen sink; Ruslan threw the fridge at him, too. I'm not sure how much last night's punishment is going to effect Tim, but he better not fight like that ever again. A fox isn't a wolf. Bradley is NOT a banger, and while it was exciting, turned a smooth 'W' into almost waking up at the local hospital.
Props to both fighters. Thanks for the fight!
I'm not sure why Victor's submission is becoming such a debated topic here.
Factually, Ortiz had his jaw broken and rather quickly realized it wasn't worth the pain to continue.
Physically, could he? Yes.
Mentally, could he? Obviously not.
Mayweather has always stressed a safety first mentality. Some boxers have skills, like Ortiz, but don't have "heart".
It all comes down to how important toughness and determination are to your favoritism towards a fighter.
Floyd Mayweather has ten times the skill of say, Arturo Gatti, but we all know how beloved Gatti was for his heart.
Could Victor have kept fighting? Absolutely.
Did he owe it to anyone to push himself if he didn't feel the drive to finish? No.
It is what it is.
Victor Ortiz has a tendency to stop fighting if under severe duress or experiencing intense pain.
That is part of who he is as a fighter. Past his skills, he's a young, conscious individual who isn't willing to go past a certain line in the ring.
That is what it is.
Whether you like him or not, that can't really be debated.
Didn't see it, but by all accounts it must've been a massive knockout. With that said, Paul Willaims (at the time) was definitely a class above Allan Green..
Absolutely, I'm not comparing Green, who I think is a club fighter, to Paul Williams as much as just what this brutal KO will mean to Kessler and his upcoming fights. It's going to be a highlight reel punch for him, like Martinez-Williams.
For **** sake i give up this just too painful all i want to do is watch some live boxing
I know, right? No sports on tonight, I'll be chilling at home...was looking forward to seeing Broner fight...
BUT I'm hearing they'll show the undercard anyway? So either way...hope BAD goes on.
Any confirmation from a different source other than that little blog everyone is just gullibly swallowing?
all the sports media should be over this by now and that doesn't seem to be the case
I was reading it from the Augusta NBC news affiliate. It seems that the local news in Augusta has reported on this. Not much in the way of details other than Paul Williams the boxer was in a motorcycle accident that is going to leave him paralyzed from the waist down.
Also, it's now updated and on the home page of boxingscene here.
It's unfortunately true.
neither. they both lost clear decisions
I agree, but I guess I give Morales a pass- even if I don't want to see the fight- in getting a rematch if it happens. Just the regard I hold the old guy in.
That's hard for me.
I agree that Erik Morales is a fuking legend. He's given me tons of amazing fights and I'm a fan of his. I think he deserves the fight if he wants it.
Amir Khan can probably, chinny as he is, not get caught in a rematch and win a decision at worst. He gets sloppy, but I think he could win a rematch possibly.
But even though Morales deserves the fight, I think his career has ended and he's fighting on, and I don't want to see that, even if he just loses a wide decision.
So I'd rather see the Khan rematch, but I think Morales is more deserving with his first performance.
Antonio Tarver didn't win the fight simply because he swept the later half of the rounds. You have to score all 12 rounds- I was- and Tarver arguably, and on my score card, lost almost all of the first 5.
From mid fight on, starting in the 6th, he wins most of the following rounds; but as I said in another post I think the 10th round was extremely close. I remember Shobox put up a stat that they both landed 21% and almost at the same number of connects.
That said, if you give Kayode the 10th- which I did- combined with his early work in the fight, it goes 6 rounds a piece.3
114-114 draw.
I bring this up because the context of the first post was Freddie Roach isn't a great trainer because his guy got schooled but, to be fair, I had to point out I feel his guy got a draw and, if there was a rematch, could get a 'W'.
Not arguing for or against Roach in any other way. Just wanted to point that out.
Groves is breaking Serra's left eye down....he is a handful of solid rights from putting Serra on the canvas.
4-0 Groves....I like this guy, tough, skilled, powerful, fast, exciting.
Sierra lands his, though. I feel like he stunned Groves at the end of the round..?
Groves needs to take Sierra out or he's getting at least KDed once.
Floyd Mayweather, as a boxer, is your dream fight. It's all reward and no risk. Guerrero should lose to Floyd. His wife, children, and even himself will probably, in some small place, expect the undefeated Money to win. With the amount of cash you make fighting Floyd, it's worth it.
Guerrero just has to keep his head high and be in a decent fight. Cotto lost, but I'd say his esteem is through the roof with the casual fan. They loved seeing Floyd in an actual fight. So, even in losing, Miguel walked away gaining regard...
It's the same for every fight. You don't even have to actually win. You get a career high payday, and as long as you look decent, probably forever after increase your draw power and purses....
Groves is a baller....that man will mess you up.
Pretty slow brawler type DID land some good shots on him, though.
To be fair, I'm paying attention to him, nice performance, but he he's more exciting than elite.