technicalboxer

Perhaps none was entirely right, but let’s look at it objectively. It is not so much about what you say and do, but how you say it and do it. It’s true Freddy was impatient, short tempered, and too reactive, but Robert was using the gym on Roach’s time, was giving interviews, and was totally uncooperative. In black and white, it was Roach’s time to use the gym. If team Rios decided to do interviews during their gym time, it’s their fault. Robert had sent Rios to the elliptical for half an hour one minute before Freddy showed up and it is safe to assume that he meant Rios to be on the machine for the 30 minutes, plus the time to cool down, pack up, and stretch (or whatever else it is that Ariza does to fighters). So they might’ve grossly trespass upon Roach’s time for quite some time. It is also true that Freddy Roach lost his cool quickly enough, but Garcia was being deliberately uncooperative, he was unyielding to any request, he was not looking at Roach when he was being addressed, he was the epitome of a mule saying NO, NO, NO! (Not literally). What was Freddy to do, call his dad? I agree there are more civilized ways to settle that problem, but these are fighters, and they sometime react accordingly. I also agree with the poster who said this was a set up for Roach to flip over. Sometimes just being ignored and especially when you’re right (Freddy could prove that it was his time to use the gym) can be irritating to some people, and it seemed that Freddy is one of those people. I am not trying to clear Roach of all wrongdoing, but Garcia sometimes strikes me as a sort of fake nice guy who sometimes acts through his fighters. I mean, a good amount of a……s seem to gravitate towards him and his gym, and seem to have pretty good chemistry with him. For every decent guy like Mickey and Maidana he has a Margarito, a Rios, or a Vargas. It was him egging Rios on to imitate Roach on that video before the Pac-Marg fight, so trying to say he has never disrespected Roach is not precisely accurate. He just tried to play the political correctness card, like he was trying to be conciliatory, reaching to Roach, when in fact, he was simply and purposely obstructing team Pac’s access to the gym. Bringing Ariza to the team was like Mayweather inviting Rios to the Ortiz bout. But it is justifiable since Rios has had so many weight issues in the past, and anyways, they may bring whoever they want to camp. But being the head of the camp, he should have put Ariza on check before the escalation. In my humble opinion, Robert was simply a very smooth operator who, to anyone who does not follow boxing very closely, was made to look like the good guy who did nothing to upset Roach, and Freddy was the grumpy, impatient, and xenophobic guy who exploded for no reason. So, the casuals who do not follow the build up to fights, the training camps, and all other peripheral boxing activities, Garcia came out better. Let everyone draw their own conclusions. Sorry for long and tiresome post.

Too late for that. I thought Gamboa had more than enough to outbox Rios but they did not fight. I have never been on the Rios’ bandwagon; He has no technique, no defense, and relative power. He does not KO his opponents by sheer power of his punches, but rather by accumulation and exhaustion. He leans in and puts all the weight he gains after the weigh-in, that’s what gets his opponents tired. Abril did not let him do that, and I think Gamboa would not have let him get away with it either (of course, this is a conjecture). Murray and Antillón were content with letting him push them, lean on them, and wear them down and tried to fight Rios’ fight. A slick boxer chops Rios to pieces. Abril is slick but physically limited and he took Rios to school, imagine what Márquez would do? But as far as gamboa – Rios is concerned, well, we might never know. I may be wrong, but, when evenly matched, I always pick the boxer over the brawler.

Cuba hasn’t had the chance to build pro boxers from the ground up. Most of the Cuban boxers that compete in the professional ranks today have been in the amateur far too long and it is difficult to get rid of the style. Also most arrive to the pros in their late 20s or early 30s which makes it more difficult to adapt and must also do it in less time. Also, they come in such small numbers that the room for failure is very high. It will be very interesting to see a new, large contingent of Cuban prospects develop into professionals from the very start. I bet they will claim the top 1 or 2 spot. Only time will tell.

Shane Mosley was one of the best fighters of his generations, a superb lightweight and a top welter and superwelter weight. He is also one of the nicest guys in the sport and you can rely on him to carry himself with respect and cordiality in and out of the ring. However, his best days are behind him. 5 years ago he would have taken Canelo to school and back, but unfortunately, Shane may not be up to the task anymore. This fight should be Canelo Alvarez vs. “Shame” Mosley. It is not fair to use such a good fighter like Shane to feed the inflated record and ego of Saul Alvarez. It would be a happy day for boxing if Shane can pull one last upset against Canelo; I certainly hope so. Good luck, Shane!

How many low blows per round for Mares? I bet he dominates that category. He’s a good, entertaining fighter, with solid skill, and he is always willing to mix it up, but the Darchinyan and the first Agbeko fight made me lose a lot of respect for his integrity as a fighter.

Well, it is a small consolation prize for his troubles. Here, Richard, for fighting a man who didn’t bother to make weight, for getting the fight stolen from you, and for been cheated out of the extra $50K that you fairly earned……….a worthless interim title.

So this is Arum’s idea of a quality fight. What’s next? Walter Estrada, Steve Molitor, or plan to bring Jorge “maromero” Paez out of retirement? The Rigondeaux fight is a no go because he is “not exciting”. But Jeffrey Mathebula is? He is going to offer a better fight against Donaire than Rigondeaux? Donaire is past that stage where he needed bums fed to him and if he really wants to stake his claim as a top p4p he must stop this campaign. What legitimacy can you gain by beating Mijares or Arce knowing full well that they are not in their prime, and even in their prime they were not in your league? I’m surprised the name Rafael Márquez hasn’t been thrown around. Top Ranks have a list of fighters they use to make THEIR fighters look good. Beating a bum with an inflated record in spectacular fashion can be convincing; it’s boxing paradise for casual fans.

Richard Abril will need his A game. He will be contending with a heavier opponent, the crowd, and possibly the judges. If he wins (however unlikely) it will be a good underdog tale.

“Donaire Being Chased By Many, But Mijares in the Lead” Translation: Among all the possible fights, Mijares is the easiest. In the old days the norm used to be: Build up your record so you can get the big fights later. Now it is different: build up your record so you can get a promoter to protect you later. What a shame! Mares fought brilliantly yesterday, why not face him? Rigondeaux is out of the picture because “he is not exciting” I guess performances like the ones put forth by Vásquez Jr. and Narvaez are the new epitome of excitement.

It would have been an interesting clash of styles. It’s always intriguing when a strong brawler squares off against a slick technician, especially when the brawler is bigger and forces the boxer to bring out all his resources. Let’s hope these two can meet somewhere in the near future while they are both in their prime so they can give the public the great event that boxing needs today.

Even if he cannot fit in the frame of a natural 140 pounder, Juan Manuel Márquez has all the ingredients of a great champ: Decent power to hold other fighters from bullying him, good speed and excellent timing, sublime technique and a repertoire of punching combinations that is second to none in the sport. And to top it all, he is one of the most courageous fighters out there. He may not be the best in any particular department, but he is very well balanced as a boxer.

Brandon Rios does have an entertaining style and doesn’t back away from the fight when he is on the ring. But his claim of wanting to fight the best is a little exaggerated. Not so long ago he was calling out Barrera, now insisting on Gamboa (One well past his prime and the other 2 divisions beneath him). Now he is considering JMM; a great fighter, but despite his recent excellent performances (save the Mayweather fight) the man is 38 years old and a 12 round affair with a big, young opponent is going to be very hard. If Rios wanted the best, why didn’t he call out Robert Guerrero when he was still at lightweight? If rios moves to 140 let’s hope we can see him against the likes of Bradley, Kahn, Alvarado, Mathysse, Maidana, or Lamont Peterson. A real champion does not need to take on older or smaller fighters, that makes you an opportunist, not a warrior.

I think what Abril is trying to say is that if Rios wasn’t a boxer he would probably not try so hard to show how Mexican he is. Rios might be pulling the Mexican card to win over one of the best and most loyal sector of the boxing fans. Mexicans love their boxers, they go to the events, they buy the PPV, the root and show support for their fighters. Rios hasn’t made an effort to learn Spanish, acculturate himself a little that heritage that he so fervently claims, and other than that mariachi cry at the end of his fights (which he manages to make it extra annoying), there is nothing about Brandon Rios that would pass for Mexican. Brandon does not care about Mexicans, just their wallets.

Sergio Mártinez is a great athlete, but he relies too much on his physicality and he is getting old. The case can be made that B-hop is even older, but these are two diametrically opposed fighters in terms of styles. Sergio fights as if he was 20, exciting, hands low, daring his opponent to punch (and getting tagged more often in his last two fights). Hopkins has always fought as a veteran, measured, rangy, and taking no unnecessary risks. That is the key to Hopkins’ longevity. Mártinez hasn’t fought anyone lately that has both: Good athleticism and good boxing craft. Erislandy Lara has both, specially a solid defense, which neither Macklin, Barker, Williams nor Pavlik had. Mártinez –Lara would make a good matchup if they don’t wait too long.

Chris John is an example of what fighting at home can do for a boxer’s record. At home he could always rely on winning by simply not getting KO’ed. When he finally decided to fight outside his backyard and came to the U.S. he had a very “rocky” performance against Rocky Juarez, and the rematch, despite been a little easier for him, he barely made it out of the 12th round. One can say that Rocky Juarez is a tough fighter, but he is not an A class one. For a man who can boast of a win against a prime JMM one would expect more from him, at least more than contenting himself with fighting B and C level fighters in his living room with his neighbor as officials for the bout. At that rate he will certainly retire unbeaten, the only reason he wouldn’t reach 100 wins is because he fights once a year.

Unfortunately, boxing events have been sold to a different crowd: The casuals. Casual fans, for the most part do not appreciate movement, footwork, defense, or the sense of tact and timing. They do not understand that what Mayweather, Rigo, and ward do in much more difficult to do and do well than what Margarito, Rios, and Kirkland do. Do you think that if Margarito could do what Rigo does, he’d fight with his face as his guard? Another misconception, and I might be wrong is that people say “Well, casuals buy the fight because they are exciting.” Maybe, but I think that they “watch” they fight if they’re exciting when they’re free. There are few universal fighters. Most casuals are compelled to buy PPV when a compatriot fights. Rigo could fight like Barrera and Morales in all his fights and he still wouldn’t sell like them. If Jorge Arce was Cuban he’d sell about as much as Rigo. I know Rigo could’ve been a little more aggressive against Adbeko. But even if he did what he did to Teon, or rico, or that Irish kid, Willie Casey; his next fight would be attended by the same crowd. Cuban fans are not like Mexican fans, or philipinos. Cuban fans do not commit, they do not support en masse. Just look at stadiums in Cuba, or any other sporting even in Miami (save perhaps the Miami heat, and that’s a different crowd). I remember a card I attended where Gamboa, Lara, and Garbey were fighting and there were about less than 400 people. This was in Miami! On a Friday afternoon! With free Parking! And $25 tickets! Unfortunately again, that is the situation for Cuban fighters, whether they fight like Willie Pep or like Duran.

Unless the article is wrong, Brandon Rios is quoted as saying “I signed the contract right away”. If that is accurate, then, shouldn’t Gamboa have also signed his contract around the same time? Arum’s defense against Gamboa’s claim of not having signed the contract is that the contract is signed sometimes a week before the fight. But if Rios signed and Gamboa had objected, on whatever basis it might have been; wouldn’t it have been more prudent to have tried to solve the issue at hand rather than roll forward with the advertisement campaign?

At least he is not being used as a stepping stone for Donaire; though it could be worse, he could be a stepping stone for Mares while being on the receiving end of countless low-blows. Great warriors like R. Márquez should walk way with dignity when they slow down. It's a shame to see them become promoters' tools to inflate other fighters' records.

There is very little market for Cuban fighters, Cuban in Miami do not attend to boxing cards, or buy PPV. This is not an excuse to rob Cuban fighters, but that is what marketing does to boxing. Rios sells more than Abril, so Arum would not have Abril winning unless he knocks Rios out. Gamboa was going to run the same fate with JM López unless he knocked him out because López generates more sales than Gamboa. Lara vs. Williams was the same thing. It is disgusting to see how business people, who care nothing about boxing s.crew the sport we love.