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... the best he's looked for some considerable time. I would say the best since Gatti, but this was better as Baldy came to fight and wasn't shot.
For the first time since he's been at the weight, he actually looked powerful. Sure, he stopped (shot) Mitchell and came close to doing the same to Judah, but he still looked like a man out of his division. Last night you could see and hear the full weight of those shots, as if he'd finally grown into a man that could operate on that level at 147. I do love the way shots just bounce off Baldi though, like bullets off a Sherman tank.
Fast, sharp, I was a little disappointed he grabbed hold for Nady to break them every time Baldi came in close, but Ali was a notorious grabber in his second reign and it wasn't nearly as bad. Also a little disappointed that he brought his bicycle into the ring for the final round, but I expected as much so I wasn't surprised.
It was pretty hard to fault that performance last night, even though Baldi caught him a lot more than I thought he would. The issues with Floyd calling himself a "four-weight champion" are now resolved as he consolodated his champion status at 147. The fact that a certain match at 140 hasn't been made will now do little, if nothing, to harm his legacy. I don't like multi-weight "champs" talking about being that if they're not (Floyd was a paper champ at 147 until last night, in fact not even that, as the strap he won against Judah wasn't even his to win, no matter what political bull**** went down) but last night put paid to all that. Very impressed.
BUT... let's not get carried away. This was a journeyman that got lucky against Zab (who was never that good anyway, and I still had him winning slightly) and took advantage of a completely shot Gatti. Floyd wasn't expected to do any less than he did, and I want no childish, immature cries of "yo, it's a hater trying to detract". I speak the objective truth as I see it, and anyone saying that Floyd is an ATD off this performance is missing the point. Baldi did better than expected (though I only gave him a share of two rounds, 120-110) but this was hardly Leonard vs. Hagler, was it? Still, good performance, no denying that. Well done Floyd.
THE BATTY COUNT:
* I've always said that seeing Floyd win leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Why? Sure, he's a great boxer, there's no denying it... but the man's a charmless ****. How anyone can't see this is beyond me, it truly is.
* Wlad Klitschko was a shoo-in for the "Batty Boy of the Year 2006" award after beating Chris Byrd to the tune of Kool and the Gang and some Golden Glitter. Sadly Wlad was robbed of the title last night after "Pretty Boy" came into the ring wearing pink and being flanked by semi-naked men dressed as Roman gladiators. Throw in some baby oil and it's a gay **** video. It's proper bum batty!
* Chris "The Nipple" Arrolea impressed on the undercard, the second time I've seen him, and infinitely better than the first time I saw him, where he was being outboxed by a Cruiserweight. How far he goes though cannot be determined... apparently in a post-fight interview he said he's been taking stamina training from Antonio Tarver.
* On the opposite side of the coin, Paul Williams didn't impress, but made a hero of a man spirited enough to last six rounds against some pitter-pat arm punches and almost give him an argument. All his momentum after beating a shot Mitchell has gone down the toilet. This human giraffe has just seen his stock plummet from a time when there were actually threads asking if he could beat Floyd.
* Shame on the ref for not calling a halt to the fight after Williams repeatedly knocked his opponent's head back. What are you waiting for? Speaking of bad refs, I've got a new nickname for Nady: Jay "Homer" Nady. Not catchy, but accurate. I couldn't believe my ****ing ears when I saw this "neutral" ref go into Floyd's dressing room and tell him how great he was, and what a "privilege" it was to be working with him. Presumably after the cameras left he began to fellate Floyd, inspiring his ring walk. Joking aside, how any ref supposedly neutral can be allowed to say that is disgusting, and true to form - fresh from telling Maskaev he's "holding" every five seconds - he warns Baldomir for every minor infringement, including one where Baldi has Floyd's elbow in his throat for several seconds and puts his own there in retaliation. Don't let this man work major fights again.
For the first time since he's been at the weight, he actually looked powerful. Sure, he stopped (shot) Mitchell and came close to doing the same to Judah, but he still looked like a man out of his division. Last night you could see and hear the full weight of those shots, as if he'd finally grown into a man that could operate on that level at 147. I do love the way shots just bounce off Baldi though, like bullets off a Sherman tank.
Fast, sharp, I was a little disappointed he grabbed hold for Nady to break them every time Baldi came in close, but Ali was a notorious grabber in his second reign and it wasn't nearly as bad. Also a little disappointed that he brought his bicycle into the ring for the final round, but I expected as much so I wasn't surprised.
It was pretty hard to fault that performance last night, even though Baldi caught him a lot more than I thought he would. The issues with Floyd calling himself a "four-weight champion" are now resolved as he consolodated his champion status at 147. The fact that a certain match at 140 hasn't been made will now do little, if nothing, to harm his legacy. I don't like multi-weight "champs" talking about being that if they're not (Floyd was a paper champ at 147 until last night, in fact not even that, as the strap he won against Judah wasn't even his to win, no matter what political bull**** went down) but last night put paid to all that. Very impressed.
BUT... let's not get carried away. This was a journeyman that got lucky against Zab (who was never that good anyway, and I still had him winning slightly) and took advantage of a completely shot Gatti. Floyd wasn't expected to do any less than he did, and I want no childish, immature cries of "yo, it's a hater trying to detract". I speak the objective truth as I see it, and anyone saying that Floyd is an ATD off this performance is missing the point. Baldi did better than expected (though I only gave him a share of two rounds, 120-110) but this was hardly Leonard vs. Hagler, was it? Still, good performance, no denying that. Well done Floyd.
THE BATTY COUNT:
* I've always said that seeing Floyd win leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Why? Sure, he's a great boxer, there's no denying it... but the man's a charmless ****. How anyone can't see this is beyond me, it truly is.
* Wlad Klitschko was a shoo-in for the "Batty Boy of the Year 2006" award after beating Chris Byrd to the tune of Kool and the Gang and some Golden Glitter. Sadly Wlad was robbed of the title last night after "Pretty Boy" came into the ring wearing pink and being flanked by semi-naked men dressed as Roman gladiators. Throw in some baby oil and it's a gay **** video. It's proper bum batty!
* Chris "The Nipple" Arrolea impressed on the undercard, the second time I've seen him, and infinitely better than the first time I saw him, where he was being outboxed by a Cruiserweight. How far he goes though cannot be determined... apparently in a post-fight interview he said he's been taking stamina training from Antonio Tarver.
* On the opposite side of the coin, Paul Williams didn't impress, but made a hero of a man spirited enough to last six rounds against some pitter-pat arm punches and almost give him an argument. All his momentum after beating a shot Mitchell has gone down the toilet. This human giraffe has just seen his stock plummet from a time when there were actually threads asking if he could beat Floyd.
* Shame on the ref for not calling a halt to the fight after Williams repeatedly knocked his opponent's head back. What are you waiting for? Speaking of bad refs, I've got a new nickname for Nady: Jay "Homer" Nady. Not catchy, but accurate. I couldn't believe my ****ing ears when I saw this "neutral" ref go into Floyd's dressing room and tell him how great he was, and what a "privilege" it was to be working with him. Presumably after the cameras left he began to fellate Floyd, inspiring his ring walk. Joking aside, how any ref supposedly neutral can be allowed to say that is disgusting, and true to form - fresh from telling Maskaev he's "holding" every five seconds - he warns Baldomir for every minor infringement, including one where Baldi has Floyd's elbow in his throat for several seconds and puts his own there in retaliation. Don't let this man work major fights again.
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