2010 Official Boxing Thread: Soto/Antillon, 2010 Fight of the Year.

[aepps20]

Lederman's score card

 

[proshares]

Because King knows there is no way in hell Devon is going to lose a decision in the Lou.

 

[maddog345]

No surprise. The judges weren't going to let Devon lose in his hometown.

 

[aepps20]

Without defense Devon is overrated.  He just didn't impress me at all tonight.

 

[rayfizzle]

awful decision. Boxing shoots itself once again.

 

[mfr3shm]

I scored it 115-113 for Kotelnik

Lederman's scorecard was dumb he claims that he gave most of the rounds to Alexander because he was throwing more punches, but Kotelnik was better at landing harder and more effective punches.

 

[maddog345]

I don't know what fight Lederman was watching. His scores were terrible.

This s**t happens way too much in boxing where judges give bs scores. Always trying to protect the up & coming prospects.

I must say that Kotelnik must not throw with a lot of power because he was landing some very clean shots on Alexander. But none of those shots seemed to really hurt Alexander.

 

[rayfizzle]

yea i agree, if Kotelnik had more power he would be in top 5 @ jr welter.

 

[gunna get it]

I had Devon winning.

Im calling it now, unless Devon changes his corner, he will lose pretty bad. they are overmatched in there.
the yelling and animation is no help when ur fighter needs instruction and a change in strategy.

the 1-2s werent working, and he did no body work. where the hell were the hooks and Uppercuts he had vs Witter and Urango???

Devon learn a lesson from Zab Judah and Miguel Cotto, $+%% that loyalty !+%$, call someone anyone but dont let Cunningham be ur chief 2nd anymore.

 

[abeautifulhaze]

You could definitely hear and see the difference in the quality of the corners.

Kotelnik's corner sounded experienced and was telling him all the right things, Cunnigham sounded like he was panicking and in over his head.

Both Bradley and Devon are very good fighters but neither of them are elite imo. They are great at what they do but have holes in other parts of their game.

All the top guys at 140 are beatable...should make for some good fights in the next couple of years.

I hope Devon and Tim square off next.

That Johnson and Cloud fight was a battle too 

. 

 

[hanktrill]

WOW DEVON ALEXANDER IS ******ED , MIX UP YOUR PUNCHES ....how many of your basic %$+ jabs have to get blocked for u to realize u need to go to the body -________- , *jumps off bandwagon*

 

[hanktrill]

Originally Posted by abeautifulhaze

You could definitely hear and see the difference in the quality of the corners.



Kotelnik's corner sounded experienced and was telling him all the right things, Cunnigham sounded like he was panicking and in over his head.



Both Bradley and Devon are very good fighters but neither of them are elite imo. They are great at what they do but have holes in other parts of their game.



All the top guys at 140 are beatable...should make for some good fights in the next couple of years.



I hope Devon and Tim square off next.

That Johnson and Cloud fight was a battle too 

. 

tim bradleys boxing skills>>>>>>>devon ...this is devons first ever 12 round fight and he's 21 fights into his career talkin bout "my legs gave out " , that cut he has over his eye is gonna open right back up when tim head butts him , bradley looked bad at 146 and pitched a shut out at a unfamilar weight , he gonna box edner cherry,vivian harris and malangini type dudes for a year or two before that fight goes down. bradley is flawed and does leave himself open

 

[proshares]

Saw a picture of Glen Johnson this morning dude has no marks on his face whatsoever.

I had it 115-113 for Kotelnik as well. I don't know if it's Bradley being that well conditioned or Khan/Alexander not being able to go 12 w/o losing their legs but they both ran out of steam late in their fights with Kotelnik. But Khan thoroughly dominated him and Alexander looked very vulnerable. The trainer didn't help Devon at all but there's a point as a fighter when you have to make adjustments yourself in the ring. If that's Maidana landing those shots, that fight is over by TKO.

 

[gunna get it]

there's two sides to that coin, If that was Maidana in there instead of Kotelnik and his high defense, he would have been peppered with shots all nite and may not have made it himself

 

[proshares]

^ I suppose.

BoxingScene.com was advised that there is some post-fight controversy over the gloves that were used during Saturday light heavyweight bout between IBF champion Tavoris Cloud (21-0, 18KOs) and Glen Johnson (50-14-2, 34KOs). Cloud won a twelve round unanimous decision at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. All three judges saw it 116-112.

From what I was told, both sides agreed to use "red 10-ounce Everlast gloves" but Cloud entered the ring wearing a pair of "black gloves." A member of Cloud's team told the local commission that Johnson's co-promoter Leon Margules agreed to the black gloves, which Margules denied. Cloud's gloves were confiscated by the local commission for a precautionary inspection. It's not clear yet if Johnson's team will fill a protest.

 

[carlofromdapi]

http://sports.espn.go.com...ry/news/story?id=5452341


[h1]Floyd Mayweather Jr. disappoints[/h1]

By Scoop Jackson
ESPN.com
Archive | Contact

Ride or die.

The phrase is the 'hood equivalent to "for better or for worse." A vow. It means if your person's ship is going down, you are going down with it and them. As the great Bernie Mac would say, it signifies "Who You Wit."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?id=5452341#/sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5452290&story=5452341">http://sports.espn.go.com...452290&...idth=640,height=550,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;">[+] Enlarge

Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty ImagesFloyd Mayweather Jr. quieted critics when he came back, but his current silence is opening the door for new complaints.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has always been one of my ride-or-die cats. Regardless of how thick the hate got, I was ridin' with him. 'Til death do us part. Except now I've come to a part in his boxing career where faith begins to fade.

And not just my faith, but the faith of millions of others.

See, the predestined, prematurely determined "Fight of the Century" against Manny Pacquiao is off again. Not going to happen this year. If ever. And this time the reason that there will be no fight -- unlike the last time where the two sides didn't agree on a drug-testing arrangement Mayweather and his camp wanted -- seems to be Floyd.

He's refusing to fight. He's refusing to make a statement (outside of his adviser/promoter Leonard Ellerbe saying that "no negotiations have ever taken place nor was there ever a deal agreed upon ... to fight Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13.") in defense of why Pacquiao is fighting Antonio Margarito instead on that date.

He's refusing to do anything more than let live the statement he made last month claiming he's "not really thinking about boxing right now. I'm just relaxing. I fought about 60 days ago, so I'm just enjoying myself, enjoying life, enjoying my family, enjoying my vacation."

How long does a vacation last when the other world-dominating-pound-for-pound title holder puts the ball in your court, throws down the gauntlet in your corner? How long do you enjoy life when philosophically the "other side" is publicly putting your manhood out there to be questioned?

When Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, basically called Mayweather out, claiming not only that Pacquiao's camp was willing to accept the terms of the drug testing provisions but also that there was a deal and deadline in place that Mayweather never responded to, the landscape of blame shifted.

And because Floyd's chosen to stay "on vacation" and remain silent while the most important story in boxing orbits him, for the first time in his career, to me, the greatest boxer of this generation seems scared.

And that's the last thing I want to have to accept from someone I ride or die with.

---

The last true ride-or-die boxer whose legacy was always in question because of the fights he seemed to be avoiding was Roy Jones Jr. Regardless of who he fought, Jones was one of the greatest fighters anyone had ever seen. He made fans fall in love with him in the ring, even when there were piles of questions and contradictions that lived outside of the ring.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?id=5452341#/sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5452254&story=5452341">http://sports.espn.go.com...452254&...idth=640,height=550,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;">[+] Enlarge

Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesIn the end, Roy Jones Jr. disappointed his fans.

Then he just stopped fighting. He stopped fighting while he was in the ring.

No one in recent boxing history let his fanbase down the way Roy did. Ask Roy Jones Jr. fans; they'll tell you about the emptiness they still feel in their guts about how Roy went out. They'll tell stories of betrayal.

And this is what scares so many of the same people (including me) about Mayweather. We don't want to go through being let down by another boxer who has attained a special place in our hearts. We can't endure or afford going through that kind of pain. Not again.

In boxing we leave ourselves vulnerable. We purposely disregard anything we don't want to hear about the fighters we love. We ignore the peripheral. By Floyd Mayweather Jr. being so non-responsive, saying nothing in return to the allegations of avoidance being thrown at him, he is forcing his fans to do what we hate doing in times like this: Notice the peripheral.

Mayweather is making it seem like he is more concerned about protecting the "zero" on the right side of his record than he is proving that he is what he's said he is: Better than Sugar Ray Robinson. Better than Muhammad Ali. That he's the "best" fighter "ever."

Which, if we are being honest, is the biggest mistake he could ever make.

There are legitimate reasons not to go through with the fight this year from Mayweather's standpoint: 1. The pending trial of Roger Mayweather for battery against a female fighter he once trained. (Mayweather Jr. could say that he doesn't want to go into the biggest fight of his career without knowing whether his uncle will be in his corner during the fight.) 2. The new lawsuit by TDF Investments LLC against Mayweather Promotions LLC for breach of contract and unpaid rent. (He could say that he needs to get this legal matter straight before he commits to another fight.) 3. The seemingly ongoing battle with the federal government over income tax issues. (He could say that although the issue seems settled, he doesn't want to risk his 2010 income exceeding $100M to avoid any future tax problems.) 4. The split of the purse isn't right or fair. (He could argue that he's a bigger draw than Pacquiao and the purse shouldn't be split 50/50.) 5. All of the above ... and then some.

And all he has to do is say just one of them. But by totally avoiding the issue staring him in the face, he is making some of us believe something about him we've heard but never wanted to believe. To fans of his, fans of what he stands for in boxing, fans who care and are more concerned about him proving he is the best fighter alive than we are him staying undefeated, this silence is worse than him getting in the ring and getting carried out on his back.

(There's also apparently information coming from those close to Mayweather's camp claiming that a large part of the hold-up on the fight is because technology isn't ready to air the fight in 3D. Seriously?)

Ellerbe said prior to the Shane Mosley fight, "At this level, for Floyd, it's not about belts. It's about fighting for his legacy and it's about money."

Right now, we can't tell. No one can.

All our hero is leaving us with is the unavoidable question he's forcing us to face about him: What happens when a reason becomes an excuse?

---

Every morning when I enter my office I walk past an 11-inch by 14-inch framed image of a boxer. He's throwing a low jab into the midsection of another opponent he was supposed to lose to. Adjacent to the photo are the words "Better Than Ever." The fighters in the pic? Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley, circa May 2010. I'm sure you can figure out whom the words refer to.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?id=5452341#/sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5452248&story=5452341">http://sports.espn.go.com...452248&...idth=640,height=550,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;">[+] Enlarge

Mark Ralston/Getty ImagesManny Pacquiao's camp has been on the offensive about the megafight that isn't happening.

To me, Mayweather is one of the greatest who's ever stepped in the ring. And he will still be that whether he ever fights Pacquiao or not. But much like the LeBron James saga, it's not about the decision made, it's more about how the situation was handled.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is losing people -- fans, admirers, loyalists -- because of the way he's going about not making this fight happen. To those of us (yes, I unbiasedly include myself) who hold him down, losing to Pacquiao is secondary. We couldn't care less. With the exception of Rocky Marciano, no true warrior in the history of the fight game has exited without an "L." Talk to any true Floyd fan and they will tell you: Getting in the ring and losing to Pacquiao would be more courageous than allowing the situation to play out the way he is allowing it to play out now.

We just had Jones deceive us. We'd hate to have put our faith in another incredible boxer and have almost the same thing happen. Then we'd be the fools.

From his days as a super featherweight to his addictive quasi-seasonal performances on "24/7" that have made HBO more money than his largest purse, we roll with PBF (Pretty Boy Floyd). But by not saying anything, by not publicly giving a concrete reason why he's not making this fight happen -- by not attempting to make Arum and Pacquiao's people out to be liars -- The Pretty One is making it hard, damn near impossible, to honor him the way so many of us have throughout his career. Even at times when we knew he didn't deserve it.

There's a Roots lyric that gets to the root of where fans think Floyd's mind should be right now. It goes, "I'm inspired by the challenge that I find myself standing eye-to-eye with/To move like a wise warrior, not a coward/You can't escape/the history that you (were) meant to make/that's why the highest victory is what I'm in to take/You came to celebrate, I came to cerebrate/I hate losing, I refuse to make the same mistakes."

But there's no fight scheduled. Maybe my reference above to "scared" is an over-exaggeration. Let's say apprehensive. Or worried, concerned, backed into a corner, a little shook. Whatever.

Whatever the word, Mayweather is coming off looking like he's afraid to make this fight with Pacquiao happen. Not scared that he's going to lose, but scared that he might not win. So worried about a first loss on his spotless record that he's forgetting what champions are made of.

With this strategy of silence, it seems like the excuse has been thrown into the ring as opposed to giving a solid reason why he won't fight.

Which makes it seem like for the first time ever Floyd Mayweather Jr. -- my ride-or-die dude for life -- has run out of reasons. For himself and for those of us that loved him.

Scoop Jackson is a columnist for ESPN.com.

 

[proshares]

Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic is coming down to crunch time as we enter Group Stage 3. So far, it has been a lot of fun with some very interesting fights.

Only super middleweight titlist Andre Ward, who is 2-0 with two dominant wins and four points in the tournament, has already secured a place in the semifinals.

The five other fighters in the field -- Mikkel Kessler, Andre Dirrell, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch and Allan Green -- all remain alive and have a chance to claim one of the three remaining semifinal slots. The two guys who don't make the semis will be eliminated.

The last of the round-robin stage of the tournament begins Sept. 25, when Ward defends his belt against Dirrell at an American site to be determined and Kessler defends his belt at home in Denmark against Green on the same day. On Oct. 2, Froch and Abraham hook up in Monte Carlo, after which the final four will be set.

But the field is so bunched up right now that ties are a very good possibility and a tiebreaker mechanism is needed.

Abraham is 1-1 and has three points, courtesy of the bonus point for knocking out Jermain Taylor (whom Green later replaced) -- although he can guarantee himself a semifinal berth with a knockout of Froch. Dirrell, Kessler and Froch are each 1-1 with two points apiece and very much alive. And Green, even though he is 0-1 and has no points, can still sneak into the semis with some help.

So it's time to take a look at the tiebreaker scenarios, which you should keep in mind as you watch the Group Stage 3 bouts unfold. Here's how it works:

• If two boxers are tied in points after the Group Stage bouts, the seeding will be determined as follows:

1. Head-to-head: If the tied boxers fought each other, the winner of that bout will be seeded above the other.

2. Knockouts: If the two didn't fight head-to-head or if they fought to a draw, the boxer with the most tournament KOs/TKOs will be seeded above the other.

3. Scorecards: If they remain tied after the KO/TKO test, then the seeding is determined by the judges' total scorecard points earned by the fighters from each of their Group Stage bouts. The boxer with more overall scorecard points will be seeded above the other.

• If more than two boxers are tied in points after the Group Stage bouts, the seeding will be determined as follows:

1. Knockouts: The boxer with the most tournament KOs/TKOs will be seeded above the tied competitors.

2. Scorecards: If two or more boxers remain tied after the KO/TKO test, then the seeding is determined by the judges' total scorecard points earned by the fighters from each of their Group Stage bouts. The boxers will be seeded from highest total scorecard points to the lowest.

A word about the scorecard tiebreaker: The boxers who win prior to the final bell (meaning a KO/TKO/DQ/technical decision, etc.) earn 10 points for each incomplete round. Those who lose earn eight points in a KO/TKO round and nine points for each subsequent round.

In other words, let's say Ward knocks out Dirrell in the 10th round. If that happens, the judges' scorecards will be used for the first nine rounds. Then Showtime will give Ward 10 points for the knockout round and 10 points apiece for the two rounds that did not take place to give him a complete scorecard while Dirrell would get eight points for the 10th round and nine each for the 11th and 12th rounds. The idea is to make sure everybody is credited with the same number of rounds.

Also of note, Green inherited Taylor's scorecard points from his loss to Abraham.

Through Group Stage 2, here are the scorecard points earned by each fighter:

Ward (713)
Dirrell (690)
Kessler (679)
Froch (679)
Abraham (677)
Green (65

If there are still ties after all of the tiebreakers play themselves out, it will come down to -- a la the NFL's playoff scenario -- a coin flip.

Isn't this fun?

 

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Boxing promoter Bob Arum said he's going to finalize a deal to bring a Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito fight to Cowboys Stadium on Nov. 13 for a vacant junior middleweight title.

Arum said he will meet with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in Dallas on Wednesday. Brett Daniels, vice president of corporate communication for the Cowboys, confirmed the meeting will take place.

"Jerry is a friend of mine and I think we'll make a deal," Arum said Tuesday. "Do I know for sure? Of course not, but we have a past history and there's a feeling that because Margarito is Hispanic and [Joshua] Clottey, to be honest about it, was virtually unknown to the public, that this would do better. Jerry thinks we'll do 70,000. The Hispanic fans have followed Margarito."

[h4]Rafael's Boxing Blog[/h4]

Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.

Pacquiao drew 50,994 fans as he easily outpointed Clottey in the first boxing card at Cowboys Stadium on March 13.

There is a big sticking point regarding this fight.

Margarito is not licensed to fight in the United States after serving a one-year suspension in the state of California for a hand-wrapping scandal that engulfed him before his fight with Shane Mosley in January 2009. Margarito, who returned to fight in Mexico in May after the revocation period expired, applied for a license in Nevada, but that state commission tabled a decision until California made a decision to reinstate.

Margarito has an Aug. 18 hearing before the California State Athletic Commission.

"We feel confident," Arum said. "We're going to follow the rules of the [Association of Boxing Commissions]. Whatever decision is made, the other states are free to act independently."

Arum added: "I can't talk for Texas, but I'm very optimistic. I don't even think a hearing [in Texas] will be particularly necessary, but it's up to them. If they want a hearing, that's fine."

The Cowboys are in East Rutherford, N.J., to play the New York Giants the weekend of the proposed fight.

Arum said the possibility of having the fight in Abu Dhabi was dead, but left open the possibility of having a fight there in the future.

Michael Koncz, Pacquiao's adviser, was in the Middle Eastern emirate last week and was unable to close a deal.

"Michael went over there and the people we were dealing with had no clout," Arum said. "Then he met with the people who had the clout but they didn't have enough time to put it together. But Michael made a good impression on them and it is certainly something that we could do in the figure. But right now, I am going to Dallas to make a deal."

If Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) beats Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) for a vacant alphabet 154-pound belt it would give Pacquiao a world title in eight weight divisions. Pacquiao already holds the record with titles in seven divisions.

 

2. Paul Williams (39-1)

After two fights in a row at middleweight, including a December decision win against future champion Martinez, Williams dropped down to junior middleweight and came away with a disappointing four-round technical decision against Kermit Cintron on May 8. Although Williams and his team say he's going back to welterweight, it seems more likely they will finally do what they should have done all along, which is to make an October rematch with Martinez, the fight HBO wants badly.
Next: TBA


3. Kelly Pavlik (36-2)

After losing the championship to Martinez in April, Top Rank talked about Pavlik making his comeback before the end of the year to face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. That only lasted until the Chavez team realized it was a stupid fight for its fighter and decided against it, leaving Pavlik without any obvious fall fight. Promoter Bob Arum already has been on the phone with Artie Pelullo, the promoter of new titleholder Dmitry Pirog.
Next: TBA.


2. Miguel Cotto (35-2)

For his first title defense after winning a belt from Yuri Foreman in June, Cotto is being lined up to face Top Rank stablemate Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Dec. 4. Top Rank's Bob Arum turned to that fight when the fight he really wanted to make -- Kelly Pavlik-Chavez -- met with resistance from some folks at Top Rank and on Chavez's team.
Next: TBA.


4. Alfredo "Perro" Angulo (19-1)

Angulo, whose only loss is to Cintron, destroyed former titleholder Joachim Alcine in the first round in an impressive performance on HBO on July 17. An opportunity to challenge middleweight champ Sergio Martinez was offered, but Angulo's insane purse demands killed the fight virtually on the spot.
Next: TBA.


1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0)

Will he sign with Don King? Will he ever fight Manny Pacquiao? Will he ever give his side of the second round of failed negotiations with Pacquiao? How long will it take him to run out of money so that he'll have to fight again? Questions, questions, questions -- but no answers.
Next: TBA


2. Devon Alexander (21-0)

Alexander wasn't lights-out the way he had been in his previous two title bouts (against Juan Urango and Junior Witter), but he came home to St. Louis, drew close to 10,000 fans and did enough to barely get by tough former titlist Andriy Kotelnik in a good fight on Aug. 7. Now, bring on Bradley. Target date: Jan. 29 on HBO.
Next: TBA.

  [table][tr][th=""]

Saturday in St. Louis​

[/th][/tr][tr][td]

Junior welterweight
Devon Alexander W12 Andreas Kotelnik
Retains unified junior welterweight titles
Scores: 116-112 (three times)​

[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Alexander, 21-0, 13 KOs; Kotelnik, 31-4-1, 13 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]




Rafael's remark: It was not Alexander's best night, but the hard-fought (and deserved) victory over the tough-as-nails former titlist from Ukraine may have served an important purpose. Because Alexander looked a bit less impressive Saturday than in his title victory against Junior Witter last August and in his spectacular knockout performance against Juan Urango in their March unification fight, it might make putting together his next fight a bit easier. Most of us would like to see the proposed Jan. 29 HBO showdown against titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr. come off in a match between the two best 140-pounders in the world. Bradley's promoter, Gary Shaw, was not all that impressed with Alexander, and perhaps that will grease the wheels so we can get the summit meeting signed, sealed and delivered before anyone changes his mind.





Despite Alexander's struggles, including a cut over his left eye (the first time he had ever been cut) in the fourth round and a cramped left leg in the 12th round, the 23-year-old's speed and work rate were probably the difference to the judges in the highly competitive fight. Alexander, who won on the 54th birthday of his mother, Sharon Alexander, landed 202 of a whopping 1,113 punches (18 percent), according to CompuBox statistics, while Kotelnik connected on 225 of 763 punches (29 percent). Alexander also used his jab way more.





Alexander was the star of the promotion. He was the hometown kid fighting in a main event and in a title fight at home for the first time, and almost 10,000 strong showed up to support him. He also couldn't go anywhere without being asked about the possible Bradley fight. But to Alexander's credit, and to the credit of his outstanding trainer/manager, Kevin Cunningham, they kept their focus on Kotelnik, a 2000 Olympic silver medalist and the only fighter to hand highly regarded Marcos Maidana a pro loss. After Kotelnik, 32, outpointed Maidana to retain his belt in February 2009, he lost it in his next fight in July when England's Amir Khan, another of the division's big names, scored a virtual shutout against him.

Kotelnik did not look rusty after the 13-month layoff. He fought very well and landed more punches on Alexander than he's ever been hit with in a fight. Afterward, he and his team railed against the decision. It is understandable that they were frustrated, but Alexander did enough to win the fight, especially after banking so many early rounds. This was no hometown decision, no matter how much some folks want to complain as though it was a highway robbery.





Kotelnik shouldn't be penalized for the loss. He remains one of the best in the division, and it would be a shame if he didn't get some other notable opportunity. But now we move on to Alexander-Bradley. Hopefully, Shaw, Don King (Alexander's promoter) and HBO's Ross Greenburg can get this done in short order.




[/td][/tr]



[tr][td][/td][/tr]

Light heavyweight
Tavoris Cloud W12 Glen Johnson
Retains a light heavyweight title
Scores: 116-112 (three times) ​

[tr][td]Records: Cloud, 21-0, 18 KOs; Johnson, 50-14-2, 34 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael's remark: Cloud's reputation had been built on two nice wins but nothing to get too carried away about. The Tallahassee resident stopped faded former titlist Julio Gonzalez in 10 rounds in August 2008. After a year off, Cloud, 28, returned to outpoint Clinton Woods, another faded former titleholder, to win a vacant belt. Then came another year out of the ring, a change of promoters to Don King, and finally the mandatory defense against Johnson, the 41-year-old former champion who is still going pretty strong. Although Johnson had been soundly outboxed by division star Chad Dawson in November, he bounced back to demolish Yusaf Mack in six rounds in February to set up his shot at Cloud's belt.





The fight had all the makings of an action slugfest, and many viewed it as a potential fight of the year candidate because Cloud and Johnson are both aggressive and like to mix it up. Although we didn't see the fight of the year, we got an outstanding action fight, the sort of hard-hitting, grueling battle that could have been fought in a phone booth. Referee Steve Smoger had a great seat to watch them whale on each other because he had so little to do. There were almost no clinches, just a whole lot of punching. Cloud, however, was clearly the heavier puncher, and he stung Johnson a few times.

Johnson, a Jamaica native living in Miami, has an all-time chin. In his 66 fights, he was stopped only once, on his feet in the 11th round of a 1997 middleweight championship fight against Bernard Hopkins. They traded back and forth Saturday, with Cloud just shading his way past Johnson to put the best win of his career in the bank.

Afterward, Cloud said he wanted to fight Dawson, who has an important fight in Montreal on Saturday when he faces titlist Jean Pascal. Cloud against the winner would loom as one of the biggest fights in a division that lacks big fights.

Although Johnson felt he won the fight, the decision was just. But Johnson has nothing to be ashamed of; he's still a darn good fighter. At 41, and with so many tough fights behind him, it's amazing that he still can go as hard as he did. He went all out throughout the fight, including in the ninth round, when he unloaded 105 punches -- unheard of for a light heavyweight, especially one his age -- and he cut Cloud over his left eye in the 10th round. During the fight, Johnson got off 883 punches and landed 254, while Cloud, whose reputation is of a very busy puncher, threw just 682 and landed 246. As well as he fought, it would be hard to ask Johnson to retire. The problem is, where does he go now?





There was some controversy about the gloves in the fight. Cloud fought with a different set than he had selected at the glove meeting Saturday morning. Johnson's promoter, Leon Margules, noticed the gloves were different as the fighters entered the ring, and he complained to Missouri officials. The fight went on, but Cloud's gloves were held by the commission after the fight. Margules told ESPN.com that he retained attorney Pat English, and the gloves will be tested to ensure that there were no foreign substances in them or on them and that they were the proper weight.
[/td][/tr]

[tr][td][/td][/tr]

Junior middleweight
Cornelius "K9" Bundrage TKO5 Cory Spinks
Wins a junior middleweight title​

[tr][td]Records: Bundrage, 30-4, 18 KOs; Spinks, 37-6, 11 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael's remark: Perseverance paid off for Bundrage, who claimed a world title at age 37 with a lights-out performance against Spinks, a shell of the fighter he once was. Bundrage made his name on "The Contender" reality series but had usually lost when he stepped up in competition. However, against Spinks, the hometown fighter, Bundrage was impressive, although it was a combination of Bundrage's preparedness and Spinks' significant decline. From the opening bell, when the Detroiter swarmed Spinks to set the tone, until he knocked him through the ropes for the victory, this one was all "K9."





The mandatory fight had been postponed multiple times, and when it finally came off, Bundrage, who now is trained by Hall of Famer Emanuel Steward, looked in sensational condition. Spinks, not so much, and he paid dearly for it, yielding the 154-pound title he had won for a second time in his first defense.

Bundrage could not miss with his right hand. He punished Spinks with it, staggering him and nearly knocking him through the ropes in the second round. In the fifth round, he knocked Spinks through the ropes after a series of overhand rights snapped his head back. Finally, one of the blows sent Spinks through the ropes and onto the ring apron. He was a mess when he got to his feet, and referee Mark Nelson stopped the beating at 1 minute, 28 seconds. Afterward, Spinks, who was fighting for the first time in 16 months, complained about the stoppage, which is ridiculous. He was gone. At least maybe you can understand that Spinks was not all there when he complained. The same can't be said for his trainer, Buddy McGirt, who also complained about Nelson's call. Shame on McGirt. Did he want Spinks to get seriously hurt? It was a fine stoppage.





Spinks, the former undisputed welterweight champion, was once a terrific talent who could outbox anyone. Now, at 32, he's finished. His legs are gone. His spirit seems gone, too. Drug use (he's admitted to using them), drinking (he pleaded no contest to a DUI charge) and major weight problems -- he had to lose about 50 pounds to make weight for this fight -- all took their toll.





Like every fight from 140 pounds to 154, Bundrage called out for a fight with Manny Pacquiao afterward. That was pretty laughable, but Bundrage probably will get another fight of note and make some money. Fighters will be licking their chops to get in the ring with a very vulnerable titleholder. An interesting side note: Steward now trains two of the 154-pound titleholders, Bundrage and Miguel Cotto.
[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr]

Cruiserweight
Ryan Coyne TKO9 Warren Browning
​

[tr][td]Records: Coyne, 15-0, 5 KOs; Browning, 12-1-1, 8 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael's remark: If you have heard of Coyne, it is probably because he participated in the fourth season of "The Contender" reality series. Coyne, 28, a former Missouri Tigers linebacker and St. Louis native, took his licks against Browning, a former Toughman competitor. Eventually, he pounded him out with a highlight-reel knockout. They had put on an entertaining fight -- even if Coyne got hit way more than he should have by an opponent with a record as inflated as a tire -- until Coyne caught the London, Ky., native with a booming left hand to the head. Browning, who had built his record against opponents with a combined record of 6-34-4, went down face-first in a corner. When he made it to his feet, he stumbled backward into the ropes, and referee Mike England called off the bout at 2 minutes, 21 seconds. Nice win for Coyne, a crowd-pleasing fighter but one with a lot of work to do on his technique and defense.
[/td][/tr]

[/table][table][tr][th=""]

Saturday at Hermosillo, Mexico​

[/th][/tr][tr][td]

Flyweight
Manuel Vargas TKO6 Michael Arango
​

[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Vargas, 28-3-1, 16 KOs; Arango, 30-9-3, 24 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael's remark: Mexico's Vargas, a former interim strawweight belt holder, lost a split decision in a strawweight title challenge against Donnie Nietes in late 2009 followed by a third-round knockout loss to Nonito Donaire in a junior bantamweight fight in February. Now, back at flyweight, the 29-year-old has won two fights in a row, including the stoppage of Colombia's Arango, 31, in the main event of "Top Rank Live." Vargas had little problem with Arango, who took punishment until his corner called off the fight with him still on the stool 10 seconds into the sixth round.
[/td][/tr]

[tr][td][/td][/tr]

Featherweight
Roberto Marroquin TKO3 Jesus Quintero
​

[tr][td]Records: Marroquin, 15-0, 11 KOs; Quintero, 8-5-2, 4 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael's remark: Marroquin, 20, of Dallas, is one of Top Rank's most prized prospects, a crowd-pleasing fighter with skills, power and a solid amateur background. He overwhelmed Mexico's Quintero, 22, who had little to keep the aggressive Marroquin off him. Marroquin was faster and more powerful and broke him down throughout the fight. Marroquin was landing with authority in the third round, including a straight right hand that snapped Quintero's head straight back. Moments later, Marroquin landed two more right hands, and referee Juan Jose Ramirez stepped in to call it off at 1 minute, 40 seconds. Easy work for Marroquin on his way to bigger and better things.
[/td][/tr]

[/table][table][tr][th=""]

Friday at Hinckley, Minn. ​

[/th][/tr][tr][td]

Bantamweight
Christopher Martin W10 Chris Avalos
Scores: 98-92, 97-93 Martin, 98-94 Avalos​

[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Martin, 19-0-2, 5 KOs; Avalos, 16-1, 13 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael's remark: The 20-year-old Avalos, of Lancaster, Calif., has looked good in his past three "ShoBox" fights and was widely considered one of boxing's top prospects in the smaller weight classes. Facing Martin, a Chula Vista, Calif., native who was far more experienced, was another step up in competition for the youngster. Avalos was not up to the task, as Martin, 24, won a decisive decision in the "ShoBox" main event on Showtime. The 98-94 scorecard from judge John Mariano in favor of Avalos defies logic or explanation. The fight was a match of Martin's experience and skills against Avalos' aggression and power. The skills won. Martin outboxed Avalos, counterpunched him repeatedly and dominated, especially in the second half of the fight. Avalos tried to pressure Martin and do what he could to turn things around, but he kept swinging and missing.
[/td][/tr]

[tr][td][/td][/tr]

Cruiserweight
Lateef Kayode TKO8 Alfredo Escalera Jr.
​

[tr][td]Records: Kayode, 13-0, 12 KOs; Escalera Jr., 18-3-1, 12 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael's remark: Two years into his pro career, Kayode, 27, who is trained by Freddie Roach, looks like one of the more interesting cruiserweight prospects. The Nigeria native, who lives in Los Angeles, scored his 12th consecutive knockout as he took apart Escalera in fairly dominant fashion.

Kayode, who had never been beyond the fourth round, showed a nice arsenal of punches in dictating the entire fight. In the eighth round, Kayode landed a terrific three-punch combination -- right to the body, right upstairs and a left to the head -- that sent Escalera staggering into the ropes. Referee Joe Cortez properly ruled that the ropes had held Escalera up and ruled it a knockdown.

The fight resumed with just a few seconds remaining in the eighth round, and Kayode took the opportunity to blast Escalera, the son of the former great junior lightweight champion from Puerto Rico, with a few more blows. After Escalera, 30, a participant on "The Contender" in 2008, staggered back to his corner in bad shape, Cortes stopped the fight. Kayode is a physically imposing presence. Perhaps with a bit more seasoning he could rise through the ranks.
[/td][/tr]

[/table][table][tr][th=""]

Friday at Chicago​

[/th][/tr][tr][td]

Junior welterweight
Breidis Prescott W10 Harrison Cuello
Scores: 99-90 (twice), 98-91​

[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Prescott, 23-2, 19 KOs; Cuello, 17-13-3, 13 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael's remark: Prescott made a big splash on the world boxing scene in August 2008 by obliterating Amir Khan in a lightweight fight. He knocked Khan out in 54 seconds to send shock waves through the sport. After that, however, Prescott had his share of struggles. He won his next bout, but then dropped two decisions in a row. Now he's got a two-fight winning streak under his belt after routing Cuello in the "Friday Night Fights" main event on ESPN2.

There was not much to write home about in this fight, which was made on a few days' notice after previous main events could not be finalized. Prescott, 27, a native of Colombia living in Miami, dominated the fight against Cuello, 32, who was born in the Dominican Republic but now lives in Albany, N.Y. The biggest moment came in the ninth round, when Prescott scored a flash knockdown when Cuello walked into a strong right hand, which Prescott had injured earlier in the bout. Cuello bounced right back up and finished the fight but was never in it.

If Prescott keeps winning, he'll probably get some kind of solid opportunity because he fights in a terrific weight class and has the notoriety of the knockout of Khan, whom he'd be happy to give a rematch. Cuello dropped to 1-5-1 in his past seven fights, but the victory is an upset of former titlist Steve Forbes in March.
[/td][/tr]



[/table][table][tr][th=""]

Friday at El Paso, Texas​

[/th][/tr][tr][td]

Featherweight
Antonio Escalante TKO3 Edel Ruiz
​

[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Escalante, 23-2, 15 KOs; Ruiz, 31-23-5, 20 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael's remark: It's time for Escalante to get a shot at a belt. The 25-year-old crowd-pleaser from El Paso, who always draws solid support from his hometown, won his 10th fight in a row since an upset loss to Mauricio Pastrana in 2007 and has beaten some good opponents along the way such as Miguel Roman, Mike Oliver and Cornelius Lock. Ruiz, 32, of Mexico, was not one of those good opponents, however, and Escalante, 25, routed him with ease.

Escalante returned in this fight after calling off a spring fight because of problems with both his elbows. He was cruising along in the main event of "Solo Boxeo Tecate" when he slammed Ruiz with a wide left hook to the body in the third round. Ruiz crashed to all fours, and when he barely beat the count and did not look as though he wanted to continue, his corner threw in the towel, prompting referee Marc Cal-oy to stop the bout. It was Escalante's first bout since his decision win against Roman in February on ESPN2 in one of the leading fight of the year candidates. Despite Ruiz's poor record, the loss ended a modest four-fight winning streak.
[/td][/tr][/table]

 

[gunna get it]

Is it any surprise that Buddy Mcgirt was the trainer of a fighter to lose a world title to a guy who was on the Contender... Buddy Mcgirt is the Human Jinx.

 

[scott frost]

Buddy Mcgirt just rode Gatti's coattails.

 

[bigmike23]

i thought the cheating bum couldnt fight in the USA? so how is the fight going to be held at cowboys stadium?

 

[bigmike23]

Mike Criscio, the manager of junior middleweight contender Alfredo Angulo, believes his fighter should have accepted an offer of $750,000 to face WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez at a catch-weight of 155 or 156-pounds. Angulo made a counter-offer of $1 million dollars, and stood his ground on the requested amount.

Criscio felt the offer was more than fair. Martinez himself had only made $750,000 for his title winning effort over Kelly Pavlik in April. HBO, who were interested in televising the fight, are not happy with the position Angulo took.

"I think that he should have taken the fight. I think that $750,000 is a more than fair offer. In fact, it was a great offer for that fight. There's not many people with 20 or less fights that are making almost $1 million. So, I just think that he should have taken the fight," said Criscio.

"We'll have to wait until next year, I guess. You know, we're kind of screwed right now. I know that HBO is not too happy with him right now."

 

BoxingScene.com has learned that an HBO televised triple-header is being explored for a tentative date of October 2. The card would feature three world champions, with WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto, WBO junior middleweight champion Sergei Dzinziruk and WBA super flyweight champion Celestin Caballero sharing a triple-bill

As previously reported, one opponent in mind for Dzinziruk is former champion Luis Collazo. Regarding Berto, there are two scenarios being kicked around. The first scenario is a possible defense against Andriy Kotelnik, who last Saturday gave Devon Alexander all he could handle. The other would have Berto move up to 154 to challenge the new IBF champion, Cornelius Bundrage.

Caballero is always tricky in terms of securing an opponent, but fighters like Jason Litzau, Jorge Solis and Matt Remillard are possibilities floating around.

Nothing has been approved by HBO, including the idea of a triple header or the target date, but the network is willing to listen if the right fights are put together.

 

[proshares]

I heard that triple header might be at this minor league ballpark in Brooklyn.


Evander Holyfield will fight Sherman "The Tank" Williams on Nov. 5, just a few weeks after the former four-time heavyweight champ turns 48.

Ken Sanders, Holyfield's manager, told ESPN.com Wednesday that he had received a signed contract from Williams, 37, for the 12-round bout.

[h4]Rafael's Boxing Blog[/h4]

Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.

Sanders said the fight "most likely" will take place at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. He said Holyfield and a business associate were going to meet with arena officials next week to finalize the deal.

Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KOs) is coming off an eighth-round knockout of Francois Botha on April 10 in Las Vegas in which Holyfield claimed a minor title. It was Holyfield's first fight since a controversial decision loss to then-titleholder Nikolai Valuev in Switzerland in December 2008.

Williams (34-11-2, 19 KOs), of the Bahamas, is coming off a unanimous decision loss to prospect Manuel Charr in October in Germany, but has faced several name opponents, including losses to former titlist Ruslan Chagaev and former title challenger Jameel McCline.

"We've been working on who to get and there were several fighters we were talking to, but Williams was the one who accepted the fight. It's a good fight for TV," Sanders said.

Television plans for the fight, however, have not been determined. Sanders said they might go the pay-per-view route like they did for the fight with Botha.

Despite his age, Holyfield is still aiming for a major fight, and Sanders said a victory over Williams could pave the way to a fight with titleholder Vitali Klitschko.

"What we are going to do is have this fight and then either in January or February, we hope to be able to fight Vitali Klitschko for the WBC belt," Sanders said. "I have spoken already to the WBC and [president] Jose Sulaiman has already blessed it for me. I am speaking to the Klitschko people and I think they will do it."

Klitschko first defends his title Oct. 16 against an opponent to be determined, although former champ Shannon Briggs is the leading candidate, according to the Klitschko camp.

Holyfield, a 1984 U.S. Olympian, is in his 26th year as a professional fighter.

Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.

 

danrafaelespn Just talked to Frank Espinoza, manager of Yonnhy Perez & Abner Mares, about Showtime's four-man bantamweight tourney. He says they're in.
 

danrafaelespn If Dawson beats Pascal on Saturday, promoter Gary Shaw would like match him with Bute next at around 172 pounds.
 

danrafaelespn Bob Arum told me that Cotto-Chavez will probably be at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 4, when neither Knicks nor Rangers are home
I didn't think Chad was this tall.

BoxingScene.com spoke to Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo about the recent buzz created by his allegedly turning down a fight with WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez.  Angulo's manager Mike Criscio told BoxingScene's Lem Saterfield that he thought Angulo should have accepted the offer of $750,000 for the fight.
 
Angulo told BoxingScene - "There has been a lot of talk that I don't want to fight Martinez and that I am ducking him.  That is absolutely not the truth.  I think a fight between myself and Sergio would be a great fight.  He is a great fighter and a champion.  I felt that he beat Paul Williams when they foughtt year."
 
El Perro says that he just wants to be treated fairly.  He said he didn't ask for more money than Martinez even though he heard that Martinez was going to make substantially more money for the proposed fight.  When I told him that it had been reported that he asked for $1 million dollars Angulo had this to say - "Look they offered me $750,000 for the fight and I told them to give me a little more.  I told them I would take the fight for $900,000.  It was basically take it or leave it.  They didn't negotiate or anything.  I heard from my managers one time and that was it."
 
Angulo went further into the discussions by saying - "Here is the thing people need to know. Martinez not only was going to make a lot more than me, they were also going to give him a percentage of the gate.  They were talking about doing this fight at Staples Center (Los Angeles) and they were going to give him a percentage of the gate."
 
"Let me ask you a question Ryan.  What kind of people are going to come to a fight in Staples Center?"  I told him that it would be mostly Mexican people.  He responded by saying, "Exactly.  I am bringing the fans and he is getting a percentage of the gate but not me?  I was at the Paul Williams-Kermit Cintron fight here in the LA area and there was way less than 1000 people there.  Williams versus Martinez in Atlantic City wasn't exactly full either.  They really wanted to make a rematch between Williams and Martinez and when that didn't happen they asked me to fill in.  I would love the fight but treat me fair."
 
I told Angulo that other websites have reported that when he fought Joachim Alcine as the co-feature to the Tim Bradley versus Luis Abregu fight there were only about 2000 fans in attendance.  The Mexican replied:

"That was Bradley's fight.  I wasn't even on the billboard.  He was the main event.  My name was hardly on any of the fight cards and the few posters that my name was on it was written very small.  That arena in Palm Springs barely holds over 2000 people anyway. This would be a fight where I am the main event.  Lets see how many fans come out." 

The arena at Palm Springs holds about 2200 people and even though there were a few empty seats the box office did turn away some people because the fight was sold out.  (I attended the fight and heard from some fans after the fight that they were unable to purchase tickets)
 
Angulo ended the conversation by saying that if he was presented with a fair offer that he would be more than happy to fight Martinez. 

"I think a fight between Martinez and myself is a big fight.  Not just a regular fight but a very big fight that the fans would want to see.  All they have to do is make a fair offer and we can do this."

 

[proshares]

Negotiations for a Sergio Martinez-Paul Williams rematch for Martinez's middleweight championship are moving along again, according to Martinez's promoter Lou DiBella. However, instead of taking place Oct. 2, as HBO originally intended, it will move back to November if it gets done.

"It's moving in the right direction," DiBella said of the negotiations.

What's interesting are the reasons why the talks re-ignited this week. One reason was because discussion of Williams challenging junior middleweight titlist Sergei Dzinziruk didn't get very far because of a wide gap in the money available for Dzinziruk, who has a monster minimum from co-promoters Gary Shaw and Artie Pelullo if he headlines on HBO's "World Championship Boxing," a price of $750,000, I am told. So forget that.

The other reason talks are progressing again for Martinez-Williams II, a rematch of last year's epic fight that Williams eked out, is because after HBO approved Martinez to face Alfredo "Perro" Angulo (when it looked like Martinez-Williams II was dead), and DiBella offered Shaw, Angulo's promoter, a package of about $1 million, Angulo turned down the fight.

Hey, it would have been a tremendous birthday present for Angulo had he taken it; he turned 28 on Wednesday.

Shaw, who has done a tremendous job with Angulo, said he offered him $750,000 of the package and was stunned that he rejected it, especially considering he'd never made more than the $350,000 he earned in his loss to Kermit Cintron in May 2009. After that loss, Shaw brought Angulo back, getting him an easy win on ESPN2 followed by three more wins in a row on HBO against the right opponents.

"'Perro' had everything to gain and nothing to lose," Shaw said. "I don't get it. How many fighters are making $750,000 with a shot at the middleweight championship? That's good money and a big fight."

Shaw, who said Angulo wanted $1 million for himself, had also gotten Angulo other considerations that make his decision to turn down the fight look foolish. Shaw said he got Angulo a guaranteed HBO comeback fight if he lost and a promise from the WBC that he wouldn't be dropped from his No. 1 position in the junior middleweight ratings since the Martinez fight, which would have been at a catch weight of about 157 pounds, was going to be over the 154-pound limit.

"It was a winnable fight for Perro," Shaw said. "He could have wound up as middleweight champion and all the stars were lined up for a special opportunity. But he wanted $1 million and that isn't there. Then they came back and said they'd take $900,000, but that is not there. His manager, Mike Criscio, was as disappointed as I was that he didn't take the fight.

"Hopefully, the opportunity will re-present itself. Perro wanting a million probably helps HBO and DiBella make progress on the Martinez-Williams fight."

Shaw said Angulo's rejection of the fight probably means he won't fight again for the rest of the year because the remaining HBO dates do not include him.

It also means that "Perro" -- the "Dog" -- needs to loosen that studded dog collar he comes into the ring wearing. I think it's cutting off the oxygen he needs to think straight.

I know I am not alone in my thought that Angulo (19-1, 16 KOs) made the wrong call to turn down the fight. He's earned himself honors at the Winky Wright School of Boxing Business and the ire of my followers on my new Twitter account, who virtually all agree with me.

 

[nermindee]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

i thought the cheating bum couldnt fight in the USA? so how is the fight going to be held at cowboys stadium?

was thinking the same thing.

 

[scott frost]

Originally Posted by Nermindee

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

i thought the cheating bum couldnt fight in the USA? so how is the fight going to be held at cowboys stadium?

was thinking the same thing.

We are talking about boxing, $$$$$$$$$ talks.  Someone's pockets are getting lined.