- Feb 1, 2012
- 761
- 77
9-1 Cunningham.
Official 2012 Boxing Thread: JMM/Manny IV - FOTY.
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by proshares,
- Start date
- Feb 1, 2012
- 761
- 77
9-2 Cunningham.
- Feb 1, 2012
- 761
- 77
10-2 Cunningham.
Did you hear these whack *** commentators saying they had the fight even?
Did you hear these whack *** commentators saying they had the fight even?
- May 30, 2003
- 1,478
- 282
What the hell just happened with the scores...
- Feb 1, 2012
- 761
- 77
This is ******g ********....
- Sep 28, 2003
- 28,231
- 12,584
I have money on Adamek, but this is BS.
- May 30, 2003
- 1,478
- 282
How did they change the outcome? Something extra suspect...i thought it was 8-4 Cunningham. Good fight but BS decision. Some promoter rush up to the judge and have them change the scores at the end?
My brother who doesn't even watch boxing, just texted me 'and this is why boxing is a joke now'. It's sad really
My brother who doesn't even watch boxing, just texted me 'and this is why boxing is a joke now'. It's sad really
- Feb 1, 2012
- 761
- 77
This is some ******g ********. Cunningham literally dominated Adamek.
- Feb 1, 2012
- 761
- 77
You hear Freddie... "That's Boxing".
More like, That's ********...
More like, That's ********...
- May 30, 2003
- 1,478
- 282
How does 115-112 even make sense, mathematically? That would be 7-4 Adamek. That would mean there was a 10-8 round somewhere for Adamek. He did not dominate any single round. Thought he did enough to get 4 at best, but 115-112? I feel like his promoter must have ran up to buffer and had the card changed - go subtract 3 pts somewhere. Awful coverage with them just cutting out after the decision too.
- Feb 1, 2012
- 761
- 77
I would love to see a screeshot of the scorecards. Someone must have used whiteout like they did with a Bute fight...
- Mar 3, 2006
- 24,717
- 436
I actually thought it was a lot closer than you said Marv, but I still had Cunningham winning by at least two rounds.
- Feb 1, 2012
- 761
- 77
I don't see how Adamek won more than 2 or 3 rounds.
And I just rewatched the fight again with no sound, and I have the same result. You cannot give Adamek rounds by only fighting the last 30 seconds of the round. It's very misleading. But Cunningham bested Adamek throughout the majority of the time in the rounds.
- Mar 6, 2004
- 8,818
- 4,296
Weekend wrap up.
A roundup of the past week's notable boxing results from around the world:
Saturday at Bethlehem, Pa.
Tomasz Adamek W12 Steve Cunningham
Heavyweights
Scores: 116-112, 115-113 Adamek, 115-113 Cunningham
Records: Adamek (48-2, 29 KOs); Cunningham (25-5, 12 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Adamek and Cunningham fought a fan-friendly heavyweight fight that was the perfect way for boxing to return to NBC for the first time since 2005, but the telecast ended terribly. There was a decision that gave Adamek a gift split decision, a fouled-up scorecard was read and then NBC's broadcast ended so abruptly that the show went off the air without analysis or postfight interviews -- when they were really needed -- and no time to digest what had just happened.
Bad decision aside, at least the fight itself was excellent -- and similar to the first bout Adamek and Cunningham fought, minus the knockdowns. In 2008, Adamek dropped Cunningham three times but still had to escape with a split decision victory to win the cruiserweight title in a blazing fight -- one of the best of that year. A rematch was talked about at the time, but both men wound up going in other directions. Adamek became a top heavyweight contender (although he failed badly when he challenged Vitali Klitschko for his belt in September 2011) and Cunningham had a second title reign at cruiserweight before back-to-back losses to Yoan Pablo Hernandez in title bouts in 2012 sent him up to heavyweight as well. Cunningham made his heavyweight debut at 207 pounds in September and won a lopsided decision against journeyman Jason Gavern on the undercard of Adamek's win against Travis Walker. That set up Adamek-Cunningham II at long last, almost four years to the day after their first tussle.
Cunningham, 36, of Philadelphia, weighed only 203 pounds and was outweighed by 20 pounds against Adamek, also 36, a native of Poland living in New Jersey. Despite the weight difference, the faster Cunningham was able to physically move Adamek with some of his clean shots. And this time the much quicker Cunningham avoided the knockdowns and looked as though he had clearly won the fight. He beat Adamek to the punch throughout the fight, used his jab very well (which is what he said he needed to do before the fight) and controlled the pace and distance. He even rocked Adamek a few times.
Adamek, who was bleeding from a cut inside his mouth by the middle rounds, was certainly in the fight, however. It was competitive and action-packed, and Adamek had Cunningham's right eye swelling by the eighth round. He also had success when he could bully Cunningham into the ropes and land combinations. But Cunningham outboxed Adamek, who often look confused, and seemed to get the better of the action throughout the fight. The fighters closed it out with a very exciting 12th round, but Cunningham deserved the decision, plain and simple. Few actually gave Adamek the fight except for judges Debra Barnes (115-113) and Dave Greer, whose 116-112 scorecard was way out of line.
Making matters worse were the mistakes of the Pennsylvania commission. It gave ring announcer Michael Buffer a wrong score, so he announced the fight as a split draw because Barnes' card was originally given to him with the highly unusual score of 115-115. Even after it was corrected moments later, the score was given to Buffer as 115-112 when, in fact, Barnes' card was 115-113. Is it really that hard to add up a bunch of 10s and 9s?
A third fight between Adamek and Cunningham is warranted, but don't count on it being made any time soon. This bout was an eliminator that will move Adamek a step closer to a mandatory shot against champion Wladimir Klitschko. Adamek probably will face Bulgarian contender Kubrat Pulev (17-0, 9 KOs) next in a final eliminator to determine the mandatory challenger. Cunningham proved he can hang at heavyweight, although he probably will be in some trouble if he looks to some of the really big guys in the division.
Vyacheslav Glazkov (14-0, 10 KOs) TKO 4 Tor Hamer
Heavyweights
Records: Glazkov (14-0, 10 KOs); Hamer (19-2, 12 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: This opening bout of NBC's telecast was an interesting matchup between Glazkov, 28, a native of Ukraine now living in New Jersey, and Hamer, 29, of New York. Glazkov, fighting in the United States for the second time, was a bronze medalist in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Hamer was fighting for the seventh time in a busy 2012, although three of those bouts came June 20 in England, where he won an eight-man "Prizefighter" tournament in which the winner must win three scheduled three-round fights in the same night.
Both Glazkov and Hamer were prospects trying to take the next step. Glazkov did and Hamer failed miserably. Glazkov seemed to get the better of the early action in what was shaping up as a solid heavyweight scrap. Both guys were busy with their punches early, but it didn't take long for Glazkov to begin to impose himself. Hamer wasn't out of it, as neither guy had done any major damage, but he seemed to be breaking down when, surprisingly, he simply quit on his stool after the fourth round. Considering the platform he was on and how important the fight was to his career, it was a shock.
Hamer said afterward that he had battled the flu earlier in the week and felt lightheaded after the fourth round ended. If that's how he felt, you can't argue with it, but what separates a regular fighter from someone who could become a champion is the ability to overcome physical adversity and fight through it. Hamer didn't, so it must make anyone question his heart. For Glazkov, this is a good win and should open the door for more exposure. The heavyweight division can use all the interesting prospects it can find, and he certainly is one of them.
Saturday at Caguas, Puerto Rico
Abner Cotto TKO7 Sergio Perez
Lightweights
Records: Cotto (16-0, 7 KOs); Perez (27-14, 18 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Cotto, of Puerto Rico, is the 25-year-old cousin of star former three-division titleholder Miguel Cotto, whose company promotes Abner. Cotto was fighting for the fourth time in 2012 and just five weeks after he got knocked down but rose from the mat to outpoint Alejandro Rodriguez.
Cotto had an easier time with Perez. He dropped Perez with a nice right-left-right combination in the first round and spent the rest of the fight dishing out punishment. Perez, a southpaw, was at least game and tried to take the fight to Cotto in the second round, during which he was warned by referee Jose Rivera for holding and hitting just before the round ended. But Cotto was poised and kept up his own attack. He jabbed well and continually clipped the slower Perez with right hands. It went like that round after round until Perez retired on his stool one second after the bell rang to begin the seventh round.
Perez's modest three-fight winning streak ended. In 2002, Perez, 37, of Mexico, challenged then-bantamweight titlist Veeraphol Sahaprom in Thailand and lost a lopsided decision. Perez then fought twice in 2003 and didn't fight again until making a comeback at lightweight in 2011. He is now 3-3 in the comeback.
Cesar Seda Jr. TKO2 Lorenzo Trejo
Junior featherweights
Records: Seda (24-1, 17 KOs); Trejo (31-26-1, 18 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Seda, 26, of Puerto Rico, was a good junior bantamweight contender when he lost a clear decision challenging 115-pound titlist Omar Narvaez in his home country of Argentina in April 2011. After the defeat, Seda skipped over the bantamweight division, moving up two weight classes to junior featherweight. He now has won four bouts in a row at 122 pounds, including this massive mismatch against Trejo, who is so outmatched now that it's a wonder any commission would license him.
Trejo, 34, of Mexico, can literally barely stand up in the ring and has zero punch resistance. Seda toyed with him. He dropped Trejo three times in the first round -- none from a serious punch. The first knockdown came on what looked like just a decent left to the body. The second was from a short left to the head that didn't land cleanly. The third knockdown came from, well, nothing. It seemed that Trejo got hit with nothing of consequence but still dropped to his rear end.
Seda would undoubtedly have finished him in the first round, but the bell inexplicably rang to end the round after just 2 minutes, 15 seconds. It made no difference, because Seda landed a pawing right hand moments into the second round and Trejo went down again to his rear end and was leaning against the ropes when referee Ramon Navedo, who had seen enough, called it off 17 seconds into the round. This Telefutura bout goes down as one of the worst televised fights of 2012.
Seda said he would like to challenge junior featherweight titlist Abner Mares. That would be a lot better than another Trejo-caliber mismatch. Trejo dropped to 1-1-9-1 in his past 11 fights (dating back to when he got knocked out in the ninth round challenging then-junior flyweight titlist Edgar Sosa in 2007) and should find another line of work.
Saturday at Kobe, Japan
Malcolm Tunacao KO7 Christian Esquivel
Bantamweight title eliminator
Records: Tunacao (32-2-3, 20 KOs); Esquivel (25-4, 18 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: In November 2011, Esquivel, of Mexico, got knocked out in the 11th round challenging Shinsuke Yamanaka for a vacant bantamweight title in Japan. Esquivel, 26, rebounded to win a fight in April and then met Tunacao, a southpaw, in Saturday's elimination fight to become Yamanaka's mandatory challenger.
Tunacao, 35, a native of the Philippines, was fighting in his adopted hometown and turned back the much younger man to earn the title shot 12 years after he knocked out Medgoen Singsurat in the seventh round to win the flyweight title (and claim the lineage, two fights after Singsurat had won the title from a young Manny Pacquiao). Tunacao was generally in control against Esquivel until knocking him out at 2 minutes, 10 seconds of the seventh round on a right hook that left him out on the canvas for a few minutes.
Hozumi Hasegawa W10 Arturo Santos Reyes
Featherweights
Scores: 98-94, 98-93, 97-95
Records: Hasegawa (31-4, 13 KOs); Reyes (12-3, 4 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Hasegawa, 31, of Japan, held a bantamweight world title from 2005 until 2010 and was a top-20 pound-for-pound guy for a few years. After losing his bantamweight belt to Fernando Montiel in 2010, Hasegawa moved up two weight classes to featherweight and outpointed Juan Carlos Burgos to win a vacant world title, which he lost in his first defense when Jhonny Gonzalez iced him in four rounds in April 2011. Hasegawa, a southpaw, has now won two fights in a row since losing the title. Hasegawa probably moved himself a step closer to another featherweight title opportunity with the clean decision victory against Reyes, 26, of Mexico, who dropped to 1-2 in his past three, having also lost a split decision to Montiel in a June junior featherweight fight.
Saturday at Bethlehem, Pa.
Tomasz Adamek W12 Steve Cunningham
Heavyweights
Scores: 116-112, 115-113 Adamek, 115-113 Cunningham
Records: Adamek (48-2, 29 KOs); Cunningham (25-5, 12 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Adamek and Cunningham fought a fan-friendly heavyweight fight that was the perfect way for boxing to return to NBC for the first time since 2005, but the telecast ended terribly. There was a decision that gave Adamek a gift split decision, a fouled-up scorecard was read and then NBC's broadcast ended so abruptly that the show went off the air without analysis or postfight interviews -- when they were really needed -- and no time to digest what had just happened.
Bad decision aside, at least the fight itself was excellent -- and similar to the first bout Adamek and Cunningham fought, minus the knockdowns. In 2008, Adamek dropped Cunningham three times but still had to escape with a split decision victory to win the cruiserweight title in a blazing fight -- one of the best of that year. A rematch was talked about at the time, but both men wound up going in other directions. Adamek became a top heavyweight contender (although he failed badly when he challenged Vitali Klitschko for his belt in September 2011) and Cunningham had a second title reign at cruiserweight before back-to-back losses to Yoan Pablo Hernandez in title bouts in 2012 sent him up to heavyweight as well. Cunningham made his heavyweight debut at 207 pounds in September and won a lopsided decision against journeyman Jason Gavern on the undercard of Adamek's win against Travis Walker. That set up Adamek-Cunningham II at long last, almost four years to the day after their first tussle.
Cunningham, 36, of Philadelphia, weighed only 203 pounds and was outweighed by 20 pounds against Adamek, also 36, a native of Poland living in New Jersey. Despite the weight difference, the faster Cunningham was able to physically move Adamek with some of his clean shots. And this time the much quicker Cunningham avoided the knockdowns and looked as though he had clearly won the fight. He beat Adamek to the punch throughout the fight, used his jab very well (which is what he said he needed to do before the fight) and controlled the pace and distance. He even rocked Adamek a few times.
Adamek, who was bleeding from a cut inside his mouth by the middle rounds, was certainly in the fight, however. It was competitive and action-packed, and Adamek had Cunningham's right eye swelling by the eighth round. He also had success when he could bully Cunningham into the ropes and land combinations. But Cunningham outboxed Adamek, who often look confused, and seemed to get the better of the action throughout the fight. The fighters closed it out with a very exciting 12th round, but Cunningham deserved the decision, plain and simple. Few actually gave Adamek the fight except for judges Debra Barnes (115-113) and Dave Greer, whose 116-112 scorecard was way out of line.
Making matters worse were the mistakes of the Pennsylvania commission. It gave ring announcer Michael Buffer a wrong score, so he announced the fight as a split draw because Barnes' card was originally given to him with the highly unusual score of 115-115. Even after it was corrected moments later, the score was given to Buffer as 115-112 when, in fact, Barnes' card was 115-113. Is it really that hard to add up a bunch of 10s and 9s?
A third fight between Adamek and Cunningham is warranted, but don't count on it being made any time soon. This bout was an eliminator that will move Adamek a step closer to a mandatory shot against champion Wladimir Klitschko. Adamek probably will face Bulgarian contender Kubrat Pulev (17-0, 9 KOs) next in a final eliminator to determine the mandatory challenger. Cunningham proved he can hang at heavyweight, although he probably will be in some trouble if he looks to some of the really big guys in the division.
Vyacheslav Glazkov (14-0, 10 KOs) TKO 4 Tor Hamer
Heavyweights
Records: Glazkov (14-0, 10 KOs); Hamer (19-2, 12 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: This opening bout of NBC's telecast was an interesting matchup between Glazkov, 28, a native of Ukraine now living in New Jersey, and Hamer, 29, of New York. Glazkov, fighting in the United States for the second time, was a bronze medalist in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Hamer was fighting for the seventh time in a busy 2012, although three of those bouts came June 20 in England, where he won an eight-man "Prizefighter" tournament in which the winner must win three scheduled three-round fights in the same night.
Both Glazkov and Hamer were prospects trying to take the next step. Glazkov did and Hamer failed miserably. Glazkov seemed to get the better of the early action in what was shaping up as a solid heavyweight scrap. Both guys were busy with their punches early, but it didn't take long for Glazkov to begin to impose himself. Hamer wasn't out of it, as neither guy had done any major damage, but he seemed to be breaking down when, surprisingly, he simply quit on his stool after the fourth round. Considering the platform he was on and how important the fight was to his career, it was a shock.
Hamer said afterward that he had battled the flu earlier in the week and felt lightheaded after the fourth round ended. If that's how he felt, you can't argue with it, but what separates a regular fighter from someone who could become a champion is the ability to overcome physical adversity and fight through it. Hamer didn't, so it must make anyone question his heart. For Glazkov, this is a good win and should open the door for more exposure. The heavyweight division can use all the interesting prospects it can find, and he certainly is one of them.
Saturday at Caguas, Puerto Rico
Abner Cotto TKO7 Sergio Perez
Lightweights
Records: Cotto (16-0, 7 KOs); Perez (27-14, 18 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Cotto, of Puerto Rico, is the 25-year-old cousin of star former three-division titleholder Miguel Cotto, whose company promotes Abner. Cotto was fighting for the fourth time in 2012 and just five weeks after he got knocked down but rose from the mat to outpoint Alejandro Rodriguez.
Cotto had an easier time with Perez. He dropped Perez with a nice right-left-right combination in the first round and spent the rest of the fight dishing out punishment. Perez, a southpaw, was at least game and tried to take the fight to Cotto in the second round, during which he was warned by referee Jose Rivera for holding and hitting just before the round ended. But Cotto was poised and kept up his own attack. He jabbed well and continually clipped the slower Perez with right hands. It went like that round after round until Perez retired on his stool one second after the bell rang to begin the seventh round.
Perez's modest three-fight winning streak ended. In 2002, Perez, 37, of Mexico, challenged then-bantamweight titlist Veeraphol Sahaprom in Thailand and lost a lopsided decision. Perez then fought twice in 2003 and didn't fight again until making a comeback at lightweight in 2011. He is now 3-3 in the comeback.
Cesar Seda Jr. TKO2 Lorenzo Trejo
Junior featherweights
Records: Seda (24-1, 17 KOs); Trejo (31-26-1, 18 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Seda, 26, of Puerto Rico, was a good junior bantamweight contender when he lost a clear decision challenging 115-pound titlist Omar Narvaez in his home country of Argentina in April 2011. After the defeat, Seda skipped over the bantamweight division, moving up two weight classes to junior featherweight. He now has won four bouts in a row at 122 pounds, including this massive mismatch against Trejo, who is so outmatched now that it's a wonder any commission would license him.
Trejo, 34, of Mexico, can literally barely stand up in the ring and has zero punch resistance. Seda toyed with him. He dropped Trejo three times in the first round -- none from a serious punch. The first knockdown came on what looked like just a decent left to the body. The second was from a short left to the head that didn't land cleanly. The third knockdown came from, well, nothing. It seemed that Trejo got hit with nothing of consequence but still dropped to his rear end.
Seda would undoubtedly have finished him in the first round, but the bell inexplicably rang to end the round after just 2 minutes, 15 seconds. It made no difference, because Seda landed a pawing right hand moments into the second round and Trejo went down again to his rear end and was leaning against the ropes when referee Ramon Navedo, who had seen enough, called it off 17 seconds into the round. This Telefutura bout goes down as one of the worst televised fights of 2012.
Seda said he would like to challenge junior featherweight titlist Abner Mares. That would be a lot better than another Trejo-caliber mismatch. Trejo dropped to 1-1-9-1 in his past 11 fights (dating back to when he got knocked out in the ninth round challenging then-junior flyweight titlist Edgar Sosa in 2007) and should find another line of work.
Saturday at Kobe, Japan
Malcolm Tunacao KO7 Christian Esquivel
Bantamweight title eliminator
Records: Tunacao (32-2-3, 20 KOs); Esquivel (25-4, 18 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: In November 2011, Esquivel, of Mexico, got knocked out in the 11th round challenging Shinsuke Yamanaka for a vacant bantamweight title in Japan. Esquivel, 26, rebounded to win a fight in April and then met Tunacao, a southpaw, in Saturday's elimination fight to become Yamanaka's mandatory challenger.
Tunacao, 35, a native of the Philippines, was fighting in his adopted hometown and turned back the much younger man to earn the title shot 12 years after he knocked out Medgoen Singsurat in the seventh round to win the flyweight title (and claim the lineage, two fights after Singsurat had won the title from a young Manny Pacquiao). Tunacao was generally in control against Esquivel until knocking him out at 2 minutes, 10 seconds of the seventh round on a right hook that left him out on the canvas for a few minutes.
Hozumi Hasegawa W10 Arturo Santos Reyes
Featherweights
Scores: 98-94, 98-93, 97-95
Records: Hasegawa (31-4, 13 KOs); Reyes (12-3, 4 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Hasegawa, 31, of Japan, held a bantamweight world title from 2005 until 2010 and was a top-20 pound-for-pound guy for a few years. After losing his bantamweight belt to Fernando Montiel in 2010, Hasegawa moved up two weight classes to featherweight and outpointed Juan Carlos Burgos to win a vacant world title, which he lost in his first defense when Jhonny Gonzalez iced him in four rounds in April 2011. Hasegawa, a southpaw, has now won two fights in a row since losing the title. Hasegawa probably moved himself a step closer to another featherweight title opportunity with the clean decision victory against Reyes, 26, of Mexico, who dropped to 1-2 in his past three, having also lost a split decision to Montiel in a June junior featherweight fight.
- Sep 28, 2003
- 28,231
- 12,584
^ that article is dumb Pacquiao is still the better Filipino boxer this year. Who did Donaire fight again?
- Mar 6, 2004
- 8,818
- 4,296
If Nonito is the 2012 fighter of the year, than how was he not better than Pac in 2012?
Now if we are going to compare overall career, Nonito still has a ways to go to even be in the conversation with Pac, but Nonito was leaps and bounds better than him in 2012. Fact.
Now if we are going to compare overall career, Nonito still has a ways to go to even be in the conversation with Pac, but Nonito was leaps and bounds better than him in 2012. Fact.
- Sep 28, 2003
- 28,231
- 12,584
Pacquiao is still the better boxer overall. Donaire just improved his record this year against some ok opponents.
Last edited:
- Sep 28, 2003
- 28,231
- 12,584
Donaire is fighter of the year. He did have a better year. But he is still the second best Filipino fighter. See my point?
lightweight champion
Banned
- Jun 23, 2007
- 13,481
- 5,271
We all do, but skills and accomplishments don't go hand in hand. Donaire deserves it over Pacquiao, who doesn't even deserve mention.
- Nov 26, 2012
- 7,165
- 1,812
wanted to make a case for ward but he only fought once in 2012 i think
i'd probably give it to sergio before nonito but nonito had a good year
i'd probably give it to sergio before nonito but nonito had a good year
- Apr 15, 2007
- 21,641
- 10,257
Every time things start to look up or build some momentum something happens to push boxing right back down.
The Cunningham v. Adamek fight was a very entertaining fight. Adamek was throwing bombs late in the fight and it had me on the edge of my seat wondering if Cunningham would get caught and go down like he did in the first fight. So he survives after being the agressor the whole fight and landing the cleaner punched for 90% of the fight.......then the decision comes in......
This is why boxing is an afterthought. That fight was on NBC.....NATIONAL TELEVISION!!! and people got done watching and went..."What? How did that guy win? They changed the decision at the end? How can they do that?" Its like the WWE. Cunningham clearly won that fight and the decision once again made people think "I guess i just don't understand boxing"
Freddie Roach was right. "That's boxing".....TODAY....its not supposed to be...but this is what it has come to and its sad.
The Cunningham v. Adamek fight was a very entertaining fight. Adamek was throwing bombs late in the fight and it had me on the edge of my seat wondering if Cunningham would get caught and go down like he did in the first fight. So he survives after being the agressor the whole fight and landing the cleaner punched for 90% of the fight.......then the decision comes in......
This is why boxing is an afterthought. That fight was on NBC.....NATIONAL TELEVISION!!! and people got done watching and went..."What? How did that guy win? They changed the decision at the end? How can they do that?" Its like the WWE. Cunningham clearly won that fight and the decision once again made people think "I guess i just don't understand boxing"
Freddie Roach was right. "That's boxing".....TODAY....its not supposed to be...but this is what it has come to and its sad.
KO of the year: Marquez-Pacquiao.
In their first three memorable fights against each other, neither Juan Manuel Marquez nor Manny Pacquiao could truly get the better of the other.
[+] Enlarge
Zumapress/Icon SMI
Juan Manuel Marquez, right, caught Manny Pacquiao with a pinpoint straight right-hand counterpunch in the most significant fight-ending shot of 2012.
Although Pacquiao led the all-time series 2-0-1 (including split decision and majority decision wins), their previous three bouts each ended in storms of controversy, with Marquez bitterly complaining about the decisions in fights that all could have gone either way.
When Pacquiao agreed to fight Marquez for the fourth time on Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, he said the key reason was because so many people had doubts about the previous outcomes, especially the third fight 13 months earlier, when Pacquiao eked out a majority decision to retain a welterweight title.
Heading into the fourth fight, a nontitle welterweight affair, both men promised to be more aggressive and go for the knockout. They -- and everyone else -- were desperate for a definitive result. Neither wanted to leave it in the hands of the judges again.
Pacquiao and Marquez lived up to their promise and put on the best fight of their epic series, which delivered as definitive an outcome as possible: Marquez landing a picture-perfect right hand that knocked Pacquiao out cold with one second left in the sixth round.
The knockout was as aesthetically pleasing as it was shocking and historically significant. Obviously, it's the 2012 ESPN.com knockout of the year.
Rafael's knockouts of the year
2012: J.M. Marquez KO6 M. Pacquiao IV
2011: Nonito Donaire TKO2 F. Montiel
2010: Sergio Martinez KO2 P. Williams II
2009: Manny Pacquiao KO2 Ricky Hatton
2008: Edison Miranda KO3 David Banks
2007: Darnell Wilson KO11 E. Nwodo
2006: Calvin Brock KO6 Zuri Lawrence
2005: Allan Green KO1 Jaidon Codrington
2004: Antonio Tarver KO2 R. Jones Jr. II
2003: Rocky Juarez KO10 Antonio Diaz
2002: Roy Jones Jr. KO7 Glen Kelly
2001: Lennox Lewis KO4 H. Rahman II
2000: Lennox Lewis TKO2 Frans Botha
Each man had already been down once before they reached the sixth round. Pacquiao, ahead 47-46 on all three scorecards and dominating the sixth, appeared to be on the verge of a stoppage win. He was nailing Marquez, whose nose was bleeding badly.
As the final seconds ticked off, Marquez was swinging wildly at Pacquiao.
"Marquez was off balance again," HBO broadcaster Jim Lampley said. "Now gets his feet back and tries to roar back to nail Pacquiao with a right hand."
Just as the word "hand" left Lampley's mouth, Marquez unleashed a hard straight right hand that landed flush in the center of Pacquiao's face. Pacquiao immediately dropped face-first to the canvas and was out cold near the ropes.
As the crowd -- mostly Mexican fans cheering for Marquez -- went wild, HBO analyst Roy Jones Jr. let loose: "Ohhh! He's not getting up, Jim! He's not getting up, Jim! He's not getting up!"
Jones was right, as referee Kenny Bayless immediately waved off the fight.
"No, he's been knocked out!" Lampley cried. "A sensational right-hand knockout by a bloodied Juan Manuel Marquez. And that is the keystone moment of his career." The keystone moment of Marquez's career and the keystone moment of the year in boxing.
Afterward, Marquez concisely summed it up: "I threw the perfect punch."
Other sweet shots
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Thomas Sjarup
A screaming left hook from Mikkel Kessler relieved Allan Green of his senses and electrified a Copenhagen arena full of the Dane's fans.
Mikkel Kessler KO4 Allan Green (May 19 at Copenhagen, Denmark): Kessler and Green were supposed to fight during the Super Six World Boxing Classic, but it was called off when Kessler dropped out because of an eye injury. When they did meet after the tournament, fighting slightly over the super middleweight limit, Green looked good early, scoring a first-round knockdown. But Kessler survived, took over the fight and ended it in ruthless fashion with a classic left hook to Green's jaw. Poor Green never knew what hit him. He was out before he hit the canvas, and when he fell in the center of the ring, his arms were stretched over his head and legs seemed to twitch as referee Ian John-Lewis waved it off 17 seconds into the fourth round and raced to pull out Green's mouthpiece. Kessler knew it was over the when the shot landed, raising his hands as 15,000 of his Danish countryman went wild.
Nonito Donaire KO3 Jorge Arce (Dec. 15 at Houston): Donaire authored the 2011 knockout of the year with his sick stoppage of Fernando Montiel to win two bantamweight titles. This crushing knockout of Arce wasn't far off as Donaire wrapped up his 2012 fighter of the year campaign and retained his junior featherweight title in emphatic fashion. Donaire had already dropped Arce in the second round and once previously in the third round of the lopsided fight when he landed a clean left hook to the chin. Arce pitched forward slightly and then crashed to his back. Referee Laurence Cole had no need to count, waving off the fight with just one second left in the round.
Danny Garcia KO4 Erik Morales II (Oct. 20 at Brooklyn, N.Y.): In March, Garcia dropped Morales in the 11th round and won a clear decision and a vacant junior welterweight title. After unifying belts by knocking out Amir Khan, Garcia met Morales, the faded former four-division titlist, in a contractually obligated rematch in the first main event of the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and dusted him. Garcia dominated the first three rounds before ending it in the fourth with a picture-perfect, ferocious left hook that landed so cleanly Morales nearly spun all the way around before dropping like a rock. He came to rest with his body hanging over the bottom ring rope. Referee Benji Esteves didn't bother to count, calling it off at 1:23. Garcia may never throw a better punch for the rest of his career.
ESPN.com Boxing on Twitter
Don't miss any of the latest boxing coverage from around the world. Follow us on Twitter and stay informed. Join »
Shinsuke Yamanaka KO7 Tomas Rojas (Nov. 3 at Sendai, Japan): Rojas, a former junior bantamweight titlist, never knew what hit him in this colossal knockout loss as Yamanaka retained his bantamweight title. It had been a competitive fight until Yamanaka rendered the scorecards pointless 36 seconds into the seventh round with a sick knockout. He shook up Rojas with a right-left combination and, as Rojas opened up to return fire, Yamanaka caught him with a clean left cross to the head. Rojas went down face-first in the center of the ring. He lifted his face off the canvas for a moment but was completely out of it, prompting referee Michael Griffin to immediately wave off the fight.
Randall Bailey KO11 Mike Jones (June 9 at Las Vegas): Bailey had done nothing against Jones in a horrible fight and was way behind on all three scorecards. But finally, seconds before the 10th round ended, he dropped Jones with his vaunted right hand. Jones had boxed ultra-cautiously for the entire fight in an effort to avoid that shot but got clipped. He got nailed again in the 11th round, leaving himself just open enough for Bailey to land a wicked right uppercut, one of the few punches he threw in the fight. Jones, his nose bleeding, fell straight back. He tried to get up but was falling all over himself, forcing referee Tony Weeks to stop it at 2:52 as Bailey won a vacant welterweight title.
[+] Enlarge
Courtesy of Vincent Ethier
Adonis Stevenson's left-hand bomb dropped Jesus Gonzalez cold, ending their fight after 99 seconds.
Adonis Stevenson KO1 Jesus Gonzalez (Feb. 18 at Montreal): Stevenson needed just 99 seconds to win this super middleweight title eliminator, erasing Gonzalez with a thunderous left hand. Stevenson, a southpaw, missed with a sweeping right jab and then slammed Gonzalez with a full force, fight-ending left hand to the face. Gonzalez went down hard and smacked his head on the canvas as referee Marlon Wright immediately called off the fight. It was a frightening scene as Gonzalez was on his back with his hands outstretched in the air, his legs slightly off the canvas and twitching.
Gary Russell Jr. KO3 Roberto Castaneda (Nov. 9 at Indio, Calif.): Russell, a featherweight and the 2011 prospect of the year, has been drastically undermatched, but at least this knockout of yet another low-level opponent was memorable. He touched Castaneda with a left to the body and followed with a fast right hand to the chin that laid him out cold as referee Pat Russell immediately stopped the fight at 1:25.
David Lemieux KO1 Alvaro Gaona (Oct. 12 at Montreal): Lemieux, a middleweight, has tremendous power and has scored numerous highlight-reel knockouts, none better than this beauty. When a Lemieux right hand dropped Gaona with 40 seconds left in the first round, it was clear the fight wouldn't last long. As soon as it resumed, Lemieux landed a little right hand followed by a devastating left hook. Gaona fell hard on his back, but his head also smashed into the canvas. His arms were eerily outstretched as he came to rest, and referee Jean-Guy Brousseau stopped the fight with 12 seconds left in the round without a count.
Angelo Santana KO5 Juan Garcia (Nov. 16 at Miami): Santana, a former two-time Cuban amateur national champion, made his television debut a memorable one. He had dropped Garcia in the second round and earlier in the fifth round before finishing him with a sensational left hand. Santana had him backing into the ropes when he unleashed the shot that absolutely flattened Garcia, who fell sideways and was unconscious before he hit the deck, causing referee Frank Gentile to call the fight at 1:41 without counting as medical professionals quickly attended to Garcia.
[+] Enlarge
Zumapress/Icon SMI
Juan Manuel Marquez, right, caught Manny Pacquiao with a pinpoint straight right-hand counterpunch in the most significant fight-ending shot of 2012.
Although Pacquiao led the all-time series 2-0-1 (including split decision and majority decision wins), their previous three bouts each ended in storms of controversy, with Marquez bitterly complaining about the decisions in fights that all could have gone either way.
When Pacquiao agreed to fight Marquez for the fourth time on Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, he said the key reason was because so many people had doubts about the previous outcomes, especially the third fight 13 months earlier, when Pacquiao eked out a majority decision to retain a welterweight title.
Heading into the fourth fight, a nontitle welterweight affair, both men promised to be more aggressive and go for the knockout. They -- and everyone else -- were desperate for a definitive result. Neither wanted to leave it in the hands of the judges again.
Pacquiao and Marquez lived up to their promise and put on the best fight of their epic series, which delivered as definitive an outcome as possible: Marquez landing a picture-perfect right hand that knocked Pacquiao out cold with one second left in the sixth round.
The knockout was as aesthetically pleasing as it was shocking and historically significant. Obviously, it's the 2012 ESPN.com knockout of the year.
Rafael's knockouts of the year
2012: J.M. Marquez KO6 M. Pacquiao IV
2011: Nonito Donaire TKO2 F. Montiel
2010: Sergio Martinez KO2 P. Williams II
2009: Manny Pacquiao KO2 Ricky Hatton
2008: Edison Miranda KO3 David Banks
2007: Darnell Wilson KO11 E. Nwodo
2006: Calvin Brock KO6 Zuri Lawrence
2005: Allan Green KO1 Jaidon Codrington
2004: Antonio Tarver KO2 R. Jones Jr. II
2003: Rocky Juarez KO10 Antonio Diaz
2002: Roy Jones Jr. KO7 Glen Kelly
2001: Lennox Lewis KO4 H. Rahman II
2000: Lennox Lewis TKO2 Frans Botha
Each man had already been down once before they reached the sixth round. Pacquiao, ahead 47-46 on all three scorecards and dominating the sixth, appeared to be on the verge of a stoppage win. He was nailing Marquez, whose nose was bleeding badly.
As the final seconds ticked off, Marquez was swinging wildly at Pacquiao.
"Marquez was off balance again," HBO broadcaster Jim Lampley said. "Now gets his feet back and tries to roar back to nail Pacquiao with a right hand."
Just as the word "hand" left Lampley's mouth, Marquez unleashed a hard straight right hand that landed flush in the center of Pacquiao's face. Pacquiao immediately dropped face-first to the canvas and was out cold near the ropes.
As the crowd -- mostly Mexican fans cheering for Marquez -- went wild, HBO analyst Roy Jones Jr. let loose: "Ohhh! He's not getting up, Jim! He's not getting up, Jim! He's not getting up!"
Jones was right, as referee Kenny Bayless immediately waved off the fight.
"No, he's been knocked out!" Lampley cried. "A sensational right-hand knockout by a bloodied Juan Manuel Marquez. And that is the keystone moment of his career." The keystone moment of Marquez's career and the keystone moment of the year in boxing.
Afterward, Marquez concisely summed it up: "I threw the perfect punch."
Other sweet shots
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Thomas Sjarup
A screaming left hook from Mikkel Kessler relieved Allan Green of his senses and electrified a Copenhagen arena full of the Dane's fans.
Mikkel Kessler KO4 Allan Green (May 19 at Copenhagen, Denmark): Kessler and Green were supposed to fight during the Super Six World Boxing Classic, but it was called off when Kessler dropped out because of an eye injury. When they did meet after the tournament, fighting slightly over the super middleweight limit, Green looked good early, scoring a first-round knockdown. But Kessler survived, took over the fight and ended it in ruthless fashion with a classic left hook to Green's jaw. Poor Green never knew what hit him. He was out before he hit the canvas, and when he fell in the center of the ring, his arms were stretched over his head and legs seemed to twitch as referee Ian John-Lewis waved it off 17 seconds into the fourth round and raced to pull out Green's mouthpiece. Kessler knew it was over the when the shot landed, raising his hands as 15,000 of his Danish countryman went wild.
Nonito Donaire KO3 Jorge Arce (Dec. 15 at Houston): Donaire authored the 2011 knockout of the year with his sick stoppage of Fernando Montiel to win two bantamweight titles. This crushing knockout of Arce wasn't far off as Donaire wrapped up his 2012 fighter of the year campaign and retained his junior featherweight title in emphatic fashion. Donaire had already dropped Arce in the second round and once previously in the third round of the lopsided fight when he landed a clean left hook to the chin. Arce pitched forward slightly and then crashed to his back. Referee Laurence Cole had no need to count, waving off the fight with just one second left in the round.
Danny Garcia KO4 Erik Morales II (Oct. 20 at Brooklyn, N.Y.): In March, Garcia dropped Morales in the 11th round and won a clear decision and a vacant junior welterweight title. After unifying belts by knocking out Amir Khan, Garcia met Morales, the faded former four-division titlist, in a contractually obligated rematch in the first main event of the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and dusted him. Garcia dominated the first three rounds before ending it in the fourth with a picture-perfect, ferocious left hook that landed so cleanly Morales nearly spun all the way around before dropping like a rock. He came to rest with his body hanging over the bottom ring rope. Referee Benji Esteves didn't bother to count, calling it off at 1:23. Garcia may never throw a better punch for the rest of his career.
ESPN.com Boxing on Twitter
Don't miss any of the latest boxing coverage from around the world. Follow us on Twitter and stay informed. Join »
Shinsuke Yamanaka KO7 Tomas Rojas (Nov. 3 at Sendai, Japan): Rojas, a former junior bantamweight titlist, never knew what hit him in this colossal knockout loss as Yamanaka retained his bantamweight title. It had been a competitive fight until Yamanaka rendered the scorecards pointless 36 seconds into the seventh round with a sick knockout. He shook up Rojas with a right-left combination and, as Rojas opened up to return fire, Yamanaka caught him with a clean left cross to the head. Rojas went down face-first in the center of the ring. He lifted his face off the canvas for a moment but was completely out of it, prompting referee Michael Griffin to immediately wave off the fight.
Randall Bailey KO11 Mike Jones (June 9 at Las Vegas): Bailey had done nothing against Jones in a horrible fight and was way behind on all three scorecards. But finally, seconds before the 10th round ended, he dropped Jones with his vaunted right hand. Jones had boxed ultra-cautiously for the entire fight in an effort to avoid that shot but got clipped. He got nailed again in the 11th round, leaving himself just open enough for Bailey to land a wicked right uppercut, one of the few punches he threw in the fight. Jones, his nose bleeding, fell straight back. He tried to get up but was falling all over himself, forcing referee Tony Weeks to stop it at 2:52 as Bailey won a vacant welterweight title.
[+] Enlarge
Courtesy of Vincent Ethier
Adonis Stevenson's left-hand bomb dropped Jesus Gonzalez cold, ending their fight after 99 seconds.
Adonis Stevenson KO1 Jesus Gonzalez (Feb. 18 at Montreal): Stevenson needed just 99 seconds to win this super middleweight title eliminator, erasing Gonzalez with a thunderous left hand. Stevenson, a southpaw, missed with a sweeping right jab and then slammed Gonzalez with a full force, fight-ending left hand to the face. Gonzalez went down hard and smacked his head on the canvas as referee Marlon Wright immediately called off the fight. It was a frightening scene as Gonzalez was on his back with his hands outstretched in the air, his legs slightly off the canvas and twitching.
Gary Russell Jr. KO3 Roberto Castaneda (Nov. 9 at Indio, Calif.): Russell, a featherweight and the 2011 prospect of the year, has been drastically undermatched, but at least this knockout of yet another low-level opponent was memorable. He touched Castaneda with a left to the body and followed with a fast right hand to the chin that laid him out cold as referee Pat Russell immediately stopped the fight at 1:25.
David Lemieux KO1 Alvaro Gaona (Oct. 12 at Montreal): Lemieux, a middleweight, has tremendous power and has scored numerous highlight-reel knockouts, none better than this beauty. When a Lemieux right hand dropped Gaona with 40 seconds left in the first round, it was clear the fight wouldn't last long. As soon as it resumed, Lemieux landed a little right hand followed by a devastating left hook. Gaona fell hard on his back, but his head also smashed into the canvas. His arms were eerily outstretched as he came to rest, and referee Jean-Guy Brousseau stopped the fight with 12 seconds left in the round without a count.
Angelo Santana KO5 Juan Garcia (Nov. 16 at Miami): Santana, a former two-time Cuban amateur national champion, made his television debut a memorable one. He had dropped Garcia in the second round and earlier in the fifth round before finishing him with a sensational left hand. Santana had him backing into the ropes when he unleashed the shot that absolutely flattened Garcia, who fell sideways and was unconscious before he hit the deck, causing referee Frank Gentile to call the fight at 1:41 without counting as medical professionals quickly attended to Garcia.
