Official 2012 Boxing Thread: JMM/Manny IV - FOTY.

[japanair21]

I haven't been terribly impressed with Ward either, but hell, he's faced just about everyone he could, right? There aren't too many boxers I can think of that have been put forth in front of him that weren't decent opponents. I can't remember if I've ever seen him hurt, he's hard-nosed, and he always digs down deep for his wins.

He's not a very flashy boxer, but he's been completely dominant.

 

[champcruthik]

Ward will take away what's left of Pavlik's soul. I don't want to see that. Ward should take another fight at SMW then move up to light heavyweight to rematch Dawson and fight Pascal, Cloud, etc.

That's why I feel Pav would need a "tune-up" of sorts before a Ward or Kessler fight. That obviously throws off the timing for setting up big money bouts with either Ward or Kessler. Walking right into S.O.G. or Mikkel for a huge payday is not smart business long-term for Kelly's boxing career. I still give Ghost a puncher's chance against anybody at MW or SMW.

 

[maddog345]

Man, Ward tore Dawson apart tonight.

DeMarco/Molina was pretty disappointing.

Vitali was going to destroy Charr eventually, the cut was bad, and if it had persisted, would have been a Vitali-Lewis cut by the end of the night.

But that Matthysse fight man... Anyone catch it? He took some pretty damn good shots from Ajose, but was never phased. Ajose was phased like 50 damn times, but kept coming. Dude has a ton of heart. I can't wait to see another Ajose fight, and I'm intrigued to see where Matthysse goes from here.

GGG is a fool...

Easily the best fight of the night. Ajose earned my respect tonight. He was fighting with all is heart out there. Matthysse kept throwing bombs but Ajose just kept coming. Now I see why people don't want to fight either of these two guys. Matthysse is the best 140 lb. right now. He would mop the floor with Garcia. His last couple of fights he has had greater activity. That was the one flaw I saw in his game but he's corrected that.

 

[lesgodson]

and

@ that clown Adrien. I also hate when people compare him to Floyd, Floyd and his opponents were on another level, and it wasn't just one or two guys...Broner needs real competition, Period.

Y'all need to stop using that crutch, man...

The reason he's moving up IS because there's no comp in his division. Name somebody worthy at 130 that Adrien has ducked...I'll continue to wait for an answer.

Floyd came up during a time where 125 - 135 were deep talented divisions.

EDIT: Watching 24/7 now, the only thing these two episodes have accomplished is make Chavez look lazy and unmotivated. This dude does not LIKE to train at all, and that's been his MO for a min. Y'all can't tell me this dude isn't on something, esp considering the way he's been running through opponents lately.

 

[951guero]

Easily the best fight of the night. Ajose earned my respect tonight. He was fighting with all is heart out there. Matthysse kept throwing bombs but Ajose just kept coming. Now I see why people don't want to fight either of these two guys. Matthysse is the best 140 lb. right now. He would mop the floor with Garcia. His last couple of fights he has had greater activity. That was the one flaw I saw in his game but he's corrected that.

Man both Matthyse and Alose have some balls
Just saw the fight and man cant wait to see either of them fight

Dawson
Hes a Light heavyweight Ortiz
Talent is there but no heart

 

[goldenchild9]

Helluva performance by Ward.

He's looking unbeatable right now.

And that Ortiz - Dawson comparison is on point. He's supremely talented and will fight anyone but he cracks under pressure and seems mentally weak.

Can't wait for the JCC Jr. and Sergio fight. That could really go either way but I have a feeling Maravilla will manhandle him.

 

[freakydestroyer]

Dawson's level of talent is head and shoulders above Ortiz and almost anyone for that matter .

 

[champcruthik]

You guys are doing Vic dirty.

Still remember the 24/7 series before the Mayweather fight. "Hard work, determination."

Ortiz is entertaining for me regardless of the heart factor.

 

[jay23oth]

Yea i won't deny the Ortiz & Dawson comparison

Stoked about JCJR/Martinez. Who saw Canelo/Lopez on Showtime was def good watch.

 

[bigmike23]

 harsh .....hopkins n kessler where both good fights.

he lost to hopkins IMO and kessler is EH. for someone with the hype he gets the division was good enough for him to come over early on and prove himself VS the best and not bums overseas

hopkins>roy

roy is by far the most overrated boxer in the history of the sport , ducked hopkins for lord knows how long

after their first fight , and not to mention the JUICE has to factored in ....everybody wants margarito's head but gives roy a pass because he was on team jordan , rapped and was their childhood idol .... he was beating tomato cans most of his career

on roids.

he needs to stop boxing in the bay though , go to madison square garde and vegas ....gotta get his name out there.

1.i couldnt agree with you more about roy. have said it for years dude was overrated as hell IMO and gets a free pass for fighting nobody. he would always price himself out of fights with hopkins and james tony in there primes

2. ward fights in the bay because he sales tickets there. he can put butts in the seats and make $$$ money there. no point in puttin him in NYC and having the stadium half empty

 

[aepps20]

I don't know about anyone else but I'm impressed with Andre. His ring IQ and skill level are very high. As far as Chad, Chad is a very confusing and frustrating fighter to watch. All the talent in the world, but he never seems to be able to put it all together. If only he had the mental game to go with his talent, but we've all said that for years. I've said this before, but Chad reminds me of the smart kid in school that has all the ability to get straight As but he gets Cs.

 

[freakydestroyer]

I don't know about anyone else but I'm impressed with Andre. His ring IQ and skill level are very high. As far as Chad, Chad is a very confusing and frustrating fighter to watch. All the talent in the world, but he never seems to be able to put it all together. If only he had the mental game to go with his talent, but we've all said that for years. I've said this before, but Chad reminds me of the smart kid in school that has all the ability to get straight As but he gets Cs.

More like B+, Cs don't make you world champion in any given weight division.

 

[jking0821]

Really want to see the Matthysse Ajose fight.

I don't know how anyone could not be impressed by Ward after what he did to Dawson. That was a masterpiece. I don't think Ward should move up because I don't feel like he can punch with the light heavyweights he just doesn't seem to have the frame to add that much weight to stand a chance.

But I am super stoked for Martinez vs JCC jr. I want Martinez to destroy Chavez. I don't know why really but i hate JCC jr lol. I think it will be a good fight though. I can't decide if JCC is too big and will be able to walk through some shots and pressure him like he did andy lee. Or if Martinez will just break him apart with speed and punching angles. Either way I am excited to find out.

 

[jay23oth]

What you guys think about the problems 50 & money having? Rumor is 50 messed with Money girl while Money was in jail.

On to Chavez v Martinez, Jose Sulaiman made a bet that Chavez Jr will win. Could there be a setup already After all Sulaiman is JCJR godfather.
It's a must Martinez knocks out Chavez cause Martinez will lose that fight. All my betters money is on JCJR

 

[proshares]

Weekend wrap up.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

A roundup of the past week's notable boxing results from around the world:


Saturday at Oakland, Calif.

Andre Ward TKO10 Chad Dawson
Retains world super middleweight title
Records: Ward (26-0, 14 KOs); Dawson (31-2, 17 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Performances get no better than Ward's in this big-time pound-for-pound showdown. Simply put, Ward stamped himself as perhaps the best fighter in the world not named Floyd Mayweather Jr. He dominated in stunningly easy fashion against an elite opponent in a fight that most expected to be highly competitive. Even though Ward plowed through the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament against a slew of top super middleweights to win a pair of world titles, including the final in December against Carl Froch, and emerged as the king of the division, this fight appeared (on paper anyway) to be his toughest test. Instead, Ward, 28, made it look like one of his easiest fights, much to the delight of the 8,500 hometown fans at the Oracle Arena.

Ward thoroughly and systematically beat down Dawson, a taller, longer, bigger man with immense talent and a résumé almost as good as Ward's -- but compiled in the light heavyweight division, in which he is the world champion. After Dawson, 30, of New Haven, Conn., completed a lopsided decision win against the great Bernard Hopkins in April, he called out Ward and surprised many when he said he would drop from 175 to fight Ward at 168. He also agreed to go on the road to Ward's hometown, so much credit to him on both counts.

Although many criticized the match, believing it would be a boring fight between fighters who rely far more on boxing and technical skills than mano a mano slugging, they were wrong. Although one-sided, it was a highly entertaining fight that had fans on their feet and cheering throughout. HBO, often criticized for how it spends its money, was right to bankroll this fight. We got to see a good fight and find out what happens when two of the best in the business meet.

Ward took over early and never let up. He dropped Dawson three times, perhaps giving credence to the story circulating that Edison Miranda had knocked out Dawson in sparring during his training camp. Ward cut Dawson's right eye in the second round and dropped him in the third, fourth and 10th rounds, mainly using a laser-like left hook that Dawson couldn't avoid. After Dawson went down in the 10th round, he made it to his feet but was absolutely finished. And he said as much to referee Steve Smoger, who called it off at 2 minutes, 45 seconds. It was a wise move by Dawson, who was down 90-79, 89-80, 89-80 and had no prayer left.

Dawson is still light heavyweight champ and plans to return to the division, where there are good fights for him (such as a rematch with Jean Pascal, who handed him his other loss, and a bout with titleholder Tavoris Cloud). But you have to wonder how much this beating took out of him. As for Ward, since emerging as an elite pro during the Super Six, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist and 2011 Fighter of the Year has shown no weaknesses in his game -- with the exception of scoring knockouts and providing entertainment. He added both to his arsenal in this win and is so good right now that it's scary. He has ability on the level of a Mayweather or a prime Roy Jones Jr., and he would be the favorite against anyone at super middleweight or light heavyweight, where he said he will eventually go.

Antonio DeMarco TKO1 John Molina Jr.
Retains a lightweight title
Records: DeMarco (28-2-1, 21 KOs); Molina (24-2, 19 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Well, that sure was quick, wasn't it? Instead of delivering the competitive, exciting fight that many anticipated, DeMarco, 26, of Mexico, blew out Molina, 29, of Covina, Calif., in stunningly easy fashion. DeMarco needed just 44 seconds to retain his title for the second time. He didn't break a sweat and, according to CompuBox statistics, got hit with only one of the three punches Molina mustered. Meanwhile, DeMarco was credited with landing 8-of-24, even though it seemed like more. But only one of them really counted: It was the almost immediate straight left hand that DeMarco, a southpaw, nailed him with. It sent Molina staggering into the ropes, and DeMarco cleaned up as Molina made a horrible error. Instead of taking a knee during the onslaught -- because he didn't seem all that hurt, only buzzed from the initial shot -- Molina bent over. He didn't grab and he didn't fire back, even though referee Jack Reiss was imploring him to do so. Eventually, as DeMarco continued to fire, Reiss had no choice but to stop the fight. It was a massively disappointing performance from Molina, the mandatory challenger, who seemed so confident heading into the fight yet saw his six-fight winning streak end suddenly.

For DeMarco, it was a great night. Not only did he earn the easiest $180,000 of his life (to Molina's $85,000), but he also put himself in position for an immediate return on Nov. 3 if a deal can be worked out for him to defend against former junior lightweight titlist Adrien Broner, who was stripped of his 130-pound belt for failing to make weight for a July 21 fight against Vicente Escobedo. Broner is moving up to 135 pounds and has an HBO date, and the network's first choice for an opponent is DeMarco, considering his stature in the division and the fact he came out of the Molina fight clean. It could be a tough deal to make, but let's hope it happens because it's a very interesting fight.



Saturday at Moscow

Vitali Klitschko TKO4 Manuel Charr
Retains a heavyweight title
Records: Klitschko (45-2, 41 KOs); Charr (21-1, 11 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Whichever Klitschko is defending his version of the heavyweight title -- Vitali or younger brother Wladimir -- the result has been the same for years: Klitschko domination. Vitali racked up defense No. 9 of his third title reign in overwhelmingly easy fashion, despite the unsatisfying ending. Klitschko, 41, has all but said he plans to retire very soon, maybe even after this win. What exactly happens will depend largely on whether he wins a parliament seat in Ukraine's October elections. If he does, he could walk away. Even if he fails to win the seat, he may fight only a couple more times. But this fight, career finale or not, was a typical Klitschko wipeout.

There were few expectations for anything other than a blowout, and that's just what Klitschko delivered against Charr, 27, a native of Lebanon living in Germany, who had no notable wins on his padded record and didn't remotely deserve the shot. But he came cheap, and it's not as though there are quality contenders rushing to fight Klitschko. Charr is tough but not very good. He didn't seem interested in engaging much, but Klitschko walked him down. In the second round, Klitschko, much bigger than Charr, tattooed him with combinations and eventually dropped him with a sweeping right hand just before the end of the round. Klitschko was doing as he pleased when he opened a bad cut over Charr eye's in the fourth round. Blood was pouring from the cut and streaming down Charr's face and chest. Referee Guido Cavalleri called time to let the ringside doctor examine the cut, and he advised the fight to be called off, which the referee did at 2 minutes, 4 seconds.

Although it was obvious Charr would eventually get drilled, the ending was weak. It was a bit of a quick stoppage. Ideally, the referee would have at the very least given the corner the minute between rounds to work on the cut to see if it could be stopped. But it doesn't matter much, because Charr had done absolutely nothing to that point, and that almost certainly wasn't going to change. Charr protested the stoppage vigorously. It would have been nice if he had showed such passion during the fight.

Magomed Abdusalamov KO2 Jameel McCline
Heavyweights
Records: Abdusalamov (16-0, 16 KOs); McCline (41-13-3, 24 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Although Abdusalamov is 31 -- a bit old for a prospect -- he is one of the more interesting new faces at heavyweight. He was a standout Russian amateur (who is now based in Oxnard, Calif.), but he didn't turn pro until 2008. He has had some impressive knockouts, but this wasn't one of them. In fact, it was a very odd finish.

McCline, 42, of New York, is a long-faded contender and former four-time title challenger who never could get over the hump. Now he's fodder for up-and-comers. But for a brief moment, it looked like he might pull off the upset. Thirty-five seconds into the fight, he landed a clean straight right hand on Abdusalamov's chin and dropped him hard. Abdusalamov was shaky but able to continue in what was an action round. They were duking it out in the second round when, suddenly, McCline crumpled in the middle of the ring and referee Daniel Van de Wiele counted him out at 1 minute, 57 seconds as he just missed beating the count. But it didn't look like a punch connected. Instead, it seemed as though McCline's right knee gave out and he collapsed -- similar to what happened to him in a third-round knockout loss to then-titlist Nikolai Valuev in 2007.

McCline dropped to 3-7 in his past 10 fights, while Abdusalamov showed that although he is still a heavyweight to watch, his chin might be a problem, because McCline is anything but a big puncher.



Saturday at Las Vegas

Lucas Matthysse TKO10 Olusegun Ajose
Wins a vacant interim junior welterweight title
Records: Matthysse (32-2, 30 KOs); Ajose (30-1, 14 KOs)

Rafael's remarks: Forget the bogus interim belt at stake here. More important, Matthysse might just be the best junior welterweight in the world. At the very least, he's the most entertaining 140-pound fighter you'll find today, as he participated in yet another fan-friendly fight, this time the unexpected Showtime main event.

Originally, Argentina's Matthysse, 29, and Ajose, 32, of Nigeria, were supposed to fight in a co-feature with the Randall Bailey-Devon Alexander welterweight title bout. But when Bailey hurt his back and postponed the fight, Showtime decided the show must go on and moved Matthysse-Ajose into the main event. And what an action-packed main event it was, even if it was one-sided. Matthysse's power (and, surprisingly, speed) was just too much for Ajose, a southpaw who showed massive heart to take the punishment that he did. For most of the fight, Ajose ate shot after shot -- until Matthysse finally dropped him with a series of heavy punches in the 10th round. Referee Russell Mora immediately stopped it at 2 minutes, 59 seconds, refusing to allow the battered Ajose to try to get up.

That Ajose made it into the 10th round was amazing, because Matthysse hammered him to the body and head relentlessly. Ajose was disappointed, blaming his year of inactivity -- mainly because he was ensnared in WBC politics that continually denied him a long-overdue mandatory shot at the full 140-pound belt -- for his performance. But the way Matthysse, coming off a sensational knockout win against Humberto Soto in June, has been fighting, Ajose could have been as sharp as a nail and probably not defeated him.

Now that Matthysse has the interim belt, he theoretically will be the mandatory challenger for the winner of the Oct. 20 rematch between full titlist Danny Garcia and Erik Morales. The winner surely will find a way to avoid Matthysse for as long as possible. He brings nothing to the table for his opponent but pain.


J'Leon Love W-DQ8 Ramon Valenzuela
Middleweights
Records: Love (13-0, 7 KOs); Valenzuela (7-2, 1 KO)

Rafael's remarks: When the Randall Bailey-Devon Alexander welterweight title bout scheduled for this card's main event was postponed because of Bailey's back injury, the Lucas Matthysse- Olusegun Ajose co-feature was bumped up to the main event. Showtime still wanted a second fight on the telecast, so Golden Boy moved up the fight featuring Love, a 24-year-old prospect from Las Vegas, against Valenzuela, 21, of Chicago. Although it was a mismatch and not close to the caliber of fight typically aired on Showtime's top series, it was a tremendous opportunity for Love, the beneficiary of adviser Al Haymon's juice with the network.

Love was pitching a 70-62 shutout on all three scorecards when referee Jay Nady disqualified Valenzuela 37 seconds into the eighth round because of unsportsmanlike conduct. Valenzuela had been outclassed and clearly was frustrated by his inability to deal with Love. Nady warned him multiple times for fouls such as holding and hitting on the break, and took a point away from him. But when Valenzuela lifted Love off his feet during a clinch, Nady had seen enough of the dirty tactics and DQ'd him from a fight he was never going to win.



Saturday at Newark, N.J.

Tomasz Adamek TKO5 Travis Walker
Heavyweights
Records: Adamek (47-2, 29 KOs); Walker (39-8-1, 31 KO)
Rafael's remarks: Adamek has been one of boxing's best draws and top heavyweights for the past few years, but he is slipping on both fronts even though he is still in good fights. The former cruiserweight and light heavyweight champion was crushed by heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko in September 2011 and, at age 35, is now clearly on the back side of his career. He struggled to outpoint Eddie Chambers in June and then had problems with Walker, 33, Tallahassee, Fla., who has always lost when stepping up in competition.

Adamek, who is from Poland but lives in Jersey City, N.J., has also been a great draw at the Prudential Center but is no longer packing them in. One of the reasons for what looked like a weak crowd for this fight was because it took place in the afternoon (during a heavy college football slate) to service a prime-time pay-per-view audience in Poland. Nonetheless, Adamek and Walker put on an entertaining slugfest in promoter Main Events' first foray working with WealthTV, which carried the card in the United States.

Walker surprised everyone early in the second round when he landed a flush overhand right on Adamek's jaw and dropped him hard to his backside. He had Adamek in big trouble as the round wore on, clipping him with shot after shot and rocking him. Adamek weathered the storm and then, late in the round, nailed Walker with a right hand on the chin, dropping him to all fours. With only a few seconds left in the round, Adamek was hammering Walker, who was trapped in a corner as referee Eddie Cotton watched closely until the bell rang and saved Walker. It was a wild frame and a round of the year candidate. The fighters exchanged punches regularly over the next two-plus rounds before Adamek suddenly staggered Walker with a right and then poured it on, unloading a barrage of more than 20 punches and trapping Walker in a corner, forcing Cotton to intervene at 1 minute, 8 seconds, ending what had been a fun action fight.

Adamek is due back Dec. 22 on NBC, hopefully in a rematch of his great 2008 cruiserweight title fight with Steve Cunningham, who won on the undercard.

Steve Cunningham W10 Jason Gavern
Heavyweights
Scores: 100-90 (twice), 99-90
Records: Cunningham (25-4, 12 KOs); Gavern (21-11-4, 10 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: In February, Cunningham, a former two-time cruiserweight titlist from Philadelphia, lost a title fight to Yoan Pablo Hernandez for the second time in a row. Cunningham got a raw deal the first time, but the rematch was a legitimate loss. With little else to do at cruiserweight and no significant fight in his near future, Cunningham, 36, did what so many cruiserweights do: He decided to move up to heavyweight to see what he can do in a division where there's a lot more money to be made than at cruiserweight.

So Cunningham, in his first fight since signing with promoter Main Events, eased into the division against Gavern, an experienced journeyman from Harrisonburg, Va. Fighting in the United States for the first time since 2010, Cunningham rolled to a lopsided decision win. It wasn't all that exciting, and Gavern was never in the fight, but Cunningham did what he needed to do: carry the extra weight and look fairly sharp doing it. Because Main Events also promotes former cruiserweight champ Tomasz Adamek, there is a good chance we could see a rematch later this year or early next year between Adamek and Cunningham, who waged a terrific 2008 fight of the year candidate, which Adamek won to claim the title.


Bryant Jennings KO1 Chris Koval
Heavyweights
Records: Jennings (17-0, 7 KOs); Koval (25-10, 18 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Jennings, 27, of Philadelphia, has gained a lot of recent attention thanks to three consecutive solid victories on NBC Sports Net's "Fight Night" series this year. He defeated Maurice Byarm, former titleholder Sergei Liakhovich and Steve Collins. Admittedly, this match wasn't close to the level of those, but at least Jennings is staying active -- although, in this bout, only briefly. He needed just 35 seconds to pulverize Koval, 30, of Youngstown, Ohio. Jennings dropped him out of the gate with a flush right-left combination. Immediately after the fight resumed, Jennings cracked him with a clean three-punch combination, and Koval went down again, prompting referee David Franciosi to call off the bout without a count.



Saturday at Temecula, Calif.

Ivan Morales Tech. Dec. 10 Luis Maldonado
Junior bantamweights
Scores: 98-92, 97-93 (twice)
Records: Morales (18-0, 12 KOs); Maldonado (38-9-1, 29 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Mexico's Morales is the 20-year-old younger brother of future Hall of Famer Erik Morales, the all-time great four-division titleholder who has been in some the most memorable battles of this generation. His kid brother hopes to follow in those footsteps, and after fighting all of his previous bouts in Mexico, Ivan made his American debut in his first fight since signing with Golden Boy Promotions.

Morales, a southpaw, headlined a Telefutura "Solo Boxeo" card against serviceable journeyman Maldonado, 34, of Mexico, who has unsuccessfully challenged for world titles three times (twice at flyweight and once at junior bantamweight) while facing Vic Darchinyan, Nonito Donaire and Fernando Montiel.

Maldonado was aggressive and really tested the youngster in a good fight. Although Maldonado, who suffered a cut over his left eye, had his moments, it was clear that the quicker Morales was on his way to a decision win when the fight was cut short in the final round because an accidental head-butt left him with a cut over his right eye. Referee Tony Crebs stopped the fight at 1 minute, 30 seconds, sending it to the scorecards 90 seconds ahead of schedule for a technical decision, which Morales won comfortably. This was a good learning experience for Morales, just the kind of tough bout he needs if he has serious title aspirations.




Saturday at Costa Mesa, Calif.

Luis Ramos Jr. TKO8 Noe Bolanos
Lightweights
Records: Ramos (23-0, 10 KOs); Bolanos (24-7-1, 16 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Ramos, a 24-year-old southpaw from Santa Ana, Calif., continues to gain valuable experience against opponents he can handle -- guys who have been around who can give him the rounds he needs, such as Daniel Attah, Raymundo Beltran, David Rodela and Francisco Lorenzo and now Bolanos, 25, of Mexico, who lost his second fight in a row. Headlining a Fox Deportes card, Ramos, who is closing in on a serious step-up fight, dominated, although he was nicked over his right eye because of an early accidental head clash. Bolanos, who suffered a first-round cut over his right eye, was game as he ate a lot of leather and the much faster Ramos picked him apart. Finally, in the eighth round, Bolanos' corner threw in the towel and referee Raul Caiz Sr. called off the fight at 1 minute, 4 seconds. Bolanos went to the hospital for observation as a precaution.


Deontay Wilder KO2 Damon McCreary
Heavyweights
Records: Wilder (25-0, 25 KOs); McCreary (14-1, 10 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: McCreary, 39, of Detroit, had to be the worst undefeated heavyweight in boxing coming into this fight, one of the grossest mismatches you'll ever see -- especially as a televised bout. The 5-foot-11 McCreary was once a super middleweight prospect in the late 1990s. Now, nearly 100 pounds heavier and not remotely in shape, he was fighting as a 262-pound heavyweight in his first bout in two years. The 26-year-old Wilder, meanwhile, is a chiseled 6-7, 229 pounds, a 2008 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist and a highly regarded prospect. This was a mismatch of the highest order and totally uncalled for.

Wilder, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., dropped McCreary with a short right hand in the first round. Then McCreary seemed to injure his right knee and fell again, but the fight went on, unfortunately. In the second round, McCreary managed to land a right hand that Wilder felt and didn't like. He immediately responded with his own big right hand to drop McCreary again. Then McCreary missed on a wild, lunging right, and Wilder nailed him with a pair of rights that knocked him down again, prompting referee Raul Caiz Sr. to immediately call the farce off at 55 seconds. What a waste of time. Wilder deserves better opponents.


Demetrius Hopkins W8 Doel Carrasquillo
Junior middleweights
Scores: 80-71 (three times)
Records: Hopkins (31-2-1, 11 KOs); Carrasquillo (16-22-1, 14 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Former junior welterweight title challenger Demetrius Hopkins, the nephew of Bernard Hopkins, returned from an 18-month layoff to shut out Doel Carrasquillo, 39, a native of Puerto Rico living in Fredericka, Del., for the easy decision. Hopkins, 31, of Philadelphia, scored a knockdown on a body punch in the sixth round to punctuate the win. Maybe Hopkins, who has never lived up to his considerable potential and lost a split decision to then-140-pound titlist Kendall Holt in 2008, can get back on track, even if he is fighting two divisions heavier than where he was at his best.



Saturday at London

Tony Bellew TKO9 Edison Miranda
Light heavyweights
Records: Bellew (18-1, 11 KOs); Miranda (35-8, 30 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Bellew, 29, of England, whose only loss was a majority decision to light heavyweight titlist Nathan Cleverly in a tremendous fight last November, took on Miranda, 31, of Colombia, an experienced former middleweight and super middleweight title challenger, in an effort to get another known name on his record. Miranda is past his prime and fighting in a heavier division than where he was at his best, but he still can be dangerous.

Miranda gave a good effort and made it competitive for the first six rounds or so, until Bellew took over. As usual, Miranda trash-talked leading into the fight, but it meant nothing by the time Bellew was rocking him. Bellew eventually nailed Miranda with two left hands to the body in the ninth round, dropping him to a knee. Miranda beat the count, but he told referee Ian John-Lewis he didn't want to continue and the fight was called off just as the round was ending. A good, solid win for Bellew, who is aiming for a rematch with Cleverly (which he deserves).

 

[mfreshm]

I'm also pumped for Martinez vs Chavez Jr. i think it will end up being similar to Martinez/Pavlik only JCC will be faster and eat more punches.

i also believe Martinez needs a KO to win, but i think a decision is likely hope the judges don't screw Martinez over.

Lou Dibella was mad that Sulaiman placed a bet on JCC. i really want Martinez to destroy JCC he thinks he's all that when the best he's fought was like Andy Lee.

 

[demps]

Martinez is gonna make jr cry.

 

[shannonscrooks]

There's only one Ricky Hatton, and it looks like he is making a return to the ring.

 

[proshares]

ESPN and HBO are teaming up on boxing. Big potential for boxing.

danrafaelespn Dan Rafael
No surprise, but it was announced this morning that Rigondeaux's fight with Marroquin is back on Saturday's PPV. Rig, Hyde and TR settled.
about an hour ago

 

[bigmike23]

i must be the only one thinking JCC is going to win

 

[lightweight champion]

I'm also pumped for Martinez vs Chavez Jr. i think it will end up being similar to Martinez/Pavlik only JCC will be faster and eat more punches.
i also believe Martinez needs a KO to win, but i think a decision is likely hope the judges don't screw Martinez over.
Lou Dibella was mad that Sulaiman placed a bet on JCC. i really want Martinez to destroy JCC he thinks he's all that when the best he's fought was like Andy Lee.

I also want Sergio to win, but it's not like Andy Lee is a tomato can. He was up on all 3 scorecards, JCCjr just overwhelmed him.

I don't think he'll be able to do that to Maravilla, though.

 

[proshares]

i must be the only one thinking JCC is going to win

Nah, I think he's got a better shot to win than I did a couple years ago. I think it all depends on how he takes that first hard left hand. If he walks through it like he did with Lee, he can do his work inside. I'd say 40%.

 

[bigmike23]

ESPN and HBO announced a boxing programming agreement Tuesday in which they will share content around major pay-per-view boxing events, starting with this week's Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Sergio Martinez bout.

ESPN will carry HBO's all-access 24/7 series prior to major fights, starting Thursday with back-to-back episodes of "24/7 Chavez Jr./Martinez" (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2, prior to a special edition of "Friday Night Fights" from Las Vegas). Also on Thursday, ESPN Deportes' "Golpe a Golpe" will preview the fight at 9 p.m. ET.

Chavez and Martinez fight for the world middleweight title Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas (9 p.m. ET, HBO PPV).

As part of the agreement, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3 (along with the WatchESPN app and XboxLive for Gold members) will show fighter weigh-ins, plus pre- and postfight news conferences, in addition to other fight-related content. And "SportsCenter," as well as ESPN Deportes, will have additional news and information around pay-per-view fights, including interviews with the participants.

The agreement includes shared content, cross-promotion elements, highlights and additional assets for multiple platforms on both ESPN and HBO.

 

[the sauna]

i must be the only one thinking JCC is going to win

na, I got Chavez winning..

 

[you go boy]

I got jcc winning also... i think martinez is overrated imo