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I think Devon would be in Way over his head vs JMM.
but I would love to see it
but I would love to see it
Official 2012 Boxing Thread: JMM/Manny IV - FOTY.
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by proshares,
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The Alexander and Maidana fight was a good fight and when i say good, I mean entertaining...
Broner is a clown. I'm eager to see who he fights next.
Broner is a clown. I'm eager to see who he fights next.
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Berto would have an easier time dealing with him than any of those guys. Alexander was never among the elite, but obviously he's not a bum either.
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Just watched the Broner fight.
My boy Broner puttin in work.
My boy Broner puttin in work.
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do not like broners antics but damn does he have skills..
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got out boxed by ponce
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"Relax. All you gotta do is relax."
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True. But Broner went into the fight saying he underestimated Ponce. I'm sure if he got in the ring again with him, he'd win it hands down. Broner is a clown in & out of the ring. But the kid has got skills. The Can-man is a problem.
"Anybody Can get it. AfriCan, AmeriCan, MexiCan."
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Yeah I'm sure everyone isn't entitled to a bad night in the ring.
Haters gonna hate.
Broners been improving and improving.
But he' not even CLOSE to Floyd at 130, Floyd was one of (if not) the best 130lbers in the history of the sport.
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Broner & Haymon following the Berto/Dibella fight plan.
time to step it up.
one more fight and he should be gunning for Donaire or someone like that
time to step it up.
one more fight and he should be gunning for Donaire or someone like that
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Broner-Gamboa sounds pretty good to me.
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yes, anyone on that level.
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Yeah, Maybe after Gamboa destroys Rios.
The Broner-Gamboa fight can be made.
The Broner-Gamboa fight can be made.
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You think so? Gamboa is moving up 2 divisions.
I can't take anyone seriously who thinks Devon came out looking good after this fight. Keep fighting in St. Louis you fraud. Maidana didn't look all that great at 147 but this kid kept holding and kept going in with the rabbit punches. The best was at the end of round six when Devon lands a big right hand and then jumps on Marcos' back.
F-R-A-U-D.
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I think so.
But I am also a huge Gamboa fan..
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any way to get cheap tickets to the garden? I would like to see the Martinez fight without auctioning off my entire shoe collection.
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I'm in sort of the same boat. I want to see either Khan vs Peterson II or Ortiz vs Berto II live. Not sure if the experience is worth the $$.
Wrap up of the fights from this past weekend.
Spoiler [+]
Saturday at Stuttgart, Germany
Alexander Povetkin W12 Marco Huck
Heavyweight
Retains a heavyweight title
Scores: 116-113, 116-112, 114-114
Records: Povetkin (24-0, 16 KOs); Huck (34-2, 25 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: As anyone who follows boxing knows, the heavyweight division has not been so good lately. The champion Klitschko brothers are dominant forces who usually rout their opponents either with big knockouts or virtual shutout decisions. But if you take the brothers out of the equation there are some fun fights to be made in the weight class, and this was one of them. On paper, it looked like a fun fight. In the ring, Povetkin and Huck produced a mini-classic and one of the best, most exciting heavyweight fights in years -- one American fans could enjoy live on Epix.
Povetkin, 32, of Russia, was the 2004 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist who now fights mainly in Germany. He won a second-tier title -- the ridiculous WBA "regular" title -- in August by outpointing former titleholder Ruslan Chagaev in a very tough fight. But after Povetkin made his first defense against 42-year-old journeyman Cedric Boswell in December, Huck, a reigning cruiserweight titleholder under the same Sauerland Event promotional umbrella as Povetkin, showed up the postfight news conference. He called out Povetkin and three weeks later the fight was made. So Huck, 27, born in Serbia but based in Germany, moved up to heavyweight to try to become the third cruiserweight titleholder to win a heavyweight belt. The others were Evander Holyfield, who was undisputed in both divisions, and David Haye, who was the recognized cruiserweight champion who also won a heavyweight title. But mostly cruiserweights have not had much success in their heavyweight campaigns.
Huck, however, deserved to win this fight in the eyes of many. It was a close, physical rumble but he came out on the wrong end of a majority decision. It should not be called a robbery because Povetkin certainly had his moments in a close, competitive fight. But Huck visibly rocked Povetkin multiple times. He pounded him with overhand rights and was in his face the whole fight. Frankly, Povetkin did not look like he was in the best shape and admitted afterward that he had taken Huck lightly. Povetkin was also without trainer Teddy Atlas, with whom he split over a disagreement on where they should train: America (to accommodate Atlas' ESPN broadcasting schedule, which was Povetkin's promise) or Russia. Atlas was replaced by Alexander Zimin.
Referee Luis Pabon did a terrible job as he continually broke the fighters even when they were not in clinches. He never let them fight on the inside, which probably cost Huck dearly since he was the one doing damage when they were in tight with each other. Povetkin continually leaned over into Huck's right hands, yet it was Pabon who constantly was warning Huck for hitting Povetkin behind the head. Pabon apparently does not know the boxing rule that says a fighter cannot bend below his opponent's waist, which Povetkin did constantly. Povetkin started well and controlled the first three rounds before Huck came storming back in the fourth round to turn the tide. His biggest moment came late in the seventh round when he had Povetkin badly hurt and reeling before the bell ended the round. Late in the fight, Huck was bleeding from cuts under his eyes and Povetkin was exhausted as his mouth hung open.
It was a fierce brawl worthy of a rematch. Huck, who looked good at the new weight even though he was outweighed by 20 pounds, said he thought he won and wanted a rematch. It is certainly possible, but Povetkin first has to face former champion Hasim Rahman in an absurd mandatory defense. Huck, meanwhile, has this week to decide whether he will retain his cruiserweight belt or vacate it to remain at heavyweight. If he stays at heavyweight there could probably be some interesting and lucrative fights lined up for him. If he goes back to cruiserweight he is obligated to next fight the winner of Saturday's interim title bout between Ola Afolabi (whom Huck already beat) and former titleholder Valery Brudov.
Saturday at St. Louis
Devon Alexander W10 Marcos Maidana
Welterweight
Scores: 100-90 (twice), 99-91
Records: Alexander (23-1, 13 KOs); Maidana (31-3, 28 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: After Alexander won a junior welterweight belt in 2009, he looked to be one of boxing's rising stars. Surviving one of the worst neighborhoods in St. Louis, he made it out and made it to the top as he unified titles in with a massive knockout of Juan Urango in 2010. But it had been a tough road since until this dominant performance against Maidana. After the Urango fight, Alexander struggled to a victory against former titlist Andriy Kotelnik in what many called a St. Louis hometown decision. Then Alexander essentially quit against Timothy Bradley in a January 2011 unification fight and lost a 10th-round technical decision. And in Alexander's return, he was shaky in winning another controversial split decision in St. Louis, this time against Lucas Matthysse.
Alexander, a 25-year-old southpaw, attributed his struggles in the recent fights to problems making the 140-pound junior welterweight limit. So he moved up to welterweight to meet Maidana, 28, of Argentina. He is one of boxing's most fearsome punchers and holds a junior welterweight belt, but also wanted to give welterweight a try. So Golden Boy made the intriguing match that headlined the season premiere of HBO's "Boxing After Dark." So what would win out? The quick, slick southpaw boxing style of Alexander or the all-out brawling, slugging style of Maidana? Turns out rumors of Alexander's demise were greatly exaggerated as he toyed with Maidana to win the virtual shutout decision. He avoided the big bombs as Maidana could never find a groove. That was because Alexander was boxing circles around him and re-establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in a new weight division that he looked very strong in.
Although Maidana opened a cut over Alexander's right eye in the third round, that was about as much as he could muster. Already clearly winning the fight, Alexander landed a clean left hand to Maidana's face in the sixth round and he went down to his backside but Steve Smoger, one of the best referees in the world, simply missed it and ruled it a slip, perhaps because Alexander wound up with his arms on Maidana's back as he was falling. But it was definitely a knockdown. Fortunately, it made no difference in the outcome of the fight.
With the win in hand, Kevin Cunningham, Alexander's manager and trainer, said they have designs on next facing the winner of the June 23 rematch between former welterweight titleholders Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto. Maidana, meanwhile, still has his 140-pound title and likely will return to that division and continue to defend it. There are still attractive bouts for him at that weight and, because he is such a crowd-pleasing fighter, this loss should be nothing but a blip on the radar for him. Ideally, he would face the winner of the June 23 fight between Humberto Soto and Matthysse, who is Maidana's countryman. Either would be an action fight.
Adrien Broner KO4 Eloy Perez
Junior lightweight
Retains a junior lightweight title
Records: Broner (23-0, 19 KOs); Perez (23-1-2, 7 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Broner does lay it on thick, doesn't he? He came into the ring wearing his sunglasses and jewelry while rapping. He had his father by his side brushing his hair before and after the fight in the most amusing shtick in the sport. But put aside the theatrics and levity; Broner backs it up. He is a stone cold punisher in the ring. The 22-year-old from Cincinnati is so vastly talented it is hard to know where to begin. He has insane speed. Outstanding power. Ring smarts. A solid amateur foundation. And great size for a 130-pounder -- someday he will be a welterweight like the last American star junior lightweight, Floyd Mayweather Jr., whom Broner models his formidable shoulder tuck defense after. Yes, Broner fights in a division bereft of elite opposition, but he is probably already the No. 1 guy, especially after this ultra-impressive destruction of Perez, 25, a legitimate top-10 contender from Salinas, Calif.
Broner just did as he pleased as he made the first defense of the vacant belt he won by third-round knockout of Vicente Martin Rodriguez in November. His speed and power advantage was evident against Perez almost immediately. He badly rattled Perez with a series of shots as the second round came to an end. Instead of trying to move some, Perez stayed right in front of Broner and eventually paid the price in the fourth round. Broner, not even in knockout mode, landed a flush straight right hand to his face and another right hand to the head as Perez going down. Perez's balance was a wreck. He tried to get up, fell down, got up again and dropped back to the canvas as referee Geno Rodriguez called it off at 2 minutes, 24 seconds. It was a sensational and dominant performance from a potential future pound-for-pound fighter in Broner, whose future is as bright as any young fighter's in the sport.
As usual, Broner was as entertaining in his postfight interview with HBO's Max Kellerman as he was during the fight. Besides having his hair brushed, Broner quipped to that he should be on "Dancing with the Stars" because his feet are so fast. And when Kellerman asked Broner about potential opponents, Broner had the line of the night when he said, "They call me 'The Problem,' but you can call me 'The Can Man' because anybody can get it. Afri-cans, Ameri-cans, Domini-cans, Mexi-cans. Anybody can get it." Then he said, "I shoulda fought with my jewelry on because I don't think I got hit." Classic. The kid is as much of a showman as he is a fighter, one with a huge future.
Also on the undercard, Tuscaloosa, Ala., heavyweight Deontay Wilder (21-0, 21 KOs), 26, a 2004 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist, beat down Marlon Hayes (23-12, 12 KOs) until he quit on his stool after the fourth round in another Wilder mismatch. The 6-foot-7 Wilder simply had his way with the 5-9 Hayes, 40, of Newark, N.J., a former middleweight who lost his sixth consecutive fight and dropped to 1-9 in his last 10. Las Vegas-based Uganda native Sharif Bogere (22-0, 14 KOs), 23, an exciting junior welterweight prospect, dominated and stopped Sergio Rivera (25-9-2, 16 KOs), 30, of Mexico, who retired on his stool after the third round after taking a beating.
Saturday at Cardiff, Wales
Nathan Cleverly W12 Tommy Karpency
Light heavyweight
Retains a light heavyweight title
Scores: 120-108 (three times)
Records: Cleverly (24-0, 11 KOs); Karpency (21-3-1, 14 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Cleverly, who turned 25 on Feb. 17, returned home to fight in Wales for the first time in 13 fights since 2007. He was making his third title defense against the hand-picked Karpency, 26, a club-level fighter from Adah, Pa. Going in, the fight was a mismatch and it turned out just that way inside the ring. Although Cleverly never hurt Karpency (only the second southpaw Cleverly had faced) and never seemed to land a legitimately damaging punch -- even though he was way busier and landed way more punches than his opponent -- this was a one-sided blowout. Cleverly won every second of every round as Karpency simply was not even remotely in his class. But with such a low-level opponent in front of him, Cleverly missed the opportunity to make a statement, especially while getting good American exposure on Epix. Instead, he threw a million fast punches but nothing with real authority. He did little to excite anyone but his most ardent supporters. Cleverly and promoter Frank Warren have said they would like to make fights against the likes of world champion Bernard Hopkins or Chad Dawson (if he beats Hopkins on April 28 in their rematch) and titleholders Tavoris Cloud and Beibut Shumenov. Although Cleverly won easily, there probably won't be anyone on the American side of the pond clamoring for any of those fights, at least not yet. Cleverly won easily, but if he wants to get folks excited about him he is going to need to do more. Much more.
Enzo Maccarinelli TKO2 Ciaran Healy
Light heavyweight
Records: Maccarinelli (34-5, 27 KOs); Healy (13-18-1, 4 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Wales' Maccarinelli, 31, is a former cruiserweight titlist known for great power and also for having a horrible chin. He's been knocked out in all of his losses, often in sickening fashion, including a seventh-round knockout loss to Alexander Frenkel in a European cruiserweight title fight in September 2010. It was a severe, severe knockout and it looked as though Maccarinelli's career was over. But 13 months later, Maccarinelli returned, dropping down to light heavyweight for a first-round knockout win. Now, in his second fight at light heavyweight since the slaughter against Frenkel, Maccarinelli was back again for an easy win against an overmatched, undersized opponent in Healy, 37, of Northern Ireland, who lost his second fight in a row and for the third time in his last four bouts.
Maccarinelli softened him up with body shots and finally dropped him with a digging right to the body in the second round. Healy went down on a delayed reaction and was clearly in pain, but he beat the count. Maccarinelli continued to assault his body and dropped him for a second time. Again, Healy beat the count but he was taking vicious shots to the body when his corner threw in the towel and referee Wynford Jones called it off at 2 minutes, 52 seconds. Maccarinelli's goal is a title shot at Welsh countryman Nathan Cleverly, who defended his crown in the main event. With Maccarinelli's size advantage and power advantage, it's a winnable fight if promoter Frank Warren, who promotes both of them, elects to make it. It would undoubtedly be a huge fight in Wales.
Also on the card, 26-year-old welterweight prospect Frankie Gavin (12-0, 9 KOs), a 2007 world amateur champion and 2008 British Olympian, stopped Kevin McIntyre (30-9, 9 KOs), 33, of Scotland, with a body shot at 2 minutes, 22 seconds of the third round.
Friday at Dover, Del.
Juan Carlos Burgos W10 Cristobal Cruz
Junior lightweight
Scores: 98-90, 96-92 (twice)
Records: Burgos (29-1, 19 KOs); Cruz (39-13-3, 23 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Burgos, 24, of Mexico, is a fighter on the rise while Cruz, 34, also of Mexico, is the one in decline as he dropped to 0-2-2 in his last four bouts (with both draw being technical draws). Burgos, who could make some noise at junior lightweight, a division that is not very deep, first gained attention in November 2010. That is when he went to Japan and challenged then-featherweight titlist Hozumi Hasegawa. Although Burgos lost a decision, it was a tremendous fight and he showed a lot for a young fighter stepping up in class. Since then Burgos has won four in a row, including a mild upset of Luis Cruz, for whom he moved up to junior lightweight to face on the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III HBO PPV undercard in November. And now he has this solid victory against Cruz, a former featherweight titleholder who turned pro when he was only 14. The "Friday Night Fights" main event was a good one in which both fighters had their moments. Perhaps the scorecards were a little wide in Burgos' favor but he did seem to do enough to win a good fight. The 98-92 scorecard of Pierre Benoist was an utter joke, but Benoist has shown himself to be a judge who is seemingly in another world. Remember, he is the guy who disgustingly turned in a 119-110 scorecard in favor of Paul Williams in his first extraordinarily close fight with Sergio Martinez. It was one of the single worst scorecards perhaps in the history of boxing. The 5-foot-10 Burgos, who seemed to tower over the 5-6 Cruz, dropped him to his knees in the sixth round with a left uppercut. But Cruz, who suffered a cut over his left in the sixth round, surprised Burgos in the ninth round when he knocked him down with a stiff straight left hand. The knockdowns negated each other and Burgos had done enough to outpoint tough Cruz, who has become a steppingstone opponent for younger fighters to learn against and also get a good name on their record. That is exactly what Burgos did here.
Friday at Las Vegas
Jessie Vargas W10 Lanardo Tyner
Welterweight
Scores: 99-91 (three times)
Records: Vargas (18-0, 9 KOs); Tyner (25-7-2, 15 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Vargas, 22, is Floyd Mayweather Jr. protégé who was moving from junior welterweight up to welterweight to headline on Showtime's "ShoBox: The New Generation." Vargas, who is from Las Vegas, got a lot of exposure when he fought on the HBO PPV undercard of Mayweather-Victor Ortiz in September, although Vargas barely escaped with a split-decision win against Josesito Lopez in a fight many thought Lopez had won. For this fight, Vargas was taking a step down in competition against Tyner, 36, of Detroit, who lost his third fight in a row and fell to 1-4-1 in his last six fights. On paper, it was one of the worst main events on "ShoBox" in quite a while. However, it did turn out to be a bit entertaining even if lopsided on the scorecards. The drama came from the fact that both fighters were hurt by low blows. In a foul-ridden fight. Vargas was committed to body work from the outset but one strayed way low in the first round, which sent Tyner to the mat. In the fourth round, Tyner hit Vargas with a brutal shot in the groin, sending him to the canvas writhing in agony. Vargas retaliated with a low blow of his own later in the round that forced Tyner to the canvas. Vargas landed yet another low blow in the eighth that rattled him and caused referee Tony Weeks to give him time to recover. When the foul-fest finally ended it was obvious that Vargas was the winner. He is a prospect who makes TV-friendly fights. With this victory and no apparent injuries, Vargas is slated to return May 5 to once again appear on the HBO PPV undercard of Mayweather's next fight against junior middleweight titlist Miguel Cotto.
Deandre Latimore W10 Milton Nunez
Junior middleweight
Scores: 96-92, 95-94, 94-94
Records: Latimore (23-3, 17 KOs); Nunez (23-4-1, 21 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Latimore, 26, who is from St. Louis but now living in Las Vegas, was originally supposed to face journeyman Ryan Davis in the "ShoBox" co-feature. However, Davis failed a prefight eye exam and was replaced on five days' notice by Colombia's Nunez, 24, who has big power but a bad chin -- his three previous losses before this fight came by first-round knockout. Although Latimore, who lost a split decision to St. Louis rival Cory Spinks in a 2009 junior middleweight world title bout, did not get a first-round knockout, he dominated Nunez through the first half of the fight. But there was drama in the late going as Latimore, who was fighting for the first time in 10 months, had to do all he could to survive Nunez's late onslaught. Latimore was practically on cruise control on his way to a decision victory when the wheels came off in the ninth round. With about 30 seconds to go, Nunez landed an overhand right to score a knockdown. Latimore was dazed as Nunez unloaded nearly 20 more punches -- landing most of them -- but could not finish his staggering opponent. Latimore tried to run in the 10th round. All he needed to do was make it to the final bell and it was clear he would win. But Nunez hurt him again in the 10th round and dropped the fading Latimore with a right hand with less than 30 seconds to go in the fight. Latimore survived and continued to try to kill the clock. Nunez was never able to get off another meaningful shot and the fight ended with Latimore, working with trainer Jeff Mayweather for the first time, hanging on for the majority decision.
Alexander Povetkin W12 Marco Huck
Heavyweight
Retains a heavyweight title
Scores: 116-113, 116-112, 114-114
Records: Povetkin (24-0, 16 KOs); Huck (34-2, 25 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: As anyone who follows boxing knows, the heavyweight division has not been so good lately. The champion Klitschko brothers are dominant forces who usually rout their opponents either with big knockouts or virtual shutout decisions. But if you take the brothers out of the equation there are some fun fights to be made in the weight class, and this was one of them. On paper, it looked like a fun fight. In the ring, Povetkin and Huck produced a mini-classic and one of the best, most exciting heavyweight fights in years -- one American fans could enjoy live on Epix.
Povetkin, 32, of Russia, was the 2004 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist who now fights mainly in Germany. He won a second-tier title -- the ridiculous WBA "regular" title -- in August by outpointing former titleholder Ruslan Chagaev in a very tough fight. But after Povetkin made his first defense against 42-year-old journeyman Cedric Boswell in December, Huck, a reigning cruiserweight titleholder under the same Sauerland Event promotional umbrella as Povetkin, showed up the postfight news conference. He called out Povetkin and three weeks later the fight was made. So Huck, 27, born in Serbia but based in Germany, moved up to heavyweight to try to become the third cruiserweight titleholder to win a heavyweight belt. The others were Evander Holyfield, who was undisputed in both divisions, and David Haye, who was the recognized cruiserweight champion who also won a heavyweight title. But mostly cruiserweights have not had much success in their heavyweight campaigns.
Huck, however, deserved to win this fight in the eyes of many. It was a close, physical rumble but he came out on the wrong end of a majority decision. It should not be called a robbery because Povetkin certainly had his moments in a close, competitive fight. But Huck visibly rocked Povetkin multiple times. He pounded him with overhand rights and was in his face the whole fight. Frankly, Povetkin did not look like he was in the best shape and admitted afterward that he had taken Huck lightly. Povetkin was also without trainer Teddy Atlas, with whom he split over a disagreement on where they should train: America (to accommodate Atlas' ESPN broadcasting schedule, which was Povetkin's promise) or Russia. Atlas was replaced by Alexander Zimin.
Referee Luis Pabon did a terrible job as he continually broke the fighters even when they were not in clinches. He never let them fight on the inside, which probably cost Huck dearly since he was the one doing damage when they were in tight with each other. Povetkin continually leaned over into Huck's right hands, yet it was Pabon who constantly was warning Huck for hitting Povetkin behind the head. Pabon apparently does not know the boxing rule that says a fighter cannot bend below his opponent's waist, which Povetkin did constantly. Povetkin started well and controlled the first three rounds before Huck came storming back in the fourth round to turn the tide. His biggest moment came late in the seventh round when he had Povetkin badly hurt and reeling before the bell ended the round. Late in the fight, Huck was bleeding from cuts under his eyes and Povetkin was exhausted as his mouth hung open.
It was a fierce brawl worthy of a rematch. Huck, who looked good at the new weight even though he was outweighed by 20 pounds, said he thought he won and wanted a rematch. It is certainly possible, but Povetkin first has to face former champion Hasim Rahman in an absurd mandatory defense. Huck, meanwhile, has this week to decide whether he will retain his cruiserweight belt or vacate it to remain at heavyweight. If he stays at heavyweight there could probably be some interesting and lucrative fights lined up for him. If he goes back to cruiserweight he is obligated to next fight the winner of Saturday's interim title bout between Ola Afolabi (whom Huck already beat) and former titleholder Valery Brudov.
Saturday at St. Louis
Devon Alexander W10 Marcos Maidana
Welterweight
Scores: 100-90 (twice), 99-91
Records: Alexander (23-1, 13 KOs); Maidana (31-3, 28 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: After Alexander won a junior welterweight belt in 2009, he looked to be one of boxing's rising stars. Surviving one of the worst neighborhoods in St. Louis, he made it out and made it to the top as he unified titles in with a massive knockout of Juan Urango in 2010. But it had been a tough road since until this dominant performance against Maidana. After the Urango fight, Alexander struggled to a victory against former titlist Andriy Kotelnik in what many called a St. Louis hometown decision. Then Alexander essentially quit against Timothy Bradley in a January 2011 unification fight and lost a 10th-round technical decision. And in Alexander's return, he was shaky in winning another controversial split decision in St. Louis, this time against Lucas Matthysse.
Alexander, a 25-year-old southpaw, attributed his struggles in the recent fights to problems making the 140-pound junior welterweight limit. So he moved up to welterweight to meet Maidana, 28, of Argentina. He is one of boxing's most fearsome punchers and holds a junior welterweight belt, but also wanted to give welterweight a try. So Golden Boy made the intriguing match that headlined the season premiere of HBO's "Boxing After Dark." So what would win out? The quick, slick southpaw boxing style of Alexander or the all-out brawling, slugging style of Maidana? Turns out rumors of Alexander's demise were greatly exaggerated as he toyed with Maidana to win the virtual shutout decision. He avoided the big bombs as Maidana could never find a groove. That was because Alexander was boxing circles around him and re-establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in a new weight division that he looked very strong in.
Although Maidana opened a cut over Alexander's right eye in the third round, that was about as much as he could muster. Already clearly winning the fight, Alexander landed a clean left hand to Maidana's face in the sixth round and he went down to his backside but Steve Smoger, one of the best referees in the world, simply missed it and ruled it a slip, perhaps because Alexander wound up with his arms on Maidana's back as he was falling. But it was definitely a knockdown. Fortunately, it made no difference in the outcome of the fight.
With the win in hand, Kevin Cunningham, Alexander's manager and trainer, said they have designs on next facing the winner of the June 23 rematch between former welterweight titleholders Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto. Maidana, meanwhile, still has his 140-pound title and likely will return to that division and continue to defend it. There are still attractive bouts for him at that weight and, because he is such a crowd-pleasing fighter, this loss should be nothing but a blip on the radar for him. Ideally, he would face the winner of the June 23 fight between Humberto Soto and Matthysse, who is Maidana's countryman. Either would be an action fight.
Adrien Broner KO4 Eloy Perez
Junior lightweight
Retains a junior lightweight title
Records: Broner (23-0, 19 KOs); Perez (23-1-2, 7 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Broner does lay it on thick, doesn't he? He came into the ring wearing his sunglasses and jewelry while rapping. He had his father by his side brushing his hair before and after the fight in the most amusing shtick in the sport. But put aside the theatrics and levity; Broner backs it up. He is a stone cold punisher in the ring. The 22-year-old from Cincinnati is so vastly talented it is hard to know where to begin. He has insane speed. Outstanding power. Ring smarts. A solid amateur foundation. And great size for a 130-pounder -- someday he will be a welterweight like the last American star junior lightweight, Floyd Mayweather Jr., whom Broner models his formidable shoulder tuck defense after. Yes, Broner fights in a division bereft of elite opposition, but he is probably already the No. 1 guy, especially after this ultra-impressive destruction of Perez, 25, a legitimate top-10 contender from Salinas, Calif.
Broner just did as he pleased as he made the first defense of the vacant belt he won by third-round knockout of Vicente Martin Rodriguez in November. His speed and power advantage was evident against Perez almost immediately. He badly rattled Perez with a series of shots as the second round came to an end. Instead of trying to move some, Perez stayed right in front of Broner and eventually paid the price in the fourth round. Broner, not even in knockout mode, landed a flush straight right hand to his face and another right hand to the head as Perez going down. Perez's balance was a wreck. He tried to get up, fell down, got up again and dropped back to the canvas as referee Geno Rodriguez called it off at 2 minutes, 24 seconds. It was a sensational and dominant performance from a potential future pound-for-pound fighter in Broner, whose future is as bright as any young fighter's in the sport.
As usual, Broner was as entertaining in his postfight interview with HBO's Max Kellerman as he was during the fight. Besides having his hair brushed, Broner quipped to that he should be on "Dancing with the Stars" because his feet are so fast. And when Kellerman asked Broner about potential opponents, Broner had the line of the night when he said, "They call me 'The Problem,' but you can call me 'The Can Man' because anybody can get it. Afri-cans, Ameri-cans, Domini-cans, Mexi-cans. Anybody can get it." Then he said, "I shoulda fought with my jewelry on because I don't think I got hit." Classic. The kid is as much of a showman as he is a fighter, one with a huge future.
Also on the undercard, Tuscaloosa, Ala., heavyweight Deontay Wilder (21-0, 21 KOs), 26, a 2004 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist, beat down Marlon Hayes (23-12, 12 KOs) until he quit on his stool after the fourth round in another Wilder mismatch. The 6-foot-7 Wilder simply had his way with the 5-9 Hayes, 40, of Newark, N.J., a former middleweight who lost his sixth consecutive fight and dropped to 1-9 in his last 10. Las Vegas-based Uganda native Sharif Bogere (22-0, 14 KOs), 23, an exciting junior welterweight prospect, dominated and stopped Sergio Rivera (25-9-2, 16 KOs), 30, of Mexico, who retired on his stool after the third round after taking a beating.
Saturday at Cardiff, Wales
Nathan Cleverly W12 Tommy Karpency
Light heavyweight
Retains a light heavyweight title
Scores: 120-108 (three times)
Records: Cleverly (24-0, 11 KOs); Karpency (21-3-1, 14 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Cleverly, who turned 25 on Feb. 17, returned home to fight in Wales for the first time in 13 fights since 2007. He was making his third title defense against the hand-picked Karpency, 26, a club-level fighter from Adah, Pa. Going in, the fight was a mismatch and it turned out just that way inside the ring. Although Cleverly never hurt Karpency (only the second southpaw Cleverly had faced) and never seemed to land a legitimately damaging punch -- even though he was way busier and landed way more punches than his opponent -- this was a one-sided blowout. Cleverly won every second of every round as Karpency simply was not even remotely in his class. But with such a low-level opponent in front of him, Cleverly missed the opportunity to make a statement, especially while getting good American exposure on Epix. Instead, he threw a million fast punches but nothing with real authority. He did little to excite anyone but his most ardent supporters. Cleverly and promoter Frank Warren have said they would like to make fights against the likes of world champion Bernard Hopkins or Chad Dawson (if he beats Hopkins on April 28 in their rematch) and titleholders Tavoris Cloud and Beibut Shumenov. Although Cleverly won easily, there probably won't be anyone on the American side of the pond clamoring for any of those fights, at least not yet. Cleverly won easily, but if he wants to get folks excited about him he is going to need to do more. Much more.
Enzo Maccarinelli TKO2 Ciaran Healy
Light heavyweight
Records: Maccarinelli (34-5, 27 KOs); Healy (13-18-1, 4 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Wales' Maccarinelli, 31, is a former cruiserweight titlist known for great power and also for having a horrible chin. He's been knocked out in all of his losses, often in sickening fashion, including a seventh-round knockout loss to Alexander Frenkel in a European cruiserweight title fight in September 2010. It was a severe, severe knockout and it looked as though Maccarinelli's career was over. But 13 months later, Maccarinelli returned, dropping down to light heavyweight for a first-round knockout win. Now, in his second fight at light heavyweight since the slaughter against Frenkel, Maccarinelli was back again for an easy win against an overmatched, undersized opponent in Healy, 37, of Northern Ireland, who lost his second fight in a row and for the third time in his last four bouts.
Maccarinelli softened him up with body shots and finally dropped him with a digging right to the body in the second round. Healy went down on a delayed reaction and was clearly in pain, but he beat the count. Maccarinelli continued to assault his body and dropped him for a second time. Again, Healy beat the count but he was taking vicious shots to the body when his corner threw in the towel and referee Wynford Jones called it off at 2 minutes, 52 seconds. Maccarinelli's goal is a title shot at Welsh countryman Nathan Cleverly, who defended his crown in the main event. With Maccarinelli's size advantage and power advantage, it's a winnable fight if promoter Frank Warren, who promotes both of them, elects to make it. It would undoubtedly be a huge fight in Wales.
Also on the card, 26-year-old welterweight prospect Frankie Gavin (12-0, 9 KOs), a 2007 world amateur champion and 2008 British Olympian, stopped Kevin McIntyre (30-9, 9 KOs), 33, of Scotland, with a body shot at 2 minutes, 22 seconds of the third round.
Friday at Dover, Del.
Juan Carlos Burgos W10 Cristobal Cruz
Junior lightweight
Scores: 98-90, 96-92 (twice)
Records: Burgos (29-1, 19 KOs); Cruz (39-13-3, 23 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Burgos, 24, of Mexico, is a fighter on the rise while Cruz, 34, also of Mexico, is the one in decline as he dropped to 0-2-2 in his last four bouts (with both draw being technical draws). Burgos, who could make some noise at junior lightweight, a division that is not very deep, first gained attention in November 2010. That is when he went to Japan and challenged then-featherweight titlist Hozumi Hasegawa. Although Burgos lost a decision, it was a tremendous fight and he showed a lot for a young fighter stepping up in class. Since then Burgos has won four in a row, including a mild upset of Luis Cruz, for whom he moved up to junior lightweight to face on the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III HBO PPV undercard in November. And now he has this solid victory against Cruz, a former featherweight titleholder who turned pro when he was only 14. The "Friday Night Fights" main event was a good one in which both fighters had their moments. Perhaps the scorecards were a little wide in Burgos' favor but he did seem to do enough to win a good fight. The 98-92 scorecard of Pierre Benoist was an utter joke, but Benoist has shown himself to be a judge who is seemingly in another world. Remember, he is the guy who disgustingly turned in a 119-110 scorecard in favor of Paul Williams in his first extraordinarily close fight with Sergio Martinez. It was one of the single worst scorecards perhaps in the history of boxing. The 5-foot-10 Burgos, who seemed to tower over the 5-6 Cruz, dropped him to his knees in the sixth round with a left uppercut. But Cruz, who suffered a cut over his left in the sixth round, surprised Burgos in the ninth round when he knocked him down with a stiff straight left hand. The knockdowns negated each other and Burgos had done enough to outpoint tough Cruz, who has become a steppingstone opponent for younger fighters to learn against and also get a good name on their record. That is exactly what Burgos did here.
Friday at Las Vegas
Jessie Vargas W10 Lanardo Tyner
Welterweight
Scores: 99-91 (three times)
Records: Vargas (18-0, 9 KOs); Tyner (25-7-2, 15 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Vargas, 22, is Floyd Mayweather Jr. protégé who was moving from junior welterweight up to welterweight to headline on Showtime's "ShoBox: The New Generation." Vargas, who is from Las Vegas, got a lot of exposure when he fought on the HBO PPV undercard of Mayweather-Victor Ortiz in September, although Vargas barely escaped with a split-decision win against Josesito Lopez in a fight many thought Lopez had won. For this fight, Vargas was taking a step down in competition against Tyner, 36, of Detroit, who lost his third fight in a row and fell to 1-4-1 in his last six fights. On paper, it was one of the worst main events on "ShoBox" in quite a while. However, it did turn out to be a bit entertaining even if lopsided on the scorecards. The drama came from the fact that both fighters were hurt by low blows. In a foul-ridden fight. Vargas was committed to body work from the outset but one strayed way low in the first round, which sent Tyner to the mat. In the fourth round, Tyner hit Vargas with a brutal shot in the groin, sending him to the canvas writhing in agony. Vargas retaliated with a low blow of his own later in the round that forced Tyner to the canvas. Vargas landed yet another low blow in the eighth that rattled him and caused referee Tony Weeks to give him time to recover. When the foul-fest finally ended it was obvious that Vargas was the winner. He is a prospect who makes TV-friendly fights. With this victory and no apparent injuries, Vargas is slated to return May 5 to once again appear on the HBO PPV undercard of Mayweather's next fight against junior middleweight titlist Miguel Cotto.
Deandre Latimore W10 Milton Nunez
Junior middleweight
Scores: 96-92, 95-94, 94-94
Records: Latimore (23-3, 17 KOs); Nunez (23-4-1, 21 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Latimore, 26, who is from St. Louis but now living in Las Vegas, was originally supposed to face journeyman Ryan Davis in the "ShoBox" co-feature. However, Davis failed a prefight eye exam and was replaced on five days' notice by Colombia's Nunez, 24, who has big power but a bad chin -- his three previous losses before this fight came by first-round knockout. Although Latimore, who lost a split decision to St. Louis rival Cory Spinks in a 2009 junior middleweight world title bout, did not get a first-round knockout, he dominated Nunez through the first half of the fight. But there was drama in the late going as Latimore, who was fighting for the first time in 10 months, had to do all he could to survive Nunez's late onslaught. Latimore was practically on cruise control on his way to a decision victory when the wheels came off in the ninth round. With about 30 seconds to go, Nunez landed an overhand right to score a knockdown. Latimore was dazed as Nunez unloaded nearly 20 more punches -- landing most of them -- but could not finish his staggering opponent. Latimore tried to run in the 10th round. All he needed to do was make it to the final bell and it was clear he would win. But Nunez hurt him again in the 10th round and dropped the fading Latimore with a right hand with less than 30 seconds to go in the fight. Latimore survived and continued to try to kill the clock. Nunez was never able to get off another meaningful shot and the fight ended with Latimore, working with trainer Jeff Mayweather for the first time, hanging on for the majority decision.
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Every real boxing fan has to witness a live fight sooner or later.Originally Posted by freakydestroyer
I'm in sort of the same boat. I want to see either Khan vs Peterson II or Ortiz vs Berto II live. Not sure if the experience is worth the $$.
I plan on trying to get me a ticket to the Rios-Gamboa fight, depending on if my step dad can get me a discount.
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Originally Posted by Marvin Hagler
Every real boxing fan has to witness a live fight sooner or later.Originally Posted by freakydestroyer
I'm in sort of the same boat. I want to see either Khan vs Peterson II or Ortiz vs Berto II live. Not sure if the experience is worth the $$.
I plan on trying to get me a ticket to the Rios-Gamboa fight, depending on if my step dad can get me a discount.
I wanted to see Pacquiao vs Bradley. But I saw the prices
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Wladdy going to murder this man
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I think Gamboa might struggle moving up that much to fight Rios. Rios is no push over
Maidana had no power at 147. I thought the fight was going to be very entertaining. But the punching power wasn't there for Marcos. That isn't his division.
Peterson will lose to Khan. Ortiz should lose to Berto if Berto comes to fight. I love Victor but something is off about the kid. He has all the talent in the world but sometimes the drive just isn't there.
Mayweather vs cotto.....may is the best in the world...i don't see anyone that can beat him.
Maidana had no power at 147. I thought the fight was going to be very entertaining. But the punching power wasn't there for Marcos. That isn't his division.
Peterson will lose to Khan. Ortiz should lose to Berto if Berto comes to fight. I love Victor but something is off about the kid. He has all the talent in the world but sometimes the drive just isn't there.
Mayweather vs cotto.....may is the best in the world...i don't see anyone that can beat him.
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Pongsaklek got KO'd by Jaro!