The Sweet Science Thread

[Ruckus]

I know what you're sayin Headdy.  I thought that Dirrell won the fight.  However, his hitting and holding, while perhaps sound strategy, should not be rewarded.  He could have used his speed and technical skill to clinically picking him apart without resorting to those tactics.  It led to such a staggered fight with no pace or feel.  Dirrell is the better fighter but I was OK with them giving it to Froch, particularly because it was across the pond.

[capt. scotty]

Sick weekend to end the year in boxing.

Vitali's snoozefest of a fight...first fight in awhile Ive literally fast forwarded multiple rounds just to see if anything happened later on. Nothing did. I think Kevin Johnson only landed like 65 punches and threw around 200-300

Victor Ortiz beat some past his prime fighter for his comeback KO win. Yeah, he seems to have some power and shows some flashes, but fighting in probably the deepest division in boxing, he's nowhere near being a contender.

Vic Darchinyan once again dominated some mexican who looked like I could snap him in half. I didnt see Darchinyan's losses to Donaire or Agbeko, but he is unbelievably dominant in every fight Ive seen. If he fights his fight and isnt too aggressive and leaves himself open (which he did in those only 2 losses apparently), I dont see how the guy loses. Unbelievable power for a junior bantamweight. P4P, IMO he might have the most power in boxing.

Tim Bradley-Lamont Peterson was a fantastic fight like it was supposed to be, although the scorecards were too far apart to call it a FOTY candidate, which it couldve been. First time Ive seen Peterson fight, and I was impressed. I think he'll continue to improve and hang around for awhile as a legit Jr welter or welter. As for Bradley, Ive seen his last 3-4 fights and that dude just gets better and better. He owned Nate Campbell in what ended up being a NC because of a headbutt, but it was clear Bradley was on another level in just 3 rounds. Like I said, I like Peterson, and I think he might get overlooked for awhile bc of how good Bradley looked, but I think right now Bradley is a legit Top 10 P4P fighter. Has very good power, great speed, good chin, elite quickness. He pretty much has it all, especially when he sticks to the gameplan. I think he mops the floor with any current Jr welters, and Sugar Shane, PBF, and Pacman are the only welters Id say beat him - and I could see Bradley beating all of them actually. "Desert Storm" is an apt nickname  ;D

Last but not least, Malignaggi-Juan Diaz II. Somehow I missed the first fight, so no comment on that. Totally agreed with the cards and Kellerman with that fight being 8-4, and that was with Diaz winning the last 2 rounds. Ive never been very impressed with Malignaggi, but I thought he looked great and fought as well and as intelligent as Ive ever seen him. As for Diaz, I dont know what happened to that dude. Just 2 years ago, he looked nearly unbeatable with how many punches he threw and a relentless style, and now he just doesnt look like the same fighter to me. He was actually beating JMM in their fight earlier this year IMO before he lost his focus and got KO'd (in what is in the conversation for FOTY for me), and now he just got embarrassed by Malignaggi and his speed. Im sure that speed had something to do with Diaz not being as aggressive and active, but Malignaggi for much of the fight just made him look lost in the ring. I never wouldve expected Malignaggi to beat him that bad, doing the same thing, round after round. Im not sure if Diaz has what it takes to pick himself up and get back to what made him so great and feared.

[capt. scotty]

PBF-Pacman is off

There's too much money for this not to happen, probably just later this year, but still  >:( >:( >:(

[capt. scotty]

gotta disagree on the hopkins jones outcome

why so?

RJJ's career was built on his speed, not his technique. I really dont think it will be all that close. Maybe it will be, but I cant see RJJ beating B-Hop at this point.

...and when RJJ beat him in their first fight, B-Hop wasnt anywhere close to the skill level his is now and really hadnt had any big fights.

Either way, cant wait for the rematch

Apparently RJJ got TKO'd in the 1st round by the tomato can he fought, so his rematch with B-Hop is off. Kind of angry, as I wanted B-Hop to get his revenge and put a whoopin on RJJ

...still think RJJ would beat B-Hop??  :D

[capt. scotty]

Awesome...Sugar Shane-PBF is the fight I wanted to see happen before PBF fights Pacman

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4870999

[capt. scotty]

One thing bad about boxing being great the last month or two of the year is nothing happens the first couple months. Finally tonight we got a good one.

I think Clottey is probably the most underrated welter, but Pac has been on such a tear the last couple years I dont see him being the guy to derail Pacman. His only chance is landing some big uppercuts or some powerful counterpunches if Pac gets careless or tries to go for the KO, but I think Pac's speed in the end will be too much.

Pacman decision, probably 116-112, maybe 117-111

[Ruckus]

One thing bad about boxing being great the last month or two of the year is nothing happens the first couple months. Finally tonight we got a good one.

I think Clottey is probably the most underrated welter, but Pac has been on such a tear the last couple years I dont see him being the guy to derail Pacman. His only chance is landing some big uppercuts or some powerful counterpunches if Pac gets careless or tries to go for the KO, but I think Pac's speed in the end will be too much.

Pacman decision, probably 116-112, maybe 117-111

Not sure it'll go the distance.  As long as Pacman is still juicin', I think it'll get stopped in the later rounds.  I was thinkin' about getting the fight but am going to see the local band the Bridge tonight.  By the way Headdy, I think you'd like 'em.  They've been vets of the smaller jam band scene and they bring it every time.

[capt. scotty]

I dunno. Clottey is very good defensively, doesnt throw enough to really leave himself open, and has a good chin. I dont think he's ever even been knocked down let alone KO'd. For Pacman to KO him, thats saying something.

Im not going to pay for it, especially since the undercards suck too, but Im probably going to look for a feed on the interwebs

[Ruckus]

I dunno. Clottey is very good defensively, doesnt throw enough to really leave himself open, and has a good chin. I dont think he's ever even been knocked down let alone KO'd. For Pacman to KO him, thats saying something.

Im not going to pay for it, especially since the undercards suck too, but Im probably going to look for a feed on the interwebs

Good call man.  Kind of sucks when Clottey doesn't even try to win the fight though.  I really didn't see Clottey going down as much as the ref stopping it over an accumulation of punches.

[capt. scotty]

Yeah, so I know Clottey is a defensive counterpuncher, but he didnt even look like he wanted to try to win. I kept thinking he'd start to open it up more, but it just never happened. Clottey is easily the #5-#6 welter right now, and Manny just embarrassed him. Assuming PBF beats Mosley (IMO Mosley has a decent shot in this if he fights smart), I think Pac destroying Clottey like that makes a fight against PBF that much more interesting.

In a more interesting fight, I watched the fight I had DVR'd from last saturday: Devon Alexander-Juan Urango. Urango was a huge step up for Alexander in terms of a quality opponent, but Alexander stuck to his plan, used his speed, and looked like a seasoned vet in there. Cant wait to see him fight more top guys in a loaded jr welter weight class. He's not ready for him yet, but I'd love to see him fight Tim Bradley in a couple years.

[capt. scotty]

Didnt even realize there were any fights tonight, but there are a bunch

Arthur Abraham/Andre Dirrell
Ali Funeka/Joan Guzman
Marcos Maidana/Victor Cayo

Def pumped for the Super 6 fight. Kind of surprised Abraham is only favored -200, but Dirrell did look pretty good against Froch. I dont get why they arent having another Super 6 fight to go with it tonight though. And apparently JT officially dropped out because Andre Ward is fighting Allan Green in June. Didnt know that

Interested to see how that Funeka-Guzman rematch pans out as their fight last year was a draw and Funeka got a little hosed on the cards. The last fight im least intrigued by, but Ive never seen Cayo before so ill watch it for that. Im not sold of Maidana either, and he's a -500 favorite. Cayo +325 would seem like a good bet if I knew anything about him.

I guess Erik Morales is fighting tonight too?! I thought El Terrible retired  :-?

[bearass]

just caught the latest pavlik fight........ man lucian bute is a beast

[capt. scotty]

just caught the latest pavlik fight........ man lucian bute is a beast

and edison miranda is a joke!! I wish Bute took JT's spot in the Super 6.

Wow...I got a lot of fights to recap including last night  :o

[capt. scotty]

I'll probably forget some fights because I think there's been a couple every saturday for a month straight, but....

Dirrell-King Arthur: Dirrell just deconstructed him. I couldnt believe what I was seeing and that even before this fight Ward had become the odds on favorite to win the Super 6 despite Abe being 1 point ahead of him. Makes sense now. Dirty shot on Dirrell got Abe DQ'd in the 10th or so round in a fight where Abe didnt win more than 2 rounds if that. Cant wait to see Ward-Dirrell and where Abe goes after the first fight he hasnt looked invincible.

Funeka-Guzman: Guzman looked much better than their 1st fight. Not sure if it was because he knew what to expect from Funeka, was in better shape, or both, but he won a split decision. I had Guzman winning by a round. 2 cards were 114-113, 1 for each fighter, other was a questionable 116-111 for Guzman.

Maidana-Cayo: 1st time Ive seen Cayo fight. He showed a lot to like, but he was just way to raw and inexperienced for Maidana. Maidana convinced me he's legit with this fight, and now has a shot at the spotlight with a fight against Timothy Bradley July 17th, who is IMO the class of a crowded Jr Welterweight division

Berto-Quintana: Berto's skill and talent become more apparent as the fight went on, despite suffering a torn left bicep in the fight. He looked rusty early, but pulled it all together as the fight went on with a convincing TKO in the 8th. I want to see Berto fight Cotto or Clottey next, because he's clearly better than the rest of the division outside of the Big 3, but Clottey or Cotto would easily be his biggest test to date. He's still at least a year away from having a shot at beating Mosley, Pac, or PBF in my eyes.

Celestino Caballero-Yordan: CC destroyed the green Yordan. He's a tough matchup for any featherweight because of his height and punch activity. Im sure JuanMa Lopez and Gamboa will stay clear of him for awhile, but Id love to see either of them matched up against CC. Ponce De Leon would be nice too but he's fighting on the PBF-Mosley undercard.

Bute-Miranda: Miranda was supposed to be new and improved and not just looking for the one punch KO. He looked a little better, and the fight was farely close before Bute's 3rd round KO, but it was pretty clear Bute just outclasses Miranda. Bute has a solid beard too. Sucks he's not in the Super 6, even moreso because there isnt much competition for him. It looks like hell fight ex-Contender Sakio Bika in a mandatory fight next though, which should be a good one.

Martinez-Pavlik: When I saw the line on this I couldnt believe Pavlik was the favorite. I quickly put money on Martinez. Pavlik really came on in the middle rounds and surprised me, he seemed to figure out Martinez and get into a rhythm. As the fight wore on though, Pavlik's 2 heavily bleeding cuts didnt give him a chance, and he said that really affected him late. Despite this outcome, I liked what I saw out of Pavlik and IMO he's still the 3rd best Middleweight. But Martinez and my boy Paul Williams and 2 of the best P4P, so I dont see him getting a belt anytime soon. Maybe a move up to Super Middleweight is in the near future?

Alfredo Angulo-Joel Julio: I dont think Ive ever seen Julio fight before. He looked good against heavy hitter Angulo, but got away from his gameplan after round 5 or so, wasnt throwing enough, both of which lead to Angulo continually moving in on him and controlling the fight until winning by TKO in the 11th. Angulo is slowly impressing me more, but he still looks like a poor man's Margarito to me. He wins the fights he's supposed to, but his only real opposition to this point has been Kermit Cintron, and Cintron schooled him. IMO, any fighter with speed, some power, and a decent jab will beat Angulo on a consistent basis. That said, his nickname "El Perro" is apt and Id love to see him go against Cotto. Now that would be a dogfight.

Chris Arreola-Tomasz Adamek: Before this fight, I thought this was Arreola's chance to show if he's for real or if he's just a fat heavyweight with a lot of power who can KO fighters who cant box. Well, it appears he is more the latter. Adamek is a very good fighter, but he's a natural Cruiserweight, if not Lt Heavyweight. The fight was close, I had it 7-5 Adamek, Arreola looked good in the middle rounds, but if he's the real deal this is a fight he's got to win. I like his personality, but after getting embarrassed by Vitali and looking like the less skilled fighter vs Adamek, he clearly isnt elite. Getting into better shape certainly couldnt hurt.

Froch-Kessler: The fight I most wanted to see last night, and it lived up to that hype. FOTY candidate. Entertaining the whole way thru, each fighter looked like he was ready to open up a few round lead but the next round that wasnt the case. I questioned Froch's win over Dirrell, but I actually thought he won this fight 7-5. Plenty of close rounds though, and Im not surprised at all Kessler got the decision since the fight was in Denmark and he needed the win to have a chance at advaning to the Super 6 semi-finals. Either way, I now realize although nothing about him will blow you away, he's an incredibly tough matchup for any fighter and he has a great chin and deceptive hand speed. Bring on the next Super 6 fight!! Anyone else see this one last night?

[capt. scotty]

I most want to see PBF vs Mosley though since Mosley isnt getting any younger, and is easily the most experienced and difficult fight for PBF at this moment. According to what PBF said to Lampley before the Klitschko-Arreola fight, PBF doesnt want any either.

Well this is the fight I wanted...Mayweather-Mosley, on May Day...Kind of pissed im going to miss it, but if there is a reason to miss it, a Jacket show has got to be the best one.

I think Mosley has a very good shot at an upset decision win

Mayweather was on JRIB yesterday. As usual, he was entertaining and funny.
Rome: So do you think this could be a legacy fight?
PBF: Well, I dont know, Jim..Mosley might not even have a HOF career because he dibbled and dabbled in performance enhancing drugs and even admitted so  ;D
........during an argument of GOAT, PBF kept saying he was the best ever while Rome was like "really?!...better than Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson?" and PBF got to a boiling point and busted out "opinions are like assholes, man. everyone's got one"

24/7 has been pretty good. PBF is entertaining, but he gets to the point of annoying, especially against a guy who is humble for a boxer in Mosley. I hope Mosley KTFO's him

[bearass]

my local movie theater is playing the fight....but i have to work..... :'(

[capt. scotty]

Somehow I made it until friday without knowing who won PBF-Mosley when some bastard said PBF won. Although I was mad, after watching that snoozefest last night it didnt bother me anymore. Cant believe how bad Mosley got his ass beat. If he had any shot, he needed to throw like a mad man and get inside on PBF. He did neither, and PBF picked him apart. After destroying JMM and Mosley, PBF is starting to get more respect from me after building up an undefeated record against below average competition.

I was psyched for my boy Paul Williams fight last night, but what a joke? I dont know how they could go to the cards after only 3 rounds. Cintron looked like Greg Louganis out there. Im not sure if he could have jumped further out of the ring, let alone milk it to the point of needing a stretcher and then acting like he's ready to fight again once he's in it. Hah!

If PBF has the stones to fight Paul Williams, I'll jizz in my pants

[Ruckus]

Alright fight fans!  Vazquez/Marquez is THE greatest boxing trilogy I have ever witnessed.  In fact, it's not even close.  Directv had the trilogy on replay so I DVRd them and am going to watch them again before tonight's fourtology! ;D

Anyone else interested in this.  These guys are why I still love boxing.

[capt. scotty]

Alright fight fans!  Vazquez/Marquez is THE greatest boxing trilogy I have ever witnessed.  In fact, it's not even close.  Directv had the trilogy on replay so I DVRd them and am going to watch them again before tonight's fourtology! ;D

Anyone else interested in this.  These guys are why I still love boxing.

Of course! I did the same thing and DVR'd them as well. Vazquez-Marquez 1 was right around when I was really getting into boxing and that fight may have sealed the deal as it being maybe my favorite sport after football now. I couldve swore I saw an ad that said this was going to be PPV, and based on the first 3 fights it probably should be, but thank god it isnt, and its not a fight that I could see non-hardcore fans paying for anyway.

After a couple of intriguing fights last week (Khan-Malignaggi, Victor Ortiz-Campbell) that both turned into blowouts, I think this is just the fight to have that has no chance of sucking. Yohnny Perez-Abner Mares should be a good undercard as well

[capt. scotty]

Judging by how that fight went, Id say thats the last Vazquez-Marquez fight. If I wouldve seen Vazquez before the fight and saw that his eye was still swollen, I wouldve put big money on Marquez. Love that they brought up Marquez-Darchinyan, that would be awesome and a sure slugfest as well. Id love to see Marquez against Gamboa, Chris John, or JuanMa Lopez too.

Although that was disappointing compared to the rest of the trilogy, that Perez-Mares fight was very good I thought. I personally had it 114-113 Mares (and I even put money on Perez), but I'm cool with a draw as Im sure there will be a rematch now. Never saw Mares fight before, looks good, and I was really impressed with how he came on the last few rounds.