The Sweet Science Thread

[capt. scotty]

I find it funny and sad at the same time that more people know who PBF is because of Dancing with the Stars than Boxing

I also think its retarded that it seems like Heavyweights are the only thing that makes boxing popular in the USA...There are plenty of talented boxers going right now, primarily in the middle weight classes, but it just seems like the sport only really gets coverage anymore only when theres a handful of elite heavyweights or 1 day before a bigtime fight like Pacquiao v. DLH.

Yet HBO and the Promoting companies still make loyal fans pay 60$ to see these big fights.

Maybe if they got their act together and just aired big fights and mega fights on CBS, NBC, or ESPN, they would actually regain popularity and generate more $$$ for the sport.

Hmm...imagine that  >:(

[aMillionDreams]

Well, boxing has definitely done it to themselves with years of corruption.  The shitty thing is it's us, the fan, who suffers.  My friend I've always watched/talked boxing with has been an MMA fan since I've known him (10 years or so).  The rise in popularity of that sport just shows what organization can do for a sport.  I hope we see the rebirth of the sweet science, but it ain't looking good.

I know what you mean about the middle weighs, there are some damn good ones out there(although most are getting over-the-hill).  

[capt. scotty]

wasnt saying strictly middleweights, but "middle" weights

kind of like, lightweight through super middleweight

lots of talent there. some getting over the hill, some in their prime, some rising stars. A lot of the best P4P fighters are in this range

[Jaimoe]

Middle and heavyweight have always been the marquee divisions. Having so many rinky-dink belts and having boxing switch mostly to pay-per-view really hurt the sport. MMA took a dent out of boxing too, but the same problems that befell boxing has started to creep up into MMA. And can someone tell me why MMA fans seem to be ex-wrestling fans? Actually, wrestling has suffered more than boxing has with the proliferation of MMA.

[capt. scotty]

Wow...it was an ugly fight, but Evander Holyfield just got screwed out of being the oldest Heavyweight Champ (paper champ, but still) in Boxing history at 46

The judges had it 114-114, 115-114, 116-112 majority decision for Valuev

Holyfield didnt look like he went back in time 15 years or anything, but clearly won. I cant believe the judges were that bad and didnt even have Holy winning on 1 card. Terrible, and sad considering he's 12$ million in debt

[Ruckus]

I just am stopping in to say thanks to Jaimoe and Captain.  I've been a huge fight fan for about 15 years or so now but decided about 2 years ago to ditch Showtime and HBO because the only reason I even had those channels was to watch fights and it just wasn't worth it anymore when I'm already forking out cash for NFL, FSC and of course MLB extra innings.  Now I am fight deprived and it sucks.  Oh well

Anyways, just wanted to say I thoroughly enjoy your analyses of the current boxing picture!!! :)

[capt. scotty]

I just am stopping in to say thanks to Jaimoe and Captain.  I've been a huge fight fan for about 15 years or so now but decided about 2 years ago to ditch Showtime and HBO because the only reason I even had those channels was to watch fights and it just wasn't worth it anymore when I'm already forking out cash for NFL, FSC and of course MLB extra innings.  Now I am fight deprived and it sucks.  Oh well

Anyways, just wanted to say I thoroughly enjoy your analyses of the current boxing picture!!! :)

I recommend calling DirecTV a day before a fight you want to watch, and then cancel HBO/SHO on that Monday

Ive done this a couple times and havent had a problem doing it. Itll only cost you a 1-2$ this way too

I forget who it is, but theres a very good fight on HBO in January that I dont think is PPV.

And for PPV, I recommend using justin.tv or channelsurfing.net....they are MONEY

[capt. scotty]

Pretty decent fight about to start on HBO with WBC welterweight champ Andre Berto vs Luis Collazo for anyone whose got HBO

Love watching Berto fight

[Ruckus]

Pretty decent fight about to start on HBO with WBC welterweight champ Andre Berto vs Luis Collazo for anyone whose got HBO

Love watching Berto fight

Enjoy cuz I can't stand watching Collazo fight.  Then again I've only seen Collazo fight Hatton and a portion of the Mosley fight.  Never seen Berto fight

[capt. scotty]

Pretty decent fight about to start on HBO with WBC welterweight champ Andre Berto vs Luis Collazo for anyone whose got HBO

Love watching Berto fight

Enjoy cuz I can't stand watching Collazo fight.  Then again I've only seen Collazo fight Hatton and a portion of the Mosley fight.  Never seen Berto fight

SSM beat Collazo's ass, but at this point SSM is a good bit better than Berto still, and this was easily Berto's biggest test. He's not very seasoned and his belt is the epitome of a paper belt.

That said, the fight was very good. Surprisingly good. The winner of each round almost went back and forth between the two. Berto got dropped in R1 but came back and made it only a 1 point round. IMO won the next couple, but Collazo took a lot of the middle rounds (and Berto lost a questionable point for holding  :-?)...Berto cleaned up the championship rounds though, especially the last 2.

IMO he won a close fight by landing the most power shots and a lot of clean ones, plus ending the fight strong...judges had it 114-113, 114-113, 116-111 Berto...that last card was total BS, and Lederman had Collazo winning by 3 points even.

Awesome fight...Theyre calling it FOTY right now (which means nothing at this point), but itll take a damn good fight to top it for sure.

You ever see that Berto's on, check him out. Hes fun to watch. 24-0 now. 1 of my favorite things about boxing is watching the rising stars move up the ranks, and hes been 1 of them. Still a little raw and needs to work on his D, but hes got crazy speed

[Ruckus]

I'm psyched for Margarito/Moseley.  It would be too easy for me to predict Margarito with an easy win considering where each are in their respective careers right now.  Here's to a great fight [smiley=beer.gif]

Also glad to see Pacman sign on for Hatton.  At least they'll both make a lot of money.  Who knows, maybe Hatton can at least ugly it up and make it close.  Then again, Mayweather did fine enough and I'm trying to remember any good southpaw besides Collazo that Hatton has faced.  Collazo made Hatton look ehhh.

Not even a fight

[capt. scotty]

Im pumped for Margo/Mosley as well...bout time the had a bigtime fight like this on HBO and not PPV  :o


I think it ends up closer than most think, judging by Margo being -440 favorite which is a lot considering who hes fighting. Sugar Shane has the speed to disrupt Margo, and much better defense than Cotto has/had. He also has something else Cotto didnt have - big fight experience.

I expect Margo to win, but I expect a good fight. If Shane wants to win this, he needs to start out aggressive and not let Margo be the one who sets the tone.

Lets Get Ready to Rumblllllllllllleeeeeeeee!!!!!!

[Ruckus]

Im pumped for Margo/Mosley as well...bout time the had a bigtime fight like this on HBO and not PPV  :o


I think it ends up closer than most think, judging by Margo being -440 favorite which is a lot considering who hes fighting. Sugar Shane has the speed to disrupt Margo, and much better defense than Cotto has/had. He also has something else Cotto didnt have - big fight experience.

I expect Margo to win, but I expect a good fight. If Shane wants to win this, he needs to start out aggressive and not let Margo be the one who sets the tone.

Lets Get Ready to Rumblllllllllllleeeeeeeee!!!!!!

I tend to agree with you that this may be closer than many believe.  However, no matter how much experience an man has, you never know what it does to a fighter's psyche when you hit someone with your best and he comes back each time and does you one better.

Margarito TKO 8

[Ruckus]

The more I think about it you're right.  Cotto's defense was always a nonstop body barrage.  Mosley COULD give him problems with his (not close to what he used to have) speed.  Who knows, this may be the type of matchup that gives Margarito trouble plus for someone his age, he hasn't fought in quite a while.

Hmmmm

[capt. scotty]

The more I think about it you're right.  Cotto's defense was always a nonstop body barrage.  Mosley COULD give him problems with his (not close to what he used to have) speed.  Who knows, this may be the type of matchup that gives Margarito trouble plus for someone his age, he hasn't fought in quite a while.

Hmmmm

Exactly. Cotto has absolutely no defense. His defense was his offense and speed. When you face someone like Margo who can take a beating, his 'defense' was exposed.

Mosley has good enough D and is crafty enough to pull this out.

If Margo wins, Id say it goes to the cards. Unless he seriously catches him with one, I dont think hell get a KO before 10

[capt. scotty]

First off, I did say I expected Margarito to win, so I guess I cant gloat...but I put money on Mosley and like I did say, I thought he was being seriously underestimated and his speed would cause problems for Margo.

That said, I didnt expect to see what I saw. Shane didnt just beat Margo, he deconstructed him. He attacked early, and kept the fight at the pace I thought he needed to, to win.



...Also, how about the revelation the announced just about a minute before the fight how officials made Margo retape his hands because they found an illegal substance that hardened with sweat/water  :o

AWESOME!! Just awesome..Not for Margo, but that they actually have people regulating this enough to know if a fighter is doing it or not. Im somewhat surprised whoever did detect it, actually did. Its only speculation if he did it vs. Cotto, but there isnt much reason to think he didnt.


In late 2009, Mosley vs. Cotto is the fight to see

[Ruckus]

Who would put money on Margarito at -440?

Wow...I imagined that Mosley could pull it off but that was ridiculous.  No need to over analyze an asswhooping.  Hmmm, maybe he needed the concrete in his gloves.  Still wouldn't have helped here.  Just don't know why Margarito couldn't protect his face a little more or whether he was already broken from early in the fight.

Back to the drawing board for Margarito and SSM back again!

[capt. scotty]

Anybody got a link to the Cotto vs Jennings and Pavlik vs. Rubio PPV fights today??

So far my usual sources are sketchy..

[capt. scotty]

Cotto fought some tomato can from across the pond (just like I said Jaimoe, 95% of those Brits are garbage). I didnt expect Cotto to have a major fight in his first fight in 8 months after his first loss, but this guy Jennings was just bad. He was the #1 contender though, so its not Cotto's fault.

Marco Antonio Rubio was a more formidable opponent for Pavlik when comparing the two, but not by too much. Rubio had flashes in the 6th-7th and probably won a round, but this fight was all Kelly Pavlik. Love watching Pavlik fight, 1 of my favorite fighters going, but B-Hop is my favorite ever, so Im kind of glad Hop won that (and I think with Pavlik in his early prime, if he has a very good career, that makes Hopkins resume even more outstanding than it already is). Despite it being a basic lopslide, it was still a good watch if for anything because the fight was in his hometown of Youngstown (shout out to pennylane  [smiley=vrolijk_26.gif]) and the crowd was loud and riled up the whole fight.

Interested to see where each of them go next. and Mosley-Cotto rematch looms somewhere in the near future, Im guessing Cotto gets 1 more win under his belt vs. a legit opponent before that though. Either way, cant wait for that one. I thought Sugar won the first one by a point (but lost on the cards, by split decision I believe)

[Ruckus]

Wish I saw the fights.  I too love Pavlik