Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} There was a nice and free HBO card on Saturday night at Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, on Saturday night where 3 interesting bouts were shown. All the favorites won but there was some solid action and the winners of the two 154 pound bouts have set the table for a compelling contest.   Sergio Martinez KO8 Alex Bunema:    The southpaw Martinez boxed a magnificent fight, continually spearing Bunema with his heavy jab which set up power punches all night long.  Bunema was coming off a recent upset of highly regarded former champion Roman Karmazin and some believed that he had what it took to handle the slick Martinez.  But Martinez had way too much athleticism and speed for Bunema to compete with.  Bunema landed an occasional right hand or jab but could practically count every thing he landed on one hand.  It was that one sided. Bunema took the punishment well but by the 7th round it was evident he was breaking down.  Mercifully, the doctor halted Bunema’s night after the 8th round.  I thought this was an excellent performance by Martinez. He has a pure hit and don’t get hit style and has the skills and speed to pull it off.  The win puts Martinez in great stead against an ever deepening 154 pound division.     Alfredo Angulo KO10 Andrey Tsurkan:   This was supposed to be a grueling fight and it was. Angulo can look methodical in his approach but the reality is he’s throwing over 100 punches in every round and is dishing out very rough punishment at the same time.  And he dished a heaping portion of pain to Tsurkan.  Round after round, Angulo battered Tsurkan to the body and head. Every round was a almost the same as the preceding round; Angulo took his time and let Tsurkan get off a few shots and gradually ratcheted up the intensity and in the last 30 seconds of most rounds Angulo was in first gear, absolutely thrashing Tsurkan with bad intentions. I had the under 8.5 rounds play in this one but Tsurkan proved to be highly absorbent and no authority figure (corner, doctor, etc) would come to his rescue until the last 30 seconds of the fight. I thought Angulo was amazing. This is a guy that never seems to tire.  Round after round his breathing looked so relaxed that it was easy to forget that he was in a prize fight throwing 140 punches a round. And he’s got very good skills hidden in his offensive minded style. In only 14 pro fights, Angulo is ready for a title shot NOW.   Yuriorkis Gamboa KO2 Marcos Ramirez   Gamboa has speed and talent to burn but he’s as reckless as can be.  He’s so confident in his speed and reflexes that he just unleashes fusillades of punches on his opponents, unconcerned on what may come back.  And in the first round, while opening up on the slower Ramirez, he was caught with a combination left hook and elbow that dropped him to canvas. In the second round, Gamboa attacked again and dropped Ramirez with an uppercut.  Ramirez rose on unsteady legs and was dropped again where the ref counted him out perhaps creating a minor short count controversy.    It was another whirling dervish display by Gamboa and he may be quicker than any one in the world at featherweight but with that method of fighting, he is always at risk for return fire.  In fact, to anyone that still has this fight on tape; check out the moment before Gamboa lands the finisher. Gamboa was badly stunned by a Ramirez left hook.  But Gamboa ignored it and kept firing while dropped Ramriez soon after. You gotta love Gamboa’s fights but I guarantee with his approach he will continue be dropped again and again.  And eventually, he may not get up. I had the under 9.5 rounds play here and Gamboa delivered another shorty.     Martinez versus Angulo, anyone?   What a contrast in styles we would have in this bout.  Martinez is the tall, fluid southpaw that gracefully moves in and swiftly moves out avoiding incoming fire. Angulo is the less flamboyant fighter that comes forward looking to tow the line. But Angulo administers his method of mayhem just as effectively as Martinez doles out one sided boxing lessons. I’m sure opinions would be split on how this compelling fight would turn out.  As I see it now, I think Angulo would catch up to Martinez late in the fight, possibly behind on points, to score the late stoppage win.

Nate Campbell defends his lightweight crown against talented Joan Guzman at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi on Saturday, September 13. The bout will be televised on Showtime. Nate Campbell is coming off a career best win as a 4-1 underdog when he upset and dominated undefeated Juan Diaz last March to win the lightweight world championship. Diaz, who is a workhorse, was beaten at his own game by the rugged veteran Campbell. The win was Nate Campbell’s first world title. Joan Guzman is also coming off an excellent win over dangerous Humberto Soto. Soto, who is feared by many because he is a strong punishing fighter, simply couldn’t handle Guzman’s speed and unorthodox style. Joan Guzman is an amazing talent, winning world titles at 122 and 130. Will Nate Campbell be able top hunt down the elusive Guzman? Can Joan Guzman handle a war of attrition if it comes down to that? Guzman is the more classic boxer of the fighters while Nate Campbell, who has ability, looks to grind opponents down. Both fighters may be facing the best they have ever been in the ring with. But who will prevail in this lightweight championship? BoxingForecast has a strong opinion on Campbell vs. Guzman, and you’ll find our pick and the reasons for it on http://www.boxingforecast.com. If you’re not a member yet, go to the site and sign up for a free trial!

The welterweight division is strong and in a very good place right now. And since Antonio Margarito impressively turned back Miguel Cotto last July the division is sizzling hot with many excellent potential match-ups. Below is my list of the 10 best welterweights in the world. Antonio Margarito – He cemented his claim as the best welterweight in the world with his comprehensive victory over former #1 Miguel Cotto. Margarito has underrated boxing skills, good power, great conditioning, exceptional physical and mental strength and toughest chin in the division. It looks like a mega fight with Oscar de la Hoya or recently retired Floyd Mayweather will never materialize (they won’t go near the Tijuana Tornado) but there are plenty of excellent fighters to keep him busy. Look for Margarito to fight rematches with Joshua Clottey (W12) and Paul Williams (L12) in the next 12 months. Paul Williams – He beat Margarito in 2007 and is the only other welterweight that could rightfully argue he’s the top dog. He’s a 6’2 freak of a welterweight with a southpaw stance and the ability to throw over 100 punchers per round for 12 rounds. And in spite of his lanky frame, he can take a shot. He proved that when he survived Margarito in a very close fight. Williams desperately wants a rematch with Margarito and is the type of guy that will fight anyone. He lost his title to skilled Carlos Quintana earlier this year but won it back with an explosive first round knockout. Miguel Cotto – He is a well rounded boxer as well as a bruising banger when he chooses. He's a killer body puncher and has a punishing jab. He showed his great skills against Margarito but simply wasn’t strong enough for the Tijuana tough guy. I think he would have beaten anyone else in the division the night he lost to Margarito. He holds impressive wins over Zab Judah, Carlos Quintana and Shane Mosley. After a deserved rest, Cotto will be back in the ring punishing his opposition. A rematch with Margarito could be in his future but that is something that shouldn’t happen for a while because of the brutality of the fight. Shane Mosley – He’s the elder statesmen of the division but he can still fight at a high level. He is physically strong, very tough and has very fast hands. He was boxing’s best nearly a decade ago and after a rough patch, has found a renaissance as a returning welterweight. He holds 2 wins over Oscar de la Hoya and gave Miguel Cotto an extremely stern test last December. Mosley has a date with the maniacal Nicaraguan Ricardo Mayorga this month. Mosley never ducks anyone and would gladly fight Margarito or would take any other big fight. Joshua Clottey – He’s a very strong fighter with a tight defense. He’s got quick hands and decent pop. He takes a good shot and is difficult to hit cleanly with his high guard. He jumped to an early lead against Margarito in 2006 but he couldn’t hold him off and was clearly outworked in the second half of the fight. Clottey was impressive in his last outing where he won a technical decision over speedy former champion Zab Judah, picking up the IBF trinket. Clottey can step in with anyone in the world and make a fight out of it. Kermit Cintron – He may be the best single puncher in the division. He’s tall, athletic and has improved skills since he has hooked up with renowned trainer Emanuel Steward. Unfortunately, the bane of his career has been Antonio Margarito. Cintron suffered 2 stoppage losses to the Tijuana Tornado. In their first fight, Cintron seemed overwhelmed but in their rematch he hit Margarito with shots that would have dropped many middleweights only to have Margarito smile and fire back. But Cintron would have a strong chance at victory with any other welterweight because of his power, height and burgeoning skills. He takes on another iron chinned fighter in Lovemore N’dou in November. Carlos Quintana – He’s an elegant southpaw with excellent boxing skills. He can move, make an opponent miss and counter with accurate precision. Ask Paul Williams. One issue with the Q is that the top guys with physical strength can overwhelm him. See Miguel Cotto and Williams re dux. But when he’s boxing at his best, he is an artist. I still think he can comeback and get right back in the mix with the top guys. Andre Berto – He’s a young fighter with blazing hand speed, good pop and skills. He picked up the vacant WBC belt but has yet to fight someone in the top 10. He’s been impressive thus far, although, perhaps a chink in the armor was revealed when he was dropped and hurt in a decision win over tough gate keeper Cosme Rivera last year. His next fight is against former 130 pound champ Steve Forbes, who you may recall lumped up Oscar de la Hoya in his last fight. I do expect Berto to fight best guys in due course but I do think it’s reasonable not to rush the young man, allowing him to mature and shore up his defense. Luis Collazo – He’s also a top southpaw boxer. He’s got fast hands and good boxing instinct. He’s not going to overpower anyone but he has the skills to beat good fighters. He is an ex-titleholder, losing a decision to Shane Mosley in 2007. He has one win since he lost his title but has nothing scheduled at this time. The Brooklynite is still a young man and I expect to see him resurface in the next few months. Zab Judah – He’s a former undisputed champion (and a southpaw) with blazing hand speed and dangerous power. He had all the talent in the world but has been a mercurial performer throughout his career. He may be the best 4 round fighter in the world. He was leading Floyd Mayweather after 4 rounds but can often lose focus and come unglued late in a fight. He lost to tough but limited Carlos Baldomir in 2006. He was on the losing end of a bruising fight with Miguel Cotto. Judah was competitive with Clottey in his last fight but was beginning to be overwhelmed at the time he suffered a fight stopping cut. I think he has faded and lost something on his fast ball. He’s still dangerous and fast but I don’t think he can win a title again. A couple of guys that may be able to muscle their way in to the stop 10 in the near future are Jesus Soto Karass and Luis Carlos Abregu. Karass is a stable mate of Antonio Margarito and should be tabbed Margarito light. And that’s a compliment. You see, this guy is as tough as they come and extremely difficult to discourage. He has had trouble with boxers in his career but so far no one has been able to out brawl the tough Mexican. In his last fight, Karass KO’d former contender and normally durable David Estrada in the 7th round of a thrilling battle. Abregu is an Argentinean puncher that has stopped 20 in his 23 wins (no losses) and has been impressive. He hasn’t been tested yet but you should expect to see him in an important fight over the next 12 months. Well, there you have it, a summary of the best welterweights in the world. If things shake out properly, we could be in store for high quality and competitive welterweight action for many years to come.

Matt Godfrey scored a controversial 4th round stoppage over Emmanuel Nwodo Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut, televised on ESPN2. Nwodo opened the fight looking to make an immediate impact. He pressed Godfrey, who seemed to struggle with Nwodo’s power and size. Nwodo crashed a right hand to the head of Godfrey which briefly dropped Godfrey. The referee erroneously ruled it as a slip. The 2nd round was also Nwodo’s as he beat Godfrey to the punch and backed him up. Nwodo dropped Godfrey again in the 3rd and was credited an official knockdown. Godfrey seemed in jeopardy of being run out of the ring but in the 4th round Godfrey hit pay dirt with a combination that hurt Nwodo and opened a gash on his nose. Godfrey smelled blood and swarmed. He landed more good shots but just as it seemed that Nwodo was fighting his way back into the fight the referee, Danny Schiavone, pulled the plug on Nwodo. It was a horrible call. Sure, Nwodo’s face was crimson covered but the cut was below his eyes and would not have obstructed his vision. This fight was in Godfrey’s backyard. Don’t you think that Godfrey would have been afforded every chance to continue the fight if he were similarly situated? I know he would have! Further, Nwodo was defending himself and certainly deserved a chance to get to his corner and cut man. I believe that Schiavone found an opportunity to prematurely stop the fight and give the house guy the win. Nwodo got wobbled and was bleeding which gave Schiavone the feeble justification to prematurely stop the contest. Many fighters have endured much worse and gone on to win. This is a prize fighting where people will bleed and get buzzed. It’s not good for the sport where fights are not allowed to come to their natural conclusion. I’m certainly not the bloodthirsty type and understand there are many matches where the fights need to be stopped to protect the fighter from his own courage. The type of situation that happened in this bout is highly different from a scenario where an overmatched but brave fighter takes a bad beating round after round. Nwodo was ahead 30-26 after 3 rounds and appeared to have nearly weathered the storm and was punching back. Because Nwodo had a rough 30 seconds in the round he was cheated of his right to score a career best win because of smelly hometown call. I picked 3-1 underdog Nwodo to win because I felt Godfrey would struggle with the power, length and surprising speed of Nwodo. And he sure did, but Godfrey got the dubious stoppage over a dangerous opponent that wasn’t given a fair shake on the road. What else is new?

Anthony Thompson was on the wrong end of a controversial 6th round stoppage loss to Ismail Arvin at the Ibiza Nightclub, Washington, D.C.on Friday night, televised on ESPN2. Thompson came in as a heavy favorite, taking his first step back on the comeback road. And Thompson seemed very sharp early in the fight. Thompson was rolling along well when he finally struck pay dirt in the 3rd round. He dropped Arvin twice, officially, while another knockdown was ruled a slip. Arvin was on Queer Street late in the round and literally staggered back to his corner like a Bowery drunk at the rounds end. The end seemed near. But earlier in that 3rd round, Thompson suffered a bad cut over his left eye that was caused by and accidental head butt. That cut would come back to bite Thompson in the ass. It appeared that Thompson would come out for the 4th round and close the show. But Arvin was able to recover and became quite stubborn about exiting the fight. He began to make the fight a mauling and clutching contest and it worked. Thompson began to struggle to land his fast combinations and Arvin seemed to pick up confidence as time passed. The cut was bothering Thompson as well and Arvin landed a couple of decent shots. Finally at the end of the 6th round the fight was stopped because Thompson’s cut was deemed too severe for him to continue. Everyone assumed that the officials would go to scorecards up to that point. The common rule is that if a fight is stopped because of an accidental head butt you go to scorecards to determine the winner. Thompson would have been awarded a sure win if it went that way but confusion ran deep in D.C. that night. The commissioner, other officials and the referee commiserated for over 10 minutes on how it was going to go down. They even viewed an ESPN2 replay that showed evidence that the cut was clearly caused by a head butt. But the Commissioner had made up his mind that he was going to rule a tko in favor of Arvin, the hometown guy. It seemed like bad judgment or worse had overruled reason on this night. It was a disgraceful display for all to see on national television. That said, Thompson should have fought with more urgency and simply forced Arvin out. But Thompson allowed the inferior fighter to rough him up and survive long enough where something bad could happen against him if Arvin hung around long enough. And it did. Further, Thompson was basically fighting naked; meaning he recently cut ties with powerful promoter Bob Arum, and had very little leverage to prevent the events that transpired on Friday night. If he was still with Top Rank, he would have been at a different venue and surely would have been awarded a rightful technical decision win. But Arvin seemed like a safe opponent no matter where the venue but it backfired. It was a bad result and certainly surprising considering that Arvin is basically a lower B or C level type fighter that will never sniff a title shot. All said this result is another embarrassment to the sport. This crap has got to stop. If the fear of looking crooked on national television doesn’t curtail this type of action something else must be done. My pick on this fight was the under 9.5 round play which was realized with the result. You could call it a backdoor cover since I expected Thompson to be on the top end of the KO. In the fight Thompson showed he’s quick, has skill and can crack but I’d have to say that his days as a serious prospect seem in doubt. He does seem to fight with a lack of confidence and allowed the inferior Arvin to rough him up without answering back on many occasions. Could you imagine Thompson against Alfredo Angulo? Thompson would probably jump to a lead early in the fight but he would be outfought, out willed, mugged and left for dead probably somewhere by the 7th round. Sometimes a fighter’s talent doesn’t run deep enough to overcome iron chinned, tough fighters that are willing to fight in hell. The problem for Thompson is he can’t survive in hell but there are some other young men, Angulo, James Kirkland et al, in the division that force the action there and actually thrive on it.

I was going to post an “official” pick on the Joel Julio vs. Jose Varela fight but the line, in my view, has gotten out of whack for my liking so I’m just going to put the pick in the blog for anyone that cares to see my view on the match can do so. I liked the over 7.5 rounds at about even money or better, which the line once was, but now the line on the over 7.5 has ballooned to -190 which I don’t think is worth the risk. Furthermore, it’s not being carried at many sportsbooks. All I’ve seen it on so far is 5dimes and every time someone “looks” at the line there it shifts. Win or lose this “pick” won’t apply to the track record but because I’m not holding it out as an “official” pick. I’m merely opining on a fight that I planned to carry but the fight lost value rapidly. Of course, if anyone is hot on the under play, the value is decent. And it’s certainly possible that Julio could bang Varela out early. I just see it going longer. As you all know, this August has been a very lightly scheduled month of boxing. We have had an active boxing summer up through the Margarito fight and the weekend after that. But since the Olympics have taken over everything, boxing has slowed to a crawl. It makes sense that that HBO and Showtime didn’t want to schedule matches, in prime time, opposite of the Olympics which are on network TV. It is kind of a pain is the ass but the Olympics are only once every 4 years so we just have to bite the bullet. That said, as a non sports fan except for boxing, I do enjoy the summer games. But there are only 2 weeks remaining in the month and fall scheduling looks very hot with many outstanding fights and excellent pick possibilities! Anyway, here are my thoughts on Julio vs. Varela: Rising contender Joel Julio takes on rugged Jose Varela in a solid light middleweight fight at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida, televised on ESPN2. Julio must get past Varela to continue on the path of a title shot. And Varela can upset some plans and create good things for himself with a win. Varela is a tall fighter at 6’1 with decent power. He is not fleet of hand or foot but he seems to be a strong and durable fighter. He is game and tries to put his punches together but can struggle with speedy technicians. In his last fight, he was consistently beaten to the punch by contender Richard Gutierrez in a 10 round loss. But Varela did win a couple of rounds and was never hurt in the fight. Before that loss he was on a 5 fight winning streak including KO wins in his last three. He seems to roll through mediocre veterans with relative ease but when he steps up in class he usually finds himself on the wrong end of a decision loss. He was stopped once in his career 5 years ago against explosive Marco Antonio Rubio. But I still see Varela as durable as more recently he easily survived 12 rounds with Edison Miranda and looked solid in his loss to Gutierrez. Julio is a heavy handed banger from Colombia . But he’s more than that. He has quick hands and his boxing is getting better since he has been based in the United States. He’s a young man at 23 and has already mixed with some very good fighters. I expect Julio to fight for and possibly win a Jr. Middleweight title within the next 1.5 years. His lone loss was to slick craftsman and former welterweight titlist Carlos ‘the Q” Quintana. There was no shame in that as Julio kept pressing but just had no answers for the Q. But he nearly met disaster against tough gatekeeper Cosme Rivera. Julio struggled badly with Rivera even getting dropped and hurt badly in the last round. But he made it the finish line and squeaked by with a split decision. But since that close call he has moved up to 154 where he seems much more comfortable. He banged out three hoboes in a row then stepped up with good wins over K9 Bundrage and skilled technician Ishe Smith. Julio is a huge favorite in this fight but I don’t see the major upset. Although, Varela is a similar type cat as Rivera and if Julio doesn’t get rid of him, he could struggle. Julio is the quicker guy and bigger puncher. Varela is a game guy, and perhaps the naturally bigger man, that appears like he can go rounds but not much else when he steps up in class. Varela did look slow against Gutierrez but I think he can fight better than he showed that night. He took the fight on short notice and just couldn’t match Gutierrez’s speed. Julio has a great KO percentage but since he’s stepped up in class; fighters usually don’t fall down from the breeze of his shots like they did early on. Varela has proven to be sturdy and while I don’t think he’ll pull out a win, I think he can make it past the requisite 7.5 rounds. I’m looking for a Julio win probably by decision. If the price came down to -120 or better, I’d probably suggest between 1 and 1.5% of the kitty on it. As for Joe Greene vs. Jose Miguel Torres, Greene is rightfully a prohibitive favorite. The over/under on this fight is 5.5 rounds. Torres has fought mostly at 140-147 and was nothing special there. Greene is s former amateur star with skills and decent power. This fight is at 154 but Greene has fought mostly at 160. At first glance it appears Greene could blow him away early but Torres has never been stopped and may know how to hang around for a few rounds. Anyway, picking the o/u on this fight is basically like flipping a coin for me and I don’t make picks like that unless good value exists. And in this one, I don’t see it.

Tavoris Cloud punished Julio Gonzalez en route to a 10th round stoppage win over the absorbent Gonzalez. The bout was held at the Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, Illinois and televised on ESPN2. Cloud came out like lighting as he began teeing off on Gonzalez in the first round. Cloud's speed advantage was evident as he strafed Gonzalez with power shots. Many guys would not have made it out of the round after such a shellacking but one thing Gonzalez can do is take a punch. He was certainly rocked in the round but he managed to stay upright and get through the round. Gonzalez tried to get back in the fight in the next round and was able to land some body shots and right hands. But Gonzalez, who isn’t a bad puncher, seemed to lose something on his fastball and wasn’t able to land anything that could hurt Cloud. Gonzalez was going to have to hope that he could win a war of attrition with a faster and more powerful opponent. And he sure tried. Gonzalez, armed with a busier 22 compared to Clouds 357 just didn’t have enough. Just when Gonzalez was able to sustain modicum of offense, Cloud would explode with clean bursts of punches that rocked Gonzalez and forced him to reload his uninspiring offense. There were moments in the 5th and 6th rounds where Cloud caught Gonzalez with thunderous shots. A case could have been made to stop the fight but Gonzalez was somehow able to stand in there and return fire. After about 6 rounds Gonzalez was clearly getting pounded but Cloud had never been this far before. Cloud was breathing hard and had a look of ‘what do I have to do to get rid of this guy.’ Cloud took the 7th round off but Gonzalez didn’t have much left to take advantage of that. And Cloud was able to box and move when he felt like it. For the next few rounds, Cloud would box and explode once or twice a round just to keep Gonzalez honest. I could see Cloud was feeling good entering the 10th round. And Cloud began landing bombs again about halfway through the round. Cloud landed several savage shots that finally prompted the ref to intervene and award Cloud the KO win. The stoppage was certainly appropriate. Gonzalez took so many very tough shots and the way he looked at the end, I do think he would have eventually been dropped, hard. It was a good win for Cloud. He beat a former titlist probably more convincingly than anyone, save a prime Roy Jones, ever has. Yes, it did look like Gonzalez has faded but he certainly must still be considered formidable. I took a shot on Gonzalez in this fight. I believed that Gonzales could weather the storm and take the inexperienced Cloud into deep waters. And I thought Cloud looked vulnerable to right hands. But I have to admit that I may have underestimated Cloud. I compared him to Jeff Lacy but he showed he’s better than that. Perhaps a more apt comparison would be former champ, the Camden Buzzsaw Dwight Braxton. Cloud’s punches were short and crisp and for a shorter guy, he boxes reasonably well and has deceiving speed. Sure he needs some work on keeping his hands up but he does have appears to have an excellent future as a light heavyweight. I’d have to put him near the top ten based on how he looked in this fight. And he has a chance to shine in a division where some old warhorses inhabit the top 5. There we have oldies but goodies like Bernard Hopkins, Joe Calzaghe, Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson. These guys won’t be around too much longer. And the only fighter who may hang around or even be willing to give the young tiger Cloud a fight would be Glen Johnson. I think a fight between Cloud and Glen Johnson has fight of the year contender written all over it. Johnson could certainly test Cloud much more than Gonzalez was able to do and I don’t think Johnson would hesitate in the least to take this fight. Johnson, as many will remember, nearly stopped young stud Chad Dawson in his last fight in a contest that, I believe, easily could have gone Johnson’s way. I say give Cloud another fight and put him with Johnson in early 2009 and lets see what happens. It would be a classic.

Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto waged a tremendous battle on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas to determine who the supreme welterweight on the planet is. Antonio Margarito provided that answer with an amazing trouncing of highly regarded and formerly undefeated champion Miguel Cotto via 11th round KO. Cotto seemed to understand right from the beginning that going to war with Margarito would be an error in strategy and wisely opened the fight in boxer mode. And Cotto demonstrated marvelous skills as he “seemed” to be too quick and slick for the Tijuana Tornado. Cotto landed the jab and pinpoint combinations and while Margarito walked through it in the early rounds he was unable to easily find Cotto. But Margarito is not one who is easily discouraged. He would bang the body, Cotto’s gloves and anything else he could find when Cotto became a stationary target. But in the first five rounds, Cotto was boxing beautifully, making Margarito miss and countering with laser combinations. But even though Cotto was winning a lot of mini battles, Margarito was the much stronger man. And when he was eating shots, he was still walking Cotto down. And while Cotto appeared to be landing the much more visible and cleaner shots early on, Margarito was able to make his presence known with thudding body blows and a savage left uppercut that was often able to pierce Cotto’s gloves. Even though Cotto was winning the boxing match in the first half of the fight, he was getting noticeably busted up. He had a bloody nose in the 2nd round and his mouth became a crimson mass soon after that. After 6 rounds, Cotto appeared to win at least 4 rounds but things took a dramatic turn for the worse for Cotto in the 7th round. He would take brutal body shots and uppercuts and for the first time in the fight, he showed some “give.” And he wasn’t able to move and out maneuver the relentless and brutal Margarito as frequently as he was doing. I thought after that telling 7th round that Cotto now had a long road to hoe. He was beginning to look like a beaten fighter and he now had to hold Margarito off for 5 more rounds – and that wasn’t going to happen. Margarito took over in rounds 8 through 10 but Cotto was not going to go gently into the night. He fought back and when he could muster the energy, he would still sting Margarito with blistering salvos. But the shots were merely and annoyance to the Tijuana tough guy and he simply swatted the bee’s away and kept going forward. And now he was landing some nasty and damaging stuff. Body shots were now sinking deeply into Cotto’s side and midsection and he clearly didn’t take those well. And Margarito was now landing sizzling uppercuts and right hands that were beginning to make Cotto look like the elephant man. It got to point where Cotto simply ran out of resources and had no place to hide. He was now going to take a thumping and by the last half of the 10th round his resistance was nearly gone. Margarito shook Cotto to core late in the 10th but he remained upright until the rounds end. But it was evident that he was badly damaged and that Margarito was like a shark that smelled blood in the next round. Margarito began his attack on his wounded prey and Cotto had no choice but to take a knee. His resistance was now all gone. He was spent bullet. Cotto got his 8 count and Margarito followed as Cotto back peddled. Margarito resumed his brutal assault and the weary and bruised Cotto slumped down again. That was it. Cotto’s corner threw the white towel to indicate surrender. It was the right call. Cotto gave his body and soul to this fight but he simply reached the end of the line. It was a tremendous victory for the affable Margarito. He’s earned the right to tell many people, “I told you so.” Many writers and pundits, about 40 out of 50 picked Cotto to prevail. Many viewed Margarito as too crude, slow and primitive to deal with Cotto’s speed and evolved skills. But most failed to recognize that Margarito has his own attributes that can overcome excellent fighters. He’s not as slow as most think and he’s always been able to track down fast fighters. Margarito possesses a super human ability to take punches and withstand pain. He may be the best conditioned fighter in the game and happens to be freakishly strong. I also believe he has underrated boxing skills. If he didn’t have skills and savvy in the ring, being strong and tough alone would probably not be enough to get over on someone like Cotto. Just because he doesn’t win in the manner of a Floyd Mayweather, many people think of Margarito as a crude brawler. But I think his method of mayhem is the most violently artistic manner a fighter can win. He doesn’t win by going around an opponent; he wins by going through them, taking their body, will and heart. In my opinion winning in that manner is the most complete and dominant way to win. He certainly leaves no doubt about the result and his wins are highly satisfying. But when someone like a Mayweather slaps his way to a 12 round decision, he may win easily but they are often unsatisfying and not compelling victories. It’s noteworthy that Cotto has been a destroyer in his career but Margarito pulled a Cotto on Cotto. He was simply way too much. By the way, I think Cotto fought a great fight and was marvelously prepared. And I think he would have handled any other welter in world – including the retired Floyd Mayweather. Margarito, in my view, is the best welterweight in the world and now deserves some mention as one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world. He has some options at welterweight such as a rematch with Paul Williams and the winner of Clottey vs. Judah. But he’d love to fight Oscar de la Hoya which is understandable because with that fight he would set up his family financially for life. But I don’t think Oscar wants any part of the Tijuana Tornado. He would be stopped more brutally and sooner than Cotto was. De la Hoya was talking about facing Cotto “when” he won. But that didn’t happen so wouldn’t it be logical to face Margarito? But, unfortunately, logic has nothing to do with it. Oscar can call his shots and at his stature he’s not about to walk into a beatdown in the twilight of his career. But I think Margarito deserves to be lauded for his amazing efforts and warrior fighting style. He the baddest man on the planet at 150 pounds and under bar none. I don’t like how a Cotto win was viewed as mere formality by promoter Bob Arum who promotes both fighters. He wasn’t shy about his desire and expectation of a Cotto win. And I think that attitude was unfair to Margarito. He deserves better than that. Although, since everyone anointed Cotto king of the ring before he faced Margarito it probably played a role in Cotto being nearly a 3-1 favorite which was good for the bettors. I picked Margarito to win this fight by KO in the 10th round. I was just a round off but the fight went like I expected. I felt that Cotto would have success with his speed and boxing ability but I knew Margarito has an indomitable will and had beaten speedy guys in the past. And I believed Margarito was the tougher and stronger man and that over time he would be able to impose his vast will on Cotto and take over the fight. And, of course, we all know he did that. There were signs in Cotto’s previous fights that he could be broken. Shane Mosley came close to doing it and when Zab Judah hurt Cotto, Cotto dug brutal low blows into Judah’s gonads. And I knew Margarito would bring much more to this fight than Mosley and Judah. And he certainly did. He’s not as speedy or slick as those men but his chin, strength and fortitude put him ahead of the pack in my view. Margarito is still only 30 and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. I want to see him in the biggest fights in the next few years, bringing his own unique special brand of mayhem. The secret is out now to every one, he’s a special fighter and everyone should enjoy and appreciate him while he’s here.

This contest has the makings of something very special for many reasons. They both hold titles, although Margarito’s IBF strap doesn’t appear to be on the line. They both bring brutal boxing styles into this fight that make for compelling entertainment. The have both been deftly dodged by recently retired (yeah, right) consensus number one pound for pound fighter Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. These men are considered by most to be the two of the best 147 pound titles on the planet. This fight should be billed as the irresistible force vs. the immoveable object. And both phrases could easily apply to both men. There is nothing subtle about how these guys fight. Cotto is a compact welterweight with solid boxing skills and a brutal body attack. And he’s versatile. He can be a wrecking ball of a fighter, simply cutting swath against anything in his way or when he deems necessary, he can box in a manner that belies his stocky stature and stick the jab, move and counter punch. Cotto proved his boxing acumen when he was able to beat the speedy Shane Mosley to the punch time and again in their thriller. His efficient boxing and brutal fighting style have turned good fighters to dust. Cotto was a top amateur and was has been groomed for greatness. It has been expected of him. And so far no one has been able to figure out how to beat him. The lanky Margarito has gotten here on a different path. The Tijuana raised fighter began fighting as boy and turned pro at 15 on the brutal Mexican circuit. He was forced to learn as he went. And he learned the hard way. Fighting men at such a young age was difficult and Margarito has 3 early losses as a result. But since 1996 Margarito has only lost 2 razor thin decisions and they were to current champions Daniel Santos and Paul Williams. Margarito is not as polished as Cotto. He can appear crude. But he is as tough and relentless as a fighter can be. And his technique has improved over the years and with his iron chin and destruct and destroy style, he has become one of the most avoided men in the sport. So will this fight live up to hype? I almost don’t see how it can’t. The have so much on the line and their styles will not change. The winner will be, in my view, the king of the boxing world and all roads welterweight from this point on will lead to the winner. They are both hugely confident men, and equally determined, that believe that they can defeat their opponent. Something has got to give and only one will be right. I can’t wait to find out and will be there live to witness the fight of the century – so far. I’ll have an official pick later in the week, possibly after the weigh-in. The fight happens on Saturday, July 26, 2008 at the MGM Grand Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Wladimir Klitschko successfully defended his heavyweight titles with an 11th round knock out over challenger Tony ‘the Tiger” Thompson at the Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany on Saturday night. The first five rounds were quite compelling and I felt that the 6-1 underdog Thompson was in the thick of the fight. But in the 6th round and beyond, Thompson simply wasn’t able to maintain his intensity and Klitschko slowly took over. In those early rounds, Thompson was able to walk Klitschko down and land very good body punches. And Thompson’s right jab was working well, which allowed him to get in close and work. Klitschko clearly did not like what was happening and would clinch at every opportunity. It really seemed like Thompson was on to something and that the possibility of Klitschko wearing down seemed very real. But that was not the case. Thompson noticeably dropped his intensity in the 6th round and it never returned. When Klitschko realized that Thompson was leaving him alone, he began to slowly take control. He landed more right hands and even had excellent success with the body attack. And Thompson, with every passing round, was just wearing down more and more. When the fighters got tangled in the 10th round, the fighters fell in heap with Thompson on the bottom. Thompson looked so weary trying to get up while looking to get some sympathy from ref Joe Cortez. But Cortez, fresh off his horrendous call from the Soto vs. Lorenzo fight wasn’t about to do anything stupid. So the fight resumed with Thompson just hanging on - barely. Finally in the 11th, a rejuvenated Klitschko lowered the boom on Thompson with a clean right hand. Thompson pitched forward and downwards and almost looked peaceful as he landed on floor with a hint of a smile, looking like his grandmother had just tucked him into bed while his hands rested under his chin in a child like position. I picked Thompson to win. He had excellent value and I thought he had the stuff that could force the physically imposing Klitschko to wilt. And things seemed promising early but it was Thompson that ended up wilting. I don’t know if Thompson got hurt and that’s why the fight shifted or had he simply used up all of his reserves after 5 rounds. Perhaps fatigue and punishment were both contributory. I recall in the 5th or 6th round Klitschko landed a particularly savage left hook to the body and coincidentally or not, Thompson simply lost all steam and momentum. And a fighter that isn’t able to really make Klitschko work at a fast pace will become a sitting duck to Klitschko’s vast offensive arsenal. Klitschko is willing to put his offense away but first you have to give him a reason and after the 5th round Klitschko had no reason hide his right hand and left hook. Thompson gave a good effort. It just didn’t work out. It would have been nice if the affable D.C. resident could have made his Rocky story come true. But perhaps with this exposure he can get a few more big fights and put some extra shekels into the family kitty. Klitschko looks vulnerable yet is still a very difficult guy to beat. He has speed, power, experience and boxing ability. He’s a likeable guy, too and is still in his physical prime. But I don’t think he really loves to fight but he happens to be very good at it and is well compensated for his efforts. He will win in a cautious, stinker of a fight if that’s what he has to do to remain unscathed. However, I see some interesting fights on the horizon for him and hope he gives some of the young guns a chance at the title. A rematch with Sam Peter would be compelling. Workhorse Alexander Povetkin is waiting in the wings and could be next. Exciting Mexican-American heavyweight Chris Arreola, a virtual punching machine, would more than happy to throw down with Klitschko among many others. As Hillary says, “Let’s make it happen.”

Manny Pacquiao scored a scintillating 9th round KO over stubborn and absorbent David Diaz at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas on Saturday night. This was Pacquiao's first foray in the lightweight division and it was a smashing success. Pacquiao couldn’t do much wrong in this fight. He found Diaz with everything right from the beginning of the fight. Pacquiao smashed the jab to good effect, landed clean right hooks and left crosses, uppercuts and solid body blows. Everything he did worked beautifully. Diaz was strong and game but simply had no answer for Pacquiao’s tremendous speed. Diaz tried to come forward and make a fight of it but Pacquiao would have none of it. Diaz had small moments of success when he landed body blows and tried to rough up the Filipino Icon but nothing worked for long. If Diaz had a modicum of success Pacquiao quickly pounded it away with his slashing fists. Diaz, who is as tough as they come, seemed to be taking the shots fairly well through the first 6 rounds or so but he was getting tenderized so much that I knew going the distance was going to be a tall order for him. In the eighth round Diaz took a bad pounding and showed a lot of “give” for the first time. His time seemed limited. Pacquiao continued to administer punishment in the 9th round when Pacquiao threw a range finding jab that caused Diaz to lean into the shortest, most compact left cross you’ll ever see. Boom, Diaz pitched forward on his face – fight over. The punch seemed to travel no more than 6 inches but it had full power and impact and finally short circuited the brave Diaz from his senses. The shot was like one of those 6 inchers that the great Rocky Marciano used to ruin fighters with. The gulf in class in this fight was evident form the beginning. I picked Pacquiao to win this fight by knockout and actually called for the KO to happen in the 9th round which was nice to see that come to pass. My rationale for picking Pacquiao was mainly that he was simply a higher class of fighter and had a tremendous speed advantage. Diaz, while has always showed heart, grit and toughness, has struggled with many rugged journeymen in fights that just should have been easier if he was going to be a real star. I actually thought Silverio Ortiz deserved the win in their 10 round fight in 2006 where I had a small play riding on 10-1 underdog Ortiz. And there were other indications, lack of real power among them, that this just wasn’t going to be Diaz’s night. It was obvious to me that this was a fight where Pacquiao was really going to shine in. He had been fighting top echelon boxers like Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez so I figured when he stepped in with someone with a much lower skill and speed level, the fight seemed a foregone conclusion. The only thing I grappled with was whether Pacquiao would score a KO or decision. But too many things steered me towards the KO play. Actually, Pacquiao winning the fight by KO was in jeopardy because of a cut suffered by Diaz that was ruled caused by a head butt. If the fight was stopped because of that then Pacquiao would have had to settle for a technical decision win and all the KO backers would have been out of luck. I think the move up in weight was a good move for Pacquiao. He holds 135 very well and seems to be adding a few pounds of muscle to his compact frame every few years. It’s absolutely amazing that Pacquiao began his career as a skinny 106 pounder in 1995. And now he holds the distinction as being the first man to win a flyweight title (112) and the lightweight title (135). And he sandwiched in titles at 122, 126 and 130. And remarkably, he skipped over 115 and 118 where he probably could have won crowns there too if he so desired. Where does Pacquiao go from here? Wherever he wants. He’s not only the best pound for pound fighter in the world but he will shortly supplant a soon departing Oscar de la Hoya as boxing’s number one draw. That means all roads will lead to Pacquiao because that is where an opponent can expect to make a career high payday. I’d like to see Pacquiao take on the “real” lightweight champion Nate Campbell for preeminence in the division. Also, dangerous nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez is interested in a 3rd fight and that could happen at 135. And there has been talk of Pacquiao moving up to 140 to challenge long time champion Ricky Hatton. I do think Pacquiao can fight effectively at 140 as well. And there are so many other tough fighters and viable options for Pacquiao that he can fill his calendar for the next few years. Some final thoughts: I really enjoy Pacquiao’s style in and out of the ring. He’s a savage boxer/puncher in the ring but he fights with a certain calmness and sportsmanship that I respect. He’s not an angry blowhard and almost seems to fight devoid of any emotion. He fights like he’s there to do his job in the most crowd pleasing way but he does it with honor and respect if that’s possible. And out of the ring he’s almost shy and certainly humble with a lace of self deprecation thrown in. He’s excellent for the game and I hope, just hope, that he doesn’t let the party side of his life curtail what is now, and growing, a historical boxing career.

This is a battle of undefeated heavyweight hopefuls. In this one, Chazz Witherspoon takes on Chris Arreola on HBO on Saturday night. Both guys seem promising but the winner will take a big step forward in the division. Who is more substance than hype? Witherspoon is a cousin of excellent former heavyweight champ “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon. He’s a college graduate and seems to be an introspective guy. I’m not sure if that’s always a good quality for a boxer. He’s a stylish boxer with decent hand speed. He’s not a big puncher and has faced fairly modest opposition as a pro. But he has beaten some capable journeymen such as Kendrick Releford and Dominic Jenkins. While he won widely in those bouts he didn’t put forth the type of performance that you would expect from a future star. He’s well rounded and can box but seems to lack that something extra as evidenced by not really pulling away from mediocre competition. Arreola is a Mexican-American that comes to fight. He’s big at about 6’4, 240 pounds. He is a rugged pressure fighter and in spite of his size he can fight at a very brisk pace – which most heavyweights don’t or can’t do. He’s ballooned up in weight on occasion but at this time his training seems to be in check. He’s fought higher caliber opposition than Witherspoon and has been more impressive. He stopped Dominic Jenkins in 5, who went the route with Witherspoon and was reasonably competitive. He brutalized former prospect Malcolm Tann in a 8th round KO and knocked out cagey vet Sedrick Fields in 7. He has 21 KO’s in 23 wins. He can punch but his KO’s often happen after he tenderizes an opponent for several rounds. It seems like many see this as a close fight or even favor Witherspoon although the line has shifted Arreola’s way over the past few days. But I like Arreola in this one. I think he’s too strong and busy for Witherspoon to contain. No one, up to this point, has been able to keep Arreola out on the end of a jab and I don’t think Witherspoon can do it for a complete fight. Much lesser fighters than Arreola have been able to reach Witherspoon and give him spirited efforts. I have no reason to think that Arreola won’t impose his vast will and force Witherspoon into a war. And this war is one I don’t think Witherspoon can win. Arreola is certainly hittable but just walks through it and breaks guys down. I don’t think Witherspoon has the strength or power to hold back Arreola. In another brutal war, I expect Arreola to break Witherspoon down for a KO win – perhaps somewhere around the 8th round. NOTE: Since this is available to everyone, it won't be part of the BoxingForecast track record. And I'm not suggesting a wager but merely giving my analysis of the fight. I felt the odds inflated a bit too much for my liking to recommend an "official" play on this contest.  

Hatton handles Lazcano, is Malignaggi next? Ricky Hatton won a unanimous decision over Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, Lancashire, on Saturday night. This was Hatton’s first fight since his 10th round KO loss to Floyd Mayweather last December. Hatton showed some ring rust and vulnerabilities but he was able to win most of the rounds in this 12 round contest. In spite of a losing effort for Lazcano, he was game and had decent game plan. One annoying part of his strategy has to hold like an Octopus in every round. And he did that much my chagrin. You see, since Hatton was a huge favorite, I went with the Hatton by KO play at nearly even money. I thought Hatton would overwhelm Lazcano in the second half of the fight. But Lazcano was able to fritter away large portions of every round with his clutching ways. And Lazcano was able to slow up Hatton with these all too frequent clinches. Still, Hatton was able to pound Lazcano with impunity, for the most part, when his hands were free. But Lazcano showed grit when for a small part in every round he would make a stand and fire combinations at Hatton. However, Hatton usually answered Lazcano’s flurries with more good solid body and head work. It appeared that Hatton was breaking Lazcano down by the 8th round and in my view a stoppage still seemed like a good possibility. Lazcano had one great moment in the fight, in 10th round, when Hatton amateurishly attacked with his hands down and chin up. Lazcano nailed Hatton with a clean left hook that rocked Hatton’s world. Hatton seemed to get a helping of home cooking when he was allowed extra time to recover because of an untied shoe. Hatton was ushered to his corner where the shoe was retied. Hatton recovered and pounded Lazcano for the remainder of the round. And Hatton had a strong 11th round where he battered to tough Lazcano around the ring. Hatton’s corner man knowing that Lazcano could hurt his charge and sensing that the fight was won told Hatton play it safe in the 12th. And he did. He didn’t punch as much and was for once content to be in clinches with Lazcano until the final bell. Hatton won widely but it appears that with his many wars, out of ring feasts and known weight issues have taken their toll. I think making the 140 pound limit is getting tougher in every subsequent contest and I don’t think he’s quite strong enough to hang with elite in the welterweight division. But he is huge moneymaker because of his popularity and is in a position to make tremendous money. He can fight Paulie Malignaggi who defended his IBF title in a rematch against Lovemore N’dou on this same card. And then he can look to get a rematch with Floyd Mayweather for a massive score. Mayweather would be more than happy to fight Hatton again because the money would be phenomenal and he knows he’ll get another W on is record. It will be a great draw among the ignorant or loyal fan bases, but real boxing aficionados won’t care too much about this re dux. But sometimes that’s the business of boxing.

Angulo bangs out Gutierrez in slugfest Alfredo Angulo stopped Richard Gutierrez in the 5th round at Buffalo Bills Hotel, Primm, Nevada on Saturday night in a highly entertaining contest. Angulo is a young undefeated Mexican fighter now based in Southern California. Gutierrez was considered to be Angulo’s toughest opponent to date and I think that was definitely the case. Gutierrez had only lost once and that was a very close contest to top welterweight contender Joshua Clottey. This fight turned out to be an excellent contest between solid young fighters. Gutierrez had good success and landed plenty of shots but the problem for him was that Angulo was throwing twice as many punches and landing at an equal or better percentage. Angulo averaged over 100 punches per round in this heated contest. After a close first round Angulo was doing more and better work in rounds 2 through 4. But both men were defiant and no one seemed close to breaking up to that point. Angulo resumed the battle in the 5th but was caught and clearly hurt by a Gutierrez left hook. Gutierrez tried to press but couldn’t land another bomb. Within 30 seconds of being hurt, Angulo was in full attack made and landed some telling shots on Gutierrez. Gutierrez was now hurt. Angulo would not relent and dropped the stumbling Gutierrez. Gutierrez rose but was being pummeled across the ring, forcing the ref to intercede and declare Angulo the winner. It was a thrilling contest and Angulo showed what he can do against rugged contender with good skills, power and toughness. And Angulo passed this test with flying colors even if there was a scare thrown in. This fight shared the bill with another compelling Jr. Middleweight bout between James Kirkland vs. Eromosele Albert. In that fight Kirkland scored a 1st round KO in ultra-impressive fashion. My first thought after Angulo stopped Gutierrez was that an Angulo vs. Kirkland match-up would be a fight for the ages. And I think it would and I can’t wait to see it. As a fan, I’d like to see it as soon as possible. But I think it would benefit the fighters and boxing if they got a years worth, or so, of exposure against decent competition which by that time one or both might be title holders and the bout would draw and pay much more. I’m sure that fight will happen down the road. I had 2 picks on this fight; an Angulo win and that the fight would go under 9.5 rounds. My rationale was that Angulo is the bigger man and puncher and he has incredible work rate. In addition, he has very underrated tools. He appears to be a beatable guy, except like Antonio Margarito, he’s pure hell or worse to deal with once you get him in he ring. And he showed many dimensions in his win. He got hit plenty but he has a good defense and sharp skills. And he’s always balanced and poised to return fire. Gutierrez, I felt, just wouldn’t keep up the pace. I knew he was good but I think he was overconfident and I don’t think late round conditioning is his strong point. I guess Gutierrez figured by shaving his chest hair to create a cross on his chest it would bring God in the ring with him - but it didn’t help much. Next time out I think he ought to wax the whole thing or just let it be. But that’s just me.

Kirkland lays bomb on Albert James Kirkland had no trouble cutting through rugged veteran Eromosele Albert in less than a one round at Buffalo Bills Hotel Primm, Nevada on Saturday night. The undefeated Kirkland was a 5-1 favorite but there were many insiders that felt that Albert would give Kirkland a very stern contest. That's because Albert has been very impressive in previous outing against competent opposition. But Kirkland must not have heard that as he treated Albert like he committed a crime against a family member. Kirkland came out with guns blazing and immediately found the target, dropping Albert hard with a blazing combination. Albert rose on unsteady legs but was pounded again, forcing the referee’s intervention thus ending the fight. I expected Kirkland to win but the pick was the under 9.5 rounds proposition because it was a way better price then laying the chalk on a Kirkland win. I thought it could go some rounds but was very pleased that Kirkland took care of his business early. When I saw how Kirkland looked in the ring, I knew he was in magnificent shape and ready to destroy anything in his way. That’s the way Kirkland fights, which makes him one of the most compelling young fighters in the world. But not only does he fight with fury, he has fast hands, good skills that are getting better, great conditioning and tough chin. He’s kind of like a very young Mike Tyson circa 1985-8. Kirkland is must see television and a fighter that fans will be sure to keep an eye on.

Bradley crashes Witter’s party, snags WBC light welterweight title Tim Bradley won the WBC light welterweight tile by split decision over Junior Witter at the Nottingham Arena, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom on Saturday night. Not too many gave the 6-1 underdog Bradley a chance to take the respected Witter’s title but Bradley surprised many with a good enough performance to unseat Witter. I picked Bradley to win this contest and also suggested a play on the over 9.5 rounds proposition. My rationale, in part was: I knew Bradley was a speed merchant and that Witter hasn’t fought anyone this quick since he lost to Zab eight years ago. And even though Bradley hasn’t faced the caliber of competition Witter faced, he handled some very capable journeymen with aplomb. Also, I believed the 10 year younger Bradley would push the fight and give Witter a pace he wouldn’t like. The first five rounds were very close. Both guys gave respect to the other but Bradley was looking for openings while Witter looked to counter. If the fight kept that tenor for the remaining rounds Witter probably would have retained his title. But Bradley hit pay dirt late in the 6th round. A blazing overhand right by Bradley caught Witter flush in the face and dropped Witter for only the second time in his career. Bradley swarmed on Witter when the fight resumed but the bell rang shortly after the knockdown, saving Witter from further punishment. But knockdown clearly changed the direction of the fight. Bradley was now well in the fight and he knew he could hurt Witter and more importantly Witter knew Bradley could hurt him. And Bradley stepped up the intensity a notch while Witter seemed like a fading commodity. All those factors added up to Bradley winning most, if not all, of the rounds in the second half of the fight. Bradley had stated that he felt that Witter would fade late in the fight and he was right. Bradley was muscling Witter and was able to land several clean shots per round until the final bell. Witter was reduced to a survival mode and was clearly outfought in those later rounds. The fight was a split decision win for Bradley but Bradley won at least 7 rounds and scored a clear knockdown. It should have been a unanimous decision. The problem for Witter was that he was fighting a man that matched him in speed but Bradley proved to be the stronger fighter coupled with the busier style.  It was big step up in class for Bradley and Witter is a guy that makes everyone look bad. But Bradley handled himself like a veteran professional and took care of his business. Now Bradley is a big player in a very deep division. The 24 year old's future is extremely bright. This is a bitter loss for Witter.  He’s a quality fighter but he may never get the huge payday he covets that a fight with domestic rival Ricky Hatton would have given him. If Witter was still a champion, he would have had more leverage to create a fight with the popular Hatton but after this loss Hatton will most likely fight someone else.  You see, while Witter is worthy, Hatton didn’t appreciate Witter’s antics trying to make a fight between the two of them.  And Hatton is the money maker and draw so the only one hurt by the non-fight is Witter and of course, the fans. So Hatton can have the last laugh by not fighting Witter and never allowing Witter to earn that mega payday that only Hatton can provide. Even with Witter’s loss I still think it would be a nice fight with a lot of interest, and would love to see it, but unfortunately it probably won’t happen.

Alvarado stays unbeaten with KO over Rosales Mike Alvarado scored an impressive 7th round stoppage over Michel Rosales at the Isleta Casino & Resort, Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday night. This was a highly anticipated battle between young welterweight prospects where someone had a chance to make a statement on national television. And that someone was Alvarado. Alvarado was somewhat methodical but very effective. It seemed that Alvarado respected Rosales’ power and with that decided to gradually grind him down and lower the boom when appropriate. The shorter Alvarado used a stiff jab to set up his combinations while Rosales was looking to land bombs. But Alvarado was clearly the faster guy and had a much tighter defense. And Alvarado looked sharper with every passing round. He had some success to the body, his jab worked like a charm and the power shots were really zeroing in as the fight went along. Late in the 6th round Rosales showed some give when he was visibly shaken with a combination late in the round. It was evident that he had little left and that Alvarado would be looking to get him out of there. And that’s just what Alvarado had in mind.  He pounced on his wounded prey in the 7th and was landing brutal shots within the first minute of the round. Rosales wasn’t returning fire and this fight was rapidly going south for the game Mexican. The ref finally intervened at the midpoint of the round, awarding Alvarado the KO win. This was an impressive win for Alvarado. Rosales is a big puncher and a decent young fighter himself. But Alvarado showed good poise and solid workmanship in the win. This fight was set for 143 pounds which is just a bit over the light welterweight limit. I’m not certain if Alvarado is gunning for the 140 or 147 pound title but he looks like he could compete in either division, although he seems a bit big for 140. I picked an Alvarado win and the under 9.5 rounds proposition. My basis for the pick, in part, was that Rosales really exposes himself when he punches and I knew that he has a propensity to fade in grueling contests. In addition, I saw Alvarado as a well rounded fighter as well as being very strong and durable. I view Alvarado as someone to keep on eye on in the near future.

De la Hoya gets by Forbes,setting the table for rematch with Mayweather Oscar de la Hoya successfully handled Steve Forbes, winning a 12 round decision at the Home Depot Center, Carson, California on Saturday night. De la Hoya had the most success in the fight with his jab. It set the tempo for the fight and allowed De la Hoya to dictate the pace and control the majority of the rounds. It was evident that De la Hoya was the stronger man as he was able to move Forbes backward for much of the fight. Yet while De la Hoya won the majority of the rounds, Forbes was competitive in most of them.Forbes was able to land clean right hands and some excellent body shots.And whenever De la Hoya attempted to get his combinations going Forbes would often answer back with the cleaner punches.But De la Hoya’s jab and work rate were able to carry the day over the plucky Forbes. In spite of the disparity on the judge’s cards, I thought Forbes put in a solid effort was much more competitive than the judges cards indicated. If Forbes had any real pop on his punches I think we might have had a different outcome.De la Hoya’s face showed a lot of lumping around the eyes and blood in the mouth. He took many clean power shots. It’s kind of funny to contrast the damage De la Hoya took compared to what Hopkins looked like after his fight with Calzaghe. Hopkins showed absolutely no evidence of being in a fight while De la Hoya was probably more busted up than in any previous fight. I was certain De la Hoya would win this match but was on the fence about the manner in which he’d win.I went with the KO proposition because it had a good price and the fact that De la Hoya was the much bigger man that had faced much stronger opponents. And De la Hoya historically had always run smaller fighters out of the ring.But those days are obviously gone.De la Hoya tried to force Forbes out on several occasions in the fight but just when it seemed Forbes showed some give, he would battle back and/or give De la Hoya some jive two step to show he wasn’t hurt.That little dance by Forbes I could have done without. So now De la Hoya has passed the first hurdle on his three fights and done retirement tour. But I’m afraid that he will be derailed in his rematch with Floyd Mayweather which is scheduled for September. De la Hoya showed a good jab and work rate in this fight but I didn’t see anything in this fight that leads me to believe he can improve upon his first fight with Mayweather. In fact, I think he has slid further since that fight. He never used to get hit like he did in this fight.Getting hit more frequently is a tell tale sign that ones boxing capacity is diminishing.Even his power punching seems to have lost something.He weighed 150 for this fight but still looked a bit soft.The circa 2000 De la Hoya probably would have been able to get Forbes out of there before the final bell. De la Hoya always used to feast on smaller guys that challenged him. I expect that Mayweather will look even better in their rematch and land clean power shots all night long.But that might be a blessing in disguise because De la Hoya has expressed an interest in facing Miguel Cotto in his last fight. And losing to Mayweather will likely save De la Hoya from the savage beating he would get from a fight with Cotto. At least against Mayweather, De la Hoya should be able to get through the full 12 rounds without tremendous distress. But Cotto is a whole knew ballgame. As Cotto would bludgeon De la Hoya into submission well inside the distance. But De la Hoya certainly deserves credit for still fighting on a high level with all the money and success he has already achieved in boxing.You would think that with his burgeoning promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions, and the hunger for success satiated long ago it would be a near impossible task to put himself through the rigors of training time and again. But he has a lot of pride and is willing to challenge himself and take risks by fighting the best guys out there. And that has to be respected. As for Forbes, he made a career high purse against the Golden Boy, put up a solid effort and can probably earn more than ever before because he is now on the map after this fight.And if he competes in the proper weight class, 140 pounds, he may be able to make another title run.All in all, not a bad night for Forbes.

Erdei retains title in another forgettable defense Zsolt Erdei pitched a virtual shut-out over unknown DeAndrey Abron at the Freiberger Arena, Dresden Sachsen, Germany on Saturday night. Erdei was a huge favorite but I thought the over 8.5 rounds play at nearly even money was a strong pick because Erdei is more than content to carry out-classed competition for an entire fight. And that’s just what he did in this contest. For the most part, the 5’10 Erdei was able to land his strong jab on the 6’3 challenger. Abron was game and was never in any serious trouble throughout the fight. When Erdei chose to throw more than just the jab, Abron was able to hold, move or throw just enough to keep Erdei from getting too aggressive. Erdei does very well for himself, bringing in C level challengers to vie for his WBO crown. Abron is a guy that in reality is probably not a top 30 light heavyweight. Erdei claims he wants to fight Tarver but based on his track record I have to question his veracity. Erdei is an ordinary champion that has been fortunate to be able to hand pick his title defenses over the past 4 years. I don’t think he could get by any of the other champions in the division and would be surprised if any such unification bouts take place.

Tsurkan grinds down Feliciano in slugfest I didn't expect this from Jesse Feliciano at this time but last night in the Bronx he appeared to be a badly shot fighter.  I picked the 3-1 underdog Feliciano to win based on some of his recent efforts but almost overnight, the 25 year old has grown very old in fighter’s years. When I heard Feliciano's interview which was taped before his highly anticipated fight with rugged Andrey Tsurkan I was immediately alarmed - and realized at that moment my pick was in jeopardy.  His speech was slow and jumbled and his youthful face was surprisingly gnarled and distorted. When the fight began Feliciano looked slower than I had ever seen him before.  It seemed like he was engulfed in quicksand while trying to move and punch. He looked like a boxer that was fighting on his heels, reflexes all but gone. He took a mostly one sided beating for 8 rounds until the ref saved the ever tough Feliciano from himself in the eighth round.  Apparently all the brutal encounters that Feliciano has engaged in all seemed to hit him at once when this fight started. Perhaps the death of infant son last year has also been contributory to his ring demise. Nevertheless, Feliciano now resembles a tragedy waiting to happen and should be protected from himself and not allowed to punch for pay anymore. Looking at Feliciano last night, it’s amazing to me that he upset dynamo Delvin Rodriguez just two fights ago. If last nights Feliciano fought Rodriguez I don’t think it would have gone a round. But sometimes fighters diminish gradually over time or they seemingly lose it all at one time. The latter is what appeared to be  happen to Feliciano, of course  in spite of his young age he has been taken brutal punishment for many years. I know Feliciano seemed all done when he was stopped 3 times at 140 pounds but I was impressed by his dramatic resurgence when he went up in weight.  It seemed like he found a new lease on boxing. But his newly found success was short lived. .It looks like the brutal Cintron fight (Feliciano was stopped in the 10th round by Kermit Cintron in a challenge for the IBF title late last year.) and the loss of his son were the final cogs that emptied Feliciano physically and mentally.  And when those components are gone, the ring is no place to be hanging around.